In addition to the D750 DSLR camera, Nikon will also announce a new SB-500 Speedlight flash. The SB-400 has already been listed as discontinued (previously reported here and here) and I think the new SB-500 will be its replacement.
If you make a search on nikon.com for “SB-500”, you will see that at some point the flash was listed on nikonusa.com (see screenshot above).
The black dot means that inspection and necessary adjustments have already been made.
Nikon USA/Nikon EU/Nikon Japan issued a service advisory for thermal problem (white dots/bright spots) during long exposures with the D810 camera. Back in 2010 the D7000 had a similar issue and I am surprised that Nikon has another QA problem after the D600 spots. At least this time they offered a solution just few weeks after the camera was released.
This internal memo indicates that the problem will be fixed with a combination of a firmware update and “pixel defect compensation“:
Full text of the service advisory (US version):
I can now confirm the name of the upcoming full frame DSLR camera: Nikon D750 (see also the rumored specifications).
I am also pretty confident (over 95% probability) that the new Nikon D750 camera will have a 24.3MP full frame sensor and will be released for Photokina. I am still not sure about the focusing system and whether or not the sensor will have an AA filter.
→ Topaz Adjust plugin (designed to make your photos pop) is currently 50% off with coupon code “augadjust” (valid till August 31st).
→ Here are the latest deals on US refurbished Nikon equipment:
→ Joby released their Pro Series ‘UltraPlate’ as a standalone accessory (available at B&H for $19.95).
→ Nikon updated their support article on counterfeit batteries (the original article can be found here).
→New RRS plates for the Nikon D810 are coming soon.
→ This is the final 3D printed version of a Nikon Df camera grip from Candela Productions I mentioned last week. Here is a quick explanation from the creator:
“The Df I find is a little hard to hold, especially when you have a speed light on top. So, I have designed a grip styled to that of the old MD-4 which was for the F3. Call it the MG-Df. It weighs just over 100g and has space to store a batter internally. Unfortunately 3D printing is not advanced enough to be able to make this functional. It also has its limitations in that each print will be slightly different in some areas. However, I can honestly say it transforms the camera and makes it a joy to hold. It may not be for everyone but that’s okay, it optional.”
→ The Sigma 50mm f/1.4 EX DG HSM lens for Nikon mount is now $150 off (till August 19th).
Gary Yost (www.garyyost.com) talks about the making of the Full Moon Pacific Blanket time-lapse video in the San Francisco Bay Area:
I’ve been a volunteer fire lookout on the East Peak of Mt. Tamalpais for the Marin County Fire Department for four years and its aerial location has provided many opportunities for me to see the San Francisco Bay Area in unique ways. Mt. Tamalpais State Park closes to visitors every evening from sunset until dawn, and once the park is locked up, only the lookouts and rangers have this highest vantage point in the Bay Area (2,547ft). In 2012 I made the short film “A Day in the Life of a Fire Lookout” that conveyed the magical feeling of what it’s like to spend 24 hours at the peak of the mountain, on a night with no moon so that the Milky Way is visible (a unique phenomenon smack dab in an urban setting of 7,000,000 people). I used a Nikon D700 to produce that seven-minute short and it garnered a Vimeo Staff Pick, inspiring me to continue telling stories about my “neighborhood.”
Since then I’ve made quite a few other short films, including “The Invisible Peak” — an award-winning film about the strange history of Mt. Tam’s West Peak. The West Peak was the site of the now-defunct Mill Valley Air Force station, originally built as part of the Nike missile defense system in the 1950s. The old Nike radar has since been replaced by the FAA with a modern (and huge) radome… a landmark most people in the Bay Area refer to as the “golf ball.” I first became fascinated by this radome and the ruins of the Air Force Station on West Peak during my fire lookout shifts because the huge white ball was always right there just west of my lookout; it was my silent partner, omnipresent. (I can even hear it scan me if I have the FM radio on…. a little bit scary.) During 2013 I spent months researching the West Peak’s history and, with the help of my friends Peter Coyote, George Daly and Jamie Clay produced a 22-minute short documentary to raise awareness of the restoration work that needs to be done there. I used a Nikon D4, a D800 and Nikkor lenses to shoot the entire film, including both the time-lapse and real-time sequences.
The Nikon D810 takes its spot in an impressive lineage of SLR cameras that began when the Nikon F was first introduced in 1959. It is shown here next to a couple of FTn models that were just as revolutionary in their day and the new D810 is today.
This Nikon D810 camera hands-on review is by Tom Grill (Web | Blog, you can see his previous [NR] reviews here):
The first thing you notice about the new D810 is its sound, or, more exactly, the lack of sound. It is quiet with a muffled dampening to the normal shutter and mirror noise, your first indication that something different is going on inside this camera. The new sound is a result of a redesign of the mirror sequencer / balancer unit to minimize shutter vibration — a big improvement over the D800/800E models, whose high resolution sensors were offset by the increased sensitivity to motion blurring.
The 36.3-megapixel sensor has improved microlenses for gathering light. When coupled with the new EXPEED 4 image processor the performance is said to be increased by 30% with a new native base ISO of 64 and a range extending one more stop to 12,800 (32-25,600 extended). These improvements also result in clearing the buffer faster, which translates into overall speed improvement.
The sensor on the D810 no longer has an optical low-pass (anti-aliasing) filter instead of just cancelling it out as was the case on the D800. This should theoretically improve the resolution of the camera, and indeed the D810 recently just nudged itself to the top slot on the DxOmark sensor ratings. What these results are missing is the improvement to sharpness made by the dampening of interior motion of camera parts. From what I have found, the images I am achieving from hand-held shots with the D810 are considerably sharper than the prior D800/E. Take a look at the high res shot of the Empire State Building later in this blog.
The color, tones, and noise control of the new EXPEED 4 processing engine are quite noticeable. The images have a different look to them. The colors are richer, gradated tones smoother departing an almost 3-dimensional quality to the image.
Exceptional dynamic range, from the bright window to the deep shadows with no noise and smooth tonal transition. No fill was added to this severely back lit shot.
In addition to the Nikon D810 DSLR Filmmaker’s Kit, there is also a D810 animator’s kit designed for stop motion applications – it’s basically a D810 bundle with a 105mm f/2.8 Micro lens, external power supply and Dragonframe software:
The animator’s kit contains what you need to get started in the incredibly fun and exciting medium of stop motion animation. A full-frame Nikon DSLR with the latest image features combined with the AF-S VR Micro-NIKKOR 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED is the first step of the process. Together with the stop motion animation software Dragonframe™, used on many Hollywood blockbusters, you’ll be up and running in no time. To ensure the motion doesn’t stop, included in the kit is an EH-5b/EP-5b Power Supply and Connector for continuous power to the camera.
For now the D810 animator’s kit is available only on Nikon USA website for $3,999.95 (savings of $750 off suggested retail prices when purchased separately).
Here is the Nikon D810 animator’s kit unboxing video posted by Nikon USA:
