Luminescence of Nature News Archive
February 22, 2009: I've started a blog. Check it out. I posted an entry yesterday on the virtues of USM versus in-camera sharpening in Capture NX.
January 19, 2009: Silver, Gold and Platinum Nikonians members save 20% off The Photographer's Guide to Capture NX2. Click Here for details.
January 7, 2009: Introducing Capture NX 2.0 Tutorial Video companions to The Photographer's Guide to Capture NX2! Each Video tutorial is a high-quality QuickTime movie file that provides step-by-step instructions on many of the features in Capture NX2. Currently, there are 17 video tutorials to choose from, each running between 5 and 15 minutes. That's over 2 hours of NX instruction, and each title is only $1.99.
December 24, 2008: Happy Holidays! Here's wishing all my readers a very happy holiday season for 2008. I'm looking forward to the new year.
December 20, 2008: Anyone who listens to my podcasts knows that I'm a big fan of Think Tank Photo bags. Now, Think Tank Photo is offering a free bonus bag with all purchases of $50 or more to friends of my website. Click here for details.
December 13, 2008: Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 AFS G review, with comparison to the AFD version. I recently got the newest Nikkor lens, the 50mm f/1.4 AFS G. Does it beat the AFD version, given its higher pricetag?
December 12, 2008: Nikon Capture NX has been updated to version 2.1.1, which supports the D3x and offers some new Active D-Lighting options.
December 1, 2008: It's official. The D3x was officially announced this morning by Nikon USA. Specs as below, with a suggested street price of $7999. That's two D3's or almost 3 D700's!
November 28, 2008: Nikon D3x announced in Europe. Looks like European subscribers to Nikon Pro magazine were treated to an early announcement of the D3x, the much-anticipated high megapixel camera from Nikon. Here are the basics in a nutshell:
Nikon D3x
Sensor:35.9x 24mm (FX) format with unique OLF (optical low-pass filter) design
Resolution: 24.5 Megapixels (FX) or 10MP in DX mode. Also a 5:4 crop mode.
Autofocus: MultiCAM 3500 (same as D3)
Frame rate: 5fps (FX) or 7fps (DX)
ISO Range: 100-1600 base, expandable to 50-6400
Battery: EN-EL4a (Same as D3)
Monitor: 3-inch LCD (same as D3)
Live view as with D3
EXPEED processor
Dual CF slots (as with D3)
USB 2.0 and HDMI interfaces
So what does this mean-- should you run out and get one? Click here for my thoughts on the D3x.
November 26, 2008: Thanksgiving Sale this weekend only! Get 10% off on your order of the digital download version of either of my eBook guides to Capture NX or Capture NX 2.0. Enter coupon code "gobble" at checkout for your discount. Happy Thanksgiving! Coupon expires December 1, 2008.
September 17, 2008: Capture NX 2.1 releaed. Nikon today released a maintenance version of Capture NX 2, version 2.1. This release not only adds D90 NEF support, but it makes significant fixes to the way labels are viewed in other applications. If you use Photo Mechanic as your browser, I STRONGLY recommend updating to NX 2.1.
September 5, 2008: Now on CD-ROM. If you are looking to purchase The Photographer's Guide to Capture NX2 on CD, you can get it on CD-ROM from Camerabooks.com or direct from Nik Software. The CD-ROM version is exactly the same as the downloadable version, but has the sample NEFs on it so you don't have to download them separately. Plus, it comes in a cool cardboard sleeve!
August 8, 2008: The point & shoot I almost bought. Nikon has announced the Coolpix P6000, a 13.5MP point and shoot digicam that appeared to have everything I wanted-- 28mm equivalent lens on the wide end, optical VR, and manual exposure control. But I was most interested in the rumors that the P6000 would be bringing RAW support back to the Coolpix line. I really want a RAW-enabled point-and-shoot camera. Then I learned that the P6000 uses an entirely new RAW format (.NRW), which will only be readable in Windows-Vista versions of View NX this fall. Here are the actual words from Nikon's press release:
*COOLPIX Picture Control NRW (RAW) files can only be processed in-camera. NRW (RAW) files are compatible for use in-camera, with ViewNX (Windows version only) or with WIC based applications. Capture NX, Capture NX2 and NEF files are not compatible with NRW (RAW) images.
No Mac support and no Capture NX support (guess what I use for my workflow)? Nikon, I just put that $500 back in my pocket. A shame, because I was eager to purchase something like this for when I don't want to travel with a DSLR.
June 20, 2008: I've update my Capture NX 2.0 Hands-on Review with revised content and images.
June 3, 2008: Nikon Capture NX 2.0 has been announced. The newest version of Nikon's image editor is out and available now as a trial download. License codes will be available for sale later in June. New features include an Auto Retouch Brush, Selection Control Points, and a vastly improved user interface. Read my hands-on review here.
June 3, 2008: The Photographer's Guide to Capture NX2 is complete and available immediately to help you learn Capture NX 2.0. I've written a comprehensive guide to Nikon Capture NX 2.0; at over 400 pages, this new book includes significantly more content than The Photographer's Guide to Capture NX, and is fully optimized for using Capture NX 2.0. Find out more here, or order your copy (downloadable PDF file). Click here for FAQ's about my newest eBook
June 3, 2008: Vincent Versace releases Capture NX 2.0 tutorial DVD. If you are looking for a video companion to my eBook, I highly recommend Vincent's DVD set, available from Acme Educational. Early-Bird orders through June 20th will receive a significant discount off the retail price.
March 12, 2008: My CD-ROM inventory has been updated to include both Supplements One and Two of "The Photographer's Guide to Capture NX." Click here to order your copy of the Guide, which supports Capture NX through version 1.3.
March 10, 2008: I'll be at the Nikonians Academy Advanced Workflow Workshops in Oakland, CA April 12-13, and in Dallas, TX June 14-15th as a guest instructor. If you want to learn some of my Capture NX tricks and tips, this is the place to do it!
December 7, 2007:
Supplement Two to The Photographer's Guide to Capture NX is here! Supplement Two adds an additional 57 pages of information, and covers Capture NX 1.3 in detail. This supplement is free to all existing owners of the Guide. Click Here For Details.
December 2, 2007: Capture NX 1.3 Explained; D300 and D3 previews. I'm working on the next free supplement to The Photographer's Guide to Capture NX, which will thoroughly cover the new features in Capture NX 1.3. It should be available by the end of December. Stay tuned for more information here. My D300 and D3 bodies have arrived, and I'll be adding tips on working with NEFs from these bodies. Needless to say, my first impression of these two Nikon DSLRs is that they will live up to the hype. Tune into this week's Image Doctors Podcast to hear my first impressions of the D300.
November 13, 2007: Capture NX 1.3 is coming; Color Efex 2.0 for Capture NX now available.
Nikon has indicated that Capture NX 1.3 will offer D3/D300 compatibility and be a free upgrade to all current Capture NX owners. In addition, purchasers of the new Nikon D3 and D300 cameras will be able to get a free license code for Capture NX 1.3 for a limited time. Nik Software is now selling their Color Efex 2.0 filter set for Capture NX. You can buy a bundle of Capture NX and CEP 2.0 direct from Nik and save $30 off the list price. I've been using the Color Efex filters for some time now; they are an excellent addition to Capture NX. For my hands-on preview of Capture NX 1.3, download the latest episode of The Image Doctors from Nikonians Podcasts.
October 29, 2007: New Instructional DVD releases from Vincent Versace are available for preorder. Vincent Versace has several new instructional DVDs available for pre-order on his Acme Educational site. New from Vincent: the "Believing is Seeing" series, which details postprocessing with Photoshop CS3 and getting fast results, even on a laptop computer. Pre-ordering is also available for instructional videos from Lee Varis and John Paul Caponigro.
October 9, 2007: I'm back from a great week photographing the Tetons and Yellowstone with Nikonians. Check out the images in my new gallery. I'll be discussing the trip in the next Image Doctors Podcast.
August 24, 2007: Yesterday Nikon announced two new bodies, including the FX (35mm) format D3, a DX format D300, and five new lenses. If you have the resources, it's never been a better time to be a Nikon user. Read my thoughts on the D3 and D300 announcements here.
June 8, 2007: Check out my recently redesigned web galleries, including shots from the Texas Safari Workshop
June 3, 2007: Learn all about teleconverters in my latest Photo Article
April 16, 2007: I'm proud to announce that The Photographer's Guide to Capture NX is now available at B&H Photo!
March 6, 2007: Nikon D40X, new 55-200mm f/4.5-5.6 ED-IF AF-S DX VR lens announced. Consumers now can choose between the 6-megapixel D40 ($599) or the "X" model, which is exactly the same body only with a 10.2 MP sensor ($750, body only). The new 55-200 DX lens adds another VR option to Nikon's consumer lens line, adding the effect of shooting with a lens 3-stops faster.
February 23, 2007: I recently received an unsolicited review of "The Photographer's Guide to Capture NX from fellow photographer David Ziff.
"The Photographer's guide to Capture NX by well-known Nikonian, Jason Odell,... is one of those rare instructional manuals written by an expert who is also in touch with the viewpoint of someone who is NOT familiar with the materials." Click here to read the full review.
February 16, 2007: Nikon releases Capture NX 1.1. This free update offers native Intel Mac support and Windows Vista compatibility, along with a whole bunch of fixes and refinements, including resizaeble histograms and curves. I'll have a review up later. Update: Check out the list of new features in Capture NX 1.1 here.
February 1, 2007: The Texas Workshop is full. I'm already getting excited about going back there!
January 23, 2007: There's only one space left for the South Texas Photo Safari! Deadline to register is Jan 31st. Contact me for details and pricing.
January 9, 2007: Nikon Demos Mac Intel-Native version of Capture NX at Macworld Expo. The as of yet unreleased software has many other user interface improvements that users will welcome, including resizeable histogram windows. Obviously, Intel Macs will no longer need to use Rosetta to run NX, which should offer Intel Mac users a tremendous speed increase.
January 8, 2007: The Photographer's Guide to Capture NX: Supplement One is now available as a free update to all existing customers who purchased my Capture NX eBook (Press Release). Get more information about Nikon Capture NX and improving your workflow, and two new sample NEFs from the Users' site! If you don't already own the eBook, you can download a non-printable version of the supplement for evaluation.
December 21, 2006: Master the CAM 2000 autofocus system in your D2H, D2X, or F6. It's taken me two years to figure it all out, but I think I'm getting it!
December 21, 2006: Noise Reduction Settings for the D2X/s and Capture NX (4.4 kb ZIP archive). If you have set up your D2X like me, Noise Reduction is turned off. Here are some free settings for ISO 400-3200 to use in separate Edit Steps with Capture NX.
December 15, 2006: Happy Holidays from Luminescence of Nature! From now until December 31st, I'm offering a special holiday discount on purchases of the downloadable version of The Photographer's Guide to Capture NX. Just enter the code disc2006 and the discount will be applied to your purchase.
November 2, 2006: The Photographer's Guide to Capture NX is now available on CD-ROM.
By popular demand I am offering a CD-ROM version of my best-selling eBook tutorial for learning Capture NX. If you have limited bandwidth or just want a physical product, the CD-ROM version of The Photographer's Guide to Capture NX may be for you. The electronic download version is still available for those people who don't want to wait or pay for shipping. For more information on which version is right for you, click here.
October 23, 2006: Thanks to Nikonians member Chuck Szuberla, I have added capture sharpening USM settings for the Nikon D80 to my free Capture NX settings files.
October 21, 2006: Color Management is for everyone! Learn how to make sure your prints match your screen every time in my new article.
October 15, 2006: The response to my Capture NX ebook has been overwhelming. Thanks to everyone who has helped me on this project, and to all the photographers who have left me feedback. You can read what other photographers are saying about The Photographer's Guide to Capture NX here.
October 6, 2006: The Photographer's Guide to Capture NX is available now from www.luminescentphoto.com/caputrenx.html.
At 184 pages, this fully bookmarked, illustrated PDF eBook is a comprehensive guide for photographers of all levels who wish to get professional quality images from their Nikon DSLRs using Nikon Capture NX. Full-color screenshots, tutorials, and access to the real NEF files used make this book the essential companion to Capture NX. Read the Press Release at PRWEB.
July 14, 2006: Studio Photography magazine article
I recently had the opportunity to write a review of Alien Skin Software's "Exposure" plug-in for Photoshop. My article, along with several of my photographs, appears in the June 2006 issue of Studio Photography and Design magazine.
May 2, 2006: Rio Grande Valley Workshop 2007
Interested in getting stunning bird photos? Join me and Rick Walker for three days of shooting in South Texas. We plan to lead a group of 6 photographers to the Rio Grande Valley for a premier wildlife/birding shoot in May 2007. Contact me if you are interested! At this point, we need enough interested people to make this a "go".