Photography Bay

Digital Camera News, Reviews and Tips

Nikon Officially Announces the AF-S NIKKOR 18-35mm f/3.5-4.5G ED Lens

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AF-S NIKKOR 18-35mm f/3.5-4.5G ED Lens

The new AF-S NIKKOR 18-35mm f/3.5-4.5G ED lens has been rumored for a few weeks now, and has finally been officially unveiled. The new 18-35mm lens offers full frame coverage for FX-format DSLRs like the D600 and D800.

It features 12 elements in 8 groups and a 7-blade diaphragm. The lens has two focus modes: M/A (AF with manual override) and full manual, and features Nikon’s Silent Wave Motor. Minimum focus distance is approximately 11 inches.

The AF-S NIKKOR 18-35mm f/3.5-4.5G ED lens should be available in March at a retail price of $749.95. Check availability at B&H Photo and Amazon.com.

 

Last Chance to Enter the Swag Bag Giveaway

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Swag Bag

There are just a few days left to get in on the Swag Bag Giveaway. Check out all the gear that we’re giving away and the giveaway rules here.

Thank You Swag Bag Sponsors!

Thanks again to all the sponsors of this awesome Swag Bag, which include:

Vanguard | B&H Photo | Western Digital | Lensbaby | Wiley

Without awesome sponsors like these, the Swag Bag giveaways just couldn’t happen.

The Digital Zone System – New Book

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The Digital Zone System

The Digital Zone System is a new book from photographer Robert Fisher.

“The Digital Zone System (DZS) is an innovative methodology for editing digital images that mimics the Zone System created by Ansel Adams. With this book, author Robert Fisher presents a practical guide for editing digital images with a level of control previously unattainable without significant manual work. He walks the reader through the background of Adams’s original Zone System and points out similarities to current digital processes, including Expose to the Right (ETTR) and high dynamic range imaging (HDRI).”

The Digital Zone System retails for $39.95; however, it is currently available for $22.29 on Amazon.com.

The Digital Zone System is also available in a Kindle Edition.

CES 2013 Recap Video

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CES 2013 was certainly too big for one person to cover everything. However, there are a ton of awesome things that a single person can see in a few short days.

I still have a few posts of product hands-on and new gear first looks to publish over the next few weeks. I was going through some of my video clips this weekend and decided to put together the recap video you see above. Every time I go to one of these shows, I always wish I had shot more footage.

What you see in this little 2+ minute video is only a fraction of all the gadgetry that’s at CES but, hopefully, you’ll get a little glimpse of what some of the photo and video gear presence was like at CES 2013. As always, Canon, Nikon and Sony had big and busy booths that were packed with reps and onlookers everyday of the show.

There are some other cool things that aren’t necessarily photo-related in there (e.g., AR.Drones, the Rocksmith video game that lets you play a real guitar on your Xbox or PS3, Sony’s waterproof Xperia Z phone, etc.), but I found myself ‘wowed’ by them.

If you’ve got any questions about something you see in the video, feel free to ask and I’ll do my best to dish out all the info I’ve got. Photography Bay’s CES 2013 coverage thus far can be found here.

Masterclass: Professional Studio Photography – New Book

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Masterclass: Professional Studio Photography

Masterclass: Professional Studio Photography is a new book from professional photographer Dennis Savini.

“The book provides a comprehensive workshop on studio photography for professionals and aspiring professionals, and reveals the tips, tricks, and secrets the author has discovered throughout his career. The book covers an array of photographic subjects, including still life, industry, technology, food, jewelry, portrait photography, and more.”

Masterclass: Professional Studio Photography retails for $59.95; however, it is currently available for $34.36 on Amazon.com.

Canon 2013 DSLR, Mirrorless and Lens Roadmap: 7D Mark II, 70D, Rebel T5i and More…?

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Canon 7D Mark II Rumors

Canon Rumors picked up on a juicy tip from a “very reliable source” with regard to Canon’s roadmap for 2013.

The key points?

3 New DSLRs: Two are entry-level and one is mid-level. The likely suspects are a Canon Rebel T5i and 70D filling the entry-level roles and a 7D Mark II (the original 7D is pushing 4 years old now) taking on the mid-level announcement. Some of the more recent rumors have put the 7D Mark II with a 24MP sensor and a February announcement date.

New EOS-M Mirrorless Camera: This has been rumored for quite some time and would almost certainly be an easy guess with a rumor/leak. The question is whether Canon has learned from the mistakes on the current EOS-M model and will deliver a successor that’s worth the effort.

4 New EF Lenses: Unknown which exact ones will debut this year, but the EF 100-400L IS lens is begging for a replacement.

Boris Continuum Complete 8 FxPlug Now Available for Apple Final Cut Pro X

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Some news I missed back during the CES 2013 onslaught was the release of Boris Continuum Complete 8 FxPlug for Final Cut Pro X. Boris Continuum Complete 8 FxPlug offers the popular Boris effects, graphics, templates and transitions to FCP X.

BCC 8 FxPlug is available for $995 direct from Boris. Owners of prior versions of BCC FxPlug can upgrade for $295.

More details on what’s in BCC 8 FxPlug for FCP X in the press release below. [Read more…]