dSLR Dad

Imaging Resource has published their camera test review of the 720p HD-shooting Nikon D5000 dSLR:

Though it stands out as an oddity in naming terms when compared to the other Nikon digital SLRs in the line, the Nikon D5000 is best described as a lower-cost D90 in a D60 body, with a smaller set of available autofocus lenses. There are a few usability issues related to the articulating LCD and autofocus in Live view mode, and the D-Movie mode won’t serve to replace the basic consumer camcorder, but as I’ve said of the Canon T1i, these things don’t make or break the Nikon D5000. What clearly makes the Nikon D5000 great is its excellent overall performance as a still camera, and its excellent image quality…

You can read the entire review at Imaging Resource. You can find more dSLR Dad articles on the Nikon D5000 here.

Photography Blog has published their camera test review of the Nikon D3000 dSLR:

As with the Nikon range topping D3x, with the D3000 at the very opposite end of the scale, its manufacturer is again providing the photographer (fledgling in this case) with their own virtual ‘wingman’, delivering essential aid whilst leaving them to get on with the business of taking photos.

(more…)

Adobe has upgraded Photoshop Lightroom to version 2.5. You can download the free updates for both Windows and Macintosh from Adobe. Support for the following cameras has been added from Lightroom 2.4 to 2.5:

• Nikon D300s
• Nikon D3000
• Olympus PEN E-P1
• Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ35
• Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1

Further Windows and Macintosh software enhancements in Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2.5 include:

(more…)

It has been a long time coming, and it happened with very little fanfare, but JPEG XR has officially become a standard:

JPEG XR (ISO/IEC 29199-2) is now an International Standard and also an ITU-T Recommendation (T.832). New work has been started to enable the use of JPEG XR image coding within the JPIP protocol, which allows interactive browsing of networked images. The Motion JPEG XR specification for support of video sequences is currently approaching the Final Committee Draft phase of the ISO/IEC approval process. WG 1 is pleased to note the successful completion of JPEG XR verification testing experiments for low dynamic range images.

Now I’m sure most of you are wondering: “What the heck is JPEG XR and why should I care?”  Well, to answer that question, you need a little bit of history…

(more…)

It’s been quite a Summer for Nikonian dSLR Dads. First came the D5000, then the D300s, and now the youngest kid in the Nikon lineup, the 10.2-Megapixel D3000 dSLR Camera.  It may not record HD video, but as a replacement for the entry-level D40 and D60 it still has quite a few highlights:

• 10.2-Megapixel (3,872 x 2,592 pixels) DX-format 23.6 x 15.8mm CCD sensor.
• ISO sensitivity range from ISO100 to 1600 plus an ISO3200 expansion (for emergency purposes only)
• 11-point Multi-CAM1000 autofocus module. A nice upgrade over the D60.
• 3 frame-per-second continuous shooting of 12-bit NEF (RAW) files
• Images are saved to SD/SDHC cards
• 3-Inch, 230,000-pixel LCD screen
• 420 pixel RGB sensor 3D Color Matrix Metering II with a Scene Recognition System
• Nikon Guide Mode – Intuitive controls and the on-board Guide Mode assist you every step of the way. Think of it as a manual in the camera. For more detailed information, download the manual from the recourses section below.
• Active D-Lighting – for complete control over highlight and shadow detail.
• Six Picture Control modes: Standard, Vivid, Landscape, Portrait, Neutral, and Monochrome
• Nikon’s most compact dSLR at 5.0 x  3.8 x 2.5-inches (126 x 94 64mm W/H/D).

(more…)

Nikonian dSLR Dads have a little extra spring in their step today. Nikon has introduced the D300s dSLR Camera. Taking what was already a great camera:

• 12.3-Megapixel APS DX-format (23.6 x 15.8 mm) CMOS image sensor. Photo resolution will be 4288 x 2848 pixels.
• 3-inch, 920,000 pixel LCD monitor
• 51-point MultiCAM3500FX Autofocus System (same as Nikon D3, D3x, and D700).
• 16-bit EXPEED image processing with 12 or 14 bit A/D conversion.
• extended ISO range of 100-6400.
• Active D-Lighting for complete control over highlight and shadow detail.
• HDMI video output. Although it’s now a smaller Type C port.

Nikon went ahead and added some additional features to make it better:

• 720p High-Definition video recording at a cinema-friendly 24 frames-per-second. Maximum recording length of 5-minutes.
• Motion JPEG encoding – which is a shame. Nikon really should have upgrade their processing engine to handle h.264.
• Built-in 16 bit/11.025kHz mono mic.
• External stereo sound input will capture 16 bit/44.100kHz stereo audio. A must for any dSLR Dad who also shoots with a AF-S VR lens. Even those silent waves come up loud and clear on an onboard microphone. It will capture 16 bit/44.100kHz stereo audio.
• Dual Memory Card slots – Compact Flash and SD/SDHC, living in harmony. Configuration logic is similar to the D3.
• Continuous shooting of a fantastic Seven images-per-second or Eight with the optional Multi-Power Battery Pack MB-D10. Unfortunately, 14-bit RAW frames are still limited to a slow 2.5 fps. At this price, a dSLR Dad shouldn’t have to choose.

(more…)

Adobe has upgraded Photoshop Lightroom to version 2.4. You can download the free updates for both Windows and Macintosh versions from Adobe. Support for the following cameras has been added from Lightroom 2.3 to 2.4:

• Canon EOS 500D/Rebel T1i
• Canon PowerShot SX1 IS
• Nikon D5000
• Olympus E-450
• Olympus E-620
• Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1
• Pentax K-7
• Sigma DP2
• Sony Alpha DSLR-A230
• Sony Alpha DSLR-A330
• Sony Alpha DSLR-A380

Further Windows and Macintosh software enhancements in Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2.4 include: (more…)

The dSLR Dad Flickr Group has been created and is now active. Please take the time to visit the Group and publish your best photography. There are five very important rules that are put in place when signing up:

Rule 1: You must be a Dad, current or soon-to-be. Sorry, no exceptions. Membership has it’s privileges ;-)

Rule 2: All images must be kid-safe.

Rule 3: All comments are to be polite and must contain both positive and constructive criticism. After all, we all need to learn how to make our best photographs even better.  We are Dads, not professional photographers, let’s all try and remember that.

Rule 4: All images you publish are yours and yours alone. You may not post any image that you did not personally make since that would be a violation of US Copyright law.

Rule 5: Post your best work, we want to see it.

(more…)

Canon and has recently released the version 1.5 update to their RAW-format Codec plug-in for Windows Vista (64-bit version is not supported) and XP. This software plug-in will allow you to view and work with Canon RAW (*.CR2 files) images just like JPEG files. Changes and corrections made from Canon RAW Codec 1.4.1 include:

(more…)

Canon and has recently released the version 1.4 update to their RAW-format Codec plug-in for Windows Vista and XP. This software plug-in will allow you to view and work with Canon RAW (*.CR2 files) images just like JPEG files. Changes and corrections made from Canon RAW Codec 1.3 include:

1. Added supported models.  EOS 50D, EOS 5D Mark II, and PowerShot G10.
2. Changes made in the RAW image processing of the EOS DIGITAL products. RAW processing results are now the same as those of Digital Photo Professional.
3. Supports Microsoft Pro Photo Tools.

You can download the Canon RAW Codec version 1.4 at Canon USA.