Nikon D3100 shows promise and brings optimism

Nikon D3100 with GP-1 (Image Source: Nikon, Inc.)

Nikon announces the D3100. It’s Nikon’s smallest and least expensive DSLR, targeted towards point & shoot users who want to step up to a DSLR. It’s an entry-level camera – no big deal, right? This camera has me surprised and excited! Why? Because…

1. In terms of mega-pixels, the D3100 is second only to the D3X in Nikon’s line up. I’m hoping this means that the D90/D300 replacement is at least the same, if not more.
2. New movie-mode options. All firsts for Nikon DSLR to do: 1080p, 30fps (720p and lower), MOV, H.264/MPEG-4 file format, and full-time servo AF.
3. First DX camera to shoot up to ISO 12,800. I don’t know how usable it is, but at least it’s an option. Even though my camera shoots up to ISO 6400, I’ve never used it. Early ISO samples look impressive.
4. Nikon’s newest image processor, EXPEED 2. 

Why is this significant? Because if Nikon can make an entry-level camera with these specs, imagine what the D90, D300s, or D700 replacement will be. The release of the D3100 should make photographers very happy, whether they plan on purchasing it or not. It’s a sign of great things to come, at Nikon.

Looking at the table, I believe the entry-level D3100 and the mid-level D90 are quite comparable. With the newer D3100, you’ll lose the better viewfinder, the better FPS, and better LCD resolution found on the D90, but you’ll gain more mega-pixels, higher ISO capabilities, better movie mode, and SDXC card support all in a smaller, lighter, and less expensive package. Until we see more image samples, these specs may mean nothing. However, considering that Nikon has used its new image-processing engine, EXPEED 2, I’m optimistic that the image quality should be great.

Creating a collage with Photoshop CS3 and up

I've been creating collages after a shoot as a part of my workflow for quite sometime now. The collage that I create is actually used as a "summary" to help me with memory and organization. Way back, I created a simple contact sheet. Then, I found out that Google's Picasa can create a nice looking collage with just a simple click of a button. However, I've been having problems with Picasa on my Mac (Snow Leopard, I don't know if that has anything to do with it), so I started looking for a way to create a collage with photoshop and came across "BnBig Picture" action from PanosFX.com. It takes a little more time, but I think the results are beautiful and worthwhile.

Programs and files required:

1. Photoshop CS3 or higher

2. Adobe Bridge or Lightroom

3. "BnBig Picture" from PanosFX.com

Files that may be necessary:

MAC OSX

- Adobe Photoshop CS4 optional plug-ins

- Adobe Photoshop CS5 optional plug-ins

WINDOWS

- Adobe Photoshop CS4 optional plug-ins

- Adobe Photoshop CS5 optional plug-ins

They’ll be two steps to creating a collage. First, you’ll have three choices: Adobe Bridge, Adobe Lightroom or Adobe Photoshop for selecting and creating a “contact sheet”. Here, I’ll show how to create a contact sheet using either Bridge or Lightroom. For Photoshop, just open 25 pictures in PS and select the “Matrix” action that comes with “Big Pictures”. It’ll pretty much do what Bridge or Lightroom does. However, I wouldn’t recommend the Photoshop method; depending on the size of the pictures and the speed of the computer, it can take some time before you get your contact sheet. Second, you’ll be using Photoshop to turn the contact sheet into a collage.

STEP ONE: Bridge or Lightroom

              

Adobe Bridge:

1.   Start up Adobe Bridge and select 25 pictures, preferably in the same orientation (either landscape or portrait). If different orientations are selected, you’ll have to rotate them later (click here on how to easily rotate your photos). However, if you’re using the different perspectives at the end of the Big Pictures action, then you’ll want it in the same orientation.

2.   Select: TOOLS - PHOTOSHOP - CONTACT SHEET II (picture)

·      If you're using either CS4 or CS5, and don't see CONTACT SHEET II, you'll need to install Optional Plug-ins.

                                                                                                                                             

·      If you get a "command "" is not currently available", set photoshop so that it opens in 32-bit mode.

3.   If your photos are landscape orientation, then make sure your document settings are also landscape orientation and vice versa with portrait. Also, make sure you’re creating a 5X5 contact sheet. Press Ok and your contact sheet will be created in Photoshop.

4.   Save your contact sheet, close the window and Go to STEP TWO: Photoshop

Adobe Lightroom:

1.   Start up Adobe Lightroom and select 25 pictures, preferably in the same orientation (either landscape or portrait). If different orientations are selected, you’ll have to rotate them later (click here on how to easily rotate your photos). However, if you’re using the different perspectives at the end of the Big Pictures action, then you’ll want it in the same orientation.

2.   Go to the PRINT Module, navigate to the Print Job panel towards the bottom right hand corner and select print to JPEG File.

3.   Towards the bottom left hand corner, press the Page Setup button and select your paper size (borderless option if available). If your photos are landscape orientation, then make sure your orientation settings are also landscape orientation and vice versa with portrait. Press Ok.

4.   Below are my settings for the different panels. Select what’s best for you, but in the Layout, a 5X5 grid is a must.

5.   Press the Print to File button, save your contact sheet and Go to STEP TWO: Photoshop

STEP TWO:

Photoshop:

1.   Download the action file "BnBig Picture" and unzip.

2.   Open Actions Palette.

a.   WINDOW - ACTIONS or

b.   Option F9 or Alt F9

3.   Select Load Actions (picture). Navigate to the unzipped downloaded file and select “The BnBig picture.atn”

4.   There should now be “PFx_BIG PICTURES_free” in the actions tab. Select flat or curled and follow the instructions and press play selection button.

5.   Once the action has stopped, navigate to the History Panel and you’ll have a few perspectives to choose. If you have both landscape and portrait orientation in the collage, you’ll need to rotate the photos so they match.

Rotating Photos:

1.   Once the action has been completed and the collage has been created, you’ll notice that each photo is on its own layer. The action groups all layers, so right-click on the folder and ungroup layers (picture).

2.   Now you can command or control left-click any photo on the collage to select that photo’s layer, and then rotate.

Global Positioning System Unit

I've been looking to buy a GPS unit for my Nikon D300s for awhile now, and after reading a lot of reviews and checking out various forums, I've finally decided on the Solmeta Geotagger N2. There are a lot of options and devices available when it comes to geotagging photos. There’s the inconvenient, time consuming and inexpensive route, and there’s the convenient and slightly more expensive route. Before I made my decision, it was down to two products: either the Nikon GP-1 or the Someta Geotagger.

I chose the Solmeta Geotagger N2 for a few reasons. First, it has its own internal battery, so no worries on draining the camera’s battery. However, if the internal battery in the N2 runs low, it will automatically switch to the camera’s battery as the power source. Second, it has a 2-axis electronic compass that captures heading.  Lastly, it has an auto indoor GPS signal fixing ability. This means that if you lose your GPS signal (e.g. inside a building), the N2 will use the last location fix for each photo taken until a GPS signal is reacquired from the satellites.

	GP-1	N2
Acquired Data:
Latitude	YES	YES
Longitude	YES	YES
Altitude	YES	YES
Heading	NO	YES
Time Information	YES	YES
Acquisition Time:
Cold Start	45 Secs.	42 Secs.
Hot Start	5 Secs.	1 Sec.
Power Source	Camera Body	Internal Battery
Dimensions:	2x1.8x1 In.	2.2x1.4x0.7 In.
Price:	$195	$145

What I like:

-       The longitude and latitude is more accurate than expected.

-       I’ve been able to acquire a satellite signal indoors.

-       Acquisition is fairly quick.

-       The quality and build is good.

-       Acquired data is automatically embedded into the exif.

What I don’t like:

-       The position of the cable when attached to the camera.

-       When mounted on the hotshoe, the N2 doesn’t allow clearance for the popup flash.

-       Needs to be on the hotshoe for the heading info to be acquired (accurately).

-       It comes with a clip to allow the GPS to be attached to your camera strap, but I find it awkward to use.

Overall, I’m very satisfied with the Somleta Geotagger N2. Previously, I used a data logger, Qstarz BT-Q1000, to tag my photos. I liked the fact that with a data logger, I can put it in my pocket and it wouldn’t be in my way, and also that if there were more than one camera body, tagging could be done to all pictures. However, it also has its negatives. You have to download the data from the data logger, and then embed it the photos. It’s not overly complicated, but it can be time consuming, inconvenient, and a hassle, especially on a Mac (Qstarz’s software isn’t compatible with Mac). But with the N2, all the GPS information is written straight to the exif once the shutter button is pressed.

Also included, but not pictured, is a CD with instructions and software 

Since I couldn’t find any Solmeta dealers in the US, I ordered directly through their website. For $145, you get a nice little package that includes: the Geotagger N2, a connector (N2 to camera), a USB cable, a remote shutter control, pouch to store the device, a software CD, and a “gift” box that holds all the item    s. With ordinary shipping (from Hong Kong), it took exactly 10 business days (website said 15-20) to arrive at my door step here in Southern California.  With fast shipping (an extra $20), it should only take 3-4 working days. If you don’t need data on heading, you could save $45 and go with the Geotagger N1. 

A picture from Places in Aperture 3

Photoshop CS5 new features...some impressive, while others...

I just checked out Adobe Photoshop CS5 and some of its new features:

Complex selections made easy

This is a really nice feature. As long as there's a good difference between colors, it should be fast and easy to get good
results.

Content-Aware Fill

Content-aware fill does a surprisingly good job on filling in the space. The color and tone is accurate. For the most part, it gives very good results. Any part of the fill that is noticeable can quickly and easily be touched up with the healing brush. This feature, however, will need lots of RAM available if you plan on filling large areas. I have received messages stating "Could not fill because there is not enough memory (RAM)." My computer has 2 gigs.

Superior HDR imaging

This feature is not new, but has been enhanced.

Extraordinary painting effects

Automatic lens correction

This is a new feature that I was looking forward to more than any other. But so far, I’m unimpressed. The website says that PS CS5 “uses an image file's EXIF data to make precise adjustments based on the type of camera and lens you used.” But you’re not going to get results if there’s no support for camera bodies and lenses. For Nikon, only a D90 and D3 were available unless you use the search online button. I used a picture from a Nikon D300s with the Tokina 12-24mm; CS5 used a Nikon D2x with Sigma 12-24mm profile. If you’ve used DXO or PtLens, you’ll be disappointed with this feature in CS5. 

Puppet Warp

I really like Puppet Warp. It's easy to use and you can do some pretty amazing things with it. If you're into Panorama, this feature should be very useful. Check the video out around the 5 minute mark. 

I like Aperture 3, but...

I've been playing with Apple Aperture 3 for the past two weeks and I can say it's a definite improvement over the previous versions. Faces, places, and brushes are the new features that I really like. Especially the edge-aware brushes, they seem to work very well. What's also noticeable over previous versions, is the speed; it's faster!

What I like:

Faces: It seems faster and a bit more accurate in detecting faces that are turned to the side over iPhoto '09.

Places: You can now import GPS tracks! If you own a GPS data logger, you'll be able to save a lot of time with this feature. If you own an iPhone (seems like everyone except me), you can even import GPS from iPhone photos. 

Third-party sites: Integration with sites such as Facebook is wonderful. This is a feature I wish Lightroom had. This feature on Aperture 3 is not the same as using a plug-in to export photos to a third party site on Lightroom. On Aperture 3, your photos are actually synced with these sites.

What I didn't like:

Speed: It's faster than the previous versions of Aperture, but it's still slightly slower than Lightroom. It is very noticeable if your photos are on an external drive such as a home server.

Camera Profiles: There are none! You can't choose anything. No camera profiles, no custom profiles.

Video: Not much to talk about here; the only thing you can do is trim.

White Balance: I know this sounds a bit nitpicky, but it doesn't have pre-set white balance. It's not a big deal, but I just didn't like that it didn't have it. Oops...found it!

 

     Left: Adobe Lightroom 2

     Above: Aperture 3

Conclusions:

I know, two weeks with Aperture 3 isn't enough time to fully evaluate it. However, I'm basing my conclusions on my previous post, should I move from Lightroom 2 to Aperture 3? Well, the answer is I doubt that I'll convert. Aperture 3 is nice; I actually like it a lot. The way it integrates with software such as mail, iLife, or third-party sites is a dream. Faces, places, and brushes works very well. In terms of adjustments, I don't see any big differences between Lightroom and Aperture. However, the deal breaker for me is camera profiles. I use Colorchecker Passport to create custom profiles and without support for camera profiles, the Colorchecker Passport is only useful for white balance correction. If the price of Aperture 3 were a lot less, I would consider buying to use in place of iPhoto.

Now it's time to try the beta version of Lightroom 3. Looking at the new features, I don't think it will disappoint; especially with today's announcement that it'll also include lens correction.

I love Lightroom, but it's time to try Aperture 3

I’m a big fan of Adobe. When it comes to photography, Adobe Lightroom 2 and Photoshop CS4 are the two programs that I use most. I believe there’s really no competition out there, when it comes to PS. It has lots of filters from third parties. It can: stitch pictures to create a panorama (ridiculously slow, but capable), combine pictures to create an HDR image, or even create a time-lapse video. I primarily use PS to be creative with an image or create a time-lapse video. For pano, I use PTgui and for HDR, I use Photomatix.

Lately, I’ve been reading some good reviews about Aperture 3, and now I’m going to give it a try. However, I don’t know if $200 is worth it for these few reasons why I’m even considering this:

• I like how Apple software integrates with one another.  (Mail, iMovie, iDVD, iPhoto)
• It supports VIDEO!
• Faces and places. I love these two features in iPhoto.

I did plan on waiting for LR3, but I imagine it won’t be out until at least July (Beta expires June 30, if that means anything). What I am going to do is download a trial of Aperture 3. I did try Aperture when it first came out and think it was bad, just that LR was better. If anyone has used both products, Aperture and Lightroom, and would like to share their thoughts, please do, I’d really appreciate it. Thanks

How to shoot a panoramic picture

Essential (in this case):

• Digital Camera
• Stitching Software (e.g. PTgui, Photoshop, Stitcher Unlimited)

Nonessential, but would be nice to have:

• Tripod
• Panoramic Tripod Head (e.g. Nodal Ninja, Manfrotto 303SPH)
• Spirit level

If you’re serious about pano, then I would suggest that you use a tripod and a panoramic tripod head. You’ll have more options and better panoramas with these two items. With a panoramic head, two things that immediately come to mind: first, you’ll be able to eliminate parallax; second, you have the option to make different types of panoramas, including VR pano or “little planets”.

Camera Settings:

• Set quality to RAW (if preferred)
• I choose RAW because I want the most options available to me in post processing.
• Choose a low ISO and, if applicable, make sure “AUTO ISO” is off.
• This keeps noise out of the movie, and its exposure consistent.
• Set your white balance
• Set camera to “Manual”
• Meter you main subject.
• You’ll want the same aperture and shutter speed for all frames.
• This keeps the movie’s exposure consistent.
• This is very important where lighting may change (ex: sunrise or sunset).
• If possible, choose an aperture with great depth of field.
• Turn Auto focus off
• You’ll want your focus point consistent in all exposures

Overlap images by at least 25%

Position your tripod and level your camera with the horizon. If you don’t level your camera, you may end up having to crop your image in post processing to level the horizon. If using a panoramic head, set you settings for your camera body and lens.  Now make sure that each exposure captured overlaps one another. I would suggest by at least 25%.  From here on it should be all post processing. The stitching software should do all the work.

Nikon Instant Rebates through May 1, 2010

Receive and instant rebate with the purchase of a select Nikon DSLR and one of the following lens:

Nikon 55-200mm f/4-5.6G ED IF AF-S DX VR Zoom Nikkor Lens = $100

Nikon 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED IF AF-S VR Zoom Nikkor Lens = $200

Nikon 24-120mm f/3.5-5.6G ED IF Autofocus VR Nikkor Zoom Lens = $200

Nikon 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G AF-S ED VR II Telephoto Zoom Lens = $250

Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8G ED AF-S Nikkor Wide Angle Zoom Lens = $300

Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II AF-S NIKKOR Lens = $400

View on the X-rite Colorchecker Passport

I was very hesitant to buy the X-rite Colorchecker Passport. It did seem like an expensive buy to spend $100 on a product to correct (profile) color. However, after using this product in various color temperatures, I must say that it is worth every penny and a must have item in your camera bag. I now get more accurate colors with my custom profile than with the default camera profile or adobe profile (I use Photoshop and Lightroom). Best of all, it's a real quick and simple process!

Here's an example with Auto White Balance and Adobe Standard Profile:

        Fluorescent Cool White 4100K              Metal Halide HID 4000K            High Press. Sodium HID 2100K

Pass mouse over image to see with custom WB and Profile using X-rite Colorchecker Passport 

The first step is I make sure my camera settings are correct:
 1. Set the quality to RAW. You won't be able to create a profile with JPEG.
 2. The lowest default ISO on my camera is 200. I'll make sure auto-ISO is off and set ISO to 200. What I'm trying to do is prevent chroma noise (at higher ISO) from affecting the profile I'm about to create.
 3. Finally, I'll set the white balance using the "White Balance Target". The reason why I set my white balance now, eventhough I shoot raw, is because I want the most accurate information possible on my camera's lcd, whether it's to preview a photo or check the histogram.

Next, I'll take a picture of the "Creative Enhancement Target" and "Classic Target". The most important thing in this step is that you will want a properly exposed image. You don't want to clip the highlights. If you do, the software will not be able to create a custom profile

The last step is using the software to create a custom profile. There are three choices, that I know of, to create a custom profile:
 1. X-rite's Camera Calibration Software (desktop application)
 2. X-rite's plugin for Adobe Lightroom
 3. Adobe's DNG Profile Editor
The easiest process is to use the plugin for Lightroom. In Lightroom, you just have to right click on the picture of the "targets" and select EXPORT -> COLORCHECKER PASSPORT. Once it says it finished, just relaunch Lightroom and your custom profile should in the "Camera Calibration" pull down list. However, I prefer to use Adobe's DNG Profile Editor. Adobe's reds look more accurate and less saturated than X-rite's.

White Macbook doesn't like me!

Look at what happened to my 13" Macbook. I cracked the screen and now I'm going to have to replace it. There goes $150 down the drain. Obviously, this one's my fault; I dropped it!
I've had such bad luck with the white Macbook. This one's actually my second one. When I bought my first Macbook (in 2006), I started getting a discoloration where the hand rests after a few weeks. Then came a battery problem.  Apple did replace both free of charge. Later, my hard disk failed, but at that time, Apple wouldn't acknowledge the problem andI ended up paying for a new HD.  Even though I've had my fair share of problems, I do love Apple products.

X-rite Colorchecker Passport

I just purchased an X-rite Colorchecker Passport. So far, I am very please with the results. The colors are a lot more accurate after doing a custom profile. If you're JPEG shooter, I can't see many benefits to this product. However if you shoot RAW, I think you'll be very happy with it. I'll write more on the Colorchecker Passport once I use it in different lighting conditions. If anyone has a question, just write it in the comments. I'll try to answer it the best I can.

Hello, this is my first ever blog post!

Hi,

Let me introduce myself. My name is Jon and I am very new to the blogging world. I live in the United States, Southern California to be more specific. I have lots of interests in life, but there are only a few things that I am passionate about. Photography is one of them. This blog will mostly be about digital photography. I try to get into all kinds of photography, but I really like panoramas. I hope to improve on flash photography and I plan on trying macro. I don't have the greatest memory, so some of my posts will be a reminder for myself (such as settings for my equipment). Hopefully, I'll get some insight from others, and answer when I get stuck. This is just a quick introduction and there'll be more. Thank you for reading.

Jon