Innholdsfortegnelse for August 2018 i PhotoPlus : The Canon Magazine

Travel. They say it broadens the mind. And you could also say it broadens your photography. As we’re in full swing of the summer holiday season in the northern hemisphere, we’re arming you with the necessary Canon DSLR techniques for taking great shots while on your travels. We spent three days in sunny Barcelona and it was the perfect place for photo ops! From big cityscapes and amazing architecture, to beach life and local culture. However, from recent feedback from lots of PhotoPlus readers, we’re aware that when you’re on holiday with family or friends, you haven’t got the luxury of taking photos from sunrise to sunset. Therefore, we’re showing you some fast ways to get lovely photos without upsetting your travel companions, and how to make the most of…

APPRENTICE NAME: TOM NOBLE CAMERA: CANON EOS 7D Mk II HAILING from Ripon, 17-year-old Tom traces his interest in both photography and the railways back to his granddad. He’s been volunteering on steam trains for the past seven years, and he carries his granddad’s Canon EOS 1000F (Rebel S) SLR in his kit bag. His first camera was a Panasonic point-and-shoot, before getting an 1100D with kit lens when he was 12. Last year he upgraded to the 7D Mk II. CANON PRO NAME: DON BISHOP CAMERA: CANON EOS 5D Mk III SOMERSET-BASED Don, 56, has a long history with Canon. After starting with a Russian Fed-4 Rangefinder, he then moved onto a Canon AE-1. After the EOS 600 and 5, he went digital with the 300D, 20D and then every iteration of the…

Travel light NEVER put a camera, lenses or flashgun in your checked baggage on a flight, unless you’re confident it won’t arrive at the other end in pieces… Keep your expensive and fragile kit with you as hand luggage, leaving your travel tripod to run the hold baggage gauntlet. When it comes to carry-on weight and size allowances, long-haul flights are the generous. Budget airlines can be tighter on space, so it’s worth checking your carrier’s restrictions on its website. Avoid blurry shots WE TOOK the old cable car ride across the Barcelona harbour up to the Olympic Stadium, offering unbeatable skyline vistas of the whole city. The ride was quite wobbly, and it was windy at 100 metres above the sea, so to avoid any camera-shake problems, we shot…

Polarizing filter CIRCULAR polarizing filters reduce glare and cut through reflections, revealing detail under the surface of water and removing distracting shine from glass and foliage. They’re ideal for sunny locations as they also boost colour and contrast, making them a good choice when you’re photographing landscapes or architecture, or when shooting at the beach, where they will darken blue skies and saturate the sea. Dealing with contrast ON HOLIDAYS in the sun, taming deep shadows and bright highlights in blazing sunshine is a challenge, but there are a few things you can do to capture better exposures. First, shoot Raw so that you can pull more detail out of the shadows and highlights in post-processing. If you shoot JPEGs, make sure the Auto Lighting Optimizer is activated, as this…

In this project I’ll show you how easy it is to enhance a classic scenic shot by including its reflection in surrounding water. So how do you find a suitable lake for these reflection shots? I simply searched for ‘lakes near me’ on Google Maps, and then checked out their images, looking for small, clear lakes with nice scenery and a building to contrast with surroundings. Prior Park in Bath near PhotoPlus HQ was ideal! Avoid dirty, big lakes as they’ll not reflect your scene due to the murky colour of the water, plus as they’re bigger, they’ll be more susceptible to ripples. For my photos of the reflection of the Palladian Bridge in Prior Park (see right), I was shooting in the morning for the least amount of wind.…

Photographers, artists and digital artists alike have all had the same idea at one point or another: they’ve seen a landscape photograph and thought, “I bet that would make a great painting.” If you’re looking to add a creative dimension to a picture that you’re pleased with, or if you’ve got a photo that doesn’t blow you away; using some core Photoshop Elements skills can give your image the artistic look of a canvas painting. First we’ll be employing the Smudge tool to produce a slightly impressionistic feel, obscuring the finer details of the photograph. Then we’ll make use of layer masks and a combination of brush types to ‘paint’ the picture onto a blank page. By doing this we’ll really detach the image from its photographic origins and create…

WHILE SOME photographers would think twice about changing an award-winning style, Jasper Doest embraces it. He chooses to step out of his comfort zone and is now following a photographic path that is a more in tune with his interests. “I have a Bachelor of Sciences in the climate change area,” says the Dutch-based photojournalist, “so that’s my background and that’s what makes my heart beat – and I realized my images were not about that, so I decided to change things.” Less than a decade ago, Jasper was a rising star of wildlife photography, renowned for his iconic images of snow monkeys, for which he received numerous awards. Today, his new-found direction is paying off – earlier this year he was shortlisted for the prestigious World Press Photo prize,…

Photo essays from PhotoPlus readers and professional photographers alike I work as a cocktail consultant in the drinks industry; I get sent stock to taste and then create cocktails for them to use in their marketing. A few years ago I created a recipe that I was very proud of but, when the client had it photographed, it didn’t look like I had envisioned and I was gutted. I realized that I could up my game with what I offered clients by not just creating cocktails, but I could give them a visual cue. So, if they did get somebody else to take their images, they would have something to work from. At that time, DSLRs were just becoming affordable. I had rekindled my childhood love of photography with digital…

Canon first introduced micro focus adjustment capability on the EOS-1D Mark III. The intention was to provide photographers with a method to be able to compensate for slight focus errors, that can arise after a lens, or camera, takes a knock. If you’re on a remote photography trip this could be helpful until you can get the kit serviced. Some photographers find that micro focus adjustments improve their focus accuracy, and have taken to checking out each lens. In theory, there should be no need for micro focus adjustment, but it is possible that with manufacturing tolerances there might be some benefits – particularly with older lenses on the latest cameras. There are two kinds of adjustment, one for the camera and one for a specific lens. If your camera…

£350/$500 Sigma markets a capable 17-50mm f/2.8 lens, which was launched back in 2010, but we prefer this newer offering. It has a bigger zoom range packed into a more compact, lightweight build. Announced in 2012, this was actually the first ‘Contemporary’ class lens in Sigma’s Global Vision line-up. As such, it aims to keep size and weight to a minimum without compromising image quality. As you’d expect from a lens that’s only about two-thirds the size and weight of the competing Canon 17-55mm f/2.8 zoom, the Sigma lacks a constant f/2.8 aperture. Even so, it delivers f/2.8 at the short end of the zoom range and only shrinks as far as f/4 towards the longer end, which is still an f/stop faster than many competing zooms. That’s no mean…

£800/$900 For walkabout handheld shooting, one problem with 24-70mm f/2.8 zooms is that they’re pretty hefty. Most of them weigh about a kilogram, which is a lot when added to the weight of a full-frame body. At just 83x93mm and 600g, and with a filter thread of 77mm, this lens is something of a downsized delight. It’s almost as small and compact as the Canon 15-85mm lens for APS-C format cameras, despite being full-frame compatible and having a constant f/4 aperture rating. That’s a full f/stop slower than the f/2.8 lenses on test, but it’s not ‘slow’. A major advantage over the Canon 24-70mm f/2.8 lens is that this one features an image stabilizer, and it’s a late-generation four-stop system with a ‘hybrid’ action. This detects and corrects vertical/horizontal shift…

Limited back issues of PhotoPlus print editions are available on our MyFavouriteMagazines secure store at http://bit.ly/getphotoplus. But if you’ve got an iPad, Android, Kindle or Nook tablet, or iPhone or Android smartphone, you can download PhotoPlus back issues from the following digital edition options: • Got an Apple iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch? Get the free PhotoPlus: The Canon Magazine app in the App Store or at bit.ly/photoplus_app then browse through our back issues or subscribe through the app. • Kindle Fire or Nook HD? Simply search for PhotoPlus on Amazon’s Newsstand or in B&N’s Nook store. • Android/Google Play? Go to bit.ly/photoplus_googleplay to subscribe to PhotoPlus on your Android device. • Windows or Mac? Use Zinio to read PhotoPlus on your laptop or desktop computer! Go to bit.ly/zinio_photoplus where…

01 PRAYING WITH FOOD BY NOOR AHMED GELAL This shot of a Hindu community preparing to break their fast at a Bangladeshi temple claimed first place in the Food for Celebration category. It also claimed Overall Winner, crowning Noor Ahmed Gelal Pink Lady’s Food Photographer of the Year honours. Shot on the Canon 1D X, the image blends masterful composition with a combination of high ISO and fast shutter speed to capture an amazing shot. Lens Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM Exposure 1/125 sec, f/2.8, ISO1600 02 A FISHERMAN’S LIFE BY PROBAL RASHID First place winner in the World Food for Life category, Probal Rashid’s fearless use of ISO enabled him to photograph a fisherman in Bangaldesh cooking on his boat at night. Pushing to ISO2500 made it possible…

Av for faster shots APERTURE Priority (Av) mode often makes for a better default mode. You have more control over the depth of field, and when Av mode is used in combination with Auto ISO you can be confident the camera will automatically set a shutter speed that’s fast enough to deliver sharp handheld pictures. Advanced EOS cameras such as the 80D and 5D Mk IV enable you to set a minimum shutter speed when you’re using Auto ISO. Fixing your photos with Photoshop EVEN WITH an ultra wide lens, it can be impossible to stand back enough to include a clear shot of tall buildings like the Sagrada Família. Unless you’re lugging a tilt-shift lens, you’ll end up with images of tall structures ‘leaning back’. These aren’t necessarily bad…

After watching a big sporting spectacle like the World Cup, you might be in the mood to grab your camera and shoot some sports photos. What do you do, though, if you haven’t got a team to take pictures of? Well, to scratch the itch without any players to photograph, just grab your camera, a tripod and a basketball and do the whole thing yourself! In this project we’ll use multiple exposures to fill every position on the court, from the players to the officials, and then composite them in Photoshop to create a single, seamless image. A tripod is essential, as all the shots need to be taken from the same position for our post-production purposes. You’ll also need a wide-angle lens to capture it all. For our project…

One of the best things about Photoshop is how it gives you the opportunity to transport people or objects from one place to another. We can replace a background or part of a photo in order to come up with new scenes that could never exist in the real world. In this project, we’ll show you one of the ways it’s done. The fundamental feature for this technique is layers. This cornerstone of Photoshop enables us to bring in different parts of photos and then combine them with complete control. Here we simply copy the New York city scene onto our original portrait, and use layer blending skills to fit it to the empty window. To combine our two photos we can make use of a fantastic command in Photoshop…

For five years I followed the bird that symbolizes new life, during which I explored the reason why this species has recovered so well: the food availability provided through these landfills in Europe. These landfills are all privately owned businesses who are not all eager to welcome a photojournalist with the wish to spend weeks on end on their property. The birds also didn’t allow me to get close, so I used remotely controlled cameras. The Portuguese sunlight made it necessary to use four studio strobes that I would set up with two Canon EOS-1D X cameras at night. Each camera would be connected to a laptop via a 100 metre UTP cable which enabled me to have Live View of the situation while sitting in a hide pitched at…

I regularly make the long trip north from my native Cornwall to Scotland, for three weeks of photography in late October and early November. It’s a great time to visit the Scottish Highlands and Islands as the autumn colour is at its best; there is a good chance of snow; the accommodation is affordable; and sunrise and sunset are at amenable times. In the autumn of 2016, I spent two weeks in the outer Hebrides and a week based near Glencoe. I booked a cottage on the shore of Loch Ob Leasaid on the southeast coast of the Isle of Harris, which is a photogenic location from both high vantage points and the loch side. There was a photogenic boat next to the accommodation that made a good focal point…

01 COLOR ADJUSTMENT PALETTE Click here to access the Hue, Saturation and Luminance (lightness) adjustment sliders for eight separate colours. 02 GLOBAL ADJUSTMENTS These top two sliders adjust all the photo’s colours simultaneously. The Hue slider causes colours to shift to new values in a dramatic way. 03 RESET Feel free to experiment with different H, S and L settings. As you’re editing a Raw file you can click here to reset all the image’s colours. Even if you close DPP 4, you can later choose Adjustment>Revert To Shot Settings to see the shot’s colours as they were captured in camera. You can also reset individual colours by clicking the Reset icon below their thumbnail. 04 COLOR THUMBNAIL These thumbnails give you an idea of the range of colours that…

01 MindShift Gear Exposure shoulder bags Bags with added weather resistance £155/$160 www.mindshiftgear.com WITH highly waterproof sailcloth panels, strategically placed storm flaps, water-repellent fabric, and a sturdy Tarpaulin bottom, these shoulder bags are built to shrug off whatever Mother Nature can throw at them. Available in two sizes, the smaller Exposure 13 will pack a 13in laptop, plus a Canon 5DS with an EF 24-70mm f/2.8 attached, and 2-3 extra lenses. 02 Novoflex TrioPod PRO75 Uncompromising support for your Canon £1103/$1477 www.novoflexus.com ASSUMING you can assemble a Canon set-up this heavy, the TrioPod PRO75 will stand strong under a whopping 65kg. The basis for this new system is the tripod spider plate, which can be combined with a choice of legs, the longest of which will reach a 2m height.…

Nearly all of Canon’s APS-C format SLRs plus the full-frame 6D Mark II are sold in kit options that include a standard zoom lens. As detailed in some of the following pages, these lenses tend to be compact and lightweight, yet deliver good performance. Given that most SLR photographers use a standard zoom as their main go-to lens for general shooting, it pays to get a good one. Canon offers 18-55mm and 18-135mm kit lenses with most of its APS-C format DSLRs, so there are two main options when considering an upgrade lens. One is to increase the wide-angle potential, so you can squeeze more into the frame or exaggerate perspective without the need to swap to an ultra-wide lens… The other is to go for a ‘faster’ aperture rating,…

£790/$800 Dating back to 2006, this is the most up-market standard zoom that Canon has ever made for its APS-C format cameras. As such, it has a relatively fast f/2.8 aperture rating, which remains constant throughout the entire zoom range. The zoom range itself is equivalent to 27-88mm in full-frame terms, beating the Tamron lens at the long end. This lens is bigger and heavier than the Canon 24-70mm f/4 full-frame lens on test, and the largest and weightiest of all the APS-C format lenses. Even so, it doesn’t feel unbalanced even on the smallest of Canon’s SLRs, tipping the scales at 645g. With its focal length markings on a silver band, and the gold ‘ultrasonic’ ring around the front, the lens has a more dated look than the newer…

£1740/$1600 The original edition of this lens dates back to 2002 but it was extensively revamped in 2012. The ‘next generation’ optical design with three aspherical elements aims for greater sharpness with reduced distortion, colour fringing and colour blur. The number of diaphragm blades was also increased to nine, enabling a better-rounded aperture when stopping down from f/2.8. Build quality is better than in the original lens, making the Mark II one of the most robust and extensively weather-sealed zooms in Canon’s history. Fluorine coatings are added to the front and rear elements, to repel moisture and grease, and to ease cleaning. One thing that’s still lacking from the design of the Mark II is image stabilization. Indeed, it’s the only lens in this entire group of full-frame and APS-C…

The EOS 6D Mark II is offered with a 24-105mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM kit lens. It has a generous zoom range that stretches from wide-angle coverage to a telephoto length, making it a versatile lens. Typical of kit lenses, it’s reasonably light in weight, but not that robust. Canon’s more up-market EF 24-105mm f/4L IS II USM L-series lens has ring-type ultrasonic autofocus, a constant f/4 aperture and is better built with weather-seals. But, it’s an expensive upgrade at around £1000/$1000. Sigma’s competing 24-105mm f/4 DG OS HSM Art lens isn’t weather-sealed but matches the Canon lens for performance, handling and image quality. It’s better value, especially in the UK, costing around £600/$800.…

£1250/$1200 Tamron’s 24-70mm VC USD lens has long been seen as a top-value, budget alternative to Canon’s own-brand f/2.8 zoom. The G2 edition is about 50 per cent more expensive in the UK, but remains about the same price in the USA, despite the makeover. Revamped optics include two XR (Extra Refractive Index), three LD (Low Dispersion), three GM (Glass-Molded aspherical) and one hybrid aspherical element. Nanostructure coatings as well as conventional coatings are employed to minimize ghosting and flare. The Tamron features a more comprehensive set of weather-seals than the Sigma 24-70mm, plus a fluorine coating on the front element. Both lenses feel similarly sturdy and well-built. Other performance upgrades over the original lens include a faster, more accurate autofocus system, based on dual microprocessors, although it lacks the…

As its name suggests, the My Passport Wireless SSD is based on a fast SSD. We clocked it at a blazing 350MB/s-read and 285MB/s-write speeds during sustained video transfer, while folders of images shift at an equally impressive 290MB/s and 256MB/s. But this is more than just an SSD; It’s a device designed to be used as standalone storage in the field. This means that during a shoot you can back up images from your memory card without a computer. This is made possible by the Passport’s built-in SD card reader. Just insert a card, press the transfer button and the Passport copies the card’s contents to the SSD, with status LEDs showing the transfer progress. Once your shots are on the drive, you can then view them on your…

Man in the mirror Editor Peter Traver’s intro in the July issue seems to forget Canon’s mirrorless EOS M range; you can change the lenses on those as well! As my wife decided my Canon G7 X PowerShot was nice for snapping the grandkids, it left me without a carry-at-all-times-camera, so I now have an EOS M5 and 20mm prime. I know it has come under tremendous criticism, and my EOS 6D DSLR has huge advantages being full-frame, but a 6D will not fit in my pocket. I’ve used the M5 on lenses up to 600mm and have taken some great images, even if it does look a bit odd on the end of a 150-600mm lens. If Canon get off their backsides and introduce a full-frame M series, it…

Whether it’s a sunny weekend in Spain, or a fortnight under canvas in Africa, taking a trip somewhere new will do great things for your photography. You’ll get to spend some quality time with your Canon camera, you’ll feel motivated to take plenty of pictures, and you’ll hopefully be able to capture some wonderful family memories. However, we’re aware that many of you don’t have the time in your holiday (or working) schedules to be up before breakfast or after dinner to shoot in the ‘best light’. We pride ourselves at PhotoPlus at listening to your feedback, therefore, over the following pages, we’ll show you how to shoot fast and still capture stellar travel photos whatever the time of day. Follow our tips and advice, and you’ll be confident in…

Playing by the pool WHILE YOUR friends or family are having fun in the pool, why not take some action shots of them swimming, jumping and diving around! Our hotel had a rooftop pool – a great location with a big sky above. For this diving shot, we slipped into the empty pool, then cautiously got down low to the water level with our wide-angle 16-35mm lens. Shooting at f/8 in the bright morning sun gave us 1/500 sec shutter speeds, we also used our high-speed continuous mode to shoot in bursts. LCD brightness SHOOTING in sunny holiday locations means it can be hard to see the details in your LCD, making it a pain to review pictures or adjust menu settings. Some DSLRs automatically adjust the screen brightness according…

In just a few short years, drone technology has progressed at such a rate that we’re all now used to seeing stills and footage captured by these clever buzzing copters. But there’s another use that many might not have considered; what about using a drone as a light source? By strapping a couple of high-powered LEDs to a drone we can transform it into a highly mobile lighting rig, capable of spotlighting outdoor scenes and subjects from airborne angles. Not only does this open up all kinds of interesting photo opportunities – from long exposure ‘drone trails’ to otherworldly ‘flying saucer’ lighting – it also means we can pair the aerial prowess of a drone with the (vastly superior) capture quality of our DSLRs. In this project we’ll explain how…

At one point or another, you’ve probably been scrolling through a folder of files on your computer and thought, “I wonder where I shot that?” Thankfully, the latest Canon DSLRs have in-built GPS functions that can identify where your files were taken – and they can also track the journeys you take with your camera. Whether you’re out shooting nature, wildlife, travel, stock images or even just your own personal photography, geotagging will help you keep track of where all your photos and videos were taken. Starting with the 6D, and continuing with the 6D Mark II, 7D Mark II, 5D Mark IV and 1D X Mark II, a number of EOS bodies can tag images and videos using global positioning systems. Once you’ve enabled the GPS on your camera,…

Forget about Lightroom 6, from now on you only have two choices: Lightroom CC and Lightroom Classic. Both are subscription-only, but Lightroom CC is a cloud-based editing software that is seemingly designed to be the bridge between your computer, phone, and tablet. It does this by attempting to simplify the editing tools (by removing a bunch of them). Lightroom Classic is a nod to our standalone Lightroom 6, as it has slightly more editing capabilities than Lightroom CC (with the inclusion of the Curves panel and more complex colour controls), and is similar to the old style layout. It’s not as easy to share images to multiple devices with this version, but it’s a good workhorse for the photographer who needs to plough through work quickly and efficiently. In the…

Jasper Doest studied ecology and climate sciences at university before embarking upon a career as a photographer, working as he says, ‘at the intersection between man and nature.’ He contributes regularly to international titles such as Geo, Smithsonian Magazine and National Geographic and has received numerous awards, notably from the Wildlife Photographer of the Year and World Press Photo competitions. Jasper lectures on photography and conservation and has presented at venues such as the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Bonn. He is a fellow of the International League of Conservation Photographers and a Dutch World Wildlife Fund Ambassador. www.jasperdoest.com…

Professional photographers reveal their top six tools of the trade they couldn’t shoot without “At the end of the day, it’s not about the kit, it’s about how you come across” Starting young I thought I’d be an artist, then I did my degree in music thinking I’d be a session musician. But after working full-time in a local printing lab I got kicked in the direction of photography and the wonders of film. I was developing hundreds of rolls a week, seeing all the colours and little tricks that professionals employed to get the most out of their film stocks. One day my boss gave me a Canon EOS 350D and said, “There’s a family coming in who want a studio session; learn how to use this.” My gift…

In our previous issue’s look at Canon’s free ImageBrowser EX program we demonstrated how to use the software to tweak your photographs’ colours, tones and composition to perfection. And once you’ve got your favourite images looking their best you can use ImageBrowser EX’s sharing tools to enable your photographs to be seen by family, friends and colleagues. Sadly, ImageBrowser EX no longer enables you to export JPEGs directly to Facebook or video clips to YouTube (despite those buttons still being present in the Share menu). You need to use a web browser to perform those social media uploading tasks. However, you can still upload your best shots (and favourite video clips) directly from ImageBrowser EX to a free web gallery, courtesy of Canon’s Image Gateway service. After registering with Image…

“It’s stylish, comfortable to carry, and easy to access my Canon DSLR so I can be ready to shoot quickly”Peter Travers Editor Your new Vanguard camera bag • Dual purpose benefit: Photo bag or daily bag • Exterior front zippered and back pockets • Dual Memory Card pockets • Integrated storage pocket for 9in tablet or 11in laptop GREAT REASONS TO SUBSCRIBE NOW! Get a great Vanguard bag Discreetly carry your camera and two spare lenses, plus laptop/tablet and drinks bottle Great savings Subscribe from only £60 and you’ll receive 13 issues a year, plus this great camera bag Free Video Disc Each issue, you’ll receive a Video Disc packed with fantastic photo projects SUBSCRIBE TODAY! FIND OUT MORE www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk/php/havana36 OR CALL 0344 848 2852 and quote HAVANA36PHP TERMS AND…

£690/$800 Considering that a starting point of 24mm is pretty ubiquitous in standard zooms for full-frame cameras, it’s surprising that this is the only zoom lens for Canon APS-C format bodies on the market that gives the same effective maximum viewing angle. The outright zoom range is also the most generous in the group, equating to 24-136mm in full-frame terms. Originally launched back in 2009, this lens is three years newer than the Canon 17-55mm that’s also on test. Neither lens is weather-sealed and hoods are sold separately, in this case costing £38/$30 for the EW-78E hood. Further similarities include ring-type ultrasonic autofocus in which the focus ring remains stationery during autofocus and enables full-time manual override. Despite its bigger zoom range, this lens is smaller and more lightweight than…

Standard zoom lenses are somewhat notorious for producing noticeable barrel distortion at their shortest focal length setting, switching to less noticeable pincushion distortion in the medium to long sector of the zoom range. As shown in our test chart, the amounts of distortion are similar in most of the lenses on test. With recent Canon SLRs, you can apply automatic in-camera corrections for distortion in own-brand Canon lenses, as well as for Sigma 24-70mm lens.…

£420/$650 A revamped edition of Tamron’s original 17-50mm zoom for APS-C format cameras, this one adds VC (Vibration Compensation), while retaining the earlier version’s zoom range and constant f/2.8 aperture rating. The VC stabilization system has an effectiveness equating to four stops, beating the three-stop stabilizer of the Canon lens. The Tamron’s outright zoom range isn’t as large, losing 5mm at the long end. On the plus side, the lens is a bit smaller than the Canon. While the stabilizer is worth having, the autofocus system is quite old-fashioned, utilizing an electric motor. The Tamron is no slouch when it comes to autofocus speed, but the motor is relatively noisy and, as with the Sigma 17-70mm lens’s ultrasonic motor-based autofocus system, handling is degraded. This is because the focus ring…

Lateral chromatic aberrations are often visible as coloured fringes around high-contrast edges, for example dark tree branches against a bright sky. The effect is often only a problem towards the edges of the frame, although the old Canon EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM is known for having poor fringing performance across the frame. Our chart shows how the lenses compare at different zoom settings. Lower scores are better.…

£1200/$1200 Sigma’s ‘Art’ line lenses have earned excellent reputations, although most are wide-angle primes and zooms. This is Sigma’s first 24-70mm zoom in the Art category. As such it’s a direct competitor not only to Canon’s older 24-70mm f/2.8 lens, but also to the Tamron G2 lens. Although it’s not a fully weather-sealed lens, the Sigma has a rubber seal on its mounting plate and the overall construction feels fabulous, based on a sturdy metal barrel and brass mounting plate. Zoom and focus rings are smooth in operation, and the ring-type ultrasonic autofocus system is speedy and accurate. Autofocus comes with switchable options for regular manual override, plus manual-priority autofocus. With the latter, manual override works without the need to wait for AF to lock onto a subject, as well…