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› archive for January 14th, 2010

Nikon’s Pro Constant Aperture Zooms Now At Sheet, Better Hurry

So, Nikon’s pro zooms, you know the ones– the big, black, AF-S G series lenses with f.2.8 constant apertures that form the backbone of many a working professional’s kit, the 14-24mm, 24-70mm, and 70-200mm II. Well, we got all of them marked down to sheet, you pay what we pay and nothing more (literally, if you buy online to get our free ground shipping). But, they’re only on the cheap until the 28th, so, uh, hurry.

AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8G ED

AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED

AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II



Nikon Coolpix Flowchart: January 2010 Edition

So, one of the biggest things I do here at Roberts is try and find new and better ways to merge our in-store expertise and helpful guidance with the cold, spec-oriented world of the internet. Every year manufacturer’s release dozens of point-and-shoots—each—and even if you’re in the business it can be hard to keep them all straight. For a casual consumer who just needs pictures of their family and friends? it’s an impossible chore, and a lot of people still like going into stores—many times with limited, poor selection— just because it’s easier to find out which camera they need.

So, my most recent solution is a visual flowchart, so we’re going to try this out. Here’s the current Nikon Coolpix lineup in an easy-to-read, non-technical flowchart where simple answers will help you find the exact model you want based on what matters these days. In a world where all cameras can take perfectly acceptable pictures, and the old measurements of lens zoom and megapixel matter less (Nikon announced 5 models with the same megapixels and zoom range. 5!), we need better ways to find you what you need.

If this seems like a good plan, and if you’d like to see us do these for everyone’s lineup, hit us up in the comments and let us know. We need your feedback to make this happen.

(Click the thumbnail to the left to see it rather large)



DPS Admirably Tackles Using UFRaw for Photos

Digital Photography School, one of those sites I don’t rely on as often these days as I once did when I was getting started, is a wonderful font of intro-level ideas and lessons in photography. And, they get mentioned on Raw today because of an article they ran about getting started with UFRaw.

UFRaw is largely a Linux app from the old skool of Linux philosophy, which is to say it’s extremely robust, powerful, free, and has an interface about 6 years behind the curve. But, it’s insanely robust and FREE. And, it’s available for Windows and Mac, too. I used to use it before I got Lightroom, and we still use it sometimes in the office. It’s a good app, but it is daunting.

So, bravo to DPS for trying to help people with it. And, if you’ve just spent all your cash on equipment (and you know we prefer you do, nudge nudge wink wink) and can’t shell out for Lightroom or Aperture just yet, UFRaw is a wonderful tool to ave kicking around your virtual toolbag.




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