Innholdsfortegnelse for 02-Nov-2019 i Amateur Photographer

Photography can be an expensive hobby. We’re spoiled by a constant drip feed of amazing kit, but being able to afford it is another matter. If only there was a way to make a bit of extra money from selling our photos... Luckily, stock photography may no longer be lucrative enough to earn a living from, but if you know what to shoot it can still subsidise the cost of a new lens or camera or a weekend away somewhere photogenic. Find out the subjects that are in demand on page 20. Also this week, on page 28, we visit Windsor Castle to learn about Prince Albert’s passion and support for photography in its earliest days, and take a look at some of the fascinating pictures he commissioned that formed…

CANON has announced that it is in the process of developing the EOS-1D X Mark III – the natural successor to its flagship DSLR, the EOS-1D X Mark II. With the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games fast approaching, the timing of this camera's arrival couldn't be better – however, detailed information about its specification remains fairly limited. We've been told we can expect it to feature a new CMOS sensor that'll pair up with a new Digic image processor, while it'll be capable of shooting up to 16fps using the viewfinder, or 20fps in live view. As well as having a much improved burst depth that's claimed to be five times better than its predecessor, it'll feature dual CFexpress card slots, an all-new autofocus system, a new AF point selection control,…

IF FUJIFILM had just dropped the X-T3's insides into an X-Pro body, we'd be approving its latest model wholeheartedly. But the X-Pro3's hidden-screen design brings real pause for thought. While some users will surely love it, the chances are that it will alienate at least as many others. This feels like an uncharacteristic misstep from Fujifilm; surely building that sub-monitor onto a side-hinged, fully articulated screen would have provided the best of both worlds? However we don't want to pass final judgement until we've shot with the camera properly, so look out for our assessment of this unusual design in our upcoming full review.…

SIGMA has a reputation for its eccentric camera designs. Though the fp might not be as wacky as some of those we've witnessed before, it's different enough to other full-frame offerings to stand out from the crowd. It feels best when it's paired with small L-mount primes like the Sigma 45mm F2.8 DG DN | Contemporary lens rather than large and heavy L-mount lenses that dwarf the body and make it feel very front heavy. Its lack of EVF and tilting screen will put some photographers off, so the fp is definitely more of a niche camera than it is a mainstream one. Where we can see it having most appeal is with cine users, especially those who need to keep their drone, rig or cage set-up as light as…

Hoxton Mini Press, £22.95, 336 pages, hardback, ISBN 978-1-910566-54-1 ★★★★★ Organised in conjunction with the BritishJournal of Photography, 2018's Portrait of Britain book quickly sold out. It's back for 2019 with a brand new set of 200 portraits which aim to encapsulate what it is to be British right now – a tricky task if ever there was one. An open-call competition was launched to find the winning entries, which were selected by a panel of expert judges. You may have seen some of those featured in the book as they were displayed on digital billboard screens in train stations, airports and shopping centres across the country throughout September this year – apparently more than 10 million people should have set their eyes upon the images. Hoxton Mini Press publishes…

Canon EOS 90D Michael Topham tests Canon’s latest DSLR for enthusiast photographers DIY darkroom essentials Want your own darkroom? Andrew Sanderson has the ultimate shopping list A room of one’s own Four photographers invite us into their sacred darkrooms for a nose around On sale Tuesday 5 November…

This year marks the 200th anniversary of Prince Albert’s birth. For the 21 years of his marriage to Queen Victoria he was instrumental in bringing in a number of reforms, and arguably lay the foundations for the public’s relationship with the royal family as we know it today. He famously worked tirelessly until his untimely death at the age of just 42 – a testament to his workaholic nature. Perhaps his crowning achievement was the Great Exhibition of 1851 which brought together more than 13,000 exhibits. This huge undertaking, co-organised with Henry Cole, attracted more than six million visitors – a third of the population of Britain at the time. What has been a little less known was his early interest and patronage of photography. A project by Royal Collection…

Rotolight AEOS LED I used this as the key or main light for all of the images. The defined light from the AEOS was diffused to soften the highlights giving a less specular effect. Here it’s shown with the V-Lock battery, which gives up to 2 hours of continuous use. NEO 2 Rotolight’s smallest and most portable light. It can be mounted on or off camera, with variable output and tunable colour temperature. Ideal as an everyday carry light, powered by 6x AA batteries or from an AC supply. Articulated arm, crab clamp & Manfrotto Super Clamp These have a multitude of uses around the studio from positioning lights and props to holding reflectors and diffusers. Relatively inexpensive and always useful to have handy. ColorCheckers This comprises 24 scientifically formulated…

The Rotolight AEOS and NEO 2 LED lights both feature variable colour temperature from 3150K to 6300K with an integrated accurate Kelvin display. This enables you to adjust the colour for mood or accuracy. With coloured effects gels (not shown here) the possibilities are endless. The colour of some objects, plants and flowers may not reproduce accurately, but using the variable colour temperature feature in the Rotolight AEOS and NEO2 we can to a lesser or greater extent tune the colour by adjusting the colour temperature of the light. Do remember this will affect the colour of the whole image, not just the bloom or object. This is fine where you're lighting the background separately or using a black backdrop as I've done here.…

● £109.99 ● www.instax.co.uk Power button The only control is a single button, which lights up in different colours depending on the printer’s status. Colours The Instax Mini Link comes in three colours: Dusky Pink, Ash White and Dark Denim (otherwise known as blue). Film compartment Instax Mini film packs are inserted in the back, behind a hinged door that’s released by a sliding latch. Micro USB port Hidden under a small flap on the side, this is used to charge the built-in, non-replaceable lithium-ion battery. FUJIFILM'S Instax cameras are hugely popular with a certain teenage demographic as part of the ‘analogue revival'. But the firm also makes printers that can produce instant photos from files on your smartphone. Its latest printer, the Instax Mini Link, is surely its best…

Polaroid Originals OneStep 2 VF Inspired by the OneStep camera from 1977, the Polaroid Originals OneStep 2 VF is a user-friendly, analogue, instant camera designed for the modern world. It features a fixed 106mm lens, a powerful built-in flash, easy USB charging, long-lasting battery and self-timer and it accepts both i-Type and classic 600-type film in both colour and black & white. If you want that authentic square Polaroid picture, then look no further. £109 ● Accepts both i-Type and 600-type film ● Inbuilt 106mm lens and flash ● Cost for a pack of 8 instant photos: £15 Fujifilm instax SHARE SP-3 SQ printer Portable and speedy, the instax SHARE SP-3 SQ printer is the perfect smartphone partner for parties. After wirelessly transferring your favourite photos to the device using…

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…

If you’d like to see your words or pictures published in Amateur Photographer, here’s how: Something to say? Write to us at ap@ti-media.com with your letters, opinion columns (max 500 words) or article suggestions. Pictures Send us a link to your website or gallery, or attach a set of low-res sample images (up to a total of 5MB) to appicturedesk@ti-media.com. Join our online communities Post your pictures into our Flickr, Facebook, Twitter or Instagram communities or the gallery on our website.…

THE SIGMA fp is planned to be sold in two configurations: with a lens and without. It'll cost £1,999 body only when it goes on sale in the next few weeks and will also be available to buy with the small and light Sigma 45mm F2.8 DG DN | Contemporary lens for £2,399. The Sigma fp will be fully compatible with the growing number of L-mount lenses in Sigma's lineup, as well as those made by Panasonic and Leica, who teamed up with Sigma to form the L-Mount Alliance around this time last year. The fp can also be used with Sigma SA mount and Sigma's Canon EF-mount lenses via Sigma's MC-21 adapter, which costs £249.…

We also liked… The Path to Work by Damien Walmsley Sony DSC RX100V, 24-70mm, 1/30sec at f/1.8, ISO 640 ‘THIS boardwalk runs through the Pebble Mill estate in Edgbaston in Birmingham,' explains Damien Walmsley, who uploaded the image to our Twitter feed using the hashtag #appicoftheweek. ‘I walk along it on my way to work, and it's lit up on dark mornings. The wind had arranged the leaves in a natural lead-in line, which mirrored the lights and the fencing. Getting down low and focusing on the leaves seemed to work, and the light added a warm, reassuring glow to my commute.' Picked by Claire Gillo, Acting Technique Editor Poppy Haskell by Matt Thompson Nikon D3, 135mm, 1/2000sec at f/2, ISO 200 MATT is primarily a beauty/portrait photographer who likes…

Mirrorless camera When your camera is compact and lightweight you’re much more likely to take it out with you wherever you go. Mirrorless models, such as the Nikon Z 7, are ideal. Newspaper subscription Keeping abreast of what’s happening in the news will help you spot current trends, and anticipate new ones. Digital subscriptions tend to be cheaper than paper-based versions. Walking boots You can’t beat exploring a location on foot (or on a bike). When you slow down and really take the time to notice your immediate surroundings, picture opportunities tend to present themselves at every corner. Keep your eyes open. Maps Whether you use Google Maps, traditional paper maps, or a combination of both, researching a location before heading out will enable you to make the most of…

Nikon compatibility Nineties heroes (AP 5 October) was a great article, but I must comment on the section ‘Which lens to use?' The author suggests that for Nikon cameras, AF-D lenses are suitable as ‘Modern AF-G lenses can only be used in program or shutter priority modes.' Well, sort of. The Nikon F5 can happily use AF-G lenses in any exposure mode, as can the F100, and indeed any film Nikon with two command dials. The F90 has only one command dial and is, as stated, restricted to program and shutter priority with newer lenses. A minor point I know but anyone with more recent lenses really shouldn't be put off from buying a 1990s camera body by the thought of needing different lenses. I need hardly mention that lens…

Belinda Ewart, Uxbridge, London Belinda credits her local camera club, Field End Photographic Society, with helping her to not only ‘get her camera off auto', but also for inspiring her to be as creative as possible with her photography. ‘The competitions gave me a new focus,' she explains, ‘and my repertoire of images began expanding as I experimented with a range of genres and techniques. Now, I'm hooked! I love capturing the moment, and the constant challenge of trying to perfect an image.' Visit bella127.viewbug.com. Waiting for the Rain to Stop 1 Belinda set up this scene at home spraying a piece of Perspex with water, with the aim of replicating the feeling of staring out a café window in the rain. Canon EOS 6D Mark II, 24-105mm, 1/125sec at…

I said earlier that you get what you pay for, and that's very much the case with this £349 lens. It's clearly inferior to more expensive primes such as the mid-range Sony FE 35mm F1.8 in terms of autofocus, optics and particularly build, let alone when compared to the premium Zeiss Batis 40mm F2 CF. But here's the thing: despite all that, it delivers very attractive images anyway. So despite its objective flaws, I've really enjoyed the pictures I've shot with it. Its large aperture means that it's especially useful for achieving shallow depth of field, or working in low light. Indeed Samyang has stuck a great balance here between price, build quality and optics, and for those looking for an inexpensive fast autofocus prime for Sony full-frame, I'd recommend…

Benro GD3WH ● £179 ● www.benro.co.uk GEARED heads are a perfect choice for any application that demands really precise compositional adjustment, such as macro or architecture. Benro's first such design is an excellent piece of kit that gets pretty much everything right. It is relatively small and lightweight at 690g, thanks to its magnesium alloy construction, yet rated to support a 6kg load. Most importantly it offers accurate camera positioning via its three large adjustment knobs, one for each axis of movement. Last but not least, it employs an Arca Swiss-type quick-release clamp. If you're constantly frustrated by the imprecision of conventional 3-way or ball heads, this could be the solution. Andy Westlake, originally reviewed 26 May 2018 Vanguard Alta Rise 48 ● £99 ● www.vanguardworld.co.uk IF YOU regularly need…

I once photographed on a North Sea fishing trawler. It smelt of fishy men. You slept below the water line and above the engine. The toilet doubled as a larder. ‘Trawler’s no place for fookin’ passengers,’ one of the five crew said to me as I stepped on board. He was right. Also the ship’s cook, I asked George how he coped in a storm? ‘I make the gravy fookin’ thicker.’ It was a long week. The writer Samuel Johnson pronounced: ‘…being in a ship is being in jail, with the chance of being drowned’. The Allegiance was 60ft of steel. The opposite of Dr Who’s Tardis, it looked enormous on the outside and a phone box on the inside. ‘The sinking alarm is the same as the fire alarm,’…

Wartime Priest by Bert Hardy NOVEMBER, 1940: Rev French, the Church of England's Rural Dean of Stepney, makes his rounds through the bomb-damaged streets of east London during the Blitz, November 1940. The Blitz ravaged London and other major British cities for eight months between September 1940 and May 1941. This photograph was published in the Picture Post as part of the story The Life of an East End Parson, and was taken by the esteemed photojournalist Bert Hardy. Self-taught and using a Leica, Hardy eventually became the Post's chief photographer, and earned his first credit just a few months after this image was taken for his February 1941 photo essay about firefighters working through the Blitz. Hardy stayed at the Post until it ceased publication in 1957. The Getty…

ADMINISTRATORS have been called in to help save Jessops, which is one of the last major high-street camera chains left. The BBC reports that owner Peter Jones, of Dragon’s Den fame, is planning a rescue deal for Jessops' property arm, JR Prop Limited, with its landlords and lenders, via a company voluntary agreement (CVA). Through a CVA, a business can reach an agreement with its creditors to pay off all or part of its debts and renegotiate rents. While there has been speculation that this could lead to store closures and job losses, Jessops sources have indicated that Jones still saw a future in the business. No further details were available at the time of going to press.…

THERE is a long list of accessories available for the Sigma fp, some of which are included with the camera, while others are optional. Those included with the camera include the strap, USB cables, USB AC adapter, hot-shoe unit (HU-11) and BP-51 Li-ion battery. The camera fully supports charging via USB, but a conventional charger isn't included in the box and is available separately for £99. Likewise, a cable release (CR-41) isn't included and is an optional extra that costs £44. The most expensive accessory for the Sigma fp is the LCD View Finder (LVF-11), which costs £290. This is exclusively designed for the camera and mounts over the LCD monitor to cut out extraneous light; however it does add considerable bulk to the rear and isn't the same as…

Every year, it seems there's a ‘must-have' feature that camera manufacturers have decided photographers can't do without. For example, sometime around 2013, all cameras acquired built-in Wi-Fi for communicating with smartphones, and last year all added Bluetooth to make this connectivity more powerful and easier to use. In essence, such new features seem to be making up for the fact that for many purposes, our cameras are more than good enough, and have been so for a long time. Hence companies are casting around for selling points to induce photographers to upgrade to their latest models. This year, that ‘must have' feature has been eye AF – in other words, the ability of a camera to detect your subject's eye and specifically keep it in focus. This idea has actually…

Dawn Harbour Reflections by Helen Trust Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, 16-35mm f/2.8L III USM, 180sec at f/10, ISO 50 THIS wonderful image of the harbour of Hamnøy in the Lofoten Islands was uploaded to our Instagram page by Helen Trust using the hashtag #appicoftheweek. ‘The sunrise that day didn't amount to much,' says Helen, ‘but after the sun came up there was a brief moment when fabulous pastel colours appeared in the sky. To add to this, some great clouds were forming, and the water was very calm. I decided to take advantage of the situation and took a long exposure shot to catch the colours and movement in the sky. The water seemed to turn to ice resulting in some beautiful reflections.' Picked by Tracy Calder, Acting Technique…

Spot trends Stock photography is incredibly competitive. There are very low barriers to entry, and there will be millions of images sitting alongside your work. If you can produce photographs that the market isn't saturated with, you stand a better chance of selling them. Be efficient Try to keyword, caption and upload your stock shots as soon as you can. Make it part of your workflow and it will soon become a routine. There are advantages to having newer images available for sale – buyers often search for images in the order they were taken. Keyword carefully Try to think like the buyer of a picture: what would they be searching for? Details matter. If you select your keywords carefully your images will be easier for buyers to find and…

Andy Westlake's article More lens for your money (AP 21 September) contained excellent advice, not only about saving money, but also about the desirable quality of different lenses. As an owner of a Micro Four Thirds Panasonic GX8 camera, my attention was drawn to the Olympus and Panasonic lenses recommended. However, I would just point out a small error in Andy's comments about the Olympus M.Zuiko ED 40-150mm F4-5.6 lens. He advised Panasonic users to steer clear of this because of the lack of lens image stabilisation. Whilst this could be considered a downside, some Panasonic cameras, including my GX8 model, have in-body stabilisation. Hence, they can be used with an Olympus lens. I have purchased a number of prime Olympus M.Zuiko lenses second-hand and am more than happy with…

As the seasons change it’s good to give studio still-life photography a go. Don’t be put off by ‘studio’; just about any space can be made into a temporary studio with some simple gear, including a table, background, and few clamps. Backgrounds need not be large or expensive; many can be bought in local hobby, craft or fabric shops. A favourite subject for studio still-life photography are flowers and nature. Florists’ shops are the best source as the blooms will be stored in a cool temperature in a controlled environment. It’s best to buy the flowers no longer than a day before you intend to photograph them so that they look pristine. When photographing flowers inside, place them in a vase of water. Much of the time I use a…

Resolution Central sharpness is very respectable at f/1.8, and reaches superlative levels by f/2.8. However the corners lag some way behind, with the lens needing to be stopped down to f/5.6 to give the maximum level of detail right across the frame. Close the aperture down to f/22 and you’ll see considerable diffraction blur. Shading Vignetting is very apparent at f/1.8, with 1.7 stops of corner darkening measured in our Image Engineering tests. But this falls to less than a stop at f/2.8, and becomes insignificant at apertures of f/4 and smaller. Curvilinear distortion A little barrel distortion is clearly visible, with straight lines along the edge of the frame pinching inwards at the corners. However its simple profile makes it easy to correct in raw processing, and I found…

Can I use Canon lenses on a Sony body? Q I'm looking to buy a Sony Alpha 7 III after being won over by its mix of video and stills features at a recent in-store event, but I already have a sizeable investment in Canon EF lenses. I was wondering if there is any way to use that glass on a Sony body? I'd much prefer to be able to keep it, rather than sell it and reinvest in the same type of optics, just in a different fit. Harvey Williams A You’re in luck! Several mount adapters do exist to allow Canon EF lenses to be used with a Sony E-mount body; our pick would probably be Sigma’s MC-11 adapter. The MC-11 maintains the autofocus, aperture control and optical-stabilisation…