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I had the incredible opportunity to have 2 weeks of hands on experience with Nikon’s new mirrorless camera – the Z7 and it is a game changer!  I was given a preproduction model to test and shoot campaign images for Nikon Canada and I put the camera through its paces capturing everything from fashion to landscapes, commercial, sports and wildlife. 
The camera itself feels unmistakably Nikon, and I instantly felt at home with it.  There are a few new buttons and placements, but I soon learned to love the improvements.  I honestly didn’t think I was going to love the electronic viewfinder, because I have tried others in the past and not been satisfied.  However this was different, this electronic viewfinder is the brightest and clearest that I have ever used and after a short adjustment period coming from an optical viewfinder world it just felt that I was actually looking through a DSLR.  The electronic viewfinder gives you immediate feedback and you get to see your exposure, white balance settings and any heads-up info you want displayed before you even take the image… it’s really amazing and a feature I now love.  It changes the way you photograph but seems to speed up and enhance the process and allow you to feel even more connected to the camera.  With the FTZ adapter I was able to use all of my existing Nikon lenses, and I also had the opportunity to use the new 35mm 1.8 S lens and was absolutely blown away by the image quality.  Perfect sharpness at 1.8 and the nicest bokeh I have ever seen on a Nikon lens.  The new larger Z mount is going to mean more beautiful, higher quality glass than ever.
The most surprising thing that I found using the camera was the Vibration Reduction on the sensor.  It gives you up to 5-stops of VR, even on non-VR lenses and it really works well!  I was able to shoot landscapes at 1/15sec hand-held that were perfectly sharp at full resolution.  I could even capture 4K video with my 300mm PF, 1.4x tele and FTZ adapter hand-held of a bird floating in the water and it looked like I had the camera on a gimbal.  For video, there are so many wonderful new features, like 10-bit recording, focus peaking at all resolutions, and a whole lot more.
As far as quality goes, it is basically the same quality as a Nikon D850 in a 25% smaller and lighter unit.  The images that I captured with the Z7, even preproduction were some of the highest quality images that I have ever shot.  What I was able to get in only 2 weeks is a real testament to how good this camera really is.  I feel like everything I shot… I nailed it… and that is always a really great feeling for any photographer.
Nikon took the time to design this camera from the ground up, and it shows, it is really remarkable and definitely worth taking a look!  I can’t wait to get mine!!!
I am posting the Nikon Z7 images I shot for the next month on my instagram: @kristianbogner    Check them out, comment and I am happy to answer questions about the camera on my instagram as well. 

Wow.  Back from the Launch of the Nikon Z7 Mirrorless Camera in New York last week to being on NikonTV in Toronto with Michelle Vallberg and Mark Cruz this week.  

The NYC  launch was an epic and inspirational event and I wanted to share a few images and remarks on how exciting this all is for me!!!!  From camera training at the Mets Stadium to the launch and Z7 testing to shooting with some of Nikon’s best ambassadors on a rooftop where I took this alien at the bar shot during Joe Mcnally’s awesome photoshoot.

Having the opportunity to geek-out and connect with my fellow Nikon ambassadors from across North America was a highlight for me.  Seeing their work really inspired me to kick it up a notch myself.  Joe Mcnallys presentations made us laugh, Jerry Ghionis made us cry (in a good way) Dixie Dixon made us smile, Corey Rich made me want to ride my mountain bike (and get a better drone), while Keith Ladzinski made me want to climb a mountain and Chris Hershman made me want to dance.  I also met and connected with all the other ambassadors and it was a privilege to get to know all of you.  What a heart centered team of talent!

Some of Nikon’s top engineers, executives and marketing team were also there to teach us about the product and show us a glimpse of the future.  

This experience showed me more than ever that Nikon is more than just a company.  It’s a philosophy.  I had he same experience when I went to Nikon in Tokyo Japan a few ears ago after using the prototype D5 as I had in New York  as I do with all my friends at Nikon Canada on a regular basis.  It’s like a family of like-minded creative individuals who are truly passionate about photography and taking excellence to the next level, in image quality and the gear to achieve it. 

That said I have never been more proud to be a Nikon Ambassador and I am thrilled with the direction Nikon is going with the Z7, Z mount and new lenses.   I also feel privileged to have been one of the preproduction camera testers and content creators for Nikon Canada.  Nikon gave its engineers a blank slate to create the best mirrorless camera... and I am confident they did.  Mirrorless Reinvented.  I will be able to shoot better stills and video than ever before in a lighter smaller camera system.  As a photographer to the core, that is as exciting as it gets!  Thx Nikon - you rock!!!

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text]Capturing 8K Timelapses with the Nikon D850 gave me amazing results, allowing me tons of detail to zoom into in my edit.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text]Timelapses can be created on the Nikon D850 right in camera like this one.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

I love shooting with the interval timer at full 8K.  That enables me to be able to use any of the images at full res and build 8K timelapses.  I use LRTIMELAPSE to create all my timelapes... it is simply the best.. by far!

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text="Heart of the Arctic 2017
"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

July 18, 2017 - July 30, 2017

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]This journey encompasses the beating heart of the Arctic from the capital of Nunavut, south into Quebec’s Nunavik region and, finally, to the coast of Greenland across the Davis Strait. We’ll travel just after the summer solstice, when the midnight sun will be near its zenith. There are also chances of seeing wildlife, including polar bears, walrus, and musk ox. This expedition is far and away our most community- and art-focused Arctic itinerary; throughout, we will meet highly reputed creators and their creations. Kinngait (Cape Dorset) is widely hailed as the Inuit art capital and is home to some of the most celebrated stone carvers in the Arctic.

Crossing into Greenland, we are often treated to humpback whales as we approach the capital city of Greenland, Nuuk. Here, we'll have a chance to explore Greenland’s culture on a visit to one of the smallest capital cities the world.
Steeped in a culture all its own, the heart of the Arctic will stay with you long after you return home.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Nikon Ambassador Kristian Bogner exclusively used the Nikon Keymission 360 camera to create this video.  The footage has been creatively edited to demonstrate that you can control the viewer experience in the edit process, from tilt, pan, and roll, to fisheye effect and much more. The Nikon Keymission 360 is part of a an new and exciting way to tell immersive stories while being a part of them.

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]One of my favourite tech advances in recent years is high speed flash sync for my DSLR.  I use it in freezing the action, like this martini glass water splash image where I am syncing to my Broncolor flash at 1/8000sec on my Nikon D5 or where I am using my Nikon SB-5000 or Broncolor Move 1200 to give me some directional light on an athlete or fashion shoot outdoors and overpower the sunlight by adjusting my sync speed.

Radio technology in the flashes and triggers now allow you to shoot wirelessly at long distances, sync at very high speeds and offer many additional creative features.  Most high speed triggers even allow you to control your external flash from the on-camera trigger so that you can work substantially faster in the field.

For me personally, here are a few of my favourite high speed sync products that I use every day:  Nikon’s new SB-5000 flash with WR-A10 remote and either the Nikon D5 camera or D500 camera.  With this setup I can control multiple SB-5000 flashes right from my in-camera menu and sync to my camera at up to 1/8000sec.  It works flawlessly and it has opened up a world of portable possibilities.

The other new product that I am blown away with is Broncolor’s new RFS 2.2 Transceiver.  I just had to pop this on any of my Nikon Camera’s hot shoes and turn it on and it syncs both my Broncolor Move and Scoro S all the way up to 1/8000sec as well.  I can also use both the Broncolor and Nikon high speed syncs simultaneously for lots of creative power.

I will be demonstrating both of these setups at my photographic rockstar courses coming up in Toronto and Canmore.

You can also read more about High Speed Sync in my Photo News Article for Spring 2017.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image="4722" img_size="full" alignment="center"][/vc_column][/vc_row]

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Here is a video that I put together exclusively shot on the Nikon Keymission 360 camera.  I put the camera to the test mountain biking, skiing and more!!  This video demonstrates how you can create immersive content while being in it.

Watch it on an iPhone or Android phone in the Youtube app or in Chrome and you will get the full 360 VR experience.  You can even use google cardboard or vr goggles to get the full 360 effect.

Let me know what you think on social media!

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