Nikon Updates My Picturetown

Nikon Picturetown
Nikon updates My Picturetown with new features

Nikon announced the release of its latest version of its photo sharing service called My Picturetown. Aimed squarely at the consumer market, new features include greater sharing and creativity features including some tailored to some of the new software features of cameras like the Nikon System 1.

The latest iteration of Picturetown expands GPS support to display log data from cameras like the Coolpix AW100 which has built-in GPS support. The log data will be displayed in map view, allowing users to track their route and share the adventure with friends and family. There’s also an altitude graph and capability to display heading information and location names.

Another new feature is the integrated movie playback option that automatically packages video for streaming instead of download. There’s also a feature to display the new Motion Snapshot files, the new feature in the System 1 that combines still images and a few frames of video to create motion graphics reminiscent of the paintings in a Harry Potter movie.

One interesting feature serious photographers will appreciate is Picturetown supports NEF and NRW RAW formats besides JPEG and TIFF.

Picturetown comes packed with variety of options to share photos, including PhotoMovie which combines photos, music, and messages that can then be shared with family and friends. Other social features include shared albums with a slideshow feature and if the photos include location info, users can toggle between the slideshow and map view.

There is also built-in integration with Facebook and permalink features to embed photos in blogs and web sites.

The storage may prove a bit anemic for pro shooters with free accounts limited to 2 GB and a scaled price point up to $29.95 a month for 200 GB.

A Costume that takes the term “Fanboy” to a new level

Fully Functional Nikon Camera Costume made by Tyler Card

Some people spend more time on their costumes then others, Tyler Card spent many hours working on a fully-functional Nikon D3 costume. Using cardboard and a bucket, an old laptop, a DSLR, remote trigger and a Flash, Tyler was able to create this awesome costume, that actually takes good photos.

When Tyler takes a photo using his costume, the image appears on a laptop screen on his back. I have to give this guy credit this is one creative costume.

Edit: Tom pointed out in the comments that this costume looks more like a Nikon D3100 than a D3

  • Mode dial is on the wrong side
  • D3 doesn’t have a pop-up flash
  • D3’s body has a bottom hand grip

Check out how Tyler put together this great costume:


(VIA PopPhoto)

Five Tips For Longer Camera Battery Life

Nikon power pack
Nikon power pack because you can never have too much power - by Derek Ramsey

Most pros I know do more than carry a spare battery, they carry three or four spares, besides the full size battery pack most already have attached to their camera. Camera power is like money, there’s no such thing as too much.

Perhaps you’re not shooting at a pro level or don’t want to carry three or four spare batteries. There are several tricks for making the batteries you carry last longer.

Don’t Drop Them

This was more critical back in the NIMH days, but very few batteries are improved by repeated impacts with a hard surface. I try to take a knee to change batteries, if I can do so safely. That way if I drop it, it doesn’t have so far to fall.

That also means making sure you hear the locking click of the battery holder and battery door before going back to the shoot.

Keep them in a padded pocket in your vest or camera bag.

Minimize LCD Screen Use

That means cutting down on the image pre-view after the shot and resisting the temptation to scroll through your images every few minutes.

Live view, image viewing, the LCD screen is a big draw on the battery. I review my pictures before leaving a shoot and check the pre-view as I go, but that’s about it. I don’t scroll through each series as I shoot it.

Turn Off The Flash When You Don’t Need It

The problem with automatic shooting settings is the camera doesn’t know when it’s going to need the flash, so in auto modes the camera has to charge the flash capacitors just in case. That charging and flash prep happens every time you turn the camera on and off.

Don’t Push The Shutter Button Half-Way For No Reason

Pushing the shutter button for the heck of it kicks off a whole raft of power-sucking processes inside your camera. It has to run the autofocus motors, fires up the camera’s internal computer and display and, if the flash is on, top off the flash capacitors.

Easy On The Video

Video mode is a huge power vacuum, particularly in cameras like the Canon 5D MKII. The LCD is in live mode continuously and the camera is generating quite a lot of heat.

Cut down on the amount of time you’re in video mode and your batteries will last a lot longer.

Rumors Swirl About Nikon Pricing Policy

nikon announces new pricing policy
Nikon announces Unilateral Pricing Policy aka Get Set To Pay More

According to NikonRumors and now other sources as well, it appears Nikon is gearing up to implement a new uniform pricing policy on all DSLR gear among retailers. It’s a move that will surely annoy larger retailers, like B&H and Adorama, and cheer local brick and mortar stores that will no longer have to compete against the greater pricing power of big box retail stores and online stores like Amazon.

According to company communiques obtained by NikonRumors, the pricing is being put into effect so consumers won’t be tempted to shop around for a better deal. What it may do instead is give Canon a competitive edge on pricing.

Any company caught selling cameras below the nationally advertised prices may find themselves unable to buy certain products from Nikon. The Unilateral Pricing Policy, as it’s being called, will take effect on October 16th.

There’s another word in some circles for this kind of behavior, it’s called “price fixing”. How Nikon is getting around the law in the U.S. appears to be a loophole that differentiates between forcing a retailer to sell at a specific price and not selling to them if they do not adhere to pricing guidelines. The end result is the same and the difference seems largely semantic.

The bottom line for photographers in the U.S. it means that it soon won’t matter where you shop for Nikon gear as there won’t be any real price competition. It will be interesting to see whether this move works for Nikon, or drives more customers into the arms of Canon.

Nikon’s Snazzy Coolpix S8200

nikon coolpix s8200
Nikon's Coolpix S8200 has great specs with a mid-range price tag - by Nikon

This camera was announced back in August, but slipped under my radar. I wanted to go back and catch it up because the Nikon S8200 is a really decent mid-range offering from Nikon at an attractive price point.

The S8200 sports a 16-megapixel 1/2.3 in BSI-CMOS chip behind a healthy 25-350mm 14x built-in zoom lens. Backing up the optics is Nikon’s Expeed C2 image processor.

The ISO range is a respectable 100-3,200 with optical image stabilization and boasts a 3” live view fixed-position LCD on the back. Controls are a mix of menu and manual controls that’s heavy on the buttons.

The autofocus system contrast detect with a multitude of options including multi-area, center, tracking, face-detect and live view.

On the software side it has panorama modes for both 180 and 360 panoramas.

Video is full size 1080 HD at 60 fps in MPEG4 format with the added bonus of HDMI mini connector.

Two minor niggles with this camera are Nikon’s reluctance to add 24p support to their smaller cameras and some serious photographers will be put off by the lack of a RAW output option. The S8200 is not the smallest of pocket size cameras at 33mm wide and weighing in at 213 grams (roughly half a pound), you’ll need a big pocket, but it’s solid to the touch.

Still, overall a nifty little package for $329, worth a look for anyone shopping for a second camera that’s easier to pack around than a full size DSLR.