Tag: Life

Add Functionality and Battery Life to Your Sony A7 with the MOZA Cage

MOZA sent me their recently released MOZA Cage for review, and while I’m slowly and inevitably getting into more filmmaking with my Sony a7R Mk2, I’m still a photographer first. I thought to myself, “How can I review this cage as a photographer.” After taking delivery, however, I found it quite easy! There are a few unique things you can do with this cage that make it perfect for certain types of photography, not just as a tool for filmmakers.

MOZA Cage Handheld Camera Gimbal Stabilizer

If you’ve never heard of the term Cage used in conjunction with cameras, in very basic terms a cage is just that. It’s a cage that you screw your camera into, and it provides you with multiple handle options, cable routing options, attachment options (think LED panel lights / microphones, etc.). Cages can range from very basic and a couple of hundred dollars, up to fully featured monsters that will see you shelling out more than a grand (USD).

But this one, the MOZA Cage is a mid-priced cage with many features of much higher end products. What stood out to me after I unboxed the cage was the build quality. Everything is really well made and works well, and after using the product for a few weeks on multiple shoots, it has given me no problems.

Still photography uses

When shooting video, it’s great to have a cage to help you hold your rig more steady. It’s helpful to attach a small shotgun mic or LED panel if you’re a run and gun interview shooter, or someone shooting an event, etc. But, that doesn’t really apply to us so much here on dPS, as we’re all about the still photos.

What appealed to me in the stills department is that the MOZA Cage has a sweet wooden handle grip included. And inside that grip is a 4800MaH battery that is used to power your camera! By way of comparison, the included NP-FW50 batteries in my Sony A7 or a6300 are 1020mAh. So, we’re talking about a unit that will power your camera for a lot longer than usual! (I won’t mention the Sony battery performance, except to say that I’d like more please, more batteries!)

Longer battery life

So what does having more battery power do? It gives us the ability to shoot for longer. Obviously shooting film is the first thought, but I used the cage for time-lapse as well as some regular photography and it worked great. The wooden handle on the MOZA rotates so you can hold the camera down low to the ground by the top handle, while you have your screen tilted up to show you what you’re shooting.

The next little added bonus is that the MOZA Cage includes a shutter release in the handle, as well as a video stop/start. That shutter release worked really well for shooting from within the cage at weird angles and doing it with no contorted weird ergonomic photographer’s stance! (You know the ones haha)

Benefits

The cage does have limited use for photographers. But if you’re thinking of trying your hand at shooting some video of your kids, or maybe doing behind the scenes on your next epic production, this cage could really increase your production value. It will give you many more options from a camera handling perspective, as well as those benefits listed for alternate photography uses. The MOZA Cage is $ 499 which, for what you get, is a great price.

Sony a7RMk2 in situ, ready to go shoot!

The MOZA Cage, Naked

The Sony a7RMk2 rigged into the MOZA Cage

Buttons on the MOZA handle unit

If you’re still shaking your head and muttering “Cage, what’s he talkin’ ’bout…cage!” Here’s a quick overview and a look at how you might set up your camera in a cage, be it this one or any other style cage.

Summary

In summary, I don’t really have anything negative to say about the MOZA Cage! From a photography/video convergence point of view, it’s a great mid-level tool that will work very well for you, from a pure photographic perspective. For alternate uses like long events, time-lapse and simply awkward shots down low (I found it particularly handy for these!) it works very well. The build quality, price and customer service were all very good (I did a secret squirrel customer service call with a question… yes, a little sneaky, but we need to know these things!)

Find out more or purchase the cage on Amazon.

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The post Add Functionality and Battery Life to Your Sony A7 with the MOZA Cage by Sime appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School

December 5, 2016
Lume Cube returns to Kickstarter with the Life Lite mini LED cube

Lume Cube launched the first generation of its high-powered LED-lighting cube for smartphones and action cameras back in 2014. Now, the company has returned to Kickstarter to raise funding for its follow-up product Life Lite. Compared to the original Lume Cube the Life Lite is about half the size and weight but, at 1000 lumens, still offers approximately 70% of the Lume Cube’s light output.

As before, you can control one Life Lite, or several units, via a smartphone app and a Bluetooth connection. The Life Lite is waterproof down to 10m/33ft, making it suitable for filming surfing and other water-based activities. There are multiple levels of strobe mode for creative lighting effects, a physical multifunction button and a custom fresnel lens. The emitted light has a color temperature of 5600K and the light is charged via a microUSB connector. A full charge gives you approximately 30 minute of illumination.

The Life Lite also comes with an internal magnet and a standard tripod mount, allowing for attachment to a wide range of metallic objects and camera support systems. You can secure a Life Lite now by pledging $ 39 on the project’s Kickstarter page. Shipping is planned for March 2017.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

November 1, 2016
Attack of the Giant Spider! Watch This Optical Illusion Mural Come to Life

[ By SA Rogers in Art & Street Art & Graffiti. ]

A nightmarishly oversized spider emerges from a gaping hole in a wall in this anamorphic optical illusion mural by French street artist Denys Pasco, better known as Densoner. Known for his highly detailed graffiti style as well as oversized murals frequently featuring creatures of the wild, Densoner created a creepy effect with the massive arachnid’s legs stretching out toward the viewer.

The process of creating ‘Eat Me’ is captured on video and sped up so you can watch the spider come alive in the hands of the artist. Denoner starts off by painting a photorealistic black hole on a tattered urban wall, with the edges painted in shadow to make it appear 3D.

Then, with a few strokes of white, the spider begins to appear, becoming more and more threatening as the artist works. Watch the video all the way to the end for a fun surprise.

3D-Printed Spider Dress Attacks When Anyone Comes Too Close

No worries about anyone invading your personal space when you’re wearing this intricate 3D-printed dress, which extends animatronic spider-inspired arms when it senses another person’s presence …

On Not Off: Giant Light Switch Mural is Brilliantly Literal

A photo-realistic mural with a nuanced message, this giant work of wall art is impressive in scale and a definite surprise to passers by. Complete with shade and shadow, the huge on-and-off power …

Watch Art in Action: Reverse Graffiti & Train Tagging Videos

Some call graffiti generic vandalism while others call it innovative art. These videos span the spectrum from commonplace to creative and illegal to legal. The artists featured work in groups or …

[ By SA Rogers in Art & Street Art & Graffiti. ]

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WebUrbanist

October 20, 2016
Life After Death: Organic Burial Pods Turn Human Bodies into Living Trees

[ By WebUrbanist in Culture & History & Travel. ]

Amidst a huge array of natural burial initiatives and urban cemetery alternatives, the Capsula Mundi stands out as a sustainable solution that serves wishes of the deceased as well as the land of the living.

Italian designers Anna Citelli and Raoul Bretzel developed this solution in part to challenge constrictive existing laws surrounding burials in their home country.

Essentially, a body is interred in an organic and biodegradable burial capsule situated beneath the seedling of a chosen tree. Instead of filling graveyards with caskets and stone monuments to the deceased, this system would populate parks with living memorials – trees over tombstones. In turn, family and descendants can come to visit and care for the plants in honor of their loved ones.

Many other “green” burial solutions are generally not as ecological as they would first appear. Cremations, for instance, generate huge amounts of carbon dioxide in the burning process. And, of course, traditional burials are not very sustainable – chemicals, caskets, concrete, stone and space are all wasted in an effort to preserve something that will inevitably return to nature, one way or another.

More from the project website: “Capsula Mundi is a cultural and broad-based project, which envisions a different approach to the way we think about death. It’s an egg-shaped pod, an ancient and perfect form, made of biodegradable material, where our departed loved ones are placed for burial. Ashes will be held in small Capsulas while bodies will be laid down in a fetal position in larger pods. The pod will then be buried as a seed in the earth.

“A tree, chosen in life by the deceased, will be planted on top of it and serve as a memorial for the departed and as a legacy for posterity and the future of our planet. Family and friends will continue to care for the tree as it grows. Cemeteries will acquire a new look and, instead of the cold grey landscape we see today, they will grow into vibrant woodlands. The project is still in a start-up phase, but encouraged by worldwide enthusiasm for our concept, we are working to make it become a reality.”

Bizarre Burial Boxes: 20 of the World’s Weirdest Coffins

Our modern culture has made the physical process of burial little more than an afterthought, leaving us to numbly choose from a small assortment of wooden boxes in a showroom or catalog in the …

Living Street Art: Contorted Human Bodies in Urban Spaces

If you were to pass a bunch of colorfully-dressed human figures crammed into a crawlspace beneath a public staircase, you might think they’re mannequins at first, with their splayed limbs and …

Cemeteries in the Sky: 7 Compact Vertical Burial Designs

A skyscraper filled with corpses may sound morbid, but soon, such things may become a necessity. The earth is already packed with dead housed in oversized caskets that have been designed to …

[ By WebUrbanist in Culture & History & Travel. ]

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WebUrbanist

October 12, 2016
24 Images That Show Details of Every Day Life

Every day we do a lot of the same things again and again. Yet we overlook things right in front of our faces.

Here is a set of images that show things from our every day lives in a new light. What do you pass every day that you don’t really see?

By Henrique Simplicio

By Freaktography

By faungg’s photos

By Flood G.

By Lee Thatcher

By Nicolas Alejandro

By tsaiproject

By Patrick

By Moyan Brenn

By tonzn

By greenzowie

By Jose sepulveda

By m01229

By Chris Chabot

By John Watson

By Markus Spiske

By Victor

By Dave Fayram

By Emanuele

By mikepmiller

By Chris Campbell

By jpellgen

By Janine

By staceyjoy

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The post 24 Images That Show Details of Every Day Life by Darlene Hildebrandt appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School

October 8, 2016
Weekly Photography Challenge – Everyday Life

The first thing I want you to do it is to have a look at these photos of details of everyday life.

By Sam Hawkins

Weekly Photography Challenge – Everyday Life

This one should be easy and hard at the same time. Easy in a sense of finding subjects because it’s the things you see and use every single day. Hard in a sense that you need to look at them in a new way. See them differently, and photograph them in a way that is interesting.

Look for light, shapes, shadows. Get creative with your post-processing. Put in a macro lens or extension tube and get in close. Try something new just for fun.

By ioiyyfv

By Aftab Uzzaman

By waferboard

By 8 Kome

By Glenn Euloth

By Damianos Chronakis

Share your images below:

Simply upload your shot into the comment field (look for the little camera icon in the Disqus comments section) and they’ll get embedded for us all to see or if you’d prefer, upload them to your favorite photo-sharing site and leave the link to them. Show me your best images in this week’s challenge. Sometimes it takes a while for an image to appear so be patient and try not to post the same image twice.

Share in the dPS Facebook Group

You can also share your images on the dPS Facebook group as the challenge is posted there each week as well.

By Patrik Nygren

By Juan Antonio F. Segal

By artjouer street art

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The post Weekly Photography Challenge – Everyday Life by Darlene Hildebrandt appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School

October 8, 2016
Hybrid Graffiti: Black-and-White Stencils Bring Colorful Tags to Life

[ By WebUrbanist in Art & Street Art & Graffiti. ]

Nearly photo-realistic figures stenciled in place make bright surrounding tags all the more vibrant in this series of street art juxtapositions by artist Martin Whatson of Norway.

The characters, generally rendered in black and white, are sized and scaled like residents and passers by in the built environment. The tags, rich and overlapping, look more like what most people would call “graffiti.” The anti-artist Gray Ghost comes to mind, famous for painting over the works of other artists, like Banksy.

On their own, each component is somewhat predictable, but in their interactions these works come to life. The characters look through windows surrounded by color, or sweep up street graffiti, or pull back walls to reveal it. The tags, in turn, add light and life to the scenes, points of color in a drab and dreary city.

Much of his work breaks this format as well, but generally still finds itself at the interaction of urban spaces and imaginary worlds. Below, a figure painting clouds on the wall gives depth and dimension on both fronts: the clouds seem to go back and the painter appears to stand out.

More about the artist and his approach: “Martin has a continuous urge to search for beauty in what is commonly dismissed as ugly, out of style or simply left behind. He looks for inspirations in people, city landscapes, old buildings, graffiti, posters and decaying walls. This interest for decay has helped develop his style, motives and composition and he enjoys creating either unity or conflict between materials, backgrounds, motives and human intervention” (via Colossal).

Banksy Tags Manhattan: Fresh New Graffiti Live from NYC

Making his way through the boroughs of New York, the infamous but mysterious interventionist Banksy is broadcasting new stencils, installations and mixed media work all month as a …

Tag Clouds & More: Geek Street Artist Remakes Messy Graffiti

To the uninitiated, used to seeing it but not to reading it, graffiti scrawl can seem illegible. In a play on both tagging and technology, this artist turns traditional tags into computer-style …

Colorful Art Writers: 10 of the Best Graffiti Artists

Humans have been expressing themselves by scrawling on walls since the earliest people lived in caves. But it wasn’t until the 1970s that we started taking our messages to the walls, trains and …

[ By WebUrbanist in Art & Street Art & Graffiti. ]

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WebUrbanist

October 6, 2016
6 Still Life Photography Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

As a beginner photographer, I still remember experimenting with random photo-shoots of colorful fruits, leave,s and flowers. Believe it or not, capturing the inanimate has always been one of our favorite pass time activities as photographers. But, not anymore! With so much demand for lively product shoots in magazines and websites, still life photography is a million dollar business today.

Capturing the still life is a very unique photographic experience. With your subject being inanimate, you get enough time to play with all the creative controls on your camera, and keep snapping until you end up with a shot to which you say – Woah! That is the perfect one.

Capturing still life photographs seems easy, but breathing life into those inanimate objects requires a great deal of creativity and obviously, a lot of practice. Should you mess up with the lighting and framing, it’s fairly easy to end up with an austere shot of that already dull bunch of keys. Here are the six most common mistakes that photographers make while doing still life photography.

Still Life Mistake #1 – Improper Lighting

Rule one, your subject needs to be well lit up. After-all, it is the central theme of your photo-shoot. Using natural light generally gives superb results.

In case you are shooting inside a room, you need to be a little creative with the way light falls on your subject. One of the most common mistakes is to photograph your subject under full blown artificial light sources like LEDs and fluorescent tube-lights. Why? Because such light sources add a color temperature to your subject that makes it look less natural. Moreover, they make your inanimate object look just what they are – lifeless and boring.

Solution

Place your subject near a natural light source, such as an open window. Get creative with the light falling on the subject. Does it look amazing when light falls on it from the side? Or does it look more attractive with light falling on it from behind? I personally find natural light from the side to look more attractive. The subtle shadows and visible details under the natural light, sparks interest in the otherwise dull object.

Another important thing to take care of is the intensity of the natural light falling on your subject. Avoid shooting it under direct sunlight. The bright sunlight may washout the otherwise delicate details and colors of your subject. As a remedy, in case you really need to shoot under broad sunlight, use a light modifier such as a soft-box (or translucent reflector) that will help produce an overcast effect, and will direct the light to softly diffuse over your subject.

Still Life Mistake #2 – A Distracting Background

Placing your subject on a backdrop full of distractions is another potential mistake in still life photographs. Your product being the central theme, deserves all the attention. Therefore, you need to ensure that the background is free from all such distractions. By this, I mean anything that shifts your attention from the main product to the backdrop behind it. For example: capturing a vase of flowers in a background of a home furniture shot.

Solution

Choose a wall that’s simple, and painted with a plain color. If your wall is not plain, use a piece of white chart paper to cover the wall, so that it doesn’t interfere with your main subject. One more tip, if you’re shooting your product over a table top, again make sure that the table is neatly covered with a white piece of cloth or paper. The main idea is to focus as much attention on your product as possible.

Still Life Mistake #3 – Not Using a Tripod

In case you need to shoot your subject with longer shutter speed, you need to make sure that you do not end up with a blurry shot. An example under this kind of setup can be a decorative indoor water fountain. You may want to use longer shutter speed to capturing the motion of the falling water. So in this case, it makes any sense to use a tripod because even a slight camera shake can result in a blurry shot.

With a tripod, you may also wish to use a wireless remote control for shutter release. This makes sure that not even the slightest of the shakes can blur your photo. Alternatively, in case you do not have a remote control shutter release, you can capture the shot by setting your camera on the 2-second timer mode.

Still Life Mistake #4 – Improper Framing

Framing your shot helps focus and arrest the attention of the viewers on your main subject. While framing the shot, determine whether the subject fills the frame in a way that draws the required attention. Utilize the rule of thirds, move around and experiment with different possible angles. You’ll definitely come up with that perfect shot.

Still Life Mistake #5 – Not Experimenting

Being fastidious really pays off when it comes to taking still life photographs for professional and commercial purpose. When you’ve finished setting everything up for the shoot, take a few good clicks and randomize the entire setup – shift your subject to a little different location, add something to the scene that complements the subject, use different angles and lights, try framing the shots all over again. You’ll end up with a unique piece of art each time.

Still Life Mistake #6 – Wrong Choice of Lens

Still life photography is all about creating depth, and bringing out the subject in a way that directly interacts with the viewer. How will you achieve this level of focus? By utilizing the shallow depth of field.

This works great with subjects with high levels of detail such as: flowers, leaves, and fruits. Under this kind of a setup, you will want to come closer to your subject, set the camera to AV mode (Aperture Priority), and keep the focal length as long as possible. A telephoto lens is your best bet for this kind of a setup, because the longer focal length compresses perspective, helping your subject stand out more.

This doesn’t mean that only telephoto lenses work for still life photography. If you wish to bring out, and focus on the delicate details of your subject, go ahead and shoot with a telephoto lens. On the flip side, if you wish to capture everything on your table top setup, you would be fine with a either a standard 50mm lens or a wide angle.

How do you capture the still life?

What has been your experience with still life photography? Do you have any other useful tip to share? We look forward to your thoughts and suggestions on this article.

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The post 6 Still Life Photography Mistakes and How to Avoid Them by Rika Guite appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School

August 28, 2016
Light Art Comes to Life: Dancing Animated Gifs by Lucea Spinelli

[ By SA Rogers in Art & Photography & Video. ]

Beams of light dance, jump, squiggle, scatter and interact with each other as if they’ve taken on a life of their own in a series of animated light art gifs by New York City-based photographer Lucea Spinelli. Abandoned school buses, public park benches, playgrounds, glass jars and human bodies become the settings for surreal, almost ghostly scenes calling to mind the common superstition of supernatural beings affecting electricity.

In fact, all that seems to be missing from some of these animations is a proton pack from Ghostbusters, as the clusters of light created by Spinelli take on the movements of autonomous beings. Spinelli takes still shots of moving light using long exposure methods and then strings them together to create these animated sequences.

“In her project phötosgraphé, Lucea Spinelli creates long exposure photographs that afford us a view into the unknown,” reads the statement on the artist’s website. “For the duration of the open shutter the lens becomes a canvas upon which Lucea paints with light. The illuminated forms she creates interact with spaces and objects in a wa that evoke the unseen – such as spirit, dreams and metaphor – within the everyday.”

“Often staying in the dark for long hours and relying on muscle memory alone, the process reflects ritual as a necessary part of interacting and evoking the unseen aspects of our reality. Thus by using a medium is commonly used to mimic reality, to suspend it, Lucea invites us to push beyond the bounds of visual perception to explore other ways of knowing. Finally, by stringing sequences of these long exposure photographs together into an animated gif, the light forms are literally brought to life as they dance across the forever looping frame.”

Animated Still Lifes: 7 Relaxing Cinemagraphic Illustrations

Reclining in the space between the extremes of sped-up, movie-style GIF files and traditional, immobile paintings, this artist brings lazy scenes of everyday reality to life.

Rebecca …

Wi-Fi Visualized: Signals Translated to Ghostly Light Orbs

Translated into glowing orbs of light with a rainbow of colors representing signal strength, these visualizations of wi-fi signals are like Victorian spirit photography for the modern age. Luis …

Painting with Light: 15 Long-Exposure Light Art Photos

Words, ghostly forms and streaks of ethereal light take shape when photographers move a light source around in a frame while taking a long-exposure image. Variously known as light art, light …

[ By SA Rogers in Art & Photography & Video. ]

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WebUrbanist

August 20, 2016
Nikon introduces D3400 with SnapBridge, big battery life claims

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Nikon has announced the D3400, updating its most beginner-friendly entry-level DSLR. The D3400 is physically smaller than its D3300 predecessor, but continues to offer many of the same specifications including a 24MP APS-C CMOS sensor with no optical low-pass filter. Nikon says the battery is rated to 1200 shots per charge, which is a serious boost compared to the D3300’s already respectable 700 shots per charge.

SnapBridge is a new addition to this line, enabling connectivity with a mobile device over Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) – though no Wi-Fi connectivity is offered. The D3400 offers an EXPEED 4 processor, 11-point AF system, 1080/60p video, 5 fps burst shooting and a 3″ 921k-dot LCD, all consistent with its predecessor.

The Nikon D3400 will be available starting early September for $ 649.99 with the AF-P DX Nikkor 18-55mm F3.5-5.6G VR. A two lens kit also including the AF-P DX Nikkor 70-300mm F4.5-6.3G ED (non-VR) will be offered for $ 999.95.

Press release:

SHARE THE MOMENTS THAT MATTER: EASILY CAPTURE STUNNING IMAGES OF WHAT YOU LOVE WITH THE NEW LIGHTWEIGHT NIKON D3400

Alongside the New Nikon D3400 DSLR, Nikon Releases the Compact AF-P DX NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR, AF-P DX NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G, AF-P DX NIKKOR 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3G ED VR and AF-P DX NIKKOR 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3G ED Lenses to Capture Life in Amazing Quality

MELVILLE, N.Y. (August 17, 2016 AT 12:01 A.M. EDT) – Today, Nikon unveiled the compact yet powerful Nikon D3400, an entry-level DSLR that enables users to capture and share amazing images easier than ever before. The new D3400 provides a simple and seamless way to share stellar images from nearly anywhere through Nikon SnapBridge¹. Through always-on Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology², Nikon SnapBridge allows photographers to transfer images from the camera to a compatible smart device. For those looking to learn more about photography, the D3400 also features Nikon’s acclaimed Guide Mode, which provides step-by-step assistance when adjusting camera settings to help individuals learn how to capture the best photos possible.

Nikon also announced four exciting lightweight lens options which are ideal companions for the new D3400, helping budding photographers easily build an all-in-one camera kit³. The AF-P DX NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR and AF-P DX NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G, are versatile zoom lenses for everyday shooting, while the new AF-P DX NIKKOR 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3G ED VR and AF-P DX NIKKOR 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3G ED are compact telephoto options for capturing action from afar. Great for travel, these new portable lenses provide fast, smooth and quiet autofocus operation and help users capture life as it unfolds with stunning clarity and detail.

“Featuring a variety of user-friendly features like Nikon SnapBridge, the new D3400 gives those new to DSLR photography the opportunity to proudly capture what they love and easily share with friends and family,” said Kosuke Kawaura, Director of Marketing and Planning, Nikon Inc. “The introduction of the new series of NIKKOR lenses demonstrate Nikon’s commitment to providing affordable and versatile lens options to DX-format DSLR photographers looking to capture their own unique perspective of the world.”

Seamlessly Share Life’s Passions
Transferring photos from the Nikon D3400 is a snap, as the camera makes it easier than ever to share photos wirelessly through Nikon SnapBridge. Using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), SnapBridge creates a connection between a camera and a compatible smart device, making it possible to seamlessly upload amazing images. Once paired, the D3400 will remain connected to the smart device and transfer photos automatically, without the need to re-connect the devices each time. Those that want to send photos from their child’s graduation or a gorgeous sunset can either set all images to automatically download as they are captured, or tag individual images for transfer in-camera. Nikon SnapBridge users can also access Nikon Image Space⁴, a free online image sharing and storage service.

Easily Capture Vibrant Photos with Stunning Detail
Life is full of memories that are meant to be captured with rich, vivid image quality, and the Nikon D3400 makes it easy with the high-speed performance and low-light ability that only a DSLR can deliver. The Nikon D3400 features a high-resolution 24.2-megapixel CMOS sensor to help capture images that photographers love, even in tough lighting scenarios. Nikon’s EXPEED 4 image processing engine offers improved image quality at high ISOs, enhanced auto white balance performance for true colors, faster processing speeds and improved battery life. Whether shooting stylish candids or beautiful landscapes while on vacation, the Nikon D3400 is ready to help deliver magnificent stills and impressive Full HD video.

The Nikon D3400 is loaded with high performance features that help capture images in a variety of shooting situations, including a broad ISO range from 100-25,600, which helps to produce top-quality photos and videos with low noise. This enhanced ISO range makes it easy to capture sharp photos in low-light settings, such as indoor sports, stage performances or festivities that last into the night. An 11-point Autofocus System keeps pace to help create sharp images, whether capturing a backyard soccer game or the most rambunctious toddler. Additionally, the Nikon D3400 is capable of fast continuous shooting at up to 5 frames-per-second (fps), helping to ensure that fleeting moments or precious expressions are not missed. All of these features are incorporated into an extremely compact, lightweight and versatile camera body, ideal for a fast-paced on-the-go lifestyle, and small enough to bring on any family vacation.

For first-time DSLR users, the D3400 features Nikon’s Guide Mode, an intuitive and informative mode that helps develop photography skills and showcases the best camera settings for any scene. By simply turning the top Command Dial to this mode, users are prompted with a full range of capture options, and the camera guides them through various settings to create the desired image. Additionally, in-camera Scene Modes are an easy way to snap great pictures, without the need to adjust numerous settings. For even more creative shooting options, fun effects modes such as Silhouette and Miniature Photography help photographers make images that define their distinct style. When the moment calls for HD video, the D3400 offers Full HD 1080p video recording capability at the press of a button to tell any story with amazing sharpness and clarity.

Capturing the World Through a NIKKOR Lens
Nikon has also announced two new lightweight zoom lenses, the AF-P DX NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR and AF-P DX NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G. The ideal companion for DX-format DSLR cameras like the new D3400, these lenses are equipped with Nikon’s Stepping Motor technology for quick, smooth and quiet autofocus. Designated AF-P NIKKOR, these new lenses provide faster and smoother AF speed during live view (contrast-detection AF) and allow for whisper-quiet operation during video recording to minimize camera noise. The Vibration Reduction (VR) technology of the AF-P DX NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR offers up to four stops of image stabilization*, helping users capture flawless, blur-free images in challenging light or when handheld.

Affordable Telephoto Lenses Offer Endless Photography Possibilities
The new AF-P DX NIKKOR 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3G ED VR and AF-P DX NIKKOR 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3G ED are telephoto zoom lenses that provide further reach when users need it most. They are also equipped with a Stepping Motor that helps achieve quick, smooth and quiet autofocus. The adoption of this technology also reduces the overall size and weight of the lens, making it easy to carry on a family vacation or a trip to the zoo. The new AF-P DX NIKKOR 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3G ED VR also features Nikon’s Vibration Reduction (VR) technology, offering up to four stops of image stabilization*, helping to create sharp images in challenging light, such as an indoor gymnasium or a dusk soccer game.

Pricing and Availability
The Nikon D3400 kitted with the AF-P DX NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR will be available in early September 2016 for a suggested retail price (SRP) of $ 649.95**. The D3400 will also be available in a two-lens kit option, including the AF-P DX NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR and AF-P DX NIKKOR 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3G ED, for $ 999.95** SRP. The AF-P DX NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR (SRP, $ 249.95**), AF-P DX NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G (SRP $ 199.95**), AF-P DX NIKKOR 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3G ED VR (SRP, $ 399.95**) and AF-P DX NIKKOR 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3G ED (SRP $ 349.95**) will all be available around the same time and will be sold separately. For more information on about the new Nikon D3400 and NIKKOR lenses, please visit www.nikonusa.com.

1. The SnapBridge app is available for compatible iPhone®, iPad® and/or iPod touch®, and for smart devices running the AndroidTM operating system. The app can be downloaded free of charge from Apple’s App Store® and GooglePlayTM. SnapBridge can be used only with compatible cameras.

2. The camera’s built-in Bluetooth® capability can only be used to connect the camera to a smart device running the SnapBridge app, and to take advantage of SnapBridge features.

3. Because AF-P lenses incorporate a stepping motor, the number of compatible cameras is limited. Even for compatible cameras, firmware update may be required.

4. To automatically upload images to NIKON IMAGE SPACE, a Nikon ID must be registered. This is easily achieved via the [Nikon ID registration/change] menu in the SnapBridge app. An unlimited number and volume of images reduced to 2-megapixel equivalents can be uploaded to NIKON IMAGE SPACE only with upload via SnapBridge.

*Based on CIPA Standard. This value is achieved when DX-format compatible lenses are attached to a DX-format digital SLR camera and zoom lenses are set at the maximum telephoto position.

**SRP (Suggested Retail Price) listed only as a suggestion. Actual prices are set by dealers and are subject to change at any time.

Nikon D3400 specifications

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

August 17, 2016