Photography Bay

Digital Camera News, Reviews and Tips

 

SMUGs Are Fun, Fabulous and Free

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I’ve been a SmugMug user for a little over 4 years now.  And, if you’ve been reading Photography Bay for a while, you know that I’ve been a big fan since day one.  The handful of times that I’ve emailed customer service, I’ve gotten an response and solution within minutes.  They listen to their customers, and the prices are incredibly generous for the service delivered.

I’ve heard about SMUGs (aka SmugMug User Groups) before, but I had never been to SMUG meet up – until this week. [Read more…]

Lightroom 3 Noise Reduction: To Be Used in Moderation

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Yesterday, I showed off a little of what Lightroom 3’s noise killing prowess could do.  And then, I started looking back at some of my basketball photos from this season, most of which were shot at ISO 3200.  Some of them could use a little help from Lightroom 3’s noise reduction panel; however, some looked just fine, even with a little bit of grain. [Read more…]

Extreme ISO Settings With the D3s, 1D Mark IV and Lightroom 3

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I’ve been digging into Lightroom 3 for a couple of days now.  I’m a big fan of the improvements – happy to see my video files, love the tethered shooting capability, as well as the improved speed. Last night, however, I decided to dig up some of my photos from the Canon 1D Mark IV and Nikon D3s ISO comparisons and take a closer look at the improved noise control that we’ve all heard so much about.

While I experienced a taste of what was to come in the Lightroom 3 beta, I was not prepared for the magnitude of improvement that I saw in the images as I wiped my Lightroom 2 adjustments and made new adjustments in Lightroom 3’s noise control panel.

I could go on and on about it, but you really need to see for yourself. [Read more…]

NikonLIVE: Music, Cameras and Social Media

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NikonLIVE

Today, Nikon announced the launch of NikonLIVE as part of its sponsorship of the Nikon at Jones Beach Theater with Live Nation.

NikonLIVE is set to provide music fans with exclusive music-related content, including tips on shooting concerts, photos/videos by professional photographers and concerts, while integrating music, photography and social media.

You can check out the NikonLive site at www.nikonlive.com and get your Nikon social media fix at www.facebook.com/nikon and on Twitter at @nikonusadotcom.

More details in the press release below. [Read more…]

AutoStitch 3.0 Steps Up Panoramic Photography on iPhone

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iPhone photographers are getting improvements in panoramic efforts with the latest version of the AutoStitch iPhone app.  You can use AutoStitch 3.0 to create iPhone panoramic images up to 20MP in size.  The app will also adjust for brightness variations across a range of images.  AutoStitch 3.0 also allows you to share your images on Facebook or via email from within the app.

AutoStitch 3.0 runs $2.99 and is available through the App Store in the Photography category. The full App Store name is AutoStitch Panorama.

[Cloudburstresearch.com]

SanDisk SD WORM Card

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SanDisk has introduced a Write Once, Read Many (WORM) SD card in 1GB capacity.  The WORM card is geared toward users who are seeking archival and tamper-proof storage.  Specifically, SanDisk is highlighting the SD WORM card’s utility to police departments, which require an unalterable chain of evidence.

Full details in the press release below. [Read more…]

DSLR and “Larger Sensor” Video Cameras Will Shake Things Up – Again

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Nearly two years ago, Canon changed the game (and, perhaps redefined the game) with the introduction of the 5D Mark II.  (And, while the Nikon D90 was the first DSLR to hit the scene with HD video capture, few will argue that Canon’s 5D Mark II was the real game changer.)  As the story goes, the addition of HD video to the 5D Mark II was almost an afterthought, which isn’t too far fetched of a story – given the rough implementation and numerous workarounds required to get a polished video out of the camera in those early firmware versions.

And then there was Reverie.

Reverie changed the way we looked at this new camera before we even knew what it was supposed to do.  I’ve heard Vincent Laforet recount the almost accidental acquisition of a prototype 5D Mark II a couple of times now.  He had the prototype camera in hand for roughly 72 hours and really made the most of that time.  That accidental spark ignited a huge flame in demand for the 5D Mark II – as well as a demand for knowledge to learn what it takes to do the same thing with a $2700 (at the time) camera.

A new niche market was born almost overnight. [Read more…]

Wildlife Photography: On Safari with your DSLR: Equipment, Techniques, Workflow – New Book

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Interested in learning more about wildlife photography?  That’s just the title of a new book from photographer Uwe Skrczypcza. Among other topics, the book addresses technical issues associated with wildlife photography workflow, and focuses on Skrzypczak’s photography in the Serengeti National Park in East Africa.  Wildlife Photography retails for $39.95, but is available from Amazon.com for $26.37 at the time of this post.

More details in Rocky Nook’s press release below. [Read more…]