Nikon D800 Review

From the very much trusted folk at DP Review

“There’s a lot of hyperbole in the camera industry, but every now and then it is justified. Specifically, we have no problem with describing the FX format Nikon D800 as one of the most keenly anticipated DSLRs in a long time. Coming a full 3 1/2 years after its predecessor the D700, Nikon’s newest DSLR offers a significantly more advanced feature set, including a pixel count of 36.3MP that – for now at least – bests the competition by a comfortable margin, and is comparable only with high-end medium format digital equipment.”…………..

“In terms of its core functionality, the D800 incorporates an extraordinary feature set, taking some of the most interesting technology from the D4 and coupling it with the highest resolution 36x24mm sensor on the market. At 36.3MP the $3000 D800 makes the $8000 D3X look distinctly irrelevant, and is right up there with medium format digital equipment in terms of output size (and file size – 36.3MP .NEF files will take up approximately 76.5MB on a memory card). This makes it very attractive, potentially, to studio and landscape photographers who value resolution over speed. This is even more true of the D800E, which without a low-pass filter should in theory get very close to the sort of output that studio photographers would expect from much more costly medium format digital equipment.

Exactly how good the D800’s image quality turns out to be is something that we’re very keen to establish. On balance, increased pixel count generally counts as a good thing in everyday photography. The most important ‘headline’ benefits, all other things being equal, are that you get more detail in your images and greater scope for cropping. But there are potential downsides, too. The D3X, Nikon’s current flagship, makes very high demands on lenses at ‘only’ 24MP and we wouldn’t be surprised if some of the optics which D700 owners love so much don’t shine quite so brightly at 100% on screen when bolted on front of a 36.3MP sensor…”………Read the full report here

World Press Photo Awards 2011

For over 55 years the World Press Photo contest has encouraged the highest standards in photojournalism.

The contest creates a bridge linking the professionals with the general public. As the announcement of the winners makes headlines around the world, so the inspirational role of photojournalism is highlighted to an audience of hundreds of millions.

All the prize-winning photographs are assembled into an exhibition that travels to 45 countries over the course of a year, and published in our yearbook. Over two million people go to a hundred different venues to see the images, and our yearbook is published in seven languages and distributed worldwide.

The World Press Photo Contest is an annual competition, which is comprised of two contests: a photo contest and a multimedia contest. For each contest, an international jury looks for the best photographs or multimedia productions from the past calendar year. Details about the photo and multimedia contests, as well as names of the contest judges, are announced in October/November. The contests open to entries in December.

The photo contest judging begins at the end of January and the winners are announced in the second week of February. The multimedia contest judging and the announcement of winners take place in March. The annual Awards Days, a celebration of the prizewinners, takes place in Amsterdam at the end of April or beginning of May.

See all the winning entries here

 

Understanding Your Digital SLR Camera Photography Course Oxford March 7th

Our very popular Understanding Your DSLR camera course has it’s final outing this term with a start of 7th March. We run a number of start dates for this course each term and this is the last until after Easter. An evening class, starting at 6.30pm it runs for 4 sessions, one per week, each session lasts 2 hours. The full cost is £80

“I would like to say many thanks for a fantastic, informative & interesting course! I found all the information you gave us totally compelling and inspiring which was enhanced by a charismatic & passionate teacher! I would recommend this course to anyone who has bought a DSLR for the first time and wants to understand what all the confusing buttons on their new toy do and how to take proper photos without relying on the Auto function.”

The course covers all the areas you would expect: exposure, ISO, aperture, shutter, depth of field, exposure compensation, subject movement, file types, resolution, white balance, flash, and in the detail you would want from a course aimed at serious photographers (if you have an slr you are serious).It is the opportunity to be guided into the innermost parts of your camera and to come out informed. The course assumes no prior knowledge and so is available to complete beginners. This course is also suitable for people with bridge or other advanced type compact cameras.

email us for details and availability here is a link to the course full specifications

Pictures of the Week: February 3, 2012

more from The Denver Post

Supporters shout slogans in favor of independent candidate Gurpratap Singh Tikka, fourth from left on the rooftop, as a Cessna aircraft (unseen) drops his election campaign leaflets on the last day of campaigning for upcoming Assembly elections in Amritsar, India, Saturday, Jan. 28, 2012. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

Italian harbor workers stand near a lighthouse at the entrance of the port of the Tuscan island of Giglio, Italy, as in the background lays on its side the grounded cruise ship Costa Concordia, Thursday, Feb. 2, 2012. Bad weather conditions forced the temporary suspension of the recovery operation of the capsized cruise ship Costa Concordia. The ship contains about 500,000 gallons (2,400 tons) of heavy fuel and other pollutants, and fears are growing that those pollutants could spill out, damaging a pristine environment that is home to dolphins, whales and other marine life

A man dusts shop mannequins displaying wigs in a hair and beauty store in Brixton on February 2, 2012 in London, England. The hair and beauty sector has fared well despite the harsh economic climate which can be attributed to people treating themselves to a little affordable luxury. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

An Egyptian protestor throws away a tear gas canister fired by security forces during clashes near the Interior Ministry in Cairo, Egypt, Friday, Feb. 3, 2012. A volunteer doctor says police and protesters angry over a deadly soccer riot have clashed for the second day in the Egyptian capital, and that one man died in the latest violence. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)

A child runs past a wave protection dam covered in ice as the waters of the Black Sea are frozen near the shore in Constanta, Romania, Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2012. The death toll from Eastern Europe’s severe cold spell has risen to 79. Temperatures have dropped as low as minus 32.5 C (minus 26.5 F) in some regions, causing power outages, traffic chaos and the closure of schools and nurseries. The weather is so cold that some areas of the Black Sea have frozen near the Romanian coastline.

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Snow over Europe

The excellent Denver Post pblogs bring this set of wonderful images from around a snow covered Europe. The full set can be seen here

Lampposts are covered in ice in the Adriatic coastal town of Senj, Croatia, Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2012. Europeans across the continent have been battling more than a week of extreme weather, with thousands still trapped by snow in remote, mountain villages in the Balkans; hundreds – most of them homeless – dead after temperatures hit as low as minus 33 Fahrenheit (minus 36 Celsius); and authorities now facing the prospect of flooding caused by melting snow. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)

Birds are seen on the partly frozen river Elbe in Dresden, eastern Germany, Monday, Feb. 6, 2012. (AP Photo/dapd, Matthias Rietschel)

A car and trees are covered in ice on the shores of Lake Geneva, in Versoix, near Geneva, Switzerland, early Monday, Feb. 6, 2012. A cold spell is affecting large parts of Europe, with temperatures plummeting far below zero. (AP Photo/Keystone, Salvatore Di Nolfi)

Frost crystals pictured on a window in Zurich, Switzerland, Saturday, Feb. 4, 2012. A cold spell has reached Europe with temperatures plummeting far below zero. (AP Photo/Keystone/Alessandro Della Bella)

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