Nikon recently released an educational iPhone app called Learn & Explore.
As the title suggests, the app puts quite some educational information at your fingertips. While mainly conceived as a learning app for photographers, it’s also suitable for more experienced photographers. While obviously geared towards Nikon shooters, the tips, reference and glossary also apply to photographers who use cameras other than Nikon’s.
According to Nikon, the app contains the following features:
- Images and Video: Scroll through galleries of images and view videos that both educate and inspire.
- Insights & Techniques: Learn the fundamentals of photography and get advice on shooting techniques that will help you improve your skills and take better pictures.
- Nikon World: Nikon’s quarterly print magazine is available complete with stunning images and audio slideshows from some of the top professional photographers working today.
- Photography Glossary: An easy way to find a definition for the photographic terms you’re interested in.
- Favorites: Store and retrieve your favorite images and articles for fast and easy access.
If you are connected when accessing the app, Nikon Learn & Export will access Nikon’s site for new articles and information.
Price: Free from iTunes.
Sunrise Sunset is an iPhone app that allows you to track sunrise and sunset right from your iPhone.
The app comes in three flavors:
The Sunrise Sunset LITE version allows you to track sunrise and sunset for your current location. While it is free, that is simply too limiting for me.
The regular Sunrise Sunset app adds access to a huge location database as well as keeping track of dawn, solar noon and dusk. Much better.
The PRO version also lets you track the sun position throughout the day as well as inclination and azimuth.
As a photographer, knowing dawn, sunrise, sunset and dusk is important, so their regular app is probably your first choice. However, there are other apps such as PhotoCalc (see our review) that include that kind of functionality, so you might want to check your iPhone before purchasing it. And if you need the whole enchilada, go for the PRO version. It does not seem as detailed as the Helios Sun Position Calculator, but then it’s also much more affordable.
Supported languages: English, Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, Japanese, Korean
Price:
Sunrise Sunset Lite: Free,
Sunrise Sunset: $0.99,
Sunrise Sunset Pro: $1.99
I really love to watch the elaborate choreography of an NFL pre-game show. In this case, it was amazing to see how quickly they could switch from a Bucs banner spanning one half of the field to this huge American flag which covered two thirds of the field. Amazing job by all involved and an amazing sight to us spectators…
Pre-game ceremonies at the Bucs-Panthers game in Tampa. Click on the image to see a larger version of the panorama
Processing note: 5 images taken with an iPhone 3G. Photoshop: Panorama stitched, cropped, some minor warping, curve adjustments, contrast boosted, downsized and sharpened.
You can download the full-size panorama.
Update: Canon also has a camera body rebate program. Contrary to their lens and flash rebates, the camera body rebates are not instant, but mail-in rebates, so you have to download the rebate form and send proof of purchase to Canon.
Here is how it works:
- You qualify for the rebate program, if you registered a qualifying Canon camera before October 12. The list of qualifying cameras is huge, so chances are if you have a registered digital Canon camera, it would qualify.
- Purchase a new qualifying Canon Powershot and get a $20 rebate, or a qualifying Canon DSLR and get a $50 rebate.
The rebate form (PDF) can be downloaded from Canon’s website.
The rebate offer expires on December 31, 2009.
The rumors were true – Canon officially announced their Fall 2009 rebates. Buy any of the 12 lenses or 5 Flash units (no camera bodies this time) from an authorized Canon U.S.A. dealer and they will instantly take off the rebate amount. You don’t have to deal with submitting rebate forms this time.
Download a PDF of the eligible Canon lenses and flashes from Canon’s website.
List of qualifying product:
- EF 200mm f/2L IS USM
- EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM
- EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM
- EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM
- EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM
- EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM
- EF 70-200mm f/4L IS USM
(my workhorse)
- EF-S 17-55 f/2.8 IS USM
- EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM
- EF 17-40mm f/4L USM
- EF 70-200mm f/4L USM
- EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro USM
- Speedlite 270EX
- Speedlite 430EX II
- Speedlite 580EX II
- Macro Twin Lite MT-24EX
- Macro Ring Lite MR-14EX
