| New
links added December 28-30, 2009 |
onOne Plug-In Suite 5 Review by Terry White
"onOne has definitely followed up nicely to an already great offering. Any one of these plug-ins is a great addition to Photoshop for photographers. However, if you have them all you'll have a very powerful set of correctional and special effect tools." |
How Am I Doing HDR? by Moose Peterson
"That’s been a real popular question the last couple of days. So much so I thought I would create a quick video. Now this is not a software review or how to tutorial, but rather simply my basic approach to HDR." |
Bibble 5 Pro workflow software now available - RobGalbraith
"The latest version of the digital photography workflow software adds full-featured image cataloging, non-destructive application of local editing adjustments, improved responsiveness and speed plus a number of other refinements." |
| Thom Hogan's latest comments (Dec 29 post) |
| D3s High-ISO samples at LetsGoDigital |
Camera of the Year: Nikon D3x - PopPhoto
"Only the Nikon D3x could be Popular Photography’s Camera of the Year, the model that best refined or redefined photography in 2009." |
The 2009 Earthbound Light Top Ten List by EarthboungLight
"As the number of shots remaining on the compact flash card that is 2009 counts down and the aperture scale of 2009 approaches f/32 (OK, enough with the photographic analogies), I wanted to take a moment to reflect on what I've published over the past year and how it has been received." |
Help support NikonLinks by visiting and shopping at these valued sponsors:
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| New
links added December 21-26, 2009 |
Brief test: Nikon S1000pj projector camera at DPNow
"At around double the price of an equivalent camera without the projector feature, there is a big premium to pay. People we showed the SJ1000pj to were fascinated by the projection feature. It's definitely a crowd-puller. But just how useful this feature will be to the average photographer is unclear, especially as it can't be used to project an external video source, like a laptop's display." |
The Inverted Razor Blade - Thom Hogan's latest comments (Dec 24 post)
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Luminescence of Nature News by NikonLinks sponsor, Jason Odell
- 70-200mm f/2.G AFS VR II first impressions by Jason Odell
"The Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G AFS VRII is a vastly better lens than its predecessor in nearly every category. It is sharp wide-open, has better AF and VR performance, and handles TCs with ease."
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What Gloves do You Use? by Moose Peterson
"Back in the day, I would haunt every outdoor store I ventured by and gleaned the glove display trying to find the glove that kept my hands warm and permited me to shoot." |
D3000 review at DigitalKamera
German language review |
85mm f3.5G AF-S VR Micro (brief) review at LetsGoDigital
"With the reproduction ratio of 1:1, close-up pictures can be taken in full size. In practice, it does take time to get used to, since you have to count with the desired depth of field. Before you know it, you're actually working with 1:1 ratio, and you realize belatedly that an aperture of f/8 could be somewhat on the scarce side. Still, this Nikon macro lens is a fine piece of work, with an internal focus system and a Silent Wave Motor (SWM) resulting in a smooth autofocus." |
Coolpix S560 review at DPInterface
"I’m sure everyone’s heard of the saying that you pay for what you get. In the case of the Nikon Coolpix S570, you’re not paying a lot; so don’t expect an exceptional camera with a whole lot of bells and whistles. Instead, you’re getting a fairly average point-and-shoot device at about $200. The Nikon Coolpix S570 is compact with average battery life and acceptable build quality." |
Coolpix S70 review at DigitalCameraReview
"There are plenty of features we liked about the Nikon S70, including the Touch Shutter, 720p HD video capture, great image sharpness, compact and sleek design, and power conserving OLED with great functionality any lighting condition. But these positives just don't outweigh some of its issues, like lack of manual control, price tag, over-exposed images, and a somewhat unreliable touch screen that isn't supplemented with physical buttons." |
Nikon Podcast #30 – Nikon Festival Judge Chase Jarvis: Thriving as a Photographer in the Age of Digital Multimedia
Host Mark Ellwood and professional photographer and Nikon Festival judge Chase Jarvis discuss the Nikon Festival, what it takes to be a successful photographer in the age of instant news and multimedia, and what he'd like to see in video submissions to capture the $100,000 judges award.
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Westcott 45″ Halo Review by Terry White
"I like the Halo a lot! It's a great light modifier. I'll be using it with TD5 as much if not more than my standard softboxes. I just love the shape, ease of use and quick setup. The fact that it works with practically any light source is also a plus!" |
Nikon Publishes Results of Its ‘Picture Yourself’ Survey - PhotographyBLOG
"Nikon recently announced the results of its 2009 “Picture Yourself” survey that reveals consumer attitudes about self-image. Nikon’s survey revealed that if people could turn back time, they would choose to retake a family portrait (25 percent), a high school graduation photo (21 percent), a driver’s license photo (21 percent), a wedding photo (15 percent) and a birthday party photo (7 percent)." |
70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF ED VR Zoom
Overview and African Safari Sample Test Images at DigitalReview
"If you are in the market for a more powerful zoom to complement your Nikon digital or film SLR, the Nikon 70-300mm f4.5-5.6G ED-IF AF-S VR Zoom-Nikkor lens is designed for telephoto shooting opportunities, such as sports, action, wildlife, travel and portrait photography." |
Why Won't the Patch Tool Work Near the Edge? by Earthboundlight
"The Patch tool in Photoshop is extremely useful for cleaning up dust spots and other minor distractions. It can do an amazing job of blending in your edits with the surrounding image area. Things don't go so well though when the area needing to be patched is near the edge and there is no surrounding image on one side." |
Coolpix L20 review at CameraLabs
"...the bottom line is the COOLPIX L20 delivers on its goal of taking good-looking photos with the absolute minimum of fuss - and crucially at a price that's very affordable for a big-brand camera. If this is the kind of money you wany to spend on a camera, and you're happiest shooting in fully automatic, then the COOLPIX L20 is a great choice." |
NASA Orders D3S Digital SLR Cameras and Interchangeable Lenses from Nikon
"Nikon Corporation is pleased to announce that the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has placed an order for eleven D3S digital SLR cameras and seven AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8G ED lenses to be used for photographic documentation." |
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| New
links added December 14-19, 2009 |
D300S review at Shutterbug
"The D300S is an impressive DX-format camera for any Nikon shooter who wants and needs video capture (are you listening wedding photographers?) along with really high-quality image capture." |
Coolpix S1000pj review at TrustedReviews
"The CoolPix S1000pj is a gadget lover's dream, and is sure to draw an admiring crowd, at least until the next cool toy comes along. Build quality and design are up to Nikon's usual high standard, and the projector technology certainly works well enough, but annoyingly it is let down by mediocre camera performance. Considering the cost, only the gadget lovers are going to buy it." |
Nikon Shotguns the Web With Goodness- Strobist
"If you are a Nikon shooter and use CLS, you definitely want to head over to Nikon's site for three new free lighting vids. Heck, even if you aren't a Nikon type, it's worth the watch for the McNally lighting theory tidbits."
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Don Zeck Lens Cap Now Available for Most High-End Nikkors - PhotographyBLOG
"Don Zeck lens caps have been engineered for superior protection from scratches, dust, rain and other hazards. The lens caps are equipped with a collapsible low-profile handle, so that the cap can easily be mounted or removed while the hood is in either the shooting or stored position. The Don Zeck lens cap is now available for the 200mm F2.0 VR, 300mm F2.8 VR, 300mm F2.8 AF-S, 400mm F2.8 VR, 400mm F2.8 AF-S, 500mm F4 VF, 500mm F4 AF-S, 600mm F4 VR and the 200-400mm F4 VR Nikkors" |
NIKON'S "PICTURE YOURSELF" SURVEY REVEALS AMERICANS WOULD MOST LIKE TO TAKE BACK A FAMILY PORTRAIT IF THEY COULD TURN BACK TIME
"Nikon Inc., world leader in digital imaging, recently announced the results of its 2009 “Picture Yourself” survey that reveals consumer attitudes about self-image." |
D300S review by Shun Cheung for Photo.net
"For “prosumers,” serious amateurs, and those who prefer the DX format, the D300S remains to be an excellent choice. In particular, for wildlife photographers and especially bird photographers who use very long lenses, the DX format has a major advantage." |
Apple releases Digital Camera Raw Compatibility Update 2.7 - RobGalbraith
"Apple has released Digital Camera Raw Compatibility Update 2.7, which adds the ability to decode RAW files taken with the...Nikon D3S, Nikon D300S and Nikon D3000 to Aperture 2.x and iPhoto '08/'09 for Mac." |
10m Nikon TTL Cords Now on Ebay - Strobist
"After several months of use, I am a pretty big fan of my YongNuo 10-meter TTL cord." |
70-200mm f2.8G ED VR II review at ePhotozine
"Being one of Nikon's top lenses, anything short of excellent would be disappointing. Luckily, this lens does not disappoint in terms of build, image quality or any other aspect of its performance." |
Nikon updates CaptureNX (with full list of updates) - Imaging-Resource
"Nikon Capture NX v2.2.4 includes a lengthy list of changes from the previous release, including compatibility with Windows 7 in both 32-bit and 64-bit variants, as well as Windows Vista 64-bit. There's also a variety of bug fixes related to printing, batch processing, image display, and more, including several that prevent sudden crashes or unexpected error messages." |
Moose Peterson – Wildlife Photographer - interview by Fredrick Van
"Check out this audio interview with Moose as we talk about Nikon, nature, and more." |
D3S review at ePhotozine
"...t is a thoroughly inspiring piece of kit to use and its high sensitivity means you can carry on shooting in the poorest light and without using a tripod." |
Nikon Podcast #29 – Judges Rainn Wilson and iJustine discuss the Nikon Festival and what it takes to create a winning submission
Host Mark Ellwood and special Nikon Festival celebrity judges Rainn Wilson and iJustine discuss what it’s like being a judge of the Festival, the experience of creating their own video submissions and what they’d like to see in video submissions to capture the $100,000 judges award. |
Elisha Whitmore - Nikon using photographer from the USA
I shoot weddings in NY and in the US Virgin Islands. |
Westcott Chromakey Blue/Green Screen Popup Illuminator review by Terry White
"...If I know going in that I'm going to want to extract the subject from the background in Photoshop or put something behind a video in Premiere Pro or After Effects, green screen is the only way to go. Being able to get 99% of the way there (minor tweaking after) in Photoshop with the click of an Action is huge!" |
| Kubota Image Tools Announces First Photographers Ignite Event at WPPI Convention - Imaging-Resource |
D3S review at BJP-online
"...the D3s makes sense if you feel the buffer upgrade (36 shots in raw) and higher ISO are going to benefit you; the improved AF performance and ergonomics are certainly welcome..." |
70-200mm f2.8G VR-II reviewby Greg Reinacker
"Incredibly sharp optics, dramatically better VR, much reduced light falloff, and excellent contrast even in severe lighting conditions. It’s unquestionably the best zoom lens in this range I’ve ever used." |
105mm f2.8G AF-S VR Micro review by Riccardo Polini
Italian language review in PDF |
| Micro-Nikkor 105/2.8 VR vs Micro-Nikkor 85/2.8 PC vs Zeiss Makro-Planar T ZF 100/2 by Riccardo Polini (Italian language review) |
3 free months offer by Nikon for mypicturetown.com
Share photos and videos, view them on mobile phones, post them to social networking site. |
X-Rite ColorMunki review by NikonLinks Editor
"The ColorMunki is an easy tool to utilize with plenty of instructional videos available every step of the way. You essentially get much of the fine Swiss engineering that went into the very highly regarded Eye One Photo package distilled down to its essence with the ColorMunki for a much nicer price." |
X-Rite ColorMunki Photo Knows More Than One Trick by EarthboundLight
"You can get off cheaper if you only need to profile your monitor, but if you've longed for an affordable solution to cover your printer and projector as well, this may be just what you're looking for. Recommended, with the latest software update." |
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| New
links added December 7-11, 2009 |
D3000 review at DPReview
"The D3000 is an excellent camera, and great value at its current street price." |
Mastering the Nikon D5000 book - PhotographyBLOG
"Rocky Nook have just announced a new title, Mastering the Nikon D5000 by Darrell Young. Darrell’s approach in teaching the reader to master this camera avoids the purely instructional technique, favouring a more friendly and advisory tone..." |
Top Ten Questions – Bosque Base Camp by Moose Peterson
"Base Camp is a one of a kind experience, balancing the art of wildlife photography with the craft of the business of wildlife photography. One of the main requirements of the students is to ask questions. I decided to post the top ten questions asked of me (rated by me), thinking you might ask them too if you could. Here are my answers." |
iPhone App of the Week – Photographer Assistants by Terry White
"It's 2 for 1 iPhone App of the Week Reviews today. I thought I would cover two apps this week that I've come across to assist photographers." |
300mm f2.8G ED VR II and AF-S Teleconverter TC-20E III
"A fast telephoto lens offering built-in Vibration Reduction (VR II), and the world’s first telephoto converter to utilize an aspherical lens element, extending focal length by 2×, both compatible with the FX format"
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TC-20E III
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NIKKOR Lenses Simulator
"You can simulate how different lenses ranging from wide to telescopic and different formats can interact to create different photographs.
Check out the lenses that you are interested in. If you find a combination between the lens and body that you like, click the "Keep Combination" button to save the combination and you can compare each combination later." |
NIKKOR Lenses Positioning Map
"Use the convenient search tools to quickly and easily find the lens you are looking for from our broad lineup of current NIKKOR lenses. Drag lenses you already own to My Lenses to display them on the map. Watch your collection grow and keep track of the lenses you still need." |
| Thom Hogan's latest comments (December 7 post) |
85mm f/1.8D AF review by Oleg Novikov (NikonLinks Chinese and Russian editor)
"If you are looking for a general purpose short telephoto lens and portraiture is not your favourite type of photography then the AF Nikkor 85mm f/1.8D is a superb optic and represents a great value for the money." |
PocketWizard Plus II review by Fredrik Rasmussen
"The PocketWizard units works with pretty much every flash and camera unit on the market today. If you are a serious action photographer the PocketWizard's are a must have." |
Phase One Capture One 5 Pro review by Peter K. Burian at Photocrati
"Capture One 5 Pro is absolutely loaded with pro-oriented features that provide maximum versatility in editing RAW captures; some of these can also be used on JPEG or TIFF photos. Become proficient with the tools and you can get outstanding quality even with RAW photos that were underexposed or made at very high ISO levels." |
Which D3 is Right For YOU? by Moose Peterson
"This is a really, really, really common question coming my way, and to be really honest with you, it’s a great question! All three D3 bodies have something special to offer you but it’s up to you to way the advantages and disadvantages of each for YOUR photography." |
Focus! by EarthboundLight
"While it is possible to take a picture of something by pointing your camera in the right general direction and pressing the shutter release, you will likely get a much better image if you pay some attention on focus. And "focus" has more than one meaning." |
Field gear used by Brad Hill:
- Cameras (comments on the D3, D700, D300, and Olympus E-P1)
- Lenses (comments on the 600 f4 VR, 200-400 f4 VR, 300 f2.8 VR, 200 f2 VR, 70-200 f2.8 VR II, 70-300f4.5-5.6 VR, 200 f4 Micro, 105 f2.8 VR Micro, 24-70 f2.8, Teleconverters)
- Tripods, camera bags and accessories
"I'm constantly being asked what type of gear I use. And why. So here's a ridiculously long accounting of what goes with me into the field." |
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| New
links added December 1-5, 2009 |
Sigma 24-70mm f2.8 EX DG HSM review at Photozone
"On our FX test camera, the lens did not really show impressive performance, however on DX the results are a lot more solid and convincing." |
500mm f4G AF-S VR review by Jens Christian Krause
"...the lens is everything I had hoped it would be." |
Nikon 35mm f2D AF vs. Nikon 25-50mm f4 AIS vs. Zeiss 35mm f2 and Voigtlander 35mm f1.4 (on a Leica M8) by Joseph Reid
"My goal here is to get a rough idea of how several 35mm lenses compare." |
D300S review by Jens Christian Krause
"For nature photography though, the D300s certainly rules." |
D5000 review by Shun Cheung for Photo.net
"The D5000 is ideal for casual photographers who would like a small DSLR with current sensor technology as well as a few more controls and customizable features." |
| First test shots posted for Nikon D3S by Imaging-Resource |
The D3s Ushers in…what…New Body Cap?! by Moose Peterson
"That’s right, after who knows how many years (I know someone knows that answer), Nikon has updated the venerable BF-1A body cap." |
Make Life Easier with Nikon (UK) - PhotographyBLOG
"Nikon UK has announced its new ‘Make Life Easier’ Coolpix game which offers the chance to win a city break to New York for the overall winner, plus a Coolpix S220 camera every day." |
“Nikon Girl” video from Joey L.
"Yeah I can take pictures, but I can bust a rhyme too. I don't even know how I should begin this blog... except... that... My alter ego is born. Okay, it's true- I have started a gangster rap crew which refuses to rap about anything non photo-related. Actually, we can't rap about anything else simply because we don't know about anything else."
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Nikon Introduces New Super Resolution Microscopes N-SIM/N-STORM
"Nikon Corporation is pleased to announce the introduction of Super Resolution Microscopes N-SIM and N-STORM at the American Society For Cell Biology - 49th Annual Meeting (December 5-9, San Diego)." |
| Nikon SP and Nikon F shirts for sale at CafePress |
December 2009 Rangefinder Magazine articles:
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Canon EOS 5D MkII, Nikon D700 & Sony Alpha A850 - ePhotozine
"The Nikon D700 is better with the build quality, drive and professional support while I got the best colour, sharpness and noise results from the Canon." |
Year in Review by Dave Black
"It is my custom at the end of each year to present a Year In Review article. I find it interesting to re-cap jobs, assignments, and projects that I did over the past 12 months, and to take a little time to reflect and learn, then push onto the new year." |
Behind The Lens Of A CSI Photographer - PopPhoto
"A Nikon Coolpix 8800, Nikon Speedlight SB-800 flash, fingerprint kit, and lots of basic crime scene stuff—a raincoat, evidence markers, fire boots." |
24mm f2.8D AF review at SLRGear
"Optically, the lens holds its own, despite showing some signs of age: wide open it shows some corner softness, and chromatic aberration is a problem for Nikon bodies which don't automatically remove it. Nikon bodies which do remove it automatically however, breath new life into the lens, and when stopped down to ƒ/5.6, the lens is extremely sharp." |
Coolpix S640 review at DigitalCameraReview
"The Nikon Coolpix S640 provides users with an impressive mixture of versatility, ease of use, and operational speed to efficiently and effectively meet the needs of a surprisingly diverse group of shooters." |
Capture NX2 Webinar - December 10 from 1 pm to 2 pm EST
Join Nik Software for a very special webinar introducing you to the power of this revolutionary, high-efficiency software, perfect for editing those holiday "HERO" shot this season! Presented by Tony Corbell, Senior Manager of Product Education at Nik Software. |
Hendrik Sirait - Nikon user from Switzerland by way of Indonesia
Nature | Events |Travelling |
D3S review at dkamera.de
German language review |
Is the 70-200VR2 Worth Upgrading To? by Moose Peterson
"This question comes up a whole lot of late and wanted to once and for all get my answer out there in big, bold type. YES! I personally find the new version to be a tad sharper and have a little sharper contrast which leads to better color than the original 70-200VR." |
| D3s Sample Video Clip by Moose Peterson |
Coolpix S640 review at DPInterface
"The Nikon Coolpix S640 is your average compact camera which performs, well, just averagely I guess. The camera has a fairly run-of-the-mill feature set: 12 megapixels, 5X optical zoom, 2.7 inch screen, point-and-shoot operation and with nothing in particularly that stands out from the sea of other cameras out there." |
Shuttle Launch STS-129 photos by Scott Diussa
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Choosing Big Lights: AlienBees - Strobist
"Do I regret jumping on the AlienBees? Not for a second. They have been very serviceable (not to say inspiring on all counts) and have provided some very valuable clarity for essentially no net cost should I decide to change horses." |
| 2009 Nikon-Walkley Photographic Finalists - Walkleys.com (Australia) |
