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EDITOR’S LETTER WILLCHEUNG
WHAT A THREE months of camera testing I’ve had. Getting the chance to work with the latest cameras is a privilege, and the Nikon Z 9, Canon EOS R3 and Sony A1 have recently been through my hands. This trio represent the pinnacle of contemporary camera tech and have received almost universally rave reviews – and deservedly so, they are sensational. Of course, they are very expensive, too. Although it seems there are plenty of potential buyers and stocks are limited right now. For those of you patiently waiting for your dream machine to turn up, rest assured, the wait will be worth it. Before you ask, I don’t have a favourite – to be honest, I don’t think I’d buy any of them. The Canon doesn’t have enough pixels, the Nikon is too heavy, while the Sony is a lot of money, ideally needing very expensive CFexpress Type A cards. On the plus side, they have amazing subject/eye detection autofocus, superfast continuous shooting rates and impressive high ISO performance. We’re in a lull of new cameras at the moment. This could be because the holiday season is around the corner, or it might be that makers have slowed down, because launching and generating
interest in kit they can’t deliver enough of is self-defeating. We could have a busy autumn, though. Not one to waste an opportunity, I took the Sony A1 with 200-600mm lens to Chester Zoo. I shot a lot of pictures thanks to a silent shutter and 20fps, but didn’t truly appreciate how many until getting home. I really enjoyed the combination, although my arms ached at the end of the day, and the last hour was lost, since the battery was exhausted. Being USB-C-chargeable is brilliant, but not when the power bank is in the car. Doh! Anyway, if you’re thinking of coming along to Photo 24 on 25-26 June, now’s the last chance, with applications closing on 17 May. If you can’t make it, we will be announcing themes for the Super 24 Challenge on Instagram and Twitter. We’ll have more details in PN 100, our podcast and online.
Laowa updates world’s widest shift lens Now with 14 blades, the 15mm f/4.5R Zero-D Shift promises even more artistic freedom for photographers
full-frame, there’s an 11mm shift to correct converging verticals and help stitch multiple images together. On medium format, there’s up to 8mm shift before vignetting occurs. Laowa’s newest optic will launch for £1099/$1199. ukdigital.co.uk
LAOWA HAS LAUNCHED an updated 15mm f/4.5R Zero-D Shift lens. While the original 15mm (identified with a blue ring) has five diaphragm blades, the updated f/4.5R (red edition) has 14 blades that can render greater flexibility with perspective and light bursts. The red edition, with cutting-edge 14-blade iris, gives stunning – and more subtle – 14-point sunbursts. This is especially useful when dealing with challenging reflections or strong light sources.
This will be available in Canon EOS EF/RF, Nikon F/Z, Sony E, Pentax K and L-Mount. Laowa has also made the lens available in Fujifilm GFX fit, in both versions. It features 17 elements in 11 groups, and includes two aspherical. It focuses as close as 20cm, and on
“On full-frame, there’s an 11mm shift to correct converging verticals”
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What’s inside
03 News It’s pretty quiet on the new kit front, but there’s plenty of action in the world of photo contests 09 Photo 24 Our big summer event is around the corner – and there’s still time to apply for a coveted place 13 Vanguard contest and Samsung word search Enter our simple, free contests and you could scoop a tasty prize. In the word search, we have a Samsung 256GB microSD card and SD adapter waiting for the winner, while our regular Vanguard competition has a VEO 3 263CB carbon-fibre tripod on offer
15 Club news A big win fromWoking PS makes the headlines this month 17 City clickers Three inspirational photo ideas for urban shooting in summer 21 Buyers’ guide: It’s all in the bag Look after your kit and it’ll look after you. Check out our carrying and protecting solutions, from shoulder bags and backpacks, to rugged roller cases 29 Buyers’ guide: Worry-free workflow Pre-visualising and shooting a picture is the start of a journey. With our advice, make the most of that entire process
32 Big test: Sony A1 The Sony A1 is an incredible machine, as it showed in this test 36 Used corner: Fujifilm GFX 50R Fujifilm’s GFX 50R was a popular model in its day. Now, it’s widely available on the used market, and even better value 38 First tests l Jackery Solar Generator 1000 power supply l Rode NTH-100 headphones l Manfrotto Professional USB 3.2 CFexpress Type B reader l Vanguard VEO 3 263CB tripod l Tenba Fulton V2 10L & 16L backpacks l Nikon Z 28-75mm f/2.8
Issue 99 | Photography News 3
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