Innholdsfortegnelse for 12/31/24 i Amateur Photographer

It seems hard to believe that we are already a quarter of the way through the 21st century. I’m sure many people would agree that it’s been far from a smooth ride, and would love for the world to be able to rewind, start again, and hopefully do a better job second time around. On the plus side it has generated some epic images, as Amy Davies reveals in our quarter-century round-up (page 8). It has been a great century so far for cameras, of course – personified by the sublime new Canon EOS R5 Mark II, which Andy Westlake tests on page 18. Who knows what 2025 will bring, but this week we offer a varied selection of 40 great ideas for how to make the most of the…

THE WORLD Food Photography Awards, previously known as Pink Lady Photographer of the Year, has announced the Jamie Oliver Youth Prize for Children. The new contest, which is separate from the main competition, encourages creative food storytelling through photography and the celebrated TV chef will be part of the judging panel. There are two categories: 12 and under, and 13-17. Prizes include an invitation to Jamie Oliver’s HQ, a trophy and an exhibition in London.…

LAUNCHED 1952 PRICE AT LAUNCH £62-79, depending on the lens GUIDE PRICE NOW £40-60 In 1936, German camera manufacturer Ihagee introduced the Kine Exakta, the world’s first 35mm single lens reflex (SLR). Thereafter, through to the late 1960s, Exaktas became the byword for 35mm SLR quality engineering and optics. But they were expensive. To capture a new slice of the market without too much compromise on spec, Ihagee introduced the slightly smaller, stripped down version of the Exakta and named it the Exa. There were several versions, with similar ways of working and all accepting a range of different makers’ lenses. The one reviewed here, with a 50mm f/2.8 Tessar lens, is probably a Type 4. It’s a neat little camera measuring 12x7.5x7.5cm with the waist-level viewfinder hood folded shut.…

Chris Morgan @chri5m0rgan D850. But I also have a soft spot for the D7200. Seymonic @Hancurberkeping Nikon D5500, Pentax K-70. Bill Parker It’s got to be the first expensive camera bought. Pentax Spotmatic II, bought new in around 1973 and I paid a little bit more for a black body. I still use it, along with other film cameras. russell dickens @bozola900 My current one, Nikon D850. Had it about a year, handling is superb, and I never need to lift it from my face to navigate the controls! Mike Jones @corporal51 Olympus OM10 – my first proper camera. Lots of control with the manual adapter. Eric Hands If I close my eyes and imagine holding the 50+ cameras that have passed through my hands in my lifetime, the one…

AMY DAVIES Features Editor Amy rounds up the major photographs and events that mark the past 25 years TRACY CALDER Looking for inspiration in 2025? AP regular Tracy suggests a host of low-cost and free options ANDY WESTLAKE Technical Editor How does Canon’s latest all-rounder measure up, and should EOS R5 users upgrade? DAMIEN DEMOLDER Damien reviews the SmallRig RC 60B, a compact yet powerful bi-colour light ANGELA NICHOLSON Expert reviewer Angela tests a compact storage pouch from Think Tank JESSICA MILLER Online Editor Every week, Jess curates the best images posted to our social media channels…

SAMYANG has released its first ultrawideangle prime for Canon RF-S mount, the AF 12mm F2 RF-S. Key features include three extra-low dispersion elements and two aspherical lenses, a compact weight of 213g and weather-sealing. The firm also announced the first lens in its Prima series, designed to be ‘professional grade’ but affordable. The AF 35mm F1.4 P FE is the lightest 35mm F1.4 lens for full-frame Sony E-mount, weighing 470g. The 12mm lens costs £348 and the 35mm costs £528, with pre-ordering available now. See www.holdan.co.uk/brand/Samyang…

A I Photography? More like AI codswallop copyright-infringement, gaslighting its users into thinking they’re ‘creatives’ – ‘oooh look at you, you’re so creative’. No, you’re not. Grow up, do some real work for once, you lazy dullard. AI is the shortcut used by people who don’t want to spend time developing real talent. People who think everything should be instant, food, drinks, cars, delivery. People who also want to ‘save the world’, but won’t walk to the local shop to buy something, when Amazon can deliver it straight to their door, and then later complain that there are no shops to buy things from locally. This is like ‘generative’ AI, cunningly named ‘generative’ when it is anything but. It produces results but doesn’t want to tell you where the information…

Power options There’s a built-in 3400mAh battery as well as USB-C PD for mains, a powerbank, or V-Lock battery. Eco mode This runs the light at 60% brightness for longer battery life and almost silent fan operation. Display panel A nice clear screen on the side monitors settings, power remaining, and power coming in. SmallRig’s RC 60B is a powerful but miniature bi-colour LED light that has its own battery built into the body, and which presents pretty amazing value for money. It’s really not that long ago that LED lights were big, very expensive and not very powerful, but all that has changed dramatically in the last few years. Finding one that didn’t need mains power or a massive battery would have also added to the cost of buying…

Tracy Calder Tracy Calder has more than 20 years of experience in the photo industry and is a former editor of Outdoor Photography magazine. In 2018 she co-founded Close-up Photographer of the Year. She has written numerous photography books and her work has appeared in The Saatchi Gallery, The Photographers’ Gallery and The National Portrait Gallery. She also writes a free Letter to Creatives. To sign up, visit www.tracycalder.com Low-cost days out Star struck In recent months many of us have been lucky enough to watch the aurora borealis dancing across the night sky. If you’re still waiting, you can catch a glimpse of galaxies, fiery suns and glittering stars at the Astronomy Photographer of the Year exhibition at the National Maritime Museum (until July). More than 100 pictures from…

AP picture of the week Duality by Julie Spokes Fujifilm X-H2S, Fujifilm XF 18-135mm, 1/70sec at f/10, ISO 1600 ‘One rock, two personalities. Enjoying a walk along a Cornish beach on a dark day, I noticed the rich, regal colours and folds of the rocks, sprinkled with golden sand. This particular rock displayed two distinct characters, which I’ve shown in this image in equal measure.’ Instagram: @julie_spokes #appicoftheweek Win! The AP Pic of the Week winner will receive a beautifully framed print of their winning image worth up to £100. If you Love it, Frame it! ThisPicture.com is an experienced, high-quality framing company with a unique, easy-to-use website. Build single or multi-image frames with a few clicks of your mouse and select from a wide range of frames, window mounts…

Cameras Cameras come in three types: DSLRs with optical viewfinders, mirrorless models with electronic viewing, and compact cameras with non-interchangeable lenses Handgrip DSLRs traditionally have relatively large handgrips, while many mirrorless models have much smaller grips to keep the 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…

It’s easy to think of photography as a purely ocular activity. But when a photographer makes considered choices about subject matter, composition and framing they rely on so much more than their eyes. I imagine that when Pradip Malde ‘saw’ this extraordinary moment it was his entire being that urged him to press the shutter. Blade appears in Pradip’s book, From Where Loss Comes, which sensitively tackles the uncomfortable reality of female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C). Humanity In 2016, at a conference in Tanzania, Pradip was introduced to Sarah Mwaga, founder of the Anti Female Genital Mutilation Network (AFNET). They connected easily, sensing shared values of justice and humanity. Sarah was looking for a way to start conversations about FGM/C beyond the ‘circle of activists’ already involved, and this resonated with…

THIS striking bird capture is from Garden Safari, the next book by regular AP contributor and OM System ambassador, Andrew Fusek Peters. ‘The book features 114 species and is the fruit of ten years of work,’ said Andrew. ‘There’s plenty of inspiration for other photographers with access to a garden or a public park.’ Garden Safari will be published by Graffeg Books in April 2025, featuring 254 photos over 208 pages. Look out for more from this fine photographer in AP next year.…

It hardly seems real that we’re already a quarter of the way through the 21st century. But, here we are. Safe to say that the world is a very different place from the year 2000 – as is of course Amateur Photographer. Back then, the online world was a very different space and there was no sign of the likes of Instagram coming over the horizon. Meanwhile, digital cameras really were in their infancy, with pretty low-grade technology and high prices to boot. Of course, there have been lots of political, social and cultural events that have shaped the world in the past 25 years too. Although one could never hope to comprehensively cover all of them in one magazine feature, I’ve selected a few of the big moments that…

● £17.99 ● www.thinktankphoto.com The Think Tank Cards and Power Wallet is a small soft case designed for keeping memory cards and camera batteries secure and organised. It fits neatly in a camera bag or jacket pocket and gives easy access to these essentials whether you’re shooting at home or out with your camera. The wallet feels thoughtfully designed and well made. It’s constructed from NP 320D Double Diamond Ripstop nylon with a durable water-repellent (DWR) coating, which means it’s built to withstand regular use and offers some protection against the elements. With folded dimensions of 13.5x8x2.5cm, it can hold two camera batteries and has pockets to house CFexpress or SD cards. The clear card pockets are especially handy because you can see your memory cards without the need to…

LETTER OF THE WEEK Fisheyes, stitching and more Thank you for the articles on ‘vertiramas’ inside cathedrals, and also for David Clapp’s article on fisheye lenses. I too have been trying vertiramas, and have really enjoyed the challenge. As I use Micro Four Thirds, my widest lens is a 9mm Summilux (as made by Panasonic), which behaves as if it is an 18mm. The vertiramas work well, but it would be nice if they were a little wider. David’s article compared images produced by a corrected 16mm, and a 15mm fisheye. Now, correct me if I am wrong, but I would guess that the fisheye images can’t be assembled into a panorama/vertirama? Simply because the fisheye images are too distorted? The article mentioned the Olympus 8mm fisheye, and there is…