Innholdsfortegnelse for 23-Jan-2016 i Amateur Photographer

No sooner does the calendar roll around to 2016 than there is the first batch of new cameras. I’ve just got back from CES (technology show) in Las Vegas, along with deputy technical editor Michael Topham and our videographer John Layton. We have been checking out the latest cameras and accessories that will be on sale in the next few months, including the Nikon D5 and D500. We’ll let you know more about these cameras next week, but in this issue we have exciting news of Fujifilm’s new camera, the X-Pro2 (see page 12) – a camera that is bound to be extremely popular with AP readers. With the CP+ show in Japan next month, as well as it being an Olympic and Photokina year, there should be a wealth…

NIKON has revealed a new flagship FX-format DSLR, which it claims is capable of shooting in ‘extreme low light' using an astonishing ISO of 3,280,000. Trumpeted as Nikon's best-ever DSLR that the camera industry has been waiting for, the Nikon D5 will go on sale in March with a body-only price of £5,199.99. Sharing many features with its DX-format cousin, the D500 (see News , AP 16 January), the full-frame D5 boasts a new 20.8-million-pixel, FX-format, CMOS sensor designed to enable the camera to shoot between ISO 100 and ISO 102,400. However, extended sensitivity settings allow the user to expand ISO to 50-3,280,000, delivering ‘near night-vision capability that's well beyond the visibility of the human eye', according to a statement released by Nikon USA. The statement adds: ‘This extreme sensitivity…

Photographing birds at a feeding station or drinking pool, whether you decide to set something up in your garden or out in the wider countryside, is fun and can be as simple or as challenging as you wish to make it. Get your food choice right, making sure you cater for the birds you want to attract to your garden. Once they start appearing, make sure you top up feeding stations regularly to ensure their return. Start simple, but you'll find that the more you experiment with your set-ups and shots, the more ideas will develop for different images. For instance, backdrops can be old bed sheets sprayed in natural-looking greens or browns, while junk shops and car-boot sales can be a great source for finding props. To kick things…

You answered A Keep my camera as long as it met my requirements, and buy used lenses and accessories – and save some money 38% B Keep my camera as long as possible, but look at options elsewhere 34% C Buy an identical camera as backup while I still could 9% D Sell my camera and kit and swap systems 8% E Buy a new camera, but try to use my existing lenses where possible 6% F None of the above 5% What you said ‘It was no problem when it happened to me (Minolta). I moved to something else when it was time to upgrade’ ‘What would I do? Not worry too much as the second-hand market would see me fine for years yet’ ‘I have Nikon, Pentax and…

‘I see each photo session as uncharted territory, and usually have no idea as to what I want the results to be’ What interests you about photographing dance movements in particular? I am on a quest for a perfect moment, in which the conjunction of the dancer’s movement, expression, gesture and implied narrative becomes part of an enigmatic or ambiguous scenario, often involving reflective surfaces, fabrics and assorted elements that we throw into the set. The point is never to have the viewer figure out what is going on in the photo, but just to present the mystery of that instant. Where did it all begin? I began as a photojournalist in the 1970s. As a newspaper photographer some of my assignments were to cover dance performances, which in some…

Water’s edge Adam Petto Canon EOS 6D, 24-105mm, 1/200sec at f/8, ISO 400 SIMPLICITY is a concept we spend too much time avoiding. Too often we complicate things to the extent that the viewer has to work to understand what our message is. We make a rod for our own back by over-thinking and over-working. With this picture, Adam demonstrates how simplicity can work very well, and how a simple idea executed with care can make the most powerful sort of picture. The way the frame is divided is very clever, as he has managed to create contrasts between the light triangle of paving and the dark mass of the water. There is an obvious tonal difference, but there's a difference in texture, too, with the small, sharp, random peaks…

Resolution The G9 X gets about as much out of its 20.2MP sensor as possible, recording over 3,500l/ph at ISO 125 before succumbing to aliasing artefacts. But you’ll only get this in raw; noise reduction smoothing limits it to 3,000l/ph in JPEG. Resolution holds up well at ISO 800 (3,200l/ph), but falls more rapidly at higher settings, giving just 2,400l/ph as ISO 12,500. Dynamic range The G9 X’s 20.2MP sensor delivers good results at low ISOs in our Applied Imaging tests, with over 12EV of dynamic range at ISO 125. But at ISO 400 and above it falls off quite quickly, reflecting increasing noise levels, particularly in the shadows. The top three ISO settings give very low readings, indicating that they’re best avoided for any serious shooting. Noise As expected…

Resolution Corner definition is never very far behind that of the centre of the imaging circle, even at the widest apertures, which is a sure sign of a quality lens. That the resolution readings are so high only makes this more incredible. The best resolution comes at f/4, while frame uniformity is better at f/5.6 and onwards. Even fully closed, resolution is very high. Shading Vignetting is dramatic when the lens is at its widest settings, with the corners very noticeably darkened by about 1.6 stops at f/1.4. Close down to f/2 and the light fall-off practically halves, to around 0.9 stops. Some shading still exists at f/2.8, but is effectively gone at f/4. For portraiture the vignetting can be used creatively, although realistically work will start at f/3.5-f/4, otherwise…

I AM A camera lens that, unlike most lenses, rejoices in its lack of correction for geometric distortion. I can see wider than any other type of lens – I am a fisheye lens. Lens designers spend much of their time ensuring that the natural tendency in optical lens combinations to exhibit geometric distortion like barrel distortion (where vertical and horizontal lines curve outwards) or pincushion distortion (where the lines curve inwards) is minimised. Such lens designs are rectilinear; straight lines are reproduced as straight lines. A fisheye lens is completely the opposite and known as curvilinear. Why are we called fisheye? Curvilinear lenses typically comprise a large dome-shaped front element, which resembles an eye of a fish. More importantly, a fisheye lens usually has a very wide angle of…

‘We don’t actually need to think about what we like, or why. There’s nothing wrong with happy snaps or with taking pictures just for ourselves’ It’s quite difficult to take a picture like this. We’ve all taken similar pictures, and we know full well that getting the image squared up requires a great deal of effort at the shooting stage, or even more effort in post-production. It is, however, one of Michlmayr’s signature techniques, used in at least two series: ‘Façades’ and ‘ZeitRäume’ (Time Spaces). Visit www.michaelmichlmayr.at to see this and other work. Yet again this raises the importance of the picture series, in two ways. One is the refinement of technique. The more you shoot a particular subject in a particular style, the easier it becomes and the more…

THE BRITISH photographer who set up a shoot in which a monkey fired his camera's shutter button via a cable release has welcomed a US ruling that a monkey cannot own copyright. A lawsuit, launched last year by animal rights charity People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), challenged photographer David Slater's rights over the image (right) in a San Francisco federal court. PETA is seeking100% of the proceeds from the commercial use of the photo to benefit the black macaque monkey ‘and his community'. The charity wanted the federal court to grant it the right to manage copyright and license the image. But US District Judge William Orrick said that ‘while Congress and the President can extend the protection of law to animals as well as humans, there…

Telephoto lens Use a telephoto lens with a range from 300mm upwards, with 500mm being ideal. A zoom lens is useful, particularly at drinking pools when birds of various sizes may appear. Plastic spring clamps Large plastic spring clamps are ideal for securing perches onto canes so you can place them near your feeder. Duct tape can be just as useful, too. Reflector I sometimes use a reflector to bounce light onto my subjects. This can be especially effective when shooting into the light, as it allows me to illuminate the side of the bird’s body that’s in shadow. Remote trigger A trigger-release system is a good investment for capturing images with wideangle lenses. Garden birds will quickly get used to a camera being placed close to a perch. Portable…

I have been drawn to the look and feel of collodion wet-plate images for a long time. If you haven’t come across the process before, it was introduced in the 1850s and requires a glass plate to be coated, then sensitised, before being exposed and developed. Despite needing a very tight time frame of around 15 minutes from coating to developing, it soon surpassed the Daguerreotype as the process of choice. I love the simplicity of these portraits and how the technique brings them to life in a unique way, while the level of detail and shallow depth of field produces a highly distinctive look. It’s a process I definitely want to have a chance to try out for real one day, but for now I’ve had to find my…

SIM card The device has a full-sized SIM card slot, with micro and nano card adapters in the box. Menu button This button allows quick configuration of network settings. Micro USB This is used for charging the battery (1A USB adapter supplied) and can also provide a wired connection to a laptop. Status screen A low-power OLED screen shows connection status, battery level and a useful mobile data display – speed and usage. £69 uk.tp-link.com Andy Westlake tests a mobile Wi-Fi device At a glance Personal Wi-Fi network connects up to 15 devices Fast 4G data connection Compact, pocket-sized design (116x66x16mm) 10-hour rated battery life MOBILE devices permeate almost every aspect of our lives. Smartphones and tablets are ubiquitous, and with increasingly powerful apps such as Snapseed and Lightroom for…

Resolution These charts show that the 25mm is a very decent performer according to our Applied Imaging tests. It’s a little soft wide open due to residual spherical aberration, but improves quickly on stopping down. The corners are also impressively close to the centre in terms of sharpness. As tends to be the case for Micro Four Thirds, you’ll get the best results overall from f/2.8-5.6, but apertures smaller than f/11 should be avoided. Shading As is usual for Micro Four Thirds, shading is really rather low. When wide open at f/1.7 there’s less than a stop of light fall-off in the corners, which will rarely be noticeable in normal use. Stop down to f/2.8 and there’s barely any trace of vignetting. Curvilinear distortion Analysis of the camera’s raw files…

LAUNCHED September 2011 PRICE AT LAUNCH £830 GUIDE PRICE TODAY £160 NIKON'S take on the mirrorlesssystem camera market is its CX 1-mount system, which launched in September 2011 with the range-topping V1 and lower-specification J1 models. With an eye on protecting its APS-C and full-frame DSLR sales, Nikon decided to use a smaller 1in sensor. The camera featured some interesting multishot elements and an impressive hybrid phase/contrast detection AF system. However, it was seriously overpriced and ended its run substantially discounted. What’s good Unlike the J1 you get an EVF and a choice of mechanical or all-electronic silent shutter, the latter capable of hitting 60fps. The V1 is solidly constructed and has a better LCD screen than the J1. Image quality is surprisingly good. At today's used prices, the V1…

NIKON has unveiled its SB-5000 professional-level flashgun – the first Nikon Speedlight to feature radio control. Priced £499.99, the SB-5000's radio control is designed to remove the need for direct line of sight between master and slave flash units, and boost reliability when shooting in bright sunlight, according to Nikon. It claims the unit's on-board cooling system allows more than100 rapid-fire shots when operated at full power. The flash weighs 420g. It tilts down to 7° or up to 90°, and rotates 180° horizontally to the left and right. Key features include a guide number of 34.5m at ISO 100 and an FX-format zoom range of 24-200mm (14mm when using the built-in wide panel). The SB-5000 is due to go on sale in March.…

TWO NEW bridge cameras starred among a flurry of compact cameras from Canon at CES in Las Vegas. The PowerShot SX540 HS and PowerShot SX420 IS feature 20.3MP and 20MP imaging sensors respectively. The SX540 HS carries a DIGIC 6 image processor and a 50x optical zoom (24mm at the wide end) in an outfit priced £299.99. It also features an improved Zoom Framing Assist Lock function – engaging a stabilisation mode designed to allow users to frame their subject easily while keeping the camera centred and in focus. The pocketable PowerShot SX420 IS sports a 42x zoom, a DIGIC 4+ processor and a 3in LCD screen. Both models will be available this month. For the latest news visit www.amateurphotographer.co.uk…

For obvious reasons, I've never considered radio a medium for appreciating photography, but listening to BBC Radio 4's iPM programme on 2 January proved me wrong. For its Your Photos of 2015 edition, the show had asked listeners to send in one photograph that they had taken during 2015 that was special to them, and explain why it was so important. The producers had included Louise Fryer from VocalEyes – an audio-description charity that aims to open up the arts for the blind and partially sighted – and she expertly described the elements of the photos through concise ‘word pictures'. Her descriptions were skilfully edited into enlightening interviews by Eddie Mair and Jennifer Tracey, where the listeners talked, often movingly, about their shots. Charlotte Clough, for example, had sent in…

Interview AP spoke to Fujifilm’s Takashi Ueno MIRRORLESS cameras must improve their AF response to better cope with moving subjects if they are to rival DSLRs in this area, according to the man in charge of product planning for the Fujifilm X-Pro2. If this is achieved, it would represent a game-changer in a market where compact system cameras already hold several advantages over DSLRs, according to Takashi Ueno, optical device and electronic imaging products manager at Fujifilm. Asked in general terms how CSCs can be improved, Ueno told AP's Chris Cheesman: ‘Especially for the moving subject, DSLR has [the] advantage – more advantage than mirrorless. So mirrorless must improve the response, such as autofocus to reduce the blackout time and so on. If we achieve such function, maybe we can…

Your Weekend Project ‘Back up your images' (AP 9 January) is of critical importance to all photographers who have invested time, money and emotional effort in producing a library of photographs. However, I suggest that it does not go far enough. Hard drives do indeed fail, but homes are also burgled or damaged by fire. Backing up to a second hard drive that sits next to a computer will not deal with the fall out from either of these potential events. It is well worth investing £100, or probably less, to have a further hard-drive backup that is stored away from home. Burglary or fire is potentially devastating, and to lose all your photos as well would be a double whammy. What a relief, if one of these occurred, to…

Paul Broadbent, Lincolnshire Paul started his photographic life around 50 years ago and has spent the past few years going through old slides and negatives. Since 2011 he has been a total convert to digital, and admits that he doesn't miss the long hours spent in the darkroom. The images you see here are just a tiny selection of the hundreds of photographs Paul has taken over the years and offer viewers a nostalgic glimpse into the past. The Reader Portfolio winner chosen every week will receive a copy of Helicon Focus Pro innovative software worth $200. Visit www.heliconsoft.com Helicon Focus is designed to merge several differently focused images into a fully focused one, thus allowing extreme depth of field. You can produce sharp images in one click, retouch results…

£199 store.cooph.com COOPERATIVE of Photography (COOPH) is an Austrian company that specialises in high-end apparel for photographers. Its extensive range of jackets, shirts, T-shirts, hoodies, headwear and gloves includes this rather clever Photo Glove Ultimate – the company's ‘ultimate' hand-protectors, sized S-XXL, in ladies' and men's styles, that come in black, dark brown and light brown. Photo Glove Ultimate is a kind of hybrid between a mitt and a glove. When zipped up, it functions as a leather mitt – warm, but not great for pushing small buttons. However, unzip the mitts and push them back (magnets hold the thumb part and the fingers part of the mitt in place) and your fingers, encased in their lightweight inner ‘gloves', are ready to operate a camera. The finger-hugging internal gloves feature…

1 Olympus OM-D camera bodies I switched to a mirrorless-based system a few years ago. The bodies and lenses are small and lightweight, with fantastic image quality. I carry at least two OM-D bodies – either two EM-5 Mark IIs or an EM-1, plus an EM-5 Mark II. 2 Olympus Pro zooms At the moment I have the Olympus 12-40mm f/2.8 and 40-150mm f/2.8 Pro zoom lenses. They’re really well made and give great optical performance. I hope to add the 7-14mm f/2.8 Pro zoom lens to my bag soon. 3 Lee Filters Lee Filters offer great optical quality and neutral filters that are just that – neutral. I couldn’t live without my ND grads (soft and hard), ND filters (2, 3, 6 and 10 stop) and a polariser. I…