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Issue 19 | Photography News

Photography News | Issue 19

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New releases from Olympus & Nikon, plus competitions to enter – and win! All the photo industry news you need to know © Bob Breach

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28 imaging magazines from 15 countries get together to recognise the year’s best products

Winning a TIPA Award is the ultimate accolade. Each year the members of TIPA meet up and pick the best products launched in a wide range of different categories. To win one is a very big achievement. This year’s honours were shared out among the leading brands and many of the winners have been tested by Photography News. The Samsung NX1 won Best CSC Professional and the Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II won Best CSC Expert. Canon scooped Best Expert DSLR Zoom and Best Professional DSLR lens with its EF 100-400mm f/4-5.6 IS II USM and EF 1124mm f/4L USM respectively. While Nikon did well in the DSLR categories, winning Best DSLR Professional with the D810 and the Best DSLR Entry Level with its D5500 – the test of that camera is in this issue. Best DSLR Expert went to the Canon EOS 7D Mark II. At this year’s meeting, our sister magazine, Professional Photo, was elected to the TIPA membership so will be involved in next year’s voting. π To find out more about TIPA and the full list of this year’s winners, go to www.tipa.com.

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Will your club be our first Camera Club of the Year? Get your entries in by Tuesday 5 May 2015!

Testing the TIPA award-winner, Nikon’s D5500 Round-up of the best binoculars for photographers

Issue 19 | Photography News

Photography News | Issue 19

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Latest photography news

New releases from Nikon Nikon has brought a new 1 Series interchangeable lens camera onto the market, the 1 J5. It’s a real crowd-pleaser, being one for both photographers and videographers, boasting not only 4K movie shooting capabilities but also other-level capture quality. The Nikon team is promoting the J5 as an upgrade to smartphone photography and compact cameras, with the J5 being the next step up for pro-standard, portable photography. It’s equipped with a newly developed back-illuminated CX format sensor – for comparison that’s four times larger than the kind you’d normally find in compacts. In terms of pixels, it renders images in 20.8-megapixels and it features a quick 171-point autofocus system too as well as having a top shooting speed of 20fps. It’s not just 4K that videographers are being spoilt with in the J5, it can shoot Full HD, slow-motion (120fps) and VR is in-built too, keeping the footage smooth. The Nikon 1 J5 will be available as of 30 April for a body only price of £349.99, with a 10-30mm PD zoom lens it’ll cost £429.99. Add a 30-110mm lens and it’ll set you back £559.99. In other Nikon news, three of its cameras have won the prestigious red dot award: the Nikon 1 J4, Nikon 1 S2 ILCs and the COOLPIX S6900 compact were recognised for their quality and design. Nikon also announced that it is working on new firmware for the D4s, D810 and D750 DSLRs. The release date is to be confirmed but it will be this summer. π To find out more, go to www.nikon.co.uk.

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5 NEWS IN BRIEF ALONG CAME A SPYDER The latest generation of monitor calibration devices has been launched by Datacolor. The latest 5-series devices are suitable for use on all laptop and desktop monitors and the improved seven-detector engine can give up to 55% improvement in tonal response. The new line-up of Spyder 5 devices includes the Express, the Pro and the Elite, for £102, £153 and £222 respectively and are available to buy now. spyder.datacolor.com PERFECT PHOTO SUITE 9.5 With new features and effects, v9.5 of this popular software is a significant step on from v9.0. It’s a free update for v9.0 owners, but for owners of v8.5 or older the upgrade costs $79.95. For everyone else it costs £105. www.ononesoftware. com

Issue 19 | Photography News

Latest photography news

Olympus get tough The Olympus Tough TG-4 will be on sale from May for £349.99, with the choice of a red or black body. The TG-4 will withstand a crop from 2.1 metres as well as being landed on by weights of up to 100kg. It’s freezeproof down to -10°C, dust proof and waterproof down to 15m without an underwater housing.

The camera is also blessed with a quality 25-100mm equivalent zoom with a maximum aperture of f/2 and resolution of 16 megapixels with the option of shooting Raw format. If you want a rugged camera capable of very high image quality, the TG-4 could be your dream partner.

More than mega storage The likelihood is that if you buy yourself one of Toshiba’s latest external hard drives, you will have quite a job reaching full capacity. The Canvio Basics and Canvio Connect II portable hard drives offer a whopping 3TB worth of storage, there’s even a 6TB version of the Canvio Desk 3.5in model for even more space. With the Basics and Connect II models all that storage equates to more than 850,000 images and you can just plug it into your computer and go, there’s no need for any software installation. The Connect II also lets you remotely access your files from your PC, tablet or smartphone and there’s backup software to make doubly sure your photos are safe. In addition, you’ll also get 10GB worth of free cloud storage with the Connect II. Prices are yet to be announced, but both the Connect II and Basics models are available now and the Desk model will be released later in May. Toshiba has also introduced thirdgeneration FlashAir Wireless SD cards. The 16GB version costs £24 and the 32GB will retail for around 32GB. The cards support fast wireless data transfer to Wi-Fi enabled smartphones, tablets and computers without an internet connection. π To find out more, go to www.toshiba.eu/storage.

π To find out more about the TG-4, go to www.olympus.co.uk.

Go Off Road

There’s a new addition in Manfrotto’s line-up of Off Road bags and it promises to be just the ticket for photographers with a taste for adventure. The Off Road 30L Backpack has a flexible interior with room for your DSLR, a zoom lens and a spare whilst leaving half the space free for your personal items. The camera case offers total protection for your gear and it is removable too so you can take it out and use the bag as a dedicated hiking backpack. For when you have your camera out, the bag features a chest strap to keep it still and secure and to make for more comfortable carrying. The bag’s shoulder straps are both breathable and adjustable with padding on contact areas. Water-repellent fabric keeps your kit dry and a supplied rain cover will make sure your gear is totally protected from the elements. The new 30L is priced at £169.95. π To find out more about the Off Road 30L Backpack, go to www.manfrotto.co.uk.

Photography News | Issue 19

Laowa lenses arrive in UK No more importing required, you can now get your Laowa lenses, formerly branded Venus, from the exclusive UK distributor, UK Optics. Amongst the lenses on offer is the brand-new Laowa 60mm f/2.8 macro 2:1 lens, which is in its element when capturing rapidly changing macro scenes. This clever macro lens is flexible, with its 60mm focal length being perfect for portrait photography too. It’s available in Canon, Nikon, Pentax and Sony A mounts and is retailing at £299. π To find out more, go to www.ukdigital.co.uk. www.absolutephoto.com

Latest photography news

Bending light

Time for Tiffen Version 4 of Tiffen DFX digital filter suite is now available. It’s aimed at photographers and movie makers too, with OFX support making it compatible with digital intermediate softwares. DFX 4 features more than 130 filter effects with 12 new ones, 93 historical film processes and 30 motion picture stocks. The stand-alone version for Mac and Windows costs $129.99 and the photo plug-in option for Photoshop, Elements, Lightroom and Aperture costs $149.99. The video/film plug-in version costs $499.99. A full 15-day trial version is available at www.tiffensoftware.com/products.

You get both power and portability with Westcott’s Flex LED range of mats. Weighing in at under 200g they are lightweight enough to carry with you to set or on location whilst 55W of power gives you high-quality light. The Flex comes in a tungsten and a daylight option, with the tungsten version emitting up to 1600 lux of illumination at 1 metre with a 95 CRI (colour rendering index), and the daylight outputs 1900 at 1 metre, also with a CRI of 95. Each measures 10x10in and they are waterproof and pliable too. Both variations come with a dimmer and are retailing at £550 each. Alternatively, buy either as part of the Flex 1-Light kit, with a frame clip mount, 1/4-stop diffusion front and an extension cable for the dimmer for £650. π To find out more, go to www.fjwestcott.com.

Fresh filters World’s first from new name, Novo Novo is the newest name in pro filters and they’ve started strong by launching the world’s first filter to use Sapphire Crystal glass, the Sapphire UV filter, which blocks 99.95% of UV rays and delivers on both clarity and strength. Each of the filters is framed with a slim brass surround and they are water, dirt and oil repellent as well as stain and scratch resistant. The Endura range of filters includes a UV & Protector; a Circular PL; and a Vari ND. Prices range from £60 to £120.

π To find out more about version 4, go to www.tiffensoftware.com.

New-look pro title PN’s sister title Professional Photo has been redsigned and rejuvinated. The all-new magazine, which goes on sale from 30 April, is promising aspiring and full-time pro readers superb images, great advice and a few surprises along the way. “I think professional photographers – regardless of their chosen specialism – are keen to see articles and thoughts from a broad range of their peers, not purely the discipline they’re involved in,” says editorial director Roger Payne. “The newlook title will reflect that with what I hope is an entertaining, inspiring and informative mix of features.” Professional Photo costs £4.75 and is available from all good newsagents.

π To find out more, go to www.novofilters.com.

NEWS IN BRIEF CINEMATIC SPEED The new 3400x CFast 2.0 card from Lexar is a cinematographer’s dream with impressive read transfer speeds up to 510MB per second – the kind of the speed that’ll have you capturing 4K quality videos without difficulty. It’s available in capacities up to 256GB, with prices starting at £142.99 for a 32GB card up to £874.99 for a 256GB. www.lexar.com SLICKER DXO SOFTWARE DxO’s latest update to its processing software has resulted in OpticsPro v10.4, which provides support for new cameras including the Nikon D5500 and D7200, Canon’s PowerShot SX60 HS and the Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II. On top of that, the update also features new correction tools and will be easier to use with amongst other things, a new search engine in the Source Browser making it easier to locate and load any folder. www.dxo.com CREATIVE DEAL Buy X-Rite’s ColorMunki Photo or i1Photo Pro 2 and you will get a oneyear membership to the Adobe Creative Cloud Photography plan (worth £102) for free. Used together, Adobe and X-Rite’s programmes give you complete control over images and colour, it’s a deal not to be missed. www.xritephoto.eu/ adobe

π To find out more about Photo Professional, go to www.absolutephoto.com.

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Issue 19 | Photography News

Latest photography news

NO MORE NOISE Macphun has released a new app, Noiseless, which promises to eliminate pixelated and grainy patterns with just one click. The app is currently free as a preview version, but there are plans to release a standard version (17.99) and a pro version (£49.99). www.macphun.com/ noiseless TRUE COLOURS NEC has improved its already award-winning MultiSync PA desktop display series to include SpectraView II calibration software for an even more accurate colour preview on your monitor. The easy-to-use interface of SpectraView II means its simple to adjust even more complex calibration settings. colorconfidence.com ILLUM-INATING TOKYO Tokyo may not be on our doorstep, but what’s happening over there in camp Lytro is almost worth the flight. The very first light field imaging studio has been launched, showcasing living pictures and 3D images in a display of shots taken using the Illum. www.lytro.com LATEST SNAPSEED Snapseed 2.0 is available to iOS and Android users, and the latest version brings advanced photo editing including working nondestructively. For more details go to Apple iTunes or play.google. com. PANASONIC UPDATE Updated firmware v2.2 for the Panasonic GH4 to enhance video performance will be available from the end of April. It also enables a top speed of 1/16,000sec with the electronic shutter. www.panasonic.co.uk PN ISSUE 20 PN issue 20 will be available from 18 May. And don’t forget you can subscribe to get your copy delivered direct to your door; go to the website to find out how. absolutephoto.com

NEWS IN BRIEF

Sony’s top-end compacts It’s no coincidence that just as the summer and the holiday season approach Sony unveils its most powerful compacts to date. Both the HX90 and the WX500 are big on zoom power, each fitted with a 30x zoom Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T lens and they’re equipped with a back-illuminated Exmor R CMOS sensor that’ll serve up 18.2-megapixel shots. If you shoot with a CSC or DSLR, the HX90 will feel familiar as Sony has kitted it out with a control ring that you can set

to adjust settings like manual focusing or step zoom. There’s also an inbuilt electronic viewfinder and both the HX90 and WX500 feature a 180° tilt LCD. The autofocus system is worth highlighting. Inherited from the A7 series, it’s pretty impressive and it has been improved to make it even quicker and more accurate. Each model has Wi-Fi and NFC, and the HX500 benefits from GPS. Both new models will be available as of early summer.

π To find out more, go to www.sony.co.uk.

Get your competition on You could see your work exhibited at London’s Menier Gallery and also be £6000 richer - that’s if you win in this year’s ArtGemini Prize competition. Entries are now open and it’s an open theme so you can be as creative as you like with your photo submissions or you can try your hand at the social or environmental documentary category. There’s plenty of time to get together your entry as the competition closes on 7 July. π To find out more, go to www.artgeminiprize.com.

New comp on the block If you ever needed motivation to challenge yourself to improve your photography, then £5000 should be enough to tempt you. The Guernsey Photography Festival and Raven Russia have come together to launch an inaugural international photo comp with a top prize of £5000. It’s open

to all photographers and there are no themes or categories, blowing the competition wide open for anyone and everyone to have a go. All you need to do is submit between 15 and 20 pictures from a body of work and send off your fee of £15 per project, before the closing date of 15 June 2015.

To bag the top prize, your images will have to impress the likes of Magnum photographer Mark Power and the arts editor of the Financial Times, Emma Bowkett. An exhibition will be curated from the winners and will be shown at the next Guernsey Photography Festival in September..

π To find out more, go to www.guernseyphotographyfestival.com.

And the winner is...

Hähnel clean up Hähnel has launched an 8-in-1 camera cleaning kit and it’s in the shops now for £29.99. The kit includes a lens cleaning pen, air blower, lens cleaner solution and lint-free cotton swabs. The kit suits cameras but also other optics devices like spotting scopes and camcorders too.

ABOVE Durdle Door Starburst by Ollie Taylor. ABOVE RIGHT Drawn, Scotland by Ford Buchanan.

After sifting through more than 21,000 entries, judges including writer and broadcaster Tom Dyckhoff and Blipfoto founder Joe Tree have agreed on a winner for this year’s VELUX Lovers of Light photo competition, established to encourage photographers to creatively capture light. Durdle Door Starburst (above) earned landscape photographer Ollie Taylor the winner’s crown. Ollie had returned time and time again to try and score

Photography News | Issue 19

the perfect photo here, but it was early on a winter’s day that he captured what would turn out to be the winning shot. Along with the kudos of winning, Ollie has also bagged himself a trip to northern Finland, which will include a stay in a glass igloo and a log cabin as well as an excursion to Lemmenjoki National Park to explore the wilderness. π To find out more, go to www.velux.co.uk.

π To find out more, go to www.hahnel.ie. www.absolutephoto.com

Latest photography news

Oh, what a show! The Photography Show took the NEC by storm recently for the second year running Words by Will Cheung Whether you wanted to learn, listen to leading photographers, handle the latest kit, treat yourself or pick up a copy of Photography News, this year’s The Photography Show had it all. Now in its second year, the show was a huge success with almost 10,000 visitors on the Monday alone. Grace Turner, Future marketing manager, said: “We are delighted with how the show went this year. We were conscious that after the success of the launch year we needed

Photography News was in evidence here…

to continue to grow and improve both the visitor and exhibitor experience. The feedback so far has been overwhelmingly positive. We’re really pleased that for the second year running we have provided a space for the photographic community to meet and have a valuable and inspirational day.” Among the highlights was the Super Stage line-up featuring the likes of Mary Ellen Mark and Don McCullin (whose session sold out before the show opened). In fact, it was such a hit, it could be a hard act to follow, but Grace reassured us that “we have some ideas up our sleeves and we’re up for the challenge.” So here’s looking forward to next year’s event.

… there and, in fact, pretty much…

… everywhere during this year’s Photography Show at Birmingham’s NEC.

Jim McKay and Jane Nicolson of Intro2020 holding two of their three awards: Telephoto Zoom for the Tamron SP 150-600mm f/5-6.3 Di VC USD, Superzoom for the Tamron 16-300mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD Macro and Video Lens for the Samyang 50mm T1.5 AS UMC.

Will Cheung hands the Mains Flash: Monoblocs award for the SuperFast 600 to Lencarta’s Harry Liu.

PROFOTO

LENCARTA

Mark Thackara of Olympus receives the Advanced CSC award for the E-M10.

TAMRON

Lars Madsen and Stephanie Kelly of Canon with Advanced DSLR and Wide-Angle Zoom awards for the EOS 5D Mark III and EF 8-15mm f/4L Fisheye USM respectively.

OLYMPUS

MANFROTTO

Receiving Manfrotto’s Tripod: Carbon-Fibre award for the MT055CXPRO3, Ivor Chamberlain.

CANON

NIKON

Simon Iddon of Nikon receives the Professional DSLR award for the D4s.

Photography News was out in strength at the show, with 10,000 copies handed out over the four days. Also there was our sister title Advanced Photographer. Editor Will Cheung was busy presenting the Advanced Photographer Awards, acknowledging the best kit of last year as chosen by PN and AP readers. Some of the deserving award winners are pictured here, but for full list check out last issue or go to www. absolutephoto.com. As you might expect, planning is already underway for The Photography Show 2016 and Grace confirmed that 85% of exhibitors have already rebooked. See you there!

Profoto’s Paul Legg gets the Portable Flash award for the B1.

π To find out more about The Photography Show, go to www.photographyshow.com. www.absolutephoto.com

Issue 19 | Photography News

Latest photography news

Join us for Photo 24

In association with

It’s the third 24-hour photo bonanza in London on 20-21 June, and registration opens soon so get ready for the best photo day out of the year © Will Cheung

REGISTRATION BEGINS AT 9PM ON 22 APRIL!

24-hour photography people: What will you shoot on Photo 24 this year? Don’t miss out. Register on 22 April to join us in London. © Peter Karry

Photography News | Issue 19

Photo 24 is fast becoming the most exciting event in the UK’s photographic calendar, a free festival of creativity that sees enthusiasts just like you shooting the rich and varied streets of London for a full 24 hours. The event, organised by Advanced Photographer magazine in association with Nikon and Nikon School, kicks off at noon on 20 June, and if you fancy taking part, the wait is nearly over. Registration for this year’s Photo 24 is beginning now and because the event has risen so dramatically in popularity every time it’s been held, and there are now so many people seeking to get involved, this time we’re introducing a simple system to give everyone a fair chance of joining us on the big day. Places will be allocated on a first come, first served basis on our website, absolutephoto.com. To stake your claim, you need to register on the site itself, and if you haven’t already done so, it’s a good idea to do this now. The Photo 24 box office opens for applications at 9pm on 22 April 2015, and once the 200

places are gone, they’re gone. For couples, clubs and groups, there will be the option to register up to four names. New for this year, we’ll be offering some optional paid-for activities on the day, which include exclusive shooting events around the capital. These can be chosen when you register. However, Photo 24 is, at its heart, a completely free event so if you prefer to stick to the free programme, that’s perfectly fine. There will also be some great photo contests open for all attendees, with some superb Nikon prizes up for grabs. Joining details, optional activities and an exclusive Photo 24 passport with maps, hints and tips about what to shoot will be sent to successful applicants nearer the time. So go ahead and put these two dates in your diary: 12 noon on 20 June for the start of the shoot itself and 9pm on 22 April for the opening of the Photo 24 box office. If you don’t want to miss out, make sure you’ve registered at absolutephoto.com and you’re ready to go. www.absolutephoto.com

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Issue 19 | Photography News

Advertisement feature MANFROTTO LUMIE

Light up your photography Manfrotto’s new series of LED lights, the LUMIE range, offers high power and portability for the ultimate in lighting solutions when you’re on the move

Investing in equipment that frees you up creatively and doesn’t weigh you down physically is the ultimate dream. Getting that balance right isn’t easy by any means though, but Manfrotto has come up trumps with its new range of LED lights: the LUMIE series. Unlike traditional LEDs, the LUMIE series has been designed with the on-the-go enthusiast photographer in mind and really steps up to the mark in terms of performance. With the LUMIE lights there are no compromises.

Creative control There’s more to these cutting-edge LEDs than you’d imagine as each comes with a snap-filter mount and a range of CTO (colour temperature orange) and diffusing filters to give you even more creative control over your shots. Take it even further by mixing the filters to create your own bespoke lighting colouring and as well as the standard filter kit that comes with your LUMIE, you can extend your colour palette with Manfrotto’s Classic, Multicolour and Portrait filter kits.

Photography News | Issue 19

Bright lights Whether it’s portraits that make up the mainstay of your work or if you are really into your food photography, lighting can be the difference between a mediocre photo and a pro-standard shot. Delivering impressive colour accuracy (>92% CRI), the LUMIE LEDs light up any scene with a natural colour making capturing creative photos effortless. Getting it right in camera saves you time and effort adjusting afterwards and with a LUMIE, you can get your lighting spot on there and then, no fuss.

Available in three sizes – Play, Art and Muse, these LEDs work well when used alone or in combination. And if you’re using more than one, there’s no need to worry about them weighing you down or taking up too much precious room in your kitbag. From the smallest in the series, the Play, with a lux output of 220 and three dimming steps to the largest, the Muse, which boasts a powerful lux output of 550 and four dimming steps, the LUMIE LEDs are a real asset in any photographer’s kit. And with prices starting at £44.95, they won’t break the bank either.

Take away Although big on power, the LUMIEs are actually really portable – the largest of the three fits easily in the palm of your hand and weighs in at just 140g. Small enough to take with you anywhere, you can rely on these versatile LEDs to put in a mighty performance whenever you need it. Being so light and small, these LEDs are super-flexible; use them handheld, on a tripod, on your camera’s hotshoe or even propped up for perfect lighting whether impromptu or planned. To help you on your quest to achieve perfect lighting, a LUMIE partnered with a LUMIE ball head is a dream team. The friction based head offers 360° pan orientation and enables tilting up to 35° in any other direction, letting you tweak and tinker with your lighting until it’s spot on. You don’t have to worry about your lighting letting you down with the LUMIE LEDs, as each has superb battery life and with USB rechargeable liion batteries so you can keep going for even longer. There’s no easier way to achieve flawlessly lit photos than with a super-portable and impressively powerful Manfrotto LUMIE LED.

π To find out more, go to www.manfrotto.co.uk.

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Camera clubs

Tell us your club’s latest news, email: clubnews@photography-news.co.uk

Camera club news

HOW TO SUBMIT Allow plenty of time. Photography News comes out around the third week of the month. For the next issue, which comes out 18 May, we need words and pictures by 4 May Write your story in a Word document (400 words maximum) and attach it to an email to clubnews@photography-news.co.uk. In the story please include contact details of the club, exhibition or event – website, meeting time, opening times, whatever is relevant to the story. Images: yes please, and attach these to the email too. Images should be JPEGs, 2000 pixels on the longest dimension and any colour space. If the story is an exhibition or event, please send a picture from the exhibition (not the publicity poster), the winning image or one of the event. If the picture includes people please identify them in the Word document. Deadline for the next issue: 4 May 2015

If your club has any news that you want to share with the rest of the world, this is the page for it. Your story might be about your club’s success in a contest, or a member’s personal achievement; it could be about a group outing you had recently or when the annual exhibition is on show. Any news is eligible for inclusion, so club publicity officers please take note of the submission guidelines and get your stories in

Earl Shilton turns 40

End of term

Celebrating with a talk by PN’s editor

Heswall Photographic Society is holding its Annual Exhibition at Ness Botanic Gardens in May. The print exhibition runs 13-19 May and offers visitors the chance to vote for their favourite image. It’s free to enter, but there is a fee to visit the gardens. The friendly Heswall PS meets on Friday evenings at St Peter’s Centre, Lower Heswall Village from September to the end of April. With a varied programme of talks and competitions, the club will be holding a few summer meetings.

ABOVE Martin Eves wins first place at the Heswall PS Annual Exhibition with this image of a red squirrel.

π To find out more about Heswall Photographic Society, go to www.heswallphotosoc.co.uk.

Since its first meeting in 1975, Earl Shilton Camera Club has grown. Now to celebrate its 40th anniversary, the club is holding a Presentation Night on 27 May at the Earl Shilton Constitutional Club when PN’s editor Will Cheung FRPS will be the speaker. After more than 30 years on photo magazines and 40 years of taking photos, Will is perfectly placed to share his insights on what makes a great image. Tickets for the event are £8 each and refreshments will be available. π To find out more about the event, go to www.earlshiltoncameraclub.org.uk.

Peng Li

SPOTLIGHT Ealing and Hampshire House Photographic Society “A well-established camera club, Ealing and Hampshire House PS (EHHPS) is one of the oldest photographic groups in the world. We’re a friendly, sociable club where members of all ages have a range of photographic styles, abilities and interests. The richness of our backgrounds provides a welcoming, creative and vibrant atmosphere. “Joining EHHPS offers many benefits, including workshops aimed at developing technical and artistic skills; entry into external and national competitions; club competitions in a friendly atmosphere; talks from acclaimed photographers; peer support and critique; photographic outings; exhibitions; and social events. “EHHPS meets on Thursday evenings at Ealing Town Hall. Details can be found at ehhps.org.uk.”

Inaugural salon at Avon Valley Avon Valley PS’s first salon closed for entries on 1 March and after a weekend of selection at RPS HQ in Bath, the results are in. Acceptance ran at 26%. You can view the full line-up on the Society’s website, but among the awards Peng Li won the Chairman’s Award for his image Apiouskid (left) and Charles Akerstrom’s Dog Training won the Open Triptych Section.

π To find out more about the Avon Valley Salon, go to avonvalley.photography/. ANNUAL AWARDS Dunchurch Photographic Society held its annual awards evening during its penultimate meeting of the season. Awards were presented to the winners of the various competitions run during the society’s year. Pictured from left to right are Ian Andrew, Mark Varney, Mike Parmee LRPS, Dougie Wright (chairman), Judy Longthorn, Richard Anthony (president), Mike Gardner and Andrew Henning. www.dunchurchps.com

Club competition with a difference

NEWS IN BRIEF EXHIBITION OPENS Alba Photographic Society is inviting entries to its 2015 Alba Digital Exhibition, and with a closing date of 23 May, there’s still plenty of time to enter. The exhibition is part of the British Photographic Exhibitions (BPE) group and successful acceptances can use this for the BPE awards. There are five categories: Colour, Mono, Nature, Creative and Photo Realistic. Entries will be selected over the weekend of 30/31 May by Robert Fulton MPAGB MFIAP BPE 5* (Scotland), Judy Boyle FRPS (Ireland) and Peter A Young CPAGB (England), and entrants will hear soon after whether they’ve been successful. www.albaps.co.uk CORRECTION Our apologies to Colin Close, whose image End of the Day was credited incorrectly on page 15 of issue 17. A clerical error led to the mistake, so sorry again to Colin. NEXT ISSUE Photography News issue 20 is out 18 May.

No camera and just one hour to produce four winning images – that was the formula at Park Street recently LEFT Dance for Me by Shaun Hodge. RIGHT Bathing Belle by Karen Helle. If you want your club featured in Club Spotlight, write 200 words about your club and why it’s going places, then send the Word document and up to five JPEG images from members to clubnews@photography-news.co.uk.

Park Street Camera Club’s latest club competition, dreamed up by chair Maggie Fricker and her husband Rod, challenged members to create images in just one hour without a camera. Working in teams, members used a maximum of 30 of their own images, their imaginations and Photoshop skills to

create images to fit four subjects – only given to them on the night. All the masterpieces (or not!) were judged on the night. This was the first time the club had attempted such a competition and it was declared a resounding success, as much for the hilarity as the brilliance of the images.

π To find out more about Park Street Camera Club, go to www.parkstreetcameraclub.com. www.absolutephoto.com

Issue 19 | Photography News

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

Camera Club of the Year 2014-15

All five themes have been announced and the final entry date for the whole contest is 5 May 2015. You’ve no time to lose – enter today!

IMAGE OF THE MONTH

Bob Breach, Solihull Photographic Society

The standard of entries in Round 4: Travel was as high as ever so picking the Image of the Month was tough. In the end, Waiting for the bullet train by Bob Breach of Solihull Photographic Society emerged as our favourite image. Bob’s beautifully captured image of travellers fits the theme perfectly and the mono treatment works really well.

Photography News | Issue 19

Also shortlisted this month were Passengers and pigs 2 by Bob Avery of Carluke Camera Club, Indian Summer by Alan Grant of F8 Image Group and Morants Curve Canadian Rockies by Jane Lee of Dorchester Camera Club. Well done and thank you to everyone who entered. Don’t forget, Round 5: Trees closes 4 May.

David Noton

How to enter First, your club’s competition secretary (or whoever is going to enter each month) must sign up at www.absolutephoto.com. Next, click on Members’ Area in the menu bar, then choose Camera Club of the Year 201415 from the list. Register your camera club and follow the upload instructions. Be quick – closing day is 5 May 2015.

The final date for entries is Tuesday 5 May so you still have a reasonable amount of time to sort and finalise your club’s final entry. You may, for example, have a stronger picture now than the one you first entered, so now is the time to change it. It is also worth checking that your club has five pictures per round, ie. 25 images for the five rounds. Some clubs entered just two or three images in some rounds, but for the final scoring you need to have five images in each round. If only four images are entered, the missing fifth will score zero points. Also, please make sure images are 1400 pixels across. We have received some images at much lower resolutions, which won’t do you any favours in the final judging. The winning club in our first-ever Camera Club of the Year 2014-15 contest will be announced in the next issue, due out 18 May 2015. Good luck, everyone.

Canon Award winners Canon scooped two trophies in the inaugural Advanced Photographer Awards. The Awards, voted for by readers of the magazine, recognise outstanding products and technologies so as you can imagine, to win is a huge achievement. The Canon EOS 5D Mark III won the Best Advanced DSLR category, while the Canon EF 8-15mm f/4L Fisheye USM emerged triumphant in the Best Wide-angle Zoom Lens category. The 22.3-megapixel EOS 5D Mark III has been on sale for a while now, but it is clearly still a highly revered full-frame DSLR that delivers fantastic quality images time after time. The EF 8-15mm f/4L is the world’s first fisheye zoom that offers both circular and fullframe images. Its excellent optical quality, robust design and constant maximum aperture means this lens is popular among enthusiast and professional users. Congratulations to Canon on their double win. π To find out more, go to www.canon.co.uk.

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

Hands on: Canon EOS 5DS & 5DS R

David Noton’s photography has taken him the world over, but on two of his most recent trips to South Africa and Iceland the landscape photographer got to test out the very latest in Canon’s cutting-edge cameras: the EOS 5DS and the 5DS R David Noton

David Noton

Watch and learn

I was aware that to achieve the best results and make the most of the incredibly high resolution sensor, I had to be super careful with my camera technique, in particular with focusing and stability For more tips, David’s DVD Photography in the Raw offers practical advice on all kinds of subjects, from how to read the light to how to capture the best picture in any situation. Copies can be purchased from his website, at prices starting from £24 and going up to £32.40 for a Full HD edition.

LEFT Sand dunes on the Stokksnes peninsula, eastern Iceland, shot with the EOS 5DS R. RIGHT Kogel Bay, Western Cape, South Africa, shot with the EOS 5DS.

Being one of the world’s most renowned landscape photographers has its perks and recently David Noton got to jump the queue and be the very first to get his hands on the new Canon EOS 5DS. Not only that but he also got to test out its sister camera, the Canon EOS 5DS R, on a shoot in Iceland. Relying in the most part on his EOS 5D Mark III for the majority of his work, the similarities between that and the EOS 5DS made it really easy to get to grips with, so when trialling the new camera in the Western Cape of South Africa, David was able to get on with photographing right from the off. “I was able to start working productively with the EOS 5DS immediately,” David explains. “All the controls seemed very familiar and that continuity was a reassurance.” With eight days in the Western Cape with the camera, the South African destination promised good weather and stunning views making it the perfect place to put the EOS 5DS through its paces and find out what it was really capable of. Both cameras’ biggest boast is the incredible 50-megapixel sensor but not accustomed to working in such high resolution, David had to alter his technique to make sure he reaped the full benefits of all that detail.

“I was very aware that to achieve the best results and make the most of the incredibly high resolution sensor, I had to be super careful with my camera technique, in particular with focusing, depth-of-field considerations and stability,” said David. Seeing the images on the back of the screen is one thing, but it was only when David got back to base and really started to delve into the Raw files that the quality achieved became more than apparent. Admittedly a little sceptical initially about all those pixels (“I mean how many pixels do we really need?”), the landscape shooter was immediately won over when looking at the results of his South African shoot. “The proof is in the pudding; the fine detail in the 5DS images when viewed large is astounding,” he reveals. “The clarity and depth has to be seen to be believed; the images positively sparkle when printed large.” The difference between the EOS 5DS and the EOS 5DS R is that the former has a low-pass filter to avoid moiré whilst the latter has a low-pass cancellation filter for the ultimate resolution for organic subjects. But after using the 5DS in South Africa and the 5DS R in Iceland, David rated both equally highly.

“In the field there is no difference between the EOS 5DS and the EOS 5DS R,” he begins. “I’ve not yet had the opportunity to test the two new cameras side by side, but my gut feeling is moiré is unlikely to be an issue in landscape photography so the EOS 5DS R will be the one for me.” Always travelling and on the move, to David it’s important that his kit is not only super high performing, but that he can easily pack up and get moving without having to lumber around heavy gear. To him, the new EOS 5DS and 5DS R DSLRs offer all that versatility. “Over the three decades that I have been a professional I have seen many profound technical changes come and go, but one consideration all photographers have consistently grappled with is the trade-off between ultimate image quality and system portability,” he says. “Now we have available in the EOS 5DS and EOS 5DS R the versatile flexibility of a portable DSLR system that’s capable of delivering the kind of razor sharp image quality previously associated only with large-format photography. Couple that with the versatility of the full range of Canon EF lenses from fisheye to super-telephoto and I would have to conclude these exciting cameras are real game changers.” π To find out more, go to www.davidnoton.com. Issue 19 | Photography News

Profile INTERVIEW

David Healey ARPS Increasing interest in analogue photography has led the RPS to establish a new group dedicated to the genre, we talk to member David Healey to find out more © David Healey

BIOGRAPHY Years in the photo industry: Almost 40 Current location: West Midlands Last picture taken: Thanksgiving service Hobbies: Walking, writing, family history When you were younger, what did you want to be when you grew up? Photographer, but I wouldn’t have been as good as Steve McCurry or Ansel Adams so probably best I didn’t try!

Dogs or cats? Neither Toast or cereal? Porridge Email or phone call? Call

You had your inaugural meeting for the new RPS analogue group in January, how did it go? 35 passionate-about-film photographers travelled significant distances to photograph Lichfield’s 13th century cathedral, enthusiastically discuss the new group and hear that film (black & white especially) is thriving! Su Fahy of Wolverhampton University highlighted film’s creativity and archival significance – timely in the light of Google’s warnings about bit rot and digital impermanence. The RPS’s members have used film since the very beginning, why did you feel now was the right time to launch a specialist group for analogue? Film is not dying, though some think it no longer exists. Increased interest in film and alternative processes, like Van Dyke, and the growth of ‘hybrid’ imaging, eg. shooting film and scanning, prompted the initiative. Understanding photography’s foundational technology is key to the art form. What’s your background in analogue and what’s the appeal for you? I learned to print at school and now tutor film and digital photography in a school. I work part-time for Keyphoto so regularly meet photography teachers, technicians and lecturers who teach film alongside digital. Shooting landscape with a medium-format film camera makes me rely on skill, not automation. Film is as old as the art form and as new as the age.

Shooting landscape with a mediumformat film camera makes me rely on skill, not automation. Film is as old as the art form and as new as the age

What has the response from within the RPS been to the new group? Very significant and wholly positive, and from as far afield as Brazil and Mozambique. What are the prerequisites for joining? What kind of users are you looking to attract? Anyone who uses film and alternative processes or simply wants to learn can join. Complete beginners to experienced practitioners, and digital photographers who want to explore: understanding film improves digital photography. Although analogue is now a niche genre, it is broad in its nature. How do you plan on pleasing a broad spectrum of film users? Through our newsletter, web presence and events we hope to encourage the use of emulsions from Velvia to infrared and wet collodion to liquid light.

ABOVE Snowy landscape at Kandersteg, Switzerland. ABOVE RIGHT Flowers at Beatenberg, Switzerland. LEFT Memorial on Iona, Scotland. Photography News | Issue 19

What’s your role within the RPS and the group? I gained my LRPS when teenage and later an Associateship for research into the Advanced Photo System; the Society invited me to write an article for the RPS Journal proposing the group’s formation and I am its first chairman.

What can photographers expect to learn or experience from participating in the group? Sharing ideas, images, encouragement, advice, information, the chance to question, learning from others, understanding film’s unique qualities and exploring the history. Are there any highlights to look forward to within the group? The Society’s monthly members’ competition in May will be for images shot on film. We have approached leading practitioners to speak at events.

Have you had much feedback or support from manufacturers? Stephen Brierley of Harman Ilford spoke at our inaugural meeting. Tetenal has been supportive and Keyphoto is making the group known to educators. Film-using pro photographers have sent messages of support as well. What do you hope that group meetings will achieve? Creativity always involves some solitary activity, but meeting others stimulates us. Meetings provide creative stimulus and impart skills: digital automation has deskilled essential aspects of photography. What do you anticipate to be the future of analogue? Film’s renaissance and the popularity of Lomo, Impossible and Fuji Instax amongst younger people should alert makers to the need for new 35mm and 120 SLR cameras to complement DSLRs. Film cameras and high-end scanners will help analogue prosper, as will the transmission of RPS members’ passion and expertise to younger photographers! π To find out more, go to www.rps.org.

Get involved If you want to learn more about the group and its activities, go to www.rps.org/specialinterest-groups or see the Events section of the RPS website for details of upcoming meetings. To join email membership@rps. org or call 01225 325743. David Healey can be contacted via analogue@rps.org.

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Issue 19 | Photography News

Opinion BEFORE THE JUDGE

Irene Froy MEET THE JUDGE

Each issue, a respected judge or exhibition selector shares their thoughts and experiences. This month, we hear from Irene Froy MPAGB, HonPAGB, EFIAP Words by Irene Froy

Irene Froy MPAGB, HonPAGB, EFIAP:

Irene lives in Shropshire and has loved photography since she was a schoolgirl, making contact prints in the garden shed. She joined her first club, Dundee PS, aged 17. On marrying and moving to Hertfordshire, she joined Shillington & DCC where she served on the committee for 38 years before retiring to Shropshire where she is now a member of Wrekin Arts PC.

Years in photography: 60

Favourite camera: Canon EOS 600D as it‘s lighter than my 50D

Favourite accessory:

Manfrotto joystick head on my tripod

Favourite photographers:

Freeman Patterson, Andre Gallant and Eddy Sethna to name but a few

Awards: A drawer

I attended my first East Anglian Federation Judges’ Workshop in 1974 and was invited to join the panel. My first stint judging was actually for a Slide of the Year Competition, which might have been a bit daunting had I not been a stand-in for a judge who had cancelled. I only had an hour’s notice so no time to panic, I had been thrown in at the deep end and coped. I soon worked my way up the panels and by the mid eighties had became a tutor for Federation judges’ courses. In 1985 I received the APAGB for meritorious service to photography later superseded by the J S Lancaster Medal for exceptional service, the HonPAGB. Some time in the late eighties I was appointed to the PAGB judges list and began being invited to judge national and international exhibitions. These were mainly in England and Scotland, but I also judged in the Algarve and more recently at Tallaght in Dublin. I have sat on the panels for the PAGB Awards for Photographic Merit at least seven times and have also gained FRPS and EFIAP. Since being supported by PermaJet from 2000 to date I have given up evening judging to concentrate on lecturing. I still undertake and very much enjoy weekend judgings as there is such a wide variety of work to enjoy and I love the general categories; I do not judge nature sections as I don’t have the specialist knowledge that it requires. I particularly enjoy looking at prints and am happy with colour or monochrome as I do both, although much more colour than mono, that being my first love. I am always aware that in selecting an exhibition the judges need to give consideration to all types

full of medals and ribbons. I am proudest of my London Salon medal from 1995 which resulted in my election to membership.

Favourite subjects: Landscape and villages of France, Ireland and Scotland

Photography News | Issue 19

The judge’s job is to encourage not condemn and I always try to find something positive to say about every picture

RIGHT Windswept Dunes, and BELOW Cyclamen at the Manoir, by Irene Froy.

of images entered and to make sure that the final selection is representative of all. There is a tendency at the moment for people pictures to dominate. It is a fashion and no doubt will swing in another direction in the future, but we have to be aware of the dominance of one type of image which is overwhelming everything else. Of course as judges we can’t mark them down if they are good images and deserve the marks but we need to be open to all genres. That is not to say that we need to lower the standard for anything else, just to consider the best as balance for the public showing of the exhibition. I have done a few Dropbox judgings recently, which have the advantage of me not having to leave home, but I find them very time-consuming and it is difficult to convey your impression and give constructive comments in a few typed sentences. These judgings can be very cold as there is no feedback from the audience and you just spend time sitting at the computer. There is no payment for the time involved and very often not even a thank you from the club. Visiting clubs is a social occasion which is missing when just sitting at a computer. I really don’t like giving marks. If you don’t spread them wide there is no point, but if you go too low you are going to be very unpopular. The judge can’t win with marks involved and it is even worse when it’s a Dropbox judging and your notes are just read out at the club. I much prefer being asked to award first, second, third, highly commended and commended. If I have to give marks I try not to have only one image on the lowest mark to avoid one

person feeling much worse than everyone else, but that can backfire too if both images turn out to be by the same author! The judge’s job is to encourage not condemn and I always try to find something positive to say about every picture. That is where exhibition judging is much better because you are simply using the marks two to five. You are thinking of five as possibly worthy of an award, four as an acceptance, two as a reject with three being for an image you are undecided about and happy to leave your fellow selectors to make the decision. I have enjoyed my 40 years of judging and lecturing as I have had so much pleasure and made so many friends through photography that I wanted to give something back. I now give Photoshop workshops on my style of photography and these are well attended at clubs. π To find out more, go to www.irenefroy.com.

What do you think? Have you seen a judge at work who you’d like to see profiled in Photography News? Or perhaps you’ve been judged and don’t like what you heard? If so, write to opinion@photography-news.co.uk with the judge’s name and, if possible, their details.

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Issue 19 | Photography News

Competitions INTERVIEW

Wild Britain

As the deadline for entries to the British Wildlife Photographer of the Year fast approaches, we chat to founder of the awards Maggie Gowan to find out more Interview by Megan Croft

CLOCKWISE FROM RIGHT Seven spot ladybird by Carolyne Barber. Grey heron by Jan Galko. Common toad by Peter Warne. Blue shark by Alex Mustard. © Jan Galko

Photography News | Issue 19

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Competitions

The awards have become incredibly popular, why do you think it has captured the imagination of so many? It is the photographer’s own country, their wildlife and environment, enabling them to discover their local habitats – it has inspired them to look closer to home rather than traveling to exotic climes.

What are some of the most challenging and rewarding aspects of running such a successful competition? The awards need the continued support of our invaluable sponsors and supporters; these partnerships are crucial and the mainstay of our role. Without them we simply could not function. It is wonderful to see the work on display, the national coverage in the press and the beautiful book. It makes it all worthwhile.

easily and spontaneously, being in the UK. A wide range of categories gives ideas, focus and direction. Also with categories like Wild Woods, Coast and Marine, Urban, and Black and White there is endless scope to be creative on our doorstep, wherever you are in the UK. It is easier to learn about your local species and their behaviour. Having a broad selection of categories gives wider coverage of British wildlife and helps inform people about what’s out there.

Has the competition evolved much since it started? We have developed more categories year by year and evolved to include video as well. The competition has had more and more coverage too, reaching tens of millions most years.

You have quite a variety of esteemed judges on the panel this year, what was the criteria for selecting the judges? We have aleays included a varied panel of experts to include naturalists, photographers, editors and filmmakers.

Is there anything that you’d like to see more of within the competition? I think the Wildlife in HD Video, a fairly new category, is a growing and very exciting area that we would like to expand and entice photographers to experiment with if they haven’t already.

What are the judges looking for in a winning photo? Do you have any tips on getting your picture noticed by the judges? Imagination, creativity and originality. Just be original.

Is there a category that you particularly look forward to seeing entries from? I always find entries from all categories fascinating actually. There are always new ways of seeing things, new angles and perspectives to look forward to.

Are there any common mistakes that people could easily avoid? Copying previous winners. Try to be original as possible. What are the plans for the future of the competition? To keep going! π To find out more, go to www.bwpawards.org.

How many entries does the competition typically receive? We typically receive between 10,000 and 15,000 entries, mostly from Britons but not exclusively.

What’s your background in photography and how did you come to found the BWPA? With a past life as a photographer, I have travelled through many different countries and worked with numerous notable companies. These include Sothebys, the BBC Natural History Unit, Tony Stone (now Getty), Colorific Photo Agency, Network Photographers, Popperfoto (historical archive), the National Trust and Magnum Photos. My particular interest is in using innovative photography to inspire and communicate cultural, environmental and educational messages to a wide audience. It was from my earliest employment as a museum curator, where I managed a natural history collection and its interpretation through exhibitions, that I became captivated with photography and its potential. A passion for the natural world, photography and film, and an interest in global issues are the defining influences which have shaped my life and work. After commissioning and curating two highly acclaimed traveling exhibitions on behalf of the National Trust: The Coast Exposed! and Climate Change in Britain’s Backyard, in collaboration with the National Maritime Museum and Magnum Photos, I established the British Wildlife Photography Awards (BWPA). The driving motivation to set up BWPA evolved through my desire to celebrate British wildlife, in all its beauty and diversity, through a collection of inspirational photographs. I wanted to encourage the discovery, exploration, conservation and enjoyment of our natural heritage whilst also raising awareness about British biodiversity, species, habitats and the need for its protection.

With the competition being based solely on British wildlife, does this make it more challenging for photographers to find diversity in the subject matter? Photographers can adapt to weather and light more

I wanted to encourage the discovery, exploration, conservation and enjoyment of our natural heritage whilst raising awareness about British biodiversity © Keith Thorburn

ABOVE Shrimp in snakelock anemone by Trevor Rees. LEFT Red deer by Keith Thorburn.

Get your entry in Time is of the essence if you want your image to be considered for the top BWPA prize and be in with a chance of improving your bank balance by £5000 as you’ve only got until 2 May to get your entry in. Submit your images via the website – entry is all digital – into one of the 16 categories on offer. Winners and commended entrants will feature in the BWPA touring exhibition and print book.

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Issue 19 | Photography News

Competitions READER EXPERIENCE

On safari

Wildlife parks offer the chance to experience the thrill of a big game safari without leaving the country and, thanks to Samsung, five readers did precisely that in the company of Will Cheung Steve Ininns

Written by Will Cheung Going on safari and seeing big game in the wild is a huge thrill, but not everyone has the time or budget to enjoy the experience for themselves. But there is a cheaper and much more accessible option in the form of wildlife parks and many offer special tours where you get to experience what a safari is like. We booked a VIP safari at Longleat Safari Park in Wiltshire and asked readers to send in their best natural history pictures. The best five won a seat on the safari and a Samsung SD 32GB PRO memory card to capture the experience. Go as a normal visitor to a safari park and you have to stick to the road which means you often are relatively distant from the animals. A VIP safari (there Photography News | Issue 19

are various options at Longleat) gives more freedom to get a good angle for the best shots regardless of where you’re sitting in the vehicle. Clearly photographing captive animals is not the same as being in the wild, but then there is not the same commitment in terms of effort, time and money. At least in a safari park you know the animals are going to be there even if they are asleep. Technically it is still a challenge and getting the right framing and focus spot on can still be a test. Before our safari began, our VIP driver Steve Tuff briefed us on what to expect and also on when we could open the windows of the Land Rover. With the monkeys and the big cats, the windows had to be closed for obvious reasons. Shooting through car windows is not ideal and can be tricky with reflections and flare as well as the

potential impact on image quality. Longleat keeps the windows of its Land Rovers clean which is a great help. Space was at a premium, though, and the big rucksacks a couple of our readers had with them couldn’t be accommodated so it was time to think about what to take and what to leave behind. To be honest, though, it wasn’t that difficult and in lens terms, all you need is a telephoto so there’s no point taking a wide-angle or a macro with you. Our safari started quietly through the Bongo Pass and here the windows could be wound down. It was a genteel introduction to shooting from a Land Rover with its engine running. In the wild, cameras and long lenses can be supported by heavy beanbags, which give excellent stability but without compromising flexibility.

With the monkeys and big cats the windows had to be closed ABOVE Fencing and other vehicles can clutter up the background so watch out for that when framing your shots. www.absolutephoto.com

Competitions

23 Andy Ames

Jayne Bond Jayne Bond

Will Cheung

Just like snapping animals in the wild, patience is essential, so too is being ready to rattle off a series of frames

Barry Horne

TOP “I use CF cards and this was my first time with an SD card – and the Samsung PRO card worked perfectly,” says Jayne Bond. TOP RIGHT Cuddling monkeys. “I was shooting at 10fps much of the time and there was no sign of buffering on the Samsung PRO card,” says Andy Ames. MIDDLE Patience is needed when the animals are eating and you have to be ready for a shot when they look up. LEFT Sunbathing lion by Barry Horne. “My Samsung PRO card performed brilliantly with no buffering even when shooting high speed bursts on my DSLR,” he says.

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In this situation we were shooting handheld through glass with telephotos so high shutter speeds and wide lens apertures were most definitely in order. Our photographers were using 70-200mm or 70-300mm zooms and with ISO settings of at least 400, so shutter speeds were in the order of 1/500sec and more with a wide aperture. It helped that it was bright even though it was cloudy because it kept contrast down. The sun did appear from time to time though to give us some variety. Soon enough it was into the tigers’ enclosure, closing the car windows first, of course. They were busy snacking so not a great deal of movement but lots of gnawing with the occasional lifting of a majestic head. Just like snapping animals in the wild, patience is essential, so too is being ready to rattle off a series of frames when something interesting happens. It helped that our readers were equipped with high performance Samsung PRO SD cards so buffering was not an issue. VIP driver Steve did his best to get us in as close as possible, especially when the old male left his food and went for a little wander hoping to pinch another tiger’s food. That got everyone shooting quickly and his blood-stained paws made for good pictures. He gave up and went back to his own food. There are two lion enclosures, one with three cats and the other with a great many more. It is all to do with the management of different prides and in the busier enclosure, some younger animals were behind fencing. The busier enclosure also gave different shooting experiences and the chance to shoot as some of the cats wandered right up to and past our vehicle. There was some interaction too between a couple of younger cubs with the pride head and that was worth photographing. Many of the pride, though, were snoozing but even they were very photogenic. Issue 19 | Photography News

Competitions

To record their experiences each reader was given a Samsung SD 32GB PRO memory cards. The flagship PRO range features Class 10, Grade 1 cards with data transfer speeds up to 90MB/s. High-speed performance is just one important attribute. The cards are also designed to deliver reliable performance time after time even in challenging conditions and they are water, shock, temperature, magnet and X-ray proof. For photographers and video makers wanting leading performance, highly reliable storage media at a competitive prices, Samsung’s range has something for you. π To find out more, go to samsung.com.

LEFT “I stuck my DSLR to 10fps and shot away. Images wrote to the Samsung PRO SD card with no buffering,” says Terry Wall. BELOW “I have been on safari, to Sri Lanka,” says Andy Ames, “and there was a lot of hanging around. Here, having the animals just there is great.”

Andy Ames

Photography News | Issue 19

Samsung SD PRO cards

Will Cheung

FROM LEFT TO RIGHT PN editor Will Cheung, Terry Wall, Longleat VIP driver Steve Tuff, Steve Ininns, Barry Horne, Jayne Bond and Andy Ames. Longleat is launching special Up Close Photographic VIP Tours. These tours will give photographers the opportunity to get some fantastic pictures as well as meeting one of their experienced keepers, a keen photographer himself, who will show you the art of capturing the best safari scenes. © To find out more, go to www. longleat.co.uk.

Terry Wall

As we had the whole Land Rover to ourselves, driver Steve was happy to linger so everyone had the chance to get shots from different angles as the animals moved around. It was nice to have a more relaxed approach, although with five photographers in the back of the vehicle there was a good deal of movement and jostling to get the right viewpoint. Once we were ‘lioned out’, the cheetahs were next. The cheetahs had just been fed too so were busy gnawing and it was a matter of patience until a creature looked up. When that happened cameras sparked into life but generally it wasn’t an easy environment to photograph. The background of fallen trees was messy and sunlit chain-link fencing in the foreground didn’t help. Of the four carnivore enclosures the wolves were the least photographically interesting. They had situated themselves some distance away and were lying down so looked nothing more than balls of fur – even a very long telephoto was not much use. That was the end of the big cats and carnivores so we went to the Monkey Drive Thru and here we had great fun watching and photographing the monkeys interacting with the vehicles, ie. pulling off car aerials and in one case removing an Audi’s rearview wiper. It wasn’t typical of wild behaviour of course but entertaining nevertheless and definitely worth photographing. The safari was scheduled to last two hours but that time really flew by and everyone had shot several hundred images. Back at the VIP hut, it was time to download cards so we had a copy of the readers’ pictures. Thanks to the Samsung’s impressive data transfer speed and USB3.0, this didn’t take long at all, and soon we were saying our goodbyes before heading for home. On safari with lions and tigers one minute, stationary on the M4 motorway the next, but totally worth it for a taste of the wild.

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Issue 19 | Photography News

Advertisement feature PROFOTO B1 & B2

The perfect combination

Profoto’s B1 and B2 promise a revolution in the world of portable high power lighting and for photographers, such as Andy Kruczek, they’re proving to be the ultimate pairing

ABOVE Andy Kruczek relies on his Profoto B1 kit day in, day out, including for this location shoot, where a cable free solution was essential.

It’s complete flexibility, giving photographers a slick and far more powerful alternative to the speedlight In little over a year Profoto has turned the world of portable lighting on its head, delivering two remarkably versatile and high powered systems that perfectly interlink and complement each other. The B1 and the B2 give photographers a choice of using one system for a Photography News | Issue 19

particular job or of creating a hybrid outfit specifically to cope with an individual set of challenges. It’s complete flexibility, giving photographers a slick and far more powerful alternative to the speedlight – one that will add a professional touch to any shoot. The B1’s key strength is its ability to deliver full 500 Joule flashes in a compact package, a level of output that makes it up to ten times more powerful than a standard speedlight. As a battery powered head, it suddenly opened up the great outdoors in a big way. With this in mind Profoto produces a well-proportioned backpack designed specifically for the B1, which will take two heads,

two stands, chargers and spare batteries. The battery for the B1 is a lightweight, high capacity lithium-ion cell, with no memory effect, and it’s capable of supplying up to 220 full power flashes from a single charge. At full power, the flash recycles in under two seconds, while at lower power settings it can readily keep up with a camera’s motor drive, providing bursts of up to 20 flashes per second. It has an impressively short flash duration too, from 1/1,000sec all the way down to 1/19,000sec, short enough to freeze most movement. Equally adaptable and flexible, the B2 is even more portable than its sibling: in fact it’s approximately the same www.absolutephoto.com

Advertisement feature weight as a standard speedlight. The To-Go kit is probably the option that many will choose. It consists of the B2 Off Camera Flash pack, a single B2 head, one battery and one mains charger packed in its carrying bag and location shoulder bag. For the more ambitious, there is the B2 Location Kit, which in addition to the above includes a second head and battery. A 250W/s fully asymmetric, pack and head system, the B2 is designed to complement the B1 and develops Profoto’s take on Off Camera Flash (OCF), extending the OCF range, to form a true system. The B2 puts the power of five average speedlights in a lightweight package that’s capable of shooting in bursts of up to 20 frames per second and delivering 215 full power 250 Joule flashes from a single charge. Family traits There is a definite family connection between the B1 and the B2. For example, both heads feature LED modelling lamps, which are dimmable and, at full power, the battery pack provides continuous light for up to 90 minutes. Another massive plus point is the fact that the B1 and B2 accept the same lighting modifiers. These OCF light shaping tools are lightweight and extremely fast to set up, offering the ability to easily change the mood and style of light when the pressure is on. Made from the same high-quality materials as the Profoto Umbrella Deep Silver, and each at around a third of the weight of its RFi equivalent, there are now four new softboxes: a square, a strip, a Recta and a 2ft Octa. All have captive (sewn in) front diffusers and a removable inner diffuser. For every softbox, there is also an optional 50º softgrid available, which is a bottle top design that slips over the front edges of the softbox. The new softboxes have been created specifically for the B1 and B2 lights,

and they use a dedicated, newly designed OCF Speedring. In addition Profoto has produced an OCF Snoot, which reduces light spread to create a crisp light with almost no spill, a beautifully engineered barn door kit that allows the user to attach gels and control light spread and a grid kit comprising 10º, 20º and 30º grids. The grids can be used in combination with the snoot and barn door. The B1 and B2 also accept all the earlier Profoto accessories, and so there is a truly vast system to dip into. Both the B1 and the B2 also have provision to accept Profoto’s Air TTL Remote, and there’s a version of this for both Canon and Nikon users. With this feature the units really comes into their own. At around the same size and weight as the standard Air Remote, the Air TTL Remote works in a new and very special way. Acting as a kind of translator, it ‘talks’ to the camera and to the B1/2, exchanging information and giving the user access to the camera’s TTL flash metering system. The Air Remote TTL provides all the control of the standard Air Remote, but also allows photographers to control any number of B1/B2 heads in three groups from up to 300m away. This gives photographers unprecedented freedom to place their lights wherever they need to. Operating on the worldwide standard 2.4GHz frequency band the units can be set to any one of eight different channels. In practical terms this has two benefits; a number of photographers can shoot in the same space without setting off each other’s lights, while they are also unlikely to suffer interference from any outside sources. The lights in use One of those who has been using the B1 lights since their introduction, and who has now supplemented this kit with a selection of B2 lights, is fashion and beauty photographer Andy Kruczek. He’s found the flexibility of

Profoto’s mission statement is to make equipment to enable photographers to extend their creativity, take better pictures and turn ambition into reality. The B1 and B2 provide an ideal first step along that path

ABOVE When he needs a small, lightweight but powerful location light, Andy Kruczek turns to his B1 and B2 kit.

www.absolutephoto.com

ABOVE They’re called To Go kits for a good reason, as everything packs up neatly for travelling to location shoots.

being able to use the strengths of either the B1 or the B2 has been ideal for his work, and there are also times when his ideal kit is a combination of both products. “I use the B1s all the time in my day-to-day shoots,” he says. “They are perfect for many lighting situations, as they provide both a ‘mains unit’ level of power plus a versatile, cable-free solution to my lighting needs. With a couple of spare batteries they are my first choice for portrait and fashion shoots. “Meanwhile the B2 kit comes out when I need a small, lightweight and quick set-up. It’s also ideal when I’m shooting in the confined spaces one often encounters on location, or when I need to place the light in an unusual or easily hidden location, but need more power and light shaping than a speedlight can supply. I’m finding recently that using the B1 and B2 in combination gives me the ability to push the boundaries of my technique and to try out new ideas quickly and easily. “Light shaping is at the heart of the system. In addition to allowing me to use all of my existing Profoto light shaping tools, the new OCF range of softboxes and accessories give me more opportunities to easily create the right look on location. This, combined with TTL and HSS, means that I can concentrate on image making and never have to worry about compromising the shot. “Profoto’s mission statement is to make equipment to enable photographers to extend their creativity, take better pictures and turn their ambition into reality. The B1 and B2 OCF systems, together or in combination, provide an ideal first step along that path.”

π To find out more about the Profoto B1 & B2, go to www. profoto.com/offcameraflash. And to find out more about Andy Kruczek’s work, go to www.andykruczek.com. Issue 19 | Photography News

Camera test SPECS PRICE £600 body only, £679 with 18-55mm kit lens CONTACT nikon.co.uk SENSOR DX CMOS sensor, 24.2 megapixels, 6000x400 pixels ISO RANGE 100-25,600

FULL TEST

Nikon D5500

Away from headline-grabbing full-frame models, Nikon’s cropped sensor DX DSLRs, like the D5500, are worthy contenders for your hard-earned cash

SHUTTER 30secs-1/4000sec, flash sync 1/200sec MAX FRAME RATE Up to 10fps continuous METERING SYSTEM 2016 pixel RGB sensor, 3D Color Matrix II with G, E and D lenses, centreweighted and spot, 2.5% of the frame EXPOSURE MODES PASM, scene, effects EXPOSURE COMPENSATION Digital ESP with 324 areas, centre-weighted and spot SHOOTING SPEEDS Up to 5fps, self-timer (four options) and quiet mode MONITOR 3.2in vari-angle touchscreen, 1037k dots and eye sensor STORAGE MEDIA SD, SDHC, SDXC, UHS-1/II compatible BATTERY EN-EL14 rechargeable li-ion DIMENSIONS (WXHXD) 124x97x70mm WEIGHT 420g body only, 669g with battery and 1855mm lens

BELOW Making good use of the vari-angle touchscreen I got down low for this shot at the seaside.

Words by Will Cheung

Almost inevitably it’s Nikon’s FX-format full-frame cameras that grab the most attention, and with a range including models such as the D4, D810, D750 and Df, it’s no surprise. But Nikon’s cropped-sensor DX APS-C DSLRs merit a great deal of attention too, with models such as the D7100 offering a great range of features in a compact body. The latest introduction to the DX range, the D5500 is a compact, lightweight DSLR featuring a 23.5x15.6mm APS-C sensor and it provides a sensible option for those keen to lighten their load and stick with Nikon. The brand does have its 1 series CSC, but its small format does not appeal to everyone, making the D5500 a great alternative. The D5500 is a highly specified camera and is in the shops for £600 body only or £679 with the 1855mm f/3.5-5.6G VR II kit lens. For the money, the camera has an impressive features list. Top for many will be resolution: the D5500’s CMOS sensor packs 24.2 megapixels and lacks an optical low-pass filter (OLPF), enabling it to deliver a very high standard of image sharpness and fine detail. Nikon’s EXPEED 4 processor makes shooting at 5fps possible – we managed a burst of 25 full-size JPEGs, or six Raw files, before experiencing buffering. Granted, there are plenty of cameras with faster shooting capability, but such capacity isn’t needed by the majority of photographers. ISO sensitivity is typical for a modern DSLR, starting from 100 and topping out at 25,600, and the full range is available in Raw and JPEG modes. High ISO noise reduction at three levels is available too. Connectivity is big these days, so the D5500 has Wi-Fi for those wanting to post images on social networking sites. As someone who regularly switches from fullframe DSLRs to small CSCs, it’s clear that the D5500 is more like the latter in terms of size, and I did enjoy the camera’s compact form. That feeling is enhanced further by the kit lens that is small when in

Photography News | Issue 19

It’s clear that the D5500 is more like a CSC in terms of size, and I did enjoy the compact form. Where it is less CSC-like is in its handgrip, which is excellent and provides a really secure grip locked position and extends by about an inch when ready to use. Where the D5500 is less CSC-like is in its handgrip, which is excellent and provides a really secure grip. I felt comfortable walking around with the camera in the hand. Overall, I found handling to be smooth and pretty intuitive. Control layout is straightforward and the only minor issue is to do with the five buttons on the back panel – their small dimensions means you have to be careful what you are pushing. I really liked the monitor. Firstly it’s great for shots at low angles, but in addition image brightness is excellent and the touch functionality is very good. And where the camera’s physical buttons are on the small side, the virtual buttons on the monitor are much bigger. In the standard info interface, there is less to change depending on which exposure mode you’re using. So in aperture-priority you must touch the double-arrow symbol next to the aperture value before you can touch the up and down aperture adjust arrows. Also impressive is battery life. A fully charged cell gave me 500 shots before recharging was needed. This included a great deal of image previewing, menu contemplating and a fair amount of live-view

use. By comparison, a CSC I was using at the same time was well into its second battery. It is clear that cameras with optical viewfinders have better battery efficiency, but that’s no real surprise. Overall performance, as you can see from the results here, is impressive. Both AF and exposure systems delivered what was needed time and again. Good images coupled with sound handling made the D5500 a great companion during this review. Handling exposure I had the Nikon D5500 for a couple of weeks so got to use it in a variety of situations, and having shot more than 500 exposures I am pleased with the way the camera performed. Most of the time I was using aperture-priority AE mode with Matrix metering, auto white-balance and single-zone AF, so my technique was typically straightforward. Looking through my Lightroom catalogue later, the results appeared very consistent. Exposure was accurate with hardly any duffs. Some underexposure was seen occasionally in impossible-to-handle shots taken into the light, but the system generally coped very well with a wide range of different types of lighting. www.absolutephoto.com

Camera test

Long exposure noise reduction These shots were taken with and without the D5500’s in-camera Long Exposure Noise Reduction. To be honest in the case of this 30-second exposure there were no noise issues anyway, so the reduction feature was not really needed. I did try some exposures of two and four minutes and there was slightly more benefit, but given the longer processing time needed, this type of noise reduction might best be done with software. It is worth noting, by the way, the good rendition of fine detail by the 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR II lens in this shot. WITH NOISE REDUCTION

FULL-FRAME IMAGE

NO NOISE REDUCTION

ABOVE The included 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR II kit lens is a good performer, resolving lots of detail and rednering bright colours well.

ISO performance

FULL-FRAME IMAGE

The verdict

The D5500 turned in a capable ISO performance and there seems no reason why the camera can’t be used for critical work at ISO 3200. In dull light digital noise is neutral looking, but when light levels dip very low, noise gains some colour, which doesn’t look quite so good. These shots were taken on a tripod-mounted D5500 fitted with the 18-55mm kit zoom. No incamera noise reduction was used. The pictures were taken late in the day after the sun had set and a little before the onset of twilight. The exposure for the ISO 100 shot was 0.4sec at f/9. ISO 400

ISO 1600

ISO 2500

The Nikon D5500 is not a camera that is going to set the world alight with innovation and blisteringly fast performance, but it is a very fine camera that offers great value for money and is highly capable given its position in Nikon’s extensive product range. It is perfect as a backup camera or as a more portable option when you want to travel light and don’t want to take the full-frame DSLR with you. It has many plus points, the highlight for me being its monitor. Its vari-angle design means I can shoot low down in comfort, and being able to quickly alter core settings using the touchscreen is really neat. Clearly, the D5500 is not alone in offering touchscreen usability, but the menu layout is excellent and clear. There is much to like about the D5500, especially for £600 (body only). Whether you are a first-time Nikon buyer, or an existing Nikon owner wanting a more compact camera, it’s definitely worth a look. NIKON D5500

ISO 3200

ISO 6400

ISO 8000

FEATURES

22/25

PERFORMANCE

24/25

HANDLING

23/25

VALUE FOR MONEY

24/25

There is plenty for your money

Impressive exposure AF skills. Image quality is sound too Good all round, the monitor is great to use A highly specified Nikon at this price is tempting

ISO 12800

ISO 16000

ISO 25600

OVERALL 93/100 A good DSLR for newbies and more experienced users too PROS Articulating touch sensitive monitor, compact design, access to Nikon lens system CONS Buttons might be too small for some users

www.absolutephoto.com

Issue 19 | Photography News

Kit guide BINOCULARS

Great binoculars for photographers Having a pair of good binoculars is a real benefit whether you’re shooting wildlife, sports, air shows or just enjoying views on a walk with your camera. Offering a range of specifications, features and prices, here are some of best you can buy... Words by Kingsley Singleton We’re willing to bet you already own a pair of binoculars. Most people do. The thing is, they’re probably not very good. Many of us have dusty old ‘bins’ that we’ve had for years, or little folding sets that came from a garage (or more likely a cracker). They live in lofts, or at the bottom of bags, brought out occasionally at air shows or on wild walks, and then they’re forgotten again, because they’re disappointing. You see, until you’ve used a really good pair of binoculars, you won’t know how brilliant they can be. The clarity of modern lenses is often superb, creating a much brighter image, while, like so many things, the ergonomics have been revolutionised to offer easy, more comfortable handling and lighter weights. Modern binoculars, like cameras and lenses, come in all shapes and sizes, and with a huge range of specifications. Some are lightweight and extremely portable. Others offer special features that you’ve come to expect on cameras, like image stabilisation,, zooming, and weather-proofing. Some can even tell you how far off the subject is. In this guide we’ll look at some superb examples of what’s out there and demanding your cash. There are models to suit all budgets and some really amazing pieces of technology to put on your wishlist. What to look for Once you’ve decided you need some new bins, the prickly issue is picking a pair. Consider the following factors. Most binoculars are specified with numbers like 8x40 or 10x25. The first of these tells you the magnification that’s offered, ie how much bigger the subject will look to you in use. How

much enlargement you need depends on the subjects you’re likely to be viewing, but for general use, 8x or 10x is plenty. The magnification will have a big effect on the field-of-view, so while more may seem like a good idea, you’ll be able to see a smaller part of the scene as it increases, and this can be a problem when following fast moving subjects. Just as on a telephoto camera lens, higher magnification also means it can be more difficult to hold the image steady. The second number is the diameter of the objective lenses (the ones at the front), measured in millimeters. This size lets you know how much light can be obtained and therefore how bright and clear the resulting image will be. Bigger lenses are therefore good, up to a point: the larger the lenses the bigger and heavier the binoculars are likely to be. Binoculars with lenses below 25mm are considered compact models; 30-49mm is standard and over 50mm tends to be used on astronomical and nautical models. This brings us onto size and weight and what you go for will depend on how much you want to lug about. Like taking a lot of photo kit with you on a day out, if you’re tired from carrying stuff around, you’re less likely to enjoy using it; with binoculars you’re also going to be holding them up for extended periods, and heavier models can soon start to drag unsupported. Another specification often mentioned is the ‘exit pupil’. This is the size of the circle of light produced and is found by dividing the diameter of the objective lens with the magnification. So, a pair of 7x35 binoculars would have an exit pupil of 5. Higher ratings mean better performance in lowlight, so the specification is important if you plan to view at dawn or dusk, but less so if you’ll mainly be using them in the daytime. Coatings on the lenses, and the use of highly engineered glass can also increase brightness, while many

top end models use lighter alloys in their construction as a way of reducing weight. The position where the exit pupil is formed is called ‘eyepoint’ and the distance from this to the outer surface of the eyepiece lens is called eye relief. Eye relief is the distance a binocular can be held away from the eye and still present the full field of view without vignetting. Measured in mm, longer ratings produce less eyestrain and are better for people who wear glasses.

Scoping for more If you want more reach and a brighter image than binoculars can provide, it’s time to consider a monocular ‘spotting scope’ or ‘fieldscope’. To achieve this, scopes – basically smaller telescopes designed for terrestrial use – have much larger objective lenses and high-powered or zooming eyepieces, which are usually interchangeable via a bayonet fitting, allowing you to swap them fast. The objective lenses of spotting scopes tend to start around 60mm, so that draws in a lot more light, and a typical zooming eyepiece can provide a magnification range of 2045x or higher; that’s a lot of reach. Another handy feature of scopes is that they’re easier to mount on a tripod, which offsets the problems of shake at such long focal lengths, while many models also feature image stabilisation for smoother viewing handheld.

Olympus 8-16x25 PC I Zoom

Pentax 7x50 DCF Hydro

£90

£130

Designed for the optimum mix of portability and optical quality, these small, light binoculars have a handy adjustable 8-16x magnification, making them adaptable. The 25mm objective lenses put them firmly in the compact bracket and they’re certainly a pocketable size, meaning you can take them to a theatre or sporting event without feeling like you’re lugging too much gear around. The stepless zoom control is accessed via a rotating lever around one of the eyepieces and is easy to operate while the binoculars are to the eye. The ribbed focus ring is also easy to locate even when wearing gloves. Optically, they use multi-coated, UV-protected lenses and barium crown glass to ensure clarity and brightness, and while the zoom range produces an exit pupil of between 3.1 and 1.6, and is dimmer at the long end, they still produce an excellent view. In addition to a comfy hold, the 8-16x25 PC I Zoom’s smooth shape and curved design makes it easier to quickly stow or access them without snagging, and they come with a 25-year European warranty.

Supplying tremendous light-gathering, top image quality and some first-class features at an affordable price, the Pentax 7x50 DCF Hydro’s 50mm objective lenses and 7x magnification provide a massive 7.1mm exit pupil, making them useful in very dim conditions and keeping any vignetting to a minimum. The use of Super Multi Coated (SMC) lenses, allows light transmission of up to 98% and barium glass in this model’s prisms keep the quality high. Classified as marine binoculars, but a great choice for most activities, their build-quality is equally good, offering a magnesium alloy chassis, full waterproofing and protection against internal fogging due to sudden shifts in temperature or humidity. The O-rings and use of nitrogen gas within the housing allows temporary immersion in up to 1m of water, so that you can splash off mud and dust with no problems. Also included is an oil-filled compass built into the eyepiece, and lit by an LED. Available in orange or blue rubberised finish, they provide a good grip and are easy to find.

Photography News | Issue 19

SPECS MAGNIFICATION: x8-16 OBJECTIVE LENS DIAMETER: 25mm EYE RELIEF: 15-12mm EXIT PUPIL: 3.1-1.6mm

FIELD OF VIEW AT 1000M: 7.9-5.1m MINIMUM FOCUS DISTANCE: 5m SIZE: 114x111x48mm WEIGHT: 315g

CONTACT: www.olympus.co.uk

SPECS MAGNIFICATION: x7 OBJECTIVE LENS DIAMETER: 50mm EYE RELIEF: 17.6mm EXIT PUPIL: 7.1mm

FIELD OF VIEW AT 1000M: 116m MINIMUM FOCUS DISTANCE: 3m SIZE: 175x134x62mm WEIGHT: 976g

CONTACT: www.ricoh-imaging.co.uk

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Kit guide

Nikon 16x50 Action EX ATB

Bushnell Legend Ultra HD 8x42

£170

£250

If you want a pair of binoculars with lots of magnification, look no further than Nikon’s 16x50 Action Ex model. The 16x view and big 50mm objective lenses make them the heavyweight of the group, but all that reach and light-gathering potential also means they’re brilliant for distant subjects and astronomical observations. Backing up the optical power is first-class image quality thanks to multilayer-coated lenses and they’re build for ruggedness as well as a comfortable hold with a shock-resistant, non-slip rubber armour and waterproofing (up to 1m for five minutes). Like many of the examples here, they’re also filled with nitrogen gas to prevent fogging. At nearly 18mm, the eye-relief makes them a good choice if you wear spectacles and the turn-andslide eyecups use multiple click-stop positions, making them easier and quicker to adjust. Such a high magnificaton factor makes it more difficult to hold a steady view, but this model answers that problem with an adapter to mount them on a tripod or monopod, removing shake and making extended viewing more comfortable. At well under £200, they’re great value, too.

Bushnell produces binoculars at a broad range of prices, and its Legend series brings a very attractive mix of price and features with build quality and performance normally reserved for larger wallets. Image quality is great thanks to the use of Extra Low Dispersion (ED) fluorite glass, which keeps contrast high and colours true all the while eliminating fringing to bring out the most distinct details possible in low-light conditions. Anti-reflection coatings are used on all elements within the optical path and the roof-prisms used are also coated to maximise light transmittance. These steps, combined with the 8x42 specification give top-viewing in any conditions and it’s good news on the build and handling front too. Handling is a pleasure thanks to gel pads used under the rubberised exterior and Bushnell’s Rainguard HD coating is used on the objective lenses, repelling water and oils to reduce any fogging and lead to easier cleaning. What’s more, these binoculars use a combination of O-ring sealing and nitrogen gas to withstand humidity and changes in temperature that lead to fogging as well as making them waterproof.

SPECS MAGNIFICATION: x16 OBJECTIVE LENS DIAMETER: 50mm EYE RELIEF: 17.8mm EXIT PUPIL: 3.1mm

FIELD OF VIEW AT 1000M: 61m MINIMUM FOCUS DISTANCE: 7m SIZE: 196x177x73mm WEIGHT: 1040g

CONTACT: www.nikon.co.uk

Canon 8x25 IS

Steiner SkyHawk 3.0 10x42

£250

£400

The use of image stabilisation (IS) is a compelling advancement in binocular technology and anyone who’s struggled to hold an image clear will feel the benefit of it. The Canon 8x25 IS is the most compact and lightweight IS binoculars Canon has made to date. At around 120mm wide and weighing 490g, they’re not as small and light as many 8x25 models, but unless you’re really packing light, you’re unlikely to notice them in your bag. As you’d expect, the increased weight is down to the IS system which also requires power from a single CR123A lithium battery, the latter giving up to 6 hours of use. The IS is triggered by holding a button on the top, just in front of the focusing ring and works so well that once tried, you may find it difficult to go back. Image quality is also tip-top, thanks in part to the Super Spectra lens coating which suppresses flare and ghosting, gives higher contrast and more natural colours. In terms of handling, the model has a pleasingly rounded shape and the large focusing knob, is easily located. As a compact model, the 8x25 gives an exit pupil of 3.5mm, meaning that they’re better for daytime use.

Steiner makes a broad range of optically excellent, hard-wearing binoculars, and these are a great example. With large, 42mm objectives lenses and a 10x magnification, there’s lots of power onboard. With an exit pupil of 4.2mm, there’s plenty of scope for use in low-light too. High Contrast Optics deliver clear views and finding your subject is easy with the large, rubberised focusing ring. Despite the high magnification, the field of view at 1000m is an above average 108m. The exterior is coated in rubber armouring which protects from physical damage and offers resistance to oil and acid, staying easy to grip in conditions from -20°C to +70°C, and feel is improved by ribbing on the contact points. Thanks to their excellent build quality and the nitrogen gas used internally, they’re waterproof to a depth of 3m. The SkyHawk has nicely curved eye-cups, whose ergonomic design protects against any side-lighting and dust in the wind, and a ClicLoc strap attachment allowing you to securely fasten or remove the included neoprene strap in seconds. The Skyhawk 3.0 range also includes options at 8x32, 10x32 and 8x42.

SPECS MAGNIFICATION: x8 OBJECTIVE LENS DIAMETER: 25mm EYE RELIEF: 13.5mm EXIT PUPIL: 3.1mm

FIELD OF VIEW AT 1000M: 115m MINIMUM FOCUS DISTANCE: 3.5m SIZE: 120x138x61mm WEIGHT: 490g

CONTACT: www.canon.co.uk

Zeiss Conquest HD 10x42

Leica Ultravid HD-Plus 8x42

£700

£1600

These premium binoculars offer performance in a compact and lightweight design, with superb build quality. With a 10x magnification and large 42mm objective lenses, there’s plenty of light. The lenses feature Zeiss’s T* multi-coating and give a high light transmission of up to 90%, so they perform very well in dawn and twilight. The new Zeiss HD lenses offer excellent clarity and neutral colour reproduction. Even with high quality materials used, these bins are light, well balanced and allow for all-day observation, while the body is slim and easily pocketable. Ergonomics are good too, with a contoured edge ensuring a more comfortable grip and a large focussing wheel for easy operation when wearing gloves. The construction, with aluminium used, is robust feeling, and for viewing in wild weather, the lenses have a protective LotuTec coating, which lets water slide off easily and allows more effective cleaning of dirt and dust, minimising the risk of scratching. They’re also nitrogen-filled for protection against fogging. Zeiss Conquest HD binoculars are also available in 8x32, 10x32 and 8x42, 8x56, 10x56 and 15x56 versions.

If you plan to make a serious investment in your next pair of binoculars, the Leica Ultravid HD-Plus range boasts a mix of build quality and performance to justify their heady price tag. The ‘Plus’ variant builds on the already successful Leica Ultravid HD models, using new coating methods on the lenses, and upgraded prisms made from specially formulated Schott glass. These measures improve light transmission, leading to brighter pictures with better colour rendition, and combined with the 8x42 specification, this makes them particularly well suited to unfavourable light (as well as giving a damn fine view in clearer conditions). For use in all weathers, and protected against scratches and abrasion, thanks to the lenses’ AquaDura coating, Ultravid HD models also feature a shock-absorbent construction to resist damage. The design makes wide use of magnesium and titanium, to provide strength while keeping the weight down, and the surface has a rubberised coating to provide safe and steady handling and an excellent grip,. The Ultravid HD-Plus range extends up to a 50mm objective lens.

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SPECS MAGNIFICATION: x10 FIELD OF VIEW AT 1000M: 115m OBJECTIVE LENS MINIMUM FOCUS DIAMETER: 42mm DISTANCE: 2m EYE RELIEF: 17mm SIZE: 148x74x155mm EXIT PUPIL: 4.2mm WEIGHT: 750g CONTACT: zeiss.co.uk

SPECS MAGNIFICATION: x8 OBJECTIVE LENS DIAMETER: 42mm EYE RELIEF: 17.2mm EXIT PUPIL: 5.3mm

FIELD OF VIEW AT 1000M: 142m MINIMUM FOCUS DISTANCE: 2m SIZE: 146x124x72mm WEIGHT: 700g

CONTACT: www.bushnell.eu/uk

SPECS MAGNIFICATION: x10 OBJECTIVE LENS DIAMETER: 42mm

FIELD OF VIEW AT 1000M: 108m MINIMUM FOCUS DISTANCE: 2m

EYE RELIEF: 16mm EXIT PUPIL: 4.2mm

SIZE: 128x147x61mm WEIGHT: 750g

CONTACT: www.steiner-binoculars.co.uk

SPECS MAGNIFICATION: x8 OBJECTIVE LENS DIAMETER: 42mm EYE RELIEF: 15.5mm EXIT PUPIL: 5.3mm

FIELD OF VIEW AT 1000M: 119m MINIMUM FOCUS DISTANCE: 3.11m SIZE: 143x120x67mm WEIGHT: 790g

CONTACT: www.leica.co.uk

Issue 19 | Photography News

Photography News | Issue 19

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Technique PHOTO SCHOOL

Camera class Everyone has to start somewhere and in Photo School we look at the core skills every beginner needs. This month, how to use Exposure Compensation, and Lightroom’s Radial Filter tool Words & pictures by Kingsley Singleton

Although it sounds like something a flasher would be required to pay after a court case, exposure compensation is, in fact, a very useful camera function. It allows you to bias the metered settings, making an image lighter or darker. The main reason to use exposure compensation is that, as good as they are, cameras still get stuff wrong and you may need to tweak settings to suit the scene you’re shooting; for example to brighten a subject so it looks white not grey or when shooting into the light; or to darken a sky so it’s not burnt out, or silhouette a subject. n The way it works Exposure compensation is usually accessed from a button on the body of your camera or via an onscreen command. It is identified with a +/- symbol. The rear command wheel defaults to this on larger Canon bodies, and on ‘retro-styled’ cameras like the Fuji X-T1 or Nikon Df you’ll often find a dedicated dial. Entering a change to the exposure compensation will reveal an exposure bar in the viewfinder display, on the screen and/or on a smaller LCD many DSLRs have. The image lightens or darkens on live view displays depending on if you enter positive or negative settings. The exposure mode changes the effect of exposure compensation. In auto or program (P), the shutter speed and aperture change to make the pic lighter

ADOBE LIGHTROOM

or darker. In aperture-priority only the shutter speed is affected, getting faster or slower, and in shutter-priority, the aperture changes, getting bigger or smaller. In manual mode it doesn’t function at all and the place where you’d see the exposure bar will likely change to a live metering of the light. n Exposure compensation in action The amount of exposure compensation is measured in EV. 1EV is one ‘stop’ of light, and the value changes in 1/3rd, 1/2 or full stops. So, say you were shooting in aperture-priority mode at f/8 with a shutter speed of 1/60sec. If you entered +1EV of exposure compensation you’d still be shooting at f/8, but the shutter speed would slow to 1/30sec. Entering -1EV would quicken it to 1/125sec. If you were in shutter-priority with a setting of 1/60sec and an aperture of f/8, setting +1EV or -1EV means the shutter speed remains at 1/60sec, but the aperture changes to f/5.6 or f/11, respectively. n How much is too much? The amount of exposure compensation offered is limited, normally to +/-5EV. Usually, 1EV of exposure compensation is enough to correct a picture, but if you need more than the reach of the scale, switch to manual exposure where any shutter speed and aperture can be set to whatever values are required.

Software technique

FINDING THE FILTER Once you’re in the Develop module, you’ll find the Radial Filter tool under the Histogram, and above the Basic tab, along with the Graduated Filter tool and others. Its shortcut is Shift+M.

The Radial Filter tool

CONTROLLING THE SHAPE With the Radial Filter tool selected, click and drag over the image and you’ll draw an ellipse. Hold Shift as you drag and you’ll make a perfect circle. The handles on the filter can be used to change its shape and clicking the horizontal or vertical handles moves them together to stretch or thin the shape. Hold Alt as you drag to control just one of the handles at a time, or Shift to do them all at once. Drag the centre point to reposition the filter entirely The Feather slider controls the softness at the edge of the adjustment, so setting it high is a good idea if you want a natural looking blend.

The Radial Filter tool (shortcut Shift+M) is probably the least-used of Lightroom’s Local Adjustment tools, but it’s very useful for highlighting the subjects of your shots. It creates a circular or elliptical shape to your adjustments, meaning that you can place your subject in a pool of light to accentuate them, or use the filter to darken the edges of the frame, again drawing the eye to the centre. You can also lighten the edges to create a faded look around the subject, while keeping the contrast on the focal point, whether it’s a person, part of a landscape, a city view or a still-life subject. Being a very flexible tool, the Radial Filter also allows you to control adjustments like Sharpness, Saturation and Noise Reduction. Its shape and position are highly controllable and you can add either Feather to its edges for a soft blend, or go for something harder edged. Here’s how it works... www.absolutephoto.com

TOP The scene as metered by the camera. MIDDLE The same scene but with +0.7 exposure compensation to brighten it. BOTTOM LEFT The live view screen shows the effect of using exposure compensation; the exposure bar giving the reading. BOTTOM RIGHT A top-plate LED displays the amount of exposure compensation set.

SWITCHING FILTERS Like other Local Adjustment tools, each time you click New you’ll get a new Radial Filter, shown as a new pin on the image. You can swap between existing filters by clicking the pins; if you can’t see them, find Show Edit Pins under the main image preview.

INVERTED MASKS The Invert Mask tick box switches the tool’s area of effect. With the box unticked, the effect is outside the filter, and here it’s been used in that way to add a vignette, reducing the Exposure and other settings to darken the area. When ticked, adjustments are placed within the shape you’ve drawn, so here it’s used to lighten and add definition to the subject’s face, increasing the exposure setting and also adding Clarity.

Issue 19 | Photography News

Photography News | Issue 19

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Issue 19 | Photography News

Photography News | Issue 19

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Issue 19 | Photography News

Prize wordsearch Win Samsung memory duo!

Capture life’s special moments across all devices with the ultra-reliable Samsung EVO Micro SDHC and PRO SDHC cards. Use the former with a smartphone or tablet with an adapter. Use a PRO SDHC card with a DSLR or camcorder and being water and shockproof, resistant to extreme temperatures, X-rays and magnets will keep your photos safe and sound. We’re giving away a 32GB EVO Micro SDHC with an SD adapter and a 16GB PRO SDHC card to just one lucky winner. Just complete the wordsearch below, and you’ll find one word in the list that’s not in the grid. Email us on puzzle@photography-news. co.uk with that word in the subject line by 18 May 2015.

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Advertisement feature PROFOTO OFF-CAMERA FLASH

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You might have noticed that there has been a revolution in flash photography recently, especially portable flash. Profoto has been at the vanguard of developments with its genuinely innovative Off-Camera Flash system. Not so long ago if you wanted power and access to a huge range of light modifiers, you had to buy studio mains flash. If you wanted the point-and-shoot simplicity of TTL functionality, on-camera speedlight flash was the way to go but it had creative and technical limitations. Profoto’s Off-Camera Flash system has changed all that and now you can enjoy the best of both worlds. With its two systems, the B1 and the B2, you have powerful flash units – they are between five and ten times more powerful than the typical speedlight – supported by a comprehensive system of light shapers for all occasions and subject types. More than 120 light shaping tools including beauty dishes, grids and softboxes are available in the Profoto collection. What is truly revolutionary, though, is that Canon and Nikon users now have the option of using TTL technology to wirelessly control lighting units. Both the B1 and B2 systems can be used in TTL mode with the Air Remote TTL unit. This accessory sits on the camera hotshoe and, with a maximum working range of 300m, it integrates with the camera to give www.absolutephoto.com

full wireless TTL flash metering control. Its clear design means adjusting settings is an intuitive, fuss-free operation with no need to scroll through a menu system. Users of other brand cameras can also enjoy the freedom of wireless flash photography with B1 and B2 Off-Camera systems. All you need is the Air Remote and while you don’t get TTL flash features, there is still access to wireless flash sync and light adjustment. If you prefer to use the flash systems manually that’s also straightforward and, of course, that means any camera brand is compatible. The two systems offer identical core benefits with the convenience of off-camera TTL functionality, excellent build quality and access to the Profoto modifier system. The key difference is the B2 is much more portable. The B1 is a stand-alone head with on-board controls such as output adjustment and test fire button, plus there is a large LCD information panel. Each head also has an onboard rechargeable li-ion battery with a capacity of up to 220 flashes at full power. As it is a totally wire-free unit, the B1 gives total freedom (so long as it is within working range of the Air Remote TTL trigger) in terms of placement. By comparison the compact and light B2 can be fixed just about anywhere, even on a spring-loaded clamp. Basically, it’s

a housing complete with the flash tube/LED modelling lamp that accepts Profoto modifiers with a hard-wired connection to the power pack. This pack also offers control functions. One or two B2 flash heads can be attached to the control unit and power is provided by a rechargeable li-ion battery with a capacity of up to 215 full power flash bursts. The control unit has a comprehensive set of functions and a large LCD panel keeps you fully informed with the lighting set-up. Thanks to Profoto’s Off-Camera Flash system, portable flash photography will never be the same again. The B1 and B2 systems offer photographers control, power and convenience backed up by every conceivable modifier – the most difficult decision is deciding which one to go for. There is no right or wrong answer and it just depends on how you prefer to work. Either way, you’re onto a winner.

π To find out more, go to www.profoto.com/offcameraflash Issue 19 | Photography News

Advertisement feature

Photography news

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n Photography News is published on the third Monday of every month by Bright Publishing Ltd, Bright House, 82 High Street, Sawston, Cambridge CB22 3HJ. n No part of this magazine can be used without prior written permission of Bright Publishing Ltd. n Photography News is a registered trademark of Bright Publishing Ltd. n The advertisements published in Photography News that have been written, designed or produced by employees of Bright Publishing Ltd remain the copyright of Bright Publishing Ltd and may not be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher. n The content of this publication does not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher. n While Bright Publishing makes every effort to ensure accuracy, it canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be guaranteed. n Street pricing at the time of writing is quoted for products.