Innholdsfortegnelse for 03-oct-15 i Amateur Photographer

I’VE GOT a confession to make – I’m an f/11 shooter. If I’m out and about shooting landscapes, I’ll set my lens aperture to f/11 and happily shoot away. With careful selection of the focus point I can generally get enough depth of field so that I have what I want in focus, especially if my camera has focus peaking. But this method isn’t something to be proud of, as it is quite a lazy habit. There are, of course, times when I will change the aperture to achieve a particular effect, but generally I’m after that front-to-back sharpness that landscape photographers crave. It’s time for a rethink, though. Leaving some of the scene a little soft and out of focus can help concentrate our attention, or add depth to…

ZHONGYI Optics (ZY Optics) has revealed what it trumpets as the world's lightest f/0.95 lens for Micro Four Thirds cameras, the 25mm Mitakon Speedmaster. Delivering the 35mm viewing angle equivalent of a 50mm lens, the manual-focus Mitakon Speedmaster 25mm f/0.95 weighs 230g and is 45mm long. The 11-elements-in-9-groups lens, which features 11 diaphragm blades, is due to be shipped towards the end of next month. There is as yet no word on UK pricing. In the US, it will cost $399, according to Zhongyi Optics, which is based in China. A spokesperson for Zhongyi Optics said the lens will be available to buy from www.zyoptics.net. Subscribe to Amateur Photographer  SAVE*42% Visit amateurphotographer subs.co.uk (or see page 34) * when you pay by UK Direct Debit…

THE NEW Sony Alpha 7S II will come with an option to shoot uncompressed 14-bit raw files when it goes on sale in October, following calls from photographers. Furthermore, the move means that ‘user-selectable compressed or uncompressed 14-bit raw still-image capture' will also be available to users of other Sony cameras, via a firmware update, starting with the Alpha 7R II. Neal Manowitz, deputy vice-president for Digital Imaging at Sony Electronics, said: ‘The addition of uncompressed 14-bit raw processing is a direct result of customer feedback. ‘Widely requested by photo and video enthusiasts, we believe the choice of raw-processing types will further elevate the performance of these extraordinary cameras.' Giving his initial reaction, AP technical editor Andy Westlake said: ‘Sony has, until now, used a compressed raw format, which can…

I started my photographic journey in the 1940s when everything was rationed. My grandfather had a quarter-plate camera and wooden tripod that we used to take out to local viewpoints and expose a few plates, which were then taken back to his darkroom for development. This started my lifetime's interest in photography and I have watched the development of cameras ever since. For example, there's been the advent of instant-return mirrors so that everything didn't go black when you pressed the shutter, and open-aperture metering so you didn't have to remember to close the lens down to the taking aperture before pressing the shutter. Then along came aperture-priority, automatic exposure and autofocus and digital. Now I have an electronically enhanced viewfinder so should I wish to capture an image of…

Messing Woods Bob Hill Fujifilm FinePix S5 Pro, 18-200mm, 1/250sec at f/8, ISO 400 PHOTOGRAPHY is all about light, but in the clambering for exciting subject matter and our human attention for the physical, we often forget that. Instead, we concentrate on things, objects and stuff. We should rather always first look to see where the light is most interesting, and then focus on the tangible elements and composition. I like Bob's picture very much because it is all about the light. He has spotted a wonderful display of autumn sunshine and photographed that – only including the trees and ferns as decoration and context. However, as much as I like Bob's composition and subject matter, I don't think he has made as much of the light as he could…

KENRO has launched four travel tripods and a monopod, the first to appear under its own brand name. Billed as ‘lightweight', there are two entry-level tripods and two professional models, all built from magnesium aluminium alloy, plus a monopod constructed from titanium alloy. Three of the four tripods can be converted into monopods, as the central column pops out and attaches to one of the legs. Kenro managing director Paul Kench said: ‘We looked at various options for new tripod ranges, but decided that… we had sufficient product knowledge to put together our own offering.' Kench added: ‘The initial launch of five products is one that we will be expanding on.' Prices for the new kit start from around £60. For more details, visit www.kenro.co.uk.…

You answered… A No, I don’t feel the lens and sensors in bridge cameras offer enough quality to make it worthwhile 31% B Perhaps, but only if the sensor and lens could produce good images 29% C Yes, I own a bridge camera and that’s one of the reasons why I do 16% D Yes, I’m happy to accept some compromise in quality to gain the extra ‘reach’ 11% E No, I have no interest in long focal length lenses 9% FI don’t know 4% What you said ‘No, because experience suggests it wouldn’t get used at the long end often enough to justify carrying it around’ ‘I started with a bridge camera, but I’ve moved onto a full-frame Canon and a Fujifilm X-series camera. I feel a bridge camera…

THE FINAL round of APOY 2015 is Shades of Grey – in other words, black & white images. Black & white has always proved popular, not just in APOY but in Amateur Photographer generally. When colour is removed from the equation, the rules of composition, framing and lighting shift their parameters and require the photographer (and viewer) to see the world in a vastly different way. Many photographers who work exclusively in black & white maintain that colour is a distraction in a photograph. Remove it and the viewer is free to focus on the graphic elements of an image: angles, shapes, lines and textures. Light is the other key factor here. When black & white and atmospheric lighting combine, the power of an image can seem all-enveloping. Take a…

Amit Jung KC, France Amit found photography at a time of uncertainty in his life. He had been studying at engineering school, but soon realised he could best express himself through his twin passions of art and nature. He then dropped engineering to study photojournalism and sociology instead. Amit's favourite subjects include atmospheric clouds, mountains, waterfalls, lakes and woodland. These all give him satisfaction and pleasure, and in the future he hopes to explore these themes in his second ‘home' of Nepal. Hold Me On 1 This shot has been composed so that our gaze is carried from the bamboo to the sky, and then from the reflection to the deep horizon Nikon D90, 18-105mm, 7.1secs at f/8, ISO 200, ND filter, tripod, shutter release Sets of Motion II 2…

£65 www.crumpler.eu Waterproof cover There’s an attached waterproof cover on the underside – at the ready to cover the bag in bad weather. Shoulder fastening A second part of the strap can be attached, which clips into the bottom corner of the bag, giving more security across the user’s body. Air-flow back At the rear of the bag you’ll find an air-flow mesh that helps to prevent the wearer becoming hot. At a glance Quick and easy camera access, thanks to the top-loading design Available in a range of colours Air-flow mesh padding on the back Inner pocket for a tablet THE CRUMPLER Quick Escape Toploader comes in seven bag sizes: Quick Escape 100, 150, 300, 400, 500, 600 and 800. The smallest is the 100, which comfortably carries a…

Olympus firmware updates Firmware updates for the Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II and OM-D E-M1 are available from late November. Update 4.0 for the OM-D E-M1 is designed to improve features such as focus stacking and focus bracketing, while update 2.0 for the OM-D E-M5 Mark II will add 4K timelapse video, for example. Visit www.getolympus.com/upgrade. LCE to host Nikon/Manfrotto event London Camera Exchange (LCE) is to host a Nikon Pro and Manfrotto event at its store in Southampton, Hampshire, on 8 October. The Nikon Pro & Manfrotto RoadShow In-Store Day is free and includes demos and talks. To book, call 01530 566090, or email info@manfrottodistribution.co.uk. Ilford Photo buyout Harman Technology, the manufacturer of Ilford Photo products, says it remains ‘totally committed’ to analogue photography after it was bought by…

SINGER-turned-photographer Bryan Adams was among leading figures to win an Honorary Fellowship at the Royal Photographic Society Awards 2015. Winners also included photographer Wolfgang Tillmans, who secured this year's Centenary Medal award ‘in recognition of a sustained, significant contribution to the art of photography'. In 2000, Tillmans became the first photographer to win the Turner Prize. Bryan Adams, who combines his music career with life as a portrait and fashion photographer, was awarded an Honorary Fellowship alongside photographers Jonathan Anderson, Edwin Low, Nadav Kander and Viviane Sassen. The citation for Bryan Adams' Honorary Fellowship includes mention of his 2013 book, Wounded: The Legacy of War, which features portraits of 40 wounded soldiers injured while serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. The RPS Progress Medal was awarded to Dr George E Smith…

I was able to shoot with the Milvus lenses at a Zeiss press event and was very impressed. The lenses are beautifully made, and the manual-focus action is exquisite. Optically, they are absolutely stunning. I shot on the 36MP Nikon D800E, and even when shooting wide open, sharpness was exceptional and aberrations effectively minimised. Indeed, the biggest problem with these lenses is focusing them accurately enough to get the very best results. This isn't the lens's fault, but rather a reminder that you need excellent shooting technique to fully take advantage of such exotic optics. However, when your pictures do work out, they are stunning.…

There's a much-quoted adage stating there's a fine line between genius and madness. Those of us who are totally engrossed in photography may have come close to crossing that line many times. Many of the true greats in any field have been mighty close and some, in my opinion, obviously stumbled over it a long time before they were recognised for their work. The thing with hunting down that elusive photo is that we may never get it. A little like the fisherman who sets up his equipment at dawn, fishes until dusk and catches absolutely nothing, then does it all again. Total madness. But really, photographers are no different. We set out to capture an image, spend hours trying to get it, get soaked, frozen half to death, occasionally…

Harry Borden Harry Borden is one of the UK’s finest portrait photographers and his work has been widely published. He has won prizes at the World Press Photo awards (1997 and 1999), and last year was awarded an Honorary Fellowship by the RPS. The National Portrait Gallery collection holds more than 100 of his images. Visit www.harryborden.co.uk Like her or loathe her, Margaret Thatcher was a major figure in British life in the 1980s. She changed the country’s cultural and political landscape. I was 14 when she became prime minister in 1979, and she loomed large over my life during my teens and 20s. My career as a photographer didn’t really take off until the early 1990s, by which time her political career was over. I never got the opportunity…

Until the early 1960s, photojournalism was almost exclusively shot in black & white, with legendary magazines such as Life and Picture Post preferring to publish the gritty look of stark, monochrome imagery. But the launch of The Sunday Times Magazine in 1962 shook up the conventional wisdom of the time by putting the focus firmly on colour photography – a policy that heralded a new breed of hungry young photojournalists who were eager to travel and document the world in full colour. One such early adopter of colour was John Bulmer, who pursued a full-time career in photography after his story was published in Life. The piece – about ‘night crawlers’ (students who scaled the buildings of his alma mater Cambridge University) – resulted in him being expelled just six…

£34.99 www.optechusa.com OP/TECH pioneered the use of neoprene in the manufacture of camera straps, as the material's spongy texture and elasticity make it more comfortable than webbing or leather. The company's new Utility Sling-Duo is designed to carry two cameras simultaneously, up to a total of 6.8kg, on a strap worn across one shoulder. This 6.3cm-wide strap features a non-slip underside and two sets of clips to which 1in-wide webbed sling straps are connected, and hang on either side of the body. Cameras are attached to the sling straps with Op/Tech's own Uni-Loop connectors, which, once attached to a camera's strap lugs, enable it to be clipped on and off very quickly. Four Uni-Loops are provided with the Utility Sling-Duo, but most cameras (except heavy pro DSLRs) need just one.…

Olympus OM-D E-M1 1 ‘The Olympus OM-D E-M1 is my work camera. It features a Live MOS sensor and TruePic VII image processor, Dual Fast AF and extended Wi-Fi controls from your smartphone. It has a good balance between being sturdy and professional without sacrificing the small size I love from Micro Four Thirds cameras.’ Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II and 17mm f/1.8 lens 2 ‘The E-M5 is my everyday camera for walking around and capturing life. I really love this model a lot. It’s so beautiful and does everything I could ever want. The 17mm f/1.8 lens is my go-to lens for most situations, especially and most importantly when I’m Instagramming my dinner!’ Olympus 75mm f/1.8 lens 3 ‘This is another lens that works especially well when I’m working…

LAUNCHED 1959 PRICE £94 3s 3d (£94.16) with 50mm f/2.8 Xenar (AP 12 July 1961) GUIDE PRICE TODAY £20-£55 THE SECOND of a series of Retina Reflex cameras, the Retina Reflex S had a Synchro-Compur shutter behind the lens and a bayonet lens mount identical to that of the 1958 Retina IIIS coupled rangefinder camera. A full series of rangefinder-coupled Schneider and Rodenstock lenses was available for the Reflex S from 28mm f/4 to 200mm f/4. What’s good Excellent build quality. What’s bad No instant-return mirror – the screen remains black until the camera is wound. The non-coupled meter provides exposure value readout only. You set the EV setting with an aperture release tab. The EV scale itself is inconveniently on the underside of the lens assembly. Complexity makes the…

There are a few areas of lens design that both manufacturers and photographers believe affects optical prowess. One of these is the ‘professional' f/2.8 standard zoom. In earlier times the major competition was zoom range. While the long end has remained fixed at 70mm, the wide end progressed from 35mm to 28mm, then to 24mm. That is where this particular competition seems to have stopped, with the two main ‘professional' vendors, Canon and Nikon, henceforth trying to compete in absolute optical quality. In 2012 Canon gave its version a major update, pulling out all the stops to produce the best lens it could. Since then, Nikon's lens, while much loved by it users, has seemed to lag behind. Now Nikon has released its response with the new 24-70mm f/2.8E VR…

Some photographers are all about the distinction between ‘taking’ and ‘making’ pictures. Art critics rephrase substantially the same distinction, using the terms ‘appropriating’ and ‘constructing’. Realistically, though, very few pictures are wholly ‘appropriated’ or grabbed as a slice of reality, and even fewer are wholly ‘made’ or ‘constructed’. Those that are, are mainly advertising photography, along with a relatively tiny number of amateur or fine-art still lifes. This is a perfect example of the false taking-or-making dichotomy. This becomes obvious as soon as we imagine trying to take it ourselves. First, we need the ‘set’, which is presumably either a small chapel or the monk’s quarters. To be sure, you could build such a set, but this is almost certainly ‘found’. Second, it’s normally necessary to ‘garden’ a found set.…