Cardinal

With apologies to various rock legends for ripping off their song title, that’s how I felt after shooting a concert yesterday with a review Nikon D4S. I wanted to stress the low-light shooting capability of the camera, so I deliberately brought a slower zoom (my really handy Nikon 70-200mm f/4 AF-S). That allowed me to be a little more maneuverable in the crowd, but forced me to bump my ISO way up. I picked ISO 25600 (I probably could have survived with half that, but I wanted to really push the envelope). In any case, the Nikon D4S delivered in three really major ways:

Adobe has taken Lightroom mobile, announcing a highly simplified version for the iPad that syncs seamlessly with your main computer’s Lightroom collections. It is well-designed and a joy to use. I’ve been working with it for the last week, and have posted my hands-on review on Extremetech. Frankly, the tablet I carry every day isn’t an iPad (it’s a Samsung Note 10.1 2014 Edition), but Lightroom mobile is one of the first apps that’s tempted me to bring an iPad along as well. It’s free to get started for anyone with a Creative Cloud or Photographer Program subscription from Adobe (you will need one of those, unfortunately for folks who’ve been buying Lightroom a la carte).

I’ve been using a Wacom Cintiq Companion off and on for the last few weeks to do my image review & editing. It is a gorgeous – expensive – Wacom-enabled 12” Windows 8.1 tablet that can run full-on Adobe Creative Suite applications.

Along with the Yeti and UFOs, the Nikon D400 has been long-rumored and much-anticipated.

Nikon’s compact interchangeable lens camera line, Nikon 1, has met with decidedly mixed success. Its small-size, extensive features, and reasonable pricing have made it a popular backup or “pocket-size” alternative to a full-size DSLR. However, Nikon’s choice of a relatively-small 1” sensor in the cameras has reduced their image quality to that of a high-end point and shoot (like the Sony RX-100, that features the same size sensor). Now Nikon has decided to push its luck a little further, with the same small sensor packaged into the new, feature-rich Nikon 1 V3 …

Like many photographers, I rely on my portable speaker when I travel. When giving slideshows, it adds punch to the soundtrack compared to my laptop – and I can place it someplace more central instead of where I happen to be standing. When I’m in the field, there are times when we also use bird calls (only on private ranches, in a very limited way, with non-threatened species!), and having a remote speaker is a must. Recently, I’ve been working with a cool, new one from Tylt – the Tunz – that also combines a battery pack you can use to recharge your phone…

In an amazing, and no doubt expensive, customer service gesture, Nikon has announced that it will provide free shutter upgrades to D600 owners – even if your Nikon D600 is out of warranty! Nikon does not say whether the replacement shutter will actually be the slightly faster shutter from the D610, or just a slightly modified version of the original, but the entire process is free, including shipping both ways, so it is a no-brainer for any Nikon D600 owner. For details, read on…

Nikon has provided an impressive “mid-life kicker” for its Nikon D4 flagship DSLR. Everything except the 16.2MP resolution has been upgraded in the Nikon D4S – new AF, new sensor, 11 fps for starters. You can read my thoughts on the camera and its specs in my post for Extremetech. The camera is available for pre-order at B&H for $6500, shipping March 6. I’ve posted the full specs below:

Japan’s CP+ show has seen a number of new cameras launched this week, and today was Canon’s turn. It has launched a solid upgrade to its now retired Rebel T3 with the new Canon EOS Rebel T5 – a 3 fps shooter with 9 AF points. At 7 ounces, and $550 retail price, it should be popular when it ships in March. Canon has also fixed the issues that plagued its original super-compact with the new Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark II – featuring a sleeker design and faster AF. You can order either camera now from B&H using the links in this article. However for $800, I’d rather get the new Sony Alpha a6000 (NEX-6 replacement) with kit lens (which we’ll be reviewing later this spring when it is available. Canon specs below the break…

Nikon is fond of providing some great deals for those purchasing a new camera with one or more lenses, but that leaves lens buyers out in the cold, or requires finding a buddy who needs the camera. Today Nikon is launching some pretty aggressive “lens-only” rebates across almost their entire line of lenses. If you’re looking to up your photo game for 2014, now might be a good time to snag the lens you’ve been envying Head over to B&H to check them out!…

Clearly its users aren’t lapping up Adobe’s new subscription model the way it wants. It has once again extended its olive branch Photoshop Photography program offer – this time until March 31st. For $120/year you can get Photoshop CC, Lightroom 5, and in case you need another web presence, a 20GB cloud account on its Behance service. Further showing its enthusiasm, or desperation, this offer is currently available to anyone, whether or not you have ever owned an Adobe product! To sign up, head to the Program’s web page.

As if point and shoot cameras weren’t having enough trouble, Sony is now selling a mirrorless camera with an APS-C sensor for $350 with a 16-50mm lens. The Sony NEX-3N features a 16MP sensor and BIONZ image processor. You can jack the ISO up to 16000 (although with noise of course) and it shoots 60 fps video at 1080i.  

Especially with the popularity of mobile devices for viewing photos, slideshows are a perfect way to show off the best of your images – or simply to share the highlights of an event or trip. Creating quality slideshows can be a time-consuming process, so any tool that helps me make better shows, faster, is a good thing. Regular readers will know that I’m a huge fan of Proshow’s offerings – Producer and Gold on the desktop, and Web for when you’re mobile or on a Mac. However, I’ve struggled a bit with how to leverage Proshow’s powerful Wizard tool while still having customizations like beginning and end captions. Fortunately, the clever Remix command has come to my rescue…

Featuring an excellent 1” sensor and Zeiss f/1.8 zoom lens packed into a solidly-made black metal cylinder, the Sony QX100 is a nice piece of hardware. Unfortunately awkward ergonomics and seriously deficient software leave it adrift as more of a curiosity or a niche product than any type of segment-defining breakthrough. Let’s look at what it does right, and wrong, and whether it still might be in your future…