May 15th, 2008

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Nikon SB-400 AF Speedlight for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

Nikon SB-400 AF Speedlight for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras i-TTL (intelligent through-the-lens) flash exposure control * four-position tilt flash head (tilts up from horizontal to 60, 75, and 90 degrees) * approximate guide number at ISO 200: 98.4 ft./30 meters (at 18mm zoom head setting) * compatible with select Nikon SLRs using the Creative Lighting System including the D40, D50, D70s, and D200 * uses 2 “AA” batteries (not included) *
Customer Review: Nikon SB400 Speedlight
The SB400 is a solid performer–good, consistent output, quick recycling, and lots of flashes on a set of batteries. It’s also quite compact, which I appreciate a lot.
Customer Review: Excellent flash unit… Money well spent.
I had doubtful opinions when I bought this with my new Nikon D40. I thought the 100 or so dollar flash would turn out to be a piece of junk. And with my extremely miniscule budget of only $650, I can’t believe I got great camera with an even better flash! After all, after composition, the most important part of photography is lighting!

I used to have a Canon PowerShot SD800 IS 7.1MP Digital Elph Camera with 3.8x Wide Angle Image-Stabilized Optical Zoom. It’s flash was quite unappealing. It was ugly and made photos look unflattering. But oh, no more.

The best part of this flash is the ability to bounce it at a 90 degree angle. The result is very nice looking, soft images. And only

...

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Written by Steve on May 15th, 2008 with no comments.
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Wedding Wire

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Review Eckman Maus Photography- Studio EMP at WeddingWire

Written by emausphoto on May 15th, 2008 with no comments.
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Mid-pitch Baseball

Six months I saw a really cool MLB baseball shot where the photographer captured the ball mid-way to the plate. You could see the ball in razor-sharp focus, but the pitcher was out of focus, and I really liked the way the ball popped out of the image and puts you in harm's way. Sadly, I wasn't able to locate the image again (I thought I saw it on SportsShooter, but I couldn't come up with the right search terms).

So, I decided to try to mimic the shot.

Turns out it is pretty hard, especially in a little league game where pitchers aren't that... consistent.

The key is to use a very fast shutter speed; the shots on this page are at 1/2000s, and honestly, I could (should) have gone to 1/4000s to really stop the ball. Even at 1/2000s, there is visible blur on the top of the ball (but not the bottom) due to the ball's rotation and motion. A 100% crop of the ball is at right.

The second key, probably harder than the first, is timing the ball. 9-year-olds pitch slow enough that there is a lot of arc and the window to capture the ball is pretty small. It was weird -- I knew I got the ball when I didn't even...

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Written by Sean on May 15th, 2008 with no comments.
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Nikon D3, D300 and AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8G ED Honored with TIPA European Photo & Imaging Awards

Tokyo – Nikon Corporation is pleased to announce that the Technical Image Press Association (TIPA) has honored three Nikon products with significant awards this year. TIPA named the Nikon D3 digital SLR camera "Best D-SLR Professional in Europe 2008," the Nikon digital SLR camera D300 “Best D-SLR Expert in Europe 2008,” and the AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8G ED "Best Professional Lens in Europe 2008."

TIPA is a non-profit, independent professional organization open to all magazines within the European photo and imaging publishing industry. Each year a group of editor members representing leading photo and imaging magazines from across Europe choose the TIPA "European Photo & Imaging Award" winners by vote. These prestigious awards for the best photographic and imaging products of the year are widely recognized throughout the industry.

TIPA's official announcement included the following comments on the three winning products:

The Best D-SLR Professional in Europe 2008 – D3
This professional D-SLR is a milestone for Nikon. It's the first camera from the company with a full-frame,'FX' sensor size of 23.9x36.0 mm. As a result of this, each pixel featured on the 12.1-megapixel CMOS sensor has a larger size, and that means the low-light performance of this camera is truly incredible. The Nikon D3 can easily be used at ISO 6400, and if needed, the ISO can be cranked up to an awesome equivalent of 25,600. The rugged, magnesium-alloy chassis provides a solid foundation for the camera, and its fast burst rate of 9 frames...

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Written by 8e88 on May 15th, 2008 with no comments.
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Nikon looks for young talent with Discovery Awards Competition 2008.

Nikon UK is calling for up and coming photographers to enter the Discovery Awards 2008, in association with British Journal of Photography, for the chance to win a share of £50,000 worth of prizes.

After a successful first year and an outstanding array of entries, the competition is back to support and celebrate the work of students across the UK and Ireland by providing them with a platform to showcase their work on a national scale.

Selected colleges and universities offering photographic courses have been invited to join the Nikon Academy, making them eligible to enter the competition and stand a chance of winning a share of the significant prize fund. Academy colleges benefit from a range of exclusive added benefits delivered by a dedicated Nikon Pro Support member, including specialised Nikon training, seminars and Nikon discount vouchers.

Entries for the competition must be submitted by 31st October 2008, when a panel of independent judges will select a shortlist of entries. Judges to be announced later in the year.

Chris Hoare, Professional Business Manager at Nikon UK says: “Nikon is still very keen to support the student end of the market, which is echoed in our work with the Academy colleges on projects such as the Discovery Awards.”

Simon Bainbridge, Editor of BJP adds: “We were delighted with the high standard of work we saw last year and the positive response to the competition. Now, with extra colleges added to the Nikon Academy of...

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Written by 8e88 on May 15th, 2008 with no comments.
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Canon EOS Rebel XS/1000D and DPP 3.4.1.1

Canon have released an update for DPP (Digital Photo Professional), their RAW image converter.

Interestingly, the compatibility information in the DPP 3.4 help file mentions that it's compatible with the Digital Rebel XS/1000D. This is interesting because there currently is no Digital Rebel XS/1000D!

Back in March of this year I got some information from what I can only call "an anonymous source" (not because I can't say who it was, but because I don't know who it was!) concerning such a camera which the source suggested might become available in May of 2008. There were no specifications suggested, just a name, the EOS1000D. I didn't pass this on because I don't like to spread rumors with no confirmation and just a name isn't really much information. Anyone can suggest anything, but without at least two sources (or one source that I know) I'm not inclined to pass them on. Nevertheless I've been on the lookout for further confirmation that Canon might have something new coming along called a 1000D.

However we now have a "leak" from Canon too, so I think the rumor is credible and worth passing along. So if it does/will exist what is it? Well, judging by the name and number (XS/1000D) I'd say it's most likely to be a low end entry model DSLR. The original 1990-1992 basic film Rebel body was also known as the EOS 1000. In general, the higher the number of digits, the more basic the camera....

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Written by 8e88 on May 15th, 2008 with no comments.
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Olympus Us Open Sweepstakes Delivers Winning Match Of Unprecedented Access And Innovative Cameras

Olympus, sponsor of the US Open and the Olympus US Open Series, announces today its second annual national sweepstakes that will send five winners and their guests on the trip of a lifetime to the 2008 US Open Tennis Championships in Flushing Meadows, New York. Winners will receive a weekend getaway August 29-31, 2008, which will include hotel, airfare, spending money and two tickets to the Grand Slam tennis tournament. They will also be granted exclusive access to locations normally limited to professional photographers where they can capture the on-court and behind-the-scenes drama.

Starting in the Olympus luxury suite located in Arthur Ashe Stadium at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, winners will be coached by an award-winning photographer, an Olympus Visionary, on best techniques for shooting nonstop tennis action. They will have access to the photographers’ lounge and other elite locations, to capture images from a vantage point only the pros typically have. The winners’ ultimate photo experience will be in the exclusive Olympus photo pit, shooting elbow-to-elbow with professional photographers and capturing amazing up-close images of the tournament action with Olympus E-System digital single lens reflex (DSLR) cameras.

“As the official camera of the US Open, Olympus has the opportunity to share unprecedented access to and experience one of the top sporting events in the world, while giving consumers the chance to shoot like the pros,” said Mark Huggins, executive director, Brand Marketing, Olympus Imaging America Inc. “Our cameras and this tournament are...

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Written by 8e88 on May 15th, 2008 with no comments.
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Announcement of the Launch Date for Three Di Lens Series in Full-Size Format

Tamron Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Saitama City; President: Morio Ono) announced three Di lens series in full-size format for Nikon with built-in AF motor.

Product Name	Date of Launch Schedule in Japan
SP AF28-75mm F/2.8 XR Di (Model A09N II) For Nikon with Built-In Motor	May 30, 2008
AF28-300mm F/3.5-6.3 XR Di VC (Model A20N II) For Nikon with Built-In

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