Photography News Issue 43

Photography News | Issue 43 | absolutephoto.com

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CameraClubof theYear in associationwith Camera Club of the Year contest 2016-17 Four clubs have already qualified for the final of the PN Camera Club of the Year 2016-17 contest, so there’s just one spot available. Time to pull out the stops and get your club’s best scenic images to us

Welcome to round five of the PN Camera Club of the Year 2016-17 contest, and your club’s last chance to qualify for the final. It only seems like two minutes ago that we were launching this year’s prestige camera club contest and now there’s just one remaining berth to be filled up. For this round we want to see your club’s best landscape pictures. For inspiration and technique please see the advice from Paul Sanders, a Fujifilm X-photographer who specialises in scenic photography. Qualify for the final and your camera club is in for something challenging, the details of which will be released simultaneously to the five finalists. However, whatwe can reveal now is that the final will be a unique event – one that will offer a tremendous creative challenge and a never-to-be-forgotten experience for all the finalists. This year’s contest is sponsored by Fujifilm which should give you a clue about the final challenge – at least in terms of what camera you could be using. It’s safe to say the club that emerges top of the pile after the final shoot-out will thoroughly deserve the prestige of being our Camera Club of the Year 2016-17. Fujifilm’s X-series mirrorless camera system has redefined photography with its groundbreaking X-Trans sensor technology, classic styling and impressive and comprehensive lens system. The current offering comprises three cameras and 24 lenses and converters, so there’s something for every level of photographer. The X-series has a dual flagship line-up, the X-Pro2 and the X-T2, the thinking behind this being that the two cameras offer different picture- taking approaches. The X-Pro2 has an offset viewfinder giving it the handling of a film rangefinder camera, while the viewfinder itself is a brilliant hybrid fusion of the classic (optical) and the new (electronic) so you have the option. Another key point of difference is the X-Pro2 has a fixed monitor. A stylish graphite silver finish X-Pro2 has just been released. By comparison, the X-T2 has a flip monitor that suits low and high level, horizontal and upright format shooting, and its viewfinder is centrally placed with a pentaprism housing to mirror that of a DSLR camera. You also have the option of black or graphite silver finish. For video, the X-T2 is the first Fujifilm X-series to offer 4K video as well as Full HD shooting, and this can be enjoyed with the popular Film Simulation modes. About Fujifilm

But we’re getting ahead of ourselves here so let’s start with how you qualify for the final. Your club’s competition secretary must sign up on absolutephoto.com. Terms and conditions are also available on the website. Any club or group is eligible to enter so long as there are at least five members. Online groups, internal company clubs and those clubs not affiliated to the PAGB can still enter. Once you’ve signed up, go the Members Area on the top menu bar, click on that and you will see Camera Club of the Year 2016- 17 in the drop-down menu. Select that, then register your camera club and follow the upload instructions. JPEG files should be at least 1500 pixels on the longest dimension, under 2MB in size and, preferably, in the sRGB colour space. A club can only enter one set of five images from five different members each round, while failure to enter five shotswillmean themissing shot/s scores zero points; so it’s crucial to enter the full number of images. If, by mistake, six images are entered (it has happened) only the first five will be scored. After the closing date, each picture will be scored out of 20 points and the highest scoring club each month will qualify for the final. In Despite the two different handling philosophies, the results are effectively the same as both cameras share the same X-Trans CMOS sensor, X-Processor Pro processing engine, autofocus and exposure systems and so on. Both also have electronic shutters, although the X-T2’s extends to 30secs and both of them top out at 1/32,000sec. Both suit a wide range of subject matter, but if pushed you could say that the X-Pro2 suits people and street photography while the X-T2 is ideal for sports and portrait work. However, there is no reason why both cameras can’t excel at all kinds of subjects. The X-T20 takes on the role as a baby X-T2 so while both share the same sensor and viewfinder style, the body is significantly smaller, making it perfect as the take-anywhere X-series camera. And there are user benefits such as the touch monitor, so you get features like touch-shooting and touch-autofocus. We’ve only discussed three models here but there are more in the range and with 24 lenses and optical accessories, including high spec zooms, fast-aperture primes and teleconverters, one thing you won’t be lacking with the Fujifilm system is choice.

the event of tied scores, we will ignore the highest and lowest scores and average out the three remaining scores. The highest score wins. If scores are still tied, all five scores will be averaged out. When the issue with that month’s result is published, the scores for every picture entered will be published on the website so you can see how you’ve done. There’s no monthly prize apart from qualifying for the final shoot-out, and once a club has qualified for the final it need not enter again. Of course, your club can still enter again for the challenge, and pictures will still

be scored, but there’s no reward for winning in this instance. In effect, because each monthly contest is self-contained (ie. it’s not a league system over the period of the competition) even though this is the final round and it is your club’s first attempt, you could still win through to the final shoot-out. So, good luck everyone. Read the entry details again, check out the theme on the opposite page and start gathering your entry. Qualify for the final and your club could be joining us for a very special photography event with the title of Camera Club of the Year to be won.

fujifilm.eu/uk

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