Innholdsfortegnelse for 27-jun-15 i Amateur Photographer

Ever since camera sensors hit one megapixel I’ve been watching the bar creep higher, heralding each landmark increase and wondering where it would stop. At 10MP I pondered how we’d struggle to process and store such huge files. I did the same at 24MP, and when the Nikon D800 hit 36MP I thought this would surely be the upper limit. But this week we review the Canon EOS 5DS R, our first 50MP DSLR – and meanwhile Sony has just released the new 42.4MP Alpha 7R II. Few people need more than 16 million pixels, so what’s going on? Aside from the incredible detail and huge print sizes you can achieve with these new megapixel behemoths, the main benefit is the ability to crop into images without too much quality…

A EX-EMPLOYEE of Steve McCurry has been accused of stealing more than $650,000 worth of his prints, including the iconic ‘Afghan Girl' photo. Bree DeStephano, 32, is accused of stealing 50 prints from McCurry's studio in Pennsylvania – valued at $628,000 – after arranging to have them shipped. Chester County District Attorney Tom Hogan said in a statement, ‘In order to take photos like ‘Afghan Girl', Steve McCurry was exposed to extraordinary risks. The defendant casually abused her position of trust... without a thought to Mr McCurry.' The thefts – including books and other items – are valued at $654,358 and allegedly occurred between May 2012 and November 2013. DeStephano's lawyer Daniel Bush said his client is co-operating with investigators, but added he may dispute the value of the alleged…

Expanding Universe: Photographs from the Hubble Space Telescope By Charles F Bolden Jr, Owen Edwards, John Mace Grunsfeld and Zoltan Levay, Taschen, £44.99, hardback, 260 pages, ISBN 978-3-83654-922-6 IT TAKES a special collection of images to gives us some sense of place within the universe, and that's what we find with the pictures in Expanding Universe. The images collected within this book all come from the Hubble Space Telescope – a feat of engineering that has not only helped astronomers get a better picture of the building blocks of the cosmos, but has also offered us a humbling account of just how small our place within the universe is. Expanding Universe is a gorgeous volume. Each image is, in the original sense of the word, awesome. There are not many…

Where to go ‘Use Flickr and Google Maps to get a feel of where you want to head out, but don't find specific compositions because you'll just go to that place and copy that style,' says Lee. At the location Work out where the sun is going to rise and then visualise where the light is going to hit. ‘Often I try to get it side on, so I get all the shadows,' Lee says. Settings Don't worry too much about sharpness right through the image because the human eye doesn't see the background and foreground in perfect focus. Lee uses between f/5.6 and f/11. Execution Always use a tripod and a remote. If you're shooting when the light isn't good or using a long exposure, anchor your tripod to…

Dolwyddelan Castle is a great location at any time of the year. In winter, surrounded by snowcapped hills, there is a bleak and brooding feel to the landscape. In spring and summer, with early morning mists, a more ethereal and mystical mood can be had. The views from below the castle near the road can be striking and easily obtained, but my favourite views are from behind and slightly above the castle, looking down into a mist-filled valley at sunrise in late spring. If you are going to attempt the high view at sunrise, you will need the landowner's permission at the farmhouse. I've never had a problem with this – the people there are very friendly and the farm is a B&B, which is useful. The views of the…

Charity for all Gordon Clark Canon EOS 60D, 18-200mm, 1/160sec at f7, ISO 125 I THINK it's fair to say that Gordon is relying on the content of the image here, rather than his photographic skills to interest the viewer. In fact, it could be said that the content was produced by someone else – the artist – and that Gordon is merely copying that work. Yet he has given us some context, so we can at least see that the painting is on a building. There is a skill to ‘copying' that allows the viewer to get the most from the original artwork, and that generally involves not changing the shape of the original, by photographing it flat-on. Here the building and the painting are bent out of shape.…

Amateur Photographer Our cameras and lenses are tested using the industry-standard Image Engineering IQ-Analyser software. Visit www.image-engineering.de for more details THE CANON EOS 5DS R's 50.6MP sensor is a real step-change for Canon users, compared to the 22.3MP offered by the 5D Mark III. The increase in detail is striking, and improved in-camera sharpening means it can all be delivered in the camera's JPEG output. This does come at the cost of high ISO capability, but even at the extended setting of ISO12,800 images are perfectly usable. This suggests that the limited ISO range is a conservative decision on Canon's part, presumably to help differentiate the 5DS twins from the 5D Mark III. Colour rendition is typical Canon, with an attractive palette in the default JPEG mode that's saturated but…

Data file Price £1,000 Filter diameter n/a Lens elements 14 Groups 11 Diaphragm blades 7 Aperture f/2.8-22 Minimum focus 20cm Length 105.8mm Diameter 78.9mm Weight 534g Lens mount Micro Four Thirds With the 7-14mm f/2.8, Olympus has completed its line-up of professional-level fast zooms, and while it's possible to nitpick aspects of the image quality, overall the lens performs very well. It handles nicely on the camera, and is impressively compact given its specification. Optically it's very good too, with the only criticism being the somewhat soft corners at wideangle, especially at f/2.8. But this is a common flaw with wide zooms, and much reduced at normal working apertures. Aside from this, though, Olympus appears to have a worthy companion to the superb 12-40mm f/2.8 and 40-150mm f/2.8 PRO zooms…

1 Product photography table This is the station for small tabletop still-life photography for our print and online requirements. Products are arranged on seamless Colorama paper backgrounds, where colours and textures can be quickly changed to suit the brief and lighting is provided via a combination of Elinchrom monobloc flash heads. A black flag is at hand for shading or to control light spill, and we have a various shapers and dishes, from snoots to spot attachments. 2 Diorama test scene This permanent arrangement of vintage cameras and accessories, which will be familiar to all who study our camera reviews and tests, provides a range of colours and textures for evaluating image quality. The scene is lit by two daylight-balanced continuous lamps set permanently in position, so the luminance and…

When does a photograph cease to be a photograph? Does this image qualify as one? I think it does, although in a sense it could be said that it owes at least as much to that branch of painting known as hyper-realism: when things are so slick, so glossy, that they look almost more real than real. And yet, of course, they are less real than real. Look at those teeth, for a start. And those eyelashes. And for that matter, the title. Google ‘Lewis Lang Flagism’ to find out what Lewis says about his work. Sometimes it involves actual flags, as here. More importantly, in his view, some images (again, as here) seem to wave and snap like flags in the wind. He gives few clues as to how…

First-year photography student Jade Coxon, 18, captured this amazing moment as she took pictures at the Llandudno Air Show in North Wales in May. She posted the image online and it has had more than 1 million views. The crisp picture clearly shows eight of the Red Arrows display team's planes in tight formation with their famous vapour trails. But where the ninth plane should be, an intrepid gull holds the formation in place and, amazingly, even has its own vapour trail. Jade, from Llandudno, said she couldn't believe that she got the perfectly timed shot. The University of Chester student said her picture has become ‘really popular' over many websites. 50 Percentage rise in sales of a fund-raising calendar featuring photos taken by homeless people in the Café Art…

A ‘MOMENT of revelation' is key to a memorable image, says award-winning Magnum photographer Martin Parr. Parr made the comments after judging this year's Museum of the Year Photography Competition, and choosing a shortlist of six photos from the 1,800 entries. Parr said, ‘I was impressed with the variety of images shot for the competition, but was looking for an element of surprise in the images chosen to go forward to the final vote.' He added, ‘I think a moment of revelation is the key to a memorable photo, so I hope you enjoy the shortlist as much as I did selecting it.' The contest called on the public to submit photos of the six British museums that had been shortlisted for the prize. The winner of the competition will…

Epson International Pano Awards 2015 There’s about a month until the deadline closes for Epson’s Pano Awards, so it’s time to practise your stitching. Think about creative subjects that could benefit from an ultra-wide perspective. Until 26 July, www.thepanoawards.com Shoot heather It’s summer and the blooming heather is begging for intrepid photographers to get some fresh, country air and capture those beautiful purples. Find tips at the link below. Throughout summer, www.amateurphotographer. co.uk/wildflowers Michael Robert Williams Attitude Gallery presents a retrospective of music and celebrity photographer Michael Robert Williams, known for his portraits of musicians including Oasis, Ellie Goulding, Portishead and more. 2-5 July, www.attitudegallery.co.uk Captain Linnaeus Tripe: Photographer of India and Burma, 1854 – 1860 This pioneering photographic work is collected…

In the hide A canvas hide or a car will work well, although you may look a little strange setting up a canvas hide on a street! To position your hide correctly, work out where the light will fall and be aware of smell. Don't get too close and make sure you place yourself with the wind blowing towards you, away from the den site. Behaviour Foxes make a whole range of calls. Listening for and recognising them, such as a vixen calling to her cubs, can help you locate the dens. Other calls can also alert you to the fact that you are too close. When a vixen lets out an alarm bark, that is a cue that your time with the cubs is about to come to a…

You answered A No, I would never take a selfie/ I have no need for one 51% B No, they look stupid 35% C Yes, but not for taking a selfie 7% D Yes, but I don’t currently own one 5% E Yes, and I have found it useful 2% What you said ‘Selfie sticks, like the selfie, are a passing fad and will fade into the obscurity they deserve. It’s objectionable that they are tolerated in public when a tripod isn’t’ ‘The most obvious use? Beat the user with it’ ‘If they bring a bit of joy or help people enjoy photography, why not? That they “look silly” is the most ludicrous reason for not wanting to use one’ ‘I use a long extending window-cleaning pole with my GoPro…

THERE'S little doubt that the Canon EOS 5DS R is one of the most impressive cameras we've ever seen. With its 50.6MP sensor, robust build, and reliable metering and autofocus, it's sure to become a favourite with working photographers for whom ultimate resolution really matters. Indeed, with 20% higher linear resolution than 36MP cameras, it lays down the gauntlet to Sony and Nikon to play catch-up again, although it would be naïve to expect this to take long. When shooting with the 5DS R, it's striking how the design has matured. While no camera is perfect, and photographers have different preferences, few models work quite so well out of the box. In part this is due to its large body giving plenty of space for controls, but the layout is…

Resolution At 7mm the centre of the frame is spectacularly sharp, but the corners lag behind, especially at f/2.8. Even around the optimum setting of f/5.6 they don’t quite catch up. Zoom to 10mm and the corners are rather sharper, especially wide open. At 14mm the lens gives its most even results, with edge sharpness close to matching the centre. Stopping down beyond f/8 results in softer images. Shading Our tests indicate that the 7-14mm shows relatively low levels of vignetting, and certainly not enough to be disturbing. At worst we see an illumination fall off of about 0.5 stop in the corner of the frame, which will rarely, if ever, be noticeable in real-world use. Curvilinear distortion Typically for Micro Four Thirds, the 7-14mm is designed around software distortion…

LAUNCHED 1937 NEW PRICE with 80mm f/2.8 Tessar £30 7s 6d (£30.37) GUIDE PRICE TODAY £50-£200 for pre-Second World War models; £125-£300 with 1950s Synchro Compur The Super Ikonta 532/16, for 6x6cm images on120 (11-on-120 pre-Second World War, 12-on-120 after 1953) was the culmination of Zeiss Ikon development through several models of 6x6 coupledrangefinder folding cameras before the Second World War. The pre-war camera was reintroduced from 1946/47, with an X-synchronised version in 1951. From 1953, a cosmetically modified 532/16 with 50mm f/2.8 coated Tessar and Synchro Compur shutter was produced. The original version of the 532/16 became an official camera of the British Army film unit in the Second World War. What’s good Tank-like engineering quality and weight. Accurate rangefinder. What’s bad The 80mm f/2.8 Tessar lens is not…

Landscape quest Photographers have until 12 July to enter this year’s Landscape Photographer of the Year competition. Organisers are looking for shots taken of landscapes in the UK, with the overall winner receiving £10,000. Open to everyone, entrants can submit up to 25 images across four categories. The contest also features a category for those under 17. For full details, including entry fees, visit www.take-a-view.co.uk. Leap to victory A well-timed shot of a protester escaping police by jumping from a truck during demonstrations in Kenya has won an award. Reuters photographer Thomas Mukoya was named Photographer of the Year by the Media Council of Kenya for his image, ‘A leap to freedom’ (left). New cine lens SLR Magic will unveil a 50mm T0.95 HyperPrime Cine Micro Four Thirds lens (£849)…

SONY has revealed a new flagship full-frame mirrorless camera. The 42.4-million-pixel Sony Alpha 7R II features what Sony bills as the world's first back-illuminated 35mm (full-frame) CMOS imaging sensor. It has an ISO expandable up to102,400 and an AF response time up to 40% faster than the original Alpha 7R, using 399 focal-plane phase-detection AF points, coupled with 25 contrast AF points. Other features include 5-axis image stabilisation, 4K video recording plus an upgraded XGA OLED Tru-Finder that includes a double-sided aspherical lens. Sony said in a statement: ‘The 42.4MP sensor combines gapless on-chip lens design and anti-reflective coating on the surface of the sensor's glass seal to dramatically improve light-collection efficiency, resulting in high sensitivity with low-noise performance and wide dynamic range. ‘This allows the camera to shoot an…

Instagram purports to have, on average, 70 million photos posted daily. This highlights the obvious fact that photos are common – the democratisation of images began with the Kodak Brownie that, as Graham Clarke, author of The Photograph, notes, meant ‘everyone could take photographs and everyone could have their photograph taken. Every technological step forward from that point has enabled novices to take better photos more easily and more cheaply. The smartphone is the ultimate culmination of this development – an image can be captured, processed and shared immediately. Smartphone images have culturally come to represent the ‘power of self, epitomised by the selfie – not only can I have my photograph taken, but I can also take it myself, present myself as I want to be seen, project my…

Wideangle lens Using a wideangle lens will be a little trickier with rural foxes, but you could still try with an infrared set-up. You can often get quite close to urban foxes, and with a bit of bait and a remote you should get some nice photographs. Telephoto lens You will need a telephoto lens, and anything from 300-600mm should be ample. This will be a huge help when shooting rural foxes. For urban foxes this might be too much, so don’t forget to pack a wide and smaller zoom. A 70-200mm will be perfect. Hide I’m not just talking about a glorified green tent, which will help a lot with rural foxes. If urban foxes are a bit wary of you, then use the most-owned hide on earth and…

Wellies If you are shooting in the early morning, wellies will be a better bet than walking boots because of the wet grass. As this is Wales, waterproofs should be carried at all times. Standard zoom Dolwyddelan is a landscape location needing no specialist kit, so a 24-70mm lens (pretty much my ‘go-to’ lens) is all you will need. Midge repellent If you shoot in the spring or summer midge repellent is a must, and although Welsh midges don’t have the reputation of their Scottish cousins, they are still annoying when you’re trying to concentrate on your image.…

Lee Acaster from Suffolk is the winner of our Creative Wideangle round of APOY 2015 and wins a Sigma10-20mm f/4-5.6 EX DC HSM and a Sigma15mm f/2.8 EX DG Diagonal Fisheye lens. The super-wideangle capability of the Sigma10-20mm f/4-5.6 makes it a powerful tool for both indoor and landscape photography. It is designed to optimise results with DSLR cameras incorporating APS-C-sized imaging sensors. This lens is equipped with an inner focusing system, and the HSM design provides quiet, high-speed autofocus and manual focusing. Measuring just 8.1x8.4cm and weighing an acceptable 465g, the Sigma10-20mm f/4-5.6 is both lightweight and compact for its focal class, making it easy to handle but at the same time feeling balanced when mounted on a DSLR. The lens features Sigma's inner focusing system, which eliminates the…

£34.95 www.expoimaging.com ROGUE specialises in making light-modifying accessories, mostly for flashguns. One such product is the 3-in-1 Stacking Honeycomb Flash Grid. You use a flash grid to concentrate the light from a flashgun and prevent it from spilling over a wide area. Rogue's system does this particularly well, and is especially clever in that it is built to hold two honeycomb grid inserts that can work on their own or together. The smaller of the two will give a 45° spotlight, the bigger a 25°, and together a tightly concentrated 16° spotlight. These are particularly useful for rim lighting, hair lights, spotlights on background or, in general, any kind of low-key lighting set up where it's important for the light not to spill onto other parts of the scene. As…

Viewfinder information overlay Alongside drive, AF and metering modes, it’s possible to show battery status, white balance, image-quality settings and even a flicker warning with fluorescent lighting. IR remote receiver This is compatible with Canon’s RC-6 infrared release for wireless remote control. Connectors These include Canon’s E3-type remote release connector, a PC flash socket and 3.5mm stereo microphone jack, as well as HDMI and USB 3 connectors. Silent control The rear dial can be set to work as a touch-sensitive silent four-way controller for video shooting. Battery The LP-E6N battery is good for around 700 shots per charge. Hotshoe This accepts Canon EX-series flashguns and third-party E-TTL alternatives. Dial lock switch Sliding this switch to the right locks the rear dial against accidental operation.…

New features are sometimes like buses – they all seem to appear at once. Recently there has been a spate of cameras offering increased resolution using a process that involves making microscopic movements of the sensor between multiple exposures and then composing the resultant frame into one with increased resolution. The first exponent of this technique was Hasselblad, which used sensor shift in the H5D-200c MS to produce (apparently) a 200MP output from a 50MP sensor. Four exposures were made, cycling round the Bayer sensor pattern, to take a full-colour sample at each pixel position as opposed to the single colour at each position that the raw Bayer image gives. The effect of this is a full-colour image that is especially useful in eliminating colour moiré effects, which cameras without…