Cool fx

Cool fx is the definitive set of color and black and white film/photographic looks for the iPhone and iPod Touch. This unique software is brought to you from the folks at Tiffen, recognized for their product and engineering excellence earning two Technical Achievement Awards and a Scientific and Engineering Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, as well as an Emmy Award from the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. If anyone knows film and photography, it’s Tiffen.

Using 172 visual presets, Cool fx simulates a variety of color and black and white photographic looks, diffusion, motion picture film stocks and optical lab processes. Cool fx is made up of Black & White, Color, Diffusion, Grain, and Temperature preset groups.

Enhance your photos with Cool fx, just like Hollywood cameramen and visual effects artists do!

Whether you are an amateur or professional photographer, Photo Fx’s visual workflow and easy to use tools will help you create stunning images.

Now you can fix your image with Cool fx before you email it from your iPhone and iPod Touch – you don’t need your computer.  It’s as easy as 1-2-3. Choose it, Edit it, Send it!

Source: Tiffen

Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Vincent Laforet Tested the Canon 5D Mark II for 1080HD

Article by: Gizmodo

Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Vincent Laforet was one of the first people to get his hands on the most coveted camera on the planet, Canon’s 5D Mark II. He talked to us a bit about the breakneck stills-and-video shoot he put together in just a few hours to see what this camera can really do. You can catch a glimpse of the incredible results here and why Laforet says that it’s the “best camera ever” that will “redefine the industry.” Yes, what you’re looking at are screencaps of the video from his site.

 

It’s not the camera’s still photography performance that Laforet says is a game-changer, as duly impressive as it is—he says it matches what your “natural eye in can see the worst light” which is “a big deal.” It’s the video, which he says—only half-jokingly—makes him “never want to shoot another still photo.”

You’re only getting a diluted taste of it here. Laforet noted that this DSLR obliterates the video quality of Canon’s dedicated HD XH-A1, especially in low-light. Laforet says that for the first time ever, using a DSLR or any other camera was “not a struggle at all,” even “at night, outside, in a city” which can be the among the most challenging lighting situations of all. 

It’s the cost that makes it a revolution, and a boon for indie filmmakers. With $25,000 worth of SLR lenses, Laforet and his small crew were able to perform comparably to what would take at least several hundred thousand dollars worth of motion picture camera lenses (and some of those you can’t even buy). 

Laforet is a photographer; he has no professional film experience and had never used the 5D Mark II before, yet was able to storyboard, cast, shoot and edit the clip in just two days, with less than 12 hours notice. In particular he noted that dumping the MPEG-4 video takes way less time than it would with an actual HD camera. The only issue that would stop a person from shooting a TV pilot solely with this camera is sound matching, he says. If that’s covered, you’re gold.

Here’s a leaked YouTube version of the video, which does not do it the justice it deserves, but still looks good:

You can read the full and interesting test at Vincent Laforet Web site

D90 and HVX side-by-side test

Video By: Chronicle Project

Video Link

I just saw this very useful test, I think is a very useful test to know what we can speck from the NikonD90, the HVX has more quality, there is more gamma but doesn’t have a lot of depth of field, for that you have to add a additional mount to add lenses, but the NikonD90 has the ability to change lenses and that makes it a very useful camera to get a very good depth of field for telling stories, but look closely because you can notice a little bit of digital grain on the face of the model, there are more saturated colors on the NikonD90, but the HVX has more gamma and way less digital grain, I think is still better camera than the Nikon one.

I hope someone does a test with both cameras, with good colors, perfect white balance, and probably in a studio soon so we can notice more details on them both.

 

Canon EOS 5D Mark II: 21MP and 1080P HD movies

CANON U.S.A. INTRODUCES THE HIGHLY ANTICIPATED
EOS 5D MARK II DSLR CAMERA FEATURING FULL-FRAME HD VIDEO CAPTURE

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The Canon EOS 5D Mark II Escalates Full-Frame Digital SLR Photography to the Next Level with
HD Movie Recording Capabilities, DIGIC 4 Imaging Processor, and 21.1 Megapixel Resolution

LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., September 17, 2008 – Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging, today introduced the EOS 5D Mark II Digital SLR camera, the long-awaited successor to Canon’s highly popular EOS 5D, introduced in 2005. Building upon the qualities that made the EOS 5D camera so successful, Canon has coupled the creative power of a full-frame CMOS sensor in a relatively compact and affordable camera body, together with groundbreaking HD video capture that opens the door to a much wider range of imaging possibilities for photographers. Along with the ability to capture full HD video clips at 1920 x 1080 resolution, Canon’s EOS 5D Mark II Digital SLR camera features a 21.1-megapixel full frame 24 x 36mm CMOS sensor, DIGIC 4 imaging processor and significantly lower noise, with an expanded sensitivity range from ISO 50 to ISO 25,600.

“The anticipation surrounding the launch of this camera model has exceeded our greatest expectations, and we believe our loyal customers will be awed by the level of innovation and features built into the new EOS 5D Mark II Digital SLR. Once they have the chance to experience the camera, we believe they will agree that it was worth the wait,” stated Yuichi Ishizuka, senior vice president and general manager, Consumer Imaging Group, Canon U.S.A.

Among the many advancements in Canon’s new EOS 5D Mark II camera is the Company’s proprietary DIGIC 4 Imaging Processor that powers the camera’s fast 14-bit analog-to-digital conversion for smooth color tones and exceptional gradation. The Canon EOS 5D Mark II Digital SLR offers a full-frame 24 x 36mm, 21.1 megapixel CMOS sensor and continuous shooting at 3.9 frames per second (fps) for an unlimited number of full-resolution JPEGs to the capacity of the memory card or up to 14 RAW images in a single burst when using a UDMA CF card. The camera includes a 15-point Autofocus (AF) sensor with nine selectable AF points plus six additional Assist AF points (three center AF points sensitive to f/2.8 lenses) with enhanced light source detection and AF microadjustment for greater autofocus performance. The EOS 5D Mark II camera also features a large, clear 3.0-inch Clear View LCD screen with 920,000 dot/VGA resolution, four times the pixel count of the EOS 5D camera’s 2.5-inch screen, for enhanced clarity and color when viewing images. The new camera is equipped with a high-performance, high-magnification optical viewfinder providing 98 percent coverage, giving a new dimension to the saying, “what you see is what you get.” Professional photographers will also appreciate the enhanced 150,000-cycle shutter durability of the EOS 5D Mark II camera.

Canon, the first company to introduce a full-frame digital camera, has improved the EOS 5D Mark II Digital SLR camera’s newly developed full-frame CMOS image sensor. Utilizing proprietary Canon technology, the Company has reduced noise and expanded the sensitivity of the CMOS sensor up to ISO 25600, which is three full stops higher than the ISO 3200 limit of the original EOS 5D camera. Although the individual pixel dimensions of the EOS 5D Mark II camera are the same as the 21.1-megapixel CMOS sensor used in the EOS-1Ds Mark III digital SLR, the new sensor incorporates an improved output amplifier and a more advanced color filter that improves light transmission while retaining excellent color reproduction. By applying the same kind of advancements in sensor design and image processing technology as the recently introduced EOS 50D camera, but at higher resolution and with larger pixels, the EOS 5D Mark II achieves the highest level of image quality of any EOS Digital SLR released to date.

With the combination of its improved CMOS image sensor and the powerful new DIGIC 4 image processor, the Canon EOS 5D Mark II camera provides ISO speeds from ISO 100 up to ISO 6400 in 1/3-stop increments, along with two high-speed settings – H1 and H2 – of ISO 12800 and ISO 25600, respectively, as well as a low-speed setting of ISO 50. The full-frame sensor maximizes the performance of Canon EF lenses, the world’s largest selection of autofocus lenses.

HD and SD Video Capture
Canon has taken its expertise in imaging, photography and video capture technology to a new level with the EOS 5D Mark II Digital SLR. Answering the question of where SLR technology is going next, the EOS 5D Mark II features 16:9 Full HD video capture at 1920 x 1080 pixels and 30 fps as well as 4:3 standard TV quality (SD) video capture at 640 x 480 pixels and 30 fps, both capabilities appearing for the first time in a Canon SLR camera. Video capture is part of the camera’s Live View function, using the Picture Style that has been set for Live View still image shooting. This allows skilled photographers and cinematographers to adjust image sharpness, contrast, color saturation and white balance, and have those settings apply to the movie image. When recording video, the camera’s rear LCD screen can be letter-boxed by a semi-transparent border to match the aspect ratio of the movie recording size. Moreover, the EOS 5D Mark II camera’s HD video capability enables new levels of creative expression through its unfettered access to the complete line of more than 60 Canon EF lenses, which provide an incredible variety of visual effects including everything from ultra-wide-angle and fish-eye to macro and super-telephoto, including many large-aperture L-series professional lenses that can keep the main subject in razor-sharp focus while blurring the background beyond recognition.

The EOS 5D Mark II will record video up to 4GB per clip or a maximum continuous movie capture time of 29 minutes and 59 seconds, whichever comes first. Depending on the level of detail in the scene, a 4GB memory card can record approximately 12 minutes of video at full HD resolution or approximately 24 minutes in standard definition.[i]camera includes an HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) output to display crisp, clear images on a High-Definition TV. Video clips are recorded in .MOV format using an MPEG-4 video compression and sound is recorded using linear PCM[ii] without compression. The new camera features an input terminal for external stereo microphones as well as a built-in monaural microphone for convenience. To help show off those fantastic movies as well as still photos, the EOS 5D Mark II

Live View Shooting
For both still images and video, the Canon EOS 5D Mark II camera features Live View, one of the most sought after features in digital SLRs today. The 5D Mark II features three Live View AF modes – Quick, Live and Face Detection Live mode – for capturing either still photos or video, each with its own attributes. Quick mode automatically sets One-Shot AF using the camera’s phase detection AF system. It also allows users to select the AF point, even while the Live View image is displayed. Although the camera’s reflex mirror must be lowered briefly to take an AF measurement in Quick mode, it is the fastest way to set focus automatically when the 5D Mark II camera is set for Live View.

Live mode uses contrast-detection AF with the image sensor and here, as with Quick mode, users can change the AF point using the Multi-controller. Face Detection Live mode uses contrast AF to recognize human faces. When multiple faces are detected, the largest face closest to the center of the frame is targeted as the AF point. While Live View is engaged users can still change settings including the AF mode (Quick, Live, Face Detection Live mode), drive mode, ISO speed, Picture style, White Balance, and more.

Peripheral Illumination Correction
The Canon EOS 5D Mark II Digital SLR camera automatically conducts peripheral illumination correction when shooting JPEG images, a function that previously could only be accomplished through post-image processing using software such as Canon’s Digital Photo Professional, which Canon supplies at no extra charge. Peripheral illumination correction evens brightness across the image field, making an image of a blue sky even toned throughout and reducing light fall-off at image edges. This new feature essentially eliminates one of the limitations of previous full-frame digital SLRs.

Auto Lighting Optimizer
Canon’s enhanced Auto Lighting Optimizer technology helps ensure each picture’s subject is clearly visible by analyzing image brightness and automatically adjusting dark areas in images so that they appear brighter. This function is ideal in high-contrast situations such as urban landscapes captured on sunny days, where the tops of buildings are brightly lit while street level details are obscured by heavy shadows. In this type of scene, the 5D Mark II camera’s Auto Lighting Optimizer technology preserves accurate exposure of the highlights while opening up the shadow areas for a more pleasing tonal rendition.

Canon’s New Creative Auto Mode
Recently introduced with the new EOS 50D, Canon’s “CA” Creative Full Auto setting can also be found on the EOS 5D Mark II Digital SLR camera’s mode dial. This setting allows users to make image adjustments such as aperture or shutter speed through an easy-to-understand navigation screen on the camera’s LCD menu, allowing them to “blur the background” or “lighten or darken the image.” These easy-to-understand image options allow photographers to experiment with image options while still shooting in an automatic mode.

Two Small RAW Formats
For photographers seeking the flexibility and creative possibilities of shooting RAW format images, without the large file size, the Canon EOS 5D Mark II Digital SLR camera offers two more manageable file size options with sRAW1 and sRAW2 recording formats. At the sRAW1 setting, resolution is 10.0-megapixels with a file size that is approximately 25 percent smaller than a standard 21.1-megapixel RAW image. With the sRAW2 setting, resolution is 5.2 megapixels at less than half the file size of a standard RAW image, retaining all of the flexibility and creative possibilities associated with full-size, conventional RAW images. Wedding and portrait photographers, in particular, will appreciate the options of variable resolution and file size which allow them to fine-tune the 5D Mark II’s operation for their specific needs.

Silent Shooting in Live View
Canon has equipped the EOS 5D Mark II with two Silent Shooting modes in Live View which will prove particularly helpful to law enforcement officials, and for behind-the-scenes shooting on movie sets. In Mode 1, the camera will shoot with the mechanical shutter open at the beginning of the exposure, using the electronic 1st-curtain function of the CMOS sensor and a reduced shutter-cocking noise, allowing multiple shots to be taken with minimal noise. In Mode 2, to minimize shutter noise during single frame photography, shutter cocking does not occur until the shutter button returns to the half-way position after shooting.

EOS Integrated Cleaning System
With the introduction of the EOS 5D Mark II camera, the entire Canon EOS system is now equipped with the highly acclaimed EOS Integrated Cleaning System. The Self-Cleaning Sensor Unit for the Canon EOS 5D Mark II has been upgraded with a fluorine coating on the low-pass filter for better dust resistance.

Pricing and Availability
The Canon EOS 5D Mark II Digital SLR camera is compatible with Canon EF lenses and is scheduled for delivery by the end of November. The EOS 5D Mark II will be sold in a body-only configuration at an estimated retail price of $2,699

Cheap Surveillance Gadget: The Wireless EyeCam

Source: Wired Gadget Lab

 

The budget needed for an at-home surveillance system has just been slashed to a couple of Jeffersons. The eyeCam Micro Wireless camera, a plug-and-play with a wireless transmission range of 450 ft., is now down to $40, making it one of the most affordable spy video gadgets out there.

The full-color EyeCam has been featured in recent spying ventures by everyone from local surveillance forces to kids playing with a toy helicopter. The Color CMOS camera connects to TVs for live viewing or media players for recording and comes with a 2.4GHz Micro Transmitter. While the video quality is just barely fair (see below), it’s probably good enough for most basic home use. The same company makes a higher-res camera, the Eyecam Extreme High Resolution Wireless cam, but it comes in over $500.

But the best thing about it is that it’s extremely small and light (9 grams), so you can place it virtually anywhere. And if it gets smashed accidentally, the $40 investment will make it easier to swallow. 

Of course, it’s good to note that the EyeCam gadget should really only be used by responsible adults, and within the boundaries of people’s own personal property.

Rumor: Apple MacBook Event on Oct. 14

 

BY: Gizmodo

Daring Fireball’s John Gruber says according to the standard “sources familiar with Apple’s hardware plans” that its “Let’s MacBook” event will happen on Oct. 14.

While he doesn’t get specific what the new hardware will be, the heavily favored are new MacBooks clad in aluminum (peace out white), and new MacBook Pros, both long overdue for an overhaul. Also likely is a gut refresh of the MacBook Air, with a faster processor, and as MacRumors points out, theiPod classic’s new 120GB HDD is the same kind used in the Air.

An October event also matches up with the date floated for the most pipe dreamy of all MacBook rumors, a MacBook Touch, and Apple’s recent warning to retailers to stock up on current inventory. What are you hoping for? [Daring Fireball via MacRumors]

Introducing the Phantom V12.1 Digital High-Speed Camera

We have just unveiled the Phantom^® V12.1, the next generation high-speed digital camera in the company’s V12 series.  Like its Phantom V12 sibling, the Phantom V12.1 offers users unsurpassed performance with an advanced CMOS sensor and a maximum recording speed of 1,000,000 frames-per-second (fps), and also builds on the camera’s success, boasting a new and improved feature set.  The Phantom V12.1 is the ideal solution for recording extraordinarily fast events, specifically ballistics and explosions testing, and those that take place at the microscopic level.

Essentially the heart of the camera, the Phantom V12.1 boasts a specially designed, 1280×800 high-definition CMOS sensor, available in color or monochrome, which is built specifically for high-speed imaging applications. At full-resolution, the Phantom V12.1 can record 6,242 fps in a wide aspect ratio, making the camera perfect for applications that require both high speed and high resolution. At lower resolutions, the camera can go even faster maxing out at 1,000,000 fps at a resolution of 128×8 (optional).

The Phantom V12.1 also features low-noise and unprecedented light sensitivity with an active pixel size of 20 microns coupled with improved quantum efficiency. To eliminate blur and accentuate detail, the camera features sub-microsecond shuttering, down to 300 nanoseconds (optional), programmable in 18 nanosecond increments.

New to the Phantom V12.1 is an internal shutter, which can be used for shading the lens to perform a session-specific black reference, also known as a current session reference (CSR). During use, the sensitivity of the CMOS sensor’s pixels can drift due to changes in resolution, exposure time and temperature, which can lead to inaccurate color representation and substandard image quality. A CSR calibrates all pixels that will be used for a given set of camera parameters, and sets them to pure black – an important step in ensuring that the Phantom high-speed camera delivers the most accurate image possible. With the new internal shutter on the Phantom V12.1, users no longer have to physically access the camera to perform a CSR. The operation can now be performed remotely or users can program the camera to automatically perform a CSR after every shot. This proves extremely useful especially in situations where the V12.1 would be mounted out of reach or used in a range for ballistics or explosives testing.

The Phantom V12.1 supports both 8-and 12-bit pixel depth for maximum detail and clarity, and also boasts Vision Research’s Extreme Dynamic Range (EDR) feature, which allows the user to capture two different exposures within one single frame. The V12.1’s color CMOS sensor is rated at ISO (ISO-12232 SAT) 1600 and the monochrome CMOS sensor is rated at ISO 6400, and for added ease of use and flexibility, the Phantom V12.1 also features auto exposure, which automatically adjusts the camera to adapt to changing lighting conditions.

The new Phantom V12.1 also features a high-resolution timing system which yields a timing resolution of better than 20 nanoseconds. Frame rate and exposure accuracy have been improved and a frame synchronization signal is now available via a dedicated BNC for easier cabling and increased signal integrity. This, combined with a 500 nanosecond straddle time and no image lag make the Phantom V12.1 ideal for particle image velocimetry (PIV) applications.

Eight gigabytes of high-speed dynamic RAM comes standard with the Phantom V12.1, with the option to upgrade to 16GB or 32GB. The high-speed dynamic RAM is also dividable, up to 64 segments, allowing users to record multiple shots, back-to-back without having to download data from the camera.

Taking versatility to the next level, the Phantom V12.1 is also compatible with Vision Research’s CineMag™ system. CineMag is a non-volatile, hot-swappable memory magazine that mounts directly to the body of the camera, providing added storage and data protection. Available in 256GB or 512GB, the CineMag gives end-users the ability to record full resolution video at a maximum frame rate of 950 fps, directly to the magazine. To record at higher speeds, users can utilize the Phantom V12.1’s onboard memory and then manually or automatically transfer those files to the CineMag at a rate of approximately 1 Giga-pixel per second.

CineMags are also designed to work with Vision Research’s new Phantom CineStation™, which streamlines workflow by allowing CineMags to be viewed, trimmed, played over video, and saved to hard disk using an offline docking station rather than the valuable camera asset. The Phantom CineStation is a simple setup that connects to a PC using GigaBit Ethernet. Users simply snap in a CineMag to the CineStation and use the supplied Phantom Video Player (PVP) software to view each cine stored on the CineMag, play the cine files over the dual HD-SDI ports or component video ports, set in- and out-points to trim the cines, and save the files to a connected hard disk drive.

To view recordings immediately, the Phantom V12.1 features a video-out port which users can connect to a component video monitor. The recordings can be displayed in a variety of formats, including NTSC, PAL, SDI and high-definition 720p. The new Phantom V12.1 also features two HD-SDI ports that can be used together for 4:4:4 video out or used independently, using one for playback and one for live preview. The camera also incorporates a component video viewfinder port.

The Phantom V12.1 will be available in two models, either with or without the CineMag interface and in either color or monochrome. The V12.1 base model operates at up to 680,000 fps with a minimum shutter speed of 1 microsecond, and the step-up model can record at up to 1,000,000 pps with a minimum shutter speed of 300 nanoseconds.

Mini HDV with depht of field

I just say, the one who wants to do a movie, but don’t have access to all the big equipment, might do a very interesting digital film, as you can see in this photo

Nikon releases the D90: first D-SLR camera that shoots video

By, MAC Megasite

Nikon Inc. today announced the D90, a digital single lens reflex (SLR) camera that redefines the creative boundaries of digital photography allowing photographers to easily create stunning still images and High Definition (HD) movie clips with sound—with the same camera. A host of Nikon core technologies were leveraged to develop the D90’s scope of versatility, calling on years of photographic and optical expertise. Whether consumers are graduating from an advanced compact digital camera or are a seasoned D-SLR enthusiast, the Nikon D90 emphasizes brilliant image quality and versatility with its exclusive advanced Scene Recognition System, intuitive creative controls, blazing fast performance and the industry-first ability to create HD movie clips at 720p in the new D-Movie mode.

Inspired by Nikon’s acclaimed flagship DX-format digital SLR camera, the D300, and building on the success of the wildly popular D80, the D90 delivers stunning image quality. The CMOS image sensor and 12.3 effective megapixels combined with Nikon’s exclusive EXPEED™ image processing system deliver outstanding images with fine details, smooth tones, brilliant colors and low noise across a broad ISO range.

Photographers are able to easily compose stunning images using the Live View Mode on the large 3-inch 920,000-dot high-resolution LCD screen. The 11-point auto focus (AF) system utilizes Nikon’s exclusive Scene Recognition System and Face Detection to help make the best shot in a variety of environments. Matched with the new versatile AF-S NIKKOR 18-105mm Vibration Reduction (VR) image stabilization lens, and a burst rate of up to 4.5 frames per second, photographers can confidently capture fast action and precise moments as they unfold. Also helping to ensure no memory is missed, the D90 offers fast handling with a power-up time of a mere 0.15ms and split-second shutter response measuring just 65ms, eliminating the frustration of pictures lost to shutter lag.

“The D90 delivers incredible imaging performance and control, setting a new standard for its class. This marriage of outstanding still image performance and HD movie clip capacity represents the dawn of a new age for D-SLR cameras. The D90’s handling characteristics and long list of features are sure to deliver the photographic experience that Nikon photographers have come to expect from Nikon engineering,” said Edward Fasano, general manager for marketing, SLR System Products at Nikon Inc. “Everyone at Nikon is especially eager to see the myriad of ways that imaginative D90 photographers will explore the world of cinematic 24fps HD video through the eyes of NIKKOR optics.”

Legendary Image Quality

For shooting in a variety of lighting conditions, the D90 has a wide sensitivity range of ISO 200 to 3200 (expandable to Lo 1 ISO 100 and Hi 1 ISO 6400) to deliver incredible low-noise images. The camera also employs an Image Sensor Cleaning function that works to free image-degrading dust particles from the sensor’s optical low-pass filter, helping to ensure spot-free images.

The new D90 companion lens, the AF-S DX Zoom-NIKKOR 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR provides a versatile focal length, and the benefits of Nikon Vibration Reduction (VR) image stabilization technology. Nikon VR reduces the image blurring effects of camera shake allowing photographers to shoot hand-held at as many as 3 shutter speeds slower than would otherwise be possible*, assuring dramatically sharper images, even in challenging lighting conditions.

Borrowed from Nikon’s professional line of digital cameras, the D90 is the most affordable camera to include Nikon’s Scene Recognition System and adds newly-developed advanced Face Detection technology. The intelligent Scene Recognition System interprets color and brightness information of each individual shot from the 420-pixel RGB sensor, and applies changes to AF, auto exposure and auto white balance. The D90 can also detect up to five faces using the new Face Detection system, producing flattering portraits with astounding definition and accuracy. While in playback mode, simply press the zoom button and portraits captured with Face Detection can be immediately magnified to ensure proper focus on the subject and faces are displayed on the LCD screen within brackets for easy reference and subject tracking.

The D90 benefits from Nikon’s comprehensive digital image processing engine, EXPEED, which provides smooth tones, rich colors and defined image details, as well as enhanced processing performance. Additionally, Nikon’s exclusive 3D Color Matrix Metering II helps to ensure accurate exposures, even in the most challenging lighting conditions. Evaluating each scene, input data from the system’s sensor is automatically referenced against an internal database of over 30,000 scenes derived from actual photographs to calculate correct exposure values. To push the creative boundaries even further, Variable Center-Weighted metering and Spot metering centered on the active focus area are also available, as are exposure compensation and auto exposure bracketing.

The Next Big Blockbuster

For the first time in digital SLR photography, Nikon introduces the addition of the D-Movie mode, allowing consumers to create their own HD movie clips (1280 x 720) with sound from their D-SLR camera. Photographers will appreciate the cinematic qualities that come from the 24fps frame rate, which matches theatrical film, whether producing vacation clips or creatively melding stills with video. Additionally, the large size of the D90’s DX-format sensor, combined with the optical superiority and broad selection of NIKKOR lenses, provides shooters with the ability to capture amazing perspectives not possible with typical camcorders. D-Movie clips also benefit from Nikon VR image stabilization, which is automatically activated during recording to aid the low-light capability that trumps many other hybrid devices. Users can record movie clips onto an inserted SD / SDHC card, created as Motion JPEG AVI files that are easily edited with widely available video editing software. The D90 also features an HDMI terminal, allowing viewing of both pictures and movies on High Definition televisions.

D90 Delivers Peak Performance

The D90’s unprecedented start up time and imperceptible shutter lag derives from the same standards as the professional sports photographer choice, the Nikon D3. JPEG bursts can be shot as rapidly as 4.5 frames per second, allowing photographers to capture detailed action sequences or catch fleeting expressions that might otherwise be missed. Images are also processed and previewed rapidly at 120ms, which is less time than it takes to move an eye from the viewfinder to the screen. Users are also able to creatively stop the action with a maximum shutter speed of 1/4000 second or create long-time exposures down to 30 seconds.

Nikon’s 11-point AF also offers best-in-class speed and performance, helping to ensure sharp focus at any focal length. Adopting a refined version of Nikon’s advanced Multi-CAM 1000 AF Module, the AF system’s center area wide-frame operation adds inherent focusing options that will instill greater confidence in getting the desired shot. Single-point AF is suggested for static subjects, dynamic-area AF for moving subjects, auto-area AF for spontaneous shooting and 3D-tracking (11 points) AF for when changing the composition after focusing on a subject.

Push Creative Boundaries to the Limit

No matter the level of experience, the D90 makes high-quality photography fun and easier for a remarkably broad range of picture-takers. Users can enjoy complete control over all manual features or let the camera optimize settings automatically. For the camera novice and photography enthusiasts, the D90 puts all of the tools to explore new creative possibilities at their fingertips through the simple menu-driven interface. For those looking to enjoy the added performance and versatility of digital SLR photography, creative shooting is as simple as rotating the Mode dial with Advanced Scene modes on the camera. There are many options when it comes to realizing creative vision, such as Picture Control settings to provide an assorted palette of color effects that optimize color, saturation and hue through user-selected choices of Standard, Neutral, Vivid, Monochrome, Portrait, and Landscape. Popular editing tools such as Nikon’s exclusive D-Lighting and image trimming, image overlay, and a wide assortment of color filters can also be applied to images after capture. The D90 also provides new options for in-camera image enhancement, including:

• Distortion Control: Adjusts lens aberration
• Straighten: Helps to correct linear inclination of an image for straight horizons and landscapes
• Fisheye Effect: In camera filter produces optical effects similar to a fisheye lens

Skillfully Capture Inspiring Images
The D90 has been engineered with the photographer in mind with an intuitive interface that places a variety of automatic and advanced features at the hands of the user. The camera is built to withstand the rigors of an urban excursion or backcountry safari while boasting an impressive shutter mechanism that is tested to 100,000 cycles for durability. Whether upgrading from a compact digital camera or already a seasoned hobbyist, the D90 D-SLR will help anyone take great pictures, thanks in part to the following new features:

• Battery life: New circuitry enhances power consumption, affording up to 850 shots in typical conditions on a single charge of the Lithium Ion battery (CIPA standard)
• Viewfinder: The bright viewfinder offers a luminous 0.94x magnification to more accurately compose images
• LCD screen: The high-resolution 920,000-dot, 3-inch LCD screen gives a 170-degree angle of view to make both composing and sharing easy and fun
• New playback function: Users can show their images in either four, nine or 72 thumbnail images, or use a new calendar format to easily find photos; users can also show their photos via Nikon’s Pictmotion slideshow, including background music
• Built-in Flash: The built-in Speedlight offers a guide number of approximately 18/56 (ISO 200) and can wirelessly control up to two groups of Speedlights in full iTTL mode

Nikon System Legacy

The D90 also offers unprecedented compatibility with Nikon’s extensive selection of NIKKOR lenses, including DX NIKKOR lenses, which are designed for optimum performance with Nikon DX format digital SLR cameras. NIKKOR lenses offer legendary optical superiority and add to the D90’s ability to deliver outstanding images. Paired with the D90 is the new AF-S DX Zoom-NIKKOR 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR lens, which provides a versatile 5.8x optical zoom and VR image stabilization, for even sharper handheld picture taking. This lens offers a 27-157.5mm focal length in 35mm equivalent, a one-lens solution that offers a broad focal range to let photographers get up close and personal to their subjects from a distance, or wide for breathtaking landscapes. The built-in Silent Wave Motor ensures quick and quiet AF operation, while an aspherical element and ED glass deliver high resolution, high contrast images with minimal chromatic aberration and distortion.

Photographers will also enjoy advanced functionality anywhere in the world with system accessories designed for the adventurous globe trekker. When used with the Nikon GP-1 GPS unit (available separately beginning November 2008), the D90 provides geotagging to images with latitude, longitude and altitude data imprinted on the images’ metadata. Users can also prolong their adventure with the MB-D80 battery pack that accepts two EN-EL3e or six widely available AA-size batteries. Additionally, photographers can share and upload their images with a wireless interface optimized for the Eye-Fi™ wireless enabled SD card wherever there is a wireless network.

The D90 is also fully compatible with Capture NX2 software (available for purchase separately), Nikon’s highly versatile and elegantly simple new photo editing solution designed to help photographers tap into the full potential of NEF (RAW) images. Featuring an innovative user interface that provides easier access to powerful and visually intuitive enhancement tools, Capture NX2 affords photographers the ability to use revolutionary control points.

Day for Night

What is Day for Night?
We’ve all seen it: footage shot in bright sunshine, but underexposed and filtered to look like moonlight. Now you can get the same effect, only better, with more control.By changing the lightness/darkness of the filter color you change the brightness of the scene. Select a darker color and the scene is darker. Select a more saturated color and your moonlight color is more saturated. Human vision at night is desaturated depending on the amount of visible light, so you may want to desaturate the original scene before adding the moonlight color. Adjusting the saturation slider removes the original colors in the scene for a more natural look.

Night Vision mode uses the red channel to create a B/W image and applies a green filter to simulate night vision scopes.

Infra-Red mode uses the red channel to produce a B/W image. Because the image is made from light in the red spectrum, it is similar to infra-red photography. Of course your video camera likely does not record true infra-red energy, so this is only a simulation. Use Infra-Red mode in combination with Chromatic Glow for greater effect.