Specs for the rumored Nikon D800 surfaced on the Japanese website Digital Camera Info, backed up by Nikon Rumors. If these specs have any credibility, the D800 is aiming squarely at the pro studio market.
According to what’s out there now the D800 will pack 36-megapixels on a full frame FX sensor. Nikon has apparently aimed this camera at studio work, sacrificing a little low light performance, which would be a no-go for location assignments.
The rumored price tag of $4,000 is definitely going to raise some eyebrows. I don’t think many Canon shooters are going to be tempted to part with their 5Ds for almost twice the money, even considering the added resolution. Though it’s too early to know what the actual final price tag is going to be this far from production.
The D800 will allegedly shoot full 1080 HD video at 30p, though other frame rates are expected to be added. I can’t imagine Nikon would not add support for 24p.
Other rumored components include 2 CF slots plus and SD slot, so you’ll be able to shoot a long time on this bad boy.
My initial impression is this doesn’t seem as much like an upgrade to the D700 as another variation on the D3 line.
If that’s the case, then it begs the question of what will happen to the D700? Maybe a D700s upgrade?
The official announcement is expected by the end of the month, until then you Nikon gear junkies will just have to hold on.
I could have picked a different picture to illustrate fashion photography but why? - by Martin Mraz, Julie Wimmer
Fashion photography is a little like being a clothing designer: It’s one of those occupations people devote their entire lives to learning and clawing their way to the top of the pile. While you can find people who fell into other areas of photography, like weddings and portrait photography, you hardly ever find anyone who blunders into fashion photography.
There’s a reason for that. You not only have to be hot on the trigger with quality equipment, you have to have the unique ability to push visual imaging to the extreme with planning, preparation and a relentless dedication to perfection.
Having made the case for how difficult to get into fashion photography as living, it’s one of those things I highly recommend every photographer try, even if you don’t end up making any money off of it. Because it’s fun and exciting and the industry has produced some of the compelling images that probably got you into photography in the first place.
The good news is you probably won’t need to buy or rent a new camera. Most of the high end DSLRs today, like the Canon 5D and Nikon D300s with a good lens have the resolution for fashion photography.
If you are planning on giving it a try, here are a few tips for trying your hand at fashion photography.
1) Collect some books on the subject. Books on fashion, fashion photography, tear sheets, and images of lighting set ups. Anything you can lay your hands on. Books on hairstyles, makeup cards, and the Fashion Photography group on Flickr. Don’t just study fashion photography, live and breath it.
Everyone in photography gets burned out once in a while. A splash in the pool of fashion photography will be as refreshing as a morning swim.
2) Collect lighting gear. Lots of lighting gear. Soft boxes, umbrellas, a ring flash, strobes vertical boxes, reflectors, spots and even shop lights. Make bizarre lighting gadgets out of whatever you have laying around the house. Having an interesting subject is only part the battle, being able to piece together the perfect lighting set up is a huge part of a successful fashion shoot.
3) Plan meticulously. Great shots may happen by accident, but you can raise the odds of getting one by being prepared. Go over and over your concepts, make sure you have a supply of props, backgrounds and supports, even if you don’t end up using them.
4) Don’t try to do it all yourself.A makeup artist that has worked with photographers before is worth their weight in gold. A hair stylist with a flair for the freakish and bizarre can turn what starts out as an average look into something from another world. Yes, those people are usually paid for their time, but you will be amazed at the difference it makes.
5) Be the director. There are some models who don’t need a lot of coaching, but they are few and far between. Don’t be afraid to be in charge, but don’t be dismissive. Once you get into the shooting groove, other people will be inspired and chime in with ideas. Listen to them. Try some of them even if you don’t agree. You might be surprised at the results.
6) Shoot continuously. Don’t merely shoot hundreds of pictures, shoot thousands. You and your models should be in near continuous motion unless they’re on break or in the bathroom. Shoot close in, pull back, move in again, and try different angles including above and below. Shoot, shoot, shoot. Shoot as long as your model can stand the shoes. Let’s face it, even a blind sow gets an acorn once in a while and when you have 2,000 pictures to pick from, there are bound to be a few keepers.
7) Break the rules. Don’t just trash the rule book, tear it into pieces, set it on fire, and drive over the ashes with a cement mixer. Shoot the stock shots, then get crazy. As long as it doesn’t involve the risk of grievous bodily injury to yourself or the models, try it.
For an example of fashion photography done right check out Adriana Curcio.
In the not too distant past, you didn’t think about shooting a portrait with a 35mm camera. You had your Hasselblad or Mamiya 645. Weddings could go either way, I carried a 35mm and a Yashika Mat. For some of the formal shots I’d even drag out my old Bush Pressman 4×5.
Today a medium format camera with a digital back will set you back nearly as much as a nice car.
The Mamiya RZ33 kit is a modern medium format digital camera. The camera, digital back and lens run an eye-popping $18,000. For that you get an imaging chip that’s 48 x 36. Compare that to a full frame 35mm chip available in the Canon 5D MKII which is 24 x 36. The 5D with a lens is closer to $3,200. That’s nearly a $15,000 price difference just to gain another 24mm on the vertical of the imaging chip.
Why So Expensive?
That’s largely related to the physics of building the chips. When you double the area of a chip it reduces the number that pass Q/A because of bad pixels. Even a small increase in sensor size significantly increases the number of failures.
Add to that the limited number of companies building chips that size, mainly for space technology and remote sensing applications, where they are considered “low cost” imaging sensors.
There just isn’t enough demand in the digital imaging market to make large scale production for photography a workable reality.
Is It Worth It?
Some people think so, but I’m not convinced. The pictures I’ve seen from Canon 5D MKIIs and even my Canon 7D rival anything I ever shot on any of my old medium and large format film cameras. Certainly there’s a difference, but the question is whether the difference is enough to justify the cost differential?
If you have the money, go for it. I’ve seen some amazing work from RZ33’s and the Phase One 645DF, but I’m not convinced you couldn’t get almost as good from your 5D and you could buy six of them for the same money.
The Canon 7D has menu tricks many people don't know about - by Canon
There’s a good reason for spending time with your camera’s instruction manual, because that’s where all the interesting tidbits of camera operation hide. A good 90% of people new to digital photography never take their cameras off the auto mode. Those people are missing out on a lot of interesting features.
Professional photographers are sometimes similarly unaware of features in their own cameras. Manufacturers get requests for features from users all over the world and accommodate those requests as often as they can.
Many 7D users don’t realize their 7D has some interesting tricks buried in menu options and behind buttons.
If you push the Info button on the back three times, you’ll find a digital level with both pitch and yaw readings. You never need a spirit level with a 7D, it’s already built in.
While most people know the digital zoom button on the back zooms the LCD screen when focusing video, many don’t know the same button allows you to digitally zoom still pictures in playback mode and then use the menu control button to pan around still images in the camera.
The 5D has a Camera Settings menu option that will record all your camera’s current settings and link those to the “C” mode on the menu dial. So, if you have a detailed camera setup for a specific type of shot, you can record all those options and call them back in an instant.
The D7000 has several interesting menu options. There’s the “Q” for quiet release mode that flips to the mirror up to get the shot, but leaves the mirror up until you release the shutter button to minimize noise.
Under the remote control settings there’s an option to raise the mirror before taking the shot for use with ultra-long zoom lenses where shutter mirror vibration might be an issue. In this setting the first step allows the mirror to flip up first, gives the camera time to stabilize, then fires the shutter.
The D7000 also has a 2nd IR receiver on the back when operating with the IR remote control.
Several models of the Nex have a featured called Smile Shutter, which triggers the shutter when the face detection feature sees everyone smiling. While it sounds hokey, more often than not people have more fun aping for the camera, trying to get the smile shutter to work.
Those gems and more await in your camera’s user manual. Find it, read it, enjoy, and share the tricks that you find with us.
The question I get most often is, “What kind of camera should I buy?” That’s a big question and a lot depends on your budget and what kind of photography you’ll be pursuing and at what level. The word beginner comes in many contexts: are you a beginner to shooting for money or using a camera period. Different options apply.
Professional and Semi-Professional
You’re planning on making money with your camera or plan to do a lot of shooting as a semi-pro or amateur. You have $1,800 to $2,500 in your budget.
If you’re shooting stills, go with Nikon. If you think you’ll be doing a lot of video go with Canon. Nikons have video recording capability, but most of the video accessories are made for Canons.
Advanced Hobbyist
You are really serious about taking pictures, but you have a day job in another field. Photography is a serious hobby. There’s an outside chance you’ll be taking a paying job, or filling in for friends who can’t afford a professional photographer. You have a budget from $800 to $1,500.
It’s pretty much just which ever camera you like in this range.
You Just Want To Take Good Pictures
You want to take great pictures, but mainly of your family and friends. You want something better than a pocket camera and you might want to experiment with manual controls once in a while.
