I feel very lucky to have attended this event yesterday in Charlotte. I’ve been to a lot of  conferences over the years, but this one was different.   After a little time for networking and light  breakfast, everyone was gathered into one  large room and after some introductions of the volunteer staff and thanks to all  the sponsors, the organizers got right to it.

They asked members of the audience to come to the front and write down topics they thought would be of interest to the group as a whole.  I offered up the benefits of full motion real estate video and wondered if anyone would be interested. 

Other topics were heavily technology oriented such as several offerings on Blogging, Social Media How To’s including Facebook, several on Twitter, LinkedIn, and others.  Meetup.com, Branding Yourself, IDX, Market Data, Measuring ROI with your online/offline dollars.  I know there was more – I’m going from memory.

Anyway, they encouraged everyone from the audience to come up front and place hash marks for the topics they would be interested in discussing. 

The topics with the most audience interest would be placed on the schedule and break out sessions for topics were scheduled.  I felt good about the fact that there was enough interest in full motion real estate video for it to be selected as a discussion topic.  I had a great time leading the discussion and want to thank everyone who came. 

More importantly (for me) were the sessions I attended.  In the morning, I attended a session on Blogging led by two ActiveRain super bloggers, Debe Maxwell and Jeremy Blanton.  To no fault of their own, the room was huge, hot, and loud and there were not enough microphones for audience participation, but they did a great job of educating the group on blogging basics, the importance of blogging, and where to blog. I also attended a later session led by Brett Fritz who took the blogging discussion further including topics such as blogging and SEO.  

But it was the afternoon sessions that really blew me away.  I attended an “201 level” Twitter class and I felt like the dumbest guy in the room.  My head was spinning from all the Tweeting going on around me with Twitter Pros like Nannette Saunders – @BrokerSaunders , Jeremy Blanton – @myrtlebeachblog, Lyell Petersen - @93octane, Nick -@nicku989,   Jeff Turner – @ResPres, Lori Bee – @BeeRealty, and so many others. 

I never really “got Twitter” until attending this discussion.  I still don’t really get it, but at least, my eyes have been opened to what is “social” about twitter.  Use of 3^rd party sites such as www.tweetdeck.com and www.tweetgrid.com/irc make the whole Twitter experience a bit more personal, and enjoyable. 

Next on my schedule was a discussion, “Voice of the Customer”.  It was in this discussion that I developed a true respect for Jeff Turner – @ResPres.  The guy is simply brilliant, and his opinions and insight as to the future of social media and how to use it are far beyond my comprehension.  Also in the group was Wayne Sutton – @waynesutton who is a proven Social Media Guru in his own right. 

All in all, this “un-conference” was a complete success.  My only wish is that I could have attended more sessions.  With 3 sessions going at once, it’s hard to decide which one to go to – but that’s part of the fun!

A very special thanks to Chad Huck – @ChadHuck and all the “Pink Shirts” for all the hard work that must have gone on behind the scenes to get sponsors, and put on such a great event!

Keep an eye on http://rebarcamp.com  for info on future events

Recently, I was doing a full motion video tour for a client and although he wanted my video services, he passed on my photography because he was a (self described) very adept photographer. I didn’t mind, video is my main gig – photography is a secondary offering.

While I was shooting the video, he was following me around, watching every move. Still – no biggie. When I was done with the shoot, I asked him if I could check out his camera. Being a Nikon guy, it’s not everyday I get to put my hands on a nice Canon like his EOS 50D. His lens was no slouch either. A Canon 17-55 f/2.8.

But it was what I saw next that generated my idea for this post.

His lens (which costs something like $1000) did not have any kind of filter on it. Not even a Clear Glass or UV filter. When I asked him why he didn’t have a filter on his lens, he said, “Those things are just gimmicks from the camera manufactures to get you to spend more money”.

I tried to keep my jaw from dropping and just said, “I see” and let it go. You have to remember that this is one of those guys who is right about everything and stating a counter idea to his is just futile.

HERE IS MY POINT – I totally disagree with his philosophy. If you buy a $1000 lens and scratch the lens, you are out $1000! Conversely, if you buy a $1000 lens and put a $40 filter on it and scratch the front of it, you are out ………. $40.00!

Please don’t make the same mistake he did! Filters protect the lens. It’s not a gimmick. Protect your investment – spend the money, you will be glad you did!

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Amazing Video Tours offers photography and full motion video marketing solutions to Realtors, and other individuals with property to sell, lease, or rent. A departure from the old fashion 360 Virtual Tour, Amazing Video
Tours takes online property marketing to the next level.

Well the rumor mill is alive and kickin, even going as far as Photoshopped pictures of a Nikon D400 and articles in magazines from far away countries.

Well, rest easy. If you are a die hard Nikon fan, it’s inevitable. The Nikon D400 is around the corner. History shows us that it’s time for a new DX sensor Dxxx camera. The D300 was released in August, 2007 and Nikon has been running about a 18-24 month time period between like models.

If you were watching this closely then you know that at the beginning of April Nikon told everyone they were having a “big press release”. On April 14, they did release a new model, but it was not the D400, it was the D5000. The D5000 will be a new entry level DSLR featuring 720p HD video recording capabilities.

So the new rumors push the release date of the D400 to August 2009 with delivery ready for the Holiday Season. So what’s it gonna have that the D300 does not?

Well, I have compiled the rumor list from many different sources and the general consensus is the following:

• 14-15 Mega pixel CMOS Sensor (still DX format although rumors differ even on this)
• Faster FPS then the D300 (7 fps and more with the battery grip???)
• Next Gen Expeed Processor?
• Greater ISO range then the D300
• Video Capability

So, what does all this mean? Not much, it’s just rumors.

But here’s my 2 cents. At this point I really don’t see a compelling reason to upgrade if you are a D300 user. But, if you are a Dxx user and want to upgrade, it makes more sense. Personally I think the video capability is a gimmick. You have to remember that (at least in the D90) the camera does not auto focus in video mode. That squelches the idea of the camera doubling as a still and a video camera for everyday practical use. Also remember that the audio capabilities are minimal compared to a hand held video camera meant for video.

Another consideration for you Dxx users looking to upgrade is the fact that the D300 should come down in price when the D400 is released. The D300 is still the king of all DX sensor cameras and will maintain it’s relevance for a long while. (Don’t get mad at me Canon users – I meant king of the Nikon lineup. Your 50D is an awesome camera).

For me, I am sitting tight for a while. I think FX sensors will make their way into less expensive cameras and within 3-5 years even perhaps phase out DX sensors. But who knows, if I could predict the future, I’d just get next Wednesday’s lottery numbers, win it all, and buy an island.

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Amazing Video Tours offers photography and full motion video marketing solutions to Realtors, and other individuals with property to sell, lease, or rent. A departure from the old fashion 360 Virtual Tour, Amazing Video Tours takes online property marketing to the next level.