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February 17, 2017

Nikonians Uploader for Mac v1.32 now available

Our image gallery uploader for Mac has been updated. This new version takes care of some issues found in V1.30, such as a stall that could happen during upload.

Silver, Gold and Platinum members can download the uploader at no cost on the Nikonians site.

Posted by bgs at 10:47 AM

May 19, 2016

Nikonians app for iOS updated

screen322x572.jpegOur iOS app has been updated. Browse images, tag favorites, see latest discussions, upload images easily to your gallery and share with others.

Download for free from iTunes app store.

Posted by bgs at 12:53 PM

April 27, 2016

Nikon D7200 Firmware update available

NIKON-LOGO-SQ-125.jpg Nikon's Service and Support download center has a firmware update available for the Nikon D7200.

The update covers issues in the setup menu, audio static, handling of RAW processes and proper display of leap years.

Go to the Download Center for details.

Posted by flashdeadline at 6:19 AM

March 30, 2016

Get the most out of the Google Nik Collection

Nikonian Jason Odell has made a set of guides and videos on how to get the most out of the meanwhile free Google Nik Collection plugins.

Jason has now a 25% special for us on the guides, check it out.

Posted by bgs at 3:24 PM

January 25, 2016

Nikonians search plugin

NikoScope-Nikonians-Searchengine-Plugin.pngBy adding Nikonians (NikoScope) as a search engine for your web browser, you can search through the large amount of pages at Nikonians easily.

Works with Firefox, Chrome and Internet Explorer.
Safari support currently not available - we're working on it !

The NikoScope plugin page has the plugin.

Posted by bgs at 6:18 PM

January 10, 2016

Upload shots from your iPhone, iPad or Android to Nikonians

IMG_2624.jpg
If you have some of your photography stored on a mobile or tablet, it is easy to upload that into your own gallery at Nikonians.

Just go and grab the latest, free version of the Nikonians mGallery from the iTunes appstore or Google Play, login with your Nikonians username in the app and you are ready to go.

Enjoy!

Posted by bgs at 2:12 PM

October 6, 2015

Newest version of Nikonians Uploader available

Uploader_110.jpgOur members can now download the newest version of our Mac-based image uploader. 

The Nikonians Uploader is an application allowing you to easily upload images to the Nikonians galleries directly from your Mac by simple drag and drop functionality.
Uploader_300-.jpg

The new Nikonians Uploader v1.2.0 works on Mac OS X Lion (Mac OS X 10.7) and later up to and including Yosemite (10.10).

The new version adds:

- Optimization of images to shorten transfer time with real-time 100% preview

- Reworked metadata editor to allow data persistence. It is possible to upload new images before previous batch was finished and all your edited changes are preserved. The same applies also to closing the application and starting again.

- Bugfixes

Silver members and higher can download it for free from Nikonians directly, whereas others can buy the uploader through Apple.

If you are not on Silver membership (or higher), the Uploader for Mac is available through at the  Apples iTunes App Store for $9.99 US Dollars.

Windows users can use the Upload functionality of Nikonians Annotate Expert software for similar features. It covers the same functionality as the Nikonians Uploader. Annotate Expert can be downloaded here: https://www.nikonians.org/annotate

Check for details in our Nikonians Uploader Wiki.


Posted by flashdeadline at 10:31 PM

April 6, 2014

Nikonians App expansion to Android begins

mGallery-THU_120.jpg

Nikonians.org has launched the Android version of mGallery.

It can be downloaded from Google Play and just like the previous iOS version it helps you make an easy connection to the Nikonians Gallery on smartphones and tablets.


Screenshot_image_175.jpg

Nikonians founder Bo Stahlbrandt (bgs) tells us this is the first of several Nikonians Android clients in the pipeline:

"The app gained a following on iPhones and iPads, and this new release is our way of responding to our members using the Android OS, and will run on both Android phones and tablets."

The application is free of charge and can be used by all Nikonians members. 

All users, even non-Nikonians, can browse and bookmark existing galleries.

As a logged in Nikonians user you can access "My gallery" which serves as a shortcut to reach your own gallery, and share your portfolio with others.

You also have the capability to store images in the camera roll (photo album) of your device, for sending it via email to someone else.  

You can also seek gallery images by username.

More information and directions for using the app are available in our Nikonians wiki pages.


Screenshot_mGal_475.jpg

 

Screenshot_menu.jpg

-------------------------------

 

History

Version 1.0 for Android available since March 28, 2014

Version 1.1 of the application is available in the iTunes applications store since August 19, 2010.

Version 1.0 of the application is available in the iTunes applications store since July 28, 2010.

 

Posted by flashdeadline at 10:24 PM

September 22, 2012

Google + Nik Software = Death of Rich Client Photo Editing

OK, so Google bought Nik Software a few days ago. This goes inline with the reported unhappy marriage and factual divorce between Nikon and Nik I mentioned back in March 2012.

What will now this acquisition by an advertising-driven web search portal with adjoining social and business tools of a photo imaging/editing application vendor like Nik Software mean?

1. Googles image capturing and editing offering will expand with mobile access
2. Google will enrich their portfolio of online editing tools and increase functionality
3. Nik Software portfolio will cease to exist over time

The third point is interesting for anyone who has been betting on the Nikon software Nikon Capture (NX et al), a software that is the intellectual property of Nikon and was developed by Nik.

Specifically, will Nikon have the interest, ambition, budget and skills to place the existing software codebase as a start for a new outsourcer that will develop it further according to their needs?

Vic Gundotra, Senior VP of Engineering at Google stated that they are inclined to keep the suite of pro tools and plugins for image editing as provided in the past by Nik. That sounds first pretty cool for photographers. But, we must understand that Google does not care about photographers with DSLRs any more they would care about anyone without direct online access to Googles services. They care just as much about a photographer using a Nikon D700 as they care about someone who is offline in deep Africa on a bicycle.

They want traffic, the online audience. Just like Imperium Z they feast and consume online souls. A photographer who is not online with his stuff is of no interest. Small devices staying online connecting to their services day and night. Small, personalized devices with advertising shown in various known and also still unknown ways, that is interesting for the search folks, making the billion dollars ad wheel spin and the servers heat up.

Where does advanced offline editing tools fit in here, the Nikon Captures of this world? Well, sure, they can and will connect to online services like those of the search folks. They will connect to all kinds of cloud services in the future. But, it is not a focus of Big G. And, anyways, Nikon Capture was never a part of the assets Big G acquired.

So, back to the Nikon question: Is Nikon going to get a new release out the door of Capture NX anytime soon? It does not seem to be a priority of Nikon though, with e.g. websites not updated on this since 2009. My personal take on this is, we have less than 50% chance of anything happening from Nikon to seriously improve NX. Adobe Lightroom and Apple Aperture is doing what most of us need already.

Posted by bgs at 2:11 PM

September 12, 2012

Nikonians Depth of Field iPhone app updated

DOF-app_110.jpgIf you want to use your iPhone, iPad or iPod to assist with Depth of Field (DOF) and Hyperfocal Distance calculations, the free DOF Calculator by Nikonians app available on iTunes has recently been updated.

DOF-Camera_175.jpgThis is the new version 1.1, which now offers the option of setting FX as default camera when the program starts for the first time. It is also optimized for faster code execution.

Calculating Depth of Field (DOF) and Hyperfocal Distance is an important element for professional photographers.

DOF-DOF_175.jpg
Members of the Nikonians community have shared ideas on the topic for years, and the most recent update to the J. Ramon Palacios (jrp) article in our Resources at Nikonians pages is now online.

The article by our Nikonians co-founder includes links to downloadable charts and an online calculator as well as directions on how to apply your measurements and lens data.

Hint for using the app
Before you fire up that application, it would help if you read the Calculating Depth of Field (DOF) and Hyperfocal Distance article. It will assist you in understanding the terminology used by the app.

Posted by flashdeadline at 1:15 AM

August 21, 2012

New Firmware Version 1.10 for Nikon CX Lenses

Nikon has released Version 1.10 firmware for the 10-30mm and 30-110mm CX lenses. The update allows Nikon J2 cameras to be shut off by collapsing the lenses to their carry position.

The technical note reads:

When this lens is used with Nikon 1 cameras released in, or after, August 2012, the camera can be turned off by locking the lens barrel (retractable lens barrel button), even if the monitor has turned off and the camera has entered standby mode.

Editor's note - the only Nikon 1 camera released in August 2012 was the J2. So by definition (and anecdotally confirmed by owners in the field), the J1 and V1 do not enjoy this new feature.

Find the firmware links here (US links TBD - this will be updated as they become available)

Nikon Europe CX 10-30mm Firmware V1.10
Nikon Europe CX 30-110mm Firmware V1.10

Posted by covey22 at 3:47 PM

August 8, 2012

Firmware Update 1.2 for Nikon J1 and V1

Updated: Nikon USA links now available.

Nikon has released version 1.2 firmware for both the J1 and V1 mirrorless cameras. Improvements include a fix to the "low shutter speed" threshold in Still Image Mode, Auto White Balance enhancements, exposure fixes when using the optional SB-N5 Speedlight at certain ISO ranges and error messages encountered during interval shooting and power-on using the lens barrel switch.

Nikon Europe Links:
Nikon J1 Firmware 1.2
Nikon V1 Firmware 1.2

Nikon USA Links:
J1 Firmware 1.2
V1 Firmware 1.2

Posted by covey22 at 2:53 PM

March 26, 2012

Nik Software divorces Nikon... right?

Seems the 2006 wedding between the two has been annulated. How much of a happy wedding that was is hard to say, but, we have been waiting for a follow up on the Nikon Capture NX2 a few years now and nothing is on, not even on the most sensitive of rumor radars.

Is the software some minority groups claim we'll still get worth waiting for, risking it will never come?

I would say hardly. Life's moved on and there are great, new tools out there. Take your pick, even if your new one does not come from Nik(on).

Posted by bgs at 4:46 AM

February 3, 2012

Lion OS-X Update Now Supports Nikon Series 1

Apple has released an update to the Lion Operating System that reads the new Nikon Series 1 camera RAW files.

Posted by covey22 at 2:43 PM

December 8, 2011

Holiday specials and Gift Ideas from our Photoproshop

Once again we approach that time of year when the urge to give is the strongest. All of us at the Nikonians Photoproshop wish you -- your family and friends a Happy Holiday Season!

We traditionally double check our inventories and look for great deals to make your gift shopping more affordable, and this year we invite you to check our Holidays Specials:

Lightsphere II flash diffusers, leg wraps, camera holsters and tripod bags, assorted camera plates and more are now featured. Offers are valid until stocks last.

You will enjoy the addition of white cross-out lines on our prices during this special, indicating your savings potential.

Make sure you scroll through the three pages of specials (nearly 50 at last count).

SPECIAL NOTE for our Nikonians members using the Photoproshop in Europe. Most of the items mentioned in this newsletter are also available "across the pond." Simply click on the Nikonians Photoproshop map for your chosen region.

Gift Giving
For fast reference we have also prepared a
Gift Giving Ideas page with items ranging in price from less than $20.00 USD to $100.00.

These are the items guaranteed to put a smile on the face of a fellow Nikon enthusiast or Nikonians member.

They include the popular hot-shoe mount bubble levels (in both two and three axis models), our top selling Nikonians Pro Strap for your camera and the tiny digital single-lens-reflex camera in the shape of a Nikon which is actually an 8GB USB flash drive in disguise. These flash drives were great stocking stuffers last year.

Check the top of the page and have a look at our brand new Nikonians 2012 Calendar!

If you want to leave the purchasing decision up to your gift receipient, we have you covered.

Check out our gift vouchers in increments of $25, $50 and $100 USD.

Want to go large with that order?

We're getting enthusiastic response to some of our specialized items such as the Solmeta Geotagger N3 GPS Receiver. This is a 3-axis smart camera GPS unit, with very quick and highly accurate GPS lock.

It is compatible with Nikon D3, Nikon D3X, Nikon D3S, Nikon D700, Nikon D300, Nikon D300s, Nikon D200, Nikon D90, Nikon D2X, Nikon D2Xs, Nikon D2Hs, plus Nikon D3100, Nikon D5000, Nikon D5100 and Nikon D7000.

Another popular item is our line of MAGICA products.

Nikonians co-founder J. Ramón Palacios spent many years researching the ideal tripod and he used the expertise of fellow members of the community to narrow that search down to MAGICA.

You can read his story on the search and results and judge for yourself.

---and Now-- the Hubs---
The collaboration between Markins and Nikonians on advanced camera support since 2004 has led to many innovations in the industry
and now Markins brings us a new product, reducing the final weight of a MAGICA for added convenience in the field, improving the ability to pack it inside luggage for airplane travel by reducing its top diameter, while maintaining its vibration absorption quality.

The Markins TH-200 and TH-300 Hubs replace the platform hub reducing weight and top diameter of Series 2 and Series 3 carbon fiber tripods respectively, whether a Mountaineer or a Systematic model, providing a slim profile while keeping the sturdiness and vibration dampening of the previous TB base plate based MAGICA.

Protect your investment
We now have an expanded catalog of
LensCoat protection for your lenses and DSLR bodies.

These lens covers camouflage your 14mm to 800mm lens in a variety of patterns. They are manufactured from 100% closed-cell neoprene and offer protection from bumps, jars and nicks.

They also provide a thermal barrier, protecting your hands from cold lenses in lower temperatures. They are easy to install and remove, sliding on like a sleeve and leaving no residue on the lens. LensCoat™ lens covers are waterproof, providing protection in harsh conditions.

Other features include clear, flexible UV plastic windows over the AF/VR controls and the distance-scale window. The cover has custom holes revealing your alignment for lens changes to be made without removing the cover. They are available for a wide variety of lenses and for teleconverters.

Your purchases help sustain the growth of the Nikonians community. We thank you for your support!

Posted by hendric at 11:15 AM

December 5, 2011

"The Nikonians" iPad App Updated

"The Nikonian" eZine app for the iPad has been updated to Version 1.1. You'll get access to our exclusive newsletters, packed full of equipment reviews, great photos from our ANPAT trip, updates of our Academy classes, and of course, exclusive Nikonians offers! Grab the app now!

Posted by covey22 at 3:02 PM

November 16, 2011

Limited time only: Save 50% on the Ultimate RAW Converter

CaptureOne_logo_99.jpgLess than a week remains for your opportunity to take advantage of the Phase One 50% savings offer on Capture One Pro 6.
Capture One Pro 6 brings out the very best in your images with tailor-made Nikon camera profiles. See why many of our members describe Capture One as the choice for Nikon photographers.
For a limited time, you can save 50% and get Capture One Pro 6 for 199 USD / 149 EUR only. The offer expires November 20th. Use the voucher code “CONIK2011” to claim your discount here.

Posted by flashdeadline at 3:27 PM

November 10, 2011

PhotoBert Fall Sale - 10% Off All Products!

PhotoBert, makers of the popular CheatSheets and the amazing Helicon Pro focus-stacking software, is slashing prices by 20% off of CheatSheets and 10% off of everything else (accessories & HeliconFocus). This offer won't last long, so head on over to start your holiday shopping! Your discount code can be found at the Nikonians Rewards page.

Posted by covey22 at 9:41 PM

September 22, 2011

Nikonians magazine now on iPad

Now photographers and Nikonians members can enjoy the electronic magazine THE NIKONIAN on their Apple iPads. You can find the app in the iTunes store. The app makes it possible to browse and download all issues of the ezine available since 2003.

Posted by bgs at 1:34 PM

September 5, 2011

Nikonians Mike Hagen on PhaseOne Media Pro

Professional photographer Mike Hagen has been working with Phase One's professional catalog program and media manager. Read his impressions in our resources.

Posted by bgs at 3:40 PM

August 26, 2011

Phase One launches newest pro photo manager special

Media-Pro_150_168-blog.jpgNikonians.org corporate partner Phase One introduces the Nikonians Media Pro special on August 29 and our community members have an inside track on a significant discount. 

For a limited time only (up to Sept. 12) you can save 30% by using our special voucher code, courtesy of Phase One. Media Pro is a professional photo manager that will supercharge the way you find, organize, and share your images and videos. 


Media Pro supports files from more than 100 different cameras, including Nikon RAW files. Use the voucher code MPNIK before September 12th and get a 30 % on Media Pro 1 here.

If you have any question regarding this software, please have a look on our Nikonians reviews written by Mike Hagen and Martin Turner.

Posted by hendric at 4:39 PM

August 18, 2011

Your own image portfolio on iPad, iPhone and iPod

By using the free iPad, iPhone and iPod app mGallery from Nikonians, you can showcase your own images stored in your Nikonians gallery. You can also easy access other galleries and more. Check it out!

Posted by bgs at 3:27 PM

May 19, 2011

Unbelievable Savings from Nikonians Sponsors!

Our Director of Good Deals for You has arranged for some unbelievable savings on some of the hottest photography hardware and software, and they're exclusive to Nikonians members only!

For starters, B&H Photo Video is offering an instant USD100 discount off Adobe Lightroom 3. That makes this popular image and editing suite available at the low price of USD179! This offer ends 04-June-2011.

On the hardware front, Roberts Imaging is knocking down prices on two of the latest Nikon lenses:


Only registered Silver, Gold and Platinum Nikonians members can take advantage of these exclusive deals. Membership has its rewards.

Posted by covey22 at 4:07 AM

May 13, 2011

Help us!

Please help us spread the word about our mobile phone apps by clicking on these links, mGallery, PhotoProShop and Good Locations and then by clicking on the "Like It Facebook button" at the bottom of the corresponding page. Yes, it is a Slovak application contest so the page itself is not really understandable :-)

Posted by bgs at 5:02 PM

May 4, 2011

CaptureOne Enhances Tethered Shooting Options

PhaseOne's CaptureOne suite has been enhanced for compatibility with tethered shooting using Nikon DSLRs. The D7000 and preliminary support for the D100 is now available. And our own Martin Turner has a full review on the CaptureOne Version 6 package.

CaptureOne tethering also supports additional camera controls including:

  • Change of Format (RAW, RAW+JPEG, etc)
  • ISO Sensitivity
  • Exposure Mode
  • Shutter Speed
  • Aperture
  • Exposure Compensation
  • EV Step
  • Aspect ratio/Image Area

Posted by covey22 at 4:30 PM

April 28, 2011

Nikon Image Authentication System Hacked

Russian security research firm Elcomsoft has reputedly hacked Nikon's Image Authentication system. Specific Nikon digital cameras write a special key or code to each photo they take. With a special software and hardware solution from Nikon, users can confirm if the photo has been altered since capture.

This validation process is valuable to law enforcement, military and other agencies that rely upon authenticated digital photos in order to document evidence and circumstances that will stand up to judicial scrutiny.

In 2010 Elcomsoft reputedly also hacked Canon's equivalent system called OSK-E3. As of the time of this publication, the research firm had not received responses from either manufacturer regarding their discoveries.

Posted by covey22 at 3:19 PM

April 27, 2011

Spring Sale: Photomatix HDR now 25% Off!

Back by popular demand, Photomatix is again offering Nikonians Silver, Gold and Platinum members an exclusive 25% discount on the award-winning HDRSoft high dynamic range processing program!

This offer is for a limited time only and ends in June 2011. All Photomatix program owners are also eligible for free upgrades for at least one year, so your software investment grows as more improvements and innovations are added. Grab your copy today, and remember, Nikonians Membership has it's rewards.

Posted by covey22 at 9:47 PM

Increased Nikon support in Capture One 6.2

With tailor-made Nikon camera profiles, Capture One is the RAW converter for Nikon photographers. This week, Phase One released Capture One 6.2, a free upgrade for Capture One 6 owners, which includes new benefits for Nikon shooters.

The release features tethered support for Nikon D-7000 and adds additional Nikon camera controls. Download the free trial of Capture One 6.2 here

Posted by covey22 at 8:47 PM

Layers for Lightroom with OnOneSoftware

OnOneSoftware brings the power of Layers to LightRoom with a free Public Preview of Perfect Layers!

In addition to adding Layered File Functionality to Lightroom, Perfect Layers also provides Masking Brushes, a multiude of Blending Modes, and the MaskingBug applet from PhotoTools 2.6 to create smooth gradient masks. The program can also be used in conjunction with Adobe Bridge and Apple Aperture.

The Public Preview is available for free at OneOneSoftware and expires on June 30th, 2011. The production version is expected to be delivered mid-2011, as a standalone product for USD159.95 and as part of the Perfect Photo Suite 5.5.

Posted by covey22 at 8:14 PM

April 19, 2011

Nikon Capture NX2 Updated to 2.2.7

Nikon has released the 2.2.7 update to Capture NX2.

Changes to this update include:
  • Support for RAW images captured with the D5100 has been added.
The following issues have been resolved.
  • In some rare cases, when the Highlight Protection function under Quick Fix in the Develop section of the Edit List was applied to RAW images, edges around highlights were darkened.
  • When the Image Dust Off function under Camera & Lens Corrections in the Develop section of the Edit List was applied to reduce reflection of dust on the image sensor in images, the results of this dust reduction were sometimes noticeable.
  • When RAW images captured with the camera’s auto distortion control function enabled were opened, or the Auto Distortion function under Camera & Lens Corrections in the Develop section of the Edit List was set to Automatic for a RAW image, Capture NX 2 sometimes quit unexpectedly.
  • RAW images sometimes could not be opened, or, when attempting to open a RAW image, Capture NX 2 sometimes quit unexpectedly.
Additional modifications to the Macintosh version
  • When an image was saved with Capture NX 2, time of the Date Created information recorded to Exif data was sometimes not correct. This issue has been resolved.

Posted by covey22 at 4:50 PM

March 25, 2011

Capture One Pro and Express discounts exclusive for Nikonians

Phase-One_110.jpgNikonians are now eligible to receive special discounts on Capture One Pro and Capture One Express. This special discount is good from now until April 5th. capture-disct_300.jpg Capture One is a RAW converter and image editing software which provides ultimate image quality.

With tailor-made Nikon camera profiles, Capture One is the choice for Nikon photographers who want to bring out the very best in their images.

Use your Nikonians Special voucher code "NIKOCO" at the Capture One ordering and information page before April 5th and save 30% on Capture One Pro or 50% on Capture One Express.

Information on your Nikonians voucher code and this special discount offer is being discussed at this thread.

Posted by flashdeadline at 1:55 AM

March 21, 2011

ObviousIdea - Free Image Resizing Program

Who wouldn't like access to free editing tools? Certainly not Nikonians members! ObviousIdea is the new IP-owner of a wide-range of products from VSO; including popular programs such as PhotoOnWeb (secure photo-sharing utility) and Image Resizer. To celebrate the launch of his new company, ObviousIdea CEO and founder Meuwissen Fabrice wants to give you access to the new Light Image Resizer, absolutely free. To get your copy, simply log into FaceBook and "Like" the ObviousIdea Page. That's it!

Posted by covey22 at 8:48 PM

February 9, 2011

PhaseOne Conducts CaptureOne Survey

PhaseOne wants to know about your photography style and how you use their premiere CaptureOne RAW conversion suite. If you're an owner/user, be sure to get your opinion heard.

Posted by covey22 at 2:27 PM

January 5, 2011

New SB-700 CheatSheet from PhotoBert

Bert Sirkin (PhotoBert) has updated his handy CheatSheets series with the inside scoop on the latest Nikon Speedlight, the SB-700. Nikonians Silver members and above get an additional 20% off this newest product at Nikonians Rewards. Get your copy today!

Posted by covey22 at 7:23 PM

HDRsoft Photomatix Savings!

HDRsoft is offering enormous savings to Nikonians Silver and above members - a 25% discount on their stunning Photomatix high dynamic range processing software. This offer ends soon, so reserve a copy today at Nikonians Rewards.

Posted by covey22 at 6:46 PM

December 14, 2010

Coolpix P7000 Firmware Update Version 1.1

Nikon has released Firmware Version 1.1 update for the flagship Coolpix P7000 camera. (Nikon UK Europe for now - Windows and Macintosh)

The technical notes on the update include:

  • Total image recording times for NRW (RAW) files have been reduced. This includes image recording times for NRW+JPEG file recording options
  • Lens control has been optimised to reduce the frequency with which the “Initializing lens. Cannot focus.” message is displayed.
  • An issue that, in some rare cases, prevented zoom operation has been resolved.
  • An issue that caused the monitor display to exhibit a loss of detail in highlights (blown highlights) when the shutter-release button was pressed halfway with Active D-Lighting enabled has been resolved.

Posted by covey22 at 4:11 PM

December 2, 2010

Perfect photos made easy with new software suite

onOne_90.jpgonOne Software, makers of award-winning plug-ins for Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Lightroom & Apple Aperture have released Perfect Photo Suite 5.5.

New in Perfect Photo Suite 5.5 is the next generation of Genuine Fractals now called Perfect Resize, with improved resizing controls and gallery wrap feature, new resizing algorithm, and more.

Perfect Photo Suite 5.5 also features the all new Perfect Layers for adding a layered workflow for Lightroom and Aperture, and exciting new effects and frames in PhotoTools and PhotoFrame.

Check out the video guided tour for demonstrations of these tools in use:

All of the products in the Perfect Photo Suite 5.5 will work as plug-ins for Photoshop, Lightroom, and Aperture. But now, for the first time, five of the seven products in the Perfect Photo Suite will work as standalone applications, giving you the ultimate work-flow flexibility.

Only PhotoTools and Mask Pro will require Photoshop.

Availability:
The new Perfect Photo Suite 5.5 is available immediately to owners of Plug-In Suite 5 as a free upgrade.
New users may purchase Perfect Photo Suite 5.5 for $499.95 (USD). Purchased separately the products would normally cost $1,460.
Existing owners of Plug-In Suite version 1, 2, 3 or 4 can upgrade to the Perfect Photo Suite 5.5 for $199.95. Customers who own one or more of the products in Perfect Photo Suite 5.5 can now upgrade as well by visiting https://www.ononesoftware.com/upgrade/.

Posted by flashdeadline at 2:58 PM

October 27, 2010

Nikonians Exclusive Discounts - ScanCafe and Berger Brothers

Nikonians Members get two exclusive deals for the Fall season; first up - USD30 off any and all services at ScanCafe, so start preserving those films and emulsions! And Berger Brothers is offering a 10% discount for any Manfrotto and Gitzo tripods for the month of November only! Remember, you can only get these vouchers at Nikonians Rewards!

Posted by covey22 at 2:01 PM

October 13, 2010

Nikonians Exclusive: CaptureOne Discounts

For a limited time, Nikonians members at all levels are eligible for a 50% discount on PhaseONE's Capture One RAW Converter or 40% off on CaptureOne PRO!

Discounts this deep are not available anywhere else but Nikonians.org, but you'll have to hurry - this offer is good only until October 17th, 2010. Redeem this discount and other valuable offers at the Nikonians Rewards Site now!

Posted by covey22 at 5:09 PM

October 10, 2010

ACDSee Pro for Mac Enters Final Beta Testing Before 2011 Release

acd-_115.jpgBeta testing of ACD Systems International's ACDSee™ Pro Photo Manager for Mac is heading into its final phase and introduces professional photographers to one of the software's most robust features: non-destructive editing.

Beta 1.4 downloads of ACDSee Pro for Mac, which gives photographers a faster all-in-one photography workflow system, are now available at www.acdsee.com/proformac. To date, more than 10,000 Mac users have participated in the beta program and have offered feedback in 153 forum topics to ACD Systems developers.
The final version is anticipated for release in early 2011.

ACDSEE-PRO-for-Mac_400.jpg

"This final beta phase is an opportunity for photographers to test the features that will make ACDSee Pro for Mac a powerful workflow tool, particularly the non-destructive editing capability," said Tarjin Rahman, product manager for ACD Systems. "Testers will be able to edit images without needing to save new files, which is a huge time-saver."

Other notable additions to the beta 1.4 version include:
• An improved graphical user interface for Process mode.
• The ability to easily copy and paste processing settings from one image to another.
• Metadata is compliant with the Metadata Working Group (MWG) and supports IPTC Core, Extended and IIM.
• Support for XMP sidecar files
• A Custom Metadata pane allows for presenting a specific set of data that is most important to the user.

Between the beta 1.4 test period and the final release date in early 2011, Simon Tipler, project manager for ACD Systems, said the company's developers will be implementing user feedback, adjusting features and performance to streamline the workflow process, and performing quality checks.

"We know photographers who use Mac systems are eagerly anticipating Pro for Mac because they have been integral to its development," said Rahman. "They will be very pleased when they see the final product."

Pricing and availability
ACDSee Pro for Mac is in beta testing at www.acdsee.com/proformac. The full release of the product is anticipated in early 2011. At that time, ACDSee Pro for Mac will be available for a free 30-day trial and for purchase at $169.99 (USD) by visiting www.acdsee.com.

Posted by flashdeadline at 8:14 PM

September 2, 2010

Your own iPhone app

Based upon our free mGallery app for iPhone, Nikonians is now providing professionals and ambitious amateur photographers with the possibility to showcase their portfolio on their own, branded iPhone app.

The app is branded with your own name (or studio/company name), logo and contains information about how to order your work and your availability for assignments. The app has your name e.g. "Bobby Brown Photography", so potential customers can easily find it in the Apple iTunes app store.

The branded portfolio app shows a screen on startup with your own work or logo and then only shows the images you select to be shown. You can easily replace these images at any time and you decide which resolution you want to be available to the viewing audience.

We will roll out these apps on a first-come-first-serve basis starting end of September 2010 and the estimated one-time fee is $290 USD (250 EUR).

For more information about getting your own portfolio app to showcase your work and for marketing purposes, please contact us at myphotoapp at nikonians.org

Posted by bgs at 2:46 PM

August 25, 2010

The best shooting locations

The Nikonians Good Locations site shows you good shooting locations across the world. The locations are shared by other members of the community using their iPhones. The iPhone app is free and very easy to use.

GoodLocations-Site.png

The Good Locations site allows you to easily search for locations by selecting a part of the global map, or to search for location names and contributors. You can also edit your own contributions, modify their description and change their location - if wrongly tagged.

The Good Locations site is a part of the Share, Learn and Inspire program by Nikonians, where users help each other becoming better photographers.

The Good Locations iPhone app, available in the iTunes app store for free, enables you to easily capture a location with the built-in iPhone camera, add a comment, rate the location (good/bad) and commit the information to Nikonians servers. You can also set up your account through the iPhone to automatically publish locations to Facebook and Twitter.

There is more information and a small users guide on the Good Locations system in our wiki.

Share, Learn and Inspire!

Posted by bgs at 9:06 AM

August 24, 2010

Nikon Updates Capture to Version 2.2.5

Nikon has released an update to Capture NX2 bringing it to Version 2.2.5.

Changes include:

  • Support for Mac OS X 10.6.4
  • Support for Nikon D3100 RAW Images
  • Multiple enhancements to the Picture Controls Utility
  • Addressed graduations display issue with certain RAW images
  • Addressed noise effects within Image Dust Off function

The update is available for both PC and Macintosh platforms (Nikon USA links).

Posted by covey22 at 7:52 PM

August 20, 2010

Your portfolio in your pocket V1.1

mgallery_85.jpgNikonians mGallery app V1.1 for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch now available in iTunes. New features include easy bookmarking, saving images to iPhone and sending images via email.

Posted by bgs at 3:45 PM

August 17, 2010

Nikonians Membership has Rewards

Being a contributing member of Nikonians is positively Rewarding! Here's a sample of our exclusive arrangements with top-notch photography suppliers:

  • Get USD150 rebate on the Epson Stylus Photo R1900 and free shipping at B&H Photo-Video
  • Deep discounts on popular software from Lasersoft, Topaz Labs, Oxford Eye, Phase One, ImageNomic, and PhotoRecovery
  • Enjoy personalized photo products and service from LiveBooks, Nations Photo Lab, ScanCafe, Liberty Photo and ImageRights
  • Access the latest hardware and accessories from ThinkTank Photo, Berger Brothers, Photobert, Datacolor and buyGPSnow
  • Display your pride with Nikonians-branded items and software from our own ProPhotoShop
  • Expand your skills with the best photo instructors at Nikonians Academy

All of this and more is available only to contributing Nikonians Members. Click here to claim your Rewards!

Posted by covey22 at 8:03 PM

Nikon ViewNX 2 Released

Nikon has released ViewNX 2, an upgrade of their free browsing and editing utility. The program offers enhancements to select editing functions, a revised UI and closer integration to the my Picturetown photo service.

ViewNX 2's improvements include:

  • Three new workspaces - Browers, GeoTag and Edit - giving the program a more familiar look-and-feel
  • New editing functions such as Crop, Auto Red-Eye, Straighten and Auto Lateral CA Correction
  • Trim movies and Save Movie Frame as Still Photo
  • Enhanced Printing, including date/time shot, background color, selecting prints from Metadata and Header/Footers
  • Collaboration with my Picturetown including viewing stored photos without a web browser and Simple Upload

The View NX 2 utility is available for download here.

Posted by covey22 at 5:36 PM

July 29, 2010

mGallery - your portfolio in your pocket

mGalleryAppIco_v04nPhoto.pngThe free Nikonians mGallery app for the iPhone is now available.

The app makes it easy to showcase your own photography portfolio on your Apple iPhone or iPad.

IMG_0025.PNGThe application is free of charge and can be used by all Nikonians members. All users, even non Nikonians, can browse and bookmark existing galleries.

Forcast on the next step planned to be released soon:
As a registered member, you can login and connect to your own gallery. Download and save, plus emailing of images is also possible for registered, logged-in members.

Posted by bgs at 9:30 AM

July 1, 2010

Share good locations - Spontaneously

Our iPhone app Good Locations allows you to spontaneously share good shooting locations with other photographers. Now we also have our Good Locations Website where you can search and filter for locations around the world.

The iPhone app and the website is based upon Nikonians motto: To share, learn and inspire. As a community, it is important that we do not only learn from each other, but that we share what we know as well. Only by sharing our knowledge, and our locations, that good stuff we'll grow as photographers and also become a better community.

You will notice that the website is in an "early access" stage, which basically means that we are working on it. We are going to improve it over time, introducing features such as upload of locations directly through your browser, from the Nikonians galleries and to be able to comment and give feedback on locations.

If you are logged in to the site, you can edit your own images and you need to use the login credentials you used when you first used the iPhone app (typically your Nikonians username and password).

We will also provide good locations apps for other smart phones this year. Google Android is one of them.

We are removing postings we believe are not providing any real value, such as shots of your office desk. If you feel you need to do a test, then flag that location as a "bad location" by selecting the sad smiley in the app when you post it. Also enter the comment "test" or similar in the comment field on that contribution.

So, please go ahead and use both the app and our Good Locations Map website and go and and scout for new locations today.

Posted by bgs at 2:01 PM

June 28, 2010

iPad is disruptive to photography

The Apple iPad, meanwhile over 3 million units sold in a few months, is changing business. I am also convinced it is changing the way photographers will work.

Why? Because the iPad is intuitive to use, has a good battery life (approx 8-10h), a great display, enough connectivity, enough CPU, enough memory and we will see loads of applications and online services that are enhancing our work as photographers and also enabling us to do things we couldn't do before.

Some stuff I believe we will see - Some of it is already available:
  • Wireless preview of my shots, directly from the camera to the iPad
  • Loads of camera controls at my finger tips - Setting up my intelligent flash groups from the iPad, controlling light from it and getting meter readings from my meter or camera. Factually the iPad replaces the camera's built-in controls and gives me much better working space
  • Scouting locations, navigation to locations, ranking and reshuffling my public and private shooting locations, showing alternate locations, sharing locations in groups. Of course augmented reality views are supported as well, where I "look through the iPad" to see the locations
  • Taking notes and annotations directly on the photographs - also while shooting, sharing notes and comments in classes/groups
  • Automatic keywording, tagging images of faces that are automatically recognized based upon my online tag libraries or friends, all while the images are sent from the camera directly to the iPad
  • Uploading selected images during the shoot
  • Sharing images with a group of students while outside shooting - all students can digest the images of the whole group at once

Hurray for change!

Posted by bgs at 10:27 AM

June 18, 2010

Annotate Expert with Eye-Fi support

Annotate Expert, our tool for keyword-tagging certain parts of an image now supports wireless, tethered shooting with your Eye-Fi memory card. Just select "Eye-Fi" in the camera selection drop down in the tethered dialog and the images you shoot will automagically show up in Annotate, ready for tagging and further processing/uploading.

AnnotateExpert-EyeFi-Wireless-TetheredShooting.png

Posted by bgs at 4:57 PM

June 14, 2010

Adobe Lens Profile Creator Prerelease 2

Adobe has released a second iteration of their Lens Profile Creator utility for use with Photoshop CS5, Lightroom 3 and Camera RAW 6.1. The utility corrects for three typical optical aberrations; geometric distortion, lateral CA and vignetting. A specific profile for your lenses can be created; discussion boards are available to share common profiles with the user community. Get your copy today at Adobe Labs.

Posted by covey22 at 2:08 PM

June 9, 2010

Revealed: Adobe Photoshop LightRoom 3

Adobe has released Photoshop LightRoom 3; the latest iteration of the popular workflow tool gracing PC and Mac desktops. Thanks to a comprehensive public beta started in October of 2009, the program received the feedback of a large community of photographers and addressed many core issues from previous versions.

Among the improvements Adobe has made to LightRoom 3 are:

  • A more responsive performance model in both loading and rendering images
  • Improved library handling, sorting and searching
  • Automatic Lens Correction and Perspective Straightening
  • Flickr gallery integration
  • Support for DSLR video files

Adobe Photoshop LightRoom 3 is available for purchase online now at https://www.adobe.com/store. The MSRP is USD299 with an upgrade price of USD99 for qualified owners of previous LightRoom versions.

Posted by covey22 at 10:05 PM

June 4, 2010

Annotate Expert - New Release Available

Annotate 1.30 is now available for download. Now supports tethered shooting, annotation of PDF and TIFF files and user definable colors during export. Several of the new features target architects and civil engineering, construction site audits and similar.

Main new features include:

  • Support for PDF and TIFF files
  • Tethered shooting support
  • User customizable colors in Export tab
  • Fixes for Adobe Lightroom plugin issues
  • New setup and updater
  • Bugfixes for bugs reported by current users
The new version detects any older version installed and offers to remove it on first start. This may happen twice (after first two start ups) depending on which version previously was installed.

Tethered shooting
On Windows 7 and Windows Vista the tethered shooting does not require any additional packages to be installed and works "out of the box". On Windows XP it requires the “WIA 2.0” (Windows Image Acquisition) to be installed to work. The WIA redistributable package is offered to be installed on the fly as soon as you start tethered shooting on Windows XP for the first time. No matter which Windows version you are using, the camera must be in PTP mode.

Adobe PDF Support
PDF support requires GhostScript to be installed. The application provides step by step guide to install GhostScript in case you open a PDF file for the first time. Note: You may be required to run Annotate as Administrator on Windows 7/Vista when the GhostScript dll needs to be registered.

PDF documents version 1.4 and later can be opened in Annotate Expert. Earlier versions cannot be opened since they do not support the required XMP standard - which is used to store annotations into the file.

Posted by bgs at 2:48 PM

May 31, 2010

How to keyword tag specific areas of an image

With our tool Annotate Expert, which comes in a free edition, you can place keywords on parts of an image. This can be very helpful when you e.g. tag people in images.

Annotate Expert further allows you to easily upload images to the Nikonians galleries and much more. The program contains the "Expert features" for a trial period of 30 days, though the basic features are available for free without time limit.

You can download the Windows version for free (Mac OS X version planned for later in 2010).

You find more information about how to use Annotate, the Annotate FAQ's and an online user's guide of Annotate Expert in our wiki.

Posted by bgs at 3:10 PM

May 28, 2010

Photoshop CS4 update tackles vulnerabilities

Logo_Adobe-kl.jpgThe update (version 11.0.2) addresses a number of critical issues and vulnerabilities discovered after Adobe Photoshop CS4 and Photoshop CS4 Extended (11.0 and 11.0.1) software were released.

Critical vulnerabilities have been identified in Photoshop CS4 11.0.1 and earlier for Windows and Macintosh that could allow an attacker who successfully exploit these vulnerabilities to take control of the affected system. A malicious .ASL, .ABR, or .GRD file must be opened in Photoshop CS4 by the user for an attacker to be able to exploit these vulnerabilities.

Adobe recommends Photoshop CS4 customers update to Photoshop CS4 11.0.2, which resolves these issues.

The Photoshop 11.0.2 update also addresses a number of problems with brushes, styles and gradient preset files discovered after Photoshop CS4 was released.

All details and the downloads for both Win and Mac can be found at Adobe's support
pages
.

Posted by joef at 2:45 PM

May 11, 2010

Optics Pro 6.2 now available

Logo_DxO-kl.jpgDxO Labs has announced the immediate availability of Optics Pro 6.2 for Windows and Mac.

The new version now supports the Nikon D3s (Elite edition), it also features 85 new optical modules which brings the number of camera / lens combinations to 2,000.

Along with a more intuitive interface, there comes a new default preset that offers a better sharpening of the smallest details, a new automatic denoising setting that restores even more RAW image details, XMP data conservation to allow better integration with Adobe Lightroom, new and improved shortcuts and improved stability.

DxO Optics Pro v6.2 for Windows and Mac, both Standard and Elite editions, are immediately available from the DxO Labs' e-store and selected resellers at an exceptional discount until June 15, 2010:

Standard edition: €99 instead of €149 (for a savings of €50), Elite edition: €199 instead of €299 (for a savings of €100). USA Dollars discount prices are $99 for the Standard Edition, $199 for the Elite.

All customers who purchased DxO Optics Pro 5 or 6 after June 1, 2009 are entitled to a free upgrade to version 6.2.

All other users benefit from additional discounts until June 15, 2010 on the following: 

DxO Optics Pro Standard (any version) to DxO Optics Pro 6 Standard

DxO Optics Pro Elite (any version) to DxO Optics Pro 6 Elite.  

You can find more information on the new software (e. g. a list of the US resellers) at DxO Labs' homepage.


DxO Optics Pro 6-neu.jpg












Posted by joef at 6:44 PM

May 10, 2010

Learning Photoshop CS5

Logo_Adobe-kl.jpgAdobe TV provides free videos that show you how to work with the new Photoshop CS5. And in case you want to have a look at the new software before buying it, you now can do with 24 tutorials available today.

They feature videos named "Photoshop CS5 Overview", "What's new for photographers in Photoshop CS5", "Complex Selections made easy in Photoshop CS5" and much more.

You will find the tutorials and more details about their exact content at Adobe TV. Enjoy!

PS5-Tutorial-EN.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted by joef at 2:31 PM

May 7, 2010

Get your free trial version of Adobe CS5

CS5-kl.jpgIf you want to test the new Creative Suite 5 Design Premium before buying it, Adobe now offers the complete suite as a 30 days free trial downloadable version.

The full suite (6.2 GB / 7.2 GB for Mac) contains Photoshop® CS5 Extended, Illustrator® CS5, InDesign® CS5, Flash® Catalyst™ CS5, Flash Professional CS5, Dreamweaver® CS5, Fireworks® CS5 and Acrobat® 9 Pro* and can be downloaded for free here at Adobe.

To download not Photoshop CS5 but the full suite, please click at the link "Try Photoshop CS5 Extended as part of Adobe Creative Suite® 5 Design Premium software" given at the very bottom of the page. Then please select your language and if you use a Windows or a Mac computer.

If that's too much for your internet connection, you may as well order a DVD for $9.99 (free standard shipping).

The trial version can always be transferred to a full version, even when the 30 days are over.

* Acrobat® 9 Pro not available for Mac OS X

Posted by joef at 6:25 PM

April 29, 2010

Adobe lens correction video

Logo_Adobe-kl.jpgAdobe has an interesting sneak peak video on the new lens correction solution for Camera Raw 6.1 (part of Photoshop CS5) and Lightroom 3.

Tom_Hogarty-Adobe-kl.jpgTom Hogarty, Product Manager for Lightroom, shows the possibilities the new tool offers. It is based on lens-related profiles and user adjustments. You can also find information at Adobe's Lightroom Channel at Facebook.

You may also be interested in the interview, our Image Doctors made with Tom Hogarty.

Posted by joef at 2:10 PM

Last day to act on offer for Annotate Expert

The introductory $30 USD discount on Nikonians Annotate Expert expires tomorrow, April 30th. Annotate makes it possible to IPTC keyword tag certain areas of an image, to embed comments in images without destroying the original, to share and upload images (also to Nikonians) with little effort and much more.

Download your Annotate Version today and make sure you update to Expert Edition.

Posted by bgs at 12:02 PM

April 28, 2010

Update and Upgrade for Spyder3

Logo_Datacolor-kl.jpgDatacolor offers owners of the Spyder3Elite a software update with new features, owners of a Spyder3Pro may update to a Spyder3Elite.

The new features are:
"Software Brightness Control" allows owners of iMac and other displays with limited controls to work with displays in a more desirable, dimmer environment, and match them to other displays.

"Automated Brightness Adjustment": Apple Cinema Displays, iMacs, MacBooks and PowerBooks screens are now adjustable by the Spyder software.

The "Iterative Gray Balance" option provides a gray balance algorithm.

"Display Graphing" allows users to compare the range of multiple displays to one another as well as to standard color spaces like sRGB and AdobeRGB.

"Monitor Quality Analyzer" provides the tools to determine which areas of the screen are most accurate.

Spyder3-Studio-SR.jpgThe update of the Elite software to version 4.0 with the mentioned features costs $19. Owners of a Spyder3Elite that was bought in 2010 get the update for free.

If you want to upgrade from Spyder3Pro to Elite and benefit from the additional functionality and the new features mentioned above, the price is $99.

The new software is available at the webpage of Datacolor.

And if you are considering buying a Spyder3Elite please have a look at our PhotoProShop!

 

Posted by joef at 2:03 PM

April 23, 2010

Free Macintosh tool for image collaboration

The Nikonians Image Uploader for Mac is available for free to all Silver, Gold and Platinum members. With the Image Uploader you can easily upload images to your gallery. Check it out!

Posted by bgs at 3:34 PM

Non-Destructive Edits with Collaboration Imaging Tool

Nikonians Annotate Expert software allows you to keyword images and relate keywords to certain areas of the image - like writing on a sheet of glass on top of the image - and to use these annotations as IPTC keywords. Annotate Expert also has a very fast indexing and search functionality that works across all of your images, making it very easy to find the right images again.

Best of all: Annotate comes in a free edition that costs nothing. Download your free copy of Annotate today and start keyword tagging your image library in a new way.

Posted by bgs at 3:23 PM

April 22, 2010

Three Adobe software final versions released

Adobe_Lightroom2-kl.jpgAdobe Lightroom 2.7, Camera Raw 5.7 and DNG-Converter 5.7 are now available as final versions for both Mac and Windows systems.

Only two weeks after Adobe's announcement of so called "Release Candidates" the three software applications are now available as finalized versions.

As we reported earlier, the raw cache limit has been raised to 200 GB, with the Windows version a bug was fixed that could cause crashes of the application or the computer.

You may find all information on the updates and the links to the downloads at Adobe's corresponding webpages:

Photoshop Lightroom 2.7 (Mac)
Photoshop Lightroom 2.7 (Windows)

Camera Raw 5.7 (Mac)
Camera Raw 5.7 (Windows)

DNG Converter 5.7 (Mac)
DNG Converter 5.7 (Windows)

 

Posted by joef at 4:21 PM

April 20, 2010

Annotate Software for free

The Nikonians Annotate software is free and there is a 30 days trial of the Expert features. Check out Annotate today! :-)

Posted by bgs at 4:16 PM

April 15, 2010

New programs make image uploading very easy

Share your work and enjoy your photography - We have two new applications that make it easier to share your images: Nikonians Uploader for Mac and Annotate Expert's uploader module for Windows users.

Posted by bgs at 3:18 PM

OnOne software $100 savings special available

OnOne_Plug_In_Suite5-frei-kl.pngNikonians on Silver level or higher can seize a great opportunity: From today until April 30 they can get $100 off on the award winning Photoshop Plug-In Suite5 from OnOne Software.

This software has earned an Editor's Choice Award from American Photo magazine and Best Plug-In for Adobe Photoshop from Studio Photography magazine.

The Photoshop Plug-In Suite5 tools solve the six most common problems photographers come across processing their images in Photoshop.

The suite consists of six tools:
• Genuine Fractals 6 (Resizing images)
• Mask Pro 4 (Removing unwanted backgrounds)
• PhotoTune 3 (Color correcting photos)
• FocalPoint 2 (Putting the focus where you want)
• PhotoTools 2.5 (Getting a professional look)
• PhotoFrame 4.5 (Adding the perfect finishing touch)

Get valuable background information from the reviews in the Nikonians Resources Area and all the official facts from the homepage of OnOne Software where you can also order the software.

The full version of the Photoshop Plug-In Suite5 costs $499.95 (U.S. Dollars); the upgrade $199.95. To get the rebate just retrieve your voucher code at your Nikonians Rewards page.

 

Posted by joef at 11:52 AM

April 12, 2010

Adobe announces Photoshop CS5

photoshop_cs5ext-kl.pngAdobe today announced the latest version of its Photoshop Creative Suite 5. New features include full 64 bit support for PC / Mac and the ability to address more than 4 GB memory which increases performance.

Also new are 3D functions (Extended version only) and new refinement tools which allow easier and more concrete selections.

Photoshop_5_bckgrnd.jpgContent aware fills make things disappear by considering the surrounding when parts of the image get deleted or added.

As well, the functions for HDR images were improved, new painting brushes were added and an automatic lens correction (distortions, chromatic aberration, and vignetting) was implemented.

The handling of the software is easier, now that the workspace can be customized. Photoshop CS5 and Photoshop CS5 Extended are available as stand-alone applications or components of the Adobe Creative Suite 5 family.

The software is expected to ship mid-May. The US Dollar prices are $699 (Photoshop CS5) / $999 (Photoshop CS5 Extended) for the full versions; $199 (from Photoshop CS4 to Photoshop CS5) and $349 (from Photoshop CS4 Extended to Photoshop CS5 Extended) for the upgrades. Please check for different prices for upgrades from older Photoshop versions or from the standard version to the Extended version.

Details and pre-order information is available at the homepage of Adobe. At AdobeTV;you will find Videos on the new features.

Posted by joef at 2:54 PM

April 8, 2010

PhotoBert helps solve some of your focusing nightmares

PhotoBert_90.jpgPhotoBert now carries HeliconFocus software. This software helps create amazing landscapes and close-ups by creating one completely focused image from several partially focused shots of the same subject.

Think of it as a focusing variant of high dynamic range (HDR) photos, which combine several different exposures of the same scene for maximum effect.

Three-shot-Comparison_450.jpg

Click on the Three-Shot Composite above for an animated demonstration.

HeliconFocus seeks out the different points of focus from the multiple shots and also aligns images as objects often change their size and position from shot to shot.
Nikonians members can get this amazing software for 10% off thru April 30, 2010.
Just enter the discount code you will find in the Discounts and Coupons section of your personal Nikonians Rewards page. This discount provides a 10% discount on Helicon Lite and Pro software and all photo accessories. It also provides a 20% discount on all CheatSheets!

Posted by flashdeadline at 10:44 AM

April 6, 2010

Release candidate of Lightroom 2.7

Logo_Adobe-kl.jpgAdobe provides a release candidate of its Photoshop Lightroom 2.7 for Windows and Mac. The Adobe ‘release candidate’ label is applied to software versions that are in the final stages of tweaking. Adobe describes it as "well tested but would benefit from additional community testing before it is distributed automatically to all of our customers."

The raw cache limit has been raised to 200 GB, with the Windows version a bug was fixed that could cause crashes of the application or the computer.

The final version shall be released soon. Owners of Photoshop Lightroom 2.x can update to the new version free of charge. For a recap of Nikon DSLR's and COOLPIX cameras already supported by Lightroom since version 2.6 and including version 2.7, check this listing.

Adobe has release candidates of Camera RAW 5.7 and DNG Converter 5.7, also supporting the new RAW formats.

You can find all information and the downloads of Lightroom 2.7 and Camera RAW 5.7 / DNG Converter 5.7 at their special Web pages.  Feel free to support Adobe with your feedback!

 

Posted by joef at 1:26 PM

March 25, 2010

New correction modules from DxO

Logo_DxO-kl.jpgDxO Labs has released 70 new lens & camera combinations for its image enhancing software DxO Optics Pro.

Modules for the Nikon cameras D3000, D300S, D40, D5000, D60, D70, D70s and D90 were added to the library. It now has a total number of over 1,900 modules.

A list of all new combinations and all information about the software can be found at the webpage of DxO Labs.

 

Posted by joef at 1:03 PM

March 23, 2010

Second beta version of Lightroom 3 released

Logo_Lightroom-kl.jpgAdobe has released a new 'public beta version' of its Lightroom 3. It is available for free.

Based on the tester's feedback from 'public beta version 1' some new features, enhancements and tweaks have been added to Lightroom 3.

The overall speed of the 'Import' and 'Library' module have been increased, a fast 'Tethered Shooting.' An import and management of videos from DSLR cameras module has been added. The 'Slideshow' and 'Print' modules have also been improved.

You find all new features and the software download on the Adobe Lab pages.

Nikonians support Adobe developing Lightroom! Please give your feedback on the latest version in this thread.

 

Posted by joef at 3:37 PM

March 22, 2010

Topaz Adjust version 4

Topaz_Bundle.pngTopaz has reworked its Photoshop plugin, version 4. The new version features a redesigned interface and a better performance.

Topaz Adjust enables you to improve your images with "creative exposure, powerful detail enhancement and unique color manipulation tools."

Topaz_Adjust-interface-800.pngOwners of version 3 may update free of charge, the new plugin costs $49.99 (USD). Silver, Gold and Platinum members get a 25% rebate on this software (and on all other products from Topaz). Just get it as usual at your Nikonians Rewards page.

If you want to test the software you can get a 30 day trial version at Topaz' homepage where you can also find all information on the plugin.

Posted by joef at 4:54 PM

March 17, 2010

Nikon Image Authentication Updated to Version 1.1.1

Nikon has updated their Image Authentication software package to version 1.1.1; the most notable change is full compatibility with Windows 7 versions and 64-bit variants of the Vista operating system. Image authentication allows verification and non-repudiation of images captured on certain Nikon DSLRs and absolute determination if they had been edited in any way. The update can be found here. (Nikon USA Support)

Posted by covey22 at 1:05 PM

March 12, 2010

Protect Your Photos Using Image Rights

Curious about who's using your images? Worried about protecting your intellectual property from misuse? Are copyright violations eating away at your profits? Sign up now with ImageRights - a service that works ceaselessly and efficiently to look for your images online, identify who's using them and how. Subscribing Nikonians receive a 10% discount through the Rewards program.

Using innovative visual search and image recognitiion technology, Image Rights helps protect your photographs and illustrations by conducting discovery searches on the Internet, and empowering rights holders to reduce illegal image use and ultimately recover fees for the unlicensed use of their works. Click here to get protected!

Posted by covey22 at 2:13 PM

March 4, 2010

New version of CorelDRAW Suite available

Logo_Corel.jpgThe exact name of the new compilation is CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X5 and it is supposed to be qicker, more powerful and more flexible than its predecessor. According to Corel the bulk of the improvements were in response to requests from users. CorelDrawGSX5_150.jpg

The suite consists of Corel DRAW X5 (vector illustration and page layout), Corel PHOTO-PAINT X5 (image processing), Corel PowerTRACE X5 (bitmap-to-vector file conversion), Corel CAPTURE X5 (one-click screen capture utility) and Corel CONNECT (full-screen browser).

Along with new tools, simpler workflows and a new built-in Content Organizer it also brings more digital content with it: thousands of images, graphics and fonts.

The full version costs $489, the upgrade $189 (USD).

Full details and ordering information can be found here: CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X5.

 

Posted by joef at 12:36 PM

Become your own boss -- Nikonians Rewards Benefit Alert

Logo_Zensario-kl.jpgWe would like to introduce you to an application that enables you to put your images online and to manage and distribute them: Zensario.ImagePool.

Zenzario.jpgThe big difference to the usual stock photography solutions is the fact, that you are your own boss: presentation, image management, image copyrights and prices are fully under your own control.

Zensario also has a unique automatic payment processing (PayPal, credit cards) with no additional cost.

The application price starts at $90 per month. Silver, Gold and Platinum members can test is for free and save $50 when buying it.  Just get the rebate code from your Rewards Page.

See how Zensario.ImagePool works in this demo movie.

 

Posted by joef at 8:00 AM

February 25, 2010

Phase One updates Capture One 5

logo_phaseone.jpgPhase One has released an update on its Capture One 5 (Pro and Basic version).

It supports additional cameras (amongst others the Nikon D3s) and has some new functionalities. Those are shown intuitively on the Phase One homepage.

The update is free for all owners of Capture One 5.x.

 

Posted by joef at 12:31 PM

First update for Aperture 3 available

Logo_Apple-kl.gifApple has released an update for its new Aperture 3 software. according to Apple: it "improves overall stability and addresses a number of issues", especially with importing images from older versions of Aperture, iPhone and cameras.

The new Face Recognition functionality was also improved.

A complete list of the eliminated issues and a link for the free update are available at the Apple webpage

.

 

Posted by joef at 12:23 PM

February 22, 2010

Good Locations iPhone app now with offline mode

Our iPhone app Good Locations version 1.1 has been released now supporting offline mode: Capture locations independently of network coverage and send them later.

Also new in V1.1 is the link "My locations" at the top of the settings page (which you find by tapping the "i" icon bottom right corner of the main screen). The "My locations" page shows all of your previously sent locations.

Tap on an entry to see its location on a map. Tap on the checkbox at the left side of the entry to enable/disable the entry. This information will be used for the upcoming map of the locations. You can disable your test entries here by unchecking the checkbox.

To the right of the entry you will see up to three different icons indicating where the entry has been published: Nikonians, twittter and facebook. Older entries, prior to V1.1 do not show these icons.

At the bottom of the screen you will see two links: "next" and "prev" letting you navigate through your locations.

Posted by bgs at 1:34 PM

February 9, 2010

Nikon D3S firmware update 1.01

Nikon has released firmware update 1.01 for the D3S digital SLR. Notable fixes include inadvertent movie playback stalls and memory card "CHA" errors.

Posted by covey22 at 2:40 PM

January 28, 2010

Lightbox Photo latest partner of Nikonians

LBP_Std.jpgMore and more companies of the photo and imaging industry grant Nikonians members who support their community generous rebates!

Lightbox Photo Gallery is one of the most used and powerful gallery applications available.

Ready for stock photography it can handle XHTML, new media formats, all established online
payment services and is search engine optimized. It runs on PC, Mac and Linux and is available in Standard, Professional and Enterprise versions.

All Silver, Gold and Platinum members get a rebate of 10% on all available versions of the software. Simply enter the code you can find on your Rewards Page when ordering.

Details and ordering information for Lightbox Photo can be found on their homepage.  

 

Posted by joef at 12:35 PM

January 27, 2010

New PaintShop Photo available

corel_paintshop_pro_x3-kl.jpgCorel has introduced the latest version of its image processing software: PaintShop Photo Pro X3.

It is supposed to be perfect for users of DSLR cameras and combines image management, processing and presentation plus a slideshow tool with HD quality. It also provides a a RAW editor, which can read - according to Corel - over 350 RAW formats.

corel_paintshop_pro_x3.jpg A helpful feature is the possibility to save changes made to an image which can be easily adjusted to other images with no script needed.

Images and videos can be uploaded to Facebook, Flickr and YouTube directly.

The tool "Corel Painter Photo Essentials 4" is a free bonus!

The fulll version costs $99.99, the update $59.99.

More information and the possibility to test the software - or to buy it - can be found here at Corel.

 

Posted by joef at 1:17 PM

January 26, 2010

Free Nikonians iPhone App available

Phoneheld_95.jpgSocial networking photo location sharing brings GPS technology to the scene with the help of the new Good Locations by Nikonians iPhone application. The free application is available at the Apple iTunes store.

Good-Locations-Tower-325.jpg

Our Nikonians Good Locations forum is currently being used to test it out. The app includes publication ability to the Nikonians.org community, Facebook and Twitter.

Using the new application, photographers can snap a location shot with their phone and upload the coordinates for future reference on shooting locations or for sharing with others. As an example, the photo in this screenshot would also include specific directions via Google Maps to the shooting location in Paris.─►

Complete information can be found at our Good Locations by Nikonians Wiki, and before you fire this thing up you may want to read the special notes on privacy precautions which apply not only to this application but any software program that publishes the exact location a photograph was taken.

The iPhone app Good Locations by Nikonians V1.0 was released January 21st 2010. A version that supports a "capture now - send later" feature, which is needed when you are at great locations without any network coverage, should be available soon.

Posted by flashdeadline at 7:01 AM

January 21, 2010

Nikon Software Update RoundUp

Nikon released a round of updates in January, some long anticipated.

Posted by covey22 at 3:11 AM

January 20, 2010

Capture NX 2 now available for Mac computers

Nikon_Capture_NX_2-kl.jpgNikon has finally released a version of its RAW converter that also runs on Mac computers. The latest update (2.2.4) is now compatible with Mac OS X version 10.4.11, 10.5.8 and 10.6.2.
Some bugs have also been fixed.

To install this new updated version you need a full version of Capture NX 2.2.0 or higher.

You can find the update download and information on all the new features and system requirements at the Nikon USA Support pages.

For Capture NX 2 there is also a very helpful collection of tools from Nik Software available: Color Efex Pro™ 3.0. Nikonians on Silver-, Gold- or Platinum level get a 20% rebate on that collection. Just get your code at our Rewards Page.

Posted by joef at 11:00 AM

January 7, 2010

Bibble 5 now available

bibble_5-pro.png Announced for a long time, version 5 of Bibble's popular RAW converter is now finally released.

It has a revised user interface, higher speed and additional tools for the selective editing of RAW files, and runs on both Win and Mac systems.

The "Pro" version costs $199.95, the price for a "Lite" version (available in the "early part of 2010") and a breakdown of the (reduced) functionalities in the "Lite" version have yet to be spelled out.

More information and links for downloading a free trial version or buying Bibble 5 Pro, can be found at the Bibble webpages.

Posted by flashdeadline at 3:29 PM

January 6, 2010

Nikon D3 Firmware 2.02 Released

Nikon has made available a new firmware version for the D3 Digital SLR. Version 2.02 (Windows & Mac) include improvements to Auto White Balance and closer integration of camera functions when using an off-board GPS system. Cautions are noted for users of Nikon Camera Control Pro 2.7.0 - some features of the program will be unavailable when used with D3 cameras using the new firmware. Nikon promises to address this in Control Pro 2.7.1 to be released at a later date. (links are to Nikon UK)

Posted by covey22 at 3:05 PM

December 12, 2009

Holiday Savings: Hot Nik Plug-Ins and Great Used Gear

The Nikonians Rewards for the holidays keep getting better and better with great discounts on the hottest software tools and outstanding used camera gear!

Nik Software is offering 20% off on all products and upgrades like the outstanding RAW editor Capture 2 NX or the awe-inspiring filters of Color Efex 3.0.

And what better way to test your new software than with pictures taken with some great used gear? Savvy shutterbugs know that gently used equipment can take fabulous images just as well as brand new. And with an additional 5% discount for Nikonians, your holiday money will go a long way.

Can't access our Rewards? Sign up today and enjoy this and many other benefits as a part of the Nikonians community!

Posted by covey22 at 2:51 AM

New Popular Camera Model Data at DxO Labs

DxO Labs announces today the publication of detailed RAW-based image quality data and DxOMark Sensor rankings on its popular www.dxomark.com website for a range of Canon, Nikon, Pentax and Sony digital cameras, including some of the latest models in the advanced compact and DSLR categories.

Many of the new models featured in the DxOmark database fall into the "advanced compacts" category, such as the new Olympus EP-1 and the Canon G11. DxOLabs found the data to be compelling, particularly when comparing it against entry level digital SLRs such as the Nikon D3000 and the Sony A230; both categories are comparable in terms of price and feature set. Current findings show both categories to be very close in image quality at the JPEG level, with a 1 to 2 stop advantage to the reflex cameras; an advantage that may be closed by using the compact's RAW capabilities.

In addition to the compact comparisons, dxomark also has the latest intelligence on the performance of popular enthusiast and advanced amateur models like the Nikon D300S, the Sony A500/A550, the Canon 7D and the Pentax K7.

Posted by covey22 at 2:20 AM

November 30, 2009

How XMP is used in Annotate

Our Annotate software uses the XMP (eXtensible Meta Platform) notation that was developed by Adobe back in 2001 to store the coordinate-bound annotations (comments) and virtual crop information in a non-destructible way in an image.

XMP metadata can be embedded into almost any file format that is being used today. Annotate V1.10 stores the XMP information into the JPG file's header and future releases will support NEF and other raw formats as well, storing the meta data with the same XMP data structure.

You may already be using XMP to store metadata in your image withouth even knowing it -- if you are adding keywords to your photographs, these are written using the IPTC Core schema in XMP format.

XMP allows anybody to extend it by declaring so called "schemas" describing the structure of the stored data. There is a range of photo editing software that is already using XMP to store metadata, and that is aware of some of the existing schemas (the currently supported schemas include Dublin Core & Extension, IPTC Core and PLUS)

Some catalogs and editing software are storing metadata using sidecar .xmp files that are stored next to your jpeg/raw images. These sidecar files contain the metadata describing the image, but they can get lost if you move the image, send it to someone via email or upload the image to a web gallery.

When developing Annotate, we have extended the XMP schema to be able store metadata about the image bound to coordinates. This way, the annotations you make using Annotate are stored as XMP image metadata in the same way as the keywords or tags you make in your favorite image workflow software.

The main difference between keywords and annotations is that annotations are bound to coordinates, while tags describe an image as a whole. You can think about annotations as keywords bound to coordinates.

Annotate stores XMP metadata describing the annotations directly in the image (as opposed to sidecar .xmp files). When you e.g. share an image with your friend by sending it to him via email, the meta data is kept inside the file. It is possible to send an email directly from Annotate. To learn how, see our wiki on how to send images via email.

The approach of storing your comments in the image in XMP format has many advantages. The annotations are non destructive: Your original image is unchanged. Furthermore, as opposed to drawings made in Photoshop, annotations are included in your images as text. And text can be processed by your computer. For example, a computer can quickly search for specific annotations in large volumes of your image catalogue.

An example: Someone is annotating a photograph with 10 people in it. Using keywords you would only enumerate the people, while annotations will identify the persons accurately. When you are searching based on keywords, you will find the photograph, but you may not know who is who. When searching in annotations, you will find the image and immediately know who is who in the photograph.

A search feature will come in a future version of Annotate, but you can start annotating your image collection right now.

Posted by bgs at 4:16 PM

November 29, 2009

Nikon Delivers Windows 7 Compatibility for Capture NX

As a holiday gift, Nikon has delivered Windows 7 compatibility for Capture NX2 and Capture Control Pro 2 users. Mac users were not left in the cold, as Capture NX 2.2.3 also supports Mac OS 10.5.8 and Control Pro 2.7.0 works with OS 10.5.8 and 10.6.1 (links to Nikon USA downloads).

Posted by covey22 at 7:31 PM

November 26, 2009

Share image comments - Annotate photographs

With Nikonians Annotate software (free download), you can easily share comments on images without destroying the original. The new version 1.10 is free and makes it possible to annotate and share multiple images easily. We have now an online help on Annotate in our wiki.

You ask why you need to store comments in the image header and not to draw them directly on the images?

Your comments are stored in the image as text. Unlike hand drawn comments on the image, text can be processed and indexed by your computer, which will allow you to quickly search within annotations to e.g. find people in your photo catalog. Advanced search functionality is coming in future versions of Annotate!, but you can start tagging people in your photographs right now!

Creating comments with Annotate! is fast. Try Annotate! yourself and see how fast it is to comment on specific parts of the image.

Annotate! is lightweight. You do not need to use complex digital photo editing software to put simple comments in your images. You will find out that loading an image in Annotate is as easy as dragging the image from a web page opened in your web browser.

Annotate! can also run in your system tray, waiting to be used anytime you need it to e.g. take a screenshot or crop images.

Download annotate and start annotate today :-)

Posted by bgs at 11:27 AM

November 3, 2009

DxO Labs unveils New DxO Optics Pro 6

DXO_78.jpgDxO Labs has added to their automatic digital imaging enhancement software line-up with the introduction of DxO Optics Pro 6.

The DxO software, designed for enthusiastic amateur and professional photographers shooting in JPEG or RAW format, is recognized for its unique automated optical corrections (distortion, vignetting, chromatic aberrations, lens softness) and its state-of-the-art RAW conversion.
The new version announcement includes links for downloading free trials of the software, which can tackle such issues as noise removal, exposure optimization, keystoning correction, color control and dust removal.


standard-elite_EN_250.jpg
The software includes support for a long list of Nikon Cameras.

According to the DxO Press Release (Nov 3):
New features in DxO Optics Pro 6 include, among others:
► Workspace customization for easier access to the photographer’s preferred tools;
►Detachable and multi-line “Project” window for multi-monitor display and full-screen image preview;
►Correction comparison between several candidates (for selecting preferred photo rendering);
►Streamlined access to DxO Presets for increased productivity;
►Automatic detection and download of missing DxO Optics Modules;
►More ergonomic user interface for better accessibility.

Availability and exceptional introductory price For Windows:
DxO Optics Pro 6 for Windows Standard and Elite editions are scheduled for release in early November 2009 from both DxO Labs’ e-store and selected resellers, and will be available at an exceptional 33 % discount until December 31, 2009:

►Standard edition: $ 109 instead of $ 169 (or a savings of $ 60)
►Elite edition: $ 199 instead of $ 299 (or a savings of $ 100)
All customers who purchased DxO Optics Pro 5 after June 1st, 2009 are entitled to a free upgrade to version 6. All other users benefit from the following 40% discounts until December 31, 2009.
►DxO Optics Pro Standard (any version) to DxO Optics Pro 6 Standard: $ 44 instead of $79.
►DxO Optics Pro Elite (any version) to DxO Optics Pro 6 Elite: $ 69 instead of $119.
Prices exclude sales taxes and VAT.

For Mac:

DxO Optics Pro 6 for Macintosh is scheduled for release in early 2010. A Macintosh intermediate release,
DxO Optics Pro 5.3.6, fully compatible with Snow Leopard, is scheduled for end of November. It will also include support for additional camera bodies.

Posted by flashdeadline at 3:36 PM

October 28, 2009

Annotate! Community Edition available

New version of the popular, free Annotate! image commenting software available. Version 1.05 include features such as direct email from application to share your annotations and a new export layout feature. Annotate! is non-destructible, storing all comments in the EXIF portion of the JPG header. Download Annotate!

The Community Edition, V1.05, of the Annotate! software is a new, free version that allows you to use it even if you are not a registered Nikonians user.

Should you have installed a previous version of Annotate! such as V1.04 or earlier, then it is recommended to manually remove that version from your system, since the Community Edition will not automatically remove that application when being installed.

Annotate! is currently available for MS-Windows users only. We are aware of that many Macintosh users would like to use it as well. We are going to launch a Mac OS X version of Annotate! but a final launch date has not been set.

Download the photo commenting software Annotate!

Posted by bgs at 8:31 AM

October 27, 2009

onOne Software Launches Plug-In Suite 5

onOne Software launches Plug-In Suite 5, encompassing some of the most popular and latest add-on photo editing programs at very aggressive pricing.

The collection of plug-ins includes Genuine Fractals 6, Photo Tools 2.5 Pro, Photo Frame 4.5 Pro, Mask Pro 4.1, Photo Tune 3 and Focal Point 2. The Suite also features compatibility with Photoshop CS2 to CS4 and will run on Mac Snow Leopard and Windows Operating Systems, the latter with 64-bit Support. Four of the plug-ins are will fully integrate with Aperture 2 and Lightroom 2.

If purchased separately, this package would nominally cost USD1299. onOne is also offering an immediate USD200 discount, bringing the Suite down to an aggressive pricing of USD399. The Suite is expected to hit shelves in early November. Pre-order your copy today at OnOne Software.

Posted by covey22 at 1:01 PM

October 25, 2009

Annotate! by Nikonians® new version released

Annotate_n_78.jpgAnnotate version 1.0.5 is now available for free download. This free software enables you to make notes directly on images without having to edit the images themselves. The program is very easy to use and is designed to help you share image critiques, or for teams working jointly on images such as in publishing or architecture.

Annotate allows you to add textual annotations and "virtual crops" bound to coordinates in JPEG. The annotations are stored in a non-destructible way into the EXIF part of the JPEG file and do not change the image itself.

props-annotate-version_300.jpgIf you have already downloaded Annotate, you can check which version you have by pressing your F1 key. You will see the version near the top, and you will also see (near the bottom of the screen) a handy link for Annotate tutorials.

The new version features include:
— A new export layout allows you to draw annotation text inside annotation boxes
— You can undo an accidental delete of annotation with CTRL+Z
— The application can be minimized to your tray
— There is minimum limit on font size in the export dialog
— You can email an annotated image directly from annotate
— The software now displays a splash screen upon startup, highlighting new features for each new version.

That new export layout is a handy feature and will only take a few seconds for you to master. props-working.jpg Once you have your annotations made in the familiar manner (with the notes in a dialog box to the right of the image) all you have to do is hit the Export button and you can now drag your annotations to any position on the image screen itself. props-export_450.jpgIn this example of the airplane, we dragged the text to the lower right corner, and while we had it in place, we took advantage of the handy font increase/decrease controls to boost the size of the font for easy viewing. We went a few extra steps up on the font size until we got our desired result (shown below):props_450.jpg

For more information, don't forget to check join the discussion that has been helping to shape this software thanks to our community members who are sharing their experiences.

Update from the Developers: Important note for 64-bit users: (10/27/2009)
The 1.0.4 version of Annotate! by Nikonians® had issues with 64-bit versions of Windows operating systems. The 1.0.5 version fixed those issues.

Posted by flashdeadline at 10:12 PM

October 14, 2009

PhotoShop on the Go: New iPhone Mobile App

Adobe has posted a version of PhotoShop usable on the iPhone. The new program is sure to be a hit with the rapidly growing base of Apple device users. Using the popular finger gesture interface, users can crop, rotate, apply effects, adjust color and more. As a plus, users can also load their images up to their Photoshop.com account for web publication or to ensure backup. Get the free mobile app here.

Posted by covey22 at 9:52 PM

August 23, 2009

Community helps shape new software upgrade

Your free software upgrade for Annotate! by Nikonians® is now available.

Help-screen_350x319.jpgReleased less than two months ago, Annotate! by Nikonians® is a free software tool which enables you to easily make notes directly onto images without any image editing required.

The new version adds features inspired by suggestions made through the discussion forum that has been set aside for this software. The suggestions of the community are helping to shape the functionality of the software.
To check which version you have, just press your F1 key and you will be presented with the help screen as shown here. This image was quickly annotated to highlight features of the screen.

New features in version 1.0.3 include: The ability to move annotation textboxes and adjust text size while exporting; adjusting location of the small software stamp (like a watermark) to not obstruct important parts of the image; and an updated user's guide.

Download Annotate! by Nikonians® and join us in fine-tuning it with your own suggestions today.

Posted by flashdeadline at 10:45 PM

Adobe Plug-Ins Support D300s and D3000

Adobe has provided interim support for the Nikon D300s and the Nikon 3000 in the form of release candidate plug-ins for Camera Raw 5.5 and DNG Converter 5.5. Download the RCs here.

Editor's note: Release Candidate status means these plug-ins are interim and are not yet fully production supported.

Posted by covey22 at 5:19 PM

August 6, 2009

View NX 1.40 Updated with Nikon D300s, D3000 Support

Nikon has updated the View NX utility to support the newly announced D300s, D3000 and the latest Coolpix models including the camera/projector S1000PJ.

Posted by covey22 at 5:05 PM

August 4, 2009

Nikonians Exclusive Savings on Datacolor's Spyder3Elite

spyder3elite.jpgHave you ever looked at your prints and your monitor and wonder why the colors might sometimes not match? Or even viewing your online photos on two different computers, they seem to be off? Just walk into any technology store and look at the rows of monitors for sale - they all have different color renditions, hues and saturations.

Many of our enthusiast and professional members know the answer - color management. In order to successfully manage your color - you need a colorimeter, such as DataColor's Spyder3.

And for the month of August, DataColor is offering significant savings exclusive to Nikonians members on their Spyder3Elite system. Complete with software and target color patches, your monitor can be calibrated in minutes; and you can be confident that what you see on the screen is what everyone else will see - in print or online.

Posted by covey22 at 3:57 PM

Topaz Labs Discount for Nikonians

TopazLaps.jpgTopaz Labs, makers of popular Photoshop Plug-Ins such as Adjust, Vivacity and DeJPEG are offering a very generous 25% discount for all contributing Nikonians at the Silver, Gold and Platinum levels.

Many of our members have discovered how easy and more powerful their image editing has become using these plug-ins. See the results for yourself by tuning into Topaz Labs online tutorials and keep up with the latest developments on their company blog.

Posted by covey22 at 2:32 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.

To claim your summer campaign discount of 20%, login into your Nikonians account and go to our Rewards page.

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

June 30, 2009

Annotate! by Nikonians - New, free software

Annotate! by Nikonians is a free software tool which enables you to easily make notes directly onto images without any image editing needed. The program is very easy to use, making it easy to to give image critique, or to have teams working jointly on images, such as in publishing, architects ...

Direct download of Annotate! Just click the INSTALL button. The program runs on MS Windows only right now. We will likely launch a Macintosh version of the program later. A user guide is available by pressing function key "F1".

More information in the Nikonians Software Forum.

Posted by bgs at 10:57 AM

June 26, 2009

nikonians.org continues its Welcoming Contest

nikonians.org — The World Wide Home for Nikon Photographers — continues its Welcoming Photo Contest for New Members. This time, members registering between June 22nd and July 19th will be eligible to enter and have 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.

cep3_nx2.jpg 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.

Details on how to enter can be found at the Nikonians New Members forum here

A new winner will be selected every week for the next four weeks.
The first winner will be announced June 29th, 2009
The last one of this series on July 20, 2009

Posted by jrp at 2:19 AM

June 20, 2009

Nik Software - The Complete Collection Ultimate Edition

Nik_CC_box.jpg

Hamburg, June 17, 2009 — Nik Software today announced that its popular Complete Collection, which bundles all of the company’s award-winning digital imaging software tools, is now also available as a Lightroom Edition at a special price of 299.95 Euros (incl. VAT).

The Complete Collection for Photoshop has been updated to include Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 support as well and also includes installers for Adobe Photoshop and Apple Aperture. Current registered owners of the Photoshop versions of Nik Software products can download and install the Lightroom compatible versions free of charge at www.niksoftware.com/lightroom.

“The availability of the Lightroom versions of our entire product line completes a journey that we began approximately 3 months ago to rapidly update all of our software products for Lightroom compatibility,” said Michael J. Slater president and CEO of Nik Software. “Our goal at Nik Software is to deliver the tools that photographers need on the platforms they prefer in their everyday workflow.”

With the Complete Collection Lightroom Edition, each individual software product is installed as a plug-in for Lightroom 2. Once installed in Lightroom, Dfine 2.0, Viveza, Color Efex Pro 3.0, Silver Efex Pro and Sharpener Pro 3.0 are accessible via the Photo>Edit In… menu. Edits made using the plug-ins within Lightroom are non-destructive in nature, with edits applied automatically to a newly generated TIFF file and not the original. Each product also takes advantage of Lightroom and its efficiencies for every day tasks, like the ability to edit multiple images in one session, saving time for photographers.

All Nik Software products included in the Complete Collection feature Nik’s patented U Point technology which revolutionizes the way photographers edit. U Point powered Control Points give photographers precise selective editing functions without the need to create complicated selections and layer masks. This innovative technology is easy to use and works directly on the image, empowering photographers to make selective enhancements in a fraction of the time needed by using other methods.

Pricing and Availability

The Complete Collection Lightroom Edition as well as the Complete Collection Aperture Edition (MSRP: 299.95 Euros incl. 19% German VAT) are available in electronic form directly from Nik Software (www.niksoftware.com) or in boxed versions from Nik Software and through specialty camera retailers. This applies analogously to Nik Software’s Complete Collection for Photoshop, Lightroom, Aperture and Elements (MSRP: 599.95 Euros incl. 19% German VAT). A complete list of resellers may be found at www.niksoftware.com/resellers.

Customers who currently own Photoshop versions of Nik Software products may use their product keys to install the Lightroom versions.

And remember, contributing Silver, Gold and Platinum Nikonians Members receive an additional 20% off all Nik Software products. Go to Nikonians Rewards to claim your discount now!

Posted by covey22 at 12:01 AM

June 9, 2009

Nikon Rechargeable Batteries for Coolpix L100

Responding to "consumer demand," Nikon has updated the firmware for the popular Coolpix L100 camera to support rechargeable lithium batteries.

In addition, Nikon plans to release sets of OEM NiMH rechargeable AA batteries (EN-MH2-B4) and a matching charger (MH-73). Both items will be available as a set (EN-MH2-B4 Set). The availability is projected for this summer, with pricing TBA.

Editor's notes: It is unclear at this time whether the firmware will allow use of third-party NiMH rechargeables. The firmware is not currently available on any of the Nikon Knowledgebase Support portals.

Posted by covey22 at 3:23 PM

May 26, 2009

Adobe ACR v.5.4 RC with D5000 Support

Adobe has let a Release Candidate for Camera Raw out the door. The beta version 5.4 is likely due to pressure for supporting a number of popular camera models, including the Nikon D5000, Canon EOS 500D, Olympus E-450/E-620 and the Sigma DP-2 digital rangefinder.

Posted by covey22 at 12:41 AM

April 29, 2009

Nikon Camera Control Pro 2.5 Now Available

Nikon has updated their remote camera control suite to Version 2.5. Changes include:

  • Support for the new D5000 digital SLR
  • No backwards compatibility for OSX 10.3.9
  • Fixes to AutoDX Crop settings and File Transfer behavior

The update is available on Nikon's Knowledgebase Portal for Windows and Macintosh.

Posted by covey22 at 6:25 PM

April 17, 2009

Nikon D40 and D40X Firmware Updates

Nikon updates the firmware for the popular D40 and D40X digital SLRs to improve compatibility with the EN-EL9a battery, thereby increasing the theoretical number of shots per battery charge. (link to Nikon USA firmware page).

Posted by covey22 at 1:47 AM

April 3, 2009

Ritz Camera to Close 300 Stores

As a follow-up to our earlier story on Ritz Camera's restructuring, the photo retailer chain has announced today that they will close 300 stores with a liquidation sale starting 4-April and continuing until all inventory is sold. A detailed list of stores affected is available here (Adobe Acrobat Reader required).

Posted by covey22 at 4:41 PM

Capture One 4.7 Now with Nikon D3X Support

Nikonians Corporate Partner Phase One has released their latest iteration of the Capture One 4.7 photo-processing workflow.

Capture One 4.7 new features include:

  • Newly designed EIP file format that packages Phase One RAW files and settings together but leaves the original file untouched.
  • JPEG and TIFF Files are now accepted as input and can be manipulated using the tools within Capture One, with the exception of the Lens Correction module.
  • Added Tethered Capture support for the Nikon D3X and the Canon 5D Mark II.

A Free 30-Day Trial is available.

Capt-One--5-PRO_120.jpg
Update:

Capture One 5 PRO is now available:

Posted by covey22 at 4:21 PM

April 1, 2009

Capture NX2 Version 2.2 Now Available

As reported earlier here, Capture NX 2 Version 2.2 with Coolpix P6000 NRW support is now available for download (Nikon USA links).

Posted by covey22 at 3:43 PM

March 28, 2009

Capture 2.2 Coming in April, Supports NRW

Nikon will be offering Capture 2.2 as a free upgrade to current 2.x users in April. The new version's features and system specifications are available for perusal. Most notably, Coolpix P6000 NRW support is included, likely in response to earlier feedback from owner communities.

Posted by covey22 at 12:43 PM

March 26, 2009

ViewNX with P6000 RAW Support Posted

Nikon posted updates this week to the ViewNX and TransferNX utilities. Notably, ViewNX (Windows and Mac) 1.3 now supports Coolpix P6000 RAW (.NRW) files and TransferNX (Windows and Mac) 1.4 adds some features for users of the Picturetown photo site.


(Editor's note: the links above are to Nikon's UK & Ireland website. As of the publication of this article, Nikon USA has still not posted the latest versions to the KnowledgeBase)

Posted by covey22 at 2:16 PM

Apple Aperture Portraiture 2 plugin now available

NIKONIANS REWARDS PROGRAM Alert: Imagenomic has announced the commercial release of Portraiture 2 for Apple's Aperture imaging application and our Nikonians Rewards program discount is available to Silver, Gold and Platinum members.

Imagenomic has announced the commercial release of Portraiture 2 for Apple's Aperture imaging application. This new product edition extends all of the popular features and benefits of the latest Portraiture plugin to the Aperture user community.
Portraiture_2_for_-Aperture_400.jpg
Portraiture 2 for Aperture is a newly-engineered version that fits seamlessly into Aperture digital image management, editing and output.
The release of Portraiture 2 for Aperture follows an extensive public beta test period involving over 1,000 registered Aperture users.
This new edition has been put to use as a professional retouching tool in some of the most demanding client environments involving large production assignments requiring accurate skin retouching adjustments – often in batch processing mode – to meet tight deadlines.
For a complete break-down of all features in this new release and demonstrations of before and after images, check the Imagenomic Portraiture 2 Features page.

Your Nikonians advantage
To use your Nikonians Rewards eligibility (a 20% discount on Imagenomic products), go to your "My User Menu" (see top right corner of the forums for link) and click on your "Voucher and Coupons" section. Scroll to Imagenomic Discounts and follow the link at the end of that section.

Posted by flashdeadline at 9:18 AM

March 3, 2009

Apple Digital Camera Raw 2.5 Now Available

Apple posted their latest update to Digital Camera Raw today, which brings compatibility to files created by the Nikon D3X and the Epson RD-1X rangefinder.

Posted by covey22 at 12:36 AM

January 26, 2009

Save 20% on Portraiture, Real Grain ...

20% discount offered on the Imagenomic products Portraiture, Real Grain, Noiseware and their Plugin Suite to all Nikonians on Silver membership or higher. For this and other offers available to you, just see our Nikonians Rewards page.

Posted by bgs at 5:11 PM

January 23, 2009

Save 10% on all OnOne Products

The Photoshop plugin suite from OnOne Software covers a broad range of useful functions. Now you get a 10% rebate on all of OnOne's products if you are on a Nikonians Silver membership or higher. See the Nikonians Rewards Program for currently available discounts.

Posted by bgs at 6:59 PM

January 20, 2009

Save 25% on Photomatix

Nikonians on Silver and higher get a 25% discount on the great HDR tool Photomatix from HDRSoft. Voucher code in your User Menu.

Posted by bgs at 6:08 PM

January 7, 2009

CaptureOne Version 4.6 with D3X Support

Digital imaging innovator PhaseOne has updated their flagship software suite, CaptureOne, to Version 4.6. New features of interest to Nikonians include tethered shooting support for a variety of DSLRs, from the D3 to the D40 (Pro Version) as well as new driver support for the top-of-the-line D3X and Phase One's own P 65+ digital back.

For complete details, see Phase One's latest newsletter and download a free 30-Day Trial.

Posted by covey22 at 4:34 PM

iPhoto '09 Now With Face Sorting and GeoTagging

Apple unveiled iLife '09 at Macworld this week, and iPhoto received a number of feature updates, including the ability to sift images by face (using the Face Detection function), assign names and sort by that attribute. Geotagging has also been integrated, and Nikon Coolpix 6000 users or owners of the add-on Nikon GP-1 GPS receiver can take full advantage of the new capabilities of this categorization. (via MacNN and CNet)

Posted by covey22 at 4:09 PM

iPhone Gains MyPicturetown App

Nikonians who also own Apple iPhones or iPod Touch PDAs will be pleased to hear that a My Picturetown application is now available on the iTunes store. The free app will let owners

  • gain ccess to the My Picturetown online storage site
  • create photo albums
  • tag and organize images
  • upload images taken via the iPhone camera

Posted by covey22 at 3:52 PM

January 5, 2009

Lexar Card Capacity Graphical Tool

Lexar has a useful graphical tool for showing the capacities of their memory cards, based upon whether you're storing photos, music files or video. Be sure to click on the details link to the left of the tool display, to show the basis by which the the storage is being calculated. If your device or files are much larger than the baseline being used, you can expect less capacity than displayed.

Posted by covey22 at 5:51 PM

November 19, 2008

Nikon SB-900 Speedlight Firmware Update

Nikon has released update 5.02 for the SB-900 Flagship Speedlight. The fixes include:

  • Improved continuous shooting performance that previously resulted in overexposure
  • Fixed mode persistence problems with TTL-A use on CLS/iTTL equipped bodies

Nikon D3 and D300 owners need to make note of the caveats that they should have the latest firmware loaded on their camera bodies before using an SB-900 equipped with this version update. The Speedlight firmware is available for Mac and Windows (NikonUSA Support Site).

Posted by covey22 at 6:32 PM

November 5, 2008

Apple Camera Raw 2.3 Now Supports Latest Nikons

Apple's latest update to their Digital Camera Raw decoders now supports the latest Nikon models, including the D90 digital SLR and the Coolpix 6000 flagship compact. DCR 2.3 is available for Aperture 2 and iPhoto 2008.

Posted by covey22 at 3:22 PM

October 15, 2008

Oxford Eye's ToneUp Studio 3 and TetherPro

For Digital SLR shooters who are on the cutting edge of configuration settings to maximize their image quality, ToneUp is a familiar name. Todd Gibbs' software tool gained popularity early on by overcoming Nikon Capture limitations such as the ability to swap built-in curves between Nikon DSLR models. Nikonians is pleased to announce that Todd is offering a significant fifty (50) percent discount on all products to our Silver, Gold and Platinum members, including his latest iteration of the custom curve program - ToneUp Studio 3 and his newest addition - the TetherPro tethered shooting utility.

Posted by covey22 at 3:03 PM

September 25, 2008

Nikon and HP Create Fine-Art Repro System

Nikon and Hewlett-Packard have joined forces to create a fine-art reproduction system featuring the full-frame sensor D3 digital SLR, StudioPrint RIP software and the DesignJet Z3200 photo printer. The venture aims to put a capture-to-print system for that is superior in workflow and efficiency to large-format DFA offerings. (via WebWire)

Posted by covey22 at 7:53 PM

September 17, 2008

Nikon Updates Software Suites for D90, Coolpix P6000

Nikon has updated both Capture Control Pro and Capture NX2 with support for the D90's RAW images. Also receiving a refresh is Nikon Transfer, with both D90 and P6000 support. All versions can be downloaded in full and updater binaries. (Nikon USA site)

Posted by covey22 at 8:39 PM

August 1, 2008

Nikon and Microsoft in Contest Brouhaha

Nikon has apparently withdrawn sponsor support for Microsoft's Iconic Britain photo contest due to the software manufacturer's lack of diligence in supporting copyrights of the submitted images.

Led by the website Pro-Imaging, a notice was sent to Microsoft to change the terms and conditions of the submissions sent into the contest. Originally, the images would be drawn from the archives of Microsoft's Live Search - participants could pick any images from that collection, regardless of whether they were under third-party copyrights or not. According to Pro-Imaging, "...implication is that Microsoft have not excercised any care over the Live Search feature with regard to whether the images are under third party copyright or not. By allowing entrants to select such images and post them on the Microsoft website they are enabling the entrants to infringe the copyright of the image creators." (spelling errors are accurate - this was taken verbatim from the web-site being quoted).

The lack of immediate response from the Seattle software maker and the resulting negative feedback compelled Nikon to withdraw from the contest while continuing to honor provision of the prizes being offered.Microsoft eventually relented and agreed to take steps necessary to securing proper rights for each and every image submitted. (via Pro-Imaging)

Posted by covey22 at 8:49 PM

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 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 17, 2008

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

June 20, 2008

Capture NX2 Now Available for Sale

Capture NX2, the latest iteration of Nikon's premier RAW editing software, is now available for sale in boxed copy and download (registration key) versions. Previously, only trial versions were available via Nikon's Digital Knowledge Base portal.

Shutterbugs can choose from full NX2 versions and upgrades from Capture NX1.x. Currently, the Nikon Mall (USA) shows both boxed versions out of stock while download key models are available. Authorized retailers will likely show availability very soon.

Posted by covey22 at 5:59 PM

June 19, 2008

Geotagging On the Cheap

Want to geotag your photos but your camera doesn't have the ability? A new software comparison system may be able to help.

The IM2GPS software program takes your photos and compares them to a database of images from known locations, namely the popular photo-sharing site Flickr. By looking at the characteristics of the photo, it has a "30 times better than chance" of determining where your photo was taken. Shutterbugs should not expect pinpoint accuracy - the variance could be as far out as a couple of hundred miles, but it is another step down the road of more sophisticated image analysis.

Posted by covey22 at 10:10 PM

May 27, 2008

Inside Nikon's Scene Recognition System

Nikonians wishing to know more about the ground-breaking Scene Recognition System (SRS), first introduced in the Nikon D3 and D300 Digital SLRs, will want to read this interview with designer Hiroshi Takeuchi.

"Until now, we have been improving AE, AF, and AWB technologies independently, but when these technologies matured, there was no technology capable of linking them. The Scene Recognition System is thus a core technology that links the superior aspects of these three technologies.

Posted by covey22 at 7:29 PM

May 8, 2008

Viveza for Adobe Photoshop and Aperture

Imagine being able to control color and brightness selectively in Adobe Photoshop and Apple Aperture, without having to use masking techniques. With Nik Software's Viveza, you don't have to imagine any longer. Utilizing Nik's popular U-Point control technology, you can select any point within a photo an manipulate an object's color, contrast or brightness in a fraction of the time it would take using more traditional techniques. Viveza is available now for Windows or Macintosh platforms.

Posted by covey22 at 9:28 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

April 15, 2008

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

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

March 28, 2008

FotoNation on The Wall Street Journal

The little company that made smile and other face attribute-detection in cameras a reality has hit the big-time. Today's electronic edition of the Wall Street Journal focuses on FotoNation and it's founder Eran Steinberg.

Posted by covey22 at 7:54 PM

March 27, 2008

Time-Saving Image Edit Software shows muscle

Our recent News Blog entry announcing the latest version of Arcadia's PhotoPerfect 2.90 now includes a follow-up from our editing and publishing staff.

The free download version of this Windows-based program provides plenty of room to explore the convenient features that simplify the editing process, and for less than $60 USD for the licensed version it is well worth checking out. Comparison work on a random selection of images was accomplished with PhotoPerfect and Adobe Photoshop, both opened on a Vista OS PC. The two image editors did not conflict with each other. A fast method for exploring some of the key features included in PhotoPerfect is to open Arcadia's Image Editing Examples page and follow along.

At first glance the operating controls are so numerous that first-timers to the world of digital editing may be overwhelmed, but with the help of simple online tutorials, the buttons and functions are easy to understand.

ebay_DSC_1139.JPGYou will find built-in batch processing functions for a variety of uses, including the handy eBay processor, which took this image of a GPS unit and within seconds condensed it to a handy eBay-compatible size.

Likewise, you will find a simple email function that quickly takes a pile of your favorite photos and compresses them to the proper size (screen width and file size) for emailing to family and friends.

It even opens your email program and attaches the files.

These are just two of the handy easy-step functions.

There are plenty more to choose from the minute you open the program.

MultiAutomatic.jpg
The fun part comes when you start exploring the other (some optional) features also available.

PhotoPerfect incorporates plug-ins originating from image editing software experts across the globe, each with unique professional level methods for adjusting your image.

Different images benefit most from different plug-ins, and you don't have to understand the complex formulas that took years to research and design.

A few simple clicks of your mouse give you instant access to different versions of the original, allowing you to first choose a pre-set version, and then fine-tune that version. Once again, only a few clicks gets the job done. For a preview, cost options and sample galleries and testimonials make sure you check the Arcadia Extensions/Add-ons page.

Our conclusion: PhotoPerfect is a stable and surprisingly powerful Windows based image editor with user friendliness obviously a high priority.

Posted by flashdeadline at 9:30 AM

March 3, 2008

DxO Optics with Support for 10 Nikkor AF Lenses

DxO Labs has released ten new modules for optimizing lenses with the Nikon D3 and D300 digital SLRs. This version of DxO Optics is currently only available in Windows.

Nikon D3 - AF-S VR Zoom-Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G IF-ED
Nikon D3 - AF-S Zoom-Nikkor 17-35mm f/2.8D IF-ED
Nikon D3 - AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D
Nikon D300 - AF-S Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8G ED
Nikon D300 - AF-S Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8G ED
Nikon D300 - AF-S VR Zoom-Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED
Nikon D300 - AF-S VR Zoom-Nikkor 24-120mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED
Nikon D300 - AF Zoom-Nikkor 70-300mm f/4-5.6D ED
Nikon D300 - Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 EX DC HSM
Nikon D300 - AF DX Fisheye-Nikkor 10.5mm f/2.8G ED

Posted by covey22 at 4:04 PM

February 29, 2008

Nikon Updates View NX and Transfer Programs

Nikon has updated the View NX preview utility to version 1.03 and Transfer photo-download program to version 1.02. Both versions are available for the Macintosh and Windows platforms.

Posted by covey22 at 3:57 PM

February 21, 2008

Nikon Capture NX and Control Pro Updates

Nikon has updated Capture NX and Camera Control Pro to support the D60 and the new Tilt-Shift (TS) lenses as well as a slew of other changes. The updates are available for both Macintosh and Windows.

Posted by covey22 at 5:47 PM

Photoshop Port To Linux Funded by Google

The most requested application port to Linux is, not surprisingly, Adobe Photoshop and Google is happily funding the effort.

Posted by covey22 at 5:38 PM

February 15, 2008

MacWorld Weighs In on Aperture 2.0

With the recent release of Aperture 2.0 this week, MacWorld's Editorial weighs in on the implications of this long-overdue update from Apple.

Posted by covey22 at 4:49 PM

February 14, 2008

Cocoon Creations Releases SOFTalk 2000 Code

Our film-loving members have a great Valentine's Day gift from Cocoon Creations.

The makers of the HARTALK cable and other accessories allowing Nikon film cameras to communicate with computers and triggering devices are giving away their popular SOFTalk 2000 software for free to the public.

Posted by covey22 at 3:15 PM

February 13, 2008

DxO Labs Releases Support for Nikon D3, D300

DxO Labs has released an update that supports the Nikon D3 and D300 digital SLRs, as well as modules for the AF Nikkor 50mm/f1.4 and the new AFS 24-70mm/f2.8 and the AFS 14-24mm/f2.8.

Posted by covey22 at 10:41 PM

February 12, 2008

Mac OS X 10.5.2 Adds D3 and D300 Support

Apple has released the 10.5.2 update to their Mac Operating System. RAW support for images from the Nikon D3 and D300 are now supported.

Posted by covey22 at 4:17 PM

January 7, 2008

Outlook Reminds You To Bring Your Camera

PhotoShootMain.jpg (Small).jpeg

For photographers who depend on Outlook for event management and calendaring, Microsoft has built a very useful plug-in that allows you to specify what equipment you need to bring when creating an appointment.

The Pro Photo Shoot plug-in allows you to create an equipment pool that predefines what you have in your inventory. This is great for on-the-fly event management; while you're on the phone with a client arranging a photo shoot, you can start to check off what you need to bring - camera, lights, background etc. The pool also lets you plug in information such as serial numbers and purchase dates - great for creating insurance coverage lists.

Posted by covey22 at 4:55 PM

CNN Money Rates Picture Scanning Services

CNN's Money Magazine rated six of the more popular print and negative scanning services available and put ScanCafe on the top of the list. This is a great quick reference guide for shutterbugs who have been putting off the digital conversion of their albums and scrapbooks.

Posted by covey22 at 4:40 PM

December 14, 2007

Nikon ViewNX Updated to Version 1.03

Nikon has released another update to the ViewNX utility (Windows/Mac); the changes include bug fixes to Coolpix Movie and still photo integration, IPTC compatibilities with other editing programs and light-falloff corrections with the Nikon D3 and 70-200VR and 80-200 AF-S telephoto zooms.

Posted by covey22 at 5:17 PM

December 10, 2007

Snippets from Newsline International 10-Dec-2007

Some interesting snippets from today's Newsline International:

CompUSA, a national chain of technology stores across the US, will shutter an undisclosed number of stores after the holidays. The downsizing follows the recent sale of the conglomerate to the Gordon Brothers group.

Fujifilm aficionados will be pleased to hear about the revival of Velvia 50 in 35mm format, at least in Japan. Availability is expected after 16-December.

Posted by covey22 at 8:40 PM

December 6, 2007

Adobe Camera RAW 4.3.1 Is Released

The latest Adobe Camera Raw release fixes a problem where compressed .NEF files from the D100 would not properly open. (Windows and Mac)

Posted by covey22 at 5:36 PM

December 4, 2007

Thom Hogan's Guide to Fujifilm S5 Pro

Thom Hogan's Guide to the Fujifilm S5 Pro digital SLR is now available for orders.

Posted by covey22 at 4:09 PM

Nikon Capture Control Pro 2.0 Now Available

Nikon Camera Control Pro 2.0 is now available for download in both upgrade and full versions. Registration Keys are for sale through the Nikon Mall. This latest version adds support for the recently released D3 and D300 Digital SLRs.

Posted by covey22 at 4:01 PM

November 30, 2007

Nik Software Color Efex 3.0 Now Available

Nik Software has made their Color Efex 3.0 post-processing suite available in trial download and upgrade versions. The highly-anticipated set of filters and processing plug-ins was first seen at PDN Expo in New York City earlier this year.

Posted by covey22 at 5:34 PM

November 28, 2007

D2X Mode Picture Controls for Nikon D3/D300

For owners of the D300 and the anticipated D3 cameras, Nikon has released emulation mode software using the new Picture Control function first revealed in the View NX software. This program will allow the D3 (Windows or Mac) and the D300 (Windows or Mac) to emulate current D2X Color Reproduction in all three hardware color spaces. This will be useful for former D2X photographers who have priority shooting needs and cannot immediately recalibrate their color workflow from their legacy cameras.

Editor's note - this program does not replace the need to recalibrate your color workflow; it should be seen as an expedient tool for professionals and other photographers whose shooting requirements cannot allow them to immediately recalibrate.

Posted by covey22 at 6:08 PM

Nikon Updates Vista Codecs for D3/D300

Nikon has released RAW Codec 1.1.0 which gives the Vista operating system the ability to read D300 and D3 RAW images.

Posted by covey22 at 3:23 PM

November 23, 2007

Nikon D300 and Capture NX 1.3 Hit Store Shelves

Nikonians have been reporting the arrival of the much anticipated D300 in both pre-orders and store shelves. Capture NX 1.3 has also been released, so it should be a very festive time for all. And if you have D300 questions, be sure to join our forum to get answers!

Posted by covey22 at 4:23 PM

November 16, 2007

Lightroom 1.3 and Camera Raw 4.3 with D3/D300 Support

Adobe has posted Camera Raw 4.3 and Lightroom 1.3 updates.

These upgrades will be of interest to Nikonians since they contain official support for the D3 and D300 digital SLRs due to be released at month's end. For developers, the Lightroom update also includes an SDK to allow communication of photo exports to third-party tools.

Posted by covey22 at 4:30 PM

October 30, 2007

Capture NX 1.3 With Each D3/D300 Purchase

Entries by Nikon USA personnel on a popular mailing list indicate that a limited time offer for a full version of Capture NX will accompany each D3 and D300 Digital SLR. In essence, each body will be bundled with an activation code for the proprietary RAW processing software. This has been one of the major complaints about Nikon in the past, as competitors (including Canon) have bundled their converters at no extra cost.

Posted by covey22 at 2:04 PM

October 23, 2007

Adobe Camera Raw Still Tops for Shutterbugs

Our colleagues at Imaging-Resource report on a recent InfoTrends survey showing Adobe Camera Raw is the most preferred way to digitally post-process. By contrast, Nikon Capture NX came in a distant fourth and fifth on Windows and Macintosh systems respectively.

Posted by covey22 at 4:26 PM

October 22, 2007

Nik Software Announces Color Efex Pro 3.0

At Photo Plus Expo in NYC this past weekend, Nik Software announced the 3.0 upgrade of Color Efex Pro; their award-winning collection of photographic filters. The main draw is the appearance of the proven U-Point technology pioneered in DFine and Nikon's Capture NX. The add-on will be available for both Photoshop and Photoshop Elements and will continue to be sold in tiered Complete, Select and Standard Editions.

Posted by covey22 at 4:16 PM

September 30, 2007

DxO raises the noise reduction bar

DxO Optics Pro v5 has been unveiled by the DXO Labs headquarters in France. This latest version of the DXO automatic image quality enhancement software application will deliver digital noise reduction at a "new standard" according to the announcement made today.

DXO-5-250.jpg DxO Optics Pro v5 is planned to be available at the end of October, and purchasers of DxO Optics Pro v4.5 on or after August 1st, 2007 are eligible for a free upgrade.
The new version also features dust and blemish removal, an improved user interface, increased speed and expanded camera support.

Details on the newest version of Optics Pro are provided in the following DxO Labs News Release:

Paris, France, October 1st, 2007 --DxO Labs today announced DxO Optics Pro v5, the latest version of its award-winning flagship software application for automatic image quality enhancement for Digital SLR camera users. Due to be released later in the fall, DxO Optics Pro v5 sets a new standard for image quality with its new RAW conversion engine.

A breakthrough in demosaicing; the 'holy grail' of RAW conversion
DxO Optics Pro v5's RAW conversion engine includes a completely new demosaicing algorithm which produces images with much more detail and fewer artifacts, setting a new standard in image quality. Demosaicing is the crucial step of RAW conversion during which the camera's image sensor pattern is reconstructed as a visible image for the human eye. Inherently, demosaicing involves trade-offs between image sharpness, details, noise, processing time and conversion artifacts. The quality of demosaicing determines the amount of detail and artifacts in the final image. These artifacts, particularly visible and unsightly, are compounded at high ISO settings and are in large part responsible for what is deemed the unnatural look of digital images.

"DxO Labs' approach to demosaicing turned a number of classical solutions on their head: instead of only considering pixels with respect to their direct neighbors, DxO's new RAW Engine uses a 'non local' approach looking much further than is usual from each pixel in the image in order to reconstruct detail. This significantly reduces demosaicing artifacts," said Frédéric Guichard, Chief Scientist at DxO Labs.

Performing noise removal directly on the RAW data for best lowlight performance
The other key characteristic of DxO Optics Pro's new RAW Engine is that instead of applying noise reduction techniques after demosaicing, a newly-developed noise reduction is performed upfront, before noise has a chance to be amplified by the RAW conversion process and absorb important fine details.
Combined with other proprietary techniques, DxO Optics Pro v5's new RAW Engine produces both the most detailed and most natural looking images yet - its very fine and homogenous grain translating into subtle shades and textures. DxO Optics Pro v5's new RAW conversion engine has been fine-tuned and optimized with the rest of the software's automated image enhancement features (optical corrections, color rendering, exposure optimization, highlight recovery, etc.) to produce best-in class results.

Dust/Blemish Removal now available in version 5
DxO Optics Pro v5 now incorporates a new tool to remove dust and blemishes from any digital image. Once dust and blemishes have been marked by the user, DxO Optics Pro v5 can automatically process any number of images with this particular dust/blemish template.

A revamped User Interface
Based on extensive research and communications with photographers, DxO Optics Pro's user interface has been reorganized to improve workflow and ease of use. In particular, tools are now organized into four main sections that match the photographer's approach: Light, Color, Geometry, Details. Users of DxO Optics Pro v5 can also customize their workspace to their particular way of working or choose to keep the tool organization of the previous version. DxO Optics Pro's powerful project and preset functions have also been overhauled for increased ease of use and functionality.

Increased speed and camera support
Benefiting from an entire rewrite using Microsoft's .NET and Apple's ObjC-Cocoa technologies, DxO Optics Pro v5 is up to four times faster than version 4.0. This is due in particular to the use of GPU processing; where the power of dedicated video card chips is used to accelerate an application.

DxO Optics Pro v5 will also support the latest Canon and Nikon Digital SLR camera bodies. Support for the Canon 40D, Canon 1Ds MKIII, Nikon D300 and Nikon D3 will be included in DxO Optics Pro v5 over the next few months following the availability of these cameras.

Pricing and availability (Europe)
DxO Optics Pro v5 for Windows is planned to be available at the end of October 2007. DxO Optics Pro v5 for Macintosh is planned to be available approximately one month after the Windows version.
DxO Optics Pro v5 will be available in Standard and Elite versions at pricing unchanged from version 4.5:
DxO Optics Pro v5 Standard: £99
DxO Optics Pro v5 Elite: £199
(Prices include 17.5% VAT)
All customers who purchased DxO Optics Pro v4.5 on or after August 1st, 2007 are entitled to a free upgrade to version 5. For customers who purchased DxO Optics Pro before August 1st, 2007, the pricing of upgrades is as follows:
DxO Optics Pro Standard (any version) to DxO Optics Pro v5 Standard: £59
DxO Optics Pro Elite (any version) to DxO Optics Pro v5 Elite: £75
(Prices include 17.5% VAT)

Pricing and availability (USA)
DxO Optics Pro v5 will be available in Standard and Elite versions at pricing unchanged from version 4.5:
DxO Optics Pro v5 Standard: $169
DxO Optics Pro v5 Elite: $299
(All prices are excluding sales taxes)
All customers who purchased DxO Optics Pro v4.5 on or after August 1st, 2007 are entitled to a free upgrade to version 5. For customers who purchased DxO Optics Pro before August 1st, 2007, the pricing of upgrades is as follows:
DxO Optics Pro Standard (any version) to DxO Optics Pro v5 Standard: $95
DxO Optics Pro Elite (any version) to DxO Optics Pro v5 Elite: $125


Operating System Requirements
Windows:
Intel® Pentium® 4 processor or AMD® equivalent (Pentium® Dual Core or higher or equivalent recommended)
Microsoft® Windows XP Service Pack 2 or Windows VISTA
Macintosh:
Universal Binary (G4, G5 or Intel)
Mac OS X.4 or X.5 when available
120 MB of available disk space
DxO Optics Pro Standard Edition: 1 GB RAM
DxO Optics Pro Elite Edition: 2GB RAM

About DxO Labs
DxO Labs offers products and solutions ensuring excellence in digital imaging. DxO Labs develops and licenses intellectual property serving the entire digital imaging chain: licensing of optics and silicon architectures for embedded still and video image processing; image quality evaluation and measurement tools and methodologies; image quality enhancement software for consumers. The company's key customers and partners include:
Consumer electronics manufacturers such as digital camera vendors and cameraphones vendors;
Imaging components suppliers: camera module manufacturers, sensor vendors, and processor vendors;
Demanding photographers, as well as photography journalists and imaging experts.
DxO Labs' product portfolio is steadily finding a place at the heart of advanced consumer electronics and world-class industry imaging systems where "Image Science by DxO" becomes a reference for quality.
For more information or a list of distributors and resellers, visit DxO Labs online at www.dxo.com.

Posted by flashdeadline at 9:41 PM

September 27, 2007

Color Efex 2.0 for Capture NX Upgrade Released

Nik Software has released the long-awaited FREE Upgrader for Color Efex 2.0 for Nikon Capture NX.

Please note - this is the Upgrade ONLY - you must own a previous version of Color Efex 2.0 for Capture 4.x in order to use this program. This is NOT a trial version. The full version of Color Efex 2.0 for Capture NX is expected to be made available very soon.

Posted by covey22 at 6:44 PM

Adobe Photoshop Elements 6 Released

Adobe has upgraded their popular consumer editing software package yet again. Photoshop Elements 6 has some very appealing new tools such as PhotoMerge, which simplifies combining several pictures to get the best features located in each frame onto a single photo, and a much improved Quick Selection tool that promises to ease the click burden of selecting a complex area in a frame.

Posted by covey22 at 12:07 AM

September 14, 2007

Adobe Lightroom 1.2 Update

Adobe has updated their Lightroom workflow software to Version 1.2 Changes include improvements to cataloging functionality and error fixes to the interface and program behavior. The update is available for Windows and Macintosh.

Posted by covey22 at 3:09 PM

September 11, 2007

Nikon View NX, Transfer and Picture Project Export Released

Nikon has released the much-anticipated View NX and some additional new utilities.

Nikon View NX replaces the aging Nikon View 6 series, and includes an expanded set of editing controls using the new Picture Control system which makes it's debut in the upcoming the Nikon D3 and Nikon D300 digital SLRs. Download View NX for the PC or Mac.

Transfer was previously part of Nikon View 6, but has been separated into a standalone application. The utility now can copy files from the camera to multiple locations simultaneously and supports the Label and Rating system introduced in Capture NX. Download Transfer for the PC or Mac.

Finally, in a sign that PictureProject's demise may be near, the PictureProject Export utility allows you to transfer your photo and album information to View NX or selected image management capabilities in Windows or MacOS. Download PictureProject Export Utility for the PC or Mac.

Posted by covey22 at 5:33 PM

September 10, 2007

Nikon Knowledgebase Watch: 10-September-2007

As always, Nikonians is on the lookout for new Nikon Knowledgebase articles of interest to our members. This week's selection includes:

*Updated shutter release count information (including scenarios where they could be reset!)

*Defect Pixel information and visual samples

*Updated List of Nikon Capture How-To articles (up to 32 now!)

*How To Load, Save and Edit IPTC Information on a Nikon DSLR.

*Updated Shipping Instructions for Warranty and Estimate repairs to Nikon USA's new El Segundo facility in California

Posted by covey22 at 5:24 PM

September 7, 2007

Image Doctor Comments on Nikon View NX

Image Doctor and Nikonian Rick Walker comments on the upcoming features of Nikon View NX, the anticipated upgrade to the long-in-the-tooth Nikon Viewer utility. The updated program will have many features that tie into the latest digital SLR technology such as the Nikon D300 and the Nikon D3 cameras. The Image Doctors have been beta-testing many of Nikon's upcoming applications, so be sure to check into our forums and keep up to date with the latest developments.

Posted by covey22 at 9:15 PM

August 27, 2007

Nikon Camera Control Pro 2 Announced

Nikon has announced an update to Camera Control Pro. The newest version will have enhancements that complement the upcoming D3 and D300, such as support of the Live View LCD mode and Picture Control settings.

Posted by covey22 at 7:34 PM

August 8, 2007

Edit Your Way To Perfect Photos

If this group of researchers can perfect it, the days of layering, cloning and erasing imperfections such as unwanted subjects in your image may be numbered.

Posted by covey22 at 4:45 PM

August 7, 2007

Capture NX 1.2 Full Updater Released

A long-awaited point update for Capture NX has been released for Macintosh and Windows. The upgrade details include speed improvements and a variety of fixes to the interface.

Update 1: See the insightful comments by Jason O'Dell regarding the changes in this release.

Posted by covey22 at 5:30 PM

July 11, 2007

DxO Labs Optics Pro 4.5

DxO Labs has released version 4.5 upgrade to their popular Optics Pro correction and enhancement program. New features include:

* support for Nikon D40X and Canon 1D Mark III
* support for newer lenses such as the Tokina 10-17 DX fisheye
* Integration with Adobe Photoshop Lightroom
* The long-awaited Flickr Export plug-in
* Auto-crop automatic tool
* Free Presets by pro and expert photographers
* Optimization based on available RAM and utilization of video cards equipped with GPUs

As always, it's a free upgrade for all DxO Optics Pro v4.x users.

Posted by covey22 at 4:26 PM

July 3, 2007

Caution on Lightroom Update

Join the discussion in our Postprocessing Forum regarding the latest bugs in the Lightroom 1.1 update.

Now after talking with Adobe this morning, they clearly stated that they are aware of a catalog corruption issue, and that this issue is more severe with customers who have started using LR from a beta version. That also stated that because getting a corrupted catalog during an update was not repeatable, that (the directors) chose to NOT release this information!

Posted by covey22 at 8:19 PM

June 27, 2007

Adobe Lightroom 1.1 Now Available

Adobe's Lightroom workflow version has been updated to 1.1; a free upgrade for current 1.0 owners. The latest version has added functionality, support for 13 digital camera models including Nikon, Canon, Olympus and Phase One, improved noise reduction and support for Windows Vista.

Posted by covey22 at 5:11 AM

May 31, 2007

Capture NX Tutorials Updated

Nikon has updated the Capture NX tutorials on their Digital Knowledgebase to include additional content on printing and color profile management.

The tutorials can be downloaded as Adobe Acrobat files. The new content includes how to make contact sheets, soft proofs, borderless prints, auto levels contrast, and color profile batch conversion.

Posted by covey22 at 4:18 PM

May 30, 2007

SilverFast 6.5.0r6 With Auto IT8 Calibration

For our members using SilverFast scanning software, version 6.5.0r6 now features Auto IT8 calibration without having to prescan or even accurately align the paper target.

Posted by covey22 at 5:02 PM

Camera RAW 4.1 Delayed

Adobe has delayed releasing Camera RAW 4.1 until Friday 01-June-2007. The update will feature additional support for newer DSLRs such as the Fujifilm S5 Pro, the Nikon D40X as well as improvements to sharpening and noise reduction tools.

Posted by covey22 at 12:20 AM

May 20, 2007

Free Capture NX with D200 Purchase

Our members in the UK will be pleased to hear that Nikon is offering full versions of Capture NX free with every D200 purchased between 18-May and 13-July of 2007.

Posted by covey22 at 9:12 PM

May 8, 2007

Adobe CS3 One Day Conferences

Adobe is offering One Day conferences on the new Creative Suite 3 in a variety of U.S. cities, starting 16-May-2007.

For USD79, participants will learn about the newest image editing during the morning, get an opportunity to speak to Adobe experts about specific needs in the afternoon, and browse the Solutions Showcase for a wide variety of Adobe partners and their offerings. Registered attendees also receive a Lynda.com training package and plug-ins from onOne software at no extra charge.

Posted by covey22 at 9:25 PM

May 1, 2007

Fujifilm Firmware Version 1.06 for the S5 DSLR

Fujifilm has posted another firmware revision for the S5 Pro Digital SLR.

Changes to this latest firmware include:

1. Better white balance when setting FLASH-mode for the WHITE BLANCE.
2. Better white balance when setting AUTO-mode for the WHITE BLANCE and using Nikon non-CPU lenses. *It requires to set the maximum aperture according to the FinePix S5 Pro Owener's Manual(p.121- p.124).
3. Upgrade of Barcode-reading function
4. Upgrade of [FUNCTION LOCK] function

Posted by covey22 at 5:25 AM

April 27, 2007

D40X is TIPA's Entry-Level DSLR of the Year

Congratulations are in order to Nikon on winning the TIPA award for best entry-level Digital SLR with the D40X.

Other notable winners include the Coolpix P5000 for Best Digital Compact camera, the Nikkor 55-200 DX VR for Best Entry-level Lens, and Apple's Aperture workflow program for Best Photo Software. Congratulations to all the winners!

Posted by covey22 at 1:15 AM

April 24, 2007

Adobe Photoshop CS3 Ships

Eagerly awaited by many Intel Mac owners, the latest edition of Photoshop has finally shipped and is available for order. For our members still on the fence, check out the Macworld Review that gives it a thumbs-up with some minor nits about the interface.

Posted by covey22 at 12:59 AM

Aperture 1.5.3 Now Available

The latest iteration of Apple's workflow program focuses on overall reliability and performance. For Mac platform users, Apple recommends installing OSX 10.4.9 for it's ability to read a variety of DSLR RAW files, including Nikon models.

Posted by covey22 at 12:43 AM

Camera RAW 4 - Not For CS2

Adobe pushed out Camera RAW 4.0 and it's latest DNG Converter late last week. But CS2 owners beware; the RAW converter is not backwardly compatible with Photoshop CS2 and Elements 4.0 or earlier.

Posted by covey22 at 12:34 AM

March 9, 2007

Adobe Offers Dual Versions of CS3

Adobe has widened the role of CS3, offering an Expanded Version suitable for digital imaging, but integrates 3D and motion graphics, as well as image measurement and analysis. Both CS3 versions are expected to be released on 27-March, during the program's formal launch.

Posted by covey22 at 4:04 AM

March 6, 2007

Nikon View Pro Cancelled

In a simple press release, Nikon announced the death of the the View Pro software; the successor to the free Nikon View/Editor that came bundled with many Coolpix and Digital SLR cameras.

The promised software never had the chance to come to fruition. First announced on 16-February of 2006, Nikon View Pro drew mixed reactions, many shutterbugs were unconvinced of the quality of a pay-for-play image browser, especially given the manufacturer's rocky track record with Capture 4.x at the time. As taken directly from the release:

We decided to suspend the release based on our judgment that the new software's performance would not be optimal for the new environment. We are currently developing a new generation of image management and browsing software for download from our website, and plan to begin offering this before the end of 2007.

Join the discussion on this issue at Nikonians.

Posted by covey22 at 6:53 PM

March 3, 2007

Photoshop: Coming to a Web Browser Near You

Our colleagues at Imaging-Resource report that Adobe is planning to integrate Photoshop-brand editing software into popular online photo communities.

Posted by covey22 at 2:44 AM

March 1, 2007

PMA Pre-Show Announcements: 01-March-2007

PMA updates are starting to pour in; the pre-show frenzy is underway. For today's roundup - Corel and Lexar continue their bundling of PSP 10 Pro and Snapfire, Quantum announces a very portable softbox and XRite's latest i1 calibration device features an ambient light sensor.

Corel and Lexar are extending their offer of bundling a full version Paint Shop Pro 10 with select Professional media cards, and select Professional II cards will come with a full version of Snapfire Plus Standard Edition.

QF69-Press-Release-web.jpg

Looking for a very portable Softbox for your Quantum flash? The QF69 will fit your Quantum Q4d, 5d and 5d-R flashguns and thanks to it's near 180-degree coverage, it's a perfect diffuser match for wide-angle lenses.

i1display2_device_l-web.jpg

X-Rite announces a new line of calibration devices called i1Display. The i1Display LT features a removable ambient light sensor and the i1Display2 has all the features of the LT plus the ability to color-match across groups of monitors.

Posted by covey22 at 7:52 PM

February 20, 2007

Adobe Releases Camera RAW 3.7

Adobe has put up the latest point release for Camera RAW in Photoshop CS2. This version adds support for the Nikon D40 as well as the promised cross-read capability between CS and Lightroom. The updated plug-in is available for both Mac and Windows.

Posted by covey22 at 2:34 AM

February 14, 2007

Nikon Capture NX 1.1 updater

Nikon has updated Capture NX to version 1.1. This free update to Nikon's NEF converter and image editor is available to Mac and Windows users of Capture NX from the Nikon USA website. New features include Windows Vista support, Native Intel Mac support, improved batch performance and resizeable histogram windows.

Posted by drjay32 at 2:18 PM

February 2, 2007

Vista Reads RAW: Microsoft Posts Nikon NEF Codec

Nikon has released a codec (coder/decoder), enabling the new Vista Operating System to read Nikon RAW/NEF files natively. All Nikon DSLRs from the original D1 onwards are supported, as is all Coolpix cameras capable of writing RAW file output; namely the 5000, 5400, 5700, 8400, 8700 and 8800 models.

Not surprisingly, there are some teething problems with the codec. A noticable one is that editing the file in Vista with the codec will render the photo unreadable in Adobe Camera RAW. Users are advised to read the FAQ and peruse the developer blog for this and other exception conditions.

Posted by covey22 at 3:02 PM

January 26, 2007

DxO Optics Adds D40, Additional Nikkor Support

DxO Optics now supports the Nikon D40 as well as the associated kit lenses.

Version 4.1 of the popular image correction tool also expanded lens support for the 18-55 AFS DX II, the 55-200 AFS DX, the 50mm 1.8D, the 18-135 AFS DX, the 70-200 VR, the 24-85/2.8-4, and the 24-120 VR.

Posted by covey22 at 4:05 AM

January 10, 2007

Intel Mac-Friendly Capture Demos at MacWorld

Nikon demonstrated a version of Capture NX at Macworld that is specifically designed to run on the new Intel-based Macintosh platform. Initial reports from our members indicate it's much improved from version 1.1 in terms of performance and features.

Posted by covey22 at 2:42 AM

NAPP Launches Darkroom Magazine

The National Association of Photoshop Professionals has launched Darkroom Magazine, a periodical dedicated to advancing the use of Adobe's Lightroom workflow software. The magazine will be distributed alongside the veteran Photoshop User publication, which is free to NAPP paid subscribtion members.

Posted by covey22 at 12:02 AM

December 17, 2006

Adobe Posts Public Beta of Photoshop CS3

Encouraged by the feedback and reception of the user community on the Lightroom product, Adobe made a public beta of CS3 available as of Friday 15-December.

The debut of CS3 marks the first natively-compiled version of the editing suite for the new Intel Mac Pros. Note that a fully licensed copy of CS2 or equivalent product is required to allow this trial to function beyond two days. You will also have to submit your current product's serial number to obtain a corresponding number for the beta. Windows and Macintosh versions are currently available.

Posted by covey22 at 11:16 PM

November 4, 2006

Aperture Updated to 1.5.1

Our colleagues at Imaging Resource have the low-down on Apple's latest iteration of Aperture, with over 100 documented changes.

Posted by covey22 at 5:07 AM

November 2, 2006

DxO Optics V4 Adds Nikon D80 Support

Our colleagues at Imaging-Resource report that DxO Labs has added support to the Version 4 program for the Nikon D80, with a Macintosh binary due to arrive in late November.

Posted by covey22 at 1:43 PM

Adobe Camera Raw 3.6 Out of Beta

Adobe has officially blessed Camera Raw 3.6 with production status, and contains support for the Nikon D80 as well as other recent camera model releases.

Posted by covey22 at 1:35 PM

October 24, 2006

Macworld Focuses on Aperture 1.5

Macworld has the latest review on Apple's Aperture 1.5.

If you plan to use Aperture primarily to import, cull, and organize photos, and you rely on Photoshop for image editing - by all means consider the latest version. Aperture 1.5 also deserves a close look if you've outgrown iPhoto and you primarily shoot in JPEG format.

Posted by covey22 at 2:11 AM

October 22, 2006

Adobe Posts Lightroom Beta 4.1

Adobe Labs released Lightroom Beta 4.1 on Thursday October 19th. Changes include:

* Resolves external editor conflict
* Corrects export orientation for constrained portrait images
* Resolves missing image error with large web galleries
* Provides Photo Binder platform compatibility on optical media

Posted by covey22 at 12:38 AM

October 17, 2006

Nikon Establishes Australian Subsidiary

Our members Down Under will now have access to a direct subsidiary of Nikon locally. Nikon has announced the establishment of NIKON AUSTRALIA PTY LTD as an official sales and service channel provider with offices in Lidcombe, a suburb of Sydney. It's unclear at this time what the status of the relationship is with Maxwell Optical Industries Pty Ltd, the longtime presence of Nikon on the continent since 1959.

Posted by covey22 at 5:59 PM

October 3, 2006

Firmware Updates for Nikon D200, D2X and D2Hs

Nikon has released awaited firmware updates to the top-end Digital SLRs: the D200, D2X (not Xs) and D2Hs.


The D200 receives an update to use the WT-3 wireless transmitter, and Image Authentication capability.

The D2X and the D2Hs have a lot of improvements, including:

H 0.3 (ISO 1000 equivalent), H 0.5 (ISO 1100 equivalent), and H 0.7 (ISO 1250 equivalent) options will be added between the ISO 800 and HI-1 sensitivity settings (D2X only).

Autofocus subject acquisition and tracking capability will be improved.

A "Black-and-white (sRGB)" option will be added to the "Color mode" settings in the shooting menu (D2X only).

An "Image authentication" item will be added to the setup menu. However, the optional Image Authentication Software is required to verify image authenticity.

A "Trim" item will be added to the shooting menu (D2X only).

The "Custom" option in the shooting menu's "Tone compensation" item will be modified so that up to 3 user-defined curves can be downloaded to the camera.

An upgrade of Nikon Capture 4 Camera Control is scheduled to support download of 3 curves to the camera. The optional Camera Control Pro software can also be used to download curves to the camera.

A "Save/load settings" item will be added to the setup menu.

The "Mirror lock-up" item in the setup menu will be modified so that the mirror can be locked in the up position under battery power as well as AC adapter power.

The number of options available for the "Lock-on" item in the Custom Settings menu will be increased to 4: "Long", "Normal", "Short", and "Off".

"Max. sensitivity" and "Min. shutter speed" options will be added to the "ISO auto" item in the Custom Settings menu.

The "Maximum shots (Max No. of shots taken in continuous shooting)" item in the Custom Settings menu will be modified to allow a maximum setting of 60 shots.

The "FUNC. button" in the Custom Settings menu will be divided into two items: "FUNC. button press" and "FUNC. button + command dials" (D2X only).

A "Recent settings" item will be added to the setup menu.

Posted by covey22 at 9:28 PM

September 26, 2006

Photokina Day One Updates

As we noted earlier, updates have been coming in fast and furious from the show floor. It would seem some vendors have been waiting for Day One to reveal some of their best stuff. While not a comprehensive report, here's what's been seen to date, courtesy of our colleagues at LetsGoDigital and Imaging-Resource.

Sigma has been saving up a lot of buzz energy for today - the SD14 Digital SLR specs were finally revealed and the good news is the camera is no longer a RAW only device - there's three JPEG recording modes. The 14MP Foveon X3 sensor should put the company back in the playing field. The new sensor also makes an appearance in the Sigma DP1 digital compact camera, featuring a 16.6mm/f4 fixed lens which gives a 28mm field-of-view. On the lens front, Sigma updated several lenses to the Four-Thirds family mount - the 18-50mm f2.8 DC lens with macro, the 24mm/f1.8 EX DG wide angle also with macro (7.1" at 1:2.7), the APO 135-400mm/f4.5-5.6 telephoto zoom and the supertele APO 300-800mm/f5.6 EX DG HSM lens. But the kicker came last - Sigma's second Optical Stabilization (OS) lens: The 18-200mm/f3.5-6.3 DC OS appears to be a direct competitor to the Nikkor 18-200 VR!

On the storage front, SanDisk updates their Extreme III family to a whopping 16GB CompactFlash card, and Pretec responds with their 80x version. SanDisk also made inroads in the Secure Digital segment with their new 4GB SDHC (High Capacity) card rated at Ultra II speeds. Epson updates their image tank/viewer line with the 40GB P3000 and the 80GB P5000, both have an enormous 4.0" LCD and fast USB 2.0 connectivity.

Finally, if you can't make the show, then enjoy some of the sights of the event from ground level with Imaging-Resource's roving reporter Mike Pasini.

Posted by covey22 at 3:12 PM

September 25, 2006

Photokina 2006 Updates T Minus 1

With one day to go before the official opening of Photokina 2006, a last burst of announcements has hit the streets.

First off - the big news that many of our members have been waiting for - the Fujifilm S5 Pro Digital SLR has been announced. While not a complete product offering, the fact that it's in the queue has relieved much anxiety over the S3 Pro's successor.

Olympus took the covers off their E-1P prototype DSLR as well, but fans here will have to wait as this too was a product development announcement.

Canon has jumped on the "me-too" image tank bandwagon with the M30/80 series portable photo storage. Featuring a 3.7" TFT wide-angle viewing screen, CF/SD slots and kudos to the manufacturer - the ability to share BP-511 batteries with the Digital Rebel and EOSD series cameras.

In software news, Bibble 4.9 is released, with the much requested cloning/healing tool and Nikon D80 RAW support. Light Crafts Inc. updates LightZone to version 2.0 in beta format. Our friends at Nik Software have bundled all three of their popular programs; Color Efex 2.0 (Complete Edition), Sharpener Pro 2.0 and Dfine 1.0 into the Nik Professional Suite. And just hot off the presses, DxO Labs announced the immediate availability of DxO Optics Version 4 for the PC.

On the business front, it appears Leica is making moves into the medium and large format segment with it's majority share purchase into Jenoptik's Sinar division - known for it's manufacture of digital backs. No immediate plans were announced other than "This is a first step on the strategic path towards growing the business of Leica Camera AG," said the firm.

And the strange-but-true: Olympus reveals a digital camera body made entirely of cypress wood to showcase it's advances in molding technology. While stylish and unique, one would have to wonder how sturdy such an item would be. The good news - it would float on water...

Posted by covey22 at 4:29 PM

Adobe Posts PhotoShop Lightroom Beta 4

Adobe has posted the latest updates to their workflow program and given it what appears to be the official moniker - Photoshop Lightroom. The download requires registration and there's a fair amount of release note information.

Posted by covey22 at 3:16 PM

September 19, 2006

Corel Paint Shop Pro XI Announced

Our colleagues at Imaging-Resource bring us word of Corel's latest Paint Shop Pro release...

Posted by covey22 at 7:52 PM

September 12, 2006

PhotoShop Elements 5.0 Announced

Adobe has announced the latest upgrade to their popular entry-level photo-editing program. Adobe PhotoShop Elements 5.0 brings even more editing and publishing capabilities to your still photos, such as a built-in photo service to put your memories online, enhanced RAW editing, a much awaited Color Curves capability, Black & White conversion, animation tools and much more. The upgrade is expected in October of 2006 for both Mac and Windows at an MSRP of USD89.99.

Posted by covey22 at 5:21 PM

September 9, 2006

International Internet Photo Community Incubates New IT Solutions Services Company

enprovia.jpg

Putting people first - Internet-based online photography site takes lessons learned from in-house technology success to form custom software development outsourcing company.

The global business need for efficient, customized software development and supporting IT-services has found a home in the heart of Europe.

A new IT-outsourcing specialist called enprovia Software Engineering s.r.o. has emerged from the in-house needs of Nikonians - Worldwide Home for Nikon photographers.

The Nikonians site was faced with the challenge of responding to over a million daily hits from a base of more than 50,000 members in over 140 countries. New members wanted a reliable search engine that could provide quick access to frequently asked questions.

"We began with existing software," said Nikonians co-founder Bo Stahlbrandt, who founded Nikonians with his partner J. Ramon Palacios six years ago. "But the specialized nature of our community soon had us developing our own in-house software solutions." One of those solutions was a dedicated search engine, NikoScope.com, which helps members quickly find information on the site's nearly 500,000 pages.

See the press release for more details.

Posted by covey22 at 10:10 PM

September 7, 2006

ACDSee 9 is Coming?

PhotographyBlog brings us word that an update to the popular ACDSee photo filing program is in the works.

Posted by covey22 at 4:40 AM

September 5, 2006

PhotoStudio Darkroom for RAW Editing

MacWorld brings us word on ArcSoft's PhotoStudio Darkroom which promises non-destructive editing of RAW files from Canon, Nikon and Panasonic. It also features fixes for perspective and lens corrections and chromatic abberation.

Posted by covey22 at 4:43 PM

September 1, 2006

Capture NX Update Version 1.01

Capture NX has been updated to version 1.01. Changes include:

* D80 Raw files are supported
* Batch processes have been improved
* Browser menu, File Directory palette, Camera Settings palette and Control Points have been improved
* Print Layout Dialog has been improved
* Lasso & Marquee tools have been improved
* Edit List has been improved
* Options from the View menu have been improved

US Mac and Windows versions are available. Europe and Asia have the updates as well.

Posted by covey22 at 5:32 PM

August 30, 2006

Coolpix Connect: Send Your Photos Wirelessly

Nikon and T-Mobile have partnered to provide a new service called Coolpix Connect; aimed at Nikon Coolpix S7c owners that allow photos taken to be sent wirelessly using T-Mobile's HotSpot nation-wide network.

By activating the camera's wireless mode when located near a T-Mobile HotSpot, owners will automatically be signed up and receive a year's complimentary subscription. The subscription includes 50MB of photo storage for up to two weeks at a time; and e-mail recipients of the photos will receive a thumbnail and link to a customized web page where they can view the full-size image.

Posted by covey22 at 8:55 PM

August 23, 2006

Birders Delight: Nat Geo Field Guide now on PDAs

Wildlife photographers who want to know more about the avian they have in their viewfinders no longer need to lug about paperbound manuals. National Geographic has made information on more than 1600 birds accessible from your PDA. Based on their best-selling Field Guide to the Birds of North America, the National Geographic Bird Software puts an interactive field guide in your Palm OS-capable PDA, complete with details such as ranges and song and call playback.

Posted by covey22 at 4:56 PM

August 15, 2006

Tourist Removal Tool

In what must be one of the quirkiest developments in photo post-processing, Snapmania is marketing their Tourist Removal technology which claims to be able to parse out objects such as people or vehicles. The catch, however, is that the tool is online only and you must sign up for a Snapmania picture hosting account.

Posted by covey22 at 3:30 PM

August 4, 2006

DxO Labs Annouces DxO Optics Pro V4

Coming soon: A Nikonians Review on this product!

New York, NY and Paris, France (July 7, 2006) DxO Labs today revealed details of the next version of its flagship application DxO Optics Pro software which improves the image quality of Digital Single-Lens Reflex (SLR) cameras and advanced digicams. DxO Optics Pro is the award-winning digital image enhancement tool incorporating revolutionary optics, noise and exposure corrections in an easy-to-use, feature rich application for Mac and PC users.

"In just two years, photographers worldwide have come to expect breakthrough solutions to image enhancement challenges from DxO Labs," said Luc Marin, vice president of the Photography Business Unit at DxO Labs. "DxO Optics Pro v4 brings a wealth of true innovations to photographers in search of ultimate image quality solutions."

DxO Optics Pro v4, slated to be available on Macintosh and Windows platforms in September 2006, includes four main areas of exciting new functionality:

NEW: Unique DxO Color Engine with breakthrough features
Thanks to the new DxO Color Engine, DxO Optics Pro v4 provides photographers a complete color adjustment toolbox including two revolutionary features:
*New unique Multi-Point Color Balance tool to easily perform optimal color balance for a given scene.
*New Color Rendition feature offering multiple color renderings and modes for images. In particular, the Color Rendition profile of one camera can be applied to images taken with another camera.
Many other color features are included and in particular the ability to import third party ICC color rendition profiles.

NEW: Third generation DxO Optics Engine comprehensive image geometry control
Now in its third release, DxO Optics Engine, a core component of DxO Optics Pro, expands functionality to include horizon adjustment (rotation), keystoning (perspective) correction as well as a new exclusive Volume Anamorphosis correction feature. This groundbreaking feature automatically brings three-dimensional objects that appear deformed by ultra-wide angle lenses back to their correct proportions. The effect of this unique correction is particularly dramatic for images including human beings. As with previous versions, DxO Optics Engine automatically corrects lens distortion, vignetting, lens softness and chromatic aberrations including purple fringing.

NEW: Improved Performance and Optimized Workflow up to 500% faster
Remaining focused on providing automatic image enhancement, DxO Optics Pro v4 marks a radical overhaul of the application’s ergonomics as well as many important enhancements to the workflow. Both image adjustment and image processing speed have been key priorities in the development of DxO Optics Pro v4 resulting in speed increases of up to 500% compared to the previous version. DxO Optics Pro v4 will also be optimized for Mac/Intel processors.

NEW: Core DxO image enhancement features to be available as Adobe Photoshop Plug-In
Now, DxO Optics Pro features will always be available within the most popular photo-retouching application. Once installed in Photoshop, the new DxO Optics Pro Plug-in will allow users to directly access core DxO image correction features when opening RAW or JPEG images.

Availability and upgrade policy
DxO Optics Pro v4 is planned to be available for Windows, Intel Mac and Macintosh in September 2006. All purchasers of DxO Optics Pro v3.55 after June 20, 2006 are eligible for a free upgrade. Pricing of upgrades and full versions of DxO Optics Pro v4 will be announced at a later date.

DxO Optics Pro has been chosen as 2006 "Best Photo Software" by the Technical Image Press Association (TIPA).

About DxO Labs and its DxO Technology
DxO Labs is a software and intellectual property licensing company focused on research in applied mathematics for still and video image processing. We provide advanced technologies and reliable, off-the-shelf solutions to achieve excellence in all aspects of image quality for companies and consumers in the imaging business:
DXO LABS ANNOUNCES DXO OPTICS PRO V4 3/3
*Digital camera vendors;
*Professional and serious amateur photographers;
*Photography journalists and imaging experts;
*Mobile imaging: cameraphone vendors, camera module manufacturers, sensor and processor vendors.
We guarantee state-of-the-art technology in image processing thanks to our significant research efforts. DxO Labs' ambition is for the "DxO" brand to become recognized as the consumer's trusted mark of excellence in image quality.
For more information, visit DxO Labs online at www.dxo.com
Adobe Photoshop is a registered trademark of Adobe Systems Inc.

Posted by covey22 at 12:56 AM

August 2, 2006

Nik DFine Special News

We're bringing you the latest news on Nik Multimedia's DFine noise reduction and optimization program, including awards from CHIP Foto-Video Magazine, D200 support, discounts and more. Click here to see details.

Posted by covey22 at 5:00 PM

August 1, 2006

Alien Skin Software announces new plug-in for Photoshop for making massive enlargements

blowUp-boxshot.jpgAlien Skin Software has announced the release of their newest plug-in for Photoshop and Photoshop Elements users. "Blow Up" is a resizing tool which, according to Alien Skin's website, is "better than bicubic interpolation and any other third party solution".

A free 30-day trial download is available from Alien Skin's website. Current owners of other Alien Skin products are eligible to purchase Blow Up at a discounted price.

Posted by drjay32 at 4:36 PM

July 29, 2006

Nikonians Offers Capture NX Workshops

With the official release of Capture NX now arriving on store shelves, Nikonians is pleased to announce that our popular Capture 4.4 workshops will be fully converted to Capture NX (lecture and materials) by the following workshop dates:

New York - October 6
Philadelphia - Otober 13
Washington DC - October 20
Chicago - November 3

Class sizes are limited - be sure to sign up early and reserve your space!

Posted by covey22 at 8:44 PM

July 28, 2006

Capture NX hits the Streets

Nikon's newest RAW converter Capture NX is now showing up in-stock at larger retailers like B&H Photo.

Posted by covey22 at 10:39 PM

Extensis Portfolio Suite Updated for Intel Mac

Extensis is now offering free Universal Application updates of it's popular Portfolio Suite workflow programs, suitable for use on Intel-based Macintosh computers.

Posted by covey22 at 8:38 PM

July 10, 2006

Nikon Capture NX Tips and Tricks

FinderScreenSnapz001.jpgIf you have recently downloaded the new Nikon Capture NX, you might want to check out our Capture NX FAQ/Tips and Tricks discussion. We'll be adding new topics frequently. We'd also love to hear your suggestions for Capture NX Tips and Tricks topics.

Posted by drjay32 at 6:09 PM

July 7, 2006

The Wait is Over: Capture NX Trial Now Available

Capture NX Trial Version is now available from Nikon in Windows (172MB w/ .NET and 13.4MB w/o .NET) and Macintosh (61.9MB). As previously stated, this is not a Universal Binary and the manufacturer does not guarantee compatibility with Intel Core. For upgrade information, click here.
UPDATE 1: Find the user's manual here.

Posted by covey22 at 3:01 PM

July 6, 2006

Nikon Capture NX Trial: Is July 7th the Magic Day?

A translated copy of the Capture NX page on Nikon Japan's website seems to indicate the trial version will be available on 7-July with a sales date of 28-July. (translation courtesy of Babelfish - results not guaranteed).

Posted by covey22 at 5:20 PM

July 5, 2006

Capture 4.4 Install Workaround for Intel Macs

Nikon has released a work-around that describes how to install Capture 4.4 on Intel-based Macintoshes.

Posted by covey22 at 5:57 PM

Nikon Capture Control Pro Trial for Windows and Macintosh

Nikonians Member Mallaig informed us that Nikon Europe has posted the Trial Version of Nikon Capture Control Pro for Windows and Macintosh. The Macintosh version supports only PowerPC; Intel Core support is not guaranteed. This product replaces the Camera Control portion found in Capture 4.x. Download the Windows trial here. (23.3MB) For the Macintosh version, click here. (19.5MB)
UPDATE 1: Nikon USA now posts their copies of the Windows and Mac versions.

Posted by covey22 at 2:51 PM

June 28, 2006

Bibble Offers Discounts to RawShooter Premium Owners

On the heels of the announcement that Pixmantec was gobbled up by Adobe, Eric Hyman at Bibble Labs offers a USD30 discount to RawShooter Premium owners to move to Bibble Pro 4.8. The limited time offer is only good through the month of July 2006.

Posted by covey22 at 5:41 PM

June 27, 2006

Intel-based Macs Left In The Cold on Capture

A Technical Note on Nikon USA's Digital Knowledgebase outlines some of the compatibility issues of running programs on the new platform such as Capture or NikonView that were originally written for the Motorola-based Macintoshes. Rob Galbraith offers some insights based on his own field tests. Of interest is the fact that Capture NX, ideally the focus of Nikon's efforts in order to meet a late-summer launch, is not planned to be a Universal Binary at this time.

Posted by covey22 at 3:49 PM

June 26, 2006

Adobe Scoops Up Pixmantec

In a very quiet acquisition, Adobe Systems has acquired Pixmantec, the makers of the popular and lightweight RAWShooter photo conversion software. Of immediate impact to digital shooters is the fact that RAWShooter will be discontinued. The free Essentials version will continue to be marketed and made available until Lightroom leaves beta state. RAWShooter users will then be offered an upgrade path to Adobe's products.

Posted by covey22 at 3:38 PM

June 23, 2006

Bibble Version 4.8-- Lens correction and B&W conversion

Bibble Labs has today announced the release of version 4.8 of their RAW conversion software, Bibble Pro and Bibble Lite. Major additions inlude a new Lens Correction module and a B&W/Spot color module. Bibble 4.8 also adds support for the Fuji FinePix S3 DSLR and is now available as a "Universal Binary" for Intel Macintosh users.

Bibble 4.8 is available as a free update to all current Bibble owners from www.bibblelabs.com

Posted by drjay32 at 4:03 PM

June 22, 2006

Aperture 1.1.2 Update Released

Apple has released a 1.1.2 update to it's Aperture workflow program. The update details are a bit slim:

Aperture 1.1.2 addresses issues related to overall reliability and performance. This update is recommended for all Aperture users.

Posted by covey22 at 2:58 AM

June 14, 2006

Adobe Releases Beta 3 of Lightroom

Adobe has released a third beta of the Lightroom workflow program. This version features improved control over file export size and resolution, metadata selection with print output and RGB value readouts as well as support for over 120 RAW formats.

Posted by covey22 at 6:48 PM

June 1, 2006

Nikon Software Roundup: June 2006

In the wake of the D2Xs reveal, Nikon also announced the new stand-alone Camera Control Pro module and the Image Authentication software that verifies photo integrity for forensics purposes. Finally, there's more buzz on Capture NX including price and availability.

Posted by covey22 at 5:30 PM

May 31, 2006

Nikon Capture NX Beta Previews

Nikonians are anxious to know what will Nikon Capture NX software will be.
Our members indicate that some answers could be found here in regard to the Beta version, apparently with good news for non-Nikon users too. ADDITIONAL UPDATE: Imaging Resource also has a detailed first look at the new program.

Posted by jrp at 10:10 AM

May 26, 2006

Adobe Lightroom Beta Download

The Adobe Lightroom Beta for Macintosh OS X 10.4.3 and greater is available from Adobe. The Windows Beta should be available soon.

Posted by bgs at 3:06 AM

May 16, 2006

Adobe releases update 9.0.1 for Photoshop CS2

Adobe has released a free update to their pro image editing program, Photoshop CS2.
The current update is available free for Windows and Macintosh versions of the program.

www.adobe.com/support/downloads/new.jsp

According to Adobe's website, the 9.0.1 updater offers a number of fixes and improvements.

The most significant fixes in the 9.0.1 release include the following:

*Photoshop no longer hangs for several seconds when using painting tools with quick strokes.
*A runtime error that could appear when mousing over a high-res document with the Brush tool has been fixed.
*Documents containing a large number of text layers now open more quickly.
*Problems related to palettes (slow redraw, palettes go white, possible crash) have been addressed.
*TIFF files from certain scanners can now be opened correctly.
*After editing an image in Photoshop CS2 via the TouchUp tool in Adobe Acrobat software, the image no longer gets repositioned.
*XMP metadata from AI and PDF files is now retained in Photoshop.
*Slow performance when toggling layer visibility has been fixed.
*Info palette numbers are now displayed and updated when moving a curve point in Curves via the cursor keys.
*Problems opening certain TIFF and PSB files greater than 2GB have been resolved.
*The Merge to HDR command now functions properly when using high-ASCII characters in user login.

Posted by drjay32 at 4:52 PM

Capture NX Preview at Digitalreview.ca

Digitalreview.ca has a great preview of the upcoming Capture NX software, including two sample "before-after" segments showing off the newest features of Nikon's workflow program.

Posted by covey22 at 4:30 PM

May 11, 2006

PrintFIX PRO Color Management Suite gains TIPA honors

Professional photographers have been watching the results of the recent Technical Image Press Association (TIPA) awards, which have already recognized Nikon's D50, D200 and the new 105mm f/2.8G ED-IF AF-S VR Micro-Nikkor We can now add the ColorVision PrintFIX PRO Suite to our list of those to be congratulated.

The TIPA awards, coming from an independent association of 31 of the leading photo magazines in Europe, are often referred to as the "Oscars" of the photo industry.
The cameras and lenses (much like the actors and actresses in a film) get the most attention, and it takes time to give proper credit to the technical winners, which in this case includes ColorVision, Datacolor's Digital Imaging Unit, who received the TIPA award for "Best Color Management System in Europe" with their PrintFIX PRO Suite.
The Suite is used by industry professionals to "combine industrial color technology with user-friendly software in order to ensure optimal color safety in the digital darkroom" says a ColorVision press release.
"Datacolor 1005, a high-precision LED Spectro Colorimeter, is used to identify the exact color values of a print in the L*a*b color space, which gets converted to an XML file for further processing. The PrintFIX PRO software then generates the profile in RGB mode, taking into account a number of factors, such as printer settings, paper type, and ink."
Professional Nikonians will want to check Datacolor's Web-Site at www.colorvision.com to see how this solution could fit into their workflow.

Posted by flashdeadline at 4:34 PM

May 8, 2006

dpmac.com's Lightroom and CS2 Tutorials

George Mann hosts a series of tutorials on digital photography workflow at dpmac.com. A new chapter will be posted daily from 01-May to 31-July 2006 and will be focused on the use of Adobe Lightroom Beta and Photoshop CS2. At the end of the period, the chapters will be consolidated into a single DVD.

Posted by covey22 at 3:23 PM

May 5, 2006

Apple Fires Back on Aperture Team Departure

If proof of the 1.1.1 upgrade wasn't enough, Apple has responded to recent rumors that the Aperture development team had been released.

"The reports of Apple reducing their commitment to Aperture are totally false," Kirk Paulsen, Apple’s Senior Director Pro Applications Marketing, told Macworld. "In fact, we've got more people working on Aperture right now than ever before."

Posted by covey22 at 10:06 PM

Aperture Version 1.1.1 Released

Apple has updated it's Aperture workflow program to version 1.1.1.

This update addresses several issues related to performance, stability, color correction, and display compatibility and is recommended for all Aperture users.

Prior to upgrading, you must be running Mac OS X 10.46 and Aperture 1.1.

Posted by covey22 at 4:59 PM

April 28, 2006

DxO earning imaging professional praise and awards

The 2006 Technical Image Press Association (TIPA) awards have singled out DxO Optics Pro 3.5 as "Best Photo Software." 442e99cd1a2450b4.jpg

TIPA awards are regarded by the whole photo industry as the equivalent of the "Oscars," and it's remarkable that DxO Optics Pro could have won this award less than two years after its commercial launch. TIPA is an association of 31 photo magazines from 12 countries.

DxO Optics Pro has also recently won an award from the British Institute of Professional Photography (BIPP), and was awarded the Digital Focus "Innovation Award" at PMA 2006.

Nikonians member Neil van Niekerk has published his review, available in our Nikonians Resources library.

Learn more from the DxO site at: www.dxo.com

Posted by flashdeadline at 2:00 PM

April 26, 2006

2006 RAW Survey: Initial Results Released

The initial results from the 2006 RAW Survey have now been released. Based on the feedback from over 19,000 photographers representing the professional and enthusiast segments of the industry, the results are still being analyzed and the report will be released in chapters over the course of the week beginning April 25th, 2006.

Posted by covey22 at 8:05 PM

April 18, 2006

Adobe Offers up DNG SDK

Macworld reports that Adobe is now offering a DNG Software Development Kit (SDK) for third-party firms to allow reading, writing and conversion to the proposed industry format.

Posted by covey22 at 9:32 PM

April 13, 2006

Aperture Updated With Intel, D200 Support

Aperture's 1.1 version is now compatible with Intel-based Macintosh hardware, and introduces enhanced RAW Fine Tuning and export controls, as well as Nikon D200 and Canon 30D file support. Apple has also cut the price by USD200; the program will now retail at USD299 and previous buyers are eligible for a rebate coupon that can be used at the Apple Online Store..

Posted by covey22 at 9:21 PM

April 4, 2006

Kodak Gallery Ad Starring Your Photos

Kodak has launched a free tool allowing photographers to insert up to five of their favorite photos and view them in the well-known TV spot "Kodak Gallery" commercial. The ad can be shared via e-mail and seen for up to 30 days.

Posted by covey22 at 6:16 PM

April 1, 2006

DxO Optics Pro 3.5 Review

Professional and advanced amateur photographers are praising a new computer software release that acts as a customized digital enhancer.
442e99cd1a2450b4.jpg
Nikonians are now sharing a detailed hands-on review of this latest offering from DxO Labs.
The Paris-based software company, specializing in digital image enhancement technologies recently unveiled DxO Optics Pro version 3.5, and Nikonian Neil van Niekerk has been testing it with images captured under a variety of professional shooting conditions.

His review, now posted in the Nikonians Resources library provides a step-by-step description of the software's ability to match specific camera and lens data with pre-set algorithms to maximize the digital yield from each frame with a few keystrokes.
The DxO Optics Pro Software acts like a virtual optometrist, correcting minor lens and camera deficiencies in even the most expensive and complex systems.
The "corrections" are made possible because the DxO developers have the technology to prove what professional photographers have known for decades. No lens or camera combination will ever be "perfect."
In his review, van Niekerk quickly points out the DxO software, which also corrects color shifts and light level challenges, is not a replacement for industry standard photo preparation software like Adobe PhotoShop or Nikon's Capture Editor.
"Even where some corrections are available in Photoshop, such as correction of chromatic aberration - you'd still have to manually do it by checking the image," he writes.
"DxO Optics Pro does it automatically for you depending on various factors such as the specific lens, the focal length it was zoomed to, and the focusing distance. The wizards at DxO Labs did your homework for you."
As a professional wedding and studio photographer shooting with both Nikon and Canon digital single lens reflex cameras and an assortment of lenses, van Niekerk heartily recommends the DxO Optics Pro as a "remarkable tool for the digital photographer."

DxO Optics Pro v. 3.5 at a glance:
- Nikon cameras currently supported: Coolpix 8800, D50, D2H, D2X, D100, D200, D70s and D70
- It runs on both Mac and Windows platforms, and works on raw or jpg image.
- There are three modes of operation: fully automatic, key controls and expert controls
- Using expert controls you can fine tune: Distortion, Chromatic Aberration, Vignetting, Lighting, Noise, Colour & Exposure (which contains WB / exposure / Curves / Hue / Saturation / Lightness controls), Image Information (which shows the Exif Data), Output Settings (which controls output file format and colour space), Sharpening and the Histogram.

Learn more from the DxO site at: www.dxo.com

Posted by flashdeadline at 5:40 PM

March 1, 2006

AlienSkin Exposure and Tutorials

The industry reviews are beginning to show up on Exposure and it looks to be a hit. AlienSkin's plug-in helps the digital photographer bring back the look of specific film stocks and exposure characteristics. And their forum has started hosting several tutorials, such as this B&W conversion.

Posted by covey22 at 8:44 PM

February 27, 2006

PMA Day 1: Software Roundup

It's been a blitz of updates and new product announcements in Orlando, so here's a quick roundup of the latest in software and program developments.

OnOneSoftware has bundled both Genuine Fractals 4.1 and Nik Sharpener 2.0 for a significant savings - up to 44% if purchased separately.

In a release timed for the show, word from the UK indicates that a Mac OSX 10 version of Adobe Photoshop Elements 4.0 will be available in early March.

Adobe has teamed up with Iron Mountain to securely and transparently back up digital photo files from within Photoshop Elements, Bridge and Album. As long as the PC is connected to the Internet, Iron Mountain's DataProtector agent will send changed or designated files to IM's datacenters for storage and archival. A secure retrieval method is also available. This sounds like a great solution!

Lexar continues to make inroads with it's ActiveMemory system - new integration points include auto-processing of photos while they're being downloaded into Corel's PSP 9, and Lexar's SmartDownload will plug into Adobe CS2 Bridge for simultaneous card downloads from multiple readers and merging of IPTC data.

Pixmantec announces RawShooters Essentials 2006 as a full-featured and - characterized as "free forever" - download. In addition, current owners of the Premium version can update to Premium 2006 v1.02 and Color Engine 1.1 for no charge.

And finally, DxO Optics has announced that their Pro Starter Edition, or the so-called ZLR edition for fixed-lens electronic viewfinder (EVF) digicams, is now available for sale via their electronic storefront. Cameras in this category include models such as the Nikon Coolpix 8800, Sony DSC-H1 and Canon PowerShot Pro S2 IS.

Posted by covey22 at 6:21 PM

February 26, 2006

Bibble 4.6 with Noise Ninja Available

Our first news from PMA in Orlando - Bibble Labs has announced the immediate availability of Bibble Pro 4.6 which features an integrated version of the popular Noise Ninja reduction tool from Picture Code LLC and native compatibility for the newest Intel-based Macintosh personal computers.

Posted by covey22 at 6:51 AM

February 17, 2006

Bibble Collaborations

Bibble has been busy making strategic collaborations with some key industry players. First up is Kodak - the firms are swapping notable technology components; Kodak will give Bibble it's color management module and ICC input API, and will receive in return Bibble's RAW conversion engine. Next up, Bibble has struck a deal with Picturecode for future releases of the RAW converter/editor to feature fully integrated versions of the Noise Ninja NR plug-in.

Posted by covey22 at 10:53 PM

February 15, 2006

Lightroom Beta 2 with Intel Mac Support

Adobe and Macromedia continue to add more features to their Lightroom Workflow Suite, including support for the latest Intel-based Macintoshes, crop and straighten tools, the ability to add music to slideshows and more.

Posted by covey22 at 2:08 AM

February 10, 2006

Adobe Hosts Free Photoshop Elements Seminars

For our members in the U.S., Adobe is hosting free Photoshop Elements seminars in a variety of cities over the next several months. Led by editors and contributors to Photoshop Elements Techniques, the official magazine for PSE, you'll learn ways to take control of your photos and get professional-looking results. As a bonus, there will also be free giveaways! For more information and to register, see the official site page.

Posted by covey22 at 3:40 PM

February 6, 2006

Adobe Camera RAW 3.3 with D200 Camera Support

The Photoshop Camera Raw plug-in became the latest must-have tool for advance amateurs and professional digital photographers when it was released in February 2003. This powerful plug-in has been updated to support more cameras and includes more features. Available as part of Adobe Photoshop CS2, the news is that Adobe has now posted the final (non-beta) Camera RAW 3.3 plug-in with full official support for the Nikon D200.
For instructions and download visit Adobe

Posted by jrp at 10:41 PM

DxO Optics 3.5 now with D200 Support

DxO Optics Pro image enhancement suite now supports the Nikon D200 and the 18-200 AF-S DX VR. Download the 3.5 version here.

Posted by covey22 at 3:38 AM

February 3, 2006

Submit Your Images to Improve Aperture

In a ongoing effort to improve and refine the handling of RAW images in the Mac OS, Apple is interested in working with a broad range of sample images from professional photographers. If you have images that you feel exemplify particular aspects of RAW handling that require improvement, you can submit these to Apple for testing and evaluation purposes. Please be assured that any image content you send us will be used for internal testing purposes only. None of these images will be distributed to the public, used in any marketing capacity whatsoever, or included in public demos. They will be used exclusively to test and evaluate RAW image processing, with the goal of delivering improved RAW support for your camera in the future."

If you would like to submit a set of sample images, here is what we would like to receive for each image:

1. The original, unmodified RAW image. Please specify the camera model used to create the image.

2. A 16-bit TIFF version of the image created with Aperture using all default settings (no adjustments, no Auto Exposure or Auto Levels)

3. A 16-bit TIFF version of the image created with the RAW decoder of your choice, also using default settings. If using the Adobe Camera Raw plug-in, make sure all the "Auto" checkboxes have been turned off. (EDITOR'S NOTE: When using Adobe Camera RAW, many people forget to click the "details" setting and turn OFF Color Noise Reduction and Sharpness, which are found under the Details tab, in order to turn off all ACR auto-adjustments. This has lead to a lot of the misc-comparison problems, so please be sure to turn these off before submitting images to Apple.)

4. Any notes or commentary you wish to provide regarding whatever weaknesses or strengths you see in the decode provided by Apple's software. When possible, point to specific areas in each image that you would like us to examine. Also include information about the camera, computer, and software used to create the image.

Please put all related files together into a single folder, then upload via FTP to the following server:

FTP Site: privftp.apple.com
username: proappcustomer
password: media

After posting your files to the server, please send an email to aperturefeedback@group.apple.com to notify us that the files are available.

(NOTE: For security reasons, the above FTP site is set up as a drop box with write-only access, so other users can not view or download the images.)

Thanks for working with Apple. With ongoing feedback from the pro photo community, we look forward to continually improving the quality of our image handling in the future.

Posted by covey22 at 3:11 PM

February 1, 2006

Software Vendor DxO Labs with a 10.6mln Euro Finance Round

French software vendor DxO Labs, a developer of image processing technologies and applications, announced the closing of a 10.6 million Euro (12.83 million USD) round of funding. Apax Partners France leads the new investment, joining investors Societe Generale Asset Management, SPEF Venture, Thales Ventures/ACE Management, CSK Venture Capital and Hitachi Venture.

More info at DxO's site

Posted by bgs at 8:26 AM

January 31, 2006

Photoshelter announces "Seamless Customization"

BitShelter LLC has announced the addition of the "Seamless Customization Option" to PhotoShelter (www.PhotoShelter.com), their professional, online image archiving service and marketplace.

From PhotoShelter's Press Release:

The new product, developed for photographers who maintain their own
websites, makes it easy for PhotoShelter subscribers to add a searchable
e-commerce-enabled archive to their website while matching its
look-and-feel.

By using special PhotoShelter "widget" tags inserted into a website's
standard HTML code, the PhotoShelter Seamless Customization Option is able
to fit into nearly any website design. Photographers with basic HTML skills
are able to complete the customization process themselves. Customization
setup assistance is also available from PhotoShelter for an hourly fee.

Examples of The Seamless Customization Option at work, can be viewed at:
https://www.photoshelter.com/tour/?c=customize

Posted by drjay32 at 3:44 PM

January 24, 2006

Alien Skin's Exposure Film Effects

Plug-in maker Alien Skin has released their latest creation called Exposure. The newest addition is a film emulator, which allows you to simulate current and discontinued film stock like Velvia or even darkroom techniques like cross-processing.

Posted by covey22 at 4:29 PM

January 20, 2006

Adobe Camera Raw 3.3 Beta with D200 Support

Members in our forums report the availability of Adobe Camera RAW 3.3 Beta which supports the D200.

Posted by covey22 at 3:48 AM

January 12, 2006

Apple releases iLife '06

Apple has updated it's iLife multimedia software suite - of interest to shutterbugs are new features in iPhoto 6, such as support for up to a quarter-million shots and PhotoCasting - a new way to immediately share your photos via .Mac.

Posted by covey22 at 4:45 PM

January 9, 2006

Lightroom: Adobe's Aperture Killer?

In a stunning move on the opening day of Macworld, Adobe unveiled their new RAW Workflow application called Lightroom. While paralleling many of Aperture's features, Adobe claims that their workflow app will support more RAW camera formats than it's competitor; emphasizing DNG support which is now a native file format in Hasselblad's H2D DSLR and Leica's upcoming Digital-Modul-R back. Lightroom apparently has less strenuous requirements than Aperture - observers of the demo noted the new arrival was running smoothly on a Powerbook G4. A beta of the application (Macintosh only) is available for download. Adobe will be providing PC support, but only under the new Windows Vista Operating System.

Posted by covey22 at 3:04 PM

December 22, 2005

DxO Optics Pro Starter Edition

DxO Labs, Boulogne, France, announces DxO Optics Pro Starter Edition is on sale via the company's e-store. DxO Optics Pro Starter Edition will be available through selected retailers starting late in January 2006.

Specifically designed for advanced digicams, also known as "ZLR", "SuperZoom" or "Bridge" cameras, DxO Optics Pro Starter Edition supports digital cameras including: Sony DSC-H1, Sony Cyber-shot DSC-R1, Canon PowerShot Pro S2 IS, Kodak P850, Olympus SP-500, Nikon Coolpix 8800, Konica Minolta DiMAGE Z6, Panasonic DMC-FZ30, Konica Minolta DiMAGE A2, Konica Minolta DiMAGE A200, and Sony F-828. More camera support will be added in the future.

DxO Optics Pro Starter Edition can be thought of as a "camera upgrade." The software processes JPEG images and incorporates the same image enhancement technologies as DxO Optics Pro Standard and DxO Optics Pro Elite editions.

DxO Optics Pro Starter Edition is available for Windows and Macintosh. DxO Optics Pro Starter Edition is priced at $79 (excluding VAT and sales taxes).

Posted by covey22 at 5:21 PM

December 19, 2005

Microsoft Updates RAW Image Viewer and Thumbnailer

Microsoft has updated their RAW Image Viewer and Thumbnailer to version 1.0 (Build 50), usable in Windows XP. For Nikonians, the utility now supports the newer cameras like the D50, and addresses the TIFF file-locking issue. D200 support is not specifically addressed in the documentation.

Posted by covey22 at 2:37 PM

December 13, 2005

Digital Outback Photo - The Aperture Review

Digital Outback Photo has posted a review on Apple's new Aperture suite. The results appear to be rather mixed.

You are well advised to test Aperture thoroughly before embedding your images into the (rather) closed Aperture environment. Maintaining some projects inside and others outside of Aperture may be a good idea for some time.

Posted by covey22 at 4:40 PM

December 12, 2005

Capture One 3.73 Now Supports Native Nikon WB

Capture One 3.7.3 LE and Pro now support native Nikon White-Balance settings (pre-defined, auto and custom). This includes cameras like the Nikon D2Hs, D2X and D50. Download the upgrade here.

Posted by covey22 at 4:30 PM

December 6, 2005

Adobe Buys Macromedia; Creates Product Bundles

Adobe has completed it's acquisition of Macromedia, the well-known maker of content delivery methods. As a result, Adobe has created some very attractive bundles of both companies' products; such as Creative Suite 2 with Professional Flash 8.

Posted by covey22 at 4:04 PM

November 25, 2005

DxO Optics Now at Version 3.5

NEW DXO OPTICS PRO V3.5 SOFTWARE NOW AVAILABLE IN STORES AND ONLINE

Enhanced optical correction possibilities and greater processing speed are the hallmarks of this free new upgrade which also adds support for the Canon EOS 5D

New York, NY DxO Labs announced today that DxO Optics Pro v3.5 Digital SLR and lens automatic image quality enhancement software is available for download at the company's e-store (https://store.dxo.com) and via selected resellers.

DxO Optics Pro v3.5 incorporates DxO Optics Engine v2, a more powerful edition of DxO Labs' award-winning optical correction engine extending the software's capabilities for automatically removing unwanted color fringes including "purple fringing"; preserving greater image detail through improvements to DxO’s Lens Softness removal capabilities; as well as preserving up to 40% more image area when eliminating geometric distortion. Other improvements include an enhanced user interface as well as dramatically increased batch processing speed (by up to 100%) on multi-processor computers.

"The quality of the corrections and the final results look better than ever with this new version," said Luc Marin, vice president of the Photography Business Unit at DxO Labs.

DxO Optics Pro v3.5 Elite Edition now also supports the new, full-frame, Canon EOS 5D and an initial selection of lenses.

Upgrading to DxO Optics Pro v3.5 is free for registered users of DxO Optics Pro v3.0 Standard or Elite editions. Users of DxO Optics Pro v3.5 continue to benefit from unrestricted access to all DxO Lens Modules for a given set of supported camera bodies.

Availability and pricing
DxO Optics Pro v3.5 is available on both Windows (2000 and XP) and Macintosh (OS X 10.3 and above).
* DxO Optics Pro v3.5 Standard Edition is for use with advanced amateur Digital SLRs including unrestricted access to DxO Lens Modules $149
* DxO Optics Pro v3.5 Elite Edition supports professional Digital SLRs including unrestricted access to DxO Lens Modules $299

Quoted prices in U.S. dollars and Euros are excluding VAT/Sales Tax. Prices in British pounds are inclusive of 17.5% VAT. Full System requirements can be found on https://www.dxo.com.

About DxO Labs and its DxO Technology
DxO Labs is a software company developing image generation and enhancement technologies. We provide reliable off-the-shelf solutions for serious amateurs and professional photographers, photography journalists and experts as well as companies in the imaging business such as digital camera or cameraphone vendors, mobile operators, and printing or photofinishing professionals. The company's patented DxO technologies, the DxO Technology Foundations, are the result of state-of-the-art academic mathematical research. The DxO Technology Foundations comprise a set of software components to generate images or correct major imaging defects, such as color, contrast, blur, various optics faults, JPEG artifacts, etc.

For more information, visit DxO Labs online at https://www.dxo.com.

Posted by covey22 at 6:47 PM

November 22, 2005

Corel Adds Support for Digital Camera Raw in Corel(R) Photo Album(TM) 6.0

Consumers Can Now Manage Digital Camera Raw Files with the Software They Love

OTTAWA(BUSINESS WIRE) Nov. 22, 2005 Corel Corporation today announced a major enhancement to its popular photo management system, Corel(R) Photo Album(TM) 6, that will enable consumers to easily work with digital camera raw file formats. With support for more than 40 digital camera raw file formats, Corel Photo Album 6 enables photographers to easily open, enhance, process and convert images into the highest quality photos.

Functioning as a digital negative, digital camera raw file formats are gaining popularity among photo enthusiasts and professional photographers who want to preserve their digital image's authenticity. As consumers are seeking more and more ways to produce higher quality photos, they are discovering that the digital camera raw file format provides them with greater detail, true-to-life color and increased control over their image data. Now with Corel Photo Album 6 joining Corel(R) Paint Shop Pro(R) X in support of digital camera raw file formats, photographers have an easy-to-use platform for downloading, organizing, sharing, editing and protecting this valuable photo format.

With digital camera raw file support, Corel Photo Album 6 customers can now:

* Detect digital camera raw images instantly
* Seamlessly download digital camera raw images from the camera to the computer
* Easily preview digital camera raw formats on their cameras
* Manage and organize digital camera raw image formats by time and date, just like they would any other image
* Open and make edits to the digital camera raw file, then save it as a JPG
* Use these files in slideshows, VCD, printed photo projects and web pages
* Quickly e-mail and share digital camera raw file formats with others

"As the digital photography market evolves, photo enthusiasts and professional photographers are seeking more sophisticated ways to maximize the richness and detail inherent in the photos they take," said Blaine Mathieu, General Manager, Digital Imaging at Corel. "By offering our customers digital camera raw file support, we are enabling them to have more control over the photos they take and more choices in how they use Photo Album to manage, store and produce high quality images."

Pricing and Availability

Corel Photo Album 6 - Deluxe Edition is available for a suggested retail price of $49 US and is available from major retailers and resellers across North America including Amazon, PC Mall, Dell.com, Atomic Park, STAPLES Business Depot, Office Depot, CDW, PC Connection, SHI and Software Spectrum. Existing Corel Photo Album 6 users can download the digital camera raw file format update at www.corel.com.

About Corel Corporation

Corel Corporation provides innovative software solutions that help millions of value-conscious businesses and consumers in over 75 countries improve their productivity. The Company is renowned for its powerful software portfolio that combines innovative photo editing and graphics creation, vector illustration and technical-graphics applications along with office and personal productivity solutions. Corel's flagship products include the CorelDRAW(R) Graphics Suite, the WordPerfect(R) Office Suite, the Corel(R) Painter(TM) Natural-Media(R) painting and illustration software and the Paint Shop(TM) Family of digital photography and image editing software. Founded in 1985, Corel is headquartered in Ottawa, Canada. For more information, please visit www.corel.com.

(C)2005 Corel Corporation. All rights reserved. Corel, CorelDRAW, Natural-Media, Painter, Paint Shop, Paint Shop Pro, Photo Album, WordPerfect and the Corel logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Corel Corporation and/or its subsidiaries. All other product, font and company names and logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.

Posted by covey22 at 10:52 PM

November 21, 2005

Adobe Posts Bridge 1.03 Update

Adobe has released a 1.03 update to it's Bridge software component. No readme, but the manufacturer comments "improved product reliability." The update is available in both Mac and Windows versions.

Posted by covey22 at 4:18 PM

November 18, 2005

PDN Gets Hands-On With Aperture

PDN's David Schloss spends a day with Apple looking over the new Aperture RAW Workflow solution. While not a complete hands-on review, Schloss details some interesting points about the new program that separates the hype from the reality.

Posted by covey22 at 4:43 PM

November 16, 2005

RawShooter Color Engine Announced

Pixmantec has unveiled their latest creation - RawShooter Color Engine; a color profiling plug-in designed for use with RawShooter Premium. Unlike other color profiling systems, this program is designed specifically to certain DSLR makes. Nikonians will be pleased to know that the plug-in supports all Nikon DSLR models with the exception of the D1/H/X series.

Posted by covey22 at 12:45 AM

November 11, 2005

Adobe Posts Camera Raw 3.3 Update

Adobe has posted the latest versions of Camera Raw 3.3 in Beta form. The plug-in is available in Windows and Macintosh versions.

Posted by covey22 at 7:20 PM

November 3, 2005

Rawshooter Premium - The Petteri Sulonen Field Report

Independent columnist and photographer Petteri Sulonen of Finland has posted a field report of the latest version of RawShooter from Pixmantec.

Posted by covey22 at 5:16 PM

October 31, 2005

Pixmantec Announces RawShooter Premium 2006

Copenhagen, October 28th 2005: Danish digital imaging software specialists Pixmantec announce the release of the latest addition to their Photographers’ Toolbox applications for the camera RAW format, RawShooter | premium 2006. Building on the incredible success of the FREE RawShooter | essentials 2005 product (now with several hundred thousand copies installed worldwide), RawShooter | premium 2006 provides unsurpassed RAW workflow functionality and professional image quality at an unbeatable competitive price. In addition to a state of the art feature set, RawShooter | premium 2006 adds camera RAW support for several new DSLRs including the Canon EOS 5D and Canon EOS 1D II N.

More information can be found at Pixmantec.

Posted by covey22 at 4:21 AM