Innholdsfortegnelse for 18-May-2019 i Amateur Photographer

The mirrorless revolution has been THE big hardware story of the past few years and it has not played out yet, with plenty of new cameras as well as exciting firmware updates for existing gear. There are still a lot of mirrorless sceptics out there, however, or people who are just cautious about trading in their DSLRs. So in this special issue, we explore the many benefits of mirrorless, and ask eight top photographers to share their experiences of changing systems. And if you think decent mirrorless systems are still relatively expensive, check out our review of the Fujifilm X-T30, for under £1,000. Even if you are happy to stick with your DSLR system, there is plenty of interest in this issue, including a fascinating portrait project by Carolyn Mendelsohn.…

I wish to concur with the sentiments of Jeff Wilson (Inbox, 16 March). Having tried to take satisfying photographs since circa 1969 and being a reader of AP on and off these past 50 years it was AP that came to my rescue in July 2018. Sadly my wife of 40 years died suddenly and unexpectedly in June 2018. I had changed my very intense active job just five weeks earlier to become a van driver delivering car parts to local garages. Spending all day with little other than the driving to distract me, I was aware that I could easily become absorbed in my own sadness. I needed to take myself out of that zone. Photography had always been an interest. I still had a Sony bridge camera but…

The Reader Portfolio winner chosen every week will receive a Manfrotto PIXI EVO tripod worth £44.95. Visit www.manfrotto.co.uk Lightweight and portable, the Manfrotto PIXI EVO boasts two different leg angles with a sliding selector enabling you to shoot ground-level images. It’s adjustable, with two-section legs featuring five different steps that adapt the footprint to uneven surfaces. With a payload of 2.5kg, you can tilt the camera 90° to capture incredible images. NOTE: PRIZE APPLIES TO UK AND EU RESIDENTS ONLY…

Panasonic Lumix G1 Launched 2008 The world’s first mirrorless camera of its kind, the G1 celebrated its tenth birthday late last year. It arrived with a fresh 12.1MP Four Thirds sensor and a new lens mount, although it also maintained compatibility with existing Four Thirds lenses through an optional adapter. While the low-resolution sensor and lack of video recording show its age, its influence can still be seen in today’s G-series models. Olympus OM-D E-M5 Launched 2012 Olympus’s digital revival of its OM film SLRs started with the E-M5, the de-facto flagship in the series until the launch of the OM-D E-M1 in late 2013. Inside its weather-sealed body, the camera offered a 16.1MP Four Thirds sensor with a 5-axis image-stabilisation system, together with a 1.44-million-dot viewfinder and 9fps burst…

THE ROTOLIGHT NEO 2 is an LED light that combines both continuous lighting with High Speed Sync (HSS) flash (1/8000th). This portable light can be mounted on or off camera, and its lightweight design makes it easy to transport and use on location. To power the NEO 2 it takes 6x AA batteries (NiMh or Li-ion), DC or Dtap. The battery power lasts for 85,000 full power flashes on the batteries, or 1.5 hours at maximum output continuous power. This light includes Rotolight's True Aperture Dimming™, which is a feature that calculates your aperture at a given distance, plus it's completely flicker free at any frame rate – the ideal accompaniment for any wedding photographer.…

There have been many developments in Fujifilm's X series over the years. One such example has been the expansion of the company's X-T camera portfolio. Back in 2014, there was only the X-T1 to choose from if you fancied a Fujifilm camera that bestowed the traditional shape of a DSLR, with attractive styling and a centrally positioned viewfinder. We had to wait until May 2015 to see some of the X-T1's features filter down to a more compact X-T10. Since then we've seen the X-T series grow substantially. Double-digit X-T models such as the X-T20 continue to borrow a subset of the advanced features found in Fujifilm's single-digit X-T models, and to ensure there's a camera for all types of user, Fujifilm introduced the X-T100 for novices and those working…

Our cameras and lenses are tested using the industry-standard Image Engineering IQ-Analyser software. Visit www.image-engineering.de for more details The way the X-Trans CMOS 4 sensor handles noise across its native range (ISO 160-12,800) whilst preserving such a fine level of detail is extremely impressive. This is great news for those who often find themselves pushing the sensitivity high in low-light scenarios. While ultimately the best image quality is resolved from the X-T30's raw files, JPEG quality straight out of the camera is very good indeed. Users who shoot JPEGs at high ISOs may want to reduce the automated noise reduction from the menu to produce results that don't appear as heavily processed. Resolution The level of detail recorded by the X-T30’s 26-million-pixel sensor is identical to that resolved by the…

1 Control customisation When customising buttons to suit your needs, you're now shown a diagram of where each is located on the body, rather than just a label. This isn't a new idea – other companies have been doing it for a while – but it's now much easier to visualise exactly what you're changing. 2 My Dial It's possible to assign up to three alternative combinations of functions to the Alpha 9's three command dials, and then assign them to function buttons in various ways. The problem is that while the active dial functions are shown on the LCD, they're not displayed in the EVF. 3 Touch Pad AF It's now possible to reposition the focus point using the touchscreen while looking through the viewfinder, with it highlighted in…

THIS spring scene of crocuses was uploaded to Instagram using the hashtag #appicoftheweek. It was taken by photographer Rupinder Khural. She tells us, ‘I love taking photos of flowers. One of the main things I consider when shooting nature is how the background will look and how to frame my subject. I was drawn to this patch of crocuses as they looked really beautiful under the pink shade of some nearby magnolia trees. The sun was shining and I wanted to capture a little backlight in the petals so I laid down on the muddy ground and focused on one flower in the foreground. I was very pleased with the end result.'…

WOMEN'S photography group SheClicks is seeking submissions to an exhibition taking place at the After Nyne Gallery in London this September. It's sponsored by Olympus, and pictures can be taken by any kind of camera or mobile phone. Founder of SheClicks and AP contributor Angela Nicholson said, ‘It has been a goal of mine to have an exhibition of the amazing photography that I see posted in the SheClicks Facebook group. It will showcase the breadth, depth and creativity of women's photography.' In just a few short months, the Facebook group has grown to over 3,000 members. The exhibition will feature 50 images and will run from 25 September to 1 October. All those exhibited will be invited to the private viewing and will receive a catalogue of the exhibition,…

When mirrorless cameras first arrived, their main sell was simple: here's a camera that works like a DSLR but it's smaller, lighter and more practical. Some models have been small enough to fit in the palm of your hand with a lens attached. But are things now moving in the opposite direction? While some of the most recent full-frame mirrorless cameras are smaller than their closest equivalent DSLR, others are about the same size or larger and heavier. Many of the lenses released for these systems have also been larger than comparable lenses available for DSLR systems. True, we can only expect full-frame systems to be so small, but even if we look at some of the most recent Micro Four Thirds cameras – the format that championed small size…

THIS week we wind the clock back to 19 May 2001, and while it wasn't exactly a space odyssey, there was plenty of content that was ‘out of this world' (get on with it – Ed). The cover featured a celebration of the Canon T90, a classic manual film SLR that sounds like a Soviet tank from the Cold War, but was actually made from plastic. Back then, AP was still very much film-based, though one prescient contributor called Paul James explained on the Backchat page why he was now hooked on digital. A big highlight of this issue was an interview with top portrait photographer Nadav Kander, who has certainly stood the test of time as he is going to be featured in our 15 June issue. Meanwhile you…

Angela Nicholson Photographer and journalist Angela Nicholson reviewed cameras for Amateur Photographer and was our technical editor. She’s tested everything from compacts to medium-format cameras. She’s also witnessed the evolution of mirrorless system cameras first-hand. Visit www.angelanicholson.com In the earliest days of modern mirrorless cameras, the main claim made for them was that they were smaller and lighter than DSLRs. Dumping the mirror and pentaprism saved lots of space and allowed the lens mount to be moved closer to the sensor, enabling the cameras and lenses to be made smaller. But the first mirrorless system cameras weren’t without issues. Their electronic viewfinders (EVF) lacked in the resolution and refresh-rate department, so they were often viewed as something of a poor relative to optical viewfinders. And their autofocus (AF) systems needed…

Carolyn’s profound and moving project ‘Being Inbetween’ focuses quite literally on that often difficult ‘in between’ ages of 10-12 – a time when you’re not quite yet a teenager or an adult, but you’re also rapidly leaving your childhood behind, and beginning to face the struggles that come with that growing up process. ‘Being Inbetween’ first caught my attention in 2016 when an image (Alice, aged 10 – see below right) from the series won a gold medal in the Royal Photographic Society’s International Photography Exhibition (IPE 159). The same portrait was also selected for the 2017 Portrait of Britain prize, and was one of those displayed on billboards nationwide – you may have even seen it yourself. So when I found out that Carolyn would be attending the inaugural…

AF modes Users get the choice of selecting between single-point AF for prioritising focus on a single chosen point, Zone AF that’s good for capturing moving subjects in a large AF area, and Wide/Tracking AF for capturing unpredictable movements and subjects that move across the entire frame. Hotshoe The X-T30 features a built-in flash that’s manually raised using a small lever located off to the side of the drive dial. If you require more illumination you can attach a flash unit such as Fujifilm’s EF-42 (£165) via the hotshoe. Black & white adjustment The X-T30 introduces the new black & white adjustment control that debuted on the X-T3. It allows you to specify how warm or cool you’d like the mono effect to be. Different colours The X-T30 will be…

Top quality The strap and shoulder pad are both hand cut from high-quality, full-grain, Italian leather. Grommet connectors Each end of the strap is secured in place using a pair of precisely machined stainless-steel grommets. Sliding pad The shoulder pad is crafted from a single piece of leather 315mm long and 32mm wide, and slides freely along the strap. Universal fit The strap will fit directly to DSLRs and mirrorless cameras with standard 12mm slot-type connectors, and to those with eyelet fittings via the supplied split-rings. ● £36.95 ● www.1901fotografi.co.uk WHILE every camera comes with a perfectly functional nylon strap, they're not exactly the most stylish option. If you'd rather not display the make and model of your camera to all and sundry, or would prefer a more individual approach,…

My collection of over 500 cameras is largely unstructured. For nearly 50 years I've picked up cameras on a casual, not to say haphazard, basis, but there are a handful of cameras that I've coveted and actively sought out – the VP Exakta B is one of these. I have a particular fondness for 127 film cameras from the 1930s. Also known as VP, standing for vest pocket, 127 film is around two-thirds the size of 120 film, and consequently cameras for this format are often smaller and sleeker versions of their 120 big brothers. The centenary of the introduction of 127 film in 2012 prompted me to expand my collection in this area. I think I paid a little over £100 for this one; a quick eBay search shows…

‘This image preserves part of that past. It engages with the real’ Photojournalism is ‘look at this.’ Art photography is ‘look at me.’ I’m more of a photojournalism kind of person. Conceptual photography projects seem increasingly popular. I was recently invited to review portfolios at a student Masterclass. I’m not sure why. The majority of the projects were of found or re-appropriated images. Faces scratched away from a stranger’s wedding album bought at a car boot sale. A shoebox of images curated from a deceased parent. Holiday postcards torn in half and reassembled. I felt flat and the work felt cowardly and lazy. Photography should be about getting out there, engaging with the real not the found. Or so I believed, until I witnessed this photograph from ‘Comeback’, a two-part…

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 12. Via our online communities Post your pictures into our Flickr group, Facebook page, Twitter feed, or the gallery on our website. See details above.…

David Baker, Nottingham David first picked up a camera at the tender age of 14, having been loaned one by his father for a school trip. Since then he's not really put one down, using the camera as a way to express his creativity. His favourite subjects to photograph are landscapes or cityscapes, as well as wildlife – he says that these subjects give him a great reason to be outside in the open air. You can see more of his impressive work by visiting his Instagram page at instagram.com/dbsilverfox. Submit your images Please see the ‘Send us your pictures’ section on page 3 for details or visit www.amateurphotographer.co.uk/portfolio…

It’s hard to think of anything that has characterised the past decade in photography more than the rise of the mirrorless camera. What essentially began as a compact alternative to Four Thirds DSLRs has flourished into a raft of different systems, spanning a range of sensor sizes and camera styles, all arriving along with the next generation of lenses. Starting from scratch has somehow rebalanced the landscape. Manufacturers whose roots may have existed in electronics rather than photography have had the opportunity to challenge the dominant DSLR players, and it’s now in mirrorless camera systems where we see many innovations first appear. Not all the systems that have been introduced have survived, of course, and those that have become established face constant challenges from newer ones. Even so, rather than…

‘My first DSLR was a silver-body Canon Rebel XT (Canon EOS 350D) with a kit lens,’ top wedding photographer Anita Cheung reveals with a chuckle. ‘The camera only had a tiny 1in LCD screen at the back! At the time I wasn’t a professional photographer; however I took it out with one of my friends and let’s just say he wasn’t too impressed!’ At the time Anita had a career in mechatronic engineering, and after admitting her practical mind gave her the nudge to upgrade to a better model, she did, but at a rather large price tag. ‘This meant I had to look for ways to finance it; hence, me entering into wedding photography part-time. Then, two years later in 2013, I made the leap and went full time.…

TO ACTIVATE the X-T30's Bluetooth connectivity you first need to enter the connection settings via the main menu, select ‘Bluetooth settings' and then click on ‘pairing registration'. From here you'll be prompted to load Fujifilm's camera remote app on your mobile device and select the pairing registration option. After selecting the X-T30 on your mobile device the camera will ask if you'd like to set the date/time from the smartphone. Confirm this and the Bluetooth set-up process is complete. Each time the Camera Remote app is loaded from this point on, the camera and mobile device automatically connect (provided that Bluetooth on both devices is turned on) – a process that takes about five seconds after which the remote control, receive, browse camera and geotagging options in the app all…

For smaller cameras, a wrist strap is often the best option. Here 1901 Fotografi offers two designs, each formed of a single piece of leather that passes through a sliding buckle to form a loop. This stays loose while shooting, but will tighten up around your wrist if you accidentally let go of your camera. The Burri - StreetShooter (above left) uses a similar approach to the Rodchenko for attaching to the camera, while the Lartigue (above right) employs a nylon loop that threads through the eyelets commonly used on compacts. It also has a more decorative design with edge stitching and a black finish on the reverse.…