Announcing NewCameraNews.com

I've gotten a lot of views and compliments from the some of the funnier things posted lately. Enough to warrant it's own website. So welcome NewCameraNews.com to the virtual world, and check it out for the latest camera "news". WhatBlogIsThis will continue to be about my experiences with cameras and motorcycling. NewCameraNews.com is for the other stuff.

Hope to see you there!

Sony, Nikon, Send White Men into Countryside, Await Canon, Others

[frame from Nikon promotional video]

Following the launch of new full frame cameras from both Sony and Nikon (the A7/A7r and the Df), the two giants have joined forces for a unique event, the first annual White Men in the Country Full Frame Retreat (WMCFFR). A weekend of brotherhood and full frame photography, WMCFFR is intended to bring together white male photographers of all different European heritages to walk, take photos, and bond.

Local Man Deludes Self Again, Pre-Orders Nikon Df

And with a click of the mouse, it was done. Local man Brett Boghus has just pre-ordered the new Nikon Df, just hours after it’s official announcement.

“This is the last camera I’ll ever need. It’s got all the features that I want. So the right thing to do is to pre-order it now at the listed retail price because if I don’t, I might not get one from the first shipment and will probably have to wait weeks for it to come. With the holidays coming up, it was prudent to order it now, especially since family is coming in from out of town. I’d hate to miss photos that happen just once in a lifetime.”

The new camera makes his current camera, with which he has taken thousands of good photos (some good enough to post on online discussion boards, others good enough to even print!), now appear wholly inadequate for his needs. When asked if he couldn’t just use his current camera for the holidays, Boghus responded. “I guess that I could, but the new Df has so many more megapickles, better AF, and more ISO than my current camera. I’m sure to get much better shots of Uncle Albert slicing the turkey.” Boghus’ current Nikon camera, a Nikon D700, was well-regarded in its time, but Boghus is clearly looking forward to the new Df. “I compared some test shots of the Df against the D700 and the improvement in ISO12800 shadow noise is quite noticeable at 100%. The candlelit cranberry sauce doesn’t stand a chance this year!” Bhogus said with near childlike delight.

Bhogus was last seen at his computer, tracking his latest camera purchase. “It hasn’t shipped yet, but I’m curious to see if it comes from the Amazon Fulfillment Center in Carlisle, PA. That’s where my Fuji X-Pro1 was shipped from.” Bhogus is having the package sent to his office, for obvious reasons.


More camera "news" can be found on NewCameraNews.com

Canon Congratulates Nikon on Df

In a rare move, Canon congratulated key rival Nikon on the launch of their latest full-frame digital camera in a full page ad in the New York Times.

The ad features a photo of the new Nikon Df–a full frame camera with retro styling-with the simple line, “Good Luck with that.”

Following the launch of the Df, Canon stock is up 10%.

The move, although unusual, is not unprecedented. Following the release of the EOS-M, Nikon ran a full page ad in Japanese trade papers stating, “Nikon Congratulates Canon on the launch of the EOS-M” with the ad illustrated with a tortoise.

[Post inspired by Andrew Reid at EOSHD.com.]

More camera "news" can be found on NewCameraNews.com

NSA Sets up Instagram Account, @NSAToday

In a surprise announcement, the NSA announced on Thursday that they were setting up an Instagram account, @NSAToday. The idea is the brainchild of NSA intern Roger Winter, a recent graduate of American University. Winter is a DBA (DataBase Administrator) at the NSA and an avid amateur photographer.

With the fastest growing collection of photography in the world, Winter knew that the NSA was just sitting on a treasure trove of great photography.

Nikon Df: The Camera that Tom Selleck has Been Waiting for

The Nikon Df, A return to ugly.

In an exclusive interview, we sat down with Nikon Df Large Team Leader Suzuki Kawasaki to discuss the inspiration and aspirations of the new dF.

“When I was asked to lead the Nikon Large Df Team, I was very excited. I knew that the Df needed to be special, incorporating the latest technology but also respecting our heritage and the roots of Nikon. Our history is filled with wonderful moments captured by talented photographers using Nikon cameras. So we asked ourselves, ‘what does it mean to be a Nikon? What does it mean to be a Nikonian?’ We were surprised by what we found as we looked back through time-a lot of ugly cameras.”

What it Takes to be a Pro Photographer.

There are a lot of enthusiasts and amateurs out there wondering what it takes to be a professional photographer. Well, listen closely, because I'm going to tell you, and it's going to blow your mind. It's more important than years of education and training, more important than talent, more important than vision, more important than a good business. You ready...