Innholdsfortegnelse for November 2021 i N-Photo: the Nikon magazine

LEVEL HEADED Andrea says… I attach a little spirit level to the hotshoe of my camera so I can ensure all my images are level when using a tripod. I also carry around small pieces of cloth that I place under my tripod legs when I’m shooting inside, so I don’t scratch the beautiful floors of the stately homes. DOF PREVIEW Andrea says… The depth of field preview button [Pv] allows you to observe – through the optical viewfinder – what the depth of field will look like by closing the aperture as per the selected f-number. I use this often-overlooked function almost as much as the shutter button! BRACKETING Andrea says… I use bracketing when lighting conditions make it difficult to capture a balanced exposure. I like to bracket at…

Andrea says… The temptation, when capturing close-ups, is to frame the whole flower head and focus on the stigma. But your focal point can be anything that draws your attention. When Ian photographed this dahlia he wanted to depict the curvature of the petals, so we focused on the tip of the most interesting petal and used a very tight crop to fill the frame. Windy conditions are best avoided, but if you’re shooting in a breeze you can use stakes to hold subjects in place.…

Of the three elements within the exposure triangle, ISO is perhaps the most difficult to understand. Aperture physically controls the diaphragm of blades within a lens to block or let in more light, and shutter speed controls the exposure length by opening and closing the shutter, but ISO is a slightly harder concept to grasp. ISO is the acronym for International Standards Organization, the body that standardized values of light sensitivity for film back in the day. In modern digital cameras ISO has a similar function, but you don’t have to switch entire rolls of film to achieve different ISO speeds. Instead you can simply change the value at the press of a button, or even allow the camera to do it for you automatically. ISO determines how sensitive your…

One of the things that sets Affinity Photo apart from other image editors is its selection tools, which allow you to make all kinds of intricate selections and cut-outs. But as good as they are, they’re not the only way to make a precise selection. Sometimes you’re better off using Channels. Our starting image of the trees here is a good example. If we were to try and select all the sky using normal selection tools, like the Magic Wand or Selection Brush, then it would take a long time to pick out all the bits that show through the palm leaves. However, by turning to Channels instead we can isolate parts of the image based on colour and brightness, which makes things quicker and more precise. In this project…

WORTH £49 Write our star letter and you’ll win a copy of the amazing Affinity Photo* for Mac or PC from Serif. This feature-packed software is just as powerful as programs that retail for many times its price – and all without having to pay a monthly subscription fee. With full support for Raw files, layers and ‘professional’ features such as Curves and live filters, it also boasts top-class focus stacking, HDR merging, panorama stitching and batch processing. Affinity Photo is available for Mac, PC and iPad, and files can be easily shared between devices so you can continue editing on the move. It opens Photoshop files, too. www.affinity.serif.com *Winners will need to create an Affinity user account to download the app. The prizes are issued in accordance with the…

Continuous type Set the camera to Continuous release mode; further options could include High (Ch) or Low (Cl), depending on your camera. Release modes are set via a dedicated button, or can be found on a dial on the top of some Nikons. Ensure you are using a fast memory card. AF-area mode Set an appropriate Autofocus Area mode, such as Dynamic, Group, Wide Area Large or Wide Area Small, depending on the size of the subject in your frame. Any of these modes, when used in conjunction with Continuous autofocus, will give great results. Focus mode As well as the Continuous release mode, you’ll need to switch your camera to Continuous autofocus mode (AF-C), in order to track fast-moving subjects, and thus ensure that your camera can refocus on…

On some DSLRs and Z-series cameras you will have a menu setting called ‘Exposure Delay Mode.’ This can be found in the Custom Settings menu (pencil icon) and in the ‘D’ menu option ‘Shooting/Display.’ Exposure Delay Mode is another way to trigger the camera to ensure that you do not get any vibrations from the movement of the shutter or mirror mechanism inside the camera. In the Exposure Delay Mode menu you would set a delay of, say, 3 secs (some cameras just have an On/Off option). This tells the camera to take the image three seconds after you press the shutter button. A delay of three seconds is more than enough time for vibrations to subside in most cases, resulting in a sharp photograph. Exposure Delay Mode is best…

Q I’m delighted with the Nikon Z 7. I use the ‘clean the image sensor on shutdown’ option, but how can I test for dust spots? David Haynes A If you can’t see dark spots on images, you don’t need to worry. If you’re concerned, try taking a few shots of a clear blue sky, using a long focal length and narrow aperture of around f/16 to f/22, ideally with a couple of stops of positive exposure bias. Study the images on a computer screen at 100 per cent magnification and any specks should be easy to see. Random flying insects can give the appearance of sensor specks in individual shots, but they won’t be in the same place from frame to frame. If there are any consistent spots that…

1. Toadstool BY MIKE HUDSON This trio of toadstools was created almost entirely in-camera with only a little cropping and sharpening in post. The subtle tones and mist have created a dream-like atmosphere that pairs perfectly with fungi’s association with folklore. The subjects are tack-sharp while an aperture of f/5.6 and a long focal length have added to the ethereal look by creating a shallow depth of field. Camera: Nikon D800 Lens: 70-200mm f/2.8 Exposure: 1/2 sec, f/5.6, ISO50 2. Autumn Mood BY BORISOV EVGENY This image is a jaw-dropping reminder that landscape photographers shouldn’t feel bound to sunrise and sunset conditions. The dramatic sky complements the harsh, mountainous terrain and the sliver of golden light highlights the craggy subject. We particularly like how the warm, earthy colour palette contrasts…

Morally Toxic camera bags From £170/$210 www.morallytoxic.com Morally Toxic may be a new name in camera bags, but the brand actually comes from 3 Legged Thing, the British manufacturer of quirky tripods with rock ’n roll-inspired names, such as Ray, Winston and Brian. First in the range is a backpack, which goes by the name ‘Valkyrie’, and a messenger bag ‘Wraith’. Valkyrie comes in 20- and 25-litre capacities, while Wraith is available in 15- and 20-litre sizes. In both cases, the larger bag has a sleeve for a 15in laptop while the smaller can accommodate a 13in device. The main compartments of the bags have a clever divider system, with attached pockets for storing cables, filters and the like, that can be customized to fit your camera kit. But the…

Compared with the Sigma 50mm f/1.4 lens on test, the Nikon is only half the length and about a third of the weight. The flip side is that it’s a lot simpler than the Sigma, with eight optical elements, and feels rather less robust. A further sign of the downsizing is that the Nikon only has a 58mm filter thread, which is no larger than in the Nikon 50mm f/1.8 lens. The straightforward optical path doesn’t contain an aspherical element (as featured in the Nikon AF-S 50mm f/1.8G), there are no ED (Extra-low Dispersion) elements and no Nano Crystal Coat. Indeed, it’s a very traditional lens that’s now more than 20 years old. Performance AF accuracy is more critical in very wide-aperture lenses, and the Nikon does fairly well in…

When it comes to standard primes, f/1.8 lenses are often viewed as poor relations to f/1.4 options. This Z-mount 50mm f/1.8 lens bucks the trend, with a more sophisticated optical path than Nikon’s DSLR-based lenses on test. There are 12 elements, including two aspherical elements, two ED (Extra-low Dispersion) elements and Nano Crystal Coat. As usual with Nikon’s S-line lenses, build quality is good and includes weather-seals. The stepping motor-based AF system is near silent, yet fast for stills, while enabling smooth AF transitions when shooting movies. Other bonuses for movie capture are that focus breathing is almost non-existent, and you can assign the control ring to stepless aperture control. Performance Levels of sharpness are in a different league to the Nikon F-mount lenses on test, from the centre of…

Unlike the 7Artisans MF lens on test, the Zeiss has built-in electronics to enable aperture control from the camera body, making it equally at home in all of the PASM shooting modes. Even so, it also features an aperture control ring that comes complete with a de-click facility, ideal for shooting video. Typical of the Milvus range, the 50mm f/1.4 has a beautifully engineered metal barrel and a full set of weather-seals. The long rotational travel of the focus ring enables excellent focusing precision, and the super-smooth fluidity of its movement makes manual focusing a genuine joy. For reassurance, the built-in electronics drive a DSLR viewfinder’s focus assist and confirmation lamps. Performance Living up to its reputation and price tag, the Milvus delivers gorgeous image quality. When shooting wide-open, it…

Wildlife photography is responsible for some of the most compelling images of them all, but you don’t have to travel to the savannahs of Africa, jungles of Asia, or frozen ice deserts of the Arctic and Antarctic to get amazing animal photos. This issue, Andrew Mason shows you how to get brilliant shots of more accessible creatures closer to home. Also enjoying the great outdoors, our Apprentice heads to a magnificent stately home to learn how to photograph its gorgeous gardens with horticultural photographer Andrea Jones. We weigh up the options of eight ‘nifty fifty’ primes in our Big Test. Also in our Gear section, we advise on the best backpacks for carting about heavy gear, and reveal a remarkably cheap yet astonishingly good Z-mount fisheye lens – at this…

Andrea says… You don’t always have to shoot from a low angle – sometimes it pays to find some height. I carry a small stepladder in my cart, so I can look straight through the viewfinder when my tripod is fully extended. If I want even more height I will shoot handheld atop a Henchman tripod ladder, which stands up of its own accord. Ian captured this image (right) while standing on the ladder in front of the hall. It allowed him to replicate the stunning view of the Great Basin from the hall’s second floor, without entering the house.…

Consumer 360-degree cameras are still in their infancy, but the technology is hugely exciting. However, if you’re struggling to justify the purchase of a Nikon KeyMission 360, you can still enjoy a little 360-degree fun by faking a 360-degree still image in Adobe Photoshop CC. Last issue we photographed a top-down puppy caricature using the Nikon AF-S Fisheye 8-15mm f/3.5-4.5E ED and we’ll be incorporating an image from that shoot into our project. If you missed out on last issue, fear not, because we’ve provided the start file. You could also photograph your own subject and if you don’t have access to a fisheye lens, getting close to your subject with a wide-angle focal length will do. The foundation of this project is a city skyline panorama of high-rise buildings…

There are lots of tools in Photoshop and Lightroom for adjusting the look of your black-and-white photos, and most of them are relatively simple to get the hang of. In fact, more often the challenge lies in committing to a certain monochrome look, especially when there are so many sliders and settings to choose from. Should you go for a bold contrasty look, or will a subtle matte effect be more suited to your image? How about adding a vignette? Or opening up the shadows, or dropping the blues… and so on. It’s the age-old editing conundrum: stick or twist? Thankfully there are plenty of features that can help you overcome image-editing analysis paralysis! One such tool is Profiles. They’re ideal for monochrome lovers, as they give you one-click treatments…

Familiar yet unfamiliar, that was the feeling as I made my way through press entry at Leeds Reading 2021. There had been a rigorous, pre-festival COVID credentials requirement and it took an hour to confirm everything and get our passes. But once inside, your wristband made for seamless access. Setting up our workstations in the press tent, we were all having to remind ourselves what to do with our various Dropboxes, FTP accounts and metadata requirements. With not a lot to shoot for 18 months, we were all out of practice. I got my kit organized and ready for the two agencies I was feeding and checked out what was coming up where and when. I normally only cover main stage action, but Leeds Reading now has two main stages,…

1. Nikon announces winners of its $4500 Photo Contest The winners of the 2020-21 Nikon Photo Contest have been announced, with Grand Prize awards for photo and short film categories each winning ¥500,000 (approximately $4565/£3348/AU$6300). Other prizes on offer included mirrorless Nikon Z-series cameras and lenses. https://bit.ly/3i0w59A 2. Z series wins four gongs at prestigious EISA awards Four Nikon products have taken home prizes at the EISA Awards. The Z 6II received the Advanced Camera award, and the Z 5 won the Best Buy Camera. For new lenses the Z MC 50mm f/2.8 took Best Macro Lens, while the Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S topped the Pro Telephoto Zoom Lens category. https://bit.ly/3EO1rKr 3. A new Nikon camera will feature GPS on steroids An upcoming Nikon camera will feature GNSS, the…

Nikon has two apps that can turn your smart device into a remote release. These apps are Nikon Wireless Mobile Utility (WMU) and the newer, more sophisticated, Snapbridge. The apps are free downloads from the app stores. There are a number of configuration setups, depending on your camera. If you have a D3200, D3300, D5200, D7100 or Df you will need to get a WU-1a Wi-Fi adaptor to use this feature. If you have a D600 or D610, you would need a WU-1b Wi-Fi adaptor. For D5300, D5500, D7200 and D750 you can connect directly to WMU using the camera’s built-in Wi-Fi. Snapbridge is compatible with D3400, D3500, D5600, D7500, D500, D780, D850, D6 and all Z-series cameras. The full compatibility lists can be found on the Nikon website: https://bit.ly/snapbridgecomp…

Keep it down If you happen to have a Z-series camera, you have the ability to set the release mode to be completely silent when either using the EVF or rear screen. It is also possible to do this on a select number of newer DSLRs, but only when you’re using Live View mode, and some DSLR silent shooting modes only allow for JPEG images to be taken, rather than offering the full flexibility and editing leeway of a Raw image. When and where to go silent Shooting silently is great for events such as weddings, street or wildlife photography, as you can shoot photographs without the camera making any sound whatsoever. However, before choosing to activate silent shooting, it is worth understanding your particular camera’s capabilities when set to…

Q I feel the time has come to switch to mirrorless. Is the original Z 7 a good used buy? Fred Robertson A Matthew recommends… The first edition of the Z 7 is still on sale, but there are plenty of used ones in excellent condition that make brilliant secondhand buys. It’s an absolutely outstanding camera. Nikon Z 7 GREAT IN ITS OWN RIGHT, THE Z 7 MAKES THE MOST OF NIKON’S FORMIDABLE Z-MOUNT LENSES RELEASED: 2018 PRICE NEW: £2719/$2497 SECONDHAND PRICE: ‘Excellent’ £1549/$1780 ‘Good’ £1399/$1450 Heralding Nikon’s entry into the full-frame mirrorless market, the Z 7 was the first of its kind, followed by the lower-resolution Z 6. Following in the footsteps of the more conventional D850 DSLR, it hit the ground running with a world-beating feature-set and highly intuitive handling. The…

The Tamron 45mm gives a more generous viewing angle of 51 degrees on a full-frame body, compared with the more usual 46 degrees of a 50mm lens. Unique in this group, it has an optical image stabilizer, worth about four stops in beating camera-shakes during handheld shooting. Physically, the lens is smaller than the Sigma 50mm f/1.4 and lighter at 540g. The high-grade construction features extensive weather-seals and a fluorine coating on the front element, to repel water and greasy fingerprints, and the ring-type ultrasonic autofocus system enables the usual manual override. Unlike some Tamron F-mount lenses, it’s compatible with Z-mount cameras via an FTZ mount adapter. Performance Sharpness is impressive, boosted in practical terms during handheld shooting by the effective optical stabilizer. AF is quick and whisper-quiet, and proved…

When it comes to versatility, some 50mm primes are better than others, as amply proved by this Z-mount lens. The big plus point is that, uniquely in this test group, the ‘MC’ lens delivers a full 1.0x reproduction ratio at its shortest focus distance of just 16cm. The trade-off is a rather pedestrian aperture rating of f/2.8, which narrows further as you near the minimum focus distance. Unlike most Nikon Z-mount lenses, this one has focus distance and magnification scales printed on its inner barrel, which extends as you focus from infinity down to the minimum distance. The optical design includes one aspherical and one ED element, and a fluorine coating is applied to the front element to repel moisture and grease. Performance AF is quite speedy, especially for a…

For our money, with all things considered, the Nikon Z 50mm f/1.8 S is simply the best standard prime on the market. With high-end handling characteristics, winning overall performance and spectacular image quality in terms of both sharpness and bokeh, it’s a fabulous lens. If you don’t feel the need for autofocus, the 7Artisans 50mm f/1.05 lens delivers great ultra-wide-aperture performance and intuitive handling. For such a fast lens, it’s amazingly compact and unbeatable value for money. The Nikon Z MC 50mm f/2.8 has a relatively slow aperture rating, but comes into its own for extreme close-ups, with full 1.0x macro magnification. In the DSLR camp, the Sigma and Zeiss lenses win out for image quality and high-grade construction. They’re both quite big and weighty, but are epic lenses that…

It was third time lucky for Ian as he followed Andrea’s converted van into Melbourne Hall, a historically rich stately home nestled within the Derbyshire countryside. Inclement weather had meant two last-minute cancellations, but the 18th century gardens were now bathed in rays of golden light. “The conditions look great,” said Ian as he greeted his tutor. Andrea smiled: “Normally I’d start much earlier than this, because I’d want to do a recce well before suitable lighting conditions appear. Today, we’re shooting somewhere I’m familiar with, so providing we check our kit and head off now, we’ll be fine.” Ian slung his backpack over his shoulder and lifted up his holdall: “Well, you told me to bring everything, so I did…” Andrea laughed as she pulled a large covered object from her…

EDIT YOUR SEQUENCE Andrea says… I opened my bracket sequence in Lightroom and ticked Remove Chromatic Aberration. I then reduced the highlights and cooled the tones slightly via the Temp slider. Next, I lifted the shadows and synced these changes to the other images, before choosing to discard the darkest image. PAINT THE HIGHLIGHTS Andrea says… I imported the images into Photoshop and chose a base shot before selecting and pasting the overexposed version on top. This was masked and inverted (Cmd/Ctrl+I). I then used a white brush to paint in the highlights. The two images were then merged together (Cmd/Ctrl+E). PAINT THE SHADOWS Andrea says… The underexposed bracket was then pasted in and the previous step was repeated to paint in the shadows. For even more control you can…

The Milky Ring ZHONG WU An expanse of cosmic dust, stars and nebulae along the plane of the Milky Way galaxy form a magnificent ring. The panorama covers the entire galaxy visible from planet Earth. It is an ambitious 360-degree mosaic that took the photographer two years to complete. Camera: Nikon D810a Lens: 40mm f/1.4 Exposure: 1000 x 6 secs, f/1.4, ISO8000 Lunar Halo GÖRAN STRAND This is a bright 22° lunar halo. When Göran took this photo it was-16°C and the air was filled with small ice crystals that made this halo possible. The moonlight needs to be strong to make the halo visible, so it’s more common around the days of a full moon. Camera: Nikon Z 6II Lens: 14mm f/5.6 Exposure: 6 x 15 secs, f/5.6, ISO200…

We can’t all live inside a national park or constantly travel to photography hotspots all around the world. As such, most enthusiast or beginner photographers spend the lion’s share of their time getting out with their camera as and when they can. And that often means taking it out on walks. This article is all about embracing the idea of walking with your camera, but getting into a mindset where capturing images takes centre stage. Add in a little bit of planning and you can really maximize your time and, more importantly, end up with a series of photos that inspire you. When you embark on a photo walk you need to be prepared to photograph anything. It’s therefore a great way to exercise your creativity and refine your ability…

One of the rules for portrait photography is that you shouldn’t shoot people in direct sunlight. Without clouds to diffuse it, the light from the sun is very hard-edged. We’re likely to get strong, unsightly shadows over the face, squinting subjects and greasy hot spots on the skin. The light is often at its most challenging at midday. As such, many photographers would put the camera away, wait for cloud cover, or come back at the magic hour. However, the sun can be a wonderful light source if we know how to work the angles and manipulate light. The main challenge with direct sunlight is the strong contrast it creates. The difference between the brightest and darkest part of the subject is so great that the shadows can look very…

SINGLE SHOT This is the default release mode and takes a single image every time you trigger the shutter. This is best used for subjects that aren’t moving, like portraits or landscapes. You have to release the shutter and then press it again to shoot again. CONTINUOUS The camera shoots for as long as you hold down the shutter button or until the buffer fills up (the bottom right of the viewfinder displays the remaining shots). Some Nikon cameras offer both High-(Ch) and Low-(Cl) speed Continuous modes. SELF-TIMER This has a default delay of 10 seconds between pressing the shutter button and the image being taken. It can be used as a delayed trigger for tripod shots to ensure any vibrations from pressing the shutter have died down before the…

Pairing up Pair your camera with Snapbridge or Wireless Mobile Utility (WMU). Now launch the app on your smart device and connect to your camera. App with a view Launch Snapbridge or WMU, select the Remote Shooting option and wait for the app to connect to the camera to give you a Live View display. Into position Move your camera into position and set the composition you want. For the sharpest possible images, it is best to mount your camera on a tripod. Double-check Check the composition on your smart device, using Snapbridge or WMU. Return to Step 3 if you need to make any changes to your composition. Dial it in If using WMU, you need to set aperture, shutter speed and ISO on the camera. In Snapbridge, you…

The camera and lens correction tools allow you to correct a number of problems that you might find in your images. These tools can be found under the Adjustments tab, then under the Camera Corrections and Lens Corrections submenus. Both have the default setting of ‘Original Value’; this is the setting used for NEF files imported from most cameras. You also have the option to Record Adjustments or Edit Recorded Adjustments. Under Camera Corrections, the next option is Color Moiré Reduction. This is used on Raw shots to reduce any colour moiré that may have occurred in the image. The Lens Corrections menu has more tools to refine image quality. Lateral Colour Aberration is used to reduce colour fringes and haloes. Axial Colour Aberration reduces blurred colours caused by differences…

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…

The 7Artisans 10mm f/2.8 Fisheye is part of a very unique group of lenses. There are some seriously wide-angle rectilinear lenses available for mirrorless full-frame cameras, but fisheye lenses really take off the blinkers. Unlike a circular fisheye, which gives a full 180-degree viewing angle in both the vertical and horizontal planes, but only uses the central region of the image sensor to create a circular image, this 7Artisans lens is a diagonal fisheye. As such, you get a 178-degree viewing angle measured on the diagonal, which is still frankly enormous, and the whole image sensor is utilized to create rectangular photographs. Because of this massive viewing angle, you can squeeze towering subjects into the frame from just a few feet away. Top of the features list is the mighty…

Despite being an own-brand Nikon lens, this perennially popular prime is the most inexpensive here. Even so, it has a quality build and isn’t short on features. It’s FX compatible and works well as a ‘75mm’ short telephoto on DX cameras. The optical layout is based on seven elements, including one aspherical element, although there’s no ED (Extra-low Dispersion) glass. AF is courtesy of a ring-type ultrasonic system with an M/A mode that gives priority to manual override. It switches to manual focusing at a twist of the focus ring, enabling you to tweak the focus. A weather-seal ring is fitted to the metal mounting plate and the lens features Super Integrated Coating to reduce ghosting and flare. Performance AF speed is pedestrian, but image quality is good overall, apart…

Ultra-fast primes generally equate to big, heavy glass at huge prices. This lens from 7Artisans rewrites the rule book. It has an astonishingly fast aperture, almost matching that of the mighty Z 58mm f/0.95 S Noct, which weighs a whopping 2kg and costs £8299/$7997, but at just 606g and six per cent of the price. The 7Artisans is a manual-focus lens and there are no built-in electronics. The aperture is adjusted via an on-board, stepless control ring. The focus ring operates with smooth precision and its focus distance scale includes depth of field markers for zone focusing. Performance Considering its super-fast aperture rating, the lens retains impressive sharpness when shooting wide-open, while bokeh is dreamy. Fast lenses often suffer from noticeable axial chromatic aberration at their widest apertures, but this…

Sigma’s previous 50mm lens was renowned as being a heavyweight, but the replacement ‘Art’ edition really piles on the pounds. It gains 50 per cent in length and rises from 505g to 815g. It’s the largest lens on test, but it still undercuts the Zeiss for weight. The supersized Sigma has a complex and sophisticated optical path compared with its predecessor, bumping up the number of elements from eight to 13. These include one aspherical element and three SLD (Special Low Dispersion) elements. Build quality is superb, but there are no weather-seals and the focus ring doesn’t have the tactile fluidity of Nikon’s Z-mount lenses. When speed is of the essence, you can count on the Sigma’s AF system. Performance Apart from in the extreme corners of the frame, the…