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Issue 60 8 Oct - 25 Nov

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Full-frame frenzy

The camera world has suddenly fallen back in love with the 24x36mm format

The launch of full-frame mirrorless camera systems from Canon and Nikon has taken up a great many column inches in PN already and now they have been joined by Leica, Panasonic, Sigma and Zeiss.

At last month’s Photokina, a major imaging exhibition in Germany, the new kit from Canon and Nikon attracted huge crowds. The Zeiss ZX1 was also unveiled at the show and the collaboration between Leica, Panasonic and Sigma was announced. More news about the ZX1 is on page 4, but it is safe to say that Zeiss’ approach to full-frame is innovative with internal memory and in-camera Lightroom Raw editing.

The pre-Photokina rumours were that Panasonic was going to unveil a mirrorless full-frame camera and, as is often the case, the gossip was pretty accurate. But in fact two Panasonic cameras were announced – the Lumix S1 and S1R. As you would expect, given that Panasonic is a major Micro Four Thirds player with no DSLR 35mm format pedigree, a new lens mount would be needed, but what was a surprise was that the mount was the result of a powerful coming together of three major imaging names to form the L-Mount Alliance.

Leica, Panasonic and Sigma will develop their full-frame products independently and according to their own individual brand values with the

More ‘super full-frame’ kit from Fujifilm L-Mount, a mount developed by Leica, a common characteristic. As we understand it, it is not an open standard so other brands can’t adopt the L-Mount without the Alliance’s agreement. Of course, this is very early days so watch this space for more L-Mount news.

See inside for all the news from Photokina

Fujifilm has announced a rangefinder style 50-megapixel mediumformat camera called the GFX 50R, due to go on sale later this year. It was during the launch of the GFX 50R that the 43.8x32.9mm format, which is 1.7x bigger than 35mm, was referred to as

a ‘super full-frame’.

You can pre-order this camera now and the body price is £3999.

Fujifilm also revealed its 100-megapixel camera, the GFX 100.

This is heading our way in 2019.

Continue reading on page 3

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Photokina report Last month, the imaging world assembled for Photokina in Cologne, Germany, and Photography News went along too.

Lots of new kit in lots of product sectors was unveiled but this year’s show will be remembered as the year of full-frame.

After several years when the emphasis was on the weightsaving APS-C and Micro Four Thirds formats, the camera brands – almost as one – have realised that the 35mm fullframe still has huge potential, and we saw mirrorless systems

from Canon, Nikon and Panasonic, a fixed-lens Zeiss and a new lens mount championed

by Leica, Sigma and Panasonic.

And Fujifilm gatecrashed the party with a new medium-format camera that it called (tongue firmly in cheek) ‘super full-frame’.

In all, it was a good Photokina and over the next six pages we bring you all the news from the show.

Fujifilm GFX system expands Fujifilm unveiled its mediumformat mirrorless camera system at the last Photokina two years ago to much critical acclaim. At this year’s show a second model was announced and will be on sale later in the year; a third model is in development for a 2019 launch.

The Fujifilm GFX 50R has a 51.4-megapixel 43.8x32.9mm CMOS Bayer sensor and features the X-Processor Pro processor, so the

Above In a standing-room-only press conference, a larger-than-life Toshihisa Iida, general manager of Fujifilm's Optical Device and Electronic Imaging Products Division, proudly shows off the new GFX 50R.

same imaging system as the GFX 50S: and we know how good that camera is. However, the GFX 50R body at just 66.4mm thick is 25mm thinner and lighter by 145g when compared with the GFX 50S, so it’s even more portable.

The GFX 50R’s styling harks back to Fujifilm’s popular mediumformat rangefinder film cameras.

The rangefinder styling means the viewfinder eyepiece is to the extreme left of the body (when viewed from behind) so you can have one eye up to the eyepiece while keeping your other eye on the subject. The EVF viewfinder itself is 0.77x with 3.69million dots to give a lifelike view of the subject.

The GFX 50R’s body is sealed in 64 places to give dust and weather resistance and the camera can perform at -10°C. Key body features include two large control dials for adjusting shutter speed and exposure compensation, and there is a focus lever for quick adjustment of the focus point. Finally, it is the first GFX model with Bluetooth so you can quickly transfer images to your smart device via the free Fujifilm Remote app.

The GFX 50R is priced at £3999 body only and is available to preorder now.

The GFX lens system is already up to eight options, covering from 23mm to 250mm (equivalent to

L of an Alliance Leica, Panasonic and Sigma have formed a strategic partnership called the L-Mount Alliance. The L-Mount was developed by Leica and under the Alliance, long-term collaborators Panasonic joined

by Sigma have use of the fourprong L-bayonet. It is not an open standard so other brands can’t use the L-bayonet unless the Alliance agrees to it.

The three Alliance members will develop products independently and according to their own brand values, so it will be very likely that a Leica L-Mount camera will have a very different specification when compared with the models from

Panasonic and Sigma. So, for example, the already-announced Panasonic S Series has very much a professional image-creator focus with the two models giving the option of 24- or 47-megapixel sensors. Sigma has already said it will be develop a Foveon fullframe sensor to make the most of the L-Mount. The Foveon sensor is different from other imaging sensors with pixel sites that are sensitive to all colours of light; unlike Bayer and Fujifilm X-Trans sensors where each pixel is sensitive to either red, green or blue light.

The Alliance is all about the lens mount too. So it might be that

Spec at a glance Sensor 51.4 megapixels Sensor format 43.8x32.9mm Bayer array ISO range 100-12,800, expansion to ISO 50 and 25,600, 51,200 and 102,400 Shutter range Mechanical shutter 60min to 1/4000sec, B mode (up to 60min) Electronic shutter 60min to 1/16,000sec, B mode (up to 60min) Flash sync 1/125sec or slower Drive modes Single, continuous up to 3fps Metering system TTL 256 zone with multi, spot, centre and average patterns Exposure modes PASM Exposure compensation +/-5 EV in 0.3EV steps

18mm and 198mm respectively in the 35mm format). Three more GF lenses were added to the GFX lens roadmap: the GF100-200mm f/5.6 R LM OIS WR telephoto zoom (equal to 111-221mm in the 35mm film format); the GF45-100mm f/4 R LM OIS WR medium telephoto zoom (36-79mm) and a compact and lightweight lens, the GF50mm f/3.5 R LM WR (40mm).

The development announcement was for the GFX 100. Key features include a 100-megapixel resolution, the X-Processor 4 and phase

if one company developed, say, an innovative flashgun or a new exposure system, such innovation would not appear on the products of the other two members.

The L-Mount has been developed with the 35mm fullframe format in mind but will also work with APS-C sensors.

Its diameter is 51.6mm which will permit the design of fast aperture lenses, and the flange distance is just 20mm and this will help to design smaller lenses. The shorter flange distance will also enable adapters to be made to take lenses of different mounts. The benefits are the same as the Canon EOS R, Nikon Z and Sony E bayonet mounts which can accept legacy lenses as well as other brands. l-mount.com

detection AF across almost the whole sensor for speedy, accurate focusing and there are a couple of world firsts. To get the most from the sensor’s ultra high resolution the GFX 100 will be the world’s first medium-format camera to have an in-body image stabilisation system and it’ll also be the first mediumformat camera to shoot 4K video.

No price was confirmed for the GFX 100 but US$10,000 (plus sales tax) was quoted for the body only.

Monitor 3.2in, 2360k dot touch screen Viewfinder 0.5in EVF with 3.69 million dot OLED Focusing TTL contrast AF with single point (13x9 or 25x17 grid), zone AF (3x3, 5x5, 7x7 from 117 areas in 13x9 grid) and wide tracking AF Storage media SD card Dimensions (wxhxd) 160.7x96.5x66.4mm Weight 775g with battery and card

fujifilm.eu/uk

Above The faces of the L-Mount. From left to right: Kazuto Yamaki, CEO, Sigma Corp; Dr Andreas Kaufmann, chairman of the advisory board, Leica Camera; and Junichiro Kitagawa, director consumer marketing division, Panasonic Corp, after the announcement of the L-Mount Alliance on 25 September at Photokina.

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Two cameras from Leica Leica has launched the S3, a 64-megapixel medium-format camera using a LeicaPro format 45x30mm sensor with a 3:2 ratio.

The new unit has a dynamic range of 15EV and a top ISO of 50,000.

With a full range of exposure modes, an advanced predictive AF system, 4K video and the ability to shoot at 3fps, the S3 is an advanced camera aimed at the top-end user.

The Leica S3 will be available from spring 2019.

Leica has also introduced the CL (left), an APS-C format camera with a body price of £2250.

Resolution is 24 megapixels, Wi-Fi is available and an EVF with EyeRes technology are some of its highlights. uk.leica-camera.com

Panasonic enters the full-frame market Zeiss’ full-frame workflow solution Zeiss has joined the mirrorless full-frame club with the ZX1.

This camera offers first-class image quality, as well as on-board image editing and smartphone connectivity.

The ZX1 is certainly the most innovative full-frame workflow solution announced at Photokina.

“We're exploring new ways and initially addressing a special target group with the Zeiss ZX1,” explains Jörg Schmitz, head of Zeiss’ Consumer Optics business group. “With our concept we are focusing on ambitious, professional creatives who want to produce their photographic experiences quickly and efficiently, and inspire as many people on the internet as possible.

This requires a streamlined workflow, in addition to high-end features. This is exactly what the concept of the Zeiss ZX1 offers.”

The ZX1 comes complete with an integral autofocus 35mm f/2 Distagon lens, which is perfectly matched to the 37.4 megapixel full-frame sensor

that has been developed in-house

by Zeiss.

The 4.3in multi-touch display lets you process Raw images directly on the camera using Adobe Lightroom CC and a unique user interface. The 512GB of internal memory has enough space for 6800 Raws (DNG format) or more than 50,000 JPEGs. To share pictures, there is Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and USB-C. The ZX1 will be available early next year from selected dealers and as yet there’s no guide price.

Zeiss also added a new lens to its Batis range. Batis lenses have been developed specifically for Sony full-frame E-mount cameras and the new 40mm f/2 CF lens fills a gap, sitting between the already available 25mm f/2 and 85mm f/1.8. The 40mm f/2 lens is a lightweight, manual focus lens with a minimum focusing distance of 24cm, giving a magnification of 1:3.3. The lens is priced at £1129.99. zeiss.co.uk

No sooner had the news of the L-Mount Alliance been released that Panasonic announced its first S Series full-frame mirrorless cameras featuring that lens mount.

Two models were launched, the S1 and the S1R, and while no price details were available, they will go on sale in 2019.

During the launch presentation, much emphasis was placed on Panasonic’s vision that both cameras were aimed at professional image makers. The 47-megapixel S1R was for ‘ultimate picture creation’, while the 24-megapixel S1 was for the ‘next generation hybrid photo and video creators’.

Resolution aside, both models share the same features: three axis tiltable LCD, 100% sealing on all buttons, dials and seams, fast AF with ‘deep learning artificial intelligence’, dual IS, 4K 60P recording, high-speed shutter and two slots for XQD and SD cards.

There wasn’t much more detail revealed at the launch.

The L-Mount, of course, means that lenses will be available from Leica and Sigma, as well as Panasonic. The latter plans to have three lenses available at launch and a total of ten within a year of the S system launch. The first three are a 50mm f/1.4, 24-105mm and 70-200mm. Leica is introducing eight L-Mount lenses at some point

Above The 24-megapixel S1 and the 47-megapixel S1R full-frame mirrorless cameras are aimed at professional image makers. and Sigma will have lenses out too, so the Panasonic S user will have plenty of choice.

At Photokina, an S camera was behind glass to visitors. But behind the scenes, PN did get the chance to handle a non-working prototype of the S1R with the 24-105mm standard zoom attached.

The combination had a very robust feel, which lives up to Panasonic’s aim that it will appeal to the pro who might be working in

challenging situations. After a few minutes acquaintance and there is no doubt that the camera fits in the hand nicely with a control layout that experienced photographers will appreciate and find their way around easily.

Key controls are buttons and dials rather than menu items, so the camera is user-friendly. As you can see from the image, there is a pentaprism bump, just as you would expect to see on a DSLR, but it isn’t needed for a mirrorless camera. Clearly, the designers want DSLR switchers to feel at home.

Amid all the noise from Panasonic about the L-Mount alliance, Panasonic also announced the development of a top-end Micro Four Thirds fit wide-angle zoom with a fixed f/1.7 aperture.

The DG 10-25mm f/1.7 gives an equivalent 20-50mm in the 35mm format. No price or availability date was released and the only sample of the lens was behind glass so we didn’t get to handle one. However, you won’t be surprised to learn that it was quite a hefty lens for a Micro Four Thirds lens. panasonic.co.uk

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Sigma’s fab five Sigma has been busy with its commitment to the L-Mount Alliance, but that clearly hasn’t distracted the brand from its current core lens business with no fewer than five lenses introduced at Photokina.

The first two to arrive in the shops will be the 40mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art and the 60-600mm f/4.56.3 DG OS HSM Sports, both due this October with the latter priced at £1899.99. This is the only lens of the five with a UK guide price at the time of going to press. Of course, we will bring you further price details as they get released.

The 60-600mm f/4.5-6.3, which replaces the 50-500mm in the range, is a serious lens weighing in at 2.7kg and features an optical construction of 25 elements in 19 groups that includes three FLD elements and one SLD element. It has a 105mm filter size and features magnesium alloy (Sigma has its own magnesium factory) to help keep weight down and has Sigma OS with a 4EV benefit to compact camera shake. The lens is sealed against dust and moisture, and will be available in Canon EF, Nikon F and Sigma fittings.

The 40mm f/1.4 sits in Sigma’s Art collection and has

56mm F1.4

a top-end performance, thanks to three FLD and three SLD elements in its 16 elements in 12 group construction. It is designed to make the most of the very high resolution full-frame and movie cameras, and its rugged dust- and splash-build means it will withstand the most challenging conditions. This lens will be available in Canon EF, Nikon F, Sigma and Sony E fittings.

Available in November is the 56mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary, a lens for smaller format mirrorless cameras and available for Micro Four Thirds and Sony E-mount.

This compact dust- and splashsealed short telephoto is perfect for people photography and its fast aperture makes it very versatile, too.

Add a very quiet, smooth AF motor and it is ideal for video shooting as well. This lens has 10 elements in a six group construction, nine diaphragm blades and a 50cm minimum focus.

Coming towards the end of the year is the 70-200mm f/2.8

28mm f/1.4

telephoto that will be available in Canon EF, Nikon F and Sigma A fittings. This fast telephoto sits in the Sigma’s Sports range and has a performance aimed to satisfy demanding photographers. Its optical construction comprises 24 elements in 22 groups and ten of those elements are low dispersion (nine FLD and one SLD) to combat chromatic and spherical aberrations, even at the edges of the frame. The diaphragm comprises 11 blades.

Magnesium has been used in the lens’s body to minimise weight, while seals provide dust and splash-proof qualities.

Add Intelligent OS and HSM for speedy autofocusing and you have a lens that will be in high demand among discerning photographers.

Last and by no means

40mm f/1.4

least, next January will see the arrival of the 28mm f/1.4. This high spec wide-angle has a 17 element and 12 group construction and again plenty of exotic glass has been used for the best possible performance.

Two FLD, three SLD elements and three aspherical lenses help cutdown chromatic

70-200mm f/2.8

Sony’s very compact, fast 24mm Sony has added a 24mm f/1.4 wide-angle to its G Master series of top-end lenses for its fullframe camera system. The FE 24mm f/1.4 GM has an optical construction of 13 elements in ten groups, including two XA (extreme aspherical) and three ED elements – in a lens that is the lightest in its class. It weighs just 445g and measures 75.4x92.4mm, while its filter diameter is 67mm, which is small considering its fast maximum aperture. Sony’s Nano AR coating is used to supress flare.

Sony’s G Master lenses are renowned for their optical skills,

To give an idea of this lens's sharpness, on the right is an enlarged area. so you can expect outstanding resolution, natural bokeh and responsive AF. This lens uses a new high DDSSM (Direct Drive SSM) that gives three times

more thrust compared with the previous version.

Guide price is £1450. sony.co.uk

aberration and help ensure high performance across the frame. This lens will be available in Canon EF, Nikon F, Sigma and Sony E fittings. sigma-imaging-uk.com

60-600mm f/4.5-6.3

Thieves target Leica Photo retailer Ffordes had a considerable amount of Leica cameras and lenses stolen in the early hours of 26 September. It was a carefully planned crime, even putting out of action street lamps and flood lights outside the shop. The thieves also knew what kit was valuable and easy to sell on. If anyone has any information about the break-in, please contact Mr C Still, Inverness Police, Scotland, on 01463 228452 ffordes.com

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Capture One for Fujifilm Phase One has produced three versions of its Capture One software for use with Fujifilm cameras. Express Fujifilm is free, Pro Fujifilm is €159 (excl VAT) a year and the Pro version is €180pa (excl VAT).

The free one allows Raw processing and has cataloguing facilities, while Pro Fujifilm is a complete workflow solution and allows tethered shooting. phaseone.com

Lowepro adds and improves The leading bag brand has modified two existing ranges and introduced two more.

Lowepro’s top-selling ProTactic collection now provides even better access, protection and organisation.

The first backpack, BP 350 AW II (£209.95), can take one or two DSLRs, one with a 24-70mm lens attached and up to eight lenses or speedlights, plus a 13in laptop.

The bigger BP 450 AW II (£259.95) backpack can take a similar load, but with one DSLR with a 70200mm attached and a 15in laptop.

There are also two lens cases in the range, the Lens Exchange 100

Above Leading bag brand, Lowepro, has expanded its range to include two new collections, the Powder and the Freeline.

AW (£44.95) and the Lens Exchange 200 AW (£49.95). The former is for a fast standard lens and the latter is for a 70-200mm f/2.8. Their dual

GorillaPod expands Mini tripod specialists, GorillaPod, has introduced products for ‘today’s content creators’, including a line of Telepods. Three versions, including the TelePod 325 (£34.95), join the GripTight PRO TelePod (£89.95).

Perhaps for PN readers, the most appealing is the TelePod Pro kit (£69.95). This works in four modes: handgrip, monopod, elevated stand or tripod with a 360° panning head and 90 tilt head. The 1kg weight capacity makes it ideal for small mirrorless cameras.

Joby also released the GripTight Pro 2 GorillaPod (£69.96) and two new series, the Video Pro and the HandyPod.

compartment design means onehanded lens exchange is possible.

Finally, there is an all-purpose utility bags collection, starting from

the Phone Pouch and Bottle Pouch (£24.95 each) to the Utility Bag 200 AW (£44.95). The accompanying ProTactic Utility Belt is £54.95.

The Whistler 2 series sees a 20% growth in cargo space and an expandable compartment that can take three lenses. The updated series 2 backpacks feature top and side-body camera access with extreme weather and abrasion protection. The BP350 AW II is the smaller of the two Whistlers and costs £324.95, while the bigger AW 450 AW II is £359.95.

The Powder and the Freeline make up the two new collections.

The former's BP 500 AW backpack (£299.95) is available in grey/orange or midnight blue/horizon blue, while the latter features the BP 350 AW (£239.95) and is available in black or heather grey. lowepro.com

Kodak’s flagship bridge The Kodak AZ1000 boasts a powerful 102X optical zoom, giving a 35mm equivalent focal length of 19.5mm to 1989mm telephoto. The lens can focus as close as 1cm in macro mode, while in normal use minimum focus is 50cm at the wide end and 5m at the long end. Images are provided by a 20.68-megapixel CMOS sensor, giving files a maximum size of 5184x3888 pixels and other file sizes can be set. JPEGs, Raws and Raws with JPEGs can be shot.

Other features offered by the AZ1000 include multi-language support, a four-hour charging time, 90 minutes of video shooting or

400 shots on its 15MB internal memory, SD card slot, red-eye reduction, slow synchro and smile and blink detection, plus 7fps full resolution burst mode.

No UK price is available at time of going to press. pixpro.world

Hahnemuhle goes all shimmery Photo Rag Metallic is Hahnemuhle’s latest product, a FineArt inkjet paper with a high gloss, metallic-like finish on a natural white base, ideal for photographs with bold colours and deep blacks. It is a 340gsm 100% cotton paper that is acid

and ligin free so very age resistant.

It will be available in A4, A3, A3+ and A2 sheet sizes, and 17, 24, 36, 44 and 50in rolls. Twenty five sheets of A4 costs £55.30 and the same size pack of A3 is £109.90. hahnemuehle.com

joby.com

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Skout sling strap Cotton Carrier has introduced the Skout, which claims to be the world’s most comfortable, secure and accessible sling strap for cameras and binoculars. The Skout holds one camera or a pair of binos, features a patented twist-andlock camera mount carrying system, and quickly slips over the shoulder and clips around your body so it is easy to use. It even comes with its own slipover rain cover.

The Skout will be in the shops this October priced at £79.99 with the choice of two colours, Realtree Xtra Camo or Charcoal Grey. intro2020.co.uk

Laowa get close and wide

CamRanger downsized

We get plenty of new lens news, but this is very different. The Laowa 24mm f/14 Macro Probe lens lets you get in very close (to 2cm for 2:1 reproduction) and with its short focal length you get a wide view of the scene. In fact, you get a bug eye view with a viewing angle of 84° so you get a close view of the subject with plenty of background context too.

Available in still and cinema versions the lens is also compact and lightweight, weighing in at 474g, and covers full-frame 35mm and Super 35mm formats.

Plus, the front barrel of the lens is waterproof so can be used in all sort of situations and there is

The CamRanger MINI lets you remotely view, adjust camera settings and take shots with your Canon or Nikon DSLR. It has a working range of 120m and works through your tablet or smartphone.

The MINI with the free app, available for iOS and Android, creates its own Wi-Fi network so is perfectly usable in remote situations with no router or network available. Once connected up you can alter aperture, shutter speed, ISO and other key camera settings, and the app even lets you perform more advanced functions like shooting time-lapse and HDR. Pictures shot via the app will appear as thumbnails on the screen of your smart device.

Pictures are always saved on

an integral LED ringlight to aid composition and focusing.

This lens should be available this November at £1599 for the photo version which is available in Canon EF, Nikon F, Sony FE and Pentax K mounts. There is a cinema version too and this costs £1799 for Arri PL and Canon EF mounts. laowalens.co.uk

the camera’s card but can be optionally saved onto the MINI. The unit has a rechargeable Liion battery which gives three to four hours with a full charge; recharging is done via its micro USB port. The MINI is on sale now with a guide price of £229.99. intro2020.co.uk

Canon goes very long The Canon PowerShot SX70 HS is a premium bridge camera with a powerful fixed 65x optical zoom lens giving the 35mm format equivalent focal length of 21-1365mm, so ideal for a very broad range of subjects.

Resolution is 20.3 megapixels with a 1/2.3-type CMOS sensor that gives the option of JPEG, Raw or Compact Raw format capture. Shooting at up to 10fps is possible thanks to Canon’s DIGIC 8 processor, plus it can shoot 4K video, 4K time lapse and 4K frame

grabs too. Other enticing features include a 7.5cm vari-angle LCD screen, a high-resolution OLED electronic viewfinder, DSLR ergonomics and a Zoom Frame Assist Lock function to assist accurate framing when shooting moving subjects with long telephoto lens settings.

The Canon PowerShot SX70 HS is available from this November at £519. canon.co.uk

Olympus offers galore Kenro go colourful Kenro, UK distributors of NanGuang, has announced a new family of tube lights. Each light gives rich colours with a choice of up to 360 colours, a selection of pre-programmed special effects in a portable bodyform and colour temperature adjustment of 2700-6500K. The 400 LED TRGB1208B is the smallest of the trio, at 77cm long and 834g. It can be powered using the included AC adapter, and it also has a builtin 2200mAh battery. Guide price is £329.94.

The mid-range TRGB1412A is a 30W light supplied with a 100240V AC power adapter only. It features 750 LEDs for a maximum output of 771 Lux (6500K, 1m). It weighs 1.5kg and is 1.2m long and costs £449.94.

Finally, there’s the top of the range TRGB1212B which contains 800 LEDs. It can be used wirefree, thanks to a pair of 2200mAh batteries but is also supplied with an AC adapter. This 32W light is 1.17m long and costs £479.94. kenro.co.uk

Buy an Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II between now and 15 January 2019 and you will be entitled to a cashback of £175.

Then if you buy an extra M.Zuiko PRO lens or three, you receive a further £125 cashback off each lens. Basically, if you invest in an OM-D E-M1 Mark II plus three

PRO lenses you can claim £550 cashback. The deal on the PRO lenses only applies if purchased with the OM-D E-M1 Mark II and there is a limit of three lenses per person – not all PRO lenses are in this cashback scheme so see bonus.olympus.eu for full cashback details.

Buy an Olympus E-PL9 before 6 January 2019 through a participating dealer and you will get a 30mm f/3.5 macro lens worth £249.99 free. To claim your free lens register your new camera on olympus-imagespace.co.uk/epl9free-lens/.

In Olympus’ winter promotion, there is up to £85 cashback on selected OM-D cameras and M.Zuiko lenses bought from participating dealers before 15 January 2019. The promotion is valid for the following Olympus products: OM-D cameras E-M5 Mark II and E-M10 Mark III (body only & kit versions) as well as the M.Zuiko lenses ED 9-18mm f/4-5.6, ED 12mm f/2, 17mm f/1.8, ED 60mm f/2.8 Macro, ED 75mm f/1.8 and ED 75-300mm f/4.8-6.7 II. For full details of this offer go to bonus.olympus.eu.

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Photography News | Issue 60 | photographynews.co.uk

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Photography News | Issue 60 | photographynews.co.uk

News

Hasselblad’s trio Hasselblad’s mirrorless mediumformat system has seen three lenses added. These are the XCD 80mm f/1.9, 65mm f/2.8 and the 135mm f/2.8 which has the option of a dedicated 1.7 teleconverter. The XCD 80mm f/1.9 sports the fastest maximum aperture ever seen on a Hasselblad lens. With twin AF motors and an optical design to give pleasing bokeh this short telephoto will appeal to portrait and product shooters.

The 65mm f/2.8 gives a 50mm focal length in the 35mm format making it the ideal standard lens for general shooting, while giving an effective 105mm, the XCD 135mm f/2.8 is perfect for portraits and landscapes.

The lenses are available for pre-order with stock due in December 2018.

XCD 135

XCD 65

XCD 80

Get a boost with Lexar

hasselblad.com

Rotolight supports Fujifilm Rotolight’s LED lighting systems are very versatile and are suitable for use by photographers and filmmakers. Units such as the NEO2 and Anova Pro 2 are versatile and continuous lighting systems but also offer high speed sync. Now those features are available to Fujifilm users.

“As the Fujifilm system grows, so do the demands from our users for compatibility with third-party accessories. This is why we are so happy to have an HSS transmitter for our X Series and GFX System so that our photographers can expand their creativity,” says Fujifilm UK marketing manager, Andreas Georghiades.

Travelling light with Gitzo The Rotolight HSS transmitter for Fujifilm is available now for £229. Transmitters are already available for Canon, Nikon, Sony, Olympus and Panasonic systems. rotolight.com

Gitzo’s compact Traveller tripods are world-renowned for their stability in portable packages.

Now Gitzo has gone even smaller with the carbon fibre Mini Traveller, a tripod that weighs just 265g with an aluminium Mini Traveller head, yet can support 3kg. Paired with a Gitzo Centre Ball head and it will support 10kg.

Philips screen test Philips’ latest monitor is the Brilliance 328P6VUBREB, a 32in LCD screen with a built-in USB-C dock to reduce cable clutter and a performance to appeal to professional image creators. The

Hahnel’s host of kit Accessory experts Hahnel announced a range of products for the modern image maker.

The 6-in-1 Travel Cleaning Kit costs £24.99 and comes in a compact waterproof carry case. To help you keep your camera in tiptop condition the kit includes five microfibre cloths, ten wet wipes, a mini air blower, a 30ml bottle of lens cleaning fluid, a lens cleaning pen and a vacuum packed superfine microfibre lens cloths.

Priced at £39.99 is the Power Cube Wireless Charger. This fast charging

9v unit can be used as a standalone wireless desktop charger when plugged into a USB charger or used with the Hahnel Procube or Procube 2 and charges devices through cases up to 3mm thick.

Finally, two new cables are available in Hahnel’s Flexx range.

There’s a 2m 3-in-1 sync/charge cable that offers micro USB, lightning and USB-C connections and this costs £29.99, while the Flexx USB/lightning cable is £24.99.

screen has UltraClear 4K UHD (3840x2160) resolution and High Dynamic range 600 for great, natural-looking images. Also, this monitor’s Ultra Wide-Color technology ensures a wide colour

Memory brand Lexar has introduced two solid state drives. The entry-level NS100 SSD 2.5in SATA III drive offers read speeds up to 550GB/s and will be available in 120GB, 240GB, 480GB sizes. No UK prices yet but the 120GB is US$29.99. The NS200 version is in 240GB and 480GB capacities with the 240GB on sale at US$79.99.

Both versions are shock and vibration resistant and feature SSD Dash management so the drives can be monitored to ensure optimum performance. lexar.com

The tripod features two leg angles using a new Pull & Fix leg angle selector system, while long lasting rubber feet help get maximum grip on most surfaces.

The Mini Traveller is available in full black or classic Gitzo noir décor and costs £189.95. gitzo.co.uk

gamut and the 10-bit display provides even more depth of colour, thanks to 1.074 billion colours and 12-bit internal processing.

The Philips 328P6VUBREB comes out in November 2018 with a guide price of £559. philips.co.uk

Infinity and beyond Infinity X is a recently set-up UK distributor of specially selected premium brands and products into the imaging market.

STC (Sense-Tech Innovation Company) is a Taiwanese optical business that has been working with such major brands as Apple, Canon and Olympus.

STC has introduced a range of professional-quality filters including polarisers, neutral density and protection filters. infinityx.tech

hahnel.ie

Photography News | Issue 60 | photographynews.co.uk

Photography News | Issue 60 | photographynews.co.uk

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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 (right) and get your stories in

Clubs

Here’s how to submit

Deadline for the next issue: 16 November 2018

We need words and pictures by 12 November 2018 for the next issue of Photography News, which will be available from 26 November 2018.

If you want to submit, follow these guidelines: yy Write your story in 250 words or fewer. Include the club’s website, meeting times, what the event is, opening times, entrance costs – anything relevant. yy We need an image for every story. JPEGs, 2000 pixels max on the longest dimension, any colour space, credits should be included in your text. yy We DO NOT use posters or images with words on the image front. yy Before the above deadline, attach the text document and JPEGs to an email and send to clubnews@photography-news.co.uk

Sheffield Photographic Society and their images. Also included in the exhibition will be a panel of historic images of Sheffield.

The Winter Garden is open from 8am to 8pm each day (except Sunday, 8am to 6pm) for visitors to view the free exhibition.

Members of the society will be on hand lunchtimes each day (two hours on week days and four hours at weekends) to assist visitors’ appreciation of the images, or simply to chat about photography.

Club stewards will also be able to provide detailed information on all aspects of this society, one of the oldest in the world.

© Eddie Sherwood

sheffield-photographer.org.uk

The annual exhibition of the Enfield Camera Club is taking place in the Gallery of the Dugdale Centre, Enfield (Thomas Hardy House, London Road, Enfield, Middlesex EN2 6DS), from 29 October to 24 November. This will feature mounted prints by the entire club membership, ranging from enthusiastic comparative beginners to highly

technically advanced workers.

This has always been a well received and popular event in the borough in previous years and has led to new members joining the club as a direct result.

All visitors are welcome, admission is free and there will be an opportunity to vote for your favourite photographs, as well as general club and other

literature being available. A wide variety of refreshments is also available within the centre.

The club’s website features a rotating members gallery, as well as full details of club events and programmes for the regular Thursday evening meetings.

For specific club details, call 020 8372 8087/01992 441528. enfieldcameraclub.co.uk facebook.com/ groups/10883151336

Bournemouth Electric Camera Club

advice, to enable her to move on from her original ‘snaps’, as she calls them.

Bournemouth ECC has an exciting programme of events lined up with talks, workshops and competitions.

On 31 October the club is hosting an evening with Paul Sanders of Light & Land, with his talk The Mind’s Eye. Tickets are available to non members at £6, or £7 on the door.

Bournemouth ECC is also holding its annual charity photography exhibition on 25 November in aid of The Jon Egging Trust (in memory of the Red Arrow Pilot who died at the Bournemouth Air Show in 2011) which is open to all photographers and the public. Entry forms are downloadable from the BECC website if you wish to support this great charity.

© Lisa Bukalders

Dorchester Camera Club She has also had a good season in the club competitions, with first place in both open print and creative, and placed images in nature and mono.

This encouraged her to enter the Western Counties Photographic Federation exhibition where she achieved success with two gold medals, and another ostrich image, Ostrich Family Outing, went on to receive the Best in Show Award. She has had further successes with this image, receiving gold medals in the Southampton International Salon, the South Devon Salon of International Photography and the RPS Digital Imaging Group Annual Competition.

Lisa credits the Dorchester CC and particularly the distinctions group sessions, held once a month, with their constructive critiques and practical technical

© Paul Saunders

Enfield Camera Club

Dorchester CC member Lisa Bukalders has had a good year, with four acceptances in the prestigious London Salon at her first attempt, including a coveted medal for the image The Ostrich’s Journey. Lisa says, “I create images for myself. You never know if people will like your work, and it’s always quite surprising to me when they do!”

© Simon Goldsmith

© June Gorman

Sheffield PS is holding its 14th Annual Perspectives Exhibition at the Winter Garden, Sheffield from 12noon on 19 November to 2pm on 2 December 2018. The Exhibition, the first of the Society’s season, will be opened by the Sheffield Lord Mayor, councillor Magid Magid.

The exhibition is an opportunity for up to 44 society members to show a panel of their own selection of prints, which will cover a wide range of contemporary photographic styles, including landscapes, portraits, wildlife, urban, macro and creative images in both colour and black & white.

Each member’s panel includes a short narrative about themselves

dorchestercameraclub.com

becc.photography

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Photography News | Issue 60 | photographynews.co.uk

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

Clubs

© Chris Baldwin

Banbury Camera Club Annual Exhibition Banbury CC is holding its 15th annual exhibition in The Heseltine Gallery at Chenderit School, Archery Road, Middleton Cheney, OX17 2QR. It is open during school hours, 10am to 4pm, from 30 October to 2 November, and from 11am to 4pm over the weekend of 3 and 4 November each day, when club members will be present. Entry to the exhibition is free.

Two distinctive features of the exhibition are the venue and the support for a local charity.

There will be about 130 framed prints on display in the purpose-built Heseltine Gallery, a venue which has housed both

Ware & District PS has an exciting programme of events lined up for 2018/19 to cater for all tastes and abilities.

There will be a range of visiting speakers including George McCarthy, Andrea Hargreaves and Jane & Adrian Lines; and monthly competitions. Club night is Wednesday at Ware Arts Centre, Kibes Lane, Ware SG12 7ED 8-10pm from September to May. Ware’s annual exhibition will be for one day only on 17 November at Thundridge Village Hall, Old Cambridge Road, Thundridge, SG12 0SY, 10am to 6pm. There will be over 100 prints and digital images on show. Admission and car parking are free.

Refreshments will be available. wareps.org.uk

Last month the above image was credited to Mike Dobson, when it should have been Sue Dobson. Our apologies for this.

The Isle of Thanet PS can trace its roots back 130 years and its 2018/19 season presents a full programme of talks and competitions with many opportunities for members to get involved.

New members whether beginners or experienced photographers are always welcome. It aims to encourage members to develop new skills and approaches for the digital age and the club has a wealth of experience to draw on including club member Cherry Larcombe who has recently been awarded premier judge status.

We meet at 7.30pm every Monday (except bank holidays) at Ramsgate Football Club as well as visiting other venues for inter-club competitions isleofthanetphotographicsociety.co.uk

Barking Photographic Society

City of London expanding its photographic horizons

© Sue Dobson

Two members of the City of London and Cripplegate Photographic Society (COLCPS) in London are also members of the Camera Club of Hendersonville (CCOH) in North Carolina in the USA. The two clubs are similar in size and both embrace a general approach to photography with members whose abilities range from beginners to professional photographers.

There are some differences though – apart from photographic © Alan Larsen

styles, COLCPS is based in central London and CCOH is located close to the Blue Ridge Mountains in Appalachia.

“Enjoying a chat with some of the COLCPS club members over a beer one evening we thought it would be fun to have an annual competition between the two clubs, designed as a friendly competition,” says club chairman Natalie Robinson. “The rules were simple – each club would enter 20 DPI images (5 images in four categories). Last year we chose landscape, dereliction, abstract and family. The resulting 40 images would be scored blindly and the highest total score would determine the winner. To encourage participation by as many club members as possible there was no limit to the number of images which each member

© Mike Merrill

Loughton CC Correction

Thanet’s Camera Club – the Isle of Thanet Photographic Society

banburycameraclub.org.uk

© Terry Scales

Ware & District Photographic Society

the Royal Photographic Society’s International Print Exhibition and the RPS International Images for Science Exhibition. For the past 13 years Banbury CC has supported the local Katharine House Hospice through its exhibition.

Last year, more than £800 was raised for the hospice through the sale of prints and members’ greetings cards, as well as through donations from visitors and from the sale of Katharine House Calendars.

Club members have supplied the photographs for this calendar for the past six years.

could submit for consideration but for the final club submission only one image per category per photographer was allowed.

“We felt these categories were broad enough to give each club a fair chance and to challenge the photographers to move outside their comfort zones and try some new types of images.” cityandcripplegate-ps.org cameraclubofhendersonville. com

On 13 September Barking Photographic Society enjoyed a presentation by David Boag about his life as a professional wildlife photographer as part of its 70th anniversary celebration. The event was open to local Essex camera clubs and societies and was well attended.

It proved to be a super evening with great images and interesting and humorous anecdotes. barkingphotographicsociety. co.uk

Photography News | Issue 60 | photographynews.co.uk

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Photography News | Issue 60 | photographynews.co.uk

Advertisement feature

Who shot the best people picture

The Profoto Portrait Challenge – the Final Over the past four issues, we have asked for your best people pictures in four categories: beauty, character, environmental and selfportraits. Thanks to everyone who took part.

The winners in each category won a Profoto reflector and were put through to the final where they were judged against each

OVERALL WINNER

Steve Beckett Steve’s street portrait was voted as the best from our four finalists by the judges from Photography News and Profoto. “I was really pleased by the support we had from our readers for this challenge,” says PN editor Will Cheung. “Our four themes attracted a wide range of images and the high creative and technical standard was extremely impressive.

“I think the high overall quality was well represented by our four monthly winners. Judging the different genres against each other proved challenging but we went for Steve Beckett’s street portrait as the overall winner of the Profoto A1. It is a great interpretation of the theme and it’s an image with power and emotion and is complemented by the monochrome approach.”

As you’d expect, Steve was a happy man. “I’m totally blown away,” he says. “It’s been my wish to get Profoto lighting equipment to upgrade from standard speedlights. Well, it seems my dream is beginning to come true and being fortunate to win the A1 means I can be even more creative.

Finally, a big thank you to the judges for selecting my image.”

Finish line Well done to Steve on winning the Profoto A1 and commiserations to our other finalists, although they have each won a Profoto reflector for winning the monthly round.

Thanks to everyone who entered the Challenge.

other, with the overall winner getting a superb Profoto A1. The A1 is a revolutionary lighting unit that Profoto calls the world’s smallest studio light. It might look like a standard speedlight but it is anything but standard.

The innovative round head with tilt facility gives light with a lovely fall-off resulting in

great modelling even with the A1 fitted into the camera’s hotshoe and that light can be modified further with magnetic-fit modifiers.

For existing Profoto owners the A1 is also a powerful radio remote control with its AirTTL facility on board. This provides TTL and HSS control of compatible units up to

100m away; its working range is 300m if you want to remotely control or trigger the flash.

Add a rechargeable Li-ion battery, 76Ws output, LED modelling lamp and robust Profoto build quality, and our overall winner Steve Beckett is going to enjoy a very special prize. Our congratulations go to him.

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Photography News | Issue 60 | photographynews.co.uk

Advertisement feature Runner-up: Brian McCombe

Runner-up: Nick Steadman

Runner-up: Mike Martin

The big prize: Profoto A1 The Profoto A1, the world’s smallest studio light, is a professional quality lighting solution designed for the modern image creator who wants to sculpt and shape with light.

The A1’s innovative round flash head with its unique design fresnel pattern diffuser, powerful 76Ws output and the ability to use magnet-fit light modifiers means this light has huge creative potential. Add a li-ion rechargeable battery with the capacity for 350 full-power manual flashes, TTL or manual flash control and an integral LED modelling light, and you have a unique lighting tool that can be used on or off camera.

Finally, the A1 meshes totally with Profoto’s lighting system, whether that is with mains-based units such as the D2 or the brand’s Off Camera Flash system, with the B1X and B2 perfect partners for the A1. With AirTTL Remote built in you have wireless connectivity and, with the A1 as the master unit, four groups of Profoto lights in TTL or manual mode can be controlled.

Steve Beckett, the overall winner of this contest gets a Profoto A1, so will get to enjoy its creative delights for himself. profoto.com

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Photography News | Issue 60 | photographynews.co.uk

Feature Š Mike Martin

Photography News | Issue 60 | photographynews.co.uk

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Feature Photo shoot

Snakes & ideas © Mike Martin

Like many photographers, I use a variety of sources to generate themes for a photo shoot.

On this occasion the inspiration came from a picture found by the make-up artist, Jane Charlotte. We had worked together before and she likes my style. She also knows I’m happy for her to try new stuff without any pressure from me to deliver. The image she showed me was a painting of a male model with snake-like tattoos across his head and face. While she wanted to try to reproduce this for her portfolio, I prefer to take the concept from source pictures and make it my own; I don’t want to copy or reproduce someone else’s work.

My immediate thought was to replace the tattoos with real live snakes. As it happens, I know Ellie Bee, a model who also runs the Reptile Room (a snake and reptile rescue service). She does hire out snakes and animals for photo shoots or animal encounters and I have previously been to hers with models who wanted snake images for their portfolios. This looked like another excuse to visit and take some more photos.

Jane loved the idea of using snakes. She checked with Paul, the model, that he was comfortable posing with snakes. He had not handled any before but was okay with the idea and we reassured him that he would get to touch and hold one before the shoot, as an introduction. Some people are initially nervous, but I’ve not had any issues with snakes other than the weight of the bigger boa tiring out some of the more petite girls.

I didn't need to do much additional preparation once we had the shoot in the diary, just left Jane to work out how to do the make-up and so on.

In terms of kit, I took an Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II and a 12-40mm f/2.8 PRO lens.

For lighting I packed a speedlite (a Neewer TT850) which I was going to fire with a

© Mike Martin

Inspiration for great pictures can come from anywhere. PN reader Mike Martin’s recent photo shoot was inspired by a make-up artist

© Mike Martin

radio trigger, and a collapsible bounce brolly softbox was the modifier. For this shoot I decided to use a black cloth as the backdrop and took a background support to hold it up.

On shoot day I collected Jane and headed for Ellie’s; Paul arranged to meet us there.

After introducing them both to Ellie and the animals, I set up the lighting gear in the kitchen which was going to be my studio for the evening. I like to keep the lighting simple and used one light which I could move within a 90° arc from above camera to camera left. I didn’t change lighting much because I’d planned to merge some pictures together so I wanted a consistent light. I did some test shots with Ellie while Jane worked on Paul’s make-up.

With the standard zoom and the tight confines of the kitchen it was a case of standing in front of a table and using the wide end of the 12-40mm zoom, or standing on the other side of the table and using the longer end. Shooting in Ellie’s kitchen, converted to a makeshift studio, just shows that you can get creative in a small space.

Both the camera and flashgun were set on manual mode. Settings were 1/200sec shutter speed on the camera with an aperture of about f/5.6 at ISO 200.

Turning a painting into a photograph with polished make-up is challenging. Jane adopted a loosely structured design that would allow real snakes to be introduced into the composition. As Jane was applying dye to Paul’s hair, we knew we wouldn’t be able to place any snakes on his head; the male Medusa shot would have to be created as a composite in Photoshop. Ellie and I discussed which snake(s) would be best suited to my shots, considering the temperament of each one – yes, they really do have their own personalities – and how easy they would be to handle, and how confident Paul was with them. Obviously,

Shooting in Ellie’s kitchen, converted to a makeshift studio, just shows that you can get creative in a small space.

Images The snakes turned out to be star performers in Mike’s shoot, inspired by a painting of a model with snake tattoos.

the animal’s welfare and comfort were always at the forefront.

Paul was coached in the art of spinning before we started shooting. Snakes have a habit of moving around the model holding them, either clockwise or anticlockwise, but predominantly in one direction, so a quick pirouette gets the snake moving back into shot again rather than out. Getting the model to pirouette at the right speed was key especially with the boa. Rotate too slowly and it alters its path during the spin.

How much and how long you shoot for depends on the snakes and how they feel on the day. If they are relatively static you can concentrate on getting a pleasing composition. If they are active, you have to juggle directing the model, dealing with the lights and camera, and catching the head in focus as it moves into/out of place, Fortunately, Ellie was on hand to act as snake wrangler and coax them into position.

Both Teal'c the boa and Lumiere the leucistic Texas rat snake were quite amenable – Lumiere being exceptionally cooperative.

I shot Paul in two 10-minute spells taking about 50 photos in each session.

The shoot lasted about three hours and I ended up with 336 shots including test shots, behind the scenes pictures and some with Ellie while Paul was being made up.

The team Mike Martin, mikemartinphotography.co.uk, instagram.com/MikeMartin247 Model Paul Miller instagram.com/PaulMi11er Make-up artist Jane Charlotte facebook.com/janecharlottemua Ellie Bee instagram.com/serpentqueen/ Reptile Room facebook.com/pg/Reptile-Room-1464687277140666/ Lumiere, leucistic Texas rat snake; Teal'c, boa

Photography News | Issue 60 | photographynews.co.uk

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Book extract New book

Masters of the air

A new book featuring 16 photographers shows the spectacular images which are possible with the latest drones. Be prepared to be impressed with our exclusive extract Majestic beast

© Florian Ledoux

FLORIAN LEDOUX “This polar bear was crossing the melting ice during the summer. Polar bears are facing a range of threats that might impact their future; they are among the first refugees of climate change. I will always remember my first polar bear encounter – I cried during the three hours we stayed close to them! It is such an incredible animal, a combination of power and control, they walk with majesty and stand with wisdom.”

TECH DETAILS Location: Tremblay Sound, Nunavut, Canada Drone: DJI Phantom 4 Pro+ Camera: Integrated Lens: 24mm (35mm format equivalent) Aperture: f/8 Shutter speed: 1/640sec.

ISO 100 florian-ledoux.com nordboundtravel.com

St Joseph lighthouse © Stacy Garlington

STACY GARLINGTON “A colleague and I had finished teaching a class to fly drones that day, and we were on our way home. I don’t live too far from Michigan, so I knew that the east side of the lake has a lot of these beautiful lighthouses, which are perfect for photography because the sun always sets behind them. We planned to stop along the lake and this lighthouse was easy to get to, plus there were no no-fly zones – so it was the right time and the right place, with the right conditions. This is a photograph that’s all about the sunset, with the leading line of the pier taking your eye to the setting sun.”

TECH DETAILS Location: St. Joseph, Michigan, USA Drone: DJI Phantom 2 Vision+ Camera: Integrated Lens: 24mm (35mm format equivalent) Aperture: f/2.8 Shutter speed: 1/140sec.

ISO 100

Photography News | Issue 60 | photographynews.co.uk

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Book extract Sunday

Kilt rock © Petra Leary

JEROME COURTIAL “The Isle of Skye really blew my mind in terms of the sheer beauty of its landscape.

On the summer evening I shot this, we had planned to capture the sunset on the Old Man of Storr. As we started hiking to the top, we realized that the sunset wasn’t going to work with the rock; it was turning into a magnificent sunset, but we were just at the wrong spot for it. In a panic, I reached out for my phone to see if there were other locations we could try nearby. I had saved Kilt Rock as a highlight, so we ran back to

the car, and 15 minutes later I was up in the air and could capture this magical shot.”

TECH DETAILS Location: Isle of Skye, Scotland Drone: DJI Phantom 4 Camera: Integrated Lens: 20mm (equivalent to 35mm) Aperture: f/2.8 Shutter speed: 1/280sec.

ISO 100 masterdronephotography.com © Jerome Courtial

PETRA LEARY “This old church courtyard in the side streets of downtown Auckland, New Zealand, was one of the first places where I used a drone.

Unfortunately, I lost the files from my original shoot, so the plan was to reshoot the same concept of colorful umbrellas against the tiled patterns. I convinced my friend, Marie, to be my umbrella holder, and we headed downtown early on a Sunday morning, when I knew the city would be nice and empty. The weather was gray and overcast, which I usually don’t like for drone photography as it can make everything look very flat and dull. For this composition it worked nicely, though, as it meant no shadows

were being cast and the focus was purely on the juxtaposition of the bright umbrellas against the grimy courtyard tiles.”

TECH DETAILS Location: Central Business District, Auckland, New Zealand Drone: DJI Mavic Pro Camera: Integrated Lens: 28mm (35mm format equivalent) Aperture: f/2.2 Shutter speed: 1/200sec.

ISO 100 petraleary.com

Shuffle © JP and Mike Andrews

JP AND MIKE ANDREWS “We love to find and photograph interesting and unusual shapes that have been created by familiar objects. The canals of the United Kingdom are a major part of the network of inland waterways and the majority of these canals can accommodate boats with a length of up to 80ft (24m), which are now used primarily for leisure. This image shows one of the many marinas that are full of colourful canal boats; wondering how tricky it must be to navigate these boats in such tight spaces gave us the inspiration for the title.”

TECH DETAILS Location: Warwick Drone: DJI Phantom 4 Pro Camera: Integrated Lens: 24mm (35mm format equivalent) Aperture: f/4 Shutter speed: 1/320sec.

ISO 100 abstractaerialart.com

Photography News | Issue 60 | photographynews.co.uk

Photography News | Issue 60 | photographynews.co.uk

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Book extract Murmuration © Fergus Kennedy

FERGUS KENNEDY “I had my drone in the office, and I’d been looking out of the window most of the day.

It was a pretty dull and overcast winter’s afternoon. A few minutes before sunset, it looked like a small gap was opening on the horizon – perfect conditions for a great sunset.

When the tide is out at Brighton there is just enough space for a take-off point at the water’s edge, while maintaining a legally required minimum distance of 165ft (50m) to the busy seafront road. I took off and flew straight out over the water to get a view that you can’t achieve from the beach. Shooting mainly video, but pausing to take stills, I was amazed by the changing colors and the mesmerizing dance of the starlings before they roosted on the pier wreckage. I became so fixated on the screen of my tablet that I barely looked up to take in the spectacle through my own eyes.”

TECH DETAILS Location: West Pier, Brighton, East Sussex, England Drone: DJI Inspire 2 Camera: DJI Zenmuse X5S Lens: Olympus 24mm (35mm format equivalent) f/2 Aperture: f/2 Shutter speed: 1/200sec.

ISO 200 ferguskennedy.com skylarkaerialimaging.com

Civic centre

Over the clouds © Kara Murphy

FRANCESCO CATTUTO “Assisi is one of the cities that I love most in Umbria and this picture of it – which I took on Christmas Day – went on to win Dronestagram’s 2016 International Drone Photography Contest. When I arrived at the base of the city, the fog was thick and wet, but I decided to take a test flight anyway. As the drone rose above the clouds, I could see on my iPad that the scene was absolutely amazing; the clouds surrounded the city perfectly, making it appear celestial and suspended. At sunset, the play of light and shadow was incredible. I did

very little post-processing, as it was impossible to add anything to this image.”

TECH DETAILS Location: Umbria, Italy Drone: DJI Phantom 3 Pro Camera: Integrated Lens: 20mm (35mm format equivalent) Aperture: f/2.8 Shutter speed: 1/250sec.

ISO 100 francescocattutophotographer.com © Francesco Cattuo

KARA MURPHY “This top-down perspective of San Francisco’s beautiful, historic City Hall building was taken on January 2017 at dusk, right after the sun officially set. Although I receive many questions about this, the shot was taken perfectly legally;

most of San Francisco is open, as the downtown area is located 10 miles (16km) from the airport.”

TECH DETAILS Location: San Francisco City Hall, San Francisco, California, USA Drone: DJI Phantom 4 Pro

Camera: Integrated Lens: 24mm (35mm format equivalent), Vivid ND4 filter Aperture: f/2.8 Shutter speed: 1/15sec.

ISO 200 karaemurphy.co aerialprintshop.com

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Book extract Cast

A place to get lost in your dreams

envisaged a composition with the tree in the foreground and the shadow stretching out into the distance. The drone gave me the freedom to easily try different viewpoints, though, and I felt that this composition worked best.”

TECH DETAILS Location: Everingham, East

© Bachir Moukarzel

© David Hopley

DAVID HOPLEY “There are several fields close to my home that are used for growing grass on a massive scale. I spotted the potential in this composition while returning home from a previous photographic outing.

The sun was low in the sky, which created an incredibly long shadow from the lone tree. I originally

Riding, Yorkshire, England Drone: DJI Inspire 1 Pro Camera: DJI Zenmuse X5 Lens: DJI MFT 30mm (35mm format equivalent) f/1.7 ASPH Aperture: f/4 Shutter speed: 1/160sec.

ISO 100 drawswithlight.co.uk

Freedom – Victoria harbour © Tugo Cheng

BACHIR MOUKARZEL “Although I’ve been a drone photographer for quite some time, I wanted to challenge myself and shoot in a different environment, away from the cityscapes and urban sprawls I am used to – I wanted to chase a hot air balloon with my drone. The day that I set out into the desert of Dubai, I was both excited and scared, as there were many potential dangers involved. But as soon as the white clouds settled between the balloons, I knew it was worth it –

the view was simply incredible.”

TECH DETAILS Location: Margham, Al Ain Road, Dubai, United Arab Emirates Drone: DJI Phantom 4 Pro Camera: Integrated Lens: 24mm (35mm format equivalent) Aperture: f/4.5 Shutter speed: 1/2000sec.

ISO 100 bachirmoukarzel.me

Masters of Drone Photography

TUGO CHENG “While many Hongkongers prefer swimming in public pools along the promenade, some people – especially the elderly – find more freedom and pleasure swimming in Victoria Harbor, in the heart of the city, free of charge. Unlike other panoramic aerial shots that depict Hong Kong as a high-rise and high-density city,

the picture reveals from a low height the lines, geometries, and details of the city and, more importantly, tells the stories of the people and their different lifestyles. The composition emphasizes this contrast between the solid and empty at the waterfront. ” TECH DETAILS Location: Victoria Harbour,

Hong Kong Drone: DJI Phantom 4 Pro Camera: Integrated Lens: 20mm (35mm format equivalent), Vivid ND4 filter Aperture: f/2.8 Shutter speed: 1/400sec.

ISO 100

These images are reproduced here with permission from Masters of Drone Photography published by Ammonite Press, guide price £25. Available online and from all good bookshops. gmcgroup.com

tugocheng.com

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Photography News | Issue 60 | photographynews.co.uk

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Accessories test

Buyers’ guide

Landscape essentials If you want to shoot great landscapes you need proper kit backing you up on location – everything from the right type of lenses and filters, to tripods and bags that you can trust in the field. We’ve gathered a hard-hitting collection of landscape accessories for you here, including options for improving your scenic skills with expert training and staying comfortable on your shoots. Enjoy!

Think Tank Photo StoryTeller 8

Tamron SP 15-30mm f/2.8 Di VC USD G2

A fast, ultra-wide angle zoom is the lens most landscapers carry and this new model from Tamron is a great example.

Available in Nikon and Canon mounts, and designed for full-frame bodies, it allows photographers to take dramatic views, even in low-light conditions.

It can be also used handheld at slow shutter speeds, thanks to its Vibration Compensation function. For first class image quality, the lens uses an eXpanded Glass Molded Aspherical element, and multiple Low Dispersion elements, while a new Anti-reflection eXpand coating reduces ghosting and flare. £1279

tamron.eu

There are plenty of advantages to travelling light when shooting landscapes, not least of all that you may be more inclined to explore without a big bag weighing you down.

Despite measuring only 30x21x16cm and weighing 0.6kg, the StoryTeller 8 shoulder bag will fit either DSLR or mirrorless equipment, along with extra lenses and an 8in tablet in the front pocket. It has a securely closing flip-top lid for quick access, a seam-sealed rain cover and expandable side and pockets for more storage. £65

Lakeland Photographic Holidays

Fancy picking up new skills while shooting in the UK’s most beautiful landscapes? Then Lakeland Photographic Holidays (LPH) is the place for you.

Offering a blend of residential and day photo courses, covering core skills and creative workshops, LPH is based near Keswick in the heart of the Lake District.

Full board, licenced accommodation is provided and right now there’s still availability on November’s residential Autumn in the Lakes workshop, with special rates making the autumn colours even more attractive. lakelandphotohols.com

Lowepro Powder 500 AW backpack

MacWet Climatec Long Cuff gloves

If you’re waiting for good lighting, you’re going to get cold, so a pair of gloves is vital. These M a cWe t Climatec Long Cuff gloves are windproof, water resistant and fleece lined, while the thick, elasticated cuffs are Velcro fastened for a secure fit. The fabric on the palms and fingers gives a sure grip, even in the rain, and retains sensitivity to dial in settings. They’re available in sizes from 6 (XS Women’s) to 12 (XXL Men’s), in four neutral colours. £29.99

Macwet.com

When you are shooting landscapes, you often want to shoot on the way from one location to the next, but stopping to get your camera out is enough to put you off. The FS-6 Jaguar strap helps with this, letting you carry one or two cameras, ready to use and in more comfort than a regular strap. It’s a durable slider style strap with clever spring-loaded, quickrelease plates that are Arca compatible.

The adjustable strap itself is wide and has ergonomically shaped shoulder pads that absorb weight. £142

lowepro.com

Páramo Halcon jacket

Getting kitted up for the outdoors is vital if you’re going to have a fun and productive shoot. This Páramo Halcon jacket will keep you warm and dry as it was designed with photographers in mind.

It’s made from hard-wearing, directional Nikwax Analogy waterproof fabric, which keeps you warm when you’re stood shooting and cool when you’re on the move. There is also lots of easily accessible storage, thanks to nine well-placed pockets.

Many of these are large enough for lenses or other accessories and two are lined with fleece for hand warming. £295

paramo-clothing.com

cameraclean.co.uk

Zeiss Milvus 15mm f/2.8

Some scenes need a super-wide angle framing to pack in all the detail you want and the Zeiss Milvus 15mm f/2.8 lens is a good option. Available in Nikon and Canon mounts, it has a huge 110° angle of view and an exceptionally long focus throw, providing great accuracy in focusing. The lens promises outstanding image quality in any lighting conditions, via its 15 elements, 12 groups design.

It’s practical, too, with a detachable lens hood and 95mm thread for mounting on holders or using screw on filters. £2099

In sp i r e d by outdoor adventure and winter sports, L owepro’s new Powder backpack is designed to be lightweight and quick to use. The backpack has a capacity of 50L, split 50-50 between a 27.5x16.5x31cm removable camera pod that’ll fit a large DSLR with grip and 2-4 lenses, and a 26x17x24cm upper section for other gear, closing with an alpine-style compression lid. There’s room for a 15in laptop, and straps and cords for a tripod walking poles, plus an all-weather cover. £309.95

thinktankphoto.com

Camera Strap FS-6 Jaguar

zeiss.co.uk

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Accessories test Light & Land photo tuition

Light & Land is one of the world’s best known photography tour providers and it’s staffed by award-winning photographers who really know their stuff, including David Clapp, Doug Chinnery, Valda Bailey and co-founder Charlie Waite. Light & Land offers a full range of packages from one-day workshops to residential tours in some of the UK’s best locations and around the world. The company also now runs online landscaping tutorials, with the latest two episodes featuring Joe Cornish and Ben Osborne.

Vanguard Alta Pro 2+ tripod

Vanguard’s Alta Pro 2+ tripod range has a unique multiangled central column system, which helps when trying to find that perfect angle on a landscape. There’s a new model in the line-up, which uses carbon fibre construction for a lighter weight and that comes with a BH-100 magnesium alloy ball head. The Alta Pro 2+ 263CB 100 is a threesection tripod with quick-to-use twist lock legs, four angle selections, anti-slip rubber feet that can be replaced with optional spiked feet and a load capacity of up to 7kg. £349.99

vanguardworld.co.uk

Benro Travel Angel FTA28CC tripod

If you need to travel light on a landscaping trip, you don’t have to compromise on quality. The Travel Angel FTA28CC features a reverse folding design to reduce size when packed and 9X carbon fibre leg sections to cut down weight. Magnesium castings and twist locks combine for speed and durability, and one of the legs can be converted into a monopod. The Travel Angel FTA28CC can extend to 155cm, packs to 43.4cm, weighs only 1.36kg and supports up to 14kg.

lightandland.co.uk

£249

Lee Filters Reverse ND grads

Landscape photographers are going to love Lee Filters’ new Reverse ND grads, which are designed to improve exposures when you’re shooting towards the light at sunrise and sunset. Available for Lee’s Seven5, 100mm and SW-150 systems, and in strengths of 0.6, 0.9 and 1.2 stops, Lee’s Reverse NDs have greater density in the centre of the filter, rather than at the top, so the filtration is right where you need it at sunset and gradation is super-smooth, making results look completely natural.

From £97

Leefilters.com

Crumpler KingPin Camera Full Backpack Pro

£299.90

sigma-imaging-uk.com

wolffepack.com

crumpler.eu

Manfrotto Befree GT Carbon fibre tripod

If you need a lightweight, high-quality tripod, such as for shooting landscapes on short breaks, Manfrotto’s Befree GT Carbon Fibre Tripod is a superb option.

Weighing only 1550g and folding down to 43mm, it will support loads of up to 10kg, easily supporting even large cameras and lenses.

Twist lock legs mean it’s quick to set up and strike, while it can reach a maximum height of 162cm with the centre column raised. It also comes with a 496 aluminium centre ball head included, perfect for landscape compositions.

Just announced from Sigma is a wide-angle prime that’s sure to make landscapers sit up and take notice. As one of Sigma’s uncompromising Art series, the 28mm f/1.4 DG HSM claims bestin-class performance, with high resolution over the entire sensor, thoroughly corrected while sagittal coma flare, which will be very helpful for those shooting starry skies. The lens is hardy, too, with water- and oil-repellent coatings and a dust- and splash-proof structure. It’ll be available for Canon, Nikon, Sigma and Sony E-mounts. £TBA

£169.95

This is a full-featured, highly adaptable and innovative backpack for landscapers. Split into upper and lower compartments, each section has its own removable camera pouch, so you can choose which area to use for gear, using both if you’re packing a lot of kit or neither. The top compartment is an expandable roll-top design, while the internal volume is 33L, with space for a 13in laptop.

The outer combines a water-resistant canvas and matt tarpaulin flap. There’s an integrated rain cover and removable LED light, too.

£399.95 manfrotto.co.uk

Sigma 28mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art

benroeu.com

Wolffepack Capture backpack

This backpack’s innovative design gives you access to your gear without taking it off, which is useful if shooting landscapes in conditions where you don’t want to put your bag down. It works via a harness-and-bag design where the latter is released using a handle and brought around to your front. The camera section measures 18x25x14cm, while the bag is 46x31x18cm overall, weighing 1.5kg. The outer has a water-resistant coating and there are plenty of pockets for other gear, with clips for more accessories.

Miggo Agua Stormproof Backpack 85

Changeable weather can make for great landscapes, but it also means you can get caught in a downpour, so you need a bag that can withstand the elements. The Agua Stormproof Backpack 85 has an IPX3 rating, meaning it will stand up well to sprays of water and dusty conditions.

This is thanks to water-repellent zippers, a reinforced bottom and a double-layered construction that includes a tarpaulin top. There’s also a top compartment for personal items and a lower camera bay that’ll fit a DSLR with an attached 24-70mm f/2.8 zoom, as well as other lenses and accessories. £134.90

mymiggo.com

Marumi M100 Magnetic Filter Holder

Anyone who’s fumbled to slot a filter into a holder or screw one on to a lens on location will feel the benefit of this magnetic system from Marumi. Up to three square NDs and ND grads can easily be placed on the M100 holder and the latter slid up or down to suit the scene, while being firmly held. There’s a bay for a circular polarising filter in the holder, too. Supplied with adapter rings for lens sizes 72, 77 and 82mm, there are nine 100mm square ND filters, along with three strengths of soft grads, hard grads and reverse grads. £TBA

kenro.co.uk

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Camera test Specs Price Fujifilm X-T3 body only, available in black or silver, £1349; X-T3 kit with 18-55mm f/2.8-4 lens, £1699 Sensor 26.1-megapixels, BSI X-Trans CMOS 4 with X Processor 4 image engine Sensor format 23.5x15.6mm (APS-C), 6240x4160pixels

Photography News | Issue 60 | photographynews.co.uk

Fujifilm X-T3

The X Series explodes into its fourth generation with the X-T3, a top-end camera sporting a new sensor, imaging processor and a world’s first or two

ISO range 160-12,800, expandable to equivalent ISO 80, 100, 125, 25,600, 51,200 Shutter range 15mins-1/8000sec (mechanical shutter), 4secs to 1/32,000sec (electronic shutter), B mode up to 60mins (mechanical shutter, 1/250sec or slower flash sync Drive modes Up to 30fps (with electronic shutter, 1.25x crop) up to 35 frames burst in lossless Raw compression.

20fps whole APS-C format, up to 34 frames uncompressed Raw. Mechnical shutter 11fps up to 36 uncompressed Raws Metering system 256-zone metering with multi, spot, average and centre-weighted Exposure modes PASM Exposure compensation +/-5EV, AEB up to nine frames Monitor 3in, 1040k dots touchscreen showing 100% of image Viewfinder 3.69million dots OLED EVF Focusing Intelligent hybrid AF with single, continuous and manual focus modes Focus points 13x9 grid, 25x17 grid (425) Video DCI 4K (4096x2160), 4K (3940x2160), full HD Connectivity Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB-C, HDMI D Other key features 16 Film Simulation modes, Grain effect, Color Chrome effect Storage media Dual slot SD/SDHC/SDXC Dimensions (wxhxd) 132.5x92.8x58.8mm Weight 539g body with battery and card Contact fujifilm.eu/uk

Words and images by Will Cheung

While there has been a huge amount of noise about full-frame mirrorless cameras recently, very significant developments are taking place elsewhere, not least the introduction of the Fujifilm X-T3. It’s a fourth generation X Series camera and

features a completely new sensor and imaging processor.

Fujifilm uses an X-Trans CMOS sensor in the vast majority of its X Series cameras and it is worth taking a moment to explain the difference between this design compared with the Bayer sensor used by most other brands.

A Bayer sensor uses a 2x2 grid of light-collecting photosites with one

It is the first X Series camera with a backside illuminated sensor

Left The control layout and monitor of the X-T3 are the same as that of the X-T2. However, the X-T3’s monitor has touch functionality.

blue, one red and two green pixels.

This grid of four pixels is repeated across the sensor and it is this uniformity that can lead to moiré patterning and false colours. This happens on areas of fine detail – cloth textures, fur, net curtains and so on – and to cancel its effect an optical low pass filter (OLPF) is often used in front of the sensor. The downside of this is that it impacts on ultimate resolution.

Fujifilm’s X-Trans technology uses a 6x6 grid of red, blue and green pixels. The bigger grid, again repeated across the sensor, gives an effective random pixel layout so there is no moiré risk, hence no need for an OLPF and therefore much better image quality.

So, the X-T3 has an X-Trans CMOS sensor, but there is a first here, too.

It is the first X Series camera with a back(side) illuminated (BSI or BI) sensor. This is a review not a science lesson, but the subject is relevant so BSI sensors deserve a very short explanation.

Most camera sensors are front illuminated so what happens is

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Camera test Performance: exposure latitude A nine-frame exposure bracket was shot using the X-T3 from +4EV to -4EV to the correct exposure reading, which was metered at 1/300sec at f/11 and ISO 200.

The resulting Raws were corrected in Capture One Express Fujifilm and then outputted as full-sized JPEGs. Overexposure wasn’t handled too well, with the +4EV shot beyond acceptable recovery.

The +3EV shot coped better and this sample image looked fine.

Scenes with stronger highlights

looked less impressive. Raws overexposed by +2EV and +1EV recovered perfectly well, and virtually matched the correctly exposed image.

The underexposed Raws by -4EV and -3EV looked fine in terms of tonality after recovery in software, but there was a noticeable noise increase in the mid-tones and shadows. In the -2EV shot the recovered image had a little noise compared with the correctly exposed shot, while the -1EV shot looked identical.

-4EV

-3EV

-2EV

-1EV

0

+1EV

+2EV

+3EV

+4EV

Original image

Images Raw exposure latitude is good, underexposure being handled better than overexposure.

that light has to travel through the sensor’s circuitry to reach the lightgathering photo diodes sitting on the substrate base. However, the amount of light is reduced by reflections on its journey to the sensor.

A BSI sensor is, in effect, a front illuminated sensor upside down, with the substrate base made so very thin that light can travel through it and straight onto the light-gathering sensors without having to fight its way through the wires. The result is that more light is detected and that is a very good thing, giving, for example, better imaging performance at the higher ISO speeds.

So, science lesson over – the X-T3 has a BSI sensor and you can see for yourself how well it performs in the accompanying panels.

Before we leave the sensor, the X-T3 has gained more phase detection pixels – now 2.16 million – covering almost the entire image frame. This is to give it better, more sensitive, superior all-round AF performance.

The AF system is rated to work at -3EV, so we are talking about scenes lit by candlelight.

The AF system is rated to work at -3EV, so we are talking about scenes lit by candlelight

Below The dioptre control gaining a lock was very welcome and a very simple design change.

A great sensor counts for nothing if the information it gathers is not handled efficiently, so the X-T3 has seen a change here, too. It uses the new X Processor 4 that features four CPUs to deliver a processing speed three times faster than that of current models. This gives quicker AF (1.5x quicker than current models) with better accuracy – especially with face/eye detect, with eye detect now possible with continuous AF. Continuous AF tracking of moving subjects during continuous shooting has also significantly improved with new phase detection algorithms.

Fujifilm’s popular Film Simulation modes also benefit from the new processor, and the X-T3 has the ETERNA option. There’s more you can do with the mono modes and you can add a sepia or purple tint.

Just finally, on the new processor’s benefits: there’s a world’s first with its movie recording skills. the X-T3 is the first mirrorless APS-C format camera to give 4K/60P 4:2:0 10-bit output recorded to the internal SD card. HDMI output is available at the same time. While this might mean little to still shooters, to video makers this has serious appeal and is a significant step forward from previous X Series models.

It’s all the sensor/processor changes that make the X-T3 the X-T3 and not the X-T2 Mk II, but there are significant handling and external changes, too.

The X-T3’s body shell is identical to the X-T2’s, so no surprise they share the same look and control layout. Cover the camera’s name and I think most people would not spot any differences.

One small but significant change is a lockable dioptre control. I am

Above The new sensor delivers excellent image quality. always nudging it on the X-T2 (hence mine is gaffer-taped into position) so the lockable version on the X-T3 is very welcome.

A close scrutiny reveals the X-T3’s ISO dial now has ISO 160 squeezed in between the 200 and L settings, and the exposure compensation dial on the right is smaller by about

2mm, which might help avoid its unintentional use. The compensation dial could even go smaller, but I found the X-T3’s less liable to be moved as the camera is pulled from the bag, so, nice one, Fujifilm design people!

Also, should you flip out the threeway tilt monitor – which also offers touchscreen operation – and look

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Camera test

Above Spot the difference. The X-T3 below has a smaller exposure compensation dial, a lockable dioptre control and 160 on the ISO dial.

at its back you’ll see the X-T3 is made in China not Japan, where cheaper labour costs may possibly have a benefit to the customer in terms of price. (The X-T2 was made in Japan.)

However, as you’d expect, in terms of production values and quality of finish there are no differences between the two cameras.

The EVF has a 3.69-million dot LCD with a 0.005sec time lag and 100fps refresh rate that helps accurate composition of moving subjects, while a new sports finder mode also helps. This means you get an outline of the actual image area within the overall frame, so you can see subjects as they enter your picture (however, using the sports finder does mean the image is cropped by 1.25x, so the full image size of 6240x4160pixels becomes 4992x3328pixels).

For action, the X-T3 can shoot at 30fps (with a 1.25x image crop) with

The mechanical shutter on the X-T3 gives a top shooting rate of 11fps up to 36 shots, and you get 20fps up to 34 shots with the electronic shutter

AF and AE tracking, while the effect of rolling shutter has been halved compared with existing models.

With the mechanical shutter the X-T3 gives a top shooting rate of 11fps ap to 36 shots, and you get 20fps up to 34 shots with the electronic shutter.

This is with the basic camera body and shooting full-size uncompressed Raws. My tests showed these to be accurate figures.

There is a pre-shot feature (with a 1.25x image crop and electronic shutter) where the camera starts shooting, but without recording, up to 20 shots with partial depression of the shutter release, and up to 20 more when the shutter release is fully depressed. It’s a handy feature if your reflexes are a tad slow or when something unexpected happens just before you push the shutter button all the way. See the panel on this feature for how the mode performed in practice.

Performance: ISO The X-T3’s new sensor comes with an extended ISO range, with the option of ISO 160 at the bottom end of the normal ISO range and ISO 80 with expansion. The top end stays at ISO 12,800 with the option of expansion to ISO 25,600 and 51,200, both available in JPEG and Raw files. With the two high speeds, you can decide what speed the H setting represents via the camera’s menu.

Our test shots were Raw originals, shot with the X-T3 fitted with an XF 23mm f/2 lens with the combination on a Novo Explora T20 carbon fibre tripod. In-camera noise reduction was set to zero. The low light scene required an exposure of 1sec at f/5.6 at ISO 200.

The Raws were processed in Capture One Express Fujifilm (downloadable from phaseone.com) default NR and sharpening. This is a new free software that supports Fujifilm cameras and includes essential editing tools such as Raw processing and a catalogue function.

If you want tethered shooting, layers and cloning/healing features then you’ll need Capture One Pro Fujifilm, which is €159 a year or €16 a month.

As you’d expect, image quality at ISO 160 was very impressive, with clean, crisp, fine detail coupled with lifelike, saturated colour reproduction. There was little change as you progressed up the speed scale and even close scrutiny of the ISO 160 and 1600 showed few, if any differences. There was perhaps a very slight deterioration in the recording of very fine detail.

The picture at ISO 3200 was little different, with an incremental drop-off in the reproduction of fine detail but not much else, and no sign of any noise, so we are talking an impressive ISO performance from the X-T3 here. If the lighting situation demanded it, I’d be happy using ISO 3200 for critical results knowing detail would still look very good with minimal noise, considering the high ISO.

To get to ISO 6400 before seeing significant noise is a notable achievement, and even at this high speed fine detail remains nicely recorded and smooth, with pretty low noise levels. At the last true ISO setting of 12,800, noise is much more in evidence and it does impact on fine detail, and that is even more the case at the two expanded speeds.

As a comparison, the same scene was also shot with an X-T2, its resulting Raws also processed through Capture One. Speed for speed the differences were minor in terms of resolution. The X-T3’s noise levels were lower but I think both cameras can be used at high ISOs with confidence.

Looking at JPEGs straight out of camera, I thought the X-T3 had a slightly clearer edge in terms of overall quality, but to be honest you need to get deep into pixel-peeping territory to see any differences.

All told, the X-T3 and its new BSI sensor delivers a really impressive noise performance.

ISO 160

ISO 800

ISO 1600

ISO 3200

ISO 6400

ISO 12,800

ISO 25,600

ISO 51,200

X-T2 ISO 3200

X-T2 ISO 12,800

Original image

Above Impressively high ISO performance from the Fujifilm X-T3 (and X-T2) and good results are possible even at ISO 3200.

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Camera test The souped-up AF system is a worthwhile benefit. I utilised it mostly in single zone, using the focus lever to navigate the working point around the screen, and having working zones across almost the entire screen is great. The system was very responsive in a wide variety of lighting conditions and performed impressively well in dim conditions. In dimly lit interiors or outside at night the system locked on accurately and decisively.

For moving subjects I tried the wide/tracking option, doing some test shots with the XF 100-400mm f/45.6 lens. The system did well and proved very effective with subjects that had defined edges and good contrast.

I had no issues with the exposure system, either, and from my 2000-odd test shots (you rattle through frames at 30fps), I didn’t get any total failures, instead getting nice, richly coloured images.

Picture quality is of the very high standard I’d expect from

a Fujifilm X Series cameras and this being the first of the fourth generation augurs well for future models. I used the new Capture One Express Fujifilm for Raw processing and the results certainly printed up very nicely indeed. The slightly bigger image size compared with the X-T2 (6240x4160pixels plays 6000x4000pixels) made little practical difference; however, I am always happy with more pixels to work with.

Performance: Pre-shot mode

Shutter button half down

Shutter button fully down

One benefit of the new processor is the Pre-shot mode, a feature seen on other cameras but the X-T3 is the first X Series model to have it.

In this mode and with the electronic shutter set, partial pressure on the shutter means the camera starts to buffer frames but no shots are recorded. Press the shutter button down fully and you

get a sequence of shots from that point but you also get the buffered shots, too. So, if you missed the critical moment you might find that you still have the shot.

I found I got about 19 uncompressed full Raws with the camera set to 20fps in the second before the shutter button was depressed, and then I got another

16 at that continuous shooting rate before slowing down. Setting the camera to 30fps, I got about 25 shots before I took the shot and 15 afterwards, with the buffer then taking about 30 to 35secs to clear.

Pre-shot and buffer clearing speeds are affected by the SD card in use. Here, I used a SanDisk Extreme Pro 95MB/s SD card.

Second opinion: Daisy Dickinson, editor

Verdict

Beautiful weather, classic car racing, vintage get-up, and plenty of people watching – what could possibly offer a better playground in which to test the new Fujifilm X-T3. As a long-term punter at the Goodwood Revival – and already a fan of Fujifilm’s predecessor, the X-T2 – I was keen to put pedal to the metal and see what the X-T3 had to offer.

Taking to the tracks at Goodwood, speed was on my mind. The X-T3 didn’t disappoint, boasting 11fps and the option of 30fps with the electronic shutter in continuous shooting. AF has also been improved, four times faster according to the specs, and with better rapid tracking capabilities. I certainly found the camera locked on to the subject more effectively using continuous AF with wide/tracking, and live view of 60fps meant checking the subject while shooting was a breeze. A little manipulation of the custom focusing menu meant I could further adjust for optimum results – particularly useful when not one but five AC Cobras are racing past, all muscling for pole position.

Spend all day shooting and the improved battery life is noticeable – this new X-series camera promises to give you around 390 frames on one charge, and I had no power issues during my day of action. Of course, you can opt for the new horizontal grip, too, for further power and stability.

Videographers will be pleased about the addition of a 3.5mm headphone jack, as well as supporting 4K/60P internal recording and output, but it was the speed and precision that really had

Is the Fujifilm X-T3 worth buying?

If you are reading this, that’s the question you want answering but as always there are many things to be considered.

If you’re not yet a Fujifilm owner, I think the X-T3 is a serious contender for your money. It works very well on so many levels, it’s strongly supported by an extensive X lens system and its price is seriously competitive. For comparison, the X-T2 body was £1399 when it came out in 2016.

So, what about from an X-T2 owner’s perspective – is the X-T3 worth upgrading to? If you’re after pure pixel count there is a gain, but 26- against 24-megapixels isn’t a big leap. Yet there are clear benefits in image quality, AF and high ISO performance, so if you like to make big prints and want snappier, more reliable focusing and shoot in all lighting types, I think the answer’s clear: get out your credit card.

Features 23/25 New sensor, new processor, handling improvements – all add up to a tempting proposition Handling 24/25 Very sound and helped by dioptre knob lock and smaller exposure compensation dial Performance 24/25 Impressive high ISO image quality, swift AF and good exposure skills

my back at Goodwood. Shooting in between crowds of punters, cars speeding past in all directions, and it’s easy to miss the moment. Using a combination of AF tracking, the improved face/eye detection and the X-T3’s focus lever meant I was able to dip between people and get atmospheric, candid shots of drivers in between races. I really

enjoyed using the XF56mm f/1.2 APD for stunning portraits with a beautifully soft depth-of-field and rich, vibrant colour reproduction, while the sophisticated AF made it easy to keep locked on to my subjects, with face and eye detection proving useful.

The 3in, 1040k-dot, triadjustable LCD is easy to pull out

and twist, and lets you get down low for dynamic shots – it has touchscreen capability, too.

With its hybrid AF system and a brand new sensor, the X-T3 offers flexible, fast shooting for a wide range of subjects. Lightweight, packed with functionality and creative potential, it’s definitely a camera I’d happily take for a spin.

Value for money 24/25 Great value considering the impressive feature set you get Overall 95/100 Fujifilm’s fourth generation gets off to a flying start with the X-T3 Pros Sensor, attractive price, focusing skills, Pre-shot and burst modes, ISO performance Cons Small resolution increase for current X-T2 owners

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Photography News | Issue 60 | photographynews.co.uk

Camera preview

Canon EOS R preview Specs Sensor 30.3 megapixels, CMOS

Canon’s new EOS R is not just its first full-frame mirrorless camera but the forerunner of an entire new system Words and images by Terry Hope

Sensor format 35mm full frame, 6720x4480pixels Aspect ratios 4:3, 1:1, 3:2, 16:9 ISO range 100-40,000 (expandable 50 to 102,400) Shutter range 30secs to 1/8000sec, flash sync 1/200sec Drive modes 8fps with fixed focus, 5fps with AF tracking Metering system Multi-zone, centre-weighted, spot, partial Exposure modes PASM Exposure compensation +/-3EV Monitor 3.2in articulating touch screen, 2100k dots Viewfinder 3690K dot EVF Focusing Contrast detect (sensor), phase detect Focus modes AFS, AFC, AFF (flexible) Focus points 5655 points Video 4k 3840x2160 @30p/24p/23.98p and 480Mbps and 120Mbps Connectivity USB 3.1, HDMI mini, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth Other key features USB in-camera charging (with LPE6N), Dual Pixel Raw support, CR3 (Raw and C-Raw) Storage media 1xSD card Dimensions (wxhxd) 136x98x84mm Weight 660g body with battery Contact Canon.co.uk

The two giants of the SLR world – Canon and Nikon in case you didn’t know – have finally jumped on the full-frame mirrorless bandwagon, and both in the same month.

From Canon we have the EOS R system and PN went along to the London launch last month where there was the chance to get handson as well as shoot pictures on a set which consisted of a dimly-lit indoor theatrical scenario representing the world 400 years into the future that was populated by colourfully made -up actors.

I was armed with a fullyfunctioning full production sample of the EOS R, complete with the RF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM that’s due to be the kit lens in one of the outfits Canon is offering (see the price panel for more details), so I was well prepared for all eventualities and also able to find out for myself how well the camera could cope in low light, both from an exposure point of view but also in terms of AF speed and accuracy.

All manufacturers are inclined to reach for the hyperbole when launching a new product, but this felt like something special. Much as Nikon had done two few weeks earlier, this was not a one-off new model that was being announced, rather the start of an entire new system centred on a brand new mount. With four impressive but expensive new lenses being available in the new fitting from day one, there was the further tantalising taster of an extensive lineup of anonymous lenses shown in one of the introductory slides with the promise that there was a lot more glass to look forward to over the next few years.

Until then, there is the EF-EOS R Mount Adapter to fill the gap,

ensuring that the entire line-up of EF, EF-S, TS-E, and MP-E lenses will be compatible with the camera. There is more, however: in addition to the standard R Mount Adapter Canon has also created a Drop-In Filter Mount Adapter and a Control Ring Mount Adapter to add additional functionality – such as using filters and a customisable control ring – when using non Canon EOS R lenses.

The Drop-In Filter Mount Adapter is available with a variable neutral density (V-ND) filter or a circular polarising (C-PL) filter, while a third clear (CL) filter is also available if you don’t wish to have any effects.

So Canon is making sure its army of current users can take the journey to the mirrorless promised land without the inconvenience of losing the use of all those lenses they’ve so expensively acquired over the years.

However, there can be little doubt that the long term future of Canon lenses will be RF-shaped, and that this is where all the advances will be seen. The new mount features short back focus and the widest lens throat of any sub-medium-format system (54mm, the same diameter as the Canon EF mount), and Canon says this will enable future advances in lens design and performance.

So to the camera itself, and this did indeed feel good in the hands,

Canon is making sure its army of current users can take the journey to the mirrorless promised land

Images Canon hasn’t reinvented the wheel with the styling of the EOS R so it will be intuitive for anyone who has used an EOS DSLR over the last 15 years.

being noticeably smaller than a conventional DSLR but nicely balanced and solidly made. It’s not easy to get to grips with a new model when you’ve only had it placed in your hands a few moments earlier, but I started off in the auto modes and slowly but surely investigated a few of the many customisation options such as autofocus, ISO and white-balance, that are available, these being accessed via a swipe or a tap on a multifunction touch bar just to the right of the EVF. The EVF itself is one of the most impressive features of the new camera, as it needed to be for a mirrorless model to make any sense.

For those who remember early EVFs that resembled an ancient TV screen, complete with horizontal lines and flickering, this is worlds apart. It’s so good in fact that one professional who had been working with the camera said that he’d forgotten this wasn’t a direct view and had then been surprised when wording suddenly appeared.

One reason for the low light setting was to demonstrate how well the camera’s viewing features work once the light starts to drop. In short, it did very well indeed: in fact looking through the EVF or on the 3.1in LCD I got a much clearer view of things than I did using with my naked eye.

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Photography News | Issue 60 | photographynews.co.uk

Camera preview Prices • •

• • • •

EOS R body £2349.99 EOS R with RF 24105mm f/4L IS USM and EF-EOS R mount adapter kit £3269.9 RF 50mm f/1.2L USM £2349.99 RF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM £1119.99 EF-EOS R mount adapter £99.99 Control mount ring adapter EF-EOS R £199.99

AVAILABLE FROM DECEMBER 2018: • RF 28-70mm f/2L USM lens £3049.99 • RF 35mm f/1.8 Macro IS STM lens £519.99

It focuses extremely quickly, with Canon suggesting that it’s 0.05 seconds The setting was also to show us how good the new AF system is, thanks to the impressive number of autofocusing points it features, no fewer than 5655 manually selectable points up to f/11 (compared to a more modest 61 in the EOS 5D Mark IV).

It uses Canon’s Dual Pixel CMOS autofocusing system and can acquire focus in very low light, right down to -6 EV. It also focuses extremely quickly, with Canon suggesting that it’s 0.05 seconds. Focus acquisition is the fastest in the world, claims Canon. Suffice to say that I found AF to be lightning-fast, even when the lighting got really atmospheric, and this is set to be one of the big selling points.

Although it wasn’t necessary in the situation I was in, I can also confirm that the camera operated in complete silence, which could be crucial for those in wedding or tense sporting situations. So quiet is the whole process that, at first, it can be difficult to believe that the shutter has actually fired, but fortunately Canon has thought this one through and there is confirmation in the viewfinder that the shot has been successfully taken.

At the heart of the camera is a 30.3-megapixel CMOS sensor with a native ISO range of 100-40,000 (expandable to 50-102,400), backed by a DIGIC 8 image processor.

There’s a low pass filter in front

Left PN got hands-on with a production sample of the new EOS R.

RF 28-70mm f/2L USM

RF 50mm f/1.2L USM of the sensor that helps combat moiré patterns at the cost of slightly reduced sharpness, and the camera features an 8fps continuous shooting speed for bursts of up to 100 maxquality JPEGs, 47 Raw, or 78 C-Raw. The shutter lag is as short as 50 milliseconds, and a start-up time is 0.9 seconds.

I managed a few short video clips, and having subsequently spoken to a few filmmaking pros they tend to agree that there’s enough onboard here to satisfy most professionals that might want to shoot some video around the stills for the benefit of their clients.

The EOS R can shoot in 4K at 30fps – though, as many have pointed out, not at 60fps, which is only available at 1080p. This, however, will still be more than enough for most users, and there are further video-orientated features on board such as Canon Log with 12 stops of dynamic range, 10bit 4:2:2 HDMI output and a maximum recording time of 29 minutes and 59 seconds. The side of the camera also

features microphone and headphone jacks, but this is still clearly a photographer’s camera rather than one specifically aimed at filmmakers.

SUMMARY Clearly a lot of thought has gone into what is not so much the launch of a new camera but the unveiling of what will become a complete system.

The signs are good and, given Canon’s pedigree, you sense it knows exactly what will be required to make it all work successfully.

The full benefit of the new RF system will reveal itself in the fullness of time, but lenses such as the new fast 50mm f/1.2 provide a tantalising taste of what can be expected; this is where all the innovation will be coming in the future. There will also be a line-up of R camera models to choose from, with this first one destined to be somewhere in the middle of the range.

It’s best to hold judgement until we put the Canon EOS R through a full test. See our next issue for that.

RF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM

RF 35mm f/1.8 Macro IS STM

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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

Specs

Profoto B10 250 AirTTL £1410

Prices B10 head £1410, B10 Duo kit £2810, Core backpack S £228, B10 Li-ion battery £180, Battery charger 3A £144, Stand adapter £90, B10 case £72 Maximum power 250Ws Output (2m/ISO 100) F/22.7 with OCF Magnum reflector F/11.9 without reflector Power range 10EV (1.0-10) Flash duration Normal mode: level 10 1/400sec. level 1.0 1/4900sec (t.01), colour temperature 6400K Freeze mode: level 10 1/400sec, colour temperature 6400K; level 5 1/7700sec, colour temperature 7400K; level 1.0 1/14,000sec (t.01), colour temperature 8200K, (all t.01) Recycling time 0.05-2secs TTL/HSS Yes (with AirTTL trigger) Operating range Sync and remote control – 0.5-300m HSS and TTL – 0.5-100m Supported Air features Flash sync, remote control, TTL, HSS Modelling light max output (lumens) 2500lm Lamp type LED Dimming range 10 to 100% LED Colour temperature Adjustable 3000-6500K Colour rendering (CRI) 90-96 Bluetooth Yes, supports Profoto app Photocell/IR slave and switch Yes Umbrella mount Yes Interface USB-C for firmware upgrades Power supply Rechargeable Li-ion battery Dimensions (wxlxh) 11x17.5x10cm Weight 1.5kg with battery and mount adapter Contact profoto.com

Off-camera flash is a hugely popular technique that opens up many creative avenues for the photographer to explore. Profoto has certainly played its part with its B1 and the B2 off-camera flash systems. First along was the B1 (the B1X is the latest head), a studio monobloc style unit with an in-board rechargeable Li-ion battery and 500Ws of power. Then came the B2, two really compact flash heads connected to a separate power pack with cables providing 250Ws. The new B10 head is a logical next step.

It features 250Ws of output, has an onboard rechargeable battery, a colour temperature adjustable LED modelling lamp and more. And it comes in a really portable bodyform. You can get a couple of heads and a trigger plus your camera with a lens or two in a backpack. Add a sling bag for a couple of lighting stands and a modifier or two and beautiful location portraits are well within your reach.

Handling is impressive and very straightforward. The basic B10 outfit comes with a case, rechargeable battery, charger and an adapter to fix the unit to a standard lighting stand. This adapter has a hole to take a standard brolly lighting stem.

There is no radio trigger supplied as standard so you need to budget £339 for an AirTTL Remote trigger if you want to get the most from the B10 – versions for Canon, Fujifilm, Olympus, Nikon and Sony are available. With an AirTTL Remote you get TTL flash, HSS flash and manual and impressive working range – up to 300m to remotely fire the flash, 100m for TTL control. I used the Nikon and Fujifilm versions in this test. The unit can be triggered with other radio remotes and infrared remotes too. There is no cable sync option.

The head offers four different groups and eight channels, working with the Air remotes

or the Profoto A1. The A1 is a very portable light source but also a fully featured AirTTL unit.

Push down the white button and the flash comes on; a second or two later you get a confirmation beep when the unit is charged.

The white button is also the test flash button.

Pushing the button on the left of the three turns on the LED continuous light. Pressing this button again brings up a simple scale and rotating the same button adjusts the colour temperature of the LED output, from 3000K to 6500K. Very useful if you want to balance the B10 with ambient light when shooting with continuous light.

Pushing the larger central button bring up the B10’s menu where you can alter channels, groups and flash mode among either items.

Using the menu is simple. If you prefer, download the free Profoto app to your smart device and you can select menu items, adjust

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First tests flash output and the LED colour temperature remotely via Bluetooth. The app automatically detects the unit and this worked reliably in this test. You can also use your device to take shots or shoot video with the B10’s LED lamp. Just adjust output and colour temperature to suit your device.

The unit’s LED and flashtube is protected behind non user-removable frosted protection glass. This does mean the tube is effectively slightly recessed into the unit’s body shell, but not to an extent where you’d get a hotspot.

The Profoto modifier mount is the best around. Modifiers just slide into the unit’s body and lock on. The design of the modifier mount does mean that softboxes and beauty dishes lock on very firmly and you can finetune its position on the head. This is where the numbers on the side of the unit come in handy, so you can repeat the looks of your shots really easily. Once securely locked in position you are not going to have modifiers slipping off from not being properly locked on or dealing with bent bayonet flanges (usually with third party modifiers) that can happen with other brands.

In this test I checked out power, flash duration, colour temperature consistency and battery capacity.

The B10’s light output was measured at all full power settings using a Gossen flash meter set to ISO 100 at 1m and 2m – the basic head was used with no modifier fitted. At 1m full power (10 on the power scale) was metered at f/32.1 while minimum power was f/1.4.3 For comparison’s sake, a Nikon SB-900 in full manual was metered too and that gave f/32.1 too. At 2m, the B10 at full power was metered at f/16.1 with minimum power resulting in a reading of f/1.0.2. Such an output range gives plenty of potential when it comes to creative use of depth-of-field with fast aperture lenses.

In normal mode, colour temperature from output levels 1 to 10 were commendably consistent with no variation when power level was adjusted – this can be done in 0.1EV steps.

The manual quotes 6400K at all power settings in normal mode. There was more colour variation with the freeze mode where you can get flash bursts as brief as 1/15,000sec at output level 1. Settings from 1 to 6 were noticeably coollooking but this went from level 7 upwards. The cooler output can be readily cured in editing or by taking a custom white-balance reading. See the accompanying panels for more on colour temperature stability.

With AirTTL Remotes there is the

option of HSS (high speed sync) flash up to shutter speeds of 1/8000sec and first or second curtain sync.

With HSS at 1/8000sec there was enough output to allow an aperture of f/2.8 at ISO 400 with the B10 2m from the subject. If you need smaller apertures, dropping down to 1/2000sec allows a setting of f/4 while you can get f/8 at 1/1000sec and f/11 at 1/500sec. With the ISO performance of the latest cameras so good at ISO 800 and even higher, the B10 has plenty of potential with aperture choice and shooting distance with HSS mode.

Recycling was quick. At full power, recharge took just over one second which is respectably quick. If it’s fast continuous shooting you need then dropping output to level power 7 was good enough for 50 consecutive shots at 5fps using a Nikon D810 set to continuous high JPEG shooting. The B10 did not miss a single shot. Up to power level 8 and the B10 did less well and could only keep up for a few frames.

Switching to a Fujifilm X-T2 I got 32 frames at 8fps at power level 7 before the B10 missed a frame. For a portable battery unit, the ability for fast recycling with a decent level of power output is very handy.

In terms of battery capacity, the manual quotes 400 full-power flash bursts. On the days testing I had with the B10 which included burst shooting, using the LED modelling lamp and plenty of full power shots, the battery was still showing three out of four bars so plenty of capacity left in the tank. WC

Verdict Profoto has hit it on the head – again! – with its B10. It’s not a cheap unit, but it is very fairly priced if you look at what you get and the tremendous creative opportunities it offers.

It’s a portable flash with power, control and versatility, offering the options of manual, TTL and HSS and Profoto’s comprehensive range of modifiers. And you get an LED modelling light with colour temperature control and a great many flash bursts per charge, and overall performance is excellent. What’s not to like?

Pros Power, size, build quality, Profoto modifier mount, short duration in freeze mode, LED light with colour temperature output control, app Cons Nothing of note

Above Create an account on the Profoto and you have access to the free app. Turn on the flash and open the app; the app automatically recognises the flash and now you can remotely set menu items, alter flash power output and adjust the colour temperature.

You can even take shots on your phone camera with the LED lamp.

Performance: Flash duration The B10 has normal and freeze modes, which we tested with a set-up with a domestic fan. Normal mode gives flash bursts as brief as 1/4900sec at power output 1, which lengthens to 1/400sec at full power. Colour temperature stability – a quoted 6400K throughout – in normal mode is impressive as you can see in the test shots shown below.

For even shorter flash durations, there is freeze mode which is selected via the menu.

Here, 1/15,000sec is the shortest flash burst possible at power level 2 (t0.1s) which gives an output of 1Ws. That’s not a great deal of power so working range and f/stop options are limited but fine for close-ups and table-top shooting.

In this mode there is a colour shift – 8200K at power level 1 and 8600K at level 2 so shots are Fan off

noticeably blue – a custom WB reading gets round this, or in post-processing. See the panel on colour temperature stability for more on this.

Normal mode, power level 1, fan on

Freeze mode, power level 1, fan on

Performance: Colour temperature stability The B10 in normal mode show shows impressive colour temperature stability throughout its power range – the manual quotes 6400K at all power levels. In freeze mode, where very brief flash durations are possible at the lower power settings, ie. 1/15,000sec at level 2 with an output of

1Ws. Output is low at the high speed flash speeds but still useful for table-top set-ups, for example.

The lowest output settings give a blue cast – the manual quotes 8600K at power level 2.. As output increases, the blueness goes and even at output level 6 results are near neutral..

Minimum power, normal mode

Full power, normal mode

Minimum power, freeze mode

Output level 6, freeze mode

Left To check for any gradation effects in HSS mode, this shot of an A1 sheet of white card was taken at 1/8000sec and f/2.8 at ISO 400.

The Raw was processed in Lightroom but no sign of any unevenness was seen.

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First tests Specs Price £649. Canon-fit version already available at same price Format 35mm full frame and APS-C Mount Nikon F Construction 15 elements in ten groups Special lens elements 2 aspherical, 1 extra low dispersion, four high refractive elements Coatings Ultra Multi Coating Filter size N/A Aperture range F/2.8-22 Diaphragm Seven blades Internal focus Yes Manual focus AF/MF switch Minimum focus 20cm Focus limiter No Maximum magnification X0.15 Distance scale No Depth-of-field scale No Image stabiliser No Tripod collar N/A Lens hood Supplied Weather-sealed Yes Dimensions (lxd) 93.1x90.5mm Weight 520g (with lens hood) Contact intro2020.co.uk

Original image

Samyang AF 14mm f/2.8 F £649 Samyang started its optical journey with manual focus lenses and very popular they have proved to be, by offering high performance coupled with competitive prices. Samyang is gradually turning its sights onto autofocus, and this ultra wide is its first autofocus lens for Nikon – it is already on sale in Canon fit.

Mounted on a Nikon D850, it makes for a nice handling combination. The body is still the senior partner and overall balance is good. If you want a comparison, the Nikon 14mm f/2.8 D AF ED weighs 150g more and costs close to £1000 extra.

The autofocus mechanism is impressive, being very fast, dead quiet and sensitive. The ultra wide focal length means that a great deal of the scene is sharp through the viewfinder and you can see the lens respond when you aim it at different parts of the scene which are quite close together.

This sensitivity and surefootedness stays with the lens even as you get in close and in low light levels, too. I know it’s the camera that is doing the heavy lifting with autofocus but an amenable partner is still needed, and this Samyang proved to be that.

Overall, there is nothing of note to quibble about in this lens’ AF skills.

Should the system not latch onto your subject just use the focus barrel. This

free running barrel is good to use, although I’d prefer it to be rubbercovered rather than machined metal knurling, which is what is provided.

The lack of a focusing scale isn’t a deal-breaker and the same would apply to the complete absence of a depth-of-field scale. You just know it’s an ultra wide so setting an aperture of f/8 and leaving the focus at about two metres will give you plenty of front to back sharpness. No distance scale means you just have to use your judgement on what is two metres from the camera, which isn’t difficult.

The focus barrel is free running and manual focus override is full-time – you don’t need to use the AF/MF switch on the D850. The downside for me is that it does seem to take an age to get from infinity down to the lens’ 20cm close-focus distance.

Optically, the lens is a class act, especially taking its price into account. In fact, it’s a bargain for a lens of this type.

It is sharp at the centre from f/2.8 onwards with fine detail really well recorded. Picture quality does drop F/2.8

off a little as you move towards the edges but I thought the overall optical performance wide open belied the lens’ comparatively modest price. I’d happily use this optic at f/2.8 knowing that it will deliver quality results suitable for serious enlargement.

The picture, literally, improved with stopping down and while f/2.8 delivered a fine performance, the resolution of fine detail perked up considerably at f/4 and then even more at f/5.6. This applied in particular to the edges but there was a benefit to the centre. The best overall showing was at f/8 with f/11 not lagging too far behind.

Diffraction kicked in at f/16 and f/22 but its impact really wasn’t too bad.

Vignetting and wide-angle lenses often go hand in hand and so it was here, too, and at f/2.8 that vignetting was very obvious, so much so that the corners looked underexposed.

Stopping down even to f/4 helped to give a more balanced image. That said, I quite liked the tunnel vision effect at f/2.8 and it can be remedied in software. The same applies to the lens’ distortion, and straight lines were not always rendered truly as you moved in close to the subject. WC

Verdict

F/4

F/5.6

F/8

F/11

F/16

F/22

Images An airfraft hangar (in this case, IWM Duxford) is a good test for a wide-angle lens and this one delivered good depth-of-field even at wide apertures.

Test shots Test shots were taken on a Nikon D850 which was fixed to a Novo Explora T20 tripod and the self-timer used to take the shot.

Ultra wide-angle lenses are not everyone’s cup of tea, but if you like dramatic foregrounds and the wide-angle distortion you get when you move in close, they are great fun. Their cost can be prohibitive, though, and they can be bulky. However, Samyang’s AF 14mm f/2.8 F offers great value and it’s compact given its extreme wide view. Now in Nikon fit as well as Canon fit, this Samyang is well worth a serious look because it is a fine lens.

Pros Quiet, fast and smooth AF, compact for such a wide lens, weatherproof, great handling, useful close focusing distance Cons Knurled metal finish of focus barrel – rubber grip would feel nicer

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First tests Specs Price £10,500 Format 35mm full-frame/APS-C Mount Sony E Construction 23 elements in 17 groups (includes one filter) Special lens elements Three fluorite lenses Coatings Sony Nano AR, fluorine front element coating Filter size 40.5mm slot-in Aperture range F/2.8-22 Diaphragm 11 blades Internal focus Yes Manual focus Yes Minimum focus 2.7m Focus limiter Yes Maximum magnification X0.16 Distance scale No Depth-of-field scale No Image stabiliser Optical SteadyShot. Gives five-axis OS with bodies featuring built-in IS Tripod collar Supplied Lens hood ALC-SH155 supplied Weather-sealed Dust- and moisture-resistant Dimensions (lxd) 158.1x359mm Weight 2895g

Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS £10,500 If you enjoy wildlife or sports photography you will need to venture into the rarefied atmosphere of long telephoto lenses. For most photographers this means telephoto zooms with relatively modest maximum apertures but if you have seriously deep pockets, you can go for a superfast prime telephoto, such as this Sony model.

The FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS is one of Sony’s G Master lenses. There are now eight in the GM family, of which this is by far the most expensive, but that’s no surprise given its specification. No fewer than 23 elements including three from fluorite glass, linear motor AF, built-in Optical SteadyShot stabilization and, of course, that incredibly fast f/2.8 maximum aperture. All packed into a dust- and moisture-resistant body.

Sony says it’s the world’s lightest 400mm f/2.8 lens (and this was true until the very recent launch of the Canon) but it is still nearly 2.9kg so whichever way you look at it, that’s still a very significant weight to tote around and use.

I tested the lens on a Sony a9 camera using a Gitzo Systematic 4 carbonfibre tripod fitted with an Arca-Swiss ballhead. Plus, I used it on a Wimberley Sidekick too and, although not a proper gimbal, it did a fine job with this lens, with no problem getting the camera/ lens combination nicely balanced.

I also used it handheld as this is how many sports shooters will use it when maximum manoeuvrability is needed.

How you get on shooting handheld depends a great deal on your build. I’m definitely not strong in the arm but, yes, I found this lens usable without support and, with the OS active, I was getting very sharp shots at 1/60sec, which is remarkable. But I couldn’t keep the camera up to my eye for very long

Original image

F/2.8

F/4

without shaking under the strain, so it’s no problem for intermittent action but for longer spells of continuous shooting I’d need support. For this test I shot about 350 handheld pictures over 90 minutes around IWM Duxford and my arms certainly knew it.

By the way, the lens’ profile does mean that it is prone to wind buffeting, which applies whether the lens is being used handheld or on a tripod.

The lens’ AF skills were impressive.

The AF system features XD (extreme dynamic) linear motors and you have to say, whatever the tech, this lens gives fast, silent and smooth AF performance. Scenes just zip into focus with great accuracy and given the very shallow depth-of-field this lens delivers, that is a good thing. I tried different focus zone options but mostly kept it simple and used single spot AF, using the focus lever to move it around.

AF activation was set to the four focus-hold buttons situated towards the front of the lens – these buttons can be assigned other functions.

The next ring back from the focushold buttons is the function ring that

Contact sony.co.uk

Image Autofocus was on target, and smooth and silent.

AF test

can be used for power focusing, which gives a smooth and controllable focus transition from one AF point to a preset focus point in the scene.

For a test of the lens’ optical stabilizer, which claims a 5EV benefit, I went into one of Duxford’s hangars to get out of the breeze and took a series of shots down to 1/15sec. I used the standard number 1 OS mode here; mode 2 is for panning action and mode 3 for dealing with subjects moving in an unpredictable manner. Setting 3 also minimizes what the instructions call ‘framing disturbances’ which you get with image stabilizers and with such a long lens that can mean cropping off something you need.

If you assume that 1/500sec is the minimum handheld shutter speed to use (and this is debatable), then 5EV benefit takes you down to 1/15sec. I got nothing acceptably sharp at 1/15sec, fared a little better at 1/30sec but at 1/60sec obtained pinsharp shots.

Nevertheless, this is still an impressive showing – we’re not talking some petite pancake lens here – and this is with my handheld technique. I am sure others will get that claimed 5EV benefit, should it be needed.

Image quality was awesome. If you buy a fast aperture lens you expect great performance at its maximum aperture; even more so if you hand over £10k for it. And with this telephoto there were absolutely no issues. Sharpness is breathtakingly impressive wide open.

In fact, it’s very good at every aperture, so should you need to use f/16 and f/22 you can and still expect critically sharp results.

I took one handheld shot of a World War I biplane (shown left) at 1/60sec at f/4 and ISO 100. On screen at 100% you can see, in full glorious detail, every nuance in the airplane’s fabric. With this long lens you get the level of results you’d expect to see in a top-end short telephoto, and that’s impressive. WC

F/5.6

F/8

F/11

F/16

F/22

Test shots The test shots were taken with the lens mounted to a Gitzo Systematic GT4553S tripod and the Sony A9’s self-timer used.

Verdict If you’re a Sony user with the need for a long superfast lens and have the budget (you can always hire it), then the Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS is a great purchase. It is hugely capable in terms of AF speed and accuracy, and image quality is nothing short of incredible, but then you’d surely expect that of a ten grand lens. It’s definitely a true master and well worth building up the biceps for.

Pros Gives detail-packed, pin-sharp pictures at every aperture, features, fast AF, good stabilizer Cons Price, it’s a heavy lens

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Enter at: photographynews.co.uk/weddingphotographeroftheyear Professional Photo Dedicated to the needs of working professional photographers for more than a decade, Professional Photo regularly showcases the work of some of the world’s greatest wedding photographers. Read around the world, the magazine is the perfect platform for those at the top of their game to shout about the quality of their work.

All six round winners and the Wedding Photographer of the Year will receive a massive dose of publicity in print and online – and we have no doubt that they will then multiply this with their own social media activity.

Fujifilm Media Even in this full-on digital era, Fujifilm Crystal Archive media, with its roots still firmly buried in tried-and-tested silver halide technology, is the paper of choice for many wedding photographers, delivering high-quality results that will last for decades. originalphotopaper.com

Loxley Colour Our Wedding Photographer of the Year will receive £1000 worth of vouchers to spend on Loxley Colour’s vast range of products, everything from prints to albums, wall products, frames and presentation options. This is a business built on quality and service, hence the decision to print on Fujifilm original photo paper. At Loxley Colour, you’re never a number: customers are business partners. The focus is on working together with photographers to help develop the business by offering access to a range of creative, quality products and accessories to delight clients. loxleycolour.com

Loxley Colour Bellissimo Albums Loxley Colour’s multi award-winning album range, Bellissimo Albums, offers an unrivalled choice of styles and finishes. From the beautifully creative Fine Art and Harris Tweed albums to client favourite the Perfetto, there's a cover, paper and style to suit everyone, plus a range of add-on products that complement the range. Round winners will each win a 30-page (15 spread), 14x10in size album. loxleycolour.com/albums/bellissimo

Round 3 closes on 8 November 2018, 11.59pm. • Only one image per round, per photographer. • Only working professional photographers may enter.

• For full terms and conditions, visit photographynews.co.uk/weddingphotographeroftheyear or read issue 151, Professional Photo, out 12 October 2018.

Photography News | Issue 60 | photographynews.co.uk

Photography News | Issue 60 | 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, we begin to explore the white-balance setting...

Words & pictures by Kingsley Singleton Digital cameras make control of colour far easier than in the days of film. Where once coloured filters or specialist films were required when moving from one type of lighting to another, now all you need to do is turn a dial. And if you forget to do that, so long as you’ve shot in Raw mode, you can edit the colours long after shooting.

But as we all know, the mark of a good photographer is getting shots as close to perfection as possible at the time of shooting – and applying changes in editing can not only cost you time, but image quality, too. Therefore a good understanding of your camera’s whitebalance and colour settings is important. Here’s how they work.

WHAT IS WHITE-BALANCE? The camera’s white-balance setting controls how it responds to different temperatures of light. All different types of light source have their own colour temperature, so for example the light from a desk lamp has a lower colour temperature than light from the sun. These temperatures are measured in degrees Kelvin (K). When we move from one type of lighting to another our eyes naturally adjust, and a camera needs to do that as well, so that the colours it records look natural. If no adjustment to the white-balance setting is made colours may look overly warm or cool, or have a strong colour cast.

WHITE-BALANCE IN AUTO OR MANUAL? Like other exposure settings you can either set the white-balance to work automatically, or set it to work manually. Most of the time, if the white-balance is set to auto it will take a good reading of the scene, and minor adjustments can be made in editing to perfect the colours. But in some situations, even modern systems can get confused. Usually this happens when shooting when there’s lots of artificial light mixing with natural light, such as in a low-light city scene.

There may also be times when you’ll want to change the colours in the scene creatively, like when shooting the warmth of a sunset, or a frosty landscape. In these cases you will need to set the white-balance manually. Another advantage of setting the white-balance manually is that colours will be completely consistent between shots – assuming the conditions don’t change.

Tungsten

Left Here, although the auto white-balance setting gave a reading of 5100K, it was too warm for the scene; manually changing the white-balance to 4000K gives a cooler look, which suits the scene. Above The whitebalance setting is accessed by a dedicated button on the camera body, or from within the shooting menu on screen. presets, usually from white-balance readings you’ve taken manually.

SETTING THE WHITE-BALANCE First find the white-balance setting. On most enthusiast cameras white-balance has a dedicated button that will immediately bring up options on the main screen or the top panel display. But on some models you might need to dive into the shooting menu.

Once you’re in the white-balance settings you’ll find a list of preset options for common lighting conditions. These usually comprise incandescent (aka tungsten), fluorescent, daylight, flash,

Auto white-balance

cloudy and shade. You then simply pick the one that’s closest to the conditions you’re in.

Or, say you want warmer or cooler colours, pick an option above or below the ambient conditions.

Most cameras will also allow you to fine-tune the auto setting or any of these presets if you find them lacking, for example making the auto a little warmer by default if colours look too cool to you. Another route is to dial in the specific colour temperature you want to use in degrees Kelvin. On some cameras you can also save

Daylight

TAKING A MANUAL WHITE-BALANCE READING This route is more complicated, but will give you the most accurate results. The method varies from camera to camera, but essentially you shoot a picture of a midtone grey subject or white subject and base the white-balance reading on that. This can be done with accessories, like white-balance cards, or using a piece of grey or white paper. You can also meter off parts of the scene, such as a patch of snow or a white wall.

We’ll go into more detail on this in next month’s Camera School.

EDITING WHITE-BALANCE IN CAMERA Another option, offered on many cameras when shooting Raw files, is to shoot and then fine-tune the colours within the camera’s post-processing options. Due to the way that a Raw file is captured, and the massive amount of data it contains, you can find the white-balance option in the editing menu and change it to any of the preset options, or to a manual Kelvin setting, then save it as a JPEG or as a new Raw file.

NEXT MONTH Images This interior mixes tungsten light with bright daylight outside, so conditions are mixed. The tungsten setting is too cold, and the daylight setting too warm, but the camera’s auto white-balance setting (3400K) creates a good mix.

HOW TO TAKE MANUAL WHITE-BALANCE READINGS AND GET PERFECT COLOURS IN ANY SCENE

Photography News | Issue 60 | photographynews.co.uk

48

Competition

Editor’s letter

No business like show business I enjoy photographic exhibitions and Photokina, which happens every two years in Germany is the granddaddy of them all – it used to be THE show for new product unveilings. It’s massive – or rather it used to be. Don't get me wrong, this year’s show is seriously sizeable and you need sensible walking shoes if you want to make the most of a visit there, but it is a shadow of its former self. When I first went (1986!) names like Agfa and Kodak had aircraft hangar-sized halls to themselves, but as with everything else in the world, times change. So while still a big show, it’s not the behemoth it once was.

I spent a few days at this year’s show, the last biennial show. Its next renewal is in May 2019 and from then it will be annual, so how its status as the show to launch new kit from will remain, we’ll have to wait and see.

Whatever, the 2018 show was the first chance many people had to enjoy new products. The two full-frame mirrorless systems, the Canon EOS R and Nikon Z, and the X-T3, the first Fujifilm X Series with a backside illuminated sensor proved to be the highlights for many visitors and we knew about them weeks before we stepped onto the plane, but there was new stuff too. The Fujifilm GFX 50R, Zeiss ZX1 and Panasonic Lumix S series for example, and there was also a multitude of lenses, lighting kit, bags and tripods. And of course there was the full-frame L-Mount Alliance with Leica, Panasonic and Sigma joining forces. Our news pages have all the details.

With Photokina done and dusted, we can look forward to a busy autumn as we get the chance to try out all the new kit, and of course it will be fascinating to see how you, the buying public, respond to the launches, especially the three new full-frame mirrorless systems.

Meanwhile, it’s time to enjoy this wonderful time of year. Yes, it’s colder and the days are depressingly shorter than the height of summer but there is so much colour around and the weather being so changeable makes autumn brilliant for taking a few (thousand!) pictures.

Next issue

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 magnet 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 25 November 2018 and the winner will be randomly drawn from all correct entries received. The correct answer to PN58’s word search was Shade and the Samsung 128GB PRO+ card was won by Paul Nyles from Salford. samsung.com/uk/memory-cards

I am a sucker for pictures of red leaves and over the years have shot thousands of them in arboreta around the country. But the number of red leaf pictures I am truly proud of I can count on the thumb of one hand, and that’s why I will be out there again in search of the ultimate red leaf shot. I don’t imagine for one minute that I’ll get it or even vaguely close but it won’t stop me trying. It’s the fun and challenge of photography, and if I get anything worth a look I’ll report back next issue.

The next issue of Photography News, issue 61, is due out from 26 November. It’s a featurepacked 80-page bumper double issue that includes the launch of our Awards for the best imaging kit of 2018.

Register on photographynews.co.uk and you can read Photography News online on your smartphone, tablet or computer as soon as it’s published.

news

Editorial Team Editorial director Roger Payne Editor in chief Adam Duckworth Editor Will Cheung FRPS 01223 499469 willcheung@bright-publishing.com

Bright Publishing Ltd, Bright House, 82 High Street, Sawston, Cambridgeshire, CB22 3HJ www.bright-publishing.com ISSN 2059-7584 When you have finished with this newspaper, please recycle it

Contributing editor Kingsley Singleton kingsleysingleton@bright-publishing.com Digital editor Jemma Dodd jemmadodd@bright-publishing.com Chief sub editor Beth Fletcher Senior sub editor Siobhan Godwood

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