Photography News 16

www.absolutephoto.com Issue 16 | Photography News

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

Photographynews

NEWS PREVIEWS TESTS CAMERA CLUBS INTERVIEWS ADVICE COMPETITIONS

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FREEIssue 16

Must-read verdicts on the latest zooms and primes

Keeping you up to date with must-know news

All the latest gear launches from CES plus news of a great Pentax competition

Fujifilm, Olympus, Nikon, Samsung & Canon lenses tested

20 January – 16 February

Nikon’s new angle

GET YOUR

FREEDIGITALEDITIONEACH MONTH!SEE PAGE 6

If not, you’re missing out on a £5000 prize pot!

Camera Club of the Year – has your club entered yet?

π To find out more about these new Nikon products, go to www.nikon.co.uk.

Kicking off 2015 in style, Nikon launches DSLR with tilting, touch-sensitive screen, plus two new lenses

Nikon has launched the D5500, a DX-format DSLR complete with a vari-angle touchscreen. The D5500 also stands proud technically with a 24.2-megapixel sensor and an ISO range of 100-25,600. If you’ve been following the range, you’ll notice this latest model is significantly lighter and slimmer than its predecessors, but it’s also fitted with an improved grip for better handling.

If you’re after just the body, it’ll cost you £630 and you’ll get a choice of black or red; with the 18-55mm VR II lens (black or red) it’s £720 and with an 18-140mm VR lens (black) it costs £900.

Nikon also announced the availability of the AF-S Nikkor 300mm f/4E PF ED VR lens. This telephoto benefits from a Phase Fresnel element, which makes the lens lighter and smaller without affecting

image quality. It has VR technology that lets you shoot at speeds of up to 4.5 stops slower, whilst a new sport VR mode facilitates panning to capture fast-moving subjects with superb clarity. This top-end telephoto costs £1640.

Last but not least, there’s a telephoto zoom to shout about, the AF-S DX Nikkor 55-200mm f/4-5.6G ED VR II (£280). It’s neat and compact, measuring just 83mm at its shortest length, which makes it a great pairing for the D5500.

Colin Jarvis

www.absolutephoto.comPhotography News | Issue 16


3Latest photography news

Canon has released seven PowerShot and IXUS models. The SX530 HS (£329.99) has an astounding 50x optical zoom, the SX710 HS (£329.99) can take you up to 30x closer, whilst the SX610 HS (£229.99) offers 18x optical zoom. All three feature auto zoom, intelligent IS, Full HD movie capabilities and Wi-Fi connectivity. The PowerShot N2 (£289.99) is a camera born from out-of-the-

box thinking: it’s square and fits in your palm, with a tilting touchscreen and creative filters.

The slimline new IXUS models, the 160 (£99.99), 165 (£129.99) and the 170 (£149.99) all have a 20.2-megapixel sensor and a range of optical zoom capabilities. The PowerShot SX530 HS and N2 along with the IXUS 165 and 160 are available now with the remaining releases available in February.

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

Canon extends pocketable ranges

Fujifilm has added a top-spec XF16-55mm f/2.8 R LM WR standard zoom to its range of X-series lenses, which will be available this February for £900. Its focal length is equivalent to 24-84mm in the 35mm format, with a constant f/2.8 aperture.

It boasts 17 elements in 12 groups and that includes three aspherical lenses and three ED elements to optimise lens performance and ensure edge to edge sharpness at all apertures and focal lengths. Focusing is swift and quiet thanks to the lens’s twin linear motor and internal focusing design. It’s weather resistant with seals at 14 locations and functions perfectly at -10°C, so it’s ideal for the X-T1 which has the same protection. We saw a preproduction sample at CES on an X-T1 and it made for a balanced combination.

We look forward to testing it in PN when samples permit but if the XF 50-140mm f/2.8 (tested in this issue) is anything to go by, it will be a cracker.

π To find out more, go to www.fujifilm.eu/uk.

Fujifilm sets the standard


4Profile

Whilst over at CES, PN editor Will Cheung took the opportunity to chat with Samsung’s head of marketing for imaging, Paul Scott

Paul Scott

When making a new model, do you think about the key specifications of a camera product first or the needs of a photographer?Of course, like everybody in our industry, we focus on technical specifications. However, what we at Samsung find much more important is how people use our products. What’s the human experience?

We work hard to understand what people need and want; then we push the limits of what technology can do and finally we use design, connectivity and innovation to provide people with new experiences and aspirational products.

Samsung innovates today to create a better tomorrow based on a deep understanding of what people want. Based on our ‘make it meaningful’ design ethos, we develop products that enable more people to interact with technology in new ways. What is making our innovation significant and meaningful is our unique focus on our consumers.

While technological specifications matter, what counts is the ‘human dimension’ of innovation. We want our innovation to give people new experiences, which make them more productive and creative; and provide them with interactivity and media access like never before. This is where our software developers come into their own, making it possible for people to interact intuitively with technology.

Our innovation has to be designed for and meaningful to people. It has to be Samsung innovation.

What would you say are Samsung’s core strengths? Samsung’s core strengths are its innovation and technology leadership. Our extensive consumer research tells us that every person has very different expectations for his or her electronics devices. They are driven by local culture and individual needs and wants. That’s why we don’t believe in one-size-fits-all solutions. Instead, we offer a broad range of solutions and devices, tailored to different user expectations and the requirements of local markets.

We manufacture around 90% of the components in our products in our own factories; this ensures not only that they are of outstanding quality, but we can also turn transformative ideas and technologies into world-class products faster than any of our competitors. This also makes us more flexible to not only meet our consumer demands but exceed them. Take for example the NX mini compared with the NX1 or Galaxy K zoom which offers the consumer a variety of photographic solutions for different environments. Whether camera body or the lens, Samsung leads the way in breaking new ground, for example with our i-Function lens

INTERVIEW

technology which is a unique development in lens production to enhance user experience.

How is your investment in R&D giving you return in terms of innovation?If there is one thing that has made Samsung the company that it is today, then that’s innovation. Our position as a leading global electronics company is the direct result of our commitment in research and technological breakthroughs. This has not come about by chance. Every year, Samsung is making bold investments into research and development; around a quarter of our employees work in R&D.

Our deep understanding of consumers flows from the research in our six Design Centres, seven Lifestyle Research Labs and seven Product Innovation Teams around the world. The insights of our researchers have taught us one thing: innovation must not be flat, it must not be uniform. There can’t be a one-size-fits-all approach, nor should technology be dictated by design for design’s sake.

What is Samsung’s strategy to sustain growth? Samsung is focused on developing tomorrow’s technology. We innovate to bring people new experiences and ways to express themselves, and through our extensive global research we have unique insights into the needs and aspirations of customers everywhere.

Having this backing has provided us with the foresight to focus on photographers’ and cinematographers’ needs and the NX1 has opened up a wealth of new possibilities from capturing 4K

with the latest H.265 codec to 15fps with continuous autofocus, all wrapped up with the latest connectivity.

With the DSLR market in continuing decline and the growth we are seeing in CSCs it underlines our committed investment to support the changing needs of today’s photographer and videographer.

What is Samsung’s design philosophy? We’re living in a new era of product design. At Samsung, we’ve moved beyond just enhancing the functionality or look of products. Today’s devices are the gateways into an experience that goes beyond aesthetics; we try to develop products that enable people to interact with technology in new ways. Our design approach boils down to making meaningful experiences. It’s more than just the hardware, it’s more than just the user interface, it’s about how all of those come together to create a product with a soul.

The best-designed technology should be nothing more than a natural extension of our customers’ world. By providing the latest design and technology we arm our customers with the opportunity to take both photography and videography to heights that will exceed their expectations.

Our relationship with our customers is a partnership that continues to grow as the NX system evolves. With products like the NX1 and the 300mm lens shown at last year’s Photokina (but yet to be released) plus our continued commitment, we will be at the forefront of every photographer’s and cinematographer’s consideration.

There can’t be a one-size-fits-all approach, nor should technology be dictated by design for design’s sake π To find out more, go to www.samsung.com.

Interview by Will Cheung



NEWS IN BRIEF

MEMORY IN MICROSamsung EVO microSD cards are now available in 128GB size. They offer UHS-1, class 10 performance with read speeds of up to 48MB/s. Samsung’s card range feature four-proof technology to protect valuable data – they are heat, freeze, magnet and X-ray proof. The EVO 128GB microSD card costs £92.99 without the SD adaptor and

£93.99 with. www.samsung.com

ONE FOR ALLUsing near field communication you can hook up your Canon camera or camcorder, or use USB for other brands, to Canon’s latest storage device, the Connect Station CS100, to store your pictures and movies in one central location. It’ll be available from June

priced at £199. www.canon.co.uk.

SUPER SPEEDLexar has microSD cards that offer 1000x read transfer speeds – that’s an impressive 150MB/s. The new cards use UHS II technology for this high speed performance and 32GB, 64GB and 128GB capacities are available.www.lexar.com

AN SD FOR SHARINGToshiba has launched a FlashAir III SD card which acts as its own wireless LAN access point to enable image sharing to your smartphone or mobile device. www.toshiba.co.uk.

One of the major announcements where photography is concerned at CES this year came from Panasonic.

Good things come in threes and Panasonic’s trio of new releases are certainly a welcome addition to the market, with each technologically targeted at different types of shooters. For the adventurer, there’s the Lumix FT30, a pocket-sized powerhouse designed to withstand falls up to 1.5 metres and temperatures as low as -10°C as well as being waterproof to eight metres and resistant to dust. Behind its rugged

exterior is a 16.1-megapixel sensor and it also has a 25mm ultra wide-angle lens with 4x optical zoom. It’ll be on general sale in March for £139.99.

If you’re on the hunt for a professional standard second camera but lightweight and compact to travel with, the TZ70 (£349.99) and TZ57 (£229.99) will appeal. The Lumix TZ70 is the higher end version, featuring a 30x optical zoom, ultra wide-angle Leica lens and a 12.1-megapixel sensor. You can shoot in Raw and the control ring makes shooting with a compact a little more intuitive.

The TZ57 is just as impressive though, with the same Leica lens capable of a 20x optical zoom and a 16-megapixel sensor. Both cameras can record Full HD video and have Wi-Fi connectivity; they’ll also be available from March onwards.

The SZ10 is the last in the line-up of new Panasonic compacts announced at CES. It’ll be available from March and retails at £139.99. For that, you’ll get a tilting screen, 12x optical zoom, 24mm ultra wide-angle lens and Wi-Fi connectivity, amongst other extra creative features and functions.

Keeping it compact

Action cameras seem to be the ‘it’ product at the moment, and not one to miss out on the action, Braun has released two models: the Jumper 720p ActionCam HD and the Champion Full HD ActionCam. The £49.50 Jumper is supplied with a waterproof housing – if you’re planning on filming underwater it’s waterproof to 3m. Charge it up via USB and it’ll keep going for 70 minutes, capture still in five-megapixel

resolution through the wide-angle lens and record videos at 720p/30fps.

The Champion can also capture five-megapixel images and has a waterproof housing but records in Full HD and also features Wi-Fi. After a

full charge, it can run for 60 minutes in Wi-Fi mode or 110 minutes. It costs £110.22.

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

Double trouble

π To find out more, go to www.fujifilm.eu/uk.

A selection of exciting cameras has been announced by Fujifilm. The FinePix S9900 and S9800 are bridge cameras boasting 50x optical zooms, giving the equivalent focal length of 24-1200mm in the 35mm format. Both have 16.2-megapixel resolutions and top ISO speed is 12,800. The S9900 is priced at £299.99 and S9800 (it’s basically the S9900 minus wireless connectivity) is £259.99.

The X-A2 is an X-series camera for £449.99 and that includes an XC 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 OIS II lens. Its resolution is 16.3 megapixels using an APS-C CMOS sensor and it will be available from March in brown or black.

Rounding off Fujifilm’s launches is the XQ2 a quality compact priced at £329.99 and available from March onwards. This has the same sensor as the well-received X30 and comes with a 4x f/1.8 zoom lens

Fuji’s latest

π To find out more about these compacts, go to www.panasonic.co.uk.



NEWS IN BRIEF

FREE INTERACTIVE OLYMPUS MAGAZINEIf you are an Olympus camera user and want to get the most from your camera, sign up for Olympus UK’s official online interactive magazine. It’s free and all you have to do is register. Each issue is full of technique advice, expert profiles, great pictures and news of the latest Olympus products. Sign up at www.olympusmag.co.uk.

We’ve been counting down the days until what’s arguably the biggest event in the UK photography calendar, and it’s not long now until The Photography Show gets underway. It’s rolling into Birmingham’s NEC 21-24 March and promises to be bigger and better than ever. As well as the fleet of usual exhibitors offering you the chance to get your hands on the latest gear and chat to the experts, there’ll be lots of workshops and opportunities to get involved with too, from a beginners’ masterclass through to the International Garden Photographer of the Year’s macro tutorial. If you haven’t already got your tickets, use the code PHNWSTPS15 to score a sweet discount (£10.95 instead of the usual £19).

Book ahead and save

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

A whole host of improvements for both still and moving image-makers is available with the updated NX1 firmware, free for download now.

Filmmakers can adjust audio levels during filming as well as control ISO.

For all users the NX1’s interface is also upgraded to make it even easier to navigate through and customise the many features.

Samsung NX1 firmware

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

We’ve caught wind of another collaboration between our sister mag Advanced Photographer and Pentax. The two are teaming up once again, following on from their string of successful on-location photography competitions, to give you the chance to get hands-on with the Pentax 645Z and shoot contemporary portraiture. It’s a not-to-be-missed opportunity to get to grips with one of the highest performing medium-format cameras out there, capturing images in stunning 51.4-megapixel resolution. Adding to its top credentials, the 645Z also has a top ISO of 204,800 and its autofocusing is both fast and accurate.

Full details will be announced in issue 54 of Advanced Photographer, so keep your eyes peeled for how to win a place on this exclusive and unmissable event. Watch this space.

Pentax portraits

© M

BR Event Im

ages

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

Get scanningDedicated to film or got a stack of old negatives and slides in your cupboard? Reflecta’s new desktop 35mm film scanner, the RPS 10M, quickly makes high resolution scans – it takes around seven minutes at full 10,000dpi resolution. The RPS 10M features Magic Touch hardware to remove scratches and dust and to save you time there’s also an inbuilt transport system for three up to 36 images on film strips. You can hook this scanner up to your PC or Mac and Adobe Photoshop Elements 12 is also included, all for the price of £696.


9Camera clubs

NEWS IN BRIEF

9Camera clubs Tell us your club’s latest news, email: [email protected]

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

Allow plenty of time. Photography News comes out around the third week of the month. For the next issue, which comes out 16 February, we need words and pictures by 5 February.

Write your story on a Word document (400 words maximum) and attach it to an email to [email protected].

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

Images: Yes please, and attach these to the email too. Images should be JPEGs, 2000 pixels on the longest dimension and any colour space. If the story is an exhibition or event, please send a picture from the exhibition (not the publicity poster), the winning image or one of the event. If the picture includes people please identify them on the Word document.Deadline for the next issue: 5 February 2015

HOW TO SUBMIT

Top pro (and part of this year’s Camera Club of the Year prize) David Noton is giving his talk, Chasing the Light, at Clacton CC on Friday 13 February. Noton has been widely published and he is renowned for his stunning landscapes and travel images so if you want to be inspired do get along to the event.

The talk, and showing of some of his stunning imagery, will be held at McGrigor Hall, Fourth Avenue, Frinton on Sea, Essex CO13 9EB, and starts at 7.30pm. Tickets cost £10 each which includes refreshments and are available from Jean Pain at [email protected].

Clacton diary date

π To find out more go to www.clactoncameraclub.co.uk.

Chase the light with landscape pro David Noton

LEFT Much travelled and widely published professional photographer, David Noton is talking at Clacton CC next month and illustrating his talk with his stunning images.

Enter EveshamWe featured the Vale of Evesham CC’s National Digital Exhibition in issue 4 of PN and now’s the time to enter the 2015 event. There are four digital categories: colour, monochrome, natural history and experimental/creative. Entry closes on 25 February, selections will be made 7 and 8 March, with the accepted images announced on 10 April. The selectors are Sandy

Cleland FRPS, Karen Berry FRPS, Peter Gennard MFIAP and Graham Hodgkiss ARPS.

π To find out more, go to www.eveshamphoto.net.

First year’s successHatfield-based member of Potters Bar & District PS, Graham Adamson won four trophies in this first competitive year with the society. A naturally delighted Graham said: “I had hoped to be competitive but to win four trophies at once was beyond my wildest dreams. There are some good photographers at the club and to win was very pleasing.” For information about joining the club please call Ann Coldrick on 01438 832504.

π To find out more about Potters Bar & District PS, go to www.pottersbarphotosoc.org.uk.

The first part of the competition year at Park Street Camera Club has been very much dominated by the ladies with success for Helen Winter, Sue Hipperson and Connie Fitzgerald.

Ladies leading the way at Park Street

π To find out more about Park Street CC, go to www.parkstreetcameraclub.com or email Dave Hipperson on [email protected].

Ealing & Hampshire House PS is hosting a talk by top pro Tim Flach on 12 February at Ealing Town Hall, New Broadway, Ealing W5 2BY. An honorary fellow of the RPS, Flach is world renowned for his creative animal images and if you can make the evening it will definitely be worthwhile. Tickets cost £10, which includes refreshments, and are available from eventsbot.com/events/eb825824312.

π To find out more, go to ehhps.org.uk.

See Flach at Ealing

Connie Fitzgerald

Helen W

inter

HAILSHAM PS’S COLOUR SHOW An audiovisual extravaganza not to be missed. The event takes place on 6 and 7 March at Hailsham Community Hall, Hailsham BN27 2AX. Tickets costs £5 each from Eric Lavender on 01323 845569.www.hailshamphoto graphicsociety.co.uk


11OpinionBEFORE THE JUDGE

Glyn EdmundsEach issue, a respected judge or exhibition selector shares their thoughts and experiences. This month, we hear from Glyn Edmunds

Every photographer’s story is unique. In my own case I was a happy snapper when I met my long-term partner, now wife, Jean Brooks EFIAP/b back in 1986. We first got involved in the club world the following year. I always said that I would never judge, but after a couple of seasons – inspired by the good guys and horrified by the bad – I felt that I should give it a go. We all whinge about judges and judging, but unless we move to letting the computers assess our images as well as capture and print them there will always be a need for more and better judges.

I’m passionate about the fact that photographic judges at whatever level should be competent and practising photographers – and preferably those who support the international circuit and visit exhibitions of photography and other branches of the visual arts. We can all relate to the club judge who does not appear to have taken a decent image in the last 30 years and yet still feels that he (sadly it is too often a ‘he’) is qualified to critique our pictures. It’s not a common approach, but whenever I’m asked to judge I always show a few of my own images first. This is not intended as a diversion from the main part of the evening but to provide an insight into my photography and to show I’m a current photographer.

Judging should always be positive and encouraging with constructive advice where obvious flaws are present. Most of us are aware of the scenario where a newish member of a club puts in a few images for assessment only to come across a judge who views destructive appraisals as a spectator sport. Often such a member abandons club photography never to be seen again. In such cases it is the judge, not the entrant, who should leave.

Words by Glyn EdmundsMEET

THE JUDGE

Have you seen a photographic judge at work who you’d like to see profiled in Photography News? If so please drop us a line to [email protected] with the judge’s name and, if possible, their contact details.

What do you think?

Glyn Edmunds: Glyn first got involved in photography in 1986 and after initially not showing an interest in judging, he’s now travelled the world with his hobby, judging at international exhibitions.

Home club: Chichester Camera Club

Years in photography: 28

Favourite camera: Lomography Fisheye

Favourite lens: Leica 28mm f/2.8 Elmarit (for 1986 M6)

Favourite photographers: Many members of both the Arena Group and the London Salon. The former hold their next inspirational, weekend seminar 13 to 15 March 2015. Check out www.arenaphotographers.com.

Favourite photographic subjects: Street, figure and travel.

Awards won: More than 100, plus 1500 acceptances in FIAP and PSA approved salons around the globe since getting started in 1989.

Distinctions gained: ABIPP, AMPA, APAGB, APSA, ARPS, DPAGB, EFIAP/s and EPSA

It’s not a regular occurrence, but I can recall a number of occasions where I’ve given the top mark in the beginners’ section to a striking image featuring obvious technical problems. I’ll reference the problems but explain that if you can’t ‘see’ a picture, that is something very difficult to teach. Technical shortcomings are much easier to rectify.

There are very clear guidelines in the PAGB handbook on booking lecturers and judges, which most clubs follow. Sadly there seems to be an increasing number of clubs who miss out some of the essentials like providing clear directions to get to the venue and a mobile phone number for emergencies on the night (which should be switched on).

Judging and lecturing has taken us west to Phoenix, Arizona, north to Edinburgh and south to Johannesburg, the latter for the five-day annual conference of the PSSA (Photographic Society of Southern Africa). They had generous sponsorship so four European photographers were flown in.

One of our highlights of 2014 was a return visit to Dublin to select a competition for the Irish Photographic Federation (IPF). This time it was the National Shield Competition which has very interesting entry requirements. Clubs are invited to send in a panel of eight colour and/or eight mono prints. Photographers with any letters after their name or more than a handful of acceptances in any

international are barred. Great to encourage relative newcomers to competitive photography and the standard was very good. The prints were displayed as an exhibition and each of the three judges independently viewed and marked the images. Irish hospitality is legendary, so it is always great to be invited back to the Emerald Isle.

Why offer to judge in the first place? It is an honour and a privilege to be invited to assess other people’s photography and it’s an opportunity to give something back to a hobby which has given me so much pleasure over the years – and you do get the best view of all the images that are presented.

Why offer to judge in the first place? It is an honour and a privilege to be invited to assess other people’s photography and it’s an opportunity to give something back

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


12Advertisement feature

Best of both worlds MANFROTTO OFF-ROAD

Manfrotto’s latest backpack offers outdoor photographers the perfect combination

Backpacks tend to be one thing or the other. They’re either perfect for carrying outdoor gear or ideal for lugging large quantities of photo equipment, but rarely a combination of the two. That’s all set to change thanks to the new Manfrotto Off-Road backpack, which goes on sale in early February with an SRP of £169.95.

Two bags in oneDesigned specifically for photographers who like to carry generous amounts of both outdoor and photo equipment, the 30-litre Off-Road backpack features a distinct 50/50 split. The bottom half of the backpack swallows a professional-sized digital SLR with a lens attached, plus two further lenses and miscellaneous accessories, while the top half leaves ample space for waterproofs, a torch, maps and, perhaps most importantly, sandwiches. You don’t need to delve through all your outdoor gear to get to your photo equipment, either. The side zip access makes it easy to quickly select the piece of gear you need.

Better still, for those times when you want to travel light on the gear front, the gear section can be completely removed, instantly converting the Off-Road into a full outdoor backpack.

Designed for comfortWhatever you choose to carry in the Off-Road backpack, the bag’s design ensures you’ll enjoy day-long comfort. It features a breathable system that keeps the back of the bag away from the body to minimise sweat and maximise comfort. The broad shoulder straps are also holed to improve ventilation while the padded waist strap helps distribute the weight and even features a pocket for a smartphone.

Photographers who like to keep their cameras out and ready for action will appreciate the camera support strap, which keeps your DSLR safe and secure, reducing the chance of it being bumped on a rock or generally adding extra weight to your neck. Plus there is a dedicated tripod

hanger – that can also double to hold walking poles – which can be easily accessed without even needing to take the backpack off.

Colour quartetWell thought out and available in a range of four different colours – grey, green, blue and red – the Off-Road backpack is a fine choice for all photographers wanting to combine both their walking and photography passions.

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


13Profile

The gallery set out to establish photography as a serious art form, do you think it has helped to achieve that?The Photographers’ Gallery was set up by Sue Davies who had been working at the Institute of Contemporary Arts where she saw the potential for photography exhibitions. She decided that the UK needed a dedicated space for photography and went about securing our previous home on Great Newport Street which was opened to the public in 1971. It is important to note that photography’s position within the cultural landscape was very different then, with photography placed within the applied/commercial domain and exhibitions of photography not being very common.

The Gallery was set up to provide a platform for photographers through exhibitions and to be a centre for the consideration of the medium through its education programme, talks, events, book and print sales. The Gallery has continued to introduce key international photographers to the UK and champion UK based talent. This history and endeavours like our annual photography prize, founded in 1996, all could be said to have helped establish photography within a more receptive cultural landscape.

Is there still a place for an exclusively photographic gallery?The fact that we are medium specific allows us a lot of breadth in terms of what types of photography we show. We dedicate ourselves to photography in all its forms, applied and vernacular as well as the photo book and the contemporary art photograph. For example we mounted an exhibition of photographs from the archive of the London Fire Brigade which presented wonderfully odd photographs from training manuals, firefighters at their Christmas parties and documentary shots of incidents and their aftermath throughout the London boroughs. It was a treat of a show and perhaps one that was

Years in the photo industry: 10

Current location: London

Last picture taken: Yesterday

Hobbies: Needlepoint

When you were younger, what did you want to be when you grew up? A foreign correspondent

Dogs or cats? Neither

Toast or cereal? Both

Email or phone call? Email for work, phone calls for friends

BIOGRAPHY

I still get a kick from standing anonymously in the space a day or two after opening and listening to the responses to the show

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

Karen McQuaidKaren McQuaid, curator of the Photographers’ Gallery, is in the hot seat this month fielding our questions about this world-first institution

INTERVIEW

only able to happen in a medium specific space. Through the Media Wall, our digital exhibition space, we address the changes in the status and circulation of photography in a broader cultural context.

It was the first of its kind in the world, why do you think it took so long for someone to found a photography-only gallery? If you consider the activities of Limelight Photographic Gallery in Greenwich Village through the 1950s and the fact that MoMA, NY established its photography department from 1940 it does seem incredible. It’s hard to say why, but it is clear that the scholarship and seriousness with which photography was treated in the UK in the academy and the cultural institutions took a while to catch up with New York or Paris. Keith Arnatt’s provocative essay Sausages and Food, published in 1982 as critique of Tate’s acquisition policy in relation to photography articulates the frustrations of the time.

How long have you been involved with the Photographers’ Gallery and what does your role as curator entail?I’ve been in my post as curator since 2009, and I worked on our talks and events programme before that. With the scale of the team and our integrated approach to programming I was very involved from the beginning in a wide range of the Gallery’s activities, which is one of the great advantages of working in a medium-sized gallery.

My role as curator is to feed into our team discussions, planning the future programme and to facilitate the exhibitions that I’m responsible for. This involves everything from formulating a narrative for the show, planning the installation, production, insurance, framing and shipping of the work. I also work with co-curators, lending institutions and our own team to provide a framework around each exhibition that allows our audience to engage with ideas and concerns surrounding the work. There is a lot more besides this, but seeking new practices and developing ways of thinking about photography is, I suppose, the most crucial.

What do you enjoy most about your job?Involvement with great photographers and photographic projects I feel should be shared. This can range from working directly with an established photographer on a large mid-career show at the Gallery, to meeting with a photographer with a small scale book at a nascent stage and helping it find form through discussion. Working creatively with the artists and my colleagues here to practically facilitate and deliver an installation that is as considered and complete as possible, and the sense of shared achievement when it comes off.

We’re a broad church so to speak, and that means we have a wide audience who approach the work from varied perspectives; I still get a kick from standing anonymously in the space a day or two after an opening and listening to responses to the shows.

What are some of the most memorable exhibitions you’ve curated at the gallery?I’d say Geraldo de Barros was a huge highlight: he is not very well known in the UK and he had such a fascinating and diverse career ranging from industrial design to abstract painting. We showed the experimental photographs he made as a young artist and the very poignant collages he worked on before his death.

What was the most popular exhibition?In early 2014 we did three shows concurrently of bodies of photographic work by key cultural figures of the 20th century who were not primarily known as photographers: Andy Warhol, William Burroughs and David Lynch. Their combined cultural weight brought many visitors through the door, but also audiences from the worlds of literature and film who may not have visited us otherwise.

How is the gallery funded?A third of our activities are funded by the Arts Council of England, a third by our own enterprises (café, bookshop and print sales) and a third from individual giving, membership, patronage and sponsorship. With potential funding cuts we need to remain agile and responsive in order to remain a space that is accessible for the wide, engaged and growing audiences we continue to build.

© D

ennis Gilbert

© Anna Dannemann

Register your club today at absolutephoto.comPhotography News | Issue 16

14IN ASSOCIATION WITH

We’ve had a lovely few weeks admiring the images you’ve uploaded to the Camera Club of the Year pages on www.absolutephoto.com. It’s simply brilliant to see the talent that is clearly encouraged and nurtured by the many hundreds of camera clubs and photographic societies around the country. That’s made choosing our Image of the Month a difficult task. It’s taken a lot of good-natured (ahem!) debate and discussion to reach a unanimous choice, but we’ve done it; and you can see the lucky winner opposite. Remember that you can still enter Rounds 1 and 2 of the competition; you have until the final closing date of 5 May to enter all five rounds.

Round 1 is water, Round 2 weather and this round it’s close-ups. We’ll announce the final two in the next two issues of PN, then all you have to do is submit the best five images for each theme for your club to be in with a chance of winning the top prize worth more than £3000: Canon kit and a day with pro David Noton. To qualify for

Camera Club of the Year 2014-15

Was your new year’s resolution to enter our Camera Club of the Year competition? We sure hope so. Details of Round 3 follow, and don’t forget you can still enter Rounds 1 and 2

The winning club gets…... a brilliant Canon XEED WUX450 multimedia projector worth over £3000 to show off their winning shots and 25 subscriptions to irista, plus an exclusive experience day with international landscape and travel pro, David Noton!

CANON XEED WUX450 PROJECTOR + AN EXCLUSIVE DAY WITH DAVID NOTONThe Canon XEED WUX450 multimedia projector, worth over £3000, is Canon’s most compact WUXGA projector. WUXGA stands for Widescreen Ultra Extended Graphics Array, so you get a 16:10 screen aspect ratio and a huge display resolution of up to 1920x1200 pixels. www.canon.co.uk

David Noton is one of the world’s top photographers specialising in landscape and travel work. The winning club gets an exclusive day with David where he’ll be hosting a workshop and then providing an illustrated talk on his amazing images. www.davidnoton.com

25 SUBSCRIPTIONS TO IRISTAThe new way to manage, organise and share your image files online, irista supports JPEGs and Raws from most manufacturers and 10GB of storage space is available free on sign-up. The winning club, though, will get 25 free Value subscriptions that have 50GB storage capacity – which is normally £45 for a year’s subscription. www.irista.com

Canon POWERSHOT G7 X

STREET PRICE £550

SENSOR 20 megapixels, 1in, 13.2x8.8mm CMOS

IMAGE DIMENSIONS 5472x3648 pixels

ISO RANGE 125-12,800, auto

AUTOFOCUS MODES Contrast detect, multi, centre, selective single, single, continuous, face, touch, live view

SHUTTER 40secs-1/2000sec

METERING Multi, centre-weighted, spot

SHOOTING SPEEDS 6.5fps

MOVIES 1920x1080 (60p, 30p)

LCD 3in tilting, 1040k, touch sensitive

STORAGE SD, SDHC, SDXC

DIMENSIONS 103x60x40mm

WEIGHT 304g

SPECS

Sometimes small truly is beautiful and in the case of the G7 X it’s also powerful.

Tucked into its sleek body is the 4.2x f/1.8-2.8 optical zoom (35mm equivalent 24-100mm), which quietly and quickly extends when you press the on/off button. Ready for action in just over a second, it’s a high spec optic and features IS technology, offering a valuable 3EV benefit.

For assured shooting even in low light, the G7 X also boasts Canon’s tried-and-tested HS system, which combines with the latest DIGIC 6 processor and 20-megapixel CMOS sensor for excellent image quality. Movies are similarly well looked after, benefitting from 5-axis stabilisation and full HD quality. And with 6.5fps shooting and 31 focus points to choose from, the G7 X will help you land competition winning images time after time.

It’s priced at £550 and is in the shops now.

First, your club’s competition secretary (or whoever is going to enter each month) must sign up at www.absolutephoto.com.Next, click on Members’ Area in the menu bar, then choose Camera Club of the Year 2014-15 from the drop-down list. Simply register your camera club and follow the upload instructions.

How to enter

CANON XEED WUX450

PROJECTOR

David Noton EXPERIENCE

DAY!

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

Will C

heung

the Image of the Month, submit your Round 2 weather images by 2 February; for Round 3 you have until 2 March.

We look forward to seeing your take on the weather and how you interpret the close-up theme. Good luck!

Register your club today at absolutephoto.com Issue 16 | Photography News


Round 3: Close-upsFamous photojournalist and co-founder of Magnum Photos Robert Capa once said: “If your pictures aren’t good enough, you’re not close enough.” This round is all about getting in closeThis round is not necessarily about macro photography and, of course, tiny objects recorded in close proximity do count, but close-up here also means the minimum focusing distance of your non-macro lenses too. In turn, this means a very wide range of subjects is available to explore.

Good composition is key to every successful photograph and what you include in your images always needs care and consideration. With landscape you can use lead-in lines to guide the viewer to the image’s focal point, while with portraits it is all about using the eyes.

Shooting close-ups the disciplines can be slightly different. Lead-in lines, the rule of thirds and the golden section can all work but shooting close-up also demands more consideration of characteristics like colour, texture and the interaction of highlights and shadow details.

You also have to be careful what is included in the final composition but even more importantly work hard on what you exclude. Little intrusions can have a massive negative impact on an image so try variations of cropping to see what works best. If you are using an image-editing software like Adobe Lightroom you are working non-destructively and if you make virtual copies (Photo>Create Virtual Copy) you can try any number of variations and compare them before outputting them to TIFFs or JPEGs.

Working on the adage ‘less is more’ won’t harm your pictures at all; on the contrary it could give your photographs much more impact so don’t be afraid wield the crop tool and make sure your entries are as strong as possible.

It was a real challenge picking our favourite but in the end the judges went for this peaceful study

Will C

heung

IMAGE OF THE MONTH

Colin JarvisPreston Photographic Society

Wow! Thanks to the many clubs and societies who have entered the Camera Club of the Year contest so far. We have had a fabulous response so thank you.

With hundreds of images uploaded for Round 1, Water, it was a real challenge picking our favourite but in the end the judges went for this peaceful study. The image’s tranquillity and monochromatic feel appealed hugely. Well done to Colin on his lovely composition.

If your club hasn’t entered yet, don’t worry there is still plenty of time to register and upload images. The ultimate closing date for the contest is 5 May 2015, by which time we will have 25 images from every club.

Before signing off, apologies to those who experienced teething problems during Round 1. All sorted now, but if you encounter any problems, let us know.

ABOVE LEFT Why not shoot everyday objects that you find out and about in a creative manner? Think about the patterns and lines you can create. ABOVE RIGHT You might try a colourful close-up of a blooming flower or other natural subject; notice how sharp the flower is, with use of a shallow depth-of-field. LEFT Choosing one subject and zooming in your lens can create a dramatic effect but don’t forget about your background.

Will C

heungW

ill Cheung

Register your club today at absolutephoto.com


MASTERCLASS: CLOSE-UP

David NotonWe’ll be tapping into landscape photographer and Canon ambassador David Noton’s fount of expertise to help you and your club bag the top prize. This month, David shares his tips on how to capture close-ups

David’s top tips

STILL AND STEADY“If you really need to get that optimum depth-of-field, then a tripod and minimum aperture are going to be necessary. Use mirror lock or live view to ensure there is absolutely no mirror slap or camera movement.”

AU NATUREL “Look at what nature is giving you: Mother Nature’s own compositions are usually the best.”

UP CLOSE“A dedicated macro lens such as the Canon 100mm f/2.8 macro is a great tool to have if you’re into close-up work.”

CROP IN CAMERA“I avoid cropping wherever possible. I try and compose in camera to make use of every pixel available. I think it’s good photographic discipline to train your eyes to see what’s there and compose, frame and crop in camera rather than shooting and then just throwing pixels and information later.”

APERTURE-PRIORITY“I tend to work in aperture-priority exposure mode. That’s particularly relevant for close-up work because depth-of-field is usually your first consideration.”

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

The first thing that comes to mind when David thinks of close-ups is rolling round in the undergrowth. With his Canon EOS 5D Mark III of course. As a celebrated landscape photographer, he’s usually captivated by sweeping scenes but by getting up close there are all kinds of textures, details and colour in nature that can make for just as striking a shot. “What can be equally illuminating and challenging photographically is looking at the world in detail, what’s happening beneath our feet, almost literally,” says David. His Canon EOS 5D Mark III is ideal for capturing these more unusual perspectives. “Low down is quite a difficult viewpoint to work in; live view on my Mark III is really handy to check composition when I’m in a difficult position,” he enthuses.

Retraining your eye to hunt for details can seem unnatural, especially when you are more accustomed to looking at the bigger picture. David explains that there are two approaches you can take. “You can try and get everything sharp and show detail in the picture,” he says. “Or you can use creatively selective focus which can be so powerful when working close up, deliberately isolating detail by shooting wide open at maximum aperture and minimum depth-of-field.” Getting the depth-of-field right is one of the trickier aspects of shooting close-up, but David advises to just go with it. “The closer you get, the shallower the depth-of-field gets. I tend to not fight that and actually start using

the minimum depth-of-field for creative purposes, dropping the background totally out of focus.”

Packing a standard or mid-range zoom, such as the high-performance Canon 24-70mm f/2.8 L II USM lens, will ensure you’re ready to get up close should the opportunity present itself. To take you even closer, David recommends the Canon 25mm extension tube as a pocket-friendly alternative to a dedicated macro lens. However, for serious macro photographers David says nothing compares to a lens like the Canon 100mm f/2.8 macro lens. But when the landscape photographer found himself unexpectedly confronted with an elephant right up close, he had to make use of the lens he had to hand.

“We were trying to get back to the camp in Kruger National Park and the elephant was literally

on the road in front of us,” he recalls. “I had this huge 500mm lens on my Canon and there was no way I could get all of the elephant in the frame, but I was struck by the wonderful textures of its skin. I went in on the eye, isolating in on that detail and in the picture it works so well.”

When asked if he has a favourite subject to capture up close, David seemed to take inspiration from everywhere. “I don’t know where to stop, there can be such great details in rocks, moss and barks but the patterns and shapes in nature are all there provided for us,” he says, “It’s just whether you stop to notice or not.”

For more tips, David’s DVD Photography in the Raw offers practical advice on all kinds of subjects from how to read the light to how to capture the best picture in any situation. Copies can be purchased from his website and prices start from £24 and go up to £32.40 for a Full HD edition.

Watch and learnLow down is quite a difficult viewpoint to work in; live view on my Mark III is really handy to check composition

LEFT David captured this close-up of an elephant whilst on safari in Kruger National Park. Canon EOS 5D Mark III, Canon 500mm f/4L IS II USM, 1/100sec at f/4, ISO 1600.

BELOW Poppy in a field. Canon EOS 5D Mark III, Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L II USM, 1/1250sec at f/2.8, ISO 100.

David N

oton

Photography News | Issue 16

David N

oton


18Competitions

The competition is hosted by both Blipfoto and VELUX, how did that collaboration come about?In 2012, we were approached by VELUX to work with them on a photography competition that encouraged people to think differently about daylight by capturing a moment of light through photography. The idea sounded refreshing and exciting, and it felt like a natural partnership as we are both aware of and feel strongly about the impact natural light can have on our daily lives.

What’s the advantage of hosting the competition on a website such as Blip?Blip already has a community of people who are incredibly passionate about photography. VELUX Lovers of Light gives them a great opportunity to have their work recognised and at the same time be in with a chance of winning a truly once in a lifetime prize.

How is the competition going so far? We have been genuinely overwhelmed by the number of entries we’ve received so far, which has grown significantly year on year. We’ve also been

Lovers of LightJoe Tree is the founder of daily photo sharing site Blipfoto and judge for the VELUX Lovers of Light photo competition. With entries for the comp still flooding in, we caught up with the photo entrepreneur to find out how the competition was going

INTERVIEW

Interview by Megan Croft hugely impressed with the quality, creativity and calibre of all the entries. I think we were all maybe a little surprised by how difficult it was to choose a winner from thousands of strong shots.

Despite being relatively new, the competition has amassed an impressive number of entries (almost 15,000 last year). Why do you think it’s proved to be so popular?The VELUX Lovers of Light photography competition is very unique in that it encourages people to think about daylight and the important role it plays in our everyday lives through photography. It’s not always an easy job to capture daylight but the key is composition and timing. The competition is about capturing that perfect moment and I think this challenge is what inspires our entrants to deliver such a high calibre of entries. Sometimes you have to get up early in the day and catch a beautiful winter sunrise, or wait until later on in the day to catch the sun setting at just the right point.

The competition encourages people to use their imagination freely and there are so many ways people can interpret daylight within photography whether it’s capturing a snow-covered mountain lit up by reflections of the sun or a cool piece of

architecture with a sunset background. The feeling, when you get the picture you’re looking for and can share it with other people, is exceptional.

Who is your typical entrant?The competition is open to amateur and professional photographers alike. Both winners from the previous two years of the competition have been keen amateurs who use photography first and foremost as a hobby so it’s brilliant to see them rewarded for something they enjoy doing in their spare time. When we launched the competition, we set out to make it inclusive to all keen photographers and hope it encourages them to think about daylight differently.

What do you want to see from this year’s entries?The standard of entry has been excellent both years and continues to exceed all our expectations. We see everything from images of city landscapes and snow-covered mountains, to sea views and forest walks. In some ways it’s nice to face a difficult choice of picking one winner as it means we, as judges, get to see so many brilliant images. We hope to see much of the same this year and as always we’re looking for something that will jump out and ‘wow’ the judges.

The feeling, when you get the picture you’re looking for and can share it with other people, is exceptional

Stephen Banks

BELOW Stephen Banks’s photo Winter Surprise took third place in last year’s competition.


19Competitions

There’s still time to enter the competition and be in with a chance of winning the top prize of a trip for two to Lemmenjoki National Park, Finland and three nights in a glass igloo. Creatively capture daylight and submit your image via the above website before 20 February 2015; winners will be announced in March.

Capture the light

π To find out more, go to www.velux.co.uk/loversoflight.

You’ve judged the competition previously, how does the judging process work?There are five judges overall, all from very different backgrounds. We have a team with expertise in architecture, science, photography and art. The judges include myself, writer and broadcaster Tom Dyckhoff, daylight expert and professor of circadian neuroscience Dr Russell Foster, artist Sarah Butterfield and VELUX marketing manager Charlotte Chapman. Specialising in different areas, we all complement one another and help to decide on what makes a photograph interesting.

First and foremost, the entries are whittled down by members of the Blip community who vote on the best entries. We meet in London to look at the shortlisted entries and collectively choose a winner. Because of our different backgrounds and interests, we all have very different perspectives on daylight, but it’s a great way to break down the entries into a top ten and finally a top three. We then decide on first place, second place and third place.

Is it difficult to agree on the winner? Every judge has their own interpretation of daylight but it’s fantastic to hear different opinions and sometimes you can change your own perspective of a photo because of the way someone else understands it. That said, it can be difficult to agree on a winner due to the number of fantastic entries. I imagine that this year it’ll be much the same and we’ll be presented with the pleasant problem of having too many standout images to choose from.

The competition brief is broad and open to interpretation, does that make it more challenging to select just one winner?It makes it more interesting. From previous years, we’ve learned that daylight can be interpreted in

a lot of different ways. The brief allows entrants to be creative, as long as it reflects daylight it will be in with a chance of winning. There’s not just one interpretation of daylight and this actually gives us a better opportunity to see more exciting and inspiring pictures. How do you go about judging an image, what do you first look for and where do you start? It’s a subtle mix of objectivity and subjectivity. You need to make sure each image meets the brief and stands up technically, then it’s down to the aesthetic and what it does to your emotions. That’s where things start to get a bit more interesting among the group of judges!

What will it take to make you take a second glance at an image?Quite often it’s not about what’s in the image, but what isn’t. If the image suggests something else, something deeper, that can make you look again, then it’s got a great chance of catching the attention of the judges. I think last year’s winning shot by Graham Colling does exactly that. Your eye is led along the path, and to somewhere that you can’t see.

Are there some obvious and common pitfalls and mistakes that entrants make that could easily be avoided? Lovers of Light is about celebrating natural daylight, but I think there can be a tendency for some entrants to use light in an overly dark or ominous way. Over the last couple of years, the photographs which get shortlisted have all been much more uplifting. So think about the ‘celebration’ aspect of daylight.

Can you give our readers any tips on how to make the most of daylight in their photos?Don’t be afraid of the weather! The competition is launched towards the second half of the year, so it’s not always perfect sunshine. We’re lucky enough in Britain to have crisp days which can sometimes include snow: this is great for photographic purposes as it can enable photographers to capture

images of the sun bouncing off shimmery surfaces, creating different dynamics of daylight. It can rain a lot here in Scotland, where I’m from, but sometimes that can leave you with great picture options such as catching a rainbow after a heavy shower. Equally in the spring, we can use the longer days to make the most of daylight, red skies and golden light which always create some fantastic pictures.

We created some top tips to help entrants this year in a series of short photography masterclasses. These videos are made to help some of our entrants understand how to take great photographs and use natural daylight to your advantage. For tips on how to take great daylight photographs, you can watch my first video Joe Tree – Making the Most of Winter Light 1 on the VELUX YouTube channel.

Will Blipfoto continue to be involved with the competition in the future? Absolutely. Over the last couple of years working with VELUX, we’ve done something remarkable., taking an idea and turning it into one of the most popular photography competitions around. I’m sure the brief will develop over time, but really we would like to give as many people as possible around the world the opportunity to take part. Daylight is one of the few natural resources we all share that nobody can bottle up and take away from us. I’d love for Lovers of Light to become one of the ways the world celebrates that, every year.

ABOVE LEFT Graham Colling was the 2013 overall winner with his image Early Light.

TOP RIGHT Martin Dawe’s winning image from the 2012 competition.

ABOVE RIGHT Third place in last year’s mobile competition was Julia Denning’s Firelight.

The brief allows entrants to be creative, as long as it reflects daylight it will be in with a chance of winning

Graham

Colling

Martin D

awe

Julia Denning


20Tripod guide

Benro C2970F Versatile Transformer£199Offering flexibility in shooting positions, the C2970F is suited to photographers who need to work at awkward angles or get close to the subject – as with macro and nature work. The centre column quickly switches from vertical to horizontal, and unlike many can be locked in place anywhere through its swing. Add in its adjustable legs, which can be independently locked at three angles and you can shoot in small spaces, on uneven surfaces or at ground level (minimum vertical height is 39cm).

Maximum height is a respectable 179.9cm (149cm without centre column extended) and it’s strong (maximum load is 12kg) and light at 1.64kg. Elsewhere, there are rubberised leg locks that aid water and dust resistance and it comes with a choice of screw-in rubber feet or stainless steel spikes, so you can work more easily on a range of surfaces. There’s a hook for adding ballast, and one of the legs is complemented by a thick foam rubber sleeve to give a more comfortable carry (especially in freezing conditions) and you also get a durable shoulder strap and case.

MAX HEIGHT 179.7cm

MIN HEIGHT 39cm

CLOSED LENGTH64.5

LEG SECTIONS 3

MAX LOAD12kg

WEIGHT 1.64kg

SPECS

CONTACT www.kenro.co.uk

Slik Pro 724 CF£170Proving a tall, solid and adaptable shooting platform at an affordable price, the Slik Pro 724 CF has four-section legs and weighs in at only 1.4kg. A maximum shooting height of 163.6cm can be reached (131.1cm without the centre column extended), and while the centre column can be removed and reversed for inverted ground-level shooting, its lowest vertical arrangement is 18cm. The whole package folds to 47.3cm, making it an easy enough fit for suitcases or holdalls, and its leg locks are of the twisting type, allowing you to loosen all three at once for quicker setting up.

At 5kg, it doesn’t have the highest load rating of the tripods featured here, but that’s more than enough to take a typical enthusiast DSLR and lens. For a better footing on awkward surfaces, the Slik Pro 724 CF’s legs can be independently locked at three angles, and the centre column carries a hook for attaching a counterweight in windy conditions. Neoprene grips are used on all three legs for a more comfortable carry, and a bag is included along with a three-year warranty.

MAX HEIGHT 163.6cm

MIN HEIGHT 18cm

CLOSED LENGTH47.3cm

LEG SECTIONS 4

MAX LOAD5kg

WEIGHT 1.4kg

SPECS

CONTACT www.sliktripod.co.uk

The best lightweight legs aroundPick a light, strong and fully featured tripod and you’ll see the benefit in your shots

CARBON-FIBRE TRIPODS

Spending all your money on a top-of-the-line camera, then using it on a sub-standard tripod is like buying a Ferrari then rocking up at Honest Dave’s Caravan of Remoulded Tyres to get its shoes: a terrible idea. Like tyres on a car, the tripod is what’s connecting your camera to the ground, and anything less than a stable platform will cause problems, especially if you’re shooting at very high resolution or using telephoto lenses.

But good, solid tripods don’t need to be heavy and cumbersome. In fact, carbon-fibre tripods provide all the stability you need and weigh as much as 40% less than similarly spec’d aluminium versions, so they can go anywhere you do. Carbon fibre won’t glue itself to your hands in freezing temperatures, or get stupidly hot in direct sunlight, either. And while the higher cost of materials involved does make picking the right one all the more important, if they’re taken care of, these high-spec models will last a lifetime.

In this guide you’ll find ten great options, which vary in cost and features offered. Some include heads, but when buying enthusiast and pro-spec tripods like these it’s more common to choose the head separately, basing it on your style of photography. Assess your own photographic needs before matching them to one of the options here. Some pack down small for easier transportation, some offer greater height, or speed of set-up, some offer more stable support… but they’re all great pieces of kit in their own right.

Carbon fibre tripods provide stability and weigh as much as 40% less than similarly spec’d aluminium versions

Words by Kingsley Singleton


21Tripod guide

3 Legged Thing X1.1 Brian Evolution 2£237The X1.1 Brian Evolution 2 offers an incredible mix of portability, versatility and strength. Thanks to its five-section legs and folding design, it has a tiny closed length of just 42cm, weighs only 1.33kg, but can still support a healthy load of up to 8kg. For increased stability when using all five sections, the reversible centre column can be removed and your camera can be mounted directly onto the leg section – in this way it’s possible to shoot at very low height of 12.5cm. Ground-level shooting – useful for macro shots – is possible with the column inverted and because there’s a mounting point at each end you can add a laptop or tablet bracket, allowing tethered shooting and offsetting the difficulties of working inverted.

Maximum height is a lofty 2.06m, making the tripod useful for high-angle shooting and a valuable option as a lighting stand. Adding to the range of use, one of the X1.1 Brian’s legs can be removed and used as a monopod with a maximum height of 131cm. You also get a ballast hook, carry strap, and bag.

MAX HEIGHT 204cm

MIN HEIGHT 12.5cm

CLOSED LENGTH42cm

LEG SECTIONS 5

MAX LOAD8kg

WEIGHT 1.33kg

SPECS

CONTACT www.3leggedthing.com

Nest Traveller NT-6294CK£210Available as a kit with an NT-636H ball head, the Traveller NT-6294CK is light, compact and strong. Weighing 1.85kg, it uses an inverting leg design, packing down to 45cm, including the supplied head, but can still support loads up to a whopping 20kg. The head is actually load-rated to 15kg, but it’s still a decent performance, and uses the common Arca-Swiss design for its quick-release plate. With four leg sections, measuring a chunky 29mm at the top, the Traveller uses rubberised twist locks for height adjustment, allowing the sections to slide out with a quarter turn and, like some of the others in this guide, one of the legs can be removed and combined with the centre column to form a 163cm monopod. Maximum shooting height is 166cm (142cm without the centre column) and the lowest, without reversing the centre column, is 28.5cm, while the Traveller’s legs can be independently locked at three angles for shooting low down or on uneven surfaces. The Traveller NT-6294CK also comes complete with a carry case, padded shoulder strap, tools and a five-year warranty.

MAX HEIGHT 166cm

MIN HEIGHT 28.5cm

CLOSED LENGTH45cm

LEG SECTIONS 4

MAX LOAD20kg

WEIGHT 1.85kg

SPECS

CONTACT www.nest-style.com

Velbon Geo E643D£249The Velbon Geo E643D’s carbon-fibre legs are made with small quantities of basalt, to increase strength and it comes in kit form, with a QHD-63D ball head, although any can be used via its 1/4in and 3/8in screws. Its legs, which are a sturdy 28mm thick at the top, have four sections giving a maximum height of 168.1cm with the centre column extended (137.7cm without), and the two-section centre column can be removed to allow ultra-low shooting. Its legs can be angled and locked individually for awkward terrain, but also feature etched scale marks so they can be set to identical heights if desired, and retractable metal spikes for soft ground, snow, ice or sand. Neoprene grips offer a more comfortable carry in the hand or on the shoulder, and magnesium alloy castings are used throughout for improved durability.

Folding to 53.8cm, and weighing 1.83kg, the E643D will accept a maximum load of 10kg, and comes with a carry case and a ‘leg pouchette’, which can be weighted and hung on the included hook for added stability.

MAX HEIGHT 168.1cm

MIN HEIGHT 11cm

CLOSED LENGTH53.8cm

LEG SECTIONS 4

MAX LOAD10kg

WEIGHT 1.83kg

SPECS

CONTACT www.velbon.co.uk

Induro CT214 8X £299Giving solid support for set-ups up to 12kg in weight, the Induro CT214 8X weighs only 1.5kg itself meaning you’re very unlikely to put your back out on its account. To enhance stability and to reduce vibration it has a ‘wide stance’, cross-braced magnesium-alloy shoulder as well as an oversized centre column lock. Maximum height is 155.5cm (133.5cm without centre column) and although the minimum height of 48.6cm doesn’t sound low, the centre column reverses, so you can shoot down to ground level if desired. Packed up, the CT214 8X measures 53cm, while dust- and moisture-resistant leg locks control its four-section legs, requiring just a half turn to open or secure. The legs can be spread at three lockable angles letting you set up with ease on uneven surfaces (an integrated bubble level helps too) and interchangeable rubber and stainless steel spiked feet complete the sure footing. For carrying, there’s a strap and case, plus a comfortable grip and the bottom of the centre column has a spring-loaded hook for adding ballast.

MAX HEIGHT 155.5cm

MIN HEIGHT 48.6cm

CLOSED LENGTH53cm

LEG SECTIONS 4

MAX LOAD12kg

WEIGHT 1.5kg

SPECS

CONTACT www.indurogear.com


23Tripod guide

MeFOTO GlobeTrotter C2350Q2 £315MeFOTO specialises in travel tripods, so as you’d expect, the Globetrotter is versatile, small and light. Unlike many of the options listed here, it comes with a Q series ball head, along with a quick-release plate allowing you to get your camera on and off fast. The QR plate is of the Arca-Swiss type, so compatible with other set-ups. Together with the head, it weighs 1.7kg and can support up to 12kg. Composed of five sections, its legs have rubberised twist locks making for a fast set-up as well as a level of water and dust resistance and the centre column and one of the legs can be removed and combined to form a 163cm monopod.

With those five sections and the ability to invert the legs, the Globetrotter measures only 41cm when folded, while the greatest shooting height is 163cm (140cm without centre column) and the lowest (without reversing the centre column) is 41cm. Also included are an integral bubble level and carrying case and for the fashion conscious, the Globetrotter is available in red, green, blue, and titanium silver finishes as well as the regular black.

MAX HEIGHT 163cm

MIN HEIGHT 41cm

CLOSED LENGTH41cm

LEG SECTIONS 5

MAX LOAD12kg

WEIGHT 1.7kg

SPECS

CONTACT www.mefoto.com

Sirui S-1205-N£340This remarkable tripod weighs just 1.1kg and collapses to a packed length of 45cm. Impressive enough, but thanks to its innovative design it can be flat-packed to a depth of only 4cm, via the red ‘unlock’ button, for easier travel and storage. However, it also offers excellent stability, supporting a maximum load of 12kg – more than enough for most set-ups. The five-section legs allow shooting heights of 17cm to 141cm to be employed (120cm without the centre column), and one of them can be quickly removed to function as a monopod, reaching 154cm in height.

Both its regular centre column and shorter variant can be inverted for low-angle shooting and the S-1205-N uses twist-type leg locks, which loosen with a half turn, offering plenty of speed when striking the tripod. Two leg angles are offered for easier levelling on uneven terrain and the monopod leg features a foam rubber grip. There’s a hook on the centre column to add more stability via a weight if required and it also comes complete with a strap and carry case.

MAX HEIGHT 141cm

MIN HEIGHT 17cm

CLOSED LENGTH45cm

LEG SECTIONS 5

MAX LOAD12kg

WEIGHT 1.1kg

SPECS

CONTACT en.zssirui.com

Gitzo GT2532 Mountaineer Series 2 Carbon eXact£659Combining great stability with portability the GT2532 is aimed at professionals and demanding amateurs. Admittedly, it costs more than many of us spent on our first car, but the build quality means you’re buying for life. On the subject of stability, the GT2532’s legs are a chunky 29mm at the top, making them less likely to flex and cause vibrations, than thinner versions. This guarantees shake-free shooting with kit up to a maximum 18kg, but the tripod weighs just 1.67kg. The GT2532’s centre column can be removed and reversed, and the legs splayed for a minimum vertical shooting height of 16cm, while the maximum is 166cm with the centre column extended (138cm without). It packs to a respectable 65cm and the legs use Gitzo’s G-Lock twist-style for extremely fast operation while also protecting against dust or grit. Even greater stability can be achieved by hanging a weight (or a full camera bag) off the hook at the bottom of the centre column and its feet are removable, allowing other accessories, such as spiked feet or snow/sand shoes to be fitted.

MAX HEIGHT 166cm

MIN HEIGHT 16cm

CLOSED LENGTH65cm

LEG SECTIONS 3

MAX LOAD18kg

WEIGHT 1.67kg

SPECS

CONTACT www.gitzo.com

Manfrotto MT055CXPRO4 Carbon Fibre£349This four-section tripod is by no means cheap, but worth every penny and then some. A highly adaptable set of legs, it has a good maximum working height of 170cm (140cm without the centre column extended), and being composed of four leg sections it packs down smaller than its three-section cousin (at 54cm vs 61cm); which could be the difference between fitting it in a suitcase or not. It’s not the lightest here at 2.1kg, but is strong and durable thanks to its magnesium-alloy castings.

A big update from the previous 055 models are the QPL (Quick Power Lock) levers on the legs which allow not only easier opening of the leg sections when working one-handed, but also a more stable and rigid shooting platform. There’s also a bubble level built in to the top of the centre column, helping you keep shots on the level, but perhaps best of all is the 90° centre column mechanism. This lets you use the centre column in the normal vertical position, or horizontally without removing it, or moving the tripod itself and also allows shooting down to a worm’s-eye 9cm.

MAX HEIGHT 170cm

MIN HEIGHT 9cm

CLOSED LENGTH54cm

LEG SECTIONS 4

MAX LOAD9kg

WEIGHT 2.1kg

SPECS

CONTACT www.manfrotto.co.uk


24Kit reviews

We’ve seen the arrival of plenty of exciting lenses over recent months. Here’s a close look at six optics that have caught our eye

SPECS

Words & pictures by Will Cheung and Roger Payne

PRICE £470

CONTACTwww.canon.co.uk

CONSTRUCTION17 elements in 13 groups

FOCAL RANGE (35MM EQUIVALENT) 24-105mm

MINIMUM APERTURE f/22-36

APERTURE BLADES 7

CLOSEST FOCUSING DISTANCE 40cm

FILTER SIZE 77mm

IMAGE STABILISER Yes, 4EV benefit

DIMENSIONS (WXL) 83.4x104mm

WEIGHT 525g

Bulk and weight

Lens test specialON TEST

Canon EF 24-105mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM £470There is already a 24-105mm zoom in the system line-up, the EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM, but the most obvious difference between the two is the inclusion of a Stepping Motor (STM) for autofocusing. It’s Canon’s first full-frame zoom lens to feature STM, which will appeal to users who shoot video because you get smoother, silent AF. With the STM technology lens, focusing transitions are noticeably smoother.

STM technology is slower than USM to autofocus but in practice I didn’t notice any obvious difference. When it comes to optical performance, I took shots on both full-frame and APS-C format cameras, using an EF 24-105mm f/4L for comparison. Shots in the field looked good but I also shot a lens test chart in more controlled circumstances. Enlarging the shots to 100% and checking performance at the centre and edge of each image showed the L lens to be a more consistent performer across focal length and aperture ranges. Image quality with the new lens

drops off at the edges of the frame, most obviously at the wide-angle end where the shots taken at maximum and minimum apertures display softness. The newer optic does have marginally tighter control over image distortion, while handling of chromatic aberration is on a par with the L series.

In reality, none of this should come as a surprise and although the new lens can’t match the more expensive model, I wouldn’t expect it to.

The verdict If you want a full-frame 24-105mm lens, you have three choices: Canon’s L version, Sigma’s 24-105mm lens and this. Both the Sigma and L lens have a constant f/4 maximum aperture and a lens hood included in their higher price tags. Optically this new lens is perfectly capable, especially if you avoid the extreme aperture settings. It handles nicely, with the added benefit of STM technology, making it ideal for video shooting. RP

Silent AF, full-frame

PROS

CONS

No hood supplied – the EW-83M is a £30 optional extra

SPECSPRICE £1100

CONTACTwww.fujifilm.eu/uk

CONSTRUCTION23 elements in 16 groups – 5 ED and 1 super ED


MINIMUM APERTURE f/22

APERTURE BLADES 7

CLOSEST FOCUSING DISTANCE 1m

FILTER SIZE 72mm

IMAGE STABILISER OIS (Optical Image Stabilizer), 5EV benefit

DIMENSIONS (WXL) 82.9x175.9mm

WEIGHT 995g

Fujifilm XF50-140mm f/2.8 R LM OIS WR £1100This telezoom covers an important range in any system – the format’s 1.5x crop factor means this is equivalent to a 76-213mm f/2.8 – and its wide maximum aperture makes it suitable for a broad range of subjects. Weighing in at just under 1kg it’s no lightweight but then the lens features 23 elements, six of which are special glass. On the plus side, its fulsome specification includes weather- and dust-resistant build, internal OIS and an impressive optical performance.

It’s very sharp, almost regardless of focal length and zoom setting. Diffraction does impact on sharpness at f/16 and f/22 but where this lens is more likely to be used, ie. at its wider apertures, the sharpness it delivers is excellent. Used wide open, the bokeh effect is nice too. There is some evidence of flare when shooting into a bright light even with the hood in place but its high-tech coating minimises

its impact. The OIS system works well too. Shooting pin-sharp shots at its longest focal length at 1/30sec or even 1/15sec is feasible.

The whole zoom range is covered in about a one-quarter turn of the zoom barrel, the aperture ring is click-stopped in third stops like other X-series lenses and the lens stays a constant size regardless of focal length and subject distance. Even the tripod mount is worth a special mention – it’s substantial and high enough to avoid any issues with the camera body.

The verdict Some dealers have this lens priced at £1100 which is a bargain in terms of what it is capable of. It really is a class lens and while it’s neither compact nor lightweight it does fulfil an important need, notably for users coming from Canon and Nikon wanting a telezoom to replace their respective 70-200mm f/2.8 zooms. This Fujifilm 50-140mm f/2.8 easily fills the gap for a fast telezoom in the X-system and at a very good price too. WC

Optical quality, OIS, features

PROS

CONS


25Kit reviews

Nikon AF-S Nikkor 20mm f/1.8G ED £679

Fujifilm XF 56mm f/1.2 R APD £1099

Nikon’s fastest aperture ultra-wide lens joins a set of f/1.8 optics that includes a 28mm, 35mm, 50mm and 85mm. They share the same maximum aperture but there are other similarities too. Each has SWM for silent focusing, they are all G lenses so have no aperture ring and, depending on the lens, have special glass elements or Nano Crystal Coat.

The 20mm has 13 lens elements and of those two are Extra-Low Dispersion glass and there are two aspherical elements.

Such extreme wide-angles, especially those with a fast aperture like this one, can be front heavy but this lens is nicely balanced and sat well on the APS-C and full-frame cameras I tried it with. The focusing barrel is smooth but positive and there is full-time manual override. There is only one control and that is a manual/autofocus option.

The filter thread is 77mm which is a popular size. The front element does not protrude beyond the front of the lens body but it’s close so take care and a protection filter is advised.

Optically, I thought the 20mm performed very well. I initially found that while the lens on a D750 produced sharp images at maximum aperture from the outset, on the D800 that wasn’t the case and I had to use the camera’s AF adjust feature. Once that was done, wide aperture shots were perfectly good.

Central sharpness peaked at f/5.6 and f/8 but the differences between these apertures from the

It could prove to be an expensive month for Fujifilm X-series users. But while the XF 50-140mm (below left) will be considered by many to be a must-have, this lens is arguably less essential. That’s not to say it’s a poor performer – quite the opposite, in fact – but more that its attributes are likely to appeal to a smaller number of photographers.

Fujifilm does, of course, already produce an XF56mm f/1.2 lens. It’s a cracking piece of kit that’s melted the heart of many a portrait photographer with its super-wide maximum aperture that delivers boatloads of beautiful bokeh. It’s also around £300 cheaper than this version. Spend the extra money here, however, and you get a built-in apodisation filter (hence the APD in the name).

Assuming that you’ve never heard of an apodisation filter, let me explain. It is effectively a neutral grey lens element that is part of the optical construction. Its sole purpose is to progressively reduce light transmittance from the centre to the edge which, in turn, creates an even more pronounced bokeh effect.

If you peer through the lens, you can see the apodisation filter’s effect, which looks like the most subtle of graduated filters radiating from a clear centre. This darkening does have a minor effect on the effective aperture. Wide open at f/1.2, for example, the effective aperture is f/1.7. At f/1.4, it’s f/1.8 but by the time you arrive at f/5.6 there’s no difference. You don’t have to remember these numbers as there’s a red ring showing the effective aperture setting.

There’s little doubt that the 56mm APD is effective at producing a more creamy bokeh effect when compared to the standard 56mm option, but the non-APD version could never be considered a bokeh slouch, especially when shooting at the wider end of the aperture range.

It’s worth bearing in mind that the apodisation filter also has an effect on autofocus performance. If you have an X-series camera with phase-detection AF, it will switch to contrast-detection, which can mean marginally slower focusing speeds. During the test, I didn’t find this to be a huge issue, largely because I was shooting in good light, but in lower lighting conditions the focusing system may be a little less assured.

PRICE £679

CONTACTwww.nikon.co.uk

CONSTRUCTION 13 elements in 11 groups – 2 ED, 2 aspherical

FOCAL RANGE (35MM EQUIVALENT) 20mm


APERTURE BLADES 7


FILTER SIZE 77mm

IMAGE STABILISER None

DIMENSIONS (WXL) 82.5x80.5mm

WEIGHT 355g

PRICE £1099

CONTACTwww.fujifilm.eu/uk


FOCAL LENGTH (35MM EQUIVALENT)85mm

MINIMUM APERTUREf/16

APERTURE BLADES 7

CLOSEST FOCUSING DISTANCE 0.7m

FILTER SIZE62mm

DIMENSIONS (WxL) 73.2x69.7mm

WEIGHT405g

Impressive optical and build quality, great bokeh effects

SPECS

SPECS

PROS

CONS

maximum and minimum settings – depth-of-field apart – was not that great. The scene was slightly different in the extreme corners where the wide apertures produced slightly smudgy results and f/5.6 was needed for good sharpness but that high level of quality was then maintained through to f/16. Moving in even a little from the extreme corners and some Smart Sharpen in Photoshop showed that the lens is perfectly useful at the wider apertures but stopping down to f/4 onwards only improves things.

Generally, though, optically it’s a fine lens and I’d happily use it at maximum aperture when poor light demands it.

Price, effect on focusing performance

Lightweight, optical performance

PROS

CONS

Nothing of note – price?

ABOVE You can’t help but shoot wide open with an f/1.2 aperture on offer. And this is indicative of the bokeh and sharpness that’s on offer when you do.

The verdict The 56mm APD achieves what it sets out to do, delivering the ultimate in bokeh effects, particularly when maximising the wide maximum aperture setting. But I’m just not sure that it’s worth the extra £300 for the majority of X-series users. If you shoot a lot of portraits or weddings then the cost may be justifiable, but when you consider the superb performance available from the non-APD version, this is probably only for the most devoted bokeh-philes out there. RP

The verdict With the arrival of the 20mm, the Nikon owner can invest in a range of fast aperture, high performance, lightweight primes without breaking the bank – relatively speaking, of course.

The 20mm at £679 is the most expensive of Nikon’s f/1.8 lens series and its extreme field of view won’t suit everyone, but it’s a terrific lens and great for creative landscape, people and architecture shots, and the most important thing is that it is a high quality performer. WC

ABOVE With a bit of tweaking of the AF settings, the 20mm performed well even at wide apertures. It’s nicely balanced and compact, too.


26Kit reviews

Samsung 50-150mm f/2.8 S ED OIS £1199

Olympus M.Zuiko ED 40-150mm f/2.8 Pro £1299

With the launch of its NX1, Samsung has made it clear that it wants to target experienced photographers. The 50-150mm f/2.8 D is the second in the brand’s premium series, the first being the 16-500mm f/2-2.8 which is in the shops at £940. Its guide price is £1199 and with a 1.5x crop factor, that is equivalent to, according to Samsung’s website, a 77-231mm zoom in 35mm full-frame terms.

The Samsung 50-150mm is about 50% lighter and significantly smaller than the 70-200mm f/2.8 lenses from Canon and Nikon, and much cheaper. As a package on the NX1 I thought the combination was well balanced and good to use. AF speed and responsiveness is impressive – and silent too. The internal zoom and focusing construction also means that the lens stays a constant size regardless of zoom setting and subject distance.

Optically, the lens is a cracker and capable of very sharp images full of detail. I’d be happy to use the lens at maximum aperture for shallow depth-of-field. Stopping down does have quality benefits but not huge because it’s already so good wide open.

Shooting directly towards a low sun did cause some flare despite the supplied lens hood but not worse than any rival telezoom, while the lens’s OIS multi-axis system did very well. Samsung claims a

The Micro Four Thirds system has a 2x crop factor, so in 35mm format terms here we have the equivalent of an 80-300mm f/2.8 zoom. So while it is true that the lens is weighty and sizeable for a Micro Four Thirds format lens, considering what’s on offer, there is no denying that the Olympus lens designers have done a remarkable job and produced a really compact lens.

It balances well on a grip-less OM-D E-M1 body and the combination is a pleasure to use. It’s not too back or front heavy so getting a stable shooting platform is no problem at all. A solid tripod mount is supplied as you would expect with a fast telezoom.

Optically I found the lens very sharp as befits a top-end zoom. Optical sharpness at the 40mm end was good and perked up to very good one stop down and then sharpness stayed at a high plateau to f/16.

At the 150mm end it was very sharp from f/2.8 onwards to f/11, beyond which diffraction caused some softening. Generally, with good technique this lens will deliver very sharp images and with portraits it might be even too revealing to the point of being unflattering to your subject.

With a low sun there was evidence of some contrast loss shooting into the light.

Autofocusing with the lens was very swift in most situations but it could hunt in scenes of poor contrast or when lighting levels were low and with

moving subjects sometimes the camera/lens kept up, but not always.

We can’t finish this test without a special mention for the supplied lens hood. We all know lens hoods should be used and that is especially true with telephotos, which are more susceptible to being affected by non-imaging light.

Most of us carry the lens with the lens hood fitted but reversed and then the hood is refitted the right way round once in use. This hood can be carried facing the right way and then quickly unlocked and click-stopped in position. Ok, it’s not an earth-shattering innovation, but it is a neat piece of Olympus design and one which other brands should consider.

PRICE £1199

CONTACTwww.samsung.com

CONSTRUCTION 20 elements in 13 groups – 4 ED and 1 XHR (eXtreme High Refractive) element



APERTURE BLADES 9

CLOSEST FOCUSING DISTANCE 70cm at 50mm, 98cm at 150mm

FILTER SIZE 72mm

DIMENSIONS (WXL) 154x81mm

WEIGHT 915g

PRICE £1299

CONTACTwww.olympus.co.uk

CONSTRUCTION16 elements in 10 groups – 3 ED elements, a high refractive, 2 aspheric, 1 aspheric ED


MINIMUM APERTUREf/22

APERTURE BLADES 9


FILTER SIZE72mm

DIMENSIONS (WXL) 160x79mm

WEIGHT880g with tripod adapter

Optical quality, features, internal AF and zoom design, supplied hood, size

SPECS

SPECS

PROS

CONS

4.5EV benefit at 68mm. I tested it at 68mm, 50mm and 150mm. I was getting consistently sharp handheld shots at 1/10sec at 50mm and 68mm and 1/20sec at 150mm. Shooting at 1/20sec at 150mm is still an impressive 3EV benefit if you take the reciprocal, ie. 1/150sec, as the base shutter speed.

Other features include a focus distance limiter and you can set the working range rather than having it predetermined. There is also Samsung’s i-Function button which can be programmed to alter key features such as aperture and white-balance when used with the rear command dial.

Servo AF inconsistent

Optical quality, OIS, size, internal zoom and focus design

PROS

CONS

Manual focus ring is slow to use

ABOVE This Olympus telezoom was super-sharp and speedy in the autofocus stakes so a good lens for the action shooter, but it’s a dab hand at portraits and landscapes too.

The verdict A fine lens whatever subjects you enjoy, but probably has an extra special appeal to action and portrait shooters.

It is, of course, a serious investment but for the price and the specification on offer, I think it’s a bargain. It’s a f/2.8 lens which, in 35mm terms, has a 80-300mm range, it comes from a marque brand and it’s an impressive performer. WC

The verdict Its specification and price tells you this Samsung zoom is a top-end lens, and that is further confirmed by its optical performance. It’s a very sharp lens but of course it needs careful use and when it all comes together, you can enjoy an excellent optical showing irrespective of aperture and focal length. WC


28Lens reviewON TEST

When I first invested in a Canon EOS system, I bought two L series lenses: the EF 24-105mm f/4L, which I loved, and the EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM, which I didn’t. Where the standard zoom delivered image quality by the bucketload, the telezoom always left me feeling flat, primarily when it came to out-and-out, pixel-peeping clarity. Clearly I was in a minority, because the original lens proved extremely popular, particularly with budding sports and wildlife shooters who either couldn’t stretch to a prime Canon telephoto, or wanted a far-reaching zoom.

Now there’s a new version. And much like the Canon EOS 7D Mark II, it’s driven by customer feedback. As a result, this is more than a cosmetic brush-up, it is a complete reworking.

If you’re familiar with the original EF 100-400mm the MkII version doesn’t, on first acquaintance, appear substantially different. It’s a little chunkier, but the physical dimensions are virtually identical.

Pick the lens up, however, and you’ll realise there’s an immediate difference – the push-pull trombone zoom action of the original has been replaced by a twist action control to bring the MkII version in line with all other Canon zoom optics. The MkI’s zoom resistance adjuster has been retained, which helps to eliminate zoom creep and means you can dial in a bespoke amount of torque when you zoom, but now it’s a far more positive action, with less than a quarter turn dividing maximum and minimum torque.

PRICE £1999.99

CONTACTwww.canon.co.uk


NUMBER OF DIAPHRAGM BLADES 9

CLOSEST FOCUSING DISTANCE0.98m

IMAGE STABILISERYes, 4EV

FILTER THREAD77mm

DIMENSIONS (DXL)92x193mm

WEIGHT1640g (with tripod mount)

SPECS

Pick the lens up and you’ll realise there’s an immediate difference – the push-pull trombone zoom action of the original lens has been replaced by a twist action control

Words & pictures by Roger Payne

On the strength of customer feedback, Canon has produced a Mark II version of a lens that proved extremely popular with sports and wildlife photographers. We find out how well they listened

CANON EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM


29Lens review

Focal length comparison

FEATURES 25/25 Great focal range, effective IS, plus a lens hood and carry case are included in the price.

PERFORMANCE 24/25 Rapid AF and impressive sharpness, although maximum aperture means you need to push ISO in poor light

HANDLING 22/25 Big improvement over the MkI lens, but the tripod collar design is a head-scratcher

VALUE FOR MONEY 23/25 Yes, it’s expensive, but it’s also very good.

CANON EF 100-400mm F/4.5-5.6L IS II USM

PROS Image quality, zoom range, upgrades from MkI lens

CONS Tripod collar is odd; price (for some)

OVERALL 94/100Start saving, you won’t be disappointed.

The verdictThe original EF 100-400mm is still on sale and this MkII version will set you back around £700 more. But in my opinion it’s worth every penny.

Canon is clearly reaping the rewards of listening to customers as this lens feels and handles beautifully (tripod collar indiscretions apart), while the focusing is assured. The dust and weather resistance is also a welcome addition, especially when you consider the uses it’s most likely to be pressed into.

But ultimately it’s all about the results and these are hugely impressive. Sharpness abounds across the frame and I got an impressive hit rate on my sports images. Distortion and chromatic aberration is also kept firmly in check.

100mm

200mm

300mm

400mm

The 100-400mm focal range means that you can tackle a wide range of subjects. At the shorter end, it could be used for portraits, but the longer end makes it suitable for wildlife and sports, especially if you’re using an EOS with an APS-C sized sensor. If you want to boost the focal length even further, both Canon’s 1.4x and 2x extenders can be used, but autofocusing is only available on selected (mostly professional) EOS bodies.

Internally, the lens now features a four-stop image stabiliser with three different settings depending on the shooting technique you’re using. Plus, for the first time in a Canon EF lens, the elements are covered with an Air Sphere Coating (ASC), which uses tiny particles of trapped air to help combat ghosting and flare.

The rugby shots you see on this page were all shot on a monopod, so I switched stabilisation off. But when shooting handheld, I selected IS Mode 1 to combat movement in all directions as a matter of course. Impressively, this enabled me to shoot as slow as 1/6sec at the 400mm setting without any obvious shake – I did have to concentrate with my breathing, though.

Having the lens on a monopod did highlight a couple of issues. Naturally, I used the tripod collar to mount the lens but soon discovered that, once loosened, this rotates freely. Consequently, as you turn from horizontal to vertical shooting there’s no subtle click to confirm when the camera is at a 90° angle or perfectly horizontal. This seems odd. Also, while the whole tripod collar can’t be removed, the foot can be by means of a knurled metal wheel. But said

wheel is far too small and fiddly. On a chilly rugby touchline it was impossible with gloved hands, while the gloves-off solution resulted in painful fingertips.

The lens can be forgiven these minor handling indiscretions, however, when you see how it performs. I used it with a Canon EOS 5D MkIII and the focusing was quick, accurate and virtually silent. Granted, rugby isn’t the fastest moving of sports, but its erratic nature does make it a challenge to photograph. The 100-400mm more than met that challenge, especially when I switched over to the Canon’s focusing mode that allows subjects to be tracked even when the occasional obstacle may appear in frame.

I shot two halves of rugby, one of which was straight into the sun and here the deep ET-83D lens hood came in very useful. As well as the lens being redesigned, the hood has been too. It now features a sliding window so you can easily rotate a polarising filter, plus the hood’s bayonet fitting is much more assured. The hood on my original 100-400mm was forever pinging off, but this has a locking mechanism that can only be released by a button. It’s now a very similar action to attaching and removing a lens.

IMAGES From the more static plays through to faster moving action, the EF 100-400mm MkII kept up with this Sunday morning rugby game. The results were impressive, too, and I was confident enough to crop in on the frame for a better composition, such was the image quality.


30TechniquePHOTO SCHOOL

Everyone has to start somewhere, even pros, and in Photo School we look at the core skills every beginner needs. This month, deal with tricky portrait exposures, and improve contrast in Lightroom.

Words & pictures by Kingsley Singleton

Camera class

You’ll encounter plenty of exposure and lighting problems when shooting people pictures, but most of them can be solved very easily, either by subtle changes to your shooting settings, or by altering your approach and the way the light falls on the subject. When you’re starting out, the second of these is particularly important to bear in mind – it’s easy to get obsessed with camera settings and the technical aspects of photography, but a lot of what makes professional images work goes on outside of changes to shutter speed and aperture.

n Some parts of my portrait subject are too bright and some are too dark. How do I fix this?If you’re getting shots like this, it means there’s too much contrast on the subject for the camera to deal with – and the reason is that you’re shooting them in direct light. So, regardless of whether the light is coming from the sun, or from a bulb, make sure it’s not falling on their face unfiltered. Aside from exposure problems, direct light causes harsh shadows which are unflattering. The easiest way to deal with this situation is simply to turn your subject away from the light. Alternatively, block the light somehow, or find some shade so it’s diffused by the time it reaches them.

n The subject is backlit and they’re too darkTurning your subject away from the light, is a good start, but

now you’ve got another problem – they’re in shadow and too dark. This stems from your camera’s reading of the light in the scene; it’s trying to get every part well exposed and that’s not always possible. With portraits, the most important thing is the subject’s face, so if it’s coming out too dark, use your camera’s Exposure Compensation to make it lighter. Exposure Compensation is just a tweak to the settings the camera has decided on – a helping hand from you. Set it to a positive value (like +0.7 or +1.0) to improve the exposure for the subject. This will make the background lighter, too, but that’s not the most important thing.

n I want the background and the subject to be well exposed, not just one or the other.In this case, you need to balance the light somehow, which is something that altering the exposure settings won’t do on its own – that will just make the whole scene lighter or darker. What you need to do is add light to the subject, making them as bright as the background. The easiest way to do this is using a flash, like the pop-up version that’s built in to most DSLRs. Activate the flash, then shoot and check the results. If there’s still not enough light, move closer to the subject, or increase the flash power using the Flash Exposure Compensation option – that’s a +/- with a flash symbol next to it. If the scene is now too bright, reduce the power, or use a lower f/number to close the aperture.

NEXT MONTH:How to use spot metering for dramatic results and how to increase detail in Lightroom

Lightroom’s Tone Curve allows you to freely control the tonal range of your pics, adding contrast and lightening or darkening them to fix any minor exposure problems. Similar to the Basic tab, you can make adjustments to different parts of the tonal range without necessarily affecting the others, but instead of just Highlights and Shadows you get Lights and Darks, too.

The Tone Curve works like this: the left to right axis represents tones from dark to light, and any change in the shape of the line from its diagonal starting point represents whether tones are being made lighter or darker; a diagonal means no changes are being made. It’s easier to illustrate what’s happening with a black & white picture, so all we’ve done to our example here, in the Basic tab, is set the Saturation to -100 and also used the Exposure, Blacks and Whites slider to set the overall black and white points.

Software skillsPart 16: Using the Tone Curve to control exposure & contrast

ADOBE LIGHTROOM STEP 1: THE BASICS In the Develop module, open the Tone Curve tab and mouse over the line – you’ll see it’s split into Shadows, Darks, Lights and Highlights, depending on where your cursor is positioned. Clicking and dragging on the line in one or more of these areas controls that part of the tonal range. The amount of adjustment is limited by the grey area overlaid. Made a mistake? You can double-click Region to reset the curve.

STEP 2: FEATHER THE CONTROL Beneath the Curve are three sliders, which can be used to trim or expand the corresponding part of the tonal range, and alter how much it can be changed (the original settings split the tones into quarters). For example you can make the Highlights area broader, telling Lightroom to treat more of the image as a Highlight, and so make that part more controllable.

STEP 3: EVEN MORE CONTROL At the bottom right of the Tone Curve tab there’s button you can click to edit the points on the curve with even more control. Just click on the diagonal line to add a point then drag to control its position. This allows you to make much more aggressive changes to the tones in the picture, but it should be treated carefully; if you make the curve too steep you can make the pic look seriously bad!

WITH FILL FLASH

UNDEREXPOSED

BEFORE USING TONE CURVE

AFTER USING TONE CURVE


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Photography News 16

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