Innholdsfortegnelse for 07-Mar-2020 i Amateur Photographer

Of all the functions on modern cameras, focusing must be the most complicated. For those of us who spent years using focus lock with a single AF point, the plethora of options these days is bewildering. If you aren’t consistently nailing your AF it could be that you failed to set up one of the many parameters correctly. This week we ask three leading pros in one of the most challenging genres, wildlife, for their tips. Or, if you yearn for the simpler days of split image and microprism screens, you’ll enjoy our look at classic Canons, like the iconic T90. Finally, when Deputy Editor Geoff Harris went on holiday to Vietnam recently he bumped into legendary lensman Nick Ut at a temple and cheekily asked him for an interview…

AS REPORTED last week, the winners of International Landscape Photographer of the Year 2019 contest have been revealed. Here we showcase one of the stunning winning images by overall winner Oleg Ershov from Russia. Oleg is an amateur photographer, and works for a food distribution company in his day job. He took this superb image at Háifoss in southern Iceland. Now in its sixth year, the prestigious competition invited professional and amateur photographers from across the globe to enter for a chance of winning from a cash prize pool of $10,000 (£7,700). Categories included the best photograph of the year, best photographer of the year as well as five special subject award categories – Wildlife in Landscape, Abstract Aerial, Snow & Ice, Lone Tree and Heavenly Cloud. Entrants for the…

EXHIBITION Pieter Hugo: La Cucaracha Runs until 14 March, Huxley-Parlour Gallery, London. Open Monday-Saturday 10am-5.30pm. Entry free. THERE'S not too long left to see an exhibition of new photographs by South African photographer Pieter Hugo, which explore death, sexuality and spirituality in Mexico. The show is the first time the images have been displayed in the UK. This body of work is a result of four visits to Mexico over a two-year period. During the trips, Hugo travelled to the industrialised zone of Mexico City, the desert of Hermosillo and the mountainous regions of Ixtepec and San Cristobel. From the collection, the images display a mixture of individual portraits, vibrant and visceral landscapes, interior studies and still lifes. The series reflects on a number of themes, including how history and…

Canon EOS-1D X Mark III Guy is a committed Canon user, and while he swears by his EOS 5D Mark IV and 1D X, he is looking forward to using the new EOS-1D X Mark III. ‘Moving AF points is more like using a mouse control, which will make focusing even faster.’ LensAlign ‘With long lenses it’s important to calibrate your lens,’ says Guy. ‘You can pay to get this done, but I use Lens Align. All the adjustments are done in camera and you can be sure you won’t get front or back focusing by mistake.’ See michaeltapesdesign.com. Decent tripod and spikes ‘It’s all very well having a sturdy tripod, but if you set it up on spongy ground, you lose all the benefits and you’ll be compromising the…

No love for gloves I was interested to read Gloves for photographers (AP, 18 January). The gloves ranged from £33 to £120. Neither of the cheaper pairs reviewed compared particularly well to the more expensive items, which started at £65. I am not prepared to spend that sort of money for something I would not require that often and am very likely to lose! I found a pair on Amazon for £12.49 which received a 4-star review. They specifically mention the use of a camera with touchscreen. I have ordered a pair and hope that the reviews are correct. Come on AP, when you review items in your excellent magazine, please can you cover a more extensive range of prices? Malcolm Gibbs Personally I would never spend that kind of…

Chris Mummery, Bedfordshire As a young boy Chris was given a Kodak Brownie 127 by his parents and he remembers the excitement of waiting for the prints to be developed. When the first digital cameras came out he reignited his passion for all things photographic. His job involved using an early version of Photoshop to create drawings of telecoms' sites. Now retired, he can enjoy his hobby. As he says, ‘At the moment street photography has my attention. I love the random nature of it. You have no idea what you might get.' Ambitious 1 Chris didn’t wait around to see if this driver made the journey with his crates. He also had to be careful not to get run over while taking the shot. Panasonic GX7, 14mm, 1/250sec at…

There are some new products that are worthy of recognition for how well they're designed and the PolarPro Summit Landscape Kit is definitely one of them. With aluminium frames built around each filter for fingerprint-free installation, an ultra-lightweight core, superb low-profile circular polariser and hassle-free set-up, it's one of the most refined filter systems we've ever tested. The only real downsides to it are that you can't use existing filters, there aren't currently any medium or hard graduated ND filters and it's expensive (around £535 for the Landscape kit) even before you factor in shipping (£38), duties and taxes on top. If the price doesn't put you off and you're after a long-lasting filter system for your landscape work that'll provide excellent service, PolarPro's Summit Filter System should be on…

Can you still buy film for vintage cameras? Q As the most passionate photographer in the family, I recently inherited several vintage cameras from my uncle who sadly passed away. I believe they are all in working order and would love to make use of them, rather than have them sat on a shelf collecting dust. I have to admit, however, that the photography bug only really bit me in the digital age, and I'm unsure as to what film is still available to buy for these devices. I believe a couple take 120 film and one takes 5x4. Any advice? Jannette Taylor A For the last few years, film photography has been through something of a resurgence, and you’ll be pleased to hear that new high-quality film for many…

Clock Tower Cleaner by Fox Photos THE Elizabeth Tower is probably the world's most famous clock tower. Its Great Bell or Big Ben sounded on the hour, every hour for 157 years before it was silenced in 2017 for essential repair works. The bell is scheduled to start bonging again regularly in 2021. This 90-year-old hair-raising image from 1930 shows one Mr Larkin, who has been lowered from a rope in order to clean the clock face. The passers-by underneath seem blissfully unaware of the precarious operation going on above their heads. The streets are relatively traffic-free, but there is some similarity to today to be seen in the open-top buses. The Getty Images Hulton Archive is one of the world’s great cultural resources. Tracing its origins to the founding…

SONY has announced the FE 20mm F1.8 G, a large-aperture wideangle prime for its full-frame mirrorless system that should be ideal for subjects such as architecture, astrophotography and landscapes. It can also be used on APS-C cameras, giving a 30mm equivalent view. Optically it features 14 elements in 12 groups, including two advanced aspherical elements and three made from extra-low dispersion (ED) glass, in a bid to maintain high resolution across the frame. Nano AR coating minimises flare and ghosting. Like the firm's other G-series optics, the 20mm sports an analogue aperture ring, along with an AF hold button and a physical focus mode switch. The barrel boasts dust-and moisture-resistant construction, while a fluorine coating on the front element helps repel raindrops and fingerprints. At 84.7mm in length and 73.5mm…

AS MENTIONED previously, the X-T4 will run alongside the X-T3 in Fujifilm's current X-series lineup, and will hit the market with a body-only price of £1,549. This works out at £200 more than the cost of the X-T3 when it was launched in 2018. The X-T4 will also be made available in two kit configurations. Purchasing the X-T4 with the XF 18-55mm f2.8-4 R LM OIS will cost £1,899, whereas choosing it with the XF 16-80mm f4 R OIS WR will cost £1,949. Fujifilm will also produce a dual battery charger capable of charging two NP-W235 batteries at the same time, which will cost £60. Users of the X-T4 who'd like to purchase extra NP-W235 batteries for their camera will be able to do so for £65 each. Other points…

It's 6pm. The little section of the internet reserved for photographers is wild with excitement anticipating the latest shiny new camera announcement. Details start to trickle through; the headline specs first, then those little details. How much is it? Are there two memory card slots? (There had better be or there will be trouble!) Will it be available in a metallic space grey finish? Within seconds of digesting the specifications there are those who have been waiting all day to pick apart every perceived let-down in the specs. ‘It's outrageous that this camera doesn't have two memory card slots' (I told you) ‘How is a professional meant to use this camera all day with that battery life?' Maybe if there are that many things about a camera that you don't…

Nikon D850 ‘I’m a big fan of this DSLR for macro work, as it offers such a fine degree of control. I can set up the AF joystick so a small group of AF points are selected, and it offers focus peaking when shooting with manual focus.’ Quality tripod Ross uses a Gitzo Systematic series carbon tripod with a Manfrotto 405 geared head. Geared heads enable you to make very precise micro adjustments to composition, which suits the fiddly nature of close-up work. Small LED Small LED devices, like Manfrotto’s Lumimuse range, are great lighting aids for macro wildlife work. They can be camera-mounted or handheld. With a continuous light source, you can preview the effect before triggering the shutter.…

Andi's current camera of choice is a Sony Alpha 7R III. ‘I have only ever shot mirrorless, as I only seriously got into photography around 2014-15, starting out with Samsung. I upgraded to the original Sony A7R, bought second-hand from Wex Photo Video. When the Sony A7R III came out, I felt it was time to upgrade. It's a great camera and does more than I need it to. I'd actually recommend the Sony A7 III as being better for my kind of work as the sensor generates less noise.' For lenses, Andi mainly uses a Samyang 24mm f/1.8, a Samyang 14mm f/2.8, and a Sony 50mm f/1.8. ‘Each lens cost lens than £400. I am a firm believer in sometimes buying second-hand. On “Space Pirates” I used a Kase…

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. NOTE: PRIZE APPLIES TO UK AND EU RESIDENTS ONLY…

The Summit core, or filter holder as it's better known, is rather unique in the way it has been conceived. It works with a custom hood designed to reduce any stray light and ghosting that may affect images. The hood, which is made from rubber, is extremely malleable and easy to fit. Once the two bronze locking screws have been fed through their respective holes in the hood it's simply a case of pulling the opposite side of the hood forward until the corners locate. Filters can still be inserted and removed when the hood is attached through a slit at the top.…

● £99.99 ● www.stcoptics.com TAIWANESE company STC is primarily known for making filters, including a useful range that clips inside the camera, rather than screws onto the lens. It also makes filter accessories, such as adapters for fitting them onto wideangle zooms with large domed front elements. We've been very impressed by its products both in terms of build quality and cleverness of design. But the firm is restlessly inventive, and the device we're looking at here is completely different: ‘Fogrip' is short for folding grip. Sony's full-frame mirrorless cameras have become justifiably popular due to the way they squeeze all the requisite technology into impressively small bodies. But they suffer from having relatively low, cramped handgrips, which can be uncomfortable for photographers with larger hands, or when shooting with…

Think Tank Retrospective 7 V2 Shoulder Bag Available in pinestone or black colour variants, this classic shoulder bag has enough space for a camera and two lenses, as well as a 13in laptop. Lightweight at 1.2kg, the Retrospective 7 V2 features padded dividers to protect your gear and an adjustable shoulder strap with a cushioned non-slip pad. Its design doesn't scream ‘camera bag' to potential thieves targeting tourists, while a separately provided seam-sealed rain cover will help keep your devices safe from the elements. £149 • Space for CSC/DSLR and a couple of lenses • Compact form factor • Area for 13in laptop Peak Design Everyday Backpack 30L It may be called the Everyday Backpack, but in truth, it's anything but! This mid-size bag can safely hold multiple devices and…

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 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 DS Canon’s Defocus Smoothing technology E…

So… when I was originally offered a choice of pictures from Mark Power’s upcoming exhibition to talk about I was distinctly unsure. Apparently, one of the other contributors to this excellent page had already turned down the opportunity, which only served to fuel my apprehension. I struggle with a lot of modern reportage photography as, in general, I find it so unremittingly bleak. I will be the first to admit that I am, when it comes to photography, a ‘bear of little brain’ to quote A A Milne, and the appeal of expensive and exclusive ‘artist photographers’ such as Andreas Gursky is lost on me. This is no reverse snobbery on my part. I am as open-minded as the next man, especially in the world of artistic endeavour, but, possibly…

With the X-T3 already being one of our favourite cameras, the addition of IBIS naturally has us very excited indeed. In fact if Fujifilm had just done that and no more, we'd probably be even happier. But a few contentious design decisions, most notably the side-hinged LCD, bring some pause for thought. In the AP office, the majority of us would have preferred the existing screen design. That said, the X-T4 still looks like a fantastic camera that will surely become the new class-leader among crop-sensor cameras. It'll certainly provide stiff competition to the likes of the Sony Alpha 6600 and Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III. The bad news is that we'll have to wait a while to try it out properly, as it's only due to hit the shops…

‘If you like your street photography with a side order of subtle, this isn’t for you, but if you like it in your face it’s worth a look’ You almost can't fail to find something of interest if you head off, camera in hand, to the vibrant areas of London's Brick Lane and Shoreditch. It's with good reason that it's become a favoured destination of street photographers, who come from all over to snap the plethora of characters you'll find on its graffiti-laden alleys and roads. Dougie Wallace, sometimes called ‘Glasweegee', is known for his unashamedly bright, close-up, flash-filled frames that seek no permission, offer no apology and exposes the scenes in front of him with a warts-and-all approach for a heightened sense of reality that can sometimes be hard…

Guy Edwardes Guy has been a professional landscape, nature and travel photographer for over 20 years. Based in Dorset, he has a range of clients, and runs a number of courses and workshops.See www.guyedwardes.com. Birds WHEN it comes to capturing great images of birds, Guy Edwardes is one of the best in the business. As well as being in steady demand as a workshop leader, his images are marketed by several leading agencies including Getty Images. He also manages a library of over 250,000 images and has been widely published (including several AP covers). He tends to stick with tried and tested gear and techniques, rather than jumping on the latest bandwagon – he’s definitely sticking with his Canon DSLRs, for example. ‘Soft shots are a killer with bird photography,…

Olympus OM-D E-M1X Andrew swears by the advanced in-body stabilisation in Olympus cameras, along with features such as ProCapture – it allows images to be buffered and captured before the shutter is fully pressed. Olympus 40-150mm f/2.8 ‘This compact and lightweight option will still give a decent telephoto zoom and the optical quality is very good indeed,’ says Andrew. ‘I also like the Olympus 300mm f/4 and the 12-100mm f/4.’ Olympus MC-14 1.4x Teleconverter This is compatible with the Digital ED 40-150mm f/2.8 PRO and Digital ED 300mm f/4 PRO lenses for extended reach at only one stop light loss.…

YOU KNOW that feeling when you're desperate to go to the beach but you've just painted your nails and they're not dry yet? No, me neither. But I bet the cover model on this issue does. Sports pro Tony Duffy's guide to photographing sportswomen is less a tribute to female sporting achievement than a glamour feature for men with a penchant for athletic women, and focuses almost entirely on their attractiveness. Nice try, but no cigar from today's standpoint, that's for sure. But it's a lot better than the other cover story, on body art, in which artless snaps of tattoos that could have been shot on a single-use camera are inexplicably presented sideways on the page – as if someone out there might want to make a poster out…

‘Because this contest is judged by so many people, you have to appeal to a lot of different eyes,' says Andi. ‘Make sure your images are technically sound – you need to understand the rules of photography before you break them – and plan in advance. I entered 40 times in the year, and had more failures than winners, but entering made me a better photographer.' Andi reckons there is a great online community around the competition. ‘A few of the other entrants have become friends, and the Twitter community is really helpful and encouraging. Twitter works better for me for than other social media as you get peer feedback.' See www.wexphotovideo. com/blog/competitions/wexphotographer-of-the-year.…

The Landscape Kit is a great starting point for photographers who plan to buy into the Summit system. For those who'd like to expand their kit, there's the choice of buying five thread plates (67mm, 72mm, 77mm, 82mm and 95mm), which cost £27 ($34.99) each. If you'd prefer different thread plates to the 77mm and 82mm sizes that come with the landscape kit it's possible to customise your kit at the time of order. In addition, there are currently four Neutral Density filters available for the system – an ND8 (3-stop), ND64 (6-stop), ND1000 (10-stop) and ND100K (15-stop) costing £154 ($199.99) each. As well as the ND4-GR soft graduated neutral density filter, an ND8-GR soft graduated filter is also available for £192 ($249.99) and hard grads are expected soon. Every…

Hahnel Modus 360RT ● £169 ● www.hahnel.ie THIS compact, fully featured flash is a good match for SLR-styled mirrorless models. Unusually it employs a rechargeable lithium-ion battery rather than AA cells, which provides super-fast recycling times and more flashes per charge than its competitors. Its head can be set to almost any angle for bouncing light off a wall or ceiling, and zoom to cover 24-105mm equivalent lenses. TTL-Auto, manual and stroboscopic modes are all on offer, along with high-speed sync for daylight fill-in, and it's fairly easy to figure out how to set them all up. As a bonus, it works with Hahnel's 2.4GHz radio control system. It's a really smart little unit that provides a lot of capability for your money. Andy Westlake, originally reviewed 14 September 2019…