Innholdsfortegnelse for August 2024 i N-Photo: the Nikon magazine

Les Liens du Vin JONATHAN THEVENET Winner, Errazuriz Wine Photographer of the Year – People A moment captured at the Aegerter estate in Burgundy, France. The children and family are all gathered around the harvest. The transmission is running. Rice Grain Threshing KISHORE DAS Winner, The Philip Harben Award for Food in Action As the sun gracefully descends on the horizon, casting a warm and magical golden glow, a tribeswoman engages in the ancient practice of threshing rice grains in the courtyard of her home. With rhythmic movements, she skillfully tosses the harvested rice into the air. Empty Shop, Cuba JO KEARNEY Winner, Politics of Food A shopkeeper rests inside a greengrocer’s shop in Cuba. The state shops tend to be pretty empty. When food does arrive, there’s a queue…

I’m always looking for ways to capture a scene less conventionally. In this instance, the blowy weather was proving a challenge – but, rather than fight the conditions, I embraced them and applied the Intentional Camera Movement (ICM) technique to create a sense of flow. 1 Select your subject Intentional Camera Motion doesn’t suit just any scene or subject. Look for scenes boasting colour, contrast and strong, recognizable shapes. This field of swaying poppies provided an opportunity to capture a less conventional photo. 2 Go slow ICM is a technique where you move the camera during exposure to create a more abstract rendition of the landscape or subject. The technique requires a relatively slow shutter speed. A good starting point is 1/2 sec, but experiment with different speeds from 1/4 sec to…

Whether you want to capture a painting like this, digitize old prints or reproduce any kind of canvas, there’s real skill in copying artwork with your camera. Not only do you need the colours to be accurate, you also need to master the spread, angle and quality of the light to minimize glare and show the work at its best. This painting by the artist Bryan Hanlon has a wonderfully subtle colour palette. To reproduce the painting in print and digital form, it needs to be captured in the right way. It starts with your choice of camera, lens and exposure settings. Then comes the lighting. This is where an efficient setup can make all the difference. You’ll need two lights, and if reflections and glare are an issue then…

NIKON KNOW-HOW Dual card slots explained Here’s how to double up on the potential of dual memory card slots Sometimes twice as much really is twice as good. Compared with the high-end Nikon DSLRs before them, the first mirrorless Z 6 and Z 7 cameras were criticized for only having a single memory card slot. That removed the safety net of being able to create instant backups on a second memory card every time you press the shutter button – as well as denying a whole lot of other options we’ll come to later. Another problem for many of us was that the single slot of these cameras only took the relatively uncommon XQD memory card type, which are comparatively expensive to buy and completely different to the SD (SecureDigital)…

Q I use a D500 with a 500mm f/5.6 lens for small birds in low light under a woodland canopy. Should I upgrade to a Z 8, or get a 400mm f/2.8 lens? Mark Tims A Shooting small birds in the shadows is a real challenge. If you were to upgrade from your D500 to a Z 8, you’d naturally lose the 1.5x crop factor advantage of a DX camera, although you’d have a much higher-resolution image sensor to enable more aggressive cropping. Either way, a faster lens with a brighter aperture would be a major benefit. The Nikon AF-S 400mm f/2.8E FL ED VR is a fabulous lens – but it’s hugely expensive at around £12,999/$11,197, and you’d lose a little telephoto reach. I’d recommend the superb Sigma 500mm f/4 DG…

£2699/$2499 www.nikon.co.uk The Nikon Z 6III is the latest in Nikon’s Z 6 line of mid-range full-frame cameras. With a lower megapixel count compared to its pro models (24.5Mp as opposed to 45.7Mp), the Z 6 range has more manageable file sizes than its costlier cousins. But the Z 6III blurs the lines between a pro and enthusiast body, with an incredible spec sheet that matches – and in some cases exceeds – higher-end models. It shares some of the same tech as the similarly enthusiast-level Z f but ushers in some serious upgrades and has more up-to-date handling characteristics, whereas the Z f has retro styling with plentiful controls dials, more akin to a classic Nikon 35mm film camera. Key features While the sensor has the same megapixel count…

FX DSLRS NIKON D780 TESTED IN ISSUE 155 • £1999/$1997 THE D780 TAKES the D750’s winning design and handling cues, but adds on-sensor phase-detection autofocus and EXPEED 6 processing, inherited directly from the Z 6. The result is a capable and natural-feeling DSLR for shooting stills in viewfinder mode, coupled with the same kind of performance as a mirrorless camera in live view. NIKON D850 TESTED IN ISSUE 155 • £2299/$2497 THE D850 GOES extra-large in megapixel count with a 45.7Mp image sensor. Further attractions include a high-spec 153-point autofocus system and fairly recent EXPEED 5 processor. For live view and video capture, however, the contrast-detection autofocus system is massively inferior to that of Nikon’s mirrorless cameras and the D780. NIKON D6 TESTED IN ISSUE 155 • £6799/$6497 THE D6 HAS…

We’re slap-bang in the middle of the festival season, so this issue we’ve enlisted the help of pro music photographer Matt Higgs to share his top tips for capturing not only the main headline acts, but also the weird-and-wonderful goings-on you’ll find on the fringes of a frenetic music festival. Wildlife photography doesn’t necessarily require lengthy treks into the wilderness or sitting for hours-on-end in a hide. Our apprentice heads to a central London cemetery to photograph wild animals that live amongst us: wily red foxes. We bring you the N-Photo verdict on Nikon’s latest mirrorless, the Z 6III. With an innovative new partially stacked sensor, it offers pro features in an enthusiast-level body. And we pit eight standard zooms against each other to see which is the best upgrade…

Never miss an issue! Delivered direct to your door and device NEW! Digital access to every single issue with a print subscription** SAVE 50%* on a six-month subscription “N-Photo is the only magazine for Nikon enthusiasts by Nikon enthusiasts!Adam Waring Editor Reasons to subscribe • Save50%* off the cover price Half-price subscription compared with the newsstand price • 100% Nikon – 100% relevant All our tutorials and features are Nikon focused and we only cover Nikon-fit kit • Learn from top Nikon photographers Top-name pros write our features and columns, and appear in our interviews • Expert tutorials and free videos View our accompanying video tutorials on your computer, tablet or smartphone • Digital edition access Complimentary access to the current edition – and every single N-Photo back issue all the…

Waterfalls, mountains, lakes and beaches… Whether you’re spending your summer exploring quaint stretches of the British coast or hiking your way to lofty vantage points in Europe, don’t forget to pack your Nikon along with the sunscreen! Travel affords not only the chance to relax and unwind while seeing somewhere new, but also gives you the perfect opportunity to take some great photography. If you pack light – say a compact tripod, a lens or two and a couple of batteries – you won’t even need to book in any extra luggage. But how can you ensure that the images you take while you’re away are worthy of a five-star review? Here are our top tips for shots that will induce travel envy in all your friends and family… Five…

Sometimes you can walk away from a location with the gnawing feeling that you didn’t quite find the best angle. It happened to me in Iceland here. I took lots of shots of the famous Kirkjufellsfoss mountain and waterfalls, but it was a struggle to capture the waterfalls and mountain from my position. I simply couldn’t frame the foreground waterfall without leaving the mountain looking puny in the distance, when in the flesh it felt huge and imposing. This is often the case when shooting landscapes with a wide angle lens. We want to capture the details in the foreground, but the exaggerated perspective you get with a wide angle can leave the distant elements in the scene looking small and insignificant. The only way to make the distant details…

Konsta Punkka Profile ● Wildlife photographer and ‘squirrel-whisperer’, Konsta Punkka is a 30-year-old Nikon Ambassador, based in Helsinki, Finland. ● When he was 17, his photographic hobby turned into a full-time job and he now spends 200 days a year abroad on commissioned work. ● His commercial clients include outdoor, technology and lifestyle brands such as Reima, Mercedes, Karhu, Nokia, Samsung, Teknos and Dermosil. ● Konsta’s wildlife and landscape imagery has been published by Time, Bored Panda, National Geographic, Geo, Daily Mail, Elle and other major media titles. ● He also specializes in leading photo workshops in eastern Finland, as well as tours to the spectacular Arctic destinations of Lapland, Svalbard and Greenland. www.konstapunkka.com When I speak to Konsta Punkka, he is sitting in his car and rubbing his eyes. It’s lunchtime…

When you’re processing a portrait, you might want to make your subject’s surroundings – such as the sky and trees in our start image – look punchy and vivid. But simply ramping up the saturation may overcook the skin tones, making them look too magenta or orange. You could set your Nikon to the Portrait Picture Control option, which is designed to keep skin tones looking more natural, and if you shoot in Raw you can always set [PT] Portrait Picture Control when you process the image in Nikon’s free NX Studio software. However, although the Portrait Picture Control can help you get more natural-looking skin tones, you may still want to increase the saturation of other colours to create a more punchy and attractive image. Lightroom’s Vibrance slider selectively…

1. Peaceful Steps BY YOUSIF ALBADI This image of Abu Dhabi’s Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque blends magnificent architecture with a human element. The sunburst, peeping through the arch, was created using an aperture of f/8 and shooting directly into the sun. The figure, captured precisely as he walks into the pool of light, elevates an already captivating image into its own league. 2. The Souk BY GEORGE ROBERTSON This image is a masterclass in isolating a subject. Not only does the figure stand out due to the bright yellow robe, but he’s been captured as he passes through a shaft of light. Crucially, the image is exposed for the figure, shrouding busier aspects of the scene in shadow. 3. Pot of Golden Light BY ROBERT JUVET Travel is a broad…

MISSION: Embark on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Borneo and document the wildlife and culture PHOTOGRAPHER: Ian Jack LOCATION: Malaysia KIT USED: Nikon D200 and AF-S DX 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR I have a background in wedding and travel photography, using 35mm and medium-format equipment. When it was time to make the leap to digital, it was an easy decision. In my mind, Nikon was always head and shoulders above the rest. My D200 has been my constant companion ever since. My wife and I have always enjoyed travel and, having completed the Everest Base Camp trek in 2013, we’ve always wanted to go to destinations that are off the grid, immerse ourselves in the local way of life and feel closer to nature. Last year we had the chance to fulfil…

Just over a year ago I replaced my haggard D800 with the D850. The best DSLR ever made was (and still is) everything I could possibly need from a camera. But here at N-Photo, I spend a lot of my time using Z-mount glass and not having a Z-Series camera was becoming an issue. The natural progression was a Z 8, but the launch RRP was a little steep for my budget, so I bought into the rumours that the Z 6III was well on its way. And waited. And waited. And waited… New camera day By the time the Photography & Video Show came around, I was fed up with the rumour mill’s bogus release dates. Show deals reduced the Z 8’s pricing to around £3,299 (as low as…

THE PRO NAME: Andrew Mason CAMERA: Nikon Z 9 Andrew has always had a passion for wildlife and the great outdoors, so it wasn’t a surprise when he gave up a successful law career to become a full-time wildlife photographer. A decade-and-a-half later, he’s visited some of the planet’s most challenging environments, lent his skills to a wide variety of publications and organizations such as BBC Wildlife Magazine and the RSPB, and passed on his skills as a tour leader and tutor: www.andrewmasonphoto.com THE APPRENTICE NAME: Tom Bell CAMERA: Nikon D500 Tom (@tombell_photography) was given a camera by his grandparents at the tender age of 13, and his work was soon being featured in local newspapers. As soon as he left school, he enrolled on a photography course. Sadly,…

There’s nothing quite like a festival. What was once a quiet field becomes a bustling creative commune, where world-famous artists play alongside local acts in the middle of the mud. Every year, more than 6.5 million people brave the elements to attend one of the UK’s 500-plus festivals, some of which have been running since the 1960s. Often feeling far removed from the rigours of normal life, these spaces provide respite from the mundane – and unparalleled opportunity for interesting imagery. Yes, there are all the live acts on-stage to focus on, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the festival photography experience: there’s a whole world of opportunity to explore. In this feature we’ll give you some tips, techniques and advice for great shots from…

Bellows are essentially adjustable extension tubes. They work by increasing the distance between optic and sensor, which, in turn, increases the minimum focusing distance. This means you can transform a standard lens, like our Nikon Z 40mm f/2, into an optic with true macro capabilities and beyond. You can pick up Z- and F-mount-compatible bellows relatively cheaply. Nikon even released its own range of F-mount bellows, some of which you can still find on the used market. The problem with conventional bellows is the lack of electronic connectors necessary for the camera and lens to communicate. This means you have to control everything manually. You can’t even change the aperture unless your lens has a manual aperture ring. That’s where the NOVOFLEX Automatic Bellows (www.novoflex.de) comes in. This German-made accessory…

Curves has long been one of the best tonal tools in Photoshop and Lightroom. Whether you want to boost contrast, tweak brightness, experiment with creative colour shifts or make any number of other adjustments, Curves is the tool for the job. As one of the Photoshop old guard that has been around for decades, Curves is something many of us simply couldn’t do without. Admittedly, it isn’t the easiest of tools to master, and there are plenty of other simpler options available – but avoiding Curves would be a mistake. With a little practice, it quickly becomes the most intuitive and versatile of tonal tools. You’ll find a Curves command in lots of different image-editing apps. As well as Photoshop, Camera Raw and Lightroom, Curves features in Premiere, InDesign and…

I’m a multidisciplinary artist, working across painting, photography, print and sculpture. When I’m not in my studio, I’m exploring the world with my camera and the Pink Bear. The work I create draws on my life, especially my ongoing journey of improving my mental health through personal growth. Also fundamental to my work are global issues, such as environmental changes and experiences of isolation. The Pink Bear emerged from the recesses of my childhood memories, surfacing during my exploration of cognitive behavioural therapy. Initially, I viewed the Pink Bear as an alter ego: a mask concealing my true self beneath a veneer of a happy memory. Yet relying on this character to navigate the world only fuelled negative coping mechanisms, reinforcing the belief that I didn’t quite fit in. Over…

The Nikon F is arguably the most important camera Nikon ever released. Every Nikon SLR and DSLR’s lineage can be traced right back to this legendary camera, launched in 1959. It was, then, Nippon Kogaku’s first single-lens reflex device, debuted the legendary F mount and was quite simply the most advanced SLR of its time. The camera combined a truly formidable roster of mod cons including easy access for loading/removing film, depth-of-field preview button, spring-loaded reflex mirror, mirror lock up and an automatic diaphragm. THE BEST AROUND As the years rolled by, the Nikon F just kept getting better and better, thanks to a raft of modular accessories and upgrades including interchangeable backs, prisms and motor drives. It was the first SLR compatible with a motor drive for 4fps burst…

When we reviewed the Nikon Z f, we called it ‘Nikon’s best-looking camera since 1982!’ And now, together with Nikon UK, we’re giving you the chance to win this full-frame retro-style Z camera. It’s an incredible prize that’s worth a whopping £2299/$1999. Enter any of the 12 rounds of NPOTY 2024 to be in with a chance of taking Nikon’s nostalgia-infused Z camera home – and of being crowned N-Photo’s Photographer of the Year 2024. A blast from the… future? The Z f is far from retro under the hood. It’s built around a 24.5Mp full-frame CMOS sensor and inherits some of the latest advancements from the Nikon Z 8 and Z 9. It’s powered by the latest EXPEED 7 processor, has a native ISO range of 100-64,000, and uses…

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…

Standard zoom lenses cover most scenarios for general shooting, so it pays to have a good one. You can buy the vast majority of Nikon mirrorless cameras and DSLRs as a complete kit, which includes a body and a standard zoom, but that’s not always the best option. Many kit zoom lenses (from all camera manufacturers, not just Nikon) look and feel like they’ve been built down to a price, rather than pushing the envelope. Typically, they have a relatively downmarket feature set and a variable aperture rating, which narrows at the longer zoom setting. The excellent Nikon Z 24-70mm f/4 S kit lens is an exception to this general rule; we’ve included it in this Big Test to see how it measures up against fancier fare. So what do…