Photography News Issue 21

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NEW SPECIAL EDITION Issue 21

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Special Issue 21 Fujifilm Advertisement Feature

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Fujifilm X-T10: smaller, faster, smarter Say hello to the compact system camera that’s ready for anything

TOP-PLATE Stylish and practical, the X-T10’s dials are perfectly placed for easy operation. The righthand dials include shutter speed and compensation.

HAND GRIP While slight, the grip still offers a comfortable and reassuring hold on the rigid body, with its die-cast magnesium top and base plates.

POP-UP FLASH The built-in flash, rated 5GN at ISO 100 and sited under the pentaprism, comes in handy in both low-light and contre-jour situations.

Small but perfectly formed, Fujifilm’s X-T10 is set to attract even more photographers to the award-winning X-series range. Its combination of good looks, great handling and superb range of features is reason enough to get your hands on this latest model, but it also carries an equally attractive price tag; under £500 for the body.

The Fujifilm X-series has become hugely popular since its inception in 2010. The cameras all feature stunning retro styling, yet are packed with technological innovations to maximise picture-taking creativity.

Central to these is the unique X-Trans sensor, which delivers impressive results in a wide range of lighting conditions by virtue of a more random

pixel array that combats moiré and delivers highly accurate colours. The cameras also feature Film Simulation modes, which replicate some of Fujifilm’s most popular film emulsions, and key into the XF lens range that offers a high-quality collection of both primes and zooms.

The X-T10 takes many of its styling cues from the X-T1, both mimicking

the look of SLR cameras from the 70s and 80s with top-plate dials to change key controls and a ‘pentaprism’ housing a high-quality electronic viewfinder. Tipping the scales at just 381g for the body only, however, it certainly doesn’t have the weight or bulk of its film-based predecessors and is both small and rugged enough to be a go-anywhere camera.

A new autofocusing system also makes the X-T10 one of the most versatile CSCs around. It offers Zone and Wide/Tracking modes, both of which are designed to make sports and action much easier to shoot.

Available now, the X-T10 offers a great entry point to both Fujifilm and CSCs in general. It could be the camera that sees you go mirrorless.

Look inside this cover wrap for the latest issue of Photography News www.absolutephoto.com

Issue 21 | Photography News

Advertisement feature

Fujifilm X-T10 in action

When Fujifilm announced the arrival of the new X-T10, who better to put it through its paces than wildlife and environmental photographer Ben Cherry and sports-mad shooter Jacky Ley? Photography News caught up with the experienced photographers in-between shoots to see how the X-T10 had managed to keep up with their demanding work life, and the results look encouraging…

Jacky Ley | sports photographer Jacky gets hands on with the new X-T10

Ben Cherry | wildlife shooter

Ben initially got to grips with the X-T10 out in Borneo

You describe your focus as on environmental photojournalism, why does that genre in particular interest you?

I am just starting to carve out a career with photography and I am hugely passionate about the environment.

My desire in life is to combine photography and conservation, I hope that environmental photojournalism can be a way to do just that.

Which camera do you usually shoot with and how did you find the transition to the X-T10?

I have been using the Fujifilm X-series for over two years now and my current go-to camera is the X-T1, so going from that to the X-T10 was a seamless experience. I have found that all the X-series cameras are very intuitive to use and the X-T10 is no different. The design is very well thought out and it

sits very well in the hand. Everything I need is at my fingertips and can be changed without having to take my eye away from the EVF. Who is the X-T10 most suited to?

This camera has a pretty wide appeal, but for me the X-T10 will really benefit those who travel a lot as it’s so small and discreet. Bulky, heavy equipment can sometimes take the joy out of travelling and draw unwanted attention, so the X-T10’s compact design gives you one less thing to worry about! It also features the latest specification improvements in the X-series, making this a very desirable camera to own.

What were your first impressions when you got hold of the new Fujifilm X-T10?

‘They’ve hit this one out of the park,

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

Issue 21 | Photography News

AGAIN!’ That was my initial reaction. It is yet another retro, functional Fujifilm camera that offers everything a photographer really needs and more.

It is tiny compared to the X-T1 but doesn’t feel too small in my hands.

Where did you try it out and how did it fare?

The X-T10 came with me on a threemonth trip to Malaysian Borneo.

I spent my time photographing the incredible endemic nature of this island and also witnessing the threats, such as deforestation, that it faces first-hand. The camera was put through its paces, from being baked in the formidable heat and coping with tropical storms in the lowland rainforest, to photographing the tallest mountain in South East Asia – it never skipped a beat. It has everything you need to get great wildlife images.

What’s your experience with Fujifilm cameras and this latest X-series model?

I bought a Fujifilm X-E1 for personal use but I quickly saw the potential for business.

The X-T1 completely swung it for me and I became a big fan of the X-series range, the ergonomics of the cameras are just an added bonus!

With the X-T10, it’s easy to quickly find your way around; the rear and front command dials offer two levels of function selection which you can customise, something that helps save a lot of time when I’m out reporting. My initial reaction was ‘Wow, it’s smaller than the X-T1 and

more accessible to everyone’, especially with the full-auto and flash function.

I tested it out on my daily work, at rallies, circuit races and the like, and I enjoyed the same results as with my usual camera but found that I could see better using the new autofocus system.

Tell us more about using the new autofocusing system.

The X-T10’s new autofocus system is much faster than those I’ve used before.

I use the 3x3 area AF-C setting a lot as it allows me to concentrate on my composition and especially to place the subject where I want and not where the predetermined focus points are. My stories are thereby richer for the diversity of compositions. In addition, I have more choice thanks to the higher AF performance.

The X-T10’s new autofocus system is much faster than those I’ve used before.

I use the 3x3 area AF-C a lot…

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

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DIGITAL EDITION

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The heart of Sony’s flagship CSC, the A7R II, is a 42.4-megapixel, backside-illuminated Exmor R CMOS full-frame sensor, claimed to be the world’s first. Its unique design gives improved light collection efficiency, allowing a top ISO of 25,600, expandable to 102,400, and fast data transmission, about 3.5x faster than the original A7R. The sensor also features 399 phasedetection AF points, giving the widest coverage yet seen on a full-frame sensor and these work with 25 contrast AF points for fast, accurate focusing. 5-axis image stabilisation, 4K video shooting and a XGA OLED Tru-Finder providing a large viewing image are also key selling points.

Sony has also upgraded its premium compact range with the launch of the RX100 IV and RX10 II. Both models feature a stacked 1.0 type sensor with a DRAM chip for high-speed processing, enabling features like super slow-motion at 40x slower than normal and prolonged fast continuous shooting, 16fps on the RX100 IV and 14fps on the RX10 II. Prices of these new Sony products were not available at the time of writing. π To find out more, go to www.sony.co.uk.

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Money saving tips, the latest launches, comps to enter and exhibitions to see Every titbit and morsel of news you have to know Paulo Monteiro

The new A7R II features the world’s first back-illuminated 35mm full-frame sensor

EACH MONTH! Issue 21

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

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It’s back to black with Tetenal’s ‘new’ film competition Tetenal celebrates analogue mono revival, page 18

Hands on: Canon EOS 5DS, Fujifilm X-T10 & Pentax K-3 II Tests & previews, plus our buyers’ guide to kitbags

Issue 21 | Photography News

Photography News | Issue 21

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Latest photography news NEWS IN BRIEF NIKON’S NEW AMBASSADORS Nikon has appointed three ambassadors: news photographer Leon Neal; nature shooter David Yarrow; and pro landscape and travel photographer Jeremy Walker. Keep an eye out for seminars and events to see the new reps in action. www.nikon.co.uk MODEL RELEASE To help you navigate the tricky legal side of photographing people and their privacy rights, the Royal Photographic Society has created a free model release form which specifies how the pictures can be used and protects both the model and the photographer. www.rps.org/mrf

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Pack more, travel further The next generation of Lowepro’s Pro Runner II series has been unveiled. The range includes the BP 350 AW II, the BP 450 AW II and the RL x450 AW II. Designed for those with lots of kit, the latest Pro Runner II bags have been redesigned with new zones that help to make the most of the available space. Dividers in the camera zone hold your camera snugly whilst in the device zone there’s dedicated, protected space

for laptops and tablets, plus a removable accessories case makes finding and storing those smaller bits of kit even simpler. Taking you from the airport to the field seamlessly, the Pro Runner II series has features including an easy-access document pocket and the option of either wheels or shoulder straps that can be tucked away when not in use. Prices start at £184 for the smallest capacity bag and go up to £296 for the x450 AW II.

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

Smooth operator Manfrotto has released the only Apple certified interface to deliver tethered shooting with an iPad. The Digital Director isn’t aimed at any one kind of photographer as it’s useful across the board, providing hardware, software and firmware that by just plugging the USB into your camera and connecting to your iPad Air will have you controlling your camera’s settings remotely and intuitively. Made to work with Canon and Nikon DSLRs, Digital Director lets you modify all settings in real time, including focusing which can be done by digitally magnifying the scene for greater accuracy. Easily check your high-res files there and then on your iPad and manage all your postproduction work directly from Digital Director. Get your mitts on it now for £399.95. π To find out more about Digital Director, go to www.manfrotto.co.uk.

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Issue 21 | Photography News

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Latest photography news

Panasonic’s 4K offering

NEWS IN BRIEF TEST AND WOW Take an Olympus CSC out for a three-day test drive before you commit to buying in Olympus’s freeto-use Test & Wow programme. Choose from the OM-D or PEN series, which even includes the new OM-D E-M5 Mark II, of course, in combo with one or more M.Zuiko lenses. www.olympus.co.uk

With 4K being the next big thing, it was only a matter of time before Panasonic’s Lumix range got the mega-detailed video treatment. It comes in the form of the Lumix G7 CSC, which along with 4K video recording capabilities, also allows photographing whilst recording in 4K. With the 4K photo function, you can extract single eight-megapixel still frames as well as shoot in 4K burst mode to help crop the frame you want out of your video, whilst a Pre Burst mode automatically records 30 frames-per-second before you start shooting.

Aside from 4K, the G7 can capture 16-megapixel stills using its Digital Live MOS sensor and with a quad-core processor it captures continuously at up to 8fps. The new noise reduction system inside this latest Lumix model enables an ISO range up to 25,600. As with all Lumix G cameras, this one too has a Contrast AF system that delivers smooth and quick autofocusing, but in the G7 the focusing time has been decreased even further. There’s a Low Light AF mode as well, but new in this particular model is the Starlight AF function that allows you to capture individual stars and constellations.

π To find out more about the Lumix G7, go to www.panasonic.com/uk.

Faster, smaller and more Whether you’re already a fully fledged filmmaker or just contemplating hitting that little record button, don’t miss this opportunity to up your skills. Our sister magazine Pro Moviemaker has launched a shiny new website packed with daily gear news, interviews, kit tests and how tos covering everything from pre-production and business advice to the shoot itself and editing. To celebrate they’re giving away the digital version of their latest issue absolutely free. Simply enter your email address at www. promoviemaker. net to get your free 132-page mag!

SanDisk has outdone itself again, releasing a whole string of small, quick and high capacity storage solutions, including two new USB 3.0 flash drives: the world’s smallest flash drive, the 128GB Ultra Fit (£61.99); and SanDisk’s highest capacity flash drive, the whopper that is the 256GB Ultra (£115.99).

Dipping a toe into the external storage market, SanDisk has unveiled its first portable SSD range which it claims is the world’s highest performing.

The Extreme 900 has speeds up to nine times faster than a portable hard drive, whilst the Extreme 500 drives

Flash your light You can now get your hands on the Nissin Di700A and Commander Air flash kit, and it comes in both Canon and Nikon fittings with the Sony fit to follow shortly. Link up to 21 Nissin Air System flashguns using this brand-new flash kit, which has 2.6GHz wireless transmission capabilities that’ll let you fire multiple guns simultaneously at various distances without the need for wires. The full kit is being sold for £239.94, with the Di700A flashgun costing £209.94 and the Commander Air1 £59.94 to buy separately. π To find out more, go to www.nissindigital.com.

compete with speeds up to four times faster. The 500 Portable SSDs come in 120GB (£65), 240GB (£98) and 480GB (£156) capacities, with the 900 SSDs available in 480GB (£261), 960GB (£392) and 1.92TB (£654) sizes.

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

THE BEST VIEW Canon has added two big magnification binoculars to its range. The 12x36 IS III and 10x30 IS II not only get you up closer, but they make the view even clearer with Porro II prism-based optics and Super Spectra Coating, which renders colour exceptionally accurately to help you pick out those little nuances in the scene – you’ll be telling your chiffchaffs apart from your garden warblers in no time. Doublet field-flattener lenses give edge-to-edge sharpness, a high res view and ultralow distortion.

Both binos have inbuilt image stabilisation that will keep your view shake free. It’s activated with the simple press of a button. Smooth panning will get bird watchers and wildlife enthusiasts excited, helping you keep track of your subject in perfect clarity.

These binos are lightweight too, with the 12x36 weighing in at 660g and the 10x30 at just 600g.

These binoculars will be available in August costing £699.99 for the 12x36 model and £479.99 for the 10x30 version.

π To find out more about binoculars, go to www.canon.co.uk.

Photography News | Issue 21

Carry in style Made for mirrorless cameras, Tenba’s latest offering in the field of camera bags is the Switch range. Smaller, or at least more space efficient, than your usual gear bag, the Switch bags come in three sizes (7, 8 and 10) with the smallest able to accommodate a mirrorless camera with up to five lenses or a DSLR and up to four lenses. The largest can carry up to five lenses and a CSC, or a DSLR with three lenses, plus a tripod.

All bags are designed with quick access top zips and to keep your kit protected and there’s an abrasion-resistant body armour base panel, whilst a reversible rain cover keeps out the wet but does cost extra (prices start at £15). The Switch bags come in a whole range of colours, from Blue or Pink Melange to Brick Red Faux Leather and are priced from £75 up to £95. π To find out more about Switch bags, go to www.tenba.com. www.absolutephoto.com

Latest photography news

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Save money here

Summer is the season for saving cash. Here are the latest offers to tempt you

£75

Cashback from Canon

£50

OFF

CASHBACK X-T1

Quids in with Fujifilm Keep your wallet heavy but your kitbag full this summer thanks to Fujifilm’s timely cashback offers. All offers are available until 3 August and as part of the deal, Fujifilm is offering a whopping £75 cashback on the multi awardwinning X-T1. Buy this powerful shooter alongside the XF18-135mm kit lens and you’ll not only save cash, but you can take home a free vertical battery grip too that’s worth £179.99. Money saving offers have also reached the XF lenses too. With one lens you can get £75 cashback but bag two and you’ll save yourself £225; buy up to three and you’ll get £375 cashback and four XF lenses will get you a massive £525 saving. Then for five or more lenses, Fujifilm will give you an additional £150 cashback per lens. If all that calculating hurts your head, Fujifilm has provided a handy tool to help you check your claimable cashback amount over at www.fuji-promo-calculator.co.uk.

There’s also a number of trade-in offers that are worth a look, for example trading in an old Fujifilm CSC for the new X-T10 will get you an £80 bonus. If ever you needed an excuse to extend or upgrade your kit, Fujifilm has just handed you one on a cash-laden platter. π To find out more, go to www.fujifilm.eu/uk/products/ digital-cameras/promotions.

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£25 OFF EF S 10-18MM

Get the most bang for your buck this summer by taking advantage of Canon’s cashback deals. Get up to £50 off on a whole range of products, from the super

£75

CASHBACK K-3

zooming compact SX710 to the portable but powerful EOS 100D DSLR. The likes of the big zooming EF 70-300mm lens are now available with £50 off and

the handy EF-S 10-18mm lens comes with a discount of £25, making extending your kit much easier on your wallet.

Make your move before the 19 August though to save

yourself some pennies and score some top kit. π To find out more, go to www.canon.co.uk/ summercashback.

More for your money Get your hands on a Ricoh DSLR this summer for less with these tempting cashback offers. Save yourself £75 on the awardwinning K-3 or get £40 cashback when you buy the weatherresistant K-S2 or K-50. The offers are available until 1 August. π To find out more, go to www.ricoh.co.uk.

Issue 21 | Photography News

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Latest photography news

© Will Cheung

© Will Cheung

Photo 24 Advanced Photographer and Photography News’s Photo 24 in London, 20-21 June, is going to be bigger and better than ever before

© Will Cheung

© Will Cheung

The longest day of the year seems a great time to spend 24 hours out shooting and that’s what Photo 24, in association with Nikon and Nikon School, is all about.

This is the third year of Photo 24, organised by our sister magazine Advanced Photographer, and it has grown each year.

This year’s free event was fully subscribed hours after registration opened, such is its popularity.

Although there are competitions and organised meet-ups, the participants can shoot what they like, take as long as they want and share their experiences with likeminded people.

A full report of Photo 24 and the competition winners will be published in Photography News in due course.

If you missed out this year, keep your eye open for news of next year’s event; we’ll be publicising it early in 2016.

In association with

Leica full-frame compact A fast lens, 24 megapixels and a top ISO of 50,000 are the highlights of the Q. And it’s yours for £2900 Premium compacts continue to sell well and Leica’s new line of classy compacts is set to join the fun.

First in the range is the Leica Q, a fullframe, 24-megapixel camera using a CMOS sensor. Its built-in lens is a Leica Summilux 28mm f/1.7 ASPH. ISO range is 100-50,000.

With its fast aperture lens and high ISO, the Q is ideal for general photography in all sorts of lighting conditions. It’s aided by a class-leading AF system, which claims to give precision ‘almost real-time focusing’, while the Leica Maestro processor is fast enough to allow 10fps shooting at full resolution.

The integral EVF has a 3.68-megapixel resolution, giving an image with no perceptible image lag.

Available now from authorised Leica dealers the Q is yours for £2900.

π To find out more, go to www.leica-camera.co.uk.

Toshiba’s card range grows Toshiba’s latest Exceria Pro SD memory cards are UHS-II enabled and the 16GB, 32GB and 64GB give maximum write speeds of 240MB/s. Prices are £50, £82 and £163 respectively.

The biggest card is a 128GB with a maximum write speed of 150MB/s. It’s priced at £326.

Photography News | Issue 21

π To find out more, go to www.toshiba-memory.com.

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Issue 21 | Photography News

Photography News | Issue 21

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Latest photography news

11

It’s all about knowledge The RPS’s Digital Imaging Group is hosting its largest ever event, at the University of Warwick on 20 September. It’s aimed at enthusiast photographers who’d like to know more about the technology behind

photography, with three keynote speakers including Joe Cornish (left), covering colour management and printing as well as workshops on Lightroom and Photoshop. There’ll also be 12 industry experts on

hand as well as a lighting demonstration. Tickets are limited, so act fast. π To find out more, go to www.rps.org/DIGExpo.

It has been one of the most ambitious photo challenges we’ve been privy to, but now the Bleeding London project has come to a roaringly successful end. Over the past year, photographers have been out in force in the capital city to contribute towards recording the 58,000 streets in the

© Will Cheung

© Steven Bright

Bleeding London centre. The images are being used to create an electronic archive, but you can see 1200 images from the project on display at London’s City Hall from 8 July until 14 August. π To find out more, go to www.bleedinglondon.co.uk.

© llie Davies

The great scape Have you got what it takes to become the ninth Landscape Photographer of the Year? It’s time to get out there and start capturing the British landscape in all its glory or digging through those digital files to find your best shot, but make sure you get your entry in before 12 July to be in with a chance of taking home the top prize of £10,000. You can submit up to 25 entries across any of the four categories: urban views, landscapes with people, close-up details and conceptual landscapes. Wherever you are in the UK, get capturing its best side.

Green art

Chosen from more than 10,000 images, 111 finalists will make up the Atkins CIWEM Environmental Photographer of the Year Exhibition Catch the exhibition for free at the Royal Geographical Society in London from 22 June until 10 July, before it tours to various venues.

The winning entries will be announced on Thursday 25 June, with the top prize earning the photographer £5000.

π To find out more, go to www.take-a-view.co.uk.

π To find out more about the display, go to www.ciwem.org.

Roy Strong at 80

π To find out more about the competition, go to www.tpoty.com.

© Maria Ollis

π To find out more about this Lakeland trips, go to www.lakelandphotohols.com.

© Philip Lee Harvey

Led by top landscape photographer John Gravett, Lakeland Photographic Holidays is hosting two allinclusive landscape photography workshops this August that are suitable for photographers of any ability. Running on the 17 and 24 August, workshops cost £775 per person for six nights or £550 for four, including accommodation, tuition and food. Book ahead to bag your place.

The doors to the Travel Photographer of the Year 2015 are now open and organisers are asking you to send in your travel portfolios, single images, HD videos as well as enter into the new Smart Shot category for images taken on a phone or tablet. Entry fees start at £7.50 and you’ve got until 1 October to get your shots in and be in with a chance of taking home one of the prizes, ranging from £1000 cash to £1500 worth of photo kit.

© Philip Lee Harvey

Light up the Lakes

Capture your world

London Salon

Former director of the National Portrait Gallery, Sir Roy Strong is celebrating his 80th birthday, with a series of portraits that reinvent him as various historical characters by John Swannell.

The exhibition is on 19 June until 31 August and entry is free.

The famous London Salon is welcoming visitors to peruse the finalists’ photos until 19 June at Fairfield Halls in Croydon. Following that, the exhibition will travel to Smethwick club rooms, 4-25 July, with dates for Edinburgh and Dublin to be confirmed.

π To find out more, go to www.npg.org.uk.

π To find out more, go to www.londonsalon.org.

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Issue 21 | Photography News

Camera clubs

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

Camera club news

HOW TO SUBMIT Make sure you allow plenty of time. For the next issue of Photography News, which will be available from 20 July, we need words and pictures by 7 July.

Write your story in a Word document (400 words maximum) and attach it in an email to clubnews@photography-news.co.uk.

In the story please include contact details of the club, exhibition or event – website, meeting times, opening times, whatever is relevant to the story.

Images: yes please, and attach these to the email too. Images should be JPEGs, 2000 pixels on the longest dimension and any colour space. If the story is an exhibition or event, please send a picture from the exhibition (not the publicity poster), the winning image or one of the event. If the picture includes people please identify them in the Word document.

Deadline for the next issue: 7 July 2015

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

© Geoff Clark

Silver anniversary for Buxton

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Annual exhibition in Hebden Bridge Hebden Bridge Camera Club’s annual exhibition of photography is on now until Wednesday 24 June. More than 60 prints, both colour and black & white, from the club’s members are on show in the Town Hall. The exhibition is open daily, from 10am to 4pm. Refreshments are on sale in the Hall’s café, and parking is available adjacent to the Hall and throughout the town centre. Visitors can also vote for their favourite photograph.

Norfolk’s Buxton Photographic Club marks quarter century

© Jim Strong

© Phil Harboard

ABOVE Geoff Clark’s photograph of a Chicago car park is just one of many member images that prove monochrome deserves more attention.

Mono alive and well in East Midlands One of a handful of societies in the UK dedicated to monochrome photography, East Midlands Monochrome Group is in fine fettle, 16 years after its birth. The group began when two keen photographers, who were concerned that clubs weren’t paying mono photography enough attention, realised there was enough interest to start a dedicated group. Regular meetings have been held ever since, and the group now meets on the first and third Wednesdays of the month at Sywell’s village hall, near Northampton.

As well as an excellent programme of activities and talks on black & white photography, the group also has a permanent travelling exhibition. Showcasing work by its members, the display visits a wide range of venues in the East Midlands; it arrives at Daventry Library on 8 August.

If you’re interested in the exhibition, or in joining the group, visit the website or call Bob Holt on 01307 262886. π To find out more about the group, go to www.emmg.org.uk. π To find out more, got to www.hebdenbridgecc.co.uk.

π To find out more about Buxton PC, go to www.buxtonphotographicclub.co.uk.

Photography News | Issue 21

© Gareth Martin

To celebrate its 25th anniversary, Buxton Photographic Club is holding an exhibition of its members’ work in Buxton village hall. The exhibition will feature a variety of six subjects: natural history, landscape, black & white, split second, curves and people.

It’s free to enter and is open Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 July, from 10am to 4pm. Light refreshments will be available and visitors can vote for their favourite photograph.

Buxton Photographic Club is a small, friendly club, which meets on the first and third Monday evenings of every month, except August, in Buxton Village Hall.

A first for Cymru Cymru Monochrome Photography Group’s first exhibition

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

Explore visions of heritage and homeland with Cymru Monochrome Photography Group’s first exhibition next month. The display, Heritage and Home, is at Creative Bubble Studio on Swansea’s Craddock Street from 11 to 17 July, open 11am to 4pm daily. Entry is free, and visitors are encouraged to

browse and share their thoughts with the group. The Group was established in 2010 by Gareth Martin AWPF CPAGB, who won the Welsh Salon’s Best Monochrome Award twice. This mono club is thriving, with 28 members involved in its first exhibition, and monthly meetings in Port Talbot.

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Issue 21 | Photography News

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Profile INTERVIEW

Adrian Uden

The medium-format Pentax 645Z impressed as soon as it was launched last year; now the K-3 II, boasting the same processor, has hit the shelves. Marketing and product coordinator, Adrian Uden talks about the camera and brand’s evolution

BIOGRAPHY Years in the photo industry: Ten in consumer electronics, last two focusing on digital cameras

Current location: Staines-upon-Thames Last picture taken: Borough Market with a Ricoh GR – great environment for street photography Hobbies: Fitness, photography and motorbikes When you were younger, what did you want to be when you grew up? My mum would tell you Mooncat

Dogs or cats? Staffordshire Bull Terrier Toast or cereal? Cereal, unless there’s Nutella Email or phone call? Drop me a line anytime.

Pentax has seen some great products recently and there is the promise of a full-frame DSLR this year. What has given Pentax this impetus?

At Ricoh Imaging we really appreciate that you recognise our efforts in the development of our DSLR offerings. We also appreciate the recognition of bodies such as TIPA who have recently commended us for Best DSLR Advanced for the Pentax K-S2. This allows us to build on the heritage of Pentax as a brand and, quite naturally, follow that through to a full-frame proposition. Full-frame is something that has been highly anticipated by Pentax users.

Ricoh Imaging purchased the Pentax brand more than three years ago. This has given us time to build the brand back up to a level that can proudly do justice to its heritage. The time is right for fullframe and we feel that it will be a huge success for us; and of course, because we are using the original K-mount, the lenses will be compatible with the original lenses from the 35mm film SLRs. This is something special for us; full-frame is coming…

The K-3 II’s CMOS sensor is a FSI sensor; why not a BSI design? Also the Pentax 645Z has a higher top ISO than the K-3 II – why?

That’s correct; we are using a FSI (front side illuminated) sensor. The only reason we do not use BSI for the K-3 II is because it’s not industry standard.

We use the same processor in the K-3 II as the 645Z, but the big difference here is the sensor size. The 645Z sensor has around nine times more surface area in comparison. This allows more light to hit the sensor and therefore allows for a higher ISO. What is the thinking about the adjustable AA filter? Moiré is so rare now because cameras have such high resolutions. Why not take out the AA filter completely?

Just to be clear on the technology we use here, we are using an anti-aliasing ‘simulator’. There is no filter over the sensor itself that can negatively impact Photography News | Issue 21

the image quality in any way. And you’re absolutely right, moiré is less of an issue now. However there is still the occasion where it can affect the image and, as a result, have an undesired effect on the image taken. So, we have given the user the option of turning the AA simulator on or off, albeit limited to certain shooting scenarios; we can have the best of both worlds without jeopardising the image quality.

Can you expand on the technology of the AA filter? Why offer different levels of performance?

The way we, at Ricoh Imaging, have developed the AA simulator technology is to generate microscopic vibrations of the image sensor during image exposure – this allows us to generate the same level of moiré reduction as optical AA filters. Unlike fixed optical AA filters, which always produce identical results, this innovative simulator allows the user to adjust the level of moiré-reduction from off, to Type 1 and Type 2.

The upgraded SR mechanism offers a 4.5EV benefit as opposed to the previous 3.5EV. What are the key technical changes that have made this possible?

When the SR unit detects the panning motion of the camera, it automatically manages the movement of the CMOS image sensor to capture an ideal panning shot. Thanks to the newly adapted highly sensitive gyro-sensor, K-3 II now ensures camera shake free shooting up to 4.5EV. With reference to the pixel resolution mode, Pentax has opted for four shots with one pixel movement between each shot but with no image file increase. What is the thinking behind this and what are the practical benefits? Is the file produced a standard DNG/PEF Raw? Now here we can get quite technical. The photo sensors in any CMOS sensor are colour-blind by nature. In order for the sensors to detect colour, a filter needs to be placed over the top of them – known as a Bayer filter. This is a mosaic filter that is made up of repeating patterns of green, red, green and blue – two greens to every red and blue, because the human eye is more sensitive to green light. This allows us to capture fantastic images, but effectively, each sensor is having the light information it receives reduced by 75%. Using Pixel Shift Resolution the photo sensor is able to receive full RGB information. We do this by capturing four shots, moving the sensor by one pixel each time.

Once processed, each of the 24 million pixels will have full colour information.

So, in terms of file size, it’s quite logical to think through it. Where there is more light information, the file size will increase. If you take a really dark image, the file size will be significantly smaller. When we generate an image using the Pentax K-3 II, the file size depends on the subject that is being shot.

We can have the best of both worlds without jeopardising the image quality

When we use Pixel Shift Resolution, we are still obtaining information from the same number of pixels, however, the information captured will be more detailed. As a result, when capturing an image using Pixel Shift Resolution in PEF Raw and JPEG, there is a significant increase in the file size, due to the complexity or detail of the image.

Did Pentax consider the option of producing a higher resolution file with this setting?

As we capture all RGB light information on every pixel, without the need to increase file size dramatically, we are really pleased with how this option can enhance images. You can still use the sensor’s full resolution capabilities when using Pixel Shift Resolution and, besides the four-shot composite process, it also effectively reduces image noise in high ISO settings.

Tell us about the Astrotracer function that can help avoid star trails by moving the sensor.

Astrotracer is a really clever bit of technology that allows you to calibrate the camera to simulate the rotation of the Earth’s movement. The setting combines the built-in GPS with the in-body stabilisation to capture night scenes without star trails. You can keep the shutter open for up to five minutes using this mode.

I think the K-3 II offers some very interesting features in comparison to the competition at this end of the market. Did I mention weather sealing too? We would love to have every feature in this camera, but for the moment, we are focusing on image quality, but watch this space.

π To find out more about the Pentax K-3 II and 645Z, go to www.ricoh-imaging.co.uk. www.absolutephoto.com

Advertisement feature

15

MANFROTTO DIGITAL DIRECTOR

Be your own director From awkward angles to one-man bands, Digital Director from Manfrotto gets you the shot you want Ever missed out on a shot simply because you couldn’t get the camera and you in the right position? Or perhaps, you’re a one-man videographer, and there were simply too many things to juggle? Maybe if you’d had an extra pair of hands, you might have got it. Or maybe you missed out, because checking exposure on a small screen was tricky or the Wi-Fi connection was flaky? Well, prepare to never regret those kinds of missed opportunities again. Manfrotto’s Digital Director will let you shoot from the most awkward and difficult to reach positions – it’s like having that extra pair of super-steady hands – plus you can check focus and exposure on a large, crisp screen. And it’s all quick and easy.

Digital Director comprises hardware, software and firmware to let your Canon or Nikon DSLR work with an iPad Air and Air 2. A simple looking device, it features an embedded CPU that communicates with the iPad Air, which runs the Digital Director app. The iPad Air mounts onto the device and a fast USB cable connects it to your DSLR. Effectively, the iPad Air becomes a reliable remote control and an external monitor – an excellent monitor at that, thanks to the high-definition Retina display.

Directing the shot Because Digital Director’s been through the Mfi (Made for iPad) certification, camera protocols are fully understood, providing intuitive and reliable control. The app offers control of settings such as exposure, ISO, shutter speed, aperture, white-balance, manual focus and drive mode – everything you need to get the shot, or video, spot on. A real time live view is displayed on the Retina screen, so you can monitor www.absolutephoto.com

and tweak the image if it’s you on camera, as well as behind it, or a high-level view, for example.

Digital Director displays a dynamic histogram to aid exposure on the iPad Air and for video shooters, there’s an audio level display. Selecting focus points for stills and video is easy with Interactive Focus, just touch the spot on screen and your camera will focus exactly where you want it to.

Simply use the app’s digital zoom to check it’s focused.

With everything connected, secure your DSLR to a tripod and shoot to your heart’s content using the tethered iPad Air and in comfort from your director’s chair. You can even use a boom to hold your iPad Air, leaving you free to star in your video or shot. For the more adventurous, a mounting device can safely position your camera anywhere you like – from a branch, on a rock, whatever gets you the shot.

In post-production Digital Director’s role doesn’t end once you’ve bagged your shot. You can download and check the high-resolution files on the iPad Air and use standard iPad gestures to navigate them. Digital Director also offers management of post-production; you can crop and rotate images, modify exposure, contrast and brightness, check the histogram and EXIF data, rate and save images. It lets you organise files and albums, as well as share them directly to FTP, email or on social networks. Digital Director puts you in complete control from setting up your shot to editing high-res files.

Opening a world of shooting opportunities, the innovative device doesn’t cost the earth. On sale now, this kind of freedom and camera control can be yours for £399.95.

π To find out more about Digital Director, go to www.manfrotto.co.uk.

Issue 21 | Photography News

16

Opinion BEFORE THE JUDGE

Martin C Grahame-Dunn Each issue, a respected judge or exhibition selector shares their thoughts and experiences.

This month, we hear from Martin C Grahame-Dunn Words by Martin C Grahame-Dunn

MEET THE JUDGE Martin C GrahameDunn: FMPA, FRSA,

Hon. FMPA, ABIPP, QEP, Hon. Master Photo-dk, Cr. Photog.

(PPA) MPPhotog.

(MPIO) etc.

A pro photographer, Martin now participates as chairman and judge in many esteemed national and international photo competitions, including but not limited to chairman of judges at the CBRE Urban Photographer of the Year Awards and past national president of the United Kingdom Master Photographers Association.

Years in photography: 36 years

Favourite camera: To be honest, it’s the one between my ears. The conceptual camera that’s always enabled me to create images that is only completed by the mechanical process.

Favourite accessory: Nik

Getting into photography was a happy accident.

Having been a fine artist it seemed a logical form of expression, a different medium to pencils or paints.

I started in commercial photography, especially industrial, fashion and automotive. In the late eighties I took my first sojourn into social photography, opening my own high-street studio in Warwick which I operated until I left for Spain in 2001.

I became involved in judging at a regional level through one of my professional organisations, the Master Photographers Association (MPA) – I would later become national president and chairman of its Qualifications Board. All in I have been judging professional imagery for well in excess of 25 years.

I was never involved in amateur photography due to my professional career, so I haven’t had the opportunity to judge local or club photography. I do have many friends and colleagues deeply involved in the amateur and camera club level including the President and Secretary General of FIAP whom I have judged alongside in the HIPA Awards. My reputation in the industry was the primary reason I’ve been selected as a judge and chair on many occasions. One of the pivotal eras in my career was being involved with the Kodak European Gold Awards. In the late eighties to the late nineties, they were the most sought-after awards in the industry. The system, presentation and accessibility were a perfect blend for the most iconic of all awards. I miss those awards above all else.

I still enjoy judging at national level but more typically I judge or chair in worldwide awards. This in itself presents numerous issues not the least, translation and cultural differences. In the professional

Favourite photographers:

I can honestly say I don’t have favourite photographers, but I do have favourite artists to whom I have always looked for inspiration and marvelled at their mastery of light. I’d have been in my element sharing a meal with Caravaggio or Raphael Santi.

Favourite subjects: The world I love. The people, the places, its culture, history and the marvels that a camera has the ability to record.

Photography News | Issue 21

© Martin C Grahame-Dunn

Software by Google.

As one of their original evangelists it’s been close to my heart as a creative design tool.

I’m not into gadgets and live by the maxims, keep it simple and shoot like film.

RIGHT Martin C Grahame-Dunn presents a workshop as part of HIPA’s ethical responsibility to deliver education across the globe.

The greatest challenge of judging is putting together the perfect team with diverse skills to assess every situation fairly

arena at times one must consider a degree of difficulty, somewhat akin to Olympic high diving.

The greatest challenge of judging is putting together the perfect team with diverse skills to assess every situation fairly. At the highest levels the best jurors become close friends and sources of inspiration to each other. Seeing so many great images provides challenges to keep their own work or attitudes fresh.

As with any industry there is good and bad.

Photography, photographers and image judges are no different. I’ve witnessed what is best described as ‘political judging’ and collusion among judges to obtain a particular outcome. Thankfully, these situations are rare and an experienced chairman will nip issues in the bud before they reach problematic proportions. The most important asset a great judge can have is the ability to score fairly even if you hate the photograph before you. In such cases it’s vital that the key elements of a great image are adhered to and personal taste never comes into the equation.

I’ve never forgotten that my knowledge of art, geometry and ethics are more important than any notions or so-called rules. There are laws of physics that concern light, without which there would be no photography. My true strength has been in chairing judging panels, overseeing ‘fair play’ and ensuring every entrant is respected and treated fairly.

I love to hear reasoned and passionate exchanges of opinion by well-trained and knowledgeable judges; the love of various genres being discussed and extolled to others. It’s also a phenomenal opportunity to make daily advancements in knowledge. Indeed, we never stop learning and that process is often best delivered by passionate mentors. The judging environment brings such talented people together.

Every competition has attractions, be it financial rewards or the kudos of having your images in an exhibition. It’s not possible to have a favourite competition, although the CBRE Urban Photographer of the Year Awards is close to my heart as I’ve been chairman of judges from its inception. I’ve been

privileged to be instrumental in its growth and the quality of images in the superb annual book. I’ve also been involved with HIPA but there I’m educating entrants on four continents. The delivery of education, particularly in the Third World, is an ethical responsibility the organisers have taken to heart.

Most professional awards are judged behind closed doors though there are exceptions. The prestigious WPPI annual awards in Las Vegas are judged before an audience. In this case it is expected that the judges will provide invaluable feedback on every image. Those intensive pearls of wisdom are highly prized by the entrants and are often deemed more valuable than winning glittering trophies!

In August 2015 I’ll be training and retraining a new generation of judges and chairmen for the AIPP, which contains many of the world’s best professional photographers. The governing body’s determination to continue to lead the world of imaging led to a review of judging practices and ethics. The workshops I present will go further than ever before in analysing the mechanics and aesthetics of judging photography.

What I truly want changed is the attitudes of those judging. It should be humbling and a pleasure to pay forward hard sought-after knowledge and skill to new generations of image makers. Being entrenched in your own ideas and values without flexibility to listen and learn, must be discouraged in every judge. π To find out more about Martin C GrahameDunn, go to www.martingrahamedunn.com.

What do you think?

Have you seen a photographic judge at work who you’d like to see profiled in Photography News? If so please drop us a line to opinion@photography-news.co.uk with the judge’s name and, if possible, their contact details.

www.absolutephoto.com

Advertisement feature

17

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Issue 21 | Photography News

18

Competitions INTERVIEW

Back to basics It had lain dormant since the demise of analogue with the rise of digital, but with the darkroom experiencing a revival Tetenal decided the time was right to celebrate the art form and relaunch its original black & white analogue awards competition. Petra Roll, who helped come up with the idea, tells us more Interview by Megan Croft

RIGHT Mood D by Oliver Hecht.

Oliver Hecht

For those who aren’t familiar with Tetenal, can you tell us about what you do?

Tradition, imaging expertise and innovation: these characteristics have distinguished Tetenal since its establishment in 1847. Tetenal has been highly regarded by the photographic community almost since photo technology was invented.

So, analogue photography is not only a nice opportunity to develop images, it is for us in Tetenal an affair of the heart. The Tetenal group today is an international, innovative company, leading in developing and manufacturing analogue and digital imaging technologies.

Could you introduce yourself and explain how you fit in with the competition?

I’m corporate communication manager for the Tetenal Group. I started at Tetenal in the early nineties and enjoyed the good old darkroom days where darkroom work was a daily occurrence.

So, Tetenal products such as Eukobrom, Superfix and so on from that time onwards are very familiar to me.

This is the first year Tetenal has hosted a photo competition, why now?

We used to host a competition frequently in the past but stopped when photography went digital as there wasn’t enough demand. Last year with the 175th anniversary of the photographic industry, we thought it was an apt moment to ask our fans what they can still produce in darkrooms today.

The Tetenal European B&W Analogue Award 2014/2015 invited all photography enthusiasts, professional imaging service providers and the specialist photographic retail sector to pay tribute to the huge momentum behind the fascination with this genre of photography.

Have you noticed more of an appetite for black & white analogue photos recently?

That’s very simple to answer: as one of the most important photo chemistry manufacturers worldwide Tetenal still produces b&w chemicals and still introduces new products in this product field, ie. our new Eukobrom AC developer. But, you are right, for about two to three years we’ve felt that traditional b&w processing is a trend, especially for young people who want to learn more about ‘hand-made photos’. The youngest entrant into our b&w analogue competition is 13 years old – and, by the way, sent us a fantastic image which you can see on our blog.

Photography News | Issue 21

Last year with the 175th anniversary of the photographic industry, we thought it was an apt moment to ask our fans what they can still produce in darkrooms today www.absolutephoto.com

Competitions

19 Tomas Paulo Januska Monteiro

BELOW Meda portrait by Tomas Januska.

RIGHT Baptism ceremony of an artisan fishing boat by Paulo Monteiro. BOTTOM Julia II by Atanassov Lubomir.

Tomas Januska

The first prize in the portrait category of the competition in Germany went to a school in Munich where the students had actually built themselves a pinhole camera. Isn’t that amazing!

Not only were we at Tetenal completely surprised by such an engagement on a very high quality

Many entrants gave us information about the image itself… So much time invested in b&w photography, which we appreciated very much as it show how ambitious they are – as we are too

level, but our jury was too. We are very happy about this renaissance!

Also, looking at the professional photographers who are our customers as well, we feel that some of them are offering their customers analogue, silver halide images reflecting high-end pictures and a certain unique status as these are not the kind of prints you will get anywhere. In Germany, even some photo stores are now thinking about installing their own darkroom in order to offer workshops and photo events.

Atanassov Lubomir

What about the entrants themselves, do you know much about who submitted images to the competition?

From the launch of our award in September at Photokina until today – even when we closed at the end of March – we were extremely pleased by the feedback of so many people in Europe but also those abroad asking whether we will be able to open our European Award up to a worldwide competition. So, we opened it as “add-on” in January 2015 and picked up some new b&w fans, for instance in Alaska and Hong Kong.

Many entrants gave us information about the image itself, how they developed it etc.

In some cases we even received additional handwritten letters. So much time invested in b&w photography, which we appreciated very much as it shows us how ambitious they are – as we are too. Thank you all so much for your input, it’s been fantastic!

You received just over 1000 entries which is impressive indeed. Did you expect such a positive response?

Well, to be honest, my personal challenge was to get 500 entries. I never thought about reaching 1189 images, which is the number that we finally received. That’s fantastic for the technique itself, for b&w darkroom work, and most certainly for us at Tetenal.

www.absolutephoto.com

Who were your judges and how did they go about narrowing down the submissions to just one winner?

We have a very close partnership with photography personalities at schools and university lecturers, famous photographers, technical experts selling analogue images and the press. Every country where Tetenal has its own subsidiary chose their jury and every person we asked whether they would like to support us was very happy to do so.

We felt very honoured that F C Gundlach, one of the most important fashion photographers of West Germany’s early post-war period, supported us in our jury for the final voting.

The voting procedure itself was very, very difficult as we received so many wonderful pictures. So, we started in our first sessions country by country. Then, we voted for the category winner to get it down to just five images to then vote for the country winner. The final voting session was to judge, from 11 countries, the top five European champions.

What do you think the future is for black & white analogue photography?

It will remain a niche market, as a tradition and craft that everyone can have fun with. The process of seeing your pictures emerge in the darkroom will always fascinate.

Do you have any plans for exhibiting the winning images?

We are actually thinking about printing a catalogue initially and are thinking about hosting a gallery exhibition too.

Will you run the competition again?

No doubt, we will certainly go ahead with the next Tetenal Awards. We aim to be ready in autumn 2015 – so, we will come back! π To find out more, go to since1847.tetenal.com.

Issue 21 | Photography News

20

Camera test SPECS PRICE EOS 5DS £2999 body only, EOS 5DS R £3200 CONTACT www.canon.co.uk SENSOR CMOS effective 50.6 megapixels with Dual DIGIC 6 processor and integrated cleaning system SENSOR FORMAT 36x24mm, 8688x5792 pixels. Cropped shooting modes available. Three Raw options (full size, M and S), various JPEG options ISO RANGE 100-6400, expandable to 50-12,800 SHUTTER RANGE 30secs to 1/8000sec, B, flash sync 1/200sec DRIVE MODES 5fps in continuous, two self-timer options, single silent and silent continuous. Integral intervalometer METERING SYSTEM Multi, spot, centreweighted and partial using a 150k pixel RGB and IR sensor, EOS iSA systems gives 242-zone metering EXPOSURE MODES PASM, scene intelligent auto, 3x custom COMPENSATION +/-5 in 0.3 or 0.5EV steps. AEB 2, 3, 5 or 7 shots MONITOR Fixed 3.2in LCD with 1040k dots FOCUSING Auto selection uses 61 points, manual selection allows selection from 61, 15, 9 or cross-type points only. There are many AF zone selection options and AF Microadjustment allows up to 40 lenses to be memorised FOCUSING POINTS 61, 41 f/4 cross-type including five dual cross-type at f/2.8 and one cross-type at f/8.

Number of crosstype sensors varies according to the lens VIDEO Full HD 1920x1080 CONNECTIVITY USB 3.0, mini HDMI STORAGE MEDIA 1x CF, 1xSD/SDHC/SDXC DIMENSIONS 152x116x76mm WEIGHT 922g body and battery only

FULL TEST, PART 1

Canon EOS 5DS

After a spell playing second fiddle to its great rival Nikon in the resolution stakes, Canon’s launch of the 50-megapixel EOS 5DS and S R has changed all that. In this two-part review we take a long look at the EOS 5DS Words by Will Cheung

There had been rumours on the internet of Canon’s very high resolution DSLR for a while – just as there are rumours of 50-megapixel Nikon and Sony DSLRs. What was more of a surprise was that two arrived at the same time, in the tradition of buses.

The Canon EOS 5DS and 5DS R are identical except for two aspects. First is price with the 5DS R costing £200 more than the £2999 5DS body. And secondly the 5DS R has an optical low-pass filter (OLPF) cancelling feature for optimum resolution.

The reality is that both cameras have an OLPF in front of the sensor so the image is ever so slightly softened, but the risk of moiré patterns and false colour minimised. What the 5DS R has is a modified OLPF to cancel any softening effect for optimum detail resolution. Essentially, this is the same scenario as when Nikon launched the D800 and D800E. So, with a 50-megapixel Canon EOS DSLR on your shopping list, which one do you go for, the S or the R version? Here we have the S on test so let’s concentrate on that model and we’ll take a look at the 5DS R next month.

The camera body certainly feels reassuringly solid and its shape and size is almost identical to the original EOS 5D that came out ten years ago – the difference in body size is literally a few millimetres.

The 5DS body itself features weather-sealed controls to keep out dust and water and is made from magnesium alloy.

For any Canon user, navigating around the 5DS will be completely natural because the control design, menu structure and overall layout is just like other Canon DSLRs. This filial consistency can only be admired and it must help long-term users.

If the EOS 5DS is your first-ever Canon DSLR handling holds no alarms either, with controls clearly marked and great to use.

The menu system, however, is extensive so you do need to think carefully about how you want to set the camera up. There are six separate panels of menu options for camera set-up, five for focusing, three for playback, four under the spanner icon and four for custom functions. There is lots of scrolling through them using the top-plate input dial with the rear quick command dial or multiway toggle control for scrolling down and setting the options once you are in the right panel.

Whether you are a newbie to Canon or a dyed in the wool user, some time with the menus is time well spent. The extensive menu options mean plenty of choice and they offer tremendous flexibility in how you want to work or how you want the camera set up. There are some excellent innovations too.

Take, for example, the Custom Quick Control that lets you add or delete what you want showing when the Quick (Q) menu button is pressed, and even

Photography News | Issue 21

The extensive menu options mean plenty of choice and they offer tremendous flexibility in how you want to work or how you want the camera set up and there are some excellent innovations too change the size of the item on show. It is a very cool feature and very useful, I thought.

Also useful is the latest version of Canon’s Intelligent Viewfinder which overlays key information on the viewfinder image itself. You get the usual stuff like aperture, metering scale, shutter speed and ISO showing on the image border as usual and then there’s the choice of several useful items like battery level, image quality setting and the virtual spirit level. The latter prominently showing is definitely a welcome one for me as I suffer from wonky horizon syndrome. If you prefer a clean viewing image that is possible too.

When you get round to using the camera and you press the shutter button, the shutter fires with a quiet, low-pitch noise and vibration is minimal. This is thanks to Canon’s Vibration Control system where cams are used to control the mirror’s travel.

With the camera’s high resolution anything added to help keep vibration down to a minimum is clearly of benefit to help maximise image quality.

The unobtrusive shutter is also welcome for street work or in cases when noise might be an issue.

There are ‘silent’ single-shot and continuous shooting modes (this works at 3fps instead of 5fps in usual operation) and pitch is even lower.

At 5fps, I got 21 Raws at 5fps and 30 in continuous silent before buffering using a SanDisk Extreme Pro 90MB/s CompactFlash card. In Large JPEG, I got 100 shots and the camera was still going. That’s a very good showing from such a high-res camera.

Battery life is also very good. I got 600 shots from a full charge and the battery still had one bar on the indicator showing. This included a good deal of continuous shooting with servo AF, menu fiddling and image previewing. www.absolutephoto.com

Camera test

21

Anatomy From the front There are no design surprises from the front and the EOS 5DS is clearly a member of the 5D family. The large pad at seven o’clock is the depth-of-field feature and in Custom Control there are 13 other setting options that you can choose from, and that is an improvement from older 5D cameras.

Sensor cleaning can be set to take place when the camera is turned on or off. It only takes a second or so but if you prefer a faster start-up then turn it off.

The EOS 5DS/R has two card slots, CF and SD/SDHC/SDXC and you have various options how you want them to work; JPEGs to one, Raws to the another, for example.

Back view The back of the EOS 5DS/R looks like the back of other Canon enthusiast and top-end DSLRs. There’s the large quick control dial that dominates the back, there’s a row of buttons to the left of the monitor and then important controls like the AF-ON (which could be bigger, in my view) and selective metering buttons at top right.

As you’d expect, there is a high degree of button customisation potential and ten buttons/dials can have their default functions changed. Having the multi-controller joystick set to Direct AF point selection to make moving the AF zone around a one-touch function is very useful.

The Rate button is handy if you have time to go through the preview shots and the rating you give transfers over to Lightroom.

From the top For current Canon users, the top-plate will look very familiar with the exposure mode dial on the left and a large LCD information panel on the right.

The on/off switch is located around the exposure mode dial, so turning the camera on is a two-handed affair. Start-up time is quick, but it’s slower with the sensor cleaning switched on. The exposure dial is

locked and the central button has to be used to change mode.

Above the LCD are dual function buttons which work in conjunction with the rear or front command dial. The downside is the small icons on the LCD but that’s nothing new and there are other ways (like the Q menu) of changing key settings.

In view The 3.2in monitor does not articulate nor is it touch sensitive, and that might be surprising considering so many monitors do offer such features, but Canon obviously feel the typical EOS 5DS/R user is unlikely to need such niceties and it might well be right.

The optical viewfinder is excellent; the viewing image is bright and contrasty. In addition to the usual readout, some

Very usefully, Canon’s Intelligent Viewfinder II feature lets you pick what feature you want overlaid on the optical viewfinder.

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key settings can also be shown and these are overlaid on the viewing image itself.

The monitor’s image is first class so no problem in that regard and are some useful extras. Having a one-touch zoom button for image previewing is not new to Canon and there are several options when it comes to magnification choice.

I settled for 16x. The full-size option was too much for me and

The camera’s Custom Quick Control lets you personalise which items appear when you push the Q menu button.

meant lots of navigating around the image looking for the focal point which I found slow. 16x is easily enough to check sharpness and facial expressions critically.

What I really liked was the option to add or delete and even resize items that get shown in the Quick Menu. You can be very minimalist and just choose items that you frequently change or like to check on.

The Q menu is handy especially with the camera on a tripod – the bigger icons compared with those on the top-plate LCD help too.

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Camera test ISO performance With more than 50 megapixels crammed into a 35mm frame, you might expect the EOS 5DS to suffer badly from noise. And it’s true that the colour blotches and loss of fine detail at ISO 6400 and the expanded 12,800 don’t look great, but overall the 5DS does really well in this shot taken at early twilight. The base exposure for ISO 100 was 0.5sec at f/8 using the EF 24-70mm f/2.8 II.

ISO 400

ISO 800

ISO 1600

ISO 3200

ISO 6400

ISO 12,800

For critical results, ISO 1600 is perfectly useable and while you can see noise, the effect is acceptable even viewed at 100% on screen. The JPEG shot at the same ISO without any in-camera NR was even smoother than the Raw at the cost of fine detail resolution.

These Raw files were processed in Lightroom CC with no noise reduction or extra sharpening.

FULL FRAME

FULL FRAME

High ISO noise reduction Shoot in JPEG and Raw and you have three options for High ISO Noise Reduction, low, standard and high. Set JPEG only and you have Multi-shot NR where the camera takes four shots consecutively and then merges them into one for, in theory, a better result.

The camera is offline for around 12 seconds as this process takes place.

No surprise that the Raw is the best in terms of detail and this image sympathetically processed will be the best.

Of the JPEGs, I think the low setting of the in-camera high ISO NR works well, with the standard and high settings affecting detail too much for my tastes. The multi-shot option is worth trying – with static subjects, of course.

For our test, we tried the in-camera NR feature at ISO settings of 1600, 3200, 6400 and the extended 12,800 equivalent. We’ve shown the results at the top native ISO here.

RAW 6400

Photography News | Issue 21

6400 HIGH ISO NR OFF

6400 HIGH ISO NR LOW

6400 HIGH ISO NR STD

6400 HIGH ISO NR HIGH

6400 HIGH ISO NR MSHOT

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Camera test

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In-camera HDR HDR shooting can be done in Raw or JPEG and five effects are available. There is also the option of auto HDR where you let the camera decide on the bracket range or manually set +/-1EV, +/-2EV or +/-3EV. There is also an auto alignment feature to assist handheld shooting.

The three shot bracket can be retained as original Raw files for working on later, or you can have just the processed JPEG kept. Processing in Raw takes 14 seconds.

The base exposure of the handheld shot shown here was 1/160sec at f/6.7 with a Canon 24-70mm f/2.8. The ISO

was set manually at ISO 400, but the camera overrode this for the underexposed shot of the bracket by setting ISO 100 while keeping the aperture and shutter speed settings the same. The third shot in the sequence went back to ISO 400 and this time the shutter was 1/45sec.

STRAIGHT RAW FILE

ART NATURAL

ART STANDARD

ART VIVID

ART BOLD

ART EMBOSSED

The EOS 5DS’s exposure system coped very well on our test even on very tricky contrast situations. In this unedited image there is detail in the shadows and the highlights and the Raw tweaked in Lightroom gave a fine result. Exposed at 1/90sec at f/11, ISO 200 using the EF 24-70mm f/2.8 II.

Don’t miss the verdict next month The camera has an AF Microadjustment feature and I called upon this when using the Canon 70-200mm f/4L IS USM. My initial shots with this lens seemed to lack bite and were improved with some experimentation with this feature.

Exposed at 1/250sec at f/13, ISO 200

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The concluding part of the Canon EOS 5DS review including a close look at the AF and exposure systems, plus a comparison with the EOS 5DS R will be in the next Photography News, out 22 July.

Issue 21 | Photography News

Photography News | Issue 21

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Issue 21 | Photography News

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Preview SPECS PRICE Body only £770, £849.99 with DA 18-55mm f/3.55.6 AL WR. HD PentaxDA 18-50mm f/4-5.6 DC WR RE £230 CONTACT www.ricoh-imaging. co.uk SENSOR CMOS with no AA filter, 24.3 megapixels, APS-C 23.5x15.6mm with Shake and Dust reduction system

FIRST LOOK

Pentax K-3 II

The K-3 II is Pentax’s flagship APS-C DSLR and it shows tremendous promise with an impressive specification at a very competitive price

ISO RANGE 100-51,200, auto SHUTTER RANGE 30secs to 1/8000sec, Bulb, flash sync at 1/180sec DRIVE MODES 8.3fps on continuous high, M 4.5fps, L 3fps METERING SYSTEM Multi-segment using 86k pixel RGB sensor EXPOSURE MODES PASM, green mode, hyper program, sensitivity-priority, shutter- and aperturepriority EXPOSURE COMPENSATION +/-5EV MONITOR 3.2in LCD, 1037k dots FOCUSING SAFOX 11 – spot, selected, expanded area, zone select and auto (27 AF points) modes FOCUS POINTS 27, 25 cross-type focus points VIDEO Full HD 1920x1080 CONNECTIVITY USB3.0, HDMI STORAGE MEDIA 2x SD, SDHC, SDXC. Image copy between the two possible. Save to both, separate Raw and JPEG, and sequential modes possible DIMENSIONS (WXHXD) 131.5x102.5x77.5mm WEIGHT 785g body with battery

Pentax, now under the Ricoh Imaging banner, has been making significant introductions of late, notably the medium-format Pentax 645Z and there is the promise of a full-frame DSLR later in the year.

The K-3 II sits at the top of its APS-C DSLR collection, replacing the current incumbent the K-3, and sells for £770 body only.

The current Pentax line-up includes the K-50, K-S1 and K-S2, which are available in various colours and finishes to appeal to younger or more fashion conscious users. The K-3 II comes in any colour you like so long as it’s black.

As befits a flagship model it is very highly featured. Starting from the ground up the stainless steel chassis and magnesium alloy body features 92 protection seals at key points resulting in a dust- and weather-resistant body. Our pre-production sample certainly felt solidly made and comfortable to hold.

The K-3 II AF’s system uses 27 points, 25 of which are cross-type, and an updated algorithm to give swift AF and better AF tracking. The supplied DA 1850mm f/4-5.6 lens wasn’t ideal for testing AF speed on moving subjects, but the combination did snap into focus very quickly and its responsiveness in a wide variety of different lighting conditions was good. Overall, at this early stage, we can say the AF is accurate, decisive and responsive, but we will be trying the K-3 II with a wider selection of lenses to get a more accurate assessment when we do a full test With continuous shooting at 8.3fps, you can rattle through frames pretty rapidly and while this shooting rate is modest by comparison with some models, it’s good enough for most users and the camera’s low noise and vibration levels mean it isn’t too loud. In fact with the damped reflex mirror action and the low pitch of the shutter noise, the K-3 II is commendably quiet.

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At the camera’s heart is a CMOS sensor with a resolution of 24.3 megapixels. The sensor maximises image resolution by doing away with an anti-alias (AA) mirror, but there is an AA filter simulator to reduce false colours or any moiré effect. With the AA simulator on, the camera applies a microscopic amount of vibration and two levels are available. The AA simulator has a bracketing option too.

When shooting on a tripod with static subjects, the K-3 II has Pixel Shift Resolution mode, which uses

the camera’s in-body shake reduction to move the sensor four times, one pixel at a time. Four shots are taken very quickly using an electronic shutter and merged together to give a higher definition image with superior colour reduction. A similar feature is on the Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II, although on that model the sensor is moved eight times, 0.5 pixel at a time. For more details on this mode as well as other key aspects of the K-3 II, see the interview with Ricoh Imaging’s Adrian Uden on page 14.

ABOVE Shot on a pre-production sample Pentax K-3 II with a DA 18-50mm f/4-5.6 at 18mm. No compensation was applied nor has the DNG Raw been adjusted in any way, ie. no highlights or shadows have been recovered in Lightroom, and as you can see despite the full-on backlighting the K-3 II delivered a file with plenty of shadow detail.

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Preview

27

One thing Pentax DSLRS have always done well is exposure and it was no different here. Consistency is the keyword. Point the K-3 II at a subject, dark, light, back or front lit, and it gave a spot-on exposure We couldn’t test the Pixel Shift Resolution mode properly on a pre-production model, but the theory sounds good – the only downsides right now are that you need to keep the camera stable and it only works with static subjects.

One multi-frame feature you can use handheld is the HDR feature. Three bracketed images are taken consecutively and if there is a slight shift in camera position, the K-3 II resolves any misalignments automatically. Three HDR strengths are available and if you are shooting JPEG and Raw simultaneously, you get a single merged HDR JPEG and the three bracketed Raws so you can play later at home too.

In Raw shooting you have the option of whether you want Pentax PEF or Adobe DNG files. Given the convenience of DNG that’s the option I went for, later processing the images in Lightroom CC. The typical Raw file size was around 30-36MB with JPEGs around 9-15MB. I shot everything in either program or aperturepriority AE mode using the K-3 II’s multi-segment metering pattern.

Having used Pentax SLRs over many years, I know that one thing they have always done well is exposure and it was no different here. Consistency is the keyword. Point the K-3 II at a subject, dark, light, back or front lit, and it seemed to give a spoton exposure. Extreme lighting is a perennial issue and here the K-3 II seemed to favour shadow detail so complete silhouettes were avoided, even when shooting with the full sun in the frame.

The K-3 II sells for £849.99 with the DA 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 WR standard zoom. With our preview sample

we had the HD Pentax-DA 18-50mm f/4-5.6 DC WR RE. This sells on its own for £30 more than the 1855mm at £230 so if you go for this kit option, expect to pay slightly more. The option is worth considering because the lens can be retracted for greater compactness; it makes a really neat combination with the K-3 II. Turn on the camera with the lens in its retracted position and you get a warning to rotate the lens to its operating position.

Having only spent a day or so shooting with the Pentax K-3 II, it certainly appears to be a very fine camera with much going for it, including a competitive price tag. We’ll be testing it fully in Photography News as soon as a full production sample arrives, but so far, so good.

π To find out more, go to www.ricoh-imaging.co.uk.

ABOVE Side-lighting on a predominately dark background can be tricky for camera meters, often resulting in overexposure. No problem for our pre-production K-3 II here though and the orange buoy was nicely recorded. Again shot on the DA 18-50mm f/45.6 at 50mm. The exposure was 1/80sec at f/10, ISO 100.

Picture modes As in most modern digital cameras, the Pentax K-3 II has picture modes that work in JPEG only and gives plenty of in-camera creative effects. There are 11 effects available on this DSLR from colour rendition styles such RADIANT

BLEACH BYPASS

as Bright and Vibrant and subject-oriented settings, including Landscape and Portrait, to more extreme effects like Cross Process and Bleach Bypass, as shown here (right).

MUTED

CROSS PROCESS

REVERSAL

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MONO

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Preview SPECS

FIRST LOOK

Fujifilm X-T10

PRICE £499 body only, X-T10 and XC16-50mm kit £599, X-T10 and XC1855mm kit £799, with black and silver finishes available CONTACT fujifilm.eu/uk

Fujifilm’s latest X-series CSC promises class-leading performance and portability at a great price. We got our hands on a preproduction sample to check out its potential

SENSOR X-Trans CMOS II 16.3 megapixels, 23.6x15.6mm (APS-C), 4896x3264 pixels SENSOR FORMAT APS-C 23.5x15.7mm, 1.5x crop factor ISO RANGE 200-6400, extended settings 100, 12,800, 25,600 and 51,200 for JPEG only SHUTTER RANGE 1sec-1/32,000sec (electronic shutter), 30secs-1/4000sec, B (max 60mins), T (30secs-1/4000sec), flash sync 1/180sec DRIVE MODES Up to 8fps METERING SYSTEM TTL 256-zone metering, spot, average EXPOSURE MODES PASM EXPOSURE COMPENSATION +/-3EV in 0.3EV steps, AE bracketing up to +/-1EV MONITOR 3in, 920K dot FOCUSING Single, continuous, manual. Focus points 49 areas on a 7x7grid, wide/tracking AF from 77 areas on 11x7grid, zone AF selectable with 3x3/5x3/5x5 areas from 77 areas on 11x7 grid VIDEO Full HD 1920x1080 60p/50p/30p/25p/24p, 14 mins continuous recording max CONNECTIVITY USB 2.0 STORAGE MEDIA SD, SDHC, SDXC (UHS-1) DIMENSIONS 118.4x82.8x40.8mm WEIGHT 381g body only

Words by Will Cheung The Fujifilm X-T1 has struck a chord with many photographers, not just for its retro styling but also for its all-round high performance and everincreasing lens options. Its price – currently £879 body – put it beyond the reach of many so the idea of a budget X-T1 is an obvious follow-up for Fujifilm to launch.

The X-T10 is like a cut-down, more compact version of the X-T1 and sells for £499 body only.

You would think that for that price, the X-T10 would share little with the X-T1, but that doesn’t appear to be the case. Features wise there’s a good degree of common ground. It shares the same excellent CMOS X-Trans II sensor with built-in phase detect AF and the AF system itself is completely new.

It uses 49 zones for fast, accurate AF there is an option of a Zone and Wide/Tracking modes that track subjects using a larger 77-point AF area.

Existing X-T1 users will also be able to enjoy the same AF system when the new version 4 firmware is released.

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With the X-T10’s ability to shoot at 8fps and its AF-C feature, action subjects fall well within the remit of this CSC. For this hands-on, we tried the X-T10 alongside an X-T1 running the current firmware (v3) with the 56mm f/1.2, 50-140mm f/2.8 and the 55-200mm f/4-5.6. In this brief hands-on look, the X-T10 did seem to be quicker and more responsive, especially in busy crowd scenes. The X-T1 could be slightly more random, especially in face-detection and multi-zone modes, with the wrong subject latched onto or results just not sharp. The X-T10 seemed better and more decisive in general use, but quick-moving subjects like passing traffic proved more challenging. We’ll have to wait for the full production model to arrive before passing judgement on the new AF system.

The X-T10’s body and feel belie its relatively lowly price tag. With top and base plates made from die-cast magnesium, the body has a reassuring rigidity to it, although the body is not environment-sealed. The camera does feature an integral flash, although it’s low powered even for a pop-up unit with a 5GN at ISO 100 so its use and range are limited.

ABOVE Our pre-production X-T10’s exposure system proved spot-on producing excellent JPEGs. Shot with a Fujifilm 18-135mm zoom lens.

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Preview

ABOVE You can see clearly that the X-T10 is smaller than the X-T1, but size apart there are a great many family similarities. The X-T1 user can happily use the two side by side so the X-T10 is a great backup.

ABOVE With its discreet styling and compact size, the X-T10 is ideally suited to street photography and the AF system of our (pre-production) camera was responsive.

29 The three-inch monitor can be angled for low or high up shooting but what’s really interesting on the X-T10 is that there is an electronic viewfinder.

It has been the case with some brands that the viewfinder is the first thing to go on a budget model. However, here we have an excellent 2360k dot EVF that gives 100% image coverage with a display lag of just 0.005sec and the viewing image is impressively bright. A simple side-by-side comparison showed that the EVF is brighter and more contrasty than its bigger brother’s.

Manually switching between the non-touch sensitive monitor and the EVF is possible so you can either have only your preferred method working or you can use the auto feature, which detects when the eye is up to the eyepiece. The auto feature works really well until the camera is on the tripod, when just passing your hand by the eye detector switches viewing mode, which can be slightly annoying.

Image quality from the X-T10 is a known quantity as the same sensor has appeared on various X-series cameras.

Native ISO range is 200 to 6400 and these speeds are available in Raw and JPEG. If the higher speeds interest you, shooting is available in JPEG only. Images are very clean and noise-free up to ISO 800 with accurate colour reproduction (images shown here are from JPEGs as no Raw converter was available) and good levels of contrast. Get up to ISO 1600 and beyond and noise becomes

Selling at £499 these features are nice extras that you wouldn’t expect on a budget cameras more of an issue and it has a greater impact on the resolution of fine detail.

The X-T10 has the option of an electronic shutter with a top shutter speed of 1/32,000sec and totally silent operation. For a body selling at £499 these features are some nice extras that you wouldn’t expect on a budget camera and they are worth having, especially with Fujifilm’s collection of fast aperture lenses.

Exposures on our sample were generally good.

We stuck with program and aperture-priority AE with multi-segment metering and it was relatively rare that the camera struggled. Usually strong into-the-light scenes were the issue.

Even after a comparatively short time with the X-T10 I grew to like it and I have to say, given its price, it doesn’t seem a budget camera. It definitely has features and a performance level that belie its cost. Yes, true, it is early days because you can’t truly test a pre-production model. I could be being premature but what I saw and experienced augurs well for the future. π To find out more, go to www. fujifilm.eu/uk.

ABOVE The X-T10 is not as tall as the X-T1 and it still has a viewfinder hence the pentaprism housing, under which is a small pop-up flash. The right side has a smaller grip than the X-T1 so an optional grip might be a good investment.

RIGHT The X-T10’s menu system is easy to navigate whether for newcomers to the system or to X-series devotees. www.absolutephoto.com

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Kit guide BUYERS’ GUIDE

Bag to the future

Behind every great photographer is a great camera bag, so picking the right one is important. Here are 8 that’ll improve your next shoot...

If your other half has ever complained that you’re wedded to your camera backpack, then you’re in good company; at Photography News we love bags – and with good reason.

Cameras and lenses come and go, frequently updated or replaced, but a decent backpack stays with you, and is something you rely on: it protects your fragile kit and ensures you have everything you need; it cushions your shoulders from your expanding arsenal’s weight; it becomes part of your life.

Of course, as your companion ages and sags a little, it’s natural for your eye to wander to sleek, taught, younger bags

MindShift Gear GP 2 Kit Case More and more photographers are carrying small, light GoPro Hero cameras for their video and timelapse work, and while slipping one into your pocket is a real possibility, some more protection is always a good idea.

Not only will it guard against damage and the keep the kit dry if you’re caught in a shower, the MindShift GP 2 case – and other products in the modular GP series – are also a good way of getting your gear organised, and keeping track of small-but-vital video items like mounts and screws.

The GP 2 Kit Case sits in the middle of the range – there are larger and smaller kits available, as well as bundles with additional cases – and it holds all that most photographers would need, swallowing up one or two GoPro Hero 3 or 4 cameras in their housings along with accessories like small sized mounts, batteries, and memory cards. All of this sits in several zippered and windowed inner pockets or within the divided, padded

and those bragging more exciting, exotic features. Luckily in the world of photography, having more than one is perfectly okay.

It’s a good thing. Does this make you a ‘bagamist’? Probably, but having more than one model means you’re kitted out for a variety of environments and carrying needs. Picking up the right new friend can expand shooting possibilities at a stroke.

In this month’s buyers’ guide, you’ll find a broad mix, from fun, sporty little things that you can take on impromptu weekends away to hardy, intrepid, adventurous types that’ll see you and your gear safe in the harshest of environments.

£28

main section’s inner, a layout that allows jumble-free access to your gear when you need it.

Measuring just 17x6.5x9.5cm and weighing only 96g, the GP 2’s small and light enough to slip into a large coat pocket or into your kitbag without compromising whatever else you’re carrying. To withstand the elements, the rip–stop nylon outer is water-repellent, its underside has a polyurethane coating for good waterproofing too. There’s also a grab handle and YKK zippers for improved action and longevity.

CAPACITY: Up to two GoPro hero cameras in housings, plus accessories RAINCOVER: no LAPTOP/TABLET: no TRIPOD HOLDER: no DIMENSIONS (EXT./INT.): 17x6.5x9.5cm/ 16.6x6x9.2cm WEIGHT: 0.096kg CONTACT: : www.mindshiftgear.com

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What to look for With so many shapes and sizes of bag, the most important thing is to identify what you need; there’s no point buying an excellent shoulder bag if you’re hiking in the mountains, or getting a capacious backpack if you’re shooting candids in the city. Do you need a compartment in the bag for general gear, or is it exclusively for camera kit? Does it need a tripod mount? Or some waterproofing?

A good place to start is the size. Tot up the bodies, lenses and accessories you want to shift (then add a bit), find a bag that can swallow that weight, and you’ll be in the right bracket. This streamlining will save money (you won’t pay for space you don’t need), and your shoulders – there’s no point bringing kit you won’t use. Internal padding shouldn’t be skimpy, with plenty of rigidity and thickness to the dividers and no weak points at the corners or underneath – hallmarks of poor bag design.

A comfortable carry is a must, so check the cushioning on straps and contact areas. In a shoulder bag this is important as the weight will be hanging from one place.

For backpacks, sternum straps reduce the load on your shoulders, and waist straps secure the bag so it moves less. Airflow channels and breathable materials can keep you comfortable, but are of less concern on short trips.

Consider the ease of access and security. Will you need to get to your kit quickly, as on a street-shoot?

Security features are great, but they can slow you down, so it’s a trade-off. Examine the quality of the zips and clips, too, as cheap versions will snag and break which is frustrating and could leave your gear exposed.

When you’ve got a shortlist, getting hands-on with the bag is best, allowing you to get a feel for it. So get to a local camera shop, or order online, making sure you’re allowed free returns, so you can try out your new partner.

Tenba Switch 8 Tenba’s new Switch series was designed with CSC users firmly in mind, seeking to offer the kind of quality, strength and usability normally associated with pro-spec DSLR bags. Available in a range of sizes (called Switch 7, 8 and 10), their name comes from a neat interchangeable cover flap (right) which allows a certain level of customisation (currently 5 colours and styles are available in addition to the standard faux leather flap). This flap, which has magnetic clasps making it much quieter than standard velcro, offers the main access to the bag, and has a secondary clips for security. For speed and added security, you can also use the quick access zip on the top, which, like the other zips and clips are YKK branded. In terms of what you can fit inside, the Switch 7 (at £75) is designed for small CSCs and up to four lenses, while the Switch 8 (£85) fits larger CSCs, up to five lenses plus a flash and other accessories, and there’s also room for a tripod to be strapped underneath. The Switch 10 (£95) can accommodate a small DSLR with up to three lenses.

£85 All have a well-padded, modular softly brushed inner and the 8 and 10 models also have a rear padded sleeve for a tablet or travel documents. The shoulder strap’s made from seatbelt-grade webbing with a comfortable, non-slip shoulder pad.

Despite its urbane look, the Switch range is set to withstand the elements, with a removable, reversible rain cover, 420D water-repellent nylon outer, and water and abrasion resistant base protecting the underside if you have to put it down on a wet or mucky surface.

CAPACITY: One CSC, three to five lenses, plus accessories RAINCOVER: yes LAPTOP/TABLET: yes (up to 9.5in) TRIPOD HOLDER: yes DIMENSIONS (EXT./INT.): 27x20x13cm/25x19x8cm WEIGHT: 0.6kg CONTACT: www.tenba.com

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Tamrac Apache 6 Designed to offer a discreet carrying solution for your gear and looking much like a regular messenger bag from the outside, Tamrac’s Apache 6 is the largest of the Apache range (there’s also a 2 and 4 variant).

The low-key look makes it a great choice for urban and travel shooting, or any place where you’d rather not attract attention. The undercover approach is complemented by the Apache’s Silent Closure System, which lets you cover the Velcro pads inside the flap, letting you access gear without the ripping sound.

Despite its low profile, the Apache 6 will hold a medium sized DSLR with a large zoom attached as well as two to three other lenses, with the height of the bag allowing anything up to a including a 70200mm f/2.8. On top of this, there’s further space for a speedlight and other accessories as well as a tablet or small notebook in a large padded pocket at the rear. Space also extends to a roomy, zippered front pocket, subdivided into smaller areas and webbing to organise gear like portable hard-drives, batteries, travel

Crumpler Muli Half Photo Backpack

£99 documents. Expandable side pockets can be used for durable items and those you need to grab quickly.

At just over 1kg, the bag feels light, a wellconstructed, durable feel and a thick shoulder pad to absorb some of the weight of your kit. Its outer is composed of a thick but supple, waterproofed linenlike sailcloth material and to protect the base from abrasive or wet conditions there’s a thick Hypatex covering, which is a tough synthetic rubber and polyester material often used to make inflatable boats.

CAPACITY: DSLR with a lens, two to three extra lenses, flash and accessories RAINCOVER: no LAPTOP/TABLET: yes (up to 12in) TRIPOD HOLDER: no DIMENSIONS (EXT./INT.): 36x18x25cm/ 33x15x24cm WEIGHT: 1.08kg CONTACT: www.tamrac.co.uk

Billingham Hadley Pro shoulder bag

loosened to let out the sides, or additional AVEA 3 pouches added to the bag (at around £50 each).

In use, the quick-release catches allow you to get to your kit fast, and close the bag again, onehanded, while a padded inner lid helps deter rain, as does the water-repellent outer. The brass and leather construction feels high-quality and it’s a comfortable carry; especially with the optional SP40 shoulder pad that moulds to the shape of your shoulder. The bag is available in many colours from Khaki/Tan to Neon.

CAPACITY: DSLR with lens, plus 1-2 extra lenses and accessories RAINCOVER: no LAPTOP/ TABLET: yes TRIPOD HOLDER: yes DIMENSIONS (EXT./INT.): 35x12x28cm/34x8x27cm WEIGHT: 1.01kg CONTACT: www.billingham.co.uk

Manfrotto Pro-Lite Revolver-8 PL It’s not often you can describe a bag as ‘literally revolutionary’, but that’s the Revolver-8 in a nutshell.

The special thing here is the rotating compartment that allows quick access to whatever lens you want.

With access from either side, you can switch optics without taking off the bag – very useful in damp, mucky conditions, or at the beach. The soft, padded carousel has six berths and there’s an elasticated strap running around its perimeter to hold the kit, but remove a divider in the centre and you’ll have four plus a long one, suitable for a large zoom lens. The thick padding extends to the top compartment, which you can use with or without an additional curved divider, to hold a top-loaded DSLR with lens attached. Sliding behind the back panel, there’s room for a 15in laptop and two padded pockets either side of the top compartment for accessories. So, plenty of capacity, but the bag is also small enough to comply with most airline cabin

£200

luggage allowances, and there’s a designated strap to use with a trolley for wheeling it about.

All-weather protection comes from a raincover (black/silver reversible to fend off the sun and for better visibility in poor conditions), and the water-repellent coating on the bag’s nylon outer. There are connectors on the front to attach a tripod, monopod or other kit, while the padded backpanel and adjustable straps are ergonomically sculpted for a more comfortable fit. The sternum strap is also height adjustable.

CAPACITY: DSLR with grip and standard lens, plus four to five lenses RAINCOVER: yes LAPTOP/TABLET: yes TRIPOD HOLDER: yes DIMENSIONS (EXT./INT.): 49x33x25cm/ 28x28x11cm (top) WEIGHT: 1.8kg CONTACT: www.manfrotto.co.uk

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£150 allowing the rain to simply run straight off. The rest of the bag’s outer is made of thick, highly durable 1000D water-repellent nylon, so it’ll take scrapes too.

The adjustable shoulder straps and back panel use air-mesh padding to make them more breathable.

There’s a sternum strap to reduce the load on your shoulders, compression straps for attaching a tripod, and plenty of webbing for extra gear. One loop is set at the bottom and earmarked for a bike light, and the webbing has reflective ends to keep you visible.

CAPACITY: Large DSLR with lens attached, plus four lenses RAINCOVER: no LAPTOP/TABLET: yes TRIPOD HOLDER: yes DIMENSIONS (EXT./INT.): 35x46x15.5cm/ 32x21x13cm (camera compartment), 33x23x14cm (top section) WEIGHT: 1.18kg CONTACT: www.crumpler.eu

Nest Odyssey 10

£170

There’s an undeniable pleasure in owning a design classic, and Billingham’s Hadley Pro Original is one such model. Like the Mini Cooper of the camera world, it’s compact, quick in use and you can get a surprising amount in it. Although the Hadley’s been around for many years, the Pro version is a subtle evolution, retaining the classic, unobtrusive styling.

Improvements include a concealed fibreglass stiffener, and a reinforced grab-handle.

Internally, there’s a removable padded insert, detachable via a single press stud (so you can pack easily or use it as a regular carrier) and the sturdy adjustable partitions mean you can stack gear too.

The Pro will comfortably take a large DSLR with lens and up to two other lenses, speedlights or accessories.

There are two large front ‘dump’ pockets and a zippered document pocket at the rear. If more room is needed, the pockets can be expanded, buckles

Crumpler’s heritage is in cycling, and you can see those design influences on one of its latest bags, the light, adaptable and well-balanced Muli Half Photo Backpack. The ‘half’ part denotes its two-section design; in which you get a camera compartment and a separate ‘daysack’ area above for other items, like clothing or food – very useful. There’s a padded compartment for a 15in laptop or 10in tablet, and external pockets on the side and the under the main flap. The camera compartment features soft Nylexcovered adjustable dividers, and will hold a semi-pro body with a telephoto lens attached, with space for up to four other lenses. The zip opening provides extra protection via the ‘trapdoor’ design which has a lip at the opening, reducing the risk of anything falling out.

In terms of build quality, the backpack doesn’t skimp and the matte black tarpaulin flap, as used on motorcycle messenger bags, offers lots of protection,

A good travelling bag should be streamlined, light, and resourceful, which fits the brand-new Odyssey 10 to a tee. Available from August, its adaptable design means it serves four purposes; a rolling photo bag for easy travelling; a photo backpack when you get on location; or, with the inner removed, a regular rolling suitcase or backpack. The backpack simply unzips from the main roller section so you can separate them in seconds.

Like traditional photo backpacks, the main section is dominated by adjustable closed-cell dividers that store a range of kit, including two pro DSLRs, one with lens attached, five to six other lenses and medium sized accessories like flashguns (the Odyssey 20, at £210, ups this to six to eight lenses). The main compartment contains several smaller pockets for batteries, tripod plates, memory cards, filters and more. For added security, there’s a combination zip-lock on the side of the main compartment, when attached to the roller.

On the outside front of the bag are two more padded pockets; one with space for a tablet up to

£180

7in in size, (9in on the Odyssey 20), other small accessories or documents; the other pocket fits up to a 14in laptop (17in for the Odyssey 20). These zippered pockets use high-quality YKK zips and the bag’s outer is composed of thick, 900D water-resistant nylon. And for any real deluges, there’s a rain cover, too.

CAPACITY: Two pro DSLRs with five to six lenses, plus accessories RAINCOVER: yes LAPTOP/ TABLET: yes (up to 14in) TRIPOD HOLDER: yes DIMENSIONS (EXT./INT.): 37x26x48cm/ 33.5x16x41cm WEIGHT: 3.4Kg CONTACT: www.nest-style.com

Lowepro Pro Runner 450 AW II If you need to move a lot of kit, Lowepro’s Pro Runner 450 AW II is a great option. You can certainly lose a lot of gear in this heavy-duty backpack; its cavernous main compartment will hold up to two pro-sized DSLRs (one with a lens attached) and there’s still room for five or six other lenses or speedlights. The spread of kit is up to you, and to that end, the bag’s new MaxFit closed-cell dividers are more easily adjustable than before, so you can insert gear and slip the padding into place snuggly. Below the camera compartment, there’s a padded accessory case for further protection.

As well as multiple accessory pockets, both in and out, the padded front compartment has Cradle-fit pockets (which suspend devices so they don’t come into contact with the bottom of the bag, or ground) with space for a 15in laptop, 10in tablet and more.

As befits Lowepro’s heritage in outdoor equipment, the Pro Runner 450 AW II’s high-quality construction

£216 also offers great protection from the elements, with strong, smooth YKK locking zippers, a water-repellent polyurethane-backed 680D nylon outer and pullout all-weather cover. For a comfortable carry, even fully loaded, there are thickly padded mesh shoulder straps, complete with an adjustable sternum strap, a breathable, sculpted back panel, and removable waist straps. Top and side-mounted grab handles make lifting the bag easier and to complete the picture, there are compression straps to attach a trolley.

CAPACITY: Two pro DSLRs with attached lenses, five to six lenses and accessories RAINCOVER: yes LAPTOP/TABLET: Yes (15in) TRIPOD HOLDER: yes DIMENSIONS (EXT./INT.): 34.8x18x49.5cm/ 32.5x16.0x40.8cm WEIGHT: 2.9kg CONTACT: www.lowepro.com

Issue 21 | Photography News

Photography News | Issue 21

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Issue 21 | Photography News

Photography News | Issue 21

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Issue 21 | Photography News

Photography News | Issue 21

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Technique

37

PHOTO SCHOOL

Camera class

BARREL DISTORTION UNFIXED

BARREL DISTORTION FIXED

Everyone has to start somewhere, even pros, so in Photo School we look at the core skills every beginner needs. This month, controlling the distortion of wide-angle lenses and fixing optical flaws in Lightroom Words & pictures by Kingsley Singleton When shooting wide-angle (that being anything less than about 35mm on a full-frame DSLR) you’ll get distortion. This is inevitable and it shows up as either bowing of straight lines (barrel distortion) or converging verticals (keystoning), where upright lines are angled more than you’d like, making buildings seem to ‘fall over’ backwards. Both are avoidable, but while the amount of distortion can depend on the quality and type of wide-angle you’re using, it’s more often caused by the way you’re using it.

If you have an 18-55mm or 24-70mm lens, you may notice a little barrel distortion at the lower end of the focal range, but extreme wide-angle lenses like a 10-20mm or 12-24mm produce even more.

Fisheyes are specialist lenses where distortion is left uncorrected and so extreme that it actually becomes part of the draw.

Keystoning on the other hand, occurs at all focal lengths though it’s more pronounced at wideangle, simply because more of the scene is visible.

Keystoning is produced by your angle of shooting, ie you point the camera upwards, and is exaggerated when focusing very close to a subject. Both barrel distortion and keystoning are most noticeable when shooting subjects with straight lines like buildings, or where the horizon is visible, so although the effect is still there, no matter what the subject, it’s less noticeable on natural scenes.

ADOBE LIGHTROOM

Software skills

Keystoning can even be useful, as the same principles that make buildings ‘fall over’ when shooting close to them and angling up, enlarges the foreground detail when angling the camera down.

Controlling distortion To minimise barrel distortion, try shooting less wide; with large subjects or expansive views, the temptation is often to use your widest angle of view, but move back a little, zoom in and you’ll get a less distorted view, though the scene will become more compressed (see above right). To find where in the focal range barrel distortion is occurring (which you can then avoid if the subject doesn’t take to it) find a plain brick wall, shoot it straight on, then examine the amount of ‘bow’ at various focal lengths; if you decide it looks fine at, say, 28mm, then make a mental note of that. If you need to shoot wider, make sure that any in-camera lens correction is turned on (it’s applied to JPEGs, but not Raws). The only problem with this is that it crops the image slightly.

Keystoning can be addressed in a similar way, by changing the focal length, your distance to the subject and the angle you’re shooting at. Again, back away from the subject and zoom in which means that less of the scene is recorded so the effect is less pronounced. If you have to shoot ultra-wide, try shooting dead level and don’t angle the camera upwards; the further off the level it is, the more lines will converge. Minor keystoning can also be corrected in software (see below).

AUTOMATED OPTIONS

Lens corrections

While it’s best to control distortion as much as you can when shooting (as this will retain the maximum image quality), it’s also possible to control lens distortions in Lightroom. These can be applied automatically (based on the camera model and lens), tweaked from those presets, or applied manually. The final route is vital if you’re using kit that’s not recognised by the software, and lets you take control if the automated results aren’t what you desire.

Lens corrections should be made before any other changes to the picture, because as you straighten or rotate the pic, parts will be cropped out; any creative cropping is pointless until you know what you’re working with and the same goes for changes to the exposure. So, before making any other changes to the picture, head to the Develop module and open the Lens Corrections tab... www.absolutephoto.com

MANUAL LENS CORRECTIONS

In the uncorrected version, shot at 16mm you can see barrel distortion in the pews and columns, but by stepping back and zooming in to 28mm, it’s straightened up.

KEYSTONING UNFIXED

KEYSTONING FIXED

Shooting at 16mm here, tilting the camera up slightly causes obvious keystone distortion, but keeping the camera level produces straight vertical lines.

AUTOMATED OPTIONS In Lens Corrections tab, you’ll find four headings: Basic, Profile, Color and Manual. Under Basic you can tick Enable Profile Corrections which uses data about the camera, lens and focal length used to reduce barrel distortion, fringing and vignetting. You can also use automatic options further down the tab to level up the picture and avoid keystoning, but the Manual route is more successful. Under Profile you should see the kit you used, but if there’s a problem, a body and lens can be selected from a list. Under the same heading, the Distortion and Vignetting sliders tweak those presets. The Color heading is used to manually control fringing in the image, but this is usually removed by the Remove Chromatic Aberration box under the Basic heading.

MANUAL LENS CORRECTIONS Under the Manual heading there are sliders split into two groups: Transform and Lens Vignetting. These control the distortion and are helpful in fixing keystoning and other angular problems. Helpfully, whenever the sliders are used a grid appears on the picture as a guide. Click Constrain Crop before you use them or you’ll get blank white sections appearing at the edges.

The Distortion slider pinches or bloats the picture to correct for barrel distortion (or pincushion if you’re using a telephoto lens), but if your lens has been identified under the Basic or Profile tabs it’s not necessary to use it (the same goes for the Vignetting options).

The Vertical and Horizontal sliders angle the planes of the image and with the grid as a guide you can line up straight lines in the shot.

Rotate can also be used along with the guide to set the horizon straight, although both this and the Scale option, which reduces or enlarges the pic, are more easily applied using the Crop Overlay tool. The final slider, Aspect, stretches the picture horizontally or vertically, compensating for any squashing that occurs when using the Horizontal or Vertical sliders.

Issue 21 | Photography News

38

Prize wordsearch Win Samsung memory duo!

Capture life’s special moments across all devices with the ultra-reliable Samsung EVO Micro SDHC and PRO SDHC cards. Use the former with a smartphone or tablet with an adapter. Use a PRO SDHC card with a DSLR or camcorder and, being shock and waterproof, resistant to extreme temperatures, X-rays and magnets, it will keep your photos safe and sound.

We’re giving away a 32GB EVO Micro SDHC with an SD adapter and a 16GB PRO SDHC card to just one lucky winner. Just complete the wordsearch below, and you’ll find one word in the list that’s not in the grid. Email us on puzzle@photography-news. co.uk with that word in the subject line by 20 July 2015.

π To find out more, go to www.samsung.com/ memorycard.

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Bag Blur Carbon Curtain Dial

Digic Dioptre Expeed Infinity LCD

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Stand Tether Tungsten Wideangle Zoom

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Advertisement feature

X-T10 technology highlights While it may look very similar to the X-T1, the X-T10 offers its own unique combination of features that will help you capture great images, no matter how bright the light and how fast the subject is moving.

Here are just some of the special functions the camera has to offer: *Fujifilm research as of April 2015

Bespoke functionality, eye-catching design No two photographers are the same so the X-T10 allows you to set the camera up precisely to your own requirements. Seven of the camera’s function buttons are fully customisable so you can use them to set up quick access to the features you use most frequently, including ISO, metering options and even wireless image transfer through Wi-Fi connectivity.

More regularly used functions are set via the stylish milled dials on the die-cast aluminium top-plate, plus there’s now an Auto Mode Switch Lever, which enables users to quickly switch over to full auto mode for quick snapshots or to hand the camera to a non-photographer.

Also new is the built-in flash, which is handy for a variety of low-light or contre-jour situations, plus the camera is available in both all-black and chrome finishes so you can pick the model which best suits your style.

Real Time viewfinder The viewfinder is one of the X-T1’s stand-out features, and the X-T10’s electronic Real Time viewfinder is another masterpiece of design and functionality. It offers a 2.36-million dot LCD with 100% coverage and has the world’s shortest lag time of just 0.005sec*. It’s the closest thing you’ll find to an optical viewfinder in any CSC. Being electronic, however, means it also has plenty of additional benefits over a DSLR’s optical finder, including simulation of features and exposure settings and the ability to change camera settings with the camera up to your eye. The display also rotates according to how you’re holding the X-T10 so the viewfinder information is always really easy to read.

For those occasions when you don’t want to use the viewfinder, or want to try a different view when it comes to composition, the X-T10 also provides a 920k-dot tilting rear LCD screen.

VELVIA/VIVID

Enhanced autofocusing system

CLASSIC CHROME

Film Simulation modes Unique to Fujifilm, the Film Simulation modes are a suite of features that allow you to emulate the look of a variety of colour and black & white film emulsions. These include the legendary Velvia and Astia options for punchy and muted colours respectively and the latest Classic Chrome mode, which delivers muted colours and rich tones reminiscent of old transparency films. The Film Simulation modes can be selected in camera, or even added in post-production, plus the X-T10 also offers in-camera Film Simulation bracketing, so you can pick between three different styles and simultaneously apply them with just one press of the shutter release.

Traditionally, compact system cameras with contrast-detection autofocusing systems have struggled to focus quickly and accurately on moving subjects. This has put sporting and general action out of reach for many users, with manual focusing often being the only viable option.

The X-T10, however, incorporates DSLR-style phase-detection pixels on the sensor along with two new autofocusing modes that put fast-moving subjects within easier reach.

Both of the new Zone and Wide/Tracking modes use a larger 77-point focusing area that covers virtually the entire imaging area. They work in both Single and Continuous AF modes to help you capture everything from slow-moving subjects through to high-speed action with the camera either automatically identifying the subject and tracking its movement in the frame, or you selecting the starting focusing point and leaving the camera to follow the rest.

Further enhancements have been made with the phasedetection pixels effective in lower light levels, Eye Detection AF available to ensure portraits with pin-sharp eyes and an Auto Macro AF feature that eliminates the need to press the Macro button when shooting up close. π To find out more about the X-T10, go to www.fujifilm.co.uk/x-t10.

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Issue 21 | Photography News

Advertisement feature

#CREATIVITYEVERYDAY EVERY DAY IS A PHOTOGRAPHY DAY WHEN YOU OWN THE SMALL, LIGHT, FULLY-FEATURED FUJIFILM X-T10

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