dSLR Dad

Now in 1080p High Definition

It has been quite an interesting three years since Canon first released the original EOS 5D. At the time, it was the first full-frame, compact digital SLR that sold at a somewhat affordable price of $3,299 at launch.  It proved popular with dSLR Dads who required really big pixels for their landscape and portrait work.  Remarkably enough, it is only recently that Canon has faced competition in the space it created with the introduction of Nikon’s D700 and Sony’s Alpha A900.  And while those are some mighty fine cameras, Canon has once again decided to set itself apart from the crowd.  With the introduction of the 21.1 Megapixel full-frame EOS 5D Mark II, Canon is also the first to introduce 1080p high-definition video recording in a digital SLR Camera.

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Popularity: 20% [?]

Adobe will introduce the new Creative Suite 4 as a live video webcast on September 23, 2008.  You can register to watch the entire event at Adobe.  The following are the available times for viewing:

• Europe - 11 am CET
• North America - 9 am Eastern
• North America - 9 am Pacific
• Australia - 4 pm AET (9/24)
• Singapore/Hong Kong - 2 pm (9/24)
• India - 11:30 am IST (9/24)

Thanks to Scott Kelby for the heads up.

Popularity: 5% [?]

The AF-S NIKKOR 50mm f/1.4G prime lens brings a Silent Wave Motor to Nikon’s standard prime lenses.  With an ultra-fast f/1.4 aperture, this lens will allow you to photograph in extremely low light.  The other benefit of a big aperture is it’s very small depth-of-field when wide open.  This gives you those nice out-of-focus backgrounds, helping your subject really stand out.  To get a better sense of this, This Week In Photography has an excellent video which gives a visual presentation of how changing your aperture affects your photos.   Other notable features include:

• AF-S Silent Wave Motor enables autofocus for Nikon D40, D40x, and D60 dSLR Dads.
• Rounded 9-blade aperture diaphragm should help out-of-focus elements blur more natural and not seem blotchy.
• Nikon Super Integrated Coating (SIC) enhances light transmission efficiency and offers superior color consistency and reduced flare. Nikon’s value alternative to ED glass in a standard lens.
• Full-frame design will work with FX and DX formats.
• Minimum focus distance of 1.5 feet.
• At 2.9 by 2.1 inches (Diameter x Length) and 9 ounces, it’s a bit bigger than the 50mm f/1.4D AF Nikkor Lens. However, it is much more compact and lighter than Sigma’s own 50mm F1.4 EX DC HSM Lens.

With an estimated selling price of $440 it is more expensive than the 50mm f/1.4D, but lower than Sigma’s excellent 50mm F1.4 EX DC HSM Lens. But then again, the Sigma and f/1.4D are available now, whereas Nikon’s 50mm f/1.4G doesn’t ship until this December.

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Popularity: 8% [?]

The World’s First Digital SLR that Shoots High Definition Video

Yes you read that correctly.  The new Nikon D90 digital SLR Camera is the world’s first dSLR to also shoot video.  With the ability to record up to 5 minutes of High Definition 720p, 24 frames-per-second, mono-sound video, the Nikon D90 is definitely a game changer.

True, the 12.3-megapixel CMOS sensor, expanded ISO range, and Live View shooting is nice, but it’s the HD video that really makes a dSLR Dad eager to use this camera.  The Nikon D90 DX 12.3MP Digital SLR Camera will be available in two versions this September.

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Popularity: 20% [?]

The Canon EOS 50D digital SLR Camera is the latest in the XXD series. Introduced just one year after the 40D, the new EOS 50D is a minor-model change with some major improvements to what was already a great camera. While it uses the same weather-resistant, magnesium housing of the 40D (which will still remain in Canon’s Lineup), the EOS 50D adds many new notable features:

• 15.1 Megapixel, 22.3mm x 14.9mm, APS-C sized CMOS sensor. Each pixel is just 4.7µm wide, but incorporates a larger microlens and increased light-sensing area to improve overall efficiency and help reduce noise by 1 to 1.5 stops from the 40D. Photo resolution will be 4752 x 3168 pixels.
• DIGIC 4 image processor with UDMA Compact Flash memory card support. Which is required to achieve the fast 6.3 frame-per-second continuous shooting capacity. The 16 RAW image burst is less than the Canon EOS 40D.
• Expanded ISO range from 100 to 3200, along with two high-speed settings of ISO 6400 and ISO 12800.
• 3-inch LCD with 920,000 pixels (4x the resolution of the EOS 40D). It also incorporates a three layer coating which should help reduce glare, reflections, and the ever present dSLR Dad face smudge. (more…)
  

  Popularity: 7% [?]

  Tags: camera, Canon dSLR, Canon EOS 50D, Photokina 2008, Resource Guide

This lens’ focal length goes to Eleven

They were first to market a high power zoom lens with the AF18-200mm at Photokina 2004.  Then, that focal length was too small to stand out, so they introduced the AF18-250mm. Now, Tamron has decided to take the zoom lens market all the way up to Eleven.  Introducing the Tamron AF18-270mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC LD Aspherical (IF) MACRO Zoom Lens.  This lens offers a focal range as long as it’s name, which is really saying something.  Available in both Canon EOS and Nikon AF-D mounts, the Tamron AF18-270mm delivers a 35mm equivalent focal length of 28-419mm on an APS-C sized image sensor.  This lens also incorporates the same Vibration Compensation (VC) mechanism Introduced for the first time on the Tamron AF 28-300mm f/3.5-6.3 XR Di VC LD IF Macro Lens.  The price and launch timing of the AF18-270mm will be announced at a later date. (more…)

Popularity: 7% [?]

Adobe has released Photoshop Lightroom version 2.  This latest iteration packs numerous feature and usability improvements to help any dSLR Dad quickly import, manage, process, and display your work.

Top new features

• Local adjustment brush — What Photoshop Guru Scott Kelby calls “painting with light”.  One of the most powerful new features I have used.
• Graduated Filter — Allows you to recreate the effect of a graduated neutral density filter.
• Enhanced organizational tools
• Volume management - Freely manage and organize your images across multiple drives, and continue to work with the high-resolution previews — even when your originals are offline.
• Extensible architecture — Allows you to take advantage of the wide range of plug-ins to help you quickly and easily transfer images to your favorite sharing sites and photo labs.
• Multiple monitor support
• Flexible print package functionality — You can now print multiple sizes on one or many pages.  Exporting your print as a JPEG to toss to an outside print service is also an option.
• Streamlined Photoshop CS3 integration — Enjoy tight integration with Adobe Photoshop software for streamlined use of Smart Objects, panorama stitching, high dynamic range (HDR) functionality, multiple layer workflow, and more.
• Enhanced output sharpening (meaning that it’s more than the on/off switch of Version 1)
• 64-bit support for Windows® and Mac OS — This is a great trend, allowing you to take advantage of more system memory (>3 GB) when working with larger files.  Photoshop CS4 will follow the same path (for Windows users at least).
• Adobe Camera RAW 4.5 is built in

You can buy new copies for $299 or upgrade for just $99 from Adobe. You can also save up to $150 when you buy Adobe Photoshop Lightroom software together with Photoshop CS3.

You can also purchase the Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 at Amazon.com, sometimes at a discount.

For those of you dSLR Dads who never used Lightroom before, you can still download a 30-day trial and try it out .  I highly recommend this route, just be sure to give yourself a project to complete from import to print/post.  Read on to find out more information.

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Popularity: 9% [?]

Nikon has announced a new flagship in their Creative Lighting System (CLS), the Speedlight SB-900 Flash.  The SB-900 is a new external i-TTL flash with a guide number of 157.5 feet (48 meters).  The SB-900 also features a rather expansive zoom range of 17-200 mm (FX format).  The flash will automatically detect the presence of FX or DX lens and make the appropriate adjustments.  To further control light output, Nikon has also added three user-selectable distribution patterns: standard, center-weighted, and even.  Nikon has also enlarged the LCD panel and altered the switch layout to improve usability, including a proper command dial.  To help reception of incoming trigger signals when used off camera, the SB-900 head can now rotate 180 degrees in either direction.  And of course, Nikon has also improved the recycle time from the SB-800.  But then again, when was the last time a manufacturer introduced a slower anything as the new model?  Continue reading to see more photos, details and reviews of Nikon’s SB-900 Speedlight.

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Popularity: 7% [?]