Photography Bay

Digital Camera News, Reviews and Tips

Nikon DSLR and Lens Rebates

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Nikon D5000 at BH Photo

Nikon has some solid DSLR and lens combo rebates going on right now.  B&H Photo sent me a list of the rundown of cameras and lens, and they’ve put together kits to make picking up the right items a simple task.

Nikon D5000

Nikon D90

Nikon D300s

Nikon D700

Nikon D3S

Nikon D3X

The rebates are instant rebates, so there’s no clipping UPCs off the box and sending in 3 copies of your receipt.  Just add the item to your cart and you see the discounted price right away.

Follow the links above to the qualifying cameras, then click the words “View Available Kits” (see top screenshot) that is just below the product image to see the lens kits and rebate amounts, which range from $200 to $400.

(Update: Note that the rebates are “stackable” in some cases, so you can save $700 when you buy a couple of lenses with the D3S and D700.  Those kits are specified in the list as well.)

By default, B&H displays the retail price; however, once you add the “kit” to your online shopping cart, you will see the discounted price.  Additionally, you get free shipping in the USA.

 

Canon 7D vs. Nikon D300s vs. Sony A500 ISO Test – Round 2

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Canon 7D vs. Nikon D300s vs. Sony A500

If you didn’t get enough in the first Canon 7D vs. Nikon D300s ISO Test (and I know a lot of you didn’t, based on the lively comment section), we’re back for Round 2.

This time, we’ve got a couple of additional variables to mix things up a bit — and to see if the claims of some of the Nikon shooters in the comment section of the first round bear fruit. [Read more…]

Canon 7D vs Nikon D300s ISO Test

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A couple of years ago, after Canon announced the 40D, Nikon dropped a bomb with the D300 and D3 combo.  I remember the cover of Popular Photography read in bold print “Nikon Strikes Back.”  That was a very fitting description in the face of what many thought was a rather mild upgrade to the Canon 30D, which was in turn a mild upgrade to the 20D.   A year later, Canon failed to really “wow” us with the 50D; however, I found the 50D to be an excellent performer.

Fast forward to Summer 2009 and the stage is set for both Nikon and Canon to take another turn at “wowing” us.  The D300s is mostly a rehash of the D300, along with video capture.  Canon, however, stepped out with the feature-packed 7D, which also featured video, but added a spec-list that made it look like a 5D Mark II Jr.

Since the introduction of the D300 was Nikon’s turn to “Strike Back,” will the Canon 7D, in response to the D300s, be “Return of the Jedi Canon”?  Keep on reading this first round of comparisons, which takes a side-by-side look at the ISO performance of these two prosumer cameras. [Read more…]

Nikon D300s Review

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Nikon D300s

The Nikon D300s is a 12.3-megapixel DSLR that can also capture video at 720p resolution and 24 frames per second.  The D300s is a follow up to the D300 and serves as more of a refreshed version of the D300 as opposed to a totally new product.  It has most of same components and features as the D300 with a few new bells and whistles thrown in for good measure.

Since the recent announcement of the D3s, Nikon appears content in offering video capture at 720p for this generation of cameras.  All of the Nikon DSLRs that offer video only allow a maximum resolution capture of 720p at 24 fps.  Canon has stepped out of the box from its initial video limitations in the 5D Mark II by offering serious firmware updates to it (and promising more to come) and additional video options to its other new DSLRs like the Canon 7D, which offers 1080p HD video capture at 30fps, 25fps, and 24fps, as well as 720p HD video at 60fps and 50fps.  While Nikon has received much criticism on the video limitations of its recent DSLRs, it has shown no signs of stepping up the game in this generation of cameras.

That said, the Nikon D300s (and every other DSLR for that matter) is first and foremost a still image capture device.  Sure, video is relevant nowadays; however, performance for still image capture and quality is still our golden measuring stick.  With this in mind, let’s take a brief look at the key features and jump into the rest of this review. [Read more…]

Nikon D300s ISO Test and Sample Images

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Nikon D300s

The Nikon D300s is a 12.3-megapixel DSLR with an equivalent sensitivity range of ISO 100-6400.  I have had the pleasure of testing the D300s for a few weeks now and wanted to share some sample images that demonstrate the image quality and low light potential from this camera.  The following images were captured at night using the Nikon D300s and AF-S 50mm f/1.4 lens.

Below you’ll find several handheld shots at ISO 3200 and ISO 6400, followed by a series of shots from a tripod capturing the same scene from ISO 100 to ISO 6400 with one series using noise reduction and one series without noise reduction.  Additionally, you will find several charts showing a comparison of the sensitivity range at a variety of Noise Reduction settings. [Read more…]

Lightroom 2.5 and Camera Raw 5.5 Now Available

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Adobe has updated Lightroom 2 to version 2.5 and Camera Raw 5 to version 5.5.

Lightroom 2.5 and Camera Raw 5.5 now include support for the following cameras:

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

The updated versions can be downloaded here.

Nikon D300s Starting to Ship

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Nikon D300s

The Nikon D300s is beginning to become available at several retailers.  Some have already been in and out of stock.  Expect this trend to continue for at least the next several days, if not weeks.

You can keep checking back at these vendors for availability for the D300s.

Nikon D300s Product Pages

Amazon.com

B&H Photo

Adorama

Ritz Camera

Wolf Camera

Camera World

International Nikon D300s Product Pages

Jessops

Amazon UK

Amazon Germany

Amazon Japan

Adobe Camera Raw 5.5 Release Candidate Available

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Adobe has made the release candidate for Camera Raw 5.5 available for download on Adobe labs.

Release notes are as follows:

Newly supported camera models include:

  • Nikon D300s
  • Nikon D3000
  • Olympus E-P1
  • Panasonic DMC-FZ35

Camera Raw 5.5 includes a correction to the demosaic algorithms for Bayer sensor cameras with unequal green response

More details and download links are available over at Adobe labs.

Nikon D300s Videos

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Here’s a few videos that show off the new Nikon D300s and give you a little taste of what you can expect from the video capabilities.

I don’t know that we needed the subtitles on the last one; however, it was nice to see a little more of a home cooked version of video from the D300s. More info about this camera is available on Photography Bay’s Nikon D300s Reviews and Resources.