Wednesday Clicks

Posted on January 21, 2009 by Mark

Update 2: Added a new link

Update 1: Thanks for pointing out the broken link, fixed it already

Alright, Nick was right. At the mean time the only thing consistent is this weekly post on some links I think is interesting. Believe me, I want to post more but I am just so short for time, you wouldn’t believe how incredibly crazy things have gotten. Here are some interesting links for this week

Jasmine Star has started teaching photography workshops. So if you are in the US around the 10th of March, that is when her first workshop begins. Its a one day workshop at the cost of USD$750 per pax.
Our local wedding photographer, Anna-Rina, has combined her blog and her online portfolio following in the steps of her favourite photog. Check it out here. Her arms are more toned than most guys I know
Apparently someone found out that a certain individual blared out that “one Malaysian Top Politician was involved in the murder of Altantuya, that Mongolian woman”. Check it out here.
Nikon has released the 1.01 firmware for the D700 and the 2.01 firmware for the D3.
Another lengthy open-letter about the proposed LABU airport.
Two of my favourite photographers from the US whom I check out their blog regularly, has published their top 100 engagement photos in 2008. Yes, top 100. That is totally awesome! Do check it out here.

That’s all for this week. Back to work work work work work….

I think I’ve gotten more gray hairs over the past couple of weeks.

Nikon D3x, its finally here, am I impressed?

Posted on December 1, 2008 by Mark

Update: I added some more info on the specs of the new camera

In my last two posts there were a lot of hype about the Nikon D3x and I did manage to scour the internet for some good old rumours about the launch and perhaps leaked details. Now that the official leaked details are out and that it has been displayed on Nikon’s Pro magazine, I can’t help but look at myself and think that it doesn’t really matter that much to me.

Yes its great to have the extra megapixel count, and yes its expensive. Perhaps I might be more interested in it when I start doing commercial photography or landscape photography. But at the moment, I have to improve on my own skills first. Make do with what I have and then I can only progress onwards from there.

Anyway if you are interested in the camera, you can find out more information about it here, here and here.

What will be the market’s response to this camera especially at the time of a financial crisis amidst a global recession?

Tecnical Specs:

24.5-megapixel CMOS FX format sensor
Full resolution shooting at 5 FPS
ISO from 100-1600 (expandable to 50-6400)
TIFF, JPEG or NEF (RAW) file formats up to 138MB (wah lau eh! nowonder there are already 16Gb CF cards available already)
Newly updated EXPEED image processing system
Expected price, USD$8000.

Image gallery available here.

Nikon’s D3x with photos!

Posted on November 27, 2008 by Mark

Photos has emerged online of the upcoming Nikon D3x and they are floating about. Apparently these photos were obtained from the Nikon site itself but they have long but taken down these images.

The camera itself is expected to sport the same frame as the D3 but I am curious indeed especially with the lens it is sporting. There are no markings on the lens to give us any clue what it might be. It could be the new 35mm or 135mm lens.

The interesting bit is that the Nikon site has already set a page for the camera itself. Click on the link below.

http://www.nikonusa.com/Find-Your-Nikon/Product/Digital-SLR/25442/D3x.html

In any other websites, if the html file does not exist, you would get an error message. This time, I just get a blank white page. Suspicious ain’t it? I guess everyone expects it to arrive but by next week? I want one of these babies for Christmas!

Image and news source: NikonRumors

Nikon's D3x with photos!

Posted on November 27, 2008 by Mark

Photos has emerged online of the upcoming Nikon D3x and they are floating about. Apparently these photos were obtained from the Nikon site itself but they have long but taken down these images.

The interesting bit is that the Nikon site has already set a page for the camera itself. Click on the link below.

http://www.nikonusa.com/Find-Your-Nikon/Product/Digital-SLR/25442/D3x.html

Image and news source: NikonRumors

Nikon’s Big event, 1st December

Posted on November 26, 2008 by Mark

Something big is approaching, really really big. Rumours has it that a launch by Nikon is eminent but that is nothing new as companies are constantly launching new products, new services or just launching some new campaign. This time, rumours are floating about would be a new Nikon DSLR and three new Nikon lenses.

What can we expect?

Nikon D3x
AF-S 35mm f/1.8
AF-S 135mm f/1.8
AF-S 80-400mm

Now the D3x rumours has been floating about for a while already (yes its sporting a 24MP sensor) and several leaks has substantiated these rumours. Leaks such as the prices of the D3 has dropped, dealers can’t seem to get ahold of stock (although that could be due to the production slowdown?), vendors creating entries in their inventory or websites creating subfolders just for the D3x.

The D3X will definitely be used by a niche market but the appeal of being able to shoot at 24MP (3MP more than the Canon 1Ds Mk3 and the 5D Mk2) would definitely attract the likes of stock phographers as well as commercial photographers. Being able to shoot at that high resolution without going for medium format cameras is amazing as well. I am already awed by the amount of detail captured by other rivals such as the Canon 1Ds Mk3 and the Sony A900, so I am very keen to see one from Nikon as well.

To me, I guess I would be craving more for the 135mm f/1.8 as well as the 35mm f/1.8. Both are AF-S versions and both show extreme potential for excellent portraiture use (for me la that is ).

Its only 5 more days to go before the big event. Until then, keeping my fingers crossed!

Nikon's Big event, 1st December

Posted on November 26, 2008 by Mark

What can we expect?

Nikon D3x
AF-S 35mm f/1.8
AF-S 135mm f/1.8
AF-S 80-400mm

To me, I guess I would be craving more for the 135mm f/1.8 as well as the 35mm f/1.8. Both are AF-S versions and both show extreme potential for excellent portraiture use (for me la that is ).

Its only 5 more days to go before the big event. Until then, keeping my fingers crossed!

I have been poisoned

Posted on January 29, 2008 by Mark

Over the weekend, I had the pleasure of being poisoned by someone who owned the legendary (well, I consider that legendary to my own standards) Nikon D3. If you must know, the Nikon D3 is a hell of a camera and its hefty price tag (RM15,000 for just the body alone) turn a lot of people away.

d3front 001 I have been poisoned

Image source: Dpreview.comÂ

Anyway back to my poisoning story, yes, the camera is an incredible feat of engineering and I was so blown away by its weight and the quality of it’s images. I was busy shooting at ISO 3200 and it looks just as clean as my D200 shooting at ISO 400-500.Perhaps, if I stop spending my money on soft drinks, snacks, McDonalds and KFC, I should be able to get this baby in about 3-4 years time.

For those of you who want more info about the picture quality of the Nikon D3, you can head over here, here and here.

D40/x finally gets to use Tamron, D3 unboxed

Posted on December 5, 2007 by Mark

My first ever DSLR was the Nikon D40 which I purchased in January. Since then, I started my interest in the area of photography. Being a relatively middle income earner and knowing the exorbitant prices that revolves around this new hobby of mine, I faced a problem.

The Nikon D40 didn’t have the autofocus motor built in the body. I guess this was Nikon’s way of reducing costs but it came as a problem for D40/D40x owners, they had to buy either Nikon’s AF-S type lenses or perhaps a cheaper alternative would be the Sigma HSM type lens.

But, I am not here to talk about the D40 shortcomings.

Tamron, another 3rd party lens maker has finally decided to jump onto that bandwagon to manufacture a lens capable of having the autofocus function with the Nikon D40. In any sense, this is a good business move by Tamron because they are catering for a large market (the D40 has a huge market because of its price worldwide) of consumers.

a18n2 D40/x finally gets to use Tamron, D3 unboxed

AF18-250mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II

“The AF18-250mm F/3.5-6.3 Di-II LD Aspherical (IF) Macro is the ultimate high power zoom lens boasting the worldâ€™s greatest zoom ratio(*1) of 13.9X, a milestone that Tamron, the pioneer of high power zoom lenses, has achieved by commanding its technologies to further expand the capabilities of high power zoom lenses.”

With this in mind, I think Tamron has a winner provided that the price of this lens is priced well as it is definitely a good travel lens. It gives a nice wide 18mm as well as a long telephoto (compared against the usual 18-200mm lenses). Let’s see how this will fare against Sigma’s travel lenses.

Back on the other spectrum of the price range would be something which many people have been waiting for, the Nikon D3. The first full frame DSLR for Nikon, the D3 marks an important milestone for Nikon and I am sure many people would be more than happy to jump on the new bandwagon.

Well, if you are still clueless about the Nikon D3, don’t fret. Head over here to see how the D3 would look unboxed!

Related links:

Mark Leo Dot Net

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Tag Archives: D3