Review Digital Camera World 10-16-2013

Digital Camera World

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Nikon D610 vs D600: what's new and what isn't in Nikon's new full-frame DSLR Oct 16th 2013, 01:00, by dcworld The Nikon D610 is, or will be, Nikon’s cheapest full-frame DSLR. It’s aimed at enthusiasts ready to take their first step into the larger format, though it boasts performance and features which could attract many professionals too. But it arrives just a year after the launch of the D600, and brings only a handful of minor improvements. In this Nikon D610 vs D600 comparison we examine what’s improved, what has changed and what remains the same in Nikon’s new full-frame DSLR. It looks likely that the explanation for this update to the D610 lies in the D600′s chequered history. It was very well received when it was launched, but widely reported problems with dust and/or oil on the sensor have dented its reputation. Not everyone agrees it’s an issue, but it has put doubt in users’ minds. Nikon has not made any official comment on the cause or its remedy, but the Nikon D610 does have a new shutter unit, which is significant. There are some other improvements to note in our Nikon D610 vs D600 comparison, but they’re so minor that you can think of it as a ‘maintenance release’ rather than a brand new camera. So if you’re thinking of investing in a full-frame DSLR, here is a list of what you get for your money, and the key differences between the Nikon D610 vs D600. Nikon D610 vs D600: 01 Sensor – no change The Nikon D600 and D610 use the same 24.3-megapixel full-frame 35.9 x 24mm CMOS sensor. The ISO range is the same at ISO 100-6400, expandable to ISO 50-256000. This sensor performs very well in the D600, with excellent sharpness, dynamic range and high ISO performance. The only DSLR to beat it for resolution is Nikon’s larger and more expensive D800. Nikon D610 vs D600: 02 Continuous shooting – improved The D600 has a maximum continuous shooting speed of 5.5 frames per second, but the D610 improves slightly on this with 6 frames per second. The new shutter unit gets the credit for this, though the increase in frame rate is so small that most would regard it as minor. It certainly doesn’t put the D610 in a different class. The slight increase in speed comes with a slight reduction in buffer capacity, the D610 will shoot around 2 RAW files fewer in a burst. That’s because the camera is capturing frames faster, not because the buffer is smaller. Nikon D610 vs D600: 03 Quiet Continuous mode – new Both cameras have a Quiet mode. Here, the mirror return is delayed until you release the shutter button completely, giving you time to move away from the subject or quiet environment. The D610, though, adds a Quiet Continuous mode which runs at 3 frames per second and effectively distributes the shutter/mirror noise more evenly during the burst. This could be useful for timid subjects, though DSLR mirrors and focal plane shutters are noisy by nature, so you can't make them completely silent. Nikon D610 vs D600: 04 Features – minor change There are no changes to the photographic features and controls in the D610. Both cameras offer full PASM exposure modes, scene modes and advanced features like in-camera high dynamic range modes and more. The only difference is an improvement to the auto white balance control in the D610, a change so minor it hardly counts. Nikon D610 vs D600: 05 Memory – no change The D600 and D610 both offer twin SD/SDHC/SDXC card slots. You can use these to double the storage capacity ('overflow' mode), but they’re more useful for a rolling backup or to separate RAW files and JPEGs, for example. PAGE 1: Nikon D610 vs D600 comparison points 1-5 PAGE 2: Nikon D610 vs D600 comparison points 6-10 PAGE 3: Nikon D610 vs D600 – our verdict READ MORE Nikon D600 vs D800: 20 things you need to know Nikon D600 vs D700: which camera is the better upgrade? Nikon D600 vs D7100: which DSLR should you choose? Canon EOS 70D vs Nikon D7100 Full-frame sensor size explained: how to exploit its advantages and cool effects Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2013: winners gallery (and how they shot them) Oct 15th 2013, 21:30, by jmeyer Winners of the prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2013 competition have been announced, with South African photographer Greg du Toit claiming the overall title of Wildlife Photographer of the Year. The team of international judges awarded du Toit the Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2013 title for his image Essence of elephants, a moody nighttime shot of African elephants in the Northern Tuli Game Reserve in Botswana. Greg du Toit / Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2013 'My goal was to throw caution to the wind,' says Greg, 'to abandon conventional photographic practices in an attempt to capture a unique elephant portrait. This image hints at the special energy I feel when I am with elephants.' Greg beat out nearly 43,000 other entries from photographers in 96 countries to claim the Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2013 award, and his image will be among the other category winners and runners-up in an international exhibition that will start its tour at the National History Museum in London. Claiming the Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2013 gong for his image Mother’s little headful, 14-year-old Udayan Rao Pawar camped next to a river overnight in order to capture his early morning scene of gharial crocodiles on the banks of the Chambal River in Madhya Pradesh, India. Udayan Rao Pawar / Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2013 Greg’s and Udayan’s images were selected from 18 individual category winners, ranging from displays of peculiar animal behaviour to stunning landscapes. Entries for the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition are submitted by professional and amateur photographers alike. Click the links below to see our gallery of winners from some of these categories, ranging from Portfolios and Urban Wildlife to Animal Behaviour and Wildlife Photojournalism, Endangered Species and Animals in their Environment, and read the stories behind how they made their amazing pictures. PAGE 1 – Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2013 winners revealed PAGE 2 – Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2013: The Eric Hosking Portfolio Award PAGE 3 – Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2013: Animals in Their Environment PAGE 4 – Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2013: Behaviour: Birds PAGE 5 – Wildlife Photographer of the Year: Behaviour: Mammals PAGE 6 – Wildlife Photographer of the Year: Behaviour: Cold-blooded animals PAGE 7 – Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2013: Wildscapes PAGE 8 – Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2013: Creative Visions READ MORE Wildlife photography made easy: simple techniques for pro-quality pictures Free bird photography cheat sheet Wildlife photography in any environment: free photography cheat sheet Zoo photography: a fool-proof method for capturing animals through glass Strobist portrait: setup your pop-up flash to control another flashgun Oct 15th 2013, 10:37, by jmeyer On some DSLRs your pop-up flash can control another flashgun. In this tutorial we show you how to make this simple Strobist portrait setup to selectively light your pictures. Flash is a great way of selectively lighting your pictures, and it is particularly useful for portraits, indoors or out. But for atmospheric strobist-style people shots you to need avoid using the pop-up flash, or a hotshoe-mounted gun. Instead, get the flash off-camera and achieve a moody, sidelit effect. So how do you fire your flash if it is not directly connected to the hotshoe? You could invest in a flash synch cord, or in a radio trigger. But with some cameras, like the Nikon D800 we used for this tutorial, there is a less expensive way to do this – by using your pop-up flash to control and trigger the bigger flashgun. With our D800 we can employ a simple Strobist portrait setup and let our pop-up flash control another flashgun by setting the camera to its Commander mode. Our D800′s built-in flash then sends a series of signals to the remote flashgun just before the exposure, to fire it and to control its power. Not every Nikon DSLR or flashgun will allow you to use Nikon's Advanced Wireless Lighting (AWL) System. You need a D70 or above with a built-in pop-up flash (that's the D90, D600, D800, D7000, D7100 and D300s in Nikon's current range), which rules out models such as the D3100 or D4. You also need a flashgun that offers a CLS remote control mode – SB-600, SB-800, SB-900 or SB-910 (some other flash manufacturers make compatible guns too). Finally, while we used a Nikon D800 for the purposes of this tutorial, other camera brands offer equivalent functions. Or you can buy a slave unit. Our Strobist portrait setup step-by-step 01 Switch your flash to Remote Set your flashgun to its Remote control mode. On an SB-700, SB-900 or SB-910 you simply turn the main on/off switch to Remote. Two red LEDs pulsating at the front of the gun show you that the flash is set to remote operation. On older guns like the SB600 the set-up is more complex…   02 Setting up older Speedlights On an SB-600, hold the Zoom and Minus buttons down until the menu options appear. Press the Plus button until the Remote option (the one with the squiggly line) is displayed, then press the Mode button to turn it from Off to On. Hold in the Zoom and Minus buttons again to activate.   03 Pop-up control Set the pop-up flash to its remote control Commander mode. In the Custom Setting menu, find the Bracketing/Flash options. Scroll to the one called Flash Control for built-in flash, and hit OK. This is typically set to TTL, so you need to switch it to Commander mode.   04 Commander options In Commander mode options, turn built-in flash from TTL to Off (marked with two dashes). With one flashgun, you only need to use Group A. To control the flash power conveniently from the camera, set its Mode to TTL and set Comp (flash exposure compensation) to +1 or +2. Press OK.   05 Ambient exposure Your camera exposure controls the brightness of the areas of the scene the flash doesn't reach. Set shutter speed and aperture in Manual mode so that the background exposure is about two stops darker than the built-in meter suggests. Make sure shutter speed is below 1/250sec.   06 Flash stand Use your tripod as a lighting stand. Some flashguns come with a foot that allow them to be mounted on a tripod (if not, try a £9.99/ $12.99 Frio coldshoe). Rotate the flash and its head so the red circular window on the side of the flash points at the DSLR's pop-up flash. Quick tip To tweak exposure, adjust the flash brightness using the flash exposure compensation facility on the camera itself. Make the background lighter or darker by adjusting the shutter speed READ MORE Snoot lighting: how to take moody Strobist portraits using your hotshoe flash Flash photography tips: external flash techniques anyone can understand How camera flash works: free photography cheat sheet Flash compensation: how to get perfectly balanced exposures Flash portraits: creative off-camera lighting techniques you have to try

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