Photography News - Issue 4

NEWS PREVIEWS TESTS CAMERA CLUBS INTERVIEWS ADVICE COMPETITIONS

Photography news

Issue 4

21 January – 17 February 2014

Your FREE newspaper packed with the latest news, views and stories from the world of photography

Nikon D4s heads up CES

www.photography-news.co.uk

Produced by

Hands-on reports, CES chatter and gossip, plus all the latest gear launches

Las Vegas sees launches from Samsung, Fujifilm, Panasonic, Sigma, Sony, Canon and Nikon The announcement that Nikon is preparing to launch the D4s was the big photo story from the recent Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. The new flagship promises to push the boundaries further than the D4, but for the moment, Nikon is teasing us and hasn’t provided details. PN had the chance to see the D4s at CES and spoke to Nikon representatives – full details are inside.

Nikon wasn’t the only one starting the new year with big announcements. Samsung also unveiled its newest flagship CSC, the NX30, alongside its first premium quality zoom lens. We got our hands on the NX30, and you can see what we thought inside.

Sigma wasn’t hedging its bets either, launching two new lenses. The first updates its innovative 50mm f/1.4 lens, while the second provides a superzoom focal range in a package so compact it’s being touted as the new standard lens. There were new optics from Fujifilm and Panasonic too, both offering up portrait lenses with maximum apertures of f/1.2. Fujifilm also laid its cards on the table, revealing its 2014 plans.

Finally, Sony updated its CSC line-up with the A5000, the world’s smallest and lightest camera of its kind, while Canon had new compacts with some innovative technology on show.

Turn the page for more details…

FREE

Every snippet of news you’ll want to read

What has the PAGB done for you? A lot, says its president Leo Rich explains why clubs need the PAGB

CLUB NEWS Winners and losers, speakers and events, we share the top stories from clubs and societies across the country on page 9.

On test: • Nikon Df • Sony A7 & A7R See pages 20 and 24 for the low-down

Issue 4 | Photography News

Photography News | Issue 4

www.photography-news.co.uk

Latest photography news

3

A great deal Outdoor Lowepro bags from Samsung

New series of shoulder bags is designed to carry today’s technology

Flagship CSC, premium quality lens, Galaxy Camera 2 and compacts all launched at CES Samsung had a very busy show and among other products, several quality compacts got an airing as did the NX30, its latest flagship CSC. The NX30 is a 20-megapixel camera using a Samsung CMOS sensor with on-chip phasedetection AF. Naturally, the NX30 is rich in exciting features: a three-inch articulating touchsensitive monitor, a host of focusing methods with a hybrid AF phase-detect and contrastdetect system, an ISO range of 100 to 25,600, continuous shooting up to 9fps and a top shutter speed of 1/8000sec. It is also the first Samsung camera to have an articulating EVF in addition to the monitor.

Two new lenses have been introduced to the NX system, the 16-50mm f/2-2.8 S ED OIS and the 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 Power Zoom ED OIS. The 16-50mm focal length equates to 24-77mm in the 35mm format. The former is the first member of Samsung’s series of premium quality lenses. It’s splash resistant and dust proof too for shooting in challenging conditions.

The 16-50mm Power Zoom is more compact, weighs only 111g and is ideal for everyday use. It features silent AF and there’s an electro zoom feature that lets you smoothly adjust focal length using a rocker switch on the lens body, making it ideal for video use.

Samsung also announced a bridge camera, the 16-megapixel WB2200F, with an integral optical 60x zoom lens (20-1200mm in 35mm format terms). To aid stable shooting with such a long zoom, the WB2200F has an innovative dual grip for secure shooting.

The Samsung Galaxy Camera 2 succeeds the original award-winning Galaxy. Key features are an upgraded 1.6GHz Quad Core processor and the Android platform for fast, easy sharing of images shot on its 16-megapixel sensor. The 21x integral optical zoom lens (23-483mm in 35mm terms) features an image stabilisation system. The Camera 2’s impressive 4.8in monitor has a resolution of 1.036m dots and touch-sensitive functionality.

To find out more go to www.samsung.com.

Lowepro’s Nova Sport AW range of shoulder bags is designed for photographers out and about on day trips or longer travels.

The bags are available in three sizes, which can accommodate from one consumer DSLR in the smallest, up to two pro-sized DSLRs in the largest, along with lenses, flashguns and accessories.

The two smallest sizes can also hold a tablet, while the largest has a laptop compartment. The compartments are adjustable, and the camera storage insert can be lifted out. Protection from the elements comes in the form of a storm flap and a built-in All Weather Cover, and there’s a padded shoulder strap for comfort.

Available in red or grey, the bags are priced from £49.

NEWS IN BRIEF MOBILE AND SOLID STATE STORAGE SanDisk has announced a wireless 64GB flash drive offering users even greater storage expansion for their mobile devices. Pricing is to be confirmed.

SanDisk has also announced the Asus Zenbook UX301LA Ultrabook that uses SanDisk X110 Solid State Drives (SSDs) for reliable and fast storage. With two 256GB SSDs with Raid 0, you get 512GB storage. Current price is around £2200 for the 512GB and £1829 for the 256GB option. www.sandisk.com

To find out more, go to www.lowepro.com.

IMAGES Among Samsung’s launches are (clockwise from top): Samsung NX30 £599.99; 16-50mm f/2-2.8 S ED OIS £1079.99; WB2200F £399.99; and Galaxy Camera 2 £399.99.

GET THE HANDS-ON LOW-DOWN FROM CES We were among the first to get a chance to use the Samsung NX30 out in Las Vegas. Turn to page 18 to see pictures taken with the camera and read what we thought of Samsung’s new flagship.

www.photography-news.co.uk

Issue 4 | Photography News

4

Latest photography news

Fujifilm launches plenty, more to come A new wide-aperture prime lens for the Fujifilm X-series paves the way for more lenses Fujifilm has started the new year by adding to its line-up of Fujinon lenses for its X-series compact system cameras, while it also laid out its road map for upcoming lens releases in 2014 and early 2015, and launched a number of fixed-lens cameras.

At CES, Fujifilm revealed to the world its XF56mm f/1.2 lens, designed to deliver beautiful bokeh and high-quality portraits. Its focal length is equivalent to 85mm on a full-frame camera, but it’s half the size of an equivalent full-frame lens with such a wide aperture.

It has a metal aperture ring for a premium feel, and the lens design includes two extra low-dispersion elements, one double-sided aspherical element and four elements with convex front surfaces, all included to reduce spherical and chromatic aberrations. It also features Fujifilm’s proprietary HT-EBC coating on all lens surfaces to reduce ghosting and flare.

The inner focus mechanism is driven by a motor that’s designed and positioned to reduce sound and vibration, making for smooth, silent autofocusing with no movement of the lens barrel. The structure of the lens also prevents dust getting inside. The Fujinon XF56mm will be on sale from February 2014 at a price of £900.

This new lens kicks off the next phase in Fujifilm’s lens road map, and the company revealed there will be five more launched in the coming year.

Specified in the line-up are the XF18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 R OIS, the XF16-55mm f/2.8 R OIS and the XF50-140mm f/2.8 R OIS, while undefined high speed wide-angle and super telephoto zoom lenses are also in the pipeline.

Also in the X-series, Fujifilm announced an all black version of its X100S premium compact, and there were more new cameras in the FinePix lineup. Most notable was the FinePix S1, the world’s first weather-resistant bridge camera with a 50x HD movie function and wireless communication.

IMAGES Fujifilm had a busy start to 2014, launching several new cameras and lenses. Above the FinePix S1 bridge camera; top right the black X100S; and right, the XF56mm f/1.2.

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

Wide-aperture Panasonic lens Panasonic’s new portrait lens for Micro Four Thirds has a maximum aperture of f/1.2

Panasonic has a new wide-aperture Leica-certified lens for the Micro Four Thirds system: the Leica DG Nocticron 42.5mm f/1.2. The focal length is equivalent to 85mm on a full-frame camera, and the aperture is made up of nine blades for smooth bokeh. The lens also features Power Optical Image Stabilisation to compensate for small, fast movements and large, slow movements so that subjects are kept in focus even with the extremely shallow depth-of-field the widest apertures create.

The metal build includes an aperture ring for direct control, while the inner focusing mechanism includes a stepping motor for smooth and silent lens movement that allows focusing as close as 50cm.

The glass has Panasonic’s Nano Surface Coating to reduce reflections, ghosting and flare, while the 14 lens elements in 11 groups include two aspherical lenses, one extra low-dispersion lens and one ultra high refractive index lens, combining to reduce aberrations and maximise optical performance.

The lens is available to pre-order now at a price of £1399. π To find out more, go to www.panasonic.co.uk.

Photography News | Issue 4

www.photography-news.co.uk

Latest photography news NEWS IN BRIEF TIFFEN 10-STOP FILTER Tiffen showcased its new 10-stop neutral density filter, the Tiffen ND 3.0, at CES. Despite the reduction in light passing through the lens, Tiffen claims its tried-and-tested technology means there are no colour changes – existing extreme long exposure filters give a colour cast. The Tiffen ND 3.0 filter is available in sizes from 52mm to 82mm, with prices ranging from £23 to £85. www.tiffen.com

5

New from Benro Benro has additions to its Classic tripod series, and a new range of shoulder bags

Strobies Pro-Flash One Eighty A powerful, portable flash Interfit has announced the release of the Strobies Pro-Flash One Eighty, a high-powered, portable bare bulb flash unit. With a power output of 180Ws, it has full manual control and can be used on- or off-camera. The dedicated optional Radio Trigger Set allows control from up to 50m away using 16 channels, and high speed flash sync is also possible with an appropriate trigger. The battery pack provides 900 full-power flashes with recycle times of 2.2 seconds.

The price for a flash head and battery kit is £350.

The two tripods offer larger sizes in the Classic Series with a maximum height of 195.5cm. The 3570F and 4570F are both available in aluminium, priced at £155 and £179, or carbon fibre at £354 and £431 respectively.

The new Smart Series Shoulder Bags for small amounts of equipment feature brightly finished piping and an ergonomic shoulder strap. The largest holds up to one camera body with three lenses, a flash and a 12-inch laptop. Prices range from £35 to £48.

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

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

IMAGES More tripods and bags from Benro.

New mirrorless Alpha Sony unveils its latest CSC, its smallest and lightest ever Sony unveiled the world’s smallest and lightest interchangeable lens Wi-Fi camera in the shape of the A5000 at CES. Despite its Alpha name, the A5000 is a mirrorless camera with an E lens mount that picks up where the NEX line-up left off.

Weighing 210g, the A5000 has a 20.1-megapixel APS-C sensor and the latest BIONZ X processor, as seen in the full-frame A7 and A7R. This provides area-specific noise reduction that’s combined with an ISO sensitivity range of up to ISO 16,000. The camera also features Wi-Fi and NFC (Near Field Communication) for one-touch connection to your smartphone so you can share images or control the camera remotely. Images can also be automatically transferred to your smart device every time you turn the camera off via the new Sync function, and the camera is also compatible with Sony’s PlayMemories Camera Apps. The Photo Creativity feature is also said to provide intuitive control over settings such as Picture Effect and Background Defocus. The A5000 is available to pre-order now for £419 with a 1650mm Power Zoom lens, and will be on sale from March. π To find out more, go to www.sony.co.uk.

www.photography-news.co.uk

Issue 4 | Photography News

6

Latest photography news

Book now Get your tickets for a new annual photography event

D4s sets CES alight Nikon’s latest flagship model looks set to arrive before the summer’s major sporting events, but D3300 won’t keep beginners waiting so long Words by Roger Payne

Terry O’Neill

You can get your hands on the very latest cameras and accessories, come face-to-face with photography legends and learn to take pictures like them, all at The Photography Show at the NEC Birmingham, 1-4 March 2014.

This brand new event is designed for enthusiast photographers and will bring together a diverse selection of exhibitors, interactive activities and special guests over four days. Over 150 leading brands will be exhibiting their latest products, including Canon, Nikon, Olympus, Panasonic, Manfrotto, Hasselblad and many more. The Super Stage will give you the chance to hear from top professionals, including Rankin, Steve McCurry and Terry O’Neill.

There’ll also be the chance to capture your own images; the Live Stage provides a unique opportune to capture unusual subjects, professional photographers will talk you through fashion and portrait photography on the Catwalk, and you can explore macro and garden photography in the IGPOTY Flower Garden.

There’s even the opportunity to build your own camera in the Lomography Konstruktor Workshops.

Tickets for the show are just £13 when pre-booked through the website. π To find out more, go to www.photographyshow.com.

Photography News | Issue 4

ABOVE Group marketing manager at Nikon UK, Jeremy Gilbert, with the new D3300.

LEFT The D4s will have a better AF system and more advanced image processor than the D4.

Nikon took the photographic world by surprise at CES by announcing that a new flagship DSLR, the D4s, would be added to its range in 2014. A prototype of the curvy camera was kept behind glass and under the watchful eye of a security guard at the show, plus specification details were very limited, but we do know the D4s will have an improved focusing system and beefed up image processing engine.

So why tease the public now? Talking exclusively to PN Jeremy Gilbert (left), group marketing manager at Nikon UK said: “We recognise the fact that buying a range-topping DSLR is a major investment both for individuals and businesses. With a series of major sporting events coming this summer, we wanted photographers to be able to make a fully informed purchasing decision when investing in the top end of the Nikon DSLR range. There’s nothing more frustrating than spending a significant amount of money, only to find an updated model is available.

That’s why we’ve shown the D4s at CES – it’s all about being transparent with our customers.”

Jeremy couldn’t provide any further specification details, but when we asked about the likely pixel count, he hinted that this won’t change significantly from the current 16.2-megapixel D4.

“I think it’s more likely to be similar to the changes we made between the D3 and the D3s – performance was improved, but the resolution stayed the same.”

While the D4s may have grabbed the headlines, Nikon also ushered in the D3300 underlining the importance of sales at the opposite end of the DSLR spectrum. Replacing the D3200, this new entrypoint to the Nikon DSLR range features the same 24.2-megapixel sensor, but now sports an EXPEED 4 image processing engine. This boosts the overall performance and hikes the ISO by a stop to a maximum of 12,800, expandable to 25,600. A new, compact 18-55mm standard zoom will accompany the D3300 when it arrives in store this February. π To find out more about the Nikon D3300, visit www.nikon.co.uk.

www.photography-news.co.uk

Latest photography news

7

Canon compacts

NEWS IN BRIEF

Dual capture is Canon’s highlight It was a relatively quiet CES for Canon, with no high-impact launches, but there were still one or two notable additions to its PowerShot range. In particular, the PowerShot N100 is a ‘brand new concept camera’ and is the first to feature both front and rear facing cameras – this Dual Capture allows it to record your expression as you shoot and combine it with the scene you’ve captured. At its core is a 12.1-megapixel 1/1.7-type high-sensitivity CMOS sensor, DIGIC 6 processor and a 24mm ultra-wide zoom angle with a 5x optical zoom and bright aperture of f/1.8-5.7. The rear-facing camera has a 25mm lens. The camera also features Canon’s HS System for excellent low-light performance, a large tilting touch screen and Wi-Fi. The PowerShot N100 will be available from May 2014 priced at £349.

Also unveiled at CES were the PowerShot SX600 HS with an 18x optical zoom, the IXUS 265 HS with a 12x optical zoom, and the Selphy CP910 and CP820 compact photo printers. π To find out more, go to www.canon.co.uk.

Double from Sigma Updated 50mm f/1.4 and ‘new standard lens’ 18-200mm superzoom Sigma added two lenses to its impressive stable of products at CES. First off is an entry-level 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 DC Macro OS HSM suitable for APS-C/ DX DSLRs that belongs to Sigma’s Contemporary range. It’s smaller and lighter than its predecessor, and Sigma says it’s a similar size to some 18-55mm lenses, making it a contender as the new standard lens. It also has a closer minimum focusing distance, giving a macro reproduction of 1:3. Other highlights include a Hyper Sonic Motor (HSM) for silent AF and OS image stabilisation.

This lens will be available in Canon, Nikon, Pentax, Sigma and Sony fittings, with no OS function in Pentax and Sony fittings. Price is to be confirmed.

In Sigma’s Art collection is an all-new 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM for full-frame and DX formats. This lens focuses as close as 40cm, has HSM technology for silent AF, and is highly corrected to combat chromatic aberration, coma and distortion. With 13 elements in eight groups, it’s also said to have an excellent wide-open performance and delivers beautiful bokeh. Filter thread is 77mm.

Price is also not yet available and the lens will be available in Canon, Nikon, Sigma and Sony fittings. π To find out more, go to www.sigma-imaging.co.uk. www.photography-news.co.uk

The PowerShot N100 has a 12.1-megapixel sensor, DIGIC 6 processor and 5x optical zoom lens

Reborn bags

LEXAR GO FASTER Lexar has added to its Professional range of CompactFlash cards.

The 1066x 256GB CF card has a write speed of up to 155MB/s and has a guide price of £720. It will be available later this spring.

Slower at 800x (that’s still very fast) and with write speeds of up to 75MB/s are two high capacity cards, a 256GB and the first ever 512GB CF card, selling at around £480 and £1100 respectively. These will also be available later this spring.

Even more impressive is the forthcoming range of CFast 2.0 cards which have write speeds of up to 3x faster than the fastest CF card – Lexar claims 3333x for its CFast cards or 500MB/s. Price and availability to be confirmed. www.lexar.com

Domke’s Next Generation bags, launched at CES, feature unique PocketFlex and GearProtex systems

Samsung winners Domke has launched its Next Generation bags, showcasing them for the first time at CES. The refreshed line-up includes the Journalist Series, Adventurer Series, Metro Series and Viewfinder Series, and each offers models, materials and colours designed specifically for different purposes.

All the new bags feature Domke’s new PocketFlex storage component system, which allows customisation via a system of pockets, patches and pouches for tailored storage of your lenses and accessories. They also all include the new GearProtex system, which features bendable, selfadhesive separators that allow you to organise the bags into compartments of any size or shape to best suit your kit.

The winners of our Samsung wordsearch competition in previous issues were: ISSUE 1 Winner: Ronald Andrews from London Runners-up: Tim Ramsay from Chesterfield and Angela Bedgood from Aberdare ISSUE 2 Winner: Mike Steward from Enfield Runner-up: Dave Cunningham from Bromsgrove

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

Issue 4 | Photography News

8

Latest photography news

Your feedback on…

PN, the Df and Del Readers tell it like it is: commenting on club friendliness, subjective judging, Nikon’s Df and, of course, PN “Excellent job with the first three issues, and they are getting better. It fills a hole in the market for camera clubs. Hang onto the high grade of paper too – excellent feel. I particularly like the accessible and friendly style – and not too Clever Dick or cliquey. This is perfectly illustrated by the excellent series of Photo School/Camera Class.

“Loved loads of it thus far. Rikki O’Neill’s comments in Issue 3 touched closely on the same issues as Del Barrett regarding clubs and in particular club competitions. Del seems to have had an awful experience or may on the other hand have just got the judging issue out of proper perspective and confused it with club friendliness, which is a different matter.

“I judge for the Chilterns Association of Camera Clubs – occasionally stray into East Anglia and have escaped with my life thus far. We try, and I believe have succeeded, to maintain an encouraging/ improving theme to our judging. Stan McCartin LRPS, CPAGB, APAGB runs a workshop-style training school each year so judges go out knowing what to do and what to expect. The authoritarians don’t get through the audition.”

Dave Hipperson Ed: Dave, you’re right, PN is dedicated to camera clubs, and that’s why we are always asking for feedback, news stories about the club or individual members, details of ‘big name’ talks to promote your ticket sales, forthcoming exhibitions and so on. So, all you in charge of publicity for your club, group or society, please note down this email address and send anything you think people outside of your club will appreciate, enjoy or benefit from: clubnews@photographynews.com.

“Interesting article on the Nikon Df. I have been following the specs on this since it was announced – great idea, especially that it is designed to work with older lenses. However, I think Nikon seems to have missed the really obvious with this one: no video. I work with a couple of D800s and a variety of Nikon DSLR bodies in producing video as well as stills. I don’t use autofocus with video, so older, top spec, manual focus lenses are a great alternative.

The price puts it out of the range of many ‘pleasure’ photographers, but it has real applications in the hands of pros, many of whom I’m sure would go for its advantages with video applications. So Nikon, any chance of a Df with added video?”

Iain Ferguson

“There is one thing I would love to read in PN: your dream camera. The idea is that the same question is answered by photographers of all levels, and not as a choice from what’s on the market, more like a concept camera. For example, for me it would be something like a Nikon FM2n with a big 40-megapixel plus sensor, no AF, no autoexposure and Raw output. The Nikon Df is promising, but it is so much more expensive than the D610. Surely stripped down should cost less?”

Andrzej Kowalik Ed: Andrzej’s idea is a good one so if you have any thoughts on your perfect camera please email your concepts to opinion@photographynews.co.uk. We know all the camera makers read PN so you never know, your idea might become reality.

“I wanted to congratulate Del on her Opinion regarding camera clubs! Our club is generally friendly, we also endeavour to avoid the ‘ladies make the tea, men make images’ stereotype with some success. The thing that rang a bell with me is the requirement to submit images that fit with club photography. Woe betide anyone who puts up an image that’s good for its own reasons! Our club is fortunate to have a member who regularly gives us guidance and reassurance that it is OK to enter a ‘different’ image as long as it is technically competent. Personally I don’t bother entering club competitions because I don’t make images they would like, I make images for my own enjoyment.”

Terri Jacobs “I believe Del is correct about photography clubs.

I am a member of a club and they are very stuck in their ways. There are exceptional photographers within the club and they do get some good speakers in, but the judges are a joke. They are too stuck in their own way of thinking and anything new would be brushed aside. And unless you know the judge, don’t expect a high mark. I sit at the back and laugh about what the judge says. There have been examples where an image has done poorly at the club but has won a national competition.

“I have completed a three-year photography degree course and work in a photographic business.

I thought it would be fun showing images and getting to know other photographers but I was wrong. I have paid my fees for this year and I’ll still go when I can, but I’m leaving next year.”

Jennifer Hampson

Congratulations on an excellent journal. It contains a lot of interesting snippets that generate enough interest to seek more information. The contributors are all plainly knowledgeable as well as having a lot to say that’s worth reading. Please continue with your endeavour Francisco de Souza Photography News | Issue 4

Many thanks for your informative and refreshing newspaper. The issues flew off the shelf very quickly at our club Alan Belton

WHAT DO YOU THINK? If you have an opinion about anything photographic and especially what you’ve read in Photography News, please drop us an email at opinion@ photographynews.co.uk

“In response to Del’s opinion: I joined my local club a year ago. I was in awe of the images the members produced for our internal competitions. In fact I seriously thought of not joining. How wrong I was!

The members welcomed me with open arms, offering constructive criticism and practical advice.

They have opened my eyes to alternative ways of taking photographs.

“We have a laugh and a joke about our work, especially between the Canon and the Nikon (spit!) users. We are a club that thrives on sarcasm, criticism and most importantly encouragement and friendliness. We have guest judges and while some are excellent and encourage, there is the odd one who is a bit pretentious. In the end however it all boils down to the questions you should ask yourself. ‘Would I buy that image?’, ‘Would I like it on my wall at home?’ and if the answer is yes, then who cares what other people’s opinions are. It’s all subjective.

“Del, go and find a proper club like ours where you can have a laugh as well as be inspired by, or inspire, others.”

Alan Bromiley “I joined my local camera club, and it was exactly as Del said – but men were also asked to make the tea.

The judges were all taught at the judge school and looked at the photographs subjectively. The same people always got 20 out of 20. Most top scores were those who went on outings with professional photographers who knew exactly where to be at the right time. As one professional said to me, ‘So really it isn’t their own work, is it?’

“It’s taken two years, a few 20s and winning the 17-and-under category to make me feel at home, but I’ve made three friends for photo outings.”

Jeanette Thomson www.photography-news.co.uk

Camera clubs

9 Christopher Bradbury

New PS in the Peaks From virtual club to real life meetings, Phil Sproson tells the story of the High Peak Photographic Society’s evolution Phil Sproson explains how a small band of photographers joining together on Facebook has developed into a new informal photography club with regular meetings in Combs, Derbyshire: “For almost a year I have co-run a Facebook group of local and not so local photographers. It was suggested last summer that since there is a concentration of photographers locally the group should try and meet occasionally in the real world.

“From that idea, High Peak Photographic Society now runs from Comb Village Hall (on the outskirts of Chapel-en-le-Frith) and meets every other Wednesday from 8pm to 10pm. It offers an excellent space for a photographic club and is a short distance from Buxton and other outlaying towns and villages.”

“A Facebook group was set up in advance of starting the club to gauge interest and on the first meeting 16 people turned up and the Facebook group has swelled to 32 people. The intent going forward will be to have the meets on the Wednesday and also between meetings to get out and about.”

High Peak’s next two meetings are 29 January and 12 February.

WILL CHEUNG FRPS AT WARWICK This recently formed club is pleased to announce that PN’s

editor Wll Cheung FRPS will be giving a talk on ‘My Passion for Photography’ at the club on 5 March 2014 at Chase Meadow Community Centre, Warwick CV34 6BT. Tickets are £15 for non-members and include refreshments.

It’s £10 for members.

Becoming a member costs £20 (per rolling year) and £5 per meeting. www.warwick cameraclub.co.uk

π To find out more about the High Peak Photographic Society, phone Phil Sproson on 07966 509726 or email info@philsprosonphotography.co.uk.

Successful start Earl Shilton Camera Club finished 2013 in celebratory mood, after a most successful start to the 2013/14 season. The season started with victory in the external Fosse Co-op Camera Club’s New Fosse Challenge Trophy Competition in October. This was a six-print open competition judged by Bill Hall, DPAGB, AFIAP, BPE4 which attracted entries from 11 Midlands clubs. They pipped Tamworth Photographic Club, who had held the title since 2007, by just one point.

They finished for Christmas with another victory, this time in the local inter-club Cedars Trio Challenge. This was a 15-print competition between themselves, Broughton Astley Photographic Society, and Hinckley and District Photographic Society. It was judged by Terry Bickley AFIAP, DPAGB who was impressed by the high standard of entries from all three clubs and as a result awarded ten prints top marks.

This image ‘I will remember them’ by Trevor Wain won Image of the Year 2012/13.

Trevor also retained the Photographer of the Year title that he has won seven times.

The Earl Shilton CC kicked off the second half of the season on 8 January 2014, but they’ll be waiting until 21 May for the highlight of the season when they welcome professional wildlife and nature photographer Chris Weston to the club.

Anyone is welcome to attend but please contact the club beforehand to show your interest in case they need to find a larger venue. π To find out more, go to www.earlshilton cameraclub.org.uk. www.photography-news.co.uk

NEWS IN BRIEF

Christopher Bradbury at Clacton One of the UK’s top portrait photographers is Clacton CC’s main attraction Clacton Camera Club’s big annual speaker is Christopher Bradbury. The renowned portrait photographer and winner of four Master Photographers Association Awards presents his lecture, An Evening with Christopher Bradbury, on 14 March when he will talk about surrealist portraiture, the ideas behind his images and some of the best bits in Photoshop.

The event takes place at the McGrigor Hall, Frinton-on-Sea CO13 9EB. It starts at 7.30pm. Tickets are £10 each including refreshments and are available by emailing secretary@clactoncameraclub.com. π To find out more, go to www.clactoncameraclub.com.

WELL DONE ANGI A member of Reflex Camera Club, Angi Wallace has just won

Amphibian Image of 2013 in a contest run

by The Reptile Report website. http://bit.ly/1a3GU4B

The next issue of Photography News is out 17 February.

Ian Thompson on friendly clubs Read page 13. Have an opinion? Let us know what you really think.

Club news needs your help PN really does need your help to fill its pages, so if your club has a big speaker appearing soon and you want every seat occupied, or if your club (or an individual member) has just scooped a big award or gained a distinction, or you have an exhibition on, we’d love to hear from you so please ask your secretary or publicity officer to get in touch. Stories should be 250 words maximum and accompanied by a high resolution JPEG (at least 2400 pixels on the longest dimension) and emailed to clubnews@photography-news.com. If we need anything else we will contact you.

Thank you in advance for your help.

Issue 4 | Photography News

Photography News | Issue 4

www.photography-news.co.uk

Opinion

11

BEFORE THE JUDGE

Peter Yeo

FRPS, DPAGB, APAGB

Each issue, a respected judge or exhibition selector shares their thoughts and experiences with us. This month, we put lecturer, judge and selector Peter Yeo FRPS, DPAGB, APAGB in the hot seat

Peter Yeo FRPS, DPAGB, APAGB: Peter is a lecturer (sponsored by Fotospeed Distribution), judge and selector. He was introduced to photography while training as an RAF apprentice in the 1950s.

Words by Peter Yeo FRPS, DPAGB, APAGB

I have been involved in photography for well over 50 years. It became a major part of my life as I tried to record the many places a lengthy service career was to take me. I first joined the RPS when based in Singapore and have been a member of camera clubs all over. The extremely low prices of Nikon cameras and lenses in the Far East enabled me to buy an extensive range of kit, and I have been a loyal Nikon user ever since. As a keen travel and landscape photographer I use my Gitzo carbon-fibre tripod quite a lot.

As a lecturer I try to give talks that show a wide range of work; travel and landscape, townscapes and a few people pictures are included, but actually I will have a go at anything.

I was delighted to be invited to join the RPS Licentiate Assessment Panel two years ago. I first began judging at club level simply because I was asked, found I enjoyed it and have been accepting invitations for about 50 years, graduating to inter-club, federation, national and international exhibitions, for example Dingwall, Smethwick, the RPS Visual Art Group members’ exhibition and, only a few weeks ago, I judged the RPS Yorkshire Region Annual Exhibition. For me, exhibiting is not the main reason I enjoy photography; visiting clubs to lecture and judge is my real motivation. Like many who judge or act as exhibition selectors I find that seeing exceptional photography is what makes my involvement worthwhile, and it gets better when someone I have advised tells me that he or she has won an award or gained a distinction. Perhaps the most interesting judging event I have undertaken was to act as the sole judge for an international, inter-club four-way competition between top clubs in Britain, one each from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The venue was special too – the Electric Mountain in north Wales – and it brought me face-to-face with the work of Hunter Kennedy.

Many regret the introduction of digital imaging and claim nothing measures up to film and darkroom work. I believe digital has broadened the appeal of photography as a hobby, and the standard of pictures at club and exhibition level continues to get better.

Those who go to Warwick and Connah’s Quay will be aware of the very high standard of photography produced by the top clubs and their members, with Smethwick, Wigan-10 and others dominating the events. However, I am impressed by much of the work coming from Eastern Europe and the Far East.

Exhibition selection usually requires three experienced judges who work together to find the best images to ensure a successful exhibition with a variety of work from different genres. There is plenty of scope for disagreements but, funnily enough, I have found very few prima donnas who want to enforce their views on the others. Selectors are chosen for their different skills, interests and www.photography-news.co.uk

MEET THE JUDGE

Home club: Newark & District Photographic Society, www.newarkphotoclub.com Favourite lens and camera combination: Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8 fitted to a Nikon D600.

The 70-200mm f/2.8 is another top-class lens that I love to use.

Accessory: Gitzo carbon-fibre lightweight tripod, no longer a current model.

Favourite photographers: Michael Kenna, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Hunter Kennedy, Willy Ronis and Elliott Erwitt for his tremendous sense of humour; we all need to enjoy our hobby.

Favourite subjects: Virtually anything that presents itself in front of me and my camera, but Scottish landscape, particularly the Outer Hebrides, travel (instilled by 33 years of worldwide travel at the taxpayer’s expense as a serviceman).

Awards won: I got my Fellowship in the Visual Arts/Pictorial category. The award of APAGB, 17 years ago, in recognition of 35 years of ‘Meritorious Service to the PAGB and its Affiliated Societies’.

experience, and most recognise the need for a mix to maintain viewers’ interest; and all contribute to the success of an exhibition in their own ways.

Judging is rather different from ‘selection’ in that selectors do not have to comment whereas judges do. There are times when a picture comes up for judgement and it is hard to know what to say, sometimes because the image is so dreadful that being positive is difficult, and others when one’s breath is taken away by the beauty or impact of the picture.

No matter what the situation, a judge has to say something, and pretty quickly. Thinking on your feet is a vital attribute, as is the ability to recognise when the poorer work might be that of a beginner who needs help. All sorts of problems crop up regularly but the most common are over-enlargement, oversharpening, over-saturation, burned-out highlights and solid, featureless black shadows.

The oft-quoted ‘rules’ in photography probably have their origins in painting from centuries ago, but it is also said that rules are made to be broken.

If you want to try something outside the norm, and it works well, then so be it. A striking and different composition can be successful. Most of us began by taking quite ordinary photographs, so when faced with such a picture, a judge should seek out the good points and suggest how it might be improved.

The less good aspects should also be mentioned, to give a rounded response, but encouraging remarks may retain a member who will make progress and not go home never to return to the club again.

The wide range of software now available enables us to do things that would have been more difficult in the darkroom. However the relative ease with which

ABOVE Homeless but dignified, by Peter Yeo.

Personal taste is a factor to be considered, and who is to say that mine is the correct one?

images can be created from virtually nothing can lead to the over-reliance on software. For example, the use of HDR effects to create implausible, saturated colours.

Personal taste is a factor to be considered, and who is to say that mine is the correct one? In recent years it has become the vogue to take a simple picture and enhance it by the addition of portions taken from a number of data files. I wonder sometimes whether the creator of such images really has a good reason for the end result or has simply arrived at it because he or she was able to. I suspect the style will change over time and we may, with luck, get back to what I think of as straight photography where the innate values of the image are shown and applauded. This begs the question ‘what is straight photography?’

Those exhibition organisers who are now seeking to introduce a category for straight photography will have a hard job policing the entries submitted.

Camera club members naturally seek success, and this success can be hard to find, and even harder to measure in any meaningful way. Try entering club competitions and take note of the judges’ comments; judges do have a lot to offer, even if it is only an unbiased opinion from someone with a fair bit of experience. Ask fellow members how they get the results they do; many clubs run classes for newcomers to the hobby we share. As you make progress, try entering your regional PAGB Federation exhibition and even a national exhibition; gaining an acceptance will boost confidence and show if your work reaches the standard required. Above all take lots of photographs and share them with others.

Listen to criticism, learn from it, but do not lose heart if you don’t hear what you hope to hear.

Issue 4 | Photography News

Photography News | Issue 4

www.photography-news.co.uk

Opinion

13 SPEAKERS’ CORNER

How friendly is your club? A riposte!

This is your chance to climb up on your soapbox and have a rant. Last issue, Del Barrett asked camera clubs to look at how friendly they are to new members; this issue, Ian Thompson responds Words by Ian Thompson ARPS Well, Del, I sympathise with you for – in the main – you’re not wrong. Your experiences in photoclubland are enough to make anyone tear out their hair. These days I am an accredited MCPF circuit judge and in my travels around the Midlands’ clubs I am sad to say that I have witnessed many scenarios of the type you describe. It’s almost as if there is some tacit set of rules which govern the make-up and constitution of the ‘generic camera club’. But whilst many clubs come out of the mould you describe, there are exceptions and like well-run pubs that buck the national bankruptcy trend, they shine like beacons in the night. Ha! I’ve always wanted to use that phrase as a lead-in to describe the success of the club that is unfortunate enough to have me as a member. So here goes…

I joined the Beacon Camera Club five years ago in an attempt to paddle free from the photographic doldrums which had captured me throughout the years of job, children and mortgage. What I found was a bunch of folk equally split into those keen to embrace a new recruit and those who were not bothered. Despite this, I paid my subs and persevered, watching and listening, finding out how things worked. The ‘keen’ were great – very supportive and considerate of a new member; the ‘not bothered’ offered little in the way of encouragement.

During the first year of my membership I received from members many conflicting pieces of advice as to what constituted a ‘good’ picture.

Worse – most of the visiting competition judges were lazy and inconsistent, usually ‘winging it’ on the night of the competition and denigrating our efforts with a wave of the hand. I found their lack of both consideration and constructive criticism particularly hard to swallow. What is the point of entering a club competition if you don’t get some kind of advice from those-who-know as to how to make improvements? I entered a few competitions and did reasonably well but felt let down by both the club and the judging process: the former was not a particularly sociable place to be and the latter just made me cross! As they say, if you want to see change, you have to get involved so I offered to become involved in the workings of the committee.

Time went on and circumstance dictated almost a complete change of personnel in the club committee, which had changed little for four or five years – small clubs always have this problem, don’t they? Portfolios were allotted to committee members: I became internal competition secretary and set about renovating the methods used to manage competition entries. Being slightly technosavvy, I proposed a new website, with a forum and www.photography-news.co.uk

a completely web-based method of competition entry, even for prints. I know this sounds strange, but it allows us to project a reference image for the audience while a judge is talking about the small piece of paper in the corner of the room. At the same time, a new chairman, publicity guru, members’ secretary, programme secretary, etc, all climbed into their respective saddles. The combination of this enthusiastic and skilled team produced results almost from the word go.

We stuck out our necks and organised successful, big ticketed events – Joe Cornish, Laurie Campbell, our own dear Will Cheung, etc.; we registered the club as a charity so we could benefit from gift aid; we introduced fun into the equation – club nights are no longer grey, stuffy gatherings, humour abounds; we insist that visiting judges preview the work to be judged – if they won’t, they don’t get booked; we run a feedback section on our forum where members can compliment or gripe about speakers and judges; on competition nights, members score the entries on optical-mark forms so we can avail ourselves of crowd statistics, which help us select material for external competitions. We’ve formed relationships with local newspapers, shops, district councils, other charities and even the local radio station, all of whom give our club wonderful free exposure… and the list goes on.

Over the last five years – no doubt connected to the above – the club has grown from 40 members to 120, of age range 14 to 96, and now we offer sub-

Whilst many clubs come out of the same mould, there are exceptions and they shine like beacons in the night

IMAGES Dedicated and enthusiastic club member Ian Thompson’s image, Blown away.

groups for beginners, wildlife, portraiture, etc, all of whom meet on nights additional to our weekly Thursday offerings. There is a wonderful buzz from the membership who (appear to!) really enjoy the way the club handles itself.

Specifically, ‘advice’ on what constitutes a ‘good’ picture is forbidden. Instead we criticise each others’ work objectively, suggesting courteously how we might improve it in our opinion, leaving the author to decide on the finished product because it must please them before it pleases anyone else. After all, if you don’t use photography to make a living (and 99% of our members don’t), it’s likely that you take pictures for family record or hedonistic reasons. Club competitions should come behind these needs, though it must be said that gaining a ‘place’ in a competition is a very useful fillip to one’s confidence!

Now, I’m not saying that ours is the best or a universal formula: very obviously there has to be enthusiasm from within to effect change of this nature and there has to be time available to those so charged. Also, I believe that once a certain critical mass is achieved, the funds available for speakers and the broad enthusiasm of the audience produce a snowball effect.

Beacon Camera Club is blessed with a wonderful set of members who have much desire to see the club flourish and deliver upon its maxim of ‘educating the public in the art and science of photography’. Long may it continue.

WHAT DO YOU THINK? Niggled by negative club members?

Enthusiastic about exciting exhibition developments? Share it with us and all of clubland. Drop us a line at opinion@ photography-news.co.uk.

Issue 4 | Photography News

14

Profile INSIDER VIEW

The PAGB If you are reading this, you are almost certainly a member of a camera club or photographic society. At some point in your time as a club member you very likely will have heard the initials PAGB, which stand for the Photographic Alliance of Great Britain. But what, if anything, does the PAGB mean to you or, indeed, to your club? President, Leo Rich, explains all

Words by Leo Rich I became interested in photography at the age of 12 when I discovered my late grandfather’s folding bellows camera. I read and taught myself how to shoot and process film and when colour became affordable, I moved to colour slides – that was my passion. I do upset print photographers when I refer to slides as being the ‘ultimate’ form of photography as you have to get it right in the camera and not fiddle afterwards. This has, of course, gone out of the window with the digital revolution, though I do try and stick to the principles. I suppose I would be classed as a reactive rather than creative photographer. If I do take a creative picture, it is usually a mistake.

I have always classed myself as ‘an amateur jobbing photographer’ taking anything that catches my fancy. If anything, my greatest passion is taking people pictures on location. I also love wildlife but would never consider myself a nature photographer.

I joined my first club in 1979 and have been a keen club photographer ever since, as well as entering national and international exhibitions.

Unfortunately for some reason I was born a ‘committee man’ so it was inevitable: when I became a member of a camera club, I joined the committee and then became their representative on the federation. It was a short step to becoming the federation representative on the PAGB and eventually I became secretary for the Awards for Photographic Merit (APM). I loved that post so much I did ask the Executive to permit me to stay in that role during my two-year presidency term, which started in April 2013. The success of the APM is very much due to a small committee that works in great harmony with the federations, each of which takes it in turn to host the adjudications that are normally held twice a year. Unlike international exhibitions we use six judges to appraise the work. Many judges have told me this is the most exacting form of judging of all – and I have to agree.

I think becoming a club committed man all started around 1985 so we should be in line for some celebrations when I hand over the presidency of the PAGB in 2015.

Being president is not hard work, well not if you enjoy it as much as I do. It does have a ‘London Bus’ feel on occasions in that nothing seems to happen for a while then two, or more, events come

Being president of the PAGB is not hard work, well not if you enjoy it as much as I do

Key roles of the PAGB • Offers its own Awards for Photographic Merit with three levels of competence: Credit (CPAGB), Distinction (DPAGB) and the top award, Master (MPAGB).

• Maintains its own list of judges who have been approved by the PAGB to adjudicate at interfederation, national and international exhibitions and competitions.

• Provides a patronage service to federations and clubs running national exhibitions or special events which includes the provision of medals and ribbons.

• Runs a recorded lecture service where, for a small sum, clubs can hire CDs on a range of subjects for the entertainment or education of members.

• Organises a number of competitions and exhibitions either for federations to enter directly or for clubs selected by them to act as their representatives.

• Offers guidance to federations and clubs by dealing with photographic issues which affect us all.

• Publishes a free e-newsletter that every club member can sign up for.

• Promotes clubs and federations at major imaging exhibitions.

Photography News | Issue 4

TOP Melia and family.

Taken near Bundi in Rajasthan.

ABOVE Leopard with Kill. Taken in Ranthambhore National Park.

RIGHT Unnis charging, Ranthambhore National Park, India.

FAR RIGHT On their way home. www.photography-news.co.uk

Profile

15

I am very positive about the future of club photography in the UK. There are many more people discovering photography

www.photography-news.co.uk

along together. Because most clubs close down between June and September the year is short, which compounds the problem. For example, having returned from three days away in Guernsey last week, we are off to the Awards Adjudication in Weymouth next weekend and the following weekend another Awards Adjudication in Dumfries.

In between I try to stay in touch with our local clubs, either judging inter-club competitions or giving talks (my performances are not good enough to be called presentations).

Incidentally I am rather surprised that I am, once again, receiving requests for my slide talks as many club members miss them.

One of my predecessors, when making their acceptance speech, did declare that their sole intention was to visit each of the federations within their presidency. I too would like to do this, but only if I can be of some practical use. I much prefer to be hands-on (I’ll even dish out the teas and coffees) than be wheeled out at the appropriate moment just to say a few nice things. It is well known in the Southern Counties that I will go anywhere if there is a decent sausage roll waiting.

I am not as competitive as some of my friends, but I do like to challenge myself. My wife Carolyn is the biggest critic of my work and I love to get an image that I like (but that she does not rate) into an exhibition. Entering competitions led me to a successful Associateship application to the Royal Photographic Society. I don’t have the discipline to try for a Fellowship.

I did not think I could promote the Awards for Photographic Merit without having tried myself and was fortunate enough to achieve Distinction level. I had a crack at the Masters and have the failed T-shirt so I know I have reached my level.

By sheer dogged perseverance over many years I have gained an EFIAP/g (gold). Once more I think this is as far as my ability will take me – at least until I finish as president and have time on my hands. This must be my greatest achievement yet due to the time span involved. It took eight years just to reach EFIAP level.

One of the major issues in club photography for years has been communication. The PAGB can provide information to federations who then pass it on to their clubs only for it, somewhere along the line, to fail to get through. The PAGB used to publish a newsletter twice a year, but this always reflected what had passed, not what was about to happen. To overcome this, and at the instigation of Rod Wheelans, past president, an e-newsletter was introduced and has proved amazingly popular.

Anyone can subscribe and keep up to date with events photographic. The e-newsletter will continue to be the major organ for distributing information for the future.

We have close to a thousand clubs and societies within the PAGB of all different sizes, interests and all levels of ability. Some are more social than competitive and probably have little knowledge of their federation, let alone the PAGB. Our only service to them might be the provision of public liability insurance but the membership fee is worth this alone. However the large majority of clubs do have a very keen, active membership whose sole aim is to improve their photography and see the competitions and exhibitions organised by their federations and the PAGB as an ideal platform.

I am very positive about the future of club photography in the UK. There are many more

people discovering photography through modern communication facilities such as mobile telephones, iPads etc. and a proportion of these will wish to expand their own photographic horizons. With the ability to manipulate images in software, a whole new generation of photographers is emerging.

It really is up to the clubs to prepare themselves for the new generation. Successful clubs do have ‘meet and greet’ members who go out of their way to make potential members feel at home when they first come along and this is to be encouraged.

Similarly some clubs have a low profile in their local community and it is those who promote themselves that do see an increase in membership.

Virtually every college seems to have a media studies department nowadays and most still teach the traditional darkroom skills. Speaking to students they seem to welcome this (even though on the face of it, it appears a little fuddy-duddy). And some colleges encourage their students to join local camera clubs, but few stay. More needs to be done to encourage them to stay.

The most satisfying aspect of my role is meeting so many lovely people, all of whom are really wedded to this hobby of ours. One very pleasurable duty is presenting APAGB certificates to people who have given more than I ever have to their club, federation or the PAGB. For most clubs 95% of the membership just turn up each week for a few hours. The other 5% make sure it all happens and I dearly wish more of these could be identified and their efforts rewarded.

Any downsides to the role? Very few. There are always going to be moaners and I have learned to live with them over the years, though they can prove rather frustrating. Normally these can be found in the 95% mentioned above – they do nothing for the club/federation themselves but criticise everything others try to do, failing to appreciate that we all do this voluntarily. I have seen very good federation people give up doing splendid jobs, because they got fed up with having brickbats thrown at them.

My final thought: Some photographers do take life far too seriously. If I could wave a magic wand during my term, it would be to wish that everyone would remember this is a hobby – a great hobby – but it should also be fun. π To find out more about the PAGB, go to www.thepagb.org.uk.

About the PAGB Although originally mooted by the Photographic Society of Great Britain (now the Royal Photographic Society) as far back as the 1890s, it was not until 1930 that the PAGB was formed. It comprised five regional federations (which had already been established), the RPS and the Central Association of Photographic Societies (CAPS), which represented clubs in areas without an organised body of their own.

CAPS gradually disappeared as more regional federations were formed and evolved into the 15 that now form the modern independent PAGB. The concept of the PAGB is to service (not control) the 15 regional federations – just as the federations provide service to their clubs but do not dictate how they run their own affairs.

Issue 4 | Photography News

16

Competitions INTERVIEW

Photo2014 It was the first British Photographic Exhibition to go completely digital, a decade ago in 2003. Since then, the Vale of Evesham Camera Club’s exhibition has gone from strength to strength. Exhibition chairman and club secretary, John Kellett BPE2* shares his insights for the forthcoming Photo2014 Interview by Will Cheung Tell us a bit about your own photographic background.

Both my father and grandfather were keen photographers. My earliest memory of taking photographs would be of waterfalls circa 1958. In the 1960s I used to take pictures with a pre-war folding Zeiss Ikon roll film camera. However later, whilst working at a Grand Prix abroad as a constructor, I was accidentally, due to language difficulties and being in the company of three press friends, given a press photographer’s pass. It took a long time to live down the mirth of my paddock colleagues who, as I was taking some pictures of engineering detail, saw the press pass along with my old bellows-fronted camera.

I felt forced to purchase a 35mm SLR camera.

As well as motorsport, I then started taking pictures in folk clubs using fast films, like Kodak 2475 recording film, which could be pushed to ISO 6400. I gained my first exhibition acceptances back in 1977 with live folk club and motorsport images.

Who are your favourite photographers?

Now this is a difficult question. I always admired and was influenced by Don McCullin, who made his reputation with stark black & white Vietnam war photographs – he’s one of Britain’s greatest ever photojournalists.

In the 1970s I was inspired to join a camera club by the late Ron Edwards FRPS who used to sketch the idea for an image then set out to collect images of all the component parts to make up a darkroom engineered composite colour derivative image. I can still recall and describe in detail a number of his images despite having not seen them since the 1970s.

I also like Steven Le Prevost FRPS, AFIAP, MPAGB; Colin Harrison FRPS, MPAGB, MFIAP, EFIAP/s, FBPE; Kathryn Scorah MPAGB, FBPE and Gwen Charnock FRPS, MFIAP. Additionally, Guy Edwardes, renowned for his landscape and wildlife photography.

Give us an ‘in a nutshell’ guide to the VECC’s exhibition.

This year, Photo2014, will be the 25th photographic exhibition, organised by VECC (Vale of Evesham Camera Club). Back in 2003, we began to allow digital entries and we hosted the gallery of acceptances on the Internet – at the time, it was the first national digital exhibition of this type.

Our exhibition was also unusual at that time for including a category for creative/reality-altered images, which attracted manipulated images. This was in addition to the near standard exhibition categories of Colour, Monochrome and Natural History.

Since the change to digital, the exhibition has grown practically every year; last year attracting just under 4000 entries.

Photo2014.net is a member of BPE (British Photographic Exhibitions); there are currently 21 affiliated exhibitions. Acceptances in these count towards crown awards. There are various levels of award and they start at BPE1* for entrants who have accumulated 25 acceptances in BPE events. They receive a certificate and ribbon and can use the letters after their name to acknowledge their award.

The exhibition also enjoys PAGB patronage and so is able to present PAGB medals and ribbons to awardwinning images. Each of our selectors also awards a VECC selector’s medal to images of their individual choice in each category.

All entrants receive a colour illustrated printed catalogue and accepted images are displayed in the gallery on the exhibition website. Additionally we sell exhibition show DVDs and they are popular for showing at club nights.

How long have you been involved in the VECC? I joined in 2001 and have been the ‘long suffering hon sec’ since 2002, with the usual tour of duty as ‘hon chairman’ from 2007 to 2009. I had previously been a member of Solihull Photographic Society and spent 11 years in various roles on its Committee.

What have been the big changes since the first event you organised?

I have been involved in the organisation of exhibitions since the 1980s and clearly the biggest changes have been the introduction of digital cameras, the progress in photographers’ skills with Photoshop and the demise of slides. In more recent times, there’s been the development of inkjet printers capable of producing black & white prints comparable to darkroom prints.

Photography News | Issue 4

www.photography-news.co.uk

Competitions

17 to the simulation of lighting such that the finished image is very different from the starting original but still looks authentic.

We have never had a typical year.

The biggest change was to online entry in 2012. Our entry jumped from 3371 in 2011 to 4284 in 2012, a 27% increase

AWARD-WINNING IMAGES FROM LAST YEAR’S PHOTO2013 FAR LEFT Blue mood,

by John Chamberlin CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE In church

by Bob Moore; Dew drenched darter

by Jim Tarbox; Arabesque by Ken Barrett; White-tailed eagles surprise attack

by Patricia Kearton; The sweeper by John Bulpitt; Lion cub at play by Ian Whiston.

For DPI (Digital Projected Images) entrants, however, the biggest, recent change has been the move to online entry.

What do you feel has been your greatest achievement during your tenure as organiser?

The exhibition’s growth, now attracting over double the number of entries that it had when I became chairman.

How many entries do you get typically?

We have never had a typical year, as year-on-year from 2003 through to 2012 our entries increased.

The biggest change was to online entry for 2012, which was planned along with an increase in the size of the selection team and a move to two days for the selection process. Our entry jumped from 3371 in 2011 to 4284 entries in 2012, a 27% increase.

In 2013 we had a fractional reduction; however if we had stayed open one further day we would have matched our 2012 record entry.

How do you choose your selectors/judges?

We choose our selectors using the PAGB handbook and endeavour to build a balanced team who we are confident will score images on their merit, without showing bias to their own particular likes and dislikes.

For many years we have also used a team of selectors, rather than just three, with some missing out a category. This means we can have specialists www.photography-news.co.uk

in natural history without impacting on the creative sections etc and vice versa. We usually have five or six selectors with three judging at any one time. This also means that they remain fresh and, recalling the great wars, do not suffer the photographic selector’s equivalent of shell shock.

This year the selector’s team comprises David Gibbins ARPS, APAGB, AFIAP, BPE3* (Monochrome, Colour and Experimental/Creative); John Chamberlin FRPS, APAGB, EFIAP, FBPE (Monochrome and Natural History); Leigh Preston FRPS, MPAGB, AFIAP, BPE5* (Monochrome, Colour and Experimental/ Creative); Margaret Salisbury FRPS, EFIAP, FIPF, APAGB (Colour, Natural History and Experimental/ Creative) and Peter Preece Dip AD (Hons) (Natural History).

How big is the team involved in administering the exhibition?

We have five key members in the team. Simon Walden wrote and updates our software which receives entries, records the selection day scoring, generates the output for our online acceptance gallery and also the data for our catalogue. David Kelsey, who is a graphic designer by profession, lays out our catalogue. Our tecchie is Martin Turner; he runs the computers on the selection days. Our treasurer, David Vincent manages the finances and also enrolls our sponsors. That just leaves me, as the fifth member, to cover planning, selector booking, PAGB patronage application, medals and their engraving, entry system management, exhibition show DVD mastering, catalogue posting and, in common with all other exhibition chairmen, every other job that nobody else wants to do.

Additionally, for the selection days, a band of club members assists.

What imaging trends are you noticing currently?

A few years ago Venice carnival figures did well in exhibitions, followed by wrinkled Cuban characters, Whitby Goths, 1940s re-enactment events, Japanese macaques in hot pools, Edinburgh Festival Fringe characters, Tough Guy Warrior competitors, the 2012 Olympics and dog racing. Plus there’s been a recent resurgence of motocross and jet bikes – not necessarily all in that precise order.

What is interesting is that exhibitions are always looking for new subjects and styles, but these new things are quickly seen as copies, rather than original work. For example, images of masked Venice carnival figures won awards, when first seen, but now, a few years later, they struggle to even gain acceptances, unless they are really outstanding.

Landscapes always struggle unless really outstanding too. Usually the selectors can recognise exactly where the tripod was standing and have seen umpteen identical images. Good human-interest images however always do well.

In recent years, there have been improvements in the subtlety of image post-processing, extending

What, in your opinion, will be the next big trend in imaging style?

Whilst not personally a fan, camera phones have improved immensely and spawned a new style of life observation photography. As the definition of the best camera is ‘the camera that you have with you’, I am sure that we will begin to see images taken with these in situations where normal cameras may not have been carried.

What are the biggest weaknesses you see in entries?

Distractions which add nothing to the image – and they are so easy to clone out these days. The images that do best are always very simple with nothing surplus to the story. ‘Less is more’ is the message.

Do you have any advice for photographers wanting to enter and be successful?

Visit other exhibitions and study the types of images, which are gaining acceptances and awards. Attend lectures where successful photographers explain what is important in their images and how they created them.

View the gallery of acceptances from our 2013 exhibition, at our exhibition website www.photo2014. net – just click the View Exhibition tab. This will be there until our next (this year’s) exhibition is selected and uploaded.

What are your future ambitions for the VECC? To continue to build the exhibition’s reputation as a leading national exhibition, with a quality gallery of acceptances and an admired catalogue.

To consider new image categories, which would attract new quality images, not regularly seen in other exhibitions, and of interest to a lower age profile of entrant.

Is there anything else you want to add that hasn’t been mentioned?

Every year we try to support a different charity which relates to photographers. In 2013 we supported PhotoVoice, which works in conjunction with other international charities, teaching underprivileged children photojournalism, to report on their situation and the work the linked charities are doing. Since 1999 PhotoVoice has initiated over 21 projects with more than 1000 beneficiaries. As well as requesting monies they also ask for equipment to build photographic kits and they also organise print auctions of donated photographs to raise funds.

Photo2014 If you want to enter Photo2014, get your skates on because the closing date is 24 February. There are four categories – Colour, Monochrome, Natural History and Experimental/Creative. Selection takes place the weekend of 8-9 March, with acceptances being notified before the exhibition goes live online on 10 April. π To find out more go to www.photo2014.net.

Issue 4 | Photography News

18

Camera preview FIRST LOOK

Samsung NX30

Announced at CES in Las Vegas, Samsung’s latest is an attractive blend of modern tech and oldschool design thinking. Photography News tests a pre-production version in the heart of Sin City

Words by Roger Payne

SPECS PRICE £599.99 CONTACT www.samsung.com/uk SENSOR 20.3-megapixel CMOS with DRIMeIV processor IMAGE DIMENSIONS 5472x3648 pixels ISO RANGE 100-25,600 SHUTTER 30secs-1/8000sec METERING PATTERNS Multi-pattern, centreweighted, spot SHOOTING SPEEDS Single, continuous up to nine frames-per-second LCD SCREEN 3in Super AMOLED swivel and touch featuring 1037k dots

It’s interesting to see how different companies deal with the same technology. Mirrorless cameras with interchangeable lenses have been around for a while now and as model ranges expand and mature, it’s becoming increasingly apparent how the key players have decided to cut their design cloth – or polycarbonate – accordingly. Sony likes making everything as small as possible (one of the key benefits of the technology), Fujifilm and Olympus favour a retro style with chrome top-plates and leather-based accessories, while Samsung seems to prefer making cameras that look and feel like digital SLRs, only slightly smaller.

Personally, I’d say Samsung has made a solid choice. As a dyed-in-the-wool DSLR user, I still find it unnatural to take a picture with a camera that has neither a viewfinder nor a substantial handgrip. If you think the same way as I do, the Samsung NX30 is going to appeal. As well as featuring a DSLRchallenging APS-C sized 20.3-megapixel sensor, this new model also offers both a viewfinder and a handgrip that wouldn’t look out of place on a reflexmirrored model. This is a good thing; pick the NX30 up and it feels comfortable in the hand. It may not be as big as a DSLR, but it sure feels like one.

Covering all the angles In addition to the chunky handgrip, there’s also an electronic viewfinder (EVF), which allows for conventional up-to-the-eye framing. EVFs have come a long way in the last few years and the NX30’s offers 2359k dots, which delivers an exceptionally

STORAGE MEDIA SD, SDHC, SDXC, UHS-I compatible DIMENSIONS (WXHXD) 127x95.5x41.7mm WEIGHT 375g (without battery)

Photography News | Issue 4

The level of connectivity goes a few steps further with the ability to upload shots straight to Flickr

bright and sharp image – it’s still not as good as an optical viewfinder, but it’s not far off. Said viewfinder is also tiltable by up to 80° – think right-angle finder for those old enough to remember. I must admit to being slightly perplexed by the inclusion of this functionality when you consider the three-inch AMOLED screen also swivels for framing at high and low angles. Still, it could be a real boon for those who like to shoot macro.

ABOVE The design of the NX30 is sure to appeal to existing digital SLR owners. The handgrip is substantial, the viewfinder bright, and the rear LCD twists to every conceivable angle.

BELOW Shooting with sunny skies, the NX30 delivers punchy, vibrant colours, but it’s in low light where the improved sensor shows – the Neon image was taken handheld at ISO 3200.

Stay connected Along with all the other models announced by Samsung at CES, the NX30 offers new levels of connectivity with both Near Field Communication (NFC) and Wi-Fi. Images can now be transmitted simply by touching the camera on to an NFCenabled tablet or smartphone or by using the free Samsung Smart Camera app and the Direct Wi-Fi button on the camera. Clever stuff.

But the level of connectivity also goes a few steps further with the ability to upload your images straight to Dropbox or Flickr, or the chance to use your smartphone or tablet as a remote viewfinder.

You can even use the camera as a baby monitor with the built-in microphone picking up when your offspring is restless and alerting you through your mobile or tablet!

Quality counts Although I got to try a pre-production version of the camera in Las Vegas, the results proved to be excellent. That was certainly aided by the fact that I was using the new Premium S 16-50mm f/2-2.8 lens, which is clearly a high-quality offering. The sensor itself is exactly the same as the one that appears in the NX300, but the performance has been improved thanks to gapless micro lenses in front of the photo diodes that offer more efficient light collecting.

Whatever the technology involved, it certainly seems to work – I got some really impressive results, even when the ISO was pushed to the new maximum of 25,600. I certainly look forward to getting my hands on one for a full test. www.photography-news.co.uk

Advertisement feature

19

MANFROTTO LIGHTING

Manfrotto Spectra LEDs light the way Manfotto’s range of LED lighting gear opens doors for creative photographers For photographers, the lighting landscape has changed dramatically over the last few years. In the past, studio photographers were restricted to large flash units and videographers had to make do with bulky, unconvincing continuous light setups that made shooting on location more like military manoeuvres.

Fast-forward to today and Manfrotto is leading the way with high-quality LED lighting and its Spectra series offers both still photographers and videographers the perfect universal tool.

Why should you run the rule over the Spectra series? Well, let’s start with the most important feature of all – safety. Manfrotto has gone to great lengths to make the Spectra series the safest LED lights on the market. Laboratory tests have confirmed the safety of using Spectra lights with live subjects – stating categorically that Spectra lights do not damage retinas. What’s more, the Spectra lights have been designed to be cool to the touch. Any heat is dissipated away from the unit, which means you will never have to worry about burnt fingertips again – when was the last time you could say that about a studio flash unit?

Safety is important, of course, but so is performance and this is where the Spectra series of LED lights comes into its own. The LED lights offer excellent colour rendition – you won’t need to spend hours messing about with white-balance settings trying to correct horrific yellow colour casts when you use a Spectra light. What’s more, there is no colour shift when the photographer dims the lights to whatever level they deem suitable. Each LED is guaranteed to perform to the same level, so you won’t be in a situation where one side of the panel is brighter than the other. Videographers will be pleased to hear that the Spectra lights are flicker free at any shutter angle or frame rate so no distracting flickers will be visible in your footage and the lights run silently, so audio won’t be compromised either.

SPECTRA500S www.photography-news.co.uk

SPECTRA500F

Perhaps the most impressive aspect that will really make the difference to photographers and videographers is the size and portability of the Spectra LEDs. In days gone by, photographers would need extra cases to transport a continuous light set-up, but the Spectra series will slip into your photo bag alongside your camera and lenses. The compact design means that the lights are just 45mm deep, which is sure to appeal to videographers, especially those who need to squeeze their way to the front of a press conference. Don’t be fooled into thinking that the compact design compromises performance though – using alkaline AA batteries, the Spectra lights have an average lifespan of one and a half hours and up to a whopping seven hours with lithium batteries. Plus, there is an optional mains adaptor for extended studio situations.

There are five models in the Spectra line-up – starting with the smallest, the 500S and topping out with the 900FT. The Spectra LEDs can be mounted to light stands for off-camera, creative lighting setups or mounted on top of the camera using the hotshoe adaptor for a more portable approach.

The Spectra lights offer excellent colour rendition. What’s more there is no colour shift when the photographer dims them π To find out more, go to www.manfrotto.co.uk.

IMAGES Flicker free, silent and compact – Spectras could be the ideal light to slip into your kitbag.

SPECTRA900S

SPECTRA900F

SPECTRA900FT Issue 4 | Photography News

20

Camera review ON TEST

Nikon Df

Nikon has brought the retro look to full-frame DSLRs. With stripped back controls and film-camera styling, it’s designed for a true photography experience. We see if it delivers

Words by Ian Fyfe

SPECS PRICE £2749 with 50mm f/1.8 CONTACT www.nikon.co.uk SENSOR 16.2 megapixels with EXPEED 3 IMAGE DIMENSIONS 4928x3280 pixels ISO RANGE ISO 100-12,800 (50-204,800 expanded) AUTOFOCUS MODES Single-point, 9-, 21- or 39-point dynamic-area AF, 3D-tracking, autoarea AF EXPOSURE COMPENSATION +/-3EV in 1/3 steps, AEB 2 to 5 frames at +/-3EV in +/-3EV in 1/3, 2/3, 1, 2 or 3EV steps SHUTTER 30secs-1/4000sec METERING PATTERNS Matrix, centerweighted, spot SHOOTING SPEEDS Single, continuous L 1-5fps, continuous H 5.5fps, quiet shutter release, self-timer LCD SCREEN 3.2in with 921k dots STORAGE MEDIA SD, SDHC, SDXC (UHS-I compatible) DIMENSIONS (WXHXD) 143.5x110x66.5mm WEIGHT 765g (including battery and memory card)

Photography News | Issue 4

The photographer’s control of their camera has gradually moved away from mechanical dials, rings and levers and become increasingly indirect and channelled through circuit boards. With the Df, Nikon has tried to recapture the feel of the pre-electronic era with traditional controls. But the ‘f’ stands for fusion, summing up how this is mixed with flagship digital technology to produce a tool that’s unique among modern cameras.

The top-plate of the Df features retro-styled metal dials that stir memories of the olden days just from looking at them. They feel the part too – they’re metal, knurled and give satisfying clicks as you turn them. These tactile controls are mixed with an array of altogether more modern digital buttons on the back that will be familiar to any digital Nikon user, a mix that certainly lives up to the fusion label.

The bias is definitely still towards more modern control though, and you can even set things up so that it’s practically the same as any other current Nikon DSLR. For example, the shutter speed dial can be used in S or M modes to adjust the shutter speed in 1EV steps, but if you miss the modern option of smaller step changes, you can set the dial to the 1/3 step position and use the front command dial to change the shutter speed as you would on any modern Nikon. Alternatively, an easy shutter speed shift option in the menus means the shutter speed that’s been set on the top dial can be nudged by 1/3 or 2/3EV either way using the command dial. Similarly, you can use the aperture ring to set the aperture on older lenses, but if you’re using a modern lens without a ring, you just use the subcommand dial as per the digital norm.

Using the Df As someone who was introduced to photography in the digital age, I have to say that the idea of the retro controls didn’t excite me that much. But after some time with the Df, I came to see the advantages and was pretty much won over. I really enjoyed being able to see exactly what settings I was using just by casting my eye over the dials on the top-plate, and clicking each of the dials into place to set the exposure before lifting the camera to my eye was a much more satisfying experience than I expected.

That’s not to say that the arrangement isn’t without its drawbacks though. In particular, I found it trickier to change settings with the viewfinder to my eye because I needed to move one or other hand to find the appropriate dial, and I also found the main command dial a little too far from my shutter finger to be entirely comfortable. The ISO dial can be something of a problem if you’re shooting in very low light because it’s difficult to see

what you’re doing – you have to either count clicks or turn on the back LCD. The top-plate LCD only displays shutter speed and aperture values, so you can’t use this to adjust other settings such as white-balance. Instead, pressing these buttons activates the back LCD, and on occasion there was a slight pause as the software took a moment to catch up, in particular when selecting the AF mode. The mode dial is a little fiddly for me, and the lift-and-turn mechanism left me in the wrong mode on occasion – double-checking was required after a change. The on/off button is also more comfortable to turn with finger and thumb than shutter finger alone, making it less speedy, and in using this, it’s easy to knock the drive mode switch.

Having said all of that, while these niggles meant the handling didn’t feel quite as slick as it perhaps could, I must admit that they didn’t much diminish the enjoyment of using the Df – all round, it was a lovely experience.

ABOVE The Nikon Df has retro styling and fuses tactile dials on the top-plate with modern digital controls on the back. RIGHT Although the Df has relatively few pixels, it still records plenty of detail and can easily produce A3 prints. www.photography-news.co.uk

Camera review

21

LEFT Continuous shooting of 5.5 frames-persecond helped capture the best moment at this zebra crossing. ABOVE AND BELOW Lowlight performance is excellent, and there was no problem in pushing ISO sensitivity to 6400 (below) or 12,800 (above).

Flagship quality When it comes to the insides of the camera, there’s nothing retro about the Df, although it could still be considered a bit of a fusion – not of new and old, but a combination of elements from all of Nikon’s other full-frame DSLRs. The sensor is the same as in the D4, and while Nikon points out that this makes it flagship quality, you can’t get away from the fact that next to the resolutions of the D610 and D800, the Df’s 16 megapixels look relatively meagre. This may make for relatively limited resolving power, but it’s worth bearing in mind the advantages. Obviously files are smaller and easier to work with, but there’s another plus – the camera’s compatible with and positively encourages use of old film lenses, and a pixel count like the D800’s 36 million could reveal the shortcomings of such optics.

Flagship focusing doesn’t accompany the sensor in the Df, and instead you get the same 39-point system as in the D610. This provides dense coverage in the centre of the frame, and it’s as speedy and reliable as you’d expect. For me, it only ever struggled in extremely low light, and this perhaps reveals a shortcoming of the technological mix – the Df’s ISO capabilities, which match the D4’s, mean it can take excellent-quality images in light levels that are so low it struggles to focus. The D4’s focusing system has an extra EV of sensitivity, and I can’t help feeling that the Df would benefit from this too.

There’s a variety of continuous AF modes that offer an array of different solutions for keeping moving subjects in focus. This includes 3D tracking AF, but as with most tracking AF systems, I found this was easily confused and hit-and-miss as to whether it would follow your chosen subject.

Much more effective in my opinion is dynamic area AF, which uses a number of surrounding AF points to keep your subject in focus should it wander temporarily from your selected point. The coverage of this can be varied to either 9, 21 or 39 AF points. www.photography-news.co.uk

There’s nothing retro about the insides of the Df, although it could still be considered a bit of a fusion

Auto white-balance only really had problems with mixed light sources, but the system includes a couple of neat features that really helped when it didn’t get it quite right. You have the option of fine-tuning the AWB setting to add either more blue or more yellow with the WB button and subcommand dial, ideal if you just want to add or take away a little warmth. The highlight though is the Spot White Balance function for setting a custom balance. You just specify a point in the image in Live View that you want to be neutral to set a custom value, and this is stored as the preset value when you switch back to viewfinder mode.

It makes it quick and easy to get the white-balance absolutely spot on.

The Df feature set does have a couple of notable absences. It joins the D4 as the only other Nikon without a pop-up flash, so there’s no wireless control of off-camera units, but it is compatible with Nikon’s creative lighting system with a wireless adaptor and has a PC socket for a sync cable.

There’s also no video recording – this makes sense in a camera designed to enhance the experience of stills photographers, but at this price, its absence doesn’t make you feel you’ve saved money from not having a feature you never use.

One other disappointing feature of the Df is the single SD card slot – the three other Nikon fullframe DSLRs all have dual card slots. The single slot is positioned alongside the battery compartment in the bottom of the camera, which may help keep the body size down, but it’s an arrangement you’d more often associate with a compact, and hinders quick memory card changes, especially on a tripod.

Speaking of the battery, the pack in the Df is different from those in the other current Nikon fullframe models, and is the same smaller cell as that used in the D5300. This might be annoying if you use the Df in tandem with another Nikon full-frame body because you can’t interchange batteries, but it has a longer claimed life of about 1400 shots. For us, it delivered just short of 1000 shots – most of which were in temperatures below 10˚C. Issue 4 | Photography News

22

Camera review

ISO 100

ISO 200

ISO 400

ISO 800

ISO 1600

ISO 3200

ISO 12,800

ISO 51,200

ISO 204,800

ISO performance With the same sensor and processor as the D4, the Df offers the same ISO range, reaching 204,800 equivalent. It promises much, and delivers.

Df files are supported in the very latest update to Lightroom, version 5.3, so we converted Raw files using this and without any noise reduction applied. ISO 800 is indistinguishable from ISO 100, and although slight grain enters the equation at ISO 1600, it’s barely noticeable. The effect on detail is still small at ISO 12,800, and there’s no effect on colour whatsoever. Noise is more significant in the expanded settings, but with noise reduction in Lightroom, you can just about squeeze up to the Hi 2 setting, equivalent to 51,200. If you go any further than this though, you really are pushing your luck.

Df vs D610

Continuous AF and drive With a top speed of 5.5 frames-per-second, the Df beats the D800, but is just short of the D610’s six frames-per-second. This can of course be combined with continuous AF, and we tried this by seeing how well it kept in focus a London bus coming towards the camera. The Df had no problem at all maintaining focus, and each shot was sharp. Shooting both Raw and JPEG files to class 10 SD cards, the speed was maintained for 21 shots before the camera paused.

The verdict My heart says the Nikon Df is a fantastic camera, but if I was about to part with nearly £3000 for one, my head would probably have more to say. There’s no doubt that it’s enjoyable to use, and the results are superb, especially in low light where it excels. But a long hard look at the camera reveals a series of small niggles – things like having only one SD slot in the bottom, using the focusing system of the cheaper D610 alongside the sensor and ISO capabilities of the D4, minor issues with fiddly dials. They each take the edge off slightly, and are even harder to overlook when you take into account the high asking price.

Photography News | Issue 4

NIKON DF

I’d find it even harder to justify the price of the Df when there are two Nikon fullframe options that are currently cheaper.

The D610 costs £1200 less, yet it has the same focusing system and processor, the sensor has a higher resolution, and you get video recording too. Just about the only area in which the D610 falls behind the Df is in its low-light performance. Cold hard logic therefore seems to be against the Df if it would stretch your budget – but after using it, I’m not sure it’s as simple as that and, while my head might have more to say, there’s always the chance that my heart could shout loud enough to drown it out.

FEATURES

23/25

HANDLING

23/25

PERFORMANCE

24/25

VALUE FOR MONEY

21/25

A unique mix

Really enjoyable to use

Fantastic all round, especially in low light Two Nikon full-frame bodies are cheaper

The specs of the Df and the D610 make for similar reading, despite the fact that the D610 is currently £1250 cheaper. In fact, the D610 has a number of features that the Df doesn’t – a higher pixel count, dual SD slots, built-in flash with wireless command control and movie recording. But how do the two cameras compare when it comes to the images they produce? We compared resolution and ISO performance in Raw files.

At the lower end of the ISO sensitivity scale, there’s very little between the Df and the D610; both are exceptionally good at controlling noise. When you reach ISO 1600, the Df starts to edge ahead – noise has less impact on the fine detail, and more contrast is retained. When you push up into the top levels, the difference becomes really noticeable – the top native settings differ by 1EV, yet deliver very similar performance, and even then, images from the Df still have slightly more definition. This remains true into the expanded settings, and the Df goes 3EV higher up to 204,800. In short, the Df offers significantly better performance in low light.

Since the Df has two-thirds the number of pixels as the D610, you’d expect poorer resolution of detail. In practice, the difference isn’t huge unless you’re examining images closely, although if you are then it’s clear that the D610’s higher-resolution sensor has the advantage. It also makes a difference when it comes to printing – prints from the Df can be a little more than 16 inches along the longest side at 300ppi, while you can go up to 20 inches with the D610. The advantage of the lower pixel count is smaller file sizes by a third – D610 Raw files are about 30MB, and Df Raws are around 20MB. This makes a big difference in processing times.

DF ISO 12,800

D610 ISO 12,800

OVERALL 91/100 Fantastic camera, but the price is a sticking point PROS Low-light performance, dial controls, compact and light CONS Price, one SD slot

www.photography-news.co.uk

www.photography-news.co.uk

Issue 4 | Photography News

24

Camera review ON TEST

Sony A7 and A7R

Sony has broken the mould and taken the mirror out of full-frame with the A7 and A7R. Small and light they may be, but what more is there to the new Alpha duo?

Words by Ian Fyfe

A7 SPECS PRICE £1299 body only CONTACT www.sony.co.uk SENSOR 24.3 megapixels with BIONZ X processor IMAGE DIMENSIONS 6000x4000 pixels ISO RANGE ISO 50-25,600 AUTOFOCUS MODES Single-shot, continuous, direct manual, manual EXPOSURE COMPENSATION +/-5EV in 1/3, 1/2EV steps, AEB 5 frames at +/-1EVor 3 frames at +/-3EV in 1/3, 1/2, 2/3, 1, 2 or 3EV steps SHUTTER 30secs-1/8000sec METERING PATTERNS Multi segment, centreweighted, spot SHOOTING SPEEDS Single, continuous 2.5fps, speed-priority continuous 5fps, selftimer 10 or 2secs, selftimer continuous LCD SCREEN 3in tilting with 921k dots STORAGE MEDIA SD, SDHC, SDXC, Memory Stick Pro Duo, Memory Stick Pro-HG Duo, Memory Stick XCHG Duo DIMENSIONS (WXHXD) 126.9x94.4x48.2mm WEIGHT 474g (including battery and memory card)

Photography News | Issue 4

Not so long ago, the size and weight of full-frame cameras was enough to put you off, never mind the large dent they left in your bank account. In a relatively short space of time, that’s changed dramatically – it started with more compact and affordable DSLRs like the Nikon D600 and Canon EOS 6D, and now Sony has taken full-frame in a new and very exciting direction with the A7 and A7R, a pair of mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras with 35mm sensors.

The A7 offers an impressive 24 megapixels of resolution – this is on a par with Nikon’s D610, ahead of the D4 and Df, and more than any current Canon full-frame offering. But the A7R goes further, and

with 36 megapixels, matches the current highest resolution full-frame camera, the Nikon D800.

Although there are differences between the two Sonys on the inside – more on these later – the bodies are identical, at least visually. The only difference in terms of build is a greater proportion of magnesium alloy in the casing of the A7R, making it lighter than the A7 without sacrificing dust and moisture resistance. Everything else is identical, so the two cameras are almost indistinguishable to use.

Exactly as you want There’s a lot that’s right about the way the A7 and A7R handle. They certainly avoid one potential pitfall of a small body: they don’t suffer from cramped handling. This is partly down to the grip, which is extremely comfortable without being too big. It’s Metering in both the A7 and A7R is excellent, and no compensation was used in our test shots

moulded nicely for your hand, and is just about big enough to get your little finger on the bottom.

Where these cameras are also fantastic is in the customisation options for the controls. As well as three custom buttons, another seven of the preset buttons can be reassigned. Each has a choice of 46 functions, and the control wheel can be assigned to one of four, so you really can set it up exactly as you want it. Even the on-screen quick access menu that’s opened by the Fn button can be customised – it’s a grid of 12 items, and you can select exactly which function goes where.

Not everything about the handling is so smooth though. One problem I found was that the combined control wheel and directional pad on the back can easily be pressed when you’re trying to turn it, and vice versa. For example, trying to press the directional keys to move the AF area, I accidentally turned the wheel and started changing the AF area selection method before I realised what I was doing.

The camera can also be slow to respond, and this is summed up by the start-up time – there’s a full two seconds between flicking the switch and being ready to shoot. There’s also a noticeable lag in the on-screen display when turning the dial to change settings – change the aperture, for example, and the sliding scale that’s displayed is always a beat behind your finger on the dial.

Perhaps the highlight of the handling is the viewfinder, which is the same on both cameras. It’s electronic of course, but has a magnification of 0.71x that matches many full-frame DSLRs, there’s hardly any lag and it gives you a crystal clear preview of your shot, even down to the effects of features like the Dynamic Range Optimiser (DRO). There’s a slight delay in the automatic eye sensor activation, but I’ve seen worse and once you’ve got it to your eye, there’s no need to take it away even if you need to make adjustments – camera settings are displayed along the bottom of the viewfinder as in any DSLR, with more across the top. If you need to enter the quick menu or even the full menu to change any settings, you can still do this too because the www.photography-news.co.uk

Camera review

25 Customisation options for the controls are fantastic – you can set it up exactly as you want it

viewfinder screen displays them in the same way as the main LCD, and the buttons are all easy to find without looking.

One other thing that applies to both cameras is battery life. A fully charged cell gave a little over 300 shots. If you’re planning a big shoot then a spare is probably necessary – the Sony NP-FW50 is £65. Also be aware that a mains battery charger isn’t included as standard, and you need to buy one separately – the Sony BC-QM1 costs about £46.

ABOVE Increasing the ISO to 1600 is no problem at all and quality stays high. BELOW I took advantage of the shallow depth-of-field possible with the E-mount 55mm f/1.8 Zeiss lens.

www.photography-news.co.uk

Two focusing approaches Without a mirror, matching the focusing ability of other full-frame cameras was always going to be a challenge, and in these two cameras, Sony has gone for two different approaches. In the A7, there are 117 phase-detection AF points in the central area of the sensor to work alongside a contrast-detection AF system. The A7R doesn’t have this Fast Hybrid AF system, but a Fast Intelligent version that’s based purely on contrast-detection.

Phase-detection AF in the A7 is definitely an advantage and minimises hunting. It’s not as speedy as a DSLR, but as good as most CSCs. The difference in the A7R is noticeable, with a lot more lens movement before locking on – this kind of hunting is necessary in a system using only contrast-detection.

As a consequence, the A7R is a fraction slower than the A7 at focusing, but AF is helped by the pre-AF function, which is effectively an automatic continuous AF that gets the lens in pretty much in the right place before you touch the shutter button.

Both focusing systems have a minimum sensitivity of 0EV, while most full-frame DSLRs go down to -1 or -2EV, and this difference shows. In low light, the focusing of both cameras slows down considerably, and whether or not they’ll lock on becomes less certain. In these conditions, the slight advantage of the A7’s hybrid system becomes insignificant too. It’s worth pointing out that you can use an A-mount adaptor that includes a translucent mirror to effectively convert the cameras into DSLTs with full phase-detection AF, offering a way

to have more advanced focusing while retaining the advantage of the smaller body.

If you’re focusing manually, the focus peaking is excellent – you can choose to have the highlighted edges coloured red, yellow or white, and you can set the peaking level to low, medium or high. The image can also be magnified on screen when you turn the focusing ring, or a defined area can be magnified.

This combination of magnification and peaking makes it easy to get focusing spot on. There’s also the option of direct manual focusing, which uses autofocus until the shutter button is half pressed, after which you can fine-tune manually.

The same but different Other than the resolution and focusing, there are a few more subtle differences between the A7 and A7R. One of the most noticeable in use is the shutter mechanism. When you press the shutter release on the A7R, there are two meaty clunks as the first and second shutter curtains open and close – it’s not ideal if you’re trying to be discrete. The A7 has the option of an electronic first shutter curtain, meaning there’s no physical shutter blind that opens to start the exposure. This reduces the noise, although the second shutter curtain, which moves to end the exposure, has to be physical and makes a hefty clunk of its own.

The combination of this simpler shutter mechanism and smaller file sizes means the A7 can also shoot faster in continuous shooting mode.

Its top speed is a reasonable 5 frames-per-second, but this is in Speed Priority Mode where the focus is fixed at the first frame. If you want autofocusing between shots, the speed drops to a more modest 2.5 frames-per-second. This is compared to the A7’s top speeds of 4fps and 1.5fps respectively. Neither are speed demons, but you’re unlikely to choose this kind of camera if you’re looking to rattle off action shots, so the difference might not be significant.

There’s another compromise in speed on the A7R as well, with a slower flash sync speed of 1/160sec compared to the A7’s 1/250sec.

A7R SPECS PRICE £1699 body only CONTACT www.sony.co.uk SENSOR 36.4 megapixels with BIONZ X processor IMAGE DIMENSIONS 7360x4912 pixels ISO RANGE ISO 100-25,600 AUTOFOCUS MODES Single-shot, continuous, direct manual, manual EXPOSURE COMPENSATION +/-5EV in 1/3, 1/2EV steps, AEB 5 frames at +/-1EV or 3 frames at +/-3EV in 1/3, 1/2, 2/3, 1, 2 or 3EV steps SHUTTER 30secs-1/8000sec METERING PATTERNS Multi segment, centreweighted, spot SHOOTING SPEEDS Single, continuous 1.5fps, speed-priority continuous, self-timer 10 or 2secs, self-timer continuous LCD SCREEN 3in tilting with 921k dots STORAGE MEDIA SD, SDHC, SDXC, Memory Stick Pro Duo, Memory Stick Pro-HG Duo, Memory Stick XCHG Duo DIMENSIONS (WXHXD) 126.9x94.4x48.2mm WEIGHT 465g (including battery and memory card)

Issue 4 | Photography News

26

Camera review Image quality With full-frame cameras, image quality is the acid test because expectations are so high. In this respect, there’s absolutely nothing to complain about with either the A7 or A7R. Sony is a leader in sensor technology, and it shows – with both cameras, detail is incredibly sharp and clear. Not only that, but metering was excellent, and in over several hundred images taken with the cameras, I never needed to use exposure compensation.

With one and a half times the number of pixels as the A7, you’d expect the A7R to resolve more detail, and when looking at identical images taken with the two cameras using the same lens and viewed at the same size, this is the case. The resolution of the A7R is unforgiving, and it’s easy for images to end up slightly unsharp if the AF is a fraction off or your technique isn’t pristine. Even when A7R images are pin sharp though, the difference compared to the A7 isn’t as big as you might expect, and it takes quite close examination to see the advantage. With the A7R, detail is just slightly more refined and realistic, and of course there’s the advantage in print size – a landscape print without software interpolation from the A7R can reach a width of 24.5 inches at 300ppi, while the biggest you can get from the A7 is 20 inches.

The extra detail isn’t only the result of more pixels, but also the absence of an anti-aliasing filter. This brings with it the risk of moiré, and indeed I did see one instance of this with the A7R. Then again, I also saw it with the A7 in one image. Ironically, the A7 also seems prone to causing jagged edges in images, a problem I didn’t see so prominently with the A7R, even though it’s an artefact that’s supposed to be suppressed by an anti-aliasing filter.

SONY A7

SONY A7R

Sony is a leader in sensor technology, and it shows – detail is incredibly sharp and clear

Controlling dynamic range Both the A7 and A7R include modes to help deal with high-contrast scenes. The first is Auto HDR, which combines three JPEGs into one. There are seven settings for the exposure differential: auto, and each full EV from 1 to 6, so the maximum is +/-3EV. It does an impressive job, but you need to be careful because the most extreme settings start to make things look a little surreal. This mode is only available when you’re shooting JPEGs only, but regardless of the exposure differential setting you use, it records the normally exposed version alongside the merged image.

If you don’t want to go to the extreme of using HDR, but want to pull in the shadows and highlights in a single shot, you can turn on Dynamic Range Optimiser. You can leave this on auto for the camera to decide the best level, or you can select from five levels yourself. Even Level 1 has quite a strong effect, and the highest settings can leave images looking washed out – there’s a loss of saturation that you don’t get in the HDR mode.

NO HDR

HDR 6EV

ABOVE Auto High Dynamic Range mode does an impressive job. BELOW Dynamic Range optimisation can have a great effect.

NO DRO

DRO LEVEL 5

π A full review of the Sony A7 is in issue 40 of Advanced Photographer; on sale now, it costs £4.95. Also look out for more on the A7R in issue 41 of Advanced Photographer, on sale from 13 February.

Photography News | Issue 4

www.photography-news.co.uk

Camera review

27 SONY A7

ISO performance Both the A7 and A7R have an ISO sensitivity range from 50 up to 25,600, but with different sensors and such a huge difference in pixel count, there’s nothing to say that performance should be the same. Theory suggests that noise would be worse in A7R images, since the sensor has more pixels crammed into the same amount of space. Practice indicates otherwise, and at all ISO sensitivity levels, noise is less of an issue with the A7R than with the A7 when images from each are viewed at the same size. The difference becomes most noticeable at ISO 3200 and above, where noise generally becomes more significant for both cameras. In both cases, noise increases fairly rapidly from this level up to the top, with images taken at ISO 12,800 and 25,600 suffering particularly badly. Images from the A7R appear just slightly cleaner, although in all honesty the difference isn’t huge and will probably only be significant if you plan plenty of very low light shooting. What’s also great is that the overall colour remains consistent through the ISO sensitivity range.

ISO 50

ISO 100

ISO 200

ISO 400

ISO 800

ISO 1600

ISO 3200

ISO 6400

ISO 12,800

ISO 25,600

ISO 50

ISO 100

ISO 200

ISO 400

ISO 800

ISO 1600

ISO 3200

ISO 6400

ISO 12,800

ISO 25,600

SONY A7R

Mount matters Despite their Alpha name, the A7 and A7R don’t feature the A lens mount seen on Sony’s DSLR and DSLT cameras, but use the same E-mount as the rest of Sony’s NEX mirrorless cameras. Until now, all E-mount cameras have had APS-C sensors, so while the existing E-mount lens system is compatible, it’s not built for full-frame.

Sony is clearly looking to address this though and launched five new E-mount full-frame lenses alongside the A7 series; the 24-70mm f/4 and 28-70 f/3.5-5.6 standard zooms, 35mm f/2.8 and 55mm f/1.8 Zeiss primes and a 70-200mm f/4 telezoom.

There are alternatives to E-mount lenses though.

With an adaptor, you can use A-mount lenses, and there are also adaptors to fit a number of thirdparty lenses, including Canon, Leica and Nikon.

The verdict As mirrorless cameras, the obvious advantage of the A7 and A7R is their size. They’re less than two-thirds the weight of the Canon EOS 6D, the lightest fullframe DSLR, much more compact, and the image quality is easily as good as, if not better than other full-frame options.

The differences between the A7 and A7R basically boil down to whether you want a little more resolution or a fraction extra speed. The only real advantage the A7R has is the extra 12 megapixels, and in reality the 24 megapixels of the A7 produce stunning quality and good enough for most purposes. The lower resolution of the A7 comes with its own advantages too – the files are smaller and considerably faster to work with, and this also means the top shooting speed of the camera is www.photography-news.co.uk

slightly faster. Price comes into it too, of course, because the extra 12 megapixels come at a £400 premium. Still, this gives you the same resolution as the Nikon D800 for £350 less.

If the size and image quality of these cameras have won you over, it’s still important to consider the system as a whole before investing. Dedicated fullframe E-mount lenses are limited at the moment, so while this is sure to change, you need to ask yourself now whether what’s available will suit your needs, or whether you’re happy to use a mount adaptor for more choice.

There’s no doubt that there are one or two compromises in terms of handling and performance compared to a DSLR, but full-frame quality from a camera body that’s small and light is probably most photographers’ dream – ultimately that’s what both the Sony A7 and A7R deliver.

SONY A7

SONY A7R

FEATURES

23/25

HANDLING

21/25

PERFORMANCE

23/25

Excellent images

VALUE FOR MONEY

24/25

You have to pay for the extra pixels.

Nothing you’d expect to be there is missing

Great customisation, but not the most responsive Delivers on image quality

Full-frame quality at its cheapest

OVERALL 91/100

FEATURES

22/25

HANDLING

21/25

PERFORMANCE

23/25

VALUE FOR MONEY

23/25

High-res sensor is at the expense of other specs Identical to the A7

OVERALL 89/100

You won’t find a smaller camera with this kind of image quality.

A good compact alternative for highresolution full-frame photography

PROS Image quality, custom controls, viewfinder CONS Responsiveness, focusing slower than a DSLR

PROS Resolution, customisation, viewfinder CONS Contrast-detection AF, can be slow to respond, loud shutter

Issue 4 | Photography News

Photography News | Issue 4

www.photography-news.co.uk

Technique

29

PHOTO SCHOOL

Camera class

How the shutter in your DSLR works

Everyone has to start somewhere, even top pros, and in our regular Photo School feature we’ll be taking a close look at core techniques that every beginner needs to know. This month, in Camera Class we look at the effects of shutter speed and how to control it, while Software skills (below) helps you take your first steps to enhancing your images in Adobe Lightroom Words by Ian Fyfe

In the last two Camera classes, we’ve seen how you can use the aperture to control exposure and express your creativity. But to get the right amount of light to the sensor, the aperture must be balanced with the shutter speed. This time, we look at how the shutter speed affects exposure, and the different ways in which you can control it.

To illustrate shutter speeds, for clarity we used the dial of the Nikon Df. Your DSLR will have a very similar range, but you access them via an input dial.

B: stands for Bulb. This setting lets you hold the shutter open with a locking remote release for as long as you like. Most DSLRs have timed shutter speeds as long as 30 seconds and B lets you shoot even longer ones, into minutes and even hours.

T: stands for Time. You won’t find this on many modern cameras. It does the same job as B but works differently. In T, press the shutter release once to open the shutter; push it again to end the exposure.

n What is the shutter speed?

When you press the shutter button, the shutter opens and the sensor is exposed to light. The shutter speed is simply the amount of time the sensor is exposed to light to allow an exposure to be made. See the panel opposite about how a DSLR focal plane shutter works. n What does this mean for my exposures?

Like f/numbers, the steps available for the shutter speed form a standard scale related to the amount of light that’s allowed to reach the sensor. Each step from the slowest to the fastest shutter speed halves the time the shutter’s open for, and this halves the amount of light that reaches the sensor, so long as everything else stays the same. For example, changing the shutter speed from 1/125sec to 1/250sec halves the amount of light reaching the sensor, a change that’s equivalent to closing the aperture by one full f/stop. Modern cameras allow smaller shutter speed steps than are shown, ie. 1/3 stop (the usual default) or 1/2 stop.

X: this is the flash sync speed, the fastest shutter speed for correct flash photography. You can use slower speeds but use faster ones and your image will only be partially exposed. See the panel right.

Most DSLRs will by default let you set in-between shutter speeds in one-third steps – so from 1/125sec to 1/250sec, you can set 1/160sec and 1/200sec.

n How can I control the shutter speed?

If you want control of the shutter speed, the easiest way is to use shutter-priority mode (usually S or Tv on the dial). This lets you set the shutter speed to the value you want, while the camera automatically adjusts the aperture to give the correct exposure.

You can set the shutter speed in manual mode, but you’ll need to adjust the aperture manually too. n What if I want longer shutter speeds?

Most cameras allow shutter speeds of up to 30 seconds in normal shooting modes, but it’s possible

ADOBE LIGHTROOM

Software skills Shoot Raw for fine-tuning images. Part 4: Enhancements Words by Will Cheung More and more photographers are turning to workflow softwares such as Adobe Lightroom 5, Photo Director 5 and Corel AfterShot Pro for their organising, editing and outputting abilities. So far in Software skills, we’ve looked at library functions, now let’s look at editing. Lightroom 5 has seven modules, including Library, where images are organised, and Develop, where they are enhanced. There’s a lot to learn in the Develop module, so we’ll start simply. www.photography-news.co.uk

The shutter speed is expressed as a fraction of a second, 125 is 1/125th of one second and 4000 is 1/4000sec, a very short exposure. Here the numbers in red are 1, 2 and 4 seconds.

ABOVE In the Develop module, the main enhancement controls are in the sidebar to the right. You can close both or either of these by clicking on the arrows at the extreme edge of the interface.

TOP RIGHT Lightroom supplies a number of useful presets and it’s easy to produce your own or to import more from fellow image makers.

BOTTOM RIGHT Open each option by clicking on the arrow to the right of the tab name, or disable/enable the control by clicking on the switch or to the left.

An DSLR has a focal plane shutter. This comprises two curtains.

When you press the shutter button, the first curtain moves to unveil the sensor. A very short time later, the second curtain moves to cover the sensor and end the exposure.

Effectively at short shutter speeds, the exposure is produced by a slit running across in front of the sensor – the speed of the shutter curtains is constant. The flash sync or X-speed is the fastest speed where the sensor is fully uncovered – 1/60sec in our example.

1/1000SEC

2nd

1st shutter curtain

1/250SEC

1/60SEC

to shoot longer exposures. Switch to Bulb (B) mode, and the shutter remains open for as long as the shutter button is held down – you do this with a lockable remote release. n What other effects does shutter speed have on my images?

The length of time the shutter’s open for determines whether or not movement is recorded in your image.

A fast shutter speed freezes fast-moving action, and a slow one captures movement as a blur. We’ll look at how to use shutter speeds creatively next time.

NEXT MONTH: More on shutter speeds and image enhancements

On the left are Presets. Here you achieve creative effects with a single mouse-click. You can make your own presets, or import those made by other people.

Presets are a fast way to get an effect that you can then refine further should you want to.

If you select a preset you don’t like, click on the History tab and go back to the original imported image. Any changes you make to a Raw file are virtual – the original Raw remains untouched. For stronger effects, create a virtual copy; changes are stored with the file and applied when it is outputted.

On the right is the Basic tab. ‘Basic’ rather undersells the potential because there is a great deal you can do, including adjusting exposure, contrast and white-balance. Or you can make the image monochrome by clicking on Black & White.

Adjust the various sliders to get a feel of what’s possible and the preview image updates instantly.

To make your virtual changes a reality, ie. to produce a file you can print, email to your family or upload to a website, go to File>Export. Here you can decide where you want the file to be saved to and in which format (JPEG or TIFF) under File Settings.

Click Export and you get an image file with all the changes you made in the Develop module.

Issue 4 | Photography News

Photography News | Issue 4

www.photography-news.co.uk

EXCLUSIVE OFFER

£1 OFF ADVANCED PHOTOGRAPHER IN WHSMITH HIGH STREET STORES*

To claim your £1 off the normal cover price of the current edition of Advanced Photographer (issue 40) simply cut out the voucher shown below and take it to your nearest WHSmith high street store* – it’s as easy as that! Hurry – this offer closes on 12 February.

ISSUE 40

OUT NOW!

*Offer available at larger stores only and while stocks last

www.photography-news.co.uk

Issue 4 | Photography News

Photography News | Issue 4

www.photography-news.co.uk

www.photography-news.co.uk

Issue 4 | Photography News

Photography News | Issue 4

www.photography-news.co.uk

www.photography-news.co.uk

Issue 4 | Photography News

36

Prize wordsearch Win Samsung memory cards

Only 19 of the 20 words in the list below appear in the wordsearch. Your task is to complete the puzzle and find which word is missing. Once you’ve got it, email us with the missing word in the subject line, and your name will go into the prize draw hat. Send your entries to: puzzle@photography-news.co.uk.

The winner will be picked at random from all correct entries received before the closing date of 16 February 2014.

Win Samsung 32GB SDHC memory cards!

The top prize is a Samsung 32GB Plus SDHC card, and five runners-up will each receive a Samsung 4GB SDHC card. Samsung’s SDHC cards provide ultimate levels of durability and are waterproof, shockproof, resistant to magnetic fields, X-rays and extreme temperatures. All Samsung Plus SD cards come with a ten-year warranty. π To find out more, go to www.samsung.com.

M

O

W

F

R

N

F

R

K

B

S

N

N

G

L

M

O

M

Q

L

M

P

F

O

V

N

Z

J

S

U

H

B

I

P

E

D

G

I

V

B

N

A

U

N

B

C

V

L

A

K

Y

G

E

Q

K

G

D

R

O

R

X

A

H

R

S

J

Y

T

E

S

O

O

R

E

A

D

E

A

N

T

S

T

B

Y

V

P

N

T

R

E

R

U

C

T

M

R

I

U

P

Q

C

O

X

E

F

T

X

S

O

C

L

S

X

D

L

O

T

H

S

R

U

T

E

U

U

F

S

S

G

F

G

R

H

R

M

L

E

M

A

N

Z

K

T

E

O

I

T

R

L

R

I

Z

C

A

A

U

R

C

L

I

T

T

O

A

I

D

L

R

C

T

F

N

A

O

B

N

D

F

O

V

I

K

O

O

M

V

G

E

N

R

D

K

C

C

C

Y

F

P

Background Bag Bulb Coating Contrast

Curtain Dial Film Fluorescent Gloss

Head Inkjet Kit Mirror Peaking

Reflector Retro Sensor Softbox Zoom

If you do not want to receive any marketing information from Bright Publishing or our partners, in your email entry please type NO INFO.

Photography news

Produced by Bright Publishing Ltd,

EDITORIAL TEAM

ADVERTISING TEAM

PUBLISHING TEAM

Editorial director Roger Payne 01223 492244 rogerpayne@bright-publishing.com

Commercial director Dave Stone 01223 499462 davestone@bright-publishing.com

Managing director Andy Brogden Managing director Matt Pluck Head of circulation Chris Haslum

Bright House, 82 High Street, Sawston, Cambridgeshire CB22 3HJ www.bright-publishing.com

Editor Will Cheung FRPS 01223 499466 willcheung@bright-publishing.com

When you have finished with this newspaper, please recycle it

Sub editors Lisa Clatworthy, Hannah Bealey, Siobhan Godwood

Photography News | Issue 4

Technical writer Ian Fyfe 01223 499469 ianfyfe@bright-publishing.com

Sales director Matt Snow 01223 499453 mattsnow@bright-publishing.com Key Accounts Maria Francis 01223 499457 mariafrancis@bright-publishing.com DESIGN TEAM Senior designer Mark George

As well as your local camera club, you can pick up Photography News instore from: Calumet, Cameraworld, Castle Cameras, Jessops, London Camera Exchange, Park Cameras, Wilkinson Cameras

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.

www.photography-news.co.uk