Innholdsfortegnelse for February 2020 i N-Photo: the Nikon magazine

BACK-BUTTON IT Pete says… Back-button focus removes focus when half-pressing the shutter button. Go to the Custom Settings menu, select Autofocus>AF Activation and select the AF-ON only option. On Bill’s D7200, we assigned focus to the AE-L/AF-L button: Custom Settings>Controls>AE-L/AF-L>AF-ON. HELPFUL HISTOGRAM Pete says… It’s important to get a full spread of tones in an image, so viewing the histogram is vital. Turn on RGB Histogram in the Playback Display Options. If you can’t avoid clipping either end of the histogram, then take two or more shots and blend the exposures. More on that later! ZOOM WITH THE VIEW Pete says… It’s critical that the image is pin-sharp from front to back. Set the OK button to zoom in to 100% to examine the image at pixel-level detail during playback.…

Early Riser RICCARDO MARCHGIANI Riccardo could not believe his luck when, at first light, this female gelada, with a week-old infant clinging to her belly, climbed over the cliff edge close to where he was perched. Shooting with a low-power flash to highlight her rich brown fur against the still-dark mountain range, he caught not only her glance but also the eyes of her infant. Snow-Plateau Nomads SHANGZHEN FAN For years, Shangzhen has made the high‑altitude journey to record Tibetan antelope (chiru). On this day the air was fresh and clear after heavy snow. Shadows flowed from the undulating slopes around a warm island of sand that the chiru headed for. From his vantage point a kilometre away, Shangzhen drew the contrasting elements together. Tapestry of Life ZORICA KOVACEVIC Festooned…

The Mission – Prep a successful landscape shoot and reap the benefits Time – A day before your shoot! Skill level – Beginner Kit needed – Hiking camera bag– Power bank– Cleaning equipment– Suitable tripod Don’t let the cold weather deter you getting outside and taking landscapes. In autumn you can take advantage of colourful trees, and in winter you’ve every chance of capturing a moody mist or a frosty winter wonderland. The short days and long nights make it easier to commit to sunrise or sunset shoots, too. No matter what time of year you choose to embark on a landscape shoot, though, success is very often down to good preparation. Outstanding landscape photographers aren’t just lucky… They’re consistently able to capture stunning skies and unusual weather phenomena, because…

MISSION: Use creativity to convey meaning and emotion through black-and-white photographs of impressive architecture PHOTOGRAPHER: Fabiolla Loureiro LOCATION: São Paulo, Brazil KIT USED: Nikon D7200, Nikon AF-S DX 18-140mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR WEBSITE: www.fabiollaloureiro.com My journey started 10 years ago, when I first started to take photos. I spent most of my time shooting fashion, portraits and nudes, but I longed for more freedom. That’s how I ended up as a fine art street and travel photographer. It took a long time for me to understand and realize that this was my genre, and 99 per cent of my work had to be black and white. When you’re able to find an identity through your photography, that’s the moment when your work starts to flow and you’re ready to fly.…

Q I bought the Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 Art lens that you suggested and absolutely love it! What’s the best way to keep the glass clean and should I protect it with a polarizing filter? Lene Herman A Glad you’re enjoying the Sigma! For keeping the front elements of lenses clean, I generally use a blower, like the Giottos Rocket (£13/$16), to remove any dust, then a soft, finely-woven microfibre cloth for polishing – they’re often advertised for cleaning spectacles. Bear in mind that modern lenses generally have high-tech coatings applied to them, so be gentle when wiping the glass. For physical protection, I always attach a hood to the lens I’m using. This helps to avoid any bumps and scrapes. If you feel the need for additional protection, I’d suggest…

Stefan Christmann Profile ● Based in southern Germany, Stefan Christmann is a qualified astrophysicist, with a passion for nature photography.● In 2005, he became the first international student to receive a scholarship from the North American Nature Photography Association.● He has spent two years in Antarctica, the first time in 2011 when he worked as a scientist at the German Neumayer-Station III research base.● Six years later, Stefan returned to the same location as a camera assistant for the acclaimed BBC series Dynasties, narrated by David Attenborough, this time to focus on the life cycle of emperor penguins. www.nature-in-focus.de In October 2018, I was in a huddle of about a dozen photographers at a conference in Germany craning my neck to glimpse one man, unfamiliar to many of us, holding an…

Specifications Lens construction: 14 elements in 10 groups Angle of view: 63 degrees Diaphragm blades: 9 Minimum aperture: f/16 Minimum focusing distance: 0.3m Maximum magnification ratio: 0.2x Filter size: 72mm Dimensions: 81x105mm Weight: 805g £700/$900 Celebrating 40 years of Super Performance, Tamron takes the 35mm fight to the big guns Compared with the large array of Sigma f/1.4 Art prime lenses in a wealth of focal lengths, as well as own-brand f/1.4 lenses from Nikon, Tamron has looked a step behind, or at least two-thirds of an f-stop. Instead, the company launched slower f/1.8 35mm, 45mm and 85mm primes, which were typically smaller and lighter, with the useful addition of Tamron’s proprietary VC (Vibration Correction) optical stabilization. In contrast, the new Tamron SP 35mm f/1.4 Di USD lens goes large…

Most flashguns feature a rear-curtain mode, which can be selected from the host camera’s flash settings. Whereas the usual first-curtain mode fires the flash as soon as the first shutter curtain has fully opened, the rear-curtain mode waits until the rear curtain is about to close. It’s particularly useful in long exposures when, for example, a vehicle with lights is moving across the scene. Light trails will appear to stretch out from behind the vehicle, instead of in front of it, which gives everything a much more natural look. Some flashguns also feature a ‘Repeat’ mode, also known as ‘stroboscopic’. This is typically programmable, so you can preset the number of flashes and the time interval between each one. It’s ideal for capturing multiple exposures of an object in motion,…

£227/$249 It’s something of a small wonder There are quite a few small, lightweight flashguns on the market that look equally at home on mirrorless cameras as they do on full-blown SLRs. However, most only have a meagre maximum power output and rudimentary on-board controls. They also often lack an LCD screen around the back. This Nissin packs a lot into its small build, with a powerful Gn 60 rating, 24-200mm motorized zoom head and an elegant graphical user interface based around a colour screen. A secondary LED light is also featured, ideal for shooting video. Infrared and RF wireless slave triggering are available, the latter working well with Nissin’s optional Commander Air 1 or more up-market Commander Air 10s RF triggers. You can buy these for around £75/$89 or…

£299/$255 The Mark II is even more appealing Packed with features and a built-in RF transceiver, the Modus 600RT boasts RF and infrared commander and slave connectivity, along with a Gn 60 maximum power rating and 20-200mm motorized zoom. The flashgun is great value at £249/$255, while the ‘Wireless Kit’ adds a hotshoe-mounting Hähnel Viper RF trigger with a 100m range. A ‘Pro Kit’ is also available at £499/$559, adding a second flashgun. The Hähnel is powered by a rechargeable Li-ion battery pack, which enables great stamina, with up to 1000 half-power flashes, along with a 0.7 second recycling speed. The range of flash modes features a programmable stroboscopic option, while Mark II improvements include a quick-release hotshoe locking lever and a charger with a USB socket. Performance Performance is…

Who doesn’t stand in awe of wildlife photography? After all, capturing intimate images of celebrated beasts usually involves far-flung travel, a good deal of patience and – more often than not – expensive long lenses. But wildlife pro Tom Mason says there’s more to it than simple animal portraits, and shows how to shoot creatures creatively in our lead feature. We also speak to penguin photographer extraordinaire Stefan Christmann in the N-Photo interview and showcase the best Nikon Wildlife Photographer of the Year images in our Lightbox gallery. We join our Apprentice in the Lake District with reigning Landscape Photographer of the Year Pete Rowbottom to shoot the impossibly picturesque scenery around every corner - whatever the weather. But if you’d prefer to stay indoors at this time of year,…

RAW EDITS Take three or more shots then open the Raw files in ACR. Sync the images to make the same adjustments to White Balance, Vibrance, Clarity and so on. Then work on individual shots to alter the Exposure sliders to bring out the shadows in the overexposed image and highlights in the underexposed one. BLEND THE EXPOSURES Open the files into a stack of layers in the main Photoshop editor and ensure they are perfectly aligned (Edit>Auto Align> Layers). I use the Raya Pro plug-in ($45, www.shutterevolve.com), which has a luminosity masking feature that creates a blend of the best exposed areas for shadows, midtones and highlights. FINAL ADJUSTMENTS The plug-in creates layer masks, showing which area of the image has been brought out in each, the lighter areas…

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The Mission – Light paint a landscape at night using a torch Time – One hour Skill level – Advanced Kit needed – Tripod– Remote release– Powerful torch– Colour gels– Head torch We often think of cameras as tools for recording the world as we see it. But they’re also capable of capturing far more than the eye can perceive. Light painting is a case in point. To the eye, a dark night is just that, but if we stick the camera on a tripod, open the shutter for a couple of minutes and waggle a torch around, then all of a sudden our camera starts to see things differently. To the camera’s sensor, light is accumulative, so when there’s minimal ambient light, we’re able to build up our own…

MISSION: Take memorable photos of the sport of cycling, from road races to mountain biking PHOTOGRAPHER: Gabriel J Diaz LOCATION: Florida, USA KIT USED: Nikon D610, D7000, D300 and D90, plus various lenses WEBSITE: www.velopistaphoto.com INSTAGRAM: @velopistaphoto My dad was interested in photography when I was a kid, and I think he passed it on to me. I actually wanted to be a movie director for the longest time, but it was high-fashion photography from Richard Avedon and Peter Lindbergh that really inspired me to pursue photography seriously in my early 20s. I bought a used 35mm camera and photographed fashion, wildlife and the odd feature for small newspapers. A while after switching to Nikon, I decided to create my business, VeloPista Photo, and combine two things I love, photography…

Sponsored by MPB Q I want to learn advanced photo techniques but my budget is quite limited. What would you suggest? Jo Weeks A Our experts at MPB recommend… For learning high-end creative photography, with an absolute minimum outlay, we’d pick the Nikon D200. It was designed to bridge the gap between entry-level and pro DSLRs. Nikon D200 THE SPECIFICATIONS LOOK A LITTLE POOR BY TODAY’S STANDARDS, BUT IT’S STILL A GREAT CAMERA FOR SUCH A LOW PRICE RELEASED: 2005 PRICE NEW: £1299/$1849 BUY AT MPB.COM TODAY: ‘Like new’ £84/$89 ‘Good’ £69/$74 The D200 was an absolutely mindblowing camera at the time of its launch, with a control layout and handling that came direct from Nikon’s fully professional-grade models, with quick access to all the important ‘creative’ shooting parameters you’ll…

I was approached by another photographer to join him on an editorial shoot in Egypt for a travel magazine. The feature was based on an upcoming piece about a Nile cruise, which would start in Cairo and follow the Nile South towards Luxor, Aswan and, finally, Abu Simbel. Our job was to photograph these locations with the images to be used alongside an editorial piece to market the upcoming trip. Ready willing and able I had never been to Egypt, so it was the perfect opportunity to visit, especially as I had been talking with my colleagues at That Wild Idea about basing a photography tour in the country, so a recce trip certainly wasn’t going to do any harm. The article had already been written, so we were tasked…

Nikon D780 £2199/$TBA (body only), £2619/$TBA (with AF-S 24-120mm f/4G ED VR) www.nikon.co.uk Nikon’s successor to the hugely popular Nikon D750 DSLR sports a 24.5Mp full-frame sensor, with 51-point autofocus and 7fps maximum shooting rate. Impressive enough so far, if not quite earth-shattering. But switch to Live View mode and things take on a whole new complexion: a whopping 273 autofocus points are suddenly at your disposal, and the frame rate jumps to a blistering 12fps in silent shooting mode, outgunning the top frame rate of many pro-level cameras. It’s all due to the D780 boasting a fast, dedicated Hybrid-AF system for Live View shooting, in addition to the 51-point phase-detection autofocus module for viewfinder shooting. Nikon has achieved this by effectively taking the sensor developed for the Z 6…

Many of us only reach for a flashgun when we’re shooting indoors or if the sun’s gone down. But that’s really missing a trick. A decent flashgun will be much more powerful and versatile than the pop-up flash that’s built into your camera, if it has one. They’re great for not only adding much-needed illumination when you’re shooting on the dark side, but also for filling in shadows and giving a more even lighting effect, especially under bright sunlight. Most good flashguns have a zoom facility, which can focus the beam over a tighter area when using lenses with longer focal lengths. This increases the effective power and range of the flashgun when using telephoto lenses, as you’re not wasting light illuminating areas of the scene that won’t be in…

£259/$267 This popular Speedlight is losing ground There’s a lot to love about this flashgun. As well as the soft carrying case and tabletop/tripod stand that you find with many flashguns, there’s also a diffusion dome and colour filters for balancing flash with tungsten or fluorescent lighting. It all comes together to form a great kit that feels more than the sum of its parts. The power rating of Gn 38 and the 24-120mm motorized zoom range are adequate, but fall short of what’s available in a number of competing flashguns at a similar price point. And while the SB-700 boasts wireless infrared commander and slave modes, it lacks a built-in radio frequency receiver or transceiver, which are becoming increasingly mainstream. Performance Maximum output power is noticeably down compared with…

When it comes to getting started in wildlife photography, often the main objective is a focus on getting great portraits of wild subjects. Simple images of animals filling the frame, in sharp focus without too many distracting elements. The problem is, after shooting for a while, these images can start to feel just a little bit stagnated. Getting close to subjects for frame-filling shots doesn’t always give us the sense of the creature we’re working with, so although the pictures often look nice, they can become a little, well… boring. In order to get away from the normal ideas we need to be more creative with our shots, looking to experiment with techniques, focal lengths and composition in order to make something a little more interesting! It’s daunting at first,…

The Mission – Shoot and stitch a burst sequence Time – 1.5 hours Skill level – Intermediate Kit needed – Telephoto lens– Tripod– Photoshop CC If you’re capturing a fast-moving object, you normally have three options. Use a fast shutter speed to freeze the action; a slow shutter speed to create wisps of abstract motion; or the panning technique to capture pin-sharp subjects and lashings of motion blur. But there is another approach you can take called sequence photography. This creative method involves stitching together a series of images that depict a subject as it moves through the frame. As you can see from our dazzling kingfisher, sequence photography is a great technique to use when capturing birds in flight. Consistent framing is crucial, so we’d recommend using a tripod.…

Star Letter Full o’ beans I have been an avid reader since day one. There have been several references to the use of bean bags recently – in 104 they were suggested on the safari. I’ve travelled with one on many overseas trips, as it saves taking a tripod and helps to hold a camera steady in low-light areas. It was homemade and filled with rice, but since watching a number of TV shows I’ve decided to change the contents. Many countries (Australia for example) view rice, and similar alternatives, as food products and viable seeds, which it is illegal to import, no matter how small. The least you can expect is to have it confiscated… I’ve tried the small polystyrene beads, but found these to be too light. So…

£199/$217 A compact and clever ‘constant’ companion Just about small enough to squeeze into a coat pocket, this is a travel-friendly flashgun that also features a built-in triple LED ‘constant light’, ideal for close-up video. In other areas, the SB-500 is a particularly bare-bones affair. There’s no zoom facility for the head, which has a fixed focal length equivalent of 24mm, or 36mm for DX format cameras. There’s also no flip-out wide-angle diffuser or reflector card, which you’ll find on the vast majority of current flashguns. Around the back, the control panel is simple and uses a few status LEDs instead of the LCD panel. As such, most settings and adjustments need to be applied from menus in the host camera. There is an infrared wireless slave mode (channel 3…

£274/$260 A mid-range flashgun for touchscreen fans The Metz 52 looks like one of those flashguns that has no on-board controls, forcing you to spend more time tweaking things from menus in-camera. As it turns out, the lack of buttons and switches is due to the flashgun featuring a touchscreen with a logical and intuitive layout to its comprehensive menu system. In other areas, the feature-set is typical for a mid-range flashgun at this price. There’s a Gn 52 power rating, an automated zoom range of 24-105mm and a 0-90 degree bounce. The range of the swivel action is less impressive, with 180 degrees to the left, but only 120 degrees to the right. Par for the course with mid-range flashguns, there’s no programmable repeat (stroboscopic) mode and wireless commander/slave…

£419/$450 It’s currently top of the mecablitz range This range-topping flashgun from Metz has a mighty Gn 64 power rating, a 24-200mm zoom range and -9 to 90-degree bounce facility, but swivel to the right is limited to 120 degrees. A neat bonus is the additional sub-flash module, which is great for adding a controllable amount of fill-in lighting when the main head is being used in bounce or swivel mode. Around the back, a colour touchscreen makes for easy point-and-pick navigation of menus and adjustments. The flashgun can operate in both commander and slave wireless configurations via infrared linking, but it lacks a built-in RF transceiver. There’s also a programmable stroboscopic flash mode and a socket for powering the flashgun from an optional external power pack. Performance The Metz…

£569/$597 Own-brand flashgun with radio transmission The big deal about the pro-grade SB-5000 is that it’s Nikon’s first flashgun to feature built-in radio frequency connectivity. This boosts the off-camera range from 7m and a beam angle of 60 degrees between the commander or pop-up flash, to 35m with full 360-degree coverage. Another bonus is that RF linking works through obstacles and around corners, and is much more reliable when shooting under bright sunlight. However, unlike some independent RF flashguns, the SB-5000 only has an RF receiver, so you can’t use it as a trigger. The working range is also less than the 100m that’s now common. On the plus side, the SB-5000 has great build quality, a 24-200mm zoom range, programmable repeat mode and comprehensive on-board controls. Performance Punching above…