How To Photograph Christmas Lights With Your D40!

Here's a few links to Taking pictures of Christmas lights and things. Merry Christmas and happy new year to everyone!

Strobist - How to Photograph Christmas Lights!

Fivemin.com - Christmas lights photography Video

D40 Flickr Discussion - Shooting Holiday lights / Christmas lights

Nikon - Look Good in Pictures for your D40!

Look Good in Pictures is a unique new series starring style guru and television personality, Carson Kressley. Carson shares entertaining and helpful insights and will give real practical advice on how to embrace photogenic qualities in a variety of everyday situations such as vacations, holidays, nights out on the town and weddings.

Pretty Cool, Check it out Here!

Air Show Photography with your D40!

blueangles1
Originally uploaded by Click Clack MA

Well I went to my first air show (fleet week) in San Francisco a couple of weekends ago and didn't have the best of luck getting great pictures. Out of 200 shots this was probably my best and it's not that great. My first and foremost problem was i didn't study! "How to Photograph an Air Show" I just figured I'd use shutter priority and set it at 1/1000 which actually worked fine for a few shots but not all. So the next day i got online and googled "How to Photograph an Air Show" and saw that indeed i did miss a few things that would have helped.

Here are a few links to help you out before you go and shot an air show.

Airshow how to's using Nikon D40
Air Show Photography - A Guide for Beginners
Airshow photography

New Nikon 50mm f/1.4 PRIME LENS for your D40 & D40x

Update 3/11/11: New Nikon 50mm f/1.8G Prime Lens with Auto Focus on the D40! - Click Here

Nikon Inc. celebrates 75 years of defining optical excellence with the release of the newly engineered AF-S NIKKOR 50mm f/1.4 prime lens that is considered by many photographers to be an essential tool with a focal length that closely replicates the visual perspective of the human eye when used with an FX-format D-SLR. Nikon’s optical expertise and modern technological advances, such as the Silent Wave Motor, help to deliver outstanding operation that is critical for Nikon FX and DX-format photographers who demand the pinnacle of photographic performance.

Ideal for travel, event, environmental and general photography in a wide variety of conditions, the new AF-S 50mm f/1.4 lens combines a superb optical formula with an ultra-fast f/1.4 maximum aperture, making it destined to become an instant classic in this digital age. This compact lens continues the tradition of NIKKOR precision optics to provide photographers with sharp, high-resolution images and the ability to focus as close as 1.5 feet for added versatility. The integration of an ultra-compact Silent Wave Motor ensures fast, whisper-quiet operation.

See Reviews Here!

Adorama lists of tips and tricks for you and your D40

online camera retailer Adorama has been assembling extensive lists of tips and tricks with a series called "100 in 100" or 100 photo tips in 100 days.
Now in its third round since December 2007, this week's set focuses on improving the results you get from your compact digital camera.
The pieces are entertaining and informative and especially handy this time of year as we head into point-and-shoot holiday season. Definitely worth checking out.

From CNET

New Nikon D90 Monster!

Nikon just anounced the new D90 and boy does it look sweeeet! I love my D40 but after a year of learning on this great camera it might be time to step up to this new D90.

From DPreview.com: After a steady trickle of leaks and rumors Nikon has announced the successor to its popular D80 middleweight digital SLR in the shape of the D90. The D90 looks very similar, but underneath it's a completely new camera that's inherited advanced features from further up the line and user-friendly features from the D40/D60 range. Oh, and it's the world's first digital SLR with a movie mode. Oher features of note include a new 12.3 MP CMOS sensor, the D3/D300/D700's fab high resolution 3.0-inch screen and continuous shooting at up to 4.5 frames per second.

 Read the Reviews Here!

Nikon 18-200mm DX VR For your D40 & D40x

I have personally heard nothing but great things about this lens but still have not had the funds to get one.

One of the blessings of an SLR can also be a curse: having to choose which lenses to carry, which means finding the right balance between weight and bulk, and having the focal lengths you need.

The Nikon AF-S DX VR 18-200mm f3.5-5.6 G IF ED lens offers Nikon shooters a satisfying single-lens solution. It is compatible with all Nikon DX digital SLRs including the D300, D60, and D40.

Read User Reviews Here!

Win a New Nikon D40 Contest!

Verbatim said yesterday it would launch a consumer Web site aimed at showing digital camera owners how to backup their images.

The new site — PhotoStorageGuide.com — is currently live and will offer advice to consumers on how to backup, print and share their digital images.

Verbatim will promote the site with a photo contest where consumers can submit summer photos and enter to win a Nikon D40 digital SLR.

Worth a try! Click Here for Contest

How to Photograph Fireworks with your Nikon D40 & D40x

The 2008 4th of July is just days from now and it's my first opportunity to use my D40 to shot the fireworks so i was looking around for the best advice to get some great shots and i found this info.

Thanks to the guys at Digital Photography School for this great info:

How to Photograph Fireworks Displays

Image above from Stuckincustoms One of my all time favorite pictures.

If you have any more suggestions for fireworks please let me know. Hopefully i can get at least one good shot to share on here next week. Remember lot's of towns do fireworks on the 3rd also so I'm going to count that as a free practice day!
Happy 4th of July...........Hope you get some awesome pictures

Ever Think About Renting A Lens For Your Nikon D40 & D40x?

Hey if you ever thought about renting a new lens to try out before you buy it or just need something special for the week, John Watson over at PHOTODOTO has put a nice list together of 8 online lens rental stores and compared them.

Check out the reviews here

Thanks Mr.Watson

Big Huge Labs - Fun stuff to do with your D40 & D40x Photos

Big Huge Labs - fd's Flickr Toys, Do fun stuff with your photos
Helping you do cool stuff with your digital photos since 2005. :-)

Do fun stuff with your digital photos. Create motivational posters, movie posters, magazine covers, badges, mosaics, collages, calendars, frames, and a lot more!

This is a great site with lots to do, you have to check it out. Thanks FD!

http://bighugelabs.com/flickr/

Capture NX 2 - New software for your Nikon D40 & D40x

Powerful Tools for Quick and Easy Photo Editing


TOKYO – Nikon Corporation is pleased to announce the introduction of the exciting new Capture NX 2 photo editing software. An evolution of the original award-winning Capture NX software released in 2006, Capture NX 2 makes it even easier to make quick and powerful photographic edits so you can spend more time making photographs and less time editing them on the computer. Read More Here

Free Trial http://www.capturenx.com/

Tamron updates 28mm-300mm for Nikon D40 D40x & D60

Tamron announced yesterday that its 28mm-300mm f/3.5-5.6 XR Di VC LD Aspherical Macro lens will now have a built-in AF motor allowing it to be used with Nikon's D60, D40x, and D40 DSLRs. Tamron's compact superzoom was first introduced in October 2007. It has a broad zoom range stretching from 28mm to 300mm, and employs Tamron's Vibration Compensation image stabilization system. It earns its macro designation by maintaining a 19.2-inch minimum focusing distance over the entire zoom range, with a maximum magnification of 1:3 at 300mm. It will be launched in Japan at the end of May

I'm really thinking about getting one of these but I will wait till I hear some reviews from some D40 owners. If you have one tell me what you think!

Release date May 30th 2008

Nikon D40 & D40x Leather Camera Holster!

Our beautiful leather camera holsters are crafted by hand in the US using the finest full grain cowhide.Each is custom designed to fit your your Nikon, Canon or other Digital SLR camera, including most common kit and all purpose zoom lenses.The front of your lens never touches bottom of case - Your camera rests on, and its weight is supported by the hard-point between the grip and the lens.Holster can be worn with or without flap - allows "quick-draw", and can be worn as a shoulder bag, cross-body or around your waist.Optional matching 2" leather waist belt gets the weight of your camera off of your shoulders and neck and is a very comfortable way to wear the holster.With use and over time your holster will develop a sheen and patina unique to you and your lifestyle. The joy of using this case will be matched only by the many compliments you receive as you wear it.

SkyTop Trading Company D40/x Holster

New Nikon D40 & D40x For Dummies Book - Kindle!

For Dummies and author/instructor Julie Adair King teamed up to create four books unlike any other on the market. While other DSLR books target experienced photographers and pros, these four For Dummies books target first-time and novice users who are interested in their new technology but might be intimidated by all the features.

"In a recent class I taught, none of the students with DSLRs understood even basic concepts such as aperture and shutter speed," Author Julie King reports. These books explain all the features of the latest entry level DSLR cameras, as well as how handle common tasks like getting images onto a PC and printing.
The Full-Color For Dummies books are being released from March 2008-September 2008 and cover the Nikon D40/D40x, the Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi/400D, the Nikon D60, and the Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi/450D respectively.

The assumption is that the reader has little to no knowledge of general photography terms or techniques. The goal of each book is to familiarize the reader with the controls and features of their camera so they can apply them to any shooting situation. Chapters cover:

Shooting in auto-mode

Adjusting image quality and size

Reviewing images

Controlling exposure

Using focus features

Managing color

Printing and sharing

Nikon D40 and D40x for Dummies Book -kindle - Reviews!

New Nikon D40 Firmware Update 1.11

About this firmware updateThis download provides software for upgrading D40 A firmware to v1.11 and B firmware to v1.11. When performing this Firmware Upgrade, be sure to upgrade both A and B firmware. Be aware that operation of your D40 is not guaranteed if either A or B firmware is upgraded to v1.11 while the other firmware is not upgraded.
The following issue has been resolved in version 1.11. Shooting times were not always accurately recorded within the image data for images captured in bursts of continuous shooting.

Click here to get the update

Technique to quickly change Digital SLR Camera lenses

Thank's to s8m2s for this easy and quick way to change our lenses!

Golden Gate Bridge at Night with the Nikon D40!

goldengate_nightshot
Originally uploaded by Click Clack MA

Every since I got my D40 I have wanted to try getting a picture of the golden gate at night using long exposures. So last Saturday night i drove down to the city and set up the tripod and started playing around! I set the D40 to f16 and 20 second exposure and used my remote to take the shots. This is one of the better results! It was very fun doing this and i look forward to doing more night shots real soon!

New Auto Focus 50mm Prime Lens For your D40, D40x & D60

Sigma has added a new 50mm prime lens to its DG range of optics, compatible with both full-frame and APS-C sized sensors. The 50mm f/1.4 EX DG HSM features a molded aspherical element and multi-layer coatings, while its Hypersonic Motor (HSM) ensures it will autofocus with Nikon's motorless bodies – namely the D40, D40x and D60. The lens has a minimum focusing distance of 45cm and a maximum magnification factor of 1:7.4, while its EX designation means that it sits in the company's professional range of lenses. The lens will be available in Sigma, Canon, Nikon, Pentax and Sony mounts, though autofocusing will only operate on Pentax and Sony bodies that support its Hypersonic Motor. Details of pricing and availability are yet to be made available.

Read the User Reviews Here!

Flickr Nikon D40 & D40x Groups to Join!

Well it's been kinda quite on the Nikon D40 front with not much to report. So i have put together this list of Flickr Groups made just for you!

1. Nikon D40/x Club (6137 members)
2. Nikon D40/x, D50, D60,D70/s, D80 (5911 members)
3. Nikon D40/x Users (3052 members)
4. Nikon D40/x 18-55mm Users (1698 members)
5. D40 Plus (676 members)
6. Nikon D40 Shooter's Alley (335 members)
7. Nikon D40/x HDR (48 members)
8. Nikon D40 users only (29 members)
9. Nikon 55-200 mm F/4 5.6G ED-IF AF-S DX VR Zoom (406 members)
10. Nikon D40/x Challenge (1283 members)

Others you might like!

1. Nikon Digital Learning Center (5875 members)
2. Flickr Rank me! Comments Group - Post 1, RANK Previous 5! (3079 members)

Have Fun!

invisibleSHIELD™ for the Nikon D40

Your search for a(n) Nikon D40 case, skin, or cover is now over. As its name describes, the invisibleSHIELD™ is a tough, clear film that will shield your D40 protecting it from unsightly scratches. Not only will it protect your device, the invisibleSHIELD™ itself does not scratch so your device will always look like it did the day you bought it.

The invisibleSHIELD™ has its origins in the military where it was designed to protect the leading edges of helicopter blades from getting scratched by rocks and debris. If it can protect helicopter blades spinning at hundreds of miles per hour, imagine what the invisibleSHIELD™ can do to protect your D40!

The invisibleSHIELD™ is only .2 milimeters thick making it the slimmest D40 skin or D40 cover of its kind. It is so tough, we back it with a lifetime guarantee. So, if it ever does wear or scratch, we will replace it for free, for life.

If you're still not convinced, please watch this video demo and see for yourself how strong the invisiblSHIELD™ really is.

Check it out Here!

Kenro releases Marumi DRF14 ring flash for Nikon D40

Kenro has announced the UK release of a new Marumi Ring Flash, the DRF14. The Marumi Ring Flash is the perfect choice for the photographer who requires shadow free illumination. It is designed for close up, macro, medical, scientific and forensic photography as the flash light source is positioned directly between the camera lens and subject providing an even illumination. The DRF14 is available with either a Canon fitting (DRF14C) for Canon cameras that use the E-TTL/ E-TTL11 system or a Nikon fitting (DRF14N) for Nikon cameras using the iTTL system.

It can also be used with the following Nikon Models: D40, D50, D70, D70s, D80, D200, D2X, D2Hs, D2x, D2H, D300 and D3.

Kenro managing director Paul Kench believes the new Marumi Ring Flash is ideally suited to those looking for high end results on a limited budget: “We have all seen those amazing fashion shots by the world's top photographers with models posed against a wall and the lighting jumps right out at you. Yet there is a softness to the shadows, which envelop the subject. Ring flash is normally an expensive luxury, but now it is within reach of every serious photographer, courtesy of Marumi. It's easy to use and very effective.”

See http://www.kenro.co.uk/ for details

Nissin releases new Di466 flashgun for D40

Kenro has announced the UK release of a new flashgun from Nissin, the Di466. The Di466 has been developed for digital SLR cameras with the latest TTL flash control technology. Two models are available, type C for Canon Cameras utilizing E-TTL and E-TTL11 technology and type N for Nikon Cameras with iTTL. This versatile unit features a guide number of 33m (108ft) at 100 ISO. Flash exposure compensation is provided in six steps by half stop increments of -1.5, -1.0, -0.5, +0.5, +1.0, +1.5 by controlling a switch on the back panel. When on manual power the flash can also be triggered wirelessly. The zoom head diffuser is motorised and will cover a lens range of 16-70mm (24-105mm on film SLR cameras). It also incorporates a fill in reflector and wide-angle diffuser and a built in colour filter guide. For ease and speed of use the batteries are held in a convenient battery cartridge where the battery contacts are all aligned in one direction and is also supplied with spare cartridge. Says Paul Kench, Kenro managing director: “This is a great addition to the Nissin range and is a serious contender in the mid-range flash gun arena. Nikon and Canon digital camera owners are encouraged to try out one of these guns at their local dealer... the feature set and build quality make them excellent value for money.”

It can also be used with these Nikons, D40, D50, D70, D70s,

http://www.kenro.co.uk/.

HDR and my D40

boatanddockhdr
Originally uploaded by Click Clack MA

Well here's a shot of my first attempt at HDR (High Dynamic Range) Photo. I used 3 Raw pictures in a program called Dynamic-Photo HDR which i bought for $39 dollars. Then I PP it in Elements 6. I hope to get good at this since I really love these images you can create! The 3 exposures I used were -1.50, 0.00, +1.50

How to Photograph a Lunar Eclipse with your D40

Tonights lunar Eclipse is something fun to try and capture tonight with your nikon. Here's a quick guide i found on how to shot a Lunar Eclipse. Looks like 7:05 pm west coast time.

Have Fun!

Mr.Eclipse.com

Opanda IExif is a professional Exif viewer for your D40, D40x & D60 Pictures

Opanda IExif is a professional Exif viewer in Windows / IE / Firefox, From a photographer's eye, It displays the image taken from digital camera and every item of EXIF data in the image from beginning to end. The user can learn about how and where to take the photo, what the camera's model is, the detail of photographer and more in IExif. You can know more information and some unbeknown story. It is not only the good assistant to study photography, but also the best choice to view EXIF for photographer, shutterbug, photo editor and so on...
Now digital camera is very popular, more and more people begin to use dc taking photo. It's an important thing that reviewing and learning about the photographic technology via EXIF data in digital image. Opanda IExif is just a professional software browsing Exif / GPS / IPTC data in digital image. It's powerful and easy-use, and it's one of the best tool for every shutterbug and photographer.

This is very cool! Get it here!

Aperture 2 - Your best shot's. Made even better from your D40 & D40x

The new Aperture 2 Software now avalible, I cant afford it but maybe you can. It sure looks awesome.

Aperture 2 delivers over 100 dramatic, new features including advanced image processing, a streamlined interface, faster performance, and unprecedented Mac integration

View all 100+ New Features

Streamlined interface that’s more accessible and intuitive.

Accelerated performance at every step of the workflow.
Enhanced image processing.
Unprecedented integration.

Try Apature 2 For free 30 day trial

Lake Sonoma, Ca

lakesonoma
Originally uploaded by Click Clack MA

The weather here in northern California has finally been nice enough to get back out and do some bass fishing. I took this from my kickboat at sunrise the other day. had the 55-200mm vr on!

Delkin Snug-It Pro Protection for your Nikon D40!

Delkin Snug-it Pro camera skins provide complete protection for digital SLR cameras. Heavy duty for heavy use, they are custom molded for a glove-like fit and come with a hard plastic cover to protect the LCD. All buttons, dials, sensors and compartments are carefully molded over and around for a completely functional and rugged skin. Thicker silicone provides added protection and ridges molded into the skin allow for a better grip. Whether you are a professional photographer or a first-time digital SLR buyer, Snug-it Pro skins are perfect for anyone looking for complete camera protection. Snug-It Pro’s will begin shipping in late March, and will be available for the Canon Digital Rebel Xti, Canon 40D, and Nikon D40.

I'm definitely going to be getting one of these as soon as there avalible in late March!

Read The Reviews Here!

Photomatix - HDR for your D40 & D40x

Photomatix Increase the dynamic range of your photographs!

If you have ever photographed a high contrast scene, you know that even the best exposure will typically have blown out highlights and flat shadows. Photomatix offers two ways to solve this problem

Exposure Blending: Merge differently exposed photographs into one image with increased dynamic range.

Tone Mapping: Reveal highlight and shadow details in an HDR image created from multiple exposures. The tone mapped image is ready for printing while showing the complete dynamic range captured.

See examples of how it works
View more examples in the User Gallery
Get started with a quick tutorial
Download a free trial version

Photomatix

Sigma Extends Long lenses for the Nikon D40, D40x and D60

The Sigma Corporation is pleased to announce the launch of the new APO 70-300mm F4-5.6 DG MACRO for Nikon and 70-300mm F4-5.6 DG MACRO for Nikon. The built-in motor allows autofocus with all Nikon digital cameras. These lenses incorporate a macro feature with maximum magnification 1:2 at the 300mm focal length. It is suitable for various types of shooting conditions.

Telephoto zoom lenses with tele-macro function, optimized for digital SLR cameras APO 70-300mm F4-5.6 DG MACRO for NikonCase, Hood (LH635-01) supplied

Telephoto zoom lens with excellent value for money and optimized for use with digital SLR cameras. 70-300mm F4-5.6 DG MACRO for NikonHood (LH635-01) supplied

Read Reviews Here!

Nikon Introducing Three New Lenses for your D40 & D40x

NIKON’S NEW AF-S MICRO  LENS BRINGS SOPHISTICATED TECHNOLOGY AND DESIGN TO CLOSE-UP PHOTOGRAPHERS

NIKON’S NEW WIDE-ANGLE PC-E NIKKOR 24MM F/3.5D ED LENS ALLOWS PHOTOGRAPHERS TO CONTROL PERSPECTIVE

NIKON’S NEW AF-S DX NIKKOR 16-85MM LENS OFFERS BROAD FOCAL RANGE AND VR IMAGE STABILIZATION FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS OF ALL LEVELS

NEW NIKON D60 DIGITAL SLR CAMERA!

Nikon, Inc., today introduced the new D60 digital SLR camera, which provides consumers with stunning picture quality and versatility in an easy-to-use, compact camera design. The D60 joins Nikon’s award-winning line of D-series digital SLR cameras and shares a form factor similar to the D40 – Nikon’s smallest D-SLR camera ever. With 10.2 effective megapixels and a wealth of innovative and user-friendly features, the D60 enables both photo enthusiasts and those new to digital SLR photography to capture incredible images like never before.

Check it out here!

PhotoCamel - Photography Forum

PhotoCamel - Your friendly Photo Community!

This is a great forum! They have everything, like tutorial's and lots of contests to help make you and me a better photographer. You definitely want to hang out here!

PhotoCamel

Photoshop Elements 6 for your D40 & D40x Post Processing Software

Updated New Photoshop Elements 9

Adobe Photoshop Elements 6 software combines power and simplicity so you can easily tell great stories with your photos. Make your photos look their best whatever your level of editing experience--a friendly new design and step-by-step editing assistance help get you started. Easily perform more advanced retouching and enhancing thanks to easy image-selection tools, amazing compositing capabilities, and more. Share your stories in imaginative photo books, scrapbook pages, slide shows, interactive web galleries, and more. And always find and view all your photos and video clips with ease.

I just picked up this software from costco for $49 dollars and so far I love it!

I think the deal is going tell the 27th so you need to hurry if you want it for a great price.

Adobe Photoshop Elements 6

New Nikon Camera User Forum - D40 & D40x Area!

Here's a new forum for you to join. NikonCameraUser.com, Seems pretty good to me! Let's help them grow by posting on their forums.
NikonCameraUser.com

Tamron 70-300mm Lens for Nikon D40/D40x

Tamron are releasing a new version of their popular 70-300mm telephoto lens that’s compatible with the Nikon D40/D40x DSLRs. The revamped AF 70-300mm F/4-5.6 Di LD Macro 1:2 lens will have a built-in motor AF system. The price of the new Tamron 70-300mm for Nikon in the US is $189.00 and it will ship this week. It will be launched in Japan on February 1st 2008.

$189 bucks!

read more here:

DSLR Tips for you and your D40 & D40X

What a great web site for new DSLR owners! You have to visit, there is tons of great information to study and learn. They have photography tutorials, video workshops, lens and accessory reviews and more! I think i could learn a few things here!

DSLR Tips

D40 shoot from the lake this last weekend!

bill
Originally uploaded by Click Clack MA

Well i finally got to get out on the water and shoot some pictures of our clubs bass tournament and liked this one the best. I was using the Nikon 55-200 VR lens from my kickboat and with me being in the water moving the VR lens did a great job of capturing my shot's without any blur.

Nikon 50mm f/1.8 D Lens for around $100 dollars!

This is a lens you might want to get since the price is so darn good and i hear nothing but good things about this prime lens. It will work on your D40 & D40x but will only manual focus. I've read tons of great things on this lens so i'm looking to get one as soon as possible. Being a prime lens means theres no zoom so you have to move closer or move back. Here's what Mr. Ken Rockwell has to say about this lens.

Check it out Here!

Photo.net - Resource site for you and your D40 and D40x

Photo.net is an online community for photographers to connect and discuss photography, explore galleries, share photographs, and learn more about the art of photography. The site began in 1993 as Philip Greenspun's personal home page at MIT and has grown to become a community of more than 600,000 registered users working to help each other improve as photographers.

Great site for photography resources

Photography Articles & Tutorials for you and your D40 & D40x

This is a simple and easy to understand little website i found for some of the basic stuff to learn.

Photography Basics
Using Aperture
Telephoto Tips
Maximizing Sharpness
Commanding Exposure

.

Nature Photography
Photographing Birds
Photographing Waterfalls

.

http://www.outdoorphoto.com/guides/

D40 & D40x Top 25 Tips of 2007 from PopPhoto!

Top 25 Tips of 2007
Our Favorite Tips of the Year From PopPhoto Flash

The Editors of Popular Photography & Imaging have posted a tip a day, every weekday since April, on our blog PopPhoto Flash. Some tips came from our editors themselves, while others were pulled from books, blogs, websites, or donated from ingenious readers. Listed here are our favorites, the top 25 tips of 2007.

Top 25 Tips of 2007

Your D40 Flickr Photos and the New Photophlow!

Something new i just came across on Crave. Looks pretty cool but right now they are only allowing you access by invitation. Sign up here and hope for a invite i guess. That's what i did.

Photophlow is a fun way to share flickr photos in real time. invite your friends, search together, chat and comment all at once.

'A comfy coffee lounge'"It really changes the way I use Flickr," said Alex Almeida, who publishes the Phat Photographer blog, who described Photophlow with a different metaphor. With its instant interaction, "it really is like a comfy coffee lounge with a big shoe box of photos where people can chat comfortably and pull any of those photos out of the shoebox and discuss them."

Photophlow

Understanding Histograms on your Nikon D40 & D40x

Possibly the most useful tool available in digital photography is the histogram. It could also well be the least understood. In this article we will look at what a camera histogram tells the photographer and how best to utilize that information.

Virtually every digital camera, from the simplest point-and-shoot to the most sophisticated digital SLR has the ability to display a histogram directly, or more usually superimposed upon the image just taken. (The Hasselblad H1, the latest generation of film & digital capable cameras, can display a histogram on the camera grip’s LCD while the image is separately displayed on the digital back’s LCD.) On most cameras though the histogram display takes place on the rear LCD screen, and most cameras can be programmed to do this both on the image that is displayed immediately after a shot is taken, or later when frames are being reviewed.

More....

Nikon D40 & D40x Circular Polarizer Filter

Well i just ordered my first Circular Polarizer Filter and cant wait for it to arrive. If the sun ever comes out again here in Northern California I'll be testing it out when it gets here! For me I shoot a lot of outdoors stuff like bass fishing on our the lakes so this will be nice to have. Some people say they never use a circular filter and some say they use them all the time, So i guess it's up to the individual person. After researching all the forums it's clear to me that the Hoya Pro1 DIGITAL Circular polarizer is the one to have. With my 2 lenses i got with my D40, the 18-55mm & 55-200mm VR both take the same size filters 52mm so that's nice. Next I'll probably get a Neutral Density filter. Here are some links all about filters I have found online.

Photo Tip: Polarizing Filters

All About Filters

Filters for Digital Photography

The Two Basic Filter Systems

The Filter Connection

Nikon D40 & D40x Sensor Cleaning Video

Do you need to clean your sensor yet? I just noticed a dust spot on my sensor and needed to get rid of it but wasn't sure exactly how to do it till i found this cool video. This guy is cleaning a Nikon D70 sensor but it the same as our D40 and D40x. After watching this video i had no problem getting rid of that dust spot. Thank God!

New Nikon School DVDs for D40 & D40x Owners

Nikon School Presents: Fast, Fun & Easy Great Digital Pictures Instructional DVD & Understanding Digital Photography Instructional DVD - for Nikon D40 & D40x Digital SLR Cameras.

I got the Fast, Fun & Easy DVD in my Christmas stocking from Santa this year and it's a pretty good DVD. But i would suggest getting the Understanding Digital Photography DVD instead since it's more in depth.

Fast, Fun & Easy

Understanding Digital Photography

Nikon D40 and D40x Compatible Sigma lenses

The New Nikon D40 and D40x are the first Nikon body without a built in auto focus motor. This means that the any lens used with the D40 and D40x will need the auto focus motor built into the lens. These lenses are called AFS lenses. Sigma has a large line of compatible AFS type lenses. Most of these lenses have the HSM motor in them with the Exception of the 80-400mm f4.5-5.6 EX DG OS (optically stabilized).

The following lenses are fully compatible with the Nikon D40 and D40X:

18-200mm f3.5-6.3 DC OS HSM - New
18-50mm f2.8 EX DC HSM - New
17-70mm f2.8-4.5 DC HSM - New
18-50mm f3.5-5.6 DC HSM - New
55-200mm f4-5.6 DC HSM - New
10-20mm F4-5.6 EX DC HSM
12-24mm F4.5-5.6
17-35mm F2.8-4 DG
50-500mm F4-6.3 DG
APO 50-150mm F2.8 EX DC HSM
70-200mm F2.8 DG MACRO
80-400mm F4.5-5.6
100-300mm F4 DG
120-300mm F2.8 DG
300-800mm F5.6 DG
30mm F1.4 EX DC HSM
150mm F2.8 EX DG
180mm F3.5 EX DG
300mm EX DG
500mm EX DG
800mm f5.6 EX DG

Nikon myPicturetown - Free D40/x Photo Sharing & Storage

Check out My Picturetown for yet another cool place to upload and share your photos. I just signed up and it took about 5 minutes and i had photos uploaded and viewable. Now of course this is no flickr or SmugMug but it works. Thanks Nikon!

Nikon my Picturetown

See what happened when Nikon gave 200 people new D40's in Georgetown South Carolina.
Here

D40/x Practice - Virtual Camera By Craig Hickman

From Craig Hickman

"I'm testing a new Flash movie designed to teach exposure concepts as they relate to digital cameras. Anyone can use it but it was originally designed for my students at the University of Oregon in the Digital Arts, Digital Imaging class. It still has a few rough edges and bugs, but you can try it out"

This is very cool to play with!

Camera

Nikon D40 / D40x Laminated Field Reference Card

Blue Crane Digital - Visual tools for a digital age!

Your camera manual covers all the functions on your new digital camera. It’s also over one hundred pages long.

When you are in the field, you need quick and accurate answers to achieve the best shot. We developed the inBrief line of camera guides so you can get the answers, and more importantly, the shot you want.

Each card is divided into eight color-coded panels. If you have a question about metering or bracketing, simply look at the yellow panel. Questions about custom functions are answered on the green panel. The layout and description for the control panel and view finder can be found on the blue panel. And a color-coded index on the front page immediately points you toward the answer you need.

This looks pretty cool, I just ordered one from Amazon for $10 dollars. This will fit in my camera bag better then the user manual for sure.

Read Reviews Here!

Promaster Tripods for your D40/x

Eventually your going to want a tripod for your new D40/x DSLR. I see there are many to choose from and range in price from cheap (my kind) to expensive professional ones. For me I got the Promaster 6100 tripod and it's just perfect. I got it at my local shutterbug for $49 dollars.

Promaster Tripods

How to use a tripod: the basics