The Image Doctors Talk Photography

Photographing Badlands National Park

This week, we’re back from Jason’s Badlands photo safari, and we’ll share our experiences from the trip. You can see all of Jason’s upcoming safaris here.

Viltrox 56mm f/1.4 DX Lens for Nikon Z

Rick recently purchased a new autofocus lens from Viltrox to use wiht his DX format Nikon Z cameras. The 56mm f/1.4 DX lens in Z-mount offers a solid build, excellent image quality, and fast autofocus. It also has an aperture ring, which makes it fun to use with the Nikon Z fc mirrorless camera.

AI Noise Reduction Software Review

This week, we look at three AI-based noise reduction tools and look at how they stack up against each other. We tested:

* Topaz Denoise AI* ON1 NoNoise AI 2021* DXO PhotoLab 4 Elite

We found that although all three of these programs did a good job removing noise, there were some significant differences in workflow between the products. Listen to hear which of these tools came out on top, and why!

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Wildlife Photography on Mt. Evans, Colorado

Earlier this week, we took a trip to the summit of Mt. Evans, Colorado, where we photographed the local marmots and pika. We’ll share our experience with you, including our camera settings and what worked, and what didn’t work.

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A yellow-bellied marmot on Mt. Evans, Colorado (Photo by Jason Odell)

These used digital cameras can be had for a song!

Between supply chain disruptions and chip shortages, new electronics (like digital cameras) can be tough to find. For example the Nikon D850 hasn’t been in stock for months, and was recently rumored to be discontinued (spoiler alert: it wasn’t). This week, we took a look at some of the options out there for used cameras, and identified a number of models that represent tremendous value.

Our top used digital camera recommendations

* Fujifilm X-T2 * Olympus OM-D E-M1 MII and E-M5 MII* Nikon D750 and D810* Nikon Z6* Sony A73* Panasonic G9* Canon 5DmIII* Canon 5DSR

Shop for used gear at site sponsor B&H Photo

Nikon Z fc: hands-on first impressions

We each received the new Nikon Z fc mirrorless camera this week, so we’re sharing our hands-on first impressions. We’ll go through the features we like, and discuss a few areas for improvement. Also, we’ll compare the Nikon Z fc to the Nikon Z 50, and discuss which camera we’d recommend for our listeners.

More on the Nikon Z fc

Check out Jason’s Nikon Z fc unboxing video

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Nikon MC 50mm f/2.8 macro Z Nikkor Review

This week, we spent some time handling the new Nikon NIKKOR Z MC 50mm f/2.8 Macro Lens, and we’ll give our impressions of the “other” macro lens for Nikon Z-mount.

Software updates

Both Capture One and Luminar AI got updates this week, and we’ll tell you what new features you’ll get when you upgrade.

Nik Collection 4 Review

This week, we’re back from leading the Colorado in Bloom workshop in Crested Butte, and we have a follow-up on our thoughts using the new Nikon MC 105mm f/2.8 S VR macro lens. We’ll then dive into the recently updated Nik Collection Plugins by DXO, which adds some significant new features to Silver Efex Pro and Viveza. While there are still some rough edges in the software, Rick and Jason both feel it is a worthy upgrade and plan on using it in their own workflows.

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Interview with Photographer Andy MacDonald

This week, our good friend and show listener, Andy MacDonald, joined us to talk about his recent experience photographing the Kansas City air show using his Sony A7R4 mirrorless camera.

Check out Andy’s photos here.

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Utah Road Trip!

This week, join Rick and Jason on a road trip to Utah, where they photographed some of the National Parks, plus did night sky photography at a unique location. You can see some of their shots over on our Facebook Page.

Our road trip to Utah included stops at Capitol Reef, Bryce Canyon, and Goblin Valley.

Night Sky Resources

* Rokinon 14mm f/2.4 SP manual focus lens* Nikon 20mm f/1.8S lens for Nikon Z* The Night Sky Photography Handbook by Jason P. Odell, Ph.D.

Hands-on with the Nikon Z MC 105mm f/2.8 VR S macro lens

This week, both of us received copies of the new 105mm f/2.8 VR S Nikkor Z lens for macro photography. While we’re still going through some testing, we are both extremely pleased with Nikon’s latest macro lens and the results it delivers. This week, we’ll discuss our first impressions of this new lens.

New Announcements from Canon & Nikon

Canon 14-35mm f/4L

This week, Canon announced the final lens in their constant f/4 aperture mirrorless zoom kit, the Canon RF 14-35mm f/4L IS USM lens. Canon mirrorless shooters will like the super-wide range this lens offers.

Nikon Goes Retro: Z fc Camera

Nikon announced a new DX-format mirrorless camera in their Z-mount, and it’s a retro-styled camera that looks a lot like the old Nikon FM film camera. However, this new body is small, light, and delivers quite a few enhancements over the existing Nikon Z50. We’ll discuss why we’re both excited about the new Nikon Z fc.