Cardinal

It’s not heavy, it’s my Nikon D4S

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 . I wanted to stress the low-light shooting capability of the camera, so I deliberately brought a slower zoom (my really handy ). 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 delivered in three really major ways:

Lightroom goes mobile: Hands-on with Lightroom for the iPad

Lightroom mobile displays each of your albums in a pleasing grid that you can use to select an image to work withAdobe 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 . 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).

Wacom’s Cintiq Companion: Hands-on with the all-in-one mobile darkroom for pros

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.

Does 9300 = 400? Rumored Nikon D9300 may be the long-awaited Nikon D400

Nikon agrees to give new cameras in cases where a D600 can't be fixed

New Nikon 1 V3: Will you pay for a full-featured, full-priced, small-sensor camera?

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


Tylt Tunz: Handy portable speaker & charger for photographers

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 – that also combines a battery pack you can use to recharge your phone…

Nikon offers free Upgrade for D600 owners: Wins hearts and minds

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 introduces beefed-up flagship Nikon D4S: Shipping in two weeks

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


Canon updates entry-level DSLR with Rebel T5, updates PowerShot G1 X with Mark II

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 – 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 – 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 (NEX-6 replacement) with kit lens (which we’ll be reviewing later this spring when it is available. Canon specs below the break…

Nikon launches some great ‘lens-only’ rebates up to $400

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

Adobe once again extends Photoshop + Lightroom Photographer program

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 .

Sony NEX-3N: Pushing APS-C mirrorless pricing to $350 with lens

Sony Alpha NEX-3N Mirrorless Digital Camera with 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens (Black)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 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.  

Gaining slideshow productivity with Proshow’s Remix feature

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…

Sony DSC-QX100 ‘Smart Lens’: Product in search of a purpose

Sony DSC-QX100 Digital Camera Module for SmartphonesFeaturing an excellent 1” sensor and Zeiss f/1.8 zoom lens packed into a solidly-made black metal cylinder, the 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…

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