Innholdsfortegnelse for 30-Nov-2019 i Amateur Photographer

This week we present our annual round up of the best cameras and lenses of 2019. Whether you’re looking to upgrade or just following the latest developments in camera tech this list represents the very state of the art right now. If you’d rather look after the gear you already own we also show you how to keep it in the best condition. I’d also like to ask a favour: we’ve created an online survey and want you to tell us what you like and dislike about AP. Your responses will help ensure that we continue to serve your needs, plus you could win £100 of vouchers for your trouble. You’ll find the details over the page. If you enjoy our unique mix of features, our Christmas subscription offer might…

FUJIFILM has announced that its new ‘experiential concept store', the Fujifilm House of Photography, will open at 11am on 3 December. The three-floor store is located at 8-9 Long Acre, in London's Covent Garden, and the first 100 members of the public through the doors will receive goodie bags of camera and photography merchandise. In addition, customers who spend over £100 in one transaction at the store between 3 December and 8 December will be entered into a prize draw to win one of five Fujifilm X-T3s with XF18-55mm F2.8-4 R lens kits. As an additional offer on opening day, customers will be able to print up to 25 6x4in photos for free. ‘The opening day will also provide the opportunity for members of the public to get hands-on with…

You can't tell how good a camera will be at a particular assignment until you test it for real. Focusing that seemed sprightly enough while you were sitting on the sofa in your living room can quickly be found wanting by a fast-moving backlit plane, a darting animal or a fleeting facial expression. Controls that seemed logical and easy to use while you were calmly contemplating them in the thrall of a post-unboxing glow can suddenly become fiddly and confusing while you're scrambling for a shot. I was reminded of this recently by distinguished car photographer Steve Hall. Among assignments for magazines and car manufacturers he shoots Vmax events, where supercar owners meet at racetracks and try to max out their 200mph-plus projectiles. I was there recording an item on…

Advanced Camera Services Ltd Tel: 01953 889324 advancedcameraservices.co.uk Canon Service and Repair Centre Tel: 020 7660 3510 www.canon.co.uk/support/ rcc/#GP Fixation Tel: 020 7582 3294 www.fixationuk.com AJ Johnstone & Co Tel: 0141 221 2106 www.ajjohnstone.co.uk H Lehmann Ltd Tel: 01782 413611 www.hlehmann.co.uk Nikon UK Service Dept Tel: 0330 1230932 www.nikon.co.uk/en_GB/ service_support/repair_centre/main_repair_centre. page Park Cameras Tel: 01444 237070 www.parkcameras.com/ camera-repairs Jessops www.jessops.com/c/offers/ services/repairs…

THIS week's inside front cover carried a portrait of Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip with the caption: ‘Loyal greetings from the 6,000 British employees of Kodak Ltd.' For a brief moment I tried to recall if I knew that they had once worked for Kodak, before I checked the date and realised that the greetings were addressed to the couple, and not from them – this was the week of their wedding. (Incidentally Kodak now employs just 1,600 people in the whole world.) You'd think the Editor would have gone with a royal portrait on the cover but no, he went with a cat photo, for no discernible reason. The post-war AP was a skinny affair with more ads than editorial pages, mostly dominated by darkroom gear, slide and cine…

Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III ● £699 ● www.canon.co.uk CANON'S G7 X series of advanced compact cameras has long been popular with enthusiast photographers, and this latest version increases its attraction still further. Like its predecessors, it's based around a 20MP, 1in sensor and a 24-100mm-equivalent f/1.8-2.8 lens that offers a really useful combination of range and light-gathering ability. Yet this fits inside a pocketable body with a good complement of external controls, along with a tilting touchscreen for composing your images. In technical terms, the Mark III's big update is the adoption of a stacked CMOS sensor and Canon's latest Digic 8 processor. This brings much faster autofocus and continuous shooting, with a new Hi-speed Raw option that shoots at 30 frames per second. In addition, 4K video…

The Reader Portfolio winner chosen every week will receive a copy of Skylum Luminar 3, worth £65. See www.skylum.com Luminar is a fully featured photo editor for Mac and PC designed for photographers of all skill levels, blending pro-level tools with remarkable ease of use and an enjoyable experience. A new Library feature lets you organise, find and rate images easily, while over 100 editing features, plus a suite of fast AI-powered technologies under the hood, will make any image stand out. Submit your images Please see the ‘Send us your pictures’ section on page 3 for details or visit www.amateurphotographer.co.uk/portfolio…

1 Monitor brightness Although calibration devices are highly sophisticated,, I find they tend towards encouraging a brighter monitor setting than is ideal. You may find you want to turn down your display a little further to ensure your prints do not turn out too dark. 2 Sharpening I apply some sharpening to the raw file at input stage (tailored to suit specific cameras/lenses) and only apply output sharpening (with Nik Sharpener Pro) once I have sized an image for print – I do not always apply sharpening to the whole image. 3 Print size Assuming the file resolution is sufficient, a good image will look good printed at any size. It's really important to consider how you wish people to interact with the print/s. Will they go…

How public is public? Some places that appear to be public, such as shopping malls, libraries, and sports centres, are actually private, so don't be surprised if you are approached and asked what you're doing. Stay polite If you are questioned by a security guard, police officer, or member of the public, remain polite. You might be within your rights to shoot there, but it's not worth picking a fight over. Don’t cause obstructions Don't obstruct public thoroughfares, and be mindful of where you put down your equipment. A tripod or bag can easily block a pavement and get you into hot water. But what about the kids? Display common sense when photographing children – be open, confident and friendly. If the parents are nearby, ask permission and offer to…

I suspect that most photographers select their gear in one of two ways. The first is the ‘traditional' manner, whereby they go into a photographic shop, try out different cameras, and end up selecting what they like best, often helped by advice from the sales staff. From the evidence of shops' business reports and even closures, we might infer that this method is waning in popularity against the second, buying online. In this case the buyer is dependent on two sources of information, reviews and specifications. Over time therefore manufacturers will develop cameras optimised for ‘reviewability' and comparative specification checking, rather than to be effective cameras. It might appear that there is no distinction between these two things, but I would argue that there is. For a start, specifications do…

Massage Helmet by Carlo Polito 26 NOVEMBER, 1965: A couple raise a toast to their own indulgence as they enjoy the luxurious pleasures of an air turbo head massaging machine. There doesn't seem to be much information about this particular piece of machinery available, but the large boxes to which the helmets are attached certainly conjure up some interesting theories as to what on earth was going on. Far from being relaxing, it looks as if the boxes could be harvesting the thoughts of the unwitting subjects wearing them. It's hardly true to say that head massaging machines ever really caught on, but a quick Google search reveals that similarly disturbing gadgets do indeed exist today. The Hulton Archive has thousands of pictures of weird and wonderful machines – the…

WEX Photo Video has topped the 2019 Which? consumer survey for Best Online Shops, which rates the most popular stores based on customer buying experience, value for money and product range. In the Appliances & Electricals category, Wex Photo Video achieved a score of 95%, beating many other respected retailers. In the overall survey covering all retail categories, Wex Photo Video jointly secured the number one spot with a well-known beauty retailer and an electrical store, all scoring 93%. This is the second consecutive year that Wex Photo Video has led the Which? league table and been awarded the prestigious Which? Recommended Provider for Appliances and Electrical accolade. See the full Which? report at www.which.co.uk/onlineshops.…

Olympus OM-D E-M1X Did this hunk of a camera tempt Rob Cottle from his trusty E-M1 Mark II? Blinding us with science The winners of this year’s Institute of Engineering and Technology competition Urban portraits Add an edge to your outdoor people shots with a burst of flash CONTENT FOR NEXT WEEK’S ISSUE MAY BE SUBJECT TO CHANGE…

It still pays to use a cloth One of the best ways to ensure your camera gear lasts well is to give it a good clean occasionally, especially if you've been on a sandy beach or in salty sea spray. Even if your camera is weatherproof and sealed, use a soft cloth to dry it if it gets wet. A lot of this is common sense, so don't get complacent. A different bulb mode Use a bulb blower to remove loose sand and dust. It's useful around buttons and dials as well as the viewfinder, card bay, battery compartment and connection ports. However, don't use canned air as the high pressure can blast dust deeper into small crevices, even though weatherproof seals. A good brush-up A brush is useful for…

Z 50 screen solution I read with interest the first impressions preview of the upcoming Nikon Z 50 (AP 19 October). As a potential buyer of this new camera I have been looking at all the existing previews. One of the major criticisms I have encountered apart from lack of IBIS is the rather novel idea to pivot the screen below the camera to facilitate selfies, vloggers etc. Initial thoughts obviously suggest that the screen would be mostly obscured if the camera was mounted on a tripod or other device. The workaround is to use an L bracket to mount the camera in portrait mode on the tripod (ball head). If landscape mode is required then just rotate the camera into landscape mode. Admittedly, the camera would be offset from…

This is a favourite image and was the result of a chance encounter. It was a wonderfully dank, mizzly kind of day and, as I wandered in the woods near Hodge Close Quarry [in Cumbria], this beautiful and somewhat broken old birch tree jumped out at me and cried out to be photographed. When shooting woodland, I particularly enjoy soft light, so I can make the most of all the wonderfully complex little details you notice if you are aware. If it’s a little damp too, all the better. I tend not to use a polarising filter as I like the resulting specular highlights on the wet leaves – they give an ethereal glow to the image. It’s a picture that’s all about texture, patterns and colour, with a lyrical…

‘The muted colours and contrasts created by the weather would work perfectly with our Original Photo Print Under Matte Acrylic Glass. To underline the natural look, I would recommend a walnut-coloured Floater Frame, WhiteWall's 15mm Basel model in particular. Adding an additional white border gives this picture an extra classy look. This can be done during the ordering process in our configurator. Finally, the image should be at least 40 x 60cm since it is very detailed. Someone looking for a room-defining masterpiece could even go up to 180 x 122cm. Our glossy acrylic glass is another option that would let you carve out the contrasts even better. This surface supports the glossy effect of the damp leaves.' Jan-Ole Schmidt, Product Manager, WhiteWall.com…

BOOK Launderama By Joshua Blackburn, Hoxton Mini Press, £14.95, hardback, 144 pages, ISBN 978-1-910566-2 Joshua Blackburn visited every launderette in London for this project. That's 462, in case you were wondering. Capturing the community spirit of this most humble of businesses, this is another well-crafted book from Hoxton Mini Press. Ideal for anyone with a sense of humour – and nostalgia – the book also has an air of sadness, given that the launderette is an endangered species, with many closing every year. It's also good not only for learning about the art of the documentary project, but also for those with a fetish for fabric softener. Although a map shows the location of each premises, some context or captions would have been nice. But that's a small criticism for…

#appicoftheweek Red Ladies by Jane Wiltshire Photography Canon EOS 5D Mk III, Tamron 28-300mm, 1/320sec at f/6.3, ISO 640 Jane took this image in Frome, Somerset, and uploaded it to our Instagram page using the Hashtag #appicoftheweek. ‘A friend messaged me to say he'd heard that the Red Ladies from Extinction Rebellion were going to be present at some point during the day,' says Jane. ‘They want to draw attention to the climate emergency, saying that when nature hurts, we hurt.' Armed with her camera, Jane took up her position and waited. ‘They were happy to have their photographs taken, and I followed them as they made their silent and slow protest match around the town centre,' she recalls. ‘I was quite moved by their protest – it made me…

Lenses Always store unmounted lenses with both end caps on, preferably upright and in a bag, case or cupboard that prevents dust from settling on them. Before you pack a lens for use, check the elements at either end and give them a wipe with a clean lens cloth and cleaner, if necessary. Camera bag Brush down the exterior of your camera bag to remove any sand or dirt. Then empty it and shake it outside with all compartments, pockets and flaps open. If necessary, put a nozzle on your vacuum cleaner and give the whole bag a thorough clean, remembering inside all the pockets. Tripod Tripods get pushed into mud, sand and water, and need a little love, too. As soon as you can after using yours, give the…

Having not used a medium format camera for many years I took my Mamiya RB67 to Mexico for a vacation. The camera has the motor driven 6x7 back. I shot five films. Three of them I loaded upside down so the backing paper faced the camera lens, not the emulsion. There was no red window so I could spot my error. The winder still wound on fine. Words failed me. Paul O’Sullivan Great story, Paul. I heard a tale many years ago about an assistant who accompanied a rather ill-tempered large-format landscape photographer on a shoot to Africa but forgot to pack the film. Scared  to own up to his error, he kept up the pretence of loading the dark slides for the duration of the trip, then did a…

HELEN TRUST wins Round Seven of APOY 2019. Her prize is any Sigma product of up to £1,000 in value (based on Sigma's RRP). If her choice is above this amount, she can choose to pay the difference. For extreme conditions, Sigma weather-sealed options such as the 28mm F1.4 GD HSM | Art (RRP £1,099.99) comes with dust- and splash-proofing. For a zoom option, the 70-200mm F2.8 DG OS HSM | Sports (RRP £1,349.99) handles beautifully and incorporates Intelligent Optical Stabilisation.…

Kieran's love for photography was kindled in 2012, when he was handed a Canon EOS 500D and told to take photos as part of his duties at a conference in Scarborough. His favourite genres are landscape and nature, and he says, ‘Sitting on a hillside watching the sun rise or set is a great way to regain wider perspective on things – and also allows me to be creative for myself, rather than simply for a client's brief.' He is also fascinated with science and the natural world. See kieranmetcalfephotography.co.uk.…

1 Cream of the crop When composing the image, I had thoughts of a 5:4 crop – although I'm unable to set this in camera. In the end, I opted for a slightly wider 4:3 ratio, finding the inclusion of the left-hand tree trunk provided a better framework and overall balance. 2 Split toning secrets The white balance was on the cool side for this image. Rather than use the temperature and tint sliders to add warmth, I opted to use split toning, allowing me to add more warmth to the highlights than to the shadows, with both hue and saturation set independently. 3 Adding global contrast I used the Tone Curve to add just a little more global contrast. I find this an intuitive way to work, allowing me…

● £13.50 ● www.vsgophoto.com ONE OF the most annoying problems with digital cameras is dust. Get a speck on your sensor during a shoot, and you can find yourself laboriously cloning it out of every picture afterwards. While some cameras have very effective anti-dust measures (take a bow, Olympus), others seem to be veritable dust magnets. I've resorted to carrying sensor-cleaning kit on every trip I take with my Sony Alpha 7 II, with a bulb air blower being a key weapon in the armoury. This 10cm-tall blower from VSGO is a particularly fine example, thanks to a range of unusual features. First, it filters the air as it draws it into the bulb, meaning you don't just end up blowing dust into your camera, and the air filter can…

I was 13 when I first became aware of the life-changing fact that photography can convey emotion. I can point to the exact moment because I know that it was a few days after I had experienced another life-changing moment, namely the first time I heard Purple Haze by The Jimi Hendrix Experience. Huddling under the bedclothes, twiddling the dial on a tinny transistor radio, the sound that came out changed me instantly and I knew then that nothing – nothing – would ever be the same again. A few days later, Purple Haze still running around my brain like an overexcited puppy, I first saw ‘Migrant Mother’, Dorothea Lange’s iconic photograph from 1936. I can’t remember where it was that I saw it – presumably in one of my…