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Adam Ottke

Los Angeles, CA
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Articles from Adam Ottke

Seventeen New Tricks of the Nikon D850 and How They’ll Help Your Photography

If you try to pinpoint a single reason that the D850 is creating as much buzz as it is, it would be nearly impossible. This isn’t an amazing camera that has a singular standout feature. It’s the precisely and perfectly juxtaposed array of many new features, big and small, that culminate in the D850's success as a standout camera.

Nikon D850 ISO Performance Seems Much Improved Over D810

The Nikon D850 features a completely new sensor developed in-house by Nikon. It's also the first backside-illuminated sensor in a Nikon full-frame DSLR. That allows it to perform up to one stop better than the D810, despite the higher pixel count, according to Nikon.

What Is NASA Doing With the 53 Nikon D5 Cameras It Just Ordered?

NASA has a long history of sending cameras to space. Most notably, Hasselblad medium-format and Nikon SLRs and DSLRs have been NASA's go-tos for decades. But in a recent order that must be amongst the largest in its history for a single order of camera bodies, NASA just bought 53 Nikon D5 cameras worth over $340,000. What off Earth could NASA be doing with all those D5s? 

[DEAL] B+W Kaesemann Circular Polarizer MRC Filters Just $30, 66% Off

Through its Deal Zone, B&H currently has the B+W Kaesemann Circular Polarizer MRC Filters for about more than half off for the rest of the day (until midnight ET). The 77mm size is just $49.95 (58% off of $119.95 normally) while the 58mm size is also available for $29.95 (67% off of $89.95 normally).

Pre-Order the Nikon D850 Now for September Delivery

The Nikon D850 was announced tonight. With an extremely high-resolution 45-megapixel sensor, 7-plus fps shooting, and a ton of professional improvements to its predecessor, this really is the camera to do it all — and the price is on the low end of previous estimates at $3,296.95. Pre-orders are now up and are promised to begin shipping in September with free expedited shipping. 

Nikon Announces the D850: Yes, It's an Amazing Camera

We'll have to wait to get our hands on one to see if this camera really can be the Swiss army knife of DSLRs that it seems to be, but we now have details from Nikon's official D850 announcement, including the U.S. price. 

Why the Nikon D850 Could Make the Canon 5D Mark IV Obsolete

Like the Nikon D750, the Canon 5D Mark IV is the parent brand’s attempt at making what’s arguably the most versatile professional full-frame camera system that fits the needs of most professional photographers, except that it beats the D750 on nearly every metric that matters, as it should for a newer camera.

Wide-Gamut Color Support in Smaller Files Coming to the Web and Mobile

Wide-gamut images have been supported by the latest smartphone and high-end computer displays for some time, but the software and the Internet has some way to go before the average consumer can enjoy accurately rendered, wide-gamut images across their entire digital experience.

CrashPlan Backup Service Abandons Home Users as It Jumps for Enterprise

CrashPlan is a popular cloud-based backup solution that many (myself included) use to backup their computers and external drives. But the company's announcement this morning to focus on business-to-business services leaves consumer customers hanging, despite their promise not to do so.

Samsung Releases T5 Portable SSD

I've reviewed the earlier version of Samsung's T-series SSD drive, but today, they've announced a new version with better performance across the board. Up from 450 MB/s, the Portable SSD T5 now offers up to 540 MB/s read and 515 MB/s write speeds. It also comes in new colors.

Tiger Chews on 360-Degree Camera While It Records

A Sumatran tiger at a United Kingdom zoo strolled up to a Nikon KeyMission 360 camera, swatted it down from its perch on the fence, and chewed it up a bit. Needless to say, the KeyMission survived and safely protected the memory card with the footage in the process. 

Fstoppers Reviews the New Peak Design Leash and Cuff

Peak Design, creators of the popular Everyday Messenger, Everyday Backpack, and Slide strap, announced updated versions of its Leash and Cuff. A few weeks ago, the San Fransisco-based photography accessory company sent me the new products to test. Coming from a brand that set a precedent for commanding high expectations, I thought I knew what I was getting into.

City of Los Angeles Bans Photography at Public Park, Violates Constitution

Citing a contractual agreement with a band multiple bands at a free concert series, Los Angeles recently banned photography at any of the upcoming concerts scheduled to be held at a public park. The order violates the Constitution, which protects any United States citizen's freedom of expression in the First Amendment. 

Here's Why Testing Cinema Lenses Didn't Matter Before, But Does Now

There are a handful of companies that are well-known for testing lenses. And the photographic community has a love-hate relationship with many of those that claim to have scientific tests, etc. Does it even matter? Can you tell the difference? Isn't it all just good enough?

Nikon D850 to Be Baby Nikon D5? More Specs Rumored

There are no shortage of Nikon D850 rumors these days. Following up previous news that Nikon shooters should be happy about, the additional features, pricing, and release date information once again found by NikonRumors set the stage for what continues to be an increasingly optimistic outlook for the D850. 

Comparison Breakdown: The Lightest, Most Affordable, Professional Full-Frame System

In a world where less than a handful of brands are considered well-established in the professional full-frame camera market and where more than a handful of other brands have done a very healthy share of innovating to wedge their way into the market, where do we stand? If you're going to buy a new system to start fresh or are just starting out and getting serious, this is for you.

Nikon Announces the D850... Sort Of

If you follow any rumor mills, the night before a product is announced, we almost always know what it's going to be and the main features behind it. Even a few photos might leak. Apple is the only company that can keep such a tight lid on its releases, and even they have trouble.

RED Cameras Now for Sale at B&H

Since it turned high-resolution digital cinema upside-down, RED has been a name synonymous with big Hollywood films. But getting RED gear has remained relatively difficult, often requiring waiting periods and only available directly from RED.

Nikon's Shutter Shading Issue Might Be the Best Thing to Happen to D750 Owners

While the shutter shading issues of the D750 don't plague every body, Nikon's recent service advisory (i.e., recall) does apply to quite a few of them. Many might groan at the thought of sending in their workhorse or even backup D750s, but the truth is that this may be a huge blessing in disguise. 

Nikon Announces More D750 Bodies Affected by Shutter Issue

Nikon is expanding its list of D750 bodies affected by a shutter issue that may cause shading across a captured image. This is expansion follows a similar one in February 2016, which followed the original notice back in July 2015.

PSA: Three Days Left to Get a Refund for the Lily Robotics Drone

News of Lily Robotics' action-oriented drone arrived with much fanfare. But a few months ago, Lily filed for bankruptcy and announced it would not be able to fulfill any of its pre-orders. Thankfully, they're at least trying to refund pre-order customers (pending approval by a judge), but you only have until July 10 at 4 p.m. Eastern to submit a claim.

CineStill Opens Pre-Orders for 50D 120 Medium Format Daylight Film

CineStill is best known for its 35mm motion picture films that it processes and repackages for use in still cameras, but it's only recently that they dove into medium format with a high-speed, 800T (tungsten-balanced) film. Right now, 50D, a fine-grain daylight film stock already available in 35mm is now also available for pre-order in 120.

$3 Million Patriot Drone Takes Down Cheap Quadcopter Drone

News alert: a $3.4 million Patriot missile is a rather cost-ineffective way to take out comparatively dweeby consumer drone. And yet, this is exactly what happened when a close ally of the United States used one of the U.S. Army's favorite weapons "dealing with an adversary" that was apparently piloting the drone. 

BTS: See How 'Rogue One' Used Virtual Reality Controllers to Guide Virtual Camera Movements

BBC Click shared a video that gives an in-depth look at the tools used by director Gareth Edwards at ILM London to better show computer graphics supervisor Steve Ellis his desired camera angles and movements throughout "Rogue One." Using just an iPad and an HTC Vive controller, Edwards was able to explore the virtual, computer-generated world to find the best shots, which were th