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zes to be wown! £11,000 of pri st shots into our brand ne

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PREMIUM EDITION Passionate about FEBRUARY 2022 photography since 1884

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Low light

INSIDE 32-page pull-out guide

Tips and inspiration for great shots from dusk to dawn

l C ITY LIGHTS top tips

for striking urban photos l BEST CAMERAS & LENSES for low light l NOISE REDUCTION Best software compared

Astrophotography How to get amazing shots of the sky at night

1 Cover Feb15 A.indd 1

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The evolution of a classic.

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07/02/2022 11:08

COVER PICTURES © MIKE WILL / © DEEPAL RATNAYAKA / © SHONA CUTT

7days Some of the most compelling photo opportunities occur after the sun goes down. In the city, lights of all colours, on buildings and moving vehicles, provide compelling subject matter for the creative photographer, while out in the country you only have to look skyward at the stars to find amazing subject matter. This week’s special issue is dedicated to getting great photos from dusk to

This week’s cover image

Mike Will used a moving light to create this striking pic, set against a backdrop of The Shard, London.

Read his tips on page 36

In this issue

dawn, with tips from leading photographers on everything from astrophotography to shooting gigs. We look at the best cameras and lenses for low light, and the best noise-reduction software for editing. I hope we give you lots of ideas and inspiration. Also in this week’s issue we launch the brand new 2022 Amateur Photographer of the Year competition, with £11,000 of prizes from MPB. For more details and to find out how to enter turn to page 30. Good luck! 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 1953

TREASURES FROM THE HULTON ARCHIVE

3 7 days 14 Stars in their eyes 22 Inbox 24 Something of the night 28 Photo insight 30 APOY 2022 launch 36 Light after dark 42 Midnight rambler 46 Gig secrets 48 Northern exposure 52 Fast workers 56 Best cameras for low light 62 Noise-reduction software 68 Reader portfolio 71 Canon RF 100-400mm f/5.6-8 IS USM 75 Zoner Photo Studio X (Autumn 2021 update) 79 Second-hand classic 82 Accessories 83 Tech talk 85 Buying guide 98 Final analysis

3 Contents Feb15 JP NA.indd 3

Centenary Exhibition by L Blandford The Royal Photographic Society (RPS) celebrated its centenary in 1953 with an exhibition at the Science Museum. In this photograph, Mrs Betty Sheppard of Leicester compares the Daguerreotype camera with the latest ‘Graphic Pace Maker’. The original aim of the society was to ‘promote the art and

science of photography’. Originally called simply The Photographic Society, its first royal patrons were Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, with the royal moniker being added in 1894.

The RPS is still going strong today, and is now headquartered in Bristol.

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.

08/02/2022 17:56

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

AP picture of the week Crescent Moon

by Andy Parker Canon EOS M6 Mark II, Sky-Watcher 127 telescope, 1/30sec at f/12, ISO 100, 20 stacked exposures ‘The 12% waxing crescent moon was just above the rooftops from my back garden in south-east London.

I attached my Canon EOS M6 Mark II to my Sky-Watcher 127 telescope to try to get a better zoomed view. I took 20 exposures and then stacked them in Photoshop. The moon was so sharp that night that only a few tweaks were needed in editing,’ says keen landscape and astro photographer Andy, from London. Instagram @balders18

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We also liked...

Morning Sky

by Cath Thomas Huawei P20, 1/475sec at f/1.8, ISO 50 ‘This image of Mornington beach, in County Meath, Ireland, was taken around dawn while I was walking my dog. We’re very lucky in this part of the world to have such a wonderful natural resource close by and watching the sunrise from the seashore is definitely one of my favourite activities. I know I should but I don’t generally take my camera (a Fujifilm X-T3) on my morning dog walks – but I do, however, always have my Huawei P20,’ says Cath, from North Wales and living in Ireland.

‘I took up photography around 2018 after a trip to Vietnam and Cambodia for which I’d bought my first DSLR (a Nikon D3400). While travelling, I realised I hadn’t a clue how to get the best, or anywhere near average for that matter, from the camera, so, on my return, I promptly signed up to a beginner level photography course with a local club, Drogheda Photographic Club (DPC).’ Cath is on Instagram @caththomasphotography 6

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www.amateurphotographer.co.uk

08/02/2022 15:47

Follow the White Lines

by Ian Johnston Panasonic Lumix LX5 at 51mm, 1/60sec at f/6.3, ISO 80 ‘This image was taken with an old Lumix LX5 which I have had since it first came out (2010), but has spent many years sitting in the “use again one day” drawer.

So it has been recently dusted off and this image posted. The LX5 has always been a favourite due to the compact size and reasonable lens. For a camera which is probably considered old at ten years, it can still do a reasonable job as a street shooter,’ says Ian, who is now retired and enjoys photography in his spare time. He has, though, left chemical processing behind to shoot only digital, mainly with Nikon hardware.

Lensball Sparkles

by Kate Parmaku Canon EOS 1300D, 18-55mm at 49mm, 2 secs at f/5.6, ISO 100 Kate says, ‘I took this picture in my back garden with a sparkler left over from Fireworks night. I took it as part of a 365/photo a day project, which I am hoping will improve my photography skills. I have been taking photos as a hobby since I got my camera in 2018, and it was the first “proper” camera I have ever owned. I am keeping track of my 365 photos on my Instagram account @katie_writes_ nice.’ Kate’s main Instagram account is @kate_parmaku

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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08/02/2022 15:47

Mirrorless dominant: Sony leads the market Fujifilm firmware causes file problems

FUJIFILM has identified a firmware incompatibility between specific X and GFX series cameras, which can result in MacOS users being unable to directly access files if they were initially saved to SDXC memory cards in-camera.

The cameras affected include models that don’t depend on the firmware version (the GFX100, GFX100S, GFX50S II, X-Pro3, X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, X-T30 II and X100V) and models that do – the GFX50S (Ver.4.00 or later), GFX50R (Ver.2.00 or later) (see image above) and X-T3 (Ver.3.20 or later).

To address the problem Fujifilm is working on creating a firmware patch, which (at the time of going to press) was expected to be available for free download

by X series and GFX system users ‘soon’.

THE 2021 year-end sales report from Japan, compiled by BCN Retail, has revealed that Sony leads the mirrorless camera market while Canon leads the DSLR market.

The BCN Retail report monitors point-of-sale data from 40% of Japanese retailers, including specialist camera chains. In the mirrorless camera market for 2021 Sony increased its share to 32% (up from 27.44% in 2020), while Canon grew its second-placed position to 28.2% (up from 23.78%). The third-biggest share was for OM Digital Solutions (formerly Olympus) with 12.7% (but down from 23.37%).

According to 2021 figures from the Camera & Imaging Products Association (an industry

association) the total worldwide camera shipments were 488,933,327 units (up 16.4% from 2020) with mirrorless cameras accounting for approx. 66.38% of those shipments.

In BCN Retail’s sales data for DSLRs, Canon has a commanding 59.8% market share (up from 51.91% in 2020) with Nikon in second place with 33.9% (a drop from 44.78% in 2020). Ricoh (the manufacturer of Pentax cameras) comes in as a distant third, but with an increased 5.8% share (up from 3% in 2020).

Canon held first place in sales of fixed-lens cameras with 34.01% (down from 39.08%), followed by Sony at 23.1% (up from 19.65%) and Fujifilm at 11.6% (up from 11.41%).

Sony’s 2021 mirrorless launches included the A7 IV

CaptureOne adds LIVE photo platform

NPG opens up The Nation’s Family Album

PHOTO editing software company CaptureOne has unveiled LIVE – a cloud-based collaboration add-on that allows creative teams working remotely to rate, tag and view images or to watch an edit or a tethered shoot in real time.

The live photography/creative platform will allow photographers to show their clients their work in real time or to work on image edits together during a shoot.

The LIVE service is immediately available for both Catalogs and Sessions and is available as an add-on paid service with an introductory rate of $9.99 USD per month or it can be trialled free for one month. For a complete list of all options visit the store at www.captureone.com.

THE NATIONAL Portrait Gallery (NPG) has announced ‘The Nation’s Family Album’ initiative, which encourages people to submit images of their families for possible inclusion in a landmark exhibition online and at the gallery when it reopens in 2023. The NPG is collaborating with genealogy website Ancestry on the project and the idea is to represent the diversity of family stories in the UK and to showcase ‘undiscovered portraits of everyday British people’, which will then be collated into a ‘representative’ online album.

Submissions to ‘The Nation’s Family Album’ will close on 30 June and must be uploaded digitally. Any person in the UK can submit up to a maximum of three images that relate to the following themes – Belonging; Legacy; Connection and Identity.

Later this year, a panel of experts – including the NPG’s chief curator, Dr. Alison Smith – will shortlist a selection of portraits that best encapsulate the three themes’. Those selected will feature in the exhibitions. Find out more at www.ancestry.co.uk.

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The NPG is asking for your family photos www.amateurphotographer.co.uk

08/02/2022 15:46

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02/02/2022 09:37 07/02/2022 11:14

Viewpoint Jon Bentley

Books & exhibitions The latest and best books and exhibitions from the world of photography

Get away from the default of groups lined up, and be inspired by centuries-old paintings

Hogarth’s painting can inspire us when creating group shots

and ask your subjects to interact with them whether beer glasses, pets or cars.

William Hogarth, the British satirical painter, took things further. He started his serious career with group portraits called conversation pieces. His subjects would be artfully arranged, playing instruments or card games, drinking tea, or looking through a telescope and would appear totally involved in their pursuits.

Centuries later, Hogarth’s work can inspire us to arrange everyone in as diverse a way as possible – using seats to vary head heights, creating a foreground and background by staggering how near people are to the camera, and dividing the ensemble into sub-groups to vary the composition. His pictures can also encourage us to try shots with people not looking at the camera but absorbed in their activities. Also, people running, jumping, scrummed over a camera on the ground or distracted by an event that’s out of the frame can work.

On The Gadget Show we often create quick group publicity photos with contributors. One that I thought worked rather well was for a recent item with a group of TikTok influencers. A shot of me and some of the group through their ring light, while they were in turn shooting a video of us dancing, was much more effective than just lining up side-by-side.

I’d like to think that if Rembrandt or Hogarth were called on to render some 21st-century TikTokers, it’s the kind of picture they’d have painted. © NATIONAL TRUST

THE VIEWS EXPRESSED IN THIS COLUMN ARE NOT NECESSARILY THOSE OF AMATEUR PHOTOGRAPHER MAGAZINE OR KELSEY MEDIA LIMITED

E

very group event these days needs commemorating with a group photo. Whether it’s a meeting of family and friends, a team’s celebration of a job well done, or just a pleasant night out at the pub, the occasion wouldn’t be complete without a shot of the happy participants.

Group portraits may be more common but our instincts on how to arrange ourselves within them haven’t changed much. Some sort of genetic predisposition to standing side-to-side quickly takes over, with everyone forming an orderly line as if summoned to an impromptu identification parade.

This knee-jerk behaviour can jar with a photographer’s instincts, especially if you’re called on to record the occasion.

But in the heat of the moment, finding the inspiration to rearrange the group into something more interesting can be a challenge.

Happily the problem isn’t a new one, and the work of some old masters can provide inspiration. I’m not talking about photographers, but painters.

Dutch artists of the 17th century often immortalised their local city’s voluntary guards on canvas, most famously Rembrandt in his 1642 masterpiece, The Night Watch. Rembrandt’s soldiers aren’t lined up in rows, they’re ready for action, not empty-handed but carrying their weapons, the musketeers pouring powder into their muskets’ muzzles.

The lesson seems to be to find props

Jon Bentley is a TV producer and presenter best known for Top Gear and Channel 5’s The Gadget Show www.amateurphotographer.co.uk

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International Garden Photographer of the Year

Until 6 March, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, London. Entry included with gardens ticket There’s still a couple of weeks left to see the exhibition of the 15th International Garden Photographer of the Year (IGPOTY) competition at Kew Gardens in Richmond.

Featuring a selection of higher-placed winning photographs from across all the main pay-to-enter categories, you’ll see shots from ‘Beautiful Gardens,’ ‘The Beauty of Plants,’ ‘Wildlife in the Garden’, and the newest category, ‘The World of Fungi’.

There’s also a chance to see the photo projects and a selection of exclusive winning photographs from the latest ‘Captured at Kew’ special award.

Images are displayed outdoors and in a large format to show off the truly stunning winners and finalists. After leaving Kew, other IGPOTY exhibitions can be seen in other locations around the UK, including Cambridge, Barrow-in-Furness and Rotherham. See igpoty.com for more details.

Photographers on the Art of Photography

£22, ACC Art Books, hardback, 240 pages, ISBN: 9781788840880 Some of the world’s biggest names in photography appear in this compendium of interviews. Whether you’re interested in portraits, wildlife, fashion, landscapes or something in between, there should be a photographer here which matches your interests.

Discovering what motivates them, inspires them and how they go into the business makes for fascinating reading. Although relatively light on pictures (each interview is accompanied by just one picture from the photographer’s back catalogue), this is a veritable who’s who in photography. Names in the book include Tim Flach, Tom Stoddart, Eva Sereny, Gerd Ludwig, Terry O’Neill, Sue Flood and several more besides. Well worth a read if you want to get an insight into how big-name photographers tick.

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08/02/2022 15:44

From the archive

Nigel Atherton looks back at past AP issues

The rise of the 35mm compact camera

Chinon beats five Eastern Bloc SLRs

14 February 1979 As Venus emerges from the sea on her shell, AP readers gasp in amazement: how did they do that? George Hughes provided the answer in his interview with Bill Carter, the photographer behind the ‘eagerly awaited 1979 calendar from Motorway Tyres and Accessories.’ (Remember the days when motor-trade glamour calendars were eagerly awaited?)

The calendar blended studio shots of 12 top international models in a variety of pre-designed poses which were then ‘ingeniously combined with the work of six artists’, creating a ‘striking effect in which the eye cannot tell where fact becomes fantasy’. According to Hughes, ‘Carter’s 1979 calendar is being hailed as The contemporary breakthrough in combination photo/art.’ He went on to explain, with the aid of artist sketches and behind-the-scenes shots, the huge cost and complexity of creating images like this in the days before Photoshop. In his leader, editor Martin Hodder was more interested in the rise of the 35mm compact, and expert predictions that this will become ‘by far the most popular type of camera within a couple of years or so,’ as photographers trade down from their bulky and complicated 35mm SLRs which often offer inferior features and specifications. ‘I wouldn’t mind betting that the reflex camera market could have one or two hiccups heading its way as some people realise that the compact camera has more to offer,’ he predicted. It’s a scenario that’s all very familiar today. Meanwhile in a group test of those bulky, soon-to-beobsolete SLRs costing under £100, five Warsaw Pact models from Praktica, Zenith and Prinzflex were beaten to the podium by the fancy Japanese upstart Chinon CS. 12

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The story behind the ground-breaking 1979 Motorway Tyres & Accessories calendar

A Tamron ad, citing Victor Blackman

An ad for the Photocolor II processing kit www.amateurphotographer.co.uk

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Technique

NIGHT SKY

Stars in their eyes To kick off our low-light special issue we focus on the biggest challenge of all – astrophotography. Peter Dench asked three winners of Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2021 to share practical advice on shooting the night sky Jeff Lovelace

Jeff is an award-winning photographer from California, USA. He has telescopes running at a remote observatory in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Each scope includes a specially designed digital camera cooled to -25°C to help capture images of extremely faint objects, some over a billion light years away. www.jklovelacephotography.com WHEN I was a child I always wanted to be an astronaut, fascinated by space. I grew up during the period when Star Trek first came out and watched the moon landings. I didn’t do a lot of photography in my teens; I had this rivalry with my brother who really got into photography, which meant in my mind, I couldn’t. What kept me from launching into it was I thought it would be difficult – but I kept seeing this one telescope in the store I thought would be really cool, then I saw a photograph taken through a telescope of Jupiter and I thought, you can do that! That was that, and it’s been a big part of my life ever since.

Nightscape

Wideangle photography, after dark with a normal camera and lens, typically with a landscape in the foreground, it’s fairly easy with just a few key settings, some very obvious. Typical exposure times will be from 10-30 seconds, sometimes up to a couple of minutes, so you’re going to need a tripod. A wideangle lens is good, a very fast lens is good, it can be a zoom if it’s a high-quality zoom, F2.8 or faster. You have to know your camera settings and be a reasonably proficient photographer and not have everything on automatic or shutter priority; everything is manual including focusing.

Approach

When I go out to do nightscape photography I have two approaches.

One is to go to an interesting area, see what I can find and create in the moment. ‘Luna Dunes’ was the other kind. I had planned in advance, I’d been to those dunes before. I had researched the phase of the moon and weather. I’d even sketched out the image that I wanted.

Apps

I quite often use various apps to find exactly the right spot and time, what angle the moon is going to be at relative to the landscape. The apps that I use are The Photographer’s Ephemeris and The Photographer’s Ephemeris 3D. Together they’re a wonderful tool for planning shots. I might also use PhotoPills and Planets Pro. You can get a star tracker to track the stars as the Earth rotates, or if you’re more analogue you can still use charts!

Rule of 500

Have your lens wide open, and aim it at the Milky Way. There is the rule of 500, which is an old rule anyone can look up – basically you divide the focal point of your lens into 500, and that gives you your exposure time.

So, if your full-frame equivalent focal length is 20mm, the 500 rule would suggest that you use a shutter speed of 500 ÷ 20 = 25 seconds. I use a Sony camera with smaller pixels, so I go with the rule of 250 which is the same thing. The rule of 500 is to avoid exposures that are so long the stars turn into little streaks. You want your stars to be pin-point or close to it, so you don’t want to go beyond the rule of 500 (or 250).

Where Beginnings End – a focus-stacked timelapse comprising 57 images.

Sony A7R IV, 16mm lens, 30 secs at f/4, ISO 6400

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08/02/2022 12:04

Noises off

APOTY Skyscapes Winner - Luna Dunes Image taken in Death Valley National Park, California, USA

Sony ILCE-7RM4 camera; Sand and sky: 70mm f/8 lens, ISO 400, Sand: 30-second exposure, Sky: 1-second exposure; Moon: 200mm f/2.8 lens, ISO 100, Moon face: 2.5-second exposure, Moon edge: 1/100-second exposure

With my regular camera I do multiple exposures.

I align them and blend them together, and you get exactly the same picture but it reduces the noise. If you can do 8-16 shots and blend them together you end up with a reasonably noise-free image. The longer you shoot the more noise you get; the darker you shoot the noisier your images get. The problem with aligning is you have sharp stars and a blurry landscape or vice versa.

You have to do some work in Photoshop to combine the two, where you take the foreground from one of the shots and make that the steady foreground then take the sky and put it on top of that. That’s a nice easy trick to get rid of noise.

The Shot

When do you know you’ve got the shot? It can happen when I’m in the field.

With ‘Luna Dunes’, I knew it in the moment. That being said, I’ve had many of those moments and then I look at it on a larger screen and go, oh no, that’s not so good. The real moment is when you finally do look at a digital image on your computer screen and you know that’s it. Landscape photographer Ansel Adams is a perfect example, he said something to the effect that great photographs are made not taken. Every image, because of the limitations of the digital camera, needs to be adjusted, the light values have to be adjusted, the brightness, colour values and saturation levels.

Audience

For me the procedure is I put an image on my website first, second Flickr, then Instagram. I output it at different resolutions and see how they do. Flickr is my favourite, its social media but really specifically for photographers.

What I’m trying to give them is that Ooh and Aah moment, an experience. I want it to have a touch of mystery, for people to say where is that or what is that little detail... those multi-layer experiences are my favourite.

We are not alone

I hear things. I wear one of those headlamp torches and I’ll look around and see a pair of eyes looking at me somewhere over there. I don’t know what that is but it’s a little creepy. If I am alone, I deal with it in two ways, I make noise and make sure that whatever creatures are out there know I’m here. I may put on a podcast on my iPhone and set it on a rock and occasionally stomp around. I often shoot with other people; if you have someone within shouting distance your anxiety reduces by about 90%. A friend of mine was once surrounded by a growling snarling pack of coyotes, another encountered a mountain lion, there have been photographers killed by bears, so it’s something to keep an eye on; I’ve been lucky. www.amateurphotographer.co.uk

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Web of Wisps.

Taken with a FLI ML-16070M, a thermo-electrically-cooled camera operating at -25°C. Lens focal length is 381.6mm at f/3.6. The image comprises 153 exposures at two mins each (RGB filters) and 245 exposures at 10 mins each (narrowband filters)

Filters

I don’t use filters because I tend to shoot in a very dark location.

If you do encounter light pollution, there are a number of brands of light-suppression filters available. Those work or don’t depending on the public lighting or whatever city you’re in. If everything’s lit with LED lights, which are a broad spectrum, they don’t work at all. If you’re in a city with mercury vapour lights or other specific types of light that put out light at a particular frequency, these filters are designed to filter out those so they can work very well.

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08/02/2022 12:04

Technique Deepal Ratnayaka

Deepal was born and raised in Sri Lanka, arriving in the UK around 12 years ago. His day job is working as an SAP Consultant specialised in Enterprise Asset Management. Outside of work, he is a dedicated and passionate astrophotographer. www.cosmicdazzle.com Instagram @deepalratnayaka I’M FOND of misty mountains. From a very young age I liked photography. I’ve always been intrigued by astronomy. I picked up a camera after coming to the UK and started doing landscape photography. I felt like something was missing, it didn’t have that oomph! Around five years ago, I started trying astrophotography. The moment I took that very first photograph at night I immediately felt this was the missing bit and then I never looked back. Every time we get clear skies I make an excuse to go out and master astrophotography.

Educate yourself

I read a lot and watch YouTube videos and tutorials. Loads of good photographers are there.

It’s difficult because you don’t have a methodical way of sitting through a course and then going out. Practically every night I read something about astronomy or astrophotography, gear, techniques etc.

Starting out

Plan a daytime trip so that you get familiar with the location until it doesn’t become a big deal. I would recommend doing an evening shot first. At twilight when the stars come up, you feel like you’re still in the comfort zone. If you reach the place in the evening and stay there until night-time then it’s an easier experience than getting there at night. It calms you and you feel prepared.

Plan ahead

I first go to Google and use the street view and photos available, to find out how the location looks. Apps can show you where the Milky Way lines up at that particular time of the night, All that planning I can do, and I know at 10.30pm I need to be in this place, my camera pointing southwest. I check the weather for clear skies; one cloud can pass by and ruin your moment.

Sometimes no matter how much you plan, when it comes up in the camera it’s different from what you’ve planned. You can either be content with that or try something different, improvise.

Star streaks

A 30-second exposure captures everything at night at that point in time.

Then the next 30-second exposure, capture the exact same thing but the sky has moved a bit. So when I superimpose them in Photoshop, every star in there generates a streak, where the land components remain the same.

APOTY People and Space Winner - Lockdown Image taken in Windsor, Berkshire, UK

Sony ILCE-6600 camera, 8mm f/4 lens; Foreground: ISO 1600, 8-second exposure; Sky: ISO 1000, 844 x 30-second exposures

Precision

I did three tests for the Star Trails image. I had this idea Around Christmas time, the photograph was taken around 20th January. One night when I walked into the kitchen I saw one of the prominent stars reflected in the surface which gave me the idea there’s a picture I can imagine. Every test had different challenges, it’s a wide shot so tiles on the floor, shiny surfaces, even my router’s light had registered as green spots. Carefully studying my house I eliminated these.

Keep trying

There were times over three consecutive weeks where I tried a location in Wales and tried things and none of that generated a decent photo, because the conditions changed and I was not up to the challenge. So I came back to research and study the situation to find out what I had to do.

Aftercare

For post-processing itself I can take about one month, every evening spending about 30-45 minutes, because my hardware PC set-up is not capable of handling more than 50 photos loaded at a time. I load all the photos, superimpose them, show me the star streaks, then there are many plane trails that I need to eliminate because I live very close to Heathrow Airport.

Patience

Night photography is quite technical, you push the camera to its extreme to catch the last available bit of faint light. I need a minimum of one and a half to two hours to line up and take the photograph, even with the best preparation. You can’t just quickly snap a shot at night, you have to run a series of shots. You go home and then use the techniques to develop those to get the photograph the way you want. Iit’s very technical, that’s why I like it!

16 www.amateurphotographer.co.uk

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A vertical panorama showing a comet over Windsor Castle

Sony Alpha 7 III, 100-400mm lens.

Sky: 4 secs at f/5.6, ISO 6400 Foreground: 25 secs at f/5.6, ISO 3200

Astro modified

I have a Sony A7S, renowned for its ISO performance, astro-modified by a company in the USA called Spencer’s Camera & Photo. They buy the cameras for the clients from Sony, modify them and ship it. They take out the filters which captures and mimics what we see. If they take those filters out, the camera can capture nebula-specific colours like blood red and pink.

Get noticed

Take control

The most common mistake I see is overprocessing. When we get on with our day-to-day lives under the sunlight, even when it’s cloudy, you get used to seeing the world a certain way. When you look at night, we can see maybe 20-30% of what the camera sees. A camera’s way of lightgathering capabilities reconstructs a photograph; our eyes take a snapshot. It becomes surreal, you look at the camera and go, oh wow – it’s a lot more than you can see. It’s very easy to push your boundaries and say I’m going to take the best out of this and you end up seeing a cartoon image which almost takes the beauty of the night sky away because it becomes something different.

Exposures

I want very long continuous lines in the sky (as star trails) to make it pleasing to the eye (quite opposite to small discontinued ‘dashes’). With experience I know that it definitely needs more than five hours of clear sky. Anything beyond is a bonus.

I’m part of a number of astrophotography social media groups and communities. Some of them pick a photo of the week to share. The groups are Star Trails Chasers, Milky Way Chasers, NightScaper and a new one called Landscape Astrophotography - it’s an ideal one for me because that’s what I do. I rarely do just nebulas, stars and galaxies, I like taking photos located from within the Earth.

Harmony

Sony Alpha 7S, 14-24mm lens, 5 secs at f/9, ISO 250

www.amateurphotographer.co.uk

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Göran Strand

A freelance photographer, Göran is based out of Östersund, Sweden. He has domestic and international clients for portraits, commercial shots, events and sports. www.astrofotografen.se or on Instagram @astrofotografen.

APOTY Our Moon Runner-Up - Lunar Halo Image taken in Östersund, Jämtland County, Sweden

Nikon Z 6II, 14mm f/5.6 lens, ISO 200, 6 x 15-second exposures

IN 2012 I quit my job in IT to work as a freelance photographer, and it was the best thing I’ve ever done. My interest in astronomy has developed since childhood and in 2013 and 2016 I was awarded astrophotographer of the year in Sweden.

Go wide

Halos are quite big in the sky so for ‘Lunar Halo’ I used my wideangle 40mm lens. I centred the halo to get the exposure on the halo right. I did some exposure tests and decided on 15 seconds. Because the halo is so big and you want the surrounding area with the trees, I needed to do a six-shot panorama. The halo is okay to do a panorama as it’s only moving a little; with a wideangle lens it’s not a problem.

Panorama no drama

My camera has a built-in shutter release so you press the button and two seconds later it takes the shot. I do the first frame, take the shot, move it. I use a programme called PTGui for stitching them together. It’s a paid-for software but if you’re getting serious with panoramic shots, that is the number one, super-easy to use and really powerful.

When I come back home I copy the images onto my computer, make small adjustments to the raw files, export them to TIFFs and import them to PTGui. Then I do the stitching there and export for final post processing in Photoshop.

Chile Mosaic

Nikon D850, 24-120mm lens, 1/40sec at f/5.6, ISO 1600

Cold comforts Use your nodal Mirrorless cameras are known for being bad in cold weather because of the battery life but they are getting better and better. My Nikon Z 6II performs great.

You can get frost on the front lens so when I’m not shooting I always put the lens cap back on, wear gloves and keep your spare batteries as close to your body and as warm as possible.

‘Lunar Halo’ is two rows of three images stitched together. Usually when you have the camera on a tripod you have the camera body centred. When you’re turning the camera, you want the centre of rotation at the middle of the lens or you get parallax error. I have a small nodal plate so I get my front lens at the centre of my tripod, so that when I move the lens and do these big panoramas, I won’t have the parallax error.

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NIGHT SKY Beginners’ steps

Perhaps the most surprising thing for beginners is that the cold and the darkness is more intense than they could imagine; they get a bit stunned and can’t do anything, see anything, feel anything.

Usually I tell them to learn about their camera like you’re blindfolded, get to know every bit about it in darkness – changing exposure, ISO, manual focus, the basic things so when you’re out in the dark wearing thick clothes you can do all that. If you can’t handle the equipment you get really frustrated, and frustration isn’t good for creativity.

Technique Beware bear

Sweden doesn’t have any wild animals that are dangerous during winter but during March and April you should be a little bit careful because there could be bears waking up from winter sleep who could be a bit hungry. That time of the year I stay close to my car and have a door open with the radio on.

The Andromeda Galaxy in a spin

Taken with a Sky-Watcher Esprit 100 ED telescope, ZWO ASI2600MC Pro camera, Sky-Watcher AZ-EQ5 GT Pro mount. There were 15 300-second exposures for a total of 75 minutes. Stacked and processed using PixInsight

Embrace failure

The most common mistake, in my opinion, is that people tend to underexpose because they are a bit afraid of ISO noise. I would advise going crazy, see what the camera does, see what you like and what you don’t like. Play around with extreme long exposures, get a feel for what you like and what your camera is capable of doing. That’s a good start, understanding your personal boundaries. Learn from your mistakes. If you’re not happy with a photo, you should analyse why you’re not happy with it and make changes for next time.

For more great tips from Göran on photographing the northern lights, along with details of his exciting Zoom Photo Tours workshop, see page 48 www.amateurphotographer.co.uk

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Grays of Westminster...

“Grays of Westminster rightly claims a place in Nikon’s history, and in the history of camera stores the world over. It is a perennial stop for me when in London. The gracious welcome extended to everyone, the sense of service, even the very scale and architecture of the place speaks of an era gone by, yet at the same time, somehow, remains resolutely current.

It is a memorable experience every Nikon shooter should have.”

– Joe McNally

40 Churton Street, London SW1V 2LP, England Tel: 020-7828 4925 Mon-Fri 10am - 5:30pm info@graysofwestminster.co.uk Visit our website: www.graysofwestminster.co.uk

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...open for the essential to the exceptional.

Facebook: Grays of Westminster

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31/01/2022 09:23

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LETTER OF THE WEEK WINS A SAMSUNG 64GB EVO PLUS MICROSDXC CARD WITH SD ADAPTER. NOTE: PRIZE APPLIES TO UK AND EU RESIDENTS ONLY

Management

Deeply flawed?

I refer to Sally Mann’s comment relating to ‘the deeply flawed American character’.

Some years ago, a colleague was on his first business trip to America.

During the flight he fell into conversation with the lady in the next seat, and when they arrived they found the area under a deep snowfall. The lady’s husband arrived to pick her up, but the young man’s driver didn’t turn up. He would have been stranded at a snowbound airport, but the husband offered to take him to his hotel, which was over an hour’s journey in difficult

conditions, out of his way. When they arrived, he thanked the man profusely, to which he replied: ‘This is America son, we help each other’. I’ve done a lot of work with Americans, and found this attitude to be a common theme. Deeply flawed? Not in my experience.

Peter Cushnaghan Having spent years in the US myself this story is not unusual or surprising.

I’m sure every nation’s character is flawed if you look deeply enough, including the UK, because we’re all human, and humans are flawed.

Win!

The Samsung 64GB EVO Plus microSDXC memory card with SD adapter offers fast U1, Class 10 rated transfer speeds of up to 130MB/s, offers 6x Multi Proof protection and a Limited 10-year warranty. www.samsung.com/uk/memory-storage/

The Nikon F5

Thanks for John Gilbey’s article on the Nikon F5 in AP 28 December. I was fortunate to be able to buy one of the first F5s in the UK in September 1996.

I used it, and another F5, until I bought a D2H in 2004. I have occasionally used one or other of them, most recently with an AF-S 24-70mm f/2.8 lens and it is here that I must disagree with John.

The AF isn’t extremely fast, at least not when compared with the same lens on a D3 or D4.

Nikon’s legendary backward compatibility is clearly in evidence. The F5 and the D4S, my most recent Nikon, have buttons in almost exactly

the same places. Anyone familiar with one would find the other easy to use, though the command dials protrude slightly less on the F5 and the AF-ON The Nikon F5 is a bargain investment at the moment

buttons are smaller. I would certainly agree that at today’s prices an F5 is a real bargain though I don’t begrudge paying the price when they were new.

Some 25 years after it was launched, the F5 remains every bit as capable as it ever was. I’ll put this one back in the cupboard now, until the sun comes back out.

Geoff Gale

Redundant gear

I would be grateful for suggestions of organisations welcoming redundant camera gear, especially those supporting disabled ex-servicemen or disadvantaged youngsters.

I have enjoyed photography since National Service in the Far East made cameras available at prices about 50% of UK’s in the 1950s.

My first camera was a Voigtländer Vito B, replaced later by a second-hand Exakta IIa. My favourite cameras were my Olympus OM-1 and OM-2, but unfortunately Olympus was slow to introduce autofocus, and eye problems led to my change-over to a Nikon F-601 in 1993.

Like many other readers I’m grateful to AP for your reviews and especially for drawing my attention to the Fujifilm X-S10 at the time when, at 90, I wanted mirrorless with APS-C sensor, lower weight and IBIS. Fujifilm Loan supplied the camera with a 16-80mm lens and I was instantly hooked.

David Smith Most charities with retail shops would be happy for your old working camera equipment but I’d like to take this opportunity to draw readers’ attention to the Disabled Photographers’ www.amateurphotographer.co.uk

08/02/2022 12:10

YOUR LETTERS

Society in particular, which does sterling work in making our hobby accessible to everyone.

You can find more information on its website at www.the-dps.co.uk.

SPEC I A L SU B SC R I P T ION OF F E R !

EBay fees

I agree with your correspondents that eBay fees are too high, and I am critical of its listing and selling conditions and policies and the move away from PayPal. Their experiences are for the sale of modern digital equipment. If you are selling vintage or unusual film cameras as I have done a few times, a listing on eBay can be seen by millions of potential buyers all around the world so an auction site is useful. I even sold a Canon SLR back to a buyer in Japan.

Richard Bond It’s worth pointing out that some independent UK retailers also buy film as well as digital equipment, so it’s worth checking prices with them before going to the hassle of listing on eBay.

Back with Olympus

I began my photography in the late 1950s with an Ilford Sportsman before eventually becoming a long-time Canon user.

By the turn of the millennium I was increasingly being asked by friends about ‘these new digital cameras – are they any good?’. So to find out for myself I bought a second-hand Olympus E-20P which had a fixed zoom lens, so it was essentially a bridge camera.

Some 40 years of ‘old’ thinking quickly went out of the window. I saw that this was the future. The shutter lag was www.amateurphotographer.co.uk

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An Olympus E-20P was Mike Dodman’s first digital camera

horrendous for someone like me, shooting motor sport, but the image quality – even though only 5MP – was excellent.

I sold the Olympus and my Canon film cameras and bought Canon’s then-new EOS 10D. I was staggered by the rate at which the technology evolved year on year, and eventually I finished up with a Canon EOS-1D X, an amazing camera but oh so heavy!

Now that I’m into my seventies, weight has become an issue for me so I’ve switched back to Olympus and an OM-D E-M1X. So a big thank you to Olympus – you started my digital ‘journey’ and 20 years later, I’m back with you.

Mike Dodman

we would be happy to give more coverage to video if there is enough interest.

I’d love to hear other readers’ views on this.

The dividing lines

(1) Where are the dividing lines between an ‘enhanced photograph’, a ‘record photograph’, and a ‘composite photograph’?

And (2), is there any dishonesty in submitting an ‘improved’ image?

The answer to (1) is that depends on the viewpoint of those assessing the image. Every competition, and every publication, will have ‘gatekeepers’, such as judges and editors. If they perceive that an image has crossed a line, then sadly it will be dismissed. They don’t have to explain why they liked an image more than I have been getting into those they rejected. video with my DSLR and it The answer to (2) is that would be useful to be able if there are clearly worded to read a guide to taking rules, and you knowingly better video – for example, submitted an image that which cameras are more breaks those rules then suited for video, which you have been settings are best etc. Is dishonest. Ignorance of this something you will the rules is also not a consider as a regular valid defence. feature in AP? The answer to the William Youngs unasked question (3) is that there is no limit to For most of AP’s life it has the level of manipulation covered moving pictures that can be applied to an as well as stills, and now image until the assessor that most still cameras decides that their lines are capable of producing have been crossed.

Hollywood-quality movies David Price

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08/02/2022 12:10

FILM PROJECT

Nocturne 24, Haugesund, Norway

2008, Konica Hexar, Ilford Delta 3200

Something of

the night

Noted film photographer and darkroom expert Mike Crawford talks us through his Nocturne project, shooting cities after dark on film

S

ome photographic projects seem to be easy to start and finish. It always helps if there are plans for an exhibition or publication, while other work may be produced primarily to see if an idea or theme might develop into something interesting. I also appreciate the immediacy of photographing a small series, producing a hand-made artist’s book, or using online printers, considering the project complete.

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However, my series Nocturne, is one best classed as ‘ongoing,’ and one I keep returning to with new ideas and images.

While based on the urban landscape at night, it would be difficult to present it as a text book example of how to shootphotograph the city after dark. I purposely limit myself in the equipment and materials used, making things as basic as possible. Indeed I don’t even use a tripod!

What I do want in the work, if not technical perfection, is a sense of mystery, atmosphere and narrative. I want the viewer to be taken on an anonymous walk, exploring hidden corners of cities, brief glimpses observed as darkness encroaches on their streets and buildings. The images are often multilayered, reflections and shadows used to suggest stories within a story. Others are purposely diffuse, unwanted details subdued to leave just shape and form. The series has been photographed in different cities, though initially just London and Berlin, and presented so the viewer is taken on a nocturnal journey through an imagined city. www.amateurphotographer.co.uk

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I have used the Konica Hexar for over 25 years. It is small, quiet and inconspicuous compared to larger SLRs, with an excellent 35mm f/2 lens. Perhaps a limitation, though I appreciate it for this simplicity

Process and printing

Nocturne 39, London, 2012

Konica Hexar, Ilford Delta 3200

www.amateurphotographer.co.uk

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The visual characteristic of the work is determined by the process. I use a Konica Hexar AF 35mm camera loaded with Ilford Delta 3200. It’s a relatively simple camera, first produced in 1993, which handles like a rangefinder (except that it is autofocus), with a high-quality, fixed 35mm f/2 lens. When I first bought one in the mid 1990s, it had a certain cult status amongst photographers like Peter Lindbergh, and was sometimes referred to as the ‘poor man’s Leica.’

I rate the film at 2000 ISO, processing accordingly to lower the contrast, and as I shoot handheld, I’m usually working on low apertures and shutter speeds. I want to be able to photograph with a sense of spontaneity and the camera is small enough to take with me on trips and not feel burdened with having to carry a tripod and extra lenses. The film is high grained and also prone to a slight amount of irradiation.

This gives a glow to the brightest highlights, ideal for emphasising lights within a cityscape.

This is accentuated by the lith printing process I use in the darkroom which intensifies contrast and tone and enhances the texture and grain. To add more limitations, I print on outdated and discontinued Seagull Oriental paper. Originally manufactured in Japan, it became a favourite for lith printing in the late ’80s, popularised by Anton Corbijn and his printer Mike Spry. While a version was later produced outside of Japan for many years, the original Oriental was considered one of the most suitable and adaptable papers for the process. Luckily I was able to buy a large stock, though this is slowly being reduced over time. For exhibitions, I subsequently scan the prints to produce larger, digital prints. While there is a purity to 25

08/02/2022 12:12

FILM PROJECT

the original work, I am limited to the paper size I have (9.5x12in), and I appreciate the further possibilities of working digitally for final print production.

I have been asked why I shoot on film when high ISO digital and post production in Photoshop could provide a similar result. A fair question, and while I use digital for a lot of work, I don’t see the point of replicating the grain of film and the texture and colour of lith printing through filters and manipulation.

That is the inherent outcome of my choice of materials and would see a digital version as only a recreation of an analogue process rather than a natural process in itself. However, digital does have so much to offer low-light photography. Looking through The Guardian’s Photographs of the Year, 2021, it is noticeable how many were photographed at night or in subdued lighting, and how impressive the selective use of colour is in this work.

Visual influences

Proof prints and editing Initial edits of possible images are selected from contact sheets, though I find it invaluable to then make 10x8in proof prints to further the editing process. These are prints made quickly on resin-coated paper, certainly not to exhibition quality, but just to see the image and which ones to lith print. I usually wait till there are several rolls to proof and then spend a good day in the darkroom. With these I can take my time to edit and consider which might be suitable for the project. Some may be obvious while others are filed away for future consideration. It is interesting how some images initially rejected may later be considered after time, though most will not get past the proofing stage.

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Aside from techniques, I think it’s important to consider the creative influences for the project. My original intention had been just to photograph the River Thames at night, having experimented with lith prints from Delta 3200 negatives.

Their muted, monochromatic tones and luminous, sparkling highlights reminded me of the work of 19th century artist James Whistler and particularly his nocturnal portrayal of the River Thames. My project title acknowledges Whistler’s influence and the series of paintings he named Nocturnes, which in itself referenced musical compositions from the 1700s evoking the atmosphere, moods and melancholy of the night.

On reflection, perhaps I should have chosen a less popular title, as I have since learnt of similarly named projects. What I did soon find was the limitation of London as the only subject and soon started to combine photographs from other cities. The first exhibition of this work was in Germany. The gallerist had particularly wanted to show just photographs of London, and while it worked very well, I thought it would be too restricting to continue this theme and wondered if some of the subjects were too recognisable. From then on I looked for more anonymous images, purposely drawn from a variety of locations.

Film noir

An additional and perhaps more distinctly visual inspiration, is the 1965 Jean-Luc Godard film, Alphaville, that placed contemporary 1960s Paris at night as the supposed setting of a future, dystopian city.

This gritty, black & white film noir featured Lemmy Caution, a character taken directly from French B-movies, re-cast into Godard’s imaginative, yet sometimes preposterous Nouvelle Vague classic.

I noticed in the film certain similarities to photographs I was taking, particularly in the use of shadows, reflections and the ominous presence of architecture seen at night.

For a short while I tried to take photographs directly referencing themes and visual motifs from Alphaville, but soon realised these were too derivative and simply trying too hard. In watching this film, the viewer must accept the director’s conceit that this is the future, despite no props, costumes or sets normally associated with science fiction.

Lemmy Caution takes photographs throughout the film with a cheap, 1960s Instamatic camera (an Agfa Iso-Rapid), and is told his camera looks old. ‘I don’t like new technology,’ is his sarcastic reply, which again resonated with myself and my use of film and obsolete papers. A further coincidental www.amateurphotographer.co.uk

08/02/2022 12:12

Nocturne 40, London, 2013

Konica Hexar, Ilford Delta 3200

Above: Nocturne 12, Berlin, 2012

Konica Hexar, Ilford Delta 3200

reference from Alphaville is the brief title on the opening scenes stating that the film was shot on Ilford HPS Negative. This was a 400 ISO movie stock that cinematographer Raoul Coutard uprated to 800, a 1960s equivalent of my contemporary use of Ilford Delta 3200.

While the choice of film used for my project allows for low-light photography, and gives the work an initial texture, I feel it is the lith prints on Seagull paper which provides the overall atmosphere and character. It also unifies the work, allowing photographs taken at different times and places to flow together with a sense of narrative.

However, as mentioned previously, I have a finite amount of material, so perhaps when finished, this will be a fitting time to call the project complete?

I have had four opportunities to exhibit parts of the work so far, but not yet a complete show.

Ideally that would happen should I get the chance to make a publication. Until then, I will continue working on Nocturnes as time and resources allow. There are processed films, proofed and still waiting to be printed, and always new ideas for places and locations to shoot. www.amateurphotographer.co.uk

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Print sizes

Print size can make a big difference depending on the exhibition. The most recent show was in Ljubljana, Slovenia, at the Cankarjev Dom, a prestigious arts venue. My preferred print size is usually 49x31cm in a 70x50cm frame. As it was a relatively large space, the curator thought I should print larger at 73x47cm, displayed in 100x70cm frames. While I appreciated the visual impact of the work larger, and it certainly worked in the gallery space, I think that for future exhibitions I’ll revert to the smaller size.

Cankarjev Dom, Ljubljana, Slovenia, 2018 27

08/02/2022 12:13

Photo Insight

The Ghost

By Will Burrard-Lucas An ethereal photograph of an elusive leopard was an unintentional capture turned awardwinning shot. Amy Davies finds out more

S

ome photographs take much meticulous planning, waiting for the conditions to be just so, with the camera set-up precisely for the perfect outcome. Others are captured by chance when a situation presents itself at the right time. Yet more still, like this image by Will Burrard-Lucas, are the result of a happy accident.

Keen to find out how this serendipitous shot came to be, I caught up with Will, currently at home in the UK in between trips to photograph the leopards with which he’s become most-recently associated, and the lions, which he is photographing for his next project.

Taken in the Laikipia region of Kenya, ‘The Ghost’ is from the project on leopards that Will has been working on for the past few years, concentrating on it primarily in 2019 before the pandemic halted travel in 2020. His main task was to capture pictures of the elusive black leopard – the main subject of his latest book.

Black leopards are the same species as the regular spotted leopards, but their (lack of) markings is caused by a gene mutation. It’s a recessive gene which needs to be inherited by both parents for there to be a chance of the offspring having it – so they are much rarer than spotted leopards.

Most of Will’s leopard shots – particularly the night-time images – are taken using camera traps. To give you an idea of the rarity of the species, he tells me he ended up with just 25 shots of the black leopard, and around double the number of regular leopards from a whole year’s worth of camera traps running constantly.

Although always hoping for pictures of a black leopard, Will was nevertheless happy to end up with pictures of a regular leopard. He had set up this trap with a specific shot in mind, hoping to tick it off before moving the trap to another location.

‘One of the main shots I was after, that I was working towards for quite a long time,

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was a shot of the leopard under the night sky, with the leopard in the foreground and the stars in the sky. It’s quite a challenging shot to get, in that a lot of elements have to come together for it to work. It needs to be a clear night where you can see stars, the moon has to be below the horizon, the leopard has to come past in the right place and strike a nice pose.’

In the end, however, all the elements Will was hoping for didn’t turn up, yet it made the shot into something special instead. ‘It’s obviously the “wrong” leopard – this is a big male leopard, who is a rival to the black leopard (also a male) that I was hoping to photograph. Whenever this big spotted leopard was around, the black one would steer clear because the spotted one was bigger and more dominant.

‘The other thing with this image was that the moon was above the horizon, so the long exposure that I’d set up to record the stars ended up meaning that the leopard was photographed at the start of the exposure. The leopard then walked off, and during the rest of the exposure because the moon was so bright, it lightened the sky behind the leopard and makes him appear kind of translucent.

‘It wasn’t the photo I was expecting or hoping for, but because of the atmosphere, it was instantly a photo that I liked. For me, it does sort of convey this kind of ghost-like quality leopards have. They’re so elusive that they can be there and you just don’t see them. So it’s one of my favourites from the project.’

In recent years, Will has transitioned to using mirrorless cameras for his handheld and remote-control work, but for cameratraps the DSLR is still king, primarily for the long battery life. For this shot, he used a Canon EOS-1D X and a 24mm f/1.4 lens.

In order to get the stars so prominent, a long exposure of 30 seconds was set, with a fairly narrow aperture of f/7.1 and a reasonably high ISO (3200).

Although some suggest that the use of camera traps is controversial, there’s no way an image like this could be captured in any other way. ‘What really makes or breaks a nocturnal wildlife photograph is the lighting,’ says Will. ‘If you come across an animal that you want to photograph, in order to set up that lighting, by the time you’ve put in a main light and a fill light, plus a back light, you could never do that before the animal has run off or wandered away. What camera traps allow you to do is set up quite complex, quite considered and artistic lighting.

‘You’ve got all the control you’d have for a “normal” photograph in that you know www.amateurphotographer.co.uk

08/02/2022 12:15

exactly where the animals will be when the camera is triggered, so you can compose your shot precisely, and place the lighting exactly where you want it. A lot of consideration goes into a creating a camera trap photo, just as much as there would be with traditional photography – it’s just that you have that time to set up in advance.’

Over the past year, photographs from Will’s leopards project have appeared in four awards, including the prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year, in which he was highly commended in the Animal Portraits category. ‘The Ghost’, meanwhile, recently took home the Prize of Honor in MontPhoto’s International Nature www.amateurphotographer.co.uk

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Photography and Video Contest.

Will says that being featured in these competitions is understandably a fantastic way to finish off the leopards project, though he fully admits that’s it’s one of those bodies of work that’s never truly completely ‘done’ – in fact he’s got camera traps working over in Kenya right now. A familiar tale we often hear from many photographers – particularly those working in the wildlife and nature genre.

For now at least, more photographs from Will’s project can be seen in his book, The Black Leopard: My Quest to Photograph One of Kenya’s Elusive Big Cats, which is out now, RRP £26. Visit willbl.com.

Will Burrard-Lucas

Will Burrard-Lucas is a British photographer who splits his time between home and the continent of Africa. He is well-known for his wildlife photography, having invented ‘BeetleCam’, a remote control camera buggy which is used to capture close-up, ground-level photographs of potentially dangerous African wildlife. He has also built up an ecosystem of camera trap equipment, which is used to photograph shy and nocturnal wildlife.

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COMPETITION

Enter today!

Amateur Photographer of the Year Competition

£11,000 of MPB prizes to be won Enter our annual competition for the chance to win some fantastic prizes and be crowned Amateur Photographer of the Year 2022 30

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www.amateurphotographer.co.uk

08/02/2022 12:21

In association with MPB

A

mateur Photographer has always championed the best in image making, and nowhere is this clearer than in our annual Amateur Photographer of the Year award (APOY), where the best non-professional photographers in the world compete over ten rounds to win some fantastic prizes.

Once again, we have teamed up with used camera and videography retailer MPB to bring you £11,000-worth of prizes. The categories cover everything from black & white, to close-ups, to portraits and more, so there’s something to suit every interest. You might submit images to only one or two rounds, or you might set yourself the challenge of entering them all, with the aim of competing for the overall title and taking home the main prize – a £1,000 voucher to spend at MPB. In addition, the winner of each round receives a voucher for £500, while

those placed second and third receive vouchers for £100 and £50 respectively.

Last year, we launched the Young Amateur Photographer of the Year competition (Young APOY), which attracted more than 3,000 entries from 885 photographers from across the world. We are proud to be running this award again, which is free to enter to anyone aged under 21. The winner of each round will receive a voucher from MPB for £250, while the overall winner receives a voucher for £500.

Once again, we are encouraging camera clubs to enter and accumulate points, with the highest-scoring club receiving a voucher for £500.

Your work will be seen by a panel of experienced judges and a wider audience on Photocrowd. So, start thinking about and planning your entries – we can’t wait to see them!

Turn over for details on how to enter round one

About MPB MPB is the world’s largest online platform to buy, sell and trade used photography and videography equipment. MPB is a destination for everyone, whether you’ve just discovered your passion for visual storytelling or you’re already a pro.

The company is committed to making kit more accessible and affordable, and helping to visualise a more sustainable future. It recirculates more than 300,000 items of used kit every year, extending the life and creative potential of photo and video kit for visual storytellers around the world.

With headquarters in the creative communities of Brighton, Brooklyn and Berlin, the MPB team includes trained camera experts, seasoned photographers and videographers who bring their passion to work daily to deliver outstanding service.

Every piece of kit is not only inspected carefully

by MPB’s product specialists but also comes with a six-month warranty to give its customers peace of mind that buying used doesn’t mean sacrificing on quality or on reliability.

Visit www.mpb.com

To enter visit www.amateurphotographer.co.uk/apoy2022 www.amateurphotographer.co.uk

30-33 APOYlaunch Feb15 AMc JP MPB.indd 31

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08/02/2022 12:21

COMPETITION

Amateur Photograp her of

Your chance to enter the UK’s most prestigious com petition for am

Round one Low light

You can shoot in naturally low light or, as Tuule Muursepp did here, create your own

Low light can mean anything from the subtlety of pre-dawn to the drama of a sunset. It also encompasses the hours when streetlights come on and night life begins. Entries can be anything from wildlife to portraits – both studio and environmental – as well as architecture, street or live shows. Images full of atmosphere will catch the attention of our judges, but it doesn’t have to be over the top – something understated is just as beautiful. Let your imagination go, and be guided by the light.

Your guest judge

Your guest judge for Round One, Low Light, is Mike Will, a creative photographer known for his vibrant urban style. Based in London but travelling all over the world to create content and energetic brand campaigns, his portfolio includes night cityscapes, travel, landscapes, music festivals and portraits. Mike has become known with his unique editing style and for creating a global photography community, @world.shooters.

Plan your APOY 2022 year THEME

OPENS PHOTOCROWD

OPENS AP

CLOSES

RESULTS

Low light

08 Feb

15 Feb

04 Mar

AP 12 April

Black & white

04 Mar

15 Mar

25 Mar

AP 10 May

Travel

26 Mar

12 Apr

22 Apr

AP 7 Jun

Landscapes

23 Apr

10 May

20 May

AP 5 Jul

Best of British 21 May

7 Jun

17 Jun

AP 2 Aug

Close-ups

18 Jun

5 Jul

15 Jul

AP 30 Aug

People

16 Jul

2 Aug

12 Aug

AP 27 Sep

Wildlife

13 Aug

30 Aug

09 Sep

AP 25 Oct

Street

10 Sep

27 Sep

07 Oct

AP 22 Nov

Sport & Action 08 Oct

25 Oct

04 Nov

AP 20 Dec

YOUR FREE ENTRY CODE Enter the code below via Photocrowd to get one free entry to Round one – Low Light

APOY44229931

32

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© TUULE MUURSEPP

Below is a list of all this year’s rounds, including when they open, when they close and the dates the results will be announced in AP

To enter visit www.amateurp ALL ABOUT APOY 2022 The camera club award

Do you belong to a camera club? You can accumulate points for your society when you enter APOY, and after all the ten rounds are complete, the one with the most points will win a voucher for £500 to spend at MPB. The club might want to spend it on gear for use by members, or even run its own in-house competition with the prize going to the most successful photographer. It’s entirely up to the winning group to decide. www.amateurphotographer.co.uk

08/02/2022 12:21

ograp her of the Year

estigious com petition for amateur photographers

£11,000

of MPB prizes to be won

In association with MPB

PRIZES WORTH

£900

What you win

Take your pick from MPB’s huge catalogue of used gear

To enter visit www.amateurphotographer.co.uk/apoy2022

2022 The Young POTY award

For the second time, we are adding a Young Photographer of the Year category to APOY, in order to encourage our up-and-coming snappers.

Entrants should be 21 years old or younger by the competition’s final closing date of 4 November 2022. All the categories are the same as for the main competition – simply select the Young APOY option on Photocrowd when you upload your images. This category is free to enter; each category winner receives a £250 voucher, and the overall winner receives a voucher for £500 to spend at MPB. www.amateurphotographer.co.uk

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The winner of each round of APOY 2022 receives a £500 voucher to spend on anything at MPB. From top-of-the-range digital medium-format camera bodies, to entry-level DSLRs, as well as the longest telephoto zooms and widest lenses, and useful accessories, MPB is a one-stop shop for used kit.

The winner could put their £500 voucher towards the superb Fujifilm GFX 50S, a medium-format 51.4MP mirrorless camera that starts from £1,974 at MPB. You could also consider the Sony A7 II, an outstanding full-frame mirrorless camera that features five-axis image stabilisation. Pick one up at MPB for £639 to £709.

A versatile wide-aperture zoom such as the Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM Art is ideal for low-light shooting, and can be found for between £484 and £564 at MPB, depending on condition.

There are prizes for second and third place, of £100 and £50 respectively, while the winner of the Youth category gets a voucher for £250.

Check out www.mpb.com to take your pick from thousands of items of second-hand gear at MPB. 33

08/02/2022 12:21

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11/01/2022 14:13

Shooting Mini Guide in low light 32 pages of advice, tips and inspiration to pull out and keep

Top cameras for low light A selection of stand-out models in each format

PLUS

The city at night

Get great street shots after dark

How to shoot gigs

Tips for success from Shona Cutt

Fast lenses

The pros and cons of wide aperture lenses in low light

Best software A round-up of the top noise-reduction solutions

Urban foxes How to photograph our nocturnal neighbours 35 Pull-outCover Feb15 JP.indd 35

07/02/2022 13:53

Technique

NIGHT AND THE CITY

Light

after dark Accomplished urban photographer Mike Will shares the secrets behind his dramatic and engaging low-light urban images with Claire Gillo Mike Will

Based in London, Mike Will is known for his urban architectural images and vibrant style. Mike has travelled across the globe with his photography and his portfolio includes night cityscapes, travel, landscapes, music festivals and portraits. Follow Mike on Instagram, Tik Tok and YouTube @m.visuals, and on Twitter @MVisuals

Stepping into the darkness. Additional lighting in the form of a drone and light stick create this impressive scene 4.5 seconds at f/8, ISO 250

M

ike Will is most definitely nocturnal and seems to find his creativity when the sun goes down. So when the majority of us have the urge to hibernate and settle in for the evening Mike is doing the exact opposite and will be getting ready to go out onto the streets with his camera.

‘I love the process of shooting, of getting out and exploring,’ he says.

Mike is a renowned photographer in the industry, and has been a Sony European Imaging Ambassador since 2018. Although Mike started his photography journey as a hobby his images soon got noticed on social media and his profession took hold.

‘I started taking images in 2016 and was instantly drawn to shooting at night. I just kind of found it really exciting to bring a city to life.’ he explains. ‘People walk around the city at night and especially in the winter, it can feel very dark, but there’s this kind of electric vibrant feel that I want to capture when the light drops.’ As well as shooting urban city scenes Mike has also travelled the globe, touring with DJs and shooting music festivals. ‘I love music festivals and the buzz of being on stage with an artist is just amazing. When you’re on tour with them the whole environment is pretty inspiring.’

Previously and during the earlier days of his photography career Mike was also a professional ice hockey player and even represented Team GB in ice hockey at the World Championships. Although he loved playing ice hockey it was the coronavirus pandemic that finally cemented his decision to just focus on photography.

‘Due to Covid, the ice hockey season

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07/02/2022 13:55

KIT LIST

Sony Alpha range

In his kit bag Mike switches between the mirrorless Sony A7 IV (recently launched and his main camera body), Sony Alpha 7R III, Sony Alpha 7 III, and Sony Alpha 7 II. He loves their low-light capabilities and agility due to the lightweight mirrorless build. Mike has only recently unboxed the Sony A7 IV. Check out his YouTube channel to find out what’s in his camera bag in 2022.

Sony 14mm f/1.8 GM

Mike is a fan of the wideangle lens and loves experimenting with his Sony 14mm f/1.8. He tells us he could talk about this lens all day.

Having the ability to open the aperture wide helps greatly in a low-light situation and Mike loves the shallow-depth-of-field effect created. He’s also drawn to the ultra-wideangle view, which he explains works great in a city environment.

Sony 35mm f/1.4 GM

Mike’s other favourite go-to lens is the Sony FE 35mm f/1.4 GM. Mike explains that 35mm was one of the first focal lengths he used to shoot on, and tells us how he has enjoyed seeing the progression he has made from using earlier cheaper lenses to the current one.

Sony 12-24mm f/2.8 GM

As well as his trusty 14mm and 35mm Mike also enjoys using his 12-24mm f/2.8. He tells us the 12-24mm is an amazing lens, and having a wideangle but also being able to zoom into 24mm is really useful in the city.

Joby Rangepod London Lookups.

Mike uses buildings and elements in the scene to create striking compositions like this one

1/200sec at f/2.8, ISO 320

www.amateurphotographer.co.uk

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Mike takes a tripod wherever he goes. A sturdy tripod is a must-have for any low-light photographer and Mike finds the Joby Rangepod to be versatile and excellently priced. ‘If I know I’m specifically just going out to shoot long exposures then I pack my Joby Rangepod because it’s very sturdy,’ he says. ‘The height is fantastic and the build quality is really good.’

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Technique was sadly cancelled. I had everything set up for my photography career so I decided to make the full-time switch then,’ he explains.

The power of social media

To get noticed in the industry and to continue to showcase what he is doing now Mike uses a range of social media channels to his advantage. He has a large and loyal following and for good reason – Mike’s persona is as much a part of his business as his photography with exciting and enticing video content that he presents, whether that be showing how he took a shot, approached a scene, or unveiling new kit. His social media channels are packed full of tips and tricks and worth exploring for any photographer interested in low-light photography.

When questioned about how he began his career he says that he started out by posting on Instagram, and from there his following grew. ‘The social media platform gave me a place to showcase my work, and then I got noticed by major brands and my career took off.’ Mike makes it sound effortlessly simple, however it’s obvious that he has got to where he is through hard work and talent. ‘I’m driven and I love what I do,’ he confirms. ‘Therefore I’m happy to put the time in.’

WHERE THERE’S A WILL THERE’S A WAY: MIKE’S BEST TIPS

Symmetry & leading lines

In the urban environment Mike likes to hunt for leading lines or symmetrical patterns to create strong compositions. The city is the perfect environment to capture both these elements. If you are going to go for the symmetrical shot, make sure your lines are straight and in line.

Test your ISO

You need to get to know your camera and find out what it is capable of. Do a test shoot throughout your ISO range to see where the image quality starts to deteriorate. Mike advises that your image will retain better quality if it is correctly exposed.

Focus in

To ensure his shots are sharp Mike finds the latest technology from his Sony cameras to be top-notch. ‘If I’m on a tripod at night then I’ll use manual focus but if I’m shooting on the street I’ll use tap focus a lot. The technology is amazing these days and you can fully rely on them.’

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07/02/2022 13:55

Look out

Far left: Lighting up Durdle Door. Mike’s take on the much photographed Durdle Door involves light painting, giving his shot a unique twist

15 seconds at f/1.8, ISO 250

Left: Aliens in Madeira. A drone and some atmospheric conditions create this extraterrestrial result

13 seconds at f/8, ISO 400

When it comes to taking images on the streets and looking for the perfect subject Mike is always on the hunt for strong compositions and something of interest.

‘Symmetry,’ he says. ‘I’m very drawn to symmetry, and I always look for leading lines.’ Mike shoots the majority of his images in a portrait composition and has a great eye for placing elements in the scene to draw the eye through.

As for his favourite time of day to shoot, Mike likes to start at sunset and then go into the night. ‘At sunset I want to capture that nice burn in the sky, then from there it moves into the blue hour and then obviously into the night.’ Mike is also a fan of taking images in foggy conditions. ‘You can get these epic fog conditions if the street lights are on,’ he says. ‘I’d say go out about an hour or 45 minutes before the sunrise and it’s just the most crazy, and incredible lightning with the fog around – it just looks epic.’

Figure it out

To engage with his audience and to add something extra to his images Mike often includes a figure in the scene. ‘It helps with the scale,’ he says. ‘And it makes the image relatable as well. If the person is in the right position with a wideangle lens,

PS

Get creative

In an urban and natural setting there are lots of opportunities to get creative. Mike enjoys working with a drone. ‘I’m really passionate about light painting and using a drone means you can get really creative.’ There are a few challenges Mike finds he has to get around, from fast-draining battery life to battling against the unpredictable British weather! www.amateurphotographer.co.uk

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Light painting

As well as using the ambient lights in an urban setting, Mike also has a range of portable lights for light painting. ‘I might take something out like a Mini NanLite,’ he says.

The NanLite PavoTube lights range are portable light tubes that can display a range of colours perfect for this style of photography.

Don’t go out alone

Whilst photography can be a solo hobby, becoming part of a community can bring great benefit to your practice, whether you are an amateur or professional. Mike is the founder of UK Shooters (@uk.shooters and www.worldshooters.com/uk-shooters), a community hub of photographers that support each other and meet up for shooting events.

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Technique

NIGHT AND THE CITY

you can also make the scale of the scene seem more dramatic,’ he explains. Often the figure in the setting will be Mike himself dressed in distinctive urban clothing that matches the setting. It is no coincidence that the elements in the scene blend together perfectly to create Mike’s vision of how he wants to see and explore the city environment.

Mike will also often capture stillness and movement in one shot. For example the figure in the scene will be still but movement from a bus, a car driving past or from an additional light source will add some colourful movement. When asked how he achieves the two effects together Mike replies, ‘I try to do them in one shot, and if I have the patience, I will!’ Mike advises that the person in the scene may need to stay still for one or two seconds. Of course though, as many photographers will know, the perfect conditions can’t always be achieved in one shot and when this is the case Mike blends multiple images together using Photoshop.

It’s too dark (and light)

When it comes to shooting at night, Mike unsurprisingly finds lighting the biggest technical difficulty. ‘Finding the right light and the right kind of composition is a challenge,’ he says.

Although you would think that lack of light would be an issue Mike also sometimes finds too much light will cause him problems. ‘If I’m in an area that is well lit at night with street lamps and I want to do a long exposure, sometimes that can be tricky because the highlights get blown out when you open the shutter. But also vice versa,’ he continues. ‘You can be somewhere that is so dark and you have to bring in more lighting – so I would say lighting is the biggest challenge that I have to think about.’

Make some noise!

Inevitably shooting at night means you need to think about your ISO setting and under some circumstances push it up.

Fortunately for Mike he finds his Sony cameras to be easily able to handle the dark conditions. ‘My Sony camera’s low-light capabilities are really at the next level,’ he tells us, then continues to advise to assess your own ISO. ‘Test your ISO, do a little experiment to see how much you can push it because a lot of the time you can push it more than you think,’ he says. ‘I didn’t know until I started really testing and pushing my camera that I could do as much as it can do. I’ll crank my ISO, anything up to 5,000 and not worry about it at all,’ he declares. ‘If you expose correctly you’ll find there’s not a huge amount of noise even at the higher end of

the scales. However,’ he warns, ‘if it’s pitch black and you need to lift the shadows you’re going to get some nasty grain in there, and some problems with the colours that will need to be corrected.’ Mike uses Lightroom for this and explains more on his YouTube videos.

Team player

Shooting at night will not appeal to everyone as for some the dark (especially in an urban environment) can be a daunting and scary place. When we questioned Mike as to whether he had any concerns about this aspect he replied that although he will go out by himself he prefers to shoot with others when he can. Although photography can be a solo undertaking, Mike is a team player (which his ice hockey career taught him) and enjoys learning from others. In 2016 when he was starting his photography career he founded UK Shooters (@uk.shooters), and from there his network has grown. ‘UK Shooters is a community hub of photographers,’ he explains. ‘We have these amazing events that are not just about shooting content but they are also about meeting likeminded photographers and learning from each other. When you’re with other people you’re in a team and you can help each other out. I networked a lot when I first started and from there friendships were born. I love that someone might message me now and say, “yo fog’s rolling in in the morning, do you want to shoot it?”

And I’ll be like, hell yeah, let’s do it!’

Why it works This image of the iconic Tower Bridge gives a different perspective to the muchphotographed location. The composition has been carefully considered and Mike is spot on with the symmetrical framing. A wide aperture setting has been used which blurs the foreground pleasingly. The lights in the centre of the frame jump out in their star shape formation and draws the eye in.

The blue tone in the sky complements the cool lighting and tones of the bridge, and the warm orange/red subtle injection of colour in the double lines on the road contrast nicely against the overall cool tone. The airplane streak across the back of the scene is not apparent at first but brings another subtle element to the scene when you look further in.

Mike is known for his vibrant and unique post production effects, and in this image they have been carefully considered to create an impactful result.

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Solo nights – Foggy London 4am.

Bad weather doesn’t stop Mike from heading out, and the damp conditions create interesting reflections 1/50sec at f/2.8, ISO 4000

Mike’s top London subjects Tower Bridge

Mike is lucky enough to reside near the iconic Tower Bridge in London, making it easily accessible all year round, whatever time of the day. ‘There are so many angles to shoot it from, and it’s such an iconic landmark,’ he says.

Gherkin

Mike likes the buildings and cityscape surrounding the Gherkin in London.

‘There are lots of leading lines, modern architecture and cool buildings in this area that I like to photograph.’

St Paul’s Cathedral

St Paul’s is another building that features heavily in Mike’s portfolio. He has photographed this iconic building close and far away with the Millennium Bridge in the foreground.

London Buses The iconic Tower Bridge rising to let a large vessel through

1/50sec at f/2.8, ISO 3200

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For light painting, the famous London double-decker red buses provide the perfect streaky effect in Mike’s images. You need to get the spacing and timing of the bus driving past it right, so that the streaks from the bus add to the composition of the shot and don’t detract from it.

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Technique

NOCTURNAL WILDLIFE SKILLS

KIT LIST

Canon EOS 5D Mark IV

Matt uses both Canon and Lumix camera systems, but the Canon is his preferred option for camera trap and remote flash photography. He favours either one of two lenses for his night fox work, the EF 16-35mm f/2.8L USM or EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM (used in this shot on the right).

Off-camera flash

Matt has three Canon flashguns to choose from: the 680 EX-RT II, 580 EX and 430 EX II. For this and most of his flash photos he uses two flashguns, off camera. ‘It is so much better having two flashes rather than one, coming from either side, both set to really low power.’

Remote trigger

Remote triggers allow Matt to still be on location and observe, but far enough away to remain unobtrusive. ‘I use a Pocket Wizard,’ he says, ‘So I’m standing away from the camera.

When these animals are drinking, they’re vulnerable, so the further away you can be, the more likely it is that they’ll exhibit natural behaviour.’

Tripod

A Manfrotto tripod with Arca Swiss ball head is Matt’s choice of tripod.

‘I don’t like using tripods, I find them limiting. Obviously, with camera traps you have to, because if you’re leaving your camera on an overnight set-up, it’s usually with a low shutter speed.’

Matt Maran

As a seasoned pro, Matt’s images have appeared in the UK press and National Geographic, as well as winning awards in Wildlife Photographer of the Year, the British Wildlife Photography Awards and more. Visit matthewmaran.com, @mattmaranphoto on Twitter and Instagram, and / matthewmaranphotography on Facebook.

Midnight ram Wildlife photographer Matt Maran haunts – the beautiful and clever red fox. Keith

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London photograph Wilson finds out ho

The fox and the mosquito

Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM at 190mm, 1/40sec at f/2.8, ISO 3200. Two EX flashguns, off camera, remote trigger

Allotment access

night rambler

Matt Maran haunts er red fox. Keith

J

ust over five years ago, on a cold Boxing Day evening in 2016, wildlife photographer Matt Maran and his partner stepped outside their north London home to walk off some of their excess Christmas indulgence. Moments later they turned a corner into a street they hadn’t explored before and by chance witnessed two foxes, both on their hind legs, scrapping with each other on a small green. Quickly, Matt ran back home to get his cameras but by the time he returned the foxtrot was over and the two participants had vanished. At the time, Matt was trying to decide which wild animal to document for a long-term project. This unplanned encounter with urban red foxes provided the answer. ‘I went back the next night and the night after,’ he recalls, ‘and because these foxes were just hanging around on this green and it was just a ten-minute walk away, I thought this was perfect.’

Matt recognised the potential of his new-found wildlife location and returned most nights to photograph his chosen subjects, trying to get acquainted with their habits and behaviour patterns. Foxes are mostly nocturnal, so much of his work has been done at night, and he freely admits to making many mistakes in those early days.

‘In the beginning, I went out with one flash mounted on the hot shoe and quickly learnt it’s much better when it’s off the hot shoe and you’re lighting it more subtly from the side,’ he says. ‘You don’t want to blitz the animal, you almost want to recreate the street light on the fox’s face. The best-looking images of urban foxes are the ones that don’t look like they’ve been lit by flash, it could almost be street light as well.’

London photographing our nocturnal neighbours Wilson finds out how he gets such striking photos www.amateurphotographer.co.uk

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Six months after that initial Boxing Day encounter, Matt gained access to a nearby allotment where he was told a family of foxes lived relatively undisturbed. It proved to be a major turning point as it allowed him to observe the foxes on a daily basis. More importantly, he gained the trust of the animals as they became used to his frequent visits. By now, the lighter summer evenings meant he didn’t always have to resort to flash. ‘When I got access to the allotment and it was getting lighter in the evenings I would only use natural light. That was definitely easier.’

However, there was one piece of behaviour that Matt wanted to capture, which still required the use of flash and a remote trigger.

‘When the sun went down the foxes would often stay on the allotment for a bit and that’s when I got shots of them drinking from these water troughs.’ The shot here (left) was taken in almost complete darkness and reveals the moment a fox looks up from drinking to see the tiny form of a mosquito. Both the fox and the mosquito are in focus and 43

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Technique

NOCTURNAL WILDLIFE SKILLS

their movement frozen by the flash burst. ‘That moment was 100% luck,’ says Matt. ‘There’s no way you could anticipate for that, and then the lens is wide open at f/2.8 so the focus plane is incredibly narrow.’

A moment of luck

The presence of the mosquito may have been luck, but Matt had planned this shot meticulously, spending many weeks observing how the fox would position itself on the water trough to drink. He explains, ‘What they would always do is they’d leap up onto their hind legs, put their front

paws over the edge and lap up the water.’

To perfect his set-up he made many practice shots, adjusting his focus, lighting position and exposure settings. ‘I had two flashes on that particular set-up, a camera, a tripod, with a 70-200mm set back from a water trough. Most of my efforts were failures. I’ve got loads of pictures of me pretending to be the fox with my hands over the edge of that water trough!’

Matt firmly believes that practice and fieldcraft creates its own luck, but it is the years spent observing one particular vixen, now six years old, that has provided him with many of his most memorable photos,

including this wideangle portrait (above right), which required him to lie on the ground and wait for her to appear. ‘They are creatures of habit, just like us,’ he says. ‘I followed her the most. She would do territory rounds, she would do food rounds, so I got to learn which gardens she would go in, and I would go ahead of her, prepare myself, get my settings right. On that occasion she just came out and stopped, which is rare, because they are always on the move. That was a pleasing moment, this character portrait of a fox. As far as she’s concerned she’s in her territory, these are her front gardens.’

THINKING OUTSIDE THE FOX: MATT’S TOP TIPS

Work close to home

Find somewhere that’s easily accessible and nearby that you can return to ‘over and over again’, says Matt. ‘Any city in the UK now has urban foxes. By revisiting a location you learn the lie of the land, where the light falls, and eventually predict their behaviour.’

Talk to neighbours

Ask your neighbours whether they have seen foxes nearby. ‘That’s how I gained access to the allotment,’ says Matt. ‘Relationship building is not something that’s often talked about in photography, but you might get access to someone’s garden who has foxes.’

Get support where you can Matt tries to avoid using tripods to stay mobile, so he will improvise. ‘I’ll use my camera bag or I’ve got a little beanbag filled with lentils, but usually I’m lying around on the streets of London, on my belly, getting dirty. God knows what I’m lying on!’

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FOX: Neighbour Villain Icon

Fieldcraft and subject knowledge

A busy city street might not seem like your typical wildlife location, but the same principles of knowing the location and your subject in order to get the best images apply just as strongly, including for the night-time antics of urban foxes. While out walking one night, Matt noticed the familiar form of the vixen walking just ahead of him. ‘I knew where she was going, she does her normal routes, including running past this particular shop, but on this occasion she just went in there, and I couldn’t believe it,’ he says (see below, far left). Fortunately, Matt had his Lumix S1

Flash control

Controlling the level of flash output is vital.

‘Don’t go right up and blitz the fox at the first attempt. I’ve learnt to turn the power right down on the flash to give it more of a natural feel.’ Low power also reduces the risk of overexposing the fox’s white front. www.amateurphotographer.co.uk

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Above: The fox out front

Canon EOS 5D Mark III, EF 16-35mm f/2.8L USM at 16mm, 1/15sec at f/3.5, ISO 1600, single flash Above left: The fox and the rat

Canon EOS 5D Mark III, EF 16-35mm f/2.8L USM at 16mm, 1/100sec at f/8, ISO 3200, two EX flashguns, off camera, remote trigger

and 50mm f/1.4 lens with him, his preferred combination when shooting handheld at night with available light, the ISO often rated at 5000. He only had time to fire three frames. ‘There was no flash on this, just all ambient light but there was enough light coming out of the shop.

The first two shots were a shambles, but then it was a case of adjusting the aperture, it was quite bright, so bringing it down a little bit, and then firing as she was turning. I think it was the only one where she was sharp. I just wish she had a bag of Walker’s in her mouth as she left the shop!’

Crank up the ISO

A high ISO in ambient street lighting, or mixed with low flash output, can produce excellent exposures. ‘High ISO is definitely a gamechanger in low light. When you haven’t got the chance or ability to use flash, then crank up your ISO and don’t be afraid to do it.’

Matt now has an extensive collection of images of urban foxes by night, including photos of them hunting rats, standing on garden walls, sleeping on grassy verges or sitting at ease while London’s traffic roars by. This spring, many of his images, including some shown here, will be published in a new photo book, FOX: Neighbour Villain Icon. It also features the work of fellow wildlife photographers Neil Aldridge and Andy Parkinson, and launches at the Natural History Museum, London, in April. Priced at £35, you can order your copy now at www.foxbook.shop.

Develop a soft touch

Foxes are skittish, but low powered or diffused flash won’t scare them. ‘If you get enough to put a catchlight in the eye and take out some of the shadow in the face it makes such a difference to the depth and quality of the picture,’ says Matt.

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Technique

GIG PHOTOGRAPHY

Low-light

gig secrets

Incorporating the crowd into the shot really helps capture the atmosphere

Canon EOS 5D Mark III, 24-70mm, 1/320sec at f/2.8, ISO 1000

Gigs are up and running so refresh your low-light concert photography skills with these practical tips from seasoned music shooter Shona Cutt

M

ost of us can get to gigs again, so here’s a reminder of the core skills you need for images with way more impact than the punters in the crowd will get with a phone. Whether you are shooting a massive arena show or a tribute band down the pub, the core principles of low-light gig shooting remain.

Indeed, smaller gigs are often less stressful, and you’re usually able to stay after the first three songs. The performers might really like your pictures too, and ask you back to shoot them again. And who knows, that talented local band could become huge one day, so it’s well worth trying to build a relationship with them through photography.

Fast lenses and high ISOs

‘My first tip for low-light photography is to use the fastest lens you can,’ advises highly experienced gig photographer Shona Cutt.

‘I use a Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 bought second-hand 11 years ago. It was all I could

afford at the time but still works really well.

I also hire a 70-200mm f/2.8 lens as needed. Being able to shoot at a wide aperture makes life much easier as the light often changes all the time – you combine it with a higher ISO and faster shutter speed, as required. I also have a Canon 50mm f/1.8 which I take to gigs, but mainly use for band portrait shots.’

Shona is also a great believer in using the highest ISO setting you can in order to get decent shots in low-light gig situations.

‘Higher ISOs are usually essential in smaller venues,’ she counsels. ‘I will happily shoot at ISO 6400 and sometimes higher. It’s always better to have a noisy shot than a slightly blurry one. The highest I usually go is ISO 6400 but will try to stay lower if I can depending on the venue/band. The highest I’ve managed to get successful results is at ISO10,000. Any higher and you risk the image becoming a noisy mush of pixels – I’ve learnt the hard way!’

In terms of camera and lens settings, Shona’s mantra is to try to get as much

Below left: Watch carefully for cool poses to give your shots character

Cxnon EOS 5D Mark III, 24-70mm, 1/400sec at f/2.8, ISO 5000

Below: Expose lights correctly and they can look great

Canon EOS 5D Mark III, 24-70mm, 1/400sec at f/2.8, ISO 6400

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light in as possible. ‘I keep the aperture wide open at f/2.8 and try to restrict the maximum shutter speed to 1/400sec as anything higher will further restrict whatever light is available from reaching the sensor. Back-button focusing will also help you get a sharper image, especially if the band are active performers.’

For metering, Shona favours the spot setting. ‘Spot metering makes it easier to take a very specific reading based on where you are focusing, and avoid blowing out highlights – a real risk with gig photography.’

Keep it moving

Fast lenses and smart camera settings are one thing, but Shona also emphasises the importance of good composition when it comes to gig shots. You can have your camera settings spot on, but it won’t help if the singer has a toilet sign over their head, for instance, a mic obscuring their face, or other stage gear sprouting out of the guitarist’s head as they blast www.amateurphotographer.co.uk

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out an epic solo. ‘Don’t be scared to move around the venue if you can,’ Shona adds.

‘Nearly all smaller venues will have areas where you can catch the stage lights better than other positions. Take your time: watch the lights for a pattern and listen to the music to anticipate where you need to be. If a big chorus is coming, try to get a shot with the crowd belting their hearts out, for example.’

It’s also important to respect the crowd.

‘Paying punters are the most important people there, as the band would not be performing without them. So try not to get in anyone’s way. Get to venues as early as you can to find a decent spot. Once you have got the shots you need, move around a bit, which helps other photographers present. It also helps to chat to the crowd; once they know you are not trying to push in front of them; most of time they will help you as long as they know you are not there for a long time.’ See Shona’s Instagram page at www.instagram. com/shonacuttphotography/

Editing tips

Some low-light gig images may need more work at the editing stage. ‘Adjusting the exposure, colour balance and saturation levels can help bring digital noise down more than the noise-reduction tool in Lightroom, which can remove too much detail. If the image still needs a bit of extra help, the Denoise plug-in from Topaz Labs for Photoshop has saved my skin many times, especially when I first started.

I only tend to use the lightest setting (Raw Lightest) as it is destructive and you can lose a lot of detail if not careful.

Sometimes I will also use a High Pass filter to help sharpen key details again.’

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Technique

NORTHERN LIGHTS

Göran Strand

Göran Strand is a freelance photographer based out of Östersund, Sweden, who specialises in astrophotography.

Many of his photos have been published by NASA’s Astronomy Picture Of the Day, SpaceWeather.com, National Geographic and more. In 2013 he received an astrophotographer of the year award in Sweden. See astrofotografen.se

Northern

exposure Northern lights specialist Göran Strand talks us through this low-light challenge and his forthcoming Zoom Photo Tours workshop

‘Handölsforsen in Jamtland – an eightphoto panorama made using PTGui’

Nikon Z 6II, 14-24mm lens, 10 secs at f/2.8, ISO 800

W

‘Me and two of my friends enjoying the northern lights’

Nikon D850, 8-15mm fisheye, 4 secs at f/3.5, ISO 5000

hen it comes to low light and night photography, few subjects are more compelling – and popular – than the northern lights. As the Royal Meteorological Society explains, this hugely photogenic phenomenon is caused by activity on the surface of the sun. Solar storms spew out huge clouds of electrically charged particles, which can travel millions of miles.

Some of these particles are captured in the Earth’s magnetic field, accelerating down towards the north and south poles into the atmosphere. This is why aurora activity is concentrated at the Earth’s poles.

So what we are actually seeing are atoms and molecules in our atmosphere colliding

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with particles from the sun. The aurora’s characteristic wavy patterns and ‘curtains’ of light are caused by the lines of force in the Earth’s magnetic field.

Anyway, you don’t need to be a meteorologist or physicist to know that the northern lights are like catnip to photographers. Swedish photographer Göran Strand dedicates his life to shooting them, so we caught up to get his tips – don’t forget to sign up for his forthcoming tour in March, organised by Zoom Tours and AP (see box, page 51).

Cheaper and more accessible

‘My interest in photography goes back to the 1990s when I started doing nature and landscape photography,’ Goran explains by www.amateurphotographer.co.uk

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way of background. ‘Then I started working part time as a professional photographer back in 2003 and I’ve been working as a full-time photographer since 2012.’

As Göran explains, he’s been interested in astronomy and watching the stars for as long as he can remember, so it was more or less inevitable that he would point his camera skywards at some point. ‘It all started in the mid-1990s when I got my first telescope. After some time I realised that there’s so much beauty and interesting things about space and different light phenomena, so I decided to start showing my photos more publicly and doing lectures about what you can see and photograph.’

Göran started doing workshops about a

decade ago. ‘Back then it wasn’t as popular as it is now. I think the interest for northern lights really kicked off with social media and that the camera gear that was needed got cheaper and more accessible to more people.’

We wondered how Göran went about making his images of the northern lights original and eye-catching – after all, many photographers all over the world now have them on their bucket list. ‘I’ve been photographing the northern lights for almost 20 years now so for me the challenge is to come up with new ideas,’ he explains. ‘I often think “what can I do next time that I haven’t done before?” I think my imagination and curiosity helps me with my creativity. I always strive 49

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Technique

NORTHERN LIGHTS

Göran’s gear AT THE moment Göran’s main mirrorless cameras are the Nikon Z 9 and Z 6II, for the reasons outlined in the main feature. ‘The two DSLRs I’m using the most are the Nikon D850 and the Nikon D810A. The latter is a special astrophotography camera that Nikon released back in 2014. It’s more sensitive to red light which is very good when taking photos of nebulas and so on.

His most used lenses are the Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8, 24-70mm f/2.8 and 70-200mm f/2.8, both the Z-versions and the older lenses with F-mount. ‘For big panoramas I often use my Nikon 8-15mm f/3.5-4.5E ED Fisheye Zoom Lens. I also use a Nikon 600mm f/4 lens quite a lot for lunar photography.’

to improve my creativity and ideas for new compositions to keep making interesting photos that stand out in some way.’

Common pitfalls to avoid

As a seasoned workshop leader, Göran has a lot of experience in helping photographers to capture this magnificent spectacle for the first time. He’s got some useful insights into the mistakes that people tend to make.

‘People often forget to include the surroundings, and I notice this a lot. They forget to include the northern lights in their context. Let’s say you photograph the northern lights back home and then go to, let’s say, Iceland. You need to show Iceland at the same time. Also people often tend to underexpose the photos a bit too much in the beginning, and that in turn exacerbates the problem of not seeing the surroundings.’

Göran is now a Nikon Z ambassador and reckons the smaller form factor of these still very powerful mirrorless cameras is a big help when it comes to shooting the northern lights. ‘Both the camera bodies and lenses are smaller which makes it easier to move around and be more creative. The LCD screen also makes composition much easier when working in awkward positions. The new Nikon Z9 also has a new feature called Starlight mode which really makes it much easier to compose a photo in total darkness. This mode helps the camera to focus right down to -8.5 EV, while illuminated buttons help to change settings in the dark.’

‘Light trails can add drama to your photos and lead the viewer into the image centre.

A five-shot panorama’

Nikon D850, 14-24mm lens, 20 secs at f/4, ISO 6400

Göran also favours the D810A, a specialist astrophotography camera

when it comes to low-light photography.

‘As for settings, it all depends on the surrounding conditions and the intensity and activity of the northern lights, but usually a good start is something like ISO 1600 and a 5-10 second exposure. For composition, the most important thing is to be playful with your camera. Try to get up close to something in the foreground – usually a low angle gives a more dramatic feeling to a photo. For the northern lights themselves, look for interesting formations.’

Göran tries to keep editing to the minimum. ‘Some photos are just a 10-15 minute edit, but big panoramas can take a couple of days before I’m satisfied with them. I use Adobe Photoshop with Adobe Camera Raw for my editing. For panoramas, I use PTGui and for astrophotography, I use PixInsight.’

‘I put my headlamp in a green bucket and brought a paint roller so we could paint the sky green!’

Nikon D800E, 14-24mm lens, 8 secs at f/2.8, ISO 1600

You’ll still need a tripod

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Shoot with Göran

AS MENTIONED, you can learn directly from Göran himself on his forthcoming Zoom Photo Tours workshop in March. It takes place in Abisko National Park in Sweden, which many experts believe is the best place in the world for northern lights photography.

‘Besides general camera settings and photo editing I will explain how the northern lights work and how to predict them. I will also teach how to make panoramas and time-lapses.

There will be lots of tips and ideas on composition and I will be explaining how to work in a dark and cold environment… when your vision is limited and your fingers get cold, it’s much harder than you think!’ Full tour details can be found at zoomphototours.com/northern-lights.

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Technique

FAST LENSES

Nikon’s Z 58mm f/0.95 might seem extravagant, but the widest apertures can work wonders

Fast workers With more and more very wide aperture lenses available, how do they help with low-light shooting – and what are the considerations?

We spoke to three photographers working across portrait, landscape and street

T

he advantage of fast lenses comes from their very wide maximum apertures. Pound for pound, more light means faster exposures at lower ISOs, which are useful across the board, and the secondary effect of aperture – depth of field – gives photographers creative choices. More light also makes AF more efficient. These benefits can be felt in almost any sphere of photography and across the next few pages we’ll hear from how they help photographers who are

working in very different subjects.

But before we get started, it is important to understand just what fast lenses are. This is a slippery term and whether a lens’s maximum aperture defines it as ‘fast’ depends on several factors. It’s also highly relative.

For starters, there’s focal length. A 50mm f/1.8 lens might not be seen as particularly fast by modern standards, but a 135mm f/1.8 lens would be, particularly as that’s about the fastest you can practically go at

that focal length. Similarly, a 14-24mm f/2.8 is considered fast for a full-frame zoom, but a prime lens at any of its focal lengths wouldn’t be.

What’s more, just as with focal length, what’s considered ‘fast’ is relative to sensor size. On smaller-sensor systems, like APS-C and Micro Four Thirds, you’ll find options stating wider maximum apertures than full frame, but when equated to a bigger sensor the effective aperture falls.

Of course, despite all their benefits, fast lenses have drawbacks, too. Comparatively, they’re larger and heavier than ‘slower’ lenses, so not right for all occasions. The very fastest lenses usually don’t feature AF, and you might find that sharpness isn’t at its peak when shooting wide open, where you’ll also see more vignetting. They’re also more expensive, so you need to choose wisely when it comes to investing. Let’s find out more.

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Not only do fast apertures deliver subject separation, they can also let you freeze movement more easily

Sony Alpha 9 II, 135mm f/1.8 lens, 1/400sec at f/2, ISO 125

Kate Kirkman Kate is an experienced pro photographer, specialising in weddings, portraits and boudoir subjects, with a style emphasising fine-art storytelling. She’s a Sony Europe Imaging Ambassador, and also offers photo training at trainingbylumiere.co.uk.

Portraiture PORTRAIT photographers love fast lenses – especially for low-light projects.

I shoot with Sony Alpha cameras and my go-to fast lenses are the 50mm f/1.2 GM and the 135mm f/1.8 GM. My indoor workhorse used to be the 24-70mm f/2.8 GM, but those two primes have now replaced it for interiors.

Why? It’s about a lot more than shallow focus. Beginner photographers can obsess over fast lenses and most of that is about getting wafer-thin depth of field. But as you grow and work more, it’s normal for that to become secondary to the real meaning of ‘fast’ lenses – the advantages they give in exposure speed.

Often my work means operating in low light. Sometimes that’s forced on me, but more usually it’s illumination I find in locations or create myself for a more atmospheric or flattering look, and it’s part of my style. But my preferences aren’t going to convince a camera to do www.amateurphotographer.co.uk

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anything other than read the light and expose as best it can!

I need a fast lens to help me keep image quality at the maximum in terms of ISO and also to keep shutter speed up, both to avoid camera shake – yes, despite my Alpha’s amazing IBIS it can still happen – and to freeze subject movement.

Comparing my 24-70mm f/2.8 to my 50mm f/1.2, I’ve got over two stops more light, so I can shoot faster and/or use lower ISOs. Beginners tend to only see shallow depth of field and think it’s great for a while. But it’s not enough. The key is always to find the right light and a lens’s worth is in helping you work with that.

There’s also lots to take into account when shooting at the widest settings. It’s certainly not a free pass. Before I moved to Alpha mirrorless cameras I would not always be confident in shooting at f/1.4 or below. Depending on how close you are to the subject, depth of field can be microscopic and for professionals focus has to be spot on. It’s only with eye-detection AF that I feel really comfortable.

Even then – and though I have f/1.2 or f/1.8 available – I often don’t shoot right at the maximum. As good as modern lenses are, they usually hit a sweet spot of sharpness just below wide open, and what’s more, I don’t always want the shallowest depth of field. That’s particularly true when shooting couples or groups.

I want the option to shoot at very wide apertures, even if I don’t always do it. Fast lenses are more expensive, but choose wisely and they’re a brilliant investment.

When shooting portraits using low-level available light, fast lenses are a must

Sony Alpha 1, 50mm f/1.2 lens, 1/200sec at f/2, ISO 500

Planes of focus

It’s important to learn how your fast lenses render depth of field, both on their focal length and distance to the subject. Get comfortable with this – even using depth-offield calculator apps in the beginning – or you could find subjects are blurred by mistake.

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Technique

The widest apertures allow more textured seas in low-light situations, showing the energy of the waves

Nikon D850, 28mm f/1.4 lens, 1/4sec at f/2.2, ISO 640

Kingsley Singleton

lighter. In those situations, fast, wideangle lenses are vital.

Kingsley is a photographer, tutor, Shooting at the maximum or just and writer with decades of below it, the extra light gives good experience in shooting technique exposures at lower ISOs but more and image editing. Specialising in importantly allows shutter speeds that landscapes, nature and travel, he don’t show trailing, for instance, staying lives in Lincolnshire but likes to under 18secs on a 28mm, or under 25secs travel to hillier places. Follow his on a 20mm. On slower lenses I’d need to work at @kingsley.photo bump up the ISO to get similar speeds which isn’t always welcome when already operating at high levels in the dark.

Exposure time also comes into play with Earthly subjects. At the coast, I may want the sea to show its texture and violence. In MANY photographers think scenics are a low light, that’s tough, and available subject where you don’t need particularly shutter speeds might calm waves into a fast lenses. Typically people are shooting in misty blur, which isn’t my intention. A fast daylight or twilight, and using tripods. And lens will let me work in fractions of a with most landscapers wanting the whole second rather than tens of them. scene in focus, the aesthetic benefits of very Despite the front-to-back sharpness fast lenses can be seen as limited, too. aesthetic than many landscape images But there are lots of situations where fast feature, shallow depth of field can be apertures are vital. And at those times remarkably effective, too. I will often – while I often use 14-24mm, 24-70mm change up from deep to shallow focus to and 70-200mm f/2.8 zooms for my give scenes a different feel. Just as though landscape work – I also rely on fast prime shooting a portrait, it’s also useful when lenses, in particular 20mm and 28mm making the best of subjects that have f/1.4s. The combination of wide aperture distractions around them, or for framing and broad field of view makes them perfect through foreground elements such as for lots of subjects. leaves or long grasses.

Maybe the most obvious is when Of course, extra care needs to be taken shooting landscapes with starry skies. with focus, but also remember that the Though I have a star-tracker – which characteristics of a lens change throughout compensates for the rotation of the Earth its aperture scale. Wide open or close to it, and allows long exposures without creating you can see more flare, while lights and ‘star trails’ – there are times when it’s sun will diffuse, the opposite to small impractical to use, or I just want to travel apertures which turn them into starbursts.

If you want to avoid star trails in night landscapes, apertures from f/1.4 to f/2 make it easier

Fujifilm X-Pro 2, 16mm f/1.4 lens, 20 seconds at f/1.6, ISO 3200

Landscapes

Manual focus

Whether it’s astro or other low-light subjects, when shooting landscapes at apertures like f/1.4 I always focus manually. It’s more effective than AF in low-light scenes and I’ll always zoom in to check critical sharpness for each frame because it’s easy to knock focus when setting up.

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Street portraits at night need fast apertures to avoid subject movement

Fujifilm X-Pro 2, 56mm f/1.2 lens, 1/320sec at f/1.2, ISO 3200

Brian Lloyd Duckett Fujifilm Ambassador Brian lectures widely on street photography and has written two best-selling books – you’ll also find him on YouTube. Brian runs around 70 street photography workshops every year, so find out more at streetsnappers.com

Street THERE ARE plenty of times when opening up with a fast lens can bring real benefits to your street photography.

It’s currently very popular to shoot wide open – particularly when working at night when we want to create some mood and atmosphere. Early practitioners like Winogrand and Meyerowitz were pretty much committed to shooting at f/8 or smaller – but there’s a new kid on the block, who is much more concerned with ‘look and feel’ than he is with ‘content’.

And, more often than not, this new aesthetic is created using a wide aperture.

Saul Leiter, undoubtedly one of the greatest street photographers ever, was the first to break with tradition, using lenses that were both longer and faster than those used by his peers, producing layered work which often had an out-of-focus foreground. He certainly started something!

My ‘holy trinity’ of prime lenses for street are the Fujifilm 23mm f/1.4, 35mm f/1.4 www.amateurphotographer.co.uk

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and 56mm f/1.2 – these are 35mm, 50mm and 85mm full-frame equivalents, respectively. I rarely use anything else and whilst much of my work is shot at f/8 or f/11, it’s good to have the ability to open wide when the right opportunity arises.

You’ll often find me shooting street at night, when a fast maximum aperture is essential. The wider the aperture, the better – f/2 is okay, f/1.4 is perfect and anything faster than that is a real bonus. Some street shooters are even buying the new breed of inexpensive f/0.95 manual focus lenses which can produce stunning and very ‘characterful’ results.

At night I set my lens at its widest setting and rarely deviate from that. This means that I need to take more care focusing, but with so much light entering the camera I can keep a lid on the ISO setting.

Night shooting aside, I sometimes shoot wide open as a deliberate aesthetic consideration and I find myself using this approach more than ever before to declutter a scene or to make the subject more prominent.

Then, of course, there are street portraits where a fast aperture is often vital in softening awkward or distracting backdrops, or simply to place emphasis on the eyes. My preferred style for portraits is to have a very soft background; step in, again, the fast lens.

Essentially, having lenses that give me the option to go as wide as f/1.4 or beyond gives me shooting possibilities that other models lack, and that’s something I wouldn’t want to be without.

Cluttered backgrounds are less of a problem when shooting wide

Fujifilm X-E4, 56mm f/1.2 lens, 1/30sec at f/1.2, ISO 400 Manual focus can be surprisingly helpful at the widest settings

Fujifilm X-T30, 56mm f/1.2 lens, 1/480sec at f/1.2, ISO 4000

Keep it sharp when open

When working wide open, focus needs to be precise. When I use AF, it’s in the standard single-shot (AF-S) mode, never continuous, and I don’t really trust face detection, preferring to keep full control. Otherwise I focus manually, even at the widest apertures, and rely on aids like a magnified view or focus peaking to help.

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Technique

Best cameras for low-light shooting The sensor’s impressive dynamic range can be clearly seen in this Rutland Water sunset

Not every camera handles low-light photography equally effectively. Damien Demolder enlightens us with the stand-out models

S

ince the dawn of photography we have been gradually moving to a position where we need less and less light to make a picture. While bright sunshine, head clamps and heavyduty tripods were the order of the day in the mid-1800s, today’s advances in camera, lens and sensor technology allow us to shoot handheld in dimly lit places with an excellent chance of achieving a usable image. Even the least advanced camera on the market today is streets ahead of the best offering of just a decade ago. We really are very lucky.

Of course the elements that allow easy photography in low light are not solely in the gift of the camera, as fast-aperture lenses play a major role in making the most of any light that is available – so we need to look at camera systems as a whole when choosing equipment to suit our needs. It is

also important to appreciate that each of the attributes that makes a system good for low-light photography will not necessarily make it good for all low-light work. The main characteristics we might look for are:

Long shutter speeds

The most obvious action to take in a low-light situation might be to increase the length of time the shutter remains open, so looking for a camera that allows exceptionally long shutter speeds seems like a good starting point. Long shutters are great if you have a tripod or camera support, but they are no good if you need to record a scene or subject that is moving.

Image stabilisation (IS)

Modern image-stabilisation systems are really remarkable, with some shifting the sensor to keep up with the movements of

the camera and others using a group of elements in the lens. These systems allow us to handhold the camera at much longer shutter speeds than would usually be the case. As with all long shutter speeds though moving subjects will be blurred even with the best IS system.

High ISO

To achieve a short enough shutter speed for moving subjects, a high ISO setting might be desirable. Many cameras offer high ISO settings but not all manage the noise produced by dramatic amplification as well as others. However well noise is managed, high ISO speeds will deliver lower overall image quality.

Wide apertures

Using a lens with a wide aperture makes life a whole lot easier when it comes to shooting in low light. When we use a lens that lets in more light focusing is easier, and we don’t need the high ISO settings and long shutter speeds quite so much.

This means we can handhold the camera more often, should we need to.

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The sensor’s impressive dynamic range can be clearly seen in this Rutland Water sunset

Best full frame

Canon EOS R6 l £2,400 l www.canon.co.uk FULL-FRAME cameras are, almost by default, better in low-light situations than smaller- sensor cameras at the same ISO and with the same resolution, and when a full-frame sensor is asked to house only 20 million pixels each of those pixels can be large and can gather more light. The sensor of the Canon EOS R6 also has a benefit of using the power of the DIGIC X processor for noise reduction, so the already low-noise pixels get extensively polished before being saved to the card. This allows exceptional noise performance at ISO settings right up to ISO 12,800, and good performance even beyond that. Noise performance here

At a glance l Max ISO 102,400 l 8 stops of IS l Full-frame 20MP sensor l AF down to -6.5EV

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has the advantage that there is a limit to how far you can enlarge a 20MP image so no one can look too closely, but even so the images this camera produces are remarkably well controlled. Noise doesn’t become overpowering until ISO 102,400, but it can extend to ISO 204,800 in an emergency.

The camera’s autofocusing system is also remarkably sensitive, and can operate right down to -6.5EV – the dimmest

working conditions for any EOS R camera. This makes it ideal for stage performance as well as night-time news.

Demands on both noise performance and the IS system are eased somewhat though by the collection of very fast lenses Canon has in the RF line-up.

We have standard and portrait lenses in f/1.2 as well as an f/2 28-70mm standard zoom.

Those all make life a lot easier for the low-light worker.

Star turn Image stabilisation

The R6’s image stabilisation is the key low-light feature. The camera on its own can use its sensor shift to stabilise any lens that can mount on it, but when it is coupled with the right RF lens it comes into its own. The imagestabilisation systems of both camera and lens will work together to produce up to 8EV of stabilisation. In real terms that means we should be able to handhold a 50mm lens for a four-second exposure, or a 500mm lens for a 1/2sec. Much is dependent on the lens in use though, as some RF lenses allow only 6EV – such as the RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 IS. The extended imaging circle of many of the RF lenses is partly responsible for this as they produce a much wider-than-usual area for the camera’s sensor to move around in – and this makes it possible to compensate for more dramatic movements.

So, R6 users can really slow down the shutter speed while still staying sharp handheld.

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Effective in-body image stabilisation and a wide range of fast lenses make the X-T4 a winner

Best APS-C

Fujifilm X-T4

Star turn Fast lenses

l £1,400 body only l www.fujifilm.co.uk THE FUJIFILM X-T4 is only the second Fujifilm X model to feature an in-body image stabilisation system, but the company seems to have learnt how to make the most of this technology pretty quickly. It felt like a great step forward when the first Fujifilm IBIS system was introduced in the X-H1 and that camera’s larger body was well able to accommodate it.

The X-T4 however is a much slimmer and compact camera in line with the previous X-T series, so the system had to be miniaturised to make it fit.

Smaller though it is, it is still very effective and with many of the Fujifilm X lenses it offers 5-axis compensation at up to

At a glance l E xcellent high-ISO JPEGs l Good in-body stabilisation l Multiple very wide-aperture lenses l Great noise performance up

to ISO 12,800

6.5 stops. With independent lenses and those without their own IS systems, we get 3-axis stabilisation of up to 3 stops. If you are a tripod user and like a really long exposure, the X-T4’s Bulb mode allows the shutter to be held open for up to 60 minutes.

Another massive help in lowlight conditions is the camera’s excellent control of image noise at high ISO settings – in both

raw and JPEG settings. JPEG files tend to be a little smooth and lacking the fine detail that raw files contain, but they also are free of speckles, coloured bruising and unpleasant textures. Right up to ISO 6400 they look pretty good, and allow those Fujifilm users who prefer to set their styles using JPEG colour and contrast settings to continue to do so.

A great low-light choice.

X-T4 users can take advantage of the system’s superpower – the enticing brace of fast-aperture lenses for low-light shooting.

The leader of the pack is obviously the XF50mm f/1.0 R WR which gives us an angle of view similar to that of a 75mm lens on a full-frame system. This makes it a very happy street lens and is ideal for ambient light portraits. The super-wide maximum aperture means we can work in very dark conditions without having to push the ISO up too high but still maintain a shutter speed short enough to freeze moving people.

The company’s XF56mm f/1.2 lenses afford us similar benefits but with a slightly longer focal length, while a collection of six f/1.4 lenses offer us focal lengths between 16mm and 35mm – nicely covering the sweet spots of 24mm, 27mm, 35mm, 50mm and 52mm in full-frame terms. And if you want longer lenses there’s a range of seven lenses with f/2 apertures that includes focal lengths between 18mm and 200mm.

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BEST LOW-LIGHT CAMERAS Excellent low-light results when paired with a decent lens such as the ED 20mm f/1.4 Pro

Best MFT

Olympus OM-D E-M1 III l £1,600 body only l om-digitalsolutions.com IT IS certainly true that by default smaller sensors are at a disadvantage when it comes to low-light photography, but in the OM-D E-M1 Mark III Olympus is working hard to make this Micro Four Thirds model compensate for its small pixels with a range of excellent features. The camera’s ISO range might top-out at just 6400 in the standard settings but Olympus does all it can to ensure we don’t have to crank

At a glance l First-class image-stabilisation

system

l Live Bulb/Time modes l L ive Composition mode l Starry Sky AF

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the sensitivity up that high very often. In fact at ISO 6400 the camera produces images with a well-controlled and not unattractive noise profile, but there is still more noise than you would expect from a modern full-frame model. The Micro Four Thirds system though is well-populated with super-fast lenses from Olympus’s own f/1.2 Pro series as well as those from Panasonic and the f/0.95 primes made

by Voigtländer.

The Olympus OM-D E-M1 III also has one of the best imagestabilisation systems on the market, offering 5-axis compensation of 7 stops using just the shifting sensor. This allows vintage lenses and those without their own stabilisation to be used handheld with very

long shutter speeds. When this in-body stabilisation is combined with one of Olympus’ stabilised lenses the compensation creeps up another half stop to 7.5EV. That translates to being able to handhold a standard lens (25mm in this case) for up to three seconds – which is very impressive.

Obviously that’s no good for moving subjects, but it will mean you have to use a tripod much less often. Good news for many shooters.

Technique

Star turn Live Bulb

Olympus has a number of ‘Live’ shooting modes that really help for judging exposure with long shutter speeds. Live Bulb, Live Time and Live Composite all allow the user to monitor how exposure is being built-up during a long shutter opening, by displaying the progress of the exposure live on the rear screen. A faint image on the display becomes brighter during the exposure; the user can see in real-time how the light is being recorded, so the exposure can be stopped when the image reaches the required brightness. This takes all the guesswork out of longexposure work and saves time-wasting experiments.

Live Bulb works while the shutter button is being held down, Live Time works between two presses of the shutter button and Live Composite records the build-up of multiple exposures.

Olympus is unique too in being able to create low-light situations to shoot in – or at least the impression of low light. Using Live ND mode the camera can create the effect of shooting through an ND filter of up to 5 stops using a multiple exposure technique, so we can get movement in the clouds and running water even in bright conditions.

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AF works well in extremely low light and noise is kept well under control at ISO 1600

Best zoom compact

Panasonic Lumix LX100 II l £799 l www.panasonic.co.uk COMPACT cameras are not usually ideal for low-light work, but at the same time they are very often the only camera we have with us in low-light situations on social occasions. A trip out to dinner, to the theatre or out for an evening stroll are rarely chances to take our full kit, so finding a compact that can handle low light can be important if we want to maintain decent image quality.

The Lumix LX100 II makes itself ideal as a carry-around low-light camera with its combination of a fast zoom

At a glance l F /1.7-2.8 24-75mm lens l Micro Four Thirds sensor l Stabilised lens l Max ISO 25,600

lens, a larger-than-average image sensor, image stabilisation and a good maximum ISO setting of 25,600. As this is the same sensor as used in the Lumix GX9 interchangeable lens camera, we get big-camera performance in a small body – and very usable images from ISO 6400. While the sensor has 20 million pixels the whole sensor isn’t used at the same time, so the best resolution

comes in 4:3 aspect ratio with 17MP, but the sensor and pixels are still very much bigger than those found in cameras that use 1in sensors.

Regular shutter speeds can be set for as long as 60 seconds, but a Time mode allows the shutter to be held open for up to 30 minutes, and Low Light and Star Light AF modes mean the camera can focus in the lowest illumination levels.

Star turn Fast lens There are compact zoom cameras with physically larger sensors than the 20MP Micro Four Thirds sensor in the Lumix LX100 ll, but few with an imagestabilised lens that offers a maximum aperture of f/1.7. In this model the lens gives us the views we’d expect from a 24-75mm lens on a full-frame camera, and even with a variable maximum aperture we can open up to f/2.8 at the longest end of the zoom. With these wide apertures we can handhold the camera much more often; it also means we can avoid the high ISO settings too.

Panasonic doesn’t tell us how much stabilisation the OIS system in this lens offers us, but we can assume it is at least three stops, so again the camera can be handheld in dim conditions more often than it could without that in-lens system.

All good, but not so good if the lens is a let-down. Fortunately, this lens offers exceptional sharpness and contrast, and performs extremely well at f/1.7 and f/2.8.

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Technique Not cheap, but the 47.3MP full-frame sensor and 28mm f/1.7 imagestabilised lens are a real help when the light starts to fail

Best prime lens compact

Leica Q2

Star turn F/1.7 aperture lens

l From £4,675 l leica-camera.com IT IS AN unfortunate truth that many good things cost a lot of money, and sometimes so much money we just have to content ourselves with standing back to admire them rather than actually owning them.

One of those things is the Leica Q2 – well, all Leica cameras come into this bracket actually.

The Q2 however is an excellent choice for low-light workers because it offers a number of attractive features.

The most obviously attractive feature is that it uses a fullframe sensor and that the sensor houses over 47 million pixels. The general rule is that more densely packed sensors don’t have the noise performance of those with

At a glance l f/1.7 28mm lens l 47MP full-frame sensor l Stabilised lens l Max ISO 50,000

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fewer and bigger pixels, but the Q2 is still able to offer a maximum ISO setting of 50,000 – and very good noise performance all the way up to 6400. With so many pixels of course we don’t always need to use the images at full size, and smaller prints will offer even better noise appearance.

For tripod work the Q2 offers a longest shutter speed of 60 seconds with the mechanical shutter, which will be enough for most urban night scenes

and which allows low ISO and small-aperture shooting. Even in moderate lighting conditions a tripod might be a good idea as using the middle apertures offers the best from the lens, but also the base ISO setting provides exceptional dynamic range. And although this is a relatively small camera it is also solidly built and consequently quite heavy. At 734g the body provides the ballast needed to help users to keep it still during handheld work.

As this is a compact camera, and Leica has tried to keep it relatively small, squeezing in a lens with an aperture as wide as this is quite an achievement.

The lens is also very sharp, and while resolution does decrease as the aperture is stopped down, the maximum f/1.7 is more than usable. There are three aspherical elements in this lens to ensure it is sharp edge-to-edge as well as when it is used at anything other than the middle aperture settings. Shooting wide open offers more than enough sharpness, as well as the chance to avoid the highest ISO settings.

This lens also features an optical image-stabilisation system that helps to minimise camera shake in long exposures so we can use the camera handheld in a wider range of situations.

As the lens is a 28mm wideangle, it makes it easier to hold without the effects of camera shake showing as much as they would if you were using a longer focal length.

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Gloomy woodland conditions may need ISO 6400 or higher, but noise-reduction software can help maintain image quality

Noise-reduction software Shooting in low light often involves using higher ISOs, which can result in noisy images.

Angela Nicholson looks at some handy remedies

A

t this time of year in the Northern Hemisphere, the window of photographic opportunity can seem pretty narrow and unless it’s one of those rare clear-sky days, we have to embrace shooting in low light or even at night. Consequently, we often find ourselves having to push up the camera’s sensitivity (ISO) setting to enable us to shoot at the shutter speed and aperture combination that we want –

especially when handholding the camera.

Consequently, you may see a bit more noise creeping into your images than you do at the height of summer.

Most cameras offer a small collection of noise-reduction settings for JPEGs but they can be rather crude and apply a blanket treatment so that while the sky in an image might look great, the detail of the foreground is smudged. Meanwhile, using a low setting can mean there’s more detail

visible in the foreground but there’s coloured speckling visible in the sky and shadows. The solution is to take control over how much noise reduction is applied to each image so that you can strike the right balance between concealing the noise and retaining the detail. It’s also best to do this while looking at the image either at 100% on a computer screen or at the size that you intend to use it at. In some cases you can even go the extra mile by applying different levels of noise reduction to different parts of the image.

Most image-editing software offers some form of noise-reduction control but there are a few packages that are specifically designed for the task. While some software allows you to apply noise reduction to JPEGs, it’s best to work with raw files as these have the maximum amount of data and the least in-camera tinkering.

So let’s take a look at the noise-reduction controls in some of the most popular imaging software currently available.

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NOISE-REDUCTION TOOLS

Adobe Lightroom Classic

Affinity Photo

l £9.98 as part of the monthly Adobe Photography Plan l www.adobe.com

l £47.99 l affinity.serif.com Affinity Photo is a very attractive alternative to Photoshop for anyone who doesn’t like the Adobe subscription model. It’s especially enticing as the £47.99 fee is a one-off and you don’t have to pay for updates.

Like Photoshop, Affinity Photo allows you to work with layers and create masks which means that you can apply noise reduction and other adjustments selectively.

Affinity Photo’s noisereduction controls are found in the Details section in the control panel on the right of the screen when an image is open. As with most other software, Affinity Photo has controls for adjusting the degree of chroma (colour) and luminance noise reduction.

Because chroma noise is more objectionable in an image, it’s best to start by working on this

Technique

first – the controls are below the Luminance controls in the panel.

Moving the Colours sliding control to the right increases the intensity of chroma noise reduction and it should be moved until the coloured speckling just disappears. The treatment can then be refined by using the Colours Contribution slider, moving it left from its maximum value until the point just before the coloured specking starts to appear again.

Then it’s time to turn your attention to the Luminance slider which governs the intensity of the luminance noise removal. This needs to be used with care as it can soften the image dramatically. Drag it to the right to increase the intensity of the reduction, stopping when you’re happy that enough noise has been removed. Next, adjust the Luminance Details to set the detail edge smoothing threshold. Higher values make more fine detail visible while lower values smooth the fine detail and hide more noise.

Lastly, use the Luminance Contribution slider to control how much of the overall luminance noise reduction is added to the image. It’s a back-and-forth process with all of the sliders until you get a result that you’re happy with.

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Adobe Lightroom Classic is the go-to image organiser and editor for many photographers.

While it facilitates importing, keywording and cataloguing of images as well as global and local adjustment, it doesn’t support layers.

Lightroom Classic’s noise reduction tools are found in the Detail section of the Develop control panel, under the Sharpening controls. There are three controls for the two types of noise and as in Affinity Photo, the luminance noise controls sit above the chroma noise controls, but it’s best to tackle the chroma noise first.

If you have the main preview filling the centre part of the screen, you can use the small window above the sharpening controls to see a magnified view of a small section at 100%. Alternatively you can enlarge the main image.

By default the Color slider in the Noise Reduction section is set to 25. Dragging the control left reduces the degree of noise reduction so that more coloured speckling appears. To find the best setting, move the Color control all the way to 0 and then slowly move it to the right until the colour noise just disappears.

Next, use the ‘Detail and Smoothness’ controls to refine the colour noise reduction.

Increasing the Detail value enhances the detail but can bring back some of the noise, while increasing the Smoothness helps to reduce the visibility of some coloured speckling.

When you’re happy with the chroma noise, use the Luminance slider to take out some of the remaining noise.

Be careful not to push this too far to the right as you’ll lose image detail. However, you may be able to bring some back with the Detail slider.

Finally, if you’ve lost some contrast, use the Contrast control to give it a boost.

It can take a while to find settings that you’re happy with and you may find yourself adjusting backwards and forwards, not always seeing a great deal of difference in the impact of some of the controls.

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Technique

NOISE-REDUCTION TOOLS

DxO PureRaw

Nik Collection 4 by DxO

l £115 l www.dxo.com

l £135 l nikcollection.dxo.com

While DxO’s PhotoLab 5 image-editing software is excellent, the company recognised that there are lot of people who use software such as Adobe Lightroom and Capture One who would like a little help with noise reduction.

The company’s solution is DxO PureRaw which uses the same DeepPRIME noise-reduction algorithm as PhotoLab and benefits from the company’s background in analysing lenses and cameras so as to enable it to correct their flaws with software.

It’s designed to fit into your workflow whatever image organisation and editing package you prefer to use, and it’s compatible with raw files from a huge range of cameras.

The first step in using DxO PureRAW is to import a folder of images or drag and drop the files into the PureRAW screen.

If it’s the first time that you’ve used the software with images from a particular camera and lens combination, it will then prompt you to download the

necessary correction module – if you’ve got a decent internet connection it only takes a couple of seconds.

Once the module is installed, you just need to ensure that the images you want to work on are selected and click on ‘Process photos’.

This will bring up a dialogue box that allows you select whether you want the images to be output as JPG or DNG files, where they should be stored and which method of noise reduction you want to use, HQ, PRIME or DeepPRIME. DeepPRIME produces the best results and takes the longest time but it’s the one we recommend as it does a superb job. You can also opt to apply DxO’s Optical corrections, which is usually a good idea.

Once the images are processed, you’re given the option to see the results or export them to your preferred software for further editing.

DxO PureRaw is very easy to use and one of the most effective solutions for removing noise from high-ISO raw files while still enabling further processing in your preferred software. Its only shortcoming is the lack of selective adjustment or masking.

Requirements Windows or Mac 4GB RAM (8GB recommended) 4GB or more of available hard disk space

Nik Collection 4 by DxO is a suite of eight plug-ins for Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom Classic, and DxO PhotoLab. The most widely recognised of the eight is Silver Efex Pro which is popular for making black & white conversions; however, there’s also Dfine 2, which is specifically designed for noise reduction. It can be used as a standalone package for working on JPEGs or as a plug-in to work on raw files via Photoshop or Lightroom.

Although Dfine 2 is part of DxO’s portfolio, it doesn’t use the superb DeepPRIME system that’s employed by DxO PureRAW and PhotoLab 5. It also seems a little unstable with the latest Mac operating system and Adobe software, but it’s nevertheless very powerful.

Once an image is open in Dfine, you have the choice of

working in Automatic or Manual mode.

In Manual mode you can position the measurement squares that appear in the preview over key areas of the image, adding more as you need. Dfine analyses these areas and applies appropriate noise reduction, however you can tweak these settings by clicking on the Reduce button to access the Contrast Noise and Colour Noise sliding controls.

It’s also possible to target the noise reduction to specific areas by adding Control Points or by selecting specific colour ranges.

When you’re happy with the noise reduction, clicking on ‘OK’ applies it to match the preview that you see.

Alternatively, if you started out in Photoshop, you can click on ‘Brush’ and the software will automatically create a mask as the image opens back in the host software.

The image will be shown without any noise reduction and you can paint it in exactly where you want it. You can even adjust the opacity of the brush to make the noise reduction subtler in some areas if necessary.

Requirements Windows or Mac 8GB RAM (16GB recommended) 4GB or more of available hard disk space

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ON1 NoNoise AI

Topaz Labs DeNoise AI

l www.on1.com l £63.56

l $79.99 l www.topazlabs.com

NoNoise AI works as a standalone package or as a plug-in for Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom Classic, Photoshop Elements, Affinity Photo, Capture One, Apple Photos and Corel Printshop Pro as well as ON1 Photo Raw. Like DxO PureRAW and Topaz Labs DeNoise AI, NoNoise AI uses artificial intelligence to tailor the noise reduction that it applies to suit the image. It also operates at the demosaicing stage of raw files and its default settings produce very good results.

However, there are Luminance, Enhance, Detail, Color, and Sharpening controls available if you want to adjust the result.

There are also masking tools available to apply the noise reduction selectively, however you first need to lock in the ‘Noise & Sharpening’ settings

by clicking on the blue Apply button and then create a duplicate layer with alternative noise and sharpening settings.

Once the new layer is created, you have to unlock it by clicking on the red Adjust button before you can adjust the noise reduction and sharpening. Then you have to hit the Apply button again to access the masking tools so that you can paint in your original treatment, hiding the new treatment. There are a few different brushes available to help you paint the edits in or out and you can adjust the size of the brush as well as the opacity, feathering and flow.

Once you’ve finished making the noise-reduction edits, you can use the crop tool and object remove tool to finish your image before clicking on File > Export to select the file type that you want to save your image as. DNG format is available if you want to make further edits to your shot. You can also specify the storage location and size of your image, and even add a watermark on Export.

It all adds up to make ON1 NoNoise AI an excellent choice for anyone wishing to get really serious about noise reduction.

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Topaz Labs DeNoise AI can be used as a standalone package or as a plug-in for Adobe Lightroom Classic and Photoshop. It can also be used on JPEG or raw files (from supported cameras) and can be used on individual images or batches of images.

DeNoise AI doesn’t just apply a blanket noise-reduction treatment, it applies it selectively to specific areas to give the right level of noise reduction and detail enhancement, drawing on Topaz Labs’s deep learning that comes from the analysis of millions of images.

By default, once an image is open in DeNoise AI, the software will suggest settings, but you can select from five models of noise reduction (Standard, Clear, Low Light, Severe Noise or RAW) to use

and adjust the settings.

However, if you’re working on a raw file from a supported camera, the RAW model is recommended and this is only available in the standalone version of DeNoise AI. Fortunately, the software gives the option to save denoised images as a DNG file so you can use your normal raw processing software to make any further adjustments.

DeNoise AI takes a couple of seconds to render the preview with the noise-reduction settings after the model is selected and after any settings changes or if you move the magnified preview window.

This can make tweaking the suggested settings tedious, but thankfully it generally works well in the default settings, striking a good balance between noise reduction, detail preservation and sharpening with raw files.

Like ON1 NoNoise AI, DeNoise AI includes a masking option that could prove useful.

It allows you to paint in the treatment where you want it, adjusting the opacity of the brush as you go if necessary so you can create a bespoke treatment for any image, but it doesn’t have NoNoise AI’s layer support to enable different treatments to be applied to different areas.

Requirements Windows or Mac 8GB RAM (16GB+ for Mac) 1.5GB or more of available hard disk space 65

07/02/2022 14:24

LONDON PHOTO CONVENTION MOVES TO MARCH 2022 Full Convention: Wednesday 16th – Saturday 19th March FREE* Trade Show Dates: Thursday 17th – Saturday 19th March VENUE: Novotel London West Hammersmith, W6 8DR

TAKE YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY TO THE NEXT LEVEL

Europe’s Largest ‘All-Welcome’ Photographic Convention

Attend The Societies 2022 London Photographic Trade Show for FREE* All the latest photographic equipment, products and services will be on show, and attendees will be able to watch demonstrations from leading manufacturers on their products.

All the major players in the industry will be exhibiting, so it’s a good opportunity to meet the key personnel behind the latest photography equipment.

REGISTER TODAY FOR YOUR FREE TRADE SHOW TICKETS.*

Many of the 100+ exhibitors will also be offering special deals on their products and services, exclusive to the show with Park Cameras and Cameraworld the main supporting dealers.

Register today to secure your FREE tickets to the 2022 Trade Show.

What’s on

Masterclasses

• FREE* to enter Trade Show • FREE* Seminars & Demos

Don’t miss out on the chance to start off the year with inspiration from some of the world’s best photographers.

• • • • •

4 days of Masterclasses Hands-on Superclasses Qualification Assessments 20x16” Print Comp Judging Presentation Evening

good ateur, it is and “As an am work e se to to be able fessional at the pro facilities for at re g ’s level. It ideas n ow y m g developin ns.” io at ir p and as able – Brian C

150 hours of Masterclasses have been confirmed from over 70 speakers!

DON’T MISS HOURS OF FREE SEMINARS AND DEMOS.

YOU CAN ATTEND THE FULL 4 DAY MASTERCLASS PROGRAMME FOR JUST £250.

Masterclass Tickets: Day Pass £75 | 4 Day Full Pass £250 All prices shown are inclusive of booking fee & VAT.

STOP PRESS... USE AP EXCLUSIVE ONLINE CODE AP10 & SAVE 10% OFF ALL TICKETS!

thesocieties.net/convention/ *Pre-register until 28 Feb 2022 for FREE and avoid £10 entry fee to Trade Show.

AP_2022_01_18_BPPA Ltd_FP.indd 1

10/01/2022 13:00

AP Photo Tours In association with

Quality workshops to top UK and worldwide destinations ● Small groups led by world-leading photographers ● High-quality accommodation, daily activities and lectures ● A tour coordinator from Zoom Photo Tours on every trip ●

Book now!

www.amateurphotographer.co.uk/photo-tours 67 ZoomToursAd Sept25 NA JP.indd 67

14/09/2021 18:19

Reader Portfolio Spotlight on readers’ excellent images and how they captured them 1

Martin Leighton, Nottingham About Martin Martin is a Landscaper, and has been taking pictures ‘on and off’ for about 20 years.

Favourite subjects Landscapes or seascapes, but in the last few years, I’ve decided to capture people or animals in the landscapes.

They make excellent subjects to rest the eye on and also reflect light well.

How did you get into photography?

I love sunrises and sunsets. I wanted to paint the landscape but was no good so tried photography, a pure and real way of recording nature.

What do you love about photography?

The feeling when you see a well done picture in print and you exhibit it.

First camera A £2.50 throwaway camera.

Current kit Canon 5DS, 24-70mm f/2.8 lens.

Favourite lens Canon 24-70mm f/2.8 lens.

Favourite accessory LEE ND filters.

Dream purchase A hybrid 100MP camera.

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68-69 Portfolio Feb15 JP AD.indd 68

What software do you use?

RawTherapee and GIMP. Favourite photographers Joe Cornish and Marc Adamus Favourite photography book First Light by Joe Cornish How do you find inspiration?

Local parks can inspire me and it’s only a quick drive or walk away. Above all for me, inspiration should come from the landscape or from within.

Favourite tips Joe Cornish said there isn’t much money in photography, and that was 20 years ago when it wasn’t as popular as now. Now it’s best to just enjoy photography for the pleasure of it. Try to keep your images as natural as possible, not over-processed. Also, the interval timer setting is fantastic for portraits within the landscape.

Is there a story behind your photos?

Humans are a natural part of any landscape. Whether you take a self-portrait or a stranger (with their permission), natural poses are best, when a person acts unaware of the camera. I’m not a fan of obvious ‘selfies’ – a lot of the photos on places like Instagram are not really ‘photography’ in my opinion. I also like images of mood or mystery.

The Dreamer

1 Taken on holiday at Mablethorpe. I love that you will never create the same image twice at a beach, the waves always have different patterns. I wanted to create a dreamworld type image with a longer exposure.

Canon EOS 5DS, 24-70mm, 0.5sec at f/16, ISO 50 3

www.amateurphotographer.co.uk

08/02/2022 12:24

NOTE: PRIZE APPLIES TO UK AND EU RESIDENTS ONLY

YOUR PICTURES IN PRINT

The Reader Portfolio winner chosen will receive a copy of Skylum Luminar AI, worth £79. See www.skylum.com

Submit your images

Luminar is a fully featured photo editor for Mac and PC designed for photographers of all skill levels, blending pro-level tools with remarkable ease of use and an enjoyable experience. A new Library feature lets you organise, find and rate images easily, while over 100 editing features, plus a suite of fast AI-powered technologies under the hood, will make any image stand out.

Please see the ‘Pictures’ section on page 3 for details of how to submit. You could see your photos here in a future issue!

Man’s Best Friend

3 I was blown away by the colours at Highfields Park this autumn. It’s me and my dog in the photo.

The title is referring to the trees as well as the dog for being a man’s best friend.

Canon EOS 5DS, 24-70mm, 0.5sec at f/13, ISO 100

Looking for Truth

4 A self-portrait taken recently after Christmas at Wyming Brook, Sheffield.

I felt the picture needed the human touch. I think it looks like an image full of mystery and wonder.

Canon EOS 5DS, 24-70mm, 1/8sec at f/16, ISO 100

A Love for Autumn

2 This is a natural stranger portrait taken at Padley Gorge. I never managed to catch up with the lady in the frame, but she 100% makes this image. I took one without her in it and it really falls short.

Canon EOS 5DS, 24-70mm, 0.5sec at f/13, ISO 100

4

www.amateurphotographer.co.uk

68-69 Portfolio Feb15 JP AD.indd 69

Emerald Park

5 At Highfields Park.

This is one of my favourite images.

Again, the people just create the image and add scale.

Canon EOS 5DS, 24-70mm, 1/8sec at f/13, ISO 100

5

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08/02/2022 12:24

01954 252352

Digital Photography

LEICA 90mm f4 ELMAR BLACK SCREW ......................................................EXC++ - £145.00 LEICA 135mm f2.8 ELMARIT M WITH SPECS........................................... EXC+++ - £299.00

CANON EOS 40D COMPLETE WITH ALL ACCESSORIES ..................... MINT-BOXED - £125.00

LEICA 135mm f4.5 HEKTOR + HOOD M MOUNT ...........................................EXC++ - £99.00

FUJI X10 ,WITH CASE AND HOOD......................................................MINT-BOXED - £199.00

LEICA 135mmf4.5 HEKTOR IN KEEPER .................................................... EXC+++ - £199.00

FUJI X100 12.3 MP ...........................................................................EXC++BOXED - £295.00

LEICA 135mm f4.5 HEKTOR + HOOD SCREW................................................EXC++ - £99.00

FUJI TCL-X100 TELECONVERTER FOR X100/100S etc.......................MINT BOXED - £195.00

LEICA SF20 FLASH FOR M6 etc..............................................................MINT BOXED - £9.00

OLYMPUS OMD BODY ........................................................................MINT-BOXED - £195.00

LEICA 14472 GRIP FOR M8/M9 etc ....................................................MINT BOXED - £125.00

OLYMPUS OMD MK III BODY ..............................................................MINT BOXED - £325.00

LEICA FONOR BLACK RANGEFINDER ................................................ MINT-CASED - £175.00

NIKON MB-D18 BATTERY GRIP for D850 + BL5 COVER ....................MINT BOXED - £295.00 NIKON D3000 WITH BATT AND CHARGER ......................................................MINT - £125.00 NIKON D200 BODY WITH BATTERY,CHARGER+MB-D200 ..............................MINT - £225.00 NIKON SB900 SPEEDLITE ..................................................................MINT-BOXED - £145.00 NIKON ML-3 REMOTE CONTROL SET ..............................................MINT - BOXED - £145.00 NEEWER SPEEDLITE 750 MK II FOR NIKON..........................................MINT BOXED - £55.00

Canon Autofocus, Digital Lenses, Canon FD CANON 50mm f1.8 MK II ..................................................................................MINT - £65.00 CANON 17 - 40mm f4 USM “L” .........................................................MINT-BOXED - £385.00 CANON 24 - 105mm f4 “L” USM IMAGE STABILIZER.........................MINT CASED - £395.00 CANON 70 - 200mm f4 USM “L” IMAGE STABILIZER.........................MINT CASED - £599.00 CANON 70 - 200mm f4 USM “L” IMAGE STABILIZER.........................MINT BOXED - £645.00 CANON 10 - 22mm f3.5/4.5 USM ................................................................EXC++ - £295.00 CANON 17 - 55mm f2.8 EFS IS USM WITH HOOD ..........................................MINT - £445.00 CANON 18 - 55mm f3.3/5.6 STM VIBRATION REDUCTION.............................MINT - £149.00 CANON 28 - 135mm f3.5/5.6 USM IMAGE STAB..............................MINT + HOOD - £165.00 CANON 70 - 300mm f4.5/5.6 USM IMAGE STABILIZER .....................MINT BOXED - £225.00 KENCO DG CANON FIT TUBE SET 12,20,36MM ....................................MINT BOXED - £99.00 CANON 580EX MK II SPEEDLITE........................................................ MINT-CASED - £169.00 CANON 580 EX SPEEDLITE .................................................................EXC++CASED - £99.00 CANON 580 EX SPEEDLITE ................................................................ MINT-CASED - £149.00 CANON 550 EX SPEEDLITE ..................................................................MINT-BOXED - £89.00 CANON 550 EX SPEEDLITE .................................................................EXC++CASED - £65.00

LEICA R7 CHROME BODY ...............................................................................MINT - £365.00 LEICAFLEX BODY CHROME.............................................................................MINT - £195.00 LEICA CURTAGON 35mm f4...............................................................MINT-BOXED - £395.00

YASHICA ML CONTAX FIT 28mm f2.8 ..............................................................MINT - £99.00 CONTAX 50mm f1.4 PLANAR MM SUPERB SHARP LENS ..................MINT BOXED - £275.00 CONTAX 50mm f1.4 PLANAR MM SUPERB SHARP LENS ..............................MINT - £255.00

NIKON 300mm f4E PF ED VR AF-S LENS LATEST ...........................MINT BOXED - £1,195.00 NIKON 12 - 24mm f4 “G” DX IF-ED AF-S ...........................................MINT BOXED - £395.00 NIKON 12 - 24mm f4 “G” DX IF-ED AF-S .......................................... MINT-CASED - £365.00 NIKON 16 - 35mm f4 “G” AF-S ED VR LATEST VERSION ...................MINT BOXED - £675.00

NIKON 24 - 120mm f4 “G” ED AF-S VR LATEST MODEL ....................MINT CASED - £499.00

LEICA 560mm f6.8 TELYT LENS WITH CASE AND .................................... EXC+++ - £399.00

NIKON 24 - 120mm f4 “G” ED AF-S VR LATEST MODEL ....................MINT BOXED - £595.00

Binoculars SWAROVSKI 10x40 SL HABICHT+STRAP AND COVERS.................................MINT - £465.00

Medium & Large Format BRONICA ETRSi 120 BACK ...............................................................................MINT - £95.00 HASSELBLAD 28mm f4 HC FOR H SYSTEM ....................................MINT BOXED - £1,075.00 HASSELBLAD 120mm f4 MACRO HC FOR H SYSTEM ..............................EXC++ - £1,095.00 HASSELBLAD 150mm f4 SONNAR T* BLACK ..............................................EXC++ - £195.00 HASSELBLAD 150mm f4 SONNAR CF ...............................................MINT-BOXED - £395.00

NIKON 35 - 70mm f3.3/4.5 A/F LENS............................................................EXC++ - £49.00 NIKON 70-200mm f2.8E AF-S FL ED VR LATEST.............................MINT BOXED - £1,399.00 NIKON AF-S TELECONVERTER TC-14E III .......................................................MINT - £395.00 SIGMA 1.4x TC-1401 TELECONVERTER..............................................MINT CASED - £189.00 NIKON TC-17E II TELECONVERTER .....................................................MINT BOXED - £175.00 NIKON TC20E II 2X AF-S TELECONVERTER .......................................MINT-BOXED - £175.00

Nikon Manual Focus NIKON F3 HP “PRESS” + MD4 REALLY RARE MODEL....................................MINT - £895.00 NIKON F2AS BLACK BODY REALLY NICE........................................................MINT - £495.00 NIKON FM BODY .............................................................................................MINT - £165.00 NIKON FM2n BLACK BODY ....................................................................... EXC+++ - £275.00 NIKON FM2 CHROME BODY .........................................................................EXC++ - £199.00

BRONICA PLAIN PRISM FOR ETRS/ETRSI .....................................................EXC++ - £59.00

NIKON FE CHROME BODY ............................................................................EXC++ - £125.00

BRONICA ROTARY PRISM FINDER FOR ETRS, ETRSI ETC ................................MINT - £75.00

NIKON FE CHROME BODY ...............................................................................MINT - £145.00

BRONICA MOTOR WINDER E ........................................................................ EXC+++ - £9.00

NIKON FM BLACK WITH MF-16 BACK ...................................................... EXC+++ - £169.00

BRONICA 40mm f4 MC LENS FOR ETRS/ETRSi .............................................MINT - £179.00 BRONICA 50mm f2.8 PE FOR ETRS/ETRSi .....................................................MINT - £199.00 BRONICA SPEED GRIP FOR ETRSW/ETRSi .......................................................MINT - £49.00 BRONICA 150mm F3.5 ZENZANON S ...............................................................MINT - £65.00 BRONICA PLAIN PRISM FOR SQAi/SQA ...........................................................MINT - £99.00 BRONICA 65mm F4 ZENZANON PS FOR SQ ...................................... MINT-CASED - £145.00 BRONICA 110mm F4 PS ZENZANON MACRO FOR SQ ....................... MINT-CASED - £365.00 BRONICA 150mm F4 PS ZENZANON FOR SQ .................................... MINT-CASED - £145.00

NIKON FM BLACK ........................................................................................EXC++ - £145.00

CONTAX TLA 360 FLASH...................................................................... MINT-CASED - £65.00 CONTAX GD1 DATABACK FOR CONTAX T3 .......................................... MINT-BOXED - £69.00

MAMIYA 50mm f4 SHIFT LENS FOR 645 ETC ................................... MINT-CASED - £365.00 MAMIYA 80mm f1.9 SEKOR C FOR 645 etc ...................................................MINT - £299.00 MAMIYA 150mm f3.5 SEKOR C FOR 645 SUPER etc .....................................MINT - £145.00 MAMIYA 180mm F4.5 SEKOR Z W FOR RZ.....................................................MINT - £199.00

LEICA TRI ELMAR 28-35-50 f4 ASPHERICAL ................................. MINT-BOXED - £1,995.00

MAMIYA 210mm F4 SEKOR C FOR 645..............................................MINT CASED - £195.00 MAMIYA 180mm F4.5 SEKOR FOR RB ...........................................................MINT - £169.00

LEICA 50mm f2 SUMMICRON RIGID SER No 15933XX ..................................MINT - £975.00

MAMIYA 220 BACK FOR RZ 67 .........................................................................MINT - £95.00

LEICA 90mm f2 SUMMICRON PRE ASP SER No35234XX ..............................MINT - £945.00 LEICA 90mm f4 ELMAR C FOR CLE / CL LEICA M..........................................MINT - £275.00 LEICA 90mm f4 ELMAR M MOUNT.................................................................MINT - £165.00 LEICA 135mm f2.8 ELMARIT M 11829 WITH CASE............................MINT BOXED - £375.00 LEICA 135mm f4.5 HEKTOR ............................................................................ EXC+ - £75.00

PENTAX 200mm F4 FOR PENTAX 67 + FILTER AND HOOD ............................MINT - £199.00 PENTAX 55mm F4 SMC FOR 6X7 ...................................................................MINT - £175.00 PENTAX 55mm F2.8 FOR PENTAX 645 ...............................................MINT BOXED - £199.00 ROLLEIFLEX SCHNEIDER 150MM F4.6 MAKRO FOR 6008 .............................MINT - £575.00 YASHICA 124G TELEPHOTO AUX LENS SET......................................................MINT - £69.00

Nikon A/F & Digital, Lenses Accessories

LEICA 90mm FINDER........................................................................................MINT - £99.00

NIKON D3X BODY ONLY 10,392 ACTUATIONS ................................... MINT-BOXED - £875.00

VOIGTLANDER BESSA T WINDER .......................................................MINT BOXED - £149.00

NIKON D500 BODY ONLY 7252 ACTUATIONS...................................MINT BOXED - £1,075.00

LEICA 5cm f2 SUMMAR SCREW.....................................................................MINT - £175.00

NIKON F5 BODY REALLY NICE EXAMPLE .......................................................MINT - £499.00

AP_2022_02-15_Camtech Photographic_FP.indd 1

NIKON TC-14 B 1.4X TELECONVERTER...........................................................MINT - £125.00 NIKON TC-301 2X TELECONVERTER ...............................................................MINT - £125.00 NIKON BP-3 SB FINDER..................................................................................MINT - £175.00

Olympus Manual

OLYMPUS 50mm f1.8 ZUIKO LENS .....................................................................MINT - 65.00 OLYMPUS 80mm f4 ZUIKO MACRO LENS............................................ MINT-CASED - 175.00 OLYMPUS 135mm f3.5 ZUIKO LENS ...................................................... MINT-CASED - 69.00 OLYMPUS 200mm f4 ZUIKO LENS ......................................................................MINT - 75.00 OLYMPUS 2x TELECONVERTER.............................................................. MINT-CASED - 35.00 OLYMPUS 65 - 116 TELESCOPIC AUTO TUBE ...................................................MINT - £95.00 OLYMPUS VARI-MAGNIFINDER...............................................................MINT CASED - 49.00 OLYMPUS T32 FLASH UNIT...................................................................MINT CASED - £35.00 LOTS OF OLYMPUS ACCESSORIES TOO MANY TO LIST ...............OR MACRO, FLASH PHONE PLEASE RING FOR DETAILS AND PRICES ..........ALL IN MINT OR CLOSE CONDITION PHONE

Pentax Cameras and Lenses PENTAX 20mm f4 M SMC & FILTER ................................................EXC++ CASED - £225.00 PENTAX 24mm f2.8 A SMC & FILTER ................................................ MINT-CASED - £175.00

PENTAX 50mm f1.4 M SMC................................................................. MINT-CASED - £95.00

NIKON F2 PHOTOMIC BODY CHROME ........................................................... EXC+ - £199.00

PENTAX 85mm f2 M SMC & FILTER .................................................. MINT-CASED - £185.00

NIKKORMAT FT CHROME............................................................................ EXC+++ - £75.00 NIKKORMAT FT2 BLACK WITH 50mm f2 LENS ...............................EXC++ CASED - £165.00 NIKON 24mm F2.8 AIS SUPERB SHARP LENS................................................MINT - £199.00 NIKON 28mm f2.8 AI ......................................................................................MINT - £165.00 NIKON 45mm F2.8 GN NIKKOR.......................................................................MINT - £199.00 NIKON 50mm f1.2 AIS ....................................................................................MINT - £395.00

PENTAX 100mm f4 A SMC MACRO & FILTER .................................... MINT-CASED - £139.00 PENTAX 135mm f3.5 M SMC & FILTER ............................................... MINT-CASED - £75.00 PENTAX 200mm f4 A SMC & FFILTER ................................................. MINT-CASED - £89.00 PENTAX 300mm f4 A SMC ED GREEN STAR & FILTER .....................EXC++CASED - £165.00 PENTAX 35 - 70mm f2.8/3.5 M SMC & FILTER ................................... MINT-CASED - £89.00 PENTAX 45 - 125mm f4/4.5 SMC & FILTER ........................................ MINT-CASED - £69.00 PENTAX 75 - 150mm f4 M SMC & FILTER........................................... MINT-CASED - £49.00 PENTAX REFLEX ZOOM 400 - 600mm f8/12 + ALL FILTERS............. MINT-CASED - £345.00

MAMIYA 250mm F4.5 LENS FOR RZ ..............................................................MINT - £195.00

LEICA MR METER ..............................................................................MINT-BOXED - £175.00

LEICA 5cm f3.5 COLLAPSIBLE ELMAR...........................................................MINT - £225.00

NIKON SB 16 FLASH FOR F3..........................................................................EXC++ - £65.00

MAMIYA 150mm F4.5 “G” WITH HOOD FOR MAMIYA 6.................................MINT - £295.00

Leica “M” , “R” & Rangefinder & Screw

LEICA 90mm f2.8 TELE ELMAR + HOOD ........................................................MINT - £395.00

NIKON SB 16 FLASH FOR F3/FM2/FM3/FE/FE2 ................................ MINT-CASED - £115.00

PENTAX 50mm f1.7 A SMC & FILTER .................................................. MINT-CASED - £39.00

YASHICA 135mm f2.8 CONTAX FIT ..................................................................MINT - £95.00

CONTAX TLA 280 FLASH UNIT ..............................................................MINT BOXED - £75.00

NIKON MD12 MOTOR DRIVE FOR FM2n/FE2/FE/FM/FM3..............................MINT - £145.00

NIKON F2 PHOTOMIC BODY CHROME .........................................................EXC++ - £275.00

NIKKORMAT FT CHROME WITH 35mm f2.8 S LENS ........................EXC++ CASED - £145.00

MAMIYA M645J COMPLETE WITH 80mm f2.8 ...............................................MINT - £299.00

NIKON MD4 MOTOR DRIVE FOR F3/F3HP .................................................. EXC+++ - £99.00

PENTAX 40mm f2.8 M SMC PANCAKE LENS & FILTER ..................... MINT-CASED - £105.00

NIKKORMAT FTN BODY ..................................................................................MINT - £145.00

CONTAX TLA 280 FLASH...................................................................................MINT - £59.00

NIKON MD4 MOTOR DRIVE FOR F3/F3HP ..........................................MINT BOXED - £165.00

NIKON F2 BODY FULLY WORKING.................................................................. EXC+ - £169.00

BRONICA FILMBACK SQ-i220 FOR SQA/SQAi ......................................MINT BOXED - £79.00

MAMIYA 645 SUPER WITH AE PRISM 80mm COMPLETE ..............................MINT - £365.00

NIKON MD4 MOTOR DRIVE FOR F3/F3HP ......................................................MINT - £145.00

PENTAX 35mm f2 M SMC & FILTER .................................................. MINT-CASED - £169.00

BRONICA SPEED GRIP FOR SQA/SQAI .............................................................MINT - £69.00

CONTAX TLA 30 WITH DIFFUSSER........................................................MINT CASED - £69.00

NIKON 80 - 200mm f4 AIS ZOOM + HOOD .....................................................MINT - £175.00

NIKON F2 A BODY FULLY WORKING............................................................... EXC+ - £199.00

CONTAX 135mm f2.8 SONNAR WITH FILTER..................................................MINT - £175.00

CONTAX MAGNIFIER F2 ........................................................................MINT BOXED - £49.00

NIKON 35 - 105mm F3.5/4.5 AIS ZOOM MACRO.........................................EXC++ - £119.00

PENTAX 28mm f2.8 A SMC & FILTER .................................................. MINT-CASED - £95.00

NIKON F PHOTOMIC T WITH 50mm f2 NIKON LENS ....................................EXC++ - £250.00

METZ 45 CL4 FLASH WITH SCA 386 FOR BRONICA ...........................MINT BOXED - £150.00

NIKON 35 - 70mm F3.3/4.5 ZOOM NIKKOR MACRO AIS ................................MINT - £169.00

NIKON F2 A BLACK BODY ......................................................................... EXC+++ - £245.00

BRONICA 180mm f4.5 PS LENS & CASE ...........................................MINT-BOXED - £199.00

YASHICA 200mm f4 CONTAX FIT .....................................................................MINT - £90.00

NIKON 28 - 85mm f3.5/4.5 AIS MACRO .........................................................MINT - £135.00

NIKON FE2 BLACK BODY .................................................................EXC++ BOXED - £225.00

CONTAX 50mm f1.7 AE LENS ...........................................................................MINT - £95.00

BRONICA SPORTS/ACTION FINDER VINTAGE ...................................................MINT - £79.00

NIKON 300mm f4.5 AIS IF ED .........................................................................MINT - £399.00

OLYMPUS 50mm f1.8 ZUIKO LENS .....................................................................MINT - 55.00

TOKINA 35mm f2.8 ATX PRO DX MACRO 1:1 LATEST........................MINT BOXED - £245.00

HASSELBLAD A12 BACK CHROME .................................................................MINT - £129.00

NIKON 135mm f2.8 AIS ..................................................................................MINT - £195.00

OLYMPUS 38mm f2.8 ZUIKO MACRO LENS......................................... MINT-CASED - 299.00

HASSELBLAD HTS 1.5X TILT AND SHIFT ADAPTOR.........................MINT BOXED - £1,995.00

HASSELBLAD VFC-6 METERED PRISM ..............................................MINT BOXED - £175.00

NIKON 135mm f2.8 AI LENS SHORT TELEPHOTO ...........................................MINT - £175.00

SIGMA 300 - 800mm f5.6 EX APO HSM ........................................EXC++CASED - £2,499.00 TOKINA 11 - 16mm f 2.8 AT-X PRO DX WITH HOOD............................MINT-HOOD - £245.00

HASSELBLAD PME3 METERED PRISM FINDER..............................................MINT - £275.00

NIKON 50mm f1.8 AI LENS ...............................................................................MINT - £85.00

KENKO PRO 300 2X TELEPLUS CONVERTER N/AFS .........................................MINT - £75.00

HASSELBLAD 250mm f5.6 SONNAR SILVER ................................................. EXC+ - £179.00

HASSELBLAD PM90 PRISM FINDER...............................................................MINT - £275.00

NIKON 50mm f1.8 AIS SHARP LENS ................................................................MINT - £89.00

OLYMPUS 28mm f2.8 ZUIKO.............................................................................MINT - £75.00

SIGMA 300 - 800mm f5.6 EX DG APO HSM ................................... MINT-CASED - £2,999.00

HASSELBLAD GIL GPS UNIT FOR H SYSTEM......................................MINT BOXED - £399.00

NIKON 50mm f1.4 Ai.......................................................................................MINT - £195.00

NIKON DR4 RIGHT ANGLE FINDER........................................................MINT BOXED - £89.00

HASSELBLAD 150mm f4 SONNAR SILVER ..................................................EXC++ - £175.00

BRONICA PLAIN PRISM FOR ETRS/ETRSI ........................................................MINT - £75.00

CONTAX TLA 140 FLASH FOR G1/G2 ....................................................MINT CASED - £65.00

NIKON 85mm f1.8 A/F D..............................................................................EXC++ - £215.00

LEICA 90mm f2.8 ELMARIT 2 CAM ................................................................MINT - £299.00

CANON EF 1.4x EXTENDER.................................................................MINT BOXED - £215.00

Contax ‘G’ Compacts & SLR & Ricoh

Nikon 60mm F2.8 a/f D MACRO LENS ...............................................MINT BOXED - £295.00

LEICA 50mm f2 SUMMICRON 2 CAM ....................................................... EXC+++ - £299.00

BRONICA POLAROID BACK FOR ETRSI, ETRS ETC ...............................MINT BOXED - £59.00

TOKINA 12 - 24mm F4 IF DX ASPH AT-X PRO + HOOD ....................MINT BOXED - £299.000

NIKON 50mm f1.8 A/F “D” ...............................................................................MINT - £89.00

NIKON 24 - 85mm f2.8/4 A/F “D” WITH HOOD...............................................MINT - £225.00

KENCO TELEPLUS PRO 300 DGX 1.4 TELECONVERTER ........................MINT CASED - £99.00

TAMRON 70 - 300mm f4/5.6 SP Di VC ULTRASONIC .........................MINT+HOOD - £225.00

NIKON 50mm f1.4 A/F “D” .................................................................MINT BOXED - £195.00

NIKON 24 - 70mm f2.8 “G” ED NANO AF-S........................................MINT BOXED - £695.00

BRONICA AUTO EXTENTION TUBE E-14................................................MINT BOXED - £45.00

SIGMA 14mm f2.8 EX HSM ASPHERIC ...............................................MINT CASED - £365.00

NIKON 35mm f2 A/F “D” ....................................................................MINT BOXED - £245.00

LEICA 28 - 70mm f3.5/4.5 VARIO ELMAR R ROM ..........................................MINT - £475.00

KENCO DG CANON FIT TUBE SET 12,20,36MM ................................................MINT - £99.00

SIGMA EX 1.4 TELECONVERTER .......................................................................MINT - £75.00

NIKON 28mm f2.8 A/F “D” .................................................................MINT BOXED - £225.00

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08/02/2022 14:39

LENS TEST

Testbench

With its snappy autofocus, the lens returned a decent hit-rate for birds in flight

Canon EOS R5, RF 100-400mm at 400mm, 1/1000sec at f/10, ISO 400

Canon RF 100-400mm F5.6-8 IS USM Canon’s low-cost RF 100-400mm F5.6-8 offers a lot of reach and utility for the price, but does it also offer the image quality we’re used to, asks Damien Demolder

T

he image-stabilised 100-400mm zoom lens has been a key feature of the Canon lens line-up since the late 1990s, and has played a major role in the life of the brand’s sport, wildlife and fashion photographers, as well as in that of the general practitioner. These lenses have

always been good too, and from the first incarnation for the EOS EF L series have offered a maximum aperture of f/4.5-5.6 and USM autofocus. I have no idea how many the company has sold in the past 30 years, but I would wager the £2,000+ price tag it has been in the top ten of Canon EF L series sales pretty

www.amateurphotographer.co.uk

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much all of that time.

With the change to the mirrorless R series a new solution is required, and Canon approximately addressed that early on with the RF 100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM which retails at around £3,000 – about £1,000 more than the EF version, though with 100mm of extra

reach. To satisfy those with more limited budgets the company has launched a lower-cost alternative with a smaller maximum aperture and a plastic barrel, in the shape of this RF 100-400mm F5.6-8 IS USM. It isn’t quite as fancy as the big boy L lens, but at a quarter of the price it makes itself accessible to a much 71

08/02/2022 12:25

Sharpness is very creditable indeed, especially with the aperture closed down a little

Canon EOS R5, RF 100-400mm at 100mm, 1/250sec at f/11, ISO 100

wider audience – which is usually a very good thing.

Features

The Canon EOS RF 100-400mm F5.6-8 IS USM is a lens designed to cover full-frame sensors in the Canon R mirrorless camera series. The internal design uses 12 elements in 9 groups, and includes one UD element and an aspherical element made using the PMo plastic moulding process. The PMo element plays a key role in keeping down both the size and the cost of the lens.

On paper at least, this budget 100-400mm lens offers an extra 0.5EV of stabilisation over the firm’s much more expensive 100-500mm L lens, bringing the effect to an impressive 5.5EV. This of course combines with in-body stabilisation for a further leg-up to 6EV with the EOS R5 camera I used for this test.

We are told the iris uses 9 blades to keep out-of-focus highlights nicely rounded and to produce smooth focus

transitions. The variable maximum aperture remains at f/5.6 until the zoom ring reaches about the 120mm mark where it shifts to f/6.3. We don’t have to hit f/8 unless we want to until we ask for a focal length of around 275mm – which I think is quite generous.

Remarkably the lens is compatible with Canon’s 1.4x and 2x tele-converters that were introduced with the 100-500mm L lens. But I’m not sure how many takers there will be as the £719 2x model actually costs more than the lens itself, and the 1.4x isn’t far off at £559.

Build and handling

Like the RF 16mm F2.8 STM wideangle prime that was launched at the same time, one of the main excitements of this RF 100-400mm R5.6-8 is its price, followed by its size and its weight. In fact, it’s by far the smallest and lightest 100400mm zoom on the market. At 635g it is less than half the

weight of both the EF-mount 100-400mm and the RF 100-500mm, and the barrel is slimmer and the extension at the greatest focal length shorter by about 30mm. It is smaller, lighter and cheaper all round, but of course comes without its own tripod mount, and it has fewer external controls. We have a zoom lock, AF/MF switch and a simple stabiliser on/off control without the panning modes the L series version offers, and there’s no focus range limiter, either.

Switching the IS on and off makes it very clear how hard the system is working to maintain a steady view in the viewfinder – it is very effective indeed.

The barrel features three rings – one for focusing, one for focal length adjustment and a third at the extreme forward end that acts as a function ring. This ring can be customised to control one of 17 features, such as aperture or white balance.

In use the lens is very comfortable and balances nicely

on the EOS R5. Its moderate weight makes it easy to hold still even at the long end, and it’s no bother to carry around all day – a point that will be important to many users. Its plastic finish is also a God-send on a winter’s day, as it doesn’t get nearly as cold as a metal barrel.

All in all, using this lens makes a very nice experience.

Autofocus

We have Nano-USM driving the focusing in this lens, which is supposed to make it quiet, fast and smooth. I can report it is on the better side of reasonable in each of those tasks. The focus is quiet, though not quite silent enough if you have a microphone in the hotshoe. It is definitely smooth and it is definitely pretty fast. I suspect this system doesn’t quite get the most from the EOS R5’s AF capabilities and that top speeds are slightly inhibited, but it remains more than good enough for most purposes. The hit-rate for a series

Have you considered trading in your old equipment for either cash or Part-Exchange?

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Tell us what you have at cameraWorld.co.uk/trade-in www.amateurphotographer.co.uk 08/02/2022 12:25

LENS TEST The effective image stabilisation allows handheld shooting at slow shutter speeds

Verdict

Canon EOS R5, 300mm, 1/30sec at f/8, ISO 8000

of birds-in-flight images is pretty good, but still a significant number are near-misses. The camera is able to acquire focus and identify the subject very quickly, but when it comes to getting the shot something held the focus accuracy back a little.

Generally, though, the autofocus in this lens is good and will keep most photographers happy.

Image quality

When a budget lens costs a quarter of the price of the premium version we should know from the off that we aren’t going to get premium quality.

However, I have been pretty impressed with the images this 100-400mm produces and you’ll get more line-pairs per £ than you would with the L version in either EF and RF mounts.

For best quality shoot in raw as the JPEGs the R5 produces are noticeably softer, and consider whether you are happy to allow the auto corrections of vignetting, chromatic aberration and curvilinear distortion to go ahead either in-camera or in your software. Pincushion distortion (where the edges of the image

Testbench

‘The autofocus in this lens is good and will keep most photographers happy’ pinch inwards) is significant when straight lines are in the frame, with the effect stronger at the long end of the zoom range.

If you are a portrait photographer your subject may well thank you for this as it makes faces and figures thinner and taller, while the prescribed correction in-camera and in Photoshop seems a little too much the other way. Switching the lens profile on and off makes the degree of distortion and vignetting quite clear without me having to do a specific test for the two, which is quite useful.

For technical subjects both will need correction, but with natural scenes the truth is

The lens is able to acquire focus quickly and accurately

Canon EOS R5, RF 100-400mm at 335mm, 1/2500sec at f/10, ISO 400

www.amateurphotographer.co.uk

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neither will be especially noticeable. Canon has got the balance between optical and software correction about right here, so that we don’t suffer if we choose not to implement the automatic adjustments.

Sharpness is good, even when the lens is used wide open.

Inevitably it improves as we stop down, but it is pretty important when your maximum aperture is f/8 that the lens can perform to a decent standard at that setting. Even with the good IS system closing the aperture of a 400mm lens to f/11 and f/16 in all but the brightest conditions will mean either long shutter speeds or higher ISO settings.

WHEN producing a lower-cost lens a lot of difficult compromises need to be made, and in many ways how those compromises are chosen is more critical than those when the budget is much higher. One wrong move and the resultant performance can mean even a low price tag doesn’t make the lens worth owning. In this case though Canon has found a neat way through and has produced a lens with such moderate compromises it becomes very good value for money, instead of just cheap.

Canon’s decison to use such a small aperture may look very odd to SLR users. But the crucial difference is that the autofocus systems of mirrorless cameras don’t have the same limitations and continue to work effectively at these smaller apertures. The limited maximum aperture is also countered by the R cameras’ good noise performance and the fact that the widest apertures are still very usable. The optical imperfections are slight enough we can either choose to live with them or fix them in software with hardly noticeable consequences.

If you are a Canon EOS R system user and don’t want to spend the thousands required for the L-series RF 100-500mm F4.5-7.1, and you are prepared to accept a bit of give and take, this RF 100-400mm F5.6-8 IS USM will make you very happy indeed.

Data file Price £699 Filter diameter 67mm Lens elements 12 Groups 9

Diaphragm blades 9 Aperture f/5.6-8 Minimum focus 0.88m Length 164.7mm Diameter 79.5mm Weight 635g Lens mount Canon RF

Recommended

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15/02/2021 16:49

SOFTWARE TEST

Zoner Photo Studio X (2021 Autumn update)

Testbench

At a glance l Raw converter and image editor l For Windows computers only l $4.99/month or $49/year

(1-person license)

l One-month free trial available l w ww.zoner.com

After a major update, Zoner’s comprehensive imaging program is now one of the best options available for Windows users. Andy Westlake explores the changes

I

originally reviewed Zoner Photo Studio X (ZPS) last summer and was impressed by the comprehensive feature set offered by this imaging program for Windows PCs (AP 10 July 2021). It does almost everything a photographer could need, from importing and organising images on your computer, through raw conversion and editing, to making web galleries and prints. My main criticism was that its raw processing noticeably lagged the competition in terms of tonal adjustments and noise control.

However, in mid-September, Zoner released a major update, with completely overhauled raw development. It provides www.amateurphotographer.co.uk

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significantly improved control over tonality, with new Whites and Blacks sliders alongside the usual Highlights and Shadows (and in addition to conventional White point and Black point controls). In addition, Zoner has upgraded the noise-reduction algorithms. The result is arguably the most capable all-round imaging program available for Windows users.

ZPS works on a subscription basis only, which might not endear it to photographers who are looking for an alternative to Adobe. But it costs much less, at $4.99 per month. This equates to about £3.65, compared to £10 for Adobe’s Photography Plan. It’s also better behaved if you choose

to end your subscription, as while its editing functions will stop working, it’ll still allow you to browse your images and export them to standard formats.

Program overview

When you first open the program, you’re presented with a main window that’s arranged into three sections. On the left, there’s a browser panel that encompasses both local folders and external locations and services. Unusually, ZPS can be used with either a databased catalogue of images, or by pointing it towards a standalone folder of images, which can be handy for keeping specific projects separate.

One particularly useful

Camera support Zoner supports a decent list of cameras, but it’s not as comprehensive or as quick to support new models as Adobe.

However, if you install Adobe’s free DNG Converter, ZPS can use it in the background to decode raw files that it doesn’t natively recognise. The only catch is that if you want work with raw files from a new camera you’ve just acquired, you’ll probably have to update DNG Converter to its latest version manually.

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08/02/2022 12:29

Testbench

SOFTWARE TEST Canon PowerShot G3 X, ISO 1000

Detail crop

Left: Updated noisereduction algorithms give visibly better results from high ISO images compared to the previous version

feature is that you can open multiple folders and images in tabs at the same time.

A large panel in the centre of the screen shows the image you’re working on, with a thumbnail strip below showing other images in the same folder.

The business end of the program is located on the right, with four sections labelled Manager, Develop, Editor and Create. The first of these provides a range of digital asset management functions: you can edit the image title, description and keywords, view GPS locations, and examine EXIF data. It’s also possible to assign both colour labels and star ratings, which can then be used to filter your images.

Once you’ve picked a file to work on, switching to the Develop tab brings up an impressive set of raw editing tools. Alongside a comprehensive array of colour and tonal adjustments, there are gradient, radial and brush filters for local adjustments. One notable option you won’t find elsewhere is a Polarization slider, which does a very creditable job of selectively enriching blue skies and foliage in landscape scenes.

Zoner’s excellent perspective correction tools do a fine job of automatically correcting converging verticals and horizontals, while leaving you scope to tweak the results.

Healing and cloning tools are 76

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also on hand to deal with sensor dust spots or other unwanted blemishes. Switch to the Editor tab and you can create layered composites or add graphical elements like text and shapes.

Open the Create tab, and you’ll find an extensive set of options for making all kinds of physical output, including photobooks, calendars, prints and postcards.

You can either print your creations at home, output them as PDF files, or order them via Zoner’s own online printing service. ZPS also makes it easy to share attractive online albums via the firm’s Zonerama service.

Improved output quality

With the 2021 Autumn update, Zoner has made significant updates to its raw processing, giving considerably improved output quality. This elevates ZPS from being a competent raw processor to one that’s really very good indeed, and a strong competitor to Adobe Lightroom.

Let’s examine this in more detail. Previously, ZPS’s default raw development settings erred to the neutral side, but now, the 2021 process starts off punchier and more vibrant, making it closer to print-ready from the off.

However, while Zoner’s colour signature is generally very attractive, it’s worth noting that the firm doesn’t provide its own camera-matching colour profiles.

Thankfully ZPS does understand standard DCP profiles, many of which are installed alongside Adobe DNG Converter. You just have to identify one that matches your camera manually.

But the real magic happens when you start playing with the sliders in the new Dynamic range section of the Exposure tab. As their names suggest, Whites works selectively on the brightest tones of your image, while Blacks manipulates the deepest. The Lights and Shadows controls also affect the same areas, but their influence extends across a wider range of tones. Crucially, Lights and Shadows don’t interact with each other or affect the overall

Above and Right: Zoner’s expanded Dynamic range settings provide much greater control over tonality than before

image brightness, so there’s no need to fiddle around with iterative adjustments to get the look you want.

Once you get used to how they all work, these four controls for Whites, Lights, Shadows and Blacks provide considerably greater overall scope for adjustment than the usual Highlights and Shadows alone.

Compared to the previous ZPS version, you can extract more detail from deep shadows and subtly feed detail into bright highlights more easily. But what’s perhaps most impressive is how these controls all work together to make massive tonality adjustments quickly and easily,

www.amateurphotographer.co.uk

08/02/2022 12:29

Verdict

Adjusting Whites has brought out detail in the bright sky, while Blacks feeds light into the shadows

without the results looking unnatural.

Clearly, the new Whites and Blacks controls are tailor-made for wedding photographers looking to balance a white dress against a dark suit. But they should be equally invaluable for landscape shooters who’d like to enhance bright sky and cloud detail while adding fill-light to deep shadows. Alternatively, they can readily balance the extremes of brightness you can get with night-time cityscapes. The possibilities are vast.

Zoner has also added a new texture slider that does a fine job of enhancing fine detail, without impacting the tonality of the

dramatically improved noise handling, particularly regarding the suppression of colour noise.

I’d probably turn up the Colors Strength slider a bit further than Zoner’s default setting, but this is a matter of personal preference.

Not surprisingly, ZPS X is still no match for the very best AI-based noise reduction Noise reduction algorithms such as DxO’s Perhaps the biggest improvement DeepPRIME. But a much fairer introduced by Zoner’s 2021 comparison is against Adobe Autumn update lies with noise Camera Raw, and Zoner now reduction. Previously this was definitely holds its own.

Photo Studio’s Achilles’ Heel, with Previously, I wouldn’t have high-ISO conversions lacking in recommended ZPS for users detail while suffering from chroma who regularly shot at high ISOs, but now it’s not a noise. But toggling between the bad choice at all. old and new processes reveals image as a whole. As tends to be the case in ZPS, the slider’s response is impressively well-judged. Even at its maximum setting, the result rarely looks overcooked and unnatural, which means there’s no need to be afraid of moving it a substantial way across its range.

Lens corrections Many cameras encode lens distortion correction metadata in their raw files, and Zoner is smart enough to apply it, so straight lines don’t appear bent. But ZPS doesn’t include any lens profiles to use with cameras that don’t supply such metadata. It does support standard LCP profiles, but you’ll have to source and select them manually (again, some come with Adobe DNG Converter). Alternatively, you can use its manual lens correction tools to combat distortion, vignetting and chromatic aberration.

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WINDOWS users looking for a comprehensive image-editing solution will find a lot to like about Zoner Photo Studio X. It really does do it all, from copying your pictures off your memory card right through to creating prints and web galleries; I can’t think of anything else that provides such a complete set of features. Once you’ve familiarised yourself with how it works, it’s also reasonably easy to use, while providing an impressive range of options for advanced users to configure and work with it pretty much as they please.

Some photographers will object to subscribing to software on principle, but ZPS has the twin virtues of being both inexpensive, and nicely behaved if you decide to stop paying. Thanks to the Autumn 2021 update, it now also gives much better output than before, thanks to both its updated noise reduction and its improved tonality controls.

In fact, it’s now really only the lack of profiled lens corrections and camera colour matching that places it behind more expensive competitors.

As an all-in-one option for all your imaging needs, Zoner Photo Studio X is difficult to match, and well worth giving a try via its one-month free trial.

For many users, it could be the only imaging software they need. It’s just a shame there’s no Mac version.

GOLD

For and against + E xcellent output quality + C omprehensively featured + Affordable subscription

– No colour or lens profiles provided 77

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

28/06/2021 09:56

USED CAMERAS

Testbench

SECOND-HAND CLASSIC

Panasonic Lumix G9 Once Panasonic’s flagship stills camera, the G9 can now be bought for a third of its original price

T

he Lumix G9’s arrival in 2017 received great interest from stills photographers looking for a smaller, lighter alternative to a DSLR. It emerged two years after the G7 and slotted into the Lumix line-up above the G80 at just under £1,500 (body only). Its 20.3MP Live MOS Four Thirds sensor provides an extended ISO range of 100-25,600 and other key features include high-speed shooting up to 60fps using its electronic shutter, 5-axis in-body stabilisation and an 80MP high-resolution mode that shifts the sensor between eight consecutive shots before creating a single image with much finer detail. An impressive 4K video spec, dual card slots and magnesium alloy chassis complement a DSLR-esque layout that includes a top-plate LCD and 3in, 1.04m-dot vari-angle screen.

What we said

‘Its deep ergonomic handgrip offers ample space for those with large fingers to wrap their hand around it’ ● ‘The Lumix G9 exceeded all expectations and then some, during challenging and demanding tests’ ● ‘With so much to like, it’s hard to think of a reason why anyone after a fast, lightweight and versatile camera wouldn’t seriously consider the G9’ ●

Recommended

Colour is well matched between the screen and EVF, meaning you get an accurate impression of the final image with whichever you’re likely to use most

What to pay

Panasonic has released various firmware updates to improve performance, and introduced new settings including animal detection

What you’ll pay for a secondhand Lumix G9 will vary depending on its condition. Well used examples can be found below £500, however at only four years old, most are in excellent condition for which you’ll pay a little more (£550).

Some G9’s are also available in near mint used condition, meaning they have no scuffs or marks on the body. These typically fetch closer to £600.

How it fares today New alternatives The G9 remains a good choice for wildlife and action shooters seeking a well-featured camera that represents great value for money. Its splash-, dust- and freeze-proof construction lets you keep shooting when the weather turns and its 6.5-stop in-body stabilisation works a treat. Firmware updates have improved autofocus, but it’s the handling of noise beyond ISO 3200 that’s its main weakness.

Panasonic has come a long way since 2017 and now has four full-frame Lumix S-series cameras to its name. The closest to the G9 in terms of price and spec is the Lumix S5, which combines cinema-quality video with exceptional stills quality from its 24.2MP sensor.

Its low-light performance is superior to the G9, but the trade-off is that it’s heavier and accepts bulkier L-mount lenses.

See over to find out what Panasonic Lumix G9 owners have to say www.amateurphotographer.co.uk

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At a glance

For and against

£500-£575 body only

+ E xcellent design and handling + UHD 4K video at up to 60p + Large lens range available + Hasty focusing in good lighting

l 20.3MP Four Thirds sensor l ISO 100-25,600 (extended) l 5-axis Dual IS II image stabiliser l 3.68m-dot EVF, 0.83x magnification l 658g

– Awkward positioning of AF joystick – Burst mode descriptions aren’t clear – Lacks battery level indication as percentage – Shutter button is highly sensitive 79

08/02/2022 12:33

Testbench

USED CAMERAS

What the owners think Three Panasonic Lumix G9 users give their verdict

Dave Meades

I bought my G9 in January 2020 as an upgrade to the G1 I had been borrowing until then. As my first outing into the pro level camera world, I didn’t really know what I was looking for when I bought it. Luckily, I had stumbled into a fantastic camera system.

The Micro Four Thirds system allows for a lot of features to be packed into a similar size body as a full-frame equivalent. I shoot both landscapes and wildlife, and I can do it all with this camera at the flick of a switch due to its customisability. The crop factor allows long lenses to have incredible reach and the fact that Olympus and Panasonic work together on MFT, means you have

The 2x crop factor lets you get up close to wildlife subjects with ease

Panasonic Lumix G9, Olympus M.Zuiko 40-150mm f/2.8 Pro, 1/500sec at f/2.8, ISO 640 a large array of affordable lenses to choose from. My favourite is the Olympus 40-150mm f/2.8 that is equivalent to 80-300mm and offers incredible sharpness wide open. I also own the Lumix Leica 100-400mm f/4-6.3 (200-800mm equivalent) however

it does highlight a weakness of the system and that is its low-light capability. The small sensor struggles with image quality as the ISO goes up and the light fades. This is a small price to pay in my opinion for an excellent all-rounder.

For and against + Lightweight body and lenses + Pro level controls and features – MFT sensor struggles in low light – Contrast-detect AF only

Robin Whalley

I’ve been a long-term fan of the Micro Four Thirds format ever since buying a used Lumix GF1 in 2010. I like the size and handling of the G9 which makes it easy to use for long periods in the landscape; it’s ideal for travel and trekking. I bought it new in 2020 with the excellent 12-60mm Leica lens. I opted for the G9 rather than another MFT model because of its 80MP high-resolution mode.

The detail this achieves is staggering. Whilst my main camera system is based on the Fujifilm X-series, I’ve found myself using the G9 more frequently over time. The handling is excellent, and it’s easy to use even with cold hands or wearing thin gloves in winter. I love being able to head out with a couple of lenses and 75mm filters, all in a small shoulder bag.

To see more of my images, visit For and against + Kit size and weight www.lenscraft.co.uk or follow on Achieving natural colour from raws Instagram @robin_whalley.

–

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Robin swears by the high-resolution mode to capture highly detailed scenes in the landscape

Panasonic Lumix G9, Lumix G Vario 12-60mm f/2.8-4 OIS, 1/125sec at f/8, ISO 200 www.amateurphotographer.co.uk

08/02/2022 12:33

The G9 partners up well with the Lumix G Vario 12-60mm ASPH Power OIS weather-sealed standard zoom

Panasonic Lumix G9, Lumix G Vario 12-60mm f/2.8-4 OIS, 1/250sec at f/8, ISO 200

William Austin

I first held the Panasonic Lumix G9 in a Yodobashi Camera store in Tokyo, and was immediately impressed. The feel of the grip, the ergonomics, the amount of customisation, all fit my hands perfectly. When I returned to England, I decided to buy one.

I really appreciate the top-plate LCD screen for checking settings quickly. The EVF is still one of the biggest and most detailed on any mirrorless camera, even now. And I love having a robust, weathersealed camera – when paired with an appropriate lens – that I can carry in the rain without having to worry. Since its release, it’s been one of the best bargains out there, and that has continued to be true as Panasonic has rolled out firmware updates improving performance.

The focusing performance isn’t the best for video, but works more than adequately when shooting stills.

William can be found on Instagram @willfillstime

Panasonic Lumix G9, Olympus M.Zuiko 17mm f1.8, 1/100sec at f/5.6, ISO 200

For and against + Feel of the camera in the hand – Lacks phase-detection AF www.amateurphotographer.co.uk

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Testbench

ACCESSORIES

Feelworld F6 Plus 5.5in field monitor Andy Westlake tries out an add-on HDMI screen l £199.99 l www.feelworld.ltd

ALL PRICES ARE APPROXIMATE STREET PRICES

DO YOU ever wish that your camera had a much larger screen, so that you could see your composition more clearly and judge focus more accurately? If so, an add-on field monitor might be for you. This relatively small, affordable example from Chinese specialist Feelworld can display a live view feed from practically any camera on its Full HD screen measuring 11.7x7cm. Compared to the 3in screens found on most cameras, that equates to almost two and a half times the viewing area.

While the device is primarily designed for video, there are situations where it could be valuable to stills shooters, too. For example, it could be handy for shooting at awkward angles if your camera has a fixed screen. More generally if your close vision isn’t quite what it once was, having that large display for composition could be welcome.

Setting up the monitor is very simple. You attach it to your camera’s hot shoe using the supplied bracket and then wire the two together using an HDMI cable.

Feelworld doesn’t include a battery in the box, but the monitor can be powered using either Sony F-type batteries, which are widely used by video cameras and LED lights, or the Canon LP-E6 employed by EOS 5D-series DSLRs. But you won’t get much running time from the latter, as it’s much lower capacity.

An array of aids is built in to help judge exposure and focus. In addition to the familiar live histogram, you can also bring up waveform and RGB parade displays. Once you get the hang of these, they’re more detailed and informative, showing how brightness values are distributed across the frame.

There’s also a vectorscope that visualises the scene’s colour palette, along with a peaking display for judging focus, and a zebra pattern overexposure warning. All are easily accessed using either the touchscreen or the jog dial on top.

You can set the screen facing forwards simply by rotating it upside-down on the bracket. The device is smart enough to detect this and flip the display back upright, but disconcertingly, it doesn’t then mirror left-to-right in the way you’d expect.

Verdict

In use the Feelworld F6 Plus provides a sharp image with accurate colours, and at 500 nits, it’s just about bright enough for outdoor use on sunny days. For photographers, it probably isn’t a device you’ll use for handheld shooting, just because of its size. But for slower, more considered tripod work, it becomes a genuinely interesting option.

82

82 Accessories Feb15 AW JP.indd 82

Power

Either Sony F-series or Canon LP-E6 batteries can be used to run the device in the field. Both 12V DC and 5V USB-C inputs are also available.

Bracket

This fits onto your camera’s hot shoe, has a cold shoe for a microphone, and allows the monitor to be rotated to face forwards.

Recommended

Hood

A lightweight plastic folding hood is supplied for use on sunny days, and attaches to the monitor via a snap-on frame.

Mounting

For attaching the monitor to a bracket or shoe mount, three standard 1/4 sockets are arranged on its top, bottom, and right-hand side.

At a glance l 5.5in HDMI monitor l 1920x1080 IPS screen l Battery or DC powered l Measures 14.8x9.3x2cm l Weighs 235g

VIDEO-SPECIFIC FEATURES Useful video features include a stereo sound level meter and a headphone socket for monitoring audio. The device supports 3D LUTs, allowing it to show a corrected display when a flat log profile is employed for later colour grading. There’s even an anamorphic mode that supports a wide range of ratios up to 2x. www.amateurphotographer.co.uk

08/02/2022 12:35

Tech Talk Professor Newman on…

Advancing autofocus

SPE C I A L SU B S C R I P T ION OF F E R !

A look into how phase detection autofocus works, and how it differs between SLRs and mirrorless cameras

C

onsider the two illustrations below. Each is a composite of two images, taken through a 50mm lens set to f/1.2, and focused on the word ‘of’ in the centre. In Figure 1, a semi-circular piece of black paper has been used to cover half of the rear element. The right side is obscured at the top, whilst the left side is covered beneath.

The images are aligned at the point of focus. As we move along the border between them, the further from the point of focus we get, the greater the misalignment becomes. This is because light rays from the lens arrive at a point only within the focal plane.

Elsewhere, the sensor intercepts a cone of rays instead, resulting

in a ‘blur disc’. Obscuring half of the lens produces a semicircle of blur, which shifts the resultant blurry image sideways.

This is the basis of phase detection autofocus (PDAF).

‘Phase’ refers to the relative position of image features along this border, which can be used to determine not only whether the feature is in focus, but also the extent and direction of out-offocus. The phase difference increases the further the books are from the point of focus, while its direction reverses behind the point of focus.

SLR vs mirrorless PDAF

In Figure 2, the same set-up has been used, but the semi-circular mask replaced by a thin vertical

Figure 1

Figure 2

Phase detection illustrated by masking the rear lens element

slot. This provides more depth of field in the horizontal direction, sharpening up the image and allowing the phase difference to be measured more precisely.

In terms of camera technology, Figure 1 corresponds to what happens in a mirrorless camera, where the phase difference is provided by inactivating one side of the phase detection pixels.

Figure 2 illustrates how the AF sensors of SLR cameras provide more selectivity, allowing them to provide a more accurate estimate of the amount of misfocus.

This facility has been at the heart of the ability of top-end DSLRs to track moving subjects.

Once a subject has been acquired it can be identified using its distance, as measured using the phase detection system.

Thus, until recently, the best tracking autofocus was to be found in the domain of the DSLR. But the latest crop of top-end mirrorless cameras has overcome this deficit by identifying the subject using image recognition algorithms.

Which brings me to the event which instigated this article, a comparative YouTube review of three top-end mirrorless cameras.

The cameras were used to shoot a basketball game. One camera was deemed ‘less good’ because when a player passed the ball it tracked the ball rather than the player. It did this absolutely reliably, and I found myself wondering, if one was shooting basketball, which object represents the centre of the action? I’d hazard a guess that the camera was tracking the ball because that was exactly what it had been designed to do.

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 www.amateurphotographer.co.uk

83 ProfBob Feb15 AW.indd 83

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05/01/2022 13:10

Buying Guide

242 lenses listed & rated

Our comprehensive listing of key specifications for DSLR lenses Lens mounts

Each manufacturer has its own lens mount and most aren’t compatible with one another. For example, a Canon DSLR can’t use Nikon lenses, although you can use independent brands if you get them with the right mount.

DSLR Lenses Interchangeable lenses come in a huge array of types for shooting different kinds of subjects IN GENERAL, the easiest way to expand the kinds of pictures you can take is by buying different types of lenses. For example, telephoto lenses let you zoom in on distant subjects, while macro lenses enable close-ups of small objects.

Large-aperture lenses allow you to isolate subjects against blurred backgrounds, or shoot in low light without having to raise the ISO too high.

Meanwhile, all-in-one superzooms cover a wide range of subjects, but usually with rather lower optical quality.

Built-in focus motor

Most lenses now incorporate an internal motor to drive the autofocus, although some are still driven from the camera body. DSLR lenses often use ultrasonictype motors for fast focusing, but some now have video-friendly stepper motors as widely used in mirrorless systems.

Maximum aperture

Filter thread

A thread at the front of the camera will have a diameter, in mm, which will allow you to attach a variety of filters or adapters to the lens.

Wider apertures mean you can use faster, motion-stopping shutter speeds.

OUR GUIDE TO THE SUFFIXES USED BY LENS MANUFACTURERS AF AF-S AF-P AL APD APO ASPH AW CS D DA DC

Nikon AF lenses driven from camera Nikon lenses with Silent Wave Motor Nikon lenses with stepper motors Pentax lenses with aspheric elements Fujifilm lenses with apodisation elements Sigma Apochromatic lenses Aspherical elements Pentax all-weather lenses Samyang lenses for APS-C cropped sensors Nikon lenses that communicate distance info Pentax lenses optimised for APS-C-sized sensors Nikon defocus-control portrait lenses

DC DG Di Di-II Di-III DN DO DT DX DS E E

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Sigma’s lenses for APS-C digital Sigma’s designation for full-frame lenses Tamron lenses for full-frame sensors Tamron lenses designed for APS-C DSLRs Tamron lenses for mirrorless cameras Sigma’s lenses for mirrorless cameras Canon diffractive optical element lenses Sony lenses for APS-C-sized sensors Nikon’s lenses for DX-format digital Canon’s Defocus Smoothing technology Nikon lenses with electronic apertures Sony lenses for APS-C mirrorless

ED EF EF-S EF-M EX FA FE G HSM IS L LD

Extra-low Dispersion elements Canon’s lenses for full-frame DSLRs Canon’s lenses for APS-C DSLRs Canon’s lenses for APS-C mirrorless Sigma’s ‘Excellent’ range Pentax full-frame lenses Sony lenses for full-frame mirrorless Nikon lenses without an aperture ring Sigma’s Hypersonic Motor Canon’s Image-Stabilised lenses Canon’s ‘Luxury’ range of high-end lenses Low-Dispersion glass

LM MP-E OIS OS PC-E PF PZD RF S SAM SDM SMC

Fujifilm Linear Motor Canon’s high-magnification macro lens Optical Image Stabilisation Sigma’s Optically Stabilised lenses Nikon tilt-and-shift lenses Nikon Phase Fresnel optics Tamron Piezo Drive focus motor Canon full-frame mirrorless lenses Nikon’s premium lenses for mirrorless Sony Smooth Autofocus Motor Pentax’s Sonic Direct Drive Motor Pentax Super Multi Coating

SP SSM STF STM TS-E UMC USM USD VC VR WR Z

Tamron’s Super Performance range Sony Supersonic Motor lenses Sony and Laowa Smooth Trans Focus Canon lenses with stepper motor Canon Tilt-and-Shift lens Ultra Multi Coated Canon lenses with an Ultrasonic Motor Tamron Ultrasonic Drive motor Tamron’s Vibration Compensation Nikon’s Vibration Reduction feature Weather Resistant Nikon’s lenses for mirrorless cameras

Park Cameras was established in 1971 in Burgess Hill, West Sussex. For over 40 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.

85

08/02/2022 15:49

LENS

RRP SCORE

SUMMARY

MOUNT

WEIGHT (G)

LENGTH (MM)

DIAMETER (MM)

FILTER THREAD (MM)

MIN FOCUS (CM)

SIGMA FULL FRAME

PENTAX

NIKON

CANON FOUR THIRDS

IMAGE STABILISATION

DSLR Lenses

SONY ALPHA

BUYING GUIDE

DIMENSIONS

CANON DSLR

ALL PRICES ARE RRPS, STREET PRICES MAY VARY

EF 8-15mm f/4 L USM EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM EF 11-24mm f/4 L USM EF 14mm f/2.8 L II USM EF 16-35mm f/2.8 L III USM EF 16-35mm f/4 L IS USM TS-E 17mm f/4 L EF 17-40mm f/4 L USM EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM EF-S 18-55mm f/4-5.6 IS STM EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM EF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 IS EF 24mm f/1.4 L II USM EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM TS-E 24mm f/3.5 L II EF 24-70mm f/2.8 L II USM EF 24-70mm f/4 L IS USM EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS II USM EF 24-105mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM EF 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6 L IS USM EF-S 35mm f/2.8 Macro IS STM EF 35mm f/2 IS USM EF 35mm f/1.4 L II USM EF 50mm f/1.2 L USM EF 50mm f/1.4 USM EF 50mm f/1.8 STM TS-E 50mm f/2.8L Macro EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STM MP-E 65mm f/2.8 1-5x Macro EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L USM EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS III USM EF 70-200mm f/4L IS II USM EF 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 IS II USM EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 L IS USM EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III EF 85mm f/1.4L IS USM EF 85mm f/1.8 USM TS-E 90mm f/2.8L Macro EF 100mm f/2.8 L Macro IS USM EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS II USM EF 135mm f/2 L USM TS-E 135mm f/4L Macro EF 180mm f/3.5 L Macro USM

£1499 £299 4★ £990 4★ £2799 5★ £2810 4.5★ £2150 £1199 4★ £2920 £940 4★ £795 4★ £220 £478 £500 £740 4★ £2010 £165 4★ £2550 £2300 5★ £1499 £1129 4★ £479 3.5★ £3290 £399 £799 £1799 5★ £1910 £450 5★ £130 5★ £2500 £265 £1250 £1540 £2150 £1300 £499 4.5★ £1600 5★ £300 £1570 5★ £470 5★ £2500 £1060 5★ £1999 4.5★ £1360 £2500 £1870

Impressive-looking fisheye zoom lens from Canon • • 15 A superb ultra-wideangle that’s a must-have for anyone shooting landscapes and cityscapes • • 22 A good performer, with solid MTF curves and minimal chromatic aberration • 24 Long-awaited by Canon full-frame users, this is the world’s widest-angle rectilinear zoom lens • • 28 Impressive resolution at f/8 but less so wide open • • 20 Revamped wideangle zoom includes new optics in a weather-sealed lens barrel • • 28 Versatile and with a useful IS system, this is a very good ultra-wideangle zoom for full-frame cameras • • • 28 Tilt-and-shift optic with independent tilt-and-shift rotation and redesigned coatings • • 25 Designed to match the needs of demanding professionals – and does so with ease • • 28 Very capable lens with three-stop image stabilisation, Super Spectra coating and a circular aperture • • 35 Latest standard zoom for Canon’s APS-C EOS DSLRs, with compact design and updated optics • • 25 Uses stepper motor for silent and fast autofocus that’s also well suited to video work • • 39 Versatile zoom with new Nano USM focus technology and optional power zoom adapter • • 39 Automatic panning detection (for image stabilisation) and a useful 11x zoom range • • 45 Subwavelength structure coating, together with UD and aspherical elements • • 25 Bargain price, tiny carry-everywhere size and a highly competent imaging performance • 16 Tilt-and-shift optic with independent tilt-and-shift rotation and redesigned coatings • • 21 Professional-quality standard zoom lens with a fast aperture • • 38 L-series zoom said to be compact, portable and aimed at both professionals and amateurs • • • 38 Reworked workhorse zoom for full-frame cameras uses an all-new optical design • • • 45 A versatile standard zoom lens that’s an ideal route into full-frame photography • • • 40 L-series optic with expansive range, image stabilisation and a circular aperture • • • 70 Features an innovative built-in dual-LED light for close-up shooting • • 13 First 35mm prime from Canon to feature an optical stabilisation system • • • 24 An outstanding addition to the L-series line-up • • 28 Very wide maximum aperture and Super Spectra coatings, and a circular aperture • • 45 Brilliant performer, with a highly consistent set of MTF curves. AF motor is a tad noisy, though • • 45 Lightest EF lens in the range, with wide maximum aperture and a Micro Motor • • 35 One of a trio of tilt-and-shift macro lenses, this replaces the TS-E 45mm f/2.8 • • 27 A compact telephoto lens featuring smooth, quiet STM focusing when shooting movies • • 110 Macro lens designed to achieve a magnification greater than 1x without accessories • • 24 Non-stabilised L-series optic, with rear focusing and four UD elements • • 150 Updates Canon’s excellent pro workhorse zoom with water-repellent fluorine coatings • • • 120 Upgraded premium telephoto zoom promises five stops of image stabilisation • • • 100 Mid-range telephoto zoom offers really good optics and fast, silent autofocus • • • 120 An L-series lens with a highly durable outer shell • • • 120 Essentially the same lens as the 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III USM but with no USM • • 150 Sublime, highly desirable portrait lens combines large aperture and optical image stabilisation • • • 85 Non-rotating front ring thanks to rear-focusing system, as well as USM • • 85 One of a trio of tilt-and-shift macro lenses, this replaces the TS-E 90mm f/2.8 • • 39 Stunning MTF figures from this pro-grade macro optic • • • 30 L-series construction and optics, including fluorite and Super UD elements • • • 98 L-series construction with two UD elements and wide maximum aperture • • 90 One of a trio of tilt-and-shift macro lenses, with 1:2 magnification • • 49 L-series macro lens with inner focusing system and USM technology • • 48

n/a 67 77 n/a n/a 82 77 77 77 77 58 67 67 72 77 52 82 82 77 77 77 77 49 67 72 72 58 49 77 58 58 77 77 72 67 67 58 77 58 77 67 77 72 82 72

78.5 74.6 83.5 108 80 89.5 82.6 88.9 83.5 83.5 66.5 76.6 77.4 78.6 83.5 68.2 88.5 88.5 83.4 83.5 83.4 92 69.2 62.6 80.4 85.8 73.8 69.2 86.9 70 81 84.6 88.8 80 80 89 71 88.6 75 86.9 77.7 94 82.5 88.5 82.5

83 72 89.8 132 94 127.5 112.8 106.9 96.8 110.6 61.8 96 96 102 86.9 22.8 106.9 113 93 118 104 184 55.8 77.9 104.4 65.5 50.5 39.3 114.9 111.2 98 193.6 199 176 145.5 143 122 105.4 71.5 116.5 123 193 112 139.1 186.6

540 240 385 1180 645 790 615 820 500 645 215 480 515 595 650 125 780 805 600 795 525 1670 190 335 760 580 290 130 945 375 710 1310 1480 780 710 1050 480 950 425 915 625 1640 750 1110 1090

£899 £499 £449 4★ £1249 4★ £1599 £399 £319 3.5★ £469

Ultra-wideangle lens for full-frame DSLRs that exhibits minimal distortion • Relatively compact and lightweight ultra-wideangle manual focus prime that promises low distortion Unusual wideangle lens that offers 1:1 Macro together with vertical shift movements on APS-C cameras • The world’s widest-angle shift lens offers +/-11mm movement in any direction Unique specialist macro lens with submersible front barrel and built-in LED lights Unusual lens designed solely for ultra-close-up shooting, with magnification from 2.5x to 5x With 2:1 Macro, an all-in-one option for normal portrait photography as well as ultra-macro • Full-frame macro lens with twice-life-size magnification and apochromatic design

• 18 77 • 15 67 • 12 77 • 20 n/a • 47 n/a • 17.3 n/a • 18.5 62 • 24.7 67

74.8 72.5 83.8 79 38 65 95 125

82.8 75 64.7 103 408 82 70 72

609 320 410 597 474 400 503 638

LAOWA DSLR 12mm f/2.8 Zero D 14mm f/4 Zero-D DSLR 15mm f/4 1:1 Macro 15mm f/4.5 Zero-D Shift 24mm F14 2x Macro Probe 25mm f/2.8 Ultra Macro 2.5x - 5x 60mm f/2.8 2X Ultra Macro 100mm f/2.8 2:1 Ultra Macro APO

• • • • • • • •

• • • • • • • • • • • • •

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.

www.parkcameras.com 01444 23 70 60 86

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A DSLR or CSC is nothing without a lens attached!

Visit Park Cameras where you’ll find hundreds of lenses available for a wide range of uses, for a variety of budgets.

Canon EF 50mm

• Canon • Fujifilm • Nikon • Laowa• Olympus • Panasonic • Pentax • Samyang • Sigma • Sony • Tamron • Viltrox • Voigtlander • Zeiss

Our price

www.amateurphotographer.co.uk

08/02/2022 15:49

f/1.8 STM

£119

Add a Hoya REVO SMC 49mm UV Filter for only £39.

LENS

RRP SCORE

SUMMARY

WEIGHT (G)

LENGTH (MM)

FILTER THREAD (MM)

MOUNT

DIAMETER (MM)

MIN FOCUS (CM)

SIGMA FULL FRAME

PENTAX

NIKON

CANON FOUR THIRDS

IMAGE STABILISATION

DSLR Lenses

SONY ALPHA

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DIMENSIONS

NIKON DSLR 8-15mm f/3.5-4.5 E ED Fisheye AF-S 10-20mm f/4.5-5.6 G VR AF-P DX 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5 G ED AF-S DX 10.5mm f/2.8 G ED DX Fisheye 12-24mm f/4 G ED AF-S DX 14mm f/2.8 D ED AF 14-24mm f/2.8 G ED AF-S 16mm f/2.8 D AF Fisheye 16-35mm f/4 G ED AF-S VR 16-80mm f/2.8-4E ED VR AF-S DX 17-55mm f/2.8 G ED-IF AF-S DX 18-35mm f/3.5-4.5 G ED AF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 G AF-P DX 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 G VR AF-P DX 18-140mm f/3.5-5.6 G ED VR AF-S DX 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 G IF-ED VR II AF-S VR DX 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3 G ED VR 19mm f/4 E ED PC 20mm f/1.8 G ED AF-S 20mm f/2.8 D AF 24mm f/2.8 D AF 24mm f/1.4 G ED AF-S 24mm f/1.8 G ED AF-S 24mm f/3.5 D ED PC-E 24-70mm f/2.8 G ED AF-S 24-70mm f/2.8 E ED VR 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5 G ED VR 24-120mm f/4 G ED AF-S VR 28mm f/1.4 E ED AF-S 28mm f/1.8 G ED AF-S 28mm f/2.8 D AF 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6 G ED AF-S VR 35mm f/1.8 G AF-S DX 35mm f/1.8 G ED AF-S 35mm f/2 D AF 35mm f/1.4 G ED AF-S 40mm f/2.8 G AF-S DX Micro 45mm PC-E f/2.8 D ED Micro 50mm f/1.4 G AF-S 50mm f/1.8 D AF 50mm f/1.8 G AF-S 58mm f/1.4 G AF-S 60mm f/2.8 D AF Micro 60mm f/2.8 G ED AF-S Micro 70-200mm f/2.8 E FL ED VR AF-S 70-200mm f/4 G ED VR AF-S 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 E ED VR AF-P 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3 G AF-P DX 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3 G VR AF-P DX 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6 G ED VR AF-S 85mm f/3.5 G ED AF-S DX VR 85mm f/1.4 G AF-S 85mm f/1.8 G AF-S 85mm f/2.8D PC-E Micro 105mm f/1.4 E ED AF-S 105mm f/2.8 G AF-S VR II Micro 200-500mm f/5.6 E ED VR AF-S 300mm f/4 E PF ED VR AF-S

£1299 £330 3.5★ £834 4★ £678 £1044 4★ £1554 5★ £1670 5★ £762 £1072 5★ £869 4★ £1356 4★ £669 5★ £149 £199 £579 £762 4.5★ £849 £3300 £679 £584 £427 £1990 5★ £629 £1774 £1565 5★ £1849 5★ £520 5★ £1072 5★ £2080 £619 5★ £282 £889 4.5★ £208 5★ £479 £324 3★ £1735 5★ £250 5★ £1393 £376 5★ £135 £200 5★ £1599 4★ £405 5★ £500 £2650 £1180 5★ £750 £300 £350 £1899 5★ £522 £1532 5★ £470 5★ £1299 £2049 £782 4.5★ £1179 £1230 5★

Fisheye zoom for full-frame DSLRs that gives a circular view at 8mm and full-frame coverage at 15mm Inexpensive wide zoom for DX DSLRs has effective image stabilisation but rather average optics • MTF performance is good from wide open to f/11, only breaking down past f/22 DX format fisheye lens with Nikon’s Close-Range Correction system and ED glass This venerable optic may be a little weak at f/4, but otherwise it’s a good performer A really nice lens that handles well and offers excellent image quality A remarkable piece of kit, producing sharp images with little chromatic aberration Full-frame fisheye lens with Close-Range Correction system and 25cm focus distance A fantastic lens that deserves to be taken seriously, with very little CA throughout • This new standard zoom for DX-format users is designed as a travel lens for APS-C DSLRs • A higher-quality standard zoom for DX-format DSLRs Wideangle zoom with instant manual-focus override for full-frame DSLRs A compact, lightweight DX-format zoom that’s an ideal walk-around lens A compact, lightweight DX-format zoom lens with Vibration Reduction • A compact and lightweight DX-format zoom, this lens is a great all-rounder • Four-stop VR II system, two ED and three aspherical elements in this DX superzoom lens • New DX-format 16.7x zoom with super-telephoto reach – a compact walk-around lens • Super-wideangle tilt-and-shift lens for architecture and landscape photography A fast FX-format prime lens that’s compact and lightweight Compact wideangle lens with Nikon’s Close-Range Correction system Compact wide lens with Close-Range Correction system Nothing short of stunning. Aside from its high price, there is very little to dislike about this optic Fast FX-format lens that aims to appeal to landscape, interior, architecture and street photographers Perspective Control lens with Nano Crystal Coating and electronic control over aperture An excellent set of MTF curves that show outstanding consistency, easily justifying the price of this lens Nikon’s latest pro-spec standard zoom looks like its best lens yet • FX-format standard zoom with Auto Tripod detection and VR • Constant maximum aperture of f/4 and the addition of VR makes this a superb lens • Boasts a dust- and drip-resistant build for reliable shooting in challenging weather conditions If you crave a wide aperture and prefer a single focal length then this Nikon prime delivers Compact wideangle lens with a minimum focusing distance of 25cm Technical testing shows this zoom to be, as Nikon claims, the ‘ideal walkabout lens’ • Designed for DX-format DSLRs, a great standard prime lens Fast FX-format prime lens with bright f/1.8 aperture. Versatile and lightweight At wide-aperture settings this optic achieves respectable resolution, which decreases with aperture A Nano Crystal-coated lens designed for the FX range A budget-priced macro lens that delivers the goods on multiple fronts Perspective Control (PC-E) standard lens used in specialised fields such as studio and architecture Internal focusing and superior AF drive makes this a good alternative to the D-series 50mm f/1.4 • Compact, lightweight, affordable prime, will stop down to f/22 A cut-price standard lens for FX shooters or a short telephoto on DX-format DSLRs FX-format full-frame premium prime lens with large f/1.4 aperture Nikon’s most compact Micro lens, with Close Range Correction (CRC) system Micro lens with 1:1 reproduction ratio, as well as a Silent Wave Motor and Super ED glass Latest update to Nikon’s pro workhorse fast telephoto zoom brings electronic aperture control • Latest 70-200mm offers third-generation VR and weight savings over its more expensive f/2.8 cousin • Nikon’s first full-frame lens to feature a stepper motor for autofocus • Budget telephoto zoom with stepper motor for AF and space-saving collapsible design Adds extremely useful optical stabilisation to Nikon’s budget compact telephoto • Successor to the 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6D ED VR, focusing is excellent at tracking fast-moving subjects • DX-format Micro lens with a 1:1 reproduction ratio, VR II system and ED glass • Fast mid-tele lens with an internal focusing system and rounded diaphragm Rear-focusing system and distance window in this medium telephoto lens Perspective Control (PC-E) telephoto, designed to be ideal for portraits and product photography A 105mm FX-format prime lens with bright f/1.4 aperture, ideal for portraiture A very sharp lens, with swift and quiet focusing and consistent MFT results • A super-telephoto zoom lens compatible with Nikon FX-format DSLR cameras • Light, compact AF-S full-frame telephoto lens with ED glass elements •

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

16 22 24 14 30 20 28 25 28 35 36 28 25 25 45 50 48 25 20 25 30 25 23 21 38 38 38 45 28 25 25 50 30 25 25 30 20 25 45 45 45 58 22 18 110 1000 1200 110 110 175 28 85 80 39 100 31 220 140

n/a 72 77 n/a 77 n/a n/a n/a 77 72 77 77 55 55 67 72 67 n/a 77 62 52 77 72 77 77 82 72 77 77 67 52 77 52 58 52 67 52 77 58 52 58 72 62 62 77 67 67 58 58 77 52 77 67 77 82 62 95 77

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Available in Canon EF and Nikon F Mount

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f/1.8 STM

£119

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87-91 BuyingGuideDSLR Feb15 AW.indd 87

f/1.8 DC HSM | Art

£699

77.5 77 82.5 63 82.5 87 98 63 82.5 80 85.5 83 64.5 64.5 78 77 78.5 89 82.5 69 64.5 83 77.5 82.5 83 88 78 84 83 73 65 83 70 72 64.5 83 68.5 82.5 73.5 63 72 85 70 73 88.5 78 80.5 72 72 95.5 73 86.5 80 83.5 94.5 83 108 89

83 73 87 62.5 90 86.5 131.5 57 125 85.5 110.5 95 62.5 62.5 97 96.5 99 124 80.5 42.5 46 88.5 83 108 133 154.5 82 103 100.5 80 44.5 114 52.5 71.5 43.5 89.5 64.5 112 54 39 52.5 70 74.5 89 202.5 178.5 146 125 125 203 98.5 84 73 107 106 116 267.5 147.5

485 230 460 300 485 670 970 290 685 480 755 385 195 205 490 560 550 885 335 270 270 620 355 730 900 1070 465 710 645 330 205 800 200 305 205 600 235 740 280 160 185 385 440 425 1430 850 680 400 415 1570 355 595 350 635 985 720 2300 755

f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM | Contemporary

£849

87

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LENS

RRP SCORE

SUMMARY

WEIGHT (G)

LENGTH (MM)

FILTER THREAD (MM)

MOUNT

DIAMETER (MM)

MIN FOCUS (CM)

SIGMA FULL FRAME

PENTAX

NIKON

CANON FOUR THIRDS

IMAGE STABILISATION

DSLR Lenses

SONY ALPHA

BUYING GUIDE

DIMENSIONS

PENTAX DSLR DA 10-17mm f/3.5-4.5 HD Fisheye ED DA* 11-18mmF2.8 ED DC AW HD DA 12-24mm f/4 smc ED AL IF DA 15mm f/4 smc ED AL Limited FA 15-30mm f/2.8 ED SM WR HD DA* 16-50mm f/2.8 smc ED AL IF SDM DA* 16-50mm f/2.8 ED PLM AW HD DA 16-85mm f/3.5-5.6 ED DC WR DA 17-70mm f/4 smc AL IF SDM DA 18-50mm f/4-5.6 DC WR RE DA 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 smc AL WR DA 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 DA ED DC WR DA 18-270mm f/3.5-6.3 smc ED SDM DA 20-40mm f/2.8-4 ED Limited DC WR HD-FA 21mm f/2.4 ED Limited DC WR DA 21mm f/3.2 smc AL Limited FA 24-70mm f/2.8 ED SDM WR FA 28-105mm f/3.5-5.6 ED DC HD HD-FA 31mm f/1.8 Limited FA 35mm f/2 HD DA 35mm f/2.4 smc DS AL DA 35mm f/2.8 smc Macro DA 40mm f/2.8 smc Limited HD-FA 43mm f/1.9 Limited FA* 50mm f/1.4 SDM AW HD FA 50mm f/1.4 smc DA 50mm f/1.8 smc DA D-FA 50mm f/2.8 smc Macro DA* 50-135mm f/2.8 smc ED IF SDM DA 50-200mm f/4-5.6 smc ED WR DA* 55mm f/1.4 smc SDM DA 55-300mm f/4.5-6.3 ED PLM WR RE DA 55-300mm f/4-5.8 ED WR DA 60-250mm f/4 smc ED IF SDM DA 70mm f/2.4 smc AL Limited D-FA* 70-200mm f/2.8 ED DC AW D-FA 70-210mm F4 ED SDM WR HD-FA 77mm f/1.8 Limited D FA* 85mm f/1.4 SDM AW D-FA 100mm f/2.8 Macro WR FA 150-450mm f/4.5-5.6 ED DC AW DA* 200mm f/2.8 smc ED IF SDM DA* 300mm f/4 smc ED IF SDM

NEW

£499 £1399 £1050 £820 £1500 £950 3.5★ £1500 £600 £630 £230 £229 £600 3.5★ £699 £829 £1499 £600 £1149 £549 £1100 £399 £180 5★ £640 4.5★ £450 £650 £1200 £399 £249 4★ £550 £1200 4★ £210 £800 4.5★ £400 £399 £1450 4.5★ £600 £1850 £1199 £800 £1999 £680 5★ £2000 £1000 4.5★ £1300

Updated fisheye zoom lens gains refreshed cosmetic design, new optical coatings and removable hood • 14 Premium fast ultra-wideangle zoom, includes all-weather construction and innovative focus clamp • 30 Two aspherical elements, ELD glass and a constant aperture of f/4 in this wide zoom • 30 Limited-edition lens with hybrid aspherical and extra-low-dispersion elements • 18 Weather-resistant ultra-wideangle zoom with fast maximum aperture and fixed petal-type hood • • 28 A nice balance and robust feel, but poor sharpness at f/2.8 (which significantly improves from f/4 onwards) • 30 All-new premium large-aperture standard zoom with updated optics and electromagnetic aperture control • 30 Weather-resistant, this zoom features a round-shaped diaphragm to produce beautiful bokeh • 35 Featuring Pentax’s Supersonic Direct-drive (SDM) focusing system • 28 Super-thin standard zoom that’s weather-resistant and features a round-shaped diaphragm • 30 A weather-resistant construction and an aspherical element, as well as SP coating • 25 A weather-resistant mid-range zoom lens • 40 15x superzoom for company’s K-mount DSLRs featuring two extra-low-dispersion (ED) elements • 49 With state-of-the-art HD coating, a completely round-shaped diaphragm, and weather resistant • 28 Ultra-wide addition to the premium Limited line-up, with aluminium barrel and electromagnetic aperture motor • • 18 This limited-edition optic offers a floating element for extra-close focusing • 20 Full-frame-compatible premium standard zoom – includes a HD coating to minimise flare and ghosting • • 38 Standard zoom lens for the K-1 full-frame DSLR that’s much more affordable than the 24-70mm f/2.8 • • 50 Premium aluminium-bodied wideangle prime boasts an aperture ring plus HD and fluorine coatings • • 30 Latest version of venerable Pentax fast prime features a multi-layer HD coating • • 30 A budget-priced prime lens for beginners • 30 Despite slight edge softness, this lens performs excellently and is a pleasure to use • 14 Pancake lens with SMC coating and Quick Shift focusing system • 40 Classic full-frame fast prime with perfect focal length for everyday use • • 45 Premium fast prime with dustproof, weather-resistant design and electromagnetic aperture • • 40 Compact fast prime with film-era double-Gauss optics and traditional aperture ring • • 45 Affordable short telephoto lens ideal for portraits • 45 Macro lens capable of 1:1 reproduction and with a Quick Shift focus mechanism • • 19 Constant f/2.8 aperture; well suited to portraiture and mid-range action subjects • 100 Weather-resistant construction, Quick Shift focus system and an SP coating • n/a Despite questions about the particular sample tested, this lens scores highly • 45 Compact weather resistant telephoto zoom has video-friendly fast and silent autofocus motor • 95 Weatherproof HD telephoto lens featuring quick shift focusing system • 140 With a constant f/4 aperture and an ultrasonic motor for speedy focusing • 110 Medium telephoto lens with an aluminium construction and a Super Protect coating • 70 Fast telephoto zoom in Pentax’s high-performance Star (*) series developed for best image rendition • • 120 Compact telephoto zoom with constant f/4 maximum aperture and weather-resistant construction • • 95 Renewed version of short telephoto portrait prime that features a traditional aperture ring • • 70 Upcoming large-aperture short telephoto prime promises premium optics and weather-sealing • • 85 Street price makes this something of a bargain for a true macro offering full-frame coverage • • 30 Super-telephoto lens with weather resistance, designed to produce extra-sharp, high-contrast images • • 200 SDM focusing system on the inside, and dirtproof and splashproof on the outside • 120 This tele optic promises ultrasonic focus and high image quality thanks to ED glass • 140

n/a 82 77 49 n/a 77 77 72 67 58 52 62 62 55 67 49 82 62 58 49 49 49 49 49 72 49 52 49 67 49 58 58 58 67 49 77 67 49 82 49 86 77 77

70 90 83.5 39.5 98.5 84 84 78 75 71 68.5 73 76 68.5 74 63 109.5 73 69 64 63 46.5 63 64 80 63.5 38.5 60 76.5 69 70.5 76.5 71 167.5 63 91.5 78.5 48 95 65 241.5 83 83

67.5 100 87.5 63 143.5 98.5 117 94 93.5 41 67.5 76 89 71 89 25 88.5 86.5 65 44.5 45 63 15 27 106 38 63 67.5 136 79.5 66 89 111.5 82 26 203 175 64 123.5 80.5 95 134 184

317 704 430 212 1040 600 712 488 485 158 230 405 453 283 416 140 787 440 341 193 124 215 90 155 910 220 122 265 765 285 375 442 466 1040 130 1755 819 270 1255 340 2000 825 1070

£274 £950 £429 £430 £899 £649 4.5★ £439 £389 £430 £499 £949 3★ £719 £369 4.5★ £639 £299 £899 £599 3★ £389 £389 £399

Wideangle fisheye lens designed for digital reflex cameras with APS-C sensors • • • • • World’s widest-angle rectilinear lens promises 130° field of view with minimal distortion • • • Features a nano crystal anti-reflection coating system and embedded lens hood • • • • • Fisheye ultra wideangle prime lens for full-frame DSLRs • • • • • • High-end ultra-wideangle prime with premium optics and large maximum aperture • • • Samyang’s first AF SLR lens features very decent image quality and weather-sealed construction • • • Ultra-wideangle manual-focus prime with weather-sealing and de-clickable aperture ring • • • Fast wideangle lens for digital reflex cameras fitted with APS-C sensors • • • • • Large-aperture manual focus wideangle lens for full-frame DSLRs • • • • • • Fast ultra-wideangle manual-focus lens comprising 13 elements arranged in 12 groups • • • • • • Tilt-and-shift wideangle lens for a fraction of the price of Canon and Nikon’s offerings • • • • • • Ultra-large aperture, manual focus prime with premium optics • • While manual focus only, this prime impressed us in real-world use, making it something of a bargain • • • • • • Large aperture manual-focus prime promises 50MP resolution • • Manual-focus fast standard prime for full-frame DSLRs • • • • • • High-end manual focus lens sports an impressively fast maximum aperture • • Autofocus fast short telephoto portrait lens for use on Canon or Nikon full-frame DSLRs • • • Large-aperture short telephoto manual-focus prime is weather-sealed and the aperture can be de-clicked • • • Full-frame compatible, the Samyang 100mm is a true Macro lens offering 1:1 magnification • • • • • • Manual focus portrait prime has fast aperture for subject isolation and background blur • • • • • •

30 26 24 20 28 20 28 20 20 25 20 34 30 45 45 80 90 110 30 80

n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 77 77 82 86 77 86 77 86 77 72 67 77

75 95 86 77.3 95 90.5 87 89.4 83 95 86 93 83 93 74.7 93 88 78 72.5 82

77.8 417 98.1 731 77 580 70.2 500 109.4 791 95.6 485 96.3 641 83 583 113.2 520 116 680 110.5 680 117.4 1106 111 660 117.4 1200 81.6 575 98.4 1050g 72 485 72.2 541 123.1 720 122 830

£650 5★ £1649 5★ £1679 £1399 5★

An absolute gem of a lens that deserves a place on every photographer’s wish list • Premium full-frame wideangle zoom designed to have minimal distortion in its wideangle imagery World’s first f/1.8 ultra-wideangle prime lens for full-frame DSLRs Pro-specification fast ultra-wide prime for full-frame DSLRs includes weather-sealed construction

24 24 27 26

82 n/a n/a n/a

87.3 88.2 520 101 132 1150 95.4 126 1170 96.4 135.1 1150

ALL PRICES ARE RRPS, STREET PRICES MAY VARY

SAMYANG DSLR 8mm f/3.5 UMC Fisheye CS II 10mm f/3.5 XP MF 10mm f/2.8 ED AS NCS CS 12mm f/2.8 ED AS NCS Fisheye 14mm f/2.4 XP MF AF 14mm f/2.8 14mm f/2.8 MF Mk II 16mm f/2.0 ED AS UMC CS 20mm f/1.8 ED AS UMC 24mm f/1.4 AS UMC 24mm f/3.5 ED AS UMS TS 35mm f/1.2 XP MF 35mm f/1.4 AS UMC 50mm f/1.2 XP MF 50mm f/1.4 AS UMC 85mm f/1.2 XP MF AF 85mm f/1.4 85mm f/1.4 MF Mk II 100mm f/2.8 ED UMC Macro 135mm f/2 ED UMC

SIGMA DSLR 10-20mm f/3.5 EX DC HSM 12-24mm f/4 DG HSM | A 14mm f/1.8 DG HSM | A 14-24mm f/2.8 DG HSM | A 88

87-91 BuyingGuideDSLR Feb15 AW.indd 88

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08/02/2022 15:49

FILTER THREAD (MM)

DIAMETER (MM)

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15 28 22 28 45 39 27.6 25 28 37 45 28 30 30 40 40 37.4 60 26 120 85 160 100 31.2 150 87.5 280 260

n/a 77 72 72 45 72 n/a 77 82 82 82 77 62 67 82 77 82 105 49 82 86 67 105 62 105 82 95 105

73.5 83.5 79 78 79 79 90.7 85 87.6 88 89 82.8 63.3 77 87.8 85.4 93.5 120.4 71 94.2 95 86.4 115.9 78 124 91.4 105 121

65 92 82 121 100 101.5 129.8 90.2 122.7 107.6 109 107.1 74.2 94 131 100 170.7 268.9 106 202.9 126 182.3 131.5 126.4 291 114.9 260.1 290.2

370 565 470 810 610 585 950 665 940 1020 885 865 435 665 1200 815 1490 2700 515 1805 1130 1160 1645 725 3390 1130 1930 2860

£580 4.5★ £1279 £600 4★ £629 4★ £169 4★ £650 4★ £1249 £930 £580 4.5★ £799 £1350 5★ £699 4.5★ £789 5★ £1340

Wideangle zoom of APS-C with dust and splashproofing and optical stabilisation • Second-generation image-stabilised fast wide zoom includes weather-sealing and faster AF • Versatile mega-zoom, a very good all-in-one solution, as long as you won’t need to enlarge to A2 size • • Most compact and lightest full-frame ultra-wideangle zoom in its class Lightweight all-in-one lens for APS-C DSLRs with Vibration Compensation • • The longest-ranging telephoto zoom yet made turns in a surprisingly decent performance • Upgraded fast zoom with improved image stabilisation and moisture-resistant construction • Premium large-aperture prime with moisture-resistant construction, billed as Tamron’s best-ever lens Moderately wide prime combines ultrasonic focusing, image stabilisation and a fast aperture • • Unusual image-stabilised full-frame zoom designed for portraits, with large maximum aperture • Excellent telephoto zoom with updated autofocus and image stabilisation plus sealed construction • Lightweight telezoom promises high optical performance, image stabilisation and weather-sealing • Relatively compact and lightweight telephoto zoom with moisture-resistant construction • Popular long telephoto zoom that produces excellent results • •

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24 28 39 28 49 45 38 30 20 45 95 95 150 220

77 n/a 67 77 62 72 82 72 67 77 77 67 67 95

83.6 98.4 99.5 83.6 75 79 88.4 80.9 80.4 84 88 76 199 108.4

84.6 145 75 90 96.6 123.9 111 104.8 80.8 126.8 193.8 176.5 86.2 260.2

440 1110 540 460 400 710 905 815 480 796 1500 860 1135 2010

£449 £499 4★ £529 £849 £699 4★ £900

Gains a new waterproof top coating for the front element and updated cosmetic design Compact, ultra-wideangle lens with a fast maximum aperture and decent optical performance Replacement for 12-24mm f/4 wideangle zoom; for Nikon DX DSLRs Wideangle zoom with super-fast, super-bright, constant f/2 aperture for shooting in very low light This large-aperture wide zoom for full-frame DSLRs is an updated version of the AT-X 16-28mm f/2.8 Premium fast prime designed for high-resolution DSLRs, with dust and weather-resistant construction

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30 28 25 28 28 40

77 82 77 82 n/a 72

84 89 84 89 89 80

89 92 90 106 133.5 107.5

555 560 600 725 940 950

£499 £518 £529

Manual-focus wideangle prime for Nikon F-mount SLRs boasts high-quality metal construction Large-aperture manual focus standard prime for Nikon SLRs, inlcuding classic film cameras Remarkably small and lightweight manual-focus short telephoto portrait prime

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15 52 66.3 45 52 67.6 90 52 66.3

32.8 45.5 41

205 320 260

£2329 £1999 £1299 £1999 5★ £1699 £829 £559 £949 5★ £949 £989 £1379 5★ £1299 £1899

This super-wideangle lens has an angle of view of 110° and uses an advanced retrofocus design Compact super-wideangle lens with premium optics including a floating focus system for close-ups Premium wideangle lens with complex optics designed to be free of distortion Optically excellent, large-aperture manual focus wideangle lens with weather-sealed construction Large aperture, premium-quality manual-focus prime with weather-sealed construction Compact, moderate wideangle manual focus prime Classic double-Gauss design manual focus standard prime for full-frame SLRs An exceptionally good lens offering sharpness, detail, clean edges and a great user experience Manual-focus macro lens with half-life-size magnification and stunning optics Classic portrait prime designed to give smooth, rounded bokeh effects Fast 85mm manual-focus prime lens that’s perfect for portraiture A manual-focus macro lens with absolutely superb optics and half-life-size reproduction Telephoto lens with a large aperture and smooth bokeh, ideal for medium-distance portrait photography

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• 25 95 102.3 100.2 947 • 25 77 90 93 721 • 22 82 95.5 95 851 • 25 82 95.2 123 1225 • 30 72 84.8 124.8 1174 • 30 58 77 83 702 • 45 58 71 71 380 • 45 67 82.5 94 922 • 24 67 81 75.3 730 • 100 72 78 88 670 • 80 77 90 113 1280 • 88 67 80.5 104 843 • 80 77 129 132 1123

MOUNT

WEIGHT (G)

IMAGE STABILISATION

SUMMARY

LENGTH (MM)

MIN FOCUS (CM)

This fisheye optic puts in a very solid performance – not to be dismissed as a gimmick! • FLD and aspherical elements, a constant f/2.8 aperture and Optical Stabilisation • • Compact redesign of this well-received lens launches the ‘Contemporary’ range • • Said to be the world’s first constant f/1.8 zoom; DoF equivalent of constant f/2.7 on full frame Excellent resolution and consistent performance, but control over CA could be a little better • Compact and portable high ratio zoom lens offering enhanced features to make it the ideal all-in-one lens • An outstanding wideangle fixed-focal-length lens The latest addition to Sigma’s ‘Art’ line of high-quality fast primes The world’s first large-aperture full-frame zoom offering a wide aperture of f/2 throughout the zoom range Latest premium fast standard zoom for full frame includes optical image stabilisation • Serious full-frame alternative to own-brand lenses at a lower price, with no compromises in the build • • High-quality, weathersealed fast wideangle prime for full-frame DSLRs Unique fast prime for APS-C DSLRs that gives 45mm equivalent ‘normal’ angle of view • Superb large-aperture prime; first lens in company’s ‘Art’ series • Large and heavy prime promising natural-looking perspective and top-quality optics This lens has a unique design that pays off in truly excellent image quality • This APS-C-format lens aims to cover the focal lengths of three prime lenses in one Weathersealed 10x zoom encompasses huge range from standard to super-telephoto • The first macro lens in Sigma’s Art line-up features an extending-barrel focus-by-wire design Superb large-aperture telephoto zoom shows high sharpness and minimal chromatic aberration • Optically stunning fast short telephoto prime is the ultimate portrait lens for DSLR users Relatively lightweight telezoom comes with weather-sealing and choice of push-pull or twist zoom • Sigma’s ‘bokeh monster’ super-fast portrait lens is weathersealed and comes with a tripod foot An optically stabilised macro lens, this super-sharp lens is one of our favourites • First lens in company’s ‘Sports’ series; switch enables adjustment of both focus speed and focus limiter • Super-fast portrait prime designed to provide sufficient resolution for 50MP DSLRs Budget ‘Contemporary’ version of Sigma’s long-range telephoto zoom is smaller and lighter • This portable, high-performance telephoto zoom from Sigma’s Sports line is dust and splashproof •

PENTAX

£629 4★ £689 £449 £799 5★ £449 4★ £499 £799 5★ £799 5★ £949 5★ £1399 5★ £849 4.5★ £1099 4.5★ £360 £799 5★ £1100 5★ £849 5★ £829 5★ £1899 £499 £1349 5★ £1199 5★ £799 4.5★ £1499 4.5★ £649 4.5★ £3599 £1399 5★ £1199 £1599

NIKON

RRP SCORE

15mm f/2.8 EX DG 17-50mm f/2.8 EX DC OS HSM 17-70mm f/2.8-4 DC Macro OS HSM 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 DC OS 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3 DC Macro OS HSM 20mm f/1.4 DG HSM | A 24mm f/1.4 DG HSM | A 24-35mm f/2 DG HSM | A 24-70mm f/2.8 DG OS HSM | A 24-105mm f/4 DG OS HSM | A 28mm f/1.4 DG HSM | A 30mm f/1.4 DC HSM | A 35mm f/1.4 DG HSM | A 40mm f/1.4 DG HSM | A 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM | A 50-100mm f/1.8 DC HSM | A 60-600mm f/4.5-6.3 DG OS HSM | S 70mm f/2.8 DG Macro | A 70-200mm f/2.8 DG OS HSM | S 85mm f/1.4 DG HSM | A 100-400mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM | C 105mm f/1.4 DG HSM | A 105mm f/2.8 EX DG OS HSM Macro 120-300mm f/2.8 DG HSM | S 135mm f/1.8 DG HSM | A 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM | C 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM | S

CANON FOUR THIRDS

LENS

DSLR Lenses

SONY ALPHA

SIGMA FULL FRAME

SPONSORED BY

DIMENSIONS

TAMRON DSLR 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5 Di II VC HLD 15-30mm f/2.8 SP Di VC USD G2 16-300mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD Macro 17-35mm f/2.8-4 Di OSD 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 AF Di II VC 18-400mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC HLD 24-70mm f/2.8 SP Di VC USD G2 35mm f/1.4 SP Di USD 35mm f/1.8 SP Di VC USD 35-150mm F2.8-4 Di VC OSD 70-200mm f/2.8 SP Di VC USD G2 70-210mm f/4 Di VC USD 100-400mm f/4.5-6.3 Di VC USD 150-600mm f/5-6.3 SP Di VC USD G2

TOKINA DSLR ATX-i 11-16mm f/2.8 CF AT-X 11-20mm f/2.8 PRO DX AT-X 12-28mm f/4 PRO DX AT-X 14-20mm f/2 PRO DX Opera 16-28mm f/2.8 FF Opera 50mm f/1.4 FF

VOIGTLANDER DSLR 28mm f/2.8 Aspherical SL II-S Color-Skopar 58mm f/1.4 SL II-S Nokton 90mm f/2.8 APO-Skopar SL II-S

ZEISS DSLR 15mm f/2.8 Milvus 18mm f/2.8 Milvus 21mm f/2.8 Milvus 25mm f/1.4 Milvus 35mm f/1.4 Milvus 35mm f/2 Milvus 50mm f/1.4 Planar T* 50mm f/1.4 Milvus 50mm f/2 Milvus Macro 85mm f/1.4 Planar T* 85mm f/1.4 Milvus 100mm f/2 Milvus Macro 135mm f/2 Milvus www.amateurphotographer.co.uk

87-91 BuyingGuideDSLR Feb15 AW.indd 89

• • • • • • • • • • • • •

89

08/02/2022 15:49

NEW

AP_2022-02-15_Camera World_DPS.indd 2

07/02/2022 09:30

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07/02/2022 09:30

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: - Please check the website for current times.

GO ON, YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO...

Canon New Stock EOS R3 Body

Body Only

£5879

Canon New Stock EOS R5 Body

Canon New Stock EOS R6 Body

Body Only

Body Only

£4299

EOS R5 Body MintBoxed

£3799 Fuji X-T4 Body MintBoxed

£1199

Canon 500mm F4 IS USM LII

NOT MIRRORLESS

£6499

Boxed

£2299/ £2499

Olympus EM1X Body

Sony A7R MKIV Body

Nikon 300mm F2.8 AFS VRII Boxed

£2499

Sony RX10 MKIV

NI

FUJI

Boxed

£1199

Nikon 500mm F4 AFS E FL Latest Boxed

NOT MIRRORLESS

£3499

NI

Mint Boxed

Boxed

£1399

CA

£2399

Check out some of our USED mirrorless favourites...

Nikon Z7 MKII Body

CA

NOT MIRRORLESS

£6999/ £7997

BRON

CA

CA

UPGRADE NOW - PART EXCHANGE ALWAYS WELCOME

CALL MATT 0736 828 8126

8am till 8pm daily

CONT

Sensor cleaning and Pro equipment hire available

ANY PRICES SHOWN INCLUDE VAT AND U.K. MAINLAND DELIVERY. Correct 04/02/2022. E&OE. AP_2022-02-15_Mifsuds Photographic Ltd_DPS.indd 2

07/02/2022 09:35

M

Website updated daily inc. promotions

www.mifsuds.com

Here to help - just call 01803 852400

The best stocked dealer in the West Country

QUALITY USED EQUIPMENT. 3 Month warranty on most secondhand. See website for full list and details etc.

CANON AUTOFOCUS CAMERAS, LENSES, FLASH, ACCESSORIES ETC USED RF 70-200mm 7D MKII 500mm F4 IS F4 IS body 100-400mm 300mm F2.8 RF 14-35mm RF 24-105mm 1DX MKIII 1DX MKII 5D MKIV USM LII box box box F4.5/5.6 LII box IS USM LII F4 L IS USM F4 L IS body body body box

Used Canon

£5999 £2399 £1699/2397£599/899 £1549

CANON R DIGITAL AF USED R5 body Mint- box ........................£3799 RF 14-35 F4 L IS USM box...........£1549 RF 24-105 F4 L IS............................£1099 RF 24-105 F4/7.1 IS STM................ £379 RF 70-200 F4 IS box ......................£1499 RF 100 F2.8 L IS USM macro ......£1269 CANON DIGITAL AF USED 1DX MKIII body Mint box ...........£5999 1DX MKII body box .......................£2399 7D MKII body box................... £599/899 7D body .............................................. £299 6D body box...................................... £499 5D MKIV body box ............ £1699/2397 5D MKIII body box........................... £997 80D body Mint box......................... £699 BG-E20 grip box............................... £199 BG-E16 grip........................................ £179 BG-E13 grip.....£99 BG-E11 grip ....£99

BG-E9 grip box.....................................£89 BG-E6 grip .............................................£79 BG-E4 grip.......£79 BG-E2 grip .......£39 CANON AF LENSES USED 10-18 F4.5/5.6 IS STM..................... £219 10-22 F3.5/4.5 USM EFS ................ £349 15 F2.8 fisheye.................................. £399 15-85 F3.5/5.6 EFS........................... £299 16-35 F4 USM IS L............................ £799 17-40 F4 L USM ................................ £399 17-55 F2.8 EFS IS USM ................... £649 18-55 F3.5/5.6 IS STM........................£99 18-135 F3.5/5.6 USM Nano .......... £399 18-135 F3.5/5.6 IS EFS.................... £199 18-200 F3.5/5.6 EFS ........................ £299 24 F2.8 STM ....................................... £129 24 F3.5 TSE LII box.........................£1299 24-70 F2.8 L USM II .......................£1299 24-70 F4 IS USM L............................ £699

Used Canon

Used Canon

£1099

24-105 F4 IS USM L ......................... £549 35 F1.4 USM LII box ......................£1299 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 ......................... £799 70-200 F2.8 IS USM LIII box........£1699 70-200 F2.8 IS USM LII ................... £997 70-200 F4 IS USM box.................... £599 70-200 F4 L USM.............................. £399 70-300 F4.5/5.6 U L IS box............ £799 70-300 F4/5.6 IS USM II.................. £499 70-300 F4.5/5.6 USM ...................... £299 85 F1.2 L USM MKII .......................£1299 85 F1.4 IS USM L.............................£1249 85 F1.8 USM....................................... £249 100 F2.8 IS USM L macro .............. £799

£1499 £1299

100 F2.8 USM macro ...................... £399 100-400 F4.5/5.6 LII box..............£1299 100-400 F4.5/5.6 L.................. £699/899 135 F2 USM L box............................ £649 180 F3.5 L USM macro................... £899 200 F2.8 USM LII .............................. £549 200-400 F4 IS USM LII ..................£5999 300 F2.8 IS USM LII........................£3799 300 F4 IS USM L................................ £749 400 F5.6 USM L................................. £799 500 F4 IS USM LII ...........................£6499 1.4x extender MKIII ......................... £349 2x extender MKIII............................. £349 12mm ext tube II ................................£69 25mm ext tube II ............................. £129 SIGMA CAF USED 8 F4 EX DG fisheye .......................... £399 8-16 F4.5/5.6 HSM DC box ........... £299 10 F2.8 EX DC HSM ......................... £399

£3799

10-20 F3.5 EX DC HSM................... £279 12-24 F4.5/5.6 II HSM ..................... £499 17-70 F2.8/4 DC OS HSM .............. £249 24 F1.4 DG HSM Art........................ £579 35 F1.4 DG HSM Art........................ £579 50 F1.4 DG HSM Art........................ £549 50-500 F4.5/6.3 HSM OS ............... £749 70-200 F2.8 EX DG OS HSM ......... £599 85 F1.4 EX DG box........................... £399 105 F2.8 EX DG HSM OS box....... £329 150 F2.8 EX DG OS HSM box....... £599 150-500 F5/6.3 APO DG OS ......... £499 150-600 F5/6.3 DG OS sport......£1197 150-600 F5/6.3 contemporary.... £749 300 F2.8 EX DG HSM ....................£1399 TC1401 extender ............................. £179 OTHER CAF USED TAM 10-24 F3.5/4.5 Di II ................ £199 TAM 16-300 F3.5/6.3 II VC............. £399

£6499

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 MR-14EX ringflash box .................. £349 MT-24 ringflash ................................ £649 430EX MKIII RT box......................... £229 430EX II................................................ £149 580EX II................................................ £169 580EX ................................................... £129 600EX RT............................................. £299 SB-E2 transmitter................................£79 ST-E3 Speedlight transmitter ...... £239 Angle finder C................................... £149 MORE ON WEBSITE WWW.MIFSUDS.COM

NIKON AUTOFOCUS CAMERAS, LENSES, FLASH, ACCESSORIES ETC USED NIKON Z DIGITAL AF USED Z7 MKII body box .............. £2299/2499 Z7 body box ....................................£1399 24-50 F4/6.3....................................... £299 24-70 F4 S Mint box........................ £499 FTZ adapter box............................... £249 NIKON DIGITAL AF USED D5 Dual XQD body box...................£2997 D5 Dual CF body box.......................£2997 D3 body box....................................... £799 D850 body box...............................£2199 D810 body box......................£997/1297 D780 body Mint box ........ £1499/1599 D750 body box........................ £699/899 D600 body.......................................... £599 D500 body box...............................£1099 D300 body box...£299 D200 body£199 D7500 body....................................... £699 D7200 body....................................... £649 D7100 body....................................... £449 D3400 body....................................... £299 D3200 body...£199 D3000 body ..£99 D80 body........£199 D90 body .... £199

MBD-16 (D750)................................. £149 MBD-15 (D7100/7200) .................. £129 MBD-14 (D610/600) ..........................£99 MBD-12 grip (D810)........................ £199 MBD-11 grip (D7000) ..................... £149 MBD-10 grip (D300)...........................£99 MBD-200 or MBD-80 grip each .....£99 NIKON AF LENSES USED 10.5 F2.8 fisheye box...................... £349 10-20 F4.5/5.6 AF-P DX VR ........... £219 10-24 F3.5/4.5 AFS box.................. £579 12-24 F4 DX AFS .............................. £299 14-24 F2.8 AFS.................................. £899 16 F2.8 AFD fisheye box................ £399 16-35 F4 AFS VR box ...................... £599 16-80 F2.8/4 VR DX ......................... £599 18-35 F3.5/4.5 AFS M- box ........... £549 18-55 F3.5/5.6 AF VR .........................£99 18-105 F3.5/5.6 VR DX AFS........... £199 18-140 F3.5/5.6 AFS VR DX........... £249 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 ................... £599

20 F1.8 AFS box................................ £579 24 F3.5 PC-E ED box ....................... £997 24 F1.4 G AFS Mint.......................... £997 24 F1.8 AFS box................................ £549 24 F2.8 AFD........................................ £299 24-70 F2.8 AFS VR M- box ..........£1499 24-70 F2.8 AFS box ......................... £897 24-85 F3.5/4.5 AFS VR .................... £299 24-120 F4 AFS VR box.................... £499 28-300 F3.5/5.6 VR box.................. £599 35 F1.4 G AFS M- box..................... £997 35 F1.8 AFS DX ................................. £149 40 F2.8 AFS DX macro box........... £249 45 F2.8 PC-E tilt box........................ £997 50 F1.4 AFS G box ........................... £299 50 F1.8 AFS box................................ £169 50 F1.8 AFD box............................... £129 55-200 F4.5/5.6 VRII box ............... £149 58 F1.4 AFS G box ........................... £899 60 F2.8 AFS.....£449 60 F2.8 AFD£299 70-200 F2.8 E FL AFS box ...........£1699 70-200 F2.8 AFS VRII M- box....... £997 70-200 F4 VR box............................. £699

70-300 F4.5/5.6 AFS VR box......... £349 80-400 F4.5/5.6 AFS VR box..£899/1499 85 F1.4 AFS box................................ £997 85 F1.8 AFS box................................ £299 85 F1.8 AFD Mint box .................... £249 105 F2.8 AFS VR................................ £499 180 F2.8 ED........................................ £299 200 F2 G ED AFS VRII....................£3499 200 F4 AFD macro box................£1499 200-400 F4 AFS VR II.....................£2997 200-500 F5.6 VR AFS box.............. £999 300 F2.8 AFS VRII box...................£3499 300 F4 AFS E PF ED VR box ........£1199 500 F4 AFS VR E FL latest box.............................. £6999/7997 500 F4 AFS VR serviced ...............£4499 500 F5.6 E PF VR AFS box ...........£2997 TC14-EIII box...................................... £459 TC14-EII box....................................... £299 TC17-EII ............................................... £299 TC20-EIII box.....£349 TC-20EII .... £199 SIGMA NAF USED 8 F3.5 EX DG fisheye....................... £399

8-16 F4.5/5.6 HSM DC box ........... £299 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 24 F1.4 DG HSM Art........................ £579 35 F1.4 DG HSM Art........................ £579 50 F1.4 DG HSM Art........................ £549 50-500 F4.5/6.3 HSM OS ............... £749 70-200 F2.8 EX DG OS HSM ......... £599 ALL 70-300 F4/5.6 each................. £139 100-400 F5.6/6.3 DG....................... £599 105 F2.8 EX DG HSM OS................ £329 150 F2.8 EX DG OS HSM box....... £599 150-500 F5/6.3 DG OS HSM......... £499 150-600 F5/6.3 DG OS sport......£1197 150-600 F5/6.3 contemporary.... £749 TC-1401 extender............................ £179 1.4x EX DG conv box ...................... £149 OTHER NAF USED 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

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 macro ring flash inc SB-200... £369 SB-29 ringflash box......................... £199 SB-29S ringflash............................... £169 SB-300..........£99 SB-400................ £119 SB-600.................................................. £119 SB-700.................................................. £219 SB-900.................................................. £249 SB-910 box......................................... £299 SU-800 commander ....................... £269 SB-8A batt pack...................................£69 Nissin i40 ...............................................£99 DR-6 or DR-5 angle finder each . £169 DR-4 angle finder ............................ £149 DR-3 angle finder ...............................£89 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-T4 body Mint- box....................£1199 X-T1 body box................................... £349 X-T10 body box ................................ £199 8-16 F2.8 XF WR box.....................£1299 10-24 F4 R OIS XF box.................... £599 14 F2.8 R box..£499 16 F1.4 XF box ..£599 16-80 F4 XF WR ................................ £599 18-55 F2.8/4 XF Mint- .................... £399 23 F1.4 XF M- box............................ £599 50 F1.0 XF R WR box.....................£1097 50-140 F2.8 XF box ......................... £997 50-230 F4.5/6.7 OS XC MKII ......... £299 50-230 F4.5/6.7 OS XC MKI .......... £249 60 F2.4 XF box .................................. £449 90 F2 R LM WR XF box ................... £599 100-400 F4.5/5.6 XF LM OIS WR...£1199 2x XF converter ................................ £339

X100 Limited Edition kit blk box £399 VG-XT3 vertical grip box............... £129 VPB-XT2 grip box................................£99 VG-XT1 grip ..........................................£49 SONY DIGITAL USED A7R MKIV body Mint box ...........£2499 A7 MKII body..................................... £449 RX10 MKIV box ...............................£1199 RX100 MKIII...£299 RX100............ £199 A100 body.............................................£99 SONY A MOUNT LENSES USED Sony A 16-50 F2.8 SSM DT ........... £299 Sony A 18-70 F3.5/5.6.......................£89 TAM 90 F2.8 SP ................................. £199 Teleplus 1.4x or 2x conv each........£79 Kenko 1.4x Pro 300DG................... £149 MINOLTA 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 .................... £149 100-300 F4.5/5.6 .................................£99 3600HSD flash .....................................£49 SIGMA SONY A MOUNT AF USED SIG 18-300 F3.5/6.3......................... £299 SIG 50-500 F4.5/6.3 HSM OS ....... £749 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... £499 SIG 1.4x EX converter........................£99 SIG 12x EX DG converter .............. £149 SONY NEX FE MOUNT AF USED FE 16-35 F4 ZA OSS ........................ £899 FE 24-70 F4 ZA OSS ........................ £699

FE 24-240 F3.5/6.3 OSS box......... £599 FE 35 F1.4 ZA OSS box................... £699 FE 35 F2.8 ZA box............................ £499 FE 70-200 F2.8 GM OSS box ......£1499 FE 70-200 F4 G OSS box................ £997 FE 100 F2.8 GM OSS box............... £997 SONY NEX E MOUNT AF USED E 16-70 F4 ZA OSS box.................. £499 E 50 F1.8 OSS box............................ £189 E 55-210 F4.5/6.3 ............................. £219 OLYMPUS MICRO 4/3 USED OMD-EM1X body box..................£1399 OMD-EM1 body black.................... £399 OMD-EM5 MKII body box............. £599 OMD-EM5 body box....................... £199 OMD-EM10 MKII body................... £249 Pen E-P5 silver box.......................... £199 12-40 F2.8 Pro box .......................... £599

12-100 F4 IS Pro box....................... £799 12-200 F3.5/6.3 box........................ £599 14-150 F4.5/5.6 MKII....................... £429 17 F1.2 ED Pro box.......................... £699 25 F1.2 Pro M- box .......................... £699 40-150 F2.8 Pro box........................ £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 HL-D7 grip for EM1 ............................£69 HL-D6 grip for EM5 ............................£69 FL-900AR flash .................................. £349 PANASONIC DIGITAL USED G2 body .............................................. £129 7-14 F4 box........................................ £499

8 F3.5 box........................................... £499 14-42 F3.5/5.6 ......................................£99 14-45 F4/5.6....................................... £149 45-200 F4.5/5.6................................. £199 100-300 F4/5.6 II box...................... £449 200 F2.8 box....................................£1299 1.4x converter................................... £299 PENTAX DIGITAL USED 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 D-BG4 grip for K5 box.......................£79 OTHER PENTAX AF USED SIG 70-300 F4/5.6 DG macro....... £139

BRONICA, FUJI, HASSELBLAD, MAMIYA, PENTAX ETC. MEDIUM FORMAT USED BRONICA 645 USED ETRSi + 75 PE + WLF + 120 back £749 ETRS + AEII prism + 75 PE + speed grip ...................................... £699 ETRSi body box ................................ £299 40 F4 PE............£449 40 F4 E........ £299 45-90 F4/5.6....£449 150 F3.5 E .. £149 200 F4.5 PE......................................... £299 ETRSi 120 back RWC late .............. £119 ETRS 120 back early...........................£99 Polaroid back box...............................£29 AEIII prism .......................................... £349 Waist Level Finder ........................... £149 Rotary prism E box.......................... £199

Plain prism E box............................. £169 AEII prism ........................................... £169 Speed grip E .........................................£99 Lenshoods various.............................£40 BRONICA 6x6 USED SQAi body .......................................... £499 SQA + 80 PS + WLF + 120 back.. £749 SQA body........£299 SQB body.... £299 40 F4 PS............................................... £499 50 F3.5 PS box .................................. £349 150 F4 PS ............................................ £299 2x converter PS ................................ £199 2x converter S................................... £149 SQAi 120 back late .......................... £199

SQA 120 back early......................... £149 Polaroid back......£29 WLF............ £199 SQA speed grip ................................ £149 Lenshoods various...................... £20/50 HASSELBLAD 6x6 USED 150 F4 CF............................................ £699 150 F4 Black T* ................................. £499 A12 black latest box ....................... £499 WLF chrome late.............................. £299 Polaroid back .......................................£79 Lenshood various...............................£49 MAMIYA 645 MF USED Qick shoe AQ701 box .................... £149 Teleplus 2x converter........................£39

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01/02/2022 15:22:33 04/02/2022 11:34 07/02/2022 15:56

Photo Critique

Final Analysis Gemma Padley considers…

‘One Poised Wing’ by William L Finley and Herman T Bohlman

President Theodore Roosevelt in declaring the site, and others in Oregon, a special wildlife reservation.

The image shown here – titled ‘One Poised Wing’ – depicts a hummingbird feeding from a geranium blossom. It is impressive not least because the photographers have successfully frozen the bird in the air. No mean feat when you consider that many species of hummingbird – the only bird that can truly hover – flutter their wings between 50 and 80 beats per second. That the men were able to capture this at all is even more impressive when you remember they were working without the bells and whistles of contemporary photographic gear.

The photograph appeals to me for both these reasons, but also because it is, I think, rather beautiful; I like the catchlight in the bird’s eye, its delicate translucent wings and the shadow that is visible behind.

To me, it all adds up to an image that says a great deal about man’s enduring love of nature, and our continuing need to record it, to study it, to understand it, and ultimately, to hold onto it.

Today, some ten per cent of hummingbird species are listed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list of threatened species as either Critically Endangered, Endangered or Vulnerable, the main causes being the growing destruction of natural habitats

and the potential effects of climate change on the birds’ food supply and migration routes. The population trend of the rufous hummingbird specifically is decreasing.

My hope is that all wildlife images, whether historical or contemporary, will continue to inspire and delight, of course, but more than this, will jolt us into action, real action. We must do everything in our power to save the most critically endangered species on planet Earth, and photography can play a part in that fight.

© WILLIAM L. FINLEY PHOTOGRAPHS COLLECTION, CIRCA 1900–1940, OREGON HISTORICAL SOCIETY RESEARCH LIBRARY, PORTLAND, OREGON (ORGLOT 369; B25; FINLEYA2718

W

ith the right photographic kit, a smidgeon of skill and a good dose of patience, it’s relatively easy to freeze a bird in motion today. So much so, we tend to take images of birds flying for granted. You have only to scour past editions of Wildlife Photographer of the Year or Bird Photographer of the Year (BPOTY) to find multiple examples. There is a lovely example in the 2021 BPTOY competition, in fact – a magical, beautifully lit photograph of a hummingbird feeding from a flower, taken by the Swedish photographer Nicolas Reusens, who won silver in the ‘Birds in Flight’ category.

This photograph of a hummingbird – a rufous hummingbird – is rather different but no less impressive.

It was taken 118 years ago in Portland, Oregon, by William Lovell Finley (1876-1953) and his friend, Herman T Bohlman (1872-1933). William had trained as a biologist at the University of California, Berkeley, and shared a passion for birds with Herman. The friends were advocates of using photography to promote conservation, something that was in its infancy at the turn of the century. From the early 1900s, they began photographing birds in their environments, with puffins, golden eagles and sea birds among their subjects. The duo is credited with taking the first-known photographs of sea birds and sea lions at Three Arch Rocks off the coast of Oregon in 1903. Interestingly, their images helped sway

Into The Wild: The Story of The World’s Greatest Wildlife Photography by Gemma Padley is published by Laurence King, priced £40.

Gemma Padley is a writer and editor on photography and a former features editor of Amateur Photographer. Her other books include Look at This If You Love Great Photography (Ivy Press) and From Above: The Story of Aerial Photography (Laurence King). www.gemmapadley.co.uk 98

98 FinalAnalysis Feb15 JP AD.indd 98

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08/02/2022 15:51

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