FREE NIKON SKILLS video TUTORIALs Issue 76 • September 2017 www.digitalcameraworld.com
spoiler alert!
D850
SPECIAL REPORT safari special
Wildlife masterclass Key kit & settings Core skills Long lens tips Pro secrets
super telephotos
Go long with our in-depth review of eight Nikon-fit options
I don’t like the formulaic approach of shooting at sunrise and sunset – I prefer overcast light Peter Gallagher, landscape photographer p92
Macro magic
Be inspired by stunning seasonal close-ups p14
Make your car the star!
Discover how to capture magazinequality photos of your pride and joy
Shallow end Shoot landscapes wide open! p38
Monopods
We put six single-leg supports to the test p112
From the editor
Get even more out of N-Photo Facebook Join 289,000 Nikon nuts who ‘Like’ us on Facebook www.facebook.com/nphotomag
Weekly newsletter
Welcome to issue 76
News, techniques and offers emailed to you every Friday. Sign up at www.bit.ly/nphoto_news
This issue, it’s a case of out with the old and in with the new – in more ways than one. With its 46MP sensor and 9fps, Nikon’s new D850 looks set to be every bit as groundbreaking as its venerated older sibling, the D800. At the time of writing its specs have yet to be confirmed, and may still be unconfirmed by the time you read this, but we were so excited at the prospect of what its features might be that we’ve had some fun gazing into our crystal ball and coming up with a few predictions. And if it is all a done deal by the time you read this, you can have some fun of your own, scoring us out of 12 (see p. 8). And in keeping with the old/new theme, I would like to take this opportunity to bid you all a fond farewell. After three hugely enjoyable years at the helm of N-Photo, I’m moving on to challenges new, and – if you’ll permit me to mix my metaphors – handing over the reins to the talented and hugely experienced Adam Waring. Adam’s been Operations Editor on the magazine since January, so knows it inside out, and he’s been working in photography publishing for the best part of a decade; what he doesn’t know about putting together a practical, informative and inspirational photography magazine isn’t worth knowing. Please join me in bidding him a warm, N-Photo-community welcome, and it just remains for me to say so long, and thanks for everything – it’s you, the readers, who make N-Photo what it is, and it’s you I have to thank for an incredible three years.
Twitter Follow our tweets and keep up to date with all things #Nikon www.twitter.com/nphotomag
Paul Grogan, Editor paul.grogan@futurenet.com
WE WANT YOUR VIEWS
Get an exclusive 10% discount today!
SUBSCRIBE 34 See page
Subscribe today and get a brilliant Lastolite Strobo Kit (worth £98), exclusive discounts and more! Turn to p34 for details…
www.digitalcameraworld.com
We’re always looking for ways to make your favourite photo mag even better, so tell us what you think in our quick online reader survey and you can enjoy an exclusive 10% discount on all our magazines (not subscriptions), books, DVDs and binders. All you have to do is answer a few questions about yourself, your favourite subjects, your camera kit and the magazine – what you like, dislike and what else you’d like to see – and we’ll do our best to oblige! For more details, turn to page 90.
September 2017
3
Contents Cover feature A selection of close-up and blackand-white images from the garden
Cover feature
22
8
Ultimate guide to safari photography
Cover feature
Our exclusive insight into the Nikon D850
Journey with us into the heart of Africa and discover how to take your best-ever wildlife photos
Nikon Skills
Nikopedia
Essentials
Shoot wide open 38 40 Leak your light 42 Create a time-lapse 44 Watermark your images 46 Explore creative brush tips 48 Compose landscapes 52 Nikon School
76 Creative paths 82 Nikon software 84 Ask Jason 86 Head to head
Lightbox 14 55 Over to you Apprentice 56 91 My big break Interview 92 102 On Assignment 130 The final word
Cover feature
How to capture landscape scenes creatively using a wide aperture for a shallow depth of field
Leak light into the digital era using nothing more than a matchstick for an in-camera effect
Brave storms to capture a time-lapse sequence to capture wind, clouds and sunshine
Protect your photos when posting them online by adding watermarks or an Identity Plate Mimic real-world brushes, pencils, charcoal and other media in Photoshop
Useful tried-and-tested compositional techniques to make landscape images really sing Explore the wide range of courses on offer from Nikon’s very own photography school
4
September 2017
14
Cover feature
How shapes and forms that link one subject to another can add interest to your images Use Levels and Curves in Capture NX-D to reveal shadow detail without blowing highlights
International Garden Photographer of the Year macro and mono project contest images
N-Photo readers travel to India and Chile to document these exotic lands’ peoples and places
Cover feature
Get crisp shots of the surface of the moon by overcoming ‘mirror bounce’, among other things Nikon’s AF-S 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR squares up to the AF-S 500mm f/4E FL ED VR…
66
A wild Chilean landscape in Photo Stories
Our Apprentice learns to take stunning shots of his shiny new Ferrari 488 GTB
Classic car photographer Amy Shore recalls how one photo changed the course of her career
Cover feature
Landscape pro Paul Gallagher on turning from large-format film fan to Nikon DSLR convert
Peter Dazeley shoots behind-the-scenes of London’s theatres for his forthcoming book Joe McNally on a Wild West shootout – using a simple lighting set-up and Nikon DSLR
www.digitalcameraworld.com
C o n t en t s
92
01
Break the rules and shoot landscapes wide open
Cover feature The life and art of pro Paul Gallagher – in his own words
Gear Zone Nikon D850 08 106 Nikon AF-P 10-20mm 110 New gear Mini test 112 Big test 114 124 Buyer’s guide Cover feature
See why we’re so excited by Nikon’s fast-shootin’, megapixel-packin’ D850…
Capture a creative portrait with this fun technique
03
04
Learn how to protect your images in a few clicks
05
06
Blur passing clouds with our step-by-step guide
07
Discover how to photograph the passing of time
110
Nikon’s new super-wide DX lens is budget-friendly, but is it worth buying...? Kit out your kitbag with our latest roundup of Nikon-compatible goodies
02
112
Cover feature
You’ll have a leg to stand on with one of six camera-supporting monopods
Give flower photos a painterly feel in Photoshop
Cover feature
Get closer to the action with a super-tele zoom, for wildlife and sports
Nikon’s DSLR and CSC line-up, plus lenses to screw onto the front of ’em
SUBSCRIBE 34 See page
114
Watch on your disc or online!
Get to grips with Levels and Curves in Capture NX-D
Whenever you see this logo you’ll know there’s a video on your skills disc – you can watch it online too
The videos and information provided on this disc are 100% independent and not endorsed or sponsored by Nikon Corporation or Adobe Systems Incorporated
Turn to page 6 to meet the team
September 2017
5
Contributors Print 20,218 Digital 6,268 The ABC combined print, digital and digital publication circulation for Jan-Dec 2016 is:
26,486
A member of the Audited Bureau of Circulations
This issue’s special contributors...
N-Photo Magazine, Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA
Editorial Editor Paul Grogan
mail@nphotomag.com 01225 442244
Group Senior Art Editor Rebecca Shaw Staff Writer Jason Parnell-Brookes Operations Editor Adam Waring Group Editor-in-Chief Chris George Assistant Designer Laurie Newman Freelance Senior Designer Kimberly Winters Photography All copyrights and trademarks are recognized and respected
James Paterson
Michael Freeman
Amy Shore
PAGE 22
PAGE 76
PAGE 91
James packs his Nikon, supertelephoto zoom and machete, and heads off on a photographic safari in the wilds of Africa
This issue, Michael’s Creative Paths is all about graphic echoes – how to use shape and form to tie subjects together in an image
Petrol-head Amy talks about how shooting a replica Ferrari launched her career as a classic car photographer
Advertising Media packs are available on request Senior Advertising Manager Amanda Burns amanda.burns@futurenet.com 01225 687286 Account Director Matt Bailey matt.bailey@futurenet.com 01225 687511 Account Manager Claire Harris claire.harris@futurenet.com 01225 687221 Commercial Director Clare Dove clare.dove@futurenet.com International N-Photo is available for licensing. Contact the International department to discuss partnership opportunities International Licensing Director Matt Ellis matt.ellis@futurenet.com Subscriptions Email enquiries nphoto@myfavouritemagazines.co.uk UK orderline & enquiries 0844 848 2852 Overseas order line and enquiries +44 (0)1604 251045 Online orders & enquiries www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk Head of subscriptions Sharon Todd Circulation Circulation Director Darren Pearce 01202 586200
Image: Sarah Ryder Richardson
Production Head of Production US & UK Mark Constance Production Project Manager Clare Scott Advertising Production Manager Joanne Crosby Digital Editions Controller Jason Hudson Production Manager Vivienne Calvert Management Creative Director Aaron Asadi Art & Design Director Ross Andrews Commercial Finance Director Dan Jotcham Printed by Wyndeham Peterborough, Storey’s Bar Road, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, PE1 5YS
Paul Gallagher
Peter Dazeley
Joe McNally
PAGE 92
PAGE 102
PAGE 130
Landscape photographer Paul reveals the story behind some of his epic images and his love of the great outdoors
Peter’s images take centre stage as he goes behind the curtain to photograph theatres great and small across the city of London
Joe heads to the Wild West to photograph grizzly old cowboys, demonstrating a simple-yetflexible lighting setup
The N-Photo team’s D850 highlights
Distributed by Marketforce, 5 Churchill Place, Canary Wharf, London, E14 5HU www.marketforce.co.uk Tel: 0203 787 9060 We are committed to only using magazine paper which is derived from responsibly managed, certified forestry and chlorine-free manufacture. The paper in this magazine was sourced and produced from sustainable managed forests, conforming to strict environmental and socioeconomic standards. The manufacturing paper mill holds full FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certification and accreditation Disclaimer
All contents © 2017 Future Publishing Limited or published under licence. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be used, stored, transmitted or reproduced in any way without the prior written permission of the publisher. Future Publishing Limited (company number 2008885) is registered in England and Wales. Registered office: Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All information contained in this publication is for information only and is, as far as we are aware, correct at the time of going to press. Future cannot accept any responsibility for errors or inaccuracies in such information. You are advised to contact manufacturers and retailers directly with regard to the price of products/ services referred to in this publication. Apps and websites mentioned in this publication are not under our control. We are not responsible for their contents or any other changes or updates to them. This magazine is fully independent and not affiliated in any way with the companies mentioned herein. If you submit material to us, you warrant that you own the material and/ or have the necessary rights/permissions to supply the material and you automatically grant Future and its licensees a licence to publish your submission in whole or in part in any/all issues and/or editions of publications, in any format published worldwide and on associated websites, social media channels and associated products. Any material you submit is sent at your own risk and, although every care is taken, neither Future nor its employees, agents, subcontractors or licensees shall be liable for loss or damage. We assume all unsolicited material is for publication unless otherwise stated, and reserve the right to edit, amend, adapt all submissions.
Paul Grogan
Jason Parnell-Brookes
Ben Andrews
Rod Lawton
As a sports enthusiast, I just can’t wait to get my hands on a D850 to try shooting 40-plus megapixel images at a blisteringly fast nine frames per second!
The expected increase in ISO range will be invaluable for low-light shooting – and backlit buttons will help you to see what you’re doing in the dark, too…
The D850 is more than just a camera for Nikon. A stellar new flagship DSLR would help secure the company’s future for another century.
If the resolution is what we anticipate, the D850 could tear up the rulebook for professional DSLRs, challenging mediumformat bodies…
paul.grogan@futurenet.com
jason.parnell-brookes@futurenet.com
ben.andrews@futurenet.com
rod.lawton@futurenet.com
Editor
6
Staff Writer
September 2017
Lab Manager
ISSN 2048370
Head of Testing
www.digitalcameraworld.com
SPECIAL report T H E
NIKON D850
The new Nikon D850 breaks cover Nikon lifts the lid on the model that could change our ideas about pro cameras
A
s we write this special report, the details of the new Nikon D850 are still shrouded in secrecy. But Nikon has released a few little ‘teasers’ and, from what we know of Nikon’s past strategy, current technologies and stated aims for the D850, we’ve put together what we think could prove a pretty accurate picture of Nikon’s latest camera. While this issue is still on sale, however, the true facts about the Nikon D850 are likely to become known, and you can see whether or not we got our facts right. We’re making a dozen key predictions so you can give us marks out of 12!
8
If we’re right, this could be the biggest Nikon camera for a decade. Five years ago, Nikon launched the D800, a camera with the highest resolution yet seen in a full-frame DSLR. But in terms of its impact, the D850 may have more in common with the D3, launched ten years ago. The D3 changed the whole DSLR landscape overnight, combining a high-resolution sensor (for the day) with a high-speed continuous shooting mode at a time when you could either have one or the other, but not both. The D3 turned the camera world on its head, and we think the new D850 is about to do the same thing all over again…
www.digitalcameraworld.com
Ni ko n D8 50
www.digitalcameraworld.com
9
SPECIAL report T H E
NIKON D850
This is what’s coming Some of this we know, some is speculation, but we know enough about Nikon and its tech to make some very educated guesses…
46MP resolution We know that the D850 has a full-frame sensor, and Nikon says it will be ‘high resolution’. We believe it will be a brand new 46-megapixel sensor, and one firm piece of evidence is the 8K time-lapse movie mode that Nikon has already confirmed. This means the new sensor has a horizontal resolution of at least 8 million pixels. Unconfirmed reports say the exact figure is 45.75MP.
Dual SD/XQD card slots The D810 has two memory cards slots, one Compact Flash and the other SD. We expect the D850 to drop the Compact Flash slot and replace it with an XQD slot – the same pairing used in the D500. Given the D850’s emphasis on speed, we expect the SD card slot to be UHS-II compatible.
10
September 2017
ISO32-102,400 The D810 has a native range of ISO64-12,800, but we’d expect to see the D850 improve on that, despite its higher pixel count. Reports suggest an range of ISO64-25,600, stretching to ISO32-102,400 in expanded mode.
3.2-inch tilting touchscreen display We expect the D850 to have a high-resolution tilting rear touchscreen, just like the D500. This will make it much more effective for low-angle shots and tripod-based Live View shooting. Expect a 3.2-inch screen with 2,359,000-dot resolution and 170° viewing angle.
9fps
continuous shooting
This is the most tantalising feature. If the reports are correct, this frame rate will only be achieved using the D850’s optional battery grip, otherwise the frame rate will be 7fps. Nevertheless, battery grips are a popular choice for pros, and 9fps is extremely high for a camera with this kind of resolution. Equally exciting is the D850’s anticipated 50-shot Raw buffer capacity – exceptional performance for a camera that can capture images at this resolution and continuous shooting speed. www.digitalcameraworld.com
Ni ko n D8 50
8K time-lapse This is one of the few concrete pieces of information released by Nikon ahead of the D850’s official launch. A teaser video, shot by Marsel van Oosten in the Namibian desert, shows video captured by the D850, although the camera is heavily disguised when it appears (in the distance) in the background.
153-point autofocus The D810 uses Nikon’s long-running 51-point Advanced Multi-CAM 3500FX autofocus sensor, but Nikon has since introduced a new 153-point Multi-CAM 20K autofocus sensor in the D5 and D500, and given the D850’s professional audience, it will be no surprise to see it feature the same state-of-the-art AF.
SnapBridge SnapBridge hasn’t proved the breakthrough technology we might have hoped, but it seems likely Nikon will include it in the D850 anyway. We expect it to combine always-on Bluetooth LE for automatic transfer of low-res images to your smart device, coupled with an ondemand Wi-Fi connection for full-resolution image transfer and remote camera control.
No flash
The Nikon D810 comes with a built-in pop-up flash, but it looks clear, by now, that the D850 will not. While that is unlikely to prove to be a great hardship for professional photographers or enthusiasts, who would almost certainly use external flash rather than any in-built unit, it does mean that there will be no built-in wireless Commander mode for controlling external Nikon Speedlights. That said, many pros will use third-party flash and remote systems anyway.
www.digitalcameraworld.com
Biggest ever viewfinder With 0.75x magnification, the D850 looks set to have the largest optical viewfinder of any Nikon DSLR.
Back-illuminated buttons Existing top-end Nikon DSLRs, including the D4, D5 and D500, have back-illuminated buttons for easy visibility in darkness and we’re expecting to see the same feature on the D850 – it’s already been seen in leaked images.
4K video
With the introduction of 4K video on the D5, D500 and even on Nikon’s consumer-level D7500, it seems inevitable that the D850 will shoot 4K video. The only question is the frame rate – existing Nikon DSLRs can shoot 4K at up to 30 frames per second, but will the D850 be the first to hit 60fps? This would allow 4K video in smooth, half-speed slow motion.
Price & availability
£
The price has yet to be revealed, but some sources quote a figure roughly £1000/ $1000 above the D810. We’re not so sure. If the D850 combines resolution and power in the way we expect, we think it could well be more. Expect deliveries to start somewhere around October 2017.
September 2017
11
SPECIAL report T H E
NIKON D850
Evolution of an icon How we got to the Nikon D850 and what it means for photographers
T
he history of Nikon’s professional DSLRs shows just how far the technologies and the cameras have evolved. There are some notable landmarks, and some hints as to what might come in the future. What history tells us is that Nikon typically splits its pro DSLRs into two types: cameras designed for resolution, and cameras designed for speed. This makes sense because it’s very difficult, technically, to combine both. Except that, every now and again, Nikon launches a landmark camera that does both, and resets the baseline for everything else. This happened in 1999 with the launch of the Nikon D1, and again in 2007 with the Nikon D3. Is this about to happen all over again in 2017 with the Nikon D850? And, if so, what does this mean for any future Nikon D6?
Nikon D1
DX, 2.7MP, 4.5fps, DX format
Speed Resolution
1999 2001
Nikon D1H
Nikon D2H/HS
Nikon D2X
2003
Nikon D3
2004
Nikon D1X
5.3MP, 3fps
2.7MP 5fps
4.1MP, 8fps
12.4MP, 5fps
12.1MP, 9-11fps, first FX format
Nikon D3X 24.5MP, 5fps
2007 2008
Nikon D3S
12.1MP, 9-11fps
2009
Nikon D4
16.2MP, 10-11fps
Nikon D800/E 36.3MP, 4fps
2012
Nikon D4S
16.2MP, 11fps
Nikon D810 36.3MP, 5fps
2014
Nikon D5
20.8MP, 12fps
2016 2017 Nikon D850 46MP 9fps
12