The digital darkroom offers more control over the imaging process than ever before with the promise of higher quality and quicker, easier results. The price is a steep learning curve and a plethora of creative choices that often leave us scratching our heads wondering where to begin. Mostly, we need to begin, after the image capture, with color correction.

You wouldn’t think changing image capture from film to digital photography would require a new way to think about exposure, but it may, depending on how you use your digital camera. This is because a digital camera sensor behaves quite differently from how film and our human visual system respond to light intensity.

In this year’s most significant camera announcements for professional photographers, Canon and Nikon both have announced a pair of new D-SLRs. The Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III and Nikon D3 are taking their places as the pro models at the top of each company’s respective lines while the Canon EOS 40D and Nikon D300 come onto the scene as potent backups.
 

Nikon's new pro-am D-SLR is lightning quick and adds new features like LiveView and sensor cleaning. An ideal camera for the serious amateur, and a terrific backup for pros using the new D3, there's a lot to be excited about in this mid-range model.