Adobe has upgraded Photoshop Lightroom to version 2.6. You can download the free updates for both Windows and Macintosh from Adobe. Support for the following cameras has been added from Lightroom 2.5 to 2.6:

• Canon EOS 1D Mark IV
• Canon EOS 7D
• Canon PowerShot G11
• Canon PowerShot S90
• Nikon D3s
• Olympus E-P2
• Panasonic DMC-FZ38
• Pentax K-x
• Sigma DP1s
• Sony A500
• Sony A550
• Sony A850

Further Windows and Macintosh software enhancements in Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2.6 include:

• The crop tool would unlock a locked aspect ratio after a rotation adjustment.
• For Mac OS X 10.6 customers, visual artifacts could appear when panning an image viewed at 1:1 in the Develop module.
• For Mac OS X 10.6 customers, the 10.6.2 update included a correction that prevented Lightroom 2 from opening more than two files using the Edit-in-Photoshop functionality.
• Lightroom 2.6 provides a fix for an issue affecting PowerPC customers using the final Lightroom 2.5 update on the Mac. The issue, introduced in the demosaic change to address sensors with unequal green response, has the potential to create artifacts in highlight areas when processing raw files from Sony, Olympus, Panasonic and various medium format digital camera backs.
• Lightroom 2.5 and earlier did not support the updated Panasonic DMC-LX3 aspect ratio modes added with the camera’s latest version 2.0 firmware.

Please download the Lightroom 2.6 ReadMe file (pdf link) for additional details. You can also learn more at the dSLR Dad Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 Resource Guide.

Copyright 2007-2009 dSLRdad.com. All Rights Reserved.

This post was brought to you by:

FREE Trial – Trust your most precious memories to SmugMug, upload your photos today.

Now available: Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, the professional photographer’s essential toolbox!

Nikon has updated has released a software update for Capture NX, version 2.2.4. This software update is currently available in a Windows version only. The following are listed as new for this update:

• Compatibility with 32- and 64-bit versions of Windows 7 Home Basic/ Home Premium/ Professional/ Enterprise/ Ultimate has been added.  When run under 64-bit versions, the software operates as a 32-bit application.
• Compatibility with 64-bit versions of Windows Vista Home Basic/ Home Premium/ Business/ Enterprise/ Ultimate (Service Pack 2) editions has been added. When run under 64-bit versions, the software operates as a 32-bit application.
• Specifications have been modified so that when 25 Photos on Page, or a higher number of photos per page, is selected for Select Layout in the Print layout dialog, the Use Thumbnail Data (Draft Use Only) box is automatically checked.
  This resolves an issue that prevented printing when 25 Photos on Page, or a higher number of photos per page, was selected for Select Layout.
• An issue that caused an error message to be displayed and prevented printing when borderless settings were applied with some printers has been resolved.
• An issue that prevented accurate application of borderless print settings has been resolved.
• An issue that prevented specification of the same margin for left, right, top, and bottom margins in the Margins section of the Page Setup dialog has been resolved.
• An issue that caused a delay between clicking of the Print button and actual initiation of printing has been resolved.
• When an image was opened on some computers with AMD CPUs, Capture NX 2 quit unexpectedly. This issue has been resolved.
• An issue that caused an error message to be displayed during batch processing of a large number of files has been resolved.
• When a batch process was run with the Notify when completed box in the Processing Queue – Process Running dialog checked, a blank window was displayed.  This issue has been resolved.
• When a batch process was run for multiple images with the same shooting date and time, the processed images were not saved with the correct file names.  This issue has been resolved.
• An issue that caused batch processing to fail before completion when a batch process was run with certain settings has been resolved.
• An issue that caused an error message to be displayed when multiple enhancements were applied to images has been resolved.
• An issue that caused an error message to be displayed when attempting to open several images previously saved with Capture NX 2 has been resolved.
• When the Camera & Lens Corrections checkbox was checked (Develop section of Edit List), enhancements were not applied to an image opened in the image window and displayed at 100%, and the enhanced image could not be saved.  This issue has been resolved.
• When image window display was maximized with Desktop selected for Window menu>Workspaces>Additional Screen for the primary monitor on a dual monitor system, the image window disappeared.  This issue has been resolved.
• When the zoom tool was used to enlarge an image displayed with Full Screen or Presentation selected from the View menu, the portion of the image clicked with the zoom tool was not displayed at the center of the window.  This issue has been resolved.
• An issue that prevented switching between “+” and “-“ operations when the ALT key was pressed while using the selection brush has been resolved.
• An issue that caused folders in the Capture NX 2 Folders palette to be displayed in a different order than with Windows Explorer display has been resolved.
• When the crop tool was used to select a crop and the ENTER key pressed to apply the crop, the cursor did not switch to a selection tool.  This issue has been resolved.
• When a number was entered after a decimal point for some enhancement items with text boxes for entering numerical values in the Edit List, the values could not be changed.  This issue has been resolved.
• When “-” (minus) was entered in the Exposure Compensation text box under Quick Fix in the Develop section of the Edit List, it was displayed in red and then “0” was displayed after a few seconds.  This issue has been resolved.

You can download the Capture NX software update from Nikon USA.

Copyright 2007-2009 dSLRdad.com. All Rights Reserved.

This post was brought to you by:

FREE Trial – Trust your most precious memories to SmugMug, upload your photos today.

Now available: Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, the professional photographer’s essential toolbox!

Patrick Dean on Digital Photography School has published his review of the Canon EOS 7D dSLR Camera:

The Canon EOS 7D is a camera that excels in nearly every regard. From excellent build and handling, to beautiful high resolution images, the EOS 7D is perfectly suited for any enthusiast or semi-pro photographer. While Canon claims the EOS 7D isn’t intended to replace any of their current models, it is clearly intended to compete with the Nikon D300s, and in nearly every regard the EOS 7D is equal to or better than its competitor. It’s an adept performer with class leading high ISO capabilities and the most versatile movie options available from a DSLR camera. In total, the EOS 7D isn’t just a great value, it’s also the best APS-C DSLR that you can buy right now.

You can read the entire Canon 7D review at Digital Photography School. You can also read more articles about the Canon EOS 7D on dSLR Dad.

Copyright 2007-2009 dSLRdad.com. All Rights Reserved.

This post was brought to you by:

FREE Trial – Trust your most precious memories to SmugMug, upload your photos today.

Now available: Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, the professional photographer’s essential toolbox!

Digital Photography Review has also published their review of the 720p HD Nikon D300s dSLR:

The Nikon D300 made quite an impact when it was first launched – enough to prompt us to conclude: ‘There’s simply no better semi-professional digital SLR on the market.’ And, in many respects, it is still the camera to beat in that class – nearly two years later and it is still able to command essentially the same price as at launch (though the strong Yen has pushed all prices up). And this success appears to have left Nikon unsure how to improve on its APS-C flagship.

Although the many of the additions to the D300S are simply those that we’ve seen appear on Nikons since the D300 arrived (virtual horizon from the D3, movies from the D90), one genuinely new feature is the inclusion of contrast-detection autofocus that operates while in movie mode – a first for a Nikon DSLR. It’s not the quickest focusing you’ll ever see, though, and you’ll also need to make use of the external mic socket if you’re to avoid the distant generator chuntering or asthmatic rodent sounds that autofocus motors seem to so accurately mimic.

The D300S inherits the non-latched memory card door we first saw on the D700, but now with both a CF and SD slot behind it. As you’d expect at this level, the exact behavior of how the camera writes to the two cards can be defined: use one after the other, write backups to the second card, RAW and JPEG to different cards or split stills and videos. In fact many of the changes make the D300S even more similar to the D700, including Nikon’s now-standard multi controller with separate central button that, on this camera, initiates movie recording when in live view.

The continuous shooting speed has been given a bit of a boost, with the camera now capable of shooting at 7fps using its own battery and 8fps with the MB-D10 battery grip. The settings display screen is now, in line with most current DSLRs, interactive, allowing most shooting settings to be changed more quickly, a couple of extra Active D-Lighting options (’Auto’ and ‘Extra High’) have been thrown in too. Finally the ‘Quiet’ drive mode first seen on the D5000 also makes an appearance.

However the arrival of the distinctly pro-targeted Canon EOS 7D and the accomplished but more wallet-friendly Pentax K-7 could make Nikon’s gentle refresh of the D300 look insufficient…

You can read the entire Nikon D300s Review at dPreview.

Copyright 2007-2009 dSLRdad.com. All Rights Reserved.

This post was brought to you by:

FREE Trial – Trust your most precious memories to SmugMug, upload your photos today.

Now available: Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, the professional photographer’s essential toolbox!

I must admit, this is a great service that I hope every manufacturer adopts.  Canon USA has made available 16 tutorial videos (at the time of this post) on the new Canon EOS 7D.  These instructional videos can be watched on the website, or downloaded to your iPod, iPhone, and even your Camera.  That’s right, all a dSLR Dad has to do is copy these videos to your CompactFlash Card and then you can watch them on the Canon 7D’s 3-inch LCD screen when out in the field.  The following EOS 7D On-Camera Tutorial Videos are available:

• Video #1: Automatic AF Point Selection
• Video #2: Manual AF Point Selection
• Video #3: Spot AF
• Video #4: Zone AF
• Video #5: Memorizing AF Points
• Video #6: AF Custom Functions
• Video #7: Image Quality Options
• Video #8: Viewfinder Options
• Video #9: Electronic Level Display
• Video #10: Live View Basics
• Video #11: Movie Mode Basics
• Video #12: Movie Mode Settings
• Video #13: Customizing Operations
• Video #14: Battery Display
• Video #15: Flash Functions
• Video #16: Basic WFT

You can find all of these videos at the Canon Digital Learning Center. You can also read more articles about the Canon EOS 7D on dSLR Dad.

Copyright 2007-2009 dSLRdad.com. All Rights Reserved.

This post was brought to you by:

FREE Trial – Trust your most precious memories to SmugMug, upload your photos today.

Now available: Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, the professional photographer’s essential toolbox!

Not one to shy away from a good discussion, Professional wildlife photographer Scott Bourne has published his thoughts on the Canon EOS 7D dSLR. For his first chronicle, Mr. Bourne assesses the EOS 7d’s prowess as an HD video cam:

I’ve been playing with all the current crop of DSLRs that shoot video. They are all very good at some things. None is perfect. But after all my tests, I have settled on two favorites. The Panasonic GH1 surprised me as the early favorite. It’s small, easy to use and has a ton of features that some of the more expensive cameras don’t. I like it a great deal and had pretty much settled on it as my favorite. Then came the Canon 7D. It’s a real game changer. It really caught my attention as well. It’s got very wide third-party support since most of the video accessories made for the Canon 5DMKII will also work with the 7D. It also offers access to more lenses and a larger sensor to capture video. That translates to better shadow detail and less data loss. In short, I have decided to use it as my primary video camera. Now I suspect Nikon is coming out with a new video platform any day. So could I change my mind? Absolutely. I may even end up using both. But for right now, I think the Canon 7D is the best hybrid video camera out there so that’s what I am going to use.

You can continue reading the rest of his video review at Photofocus.com.

In his second review, he focuses on the Canon 7d as a still camera:

I have been using the Canon EOS 7D as a video camera. I like it well enough to have purchased two of them for my own use. But this week, while co-leading my annual Bosque del Apache photo workshop with Arthur Morris I’ve had a chance to test the 7D as a still camera. Here is my impression after shooting with the camera for several days…

…I shot hundreds of frames of geese and cranes in flight at Bosque. I was using the Canon 400 mm F/5.6 “L” lens. This lens is NOT stabilized, but it is VERY sharp. I shot birds coming straight at me with perfect results. This is the test that any camera has to pass if I am going to recommend it. It’s hard for the autofocus to track something coming right at you and in this case, the system worked. And here the 7D worked perfectly. I also shot birds coming at me with additional birds in the background and the 7D properly selected the front bird and tracked it all the way over my head. Amazing! I shot in all sorts of light. The AI Servo mode simply worked every time. I was extremely impressed. With only 19 auto-focus points, the camera does a super job. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not about to give up my Nikon D3s. 51 auto-focus points is better than 19. But the D3s costs $5200 to $1700 for the 7D. For the money, the 7D autofocus rocks.

He continues to discuss the continuous shooting, battery life, customization, and image quality.  Lot’s of good information for any dSLR Dad to consume the entire review at Photofocus.com.

Copyright 2007-2009 dSLRdad.com. All Rights Reserved.

This post was brought to you by:

FREE Trial – Trust your most precious memories to SmugMug, upload your photos today.

Now available: Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, the professional photographer’s essential toolbox!

Digital Photography Review has published their review of the Canon EOs 7D dSLR Camera:

Canon’s X0D series was, for many years, essentially the default choice for keen enthusiasts, professionals and aspiring-professionals who wanted top-level image quality and functionality without the bulk (or price) of a pro-level camera such as the 1D series. The 10D, 20D and 30D were hugely successful and popular cameras, and you didn’t have to spend long shooting with them to understand why. However, like every other sector of the DSLR market, there are some very competitive rivals, in terms of both price and features. Cameras such as Sony’s A700 and Nikon’s D200 and 300 have meant the most recent X0D EOSs have been held to higher standards and have found it a little harder to stand-out. Which brings us to the 7D, a camera that seems determined to wrestle back the king of APS-C crown. At first glance it looks a lot like the EOS 50D – it’s unmistakably a member of the EOS family – but a closer look shows that this is far from being the gentle refresh that we’re used to seeing in this range. And indeed, this is intended as big brother to the 50D, rather than as a replacement for it.

For a start, the camera is built around a new 18MP sensor, but the thing you’re likely to notice before you even fire a shot is the impressive new viewfinder. 1.0X magnification and 100% coverage offers a noticeable improvement over the 0.95X, 95% finder in the EOS 50D and puts the camera on the same footing as the D300S (Its 0.94X finder ends up essentially the same size, once the focal length multiplier effect of its fractionally larger sensor is taken into account). However, the 7D isn’t just a 50D with a new sensor, viewfinder and revised body – other headline changes include a new AF system with a dedicated processor, dual Digic 4 processors and a new shutter mechanism to allow 8fps continuous shooting, and the ability to control groups of external flashguns using its built-in flash. However, the updates extend beyond these big-feature changes to include a variety of tweaks, refinements and additions. Make no mistake, Canon wants to be the default choice again.

You can read the entire review, all 30 webpage’s of it, at dPreview.  You can also read more articles about the Canon EOS 7D on dSLR Dad.

Copyright 2007-2009 dSLRdad.com. All Rights Reserved.

This post was brought to you by:

FREE Trial – Trust your most precious memories to SmugMug, upload your photos today.

Now available: Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, the professional photographer’s essential toolbox!

dSLR Camera Black Friday Deals

Nikon D90 Camera body for around $800 at both Amazon and B&H Photo.
B&H Photo has page listing all of their featured Holiday camera body and kit specials.
Adorama has the Nikon D3000 10.2 Mega-Pixel DSLR Camera w/ 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED AF-S DX VR Lens and a Nikon D-SLR Camera Bag with the Nikon “Fast, Fun & Easy” Great Digital Pictures DVD Easy” Great Digital Pictures DVD and free shipping.
Amazon Black Friday Deals in Camera, Photo & Video. Updated every day all week.

dSLR Lens Black Friday Deals

B&H Photo is discounting a bunch of Tamron Lenses.
Instant savings from $20 to $500 of some of Canon’s most popular lenses and Speedlights from Amazon.com. These deals are good until January 16, 2010.

Digital Darkroom Black Friday Deals

Amazon is offering Adobe Photoshop CS4 Adobe Photoshop Lightroom for half off ($125) on Black Friday. Available only on Friday, November 27th between 1:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. PST.
Pixelmator image editor (Mac only) for just $14.99 at Amazon.

Adorama has specials on Sandisk Extreme II memory cards:

Copyright 2007-2009 dSLRdad.com. All Rights Reserved.

This post was brought to you by:

FREE Trial – Trust your most precious memories to SmugMug, upload your photos today.

Now available: Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, the professional photographer’s essential toolbox!

Last year it was Adobe Photoshop Lightroom. This year, Amazon is again offering Adobe Photoshop CS4 Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 for half off on Black Friday. Click here on Friday, November 27th between 1:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. PST to see the deal. Remember, this deal is only going to be for one hour, so make sure you tell a fellow dSLR Dad.

Copyright 2007-2009 dSLRdad.com. All Rights Reserved.

This post was brought to you by:

FREE Trial – Trust your most precious memories to SmugMug, upload your photos today.

Now available: Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, the professional photographer’s essential toolbox!

You can find more comic strips at What the Duck.

Copyright 2007-2009 dSLRdad.com. All Rights Reserved.

This post was brought to you by:

FREE Trial – Trust your most precious memories to SmugMug, upload your photos today.

Now available: Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, the professional photographer’s essential toolbox!