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Digital SLR ISSUE 81

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OUTDOOR PORTRAITS MADE EASY

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CAMERA SKILLS TOP TECHNIQUES STEP-BY-STEP ADVICE

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“I need help choosing a superzoom lens” READER’S BUYING HEADACHE CURED DSLR81-001 (COVER).indd 1

PHOTO HOTSPOTS Perfect places to take your camera this summer

■ PHOTO PROJECTS TO SHOOT TODAY ■ YOUR EXPOSURE PROBLEMS SOLVED 24/5/13 12:00:34

he Digital SLR staff love photography too and, when we’re not putting the magazine together, we’re out with our cameras. Here’s what the team got up to this month...

“This month I was lucky enough to shoot a live music event. The gig was for a band called Alt-J and, like most concerts, I only had the first three songs to get some nice images. One of my favourite shots from the night was this frame of the guitarist singing into the mic. The mix of purple lighting and the spotlight shining from behind helps bring the image to life. As you’d expect, light levels were low, so I had to bump the ISO up over 1000.” – Matty, Editor

Welcome

The world of photography is changing at lightning fast pace. The way we take and share our images is also changing, so it’s only right that magazines keep up to speed too. You’ll notice a few changes in the magazine this month that are designed to, quite simply, give you more for your money. We’re still sticking to providing jargon-free tips and advice that’s perfect for beginners, but we’ve introduced a raft of new features, such as our Reader Rescue guide that sees a member of the DSLR team solve a kit conundrum for one of our readers. We’re the perfect mag for photo newcomers and our Back To Basics feature will walk you through everything you need to know to take brilliant daytime portraits. However, if you’re looking to push your photo skills even further, then our Next Steps feature will arm you with advanced knowledge – this month we’ve got pro tips on shooting butterflies. And, to really ensure you get bang for your buck, this issue sees the launch of Digital SLR Plus (see below), a whole load of free extra content that you can access via our website. Photography is changing, but with Digital SLR, you won’t be left behind.

Matty Graham, Editor mattygraham@bright-publishing.com

Digital SLR

“This image was for Day 105 of my 365 project that is occupying my time. I set up the kitchen tap dripping into a bowl and used the pop-up flash to freeze the splash. It took a fair number of shots to get the timing right though!” – Ian, Technical writer

“I don’t leave home without a camera these days, which means I’m always ready to make the most of photo opportunities that come my way. This was taken last weekend at Rutland Water. It was taken using a Fujifilm XS-1.” – Roger, Editorial director

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Digital SLR

Contents

Issue 81

Your new-look issue comes packed to the staples with great photo advice. This month you will ﬁnd…

6 44 photo

39 Great photo ideas

hotspots – can you visit them all?

80 Reader rescued! PHOTO TECHNIQUE 6

44 photo hotspots COVER

Looking for a great photo location near you? We’ve got a gadget bagful of the UK’s finest spots to feast your lenses on. Plus find out how you can join us for a 24-hour shoot in London.

20 Back to Basics: Daylight portraits COVER

Now’s the time to get outside and take great portraits. We show you how.

39 Photo Ideas COVER

Packed with projects and picture-taking ideas, this new feature will have you out and about with your camera in no time.

64 10-Minute Masterclass COVER Never take another badly exposed photo! Follow our advice to the letter and you will reach exposure Eden.

68 Have a butterfly ball COVER

On a wing and a prayer with your butterfly images? Follow our advice and your shots will soon be fully fledged!

READERS’ SHOTS 30 Feedback

Improve your picture-taking skills by following the feedback from our panel of photo experts.

54 Reader Hero

Digital SLR reader Owen Franssen enjoys a dirty weekend as this superb portfolio of images shows…

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60 Photoblogs

Been on a photo day out or shot a set of themed images? Send them in – these readers did just that.

EQUIPMENT 74 Ask Ian

Technical writer Ian Fyfe is here to answer your equipment and technique questions. You can put his PhD brain to the test, just like these readers.

80 Reader Rescue COVER

We dispatch our photo buying emergency service to help a Cambridgebased photographer choose the right superzoom lens for travel.

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86 Budget tripod test COVER

Every photographer needs a tripod, but we don’t all have hundreds of pounds to spend. We test six walletfriendly models and pick our best buys.

COMPETITIONS & REGULARS

37 Win a Parisian photo adventure Send us your best travel image and we could give you a trip to Paris in return.

52 Subscribe

79 Next issue

Special issue alert!

98 Wordsearch

DIGITAL EDITION ✓ Access the digital edition on your iPad or iPhone ✓ Head to the App Store, search for Digital SLR magazine and choose your subscription deal ✓ Buy the new issue, a back issue, or sign up for a subscription – it’s up to you!

ANYTIME ANYWHERE

Find words, win software. Easy. ISSUE 81 DIGITAL SLR 5

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Master your

camera 44 LOCATIONS

44LOCATIONS

you have to shoot this summer You may think you know the best views Britain has to offer, but we reckon there are still some locations that are well-kept secrets... until now, that is. Join us as we unveil 44 locations you have to visit with the camera...

Digital SLR Plus This features has extended content in our free digital magazine. Download it at www.dslruser.co.uk/ dslrplus

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44 LOCATIONS s the saying goes; have camera, will travel – but if you’re going to make the effort to jump in the car and travel some miles to take a picture, then you need the location to be worth the petrol money. We all our have favourite photo locations, but after a while, the chances are you’ll grow tired of the scene and want to find somewhere new to line up in front of your lens. To this end, we’ve put together a guide of what we believe are 44 must-shoot locations. Some are tried and tested locations that often get brought up in conversation between photographers, but others are well-kept secrets that need that extra slice of effort put in to reach and photograph well.

NORTH EAST

EMBLETON BAY – NORTHUMBERLAND Head to Dunstanburgh Golf Course and there is limited parking situated next to the beach on Sea Lane. The best time to shoot Embleton Bay is dawn, so you shouldn’t have too much trouble getting a space. Try to pick a day when the tide is out as more of the rock boulders will be visible; arrive at high tide and you only have around two metres of shoreline to get in the frame. Also, avoid visiting when it is windy – the surf whips up sea foam which isn’t very attractive.

HOLY ISLAND, NORTHUMBERLAND The island is tidal, so can only be accessed at certain times – check access by visiting www.northumberlandlife.org/holyisland. A shuttle service will drop you at the entrance to Lindisfarne Castle and from there, the best views are on the shoreline, just over the fence to the right. If you’re limited on the dates you can visit and the tides aren’t playing ball, you could always stay overnight at one of the B&Bs on the small island.

TYNE BRIDGE, NEWCASTLE A short walk from the rail station, the Tyne Bridge is one of the most iconic in the country. Walk further down the Quayside and you can also capture the Millennium Bridge and the new-age Sage Building in one frame.

WHITBY, NORTH YORKSHIRE Home to a huge variety of photo opportunities and a great place to take the family, too. Shoot street scenes during the day and climb the steps to the church in the evening to shoot stunning sunsets.

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44 LOCATIONS TOP TIP

ALWAYS KEEP A MICROFIBRE CLOTH IN YOUR BAG IN CASE IT RAINS ON LOCATION

NORTH WEST & SCOTLAND ASHNESS BRIDGE, CUMBRIA Found on the easterly shore of Derwent Water, Ashness Bridge is a popular location in the Lake District. The closest accommodation is a nearby youth hostel about 200 metres away and there is a small car park actually at the bridge. Take your camera a little way back from the bridge and shoot towards the water. It does get busy over the summer, so the best plan is to get there for sunset when fewer people will be around. Remember to pack a graduated filter to balance the bright sky with the darker foreground and ensure you get detail in both.

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BUACHAILLE ETIVE MOR, SCOTLAND The high peak of Buachaille Etive Mor will appear on your left as you travel towards Glencoe on the A82. Your best bet is to stop at the famous Kings House Hotel (www. kingy.com) for a bite to eat and then to walk towards the mountain from there. Within 100 metres, you’ll come across the small waterfall that provides the classic scene we’ve shown (above right). Conditions in the area will be hazardous under snowfall, so this is a location to visit in warmer months. You could use a grad filter to slow the small waterfall – just make sure you pack a tripod, too!

THE STORR, ISLE OF SKYE There are so many locations to shoot on the Isle of Skye, but probably the most famous is the Old Man of Storr – a set of rock formations on the Trotternish peninsula and accessed via the A855, just north of Loch Leathan. There’s a fair bit of walking to be done to capture a shot of the rocks from above so pack boots. For sharper images, try focusing two-thirds of the way into the scene and using a small aperture, such as f/16 or f/18. The area doesn’t suffer from light pollution, so would be a great location to try a spot of star trail photography.

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44 LOCATIONS

SALFORD QUAYS, MANCHESTER Found just off the A57, and a 20-minute walk from Manchester’s Victoria railway station, the newly redeveloped Salford Quays is fast becoming a must-visit photo location. Old brick buildings sit next to new glass designs and, thanks to the amount of artificial light, the location is an excellent choice for a slice of night photography. When shooting at night, keep the ISO low (100 or 200) to avoid digital noise, which will spoil your shots. Increase the aperture beyond f/11 and you’ll see the light sources start to get a star effect, which will reflect off the dock waters.

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“OLD BRICK BUILDINGS SIT NEXT TO NEW GLASS DESIGNS – EXCELLENT FOR NIGHT IMAGES” ISSUE 81 DIGITAL SLR 9

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Back to Basics Digital SLR Plus This feature has extended content in our free digital magazine. Download it at www.dslruser.co.uk/ dslrplus

NEW FEATURE

Daylight portraits In the ﬁrst of a new series covering the basic techniques needed to shoot a range of subjects, we head outdoors to show you how to get great portraits – perfect for photographing friends and family aking great portraits makes everyone happy. The subject or model gets a fantastic photo to upload to Facebook, put in the family album or add to a portfolio, while the photographer is given a boost, knowing that he or she has practised good technique. And, in the end, the technique is what makes the difference with portrait pictures.

So, how can you improve and broaden your photography skills and be able to bag fresh and varied portraits? Well, you’ve come to the right place, as this feature will explain everything you need to know – not only to bag basic portraits, but we’ll also lift the lid on some more advanced skills and show you how to incorporate kit and accessories to take even better people pictures.

Shooting daylight portraits doesn’t have to be hard work, but you’ll get the best images if you communicate well with your model. Always show your subject the shots you are taking and encourage them to offer ideas too.

“LOOKING TO IMPROVE AND BROADEN YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY SKILLS? YOU’VE COME TO THE RIGHT PLACE” 20 DIGITAL SLR ISSUE 81

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TECHNIQUE

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PHOTO IDEAS PICK A COLOUR Look down at your feet and you’ll see that the grass and reeds are alive with picture potential. From ladybirds to dragonflies to the humble bumblebee – they can all make excellent images. We’ve got a big feature on this topic on page 36, but for a shot with a difference, why not make a feature out of the ladybird’s classic red colour by using selective colour? Selective colour (or colour popping, as it’s also known) involves removing all the colour from the frame, except from your subject – in our case the ladybird. Some cameras have a selective colour feature, but if yours doesn’t, you can do the conversion on the computer.

LEARN MORE

GET MORE BUG PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS AND ADVICE ON PAGE 68

LOOK TO THE SKIES If you have a telezoom or an allin-one lens that lets you get close to the action, here’s an idea with wings. Head down to a harbour as the sun gets lower in the sky and zoom in on the swooping gulls. You’re better off using AI Servo (continuous) focus mode and also changing to your camera’s burst mode so you can snap a few shots at a time as each bird passes. If you are lucky, you’ll catch some nice light on the underside of the gull’s wing. Not by the sea? This technique works just as well on birds inland.

Hunt for footprints At the beach, or going for a walk in the country? Take a look down at all the footprints, some of them may not even be human. Try zooming in for a paw-fect doggy footprint. If there’s bright light, the sand/soil may flummox the metering system, so add a stop or two of exposure compensation by using the +/- button.

Go slow at the fairground Summer months see the arrival of the fairground. Arrive at dusk, place your camera on a tripod and use shutter-priority, selecting a slow shutter speed of one or two seconds. Trigger the camera with the self-timer and experiment with the shutter speed to capture colourful trails as the ride moves around. 40 DIGITAL SLR ISSUE 81

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“TAKE A LOOK DOWN AT ALL THE FOOTPRINTS - SOME OF THEM MIGHT NOT BE HUMAN" Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/DSLRMag

23/5/13 17:13:14

PHOTO IDEAS

Give your portraits a twist Here’s a fresh twist on a portrait that uses the photographer’s second favourite gadget – the iPad. Now, tablets don’t produce images that can match the quality of those from your camera, but they can help with this neat trick. First, take a picture of your subject, in our case the lovely Hannah, holding the iPad up in front of their face. Next, zoom in and take a regular portrait shot. Here’s the clever part – when you download the photos, use your image-editing program to superimpose the regular portrait onto the iPad using the Edit>Copy/Paste commands.

MAKE A COLLAGE Why take one picture of a subject when you can take four or five? Making a collage is a great way of including lots of small details without disguising your subject. Shoot your subject from multiple angles and then combine them in one image on your computer. We’ve chosen to make a collage of the trusty red phone box, but this technique works on all types of subject - including people!

ESSENTIAL TIPS Producing different portraits time after time can be a tricky ask. One thing you can do to keep your people pictures fresh is to change the white-balance or tone of your image. A cooler or warmer colour cast will make all the difference. 1

Think carefully about the backgrounds you use for your portraits. A good backdrop should be interesting but shouldn't distract from the main subject – your model. Our bricked wall is a good example – nice tone and texture, but it's uniform enough not to distract.

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Shoot a back-lit leaf You don’t have to go far to find this subject – just into your garden. Try and place a leaf between the sun and your camera and you’ll see the light turns the leaf translucent. Zoom in for a better look and try to include some blue sky in the background. You can even use your camera’s picture styles to boost the colour saturation. ISSUE 81 DIGITAL SLR 41

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PROJECT ONE

Be the king of the swingers Improve your action photography skills and bag some creative shots of your kids to boot with a trip to the park. Dan Sherwood shows you how

20 MINUTES

TIME TAKEN

hen you’ve got kids, even an everyday event like an outing to the park can yield a great photo opportunity. Climbing frames, roundabouts and slides are all perfect props to use to get a snap of your little one having fun. However, just like any other photographic situation, when it comes to getting that wallworthy shot, using good technique can make all the difference.

For me, swings deliver the best shots. To give yourself a chance of keeping up with your swinging offspring, you’ll need to take control of your camera’s autofocusing system. It is also worth thinking carefully about composition. Remembering to factor in where the child and swing will be at the moment you release the shutter, and getting both your camera settings and your timing spot on will help you bag yourself a memory card full of keepers.

CHOOSE YOUR LOCATION Kids can get self-conscious when asked to pose for your camera, so taking them to the park, where they can play and have fun while you snap away, can make all the difference. Of course, if you’ve got a swing in your garden this will work too. Either way, try and find an angle where the background is relatively uncluttered and clean.

SET APERTURE-PRIORITY By selecting aperture-priority mode (A or Av) and setting a wide aperture of f/4, you can reduce the depth-of-field (what is and isn’t sharp in an image) and blur the background, placing greater emphasis on the subject. The camera will then select a suitable shutter speed to ensure an accurate exposure, leaving you free to nail that perfect shot.

SELECT CONTINUOUS AUTOFOCUSING Moving subjects need to be tracked to ensure they stay in focus so you’ll need to use your camera’s continuous autofocus mode. On the Canon DSLR we’re using, this is called AI Servo. Terminology will vary from brand to brand, but all these modes do the same thing – they keep up with the subject by constantly focusing and refocusing.

TAKE A TEST SHOT Taking a test shot and evaluating the result is always a good idea with a moving subject. Check exposure, composition and focusing on the image on the rear of the camera. If your shots are blurred, increase your camera’s ISO, which will allow your DSLR to select a higher shutter speed to help freeze the action.

VARY YOUR COMPOSITIONS Shoot from different angles and with different focal lengths to see which compositions work best. Shooting from low down with a wide-angle lens can look dramatic, whereas taking a step back and shooting with a longer lens throws the background out of focus to emphasise your swinging subject.

CHOOSE CONTINUOUS SHOOTING With any moving subject, you’ll need to take plenty of shots to ensure you get a few keepers. To give yourself the best chance of bagging the best expression, switch to Continuous Drive mode (burst mode) which, when the shutter is held down, will fire off a sequence of shots in quick succession, providing you with a selection of shots to choose from.

REMEMBER!

WHEN TAKING PICTURES AT A PUBLIC PLAYGROUND, BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE OTHER PEOPLE’S CHILDREN IN YOUR SHOTS UNLESS YOU HAVE THE CHILD’S PARENT’S EXPRESS PERMISSION TO DO SO. 42 DIGITAL SLR ISSUE 81

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PHOTO IDEAS FINAL IMAGE

DID YOU KNOW?

BURST MODE TAKES SEVERAL SHOTS WITH ONE SHUTTER PRESS

THIS TECHNIQUE IS ALSO GREAT FOR

SPORTS

PETS Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/DSLRMag

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Digital SLR Plus This features has extended content in our free digital magazine. Download it at www.dslruser.co.uk/ dslrplus

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READERS R EADERS

With a keen interest in mountain biking, it’s no surprise Digital SLR reader Owen Franssen regularly dodges mud, rain and flying tyres to capture dynamic, fast-paced images s he confesses, taking photos for Owen Franssen frequently means one thing: lying in the mud. The 35-year-old web developer from Ireland’s County Kerry has managed to fuse his newly honed photography skills with his other passion in life – extreme sports. So where did this crazy journey begin for Owen? “It wasn’t until about three years ago that I bought my first camera. I’d spent ages, years even, deciding if I really wanted to buy one or not. When a couple of friends made the jump into digital, that pushed me over the edge and made me make the purchase. My first camera was a Fujifilm bridge model, which was ok for the odd photo, but after a few months I upgraded to my first DSLR – a Nikon D60 that I got second-hand. That was around three years ago.” Owen’s latest DSLR is a Nikon D7000, which he pairs with a Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 lens. “I never thought I’d get much use out of a DSLR, and that’s why I put off buying one for so long – I used to walk past a camera shop window, check the prices and then walk on. However, once I took the plunge I was amazed with the creativity I could get with the camera,” he admits.

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The learning then began in earnest and Owen used a number of sources to teach himself the basics of photography. “I read anything I could get my hands on: books, magazines, but also a lot of online blogs. Two particular photographers were big influences on me – David Hobby, who runs Strobist.com and the National Geographic photographer, Joe McNally.” Both pros blog virtually every day on how to light creatively with flashguns, something Owen has learnt to do himself proficiently. While some photographers take their time choosing a photographic genre – be it portraits, wildlife or landscapes, for example – it was a natural move for Owen to turn the camera on his other passion – extreme sports. “Mountain biking is a big hobby of mine, along with motorsports like drifting, so it just made sense to start taking the camera along and combine the two. It isn’t all action. Sometimes I set up portraits of the riders or my friends to do some flash-heavy portraits.” Recently Owen got to try his hand at some strobe action photography at the Irish Downhill Mountain Biking Championships. “The event took place pretty close to where I live so I thought I’d get as many shots as I could, including the practise day as well as the main event. I didn’t need any

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READERS’ SHOTS

accreditation and was able to get anywhere I liked on the track, which meant I could find some great compositions. “This sort of photography does bring a lot of challenges. The main issue is making sure you don’t encroach on to the trail and get hit by a bike – that could really ruin your camera. Some of the trail was flat and dull, while other bits were inaccessible with a camera, so the trick was to find a good patch that would look interesting and also give me space to work with my gear. One other important factor to consider was where to place the flashguns I was using. Obviously, the riders are competing so you can’t blind them by firing a strobe straight into their eyes, so I positioned my flashguns with consideration on stands where they wouldn’t distract the bikers.” Flash isn’t a simple tool to use and Owen gets very technical with his lights. “The type of flashguns I use [Yongnuo] only work on manual, so I have to fine-tune the output, turning it up and down as I go. I also use manual mode with my camera as I find this gives much more control over the exposure. I then experiment with the shutter speed and aperture until I get the results I like – it can take quite a few test shots to get right,” admits Owen, who has crafted a signature style thanks to his flashgun skills. “I’m going for that hard, gritty look that off-camera flash can bring. It works even better when I use two or more flashguns. Of course, taking the shot is only half the job, as with flash photography you often have to adjust the image on the computer. I use Adobe Lightroom and use it to tweak the exposure and contrast. I probably spend around ten minutes on an image to get it right by straightening the image up and also experimenting. One other technical element I have to experiment with is ISO. I shoot in Raw format, as this lets me adjust the exposure with more control than JPEG, but if I’m shooting in a dark forest, then I will often have to push the ISO level up – sometimes up to ISO 800.” Owen is keen to share his images, posting most of them “on Facebook, but I also use Flickr and I’m currently working on my own website, too. It’s nice to get Facebook likes, but I find you get more technical and constructive feedback from the Flickr site.” So, what’s next for our freewheeling reader hero? “Photography is a part-time thing for me, but I’d like to do it more seriously. I’d like to shoot more motorsport and more portraits. I do quite a lot of snowboarding in the winter, so I’d love to take my camera along and get some images,” he laughs. With energy to do all these sports and take pictures too, Owen is one reader who certainly eats his Weetabix!

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TURN THE PAGE

TO SEE DETAILS OF HOW OWEN TOOK THESE AMAZING SHOTS

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23/5/13 17:44:09

Fiddly photo problems fixed in the time it takes to cook a ready meal

MASTERCLASS Deal with dodgy exposures ine times out of ten your camera will get the exposure right. Sophisticated metering systems and clever computer circuitry take care of that. But for the remaining ten per cent of your picture-taking life, you need to be on your guard for those occasions when your camera may need a helping hand. Like most problems in life, the key to dealing with dodgy exposures is first to know why it’s gone awry and then be aware of what you need to do to fix it. We’re dealing with both parts of the equation here and, the good news is, you only need to invest ten minutes of your time to read this feature and get on the road to exposure Eden. Roger Payne

UNDERSTANDING THE BASICS Getting a correct exposure means juggling three settings: shutter speed, aperture and ISO. Depending on which functions you’re using on your camera, you can leave all decisions to the onboard computer, make them all yourself, or settle somewhere in between. The more control you have, the more likely you are to spot and deal with exposure issues, but this means stirring more grey matter in the process. For the time being, it’s worth knowing that you only need to change one setting in this ‘exposure triangle’ to affect the other two.

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The other factor to consider is that all camera metering systems – no matter how sophisticated – see the world as a big lump of grey. That’s because they’re based on the theory that if you take all the tones and colours in a scene and mix them up, they appear light grey in colour. While this may sound odd, in reality it’s largely accurate, but when you’re confronted with a scene that is clearly not light grey (a white wall, for example, or the proverbial black cat in a coal cellar), a meter will assess it as if it were grey and deliver an inaccurate exposure.

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Minute Masterclass M

TECHNIQUE

EXPOSURE TOOLS YOUR CAMERA OFFERS…

Turn awkward exposures into brilliant results with our fast photo fixes.

Today, d even modestly d tl priced i d cameras offer ff an absolute arsenal of features to help you get the right amount of light on to the sensor. This armoury can be divided into two broad sections: metering patterns and exposure overrides.

When calculating an exposure, a camera will employ a metering pattern chosen by you. A range of patterns will be at your disposal, with the default being some kind of multisegment affair. Given different names by different manufacturers, all multi-segment metering systems perform the same task. They divide the scene up into sections, take a reading from each and then pick an accurate exposure. You’ll also find spot metering, where the camera takes a reading purely from the centre of the frame and, occasionally, partial metering, where the reading is again taken from a central point but over a marginally wider area than spot. Centre-weighted metering, meanwhile, biases its exposure calculation on what’s in the centre of the image, but also considers what’s around the edges, typically in a 75/25 split. Knowing when to deploy the right metering system will help you increase your exposure hit rate, but there will be times when metering knowledge alone won’t get you across the line. That’s when it’s time to bring on the exposure overrides.

Exposure compensation is the most versatile override. Denoted by a button with an +/- symbol on your camera, compensation allows you to increase or decrease exposure to deal with difficult lighting situations. Using + compensation will increase exposure and make the shot lighter, using - decreases exposure and makes it darker. Autoexposure bracketing, or AEB, takes exposure compensation one stage further. Dialling in + or - is all well and good if you know that you want the picture to be lighter or darker. But what happens if you’re not sure? You choose AEB, as in this mode, your camera will take multiple shots; one without any compensation applied, one with + compensation and one with compensation. You can then pick the exposure which is closest to how you saw the scene.

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EQUIPMENT

Reader Rescue

DIGITAL SLR READER: OLIVER KORB Canon EOS 400D owner Oliver is frustrated by the lack of zoom range on his 18-55mm kit lens. He wants to upgrade to a superzoom, so he contacted us to help him out. t.

HOW WE DID THE TEST We pulled together five superzoom lenses for Oliver to compare:

Sigma 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 II DC OS Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM Tamron 18-270mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD Sigma 18-250mm f/3.5-6.3 DC Macro OS Tamron 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 AF XR Di II

OUR MA MAN: IAN FYFE, TECHNICAL WRITER Our knight in pastel armour, Ian eats, sleeps and breathes camera equipment so he’s ideally placed to guide Oliver through his options.

Ian and Oliver then took to the streets of Cambridge to put our shortlist to the test. They tackled a variety of subjects from general scenes to close-ups to help Oliver assess each lens’ handling, picture quality and focusing accuracy. The pair then decamped to a local hostelry to ‘assess the results’. Ahem.

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Reader Rescue

EQUIPMENT

E EW R N TU A FE

TESTED: SUPERZOOMS

Reader rescue In the ﬁrst of a new series, we hit the road to help a reader choose a lens for his travels. Need rescuing? See page 85 he Digital SLR emergency service has been launched! Wave goodbye to head-scratching equipment buying decisions and hello to hands-on advice as our dedicated team hits the road ready to ease your kit-selection dilemmas. This month, we were contacted by Oliver Korb, a scientific software engineer from Cambridge, who is looking for a superzoom lens to take on his travels. His current 18-55mm zoom just doesn’t cut it in terms of picture-taking versatility.

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On paper, superzooms sound like wonders of the optical world. They offer a sizeable zoom range from wide-angle through to telephoto, making them a great choice if you want to travel light and cut down on lens changes. But they also represent an optical compromise, coming packed with lens elements that can reduce image quality and slow focusing speeds. Will Oliver find one to suit his photographic needs in far-flung climes? We rounded up a quintet of optical options and set the sat nav for CB1…

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