As well as adding motors to its existing lenses, Tamron has also started building motors into its new Nikon-compatible lenses. The 28-300mm f/3.5-6.3 VC lens offers a 10.7x zoom range with the company’s proprietary optical stabilization system. DX-format users get fields of view equivalent to 43-465mm (in FX terms).

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Nikon has filed for a patent that allows a “picture-in-picture” viewfinder - in the diagrams with the filing, the viewfinder would be able to show a digital wide-angle view using a CCD or CMOS with the center section showing the actual view based on the current focal length in use. Like many patents, this may or may not ever come to fruition, but it’s certainly an appealing concept to sports and action shooters. (Via Gizmodo)

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This week, the Image Doctors go back into the past to discuss the Nikon F5 SLR. They’ll also offer their advice for using modern digital editing software maximize quality of scanned film images.

Looking for an Image Doctors Episode? Check the show archives here.

Download The Image Doctors #66 (NPC-ID-2008-05-15.mp3; 54:44; 18.9 MB; MP3 format)

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posted by anna1978
Among the most flattering way to light people, window lit portraits require indirect sunlight. The best indirect light can be achieved using a North facing window. Remove anything distracting in the background, or hang a dark backdrop far enough behind the subject to prevent capturing its texture. Shutter speeds will likely be too long to handhold.

Every window has a sweet spot. Experiment with subject position relative to the window until light falls flatteringly on the face. Sometimes the best position is with the head slightly beyond or outsdie the window jamb, putting the window side ear in the shadow. With larger panes, the light can come from too high an angle, casting shadows from the nose, cheek, and chin. To avoid this, move the subject deeper into the room or pull down the shade to baffle the top light.

Now, build the pose. To put your subject's chest in shadow and highlight the face, place his back toward the window and shoulds angled to the glass. Then turn the head towards the light. Use a small reflector opposite the window and near the subject to fill the shadowed side of the face.

Start by capturing the full face, the try a variety of 3/4 views. For profiles, swing the shoulders parallel to the window.

Technorati tags: catchlights, photography, natural light, portraits, photography basics, window-light

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Photography: jaysk
If you wanted to name the biggest complaint of professional photographers in the digital age, you’d have a lot to choose from. Demand is falling. Prices are dropping. Photography schools are growing just as jobs are disappearing. If it was always difficult to make a living taking pictures, it’s safe to say that times […]

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posted by Jake57
It is almost as big as the old range finder camera and almost too big and heavy to wear on your hip but on the hip is where it goes and I have designed a quick draw holder out of a regular small camera carrier. As quick as I get wasn't fast enough to catch the family of deer crossing the highway or the shop lifter that absconded with his 10th package of air freshener at the ACE hard ware store.

The Canon PowerShot A650 IS has just what I need to catch that spur of the moment shot. It has been mistaken for a small gun holster and so it is rather obvious even in it's bulk beneath an over sized shirt I still love it and would never trade for a smaller camera as this little shooter has made the shot in 99% of the time, from a neat row of empty red plastic chairs to a renowned jaze man doing some "Honey Do" shopping.

With the camera's flexible view finder, you can get as creative as the law allows and the lens distortion is just enough to give it that artie look that helps some of us get away with some rather edgy shots.

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posted by isnaini

Digital photos have never looked quite as good as those taken on film. Until now. Only the SIGMA SD10 digital single-lens reflex camera makes this major breakthrough. The FOVEON X3 direct image sensor with 10.2 million pixels efficiently reproduces color more accurately, and offers sharper resolution, pixel for pixel, than any conventional CCD or CMOS image sensor. So you can capture more of your vision in a truer light. Go ahead. Get more creative. The SIGMA SD10 puts the advantage of higher technology right in your hands.

Binding: Electronics
Manufacturer: Sigma Corporation

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posted by isnaini

Kit includes: 1) Nikon D80; 2) Nikon 18-55mm VR Lens; 3) Nikon 70-300mm Lens; 4) Transcend 4GB SecureDigital (SDHC) Card; 5) USB 2.0 SecureDigital (SD) Card Reader; 6) Nikon EN-EL3e Rechargeable Battery; 7) Nikon SLR System Case; Digital Image Recovery Software; 9) Memory Card Storage Wallet; 10) Cleaning Cloth ♦

The Nikon D80 features a 10.2 effective megapixel DX Format CCD image sensor, providing a high level of resolution and sharp detail. The D80 delivers instant response, and provides continuous shooting at a rapid 3 frames per second. The D80 has a large, bright viewfinder and a large 2.5-inch, 230,000-dot high-resolution LCD that provides an ultra-wide 170-degree viewing angle from all directions. ♦

The Nikon 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR AF-S DX Lens is an ultra compact, lightweight standard zoom lens that has a 3x focal zoom range and is ideally suited for use with compact Nikon digital SLR cameras. The innovative Vibration Reduction (VR) system allows handheld telephoto zoom shooting even in poorly lit conditions. It minimizes image blur caused by camera shake, and offers the equivalent of shooting at a shutter speed 3 stops (8 times) faster. The Nikon Super Integrated Coating used in this lens minimizes ghosting and flare to provide even higher contrast and more vivid images. ♦

The extended-range of this Nikon 70-300mm f/4-5.6G offers high power telephoto capability, ideal for a variety of applications including sports, wildlife and candid photography. The built-in macro capability of this Nikon lens provides a maximum reproduction ratio of 1:4, allowing you to photograph small subjects with ease. This lens is compact, lightweight and ideal for travel. The Nikon G Series 70-300mm will allow your Nikon SLR to capture any shot that comes your way!

Binding: Electronics
Manufacturer: Nikon

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Olympus has launched the E-520, an update of its E-510 DSLR. The E-520 represents continuity, rather than revolution within the E-System camp. This process of orderly transistion sees the arrival of contrast detection AF at the E-5XX level of camera. This feature does not represent all the camera’s new talents, however, with a larger LCD and Face Detection doing their utmost to add buyer appeal.

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Olympus has launched a consumer-level wide angle lens for the Four Thirds system. The Zuiko Digital 9-18mm f/4-5.6. The lens, that offers fields of view equivalent to 18 - 36mm in 35mm terms, males extreme wide-angle zoom more accessible to users of the Olympus E-System, Panasonic DSLRs and selected Leica Digilux cameras.

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