Nikon Blog
DPReview TV: Nikkor Z 800mm F6.3 VR S First Impressions
[embedded content] Nikon just announced the Z-Mount 800mm F6.3 VR S lens and we had a chance to spend some time with it! Learn about the size and weight savings compared to the F-Mount 800mm F5.6 and watch Chris’ impressive bird identifying skills! Subscribe to our YouTube channel to get new episodes of DPReview TV every week. Gear in this story The Monster Adapter LA-KE1 gives Pentaxians a way to use many of their K-mount lenses with full AF on Sony E-mount mirrorless bodies. Mike Tomkins looks at how it performs. Laowa has just...
read moreThe Nikon Z 800mm f/6.3’s Unusual Price in Context
The consensus seems to be that Nikon’s newly-announced Z 800mm f/6.3 is selling for a good price at $6500. But that assessment only scratches the surface. In fact, for the focal length and aperture it offers, this is the least expensive exotic supertelephoto in Nikon’s recent history, by far. The metric I’m using to make that claim is entrance pupil. The diameter of a lens’s entrance pupil is its focal length divided by the aperture. For example, a 300mm f/2.8 lens has an entrance pupil of 300/2.8 = 107mm. As another example, this metric...
read moreNikon reveals its new $6,500 800mm F6.3 VR S super telephoto lens for Z-mount cameras
Nikon has announced the Nikkor Z 800mm F6.3 VR S, a (relatively) compact super telephoto lens that comes in at roughly 48% lighter and 16% shorter than its F-mount counterpart thanks to the use of a Phase Fresnel (PF) element. The new lens is constructed of 22 elements in 14 groups, including one PF element, three extra-low dispersion (ED) elements and one Short-Wavelength Refractive (SR) element. Ir features a nine-blade rounded aperture diaphragm, includes a fluorine coating on the front-most element and has a minimum focusing distance of...
read moreNikon Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S Lens Announcement
Today, Nikon announced its longest and perhaps most exciting Z-series lens to date with the 800mm f/6.3 VR S. Two things make this lens especially stand out: the unusually low weight of 2.4 kilos / 5.2 pounds, and the shocking price of $6500. It ships in April. We’ve already put the Nikon 800mm f/6.3’s low price into context here, but the summary is that this lens has Nikon’s lowest-ever launch price for an exotic supertelephoto lens taking the focal length and maximum aperture into account. By historical trends, we would have expected around...
read moreTesla releases incredible FPV drone footage showcasing its Giga Berlin Model Y factory
[embedded content] Tesla has released an FPV drone video clip, almost 3 minutes in length, showcasing how its Model Y cars are manufactured in its new facility called ‘Gigafactory Berlin-Brandenburg.’ Located in Berlin, Germany, and opened last week, the 4680 cell production building is projected to produce up to of 500,000 cars, and millions of battery cells, on an annual basis. The video begins in the parking lot where the drone flies over hundreds of black stationary Model Y vehicles, plus a few driving down the road, before entering...
read moreCapture One 22 (15.2.0) released: Improved Keystone Tool, performance gains and more
Capture One has announced Capture One 22 (15.2.0), a new feature release update containing new functionality, improvements, performance enhancements, new camera and lens support, and bug fixes. The biggest functionality improvement comes from a redesigned Keystone Tool, plus Auto Keystone. The Keystone Tool features a new user interface. The Keystone Tool has been split into a pair of tabs, ‘Guides’ and ‘Sliders.’ Guides deliver fully automatic and guided keystone options, and Sliders offer manual adjustment tools....
read moreBlock-NeRF AI recreates a virtual San Francisco neighborhood using 2.8 million photos
There has been a lot of impressive work done in the specialized field of neural radiance fields, otherwise known as NeRF. This technique uses artificial intelligence to create three-dimensional scenes from 2D input images, filling in the possible blanks to create synthetic views of additional parts of the scene. We recently saw Instant NeRF, new technology from NVIDIA Research. Instant NeRF is the fastest NeRF technique so far. If NVIDIA’s work impresses thanks to its speed, a new NeRF approach from Waymo, called Block-NeRF, is equally...
read moreSlideshow: Winning photographs of the 2021 Storm Photographer of the Year competition
The winning photographs and photographers fort the second annual Storm Photos of the Year competition have been announced. This year’s collection of images highlight an incredible collection of images that showcase incredible weather events from across the world. Affectionately referred to its creators as ‘The Stormys,’ this competition is designed ‘to reward incredible storm photographers around the globe for their hard work every year.’ Unlike many other photo contests, The Stormys doesn’t require submissions to fall under any nefarious...
read moreDJI ‘Mini 3 Pro’ drone appears to get revealed in leaked video
Image via DroneDeals/Twitter DJI hasn’t even teased its next-generation sub-250g drone, but someone has already gotten their hands on a prototype ‘Mini 3 Pro,’ revealing a number of details and specifications we can expect to see whenever the new drone is launched. Twitter account DroneDeals has shared a video showing off a compact drone with labels and branding suggesting it is a ‘Mini 3 Pro’ drone from DJI, marking the first time a ‘Mini’ drone from DJI bears the ‘Pro’ nomenclature. In addition to sharing both stills and video of the...
read moreHubble captures a galaxy with an active black hole
Last week, NASA shared a new image captured by the Hubble Space Telescope that shows a galaxy with an active black hole. The spiral galaxy NGC 7172 is located approximately 110 million light-years from Earth within the constellation Piscis Austrinus. The image shows a ‘lane of dust threading its way across NGC 7172’ that obscures the galaxy’s core. When viewed from the side, it looks like a normal spiral galaxy. However, there’s more to it than meets the eye. When astronomers surveyed NGC 7172 across the...
read moreVenus Optics shows off footage captured with its upcoming Laowa anamorphic lenses
[embedded content] Loawa has shown it’s more than capable of producing quality third-party lenses at a price that usually doesn’t break the bank. The Chinese optics manufacturer has for the most part stuck with still lenses, but recently made its first foray into the cinema market with its OOOM 25–100mm T2.9 cine zoom, as well as a 1.33x anamorphic adapter. Now, it seems Laowa is looking to further bolster its cinema lens lineup with the help of a teaser video showcasing footage captured on a new series of anamorphic lenses. The flares...
read moreQuad Bayer vs Quad Pixel AF: what they are, how they work and how they differ
The Olympus OM-1’s sensor has 80 million photodiodes, which are used to deliver 20MP images and across-the-sensor X-type phase detection. This sometimes gets mistakenly described as a Quad Bayer design. That’s not the case though, so we’re going to take a look at how these two different systems work, how they differ, and contemplate why neither of the ILCs known to use Quad Bayer sensors make that detail public. What is Quad Bayer? Sony Semiconductor has developed a technology called Quad Bayer, initially promoted for use in...
read moreFamed American photojournalist Dirck Halstead, who captured pivotal historical moments, dies at 85
Embed from Getty Images Photojournalist Dirck Halstead, known for capturing pivotal historical moments, passed away last week at age 85. According to his sister, Anne Macpherson, a cerebral hemorrhage ended his life at a hospital near his home in Boquete, Panama. Halstead is known for capturing images during the beginning and end of the Vietnam War and an assassination attempt on Ronald Regan when he was president of the U.S. Dirck Storm Halstead was born in Huntington, New York, on December 24, 1936. His mother, Leslie, was an advertising...
read moreLightroom’s Useful “ISO Adaptive Preset” Feature Explained
ISO adaptive presets are one of my favorite ways to customize Lightroom. They can help you get better image quality out of your files at both low and high ISOs, and they are so easy to use. Despite their benefits, they can be a bit unintuitive to set up. I’ve worked out a quick and consistent way to get an ISO adaptive preset built for any camera you own. In this guide I’ll show you exactly how to create and install your own custom ISO adaptive preset in Lightroom. Table of Contents Why Use an ISO Adaptive Preset? Consider the default...
read moreWeekly Sales: Newest Z Glass, Cheaper CFe, GorillaPod Deal
Spring is definitely here! If you don’t believe it, just open your windows in the morning and listen to the birds singing. At least on the latitude where I am writing this text, spring is already literally pulsating outside. If perhaps your photographic equipment has been idle over the winter, it’s definitely time to dust it off and check if you’re not missing anything for the upcoming photographic harvest. NIKON D300 @ 18mm, ISO 200, 1/125, f/8.0 Let’s take a look together at this week’s deals on the current photography market that might...
read moreDPReview TV: DJI Mic vs. Røde Wireless Go II
[embedded content] The DJI Mic Wireless Microphone Kit is the company’s first audio product, a dual channel wireless audio system very similar to the popular Røde Wireless Go II we’ve been using for DPReview TV. Jordan’s been testing the DJI option for a month, and he has some strong opinions about how the two compare. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to get new episodes of DPReview TV every week. The Monster Adapter LA-KE1 gives Pentaxians a way to use many of their K-mount lenses with full AF on Sony E-mount mirrorless...
read moreSirui launches 75mm 1.6x anamorphic lens for full frame cameras
Lens manufacturer Sirui has added a new model to its line of 1.6x anamorphics for full frame sensors with a 75mm T2.9 lens. Teased on its social media channels for a few weeks and launched via an Indiegogo campaign, the new lens joins the company’s existing 50mm T2.9 1.6x anamorphic to begin making a set. [embedded content] The slightly unusual 1.6x squeeze gives the lens the horizontal angle of view of a 47mm spherical lens on a full frame sensor, and the vertical angle of view of a 75mm. When used with the 16:9 recording aspect ratio the...
read moreNo joke: The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2022 are open for entries
Image credit: Shayne McGuire / 2021 Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards It’s not an April Fool’s joke, the 2022 Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards are open for entries. Last year’s edition of the popular wildlife photo contest had a record number of entries. If you missed the winners, check out our slideshow. The winning photos aren’t just hilarious, they’re also great wildlife images. The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards were co-founded in 2015 by Paul Joynson-Hicks MBE and Tom Sullam, a pair of professional...
read moreDonald Trump tried to profit off former White House photographer’s book, sold his own instead
President Donald Trump talks on the phone aboard Air Force One during a flight to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to address a joint gathering of House and Senate Republicans, Thursday, January 26, 2017. This was the President’s first trip aboard Air Force One. (Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead) Update (Saturday April 2, 2022 at 8am ET): The article previously noted Mr. Trump’s photo book retailed for $230. While a signed copy was selling for $230, non-signed versions were available to purchase for $70. The article has been updated...
read moreFilm Friday: The 10 quirkiest compact film cameras that made it to production
All points and corners… the Olympus Ecru (Pic: Hiyotada/Wikimedia Commons) For this week’s installment of Film Friday, we’re highlighting a fun little list from Kosmo Foto that looks at the ten quirkiest compact film cameras to ever go into production. For the list, Kosmo Foto founder Stephen Dowling turns the spotlight on a motley crew of 35mm film cameras made from the 1980s onwards. As noted by Dowling, all of the cameras in the list were production cameras—‘no weird concepts [or] novelty/toy cameras.’ Almost no major camera manufacturer...
read moreThe Many Types of Photographers
It is a well-known fact that there are some rather serious diseases that plague photographers out there. While we have all heard of the Gear Acquisition Syndrome and other photography addictions, it is time to expand the photography jargon to include the many types of photographers we deal with today. Some of these have been around for years, while others have been recently bred in the darkest corners of the Internet. Without further ado, let’s get down to it! Exclusive, limited edition, Swarovski-made Nikon 100th Anniversary Crystal Creation...
read moreNikon D3400 MASP Mode Dial
Photos Members Group Since Nikon D3400 MASP Mode Dial James McMullan says: Hi, My nikon D3400 mode dial turns but dosen’t click and hence is constantly in shutter priority mode. Has anyone experienced a similar problem and if so what is the fix? 5:55PM, 31 March 2022 PDT (permalink) Would you like to comment? Sign up for a free account, or sign in (if you’re already a...
read moreVideo: Reviewing the 3MP Sony Cyber-shot P1, 22 years after its launch
In 2000, Sony launched the Cyber-shot DSC-P1. At that time, it was Sony’s smallest digital camera ever. As part of his popular Retro Review series, Gordon Laing, the founder of CameraLabs, went hands-on with the Sony Cyber-shot P1. As Laing writes, the P1 was an exciting camera when it launched 22 years ago, but how about now? The Cyber-shot P1 sports a 3MP CCD image sensor with a surprisingly compact 3x optical zoom lens. ‘The P1 sported a unique shape and style, like a chunky candy bar with a distinctive curved edge around the...
read moreFujifilm confirms film prices will increase by up to 60%
Fujifilm has announced it is raising the price of its photographic film and paper as a result of ‘soaring raw materials, transportation costs, etc., as well as the decline in demand.’ In a rather simple press release shared on Fujifilm’s website, the company says it has ‘been working hard to absorb costs by improving production efficiency and saving costs,’ but says ‘corporate efforts’ only can only go so far. According to a chart Fujifilm provided in the press release and embedded below, film prices will increase between 20–60% while...
read moreHubble spots the most distant star ever seen, 12.9B light years away
NASA has announced that Hubble has ‘established an extraordinary new benchmark’ by spotting the farthest star ever seen. The star, named Earendel, existed within the first billion years following the big bang. The light from the previous record holder, Icarus, took 9 billion years to reach Earth. The light from Earendel took 12.8 billion years to reach Hubble. It’s worth noting that Earendel isn’t the oldest known star. That honor belongs to Methuselah, which Hubble discovered in 2013. [embedded content] Earendel...
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Started out doing photography at the age of 6 using an uncle's old 1940 kodak brownie box camera. At 15 years of age, I decided to buy my very own 1975 Praktica SLR camera. I now shoot with a Nikon D850. I do unpaid TFP and commercial paid work.