Nikon School is bring a Capture NX 2 seminar to Atlanta, GA on Saturday February 6, 2010. If you just haven’t got a handle on Capture NX 2 even after reading all the tutorials I have collected for you, this four and half hour butt-numbing sit-and-listen seminar may finally untangle the mess in your brain. According to the announcement, Nikon Technical Sales Representative, Terrence Campbell, will teach you everything from the tools and basic operation of the program to advanced photographic editing. You will learn how to turn your good shots into incredible ones. All for just $79.
For details, check out the following:
Posted in
News,
Other on January 6th, 2010.
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In my previous post titled Bounce Flash Tips, I talked about how to reduce the shadows caused by direct light from flash hitting the subject. By tilting the flash head to a higher angle and by not using the diffusion dome (OmniBounce) you can reduce the amount of direct light that can cause unflattering look and ugly shadows.
Today I found a great tip in which a piece of black foam is wrapped around the flash head using rubber bands to control the light from bounce flash. It looks like a snoot cut in half. Read More…
Posted in
Other on November 28th, 2009.
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Windows 7 was officially released on Thursday October 22, 2009. I pre-ordered it from Amazon back in June when there was a promotion. Vista Home Premium to Windows 7 Home Premium cost only $50 back then. Now it is $120
.
Amazon was nice enough to send me the upgrade Yesterday, the official release day. I started the upgrade process last night. First I ran the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor to make sure I didn’t have hardware or driver issues. In a few minutes I was notified that I was all OK except that I should uninstall a couple of applications such as Apple iTunes and VMWare Player then reinstall them after the Windows 7 upgrade. I did that. The upgrade process took quite a while to preserve my 750K+ files so I went to bed. By the morning it was all done. During upgrade, the installer told me that my computer would need to restart a few times. It was all done without me acknowledging it with a click.
Just like what I heard all along, the new Windows is nice. It is uncluttered, snappy, and user friendly. My softwares all appear working. The only thing I found not working is Nikon Capture NX 2. Somehow the software thought my installed version was an expired trial version. Not a problem, I just had to re-enter the license key. If you don’t have the license key, you may be in trouble. Even if you have backed up the files, the key is likely hidden in the Windows registry.
I had little time to play with it before I had to go for work. Unfortunately things turned ugly by the time I got back from work. I saw an unresponsive dark monitor screen. I tried to power off the computer by holding on the power button. It did power off. But I was not able to power it on again.
This may not have anything to do with Windows 7 upgrade. It looks like the power supply is dead.
I really want to get the computer up running again. It contains all the photos I have ever taken. I have backup copies of them on an external drive. However they are in an archive format that I cannot easily access.
Update: The problem was indeed caused by a dead power supply. Replacing the power supply wasn’t a challenge but it did cost me $50 and a trip to BestBuy. At the end, I think the upgrade is well worth it.
Posted in
Miscellaneous,
Other on October 23rd, 2009.
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A while ago, I made a list of movies about photography and photographer. I wanted to make a list of songs about photography but didn’t really get a chance to do so. Now I have found a good list at Photo District News (PDN).
The songs have links to Billboard pages and in many cases you can listen to the full length songs. Alternatively you can go to Amazon MP3 to listen to samples or download the songs for $0.99 each. Direct links can be found below.
Posted in
Miscellaneous,
Other on September 12th, 2009.
1 Comment.
The recent Canon 7D rumors have been very accurate. Canon 7D is now officially announced. Read the details and hand-on preview at DPReview. Unlike Canon’s past lackluster upgrade path from 10D to 50D, this new DSLR with APS-C sized sensor is meant to counter what Nikon has just started shipping: the Nikon D300s. Nikon has been generating more buzz with the D200, D300, D700, D3/D3x, and the lastest D300s.
With the self-claimed “revolutionary camera that redefines the highly competitive mid-range DSLR”, Canon is certainly hoping to grab the title of the best APS-C DSLR camera on the market and answer Nikon’s continuous assaults in the past years.
To some degree, I think Canon will succeed. Canon 7D clearly wins in the video department with full HD shooting (1920×1080) at 30/25/24 frames per second and full manual control. Other compelling features include the 18 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor, 8 frames per second continuous shooting speed, 19-point all cross type AF system, 1.0x magnification and 100% coverage viewfinder, Wireless flash control, rugged body with environmental sealing. Another nice feature is the built-in 3D electronic level that can detect both pitch and roll tilts.
Many Canon fans who feel the D50 less substantial can certainly find what they have been demanding from the Canon 7D. On the other hand, Nikon fans do not need to feel depressed. For most who are concerned mainly with still photo taking, there isn’t much difference between Canon 7D and Nikon D300s. In many aspects, Canon is still playing catch up. For example, the on-demand viewfinder grid line, wireless flash control, +/-5EV exposure compensation, etc. Canon 7D’s spot meter appears to be still the dreaded center-only type.
Availability
According to Canon USA, the Canon 7D will start shipping by end of September in a body-only configuration at an estimated retail price of $1,699.00. It will also be offered in a kit version with Canon’s EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM zoom lens at an estimated retail price of $1,899.00.
Further reading
Product image gallery
Posted in
Other on August 31st, 2009.
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The story behind this Nikon D300 is a testament of legendary Nikon build quality. The Nikon D300 and the mounted Sigma 10-20mm lens was knocked over and tumbled down the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.
After days of exposure to the nature elements (including several days of heavy rain), the camera was retrieved and returned to its owner. Amazingly it could still power up.
Posted in
Other on July 15th, 2009.
4 Comments.
Nik Software, the developer behind Nikon Capture NX, offers a complete set of plug-in titles for Photoshop (Elements), Lightroom, and Aperture.
Dfine 2.0 is a noise reduction tool that can automatically measure noise levels in texture-free areas and reduces the noise from the entire image. You can also use control points to define where to apply or not to apply noise reduction.
Viveza is a tool to selectively enhance an image without complicated selections or layer masks known to Photoshop users. Users of Nikon Capture NX or NX2 software should be very familiar with the principles of local area enhancements using control points (U-Points) and selection brushes.
Color Efex Pro 3.0 is a large collection of digital filters and special effects tools to retouch, color correct, and stylize photos effortlessly.
Silver Efex Pro is a complete solution for converting color photos into a elegant and timeless black and white images.
Sharpener Pro 3.0 provides sharpening tools and solutions for various output devices.
In a recent blog post, Jeff Lynch of Serious Amateur Photography blog shared his Lightroom + Nik plug-in workflow. He starts with some initial editing in Lightroom such as cropping, correcting white balance, increasing the contrast and touching up any spots. He then processes the image through the Nik plug-ins similar to the recommended workflow illustrated by Nik Software. The only difference is that he runs the Sharpener Pro 3.0 twice, first right after Dfine 2.0 to selectively sharpen selected areas of the image using Raw Presharpener, then as a final step for output sharpening.
The plug-ins can be purchased separately or in various bundles from Nik Software. 15-day free trial is offered for all of their products. There is also a 30-day money back guarantee.
Posted in
Other on May 23rd, 2009.
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When the Nikon started shipping the Nikon D5000 a while ago, it was only available as a body+lens kit. For people who don’t want the kit lens, Amazon is now shipping the Nikon D5000 body only for $730. The two lens kit with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR and 55-200mm f/4-5.6G VR is also available for $1100.
Check availability of Nikon D5000 body at:
Posted in
Other on May 15th, 2009.
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