In the very first issue of Photography News we put the Olympus OM-D E-M1 and the Canon EOS 7D to the test, speak to photographer Neil Buchan-Grant and talk you through the basics of Adobe Lightroom, in part one of our monthly tutorials.
Photography news News PReviews Tests CAMERA CLUBS interviews advice competitions FREE Issue 1 22 October – 18 November 2013
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Full-frame CSCs are here
New launches from Nikon, Fujifilm, Pentax, Sony and Panasonic
The world’s first full-frame mirrorless cameras have arrived, and it’s Sony that’s made the breakthrough with the launch of two models
Find out about all the latest launches inside
How towin the world’s biggest photo contest
Words by Ian Fyfe
Sony has unveiled the A7 and A7R. Both cameras feature 35mm Exmor CMOS sensors, with 24.3 megapixels in the A7 and 36.4megapixels in the A7R. Besides the higher resolution, the A7R sensor also includes technology that maximises light collection and a new ‘gapless’ on-chip lens design to eliminate spaces between pixels. Backing up the sensors in both cameras is a new BIONZ X processor, offering three times the speed of Sony’s previous chips. This also provides a maximum ISO sensitivity range equivalent to ISO 50-25,600, with area-specific noise reduction. Focusing in the A7 uses an enhanced Fast Hybrid autofocus system that has 117 phase-detection points and 25 contrast-detection points, combined with a new Spatial Object Detection function for what Sony claims is amongst the fastest AF system in any full-frame camera. The higher-resolution A7R uses a Fast Intelligent contrast-detection AF system that’s newly developed. It’s claimed to be 35% faster than conventional contrast-detection systems.
Tips from the man behind the Trierenberg SC
The XGA OLED electronic viewfinders in both cameras have 2.36 million dots and provide a 100% field of view with a magnification similar to most full-frame DSLRs at 0.71x. The 921,600-dot LCD is tiltable. Both cameras have magnesium alloy bodies that weigh in at just over 400g, making them the smallest and lightest full-frame cameras available. Other features include Wi-Fi and NFC for wireless connections, Sony’s PlayMemories Camera apps
On test: Olympus OM-DE-M1 &Canon EOS 70D
Turn the page to read what Sony’s Hiroyuki Matsushita has to say about the company’s full-frame intentions. INTERVIEW
See pages 24 and 28 for details
Article continues on page 3
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Photography News talks to Sony’s Hiroyuki Matsushita about the company’s intentions in the full-frame camera market Full frame ‘very important’ to Sony
continued from front cover
Words by Terry Hope
Full-frame CSCs are here and Smart Remote Control for adjusting settings and releasing the shutter from your smart devices. Both cameras are available to pre-order now; the A7 is priced at £1299 while the A7R will cost £1699. Both prices are body only.
The new line-up of cameras from Sony is a clear demonstration of intent from the company: full frame is key to its future direction. “Full frame is very important to us,” con irms Hiroyuki Matsushita, senior manager at Sony’s product planning division. “People are continually looking for more quality in their images, and full frame is a way of providing that. However, up until now if you wanted to go down this route you needed to buy a DSLR that would be big and heavy, and that might be an issue if you are travelling and need to carry your kit with you. “The A7 is a step up from the APS C format that is compact and lightweight, while the A7R is a genuine 36-megapixel model with the low-pass ilter removed that can meet the needs of the high-end enthusiast and, potentially, the professional user as well. Meanwhile the RX10 is a premium full-frame bridge camera that, in tandem with a 24 200mm lens that o ers a consistent f/2.8 aperture throughout its range, can deliver a fantastic performance while covering most eventualities that any photographer might face. Once again it’s light and easy to carry around, and the huge focal length range that’s covered enables photographers to work with just the one lens rather than having to carry others around with them.”
π To find out more visit www.sony.co.uk.
People are looking for more quality in their images and full frame is away of providing that
Hiroyuki Matsushita
High quality all-in-one uses A7 technology Premium Sony bridge Sony has a new premium compact – the RX10 – that features the same 20.2-megapixel Exmor R CMOS sensor, but also has the newBIONZ X processor seen in the A7 cameras and a Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* lens with an 35mm equivalent zoom range of 28- 200mm and a constant f/2.8 aperture. It o ers Raw shooting, DSLR-like control, Wi-Fi and Near Field Communication, and the body is magnesium alloy and resistant to dust and moisture. It’s available from mid-November priced at £999.
BELOW Five new lenses were unveiled alongside the A7 and A7R.
NEWS INBRIEF
EXPAND YOUR
MACBOOK You can increase
available MacBook storage space on the move with PNY’s new StorEDGE Flash Memory Expansion Module. It plugs directly into the SDXC slot on Apple’s 13in MacBook Air, MacBook Pro or MacBook Pro with Retina display, and is available in 64GB and 128GB versions to increase space for images and other iles, while itting with the notebook’s slim design. It also comes with a ive-year limited warranty. The StorEDGE is available now for £89 (64GB) and £169 (128GB). www.pny.com
Zeiss-branded optics are among the latest additions New lenses for A7 series
SteadyShot – these are a 28 70mm f/3.5 5.6 lens and a premium 70 200mm f/4 lens that’s the irst G series lens with an E-mount. Sony’s full-frameA-mount lenses canbeusedwith the A7 and A7R with the new full-frame compatible mount adaptors. The LA EA4 adaptor includes Translucent Mirror Technology for faster phase- detection AF, while the LA EA3 simply converts the mount. Alongside these announcements, Sony also unveiled a new A-mount lens, an updated version of its 70 200mm f/2.8 G lens that’s four times faster than the previous version.
The A7 and A7R adopt the E-mount of Sony’s previous NEX cameras, and they’re the irst to combine this mount with a full-frame sensor. That’s why no fewer than ive new full-frame E-mount lenses were announced alongside the cameras, with adaptors also available to convert Sony’s A-mount DSLR lenses. Three of the ive new E-mount lenses are Zeiss branded, including 35mm f/2.8 and 55mm f/1.8 T* Sonnar prime lenses, as well as a 24 70mm f/4 with Optical SteadyShot image stabilisation. The other two lenses from Sony also feature Optical
π To find out more visit www.sony.co.uk.
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Latest photography news
Built-in GPS andWi-Fi put the D5300 on the map, plus it’s filterless for improved resolution First NikonwithWi-Fi
Words by Will Cheung & Terry Hope
with a preview on the screen of your smart device. GPS allows geotagging of your images, adding location information to the EXIF data. Using Nikon’s ViewNX 2 software, you can also use the information to create travel maps that you can share on Nikon Image Space or other social networks. Although the body is smaller and lighter than the D5200, the vari-angle screen has been increased in size to 3.2 inches, with an increase in resolution to over one million dots. The viewfinder is also bigger, with 0.82x magnification. Other specifications stay the same: the 39-point autofocus system, 2016-pixel RGB metering sensor and five frames-per-second continuous shooting. The D5300 goes on sale on 14 November, priced at £730 body only.
Less than a year after the launch of the D5200, Nikon has unveiled the D5300. The first Nikon DSLR to feature Wi-Fi, it also has a number of updates under the bonnet designed to bring out the creativity in advanced beginners. The D5300 has the same resolution as its predecessor at 24.2megapixels, but as in all of Nikon’s latest releases, there’s no longer an optical low-pass filter for improved resolution. The announcement also sees the debut of Nikon’s next-generation processor, the EXPEED 4, promising clearer photos and movies in low light with a top expanded ISO sensitivity of 25,600. Also new in the D5300 are Wi-Fi and GPS, the first time these have been integrated into a Nikon DSLR body. Wi-Fi lets you transfer images from the camera to any iOS or Android device when using the app, and also lets you use the camera remotely
above The D5300: it’s like last year’s D5200, but with added connectivity and more creativity.
π To find out more go to www.nikon.co.uk.
Paying homage to the Noct-Nikkor of the ’70s, the 58mm f/4G promises super-smooth bokeh Nikon’s premiumprime
NEWS INBRIEF NIKON CASHBACK Nikon has announced its Christmas cashback promotions, which run from now until 26 January 2014. You can save up to £160 on DSLR bodies, £70 on DX lenses and £160 on FX lenses. There’s also money to be saved on flashguns and the Nikon 1 series. www.nikon.co.uk
Nikon has invoked the spirit of its Noct-Nikkor lens from the 1970s and unveiled a new 58mm f/1.4G lens. Nikon has gone all out in its development to create a lens with increased sharpness, contrast and resolution, and that reduces coma flare so that point light sources appear as fine rounded points even at the edges of the frame. It’s alsodesigned to effectively control brightness across the frame when shooting
at maximum aperture, and for smooth bokeh. Nikon says that it achieves the perfect balance of resolution and lens aberration that results in a ‘three- dimensional’ look that can’t be measured. The new lens is available from 31 October priced at £1600.
π To find out more go to www.nikon.co.uk.
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But the D5300 still isn’t a replacement for the D5200 Wi-Fi makes a difference The latest D5300 from Nikon is seen as a crucial addition to the company’s line-up, rather than a replacement for any existing models. In particular, the D5200 is to continue in the range, even though it shares many of the features that the new D5300 will carry. “We’re looking to strengthen our range,” says Jeremy Gilbert (below), group marketing manager at Nikon, “and to give customers more choice in terms of what they’re looking for in a camera. It’s also often the case that a newmodel, when launched, takes time to establish itself, and it could be that a predecessor camera might outsell the new model for a considerable period of time, something that might well happen here. We’re looking to strengthen our range, and to give customersmore choice in terms of what they’re looking for in a camera “In any case our feeling is that the addition of built-in Wi-Fi and GPS in the D5300 will differentiate the camera significantly from the D5200, and these are features that will be very important to some people, particularly in an age where social networking is so prevalent. Photos can be sent directly from the D5300 to any iOS or Android smart device, ready for easy upload to social networking sites such as Facebook, Instagram or Twitter, and it’s also possible to control the camera remotely using a connected smart device, plus you can preview the scene you’re shooting on the smart device’s screen. We think this represents a big move forward, and it means that you’ll be able to place the camera in difficult-to-access positions and then control everything from a distance, and you’ll also be able to set up self-portraits while viewing the set-up and operating your camera from a device held in your hand.”
Full frame & tough: theD610 Taking the D600 and adding a clutch of improvements, Nikon launches the 24-megapixel D610
issue, the new shutter should sort that too. There’s also an updated AWB system which, according to the press blurb, gives “more natural skin tones, rendering faces with a more three-dimensional appearance.” Intriguing. Other highlights include a 24.3-megapixel, full-frame sensor and 39-point AF system – all identical to the D600. The D610’s body price is £1799; with the 24-85mm lens it’s £2299.
A year after its launch, it looks like the end of the line for the Nikon D600, which is superseded by the D610. The D600 had suffered with dust/oil particles on its sensor from the beginning and this could have contributed to its early demise. The D610 is essentially the same as the D600 with a handful of improvements. Thanks to a new shutter mechanism, there’s a 6fps top shooting rate (up from the D600’s 5.5fps) and a 3fps continuous quiet mode – with the D600’s shutter thought to be the cause of the dust
π To find out more go to www.nikon.co.uk.
NEWS INBRIEF
Position long
lenses easily Benro’s top-of-the-range Gimbal Head CH2C is now available in carbon fibre from UK distributor Kenro. The Gimbal Head mechanismworks on the principle of manipulating it using its own centre of gravity, allowing you to quickly and easily manoeuvre large lenses. The carbon fibre of the GH2C means it weighs just 1.3kg but can support up to 25kg. It’s supplied with a 100mm lens plate and is compatible with the International QR system and optional Benro PL series special lens plates. www.kenro.co.uk
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Latest photography news
New XQ1 means Fujifilm’s X technology now fits in your pocket X-tremely compact
NEWS INBRIEF
Lightweight
lens pouch Mindshift Gear has revealed its brand new Lens Switch Case, a lightweight, unpadded modular lens pouch that is designed to be attached to the belt of its Rotation180° Professional backpack. from wide angles to telephotos, up to a 70-200mm f/2.8 lens. It also has external pockets for accessories, and the case weighs just 170g. www.mindshiftgear.com The case can hold a range of lenses Photo The public beta for the new version of OnOne’s Perfect Photo Suite editing software is now available to download. It’s the first time OnOne has opened up the development process to include public testing, and it hopes this will lead to its most successful launch ever. The full version of Perfect Photo Suite 8 is due for release on 26 November. You can download the beta version now. www.ononesoftware. com. Test Perfect
Words by Roger Payne
caused by closing the aperture, and the lens also features optical image stabilisation. The XQ1 also equals the X20’s focusing speed of 0.06 seconds, making it the world’s fastest focusing camera of this kind. The speed is continued with a shutter lag of 0.01 seconds and shooting interval of 0.3 seconds. You also have the option of manual focus with focus peaking on the anti-reflective 3in Premium LCD with 920,000 dots. Other features include Wi-Fi connectivity for transferring images to mobile devices, Fujifilm’s Film SimulationMode with five variations, eight Advanced Filter options and in-camera Raw development. The XQ1 will be available from November at a price of £349.99.
Fujifilm has a new premium compact in the shape of the XQ1, which combines the technology of the X-series with a record-breaking autofocus speed and a body that fits in your pocket. The XQ1 uses a 12-megapixel 2/3in X-Trans CMOS II sensor, the same type that’s found in its X100S and X20 siblings. The unique pixel array means there’s no need for an anti-aliasing filter, and the sensor is combined with the EXR Processor II to give double the processing power of the X-Pro1 compact system camera and an ISO sensitivity range of 100-12,800. It also features a newly developed f/1.8 zoom lens that has an equivalent focal length range of 25-100mm, and includes four aspherical and three extra low dispersion elements, as well as the Fujinon HT-EBC coating to prevent flare and ghosting. To maximise image quality, the Lens Modulation Optimizer corrects for defects and diffractions
π To find out more visit www.fujifilm.eu/uk.
Better image quality in X-E2 Alongside the XQ1 compact, Fujifilm has announced the successor to its X-E1 compact system camera, the X-E2. The newmodel promises better image quality, with the latest 16.3- megapixel X-Trans CMOS II image sensor and EXR Processor II. It also features the first Lens Modulation Optimizer for interchangeable lens cameras, which compensates for the effects of closing the lens aperture – this allows the camera to maximise the resolving power of each individual XF lens. The X-E2 uses the same combination of a manual aperture ring and shutter speed dial as the X-E1, as well as a 2.36 million dot OLED viewfinder, but manual focusing has been made easier with the addition of Digital Split Image
technology alongside focus peaking. Other improvements include an increase in AF speed, raising it to the world’s fastest for this type of camera at 0.08 seconds, and an increase in the continuous shooting rate to seven frames- per-second. Wi-Fi also allows the transfer of images to smartphones, tablets and computers. The X-E2 will be available from November at a price of £799.99 body only or £1199.99 in kit form with the XF 18-55mm lens. Update to X-E1 is faster and delivers better results
π To find out more visit www.fujifilm.eu/uk.
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Lowepro slimdown
Lakeland expansion
LPH heads overseas in 2014
Sling one of these over your shoulder and carry your CSC in style
Words by Will Cheung
Words by Will Cheung
Lakeland Photographic Holidays (LPH) is growing its range of international workshops in 2014. The new courses are being added to the already popular and renowned Lake District workshops. Workshops for 2014 include Tuscany, Iceland, Paris, India (Taj Mahal and the Red Fort) and Yosemite. The Yosemite Firefalls trip is scheduled for February 2014 and is timed for the couple of the weeks during the year when Yosemite Falls is lit up by the setting sun, hence the name. It should be a brilliant trip full of picture potential.
Three new compact system camera bags from Lowepro combine a super slim design with easy access. The Streamline Series includes the 150 and 250 shoulder bags, featuring separate compartments for your camera, tablet, smartphone and personal items. Both have padded, soft-lined zip pockets on the front and a main compartment that can be expanded by unzipping along the bottom. Also in the series is the Streamline Sling, which has a cross- body strap for comfort and easy access. It has a dedicated pocket for a tablet, and access to the camera compartment is via a zippered side opening. As well as CSCs, the Streamline Sling can hold smaller DSLRs with a kit lens attached. The Lowepro Streamline Series is available now, ranging in price from £33 to £41. General purpose zoom joins range Sigma adds to Art lenses The latest lens in Sigma’s Art line-up is the 24-105mm f/4. It features an optical stabiliser and is compatible with full-frame cameras. Its construction includes F Low Dispersion, Special Low Dispersion and aspheric lens elements to reduce distortions and aberrations, and is designed to overcome low peripheral brightness that’s common in similar lenses. Super Multi-Layer Coating also reduces flare and ghosting. The minimum focusing distance is 45cm, and the Hyper Sonic Motor makes for silent autofocusing, while the lens cap and AF/ MF switches have been redesigned for better useability. It’s also compatible with Sigma’s USB Dock system that allows you to use dedicated software to update the lens firmware and fine-tune parameters such as the focus. The price and availability of the lens is yet to be confirmed. π To find out more visit www.lowepro.com. Words by Ian Fyfe
π To find out more visit www.lakelandphotohols.com.
NEWS INBRIEF
Experiment withMicro Four Thirds Lomography has a new experimental lens kit for Micro Four Thirds cameras. Compatible with all Micro Four Thirds cameras, the kit includes a fisheye lens, a 12mmwide- angle and a standard
24mm and allows you to take circular 160˚ shots, optical
multiple exposures and create extreme colour saturation. The kit costs £79. www.lomography.com
π To find out more visit www.sigma-imaging-uk.com.
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Latest photography news NewPentax flagship
NEWS INBRIEF Transfer images ina flash PNY has introduced a High Performance USB 3.0 Flash Card Reader, designed for professional photographers and videographers and promising transfer speeds up to ten times most popular formats, including SDHC, SDXC, CompactFlash UDM7 and Micro SDHC, and is ultra slim with a retractable cable for portability. www.pny.com faster than USB 2.0 readers. It supports
Embrace the great outdoors with Pentax’s topline DSLR
Words by Matty Graham
include the SAFOX 11 TTL AF system using 27 AF sensors, 25 of which are cross-type, top continuous shooting of 8.3fps, dual SD card slots and a 3.2in LCD with 1037k dots. It’s available from November, priced at £1099 body only.
The new K-3 sits at the top of Pentax’s DSLR line, and it boasts a series of features designed to optimise image quality and performance when shooting outdoors. The K-3 sports a 24.4-megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor that has no optical low-pass filter, but if moiré is seen it has an innovative way of introducing one should it be needed. At the touch of a button, you get the effect of an anti-aliasing filter (with the option of two intensities). This is done not by moving an actual low-pass filter into position but by the camera deliberately moving the camera’s sensor shift image stabiliser during exposure. The sensor shift mechanism also provides other user- assisting shooting functions, including auto level compensation, image-composition fine adjustment and Astro Tracer, which is designed to simplify advanced astronomical photography when used with an optional GPS unit. The body of the K-3 includes 92 seals that provide dust proofing, weather resistance and tolerance of temperatures down to –10°C. Other key features
π To find out more about the K-3, go to www. pentax.co.uk.
LEFT The Pentax K-3 is a rugged DSLR that’s sure to appeal to outdoor photographers.
Updated tripod, newbags Single-handed operation for
Manfrotto’s most popular tripod, plus bags of new carrying options
Words by Roger Payne
Manfrotto’s most popular tripod has had an update, and the new 190 tripod series has a host of new features. The mechanism of the new 90° column allows it to tilt, and you need just one finger to operate it. This new design also makes for more compact closed dimensions, improving the portability. And thanks to the new Quick Power Lock system, you can quickly extend the leg sections with just one hand. Also new is an Easy Link plug, allowing instant connection between tripods and accessories such as LED lights, and redesigned leg angle selectors for better useability. The company has also expanded its range of bags with new Advanced and Professional lines. The Advanced collection includes 21 bags in six styles, including shoulder bags, holsters and sling bags. They all feature hard-wearing fabrics and include tripod holders, dividers, pockets and rain covers. The Professional collection is made up of 16 bags in five styles: shoulder bags, backpacks, holsters, sling bags and trolleys. They’re designed to protect your kit, with a Camera Protection System to absorb impacts, and shock-resistant Exo-Tough Construction.
above Updates will make the 190 tripod even more popular.
π To find out more go to www.manfrotto.co.uk.
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LumixG goesmini
NEWS INBRIEF Lincoln Photo Show The tenth London Camera Exchange Lincoln Photo and Optics Show 2013 will take place on 6 November at The Drill Hall, Lincoln. Entry is free, and it’s a chance to try and buy the latest products from brands covering everything from cameras and tripods to monitor calibration, and to take advantage of part-exchange deals.
Panasonic compact system cameras just got a whole lot smaller with the launch of the GM1
Enhanced photo book design The latest layout software from Bob Books Your photo book designing experience with Bob Books is set to improve as the company introduces the fifth version of its software, Bob Designer. New features will include the new large landscape books with lay-flat photographic paper, and the option to add video to your book. If you add a video to the page, the software creates a QR code that means you can scan it with your smartphone or tablet to view the footage. Also on the horizon is a new Bob Books iPad app, providing a quick and easy way of creating a book. With the app downloaded to your tablet, you’ll be able to create a photo book anywhere, any time. Words by Matty Graham
There will also be free seminars from photographers and product experts,
and a used camera marketplace with vintage, classic and modern equipment. www.lincolnphotoshow. com
RIGHT Small is beautiful for the tiddly Lumix GM1.
Will Cheung onphoto mags Do you agree with his forthright views? Read p12 and tell us!
Words by Matty Graham
Panasonic’s latest addition to its mirrorless line-up is also its smallest. The GM1 marks a new series in the Lumix G series, and is designed for enthusiasts who want a take-anywhere camera. It’s complemented by a new 12-32mm f/3.5-5.6 ASPH lens. At the heart of the GM1 is a 16-megapixel Digital Live MOS sensor, which has larger pixel sites for greater dynamic range and ISO sensitivity than the GX1. This sensor is coupled with the latest Venus Engine image processor that features Multi-process Noise Reduction to reduce grain without impacting on detail. The GM1 features Light Speed AF that can be used with continuous shooting at up to four frames- per-second – without autofocus, this continuous shooting speed increases to five frames-per-second.
Low Light AF allows accurate focusing in extreme low-light conditions, down to -4EV, and Pinpoint AF lets you magnify one area of the image by up to ten times for precise focusing. Much of the mechanics of the GM1 have been redesigned to produce a smaller body; the frame has been streamlined, the shutter mechanism has been simplified, the internal filters have been reworked and the in-built flash is smaller. Despite this, there’s still a 3in 1036k-dot LCD touch screen on the back and in-built Wi-Fi that allows connection to mobile devices for image sharing and remote control. The Lumix G GM1 will be available from mid- November, priced at £629.
π To find out more about Bob Books, go to www. bobbooks.co.uk.
π To find out more, visit www.panasonic.co.uk.
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Camera clubs
The Banquet of Champions
Meet the Guildford Photographic Society’s (GPS) trophy winners from the 2012-13 season. The image was created by GPS member Joe Corr, of Surrey- based creative photography and design company, Image Works (www.imageworks-surrey.co.uk) and the idea was to create a pastiche of The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party, due to Lewis Carroll’s strong connection with Guildford. “I sought to capture something of the madcap fantasy nature of the books as well as the illustrations by John Tenniel,” says Joe Corr. “The GPS is one of the oldest photographic societies in the country. It was founded in 1892 – six years before Lewis Carroll’s death – and was set up with the object of ‘advancing the art and craft of amateur photography’. Well over a century later, we have not lost sight of this objective. We are a very friendly group and meet every Monday evening at Burpham Village Hall.” Guildford PS has come up with a unique, very photographic, way of commemorating its success
π To find out more go to www. guildfordphotosoc.org.uk
Burton photographic exhibition
WHAT’S YOUR CLUBUPTO?
Your story might be about a recent successful group shoot, or a special event, or an individual member who has gained a distinction or won in a photography contest. Please send the story (of no more than 300 words) plus a high resolution JPEG (no bigger than 2400pixels on its longest dimension) to clubnews@photography-news.co.uk.
Here’s your chance to tell the world how great your club is and what its members are up to.
Can youhelp? Chichester CC is looking for speakers for 2015 Members are encouraged to enter the exhibition whether they have joined recently or are more experienced, and the exhibition is split into separate classes for beginners, intermediates and advanced workers in monochrome prints, colour prints and digitally projected images. There are also separate nature print and nature projected image sections. Trophies are awarded to Mike Owens of Chichester Camera Club emailed us with this plea for help: “I’m responsible for the club’s programme for 2015 and I want to put on something quite different for our members.” He explains: “I think the tried-and-tested approach is to use the Federation handbooks to choose your judges and lecturers but On 16 and 17 November you can admire (and be inspired by) Burton upon Trent PS’s images in their annual members exhibition The Burton upon Trent Photographic Society’s Members Annual Exhibition takes place at the Priory Centre, Church Road, Stretton DE13 0HE over the weekend of 16 and 17 November.
subjects can be a little limited and also not everyone is a member of the PAGB!” Mike is looking for informative and entertaining speakers, who are exponents of 3D photography, DSLR moviemaking or extreme macro, to address the club in 2015. And he is hoping that among PN ’s readers, there will be enthusiastic and innovative photographers, more than happy to share their experiences. If you’re interested, please email Mike on mykeowens@gmail.com. the best in each of the sections, as well as for best portraiture, landscape and record photography in the exhibition. The general public is invited to visit the exhibition on both days, between 10am and 4pm; admission is free. There’s an official opening at 2pm on Saturday by the mayor of Burton upon Trent. The mayor will also present the prizes in the Open competition, which runs alongside the exhibition and is open to non-members. π To find out more go to www.burtonps.co.uk/exhibition.html
π To find out more go to www.chichestercameraclub.org.uk
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YorkMinster It’s one of the world’s most magnificent cathedrals and chock- full of opportunities for the creative photographer. We set five members of York Photographic Society the task of capturing the best of the Minster. Here’s how they got on… reader challenge
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of them. As they’re all local, for most of them this visit to the Minster was not their first, so they weren’t as awestruck as a newcomer would be and ultimately that meant they already had an idea of what they wanted to shoot. The other advantage was that the Minster was closed to the public and had opened up specially for the Society. That meant they had free rein to wander without having to wait ages for a coachload of sightseers to move out of shot, they just had to wait for a fellow photographer to shift. The only limitation was that the shoot was restricted to 90 minutes. Now, you may think that the duration of a football match is plenty long enough to shoot a few snaps of an old building, but this is York Minster we’re talking about. It’s a very large place jam-packed with picture opportunities in almost every nook and cranny, so an hour and a half is a surprisingly short time in which to properly exploit what’s there. So, let’s see how our intrepid five dealt with the challenge.
Words by Will Cheung
No matter how many of the world’s best cathedrals you’ve visited or whether you’re religious or not, walk into York Minster and you’re sure to be totally amazed. As jaw-dropping sights go it’s right up there with the very best and if it’s your first time, it can take a short while to get your breath back; yes, it’s that impressive. While your senses are recovering, take the chance to start checking out the veritable feast of photo opportunities. Wherever you look you will see pictures and it’s a good thing perhaps, before you start shooting, to recce the place and prioritise a shooting list. The other option is to just jump in head first and take the risk that you might run out of time and miss something. It’s a dilemma: to recce or to shoot? On the occasion of this photo challenge, our five members of York Photographic Society had a couple of major advantages, but time was not one
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WHAT’S
YOUR EVENT?
If your club has similar shoot events or group outings, we’d love to hear from you. Ask your chairman, programme secretary or marketing person to email challenge@ photography-news. co.uk if you want your club featured in the pages of PN .
Thanks go to York Minster and York Photographic Society, especially Allan Harris who got in touch about this great opportunity. You can see more on the York Photographic Society’s visit to York Minster in Issue 37 of Advanced Photographer magazine, on sale on 24 October.
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Glynis Frith This was my first time
Morris Gregory I wanted to take pictures that would hopefully be a bit different from everybody else’s so concentrated mostly on details and ignored the wider architectural shots. Picking a favourite is difficult but mine is probably the Stained Glass Impression. This photograph best captures the combination of movement and highlighted faces that I was trying hard to achieve.
Allan Harris I find there is so much
John Shepherd FRPS My favourite image, the shot down the aisle of the donation box, was the last of the evening; having taken the opportunity to clear the clutter around the desk area I moved back and composed my image. I was all set when my colleagues stepped into the scene. I moved the tripod forward and lowered the shot to see if I could obliterate the intruders, quickly focused and pressed the trigger.
Rob Swallow Apart from one lunchtime, I have never previously been inside the Minster to take images. I started with a 28mm prime and then switched to a macro lens and my favourite image is the macro shot of the lectern. I love the challenge of close-up work with this particular lens. It’s just great when the graft of searching for ‘the right shot’ culminates in a satisfying image.
shooting inside the Minster, which was very enjoyable. My favourite part was in the Chapter House – it’s beautiful, with lots of interesting things to take pictures of. My favourite image is of the Chapter House ceiling because I was able to capture a part of the Minster you would not normally be able to see in such detail because of the height.
detail to photograph in the Minster, it is inexhaustible as a source of subject matter, from the majesty of the nave to the medieval carvings in the Chapter House. Most of my shots were wide-angle, and my favourite photograph from the day is the circular panorama of the Chapter House ceiling because it was technically difficult, an interesting challenge and it shows the detail well.
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Issue 1 | Photography News
12
Opinion
Speakers’ corner This is your chance to climb up on your soapbox and have a rant. Get in touch if you have something you want to get off your chest. We kick off with PN’s editor and his views on the photography magazine market
Words by Will Cheung
The sales of photographic magazines are declining year by year. That’s even if you take all the available news-stand titles as a whole. What I am saying is that the decline is not just in individual titles, but the photographic market as an entity. It’s a pattern seen in the sales of most magazines and newspapers. As a photographic magazine editor the decline, naturally enough, is very disappointing but it’s also understandable and is mostly attributable to the Internet. Magazines cost money, and neither do they have the immediacy, nor the incredible breadth of coverage that you get from the Internet. The web offers more too: if you have a problem, a Google search will soon sort it; you can post your own pictures up without having an editor sitting in judgment of them first; and you have the freedom to more or less say what you want without getting into trouble, although there has been the odd exception. Right now, the storm in the teacup is footballer Jack Wilshere who said that only English players should play for England. It’s his opinion and he’s entitled to one without the world throwing up their collective arms up in indignation. ‘Chillax’, as PM Cameron might say. I’m wandering off track here so back to the point. The web is democratic and we are so dependent on it that if it disappeared overnight, for most of us it would be like going back to an age before fire and the wheel were ‘discovered’. The democratic nature of the web I do worry about sometimes, ignoring the billions of dross pictures up that should have been deleted in-camera. Such is the freedom of speech that anyone can put themselves up as an authority or an expert. There are literally thousands, if not a great many more, of so-called photographers and experts out there who don’t know what they are talking about or wouldn’t know a truly good photograph if it came up and slapped them in the face. Many so-called experts are pixel peepers into the technology of imaging, who would never dare to venture out of their homes in case they have to deal with a fellow human being. The worrying thing is that they are believed; they probably have thousands of followers (disciples!). Before the Internet, it was the photographic magazines that were the home of experts and the readers were the ‘disciples’ if you like. But many of the journalists on the editorial teams and their contributors were experts; they had to be to get the job in the first place. Yes, some were geeks (I was the darkroom nerd), but they truly had the knowledge. I joined Practical Photography nearly 30 years ago and have spent time (got drunk!) with most of the photo magazine press corps over that time. On my first press trip, I recall meeting a hero of mine, Victor Blackman, Amateur Photographer ’s famed
a beautiful way to enjoy great photography, along with true expert advice. This newspaper you are reading now (assuming I haven’t upset you yet and you’re still reading!) is even better value. It’s free – and we need your help to fill it. You know what your club and its members are up to, what they enjoying shooting, what their interests are. So if you are reading this, or other stories in PN , and have an idea for a feature, an opinion, a news story, a club or individual achievement that deserves a wider audience than your own club or society, seriously we would love to hear from you. Just email us – pretty please. Meanwhile, next timeyou’repassing themagazine section in WHSmith, Tesco or Sainsbury’s spare a few moments and check out the photographic section. You never know, you might see something there that you’ve never seen before. You might even be tempted to spend a few quid.
columnist, and I was totally tongue-tied. I loved his work because he genuinely knew what he was talking about. There are people in the modern world who deserve the admiration, affection and respect that I had for Mr Blackman (I didn’t feel worthy of calling him Vic), but there are a great, great many that are not worth the cyberspace they occupy. In Room 101, they would be top of my list. Better still, I would take the B Ark idea from the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams where the planet of Golgafrincham got rid of a useless third of its population (hairdressers, security guards, telephone sanitisers etc) by shipping them off the planet. The only downside was the remaining population eventually died out thanks to a disease contracted from a dirty telephone. Doh! Going back to where I started and the decline in photographic magazine sales, I think it’s a shame that so many photographers have given them up, thinking they have nothing to learn from them, or have read or seen it all before. In my book, every day is a school day. No one knows it all. The magazine I edit now is Advanced Photographer and it costs £4.95; a pack of 20 cigarettes or a large glass of wine in a decent pub is more. The magazine is brilliant value – and longer lasting too – even though I say so myself, and so are the other excellent magazines in the market. They continue to offer what the web simply can’t –
There are literally thousands, if notmore, of so-called
photographers and experts out therewho don’t knowwhat they are talking about
If you have an opinion or something you want to get off your chest, drop us a line at opinion@photography-news.co.uk. What do you think?
Photography News | Issue 1
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Advertisement feature
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HOYA FILTERS
Polarising paradise Thanks to its eight coatings and slim profile, the new Revo circular polariser fromHoya could be the filter to bag
TOP RIGHT On a clear day, especially when the sun is high, a polarising filter can enhance a blue sky. RIGHT No filter.
The Hoya Corporation is the world’s largest manufacturer of optical glass. Hoya filtershave long been the choice of professional photographers, and the renowned Pro-1 range is both extensive and high quality. More recently, Hoya introduced the premier HD series with extra-toughened glass and highest grade multi-coating, and now the Revo slots in between Pro-1 and HD. Top of the Revo range is the landscaper’s favourite, the ever-popular circular polarising filter. Revo incorporates not only the finest optical performance, but also top grade multi-coating with an additional protective layer, making the filters less prone to marking and easier to clean. Revo protective layer The new Revo’s hard outer protective coating is both water and stain resistant. As the comparison pictures, right, show, regular multi-coated filters can be damaged by rain allowed to dry on the surface. On the normal filter water drops spread into blobs, whereas on the Revo they form beads that run off. Dried-on watermarks are extremely difficult to remove from an ordinary multi-coated filter, often impossible. With Revo, these marks come straight off, including dried-on salt sea spray, and this is a major advantage in situations where you really need a protection filter to do its job. To test the toughness, we tried scratching the Revo’s surface with the sharp end of a paper clip, pressing hard
enough to bend the metal, but amazingly, the filter was completely unmarked. Impressive.
Why multi-coating? When light strikes a glass surface, about 4% is reflected, and the same amount again when it passes through the other side – a total of 8%. This loss of light is obviously not a good thing, but also when reflected light gets inside a lens it bounces around and some finds its way to the sensor, causing flare and ghosting. Coating the glass surface reduces reflectance dramatically and typically a single-layer coating will cut reflections in half. Hoya’s SMC Super Multi- Coating goes further still, with up to eight furnace- bonded layers, raising light transmission to 99.35%. Slim, low-profile mount With very wide-angle lenses, it’s sometimes possible for a standard thickness filter to encroach into the corners of the image. The Revo’s slim low-profile mount prevents this, but Hoya has still found room to include front threads, so a second filter and a clip-on lens cap can be attached. The Hoya Revo range of circular polarisers, UV filters and clear protection filters represents the highest quality available and comes thoroughly recommended. Sizes range from 37 to 82mm, with guide prices from £43.
To test the toughness, we tried scratching the Revo’s surface with a paper clip, but it was completelyunmarked
ABOVE LEFT Hoya Revo filters have a tough and water-resistant coating. Droplets form into beads and dried-on marks are easy to clean. ABOVE RIGHT With ordinary multi-coated filters, droplets tend to form blobs and dried-on watermarks are very difficult or even impossible to remove, leaving silvery outlines.
Reducingpolarisedreflections
Reflections are polarised (all except those off bare metal) and at the optimum angle and correct degree of filter rotation, they can be greatly reduced or eliminated. The best angle is between 30 and 40° to the surface, known as Brewster’s Angle, and this usually falls nicely for reflections off water so you can see beneath the surface. And with motorsport, this angle can cut reflections off windscreens, so you can see the driver. In both these cases, the optimum degree of rotation will have the index mark around the top, so blue skies get darkened at the same time. It is the two combined effects of a polarising filter – blue skies and reduced reflections – that makes them the landscaper’s favourite. With leaves, grass and foliage, there are almost always some shiny reflections off the surfaces and at least a few of those will naturally fall at Brewster’s Angle, so the filter makes colours richer and more saturated. Be careful with pictures of people, especially on the beach. A polariser can take the attractive sheen off a suntan, turning skin to putty.
ABOVE LEFT A polariser darkens blue skies and cuts reflections from leaves and foliage, enhancing the colour. ABOVE RIGHT No filter.
To find out more go to www.intro2020.co.uk
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Issue 1 | Photography News
14
Technique
So ware skills Take control of Adobe Lightroomwith our monthly tutorials. Part 1: the basics ADOBE LIGHTROOM There is a multitude of di erent software packages available for imaging. There are freewares, sharewares and stu you have to pay for and that includes Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Photoshop Elements – both extremely popular and deservedly so. These two are very powerful and highly featured, and let’s face it, there is little that can’t be done with them. Despite that, however, for this beginner’s guide to software we are going to focus on another member of the Adobe Photoshop family: Lightroom. Now in version 5, Lightroom has been designed with photographers in mind. Lightroom actually can’t do some of the things that the two Photoshop packages can. Equally ,Lightroom o ers features that the two Photoshops don’t. The key point of di erence is that while the two Photoshops are browsing, processing and editing softwares, Lightroom is all about work low. It takes you from importing the images o the camera’s storage card to organising and cataloguing shots using keywords. You end up in a powerful developing module where you can improve and edit your images before inally getting to the various output options. More and more photographers, including professionals, do most of their editing in Lightroom and don’t go into Photoshop much at all. That’s not to say Photoshop is redundant. Far from it, because it has features – Layers, Selection tools, better cloning functionality and more – that Lightroom doesn’t, but for many images and for most photographers, Lightroom has more than enough power. One big bene it of Lightroom is that any editing changes you make in the catalogue are non- destructive so your originals are left untouched. Any modi ications you do make are stored, unlike in Photoshop, so go back to the image several years from now to output it, and it will feature the same modi ications you made several years previously. In this series we’ll take you through many of Lightroom’s key features, from import to inal use. Words by Will Cheung BACKUP YOUR BACKUP Backing up your original images is important. Always have more than one copy of your shots and keep them in di erent places. Every photographer needs a backup plan, whether that is on one (or more) external hard drive or by using a ‘cloud’, a storage facility on the Internet. The cloud option is not for everyone – because of cost, poor broadband speed or sheer number of iles, so consider it carefully. An external hard drive is a good, simple and e ective solution. A good-quality 2TB hard drive will cost around £70. For a belts and braces approach you may want to have two identical sets of your pictures at home, plus a third copy o -site in case.
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1. Navigator 2. Catalog 3. Folders 4. Collections 5. Publishing Services 6. In Library 7. Histogram 8. Quick Develop 9. Keywording and Keyword List 10. Metadata
STEP 1 Newcatalogue With Lightroom open, go to File>New Catalog to make a new catalogue. Your images will be shown in the middle of the screen with panels either side; they’re xed in position. The available functions vary depending on the chosenmodule. Navigating through the di erent modules – Library, Develop, Map, Book, Slideshow, Print and Web – is done by clicking on the relevant word. Quick keys can be used too. STEP 2 Import the shots Insert acard intothecomputer/cardreaderand the so ware detects this. The Import dialogue, along with a number of options on the right side of the interface, appears. Before you click Import, there are some decisions to bemade. n Build Smart Previews Smart Previews let you edit images when youwork away from the drive the pictures are stored, ie. when you are out and about with the laptop. Changes are updatedwhen the computer and images are reunited. Leave the box unticked for now – you can do it later if youwant.
n Don’t Import Suspected Duplicates Self- explanatory. It saves confusion so tick the box.
n Make a Second Copy To Lets youmake a second copy at the time of import. Useful if you have two hard drives attached.
STEP 3A er import Once the images are in Lightroom, the interface reverts to the Library Module (we’ll discuss this in detail next month). How you use catalogues is up to you. You can make one for every trip out with the camera but that is probably not ideal. You might make a catalogue each for family pictures, holidays, portrait shoots and speci c locations. Or maybe one for each year and put everything you shoot into it. Folders are dated as you import pictures so this can work ne and Lightroom works perfectly quickly evenwithmany thousands of pictures.
n File Renaming Either keep the camera’s le names or personalise them.
n Apply During Import Usually set to None because youwill edit images later. However, if youwant to use a Lightroompreset you can. n Destination You decidewhere youwant the images to go: onto the computer’s hard drive or onto an external drive
You can download a 30-day free trial of the software from the Adobe website. Head to www.adobe.com/go/ trylightroom . DON’THAVE LIGHTROOM?
n Import Click this to load the images into Lightroom. It takes a short while.
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