Review Archive

The Nikon D4 after one year of usage

I've been using the D4 for over a year now, so it is high time I evaluated it and gave it a practical review (as compared to my earlier, more theoretical, review based on pre-production models).

When the D4 was introduced, I was happy about many of its improvements. But there was also slight disappointment; not all I would have wanted to see in the new camera was done. And when I compared the new specs to Canon's 1Dx, I was almost tempted to switch (not really, but it goes to show how much I appreciated the improvements Canon put in their flagship camera). No wonder it took me 8 months to decide to finally buy the D4 as my primary camera, making the D3 a good second body for added flexibility (and backup). Great e.g., when shooting wildlife when having different focal lengths at the ready can be very helpful.

In the past year I have been using the D4 (and D3) in a wide range of shoots, from interior and architecture to wildlife. Both in good an (very) bad light. So how did the D4 hold up?

Continue reading…

PhotoMechanic v5.0

Even when you only shoot a limited number of images a year, there will be a time when you need some sort of tool to help you manage your images and streamline the whole digital workflow process. From loading the images onto your computer, adding image information (meta date), editing, and exporting them to e.g., your website.

Many solutions exist to cover one or more of the digital workflow tasks. Common options include Adobe Bridge (included with Adobe Photoshop), Adobe Lightroom, and Phase One's Media Pro. Nikon shooters may be familiar with a combination of Nikon Transfer and Nikon View (both free programs). Although I have tried out many of the more common solution, I found none of them suited my particular workflow very well. My search for a viable solution brought me to Photo Mechanic, an application developed by Camera Bits, and which I have been using happily for many years now.

Camera Bits just released a public beta for its oncoming version 5.0 of the software and this version will be the basis for this review. As a member of a select group of private beta testers, I have already been able to work with the new software for a while now and in fact contributed to some of the new/improved features.

Continue reading…

Eckla Beach Rolly

Photographers, and especially wildlife and sports photographers with their long lenses, have a lot of gear to carry. When you have to carry it a long way, or for a long time, this can become very tiresome. So with a trip to the Bavarian Forest planned (where I really wanted to take both my 200-400mm and 600mm lenses), it was about time I had a look at some of the available carrying options.

Continue reading…

Nikon D4, D800 & D800E hands-on

Being a Nikon Professional has its advantages, besides shooting with great equipment (Nikon), you sometimes get to see products before they are available on the market.

Today I was at Nikon NL to preview the new Nikon flagships, the D4, D800, and D800E. Together with a presentation listing the highlights of these new cameras and their underlying technique, I was able to actually play with them. Very exiting and quite unique as these previews are only available to a select group of Nikon professionals. What makes the event even more unique is the fact that I was holding the only D4, D800 and D800E cameras in the Netherlands!

Continue reading…