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12-Bit raw video is coming to the Z6 & Z7 and Nikon DSLRs to get CFexpress support

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First teased last month at CES with the launch of the Nikon Z6 Filmmaker kit, Nikon has now officially announced that new firmware updates are coming for the Nikon Z6 and Nikon Z7 mirrorless cameras. One of the things this firmware update will introduce is RAW output via HDMI. Atomos has also now announced that the Atomos Ninja V will be able to record the 12-bit output to Apple ProRes Raw.

Another update mentioned before was that the Z6 and Z7 would also be getting CFexpress support. Well, Nikon has also now confirmed that their DSLRs containing XQD memory card slots (the Nikon D5, D850 and D500) will also receive CFexpress support in a new firmware update.

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Springs, levers and electromagnets are what makes a DSLR shutter mechanism work

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We’ve posted about what shutter speed is, from a photographic standpoint, and shown the basics of how shutters works before. But this video from photographer Chris Marquardt takes things just that bit further. He literally pulls a shutter mechanism out of a Nikon D500 to show us the nitty gritty.

We all know the basic principles of how a shutter works. The front curtain opens, exposes the scene, then the rear curtain closes and our shot is complete. But the mechanism by which it all happens and the technology that allows it to work is quite fascinating.

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I swapped out my macro to shoot butterflies with a 300mm lens on a Nikon D500

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Every year, on the cusp of true, Rocky Mountain summer, I travel to the high country to photograph butterflies. For a brief couple of weeks, during the height of the alpine meadow bloom, when lupine and mallows turn acres of open space to blue and pink, Montana’s butterflies make the most of their short season.

This year, I test drove Nikon’s flagship dx camera, the D500. I ran it with Nikon’s 300mm f4 PF VR and the TC-14E III, giving me a whopping 630mm of reach, hoping to bring these colorful insects up close and personal and preserve more depth of field than when shooting with my 200mm Micro Nikkor, my usually choice for butterflies.

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A German shepherd chewed on this Nikon D500 – and it’s still working

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From time to time, camera manufacturers issue special edition models of their gear. But this Nikon D500 “Rex Edition” is the most unique so far. A German Shepherd named Rex munched on this camera, which was bought only a day before. As a result, there’s one pretty unusual model of Nikon, to say the least. And what’s even more unusual – the camera is still working.

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These are Nikon’s 100th anniversary commemorative cameras & lenses

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It’s not exactly a secret that Nikon is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. But what has kept many in suspense is exactly what camera bodies they’ll use to celebrate it. After all, Nikon has a history of creating special and exclusive cameras for various events. Now it seems there are special 100th anniversary editions of both the Nikon D5 and Nikon D500 bodies.

There also seems to be a 100th anniversary edition of the “Holy Trinity” lenses. The Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8G ED, Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8E ED VR and 70-200mm f/2.8E FL ED VR. In all cases, the typical black finish seems to have been replaced by a rather pretty gunmetal grey.

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Nikon issues pre-emptive recalls for both D5 and D500. Please return yours for service, in advance

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Tokyo, Japan. March 4, 2016 
For Immediate release:

“Steve” Mikimoto of Nikon’s professional imaging division announced this week that Nikon will be preemptively recalling both the D500 and D5 cameras nearly a month before their actual scheduled release. While neither camera has evinced any technical problems to date the company wishes to prevent another episode such as the “oil and garbage” on the sensors of recent product, the D600; and also the repeated and inconvenient recalls of the popular D750 cameras, with their sensor shading lens mounts.

“We made the decision to preemptively recall most of our professional products in order to maintain our high standards.” Claims “Steve”. 

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First Hands On Review of the Nikon D5 and D500

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You may know that I’m already pretty sold on the Nikon D500, and the Nikon D5 doesn’t look too shabby, either.

This hands on video by Jeremy Smith looks at both bodies and answers a couple of questions that I was having about the AF system and wireless capabilities of the D500.

It also goes somewhat towards squashing the fears I had over how Nikon might implement the touch screen interactivity on the D500.

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Nikon Delayed the D500 Release Date; is it Trying to Avoid a D600-Style Fiasco?

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Nikon’s highly-anticipated and recently-announced flagship DX DSLR is just days away from being officially launched in the US, but the Japanese headquarters informed customers that it will take a while longer until they’re able to take a D500 home with them.

Initially scheduled to be available as of March, along with the D5, Nikon Japan has said that the release date of the camera and its accessories will be pushed back due to failure to meet the high demand.

If that sounds strange to you, you’re not alone, and I can’t help but wonder if Nikon is trying to avoid another D600 or D750-style fiasco.

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Kings of Speed: 1D X MKII vs D5 vs D500 Shutters Compared

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This past month has been excellent for wildlife shooters, sports shooters and speed junkies in general, as we’ve seen the announcement of Canon’s 1D X Mark II and Nikon’s D5 and D500.

These monsters are all about speed, so we’ve gathered everything you need to know about their shutter bursts, frames per second and even calculated how long you can shoot at max speed before destroying the shutter.

As a bonus, we’ve added a video comparing the shutter sounds in burst mode of 17 Canon cameras, ranging from 2.5 to 14 fps.

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The Last DSLR I’ll Ever Need

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This post stems from a conversation started with my good friend Chris Frosin, during a rainy visit to the Lake District a few days ago. Chris and I don’t get together too often, so when we do, it’s a good opportunity to geek out on the some of the latest photo news.

I’ve been shooting with SLRs of one type or another for about the past 17 years. I switched from 35mm to digital in 2002, and for the last 7 years, despite bouncing around between other various cameras and brands for certain shoots that had specific technical requirements, my body of choice has always been the Nikon D300s, and still is.

It’s my go-to camera. It’s what’s always charged and ready to go at a moment’s notice. I use it for both personal and client work.

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