Photography News 69 by Bright Publishing

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Issue 69 13 Aug-9 Sept

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Sony launches its highest resolution full-frame camera so far The Sony A7R IV is the world’s highest resolution 35mm fullframe camera. Its imaging sensor is a newly developed design; a 61-megapixel backilluminated Exmor R CMOS unit working with Sony’s latest BIONZ X image processor. The sensor’s new structure and noise-reduction techniques work together to give a low noise performance even at high ISO settings. The native ISO range is 100 to 32,000 with expansion to 102,400 available.

The A7R IV is available this August and costs £3500 body only or £4500 for the camera complete with a 24-105mm G OSS lens. Sony has also unveiled the Cyber-shot RX100 VII, a 20.1-megapixel, zoom lens, premium compact featuring advanced technologies to give a performance at the level of the brand’s flagship, the A9. The RX100 VII will be in the shops at £1200.

Sigma sensation Sigma has launched the world’s smallest full-frame mirrorless camera. The Sigma fp 24.6-megapixel camera uses a conventional Bayer sensor and weighs in at just 422g body only. As well as stills shooting it offers 4K video capture too. It’s the brand’s first L-Mount camera – Sigma is one of the three members of the L-Mount alliance. And speaking of lenses, Sigma has also announced three new lenses this month including its first 35mm prime with a superfast f/1.2 aperture.

sony.co.uk

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Photography News | Issue 69 | photographynews.co.uk

News

Sony launches its highest resolution fullframe camera so far According to Sony, the A7R IV is the world’s highest resolution 35mm full-frame camera. Plus, it can shoot full-resolution images at up to 10fps with continuous AF/AE tracking for up to seven seconds and up to three seconds in APS-C crop mode, delivering 26.2-megapixel images. The camera’s imaging sensor is a newly developed 61-megapixel backilluminated Exmor R CMOS unit working with Sony’s latest Bionz X image processor. The sensor’s new structure and noise-reduction techniques work together to give a low noise performance, even at high ISO settings. The native ISO range is 100 to 32,000 with expansion to 102,400. The sensor can handle a 15EV dynamic range at the lower ISO speeds, giving smooth tonal gradations from deep shadows to the strongest highlights.

In-body image stabilisation (IBIS) is fitted in the A7R IV body, giving a shutter benefit of up to 5.5EV. Helping to reduce risk of camera shake further is a redesigned shutter unit assembly. The camera delivers 61 megapixels, and you can get even more out of the camera by using the Pixel Shift Multi Shooting mode. In this setting, the camera captures 16 individual exposures, capturing 963 megapixels of data and giving a single file of 240 megapixels and 19,008x12,672 pixels. The A7R IV has an advanced autofocusing system using 567 focal plane phase-detection AF points covering 74% of the image area. These AF points are assisted by an additional 425 contrast AF points that help accuracy and reliability in low-light situations. The AF system also features Sony’s Real-time Eye EF, which uses AI to lock onto the subject’s eye, and this is available for animal and human eyes. This mode also works with movie shooting and the AF tracks the eye’s subject. Available from this August, the Sony A7R IV body will cost £3500. An optional vertical grip, the VGC4EM, will be available from September priced at £400.

Sigma announces world’s smallest fullframe mirrorless

Sony brings A9 performance to its RX100 VII

Sigma says the fp is the world’s smallest and lightest full-frame mirrorless digital camera, with overall dimensions of 112.6×69.9×45.3mm and body weight of 422g. The camera features a 35mm Bayer sensor with 24.6 megapixels and, despite its small body, allows for mixing and matching with a variety of interchangeable lenses and accessories. The Sigma fp offers users the ability to shoot stills or videos and comes with a host of features, including being able to adjust image tone and colour, an auto HDR function, and the ability to create animated GIF cinemagraphs in-camera. Additionally, the camera supports 12-bit CinemaDNG external recording for Raw video data, and possesses the ability to record at 4K UHD/24fps. Through the L-Mount, a range of Sigma lenses can be used with the camera, as well as those of other manufacturers. With the Sigma mount converter MC-21, Sigma SA mount and Sigma's Canon EF mount lenses can be used, offering users more options. sigma-imaging-uk.com

Key features

Sony A7R IV £3499 body only 61-megapixel resolution Sony E-mount 9504x6336 pixels Full-frame back-illuminated sensor 15EV dynamic range Dual SD card slots, UHS-II compatible 5.76 million dot EVF 3in tilting touch monitor, 1440k dots 4K movie mode

567 phase-detect AF points, covering 74% of image area 10fps continuous shooting with AE/AF tracking Shutter range from 30secs to 1/8000sec Built-in microphone USB-C charging Weather sealed 670 shots from one charge

sony.co.uk

Sony Cyber-shot RX100 VII 20.1 megapixels using one-inch stacked CMOS sensor 357 point phase-detect and 425 point contrast-detect AF system Real-time tracking and real-time eye AF for humans and animals 20fps blackout-free shooting with AE/AF tracking Zeiss Sonnar 24-200mm f/2.8 lens Pro movie features including 4K HDR, real-time tracking and real-time eye AF, 4K Active SteadyShot and 3.5mm microphone jack Weighs in at 302g

Sony has also added to its premium compact line-up with the arrival of the RX100 VII, a camera offering a 20.1-megapixel resolution using a one-inch stacked CMOS sensor and Sony Bionz image processor. The RX100 VII can shoot at 20fps without image blackout and with AE/AF tracking. This is thanks to the 357 point phasedetect and 425 point contrast-detect AF system, which makes AE/AF calculations 60 times a second during continuous shooting. For even faster shooting, the camera has single burst shooting mode, which

gives seven still images at 90fps, 60fps and 30fps in Raw and JPEG using the anti-distortion shutter. For the first time in a compact camera, the RX100 VII has realtime tracking and real-time eye AF, which works in still and 4K video shooting. The integrated lens, in 35mm terms, is a Zeiss Sonnar 24200mm f/2.8-4.5, so a wide range that will allow all manner of subjects to be tackled successfully. The RX100 VII will be in the shops at £1200. sony.co.uk

Sigma fp 35.9x23.1mm back-illuminated Bayer CMOS sensor 24.6 megapixels, 6072x4056 pixels L-Mount Contrast AF, 49 zones Captures Raw DNG files, 12/14-bit ISO range 100-25,600, expansion down to ISO 6 and up to 102,400 Electronic image stabilisation 30secs to 1/8000sec shutter range Up to 18fps continuous shooting 3840x2160 UHD 4K movie 1xSD slot

Photography News | Issue 69 | photographynews.co.uk

News

Fujifilm announces new photography experience centre in London

A world first for Fujifilm, the concept centre will offer touch and try experiences with Fujifilm cameras, lenses, printers and more. Based in Covent Garden and spread over three floors, the centre will celebrate and showcase all aspects of Fujifilm’s photography and imaging brands, from picture taking to picture making. Visitors will be encouraged to immerse themselves in the world of photography and experience all Fujifilm has to offer, by using kit,

experimenting with printing photos and more. “Our new centre will put the customer at the heart of the experience as a place for everyone to completely immerse themselves in the world of photography,” says Theo Georghiades, general manager of Electronic Imaging, Fujifilm UK. Zones in the centre will feature the following experiences: • Instax instant cameras and printers experience zone • GFX specialist area • X Series spotlight

image stabilisation system which offers up to 6EV benefit. The lens has an optical construction of 16 elements in 12 groups which includes three aspherical and one extra-low dispersion aspherical lens to control aberrations and give sharpness across the frame. Autofocus uses a stepper motor that drives the focusing group of lens elements very quickly and quietly. Add dust and weather resistance and you have a great all-round and very useful standard zoom. Both lenses will be available from mid September, the GF50mm f/3.5 R LM WR selling at £949 and £769 for the XF1680mm f/4 R OIS WR. fujifilm.eu/uk

Nikon’s Z lens family gains a new member with the announcement of the Nikkor Z 85mm f/1.8 S. Ideal for people photography and with a fast-maximum aperture for low-light shooting, this lens is a welcome option for users of Nikon’s full frame mirrorless cameras. This short telephoto has a construction of 12 elements in eight groups, including two extra low-dispersion elements to minimise lens aberrations and maximise resolution even at its close focusing distance of 80cm, and Nikon’s Nano Crystal Coating is used to combat flare and ghosting. Autofocus is performed by ultra-quiet stepping motors and there’s minimal focus breathing, so this lens is ideally suited to video use too. The lens is also fully compatible with the five-axis image stabilisation systems built into the Z 6 and Z 7 cameras.

This exciting lens will be in the shops from early September and is priced at £799. nikon.co.uk

• Wonder Photo Shop with photo printing and photo gifting inspiration “Fujifilm is passionate about the preservation of people’s memories and committed to more than just keeping the spirit and culture of photography alive – we want it to thrive. This new experience centre, a Fujifilm first, will help us do just that,” said Yoshitaka Nakamura, managing director, Fujifilm UK. The centre opens in winter 2019. fujifilm.eu/uk

Fujifilm announces two lightweight lenses The GF50mm f/3.5 R LM WR and the XF16-80mm f/4 R OIS WR are designed for Fujifilm’s medium format GFX and APS-C X Series systems respectively. The GF50mm f/3.5 R LM WR is the tenth addition to the GFX lens range. It is the smallest and the lightest in the GFX range, weighing 335g and measuring 84x48mm. Its focal length of 50mm (equivalent to 40mm in the 35mm film format) makes it ideal for general use when you want to travel light. The GF50mm f/3.5 lens is dust and weather resistant and capable of operating in temperatures down to -10°C. The XF16-80mm f/4 R OIS WR is a competitively priced 5x standard zoom (equivalent to 24122mm in the 35mm format) and its headline feature is its optical

Nikon adds to its Z lens system

Three up from Sigma Sigma’s three new lenses – the 14-24mm f/2.8 DG DN Art, the 35mm f/1.2 DG DN Art and the 45mm f/2.8 DG DN Contemporary – are optimised for full-frame still and for video shooting on mirrorless cameras. The fast aperture 14-24mm wide-angle zoom is a compelling choice for photographers shooting starry skies, sweeping landscapes and interiors and demand high resolution to the edges of the frame. The 35mm is Sigma’s first f/1.2 prime lens. With a large aperture comes the promise of high resolution and large bokeh effects with a shallow depth-of-field, meaning the lens will be enjoyed by portrait photographers and those wishing to shoot similar artistic content.

The 45mm features a compact design, intended for use with small full-frame mirrorless bodies. As part of Sigma’s Contemporary line, the lens is designed for easy operation across a broad subject range. All three lenses feature highspeed, accurate and quiet AF when shooting still or video, with L-Mount and Sony E-mounts available. Other features across all three lenses include a mount with a dust- and splash-proof cover, and full-time manual focus mode. The 14-24mm f/2.8 DG DN Art and 35mm f/1.2 DG DN Art both cost £1459.99, while the 45mm f/2.8 DG DN Contemporary is priced at £549.99. sigma-imaging-uk.com

Photography News | Issue 69 | photographynews.co.uk

News

Small and light Nissin The Nissin i600 is a compact speedlight designed with smaller mirrorless cameras in mind. It is available in fits for Canon, Fujifilm, Micro Four Thirds, Nikon and Sony. It weighs just 300g without batteries. The i600 might be small but it doesn’t lack in features, with an output of guide number 60 (ISO 100/m), high speed sync up to 1/8000sec, TTL and zoom head covering from 24mm to 200mm. The head also has a built-in diffuser

Small and flash Hahnel The Hahnel MODUS 360RT is a compact speedlight, with a guide number of 36 (ISO/m) and a rapid recycling time of just 1.5sec at full power. Its HLX-MD2 Extreme li-ion battery has enough energy for 400 full power shots from a charged battery. Other features include an integral high power video light, TTL and multi-flash modes, and high speed sync up to 1/8000sec. Variants for Canon, Fujifilm, Micro Four Thirds, Nikon and Sony are available, priced at £159.99, with extra batteries costing £34.99 each.

Laowa’s going very wide Venus Optics has announced the availability of the Laowa 17mm f/4 Zero-D ultra wideangle lens for the Fujifilm GFX system. The new lens is the fourth lens in the Zero-D family, and claims to have very low levels of distortion so straight lines stay straight. Its construction features 21 elements in 14 groups, has a five-blade diaphragm and focuses as close as 20cm. This lens is designed with a 86mm filter thread, or filters can be used via a magnetic filter holder. It starts shipping from this August, priced at £1299.

that gives a light spread up to 16mm. It takes four AA cells, a new set giving up to 1500 flashes, with a recycling time of 0.1 to 5.5secs. The i600’s guide price is £189.95. Kenro has also announced a carbon fibre lighting stand, the LS-55C. This stand weighs in at just 625g, extends to a maximum height of two metres and can take a maximum load of 1.5kg. The LS-55C has a guide price of £139.95. kenro.co.uk

ukdigital.co.uk

Cameras in Cambridge The Cambridge Photography Show is the place to be for imaging enthusiasts, featuring the latest gear from brands such as Olympus, Nikon, Panasonic and Sony. Broaden your skills by listening to brand ambassadors, drone pilots, photographers and videographers, all sharing a range of tricks and tips that you can incorporate into your own photography. The Cambridge Photography Show aims to connect like-minded

photographers and videographers, providing a place to network with leading industry specialists. The show is on 19 October at the Cambridge Guildhall, and by attending you have the chance to win an Olympus TG-6 Tough camera, an adventure compact for all weathers – and even underwater. This show is free to attend so register today to book your place. cpshow.org

Lee’s latest additions Lee has introduced two items to its 100 system, to complement its recently launched new 100 holder. The Tandem adapter (shown above) is made from aluminium and means you can fit two 100 adaptors together, so you can use more than one ND grad and rotate them independently of each other. It is a great solution for all those tricky lighting situations. There is also a new collapsible hood. It can be used with up to three slot-in filters, plus the polariser.

hahnel.ie

Photography news

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Publishing Team Managing directors Andy Brogden & Matt Pluck As well as your local camera club, you can pick up Photography News in-store from: Cameraworld, Castle Cameras, Jessops, London Camera Exchange, Park Cameras, Wex Photo Video, Wilkinson Cameras

Four locking tabs hold the hood in place on the filter holder, and it can be rotated independently of the holder. At full extension, the hood can be used with 28mm lenses and two filters with no vignetting issues. At half extensions, lenses as wide as 20mm can be used. The Lee 100 Tandem adapter is priced at £53.40 and the hood is £249.60. Both are available now. leefilters.com

Photography News is published 11 times a year by Bright Publishing Ltd, Bright House, 82 High Street, Sawston, Cambridge CB22 3HJ. No part of this magazine can be used without prior written permission of Bright Publishing Ltd. Photography News is a registered trademark of Bright Publishing Ltd. The advertisements published in Photography News that have been written, designed or produced by employees of Bright Publishing Ltd remain the copyright of Bright Publishing Ltd and may not be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher. The content of this publication does not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher. While Bright Publishing makes every effort to ensure accuracy, it can’t be guaranteed. Street pricing at the time of writing is quoted for products.

Photography News | Issue 69 | photographynews.co.uk

News

Save on a Spyder X

Buy a Datacolor SpyderX before 30 September 2019 and you can save up to £70. The SpyderX is a very accurate monitor calibrator, easy to use with single-click software. The ‘It’s time for a facelift’ upgrade program lets users trade in any calibrator they currently have to save £35 on a new SpyderX Pro or £70 on a new SpyderX Elite. The offer is available online and at participating retailers. Trade in your current calibrator (any make or model) via mail or at a participating retailer to be eligible. Additional details can be found on participating retailer websites.

Backpacks for travel from Tamrac Tamrac’s new Nagano backpacks are designed for the travelling photographer and come in 16L and 12L models. They feature modern designs and offer efficient storage for a host of photography-based kit. Both models can house compact and full-frame DSLRs, mirrorless systems, action cameras, flash

units, compact DSLR bodies, accessories, water bottles and more. Additionally, the 16L model can hold a 15in laptop, while the 12L will hold an 11in laptop or tablet. Both backpacks feature rearpanel access, a padded upper compartment for personal items

and expandable side pockets, and are constructed with durable, weather-resistant fabrics. The Tamrac Nagano 16L and 12L backpacks are available now with guide prices of £125 and £145 respectively.

Borrow a Lumix

– for free

intro2020.com Panasonic Lumix’s scheme allows image-makers to loan the S1 and S1R cameras free of charge. Photographers can also loan S series lenses, including the 24-105mm standard zoom, the 70-200mm telezoom lens and the 50mm prime as well as the Sigma MC21 converter. The Lumix S loan scheme is open to photographers and videographers who are interested in trying out the S series for their general work or an upcoming project, providing an excellent opportunity to try out the system. campaigns.panasonic.eu/ lumix-s-loan-scheme-uk-pr

datacolor.com

Advertisement feature

Prints for pleasure

“It’s a lovely shot and the Trinity Framed Print Block complements it beautifully” Derek Poulston, sales & marketing One Vision Imaging “I should definitely print more of my images,” says PN’s digital editor Jemma Dodd, whose shot you can see framed above. “I’m terrible for taking images, uploading them to my website and social media channels and then that’s it. When I received my framed print of a shot I took in Prague, I was genuinely amazed at

how it looked. I’d never thought about getting this shot printed, but it looks so great in the frame and I even had many of my colleagues stopping as they passed by to comment on it. It’s really brought the image to life!” Jemma was also impressed with the packaging. “The parcel it came in was larger than I expected,

but the frame was perfectly secured, so I’d happily order more framed prints, whether for myself or as presents, without any worry about what condition it might arrive in.” onevisionimaging.com 0845 305 2685

One Vision Trinity Framed Print Block Let your pictures speak for themselves with the One Vision Imaging Trinity Framed Print Block. Your image will be mounted on to a raised bevelled MDF block and framed within a deep-set moulding to make it really stand out against multi layers. An anti-scratch print seal is also applied to your photo for added protection. Sizes are available from 16x14 to 32x28 inches, with a 30mm depth, and you can choose a matte black or white frame. Prices start at £66 and production is up to seven working days.

Photography News | Issue 69 | photographynews.co.uk

News

Tenba launches Skyline bag series Tenba has expanded its Skyline bags with six new models, which include pouches, top loaders, messenger bags and a backpack. All of the models are made from water-repellent fabric and available in black or grey, with a vibrant blue interior. The range includes the Skyline 3 Camera pouch, priced at £12, and the Skyline 4 Camera pouch priced at £15, which will fit premium compact cameras and small mirrorless cameras. The Skyline 8 Top Load Bag can hold a mirrorless camera or DSLR with an attached standard zoom lens (1855mm) and is priced at £25, while the Skyline 9 Top Load bag can fit a pro DSLR with a 24-70mm lens. Also in the range is the Skyline 13 Messenger priced at £75 and the Skyline 13 Backpack priced at £90. Both the Messenger bag and backpack can fit a mirrorless or pro DSLR camera with up to six lenses and a 13in laptop. The new bags will be available from Tenba authorised stockists this month.

Cokin releases CLEARSKY filters Cokin’s new Clearsky filters are designed for use by astrophotographers and those wishing to capture night-time scenes without street light pollution. This pollution is caused by sodium or mercury vapour lamps found in streetlights and appears in the form of an often-unwanted yellow or orange glow. Cokin’s Clearsky filters target these wavelengths of light for a natural-looking effect. The filters have multi-layer anti-reflect and anti-flare coatings applied on both sides to increase light transmission, reduce reflections and provide protection from scratches, water marks and oily fingerprints. The Clearsky filters are part of Cokin’s Nuances range and are available in rectangular widths of 84mm, 100mm and 130mm, or as round, screw-in filters from 52mm to 82mm diameter. Clearsky filters are available now from Cokin stockists, with guide prices ranging from to £69 to £199. intro2020.co.uk

tenba.com/en-gb

Polariser from Syrp

Win a copy of Mission Moon 3-D To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission, we’re giving you the chance to win one of two copies of Mission Moon 3-D, signed by Brian May. Mission Moon 3-D is a tribute to the heroic moonwalkers that took those first steps from Brian May and David J Eicher, editor of Astronomy magazine, and takes you on a journey through time, illustrating the events that led to the Apollo 11 moon landing in July 1969. The book can be purchased from missionmoon3-d.com for £30.

For a chance to win one of two signed copies head to photographynews.co.uk/ missionmoon and answer the questions. The competition closes on 30 August at 23:59.

Syrp has launched a circular polarizing filter. Made from Schott glass and featuring an antiscratch layer, the Syrp polariser has a durable, low-profile aluminium frame. Two sizes are available, 67mm (small) and 82mm (large), priced

Shimoda’s straps exclusively designed for women Shimoda has created a range of straps designed specifically for women. The straps are available in three fits, the Tech Strap, Simple Strap and Petite Strap, which all fit around the sternum and abdomen and curve away from the chest to sit towards the underarms. Each strap

features a stretch water bottle sleeve and zipped phone pocket and fit any Shimoda Explore backpack. All of the straps are available now, with the Simple Strap priced at £32 and the Tech Strap priced at £36. Shimoda is also launching a range of accessories which

includes panel wraps, an accessory pouch, passport wallet, booster strap set, divider pocket and XQD/ CF card wallet, all aimed at the adventure or travel photographer with prices starting at £5. shimodadesigns.com

at £99.95 and £114.95 respectively. Both sizes of filter come with step-down rings to fit smaller filter threads – 52mm and 58mm for the small, and 72mm and 77mm for the large.

Panasonic firmware updates

Updates are available for the following Lumix cameras: S1R, S1, GH5, GH5S, G9, G90, G80 and GX9. Benefits depend on the camera; for example, S1 and S1R updates improve image stabiliser and AF. More details are available from the Lumix Global Customer Support website. support-uk.panasonic.eu

syrp.co

Photography News | Issue 69 | photographynews.co.uk

News

Nikon winners announced © Jason Parnell-Brookes

The Nikon Photo Contest is one of the largest photo competitions in the world, achieving a record 97,369 submissions from 33,000 photographers in 170 countries. This year, the contest is celebrating its 50th anniversary. Submissions were invited in three categories: Open, Next Generation and Short Film. The Nikon Photo Contest 20182019 winners are as follows: n Open Award Single Photo Gold Prize: Alma and Alzheimers, by Jason Parnell-Brookes (UK), shown right n Open Award Photo Story Gold Prize: Hope, by Thaib Chaidar (Indonesia) n Next Generation Single Photo Gold Prize: Ayimpoka, by Sara De Antonio Feu (Spain) n Next Generation Photo Story Gold Prize: Moments in Our Youthful Days, by Fanghua (China)

NEWS IN BRIEF

Hoya Fusion The Fusion series of filters joins the Hoya range as a ‘fusion’ of the brand’s most highly valued features which include 18 multi-layer coatings, high light transmission, pro-grade optical glass, water- and stain-resistant coating and slim filter frames. The Fusion series is available in protector, ultra-violet and circular polariser. Prices start from £20 and sizes range from 37mm to 82mm. intro2020.co.uk

The announcement of the Grand Prize winner will be made at the official award ceremony in Tokyo on 23 August 2019. All winning photos and videos can be found at nikon-photocontest.com/en/

International charity Born Free is running a free-to-enter wildlife photography contest to promote its campaign against trophy and canned hunting. Photographers of all skill levels can enter and shots can be taken in the UK or abroad so long as they portray

the beauty of freedom. Entries will be uploaded to Born Free’s Facebook page and the public invited to vote for the winner. Closing date is 30 September. For details see the website. bornfree.org.uk/shoottothrill

This contest, sponsored by Cokin, Formatt-Hi-tech, Hoya and Kenko, is looking for great images that show creative and effective use of photographic filters. Judging will be done photographers from four different countries. There is one grand prize of Yen500,000 (about £3866) for the

overall winner, a judges special prize of Yen 100,000 and 30 ‘excellent work’ prizes of Yen 10,000 of Kenko-Tokina group products. Entry closes 31 October 2019. The winners will be announced on the website in February 2020. filter-zone.com

Architectural Photographer of the Year The Bath Preservation Trust launched this contest last year to discover how photographers interpreted architecture and as a way of making architecture accessible to a wider audience. The contest culminated in an exhibition of the top ten images that was seen by over 3000 visitors. This year there are three themes; Architecture of

Entertainment; Bath: after the Georgians; and Junior POTY for photographers under the age of 19.

New monitor from BenQ The BenQ SW270C features the company’s screen-wide colour uniformity technology, shows 99% of the Adobe colour space and is HDR10 compatible. It also has a USB-C port, supports 24P/25P video content and has 16-bit 3D look-up table and Delta E<2 in Adobe RGHB and sRGB colour spaces for the most accurate colour view. The monitor costs £699. xpdistribution.com

museumofbath archtitecture.org.uk

International Filter Photo Contest 2019

Born Free

Sissinghurst award A category dedicated to images taken at National Trust Sissinghurst has been added to the International Garden Photographer of the Year contest (IGPOTY). It is the first time the renowned garden created by Vita Sackville-West and Harold Nicolson has had its own category in this leading photography contest, which closes 6 October. igpoty.com

Photography News | Issue 69 | photographynews.co.uk

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

Camera club news If your club has any news you want to share with the world, these are the pages 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 read and take note of the submission guidelines (right) and get your stories in

Clubs

Here’s how to submit

We need words and pictures by 2 September 2019 for the next issue of Photography News, which will be available from 10 September 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

Ware & District PS

Helpful dates © Peter Milsom EFIAP (S)

Several members of Ware & District PS have had images accepted in the PAGB Annual Exhibition. They are as follows: PDIs Open Section – Ntando Mahlangu by Peter Milsom EFIAP (S); Colour Prints – Marcel Hug Leading in the Rain by Peter Milsom EFIAP (S) and On the End of the Chilterns by Bob Norris EFIAP; and in PDIs Nature Section – Ptarmigan in the Snow and Beewolf Wasp Carrying Honeybee, both by Simon Jenkins DPAGB. Ware & DPS’ new season commences on 4 September at its new location of Thundridge Village Hall, Old Cambridge Road, Thundridge, near Ware SG12 0TU. Meetings start at 8pm.

Deadline for the next issue: 2 September 2019

We’re always keen to receive club submissions. To help with the planning and timing of submissions, here are the publication and deadline dates for the next few issues of Photography News.

Issue 70, out from 10 September Deadline for contributions: 2 September Issue 71, out from 15 October Deadline for contributions: 7 October Issue 72, out from 26 November Deadline for contributions: 18 November Issue 73, out from 14 January 2020 Deadline for contributions: 6 January 2020

wareps.org.uk

The 2019/20 season gets off to a flying start for New City PC in Milton Keynes with not one but two great evenings. First up on 5 September there’s a visit from David Smith of Olympus Cameras. The evening starts with a short history of Olympus products and then a demonstration of the current cameras and features such as focus stacking and Live Composite mode. There’s also the chance to get hands on the latest Olympus kit. Entry is free to both members and visitors, as are the refreshments. Then on 26 September photographer

and photoshop guru Glyn Dewis will be talking about his 3945 Portraits Project, an ongoing series of portraits of veterans who lived through the events of the Second World War. Entry for this meeting for non members is £5, refundable if you decide to join the club. New City PS meets at Christ Church Hall, Stantonbury Campus, Milton Keynes MK14 6BN, Thursday evenings from 7:30pm from early September through to the end of July. newcityps.co.uk

Monmouth PC reopens its doors on 6 September. Based in Mitchel Troy Village Hall (NP25 4BD) the club meets on the first and third Fridays of the month starting at 7.30pm. Standout events in this season’s programme include: 6 September Panasonic Lumix ambassador Damien Demolder;

and on 4 October sees Tim Knifton, an urban explorer, and a feature of his talk will be his visits to Pripyat – the town adjacent to Chernobyl. The club is open to all and entry is £4 per night for non-members. monmouthphoto.co.uk

Maidstone CC is holding its annual exhibition in The Mall, Maidstone, 19 to 25 August. Entrance is free and there will be over 100 prints on display. Visitors will be invited to vote for their favourite picture from the exhibition. Opening times are the same as for The Mall (see themall.co.uk/Maidstone) and club members will be on hand every day to talk to visitors about the club and anything photographic. Maidstone CC meets Tuesdays at 7.30pm from September round to May at Madginford Hall, Bearsted, Kent ME15 8LH. maidstonecameraclub.org.uk

Maidstone CC

Monmouth PC

New City PC

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Clubs

Hebden Bridge CC will hold its annual exhibition from 24 until 31 August at the Town Hall in Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire. Open 10am to 4pm every day except Bank Holiday 26 August when the town

Viewfinders of Romsey CC Viewfinders of Romsey CC celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. To mark this milestone it has invited one of the UK's leading landscape photographers, Mark Bauer, to give his presentation ‘From Dawn to Dusk: Using Light in Landscape Photography’ at the Lantern Theatre, Mountbatten School, Romsey, Hampshire SO51 5SY on 14 September. The evening starts at 8pm and entrance is £5. Viewfinders meets most Tuesdays and new members, regardless of photographic experience, are always welcome.

Inspire PC and West Haddon PC are to present a talk by the BBC wildlife photographer and filmmaker Dr Michael Leach titled It’s a Funny Way to Make a Living, at Pitsford School, Pitsford Village, Northampton NN6 9AX on 3 October, 7pm for a 7.30 start. Tickets cost £6 for nonmembers and are available via email, nphotocollaborative@ gmail.com Inspire PC meets meetings every Thursday at 7.30pm. inspirephotographyclub. co.uk

viewfinderscameraclub.org.uk

Poultonle-Fylde PS © Kelsey Baker

Loughton CC

On 31 August Loughton CC will be opening its annual exhibition at Loughton Library, Traps Hill during normal opening times. Entrance will be free. Closing date

have a range of photographic experience. There will be a variety of subjects on display which should be attractive to the whole community. ‘’We would hope that visitors go away with the experience of seeing some fine photography which

may stimulate their own interest in photography or perhaps encourage them to take up this creative and satisfying art,” says Keith Fenton, in charge of publicity for Leigh CC.

is 28 September. On display will be colour and monochrome images and there’s a PDI show too. loughtoncameraclub.org.uk

Leigh on Sea CC Leigh on Sea CC was formed in 1929 and will be holding its 90th anniversary exhibition at the Forum, Elmer Square. Southend on Sea from 22 August to 17 September. Visitors will be able to see over 40 images of work created by the club’s members who

Inspire PC

chesterfieldphotosociety.org

hebdenbridgecc.co.uk

Chesterfield PS is moving to St Thomas’ Community Centre on Chatsworth Road, Chesterfield S40 3AW. To celebrate the move, photographers and their families are invited to a dropin open evening at St Thomas’ on 5 September, from 7.30pm where they can view the new venue, learn new techniques and meet current members. As a bonus Dents Photography will be setting up an exciting photo opportunity to take pictures of snakes and have free prints supplied via its online app. . Martin Jackson, Chesterfield’s president, says “It’s an exciting time and moving to a new meeting place will allow us to provide much more opportunity for practical work such as lighting, flash, presentations on the use of software and how to print and mount images as well as social interaction in a more accessible venue. This is a momentous step in the life of our society to the extent that we will, effectively, relaunch and we would like to encourage all Chesterfield photographers to come along and join in. “We have introduced a new member rate of just £30 for the year plus £1 on the night, which gives access to the full range of practical and guest speaker presentations.”

Hebden’s new season begins 4 September at 7.45pm at the Masonic Hall, Hangingroyd Lane, Hebden Bridge.

Chesterfield PS

hall is closed. Entry is free. Prints from the club’s 50+ members will be on display and visitors will be invited to vote for their favourite image. Also HBCC 2020 calendars will be on sale.

Hebden Bridge CC

The Residents Competition is part of Poulton PS’s Summer Exhibition held in Poulton Library, on until 23 August. This is Poulton’s second annual event involving the local community and the first prize was a year’s free membership of PPS – several members have joined the Society as a result of entering the competition in the past. Shown here is Childhood Dream, an entry in the Residents contest by Kelsey Baker. This year’s exhibition includes the Society’s first prize-winning entry to the Glennie Memorial Nature Salon 2019 where Poulton came first out of 65 clubs worldwide. The Society meets on Thursdays at 7.30pm in Poulton-le-Fylde Methodist Church Hall, Queensway FY6 7ST. The new season starts on 5 September and runs to June 2020.

leighcameraclub.co.uk poultonps.co.uk

Photography News | Issue 69 | photographynews.co.uk

Advertisement feature

Competition

Wedding Photographer of the Year: Round 5 Discover the theme for Round 5 and find out the winner of Round 3

Steve’s winning image shows the bride’s grandparents and her aunt, sitting waiting to greet the bride and groom. Steve says, “It’s one of those moments that I love to look for in a wedding, and I like the way they look miserable with all the happy photos around them at the back. We do have lots of photos of them enjoying themselves later in the day, it was just ‘a moment’!” Steve has won a Bellissimo album from Loxley Colour and also joins the running to be named Wedding Photographer of the Year 2019. © Steve Vaughan

Last month we launched Round 4 of our Wedding Photographer of the Year competition with Loxley, so we’re more than halfway through the competition. Currently in the running to be crowned Wedding Photographer of the year are Round 1 winner Ash Davenport, Round 2 winner Marie Anson and our Round 3 winner, who we can reveal is Steve Vaughan; his photograph won the Reportage round.

Round 3: winning image

Here are some of the judge’s comments: “You’d think everyone belonging to them was dead! Great expressions!” Paul Callaghan “I just love the look on everyone’s faces, they just look so bored and uninterested. A well seen and captured moment.” Trevor Yerbury “This image is an example of catching a wonderful situation at a wedding. This photographer did not miss the magical moment of the sheer boredom from the elderly guests. Faye Yerbury “My reason for choosing this is that it captures a very real moment and tells a story that evokes a reaction from me, the viewer. I like to be able to get a story from a reportage image and experience an emotion, and I get that from looking at this image.” Natalie Martin

Round 5: Group shot © Kevin Pengelly

Get inspired Here are some group shots from some of the judges – Brett Florens and Kevin Pengelly

While not always fun for guests, group shots of family and friends are still important, as the couple can look back and be reminded of the loved ones that shared their special day. You might take traditional group shots with family members all standing around the bridge and groom, or cleverly composed shots of the groomsmen and bridesmaids, or you could get a little more creative. Last year’s winner and judge of this year’s competition, Natalie Martin, says, “Obviously families are a huge aspect of the wedding day photographs and what I want to see here is something different, something away from the normal wedding line-up. A bit of fun, a bit of energy and a lot of love." Judge Kevin Pengelly says, “I like to see a well-balanced image with good posing and a connection between the group. It could also show the love between the family and also the fun element.” Adam Johnson has this advice to offer; “Making a group shot more than just a boring image is a huge skill, so I’ll be looking for elements of individual posing, background selection, and then the expressions across the group.”

Submit your Round 5 image at photographynews.co.uk/ weddingphotographeroftheyear before 10 September to enter. Full Ts&Cs can be found at the link above.

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

Clubs

South London PS South London PS kicks off again on 16 September. This small, informal group of keen photographers meets weekly to share their images, ideas and questions. Meetings take place at 8pm in the Perry Rise Baptist Church, Perry Rise, Forest Hill, London SE23 2QL. Established in 1889, it is one of the UK’s longest-running photographic groups.

The image shown below, Moonlight, was taken by SLPS member Richard Evans who joined because he wanted a route back into photography. “I found that it was friendly,” he says. “I love the regular competitions but the best thing about the group is the gentle encouragement and advice of the members and judges.” southlondonps.org.uk © Richard Evans

Beauvale PG

Leighton Buzzard PC starts on 6 September at 7:30pm for 8pm. Visitors can have one or two free meetings then it is £3 entrance fee per meeting plus membership. LBPC’s season ended on 26 June when club trophies and certificates were handed out to those who had been successful in the club competitions through the season. The presentations were made by chairman Mike Kitchingman, assisted by Paul Searle. lbpc.org.uk © Wendy Taylor

Beauvale PG’s annual exhibition takes place on 6 and 7 September, 10am to 3pm, at Eastwood Town Council Community Hall, 120 Nottingham Road, Eastwood, Notts NG16 3NP. The group, which is noncompetitive, is entering its fourth

Leighton Buzzard PC

year. It provides a forum where those interested in photographic art and techniques can meet on a friendly and social basis. Weekly meetings start at 7.30pm on Thursdays at the Gate Inn, Awsworth, Notts. This season starts on 5 September.

Chichester CC’s annual exhibition takes place at the Assembly Room in North Street, Chichester, PO19 1LQ. There’s a total of 293 prints and 149 projected images to be viewed. It is on until 17 August, 10am to 5pm each day, free entry.

The club’s new season kicks off at 7.30pm on 2 September at Ramsgate Football Club. Members will be showing photos taken during the summer break. The club is open to everyone with an interest in photography. Club members have a wealth of knowledge and expertise to share and there’s an excellent programme of talks planned.

Alan Booth

Chichester CC

Isle of Thanet CC

For those who are more competitive, we have some great print and digital image competitions lined up. Finally, just a reminder that the club’s annual exhibition takes place at York Street Gallery, Ramsgate from 16 to 23 October. isleofthanetphoto graphicsociety.co.uk

chichestercameraclub.org.uk

Beeston CC is holding an exhibition of member’s work at the Canalside Heritage Centre, Weir Cottages, Beeston Lock NG9 1LZ. The exhibitions run from 1 September until Thursday, 31 October 2019, 9:30am to 4:30pm. Admission is free. There will be approximately 40 prints on display in the cafeteria and also upstairs in the Weir Room where there will be a continuous slideshow. There’s also a photographic competition for exhibition visitors. All images will be judged by an

accredited PAGB judge. The top three images will be printed on A3 paper and mounted for the winner to keep. The top twenty images will have their images critiqued with appropriate feedback to the authors, and also have the images displayed on Beeston CC’s website. Beeston CC meets every Thursday at 7:30pm from the first Thursday in September to the last Thursday in April at The British Legion, 16 Hallcroft, Beeston NG9 1EL. beestoncameraclub.org

Beeston CC

Coventry PS and George Eliot Coventry PS is pleased to announce its collaboration with the George Eliot Fellowship for a series of exhibitions during 2019 and 2020 linked to the George Eliot bicentenary celebrations. A 1919 newspaper article revealed that members of Coventry PS undertook a pictorial survey of the locations used by George Eliot in her books and those prints formed part of a George Eliot centenary exhibition. Some of the original images were printed in a book, a copy of which is held by the Culture Coventry History Archives (CCHA). Its discovery

prompted members to undertake a similar exercise to celebrate Eliot’s bicentenary in 2019. The exhibitions will display copies of the original photographs taken in 1919 and images taken of those locations in 2019 by members. The exhibitions start in September at the George Eliot Heritage Centre in Nuneaton and then at the Albany Theatre, Coventry. Details will be on the CPS’s and the Fellowship’s sites. georgeeliot2019.com coventryphotographicsociety. co.uk

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Clubs

Smethwick triumphs at Warwick University 20 pictures in the final. Smethwick scored 270 points with Arden Photo Group and Rolls Royce, Derby finishing in joint second place with 264 points. Smethwick PS meets at the Old School House, Churchbridge, Oldbury B69 2AS every Thursday at 8pm.

On 13 July, Smethwick PS competed with 35 other photography clubs from around Great Britain at the annual PAGB (Photographic Alliance of Great Britain) Projected Image championships. Each club had to submit eight pictures in Round One and another eight pictures in Round Two. The top scoring eight clubs then had to submit

smethwickps.co.uk

Above Club president John Holt with the trophy and Smethwick members Images All these Smethwick images scored the maximum 15 points

Photography News | Issue 69 | photographynews.co.uk

Interview

Tom Way Profile

After quitting his job as a personal trainer, Tom now travels the world taking striking, fine-art photographs of wildlife – a task that is not without challenges Photography News: Can you introduce yourself to PN readers, please? What is your day job and where are you based? Tom Way: My name is Tom Way and I am a fineart wildlife photographer based in the UK. PN: What came first: photography or your love of nature and wildlife? TW: For me, it is the love of wildlife. To have the opportunity to travel the world and witness these beautiful and majestic animals in the wild is extremely rewarding. PN: How long have you been a professional wildlife photographer? TW: I left my job as a personal trainer in 2012. PN: How long did you spend building up your wildlife work before turning pro? TW: With my passion for wildlife and travel, I was intent on building a career around those two aspects. I felt one way of doing that would be to become a wildlife photographer. After generously receiving a Canon EOS 450D as a present, I quit my job to become a professional wildlife photographer and over the next two years developed a style that I enjoyed. PN: How does a wildlife photographer earn a living nowadays? High-resolution cameras and fast aperture lenses are within affordable reach of many enthusiasts, and it must be very competitive. Do you sell pictures, host photo holidays, supply a library or something else? TW: There are a few ways in today’s market that you can make a living out of wildlife photography, from running photography tours to guest speaking and lecturing. I’m personally very passionate about seeing my photography come to life in print and so I earn the majority of my income through selling my photographs as large, special edition pieces for people’s houses. I do also run small group and private photographic safaris to Africa and India as well as guest speaking around the UK.

Fotospeed Foto Fest If I do actually happen to take an image I am proud of within the one-month shoot, then I am very pleased indeed PN: Do you specialise in any particular wildlife subject or location? Or is your wildlife interest more general? TW: I describe myself as a ‘large mammal photographer’ – this is my niche. I am currently working mostly on the African continent, focusing on lions, elephants, leopards etc.

PN: Please give us an idea of what camera and lens kit you would take on a typical wildlife shoot. TW: I currently use Canon equipment. Typically my go-to combination is the EOS-1D X, coupled with a 400mm f/2.8 lens. I do also carry a 70200mm f/2.8 and a 16-35mm.

PN: Do you have a favourite location? TW: East Africa – the open savannah fits my fine-art style of photography very well, with its clean and simple lines and large, open skies. This environment does play host to a huge variety and density of large mammals as well.

PN: Do you have a favourite lens, a lens that you can’t do without? TW: The Canon 400mm f/2.8 is a beautiful lens. Stunningly sharp – and the aperture gives the photographer the chance to be creative.

PN: What has been your best or most satisfying wildlife shoot so far? TW: Although my favourite subject is the lion, I enjoy every moment I spend around elephants as well. My most satisfying shoot thus far was two years ago out in East Africa on an elephantfocused assignment. I was waiting for a particular moment during my stay, in which a large bull would cross an open lakebed. Fortunately, after two weeks of waiting, the moment happened just before the sunset.

PN: Have you had shoots where nothing has gone right? Absolutely. There are more times than I can care to mention where I have landed back in the UK without a strong image. It is all part of the wildlife photography process, unfortunately, and although it can be demoralising and potentially a large hit to the business, I tend to go out with the attitude that I will most likely take nothing. If I do actually happen to take an image I am proud of within the one-month shoot, then I am very pleased indeed.

Foto Fest takes place on 8 September at the University of Bath. Tom Way is one the speakers along with Martin Parr, Rachael Talibart and Nigel Danson. A day pass costs £40 for all four talks, a panel discussion with the photographers, car parking and entry to the market place, where there’ll be special deals from leading brands including Canon, Fotospeed, Lee Filters, Olympus, Sigma and Sony. fotofest.co.uk

Right Tom Way always wanted to take a photo of a male lion walking directly towards his camera, which he managed to achieve in December 2015 with the image ‘View To A Kill’

Photography News | Issue 69 | photographynews.co.uk

Interview

Photography News | Issue 69 | photographynews.co.uk

Interview

To take an image that is powerful and engaging with good lighting is incredibly difficult PN: What would you say has been your most difficult assignment? TW: Working in East Africa, one of the advantages is that, due to the terrain, you are able to spot the animals from a distance. My most difficult assignments come when I am working in thick jungle/forest environments, as not only is it difficult to spot your subject, but it becomes more difficult to take an image to fit the fine-art style I am looking for . I regard photographing tigers, as always, my most difficult assignment of the year. To take an image that is powerful and engaging with my preferred background, foreground and lighting is incredibly difficult. PN: What is your most memorable wildlife picture that you have taken so far? TW: Although not unique, I have always had the desire to take an image of a large and beautiful male lion walking directly towards my camera. Fortunately, everything came together in December 2015 when I was able to photograph the piece ‘View To A Kill’. To this day, this remains my favourite photograph. PN: Do you have a picture in your mind you want, but haven’t yet managed to capture? TW: Currently I am very focused on working in Africa photographing the large mammals found there, but one day I would love to see and photograph a polar bear. I have a few images already in my mind, but I am realistic that this will take much investment of time and money. PN: What is the most satisfying aspect of your job? TW: I find one of the most exciting and satisfying parts of my job is seeing the image come to life as a print. In my opinion, the final destination for the photographs taken needs to be print and hanging in a frame on the wall. PN: Do you do your own printing and if so, which brands of paper and finishes do you prefer to use? TW: I have my work professionally printed to the highest quality. I prefer to use Fotospeed Natural Textured Bright White 315 paper for both my colour and black & white prints.

Contact

PN: Have you got any advice for readers who want to do your job? TW: I think one of the biggest pieces of advice I can give – which is relevant to any genre of photography – is just to shoot for yourself. It is so easy in the age of social media to become distracted and lose focus on what you are trying to achieve. Find a style you enjoy and immerse yourself in it. Photography, like any art form, is extremely subjective, but if you love the work you are creating, nothing else really matters. PN: When can we next see your work on display or listen to a presentation? TW: I will be guest speaking at Foto Fest 2019 at the University of Bath on 8 September. During my presentation here, I will be showing a wide portfolio of images and discussing which three key factors are required to make a wildlife image really stand out. I will also be exhibiting my special edition pieces at the Windsor Contemporary Art Fair in November.

For more on Tom’s work, see his website and follow him on various social media channels

Images Tom uses a Canon EOS-1D X as his go-to camera, while his favourite lens is the Canon 400mm f/2.8. This combination helps him capture stunning sharp images

tomwayphotography.co.uk Facebook @ Tom Way Photography Twitter @ tomwayphoto Instagram @ tom.way.photography

Photography News | Issue 69 | photographynews.co.uk

Interview

Profile

Terry Donnelly FRPS Terry is a working photographer who tackles a broad range of genres but specialises in sport, especially Liverpool FC and environmental portraits Photography News: Can you introduce yourself to PN readers please? What is your day job and where are you based? Terry Donnelly: My name is Terry Donnelly and I am a full-time photographer and live in Liverpool. PN: What photographic subjects do you specialise in? TD: Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m probably in the minority of working photographers that shoot a range of photographic genres and specialise in a number. For the demands of my business I am currently specialising in sport photography and environmental portraiture. PN: What is your favourite location or subject? TD: For sport photography my favourite location is in my hometown at Anfield Stadium, home of Liverpool Football Club, with

Liverpool being my favourite subject in sport to photograph. For environmental portraiture I enjoy making the best use of the environment but do favour locations which perhaps are in a poor state of repair, such as abandoned buildings and old industrial structures. PN: What do you look for in your pictures? TD: I always look for emotion in my pictures, whether it is a sports person celebrating a moment mid game or a win at the end of a match. A portrait of a person where for that split second you capture part of their personality or a moment of emotion that they reveal. Human emotion is the most powerful thing that we connect with and to capture that in a photograph makes it unique and special. PN: What is your favourite camera/ lens combination?

I enjoy making the best use of the environment but favour locations in a poor state of repair

TD: I shoot exclusively on Sony Alpha cameras and currently own two A9s and an A7R III. My favourite camera is the Sony A9; it can shoot high-quality sport photographs, even under challenging lighting conditions, and it is also a great camera for PR and portrait work. For landscape and portrait work where a large file size is required or preferred, I would use the A7R III due to its 42-megapixel sensor and large file size. My favourite lenses for sport photography are the Sony 400mm G Master and Sony 70200mm G Master. Both lenses are f/2.8 and are tack-sharp wide open, which makes them very useful in low-light conditions and for good subject/background separation. For portraiture work, my favourite lens is the Sony 85mm G Master which has a maximum aperture of f/1.4. It produces beautiful creamy smooth backgrounds and circular bokeh.

Photography News | Issue 69 | photographynews.co.uk

Interview Contact I always look for emotion in my pictures, whether it is a sports person celebrating a moment mid game or a win at the end of a match

To see more of Terry’s work see his website Terrydonnelly.co.uk

PN: You are an ambassador for Rotolight, how did you come to be involved with them? TD: I had admired Rotolight and their products for some time. When an opportunity came along to use some loan equipment I was very keen to try the lights out. The Rotolight NEO and AEOS quickly became my go-to lighting solution and when Rotolight saw work I had produced they invited me to become a Rotolight Master of Light. It’s a position I feel extremely honoured to hold. PN: What Rotolight products do you use? TD: I use the Rotolight NEO 2, AEOS and Anova PRO 2. Three different lights, each offering different solutions. PN: The Rotolight NEO 2 is an interesting piece of kit, being a portable continuous light but with flash features too. What attracted you to use the NEO 2? TD: The Rotolight NEO 2 is a unique light offering a great lighting solution for many different situations. Its small form factor and light weight means it easily fits into my small camera bag for when I need to travel quick and light. I can shoot the NEO 2 without needing to modify the light which means I don’t need to carry additional lighting modifiers. PN: What camera system do you use with the NEO 2? TD: As mentioned earlier I shoot exclusively on the Sony Alpha system and use my NEO 2 with my Sony A9 and A7R III. Although, the NEO 2 can be used with any camera system.

PN: What aspect of the NEO 2 suits your style of photography most? TD: Ease of use! In continuous light output I can see the lighting power, quality, direction and colour temperature. This means I can set up the lighting for a shot extremely fast and nail the lighting first time. It is a true ‘what you see is what you get’ lighting solution, enhanced more so when combined with a mirrorless camera with an electronic viewfinder. PN: What is your favourite feature of the NEO 2? TD: There are several: portability, the ability to change the colour temperature from the NEO 2 digitally with exact Kelvin readout, high speed sync capability, great battery life, quality of light, circular shape produces natural looking round catchlights, produces beautiful skin tones and more. It is a really great light to use. PN: How easy is the NEO 2 to use? TD: The NEO 2 is really simple. What you see is what you get in continuous mode, and even when using its flash capability the modelling light produces the same lighting pattern, so you are assured of getting the required result. On the back of the unit, you have a pair of dials, one for adjusting power, the other for adjusting colour temperature – it couldn’t be simpler! PN: It doesn’t have high output levels, so how do you cope with that? TD: The Rotolight NEO 2 has plenty of lighting power for my style of photography. Working environmentally I expose for the available light

and then use my NEO 2 to light my subject. This produces an image that benefits from great light but looks natural and ‘unlit’. If however I find myself in a position of needing more output, I use a second NEO 2 or the Rotolight AEOS or Rotolight Anova PRO 2 which both have higher power outputs and the same great functionality and can still be used without modification. I think it’s important to think in terms of useable output. So, when I used to use speedlites, I would need use a modifier or bounce the flash from a ceiling or wall to soften the light, but that would lose considerable power. In addition, I would rarely shoot speedlites above 1/4 power to ensure fast recycle times. By contrast I can use the NEO 2 at full power without modifiers and without any recycling time between flashes. It is such a gamechanger. PN: How do you use it – off or on-camera, or with several units and a remote trigger? TD: I use my NEO 2 off-camera usually and adjust the light either on the unit itself or via the Rotolight HSS transmitter trigger

What is the NEO 2? Terry uses the Rotolight NEO 2, a portable batterypowered LED continuous light that is also a flash with high speed sync (with extra HSS transmitter) and no recycling time. It sells for £300. rotolight.com

Above Terry specialises in a whole range of photographic genres, including portraiture, often using Rotolight lights by Elinchrom. There are rare occasions where I use the NEO 2 on the hotshoe of my camera and keep them as a single unit, such as working at an event where I am moving quickly. PN: Have you any advice for our readers who are thinking about going for a NEO 2? TD: In my experience, not many people are great at using speedlites or flash and the ones that are have taken a lot of years to be good. The NEO 2 is a great way of getting instant high-quality lit images using it in continuous light mode where you can actually see the light and where it falls before you take the shot. The NEO 2 also offers photographers the opportunity to move on to flash once the person is more comfortable with using light in general. The NEO2 is not only a lighting solution, it is a lighting opportunity and photographers should embrace this new technology and all it has to offer.

Photography News | Issue 69 | photographynews.co.uk

Awards Winners

London Salon of Photography:

The medal winners

Enjoy our showcase of the eight images that won medals from this year’s London Salon

The London Salon of Photography is a group of award-winning creative photographers, and membership is by invitation only. Currently there are 45 members. Each year, the Salon hosts an exhibition (this year’s is the 108th edition) to which photographers of all levels are invited to enter. Each entrant may submit up to four monochrome and four colour prints, of which a maximum of two from each section may be selected. On the judging day, Salon members select photographs to be exhibited and award up to ten special London Salon Medals to non-Salon members. Every entrant receives an A4 colour catalogue displaying all of the accepted prints and also has the opportunity to purchase a photo book. This year, 991 prints were entered with 129 accepted, of which 90 of these were from non-members and eight Salon medals awarded.

The Godbarber, Wendy G Davies “Completely astounded and thrilled to have a picture hung in such wonderful company. To find out it had won a medal was mind-blowing. I’ve not been too serious about photography for all that long and only joined a camera club, Alton CC, 18 months ago”

Siesta Time, Christopher Palmer FRPS “Pleased, thrilled and elated. It’s a wonderful accolade and difficult enough to get an acceptance, so it’s good to have met the Salon’s high standard,” says Palmer, a member of Amersham PS for six years

MALES Only, Andy Hanson ARPS “I’m elated and very, very pleased to have won a medal, as this is not at all easy to do,” says Hanson. Hanson has been a photographer since the age of 14 . He and his wife, Daphne, are founder members of Bottisham & Burwell PC

Photography News | Issue 69 | photographynews.co.uk

Awards You Don't Always Need Eye Contact, Kyle Tallett FRPS “I entered the London Salon for the first time this year with the ambition of getting an acceptance. I achieved two acceptances, with one being awarded a medal. I have to say that it is one of my high points, ranking alongside achieving my FRPS. Very special”

Go see the show The award-winning and accepted prints from this year’s London Salon of Photography will be displayed at the Burt Gallery, 57 & 62 Union St, Bankside, London SE1 1SG. The exhibition opens at 2pm on 13 August and closes 2pm on 23 August. The exhibition is open on weekdays only. All acceptances and details of other dates and venues of the exhibition can be found on the website below. Our thanks go to Roger Ford for his help with this feature londonsalon.org

Nest, Lorna Brown ARPS “Disbelief was the overwhelming sensation, followed by being thrilled. I’m amazed that my picture of a deserted nest could do so well,” she says. Brown switched to digital in 2010 and has been a keen photographer ever since. She is a member of Chichester CC

Blue Boy, Sue O'Connell ARPS “I phoned Sue to tell her and she jumped for joy,” says Judith Parry, the chair of the London Salon. O’Connell has been a keen photographer for the past ten years and is a member of Bristol PS

Blinds at the Tate, Dianne Owen FRPS “To win a London Salon medal last year was great, but to win another one this year is truly amazing. It means that I have the old style and the new style medals – quite an achievement.” For the last ten years, Owen has been a member of SRGB and has been interested in photography for 30 years

Nude, chair and Bed, Paul Hayward LRPS “Amazed and thrilled. It’s wonderful to have a print in an exhibition of such high standards,” says Hayward (Whitchurch PS and Smethwick PS), who has been a serious photographer for ten years

Photography News | Issue 69 | photographynews.co.uk

Advertisement feature

Make the switch

Our latest contributor, Ginny Campbell, finds out how the Fujifilm X-T3 stacks up to her DSLR for astro and low-light landscape photography Ginny Campbell Landscape photographer, based in Devon

Wandering the streets of Cork while stormbound on a sailing trip to southern Ireland 13 years ago, I walked into a photography shop to investigate digital SLR cameras. Of course, I walked out with my first DSLR, and my fate was sealed. Digital photography revolutionised my relationship with a camera and opened my eyes to the creative possibilities of photography. It made me realise I could make the images my own, rather than relying on the camera to do the

work â&#x20AC;&#x201C; which for me had been the safest way of ensuring a roll of film came back with something I would like on it. Little did I realise how addictive photography would become as, over the years, I progressed through several croppedsensor DSLRs and collections of lenses to my present full-frame Canon EOS 6D, exploring different genres of photography and styles of post-processing, such as monochrome, along the way. I always accepted that the price I had

to pay to ensure the quality of my art was to lug around a minimum of 5kg in a rucksack, plus an extra 3kg or 4kg in wide-angle and big telephoto lenses, infrared-converted body and carbon-fibre tripod. My enthusiasm for photography remains, but my ability to haul it all around is now under question. When deciding to ask to trial one of the Fujifilm cameras on offer, I had to consider why I wanted to switch from full-frame and what I

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I wanted in a cropped-sensor mirrorless camera. Undoubtedly, weight is one factor, but image quality and the ability to easily continue all my photographic interests would be critically important. Like many people, I am attracted by the lighter weight of mirrorless cameras. Although the Fujifilm X-T3, complete with the XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR, lens cap, hood and tripod mount is only 234g lighter than my Canon EOS 6D Mark I with its 24-105mm lens, lens cap, hood and tripod mount, the X-T3 with lens is smaller in all dimensions than my Canon with lens. A camera and lens taking up less space could allow me to carry several additional lenses or even my infrared camera in the same bag. So much for lessening the weight, but less may actually mean more in this case! I enjoy photographing wildlife and other genres, but at heart I am a landscape photographer, finding nothing more exciting than interpreting a stunning scene. In recent years, I have developed a real joy for photographing the night sky, spending hours fiddling in the dark to get just the right balance between shutter speed and ISO to reduce noise and bring out starry detail. I was confident the Fujifilm X-T3 would meet my requirements in terms of image quality for daylight photography, but I wanted to see how far I could push it with night photography. If I am going to make the switch, then the camera must meet my additional needs for low-light photography, with a good viewfinder/LCD resolution, easy magnification for manual focus and a sensor that handles high ISO. I also often find myself in inclement weather situations, including dusty conditions, so a robust weather-sealed body is definitely a plus point. I find a wide-angle lens with a large maximum aperture useful for star shots, so my first lens choice was the XF16mmF1.4 R WR prime lens. With star shots being very weather and moon-phase dependent, I also wanted a zoom to allow me to play around with low-light landscape shots as an

alternative. Although I had read the XF1855mmF2.8-4 R LM OIS premium zoom was very good (and smaller), I jumped at the opportunity to try the XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR professional zoom, with its constant f/2.8 aperture, wider focal length and weatherresistant build. Without image stabilisation, a wide aperture seemed a better bet. When I first picked up the X-T3, I liked the feel, the information on the LCD and the view through the electronic viewfinder. With anything new, it takes a while to get used to where things are, and this is true of the X-T3, with aperture choice on the lens and

ISO sensitivity and shutter having their own dials on top. I shoot mostly in manual, so found the access to these three settings really handy, particularly with the little buttons on top of the dials to lock the ISO and shutter speed in place. The shutter dial has a brilliant time mode (T) which, once locked on, enabled me to quickly change the speed using the back command wheel. With a maximum of 15 minutes, it almost makes the bulb setting (B) redundant. White balance, set through the menu, has the usual choices plus some customisable options, but I usually leave it on auto and adjust in post-processing. There

Photography News | Issue 69 | photographynews.co.uk

Advertisement feature The kit Ginny used

Fujifilm X-T3 The Fujifilm X-T3 is a mirrorless digital camera featuring a 26.1-megapixel backside illuminated ASP-C sensor, blackoutfree continuous shooting, an AF system with 2.16 million phase detection pixels providing 100% coverage, with the ability to record 4K/60p video in 4:2:2.

XF16mm f/1.4 R WR This ultra-fast prime lens offers a super-wide 24mm equivalent focal length in 35mm format and a maximum aperture of f/1.4. With the addition of weathersealed construction, this lens is ideal for architecture, landscape or astro photography.

It’s a mighty camera, and its excellent image quality in low light and at night certainly makes it a strong contender

is also an exposure compensation dial on top, which could be useful when shooting in aperture-priority or shutter-priority modes. I shot in Raw only, but two card slots mean it is possible to record JPEGs at the same time on another card. Typically, my fortnight with the X-T3 began with the end of the consistently clear night skies and the beginning of the full moon, neither of which is conducive for good star shots. However, by keeping a close watch on the cloud conditions via the Clear Outside app, I managed to take a few long exposures on a tripod in my local south Devon area, and I also had one opportunity to catch the Milky Way over Start Point Lighthouse just before moonrise. With no built-in stabilisation in the X-T3 or the lenses I had borrowed, I was conscious of ensuring I was shooting on a fast enough shutter speed to keep the images sharp when shooting handheld. This meant constantly adjusting the sensitivity – easy to do with the accessible dial on top. ISOs in the range of 800 to 3200 presented no post-processing problems and allowed me to wander around London at night with an inconspicuous camera in my hand and no tripod. The menu is multilayered, but quite clearly and intuitively laid out. There is a quick menu (Q) button on the back that gives immediate access to 16 different options, all of which can be customised from an extensive

list of choices. My top choice was self-timer for a two-second delay on the shutter release when on a tripod, but I also easily accessed the autofocus (AF) mode and the white balance setting through the Q button. When I finally got a clear night sky, I found the manual focus magnification easy to use and the moveable LCD really useful. Single focus point worked well on stars, and I was impressed with the number of focus points, right up to the edge of the frame. Selecting these using the focus stick is quick and easy. Battery life could have been better, so I always carried a charged spare. My only other complaint is that, typical of all modern machinery, the manual is online. I would pay extra just to have a hard copy in my hand! My two weeks with the Fujifilm X-T3 have only scratched the surface of its potential, and I mostly used settings and procedures with which I already felt comfortable. With more time, I would challenge myself to explore the range of settings and in-camera processing possibilities in more detail, as well as setting all the options for more personal use. It’s a mighty camera, and its excellent image quality in low light and at night certainly makes it a strong contender when I decide to abandon my DSLR. In fact, I would say to anyone considering a switch, make sure you look at the X-T3 first! flickr.com/photos/ginnycampbellphotos

XF16-55mm f/2.8 R LM WR With an equivalent focal length of 2484mm in 35mm format and a constant maximum aperture of f/2.8, the weathersealed Fujinon XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR professional zoom lens provides versatility, durability, quality and speed.

Get involved If you’re looking to make the switch to Fujifilm and want to be featured in Photography News, then visit the website below. Fill out the form and you could be selected to borrow a Fujifilm camera and two lenses for up to two weeks, free of charge! Terms and conditions apply and can be found at photographynews.co.uk/maketheswitch

Photography News | Issue 69 | photographynews.co.uk

Buyers’ Guide Buying Buyers’ Technique Guide

Bag to the future

Every photographer needs a great bag. But there’s no such thing as a great bag for every photographer. This easy guide will help you find out what to look for in your next backpack, sling or shoulder bag Words by Kingsley Singleton

1. Hard case

A decent camera bag needs to protect your gear and let you carry it in comfort, but beyond that there’s a profusion of choices to make. As dizzying as the range of photo bags out there is though, those choices can be easily informed by what you’re shooting. After all, a day’s landscaping in the wild is going to require something very different from an hour’s street shooting around town. Then there are factors like do you need storage for a laptop? Or tripod? Or some degree of waterproofing?

Size is also a big factor, both in what the bag can hold and where you can reasonably take it. Fortunately there are bags of all shapes and sizes out there to suit all demands, and, of course it’s sensible to invest in more than one, so you’re all set for different situations and subjects. One of the most important things to physically try out a bag, either at your local camera shop, or by making sure you can return an online purchase, before buying – we are all different shapes and sizes, so some bags naturally fit one person better than another.

1. Type

size DSLR with 70-200mm f/2.8 zoom attached’, so you can get a real-world idea of what the bag is intended for.

When you’ve identified the amount of storage you need, you can look to the bag type. This defines how it’s carried, and broadly the choice is between backpacks, rollers, shoulder bags and slings. If you’re shifting lots of gear, a backpack is the obvious choice as it can be fairly large and spread the weight of your kit over both shoulders, making it comfortable to carry for extended periods. A roller bag (a) is a good option for this, too, and means you can transport even heavier loads. Some combine the wheeled design with backpack straps for greater versatility, but of course those wheels are only useful if you have a decent surface to use them on. A sling (b) works like a lightweight backpack with a single strap, and one of its advantages is that you can move it around to the front of your body for quick access to your gear. But the ultimate in speed is a shoulder bag (c) which you can dip into at your side whenever you need it, so if you’re working fast that’s often the best way to go. There’s no denying style is important, too, and today’s bag market caters well for all tastes. So, whether you want something low-key for the city or tailored to match outdoor gear, there’s certain to be a model for you.

2. Storage size A good place to start when selecting the right bag for you is working out the amount of gear you need it to take. Tot up the amount of bodies, lenses and accessories you need to pack, and then look for the bag’s internal storage capacity to see if it matches or exceeds it slightly. You’ll then know you’re in the right bracket, size-wise. Storage size is often measured in litres, and given as height, width and depth measurement, but manufacturers will also give literal examples of what a bag can take. For instance ‘a mirrorless body and three to five lenses’, or ‘a pro-

1 (b). Sling

3. Protection The security and protection of the gear you’re carrying is, of course, paramount, and this comes from the quality of the bag’s camera compartment (a), which sits within the outer shell. This compartment should preferably have a well padded or even solid plastic exterior, and its internal padding should have plenty of thickness and rigidity to stop it warping or being crushed in use. Look for compartments with a modular design, allowing you to shift the dividers around to hug your gear and stop it moving in transit. And check that there are no weak points at the corners or underneath. These days, camera cells or compartments can usually be lifted out of the bag entirely, turning it into a normal ‘day bag’, which can be helpful. If this is the case, make sure the compartment is easy to remove, but also that it attaches securely.

4. Access type Whether you go for a backpack or a shoulder bag, how you get to your gear can vary, and can affect your speed of shooting and security. Will you need to get to your kit quickly, as on a street shoot, or will you have time to spare? Security features, like clips, are great, but they can slow you down, so it’s a trade-off. For backpacks there’s usually a choice between front or rear access, and the latter can be preferable as the compartment door is against your back, and can’t be opened without taking the bag off. It also means the front of the bag is what touches the ground, so you don’t transfer water and mud to your clothing. Some backpacks also offer quick access features like side-opening panels, and slings do a similar job, but the ultimate in speedy access is a shoulder bag, with a press top – a flap with a zip running up it which lets you get at kit very quickly.

1 (a). Roller case

1 (c). Shoulder/messenger bag

3. Many bags have extra provisions for security in crowds or while travelling

2. You might need a big bag for a full kit on some shoots and other times something smaller would be more practical

3 (a). Quality padding will give your kit the best protection

4. Side access is convenient and means you can get at contents without putting the bag down. Some bags have access from both sides. Rear access is secure and means a clean back because the bag is put down on its front, while shoulder bags have top access

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Buyers’ BuyingGuide Technique

8. Check the fit and the placement of sternum and waist straps

10. Pockets for accessories, water bottle and tripod are important. A hand strap on backpacks is a good thing

5. If you do a lot of travelling, a hard case is worth considering. If you fly often, keep up to date with the hand baggage size restrictions

9. Some bags have space for your kit with a separate section for personal stuff or smaller accessories

7. Wide padded straps make for greater comfort

11. A dedicated padded sleeve for your laptop/ tablet is a good thing

12. Lowepro bags have waterproof covers sewn in and permanently attached to bag. Other bags have separate protection covers

6. Ultimately, you’re going to have to carry a fully loaded bag and some bags are weighty even unladen

5. Outer size The bag’s overall size is important, especially if you’re using public or air transport. Not only may a too-large bag be an annoyance for others, but you might also have trouble manoeuvring your way around smaller spaces, like old buildings, or snag a big bag on rocks when scrambling to a landscape location. Airlines always supply maximum dimensions for cabin bags on their websites, and no amount of complaining that your bag is full of delicate glass will convince the check-in people. If you intend flying with your new bag it’s definitely worth checking the dimensions against current regulations. It’s measured in simple height, weight and depth, so some bags will also allow expansion, so watch out for that, too.

6. Weight Check the unloaded weight of the bag in its specifications. The weight depends mostly on the materials used as well

as the level of protection it offers. For example, nylon outers are lighter than canvas, and backpacks with a metal frame are likely to be heavier than those without. Again, this is important when using air transport, as though some airlines let you stow whatever you can lift, carry-on bags are more commonly limited in weight to something like 10kg. If your bag, before you load it up, weighs 1.5 or 2kg, this is really eating into your allowance, as well as putting extra pressure on your shoulders.

7. Shoulder straps A tired photographer is a not a creative one, so your bag must be comfortable in the carry. Check the amount of cushioning on the straps, and other contact areas, like the back panel. This is particularly important in the latter case as all the weight will be hanging from one place, so look for a large shoulder pad that won’t slip as you walk. For backpacks, shoulder straps should be

broad and contoured, and also provide airflow if possible to stop you getting too sweaty on the move. Straps also need to be adjustable, so you can alter the seating of the bag on your back.

8. Sternum straps and waist belt For backpacks, sternum straps are really important as they’ll reduce the load on your shoulders. These should be adjustable to the size of your chest, and also, preferably, in height. Proper hiking backpacks also have waist straps that will secure the bag and stop it moving from side to side as you walk, and the belt can offer extra storage pockets, too.

9. Compartments Separating gear is good, as it allows not only better organisation, but also different types of kit to be carried. Some backpacks are entirely filled by a camera compartment, but most offer secondary sections, usually above the camera area. On some, this is small, but others have

an even mix of space, so you get to stow jackets, food or other accessories. Some hiking-style camera backpacks also have an expanding top section with a lid, letting you store even more. Again, what you go for it depends on the nature of your shoot.

10. Pockets and straps A good bag should also have lots of additional internal pockets for accessories like memory cards and filters and if these are padded and waterproof, all the better. Having multiple external pockets is also very useful for stuff like your phone, or water bottle. Many bags, whether they’re backpacks or shoulder bags, will also have loops and straps on the outer for attaching gear like tripods or walking poles, so if you think you’ll need this, add it to your list of vital characteristics.

11. Laptop/tablet sleeve If you’re travelling away from home for

some time, or simply want to edit images on the go, choosing a bag with a laptop or tablet bay is important. The size of laptop you can fit will be included in a bag’s spec, but you’ll need to examine the level of padding, as well as where the compartment sits in the bag. It’s preferable to have the sleeve not touch the bottom of the bag, but be cradled above it, so as to avoid contact damage.

12. Weatherproofing All decent bags should offer a level of water resistance, even if it’s just a hydrophobic outer to bead off the odd shower. And many bags will also come with an all-weather cover that can be pulled over the bag to protect it from rain, as well as sun and dust. But if you’re planning on braving serious weather, you’ll need to look for a bag that offers greater protection. This should mean a waterproof outer and storm-sealed zips which have a rubber covering to make them water-resistant, too.

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An album offers plenty of space to showcase stunning wedding shots

Photography News | Issue 69 | photographynews.co.uk

Buying Technique

Legs 11

2. Many tripods have the option of swappable feet. Some come supplied with different feet; some you will have to pay extra

Thinking of investing in a new tripod? Here are 11 things you need to look out for when picking your next set There’s no getting away from it: tripods are vital for a huge number of different creative techniques and subjects in photography. From crisp and clear landscape photography to finely composed still-lifes and florals; from long exposures to pin-sharp sports and wildlife; from painting with light and composite trick photography to modern miracles like focus stacking, they all require a rock-

solid platform from which to shoot. That’s what a tripod should give you. But not all tripods are created equal. In fact, aside from them having more than two legs and fewer than four, the market is full of variations in height, style, materials and features. So how do you know what’s important when buying? We’ve listed the vital components and why they’re so important right here...

4. More leg sections can mean a smaller tripod but stability can be less good and the tripod slower to set up

Words by Kingsley Singleton

1. Materials You’ve basically got two main options; aluminium or carbon fibre. Comparing identically sized aluminium and carbon fibre tripods, the latter will be lighter, but also more expensive. For instance, compare Vanguard’s aluminium VEO 2 235AB to the carbon VEO 2 235CB, and you’ll find it’s 200g heavier, but only two thirds of the price. If weight is a big issue, as it can be for hikers or location photographers, spending more on a lighter set of legs could save your back. Conversely, if you’re only going to work in a studio or don’t need to move the tripod much, aluminium is just fine. For all practical purposes, aluminium and carbon fibre legs can support the same amount of weight and both are rugged. Carbon legs do offer a small advantage when working in cold conditions, as aluminium conducts changes in temperature more readily, and therefore gets very uncomfortable to handle. It may also, like any metal, stick to your skin – but this only happens well below zero. Remember, too, that there are plenty of other components made of metal on carbon fibre models, so you still need to watch where you stick your tongue.

2. Feet Most tripods come with rubberised feet, so that they’re able to stop the legs slipping in wet conditions, or on steep terrain. So always look for how well they do this job. Sometimes you’ll find the feet are angled and may even have tread like a tyre, but surface area is more important – bigger feet offer more stability. Many tripods will also allow you to swap the feet for ones that better suit the terrain. So for example you might be able to swap the regular rubber feet for spikes that you can push into the earth or sand and aid stability in soft ground.

3. Height This is the range of heights covered by the tripod. A greater range is good; for instance many pro-spec tripods allow you to shoot at head height or even above, which

1. Carbon fibre is lighter (and prettier!) than aluminium alloy but also more expensive

can make all the difference in improving composition. Conversely, a very low shooting height will give you interesting ‘worm’s eye’ views, and will also help you maximise foreground detail. However, getting both very high and very low angle shooting in the same unit is rare as it’s complex to achieve. Very large tripods that allow high shooting either need lots of leg sections to get down low, which will affect their stability, or if leg sections are few, it’ll create a very large footprint when their legs are splayed. In any case you can often shoot low by reversing the centre column or by angling it. And so long as you can shoot between 30cm and 1.5m you’re unlikely to miss out on much.

4. Leg sections Tripods usually have three, four or even five leg sections – separate lengths of aluminium or carbon fibre tube that can be extended telescopically to control the height. More sections generally means the tripod will have a smaller closed length. But more sections also means less stability. Though the difference isn’t much, you can expect a three-section tripod to be more stable than a four- or five-section tripod, though this also depends on the width of the sections – thicker sections also means more stability, and you can ensure this by using the thicker sections first.

5. Lever locks (left) are quicker to use but might need tightening over time, while twist grips are easier to disassemble for cleaning

5. Leg locks Leg sections are controlled by locks and these need to be both strong enough to stop the legs creeping when weight is put on them, but also easy to use. There are two main types of lock – lever and twist. Lever locks tend to be quicker, but they’re less complicated, and often give a firmer hold. You also know visually when they’re open or closed. Twist locks, on the other hand, are still quick to use, but some need a firm tweak to lock legs securely.

6. Closed height Closed height is the measurement of the tripod when its legs are folded in. This is mainly important for packing. For example, a tripod with a smaller closed height will fit more easily in, or strapped to, a bag. Many travel tripods now use a system where the legs can be inverted, closing over the head, to reduce the closed size. If you need a tripod that packs into a small bag, this is the design to go for.

3. A tripod’s lowest shooting position can be as important as maximum height depending on your interests, so check both when buying

Photography News | Issue 69 | photographynews.co.uk

Buying Technique

7. Left: Pistol grip type types are great for action work Below: Three way head – offers quick adjustment in three axes and stable Right: Gimbal head – specialist head for action and nature workers Far right: Ball-head – good general purpose head, quick to adjust and fine-tune, and stable

7. Head Almost all tripods have the ability to remove the head and swap it for another. The reason for this is simple. Different heads are suited to different subjects, so while the tripod might succeed in all sorts of spheres, the head may not. So always go for tripods where the head is swappable. You might have a ball head for general use, but then swap to a gimbal head for some nature work and then switch to a video head for movie shooting. For packing, taking the head off also means it’ll pack smaller.

8. Centre column Most tripods come with a centre column, and this is used to raise the camera above the tripod collar, eking out a little more height than the legs alone allow. It’s not a great way of shooting though, as the centre column is the least stable part of the tripod, and should only be used as a last resort. Some tripods come without a centre column at all, and on most you’ll be able to remove it, invert it, or swing it through 90º for low angle shooting.

10. Always check the quoted payload of your prospective tripod

9. Leg angles All good tripods have a series of leg positions, usually three or four, letting you set the legs at different angles appropriate to the subject. This can help shooting on uneven ground, or lower the shooting height if the widest angles are all used at once. Leg angles work in different ways, but most have a locking system to hold them in place at the desired setting.

10. Payload The maximum payload of the tripod is how much gear it can support before it becomes unsteady. Remember, this doesn’t just include your camera and lens, but also the head you add to the tripod. Heads will have their own payload value, too. Payload is important when using larger, heavier gear, so in particular when choosing a tripod on which to mount a big telephoto lens for sports or wildlife shooting. Try to pick a tripod with a load capacity of at least double what you’re mounting and enjoy improved stability.

11. Weight Heavier tripods might not seem an obvious choice when buying – especially if you’re planning to lug your new legs up a mountain or two – but when used correctly, weightier models have more stability than lighter ones. If the tripod comes with a ballast hook, either on the bottom of the centre column, or directly beneath the collar, you’ll also be able to add weight there too.

8. Check centre column stability and versatility when shopping for a tripod

9. Different leg positions let you adjust camera position, optimise stability especially when it is windy and help when working in uneven terrain

11. Many tripods have a ballast hook on the centre column that you hang a weight (your camera bag!) from to enhance the stability of your tripod

Photography News | Issue 69 | photographynews.co.uk

Buyers’ Guide

Must-have photo accessories Once you’ve purchased the most important tool for photography, there are a few other things you should definitely considering buying

Tenba Skyline 13 Backpack If a backpack is your thing, then Tenba’s Skyline 13 Backpack is a great choice. Not only has it been designed not to look like a camera bag, it’s also made with waterrepellent fabric to keep your kit protected in all weather. Whether you shoot with a mirrorless system or a pro DSLR, the Skyline 13 can hold a camera body, plus up to five lenses and additional accessories, so no lens gets left behind. It’s also got a padded front pocket to fit a 13in laptop for on-thego editing. tenba.com/en-gb

Tamrac Tamrac’s founders were Californian nature photographers who loved the outdoors, yet lacked protective, quick-access camera bags that were able to keep up with their adventures. So, one day in 1977, they decided to create their own! For nearly 50 years Tamrac has earned the reputation for reliability with photographers around the world. Tamrac has become the trusted bag of choice for many prominent National Geographic, Associated Press and professional sports photographers. Their design solutions focus on protecting and transporting camera equipment, electronics, accessories and more, to meet the progressing demands of today’s creative. With innovation as a core value, Tamrac has created numerous product features widely seen today, such as dual and triple-access systems, dual foam technology, windowpane mesh and lens-gate divider systems. Tamrac's new Nagano backpacks are sleek, refined and understated. Made for today’s travelling photographer, their low-profile, modern design yields a surprisingly highvolume carrying capacity. Featuring rear-panel access, Nagano backpacks can house compact and full-frame DSLRs, mirrorless systems, action cameras, flash units, compact DSLR bodies, accessories, water bottles and much more. intro2020.co.uk

Shimoda Simple Strap and Petite Strap £32 Tech Strap £36. Finding the right bag to suit you can be a challenge, especially when it comes to comfort and personal preference. For female photographers the challenge can be greater, but help is at hand thanks to Shimoda’s new straps. Developed and tested in partnership with 35 women from around the world Shimoda has created bag straps which fit around the sternum and abdomen and curve away from the chest to sit towards the underarms, for a more comfortable fit. There are three size options available, the Tech Strap, Simple Strap and Petite Strap and each strap features a stretch water bottle sleeve and zipped phone pocket and fits any Shimoda Explore backpack shimodadesigns.com

MindShift Gear

The innovative award-winning MindShift Gear Rotation 180 backpacks are ideal for trekking photographers, with a unique belt pack that rotates out of the pack and round in front of you when you need to access your camera gear whilst on the move. Compact and lightweight with plenty of space for clothing and hydration or more camera gear in the pack! The BackLight 45L, PhotoCross backpack, PhotoCross slings, and Exposure shoulder bags offer adventure photographers bags with rugged construction to help withstand the elements, whilst still being able to access gear. The extensive Modular system has evolved to meet today’s equipment designs. Belts, harnesses and a vast array of pouches and holsters, with different sizing and clever access designs, create a really excellent carry solution when you want to be pack free or travel light on your shoot. The Vision, Lily Deanne, Signature, Retrospective and Spectral shoulder bags offer discreet stylish solutions that don’t look like camera bags and come in a wide array of sizes to suit your system needs. Many with capacity for laptop and tablets too. snapperstuff.com

Crumpler Born on the streets of mid-90’s Melbourne, Australia, Crumpler messenger bags exploded on to the scene with bright colours, clever designs, and Crumpler's famed bulletproof construction. Over the years their range has expanded to include camera bags, backpacks, suitcases, bumbags and beyond. Parties have been had, boundaries have been pushed and millions of people’s belongings have been carried safely in bags with the famed Crumpler logo. From its current line-up, one of the bestsellers is the Drewbob range of digital camera pouches, made from highly durable Ripstop nylon or neoprene. The bags come with a shoulder strap or can be attached directly to a belt. The Drewbob 100 model has a volume of 0.23litres, while the larger Drewbob 200 is 0.62litres. intro2020.co.uk

Think Tank Photo Over 15 roller bags in the Think Tank Photo range suit a wide range of needs, from the small, extremely lightweight 2.8kg Airport Advantage, an ideal carry-on for many budget airlines, to the large capacity Production Manager for lighting gear and stands. For the smallest camera systems look no further than the Mirrorless Mover, StoryTeller, Digital Holster shoulder bags or TurnStyle slings. These lightweight bags provide quick access as well as being great lens changers. The Mirrorless Movers and Digital Holsters also integrate with the Modular System to give you more freedom when shooting. Ideal for those that want to compromise on quality but have a tight budget. snapperstuff.com

Photography News | Issue 69 | photographynews.co.uk

Buyers’ Guide Vanguard VEO GO 34M KG

Vanguard VEO 2 GO 235CB Having a tripod with you means you’ll be ready for those long-exposure shots, be able to shoot in low light, avoid camera shake and even shoot remotely for ease when shooting at higher or lower angles. But carrying a tripod doesn’t mean you need to lug around extra-heavy gear; the VEO 2 GO 235CB tripod is both lightweight and compact, measuring 32.5cm when folded down and weighing just 1.1kg. There’s no compromise on quality with this compact tripod, with its sturdy ball head, secure head lock system, two-section reversible telescopic centre column and ability to support up to 4kg. This tripod is the perfect travel tripod whether shooting with a DSLR or mirrorless camera and thanks to its non-slip, all weather TPU grip you can take it almost anywhere. vanguardworld.co.uk

Every camera needs a bag and the Vanguard VEO GO 34M KG is the perfect shoulder bag for mirrorless camera users who want to take a full gear set-up, with them but keep it compact. The VEO GO 34M KG can hold a mirrorless camera plus two to three lenses, as well as accessories and a 9.7in tablet. It also has an internal compartment that can store the VEO 2 Go tripod. Great for carrying around on days out, or dedicated photo trips thanks to its quick top access, you can get to your kit with ease and be ready for all photo opportunities. The Vanguard VEO GO 34M KG is available in black and khaki green and comes with a rain cover for protection from the elements. It also has a rear pocket for items such as a wallet or documents. vanguardworld.co.uk

Slik Slik has been designing and manufacturing high-quality tripods for more than 50 years. It has won six prestigious Japanese Ministry of Trade and Industry Good Design awards and Slik’s original and innovative designs have been copied so many times that some of their ideas have become industry standards. The new Slik PRO CF carbon-fibre tripods have ultrastrong and lightweight legs made with eight layers of inter-woven carbon strands that are bonded in a sealed, high-pressure furnace. The legs also feature ARS (AntiRotational System) which is designed to stop the individual leg sections rotating inside each other. intro2020.co.uk

Velbon

Known as The Tripod Innovator, Velbon was founded back in 1955 and has been continuously developing exciting new products which lead the market and meet the needs of the ever-changing photographic and video landscape. Velbon holds many patents for its engineering developments and came up with the clever ‘trunnion’ leg system which allows its UT series tripods to be extremely compact when folded, but surprisingly tall when extended. Velbon’s latest UT-3AR travel tripod has legs which fold by 180°, it measures just 29.5cm in length when folded and extends to 135.5cm. It weighs just 787g, comes complete with a ball head that has an ArcaSwiss compatible quick-release plate. intro2020.co.uk

Sirui Sirui Optical Co was founded in 2001 and has already become well known and respected as a leading manufacturer of professional photographic and video support equipment. It has created a wonderfully seamless system of camera tripods, video tripods, camera monopods and specialty tripod heads – everything needed to provide Sirui customers with a perfect camera support experience. Sirui’s user-friendly design utilises the latest technology to produce products of outstanding quality. One of the most popular models in the Sirui range is the ET-2004 tripod, complete with the E-20 ball head. T-Series Travel Tripods are designed to be lightweight and portable, with multi-angle legs that have flip locks for quick and easy set-up. intro2020.co.uk

Photography News | Issue 69 | photographynews.co.uk

Advertisement feature

About Tom Barnes: Award-winning, self-taught and in constant demand for clients including the BBC, The Sunday Times Magazine, Kerrang! and Q magazine, as well as various global record companies who want him to shoot their star’s portrait, photographer Tom Barnes knows plenty about using flash on location.

tombarnes.co Working quickly and working efficiently – that’s what professionals like portrait specialist Tom Barnes rely on. When needing to work quickly on location, many rely on camera-mounted speedlights. But speedlights have their drawbacks. They’re small and light, yes, but they can also lack power and speed. Barnes, a long-time user of Profoto location and studio flash systems like the B1, B1X and D2, had pretty much given up on speedlights. But that all changed when he started using the A1 – because, fortunately, the A1 isn’t a speedlight in anything more than form – it’s actually the world’s smallest studio light. “Traditional speedlights tend to have slower recycle times and AA batteries, both of which I hate,” explains Barnes. “You simply can’t rely on them for consistent power, as the batteries fade. For me, the advantage of the Profoto A1 was immediately obvious: speed. So in this shoot, where I only had a few minutes with the Foo Fighter’s frontman, Dave Grohl, the A1 recycled instantly and at no point was I waiting for it to catch up with me or Dave – it was so important that I could work quickly and not have to wait for my kit to catch up.” Barnes was sent on assignment by Kerrang!, the renowned rock magazine, to capture the Foo Fighters’ lead man at one of their stadium shows. Understandably, there were only a couple of minutes to get the portrait required. Oncamera flash was therefore a necessity, and the A1 gave Barnes the chance to experiment away from his traditional off-camera lighting, and with much more lightweight and mobile equipment. "I’d taken delivery of the A1 to test a couple of days before the shoot, so I could get used to it,” recalls Barnes, “and I quickly realised it’s not quite like any other flashgun I’d used before – it’s way more powerful and has the air trigger system built right into the unit, so it’s just as versatile

as Profoto’s other systems. I was really impressed with the power and speed from this unit, so I knew it’d be perfect for the fast-paced job I was to face the day after.” Of course, as a pro, Barnes had shot with on-camera flash many times before. “But this was my first time using one that could keep up with how fast I was shooting,” he explains, “and recharge time was near instant. I also loved the zoom head and diffusion dome, as the magnetic system seems really efficient and quick to use.” Getting the shot “I needed a hard-light look for the shots of Dave, as that was the brief,” explains Barnes, “but I did also keep the dome on the A1, just to soften the look ever so slightly. The A1 is far smaller and more compact than the usual lighting I use, but the level of control is still there. So while I could have used the bounce head and relied on the power of the unit to reflect lots of softer light, the brief from my commissioner was very much for direct and bright light, so I kept the light source on the axis of the lens to get it.” Only having a few minutes to shoot a subject can be challenging, particularly when it comes to conversation, which is something that helps to relax the subject and bring out natural expressions. So, despite time restrictions meaning he had to work quickly, Barnes made sure to keep the small talk going, giving the shoot a good flow. It was this, as well as the impactful lighting from the A1, which gave him the pose and expression that ended up as ‘the shot’. "I always like to chat with my subjects,” explains Barnes, “and Dave, the band, the PR and their crew are really friendly, and made us feel very at home. I think we’d been chatting about his favourite food, as I’d been there for the last part of the magazine interview, and so I asked him what his all-time favourite dish

Striking Grohl’d

How Tom Barnes found the ultimate blend of power, speed and versatility in Profoto’s A1

Photography News | Issue 69 | photographynews.co.uk

Advertisement feature

Profoto A1 Upon its launch, the A1 basically revolutionised the use of small lights on location and in the studio. With the size and weight of a speedlight, but much more power and control, accompanied by a beautiful quality of light from its unique round flash emitter, the A1 gives allows light shaping excellence pretty much anywhere. And it’s simple to use, too. It’s also a highly versatile light. Unlike regular speedlights. where light shaping usually involves a range of haphazard and ill-fitting accessories, the A1 has a range of magnetically attached and stackable shapers, including a dome diffuser, bounce card, wide lens, gel kit and soft bounce. Even ‘naked’, the spread of light can be adjusted from narrow to wide with a simple twist of the head. No more menu-driven zoom settings, just a natural, tactile way to control the light. The A1 can be mounted like a speedlight, but if you

was. He started thinking, and the winning shot was just at that moment, mid-thought. We had to end the shoot two frames after this and I think he went with steak!" Increased creativity and flexibility Despite usually using offcamera flashes for his portrait work, the A1 definitely gave Barnes the power and speed he needed to get the shot while mounted on his

Canon EOS 5DS. And that experience has won it a place in his travelling gear. “That was the great thing about that first job with the A1,” he summarises, “I realised, the speed of the unit and the power was good enough to make the grade for me professionally. It was quick enough to keep up with rapid firing. I can also see why the A1 would be a bit of a game changer for photographers shooting weddings, events

or anything else where fast recharge and power are vital." And what about the A1’s new big brother, the A1X? It has a higher power battery, with more flashes per charge from the same size of unit. “The A1 has become my goto flash for on-camera work, but I’m still using the full range of smaller monoblocs (the B10 and B10+, as well as the B1 and B1X), because I’m usually overpowering all the ambient light, so I tend to use

as much power as I can get,” explains Barnes. “The A1X will definitely fit in with that, and I’m contemplating using one as a hard, on-axis fill light, especially as it can keep up with the larger lights when it comes to recycling. It all fits in with Profoto’s Air system, too. Ultimately, I know if I have to travel incredibly lightly and the B10 is too large to take, the A1 will give me a great option,” he concludes.

Specs Power 76Ws across nine f/stops Recycle time 0.05-1.2 seconds Modelling light Yes, LED Wireless Yes, up to 300m HSS/TTL Yes, up to 100m Measurements (wxlxh) 11x7.5x16.5cm Weight 560g Contact profoto.com

use it with a Profoto AirTTL remote, you get full wireless control with metering – so it can be used on or off camera, and with manual or automatic power. The A1 also provides high-speed sync, recycles at full power in a sprightly 1.2 seconds and works flawlessly with all other Profoto lights.

Photography News | Issue 69 | photographynews.co.uk

Camera test Specs Prices £9999 body only Resolution 102 megapixels Image sensor 43.8mm×32.9mm Bayer array with ultrasonic vibration cleaning File format 14/16-bit Raws and JPEGs, 11,648x8736 pixels ISO sensitivity 100-12,800, expansion 50-102.400 Lens mount Fujifilm G Exposure modes PASM Exposure metering TTL 256-zone metering, multi/spot/ average/centre-weighted Exposure compensation +/-5EV in 0.3EV Image stabiliser Built in, sensor shift mechanism with 5.5EV benefit Shutter Mechanical 60mins to 1/4000sec, B mode to 60mins. Electronic 60mins to 1/16,000sec

Fujifilm GFX100

With a resolution of 102 megapixels and a body-only price of £9999, Fujifilm’s latest medium format camera sets the bar very high indeed if ultimate image quality is your aim

Flash sync 1/125sec Continuous shooting Up to 5fps in continuous high mode Autofocus Intelligent Hybrid AF (TTL contrast AF / TTL phase detection AF). Single point AF: EVF / LCD: 13×9/25×17. Zone AF: 3×3 / 5×5 / 7×7. Wide/Tracking AF: AF-S and Wide / AF-C Storage media 2xSD/SDHC/SDXC, UHS-I / UHS-II Viewfinder 0.5in approx 5.76 million dots OLED colour EVF Monitor 3.2in, 2.36 million dots, tilt in three directions, touchscreen, approx 100% coverage Sub LCD monitor 1.8in Rear sub monitor 2.05in Start-up time 0.4 seconds Film simulation 16 modes including Classic Chrome, Eterna and Provia Video format MOV (MPEG-4 AVC / H.264, HEVC/H.265, Audio: Linear PCM/ stereo sound 24bit/48KHz sampling) Movie resolutions DCI4K (4096×2160). 29.97p/25p/24p/23.98p up to 60mins. 4K (3840×2160). 29.97p/25p/24p/23.98p up to approx 60min. Full HD Power supply 2x NP-T125, works with one Interfaces USB Type-C 3,2, HMDI Micro connector, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi Capacity 800 frames approx Dimensions (wxdxh) 156.2×144×75.1mm Weight 1400g including EVF, battery, x2 memory cards Contact fujifilm.eu/uk

Words and images by Will Cheung When it comes to megapixels, most of us have more than enough, yet in their search for sales, the camera makers are striving for even more. Fujifilm wasn’t the first to break the 100-megapixel barrier with its 102-megapixel GFX100, but it is the first to do it with a camera body that sells for under £10K. You don’t need me to tell you £10K is a lot of money, but in the world of ultra-high resolution medium format cameras, that price is groundbreaking and should be up there in lights as a headline feature, along with the camera’s super-high megapixel count and all the other head-turning features that the camera boasts. So, having contextualised its price and market position, let’s dig into the GFX100’s long feature list. The GFX100’s 102-megapixel sensor is a CMOS, back-side illuminated (BSI) unit measuring 44x33mm – 1.7x larger than the 35mm format. Unlike Fujifilm’s APS-C format X Series cameras, which use X-Trans sensors with the ‘random’ 6x6 pixel array, this sensor is a Bayer pattern, with the traditional two green, one red, one blue pixel in a 2x2 grid and is optical low-pass filter free for maximum image resolution. The sensor works with the highperformance X-Processor 4 engine and has a native speed range of ISO 100 to 12,800, expandable to 50 and 102,400, as well as the usual JPEG and Raw format shooting options. In Raw, you have the extra option of shooting either in 14- or 16-bit, both recordable as uncompressed or compressed lossless formats. See the

panel ‘Performance: 14-bit and 16-bit’ for more on this feature. For video workers, the GFX100 has 4K/30p/10-bit colour (the world’s first mirrorless camera of this format to provide this), using data oversampling to give 50.5 megapixels (approx) to render video, and supports F-Log and Hybrid Log Gamma (HLG) for HDR footage. To help you make the most of the camera’s sensor for still and movie capture, the dust- and weatherresistant body (with 95 seals) houses a five-axis in-body image stabilisation (IBIS) sensor shift system with a 5.5EV benefit. The shutter unit itself is also suspended using four springs to minimise the effect of shutter shock to further help sharp shooting with slow shutter speeds. The GFX100 is the first in the family to boast Fujifilm’s phase detection autofocus algorithm – taken from the latest X Series cameras – which uses 3.76 million phase detection pixels placed across the image sensor, and gives increased AF speed with a benefit of up to 200%, up to twice as fast as a conventional contrast detect system. Along with this is an improved face and eye detect AF system, which offers better

Images The GFX100 has a dust- and weather-resistant body with 95 seals, and houses a five-axis in-body stabilisation sensor shift system. It also boasts an integrated vertical grip, allowing room for two batteries

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Camera test accuracy and a greater working range in the case of face detect. Autofocus speed is impressive, and accuracy, too, even in poor light and low-contrast scenes. On occasions the AF would work like a conventional contrast detect system where the AF goes past the focus point and then back again to lock on, but more often than not the system went straight to the focus point. Fujifilm’s usual array of different size single AF zones and multi-zones (3x3, 5x5 and 7x7) gives plenty of potential to suit different occasions and subject types. While there has been huge innovation inside the camera, Fujifilm hasn’t forgotten about its exterior and the GFX100’s bodyform is very different from the other models in the GFX system. The GFX100 is styled more in the fashion of a deep-bodied full-frame DSLR with an integrated vertical grip and controls, including a focus lever, are replicated, so you get the same shooting experience whether you are shooting horizontally or vertically. The design of the body, handgrip and control layout does make using the GFX100 a pleasure, but the heft and size of the body and its matching lenses will not suit everyone. Having an integrated grip has made room for two batteries which, in combination, have enough capacity for up to 800 shots, obviously depending on conditions and the shooting set-up. The camera does work with just one battery loaded and the USB-C socket supports charging by powerbank. Two SD card slots are provided and these are UHS-II and Video Speed Class 90 compatible. With the large files, you need fast cards to make the most of the camera’s shooting speed, which in continuous high speed shooting mode gives 5fps. Using a 250MB/s SD UHS-II card, I got 19 Raws (you only get 14-bit Raws in continuous shooting) at 5.5fps before the camera slowed up and the buffer took 20 seconds to clear. In fine JPEG only, I got 98 shots at 5.5fps before the camera slowed up. A big design innovation on the GFX100 compared with the two other GFX models is its lack of physical dials. On the top-plate LCD sub monitor you see virtual ISO and shutter speeds, and changing settings is done by the rear and front command dials. If you prefer, the sub monitor can show a simple live histogram or just core camera information like mode, shutter speed and so on. In this view, the actual

A big design innovation on the GFX100 compared with the two other GFX models is its lack of physical dials

Performance: ISO The GFX100 has a back-side illuminated (BSI) CMOS sensor so light reaches the light receptors without having to negotiate its way through the electronics, which helps with efficiency and high ISO performance. The GFX100’s native ISO range is 100 to 12,800, with expansion possible down to ISO 50 and up to ISO 102,400. I shot Raws

(uncompressed 16-bit) and JPEGs using the GFX100 at every ISO with noise reduction set to zero and used Capture One with default noise reduction for processing. Certainly, there is little doubt that the GFX100 delivers an impressive high ISO performance, with speeds up to ISO 1600 looking really clean. Viewed on-screen at 100% there’s

FULL FRAME

negligible noise at ISO 1600 and even ISO 3200 and, while there is some impact on fine detail at the latter speed, it’s not much all. This speed is perfectly usable for critical shooting. Noise levels increase from ISO 3200 upwards as you would expect, but at no time is it so heavy as to be unusable. However, it is true that rendition of fine detail suffers more at ISO 12,800. Venture into the region of high expanded speeds and noise increases, and with it the impact on fine detail and areas of even tone look more blotchy, but that is no more than I would expect at ISO 25,600 and beyond. ISO 100

ISO 800

ISO 12,800

ISO 1600

ISO 3200

ISO 6400

ISO 3200

ISO 51,200

ISO 102,400

FULL FRAME

Images The GFX100 has a back-side illuminated (BSI) sensor, while the GFX 50R and 50S have front illuminated sensors. BSI sensors in theory give better high ISO performance but in the case of the GFX100 that benefit might be offset by having so many more light gathering photosites packed into the same surface area. Shooting with the GFX100 and GFX 50R side by side and using the same Raw processing parameters showed that both cameras are very capable high ISO performers. Viewed at the same subject size, the GFX100 was marginally superior, but there was little in it

For comparison, I took some side-by-side shots with the Fujifilm GFX 50R, which has the same native ISO range, but has a 51.4-megapixel conventional frontilluminated sensor with 5.3 μm cell size (compared with the GFX100’s 3.76 μm cells). Looking at the comparison shots both at 100% (and with the GFX 50R’s images at 141% to give the same subject size as the GFX100’s files), I think it is fair to say that the noise performance of the pair is similar and impressive at both ISO 3200 and 6400. This is a credit to the more tightly sensor packed GFX100 BSI sensor.

Images This low-light scene was shot with the GFX100 fitted with the 32-64mm f/4 lens and mounted on a Gitzo Systematic 4 tripod. The exposure for the ISO 100 shot was 2.6secs at f/11. This set of Raws was processed in Capture One and shown at 100%

GFX 50R - ISO 3200

GFX 50R - ISO 6400

GFX 100 - ISO 3200

GFX 100 - ISO 6400

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Camera test Original image

Enlargement

Right and above The GFX100 body has in built image stabilisation (IBIS) offering 5.5EV benefit. This was taken at 0.5sec at f/4, ISO 200 using the 63mm f/2.8 lens and the camera’s mechanical shutter. As you can see from the enlarged section above, the system works very well indeed

parameters of what’s on show can be customised, too. The LCD can be backlit by pushing a button adjacent to the display and this stays on until the button is pushed again. It took a short time to get used to the virtual ISO and shutter dials. Typically, I changed the ISO when I wanted to change the shutter speed or vice versa. User error, of course, and easily solved with time, practice and fine-tuning set-up – I turned off the ISO dial, for example.

There’s also no exposure mode control and you scroll through modes using a button near the shutter release. You get M and A when the aperture ring is in use and then S and P when the aperture ring is set to its A setting. On the left side of the top plate is a three-position mode dial where you get the option of still or movie shooting, with the multi option inbetween and there’s a drive push button at its centre. Push down the drive button in still shooting, and you

The GFX100 has a high-resolution EVF featuring 5.76 million dots, which shows fine detail almost like an optical finder

get low or high continuous shooting, and in movie mode various settings. Push the drive button when multi is selected and you get the option of six functions including focus, film simulation and exposure bracketing. However, to set parameters of each bracketing function you still have to go into the main menu. It’s a pity you can’t fine-tune these features via the drive/multi controls. Before we leave the top plate, it is worth discussing the EVF finder. This is a high-resolution finder featuring 5.76 million dots, giving an excellent viewing image, which shows fine detail almost like an optical finder and there’s no smearing during panning. An eye sensor automatically switches between the EVF and monitor image, but if

preferred the EVF can be slipped off for monitor-only use while the touch function monitor itself folds out for low-level work. Below the monitor is another display, the rear sub monitor and this, like its top-plate sub monitor, you can customise. I preferred having the exposure compensation scale on show, but there are two information options and a live histogram. The GFX100 as a package works very well. It’s daunting to start with, probably because it’s a seriously hefty camera. But once you get used to the controls, including the virtual dials, finding your way around the layout becomes second nature. I’m a Fujifilm user, which helps. I liked the pro DSLR-style body, although a marginally fatter vertical grip

Performance: exposure latitude Original image

This was taken with the GFX100 fitted with the 32-64mm lens and fixed to a Gitzo tripod. The metered exposure was 1/8sec at f/11, ISO 100. The Raws were exposure corrected in Capture One. Underexposed Raws corrected very nicely with minimal impact on image quality and a slight noise gain in the shadows on the -3EV shot. Noise levels drop further with the -2EV shot and by the time you get to the -1EV shot, it recovers

to look the same as the correctly exposed image. With overexposure, the GFX100 deals well with +1EV and +2EV, giving high-quality results with accurate highlights and smooth mid-tones. Though the +3EV shot was too much and the highlights could not be recovered – at least not on this very contrasty scene. Scenes with less extreme highlights proved more accommodating to overexposure, even at +3EV.

-3EV

-2EV

-1EV

+1EV

+2EV

+3EV

Images The GFX100’s Raws have good latitude with the -3EV shot recovering very well with some extra noise. With overexposure, the +2 shot looked the same as the correctly exposed shot, but the +3EV was less successful in strong lighting. There seemed to be very little latitude difference between 14bit and 16-bit capture

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Camera test Verdict If you need 102 megapixels and have £10K to pay for the privilege (and that’s before any lenses), there’s no denying the Fujifilm GFX100 is an amazing camera capable of awesome image quality. It’s rich with great features, handles well despite its heft and is inspiring to use in so many ways. And the rewards are enormous when you get in front of a screen and process its images.

Above and right The rear sub monitor that sits below the monitor comes in handy when the camera is up high on a tripod, for example. It’s also handy because it helps declutter the monitor display, so you get a cleaner view for composition

would suit me better, but I like the way controls are mirrored for convenient switching between upright and horizontal shooting. The camera’s AF and exposure systems work very well, giving excellent results time after time. Auto white balance also performed well, notably in artificial lighting. I noticed this because I used the GFX 50R alongside the GFX100 for part

Above There are no shutter speed or ISO dials on the GFX100, but you get virtual equivalents controlled via the front and rear command dials. The sub monitor can also display a large live histogram or camera settings information – menu shown top left here

of this test and the latter was more consistently accurate. I didn’t see the benefit of shooting 16-bit Raw capture on the scenes I was faced with and I overexposed, underexposed and made dramatic changes during processing. That’s not to say there isn’t potential here, because having so much more data at your disposal is a good thing. But the camera’s 14-bit skills are so good, you

probably need to be working to the most exacting standards in the most challenging lighting to see the benefit of 16-bit. For most photographers, 14-bit is perfectly good and, with the compressed Raws being around 80MB, that makes workflow easier. And speaking of workflow, if you’re thinking of investing in this camera, get your work processes, your computer and storage sorted

first, because you’re dealing with large amounts of data. A compressed 14-bit Raw is around 80-90MB which, when processed, becomes a 350MB 16-bit TIF that measures 11,648x8736 pixels, so you can print to 98.6x73.9cm (38.8x29.1in) at 300ppi – and that’s before any interpolation. Once you’re geared up for it, though, you can revel in the quality that this camera is so very capable of.

Features 24/25 102 megapixels, five-axis IBIS, function options Handling 22/25 It’s heavy and big, but it actually handles well Performance 24/25 Consistently spot-on exposure and focus Value for money 22/25 Lots of megapixels for lots of money Overall 92/100 A serious camera for serious photographers Pros Image quality, handling, overall exposure and focusing performance, high ISO ability Cons It’s still a £10K camera

Performance: 14-bit and 16-bit capture Very few digital cameras offer 16-bit capture except expensive medium format cameras. All smaller format mirrorless and DSLR cameras capture in 14-bit or 12-bit, with some offering both. The Fujifilm GFX100 joins the very exclusive 16-bit club. The theory is that the more bits you have, the more colours/tones and smoother tonal transitions you get. This is good for serious editing, where you may be really stretching the shadows or trying to get more from highlights. If you capture in 12-bit, you have 68 billion colours and in 14-bit you get four trillion. Move up to 16-bit and the potential is for 281 trillion colours. (This is determined by 1x2=2, 2x2=4, 2x4=8, 2x8=16… and so on 16 times, which gets you to 65,536. Then 65,536x65,536x65,536 (for each colour channel of red, green and blue) and you get 281 trillion.) Whether the human eye, the software, the monitor display and the printer can work in 16bit is another story, but in this review we’ll just skirt round those considerations for now. The GFX100 lets you shoot 14-bit or 16-bit Raws and you can save them to card uncompressed or with lossless compression. Both uncompressed Raws were around 210MB, whereas compressed Raws are around 110MB in 16-bit and 80MB in 14-bit. I tested the GFX100 in 14-bit and 16-bit in both compressions shooting sunsets, night scenes,

Original image

14-bit

Original image

16-bit

IMAGES Wind turbines at sunset were shot with a 120mm f/4 lens on the GFX100. The exposure was 1/2000sec at f/8, ISO 100. Exposure brackets were made in 14-bit and 16-bit Raw. This shot was underexposed by 2EV on the metered 1/500sec at f/8 reading dark interiors and sunlit landscapes with correct exposures, but also over/underexposed shots. I used Lightroom and Capture One for Raw processing to see if there were any obvious benefits. It is a testament to the GFX100’s 14-bit capture skills that the benefit of 16-bit is minimal or not discernible at all. However, if

you’re shooting extremely contrasty scenes and making large adjustments to highlights and shadows, you may see the benefit of 16-bit capture. Ultimately, though, there is probably no point using 16-bit, because 14-bit is outstanding and the Raws have huge potential for stunning images.

16-bit 0

14-bit 0

16-bit -4EV

14-bit -4EV

IMAGES IWM Duxford interior shot with the GFX100 fitted with a 23mm f/4. A bracketed series in 14- and 16-bit Raw was taken and saved as uncompressed Raws. Here, we show at 100% the correctly exposed shots and the -4EV shots, which were corrected using Lightroom

Photography News | Issue 69 | photographynews.co.uk

Camera test Specs Price £849 Sensor 1in stacked CMOS, 20.1-megapixels Sensor format 13.2x8.8mm, 5472x3648pixels in 3:2 format ISO range 125-12,800 (25,600 extended) Lens 8.8-44mm (24-120mm equivalent in 35mm format), f/1.8-2.8 Image stabiliser Yes, optical, 4EV benefit Shutter range 30secs to 1/2000sec and B Electronic shutter 30secs to 1/25,600sec Flash sync 1/2000sec Drive modes Up to 8fps with AF, 20fps without AF Metering system Evaluative, centre-weighted, spot Exposure modes PASM, auto and custom Exposure compensation +/-3EV in 0.3EV steps Monitor 3in tilting LCD touchscreen, 1040k dots Viewfinder OLED, 0.39in, 2,360k dots, 100% view Focus points 31-point, face detection and tracking, in single, continuous, servo and touch AF Video 4K 3840x2160 at 29.97/25fps Full HD 1920x1080 at 119.9 /100/59.94/50/29.97/25fps, MP4 format, HD 1280 x 720 at 50fps Connectivity USB-C, HDMI type-D, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth Storage media 1xSD card, SD, SDHC, SDXC (UHS Speed Class 1 compatible) Dimensions (wxhxd) 110.9x60.9x46mm Weight 340g (including battery and memory card) Contact canon.co.uk

Canon Powershot G5X Mark II Canon’s latest premium compact features a neat and tidy design, a one-inch stacked 20.1-megapixel sensor and a handy 24-120mm equivalent zoom Words and images by Kingsley Singleton In the face of ever more affordable DSLRs and compact system cameras – and more and more capable smartphones – is there still a market for large-sensored compact cameras? The likes of Canon, Panasonic, Fujifilm and Sony seem to think so – and Canon has just refreshed its range with the Canon G5X Mark II. I took it on a week’s trial, including a trip to the Isle of Skye, to see whether it’s a viable all-in-one model for enthusiasts. The G5X Mark II has a 20.1-megapixel one-inch stacked CMOS sensor, a 5x optical zoom taking you from a 35mm equivalent of 24-120mm, and the design includes an EVF. Other features include a massive 20fps burst mode, even in Raw. The G5X Mark II certainly handles well. It’s a neat and tidy body with a retractable lens, and while its predecessor had a centrally placed electronic viewfinder (EVF), jutting out of the top plate, the Mark II gets a rangefinder-style pop-up EVF sitting on the top left of the body where you might normally expect the flash to be. Combined with its retractable lens, the new design makes for a neat little build, and it’s just about pocket friendly, though angular and boxy compared to some other models. There’s no weather sealing claimed, which is a bit disappointing. The G5X Mark II doesn’t sacrifice handling for portability. It’s very quick and comfortable to use, thanks in part to its grippy-feel, raised handgrip and thumb pad, which have a rubberised finish. Because of its small size, the number of inputs is minimal, but you get a nice level of manual input with

the rear control dial surrounding the D-pad, an exposure compensation dial sitting around the main mode dial and, on the front, an aperture-style control ring on the lens barrel. It loses the front command dial from the G5X, which is a shame as that was useful. In the default set-up, the latter sets aperture in aperture-priority, shutter speed in shutter-priority, and in full manual it sets aperture, while the rear control ring sets shutter speed. There’s no dedicated dial for ISO and white balance, and while they can be mapped to buttons, I found using the touchscreen for them quick and easy. More button customisation would be good, such as being able to set the exposure comp dial to shutter speed in manual mode. The G5X Mark II uses the same menus as EOS DSLRs, so they’re simple to navigate. The EVF deserves some description. Once flipped up, it’s activated by pulling the screen towards you. It’s a welcome addition, though at 0.39 inches, it’s quite small and means your eye has to be well aligned for a perfect view. The quality is good though, with a 2.36 million dot organic LED panel, and an adjustable refresh rate of 60 or 120fps. It made composing in bright light easier than on the main screen, but could do with a clip shade or larger eye cup. The main three-inch touchscreen has a resolution of 1.04 million dots, and its touch input felt, to me, more accurate than many. It angles down to 45° for high-angle shooting and upwards through 180°, at which point it inverts the display, letting you shoot selfies. It’s a vital feature for vloggers, but probably less so for enthusiasts.

Above Despite the 1in sensor size, we still got some shallow depth-offield from the G5X Mark II, here shooting at f/3.2 at the 120mm equivalent

Photography News | Issue 69 | photographynews.co.uk

Camera test Performance: exposure latitude Exposure as metered

To test the usefulness of the G5X Mark II’s Raw files, I shot a sequence of over- and underexposed images between +/-3EV. On a DSLR, this would be +/-5EV, but the Canon DPP 4 software we needed to use for conversion only runs to 3EV correction. And the G5X Mark II only offers +/-3EV in autoexposure compensation anyway.

Starting with the overexposed files, results showed an obvious difference between the standard exposure and the converted Raws, even at +1EV. Overexposed highlight areas looked a little grey, and this got progressively worse at +2EV and +3EV. Results were better with the underexposed file, and the -1EV

example looked very close to the 0EV file when brightened. -2EV showed more noise, though was still usable, but -3EV showed excessive noise. It would seem if you want a good exposure, you’re going to have to get it spot-on in shooting and, to be fair, the G5X Mark II does a decent job of that in its Evaluative metering mode.

+1EV

-1EV

+2EV

-2EV

+3EV

-3EV

Images The G5X Mark II’s sensor offered only limited exposure latitude. Recovering the overexposed images saw greying and colour shifts in the highlights at +2EV and +3EV. Underexposed files fared better, although the -3EV file showed significant noise in shadows

Performance: ISO The new design makes for a neat little build, and it’s just about pocket friendly One of the advantages of the G5X Mark II’s 1in stacked sensor is in the shooting speed it delivers and, combined with its DIGIC 8 processor, which is the same as found in the EOS RP, the camera claims a top whack of 20fps, which it can sustain for 89 C-Raws (compressed Raws), 55 Raws and 118 JPEGs. In testing, the camera met or exceeded those claims, but there is a downside. The blistering frame rates are with AF in single mode, so locked to the first frame. Lower in number, but actually more impressive for a compact, is the 8fps rate with full continuous AF. The G5X Mark II’s AF performed well, though occasionally lost fastmoving subjects in its servo mode. Autofocus area is limited to normal and small, and to me there wasn’t an obvious way of moving it, other than by tapping the screen. A larger area, or group of AF points would have been helpful. The single AF mode was mostly fast and accurate, only struggling in the usual areas, like low contrast. Face detection AF worked well, and allows switching between multiple faces in the frame.

The G5X Mark II’s ISO range spans 125 to 12,800 and an expanded setting of 25,600 and its stacked 1in sensor put in a good performance through most of the range. We shot through the ISO range, setting High ISO NR to off and compared the images in Adobe Lightroom at 100% – that’s the magnification used for the enlargements in this panel. There’s very little impact from noise up to ISO 400, and the 800 and 1600 settings show only

minimal disruption to detail. 100% views at 3200 and 6400 are usable, but fine detail becomes a little compromised. The 8000, 10,000 and 12,800 settings start to get fuzzy and colour saturation is affected. At the expanded 25,600 setting, quality is predictably poor. It’s also worth saying that, viewing the images full screen on a 21-inch HD monitor, a drop in quality wasn’t really noticeable until hitting ISO 10,000. A really good performance overall.

125

160

200

400

800

1600

6400

3200

8000

10,000

12,800

25,600

Images The camera controlled noise well, and it’s only when viewing images close up that it becomes a problem, with details beginning to get fuzzy around the level of 3200 or 6400. It’s good stuff for a compact

Photography News | Issue 69 | photographynews.co.uk

Camera test Performance: the lens The lens has optical image stabilisation, claiming a 4EV advantage There are also some decent manual focusing options, including programmable focus peaking on the main screen or the viewfinder, and a focus bracketing mode, especially useful when using the macro focus setting, which hits 5cm at wide-angle and 20cm at telephoto. The 5x zoom is versatile enough, but annoyingly it doesn’t remember its setting when the camera is turned off and on again. That’s not unusual for compacts, but it would have been a nice addition on a high-end one like the G5X Mark II. If you’re shooting in JPEG, you can push the lens’s reach with 1.6x and 2x digital teleconverters. The quality of these is not bad, despite the fact that it’s just interpolating the image. There’s also a digital zoom taking you up to a 480mm equivalent, but it gets quite fuzzy. The lens also has optical image stabilisation, claiming a 4EV advantage, and that was borne out, as our testing returned mostly sharp results down to around 1/2sec at the wide end. Shutter range is 30secs to 1/2000sec, and there’s a B (bulb) if you push past 30secs in manual. To help with those longer exposures – and for shooting with wider apertures in bright light – there’s a built-in ND, which can be set to off /auto and on, and has a 3EV effect. You can also use the electronic shutter to get a top speed of 1/25,600sec, but this is prone to rolling shutter and flicker from artificial lighting. Exposure compensation is limited to +/-3EV, but at no point did I find that a problem – I can’t remember the last time I shot more than +/-3EV, except for a heavyweight HDR sequence. Overall picture quality from the G5X Mark II was good, and the 5472x3648 full-resolution files showed a decent amount of detail, though there’s that slightly waxy look you get from a smaller sensor. Don’t zoom in too much and you can’t tell the difference. As well as the 3:2, you also get 4:3, 16:9 and 1:1 aspect ratios. If you’re picking up a compact like the G5X Mark II, you may also be interested in its video output. Unlike its predecessor, the Mark II has 4K at up to 30p but, more excitingly, offers Full HD at 120fps, so you can get some nice slow-motion effects. The 4K mode is capped at ten minutes, but practically I’ve never felt the need to shoot longer anyway. Battery life is quoted at 230 shots, though it falls to 180 when using the EVF. In testing, I got 472 shots over two charges using a mix of the EVF and continuous shooting and long exposures. It’s not blessed with masses of staying power, so picking up a spare is a good plan if you’re going to have an extended session. You can also charge from the USB port.

Obviously a compact camera is not just a body, but a lens, too, so you need to know the optics are up to scratch. The G5X Mark II’s 8.8-44mm (24-120mm equivalent in 35mm format) has a fast though variable aperture of f/1.8 to f/2.8, and a construction of 13 elements in 11 groups, including three double-sided aspherical lenses, and one single-sided aspherical lens. The wide aperture gives you some scope for working in low light, but due to the size of the sensor, control over depth-of-field is limited, and f/11 is the smallest aperture setting. You can still get a shallow depth-of-field by

pushing to the long end of the lens and shooting wide open though. Testing the lens’s optical quality, we shot throughout the aperture range at 8.8mm, 18.2mm, and 44mm (equivalents of 24mm, 50mm and 120mm). At 8.8mm, results were very good in the middle of the frame at f/1.8, but quite smudgy at the edges. Centre sharpness improved to f/4, and stayed at its peak until around f/9, dropping off slightly after that. At the edges, sharpness was best at f/4. At 18.2mm, it was a similar story with a decent result in the centre at the maximum f/2.5,

improving to f/5.6 where it also hit its peak at the edges. Thereafter, there was only a slight drop in sharpness towards f/11. At f/2.8 and the 44mm setting, sharpness suffered at the centre and edges were quite smeary, but things quickly improved at f/3.2 and peaked between f/4 and f/5.6. Edges hit their peak at f/11. There was some fringing noted, especially at 8.8mm and in areas of very high contrast, and at the longer setting when using the widest apertures, but no vignetting was apparent and nor was barrel or pincushion distortion a problem.

8.8mm

18.2mm

44mm

F/1.8

F/2.5

F/2.8

F/4

Above The camera’s small size and versatility makes it a good travel companion, though you may miss the detail from a larger sensor

Verdict F/4

F/5.6

F/8

For an all-in-one package, the G5X Mark II delivers well. The 24-120mm lens gives you plenty of scope and quality, while detail from the 1in sensor is good, if not spectacular. It’s only when you compare it to the performance of larger sensors that it disappoints. Handling is nice, and the manual inputs work well, up to a point. Despite not being weather sealed, build quality is high, and the unit is small and light enough to be a good travel option. With the long end of the zoom and the 8fps, it’s useful for action subjects, too. Features 22/25 All the essential stuff you’d expect, plus good extras like focus stacking

F/8

F/11

Handling 23/25 Very good overall, just missing a front control dial and EVF shade Performance 23/25 8fps is no slouch and image quality is pretty good for a 1in sensor

F/11

Above The G5X Mark II’s 24120mm equivalent lens put in a very creditable performance, with only the widest and smallest apertures showing a loss of sharpness. The enlargements here are shown at 100%

Value for money 20/25 Features mostly justify the price, but you could buy a budget DSLR and travel zoom for the same Overall 88/100 The camera’s spec and handling make it a decent travel option Pros Small, light, but with manual appeal and fast shooting speed Cons Raw latitude, no weather sealing, not cheap

Photography News | Issue 69 | 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 & Kingsley Singleton

Specs Type LED Max powerconsumption 500W Output Lumens 46,613 Dimming Yes, 0 to 100% Beam angle 55° (with included reflector) Colour temperature 5600K Colour accuracy standard CRI 98, TLCI 95 Modifiers Bowens S-Type Cooling system Fan Dimensions (LxHxW) 30.7x20.6x14.2cm Weight 2.49kg Mounting 5/8in yoke type Remote operation DMX or Wi-Fi Power 2 x V-mount batteries, mains power

Images The joy of continuous light is what you see is what you get, so it’s very easy to use

Nanlite Forza 500 £1979.95 For years, flash systems were streets ahead of continuous lighting, mainly due to the low power and high heat of tungsten lamps. But LED technology changed all that, running cooler and offering loads of power. There’s now a whole generation of photographers that has embraced them, particularly those shooting video as well as stills, and LED lights fit nicely with the WYSIWYG appeal of mirrorless cameras. An LED option new to the market is the Nanlite Forza 500, which, as it runs from either batteries or mains, can be used on location as well as in the studio. The 500 sits at the top of Nanlite’s (previously Nanguang’s) Forza range, which also has the less powerful but cheaper Forza 60 and 300. The 500 we’re looking at here is a fairly eyewatering £1979.95, but that’s not an unusual price for a high-spec LED, and build quality and accessories were immediately impressive. It comes in a decent travel case that holds the head, ballast, reflector and accessories. The head unit has a metal and carbon fibre construction, and there are no controls on it, everything being controlled from the ballast. Handily, the kit comes with a metal clip that attaches a lightstand, and from which you can hang the ballast, connected to the head by a 2.5m shielded cable with locking connectors. It can be run off two V-mount batteries, or via an included mains adapter, both of which sit within the ballast; we tested it with the latter. The head weighs 2.49kg, which isn’t particularly heavy for a big LED, but more than most flash units of equivalent power. I tried it on a Phottix P-200 Mark II stand, but it was a bit unsteady due to the weight; I switched to a heavyweight Interfit COR 751 stand which was much better. It mounts via a large yoke, so can be swung through 360º when no modifier is attached, or fitted to a rail, and locks very securely. Control is simple. On the face of the ballast you get two dials, four buttons and a screen. The power dial sets output between 0 and 100% in 1% increments, and the second dial is a menu selector. The buttons – Effect, Trigger, Menu and Lock – are rubberised and backlit. Effect puts the light into one of eight preset

practical lighting effects, from multiple flashes to lightning and flickering TV or bulb, and the Trigger button starts some of these when desired. They’re useful as creative move effects, but not much use for stills, though you could conceivably use the Flash setting like repeated bursts of a flash during a long exposure, as it can be set from 0.1 to 6secs. The Lock button just locks all the settings until pressed again. I first tested the light’s output with its included reflector at 1m, using a Gossen Digipro F2 lightmeter. With the meter set to ISO 200 and 1/250sec the Forza 500 gave us f/16 at 100%, which is impressive, at 50% it was f/8, and at 1% it was around f/1.4. Without the reflector, the naked head gave f/8 at the same ISO and shutter speed at 1m. Importantly, even at full power, the temperature was not significantly higher, though it is very bright. Both head and ballast use a fan when the light is running and though this is pretty quiet on the head, it can be turned off. This cuts the output to f/4 with the reflector. It can’t be turned off on the ballast, and it is quite loud on that. I also used the light in a typical portrait situation, as a key light with the subject backlit from windows, to which I added a much smaller LED as an accent light. On the Forza 500 I added a 90cm Nanlite parabolic softbox with a grid, and with the surface of the softbox about 1.5m from the subject I metered

Colour consistency can be a problem with LEDs but I noticed no issues f/4 at ISO 200 and 1/250sec. It was a bit uncomfortable in brightness for the subject at 100%; we settled on about 30% power, and I shot several seated portraits with a Nikon D850 and Sigma 50mm f/1.4 at 1/250sec, f/1.6, and ISO 125. For head and shoulders I switched to an 85mm f/1.8, shooting at 1/250sec, f/2 and ISO 250. Results were very good, with a pleasingly natural look. Colour consistency was also good. It can be a problem with LEDs, but I noticed no issues, and with the light balanced at 5600K, it’s easy to work with daylight. A final word about modifiers; the Forza lights use a Bowens fit mount, so there’s a huge amount of choice on the market for them. KS

Verdict Practically, I enjoyed using the Forza 500, partly because it means less thought is required than with flash when combining it with ambient light. If you shoot video as well as stills, or don’t want to use flash at all, the 500 is a good, powerful option. Pros Very simple to use, and powerful Cons Larger, heavier and more expensive than similarly powered flashes

Photography News | Issue 69 | photographynews.co.uk

First tests Specs Price Firefly £519, Blackstone £659 Format 35mm full-frame Mount Canon EF, Nikon F Autofocus No Construction 16 elements in 10 groups Special lens elements Three aspheric, two extra-low dispersion, four high refractive Coatings Neutrino Filter size No front fitter, 30x30mm rear gelatin slot Aperture range F/4-22 Diaphragm Nine rounded blades Internal focus Yes Manual focus Yes Minimum focus 27cm Focus limiter No Distance scale Yes, metres and feet Depth-of-field scale Yes, hyperfocal index Image stabilizer No Tripod collar No Lens hood Supplied Weather-sealed Rubber seals to protect from dust and water splashes Dimensions 118x103mm Weight 730-790g, depending on mount Contact swains.co.uk

Irix 11mm f/4 Firefly £519 The Irix brand is a recent arrival in the UK lens market with its products made in Korea and designed in Switzerland. Its current range comprises three manual focus options, the 15mm f/2.8 ultra wide, 150mm f/2.8 macro (tested in the last issue of PN) and the lens tested here, the 11mm f/4. The Irix 11mm f/4 is an ultra wideangle prime lens with a rectilinear projection; so not a fisheye. Currently the only rectilinear lens this wide is the Canon 11-24mm f/4 zoom, a £2789 lens. There are lenses covering 12mm, though, including the Laowa 12mm f/2.8 and Sigma 12-24mm f/4. You will find this lens available in two variants, Blackstone and Firefly, priced at £659 and £519 respectively. They are identical optically but the Blackstone is a physically better specified lens. It has four protective seals which include the front lens element and engraved lens markings with UV reactive fluorescent paint for visibility in low lighting. Its housing is aluminiummagnesium alloy and the focus ring is a metal anodized ring with a grooved finish. The less expensive Firefly, which is the lens tested here, has a lighter housing and anti-slip rubber focus grip. It is equipped with three protective rubber seals to protect it from dust and water splashes and lens markings are printed. Whichever version you go for, the Irix 11mm is a significant piece of glass with a large bulbous front element, so no filter thread on this optic. Gelatin 30x30mm filters can be used in a slot behind the rear element. Despite its size, handling is impressive and it balances well on the Nikon D850. The manual focusing ring has a taut action with a single click-stop at infinity and a lock function is available too to stop any focus drift. There’s no lack of focus markings available with a very good depth-offield scale and an infrared focus mark. There is an extra aid to help achieve

Images Take care not to brush the Irix’s massive front lens element with your fingers, although the fixed lens hood does give a degree of physical protection

11mm

Its extreme view also means there is a flare risk

maximum depth-of-field using hyperfocal focusing. All you have to do is set f/4, f/8, f/11 or f/16 on the focus ring opposite the focusing index and you get maximum depth-of-field when that aperture is set. Aperture control is done via the camera so no separate ring on the lens. Optically, the Irix 11mm turned in an impressive optical performance but it’s an extreme wide-angle so there are some points to be aware of. It exhibits barrel distortion and there are signs of chromatic aberration with fringing away from the centre of the frame; but both can be corrected in editing. Its extreme view also means there is a flare risk especially when the sun is striking the lens front obliquely. However, it was well controlled even when shooting into or towards the sun. In terms of sharpness and resolution of fine detail though, I thought this lens did really well at its optimum apertures of f/8 and f/11. At these settings, sharpness and contrast impressed and detail across the frame looked lovely and crisp. Sharpness was still good at the centre at f/4 and f/5.6 with the edges being softer and lacking the lovely crispness seen at smaller apertures. Small apertures of f/16 and f/22 meant softer images due to diffraction. WC

F/22

F/16

F/11

F/8

Verdict The Irix 11mm f/4 is an ultra wideangle prime capable of delivering a very high-quality performance that sells at a competitive price too. For those specialising in interiors or astro photography it is a compelling, nicely priced proposition. I think it will also appeal to those photographers who like to get in close for dramatic perspectives. With the same optical configuration, all you have to do is decide whether you want the Blackstone or Firefly version. Pros Extreme wide rectilinear view, depth-of-field scale Cons Large lens, modest maximum aperture

F/5.6

F/4

Photography News | Issue 69 | photographynews.co.uk

First tests Specs Prices £319, Nikon F and Canon EF options available In the box Laowa Magic Format Converter adapter, front and rear lens caps Lens construction 5 elements in 4 groups Magnification 1.4x Light loss 1EV Focusing Manual only Tripod mount Supplied, Arca Swiss compatible foot Dimensions 69.6x44.1mm Weight 360g Contact laowalens.co.uk

Below These test shots were taken on a Fujifilm GFX 50R with the Laowa 12mm f/2.8 fitted on the MFC. With the 1.4x magnification of the converter the focal length is just under 17mm. The combination was mounted on a Gitzo Systematic 4 tripod with the shutter released with the selftimer. The quoted aperture value was the value set on the lens, ie not the effective aperture, which is 1EV smaller

Full image

F/2.8

Laowa Magic Format Converter £319 The mirrorless camera revolution has all sorts of benefits. Just look at the potential offered by lens adapters allowing you to use legacy lenses on brand new mirrorless cameras or even to mix brands. Compatibility and features vary greatly, so check the details carefully before buying. The Laowa Magic Format Converter (MFC for short) is the first of its type. It allows owners of Canon EF and Nikon F lens owners to fit their 35mm format lenses to Fujifilm GFX medium format cameras. That in itself is not new, but what is innovative with this converter is that it contains the optics to give a larger image circle to fill the GFX’s 44x33mm image sensor. The payoff for this is a 1EV light loss and a 1.4x focal length increase. I tried a Nikon version of the MFC on a Fujifilm GFX 50R with the Laowa 12mm f/2.8 Zero-D as well as a selection of Nikon lenses. The 2470mm f/2.8 G, 105mm f/2.8 macro and 70-200mm f/2.8 G went on fine while the 14-24mm f/2.8 G and 24120mm f/4 G did not fit. The Canon EOS EF mount has electronic contacts only so there shouldn’t be an issue. I tried the EF 24-105mm f/4 with a Canon fit MFC and that fitted fine. As you would expect, you only have manual focus with focus confirmation and aperture-priority AE and manual exposure modes. On the Nikon version, aperture setting is done using a ring marked from F to 8 in half clicks between each full value. With the 24-70mm f/2.8, F represents f/2.8, 2 is f/4, 3 is f/5.6 and so on until 7 is f/22. Using the Laowa 12mm f/2.8, to get the lens’s full aperture range I had to set 8 on the adapter and then use the lens’s aperture control ring as normal. This system works well once you get used to it. To check aperture accuracy I used manual mains flash. I set a flash output to give a correct exposure of f/4 on the 32-64mm lens. Swapping to the Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8 lens on the converter and setting F means the lens is an effective f/4, so

the same flash output should give the same exposure. It did; so aperture accuracy is good. Increasing flash output by 1EV and closing down the aperture one whole number on the converter should mean correct exposure stays in step, which it did. In use, focusing needs care and I used the GFX 50R’s focus magnifier to check accuracy. Being on a tripod helps too and the converter does have an Arca compatible tripod foot. I took test shots on both lenses; the ones shown here are from the Laowa 12mm. Adding an optical converter will always have a negative impact on the quality of the main lens. We’ve tested the Laowa 12mm f/2.8 previously and found it to be a capable ultra wide-angle. With the 12mm/ MFC combination on a GFX 50R, we got a very respectable performance, notably at mid-apertures from f/5.6 to 11 where sharpness and contrast were impressive across the frame.

Verdict The mirrorless camera revolution has all sorts of benefits At wider apertures, the centre was good but the edges were less impressive, lacking contrast and crispness. There was also evidence of vignetting at f/2.8 and f/4 which went with stopping down. Fringing was also apparent at those settings but that can be processed out. Generally, though, I thought the MFC turned in a decent optical showing with minimal impact on the main lens in use, and sharpness and detail at mid-aperture settings was very good. WC

F/4

F/11

F/5.6

F/16

F/8

F/22

In principle, the Laowa Magic Format Converter is a great idea, enabling a 35mm format lens to fill the GFX’s 44x33mm image format. Its appeal is obviously limited to GFX owners with Canon or Nikon lenses and not all Nikon lenses fit. The Laowa 12mm f/2.8 gives the MFC extra appeal because on a GFX this becomes a 17mm f/4, the widest lens available for that system right now. Laowa has a dedicated 17mm f/4 on the way for the GFX, but owners of the 12mm with the MFC have a capable ultra-wide lens for both 35mm and GFX formats. Pros Great idea, Arca Swiss tripod foot, aperture control Cons Not all Nikon mount lenses fit, vignetting

Photography News | Issue 69 | photographynews.co.uk

First tests Specs Price

1TB £229, 500GB £124 In the box 1xSSD, 1xUSB-C cable, 1xUSB-A cable, includes DataVault Lite software to protect files Availability 500GB, 1TB Interface USB 3.1 Type-C Speed 950MB/s read, 900MB/s write System compatibility Mac OS X 10.6+, Windows 7/8/10 Operating temperature 0°C to 70°C Dimensions (wxhxl) 55x10.8x73.4mm Weight 70g Contact swains.co.uk

Specs Lexar Pro 1667x SDXC UHS-II Prices £32 64GB, £53 128GB, £110 256GB Speed class 64GB Class 10, UHS-II (U3), V60 128GB Class 10, UHS-II (U3), V60 250GB Class 10, UHS-II (U3), V60 Performance 64GB read up to 250MB/s, write up to 80MB/s 128GB read up to 250MB/s, write up to 90MB/s 250GB read up to 250MB/s, write up to 90MB/s *Highest transfer speeds with SD-UHS II reader Operating conditions 0° to 70°C, 25% to 95% humidity Contact swains.co.uk

Images Lexar’s SD cards offer great performance and value for money, too

Lexar Professional SL100 Pro Portable 1TB SSD £229 Image file sizes aren’t getting any smaller and with more and more people shooting 4K video too, the need for portable, big capacity and reliable hard drives is greater than ever. This Lexar hard drive could be just the ticket. It is an SSD (solid state drive) so, unlike traditional hard drives, there are no moving parts and mechanical reliability should rate very highly. Build quality helps too, and this sleek drive is presented in a robust aluminium shell and its brushed finish gives it a great look. It is designed to perform in harsh temperatures and to resist vibration and knocks. I used the drive for a couple of weeks and has no reliability issues at all. That, of course, is not time at all, but with its build quality I would be disappointed if it didn’t manage several years of sterling service. Reliability is one benefit of SSDs and, of course, another is performance and the spec of this drive, with its USB-C 3.1 interface, claims a read speed of 950MB/s and a write speed of 900MB/s. These are impressive figures, which I tested using the Blackmagic Disk Speed app and practically by shifting 40GB of image files around using the supplied cable

Verdict Above The brushed aluminium finish is gorgeous and gives this unit a first-class look and feel. There is only one port, a USB-C 3.1 and a 3.1GHz Macbook Pro with 16GB RAM and Thunderbolt 3 ports. The latter offers data transfer rates of up to 40GBps, which is four times faster than that possible with USB 3.1. I also used a Mac Mini with USB 2.0. Using the Blackmagic test app, read speed was 849MB/s and write speed 619MB/s, which are impressive speeds, and they were borne out by the practical test. Writing the 40GB data from the Lexar SSD to the computer took just 46 seconds, which is a very

impressive 869MB/s, and the return journey took 85 seconds, which works out at a write time of 444MB/s. With the older USB 2.0 Mac, I got a read time of 127 seconds, which is 314MB/s, and a write time of 588 seconds, which is 68MB/s. Supplied on the SSD is DataVault Lite 256-bit AES encryption to protect your content from corruption, deletion or loss. Obviously worth using just in case your SSD falls into the wrong hands. WC

Lexar Pro 667x and 1667x SDXC cards From £24 With cameras gaining in megapixel count, coupled with higher continuous shooting rates and 4K and 8K video, the need for highspeed card performance has never been greater. Lexar recognises this and has added to its card family and launched the Pro 667x SDXC UHS-I and the even higher performing Pro 1667x SDXC UHS-II cards – it already has 633x, 1000x and 2000x SD cards in its range. The Pro 667x is UHS-I and offers a read speed of up to 100MB/s and a write speed of 90MB/s, and a Video Speed Class of 30MB/s. It comes in 64GB, 128GB and 250GB capacities and are competitively priced – the 128GB version sells for £39. With its performance, the Pro 667x is fine for most still photographers and, with its V30 rating, it’s good for 4K video shooting, too. More suitable for 4K shooting and 8K ready is the Pro 1667x SDXC UHS-II card, with its faster read performance of 250MB/s compared with the 100MB/s rating of its sister. The write specification of both cards is 90MB/s (except for the 1667x 64GB card, which has a write speed of 80MB/s). The Pro 1667x family also comes in 64GB, 128GB and 250GB, with the 128GB priced at £53. I tried both 128GB cards in a 45.7-megapixel Nikon D850, which

The Lexar Professional SL100 Pro Portable SSD is a remarkable piece of kit, reliable and with super-fast write/read speeds for those with USB 3.1 and Thunderbolt 3 – if you have the latter, then you’re in for a treat. If you’re an image-maker on the move, this SSD represents a good buy, and £229 for a 1TB SSD is good value for money. This is a sound investment for a firstrate, high-performance and very portable hard drive. Pros Very fast, great looks Cons Runs warm

Specs Lexar Pro 667x SDXC UHS-! Prices £24 64GB, £39 128GB, £80 256GB Speed class 64GB Class 10, UHS-I (U3), V30 128GB Class 10, UHS-I (U3), V30 250GB Class 10, UHS-I (U3), V30 Performance 64GB read up to 100MB/s, write up to 90MB/s 128GB read up to 100MB/s, write up to 90MB/s 250GB read up to 100MB/s, write up to 90MB/s Operating conditions 0° to 70°C, 25% to 95% humidity Contact swains.co.uk

has a continuous shooting rate of 7fps and its SD slot is UHS-II compliant. With the camera set to shoot Raw and JPEG, I checked how many shots I could get before the shooting rate slowed up and how long the buffer took to clear. With both cards I got 21 shots at 7fps before it started slowing up, with the buffer clearing in 18 seconds with the 667x card and 15 seconds in the case of the 1667x card.

With the more obvious performance difference in read speed, I loaded data onto the card and timed how long it took to transfer across using a 3.1GHz Macbook Pro with 16GB RAM and Thunderbolt 3 ports. Data of 11GB took 120 seconds to write across with the 667x card and just 48 seconds with the 1667x card, giving read speeds of 93MB/s and 229MB/s respectively, both close to their quoted specification. WC

The Pro 667x is fine for most still photographers and, with its V30 rating, it’s good for video shooting, too

Verdict The storage card landscape is rather busy (to put it mildly) and there’s no lack of choice for still and moving picture creators. Lexar’s latest additions, the Pro 667x SDXC UHS-I and Pro 1667x SDXC UHS-II, are high-performing, competitively priced, very capable SD cards and well worth adding to the shopping list. Pros Reliable, fast performance SD cards Cons Nothing

Photography News | Issue 69 | photographynews.co.uk

First tests Specs

Vanguard VEO 2 235CB £179.99 150mm, again with no shake at slow shutter speeds. To be fair, on the days I used the tripod there wasn’t too much of a wind, just a gentle breeze, and nor did I do anything ambitious with it in terms of super long exposures – the longest I used was 4secs. WC

Price £179.99 In the box Tripod, tripod bag, QS-64 quick release plate, spiked feet and low angle adapter Legs material Carbon fibre Load capacity 4kg (with T-50 ball head)

Images The tripod folds down compactly and has been designed with the VEO GO34M bag in mind

Folded length 32.5cm (folded inverted) Leg sections Five, twist grip locks, rubber feet Leg angles 21°, 50° and 80° Max height (centre column down) 113cm Max height (centre column extended) 143cm Minimum height 38cm – legs at 50° splayed position Bubble level One in the head Weight 1060g Head T-50 ball head, Arca compatible Plate fitting Arca, comes with QS-64 plate Contact vanguardworld.co.uk

Specs

The best tripod is the one you have with you but here’s the thing: tripods are not the most convenient things to tote around on the off-chance of a great picture so more often than not they are left at home or in the car boot. But here’s a Vanguard tripod that has the credentials to be your constant companion. The VEO 2 235CB is a five-section carbon fibre tripod that extends to a very usable 142cm with the two-section centre column fully extended and 113cm with the column down, folds down to just 32.5cm and weighs just over 1kg. It is designed with carrying in Vanguard’s VEO 2 bags in mind (I used it with the G034M tested below) but it would happily fit inside a backpack or other suitably sized shoulder bag. The tripod’s compact stature is due to its short leg sections, the top

ones measure roughly 14cm and the bottom 24cm. Legs are locked in place with twist grips which are easy to use and lock securely with minimal effort. Their only downside being the two lower ones are quite small in diameter so getting a firm grip is tricky – especially if the grips or your hands are wet. That said, even finger tightening is sufficient to ensure there is no leg slippage. The legs have three splayed lock positions, 21°, 50° and 80°. At 80° the centre column gets as low as 48cm, or 38cm splayed at 50° but a low angle adapter comes with the tripod and this gives a shooting platform just 20cm off the ground. Should you prefer, the centre column can be quickly reversed by unscrewing the ballast hook, withdrawing the centre column and replacing the other way up. In this

Verdict

way an even lower camera position can be achieved. The supplied ballhead, in keeping with the tripod’s low profile, is quite small but locks firmly enough to hold a full-frame DSLR with a fast aperture zoom providing the combination is well balanced. You will run into camera shake issues or ballhead slippage if the combination is front- or back-heavy. I tried a Nikon D850 with 2470mm f/2.8 with no shake problems using exposure delay mode and in still conditions. I also tried a Nikon Z 6 with a 24-70mm f/4 and an Olympus E-M5 Mark II with a 14-

The Vanguard VEO 235CB is a really good travel tripod with great portability helped by clever design and carbon fibre to keep the weight down, although of course that means its price is relatively high at £179.99. However, I think the tripod could easily pay for itself in terms of the pictures it could get you when you don’t have or can’t be bothered to have your full-sized tripod with you. With the potential it offers the VEO 235CB is a very good buy. Pros Very compact, carbon fibre legs, versatile, comes with spikes and a low angle adapter Cons It is a travel pod so it has height/load limitations

Vanguard VEO G034M £69.99 Images The bag has space for a full DSLR kit and a Vanguard VEO 2 GO travel tripod like the VEO 2 235CB tested above

Price £69.99 Colour Black Laptop pouch 9.7in tablet Dimensions (internal) 34x10.5x23cm Dimensions (external) 35.5x13x25mm Weight 700g Contact vanguardworld.co.uk

One bag type missing from my collection is a small shoulder bag for a decent-sized mirrorless outfit

I don’t specialise in any particular form of photography, hence I have a selection of bags and end up unpacking and repacking depending on what I’m off to shoot. So I have a medium backpack for scenic shoots, a bigger but hand-baggage sized backpack for travelling and a decent-sized sling bag for my full-frame DSLR-abouttown. One bag type missing from my collection is a small shoulder bag for a decent-sized mirrorless outfit, with sufficient internal storage space for a travel tripod when I want to travel really light, but without wanting to compromise on picture opportunities. The Vanguard VEO G034M could be just the thing. It is a smart, slim shoulder bag with great credentials for urban shooting. It is nondescript (in a nice way!) and its zipped top flap folds out away from the body so access to kit is excellent without giving prying hands the same convenience. Running along

the full length of the bag is a lower compartment large enough for a Vanguard VEO 2 GO travel tripod (such as the one tested above) which means carrying a tripod discretely is no problem. If I go tripod-less the bottom supporting flap of this lower compartment can be removed – or I just use the space for a drinks bottle. In terms of kit, I packed a Fujifilm X-E3 with 18-55mm f/2.8-4 zoom plus extra lenses, the 18mm f/2, 35mm f/1.4 and 55-200mm f/4-5.6. The front pocket is secured by two cliplocks and the interior has two sections; one was home for four spare batteries, cleaning cloth, powerbank and lead, the other for my 9.7in iPad. At the rear, body side of the bag is another zipped pocket and inside is a rain cover. This is also large enough for the tablet. The fitted shoulder strap is long enough for across the body use or normal off the shoulder use. The VEO GO235CB tested on this page fits snugly into the bottom

compartment. If anything it is a tad too snug and needs bit of a tug to get it out and a shove to get it back in. I’m very used to traditional shoulder bags with top flaps that lift up to allow access to kit. The VEO G034M zip-sealed top flap is hinged the other way so it folds out and means you can get at the contents really easily; and there’s even a zip running along the centre of the flap so that you can get at the contents easily even without undoing the flap. This helps with security too. As part of my test, I used this bag – loaded with the above Fujifilm X Series outfit – during our reader meetup in London and as a consequence ended up using it for around 12 hours, with the odd rest stop of course. I enjoyed using the bag. It just did its job without getting in the way. The only thing I would like to change is a slightly larger tripod compartment so that the pod would come out with less effort. This is a small thing but a few millimetres

Verdict The Vanguard VEO G034M costs £69.99 so it is a reasonably priced camera bag and very good value for money. It is a fine bag on its own but combine it with the Vanguard VEO 2 235CB tripod and you have a combination that simply works very nicely together. Pros Compact, doesn’t shout ‘expensive kit in here’, fast to use, spacious enough for a decent mirrorless outfit. Cons Side pouch for water bottle would be good, tripod compartment is rather tight for the VEO 2 235CB tripod

would make all the difference. A small pouch for a water bottle at the non-tripod-flap end would be nice too. WC

Photography News | Issue 69 | photographynews.co.uk

First tests Specs Prices £259.95 Colours available Midnight blue/horizon blue grey/orange Materials Water-repellent nylon Tripod holder Yes Sternum strap Yes Laptop pocket Yes (15.4in) Waist belt Yes, with additional clips Zips YKK and waterproofed External dimensions 33.5x22.5x62cm Laptop compartment dimensions 30x1x36cm Front compartment dimensions 31x2x50cm Camera compartment dimensions 27.5x16.5x31cm Top compartment dimensions 26x17x24cm Weight 2.4kg Contact lowepro.co.uk

Lowepro Powder BP 500 AW backpack £259.95 As an offshoot of mountaineering experts Lowe Alpine, you’d expect Lowepro’s bags to be outdoor friendly – and the Powder BP 500 AW doesn’t disappoint. The Powder is very much inspired by alpine backpacks in that it has an internal metal frame, creating a rigid back panel, and an expandable ‘compression lid’, which sits on top. It’s split into two sections: the lower, a camera compartment with removable padding; and the upper, a multipurpose section. Combined, the two give around 55L of space. The camera section measures 27.5x16.5x31cm, and I fitted a Nikon D850 with MB-D18 grip and 70200mm f/2.8E attached, plus a Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8G, a D810 body, also with grip, a Nikon 20mm f/1.8G, spare batteries, some screw-in filters, a portable hard drive, and other small accessories. It was a bit of a squeeze, though the depth of the compartment helps. It you need to pack bigger lenses, they’ll need to be removed from the body, or more likely carried in separate cases on the bag’s outer, or within its top-section. Access to gear is easy, and with a body-side opening your kit is secure. At a push, you can also get to it by taking off one shoulder strap and swinging the bag around to the front, though most of the time it’s going to mean laying the pack face-down on the ground – which is fine as the outer is water repellent. The camera section opens via a chunky YKK zip that runs very smoothly. Inside, the removable inner has a separate zippered cover, but this is less easy to operate in situ, as the zip runs within the well of the main opening. It would have been handy as an additional storm flap, but really its job is to enclose the camera compartment, letting you carry it like a handbag – something that proved very useful on a short internal flight where the rest of the bag had to go in the hold. The inner is easy to customise, and the padding is high quality and very rigid; it’s held in by toggles and is perfectly secure.

Images The Lowepro Powder has a body-side opening so that when you put it down on dirty ground you don’t end up with mud all over you. It also has wide, well-padded shoulder straps that help spread the weight, and a dedicated tripod holder at the side

The inner is easy to customise and the padding is high quality

At 26x17x24cm, the upper section is roomy enough for loads of kit. I fitted two thermals, lunch, and – separately – a one-man tent, roll mat and sleeping bag for overnight landscaping. Accessed from the upper compartment is a non-closing sleeve for a laptop, but like the similar-sized pocket on the front, it’s not padded. I fitted a 15.4-inch laptop in a sleeve, and because the sleeve stops short of the bottom of the bag, it’s cradled away from the ground, which is good. There’s more space in the lid, with two zippered pockets and several others around the outer, as well as lots of hooks and straps. There’s a dedicated tripod holder at the side with a foot sling and straps. I tried this with a large Gitzo Systematic 3 and a smaller Manfrotto Element Big Traveller tripods, and both felt secure. My only real criticism of the storage was a lack of internal zippered pockets for small accessories. For instance, there’s nothing on the inside of the camera compartment flap where you’d normally expect to find memory card flaps. The only internal zipped pocket is in the front compartment. All the outer zippers have storm closures, and I noticed no leakage in several hours of pretty persistent (though light) rain. The outer is waterrepellent nylon, and the rain beads off that. There’s also a proper all-weather cover, which is well elasticated, so easy to stretch over the bag even when the top-compartment is expanded. The base lacks a proper waterproof

mat, so puddles should probably be avoided. As a bag designed for hiking, the Powder BP 500 AW is very comfortable. The adjustable shoulder straps are very wide and well padded, which helps spread the weight. The sternum strap and waist belt are equally well made and useful when the bag’s fully loaded. The contact points on the back use an angled foam shape and sit comfortably. There’s also a spot for a hydration pack and drinking tube if you’re putting in serious miles. KS

Verdict The Powder BP 500 AW is a highquality bag, but at over £250, a serious investment, too. There’s excellent protection to the camera section, and a good amount of storage, but this is a bag designed for outdoor activity as well as photography, so don’t expect to be able to take the same amount of gear as a ‘full’ backpack. The lack of secure internal pockets feels like an oversight, but it’s a model that’s aimed at outdoor photographers in the main, and if that’s you, it won’t disappoint. Pros Spacious, comfortable and highly adaptable Cons Not the lightest or cheapest, lack of internal pockets

Photography News | Issue 69 | photographynews.co.uk

Competition

Editor’s letter

Six years later Photography News is well into its sixth year, and its success is down to you and, of course, the imaging industry, so thank you for your support and long may it continue. The concept of a free publication aimed at keen photographers of all levels was an innovative one – and risky, too. There was nothing new in a free newspaper, and they have been popping through our letterboxes for decades. But free and on a specific subject? Well, that was different. Well, it’s working and we’re still growing against a backdrop of challenging times for printed publications. So, six years on and PN will look different from next issue; but not radically so. Our creative team has looked at stuff like typefaces and whether we have justified or ragged right text (ask Google if you want to know more), and the editorial team has looked at contents, too, mindful of our recent reader research project (and a big thank you to all those who participated). Part of the reason for our navel-gazing is that we wanted to integrate the print version with our website and evolve the online offering. Currently, they look and feel very different, so it’s time to bring the two together. If you’ve already signed up and registered as a member, good, and if you haven’t, now’s a good time, so you can read PN online for free. Anyway, look out for the next issue, due out and live online on 10 September.

Above The new and improved Photography News logo, coming to you on 10 September!

Back to this issue, we look at the best camera bag and tripod for your needs. It never fails to amaze me that almost every month we get press releases on new bags and tripods, and that the designers continue to innovate what are, in principle, simple products. I can imagine the collective groan when their bosses come in and say, ‘Right, people, we need a new bag/tripod collection, what are you going to do that’s new and innovative?’ But the fact is they do. It helps, of course, that imaging is constantly changing along with our needs. I can't be alone in having several tripods and even more bags. Looking at my bags, I have ones for a single body/one lens outfit, a sling bag for a camera and several lenses, a medium backpack for a small full-frame outfit, a big backpack for a large camera outfit when travelling and a roller case for travel or working from a car. Then I have a workbag for laptop and camera kit, pouches for filters and flashguns, a case for lighting kit and another for film cameras. And my spare bedroom is a mess of bags (my invented collective noun). It's not much different with my tripods. One is reserved for use at the coast, there’s a very light one for carrying around all day, a big model for long exposures and one I leave in the car. It is part and parcel of being an enthusiast snapper who likes to dabble in all sorts of subject matter. Over time I’ve just accumulated ‘stuff’ – I think most keen photographers do. But it’s time to get ruthless and declutter. That will keep me busy until we meet again next issue. Have a great month.

Above Will Cheung with his MindShift FirstLight 30L travel backpack

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

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 8 September 2019 and the winner will be randomly drawn from all correct entries received. The correct answer to PN67’s word search was Hats, and the Samsung 256GB EVO Plus card was won by Wendy Turner from Bedfordshire. samsung.com/uk/memory-cards

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