Made to shatter limits and realise every shooting opportunity, this professional FX-format camera brings new levels of image quality, speed and precision to both still photography and video. Equipped with a 16.2-megapixel FX-format sensor, phenomenally high ISO and Nikon’s powerful EXPEED3 image processing engine, it offers uncompromised performance and unrivalled versatility in extreme lighting and environmental conditions.

“With the Nikon D4, we’ve launched the ultimate in photography,” says Romi Jacobs, Chief Brand Officer for Nikon in South Africa. “If you’re a photographer at the top of your game, then you need a camera that won’t ever let you down – and that’s the Nikon D4. It’s been built to push limits – just as the photographers that will use it push limits every day in their work.”

Uncompromised Image quality—Exceptional speed
Engineered to deliver remarkable image integrity in the most diverse lighting conditions, the D4 offers blisteringly fast fps performance and sets a new benchmark in low-noise performance. The 16.2 megapixel FX-format (full-frame) CMOS sensor with fast channel readout delivers up to 11 fps—faster than any other Nikon camera.

Images of remarkable quality with low noise and wide dynamic range can be realized even at high ISO sensitivities thanks to the optimized noise reduction design and 14-bit A/D signal processing built into the sensor. The phenomenal ISO range sets a new benchmark of ISO12800 and extends the range one EV further to make ISO 100 a standard. For more challenging conditions, equivalent ISO 50 and ISO 204,800 sensitivities make the D4 the camera of choice for photographers who typically face extreme lighting challenges.

Super-charged EXPEED3 image processing engine
Thanks to Nikon’s next-generation EXPEED3 image-processing engine, the D4 makes light work of multiple data-rich tasks without sacrificing the speed and quality that pros are accustomed to. High-speed 16-bit image processing follows the 14-bit A/D conversion to deliver submission-ready JPEGs straight out of the camera. Performance is never compromised, even when undertaking the most data-intensive tasks. Images boast faithful, well-saturated colour and natural depth. Even when shooting in dim lighting at high ISO sensitivities, the camera’s intelligent, performance-proven noise reduction lowers noise without degrading image sharpness.

Broadcast quality video
For professionals whose workflow demands video, the D4 offers all the flexibility required for a wide variety of movie applications. It’s large format movie shooting at its best, with a comprehensive variety of frame rates.

Frame rates: Full HD (1080p) movies can be recorded in 30p, 25p and 24p, with 60p, 50p, 30p and 25p options at 720p. Movie clips can be close to 30 minutes long (approx. 29.59 min).

Multi-area mode: Full HD (1080p) recording is possible in both FX and DX based formats as well as in native Full HD (1920×1080) crop.

High-fidelity audio control: responding to feedback from the industry, the D4 introduces new possibilities for D-SLR audio recording that enable your movies to sound as good as they look. Aside from the external stereo microphone input, an audio out for external headphones lets you fine tune audio for movie recording in isolation.

Uncompressed HDMI output: for those who need the purest video output for professional quality editing, the D4 offers the possibility to output the uncompressed live view to external recorders and monitors. The first time this has been possible in an SLR camera, data is output at 1080i (Full HD) at the designated image size and frame rate. Data output can be scaled down if necessary and is clean of the information overlay that can be simultaneously displayed on the camera’s TFT monitor.

Convenient custom controls: live view operation is enhanced thanks to convenient custom controls. Instead of rotating the command dial, power aperture enables smoother aperture control via assigned buttons on the front of the camera. Index marking enables important frames to be tagged in the timeline during movie recording, which makes for easy location during editing.

New levels of speed and accuracy
When it comes to nailing decisive moments, the D4’s enhanced auto operation gives photographers a clear advantage.

Advanced scene recognition with 91K-pixel RGB sensor: Nikon’s revolutionary Advanced Scene Recognition System now incorporates the newly designed 91,000-pixel RGB sensor, that meticulously analyses each scene for outstanding accuracy.

3D-subject tracking is particularly improved when shooting and tracking smaller subjects. Human faces are detected with startling exactness even when working with the optical viewfinder only. This level of detailed scene analysis is also utilized to support more accurate autofocus and auto exposure, even under the most challenging lighting conditions.

Advanced Multi-CAM3500FX AF Sensor Module: Nikon’s highly acclaimed Multi-CAM 3500FX AF system  —with individually selectable or configurable 9-, 21- and 51-point coverage settings — has been re-engineered for faster subject detection.

The autofocus sensor module and algorithms significantly improve low light acquisition sensitivity capabilities down to  -2 EV (ISO 100, 20°C/68°F). All 51 AF sensors, of which 15 are cross-type sensors, are fully responsive with any AF NIKKOR lens f/5.6 and—for the first time—this superb performance does not end at f/5.6 apertures.

Powerful AF sensors compatible up to f/8: the D4 maintains the power of the 11 central AF sensors, even if the combined open aperture value is f/8. A big plus for shooting sports and wildlife, this delivers a new level of detection potential when combining, for example, a 600mm f/4 AF-NIKKOR lens with a NIKKOR 2.0x teleconverter. If the combined aperture value is between f/5.6 and f/8, you even have the power of fifteen central AF sensors available, of which nine are cross type sensors.

Faster total workflow speed
The D4’s speed runs across its entire workflow.

Newly developed Kevlar/carbon fiber-composite shutter unit: the new, highly durable shutter unit offers a standard life cycle rating of 400,000 releases, with a maximum shutter speed of 1/8000 to 30s and flash synchronization at up to 1/250 sec.  An intelligent self-diagnostic shutter monitor and a drive unit reduce the demand on power when the shutter is raised for extended periods during movie shooting.

Fast response: start-up is approx. 0.12 seconds¹, release time lag is minimized to approx. 0.042² seconds  (equivalent to that of the D3S), with approx. up to 11 fps capability in FX-format and all crop modes.

Storage media: the D4 offers two card slots. One for high-speed CF (UDMA 7) cards and one for high-speed, high-capacity XQD card slots.

Connectivity: a powerful data communication and control system makes both wired and wireless LAN file transfer faster and easier than ever. Wireless LAN support is available via the compact, newly designed WT-5 Wireless Transmitter, which features HTTP and FTP connection modes and also allows for the simultaneous release of several cameras equipped with WT-5. For the first time, a wired LAN connection is integrated into the camera body.

Always up to the job
Every millisecond can count, and the D4’s improved operability helps photographers respond quickly to changing situations.

Intuitive horizontal and vertical control: each orientation has identically laid-out controls, conveniently placed so that the camera may quickly become an extension of your hand whether you shoot in landscape or portrait.

Simplified AF and AF-area mode selection: now possible without taking your eye away from the viewfinder.

Precision 8-cm (3.2-in.), approx. 921k-dot, wide-viewing-angle LCD monitor with automatic brightness control. The monitor delivers bright, crisp image playback with a much wider colour reproduction capacity. LCD brightness is automatically adjusted according to the viewing environment and images can be magnified up to 46x during playback, which can be a big help for spot focus confirmation.

Glass prism optical viewfinder: offers approximately 100% frame coverage and 0.7x magnification (50mm f/1.4 lens at infinity, -1.0m-1). The high eyepoint design of Nikon’s viewfinders is renowned for minimizing visual fatigue when using the camera for extended periods of time.

Dual-axis electronic virtual horizon: offers accurate confirmation of level shooting by letting you check the LCD monitor, or the viewfinder, for both the camera’s position in relation to the horizontal plane and its pitch (forward or rear rotation).

Direct access to Picture Controls: via a dedicated button, rather than the menu. Picture Controls let you customize the look of your stills and videos by fine-tuning parameters such as sharpness, saturation, and hue.

Complete control over workflow
The D4 is built for speed, but not for speed alone. Readiness and versatility go hand in hand with control options that can deliver a real advantage when time is of the essence.

Time-lapse movies: the D4 extends the popular time-lapse photography function by saving images as a movie file in the camera. With playback rates from 24 to 36,000 times faster than normal.

HDR (High Dynamic Range): shoots one overexposed and one underexposed frame in a single shutter release. The range can be widened by up to 3 EV for different looks, full of saturation and tonal gradation. The smoothness of the edge where the two exposures meet can be adjusted for a more natural look.

Refined colour temperature control: enables minute control over white balance. The monitor hue of live view and the resulting image’s white balance can be adjusted so that the two are aligned. Colour temperature can be manually set in 10-Kelvin increments, or in mired units.

Four image area options: you can choose from a variety of image crop modes, all visually masked in the viewfinder. 5:4 (30.0 x 24.0 mm), 1.2x (30.0 x 19.9 mm), and DX-format (23.4 x 15.6 mm).

In-camera editing: captured images and movies can be altered and edited in camera and on the fly if required. Retouch menus include an array of useful features such as NEF (RAW) processing, resize, distortion and perspective control just to name some of them. On top of that it has the ability to designate the start and end point of movie clips all at once, in order to save them more efficiently.

Accessories
Compact WT-5 Wireless Transmitter (optional): attaches to the camera’s designated interface connector and is powered by the camera body. It features HTTP and FTP connection modes and allows for the simultaneous release of several cameras equipped with WT-5.

GP-1 GPS unit (optional): records location information such as latitude, longitude, altitude and time (UTC) as ‘geotags’ in the image data (Exif) and allows simultaneous operation together with the WT-5.
Compact Stereo Microphone ME-1 (optional): records clear sound while significantly reducing mechanical noise.

Nikon SB-910 (optional)—Unparalleled lighting performance: offers versatile i-TTL for on-camera or wireless flash control, refined operability and a powerful guide number of 34/112 (ISO 100, m/ft, STD, FX format, zoom 35mm). Menus and controls have been improved for more operational ease. Hard-type incandescent and fluorescent colour filters are included, which can adjust your D4’s white balance instantly.

Capture NX 2 (optional)—Fast, powerful and creative image processing: to accommodate the imaging power of the D4, Capture NX 2 is faster than before and boasts full 64-bit compatibility.

Camera Control Pro 2 (optional)—Versatile remote camera controls: aside from controlling exposure mode, shutter speed, and aperture, this software now offers numerous improvements to make the D4’s live view operation exceptionally smooth. New creative controls include remote start and stop for movie shooting and the option to switch quickly between stills and movies in live view.

ViewNX 2 (supplied)—Browse, edit, share and more: bundled, all-in-one software implements an easy-to-use interface and an array of editing functions, including basic editing of RAW files and D-Movies. Seamlessly integrates with my Picturetown, Nikon’s photo sharing and storage service

1st place goes to Gailene Paize who wins a Canon 550D with 18-55mm lens

2nd place goes to Steven Morrow who wins a Canon IXUS 120 IS

3rd place goes to Cécile Nowers who wins a Canon PowerShot SX210 IS

Stay tune for more exciting competitions.

Happy Summer!

The PiX Team

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From a tiny waiting room in Rundu State Hospital in northern Namibia, Johannes Mjamba (50) limps in on a crutch. His shoes are torn and filled with sand. He removes his sweat-stained cap and then pulls himself onto the bed. “Lift your trouser leg. Let’s see what the problem is”, a staff member says. Hospital staff members and prosthetists, who have worked with amputees for years, are stunned. Mjamba shows them a homemade prosthetic leg that looks more like a prehistoric robotic invention than a walking aid.

He made his left leg from an old water pipe, scraps of metal, twigs and a block of wood. He tells them he lost his leg in 2001 after he stepped on a landmine next to a river on the Angolan border, while fetching reeds for the roof of his house. He managed to get hold of an old prosthetic leg but, about two years ago, he lost it in a fire when his house burnt down. It was then that he took matters into his own hands. Mjamba’s makeshift leg wasn’t perfect – because of the materials he had used, every step hurt – but it was better than the alternative.

Then he heard on the radio that a group of prosthetists from OK Prosthetics would be visiting his town and that people in his situation could come for help. And so he did.
After an hour, he had been fitted with a new leg. Eager to test it, he got up and headed towards the training stairs. The leg was such an improvement that he didn’t realise he had left his crutch on the floor.  Mjamba walked out of the hospital that same afternoon, leaving behind his crutch and his homemade leg.

OK PROSTHETICS
OK Prosthetics is an Icelandic, not-for-profit, company that strives to help amputees in low-income countries and post-war zones around the world. They have been able to fit approximately 70 amputees in the border town of Rundu, Namibia, during their last three visits and have provided training and material to the local staff in the Rundu State Hospital to fit a further 30. The money for the project was made available through charities and private donations. The two prosthetists on the last trip were Johan Snyders (South Africa) and Dr Anton Johannesson (Sweden).

OK Prosthetics makes use of a revolutionary new method for fitting amputees, enabling the amputee to be fitted and walking in just over an hour. Many of the amputees in the Kavango border region lost their legs because of landmines left during the bloody bush war. One would like to have thought these mines would have been mapped and, after wartime, such dangerous areas clearly marked ‘out of bounds’ for local inhabitants. Unfortunately, in many cases, these mines have been stepped on by innocent people herding cattle or picking up reeds next to the river long after the war ended. Using cutting-edge research and technology, OK Prosthetics has developed a new method for producing and fitting artificial limbs, which yields far more comfortable results than traditional thermoplastic limbs, typical in developing countries.

Why these limb makes sense:
• Despite the astounding fit, training for technicians takes only 1-2 days and does not require a technical background.
• Rehabilitation facilities are not necessary.
• Limbs can even be fitted on location.
• Once the patient is fitted, physical therapy is seldom required.
• World Rehabilitation Fund and OK Prosthetics believe that the goal is not about the limb – it is about getting people back to work, back to their families, and back to living their lives.

For more information visit
www.okprosthetics.com

Brett Florens is a very articulate man and a romantic at heart. This is somewhat at odds with his beginnings as a photographer in the early 1990s. After matriculating he underwent, what was the bane of most young white South African men – National Service. Brett was conscripted into the South African Police and became a member of the riot squad. It was there that fate first showed its hand. It was in an unusual form: a police captain handed him a video camera to record the upheaval and crime scenes. For Brett this was a welcome intervention from the long stretches of mind-numbing boredom on patrols that were punctuated with violence and misery.In the typical military style of the day he was told to figure out the camera and get on with it. No halcyon student days. Brett learnt as he went, and that there were no re-shoots was instilled into him early on. He simply had to capture what was required, while on the move. Brett soon became obsessed with his new-found interest. These were the dying days of apartheid, and international interest in South Africa was escalating. The demand from around the world for stories, photographs and video footage was at an all time high. Brett started supplying some video as he was usually on the scene first and had unhindered access, but while his work flickered across television screens globally, there was no recognition.

In 1993 he purchased a point-and-shoot camera so that he could be supplied with rolls of film and be credited as well as paid – both important aspects of photography. At this time, fate then changed guise and appeared in the hulking and gregarious form of agency photographer, Mark Peters, who took one look at Brett’s camera and gave him the preferred 35mm camera of the day, a Nikon F3. Along with the camera he received a 135mm and a 55mm macro lens and from then on he replaced video with stills. The 55mm macro lens is still in Brett’s kit, a well-worn but still working piece of nostalgia. The limitations of a policeman’s salary became all too evident once the international media turned the focus to other hotspots around the globe. Then, as life goes on, friends and colleagues started marrying off and Brett was again the man with the camera and so it was chapter three of fate playing a hand in where he finds himself today. The romantic took what he learnt in the rubble and horror of his photographic beginnings and applied it to far happier circumstances that appealed to his sense of romance, and supplemented his meager income.

The time to make a go of it on his own came and he went freelance resulting in where Brett finds him self today – an internationally recognised wedding photographer and Nikon luminary.
He targets his clients according to his style and approach, which is gleaned from the fashion and style pages of high-end magazines such as Harper’s Bazaar, Vanity Fair and Vogue. It is an editorial approach that he keeps fresh and appealing and using his experience in photographing fashion (which is another stream of his business). His style is editorial it is not photojournalistic. Photojournalism, he says is another type of wedding photography that some couples prefer and he would rather refer them on to a photographer whose style reflects that approach. Brett prefers clients who are confidant in his approach and hire him to shoot the way he feels comfortable. “It energises me to have happy clients”, he told Scott Shepard in a Nik Radio interview.

Bridal couples who aspire to the lifestyle type of wedding photography hire Brett. The money gives latitude for creativity and it loosens inhibitions. Weddings across the board are theatrical by nature, dressing up and scripted in a fashion. Brett’s easy and comforting manner helps the bride ease into her role. It is her big day and he is under no illusions about the importance of preserving the memories. “It is”, says Brett, “a once-off purchase so has to be as good as it can be. Here no chances are taken, there is no experimenting on the day before the ‘money shots’ are secured. Go in with a plan”, he advises, “know what you are going to do and instill confidence in the bridal couple”. “Photographing weddings and functions can be very stressful, considering that you have the responsibility of recording one of the most emotionally valued days in someone’s life.  Knowing how your equipment works and understanding your camera’s strong points and capabilities goes a long way to reducing the level of anxiety you may experience”, advises Brett.

It is advice freely given and he also stresses that when you do become a bit flustered and are feeling the pressure of the occasion, whatever you do, don’t let the client know that you are feeling inadequate as this will only exacerbate the situation. He goes on to say, “You need to ensure that your client has full confidence in your abilities. They will, in turn, work with you without apprehension and the situation will duly become more relaxed and stress-free”.

Brett is always prepared – perhaps another spin-off from National Service where rigorous kit checks were done before heading out. His advice is to go through your kit two days before the wedding, to ensure that your batteries are fully charged and that your memory cards are formatted. Reduce your risk variable wherever you can. His outlook is that if you are more relaxed with what you’re doing and the clients comfortable – the better the images, the happier the clients, the more the referrals, the better the money and you can then afford better equipment.

Workflow is another important aspect of his process. “While still at the wedding, I back up my work to my Epson P5000.  There are newer models out, however they are so well made that I don’t need to upgrade.  When I get back to the studio, I immediately download my images to the desktop, rename them in Bridge or Lightroom and back up to an external drive and DVD”.
Then, depending on what the client has chosen, either a storybook or flat mount album, he goes about selecting the images.  Along with his designer, Samantha, they correct the colour and touch up all the images chosen.  Samantha then designs the album in Indesign and sends it to the client for approval in a PDF format.  Once the client gives the go ahead to print, it is off to the lab.  The whole process takes 4-6 weeks from the date of the wedding.

Brett is happy to share his knowledge and experience with others and has also written a book on Wedding Photography. It took him the best part of four years to complete, and says, “I am really happy with the outcome.  It was published late last year by a New York publisher and is selling well”. Taking advantage of other media he continues, “I have also produced three DVDs aimed at demonstrating real shoots and explaining my thought process through the shoot to get the desired result. Two are on wedding photography and the other is on light”. Besides the obvious reason for producing the book and the DVDs, which is selling them, it has been really rewarding for Brett who receives mails from people all over the world complimenting the products and thanking him for sharing his knowledge gained over the years.

Brett explains the split of his turnover as follows, “Commercial work makes up most of what I earn at 40%, with weddings being around 25%.  Reprints come in at 15% and workshops and DVD sales are around 20%”. He shoots two weddings a month so it’s not surprising that weddings don’t dominate his spreadsheet.  Keeping in his style he also shoots a lot of catalogue work for Playtex, Wonderbra, Quiksilver and Roxy (among others). With the advent and rapid progress of digital comes freedom, where he can now experiment with lighting and instantly see the results and adjust accordingly. “For example”, he says, “shooting action sequences at 11 frames a second gives you great options, considering that when we were shooting film, it would cost around R3.50 per image – which was limiting”.  The downside for Brett is that the post-production responsibility has now fallen on the photographer as opposed to a photo lab.  “It is extremely time-consuming, and there is no excuse not to produce a perfect image”. He goes on to say that the public are of the opinion that digital is so easy. “Many people think that you just shoot and burn, and can’t understand why pro photographers charge what they do – that can be very frustrating”.

Weddings are labour intensive and do take enormous effort, time and expertise to produce the ultimate product – whatever the budget. The types of weddings Brett captures vary significantly. His generally aren’t the suburban church and country club reception weddings that dominated Saturday afternoons in days gone by. Even couples with small budgets look for something more exclusive for their big day. But, as mentioned, his clients tend to have more substantial resources and some with memorable stories and experiences. There was the occasion he was stranded on a mountain-top for three hours with the Bridal party.  The helicopter had dropped them on the escarpment for what Brett says, “should be breathtaking photographic opportunities”. The chopper left to fetch more family members and then, the weather, which had been threatening all day, took a dramatic turn. Heavy cloud cover rapidly descended with rain bucketing down.  After realising that the situation was not going to get any better they had no choice but to trek down the mountain in the thick mist.  “The Bride”, he elaborates, “had a gold threaded dress, which became terribly heavy in its sodden state”. The situation became serious with poor visibility but they could hear the distant sounds of the helicopter coming and going on the wind. They eventually reached a level with better visibility. “The mist was thinner, and much to everyone’s relief, the helicopter then found us – apparently with only 5 minutes to spare before they called the aerial search off due to bad light and dangerous flying conditions”.

“Another very memorable wedding for me was one that consisted of just two people, the bride and groom.  Sadly, the bride had leukemia and wasn’t given much time to live, and presumably they felt that a very quiet wedding was all that they could handle”, says Brett, “The love at that wedding was incredibly tangible and I felt so honoured to be a part of such an intimate moment”. It all ended on a happy note though, the bride made a full recovery and, Brett is told, it is as if she was never ill.

His most memorable wedding in terms of “the wow factor” was in Spain last year.  It was a wedding with a four-day celebration for an English celebrity couple in Arcos de la Frontera, a quaint little town near Seville. Brett and his assistant were put up in a villa, “very luxurious and somewhat bigger than my own house”, he exclaims. The wedding was a really beautiful affair”, he says, “and because of their celebrity status, none of the guests was allowed to take their own photographs”.

This, of course, was added pressure on him to get it right.  Brett is glad to report that he did not disappoint, with the photographs featuring on the cover of “Hello” magazine. When pressed on what he would like to do if time and money allowed him to indulge he says that although he really does enjoy  different types of photographic work he however especially enjoys teaching his craft to the next generation of photographers.  He says, “There are some hungry minds out there and to be able to show someone what they are capable of shooting, is most rewarding.  So if I never had to shoot again, I would be happy to do photographic workshops in exotic locations, to incorporate my love of travel!”  With the type of career Brett has pursued there has not been much time for socialising because much of his work happens in the more  sociable hours. It does have its spinoffs though, he enjoys travelling and has been lucky enough to be paid to go to great locations and see some amazing places.

Also, perhaps not surprising with his energy levels, Brett is a road runner and next year will be running his 18th Comrades marathon.  Keeping fit and healthy has ensured that he remains driven and disciplined – it is also a great stress relief and is practically the only social life he has going for now. As far as time off and playing goes, he recently acquired the Nikon AW100, “which is so cool to play with”, he enthuses, “It is great for shooting fun activities like my boys swimming in the sea, or shooting underwater. That’s new to me, but now accessible”.

It all somehow leads back to what he does best though. The camera has a 16mp sensor so it works really well for ‘trash the dress’ sessions – being shock- and waterproof. This, naturally, excites Brett and he has another way of adding to a legacy of happy memories that will be shown in years to come.

Top Tips
1. Keep your overheads low – don’t over capitalize by buying expensive equipment and renting  studio space. Rather hire for the shoot, until such time that it makes financial sense to buy or rent.
2. Act like a professional – keep the emotion out of your business and remember that you are running a business, we tend to be defensive and take things personally, generally because we, as photographers, are artistic, sensitive people, we tend to allow our emotions cloud our professional judgement. Although for many of us our passion is our business, we don’t run it like a business, keep your paperwork and admin in order, your client will respect your professionalism when invoices and statements are send on time. You will find that your cash flow will improve and you will still have that great relationship with your client that is essential to your business.
3. Shoot for yourself  – stop trying to get other people to like your work. You need to like your our work and respect your creative judgement.
4. Balance your family or social life – often we work when our friends or family aren’t working. Bare in mind that you need to lead a balanced lifestyle to sustain your business.
5. Make friends in the industry – network and build relationships with the other suppliers in yourindustry, that may be make-up artists, florists, stylists etc.  reciprocal loyalty is very important for the longevity of your business.

In my Pelican/Storm case
Ranger RX with two heads
Best piece of advice as photographer, I would say that I am learning everyday from others through sharing and meeting new photographers, however one of the best pieces of advice was giving to me by Geoff Goldswain, he showed me how to make my images more interesting by shooting through objects, such as chairs. Changing the angle of view by getting done low or shooting from above. I love the fact that I am evolving and maturing as a photographer and that as I learn to trust myself I am creating images that I like, I am at a very happy place in my life at the moment, where I am over trying to please everyone else and I am now shooting for myself!

My camera bag
• Lowepro Vertex 200AW, Nikon D3s
• Nikon D7000, Nikon AW100
• Nikon 10.5mm fisheye, Nikon 14-24 2.8
• Nikon 24-70 2.8, Nikon 55mm macro
• Nikon 85 1.4, Nikon 70-200 2.8
• 2 x Nikon SB900 speedlight
• Epson P5000 multimedia backup device – 2 x Lexar 32g CF cards, 2x Lexar 16g CF cards
• Lenser T7 LED flashlight

The 80s were the halcyon years of the PR Industry in South Africa – product launches, client lunches and photo shoots of pretty girls modelling products, were the order of the day.
Having said all that, my years at Errol Fyfe Public Relations were not all parties and pretty girls. Errol Fyfe was, at the time, one of the biggest Public Relations Companies in South Africa, with prestigious clients such as BMW, Anglo American, Institute of Directors, SA Gold Coin Exchange, Shaft Sinkers to name but a few. With such an eclectic mix of clients, we, in the photographic department, were called upon to photograph an incredible variety of subjects, from food photography for USAPEEC (USA Poultry & Egg Export Council), to photographing the digging of exploration shafts in newly established mines for Shaft Sinkers, to photographing Mr. Harry Oppenheimer at the Brenthurst Library for Anglo American.

This specific shoot still brings back fond memories and reinstalls one’s faith in humankind. On arriving at Brenthurst Library, I was greeted by Mr. Oppenheimer, who on seeing how nervous I was,  guided me through the shoot, saying things like, “I have found that this location works”, or, “why don’t we try this?”, and on one occasion even helping me carry my lights from point A to point B.
Here was one of the most powerful men in the world helping me carry my photographic equipment. It’s a memory I cherish, and what started off being an incredibly stressful appointment, ended up being one of the most enjoyable assignments in my 20-plus year career.  Unfortunately, not all assignments were as memorable as the one with Mr. Oppenheimer, and I have had my fair share photographing difficult and arrogant people as well.

Read more in the Dec/Jan issue of PiX Magazine

Fast, versatile and powerful, with re-designed menus and controls, the SB-910 offers extensive opportunities for on-camera or wireless flash photography. A powerful tool for professionals who demand studio quality lighting, it combines enhanced operation with an extended zoom range of 17-200mm and three illumination patterns for total control over flash coverage. “The SB-900 cemented its position as a class-leading flash”, says Romi Jacobs, Chief Brand Officer for Nikon in South Africa. She goes on: “and now the new SB-910 is set to continue this legacy, while taking operability to the next level with improved ergonomics and more intuitive control.”

Light Control

The SB-910 is a powerful portable light source that delivers precise flash exposures and seamless fill-flash performance—even in challenging lighting situations. Perfect for professionals seeking complete control over the quality of light, it offers Centre-weighted, Even and Standard illumination patterns to accommodate any shooting environment and can cover a zoom range of 17-200mm while maintaining an even light distribution. Bounce flash capability is provided through a head that can be tilted up to 90º, down to 7º and rotated horizontally through 180º to the right and to the left. The thermal protection system has been improved allowing more optimal heat detection and recycling time

Smooth Operator

The SB-910 boasts refined ergonomics and re-designed menus for more intuitive control, while offering the same reliability as its predecessor. Menus are clearer and the selector dial incorporates a groove so you can feel when you change settings. Illuminated buttons offer better visibility in the dark and the SB-910 includes hard cover (plastic) color filters that are more durable and easier to attach.

Part of the acclaimed Nikon Creative Lighting System, the SB-910 is easily incorporated into multiple-flash lighting set-ups.

Major Features

• Professional i-TTL (intelligent TTL) Speedlight: compatible with FX- and DX-format SLR cameras. Part of the Nikon Creative Lighting System, it offers total control over flash coverage.
• Guide number: 34 (STD)/39 (CW)/31 (EVEN) (FX-format, ISO 100, m, at 35 mm)Maximum guide number: 54.5 (CW, FX-format, ISO 100, m, at 135 mm)
• Centre-weighted, Even and Standard illumination patterns: Centre-weighted mode concentrates illumination to the centre of the frame, useful when using a telephoto lens. Even mode diffuses light evenly across the frame, useful when taking group shots. Standard mode offers a standard balance of power and light distribution.
• Multi-step auto zoom covers wide 17-200mm zoom range.
• Refined ergonomics for intuitive operation. Boasts a large LCD screen, clear menu systems, conveniently placed controls and illuminated buttons that offer more comfortable operation in low light.
• Automatic detection of sensor format: automatically recognizes FX- or DX-format cameras.
• High-speed recycling time of 2.3 seconds when using LR6 NiMH batteries.
• AF-Assist illumination: compatible with Multi-CAM 3500 FX/DX AF sensor module.
• Bounce capability: rotates 180º horizontally to the right and to the left; tilts up to 90º and down to 7º.
• Thermal protection system: warns of excessive heat build up during high intensity firing.
• Hard-type incandescent and fluorescent color filters included.
• Automatic filter detection: Speedlight automatically adjusts the attached camera’s color temperature settings according to the color of the filter being used.
• Firmware can be upgraded via the storage media in the attached camera.

Offering an unparalleled combination of speed, resolution and image quality, the EOS-1D X is the ultimate camera for capturing stunning images and Full HD movies. Whether shooting in the studio, the sports field, or anywhere in between, this model is ideal for virtually any professional photographer. The new model launches as the flagship in Canon’s DSLR line up – marking the 10th generation of Canon’s professional system with the most advanced EOS model ever produced.

The culmination of 40 years’ experience in developing professional cameras, the EOS-1D X represents a new era for the EOS system and supersedes both the EOS-1D Mark IV and the EOS-1Ds Mark III. Combining a new 18.1MP full-frame sensor, a redesigned autofocus (AF) system and powerful new metering technology with new dual “DIGIC 5+” processors, this camera has been designed to offer unparalleled usability and image quality – ensuring any scene is captured with greater accuracy and speed than ever before.

Setting new standards

The EOS-1D X offers a comprehensively-upgraded specification that’s packed with new technologies. A newly-developed full-frame 18.1 Megapixel CMOS sensor offers exceptional flexibility, allowing photographers to shoot a wider range of scenes and subjects in high resolution. Redesigned architecture offers an incredible ISO range of 100-51200, expandable up to 204800, while dual “DIGIC 5+” processors offer a 2-stop improvement in noise performance – making it easier to capture outstanding quality, low noise images, even in extreme low-light conditions.

The ’1′ is because the Nikon 1 interchangeable lens camera system is the first of its kind.  Built from the ground up, Nikon’s engineers didn’t use existing technology.

They went back to the drawing board and re-imagined how cameras are designed.

Driven by the challenge to create a camera that could fuse still photography and movies, they created a game-changing device. A camera that manipulates light — and thanks to its pre-post capture technology — time.

The first Nikon camera released in 1948 was called the Nikon I. But the new Nikon 1 is a camera from the future.

Nikon 1 V1

Portable power — Incredible speed

If you’ve been waiting for a brand-new photographic experience — this is it.

The portable Nikon 1 V1 lets you capture scenes in a whole new way.

With an astonishingly super high-speed AF CMOS sensor, a high-resolution electronic viewfinder, clever shooting modes, strong low-light performance and options for manual control, it may be small but it’s a powerhouse of imaging innovation.

Nikon 1 J1

Always ready for you

Surprise yourself — and everyone else.

The clever Nikon 1 J1 camera thinks fast and acts even faster to let you capture moments in time in exciting new ways.

Easy to operate, and with an astonishingly fast autofocus system, strong low-light performance, clever shooting modes and a built-in flash, it has everything you need to shoot photos and movies that will that will amaze you and anyone you show.

The D3100 is Nikon’s popular entry-level D-SLR. The new addition to the range will offer the same 14.2 megapixels, Guide Mode, full HD movie, and Live View modes as the original D3100. However, the introduction of a vibrant red model is set to broaden the camera’s appeal among first-time D-SLR users, families and young people.

The camera has been hugely popular amongst newcomers to D-SLR photography, particularly those looking to capture all of life’s important moments in perfect quality, without worrying about settings. It has been particularly well received by families, as the camera makes it easy to shoot beautiful photos and full HD movies capturing those unmissable times.