Photography News 62 by Bright Publishing

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Issue 62 15 Jan-11 Feb

news

Fujifilm GFX 50R test Portable and affordable medium format page 28

Nikon Z 6 test Mirrorless, full-frame and nicely priced page 22

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

Tim Flach The story behind Endangered page 18

Nikon adds to its Z system Nikon’s lens roadmap reveals that in 2019, we’ll see six S lenses. Here’s the first Nikon’s latest addition to its full-frame mirrorless Z system is an 14-30mm f/4 S ultra wide zoom lens. This constant maximum aperture zoom is ideal for a huge range of photographic subjects and it’s compact and portable, too, measuring 8.5cm when retracted and weighing just 485g. Its size and design, with a flat front element, means you can use standard 82mm screw-in filters without any vignetting so no need for an expensive adapter, which is usually the case with ultra wide zooms. Its advanced optical design features four extra-low dispersion ED lenses in its 14 elements in 12 groups construction, formulated to produce minimal distortion and chromatic aberration. It is also extensively weather-sealed and the front element is fluorine-coated to repel dust and water droplets.

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Panasonic new series Panasonic revealed its mirrorless full-frame camera system using the new L-Mount last year, but specific details were scant. At the 2019 CES show, it was revealed that the Lumix S Series will be on sale from the end of March. Features include: HLG Photo mode, designed to give images of wide dynamic range and High Resolution mode, where eight images are shot and merged into a single image – and this can be done handheld and can even cope with some moving subjects. Exciting stuff and much more to come soon. panasonic.co.uk

Smooth and fast AF is possible thanks to Nikon’s latest stepping motor (STM) technology, which also means it’s very quiet so fine for video shooting, too. This exciting ultra wide zoom will be available in spring with a price of £1349.

Nikon has also updated its Z system lens roadmap with exciting optics, such as the 58mm f/0.95 S and 24mm f/1.8 S, due in 2019 and the 14-24mm f/2.8 S in 2020. nikon.co.uk

Photography News | Issue 62 | photographynews.co.uk

News

The Photography Show The NEC, 16-19 March Book your tickets now and save 25% on standard adult single-day tickets This year, The Photography Show runs alongside The Video Show for the first time at the NEC in Birmingham. Taking place between 16 and 19 March, it’s a great chance to check out the latest imaging innovations in person, pick up a bargain or two and learn from onstand demos. You'll also get to hear from leading image-makers in all sorts of interesting subject areas. Highlights include the Great Outdoors Stage, the Super Stage and the Wedding & Portrait Stage. Speakers and product details will be

finalised in the near future, so keep your eye on the website. We’ll also have the latest news on the shows in the next issue too. Photography News will be there, so please swing by and collect the latest issue and have a chat with the magazine team. Order your tickets now and you can claim a 25% discount off standard adult single-day tickets. Go the website and use the promo code PNEWSTPS19.

Vanguard offer Buy an award-winning Vanguard Alta Pro 2+ tripod between now and 31 March and get up to £50 cashback – £30 cashback for an aluminium model and £50 for a carbon fibre model. Alta Pro 2+ tripods come with an Arca Swiss ball head, and the legs have four easy set angles (20°, 40°, 60° and 80°) for dealing with different situations. They also feature the innovative Multi-Angle Central Column (MACC) for limitless camera angles. If you're interested, there’s a test of the carbon fibre Alta Pro 2+ tripod in this issue.

thephotographyshow.com

Terms below *Discount applies to standard adult tickets and cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer, including concession prices and multi-day/group tickets. A concession discount is available using code PNEWSTPS19C. Both discounts apply to new bookings only and expire on 13 March 2019. Professional photographers can apply for free entry to the show, subject to verification at point of registration.

vanguardworld.co.uk

Explore the wonderful world of infrared The ethereal world of infrared is an amazing photo opportunity, and you can learn all about it at the PermaJet Academy, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, with IR expert Clive Haynes FRPS. The course runs on 9 February, 10am-4.30pm. It costs £75 and includes a buffet lunch and refreshments. The day covers the potential of infrared shooting, the kit needed, essential camera techniques

and how to process your files. There’ll be infrared-converted cameras and standard cameras with IR filters available on the day, so participants will get the chance to take some shots under Clive’s guidance. To book your place on the course and to see details of other training days at PermaJet, please visit the website. permajet.com

Bags galore from Think Tank Gear-carrying specialist Think Tank has introduced a range of bags and photo accessories. Let’s start with the small accessories and work up. The Secure Pixel Pocket Rocket (£22) is available in green or black, and suitable for holding up to six CompactFlash or XQD cards or 12 SD or microSD cards. Think Tank’s Pixel, Wee Pixel, and SD Pixel Pocket Rockets are available in black with grey trim. Think Tank’s popular Modular Belt System now comes in version 3.0 (shown above). The pouches and cases have been improved with easier, quicker access and sized to suit today’s gear. The system features belts and harnesses, lightweight pouches called Skins, pouches for accessories and Lens Changers, wide mouth pouches with onehand drawstring closures. To give an idea of prices, belts are £39, Lens Changers start from £25 and Skins start from £33. For photographers on the move, Think Tank’s Lens Case Duo range comprises quick access, dual-opening, padded lens

cases with zippered lid and side openings. Six sizes are available, with the smallest (£20) suitable for compact standard zoom, while the largest, the Lens Case Duo 40 (£30), is big enough to take a 70-200mm f/2.8 telezoom. Now, we move on to bags. The Storyteller series has three sizes: 5, 8 and 10, costing £60, £65 and £80 respectively. These are shoulder bags suitable for mirrorless and DSLR camera outfits, while the two larger models have tablet pockets, too. Think Tank’s Retrospective collection of soft shoulder bags has been upgraded, and the V2.0 options feature pockets with

hook-and-loop closure ‘sound silencers’ fitted. Five models are available in the Retrospective V2 range: the 5, 7, 10, 20 and 30. They cost £135, £150, £155, £165 and £185 respectively. Coming to the end of our look at Think Tank’s new kit, we have the Airport Advantage Plus rolling camera bag, which sells for £275. This roller complies with current international carry-on baggage requirements and has plenty of space for an extensive camera outfit, as well as a 17in laptop. See Snapperstuff’s website for Think Tank stockists. snapperstuff.com

Photography News | Issue 62 | photographynews.co.uk

News

Travel light with Velbon Velbon has entered the lightweight travel tripod market with the UT-3AR, a fivesection one that comes complete with an Arca-Swiss-compatible, newly designed ball head. The whole unit weighs just 787g but is capable of supporting a camera outfit weighing 3kg, so it's fine with mirrorless and DSLR cameras. The folded length is 29.7cm and reaches 118.2cm without the centre column extended or 135.5cm with the centre column fully raised. The centre column can also be inverted for an ultra-low shooting position. The UT-3AR costs £79.95 and comes with its own carry case.

MindShift Gear adds two The Exposure shoulder bag is a durable shoulder bag that offers weather protection thanks to the use of water-repellent DWR fabric, making it ideal for the outdoor shooter. It is offered in two sizes, 13 and 15, and in two

colours, black or solar flare. The 13 fits a 13in laptop and the 15 fits a 15in laptop, and both can take a 10in tablet in a zippered pocket. The Exposure 13 costs £149 and the 15 costs £159. The BackLight 18L is a photo

intro2020.co.uk

Z for Zelda Zelda is an L-bracket created in collaboration with Nikon for Nikon Z series cameras. Milled from a single block of aircraft-grade aluminium, Zelda fits the Z 6 and Z 7 perfectly, allowing full access to all of the ports and doors on the cameras. Zelda will be on sale from February, with a price of £89.95. It will be available in copper or metallic slate grey. 3leggedthing.com

snapperstuff.com

Gitzo carrying solutions Gitzo’s Century accessory collection has gained four high-quality straps made from Italian leather and sporting a deluxe finish reminiscent of Gitzo carbon fibre tripod legs. The components are interchangeable – each element can be configured with others in the collection thanks to the G-lock safety buckles. The Century sling is an across-thebody strap that is compatible with DSLR and mirrorless cameras via a 1/4in tripod screw. Set-up is quick and it uses the Gitzo GS5370SDR quick-release plate, which has a rubber grip and short D profile. It costs £99.95. Next is a neck strap, priced at £79.95, which is easy to attach and detach. The strap has a soft, suedelike texture for maximum comfort and 10mm wide band attachments that are compatible with standard

camera loops. The strap suits DSLR, mirrorless and rangefinder cameras. The wrist and hand straps cost £44.95 and £59.95 respectively. The wrist strap suits mirrorless

Metz gets flash The Metz Mecablitz M360 is a compact TTL flashgun ideal for mirrorless and DSLR cameras. Weighing just 190g and requiring two AA batteries, the M360 has a guide number of 36 at ISO 100 and sports a swivel/tilt head for bounce flash technique. The motorised zoom gives accurate coverage for lenses

daypack with secure and quick rear access that can accept a 13in laptop and a sizeable camera outfit, such as two DSLR bodies and three lenses. Key features include a tripod mounting system, padded waist belt, front stuff pockets, two larger water bottle pockets and interior mesh pockets for filters and batteries. The BackLight 18L is available in woodland green or charcoal and costs £199.

24-105mm, there’s an integrated diffuser for coverage as wide as 14mm and a bounce extender, too. The M360 offers TTL flash operation for point-and-shoot simplicity and can synchronise to the first or second shutter curtain. Convenience features include auto shutdown, wake-up through

cameras and top-end compacts and is designed to be fast to use and provide maximum comfort while carrying the camera. The hand strap is fast to use too, and perfect

for street photographers who want to grab shots quickly but without compromising security. manfrotto.co.uk/gitzo

Samsung adds storage the camera, micro USB socket for firmware updates and an exposure control indicator. The M360 is on sale now for £99.99 and is available for Canon, Fujifilm, Nikon, Olympus/ Panasonic/Leica and Sony cameras. intro2020.co.uk

Samsung has added to its EVO Plus range of microSD cards with the introduction of its 512GB microSDXC card, which comes with an SD card adaptor. The new card is Class 10 UHS-1 Grade 3, offering super-fast read and write speeds of up to 100MB/s and 90MB/s respectively. The card is compatible with a wide range of devices, such as smartphones, tablets, PCs, sports cams, drones, DSLR cameras and camcorders, and you can capture detailed 4K

UHD video. The card comes with a ten-year limited warranty and its guide price is £227. samsung.com/uk/memorystorage

Photography News | Issue 62 | photographynews.co.uk

News

Improve your scenics function lets you put a layer over the original to help you control different areas of the images and also lets you add a watermark or copyright logo. The software also includes a brand new selection of over 150 skies that you can flip horizontally to give many more permutations to make your pictures look better. Three versions are on offer. The Standard edition is a standalone

landscapepro.pics

key for Mac and Windows allows activation on five devices. Luminar 2018 owners can upgrade to v3 free of charge and that includes updates as they become available. skylum.com

Manfrotto updates

PNY memory PNY has announced a few new flash memory products including a 512GB Pro Elite microSD card and three USB flash drives, the most impressive of which is the Pro Elite 1TB USB 3.0/3.1 drive. Products will be available from January. pny.com Canon go small The Canon PIXMA TS705 is the company’s smallest five-ink single function printer and, available from February, it’s nicely priced at just £59.99. It features five individual inks and optional XL and XXL ink cartridges mean you can print more for less. Standard cartridges will give up to 350 printed copies and the unit accepts paper sizes up to A4. This printer is also Alexa and Google Home compatible as well as working with iOS and Android smart devices. canon.co.uk

with a 400mm lens attached, a spare body and two or three extra lenses. Here, there is space for a 15in laptop too. Both feature flexible dividers, and safe rear access. manfrotto.co.uk

The winners of the Travel Photographer of the Year (TPOTY) contest have been announced. Over 20,000 images from 142 countries were submitted and if you want to see the winning and highly commended images, over 150 are on the website. We’ll be featuring more winning images in the next issue of PN, which will be available from 12 February 2019. To whet your appetite, shown here is one of Stefano Pensotti’s

winning images; he is the winner of the title Travel Photographer of the Year 2018. tpoty.com

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Manfrotto has updated its Pro Light RedBee backpack collection with new models, the 110 and 310 priced at £139.95 and £159.95 respectively. The RedBee 110 will take two CSC bodies and several lenses plus a 13in laptop. The RedBee 310 has more storage capacity so there is room for a pro DSLR

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Travel winners

Skylum Luminar Skylum Software has launched a major update to its Luminar app. Luminar 3 is a sophisticated image editor for Mac and Windows and incorporates an advanced library function and uses artificial intelligence to allow image improvements with an intuitive workflow. Luminar 3 costs £64 as an outright purchase to new customers and the same product

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LandscapePro V3 is the latest version of this capable software designed specifically to help you improve scenic pictures without expert editing skills. V3 uses artificial intelligence (AI) to achieve this and features include advanced image recognition technology and tools for sharpening, adding clarity, replacing skies and removing unwanted objects. A new Overlay

News in brief

Photography News | Issue 62 | photographynews.co.uk

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

Clubs

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

Dudley CC’s annual show

dudleycameraclub.co.uk

Deadline for the next issue: 3 February 2019

We need words and pictures by 3 February 2019 for the next issue of Photography News, which will be available from 12 February 2019. 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

Paisley Colour PC help Scotland win the World Cup

Several Paisley Colour PC members did really well in the recent International Federation of Photographic Art Biennials. In the 34th Mono Print Biennial, hosted in South Africa, Winter Trees by Robert Fulton and Winter Patterns by James Black formed part of the Scottish Photographic Federation submission on its chosen theme of Trees in Winter. Each print was judged individually in the first instance and then a coherence mark was awarded after considering the panel of images from each country as a whole. The SPF was delighted to hear that this elevated Scotland into first place, winning the FIAP World Cup 2018 with Russia second and Argentina third from a total of 40 competing nations. Images from other members of Paisley were selected for use in the Nature sections with Bill McCance, Richard Bennett and Mike Cruise forming part of the submission on the chosen theme of Raptors with Prey for the FIAP Nature Print Biennial in Oman. Here, Scotland gained fifth place from an entry of 28 countries

Dudley CC’s 2019 Exhibition is open until 9 February at the Dudley Archives and Local History Centre. The show includes 183 prints, and the projected digital image section will be seen on the presentation evening on 28 January when the 133 PDI acceptances will be turned into an AV. The free exhibition is open 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday and to 4.30pm on Saturday. Located in Tipton Road, Dudley, it’s next door to the entrance to the Black Country Living Museum and car parking is free. The club meets on Mondays at the Central Methodist Church, off Wolverhampton Street, Dudley, 7.30pm.

Here’s how to submit

and was awarded an Honourable Mention from FIAP. Other successes from the club were John Hunter, Richard Bennett and Mike Cruise who each had two images accepted as part of the submission in the Nature Projected Images section. Scottish Mammals was the SPF’s chosen theme. In this section Scotland were in 16th place from 33 countries.

Paisley Colour PC is a friendly club which welcomes beginners and experienced photographers. It meets every Thursday at 7.30pm and in has internal workshops/ teach-ins and various outings. paisleycolour.co.uk fiap.net scottish-photographicfederation.org

Helpful dates We’re always keen to receive club submissions. To help planning and timing of submissions, here are the publication and deadline dates for the next few issues of Photography News. Issue 63, out from 12 Feb 2019 Deadline for contributions: 3 Feb 2019 Issue 64, out from 12 Mar Deadline for contributions: 4 Mar Issue 65, out from 16 Apr Deadline for contributions: 7 Apr Issue 66, out from 14 May Deadline for contributions: 3 May Issue 67, out from 18 June Deadline for contributions: 10 June Issue 68, out from 16 July Deadline for contributions: 8 July

Photography News | Issue 62 | photographynews.co.uk

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

Clubs

The UK’s newest camera club

feel most clubs struggle to achieve active member involvement and thus the members sit, watch and grumble. “We started the group to address these perceived failings. One of the key ambitions is better engagement with the members and to spend time

Great Notley PC win

todmordenphotographic. org.uk

Wendy Leech: 07778 743263 w.gillphotoarts@btopenworld. com clactoncameraclub.co.uk

and were only nine points short of going through to the final eight clubs – the final was won by Dumfries CC. The remaining clubs then competed for the Plate having to submit ten images each to gain a maximum of five points per image per judge. Strathaven’s Robert Young’s shot Auldhouse Snow gained the maximum 15 points, and Strathaven won the plate by three points.

Clay Cross exhibition closing soon © Ray Bramhall

strathavencameraclub.co.uk

Chichester area and a showcase of current work. The exhibition includes a striking timeline of the Club’s history, featuring a photograph from the archives of a club trip from 1896. Member Dave Abbott has backed this up with a veritable treasure trove of detail from his research that has discovered much about those original members and their activities.

Chichester CC’s showcase A Celebration of People and Places is a special collaboration between Chichester CC and the Novium, Chichester’s district museum. The museum invited the Club to put together an exhibition that marks 125 years since the inception of the Club as Chichester Photographic Society. The exhibition provides an opportunity to show prints from the club’s archive as well as photographs of the

Essex CO13 9EB and tickets cost £10 each which includes refreshments. Tickets available via phone or email, details below.

Todmorden PS’s club meetings will be held at Todmorden Town Hall in the centre of town. Meetings are every Wednesday, with doors opening at 7.15pm and meetings starting at 7.30pm. The venue has disabled access and there is ample parking nearby.

gnpc.co.uk

farnboroughcameraclub.org

Todmorden PS has a new venue

In 2019 Strathaven CC will be celebrating its 70th anniversary and it rounded off 2018 with its finest success in recent years, when the club was awarded the Kirkintilloch Plate at the Scottish Photographic Federation’s Digital Championships. Three judges had to select the winning shots from over 700 images. Strathaven did well in the first round

Notley, Bridge End Lane, Great Notley CM77 7GN from 7.45pm, September through to June.

Enjoy an evening with Dr Michael Leach Clacton Camera Club is hosting an evening with Dr Michael Leach, wildlife author and photographer, on 1 March 2019. Michael has travelled to all seven continents and worked with many of the world’s most charismatic animals – polar bears in the Arctic, gorillas in central Africa, lemurs in Madagascar, sperm whales in the mid-Atlantic, monkeys in the Amazon, penguins in the Antarctic and elephants in Kenya – and has been described as ‘a unique wildlife humourist.’ The venue is McGrigor Hall, Fourth Avenue, Frinton-on-Sea,

Farnborough CC will now be meeting at Cody Sports and Social Club, Old Ively Road, The Fairway, Farnborough GU14 0LP. This is close to Farnborough airfield which is where the club started over 75 years ago. The Club will continue to meet on most Thursdays between September and May.

fstopfoto.group

Strathaven CC

Great Notley PC, runners up in the PN Camera Club of the Year, won the North Essex DPI trophy. The competition this year was hosted by Colchester PS and Great Notley PC battled it out against 11 other Essex clubs with a winning score of 88/100. The highest scoring image was No Entry by Lisa Greenwood, shown here, which scored 20/20. GNPC is also pleased to announce that there’s an exhibition of members’ images until 31 January at the Braintree Library, Essex. The club meets on Thursday nights at The Church in Great

reviewing and enjoying members’ images. We have a monthly themed challenge which is presented for critique, but each image is introduced by the photographer first rather than being anonymous. It is specifically not a competition so there are no scores but a learning

environment where the author can challenge the critique too. “We’ve even challenged the structure of membership too. We do not have a subscription, but rather charge £5 per meeting, which helps to keep us focused on delivering content that members really want. “It is still early days but the initial response has been incredibly positive with a membership of 35 after only a few weeks. Now that we are up and running we will be opening membership up to all.” The club meets at 7.30pm on Wednesdays at Woodlands Park Village Centre, Manifold Way, Waltham Road, Maidenhead SL6 3GW.

Fstop Foto Group was recently created by Dave and Steve Mundy as a new format of camera club to address some of the failings of the traditional club format. “In our view the camera club scene had not developed and moved on with the times,” says Steve Mundy. “There is the same old programme year after year with the same competitions, judges and speakers. Too many judges have lost touch with contemporary trends and mark solely on the ‘camera club competition image’ expectations. Many clubs are forced to book speakers to fill the programme but many are very poor speakers with poor images and, surprisingly, many of the worst are judges showing their own work. I also

Farnborough CC on the move

Lorna Brown, former club chair, says, “The club’s membership these days is very wide, from absolute beginners to those with photographic distinctions

and awards. Some of our longestablished members are no longer active photographers, and this exhibition provides a very welcome chance to showcase some of their highly regarded prints from the pre-digital age, alongside our current work.” The exhibition runs until 10 March 2019 at the Novium Museum, Tower Street, Chichester, West Sussex,PO19 1QH. thenovium.org/article/30646/ Community-Submissions

There’s still time to enter the Clay Cross National Projected Image exhibition with 26 January 2019 the closing date for entries. There are five entry classes: colour, monochrome, nature, creative and scapes. Entries accepted into the 2019 exhibition will count towards the BPE Crown Awards. Entry is via the website photoexhib. co.uk/cxe/login.php claycrossps.co.uk

Photography News | Issue 62 | photographynews.co.uk

Awards Gear of the year

The Photography News Awards 2018 It’s time for you to recognise brilliant products and outstanding service in our annual awards. Your votes will decide the winners, so please check through our nominations and pick the products and services that you think deserve the ultimate accolade

You can take photographs with a pinhole in a biscuit tin, but the fact is the vast majority of us use digital cameras fitted with great lenses, often on a tripod, and we carry our kit around in a nice bag. When we get home we look at our shots on shiny monitors, edit in powerful software and then print on nice paper through photo-quality printers. The long and the short of it is that we need great quality kit – and that’s the motivation for our awards: to recognise great quality kit.

We’ve shortlisted products in key categories and then you get the chance to pick what you think deserves to win. Voting is done online and it’s free – you don’t even have to register to vote. The only categories where we haven’t done any shortlisting are in the service categories, such as Best Retailer – in those you nominate who you think deserves to win. (Where there may be more than one store, please nominate the name of the store group and the individual shop, please.)

To vote go to photographynews.co.uk, follow the Awards link and complete the voting form. You can vote in every category, but if you prefer to vote for just a few categories that is perfectly fine, too. It’s entirely up to you.

Closing date for votes is 22 February 2019

Photography News | Issue 62 | photographynews.co.uk

Awards MACRO LENS Fujifilm XF80mm f/2.8 R LM OIS WR Macro Laowa 25mm f/2.8 2.5-5X Ultra Macro Olympus M.Zuiko ED 30mm f/3.5 Macro  Sigma 70mm f/2.8 EX DG Macro Art Tamron SP 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 VC USD Voigtländer E-Mount 65mm f/2 Macro Apo-Lanthar

CONSUMER DSLR Canon EOS 800D Canon EOS 2000D Nikon D3500 Nikon D7200 Pentax K-70 Sony a68

ADVANCED CSC Canon EOS R Fujifilm X-T20 Leica M10-P Nikon Z 6 Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II Panasonic Lumix G9 Sony a7 III

WIDE-ANGLE LENS Canon EF 11-24mm f/4L USM Fujifilm XF8-16mm f/2.8 R LM WR  Nikon Nikkor AF-S 28mm f/1.4E ED Samyang AF 14mm f/2.8 F Sigma 14mm f/1.8 DG HSM A  Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 DG HSM Art  Sony FE 24mm f/1.4 GM  Tamron SP15-30mm f/2.8 Di VC USD G2 Tokina FIRIN 20mm f/2 FE AF Zeiss Milvus 25mm f/1.4

MEDIUM FORMAT LENS Hasselblad XCD 21mm f/4 Hasselblad XCD 80mm f/1.9 Fujifilm GF 110mm f/2 R LM WR Fujifilm GF 250mm f/4 R LM OIS WR TRIPOD: ALLOY 3 Legged Thing Punks Travis Benro Slim Travel – aluminium Kenro Karoo Compact Tripod (aluminium) 102 Manfrotto Befree Aluminium Travel  Nest Traveller NT-6294AK  Slik PRO 700DX

ADVANCED DSLR Canon EOS 6D Mark ll Canon EOS 7D Mark ll Nikon D500  Nikon D850  Pentax K-1 Mark II Sony a77 II

PROFESSIONAL DSLR Canon EOS 5DS R Canon EOS 5D Mark IV Canon EOS-1D X Mark II Nikon D5 Sony a99 II

CONSUMER CSC Canon EOS M50 Fujifilm X-T100 Olympus PEN E-PL9 Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark III Panasonic GX80

PROFESSIONAL CSC Fujifilm X-T3 Fujifilm X-H1 Nikon Z 7 Panasonic Lumix DC-GH5S Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II Sony a7R III Sony a9

STANDARD LENS Canon RF 50mm f/1.2L USM Fujifilm XF16-55mm f/2.8 R LM WR Fujifilm XF35mm f/2 R WR Nikon Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/4 S   Olympus M.Zuiko ED 25mm f/1.2 PRO Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 DG OS HSM A Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM A Sigma 40mm f/1.4 DG HSM A Tamron SP 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III RXD Tokina opera 50mm f/1.4 FF

COMPACT/BRIDGE Canon PowerShot SX740 Fujifilm XF10 Leica C-Lux Nikon COOLPIX P1000 Panasonic Lumix LX100 II Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX95

TELEPHOTO LENS Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS III USM Canon EF 400mm f/2.8L IS III USM Nikon AF-S Nikkor 180-400mm f/4E TC1.4 FL ED VR Fujifilm XF200mm f/2 R LM OIS WR Nikon AF-S Nikkor 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR Samyang AF 85mm f/1.4 EF Sigma 105mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art Sigma 60-600mm f/4.5-6.3 DG OS HSM S Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS Tamron 100-400mm f/4.5-6.3 Di VC USD

MEDIUM FORMAT Fujifilm GFX 50S Fujifilm GFX 50R Hasselblad H6D-400c MS Hasselblad X1D-50c Leica S (Typ 007) Phase One IQ3 100MP

SUPERZOOM LENS Fujifilm XF18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR  Nikon AF-S Nikkor 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR Olympus M.Zuiko ED 12-100mm f/4 IS PRO Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS Tamron 18-400mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC HLD Tamron 28-300mm f/3.5-6.3 Di VC PZD

TRIPOD: CARBON FIBRE 3 Legged Thing Equinox Albert Gitzo Systematic GT3543LS Kenro Karoo Ultimate Travel Tripod (carbon fibre) 401C Manfrotto Befree GT carbon Novo Explora T20 Vanguard Alta Pro 2+ 263CGHT

ON-CAMERA FLASH Hähnel Modus 600RT  Metz 64 AF-1 Nissin Di700A Pixapro Li-ION580 MKII TTL  Pixel X900 Profoto A1 Rotolight NEO 2

Photography News | Issue 62 | photographynews.co.uk

Awards INKJET MEDIA: PHOTOGRAPHIC FINISH Canson Infinity Baryta Platine Fibre Rag 310GSM – satin Fotospeed Platinum Baryta 300 Signature Hahnemühle Photo Gloss Baryta 320 PermaJet Photo Lustre 310

PORTABLE FLASH Broncolor Siros 400 L Elinchrom ELB 500 TTL Elinchrom ELB 1200 Interfit S1 PIXAPRO PIKA200 TTL Profoto B1X Profoto B10

EXTERNAL STORAGE DEVICE Drobo 8D G-Technology G-DRIVE mobile SSD LaCie portable SSD Samsung portable SSD X5 Western Digital My Passport Wireless SSD

INKJET MEDIA: FINE ART FINISH Canson Infinity Rag Photographique 310gsm Fotospeed Platinum Cotton 305 Hahnemühle William Turner 310 Hahnemühle Photo Rag Metallic PermaJet Photo Art Silk 290

BEST USED SPECIALIST RETAILER The market for second hand or (pre-loved!) imaging gear is growing, so whether you’re buying or selling you need a dealer you can trust. This is your opportunity to name your favourite used dealer.

PROCESSING LAB Which processing lab do you trust with your photos, albums or stationery? If they offer high quality and utterly reliable service at competitive prices, are they worthy of a PN award?

MAINS FLASH Broncolor Siros 400 S Elinchrom ELC Pro HD Interfit Honey Badger 320Ws Profoto D2

COLOUR MANAGEMENT DEVICE DataColor Spyder5PRO+    Datacolor Spyder5CAPTURE PRO X-Rite ColorMunki Photographer Kit  X-Rite i1Studio

CONTINUOUS LIGHT Interfit LM8 18in Daylight LED ring light Nanguang RGB LED tube lights Rotolight Anova PRO 2 Bi-Colour

BEST RETAILER Whether you shop for your photo kit online or in store, nominate the photo retailer that has you going back time and time again.

SOFT BAG/BACKPACK Crumpler Kingpin camera bag 9000 Gitzo Adventury 45L Lowepro FreeLine BP 350 AW MindShift FirstLight 30L Tenba Shootout 16L DSLR backpack Think Tank StreetWalker V2

PHOTO WEBSITE PROVIDER For gallery websites or full-service sites with clientproofing and a blog, which provider offers the best range of templates and customisation options together with top-notch customer service?

TRAINING PROVIDER From basic photo knowledge through particular tips and techniques to camera-specific training, in the classroom, studio or out on location, which provider offers the best learning experience, in your opinion?

MONITOR BenQ SW320 Pro 32in IPS LCD  BenQ SW240 24in Dell UltraSharp UP3216Q Eizo ColorEdge CG3218-4K 31in  Philips Brilliance 40in 4K Ultra HD LCD (BDM4037UW) Samsung 32in U32H850 FILTER Benro 100mm filter system H&Y magnetic filter system Hoya Ultra-Pro family LEE Filters Reverse ND filter Marumi magnetic filter system SRB Elite filter system

INNOVATION

ROLLER/HARD CASE Manfrotto ProLight Reloader Tough-55 LowLid Lowepro PhotoStream SP 200 Think Tank Airport TakeOff V2.0 T499 Vanguard Alta Fly 55T

Canon EOS R system L-Mount Alliance: Leica, Panasonic and Sigma Nikon Z system

MEMORY CARD PNY Elite Performance SDXC 512GB UHS-I  Samsung MicroSDXC PRO Endurance 128GB SanDisk Extreme PRO microSDXC UHS-I 400GB Lexar Professional 1000x SDHC/SDXC UHS-II Sony SD SF-G TOUGH UHS-II

PRINTER Canon PIXMA PRO-100S DNP DS820A Epson EcoTank ET-7750 Fujifilm Frontier-S Mitsubishi Smart D90EV Tomy KiiPix

SOFTWARE Adobe Photoshop Lightroom CC Serif Affinity Photo Portrait Professional 18 DxO PhotoLab 2 Capture One Pro

The details How to vote Go to photographynews.co.uk and follow the link to the awards to vote. It’s free and you don’t need to register. Voting closes on 22 February 2019. The results We’ll announce the results in issue 64 of Photography News, out from 12 March 2019, and we’ll present the awards to the deserving recipients at The Photography Show, at the Birmingham NEC, 16-19 March 2019.

Photography News | Issue 62 | photographynews.co.uk

Interview Animal photography

Tim Flach PN grabbed a few moments with one of the UK’s leading animal photographers at the opening of his exhibition at the Wex Photo Video Gallery in London

PN: How would you categorise yourself as a photographer? TF: I’d probably describe myself as an animal photographer rather than a wildlife photographer. A lot of my interest is in the subject of animals, rather than necessarily capturing the last so-and-so in whatever forest. I am someone who is very interested in how we connect with animals and how we transform their images into meaning – how we best connect to events in the natural world. PN: What has taken you from commercial work to working with animals in the studio? TF: Animals have always been an element of my work, even at the very beginning of my career. As I began to establish myself, I was able to organise shoots that I was leading. That was probably the shift really, where I started to develop my own visual language (if you want to call it that) or a certain style. But that wasn’t my objective – it was really the opportunity to meet these animals and see what was possible. What does seem to happen as you meet more people closer to the subject – particularly in the natural world where you are a witness – is that it becomes inevitable you start addressing certain debates, otherwise you wouldn't have any heart or soul.

PN: Do you always shoot in a studio? TF: My first book was about horses, and although I did very stylised images on a black background, I also visited icebergs in Iceland, Mongolia, underwater and many different habitats. So, there has always been a duality in my work; a relationship between the adventure of going out and finding animals, and presenting a style of imagery that shows an emotional connection with these animals. Until now, I have always sought to create a studio feel. That’s partly because a lot of evidence shows that if we present animals in a way that is more, say, human, the images are more likely to engage us emotionally. If we feel there is kinship and a sense of empathy, we are more likely to care. I think we need to connect people to nature.

Photography News: Could you start by introducing yourself to PN readers? Tim Flach: I’m based in Shoreditch, London, where I have my studio. I’ve been fortunate in not only starting out as a commercial photographer, working with lots of teams in campaigns and directing moving images, but also finding my work increasingly exhibited in public spaces. I've produced a number of books, from dogs and horses to now, endangered species. I feel privileged that I have experienced these different worlds.

PN: What inspired the concept of your book, Endangered? TF: Well, it has been a journey. My first book was on horses, then I did one on dogs, then More than Human. I also had a number of images in a book about rainforests, and that took me to Borneo and the Amazon. When you speak to people and realise their relationship with the natural world, it becomes apparent that, with the nature of the times we live in, we have to think slightly differently going forward.

PN: How long did the project take? TF: Endangered was done over a couple of years. Some images (but not that many) were brought in from another project. I had photographs of certain animals and it didn’t seem appropriate to go and do those animals again. I had to go and explore other species. The project was realised over 20 months of shooting, with another six months of research, which involved asking other people – much more knowledgeable than myself – what should be in the book. When you do a project, it is a journey. It's a journey of discovery, which is an adventure, because that is the exciting bit. Adventures come with the uncertainty of failure: that’s what an adventure is, really. It’s not an adventure unless you have challenges, and the challenges mean you don’t know if you’re always going to get the images you want. Usually in the end it works out, but there are always uncertainties. PN: Did you pre-visualise the images you wanted to take? TF: In any type of work I do (and I’m sure this is the same for many photographers), I have to have a strategy or a framework. But one of the most challenging things is being present when you are taking photographs – noticing things that you can’t, in a sense, reason or predict. Those things can surprise you and I think when something surprises you, you think ‘oh

Evidence shows that if we present animals in a way that is more human, the images are more likely to engage us emotionally this is something really special here’. You can’t quite rationalise it, but it is really important not to be locked into the ideas of what you’d thought you’d get. Sometimes, it is important to be able to see something that comes along and surprises you. So, there’s a definite need to be present and to observe. I think it was Picasso who said ‘I don’t seek, I find’, and I can relate to that. After shooting, when I have the images, I can get a reaction and I’m always interested in that. I don't mind if they like it – or don't like it. What I’m interested in is how different people find different meanings in images. PN: Did you seek advice from experts when it came to image and species selection? TF: Conservation scientists use the phrase ‘ecological drivers’, which are all the ways

in which we anthropogenically change and shape the planet. In the natural world, we have evasive species, climate change, human/animal conflict, land-use change – it goes on and on like this. When I actually started figuring out what a book on endangered species would entail, what I wanted to do was to capture a sense of wonderment inspired by the natural world. I wanted to capture the sense of characters and personalities in the stories that need to be told and that represent those ecological drivers. If you have right candidate to represent these drivers, then it is far more likely that the viewer will engage with the content. They will be drawn to either the cuteness, fierceness or vulnerability of an animal and then discover the story.

Photography News | Issue 62 | photographynews.co.uk

Interview

or even 20 years. Fortunately, there weren’t many one-pagers that needed several weeks of work.

I wanted my book to capture a sense of wonderment inspired by the natural world

PN: Which was the most challenging assignment you undertook for Endangered? TF: I think it was when I was trying to photograph hammerhead sharks. I am not a particularly experienced diver, though I have a PADI credit but nothing else, and in a strong current I did get pulled onto the rocks, which was not clever but I was okay. There were other projects which had their moments. I had to go back to the saiga antelope in the winter after I had attempted to do it in the summer. For this one page, I had to make two trips to the Caspian Sea in Russia. At that shoot rate, I would not have made a book in ten

PN: Endangered was published in 2017, but we didn't get to enjoy your exhibition in the Wex Photo Video London gallery until a year later. Why’s that? TF: When you are a photographer, you are on a continual journey, constantly evaluating how images work and asking questions about the natural world. There are two sides to the show at Wex. The first is that it supports the Whitley Fund for Nature (whitleyaward.org), which is one of those charities that has people very much at its heart, and has them as grass root ambassadors. In a sense, it gives acknowledgement to people who support the charity and help to realise projects within the natural world. The second side to this is that the debates covered in Endangered have become more, not less, urgent. They are not something that we are moving away from. The animals don't change. In fact, some of the animals in the book, like the male northern white rhino, are no longer alive. So, what you have is a document; a document that might gain more potency with time.

PN: Which picture from Endangered are you most proud of? TF: That’s a difficult one. I think it is probably important to say that I am more proud of the collective outcome rather than individual pictures. I feel that the natural world is very much something we all need to be more connected to, and to explore it through animals that are near the edge of extinction was a privilege. I also had the honour of working with some fantastic people. So, I feel most proud of the book rather than any individual image but I would also say there are still images of my work that resonate with me – such as the portrait of the Philippine eagle. Something simple like that, which was in natural light, but it has a certain character to it. PN: When you pack for a trip, do you have to plan for every eventuality and take a lot of kit with you? TF: I do take a lot of kit with me on my travels. For example, we took all of these flashes with us to an island and then found it was not very practical, or the animals were too far away to even get a light to them. Or, with the saiga antelope, I was told I’d have no problem using lights, but as soon as we got even half a mile away from them, they were off. So, I had to use an 800mm lens. PN: In terms of camera kit, what were you using? The prints here are very big, so did you use much medium format? TF: I mostly used the Canon EOS 5DS. I didn't

have many options with this project because getting close to some of the animals didn’t give me the luxury of using a Hasselblad. I am hoping to use the Hasselblad much more on my next project. PN: And what is your next project? TF: At the moment, it is about birds. I haven't made a lot of progress but I am getting there. It is more stylised birds, which is why I am hoping to use the Hasselblad more. I am aiming for very graphic shots of birds – wild and domesticated breeds. I have been contracted to deliver the images in early 2020, with the book coming out in the autumn of that year. The deadline certainly focuses your thoughts.

Contact To see more of Tim’s work, including full galleries of Endangered and his other projects, visit his website. timflach.com

Photography News | Issue 62 | photographynews.co.uk

Interview Exhibitions

60 of the very best Masters of Print is an innovative exhibition concept which aims to showcase the best photography from UK enthusiasts, and just 60 images get displayed. The PAGB’s Rod Wheelans tells us all about it

interview by Ann Healey ARPS Photograhy News: What is the Masters of Print exhibition all about? Rob Wheelans: The exhibition came about because two things came together at the same time: Clifford Burt approached us at the The Photography Show at the NEC and offered us the use of his London gallery, and the PAGB at that time decided it needed to do something to encourage the printing of photographs rather than projected images. We decided we would run an exhibition of the very best of amateur photography within the UK, just 60 prints by 60 different photographers. This is the second year the Masters of Print Exhibition has been run; we originally thought it might only run once but now it looks like it could be an annual event. PN: Did you decide to make it an annual event because of the interest and the quality of the prints you selected? RW: It was mainly because of the popularity of the first competition; we got a lot of entries from a lot of photographers. PN: How many people entered the first exhibition and how many this time? RW: We got different entrants this year but around the same number – 300 – which is a little fewer than we hoped for; we hoped that number would be higher for the second year. There were quite a number of good photographers and printers who didn’t enter for one reason or another. I’ve talked to quite a lot of people about it. Many thought it would be too difficult, above their standard and they wouldn’t have any chance of being accepted but if you look around the accepted entries, you’ll see a lot of lesser-known names, people who you haven’t heard of or seen their work in exhibitions before. With 300 entrants and 60 acceptances, that’s quite a high proportion of acceptance. We were hoping for maybe 600 entrants but even so, that would still be one in ten. Quite a number of those people have now told me that they will be entering next year.

PN: So it’ll be tougher next year? RW: I hope so!

If you look around the accepted entries, you’ll see a lot of lesserknown names, people you haven’t heard of

PN: How many prints did you get last year in comparison to this year? RW: Well, almost everybody who entered submitted the maximum five prints, so there were around 1500 prints to choose from. The same number of prints was entered this year as last year. About half the entry this year was colour prints, more than half of the remainder were monochrome and the smallest category was nature. Because Masters of Print has three categories, we decided we would divide the selection equally, rather than choose it pro rata based on entry numbers in each section. This meant a proportionately slightly higher number of nature prints was selected, although not quite the full third. PN: Was it the selection?

tough

job

making

RW: No, the selection was easy. It’s a two-stage judging process: we get a panel of three judges to score in the usual exhibition style (two to five points on a push button basis), and then we have a Masters of Print Selection Committee that selects the prints for the exhibition. This is obviously based on the judges’ scores but, for example, one photographer might have had scores of 15 but he or she can only have one acceptance; so sometimes we might look at the highest scores and think, ‘we’ve seen that sort of picture before’, so we’ll see if there’s a 14 or 13 score by the same person and if it’s good enough, we’ll put that in instead. We are not choosing the pictures because we personally like them – we are looking at the high-scoring pictures and trying to ensure diversity. As it’s only one print per photographer, we have to find the most suitable one from that person and then we might say ‘well, we’ve got three portraits already so we have to find something else from this person, not a portrait,’ for example. © Ian Hammond

Photography News | Issue 62 | photographynews.co.uk

Interview © Lilliana Alani

We are also trying hard to give priority or preference to work that hasn’t been seen much before. The six selectors have judged and seen lots of exhibitions so we are pretty aware of what has been in catalogues and exhibitions before – we are looking for pictures that haven’t. You look round here and there are a few that are quite familiar because they were just too good not to put in but in the main, we looked for new stuff and, as I say, not any particular style or genre, in fact quite the opposite – we looked for as much diversity as possible. Ideally, there wouldn’t be two photographs that are similar; that’s not always possible but we’ve come close. PN: Who were the judges? RW: The judges were Jane Lines, Rikki O’Neill and Roger Hance, who all have experience in judging these sorts of competitions. They were chosen for their varied approaches to photography.

PN: So, how does someone go about entering the competition? RW: It’s advertised in our own electronic newsletter, PAGB e-news. It was mentioned in Photography News as well, and it’s simply a matter of going online to our website, filling in an entry form and sending it off with up to five unmounted prints. The entrant decides which categories to enter, in any combination. Most entrants seemed to split their entries

PN: Why do you think this is such a prestigious exhibition? RW: You would have to ask the entrants that but of course it’s limited to 60 photographs, no matter how many we receive, and it’s exhibited at a London venue. We publicise it a lot and not only do the successful entrants get accepted into this exhibition, they also get accepted into our PAGB Hall of Fame. There were also features run in the PAGB e-news on almost everyone who had an acceptance last year, throughout the year. PN: Do you have any tips for entering next year? RW: Just keep an eye on the PAGB e-news (see box, right), where most of the entry information is publicised and in photography publications, which will be around November again. The exhibition is expected to be on show in London from 2-13 December and will tour nationally as well. Enter your best prints, your newest prints, and try to give us something a little different. PN: A lot of people can’t get to London for the exhibition, so if someone wants to get hold of a Masters of Print catalogue to check out the required quality, is there a way to order one? RW: We took the exhibition on tour to a few locations around the country last year and we hope to do that again. In fact, we are looking for more venues to participate in the future, so people can go to any one of those and get a catalogue. Our e-newsletter will also advertise the catalogues for sale or anyone on the PAGB Executive can be contacted to order one for £5.

PN: What did the judges look for in this particular competition? RW: They were briefed to try and pick as much variety as possible, to recognise every possible type of photograph and they were told that the quality of the production was important. It didn’t matter if it was a photograph with wonderful content; if it was poorly printed they were probably not going to accept it. Content comes first, obviously, but it had to be delivered in a reasonably competent manner.

between categories but all five can be entered in one category should they so choose. I thought we would get more nature entries than we did because it’s become very popular in all the other competitions that we run.

More about the PAGB The Photographic Alliance of Great Britain (PAGB) coordinates activities for camera clubs and photographic societies in the UK through its 15 geographical federations. The PAGB organises events for its federations and clubs and runs its own Awards for Photographic Merit distinctions.

You can keep up with the PAGB’s activities via its free fortnightly e-newsletter, which you can sign up for on its website: thepagb.org.uk

Photography News | Issue 62 | photographynews.co.uk

Camera test Specs Prices Z 6 body £2099, Z 6 with 24-70mm f/4 kit £2699, Z 6 with FTZ adapter kit £2199, Z 6 with 24-70mm f/4 and FTZ adapter kit £2799. Lenses 50mm f/1.8 S £599, 35mm f/1.8 S £849, 24-70mm f/4 £999, FTZ adapter £269 Sensor 24.5-megapixel BSI CMOS sensor Sensor format 35mm full-frame 35.9x23.9mm, 6048x4024 pixels Picture formats JPEG in Fine*, Fine, Normal*, Normal, Basic*, Basic, TIFF. Raw capture in 12-bit or 14-bit, uncompressed, compressed and lossless compressed. Medium (4528x3016pixels) and Small Raw (3024x2016 pixels) available with 12-bit, lossless compression ISO range 100-51,200 (expandable to Lo1.0 ISO 50 and H1.0 102,400, H2.0 204,800 equivalent) Shutter range 30secs to 1/8000sec plus B, flash sync at 1/200sec. Top speed 1/2000sec with electronic front curtain Drive modes Up to 12fps. Low-speed continuous: 1 to 5fps. High-speed continuous: 5.5fps. High-speed continuous (extended): 12fps (12-bit, AE locked, 9fps (14-bit Raw) Metering system Matrix, centre-weighted, spot, highlight weighted Exposure modes PASM Exposure compensation +/-5EV in 0.3EV steps Monitor 2.1m dot tilting 3.2in touchscreen, 100% frame coverage Viewfinder 3.6m dot EVF Focus points 273 phase detect points in single AF covering 90% of the image area. Pinpoint, single-point and dynamicarea AF (pinpoint and dynamic-area AF available in photo mode only); wide-area AF (S); wide-area AF (L); auto-area AF Video 4K UHD 3840x2190: 30p (progressive), 25p 24p. 1920x1080: 120p, 100p, 60p, 50p, 30p, 25p 24p Connectivity Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, HDMI-C, USB-C Other key features Five-axis image sensor shift IS Battery EN-EL15b (USB) rechargeable, ENEL15a can be used but with lower capacity and no USB recharging Storage media 1x XQD slot Dimensions (wxhxd) 134x100.5x67.5mm Weight 675g body with battery and card Contact nikon.co.uk

Nikon Z 6

Nikon launched its mirrorless system with two very similar yet different cameras. Here, it’s the Z 6 that we get to grips with Words and images by Will Cheung Nikon’s assault on the full-frame mirrorless camera market takes the form of a two-pronged attack with the Z 7 and the Z 6. In terms of design and control layout the cameras are identical; so we have an excellent electronic viewfinder, compact bodyform and the Z lens mount, the biggest of any full-frame mirrorless model. So, if you read last month’s Z 7 review, feel free to go straight to checking out the test pictures: if you didn’t, stay with me. Of course, the models have key differences. The Z 6 has a resolution of 24.5 megapixels from its CMOS, optical low pass filter equipped sensor compared with the Z 7, which has 45.7 megapixels from low pass filter-free sensor. The Z 6 can

shoot up to 12fps rather than 9fps. ISO ranges differ, too, with the Z 6 topping out at 51,200 as opposed to the Z 7’s 25,600, and if you bring ISO expansion into it, the Z 6 is capable of an equivalent 204,800. But perhaps most importantly there’s a significant price difference, with the Z 6 body selling for £2099, a massive £1300 cheaper than the Z 7. The Z 6 with 24-70mm S and FTZ adapter is £2799. Given that most of us can happily live with a lower resolution, slower top continuous shooting speed and rarely venture into the rarefied atmosphere of super high ISOs, that saving is attractive and significant. Put the Z 6 alongside its fullframe cousin the D850 and you can immediately appreciate the potential benefit of the more compact bodyform.

An IBIS system also keeps lens cost and bulk down and means it works with any lens

Above The Z 6 has a more compact bodyform than previous full-frame Nikons like the D850.

Slip off the lenses and you also get to see the relative differences in the lens mounts. The Z mount has a 55mm diameter and a lens flange to sensor plane distance of 16mm, characteristics that give the designers the opportunity for faster aperture, more compact, better performing lenses, and the chance to install an in-body, sensor-based image stabilisation system (IBIS.) There are pros and cons to inbody, sensor-based and in-lens image stabilization systems. Nikon uses the VR lens-based system in its F mount lenses so going for IBIS is a change of direction and it does make sense, especially for video shooting where smooth IS operation is critical. An IBIS system also keeps lens cost and bulk down and of course means it works with any lens.

Photography News | Issue 62 | photographynews.co.uk

Camera test Performance: ISO Original image

The Z 6 has fewer pixels in its full-frame sensor than the Z 7 and D850 so the theory is that noise performance at high ISOs should be superior to those cameras. We shot full ISO sets from ISO 50 to 204,000, with incamera high ISO noise reduction switched off. The native range is ISO 100-51,200. Raws were processed through Nikon Capture NXD with no noise reduction. For a comparison, we shot the scene using a Nikon D850 and used the same lens on each camera, a 50mm f/1.4 (with the FTZ adapter on the Z 6). Shots were compared onscreen at 100%. The Z 6’s noise performance is impressive. Very clean at the slower and medium settings and even at ISO 800 images are flawlessly clean with no mottling even in areas of deep shadow.

The Z 6’s IBIS works in five axes – pitch, yaw, roll and x and y axes – and when you use a F mount VR-equipped lens on the Z 6 via the FTZ adapter, you still get a benefit up to 3EV. In my test, I used the Z mount 24-70mm S f/4 at 70mm and two F mount lenses, the VR 70-700mm f/2.8 at 200mm and the non VR 85mm f/1.8. With the 24-70mm Z, I got five out of five sharp shots at 1/15sec,

Signs of noise start to appear at ISO 1600, but it’s smooth and fine with no impact on detail. Some noise reduction in processing would easily get rid of it. At ISO 3200, contrast and blacks are affected very slightly; so too is detail in the shadows. Detail suffers across the image at ISO 6400 and grain is more obvious but it wouldn’t stop me using this speed if I needed an actionstopping shutter speed. Images at ISO 12,800 show obvious noise and overall loss of picture quality. The image continues to suffer as ISO increases and I wouldn’t go any further if I cared about quality. For viewing the Z 6 and D850 shots we viewed at 73% and 100% respectively so subject size was the same. Viewing in this manner showed the Z 6’s 6400 file was similar to the D850’s 3200 shot.

The camera’s exposure and focusing systems are fully featured

ISO 800

ISO 1600

ISO 3200

ISO 6400

ISO 12,800

ISO 25,600

ISO 51,200

ISO 102,400

ISO 204,800

D850 ISO 6400

D850 ISO 12,800

D850 ISO 25,600

Images The Imperial War Museum, Duxford, was the location for the ISO test, comparing the Z 6 with Nikon’s D850, a 45.7-megapixel DSLR. The same lens, a 50mm f/1.4, was used with the Raws going through Nikon Capture NXD software. The Z 6 does have an impressive high ISO performance.

three at 1/4sec but none at 1/2sec. With the 70-200mm I got four sharp at 1/15sec, three at 1/8sec and none at 1/4sec. Moving onto the 85mm, I got three sharp at 1/15sec and 1/8sec. All round, the camera’s IBIS worked well on S lenses and together with VR-equipped F mount lenses. The Z 6 has much more than IBIS and the ability to accept existing Nikon fit lenses. The exposure and focusing systems are fully featured. For AF the Z 6 has 273 points (the Z 7 has 493), the hybrid system covering 90% of the viewfinder frame with operating sensitivity down to -2EV. With the option of silent shutter, three Raw sizes, focus stacking and 4K video, the Z 6 wants for little and handling rates highly, too. Start-up time is a pretty quick at 1.3secs, with the on/off switch conveniently placed on a collar around the shutter release. Much has been said about the battery life of mirrorless cameras but the Z 6 with the supplied EN-EL15b seems good. I got 1400 shots from a full charge until the battery icon went red with 14% power remaining. The touch monitor delivers a high-quality image and the EVF is especially impressive with a

Above The control layout of the Z 6 is good and will feel familiar to existing Nikon users.

Photography News | Issue 62 | photographynews.co.uk

Camera test lovely, big image with great contrast, fine detail and no lag. There’s plenty of potential to personalise the Z 6 to your preferred way of working and the touch monitor is responsive and works well. Push the i button and you get a 12-window quick menu, and in each you get to choose from 31 features including off. Dig a little deeper and you find more potential under the Custom control assignment menu item. Here you have eight controls you can reassign although the actual number and variety of options depends. For instance, the Fn1 button, next to the lens mount, has 22 features available and 17 more when used with the command dial, while the AF-ON button has nine and the sub selector lever a total of 21 features on offer. By contrast, the Lens control ring has four features.

Above The Z 6’s 24.3-megapixel sensor produces images with great crispness – this is a JPEG original.

A faster top continuous shooting speed of 12fps is something that will appeal to action shooters. Using a G Series, 400GB/s XQD card, I tried the Z 6 in Raw and JPEG* modes. I set a 1/1000sec mechanical shutter speed and fixed focus. In JPEG*, in the Continuous Hi (extended) setting, I got 40 frames at a rate of just under 13fps and at the Continuous Hi setting, got over 100 shots at 7fps. With Raw, I tried full size 12-bit and 14-bit Raws with lossless compression. With 12-bit Raw I got 100 frames at the Hi setting at 6fps, while in Hi extended I got 28 frames at just over 12fps. That slowed to 7fps after 28 frames and kept on going. With 14-bit Raw, the shooting rate slowed down a little, and I got 32 Raws at 10fps (Nikon claims 9fps) before slowing down to 6fps. It is worth bearing in mind that these

There’s plenty of potential to personalise the Z 6 to your preferred way of working

Performance: exposure latitude We tested out the exposure tolerance of Z 6 Raws by shooting a nine-frame bracket at 1EV steps. The camera was set to give full-size 14-bit Raws saved with lossless compression. The files were exposure corrected in Lightroom.

The underexposed Raws corrected very nicely and while -4EV and -3EV shots gained some digital noise, the results were perfectly acceptable. The less severely abused Raws were corrected very nicely and

looked the same as the correctly exposed shot. Extreme overexposure gave poor results. Overexposing by +3EV was recoverable except in very bright light while +2EV and +1EV exposures looked fine.

-4EV

-3EV

-2EV

-1EV

+1EV

+2EV

+3EV

Original image

+4EV

Above Raws from the Z 6 recovered well from deliberate exposure abuse, with underexposed shots doing very well with only a minor gain in digital noise.

Photography News | Issue 62 | photographynews.co.uk

Camera test

rates were with fixed exposure/ focus and will be much slower with autoexposure/autofocus tracking. Nikon’s claimed rate is 5.5fps with 14-bit Raw. Handling also differs in the Hi and Hi Extended modes. If you want to keep view of the subject, you need menu item d11 View in continuous mode. If this is set to ‘off’, the image blacks out after the first frame until you take your finger off the shutter button – and this is in both

Continuous Hi modes. With d11 set to on, you get intermittent blackout between each shot just like a DSLR in Continuous Hi. In the HI Extended mode, there is no blackout so you get an uninterrupted, but jittery view of the last shot taken while panning. I tried the Z 6 in Hi Extended and on continuous AF and that worked pretty well. On an intercity train going at speed through a station, the AF kept up well until it got really close. A sharp-edged

subject travelling predictably is one thing though and I didn’t get the chance to try the Z 6 on more challenging sport subjects. In general use, AF speed and accuracy are good. I mostly used single point or zone and enjoyed the 90% coverage of the Z 6, which makes off-centre compositions so much easier compared with DSLRs. There’s much to enjoy on the Z 6 (as with the Z 7) and given its price point it is sure to have a wide appeal.

Above The Z 6’s continuous AF coped well with an express train.

Verdict

Performance: Raw sizes Full-frame

L Raw ISO 6400

M Raw ISO 6400

Going full-frame mirrorless isn’t cheap whichever way you look at it, but the Nikon Z 6 does offers a comparatively affordable route. Money of course is a significant factor but it would count for nought if the Z 6 didn’t deliver the goods in respect of fine pictures. Nothing to worry about in that regard though, and the Z 6 is a compelling, very capable proposition, especially to existing Nikon user aspiring to go full-frame mirrorless. Features The Z 6 wants for little

S Raw ISO 6400

24/25

Handling 23/25 A compact body and good control layout equals intuitive handling Performance The Z 6 delivers consistent high-quality pictures

24/25

Value for money 24/25 In full-frame terms, the Z 6 offers great value

The Z 6 allows you to shoot Raws at three different sizes: Large, Medium and Small, giving image sizes of 6048x4024, 4528x3016 and 3024x2016 pixels and files of around 31MB, 18MB and 14MB

respectively. Medium and Small Raws are 12-bit capture only. This facility gives processing flexibility of Raw, but saves time and storage space. Generating smaller images and

files from a larger native image size means something has to give, and that’s image information. Here, we’ve shot actual images in each Raw size and at the full range of ISO speeds available

on the Z6. Files were processed identically in NX-D Capture. Images were viewed at 100% in each case and also at 100%, 75% and 50% so images were viewed at the same size.

Overall 95/100 There’s much to enjoy in the Z 6 including reliable performance Pros Image quality, high ISO performance, EVF, handling, FTZ adapter Cons One XQD card slot, silent shutter clunky

Photography News | Issue 62 | photographynews.co.uk

Advertisement feature

First class glass

Why Kase filters? The answer is simple: there is no point investing in expensive lenses if you then use sub-standard filters on the front. Kase filters are optically top quality and are finding many fans around the world.

Here, we ask two leading landscape photographers and Kase UK brand ambassadors to tell us about themselves and to put across the case for Kase filters.

Calling all camera clubs The Kase team is happy to visit camera clubs to demonstrate its product range. If you would like to take up this offer, programme secretaries should email enquiry@kasefilters.com in the first instance. kasefilters.com

Alyn Wallace

Greg Whitton

Q: Tell us a little about yourself? A: Iʼm a landscape astrophotographer from South Wales. For the past year, Iʼve been a full-time photographer, running workshops in Wales and throughout Europe, while working on TV productions for various BBC documentaries, as well as my own YouTube channel. Iʼve been shortlisted in the Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition for the last three years and my work is frequently used in mainstream media. Q: What’s your photography style? A: Very similar to classical landscape photography except undertaken at night under starry skies. The predictability of the night sky allows me to plan shots much in advance, before praying for the weather conditions. Iʼm on a continuous quest to find the darkest skies and the most otherworldly landscapes. My aim is to portray our place in the universe on this little rock we call home. As far as my style goes, my images are quite punchy and rich in colour. Even though our eyes can’t perceive colour in dimly lit environments, there is still colour captured in the long exposure of a digital camera, opening up a whole new world of creative possibilities and essentially allowing you to paint on a black canvas.

Q: Tell us a little about yourself? A: I’m a semi-professional landscape photographer based in the Midlands. I’ve been offering workshops across the UK since 2015, concentrating on mountainous and upland areas. Occasionally, I do talks at festivals, camera clubs and photographic societies. Among other awards, in 2015 I was named Outdoor Photographer of the Year. Over the last year, I have been steadily building a channel and following on YouTube, offering a variety of locationbased videos, as well as discussing various photographic topics, including postprocessing and compositional techniques. Q: Why Kase filters? A: I love the compact design and lightness of the K8 holder kit. No gimmicks, just what you need. As someone who carries two camera set-ups, as well as star tracking mounts, every gram counts. Of course, the Night Focus tool and the Neutral Night filter help me get the most out of my astro work and I also love the hydrophobic coating on the Wolverine Series of glass. Any water or dew on the filter just wipes off with ease, no smudging. youtube.com/c/AlynWallace

Kase Wolverine Series filters • • • • •

Toughened Pro HD glass Virtually no colour cast Scratch resistant Nano coatings Water and dust/dirt repellent

Available as 100mm or 150mm systems, Kase filters are ranked as some of the best optically by independent reviews. The toughened glass construction adds a nice bit of extra durability to the series – providing peace of mind.

Q: What’s your photography style? A: I specialise in mountain landscapes and in recent years have adopted an almost exclusive portrait style, working with complex compositions and really ‘working with the landscape’ in which I am standing to convey a sense of place.

has to be of the very highest quality. Kase filters are so good in respect of clarity, colour neutrality and flare control. I can always achieve my intended goal. youtube.com/c/GregWhitton

Q: Why Kase filters? A: I love using my Kase filters when they are needed. Ultimately, I want to achieve the maximum image quality I can. Placing extra glass in front of my lens is going to degrade image quality, which is why that extra glass

Kase K8 100mm Holder System • • • •

Ingenious lightweight design Magnetic geared polariser Robust alloy construction Simple to use in the field

The magnetic circular polariser (CPL) sits at the back of the holder and is adjusted as part of a geared system. This helps reduces vignetting and flare. Being magnetic, attaching and removing the CPL from the K8 Holder System is easy, making it simple to use in the field.

Photography News | Issue 62 | photographynews.co.uk

Camera test Specs Prices GFX 50R £3999 body only, GF 3264mm f/4 R LM WR £2149, GF 23mm f/4 R LM WR £2399, GF 45mm f/2.8 R WR £1699, GF 63mm f/2.8 R WR £1359, GF 120mm f/4 R LM OIS WR macro £2499, NP-T125 battery £119 Sensor 51.4 megapixels, Bayer array 43.8x32.9mm

Fujifilm GFX 50R This new camera is the second in Fujifilm’s GFX range, following on the heels of the 50S; will it convert you to medium format shooting?

Sensor format 8256x6192pixels ISO range 100-12,800, expansion to 50, 25,600, 51,200 and 102,400 Shutter range Mechanical: 60mins to 1/4000sec, 4secs-1/4000sec (P mode) Electronic: 60mins to 1/16,000sec, 4secs to 1/16,000sec (P mode) Electronic front curtain shutter: 60mins to 1/4000sec Mechanical + electronic shutter: 60mins to 1/16,000sec Front curtain shutter + electronic shutter: 60mins to 1/16,000sec Flash sync 1/125sec Drive modes 3fps maximum Metering system 256 zone, spot, average and centre-weighted Exposure modes PASM Exposure compensation +/-5EV in 0.3EV steps Autobracketing AE (2/3/5/7/9 frames, +/-3EV in 0.3EV steps), Film Simulation mode, dynamic range, ISO sensitivity Monitor 3.2in, 2.36k dot OLED, touchscreen, 100% coverage Viewfinder 0.5in, 3.69 million dots, 100% coverage Focusing TTL contrast AF Focus points Single point, 13x9, 25x17. Zone AF: 3x3, 5x5, 7x7 from 117 areas on 13x9 grid Video Full HD 1920x1080 29.97/25p/24p/23.98p Connectivity Other key features Storage media 2xSD slots Power NP-T125 Li-ion Dimensions (wxhxd) 160.7x96.5x66.4mm Weight 775g body with battery and card Contact fujifilm.eu

Words and images by Will Cheung Announced last September and the second model in its medium format range, the Fujifilm GFX 50R is a 51.4-megapixel camera in the style of the brand’s old rangefinder film cameras. It is its styling that differentiates it from the first model, the GFX 50S, and it is also 145g lighter and 25mm thinner so portability is one of its attractions. That, however, is relative because the GFX 50R is still a sizeable camera. But photographers don’t usually go medium format to save weight and space in the bag; it’s all about image quality and if a camera happens to be compact then that’s an added benefit. The GFX 50R uses a CMOS sensor that measures 43x32.9mm, 1.7x larger than the 35mm full-frame. Its effective count of 8256x6192 pixels means prints at 300ppi of 27.5x20.6in (69.8x52.4cm) without any software interpolation.

Unlike the X Series, where Fujifilm X-Trans sensors with a 6x6 pixel array are used, in its mediumformat series the sensors have the conventional Bayer 2x2 pixel array. The GFX 50R’s sensor is optical low pass filter free for maximum resolution. While many cameras are gaining curves, the GFX 50R has a distinctly angular, boxy look but a good grip is afforded by its contoured body and a raised thumb grip on the rear. While it’s not the most comfortable grip, I

The GFX 50R has a distinctly angular, boxy look, but a good grip is afforded by its contoured body

Left The GFX 50R, with its rangefinder design, is more compact than the 50S, although it’s still a sizeable camera.

was quite happy to carry the camera around in one hand. However, the handgrip could be more ergonomic for better purchase and enhanced shooting stability, especially when one of the heavier lenses is in use. The on/off switch is placed for the right forefinger and sits next to – but is separate from – the shutter button and start up is fast at just over 1sec. Nearby is the exposure compensation control that is typically Fujifilm. There’s the ability to adjust exposures by +/-3EV in 0.3EV steps and there is the C setting that delegates compensation to a command dial. There is no physical lock on the compensation dial, but it can be locked virtually – along with up to 37 other key camera features – using the lock menu item. Locking it virtually does mean the feature is totally locked and not accessible at all. The ideal would be to lock the exposure compensation dial, but still have the compensation feature available via a command dial or function button. The rear thumb grip has the Fn5 and quick menu buttons here. Using them does need a minor hand adjustment, while getting at the Fn4

Photography News | Issue 62 | photographynews.co.uk

Camera test Performance: ISO A variety of low light scenes were shot in Raw mode from ISO speeds 50 to 102,400 with in-camera high speed ISO reduction set to 0. Images were processed in Capture One Pro v12 and Lightroom with default noise reduction selected. The set shown here was processed through the Capture One software with default noise reduction. Images looked impressive and even at ISO 6400 you would be hard pressed to criticise any aspect of picture quality. Indeed, there’s no appreciable

noise at 12,800 and it is only when you venture into the expanded settings that you see signs of coloured mottling in the shadows. Fine details looked beautifully resolved, sharpness was top drawer and little sign of digital noise. I checked shots at 100% on-screen and I made a few large prints on my Epson SC-P800 printer. It’s when you see prints large like this that you appreciate how good high-resolution cameras are now, and the GFX 50R’s results, even those at high ISOs, are deeply impressive.

Original image

Finding key features is fairly straightforward although it does have its typically Fujifilm quirks button, which sits above the thumb grip, is slightly more fiddly. Getting to the other rear mounted buttons and the focus lever is easy enough although I’d prefer a bigger, more obvious AF-ON button. It is too small and flat for me. Given the large empty acreage on the camera’s front fascia, I wonder if Fujifilm thought about giving the sole Fn2 button some company. Using the right middle finger to get at buttons on the front would be potentially more comfortable. We have what we have though; working with the GFX 50R is fine and there is wide scope for personalising the camera via the menu. There are five function buttons giving 45 options each, the drive button can be reassigned to 44 functions as well as drive and the rear command dial has the same 45 options. Finally, with the four swipe directions of the touchscreen, which each have 40 options, the biggest test is recalling what does what. If you prefer to keep it simple, all these function buttons have a ‘none’ option.

Top Southwold lighthouse at twilight was shot using the GFX 50R fitted with a 32-64mm lens, the exposure being 1.8secs at f/8 and ISO 1600. Above Two SD card slots are available on the GFX 50R. While we are talking about the menu, finding key features is fairly straightforward, although it does have its typically Fujifilm quirks. To format both cards means repeating the process for each card so that

could be more streamlined, and when you go into the menu it doesn’t go back to the last used item – it either goes to My Menu if you have items selected (there are 17 options) or to the image size option if you don’t. A very welcome menu item that Fujifilm has added is the Save SelfTimer setting, which means that the self-timer is not cancelled when the camera is switched off. I’m looking forward to this feature appearing in the next round of firmware updates. Of course, you don’t even need the menu for many items. Pushing the Q button brings up speedy access to up to 16 functions with the choice of 29 individual features. You can edit this palette of 16 functions down to one or two if you prefer. The rangefinder design – the GFX 50R looks like an oversized X-E3 – means the viewfinder

ISO 100

ISO 800

ISO 1600

ISO 3200

ISO 6400

ISO 12,800

ISO 25,600

ISO 51,200

ISO 102,400

Images This low light scene was shot with the GFX 50R on a Gitzo Systematic series 4 tripod. The exposure for the ISO 100 shot was 12secs at f/8. Images were processed in Capture One Pro v12. Picture quality even at ISO 6400 was very good.

Photography News | Issue 62 | photographynews.co.uk

Camera test Performance: exposure latitude Exposure brackets of +/-4EV in one 1EV steps were made and the bracketed shots were exposure corrected in Adobe Lightroom and Capture One Pro v12. This set was processed in Lightroom. Overexposure was handled reasonably well, with the +3EV shot proving to be retrievable with reservations – the strong

highlights were not so good and there was a colour cast. The +2EV and +1EV shots were recovered well. At the other extreme, recovering the underexposed shots was significantly more successful. The -4EV shot gained noise in the shadows, but the result looked fine and the noise wasn’t that significant.

Original image

Above Intense highlights and deep shadows were a challenge but no problem with some work in processing. eyepiece is on the far left of the body. Rangefinders suit right-eyed camera users because it allows the left eye to be kept on the scene, but as a left eye user I still found the GFX 50R great to use. There is no issue of inadvertently moving the AF point on the touch monitor with your nose because the AF touch function is disabled with the eye to the viewfinder. The EVF viewfinder itself is excellent, providing a lovely, bright and very detailed image with no issues of smearing when panning. On the left is a pull out dioptre control so it can’t be adjusted unintentionally when pushed in. In the menu there is the option of tailoring the EVF’s view with smaller or larger type size, or you can go for a clean look or just have a few key settings on show. You can fine-tune the monitor’s live view layout in a similar way.

-4EV

-3EV

-2EV

-1EV

+1EV

+2EV

+3EV

The EVF viewfinder itself is excellent, providing a lovely, bright and very detailed image with no issues The tiltable monitor is touchscreen and its sensitivity is spot-on. You have to be quite deliberate using it, which meant I didn’t manage to set an AF point or adjust settings with a glancing touch. Autofocus is done with contrast detect so while it is respectably fast, very quiet and accurate it does have the characteristic of such systems where the lens goes past the point of focus and then back again to lock. There is a rapid AF feature, but to be honest I didn’t see any obvious benefit to speed.

Above Images of detail rich scenes like this show GFX 50R can do.

In manual focusing you have the help of peaking highlights and focus check by touching the lens’s manual focus barrel, or set to a function button. I had focus check set to the front-mounted Fn2 and that suited me. Usefully, when in manual focus if you have AF touch active you get instant AF by touching the monitor, which is a handy override option. I stuck with zone and single point AF modes and the focus lever or touchscreen for shifting the AF point around and this was fast and positive. The camera’s multi zone metering proved itself accurate and consistently reliable and my shots – mostly in the Velvia Film Simulation mode – were nicely saturated. Apart from occasions where I expected poor results – a couple of underexposed shots against the sun and a black shed coming out grey – the system performed with credit. Continuous shooting, with a 1/250sec shutter speed, a Samsung 128GB Pro micro SD card and the mechanical shutter, easily delivered the claimed 3fps – it was close to 4fps. In Raw I got 20 full Raws at that rate before slowing to 2fps and soon after to 1fps. In Fine JPEG I got 52 shots at 3fps before any sign of slow down. A full buffer took under nine seconds to clear. The GFX 50R is not designed as an action camera and close to 4fps is more than enough, given the file size and the likely use of the camera.

+4EV

Images The GFX 50R was fitted with a 32-64mm for this nine image exposure bracket shot at +/-1 EV steps. The metered correct exposure was 1/80sec f/11 and ISO 100. Processing and exposure recovery was done in Lightroom.

Photography News | Issue 62 | photographynews.co.uk

Camera test

The GFX 50R offers the option of shooting different aspect ratios I had the GFX 50R over a long weekend and I was impressed with the battery life. On each day I got over 500 pictures, many taken with the live view monitor. I shot exposure brackets, focus brackets, ISO sets and series of continuous sequence shooting. I used the electronic and mechanical shutters in about equal measure and in between there was picture reviewing and general menu tweaking. On two of the three days I had two out of the five bars showing and on the other day I got down to one bar, which is roughly 20% power left. Getting a spare (£119 each) is advised, but that is good capacity nonetheless. Also, to be fair, I was only shooting that many frames in a day because I was testing the camera. Just a final thing on reliability. I had one very wet day with the GFX 50R, but with the camera and lenses weather-proofed I had no issues with reliability despite the kit getting thoroughly soaked.

Verdict

Performance: Focus bracketing Stacked

The GFX 50R offers the option of shooting different aspect ratios, including 1:1 and 65:24 panoramic. Of course you can crop to your preferred size in editing afterwards, but shooting to the format in-camera is a great discipline and makes you work harder than thinking ‘oh, I’ll sort it later in post’. The GFX 50R also has the option to shoot 35mm format. Set auto and you get 35mm shots automatically with a suitable lens adapter. File sizes of 35mm images are around 32MB as opposed to the 50MB of a full compressed GFX Raw. With an image size of 6768x4512pixels – that’s a resolution of 30.5 megapixels – that’s still big enough for 22.5x15in prints at 300ppi. With the growing number of adapters – with varying degrees of compatibility – the potential of using 35mm format and other medium format lenses on the GFX 50R will no doubt prove interesting to many prospective owners.

The Fujifilm GFX 50R is a lovely camera and I really enjoyed using it. It has character and the odd quirk, but that is probably true of every medium format camera I’ve ever used and there was nothing here I considered a deal breaker. On the contrary, the more I used it the more I loved it, and once I started processing the Raws and making prints its appeal grew exponentially. Medium format is always going to be minority interest but I can see the GFX 50R having a relatively wide appeal and £4k, while still a great deal of money, in medium format terms is affordable. Of course you need to factor in the cost of lenses, but at around £5400 with the 63mm f/2.8 lens and a spare battery, it’s appealing to pros and enthusiasts alike.

Start

Final

Features Huge set-up potential and lovely sensor

Images This fungi scene was done with 50 focus-bracketed images, which were merged in Affinity Photo software. The exposure was 1/105sec at f/5.6 and ISO 400 with the 120mm macro lens and the GFX 50R mounted on a Gitzo Systematic series 4 tripod. The GFX 50R joins the increasing number of cameras offering focus stacking, which will appeal to scenic and macro shooters. The focus bracket setting is found in the drive menu while setting number of frames, distance gaps and time intervals is found in the main menu. It’s possible to shoot 999 frames with distance intervals of 1 through to 10. Gaps are arbitrary – 10 being the widest.

To test the feature’s mettle I shot close-up and landscape scenes with the 120mm lens set to f/4. With the need for a stable base the camera was fixed on a Gitzo Systematic 4 series carbon-fibre tripod, I used touch focus on the nearest part of the scene and then set up the bracket menu. I set 50 exposures and a focus gap of 5 as a starting point, and then

the electronic shutter – no point wearing out the mechanical one. Focus is automatically adjusted from front to back and stops if infinity is reached before the set number of frames, so setting a high number is not an issue. Push the shutter release and the camera gets to work with the number of frames shot and the total shown on the monitor, so you have an idea of progress.

It is worth thinking about file format for focus stacking. I had Raw and super JPEG set and with 50 shots the camera got to 25 or so quickly and then progress slowed down to about one frame a second due to buffering. With a stable camera and a static subject essential for focus stacking this isn’t a problem but you need to consider the chance of changing light.

24/25

Handling 21/25 A more ergonomic handgrip and the odd control in a bigger size would be good, but no real issues Performance 24/25 It delivers superb images even at high ISOs Value for money 23/25 Medium format for £4k is a bargain Overall 92/100 If you’re serious about image quality with portability, the GFX 50R could be for you Pros Image quality, good price Cons Some aspects of handling and control design could be even better

Photography News | Issue 62 | photographynews.co.uk

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, Adam Duckworth and Kingsley Singleton

Manfrotto ProLight Reloader Tough-55 HighLid £290 Specs Price £290 External dimensions 35x22.5x55cm Internal dimensions 26x17x50cm Weight 4.6kg Contact manfrotto.co.uk

The ProLight Reloader Tough-55 HighLid is a rolling hard case ideal for travel and location use. It’s a decent size, with internal dimensions of 26x17x50cm, and testing it on an architectural job, I managed to fit a good amount of gear in. Two Nikon bodies, a 1635mm f/4, 20mm f/1.8 and 24-70mm f/2.8, a flash, an external hard drive, spare batteries, and some other small accessories. The depth of the HighLid version is greater than the LowLid version by 3cm, and that was welcome. The inner is easy to modify, and the bag helpfully comes with some layout ideas for photo, video and drone set-ups. The internal dividers are a good thickness, and attach securely with Velcro. However, there’s nothing holding the inner itself into the case and no inner cover for it, which can be useful in wet and dusty conditions. Of course the inner can be removed entirely and the case used for nonphoto gear if required. The main thing I missed was some internal pockets for accessories like cables and memory cards, or maybe a dedicated sleeve for a laptop. You can also carry a tripod, or lighting stands etc., using an accessory strap. This mounts on the lid, and has a padded nylon foot and a clip at the top. It did the job fine. As you’d expect from a hard case, the Tough-55 HighLid is by no means light on its own, so while its claims of being carry-on friendly certainly hold water, adding weighty kit to the case’s own 4.6kg is going to make it heavy. Size-wise it fits well within the likes of easyJet BA and Virgin’s latest regulations, and so long as your carrier doesn’t have a weight limit, you’ll literally be good to go. Many now specify that you must be able to lift your bag into an overhead locker yourself, but some do still specify a weight, so it’s worth checking. Moving the case is easy and it has two decent handles, one rubberised one by the locks, and another grooved plastic one on the top. The rubber handle locks into two positions and isn’t at all ‘floppy’. It’s the same story with the lid, which locks open to prevent it accidentally closing. The top handle pulls out when you want to use the case as a roller, and there’s enough tension in it to change the height. At its longest it was perfectly comfortable for a taller user like me. Releasing the handle is a bit fiddly as you need to bend back its retaining clip to release it, and quite a lot of force is required. You also need to bend over to do it as unlike most roller suitcases, there’s no release button

Images Excellent protection and ample storage space on offer from this Manfrotto case. in the handle. In motion, the wheels moved freely, though I only did a few hundred metres of rolling. The locks are big and strong, bordering on stiff to open, but that gives a great feeling of security. They also feature a trigger-style inner lock so they won’t open accidentally, and there are four locking points for padlocks, two of which are reinforced. Around the lid there’s a rubber gasket to repel water and dust. Overall, the case proved very rugged. It took plenty of punishment, including my 14 stones, jumping up and down on it, without even hinting at buckling. KS

Verdict An excellent case: large, well built, practical, adaptable, and with a level of sturdiness bordering on the military – some may find the locks and roller handle too stiff for comfortable use. It is a little on the pricey side compared to some, but there’s no doubting the quality here. Pros Spacious, very tough Cons Price

Photography News | Issue 62 | photographynews.co.uk

First tests Specs Price £5399. Comes with XF1.4X TC F2 WR teleconverter, hood, caps and case with shoulder strap Format APS-C, gives 305mm equivalent focal length in the 35mm format Mount Fujifilm X Mount Construction 19 elements in 14 groups Special lens elements Two ED, one Super ED AF motor Fujifilm Linear Motor Coatings Super EBC Filter size 105mm Aperture range F/2-22 in 1/3EV steps, A setting Diaphragm Nine blades Internal focus Yes Manual focus Yes Minimum focus 1.8m Focus limiter Yes, full, infinity to 5m Maximum magnification 0.12x

Fujifilm XF200mmF2 R LM OIS WR £5399 If there’s an area where the Fujifilm X Series lens system is weak, it’s at the long telephoto end. But that’s changing. True, there is a 100-400mm lens, but it’s a modest variable aperture f/4.5-5.6. To compete with the top optics from Canon and Nikon, Fujifilm knew it had to up its game, and it certainly has. The XF200mmF2 (305mm equivalent in the 35mm format) is a super-fast, high-spec long telephoto that will appeal to wildlife and action workers. Its specifications actually surpass rival optics from Canikon because their 300mm lenses are f/2.8. Also, while not comparing like with like, their lenses weigh 2550g and 2900g respectively, where the Fujifilm is 2265g. I tested the XF200mm on X-H1 and X-T2 bodies. Balance was good on both cameras, and while I wouldn’t personally want to use the lens without support for long, it is handholdable. Balance is helped by the short length of the lens, which means the centre of gravity is in the middle of the camera/lens combination. The overall handling is very good for a lens of this type, with a smooth manual focus action and an aperture ring that is nicely click-stopped in 1/3EV steps.

Below The four function buttons on the lens can be set to different modes using a sliding selector on the barrel: AF-L, Preset and AF.

Distance scale Yes Depth-of-field scale No Image stabilizer Yes, gives up to 5EV benefit Tripod collar Yes, with Arca-Swiss foot Lens hood Yes Weather-sealed Yes Dimensions (dxl) 122x205.5mm Weight 2265g Contact fujifilm.eu

Original image 200mm

F/8

The four function buttons on the lens can be set to different modes using a sliding selector on the barrel: AF-L, Preset and AF. Preset, with the help of the button below the mode switch, means you can focus on a point and return to it instantly with a push of a function button. The AF works like the shutter button (activating focus), while AF-L locks focus so it doesn’t change when the shutter button is used or if the subject moves when continuous AF mode is set. The OIS camera-shake-defeating system claims a 5EV benefit. If we assume that 1/500sec is the minimum advised for handholding – although with a lens like this I’d recommend 1/1000sec – then that means 1/15sec. I took sets of five shots at shutter speeds from 1/8sec to 1/250sec with the OIS on and off to see how it did, using an outdoor subject on a calm day with the lens on the non-IBIS Fujifilm X-T2 with its mechanical shutter.

200mm with 1.4x converter

F/11

Verdict

F/2.8

F/2

Without OIS, I got the odd decently sharp shot at 1/30sec and 1/60sec and only really enjoyed success at 1/250sec and above. With OIS on, I got five pin-sharp shots at 1/30sec and three spot on at 1/15sec. That’s impressive. Even more impressive is this lens’s optical showing – including with the compact 1.4x teleconverter in place. Let’s start with the lens on its own. It is really usable at f/2, where you get detail-rich, contrasty, sparklingly sharp shots. Quality gets even better at f/2.8 and f/4 but if you had to use f/2, that wouldn’t be a hardship because the images are so good. Sharpness does drop off from f/11 onwards but that’s not a real issue given that extreme telephotos are rarely used at small apertures. Fit the 1.4x converter and the lens becomes a very compact 427mm f/2.8 (in 35mm terms), and wide open you still get an impressive showing across the image frame. If you have the light to shoot at f/4 and f/5.6, and your camera technique is up to it, you’ll be rewarded with some stunningly sharp pictures. To sum up, this is a leading-edge long lens that delivers at a very high level from f/2 onwards. WC

F/16

F/4

F/2.8 F/22

F/4

F/5.6

Images Test pictures using a Fujifilm X-H1 mounted on a Novo Explora T20 with an Arca-Swiss ballhead. Raws processed through free software, Capture One Express Fujifilm v11.3. The shutter was released using the self-timer.

F/5.6

F/8

Above Despite its weight, the XF200mmF2 performs well handheld and getting sharp pictures at slow shutter speeds is perfectly feasible. This image was shot at 1/30sec at f/2, ISO 1600.

The XF200mmF2 is a remarkable and hugely capable lens. Of course it’s pricey but it is comparable to equivalent optics from Canon and Nikon – and it’s an f/2 and comes with an excellent 1.4x teleconverter. Action and wildlife photographers eyeing up the Fujifilm X Series with a view to switching now have another reason to make the leap.

Pros Optical performance, OIS, Arca-Swiss tripod foot Cons Price

Photography News | Issue 62 | photographynews.co.uk

First tests

NanGuang Large RGB Tube Light TRGB1412A £390 Specs Price £390 In the box NanGuang TRGB1412A Tube Light, AC adapter, master/slave cable, mounting clips, carry bag Number of LEDs 750 CRI (Ra) 95 Colour temperature 2700-6500K; full RGB Brightness control options On-light controls, 2.4G, Wi-Fi, master/slave function Power 30W Power source 100V-240V AC power adapter (included) Illumination 2508 LM Lux 6500K – 771 (1m), 250 (2m), 124 (3m), 93 (4m), 49 (5m); 2700K – 757 (1m), 243 (2m), 118 (3m), 69 (4m), 47 (5m); Red – 260 (1m), 86 (2m), 43 (3m), 25 (4m), 17 (5m); Green – 721 (1m), 229 (2m), 114 (3m), 66 (4m), 45 (5m); Blue – 10 Dimensions 120x5.6x5.6cm Weight 1.5kg Contact kenro.co.uk

LEDs have revolutionised studio lighting for both stills and video shooters, providing a controllable, versatile, durable and powerful lighting source with low running costs and minimal light output. Chinese brand NanGuang, imported into the UK by Kenro, has a great range of products showing what is possible, from LED lights for on-camera and location use to large panel lights and lighting tubes such as the TRGB1412A, a high spec, versatile light that offers tremendous creative potential. The 1412A is mains power only. If you prefer the option of mains or battery power go for the very similar 1212B at £420, which has a pair of built-in rechargeable batteries, so perfect for location use. The 1412A is 1.2m in length which gives it a lightsaber-esque look and feel, and it can be used handheld if needed. Two pipe clamps are supplied and these have a 1/4in screw thread so you can fix the light to a tripod. I used an Arca Swiss plate and used the 1412A on a tripod with a ball head so it was easy to have the light in an upright, horizontal or diagonal position. No spigot mount or bracket to fix the tube light to a standard lighting stand is available. With some ingenuity and gaffer tape, getting this light into an awkward position is no issue at all if you want to lighten a dark nook or cranny. The light has an on/off switch at one end and a control panel at the other where, together with the two end knobs, you can get into the menu,

Above The 1412A is long and slim and readily portable. adjust output and set mode. The LCD readout isn’t especially large but it’s serviceable and usefully, there is a breakdown of the menu structure next to the panel which makes life easier. Adjusting the settings is easy once you get used to the menu and what each knob does so handling rates highly. Where the 1412A has potential is in its many output options. It is colour temperature adjustable from 2700 to 6500K adjustable in 100K steps with power adjustable from 0 to 100% in 1% steps. That makes it really easy to fine-tune the output from this light to match others (or to the ambient light) for realistic effects. In terms of output, the tube light one metre gives enough light to shoot at 1/60sec at f/4 and ISO 400. For an LED light that’s a decent

return and certainly practical with the ISO performance of modern digital cameras. That is one really useful aspect of the light but it gets even more interesting. In HSI mode you can set hue (HSI on the display), saturation and intensity (DIM) to give vivid coloured lighting effects, again with great controllability. The HSI setting is adjustable from 0 to 360, so in effect 360 different hues. See the accompanying pictures (below) for examples of this. For video shooting the 1412A has a range of special effects. You can set, for example, red/blue flashing lights as in a cop car, simulate a lightning storm or have an SOS signal provided in light form. Each effect can be refined further in the menu. WC

Verdict The NanGuang Large RGB Tube Light TRGB1412A would be a versatile and practical addition to a studio photographer or video maker’s lighting arsenal. Location shooters would understandably prefer the slightly more expensive 1212B battery option – power source apart the lights are identical. The 1412A certainly works very well, and build quality is impressive so will withstand heavy use. It’s a serious light for a reasonable investment. Pros Good power, versatile, build quality Cons No lighting stand mount

TEST SHOTS With the light positioned 100cm from the test chart, a series of test shots were taken with a colour test chart against a white background. The test shots show what is possible in terms of colour temperature control and colour output. Using a Nikon D850 a custom white-balance reading was taken with the tube light at 6500K and on full output. The remaining shots were taken with that value. Exposure settings for all of these shots in manual mode were 1/15sec at f/8 and ISO 400. In HSI mode (bottom right two rows of images) you can choose from 360 colours and adjust saturation from 0% all the way up to 100% in 1% steps.

Colour temperature settings 6500K

5000K

4000K

2700K

HSI 360

HSI 239

HSI 325

90%

80%

70%

HSI settings HSI 100

Saturation settings

The build quality is impressive so will withstand heavy use

100%

Photography News | Issue 62 | photographynews.co.uk

First tests Specs

MindShift FirstLight 30L backpack £260

Price £260 Comes with Reinforced dividers, seam-sealed rain cover, tripod straps Volume 30L Tripod Yes, straps supplied Materials Exterior: All exterior fabric has a durable water-repellent coating for superior water resistance; the underside of the fabric has a polyurethane coating. It also has the highest quality abrasionresistant YKK RC-Fuse zips, 420D velocity nylon, 420D high-density nylon, 1680D ballistic nylon, 210D nylon, 320G DuraStretch mesh, nylon webbing, 350G airmesh, nylon webbing, 3-ply bonded nylon thread. Interior: 210D silver-toned nylon lining, mesh pockets, high-density closed-cell foam, PE board reinforcement, 3-ply bonded nylon thread. Laptop pocket Yes, front pocket 15in max Internal dimensions (wxhxd) 28.5x46x18cm External dimensions (wxhxd) 30.5x48.3x22cm Unladen weight 2.4kg Contact snapperstuff.com

Camera backpacks have always been popular and the demand has probably grown thanks to airline hand baggage regulations and the way we travellers like to get as much as possible into the cabin. The FirstLight 30L conforms to current guidelines and is roomy enough for a fast aperture 300mm or 400mm lens fixed to a deep-bodied pro DSLR, plus quite a bit more. This backpack has the potential to be ideal for the wildlife shooter on their travels but of course you don’t need to be a jet-setter to enjoy its charms. With its 30L storage capacity, solid build that includes YKK zips, high density nylon and a very useful set of features, this is a backpack that will appeal to most outdoor shooters with decent-sized camera outfits. Let’s start with its capacity. The main compartment is lined to receive hook and loop fastenings so offers great potential in configuring it to suit your needs with the generous supply of dividers. It is deep enough for a DSLR with power grip which also means many lenses can be stored upright. The main compartment wall is rigid which helps with gear protection too. Landscapers can

store their 100mm filter system in an upright position too. There seems to be two schools of thought when it comes to divider design. Some brands go for thick padded dividers while others including MindShift go for thinner versions. I’m a fan of the thinner style which still offers high protection levels and makes maximum use of the storage space. The underside of the lid has three zip-sealed mesh pockets for cards, batteries and lens cloths. Each zip can be parked in a garage so contents will not slip out and there should be no issue with zips rubbing against your kit. The mesh is quite dense but you can still make out the contents. Moving out of the main compartment, there’s a front laptop pocket suitable for a 15in laptop (ideally in a sheath), a hydration pocket and zipped pocket on the top for travel essentials. It’s also worth mentioning that the top carry handle is foam padded which is a seriously useful benefit when the bag is not on your back. A tripod can be attached to the bag and you have two options. On the side

Above The FirstLight 30L isn’t cheap, but it is made from sturdy, highquality materials and does exactly what you need it to do without any fussy features getting in the way. a travel tripod can have its legs in the elasticated pouch with the pod held in place by a strap. A full size tripod can be stowed to the bag’s back with the feet or head sitting in a pull out pocket and straps holding it in place. A final pocket is on the bag’s front and that is big enough for a thin jacket. Fully laden ready for a trip, my kit – comprising a 13in laptop, portable hard drive, two bodies, five lenses, flashgun and filters – in the FirstLight 30L weighed about 13kg. It was heavy, and not what I’d tote around for a day’s shoot, but okay for navigating through an airport terminal. The bag is impressively comfortable to carry and you can tailor it to your physical needs in a way that is not possible with most backpacks. The top of the bag where the shoulder straps attach can be height adjusted to suit your shape and to place the bag so that your hips take the load. You just separate the hook and loop fastening where the yoke and the straps meet

away from the bag and then you can adjust the height by up to 4in so you can get the bag and your body shape in tune. It is worth saying that the word ‘max’ does show so you know not to go any further and risk the bag and the straps parting company. The nature of hook and loop fastening does mean it’s harsh on your hands as you separate the bag and the yoke straps but you only do it a couple of times as you find the bag’s sweet spot. The shoulder straps are well padded and the sternum strap’s position is easily adjustable and simply clips together for ease of use. The sternum strap clip even has a built-in whistle. The surface that rests against your back is well padded too which helps with comfort too. In the time I had the bag nothing broke (zip pulls often go quickly) and while I didn’t have any trips abroad, I managed a couple of landscape shoots with the FirstLight and I really enjoyed using it. WC

Verdict The FirstLight 30L at £260 is a highly priced backpack but it is rich in practical features, really well made and performs impressively. There’s ample room for a comprehensive camera outfit including a long telephoto prime and it is comfortable to carry. But what I really like is that it just gets on with the job in hand without any fuss, unlike some backpacks that have features that do nothing more than complicate what is essentially the simple job of holding your kit securely as you travel from A to B. For the outdoor photographer on the move the FirstLight 30L is a leading product and comes highly recommended. Pros Comfortable when fully loaded, spacious, unfussy styling and handling, padded top grab handles, long lens compatible, torso height adjustable Cons Price, visibility of contents in lid mesh pockets could be better

Photography News | Issue 62 | photographynews.co.uk

First tests Specs Price £229.95 In the box CamRanger mini, case. iOS/ Android app free from Apple App or Google Play store Key features Creates its own Wi-Fi network Remote camera control Free app for iOS and Android Compatibility Works with most Canon and Nikon DSLRs. Full list on website Wi-Fi range 120m approx Battery Rechargeable 1800mAh lithium ion, through micro USB port. Fully charged, last three to four hours Weight 55g Size 94x35x18mm Contact Intro2020.co.uk, camranger.com

Below This is the main screen of the mini app on an iPad Pro.

CamRanger mini £229.95 The CamRanger mini is a device that can expand your photographic potential whether your interest is nature, landscapes or close-ups . The mini is a small USB accessory that connects to Canon and Nikon DSLRs and creates its own Wi-Fi network so that you can connect to your tablet or smartphone with the free app and control key functions and take pictures remotely. Claimed working range is 120m. In my test, I retreated 30m from the CamRanger mini-equipped camera and had no signal drop out. Many of the mini’s features are shared by the older original CamRanger but the new unit does have a few benefits apart from the size – it’s cheaper, faster, has a longer range and the app has more features. To start with, the mini needs charging and this is done easily via its micro USB port and the LED tells you when it’s fully up to speed. A battery check button is supplied and a fourLED display tells you charge level. While that was going on I installed the free CamRanger mini app on my smart device, an Apple iPad Pro 9.7in tablet running the latest iOS. I tried connecting the mini to a Canon EOS 7D Mark II and Nikon D850. Turn it on and you get a red LED showing power is on and a blue LED to indicate Wi-Fi is on; this LED blinks during data transmission. When the unit is ready the next step is to link the tablet to the mini’s network, using the password on the unit itself. It was a pretty straightforward process and within minutes I was viewing the camera’s live view image through the tablet. The live view image on the 9.7in iPad is very bright and clear and can be magnified by 200% to check focus by double tapping the screen, while single tapping the screen

I tried connecting the mini to a Canon EOS 7D Mark II and Nikon D850

Above A tripod-mounted Canon EOS 7D Mark II fitted with a 100mm macro lens was used for this 11-frame stack. Two focus points were set – petal left side and the heart of the rose. The mini showed that 11 shots were required and these were later merged in Affinity Photo software to give this final result.

focuses on that area or lets you adjust focus incrementally. There is an impressive degree of controllability in terms of what camera settings can be altered and the features available. ISO, mode, shutter speed and aperture value are among the settings adjustable remotely. And there’s more. Drive mode, image quality settings and light measuring mode can also be adjusted. Basically, once you have the CamRanger and mini paired, your smart device becomes a fully featured remote control. There are extra features too such as bracketing (you can even bracket with ISO so aperture and shutter settings stay constant), and you can shoot time lapse, HDR and focus stacking for merging in a third-party software. Focus stacking has two options, Classic focus stacking or CamRanger’s more automated option where you can choose the closest ant furthest parts of the scene you want sharp and the size of focus steps required and the mini works out the number of frames required. Push the virtual shutter button when you’re ready and the mini does the rest. If you enjoy macro shooting this is a great feature. For many, the mini will be used for remote shooting and for this it works very well too. For stills shooting,

Verdict The CamRanger mini is a neat device that works well and provides plenty of opportunities for photographers and video makers to explore. The mini’s app makes camera set-up really straightforward, the interface is intuitive and you get features like focus stacking, which macro workers in particular will appreciate. Pros Small, versatile, well featured Cons Canon/Nikon compatibility only

there is inevitably a tiny amount of lag between pressing the virtual shutter button and the exposure being made. Video shooters won’t have that issue of course, but still shooters need to time their shots and quick reflexes will help too. WC

Photography News | Issue 62 | photographynews.co.uk

First tests Specs Price £399.99 In the box Carrying case Leg material Carbon-fibre Load capacity 6kg Folded length 70cm Leg sections Three Leg angles Four Max height (centre column down) 141.7cm Max height (centre column extended) 173cm Multi-angle central column Yes Minimum height 23cm Bubble level Yes Weight 2.44kg Head Alta GH-300T Quick shoe QS-605 VS Contact vanguardworld.co.uk

Vanguard Alta Pro2+ 263CGHT Kit £399.99 The ideal tripod has to be stable in a variety of conditions, not so heavy that it’s left at home, versatile in terms of height options and sport a versatile head that handles well and allows quick adjustments. The Vanguard Alta Pro 2+ 263CGHT kit is an outfit that comfortably fulfils those key criteria. The kit comprises the Alta Pro 2+ 263CT legs and sitting atop is the Alta GH-300T pistol grip ballhead. So, let’s start with the legs. The three-section legs are carbon-fibre with fast-to-use twist-grips that lock firmly into place with one-quarter turn of the rubber grips that feature a raised rib to help purchase. Legs can be angled out and locked in three positions – 40°, 60° and 80° – other than the default 20°, and the settings are clearly marked. Pull-down angle locks at the top of each leg are fast to use and usable with gloves. At the end of each leg is a non-slip rubber foot, and if you want to switch them for spikes that option is available too, at extra cost. The Alta Pro 2+ 263CT’s twist lock legs are very positive in use and the legs lock firmly in position without the need for too much effort. Maximum height extension is decent. I’m 5ft 9in and to get the camera eyepiece to my head height I found I needed just three or four inches of centre column extension.

The centre column is no ordinary centre column; it’s a MACC, a multi-angle centre column. Up to its maximum extension, the centre behaves just like any centre column. But if you take it to its limit, push a button at its base and it can be pulled free of the tripod shoulder and used as a lateral arm. The arm can then be locked in any angle – there are degree markings to help. The MACC also rotates and can be locked within the tripod shoulder so the alignment of the lateral arm is easily adjusted. The arm itself can also be locked at any point along its length so you can have the camera close to the tripod’s axis or further away if you prefer – just watch for over-balancing. Using the MACC makes shooting flat lays easy and if your subject is in an awkward position (fungi on a tree trunk, for example), the MACC makes dealing with such situations easy. Obviously one thing to be aware of is overbalancing the whole ensemble or compromising stability, so watch for that during set-up. The MACC is one worthwhile innovation, and another is the GH-300T pistol grip. This accepts Arca Swiss plates and lets you quickly fine-tune camera orientation easily and rapidly. For upright shooting the ballhead only rotates to the left while the grip itself can be independently

Top Getting a stable shooting platform even at challenging camera positions is easy. Above left The GH-300T head is very versatile and locks securely in a wide variety of positions. Above right Non-slip rubber feet and quick action twist grips promote good handling. adjusted to various angles for handling convenience. The grip also incorporates a shutter release and accepts 2.5mm mini-jack remote release cables so you don’t even have to touch the camera to take shots. Canon minijack and Nikon 10pin leads are supplied in the kit. The pistol grip works well and has enough tension to deal with a weighty camera/lens combination positioned for angled shooting. The ballhead is locked in position using the thumb lever and ball tension is adjusted with the lever on top of the grip. I tried a range of kit on the tripod head, including a Fujifilm X-T2 with a 50-140mm f/2.8 and a Nikon D850 with a 70-200mm f/2.8, using an Arca-Swiss plate on the lens’s tripod

collar in each case. Such pairings I thought would test the usability of the pistol grip and the stability of the MACC when used laterally. I was impressed with the pistol grip that allows quick adjustments and holds the camera firmly when locked rigidly in place. The ball action has a smooth action, too. If I have a small moan it’s that the fully extended legs flex if you grip the tripod’s shoulder and give it a twist, but that shouldn’t affect performance. With three bubble levels, two on the head and one on the tripod shoulder, a rotating camera platform with 72 clicks for panorama shooting, rubber handgrip on two of the legs and a carrying case, this is a fully featured tripod outfit. WC

Verdict The Vanguard Alta Pro 2+ 263CGHT is a competent tripod that delivers a fine performance in respect of stability and versatility. Set-up and take-down are quick too so you are less likely to miss that great light. The GH-300T head is also capable and combines well with the legs. If you already own a set of legs you like, the head is well worth considering if you want to speed up overall handling.

Images The MACC (multi-angle centre column) can be locked at various angles.

Pros Good stability, versatile centre column/lateral arm, pistol grip head, good twist grips Cons Legs flex when fully extended

Photography News | Issue 62 | photographynews.co.uk

First tests Specs Price £799 Format 35mm and APS-C In the box BH-623 bayonet hood, front and rear lens caps Mount Sony E Construction 13 elements in 11 groups Special lens elements Three aspherical, two super-low dispersion AF motor Ultrasonic Coatings Nano-Crystal, fluorine-coated front element Filter size 62mm Aperture range F/2-22 Diaphragm Nine blades Internal focus Yes Manual focus Yes, full-time override Minimum focus 28cm Focus limiter No Distance scale No Depth-of-field scale No Image stabilizer No Tripod collar No Lens hood BH-623 bayonet hood supplied Weather-sealed No Dimensions (dxl) 73.4x81.5mm Weight 464g Contact hahnel.ie

Tokina Firin 20 f/2 FE AF £799 Sony’s full-frame mirrorless cameras may be smaller and lighter than a comparable DSLR, but by the time you add on top-quality glass then that advantage largely disappears – especially if you want to use fast, high-quality lenses. Sony’s G-Master zooms are terrific quality but pricey, large and heavy. And there has not been a huge number of lightweight alternatives from independent makers, especially in the wide-angle range beloved by landscape and street shooters. The Sigma 20mm f/1.4 Art lens weighs in at 1040g, for example, thanks largely to its ultra-fast aperture. Tipping the scales at less than half of that, Tokina’s new 20mm Firin f/2 lens is much more portable yet still has a very high-quality, modern optical design necessary for such high-resolving cameras as Sony’s 42-megapixel A7R III. The lens uses the same glass as Tokina’s current 20mm f/2 manual focus lens, but the new version is autofocus using an ultrasonic motor. This makes it reasonably fast and quiet, although it did hunt a little when compared to native Sony G-Master glass in low-light conditions. It’s certainly not the lens to use for tracking fast-moving action, but that’s not what a prime like this is for. In street photography, it proved quick enough for snapping into focus on people’s faces and staying locked on, even tracking subjects as they moved across the frame. Tokina claims the lens was designed with the full cooperation of Sony, which means it works flawlessly with Sony’s advanced AF features such as face detection. In very low light, it did struggle a little to lock on, despite its fast f/2 maximum aperture, which was a bit disappointing. Landscape workers will have no complaints at all about the accuracy or speed of the focus. Unfortunately, the lens doesn’t offer any focusing marks or depth-of-field scale, but does have a wide focusing ring and AF/MF switch for quick manual tweaks.

Original image

F/2

F/2.8

Above Fast wide-angle lenses are ideal for handheld shooting in dimly lit interiors and this Tokina performs well at wide apertures. Where it does excel is optical quality, thanks to its use of two aspherical elements and three superlow dispersion glass, which cuts down all types of aberration and distortion along with offering high resolving power. The colours are very natural and the images show good contrast without being too extreme. Images are sharp, with the centre area being sharpest with some

degradation of detail at the edges of the frame. But it’s the sort of softening that will only bother keen pixel-peepers. In real world use, the vast majority of photographers would be very happy. What is good is the consistency of sharpness as you change apertures. At very narrow apertures or even wide open, the details are excellent. It’s a lens you can use at any aperture without worrying too much about any image degradation, even at the edges of the frame. There is some obvious vignetting, but this can be automatically removed using the built-in lens profiles in Adobe Lightroom, for example. This is because the lens communicates with Sony cameras via the electrical contacts in the lens mount, so the files can have vignetting and any chromatic aberrations removed. Bokeh is something that’s usually associated with longer lenses but with the Firin offering a fast f/2 aperture, you can actually get some pleasing out-of-focus areas in the background of an image, especially if the subject is close to the lens. There are very few E-mount lenses on the market that are so wide yet can offer a distinctive look when shot wide open, thanks to the fast maximum aperture. There is some field curvature at f/2 – so the centre of the frame is sharper than the edges, which is masked as you close down the aperture for more depth-offield. But wide open this gives the lens a unique look, not totally dissimilar to wide, fast lenses on Leica rangefinders but at a fraction of the cost. The Tokina comes with a lens hood, and the front element is not a huge bulbous affair found on some wide glass. With effective multi-coating, this makes it good at controlling flare. Although low winter sun right into the lens did show some ghosting, it was a pleasing effect and contrast wasn’t hugely affected. The smaller front element allows a reasonably compact 62mm filter thread, so oversize filters aren’t needed. The biggest let down with the lens is that there is no weather sealing. For a lens that could become a workhorse for a landscape photographer who wants to shoot in all conditions without compromising on image quality, it’s a bit of an oversight. AD

F/4

F/5.6

F/8

F/11

F/16

F/22

Verdict The Tokina Firin is small, has decent build quality, is not too heavy and offers not only great image quality for landscape workers but also a unique look when shot wide open that should appeal to street shooters. At £799 it’s not cheap, but you get what you pay for in terms of quality. And there just aren’t any other 20mm f/2 autofocus primes on the market to fit Sony E-mount cameras. Pros Great optical performance and bokeh, fast f/2 maximum aperture Cons No weather sealing, AF is not the fastest or quietest

Photography News | Issue 62 | photographynews.co.uk

First tests

Voigtlander 110mm f/2.5 MACRO APO-Lanthar £875 Specs Price £875 Format Full-frame Mount Sony E Autofocus No, manual only Construction 14 elements in 12 groups Special lens elements Abnormal partial dispersion lens Coatings Not specified Filter size 58mm Aperture range F/2.5-22 Diaphragm 10 blades Internal focus No Manual focus Yes Minimum focus 35cm Focus limiter No Maximum magnification 1:1 Distance scale Yes Depth-of-field scale Yes Image stabilizer No, integral distance encoder enables support for five-axis in-body image stabilisation with bodies with that feature Tripod collar No Lens hood Supplied Weather-sealed No Dimensions (dxl) 7.8x9.9cm Weight 771g Contact flaghead.co.uk

Original image

Autofocusing accuracy, speed and versatility are better than ever, yet interest in manual focus prime lenses is on the up and up. Voigtlander’s latest lens is a 110mm f/2.5 MACRO APO-Lanthar and its price tag puts it up against Sony’s own 90mm f/2.8 macro AF lens that sells at around the same price. The APO-Lanthar focuses as close as 37cm to give life-size magnification without any extra accessories. The longer focal length allows a comfortable working distance when shooting close up and also gives a flattering perspective for portrait and general work. This lens is a quality piece of engineering with an all metal body, 14 lens elements and an aperture ring with 0.3EV step click-stops. Add classic styling and you have a lens that impresses straight out of the box. I tried the lens on a full-frame Sony A7R and on this body the lens is very much the senior partner. The combination is clearly front heavy. The lens has the circuitry to work with Sony’s five-axis image stabilisation system in cameras with that feature. This is a handy benefit especially shooting handheld extreme close-ups, because camera shake can potentially ruin your shots. Circuitry in the lens also means you get EXIF data recorded by the camera for post-shoot reference. The lens’s profile gets slimmer as you get closer to the camera body and this does make getting at the aperture ring a tad fiddly. Get used to it and it works fine and the ring’s smooth-yet-positive action makes up for the minor niggle. The focusing barrel is smooth and nicely taut so no feel of sloppiness and it stays put if you take your hand off the barrel. The focus barrel does have a long travel, taking about one and a half full turns to cover from infinity down to the 37cm minimum focusing distance. To be fair, the travel to cover of a from infinity to 1m is about rotation, so most of the barrel’s travel takes place when you venture into the territory of close-up shooting. For example, from 45cm to 38cm takes one quarter of a turn but given how

Left The Voigtlander lens features quality engineering and classic styling. Here, it's at its maximum extension give to 1:1 magnification. critical focus with close-up subjects is, the long travel makes critical fine-tuning simple. On the camera, you do get the benefit of focus peaking and magnifying focus check to help achieve critical focus. Optically, the 110mm lens performed with credit. We tested it at all apertures with normal outdoors subjects, but also at 1:1 (images shown here) to see how it fared in its specialist area. With extreme close-ups, open aperture quality was decent in the F/2.5

F/4

F/5.6

F/8

F/11

F/22

F/16

Images Lens was set to its minimum focus to give shots of a £10 note at 1:1. The shutter was fired using a 10-second self-timer.

centre and acceptable at the edges, but then macro workers usually frequent mid to small apertures to get some depth-of-field in their shots so this isn’t too much of an issue. Stop down to f/5.6 and beyond and you start to appreciate this lens’s skills because pictures are crisp across the frame. And it just gets better from this point with f/11 being the best aperture delivering contrasty, very sharp shots. If you do want to explore the wider apertures, then the ten-blade iris diaphragm will give some eyecatching bokeh in your portraits. WC

Verdict

While manual focusing is not everyone’s cup of tea the Voigtlander 110mm f/2.5 MACRO APO-Lanthar has plenty going for it, including a fine optical performance at its optimum apertures. Pros Optical quality, metal body, smooth focusing barrel Cons Access to the aperture ring could be better, long focus travel with close subjects

Photography News | Issue 62 | photographynews.co.uk

Competition

Editor’s letter

Photography in a cold climate I trust your 2019 is off to a flying start and you’re managing to brave the cold weather – and get some great pictures. So, which format are you? Micro Four Thirds, APS-C or 35mm full-frame? Maybe you’ve gone medium format, or use your phone, a compact or a bridge camera. Or maybe you don’t care how big or small your sensor is. Photography has always had different formats, and it is true that there is no one size fits all. Smaller formats are, by definition, more compact and portable, while larger formats offer better quality – but at the cost of bulk. Arguably, full-frame 35mm has offered the best compromise over the years and (depending on your viewpoint) that still applies. That said, Micro Four Thirds and APS-C are serious, portable challengers, while medium format digital is an option now, too. If you shoot film, you can take that step more cheaply. I bought a Belair X 6-12 for £240 a couple of years ago and still enjoy it. But going medium format digital is a seriously big (and potentially hideously expensive) step. There is no cheap upgrade path. Yet that small and very important market is evolving and we’ve seen sub-£10k cameras from Fujifilm, Hasselblad and Pentax. That, of course, is still a hugely significant sum – enough for a decent used car, several family holidays or a good start towards a house deposit. Now there’s the Fujifilm GFX 50R, a £4k medium format camera that I got to test for this issue. At that price, it is actually cheaper than several popular 35mm full-frame cameras. This is a body price, so you’ll need to account for extras. You won't be too far off if you budget £6k for a GFX 50R, a prime lens and an extra battery. That’s still a significant lump of change, obviously, but it’s not stratospheric compared to where we were.

WIN!

A Samsung memory card! Capture life’s magical moments across all devices with the Samsung EVO Plus 256GB 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 256GB Samsung EVO Plus microSDXC card with SD adapter worth £74.99 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 10 February 2019 and the winner will be randomly drawn from all correct entries received. The correct answer to PN60’s word search was Fun and the Samsung 128GB PRO+ card was won by M Morley, Yorkshire. samsung.com/uk/memory-cards

While digital medium format will never be mass market, the GFX 50R will certainly have full-frame shooters interested. I suppose the question is: is the quality benefit worthwhile or even discernible? With film, the difference was clearly evident and that’s why many 35mm workers also owned a medium format camera. I had several: 6x4.5cm, 6x6cm and 6x7cm. Given that the resolution of 35mm full-frame is in the area of 45 megapixels, and the GFX 50R has 50 megapixels, you could argue that the benefit (in purely numerical terms) isn’t great. Get granular, though, do some comparison shots with the various formats, make some big prints – as I have done – and I can confirm (quelle surprise!) that the larger the format, the better the image quality. The adage ‘bigger is better’ lives on, and in photography it does hold true – if ultimate image quality is your aim. Whether that benefit is enough to switch formats is another question, and other factors come into play, such as portability, usability, your photographic interests and, of course, the depth of your pocket. It might be simply that you are perfectly content where you are, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that! Medium format and indeed full-frame are not for everyone, but the great thing is our options are growing and that is a very good thing. If medium format does appeal, check out the test of the GFX 50R in this issue and, if mirrorless full-frame is on your radar, we have a test of the Nikon Z 6. I will say that both are very fine cameras. See you next month.

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