Amateur Photographer 13th Nov 2021

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Saturday 13 November 2021

TESTED

The most usable and a yet digital medium format camer

Passionate about photography since 1884

Britain’s best landscapes Tips for success from the 2021 winners of Landscape Photographer of the Year

Marsel van Oosten Adding context to your wildlife shots

Joe McNally

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Field notes from one of the world’s top photographers

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media Shooting film Dr Kelly-Ann Bobb on why film photographyKELSEY is worth the cost KELSEYmedia

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M O V E . S H O O T. C R E AT E F O R E X C L U S I V E P R I C I N G P R E - O R D E R O N K I C K S TA R T E R B Y N O V 1 6 T H

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7days COVER PICTURES © JAMES EWER / © JOE MCNALLY

It never ceases to amaze me that despite the fact that we live on quite a small island, the Landscape Photographer of the Year competition continues, after 14 years, to surprise and impress us with astonishingly good images that we don’t feel like we have seen many times before. When you factor in how much of the UK is developed and how much private land is out of bounds to the

This week’s cover image

‘Golden Rocks’ by James Ewer, Highly Commended in the Classic View section of this year’s LPOTY. See our feature on page 12

In this issue

public this achievement is all the more remarkable.

If I wore a hat I would raise it to the many talented landscape photographers of the British Isles. Instead I present our annual selection of favourites from among the winners. Do check out the LPOTY website to see the rest though. Also this week we talk to Joe McNally, who has taken more than a few pretty amazing pictures himself, and we test Fujifilm’s stunning new medium format camera.

It’s a game-changer! Nigel Atherton, Editor

If you’d like to see your words or pictures published in Amateur Photographer, here’s how:

SOMETHING TO SAY? Write to us at ap.ed@kelsey.co.uk with your letters, opinion columns (max 500 words) or article suggestions.

PICTURES Send us a link to your website or gallery, or attach a set of low-res sample images (up to a total of 5MB) to ap.ed@kelsey.co.uk.

JOIN US ONLINE Post your pictures into our Flickr, Facebook, Twitter or Instagram communities. amateurphotographer.co.uk

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This week in 1980

TREASURES FROM THE HULTON ARCHIVE

3 7 days 6 Enter the AP Christmas Cover competition 12 The beauty of Britain 18 Inbox 20 Adding context to subjects 26 The real deal 32 Chemical connections 38 Fujifilm GFX50S II 44 Film stars 48 Accessories 49 Tech talk 53 Buying Guide: Cameras 66 Final analysis

Diana Spencer by Central Press

SUBSCRIBE AND SAVE!

See page 24 for details

3 Contents Nov13 JP NA AW.indd 3

Press interest in the late Diana, Princess of Wales started right from the beginning of her relationship with Prince Charles. Here she is, aged just 19, pictured leaving her flat in Coleherne Court in Earl’s Court. It was taken in November 1980, just a few

months before the couple announced their engagement in February 1981. How the rest of the story played out is of course extremely well-known, with many attributing her death to the role the paparazzi played in their pursuit of her.

The Getty Images Hulton Archive is one of the world’s great cultural resources. Tracing its origins to the founding of the London Stereoscopic Company in 1854, today it houses over 80 million images spanning the birth of photography to the digital age. Explore it at www.gettyimages.com.

02/11/2021 17:00

Our favourite photos posted by readers on our social media channels this week

AP picture of the week The Dark Web

by Martin Donald Smith Canon EOS R5, Sigma 135mm Art f/1.8, 1/2500sec at f/1.8, ISO 640 ‘I was out on a foggy morning in some local woodland and my eye was drawn to a young beech tree and the dew and light of this delicate web,’ says Martin, an amateur landscape and outdoor photographer based near Falkirk, Scotland. ‘I used a tripod to help with framing and deliberately opened up the lens and increased the ISO slightly so that I could use selective focus to direct the viewer’s eye towards the heart of the web and freeze the action, as there was a slight breeze.’ Find Martin on Instagram @martindonaldsmith or Twitter @martindonaldsm1.

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Visit www.permajet.com to learn more.

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www.amateurphotographer.co.uk

01/11/2021 17:08

Golden Valley

by Natalie Wright Panasonic Lumix S5, Panasonic 20-60mm f/3.5-5.6 at 45mm, 1/320sec at f/11, ISO 200 Natalie says, ‘I captured this image at the end of a long hike in the Lake District quite by chance. Tiring towards the Great Gable summit, I had to turn back. I was greeted by the most amazing light bursting through the clouds when I got back to Windy Gap, looking down Ennerdale valley. My camera was handheld and I underexposed the shadows to keep the detail in the clouds.

What made it more challenging was the swarms of flying ants and mosquitoes all around me!’ Find Natalie on Instagram @nataliesphotojournal and Facebook www.facebook.com/NatsPhotographyUK.

Want to see your pictures here? Share them with our Flickr, Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook communities using the hashtag #appicoftheweek. Or email your best shot to us at ap.ed@kelsey.co.uk. See page 3 for how to find us. www.amateurphotographer.co.uk

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01/11/2021 17:08

Be a Christmas

cover star

Would you like to see one of your images in print, on the cover of the world’s number one weekly photography magazine? If so, read on…

THE HOLIDAY season is almost upon us, which means it’s time for Stir-up Sunday, sentimental TV adverts, and the Amateur Photographer Christmas cover contest. Here is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to have your work featured on the front cover of the world’s number one weekly photography magazine over Christmas!

You are free to interpret the theme in any way you choose: naturally we are happy to see shots of baubles, trees and lights, but we also want pictures that show the creative potential of the season in general, so feel free to submit winter landscapes, indoor portraits, frosty flora and fauna etc.

If you think you already

have something on file, great; if not try to shoot something specifically for the competition.

Don’t forget that to succeed as a cover photo, images will need space at the top for the AP masthead, plus plenty of space for the coverlines. (See right for our insider tips for success).

The prize

The overall winner (as judged by the AP team) will see their picture grace the cover of the bumper AP Christmas Special issue (18 December 2021). They will also receive a cash prize of £100, and a one-year subscription to AP. A selection of commended entries will be published inside the magazine.

Don’t crop in too tightly

HOW TO ENTER The competition is open to everyone, whether amateur or professional. There are two ways to enter:

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Leave space for the magazine ‘furniture’ – masthead, coverlines and any graphic devices that we use to describe what’s in the issue. Busy images that have lots of detail are generally unsuitable as they make superimposed text tricky to read.

1 Post them on your Instagram or Twitter feed, and be sure to use the hashtag #apxmascover.

We’ll contact you for the high-res file if your picture is shortlisted.

Shoot portrait-format pictures

2 Email your images to us at ap.ed@kelsey.co.uk. Emailed images should be in the JPEG format and be a minimum of 2,000 pixels wide along the longest side.

Make eye contact

For full terms and conditions, visit amateurphotographer.co.uk.

The closing date for entries is midnight on Friday 26 November 2021 6

Tips for cover success

While it’s not unheard of for us to use a section of a landscape-format image, your chances are improved by shooting in the upright format.

If you’re submitting a portrait, ensure good eye contact, with the subject looking directly into the lens.

Make sure the eyes are pin-sharp.

Provide plenty of options

Try various angles and subject placements, with the main focal point to the left, the right and centre, to give the art editor lots of options for where to put the coverlines. www.amateurphotographer.co.uk

03/11/2021 12:25

Photography and videography can change us.

They change the way we feel.

Our understanding.

They change our hearts and minds.

They change the rules.

Testing the limits of our comfort zones.

Changing the way others see the world.

See themselves.

Together let’s change the way we do things.

Change the narrative.

Change the bigger picture.

Open up opportunity.

Give more people a voice.

Put camera kit in more hands.

Create a more sustainable future.

A future with more people included in it.

Here’s to the stories to come.

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26/10/2021 15:47

OM System 20mm f/1.4 Pro prime lens unveiled Adobe launches free Lightroom Academy

AS WELL as updating Lightroom and Photoshop (see right), Adobe has announced the new Lightroom Academy.

The new service is ‘dedicated to sharing photographic knowledge that informs, inspires and supports photographers with a wide level of experience, equipment, time and resources’, says Adobe, and it’s free to use, with no sign-up or Creative Cloud membership required. As well as sharing best practice and useful tips, each module sets some simple homework, aka ‘On Your Own Activity,’ with details of the gear needed and the time it should take. For the range of currently available modules, see lightroom.adobe.com/academy.

OM DIGITAL Solutions has announced that it will no longer be using the Olympus name on its cameras and lenses, and revealed the first product under its new OM System brand. The M.Zuiko Digital ED 20mm F1.4 Pro is a large-aperture standard prime that should be suitable for shooting a wide range of subjects, while promising premium optics and build quality.

Of the 11 elements used in its optical design, no fewer than eight are either constructed from special glass or use aspherical profiles, in order to minimise optical aberrations. It’s dust-, splash- and freeze-proof to the IPX1 standard, thanks to an

Stereo ga-ga QUEEN guitarist and stereo photography obsessive Brian May is launching a book called Stereoscopy: The Dawn of 3-D, featuring a selection of photos depicting Victorian life. Some come from Brian’s archive (one of the largest collections in the world) and include a previously unpublished stereo image of Charles Dickens. The book is written by Denis Pellerin, with Brian editing and publishing it through his London Stereoscopic Company. ‘It’s actually the most important book we have ever produced because it chronicles the birth and first steps of what we now call 3-D,’ said Brian. It’s available from 10 November for £60 from shop.londonstereo.com.

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array of seals arranged around the barrel. A fluorine coating on the front element repels water and fingerprints.

In terms of design, the 20mm F1.4 is simplified compared to its more expensive f/1.2 Pro siblings, lacking either an L-Fn button on the barrel or a push-pull manual focus clutch.

This helps it to remain compact and lightweight at 247g and 61.7mm in length, while accepting 58mm filters.

The OM System 20mm F1.4 Pro is due to go on sale at the end of November for £649.

The OM System 20mm f/1.4 is compact and lightweight

The Lightroom updates include more precise masking

Lightroom and Photoshop updates ADOBE has announced a range of updates for Lightroom and Photoshop, both desktop and mobile.

Lightroom additions include more precise selection and masking, eight additional premium preset packs, crop overlays including Golden Ratio and Golden Spiral, and ‘Community Remix’ – enabling you to share your edits with other Lightroom users and invite them to try alternative approaches.

Photoshop updates include a one-click

‘mask all objects’ in a layer, and new Neural filters based on Sensei AI machine learning, using one click or adjustment sliders. The new Harmonization filter, for example, helps you to blend two images with matching colour.

Also announced is a new Photoshop on the Web (beta) app that lets you edit and view your work in a web browser.

Meanwhile, Photoshop on iPad updates include the ability to process raw files from an iPhone 12 Pro and 13 Pro (ProRAW). www.amateurphotographer.co.uk

02/11/2021 16:41

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02/11/2021 15:57

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28/10/2021 18:42 29/10/2021 11:09

The new circular filters all feature an anodized aluminium frame

Books

© ANDY SKILLEN

The latest and best books from the world of photography

LEE reveals ‘Elements’ circular filters LEE FILTERS has announced LEE Elements, a range of circular filters for photographers and videographers.

Available in 67mm, 72mm, 77mm and 82mm, the Elements range comprises five filter types: Little Stopper (offering 6 stops of light reduction), Big Stopper (10 stops of light reduction), CPL (circular polariser) and two densities of VND (variable ND, providing 2-5 or 6-9 stops of light reduction). The filters all feature a robust black anodized aluminium frame.

‘For the first time, LEE’s renowned Stopper filters for long-exposure photography are available in a circular

format,’ said the company. ‘The Little Stopper and Big Stopper also feature stackable housings, allowing them to be combined. For further flexibility, the CPL and VND filters – which feature increased front rings to ensure optimal edge-crop performance – can be stacked in front of a Stopper.’

The filters have a knurled finish for better all-weather grip, and the front and rear sections of the rotating CPL and VND can be identified by touch. The range is available from LEE Filters dealers and www.leefiltersdirect.com with prices starting from £162.

Police apology after photographer arrest PHOTOGRAPHER Andy Aitchison has received an apology and damages from Kent Police after he was unlawfully arrested and detained for taking pictures of protesters demonstrating against conditions at Napier Barracks asylum camp on 28 January this year. Despite showing his press card, Andy was arrested at home in Folkestone some seven hours after he took the photos; it’s believed the police saw his picture credit on Kent Live, a local news site.

‘I apologise unreservedly to Mr Aitchison for his unlawful arrest, false imprisonment and breach of his human rights,’ said the Kent Police chief constable, Alan Pughsley. ‘I recognise the fundamental importance of free speech and the independence of journalists; I accept that they should www.amateurphotographer.co.uk

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Remembering African Wild Dogs

£45, Remembering Wildlife Ltd, hardback, 144 pages, ISBN: 9781999643355 The latest in the series of Remembering Wildlife fundraising books opts for a species that many admit they’ve never heard of, but it has an important message. African wild dogs need our help if their survival is to continue. There are only around 6,600 left in the wild; once ranging through Sub-Saharan Africa, their numbers have dwindled dramatically in recent years, disappearing completely from some countries. Ahead of the book’s launch – funded by a Kickstarter campaign – Remembering Wildlife has donated $25,000 USD from the book to a historic project which translocates wild dogs to national parks and wildlife reserves. Many leading wildlife photographers feature in the book, including Marsel van Oosten, Jonathan & Angela Scott, Frans Lanting, and Will Burrard-Lucas – so if you’re unfamiliar with the subject now’s the perfect time to discover more.

Celebrating the Seasons

by Amanda Owen

£20, Macmillan, hardback, 256 pages, ISBN: 9781529056853

Photographer Andy Aitchison

not be at risk of arrest and of having their equipment seized when acting lawfully in reporting matters of public interest.’ Andy described the arrest as ‘incredibly worrying’.

With over 200 photos which showcase the beautiful – yet sometimes bleak – landscape that the Yorkshire Shepherdess (aka Amanda Owen) calls home, this book is ideal for anyone with a penchant for British landscapes.

Amanda and her family live at Ravenseat, a 17th century stone farmhouse in the North Yorkshire Dales. Set over 2,000 acres of valleys, moors and meadows, the farm includes 850 sheep, 40 cows, 50 chickens, and horses, ponies and dogs. The images were taken on her smartphone, a testament to the power of the camera you always have with you.

The book includes recipes and stories about life on the farm, so it’s also an entertaining and useful read.

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02/11/2021 16:43

Technique

LPOTY 21

The beauty of Britain Winners and finalists of Landscape Photographer of the Year share their top tips for award-winning landscapes with Hollie Latham Hucker

wonderfully conveyed and seems reminiscent of an earlier time, perhaps the fifties, and embraces a piece of classic Britain.’

This year there were seven categories and special awards: Classic View, Your View, Urban Life, Black and White, The Network Rail Award for Lines in the Landscape, The Sunday Times Magazine Award for Historic Britain and the Light and Land Award for Landscapes at Night, as well as Young LPOTY. An exhibition of shortlisted and winning entries will premiere at London Bridge on 15 November and run until 9 January 2022. A tour of the UK will follow. To see all the winners and awarded entries from this year’s Landscape Photographer of the Year competition, visit www.lpoty.co.uk.

© MARA LEITE / LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR

N

ow in its 14th year, Landscape Photographer of the Year once more showcases and celebrates the richly diverse landscape of the UK. From dramatic storms and raging seas to the quieter joys of misty woodlands and close-ups of nature’s fascinating details, the winning photographs in this year’s competition not only display the talent of their creators but also inspire visitors to explore and discover the wonders of Britain’s countryside.

With a beautiful shot, ‘Morning at Countryside’, taken in West Sussex, Mara Leite scoops the prestigious title of Overall Winner and receives the £10,000 top prize in this year’s competition. Charlie Waite, the awards founder says, ‘With the glorious ring lighting and a splash of golden light at the top, there is a sense of security and protection as much as secrecy that emerges from this delicate photograph where we are beckoned to go forward.’

The Young Landscape Photographer of the Year title goes to Evie Easterbrook for her image ‘Joining the Queue’ taken in Southwold Harbour. Charlie Waite says, ‘The humour in this photograph is

Sony DSC-HX400V, 24-210mm, 1/2000sec at f/6.3, ISO 800

© EVIE EASTERBROOK / LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR

Evie Easterbrook Joining the Queue Overall Youth Winner ‘I took this photograph at Southwold harbour in Suffolk. I was surprised to see the gulls forming such an orderly queue!’

EVIE’S TOP TIPS Always have your camera nearby. You can never be certain when something interesting will come into view or for how long the subject matter will be at its best.

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Canon EOS 5D Mark III, 70-300mm, 1/60sec at f/10, ISO 800

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Be patient. It is always worth taking the time to ensure you have the right composition. Small adjustments in angles, composition or lighting can make a big difference.

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You don’t have to be an expert. Although there is always more to learn, limited technical knowledge need not hold you back – just enjoy your photography and don’t worry about making mistakes. www.amateurphotographer.co.uk

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Mara Leite Morning at Countryside Overall Winner www.maraleitephotography.com, www.facebook.com/maralphoto, Instagram @maralphoto, Twitter @TheMNVL ‘Mill Lane is a famous footpath in Halnaker, West Sussex. I was looking for a different composition when I decided to turn the other way and saw this beautiful sight. I love the gate in the background and how the morning light is hitting the leaves and softly entering the tunnel.’

MARA’S TOP TIPS Have an idea of the time of day/ year you want to photograph your subject and monitor the weather. I found social media a good tool for tracking the progression of autumn.

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Light is important; if you want to master exposure, learn how to read your camera’s histogram.

3

Don’t overdo it in post-processing.

Make subtle changes that add drama and simultaneously reflect your photography style and other work.

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Technique

LPOTY 21 Fujifilm X-T30, 10-24mm, 1/140sec at f/7.1, ISO 160

Philip George Chesterton Windmill Winner, Classic View Flickr @PhilipGeorge ‘I was returning from Birmingham to Southampton and decided to take a detour to Chesterton Windmill as the skies looked good. I have been there quite a few times before in the hope of getting a good sky.

This was taken quite late in the afternoon.

There were quite a few people at the windmill, so I tried to find an angle to eliminate the people from the pictures.

I finally found a low viewpoint in the barley field, with just a hint of a leading line to the windmill. I used a polarising filter to deepen the blue skies and bring out the wonderful clouds.’

PHILIP’S TOP TIPS Visit a location frequently and spend time looking at it from different angles. You don’t always want the same image as everyone else.

2

Get out and about and find locations for yourself. Make a point of visiting with the intention of taking a photograph.

3

I love to look for the right sky overhead. Sunrise, or sunset, from dawn to dusk, there is plenty of changeable weather that makes the British Isles such a great place to take photographs.

© PHILIP GEORGE / LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR

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© MILES MIDDLEBROOK / LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR

Canon EOS 5DS, 85mm, 1/125sec at f/7.1, ISO 200

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© TOMMASO CARRARA / LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR

Fuji X-T3, 35mm, 1/250sec at f/1.4, ISO 160

TOMMASO’S TOP TIPS Pre-visualise the composition and look for an appropriate background.

This is normally the less dynamic part of the image and is unlikely to change.

Tommaso Carrara Piccadilly Circus Runner up, Urban View

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www.gettons.org, Instagram @gettons ‘The silhouette of a man smoking a cigarette catches my attention as a double-decker cuts through the road with the advertising boards on the back. This trilogy made of human, adverts and transportation is, to me, amongst the essence of this city.’

Miles Middlebrook Daybreak beside the River Brathay Winner, Black and White

James Whitesmith Malham Zig Zag Highly Commended, Your View

www.buildingpanoramics.com, 500px @Miles Middlebrook

‘Traditional dry stone walls zig zag across the fields beneath Malham Lings in the Yorkshire Dales, as the rising sun begins to light the scene. I arrived on location well before sunrise and the entire valley was filled with thick fog, but as the minutes ticked by it began to shift and retreat. This particular scene caught my eye and fortunately the swirling mist revealed the copse at the decisive moment with the first direct light washing over the landscape.

MILES’S TOP TIPS Visualise the kind of images you want to capture and then work towards making that happen.

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JAMES’S TOP TIPS When you arrive at a location don’t just make a beeline for the obvious subject and composition. Take time to explore and experiment with different focal lengths and camera position.

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Have someone whose judgement you trust to critique your shots in order to get the most out of your photography. In my case I have my brother, Mark, with whom I share Building Panoramics. www.amateurphotographer.co.uk

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Sony A7R II, 24-105mm, 1/10sec at f/11, ISO 100

www.jameswhitesmith.co.uk, Instagram @james.whitesmith

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I avoid the use of wideangle lenses because often in my case I find the main focal point of the image can be too small and insignificant in the frame.

Once you’re happy with the background, think about all those elements that could add to the frame and whether they are static or not.

Once all those elements come together take multiple shots, as you never know what might happen next.

Sometimes a scene can be transformed in an instant, particularly in changeable weather or mist. Keep tweaking your composition as the light changes.

© JAMES WHITESMITH / LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR

‘I was staying at one of my favourite places, Skelwith Bridge which is situated beside the rather beautiful River Brathay. Thanks to my dog for getting me up early one morning, we were greeted by a magical scene as the first light caught the river, lifting mist from the surface and hanging among the trees.’

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Technique

LPOTY 21

Jason Hudson Braithwaite Commended, Landscapes at Night Twitter @Edenphotograph1, Instagram @ jasonhudson142 ‘A pre-dawn climb up Grisdale Pike in the Lake District was the setting for this shot. I noticed the light trails through the mist and thought it would make a compelling image.’

JASON’S TOP TIPS If you want dramatic photos go out in dramatic weather but keep an eye out for storm warnings. Make sure both you and your camera are protected from the elements.

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If you see nice light make a note of the time and location. The likelihood is that conditions may repeat over the following days. Head out and search for compositions and you may get the shot you are after.

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Observe the weather and try to predict changes in the rain and light. It is possible to anticipate rainbow positions in advance of them appearing so start looking for compositions before they appear.

© JASON HUDSON / LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR

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Sony A7R III, 24-70mm © ARTHUR HOMEWOOD / LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR

Fuji X-T2, 18-55mm, 1/240sec at f/8, ISO 400

Arthur Homewood Christmas Eve at Saunton Winner, Black and White Youth Instagram @rt_hwd ‘The fog is my favourite condition to shoot in due to the potential for minimalistic compositions and the way the background appears to go on indefinitely. On Christmas Eve 2018 my family and I went to Saunton Sands for a walk but when we arrived the foggy conditions were unlike anything that I had seen before on the beach. I moved toward the coastline and after a short time these children came running up to play in the shallow water. They made for perfect subjects as they were extremely energetic, running on excitement for the following day.’

ARTHUR’S TOP TIPS Revisit the same locations to get familiar with the conditions that work best.

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Don’t be afraid to shoot candid photos of people despite it being a landscape; they give a great sense of scale.

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© KATHY MEDCALF / LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR

Hasselblad L1D-20c, 28mm, 1/100sec at f/2.8, ISO 100

Kathy Medcalf Convoy Commended, Lines in the Landscape www.fineart-landscapes.co.uk, Instagram @fineartlandscapes ‘Aerial view of coal trains in a train yard. I spotted this location on Google Earth and decided to do some research into it. I visited on a day when the rail was closed and I hoped the trains would be in the yard. The light and time of day played a big part too as I didn’t want shadow to overwhelm the main focus.’

KATHY’S TOP TIPS Always research the area that you are planning on photographing. Use Google Earth to find good viewpoints and beautiful areas of interest.

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Tomasz Rojek Dunnottar Castle Commended, Historic Britain

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Light is an important factor when it comes to shooting your subject. Shooting at ‘golden hour’ gives you dramatic contrast with shadows that help to bring out detail.

Facebook/Instagram @tomaszrojekphotography www.tomaszrojek.pl ‘The photo was taken during my trip to Scotland in May 2019. This is Dunnottar Castle during the sunrise.

The man in the upper right corner shows the scale of the landscape.’

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The best light for landscape photography is usually during sunset and sunrise and about one hour after. Make sure you arrive early to find your shooting spot, set up your camera and compose your scene.

© TOMASZ ROJEK / LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR

TOMASZ’S TOP TIPS Landscape photography involves a lot of planning. You should have a clear idea of where you are going, and at what time of the day you will be able to capture the best light.

Landscape Photographer of the Year Collection 14 is published on 28 October by Ilex. Hardback. £26.

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Look for unique perspectives. Be creative and experiment with different viewpoints.

Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, 12-24mm, 1/40sec at f/13, ISO 100

3

Be patient and persistent. You will come back from many trips without interesting photos but this should not discourage you from further expeditions. www.amateurphotographer.co.uk

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02/11/2021 15:35

YOUR LETTERS

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Group Editor Nigel Atherton Deputy Editor Geoff Harris Technical Editor Andy Westlake Features Editor Amy Davies Technique Editor Hollie Latham Hucker Online Editor Joshua Waller Online Editorial Assistant Jessica Miller Production Editor Jacqueline Porter Art Editor Sarah Foster Photo-Science Consultant

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LETTER OF THE WEEK

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18-19 Inbox Nov13 NA JP AW.indd 18

LETTER OF THE WEEK WINS A SAMSUNG EVO PLUS MICROSD CARD. NOTE: PRIZE APPLIES TO UK AND EU RESIDENTS ONLY

Management

I refer to Andy Westlake’s response to the letter on tilt and shift lenses for Micro Four Thirds (AP 4 September): ‘there’s no sensible way to use a shift lens ... on MFT cameras’. A friend of mine in the antiques business wants to photograph mirrors with his Panasonic MFT camera without getting his own reflection in the frame. I have just put together a solution for him: my Pentax 28mm f/3.5 shift lens mounted on a third-party Pentax-to-Four-Thirds adapter, itself mounted on an

Olympus Four-Thirds-to-MFT adapter.

Obviously there is no electronic linkage between lens and camera, but that’s typical for a shift lens anyway.

Optically it works just fine. I’m sure manual focus lenses from other manufacturers could be used in a similar way. Whether you regard two adapters between the lens and camera as ‘sensible’ is, I suppose, up to you!

Steve Thomas We salute your ingenuity, Steve.

A Samsung 64GB EVO Plus microSDXC with SD adapter Class 10 UHS-1 Grade U3 memory card supports 4K UHD. Offering R/W speeds of up to 100MB/s /20MB/s and a 10-year limited warranty. www.samsung.com/uk/memory-cards.

The term ‘Flat lay’ photography is now being used, but the wording seems so clumsy and basic. Almost childish.

The words seem to be coming into use everywhere now. Before they get accepted universally as a technical term, can we not find a better, more artistic, technical or pleasing description?

Richard Bond

Film vs digital

I’m always interested in discussions about film versus digital, and while I don’t want to take sides, because we all find fascination in our own unique ways, I do feel I need to put my own point of view. I’m over 60 now,

Leica alternative

With regard to your Street Shooters testbench (21 September) I would have thought a Leica Q2 would be a better alternative to the Leica M10-P rather than the Vauxhall Corsa 1.4i Turbo you suggest, as I find the Corsa somewhat conspicuous in pedestrianised areas.

Phil Doody

Long exposure

Win! Flat lays

I am more creative, I’m more able to take risks, and I enjoy myself more.

I have learnt so much and so quickly.

That’s without going into the possibilities inherent in HDR photography, focus-stacking, focus correction, absurdly high ISO and so on. Film is an interesting process, but for me it was always a process of limits. Digital takes me beyond the horizon. John Knight

so starting as a novice photographer back in my early 20s meant film; there was no alternative.

I proudly bought my first SLR camera, a Yashica FX-3, and I was off. One film at a time.

I never intended to be anything other than a hobbyist, so I was never likely to shoot reel after reel, and as a result my learning curve was rather shallow and very long. I plugged away for years with a couple of different cameras, not really getting that much better at what I was doing. Learning as an amateur with film is a slow process, or at least I found it so. I know that it is possible: many brilliant photographers have done exactly that. But it takes dedication – and for a

dilettante like me it was never really going to happen.

Fast forward to 2020 and my first mirrorless camera. I’ve finally shed the feeling of scarcity acquired through having to hoard film exposures, and my photography has really developed, because I can take more photos and review them immediately.

What an 18 months, and for someone that really only uses a camera for visiting new places and countries, I have not been able to resurrect my interest in photography, although I’m still an avid reader of AP for inspirational ideas. I started with a Nikon D80 many moons ago, progressing to full frame, but then moved to a compact camera, because I found the weight of my gear too much. With time on my hands and looking for inspiration, I started to read articles on long

The Vauxhall Corsa 1.4i Turbo – not ideal for street photography www.amateurphotographer.co.uk

02/11/2021 16:28

YOUR LETTERS

In next week’s issue

Accessory SPECIAL Your Christmas gift guide starts here : We pick out 50 top accessories, from just £7

Richard Lear’s long-exposure seascape taken in Weymouth

www.amateurphotographer.co.uk

18-19 Inbox Nov13 NA JP AW.indd 19

We were very upset by a letter published in AP on 18 September under the headline ‘Charity Thieves’.

We have worked in our local Oxfam charity shop for more than ten years and have never seen any of the behaviour that your writer claims his ‘friend of a friend’ told him about.

As volunteers, which all but one of the workers in the shop are, we give our time freely and if we want to buy an item which has been donated we pay what any customer would pay.

We feel that you should not have published this claim based on hearsay evidence. All charities have suffered in the Covid pandemic and by calling our honesty into question you are only making it harder for charity shops to raise funds for their many good causes.

Fiona and Eric Huckvale Although it is beyond dispute that there are pockets of dishonesty in every field of human activity we’re sure that the vast majority of those people who give up their time to volunteer in charity shops would not dream of behaving in this way. Apologies for any offence caused.

Pros’ top five

Top pros from various genres each reveal their five must-have accessories

Bargain buys

Readers and pros share their favourite inexpensive photo gadgets © MICHAEL PUTLAND/GETTY IMAGES

As an amateur photographer and a long-standing charity shop volunteer I would be interested to know where Mr X (name and address withheld) heard that volunteers often steal the high-value donated items for themselves. (Inbox, 18 September) It is true that a large proportion of donated items are discarded due to being unsuitable, filthy, worn-out, badly damaged or completely broken but I can assure him that here at Oxfam, items that are of high value are either placed in a glass cabinet

Upset

CONTENT FOR NEXT WEEK’S ISSUE MAY BE SUBJECT TO CHANGE

Charity shops

to protect against shoplifters, sold via our online shop or if very valuable, sent for auction.

This may be the reason why, as he mentions ‘it is now rare, as a shopper, to find a treasure among the junk’ and not that it has already been ‘snaffled up’.

At Oxfam, if a volunteer is interested in buying an item, the item is priced by the manager, if not already priced, using online prices and the item is then bought and the sale is recorded in the Staff Sales Book.

I would add that if you suspect that a shop has dishonest staff, like Mr X’s thieving friend of a friend, you should notify the charity concerned. I’m sure that most people realise that the vast majority of charity shop volunteers are there because they want to help to raise money for good causes and not to make money for themselves through thieving.

But if you prefer to sell the item yourself online and donate the proceeds to a charity and are a taxpayer, remember, you can use the government’s Gift Aid scheme to increase the value of the donation to the charity by 25%. Martyn Pearce

© JEREMY WALKER

shutter speeds and what appears to be termed fine art/minimalistic photography. Last month I upgraded back up to a full frame (mirrorless) camera and purchased 6/10 stop ND filters. I was away in Weymouth for the weekend and tried it. This image above was taken at ISO 50 at two minutes.

Although I have never used any editing suites, I recently downloaded the free Lightroom app which I am still on a learning curve with. Hopefully, we’ll soon be able to explore new places and horizons again. Richard Lear

Michael Putland

Tribute to the late great Michael Putland, a music photography legend

On sale every Tuesday 19

02/11/2021 16:28

Marsel van Oosten

Marsel van Oosten was born in The Netherlands and worked as an art director for 15 years. He switched careers to become a photographer and has since won Wildlife Photographer of the Year and Travel Photographer of the Year. He’s a regular contributor to National Geographic and runs nature photography tours around the world. Visit www.squiver.com.

Adding context to subjects Marsel van Oosten explains how the main subject of your pictures can be put in context, even if they’re not the biggest creatures in the frame

W

hen you think about wildlife photographers, and the gear they use, you immediately think of huge telephoto lenses.

As much as they’d want to, wildlife photographers usually can’t photograph their subjects with a wideangle lens because the wildlife would run away if they tried… or you could die trying. When you’re photographing an elephant seal, a rhino or a polar bear, you might get away with a short lens and still get the main subject at a recognisable size in the frame. But, especially with smaller subjects, you need a lot more focal length to get them to show up at a decent size in the image.

This is one of the reasons why I prefer to photograph large mammals – they enable me to use shorter lenses and that means I can include a fair amount of the habitat. My favourite wildlife images are so-called ‘animalscapes’, so the habitat is very important to me and I don’t always want to 20

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The beauty and the beast, Botswana. Oxpeckers are after the ticks on their hosts so, originally, they were thought to be an example of mutualism – interaction between individuals of different species that results in positive effects for each.

However, evidence suggests oxpeckers are actually parasites

Nikon D810, 600mm f/4 lens, 1/1250sec at f/5.6, ISO 320

reduce everything to a blur. Yet that almost inevitably happens when you’re using long telephoto lenses – the longer the lens, the more shallow your depth of field. This is also why I don’t photograph birds much… most of the time the habitat is reduced to a few branches and leaves, and the backgrounds tend to be a smooth blur. From a purely artistic point of view, this doesn’t excite me much.

When I photograph small subjects, like birds, I’m always The tower, Botswana. This giraffe was annoyed by the red-billed oxpeckers that were harassing it. Every now and then it would violently shake its head, which made the birds fly off, only to return a few seconds later

Nikon D850, 180-400mm f/4 lens, 1/400sec at f/5.6, ISO 200

www.amateurphotographer.co.uk

01/11/2021 16:05

looking for ways to include as much of the habitat as possible and, ideally, in a not-so-obvious way. These two images both show oxpeckers in their natural habitat and you could argue whether the oxpeckers are actually the main subject – after all, they are much smaller than the other subjects.

The image with the Cape buffalo started as a buffalo image when I stumbled across it in the Okavango Delta in Botswana. It was covered in drying mud and I was captivated by the monochromatic feel and by the wonderful texture. I started shooting relatively wide, then kept framing it tighter and tighter until I only had the head inside the frame. It was pretty cool, but something was missing. I started thinking www.amateurphotographer.co.uk

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about alternatives and then noticed the oxpeckers hopping from buffalo to buffalo. That’s when I previsualised an image where the buffalo would not be the main subject, but a monochromatic background for the bird.

When analysing my frame I realised that, in order to eliminate distracting highlights and really use the buffalo as a ‘wallpaper’, I needed to go even tighter and get rid of everything that wasn’t a buffalo. That gave me a very nice frame in which the buffalo’s horn was the perfect perch for an oxpecker.

From then on, it was just a matter of patience and waiting for it to materialise. When it did, I shot many images to capture the different poses of the bird. In one of the frames the eyes of the buffalo were

closed, and that turned out to be perfect. Our eyes are always drawn to other eyes, so when there are eyes in your photo people can’t resist looking at them. In this case I thought that would just be a distraction.

These buffalo are always followed by oxpeckers, who are after the ticks on the buffalo so usually are around. But also there’s usually quite a few buffalo, so they might not always be on the buffalo that you’re photographing. The name ‘oxpecker’ already implies that it’s not rare to see one on a buffalo. But you have to try to come up with an idea of how you’re going to photograph this. For example, am I going to leave enough space so that I can see background, that I see trees or sky in the background, or am I going to go close? And, if I go

close, how close and where do I want the bird? For me, this was just the perfect spot in the image for the bird to be.

The other image could be about the oxpeckers or it could be about the giraffe. I like to think it’s about the oxpeckers and the giraffe is just a massive perch. It was shot at sunrise.

Usually, in Africa, the sunrises can be very colourful but the colour doesn’t last long. In the afternoons you get a bit more colour because by that time it’s much warmer, there’s more haze and more dust in the air. Again, the oxpeckers are resting on this giraffe to check constantly for ticks. The moment I have two images next to each other that both feature oxpeckers then, suddenly, the oxpeckers become the subject.

As told to Steve Fairclough 21

01/11/2021 16:05

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20/10/2021 15:11

JOE MCNALLY

real deal

The

Steve Fairclough speaks to Joe McNally about his fascinating life as a working photographer and his latest book

F

or over 40 years Joe McNally has been a photographer in a career that has seen him work for The New York Daily News, ABC Television, LIFE, National Geographic and many other publications. He is internationally known as one of the world’s most proficient exponents of lighting scenes with flashguns and has twice been in Amazon’s Top 10 bestsellers list for his books.

Talking of books, his latest publication is the tome The Real Deal: Field Notes from the Life of a Working Photographer – it’s a potent mix of anecdotes, technical advice and self-deprecating humour, that’s both great to look at pictorially and very easy to read. His career in publishing began as a copy boy at The New York Daily News, often being sent out in a radio car to grab film bags from photographers in different parts of New York City or at Yankees’ baseball games, but he soon began getting pictures in the paper and became a freelance photographer.

McNally recalls, ‘I went from the Daily News, freelanced for a couple of years, and then took a job at ABC Television. That introduced me to the world of colour and shooting Kodachrome under pressure. As I worked my way into ABC, and got to know a few people who were in the magazine world, I came to the attention of Discover magazine.

I started shooting pictures for them without a credit because I wasn’t allowed to shoot for anybody else as I was full-time [ABC] staff, but, 26

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when I could swing something for them, I would do it.

‘That led to a relationship where I was asked to become part of the Discover team that went to photograph the first launch of the American Space Shuttle program.

Back in the day, day rates for freelance magazine shooters were $250 and they wanted me to go on assignment for the launch and the landing, which meant I would probably make about 12 day rates, which was huge money. I looked at my staff pay cheque and I walked in to see my boss, who I got along with fine, and I quit.’

With the money from the Space Shuttle assignment McNally bought a plane ticket to Northern Ireland.

He explains, ‘Bobby Sands was on a hunger strike and he died. I was on the streets of Belfast and I got “picked up” by Newsweek and Bunte magazine. I had to swing through London on my way home and ABC reached out to me as a freelancer and said, “Can you photograph [news anchor] Peter Jennings?” I went in to photograph Jennings and literally five minutes later the Pope was shot. Jennings looked at me and said, “Do you want to come to Rome?” and they put him on a private plane. Jennings took me to Rome and checked me into the Cavalieri Hilton on an ABC credit card. I had 50 bucks in my pocket and a burnt up credit card.’

McNally adds, ‘Then I was put back on assignment for Newsweek and Bunte just for www.amateurphotographer.co.uk

02/11/2021 11:01

Cuba Dance, Streets of Havana.

Part of an assignment from Nikon to produce stirring dance visuals and a small film about memory and dance www.amateurphotographer.co.uk

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JOE MCNALLY

being in Rome. Back in the day, you got what were called “guarantees” for magazines – they wouldn’t pay you every day but if you were going to Northern Ireland to spend a week up there they’d give you $1,000, that kind of thing.

I came home from that trip from going to cover the Space Shuttle to Northern Ireland to Rome and, all of a sudden, I had a magazine career rolling.’

Luck and circumstance

That story is a perfect illustration of when luck can play a part in a photographer’s career. McNally notes, ‘Luck intersects with a photographer’s career in odd ways on a relatively continuous basis and that can be good and bad luck. I always tell young photographers, “Do you think your average banker or accountant goes to work in the morning worried about what the light’s going to be like at four o’clock in the afternoon?” No, they don’t.

We worry about all that stuff. We worry about if the subject’s going to be cooperative. Will it be raining?

How do I make this happen? This is because you are often dropped into circumstances in which you have no control over many of the elements that combine to make a shoot.’

He muses, ‘A lot of photographers now are really driven by numbers – how many pixels, how big or small a camera is, if it doesn’t have two card slots, am I going to outrun the

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buffer? Digital technology is wonderful but I think that there’s a certain element of being a photographer now that’s a bit of being a slave to that technology and, in certain instances, it’s driving the train when it should be the other way around. Exactly how much do you expect this camera to do for you? This is still a human art and craft, and it’s about relationships, it’s about sweat, blood and tears and it’s enabled by very fast-paced technology.’

Despite that ever-advancing digital technology, McNally likes to avoid complexity when possible. He reveals, ‘I do keep things simple. I’m a huge fan of the English photographer Don McCullin – he’s such a significant photographer and we have corresponded a bit on Instagram. One of his very wellknown quotes is, “I only use a camera like I use a toothbrush – it gets the job done.” I’m a bit in that school. At the end of the day, as fancy as the cameras are, you’ve got f-stops, shutter speeds and light and how all that intersects.’

McNally admits, ‘I do access the camera technology when I’m shooting a high-speed frame rate using high-speed sync to coordinate flashes. I use the maximum abilities of a camera to produce a quality file.

But I can get into what I call “super fancy” and access things like doing multiple exposures with multiple flashes – that stuff can

The largest gathering of jazz musicians ever, LIFE magazine

Above: Lead plane of a three-plane formation, lit with Nikon flashes

Below: Rich Kane drives Ladder 4 NYFD truck through Times Square, New York

www.amateurphotographer.co.uk

02/11/2021 11:01

JOE MCNALLY

Joe McNally’s top tips Based on his career, Joe shares the advice he would give to aspiring, young photographers

1 Make powerful proposals

I think to survive as a photographer nowadays you have to read a lot and you also have to be able to write well because assignments don’t drop from trees any more. You have to convince people to give you money to go and shoot pictures.

You have to make proposals that are coherent, powerful and intriguing.

2 Be informed

You have to be able to mix with a client on an intelligent basis and be social and be informed. So, I think there’s a big background of just being an informed human being that is a really essential component of this.

3 Put emotion in images

I’ve met photographers who come at this from an engineering perspective and they can knock out a picture, and make that camera sing and dance, but what is often lacking in that kind of mindset is emotion... emotional involvement.

4 Do your research Kim Phuc, the ‘Napalm Girl’, 25 years later with her then baby, Thomas. Shot in Canada for LIFE

Research relates directly to your ability to be successful, even if it’s a small job. Knowing that someone’s got three children, or that somebody does triathlons, convinces them that you’ve done your homework and you’re not just checking a box.

For instance, you don’t want to shoot India during the monsoon season, unless you’re doing a story on water and its effects. Plan really carefully because budgets just don’t exist the way they did, so you have to spend the money wisely and research enables that.

5 Have a clear vision

Put yourself in the shoes of the reader. If you have an assignment to photograph a little town in autumn, you have to realise you’re serving a reader who’ll probably never visit it. You have to show them what it looks and feels like. Give them a big picture, then come down to a shop owner and then down to the stuff that the town is known for… pumpkins or whatever. You have to drill through things and the only way to do that is to have a clear vision of what you’re going to be doing.

6 Convey the experience

I always tell young photographers that it’s really cool to fly backseat in an F/A-18, a T38 or an F-16 – I’ve done a lot of flying in military aircraft – but, at the same time, you have to realise that your job is to convey that very visceral experience back to the reader.

www.amateurphotographer.co.uk

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JOE MCNALLY

get a little bit complicated and the camera is a huge assist. If you’re a certain age and were brought up with certain cameras it was kind of like you [hold up a light meter] and make a guess. Now the camera enables that guesswork to be much more precise.’

Working with light

In his new book McNally debates about the differences between the quantity and the quality of light, so I ask him to expand. He explains, ‘I shot events at the Olympics at ISO 8000 and got really good quality, which was unheard of not long ago.

You get this school of thought that pushes back at you about the use of flash, like, “I’ve got higher ISO, why would I use flash?” But ISO relates to one thing only – the quantity of light – but that has nothing to do with the quality of light.

‘If you want to express yourself, and if you view light as your language, photographically, then you want to craft your message… at least sometimes. You want to be able to use light effectively, even if you’re an available-light shooter. You have to be able to identify good light and when you can leave the strobes in the trunk of the car and just work with available light. You may assess the situation and say, “This isn’t compatible with what I need. I have to create the environment with light.” That’s the difference – the light has to match the subject.’

In fact, all of McNally’s skills when lighting and shooting with flash are self-taught. ‘I never assisted anybody, so everything I know about using flash has been trial and error. I had no choice. When I took the job at ABC my boss just looked at me and said, “We light things and we use Kodachrome,” and then he walked off. I had never really shot under those conditions before, so I had to learn. I bought myself a set of flashes, 800 Watt per second packs, but it was foreign to me as to how to make this work. I had a lot of disasters but that’s part and parcel of being a photographer.’

Cameras and using them

Despite being a long-time devotee of Nikon SLRs, McNally’s camera choices have changed. ‘I’ve made the leap into mirrorless so now mostly I’ll take the Z 6II and the Z 7II. Then I have D850s – that’s my last DSLR. When the mirrorless 30

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Joe McNally is an internationally acclaimed photographer whose career has included assignments in nearly 70 countries. He has shot numerous cover stories for magazines including LIFE, National Geographic and Sports Illustrated. His advertising and commercial clients include FedEx, Nikon, Adidas and Epson. He won the first Alfred Eisenstaedt Award for Journalistic Impact for a LIFE coverage titled The Panorama of War, and he conducts workshops around the world. www.joemcnally.com.

thing started to turn I had a whole bunch of DSLRs. I had three D5s, three D850s and a couple of D500s – it sounds like a lot of cameras but it’s not when you’ve grown up like I have photographically.’

He adds, ‘At the Tokyo Olympics I shot nothing but D6 because that’s the kind of job you need a flagship camera for. Nikon is beating the drum about the Z9, which they identify as a flagship camera, and I hope it’s going to be a great camera because that’s a necessary step.

Mirrorless technology is very good

and I made the transition relatively easily. It’s amazing to me that a Z 7II is so small but you’ve got 45.7 million pixels – it has technology like crazy.’

But technology can only get you so far when you’re taking a picture.

McNally reveals, ‘I’ve always felt it’s not about the pixels or which lens you use; it’s about the emotion the picture conveys. To get a picture published in National Geographic I’d have to fire on at least three cylinders – it’d have to be pictorially successful, it’d have to be Shot on assignment for Sports Illustrated, Rio de Janeiro, 2016 Olympics

www.amateurphotographer.co.uk

02/11/2021 11:01

JOE MCNALLY

informationally successful and it would also be emotionally successful. You seek the emotional involvement or commitment of the reader. You need to push their buttons, make them think and also give them information all at once – that‘s not an easy thing to do.’

Allowing mistakes

Most of McNally’s previous books – such as The Moment It Clicks, The Hot Shoe Diaries and Sketching Light – were largely instructional with advice on topics such as how to light

scenes and how to use flash. But he reveals, ‘I didn’t want to do that again. I wanted to flavour this book with the anecdotal, which, in itself, is instructional. It was a little bit complicated because I lay no claim to being a professional writer. Things bubble up in my head and then I kind of reverse engineer it. I’ll remember that shot was kind of cool and then I’ll rummage and find photographs that are fuel to keep writing about a certain topic.’

He adds, ‘It’s not completely instructional because it’s not a “how

Rwanda, after the genocide. Refugee camp in Goma, in the Congo, just over the Rwandan border. A panoramic film shot for a LIFE story called The Panorama of War

Top of the Empire State Building. For a National Geographic story called The Power of Light

The book The Real Deal: Field Notes From the Life of a Working Photographer by Joe McNally is published by Rocky Nook (ISBN 978-1-68198-801-6) with an RRP of $50/£TBC. Find out more at www. rockynook.com. www.amateurphotographer.co.uk

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to” book. I hope this goes beyond the photo market and is interesting to people just as a window into an interesting life. I’m very aware a lot of people buy a photo book and want it to be a “super highway” to a goal…. I want to know how to pose people better, so I’m going to buy this book on posing. This book isn’t that. It’s not a “super highway”, it’s a country road and there are lots of stops and diversions along the way.

It’s about a life in photography and what you learn. That learning occurs both in terms of the world of cameras and just the world.’

McNally sums up, ‘Good photography is never formulaic; it’s not an assembly line. Everything has some sort of scratches, scars, differences, happenstance or mistakes. Some of the better pictures I’ve made over the years are flat out flawed or where I fully acknowledge that I could and should have done better. Hopefully this book has a flavour where mistakes are allowable and ego is deflated. I’ve made a whole career out of doing whatever seemed to be the next best thing to do. I joke with my studio manager and always tell her that my operative philosophy for being a photographer is “the Lord looks after a fool”.’

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Portrait of Jabari and Cleopatra. This was taken on Fuji Provia 100F slide film, using the Bronica ETRS

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DEDICATED FOLLOWERS OF FILM

Chemical connections Science, art and culture combine to make film photography a great passion for Dr Kelly-Ann Bobb, and it has brought a new balance and connectedness to her life, she tells Damien Demolder

I

f Kelly-Ann Bobb wasn’t so nice it would be easy for me to find her quite annoying.

Not only is her photography exceptional, and not only does she have almost as many cameras as I do, but she has managed to achieve both of these feats in just two years.

Some of us have taken a lifetime to get to where we find ourselves right now in our photographic careers, while others, like Kelly-Ann, speed along at 100mph and seem to arrive at the same place in a matter of minutes. Kelly-Ann has an incredible drive and masses of energy; as well as, it seems, an insatiable thirst for knowledge and experience. And she doesn’t hang around thinking about it – she actually gets on and does it.

A surgeon from Port of Spain in Trinidad and Tobago, she mixes a hectic medical schedule of consultations and operations with a new-found passion for shooting, developing and printing film in all its forms and formats. I joked that she spends her working life looking at the insides of people, and her leisure time looking at their outsides.

She laughed politely. But spending time with the outsides of people while connecting with their insides is the consequence of a turning point in Kelly-Ann’s life, and has helped her find a balance that she says was missing before.

Loss and found

‘Before exploring photography I didn’t have a balance in my life.

I was very focused on my profession and ignored many other aspects of my life. Society teaches us to get

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good grades at school and to find a profession that pays a good salary, and through that we can live ‘well’.

That’s something I believed in wholeheartedly when I was growing up, and I held on tightly to that philosophy for a very long time, but it’s a philosophy that doesn’t necessary bring us comfort or happiness. I’m not saying that I wasn’t happy, but there came a time I realised my friends had stopped asking me to do things because I would always be too busy or too tired. I was too focused on my professional goals.

‘Then I experienced loss. In 2018 my mom got ill and passed away.

My loss broke that vision I had carried, and for a moment I was able to see other things. In seeing other things I realised that while I love surgery I need more balance. In my work as a doctor I see lots of people, young and old, who are just going about their lives when I tell them that what they have is terminal. It reminds me we don’t know how long we are going to be here. The Covid outbreak has reinforced that, and helped to bring me a new perspective on the importance of being present and connected to people in a very real way – and experiencing life in a very real way.

The turning point for my photography though came through that loss, because I’m not sure I would have continued it with such fervour otherwise.

‘Photography has taught me to bring balance and has been

Friend and fellow photographer Jabari, shot for an editorial project on Fuji Provia 100F in the Mamiya RB67 33

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DEDICATED FOLLOWERS OF FILM

cathartic and healing. It helped me bridge the mourning and healing process, and it gave me a deeper understanding for the expression of my art through photography. Importantly though, it also brought back a deep love and connection between me and other people. While I still ensure that certain things are accomplished throughout my day, I’m not now completely taken up by work.

Finding the balance is hard though sometimes, and these days I have to be careful not to be consumed by photography – although we are now doing this interview at 4am Trinidad time, so maybe I’m not doing so well!’

Brussels sprouts

‘I grew up always taking photos. We always had cameras and were always playing around taking pictures. I was about 11 when I saw a science programme on TV on darkroom printing and developing film. I have always been a science geek so it intrigued me – it was all science and chemicals, and I asked permission to have a darkroom. I got a “no” because “Chemicals are toxic, you’re 34

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‘Pouring chemicals on sensitised paper and the image appearing is like a dance. It also gives me so much control’ Above left: Fashion shoot with Shalisha.

Fujifilm Pro 400H in the Pentax 67 Above right: Another fashion shoot with Shalisha. This time on the Mamiya RB67 and with Kodak Portra 400 that I developed myself

too young, blah, blah, blah.”

‘When I finished medical school I went to Belgium for a few months to study advanced laparoscopic surgery, and while there found an antique market in Brussels that sells beautiful old film cameras. I only bought one camera, but it piqued my interest in film photography. When I got back home I started to look at secondhand cameras online and I started collecting film cameras. I also began to learn from the kindness of others who share their experiences of shooting and processing film via YouTube and sites like www. largeformatphotography.info.

‘I love all aspects of film photography – it’s so tactile. I wished I could paint, but with photography I can “paint” in the darkroom: I can make cyanotype prints, platinum prints, salt prints. I can recreate my images in so many different ways.

‘I have been actively looking for collaborations. I’ve been working with other Caribbean photographers

and have recently begun to shoot fashion. I had my first fashion editorial published in a Canadian online magazine, and have just completed another editorial project that I will submit to a magazine in Europe. My photography is an expression of myself and my identity – which is complex. I think I have a good idea of who I am, but the process of life, with its experiences, helps to build a greater understanding of myself – and that grows and changes as I learn more.

I haven’t always had a decent idea of who I am but photography is helping me to find out more.

‘We are socialised to define ourselves as “something”, which can give us a myopic view of who we are.

I’ve never been one sort of thing or have liked only one sort of thing.

I’ve always been academic but have always explored other aspects of myself. I’m inclined towards portrait photography, but wouldn’t look at myself as a portrait photographer www.amateurphotographer.co.uk

01/11/2021 16:51

because I love landscapes, still life and travel – and the beauty of the Earth. It’s hard to define myself as one kind of photographer. I would say I am an “analogue” photographer – that’s concrete.’

Why film?

‘Shooting film allows me to slow down. When I shot digitally I’d take thousands of pictures. Shooting film allows me to think harder about my composition, and to concentrate on apertures and shutter speeds – to think about the science of photography. It also allows me a www.amateurphotographer.co.uk

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Above: Trinidadian broadcaster Ardene Sirjoo, at Fondes Amandes Spring, St Ann’s, Trinidad. Shot on Yashica Mat-124G with Portra 400

plethora of opportunities to explore darkroom printing and alternative processes. I’m working on salt printing and am trying gum dichromate printing – but am finding that hard. I don’t think analogue is better than digital, but I like my film images much more, for sure – there seems to be more depth to them. It’s more tactile.

‘Making colour prints will be intrinsic to my practice, but as I’m still learning it isn’t yet. At the moment I print using inkjets, but eventually I want to produce platinum prints. If I can get there it

will be a beautiful thing, but if I can’t it won’t be the end-all of my practice. I’m attracted to the science of darkroom work – pouring chemicals on sensitised paper and the image appearing is like a dance.

It also gives me so much control.

‘There’s a level of trust too: trusting my tools, trusting what the image will look like if I use Ilford Delta 3200, what the image will look like if I use Kodak Portra 400 – and trusting that the image will come out exactly the way I expect it to because I worked on understanding the process. It doesn’t always turn 35

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FOLLOWERS OF FILM

out the way I expect, of course.

I am a perfectionist, sometimes to an unhealthy degree, but photography has allowed me to accept so many things. Sometimes an image isn’t what I expected, but the imperfections can be so beautiful they make the image what it should always have been. I have to embrace that imperfection.

‘I don’t think I will ever stick to one type of film – that isn’t my personality. It’s good to have a couple of cameras on a shoot – not six – and to know what characteristics each will give me.

I like to use expired film too, for the unpredictability, and I like Ilford Delta 3200 for the size of the grain – in some types of images I welcome that. And if I want the picture to be clean I love slide film, as it has no grain and it looks so sharp. Kodak Ektar 100 renders our melanated skin really well, and it makes colour pop.

‘There’s a level of exploration still, so I use all sorts of film – including Polaroid. I’m inherently a researcher and quite a geek, so I have a good memory for which film does what, and I actively read about film and look into which films are available. I put in quite a lot of work to understand the science, and I also like to read about other people’s experiences.

‘Film photography is expensive, but it is worth the extra money. I try to be economical with my process, and I try to have discipline. I really like Polaroid, but have to resist as you can pay $200 for a box, for it all to come out blank. I also understand my gear so I know that my cameras are functioning the way they should.

I buy expired film too, and I buy in bulk to make savings. I usually go to New York to buy my film, and have two film fridges – I recently emptied two drawers in my kitchen fridge for more as I got a delivery from Japan.

My biggest economy though is being intentional with the image. I don’t shoot a whole roll with the person in the same positon. I have just started bracketing as that makes sense, and I’ve started using the 645 cameras more because I get more shots per roll. When shooting a professional model with film you have to tell them not to be shifting, shifting, shifting too much or too quickly, as I won’t be shooting 50 frames of everything. You have to get them to slow down, and understand that 36

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you’ll only take a couple of pictures of each pose.’

I’m not a hoarder

‘I will sound like a little hoarder, but actually I’m a collector of fine things. I have about 85 cameras. My favourite is a very beat-up Mamiya C330 that’s missing its name plate.

I love the lenses and always have the camera with me. I also have Mamiya RZ and RB67 kits, as well as the 645M. They all have beautiful lenses.

I love my Pentax 67 too, but not more than the Mamiyas, but I do like to use the 67 lenses on a Pentax 645 body – which I prefer to the Pentax 67. I love the German design and the aesthetic of my Exakta cameras as well, and again the lenses render a beautiful image.

‘I have a few wooden large format cameras from Japan, as my next adventure is wet-plate collodion. The chemicals have just arrived in the www.amateurphotographer.co.uk

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FOLLOWERS OF FILM

country and should be cleared customs on Wednesday. I want to start with 5x7in portraits of the older members of my family. I have a Rittreck large format camera that’s very modular. I have 4x5 and 5x7 backs for it, and I’m trying to get a 10x8 back. That’s my favourite large format camera for taking out of the house as it’s portable. I have a Toyo large format camera too but it’s huge and heavy so I use that in the studio.

‘Once a month I take out all my cameras and fire the shutters fast and slow, so they stay in good condition.

It takes a while, I have so many.

Believe it or not, I haven’t bought a new camera every week since starting photography. I’ve not bought a new camera for over a month!’

Approach

‘Since I started this process my focus has been to connect other people to my culture and experiences as a www.amateurphotographer.co.uk

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Above: Fashion, on the Mamiya RB67 with Fuji Pro 400H Above left: Portrait of Jabari taken on expired Fuji NPS film that I developed, with the Mamiya 645 Left: Self-portrait with my Toyo 5x4 view camera. Shot with Fuji FP100B45 black & white instant film

To find out more see www.instagram.com/ kellyannbobb_ photography and www. kellyannbobb.com.

diasporic Afro-Caribbean person. All photographers reflect their life experiences, and I want to share my experience of the Caribbean reality.

In Trinidad and Tobago we are a complex society. We are mixed up, we are descendants of enslaved persons, descendants of indentured labourers the Indo-Trinidadians. We are a post-colonial society that only got its independence in 1962, and in so being we are a very young country. We are still freeing ourselves from some post-colonial upbringings – we’ve only just got our own exams in schools to replace the British A-Level system. My goal is to share all of that. I hope that as people experience my pictures they see the beauty in the complexity of a Caribbean society that is constantly redefining itself and understanding itself on new levels.

‘I have a photographer friend called Jabari [the one with all the

hats] who I have photographed a lot.

He is very strong. He’s a strong male and his body is very well built. He also has very strong Afro-Caribbean features. I like to bring a level of softness to the pictures I take of him. The black male body isn’t always thought of as being beautiful, or soft, or delicate, so I like to portray it that way – in a way that isn’t usually expressed. You can see his strength, but his body language expresses a level of softness. Most of the pictures I take of him are part of fashion editorials, but really they are portraits.

‘Before I take a portrait I have to build a rapport with the person I am photographing; it’s the same kind of rapport that I have learnt to build as a doctor. I always spend some time doing that, so I can get comfortable with that person and they can get comfortable with me. It’s just having a conversation and finding something in common that we can talk about or laugh about. In medicine we do this; we are trained in how to break bad news and in understanding how to initiate a conversion with a patient. We are taught to figure out the person to know whether the patient will need a family member with them when they get bad news or if they are the sort of person who wouldn’t want anyone else there to hear about their health. You learn to make them feel comfortable in a very short period of time. It can be easy when you shoot with film of course, because the person will always want to talk about the gear, and will be intrigued that you aren’t shooting with a digital camera.

‘It’s not by chance that we are inclined to certain things. It reflects inherently our personality traits.

I know I can be a very practical “well-defined” person, because I use both sides of my brain. I’ve always been creative but photography has allowed me to get out of that stiff practical mentality so I can have a better balance, so I can look at the world a bit differently.

‘My photography goal is to share my experience. My ultimate goal though is to have medicine, travel and photography as one beautiful being in my life. How that is going to happen we shall have to see. One of the reasons I went into medicine was Doctors Without Borders…so maybe that will be my path.’

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Testbench

CAMERA TEST

At a glance

£3,500 body only £3,900 with 35-70mm F4.5-5.6

Fujifilm GFX50S II

l 51.4MP medium format sensor l ISO 50-102,400 (extended) l 3.69m-dot EVF, 0.77x magnification l 3.2in, 2.35m-dot tilting touchscreen l 5-axis in-body image stabilisation

Fujifilm’s latest 50MP model makes medium format digital more usable and affordable than ever before.

Andy Westlake puts it through its paces For and against Excellent image quality Compact, portable design Effective in-body stabilisation Superb in-camera colour processing Quiet operation

ALL PRICES ARE APPROXIMATE STREET PRICES

Image-quality advantage over high-end full-frame isn’t clear cut Tiny exposure compensation button Slow continuous shooting

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Data file 51.4MP CMOS, 43.8x32.9mm 8256x6192 0.8x Fujifilm G 60min – 1/4000sec (mechanical); 60min – 1/16000sec (electronic) Sensitivity ISO 100-12,800 (standard), ISO 50-102,400 (extended) Exposure modes PASM, 6x custom Metering Multi, spot, average, centreweighted Exposure comp +/- 5EV in 0.3EV steps Cont shooting 3fps Screen 3.2in, 2.35m-dot tilting LCD Viewfinder 3.69m-dot OLED, 0.77x AF points 117 or 425 Video Full HD up to 30fps External mic 3.5mm stereo Memory card 2x UHS-II SD/SDHC/SDXC Power NP-W235 Li-ion Battery life 455 Dimensions 150x104.2x87.2mm Weight 900g Sensor Output size Focal length mag Lens mount Shutter speeds

I

t’s just five years since Fujifilm revolutionised medium format digital with the launch of its GFX 50S. This camera provided 51.4MP resolution and mirrorless architecture for £6,200 body-only, which was a groundbreaking price at the time. Since then, the GFX system has gone from strength to strength, with the GFX100S that appeared earlier this year offering 102MP for £5,500, in a body that’s similar in size to a full-frame DSLR. Now with the GFX50S II, Fujifilm has brought the price of entry even lower, to just £3,500 body-only, or £3,900 with the new matched GF 35-70mm F4.5-5.6 WR kit zoom.

Despite its name, the GFX50S II isn’t based on the original GFX 50S. Instead, it employs the same sensor, but places it into the exact same body as the

GFX100S, while mating it with the updated X-Processor 4. As such, it promises fine image quality in a proven camera design.

Of course, even this sub-£4,000 price point is still a long way off being mass-market. But it makes the GFX50S II look competitive with high-resolution full-frame cameras such as the 45MP Canon EOS R5, 45.7MP Nikon Z 7II or 61MP Sony Alpha A7R IV, which launched for £4,200, £3,000 and £3,500 respectively.

As we’ll see, it’s somewhat less of an all-rounder, but for certain subjects that benefit mostly from raw image quality, it’s a really interesting alternative.

Features

In essence, the GFX50S II offers the same imaging specifications as the older GFX 50S and the flat-bodied, rangefinder-style GFX www.amateurphotographer.co.uk

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The GFX50S II delivers mediumformat image quality in a relatively compact, easy-to-use package

Fujifilm GFX50S II, GF35-70mm F4.5-5.6 WR at 44mm, 1/60sec at f/16, ISO 100

50R. Its 51.4MP sensor is, at 44x33mm, 70% larger in area than full frame, which means it promises images with extremely low noise and high dynamic range, especially at low ISOs. It provides a standard sensitivity range of ISO 100-12,800 that’s extendable down to ISO 50, although with a greater tendency to clip highlight details, and up to ISO 102,400.

One area where the sensor shows its age is a continuous shooting speed of three frames per second, which is pretty pedestrian by current standards.

There’s no live view between frames, either, just playback of your previous images, which makes it difficult to keep track of moving subjects. The camera is also only capable of recording video in Full HD resolution, rather than 4K, which feels decidedly www.amateurphotographer.co.uk

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outdated. But if you’re thinking of buying into medium format, chances are you’ll be far more interested in shooting stills.

Timed shutter speeds are available for as long as an hour, which is great for shooting landscapes with neutral density filters, and as fast as 1/4000sec using the mechanical shutter. It’s possible to go higher still using the silent electronic shutter, right up to 1/16,000sec. But this comes with a considerable risk of rolling shutter distortion and banding under artificial light, so I’d avoid using it. Instead, I set the shutter to its EF+E mode, which employs an electronic first-curtain shutter at slower speeds to eliminate vibration.

Strangely it also locks you out of using the extended ISOs, but that’s not a significant problem.

Unlike its 102MP siblings, the

sensor lacks on-chip phase detection, so autofocus is based on contrast detection only. But thanks to the faster processor, it should generally be quicker than the older GFX 50 models. Even so, it’s inevitably not going to be a good choice for tracking moving subjects, meaning the camera is best suited to landscape, portrait or studio work.

One notable feature is 5-axis in-body image stabilisation (IBIS) that promises up to six and a half stops of shake reduction. This is great for shooting handheld at much slower shutter speeds than you could otherwise contemplate.

But more generally, it ensures you get sharp pictures handheld as a matter of course, and don’t have to use a tripod all the time.

The IBIS unit also enables a 205MP multi-shot mode in which 16 exposures are compiled to

produce a single high-resolution image, although this will only work with completely static subjects. Creating the 205MP file requires Fujifilm’s Pixel Shift Combiner software for Mac or PC. You also get the benefit of Fujifilm’s industry-leading colour science, with a full set of Film Simulation modes that provide a wide range of attractive looks for your images. There are 19 to choose from, ranging from the punchy, saturated Velvia to more subtle, muted options such as Pro Neg. The GFX50S II also gets Nostalgic Neg that first appeared on the GFX100S, while monochrome lovers are well served by the excellent Acros.

Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are built-in for connection to your smartphone or tablet, offering the usual set of functions via the free Fujifilm Camera 39

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Effective in-body stabilisation makes it easy to get sharp images handheld

Fujifilm GFX50S II, 35-70mm at 70mm, 0.3sec at f/5.6, ISO 800

Remote app. You can copy files across to your phone for sharing, control the camera remotely from your phone, or geotag your images using its GPS while you’re out shooting.

To complement the GFX50S II, Fujifilm has also launched a new kit zoom, the GF 35-70mm F4.5-5.6 WR, which equates to a 28-56mm equivalent range. It features a retracting design to take up less space in your bag, while also being the first GF lens without an aperture ring. But like the rest of the system, it features weather-resistant construction.

Build and handling

Physically, the GFX50S II looks identical to the GFX100S, aside from the subtle name badge on the its side. To users of Fujifilm’s older GFX models, or most of its APS-C X-system mirrorless cameras, the design philosophy might come as a surprise, as instead of using the company’s signature analogue dials, it behaves more like a conventional DSLR. So there are twin electronic dials under your finger and thumb, an exposure mode dial on top, and a joystick for positioning the focus point. This 40

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isn’t necessarily a bad thing, though; just different.

Overall, the body is about the same size and shape as a high-end full-frame DSLR, and is built for pro use, with magnesium alloy construction and extensive weather-sealing. A large, deep handgrip makes it very comfortable and secure to hold, even with the larger lenses in the GF line-up. With lightweight lenses such as the 35-70mm kit zoom, it’s entirely possible to shoot one-handed, which isn’t something you’d normally associate with medium format.

On the whole, the controls are large and well-spaced, making them easy to use while you’re wearing gloves, while a large status panel on top shows all your settings at a glance.

Unusually, both electronic dials can be clicked inwards like buttons. With the front dial, this switches between controlling aperture and ISO, which comes into its own when using the 35-70mm lens. By default, clicking the rear dial engages live view magnification, but I think there’s a better way to use it. This is because Fujifilm has persisted with the same tiny exposure

compensation button as the GFX100S. But by changing a couple of menu settings, you can set the camera up so that clicking the rear dial switches between shutter speed and exposure compensation instead, which makes more sense.

Compared to a lot of other high-end cameras, the back plate is relatively clean. There’s a joystick for positioning the AF area and navigating menus, a dedicated button for changing the drive mode, and a small switch beside the viewfinder for the focus mode. Most other settings are accessed via Fujifilm’s enviably clear Q menu. A couple of unmarked buttons on top of the camera can be customised to suit your preferences, as can one on the front, while swipe gestures across the touchscreen can also be used like custom buttons.

Meanwhile the exposure mode dial has no fewer than six custom positions for saving camera set-ups for specific purposes.

One of the few criticisms of the design is that the touchscreen is underemployed. You can use it to set the focus point, operate the Q Menu, swipe though images in playback, and double-tap on them

to zoom in to inspect focus. But there’s still no option to operate the menus by touch.

Viewfinder and screen

The GFX50S II inherits the same large, high-resolution electronic viewfinder as the GXF100S. At 3.69 million dots and 0.77x The matched GF 35-70mm F4.5-5.6 WR is capable of excellent results

Fujifilm GFX50S II, 35-70mm at 70mm, 1/120sec at f/11, ISO 200

www.amateurphotographer.co.uk

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CAMERA TEST handy function button, such as the one on the camera’s front.

Below the EVF there’s an excellent 3.2in rear LCD, with its 2.36m-dot resolution providing a detailed view. The screen tilts in three directions, allowing highand low-angle shooting in both portrait and landscape orientation, while being quicker to use than a side-hinged fully articulated unit. This is my favourite screen design for shooting stills, with its only limitation being that it can’t be set facing forwards. But I doubt many GFX users will care.

Focal points With the same body design as the GFX100S, the GFX50S II shares many of the same features

Storage

Two UHS-II SD card slots are available for recording images. These can be used in either sequential or backup modes; alternatively, you can record raw files to one and JPEGs to the other.

Remote release

On the side of the handgrip, you will find a standard 2.5mm TRS socket that works with a huge range of electronic cable releases originally designed for Canon or Pentax cameras.

Connectors

Microphone and headphone sockets are found under one cover on the left side, with USB-C, Micro HDMI, and PC sync sockets under another cover lower down.

With only contrast detection to fall back on for autofocus, the GFX50S II is unable to match the performance of the GFX100S II, let alone the incredibly sophisticated AF systems on its full-frame rivals. But whether this will actually matter depends entirely on your expectations. If you want to shoot rapidly or erratically moving subjects, then it’s not going to be a great choice. But if instead you want an autofocus system that’s capable of consistently acquiring accurate focus on a static subject wherever it may be within the frame, it’ll do the job very well.

One situation where it can struggle, though, is in low light, which is exacerbated

87.2 mm

Autofocus

Power

Fujifilm’s NP-W235 Li-ion battery can deliver 455 shots per charge, according to CIPA-standard ratings.

I got close to this in real-world use.

LCD light

Pressing a tiny button on the side of the viewfinder housing illuminates the top LCD status panel.

Grip

No vertical grip is available, but Fujifilm offers the add-on MHG-GFX S grip extension, which boasts an Arca Swiss profile baseplate for tripod use and costs £139.

104.2 mm

magnification, on paper it looks very good indeed. But the numbers don’t tell the whole story, and the user experience doesn’t quite match up to its more expensive sibling. Instead, the GFX50S II’s live view feed suffers from visible artefacts, with jagged edges and false colour along high-contrast angled lines. It’s not a huge problem, but it’s noticeable, especially when shooting architecture.

One a more positive note, the EVF displays a huge range of information about camera settings, which Fujifilm allows you to customise to show only what you want and hide the rest. When the shutter button is half-pressed, the camera stops down the aperture to the shooting setting, clearly previewing depth of field. It also provides a pretty accurate rendition of how your pictures will come out in terms of colour and exposure, which is great for judging when to apply exposure compensation. With the more contrasty Film Simulation modes, though, this isn’t necessarily what you want, as the shadows can block up quickly, hampering composition. In such situations, help is at hand in the shape of Fujifilm’s Natural Live View setting, which mimics the experience of using an optical finder in terms of contrast and colour. I like to assign this to a

Testbench

150 mm www.amateurphotographer.co.uk

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01/11/2021 16:48

recent GFX models, that’s no longer true. Instead, the GFX50S II mostly works just as well as its high-resolution full-frame rivals, to the extent that you soon forget that you’re shooting with medium format. A flick of the power switch sees it ready to shoot in less than a second, and after that, it’s quick and responsive to the controls. The well-damped, low-vibration shutter also means it’s relatively quiet and discreet.

Crucially, the GFX50S II is also no larger or heavier than a high-end full-frame DSLR. I took it on a ten-mile walk along the North Kent coast with a couple of lenses, and never once felt weighed down. A knock-on benefit is that you don’t need to carry a large, heavy tripod, either. Indeed the image stabilisation is so effective that a lot of the time, you don’t need a tripod at all; I got sharp images at shutter speeds as low as 0.8sec handheld with the 35-70mm lens.

This gives you the mobility to explore creative compositions and exploit the tilting screen to shoot from low or high angles.

As always from Fujifilm, the automated systems work brilliantly. Metering and auto white balance are both supremely well-judged; I occasionally applied a little negative exposure Performance compensation to tame bright Historically, medium format digital highlights, but that’s all. The cameras were clunky and in-camera JPEG processing is awkward. But with Fujifilm’s typically stunning, with those by the kit zoom‘s relatively small aperture. When shooting at twilight it’s not only slow and hesitant but also has a habit of missing focus slightly. In such situations it’s best to select the largest practical focus area.

For those who wish to speed things up, Fujifilm has included a Rapid AF function, which is activated using a button on the front. According to Fujifilm, its main disadvantage is reduced battery life. But with the lenses I mostly used for this review – the GF 35-70mm F4.5-5.6 WR and GF 50mm F3.5 R LM WR – it didn’t make a big difference.

When you need to engage manual focus, Fujifilm offers the usual focusing aids of peaking and magnified view, and in a clever piece of interface design, both can be accessed from the same button. Pressing it engages magnified view, while holding it down for a second turns on peaking. Another neat feature in manual focus mode is that you can use the magnified view to zoom in on your subject, and then use the AF-ON button to autofocus precisely on that point.

Again, though, manual focusing can get difficult in low light, as the viewfinder image becomes noisy and indistinct.

Autofocus is extremely accurate on static or slow-moving subjects

Fujifilm GFX50S II, 35-70mm at 70mm, 1/420sec at f/5.6, ISO 800

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lovely Film Simulation modes giving a wide range of attractive options. I particularly like Astia for everyday shooting and Acros for black & white, while Velvia is great for punchy landscapes. In fact, the JPEGs are so good that sometimes there’s no point in trying to improve on them by reprocessing from raw.

Of course it’s the raw image quality that potentially marks the GFX50S II apart from full-frame mirrorless, and as with its predecessors that used the same sensors, the files are superb.

They show sensational levels of detail coupled with huge dynamic range at low ISOs, so you can expose to retain highlights and then bring up shadow detail by at least four stops in post processing without any problem.

However, with little or no advantage over the latest full-frame sensors in terms of pixel count, the case for buying into the GFX50S II isn’t as clear cut compared to the GFX100S. But it’s crucial to understand that lenses are just as important as the sensor when it comes to overall image quality, and Fujifilm’s GF range is superb.

Special mention must go to the GF 35-70mm F4.5-5.6 WR, which is anything but a stereotypical kit zoom. Instead, it delivers superb levels of detail, with just a little softening visible in the extreme corners at the wide end.

About the only thing that

doesn’t work brilliantly is the 205MP pixel-shift mode. Each set of 16 raw files takes up to 900MB of space, which will fill up your SD cards rapidly. The Pixel Shift Converter program isn’t capable of scanning through a folder of images on your computer and identifying sets automatically; instead, you have to feed them into the software manually. It then churns out massive DNGs up to 800MB in size, which in turn must be processed using a raw converter.

Examining the resultant images close-up reveals that the pixel shift converter can’t deal with any subject motion at all, giving ugly coloured artefacts. Even with static subjects such as architecture, it will often end up rendering strange grid-like artefacts in some areas, perhaps due to the light changing subtly between frames. As a result, it only really works satisfactorily for studio still-life work under completely controlled lighting. But when everything does come together, it’s capable of producing excellent results. www.amateurphotographer.co.uk

01/11/2021 16:48

CAMERA TEST

Testbench

Verdict

GOLD

Dynamic range is impressive: in the original JPEG of this shot, all of the foreground detail was black

Fujifilm GFX50S II, 35-70mm at 35mm, 1/45sec at f/11, ISO 100

ISO and noise At low ISO settings the GFX50S II gives superb images, with no visible noise and impressive rendition of even the finest detail. It’s only really at ISO 3200 that we see any degradation when examining images close-up onscreen. By ISO 12,800 quality is suffering from noise, although the camera’s own processing does a better job of maintaining colour than Adobe Lightroom or Camera Raw. Beyond this, however, things go downhill fast, with colours fading and serious problems with The crops shown below are taken noise. ISO 25,600 might sometimes be usable at a pinch, but I’d steer from the area outlined above in red well clear of the top two extended settings.

RAW ISO 100

RAW ISO 3200

RAW ISO 12,800

RAW ISO 25,600

RAW ISO 51,200

RAW ISO 102,400

BEFORE Fujifilm launched the original GFX 50S, digital medium format kit was bulky and expensive, and completely out of the question for most photographers. So it seems remarkable to be discussing the GFX50S II in the same breath as high-end full-frame models. But this is a camera that serious enthusiasts might now genuinely contemplate buying. It can seamlessly replace a full-frame DSLR kit, fitting into the same bags and sitting happily on the same tripods, while delivering fantastic images.

Of course, it might be tempting to dismiss the GFX50S II based on those areas where it lags its full-frame rivals, particularly with regards to continuous shooting, autofocus and video. But the reality is that not everybody needs to shoot at 10fps with eye-tracking AF, and some users’ requirements are geared more towards the highest possible image quality.

This is where the camera excels, with superb colour, detail, and dynamic range.

It’s not just the image quality on offer that matters, either, but how readily you can take advantage of it. In particular, the effective in-body stabilisation and soft, discreet low-vibration shutter help you get the best results from that excellent sensor when shooting handheld. Fujifilm’s GF lenses are absolutely superb, too, although they’re also large and expensive, which remains the system’s biggest drawback.

Ultimately, with its sub-£4,000 price complete with a fine lens, the GFX50S II comes the closest yet to bringing medium format digital to a mainstream audience.

It’s a truly impressive camera that’s a pleasure to use and delivers superb images in both JPEG and raw. For photographers who prioritise image quality over shooting speed, it’s a wonderful tool.

FEATURES BUILD & HANDLING METERING AUTOFOCUS AWB & COLOUR DYNAMIC RANGE IMAGE QUALITY VIEWFINDER/LCD www.amateurphotographer.co.uk

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8/10 9/10 9/10 7/10 10/10 9/10 9/10 9/10 43

01/11/2021 16:48

Testbench

CLASSIC CAMERAS

The colourful Kodak Vanity cameras were based on the newly styled Vest Pocket Kodak Series III cameras

FILM STARS

Gone but not forgotten

When it comes to medium format roll film, 127 is one to watch, as John Wade explains

T

oday’s film enthusiasts tend to fall into two camps depending on which film size they prefer – 35mm or 120 roll film. But there is a film that falls between those two and for which thousands of cameras were made. They include all the usual types like single lens reflex (SLR), twin lens reflex (TLR), viewfinder and coupled rangefinder, ranging from simple snapshot to super-sophisticated, from conventional to curious with image formats that cover 6x4.5cm, 6x4cm, 4x4cm and 4x3cm. The film is 127. Although discontinued in 1992, it has by no means been forgotten and is now available again from specialist dealers such as Analogue Wonderland. With so many 127 cameras made in so many different styles over the years, it offers something for collectors and users alike.

Vest Pocket Kodak

This is the camera that launched 127 film in 1912. It’s a folding design with a lens panel that pulls out from the body on scissor struts and is supported by a fold-down leg. Early cameras had only simple meniscus lenses, soon changed to Kodak f/8 Anastigmats.

Minutely engraved instructions around the lens give exposure advice: apertures set according to subject matter and shutter speeds that suggest 1/25sec for clear weather and 1/50sec for brilliant conditions.

There are also ‘T’ and ‘B’ settings for

The Autographic Back found on later Vest Pocket Kodak cameras

44

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The Vest Pocket Kodak was the camera that introduced 127 film in 1912

Three typical 127 snapshot cameras, left to right: Baby Brownie, Brownie 127 and the futuristic (for 1963) Brownie Vecta www.amateurphotographer.co.uk

02/11/2021 16:07

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH manually controlled slower speeds. The camera shot eight 6x4cm pictures to a roll.

In 1915 an autographic back was added.

This comprised a trapdoor in the back with a stylus and used special autographic film that incorporated a wax sheet between the backing paper and the film. The trapdoor was opened and the stylus used to ‘write’ notes on the backing paper. Pressure from the stylus broke the wax paper in the shape of the writing, then leaving the trapdoor open allowed light to fog the writing onto the rebate between frames of film. The Vest Pocket Kodak became known as the soldier’s camera because many First World War soldiers were reputed to have illegally carried one with them when they went into battle.

The camera was later restyled as the Model B and Series III models that resembled more conventional miniature folding cameras available in a range of colours.

Snapshot cameras

A great many 127 cameras were made with fixed focus lenses, single shutter speeds and fixed apertures for simple snapshot photography. The Brownie 127, which shoots eight 6x4cm pictures to a roll, is perhaps the most famous. Made by Kodak in 1952, it features a body moulded in smooth black plastic with an eye-level viewfinder incorporated into the top plus a white shutter button and film wind knob. The camera uses a simple meniscus lens, notorious for producing images sharper at the centre than at the edges. To compensate, the film is led around a curved film plane. Hence the curved back of the camera, which leads to the overall ovoid shape of the body. Snapshot cameras like these are still usable in good sunlight. The lens quality might be a little iffy, but there again, that fact alone should appeal to Lomography fans who delight in strange lens aberrations.

16-on-127

In 1930, Zeiss Ikon introduced a new idea to 127, based on a concept first mooted by Ensign for 120 film. Instead of one red window on the back of the camera where film numbers were wound one to eight, there were two red windows. Frame number ‘1’ was wound to the first window, a picture taken, then ‘1’ was wound to the second window.

www.amateurphotographer.co.uk

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Five different styles of 16-on127 camera, clockwise from top left: Comet III, Zeiss Ikon Baby Ikonta, Zeiss Ikon Kolibri, Nagel Pupille and Eho-Altissa Eho Baby Box

After another exposure, ‘2’ was wound to the first window, then to the second…. and so on until 16 pictures had been taken, each one 3x4cm. That first Zeiss camera was the Kolibri, after which the craze for 16-on cameras was taken up by manufacturers around the world. Many have top-brand lenses, plus full specifications of shutter speeds and apertures, making them still very usable. If you are buying a folding 16-on-127 camera, however, check the bellows appear light-tight.

type mounted on the top plate. Shutter speeds fall into two groups: 1/2-1/15sec, set against a red indicator, and 1/251/1,000sec set against a black indicator. The shutter speed must be set before the film is wound and shutter tensioned. If you fancy using one today, beware. They are rare which makes them expensive and, worse still, shutters are notoriously unreliable.

Single lens reflexes

The first 35mm SLR was the Kine Exakta, but its style was based on an earlier camera that Coupled rangefinder cameras shot eight 6x4.5cm pictures on 127.

Although there are still a great many 127 Between 1933 and 1939, the German Ihagee cameras to be found, they are mostly company made numerous variations on the viewfinder types that rely on manual focusing same theme, exemplified by the Exakta B, without the aid of a rangefinder. The whose clockwork-controlled shutter allows exception is the Ensign Multex, made in 1937 speeds down to a full 12 seconds. The black to shoot 14 exposures of 4x3cm. The lens body has a tapered design that slopes away pulls out on the end of a short tube into its from the lens panel, a focusing hood that shooting position and rotates to focus from springs up from the top to reveal a waist-level 3ft to infinity, coupled to the rangefinder viewfinder and a left-handed shutter below the viewfinder which is a direct vision release on the front of the body. Also Bringing coupled rangefinders to 127 cameras: the Ensign Multex

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02/11/2021 16:07

Testbench

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH 127 film SLRs of more interest to the collector: The Karmaflex (left) and Superfex Baby

Two usable 127 SLRs: the Exakta B (left) and Komaflex-S

worth a glance is the Japanese Komaflex from 1960, which is shaped like a miniature Hasselblad and shoots 12 4x4 images on 127. Telephoto and wideangle adapters screw to the front of the fixed standard lens. Users will find both of these cameras practical. Collectors might prefer the rare German Karmaflex or the Japanese Superflex Baby from 1932 and 1938.

Twin lens reflexes

In 1928, the original Rolleiflex represented the first truly compact roll film TLR. It was followed by a slightly stripped-down version TLRs made for 4x4cm images on 127 film, left to right: pre-war Baby Rollei, post-war Baby Rollei, Yashica 44 LM and the Tokyo Optical Company’s Primo Junior

What to pay Baby Brownie £10-15 Baby Ikonta £30-40 Baby Rollei pre-war and post-war £150-200 Brownie 127 £2-5 Brownie Vecta £7-10 Comet III £25-35 Donald Duck Camera £120-150 Eho Baby Box £15-20 Exakta B £75-100 Ensign Multex £250-300 Karmaflex £80-120 Kolibri £60-100 Komaflex-S £150-175 Pupille £150-250 Purma Plus £20-30 Purma Special £10-15 Superflex Baby £80-120 Vest Pocket Kodak £20-30 Vest Pocket Kodak Vanity versions £150-200 Yashica 44LM £60-100

called the Rolleicord. Their styles greatly influenced manufacturers around the world with models that mostly took 12 exposures 6x6cm on 120 roll film. A few companies, however, transferred the same thinking to smaller cameras that shot 12 4x4cm exposures on 127. Prime among them are Baby Rolleiflex cameras produced in different styles before and after the Second World War. Yashica, Ricoh and the Tokyo Optical Company were among those who also adopted the style. All work on a similar principle: twin lenses that focus in tandem, with the lower one shooting the picture and the upper one reflecting its image onto a hooded viewfinder screen on the top of the body. TLRs made for 127 are usually reliable and capable of quality images.

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Not every 127 camera followed a conventional style. Consider the Purma Special and Purma Plus cameras made in the 1930s and 1950s. Their shutter speeds – engraved around the viewfinder of the Plus model as ‘fast’, ‘medium’ and ‘slow’ – change depending on whether the camera is held horizontally, vertically one way or vertically the other. They each take 16 exposures of 3.2x3.2cm. For real quirkiness, there’s little to beat the Donald Duck camera made by the Toy’s Clan company in the 1970s. Taking the shape of Donald’s head, the lens is behind one eye, the viewfinder is in the other eye and his tongue is the shutter release. Donald shoots 16 4x3cm images.

The quirky side of 127 seen in a Donald Duck camera

Unusual 127 designs seen in the Purma Special (left) and Purma Plus 46

Curious and quirky

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02/11/2021 16:07

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14/09/2021 18:19

Testbench

ACCESSORIES

Lowepro PhotoSport BP 24L AW III Andy Westlake tests a camera backpack that’s designed for walkers l £210 l www.lowepro.com/uk-en

ALL PRICES ARE APPROXIMATE STREET PRICES

WHILE most camera backpacks are primarily designed to hold lots of kit, Lowepro’s PhotoSport models are different, being true dual-purpose bags for those who’d like to carry a camera while out walking or hiking. Here, we’re looking at a 24-litre version that’s ideal for a day in the great outdoors.

In essence, this is a lightweight trekking backpack that’s split into three sections. The lower part holds a padded camera unit that can be accessed through a flap on the side or used externally via the supplied shoulder strap. It’ll hold a large camera body and a couple of lenses, but the supplied dividers don’t make great use of the space. Meanwhile, the top half takes everything else you might need for a day out: sandwiches, sunglasses, headphones and so on. A separate full-height rear compartment is designed to accept a hydration bladder or when it’s work time, a 15in laptop.

As befits a bag that’s designed to be carried all day, one area where the PhotoSport stands out is with regards to its harness. In addition to generously padded shoulder straps complete with a stretchy sternum strap, there’s a deep waist belt which is great for distributing the load onto your hips. The back boasts moulded air channels to help stop you getting sweaty on a long hike.

Several handy pockets are dotted around for organising your belongings, including an externally accessible one in the lid and a particularly handy one on the right side of the waist belt. A set of loops on the left side of the belt allows the attachment of additional pouches, perhaps for a compact camera or lightweight binoculars. Finally, a large stretchy pocket on one side will hold a flask, water bottle or small tripod.

I tested the bag on a 10-mile walk along the North Kent coast, using it to carry the Fujifilm GFX50S II with 35-70mm and 30mm lenses, along with my lunch and personal items. Suffice to say it did the job extremely well, proving itself to be extremely comfortable to carry fully laden for hours on end. At the end of the day my feet may have been aching, but my back was absolutely fine.

Verdict

For outdoorsy photographers who wish to be able to carry more than just their camera kit for a day’s trekking, the Lowepro PhotoSport BP 24L AW III ticks a lot of the right boxes. It’s thoughtfully designed and well made, giving good access to your kit. The only real drawback is the relatively limited size of the camera unit.

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Eco-friendly

Lowepro says that 75% of all the fabric used to construct the bag is recycled.

Recommended

Rain cover

The bright orange waterproof cover is quick to fit, large enough to cover a water bottle and stows away neatly in its own pocket.

Front pocket

The stretchy front pocket is perfect for carrying a lightweight jacket.

Attachment points

A pair of walking poles can be fastened to the outside of the bag. However, there’s no easy way of carrying a full-size tripod.

At a glance l 24-litre capacity l Removable camera unit l Takes enthusiast camera

and two lenses

l Rear hydration or laptop

compartment

THE PHOTOSPORT RANGE Lowepro also offers a smaller 15L model for £165, which is designed to take an APS-C mirrorless camera and a couple of lenses. Like the 24L, it’s available in either blue or grey.

For multi-day hikes, 55L (right) and 70L bags are available for £430 and £460 respectively. www.amateurphotographer.co.uk

01/11/2021 15:15

Tech Talk

Professor Newman on…

The eyes have it A look at eye-controlled autofocus technology and how it actually works

O

ne of the interesting features of the new Canon EOS R3 is that it restores a feature last seen in the film EOS 3 of 1998 – that of eye-controlled autofocus. Early reviews of the camera indicate that the revived technology works well, although it requires calibration in order to work for any individual user.

However, given the complexity of navigating over 1,000 AF points, the operational speed of the system justifies its set-up time.

Since its announcement I have seen a number of adverse comments about the system, possibly derived from Canon’s marketing images. These show beams of light being directed into the eye, causing some people to point out the danger of such an arrangement, and conspiracy theorists to suggest that Canon is building a database of retina patterns for identity tracking. To find out more about how the system works I took a look at the

A

C

D

patent covering it, Japanese Patent Office 2021-076832. This says little about how the system tracks the eye, but a great deal about how the eye is illuminated and imaged. Directing focused beams of infrared light into the eye would indeed be a risk, but thankfully, the system does not do it. Instead it uses 12 LEDs to provide diffuse illumination to the exterior of the eyeball. This implies that the conspiracy is not happening; the system does not image the retina. Also, it’s very unlikely it could produce the kind of database that is feared.

On to the part of the function that the patent doesn’t cover, how the eye position sensor works. This kind of sensor uses essentially the same technology as an optical computer mouse.

The theory of operation is quite simple: the sensor is a small camera, in this case viewing the eye via a beam splitter in the viewfinder’s optical path. It takes pictures of the object over which

B

movement is to be detected. It then performs what is known as a ‘correlation’ operation over the images from successive scans, moving the relative position of the two images pixel by pixel until the correlation between pixels is maximised. The pixel offset then gives the distance and direction that the images have moved relative to each other.

When I first encountered this technology, which was developed

by Hewlett-Packard in 1998, I was surprised by how basic the image sensor was, with some using just 64 pixels. From the Canon patent it appears that the R3’s sensor has more like 1,000 pixels, which might be one of the differences between it and its 23-year-old predecessor. Moreover, the pixels are simple binary affairs, allowing the correlation function to be performed very simply. This can be seen in the illustration below, where an image of an eye has been reduced to just 256 binary pixels. The first two images are the same eye with different lines of sight, which means that the pupil has moved. The remainder are the results of a simple difference operation between the two images, with the alignment between the two images moved one pixel in each direction. The one with the least difference (i.e. fewest white pixels) has the best correlation, and shows where the pupil of the eye has moved between the two.

E

(a) and (b) are 256 pixel, 2-level images of a human eye. (c) is the difference between the two images. In the remainder the image (b) has been displaced by one pixel down (d), down and to the left (e), and to the left (f).

F

Bob Newman is currently Professor of Computer Science at the University of Wolverhampton. He has been working with the design and development of high-technology equipment for 35 years and two of his products have won innovation awards. Bob is also a camera nut and a keen amateur photographer

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Used Sigma £2199

£1399 £2199

24-70 F2.8 L USM II .......................£1199 24-70 F4 IS USM L............................ £699 24-105 F4 IS USM LII M- box........ £799 24-105 F4 IS USM L ......................... £549 28-135 F3.5/5.6 USM ...................... £219 35 F2 IS USM ..................................... £399 50 F1.2 L USM box........................... £997 50 F1.4 USM....................................... £299 50 F1.8 STM box..................................£99 55-250 F4/5.6 IS EFS ....................... £199 60 F2.8 EFS macro ........................... £299 65 F2.8 MPE macro ......................... £849 70-200 F2.8 IS USM LIII ................£1799 70-200 F2.8 IS USM LII .................£1297 70-200 F4 IS USM box.................... £699 70-200 F4 L USM.............................. £449 70-300 F4.5/5.6 U L IS box............ £899 70-300 F4/5.6 IS USM II.................. £449

70-300 F4.5/5.6 USM ...................... £299 85 F1.2 L USM MKII .......................£1299 100 F2.8 IS USM L macro .............. £849 100 F2.8 USM macro ...................... £399 100-400 F4.5/5.6 LII box..............£1799 100-400 F4.5/5.6 L........................... £997 135 F2 USM L box............................ £649 180 F3.5 L USM macro.................£1097 200 F2.8 USM LII .............................. £549 300 F2.8 IS USM LII........................£4499 300 F4 IS USM L................................ £749 400 F5.6 USM L................................. £799 500 F4 IS USM LII ...........................£6999 1.4x extender MKIII ......................... £399 2x extender MKIII............................. £369 SIGMA CAF USED 8-16 F4.5/5.6 HSM DC box ........... £399 10-20 F3.5 EX DC HSM................... £279

Used Canon

£1799

£4499

10-20 F4/5.6 EX DC HSM............... £179 12-24 F4.5/5.6 II HSM ..................... £599 17-50 F2.8 EX DC HS OSM............ £269 17-70 F2.8/4 DC OS HSM .............. £249 18-250 F3.5/6.3 DC OS HSM ........ £199 50-500 F4.5/6.3 HSM OS ............... £799 70-200 F2.8 EX DG OS HSM ......... £599 85 F1.8 EX DG box........................... £499 105 F2.8 EX DG HSM OS box....... £329 120-300 F2.8 DG OS Sport box.£2199 150 F2.8 EX DG OS HSM box....... £649 150-500 F5/6.3 APO DG OS ......... £599 150-600 F5/6.3 sport....................£1197 150-600 F5/6.3 contemporary.... £749 180 F2.8 DG OS macro box.......... £997 300 F2.8 EX DG HSM ....................£1399 800 F5.6 EX DG HSM no hood ..£2199 TC1401 extender ............................. £199

£6999

OTHER CAF USED TAM 10-24 F3.5/4.5 Di II ................ £199 TAM 16-300 F3.5/6.3 II VC............. £399 TAM 28-300 F3.5/6.3 VC PZD....... £499 TAM 70-200 F2.8 VC USD GII box£799 TAM 180 F3.5 Di macro ................. £399 TOK 12-24 F4 ATX Pro II DX box. £299 TOK 12-24 F4 ATX Pro box ........... £249 Kenko ext tubes box .........................£99 FLASH/ACCESSORIES USED 430EX MKIII RT box......................... £229 430EX II................................................ £149 580EX II................................................ £169 580EX ................................................... £129 600EX RT............................................. £299 ST-E3 Speedlight transmitter ...... £269 ST-E2 Speedlight transmitter .........£99 Angle finder C................................... £149

NIKON AUTOFOCUS CAMERAS, LENSES, FLASH, ACCESSORIES ETC USED NIKON Z DIGITAL AF USED Z7 body box ....................................£1499 Z6 body box ...................................... £997 Z50 body box.................................... £599 24-70 F4 S Mint box........................ £599 FTZ adapter ....................................... £239 NIKON DIGITAL AF USED D3 body box....................................... £799 D850 body box................... £2099/2297 D810 body box................... £1199/1397 D780 body Mint box ....................£1699 D750 body box................................. £997 D500 body Mint box ....................£1197 D600 body.......................................... £599 D500 body ......................................... £997 D300 body box................................. £299 D7100 body box .............................. £499 D7200 body box .............................. £649 D7000 body....................................... £299 D3400 body....................................... £299 D3200 body....................................... £199

D3000 body.....£99 D200 body ......................................... £169 MBD-15 (D7100/7200) .................. £129 MBD-12 grip (D810)........................ £249 MBD-200 grip (D200) ........................£69 NIKON AF LENSES USED 8-15 F3.5/4.5 AFS Mint box.......... £997 10-24 F3.5/4.5 AFS .......................... £499 12-24 F4 DX AFS .............................. £499 14-24 F2.8 AFS Mint- box ............. £997 16 F2.8 AFD fisheye box................ £499 16-35 F4 AFS VR box ...................... £699 16-80 F2.8/4 VR DX ......................... £649 18-35 F3.5/4.5 AFS M- box ........... £549 18-35 F3.5/4.5 AFD box................. £239 18-55 F3.5/5.6 AF VR .........................£99 18-105 F3.5/5.6 VR DX AFS........... £199 18-200 F3.5/5.6 VRII box ............... £349 18-200 F3.5/5.6 VR box.................. £199 18-300 F3.5/5.6 VR DX box........... £699 24 F1.4 G AFS Mint........................£1197

24 F2.8 AFD........................................ £349 24-70 F2.8 AFS VR M- box ..........£1499 24-70 F2.8 AFS box ......................... £897 24-85 F3.5/4.5 AFS VR .................... £399 24-120 F4 AFS VR box.................... £499 28-105 F3.5/4.5 AFD....................... £199 28-300 F3.5/5.6 VR box.................. £649 35 F1.4 G AFS M- box..................... £997 35 F1.8 AFS DX box......................... £169 35-105 F3.5/4.5 AFD one touch . £169 40 F2.8 AFS DX macro box........... £249 45 F2.8 PC-E tilt box......................£1199 50 F1.4 AFS G box ........................... £299 50 F1.8 AFS box................................ £169 50 F1.8 AFD box............................... £129 58 F1.4 AFS G box .........................£1099 60 F2.8 AFS box................................ £449 60 F2.8 AFD box............................... £349 70-200 F2.8 E FL Mint...................£1699 70-200 F2.8 AFS VRII M- box.....£1097 70-200 F4 VR box............................. £699

70-300 F4.5/5.6 AF-P ED VR box £479 70-300 F4.5/5.6 AFS VR box......... £349 70-300 F4.5/5.6 G ...............................£99 80-400 F4.5/5.6 AFS VR box.......£1399 80-400 F4.5/5.6 AFD box .............. £699 85 F1.4 AFS box................................ £997 85 F1.4 AFD Mint box .................... £997 105 F1.4 E AFS M- box .................£1499 105 F2.8 AFS VR................................ £599 180 F2.8 ED........................................ £399 200 F4 AFD macro.........................£1599 200-400 F4 AFS VR II box ............£3697 200-500 F5.6 VR AFS box............£1099 300 F2.8 AFS VRII box...................£3997 300 F4 AFS E PF ED VR box ........£1449 500 F4 AFS VR E FL latest box ...£7997 500 F4 AFS VR .................................£4399 500 F5.6 E PF VR AFS box ...........£3199 TC-14EIII .............................................. £439 TC14-EII box....................................... £329 TC17-EII box...£299 TC20-EIII ...... £349

TC-20EII ............................................... £199 SIGMA NAF USED 8 F3.5 EX DG fisheye....................... £599 8-16 F4.5/5.6 HSM DC box ........... £399 10-20 F3.5 DC box........................... £269 10-24 F3.5/4.5 Di II VC HLD.......... £449 12-24 F4.5/5.6 II HSM ..................... £599 18-250 F3.5/6.3 DC OS................... £199 50-500 F4.5/6.3 HSM OS ............... £799 70-200 F2.8 EX DG OS HSM ......... £599 70-300 F4/5.6 DG APO macro..... £139 70-300 F4/5.6 DG macro............... £139 100-400 F5.6/6.3 DG....................... £599 105 F2.8 EX DG HSM OS................ £329 120-300 F2.8 DG OS Sport box.£2199 150 F2.8 EX DG OS HSM box....... £649 150-500 F5/6.3 DG OS HSM......... £599 150-600 F5/6.3 sport....................£1197 150-600 F5/6.3 contemporary.... £749 TC-1401 extender............................ £179 1.4x EX DG conv box ...................... £149

OTHER NAF USED TAM 10-24 F3.5/4.5 Di II VC HLD £449 TAM 16-300 F3.5/6.3 II VC............. £399 TAM 24-70 F2.8 Di VC USD........... £499 TAM 28-300 F3.5/6.3 Di VC PZD . £499 TAM 60 F2 SP DiII macro............... £299 TAM 100-400 F4.5/6.3 Di VC USD ..£599 TOK 11-16 F2.8 ATX ProII .............. £349 TOK 11-16 F2.8 ATX Pro................. £299 TOK 12-24 F4 ATX Pro II................. £299 TOK 12-24 F4 ATX Pro .................... £249 TOK 16-50 F2.8 ATX DX box......... £299 Kenko ext tubes box .........................£99 FLASH / ACCESSORIES USED R1 ring flash....................................... £449 SB-600............£99 SB-700 box ..... £219 SB-900..........£249 SB-910.............. £299 SU-800 box...£299 Nissin i40 .........£99 DR-6 or DR-5 angle finder each . £169 MC-36A rem.....£89 MC-30A rem..£39 SC-17/SC-19/SC-28 cable each......£49

FUJI, MINOLTA/SONY, OLYMPUS, PANASONIC ETC. DIGITAL USED FUJI DIGITAL USED X-H1 body box.................................. £699 X-T4 body Mint- box....................£1299 X-T1 body box................................... £349 X-T10 body box ................................ £199 8-16 F2.8 XF WR box.....................£1399 10-24 F4 R OIS XF box.................... £699 14 F2.8 R box..................................... £529 16-80 F4 XF WR ................................ £599 18-55 F2.8/4 XF Mint- .................... £399 23 F1.4 XF M- box............................ £699 50-140 F2.8 XF box ......................... £997 60 F2.4 XF box .................................. £479 90 F2 R LM WR XF box ................... £699 100-400 F4.5/5.6 XF LM OIS WR.. £1299 1.4x extender XF WR ...................... £279 2x extender XF WR.......................... £339 X100 Limited Edition kit box....... £499 VG-XT3 vertical grip box............... £149

VPB-XT2 grip box............................. £149 VG-XT1 grip ..........................................£79 Nissin Air 10S box...............................£49 MINOLTA/SONY DIGITAL USED Sony RX10 MKIV box....................£1199 Sony RX100 MKIII............................. £299 Sony A100 body..................................£79 Sony VG-C70AM..................................£99 FE 35 F1.4 ZA OSS cox ................... £899 A 16-50 F2.8 SSM DT ...................... £399 A 18-70 F3.5/5.6..................................£89 A 50 F1.8 SAM DT box ......................£99 MINOLTA/SONY A MOUNT AF USED 28-80 F3.5/5.6 ......................................£49 28-85 F3.5/4.5 ......................................£99 35-70 F3.5/4.5 ......................................£29 35-105 F3.5/4.5....................................£99 70-210 F4.5/5.6....................................£79 75-300 F4.5/5.6....................................£79

80-200 F4.5/5.6....................................£49 100-300 F4.5/5.6 APO .................... £199 100-300 F4.5/5.6 .............................. £149 3600HSD flash .....................................£49 OTHER MIN/SONY A MOUNT AF USED SIG 18-300 F3.5/6.3......................... £299 SIG 50-500 F4.5/6.3 HSM OS ....... £899 SIG 70-200 F2.8 EX DG OS box .. £599 SIG 105 F2.8 EX DG OS .................. £329 SIG 150-500 F5/6.3 DG OS box... £599 SIG 1.4x EX converter........................£99 TAM 90 F2.8 SP ................................. £199 Teleplus 1.4x conv..............................£69 Teleplus 2x conv .................................£79 Kenko 1.4x Pro 300DG................... £149 SONY NEX E MOUNT AF USED A6000 body ....................................... £369 E 16-50 F3.5/5.6 PZ OSS ................ £169 E 50 F1.8 OSS box............................ £189

E 55-210 F4.5/6.3 ............................. £219 TAM 70-300 F4/6.3 Di III RXD ...... £479 OLYMPUS 4/3 USED 14-42 F3.5-5.6..£69 14-45 F3.5-5.6 .£69 35 F3.5 ....................................................£99 40-150 F3.5/4.5....................................£99 40-150 F4/5.6 .......................................£69 EX 25 extension tube........................£99 OLYMPUS MICRO 4/3 USED OMD-EM1X body box..................£1499 OMD-EM1 body black.................... £399 OMD-EM5 MKIII body blk M- box..£699 OMD-EM5 MKII body box............. £599 OMD-EM5 body box....................... £299 OMD-EM10 MKII body................... £249 E-PL5 body black box .................... £149 12-40 F2.8 Pro................................... £549 12-100 F4 IS Pro box....................... £799 12-200 F3.5/6.3 box........................ £599

14-42 F3.5/5.6 II AR MSC..................£99 14-150 F4.5/5.6 MKII....................... £429 17 F1.2 ED Pro................................... £799 17 F1.8 box ........................................ £299 25 F1.2 Pro M- box .......................... £997 40-150 F2.8 Pro ................................ £929 40-150 F4/5.6 ED ............................. £149 45 F1.8 silver...................................... £149 60 F2.8 macro box........................... £349 75 F1.8 box ........................................ £499 75-300 F4.8/6.7 MKII Mint box.... £369 SAMYANG 12 F2 Mint box MF .... £239 FL-900AR flash .................................. £379 PANASONIC DIGITAL USED G7 body Silver Mint box ............... £299 GH2 body.......£299 G2 body ..........£99 7-14 F4................................................. £599 14-42 F3.5/5.6 ......................................£99 14-45 F4/5.6....................................... £149

25 F1.4 box ........................................ £379 45-200 F4.5/5.6................................. £199 200 F2.8 box....................................£1299 1.4x converter................................... £299 PENTAX DIGITAL USED K5 body MKII..................................... £449 16-45 F4 ED DA box........................ £199 18-55 F3.5/5.6 AL................................£69 18-250 F3.5/6.3 DA ......................... £249 28-80 F3.5/5.6 silver FA ....................£69 35 F2.4 DA AL.......................................£99 35-80 F4/5.6...£49 50 F1.8 DA .... £119 55-300 F4/5.8 ED WR...................... £299 DG-4 grip for K5 ..................................£79 OTHER PENTAX AF USED SIG 17-70 F2.8 EX DC box............. £199 SIG 70-300 F4/5.6 DG macro....... £139 SIG 150-500 F5/6.3 DG OS HSM. £599 WWW.MIFSUDS.COM

BRONICA, FUJI, HASSELBLAD, MAMIYA, PENTAX ETC. MEDIUM FORMAT USED BRONICA 645 USED ETRSi + 75 PE + WLF + back ........ £699 ETRS + AEII prism + 75 PE + speed grip ...................................... £699 ETRSi body box ................................ £299 40 F4 E ................................................. £299 150 F3.5 E ........................................... £149 200 F4.5 PE......................................... £299 ETRSi 120 back RWC late .............. £119 ETRS 120 back early...........................£99 Polaroid back box...............................£29 Plain prism E box............................. £169 AEII prism ........................................... £169 Speed grip E .........................................£99

Lenshoods various.............................£40 BRONICA 6x6 USED SQAi complete................................£1097 SQAi body .......................................... £499 SQA body ........................................... £299 SQB body............................................ £299 40 F4 PS............................................... £499 50 F3.5 PS box .................................. £349 110 F4.5 PS macro........................... £399 150 F4 PS ............................................ £299 2x converter PS ................................ £299 2x converter S................................... £149 SQAi 120 back late .......................... £199 SQA 120 back early......................... £149

Polaroid back .......................................£29 WLF ....................................................... £199 Lenshoods various...................... £20/50 HASSELBLAD 6x6 USED 500CM + 80 F2.8 + A12..................................................£1997 150 F4 CF............................................ £699 150 F4 Blk T* box............................. £499 45º prism unmetered late ............ £399 A12 black latest box ....................... £499 WLF chrome late.............................. £299 Pola+ back box....................................£79 Lenshood various...............................£49 RCP80 projector + 150 F2.8.......£1499

MAMIYA 645 MF USED Teleplus 2x converter........................£39 120 insert...............................................£29 Ext tube each.......................................£29 MAMIYA 7 RF USED 43 F4.5 L + V/F box ......................... £997 Viewfinder for 150 F4.5 ................. £199 MAMIYA RB USED 55 F4.5 ................................................. £299 Ext tube 1 ..............................................£59 Ext tube 2 ..............................................£59 MAMIYA RZ USED 100-200 F5.2 W................................. £299 180 F4.5 W.......................................... £299

Plain prism ......................................... £349 PENTAX 645 AF USED 55-110 F5.6 FA .................................. £599 80-160 F4.5 FA .................................. £399 150-300 F5.6 FA................................ £599 200 F4 FA ............................................ £399 300 F4 FA ............................................ £799 400 F5.6 FA......................................... £799 PENTAX 645 MF USED 45 F2.8 ................................................. £349 80-160 F4.5 ........................................ £499 120 F4 macro .................................... £399 135 F4 leaf.......................................... £399 200 F4 .................................................. £199

REF converter angle finder box.. £179 PENTAX 6x7 USED 45 F4 late ............................................ £599 55 F4 late ............................................ £499 55-100 F4.5 ........................................ £699 75 F4.5 ................................................. £399 90-180 F5.6 ........................................ £499 100 F4 + macro adapter................ £699 120 F3.5 soft focus .......................... £399 200 F4 late.......................................... £399 300 F4 latest ...................................... £349 2x rear converter grey ................... £299 Wooden grip ..................................... £199 WWW.MIFSUDS.COM

35mm AUTO/MANUAL FOCUS CAMERAS & ACCESSORIES, CANON, MINOLTA, NIKON, OLYMPUS, PENTAX, ETC. USED CANON AF FILM BODIES USED EOS 5 body ...........................................£89 EOS 600 / 650 / 3000 body each...£39 EOS 300 / 50E / 500N body each..£39 EOS 1000/1000fn body each..........£39 CANON FD USED A1 body............................................... £169 AE1P silver body .............................. £169 T90 body............................................. £199 T70 body................................................£99 A1 World Cup 1982 body box..... £249 AV-1 body..............................................£99 50 F1.8 ....................................................£69 50 F2........................................................£69 135 F3.5..................................................£69 2x extender B.......................................£49 FD bellows ......................................... £149 CONTAX USED CZ 180 F2.8 AE.................................. £399

CZ 300 F4 AE ..................................... £399 LEICA USED IIIg body box ..................................... £997 LIGHTMETERS USED Minolta Flashmeter IVF ................. £199 Sekonic L358 box ............................ £329 MINOLTA AF USED 7Xi body.................................................£69 Dynax 3 body.......................................£29 500Si / 505Si Super body each......£29 MINOLTA MD USED X700 body.......................................... £199 X300s body black ...............................£99 X300 body blk/chrome ....................£99 28-70 F3.5/4.8 ......................................£69 50 F1.7 ....................................................£79 50 F3.5 macro ................................... £149 70-210 F4...............................................£99 75-200 F4.5 ...........................................£99

100-300 F5.6...................................... £149 Kenko Teleplus macro conv............£69 Auto bellows III................................. £149 Bellows IV box................................... £149 Macro ext tube for 50 F3.5..............£49 Auto ext tube set................................£89 VC700 grip ............................................£49 NIKON AF FILM BODIES USED F5 body box....................................... £699 F4s body ............................................. £499 F801 body .............................................£99 F801s body ...........................................£99 NIKON MF USED Nikon F Photomic FTn Apollo chrome body..................................... £699 F3 body ............................................... £499 CF22 case for F3..................................£39 CF20 case for F3..................................£39 DW-4 finder for F3..............................£89

F2 Photomic + DP-1 chrome....... £599 FM2n body Black ............................. £599 FM2n body Chrome........................ £599 F301 body .............................................£69 15 F3.5 AIS.......................................... £799 24 F2.8 AI............................................ £299 28 F3.5 AI............................................ £169 28 F4 shift........................................... £499 28-85 F3.5/4.5 AIS............................ £299 35 F2 AI ............................................... £249 35-70 F3.5 AIS ......................................£99 35-105 F3.5/4.5 AIS......................... £149 50 F1.4 AIS box................................. £299 50 F1.4 AI............................................ £249 50 F1.8 AIS.......................................... £149 50 F2 AI ..................................................£99 55 F2.8 AIS micro............................. £199 80-200 F4 AIS .................................... £249 85 F2 AI box....................................... £299

100-300 F5.6 AIS .............................. £149 105 F2.5 AI ......................................... £299 105 F4 AI macro ............................... £199 135 F2.8 AI ......................................... £199 300 F4.5 ED AI................................... £299 TC14B conv ...........................................£99 TC300 conv ........................................ £149 SAMYANG 85 F1.4 Mint box MF. £249 DG-2 Eyepiece magnifier.................£59 DR-4 Angle finder box................... £129 SB-8A flash............................................£69 OLYMPUS OM USED OM-2N body chrome ..................... £299 OM-2 body chrome box................ £299 OM-1N body chrome..................... £299 OM-10 chrome body.........................£79 28-48 F4 .............................................. £129 35-70 F4 .................................................£99 35-105 F3.5/4.5................................. £149

50 F1.8 ....................................................£99 135 F3.5..................................................£99 200 F4 .................................................. £129 7/14/25 ext tube each ......................£20 14/25 auto ext tube each................£29 Converter 2x A.....................................£99 PENTAX AF USED SFXN body ............................................£39 PENTAX MF USED 17 F4 PK .............................................. £399 50 F1.4 PK........................................... £149 50 F1.7 PK..............................................£69 50 F2 PK .................................................£49 80-200 F4.5 PK.....................................£69 135 F3.5 PK ...........................................£79 300 F4 PK box ................................... £399 400 F5.6 PK ............................... £399/499 Bellows M + slide copier............... £199 WWW.MIFSUDS.COM

ITEM YOU REQUIRE NOT LISTED? EMAIL DETAILS OF WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR AND WE WILL EMAIL YOU WHEN WE CAN HELP. CORRECT 29/10/2021.

Mail order used items sold on 10 day approval. Return in ‘as received’ condition for refund if not satisfied (postage not included - mail order only). E&OE.

AP_2021-11-13_Mifsuds Photographic Ltd_DPS.indd 3

29/10/2021 18:34

Mifsuds Photographic Ltd Est. 1954.

Family Run Pro Dealership With Friendly, Knowledgeable Staff.

27-29, Bolton Street, Brixham. Devon. TQ5 9BZ.

www.mifsuds.com

01803 852400

info@mifsuds.com

Opening times: - Monday - Saturday 10am till 4pm. Closed Sunday.

New Stock

CANON EOS R3

Body only

£5879

New Stock

CANON RF 100-400mm F5/6.8 IS USM

Our Price

£699

MIRRORLESS R SERIES CAMERAS & LENSES EOS R5 body ................................................................£4299 EOS R6 body ................................................................£2399 EOS R6 plus 24-105mm F4/7.1 IS STM .............£2729 RF 5.2mm F2.8L DUAL FISHEYE............................£2099 RF 14-35mm F4 L IS USM .......................................£1749 RF 15-35mm F2.8 L IS USM ....................................£2389 RF 16mm F2.8 STM black ......................................... £319 RF 24-70mm F2.8 L IS USM ....................................£2389 RF 24-105mm F4 L IS USM .....................................£1149 RF 24-105mm F4/7.1 IS STM STM.................................... £479 RF 24-240mm F4/6.3 IS USM ................................... £959 RF 28-70mm F2 L USM ...........................................£3099 RF 35mm F18 IS STM Macro.................................. £529 RF 50mm f1.2 L USM ................................................£2389 RF 50mm F1.8 STM ..................................................... £219 RF 70-200mm F2.8 L IS USM USM..................................£2729

RF 70-200mm F4 L IS USM .....................................£1699 RF 85mm F1.2 I USM DS .........................................£3299 RF 85mm F1.2 L USM ...............................................£2869 RF 85mm F2 IS Macro ................................................ £669 RF 100mm F2.8L IS USM Macro ...........................£1479 RF 100-400mm F5/6.8 IS USM black..................... £699 RF 100-500mm F4.5/7.1 L IS USM .......................£2979 RF 400mm F2.8 L IS USM ..................................... £12449 RF 600mm F4 L IS USM ........................................ £13409 RF 600mm F11 IS STM ............................................... £769 RF 800mm F11 IS STM ............................................... £999 RF 1.4 Extender ............................................................ £579 RF 2x Extender.............................................................. £719 BG-R10 grip fits R5 / R6 ............................................. £419 LP-E6NH battery ....................................................£119.99 Mount adapter EF-EOS R ....................................£119.99

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MORE NEW STOCK LISTED ON OUR WEBSITE - WWW.MIFSUDS.COM

FULL FRAME CAMERAS EOS 1DX MKIII body .................................................£6999 EOS 5D MKIV body....................................................£2869 EOS 6D MKII body .....................................................£1429 EOS 6D MKII + 24-105mm F3.5/5.6 IS STM ......£1819 NON FULL FRAME CAMERAS EOS 90D body.............................................................£1249 EOS 90D plus 18-55mm ..........................................£1349 EOS 90D plus 18-135mm........................................£1629 18-135mm EOS 80D body......£799 EOS 850D body ............ £859 EOS 250D body ...£569 EOS 250D + 18-55mm £629 EOS 2000D body.£379 EOS 2000D + 18-55mm...£468

URGENTLY WANTED

OTHER CANON CAMERAS Powershot G5X MarkII ............................................... £849 Powershot G7X MarkIII ........................................... £699 Powershot SX70HS ..................................................... £579 M50 Mark II plus 15-45mm ...................................... £699 M50 Mark II plus 18-150mm ................................... £949 PANASONIC BRIDGE & COMPACTCAMERAS FZ1000 MarkII ............................................................... £729 FZ330 ........................£429 FZ82............................... £299 LX15...........................£429 LX100 MarkII............... £749 TZ200 ........................£599 TZ95............................... £399

Quality Used Equipment Part Exchange Welcome

BEST PRICES PAID

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NI

FUJI

BRON

CALL MATT 0736 828 8126 Open 8am till 8pm daily. RING NOW! Or email equipment details to info@mifsuds.com

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FREE BAG DEAL - SEE HOMEPAGE Sensor cleaning and Pro equipment hire available

ANY PRICES SHOWN INCLUDE VAT AND U.K. MAINLAND DELIVERY. Correct 29/10/2021. E&OE. AP_2021-11-13_Mifsuds Photographic Ltd_DPS.indd 2

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29/10/2021 18:33

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AP_2021-07-10_Ffordes (photographic) Ltd.indd 1

28/06/2021 09:56

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Buying Guide

110

cameras listed & rated

Our comprehensive listing of key camera specifications Controls

Cameras Cameras come in three types: DSLRs with optical viewfinders, mirrorless models with electronic viewing, and compact cameras with non-interchangeable lenses

Handgrip

DSLRs traditionally have relatively large handgrips, while many mirrorless models have much smaller grips to keep size down.

However, some can accept accessory grips to improve handling with larger lenses.

Lens mount

Each camera brand uses its own lens mount, and mirrorless cameras use different lenses to DSLRs even from the same brand.

However, mirrorless models can often use DSLR lenses via a mount adapter.

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Entry-level cameras tend to have simple, easy-to-understand controls, while more expensive models add lots of buttons and dials to give quick access to settings.

Viewfinder

The biggest difference between DSLRs and mirrorless cameras is that the latter use electronic, rather than optical viewfinders.

Some advanced compact cameras also have built-in electronic viewfinders to complement their rear LCD screens.

AMOST all serious photographers prefer to use cameras with interchangeable lenses, as this gives the greatest degree of creative flexibility. At one time, this meant digital single-lens-reflex (DSLR) cameras, but these have now been joined by mirrorless cameras that use electronic viewfinders. The latest models are true alternatives to DSLRs, offering the same image quality and creative options. Camera

Compact cameras These range from small, pocketable models to large bridge-type cameras with long zoom lenses and SLR-style designs.

In this guide, we’re only including those with relatively large sensors for high image quality, raw format recording and manual controls.

manufacturers offer a range of options, from simple, relatively inexpensive beginner-friendly designs, to sophisticated professional models. In the middle of the range you’ll find enthusiast cameras with more advanced control layouts. Meanwhile the term ‘compact’ refers to cameras with built-in lenses, regardless of their size. Many offer excellent image quality and full manual control.

Park Cameras was established in 1971 in Burgess Hill, West Sussex. For 50 years they have forged a reputation across the photographic industry as one of the top independent photographic retailers in the UK, serving the needs of all photographers, from enthusiasts through to professionals, through the very highest level of customer service.

53

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NEW

ALL PRICES ARE RRPS, STREET PRICES MAY VARY

NEW

NAME & MODEL

RRP SCORE

Canon EOS M200

£499

Canon EOS M50 Mark II

SUMMARY

SHOOTING

Basic entry-level viewfinderless model gains 4K video recording

SCREEN

WEIGHT (G)

DEPTH (MM)

HEIGHT (MM)

WIDTH (MM)

ARTICULATED LCD TOUCHSCREEN BATTERY LIFE (SHOTS)

SCREEN SIZE (IN)

FLASH

BUILT-IN WI-FI

VIEWFINDER

BURST MODE (FPS)

MIC INPUT

AF POINTS

VIDEO

MAX ISO

LENS MOUNT

SENSOR SIZE

Mirrorless cameras

RESOLUTION (MP)

BUYING GUIDE

DIMENSIONS

APS-C 24.1 Canon M 25,600 3840 143 6.1

• • 3

• • 315 108.2 67.1 35.1 299

£699 4★ Likeable, easy-to-use entry-level APS-C model with viewfinder

APS-C 24.2 Canon M 51,200 3840 • 143 10 •

• • 3

• • 250 116.3 88.1 58.7 387

Canon EOS M6 Mark II

£869 4★ Sports 32.5MP sensor and 14fps shooting, uses removable viewfinder

APS-C 32.5 Canon M 51,200 3840 • 143 14

• • 3

• • 305 119.6 70

49.2 398

Canon EOS RP

£1400 4★ Compact and affordable but over-simplified full-frame camera ever

FF

26.2 Canon RF 102,400 3840 • 4779 5 •

•

3

• • 250 132.5 85

70 485

Canon EOS R

£2350 4★ Canon’s first full-frame mirrorless uses the EOS 5D Mark IV’s sensor

FF

30.3 Canon RF 102,400 3840 • 5655 8 •

•

3.2

• • 350 135.8 98.3 84.4 660

Canon EOS R3

£5880

FF

24.1 Canon RF 204,800 6000 • 4779 30 •

•

3.2

• • 860 150 142.6 87.2 1015

Canon EOS R5

£4200 4.5★ Remarkable 45MP powerhouse capable of internal 8K video recording

FF

45 Canon RF 102,400 4096 • 5940 12 •

•

3.2

• • 320 135.8 97.5 88 738

Canon EOS R6

£2500 5★ Superb all-rounder with in-body stabilisation and dual card slots

FF

20.1 Canon RF 204,800 3840 • 6072 12 •

•

3

• • 380 138.4 97.5 88.4 680

Fujifilm X-A7

£699 3★ Sports large fully articulated LCD, but frustrating controls

APS-C 24.2 Fuji X 51,200 3840 • 425 6

• • 3.5

• • 270 119

Fujifilm X-E4

£799 4★ Sharply-styled, compact mirrorless model with a tilt-up selfie screen

APS-C 26.1 Fuji X 51,200 3840 • 425 20 •

•

3

• • 460 121.3 72.9 32.7 364

Fujifilm X-Pro3

£1799 4★ Employs unusual hidden rear LCD design that polarises opinions

APS-C 26.1 Fuji X 51,200 4096 • 425 20 •

•

3

• • 370 140.5 82.8 46.1 497

Fujifilm X-S10

£949 5★ Fine SLR-styled model with in-body image stabilisation and large handgrip

APS-C 26.1 Fuji X 51,200 3840 • 425 20 •

• • 3

• • 325 126

85.1 65.4 465

Fujifilm X-T200

£749 3.5★ Fine handling and great image quality, but slow and buggy in use

APS-C 24.2 Fuji X 51,200 3840 • 425 8 •

• • 3.5

• • 270 121

83.7 55.1 370

Fujifilm X-T30

£849 5★ Superb mid-range model that borrows much of its tech from the X-T3

APS-C 26.1 Fuji X 51,200 3840 • 425 8 •

• • 3

• • 380 118.4 82.8 46.8 383

Fujifilm X-T30 II

£769

Gains higher-resolution screen and numerous small updates over X-T30

APS-C 26.1 Fuji X 51,200 4096 • 425 8 •

• • 3

• • 390 118.4 82.8 46.8 378

Fujifilm X-T3

£1349 5★ New sensor and improved autofocus make it the best APS-C camera yet

APS-C 26.1 Fuji X 51,200 4096 • 425 20 •

•

3

• • 390 132.5 92.8 58.8 539

Fujifilm X-T4

£1549 5★ Exciting update with in-body stabilisation and fully articulated screen

APS-C 26.1 Fuji X 51,200 4096 • 425 20 •

•

3

• • 500 134.6 92.8 63.8 607

Leica CL

£2250 4.5★ Gorgeous APS-C mirrorless model with viewfinder and touchscreen

APS-C 24.2 Leica L 50,000 3840 49 10 •

•

3 • 220 131

78

45 403

Leica TL2

£1700 4★ Update to the TL with 24MP sensor and much faster operation

APS-C 24

Leica L 50,000 3840 49 20

•

3.7 • 250 134

69

33 399

Leica SL2

£5300 4★ Sports 47.3MP full-frame sensor, in-body stabilisation and 5K video

FF

47.3 Leica L 50,000 5120 • 225 20 •

•

3.2 • 370 147 107

83 916

Leica SL2-S

£3975 4★ More affordable 24MP version of the SL2 with pro video features

FF

24.6 Leica L 100,000 4096 • 225 25 •

•

3.2 • 510 146 107

83 931

Nikon Z 5

£1719 4★ Simplified version of the Z 6, comes with compact 24-50mm f/4-6.3 zoom

FF

24.3 Nikon Z 102,400 3840 • 273 4.5 •

•

3.2

• • 470 134 100.5 69.5 675

Nikon Z 6

£2099 5★ Full-frame mirrorless all-rounder with 24MP sensor and 12fps shooting

FF

24.5 Nikon Z 204,800 3840 • 273 12 •

•

3.2

• • 330 134 100.5 67.5 675

Nikon Z 6II

£1999 4.5★ Second-generation full-frame mirrorless model with useful updates

FF

24.5 Nikon Z 204,800 3840 • 273 14 •

•

3.2

• • 410 134 100.5 69.5 705

Nikon Z 7

£3399 5★ High-resolution full-frame mirrorless with in-body stabilisation

FF

45.7 Nikon Z 102,400 3840 • 493 9 •

•

3.2

• • 330 134 100.5 67.5 675

Nikon Z 7II

£2999 4.5★ Gains dual card slots, faster shooting, 4K 60p video and vertical grip option

FF

45.7 Nikon Z 102,400 3840 • 493 10 •

•

3.2

• • 420 134 100.5 69.5 705

Nikon Z 9

£5299

FF

45.7 Nikon Z 102,400 7680 • 493 20 •

•

3.2

• • 700 149 149.5 90.5 1340

Nikon Z 50

£849 5★ Well-specified APS-C mirrorless model boasts excellent handling

DX

20.9 Nikon Z 204,800 3840 • 209 11 •

• • 3.2

Nikon Z fc

£899 4★ Lovely-looking retro-styled model with fully articulated touchscreen

DX

20.9 Nikon Z 204,800 3840

High-speed, pro-spec flagship model that’s packed full of clever technology

High-speed, high-resoluttion flagship with pro build and connectivity

• 209 11 •

• 3

67.7 41.1 320

NEW

• • 320 126.5 93.5 60 450 • •

300 134.5 93.5 43.5 445

We’ve tried our hardest to ensure that the information in this guide is as complete and accurate as possible. However, some errors will inevitably have crept in along the way: if you spot one, please let us know by emailing ap.ed@kelsey.co.uk. Unfortunately we don’t have space to list every single product on the market, so we don’t include the most expensive speciality items. Before making a purchase we advise you to check prices, along with any crucial specifications or requirements, with either a reputable retailer or the manufacturer’s website.

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Ricoh GR IIIx

Speak to a member of our expert team for free impartial advice to help you find the perfect camera for your needs.

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tral London stores , or for over 1,500 cameras.com/used.

SUMMARY

WEIGHT (G)

DEPTH (MM)

RRP SCORE

Olympus PEN E-P7

£749 4★ Viewfinderless model with 20MP sensor and creative processing controls

4/3 20.3 Mic4/3 25,600 3840 121 15

• • 3

• • 360 118.3 68.5 38.1 337

Olympus OM-D E-M10 IV

£699 4.5★ Compact, lightweight, enjoyable to use and takes great-looking pictures

4/3 20.2 Mic4/3 25,600 3840 121 15 •

• • 3

• • 360 121.7 84.4 49 383

Olympus OM-D E-M5 III

£1100 5★ Very capable camera with a small, lightweight, weather-sealed body

4/3 20.4 Mic4/3 25,600 4096 • 121 10 •

•

3

• • 310 125.3 85.2 49.7 414

Olympus OM-D E-M1 III

£1600 5★ Super-fast, incredible IS and packed full of advanced features

4/3 20.4 Mic4/3 25,600 4096 • 121 60 •

•

3

• • 420 134.1 90.9 68.9 580

Olympus OM-D E-M1X

£2800 4.5★ Pro-spec high-speed model with built-in vertical grip

4/3 20.4 Mic4/3 25,600 4096 • 121 60 •

•

3

• • 2580 144.4 146.8 75.4 997

Panasonic Lumix G9

£1499 4.5★ High-speed, rugged photo-centric flagship camera with in-body IS

4/3 20.3 Mic4/3 25,600 3840 • 225 9 •

•

3

• • 890 136.9 97.3 91.6 658

Panasonic Lumix G90

£899 4.5★ Versatile SLR-shaped stills/video hybrid with 4K video and in-body IS

4/3 20.3 Mic4/3 25,600 3840 • 49 9 •

• • 3

• • 290 130.4 93.5 77.4 533

Panasonic Lumix G100

£590 4★ Small SLR-shaped camera specifically designed for vloggers

4/3 20.3 Mic4/3 25,600 3840 • 49 10 •

• • 3

• • 270 115.6 82.5 54.2 345

Panasonic Lumix GX880

£400

4/3 16

Mic4/3 25,600 3840 49 5.8

• • 3

• • 210 106.5 64.6 33.3 270

Panasonic Lumix GX9

£699 4★ Compact body with tilting screen and viewfinder, and 5-axis stabilisation

4/3 20.3 Mic4/3 25,600 3840 49 9 •

• • 3

• • 900 124

Panasonic Lumix GH5 II

£1499 4.5★ Video-focused high-end model with in-body stabilisation and 4K video

4/3 20.2 Mic4/3 25,600 4096 • 225 12 •

•

3

• • 410 138.5 98.1 87.4 727

Panasonic Lumix GH5S

£2199

4/3 10.2 Mic4/3 204,800 4096 • 225 11 •

•

3.2

• • 410 138.5 98.1 87.4 660

Panasonic Lumix S1

£2199 4.5★ 24MP full-frame mirrorless with exceptional viewfinder

FF

24.2 Leica L 204,800 3840 • 225 9 •

•

3.2

• • 380 148.9 110

Panasonic Lumix S1H

£3600

FF

24.2 Leica L 204,800 4096 • 225 9 •

•

3.2

• • 380 151 114.2 110.4 1164

Panasonic Lumix S1R

£3399 4.5★ High-resolution full-frame mirrorless with in-body stabilisation

FF

47.3 Leica L 51,200 3840 • 229 9 •

•

3.2

• • 360 148.9 110

Panasonic Lumix S5

£1800 4.5★ Compact-bodied, enthusiast-focused model designed for both stills and video

FF

24.2 Leica L 204,800 3840 • 225 7 •

•

3

• • 440 132.6 97.1 81.9 714

Sigma fp

£1999 4★ Smallest full-frame mirrorless, but compromised features and handling

FF

24.6 Leica L 102,400 3840 • 49 18

3.2 • 280 112.6 69.9 45.3 422

Sigma fp L

£1999 4★ High-resolution version of the fp with 61MP full-frame sensor

FF

61.0 Leica L 102,400 3840 • 49 10

3.2 • 240 112.6 69.9 45.3 427

Sony Alpha 6000

£670 4.5★ A fine camera for its time, but now very much showing its age

APS-C 24

Sony E 25,600 1080 179 11 •

• • 3

• 310 120

67

Sony Alpha 6100

£830

APS-C 24.2 Sony E 51,200 3840 • 425 11 •

• • 3

• • 380 120

66.9 59.4 396

Sony Alpha 6400

£1000 4★ Extraordinary new autofocus system, but in an outdated body design

APS-C 24.2 Sony E 102,400 3840 • 425 11 •

• • 3

• • 360 120

66.9 49.9 403

Sony Alpha 6600

£1450 4★ In-body stabilistion and impressive autofocus, but frustrating body design

APS-C 24.2 Sony E 102,400 3840 • 425 11 •

• • 3

• • 720 120

66.9 59 503

Sony Alpha 1

£6500 5★ Flagship model with an unprecedented combination of resolution and speed

FF

50.1 Sony E 102,400 7680 • 759 30 •

•

3

• • 530 128.9 96.9 80.8 737

Sony Alpha 7 II

£1498 5★ The full-frame Alpha 7 II includes in-body image stabilisation

FF

24.3 Sony E 25,600 1080 • 117 5 •

•

3

• 350 126.9 95.7 59.7 556

Sony Alpha 7 III

£1999 5★ Remarkable all-rounder with 10fps shooting and 4K video recording

FF

24.2 Sony E 204,800 3840 • 693 10 •

•

3

• • 610 126.9 95.6 73.7 650

Sony Alpha 7 IV

£2400

Boasts 33MP sensor, fully articulated screen and updated controls

FF

33.0 Sony E 204,800 3840 • 759 10 •

•

3

• • 610 131

96.4 79.8 658

Sony Alpha 7C

£1900 3.5★ Compact full-frame design let down by poor handling and tiny EVF

FF

24.2 Sony E 204,800 3840 • 693 10 •

•

3

• • 680 124

71.1 59.7 509

Sony Alpha 7R III

£3200 5★ Same sensor as A7R II, but faster and with improved body design

FF

42.4 Sony E 102,400 3840 • 399 10 •

•

3

• • 650 126.9 95.6 73.7 657

Sony Alpha 7R IV

£3500 5★ Superb high-resolution, full-frame mirrorless with new 61MP sensor

FF 61.0 Sony E 102,400 3840 • 567 10 •

•

3

• • 670 128.9 96.4 77.5 665

Sony Alpha 7S III

£3800 4.5★ Huge update gains fully articulated screen and new touch interface

FF

12.1 Sony E 409,600 3840 • 759 10 •

•

3

• • 600 128.9 96.9 80.8 600

Sony Alpha 9

£4500 5★ Super-fast 20fps shooting and stunning overall performance

FF

24.2 Sony E 204,800 3840 • 693 20 •

•

3

• • 650 126.9 95.6 63 673

Sony Alpha 9 II

£4800

A9 gains professional connectivity options and an improved body design

FF

24.2 Sony E 204,800 3840 • 693 20 •

•

3

• • 500 128.9 96.4 77.5 678

Sony ZV-E10

£680

Designed for vlogging, with high-end microphone and fully articulated screen APS-C 24.2 Sony E 51,200 3840 • 425 11

•

3

• • 440 113

Professional video version of GH5 with 10.2MP multi-aspect sensor

Specialist full-frame mirrorless model designed for pro-level video

Update to the A6000 with Sony’s latest AF technology and 4K video

SCREEN

HEIGHT (MM)

WIDTH (MM)

ARTICULATED LCD TOUCHSCREEN BATTERY LIFE (SHOTS)

NAME & MODEL

Tiny easy-to-use pocket camera with tilting screen and 4K video

SHOOTING

SCREEN SIZE (IN)

FLASH

BUILT-IN WI-FI

VIEWFINDER

BURST MODE (FPS)

MIC INPUT

AF POINTS

VIDEO

MAX ISO

LENS MOUNT

RESOLUTION (MP)

Mirrorless cameras

SENSOR SIZE

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DIMENSIONS

72.1 46.8 450

96.7 899

96.7 898

45 344

64.2 44.7 343

Sony a7 IV

£2,399.00

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ALL PRICES ARE RRPS, STREET PRICES MAY VARY

SUMMARY

SHOOTING

WEIGHT (G)

DEPTH (MM)

NAME & MODEL

RRP SCORE

Canon EOS 2000D

£469 3★

Minor update to EOS 1300D gains 24.1MP sensor

APS-C 24.1 Canon EF 12,800 1080 9 3 95 • • 3

Canon EOS 250D

£530 4★

Very compact entry-level DSLR with fully articulated screen and 4K video

APS-C 24.1 Canon EF 51,200 3840

• 9 5 95 • • 3

• • 1070 122.4 92.6 69.8 449

Canon EOS 850D

£820 4★ Fully featured upper entry-level DSLR includes 4K video recording

APS-C 24.1 Canon EF 51,200 3840

• 45 7 95 • • 3

• •

Canon EOS 90D

£1210 4★

APS-C 32.5 Canon EF 51,200 3840

• 45 10 100 • • 3

• • 1300 140.7 104.8 76.8 701

Canon EOS 6D Mark II

£1999 4.5★ Includes 26.2MP full-frame sensor and fully articulated screen

FF

26.2 Canon EF 102,400 1080

• 45 6.5 98 • 3

• • 1,200 144 110.5 74.8 765

Canon EOS 5D Mark IV

£3599 4.5★ Hugely accomplished workhorse model, but pricey

FF

30.4 Canon EF 102,400 3840

• 61 7 7 100 • 3.2

•

Canon EOS-1D X Mark III

£6499

Super-fast pro model for sports and action photographers

FF

20.1 Canon EF 819,200 5496

• 191 16 100 • 3.2

• 2,850 158 167.6 82.6 1440

Nikon D3500

£499 4★

Easy-to-use entry-level DSLR with Bluetooth connectivity

DX

24.2 Nikon F 25,600 1080 11 5 95

Nikon D5600

£800 4.5★ Excellent image quality and handling, plus Bluetooth connectivity

DX

24.1 Nikon F 25,600 1080

• 39 5 95 • • 3.2 • •

970 124

Nikon D7500

£1299 4.5★ Places the excellent sensor from the D500 into a smaller body

DX

20.9 Nikon F 1,640,000 3840

• 51 8 100 • • 3.2 • •

950 135.5 104

Nikon D500

£1729 5★

Probably the best DX-format DSLR ever, with remarkable autofocus

DX

20.9 Nikon F 1,640,000 3840

• 153 10 100 • 3.2 • • 1,240 147 115

81

860

Nikon D780

£2199 5★

Superb all-rounder blends the best of DSLR and mirrorless technology

FX

24.5 Nikon F 204,800 3840

• 51 7 100 • 3.2 • • 2,060 143.5 115.5 76

840

Nikon D850

£3499 5★

High speed and superb image quality make this the best DSLR yet

FX

45.7 Nikon F 102,400 3840

• 153 7 100 • 3.2 • • 1,840 146 124

Nikon D5

£5199

Nikon’s top-end sports and action model for professionals

FX

20.8 Nikon F 3,280,000 3840

• 153 14 100 3.2 • • 3,780 160 158.5 92 1405

Nikon D6

£6299

Latest pro-level high-speed sports camera boasts new AF system

FX

20.8 Nikon F 3,280,000 3840

• 105 14 100 • 3.2

Pentax K-70

£600 4.5★ Solid performer with fully articulated screen and in-body stabilisation

APS-C 24.2 Pentax K 102,400 1080 11 6 100 • • 3

•

410 125.5 93

74

688

Pentax KP

£1099 4★

Compact but well-specified DSLR with interchangeable hand-grips

APS-C 24.3 Pentax K 819,200 1080

• 27 7 100 • • 3

•

390 131.5 101

76

703

Pentax K-3 III

£1899 4★

Highly specified but pricey APS-C DSLR that boasts a large viewfinder

APS-C 25.7 Pentax K 1,600,000 3840

• 101 12 100 • 3.2

Pentax K-1 II

£1799 4.5★ Well-featured full-frame DSLR that’s excellent value for money

Mid-range DSLR boasts 32.5MP sensor, 10fps shooting and 4K video

Trade-in or sell your gear 56

53-57 BuyingGuideCameras Nov13 AW.indd 56

FF

36

Pentax K 819,200 1080

SCREEN

HEIGHT (MM)

WIDTH (MM)

ARTICULATED LCD TOUCHSCREEN BATTERY LIFE (SHOTS)

SCREEN SIZE (IN)

BUILT-IN WI-FI FLASH

VF COVERAGE (%)

AF POINTS BURST MODE (FPS)

MIC INPUT

VIDEO

MAX ISO

LENS MOUNT

SENSOR SIZE

DSLR cameras

RESOLUTION (MP)

BUYING GUIDE

DIMENSIONS 500 129 101.3 77.6 475

800 131 102.6 76.2 515

900 151 116

• 3 1,550 124

• 33 4.4 100 • 3.2 •

890

97

69.5 415

97

78

• 3,580 160 163

•

76

465

72.5 720

78.5 1005

92 1450

800 134.5 103.5 73.5 820

670 136.5 110

85.5 1010

5%

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NEW

SHOOTING

WEIGHT (G)

DEPTH (MM)

NAME & MODEL

RRP SCORE

Canon G1 X Mark III

£1149 5★ Rewrites the rule book by fitting an APS-C sensor in a compact body

APS-C 24.2

Canon G3 X

£799 3.5★ Long zoom range, but let down by slow shooting and no built-in EVF

1in

20.2

24-600

12,800 1080 • 5.9

• • 3.2in • • 300 123.3 76.5 105.3 733

Canon G5 X Mark II

£849 4★ Handles well and gives great image quality, but sluggish AF in low light

1in

20.2

24-120

25,600 3840 30 •

• • 3in

• • 230 110.9 60.9 46 340

Canon G7 X Mark II

£549 4.5★ Pocketable body that handles well, with really useful zoom range

1in

20.1

24-100

12,800 1080

• • 3in

• • 265 105.5 60.9 42 319

Canon G7 X Mark III

£699 4★ Lovely pocket camera that includes 4K video and YouTube live streaming

1in 20.1 24-100 25,600 3840 • 30 • • 3in • • 265 105.5 60.9 41.4 304

Canon G9 X Mark II

£449 4★ Slim, stylish, pocketable camera gives great image quality

1in

Fujifilm X100V

£1999 5★ Replaces the X100F with new lens, tilting screen and weather-sealing

Leica C-Lux

£875

Customised, re-badged version of the Panasonic TZ200

1in

Leica D-Lux 7

£1075

Customised, re-badged version of the Panasonic LX100 II

Leica V-Lux 5

£1049

Leica Q2

£4250

Leica Q2 Monochrom

25,600 1080

9 •

8

•

•

3in

• •

DIMENSIONS 200 115

77.9 51.4 399

28-84

12,800 1080 8.2

• • 3in • 235 98

57.9 30.8 206

35

51,200 3840 • 20 •

• • 3in

74.8 53.3 478

24-360

25,000 3840 10 •

• • 3in • 370 113

67

46 340

4/3 17

24-75

25,000 3840 11 •

•

66

64 392

Customised, re-badged version of the Panasonic FZ1000 II

1in

20.1

25-400

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Panasonic FZ2000

£600 4.5★ Sophisticated bridge camera with strong focus on 4K video

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25,600 3840 • 12 •

• • 3in

• • 350 137.6 101.9 134.7 966

Panasonic LX15

£370 4.5★ Likeable advanced compact with ultra-fast f/1.4-2.8 zoom lens

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• • 3in

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4/3 17

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•

Panasonic TZ100

£350 4.5★ Long zoom lens in pocket-sized body makes for a fine travel camera

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Fine pocket camera, but showing its age in terms of specifications

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57

01/11/2021 17:02

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01/11/2021 11:21

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AP_2021-11-13_Park Cameras Ltd_DPS.indd 1

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01/11/2021 10:36

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02/11/2021 15:25

Photo Critique

Final Analysis Paul Hill considers…

Petticoat Lane, London, 1966 by Roger Taylor

‘W

hat connects mustard and photography?’ asked Roger Taylor, the UK’s premier photographic historian, at the beginning of his lecture at Trent Polytechnic, Nottingham, in 1978. I was in the audience and we were all fascinated by this intriguing question. I have heard Roger talk many times over the years, and he always injects this sort of stuff into his enthusiastic and entertaining presentations. Although he is an emeritus professor of photography and a world-renowned photographic scholar – he has just been to Windsor Castle to get the Royal Victorian Order from the Queen for services to the Royal Collection – he makes photographic history engaging, with humour and humanity.

His journey to this world of historic collections and dusty artefacts started at the end of World War Two when he was five. A family friend, who was a professional photographer in Manchester, lent him a camera whilst they were on holiday at the seaside, and said: ‘Go and photograph that seagull.’ That photographer was Rex Lowden, who was to have an immense effect on Roger’s life when he later became his apprentice in 1957, having been considered an academic failure at his secondary school. He loved his job and was determined to succeed and become qualified. As a consequence, he passed his City & Guilds exams and later went to Derby School of Art as senior photographic technician where he also got a first-class Diploma in Creative Photography (there were no degrees in photography then) in 1967.

Around that time, he borrowed the college Hasselblad and went to the famous Petticoat Lane Market in London, where this image was made. ‘It completely bowled me over as a lad from Manchester,’ he told me. ‘I only used about three 120 films as they were expensive for someone on a £300 a year grant!’ A book of these pictures has just been published by Cafe Royal Books: www.caferoyalbooks.com/shop/rogertaylor-petticoat-lane-london-1966.

Big turnaround

The move from making photographs to researching and collecting them came when he found a 19th century Daguerreotype in a Derbyshire antique shop and bought it for £1. Although he was a senior lecturer in photography at Sheffield Polytechnic, it was a Damascene moment for Roger, who became eager to know more about that era. He embarked on a master’s course in Victorian Studies at Leicester University and his MA thesis on G W Wilson later became a book. His transition into historian was cemented when he became senior curator and head of research at the National Science and

Media Museum in Bradford in the 1980s.

That move led to him and his wife buying a house in Settle in the Yorkshire Dales where he became director of ‘the smallest gallery in the UK’ – a redundant BT telephone box – where he exhibited many photographers, including Martin Parr, and some stereographs from the collection of his great friend and collaborator, Brian May of Queen.

So what connects mustard and photography? Well, gelatine for film was made from cows’ hooves and if the cattle grazed on grass that had been enriched by mustard plants it improved the quality of the gelatine.

Among many achievements, Paul Hill has written two books on photography, was director of the Creative Photography course at Trent Polytechnic and has been exhibited numerous times.

He was the first photographer to receive an MBE for services to photography and the first professor of photographic practice in a British university. hillonphotography.co.uk.

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