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

Mother Humpback and Calf BY ROBERT SMITH Captured in the picturesque waters of Vava’u, Tonga. What a magical experience, seeing this curious little calf, only a few weeks old, sneaking up from below a resting mum, to interact with Robert and his team on the surface. Camera: Nikon D810 Lens: 16-35mm f/4 Exposure: 1/250 sec, f/8, ISO2500 Together but Still Alone BY LINDA BEKS Isolation is a very broad concept and can be applied in many circumstances, in this case Linda has tried to illustrate the isolation that we can feel, even when surrounded by others. The muted palette and organized composition adds another layer onto this photograph. Camera: Nikon D850 Lens: 14-24mm f/2.8 Exposure: 1/200 sec, f/7.1, ISO100 Tailing Dam Abstract BY DAVID DAHLENBURG This image is part of…

Using your DSLR or mirrorless as a webcam might seem a little much – a bit like employing a Bugatti Veyron to do the school run – but in these uncertain times video conferencing has become a solution for socially distanced business meetings and social gatherings. But built-in webcams aren’t known for their picture quality, often rendering users a blurry mess. Nikon’s Webcam Utility (currently in the beta stage) seeks to end your pixelated woes, while affording you more control over your image. You can take full advantage of your fast glass by creating a trendy shallow depth of field, squeeze the whole family into the frame using a wide-angle lens, or use your camera’s Picture Controls as snazzy filters. All current Z cameras are compatible as well as the…

Even seasoned studio photographers may occasionally have a hard time remembering their favourite lighting setups, especially if they’re thumbing through their back catalogue and want to recreate a studio shoot from the past. That’s where Sylights comes in. You can access the program on a computer via your web browser (www.bit.ly/2F4icaf), but it’s perhaps most convenient as an iOS app. Sylights is a lighting diagram tool, which allows you to make and share simple lighting diagrams, quickly and easily. You simply drag and drop all manner of studio items, from backdrops and softboxes to product tables and ring flashes, onto a square grid. Items can be flipped, rotated and resized in order to make your bespoke diagram. This is a great way to build up a collection of your favourite…

As our driver weaved in and out of heavy traffic, narrowly missing several head-on collisions, I asked myself just why I’d come to New Delhi. This was a normal day for the locals, but I was out of my comfort zone. I was in India as a guest of paint-manufacturing giants AkzoNobel, to mentor my (fellow crash-test dummy) passenger Sanjay Patil, who had won the company’s photography competition. When we arrived in Agra, we spent the afternoon recceing locations for sunset. I knew of a classic spot across the river, from where we could get the Taj Mahal reflecting in the water. As we were walking into a garden, a man asked if I needed a guide and I politely replied no thank you. He picked up on my accent…

I’m looking through the viewfinder, my eye flicking between a red deer and my exposure meter. Lying on the ground, I can feel the cold from the damp, fern-covered ground slowly soaking through my trousers as I adjust my settings. The light is strong from the left and it’s creating a pool of light in the darkened woodland only a few feet in front of my subject. A quick toggle of my Fn button switches me to spot metering, a great way to set my exposure for the harsh highlights, before relocating my AF point to the top left to set my composition. Keeping the little black square over the stag’s eye, I wait for him to step into the light… We all find ourselves in a rut at times.…

Nikon Z 50mm f/1.2 S £2299/$2100 www.nikon.co.uk The Nikon Z 50mm f/1.2 S is Nikon’s first f/1.2 prime lens for Z mount, and while it’s not as fast as the celebrated Nikon Z 58mm f/0.95 S Noct, autofocus and a more achievable price tag makes it a much more practical alternative. The Z 50mm f/1.2 S has been built to offer incredible resolving power, high-performance autofocus and all-round image quality. It’s set to offer much more depth of field control than Nikon’s existing Z 50mm f/1.8 S, although (unsurprisingly) it’s a much larger and more expensive lens. The super-fast Z-mount prime boasts an advanced optical construction with 17 lens elements in 15 groups, including two ED glass elements and three aspherical elements. It features Nikon’s anti-reflective Nano Crystal Coat and…

A 70-200mm f/2.8 lens is great for everything from action sports and wildlife photography to weddings, events and more. Nikon has made some superb examples of the breed over the years, but the latest S-line lens for Z-mount mirrorless cameras is the best yet, by quite a margin. Build quality is of a fully pro-grade standard, handling is sublime, overall performance is epic and image quality is to die for. Let’s stop gushing and take a look… Key features However many fancy features a lens has, it’s only ever going to be as good as its optical prowess. There’s certainly no shortage of high-tech glass packed into the Z 70-200mm, with 21 elements arranged in 18 groups and including two aspherical elements, no less than six ED (Extra-low Dispersion) elements,…

APS-C OR FULL-FRAME APS-C (DX) cameras are good for compactness and boosting telephoto range. Full-frame (FX) is better for a tight depth of field and greater resolution or better high-ISO image quality. DRIVE SPEED For speedy continuous shooting, the Z 6 and D500 can reach 12fps and 10fps respectively, while the D6 rules with a 14fps drive speed. MEGAPIXELS The ultra-high megapixel count of the D850 and Z 7 enables the capture of fine detail, but file sizes are huge and image noise can be more noticeable at high ISOs. CARD SLOTS The D7500, D500, D750, D780, D850 and D6 have dual memory card slots. This enables you to make backups on the second card as you shoot. STABILIZATION Nikon’s DSLRs rely on optical stabilization built into VR (Vibration Reduction)…

Body for body, the D5600 is exactly the same size as the D3500 and only a little higher, deeper and heavier than the mirrorless DX format Z 50, weighing in at an easily manageable 465g. The D3500’s ‘Guide’ shooting mode isn’t available but this camera is nevertheless wonderfully intuitive for beginners and expert photographers alike. The D5600 is the only camera in the entire group to feature a fully articulated touchscreen, rather than just a tilt facility. It’s a big bonus for putting yourself on screen when you’re taking selfies or vlogging. Back in regular viewfinder-mode, the camera benefits from a 39-point autofocus system, compared with just 11 AF points in the D3500. Nine of them are cross-type points as well, able to resolve detail in both vertical and horizontal…

There’s more to ‘natural’ looking landscapes than meets the eye. More often than not, stunning scenic shots have been ‘helped’ to look their best through the use of filters to balance bright skies, eliminate glare or smooth choppy seas. Pro photographer Jordan Banks is your guide to using filters for your best-ever landscapes in this issue’s lead feature. With a dozen different Nikons to choose from, including full-frame and APS-C sensor models, DSLR and mirrorless, which is the best for you? In our Big Test we evaluate the entire Nikon range… Then, just as we went to press, Nikon surprised us with an exclusive look at the Z 6II and Z 7II – updated models of its full-frame mirrorless marvels. Also in our Gear section, we put the new Z…

Sometimes the scene you see with the naked eye just doesn’t translate as well when captured on camera. While our brains do a good job of editing out the superfluous when we see things with our own eyes if presented with something spectacular, the two-dimensional rendition of a shot often just doesn’t do it justice. Take the enormous full moon we saw looming above the silhouetted peak of Mount Kenya when on a safari trip; both towering mountain and enlarged lunar body were majestic, with our eyes flitting from one to the other (conveniently ignoring the empty space between them). But trying to capture the scene on the camera to fit both in, even at the full extent of our 70-200mm zoom, left both looking small. Switching to a 500mm…

Editing images for comedic effect is wonderfully fun and can help you get used to some useful editing tools. In this tutorial we’ll look at how to transform a portrait, exaggerating features and enlarging the eyes to form an eye-catching caricature. Affinity Photo’s Liquify Persona offers the tools we need for this. It lets us push, pull, expand, contract and reshape pixels in almost any way we like. Whether you need to make a subtle adjustment to the shape of a person or object, or transform a portrait like this, the Liquify Persona is the place to do it. We’ve supplied a portrait for you to use but if you’d like to shoot your own then it’s best to place your subject against a plain backdrop, so that the backdrop…

High dynamic range photos are usually associated with bold colours and eye-popping images, and less so with black and white images. So if the colours are part of the draw of HDR, why utilize it in your mono shots? HDR is all about expanding the dynamic range of a photo to encompass the brightest and darkest parts of a scene, and this can be just as useful for monochrome images, which are all about tonality. In fact, with black-and-white HDRs we have a few advantages. The lack of colour leads to a subtler HDR treatment. What’s more, several of the traits of HDR – crunchy textures, bold clouds and enhanced shadow detail – can often look more natural in monochrome than in colour. In essence, black-and-white photography hinges on the…

Picking the right time to make a critical, life-changing decision requires a mix of instinct and experience, but sometimes events out of our control supersede even the most astute judgement. Last year, Nadia Meli decided to photograph her last wedding, and concentrate instead on her portrait photography business. After a decade of travelling all over Europe as a successful destination wedding photographer, she thought 2020 would be the year she could make headway in her new-found direction. This was to be the first full year that Nadia could wholly devote to portraiture, her first love, and fulfil the creative freedom that had been inhibited by the formalities and routines of a wedding shoot. However, like the rest of us, she was not prepared for the devastating impact of the COVID-19…

1. Run in the Fog ALEX AIMÉ A pleasant yet straightforward photograph. Alex has used the rule of thirds to place the runner in a visually appealing spot. However, it’s the mood of the shot that takes the prize; the fog adds an ethereal ambience to the picture. 2. The Fly JEROEN VAN EYCK Jeroen says that this rather harrowing close-up of a fly was comprised of up to 80 shots, although he doesn’t remember how many photos it exactly took. Must have been too distracted by how terrifying this little thing appears… 3. A Grand Day Out MICHAEL STEVEN HARRIS A charming capture! Michael has ensured that all the appropriate subjects are sharp and in focus, with some human interest adding an extra layer to the composition. The clouds…

Q I’ve traded my Nikon 200-500mm zoom for a more lightweight 300mm PF lens for shooting wildlife and sport on my D500, but am missing the extra telephoto reach. What would you suggest for my setup? Graeme Hogg A I’d recommend using one of Nikon’s second- or third-generation teleconverters with the lens. The TC-20E II or III will naturally give you the most reach, but the aperture rating will drop by two stops to f/8. That can feel a bit slow for wildlife and sports photography, and only 15 of your D500’s 153 AF points will be available for autofocus. I’d go for the TC-14E II or III, which still gives you a useful 420mm focal length (equivalent to 630mm on a full-frame camera), with a faster, more useful in…

It’s been two years since Nikon unveiled its first full-frame mirrorless cameras with the launch of the Z 6 and Z 7, to much critical acclaim. But despite the widely held praise for the cameras there were caveats, notably with some questioning the decision to only include a single card slot – thus having no possibility of in-camera backup that pros had got used to. The choice of format raised some eyebrows too – while XQD (and more lately CFexpress) cards are lightning-fast and robust, they were (and still are) eye-wateringly expensive compared to the more commonplace SD format. Double up Nikon says it’s listened to this feedback and the result is the Mark II editions of both cameras, which now both sport a pair of card slots; one XQD/CFexpress…

Nikon makes some very alluring compact cameras with fixed lenses, but the smart money is on ‘system cameras’. With interchangeable lenses, you can literally fit the best tool for the job in hand, from extreme close-up macro photography, through portraiture and still life, to action sports, wildlife, landscape photography and beyond. But while you can mix-and-match lenses, adding to your collection or maybe hiring something for a special occasion, it all starts with the camera body, so it pays to pick the right one for your needs. The current range of Nikon cameras include some real world-beaters, from the best beginners’ models like the D3500 and Z 50, to high-res masterpieces including the D850 and Z 7. There are some spectacular all-rounders too, including the D780 and Z 6, while…

This year was supposed to be a cracker for international sport, including the summer Olympics and Euro 2020. The timing of the D6’s launch would have been perfect but, as things have turned out, Nikon’s latest DSLR that’s geared towards pro sports photography looks all dressed up with nowhere to go. Attractions include the best autofocus (AF) system of any DSLR in Nikon’s history, based on a brand-new 105-point module, in which all of the points are cross-type. Eye-detection is also available in 3D tracking mode. The continuous drive rate is a speedy 14fps, complete with a cavernous memory buffer for 105-186 shots in Raw mode, depending on compressions settings. Build quality is rock-solid and fully weather-sealed. Stills performance is exhilarating, the speedy continuous drive rate and tenacious AF system…

With its downsized DX format image sensor, the Z 50 still inherits the same oversized lens mount from the full-frame Z 6 and Z 7 FX bodies, so it’s fully compatible with the excellent range of Z-mount lenses. The slimline build makes the most of the mirrorless design ethic, further enhanced by the super-skinny retractable 16-50mm kit lens. The 20.9Mp image sensor matches those of the D7500 and D500 for megapixel count but adds 209 phase-detection AF points, all but essential for fast autofocus, given that mirrorless cameras don’t have a separate AF module. The system comes complete with intelligent eye-detection. The EVF is neither as large nor as high-res of those fitted on Nikon’s full-frame mirrorless cameras, but is still clear and detailed. Around the back, the 3.2-inch tilting…

The D500 is proof that there’s still a place in Nikon’s line-up for a professional-grade DX camera. While the APS-C sized image sensor is small by full-frame standards, the camera itself has a chunky, build and goes extra-large in features, specifications and performance. At its heart, the D500 has the same 20.9Mp CMOS image sensor and EXPEED 5 processor that’s since filtered down to the D7500. However, it adds the 153-point AF module that’s featured in the top-spec D850 full-frame DSLR. It also has a different control layout to the D7500, based on Nikon’s classic pro-grade interface. It’s clean and slick but you won’t find any scene modes. Both cameras have a 3.2-inch tilting touchscreen, but the D500’s is ultra-high-res with 2359k instead of 922k dots. Performance Even better for…

Ask almost any landscape photographer and they will tell you one of the most – if not the most – important factors to improve your photography and creativity is the use of filters. I remember the day, many years ago, when I was first introduced to the groundbreaking world of NDs, grads and polarizers. My images improved tenfold almost overnight. It wasn’t only the effects these filters had on my photographs, either. Once I actually had the ability to control light in-camera I started to better understand light and how the correct conditions could be harnessed and utilized to drastically improve my creativity with my landscape photography. To those photographers looking to start using filters, it can seem a little daunting with so many different filter types and designs on…

Wildlife photography can be a challenging endeavour, and one of the hardest techniques to master is capturing a bird in flight. Many birds are extremely agile on the wing, which makes them unpredictable and therefore difficult to track. As with any photographic technique, practice makes perfect, so we visited the Hawk Conservancy Trust, Andover, to hone our snapping skills during their fantastic flying displays. A long lens is a must, but with birds regularly flying close (and sometimes into) the crowd, you don’t need to invest in a big 600mm lens. Anything above 200mm (in 35mm terms) will do and unless you’re taking shots in particularly dark woodland, or at dusk, a fast aperture isn’t a must either. In fact, using a narrower aperture of around f/8 to create a…

Black-and-white treatments and portraiture go hand in hand. But what’s the best way to strip out the colour, and what other edits can we make to enhance a monochrome image? In this tutorial, we’re going to explore a few techniques you can use to create stunning black-and-white portraits, from the best conversion tools to essential enhancements, such as dodging and burning. Converting a photo to black and white shouldn’t just be an ‘effect’, there should be a reason behind the change. Perhaps the monochrome tones enhance the subject, or draws attention to textures and form. Or perhaps the colour is a distraction, and its removal gives the viewer breathing space to focus on other aspects of the photograph. With portraits, in particular, colour can be an unnecessary addition. By stripping…

In Another Light is a project exploring a new way of using infrared photography in the landscape. The resultant book is a portfolio of work from the UK and internationally, and shows the versatility of using infrared in many different weather conditions. We have been using converted Nikon infrared cameras for a decade now and during that time we’ve refined our approach and techniques, creating a unique and diverse collection of images, which we wanted to share with a wider audience. There are images from Scotland, China, USA and England, just to name a few places. The first explorations took place in Scotland and the Lake District and, after discovering the vast flexibility of this type of photography, we took our infraredconverted Nikons everywhere we went while we were running…

Q I’d like a DX format fisheye lens for occasional use. What’s a good used buy? Stephen Kramer A Matthew recommends… Buying a used fisheye lens makes sense. A lot of people buy them new, find they practically never use them, and then sell them on, so they’re a great secondhand buy. Nikon AF DX Fisheye 10.5mm f/2.8G ED GET THE CLASSIC, DISTORTED FISHEYE LOOK WITHOUT PAYING OVER THE ODDS RELEASED: 2003 PRICE NEW: £665/$772 ‘Excellent’ £250/$280 ‘Good’ £220/$230 This ‘diagonal fisheye’ lens creates photographs that utilize the entire image sensor, rather than producing a circular image that uses only the central region of the frame. It gives a full 180-degree viewing angle, measured on the diagonal, complete with a fisheye’s trademark heavy barrel distortion. Unlike regular ‘rectilinear’ ultra-wide-angle lenses,…

Lab tests explained Sharpness A chart with multiple sharp boundaries is photographed, the extent of blur at the centre, mid and edges showing how many line widths per picture height the lens can resolve. Simply put, the bigger the numbers the sharper the lens. Fringing Chromatic aberration is visible as purple or green fringing around high-contrast boundaries, caused by different wavelengths being focused on different areas of the sensor. The larger the number, the worse the score. Distortion A lens that bulges towards the edges of the frame produces barrel distortion, shown as a negative score. Pincushion distortion produces a positive score. A score of zero indicates no distortion Our awards in a nutshell The best performance, design and value A product that gives you more for your money The…

Format From $7 per month www.format.com In terms of offering sheer bang for your buck, Format is definitely one of the best website builders around for photographers. However, it is one of the more expensive on our list. The paired down Basic plan is $7 per month, with Core plans starting at $12 per month if billed annually (monthly starts at $16.99 per month). You do get a wide range of services for your money though, and Format is easy to use and features built-in videos that pop up to help you when you’re first exploring the site. The website builder will ask you a few questions so it can recommend which designs will work best for your needs, before you begin exploring its many features and start building your…

Aimed squarely at beginners, the D3500 is typically sold as a ‘kit’ that includes a zoom lens, rather than as a standalone body. The two most widely available options include the AF-P DX 18-55mm, either with or without VR (Vibration Reduction). We’d definitely go for the VR lens. It’s only a little more expensive and is helpful in getting consistently sharp handheld shots. The vast majority of camera manufacturers make entry-level models, but the D3500 really stands out from the crowd with its excellent, interactive ‘Guide’ shooting mode. It’s like having your own personal photography tutor built into the camera. There are plenty of scene modes to choose from as well, and the more advanced PASM modes let you stretch your photographic legs. Performance Despite its relatively basic feature set…

The newest and most ‘affordable’ FX format mirrorless Nikon camera, the Z 5 nevertheless costs almost as much as the Z 6. On the plus side, it inherits much of what makes the Z 6 so phenomenal, including virtually the same image sensor, processor, AF system, IBIS and hi-res electronic viewfinder. The control panels and interface are also much the same, although the Z 5 lacks the top-panel OLED display of the Z 6 and Z 7. One budget-friendly bonus is that the Z 5 takes SD/HC/XC memory cards, which are massively less expensive than the pricier mirrorless cameras’ XQD/CFexpress cards to buy. The Z 5 also features dual card slots, enabling instant backups while you shoot. A new EN-EL15c battery gives greater stamina, especially when using the rear screen…

Traditionalists prefer the entirely natural view offered by an optical viewfinder, so favour a DSLR over a mirrorless camera. The D750 has long been best choice for high performance at a reasonable price but, like other DSLRs, it’s slow to autofocus in Live View and movie modes. That’s because image sensor-based AF is driven by contrast-detection. The revolutionary D780 takes all of its winning design and handling cues from the D750, but adds on-sensor phase-detection AF and EXPEED 6 processing, inherited directly from the Z 6. The result is that you get a capable and natural-feeling DSLR for shooting stills in viewfinder mode, coupled with the same kind of accuracy and performance as a mirrorless camera in Live View and for shooting movies. Indeed, for the latter, the D780 boasts…

There’s plenty to get excited about in Nikon’s current range of cameras but, for our money, the Z 6 is the best buy. It delivers gorgeous image quality in just about any shooting scenario, and is great value at the price. The newer and partly inferior Z 5 isn’t sufficiently cheaper at this stage to make it worth the saving. The D780 is an attractive option if you want the ‘best bits’ of a DSLR and mirrorless camera in one package, but it’s not great value at the price. For a feast of megapixels, it’s a toss-up between the Z 7 and the D850. We’d go for the Z 7, not only for its sensor-based autofocus and IBIS, but also because it offers access to Nikon’s fabulous Z-mount lenses. For…