Innholdsfortegnelse for August 2017 i N-Photo: the Nikon magazine

I’m very excited about this issue. It feels likes all of my birthdays have come at once, which actually isn’t far off the mark. In fact, it’s Nikon’s birthdays that have all come at once; 100 of them, to be precise. Yes, in case you hadn’t guessed it from the enormous ‘100’ on the cover, Nikon is celebrating its centenary this month, which provides us with a pretty good excuse to look back over a century of Nikon innovation, and celebrate the cameras, lenses, people and photographs that together make up the Nikon story: its remarkable journey from microscope manufacturer to iconic photography brand. You can read the whole story, and enjoy dipping in and out of Nikon’s many milestones, in this issue’s special feature (p. 8) and accompanying collector’s…

FREE ! 36-page collector’s special celebrating Nikon’s milestones with this issue Nikon has been at the forefront of camera tech for the past century, and by sticking with its interchangeable lens F-mount for nearly 60 years, it has ensured compatibility across its range of cameras and lenses – past, present and future. But there are numerous other ways, both revolutionary and evolutionary, in which Nikon has led the way. Take ED or Extra-low Dispersion glass: it might now be a familiar feature used in the optical design of lenses from every manufacturer to reduce chromatic aberration and produce clearer, sharper images, but it was Nikon that invented the stuff. Here’s a selection of the well known and less well known things Nikon has given to the world… 1957 The Nikon…

NIKON PROFESSIONAL SERVICES (NPS) NPS provides field support at major events around the world, including the Olympic Games, FIFA World Cup, Wimbledon and F1 Grand Prix. NPS members can get their gear serviced and pick up loan equipment so that they don’t miss a moment. NIKON D5 While the D3 was the digital SLR that redefined expectations of what a sports camera could be, the D5 has pushed the boundaries still further. The stats are impressive: a new 153-point AF system, 12 fps continuous shooting and an image buffer good for 200 NEF files in one 16.7 second burst. Game, set and match, Nikon. SPONSORSHIP For many years Nikon has been supporting sporting competitions, including the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and the FINA World Championships (for aquatics sports). In the…

Nikon has earned a reputation for constructing cameras that possess robust, tank-like build quality. Tough as nails – and tough enough to hammer nails in some cases – it’s no wonder that photographers have relied on Nikon bodies and lenses to deliver day in, day out in some of the most punishing environments known to man. Ocean depths? Sub-zero temperatures? Zero gravity? Bring ’em on… 1963 WATER RELIEF Nikon’s first allweather camera is launched. Based on the Calypso, a camera orginally conceived by renowned marine explorer Jacques Cousteau, the 35mm Nikonos is designated an ‘amphibious’ camera; not only is water-resistant down to 50m, it can also take pictures on land. 1992 WET ’N’ WILD The world’s first underwater SLR, the Nikonos RS, handles like a normal Nikon, complete with autofocus,…

While it has been famously said that owning a Nikon camera doesn’t make you a photographer, there’s a good reason why professional photographers the world over choose to own a Nikon. We’ve had the good fortune to speak to many leading pros for our major monthly interview, and have chewed the fat with them about the equipment choices they have made in their careers. Here we take a walk down memory lane and revisit the choicest quotes from our past interviews… The Nikon cameras are design classics. They’re made of the right material and they work and operate in a way that is so superior to anything else. The F3 is probably my favourite. Andy Hooper, chief sports photographer at the Daily Mail and Mail Online The Nikon D3 was…

The best Nikon images from GDT Nature Photographer of the Year 2017 6th Place, Mamm als Reindeer Florian Smit In this wonderfully atmospheric image, dramatic backlighting creates an almost perfect rimlight around the stag’s antlers and body. Nikon D500, 500mm f/4, 1/8000 sec, f/4.5, ISO800 2ND PLACE, BIRDS Red Crossbill Stefan Imig 3RD PLACE, MAMMALS Struggle Florian Smit 7TH PLACE , PLANTS & FUNGI Pennywort Sandra Bartocha Overall winner Birdies Dominik Janoschka 2ND PLACE, OTHER ANIMALS Butterfly and Fern Stefan Imig 2ND PLACE, BIRDS Morning Walk Robin Uwe Hasubek 10TH PLACE , BLACK & WHITE Stormy Times Antje Kreienbrink The members’ contest “GDT Nature Photographer of the Year (GNPY)” is owned by GDT / Gesellschaft Deutscher Tierfotografen – The Society of German Nature Photographers. It aims to illustrate the high…

The mission • Shoot a film noir-inspired personalized portrait Time • Two hours Skill level • Beginner • Intermediate • Advanced Kit needed • 3 flashguns • 3 light stands • Cardboard box • Softbox • Wireless flash trigger H appy 100th birthday Nikon! Welcome to a very special edition of the big project this issue as Neil Freeman, from Nikon School, shows us how to get the best out of a three-light film-noir photo shoot. What’s better than shooting on your old workhorse and getting great results? Playing with the new stuff, of course! And the Nikon School was the very place to come for all the latest Nikon gear: with three SB-5000 Speedlights, a D5 body and a snazzy Joe McNally-designed custom softbox, Neil pulled out all the…

Mission: To capture the diverse peoples of the Indian sub-continent going about their everyday lives Photographer: Hamish Scott-Brown Age: 50 Location : Leamington Spa, UK Kit: Nikon D750, 28mm f/1.8, 50mm f/1.4, 18-35mm f/3.5-4.5, 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 Website: www.photographicjourneys.co.uk The Indian sub-continent provides the most amazingly diverse locations that are colourful, cultural, and that offer an immersive opportunity to capture ‘real lives’ at work and leisure. These images are just some of thousands shot while researching different parts of India, including Ladakh, Kerala, Rajasthan and Sikkim. My most memorable photographic experience on this trip was in Kashmir. There’s a market on a quiet corner of Dal lake accessible by taking a small shikara (flat-bottomed boat) from the houseboat before sunrise. I paddled through the blue light of predawn where the only…

Nikon F5 Year launched: 1996 Autofocus: 5-point Metering: 1,005-pixel 3D Colour Matrix Shutter speed: 30 to 1/8000 sec, Bulb Continuous drive: 7.4fps (8fps with Ni-MH pack) Power source: 8xAA or Ni-MH pack Dimensions (WxDxH): Metering: 1,005-pixel 3D Colour Matrix Shutter speed: 30 to 1/8000 sec, Bulb Continuous drive: 7.4fps (8fps with Ni-MH pack) Power source: 8xAA or Ni-MH pack Dimensions (WxDxH): 158x149x79mm Weight: 1210g (without batteries) Autofocus The Multi-CAM1300 AF system developed for the F5 delivered a then-impressive five focus points, adding two outlying points in the horizontal and vertical axes to the central AF point. Dynamic AF mode utilized all five points for tracking moving subjects. Metering With a 1,005-pixel RGB array in its CCD metering sensor, the F5 boasted a metering system that could literally see in colour.…

Nikon hasn’t always been Nikon. In fact, Nikon Corporation as we know it is has only been around for about the past 30 years. When two of Japan’s leading optical manufacturers – the Optical Instruments Department of Tokyo Keiki Seisakusho and Reflecting Mirror Department of Iwaki Glass Manufacturing – merged on 25 July, 1917, with investment support from the President of Mitsubishi, Koyata Iwasaki, the company was known as Nippon Kogaku, K.K. (or ‘Japanese Optical Co.’). WHAT’s in A NAME? The Nikon brand name was established in 1946 – not as the name for the company, but for a camera. Nippon Kogaku K.K. execs were looking for a title for a new compact 35mm camera that they were planning to develop. It is said that, in a bid to capture…

How do you distinguish a new camera from the rest of the pack when the raw specs may be similar, in the race for digital SLR one-upmanship? Twenty-something million pixels? Of course! Multiple cross-type AF points? Check. ISO north of one million? You’d better believe it. So Nikon’s marketing team must have been high-fiving all the way to their whiteboards when the engineering department came up with the idea of using ‘Sereebo’ in the construction of the D750. Instead of an all-magnesium alloy body, the front body and front cover are made from a carbon-fibre reinforced thermoplastic used in a ‘monocoque structure’ (another high five). Monocoque is a method of construction that relies on a structural skin, rather than a chassis, for its strength, with the camera’s exterior panels serving…

Nikon’s journey into space began in 1971, when the Nikon Photomic FTN was used on the Apollo 15 mission. Up to this point, NASA had stuck with Hasselblads and 70mm film, but required a more portable solution. Nikon has been NASA’s go-to 35mm system since then. In the late ’70s, Nikon worked on two NASA-modified versions of the F3 for use in the Space Shuttle program. Production was carried out alongside the development of the consumer F3, which had yet to be released. The ‘Small Camera’ was equipped with a motor-drive and was capable of holding up to 72 frames per film. There was also a ‘Big Camera’ that had a large 250-exposure film back that could be loaded with thinner long film. It had a dark slide that allowed…

NIKON D500 Like a mini D5, complete with the flagship FX camera’s 153-point Multi-CAM 20K autofocus sensor module. The D500’s advantage it that it has a smaller DX sensor, so the area covered by the autofocus sensor stretches right to the edge of the frame. AF-S NIKKOR 800MM F/5.6E FL ED VR Launched in 2013, this VR-enabled 800mm came supplied with a dedicated 1.25x teleconverter, bringing it up to an effective focal length of 1000mm. It includes fluorite elements adopted for ‘superior’ chromatic aberration compensation. DXCROP MODE With a Nikon FX DSLR you can switch to DX crop mode and give yourself extra reach thanks to the 1.5x crop factor, all without affecting the maximum aperture – so a 300mm f/4 gives you the angle of view equivalent to a…

The mission • Shoot plants from down low for an insect-like viewpoint Time • 10 minutes Skill level • Beginner • Intermediate • Advanced Kit needed • Wide-angle lens • Mini-tripod • Polarizer (optional) his issue we freshened up our botanical photography with this handy little project to give our shots a completely new perspective. We nestled our Nikon in amongst the ferns in a shaded woodland, and used a wide-angle lens to accentuate the feeling of crawling amongst the leaves. The trick is to get the Nikon as low down as possible and aim it skyward, preferably with the sky shaded by the canopy above. Head out on a sunny day, but aim for a shaded spot away from direct sunlight. Trees provide good cover, but opt for the…

The mission • Create a soft proof to see how an image will print Time • 10 minutes Skill level • Beginner • Intermediate • Advanced Kit needed • Lightroom 5 W e processed the colours and tones in the landscape photograph shown below to reveal more detail in the image and create more attractive vibrantlooking colours. However, after processing a photo to look good on screen, it can then be frustrating to end up with a print that looks less bright and vibrant than the digital version of the photo. Your printer may struggle to reproduce the processed picture’s colour accurately. This is because computer displays produce millions of colours by mixing reds, greens and blues (RGB) together, while most domestic printers combine cyan, magenta, yellow and black (CMYK)…

Nikon School photography workshops cater for every level of photographic ability, whether you are new to taking photographs, a keen amateur, or a professional Nikon School offers a wide range of workshops suited to individuals wanting to learn more about photography or expand their creative horizons. Courses will help you improve your skills, develop your eye for a photo and learn to take control of your camera. Workshops are a mix of easy-to-understand theory and practical assignments. They’re attended by small groups of up to 12 delegates to ensure that everyone can benefit from the expert knowledge of tutors. From understanding your Nikon DSLR and lenses to image editing; from street shots to inspiring landscapes; the school’s workshops cover a variety of skills and subjects. Workshops take place at either…

MISTY DAWN AT ASHNESS This is an image of the iconic Ashness Jetty at Derwentwater, taken during one of my regular early starts. The mist reflecting in the still lake was both beautiful and delicate. LIGHT OVER EASEDALE TARN I love to walk and always take my Nikon and a single lens, even in the high fells. This was taken during just such a walk. When the light broke through the clouds, reflected in the tarn, I was glad I had my camera. SNOW IN DEEPDALE When we had an unexpected snowfall in March 2017, I visited the stunning Deepdale valley, near Ullswater. It has a stream with small waterfalls and is overlooked by the spectacular Greenhow End fell, which had a light mist around the summit.…

Focus-stacking fan Steve Brenman takes a top-down approach to photographing flowers on his light table N ature-based abstracts, movement and macro photography fascinate me, and I love the post-processing phase as I get to express myself in the finished image. I am a huge fan of Irving Penn’s Flowers series, and I have been experimenting with some gorgeous poppies and peonies lit from above and below. My wife volunteers with Floral Angels (a charity that recycles flowers donated from weddings and other glamorous events to give to the community) and often brings me amazing stems from the flower market, but ordinary specimens can work just as well. This kind of photography is time-consuming and appeals to the obsessive in me. Just setting up the lighting for each shot can take…

Circular shapes in photography are powerful and rare – at least, virtual circles are. They’re strong because they enclose and pull things together, wrapping them up into a visual package that centres the eye. However, they’re not easy to find because, unlike other shapes such as triangles and rectangles, they are continuous and need a sense of completeness to work effectively. They’re also a very good demonstration of why difficult is good in composition. There’s little point in photographing a clock face and then admiring it for being round. Shapes work best in photography when they’re the least expected and the most dependent on the individual photographer finding them or suggesting them. Overhead shots often have the potential for shapes of one kind or another, simply because they offer a…

Profile Corey Rich is a photographer, director, and Nikon Ambassador, based in South Lake Tahoe, California. His photographs have been published in the pages of the New York Times Magazine, Sports Illustrated, National Geographic and hundreds of adventure sports titles around the world. Commercial clients include Apple, Columbia Sportswear, Discovery, Energizer, Ford, Mazda, NBC, Nike, The North Face and Patagonia. In 2016, Corey helped Nikon to launch the Nikon KeyMission camera line, including the KeyMission 360, a 4K Ultra-HD virtual realitycapturing action camera. Corey Rich is leaning back in a chair, having just returned home after six weeks shooting in Slovenia, Switzerland and Italy. “One of my skill sets is powering through the jet lag.” In less than a week he’ll be flying to Austria, and then back to his…

Since beginning as Nippon Kogaku K.K. on 25 July, 1917, Nikon has been influential in shaping how people have viewed the world, whether that’s through a pair of binoculars, a microscope or a Nikkor lens. From awe-inspiring images of our planet taken from space, to breathtaking pictures returned from the its deepest oceans, Nikon cameras have been the choice of pioneers who have pushed the boundaries of photography. Nikon has been equally pioneering in its evolution of camera and lens technology, and over the following 15 pages we celebrate the innovation and events that have kept Nikon at the cutting edge for the past ten decades.…

The F-mount celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2009, making it the longest-running lens mount for 35mm SLR interchangeable lens cameras in the world. The F-mount was introduced on the Nikon F in 1959 and it’s been a constant throughout Nikon’s history, providing a substantial amount of backwards and forwards compatibility between lenses and cameras over the past five decades. Nikon decided that it needed to provide a degree of future-proofing and enable the use of larger aperture lenses. The result? The F-mount diameter of 44mm. But the F-mount hasn’t stayed frozen in time, and there have been some notable evolutions. For instance, 1977 saw the introduction of auto aperture indexing (Ai). Ai-type lenses enable the automatic setting of maximum aperture. In 1983, the F-mount had to accommodate both autofocus and…

NIKKOR AT WAR David Douglas Duncan is a photojournalist who became a household name with his photographs taken during the Korean War. He bought a Nikkor-S.C 5cm f/1.5 and a Nikkor-Q.C 13.5cm f/4 before heading to the front line. Nikon subsequently presented Duncan with the 200,000th Nikon F. DON MCCULLIN ’S NIK ON F While documenting the rise of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia in 1970, McCullin came under fire while crossing a waterlogged rice field. On returning to camp, he noticed a hole in his camera – the perfect imprint of an AK-47 round. The camera may well have saved his life. McCullin still has that F. NIK ON FM2 While the Nikkor 35mm f/1.4 was the quintessential photojournalist lens of the ’70s and ’80s, it was a Nikkor…

The mission • Create and customize type in Photoshop Time • 5 minutes Skill level • Beginner • Intermediate • Advanced Kit needed • Photoshop CC The Horizontal Type tool and its Tool panel compartment cousins enable you to enrich your creative projects in many ways, such as providing posters or book covers with eye-catching typography, or turning text into a key component of an illustration by inserting a photo into the fonts. At first glance, the Type tool works in a similar way to wordprocessing packages. As you move the mouse onto a Photoshop document a text cursor will appear. Click to place the cursor on a particular spot and start typing on your keyboard to add text to the document as a new layer. You can treat this…

C artier-Bresson called composition geometry, as in “if the shutter was released at the decisive moment, you have instinctively fixed a geometric pattern”. He believed that, for a scene in the viewfinder to have “the makings of a picture”, it had to have some visual coordination and “coincidence of line”. His was a personal view, not a gospel for everyone, but it was quite fundamental. Turning a scene into a picture does mean searching and finding some sort of structure so that it hangs together visually, and everyone understands basic geometry. Nevertheless, exactly how you coordinate and what you choose to make coincide is entirely up to your own likes and dislikes. And, just to show that it’s not all about finding a triangle or a circle, here’s a picture…

Jim Handcock, via email Jason says… You can go all the way back to Nikon FE and FM models, but these retro chic models are often expensive to buy and lack autofocus. The classic F501 (N2020 for the American market) was Nikon’s first SLR to feature autofocus, and is a bargain secondhand buy. Nikon F501 A feature-rich camera from the 1980s, with autofocus! Released (year): 1986 Price new: £250/$365 Price used: £30/$50 The Nikon F501 was launched back in 1986 and ushered in a new age of Nikon autofocus SLRs. Other mod-cons include automatic film loading, a built-in motor-drive with advance speeds of up to 2.5fps, automatic ISO sensing for different film speeds, and triple-mode ‘program’ shooting. The camera is a good match for Nikon AF lenses that are still…

Fortunately, many of the primates were curious and relatively tolerant of me photographing them. The birds were a different story, however T hese images are from my time spent staying at a remote biological research station in the Peruvian Amazon rainforest. I had taken a gap year between finishing school and going to Durham University to study Biology, and wanted to photograph somewhere I had never been before. After some research, I came across a set of three research stations run by the Amazon Conservation Association, where I could stay and photograph the wildlife in the surrounding forest, as well as the work being carried out at the station. I was there for two months, and I took pictures every day. Wildlife activity peaks at dawn in the rainforest, so after…

H aving a big DSLR kit with plenty of lenses is great: you can choose the right tool to suit every photo opportunity. Or is it? Nobody really enjoys being weighed down by a heavy camera bag when they’re out and about. Whether you’re exploring city streets and landmarks, trekking into the hills, or journeying to the other side of the world, there’s a lot to be said for travelling light. You can’t travel much lighter than with a single lens fixed to your camera, and that’s where ‘superzooms’ come in. They’re designed to take you all the way from wide-angle viewing to long telephoto reach, as well as covering everything in between, with just a quick twist of the zoom ring. The advantages are three-fold: firstly, you can cut down…

Nikon 1 COMPACT SYSTEM CAMERAS Nikon 1 J5 A CSC that DSLR users will love, the J5 has the highest resolution of any Nikon 1 camera to date (20.8Mp) and a decent sensitivity range. The top dial also gives access to semi-automatic and manual exposure modes, plus you can shoot in Raw, which is real bonus. Nikon 1 S2 Small in size but big on qual ity, the svelte Nikon 1 S2 is responsive and speedy. With a 14.2Mp image sensor, and the omission of built-in Wi-Fi or a touchscreen, it’s more basic than the J5, but still a highly capable camera that you can slip into your bag as a lightweight backup. Nikon 1 AW1 Very much the ac tion ad venturer, the Nikon 1 AW1 is shockproof, waterproof…