| New
links added October 24-31, 2011 |
Coolpix P7100 review at Shutterbug
"The P7100 offers sharp and crisp images, which are a little softened by the noise filtering. The camera reproduced the ISO 12233 chart with 2158 lines per picture height, which is a good result for a compact system with a nominal resolution of 2736 lines per picture height... The camera shows very clean and smooth images up to ISO 400. In images taken from ISO 800 to 3200 the luminance noise will become visible." |
HP Testing Windows 8 on TouchPads - Fox News
"Sources on the WebOS team say that HP is actively meeting with a number of interested buyers including HTC, LG, Nikon, and Amazon." |
What the Heck is Metamerism? by Earth Bound Light
"If you've gotten serious about printing your images, especially with pigment based inks, you've probably come across the term "metamerism." You probably also know that ink manufacturers do their best to minimize the problem, yet everyone still talks about it. But do you really understand what the term even means?" |
DPReview's report of Nikon at 2011 Photo Expo Plus
"Nikon's stand is the first thing you see when entering the show this year, and judging by the race to get in line, it looks like it might be one of the most popular. A large glass cases highlights the cameras, lenses and accessories of Nikon's brand new 1 system, and Nikon is gearing up for several days of seminars and briefings. it has been a quiet year for DSLR news from Nikon, but there's a lot of buzz on the stand around Nikon's new Coolpix and 1-system launches." |
D-Town TV Episode 94
- Larry has a tip on keeping track of your photo equipment with tape
- RC demonstrates the technique of light painting with a Halloween-themed tutorial
- Plus, some great accessories to use with your phone's camera
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Living with Nikon’s D5100: Part 2 – the good stuff, and there’s a lot of it by Kim Brebach
"If someone had asked me two or three years ago what I wanted in my dream DSLR, I would’ve listed just about all of the features Nikon put into the D5100, except for video. It’s that simple. What more can you ask from a camera? That it makes espresso coffee?" |
| Nikon Announces a Revision to Its Consolidated Results Forecast of the Fiscal Year Ending March 31, 2012 |
| Best Digital Cameras of 2011 by NeoCamera - four Nikon cameras made the list |
| NikonLinks blog update - a quick look at the Vanguard Up-Rise 38 messenger-style photo bag |
Primes vs Zooms For Event Photography by Todd Owyoung
"When it comes to available light event photography, the photographer is often pulled between constraints – the two biggest of which are limited access and limited lighting. As a result, we’re also often split between the solutions to these problems as well – the flexible framing of zoom lenses and the raw, low-light speed of prime lenses." |
Photography workflow – back-up plans for your main computer by Neil van Niekerk
"The idea for this article comes from a discussion with another photographer – she cringed every time I mentioned, “so what happens to your business if your house burns down and your computer is gone?”" |
PocketWizard FlexTT5, MiniTTi and AC3 ZoneController review by Jim Gamblin
"Another truly admirable aspect is that the FlexTT5 and MiniTT1 is not only built in a non compromising manner construction wise, but also in regards to it becoming obsolete in a technological manner. The people at PocketWizard have enabled their units to keep up advances in technology, by providing firmware updates. also all of their units work with the older models." |
This Nikon D3 DSLR Halloween Costume Actually Works PopPhoto
"Card-carrying camera nerd Tyler Card built the body of his killer camera costume out of cardboard and a five gallon bucket. Then, he built a normal-sized Nikon DSLR and a flash into it, using a remote shutter cable so he can actually walk around taking pictures. Perhaps the coolest part is that the resulting images are then displayed on the back of the costume, using a hacked laptop LCD screen." |
Nikon Podcast 43: Robert Knight and Rock Photography
"Host Mark Ellwood and photographer Robert Knight talk about his prolific work in photographing some of the most iconic musicians in rock and roll history." |
| Online workshops for Capture NX2 users by NikonLinks sponsor Jason Odell |
First ImpressionsL Using the Nikon V1 at DPReview
"A full review is underway, but my initial impressions of the V1 are mixed. Given its size, I'm impressed by the image quality produced by its CX format sensor, but puzzled that neither the V1 nor the J1 have ended up as particularly ‘small’ cameras." |
Coolpix S8200 review at PhotographyBLOG
"In summary the Nikon Coolpix S8200 improves a couple of major features and adds a few new functions to further improve on a camera that we already liked a lot. Unfortunately it still has some key deficiencies, most notably the so-so image quality especially at the higher ISO speeds, the frustrating need to access the main menu for commonly used options like ISO speed, and the lack of any manual controls for more advanced users." |
Nikon D300s Sent Into Space On A Weather Balloon - PopPhoto
"The camera was traveling in a styrofoam beer cooler from Wal Mart. The cooler was lifted into space using a 22 foot weather balloon filled with Helium. A parachute was attached to the cooler to slow and stabilize the fall of the cooler when the balloon eventually popped from lack of air pressure as it rose closer to the vacuum of space." |
Jobu Design Black Widow Jr review by the Mansurovs
"This is a review of the Black Widow Jr.3 (BWG-JR3) Gimbal head by Jobu Design. A good, reliable and flexible tripod head is a must when using long telephoto lenses. While there are many different tripod heads and mounts out there, the “Gimbal” type head is preferred, because it provides excellent stability and balance with full flexibility to rotate the lens and camera with ease." |
Lytro: Very Cool, and not Like Any Camera You've Ever Used Before by Earth Bound Light (although this article is not about Nikon, or the usual photo editing tips, Bob Johnson is a loyal Nikon user)
"To say the least, when Silicon Valley startup Lytro announced their new light field camera this past June that allows you to refocus images after the fact, I was intrigued. Now that they are available for preorder, I'm even more so. But just how does the darned thing actually work?" |
2nd Notice on the damage from the flood in Thailand
"This is to advise you, following our first notice of October 11, of the latest situations of submersion at Nikon (Thailand) Co., Ltd., a consolidated manufacturing subsidiary of Nikon Corporation in the Rojana Industrial Park in Ayutthaya Province located in Central Thailand." |
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| New
links added October 17-21, 2011 |
Nikon launches the free my Picturetown Pad application for iPads and iPhones
"Nikon Corporation is pleased to announce that its free my Picturetown Pad application for iPads and iPhones is available for download from Apple's App Store. The my Picturetown Pad app allows users to enjoy using my Picturetown, Nikon’s online image sharing and storage service, with their iPads and iPhones." |
D-Town TV Episode 93
- RC talks about the relationship of the distance from the flash to the subject and from the subject to the background, and how adjusting that distance affects the background color
- Ad photographer Douglas Sonders stops by to talk about the importance of starting simple and building from ther
- Larry has some tips on software settings inside your DSLR
- Plus, the photography of Elia Locardi
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400mm f2.8G AFS VR review by the Mansurovs
"Without a doubt, the Nikon 400mm f/2.8G VR is a superb piece of engineering art. While it does have its own inconveniences like heavy weight and bulky construction, it sits in the same class of top Nikon lenses like the Nikon 200mm f/2G VR II and the Nikon 300mm f/2.8G VR II, with an exceptional optical design that yields sharp images, beautiful bokeh and colors." |
Empower your hand-held shooting with our Vibration Reduction system - IamNikon blog
"One of the many ways that our COOLPIX, Nikon 1 and D-SLR cameras help you to take steady and sharp images is by using VR (Vibration Reduction) technology. So today on the blog we thought we’d take a closer look into exactly how that technology works." |
It’s Guest Blog Wednesday featuring Joey Wright! - Scott Kelby
"In mid-2008, I made a purchase that turned out to be the biggest milestone of my life: I purchased my first DSLR, a Nikon D80." |
| 7 Advantages You’ll Have Over the People Who Didn’t Buy a Nikon 5100 DSLR Camera at PhotographyTalk |
| 22 Mind-Blowing Rumors About the New Nikon D800 DSLR Camera at PhotographyTalk |
| 13 Nikon Prime Lenses That Will Fulfill Any Digital Photographer’s Wish List at PhotographyTalk |
Value for money lenses for Nikon by Sujoy Das
"Many photographers migrating from point and shoot cameras to a DSLR camera often complain about the huge investment required to be made in DSLR lenses. So to help them I am listing below some value for money Nikon lenses, many of which I have used myself." |
| NikonLinks blog update - some quick thoughts about the Canon 1D X |
D7000 mini review by Jonathan Valin (a noted author and audiophile reviewer for TAS)
"The Nikon D7000 is the best digital camera I’ve ever used. It is so good—and so versatile—that I’m beginning to waver about my full-time commitment to film. The thing actually makes images that look more like film." |
Coolpix S1200pj review by ePhotozine
"This is the third projector camera from Nikon and is still a pretty unique product on the market. The projector works well and is versatile given that it can also be connected to a computer and an iOS device. Image quality is good for a compact but on the downside, it is quite expensive and bulky, so it's likely you'll only want the camera if the projector is the feature which really excites you." |
| Nikon 1 Series China Factory Tour by ePhotozine |
Living with the NIKON D5100 by Kim Brebach
"It may take longer with a human partner, but 3-4 months of living with a camera is enough to reveal its flaws. Let’s start with a glaring one that I missed in my earlier review: Not enough buttons on the body." |
Nikon V1 review at PhotographyBLOG
"As to whether the Nikon 1 V1 is a good camera for serious amateurs, the answer is not so clear-cut. The V1 is doubtlessly a small, high-quality, discreet and generally fast camera but its interface is quite clearly not geared toward users who like to take full control of the picture-taking process." |
| Nikon V1 + 1 Nikkor 10-100mm f/4.5-5.6 VR Preview Samples at DPReview |
Nikon 1 Series J1 And V1 Sample Photos at ePhotozine
"Joshua Waller travels to Shanghai, China with the new Nikon V1 and J1 cameras, here are some of his best shots." |
Coolpix AW100 review at ePhotozine
"The Coolpix AW100 is remarkably good for Nikon's first venture into the rugged camera market. Its main strength is its range of features. Not only is is waterproof, shockproof and freezeproof, it comes with built-in GPS, full 1080p HD video recording and much more. Although one of the more expensive rugged cameras available, the camera produces good images and videos and therefore takes its place in our Top 7 Cameras For Active Photographers." |
Enter the World of War Photography in The Bang Bang Club - IamNikon blog
"Set in South Africa during the apartheid era, it tells the true story of four young photographers – Greg Marinovich, Kevin Carter, Ken Oosterbroek and Joao Silva – recounting their relationships with each other and the stresses, tensions and moral dilemmas of working in situations of extreme violence, pain and suffering...The Nikon team in South Africa took the opportunity to interview the cast about their experience of playing the brave photographers the story describes." |
Ten Years of Earthbound Light PhotoTips
"Ten years ago this week I published my first PhotoTips article here at Earthbound Light. A lot has changed in the world of photography since then, but the key basics will always remain the same. It's time to look back and reminisce at the greatest hits of what I've covered here." |
Nikon news releases
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50mm f1.8G AFS review by Shun Cheung for Photo.net
"The new 50mm/f1.8 AF-S is optically quite good at an affordable price.
Its center performance is good wide open at f1.8 and improves quite a bit by f2.8. Corner performance improves drastically from 2.8 to f4. Therefore, by f4/f5.6, it is an excellent lens all around." |
| Nikon V1 studio shots available for comparison to other mirrorless cameras at DPReview |
| "I AM Nikon" Ad Campaign Wins Gold at Euro Effie Awards |
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| New
links added October 10-14, 2011 |
D-Town TV Episode 92
- Larry has a Cheap Shots segment on gaining an extra handle on your focus ring when shooting DSLR video
- Joey Wright has some tips on accessories that will help you in the dark
- RC shares some information about single and continuous focus and setting focus points
- Brad is back with Grip Tips where he talks about sand bags and light stands
- Plus, the photography of Stephen Wilkes
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| Nikon Releases New LCD Scanners FX-66S, FX-76S and FX-86S - Nikon Corp |
Coolpix S8200 review at NeoCamera
"Overall, the Nikon Coolpix S8200 produces excellent image quality in a compact body with an extensive zoom range. It is as easy to use as to carry and can reliably capture travel snapshots under typical conditions without much hassle." |
Sigma 50mm f1.4 lens review (with comparisons to the Nikon 50mm lenses) by the Mansurovs
"Don’t waste your money on this lens – it is simply not worth the $500 Sigma is asking for. When compared to other 50mm lenses currently available on the market, the Sigma 50mm f/1.4 has the worst price-performance ratio. Even the much cheaper and lighter Nikon 50mm f/1.8G performs better in most tests in comparison." |
60mm f2.8G AFS Micro review by Kim Brebach
"This is a quality lens at an attractive price, no doubt about it. Whether it's worth grabbing depends on your needs." |
Kelby Training Video Debut by Dave Black
"It is my pleasure and a real privilege to announce that I have joined the ranks of photographers at Kelby Training. Making instructional Online Training Videos for Scott Kelby is a huge step for me, and one that Scott thinks to be a perfect extension for my teaching." |
Notice on the damage from the flood in Thailand - Nikon Corp
"Nikon (Thailand) Co., Ltd., a consolidated subsidiary of Nikon Corporation in the Rojana Industrial Park in Ayutthaya Province located in Central Thailand, is submerged by the flood caused by torrential rainfall since last July." |
| Nikon’s My Picturetown Service Upgraded To Support Newly Launched Camera Lineup, Including Nikon 1 Advanced Camera System - Nikon USA |
| Mastering the Nikon D7000 Book Now Available in UK- PhotographyBLOG |
Nikon J1 review at DigitalCameraReview
"The Nikon 1 J1 is a good camera in a lot of ways. Great image and video quality and some solid optics make it easy to give it a favorable review, but it's not a must-have for enthusiasts and Nikon fans." |
Nikon J1 review at DCResources
"Photo quality is very good. Not as good as a full size digital SLR, but comparable to what you'll get from a Micro Four Thirds camera. Exposure was accurate the majority of the time, though the camera did overexpose a bit at times. Colors are vibrant and pleasing to the eye. Image sharpness was about average... not too sharp, not too soft (and the lens you're using has a lot to do with this)." |
Coolpix P7100 review at PhotographyBLOG
"...the P7100's excellent image quality, thanks largely to the adoption of a sensible 10 megapixel sensor that's physically larger than the one inside most compact cameras. There's no unwanted noise at ISO 100-400, with a little appearing at 800 and 1600 still being perfectly usable, which is a great performance from a 1/1.7-inch sensor and certainly on a par with the P7100's main rivals." |
Coolpix P7100 review by Thom Hogan
"...the P7100 is still a difficult camera to give an unqualified recommendation for. It's bigger and heavier than some of its direct competitors and it's slower at writing raws than those competitors. On the other hand, it produces some of the best looking images out of a small sensor we've seen to date and it handles like a small DSLR." |
Customizing Adobe Bridge by Earth Bound Light
"Adobe Bridge is an excellent photo and media browser application. But it can be even better if you customize it to fit your needs." |
Reviews by music photographer Todd Owyoung
- D7000 review
"After testing the performance of the new Nikon D7000 and using this camera in my professional work, I have to declare this camera Nikon’s best DX format DSLR currently in production. Even at 16mp, second only to the Nikon D3x in Nikon’s stable, the D7000 delivers very clean files at high ISO. In testing, the D7000 was only about a stop behind the big-sensored Nikon D700, which is impressive considering the tight pixel pitch of the new DX sensor."
- SB700 speedlight review
"To me, the SB-900 is like a sports car. If you need to go fast, you’re going to want that extra juice. The SB-700 is like your commuter car – it’s not going to go as fast, but it’s essentially more practical in almost every other way. With faster controls, a more intuitive interface, and nearly the same flexibility, all in a smaller, lighter package, and this new flash is hard to deny."
- 24mm f1.4G AFS review
"To me, this new 24mm lens has an interesting dichotomy. On the one hand, there’s the pure utility of it, with extremely fast AF response and a very bright f/1.4 aperture that is capable of shooting in all the available darkness you care to throw at it. On the other, this lens had such a beautiful character when shot below f/2, the unique character of this lens is reason enough for it to exist for me."
- 35mm f1.4G AFS review
"In short, it’s everything you expect and want from a fast prime. The only downside is that with this great performance is a price tag to match."
- 50mm f1.4G AFS review
"...for owners of the older AF-S model of this f/1.4 design, I’m split. For event and music photographers, or anyone shooting in low light, I feel that the similar performance in AF speed and precision is enough of a reason to hold tight."
- 85mm f1.4G AFS review
"I will get straight to the point on this issue: the new Nikon 85mm f/1.4G AF-S is crazy sharp. Even wide open at f/1.4, if you nail the focus, this lens delivers. While there are many primes that are usable wide open, there are few that I’ve used that are as good as this lens is at maximum aperture."
- 400mm f2.8G AFS VR II review
"It’s got the optics to shoot wide open without flinching and the speed to pair exceedingly well with teleconverters when 400mm just isn’t enough. What these two attributes add up to is a really fantastic flexibility that’s up for the rigors of any distance shoot."
- 14-24mm f2.8G AFS review
"The Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8 is unwieldy, ugly, and expensive. And you’ll have to pry it from my cold, dead fingers."
- 24-70mm f2.8G AFS review
"More than that, the optical quality of this zoom is excellent. Color, contrast, and sharpness – these are issues I never worry about with this lens. The AF speed is blisteringly fast, so much so that it makes most professional lenses seem sluggish by comparison."
- 24-120mm f4G AFS VR review
"As a relatively compact walk-around lens, the 24-120mm offers what I’d consider very good performance compared to professional f/2.8 zooms, though not without its compromises. However, for all its trade-offs, I think that this 5x zoom offers such flexibility that it may be the very best pro-level travel lens to date, with a range and overall image quality that bears serious consideration for anyone looking for quality in a more compact form factor than f/2.8 counterparts."
- 70-200mm f2.8G AFS VR II review
"Is the new 70-200mm f/2.8 worth the upgrade if you already own the original Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 VR I? My opinion is no – while the new VR II offers a lot to like, at the end of the day it’s still a $2,100 lens. The improvements are not so much that I’m really tempted to make the switch myself."
- 75-150mm f3.5 Series E review
"I have no reservations about using this lens for professional work. The real world sharpness is there where you want it. Furthermore, while it lacks the same modern lens coatings and exotic glass of a lens like the Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 VR II, I think you’d be hard pressed to pick out images from one lens or another out of a random assortment."
- 200-400mm f4G AFS VR II review
"Needless to say, the optics of this lens are very, very good. While some users have made small whimpering noises about the performance of this lens at infinity when used at wide apertures, I’ve found this lens delivers excellent quality for all practical distances when shooting live music."
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| More on infrared photography at the NikonLinks blog |
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| New
links added October 3-6, 2011 |
Nikon J1 review at ePhotozine
"Image quality is very good, with great colour, and detail, and while ISO noise is not as impressive as Micro Four Thirds cameras, it is noticeably better than serious compacts, such as the Nikon Coolpix P7100, particularly at higher ISO settings." |
| 55-300mm f4.5-5.6G AFS VF DX brief review and sample photos by Kim Brebach |
Nikon J1 and V1 sample photos at PhotographyBLOG
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| Laurie Cohen - Nikon using pro from Spain |
D-Town TV Episode 91
- RC shares a series of tips on night photography, including tips about using the Photo Buddy app and using cable releases
- Larry demos an iPad app called SyLight for building lighting diagrams
- David Ziser has a tip on shooting with a Zumbrella off-camera flash to fill in shadows on your subject
- Plus, the photography of Jeff Zoet
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Winners of Nikon Small World Photography Competition announced - IamNikon blog
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Nikon Releases New EDG Fieldscopes 85 VR and 85-A VR
"Nikon Vision Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Nikon Corporation, is pleased to announce the release of its EDG Fieldscopes 85 VR and 85-A VR, new models in the Nikon Sport Optics flagship EDG series.
These new EDG VR Fieldscope models are the world's first*1 fieldscopes to incorporate the lens-shift type VR function. The vibration reduction algorithm, based on Nikon's sophisticated VR mechanism used in NIKKOR VR lenses, has been optimized for these scopes." |
Nikon 1 series sample photos at ePhotozine
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It’s National Geographic Guest Blog Wednesday featuring Jodi Cobb! - Scott Kelby
"I grew up in Iran, and by the time I was twelve I had been around the world twice with my family, and had visited twenty countries along the way. I wanted to find a career that would keep me out in that world, and journalism—especially photography—seemed perfect. I saw the role that photography had played in ending the war in Vietnam and wanted to join that cadre of crusading photographers." |
Nikon 1 sensor against an EVIL world by Kim Brebach
"I’ve written about DxO labs before, most recently their filmpack 3 software. I’ve also used their illuminating DxOMark sensor tests and comparisons before. The Nikon 1 has just been tested, and...The results are interesting..." |
| NikonLinks blog - Intro to infrared |
Coolpix P7100 review at ePhotozine
"It's the kind of camera that you may need to spend a little time getting to grips with, and perhaps even a couple of hours in the manual reading how to get the best from it. Images straight from the camera look great, with bright colours, good detail and good performance at both wide and telephoto settings, with low noise." |
Coolpix S100 review at PhotographyBLOG
"What Nikon have done with the S100 is marry a stylish design to state of the art technology. We think that without the new sensor and excellent performance, the camera would need to be priced much lower but it's worth it for what you get." |
Nikon 1 DxO marks
"Similarly, pitted against a high-end compact such as the Fuji X100 or an entry-level DSLR such as the Sony A35, the V1 does not appear to justify its higher price: Nikon V1 vs Fuji X100 vs Sony SLT A35. In short, at this price, the V1’s sensor puts it at a disadvantage.
In conclusion, even though the Nikon J1 appears to achieve its goals, we are a bit skeptical about the Nikon V1's ability to find a place in its market category." |
D3X review at NeoCamera
"The bottom line is that the Nikon D3X has no equal which allows it to command a premium price over other Digital SLR cameras. Performance is top-notch and allows for very large prints of superb quality. It is flexible enough to be suitable for all types subjects and will be particularly rewarding for landscape and architecture photography." |
Should you use a knockoff camera accessory? by Terry White
"Recently I decided to try a 3rd party battery grip for my Nikon D7000 that was priced so low that I actually bought it more out of curiosity than the need for a battery grip." |
| Nikon posts ViewNX 2 v2.2.1 - Rob Galbraith |
On Location by Earth Bound Light
"I sometimes get asked for tips on how to efficiently shoot on location in nature. For those new to all this, it can seem quite overwhelming. Here are some pointers." |
Breeze Systems Downloader Pro Really is a Pro by Earth Bound Light
"There are plenty of programs that will help you download and manage your digital camera images. The feature is built into countless programs. But Downloader Pro from Breeze Systems stands head and shoulders above the rest. Here's why." |
Nikon BLOG "via PanAm" - IamNikon blog
"In part three of his Via PanAm project – a personal mission to travel the Pan-American Highway from Chile to Alaska – photojournalist and Nikon user Kadir van Lohuizen details his journey through the Peruvian jungles and into the gold mining towns." |
D-Town TV Episode 90
- Larry introduces viewers to a new line of cameras: Micro 4/3rds or APS-C cameras
- Joey Wright shares some tips on using a ring light and exposing for the sky before lighting the subject
- Syl Arena has a tip on color balancing your speed light
- RC talks about shooting handheld at low shutter speeds
- Plus, the work of photographer Stephan Bollinger
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Sizing up the Nikon 1 and Fuji X10 image sensors by Kim Brebach
"Two new oddball sensors in two months – where is the upside?" |
