Innholdsfortegnelse for 5-Mar-2016 i Amateur Photographer

It’s been a long time coming, but Pentax has finally released its full-frame DSLR in the shape of the K-1. With a reasonable price tag and built-in stabilisation it could prove popular, but, as we said of the Nikon D500, has it come a bit too late? Have Pentax users now switched to other systems for a full-frame sensor? Let us know what you think. We’ve got a first look of the K-1 on pages 8-9. It’s an interesting read, as the camera has some features that aren’t found on any other full-frame-sensor DSLR cameras. In this issue we also go back to basics. On pages 12-17 wildlife photographer Richard Peters shows us how to use a telephoto lens. There’s more to it than just pointing and shooting. How you…

A UK camera store has appealed for help to identify thieves it says stole more than £4,000 worth of Sony camera gear. Clifton Cameras has released CCTV footage that appears to show a man and an accomplice (above), who were involved with the theft from its shop in Dursley, Gloucestershire, on 16 February. Clifton Cameras wrote on its Facebook page: ‘Please help us catch these two thieves, who stole over £4,000 of Sony Cameras.' It adds: ‘If you recognise any of these men and don't want to publicly respond, please call us on 01453 548128. To view the footage, visit the Clifton Cameras Facebook page. If you have any information, call Gloucestershire Police on 101, quoting crime reference CR/03866/16 (incident number 105).…

It’s all too easy to look at crisp, sharp wildlife images taken with huge focal lengths and think to yourself that if you had the same lens you could take the same quality photos. However, there is much more to it than just having what is considered to be ‘the right kit’. Knowing how to use any piece of camera gear effectively is key to producing better images. And in the case of telephoto lenses, which is a staple for wildlife photographers, this is especially true. Regardless of whether you are a newcomer or a more seasoned wildlife photographer, a term that everyone comes across as they venture into bigger and further reaching optics is ‘long-lens technique’. However, these three simple words represent a vast amount of useful information. In…

What is cheating? With film, we used to spend a lot of time using compensating filters to make the characteristics of the picture more ‘real'. To say film is a true representation of reality may be true in that the physical characteristics of the subject did not usually change, but the image may well have. When I take a digital photo, more often than not adjustments in white balance and other factors need attention, and I do not see this as cheating. However, some adjustments to sunsets and the like are totally unreal. It is not what we would have seen at the time. Am I cheating when I replace the white sheet of sky with a nice blue one? I am in one way in that this was not…

HOW IT WORKS ENTRY: A SET OF PICTURES MADE UP OF 5-8 PHOTOGRAPHS. ALL ENTRIES MUST BE IN DIGITAL FORMAT (FROM DIGITAL CAMERA OR SCANNED FILM ORIGINALS). FIRST ROUND: NATIONAL DEADLINE – FRIDAY 13 MAY 2016* Send a set of pictures of 5-8 images relating to the theme ‘Landscape’ to apcompetitions@timeinc.com, with the word ‘Landscape’ and your name as the subject heading, by Friday 13 May 2016. Images should be in JPEG format and no bigger than 800 pixels on the longest edge. Include your name, address and a contact number in the email. Images from the first-prize winner will go forward to the international round of the competition (see below). First, second and third-prize winners will be chosen by the editorial staff of Amateur Photographer. The results will be…

THE SIGMA 20mm f/1.4 DG HSM lens is part of the company's Art line. With a focal length of 20mm and f/1.4 aperture, this lens delivers outstanding large-aperture brightness and bokeh, delivering unprecedented visual experiences. This lens is ideal not only for such ultra-wideangle subjects as landscapes and starry skies, but also for snapshots in low light, indoor photography, portraits with a natural bokeh effect and much more. The Hyper Sonic Motor (HSM) ensures silent, high-speed autofocusing, while the optimised AF algorithm helps realise even smoother AF performance. The Sigma EF-610 DG ST flashgun is a multifunctional shoe-mount-type flash, featuring a powerful Guide Number of 61m @ ISO 100 and designed to work with the most popular digital SLR cameras. This flash unit provides fully automatic flash photography for digital…

Hollywood in Kodachrome £26.99, It Books, 2013 Marilyn Monroe: Metamorphosis £22.99, It Books, 2011 David Wills has amassed one of the world’s largest private collections of original Kodachromes Another book by David Wills, this time focusing solely on Marilyn Monroe, Metamorphosis charts her entire career. This hefty from many of the great Hollywood photographers. Here, he compiles a stunning portfolio of images. 320-page book features perhaps the most comprehensive collection of images of the actress to date. Film-Star Portraits of the Fifties: 163 Glamor Photos £59.99, Dover Publications, 2014 With a subtitle of ‘163 Glamor Photos’, this large book showcases a stunning collection of high-quality black & white publicity shots taken of Hollywood stars in their heyday.…

Strap lug This is used to attach Manfrotto’s carry strap. It can also be used to hang a camera bag for extra stability. 3/8in connector This is compatible with many heads, but those with1/4in threads will need an adapter. Easy-link connector A 3/8in socket on the central spider can be used to attach accessories such as Magic Arms for holding lights. At a glance 147cm max height 46cm folded length 1.35kg weight 7kg max load www.manfrotto.co.uk £309 (legs only) LAST year saw Manfrotto break a longstanding tradition and introduce a version of its popular 190-series tripod that used twist rather than lever locks on the leg sections. This made it the lightest model in the 190 range, and we liked it a lot. So it's great to see Manfrotto following…

Resolution The graphs from our Applied Imaging tests indicate fairly typical behaviour for a superzoom lens. Central sharpness is pretty good at 18mm, but the corners are noticeably softer. Zoom in to 50mm and the central sharpness is maintained, but the corners now get substantially worse. At 200mm the central sharpness is low and the corners are poorer still. In general, best results are had at around f/8. Shading Vignetting is rather noticeable when shooting at maximum aperture and at the extremes of the zoom range, although it mostly goes away on closing the aperture down a stop. It’s also minimal in the middle of the zoom range. The rather abrupt fall-off towards the corners at 18mm is visually more objectionable than the smoother profile fall-off at 200mm. Curvilinear distortion…

Detachable eyecup As the EVF pops up, users can slip the detachable eyecup over the eyepiece to give better visibility, especially in bright situations. 42.4-million-pixel Exmor R back-illuminated CMOS sensor This full-frame sensor is Sony’s most advanced yet. It is capable of resolving incredible detail and boasts an exceptional dynamic range. Pop-up EVF On the top left of the RX1R II is a pop-up EVF that sits flush with the camera body when not in use. This OLED EVF boasts a resolution of 2.4 million dots. Micro USB charging Although there is a designated battery charger, the camera can also be charged via micro USB, which is handy for travelling. Tilting LCD display The RX1R II features a 3in tilting LCD display, with a resolution of 1,228,800 dots. Customisable controls…

‘This is a time of specification battles, as each company vies to outdo the other’ The two major manufacturers now seem to follow a four-year release cycle for their top-end cameras. With 2016 an Olympic year, Canon and Nikon have released models aimed at professional photojournalists, in the shape of the EOS-1D X Mark II and D5 respectively. Later, we will see the phased release of lesser products, with the technology in these two cameras trickling down through the range. This is a time of specification battles, as each company vies to outdo the other in terms of the easily quantifiable metrics of perceived excellence. At this time, nerds like myself are looking beneath the surface, trying to find out how these specification advances have been achieved. I discovered an…

In this beautifully lit shot from Getty photographer Ronaldo Schemidt, a girl in San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas State, Mexico, walks beneath a banner depicting Pope Francis. During his open-air mass, which took place in front of 300,000 Mexican residents, Pope Francis urged Mexicans to reject the devil and build a nation free of ‘merchants of death', a particularly strong message for such a crime-ridden area. Ronaldo's shot makes use of the day's dying light to bring real feeling and atmosphere to the image. It's a technique used by documentary photographer Alex Webb, who often makes use of the dynamic interplay between shape and colour. Words & numbers “I don’t have a philosophy, I have a camera” Saul Leiter American photographer and painter 1923-2013 24 million Number of Pentax…

‘Low-light photography is another weakness of current mobile imaging technology’ The marketing material of smartphone makers often emphasises camera performance and features, promising DSLR-like image quality and pro-level AF speeds. However, real life is not quite the same as the world of marketing, and consumers need to be aware that a smartphone can be the right tool for the job, but there are times when it isn't. Current smartphone cameras have improved immensely over their various generations and, as a consequence, have brought the market for consumer-level compact cameras pretty much to its knees. That said, there is still a long way to go before smartphone cameras can, in most situations, replace a DSLR or mirrorless-system camera. Modern smartphone cameras offer very decent image quality in good light, are extremely…

You answered… A Yes, I find that they each give me a different look or use 16% B Yes, although I only regularly use one 14% C No 70% What you said ‘No. Over the years I have been underwhelmed by the performance of lenses wider than approximately f/2 or f/1.8, and if one does not want to go wider than that there is not usually a lot of choice’ ‘Yes, and for several systems. For EOS, I have 28mm f/1.8 and f/2.8 IS – they’re very different wide open. I also have 50mm f/1.4 and f/2.5, for which the same applies. For other systems, I’ve all sorts of things, but for most of them I’ve at least two different 50mm lenses’ ‘Yes. I have a Pentax 50mm K-fit in…

Over the years, AP readers have sent us some incredible images, so 19 years ago we decided to launch the Amateur Photographer of the Year (APOY) competition in its present format to showcase all their hard work. Since then, APOY has received thousands of entries, with many of them taking the judges' breath away. APOY 2016 follows the same format as last year, with eight monthly rounds from March until October. The competition is open to all amateur photographers, but please note that those entrants living outside the UK who win a prize will be liable for any local customs charges. After the closing date of each round, the entries are narrowed down to a shortlist of 50, then the top 30. Points are awarded to each image for creativity,…

Finding abstracts AS WE'VE said, finding abstracts requires you to retune your sight in order to reveal the world in strange and unusual ways. This example from Penny Halsall (above) was captured while she was out for a run, and was taken using a point-and-shoot camera, specifically a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS28. The image consists of three elements – Tarmac, a puddle and oil. These three things work together to create a picture that can easily hold your attention. The image itself looks like a painting and wouldn't look out of place on a gallery wall. The texture of the Tarmac peppers the empty space around the oil and water, offering ample visual interest and tiny spots of colour. Man made IF YOU keep your eyes open, you'll find that abstract…

Into the Abyss 1 Here we find Achraf walking along a tightrope, caught between two undesirable acts that will find him falling into the void below Canon EOS 1100D, 18-55mm, 1/64sec at f/3, ISO 200 Cleaning the Lens 2 For Achraf, this image represents the frustration of an individual’s image within the public eye and the desire to make it clearer Canon EOS 1100D, 18-55mm, 1/64sec at f/5, ISO 3,200 The Wonderland Book 3 This image is a meditation on the importance of books in our lives and how they can help shape us on our journey Canon EOS 1100D, 18-55mm, 1/64sec at f/2, ISO 320 My Small World 4 Sometimes we need to be in our own small world and be left alone, as we see here in this…

Film’s Not Dead T-shirt £20 www.filmsnotdead.com FILM'S Not Dead (FND) is a brand that promotes and sells all things film photography. The FND T-shirt is a garment that celebrates the love of film. It comes in a colour choice of black or mid-grey and is made from100% combed and ring-spun organic pre-shrunk cotton. The T-shirt comes packaged in a 10x12in print box that can be re-used – which is a pretty cool touch. On the left breast is the Film's Not Dead logo, which is a heart made up of strips of film negatives. It's screen printed in white, meaning the print is very durable. Inside the neck is a quote from Henri Cartier-Bresson that reads, ‘One's head, one's eye, and one's heart on the same axis'. On the back…

As the RX1R II features the same 42.4-million-pixel Exmor R back-illuminated CMOS sensor as the Sony Alpha 7R II, we were expecting good results – and we were not disappointed. This sensor is class-leading, giving extremely good performance all round. The dynamic range is exceptional, giving over13 stops of dynamic range and, importantly, retaining dynamic range rather well across the ISO range. Aided by the high-quality lens, the sensor can also resolve a large amount of detail right the way through the ISO range. The new variable optical low-pass filter system works well to combat moiré while not compromising much on loss of detail. Noise is well controlled, and I would comfortably shoot all day long between ISO 50 and ISO 6,400. Overall, the colour rendition is good, with bright…

1 Nikon D800 The Nikon F800 has the most superb image and build quality, as well as great dynamic range. It’s the ideal camera for landscape photography. 2 Sigma 35mm f/1.4 Art The new Sigma Art lenses are excellent. The 35mm is my favourite lens as the focal length suits the way I work. It produces wonderfully sharp and detailed images. 3 Gitzo spikes For me, these spikes are essential. When shooting at the coast, on sand, and among dunes and grasses, or shooting from cliff tops, it is reassuring to dig the spikes in for extra support and stability. 4 Gitzo tripod This is my well-weathered Gitzo GT3830 Basalt tripod. It’s not too heavy and is as stable as the more expensive models available. I use a Vanguard BBH-300…

It is difficult to talk about a picture like this. We can easily analyse composition, lighting, exposure, choice of focal length, depth of field, the merits of monochrome over colour, and more, but sheer horror overwhelms all our analyses. On the other hand, to flee from thinking about it diminishes not only the photographer and the photograph but also most importantly, the subject matter. Immediately it calls to mind W Eugene Smith’s ‘Tomoko Uemura in Her Bath’. Tomoko was a victim of mercury poisoning caused by industrial waste from the Chisso company in Japan. Smith photographed her in 1971: in 1972 he was beaten up by Chisso employees to the extent that he could not resume work for a time. He died in 1978 at the age of 59. This…

Lumix GF8 surfaces Panasonic Japan has launched the Lumix DMC-GF8. However, the company’s UK office has confirmed there are no plans to launch it in the UK. The Panasonic GF8 appears to sit squarely in the world of selfies. It uses a 3in, 1,040,000-dot monitor designed to tilt 180°, with the camera switching on the selfie mode once the monitor is flipped. What a performance The relationship between photography and performance – from the 19th century to today’s selfie culture – is examined in a new exhibition at Tate Modern in London. ‘Performing for the Camera’ features more than 500 images from the past 150 years. The exhibition, which runs until 12 June, takes place at The Eyal Ofer Galleries, located on level three of Tate Modern. Visit www.tate.org.uk. Four…

TAMRON has unveiled what it trumpets as the first full-frame 85mm f/1.8 lens with vibration compensation. The ‘moisture-resistant Tamron SP 85mm f/1.8 Di VC USD features low-dispersion and extra-low dispersion glass elements to help minimise colour fringing and boost sharpness and clarity. The SP design includes ‘larger and more tactile switches'. The lens is due to go on sale on 24 March, in Nikon and Canon mounts, at a price yet to be confirmed. A Sony version will be available at a later date. Users will be able to update the lens firmware using an optional Tap-in Console, due in March, at a price to be determined. Tamron has also treated its popular 90mm macro lens to a makeover. The Tamron SP 90mm f/2.8 Macro VC USD includes enhanced VC…

Nikon predicament I read with interest Richard Sibley's editorial (AP 30 January) on the long-awaited Nikon D500 and what Nikon users have done in the meantime, and I am proof of his thoughts. Having read Richard's reply to a letter last year (AP19 September 2015) where he predicted that within ten years DSLRs will be the exception rather than the norm, and another article by Steve Gosling (AP 31October 2015) who had invested in Micro Four Thirds equipment, after some soul searching I decided to sell all my Nikon gear on eBay and do the same. I sold and bought before there was any announcement of a D500. I bought the latest Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX8. I had never really liked the electronic viewfinders, but they are becoming better and better…

The original Marilyn Monroe Eugene Kornman, 1953 Kornman photographed Monroe to promote her leading role in the 1953 film Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. It's the dress Marilyn wore, though, that kicked up the most fuss. Designed by legendary costume designer William Travilla, it caused a whirlwind of controversy when she wore it to the Photoplay awards ceremony before the film's premiere. It can only be seen in the film from behind, as censors got nervous and cut the frontal scenes. Our version While this may seem like a simple shot to recreate, it’s actually trickier than it first appears. Without the luxury of a bespoke gold dress, we found one on eBay for under a tenner and, with the help of our model and make-up artist, have managed to get the…

Leaping dog Laura Cunningham Canon EOS 1200D, 75-300m, 1/400sec at f/6.3, ISO 100 LAURA is studying photography at university, just as I'd like to be doing, and she sent in some of the pictures she's taken. I don't know what this shot was for, or what year she's in, but it grabbed my attention the moment I saw it. It's an extraordinary picture and it forced me to stop what I was doing to look some more. It is actually quite disturbing, as the dog looks under-fed and not very happy. The light has really emphasised the creature's ribcage and the bones and muscles of its body, and Laura's desaturated coloration, with that red-tinted mouth, is quite haunting. This isn't a pleasant picture, but it is a very good one.…

WITH the optical low-pass filter off, there's some slight moiré occurring on the building in this scene. When we switch to standard mode we can see that the building isn't as sharp, but any artefacts that are visible are, for the most part, removed. With the LPF on high, there's a very slight drop in sharpness over the LPF standard, and there is no sign of any moiré or artefacts. This shows that Sony's new variable low pass filter is doing pretty much exactly the job that it's supposed to do.…

Leica Q (Typ 116) Price £2,900 Sensor 24MP full frame ISO 100-50,000 The Leica Q is the only other camera that challenges the Sony RX1R II as a full-frame compact. It boasts a 24-million-pixel sensor, a class-leading EVF with 3.686-million-dot resolution, and analogue control dials. Sony Alpha 7R Price £899 (body only) Sensor 36.4 MP full frame ISO 100-25,600 This offering has a 36.4-milion-pixel sensor without an anti-aliasing filter. It’s full frame, like the RX1R II, and has a 2.36-million-dot EVF. Along with the 24MP Alpha 7 it’s one of the most inexpensive entry points into full frame. Fujifilm X100T Price £796 Sensor 16MP APS-C X-Trans ISO 100-51,200 (extended) The Fuji X100T is another fixed-lens compact camera, and it boasts a reasonably wide 23mm f/2 lens with a 16.3-million-pixel APS-C…

LAUNCHED 1958 PRICE £180 (Type U), £120 (Type F) – lens extra in both cases (£30 18s 10d) GUIDE PRICE TODAY £460-£600 (SAS auctions sold a Type U for £460 in February 2015) IN THE early 1950s, medical photographers Charles Engel and Dr Peter Hansell designed a 35mm monorail camera specifically for their work. They approached Kennedy Instruments in South London to make it, and in 1954 the KI Monobar (Type U) was accepted by the Design Council for inclusion in the Council's Design Index. In the late 1950s, Kennedy Instruments was acquired by Ilford Ltd, and in 1958 the camera was marketed as the Ilford KI Monobar Type U. When new, the cameras were normally supplied with a 2in (50mm) f/3.5 Dallmeyer lens in a Synchro-Compur shutter, and sometimes…