Complete Nik software collection now only $149

Good news for everyone performing their own post processing: the complete Nik Software collection is now only $149!

The collection consists of all 6 highly rewarded plugins for Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Photoshop Elements, Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, and Apple Aperture. Available for both Windows and Mac. View the complete collection at the Nik Software website.

Nik Software Collection

• Color Efex Pro 4 – Awesome set of filters for colour correction, retouching, and other creative effects.
• Silver Efex Pro 2 – If you're serious about B&W, this is the filter set to consider.
• HDR Efex Pro 2 – One of the best, if not the best, HDR tools available, I really love it!
• Sharpener Pro 3 – Covers every step in the image sharpening workflow; from Capture Sharpening to Creative Sharpening to Output Sharpening.
• Dfine 2 – Powerful noise reduction.
• Viveza 2 – Creating selections and masks the easy way.

Compatibility

The Nik Software collection is compatible with the following systems:
Mac

• Mac® OS 10.6.8 through 10.8
• Intel processor
• 2GB of RAM (4 GB or more recommended)
• Adobe Photoshop CS4 (CS5 for HDR Efex Pro 2) through CS6
• Adobe Photoshop Elements 9 through 11
  (apart from HDR Efex Pro 2, which is not compatible with Photoshop Elements)
• Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3 through 4
• Apple® Aperture® 3.1 or later
• 32-bit and 64-bit Compatible (HDR Efex Pro 2 is only compatible with 64-bit systems)
• For GPU acceleration, an Open GL 3.0 compatible graphics card such as the cards listed below. If no compatible card is available, GPU acceleration will be disabled and the CPU will be used.

Windows

• Windows Vista®, Windows 7, Windows 8
• AMD® or Intel® processor
• 2GB of RAM (4 GB or more recommended)
• Adobe Photoshop CS4 through CS6
• Adobe Photoshop Elements 9 through 11
  (apart from HDR Efex Pro 2, which is not compatible with Photoshop Elements)
• Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3 through 4
• 32-bit and 64-bit Compatible
• For GPU acceleration, an Open GL 3.0 compatible graphics card such as the cards listed below. If no compatible card is available, GPU acceleration will be disabled and the CPU will be used.

GPU Compatibility

• NVIDIA GeForce 8 Series, GeForce 9 Series, GeForce 100 Series, GeForce 200 Series, GeForce 300 Series, GeForce 400 Series, GeForce 500 Series,
• ATI Radeon HD2000 Series, Radeon HD3000 Series, Radeon HD4000 Series, Radeon HD5000 Series, Radeon HD6000 Series,
• Intel HD Graphics 3000

The beauty of old and derelict industrial sites

One of the workshops that's becoming a favourite of our guests – and still is one of ours, too – is the Industrial Heritage workshop. And there's good reason for that, even though it came into being almost by accident.

A couple of years ago, we visited the German Ruhrgebiet. This used to be a vast area with heavy industry, until the 1980's/1990's. After that, most of the chemical plants, factories, steel mills, coking facilities and mines were gradually closed down. We went to see if any of these were suitable to photograph.

What we were looking for mostly was not so much one of the perfectly groomed museums that the Germans have turned some of the sites into. No, we were looking for an unpolished site that had been left after it's closing much as it had been – as if time had stood still, as it were.

We were lucky. When we turned up at a rather small site carrying our photo gear, the lady at the reception reacted enthusiastically, asking if we were there for the photo tour? Since we aren't big fans of guided tours, we told her no. But with a little smile she announced that the “tour” would take us places the public wasn't allowed to enter: unpolished and rough. We were sold.

It turned out to be amazing. Wandering through near-dark machine rooms, flooded cellars, and climbing dusty conveyor belts, we had far too little time to take it all in. Our guide Klaus Peter turned out to be invaluable. Not only had he been working for years at this plant, so he knew every corner – he was an avid photographer himself, and very sympathetic to the fact that we really needed half an hour in a dimly lit battery to set up the perfect shot.

That's exactly what still makes this trip unique. Not only can we get to places the public can't, ensuring unique shots – the tour is a little bit different every time. This is partly caused by nature taking over the site. The railway tracks have gotten covered in weeds over the years, dragonflies have colonised the water basin, ferns have started growing in the batteries; it all gives the place a unique, very “sleeping beauty” atmosphere. One early cold morning we even spotted a herd of roe deer between the batteries. But also, each time we do the tour, another area of the site has been cleared, making it possible for us to explore new areas and buildings. So each tour in itself we do here is unique!

If you would like to join us on this unique tour, better hurry – there are just a few places left in our April workshop. If you like low light and atmospheric, “rough” images, or would like to practice High Dynamic Range (HDR) photography, this is just the trip for you. You'll need sturdy shoes and need to be ready to get down and dirty, but we can pretty much promise you great and unique shots!

New Canon 700D and 100D cameras announced

Canon just announced two new cameras: the 700D which is an update to the (quite recently released) 650D and an all new very slim and lightweight (world lightest?) 100D. Both cameras should be available in April.

Canon EOS 700D/Rebel T5i

• 18.0MP APS-C CMOS Sensor
• DIGIC 5 Image Processor
• 3.0″ Vari-angle touch screen LCD
• ISO 100-12800, expandable to 25600
• Full HD 1080 video with continuous AF
• STM lens support for quiet AF during video shooting
• 5 frames per second continuous shooting rate
• 9 point AF system (all cross-type!)

The suggested retail price of the 700D body is €699/$750. You can also get the 700D as a kit with the (also new) Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM lens (€249, lens only).

Canon EOS 100D/Rebel SL1

• 18.0MP APS-C CMOS Sensor
• DIGIC 5 Image Processor
• 3.0″ Clear View II touch screen LCD
• ISO 100-12800, expandable to 25600
• Full HD 1080 Video with continuous AF
• 4 frames per second continuous shooting rate
• 9 point AF system (all cross-type!)
• Very lightweight (±400gr, less than 0.9lb!)

The suggested retail price of the 100D body is €649/$650, again also available as a kit with the new EF-S 18-55/3.5-5.6 lens (just as the 700D).

More Nikon software&firmware updates: Capture NX2.4.1, Camera Control Pro 2.14.0, and wireless communication updates

Nikon released updates to more of its software & firmware today.

• Capture NX 2.4.1 (full version) – download
• Camera Control Pro 2.14.0 (updater) – download
• Wireless Transmitter Utility 1.4.0 (full version) – download
• Communication Unit UT-1 Firmware Update 1.1 – download
• Wireless Remote Controller WR-R10 Firmware Update 2.00 – download

As always you can download the updates from the Nikon support sites. (Links above are from the EU support site)

The fixes/enhancements for each software and firmware are listed below.

Nikon releases ViewNX 2.7.4

Nikon has released an update to their free image browser/editor ViewNX2.

The 2.7.4. update contains below fixes and enhancements.

Modifications that apply to both the Windows and Macintosh versions

• Support for the D7100 has been added.
• The correct lens name is now be displayed for still images captured with a digital-SLR camera and the AF-S NIKKOR 800mm f/5.6E FL ED VR. However, in the following cases, the lens name displayed will indicate that it is a G-type lens in Metadata on the Edit palette.
• Images captured with a Nikon 1-series camera and the FT-1 mount adapter
• Movies recorded using a digital-SLR camera

Additional modifications to the Macintosh version

• An issue that prevented images saved in JPEG format with Capture NX 2 Ver. 2.3.0 or 2.3.1 from opening in ViewNX 2 has been resolved.

The new version can be downloaded from the Nikon support site: EU / USA

The new Nikkor 80-400 f/4.5-5.6 VR lens

Nikon has upgraded the first (!) VR (aka. Vibration Reduction, Image Stabilisation, Optical Stabilisation) lens.

While with proper technique and usage, the old Nikkor 80-400 f/4.5-5.6 lens was able to deliver awesome results, the lens had its faults. Probably the biggest being that it was quite slow to focus. When compared to today's standards and the use of high pixel density cameras, the optics where in dire need of an upgrade too.

People therefore had been “demanding” for an upgrade of this lens for quite a few years now.

Well, the wait is finally over and Nikon now has an updated version of this lens. From the specs and especially the lens quality tests I've seen so far, it looks as if Nikon have outdone themselves. Not only does the lens have all the new features one expects – AF-S, Nano coating, VRII – the lens's optics are really astonishing too, perhaps they're even better than that of the 70-200 f/2.8 VRII!

As more and more Nikon cameras are able to focus at f/8, Nikon also enabled the use of Tele-Converters on this lens, further extending the flexibility. Really nice!

The only disappointing thing, perhaps, about this lens is probably its price, at $2,699.95/€2699 it is more than twice as expensive as the old one. Probably well worth it, but still…

Specifications