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Photography news
Issue 2
19 November – 9 December 2013
Your FREE newspaper packed with the latest news, views and stories from the world of photography
Nikon goes retro
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Launches from Olympus, Pentax, Sigma, Profoto, Spider and Benro Read all about the newest gear inside
Insider tips on getting into the UK’s biggest salon
Yesteryear styling meets top-end technology in Nikon’s latest full-frame DSLR Nikon has added to its full-frame line-up with the Df. Dedicated to ‘pure photography’, it draws on the looks of classic Nikon F 35mm DSLRs and incorporates mechanical dials for control of ISO sensitivity, exposure compensation, exposure mode and release mode. The design also makes it Nikon’s lightest FX format DSLR, but it features magnesium alloy top, bottom and rear covers and is weathersealed to the same degree as the D800. Inside, professional grade technology includes the same 16.2-megapixel FX format sensor and EXPEED 3 processor as the flagship D4 to offer the same image quality, a maximum extended ISO sensitivity of 204,800 and continuous shooting rate of 5.5 frames-per-second. The 39-point autofocus system is sensitive down to -1EV and includes four AF area modes, including 3D tracking. The optical viewfinder provides 100%
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Southampton International’s chairman reveals all
frame coverage with a magnification of 0.7x, and you can use the Df in DX Crop Mode, which is activated as soon as you mount a DX lens. As well as retro looks, you can also go old-school with your lenses on the Df, since it’s compatible with vintage Nikkor lenses as well as all modern ones – a collapsible metering coupling lever lets you attach non-AI Nikkor lenses without an adaptor. Nevertheless, in aperture-priority or manual mode, you can still benefit from full aperture metering Article continues on page 3
INTERVIEW Turn the page to read what Nikon’s Hiro Sebata thinks the future holds for the company’s styling and its legions of DX format users.
• Nikon D610 tested • 4 lightweight DSLR alternatives rated See pages 19 and 28 for details
Issue 2 | Photography News
Latest photography news continued from front cover
Nikon goes retro by defining lens characteristics so the camera can recognise the aperture setting and calculate the exposure. Other highlights include a shutter unit tested to 150,000 cycles, an energy-saving design for 1400 shots on a full charge, Spot White Balance metering, a large 3.2-inch LCD monitor and a quiet release mode. The Nikon Df is available from 28 November in classic black or silver with black highlights and with a 50mm lens, at a price of £2,750. π To find out more, go to www.nikon.co.uk.
NEWS IN BRIEF Free Adobe software with Epson Buy an award-winning Epson R2000 A3+ printer between now and 14 January 2014, and you can get a copy of Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 5 for free. The A3+ format allows you to print at 13x19 inches, and the R2000 is Epson’s most affordable A3+ printer, available for £448. www.epson.co.uk
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Retro DX format Nikon DSLR to follow? Product manager Hiro Sebata speaks to Photography News about the future of retro for Nikon and its loyal DX format users Words by Roger Payne
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
While the pricing for the Nikon Df puts it firmly into the realms of the serious enthusiast or professional photographer, it begs the question of whether the retro-styled DSLR is a one-off or a new departure for the company. After all, a number of manufacturers – most notably Fujifilm and Olympus – have enjoyed great success in designing models that hark back to the age of film. “We have no plans at the moment for further retro-styled digital SLRs, but I certainly hope this isn’t going to be one of a kind,” says Hiro Sebata, Nikon UK’s product manager for professional products speaking exclusively to Photography News. “It’s a camera that will attract a lot of attention, so it would be great to see a retro-styled model like this featuring a DX format sensor to broaden the appeal to an even wider audience.” Hiro also feels the Df could well persuade the company’s loyal film SLR users to finally make the switch to digital. “We still have a number of film SLR users for whom the looks and styling of this camera will be both familiar and appealing. This could be the camera that sees them making the switch over to digital.”
Do you like the looks of the Df? What about the price? Are Nikon on to a winner or do you think it’s way off the mark? Let us know on opinion@photographynews.co.uk.
The next issue of Photography News is out 9 December
Tamron launches monster lens Giotto’s gifts New ultra-telephoto zoom keeps 600mm compact Tamron has announced the development of a 150600mm f/5-6.3 lens for full-frame and APS-C DSLRs. It replaces the existing 200-500mm model, and has been designed to minimise the movement of the elements when zooming – this keeps it as compact as possible despite the increase in zoom range. It also includes Vibration Compensation (Tamron’s own image stabilisation technology), an Ultrasonic Silent Drive AF motor and Extended Bandwidth
and Angular Dependency Coating to reduce reflections, flare and ghosting. The lens is a nineblade design, with an almost circular diaphragm. Finishing touches include a new external finish for a higher-end look and a tripod mount. Canon, Nikon and Sony mounts are in the pipeline, but availability and pricing is to be confirmed. π To find out more, go to www.intro2020.co.uk.
for Christmas Four tripod kits for the festive season only
Especially for Christmas, Giotto’s is offering four special edition kits. Two of these include YTL Silk Road tripods, which have Y-shaped centre columns for a 30% space saving when folded. Aluminium or carbon fibre models are available with three-way heads, priced at £129 and £199 respectively. Two cheaper special edition kits are also available, with GT tripods and three-way heads – priced at £89 and £119. All kits are available now. π To find out more, go to www.giottostripods.co.uk.
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Issue 2 | Photography News
Latest photography news
Perfect Photo Suite 8 Upgrade your workflow for a smooth and efficient experience with PPS8
The latest version of Perfect Photo Suite from onOne software is now out. PPS8 has eight integrated modules: Effects, Enhance, B&W, Portrait, Mask, Layers, Resize and Browse. Each handles a specific imageprocessing task to help give a smooth workflow. Three versions are available: Premium, Standard and for Lightroom or Aperture. The Premium edition costs £135 and works as a plug-in for Aperture, Lightroom, Elements or Photoshop or as a standalone software, while the Standard edition is £59 and works as a stand-alone software only. PPS8 is suitable for Windows and Mac.
Going Rogue
Boost your camera’s integral flash with this cost-effective slot-in unit The problem with integral flashguns is that they are not very powerful so have limited use. The Rogue Safari Flash Booster claims to focus up to eight times more light from a pop-up unit and give a much greater range. It’s optimised for focal lengths of over 100mm, slots onto the camera’s hotshoe and costs £25. To check whether your DSLR is compatible go to http://bit.ly/18dUm2l. π To find out more, go to www.expoimaging.com.
3 NEWS IN BRIEF SAVE MONEY Save up to 50% on Experience Seminar training DVDs aimed specifically at Canon EOS photographers. Check out the Christmas DVD catalogue on its website for details of the offers including multi CD collections that offer big savings compared with the individual prices. www.experienceseminars.co.uk
OLYMPUS CASHBACK Buy an Olympus OM-D E-M1 before 15 January 2014 and you can claim a £100 cashback on any Olympus accessory worth over £199.99. You can make the claim when you buy the E-M1 or within 60 days of the initial purchase. www.olympusuk.salespromotions.com
π To find out more, go to www.ononesoftware.com.
Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2014 Could you be the 50th recipient of the world famous title (and the £10k top prize)?
Amateur and professional photographers are invited to enter the world’s most prestigious wildlife photography contest. Last year’s contest attracted 43,000 entries from 96 countries, but with a prize pot worth £50,000, the 50th Wildlife Photographer of the Year contest could pull in even more images, so if you fancy having a go make sure you only send your very best. The closing date is 27 February 2014. π To find out more, go to www.wildlifephotographeroftheyear.com.
Paul Souders
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Issue 3 | Photography News
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Latest photography news
Profoto launches off-camera flash with TTL Revolutionary flash is cross between a speedlight and studio head
Profoto’s B1 system offers TTL control.
Profoto has unveiled a new concept in off-camera flash with its B1, a portable, battery-powered flash head that features TTL exposure control – Canon’s E-TTL system is supported now, and support for Nikon’s i-TTL will be added in 2014. It also offers full manual control if you prefer, and it’s compatible with all Profoto’s Light Shaping Tools – over 120 are available. Using Profoto’s Air Remote System, you can control B1 lights in up to three groups at a range of up to 300m in either manual or TTL mode. Each head has a maximum output of 500Ws, ten times more powerful than an average speedlight, and output can be controlled in 1/10EV steps across a range of 9EV. Recycle times are as low as 1.9 seconds, and each battery provides up to 220 full-power flashes. In Quick Burst mode, it’s also capable of up to 20 flashes per second. A range of accessories is also available for the B1. Besides the standard charger, there’s a quick charger that halves the charging time to one hour and a car charger for when you’re on the move. A choice of two backpacks – M or XS – offers space for either two B1 heads with stands or one B1 head alone, and there’s an accessory pouch for the Air Remote and chargers. The B1 will be available in December, priced at £1295 for one head, battery, Air System and bag.
NEWS IN BRIEF Sigma 24-105mm price confirmed The recommended retail price of the new Sigma 24-105mm f/4 lens reported in PN last month has been confirmed as £849.99. Canon users can get their hands on one before November’s out, but availability of Nikon and Sony mounts is still to be announced. www. sigma-imaging-uk.com
π To find out more, go to www.profoto.com.
New Profoto umbrellas Twelve high-quality models include deeper versions Alongside the B1, Profoto has introduced 12 umbrellas, including two new ranges: the Umbrella Deep and Umbrella Shallow. All are designed to be as sturdy as possible, with fabrics to withstand heavy-duty use and coated metal elements to prevent rusting. The Umbrella Deep is available in 130cm and 165cm sizes, and the Umbrella Shallow is available in 85cm and 105cm sizes. Both are available in three fabrics: white, silver and translucent. Each can also be paired with a diffuser that can be pulled over the front to create a large softbox with a softer and more even spread of light. π To find out more, go to www.profoto.com.
Photography News | Issue 2
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Camera clubs
Smethwick PS wins by a point Smethwick Photographic Society (SPS) emerged triumphant in a very close contest at the recent Inter-Club Print Championship 2013 at Connah’s Quay, the 14th and last one at this venue. “I really thought we had come second and we were over the moon when we realised we’d won,” says SPS’s president Roger Parry. Joint second, and just one point behind the winners, were Dumfries CC, Inn Focus Group and Wigan 10 FC. π To find out more, or to sign up for the free PAGB e-newsletter, go to www.thepagb.org.uk.
Peter Siviter
SCPF’s book
Southern Counties Photographic Federation celebrates 50 years with new publication
π To find out more and to purchase the book, go to www.southerncountiespf.org.uk.
Enter now!
John Hodge
Entry to the PAGB 2014 GB Cup is open now and closes 18 January 2014. It’s one of the world’s biggest inter-club competitions and every club will have their submission scored by a judging panel and will later receive a DVD of the best work submitted. Awards are on offer for individuals as well as clubs. There are three Cup competitions: GB Cup (Open), GB Cup (Small clubs) and GB Cup (Nature). It costs £6 per club per competition.
π To find out more and to print out an entry form, go to www.pagbcup.org. uk.
Roger Ford
To mark its 50 years celebration the Southern Counties Photographic Federation (SCPF) has produced a photographic commemorative book. Chichester member Peter Rocchiccioli came up with the idea and brought the book to fruition. The SCPF’s 62 member clubs were invited to submit photographs that depict their area/club over the 50 years. The resulting book contains many pictures of the southern region including the Isle of Wight, Guernsey and Jersey. There’s even one of the then Princess Elizabeth who was the patron of Windlesham & Camberley Camera Club. There will be an official book launch on 15 December (10.30am-3.30pm) at Jubilee Hall, Timsbury SO51 0NH.
NEWS IN BRIEF
On show until 20 November An exhibition by Roger Ford FRPS and Angela Ford ARPS at RPS London Angela and Roger Ford have been making images since the mid 1970s. This exhibition reveals their photographic journey to the present day and encompasses a selection of monochrome, colour and infrared prints. Angela’s work illustrates her sensitivity with people and places, whilst Roger’s demonstrates his fascination with movement and moment. Entry is free and the location is the RPS London, in Peyton Place, Greenwich SE10 8RS. Open Mondays to Fridays 9am-5pm, Saturdays 12-4pm. π To find out more, go to www.rps.org. PN really does need your help to fill its pages, so if your club has a big speaker appearing soon and you want every seat occupied, or if your club (or an individual member) has just scooped a big award or gained a distinction, or you have an exhibition on, we’d love to hear from you so please ask your secretary or publicity officer to get in touch. Stories should be 250 words maximum and accompanied by a high resolution JPEG (at least 2400 pixels on the longest dimension) and emailed to clubnews@photography-news.com. If we need anything else we will contact you. Thank you in advance for your help.
Photography News | Issue 2
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Competitions
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FINAL shoot-out
Vineyard challenge
Words by Will Cheung
The largest vineyard in the UK was an appropriate location for an Advanced Photographer challenge, kindly sponsored by Samsung and Denbies Wine Estate
Advanced Photographer magazine regularly runs contests, and on this occasion five readers claimed places on a special challenge, as well as winning a Samsung 64GB SD card, after submitting their best landscape photo. This shoot-out challenge was the competition final, with the winning photographer netting a brilliant prize bundle comprising a Samsung 256GB SSD, a Samsung 64GB SD card and a Denbies Experience (a wine tour, dinner and an overnight stay at Denbies). The challenge on the day was to capture the best possible landscape image in the allotted time. This landscape challenge was due to end at 10am, but heavy mist curtailed the session, so plan B swung into operation: the intrepid five had to take pictures using the Samsung Galaxy, with the best shot winning a Samsung EX2F compact worth £399. So by 11am, the judges had a bunch of pictures to assess. Stuart Michaels was pronounced the winner of the Samsung EX2F and David Morton the winner of the landscape challenge, and he received the superb prize bundle. Well done to all the photographers for getting stuck in.
David Morton Neil Malton
BOTTOM LEFT “It’s a beautiful location and you could easily return at different seasons for a variety of shots.” Cheryl Meek
David Candlish
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left “The location is certainly an interesting one.” Stuart Michaels – Samsung EX2F winner
This reader shoot-out took place at Denbies Wine Estate, Dorking, Surrey. The estate is 627 acres of which 265 are planted with vines, making it three times the size of any UK vineyard. The winner of the shoot-out scooped a full tour, three-course dinner with wine and overnight B&B accommodation at Denbies Farmhouse. To find out more about Denbies Wine Estate, go to www.denbies.co.uk.
Cheryl Meek
Samsung is making an enviable reputation for its memory products with performance leading solid state drives (SSDs), SD and microSD cards. Its SSD 840 Pro SATA III is the fastest, most reliable solid state drive on the market and a 250GB version was part of the winner’s package here. All five readers who qualified for this shoot-out also won a Samsung 64GB SDXC UHS-1 card. Samsung’s SDHC and SDXC cards provide ultimate levels of durability and are waterproof, shock proof, resistant to magnetic fields, X-rays and extreme temperatures. All Samsung Plus and Pro range SD and microSD cards come complete with a tenyear warranty. To find out more, go to www.samsung.com.
Denbies
Stuart Michaels
Samsung Memory
ABOVE “I found it personally very challenging.” David Morton – prize bundle winner
top right The shoot-out finalists on location with Samsung’s Stefanie Sears-Black and PN’s Will Cheung. MIDDLE right “Seeing the sun come up through the mist was a great experience, but then the mist rolled in.” David Candlish BOTTOM right “I enjoyed the day and the format of the shoot.” Neil Malton
π The full version of this feature is in issue 38 of Advanced Photographer; on sale from 21 November, it costs £4.95. Issue 38 is packed with great pictures from Photoshop artist Brian Beaney and serial salon winner Brian Hopper, technique ideas and reviews, including the Olympus OM-D E-M1. Issue 2 | Photography News
Advertisement feature
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MANFROTTO BAGS
Bags of quality Often overlooked, but oh so vital is a bag for your kit. Manfrotto’s new range offers the perfect combination of protection for your camera and comfort for your shoulders In the mad rush for megapixels, we often forget that our cameras need decent and comfortable protection. Thankfully Manfrotto hasn’t forgotten; it offers two ranges of bags, Advanced and Professional – that’s 37 bags to choose from. Manfrotto’s rugged Advanced range comprises 21 camera bags. And the clean lines and neat shapes of the range are just delightful. In other words, you can have the looks and the protection too. Based on your ‘real needs’, as Manfrotto puts it, these Advanced bags are designed to be easy to use. This means there’s a holder for your tripod, some sturdy protective inner pads, plenty of multiuse pockets, a rain cover and a durable High Density Nylon Fabric outer with careful stitching to ensure it lasts. Add to that the metal zips, pulls and buckles, and you’ve got yourself a great bag. Among the range, there’s a Gear Backpack, which comes in small, medium and large, and is basically a single compartment with well-padded dividers inside to keep gear secure. Meanwhile the Active Backpack (pictured) has a bottom half for camera equipment, and a top half for all the other stuff you need, which means you can go on day trips with your camera and pack in some essential extra supplies too. If you want to experiment with a variety of ways to carry your kit around, try the Tri Backpack. It can be worn in three different ways: straps on both shoulders, straps in an X formation, or one strap used as a sling. It really depends on which works for you, but having these options definitely helps you find the perfect fit. All in all, the Advanced range comprises some fantastic shoulder bags, holsters and sling bags. They’re good value for money too. Prices start at just £25 for the Advanced Shoulder Bag 1, and for the Advanced Tri Backpack large you’ll be charged less than £125. If you want something a bit tougher, check out Manfrotto’s Professional range, comprising 16
Photography News | Issue 3
bags. These bags offer full protection for all your gear – you can rest assured that even the toughest treatment and sharpest knocks won’t dent your kit. And it’s all thanks to Manfrotto’s engineering skills, as the whole range features a clever shockabsorbing design, named Exo-Tough, to diffuse sharp impacts: the force of the impact is cleverly spread across the surface of the bag. And when you take a closer look, there’s more evidence of Manfrotto’s attention to detail. Open up one of these bags and you are greeted with the sight of 3D foam dividers in the core. These thick, shock-absorbing dividers help spread any impact around the core of the bag, which Manfrotto says gets the brunt of any shock. So your gear is nice and cocooned. Each bag is made of rip-resistant fabric and it has small feet to help keep it off the ground and out of puddles, ensuring equipment stays dry. There’s also a built-in rain cover to keep things extra dry when the wet stuff starts. And whereas many bags have fiddly zips, Manfrotto’s Professional bags have oversized ones – perfect for large hands, cold days and gloves. Stylish, down to earth and well built, the Professional range bags don’t cost the earth either. Prices start at £65 for the Holster Plus 20 Professional bag and go up to £320 for the Professional Roller bag 70.
IMAGES Every little detail has been thought about, so Manfrotto’s bags are a perfect fit for your kit.
Manfrotto’s rugged Advanced bags have the looks and the protection too. And they’re designed to be easy to use π To find out more, go to www.manfrotto.co.uk.
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Opinion
13 SPEAKERS’ CORNER
How friendly is your club? A riposte! This is your chance to climb up on your soapbox and have a rant. Last issue, Del Barrett asked camera clubs to look at how friendly they are to new members; this issue, Ian Thompson responds Words by Ian Thompson ARPS Well, Del, I sympathise with you for – in the main – you’re not wrong. Your experiences in photoclubland are enough to make anyone tear out their hair. These days I am an accredited MCPF circuit judge and in my travels around the Midlands’ clubs I am sad to say that I have witnessed many scenarios of the type you describe. It’s almost as if there is some tacit set of rules which govern the make-up and constitution of the ‘generic camera club’. But whilst many clubs come out of the mould you describe, there are exceptions and like well-run pubs that buck the national bankruptcy trend, they shine like beacons in the night. Ha! I’ve always wanted to use that phrase as a lead-in to describe the success of the club that is unfortunate enough to have me as a member. So here goes… I joined the Beacon Camera Club five years ago in an attempt to paddle free from the photographic doldrums which had captured me throughout the years of job, children and mortgage. What I found was a bunch of folk equally split into those keen to embrace a new recruit and those who were not bothered. Despite this, I paid my subs and persevered, watching and listening, finding out how things worked. The ‘keen’ were great – very supportive and considerate of a new member; the ‘not bothered’ offered little in the way of encouragement. During the first year of my membership I received from members many conflicting pieces of advice as to what constituted a ‘good’ picture. Worse – most of the visiting competition judges were lazy and inconsistent, usually ‘winging it’ on the night of the competition and denigrating our efforts with a wave of the hand. I found their lack of both consideration and constructive criticism particularly hard to swallow. What is the point of entering a club competition if you don’t get some kind of advice from those-who-know as to how to make improvements? I entered a few competitions and did reasonably well but felt let down by both the club and the judging process: the former was not a particularly sociable place to be and the latter just made me cross! As they say, if you want to see change, you have to get involved so I offered to become involved in the workings of the committee. Time went on and circumstance dictated almost a complete change of personnel in the club committee, which had changed little for four or five years – small clubs always have this problem, don’t they? Portfolios were allotted to committee members: I became internal competition secretary and set about renovating the methods used to manage competition entries. Being slightly technosavvy, I proposed a new website, with a forum and www.photography-news.co.uk
a completely web-based method of competition entry, even for prints. I know this sounds strange, but it allows us to project a reference image for the audience while a judge is talking about the small piece of paper in the corner of the room. At the same time, a new chairman, publicity guru, members’ secretary, programme secretary, etc, all climbed into their respective saddles. The combination of this enthusiastic and skilled team produced results almost from the word go. We stuck out our necks and organised successful, big ticketed events – Joe Cornish, Laurie Campbell, our own dear Will Cheung, etc.; we registered the club as a charity so we could benefit from gift aid; we introduced fun into the equation – club nights are no longer grey, stuffy gatherings, humour abounds; we insist that visiting judges preview the work to be judged – if they won’t, they don’t get booked; we run a feedback section on our forum where members can compliment or gripe about speakers and judges; on competition nights, members score the entries on optical-mark forms so we can avail ourselves of crowd statistics, which help us select material for external competitions. We’ve formed relationships with local newspapers, shops, district councils, other charities and even the local radio station, all of whom give our club wonderful free exposure… and the list goes on. Over the last five years – no doubt connected to the above – the club has grown from 40 members to 120, of age range 14 to 96, and now we offer sub-
Whilst many clubs come out of the same mould, there are exceptions and they shine like beacons in the night
IMAGES Dedicated and enthusiastic club member Ian Thompson’s image, Blown away.
groups for beginners, wildlife, portraiture, etc, all of whom meet on nights additional to our weekly Thursday offerings. There is a wonderful buzz from the membership who (appear to!) really enjoy the way the club handles itself. Specifically, ‘advice’ on what constitutes a ‘good’ picture is forbidden. Instead we criticise each others’ work objectively, suggesting courteously how we might improve it in our opinion, leaving the author to decide on the finished product because it must please them before it pleases anyone else. After all, if you don’t use photography to make a living (and 99% of our members don’t), it’s likely that you take pictures for family record or hedonistic reasons. Club competitions should come behind these needs, though it must be said that gaining a ‘place’ in a competition is a very useful fillip to one’s confidence! Now, I’m not saying that ours is the best or a universal formula: very obviously there has to be enthusiasm from within to effect change of this nature and there has to be time available to those so charged. Also, I believe that once a certain critical mass is achieved, the funds available for speakers and the broad enthusiasm of the audience produce a snowball effect. Beacon Camera Club is blessed with a wonderful set of members who have much desire to see the club flourish and deliver upon its maxim of ‘educating the public in the art and science of photography’. Long may it continue.
WHAT DO YOU THINK? Niggled by negative club members? Enthusiastic about exciting exhibition developments? Share it with us and all of clubland. Drop us a line at opinion@ photography-news.co.uk.
Issue 4 | Photography News
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Competitions INTERVIEW
Photo2014 It was the first British Photographic Exhibition to go completely digital, a decade ago in 2003. Since then, the Vale of Evesham Camera Club’s exhibition has gone from strength to strength. Exhibition chairman and club secretary, John Kellett BPE2* shares his insights for the forthcoming Photo2014 Interview by Will Cheung Tell us a bit about your own photographic background. Both my father and grandfather were keen photographers. My earliest memory of taking photographs would be of waterfalls circa 1958. In the 1960s I used to take pictures with a pre-war folding Zeiss Ikon roll film camera. However later, whilst working at a Grand Prix abroad as a constructor, I was accidentally, due to language difficulties and being in the company of three press friends, given a press photographer’s pass. It took a long time to live down the mirth of my paddock colleagues who, as I was taking some pictures of engineering detail, saw the press pass along with my old bellows-fronted camera. I felt forced to purchase a 35mm SLR camera. As well as motorsport, I then started taking pictures in folk clubs using fast films, like Kodak 2475 recording film, which could be pushed to ISO 6400. I gained my first exhibition acceptances back in 1977 with live folk club and motorsport images. Who are your favourite photographers? Now this is a difficult question. I always admired and was influenced by Don McCullin, who made his reputation with stark black & white Vietnam war photographs – he’s one of Britain’s greatest ever photojournalists. In the 1970s I was inspired to join a camera club by the late Ron Edwards FRPS who used to sketch the idea for an image then set out to collect images of all the component parts to make up a darkroom engineered composite colour derivative image. I can still recall and describe in detail a number of his images despite having not seen them since the 1970s. I also like Steven Le Prevost FRPS, AFIAP, MPAGB; Colin Harrison FRPS, MPAGB, MFIAP, EFIAP/s, FBPE; Kathryn Scorah MPAGB, FBPE and Gwen Charnock FRPS, MFIAP. Additionally, Guy Edwardes, renowned for his landscape and wildlife photography.
Give us an ‘in a nutshell’ guide to the VECC’s exhibition. This year, Photo2014, will be the 25th photographic exhibition, organised by VECC (Vale of Evesham Camera Club). Back in 2003, we began to allow digital entries and we hosted the gallery of acceptances on the Internet – at the time, it was the first national digital exhibition of this type. Our exhibition was also unusual at that time for including a category for creative/reality-altered images, which attracted manipulated images. This was in addition to the near standard exhibition categories of Colour, Monochrome and Natural History. Since the change to digital, the exhibition has grown practically every year; last year attracting just under 4000 entries. Photo2014.net is a member of BPE (British Photographic Exhibitions); there are currently 21 affiliated exhibitions. Acceptances in these count towards crown awards. There are various levels of award and they start at BPE1* for entrants who have accumulated 25 acceptances in BPE events. They receive a certificate and ribbon and can use the letters after their name to acknowledge their award. The exhibition also enjoys PAGB patronage and so is able to present PAGB medals and ribbons to awardwinning images. Each of our selectors also awards a VECC selector’s medal to images of their individual choice in each category. All entrants receive a colour illustrated printed catalogue and accepted images are displayed in the gallery on the exhibition website. Additionally we sell exhibition show DVDs and they are popular for showing at club nights. How long have you been involved in the VECC? I joined in 2001 and have been the ‘long suffering hon sec’ since 2002, with the usual tour of duty as ‘hon chairman’ from 2007 to 2009. I had previously been a member of Solihull Photographic Society and spent 11 years in various roles on its Committee. What have been the big changes since the first event you organised? I have been involved in the organisation of exhibitions since the 1980s and clearly the biggest changes have been the introduction of digital cameras, the progress in photographers’ skills with Photoshop and the demise of slides. In more recent times, there’s been the development of inkjet printers capable of producing black & white prints comparable to darkroom prints.
Photography News | Issue 4
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Lens review ON TEST
Super wide zoom lenses Give your images greater impact by fitting an ultra wide-angle lens and getting in really close. Here we test seven marque and independent zooms at a range of prices The biggest problem experienced by newcomers to the ultra wide-angle zoom is simply not making the best use of the frame. The result can be an empty expanse of foreground that lacks interest or any lead-in lines that are needed to take the viewer into the picture. With a telephoto lens, often it’s the background that needs careful consideration; with wideangles, that switches to the foreground so do bear that in mind when you are composing your shots. Also, don’t be afraid of pointing the lens downwards or upwards. This can intensify strong lines or make converging
Words by Richard Hopkins The ultra wide-angle zoom is an incredibly flexible lens suitable for interiors, landscapes and environmental work when space is at a premium. It’s even great for powerful portraits although it is true that it’s not ideal for flattering images – fill the frame and you suffer from the ‘big nose, small ears’ syndrome. But if you’re not selling your images, getting in close for deliberate distortion is a very powerful technique to exploit.
Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM dipping below it at f/16. This makes the Canon 1022mm one of the very sharpest super-wide APS-C lenses, perhaps top of the tree. Just to reinforce the fact, 129 lines-per-mm was recorded at MTF 20% in the peak resolution test, and that exceeds the theoretical maximum of any Canon APS-C sensor which currently stands at 116 lines-per-mm (18 megapixels).
This 10-22mm super-wide dates from 2004 and since then Canon has not updated it or added anything similar to the EF-S range that is specifically optimised for crop-format DSLRs. Fortunately, Canon got it right first time and this very sharp and lightweight 10-22mm has been winning fans ever since. At 10mm, it’s wide – 107° wide on Canon’s 1.6x APS-C format, equivalent to 16mm on full-frame. Build quality is excellent, with smooth and lightly weighted focus and zoom controls. AF is Canon’s USM; it’s fast and quiet, with full-time manual override. Optical performance is top drawer, at least on the sharpness front, and is notable for maintaining uniformly high figures throughout the focal length and aperture range, with no significant weak spots. In the centre, sharpness is well into the Excellent zone at all times, except at f/16 when diffraction takes the shine off things. Edge sharpness is always lower but sits firmly within the Very Good level, only
Verdict The EF-S 10-22mm has several outstanding features: it’s very sharp, especially in the centre; it’s well made, compact and lightweight with excellent AF; and the new, lower price makes it much more affordable. The key point is sharpness of course. Not easy to say outright that it’s the best APS-C super-wide out there, and at least a couple of rivals are pretty much neck and neck, but it’s as close as makes no difference. Excellent performance.
7854+8256+8258+7954+724960+41 8453+8361+775870+54+5945 7962+7864+756369+59+5849 72
54
49
60
41
f/3.5
f/4
f/5.6
f/8
f/11
f/16
83
53
77
61
58
70
54 59
45
f/4
f/5.6
f/8
f/11
f/16
100 090 080 070 060 050 040 030 020 010 000
Centre
79
78
62
64
f/4.5 f/5.6
75
63
f/8
69
Edge
59 58
f/11
49
ANALYSIS USING IMATEST SOFTWARE (WWW.IMATEST.COM)
58
84
GOOD V. GOOD EXCELLENT
56
79
100 090 080 070 060 050 040 030 020 010 000
POOR FAIR
54
82
GOOD V. GOOD EXCELLENT
82
78
POOR FAIR
GOOD V. GOOD EXCELLENT POOR FAIR
100 090 080 070 060 050 040 030 020 010 000
22mm
15mm
f/16
ABOVE This is what we want to see – three graphs with nice high figures well into the Excellent zone, throughout the zoom and aperture ranges, with edge sharpness following close behind. Few APS-C super-wides can match this performance. Overall optimum aperture is f/5.6 at all focal lengths. Photography News | Issue 3
The original tests featuring these lenses was originally published in Advanced Photographer, issues 35 and 36. Advanced Photographer regularly publishes in-depth lens tests so keep your eye on the magazine for the latest reviews.
SPECS PRICE £490 CONTACT canon.co.uk FORMAT APS-C 1.6x OPTICAL DESIGN 13 elements in 10 groups GLASS TYPES 1x USD, 3x aspherical APERTURE RANGE f/3.5-4.5 to f/22 DIAPHRAGM 6 rounded blades ANGLE OF VIEW APS-C (diagonally) 107° to 63° MINIMUM FOCUS 0.24m (from sensor) MAX REPRODUCTION RATIO 1:6 AUTOFOCUS Ultrasonic USM MANUAL FOCUS Full-time override
% MTF at 36 lines-per-mm (APS-C) Sharpness 10mm
vertical lines more obvious, but this can also make pictures more powerful. One thing to watch with aiming the lens upwards is flare. It can be difficult to cut out the sun in this situation so make sure the lens, or UV filter if you have one on, is clean.
FILTER SIZE 77mm non-rotating
How it rates
WEATHER SEALED No
FEATURES
22/25
DOF SCALE No
HANDLING
25/25
PERFORMANCE
24/25
VALUE FOR MONEY
23/25
DIMENSIONS (DXL) 84x90mm WEIGHT 385g ACCESSORIES None supplied FITTINGS Canon only
Versatile focal lengths, USM autofocusing Nice, compact and light, smooth controls. Fast AF with full-time manual override High sharpness throughout focal length and aperture range is hard to beat Price has recently been dropped by over £100, making it very attractive
OVERALL 94/100
www.photography-news.co.uk
Lens review
25
Nikon AF-S 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5 DX G ED SWM IF Aspherical way to f/11. This is not an uncommon characteristic, and most zooms tend to be less sharp at the longer end with edge sharpness often getting more badly affected. In this case, it is the Nikon’s only notable weakness. Peak resolution in the MTF 20% test measured 111 lines-per-mm, at 10mm f/5.6 in the centre – not at all bad, but a little lower than some.
Nikon launched this 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5 DX super-wide in 2009, and it sits alongside the very similar Nikon 12-24mm f/4 DX that predates it by several years. The newer lens has several advantages, with a useful extra couple of millimetres at the wide end, while not giving away anything much on the maximum aperture. It’s also slightly sharper, a bit smaller and lighter, and a lot cheaper. On the important business of optical performance, this Nikon does very well. It gets off to a great start in the centre at maximum aperture, at all focal lengths – comfortably above the Excellent line. This is held until f/8-11, before diffraction starts to become intrusive, pushing sharpness down to Very Good. Edge sharpness naturally follows a little behind the centre, never quite reaching Excellent levels although very close to it at mid range apertures. The one area of exception is edge sharpness at 24mm that lags noticeably, playing catch up all the
Verdict The Nikon 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5 is a super little lens, with the broadest range of any APS-C super-wide. Optical performance is high, rating Very Good to Excellent right through the most useful range. Even though it’s not quite the sharpest lens of this type, in practice you’d be hard pressed to notice it. That is, all except edge sharpness at 24mm which doesn’t really get going until f/8. Really the only fly in the ointment is the rather high price.
7657+7759+7664+7463+705963+49+ 7154+7465+7066+6662+5954 7634+7446+6755+6159+5553+ 63
70
59 63
49
f/3.5
f/4
f/5.6
f/8
f/11
f/16
74
71
54
65 70 66 66 62 59 54
f/4
f/5.6
f/8
f/11
f/16
Centre
76
74
34
67
46
f/4.5 f/5.6
55
Edge
61 59
f/8
f/11
55 53
ANALYSIS USING IMATEST SOFTWARE (WWW.IMATEST.COM)
74
100 090 080 070 060 050 040 030 020 010 000
GOOD V. GOOD EXCELLENT
64
100 090 080 070 060 050 040 030 020 010 000
POOR FAIR
57
76
59
24mm
GOOD V. GOOD EXCELLENT
77
76
15mm
POOR FAIR
GOOD V. GOOD EXCELLENT POOR FAIR
100 090 080 070 060 050 040 030 020 010 000
f/16
ABOVE In the centre, sharpness is Excellent at all focal lengths, only dipping into the Very Good zone at higher f/numbers. Towards the edges, sharpness scores slightly lower, but always Very Good. The one exception, and it’s not unusual, is edge performance at 24mm that lags behind at lower f/numbers.
Sigma makes two 10-20mm zooms, both for APS-C cameras only. This is the cheaper of the two with a street price of £370 and a variable maximum aperture. Limiting the aperture to f/4-5.6 certainly keeps the size, weight and cost down, and the result is a neat and compact lens. Zoom and focusing rings are very smooth and finger-light. Sigma’s ultrasonic HSM focusing is fast and effectively noiseless, with full-time manual override. All aspects of mechanical performance are excellent. Optical performance is a tale of two halves – the centre, which is always of a high order, and edge sharpness that is markedly lower. In the centre of the frame, from maximum aperture through to f/11, sharpness never falls below Excellent. It’s very slightly weaker at the 20mm end, as is often the case, but there’s very little in it. The edges, however, start from a lower position at full aperture, especially at 18mm f/4. Sharpness
improves significantly at f/5.6, and there’s another good jump at f/8, by which time it’s comfortably into the Very Good zone, and this is held to f/11 with only a modest decline at f/16. Optimum aperture for best sharpness across the frame is f/8, though peak resolution was measured at f/5.6, in the centre at 10mm, where a high figure of 121 lines-per-mm was recorded. Verdict There’s a lot to like here. The overall specification is fairly middle of the road, but another way of putting that is well rounded and balanced. However, the meat of the matter is optical performance and here it faltered. Sharpness in the centre of the frame is always of a very high order – no problem there at all – but at the edges things didn’t get properly good until around f/8, and that’s a bit of a shame.
7541+7853+786171+61+6052 7752+7853+786370+6161+55 7359+7462+706260+55+ f/5.6
f/8
f/11
f/16
f/5
f/5.6
f/8
f/11
f/16
100 090 080 070 060 050 040 030 020 010 000
Centre
f/5.6
f/8
f/11
Edge
f/16
ABOVE Classic wide-zoom sharpness characteristics, Excellent levels in the centre from maximum aperture. This standard is held throughout the zoom and aperture range, with a modest dip around 20mm and at f/16. Edge sharpness lags noticeably, especially at the wide end and lower f/numbers. www.photography-news.co.uk
ANALYSIS USING IMATEST SOFTWARE (WWW.IMATEST.COM)
20mm
GOOD V. GOOD EXCELLENT
100 090 080 070 060 050 040 030 020 010 000
POOR FAIR
GOOD V. GOOD EXCELLENT
GOOD V. GOOD EXCELLENT POOR FAIR
14mm
POOR FAIR
f/4
FORMAT APS-C 1.5x OPTICAL DESIGN 14 elements in 9 groups GLASS TYPES 2x ED, 3x aspherical APERTURE RANGE f/3.5-4.5 to f/22 DIAPHRAGM 7 rounded blades ANGLE OF VIEW APS-C (diagonally) 109° to 61° MINIMUM FOCUS 0.24m (from sensor) MAX REPRODUCTION RATIO 1:5 AUTOFOCUS Ultrasonic SWM
FILTER SIZE 77mm non-rotating
How it rates FEATURES
Winning 2.4x zoom range matches broadest in this class for maximum versatility
23/25
WEATHER SEALED No (mount gasket) DOF SCALE No
HANDLING
25/25
DIMENSIONS (DXL) 83x87mm (extending +8mm)
PERFORMANCE
23/25
WEIGHT 460g
High sharpness throughout, just a blip around the edges at 24mm with lower f/numbers
ACCESSORIES Hood and soft case
VALUE FOR MONEY
22/25
Compact and light, well made, smooth operation and with excellent ultrasonic AF
Compared to sister Nikon 12-24mm, it’s cheap. Compared to other rivals, much less so
OVERALL 93/100
% MTF at 36 lines-per-mm (APS-C) 100 090 080 070 060 050 040 030 020 010 000
CONTACT nikon.co.uk
FITTINGS Nikon only
Sigma EX 10-20mm f/4-5.6 DC HSM
Sharpness 10mm
PRICE £640
MANUAL FOCUS Full-time override
% MTF at 36 lines-per-mm (APS-C) Sharpness 10mm
SPECS
SPECS PRICE £350 CONTACT sigma-imaging-uk.com FORMATS APS-C 1.5x and 1.6x OPTICAL DESIGN 14 elements in 10 groups GLASS TYPES 3x SLD, 3x aspherical APERTURE RANGE f/4-5.6 to f/22 DIAPHRAGM 6 rounded blades ANGLE OF VIEW APS-C 1.6x 107° to 68°; APS-C 1.5x 110° to 71° MINIMUM FOCUS 0.24m (from sensor) MAX REPRODUCTION RATIO 1:6.7 AUTOFOCUS Ultrasonic HSM MANUAL FOCUS AF/M switch FILTER SIZE 77mm non-rotating WEATHER SEALED No DOF SCALE No DIMENSIONS (DXL) 84x81mm WEIGHT 465g ACCESSORIES Hood and case supplied FITTINGS Canon, Sony, Nikon, Pentax, Sigma
How it rates FEATURES
22/25
HANDLING
25/25
PERFORMANCE
22/25
VALUE FOR MONEY
22/25
All-round good spec, gets the job done. Ultrasonic AF, 77mm filters, hood supplied One of the best – nicely proportioned, well made, light and smooth operating High central sharpness at all times, though edges only catch up at mid range apertures One of the cheapest super-wides at £370
OVERALL 91/100
Issue 3 | Photography News
20
Camera review ON TEST
Nikon Df
Nikon has brought the retro look to full-frame DSLRs. With stripped back controls and film-camera styling, it’s designed for a true photography experience. We see if it delivers
Words by Ian Fyfe
SPECS PRICE £2749 with 50mm f/1.8 CONTACT www.nikon.co.uk SENSOR 16.2 megapixels with EXPEED 3 IMAGE DIMENSIONS 4928x3280 pixels ISO RANGE ISO 100-12,800 (50-204,800 expanded) AUTOFOCUS MODES Single-point, 9-, 21- or 39-point dynamic-area AF, 3D-tracking, autoarea AF EXPOSURE COMPENSATION +/-3EV in 1/3 steps, AEB 2 to 5 frames at +/-3EV in +/-3EV in 1/3, 2/3, 1, 2 or 3EV steps SHUTTER 30secs-1/4000sec METERING PATTERNS Matrix, centerweighted, spot SHOOTING SPEEDS Single, continuous L 1-5fps, continuous H 5.5fps, quiet shutter release, self-timer LCD SCREEN 3.2in with 921k dots STORAGE MEDIA SD, SDHC, SDXC (UHS-I compatible) DIMENSIONS (WXHXD) 143.5x110x66.5mm WEIGHT 765g (including battery and memory card)
Photography News | Issue 4
The photographer’s control of their camera has gradually moved away from mechanical dials, rings and levers and become increasingly indirect and channelled through circuit boards. With the Df, Nikon has tried to recapture the feel of the pre-electronic era with traditional controls. But the ‘f’ stands for fusion, summing up how this is mixed with flagship digital technology to produce a tool that’s unique among modern cameras. The top-plate of the Df features retro-styled metal dials that stir memories of the olden days just from looking at them. They feel the part too – they’re metal, knurled and give satisfying clicks as you turn them. These tactile controls are mixed with an array of altogether more modern digital buttons on the back that will be familiar to any digital Nikon user, a mix that certainly lives up to the fusion label. The bias is definitely still towards more modern control though, and you can even set things up so that it’s practically the same as any other current Nikon DSLR. For example, the shutter speed dial can be used in S or M modes to adjust the shutter speed in 1EV steps, but if you miss the modern option of smaller step changes, you can set the dial to the 1/3 step position and use the front command dial to change the shutter speed as you would on any modern Nikon. Alternatively, an easy shutter speed shift option in the menus means the shutter speed that’s been set on the top dial can be nudged by 1/3 or 2/3EV either way using the command dial. Similarly, you can use the aperture ring to set the aperture on older lenses, but if you’re using a modern lens without a ring, you just use the subcommand dial as per the digital norm.
Using the Df As someone who was introduced to photography in the digital age, I have to say that the idea of the retro controls didn’t excite me that much. But after some time with the Df, I came to see the advantages and was pretty much won over. I really enjoyed being able to see exactly what settings I was using just by casting my eye over the dials on the top-plate, and clicking each of the dials into place to set the exposure before lifting the camera to my eye was a much more satisfying experience than I expected. That’s not to say that the arrangement isn’t without its drawbacks though. In particular, I found it trickier to change settings with the viewfinder to my eye because I needed to move one or other hand to find the appropriate dial, and I also found the main command dial a little too far from my shutter finger to be entirely comfortable. The ISO dial can be something of a problem if you’re shooting in very low light because it’s difficult to see
what you’re doing – you have to either count clicks or turn on the back LCD. The top-plate LCD only displays shutter speed and aperture values, so you can’t use this to adjust other settings such as white-balance. Instead, pressing these buttons activates the back LCD, and on occasion there was a slight pause as the software took a moment to catch up, in particular when selecting the AF mode. The mode dial is a little fiddly for me, and the lift-and-turn mechanism left me in the wrong mode on occasion – double-checking was required after a change. The on/off button is also more comfortable to turn with finger and thumb than shutter finger alone, making it less speedy, and in using this, it’s easy to knock the drive mode switch. Having said all of that, while these niggles meant the handling didn’t feel quite as slick as it perhaps could, I must admit that they didn’t much diminish the enjoyment of using the Df – all round, it was a lovely experience.
ABOVE The Nikon Df has retro styling and fuses tactile dials on the top-plate with modern digital controls on the back. RIGHT Although the Df has relatively few pixels, it still records plenty of detail and can easily produce A3 prints. www.photography-news.co.uk
Camera review
21
LEFT Continuous shooting of 5.5 frames-persecond helped capture the best moment at this zebra crossing. ABOVE AND BELOW Lowlight performance is excellent, and there was no problem in pushing ISO sensitivity to 6400 (below) or 12,800 (above).
Flagship quality When it comes to the insides of the camera, there’s nothing retro about the Df, although it could still be considered a bit of a fusion – not of new and old, but a combination of elements from all of Nikon’s other full-frame DSLRs. The sensor is the same as in the D4, and while Nikon points out that this makes it flagship quality, you can’t get away from the fact that next to the resolutions of the D610 and D800, the Df’s 16 megapixels look relatively meagre. This may make for relatively limited resolving power, but it’s worth bearing in mind the advantages. Obviously files are smaller and easier to work with, but there’s another plus – the camera’s compatible with and positively encourages use of old film lenses, and a pixel count like the D800’s 36 million could reveal the shortcomings of such optics. Flagship focusing doesn’t accompany the sensor in the Df, and instead you get the same 39-point system as in the D610. This provides dense coverage in the centre of the frame, and it’s as speedy and reliable as you’d expect. For me, it only ever struggled in extremely low light, and this perhaps reveals a shortcoming of the technological mix – the Df’s ISO capabilities, which match the D4’s, mean it can take excellent-quality images in light levels that are so low it struggles to focus. The D4’s focusing system has an extra EV of sensitivity, and I can’t help feeling that the Df would benefit from this too. There’s a variety of continuous AF modes that offer an array of different solutions for keeping moving subjects in focus. This includes 3D tracking AF, but as with most tracking AF systems, I found this was easily confused and hit-and-miss as to whether it would follow your chosen subject. Much more effective in my opinion is dynamic area AF, which uses a number of surrounding AF points to keep your subject in focus should it wander temporarily from your selected point. The coverage of this can be varied to either 9, 21 or 39 AF points. www.photography-news.co.uk
There’s nothing retro about the insides of the Df, although it could still be considered a bit of a fusion
Auto white-balance only really had problems with mixed light sources, but the system includes a couple of neat features that really helped when it didn’t get it quite right. You have the option of fine-tuning the AWB setting to add either more blue or more yellow with the WB button and subcommand dial, ideal if you just want to add or take away a little warmth. The highlight though is the Spot White Balance function for setting a custom balance. You just specify a point in the image in Live View that you want to be neutral to set a custom value, and this is stored as the preset value when you switch back to viewfinder mode. It makes it quick and easy to get the white-balance absolutely spot on. The Df feature set does have a couple of notable absences. It joins the D4 as the only other Nikon without a pop-up flash, so there’s no wireless control of off-camera units, but it is compatible with Nikon’s creative lighting system with a wireless adaptor and has a PC socket for a sync cable. There’s also no video recording – this makes sense in a camera designed to enhance the experience of stills photographers, but at this price, its absence doesn’t make you feel you’ve saved money from not having a feature you never use. One other disappointing feature of the Df is the single SD card slot – the three other Nikon fullframe DSLRs all have dual card slots. The single slot is positioned alongside the battery compartment in the bottom of the camera, which may help keep the body size down, but it’s an arrangement you’d more often associate with a compact, and hinders quick memory card changes, especially on a tripod. Speaking of the battery, the pack in the Df is different from those in the other current Nikon fullframe models, and is the same smaller cell as that used in the D5300. This might be annoying if you use the Df in tandem with another Nikon full-frame body because you can’t interchange batteries, but it has a longer claimed life of about 1400 shots. For us, it delivered just short of 1000 shots – most of which were in temperatures below 10˚C. Issue 4 | Photography News
18
Camera preview FIRST LOOK
Samsung NX30
Announced at CES in Las Vegas, Samsung’s latest is an attractive blend of modern tech and oldschool design thinking. Photography News tests a pre-production version in the heart of Sin City
Words by Roger Payne
SPECS PRICE £599.99 CONTACT www.samsung.com/uk SENSOR 20.3-megapixel CMOS with DRIMeIV processor IMAGE DIMENSIONS 5472x3648 pixels ISO RANGE 100-25,600 SHUTTER 30secs-1/8000sec METERING PATTERNS Multi-pattern, centreweighted, spot SHOOTING SPEEDS Single, continuous up to nine frames-per-second LCD SCREEN 3in Super AMOLED swivel and touch featuring 1037k dots
It’s interesting to see how different companies deal with the same technology. Mirrorless cameras with interchangeable lenses have been around for a while now and as model ranges expand and mature, it’s becoming increasingly apparent how the key players have decided to cut their design cloth – or polycarbonate – accordingly. Sony likes making everything as small as possible (one of the key benefits of the technology), Fujifilm and Olympus favour a retro style with chrome top-plates and leather-based accessories, while Samsung seems to prefer making cameras that look and feel like digital SLRs, only slightly smaller. Personally, I’d say Samsung has made a solid choice. As a dyed-in-the-wool DSLR user, I still find it unnatural to take a picture with a camera that has neither a viewfinder nor a substantial handgrip. If you think the same way as I do, the Samsung NX30 is going to appeal. As well as featuring a DSLRchallenging APS-C sized 20.3-megapixel sensor, this new model also offers both a viewfinder and a handgrip that wouldn’t look out of place on a reflexmirrored model. This is a good thing; pick the NX30 up and it feels comfortable in the hand. It may not be as big as a DSLR, but it sure feels like one. Covering all the angles In addition to the chunky handgrip, there’s also an electronic viewfinder (EVF), which allows for conventional up-to-the-eye framing. EVFs have come a long way in the last few years and the NX30’s offers 2359k dots, which delivers an exceptionally
STORAGE MEDIA SD, SDHC, SDXC, UHS-I compatible DIMENSIONS (WXHXD) 127x95.5x41.7mm WEIGHT 375g (without battery)
Photography News | Issue 4
The level of connectivity goes a few steps further with the ability to upload shots straight to Flickr
bright and sharp image – it’s still not as good as an optical viewfinder, but it’s not far off. Said viewfinder is also tiltable by up to 80° – think right-angle finder for those old enough to remember. I must admit to being slightly perplexed by the inclusion of this functionality when you consider the three-inch AMOLED screen also swivels for framing at high and low angles. Still, it could be a real boon for those who like to shoot macro.
ABOVE The design of the NX30 is sure to appeal to existing digital SLR owners. The handgrip is substantial, the viewfinder bright, and the rear LCD twists to every conceivable angle. BELOW Shooting with sunny skies, the NX30 delivers punchy, vibrant colours, but it’s in low light where the improved sensor shows – the Neon image was taken handheld at ISO 3200.
Stay connected Along with all the other models announced by Samsung at CES, the NX30 offers new levels of connectivity with both Near Field Communication (NFC) and Wi-Fi. Images can now be transmitted simply by touching the camera on to an NFCenabled tablet or smartphone or by using the free Samsung Smart Camera app and the Direct Wi-Fi button on the camera. Clever stuff. But the level of connectivity also goes a few steps further with the ability to upload your images straight to Dropbox or Flickr, or the chance to use your smartphone or tablet as a remote viewfinder. You can even use the camera as a baby monitor with the built-in microphone picking up when your offspring is restless and alerting you through your mobile or tablet! Quality counts Although I got to try a pre-production version of the camera in Las Vegas, the results proved to be excellent. That was certainly aided by the fact that I was using the new Premium S 16-50mm f/2-2.8 lens, which is clearly a high-quality offering. The sensor itself is exactly the same as the one that appears in the NX300, but the performance has been improved thanks to gapless micro lenses in front of the photo diodes that offer more efficient light collecting. Whatever the technology involved, it certainly seems to work – I got some really impressive results, even when the ISO was pushed to the new maximum of 25,600. I certainly look forward to getting my hands on one for a full test. www.photography-news.co.uk
22
Camera review
ISO 100
ISO 200
ISO 400
ISO 800
ISO 1600
ISO 3200
ISO 12,800
ISO 51,200
ISO 204,800
ISO performance With the same sensor and processor as the D4, the Df offers the same ISO range, reaching 204,800 equivalent. It promises much, and delivers. Df files are supported in the very latest update to Lightroom, version 5.3, so we converted Raw files using this and without any noise reduction applied. ISO 800 is indistinguishable from ISO 100, and although slight grain enters the equation at ISO 1600, it’s barely noticeable. The effect on detail is still small at ISO 12,800, and there’s no effect on colour whatsoever. Noise is more significant in the expanded settings, but with noise reduction in Lightroom, you can just about squeeze up to the Hi 2 setting, equivalent to 51,200. If you go any further than this though, you really are pushing your luck.
Df vs D610
Continuous AF and drive With a top speed of 5.5 frames-per-second, the Df beats the D800, but is just short of the D610’s six frames-per-second. This can of course be combined with continuous AF, and we tried this by seeing how well it kept in focus a London bus coming towards the camera. The Df had no problem at all maintaining focus, and each shot was sharp. Shooting both Raw and JPEG files to class 10 SD cards, the speed was maintained for 21 shots before the camera paused.
The verdict My heart says the Nikon Df is a fantastic camera, but if I was about to part with nearly £3000 for one, my head would probably have more to say. There’s no doubt that it’s enjoyable to use, and the results are superb, especially in low light where it excels. But a long hard look at the camera reveals a series of small niggles – things like having only one SD slot in the bottom, using the focusing system of the cheaper D610 alongside the sensor and ISO capabilities of the D4, minor issues with fiddly dials. They each take the edge off slightly, and are even harder to overlook when you take into account the high asking price. Photography News | Issue 4
NIKON DF
I’d find it even harder to justify the price of the Df when there are two Nikon fullframe options that are currently cheaper. The D610 costs £1200 less, yet it has the same focusing system and processor, the sensor has a higher resolution, and you get video recording too. Just about the only area in which the D610 falls behind the Df is in its low-light performance. Cold hard logic therefore seems to be against the Df if it would stretch your budget – but after using it, I’m not sure it’s as simple as that and, while my head might have more to say, there’s always the chance that my heart could shout loud enough to drown it out.
FEATURES
23/25
HANDLING
23/25
PERFORMANCE
24/25
VALUE FOR MONEY
21/25
A unique mix
Really enjoyable to use
Fantastic all round, especially in low light Two Nikon full-frame bodies are cheaper
The specs of the Df and the D610 make for similar reading, despite the fact that the D610 is currently £1250 cheaper. In fact, the D610 has a number of features that the Df doesn’t – a higher pixel count, dual SD slots, built-in flash with wireless command control and movie recording. But how do the two cameras compare when it comes to the images they produce? We compared resolution and ISO performance in Raw files. At the lower end of the ISO sensitivity scale, there’s very little between the Df and the D610; both are exceptionally good at controlling noise. When you reach ISO 1600, the Df starts to edge ahead – noise has less impact on the fine detail, and more contrast is retained. When you push up into the top levels, the difference becomes really noticeable – the top native settings differ by 1EV, yet deliver very similar performance, and even then, images from the Df still have slightly more definition. This remains true into the expanded settings, and the Df goes 3EV higher up to 204,800. In short, the Df offers significantly better performance in low light. Since the Df has two-thirds the number of pixels as the D610, you’d expect poorer resolution of detail. In practice, the difference isn’t huge unless you’re examining images closely, although if you are then it’s clear that the D610’s higher-resolution sensor has the advantage. It also makes a difference when it comes to printing – prints from the Df can be a little more than 16 inches along the longest side at 300ppi, while you can go up to 20 inches with the D610. The advantage of the lower pixel count is smaller file sizes by a third – D610 Raw files are about 30MB, and Df Raws are around 20MB. This makes a big difference in processing times. DF ISO 12,800
D610 ISO 12,800
OVERALL 91/100 Fantastic camera, but the price is a sticking point PROS Low-light performance, dial controls, compact and light CONS Price, one SD slot
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Camera review
19
on test
Travelling Light: Part 1 You don’t always want the bulk of your DSLR body and bag full of heavy lenses, but what alternative do you have if you want high-quality images? We go hands-on with some of the options to see what they can offer
As long as you have your DSLR with you, you know you’ll get great shots. It offers you complete control at the touch of a few buttons, allowing you to fulfil your creative vision, and with a selection of lenses on your shoulder, the options are endless. This often makes it worthwhile to carry your heavy kit around, but there’s no denying it can be cumbersome. And there are situations when the size of your kit is just plain inconvenient – when you’re a guest at a wedding, on a long day out, or when you’re taking a flight for example. Leaps in camera technology in the last few years mean there are now smaller options that don’t necessarily mean a compromise in performance. Compact system cameras come close
to DSLR performance in many cases – they have large sensors and interchangeable lenses, but more compact bodies because they don’t need a mirror. There are potential pitfalls – focusing is often slower, viewfinders are electronic or absent, and the size can compromise handling. But the variety is huge, and the chances are there’s one out there that would suit you. A recent glut of premium compacts have added another alternative. These knock your average high street compact out of the park, with bigger sensors for surprisingly good image quality and low-light performance, and high-quality zoom lenses with wide maximum apertures. You’ll more than likely have to compromise on handling, and performance is unlikely to match that of your DSLR, but the difference may just be worth it for the added convenience. Over the next two issues, we test a selection of CSCs and compacts to see if they’re genuine options as an alternative to your DSLR, or whether they fall too short to consider seriously.
Canon PowerShot G16
Fujifilm X-M1
Olympus OM-D E-M1
Samsung Galaxy NX
You can’t get much smaller and lighter than a compact, but they have small sensors that mean sacrificing image quality, don’t they? Well, not necessarily. Canon’s premium G series compacts are highly regarded amongst serious photographers, and the G16 is the latest generation. A major improvement in this model is the low-light performance, which is underpinned by the debut of Canon’s newest image processor, the DIGIC 6. This also provides a boost in speed for an impressive 9.3 framesper-second top sustained burst rate. Many of the other features are carried forward from the G15, including an f/1.8-2.8 retractable zoom lens with a 35mm equivalent zoom range of 28-140mm. There’s also a first for the G series though, in the form of Wi-Fi, which allows you to connect the camera to other devices for transferring and sharing images, or backing them up directly onto the Internet via Canon’s Image Gateway. Aside from the fixed lens, much of the specification reads like a DSLR, but as a compact, is it a genuine option for when you want to leave your DSLR behind?
With the rise of compact system cameras, it’s no longer the case that small means less powerful, and with the X-M1, Fujifilm proves the point. The innards of the bigger and more expensive X-Pro1 and X-E1 are wrapped up in a smaller and lighter body that could be mistaken for a compact. This includes Fujifilm’s X-Trans sensor technology, which uses an arrangement of pixels that differs from the traditional – it dramatically reduces the risk of moiré, negating the need for an optical low-pass filter and therefore providing potential for sharper images. The sensor is also APS-C sized, the same as most DSLRs, so promises image quality to match. Despite being the size of a compact, the X-M1 has the advantage of interchangeable lenses, and there is already some serious prime glass designed for the top-end X-Series cameras but compatible with the X-M1. If you don’t have the budget for this, then Fujifilm has also introduced more affordable options – the X-M1’s 16-50mm kit lens is one of them. On the face of it then, the X-M1 combines everything you could want from a DSLR alternative, so let’s see if it lives up to expectations.
It was the Micro Four Thirds system that kicked off the compact system camera craze, and Olympus has enjoyed huge success with it. The major advantage of the Micro Four Thirds system is that the sensor is a lot smaller than full-frame and APS-C chips, meaning the entire setup can be miniaturised – camera, lenses and everything that goes with them. This is a good start if you’re looking for a lightweight DSLR alternative. The OM-D E-M1 is designed for professionals; it’s dust, freeze and splashproof, and its insides include a newly developed 16-megapixel sensor with no anti-aliasing filter and a new TruePic VII image processor. The sensor also includes phase-detection autofocus pixels, which allow efficient focusing when Olympus E-System Four Thirds lenses are attached, so you can revive your existing collection, or it expands your lens options to a total of 63 new optics. There are great creative features too, such as Olympus’s Art Filters and the new Photo Story Mode, as well as Wi-Fi that lets you use your mobile device to control the camera remotely. It’s packed full of features, but when it comes to the crunch, it’s performance that counts.
The Galaxy NX is the first CSC to run on an Android operating system, making it a hybrid of a high-quality camera and a smartphone. In the process of incorporating this technology into a CSC, Samsung could easily have neglected aspects of the camera, but this hasn’t happened, and the whole system works together to appeal to photographers. The operating system powers up in the dedicated camera app, there’s a dedicated DRIMe IV image processor alongside a smartphone chip, and it has a 20-megapixel APS-C sensor for DSLR-like image quality. Nevertheless, the Android operating system opens up all sorts of opportunities – obvious ones, like the ability to share high-resolution photos directly online or the hundreds of photo-editing apps, but also more subtle ones of practical use to any photographer. For example, Autoshare transfer provides an instant backup to your mobile device, and Photo Suggest identifies nearby photo hotspots – useful in an unfamiliar location. To consider this as a portable alternative to your DSLR though, this technology should be an added bonus, so does the core of the camera measure up?
Words by Ian Fyfe
www.photography-news.co.uk
Issue 2 | Photography News
28
Camera review on test
Nikon D610
Nikon’s digital SLR designers have been busy bunnies lately. This month saw the retro-styled DF arrive, last month heralded the launch of the D5300 and this, the full-frame D610. We test it
SPECS price £1599 body only Contact www.nikon.co.uk Sensor 24.3-megapixel CMOS with EXPEED 3 processor Image dimensions 6016x4016 pixels ISO range 100-6400 (50-25,600 extended) Autofocus modes Single-servo (AF-S), continuous-servo (AF-C), auto AF-S/AF-C selection, manual Exposure compensation +/-5EV in 1/3 or 1/2EV steps, autoexposure bracketing 2 or 3 frames at +/-3EV in 1/3 or 1/2EV steps Shutter 30secs-1/4000sec Metering patterns Matrix, center-weighted spot Shooting speeds Single, continuous L 3fps, continuous H 6fps, self-timer 2-20secs, silent single shooting, silent continuous shooting LCD screen 3.2in fixed LCD with 921k dots Storage media SD, SDHC, SDXC, UHS-I compatible Dimensions (WXHxD) 141x113x82mm Weight 850g (including battery and memory card)
Photography News | Issue 2
Words by Roger Payne While I’d fall short of suggesting that full-frame digital SLRs are cheap, one thing is certain: the cost of entry into the full-frame digital SLR party is certainly dropping. Just a few years ago, when I bought a full-frame digital SLR, lengthy negotiations were required with both bank manager and wife. I’m still on washing-up duty now as my penance for making a £3000 size hole in the bank balance. And that’s just for the bank manager. Against that backdrop, the £1599 D610 seems to be something of a bargain, although still may result in substantial domestic favours being necessary to secure one in your gadget bag. But once a full-frame model is there, it’s unlikely that you’ll make the move back to APS-C sized sensors. The bigger sensor features larger pixels for better light gathering and improved low-light performance, means you don’t have to faff about wondering what the actual focal length of the lens in use is, and gives you the tightest control over depth-of-field. Videographers in particular swarm to full-frame models for the wonderful bokeh effects on offer from a large-sensored camera being used in conjunction with a wide-aperture lens. But the full-frame garden isn’t full of roses, and there are a few brambles to consider as well. First off, lenses. If you’re moving from an APS-C model to full-frame, you’ll need to check compatibility. Lenses designed specifically for the smaller sensor won’t work effectively on a full-frame model. Similarly, if they do fit and work, the larger sensor tends to be somewhat unforgiving when it comes to picture quality. You may need to buy superior quality glass to go in front of your superior sensor. Which means more washing up. File sizes also tend to be on the large side. A Raw file from the D610 we have here is a hefty 31MB – shoot a reasonably average 100 frames a week and that equates to over 160GB of disk space in a year. You’re gonna need some bigger cards. And, possibly, a hard drive.
Dusting off the D610 While a new digital SLR is typically ushered in on a velvet cushion and accompanied by a press release explaining its multitude of technological breakthroughs, the D610 has had a slightly less vaunted arrival. No velvet cushions, just a press release. That’s because its predecessor – the D600 – had been something of a problem. Within a few weeks of the D600’s arrival last September, rumours started to circulate on the Internet that there were issues with the sensor. This wasn’t due to the picture quality, which was excellent, but instead pointed to the fact that sensor dust was a major problem. Naturally, we all know that sensors get dusty, but the D600 seemed to attract more than its fair share, resulting in spotty shots and disgruntled users. While Nikon never directly admitted that the D600 had sensor issues, the company did release an advisory notice in February this year on its website. It acknowledged that some users had reported a prevalence of internal dust that was ‘generated with camera operation’ and that, in some rare cases, these particles ‘may be reflected noticeably in images’. The company’s solution at the time referred owners to the sensor cleaning section of the instruction manual, or to visit a Nikon service centre. The D610 represents another way of solving the issue; change the way the camera is designed. Getting to grips So is the D610 a dust devil? Simple answer: no. Throughout the period of this test during which I’ve used the camera for a wide range of shots there hasn’t been so much as a single dust speck appear on the sensor. Admittedly, I haven’t been cavalier with my lens changing, or left the camera switched on with the mirror box exposed near a dangerously full vacuum dust bag, but I haven’t exactly been careful either. I’ve just used it in the same way as I would have with any other DSLR. So the good news is the D610 doesn’t suffer from any dust-related issues as far as I can see.
ABOVE Cosmetically, there’s little difference between the D610 and the D600 it supersedes, the major changes have been made internally with the introduction of a new shutter unit. below Like all digital SLRs, the D610 offers a selection of image styles that can be applied incamera. Shoot in Raw and styles can be changed during processing with the bundled software. This was taken with the Monochrome style.
The good news is the D610 doesn’t suffer from any dustrelated issues as far as I can see www.photography-news.co.uk
Technique
25
PHOTO SCHOOL
Camera class
APERTURE SCALE F/ 1.4
Everyone has to start somewhere, even top pros, and in our regular Photo School feature we’ll be taking a close look at core techniques that every beginner needs to know. This month, in Camera Class we look at apertures and f/numbers, while Software skills (below) looks at cataloguing images in Adobe Lightroom
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Words by Ian Fyfe
4.5 5
The aperture is an adjustable ‘hole’ or iris that lets light through the lens to the camera’s sensor and, together with the shutter speed, creates the exposure. The size of the aperture is denoted as an f/number and you see this in most camera viewfinders and on the rear monitor. The f/number is one of the most important settings on your camera and you should keep an eye on which value you are using. n How does changing the f/number affect the aperture size? One of the most confusing things about the f/number and aperture is that smaller f/numbers indicate larger apertures and vice versa. See the illustrations far right. n Where do the f/numbers come from? The available f/numbers form a standard scale, with each value referred to as an f/stop. At first, the f/numbers seem like a random sequence of numbers, but the scale has a mathematical basis. Each full f/stop lets in half as much light as the one above, and twice as much as the one below. Thus f/8 lets in twice as much light as f/11 but only half the light of f/5.6 – the bigger the ‘hole’, the greater the amount of light is allowed to pass. n What does this mean for my exposures? An exposure is basically a balancing act between aperture (the amount of light coming through
adobe Lightroom
Software skills Take control of Adobe Lightroom. Part 2: Cataloguing Words by Will Cheung Adobe Photoshop Lightroom is one of the most widely used cataloguing and editing softwares available. The full version 5 costs around £90, but you can download a 30-day free trial from the Adobe website. Other options include Corel AfterShot Pro and Cyberlink Photo Director 5. In part 1, we looked at importing images to Lightroom 5 and in part 2, this month, it’s onto using the catalogue features. www.photography-news.co.uk
5.6
right When you look through your camera’s viewfinder, this is the kind of thing you’ll see. The selected aperture or f/stop is displayed here in yellow.
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far Right This is a typical aperture scale. The numbers in yellow are the traditional full f/stop values and those in between are 1/3 f/stop increments.
the lens aperture) and shutter speed (the amount of time the sensor is allowed to receive the light coming through the lens aperture). The bigger the iris, the greater the amount of light coming through the lens, and that allows a shorter or faster shutter speed. If the iris is set to a higher value, thus giving a smaller ‘hole’, a longer shutter speed is needed to compensate for the lower level of light coming through the lens. n What about the f/numbers in between? On lenses for old cameras, the aperture control was less advanced and only full f/stop values were possible, ie. f/4, f/5.6, f/8 etc. On your modern camera, you
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can set the f/number to values in between these full f/stops, for example f/6.3. These are partial f/stops that divide each full stop into thirds, and they simply have one third of the effect. Some cameras also allow half f/stop settings. n What other effects does changing the f/number have? Opening and closing the aperture not only changes the amount of light that passes through, but it affects something called depth-offield – the amount of back-to-front sharpness in a scene. Controlling the f/number can therefore be used for creative effects, and we’ll look at depth-offield in more detail next issue.
NEXT MONTH: DEPTH-OFFIELD & COLLECTIONS Get to grips with depthof-field for creative effects and start building Lightroom collections.
Rate them Click on Photo in the menu tool bar and you will find options of Set Flag, Set Color Label or Set Rating. Quick keys speed up the process, ie. hit 5 to give an image five stars or 6 to label it red. How you use these labels is up to you but five stars for definite keepers and three for a maybe is a good start. Later you can turn on filters and view all your five star pictures or all those labelled red, for example.
Looking at your shots Turn the filters on (Ctrl+L or Cmd+L) by clicking on the words: Filters Off, either top right of the Library module or in the bottom right corner, choosing the filtering method you want, say Rated. You can then refine this further by clicking on the flag, colour patch or stars in the bar that appears.
Reject the rubbish Now’s also the time to delete the rejects (don’t delete in camera). Do that by hitting X and then later go to Photo>Delete Rejected Photos if you want the software to bin the images completely. You can also just delete the image from the catalogue but retain it on your drive. Issue 2 | Photography News
Advertisement feature
19
MANFROTTO LIGHTING
Manfrotto Spectra LEDs light the way Manfotto’s range of LED lighting gear opens doors for creative photographers For photographers, the lighting landscape has changed dramatically over the last few years. In the past, studio photographers were restricted to large flash units and videographers had to make do with bulky, unconvincing continuous light setups that made shooting on location more like military manoeuvres. Fast-forward to today and Manfrotto is leading the way with high-quality LED lighting and its Spectra series offers both still photographers and videographers the perfect universal tool. Why should you run the rule over the Spectra series? Well, let’s start with the most important feature of all – safety. Manfrotto has gone to great lengths to make the Spectra series the safest LED lights on the market. Laboratory tests have confirmed the safety of using Spectra lights with live subjects – stating categorically that Spectra lights do not damage retinas. What’s more, the Spectra lights have been designed to be cool to the touch. Any heat is dissipated away from the unit, which means you will never have to worry about burnt fingertips again – when was the last time you could say that about a studio flash unit? Safety is important, of course, but so is performance and this is where the Spectra series of LED lights comes into its own. The LED lights offer excellent colour rendition – you won’t need to spend hours messing about with white-balance settings trying to correct horrific yellow colour casts when you use a Spectra light. What’s more, there is no colour shift when the photographer dims the lights to whatever level they deem suitable. Each LED is guaranteed to perform to the same level, so you won’t be in a situation where one side of the panel is brighter than the other. Videographers will be pleased to hear that the Spectra lights are flicker free at any shutter angle or frame rate so no distracting flickers will be visible in your footage and the lights run silently, so audio won’t be compromised either.
SPECTRA500S www.photography-news.co.uk
SPECTRA500F
Perhaps the most impressive aspect that will really make the difference to photographers and videographers is the size and portability of the Spectra LEDs. In days gone by, photographers would need extra cases to transport a continuous light set-up, but the Spectra series will slip into your photo bag alongside your camera and lenses. The compact design means that the lights are just 45mm deep, which is sure to appeal to videographers, especially those who need to squeeze their way to the front of a press conference. Don’t be fooled into thinking that the compact design compromises performance though – using alkaline AA batteries, the Spectra lights have an average lifespan of one and a half hours and up to a whopping seven hours with lithium batteries. Plus, there is an optional mains adaptor for extended studio situations. There are five models in the Spectra line-up – starting with the smallest, the 500S and topping out with the 900FT. The Spectra LEDs can be mounted to light stands for off-camera, creative lighting setups or mounted on top of the camera using the hotshoe adaptor for a more portable approach.
The Spectra lights offer excellent colour rendition. What’s more there is no colour shift when the photographer dims them π To find out more, go to www.manfrotto.co.uk.
IMAGES Flicker free, silent and compact – Spectras could be the ideal light to slip into your kitbag.
SPECTRA900S
SPECTRA900F
SPECTRA900FT Issue 4 | Photography News