Nikon released minor updates for many of its software packages today, including: View NX 1.5.3, Nikon Transfer 1.5.3 (Windows) / 1.5.2 ( Macintosh), WT-4 Setup Utility   1.1.4, Thumbnail Selector  1.1.4, WT-4 Camera Control Utility for 64-bit OS (v.1.1.4 Windows only). View NX and Nikon Transfer primarily add support for both Windows 7 and Snow Leopard (Mac OS X 10.6.x), but there have also been several bug fixes, and a few added features as well... Read more »

Today Nikon gave away $125,000 in prizes to two lucky contest winners. Awesome, right? The grand prize of $100,000 is one of the largest prizes for a single winner I've every heard of. Long live photography. Except that the winning entries weren't photographs... Read more »

Nikon has just rolled out a very useful firmware update for most of their Pro D-SLR line (except the D3S which presumably already has these improvemnts). The new firmware includes support for CF cards up to 64GB, improved Auto White Balance, some focus options and my favorite which sets the time from a GPS clock. You can download it from the Nikon USA site. For more details... Read more »

Nikon has put in place an "instant savings" campaign for great values on two of their most popular new lenses, the "must have" 18-200mm VR II version--a great upgrade to the original whose only downside is the increased cost, and the new VR version of their small and very sharp 70-300mm lens. The catch is that you get the $200-$250 discount only when you purchase a new D-SLR...

More and more birders are becoming interested in photography. To go beyond the limitations of digiscoping (limited low light capability, tricky auto-focus, limited panning or ability to capture action, etc.) requires a fairly serious investment in a camera body and lenses. In this section of our exclusive GearGuide we'll cover tips for what to look for in a camera body...