Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2019 i PhotoPlus : The Canon Magazine

YOU’RE never more than a few steps away from shooting your best images ever with your Canon kit. That may seem like a bold statement, but the truth is that behind every great image is the use of the right tools for the job. And for landscape photography, that will most likely end up being lens filters. When photographers see amazing landscape images, two of the most common questions asked are: “How did they do that?” and “Why don’t my images look like that?” Of course, there are several answers, but beyond being in the right place at the right time, we’re back to filters again. From controlling dynamic range and lengthening exposure times, to eliminating glare and much more, filters are an essential element of landscape photography. We’re going…

INCREASING the amount of blur in a landscape is one of the many creative options at the landscape photographer’s disposal – and neutral-density filters are a necessity to slow the shutter speed down enough to do it. Neutral-density filters, or NDs as they’re also known, are filters that reduce the amount of light that passes through them by a specified number of stops. NDs are typically available in one-, two-, three-and four-stop strengths; as their name suggests, they have no effect on colour. SHOOT LIKE A PRO WITH NEUTRAL-DENSITY FILTERS When James shot this scene the standard exposure, with a polarizer attached to remove glare, was ¼ sec. Adding a two-stop ND increased the exposure to a full second. This wasn’t quite enough to create silky-smooth water, so adding a…

THERE will always be those occasions where either the dynamic range of a scene is so large that even stacked ND grads can’t cope with it, or you’ve simply not got any grads with you. Fear not! High dynamic range (HDR) imagery is the perfect solution. Take a set of three exposures that cover the correct exposure for the foreground, then one two stops underexposed and another two stops overexposed. These are blended together in software to reveal detail in all parts of the scene – from the shadows all the way to the highlights. 1 SELECT THE SETTINGS Set the camera up on a tripod and select standard landscape settings; so that’s Aperture Priority, ISO100 at f/11 or f/16. It’s imperative that all settings except shutter speed stay the…

THE MISSION Capture sharp subjects and slick motion blur shots Time needed Two hours Skill level Advanced Kit needed • Telephoto • Monopod or tripod (optional) Many of the best motor sport photos have one thing in common: a sense of speed. We’re taught that fast shutter speeds will freeze moments of action, so why would the high-octane energy of motor sport be any different? At a shutter speed of 1/3200 sec you can capture a crisp shot of a motorbike zooming round a circuit. But you’ll also freeze the background and wheels, removing any indication of motion. For all the viewer knows, your subject was stationary on a racetrack. To retain a sense of motion, you need to shoot at a much slower shutter speed. The problem is, this…

THE MISSION Use filters on a portrait then add colourful paints Time needed 20 minutes Skill level Intermediate Kit needed Photoshop Elements DOWNLOAD PROJECT FILES TO YOUR COMPUTER FROM: http://downloads.photoplusmag.com/pp159.zip You can have lots of fun with filters, blend modes and brushes in Photoshop – and the great thing is, they’re very easy to use. A vibrant portrait effect like this might look complicated, but it’s quite simple. In this project we’ll explain how. We’ve supplied a starting image but better to use your own – any portrait will do, but it helps if the subject is against a clear, bright backdrop. Aside from learning how to make a fun portrait effect, we’ll also encounter useful Photoshop features like Smart Objects. These are key to a non-destructive workflow, as they…

Photo essays from PhotoPlus readers and professional photographers alike 01 CINNAMON AIR Nick photographs his daughter about to board the Cinnamon Air seaplane Lens Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM Exposure 1/1600 sec, f/7.1, ISO200 In March 2018, my family and I travelled from our home in Colorado, USA, for over 39 hours, to reach our destination of Tangalle, Sri Lanka. I chose to go on holiday for a week in this remote place for numerous reasons; blue whales, leopards of Yala National Park, tropical beaches, and the Buddhist temples. It’s a country rich in history, diversity, and home to the most graciously humbled culture I have ever come across. It’s also a gold mine for photographers and we all fell totally in love with it. One of the first pictures that…

“Why does the background behind my subject go really dark when I use a flash on my Canon EOS 250D?” Theresa Reynolds, Jedburgh BRIAN SAYS… The EOS 250D uses a revised set of programming for flash exposures, it’s most obvious with flash photos taken in Aperture Priority mode indoors. Up until the EOS R, DSLR cameras could use any shutter speed down to 30 seconds with flash in Aperture Priority. That changed with the EOS R and for all subsequent R series and DSLRs. Now the priority is to avoid camera shake, so the camera never uses a shutter speed slower than 1/60 sec with flash in Aperture Priority mode. There’s a custom setting in the camera Speedlite menu that changes the slow sync behaviour so it will work like…

STEVE JOHNSTON, VIA EMAIL SAYS… This photo of Te Mata Peak was taken near Havelock North on New Zealand’s North Island. I took this shot with my Canon 60D and 10-22mm wide angle lens. My only opportunity was an early morning shot, but it was overcast so I nearly cancelled the trip. However I persevered and as I climbed up I broke through the clouds into glorious sunlight. There were three suitable locations to shoot from and I had to run to each in order to beat the rapidly rising sun at 6am. Moral of the story – if things don’t look too good, give it a try anyway! BRIAN SAYS… Absolutely the right attitude for landscape photos, Steve, and a fabulous image that creates thoughts of a mythical location…

THE CONTENDERS Think portraiture and you’re probably thinking 85mm prime. And you’d be absolutely right. It’s simply the ideal tool for the job. Mounted on a full-frame body, the focal length gives a flattering perspective and enables a comfortable working distance, so you’re not crowding your subject and invading their personal space, but still close enough to be engaged and give direction. Even if you’re shooting with an APS-C format body, an 85mm lens works brilliantly for tight head shots or head-and-shoulders portraiture. Naturally, one of the key attractions of a prime lens is that you can expect ace sharpness and low levels of distortion. That’s certainly the case with the vast majority of 85mm lenses, but blur is equally important. A main facet of ‘fast’ 85mm lenses is that…

Ideal if you want to focus all of the attention on the eye, even if the rest of a portrait sitter’s face goes soft, this lens delivers an ultra-tight DoF. To let in more light and enable the super-fast f/1.2 aperture, the front group of elements need to have a wide diameter. Since these large and weighty elements also move forwards and backwards for focusing, AF is slow. Even so, AF speed is better in this Mark II edition, compared with the original. Unusually for a ring-type ultrasonic AF system, the manual focus ring is coupled electronically, rather than mechanically. It’s a clever design flourish, because accurate focusing is highly critical with such a tight depth of field at f/1.2. The focus ring’s electronic encoder enables greater precision for manual…

To make the most of mirrorless cameras, you’d naturally look for lenses that’re laden with electronics, high-performance AF and probably effective image stabilization. This manual lens from Samyang is the complete opposite. There are no internal electronics, so the lens can’t communicate with the camera body. You can therefore only shoot effectively in Manual or Aperture Priority modes. And you can’t adjust the aperture from the camera, instead needing to turn the aperture control ring on the lens. The aperture isn’t shown in the camera’s information display, nor recorded in EXIF info. There’s also no autofocus or image stabilization. While the feature-set might sound a dead loss, the reality is different. The viewfinders of DSLRs are poor for manual focusing, but the electronic viewfinders and rear screens of mirrorlesses make…

Anybody in pursuit of the tightest possible DoF is likely to be put off by this Tamron’s ‘slow’ f/1.8 aperture. But it’s two-thirds of an f-stop slower than the f/1.4 contenders, and a full stop slower than Canon’s f/1.2 lenses, it can still deliver beautiful bokeh. In its favour, the Tamron scores well for build quality with a strong metal barrel and weather-seals. It’s certainly not lightweight and, at 700g, is heavier than Canon’s f/1.8 offering. Unlike some of Canon’s older lenses, including the 85mm f/1.8, the Tamron is designed from the ground up for digital SLRs, which are more prone to ghosting and flare than film cameras. As such, it features two types of nano-structure coating which work to keep ghosting and flare at a minimum. More high-tech finery…

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CANON PRO NAME: JEAN PHILIPPE ‘JP’ BAUDEY CAMERA: CANON EOS 5DS R WITH more than three decades in the food industry and 20 years as a head chef at some of the UK’s top restaurants, JP has a love for food few can match. 10 years ago he suffered from a heart attack, after which he retired from cooking. He jokingly says it’s the best thing that could have happened, as it was then he chose to turn his passion for fine dining into a new vocation as a food photographer. www.fayditphotography.com APPRENTICE NAME: SUE GREEN CAMERA: CANON EOS 5D Mk IV SUE is a TV producer from Ascot with a passion for food and works on cookery TV shows and events. She recently did a Food Styling course at…

WHEN it comes to filters, there aren’t a huge number available, but what can make selecting the ones you actually need a little more difficult, is that there are variations of some types. These are designed for different shooting conditions and types of landscapes, but it is possible to assemble a straightforward set that covers quite a few bases without breaking the bank. There are two main styles of filters you can buy: screw-in and drop-in. Screw-in filters screw onto the thread on the front of lenses, and must be the correct size for that particular lens. The great thing about this type is that they take up minimal space and weigh very little. Drop-in filters are glass or resin sheets that drop into a holder attached to the front…

NEUTRAL-DENSITY graduated filters, or ND grads, are available in different strengths, as well as graduations, so you can select the filter that best balances the exposure of the sky with the foreground. They’re typically available in one-, two-, three- and four-stop strengths where they graduate from the full strength at the top, to no effect roughly in the centre of the filter. THE FILTER HOLDER The most effective ND grads are the drop-in type, rather than screw-in, and for these you’ll need a filter holder. This attaches to the filter thread via an adaptor ring. Most 100mm filters and holders from different brands are compatible, so you can mix and match them if you wish. Manufacturers to consider include LEE Filters, Formatt-Hitech, Cokin, NiSi and Kase. REVERSE ND GRADS A…

This compact shoulder bag fits a Canon EOS DSLR or mirrorless with lens attached, plus 3-4 extra lenses, flash, accessories and tablet. It keeps your kit clean and dry, with water-resistant and anti-scratch material on the bottom, plus a total coverage rain cover. The bag is well-padded all round, with a nonslip shoulder strap and belt connector, and offers speedy top access to your kit. Your special Christmas offer Free shoulder bag worth £39.99 Enjoy six months of forjust22.49 – that’s just £3.74 per issue! Receive every issue delivered direct to your door each month A thoughtful gift that keeps on delivering throughout the year Go Premium for £69 a year and you’ll also get… Digital + print edition Magazine binder Expert PDF handbook Photography Show entry Order the gift…

THE MISSION Shoot a 15-minute exposure at sunset for super blurred clouds in motion Time needed One hour Skill level Intermediate Kit needed • Tripod • Cable release • 3-stop ND filter Neutral Density filters are often used during daylight hours, to block the flow of light, and allow for blurring of water or clouds in landscapes. Less often do we see them employed at the very start or end of the day, when the light levels are usually low enough to allow for long exposures without the need for a filter. But what if we want a really, really long exposure? By stretching out our exposure to several minutes or more, the clouds slowly pass through the frame and any sense of shape is diminished. What we’re left with…

THE MISSION Use a polarizing filter to enhance landscape pictures Time needed 30 minutes Skill level Beginner Kit needed • Kit or 50mm lens • Circular polarizing filter One of the reasons you’ll often hear photographers rave about polarizing filters is that they create an in-camera effect that’s near impossible to replicate in post. They can cut down the amount of scattered light in your pictures, giving skies an intense dark blue hue as well as being able to cut through reflections in water and glass – removing them from the picture and giving you a glare-free shots. However, there’s a few techniques you can employ to make sure you get the best results from your polarizing filter. Here, we’re going to run through our top tips that will help…

THE MISSION Turn day to night in Affinity using a Gradient Map adjustment and layer masking skills Time needed 15 minutes Skill level Easy Kit needed Serif Affinity Photo DOWNLOAD PROJECT FILES TO YOUR COMPUTER FROM: http://downloads.photoplusmag.com/pp159.zip Like Photoshop, one of the biggest benefits to using Affinity Photo is the layers feature. Use of layers allows you to combine a range of images and effects to completely transform the look of your photos. We can even change day to night! In this tutorial we’ll look at how this is done with a simple combination of layer skills. We’ll begin by making a tonal adjustment to transform the bright blue sky into a moody night-time backdrop, altering the colours to cool things down and darkening the midtones to plunge our subject…

Sharpen your shots Create prints with more punch while keeping those nasty artefacts at bay Creating a shot where all the important details are sharply focused can be something of a challenge. For example, by using one of the Basic Zone shooting modes such as Portrait, your Canon will automatically focus on the closer foreground subject. However, it will also set a wider aperture to ensure a flattering blurred background behind your subject, and this can cause some of the foreground subject’s key details to become blurred too. The camera will choose the closest collection of AF points to focus on. This may not be the subject’s face (as is the case in our example image). You can always set the camera’s AF points manually to ensure that the subject’s…

Ask Brain! Confused with your Canon DSLR? Email EOSSOS@futurenet.com For the last year I’ve been using the EOS R alongside my EOS DSLRs, it’s been an interesting and challenging time adapting to new and different things in the camera world. I’ve not purchased any RF lenses, as I still have my DSLRs and I’m using both cameras. I’ve been fortunate to be able to use most of the RF lenses over the year, but none have resulted in a purchase. What that means is EF lenses work well on the EOS R so you can change bodies and consider lenses. The biggest change has been the control layout and dealing with the viewfinder and LCD switching. I’m using the touchscreen LCD less than Canon planned. I’ve taken an extended journey…

APS-C Canon eos cameras Head to head Mini test Sensor cleaners PORTRAIT PRIMES TEST CANON NEWS TESTS & AWARDS WHEN IT comes to testing Canon DSLRs, lenses, photo gear and services in PhotoPlus, we tell it like it is. We’re 100 per cent independent and we use our in-depth lab tests to find out how kit really performs and compares. Here are our main awards… RF LENSES TEST Buy for the best combination of quality and value Only the best of best win our coveted award Ben Andrews Lab Manager ben.andrews@futurenet.com Welcome… WHAT a gear section we have for you this issue! We begin with news of the new pro Canon EOS-1D X Mk III, the two new Canon RF lenses, plus we test three other new RF lenses! We’re…

£3249/$2999 www.canon.co.uk CANON has announced the RF 85mm f/1.2L USM DS lens, a lens with the same build and design as the standard RF 85mm f/1.2L USM. But this is also the first ever Canon optic to receive a new Defocus Smoothing (DS) coating – which softens the hard edges of blurry circles in images and video to make out of focus circular highlights, also called bokeh, buttery smooth. Although the coating softens out-of-focus areas further, we were told that it would not soften the focal point, which will remain pin-sharp. The coating is “a vapor-deposited coating technology that has a high transmittance at the centre and a low transmittance toward the periphery.” However, a by-product of the coating and defocus properties is that its light transmission is reduced. So…

The new Canon EOS 90D combines the enthusiast-friendly design of the Canon 80D with the 10fps continuous shooting speed of the Canon 7D Mk II, then adds in a brand new 32.5-megapixel sensor and uncropped 4K video, which are both brand new features. So what’s not to like? This is surely going to be one of the best DSLRs you can get, right? But it’s not quite that simple. Canon frequently keeps its older models on sale at discounted prices, so if they already meet your needs you may not need the EOS 90D at all. We also need to check that the new EOS 90D is better than these older models in all respects… so let’s compare 12 essential specs! 01 Sensor There’s not much argument here. The sensor…

Most of us don’t just shoot portraits. We like to shoot all sorts. So it makes sense not to spend a fortune on a ‘portrait lens’ that we might not use often, and to buy one that’s compact and light. This lens is ideal for both, costing a small fraction of any other Canon 85mm lens and being much more lightweight, at just 425g. Naturally, downsizing and cheaper manufacturing costs are due to the narrower aperture of f/1.8, compared with the f/1.4 or f/1.2 of the other Canon lenses. Launched nearly 30 years ago for 35mm film SLRs, the lens has stood the test of time and is equally viable for digital bodies. The optical path is simple, based on nine elements in seven groups, but includes Super Spectra coatings…

The ‘bokeh’, or pictorial quality of defocused areas isn’t just about the tightness of DoF. The design of the lens and the quality of its elements are critical in delivering a smooth nature to background blur, notably for bright and detailed defocused spots. A well-rounded diaphragm helps retain the quality of bokeh when stopping down. Even so, depth of field is a critical component.…

Samyang, is best known for its wide range of manual-focus lenses, most of which are available in a similarly wide range of mount options. In a minority of two, this is an AF lens for Canon cameras, the only other option being the AF 14mm f/2.8 EF. This lens feels robust, and comes complete with weather-seals. It’s shorter and lighter than the manual-focus Samyang on test, despite having an identical focal length and aperture rating. Indeed, at 485g, it’s not much heavier than Canon’s f/1.8. Like the Samyang manual lens for R-series cameras, this lens includes a hybrid aspherical element and Ultra Multi Coating. But there’s no need for an aperture control ring, as on-board electronics enable full communication and aperture adjustment from the camera. The AF system is driven…

Letter of the Month This is not a complaint, but the Video Disc as part of PhotoPlus magazine is now unusable, since new laptops don’t often have a CD drive. I have just upgraded to a new laptop that is without a CD drive. I’ve spoken to other people with new laptops and they have the same issue. I feel it’s a waste to send CDs that will go into the bin. I would still like to access the videos from any other web solution. Odd Juel, Kolbotn, Norway We’ve been aware for a few years of this dilemma for readers who don’t have CD drives in modern laptops or computers – and the solution is very simple, you’ll be pleased to know, as there are web links to view…

01 GYMNAST BY NOYA GINDES Noya’s incredible image comes top of this month’s Golden Hours competition. We loved her use of creative backlighting, warm golden tones that flood the frame and central composition with the pose of the gymnast in the middle of the frame instantly pulling the eye in to the centre of the shot. She tells us: “The gymnast, Tamar, is just 15 years old and I asked her to stand on a block of salt to get this shot as the sun set over the Dead Sea”. Lens Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM Exposure 1/640 sec, f/5.6, ISO200 02 ELEPHANT GAMES BY GIDEON MALHERBE Gideon tells us: “I took this photograph of two young elephant bulls testing their strength against each other at the Okaukuejo…

ND grads are available in three types of graduation. Hard grads feature a short graduation, and are used for straight horizons such as at the coast. Medium grads graduate over roughly 2cm, and are best where elements like trees or hills protrude over the horizon line. Soft grads have a longer graduation, and are best for mountainous locations. This doesn’t mean you have to own several strengths of each filter type: a set of two-stop hard, two-stop medium and four-stop soft, for instance, will cover most situations. SHOOT LIKE A PRO WITH AN ND GRAD SHOOT LIKE A PRO WITH AN ND GRAD Despite shooting at the coast, where much of the horizon is perfectly straight, the headlands at either side of the frame meant a medium grad was the…

Strange dreams and visions with David Noton as he experiences the vibrantly pink Hutt Lagoon and the its delightful hues on the west coast of Oz I awake not knowing where I am. Strong sunlight is permeating the gaps in the curtains. My body thinks it's evening but the sun is rising. We’re in a bland hotel room, could be anywhere; a Premier Inn in Solihull? Recollection dawns – it's warm, there's a eucalyptus tree outside the window, and I hear strange bird songs. It could only really be Australia… Four hours later on the outskirts of Durban we’re being shown around what will be our home for the next few weeks by Iwan – a Dutchman now resident here in WA who has a small rental fleet of Toyota Land Cruiser…

THE MISSION Learn how to use different shutter speeds for creative effects in photos Time needed One hour Skill level Intermediate Kit needed Tripod While the aperture you select controls the amount of light that enters your lens, your shutter speed tells the camera how long it has to allow that light to pass through. Put simply, how long the sensor is exposed to the light, hence ‘exposure’ as the photographic term. All Canon EOS cameras allow you to set the shutter speed, measured in seconds and fractions of seconds, like 1/500th second, or 30 seconds. If you’re hand-holding your camera, you’ll need to be shooting with shutter speeds equal or faster to the focal length on your lens. So if you’re shooting at 100mm, you’ll need a shutter speed…

THE MISSION Drain the colour in your image apart from the focal point to make it ‘pop’ Time needed 20 minutes Skill level Beginner Kit needed Photoshop / Elements DOWNLOAD PROJECT FILES TO YOUR COMPUTER FROM: http://downloads.photoplusmag.com/pp159.zip Here’s a fun technique that leaves the viewer in no doubt of where to look in your picture. It’s called selective colouring because you’re editing the shot to remove colour in specific areas of your image, in our shot we only wanted the model and her vibrant dress to stand out so left her full of colour. You’ll discover how to make full use of Layers, one of the most useful features Photoshop has to offer, allowing you to stack different images or adjustments separately. If you’re new to Photoshop or have never…

IT’S LATE September when I phone Ulla Lohmann and when she describes her schedule for the next two months I feel incredibly lucky to be speaking to her. Ulla has just returned from an assignment to Indonesia and Vanuatu, and my suggestion that she will be able to enjoy home-life for a couple of weeks, is met with a laugh: “This year I have not been home for weeks!” she exclaims. “I’m home tomorrow and then I’m off again to a photo festival in France. Then I go to Italy to teach a workshop and then to Sweden and the Netherlands for talks, and in the middle of November I go back to Vanuatu. I’m home for six days altogether. At home, I wash my stuff, repack and then I’m…

01 WINTER SUNRISE Pertti was up at 3am to capture this fiery red sunrise landscape Lens Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM Exposure 0.4 sec, f/16, ISO100 I live in Finland, about ten miles from the city centre of Helsinki, and have photographed the surrounding nature and landscapes for the last 45 years. Inside the city there’s a nature reserve called Uutela which I regularly shoot at and is good for pictures of forests and the coastline. I retired ten years ago, so I have more time for this hobby of mine. Whitetail goose and cormorant now both nest regularly in the city, but were a very rare sight 20 years ago, while I’ve seen widgeon numbers plummet. “If you want shots of a sunrise in June in Helsinki, you have…

Lens aberration corrections Get the best from your Canon lenses with these digital fixes One of the reasons that Canon’s EOS system is so popular is the vast range of lenses available. The ‘L’ series of optics offers premium optical quality, although there are plenty of lenses that give outstanding results despite not having a red ring around the barrel. Yet there is a way to tap into even more quality from your lenses, regardless of their cost: aberration correction. This feature, available both in-camera and in Canon’s Digital Photo Professional software, enables you to fine-tune aspects of a lens’s performance and correct optical problems inherent in all lenses. Problems such as the softening of diffraction caused by small apertures, or the darkening in the corners of a picture. It…

It’s perhaps surprising that this is one of only two 85mm lenses for Canon cameras that features image stabilization, the other being a Tamron. Naturally, you could use a tripod, but stabilization gives you more freedom to move around and play the angles, shooting handheld without setup adjustments interrupting. Build quality is pretty epic, including a shock-absorbing front barrel, weather-seals and fluorine coatings on the front and rear elements. The ability to shoot portraits in the rain might seem superfluous, but wedding photographers would disagree. Compared with the Canon f/1.8 lens, the optical path is much more complex, based on 14, rather than nine, elements and featuring Canon’s high-tech Air Sphere Coating which further reduces ghosting and flare. Much larger and more than twice the weight of the Canon f/1.8…

A new lens from Canon, the RF 85mm f/1.2 looks large on a svelte EOS R-series body, and is expensive to buy. But while it’s big in build and price, it’s supersized for image quality and all-round performance. The highly complex optical path includes aspherical and UD (Ultra-low Dispersion) elements, the same Air Sphere Coating that’s featured in the latest EF 85mm f/1.4 lens, plus BR (Blue spectrum Refractive) optics, which we first saw in the EF 35mm f/1.4L II lens. The overall aim is to maximize wide-aperture sharpness and contrast, while keeping both lateral and longitudinal chromatic aberrations, ghosting, flare and distortion to an absolute minimum. Build quality is a step up from Canon’s EF f/1.2, with a sturdier feel and the addition of weather-seals and fluorine coatings on…

Longer and heavier even than Canon’s RF 85mm f/1.2 lens, this Sigma measures 95x126mm and tips the scales at 1130g. It’s enormous for an 85mm f/1.4 but, typical of Sigma’s Art line-up, the design is focused on quality without any concessions to size and weight. A tell-tale sign of the girth is that the Sigma has an 86mm filter thread! Despite not having an optical image stabilizer, the path is long and complex, based on 14 elements. These include an aspherical element at the rear and two SLD (Special Low Dispersion) elements, placed at the centre and towards the front. We’ve been impressed by the build quality of all Sigma Art-line lenses, but this one has the extra bonus of weather-seals. Ring-type ultrasonic AF comes with the usual full-time manual…

THE WINNERS ARE… CANON EF 85mm f/1.4L IS USM & CANON RF 85mm f/1.2L USM Whether you shoot with or without mirrors, Canon comes out on top For performance, handling and quality, the new Canon RF 85mm f/1.2L USM is the best portrait lens for Canon EOS full-frame cameras. But it’s £2799 for a portrait lens, and it doesn’t work with DSLRs, only the mirrorless EOS R and RP. For around half the price, the Canon EF 85mm f/1.4L IS USM is almost as fabulous, while adding the benefit of IS. If you don’t want IS, the Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art delivers lovely image quality and is cheaper than the Canon f/1.4. The Tamron is also a great choice – it creates lush bokeh, despite its f/1.8 aperture,…

THE NO.1 MAGAZINE FOR CANON USERS! FREE VIDEOS! In the next Canon Skills chapter… ■ Creative close-ups on a budget ■ Learn how to get high-end studio car shots ■ Photograph birds in flight ■ Photoshop Elements, CC and Affinity Photo tutorials PLUS ALL THIS… ■Christmas Wish List: Great ideas for new kit presents for yourself! ■Essential Canon skills guide: Winter wildlife techniques ■The Canon Gear of the Year: We reveal the best kit we've tested throughout 2019 ISSUE 160 ON SALE 10 DECEMBER * Content subject to change…