Wednesday, 9 March 2011

The Definitive Simon Stafford General Photographic Techniques Seminar

Saturday, 26th March - 2.00 p.m. - 5.30 p.m.

Simon Stafford's General Photographic Techniques Seminar will be held in central London, at Fitzroy House, 37 Fitzroy Street, London W1T 6DX on Saturday, 26th March between 2.00 p.m. and 5.30 p.m.. The price of the seminar is £155 with the lower price of £95 for Nikon Owner subscribers and includes mid-afternoon tea and coffee.


The seminar will be presented by one of the world's foremost Nikon experts, Simon Stafford, the technical editor of Nikon Owner magazine and best-selling author of numerous Magic Lantern Guides to the Nikon camera system.

Agenda for the session

Part one: Camera skills
  • Understanding f/numbers & shutter speeds
  • Learn how to optimise white balance and ISO
  • Mastering camera menu settings
  • JPEG versus RAW: the pros and cons of both
  • How to achieve accurate exposures
  • Understand how your camera’s metering system works
  • Learn the benefits of digital histograms
  • Improve your focus techniques with AF and manual focus
Part two: Shooting skills
  • Learn good camera handling
  • Camera support systems, tripods, monopods and alternatives
  • Understanding and using depth-of-field
  • Choosing and using filters
  • Imaginative use of shutter speed
  • Creative use of white balance
Part three: Beyond the camera
  • Planning and visualising the picture
  • Techniques of composition
  • Transporting photographic equipment
  • Tips for location shooting
Questions and Answers:
Please note that there will be ample opportunity to ask questions throughout the seminar.

Nikon Owner Subscription

If you are not already a subscriber to Nikon Owner, and would like to enrol on this course at the special price, you can apply for the standard, silver, or gold subscription to Nikon Owner below, by sending me, Gillian Greenwood (gillian.greenwood@graysofwestminster.com), an email with your full name, daytime mobile and landline. Alternatively, please call between 2.00 p.m. and 5.30 p.m. Monday to Friday on 020 7828 8971 (or 020 7828 4925 if that line is busy) to speak to me or any of my colleagues.


Standard Annual Subscription - special price: £59
  • 1-year Subscription to Nikon Owner
  • 3-year warranty on all new Nikon products from Grays of Westminster
  • Nikon Owner magazine, a superb, glossy full-colour 60-page quarterly magazine that is 100% Nikon. Each issue delivers benchmark technical reviews of the very latest Nikon equipment, thought-provoking interviews and articles with world-class images
  • Private user-name and password to subscribers-only website
  • Simon Stafford’s Technical Helpline
  • 18-month warranty on second-hand Nikon from Grays of Westminster
  • 10% off Think Tank bags purchased at Grays of Westminster
  • Special trips and events
  • Discounts on events and training sessions
  • 10% off any training courses run by Nikon UK
Silver Subscription - launch price: £129 (normal price: £179)
  • 2-year Subscription to Nikon Owner
  • 3-year warranty on all new Nikon products from Grays of Westminster
  • A half-hour tutorial on the phone or face to face, by appointment
  • Nikon Owner quarterly magazine as above
  • Private user-name and password to subscribers-only website
  • Simon Stafford’s Technical Helpline
  • 18-month warranty on second-hand Nikon from Grays of Westminster
  • 10% off Think Tank bags purchased at Grays of Westminster
  • Special trips and events
  • Discounts on events and training sessions
  • 10% off any training courses run by Nikon UK
Gold subscription - launch price £349 (normal price £450)
  • 5-year subscription to Nikon Owner
  • 5-year warranty on all new Nikon products from Grays of Westminster
  • 2-year warranty on second-hand Nikon from Grays of Westminster
  • Gold Priority waiting list for all new Nikon releases (top of the waiting list)
  • A half-hour tutorial on the phone or face to face, by appointment
  • Special offers to Gold subscribers throughout the period of subscription
  • A signed copy of Grays of Westminster - In the Company of Legends, or if you have one already, a Nikon Magic Lantern Guide of your choice
  • A Grays of Westminster umbrella (in store only)
  • Nikon Owner quarterly magazine as above
  • Private user-name and password to subscribers-only website which includes forum, message board, technical equipment reviews, events’ page and use of a photo gallery
  • Gold subscription card
  • Simon Stafford’s Technical Helpline
  • 10% off Think Tank bags purchased at Grays of Westminster
  • Special trips and events
  • Substantial discounts on training sessions organised by Grays of Westminster, including Mike Maloney’s Workshops , Heather Angel’s Wildlife & Natural History Workshops, Simon Stafford’s Definitive Flash, Portraiture and Macro Training Sessions, Michael Eleftheriades’ panoramic and colour-calibration seminars and Chris Weston’s Photographic Courses.
  • 10% off any training courses run by Nikon UK

Tuesday, 8 March 2011

An Advanced Preview of Our Upcoming Amateur Photographer Magazine Advert


Specialising in the Exceptional

A Nikon F-36 Motor Drive (for the Nikon F camera) + Cordless Battery Pack, Motor Drive adaptor plate, connector, Japanese instruction manual, warranty, complete in maker’s boxes NEW (ONE ONLY) £2,000.00.

Thursday, 3 March 2011

Special Offers for Nikon Owner subscribers during March - Limited time period

Take out a subscription to Nikon Owner and find out how you can benefit from a number of special offers during March


Think Tank Camera Bags

We are delighted to be able to offer to our Nikon Owner Gold subscribers* a special 15% discount on any Think Tank product purchased at Grays of Westminster for a limited time period. Think Tank provides camera bag solutions for enthusiasts and professionals alike. Their products are born from the collaborative effort of photographers and product designers and together they have created inventive and effective solutions for all photographic situations, with enormous attention to detail. Our offer, which is available between March 1st and March 14th, allows you to start planning all your photographic trips this year using the best camera bags to suit your specific camera and lens' requirements.


Chris Weston's Mastering DSLR Photography Seminar, Saturday, 5th March, 2011, 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Oxford.


As a result of exceptional demand, a small number of additional places have just been made available at Chris Weston’s Mastering Digital SLR Photography seminar on Saturday. If you are a Nikon Owner subscriber you will be able to take advantage of your Nikon Owner subscription and receive a £25 discount on the normal seminar fee (RRP £75.00).

Book now for just £50!

Over the past three years, more than 400 people have attended Chris Weston’s uniquely informative, inspiring and entertaining Mastering Digital SLR Photography seminars, experiencing what has been described as “the best ever one-day session devoted to photography”.

Covering an extensive range of expert skills, advice and technique tips, Chris shares his many years’ experience on how to shoot like a pro, get the most from your DSLR camera, and take photographs you will be proud of time and again.

Catering for all knowledge levels and unsurpassed in its ability to make you a better photographer, this seminar will prove to be, to quote a previous Nikon Owner delegate: “the most beneficial day you’ll spend not taking pictures.”


Highlights

  • Optimise your camera’s menu settings
  • Learn better use of white balance and ISO
  • Exposed: the truth about JPEG vs. RAW
  • Discover the secret to accurate exposures
  • Dispelled: the digital exposure myth
  • Get the most from your camera’s light meter
  • Understand digital histograms
  • Master stops, f/numbers & shutter speeds
  • Improve AF and focus performance
  • Learn best-practice for camera handling
  • The art of omission: the secret to successful composition
  • Revealed: the techniques and settings behind successful photographs

About Chris Weston


Chris Weston is one of the UK’s most knowledgeable digital photographers and a recognised expert tutor, known for his ability to reach all levels of photographer from novice to advanced user. He has been a Nikon user since the age of 10 and is a distinguished contributor to Nikon Owner magazine. He writes regularly for the photographic press, including Practical Photography and Outdoor Photography, and has authored 30 books.



Please note that the last available time to book will be Friday, 4th March, at midday

Alternatively, please call Chris on 01305 831752

(International callers please dial +44 1305 831752).

If you are not already a subscriber to Nikon Owner, and would like to enrol on this course at the special price, you can apply for the standard, silver, or gold subscription to Nikon Owner below, by sending me, Gillian Greenwood, an email with your full name, daytime mobile and landline. Alternatively, please call between 2.00 p.m. and 5.30 p.m. Monday to Friday on 020 7828 8971 (or 020 7828 4925 if that line is busy) to speak to me or any of my colleagues.

Gold subscription - launch price £349 (normal price £450)
  • 5-year subscription to Nikon Owner
  • 5-year warranty on all new Nikon products from Grays of Westminster
  • Gold Priority waiting list for all new Nikon releases (top of the waiting list)
  • A half-hour tutorial on the phone or face to face, by appointment
  • Special offers to Gold subscribers throughout the period of subscription
  • A signed copy of Grays of Westminster - In the Company of Legends, or if you have one already, a Nikon Magic Lantern Guide of your choice
  • A Grays of Westminster umbrella
  • Nikon Owner magazine, a superb, glossy full-colour 60-page quarterly magazine that is 100% Nikon. Each issue delivers benchmark technical reviews of the very latest Nikon equipment, thought-provoking interviews and articles with world-class images.
  • Private user-name and password to subscribers-only website which includes forum, message board, technical equipment reviews, events page and use of a photo gallery
  • Gold subscription card
  • Simon Stafford’s Technical Helpline
  • 18-month warranty on second-hand Nikon from Grays of Westminster
  • 10% off Think-Tank bags purchased at Grays of Westminster
  • Special trips and events
  • Substantial discounts on training sessions organised by Grays of Westminster, including Mike Maloney’s House of Lords Photographic Workshop, Heather Angel’s Wildlife & Natural History Workshops, Simon Stafford’s Definitive Flash, Portraiture and Macro Training Sessions, Michael Eleftheriades’ panoramic and colour-calibration seminars and Chris Weston’s Photographic Courses
  • 10% off any training courses run by Nikon UK
Silver Subscription - launch price: £129 (normal price: £179)
  • 2-year Subscription to Nikon Owner
  • 3-year warranty on all new Nikon products from Grays of Westminster
  • A half-hour tutorial on the phone or face to face, by appointment
  • Nikon Owner quarterly magazine, a superb, glossy full-colour 60-page quarterly
  • magazine as above
  • Private user-name and password to subscribers-only website
  • Simon Stafford’s Technical Helpline
  • 18-month warranty on second-hand Nikon from Grays of Westminster
  • 10% off Think-Tank bags purchased at Grays of Westminster
  • Special trips and events
  • Discounts on training sessions
  • 10% off any training courses run by Nikon UK
Standard Annual Subscription - special price: £59
  • 1-year Subscription to the Nikon Owner
  • 3-year warranty on all new Nikon products from Grays of Westminster
  • Nikon Owner quarterly magazine, a superb, glossy full-colour 60-page quarterly
  • magazine as above
  • Private user-name and password to subscribers-only website
  • Simon Stafford’s Technical Helpline
  • 18-month warranty on second-hand Nikon from Grays of Westminster
  • 10% off Think-Tank bags purchased at Grays of Westminster
  • Special trips and events
  • Discounts on events and training sessions
  • 10% off any training courses run by Nikon UK

Tuesday, 1 March 2011

Capture A New Season With Nikon’s Spring Cashback Offer


1st March 2011: Nikon UK today announces a new spring promotion entitling customers to claim £40/€50 cashback when purchasing the Nikon D3100 digital SLR from 1st March - 4th May 2011 (inclusive).

The promotion is available to customers in the UK and Republic of Ireland. Claims must be received by 5th June 2011. Full terms and conditions and information about how to claim the cashback can be found at www.nikon.co.uk/cashback.

The Nikon D3100 is the most easy-to-use D-SLR to date, offering a range of high performance features that are designed to make taking quality images fun and easy. The camera’s Guide mode offers step-by-step instructions for changing camera settings that helps improve photography skills whilst capturing perfect images.

The D3100 is Nikon’s first DSLR to offer full HD movie mode which can be accessed at the click of a button so users can switch between shooting stills and movie with ease. And, with an HDMI port the D3100 can be connected to the TV to relive special moments with friends and family.

Simon Iddon, Nikon’s enthusiast product manager, comments: “We’re pleased to introduce a new cashback offer on the award winning D3100; with spring around the corner and the upcoming bank holidays, now is the perfect time to invest in a digital SLR that will allow you to capture high quality images you’ll want to treasure.”

Offer subject to availability.

Friday, 25 February 2011

Nikon Deals: Limited Time Offer for Customers from the UK & Ireland ... 9 Days Only!

If you have been holding off from purchasing a camera, your wait has not been in vain. We are pleased to announce a very special offer available for 9 days only from the 25th February - 5th March inclusive.

Left: Nikon D700; Right: Nikon D7000

Your purchase of a D700 body will entitle you to an immediate £150.00 voucher to spend in-store that day, which can be used towards any Nikon or ThinkTank product. However, iIf it's the latest DX camera you're after, you will receive a £100.00 instant voucher for the D7000 body only, or a £120.00 voucher for the D7000 + 18-105mm VR Kit.

Being two of the most popular cameras in the digital range Nikon have produced thus far, and available with a variety of FX and DX lenses, speedlights and accessories, this allows lovers of landscape, wildlife, portrait, sport and reportage photography to obtain these bodies at this very special price.

This offer is available to UK & Ireland residents only and purchases made prior to or following the offer dates will not qualify for the discount voucher.

Prices excluding this deal and any other offers are as follows:

D700 SLR Body - £1689.00

D7000 SLR Body - £959.00

D7000 + AF-S 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G DX VR - £1,115.00

All prices include VAT at 20%.



Sample image taken with D700 + 24-70mm f/2.8G AF-S


Sample image taken with D7000 + 24-70mm f/2.8G AF-S

Other discounts, kit prices and vouchers are available with a combination of lenses - please contact a member of staff or reply to this email if you would like the latest prices on any Nikon equipment.

Kindest Regards,

Becky Danese

Grays of Westminster
40 Churton Street
Pimlico
London
SW1V 2LP

Tel 020 7828 4925

Sample images courtesy of Nikon USA.

Monday, 21 February 2011

Nikon Deals: The Nikon Professional Line-Up

Nikon D700

The first day of spring draws ever closer and with it an abundance of new photographic opportunities. Whether you are considering that new camera body that you have always wished for, a long lens for wildlife or a macro lens to capture the minute details of insects or plants newly in blossom, Grays of Westminster are here to advise you on your photographic needs and requirements.

The D700 is still one of the most popular cameras in Nikon's line up. And now that the price is the lowest it will ever be, it ' s the perfect time to invest in a full-frame body if you are considering upgrading from DX, or looking for a backup for your own FX camera. The D700 has boasted fantastic quality at low-light levels since its release and continues to be a camera of choice for many professionals who want to travel light

Despite rumours of a replacement (and at the moment, yes, they are still just rumours) for the D700, it is still one of the most popular cameras in Nikon's line up. And now that the price is the lowest it will ever be it's the perfect time to invest in a full-frame body if you are considering upgrading from DX, or looking for a backup for your own FX camera. The D700 has boasted fantastic quality at low-light levels since it's release and continues to be a camera of choice for many professionals who want to travel light.
Body Only = £1689.00 Incl. VAT
Please see below for kit prices.


Nikon D3S


The D3S provides an ISO range like never before, so with high-quality shooting options and full-frame HD video shooting all in one body - ideal for photographers who need an all-singing-all-dancing camera for their photographic needs. Ideal for everything from weddings to sports, landscape to wildlife, the D3S handles every situation perfectly in a weather-sealed magnesium-alloy casing.
Body Only = £3469.00 Incl. VAT
Please see below for kit prices.

Sample Image taken on D3S with AF-S 400mm f/2.8G VR IF-ED

Nikon D3X

For landscape and studio photographers the D3X provides one with incredible FX quality over a 24.5 million pixel sensor. Perfect for the rough and tough outdoor work or those in the studio needing to print large poster-size prints.
Body Only = £4969.00 Incl. VAT
Please see below for kit prices.

Sample Image taken on D3X with AF-S 24-70mm f/2.8G


The Professional Lens Range

AF-S Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8G
AF-S Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8G
AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G VRII

Sample Image taken with AF-S 14-24mm f/2.8G

All of the above lenses are recommended both by Nikon and professionals alike, and are available in kit form with the professional range of camera bodies. If you require any advice about which lens might be right for you, please do not hesitate to drop us an email or telephone the shop and speak to a member of sales staff.

Prices of bodies and lenses are currently as follows:

Nikon D700 + 14-24mm f/2.8G ED AF-S + 24-70mm f/2.8G ED AF-S KIT
(RRP - £5,300.00) £4,160.00

Nikon D700 + 14-24mm f/2.8G ED AF-S Kit
(RRP - £3,883.00) £2,965.00

Nikon D700 + 24-70mm f/2.8G ED AF-S Kit
(RRP - £3,781.00) £2,885.00

Nikon D3s + 14-24mm f/2.8G ED AF-S + 24-70mm f/2.8G ED AF-S Kit
LIMITED STOCK! (RRP - £7,459.00) £5,940.00

Nikon D3s Pro Digital SLR + 24-70mm f/2.8G ED AF-S Kit
LIMITED STOCK! (RRP - £5,824.00) £4,665.00

Nikon D3s body + 14-24mm f/2.8G ED AF-S Kit
LIMITED STOCK! (RRP - £5,926.00) £4,745.00

Nikon D3X body + 14-24mm f/2.8G ED AF-S Kit
(RRP - £7,600.00) £6,245.00

Nikon D3X + 24-70mm f/2.8G ED AF-S Kit
(RRP - £7,500.00) £6,165.00

Nikon D3X + 14-24mm f/2.8G ED AF-S + 24-70mm f/2.8G ED AF-S Kit
(RRP - £9,100.00) £7,440.00

AF-S 70-200mm f/2.8G VR II
(RRP - £1999.00) £1639.00

Please note that other kits are available with alternative lenses on discount - please speak to a member of staff or send an email if you are interested in any other lens with a DSLR body.


Nikkor AF-S 35mm f/1.4G
LIMITED STOCK AVAILABLE


If you have been interested in obtaining this lens please do get in touch - we have a handful of these in from Nikon today and cannot reserve or hold stock.
The price is £1599.00 including VAT.

Grays of Westminster
40 Churton Street
London, SW1V 2LP
+44 207 828 4925
www.graysofwestminster.co.uk
info@graysofwestminster.co.uk

Nikon News: Jim Brandenburg goes back to Nikon


"Jim typically does not like to talk equipment but thought we should share some exciting news with you. After shooting with Nikon equipment most of his professional career, then being lured away to become a Canon Explorer of Light, Jim has now gone back to his 'photographic roots' and is proud to announce that he is once again - a Nikon shooter!"

Excerpted from Jim Brandenburg's Quarterly Newsletter

About Jim Brandenburg
Jim Brandenburg travelled the globe as a photographer with National Geographic Magazine for several decades. His extensive body of work has been published throughout the world and his photographs have won a multitude of national and international awards. He was the recipient of the ‘Wildlife Photographer of the Year’ award by the Natural History Museum-London and BBC Wildlife Magazine, and twice was named ‘Magazine Photographer of the Year’ by the National Press Photographer's Association (NPPA) for his National Geographic work. Brandenburg was presented with the ‘World Achievement Award’ from the United Nations in recognition of his use of nature photography to raise public awareness for the environment.