The Luminous Landscape - What's New

20 August, 2008 - Thinking in Themes : 'Camera to Print' now on DVD ROM from Calumet

mreichmann@luminous-landscape.com — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 17:21:43 CDT

William Neill is one of America's leading landscape photographers, and is becoming a regular contributor to this site. Today he shares with us his thoughts in Thinking in Themes.

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The comprehensive download video tutorial that Jeff Schewe and I published earlier this year, titled From Camera to Print, has been a huge success, and has been received with considerable acclaim.

Thus far it has only been available as a download, which has limited its accessibility to those with broadband Internet connections. Now, Calumet Photographic, one of the world's leading photographic retailers, has released a DVD ROM version of this tutorial that can be played on any Windows or Mac computer system anywhere in the world. The disk is available immediately for just US $39.99.

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There are not as many photographic field workshops in Europe as there are in North America, which is a shame, because there are so many interesting locales there to be explored with ones camera. Hans Kruse has one in Italy this coming October, which you can find our more about here.

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WIN ANY LENS OF YOUR CHOICE – VALUED AT UP TO $2,000

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"Between Michael and Jeff, they are doing a great job of bringing out what needs to be known,

how to use it (adding the keystrokes on the screen is great) and making sure even

first time users of Lightroom are going to 'get it'."

...

16 August, 2008 - Image Disembodiment : Is the fine art print history?

mreichmann@luminous-landscape.com — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 15:42:47 CDT

For most creative photographers the fine art print is the end goal of our work. But will it always be thus? Today, contributor Bernard Languillier asks the question in our latest essay titled Image Disembodiment.

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Our summer contest in which you can win a lens of your choice is coming to a close in a couple of weeks. Any purchase from our online store qualifies you to enter, and each new purchase is a new entry.

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WIN ANY LENS OF YOUR CHOICE – VALUED AT UP TO $2,000

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"Between Michael and Jeff, they are doing a great job of bringing out what needs to be known,

how to use it (adding the keystrokes on the screen is great) and making sure even

first time users of Lightroom are going to 'get it'."

...

12 August, 2008 - Sign of The Times

mreichmann@luminous-landscape.com — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 12:57:25 CDT

I'm greatly enjoying watching the Olympics on TV. Having done quite a bit of sports photography in my days as a staff photographer at CBC Television, it's always interesting to catch a glimpse of pros at work.

The above photograph from the German magazine Stern's web site shows the photographer's corral at the National Aquatics Center in Beijing.

In addition to being a fun perspective on a group of pros at work it's also a sign of the times to note the number of Nikons (black) vs. the number of Canons (white) in the shot. For the past 10 years or so at almost any major sporting event the number of white lenses would almost always outnumber the number of black lenses by a huge margin. So much so that Canon has run magazine ads showing this disparity.

But that was then, and this is 2008. At this year's Olympics the number of Nikons in use by pros seems to equal if not surpass the number of Canons. A definite sign of the times.

"Between Michael and Jeff, they are doing a great job of bringing out what needs to be known,

how to use it (adding the keystrokes on the screen is great) and making sure even

first time users of Lightroom are going to 'get it'."

...

11 August, 2008 - The Call : What's Involved in Doing a Commercial Shoot?

mreichmann@luminous-landscape.com — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 14:20:02 CDT

Have you ever wondered what's involved to doing a large-scale commercial shoot? One of the world's leading commercial photographers, James Russell, today gives us his often humorous recollections of doing a recent product shoot for his client, medium format back maker Phase One. The article is titled The Call.

Don't neglect to watch the video of the shoot linked about half-way down the page.

"Between Michael and Jeff, they are doing a great job of bringing out what needs to be known,

how to use it (adding the keystrokes on the screen is great) and making sure even

first time users of Lightroom are going to 'get it'."

...

8 August, 2008 - Tripping Over Nikon's Shoe Laces

mreichmann@luminous-landscape.com — Fri, 8 Aug 2008 10:49:26 CDT

Yesterday Nikon announced several new Coolpix cameras. Many were pleased to learn more about the P6000, which had been rumoured for some weeks. The concept appears good, challenging the Canon G9, and adding a few neat wrinkles of its own. A likely worthy entry by Nikon, potentially aimed at serious photographers looking for a competent pocket camera with raw capability.

Unfortunately it turns out, as noted here yesterday, that the P6000 has crippled raw capability. This has raised a considerable firestorm of angry commentary on this site's forum as well as others.

For more on why Nikon's use of Windows Imaging Component is a bad idea, have a look at this commentary.

"The Coolpix P6000 looks like a very sweet camera. The advanced controls, the built in GPS and the ethernet port are just the features I’m looking for in an advanced compact. But if Nikon is arrogant enough to not let me access my own camera RAW data except through a system that makes me a hostage of both Nikon (bad) and Microsoft (worse), I think I’ll pass on this one".

Nikon pundit and expert Thom Hogan seems to agree that the P6000's new raw format is a bad idea. Here's part of what he has to say on his commentary page dated 7 April, 2008.

"Personally, I'm disappointed in Nikon's Coolpix efforts since the 8800, and the P6000 actually increases that disappointment. My advice is to look at the Ricoh GX-200 and the Panasonic LX-3 if you want a quality compact camera in the near term. Both have true raw support. Both are excellent, photographer-centric cameras. And with care using raw conversion, both produce fine results at low ISO values. Looks like I need a new Coolpix bumper sticker to add to my collection: Skip the P6000".

And as for Mac users, who constitute a potentially large segment of the potential users of a high-end pocket camera with raw capability, looks like we're SOL. Here's what Thomas Knoll has written on an Adobe user forum...

"WIC is Windows only.

Even on Windows, WIC is basically useless for Camera Raw/Lightroom type applications".

I'm afraid that this is beginning to look like a repeat of Nikon's white balance encryption fiasco. Seems like Canon aren't the only ones tripping over their own shoe laces these days. ...

7 August, 2008 - Nikon P6000 Announced

mreichmann@luminous-landscape.com — Thu, 7 Aug 2008 11:44:35 CDT

As forecast on this page a while ago, Nikon has announced its hotest new pocket digicam for serious photographers, the P6000. It looks to be a direct competitor to the Canon G9, while upping the ante with built-in GPS and Ethernet connectivity.

But, though it has raw capability, the P6000 doesn't shoot Nikon's NEF format, instead producing .NRW files using Windows Imaging Component under Vista. Very curious.

When I queried Nikon about this I was told that they would eventually be producing a codec so that third party applications could decode these files, but I have to ask – why the hassle? Why can't camera makers keep life simple for themselves as well as their customers? Who at Nikon thought that this was a good idea?!

Just imagine. If the P6000 could produce DNG files anyone could buy it and immediately use any raw processing program. Since more people could enjoy the camera because it was compatible with virtually every computer platform and raw processing program more people likely would buy it. What a thought.

But I guess some folks at Nikon's product planning department don't think that expanding availability and increasing potential sales is a good idea. Instead we're saddled with another proprietary raw format and a snub to Mac users who comprise a significant portion of the pro and semi-pro photographic community. Makes no sense to me.

UPDATE

For more on why Nikon's use of Windows Imaging Component is a bad idea, have a look at this commentary.

"The Coolpix P6000 looks like a very sweet camera. The advanced controls, the built in GPS and the ethernet port are just the features I’m looking for in an advanced compact. But if Nikon is arrogant enough to not let me access my own camera RAW data except through a system that makes me a hostage of both Nikon (bad) and Microsoft (worse), I think I’ll pass on this one".

Nikon pundit and expert Thom Hogan seems to agree that the P6000's new raw format is a bad idea. Here's part of what he has to say on his commentary page dated 7 April, 2008.

"Personally, I'm disappointed in Nikon's Coolpix efforts since the 8800, and the P6000 actually increases that disappointment. My advice is to look at the Ricoh GX-200 and the Panasonic LX-3 if you want a quality compact camera in the near term. Both have true raw support. Both are excellent, photographer-centric cameras. And with care using raw conversion, both produce fine results at low ISO values. Looks like I need a new Coolpix bumper sticker to add to my collection: Skip the P6000".

"WIC is Windows only.

Even on Windows, WIC is basically useless for Camera Raw/Lightroom type applications".

I'm afraid that this is beginning to look like Nikon's white balance encryption fiasco all over again. Seems like Canon aren't the only ones tripping over their own shoe laces these days.

"Between Michael and Jeff, they are doing a great job of bringing out what needs to be known,

how to use it (adding the keystrokes on the screen is great) and making sure even

first time users of Lightroom are going to 'get it'."

...

6 August, 2008 - Newfoundland - A Northern Landscape

mreichmann@luminous-landscape.com — Wed, 6 Aug 2008 05:46:12 CDT

I had the pleasure of spending a week shooting in Newfoundland earlier this summer. I was shooting with the new Phase One 645 camera and a report on this was published here in June. Additional photographs taken on that trip have appeared on the site's home page since then as well.

Photographer Andrew Masur also visited Newfoundland this summer, and today has contributed a travel piece titled Newfoundland – A Northern Landscape.

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Andy Biggs and I have led two African safaris together, with an upcoming third trip together to Botswana next month. Andy has many sold-out safaris each year, and he has now added two new safaris to his 2009 schedule. One of his safaris will be to Botswana in July 2009, and the other to Tanzania in October 2009.

If an African photographic safari is something that you've dreamed of, then doing one of these with Andy is a must.

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The medium format hits just keep on coming. Leaf has announced the AFi 10 camera and 56 Megapixel back. The back's sensor is 56 X 36mm, making it among the widest sensors in the industry. The sensor also can be rotated internally, so that the camera and back do not need to be rotated. I hope to have more on this system once it becomes available for testing.

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"Between Michael and Jeff, they are doing a great job of bringing out what needs to be known,

how to use it (adding the keystrokes on the screen is great) and making sure even

first time users of Lightroom are going to 'get it'."

...

5 August, 2005 - New Four Thirds Micro System Announced

mreichmann@luminous-landscape.com — Tue, 5 Aug 2008 07:07:26 CDT

Olympus and Panasonic have announced a new variation on the Four Thirds system called Four Thirds Micro. You can read all about it at the above link.

As regular readers know, I have not been a big fan of the Four Thirds format since its inception. The format's promise was that it would allow for smaller and lighter lenses and cameras. It never really delivered on that promise when it came to cameras, though lenses offered some weight and size advantages. The shorter focal lengths did increase DOF though, which some photographers found not to their taste.

This new standard keeps the sensor size the same while specifying a smaller lens diameter and shorter rear lens flange to sensor plane distance. This will indeed allow for smaller and lighter cameras and lenses because it means that these cameras will not be able to use an SLR design with optical viewing.

Given that we've now started to see cameras with APS-C sized sensors in small form factors (the Sigma DP-1 is just the first of many to come) and we've seen with the Leica M8 that shallow lens-to-sensor distances are possible due to advances in micro-lens design, it again seems to me that Four Thirds simply doesn't offer any really compelling advantages. I could be wrong though – it wouldn't be the first time.

But, having stated my concerns, I think that what we're going to be seeing from Four Thirds Micro is a new generation of hybrid cameras proving both stills and videos, as discussed in my convergence article a few months ago. Olympus and Panasonic say as much in their announcement, and this approach could well lead to a new generation of cameras which change the game. There may be something to this new format after all.

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Apple has announced today a new web page listing plug-ins that are available for Aperture. Also announced today is that a Noise Ninja 2.0 plug-in is available for Aperture.

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"Between Michael and Jeff, they are doing a great job of bringing out what needs to be known,

how to use it (adding the keystrokes on the screen is great) and making sure even

first time users of Lightroom are going to 'get it'."

...

4 August, 2008 - SD Version of our Lightroom 2 Video Tutorial now Available

mreichmann@luminous-landscape.com — Mon, 4 Aug 2008 10:25:39 CDT

Our Lightroom 2 video tutorial, released last week, is now available in a Standard Definition version as well as a High Definition version.

This SD version is designed for Mac G4 and older Windows computers that are not able to handle larger Hi-Def files.

If you have already purchased the HD version and need the SD version for your computer simply contact customerservice@luminous-landscape.com for a free conversion coupon.

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1 August, 2008 - In Brief

mreichmann@luminous-landscape.com — Fri, 1 Aug 2008 17:25:04 CDT

UPDATE

Many readers will be aware that there has been on ongoing issue regarding the autofocus on Canon's 1D MKIII and 1Ds MKIII cameras for more than a year since introduction. These issues have been addressed by Canon several times but a cloud has consequently hung over the latest One series cameras.

Rob Galbraith has been at the forefront of reporting on and testing this issue, and today, in what is possibly his final installment on the topic, Rob reports on his latest findings. Rob's conclusion? You really need to read the entire report, and recognize that Rob's concerns exist at the extremes of usage, but they are nevertheless quite definitive.

"Canon has put considerable effort into correcting and improving EOS-1D Mark III autofocus in the 14 months since the cameras was introduced, but they have not yet made it, or its high-resolution counterpart the EOS-1Ds Mark III, deliver reliable autofocus of subjects in motion".

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Non-English speakers may not realize it but selected articles from The Luminous Landscape are regularly translated into several different languages, available on sites around the world. The latest is in Hungarian, published by Sandor Nagy.

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Nikon is making available a buffer memory upgrade for the Nikon D3. This upgrade requires that camera be sent to a Nikon service center, and costs approximately $500. You can read about the program and the buffer increases' advantages on Nikon's Canadian web site. If you're interested in having your camera upgraded you should visit the Nikon web site for your country for further information.

Of course, this announcement raises several questions. Among these are; 1 – Why is this being announced now, shortly after the announcement of the D700? Is it a way of creating a further differentiator between the two otherwise very similar but quite differently priced cameras? 2 – Will new D3 bodies in future come with the additional ram, or will this remain an after-market upgrade? 3 – Is this a foretaste of an upcoming new model from Nikon, the D3x; a higher resolution model built on the same body style? This would make sense, since a 20+ megapixel camera would want to have a larger buffer due to the larger file sizes.

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The US space program has produced some remarkable images over the years, and none as compelling as those of our nearest planetary neighbour, Mars. NASA now has a web site which features forty-five photographs which were selected by a panel of artists, photographers, and photo editors, selected for their aesthetic rather than scientific value.

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Our new video tutorial on Lightroom 2.0 has received a tremendous reception. Thank you. There have been times during the past few days when the server has been a bit slow, but on the whole it is holding up very well under the heavy demand.

The only real issue that we've seen is a small number of reports of playback problems. Generally they have been caused by the video & audio overwhelming the CPU on older computers. Our videos are High Definition and quite CPU & RAM intensive. Playback may therefore be problematic on Mac G4s and some older Wintel machines.

We are going to make a lower resolution (Standard Definition) version of the files available, suitable for those who are experiencing problems. These should be up on the Store by August 7th and an announcement will be made here at that time. Anyone who has already purchased the High Definition version and had playback problems can request a 100% discount coupon for download of the Standard Definition version. Our apologies for the inconvenience. Otherwise 99% of purchasers are not experiencing any problems whatever.

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"Between Michael and Jeff, they are doing a great job of bringing out what needs to be known,
how to use it (adding the keystrokes on the screen is great) and making sure even
first time users of Lightroom are going to 'get it'."

...

29 July, 2008 - Lightroom 2.0 Guide, DNG Profile Editor and Much More!

mreichmann@luminous-landscape.com — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 06:14:10 CDT

Adobe has announced today that Lightroom 2.0 is shipping and available for purchase from their online store. Lightroom 2 has been available as a free beta for several months now, but the final shipping version has quite a number of exciting enhancements that were not found in the public beta.

Today also sees the introduction of The Luminous Landscape Guide to Adobe Lightroom 2. This is a 7.5 hour long download video that provides in-depth coverage of every aspect of this new program . It features Michael Reichmann and Jeff Schewe as on-camera hosts, and was produced by Chris Sanderson. Jeff and Michael are long-time internal Lightroom alpha and beta testers, and have great familiarity with all of the programs features. This video features complete coverage of Lightroom, not just the program's new features.

The LL Guide to Lightroom 2 is available now as a download for just $39.95. A $5 discount coupon is available on request to anyone who previously purchased our Lightroom 1.x video. (Please be patient. Due to high demand receipt of the coupon may take a day or so for processing.)

There are two exciting new capabilities in the shipping version of Lightroom 2 that were not in the public beta. The first of these is a local gradient tool. We now have online a preview of The LL Guide to Lightroom 2 and an introduction to the gradient tool.

We have also placed online a complimentary 4 minute long video excerpt from The LL Guide to Lightroom 2 describing how to upgrade your Lightroom 1.x catalog to Lightroom 2.

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FEEDING FRENZY UPDATE

Demand for our new Guide to Lightroom 2 is tremendous. Thank you everyone!

But, with hundreds of people each trying to simultaneously download some 4GB of video files our server is understandably under strain. It will hold up, but the heavy load means that some people may experience slow downloads for the next few days.

To help out there are a few things that you can do.

– Place your order and start your downloads, but please; only one file at a time.

– If you can, unless you are watching all 8 hours at once, please spread your downloads out over the next few days. There's no rush. There is no time limit on when you can download once you've made your purchase.

THANKS

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The second exciting new capability of Lightroom 2, and also Adobe Camera Raw 4.5, (now available) is the introduction today of the DNG Profile Editor, and associated profiles for virtually every raw file format in existence. Our exclusive introduction and tutorial to The DNG Profile Editor and its uses is now online.

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Ian Lyons, another of the internal alpha and beta testers for Lightroom, has published a review of What's New and Improved in Lightroom 2.

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Jeff Schewe has a number of stories about Lightroom 2 on Lightroom-News.com.

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23 July, 2008 - Nikon 700 - The What & The Why - A First Field Report

mreichmann@luminous-landscape.com — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 17:37:36 CDT

What if a major camera maker took their flagship camera, released not much more than six months before, and introduced a smaller, lighter, and significantly less expensive version, yet one which retains some 95% of the goodness of its predecessor?

That's exactly what Nikon did when it announced the D700 on July 1st. Scheduled to ship within the next couple of weeks, the D700 shaves considerable weight and bulk off the D3, and costs some US $2,000 less. It's also aimed squarely at the market segment currently occupied by the Canon 5D and its soon to appear successor.

I've been shooting with a production D700 for the past week and my first impressions field report, titled Nikon D700 – The What & The Why, is now online.

UPDATE

Since this review first appeared there has been some discussion and debate as to why I didn't mention the D700's autofocus performance. The reason is simple – just as with the sensor and autoexposure system, the D700's autofocus is identical to that of the D3, so there really isn't anything new to say. People seem to be looking for problems and issues where there really aren't any.

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21 July, 2008 - Epson 3800 Printing Costs

mreichmann@luminous-landscape.com — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 08:11:51 CDT

One of the most popular printers for photographers these days is the Epson Stylus Pro 3800. This is deservedly so since image quality is about as good as it gets, it can handle sheet paper up to 17X22", its ink cartridges are relatively large, and the price is right.

But as experienced photographers know, the cost of a printer soon pales in comparison to the ongoing costs of inks and paper. Today's article is therefore a detailed cost analysis of ink usage on the 3800 by regular contributor Mark Segal titled, appropriately enough Epson 3800 Printing Costs.

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19 July, 2008 - Production Nikon D700 Under Test

mreichmann@luminous-landscape.com — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 23:38:39 CDT

One of the more eagerly awaited cameras of the year thus far is the Nikon D700, due to ship within the next couple of weeks.

I am now working with a full production sample of the D700 and expect to have my report online by this time next week.

The photograph now on the site's Home Page was taken with this new camera.

WIN ANY LENS OF YOUR CHOICE – VALUED AT UP TO $2,000

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17 July, 2008 - Medium Format Digital Collages

mreichmann@luminous-landscape.com — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 17:05:57 CDT

Regular contributor Alain Briot recently joined the ranks of large format (4X5") fine art landscape photographers who have migrated to medium format digital.

Alain is working on a full report on his Phase One P45 back, used in conjunction with a Hasselblad C system, but in the interim provides us with a brief essay on Medium Format Digital Collages.

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Australian magazine Better Photography has a feature in their latest issue (Winter 2008) on my work, this site, and my recent speaking tour in Australia. If you're down under you might wish to pick up a copy.

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Sean Reid at Reid Reviews (a subscription web site) has just published a full review of the new Ricoh GX200.

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This site's Home Page photograph has been updated with another from my recent shoot in Newfoundland.

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WIN ANY LENS OF YOUR CHOICE – VALUED AT UP TO $2,000

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14 July, 2008 - Phase One P65+ Preview

mreichmann@luminous-landscape.com — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 13:52:25 CDT

Phase One P65+ Preview

The world of high-end medium format digital backs is a rarefied one. But with the introduction today of the Phase One P65+ the air just got a lot thinner.

This new back, to be introduced at Photokina in September, and said to ship in Q4, is a break-through product in three areas. Firstly, it ups the ultimate resolution sweepstakes to 60 Megapixels. Secondly, the P65+ has a true full-frame 645 sensor, with 20% more on-chip real estate than any other sensor yet. Thirdly, the P65+ will have variable resolution capabilities, allowing for faster shooting speeds and higher sensitivity when needed.

You can read all about the Phase One P65+ in my exclusive preview report.

UPDATE: It's been brought to my attention that in an email to some Hasselblad customers, the following was mentioned. I never got the memo (or missed it), but since it's part of the full story here it is.."Hasselblad is also proud to announce the upcoming launch of a new 645 sensor. Full details on the 645 sensor will be discussed at Hasselblad's Future Technology seminar at Photokina 2008 in Cologne".

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A Bangladesh Workshop With Pierre Claquin

In 2005 Pierre Claquin and I lead a photographic expedition to Bangladesh. You can read several articles about this trip by doing a search on the word Bangladesh using this site's Search feature.

This was one of the most amazing photographic trips that I've ever done, and resulted in the publication of my book, Bangladesh – First Impressions.

Now, Pierre has announced that he will be conducting another Photographic Expedition to Bangladesh in late November and early December of this year, less than five months from now.

This will be a remarkable opportunity to spend 12 days traveling and shooting in one of the world's most exotic locales with an expert photographer who has lived and worked in that country for more than a decade. Pierre knows the language, the people, and the geography. He is a personal friend, and I can vouch for his professionalism, not to mention has Gallic charm and wit. Grab this one before it sells out!

Find Out More

UPDATE – July, 15
There are now just 3 places left
available on this workshop.

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iPhone 3G Ephemeris Software

If you bought an iPhone 3G this past weekend (like I did), or you expect to in the days ahead, there's a program available which may interest you called Astromo (US $9.99), that can be downloaded from the iTunes Application Store.

This program uses the iPhone's built-in GPS to ascertain your location, and it then provides you with a complete ephemeris, including the times of sunset and sunrise and moonset and moonrise for your location. This is a capability that some Palm, Symbian and Windows Mobile devices have had for a while, but that was missing from the first generation iPhone. A must-have for landscape and nature photographers. And, while you're at it, though they have nothing to do with photography, Remote and Shazam are also must-have programs. Both are paradigm busters.

UPDATE: Have a look at Chronometer as well. Just $5.00, and it offers much the same sun and moon related information but in attractive multiple formats. ...

10 July, 2008 - New Baryta Paper, Summer 2008

mreichmann@luminous-landscape.com — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 10:12:13 CDT

The hottest products in the paper industry for the past year have been those that are Baryta based, offering high dMax, rich saturated colours, the look and feel of top papers from the chemical darkroom, and which use Photo Black inks.

Today I look at several new Baryta papers, some refinements of existing products and others brand new.

WIN ANY LENS OF YOUR CHOICE – VALUED AT UP TO $2,000

Watch a free HD streaming video extract.

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8 July, 2008 - Three New Hasselblad Products, Including a 50MP Back

mreichmann@luminous-landscape.com — Mon, 7 Jul 2008 14:16:33 CDT

Hasselblad has formally announced today three new products; a 50 Megapixel back, a tilt / shift adapter for current lenses, and a powered technical / view camera sliding adapter. You can find out more, including some thoughts on the state of the industry as well as links to Hasselblad PDFs and web pages here.

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UPDATE

For Canadians (and others) following the saga of the botched launch of the iPhone 3G in Canada by Rogers Telecom, this article on CNNMoney.com makes for an interesting read. It isn't only in the photographic industry that companies make stupid marketing decisions and get chastised and pilloried by consumers and pundits because of it.

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If you are looking for a photographic workshop that will expand your skills and horizons, check out Stephen Johnson's From Raw to Print Workshop being conducted at Steve's gallery in Pacifica, California from July 20 - 24.

WIN ANY LENS OF YOUR CHOICE – VALUED AT UP TO $2,000

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7 July, 2008 - The Clouds Are Falling

mreichmann@luminous-landscape.com — Sun, 6 Jul 2008 15:27:57 CDT

Vincent Laforet, an ex-New York Times photojournalist, is one of the top photographers working in the US today. He has online an essay titled The Cloud is Falling, which examines the state of the photographic marketplace, stills / video convergence, and a number of other salient topics. This is a must read for anyone who makes their living doing photography.

Even scarier, for Brits at least, is a piece on PhotoRights.org titled 42 days and hand over your flashcard. We all know how photographers rights are being impinged upon worldwide, but this is completely Orwellian.

Hope you've had a pleasant weekend.

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5 July, 2008 -Canon XSi Field Report

mreichmann@luminous-landscape.com — Fri, 4 Jul 2008 18:56:31 CDT

Looking for a small light-weight DSLR? Looking for something to lighten your load when your 1Ds Mark/something is just a bit too bulky and heavy? Not willing to compromise on image quality or features?

Hang in there bunky, I may have something for you – the Canon XSi, the third (or fouth, or fifth, but who's counting) iteration of the Digital Rebel (450D to the rest of the world). My field report and review is now online.

UPDATE

Since first published a reader from New Zealand has written with some cogent comments on the Xsi / 450D review. His email has now been added to the write-up.

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UPDATE

Hasselblad H Series Tilt / Shift Adapter

This is shaping up to be and exciting week for Hasselblad owners. It's been known within the industry for a while that new product announcements were coming in early July, but once again leaks have preempted Hasselblad's official press announcement due this coming week.

There will be a new back with a 50 Megapixel sensor, the first of its size, and the largest CCD yet, and also a tilt / shift adaptor for certain H series lenses. And, since it appears that the adapter will work with H1 and H2 bodies and lenses, this is good news for all previous H Hasselblad owners. Put me down for the first one!

WIN ANY LENS OF YOUR CHOICE – VALUED AT UP TO $2,000

Watch a free HD streaming video extract.

...

3 July, 2008 - Nikon Coolpix P6000 Due Next Month?

mreichmann@luminous-landscape.com — Wed, 2 Jul 2008 19:18:50 CDT

I don't usually traffic in unsubstantiated product rumours, but since this appears real enough, and I'm not under NDA on this product, I'll take it at face value.

I've heard from a number of people in Europe over the past couple of days that Nikon will ship the Coolpix P6000 next month. This camera is a direct competitor to Canon's G9 in the high-end digicam niche.

Specs include a 13.5 MP sensor, 28-112mm 4X zoom, VR optical image stabilization, Raw Mode, ISO to 6400, and an optical viewfinder.

Looks like Nikon has decided to challenge Canon in even the most specialized market niches. It also appears as if Nikon's European subsidiaries have taken lessons in product leaking from Canon.

I'll definitely be reviewing the P6000 when it becomes real.

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The Home Page photograph has been updated with another from my recent shoot in Newfoundland.

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Mike Johnston, publisher of The Online Photographer, and my favourite curmudgeon, today considers the new Nikon D700 and its relevance, along with Full Frame in general and the state of the camera industry. As always from Mike, an interesting read.

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2 July, 2008 - Nikon's D700 Spoiler

mreichmann@luminous-landscape.com — Tue, 1 Jul 2008 16:17:43 CDT

The Nikon D700 camera, announced yesterday, is definitely a spoiler. The question is – of whose game? My new essay Some Initial Thoughts on The Nikon D700 attempts to answer this question.

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Miles Hecker has a review of BabelColor's PatchTool 2.3 on his site. Well worth a read, and likely worth having for those that care about accurate monitor profiling.

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1 July, 2008 - Two New Cameras Announced, by Sinar and Nikon

mreichmann@luminous-landscape.com — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 20:00:07 CDT

Two new cameras were announced within the past 24 hours. Sinar has introduced the arTec, seen above, a technical camera designed to accept medium format backs. Preliminary specifications are...

- Revolving Adapter
- Sliding Back for ground-glass composing
- Lenses 23mm to 135mm (Sinaron Digital)
- 5° Tilt/Swing, in all directions
- Shift V +25/-15mm
- Shift H +20/-20mm
- 360° turnable tripod mount
- 1.5 Kg

Availability is said to be shortly after Photokina 2008, in late September. No word yet on price.

The only curious thing is that it appears that the arTec will only be available with a Sinar Hy6 back mount, so Phase One, Leaf, Contax, Mamiya, and Hasselblad H and V owners are left out. Who thought that ignoring 90% of the potential market for this fascinating new camera was a good idea?

Not a complete surprise, because it was leaked over a week ago, the Nikon D700 is an exciting addition to that company's DSLR resurgence, started last year with the D300 and the full-frame D3. The new D700 announced today uses the same 12 MP full-frame (FX) chip as found in the D3, and should consequently have almost identical image properties.

The D700 camera is a direct competitor to the Canon 5D, which is due for a refurb any day now. The new D700 appears to be a camera of about the same size as the D300 externally but pretty-much a D3 internally. It differs from the D3 in some areas, such as 5 FPS instead of 9, though the addition of a battery grip raises it to 8 FPS, just as with the D3. One improvement over the D3 is the inclusion of dust removal by shaking the sensor, the same system as found in the D300, and of course a built in flash. Nikon's top-of-the-line 51 point AF is also found, as is a top ISO capability of ISO 25,000.

Price is set at US $2,999 (2,599) Euro and deliveries will start worldwide by the end of this month. I expect to review this camera as soon as it becomes available. ...

30 June, 2008 - Phase One 645 Camera Review

mreichmann@luminous-landscape.com — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 18:06:35 CDT

After 24 hours in an Internet black hole I am now online again with a new ISP at my summer house in Muskoka, Ontario. I'll be here for the rest of the summer. My gallery in Toronto will therefore be closed until late September.

To celebrate I am publishing the web's first review of a production Phase One 645 camera, which I was able to test and work with on a shoot in Newfoundland earlier this month.

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Not that this has anything to do with photography, and of course it's only of significance to Canadians, but if you are in Canada and think that an iPhone is in your future, consider signing the online petition against Roger's Communications announced rip-off pricing. These are proposed to be the highest rates on the planet for iPhone service. Rise up yee oppressed masses.

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29 June, 2008 - 'Please stand by!'...

mreichmann@luminous-landscape.com — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 11:43:38 CDT

Michael is having difficulty with his wireless ISP up in North Central Ontario (aka Muskoka). It seems that competing wireless providers are overlapping each other's frequencies and causing major interference problems to the point that internet access is currently impossible. Hopefully this will be fixed within 48 hours...

New content for this week will include a review of the Phase One 645 camera used extensively on the recent trip to Newfoundland. Also slated for publication this week is a review of the new Canon Rebel XSi. Please stay tuned! [Chris S]

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26 June, 2008 - Camera Raw 4.5 RC Now Available

mreichmann@luminous-landscape.com — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 12:40:57 CDT

Adobe has released Camera Raw 4.5 Release Candidate for download. It provides support for new cameras as well as other enhancements.

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Watch a free HD streaming video extract.

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25 June, 2008 - Some Thoughts on Camera Collecting

mreichmann@luminous-landscape.com — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 02:42:46 CDT

Have you been involved with photography for more than a decade? If so chances are that you either have something of a camera collection, or at least wish that you'd kept some of your older cameras, if only for nostalgia's sake. (Can one be nostalgic for digital yet?)

Today, contributor Bill Caulfeild Browne shares with us his thoughts on Nostalgia : Some Thoughts on Camera Collecting.

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Just wanted to send you and Jeff a big thanks for your From Camera to Print video.

With the info you and Jeff provided about colour management and workflow I was able to get perfect and consistant prints right from the start and have continued to do so as I experiment to settle on my favourite matte papers.

So thank you to you and Jeff, you've taken an admittedly complex art and made it easy and clear enough for anyone to follow. This has taken my art to a new level and has allowed me to continue to grow as a photographer.

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22 June, 2008 - Nikon R1C1 Close-Up Speedlight System Review

mreichmann@luminous-landscape.com — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 17:55:22 CDT

I am now back from a six day shoot in Newfoundland with friends. A good time was had by all, and a photo essay titled Fog, Whales, and Icebergs will appear here in the weeks ahead. The first of the photographs from this series is now found on the Home Page.

New registrations for this site's discussion forum, which were turned off while I was away, are now permitted again.

A review of the Nikon R1C1 Close-Up Speedlight System is now online, along with a brief streaming video which illustrates its components and use.

Watch a free HD streaming video extract.

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13 June, 2008 - Landscapes of The Spirit

mreichmann@luminous-landscape.com — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 04:19:21 CDT

This will be the last post until June 23. I am off on a shoot with some friends in Newfoundland for six days.

I will be field testing the new Phase One 645 camera along with a P45+ back and a complete suite of lenses. I will also be shooting with my Canon 1Ds MKIII, and will be testing the new Canon Rebel XSi 450D as well. Reports on the Phase and Rebel cameras will appear here in July.

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William Neill is one of America's leading fine art landscape photographers. I personally find his work to be some of the most compelling that I have seen. His 1996 book Landscape of the Spirit is an important and beautiful work, but unfortunately has been out of print for years.

Bill has now made a downloadable Digital Edition of the book available at a very modest price. The original essay that introduced the book is our latest article, and that page contains links to his offering. Bill has also agreed to become a regular contributor to this site, and I greatly look forward to his future writings.

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FORUM NOTICE

This site has a lively discussion forum, usually without the rudeness, tribalism and childishness so often found on on-line forums. Keeping it this way takes work, and this includes managing the hundreds of spammer attacks and false registration attempts made daily. Yes daily – it's a deluge from would-be spammers and pornographers.

For this reason, while the discussion forums will remain open this week, new registrations are temporarily closed and will reopen June 22. We regret any inconvenience.

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UNTIL JUNE 22 – 15% OFF
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11 June, 2008 - Of Passing Interest

mreichmann@luminous-landscape.com — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 08:23:28 CDT

Michael Kamber a photojournalist working out of The New York Times' Baghdad Bureau has been working with the Leica M8 system under combat conditions, and has just placed on-line an in-depth report of his impressions. War is hell. So to can be making and selling cameras apparently.

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I've written a couple of pieces recently about the convergence of stills and video, both from a technology and an aesthetic perspective. There is now a fascinating piece on Wired's web site that explores the world of Israeli combat photographer Ziv Koren and the topic of convergence.

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The latest issue of Hammacher Schlemmer's mail-roder catalog arrived in the mail yesterday. You know – the people that sell gadgets, like the underwater Pogo stick. (I'm not kidding). In any event, I note that they are now carrying the Casio EX-F1, which was reviewed on these pages a couple of months ago. I mention this because at the time it was noted that Casio was not going to be selling the EX-F1 through mass merchants and on-line, for reasons not made clear at the time. And, the HS catalog price is $1,200, 20% higher than when the camera was introduced. Oh well.

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It looks as if specs on the anticipated Nikon D90 have now been leaked. Funny, it doesn't feel like April.

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UNTIL JUNE 22 – 15% OFF
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and...

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10 June, 2008 - Do Sensors Outresolve Lenses?

mreichmann@luminous-landscape.com — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 07:21:22 CDT

Have we reached the end of the line as far as lenses go? Do the latest generation of high resolution sensors actually outresolve our best lenses?

This is not an easy subject to come to grips with, and though many have opinions few have had the rigour to put this to detailed examination.

In our latest exclusive article, Do Sensors “Outresolve” Lenses? by Rubén Osuna and Efraín García we have what may be the definitive analysis of this question.

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Canon Europe announced today the EOS 1000D, which will be called the EOS XS in North America. This is a new entry level DSLR. No word yet from Canon USA on pricing or availability.

No word yet either on the inevitable Canon 5DII, nor for that matter the Nikon D3x or D90. All should be announced soon though. (Gee, what prescience).

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UPDATE

As of today all prints from the Alexis print sale that were ordered during the second half of May have now shipped. Depending where in the world you are located it can take up to two weeks for postal delivery. Thank you again to everyone for your kind support and generosity.

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UNTIL JUNE 22 – 15% OFF
ALL DOWNLOAD VIDEOS AND DVDs

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9 June, 2008 - Photographers and Painters - A Symbiosis

mreichmann@luminous-landscape.com — Mon, 9 Jun 2008 07:39:39 CDT

What can photographers and painters learn from each other? Find out in an exclusive new essay by Jack Perkins (yes, that Jack Perkins) in an exclusive new essay titled Photographers and Painters – A Symbiosis.

SUMMER SALE

UNTIL JUNE 22 – 15% OFF
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7 June, 2008 - Summer Sale. Take it Off (15% that is)

mreichmann@luminous-landscape.com — Sat, 7 Jun 2008 07:00:42 CDT

We're having a sale. For the next two weeks – until June 22 – we're having a 15% off sale. Everything in our on-line store is reduced by 15%. That includes our download videos as well as DVDs.

If you've been thinking about our multi-hour From Camera to Print, Adobe Lightroom, or Photoshop Camera Raw download videos, now's the time to satisfy that itch.

Our Luminous Landscape Video Journal DVDs as well as high def download editions are also all reduced by 15%.

Come one! Got for it. You know you want to.

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Another way to get your photographic juices going as well as to improve your skills and expand your portfolio will be to attend the Sixth Annual Photography and Printing Summit being held at Bryce Canyon in early November. This event is put on by Alain Briot and Uwe Steihmueller and this year's guest instructor is famous photographer and author Tony Sweet. ...

6 June, 2008 - Two New Shirt Pocket Cameras Reviewed

mreichmann@luminous-landscape.com — Fri, 6 Jun 2008 07:15:09 CDT

It's summer (at least on the top half of the planet), which means vacation time and short sleeved shirts. Today's questions is – what camera to put in that skimpy breast pocket when you want to have a camera along but anything weighing more than a few grams is not on?

In today's new article Two New Shirt Pocket Cameras, I review the Samsung NV24-HD and the Sony W300, one winner and one loser.

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The Home Page photograph has been updated with something a bit whimsical.

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3 June, 2008 - Some Noise About Noise

mreichmann@luminous-landscape.com — Mon, 2 Jun 2008 17:04:42 CDT

Contributor Mark Segal today provides us with a research paper and essay on noise and resolution titled Some Noise About Noise.

This work has been underway for the past month or two; during which time Emil Martinec's more academic piece, mentioned here last week, was published. Looking it over we didn't find any contradiction, where relevant, between his technical analysis and our empirical findings. But the two articles reflect very different ways of examining the same general territory, such that taken together there is something for everyone.

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Nikon announced today an update to its raw image processing software in the form of Capture NX 2. More from the press release below.

"Capture NX 2 will be available for purchase throughout the United States in late June 2008 with a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $179.95 (full version) or $109.95 (upgrade). A 60-day free trial version will be available today for users who wish to experience all that Capture NX 2 offers. For more information, and to download the 60-day trial version please visit www.nikonusa.com".

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Watch a free HD streaming video extract.

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1 June, 2008 - A Decent Backpack for View Camera and Medium Format Photographers

mreichmann@luminous-landscape.com — Sat, 31 May 2008 15:32:21 CDT

Being a photographer means having to carry gear; sometimes lots of gear. Sometimes lots of heavy and bulky gear. When this also includes traveling and shooting in the outdoors a quality backpack becomes necessary.

Contributor Mark Dubovoy has tried them all, and today tells us about his latest finding in A Decent Backpack for View Camera and Medium Format Photographers.

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31 May, 2008 - Alexis Print Offer Ending Today

mreichmann@luminous-landscape.com — Sat, 31 May 2008 07:37:48 CDT

This is the last day to purchase one of 20 selected prints at a special price in support of my friend Alexis.

My wife Teya and I would like to express our sincere appreciation to everyone that has purchased prints this month. This has allowed us to raise over $40,000 in support of Alexis' ongoing medical costs as she battles with post surgical treatment for a brain tumor. She is having a tough time at the moment, but is one strong lady, and has the loving support of many friends and family.

Prints ordered prior to May 15 have now been shipped. Prints ordered between then and now will be printed this coming week and mailed shortly. Thanks for your patience.

I would especially like to thank those people that made direct financial contributions. This was unexpected generosity and is most appreciated. Thank you all! ...

30 May, 2008 - New Epson Wide Format Printers Announced

mreichmann@luminous-landscape.com — Fri, 30 May 2008 03:53:49 CDT

Epson (at least in some countries) has announced two new wide format printers of particular interest to photographers, the Stylus Pro 7990 and 9900 – 24" and 44" versions of the same model.

These feature what is called UltraChrome HDR ink and the printers accept 11 cartridges (350 or 700ml). There is (finally) automatic switching of matte and photo black inks. Green and orange inks have been added to widen the printer's gamut along with vivid light magenta.The ink complement is now photo black, light black and light light black - plus cyan, light cyan, vivid magenta, vivid light magenta, yellow, orange, and green, along with matte black.

Much of the new head technology seen in last year's Stylus Pro 11880 is included in the new printers. This includes automatic head clogging detection and cleaning. I've been running an 11880 at my gallery for almost 6 months now and have never seen a head clog, so I can report that this really does work.

And, as if this wasn't enough, Epson takes a page from HP's playbook and makes available an optional on-board X-rite designed spectrophotometer for automated profile generation.

There's no word yet on pricing, though don't expect them to be inexpensive. Availability is said to be late Spring in Australia, which translates into Fall in the northern hemisphere.

You can read more here and elsewhere on European and Australian web sites.

Please note that Epson US has not officially announced these printers yet, though I imagine that they will eventually.

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The Home Page photograph has been updated.

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Watch a free HD streaming video extract.

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27 May, 2008 - Epson 2880, HP LP3065 Monitor, Noise Reference Article and Moose

mreichmann@luminous-landscape.com — Tue, 27 May 2008 06:43:46 CDT

Miles Hecker has just published a review of the 30" HP LP3065 monitor on his site. I second Miles' motion that when processing images destined to be large prints it's hard to beat having a 30" monitor, especially now that prices are no longer stratospheric and quality has increased.

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Epson US has announced today the Stylus Pro R2880 printer. It is a replacement for the popular 13" 2400 model, and will appear next month with a MSLP of $799. This new printer utilizes Vivid Magenta ink, as do Epson's Pro level printers, the 4880, 7880, 9880 and 11880. Makes one wonder when an 80 series Pro 3800 will come along.

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An article titled Noise, Dynamic Range and Bit Depth in Digital SLRs appeared online this week. It's quite academic and will take time to digest, but for those that care about this topic beyond the practical level, highly recommended.

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Photographs by several of the participants in my Algonquin Park Moose Workshop last month are now online.

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My friend Jay Maisel is one of America's leading photographers and an excellent teacher. He has just announced three new workshops. These are intensive and expensive, but also possibly the most valuable photographic experiences one can have.

Help Alexis – A Special Print Offer
(Ends this week)

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...

24 May, 2008 - Taping and Waterfalls

mreichmann@luminous-landscape.com — Sat, 24 May 2008 06:26:50 CDT

This is simply a heads-up that I have been mostly off-line for the past week and won't be adding new content now until the beginning of next week. The reason is that Jeff Schewe and I were in Niagara Falls on a shoot for a couple of days to create content for our new Lightroom 2.0 video tutorial. Subsequently we have been sequestered in my gallery / studio taping this new multi-hour video.

Jeff has been a contributor to the development of both Photoshop and Lightroom since their beginnings. Among his other professional activities he is the publisher of Lightroom News, Photoshop News, and the co-author with the late Bruce Fraser of Real World Camera Raw.

Jeff and I were joined in Niagara by the world's leading expert in colour image preservation, Henry Wilhelm, of Wilhelm Imaging Research. An interview with Henry will appear in an upcoming issue of The Luminous Landscape Video Journal.

The Lightroom 2.0 tutorial will be the sixth educational video that Jeff and I have done in the past couple of years. It will be released simultaneous with the shipping version of 2.0.

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The new Home Page photograph was taken on the Maid of The Mist boat excursion beneath the falls. Looks like South Georgia Island from my last Antarctic expedition more than southern Ontario though.

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18 May, 2008 - Hasselblad H3D2 Field Report

mreichmann@luminous-landscape.com — Sat, 17 May 2008 15:53:46 CDT

Some people accuse me of having an anti-Hasseblad bias. Nothing could be further from the truth. I own two H series bodies, five H series lenses, and use them along with a Phase One P45+ back for all my serious landscape work.

Does the system have flaws? Yes, of course it does. Which one doesn't? Does the company and its management practices do things which I am not happy with? Yes, and as with other companies and products which I find fault with I state my concerns. Does this make me biased against them? No, not at all. I like to think of myself as an equal opportunity criticizer.

In any event, when my friend Nick Rains offered to do a report on a recent shoot with an H3D2 I immediately said yes. Though I happen to own a Phase One back I have now seen enough of the newest Hassy backs to know that they are comparable in image quality. First rate.

Here then is Nick's brief fields report. Nothing to get someone familiar with the system excited, one way or the other, but of interest to anyone thinking of moving to the top level of medium format digital. ...

15 May, 2008 - Misc Announcements

mreichmann@luminous-landscape.com — Thu, 15 May 2008 08:25:10 CDT

A few items for your attention today...

– Our customer service team is currently offline but will resume tomorrow, Friday. Sorry for any inconvenience.

– Sean Reid at Reidreviews has published a review of the NEC 2490 monitor. Included are Karl Lang's comments about the monitor (Carl is one of the industry's leading lights when it comes to monitor design), and both seem to agree that the 2490 may well be the best LCD monitor yet (for the money) for photographers. Sean's site is subscription based, and well worth it.

– Canon has released new firmware for the 1D MKIII and the 1Ds MKIII.

– Tom Hogarty of Adobe has announced on his blog that the DNG format specification has been updated. Big deal, you say. Well, maybe so. Here's a quote to ponder...

"The definition of a camera profile for the DNG format as well as the allowance for multiple camera profiles to be embedded in a single DNG file will provide the industry with the ability to characterize raw data in an efficient and standardized format. (Think ICC profiles but for raw data)."

What are the implications of this? For the moment I'll leave it for you to ponder :-)

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13 May, 2008 - Nikon 24mm PC-E Lens Report and Advanced Tutorial on Focusing T/S Lenses

mreichmann@luminous-landscape.com — Mon, 12 May 2008 17:49:43 CDT

Today sees two new articles – the first a field report in the brand new Nikon 24mm PC-E lens, and the second an advanced tutorial on focusing perspective control and view camera lenses, by David Summerhayes.

The 24mm Nikkor report also features a brief free video on the lens' features and functions.

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