November 30, 2007 at 1:14 pm · Filed under Photography
Michael Reichmann, a high-profile photographer, instructor, and author of the Luminous Landscape Web site switched from Nikon to Canon in the late 1990s, but he’s resumed buying Nikon gear again.
“I had few regrets at the switch through the first 7 years of this decade and the move to digital because it’s my opinion that with its full frame sensors and superior high ISO noise capabilities Canon had a clear edge. Many other pros apparently thought so as well, and as a consequence Nikon lost some marketshare in this segment.
But with the introduction of the D300 and D3 a few months ago (the D300 started shipping last week, and the D3 will as well within days) I now believe that Nikon is back in the game – big time!
For this reason I have purchased a Nikon D300 and several lenses and will start shooting with it on a regular basis.”
Michael writes that he’ll continue using Canon gear along with his new Nikon.
November 30, 2007 at 12:48 pm · Filed under Photography
The rising Canadian dollar is having a positive effect on some photography gear. In case you missed it, on November 22, 2007, Nikon Canada announced reduced pricing for its Coolpix compact digital cameras, digital single lens reflex (SLR) models and most Nikkor interchangeable lenses.
“At Nikon Canada, we are proud to announce a further price reduction,” said Gregory Flasch, National Advertising and Communications Manager, Nikon Canada. “While it is impossible to achieve true parity with our U.S. neighbours due to such factors as economies of scale, tax rates, Canada’s health care system and our social infrastructure, Nikon Canada believes its price reductions make its products competitive with U.S. pricing, especially when one considers the value of Nikon Canada’s extended warranty program.”
The following are the new suggested retail prices of Nikon’s most popular models:
Here’s another well researched/tested holiday gift list for photography lovers. At Dave’s Picks you can do your research online while getting the benefit of the Imaging Resource Newsletter’s product testing. The Imaging resource Web site is useful year-round, but is especially helpful during the holiday season, taking as it does much of the guess work out of photography-related gift decisions.
November 26, 2007 at 10:52 am · Filed under Photography
As I anxiously wait for my new Nikon D300 DSLR, I’m always on the lookout for feedback and first impressions from those who have already received theirs. I especially want to know what Nikon D80 users think of this new Nikon model.
Terry’s main reason for upgrading from his Nikon D80, which he describes as a “great camera,” is “to be able to shoot at higher ISO settings with less visible noise.” As you might expect therefore Terry shows the results of some of the noise testing he has done.
Higher ISO settings are very important to me, but I’m also keen to have:
November 22, 2007 at 10:15 am · Filed under Photography
Lists of gift suggestions are so popular and useful at this time of year that I’m pleased to see that, over at Layers Magazine, Scott Kelby has published his second annual Gonzo Holiday Gear Guide.
“Mozilla has released a beta version of Firefox 3, its open source Web browser. The new application plugs over 300 memory links, the company claims, and features new utilities like an easier password manager and a full-page zoom tool. Firefox fans might not want to get too excited just yet though — Mozilla acknowledges this beta is targeted at testers and is still a little ‘rough around the edges’.”
November 21, 2007 at 5:55 am · Filed under Photography
In a news release dated November 19, 2007, Nikon Inc. announced the introduction of its new AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR lens that offers Vibration Reduction (VR) technology to help users take sharper handheld photos. (Nikon’s VR system allows users to take pictures at shutter speeds up to three stops slower while avoiding the image blur caused by camera shake at slow shutter speeds.)
According to Nikon:
“From family gatherings to sunny vacation beaches, the NIKKOR 18-55mm VR lens produces stunning results with vivid color and incredible sharpness. The 3x optical zoom offers users of Nikon DX-format D-SLR cameras including the D40, D40x, D80 and new D300 with a versatile picture angle perspective ranging from wide angle for dramatic landscapes and interiors, to moderate telephoto that is ideal for flattering portraits.”
This compact lens seems like an ideal kit lens and will be available in the U.S.A. beginning December 2007 at an estimated selling price of US$199.
The author, Michael Clark, sums up his review with this:
“Even though the upgrade to 1.3 might not have seemed like a big deal I am very excited about the improvements that have been made. For my workflow specifically these improvements will help make Lightroom even more user friendly and hopefully shave off a bit more time that I have to spend in front of the computer.”
Clark identifies the following areas of improvement:
Vastly improved Speed.
Ability to render 1:1 previews on import.
Improved version of the “Automatically write changes into XMP” preference.
Compatibility with Apple’s latest Mac OS X Leopard.
Adobe has been very busy with updates to most of its popular Photoshop products. Apparently, these are not just maintenance issues, but include support for additional cameras in Camera Raw and a few enhancements in Lightroom. Good stuff!
The Adobe Photoshop 10.0.1 update addresses a number of issues in both the Windows and the Macintosh versions Adobe Photoshop CS3, and includes Bridge CS3 2.1.1.
The Camera Raw 4.3 update is suggested for all users of Camera Raw under Photoshop CS3, Elements 5 & 6 for Windows or Elements 4.01 for Mac. The following cameras are now supported:
Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III
Canon PowerShot G9
Nikon D3
Nikon D300
Olympus E-3
Olympus SP-560 UZ
Panasonic DMC-L10
The Adobe DNG Converter has also been updated to version 4.3.
Lightroom 1.3 offers new camera compatibilities as well as bug fixes and certain new functionality.
Terry White’s blog has a detailed list of the features and updates here. Terry is Director, North America Creative Pro Core Business for Adobe Systems, Inc.
November 14, 2007 at 2:36 pm · Filed under Photography
Ken Rockwell has a full review of the Nikon AF-S 24-70mm f/2.8 G ED. According to Ken, “The 24-70 is an exquisite hunk of solid metal that just makes pictures with no fiddling. It feels as if it was hewn from a single solid ingot.”
HP announced on November 7, 2007 that it will license an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) partner for its HP-branded cameras. This outsourcing strategy will allow HP to shift its resources toward its Print 2.0 initiatives, which it unveiled on May 30, 2007.
HP plans to license an OEM to design, source and distribute digital cameras under the HP brand. HP will continue selling its own cameras through the holiday season and intends to have the partnership arrangement in place in the first half of 2008.
According to HP’s news release:
“The company’s Print 2.0 strategy focuses on three areas: delivering a next-generation digital printing platform that increases print speeds and lowers the cost of printing for high-volume commercial markets; making it easier to print from the web; and, extending HP’s digital content creation and publishing platforms across all customer segments.”
This huge change in strategy could result in some good deals at retail for consumers as HP sells down stocks of its current cameras.
I have been using the beta version of Windows Live Writer for some weeks now to post to this (WordPress-based) blog, and I have been very pleased with it. Live Writer is easy to use and quite comprehensive in its feature set. I’m not much of a Microsoft booster these days, but it certainly seems to have gotten its Live services right.
A year after announcing their merger, Hoya and Pentax announced on October 31, 2007 that they have entered into a merger agreement, which becomes effective March 31, 2008.
Eye-Fi Inc. has announced their Eye-Fi Card, which they claim is the world’s first wireless SD memory card for digital cameras. The Eye-Fi Card uses home Wi-Fi networks to send photographs directly from digital cameras to PCs, Macs and online photo and social networking sites.
According to the company’s October 30, 2007 news release:
“During a simple set-up process, users can select from among 17 popular online photo sharing, printing, social networking or blogging sites to share their photographs, and select where on their PC or Mac they want to archive their images. Once the set-up is complete, users can focus on taking pictures and sharing memories — and not on the process of uploading photos from their camera.
Eye-Fi’s free upload service allows users to transfer an unlimited number of photos. It handles full-resolution JPEG pictures and intelligently resizes the images if required by the selected online destination.”
The 2GB wireless SD memory card is said to be available now at major online retailers including Amazon.com, Buy.com and Walmart.com for $99.99 USD. It’s also available from the online stores of J&R, B&H Photo Video, dotPhoto and Photojojo. For more information, visit www.eye.fi.
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