Photography News 79 WEB

The third and final part of the Photography News Summer Festival of Photography looks at how to build your perfect camera system, provides tips on shooting compelling videos and is filled with project ideas to get you out and about taking great pictures. Making the news this month is Canon, which revealed 11 new products to the world, including two full-frame mirrorless models. Top of the range is the EOS R5 with its 45 megapixels, in-body image stabilisation with 8EV benefit, 8K video and up to 20fps shooting. It promises to be a special camera, but another special camera is already here and tested in this issue, this time from Nikon: the mighty D6.

Photography News Your FREE newspaper packed with the latest news, views and stories Prize word search / Win a Samsung 256GBmicroSD memory card Summer Festival / The final instalment, packed with expert tips

ISSUE 79 21 Jul-10 Aug 2020 photographynews.co.uk

Big test: Nikon D6 / Awesome pro DSLR on the test bench

CANON’S BIGDAY Canon ’s roll call of its latest products is impressively long, with two full-frame EOS R system cameras , four EOS R lenses , two EOS R teleconverters , two camera grips and an A3+ printer

Aworld first for Tamron

Leading independent lens brand Tamron announces world’s first 28-200mm f/2.8 superzoom for Sony E-mount cameras

Tamron’s first superzoom lens came out nearly two decades ago – and this vast experience has been brought to bear on the design and production of its new AF 28-200mm f/2.8-5.6 Di III RXD. This wide-ranging zoom is designed for Sony E-mount cameras, full-frame as well as APS-C formats, and it is compatible with camera- specific features and functions, including fast hybrid AF. It’s the world’s first superzoom with a fast f/2.8 aperture at the wide-angle end. The optical design features a good number of advanced lens elements to deliver a critical performance from today’s high-resolution sensors. Of its 18 elements, two are moulded glass aspherical, two hybrid aspherical, two low distortion and there’s one extra-low dispersion. Tamron’s BBAR (Broad-Band Anti-Reflection) coating is used to reduce ghosting and flare. Autofocus is handled by Tamron’s RXD motor for fast, accurate and exceedingly quiet focusing. Minimum focus at the 28mm end is a mere 19cm and this extends to 80cm at the 200mm end. Despite the lens’s impressive coverage, it’s a physically compact lens, measuring in at 117mm with a weight of 575g, making it an ideal lens for travel and scenic photography. A moisture-resistant build, a 67mm filter size, fluorine front element coating and a zoom lock switch rounds off this lens’s headline features. This exciting new lens is out now at a guide price of £799.99. • tamron.eu/uk

CANON HAS BEEN hyping up the EOS R5 by drip-feeding us a few tasty morsels over the past fewmonths. Now that full details have been unveiled, it really does look like an incredible camera, while the less highly specified EOS R6 is no less impressive. The EOS R5 and EOS 6 share some headline features and technologies. They both have a DIGIC X processor, can shoot continuously at 12fps with the mechanical shutter and 20fps with the electronic shutter, both with AF/AE tracking, and have in-body image stabilisation with an awesome 8EV benefit with most EOS R lenses. This level of benefit is even possible with non-IS lenses. Other shared features includes the new Dual Pixel CMOS AF II with face, eye and animal detect working down to -6EV (R5) or -6.5EV (R6), a rear AF multicontroller and dual card slots – the EOS R5 has one SD UHS-II slot and a CFexpress slot, while the EOS R6 has two SD slots. Moving on to the differences: the EOS R5 has a new Canon-designed and manufactured 45-megapixel sensor and a four-point optical low-pass filter – Canon claims this new sensor/

R6 uses polycarbonate, while the EOS R5 features the use of magnesium alloy. The EOS R6 has a 20-megapixel full- frame sensor with a top ISO of 102,400 and expansion to 204,800, 4K video at 60fps and Full HD video at 120fps. The EOS R6 body only is £2499.99, or £2849.99 with the 24-105mm f/4 STM, and sales start at the end of August. The EOS R5 is available from the end of July and the body price is £4199.99. For more details on the two new cameras and news of nine other Canon products, please turn to page 4. • canon.co.uk

OLPF configuration will outresolve the 50-megapixel sensor of the EOS 5DS R. Native ISO tops out at 51,200 with expansion up to 102,400, and there’s 8K/30p DCI (8192x4320) video with a recording time of up to 20 minutes before heat becomes an issue (a still from 8K DCI footage is roughly 33 megapixels in resolution). Recording time in 4K/30p is around 90 minutes and 4K/120fps is available, too. Physically, the EOS R5 and R6 have different top-plates and the EOS

2 Photography News | Issue 79

photographynews.co.uk

Read FREE online

News

Get the latest issue FREE to your inbox when you sign up for our newsletter at photographynews.co.uk

If you prefer a print copy delivered to your door, a yearly subscription costs just £19.99 . See our website for details.

Panasonic offers stress-freevlogging The Lumix G100 is aimed at content creators and

EDITOR’S LETTER WILL CHEUNG

Click to listen to the podcast

vloggers and it boasts an advanced audio recording system for top quality results

The stats are compelling: YouTube has over one billion users, more than 500 million hours of videos are watched each day and more than 72 hours of content are uploaded every minute and, according to Panasonic’s research, over 60% of photographers want to do more video. The Lumix G100 body has a Micro Four Thirds 20.3 megapixel sensor with a top ISO of 25,600 and features an optical/electronic hybrid image stabiliser to help deliver smooth, hand held footage while walking, plus there’s innovation in the audio department for better sound quality from the integral microphone. The Lumix G100 is the world’s first mirrorless camera to feature an OZO Audio by Nokia sound system. This employs three internal microphones that link up with the camera’s face recognition feature to adjust the recording range and the direction according to the speaker’s movement and position. It automatically switches to the best sound mode for the situation, which includes sound pick up from behind the camera if the shooter is narrating on what’s happening in front of the camera. The G100 is rich in other features to make vlogging stress-free. Selfie mode starts up automatically when the rotating monitor is turned to face forward, there’s face detect AF and AE and depth-of-field automatically increases.

In use, a red frame shows to indicate recording and there’s a coloured frame marker to assist when shooting in different aspect ratios for various social media platforms – vertical format shooting is detected too. Video is available in 4K and Full HD, although 4K is cropped. Full HD allows a new S&Q (Slow/ quick motion) mode. Slow motion in Full HD is possible at 4x and 2x and Quick motion is possible at 2x/4x/8x the latter at 3fps. The Lumix G100 is available from the end of July at £589.99 for body only, £679.99 for 12- 32mm lens kit, and £719.99 for 12-32mm lens and tripod grip kit. Launched with the G100 is the DME-SHGR1 grip kit which is priced at £89.99 but buy the G100 body or lens kit before 31 August and you can redeem one for free. Panasonic also added to its L-mount lens collection with the 20-60mm f/3.5-5.6 zoom, a compact, lightweight standard lens. Stocks are due to arrive late July and it’s priced at £619. panasonic.co.uk

Welcome to our third issue of Photography News produced under the stress of lockdown. Yes, the situation for many of is easing but it’s still incredibly tough for everyone, but we at PN continue to fight on, so huge thanks to our supporters and of course to all our readers. My photography has lost some momentum recently which is ironic given the easing situation. At the start of the lockdown I think many of us got swept along with the photo opportunities in our living rooms and gardens and found there was rich previously untapped potential. For me, the middle of the lockdown period was incredibly fruitful and I was averaging several hundred shots, literally, every day. Now, I’ve run empty and I’m in a mini barren spell. This is as far as image capture is concerned, because I have still been productive. I’ve been editing and printing pictures and have also spent many hours trawling through previous years’ catalogues and deleting the dross, and there’s plenty of it. That has been useful for two reasons. I’ve freed up many gigabytes (actually, almost 1TB!) of storage on my hard drives and I have found quite a few gems too, most of which I had not rated or even given a second look – until now. So, perversely, although I haven't taken many frames I have never the less produced a quite a few images I’m happy with. One or two, in fact, I’m seriously happy with. We do indeed live in unprecedented times. The PN editorial team – myself, Roger Payne and Kingsley Singleton - were recording the PN podcast the other day and we stumbled upon the notion of Desert Island Photo Kit. The idea is based (err, obviously) on BBC Radio 4’s wonderful, very long standing programme, Desert Island Discs where guests select their eight most meaningful music

tracks, nominate their favourite and pick a book and a luxury. I’d love to be on Desert Island Discs but that ambition is unlikely to come to pass, so the idea of Desert Island Photo Kit has great personal appeal and a chance to daydream. I know it’s flexing the spirit of the challenge a little (a lot!) but I think we should assume our mythical island has power, running water, a computer set-up and there’s plenty of memory cards, paper and film available, so we can focus just on image capture kit. First off, I need a camera and lens and I’m going for a Fujifilm GFX 50R with a 32-64mm f/4 lens, a combo I bought soon after it came out. I love its output and I’d be happy being stranded with it. My third and fourth items are a Gitzo Systematic Series 4 GT4533LS carbon tripod and an Arca-Swiss Monoball Z1g+ ball head because a solid set-up is essential for what I aim to shoot, which brings me to item five. I want the best star tracker I can find – the Fornax 10 LighTrack II maybe – because with no light pollution on the island I’m going to shoot the heavens. For the rest of my selections, and for those of Kingsley and Roger, you’re going to have to listen to our next podcast, available on our website, photographynews.co.uk, Apple Podcasts, YouTube and Spotify. Please feel free to join in the desert island challenge. Pick your eight items with a line explaining your choices, choose your favourite must-have item and book and luxury, and send an email to podcast@ photographynews.co.uk. There’s the chance that you’ll get name-checked on our podcast and the most imaginative/interesting/ downright bizarre could win a little prize (but no promises!). This is, after all, just for fun. We see you again next month, so take care.

3 News A broadside of new products from Canon, plus much more 5 Prizeword search Find the missing word and you could win a Samsung 256GB micro SD memory card 6 Club news The latest news from the nation’s camera clubs and photographic societies 19Make the Switch: GrahamHarries Graham is passionate about his photography and sees camera kit as a means to an end, and here he tells us why he switched to the Fujifilm X-system

8 Photo kit Build your ideal camera system with our hints and tips

24 Big test: NikonD6 Nikon’s full-frame pro flagship is a serious camera at a serious price, but a seriously good performer too 29 Buyers’ guide: filter factors Put anything in front of your camera lens and it needs to be optically excellent, so if you’re looking for quality filters, start here with these suppliers

10 Camera technique

Picture ideas to fire up your photography this summer 16 Video technique Techniques and expert advice to help you shoot awesome movies

Followus:

@photonewsPN @photonewsPN

@photonewsPN

Issue 79 | Photography News 3

photographynews.co.uk

News

Canon’s big day Eleven new products announced on the same day during a pandemic is without precedent, so well done to Canon

The GF30mm f/3.5 R WR is a compact, weather-proof wide-angle lens. Its optical construction of 13 elements in ten groups is designed to deliver edge-to-edge sharpness at all apertures and to minimise wide-angle distortion. It’s compatible with 100-megapixel sensors. Focusing is handled by an internal system that is fast and silent, and focus breathing is reduced to 0.05%, making this lens well suited to video use. This lens’s price is £1649. On the firmware front, there are updates for the X-A7 and X-T200, adding webcam functionality and X Webcam compatibility so both cameras can be used as high-quality webcams. There’s great news for Apple users as a MacOS version of the X Webcam software is due to be released mid-July. There are also significant firmware upgrades for all three current GFX models. The number of Film Simulation modes for all three have increased and they also gain increased camera control when shooting tethered and more photo editing softwares will support in-camera rating data. fujifilm.eu/uk For firmware downloads bit.ly/2ZqmxLk Fujifilm’s prime time Fujifilm is in the news again with the launch of an exciting GFX prime lens and a host of firmware updates

RIGHT The imagePrograf

The Canon’s EOS R System is up to five full-frame bodies with the announcement of the EOS R5 and EOS R6, while the RF lens range has gained four lenses and two teleconverters. The EOS R5 is the flagship of the range with a 45-megapixel resolution from a brand-new sensor and has 8K video capability, an 5.76 million dot EVF and 3.2-inch 2.1 million dot vari-

angle monitor. Its price tag is £4199 body only and sales start at the end of July. With a 20-megapixel resolution, a top ISO of 102,400 and 4K video, the EOS R6 is aimed at the all-round photographer. This model is priced at £2499 body only and will be on sale from the end of August. The two new cameras share many features. Both are the first Canons to have in-body image stabilisation

Pro-300 was one of 11 products announced by Canon

(IBIS) and the claimed benefit is 8EV; there’s next-generation Dual Pixel CMOS AF II with face, body and animal detect AF; they can shoot at 12fps (mechanical shutter) and 20fps (electronic shutter) with AE/AF tracking, and they have dual card slots, SD/CFexpress in the EOS R5 and SD UHS-II in the EOS R6. Both also feature a new longer life battery, with the LP-E6NH priced at £114, which replaces the LP-E6N, and it’s backwards compatible. Two grips have been added to the system: the BG-R10 grip costs £419, takes two cells and fits both new cameras, while the WFT-R10 is a Wi- Fi transmitter for the EOS R5 only and costs £1349. New on the lens front is the RF 85mm f/2 Macro IS STM at £649.99, RF 600mm f/11 IS STM at £749.99, RF 800mm f/11 IS STM at £979.99 and RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L IS USM at £2899.99. Two teleconverters have been added, too: the Extender RF 1.4x is £559.99 and the Extender RF 2x is £699.99. Availability varies so check Canon’s website for the latest news. The RF 600mm f/11 IS STM and RF 800mm f/11 IS STM are interesting

in that they both feature f/11 fixed apertures, enabling them to be very lightweight and compact for their focal lengths. Both feature optical image stabilisers and are compatible with the new extenders, and you still get Dual Pixel CMOS AF on Canon mirrorless cameras. The RF 85mm f/2 Macro IS STM is a fast lens, giving 1:2 half life-size magnification and AF is fast and smooth – ideal for still and video shooting. Lovers of telephoto lenses will appreciate the RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L IS USM. As with the two long primes, this lens can be used with the two extenders and has a 5EV benefit image stabiliser and weather sealing. Finally, Canon has introduced the imagePrograf Pro-300, an A3+ pro photo printer that will be available from July at £699.99 . This space- saving printer uses ten Lucia Pro pigment inks for an enhanced colour gamut and includes new photo and matte black inks to give deeper blacks. canon.co.uk

Blackrapid at the double Nicole Elliot is an American pro photographer who designed this strap specifically with women in The Delta Sling is a strap that can be personalised to

an individual’s needs while still giving rapid access to their kit. The shoulder pad suits either shoulder and has front and back spring-loaded locks to secure the camera in place while moving around. The Nicole Elliott strap costs £82 and the Delta Sling £75. blackrapid.co.uk

mind. It suits right- and left- handed photographers. A key design point is the wide shoulder pad designed to spread weight evenly across a wider area of the shoulder for greater comfort. The shoulder piece itself incorporates two lens cap pockets and zipped memory card pockets, too.

Sony’s wide master Sony’s latest full-frame lens is the FE 12-24mm f/2.8 GM, and its outstanding corner-to-corner performance is thanks to an advanced optical construction that includes three XA (extreme aspherical) lens elements, three ED elements and two Super ED elements. Autofocusing is fast, very quiet and there’s minimal vibration, with the lens using four high-thrust XD linear motors. The Sony FE 12-24mm f/2.8 GM costs £2899 and is available from this August. sony.co.uk

Editorial team Editorial director Roger Payne Editor Will Cheung FRPS 01223 499469 willcheung@bright-publishing.com Digital content writer Lee Renwick leerenwick@bright-publishing.com Chief sub editor Beth Fletcher Senior sub editor Siobhan Godwood Sub editors Elisha Young and Felicity Evans

Advertising team Group admanager Sam Scott-Smith 01223 499457 samscott-smith@bright-publishing.com Senior sales executive Jemma Farrell-Shaw jemmafarrell-shaw@bright-publishing.com Key accounts Mike Elliott mikeelliott@bright-publishing.com

Design team Design director Andy Jennings Senior designer Laura Bryant Design & ad production Man-Wai Wong Distribution Distribution and subscriptionmanager Phil Gray philipgray@bright-publishing.com Publishing team Managing directors Andy Brogden & Matt Pluck As well as your local camera club, you can pick up Photography News in-store from: Cameraworld, Castle Cameras, Jessops, London Camera Exchange, Park Cameras, Wex Photo Video, Wilkinson Cameras

Photography News is published 11 times a year by Bright Publishing Ltd, Bright House, 82 High Street, Sawston, Cambridge CB22 3HJ. No part of this magazine can be used without prior written permission of Bright Publishing Ltd. Photography News is a registered trademark of Bright Publishing Ltd. The advertisements published in Photography News that have been written, designed or produced by employees of Bright Publishing Ltd remain the copyright of Bright Publishing Ltd and may not be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher. The content of this publication does not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher. While Bright Publishing makes every effort to ensure accuracy, it can’t be guaranteed. Street pricing at the time of writing is quoted for products.

Bright Publishing Ltd, Bright House, 82 High Street, Sawston, Cambridgeshire CB22 3HJ www.bright-publishing.com

ISSN 2059-7584

When you have finished with this newspaper, please recycle it

4 Photography News | Issue 79

photographynews.co.uk

News

Vote for thebest- ever digital kit Used kit reseller MPB has launched the Photo and Video Kit Hall of Fame – and your votes will decide the winners of five key categories

M O T N O R F P Y Q D R L F P R S B R T T O L D Q R S P S I J W C M Q Y I E R R N Z U U K F V R I O E T G E M T M V X R C Y G O P E Q C G H O K A L A I N S T N E M E L E C C T T U E U E T U V Z N A J S C N M S B E U I X A G A U K N E R X C E P N F Q N C G V L D E T I R M B I I F I K N D T E D E D T T L U O L A T N E D I S S N L M O N O T N T I P S C M C I B G G I B A V Q W W D R I V E U L B C Capture life’s magical moments across all devices with the Samsung Evo Plus 256GB microSDXC memory card with SD adapter, offering read speeds of up to 100MB/s and write speeds of up to 90MB/s. Samsung’s latest cards are also ultra reliable and are water, temperature, X-ray and magnet proof, so shooting in the most challenging conditions isn’t an issue. We have one 256GB Samsung Evo Plus microSDXC card with SD adapter worth £74.99 for the eagle-eyed winner. Complete the word search below, and you’ll find one word in the list that’s not in the grid. Email us on puzzle@photographynews.co.uk with that word in the subject box by 9 August 2020. The correct answer to PN 77’s word search was ‘neutral’, and the Samsung 256GB Evo Plus card was won by Jamie Bayliss of Wiltshire. • samsung.com/uk/memory-cards A Samsung memory card! WIN!

MPB, the world’s largest resale platform for digital and video kit, has launched the Photo and Video Kit Hall of Fame to honour the best imaging kit of the digital era. There are five award categories: Classic, Game Changer, Iconic, Road Tested and Trendsetter, with 25 shortlisted nominees covering 13 brands chosen by the experts at MPB. The public are invited to vote for their winners by going to the website, and voting is open until 11 August. The results will be A handy light The Nanlite Pavotube II 6C is a palm-sized, battery-powered LED light aimed at content creators of all kinds. It’s just 25cm long, weighs in at 260g and has a maximum output of 1576 lux. It has a rechargeable 3.7V 220mAh internal battery and gives one hour of operation at full power, and charging is via its USB-C port. The light itself is fully dimmable and adjustable, with a colour temperature range of 2700K to 7500K and 360 RGB colour options. There are also 15 preprogrammed special effects, including fireworks and candlelight. This handy light costs £109.99 and you get the unit, soft carry case, USB A-C cable, hands strap and three magnetic adhesive plates. kenro.co.uk

announced on World Photography Day (19 August) and plaques will be awarded to the manufacturers of the winning kit. kithalloffame.com

Howwide?

The Laowa 9mm f/5.6 FF RL lens is the widest non- fisheye lens for full-frame mirrorless cameras, surpassing Laowa’s own 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6. The new 9mm f/5.6 has a 135° angle of view, so it’ll be great for interiors and scenics alike, and ideal

for exaggerating the feeling of openness and space. With a minimum focusing distance of just 12cm, you can get in really close to produce some very powerful compositions with this lens. The lens features a 14 elements in a ten- group construction and its aperture range with a five-blade iris is f/5.6 to f/22. It can be used with compatible 100mmmagnetic filter holders. It is a very compact lens, too, weighing 350g and just 66mm in length. This remarkable ultra-wide lens is available in Leica M, L-Mount, Nikon Z and Sony FE, and it’s priced at £869 and £979 for the Leica M fit. laowalens.co.uk

One-stop filter option

The H&Y Revoring is available in three size options: 37-49mm, 46-62mm and 67-82mm, which accept 52mm, 67mm and 82mm filters respectively. Each Revoring has a filter thread and a set of tough, spring-loaded retractable blades and these grip the lens accessory thread from the inside. Buy the Revoring to suit your screw-in filters, and you can use them on lenses with different threads. The second product is a variable ND and circular polariser combined and available in the three same sizes. The filter’s factor is quoted from ND 3 (1.5EV) to ND 1000 (10EV), although the amount of light absorbed depends on the lens focal length. Features include hard stop at the point of maximum density, guides to help easier ND/polariser control and laser markings to indicate when any cross-fade might appear. H&Y will also offer a live chart with additional guidance for

BIG CLONE COATINGS DOCUMENT DRIVE

EDITING ELEMENTS FRONT HEAL INTERFACE

LAYERS LEVER MEMORIES PICNIC PRINT

SPROCKETS STICK TIPS

using this filter on different lenses/sensors. Guide prices for the Revoring start from £45, with the 67-82mm top priced at £52. The Revoring and combined ND/circular polariser is priced at £230-245. The H&Y Revoring Kickstarter campaign

UNITS VIDEO

runs until 8 August 2020. phototeq-e.fnd.to/hyfilters

If you do not want to receive any marketing information from Bright Publishing or our partners, please type NO INFO in your email entry.

Issue 79 | Photography News 5

photographynews.co.uk

SUCCESS + EXHIBITIONS + PERSONAL ACHIEVEMENTS + OUTINGS News Camera club

Lockdown is easing and many of us can go shopping, have a drink and get a haircut, but what does the future look like for camera club meetings and future events? We’llmeet again… orwill we?

Poulton PS Poulton PS’s weekly meetings have continued very successfully in lockdown using Webex and has given members new opportunities for something different including members’ presentations and tutorials on creative editing. Poulton has also set up its own YouTube channel – search Poulton Photographic Society YouTube – for club shows and members have submitted their own AV presentations. poultonps.co.uk Smethwick PS Smethwick PS has been busy with all hands on deck making club activities accessible for members at home. The club switched to online Zoommeetings for members and guests every Thursday. Anyone wanting to join an evening is welcome; guest tickets are available on the club’s website. Early July also saw remote judging of the Midland Salon. With over 8000 contributions, judges are in for some long days and visitors will be in for a treat. All selected images can be viewed online once the results are out and an AV is in preparation. smethwickps.co.uk Cannock PS Cannock PS has continued meeting on Thursday nights via Zoom. Anyone is welcome to join meetings and they are free of charge. The speakers booked from September to December cover a wide range of genres. A few club competitions are also planned. Non-members are welcome to watch and learn from by listening to the judges’ critique, but only members can enter. cannockps.co.uk Isle of Thanet Thanet PS members have been active during lockdown, rising to the monthly challenges set by club chairman, Laura Drury. This year, for its regular summer project, the club is looking for the best from LOCKDOWN, which stands for Leaves, Order, Cooking, Keys, Doorway, Outdoors, Washing and Naughty. The club’s AGM and weekly meetings from September will be held via Zoom and the intention is to return to usual meetings, circumstances permitting, from January 2021. isleofthanetphotographicsociety.co.uk Kingsbridge & District CC South Devon-based Kingsbridge & District Camera Club is a thriving, friendly group with a mixed membership of all ages and backgrounds. Club members have embraced a wide variety of new and alternative internet-based offerings over recent months and the club’s annual exhibition has also been taken online in the hope it will reach a much wider audience. kdcc.org.uk Battle PS Battle PS has remained resilient during lockdown, remaining open at the end of the season, overcoming the disappointment of having to cancel the annual exhibition and have since had a lecture and a competition via Zoom. The vibrant new committee has arranged new competitions to keep members occupied and a schedule is being drawn up for meetings in the autumn. battlephotographicsociety.co.uk

Most clubs close down for the summer but this year physical meetings stopped early and many clubs went to virtual meetings. But with the new season round the corner what are your club’s plans? A few clubs have their own

clubrooms, but most meet in hired venues that might still be closed come September and beyond. Many clubs will have members who are at high risk and treasurers will already be budgeting for a downturn in revenue frommembers not

renewing or cancelled events that might limit future activities. Every club will have its own unique set of circumstances and ways of dealing with what comes next. We’d love to hear of your club’s plans and future strategy, so please

feel free to share and we'll print ideas, concerns and thoughts on these pages. You can send emails to

clubnews@photography-news. co.uk . The deadline for the next issue is Sunday 2 August. Herefordshire PS is 135 years young

Thursday 19 November 2020 will be an evening of celebration for Herefordshire PS as it hits its 135th birthday. Founded in 1885, HPS is one of the country’s oldest surviving photographic societies but is re-setting for the modern age. It continues to grow and develop with the lockdown by offering its members online competitions and critiques via Zoom. It is invigorated by the launch of the club’s new website and newsletter. A new committee has been appointed to drive the club forward and with a programme already confirmed to take it into 2021, HPS has a pretty hectic year ahead of it. herefordshirephotographicsociety.co.uk

Epsom CC is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, having being formed on 12 March 1945. “It was a curious time as the world was still at war,” says current chair, David Zinzan. “We are at a loss to explain why the club was formed during world war two. Do any other clubs have a similar background? The original book of minutes charts the club’s history from that inaugural meeting. The first club president was James Chuter-Ede who became home secretary in August 1945. “The club now has 67 members with a range of ages from teenagers upwards. We had plans to celebrate our milestone, but unfortunately the pandemic has impacted upon these. Undeterred, a photo book is being planned, which will contain images frommembers together with the club’s history and images from its early exhibitions. We are using technology to keep the club running. Technology has changed photography forever but some things stay the same; a sense of comradeship and community.” epsomcc.org.uk EpsomCC enjoys its 75th

RomneyMarshPC andHermanus PS

On 25 June, Romney Marsh PC organised a 40-image competition with the Hermanus Photo Society 8000 miles away in South Africa using Zoom. Hermanus PS won by 344 to 314 points and claimed the top six places. Hermanus club members commented that the judging, by Paul Parkinson LRPS, was done to an exceptional standard. romneymarshphotographic club.co.uk hermanusphoto.co.za

Cumbernauld & Kilsyth PS

Cumbernauld & Kilsyth PS is a small club with 16 members and with lockdown, the club was forced to close. “I was getting bored,” says Kenny McLean, “and reckoned that my club friends might be in a similar situation. I came up with the idea of a Zoom meeting for CKPS after

a couple of weeks and put out the word. This has now grown arms and legs. Instead of our regular Tuesday meeting, we now have three meetings per week - Tuesday, Friday and Sunday.” He adds: “Our club, like many, closes for the summer. However,

under lockdown we have been meeting even more. We have had ten competitions so far and the great thing is that we are all producing more pictures and tackled subjects that we would not normally have shot.” ckps.org.uk

6 Photography News | Issue 79

photographynews.co.uk

In association with

8 Systeminsight A camera and a lens is a great start, but it’s worth considering accessories to get more from your photography. What you should look at depends on your budget, interests and tastes. Here’s a selection we think are essential for most enthusiast photographers

10 Project power Every photographer needs inspiration, and coming up with shoot ideas is easier for some than others. But ideas don’t have to be big or ambitious, and often it’s best to keep things realistic and achievable. Here's a bunch of ideas to get you motivated

16How to shoot great videos Producing videos that are enjoyable for your viewers is easy, but it’s equally easy to get it wrong, too, and there’s nothing more excruciating than watching a poorly produced video. Follow our hints and tips that will have your audience clamouring for more

Go to photographynews.co.uk for more exclusive Summer Festival photo, video and technique content

Issue 79 | Photography News 7

photographynews.co.uk

Photo kit

In association with

SYSTEM INSIGHT

You have a camera and a lens or two and are on the way to building up a camera system, but what next? In part three of our Summer Festival, we look all the other great accessories that’ll enhance your photography

Strap matters

Buy a camera and a shoulder strap is supplied, so you may wonder why consider the expense of buying another strap. Because there are plenty of independent brands out there that make great- looking straps that offer greater comfort and are eminently more usable. Some straps have extra padding or feature foam or neoprene for comfort, such as the OpTech Classic strap. Some straps mix comfort, aesthetics and versatility, such as those from Peak Design and Think Tank Photo, while the across-the-body ‘pap’ strap design offers speed and functionality. One of the very best of this type comes from BlackRapid, which has recently added two new straps to its range.

Of course, you can take pictures without touching the camera with its self-timer but to time shots precisely, you need a remote cable release or a wireless release. Buying an independent brand will save you money and usually have all Hands-off control YOU’VE INVESTED IN a camera body and one or two lenses, so you can get on and enjoy your picture taking, but you can get even more from your hobby by investing in a few accessories. A visit to a camera store or its website will tell you the breadth of kit out there to tempt the keen image maker and it is easy to get drawn into spending money on gear you might not actually need, so it pays to have a think about your needs.

the features offered by a camera brand version. A basic remote does nothing more than facilitate shutter release and perhaps offer a B lock, while advanced models offer B timing, intervalometer for time-lapse shooting, an LCD readout and an audible signal. Wireless remotes often have a transmitter and receiver unit, which fits in the hotshoe and plugs into the camera. Operating range can be up to 100m. As always, a great deal depends on the sort of photography you wish to enjoy, so this is where the funnelling down process begins. If action or nature photography is what appeals, then a monopod to support your long lens is a must. For landscape shooters, filters, a tripod and camera backpack are key accessories. If you have an inclination for portraits and table-top photography, flash and lighting products will be top of your list.

Some are part of a system, so remote firing of several cameras or a camera and flash is possible. Hahnel Captur and PocketWizard are two well-known wireless trigger brands. One of the most advanced remote triggers comes from CamRanger. The £250 CamRanger Mini and app offer remote control and shooting from up to 120m using your smart device and you get wireless live image streaming, too. HDR and focus bracketing are other features. CamRanger – intro2020.co.uk Hahnel.ie PocketWizard – xpdistribution.com Of course, many photographers are more general in their interests so will need a sling bag and a pap strap for shooting about town, a travel tripod when stability is needed, a remote release for night shooting and a flashgun for their family photography. Basically, once you get hooked and want to get more from your picture taking, there’s something out there that will help you fulfil your dreams.

OpTech – intro2020.co.uk BlackRapid – photoTEQ.com Peak Design – transcontinenta.co.uk Think Tank – snapperstuff.com

LEFT The CamRanger Mini is a sophisticated accessory and ideal for remote viewing and shooting

ABOVE BlackRapid is known for its across-the-body ‘pap’ straps, offering speed of use as well as comfort

Flash away

Go continuous with LED lights

There’s so much choice when it comes to adding a flash to your system with options including on-camera or off-camera, battery or mains power, auto or manual, or location or studio. If you are an occasional flash user, you may have a camera with a flash built in and you could stick with that, but if you want more power, control and flexibility, you need a speedlight, which is the generic name for on-camera, hotshoe-fitting flashguns. All camera brands have speedlights in their systems and plenty of independent brands are also available and, as with lenses, offer better value and may have even more features. Speedlights are very advanced pieces of kit with such niceties as through-the-lens flash (TTL) metering, high-speed sync flash (HSS), zoom head, tilt and bounce features, and are powered by AA batteries – some models like the Hahnel Modus 360RT (or the larger 600RT) have high capacity, rechargeable batteries. Speedlights can be used off- camera and a wide range of optional

accessories such as grids, softboxes, filters and brollies means you can modify their light output. Speedlights are great gadgets and very versatile, but if you’re serious about your people photography, the more powerful studio light option might be the better buy. Studio flashlights are bigger than speedlights – an exception is the Profoto A1X – so aren’t used camera-mounted but fixed on lighting stands and can be mains or battery powered (a few are both). These lights can be synchronised with a cable, although

the wireless solution is usually preferred for convenience (no trip hazard!) and working range. A while ago, studio lights were manual only and a flash meter was needed to determine correct exposures. But the latest studio lights have undergone a revolution and many, with a suitable trigger, offer the convenience of TTL flash control and HSS, too. Here are a few flash brands, speedlight and studio, to look out for. Broncolor.com Elinchrom.com Hahnel.ie Kenro.co.uk Pixapro – essentialphoto.co.uk Profoto.com Kenko, Metz – intro2020.co.uk LEFT A speedlight, such as the Kenko A1 shown here, can provide light where there isn’t any and enhance what’s there. For more power and flexibility, a studio type unit like the battery- powered Profoto B10 Plus is well worth the investment

If you prefer to see the effect of extra lights, are shooting video or simply like using continuous lights, there are plenty of LED lamps available. Such lights often offer colour temperature control so you can match output to the ambient light, have adjustable power, run cool and are reasonably powerful, too. As with flash, there’s the choice of mains or battery power and some offer both, making them ideal for location shooting, web conferencing and vlogging – and

the smaller units often fit the camera’s hotshoe. This lighting type not only comes in slim housings but ring lights, striplights, slimline pads and flexible panel lights are also available, offering many creative options. Pictured below are products from the Nanlite range from Kenro. manfrotto.co.uk Nanlite – kenro.co.uk Pixapro – essentialphoto.co.uk rotolight.com

LEFT Nanlite gear, distributed in the UK by Kenro, offers solutions for various situations and at competitive prices, too

8 Photography News | Issue 79

photographynews.co.uk

Photo kit

In association with

Keep it clean

Blower brushes, lens brushes, wipes, tissues, micro fibre cloths and specialist sprays are all available for cleaning lenses and sensors. Buy dedicated lens cleaning kit and you can’t go too far wrong, and well- known brands include Zeiss, Lenspen, Hahnel, Lee, Rosco, Spudz, Kenro and Eclipse. Most of the time, all you need is a dry clean so use a blower/lens brush to remove any surface debris. But if your lens has fingerprints or water marks, you will need to do a wet clean. You could keep your lens pristine by using a protection filter and, speaking of filters, remember to give them a regular clean, too. Dirty sensors are common, but if you find the idea of sensor cleaning

daunting, you may prefer to pay for a professional clean – many dealers offer a sensor cleaning service. But if you find yourself with a mucky sensor when you’re out on location, a self clean is the only option, so being geared up is a good idea. Dust on the sensor may not be a problem, because of what you shoot. If you’re a portrait worker and shoot at f/5.6 or wider, dust spots won’t be visible, but if you are a landscaper shooting at f/11 and f/16, debris and marks will show up in areas of even tone. This is due to greater depth-of- focus, the zone of sharp focus behind the lens, at smaller apertures. Check how dirty your sensor is by setting the lens’s smallest aperture

and shooting a plain subject (ie a cloudy sky or a sheet of white paper). To make any dust stand out, move the camera during the exposure or defocus the lens. Or you could use a sensor loupe, which a magnifier with an LED light built in. Sensor cleaning brands to consider include Dust-Aid, Eclipse, Green Clean and VisibleDust. If you decide to clean your sensor, follow the instructions or head online – there are loads of how-to videos, so check a few out before you even think about it and take great care. Alpine Spudz - phototeq.com Green Clean – snapperstuff.com Visibledust.co.uk

Improve your light

Having a flashgun in your armoury is one thing, but you should consider the quality of light it delivers as there is a huge variety of accessories available to change their output if you prefer a different look. Modifiers come in all shapes and sizes, from moulded slip- on plastic diffusers to softbox set-ups that aim to emulate the quality of studio flash output. What suits you best depends on what sort of pictures you shoot and you may end up with a range of modifiers to suit different situations. There are no hard and fast rules, but a slip-on plastic diffuser is probably the sensible option for fast-moving situations, while a Velcro-based or magnetic system with grid, softboxes and diffusers will suit shoots where you have more time. Honl Photo – flaghead.co.uk Koodinternational.com  Magmod – essentialphoto. co.uk Manfrotto.co.uk Rogue – xpdistribution.com

ABOVE VisibleDust has a range of sensor cleaning products on offer. Pictured is its Arctic Butterfly in action. For lens cleaning, Spudz cloths are effective and very convenient, too

Solid support

Filter facts

Very good camera and lens image stabilisers are available, but a support is still an essential accessory, with the most popular and most useful being the tripod. If you need a tripod for occasional use, a £50 model might suffice, but for more serious use, a cheap pod is no good at all. As is often the case, the more you spend, the more you get. As a rough guide, £100 will get you a decent pod for smaller, mirrorless cameras and £150-200 will get you one usable for full-frame cameras. Tripods are available with aluminium alloy or carbon-fibre legs, the latter being lighter but more expensive. If you have the budget, a carbon pod is worth the investment and if looked after will last you a good long time. Buy a size that suits your needs – that doesn’t just mean what you like to shoot, but also your own physicality as there’s no point buying a tripod you can’t carry along with your camera bag. Aspects to consider other than material include maximum height (with and without using the centre column), minimum height, number of leg sections, feet options and the centre column design. For many photographers, the best option is the travel tripod. These combine excellent stability, good features and portability, and don’t be fooled by the ‘travel’ tag because some models are seriously substantial. Some tripods come with a head. However, most are sold legs only and you add a head. It is worth saying that there is no point getting a solid set of legs and topping it with a flimsy head. Low-cost heads don’t hold the camera firmly and come with

Carrying solutions You can carry your camera in a shopping bag if you had a mind to, but a purpose-designed bag offers the best protection and usability. Bags and cases come in all shapes and sizes, and you won’t be alone if you end up with several bags to suit various situations. So, you might have a sling bag for about-town shooting, a backpack for yomping around the landscape and a roller case for travelling or storing your kit at home. Key things to consider are capacity, build quality, access, protection levels, weight and comfort. The ideal way to check a bag’s potential is to physically get your hands on it and even load it up if Filters can protect your expensive lens or help you to achieve the right result in-camera. Two filter types are available: screw-in round filters and slot systems, the latter are often called creative systems. Screw-in filters simply attach to the lens’s accessory thread, so just buy the right size while smaller or larger filters can be attached with step- up/step-down rings. Protection filters, extreme NDs and polarisers are popular screw-in types. Round grads are available, too, though the fixed position of the actual gradation is limiting. Slot filters fit into a grooved holder, which in turn is attached to the lens with an adapter ring. Filters such as grads can be moved up and down to suit the scene. Polarisers can RIGHT Round filters from brands such as Hoya and Marumi and slot filters such as those from Lee are popular. While slot filter systems such as the Kase K9 holder shown here combine the gripping of power of magnetism and slots

also be used in slot holders and each manufacturer has its own solution as to how this is achieved. Lee Filters places the polariser on the front end of the holder, while Benro, Marumi and Kase Filters, among others, place it behind other filters and use a drive cog mechanism to rotate the polariser. For example, the Kase K9 holder shown below. A recent innovation is the use of magnetism to hold filters in place. H&Y offers a system to convert an existing holder to a magnetic system, while Kase has a round magnetic system, and filters in a magnetic mount attach to an adapter ring. Both brands also have magnetic slot systems. See this month’s Buyers’ Guide for a detailed rundown of leading filter suppliers.

plastic quick-release plates, which are hopeless. So buy a head that has a load-bearing capacity to cope with your heaviest kit and accepts metal quick-release plates Monopods are another support option, favoured by action, video and sport photographers who have to support long lenses or need mobility and speed of use. Some monopods come fitted with three feet for extra stability (or are available as options). But going back to tripods, we shouldn’t forget mini tripods including the GorillaPod with its ball-jointed wrap-around legs. There are plenty of really compact tripods around. ABOVE The Manfrotto Befree GT is a carbon fibre, travel-sized tripod with a centre column mechanism that makes shooting flatlays easy

LEFT The output from your flashgun can look much better with the help of a modifier, such as the Rogue Flashbender v3 Large Softbox shown here

you can, although that might not be realistic at the moment. Most bag suppliers offer help through their literature and websites, with illustrations of loaded-up products so you get a great idea of their potential.

Benroeu.com FLM – snapperstuff.com Gitzo.com/uk-en/ Kenro.co.uk Manfrotto.co.uk Vanguardworld.co.uk

Lowepro.com/uk-en Manfrotto.co.uk Phototeq.com Snapperstuff.com Vanguardworld.co.uk

RIGHT Snapperstuff is the UK distributor of MindShift and Think Tank kit. Pictured is the Think Tank Airport Advantage XT

For more Summer Festival content, go to photographynews.co.uk

Issue 79 | Photography News 9

photographynews.co.uk

Camera technique

In association with

PROJECT POWER The long days and the short nights of summer are perfect for photography. With life gradually returning to normal, here we have some ideas to get you thinking and, more importantly, to get your creative juices flowing

Shoot the alphabet

Here’s a fun and challenging test for your seeing eye. Look for letters in scenes and try to spell out words and names. You’ll find some letters (I, L, O, V, X, for example) are easy to find, but some (B, G, R) will be more of a challenge and need a little imagination. So, if you fancy a challenge, try shooting the alphabet or spell out the name of a loved one or your footie team. And no taking shortcuts! Letters should be found or created within the scene, not actual letters.

SOME PHOTOGRAPHERS ARE easily inspired, others find the process more challenging. Regardless of which camp you fall into, after the period of lockdown we’ve experienced, we all need a little help to get us moving again, so we have some ideas here to help you get fired up. The easiest way to get your photographic eye working again is to set yourself a project or two to get you thinking. The word ‘project’ does sounds rather worthy and as though the end result should mean something, but a photo project can be a simple thing to make you think and help you to see pictures. Next time you’re at the park, beach or in town, you could, for example, just say you’re going to take ten pictures in ten minutes in a ten-by-ten metre area. Or on your next walk, you're going to shoot a collage of different colours, doorways or flowers. There is no rule that says these simple project images need to be world-beaters, it’s just a way to get you seeing pictures again. Of course, you may think that a little more in- depth project is what you need to get yourself going. Maybe one of our ideas here might tempt you. Looking for interesting shadows or photographing street art and graffiti are quite accessible to most people. Or how about trying to shoot the alphabet? (Which is not as easy as you might think.) Once your projects start gaining momentum, other ideas might come up, and there’s no reason at all why you can't have several projects on the boil at the same time. Indeed, a good plan is to have a couple of simple projects and one or two more in-depth projects going at any one time. Some projects will have a natural end, while others might

ABOVE Try taking up a picture project or challenge to get yourself back into a photography groove

come to an end simply as you get bored and want to move on. Whatever the case, once a project has ended, then is the time to think about what to do with your shots. You might decide to make prints to put into a simple plastic sleeve album for quick reference, or have a few larger prints made to adorn your

home office – or you even might take the grander approach of creating a portfolio of the best shots. The key is to recognise your work in some way. Treat it like giving yourself a big pat on the back, and there are plenty of techniques and services out there to help. So, it’s time to get your thinking cap on and come up with a few projects to shoot this summer.

ABOVE These diagonal pillars create the appearance of a ‘V’

Street art

Street art and graffiti are common urban sights and can make for interesting pictures and a good social record, too, plus no special camera techniques are really needed. It’s just a matter of your vision and how to you want to interpret what is someone else’s skill. A standard or telephoto lens will let to pick out details within the scene and give a better perspective, while a wide-angle lets you add more environmental context. A much-favoured technique to wait across from some street art and wait for someone to walk in front of it to add a sense of scale and context. It is a good idea that works really well, but don't assume that the first person who passes by will do. If you can, wait for someone to come along who better suits the scene or, if it’s a busy area, wait for a quieter composition. Let’s not forget lighting, too. Side lighting can work really well, especially if you have people walking in front, giving a fascinating mix of colour, shape and shadows.

LEFT Here, waiting for passers-by has added a sense of scale to the street art on the wall. Plus, their outfits complement the bright pink colours used for the graffiti

10 Photography News | Issue 79

photographynews.co.uk

Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32

www.photographynews.co.uk

Powered by