Photography News 54

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Issue 54 9 April – 10 May

news

Fujifilm X-H1 rated Find out what our experts think of the brand-new X Series flagship.

See page 32

First tests Get to grips with all the latest gear and find out if it deserves a place in your kitbag. Turn to page 36

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

Camera Club of the Year Round 5's winners and sinners revealed!

See page 15

GET YOUR

FREE DIGITAL EDITION every month*

*at photographynews.co.uk

WIN!

A Samsung 128GB memory card

Enter the competition on page 48

Make a difference New Canon report reveals how to shoot your most compelling images yet Canon, in partnership with the World Press Photo organisation, has conducted some insightful research into how experienced photojournalists ‘get the shot’.

So, what’s the difference between capturing a moment that challenges and changes perspectives – or missing out?

According to the report, called ‘Visual Storytelling: Getting the Shot’, it comes down to a number of factors.

The most important factor was planning; almost 95% of the photographers surveyed said preparation was paramount to capturing a perfect shot, which included fully researching the story and angle.

The next most important factor according to the survey was reliable kit.

94% of the photographers said they need to eliminate any chance of malfunctions, which could ultimately result in missing the moment; intuitive, easy-to-use gear was cited by 76% as key.

Do these photojournalists know when they’ve got the shot? Over half of the respondents (56%) said they did, instantly recognising the feeling of success they get as soon they took the photo. Backing this up, Canon Ambassador and World Press Photo 2018 category award nominee, and two-time award winner, Giulio Di Sturco, said: “The moment you get the shot…

You feel that everything in the frame is in the right place and importantly, you’ve captured the essence of the story.”

Don’t miss out on Photo 24 So what is that essence? Over half (55%) of photographers said that ‘provoking a change in perspective on a topic or issue’ was the most important factor, followed closely by one that drives emotion (48%), and has a strong narrative (31%).

Interestingly, these massively outweighed good composition with just (24%).

The study also examined the future of photojournalism. 45% believed there will be growth in quality photojournalism led

by social media and the ease of sharing images and telling stories online. But while over half thought virtual reality (52%) and augmented reality (49%) would play a role in the future of the medium, only 47% of the photographers’ kitbags had so far expanded to include a broader range of kit beyond DSLRs, lenses and accessories.

Would your club members agree? canon.co.uk

Missed the deadline? You don’t need to miss out. Find out how you can still make it to PN’s amazing 24-hour photo event inside. Join us for an actionpacked day in the capital, sponsored by Fujifilm; it's 24 hours of photography around London with contests, photo walks and free camera loans.

Details on page 7.

Photography News | Issue 54 | photographynews.co.uk

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Photography News | Issue 54 | photographynews.co.uk

News

Interfit LM-inates darkness Interfit has had a busy month, releasing a new range of LED lights called LM8. The lights are aimed at what’s seen as an increasing number of pros and enthusiasts wanting to shoot both video and stills.

The range includes Soft Light Pads, Studio Panels, a 100W Monolight with Bowens S-Mount fit, Studio Ring Lights and a selection of kits. Thanks to using either a mains AC adapter or batteries they can be used on location or in the studio; the LM8 lights can use NP-F Sony or V-Lock type batteries, and an external battery pack for the 100W monolight will be available this summer.

The LM8 Soft Light Pads are available in 100 and 400 LED counts (at £49.99/159.99) and their bicolour (3200-5600K) bulbs are set behind a diffuser providing a soft light source. The LM8 LED Studio Panels, available with

either a 600 or 1200 LED count (at £209.99/369.99) and also bicolour, give more powerful illumination.

The LED Studio Panels also come with a set of metal barndoors, one transparent and one frosted filter, a power cord and case.

The LM8 100W LED Mono Light (£189.99) is a daylight balanced (5600K) LED that uses a Bowensfit accessory mount and a PopUp Softbox ring, making it fully compatible with Interfit’s range of modifiers and accessories.

Finally, the LM8 LED Ring Light is available in both bicolour and daylight balanced versions (at £209.99/189.99), with a circular emitter that provides very even illumination on the subject, and it comes with a mirror, mobile phone bracket, cables and case. All the LM8 lights are available now. interfitphotographic.com

Manfrotto highlights Manfrotto is bringing several new products to photographers: an innovative sling bag, a rechargeable LED light and three new accessories for the HiLite illuminated background system.

Tackling the latter first, the three HiLite accessories take advantage of the HiLite’s appeal as a huge, full length softbox, helping to control the shape, direction and intensity of the light; there’s the Window Voile, the Shaper and the Shaper & Masks set, all of which fit the HiLite 1.8x2.15m system.

The Window Voile (£123.95), supplied with a collapsible aluminium pole and clipping to the top of the HiLite, with the curtain hanging below, gives an easy window lighting effect.

The Shaper (£108.95) uses the same pole design as the Voile, and hangs an 86cm wide black panel which masks the light from the HiLite. The Shaper can be moved to any position along the pole, making strips or masking the photographer when shooting with the HiLite behind.

The Shapers & Masks set (£245.95), in addition to the Shaper, has three masks, attaching to the top and the sides of the HiLite to prevent spill.

For £104.95, the Lumimuse 8 is a small, powerful light, which can be mounted on a variety of supports using a 1/4in connector, or an included hotshoe adapter.

Featuring eight LEDs, the light is built from aluminium, uses a rechargeable lithium battery with a running time of up to an hour and comes

Laowa’s 25mm 5x macro and more In what could be a real treat for macro shooters, Laowa has released the 25mm f/2.8 2.5-5x Ultra Macro. This new lens offers close-ups from 2.5x to 5x life-size, so should give some incredibly detailed views of tiny subjects.

The lens has an extended working distance of 45mm at 2.5x and 40mm at 2x, allowing easier lighting of your subject, and is available now in Sony E, Canon, Nikon and Pentax mounts, costing £399.

Also from Laowa is the 9mm f/2.8 Zero-D lens, boasting an ultra-wide 113° angle of view.

Designed for use with mirrorless cameras, the lens is small and light, weighing in at only 215g, and features two aspherical elements and three extra-low dispersion elements in its 15 elements, 10 group construction.

with three colour filters and a diffuser. Most interesting of all, up to 13 Lumimuse lights can be controlled wirelessly via Bluetooth and a free app.

Finally, Manfrotto’s Pro Light FastTrack-8 is a clever sling bag that incorporates a camera strap. This means you can keep

a camera connected at all times whether it’s stowed or in use, and the bag also has space for two additional lenses, a tablet and accessories. It’ll set you back £109.95. Check out this month’s Buyers Guide for more info. manfrotto.co.uk

It’s available now in Sony E, Fujifilm X and Canon EOS-M fits with a price of £499.

Finally Laowa has introduced a new mount converter for using full-frame lenses on Fujifilm G series cameras. The Laowa Magic Format Converter enlarges the image circle produced by these lenses to match the larger sensor of the Fujifilm GFX 50S, so there is no vignetting.

The Laowa Magic Format Converter has a focal length multiplier of 1.4x and reduces the maximum aperture by 1 stop, so for instance a 12mm f/2.8 will be an effective 17mm f/4 lens. The Converter comes in two variants, allowing you to use either Canon EF or Nikon F lenses, and is available now, costing £319. laowalens.co.uk

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News

Tenba wraps and bags Tenba is offering a new series of Protective Wraps for cameras, lenses and photo accessories.

Available in three sizes and four colours – black, grey, blue and lime – the wraps can be used to protect

News in brief

Beautiful new Billingham Billingham has added the Hadley Small Pro to its range. The bag fits CSCs, rangefinders and mid-sized DSLRs and is rugged and weather resistant. There are six colour combinations and it'll cost you £200. billingham.co.uk

Leica Stealth Edition The Leica M Monochrom (Typ 246) has been given a special edition in striking matte black. Designed by Marcus Wainwright of fashion label rag & bone, it costs £13,000. en.leica-camera.com

bodies, lenses, flashes, filters and all sorts of other accessories.

Made of soft, brushed tricot, water-resistant nylon and foam, the wraps use Velcro fasteners allowing you to secure them anywhere on the material, and therefore hugging any shape of accessory. A 12in wrap is £14, a 16in £17, and a 20in wrap £20.

Tenba’s Cooper range of camera bags is also growing with four new models unveiled at TPS. The Cooper range eschews a traditional camera bag look, instead going for a charcoal grey ‘lifestyle’ finish, and uses a water-resistant Cordura Canvas peach wax cotton outer, while the bottom of each has a waterproof leather pad.

The Cooper 6 shoulder bag (at £100) is for mirrorless systems or small DSLRs, holding a body and up to two lenses, with a slip pocket on the back for a smartphone and a zipped pocket on the front for smaller items.

The Cooper 15 Slim messenger bag (at £215) will swallow a CSC or DSLR with extra space for up to six lenses, including an 70-200mm f/2.8. There’s also space for a 15in laptop, a trolly strap, external pockets and a Weather Wrap.

Of the two backpacks launched, the Cooper Slim Backpack (at £150) has a classic

daysack design allowing general gear in the top section, with a dedicated, padded, removable camera protection insert below. In the latter you can fit a mirrorless or compact DSLR, with three additional lenses up to 24-70mm f/2.8 in size. There’s also room for a nine-inch tablet and other accessory pockets.

The Cooper DSLR Backpack (at £170), pictured left, is much like the Slim in design, but fits larger DSLR camera systems, holding a DSLR body, three lenses including a 70200mm, and up to a ten-inch tablet.

Long exposures made easy Mastering Long Exposure Photography is a new book from Ammonite Press, exploring the challenges of photographing scenes that the eye often cannot see. Packed with stunning images and expert advice from the author, Antony Zacharias, the book covers everything from star trails and cityscapes at dusk to painting with light and using blur creatively.

Available from this month, Mastering Long Exposure Photography is priced £19.99 and the book spans 176 pages including hundreds of beautiful full-colour examples. ammonitepress.com

tenba.com/uk

Benro goes through the gears Benro has revealed an innovative new filter system, a new geared tripod head and additions to its Slim tripod range. First up, the new filter system includes a patented 100mm holder design that incorporates a screw-in polariser bay and geared adjustment for square filters.

The FH100M2 therefore allows precise adjustment to the height of graduated NDs; a grooved frame is fitted to the filter, which is slotted into the mechanism and moved up or down with the turn of a knob.

The Benro FH100M2 is designed for use with both the 100x100mm and 100x150mm filters.

The range of filters includes resin models (a four-stop ND, twoto four-stop hard and soft grads, and reverse grads) and glass (sixand 10-stop NDs, and two- to five-

stop grads). Price for a 100x150mm grad is £45, a glass 100x100mm 10-stop ND is £100 and a glass 100x150mm grad is £130.

Next up, the GD3WH Geared Head allows precision movement along three axes, allowing a vertical tilt of +90/-30º and landscape tilt

of -90/+30º and uses an Arca-style quick release plate.

For large movements, the gearing can be disengaged, and it has three built-in bubble levels.

The head is made from magnesium alloy, weighs 0.87kg and has a maximum load of 6kg.

The two new tripods in the Benro Slim range are a travel and a video model. The Slim Travel Kit will be available in aluminium or carbon (at £100 or £135), while the Slim Video Tripod Kit is just in aluminium (at £120).

Designed for CSCs and small DSLRs, both are light and streamlined. The Travel tripods weigh 1.2kg and 1.07kg respectively, use five-section legs with twist locks, reach a maximum of 130cm, packing to 31.5cm, have a maximum load of 4kg and a compact N00 ball head is included.

The Video Kit weighs 1.48kg, has four sections, comes with an S2 Pan & Tilt head and has a top load of 2.5kg. Maximum height is 147cm and it folds to 50cm. benroeu.com

Making a name for yourself A gifted Ellesmere Port photographer has snapped up a national photography prize.

Adrian Waine won the specialist EEF National Manufacturing

Photography Award, now in its eight year. The competition sought images that captured the essence of modern manufacturing in traditional or high-tech sectors,

with Adrian’s image showing stone-cutting using diamond tooling and compressed air. eef.org.uk

Photography News | Issue 54 | photographynews.co.uk

Photography News | Issue 54 | photographynews.co.uk

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Photography News | Issue 54 | photographynews.co.uk

News

Practice makes perfect

LAST CALL

Photo 24

29 and 30 June 3pm sta rt

Join us for an action-packed day in the capital. Now in its sixth year, Photo 24, sponsored by Fujifilm, is literally 24 hours of photography around the streets of London, plus there will be contests, photo walks and free camera loans

photographynews.co.uk

KEY DATES • Closing date for applications: 12 April • Successful applicants notified week commencing 23 April • Deadline to accept your place: 8 May

Get Professional Photo magazine SAVE

£1

Whether you fancy trying your hand at selling a few portraits, or you’ve already shot a wedding professionally, Professional Photo is for you.

Offering aspiring professional and working photographers inspirational ways to sign more clients, sell more images and save more cash, every issue is packed with business tips, techniques and beautiful images. Issue 144, on sale now, includes a test of Fujifilm’s new X-H1; takes you behind the scenes on a pro location shoot and profiles the career of editorial, beauty and fashion shooter Chris Floyd. Issue 145 goes on sale on 26 April, with a focus on weddings.

Use the coupon opposite to buy either issue of Professional Photo from WHSmith and save £1 off the usual £4.75 cover price.

To The Customer: Simply cut out this coupon and hand it to your WHSmith High Street retailer to claim your copy of Professional Photo for £3.75 instead of the usual £4.75. This coupon can be used as part payment for issue 144 or 145 of Professional Photo on sale between 29 March and 23 May 2018. Only one coupon can be used against each item purchased. No cash alternative is available.

Not to be used in conjunction with any other offer.

To the WHSmith Retailer: Please accept this voucher as part payment of one copy of Professional Photo on sale between 29 March and 23 May 2018. This voucher is worth £1 plus a 2p handling allowance. The offer is valid to the consumer up to 23 May2018 and must be returned to your clearing house to arrive no later than 25 April 2018 (issue 144), 23 May 2018 (issue 145). As your shop belongs to a multiple group, please handle in the usual way. This voucher is not redeemable against any other item and is only valid in the UK.

Offer subject to availability and while stocks last

DO NOT MINT RETURN *This offer is subject to availability and is redeemable at WHSmith High Street Stores only. Excludes Outlet Stores, WHSmith Online, ‘Books by WHSmith’ at Selfridges, Harrods, Arnotts and Fenwicks stores, WHSmith ‘Local’ and all Travel Stores including those at airports, railways stations, motorway service stations, garden centres, hospitals and workplaces.



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streets of London led by expert Fujifilm X-Photographers who will be on hand to help anyone who needs it.

London offers endless photo opportunities and we plan to add a couple more including a flash studio set-up where you can try for yourself the magnificent Fujifilm GFX 50S mediumformat camera.

And if you fancy a creative challenge there’ll also be photo contests with valuable Fujifilm prizes to be won.

All in all, Photo 24 is a great fun day of photography so go to our website, fill in the application and we may see you on the day.

Cut out and take to your local WHSmith High Street store.

“All tools are extensions of the human body and the camera, in whatever form, be it a smartphone or a DSLR, is an extension of the eye and mind."

So says a new book, Zen Camera, which seeks to guide photographers into a daily practice of improving creative skills by drawing on mindfulness and Zen Buddhism.

The author, David Ulrich, has taught photography for 40 years, and this is encapsulated in six profound lessons for developing self-expression.

Zen Camera encourages you to build a visual practice called your ‘Daily Record’ in which photography can become a path of self-discovery; rather then being distracted by technology, the aim is to gain an insight into the nature of seeing, art and attention.

Spanning 224 pages and beautifully illustrated with 83 photographs, Zen Camera is available now for £18.99.

This year’s Photo 24 kicks off at 3pm on 29 June and you can be part of the free event if you get your application in before the 12 April deadline.

However, if this is the first you have heard of Photo 24 and that deadline has passed, we will keep applications open for the reserve list until the final date of 20 April.

The simple reason for this is that not everyone who gets offered a place will accept it.

So if a successful applicant turns down their place, that place will be offered, firstly to readers who met the original 12 April deadline and after that to those on the reserve list.

Photo 24 is a free event in terms of cost, but also in terms of what you choose to shoot on it and how long you stay. Many participants endeavour to keep going and shoot for the duration of the event, while others may do a few hours on the Friday and then a few more on the Saturday, and yet others will attend for just a couple of hours. The choice is yours.

The event is sponsored by Fujifilm and participants will have the option of a free Fujifilm X Series camera loan for the day.

If you have limited knowledge of the capital or you need advice about street shooting, we will also have photo walks around the

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Awards Gear of the year 2017

Award winners 2017 The Photography Show at the NEC was the perfect opportunity for Will Cheung, PN’s editor, to hand out the trophies to this year’s deserving winners of the Photography News Awards 2017

Tim Carter of Nikon UK collects an award for the Advanced DSLR of the year, the much acclaimed Nikon D850.

Olympus won Consumer CSC of the year with its OM-D E-M10 Mark III and Olympus’s Georgie Pavelin collected the prize.

Graham Armitage (right) and Paul Reynolds (left) of Sigma Imaging received the Award for best wide-angle lens, the Sigma 12-24mm f/4 DG HSM Art, for the second year running.

The Kenro Compact Tripod (Aluminium) 102 won best tripod: alloy. Paul Kench is pictured collecting his award.

Daniel Benjamin (left), Stephanie Howard and Neale Conroy (right) of Canon UK collected Awards for the Consumer DSLR of the year for the EOS 80D, Advanced CSC of the year for the EOS M6 and the Professional DSLR of the year for the EOS 5D Mark IV.

Tamron’s Dieter Stein and Jerry Martin of UK distributor Intro 2020 won best superzoom for the Tamron SP 18-400mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC HLD and best standard lens for the Tamron SP 24-70mm f/2.8 Di VC USD. V2 lens.

The Elinchrom ELB 1200 won the best portable flash category and Elinchrom’s Chris Whittle is seen here with the trophy.

Best shoulder/sling bag winner was the Think Tank StreetWalker V2. The prize was collected by the SnapperStuff team, from the left, Peter Atkinson, Louise Brettle, Chris Butcher and Helen Atkinson.

Best mains flash was won by Pixapro for its Pixapro Storm II 600 and Ling Tan is seen here collecting the prize.

Hahnemühle’s Simon Waller collected the trophy for its Hahnemühle William Turner 310gsm paper winning the inkjet media: fine art finish category.

Regular winners of the filter category did it again with the Lee Filters ProGlass IRND. Here’s Ralph Young of Lee Filters picking up the prize.

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Awards

PNY won the best memory card category with its SD Elite Performance 256GB card. The prize was accepted by PNY’s Steve Hockney.

Paul Hill of Manfrotto UK picked up the prize for best tripod: carbon fibre for the 190 Go! Carbon 4-section.

Adam Kidman of Zeiss UK collected the prize for best telephoto lens, the Zeiss Otus 85mm f/1.4.

X-Rite ColorMunki Photo was voted best colour management device and Color Confidence’s Dave Mobbs collected the trophy.

Wilkinson Cameras won best retailer and the prize was collected by the company’s David Parkinson.

The BenQ SW320 Pro 32in IPS LCD won the monitor award and here we see Jessica Liu of BenQ getting the trophy.

Fujifilm scooped awards for the best compact/bridge camera for the Fujifilm X100F, best professional CSC for the Fujifilm X-T2 and best medium-format camera for the Fujifilm GFX 50S. Jeannie Corby collected the prizes.

For the second year running, Epson’s SureColor SC-P600 won the inkjet printer award and the prize was collected by Dom Gurney from Epson.

Here’s the team from the Jessops Academy collecting its award for best training provider. From the left, Niall Stansfield, Pete Walker, Lee Rolfe.

Winners not present Best on-camera flash Profoto A1 Best macro lens Voigtlander E-Mount 65mm f/2 Macro Apo-Lanthar

The Peli Air Case 1535 won the best hard roller/hard case category and Peli’s Indy Gevgun collected the prize.

Abi Symons of PermaJet received the prize for PermaJet FB Mono Gloss Baryta 320, winning inkjet media: photographic finish.

Innovation of the year went to Rotolight for its NEO2 continuous light and HSS Flash and the prize was collected by Rotolight’s Rod Aaron Gammons.

The best used specialist retailer award was won by mpb.com, with Clare Anderson and Ben Anderson collecting the trophy.

Best external storage device Samsung Portable SSD T5

Calum Thompson from Loxley Colour receives the award for best processing lab.

Zenfolio won best photo website provider (again!) and Zenfolio’s Arnaud Collin came along for the prize.

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Advertisement feature

Built to compete Panasonic’s LUMIX G9 is designed to keep pace with the world’s finest athletes, as Getty Images’ Jan Kruger found out at the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games Speed. Strength. Power. Concentration.

Endurance. These are just some of the attributes you need to succeed at an Olympic level. The very best athletes combine them and win gold. So what does it take to make a champion camera? What features create an imaging powerhouse that can keep up with the best of winter athletes? And can they be found in Panasonic’s new LUMIX G9 camera?

According to Getty Images’ Jan Kruger, who trialled the LUMIX G9 at the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games, they certainly can. These were Jan’s third Olympic Winter Games as part of the Getty Images commercial assignment team, which services all picture requirements for major sponsors during the Winter Olympics. “So when the office asked if I’d be interested in using the new LUMIX G9 camera I jumped at the opportunity. As a sport photographer, documenting the world’s best athletes competing at the Winter Olympics is a fantastic privilege and experience. I have enjoyed putting the LUMIX G9 to the test.”

Jan received the LUMIX G9 and lenses a couple of days before his departure to South Korea and immediately started to play around with it, using the body’s highly customisable features: “I set the camera up in a way that felt familiar to me; but these settings changed daily as I got to know the camera and realised that different focus points and shutter choices work better for some disciplines and not others.”

Fortunately, the LUMIX G9’s Status LCD also makes it easy to see and change settings with just one quick glance.

Elite level – LUMIX G9 Price £1499 Sensor 20.3-megapixels Sensor format Four Thirds Live MOS (5184x3888 pixels) ISO range 100-25,600 in 0.3EV steps Shutter range 30secs to 1/32,000sec (depends on mode) plus Bulb Drive modes 20fps with AF (60fps 4K Photo) Metering system Mult-segment, spot, centre-weighted Exposure modes PASM, iAuto, scene modes Exposure compensation +/-5EV in 0.3EV steps Monitor Free-angle 3in touch screen LCD with 1040k dots Viewfinder EVF (3680k dot) Focusing Contrast AF (EV -4 to 18 (ISO100 equivalent)) Focus points 225 area Video 4K (60/50p) Connectivity Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, HDMI-A, micro-B USB Storage media 2x SD/SDHC/SDXC cards Dimensions 136.9x97.3x91.6mm Weight 658g (with battery and 1x SD card)

As a pro sports photographer, Jan says it’s “important to get to know your equipment and work to maximise its strengths to get the desired images.

“The Winter Olympics are fast in nature, in a cold climate, and mostly in the evening under artificial light, and the camera performed well.

The more I used it, the more confident I felt in achieving the shots I was after.”

A complex range of conditions then, but problems that he felt the G9 mastered, with its record-breaking 20fps burst mode with Continuous AF, the world’s fastest AF speed of 0.04sec, DUAL Image Stabilization giving a massive 6.5 stop advantage, and blackout-free electronic viewfinder, meaning that you can concentrate entirely on the action, and keep it pin sharp at all times.

The LUMIX G9’s 3680k dot EVF also has a clever switchable magnification, going from 0.83x to 0.77x or 0.7x, allowing you to pick out the subject more easily.

The camera is tough, too, with a magnesium alloy chassis and weather sealing to keep it dust and splash proof.

In the extremely harsh conditions of the Korean winter, operating temperature also becomes a big factor, and the G9 can shoot down to -10°C without missing a beat.

Of course, this all counts for nothing if a camera can’t record the action with perfect clarity, but here again the LUMIX G9 excels, with its 20MP optical low pass free sensor boasting exceptional image quality and improved resolution. If you need even more detail, the LUMIX G9 has an 80MP High Res

Contact Panasonic.co.uk

Shot Mode providing massive resolution for large prints.

The G9’s expanded ISO of 100-25,600 also means that you can shoot under the toughest lighting conditions.

“In good daylight on the slopes,” says Jan, “I thought the camera was fantastic at low ISO and high shutter speeds to capture athletes flying by. Overall, I thought the tracking worked very well and the Leica lenses supplied were excellent.”

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

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

How to submit

Clubs Deadline for the next issue: 4 May 2018

We need words and pictures by 4 May 2018 for the next issue of Photography News, which will be available from 14 May 2018. Write your story in a Word document (400 words max). Please include contact details of the club, exhibition or event: website, meeting times, opening times, whatever is relevant. Images should be JPEGs, 2000 pixels on the longest dimension, any colour space, and image credits should be included. If the story is an exhibition or event, please send a picture from the exhibition (not the publicity poster) or one from the event. If it includes people, please identify them.

Attach the Word document and JPEGs to an email and send to clubnews@photography-news.co.uk

Yorkshire Photographic Union exhibition is a showcase for the best amateur photography in the county and I’m delighted that it is returning to Sheffield this year.”

The categories for print and projected digital images include land/seascape, portrait, travel, nature and wildlife, altered reality, action and architecture in both colour and monochrome. There is something for everyone with every genre of photography represented to enthuse and inspire visitors to the exhibition. Stewards will be on hand during the day to answer questions or discuss photography.

The exhibition is free and takes place at the Channing Hall, Surrey Street, Sheffield S1 2LG. Opening hours are 10am – 5pm on 5 May and 11am –4pm, 7-18 May. Closed Sundays. ypu.org.uk Right: The image quality you can expect at the YPU Annual Exhibition.

cheltenhamcameraclub.co.uk

Earl Shilton CC is pleased to announce an evening with professional wildlife photographer Des Ong. This will take place on 23 May from 7.30pm at Earl Shilton Constitutional Club, 75, Station Road, Earl Shilton LE9 7GE. You can pay at the door or tickets can be ordered by sending a stamped addressed

envelope to: John Smith, 62 Montgomery Road, Earl Shilton, Leicestershire LE9 7AT. Cheques must be made payable to Earl Shilton Camera Club.

Tickets can also be ordered by sending payment to the same address with an email address to receive e-tickets. earlshiltoncameraclub.org.uk

Colchester PS © Ben Heather

Cheltenham CC welcomes you to its annual exhibition, which also features accepted entries for the Gloucestershire Young Photographer 2018, at the superb Chapel Arts Gallery, Knapp Road, Cheltenham GL50 3QQ. The free exhibition opens on 21 April and continues 25-28 April and 2-5 May. Members’ prints and projected images judged by John Chamberlin FRPS will be on display. Awards are given in the various categories including

Portrait, Nature, Creative and the Best Image.

The 15th Gloucestershire Young Photographer of the Year received more than 1000 images this year. The winners and a selection of images highlighting the wealth of young talent in the area will be displayed alongside members’ prints at the exhibition.

Cheltenham CC meets weekly on Thursday evenings, September to May, at Holy Apostles Church Hall, Charlton Kings, Cheltenham GL52 6HW.

Earl Shilton CC goes wild

© Des Ong

© Martin Fry FRPS

Cheltenham CC

© Duncan SK Hill, Doncaster CC

The Yorkshire PU is holding its annual exhibition in the centre of Sheffield, 5-18 May where selected images from photographic clubs and societies across Yorkshire will be on display.

The YPU Annual Exhibition showcases images selected from members of 73 clubs from throughout Yorkshire. Many award-winning and critically-acclaimed photographers will be displaying the finest examples from their portfolios. The 200 print and 200 digital images are selected from hundreds of entries and guarantee the highest standard and finest examples of photography from members of Yorkshire’s photographic clubs. Many of these images will go on to represent Yorkshire at national level at the Photographic Alliance of Great Britain and in turn at international level.

Alan Stopher, CPAGB, president of the Yorkshire Photographic Union, commented “The Annual Exhibition is the high point of the Yorkshire Photographic Union’s calendar. The

Colchester PS held its annual ‘Three on a theme and Digital Triptych’ competition, aimed at challenging members’ creative skills. The evening was a great success with an increased number of highquality prints and PDIs. Judged by Tom Peck, a sublime panel of three prints by Chrissie Hart ARPS was the winner of the challenge, and Ben Heather CPAGB won the Digital Triptych, with an almost impressionistic view of the Institut Valencia d’Art Modern. colchesterphotosoc.co.uk

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Clubs

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

Celebrate with Bottisham © Andy Hanson ARPS

Bottisham & Burwell PC is 45 years old this year and to mark the occasion a display of its members’ work takes place on 12 May. Admission is free and the event takes place at The Royal British Legion Social Club, 31 Downing Close, Bottisham, Cambridge CB25 9DD. Doors open at 10.30am. bottburpc.org

Dronfield CC Dronfield CC is holding its annual exhibition of members’ work on 21 April in the Peel Centre on High Street, Dronfield S18 1PX. Disabled access is available and refreshments will be served.

The club celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2015 and has about 40 members with varied interests in monochrome and colour digital photography.

It meets on Thursday nights at 8pm in the Peel Centre, and new members are always welcome,

Eastbourne PS

dronfieldcamera.org

Guisborough PG

© Mark Huntley

Eastbourne PS held its principal PDI competitions for members for this season over the last few weeks.

Overall winner Mark Huntley said, “I am extremely pleased to have won the Projected Digital Image of the Year 2018. My image ‘The Longest Wave’, taken on Seaford seafront during the recent storms, won first place in the Established category and then gained the overall title. The competition was incredibly strong and to have won is an honour. A big thank you goes to all at EPS who run a great photography club, organising great workshops at every level, a selection of interesting talks on a range of topics with inspiring visits from well-known photographers and very strong internal and external competitions.”

Roy Morris was delighted to win the Digital Themes competition against stiff opposition with his series entitled ‘Landscapes of Wyoming’.

The club will be holding its annual exhibition at the Da Vinci Art Hotel, 10 Howard Square, Eastbourne, 10am-4pm daily, 5 May to 4 June.

whether they are experienced photographers or beginners who are eager to learn new skills and techniques.

Guisborough Photo Group is 65 years old this year.

To celebrate, the Group is holding a major exhibition of its members’ work, from beginners to experts. The exhibition takes place on 14 April at Guisborough Methodist Church Westgate, Guisborough TS14 6AF, open from 9am to mid-afternoon. guisboroughphotogroup. co.uk © Bernie Eglington

Brentwood & District PC

epscameraclub.co.uk

Stevenage PS More than 100 prints by members of Stevenage PS are on display in the town’s Gordon Craig Theatre Pi Bistro & Gallery until 24 April.

The pictures on show have been curated by exhibition organiser Chris Pike, drawing from a pool of members’ favourites and the highest scoring images in club competitions throughout the current season. Chris explains that “the exhibition proudly demonstrates the varying talents in our club from novices to more experienced photographers, and

illustrates members’ skills and the breadth of their styles, covering subjects from landscapes and natural history to sport and portraiture.”

Club chairman Andy Roo Smith says, “We are delighted that the Gordon Craig Theatre will once again host our society’s annual exhibition. I am sure that visitors to the gallery will enjoy viewing our images, and hope that some will be enticed to come along and join us when our new season’s programme

Brentwood & District PC has its annual exhibition throughout April at Brentwood Library, New Road CM14 4BP, behind the Bay Tree Shopping Centre.

Open during library hours, the exhibition shows use of a wide variety of subjects and techniques. Admission is free. bdpc.uk begins in September. Whatever your level of experience and area of interest, the society is a great place to learn, discuss, collaborate and show off your

efforts, and we look forward to welcoming you.” stevenagephotographicsociety. org.uk

Photography News | Issue 54 | photographynews.co.uk

Photography News | Issue 54 | photographynews.co.uk

Photography News | Issue 54 | photographynews.co.uk

15

Camera Club of the Year

in association with

Camera Club of the Year 2017-18 After five hard-fought rounds, we have our line-up of finalists for the shoot-out where the destiny of this year’s trophy and title will be decided Words by Will Cheung Congratulations to Leicester Forest Photographic Society for being the fifth and final qualifier for the day-long shoot-out where this year’s Camera Club of the Year 2017-18 will be decided. Round 5 was a hard-fought contest but Leicester Forest PS emerged the victors and they now join Great Notley PC, Eastbourne PS, Eastwood PS and Caister PC to battle it out later this spring.

The final itself will be a full day’s shoot-out where all the photographers will have to use five different Fujifilm cameras – including the medium-format GFX 50S, X-H1 and X-E3 – to tackle a range of photographic challenges within a set time. Everyone will be briefed on the cameras before the final and Fujifilm’s team of product specialists will be on hand to lend any technical support needed.

Our challenges will be a mix of indoor and outdoor tasks with plenty of opportunity for each

individual photographer to express themselves.

Every finalist has to hand in one finished picture per task and the results will be judged by a team of experts and scored on the day.

We’ll have a full report on the final in issue PN56, and we will be using Facebook and Twitter to post updates; accounts below. It’s going to be a great, fun day.

Facebook.com/photonewspn @PhotonewsPN © Jim Monk

© David Turnbull

The X-H1 is the vanguard of a new product collection of high performance Fujifilm X Series cameras. At its heart beats the triedand-tested X-Trans CMOS III APS-C format sensor with a resolution of 24.3 megapixels seen in other Fujifilm X Series cameras, but there is a host of exciting developments to broaden the camera’s appeal. The body has been restyled and resized to give it more of a DSLR appeal and the body shell itself is 25% thicker for even greater durability.

Also gone is the top-plate exposure compensation dial, to be replaced by a button that works in conjunction with an input dial and a large, full read-out LCD panel.

The X-H1’s video credentials are also impressive and the best yet seen on a Fujifilm X Series camera. Two 4K options, F-log, time coding and a new Film Simulation mode called ETERNA are the headliners.

Its features list for still capture has been beefed up too, in particular its autofocus system which has increased sensitivity in low light, better tracking and is better able to deal with low contrast, high frequency surfaces such as animal fur.

The X-H1 costs £1699 body only or £1949 for the body with the Vertical Booster Grip.

fujifilm.eu/uk

Image The Fujifilm X-H1 is a highly capable stills camera but it is also a seriously well-equipped 4K movie camera.

© Alan Rich

© Andrew Kirkby

© Keith Bowser

About the Fujifilm X-H1

Scores for Round 5 Leicester Forest Photographic Society

88

Ayr PS

87

ImageZ Camera Club

86

Steyning Camera Club

86

Synergy

86

Wisbech & District Camera Club

86

*Eastbourne PS

85

Seaford PS

85

PICO

84

Preston Photographic Society

84

Bedford Camera Club

83

Peterborough Photographic Society

83

Tonbridge

83

Beckenham Photographic Society

82

Harlow PS

82

Harpenden PS

82

Norfolk Photographers Camera Club

82

Norwich & District Photographic Society

82

Park Street Camera Club

82

Midlothian Camera Club

81

Wilmslow Guild Photographic Society

81

Blandford Forum Camera Club

79

Brentwood & District Photographic Club

79

Windsor Photographic Society

79

Wokingham and East Berkshire Camera Club

79

City Photo Club

78

Medway DSLR Camera Club

78

*Caister Photography Club

77

Dronfield

77

Frome Wessex Camera Club

77

Maidenhead

77

City of London and Cripplegate PS

76

Consett PS

75

*Already qualified for the final

Photography News | Issue 54 | photographynews.co.uk

16

Technique

Go Coastal Seaside scenics

The UK has over seven thousand miles of coastline to enjoy with your camera; find out how to make the most of the coast this spring which these simple technique tips…

Accessories for seaside shooting Regular landscape gear works just as well at the seaside, though there are a few pointers you can follow when filling your bag.

For instance, whether to take hard or soft graduated NDs? The former can be better suited to the unbroken horizon of the sea, although it depends on the amount of reflected light coming off the water; it’s best to pack both.

Regular ‘full’ NDs, such as 1-, 2- or 3-stop versions, are vital if you want proper control over the movement of the water, but if your desire is to blur moving water in full daylight, or create exposures of many minutes, you’ll also need to pack a much stronger 10-stop ND. In that case, a cable release is also a good idea.

As for your choice of tripod, stability can be compromised at the coast due to wet rocks and sinking sands; if your model has the option of spiked feet, install those and drive them into the sand. If you’re working on slippery rocks, regular rubber feet can be fine. When done, wash the sand off with seawater, but also hose down the tripod when you get home.

Finally, if you have an allweather cover, make sure to pack it in case you’re caught in sea spray or sudden storms.

Above A tripod with spiked feet is helpful on sand, and ND filters help you blur water.

Words and pictures by Kingsley Singleton

1. Planning pays off

Above Apps help you plan a shoot.

Almost all landscape photography is dependent on planning. There are lots of apps and websites out there to help you do it, such as PhotoPills and The Photographer’s Ephemeris, and these will help plot the position of the sun and moon, what time the golden and blue hours begin, what elevation and views you can expect, plus lots more. But at the seaside, there’s another very important factor – the tide.

The rising and falling waterline changes the landscape hour by hour, meaning that at one time of day you might have a very different scene to another. When the tide is out you’re more likely to get interesting rock formations, and sea stacks will seem taller. A receding tide can also leave behind acres of wet sand, adding lots of reflections.

Tide times and levels vary enormously from one part of the UK to another, so make sure you check them carefully before your seaside

Above This low tide shot looks very different from the scene at high tide. shoot, using a site like tidetimes. org.uk as much for your own safety as for how photogenic they make the location.

If you’re lucky enough to be able to revisit a coastal spot often you’ll

see the benefit in getting to know the tides and what they reveal there.

With experience you’ll be able to plot when the best water level and the best light coincide, and make a point of visiting then.

2. Find some Balance Shooting at the seaside you’ll find there’s a lot of empty space about; water, sand and sky. This is part of the attraction, but also a problem for photographers. If you use the space incorrectly the picture can feel extremely unbalanced, with, for example, craggy cliffs running up one side and nothing on the other to counterbalance it.

Try to frame up so that there’s something balancing the composition; for instance, shooting from one side of a bay to the other should allow you to get some clifftop foreground into the mix, too. Or try to get low enough to the beach so that you pick out detail in rocks or sand to anchor the composition.

Ideally, you might find an island or a large rock out in the water to use as a subject, but you can also use the rising or setting sun. If you include it in the composition,

it will create a focal point towards the top of the frame, drawing the eye and balancing the foreground.

You’ll need to use graduated ND filters to counteract its brightness.

Above The sheer amount of open space provided by the sea can lead to problems in composition, mainly a lack of balance in the image. Above, the picture on the right is dominated by detail on the right hand side of the frame; but in the pic on the left there’s a better balance between the foreground and the cliffs and sun in the distance.

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Photography News | Issue 54 | photographynews.co.uk

Technique 3. Find seaside reflections Wet sand might not be your camera’s friend, but the way it reflects light can certainly help your landscape images. This is especially true when faced with a lack of foreground interest.

Wet sand, rocks and pools of shallow standing water will glimmer, so long as you make sure to shoot at least partially towards the light. The sun doesn’t need to

4. Look for simple compositions Rather than just looking for traditional landscapes, try hunting out more abstract or simple compositions at the coast.

A lone rock sticking out of the sea is perfect for this, especially when combined with a long exposure, which will seem to make it hang in a mist of water. For more on setting up long exposures see this month’s Camera School page.

The most important thing, though, is to get your framing right. If you compose too wide, you’ll provide too much context and lose the simplicity; instead, crop closely on the subject, making it the dominant element in the scene.

To help, try shooting with a telephoto zoom or prime; a 70-200mm or 70-300mm zoom gives lots of reach and versatility, but primes like an 85mm portrait lens, or a 105mm macro can give you enough magnification, too.

be low, as it is at dawn or dusk, in order to get reflections either.

Most of the time, you’ll get the best reflections when the tide is going out, though on very flat beaches it can wetten as the water comes in, or stay that way all day. Position yourself close to the ground when composing, and tilt the camera until you see the reflections appear.

Above Lone rocks work well with long exposures.

Crop closely on the subject, making it the dominant element in the scene... with a telephoto zoom or prime

5. You don’t always need the sun

Above You may think that rutted wet sand is an uninspiring foreground, but position your camera low enough to pick up the contrast and reflections and it will enliven any seaside scene.

The coast can often be a harsh environment and landscape photography can reflect that; it’s not always about warm light and twinkling shorelines. So, don’t give up if the conditions are bleak, instead embrace it and use them to tell the story of your location.

Dark and stormy days mean a lack of light, but that just makes it easier to shoot long exposures; these will add motion to heavy clouds giving storms a brooding purpose. If shooting in high winds, you may find it difficult to steady your tripod though; to help weigh it down, attach your bag or something else heavy to the hook on the bottom of the centre column or at the collar.

And of course, make sure to keep a rain cover to hand in case you get caught in a squall.

Above Shoot in dim and stormy conditions and you can be in for dramatic seas and skies. The gloom makes long exposures easier, too.

6. Increase your distance Landscapes don’t always need to be shot as wide-angles or panoramas and, like any other scenic subject, seaside views can benefit from a telephoto approach. The cropped view helps you pick out details, and simplify what, at the seaside, can be a chaotic subject.

A telephoto approach also lets you more easily frame man-made subjects against the sea, showing their fragility against nature, and if you’re lucky enough to get to the coast during a celestial event like a full or new moon, or even an eclipse, a long-lens view will help

A cropped view helps you pick out details and simplify the subject you feature it more prominently in the composition, assuming you get it low enough in the sky.

If you’re using a large and heavy telephoto lens and it has a tripod collar, make sure you use that to mount it on your tripod head for

extra stability. If you don’t, the setup can become very front heavy, dragging the lens down, and any minor movements will blur the fine details you’re trying to capture, especially if you’re shooting at slower shutter speeds.

Right You don’t need be right next to the water for good seaside shots. Break out your telephoto lenses and shoot from further back for simpler scenes.

Photography News | Issue 54 | photographynews.co.uk

Photography News | Issue 54 | photographynews.co.uk

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Photography News | Issue 54 | photographynews.co.uk

Canon feature

Full in the frame The full-frame 35mm camera has so much to offer the keen photographer: excellent image quality, great handling and huge supporting lens systems. Join PN for a hands-on experience using Canon full-frame DSLRs Full-frame cameras have been around for over 100 years and despite the growth in smaller formats, the interest in 24x36mm format cameras is as strong as ever. APS-C and Micro Four Thirds format cameras are popular for good reason and they deliver excellent image quality in very portable packages, but there remains something really special about the 35mm full-frame format.

Indeed, it is why many smaller format camera users aspire to owning one.

For some photographers the appeal is purely physical; that full-frame cameras are bigger is a major attraction, not just for those with larger hands, but also to photographers who prefer more space and easier access to controls. Also, most 35mm cameras provide a viewing image with an optical, reflex system rather than use an electronic viewfinder, so there is a purity in the viewing image.

Then there is the matter of image quality.

Bigger sensors give superior image quality with even more detail in your shots and this becomes more evident when you make big prints. Fine detail remains cleanly and crisply resolved with no smudginess detracting from your beautifully created compositions.

Start climbing the ISO scale and full-frame holds the advantage here, too. The smaller the sensor, the greater the risk of digital noise and the image debilitating consequences that come with it. So, at higher ISOs, fullframe holds sway which is important if the situation or poor lighting means you have no option other than to shoot at ISO 3200, 6400 or beyond.

I recently got the chance to use two of Canon’s full-frame models. The 26.2-megapixel EOS 6D Mark II is aimed at the first-time full-frame user or current full-frame shooters looking to upgrade their existing camera, while the 30.4-megapixel EOS 5D Mark IV has the feature set to appeal

© Will Cheung

Words and images by Will Cheung

to the more experienced or professional DSLR photographer.

Using lovely cameras is one thing but having the chance to use them in a beautiful city with an award-winning pro standing next to you offering advice is something special, which explains why I was in Milan with Canon Ambassador and two-time World Press Photo Award winner Giulio Di Sturco. © Will Cheung

Bigger sensors give superior image quality...

Fine detail remains cleanly and crisply resolved with no smudginess detracting from your beautifully created compositions

Above The ceiling of the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II shot in the low light of early evening. The exposure was 1/30sec at f/4 and ISO 800 using a handheld Canon EOS 5D Mark IV fitted with the 11-24mm f/4 at 11mm. Left The 24-70mm f/2.8 set to 30mm and fixed to an EOS 5D Mark IV was used for this portrait lit by continuous lighting. The exposure was 1/125sec at f/10 and ISO 200, the shutter speed was fast enough to freeze any action and the small aperture gave plenty of depth-of-field.

Milan is Italy’s second biggest city and famous for its manufacturing (Alfa Romeo, Pirelli), its football teams (AC Milan and Inter Milan), its fashion (Armani, Versace) and its history and culture.

The first stop for most visitors is the Duomo, Milan’s cathedral, and it was very high up on my shooting list, too. As was the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, which is next to the Duomo and is the world’s oldest active – and surely the most architecturally awesome – shopping centre.

I also had some extra organised scenarios to shoot: models by ultraviolet light, chaps showing off their parkour skills and muscles, and a studio shoot featuring a Dutch chef who literally creates art with food.

The chef studio shoot was lit by powerful continuous lights so shooting handheld at ISO 400 was no problem. For this shoot I used the EOS 5D Mark IV with several Canon EF lenses including the 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM, 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM and the 11-24mm f/4L USM. The latter was brilliant for a strong foreground, although getting in this close meant I came away splattered with blue yoghurt and beetroot juice. I retreated and swapped to the 24-70mm for the shot shown on the left.

Exploring the high ISO skills of the EOS 6D Mark II and EOS 5D Mark IV came next in the ultraviolet studio. With the recently launched 85mm f/1.4 I was able to shoot at wide apertures at ISO 800 and got shutter

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Photography News | Issue 54 | photographynews.co.uk

Canon feature © Will Cheung

© Will Cheung

© Will Cheung © Will Cheung © Will Cheung

The results, though, I am very pleased with and already several detail-packed A3+ prints adorn my walls – and the quality of full-frame shines through Above Lying down and shooting straight up with an EOS 5D Mark II fitted with the 1124mm f/4 at 17mm. Shot in aperture-priority AE, the exposure was 1/160sec at f/10 which included exposure compensation of 1.3EV. Below Taken with an EOS 6D Mark II with a 24-70mm f/2.8. The exposure was 1/500sec at f/7.1 and ISO 100 and the shadow detail enhanced in Lightroom.

© Will Cheung

the Duomo at sunset. We didn’t have a great deal of time, especially after the intense bag security check, so I headed straight for the rooftop terrace for some setting sun shots, stopping for some candids and general views across the rooftop on the way. The EOS 6D Mark II fitted with a 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM proved a great combination for these subjects. With light fading, the lens’s IS system helped me to get sharp shots even at 1/30sec and long focal lengths.

By the time I got to the roof, the announcement went out that we had ten minutes before closing time so it wasn’t long before we were back on the ground and heading for the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. Its ceiling is amazing and worth shooting looking straight up with a wide-angle. You get decent effects with a 24mm or 28mm but events take a serious turn for the really dramatic with something even wider. I shot it using the 11-24mm f/4, first at the 24mm setting before trying at 16mm and then 11mm, which is the shot shown on these pages. All the shots were handheld and pinsharp, the hefty combination helping me deal successfully with shutter speeds down to 1/15sec which I needed even with the lens wide open and ISO 800.

My time in Milan may have been brief but I managed to shoot a decent number of images and even now, a couple of weeks later, I’m still working my way through them. The results, though, I am very pleased with and already several detail-packed A3+ prints adorn my walls – and the quality of full-frame shines through.

© Will Cheung

speeds around 1/125sec. When I switched to the 24-70mm f/2.8, I pushed the ISO up to ISO 3200 and could see no noise on the camera monitor. In processing, I added a small amount of noise reduction but I was impressed with the high-speed skills of both DSLRs and images were crisp, low on noise and rich in colour.

It was high-speed skills of a different sort when we ventured outside where guys were demonstrating callisthenics and parkour.

For a leap off a hillside I set the EOS 5D Mark II to continuous drive and, making sure the shutter speed was fast enough, I started shooting as the guy ran and hurled himself into the air doing a front somersault before executing a perfect landing. The camera’s top 7fps shooting speed may not seem that fast compared with what’s available now, but it is still quick and very useful.

My brief stay in Milan was already coming to an end as we headed to the city centre and

Images above The EOS 5D Mark IV has a resolution of 30.4 megapixels which makes the camera’s top continuous shooting speed of 7fps even more impressive. This sequence was shot at that top speed with an exposure of 1/500sec at f/4 and ISO 400.

Contact Canon, canon.co.uk Creative Chef, creativechef.co FabLab Milano (location of UV shoot), fablabmilano.it Giulio Di Sturco, award-winning photographer, giuliodisturco.com

Photography News | Issue 54 | photographynews.co.uk

Photography News | Issue 54 | photographynews.co.uk

23

Advertisement feature

Canon Focus There’s no photographic subject that can’t be tackled with a Canon camera, lens or accessory.

In this special feature we take a close look at the Canon outfit opportunities for travel, people, action and wildlife photography Strip photography back to its absolute bare essentials and you can take pictures with a pinhole camera, but that’s hardly a practical proposition for grabbing a happy, fleeting moment at a family party, a fox emerging from a distant hedge or for recording your holiday of a lifetime.

Canon, however, covers all options when it comes to the

demands of modern image-making and with products at a wide range of price points. So whether you want a small, portable camera to have in your bag always or an advanced DSLR camera and a long telephoto lens to capture the most distant subject, Canon has it.

If you are new to photography the question is deciding what you need for any given form of

photographic occasion or subject.

Many experienced and professional photographers get round it by having a cupboard full of kit to pick and choose from, but for enthusiast photographers that is not an affordable option.

Which is where this edition of Canon Focus can help. Over the next three pages we’ve selected camera kits for popular subject areas and

Canon, however, covers all options for modern image-making

explained why those products are recommended for each of those types of photography.

Of course, the kits are just suggestions and are excellent foundations on which you can build further with Canon’s comprehensive ranges of lenses, flashguns and accessories. canon.co.uk

Photography News | Issue 54 | photographynews.co.uk

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Advertisement feature

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Photography News | Issue 54 | photographynews.co.uk

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Advertisement feature

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Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STM nn This is a compact, wide range telephoto zoom that lets you pick up distant details or take candid shots without being spotted. The longer focal length range also has the advantage of giving a more flattering perspective of your portrait subjects with the extra benefit of nicely blurring the background. oo Chromatic aberration can be an issue with telephoto lenses where light of different colours focuses at slightly different points, but that won’t be an issue with this lens which features an advanced optical design that includes one Canon UD element. pp Autofocusing is fast and accurate as you would expect from a Canon lens, but thanks to STM (Stepper

Motor) technology focusing is also very smooth and no noise is emitted during the process, which suits video shooters. qq Its optical Image Stabilisation system gives a potential 3.5EV camera shake correction, a benefit that is even more important given that risk of blurred shots is higher with telephoto lenses. rr Close focusing down to 85cm is possible throughout the lens’ focal length range so it’s simple to move in closer for tightly framed portraits without the need for extra accessories. ss The front element of the lens does not rotate during focusing so there’s no problem using the lens with a polarizing filter.

Photography News | Issue 54 | photographynews.co.uk

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Advertisement feature

Action and wildlife kit Generally speaking, action and wildlife subjects are some distance from the camera position, so use a typical standard lens and

you might not even make out the subject in the overall scene.

A telephoto lens is what you need to make the subject bigger in the

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picture and a telephoto zoom such as Canon’s EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM. Its pulling power means a distant subject can be frame-filling.

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Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM 

nn An optical construction of 15 lens elements in ten groups helps provide detail-packed, crystal clear images which are free of flare and ghosting. oo With an USM (Ultrasonic motor), autofocusing is smooth, quiet and fast, and a slick manual focusing ring is available if you prefer to retain control. pp The lens’ built-in Image Stabiliser gives up to 3EV

shake reduction benefit to help achieve pin-sharp pictures at relatively slow shutter speeds. A Mode 2 setting stabilises images while panning with a moving subject. qq Minimum focusing distance is 1.5m which means you can shoot impressive close-ups without any extra accessories. rr The lens’ filter thread is 58mm.

Canon Speedlite 430EX III-RT Canon EOS 6D Mark II with EF 24-105mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM nn The 26.2-megapixel fullframe sensor is capable of producing pictures with stunning clarity and detail. oo The EOS 6D Mark II’s fastest continuous shooting speed is 6.5 frames-per-second so well suited to capturing fastmoving action or fleeting expressions and moments.

pp The camera’s amazing ISO range tops out at 40,000, so providing plenty of options when you need action-stopping shutter speeds for light that’s less than perfect. qq Autofocusing is handled by an advanced Dual Pixel CMOS AF system. In the

viewfinder you see 45 AF points – these sensors are cross-type points which helps accurate focus even in very low light. rr Every image can be geotagged with the camera’s built-in GPS system regardless of where you are in the world.

Canon Backpack BP10 A smart, comfortable backpack for ferrying a full-frame camera outfit around. The BP10 will take one camera body, two lenses, accessories such as filters and spare memory

cards, plus there’s room for a tablet and travel tripod. Its discrete good looks offer the bonus benefit that it won’t attract unwanted attention in busy cities.

nn A flashgun will expand your creative horizons and the Speedlite 430EX III-RT offers power, versatility and user-friendly features in a compact package. oo The adjustable zoom head covers a focal length range of 24 to 105mm. Extend the built-in diffuser and the light coverage is wide enough for a 14mm focal length. pp The flexible head means it can be turned left or right or aimed upwards for bounce flash for more subtle lighting effects compared with direct flash. qq A dot-matrix LCD panel keeps the user fully informed about aperture, shooting range and exposure mode. A control dial makes adjusting

settings simple and quick. rr You get around 180-1200 flash bursts from a set of four AA batteries.

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Photography News | Issue 54 | photographynews.co.uk

Photography News | Issue 54 | photographynews.co.uk

Photography News | Issue 54 | photographynews.co.uk

Photography News | Issue 54 | photographynews.co.uk

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Accessories test Buyers’ guide

Show stoppers!

This year’s The Photography Show event was full of great new gear for the discerning photographer, but if you couldn’t make it, or didn’t see all that you wanted to, here’s PN’s pick of the bunch ProMediaGear Katana Junior Gimbal head

Gimbal heads are indispensable for long lens photography whether you’re shooting sports, action or wildlife. A gimbal head balances the weight of long, heavy lenses, making them feel almost weightless, so you can shoot with more comfort and great sharpness, due to reduced camera shake. Launched about a year ago in the US, ProMediaGear’s Katana Junior was shown off at TPS, and drew lots of attention due to its high strength and low weight. Made of anodised, scratch-resistant aluminium alloy and precision machined in the US, the Katana Junior weighs only 1.09kg, but can support loads of up to 22.7kg, comfortably supporting the heaviest of body and lens combos. It also comes with a five-year guarantee.

The head uses independent locking pan and tilt knobs and accepts Arca-Swiss style quick release plates. £549

promediagear.com

Serif Labs Affinity Photo

Affinity Photo is an image-editing package with a range of great features, and it’s a lot cheaper than Photoshop at only £48.99. Originally launched in 2015, the software has attracted plenty of plaudits, and this latest 1.5 version builds on these with some enticing new features. There’s a new HDR engine which merges exposures to give 32-bit linear colour space images, and also a new workspace for tone mapping the resulting files. As well as that, there’s full support for Raw files, layers, adjustment layers and masks; non-destructive editing; text and vector tools; focus stacking; lighting and blurring effects; a lens correction filter; and all the selection and retouching tools you’d expect to find in Photoshop, including a built-in frequency separation mode for improved portraits. £48.99

Manfrotto Pro Light FastTrack-8

Expanding its range of photo bags, Manfrotto showed off the new 2-in-1 FastTrack-8 sling at this year’s TPS. Unusually, the bag features an integrated camera strap; essentially you can attach your camera to the adjustable strap, meaning that it’s secured while in or out of the bag for increased safety.

Lockable buckles ensure that the camera is safely attached and guard against the camera strap and shoulder strap getting tangled. As well as an area for your in-use body and lens, the FastTrack has a second compartment catering for additional lenses. There’s also a sleeve for a 9.7in tablet and additional accessory pockets. The bag’s outer is made of reinforced water-repellent fabric, and its internal storage uses Manfrotto’s proven Camera Protection System. £109.95

manfrotto.co.uk

affinity.serif.com

Interfit LM8 100W LED light

While lighting is vital for any video you want to produce, advances in both LED and camera technology are also opening up possibilities for continuous lights in stills photography. New from Interfit is the LM8, a 100W LED studio monolight with a flicker-free output of 14100 Lux (at 1m) giving it plenty of punch close up and stepless control, allowing a power range of 10 to 100%. The daylight balanced light also claims a colour rating index of >95%. Weighing 2.12kg and with dimensions of 27x24x16cm, it’s compatible with a broad range of modifiers: the light has a pop-up softbox ring, Bowens S-mount and umbrella tube for mounting brollies. LM8 heads are available individually, or as part of a kit with two heads, stands, pop-up softboxes and a bag. £189.99

interfitphotographic.com

Tetenal ChromaLuxe distribution

The year’s TPS was a huge showcase for great print products, and in that vein leading supplier of digital and inkjet print products, Tetenal was keen to highlight that it’s now an official distributor for ChromaLuxe, the world’s leading manufacturer of high definition sublimatable print media. The ChromaLuxe process allows production of beautiful aluminium panel prints which are both UV and scratch resistant; images are infused directly from sublimation paper onto specially coated metal panels providing exceptional quality, resolution and longevity. Although Tetenal can supply all the equipment and consumables for you to produce your own ChromaLuxe prints, for enthusiasts, the route is more likely to be Tetenal’s Outlab Print Service.

From £27.50

tetenaluk.com

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Photography News | Issue 54 | photographynews.co.uk

Accessories test

Pica-Gear Snap-Grip

Visible Dust Quaser R sensor loupe

With each generation, mobile phones and action cameras get better at photography, packing in greater detail and more features like HDR, longexposures and time-lapse modes. To make the most of these advances you need stabilising accessories like Pica-Gear’s new Snap-Grip, shown off at TPS. A truly versatile mount, SnapGrip has three screw points, so it can be loaded with several accessories as well the camera, therefore fitting into a wide range of shooting situations. In its simplest form, the phone is gripped by a multi-mount clamp, allowing a wide range of sizes to be fitted, and you hold the setup using a chunky handle below. This handle is extendable and can split into three legs, forming a mini tripod with anodised aluminium and brass screws used in the construction. £37.49

Sensor cleaning specialist Visible Dust showed off its latest loupe at TPS, allowing you to closely inspect the condition of your camera’s chip. The Quasar R loupe, which has a 5x magnification, uses ED (extra low dispersion) glass and fluorine coating to enhance resolution and reduce fringing, allowing you to pick out dust and smears on the sensor more clearly.

Aiding this further is what Visible Dust calls Dark Adaptation Technology (DAT); what this means is using red instead of white light to ‘enhance visual acuity’.

The Quasar R has 14 LEDs in all, seven of which are red, and at their wavelength your pupil will dilate to allow a clearer view; the white LEDs can be used to give a regular loupe view if required. The Quasar R comes with batteries and a hard case for storage and transportation.

pica-gear.com

£129

visibledust.com

Vanguard Alta Pro 2+ 263AB100

Vanguard showed off its excellent tripod range at TPS, with one of the standouts again being the TIPA Award-winning Alta Pro 2+ 263AB100 model. The 263AB has an innovative centre column system which allows it to swing through 180°, and this together with legs that adjust to 20°, 40°, 60° and 80° angles provides a huge range of horizontal and vertical shooting options. The 263AB’s aircraft-grade aluminium alloy legs give it great stability, but it still only weighs 2.3kg (maximum load is 7kg). With centre column extended it can reach a maximum height of 173.4cm, and when folded hits 73.9cm, so is easily carried. The three-section legs, which are 26mm at the top section, use twist locks, and end in non-slip, angled rubber feet. £199.99

vanguardworld.co.uk

One Vision Britannia album

WhiteWall Hahnemühle fine art prints

Online print service WhiteWall was at TPS to show off its highly thought of, gallery quality products, one of which was its range of Hahnemühle papers. The perfect media for exhibition and limitededition fine-art prints, WhiteWall offers five different Hahnemühle papers: William Turner 310gsm with a matte, watercolour texture; Photo Rag 308gsm, with a 100% cotton, fine, soft surface; Fine Art Pearl 285gsm with a silk gloss; Torchon 285gsm with a coarse surface and matte finish; and Fine Art Baryta 325gsm with a glossy surface and classic baryta texture. WhiteWall uses Epson UltraChrome Pro pigments (six colours and three shades of black) to ensure the finest tonal gradation, and pictures are printed at 1440dpi. There’s also a full range of border and framing options, and sizes range from 9cm to 300cm on the edge.

From £8.95 plus shipping

Print specialist One Vision was keen to show off its new Britannia photo albums at the show. The albums, handmade in Coventry, come with a choice of nine different premium soft touch leatherette cover and spine options, and internal pages are printed on proper photographic Fujifilm DPII professional grade paper.

For a 20-page 12x10in album you’re looking at just under £80, but for only £99 you can double the pages to 40 and, despite the low cost, a presentation box is included with either. Of course, there are upgrade options, too, such as a maximum 60 pages, larger 12x12in leaves, laser engraving and personalised ribbons for an additional cost. Production time is only five working days, and right now you can order a sample 40-page book for £39.

From £78.20

onevisionimaging.com

uk.whitewall.com

H&Y Magnetic filter frames

We’ve come to expect constant innovation in camera design and features, but accessories can also be revolutionised. H&Y’s Magnetic Filter Frames are a great example, debuting at TPS to much interest. They let you do away with the usual slotted filter holder design, replacing it with a more efficient magnetic system. You remove the filter blades on your existing holder, add H&Y’s magnetic adapter strips, then put a magnetic frame around your existing filter and attach it. Once framed, filters can be layered onto one another and easily repositioned by sliding them up and down. The rigid frames can be added to existing 100x100mm or 100x150mm filters and cost £23 and £25 respectively. The Adapter Strips, currently for Lee Filters’ 100mm system and Formatt-Hitech, are £15, with all other major brands coming this summer. A triple pack of three 100x150mm frames and one pair of adapter strips is £80.

From £38

johnsons-photopia.co.uk

PNY SD Elite Performance 256GB

There’s no point toting a high performance camera without the storage to back it up; to make the most of features like fast burst modes you need cards that are just as fast. PNY was at TPS to show off, amongst other products, its range of memory cards, which included the PN Award-winning SD Elite Performance 256GB. This Class 10 UHS-1 U3 model provides read speeds up to 100MB/s making them PNY’s fastest SD cards; the write speed is 75MB/s, giving you more frames per second than slower speeds. What’s more, its huge 256GB capacity means hours of 4K or thousands of high res Raw files can be stored. The card comes with an impressive five-year guarantee and has an operating temperature of 0°C to 60°C. £129.99

pny.eu

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Camera test Specs Price £1699 body only, £1949 body with Vertical Booster Grip kit Sensor 24.3-megapixel X-Trans CMOS III Sensor format APS-C, 23.5x15.6mm, 6000x4000pixels ISO range 200-12,800 (expandable 10051,200) Shutter range 30secs–1/8000sec, plus B up to 60mins with mechanical shutter, 30secs–1/32,000sec, plus B up to 60mins with electronic shutter, flash sync 1/250sec Drive modes Max frame rate 8fps (mechanical), 11fps (mechanical with VPB-XH1), 14fps (electronic) Metering system 256 multi-zone, average, spot, centre-weighted Exposure modes PASM Exposure compensation +/-5 stops in ¹/3 stop increments Monitor 3in 1.04 million dot three-way tilting touchscreen Viewfinder 0.5in 3.69 million dots OLED, shows 100% Focusing Single, continuous, manual Focus points 91 in 13x7 grid – zone AF in 3x3, 5x5 or 7x7 grids; 325 in 25x13 grid available Video DCI 4K at 24P, 4K at 30P, Full HD at 60P, HD at 60P, slow motion up to 120P available Connectivity Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB 3.0 Other key features Five axis in body image stabilisation (IBIS) system Storage media 2x SD cards Dimensions 139.8x97.3x85.8mm Weight 673g (including battery and card) Contact Fujifilm.eu

Photography News | Issue 54 | photographynews.co.uk

Fujifilm X-H1 Fujifilm’s X Series goes from strength to strength – its latest launch has enhanced video features, an all-new body integral image stabilisation system and the body itself has had a significant overhaul Words and images by Roger Payne When the Fujifilm X-H1 was announced earlier this year, its potent mix of still and video features meant many thought that the H stood for hybrid. In fact, the H stands for High as in High Performance and the X-H1 is the first model in a top-of-the-range line, sitting above the X-T2 and X-Pro2.

If you’re familiar with existing models, the X-H1 is more X-T2 than X-Pro2, with a central electronic viewfinder and three-way flip-out rear screen, plus top-plate dials (to change shutter speed and ISO) that appear to have been plucked straight from its stable-mate. That’s not the case, though, and said dials are a little taller and the central locking buttons marginally more rounded.

But let’s not dwell on similarities right now; instead let’s celebrate the differences, which go way beyond the redesigned control dials.

While there are many changes on the X-H1, the headline new feature has to be the inclusion of in-body image stabilisation (IBIS), a first for Fujifilm. Such a system benefits both stills and video users, but it is undoubtedly more significant for video as it offers stabilisation in five axes. Optical image stabilisation (OIS), which is already present in a number of Fujifilm optics, offers stabilisation on just two axes, so this should give you even more confidence when shooting handheld.

If you’re using a lens on the X-H1 that already has OIS, which stabilises which axis is split between the two systems.

So, in the case of the XF50-140mm, for example, the lens stabilises two axes – pitch and yaw – while IBIS looks after the remaining three – X shift, Y shift and roll.

Up to 5.5 stops of shake compensation are available, but this does depend on the lens you’ve got on the camera. In many cases, however, it’s safe to assume that you’ll have up to a 5EV benefit.

The stabilisation capabilities of the camera are further enhanced by a dedicated dual processor, the sole purpose of which is to stop shake from blighting your work, a series of springs positioned around the sensor to act as shock absorbers.

The mechanical shutter (the quietest I’ve come across) and the shutter release itself has been redesigned and is now featherlight to the touch – but more on this later.

In the field, I was very impressed with the IBIS system for stills and video. With an XF50mm f/2 lens on the camera, I was able to shoot stills down to 1/3sec without any shake, while attaching the XF100-400mm saw me successfully shooting at 1/15sec at the 400mm end.

To see the benefit with video, I shot a short sequence walking

The video-related enhancements don’t stop at IBIS: the X-H1’s movie setting options menu extends to four screens and 28 different functions

Left The X-H1’s grip is bigger than the X-T2’s to suit those photographers used to DSLRs and it has been redesigned, too. Gone is the exposure compensation dial, replaced by a button and there’s an LCD info panel, similar to that seen on the medium-format GFX.

towards a subject, turning 180° and then moving the camera from head height to ground level using both the X-T2 and X-H1 with the XF50mm.

The difference between the two pieces of footage was marked, with the X-H1 movie significantly smoother. But it’s worth noting that while the IBIS system is undeniably good, it’s not akin to having the camera mounted on a gimbal.

The video-related enhancements don’t stop at IBIS, which is borne out by the fact that the X-H1’s movie setting options menu extends to four screens and 28 different functions; on the X-T2 it’s one screen with just six functions.

I’m not going to cover them all here, but highlights include the ability to record F-Log straight to SD card (on the X-T2 this could only be done to an external device), frame rates up to 120p in Full HD, 30p at standard 4K and 24p at DCI 4K, plus bit rates from 50 to 200Mbps, although this full range is only with 4K capture. Time coding is also available. All this adds up to a much more serious video-making tool.

It’s widely accepted that one of the aces up Fujifilm’s sleeve is the imaging sensor and the unique

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Photography News | Issue 54 | photographynews.co.uk

Camera test Performance: exposure latitude Our sunlit scene was exposed in aperture-priority mode with settings of 1/320sec at f/8 and ISO 800. The scene was bracketed using the exposure compensation feature, and the Raws were processed in Lightroom using the Exposure slider to correct the under/ overexposure.

No other corrections were applied.

Get it wrong by +4EV over and you are going to struggle to get clean highlights and accurate colours, but that is no surprise. You stand more chance with +3EV – you get decent results except with the strongest highlights. The picture looks

better at +2EV (the sky picked up a slight cyan look but that can be resolved in editing) but the quality of that image and of the +1EV shot looked very similar to the correctly exposed image.

Underexposure fared better and even the recovered -4EV shot looked pretty good, even if there was some noise in the shadows and colour saturation needed a boost. Some noise remained in the +3EV shot and colours lacked punch, so would need attention in processing.

All in all, Raws had good exposure latitude, certainly up to the level of current cameras and better than many.

Original image

Film Simulation modes that come with it. The X-H1 shares the same 24.3-megapixel X-Trans CMOS III sensor as all other current X-Series models, but here it heralds the arrival of a new film simulation option in the form of ETERNA. It is available for both stills and video, but is targeted more at the video user. ETERNA’s key characteristics are to create a more cinematic look with a flatter colour profile and greater shadow detail. In reality it makes the previously muted Classic Chrome option look punchy.

Naturally, there’s more to the X-H1 than a series of video enhancements.

The high performance moniker applies just as readily to stills capture and one of the key changes here is to be found in the camera’s upgraded autofocusing capabilities.

Phase-detection AF (PDAF) pixels cover 50% of the width and 75% of the height within the frame, an area that’s easily identifiable when you press the focus lever on the back of the camera to select an AF point. The total focusing area is wider than that covered by the phase-detection pixels, with up to 325 individual points selectable – and the possibility to assign spot metering to the focusing point – but move outside the PDAF area and the system moves to contrast AF.

Low-light capability is much improved, and I didn’t find any situation where the camera hunted around for focus None of this is new, but what is new is the sensitivity of the phase-detection pixels, which has been lowered to -1EV; the X-Series’ previous best was 0.5EV on the X-T2. Low-light capability, then, is much improved, and I didn’t find any situation where the camera hunted around for focus. Similarly, PDAF is now sensitive down to f/11, compared to f/8 on the X-T2, which is useful if you like to shoot with the XF100-400mm at 400mm with a 2x teleconverter attached.

There’s further autofocusing good news for general picture taking, which is more assured when shooting complex subjects or those with low levels of contrast, thanks to a modification of how the phasedetection focusing points work. The upshot of all this is an excellent allround AF performance.

Another first for Fujifilm is the flicker reduction mode. This feature is primarily aimed at those shooting

Above The X-H1’s sensor and metering system do a great job with contrasty scenes and this is a straight out of the camera JPEG.

indoor sports at fast frame rates and eliminates exposure errors caused by the variation in light levels from fluorescent tubes. Although undetectable by the human eye, shooting a sequence of images in these lighting conditions without flicker reduction active shows underexposure every few frames.

Switch the mode on, however, and the camera will only fire when the light level is the same, minimising errors.

Understandably, using this mode does reduce the maximum frame rate to 5.5fps from 8fps when using the mechanical shutter, or 7fps with the electronic front curtain shutter.

Until the X-H1 came along, Fujifilm mirrorless cameras had avoided hefty handgrips, but the new model most certainly doesn’t, with a grip that is very DSLR-esque.

This styling cue is likely to be quite divisive among mirrorless purists who may see the X-H1 as stepping away from what makes mirrorless so appealing: size and weight. The new model is undeniably a step up in terms of weight and bulk compared to the X-T2, but it’s still lighter and smaller than a Canon EOS 5D Mk IV or a Nikon D850.

The grip houses the aforementioned featherlight shutter release and while this is the gateway to a simply beautiful shutter mechanism, for my money, at least, the release is too light. There isn’t enough resistance between focusing and picture-taking. As a result, I did absent-mindedly end up taking lots of pictures of my feet during testing. This is no big deal in the digital age, but it could be an issue if you run a multiple-body Fujifilm set-up – use an X-H1 alongside an

-4EV

-3EV

-2EV

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0

+1EV

+2EV

+3EV

+4EV

Images Raw files from the Fujifilm X-H1 have good tolerance to exposure abuse or when you need to pull or push them to control contrast.

It is typical that tolerance to underexposure is better than to overexposure.

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Photography News | Issue 54 | photographynews.co.uk

Camera test X-T2, for example, and there’s a very evident difference in shutter release sensitivity.

One potential solution is to start using the AF-ON button for back button autofocusing. Those amongst you who like to focus this way will no doubt welcome this addition, but those who don’t have no alternative. Incidentally, using the AF-ON button does not disable AF from the shutter release button – the only way to do this is to switch to manual focusing on the body.

Adding the handgrip does free up some more top-plate real estate and Fujifilm has seen fit to fill it with an LCD monitor that provides useful extra info. With the camera off, the LCD shows battery status, shots/ minutes remaining, dual card slot usage and exposure compensation status. Couple this with the two topplate dials and it stays true to the Fujifilm idea of being able to check camera status without having to turn it on first. Once you have flicked the camera on, the LCD provides information of your choosing

The overall grip is great, and it’s nice to have an assured hold on the camera, especially with the longer zooms in situ and the XF200mm f/2 on the horizon

(within certain parameters). It’s a nice feature to have and has been taken from the medium-format GFX, but for me it means that one of my most regularly used top-plate dials – exposure compensation – has been reduced to a small button on the right of the shutter release. I don’t see this as being a good thing.

The overall grip is great, though, and it’s nice to have an assured hold on the camera, especially with the longer zooms in situ and the XF200mm f/2 on the horizon.

Like the X-T2 there’s a Vertical Booster Grip option which can house – and quickly charge – two additional batteries, offer a boost switch to enhance aspects of camera

Performance: ISO

performance and ensure that the camera handles the same way in both vertical and horizontal orientations.

But as with the X-T2, the grip is the only means of getting a headphone jack; it’s a shame that the designers couldn’t have somehow worked that socket into the larger handgrip on the standard body.

The grip isn’t the sole reason the camera has bulked up: the larger load on the processor has called for a bigger heat sink; the IBIS mechanism needs room to work; and the magnesium body shell is 25% thicker than that on the X-T2.

The body also has a ribbed frame to increase internal strength and further toughen up the lens mount

ISO 100

Above If you prefer quiet cameras, the X-H1 could be right up your street. Of course, the electronic shutter is silent, but on this camera the mechanical shutter is very quiet too and barely audible in the hubbub of street scene.

ISO 800

Original image

The X-H1’s sensor and processor combination features in other X Series cameras so it is very much a known quantity. Of course, its ISO performance still needs to be tested, just to make sure it delivers.

Our night scene offered the X-H1 a severe test. The camera was tripod mounted and fitted with an 18-55mm f/2.8-4 standard zoom. The exposure at ISO 100 was 30secs at f/7.1. All in-camera noise reduction was set to zero and the Raws were processed in Lightroom Classic with no noise reduction applied.

The camera’s native ISO range is 200 to 12,800 with expansion available down to ISO 100 and up to 25,600 and 51,200.

Viewing images at 100% on screen showed the X-H1 is very

capable, with noise control at higher ISOs when in such low light levels. Some grain is noticeable at ISO 800 but it’s not much and even at ISO 1600 it is held in check, and detail remains looking good.

From ISO 3200 upwards, noise is more evident and there was the inevitable impact on detail.

Sympathetic processing has a significant benefit on the grainy look, though, and ISO 3200 is perfectly usable for critical work.

Beyond that speed, noise levels are higher and picture performance suffers as a consequence, so use with care.

All round, the Fujifilm X-H1 delivers a very creditable ISO performance and up to the standard I’d expect from a current Fujifilm X Series camera.

ISO 1600

ISO 3200

ISO 6400

ISO 12,800

in anticipation of the fact that the X-H1 is likely to be regularly coupled with longer lenses. There’s also a small matter of 94 weather-resistant seals dotted around the body and a scratch-resistant outer coating.

The viewfinder and rear LCD are both new for an X Series model. The former now has 3.69 million dots; the latter is a three-way touchscreen affair with 1.04 million dots. Both are excellent and full of detail, but there is a minor issue. With a central viewfinder and a rear touchscreen, it can be easy to touch the rear LCD accidentally with your nose. The touchscreen functionality can be turned off, but thinking that may be a compromise too far, Fujifilm extended the rubber eyepiece to reduce the chance of nose-based issues. A fine solution. Until, that is, you come to shoot video from waist level with the rear LCD flipped out at 90°. In this shooting scenario, the top of the LCD is obscured by the eyepiece, so you can’t easily see if video has started recording or how much time has elapsed.

Both still and video output from the camera are impressive. I always shoot Raw and JPEG, but straightout-of-the-camera JPEGs are spectacular and made me wonder whether I was over-egging the pudding by shooting both. Exposure accuracy is impressive as well, and I like the touchscreen functionality for shooting candids.

Verdict Fujifilm has taken proven technology in the 24.3-megapixel X-Trans CMOS III sensor and the X Pro Processor, added a robust video specification, innovated with an in-body shake reduction system and reworked its design into a camera that will have a very wide appeal.

It’s not perfect, of course, so while I love the handgrip and am not put off by the extra size and weight, that shutter release is too light and I miss an analogue exposure compensation dial. But these are minor issues when put into context and there is no doubt in my mind that the Fujifilm X-H1 is a very fine and hugely capable image-making machine.

Features 24/25 Great credentials for stills and movie shooting Performance 24/25 Impressive image quality and AF is the best yet on a Fujifilm X Series

ISO 25,600

ISO 51,200

Handling 24/25 Its size is no detraction and IBIS is very good Value for money 23/25 It is a top-of-the-range model and offers a great deal for the money

Above With the same sensor and image processor as existing X Series cameras, we expected a great ISO showing from the X-H1 and we weren’t disappointed. Image quality even at ISO 3200 was very clean.

Overall 95/100 Another winner from Fujifilm? Yes, very probably Pros Size (good for DSLR users), build quality, very good AF, IBIS shake reduction system Cons Size (big for a mirrorless), shutter release maybe too light

Photography News | Issue 54 | photographynews.co.uk

Photography News | Issue 54 | photographynews.co.uk

36

First tests Imaging kit

First tests

We get our hands on the latest kit and share our first impressions – so you know whether or not to add it to your wish list Reviews by Will Cheung, Kingsley Singleton, Matty Graham

Specs Price £215 Photo mode Ambient: shutter-priority, aperture-priority, EV mode; cordless and corded flash modes HD cine mode Shutter speed priority, frame rate, illuminance Cine mode Frame rate priority, shutter angle, illuminance Measuring Range EV 0-19.9 ISO sensitivity 3-8000 in 1/3 steps, plus 850 Shutter speed Photo and HD cine: 60sec1/8000sec ambient, 1/8sec1/500sec flash Frame rates 8, 12, 16, 18, 24, 25, 30,32, 48, 50, 60, 64, 96, 100, 128 Shutter angle 45, 90, 180, 270, 360 degree Power source AA battery Dimensions (WxHxD) 63x110x22mm Weight 80g (without battery) Contact johnsonsphotopia.co.uk

Sekonic L-308X £215 Cameras with built-in light meters have been around for generations, and of course now with the instant feedback of digital cameras, the need for separate light meters is arguably smaller than ever. That said, they are really useful accessories, especially for flash, and now with so many stills photographers also shooting video there is more of a reason to use one.

Sekonic’s new pocket-sized L-308X is the first light meter designed for the new breed of professionals equally at home using their cameras to shoot moving images and stills, with both natural light and flash.

The L-308X is based on the popular L-308S photo meter, with many functions of the videofocused L-308DC added in. There’s also a new backlit screen, which automatically comes on when light levels fall. You can dial in calibration compensation from -1 to +1 stops in 0.1 step increments to match other meters or your camera, too.

You set the ISO, then choose either the shutter speed or f/stop that you want depending on the mode There are three modes: photo; HD-cine, ideal for DSLRs or mirrorless; and cine, which is aimed at full-size video cameras. Changing modes involves holding down the mode button while turning on the meter, selecting the mode you want, then turning it off and on again to use. It’s not obvious.

The meter has a sliding lumisphere, or diffuser, which covers the metering cell for incident light measurement. Incident readings are preferred by photographers – outdoors and studio – because you are measuring light actually landing on the subject, so it’s not influenced by the subject’s reflectance. With manual flash, incident readings are the only way to go. (The diffuser can be slid out of the way for reflected measurements.)

The L-308X works with ambient light and flash, the latter both wirelessly and via a PC cord. You set the ISO, then choose either the shutter speed or f/stop that you want depending on the mode, then hit the measuring button.

The settings for your camera are displayed, or the EV value, and you can specify whether you want measurements in full stops, half stops or third stops, so all camera/lens options are catered for.

The results are shown in tenths of a stop for total accuracy. It’s a precise meter that’s easy to use and aids fast setups, which is particularly useful

Above It’s compact and easy to use – but the limited ISO range does the unit no favours.

when you are in a studio using flash and want a certain lighting ratio, to show contrast and texture.

While shooting Raw stills allows you to tweak the exposure in post processing, if you are shooting video, exposure is far more critical.

No DSLR or mirrorless camera – and very few high-end professional cine cameras – can shoot Raw video. You’re always recording a compressed file more akin to a JPEG, so it’s much more important to get exposure right in camera.

If the L-308X has a downside, it is a small one – it won’t actually trigger wireless studio flash systems, so you’ll need the flash trigger in your hand when metering a subject a few metres from the camera position. WC

Verdict Although this Sekonic meter is aimed at the new breed of image makers, it’s not caught up with the camera technology. Its ISO range only goes up to 8000 and we have cameras now that top out at 3,280,000, and many have 12,800.

In photo mode, the maximum shutter speed is only 1/8000sec and we have shutter speeds of 1/32,000sec on cameras with electronic shutters.

That said, for the majority of users who juggle stills and video, this meter is a great tool that helps in getting the exposure right. It’s small, accurate, useful for stills and video, and good value.

Pros Versatile, compact, accurate, easy to use Cons No wireless flash trigger option, mode changing

Photography News | Issue 54 | photographynews.co.uk

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First tests

Elinchrom ELB 500 TTL £1499

Specs Prices Elinchrom ELB 500 TTL is available in two kits. The To Go kit includes a pack, battery, snappy cover, power lead, charger, 18cm reflector, location bag and one head for £1499, while the Dual To Go adds a second head and 13.5cm wide reflector for £1749. ELB 500 TTL pack without battery £949; ELB 500 TTL battery £249; ELB 500 head £399; and Skyport HS Plus Trigger £209.

Power 500Ws Power range 7EV in 0.1 steps, fully asymmetrical Fastest flash duration Action mode: 1/20,000sec; Normal: 1/3400sec Recycling time 0.05 – 2secs Battery Li-Ion 14.4 V – 72 W/h Battery capacity 400/28,000 flashes (full power/ minimum power) Dimensions (LxWxH) 16.3x9x18.1cm Weight Head and battery 2.48kg; Battery 730g Compatibility Elinchrom Transmitter Pro, Plus HS with a firmware update, Phottix Odin II Transmitter. Compatible with Canon and Nikon. Other brands to follow Contact Elinchrom.co.uk

Speedlights are compact and convenient and using them off camera is straightforward whether you want to work manually or in TTL. But if you want lots of studio-quality light on location, a battery-powered studio system such as the new Elinchrom ELB 500 TTL is the way to go. And for the first time in an Elinchrom system there’s the option of speedlight convenience in the form of TTL flash metering with the appropriate trigger.

The ELB 500 power pack needs ELB 500 heads; the cable fittings of existing Quadra heads are the same but they won’t work with the new pack.

With one head you can use either socket and, when you have two heads, you get full asymmetry for complete modelling control. Turn the unit on, push A or B to confirm which socket you are using and you’re almost ready to shoot once you’ve sorted synchronisation. There’s a full set of options including wired and wireless, and the latter can be in manual or TTL depending on the trigger you are using.

The pack has an optical sensor too so you can trigger via another flashgun.

For the full set of features you need the Skyport Pro and Skyport Plus HS owners can upgrade their triggers to the Pro with 2.10 firmware. Canon and Nikon compatibility is currently available with other brands to follow.

The Pro trigger costs £209 and is not included in the To Go kits. If you own a Phottix Odin II, that is compatible, too, in manual and TTL. Switch on the Skyport Pro trigger and it will automatically scan for an active unit. The detected unit is shown on the trigger’s display. I found the legibility and clarity of the Skyport interface could be better; its small thin type is not that clear and if the power level and amount of compensation were bigger or bolder that would

High speed sync Fan off

1/20,833sec

1/12,500sec

1/250sec

Images The ELB 500’s action mode allows very brief flash bursts but obviously with less power. At full power, flash duration is 1/250sec.

White-balance Normal 6.3

Normal 0.1

Above The ELB 500 has the option of manual output or TTL control with a compatible trigger, such as the Skyport Pro which costs £209. enhance handling. The power unit’s LCD display has the same look and style of the Skyport so that could be better too for menu setting but at least the output level is nice and big.

Using the menu to configure the pack to the job in hand is straightforward and there’s a wide range of set-up options. Here you can set recycling mode (fast or eco), select group and frequency, and choose between normal or action mode – here, flash duration is as brief as 1/20,833 at the lowest output setting of 0.1.

On the pack, adjusting power can be done in 0.1EV steps throughout the 0.1 to 6.3 range. For full EV adjustments use the arrow controls. Power changing can be set wirelessly via the Pro trigger, as can choosing manual or TTL mode, compensation and groups.

I tried manual and TTL modes, and did various studio tests to assess power output, flash duration and whitebalance at different power settings and in action and normal flash modes.

I tested power output using the ELB 500 with its standard reflector with the head placed 2m from a flash meter using an ISO of 100. At full power of 6.3, I got a reading of f/22.6 and at 6.0 a reading of f/22.3. Adjusting output in 1EV steps was mirrored accurately in my meter readings to within 0.1EV which is impressive accuracy and consistency. At 1.0, output was measured at f/4.0.4 and minimum output of 0.1 was metered at f/2.8.7.

So there is plenty of power on tap to allow useful apertures at typical shooting distances. Equally, if you want to shoot at wider lens apertures for shallower depth-of-field that is possible, too.

Next I tested white-balance shift in normal and action modes at minimum and maximum outputs using a Datacolor test chart. As a control I took a custom white-balance reading using a Nikon D810 and a sheet of white card with the ELB 500 in normal mode and full power. Colour consistency proved impressive especially in normal flash mode, where there was little discernible colour shift from a practical perspective as output was adjusted from maximum to minimum.

Output in speed mode is slightly cooler but it is only noticeable with direct comparison of test pictures.

Viewed in isolation, results were perfectly acceptable and any shift is easily corrected on editing – or with a custom WB reading.

I used an electric fan to assess flash duration. Duration is displayed on the pack’s LCD panel. At full power in normal mode, duration is 1/250sec and this drops to 1/3401sec at minimum power. For briefer flash bursts you need to set action mode, and here at 5.0 duration is 1/1086sec – this compares with 1/700sec at 5.0 in normal mode.

It is as you drop down in output that durations shorten, so at 1.0 bursts last 1/12,500sec and you get 1/20,000sec at 0.2 output.

My high speed sync test was done with the flash head two metres from the colour test chart, again using the D810 at ISO 100. I took shots at the ELB’s full power and shutter speeds up to the camera’s 1/8000sec top speed at various apertures and used the camera’s histogram to assess exposure.

I also shot a sheet of white board to detect any across-the-frame gradation – there wasn’t any, even at 1/8000sec.

Shooting at 1/8000sec in HSS, f/4 gave a good exposure but even f/5.6 was good and easily recoverable in Raw. This is impressive bearing in mind I was testing at ISO 100. With the high quality possible at ISO 400 or ISO 800 that means you have the option of f/8 or f/11 at 1/8000sec. Drop down the shutter speed and you get even more power so, for example, 1/1000sec tests shots at f/11 looked good.

In the lab, the ELB 500 delivered, and the same applied in practice. It was lovely to use in manual or TTL operation with plenty of power in reserve, the LED modelling lamps were useful and the battery had plenty of capacity. Some photographers prefer the control of manual but the ELB 500 offers a hybrid way of working, using TTL to determine the right exposure then switching to manual with the TTL settings retained. On the other hand, if the convenience of TTL appeals the ELB 500 works well having full asymmetry with two heads makes fine tuning of the light simple.

Add the support of Elinchrom’s modifier system and there is no doubt that the ELB 500 is one of the best portable flash systems around – and well priced, too. WC

Action 6.3

Action 0.1

Above Colour temperature stability is very good with the ELB 500. There is no difference between minimum and maximum outputs in normal mode. In action mode, the 0.1 lowest power shot is very slightly cooler than the full power test shot.

Verdict The Elinchrom ELB 500 is an excellent piece of kit that packs a considerable punch, with 500Ws at your disposal. In terms of what is possible with it, you have a kit that’s powerful, capable, versatile and portable. You get decent output levels for high speed sync shooting and for short duration work you can work at 1/20,833sec if the power level suits.

A two head outfit with a Skyport Transmitter Plus HS is the fat end of two grand so the ELB 500 TTL is a serious investment, but then it is a serious piece of kit and has the potential to open up all sorts of opportunities for your photography – for that reason it’s well worth the commitment.

Pros Compact and lightweight, power output, great handling, full asymmetry, power at HSS, cable length Cons Small thing, but type on the menu and on the Skyport trigger LCD could be bigger/clearer

Photography News | Issue 54 | photographynews.co.uk

Photography News | Issue 54 | photographynews.co.uk

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First tests Specs Prices and size availability 6x4in 100 sheets £19.95, 7x5in 100 sheets £24.13, A4 25 sheets £17.95, A4 50 sheets £29.95, A3 25 sheets £32.95, A3 50 sheets £54.95, A3+ 25 sheets £42.95, A2 25 sheets £64.95. 24in and 44in rolls available from May Weight 310gsm Compatibility Pigment and dye inkjet systems Whiteness CIE 112 Thickness 0.30mm Coatings Single sided with instant dry lustre microporous receiving layer Drying behaviour Instant Contact permajet.com

Image Photo Lustre 310’s finish gives an attractive sheen and very fine stippling. Resistance to fingerprints is good.

PermaJet Photo Lustre 310 From £19.95 PermaJet already has a formidable line-up of photographic quality papers. Indeed, its FB Mono Gloss Baryta 320 was voted by PN readers as last year’s Best Inkjet Paper: Photographic Finish.

The latest arrival is PermaJet Photo Lustre 310 which sits in the company’s Digital Photo range of day to day products. This collection includes such popular standby papers as Oyster 271, Titanium Lustre and Ultra Pearl 295. Papers in this group are available in the usual A4, A3, A3+ sheet sizes but the range extends to 6x4in and 7x5in, which gives you a clue about what PermaJet means by ‘day to day’. As does the price.

A 25 sheet A4 pack of Photo Lustre costs £17.95 as opposed to £32.95 for the same size pack of PermaJet’s FB Baryta paper.

Ultimately, it doesn’t matter what and how PermaJet labels its product range so long as it does what you need, and it’s clear this new paper is a quality product.

It emerges flat out of the box and a closer look shows that its base is pure white, very, very marginally on the cool side.

I used an Epson SC-P800 loaded with Epson inks for my test prints.

The first part of the test was to make my own custom profile. Free generic profiles for a range of popular photo printers are available from the website. PermaJet offers free custom profiles for its own papers.

I produced mine with an X-Rite i1Studio. The process is simple in that one test print is made and that is measured with the spectrophotometer before a second print is made. The second print is then assessed to produce the ICC profile.

I made profiles for both colour and monochrome output.

Once that was done I was ready to print. I have a collection of files that I know well and regularly use to assess colour and black & white output of papers and from printers.

Among my test files are a few more awkward images that can trip a paper (or printer) up.

To be fair, I didn’t manage to trip Photo Lustre 310 and it performed very nicely indeed.

Lustre finishes have a surface texture that varies from very smooth, almost gloss-like to more obvious stippled finishes. This material has a very fine lustre so the finish has a very smooth sheen when viewed obliquely to a light source.

Comparing my Photo Lustre 310 print of the X-Rite ColorChecker chart with the real thing under daylight lamps revealed the paper’s impressively accurate colour rendition. The primaries and secondaries both came out well and the only secondary worth a comment is yellow, where the Photo Lustre version was slightly less rich than the actual test chart. That is just a small point and to be honest there is not a great deal to criticise because the overall colour delivery was so good.

Contrast was also well delivered and my colour test prints had plenty of snap and liveliness. Sunny scenes looked lovely while the paper’s contrast helped dull day shots too.

The paper’s inherent contrast also helped with my black & white

Images PermaJet Photo Lustre 310 has a clean white base that helps give prints with a lively contrast.

Our test image (top) comprising an X-Rite ColorChecker test chart and a selection of colourful subjects was impressively reproduced with accuracy and good saturation. prints. Whites were sparkling white, blacks were rich and solid, while the mid-tones looked good as well with smooth tonal gradation but also showing separation.

Prints emerge from the printer touch dry and once dry resistance to fingerprints is good so Photo Lustre 310 is a fine paper and ideal, for instance, for prints that you know will be handed around. WC

Verdict While Photo Lustre 310 resides in PermaJet’s Digital Photo collection, it is a versatile product suitable for commercial use, outputting your family snapshots and exhibition quality prints to hang on your wall or for club competitions. With its highly competitive pricing, Photo Lustre could become the staple for many photographers.

Pros Competitive price and quality results Cons Base may be too cool for some

Photography News | Issue 54 | photographynews.co.uk

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First tests Specs Price Two-head kit with softbox, umbrella/reflector and remote kit £599.99, one head with sync and power cable £239.99, one light with 24in pop-up softbox kit £259.99, one head, umbrella and reflector kit £279.99 In the box Two Honey Badger 320Ws heads, 1x24in pop-up softbox, 2x2.6m air-cushioned stands, 1x90cm translucent brolly, 17in reflector, 1xtwo head kit bag, 1x Interfit manual remote, 2x mains cables, 2x sync cables Max output 320Ws Power range 7EV, 5-320Ws, adjustable in 0.1EV Recycle time (full power) One second Flash duration (full power) 1/900sec Colour temp 5600K +/- 200K Modelling lamp 60 watt LED, 5600K output Wireless control Compatible with all Interfit S1 remotes Fan cooling Yes, with auto shut off when it gets too hot Auto dump Yes Modifier mount S-type mount with pop-up softbox mount Umbrella mount Accepts up to 8mm brolly shafts Head dimensions 12.7x12.7x15.2cm Head weight 1.4kg Contact interfitphotographic.com

Interfit Honey Badger two-head kit £600 If you’ve never heard of them, Honey Badgers are small and powerful little critters with what’s best described as a ‘mean streak’. So, you can immediately get a flavour of what Interfit is trying to get across with this compact and lightweight two-head mains flash kit that is keenly priced at just under £600. But, leaving safari-esque comparisons at the door, Interfit really has managed something quite special by creating a studio flash solution that’s not only reasonably priced, but portable and versatile too.

Let’s take a look at what you get for not a great deal of money. The kit comprises two 320Ws (Watts-persecond) heads, power leads and sync cables, stands, a pop-up softbox, a brolly, Interfit’s universal radio trigger and a padded bag. Everything you need to get started in studio lighting, but enough to take your portraiture further and to begin crafting light.

For starters, before I even got to the hardware, I was mightily impressed by the heavy-duty padded bag.

Complete with internal dividers, it’s one of the best laid-out carry cases I’ve come across and makes packing/ unpacking the kit a breeze. What’s more, being able to transport all your lighting kit in one neat bag is a huge advantage for photographers on the move and will certainly protect the lights when moving them around day to day.

The heads are surprisingly compact, which is an advantage when on the stand as there’s less weight to tip forward or be weighed down by a softbox. They also boast a 60 watt LED modelling light, which not only illuminates the scene, but can double as a light source for any video you’re shooting too.

The rear LCD clearly displays all the important information and the individual buttons have lights so you can easily see their status.

The receiver that pairs up with the supplied universal manual remote is

built-in to the head, so there are no trailing wires, and under the head is a thread hole for a brolly to be securely placed into position.

Each of the heads boasts not one but two mounting options. Along with the standard Bowens mount there is also a ring mount for attaching popup softboxes, meaning users certainly aren’t short of modifier options.

Also included in the box is a shootthrough brolly and a pop-up softbox, which folds flat to fit into a tiny pouch.

Velcro strips around the edges of the softbox secure a scrim to soften the light and to also help increase the rigidity of the softbox. The trigger is easy to use thanks to dedicated buttons for testing flash or turning off the modelling lights remotely and can also be used to control individual or groups of lights.

While getting a fair amount of kit for your buck is all good and well, the acid test is, of course, how it performs on the job. One of the key appeals of this kit is that it’s lightweight, portable and easy to set-up. Once you’ve made yourself familiar with the Honey Badger set-up, it’s possible to go from pack bag to clicking the shutter in less than five minutes, so this kit really is easy to get going with.

The flash output is rated as 5600K and throughout my shoot colour stayed consistent, so there were no shocks as I was scrolling through the files later on Lightroom. Recycling time is rated at one second – quick enough for most portrait shoots – and each head boasts a power range of seven stops, from 320W/s full power down to 5W/s, enabling photographers to have more control over balancing the output of light falling on subjects.

With 320W/s to play with, each Honey Badger head has a Guide Number of 148 (ISO 100/m) and a flash duration of 1/900sec at full power. Without getting totally lost in the stats and specs, you can be assured that these heads, which weigh less than 1400g each, punch well above their weight. Suitable for group shots or portraits taken with a wider focal length and the heads moved fairly far back, the Honey Badgers impress with their quality of light. Of course, for such a small kit, there are a couple of compromises to be aware of – there is no High Speed Sync setting (HSS) and the max sync speed is 1/250sec.

What’s more, the fans in the heads are operating all the time, but it’s not a loud-enough distraction to cause any problems. MG Images Interfit’s Honey Badger two-head kit has all the ingredients you need to get started in studio lighting and develop your portraiture skills.

Images This well-priced kit provides enough power for lots of depth-of-field and its compact and lightweight accessories make it very portable in the sturdy padded bag provided.

Verdict There’s no mistaking that Interfit’s Honey Badger kit boasts a high-level of gear for its reasonable price-tag.

Plus, the versatility it offers with mounting options and a powerful LED modelling light further increases this kit’s appeal to a broad spectrum of photographers. The fact that it’s lightweight, compact and delivers a consistent output of quality light is the icing on the cake.

Aside from the couple of niggles already mentioned, the Honey Badger looks certain to be a success for Interfit.

Pros Good price, compact, kit comes with quality radio trigger, light quality, versatile Cons No high speed sync

Photography News | Issue 54 | photographynews.co.uk

Photography News | Issue 54 | photographynews.co.uk

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First tests Specs Price £150 Construction 100% honeycomb rip-stop fabric is tripod leg attachment, weather resistant Pockets Three large pockets – one for a fast aperture standard zoom, one for a flashgun and one for a further lens. There’s a small accessory pocket and a zipped pocket for tablets Dimensions 48.5x26 to 95cm (narrow to wide) Weight 670g with supplied bag Contact blackrapid.com

Image Loops and the two supplied carabiners offer the potential for extra storage.

Blackrapid Tripod Jacket £150 Blackrapid is renowned for its acrossthe-chest straps. With excellent build quality, secure high quality fittings, design features and ease of use, its straps are some of the best camera straps of their type around.

The Tripod Jacket is a recent arrival in the company’s accessory collection as it expands its product range. It is an organiser jacket that will fit any tripod and, made from 100% honeycomb nylon, it is rugged, hard-wearing and weather resistant.

To attach to a tripod, wrap the jacket around the top of the tripod and secure the neck clip to take the weight of the jacket while you secure it in place. The two ends have enough material and Velcro to wrap around the tripod legs, and there’s also a Velcro tab to keep the jacket attached to the third leg. The mesh cover is then also rolled up but ready for use when the legs are collapsed. Once secured, tighten the neck clip if needed. The whole fitting process takes less time to do than to describe!

The thinking behind the jacket is that you can fit and pack it and leave it attached to the tripod fully loaded with your accessories. The mesh cover even means you can safely carry the loaded jacket still on the tripod from location to location. You do not have to fit and remove the jacket after each shoot, although that is possible if it’s your preferred way of working.

Once secured in place it is time to load it up. Clearly, this is a personal thing but as a guide there is a large pocket which is roomy enough for a 24-70mm f/2.8 lens with hood, a deep slimmer pocket for a flashgun and another pocket for a narrower lens.

There also is a small accessory pocket for extra batteries, cards and some screw-in filters. These pockets are secured with Velcro fastenings and the largest has the extra protection of a draw cord cover Finally, in terms of

Verdict The Blackrapid Tripod Jacket is a well made and practical accessory, but its appeal and usefulness depends on the photographer or the photographic situation. It will not suit every tripod user but it is a very interesting accessory that will appeal to those who like to have a few essentials readily to hand during a shoot. I can imagine architectural, social and studio photographers taking a close look at this accessory.

Pros Build quality, practical, attaches firmly to the tripod Cons Doesn’t suit tripods with shorter leg sections, limited protection levels, the risk of camera shake at long shutter speeds on windy days

Image Three large pockets with Velcro-secured flaps are available to hold lenses, flashguns and a filter system. The largest pouch also has a pull cord internal cover. pockets and pouches there’s a zipped pocket large enough for a tablet – my 10.5in iPad fitted easily. More storage is possible by using Blackrapid‘s weather resistant Traveler and Lens bags. Two supplied carabiners and webbing loops mean extra items can be attached.

I approached loading up the jacket from two perspectives. First, as a studio/indoor/social photographer and then as a landscape photographer.

So, imagining I was the former, I loaded up with spare batteries, flash meter, a flashgun and an extra lens; while as a landscaper, I packed a selection of Lee filters, filter holder, adaptor ring, a spare lens, remote release and some camera protection gear. Both outfits, while not comprehensive, are more than enough for most situations and the jacket is spacious enough to handle them.

It certainly suits indoor use or weddings where any moving around is usually done by simply picking up the tripod without retracting the legs and just relocating. Here, the jacket worked well, with nothing falling out and everything quickly accessible. In the studio, it was great knowing that your essential kit was in one place rather than scattered everywhere.

For outdoor shooting, the jacket is designed to be packed up and transported while loaded, using the mesh cover stretched around it to keep your accessories in place. This worked well enough, although it was more of a stretch when a 10.5in tablet was in place.

A few things occurred to me using the jacket outdoors. First, if your tripod is a four-section model with shorter leg sections (or a shorter tripod) the jacket’s body is so long

Fold away the mesh cover.

Tighten the jacket if needed.

that it covers the highest set of leg locks which makes unlocking and locking the legs awkward, but not impossible. Secondly, while the jacket holds everything in place, you still have to carry the tripod. Tucking the tripod/jacket combo under your arm is fine over short distances, but for longer distances a photo backpack is the better option and, of course, that also offers greater protection against the elements. The other option worth considering is a tripod strap that allows you to sling the tripod over the shoulder or across your back.

Another observation is that the jacket could be an issue on windy days if you have a penchant for long exposures. It will have a windbreak effect and any buffeting will affect sharpness. You could, of course, take off the jacket but that partly defeats its whole point. WC

Step by step set-up guide

Attach the Jacket to the tripod.

Wrap the two flaps around the legs.

The jacket is ready to be loaded.

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First tests Specs Price £174.95 In the box Befree Advanced aluminium legs, 494RC head, Arca-Swiss style quick release plate, carry case, shoulder strap and tools Leg sections Four Material Aluminium Max height 151/150cm, centre column extended (128/127cm, centre column retracted) Min height 40cm Max load 8kg (494RC head 8kg) Closed length 40cm Weight 1590/1490g Contact manfrotto.co.uk

Below Their closed length of 40cm, with the legs folded up above the head, makes these models easy to carry.

Manfrotto Befree Advanced tripods £174.95 Manfrotto’s Befree travel tripod range was recently refreshed with two new models; or rather one model with a choice of twist or lever leg locks. The Manfrotto Befree Advanced tripods are pretty much identical apart from that, both having four-section aluminium legs, a reversible centre column and being supplied with a Manfrotto 494 aluminium ball head.

As well as the usual things a tripod needs to do (such as having three legs and not falling over), travel tripods have to pass other tests to be useful on the road; they need to pack up small and be light enough both to pass airline carry-on restrictions, and also be a comfortable carry on a full day’s wandering. In that regard the Befree Advanced tripods certainly make the grade.

Due to silver flashes on the legs, you could be forgiven for thinking they are carbon fibre, but while they’re actually aluminium the weight is reasonable.

Manfrotto lists 1590g for the lever lock version and 1490g for the twist, with the extra weight coming from the lever gear; that’s pretty average for such models and both felt fine to me on a hike. The included 494RC2 mini ball head is about 350g of that and removable, so you could conceivably split it from the legs to lessen the drag or spread weight.

There’s a slight difference when it comes to the Befree Advanceds’ height; the lever version gains 1cm over the twist version, both with and without the centre column raised, hitting 151/150cm and 128/127cm respectively, but that gave no real practical advantage on test. At 40cm for each, closed length is certainly portable, and achieved by the now common design of folding the legs up around the head. It’s a perfectly useful way of shortening the closed length, though it does add a little to striking time and increases closed diameter. Another reason to keep the head off when on the move, perhaps.

Both tripods have a quoted minimum shooting height of 40cm, though this is based on fitting a camera directly to the centre column with the legs at their narrowest 22°; when the 494RC2 is added it’s closer to 52cm,

Above Choose from lever or twist leg locks with the new additions to the Befree travel tripod range. The twist version is slightly lighter and lower but practically it makes little difference.

which is fine for low-level shooting. If you want to go lower, I found you could angle the legs to the next stop (54°), and raise the centre column fractionally to stop it touching the ground, allowing a height of about 30cm (42cm with the head). The final leg angle is 89°, so virtually straight out. Alternatively, you can pull the rubber plug out of the bottom of the column, sliding it out and inverting it, then mount the camera upside down, shooting at close to ground level.

The locks controlling leg angles are the same on both. They work well enough, though the painted metal is a bit slippery; a rubberised finish would have given more purchase. You press with your thumb to release the lock but, like many models, this is impossible when the leg is in its locked position; you need to push the leg in a little for the lock to release. The legs lock securely in position – there’s a very clear click as you pass the locking points.

Of the two leg lock designs, I preferred the levers. Both lock securely with no slip when the legs are pressed, but the twists felt a bit slippery; these new M-Locks are grooved rubber, but still lacked purchase and because of my hand slipping I found myself less sure I’d locked the legs. The downside of levers is they’re more likely than twists to catch on things as you explore your

location, but the new QPL Travel locks are nicely rounded to reduce that risk.

Both legs are rated to take 8kg, and the same goes for the 494 head.

I mounted a Nikon D850 with 70200mm f/2.8 lens, a combined weight of about 2.5kg – probably more than I’d reasonably expect to use on a travel tripod – and it was fine. Using the 10secs self-timer I shot from 1/30sec to 1sec and saw no blur worth speaking of.

Putting more load through the legs by leaning on them, there is some flex, but practically the tripods operated well.

The legs’ rubber feet are small but well grooved and worked fine on slippery rocks and wet stone. In fact, they’re conveniently small enough to poke into grooves and fissures in stone.

For extra stability there’s a hook on the collar and, while it’s small and not central, it worked fine; I put rocks in the included travel bag and hung that off it.

There’s also an Easy Link adapter on the collar.

The 494RC2 head performed really well. While the controls are a bit small and plasticky, they handled well, and locked solidly even with heavy cameras and lenses tilted. There’s a pano control, main ball lock and tensioner for the latter. Most interesting though is that it can fit both Manfrotto RC2 and ArcaSwiss style quick release plates (the latter being included). Clever stuff. KS

I shot images from 1/30sec down to 1sec and saw no blur worth speaking of

Verdict These travel tripods are small, solid and well engineered. The weight is fine, but if you want lighter, you’ll need a carbon fibre model at a greater outlay. Despite not being my usual choice, I preferred the lever lock version, as the twists lacked grip; it’s heavier, but only by a couple of Mars bars.

Pros Small and solid, adaptable and good head design Cons Limited height, twist lock design lacked grip

Photography News | Issue 54 | photographynews.co.uk

Photography News | Issue 54 | photographynews.co.uk

45

First tests

Marumi DHG Super ND500 and ND1000 filters From £45.18 Specs Price ND500 starts from £45.18, ND1000 from £49.62. The 77mm tested is £87.36 for the ND500 and £100.38 for the ND1000 Availability 49, 52, 55, 58, 62, 67, 72, 77 and 82mm Contact kenro.co.uk

Trends come and go, so when Lee Filters launched its Big Stopper, pictures with blurred skies and milky water were suddenly really popular.

And while some photographers have moved away from such work, extreme long exposures remain a popular technique – and with them the need for quality filters.

Marumi’s DHG Super range of neutral density (ND) filters, distributed in the UK by Kenro, has been around for a while and features a range of NDs including an ND variable option and one designed for solar eclipse photography with a filter factor of 100,000. The range has now been supplemented with the arrival of ND500 and a ND1000 filters, giving exposure increases of 9EV and 10EV respectively.

Each screw-in filter is supplied in a robust case and the filter is lighter in weight than I’d expected. The filter frame is made from aluminium, and it is thin, measuring a fraction under 4mm not including the male mounting thread. This thread is Teflon coated which gives a smooth action when fitting it to the lens and will help avoid jamming. A female thread means another filter can be screwed on the front.

There’s a subtly knurled finish to aid a good grip and the black satin coating will help avoid reflections. The antireflection theme is continued with a blacked rim around the actual filter’s edge while the surfaces are treated with an ultra-low reflection coating to banish flare and ghosting. There is also an oil and water repellent coating.

I tested the latter by running tap water droplets over the front and, yes, the droplets do dribble down off the surface. I dried the filter with a microfibre cloth and that was easy enough without smearing. Finally, I let a few droplets dry on the front

Above The thin filter mount is nicely machined and theTeflon coating on the thread aids smooth attachment. Left The water droplet test, before and after cleaning.

The dried residue came off impressively easily.

surface and cleaned the reside with a microfibre cloth and no mark or water ring was left. Excellent news. More importantly, the filter was cleaned with hardly any effort.

I took to the outdoors to test the light-reducing qualities of these NDs. The test shots shown here were taken on a Nikon D850 fitted with a 24-70mm f/2.8 lens. The camera was mounted on a Gitzo Systematic GT4553S tripod and exposures made with the camera’s exposure delay mode. The exposure for the unfiltered control shot was 1/125sec at f/11 and ISO 100, so this became 4secs at f/11 with the ND500 and 8secs at f/11 with the ND1000. The test Raws were processed without correction.

A range of shots was taken with each filter starting with camera’s auto white-balance setting and then at a range of Kelvin settings. An exposure bracket at steps of 0.3EV was also taken to assess the quoted accuracy of the filter factor.

The exposure test on our ND500 showed that its exposure-reducing qualities were closer to 8.7EV than 9EV while the ND1000 was spot-on

– batch variances affect all NDs so a quick test on your own new filter is always a good idea.

Judged on my results, if you want colour accurate JPEGs straight out of camera then just set AWB with both filters. This was with my test camera so liable to variation, naturally, but I was impressed with the lack of colour shift. Some NDs go distinctly blue, others have an obvious warm bias, but here the test shots looked neutral.

On the preset Kelvin value test for the ND500 a setting of 5560K gave neutral results while with the ND1000 you could use either 5560K or 5580K and be perfectly happy.

Essentially, whether you prefer to go the AWB, preset or Kelvin route you will get a fine colour performance from these NDs with little fuss. The same applies to other aspects of filter performance. I experienced no flare or ghosting when shooting in strong lighting. Despite the filter thread of my Nikon lens being, let’s say, well used, fitting and removing the filter was not a problem. And the extra filter thread on the front did mean I could add a polariser if I wanted. WC

Verdict Marumi is known for its high quality, good value for money products and these two new extreme ND filters match up to that reputation. They are optically impressive, the various coatings do their jobs efficiently and they are easy to use, in that you can fit one and get shooting without having to fiddle with the camera’s White Balance setting.

In terms of value for money, taking the Marumi ND1000 77mm fit as example, its guide price is about £9 cheaper than a Hoya Pro ND which is £109 in the shops, and £79 cheaper than the B+W MRC 3.0 but that has a brass filter frame. So, in summary, the Marumi NDs rate highly in performance and value so can be recommended.

Pros Works very well with AWB setting, high level of performance Cons The filter frame, especially the Teflon-coated thread, may show more wear over time

Comparison test images Unfiltered

500x AWB

500x 5280K

1000x AWB

1000x 5560K

Photography News | Issue 54 | photographynews.co.uk

Photography News | Issue 54 | photographynews.co.uk

47

Technique

Camera School Here we lift the lid on all things camera related, showing how to get better results from your CSC or DSLR, and providing all the info you don’t find in the manual. So, stick with us and you’ll soon be wielding your camera like a pro. This month, what long exposures are and how to produce them with your camera Words & pictures by Kingsley Singleton

2 second exposure

1/20sec exposure

What are long exposures? And what separates them from regular photography? One of the most obvious things is that long exposures illustrate an extended period of time. In that sense, long exposures usually (though not always) show movement as a blur. It could be the motion of people, clouds, water, even the shadows cast by the sun… whatever it is, a long exposure will record it.

The ‘long’ part of the name comes from the shutter speed employed to achieve this, and while there’s no set shutter speed that technically defines a picture as a long exposure, it’s helpful to think of them as those in the seconds, rather than fractions of seconds.

How to achieve a long exposure As your camera meters a scene, it decides how much light is required to get a good exposure.

The amount of time taken to record this light is the shutter speed, and it’s influenced not only by the brightness of the scene, but also by the two other variables of the exposure triangle; aperture and ISO. Small apertures record little light compared to large ones, and low ISOs little light compared to high ones, so if you set a small aperture, like f/16, and a low ISO, like 100, the shutter speed needs to lengthen to compensate or you’ll underexpose. Depending on the brightness of the subject, this may not, on its own, provide a long enough shutter speed for your purposes, but it pushes the shutter speed in the right direction.

Shooting in aperture-priority (A or Av), if you set a small aperture and low ISO, the shutter speed will lengthen as calculated by the camera; this is the simplest way to control a long exposure, as there’s very little chance of over or underexposing. In shutter-priority (S or Tv), you can dial in the actual shutter speed you want and the aperture will close to compensate, but it may not be able to close enough due to the physical restrictions of the lens’s design.

In Manual (M) you have full control of all three, and in Bulb (B), you can keep the shutter open for as long as you like, though more calculation is required.

Lowering the light To create long exposures, the other contributing factor is the available light.

Shooting around dawn or dusk when light levels are lower than the middle of the day will naturally lead to longer exposures. So while in the middle of a sunny day, an aperture of f/16 and an ISO of 100, might give you a shutter speed of 1/100sec, at dusk, when the sun has left the sky, this will fall dramatically, becoming seconds, or even minutes.

To force the issue you can artificially lower the amount of available light, using neutral density (ND) filters. These cut the amount of light entering the camera by an amount

1/4sec exposure

1/2sec exposure

Above At slow shutter speeds and with your camera still, moving parts of a scene, such as water, appear as a blur, while still parts are sharp. The amount of blur depends on the shutter speed and the speed of movement. measured in exposure stops.

Every stop of darkening will double the length of your shutter speed; so a one-stop filter will turn 1/8sec into 1/4sec, but a five-stop filter will take you from 1/8sec to 4secs.

How long do you need?

Typically, at slow shutter speeds, anything moving in the scene during the exposure will appear as a blur, and the amount of blur depends on two things; the speed of the subject and the length of time the shutter is open. Therefore, assuming its rate of movement is constant, a subject will take on twice as much motion blur at 2secs as it does at 1sec.

How much movement is visible also depends on the brightness of the subject versus the rest of the scene. For instance, car headlights moving

down a dark road will show up as streaks of light during a long exposure, but a person wearing dark clothing might become invisible.

Part of the art of using long exposures is in choosing the right speed to show what you wanted in the scene. You may want to show movement in water, and where shooting at 2secs will show the flow of a tide, 20secs might turn it into a static looking mist; conversely, while shooting cars on a road, while 20secs would give you long streaks of light, 2secs would make the same streaks short and stubby.

Keep it steady Whatever time of day you shoot, or long shutter speed you use, whether you choose to secure the camera’s position or not is important. If you shoot long exposures handheld, you’ll get nothing but blur, which can be very effective in an abstract way. Conversely, keeping the camera

still throughout the exposure will keep the motionless parts of the scene, like rocks around a river, sharp and static.

If you want the latter effect, mount your camera on a tripod before you shoot, and make sure it’s not likely to be nudged or slip during the exposure. If you want to try the former, consider a long exposure technique called intentional camera movement (ICM), something we'll cover in detail in an upcoming Camera School.

NEXT MONTH

LEARN MORE ABOUT LONG-EXPOSURE TECHNIQUES, INCLUDING USING ND FILTERS.

Photography News | Issue 54 | photographynews.co.uk

48

Competition

Editor’s letter

From Skegness to Milan

Like many people I spend a good deal of time sitting in front of a keyboard, but the past month has been an exception and I’ve racked up a few miles both on the road and in the air, from Skegness to Bath and Milan via the Birmingham NEC. Thanks to everyone who got to the NEC for The Photography Show and came to say hello on the Photography News stand, especially those who fought through the snow to get there.

Judging by the bag-laden visitors around the show, a lot of money was spent on the latest photo gear – tripods seemed especially popular this year. I managed to keep my own spending down to a budget drone – not for any photographic purpose but because I wanted a remote-control toy to play with.

My trip to Skegness, which also took in Cleethorpes, was to continue my ongoing quest to photograph every surviving UK pier. I’ve done just shy of 40 piers now and according to the National Piers Society there are 59 so I’m getting there. The problem is that I’ve done many of the more accessible ones for me and I’ve got many more miles to do before I finish the project. Piers in Scotland, the Isle of Wight, Wales and various far-flung parts of England have yet to be done. I reckon it’ll be another year before the project is complete – that’s partly the consequence of not working on it during the summer months.

Skegness pier was a challenge on several fronts. For one thing it was closed for the season and while it’s no problem getting general pictures of it, I like to get on the pier for a proper look and to soak up some of its atmosphere.

Next, the tide was on its way out and already clear of the pier so no chance of capturing blurry water during a long exposure, and I didn’t have time to hang around for six hours for the tide to return.

Final thing was the light. It was a grey, flat day with no sky detail at all and to put the tin hat on it, the rain started ten minutes after I got out of the car.

Despite everything that was against me, I persevered and came with away with an image that I was happy with, and that is my aim for each pier.

I was much happier with my shots of Cleethorpes pier. I could get on it, it was photogenic and I had more time so I did manage to hang around long enough for some tidal blur. Also the rain had relented and I even got some sky detail. It’s great when it all comes together, which makes it all the more frustrating when it doesn’t.

All round though, I was happy with my brief pier tour and gratified to tick off two more.

My long weekend Milan trip was courtesy of Canon. A handful of photo journos had been invited to enjoy some shooting in the city culminating in a session at the World Figure Skating Championships.

There I shot for around 40 minutes and racked up to close to 1800 pictures through a Canon EOS-1D X Mark II fitted with a 100-400mm lens. That is a lot of frames but at 14 frames-per-second with full AF and autoexposure it was easily done.

As technical challenges go, for me it was right up there. The rink was lit by constantly changing coloured spotlights which meant that to get action-stopping shutter speeds, I was shooting at ISO 10,000.

Having very limited experience of ice skating (I did watch Torvill and Dean on TV winning Olympic Gold in 1984 with Bolero!) didn’t help much either. But having now sifted through the shots I am mightily impressed with the Canon’s AF skills. I got a good number of sharp shots and I’m sure my hit rate would have been even higher with more practice.

Well, I’m off for a rest so see you again next time.

WIN!

A Samsung memory card!

Capture life’s magical moments across all devices with the Samsung EVO Plus 128GB microSDXC memory card with SD adapter offering read speeds up to 100MB/s and write speeds of up to 90MB/s. Samsung’s latest cards are also ultra reliable and are water, temperature, X-ray and magnetic proof, so shooting in the most challenging conditions isn’t an issue. We have one 128GB Samsung EVO Plus microSDXC card with SD adapter worth £78.99 for the eagle-eyed winner. Complete the word search below, and you’ll find one word in the list that’s not in the grid. Email us on puzzle@photographynews.co.uk with that word in the subject box by 13 May 2018 and the winner will be randomly drawn from all correct entries received. The correct answer to PN52’s word search was Memory and the Samsung 128GB PRO+ card was won by David Rowe from West Sussex. samsung.com/uk/memory-cards

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