We’ve published books since 1978. However in 2012 we ceased our publishing activities to concentrate on picture-taking. Still, you may be interested in any of our previously published books about photography including these seven “Stay Focused Guides” for popular DSLR cameras.

Now we’re giving them away free to anyone who would like a copy. They are older but many of the techniques apply to most all DSLR or even the newer mirrorless cameras.

Although each title pertains to a specific model camera, most of the techniques apply to any advanced camera regardless of the make. So if you have a different model, download a PDF copy and follow along. I’m confident that you’ll pick up a few tips along the way.

And while you’re at it, why not Subscribe to our Newsletter! – to your right? We need only your name and email address.

Without further ado, here are the links for your free PDF copy of our Stay Focused Guides. Click on one of the links below to view a PDF version of a book. Then save the PDF to your desktop.

SFG for Canon XS in PDF format

SFG for Canon XSi in PDF format

SFG for Canon T2i in PDF format

SFG for Nikon D40 in PDF format

SFG for Nikon D60 in PDF format

SFG for Nikon D3000 in PDF format

SFG for Nikon D5000 in PDF format

We also have several other books that you may be interested in also available FREE:

28 Tips for Better Photographs in PDF format

National Parks – a tour in PDF format

How does 11 frames per second sound?

At the Wedding and Portrait Photographers International Expo last month in Las Vegas, I got a chance to handle Nikon’s newly announced D4s camera.

Although it’s lighter than the D4, it has a remarkable 16MP sensor that’s superb at high ISO settings. In fact we saw a demonstration of the camera at an ISO setting of 25600 and there was virtually no noise. With many other DLSRs sporting higher pixel counts, the D4s sacrifices more pixels in exchange for very superior noise reduction.

But the feature that caught my eye (actually my ear) is its high speed, rapid fire capability. Rated at 11 frames per second with continuous autofocus and autoexposure, this camera is will garner the attention of sports and action photographers.

I made a short recording at Nikon’s booth. The shutter sounds like a miniature machine gun. To hear it, please press the play button below:
 
 
      
 
 
Pretty impressive, if you ask me.
 
 

Although it’s a better performer in several respects, the new D4s is lighter weight than the predecessors D4 and D3s.

Nikon’s rep Paul Van Allen told me that the the D4s is already available. Price for the D4s body is steep $6,500.
 
 
Written by: Arnie Lee
 
 
 

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The Backorder Has Arrived

This past October, I was in NYC to cover PhotoExpo 2013. It’s a large trade show for the photographic industry where new equipment, accessories, services and the like are on display.

One of the nicest things about trade shows is that you can have some hands-on time using the new hardware and ask in- depth questions that the reps are able to field.

I was interested in a few new pieces of equipment including Nikon’s newly announced AW1. It’s based on the one year-old Nikon 1 series. These are compact, mirrorless models that have interchangeable lenses. They are small and lightweight but deliver high quality images. But the kicker here is that the AW1 is also waterproof to 49 feet, temperature resistant to 14F degrees and shockproof to about 6 feet. I was attracted to this camera because of its ruggedness.
I spent about 30 minutes of touchie-feelie time with the AW1 at the Nikon booth. I also peppered Brian – the Nikon rep – with dozens of questions about the camera. In the end, I came away satisfied that this new piece of equipment needed to become part of my arsenal. When I returned home from New York, I placed an order for the AW1 with two waterproof lenses. Although the AW1 has been available for sale for about six weeks, the two lens kit was just made available.

However, due to the usual holiday confusion, I have yet to open the carton. In the next few days, I hope to try it out. Since it’s 10 degrees outdoors here in Grand Rapids, I think the underwater testing will have to wait unless I decide to try it out in the bathtub.

But with the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) right around the corner (next week), I just might take it with me to Las Vegas and jump into one of the pools. I’ll fill you in when I have more to report.

 

 

Written by: Arnie Lee

 

 

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