Innholdsfortegnelse for 01-Sep-2018 i Amateur Photographer

This week we bring you what we believe is the first-ever hands-on report on the brand new Nikon mirrorless system of any photographic magazine in the world. Being weekly has its advantages! The new Z6 and Z7 are a huge deal for Nikon. I would go so far as to say that they are make-or-break cameras. Nikon’s 1 system was an expensive, disastrous misreading of where the future market for mirrorless cameras was going to be, and it carried none of Nikon’s DNA. Meanwhile the likes of Sony have been chomping away at Nikon’s global market share. If Nikon gets this new system wrong it could spell the end for the company. I am hugely relieved to say that the early signs are very positive. Having handled the Z7 it…

Samyang 14mm for Nikon full-frame DSLRs Samyang has announced its first AF lens for full-frame Nikon DSLRs, the AF 14mm f/2.8 F. This weathersealed wideangle prime features 15 elements in 10 groups, including two aspherical elements, four high-refractive (HR) elements and one extra-low dispersion (ED) glass element to minimise distortion. Weighing 484kg and with a minimum focus distance of 20cm, the new lens goes on sale from September for £649.99. Helping the homeless help themselves Café Art, an organisation that connects homeless people with the wider community through art, has also launched in Brighton and Hove. Around 100 homeless people were given Fujifilm single-use cameras and asked to document what Brighton and Hove means to them, following on from the well-established project in London. A Kickstarter campaign has been launched…

A MOVIE about the celebrated and enigmatic infrared photographer and author, Simon Marsden, has been released. Simon Marsden: A Life in Pictures had its global premiere at the British Film Institute on 16 August. It is directed by Irish documentary filmmaker Jason Figgis and produced by Gray Levett, founder of Grays of Westminster. The movie is yet to go into general distribution but as Jason Figgis explains, ‘There will be a special screening at the RPS HQ in Bristol early in 2019 with “video on demand” download planned for later this year.' Figgis began gathering the material on Simon Marsden in 2001, but the real work on the film began after the photographer's death in 2012.…

WE'RE not sure what the editor FJ Mortimer was on back in 1933, but he was certainly on good form. ‘It is an old joke to advise photographers to make a noise like a nut when photographing squirrels or the noise of a bun when photographing bears at the zoo.' Oh-kay… To be fair to FJ, he was trying to make a serious point about the best ways for photographers to attract the attention of ‘more challenging' subjects. He was also rather concerned by a recent survey in a London newspaper, which revealed the shocking news that photography was the sixth most popular pastime in the UK, languishing behind dancing and, er, sunbathing. FJ was not discouraged though. ‘The participants are naturally prejudiced in favour of their own pet pastime…

From the moment Nikon announced its intention to make full-frame mirrorless, the question has been whether it can build the right camera to tempt its existing user base to dip a toe into these exciting new waters. After even a short time with the camera, I'm confident that it's got most things right, and unlike the ill-fated 1 System, this new line feels entirely worthy of the Nikon name. The body design is excellent, the viewfinder is stunning, and even the most diehard of DSLR fans will surely be tempted to pick one up just to give it a try. Naturally it won't match Sony's third-generation models in every respect, but in certain areas it surpasses them already. The question for Nikon isn't going to be whether the cameras will…

When you read this, it'll have been almost a month since Nikon first showed us, under the strictest secrecy, its brand new full-frame mirrorless system. And I'll have spent a week in Japan learning all about the firm's thinking from its top engineers and senior executives. This is, without doubt, the most important launch in the firm's recent history, and it's keen to explain exactly what it's trying to do. However, the camera pretty much speaks for itself. It's designed and built like a mini SLR, and handles in much the same way as a D750 or D850. It's just smaller, and uses an electronic rather than optical viewfinder. The message to Nikon users couldn't be simpler: this is another tool that can sit within your existing set-up. The fact…

Eye AFenabled camera The eyes are the most important feature in a portrait. Technology such as Sony’s superb Eye AF accurately tracks and focuses on an eye, giving you the flexibility to compose the shot exactly as you wish. Standard zoom A fast 24-70mm lens will let you work in low light, create beautiful bokeh and separate the subject from the background. The wide end is useful for capturing environmental portraits. Camera bag A simple over-the-shoulder bag such as the LowePro Toploader Zoom 50 AW II or a small messenger bag is perfect when exploring, as it’s light and holds your camera, lens and space for spare batteries, memory cards and a lens cloth. Camera strap The strap that comes with your camera isn’t always the best for long days…

Environmental portraits Unlike traditional head-and-shoulders portraits, taking an environmental portrait can capture the surroundings of the person being photographed to give both the person and the scene some context. It could be someone working, and by showing the background or including props, the person viewing the image should get a deeper insight or connection with the person in the image. TOP TIP Place the subject either off centre or with enough space around them to show the scene. Either take a step back to show more of the scene or use a wideangle lens and shoot at a narrower aperture of between f/4 and f/11 to keep some of the detail in the background. Traditional portraits On your travels you may encounter someone with a great face. By this I…

In 1927, a young man by the name of Bill Brandt arrived in Vienna to see a lung specialist. He was 23 and had spent the previous six years in a Swiss hospital recovering from tuberculosis. The city was much to his liking, and Brandt decided to stay, finding work in a portrait studio. In the early stages of his employment he took a photograph of American poet Ezra Pound, which marked the start of his 50-year career. Pound was so pleased with the image that he urged Brandt to travel to Paris to work with the surrealist Man Ray. This latest post lasted just three months, but it had a huge impact on Brandt’s work. (Ray exaggerated film grain for graphic effect, and was a fan of radical cropping…

John Crew Camera used: Panasonic LUMIX G80 with G-Vario 12-60mm lens I found this nice to handle, with a vari-angle touchscreen and an automatically activated and well-shielded viewfinder both being a godsend in the very bright conditions. I stuck to mainly Aperture Priority mode at ISO 200, photographing in a wide range of light conditions inside and outside, and was impressed by the overall results. The set-up produced a good light balance when shooting from shadow into bright light with a minimum of editing needed. Overall, I was impressed with the results I obtained on a first outing and will most certainly consider the G80 for my next camera purchase. Peter Gillings Camera used: Panasonic LUMIX G80 with G Vario 12-60mm lens I am not that experienced a photographer but…

AS A commercial printer, I ensure contact sheets for clients are presentable and tonally consistent. Inevitably, exposures will vary, so to correct contact sheets I keep a supply of black paper strips in the darkroom, cut to approximately 120 and 35mm film widths. Having assessed initial tests, I will then work out a series of additional exposures laying down the strips to give sections of the film more light. This also allows part of the sheet to be printed on a different grade if the contrast varies as well as exposure. Of course, a more simple method, which I often use for my own films, is to make two or three different contacts of the same film.…

THE EOS 4000D provides a no-frills entry-point to Canon's DSLR ecosystem for those on the tightest of budgets. Aside from the now-discontinued EOS 1300D there isn't a cheaper DSLR on the market. In its favour the 4000D is very easy to use and capable of good image quality. That said, both the 2000D and especially the 200D provide better image quality and more growing space for first-time DSLR buyers to develop their skills. The other issue facing the EOS 4000D is the older EOS 1300D model. For the additional £70 the 4000D offers no discernible image quality or performance benefits. We'd therefore be inclined to recommend the 1300D until the 4000D's price becomes heavily discounted or stock of the 1300D finally dries up. For those with a little more to…

Resolution The lens was coupled up to Canon’s 50-million-pixel EOS 5DS R prior to carrying out our Image Engineering tests. Like Sigma’s 85mm f/1.4 Art, this optic resolves a similar level of sharpness in the centre of the frame at f/1.4 as it does when stopped down to f/11. You’ll notice that sharpness peaks in the centre at f/4, and the sweet spot between centre and edge sharpness is found by stopping the lens down to an aperture of around f/5.6 or f/8. Shading With such a large front element, the lens is able to deliver a significantly greater volume of peripheral light than other prime lenses. This result is an extremely impressive vignetting performance, with edges proving to be barely any darker than the centre of the image, even…

SMARTPHONES can be really useful photographic tools, as you're likely to have one with you all the time. Huawei's P20 Pro is, in photographic terms, probably the best yet. With its telephoto and monochrome cameras and excellent Handheld Night Shot mode, it brings a unique combination of features that nothing else can match. I'm not a huge fan of its cartoonish processing in auto, but in Pro mode it can give really impressive results. If you're after a new phone and want the best camera, then believe the hype: this is it. Data file Cameras 28mm equiv. f/1.8, 40MP colour 28mm equiv. f/1.6, 20MP mono 70mm equiv. f/2.8, 8MP colour Display 6.1in 18:9 OLED, 2240 x 1080 Operating system Android 8.1 Storage 128GB Dimensions 73.9x155x7.8mm Weight 180g…

Canon PowerShot SX740 HS Newly released by Canon, the PowerShot SX740 HS is a mid-range compact that is competitively priced and the least expensive of the three cameras listed here. Its biggest selling point is its huge 40x optical zoom which allows you to get nice and close even if your subject is far away. A 180° tilting 3in LCD screen makes taking selfies and vlogging easy as you can see exactly what you are doing, and you can even shoot 4K 30fps video in camera. £349 • Super-telephoto 40x optical zoom• 4K 30fps and HD 60fps video available• Pocketable size, weighing only 299g Panasonic LUMIX DMC-TZ200 This camera is aimed at photographers and videographers looking for exceptional quality, zoom and portability. A 1.0in-type MOS sensor means you get enhanced…

Cameras Interchangeable-lens cameras come in two types: DSLRs with optical viewfinders, and mirrorless models with electronic viewing Handgrip DSLRs traditionally have relatively large handgrips, while many mirrorless models have much smaller grips to keep size down. However, some can accept accessory grips to improve handling with larger lenses. Lens mount Each camera brand uses its own lens mount, and mirrorless cameras use different lenses to DSLRs even from the same brand. However, mirrorless models can often use DSLR lenses via a mount adapter. Controls Entry-level cameras tend to have simple, easy-to-understand controls, while more expensive models add lots of buttons and dials to give quick access to settings. Viewfinder The biggest difference between DSLRs and mirrorless cameras is that the latter use electronic, rather than optical viewfinders. They’re more power…

AF Nikon AF lenses driven from camera AF-S Nikon lenses with Silent Wave Motor AF-P Nikon lenses with stepper motors AL Pentax lenses with aspheric elements APD Fujifilm lenses with apodisation elements APO Sigma Apochromatic lenses ASPH Aspherical elements AT-X Tokina’s Advanced Technology Extra Pro AW Pentax all-weather lenses CS Samyang lenses for APS-C cropped sensors D Nikon lenses that communicate distance info DA Pentax lenses optimised for APS-C-sized sensors DC Nikon defocus-control portrait lenses DC Sigma’s lenses for APS-C digital DG Sigma’s designation for full-frame lenses Di Tamron lenses for full-frame sensors Di-II Tamron lenses designed for APS-C DSLRs Di-III Tamron lenses for mirrorless cameras DN Sigma’s lenses for mirrorless cameras DO Canon diffractive optical element lenses DT Sony lenses for APS-C-sized sensors DX Nikon’s lenses for DX-format digital…

‘As Sosi’s work shows, the best photograms are works of art in their own right’ At first sight, few things could be much easier than photograms. Working in the darkroom, you set things down on a sheet of photographic paper; expose it to light; then remove the things and develop the paper. Once you have established the exposure by trial and error, you are limited only by two things. One is affording enough photographic paper. The other is your choice of objects, and the relationships in which you place them. This is where the difficulty comes in. As with any other form of photography, the challenge lies far less in the process of creation than in making pictures that others want to see. Google ‘photogram’ and ‘artists’ and you will…

Crosby Beach Dispersion by Chris Evans Canon EOS 70D, 24-105mm, 13sec at f/11, ISO 100 This apocalyptic beach scene was uploaded to Instagram with the tag #appicoftheweek. It was taken by photographer Chris Evans. He tells us: ‘The original scene was not as good as I had hoped for and looked a little bit bland, so I added an orange photo filter and a different sky. I then experimented with a dispersion effect to give the image a more dystopian look. I created a reflection using the Gaussian Blur tool in Photoshop and a displacement map for the water in order to achieve the desired look I was after.'…

THE LONDON Stereoscopic Company, set up by Queen guitarist Brian May, has recently republished a book on the Scottish stereoscopic photographer George Washington Wilson, written by leading photographic historian, Professor Roger Taylor (no relation to the Queen drummer). Washington Wilson (1823-93) became the toast of Victorian society with his innovative landscape photography and was hired to work for Queen Victoria. ‘Washington Wilson's cards always stood out to me as a collector,' Brian tells AP. ‘They are always in wonderful condition as he got his processes so perfect, so they don't fade or get messed up with age.' Washington Wilson was a great innovator, Professor Taylor explains. ‘One of the things he did was to incorporate the sky and the ground in one single image. He introduced scenery that had water…

Chicago on my mind What happens if you take three systems on a city break? David Clapp finds out Extreme black & white Martin Evening shows you how to push your b&w conversions in Camera Raw Cool couples John Wade takes us into the fascinating world of coupled rangefinder cameras CONTENT FOR NEXT WEEK’S ISSUE MAY BE SUBJECT TO CHANGE…

Shoot in bursts There is nothing more frustrating than discovering your subject blinked in the millisecond the shutter fired. Shooting a continuous burst of 2 to 3 frames will help increase your chances of an eyes-open shot without the subject feeling uncomfortable. Work the angles Think about the type of images you want to achieve on location and always take more pictures than you will need. Mix up your focal lengths, angles, composition and camera orientation to give yourself as many options as possible when selecting the best one. Shapes and shadows People photography is all about the eyes. While this is a good principle to follow it doesn't hurt to break the rules every now and then. The shape or silhouette of a person or group can tell a…

Shutter speed conundrum I have been taking photos of motorcycle racing and am struggling to get everything spot on. To capture a shot where the graphics on the bike are sharp while the wheels look as though they are revolving while the background is blurred is difficult. At say 100th second, the bike may move half a metre, and the circumference of the wheel moves further than the brake disk. Perhaps Professor Newman could write one of his articles to explain the math. There is presumably a mathematical correlation between the speed of the bike, distance travelled by the wheel rim, distance from the camera, focal length and speed of the shutter across the focal plane, etc. Maybe the professor could calculate a formula so we can dial in the…

Create bold abstracts Look for blocks of colour that will create bold patterns and shapes when using intentional blur to show movement. Strong colours help an abstract to be very eye-catching. Check for strong lines When using intentional camera movement to create painterly shots, keep an eye out for strong lines that will give your shot a good grounding, moving the eye from the top to the bottom of the frame. Freeze the moment Using a fast shutter speed freezes the action and captures a moment in time. Where water (or mud) is involved, all the individual droplets of mud or water can work together for a high-impact shot. Capture nature differently We're told to prioritise sharpness in wildlife photography, but blurred movement can make your work stand out. This…

Esther is a professional photographer and LUMIX ambassador whose main passions are social, documentary, food and travel photography.Visit www.estherling.co.uk. 1 Most of the questions on the Lacock photo walk were ‘What does “A” and “S” stand for and what is “iA”?' You need to spend time getting to know your camera and the various settings. If you do get stuck in a menu, simply half press the shutter button rather than turn the camera on and off, which might waste precious shooting time. 2 It was very sunny and contrasty at Lacock Abbey, but you have to find a way to work around it. In bright sunlight I sometimes change to spot metering so that I am sure to take the exposure reading from exactly where I want it to…

1 The original digital image Making a black & white darkroom print by contacting a negative digitally printed from a file is a relatively straightforward process. One benefit is that it can combine the qualities of a silver gelatin print and the many options we have in the darkroom with work shot and processed digitally. 2 Reversed and inverted The negative is made by making an inkjet print onto clear film, such as Permajet Digital Transfer Film or Pictorico Transparency Film. After tonal correction, it is desaturated, inverted to negative and flipped horizontally. This ensures the paper and negative emulsions touch giving the sharpest result. 3 Further contrast tests For initial tests, it is useful to make several changes of contrast of a section of the image using adjustment layers,…

Canon EOS 4000D Price £369 (with EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS III lens) Sensor 18MP APS-C CMOS Output size 5184 x 3456 pixels Focal length mag 1.6x Lens mount Canon EF / EF-S Shutter speeds 30-1/4,000sec Sensitivity ISO 100-6,400 standard ISO 12,800 expanded Exposure modes PASM, Scene Intelligent Auto, No Flash, Creative Auto, 6 Scene modes Metering Multi, Spot, Average Exposure comp ±5EV in 1/3EV or 1/2EV steps Continuous shooting 3fps Screen 2.7in, 230k-dot fixed LCD Viewfinder Pentamirror type, 95% coverage Video Full HD (1920x1080), HD (1080x720), Memory card SD, SDHC, SDXC Power LP-E10 Li-ion battery Battery life Approx 500 shots per charge Dimensions 129x101.6x77.1mm Weight 436g (with battery and card)…

• £69.99 • www.vanguardworld.co.uk IF YOU regularly use a tripod, you'll know that the head is critical to how well it works. It can be difficult to find a head from a reputable brand that will support a substantial load, while not itself being large, heavy or expensive. Vanguard's Alta BH-100 aims to provide a solution, with a feature set that belies its relatively modest price. It offers the key features that serious photographers demand from a ball head, including friction adjustment, a separately locking panning base, and an Arca Swiss-compatible quick release. It purports to support loads of up to 10kg, yet weighs less than half a kilo and costs only £70. All this sounds too good to be true. It's difficult to find fault with the head's design,…

As I write this, Nikon's teaser videos for its new mirrorless camera are appearing on YouTube. By the time the article is published, you'll all know the identity and specification of the camera. For now, the publicity is concentrating on the lens mount – Nikon's first new ‘full-frame' system mount since the Nikon F appeared in1959. One of the most noticeable features of the mount is its array of11 contacts. While this is one pin fewer than the12 pins Nikon used for the1 system, or the similar number for the Micro Four Thirds mount, it's still a lot more than the seven (it has eight contacts, but two are commoned) of Canon's original ‘Electro-Focus' (or ‘EF') system, which is still in operation today and remains essentially unchanged in the mirrorless…

We've tried our hardest to ensure that the information in this guide is as complete and accurate as possible. However, some errors will inevitably have crept in along the way: if you spot one, please let us know by emailing ap@ti-media.com. We don't have space to list every single product on the market, so we don't include the most expensive speciality optics such as long telephoto primes. Before making a major purchase we advise you to double-check prices, along with any crucial specifications or requirements, with either a reputable retailer or the manufacturer's website.…

If you’d like to see your work published in Amateur Photographer, here’s how to send us your images: Email Email a selection of low-res images (up to 5MB of attachments in total) to appicturedesk@ti-media.com. CD/DVD Send us a disc of high-resolution JPEG, TIFF or PSD images (at least 2480 pixels along its longest length), with a contact sheet, to the address on page 24. Via our online communities Post your pictures into our Flickr group, Facebook page, Twitter feed, or the gallery on our website. See details above. Transparencies/prints Well-packaged prints or slides (without glass mounts) should be sent by Special Delivery, with a return SAE, to the address on page 24.…

FOLLOWING the announcement last June that the Lexar brand of memory cards and memory card readers and other storage devices would be discontinued, the new Chinese owner, Longsys, has announced the revival of the brand. Shipments will recommence in the autumn. ‘I'm extremely excited to re-introduce the Lexar brand to our worldwide customers,' says Lexar CEO Huabo Cai. ‘Lexar is dynamic, has superior research and development capabilities, and has a deep understanding of our customers' needs.' Despite these positive noises, Lexar has also confirmed that it has delayed production of XQD cards, which are also used on the new Nikon Z7. For the latest news visit www.amateurphotographer.co.uk…

IN DESIGNING its new full-frame mirrorless system, Nikon has bowed to the inevitable and introduced a new lens mount. But not any old mount: the firm says that the fully electronic Z-mount has the largest opening of any full-frame system. In fact its 55mm internal diameter can accommodate f/0.95 lenses, with a 58mm f/0.95 Noctilux already on Nikon's roadmap; in comparison, the Sony E and Canon EF-M mounts both measure around 47mm. A 16mm flange distance from lens to sensor affords extra freedom to optical designers, while a set of 11 electronic contacts enables rapid data transfer for fast, silent autofocus. Nikon fully understands that it has to appeal to its existing DSLR users, who will be relieved to hear that they can use their F-mount lenses via an adapter.…

NIKON understands that the biggest market for its new mirrorless system is its huge existing DSLR user base. Hence, it's introducing an adapter that will let them use their existing lenses, and which it says is compatible with approximately 360 lenses. But as usual with the F-mount, the devil is in the detail. Only those with built-in focus motors – in other words, AF-S and AF-P type –will be fully compatible for both autofocus and autoexposure, equating to over 90 lenses, or almost the entire current range. However the adapter doesn't have a focus motor built in, so won't offer AF with D-type lenses, although it'll still provide autoexposure. Manual focus will be available, of course, and considerably easier and more accurate in comparison to using a DSLR's optical viewfinder.…

This is one of the age-old conundrums and its prevalence varies from country to country. Some people will request/expect money in return, but you need to decide if that value exchange is one you are comfortable with. From street performers to people who dress in traditional costumes, these transactions are now an ingrained part of the economy in some parts of the world. Similarly, if the person is selling something, they may expect you to make a small purchase in return. While transactional-based interactions can stifle the natural engagement that makes a portrait special, they can still lead to amazing images for those willing to negotiate a price.…

Harry Skeggs Kenya, February 2019 Exploring the Mara and Laikipia – two of Kenya's greatest wildlife areas, rich with photographic opportunities. India, April 2019 The wilds of central India tracking the majestic Bengal tiger, as well as the other fantastic wildlife of the Indian interior, including sloth bears and Asiatic leopards. Papua New Guinea, July 2019 Sensational birds of paradise and mysterious tribes, through to volcanoes and the photogenic mask festival. For details see skeggsphotography.com. Nori Jemil Patagonia and Cape Horn, February 2019 On board the Australis , which sails from Punta Arenas in Chile to Ushuaia in Argentina. As well as glaciers and penguins, there's the chance to explore the Darwinian range, Chilean fjords and Cape Horn, with on-board tuition between landings. See www.norijemil.com.…

WITH the 105mm f/1.4 DG HSM, Sigma has created an astonishingly impressive lens that nestles its way into the company's Art line-up between the 85mm f/1.4 DG HSM and 135mm f/1.8 DG HSM. It'll find its way onto many Canon and Sony photographers' wish lists and will attract Nikon users who'd like to make a saving over the Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 105mm f/1.4E ED (£1,949). While it's not the most inconspicuous of prime lenses, the quality of the bokeh it produces is very appealing, which is matched by excellent contrast and sharpness right across the frame, even when it's used at f/1.4. It won't be perfect for everyone though. The fact it has no optical image stabilisation and the way the sheer size and weight takes its toll during long…

Avoiding harsh shadows in portraits QI quite often like to shoot stills and video during the summer while I have some free time (the rest of my year I'm at university). The problem is, especially this summer, the light has been incredibly harsh almost every single day, and so I am getting a lot of shadowing on my subjects' faces. Please can you recommend a very low-budget (under £50) portable solution? Terry Stroud A Shooting in the harsh summer sun can be incredibly difficult for the photographer and subject, as you have to balance shadowing on the face against having your subject squint into the bright light. One way to deal with this is to carry a collapsible reflector with you. There are many types available, varying in colour, size…