dSLR Dad

You can read more comics at WhatTheDuck.net.

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The following are some the top 10 articles read by dSLR Dads in 2008:

1. Sigma’s New APO 200-500mm F2.8 Anti-Aircraft Telephoto
2. Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS Lens Test Report
3. Deal of the Year: Get Adobe Photoshop CS3 for Over Half Off!
4. Popular Photography: Nikon D300 vs Canon EOS 40D
5. Canon EOS 5D Mark II dSLR Camera Resource Guide
6. Nikon D90 Digital SLR Resource Guide
7. Nikon D90 D-Movie Mode Shoots Jelly Video
8. Nikon D300 Reviews
9. Red Drops a DSMC Bombshell on the dSLR Market
10. Tips for Photographing Snow

I would like to thank all of you for visiting this site over the past year.  I would also ask that you please cast your vote for the reader’s Choice dSLR Dad Camera of 2008.

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Popular Photography Magazine as published their review of the Canon EF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 Image Stabilized (IS) Zoom Lens:

In the past two years, the 11X IS superzoom has become the ideal general-purpose lens — certainly for shooters whose cameras don’t have on-board shake reduction. This Canon fits the mold. Very light and compact, it’s a gracious and adaptable traveling companion. Impressively sharp, it’s also an obvious choice for handheld low-light pictures, including event and theater work. Its real fortes, however, are close-up macro subjects, distant wildlife, and almost everything in between. Sports? Go for it!

You can read the entire review at PopPhoto.com.  You can also find more reviews at the dSLR Dad Canon EF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Lens Resource Page.  Of particular note, for those of you who may be interested in this lens, there is a $50 instant rebate on this lens through January 17, 2009.

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"Mother and Child" by Julie Falk

Popular Photography Magazine has an article by Julie Falk on how to photograph snowflakes:

Shooting snowflakes is easy — just follow these tips:

Get in as close as the camera will let you — usually about 2 inches. Hold the camera steady, and shoot from as many angles as possible.

Aim for snowflakes that are on surfaces with clean lines and that are positioned at an angle so early morning or late afternoon sunlight can bring out details. And, Falk adds, “It also helps to find flakes in the ‘twilight zone’ areas of the snow — not in full sun nor quite full shadow — so the background of the sunlit flake is the cobalt blue shadow that snow has on sunny days.”

Large, soft flakes photograph better than small, bright ones. Falk has found them at diameters up to 5mm. “You need to have a lot of moisture in the air,” she says, “and it needs to be bitter cold.”

Nearly windless days are ideal for snowflake hunting, to up the likelihood of finding crystals intact. Colder temperatures help “to keep their little arms from melting off before you can get to them.”

You can read the entire article over at PopPhoto.com.  You can also view more of Julie Falk’s photography at flickr.

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Vote For Your Choice

It’s that time of year again. Time to push out one year and bring in another. And on this, the last day of 2008, I offer up the nominees for dSLR Dad Camera of the Year 2008 (listed in chronological order): (more…)

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I never used to worry much about my Canon 20D’s LCD screen.  It was only 1.8-inches and had plenty of camera body wrapped around it.  Now, with most dSLR screens taking up more than half of the back of the camera, keeping that LCD clear is becoming more of a concern.  There are many solutions on the market, but most involve a thick additional piece than usually just ends up getting in the way.  The best solution I have found for protecting that big piece of glass on the back of your camera is the invisibleSHIELD by ZAGG .

ZAGG’s invisibleSHIELD is a thin polyurethane film originally created for the military to protect the leading edge of helicopter blades that is highly resistant to scratching.  The results can be seen in this comparison video (more…)

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Photographer: Frank P. Wartenberg

Nikon USA has published sample images from their new 24.5-Megapixel, FX-format D3x. You too can pixel-peep to your hearts content over at NikonUSA.com. All photographs courtesy of Nikon USA: (more…)

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Amazon.com has the new Nikon D3x in stock and shipping (as of 5 pm eastern time).  The best part, unlike most recent releases, is the price is still at it’s recommended retail price of $7,999,95. Hey, I didn’t say it was cheap, but if you want 24.5-Megapixels of Nikon FX goodness, a dSLR Dad is going to have to pay.

Of course, this particular camera does not come as a kit with lens - surprise, surprise.  May I suggest that a dSLR Dad may want to choose:

• Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8G ED AF-S Nikkor Wide Angle Zoom Lens
• Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8G ED AF-S Nikkor Zoom Lens
• Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8G ED-IF AF-S VR Nikkor Zoom Lens
• Nikon 85mm f/1.4D AF Nikkor Lens
• Nikon 105mm f/2.8G ED-IF AF-S VR Micro-Nikkor Lens

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Canon USA has issued the following statement in regards to an “image quality phenomena that appear under certain shooting conditions” for the Canon EOS 5D Mark II dSLR:

We have learned that some users of the Canon EOS 5D Mark II digital SLR camera have identified two types of image quality phenomena that appear under certain shooting conditions.

1. “Black dot” phenomenon (the right side of point light sources becomes black)
2. Vertical banding noise

We are currently investigating and analysing the causes, and examining measures to reduce or eliminate these phenomena by providing correction firmware.  An announcement will be made on the Canon Web site when such measures have been determined.

Details of the phenomena and shooting conditions under which they are likely to occur are as follows.

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You won’t get it in time for Christmas, but you will the day after.  B&H Photo is offering Free Express Shipping on select Canon dSLR cameras.  Some Deals include:

• Canon EOS Rebel XS dSLR Camera Kit (Black) with 18-55mm IS Lens
  • Special Price- $ 475.95 + Free Express Shipping!!
• Canon EOS 40D dSLR Camera with Canon 28-135mm Lens
  • Special Price- $ 999.95 - $ 50.00 = $949.95 + Free Express Shipping!!
• Canon EOS 50D dSLR Camera Body
  • Special Price - $1,169.95 – $ 100 = $$1,069.95 + Free Express Shipping!!

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I am not much for year end reviews, but The Boston Globe has some truly phenomenal photographs published from 2008.  You can view Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 over at The Big Picture.

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Adobe has upgraded Photoshop Lightroom to version 2.2.  You can download the free updates for both Windows and Macintosh versions from Adobe.com.  Support for the following cameras has been added from Lightroom 2.1 to 2.2:

• Canon EOS 5D Mark II
• Canon Powershot G10
• Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1**
• Panasonic DMC FX-150K
• Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ28K
• Panasonic DMC-LX3S
• Leica D-LUX 4

Further Windows and Macintosh software enhancements in Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2.2 include:

• Camera profiles are now available in the Calibration panel in the Develop module. These profiles are designed to provide different interpretations of raw capture.

Please download the Lightroom 2.2 ReadMe file (pdf link) for additional details on the 14 listed bug fixes.  You can also learn more at the dSLR Dad Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 Resource Guide.

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Camera Labs has reviewed the Canon EOS 5D Mark II dSLR Camera:

Had the EOS 5D Mark II not suffered from the black dot issue, it would have easily earned our highest recommendation. It’s one of Canon’s most powerful DSLRs to date, capable of delivering superb image quality with decent handling and all the latest bells and whistles. The movie mode is also an excellent addition, and while it’s not a practical replacement for a camcorder for most amateurs, the results can be spectacular and independent film makers will love it. Indeed its testament to how good the 5D Mark II is that it can be highly recommended as a still-camera alone, or a movie camera alone.

You can find out more news and reviews about the Canon EOS 5D Mark II in the dSLR Dad Resource Guide.

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