Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Some more on the Nikon D800...
Here is more information and links from people waaaaaay smarter than yours truly that should have included in our last Nikon D800 post.
For me, my love affair with the Nikon D800 started with the very first images I saw, and they were from wedding photographer Cliff Mautner.
Cliff Mautner - "Speed and power, without compromise. That's how I'd sum up my impression of this camera. Old world, medium format image quality is now inside a phenomenal, incredibly responsive Nikon body." Read his full review and see those stunning images here.
I have written many times about Ken Rockwell (like here), I do not make a hardware purchase without first checking out what Ken has to say about it.
Ken Rockwell - "The D800 is the best DSLR ever made by anyone at any price. I've got a D800 already, and have a D800E on order. There is no comparison." Read his full review here.
C|NET - "Is the D800 a great camera?... The answers are yes" Read their full review here.
Photographer Fred Miranda has one of the most thorough reviews with the most sample images in the web.
Fred Miranda - "There's no question that Nikon produced an exceptional camera. In fact, many photographers will gravitate towards it because of the high resolution. As far as I'm concerned, the big attraction is the incredible dynamic range. Especially in the 100-400 ISO range, which is critical for landscape photography." Read his full review here.
I think that should cover ANY question folks could possibly have about the Nikon D800.
The Nikon D800 is kicking serious butt...
I have been hearing from more and more people who are singing the praises of the Nikon D800 (well, not actually singing).
Several of my friends who shoot weddings have been shooting with the D800 and at first were concerned about the files size (that it would not be able to keep up the the fast pace demanded by weddings, fearing that while they were shooting it would still be busy writing the last file) and the other concern is that it would not be able to hold a candle to the Nikon D3 in low light situations.
Turns out neither of things is an issue.
As many of you know, I shoot weddings with Stacey Kane, and she has become a huge D800 fan, she uses it exclusively when shooting portraits and during weddings she shoots twice as many images with the D800 than she does with her beloved D3.
Stacey RAVES about the quality of the images that the D800 puts out.
There is a reason those images look so good, according to organizations like DXO Labs the D800 sensor is the best in the world.
So I know first hand what a great camera it is for shooting stills, but now I am learning what a phenomenal video camera it is as well.
I first heard it during my interview with Michael Clark, he said that some of the best video files he has seen are coming from the D800.
Then came this article that talks about how the Nikon D800 is taking a leading role in Hollywood.
It talks about how the D800 produces video quality good enough that it is used exclusively to film the show "Wilfred" and is also used pretty extensively in the HBO show "Dexter" as well. Check this story out.
It is (almost) unbelievable that you can get an exceptional pro quality still camera AND a video camera good enough for Hollywood all rolled into one camera body. But which is more impressive, that one camera can do both so well or that it sells for under $3000?
If you are considering a serious camera take a look at the Nikon D800.
I just ordered my second one.
Monday, September 10, 2012
Our two gear giveaway winners are...
Now keep in mind that this was by no means our "biggest prize package" by any stretch of the imagination, but hey, free photography stuff is always good.
So the two folks who won our latest contest are:
Miguel Palaviccini
Sandy (who left a comment on this post)
They will each receive a one "mini" Suction Cup Ball Head and one Umbrella Bracket with Adjustable Flash Mount that can be seen in this video.
All the winners need to do now is email us with their snail mail address and their packages will be sent right out to them.
Our lucky reviewers are...
Actually, it is not the reviewers who are lucky, it is Weekly Photo Tips who is lucky to have them.
And we had multiple requests for each of the books (and DVD) we wanted reviewed except for the Nikon D3200 book "Nikon D3200: From Snapshots to Great Shots".
So if you shoot with the Nikon D3200 and would be interested in reading (and keeping) the book, sharing your thoughts about its contents, then please drop us an email and we'll send it right out to you.
Now, onto our reviewers.
April DePetris - Canon 5D Mark III: From Snapshots to Great Shots (DVD)
Ira Harkness - Canon 5D Mark III: From Snapshots to Great Shots
Myles Erwin - The Adobe Photoshop CS6 Book for Digital Photographers
Doug Kaye - Nikon D800: From Snapshots to Great Shots
Thanks everyone who wrote to throw their names into the hat for consideration.
Thursday, September 6, 2012
You have to check out these images...
Every time we have a contest/giveaway it includes readers adding images to our Flickr group and with each contest you folks really up your game.
Check out just some of the images from our latest giveaway.
Thanks to everyone for being so willing to share their work.
A reader reviews Adorama's Flashpoint Trigger Kit...
Below is a reader review of the Adorama Flashpoint Remote Flash Trigger Kit, to see our original review (and video) follow this link.
When I got the Adorama Flashpoint Remote Flash Trigger Kit I had two things in mind. First, I wanted to use the product as it was intended. That is, I wanted to trigger one flash to see how well the unit sends and receives information. Second, I wanted to trigger multiple flash units from a single transmitter/receiver set. However, I had no idea if that would be possible. So, let’s dive in.
First impressions.
The Adorama Trigger Kit consists of two units, a transmitter and a receiver. It is very well thought out, designed, and has a nice sturdy build quality to it. The receiver units’ hot shoe is of top quality, and so are the female mounting threads for the flash stand. I really love the assortment of adapters that come with the kit as well. Most of the wireless triggers that I have purchased in the past require at least one trip to the nearest Radio Shack for either “this adapter” or “that chord type”. That was not the case here.
I mentioned the threads on the bottom of the receiver as some of the competitor’s triggers do not have any kind of mounting system at all, at best they may come with some kind of lanyard instead. Add to the list of likable features, the fact that there are 16 channels to select from, and this Flash Trigger Kit is tough to beat.
Another feature I like is that this unit uses AAA batteries, no some expensive, hard to find specialty battery. I also like how small these units are and the fact that they keep such a low profile on the camera and on the flash stand, adding minimal hight to my existing flash setup.
With the Remote Flash Trigger Kit hooked up as intended, I was certainly impressed. What I found was constant fires time after time from anywhere in the room. The units worked just as I had hoped they might. Next, though, was a test of sorts. I had an image in mind. This image would require two flashes, and I wanted to trigger them both from one trigger.
This shot of my son taking a bath is an example of a “two flash” image. I used one trigger to fire both flashes. The receiver unit was threaded onto a flash stand, and with a flash attached to it via the hot shoe. The "first flash” has a blue filter/gel on it, and is aimed at the background. Next, I plugged in a cable that has a flash sync terminal on one end, and a ¼ inch mono on the other. The ¼ inch male end plugs into the Flashpoint receiver, and the sync went into a second flash unit. That second flash was beside the camera, aimed at my son and was in a Softbox. This set up worked just fine as well, shot after shot.
The Adorama Flashpoint X-Series Remote Flash Trigger Kit is a great set of wireless triggers. The build quality is better than most "off brand" trigger kits. The size of the two pieces is perfect, as is the “horizontal profile”. The important parts, such as the hot shoe and the threads, are of top quality and should supply you with trouble free wireless flashing for years of use. It was difficult to find a single reason not to recommend them. I like their reliability, and the design alone is a selling point for me.
Well done.
Thanks Steve for such a well written and thorough review, well done yourself!
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
I really, REALLY need your help...
Seriously.
We just received a case of books and DVD's for review and I would like your help in making it happen.
We do have a "pool" of reviewers that we usually select from, but these books are product specific so we need to match up the item to be reviewed with a person who has that product.
So let me tell you what we have (and who we are looking for):
Do you shoot with a Canon 5D Mark III? Because we have both a book AND DVD to be reviewed.
1.Canon 5D Mark III: From Snapshots to Great Shots (DVD)
2. Canon 5D Mark III: From Snapshots to Great Shots
3. Nikon D3200: From Snapshots to Great Shots
4. Nikon D800: From Snapshots to Great Shots
5. The Adobe Photoshop CS6 Book for Digital Photographers
That's some pretty cool stuff, huh?
The are two (small) conditions, first - that that you own/use the product you are asking to review, and second - that you live within the continental United States (we can track shipments to make sure it arrived, and it also helps us save money on shipping).
That's it.
If you would like an example of what a reader review looks like check out this review done by Paula Apro of the Michael Clark book "Exposed".
In return for taking the time to do a review you will get to keep the item that we send you.
You will also need to follow our review policy (which essentially says "if you don't have something nice to say...").
So if you own one of the 5 items listed above drop us an email letting us know you are interested in reviewing and we will announce our reviewers this Friday (September 7th)... yup, the same day we announce our latest contest winners.
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