Olympic Gold Medalist Pete Reed MBE (right) in the second-hand department of Grays of Westminster with Gray Levett holding Pete’s two gold medals.

The Olympic champion and dedicated Nikon user, Pete Reed, visits Grays of Westminster – something he has wanted to do for a long time.

London- Double Olympic Gold Medalist (in the Coxless Four – Rowing) from Beijing 2008 and London 2012 and keen Nikon user, Pete Reed, recently visited Grays of Westminster, the award-winning Nikon-only dealer in London.

Grays of Westminster founder, Gray Levett said, “We were very honoured to be able to welcome Pete Reed MBE to Grays of Westminster. He graciously showed all the staff his two gold medals and we told him what an absolute inspiration he was to us all. The triumph of the British athletes at the Olympic Games created a wonderful feeling of unity and pride within the British Isles; it is he and others like him that continue to encourage and inspire us at Grays of Westminster to push our standards of service and professionalism to ever greater heights.”

Pete Reed spent nearly three hours in the shop and left laden down with a number of Nikon gold boxes. In a message to Gray Levett he said:

“You have a wonderful place and a cracking group of people around you and I pride myself on being a good judge of character. It was an honour to have so much of your time and a personal tour all afternoon and it’s great to know that I can come back anytime.”

About Grays of Westminster

Grays of Westminster, the multi-award-winning Nikon-only shop, was founded over a quarter of a century ago by Gray Levett with the idea of creating a world-class camera store, offering a service that was second to none. It is superbly located in a quiet area of central London, a few minutes walk from Victoria Railway Station; the Houses of Parliament, Buckingham Palace, the Tate Britain, River Thames and Knightsbridge are all within easy reach. Grays of Westminster is not simply a famous Nikon camera shop; it is, to many photographers around the world, an institution. It can trace back its beginnings from a modest mail order company to its present, highly-respected position in the photographic industry.

For more information, please contact:

Gray Levett
Grays of Westminster
40 Churton Street
London
SW1V 2LP

+44 (0)20 7828 4925
info@graysofwestminster.co.uk
http://www.graysofwestminster.co.uk

Andrew James, Editor in Chief, Practical Photography, Digital Photo and Photo Answers and Jon Adams, Editor, Digital Photo who co-hosted the awards ceremony

We are delighted to announce that Grays of Westminster was Highly Commended in the Best Specialist Retailer category at the Gear of the Year Awards 2012.

The event took place on 26th September on board the William B while it sailed along the river Thames past the London Eye and the Houses of Parliament. We would like to thank all who voted  for us.

We are also very pleased to announce that the Nikon D3200 won a Gear of the Year 2012 Award for Best Enthusiast D-SLR

Jeremy Gilbert (left), Group Marketing Manager of Nikon UK accepts Best Enthusiast D-SLR award for the Nikon D3200 from Iain (Reg) Grundy, Commercial Director, Bauer Leisure 

Voting for the 2012 Pixel Trade Awards is now OPEN!
(Retailer Categories: Monday 3rd September – Sunday 9th September)

Please vote for Grays of Westminster
in the “Independent Retailer of the Year” category

Rules are simple:

• one vote per person, per category.
• No voting for yourself/or the company you work for.

http://pixeltradeawards.co.uk/vote/

Award Ceremony will be held at Mercedes-Benz World on the evening of the 12th October in the Brooklands Hall.

Tickets are priced at £95 per head and include Champagne Reception, Three Courses, Petit fours & Coffee, Wine, Water and all entertainment.

Please call 0870 777 9778 for more info and to book your space.

Accommodation also available at the Brooklands Hotel (next door) at a rate of £155 for a double/twin room – inc breakfast.

Please vote for Grays of Westminster
in the “Best Specialist Retailer” category

Bauer’s market-leading photography titles Digital Photo and Practical Photography are once again staging their prestigious Gear of the Year Awards.

The Awards recognise the great and the good of the industry – handing out prizes and accolades to the best and most innovative products and services.

Everyone who votes will be entered into a free prize draw, in which they have the latest Adobe Photoshop software up for grabs! Vote today for your chance to win one of the following:

• 1st Prize: One of two copies of Adobe Photoshop CS6 (worth £667)
• 2nd Prize: One copy of Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 4 (worth £104)
• 3rd Prize: One copy of Adobe Photoshop Elements 10 (worth £79)

Public voting for the retailer categories is now open at http://www.gearoftheyear.co.uk/readervote.html – voting closes on 12th September.

If you are happy with the service that you have received from Grays of Westminster, then would you kindly vote for us in the “Best Specialist Retailer” category. Thank you very much.

If you haven’t got yours yet, now is the perfect opportunity, and although high demand for the Nikon D800, D800E and D4 continues to increase, we are pleased to inform you that we currently have limited stock of each of these cameras.

It is also the perfect time to buy as Nikon have a great CASHBACK scheme in place. Claim up to £180 cashback on NIKKOR FX lenses when purchasing a new Nikon D4, D800 or D800E body until 30th September 2012 (inclusive).

The lenses listed below are applicable to the promotion. Up to two lenses can be claimed against each camera body purchased, with a maximum of one of each lens:

The maximum total cashback value available to applicants is £180

All prices include VAT @ 20%.

Please telephone us on 020 7828 4925 for the further details.

A WORD ON MAIL ORDER DURING THE LONDON OLYMPICS 2012

Please bear in mind if you are think of ordering by mail that due to the Olympics our Royal Mail collections are taking place earlier in the day, which means the cut-off time for your order is 2.00 p.m. for next working day delivery.

PROBABLY THE WIDEST RANGE OF SECOND-HAND NIKON IN THE WORLD

Our second-hand department is overflowing with a huge range of Nikon equipment from state-of-the-art digital SLRs and AF Nikkor lenses to superb manual focus Nikon lenses and 35mm film SLRs. You might also be interested to know that our renowned vintage department continues to offer a cornucopia of Nikon rarities. You can see exactly what I mean by clicking here: graysofwestminster.co.uk/products/secondhand.php

We look forward to being of service to you.

Gray Levett FIoD
Founder

Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 12 July 2012 Nikon today announced the development of a ground-breaking super-telephoto, fixed focal length lens to add to its line-up of full frame (FX) NIKKOR lenses. The 800mm, AF-S lens, with a bright aperture of f/5.6 and VR (Vibration Reduction) system, will be fully compatible with the auto focus system of all Nikon FX-format cameras.

The new lens has been developed to further strengthen the NIKKOR line-up of super-telephoto lenses. It will boast the longest focal length of any NIKKOR autofocus lens, and has been designed with field sports, news and wildlife photographers in mind. In addition to its superior optical performance, the lens will offer dust and water resistance.

“We are very excited to showcase a ground-breaking new milestone in NIKKOR development at this summer’s major sporting events” said Robert Cristina, Manager, Nikon Professional Services, Europe.

“It reflects our on-going philosophy to turn ‘feedback into fact’ for the world’s leading news, sports and wildlife photographers,” he added.

A prototype of the new lens will be premiered to professional photographers at the Open Golf Championship at Royal Lytham & St. Annes Golf Club in Lancashire, England, between July 19th and 22nd 2012. Nikon has been an official sponsor of The Open Championship since 1993. The lens will also be on show to the general public visiting Photokina 2012, the world’s largest photo and imaging exhibition, in Cologne, Germany, from September 18th to 23rd.

Earlier this month, Nikon announced that total production of NIKKOR lenses for interchangeable lens cameras had reached seventy million and that the total production of AF-S lenses equipped with the Silent Wave Motor (SWM), the autofocus motor developed by Nikon, had reached 30 million. This year, Nikon released three professional FX-format D-SLR cameras: the flagship Nikon D4, the Nikon D800 and Nikon D800E, which offer incredible resolution and image quality.

An on-sale date, suggested retail price and further specifications will be announced by Nikon Corporation at a later date.

Nikon Professional Services

Nikon has been providing service and support to professional photographers for roughly fifty years through the activities of its Nikon Professional Services (NPS). In addition to providing maintenance and repairs for the equipment professional photographers use every day, NPS service depots are set up at a variety of international sporting and cultural events. At these service depots, photographers can have their kit inspected and repaired, and they can also borrow equipment.

Nikon D4, D800 & D800E Are You Ready For Yours?

Goods News! We have now completed allocations to all our back orders for the D4, D800 and D800E DSLR cameras and have a limited number of each model available for sale on a first come, first served basis. Please telephone 020 7828 4925 to place your order.

We also have stocks of the two new zoom lenses the AF-S NIKKOR 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5G ED VR And the AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR arriving today.

AF-S NIKKOR 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5G ED VR

The AF-S NIKKOR 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5G ED VR is a highly versatile lens with a focal length of 24-85mm, making it ideal for shooting in a wide variety of situations including landscapes, portraits and snapshots. The lens also offers an extensive set of features including vibration reduction (VR II) to provide camera shake compensation equivalent to a shutter speed increase of approximately four steps, the Silent Wave Motor (SWM) for quiet autofocus operation and two focus modes – M/A (autofocus with manual override) and M (manual). Furthermore, despite the fact that it is compact, lightweight and priced affordably, the AF-S NIKKOR 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5G ED VR realizes images that maximizes the characteristics of high-resolution, high image quality FX-format D-SLR cameras, making it a lens that you can use regularly.

AF-S NIKKOR 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5G ED VR Primary Features:

• A standard zoom lens with a zoom ratio of 3.5x, a focal length of 24-85mm and FX-format compatible, allowing you to enjoy shooting a wide variety of situations with just one lens
• Vibration reduction (VR II) offering camera shake compensation equivalent to a shutter-speed increase of approximately four steps
• Silent Wave Motor (SWM) for extremely quiet autofocusing
• Two focus modes, M/A (autofocus with manual override) and M (manual)
• The optical system with ED and aspherical lens elements optimal for D-SLR cameras enables sharp rendering and superior optical performance
• A size and weight that makes it very portable. Cost £519.00 inc. VAT

The world’s first interchangeable zoom lens for D-SLR cameras with the world’s highest 16.7x zoom ratio*: The AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR

The AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR is a high-power zoom lens with a focal length of 18-300 mm and a zoom ratio of 16.7x, allowing a wide variety of shots from wide-angle to super telephoto with just one lens. The AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR joins the AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR II and the AF-S NIKKOR 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR to enhance the high-power zoom lens line-up. In addition to achieving a maximum reproduction ratio of 1:3.2x and the f/5.6 maximum aperture at the maximum telephoto position, it also has built-in vibration reduction (VR II), offering camera shake compensation equivalent to a shutter speed increase of approximately four steps to effectively reduce camera shake for easy telephoto shooting. By incorporating ED and aspherical lens elements, the AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR offers superior optical performance through an optical system optimized for D-SLR cameras.

AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR Primary Features:

• A high-power zoom lens with a focal length of 18-300 mm (angle of view equivalent to that of 27-450mm lens in 35-mm [135] format) and the world’s highest 16.7x zoom ratio.
• Maximum reproduction ratio: 1:3.2x
• Vibration reduction (VR II) offering camera shake compensation equivalent to a shutter speed increase of approximately four steps
• Achieves the f/5.6 maximum aperture at the maximum telephoto position
• Equipped with a Silent Wave Motor (SWM) for extremely quiet autofocusing
• Equipped with two focus modes, M/A and M
• The optical system with ED and aspherical lens elements optimal for D-SLR cameras enables sharp rendering and superior optical performance. Cost £849.00 inc. VAT.

*Among interchangeable lenses for D-SLR cameras (As of June 14, 2012).

The new Grays of Westminster Gazette issue 66 is now available to download here: http://bit.ly/MzIZXJ

It features two preview articles by the respected photographer, author and technical editor of Nikon Owner magazine, Simon Stafford: Peak Pace Performer on the Nikon D4 and Resolution Revelation: Nikon D800 and a whole lots more.

Finally if you have not seen it yet you might like to watch our interview with world-renowned National Geographic legend Jim Brandeburg on his experiences testing the D800 last year on YouTube: http://bit.ly/NAU9YN

If your taste is for second-hand Nikon, I think we can say we have what is probably the widest range of second-hand Nikon in the world. If you would like to visit you do not even need Aladdin’s slippers to Open Sesame!

Nikon D3200 Chapter 1 Ease of use – I AM EASY FOR EVERYONE

The D3200 is perfect for those looking to capture quality photos and videos. Whether you are starting a family or about to embark on a big trip, the D3200’s easy to understand functions mean you can take beautiful pictures even if you have never used a D-SLR camera before.

Nikon D3200 Chapter 2 Image quality – I AM THE BEAUTY IN THE DETAIL

The D3200’s incredibly high 24.2 megapixels delivers rich detail, meaning you can crop or print large images, keeping memories alive without a loss of sharpness. Nikon’s latest image processor, the fast and powerful EXPEED 3, provides high-speed operation, producing remarkably clear images with excellent colour reproduction; and enhanced movie recording. ISO 100-6400 (extendable to 12800 equivalent) helps you take sharp images, even in low light.

Nikon D3200 Chapter 3 Cinematic Movie Quality – I AM A FULL HD MOVIE STAR

Record your own stunning full HD (1080p) movies to play back on your high definition TV using the D3200’s easy-access movie record button. The camera’s large sensor and high ISO offer exceptional image quality. There is a high quality microphone built in to the camera, but if you want to take a further step in sound recording, you can utilise the optional external microphone input. You can easily edit your movies on the camera by selecting the start and end point as well as saving selected frames so that you never miss a moment. When coupled with a wide variety of NIKKOR lenses, you can create fantastic cinematic effects to bring your home HD movies to life.

Nikon D3200 Chapter 4 Expandability – I AM MORE TO EXPLORE

Wirelessly transmitting images from your camera to an Android smart device is now possible by using the optional WU-1a Wireless Mobile Adapter. This means it is easy to share them with your friends and family instantly via social networks and e-mail or save and back them up when you are on the move.