It’s the launch of the Photography News Summer Festival – three months of awesome content featuring photo kit, camera technique and video hints and tips in the magazine and on our website, photographynews.co.uk. There’s also a Big test on what is quite possibly the best premium compact camera around, the Fujifilm X100V, and a Buyers’ guide to essential workflow kit.
Photography News Your FREE newspaper packed with the latest news, views and stories Prize word search / Win a Samsung 256GBmicroSD memory card Buyers’ guide / Essential advice for smoothing out your imaging workflow A W A R D S 2019
ISSUE 77 19 May-15 Jun 2020 photographynews.co.uk
Big test: Fujifilm X100V / The premium compact camera available? Probably
THEPHOTOGRAPHY NEWS SUMMER FESTIVAL
Our worlds changed in lateMarch. For PN, with photo retailers closed and camera clubsmeeting virtually, getting copies out to readers became a priority. Through our website,mailing list and with the help of the PAGB, we launched the Get PN for Free campaign, offering readers a free three- month delivery to their front door of Photography News .We have been inundated with requests and are glad somany of you took us up on the offer. “Agreat initiative – thank you,”said Liz Kenny fromFrodshamand District PS, while Jason Ametrine fromShepshed and District CC said: “Thanks for doing this amazing offer at this hard time for us all.” To take advantage of this offer while you still can, email: hello@bright-publishing.comquoting PN free offer, as well as your name and address details*. The offer finishes on 31 May 2020. Every issue of Photography News is also available to read for free on our website and if you sign up to our newsletter, you will get a notification whenever a new issue comes out. Another innovation born out of the lockdown is the PN podcast, which can be enjoyed for free via our website,Apple Podcasts,YouTube and Spotify. In episode four, the PN team revealed their self- portraits. EditorWill Cheung took two approaches, bright and dark; editorial director Rog Payne went all multiple exposure; and contributing editor Kingsley Singleton took his in the loo. The resulting debatemakes for a compelling listen and you can enjoy the final images on our website. We’d love our readers to contribute to future episodes. Perhaps you have a view on our self- portraits or maybe a tricky question for the team? Email: podcast@photographynews.co.uk . • photographynews.co.uk *Terms and conditions apply. When the going gets tough, PN gets going… PN continues to innovate and deliver in these challenging times
We’re turning up the heat this summer, with a whole host of great content in themagazine and on our website to fire up your photography
IT HAS BEEN a challenging couple of months, but there is light at the end of the tunnel and lockdown restrictions are easing. Hopefully, they will continue to ease as we head towards high summer. Over our next three issues – starting with this one and running through June
and July – we’re delivering you a set list packed with headline acts including technique guides, interviews, gear advice and more. In each issue of the magazine, we’re hosting three ‘tents’ to get you in the festival spirit – photo kit, camera technique and video technique. Each month, you’ll find something new and exciting in the tents. In addition, you’ll be able to find even more festival content on our website and on The Photography News Podcast. (See right- hand story for more on our podcast.) This month, we’ve got mirrorless cameras appearing in the photo kit tent, long exposures in the camera technique tent and entry- level techniques in the video one. On our website, in the Summer Festival section, we’re releasing features on each of our core topics every week for the whole three months of the festival. It’s going to be fun and we hope you enjoy and learn from us over the coming months. So without any further ado, let the festival commence! • photographynews.co.uk
2 Photography News | Issue 77
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New camera and audio recording kits, plus free home sessions withOlympus experts Olympus offerings
EDITOR’S LETTER WILL CHEUNG
The popular Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III is now available in two new kits. The first is a pairing of the E-M5 Mark III body with the M.Zuiko Digital ED 12‑45mm f/4 Pro lens, which is weather-sealed, compact and lightweight. This combination is available at £1499.99. The second kit (right) is the video kit, which includes the E-M5 Mark III body with the M.Zuiko Digital ED 12mm f/2 lens and LS-P4 audio recorder, as well as a Joby GorillaPod 500, an SM2 shock mount adapter, a 3.5mm audio cable and a
Hello and welcome to the latest issue of Photography News , and I hope you are keeping well – and sane! – in the ongoing situation. Normal life is a still some way off. It’s true lockdown guidelines have been loosened, but as I write this, the practicalities of those changes are still not totally clear. However, spending more time outside is OK, so I take it that a trip out locally with the camera is acceptable – subject to social distancing guidelines, of course. So, perhaps it’s a tentative welcome to the launch of Photography News Summer Festival, celebrating photography. Hands up, the festival hasn’t gone quite to plan and we all knowwhy. But back when we were scraping ice off our windscreens and planning the magazine’s summer activities, we had some ambitious plans and some awesome ideas to get Photography News readers even more excited about their image making. However, in this situation, we have had to innovate. Our Summer Festival kicks off in this issue and runs for the following two. We’re covering hardware, photo and video techniques both in the magazine and on our website, photographynews.co.uk. It’s all about inspiration for taking pictures, ideas of what to buy and why, and advice for taking your image making forward during this unprecedented period in everyone’s lives. The chance of venturing outside with the camera is obviously very welcome, but to be honest I have enjoyed my time photographing in lockdown. My makeshift studio in the kitchen has proved invaluable. It has obviously been a challenge, but my studio lights and the macro lens have been busy, and the brain has had to do some work, too. Oil on water, food dyes in water, bubbles, water droplets and vegetables are not original subjects, but I didn’t realise I could have so much fun and burn up so many hours enjoying photographing them. I reckon I’ll be shooting themway beyond lockdown.
I enjoy giving myself projects to photograph – and my latest is me. I live on my own, so I’m rather limited on my choice of human subject. It all started in episode three of the PN podcast, when my lockdown photo idea was to shoot a self portrait, and my colleagues Roger Payne and Kingsley Singleton thought it was such a great idea that we should set ourselves a challenge. The idea was to shoot a self portrait and do the big reveal live during the following podcast. You can listen to all the podcasts ( for free!) on photographynews.co.uk, Apple Podcasts, YouTube and Spotify. Anyway, the long and the short of it is that I shot a couple of self portraits and enjoyed it so much, I've made it into a mini project. Again, the idea is not original. In fact, by pure coincidence, a few days later, a press release popped into my inbox about a new book called Photographers . It’s full of great pictures, including self portraits, of many of the 20th century’s best photographers at work with their cameras and subjects. With my new project just two pictures old, this book of inspiration has given me a whole bunch of ideas – not just for lockdown but far into the future. I’m not photogenic and as far from being a narcissist as it’s possible to be, but I think it could be fun. It’ll certainly be a challenge with such a poor model. The future is looking to be a bit of a challenge, too. I had a couple of overseas trips planned for the coming year and already I’ve got sinking feelings about them both. Who knows what the world will look like next month? Never mind a year from now. On the upside, we don’t have to leave these shores to enjoy great locations with our cameras. I know that’s not exactly a revelation, but perhaps the events of the past couple of months have simply reinforced the fact that there are pictures to be had wherever you are, be it in the kitchen, the garden or a fewmiles from home. See you again next month.
windshield. Digital content creators and filmmakers with a need for a complete and compact system are the target audience here. This kit is available now for £1799.99.
Olympus has also announced kits for its LS- P1 and LS-P4 pocketable recording devices. Both units are available in a Podcaster kit, an Interview kit and a Videographer kit at £139.99 (LS-P1) or £199.99 (LS-P4). The LS-P1 is also available at £129.99 with a lavalier microphone kit. Olympus LS recorders give better-than-CD sound quality in PCM, WAV or MP3 formats and support FLAC recording and playback, so ideal for quality results on the move. olympus.co.uk
Olympus at home The Home with Olympus initiative was developed as a response to the lockdown, but the reaction has been
photographers are available. Follow the weblinks below:
121 guru olympus-imagespace.co.uk/ olympus-guru-sessions
so positive that the range of online events and advice has been expanded. It suits current as well as potential Olympus owners. Bookable 121 guru sessions, tech talks, shooting ideas and inspiration from leading
How-to and live videos Facebook @OlympusUK
Photographers’ inspiration olympus-imagespace.co.uk/ blog
4 News The latest launches, summer offers and news from the world of photography 5 Prizeword search And the chance to win a Samsung 256GB memory card 6 Club news Read how camera clubs and photo societies are using technology to keep members inspired during lockdown 18 Chris Upton profile Enjoy stunning work from one of the country’s leading landscape photographers
22 Buyers’ guide The PN guide to all things great in workflow, our expert advice for buying computers, software for the printer and paper for quality outputting 24 Big test: FujifilmX100V It looks like its predecessor, but the Fujifilm X100V has updated features, including a new lens, a two-way 3in touchscreen and the latest X-Trans CMOS 4 26.1-megapixel sensor. It promises to be a classic 28 First tests A briefer-than-usual glimpse into the world of new kit
8 Photo kit Mirrorless cameras are all the rage, with features, performance and the opportunity to take our photography to new heights Follow our expert advice and explore shutter speeds of one second and longer for inspirational pictures 16 Video technique How to get the most from your (video) camera 11 Camera technique
Followus:
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Issue 77 | Photography News 3
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News
See the light Kenro announces the Nanlite Pavotube 6C II LED light
New books
If you want some photography books to get stuck into during lockdown, check out these new releases
ABOVE PavoTube 15C two-unit Kit
The Pavotube 6C II LED is a portable LED light that can be used on its own or to supplement other units. It measures just 25cm long and is powered by a rechargeable Li-ion battery via USB-C, and gives a running time of around an hour at full power. Its continuous output can be adjusted within a colour temperature
range of 2700 to 7500K, RGB mode allows the choice of 360 colours including full red, green and blue, and there are 15 special effects modes, including fireworks, storm and candlelight. The 6C joins a family of Pavotube, and the more powerful, mains/ battery-powered 15C and 30C units
are already available at £288 and £432 respectively. Both lights are also available in money-saving two-unit kits at £560 and £820 respectively. There is an exclusive preview of the Pavotube 6C II in this month’s First tests and it will available this summer at £110. kenro.co.uk
Photographers Tony Nourmand and Michael Pritchard
Every Penguin in theWorld: AQuest to See ThemAll Charles Bergman After a life-changing encounter with a king penguin on South Georgia island, author Bergman and his wife Susan committed themselves to seeing all 18 penguin species on the planet, and this book is about their travels. But it ismuchmore than a travel book and it covers the behaviour of the different species, conservation and the current situation with penguins. It’s available this June in hardback for £19.99 and is published by Sasquatch. sasquatchbooks.com
Lexar readers Lexar announces two new professional USB multi-card readers
This wonderful book features great images of photographers at work with their subjects and cameras. It features pictures – in association with Getty Images – of many of the 20th century’s greatest photographers, including Henri Cartier-Bresson, David Bailey, RichardAvedon and Cecil Beaton.You will also see many classic cameras in action too, including Leicas, Nikons, Rolleiflexes and large format kit. Photographers is available now in hardback at £29.95. reelartpress.com
Lexar’s newUSBMulti-card 2-in-1 reader supports SD andmicroSDUHS-II cards and can transfer fromboth slots simultaneously using USB 3.0 at up to 312MB/s. The USBMulti-card 3-in-1 reader supports SD, micro SDUHS-II cards at speeds up to 312MB/s and CompactFlash up to 160MB/s.As with the 2-in-1 unit, simultaneous data transfer is possible. The 2-in-1 card reader costs £39.99 and the 3-in-in reader is £49.99. swains.co.uk
Nikon School UK moves online The range of Nikon School UK’s courses, sessions and Q&As are being offered online for free or at discounted prices In light of the current lockdown situation, Nikon is bringing its Nikon School UK courses to participants remotely. Online versions of the school’s popular courses, which usually cost £120 to £150, and a range of Q&A sessions are being offered free of charge. One-to-one sessions are also being offered for the significantly reduced cost of £49, allowing participants to cover any topic of their choosing. Courses and Q&As include offerings for beginners and enthusiast photographers alike, with subjects including getting the most from your Nikon cameras, lenses and speedlights, photo editing, macro and astrophotography, and even virtual landscape tours all planned for May. The online initiative may continue into June in line with government advice. Details of online events can be viewed now. nikonschool.co.uk/courses/calendar
LEFT David Hemmings in his studio in the 1966 film, Blow-up. Hemmings is using a Hasselblad medium format camera
Editorial Team Editorial director Roger Payne Editor Will Cheung FRPS 01223 499469 willcheung@bright-publishing.com Head of digital content Daisy Dickinson 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 Designers Man-Wai Wong, Lucy Woolcomb, Emily Lancaster 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
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S S E M V N S E S W H A X W Z B M G T U V P R Q I O A Y S W N E A E E U C D C B J N X P T F R I H N B O Y G E A O W O E G I C N S R W N O Y N T M W B I D C L E R A Q E O N N T S M A L E D W L O K H X I O S L L E T B C V N S Q T C Y E P D A G I T I E N S K L A W T L Y C M Y J L E N S K P F D O S W S B C P I A E C C J M D U H E R A I N D O O R S O A H V Z D S B L U E X N D R Z X P B T R I P S D Capture life’s magical moments across all devices with the Samsung Evo Plus 256GB microSDXC memory card with SD adapter, offering read speeds 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 14 June 2020. The correct answer to PN75’s word search was ‘straps’, and the Samsung 256GB Evo Plus card was won by L Walker from Gateshead. • samsung.com/uk/memory-cards ASamsung memory card! WIN!
Amazing deals Website design brand Amazing Internet launches two new campaigns
Amazing Internet offers web templates and web design, and its latest initiatives are designed to help photographers make the most of their back catalogues of great images. Campaign one is called Earn More From Your Images, and Amazing Internet is providing its e-commerce functionality free with all of its Portfolio Series packages until the end of the year. This feature is only normally available in Gold packages, which cost £300 a year, but now it is available with the Bronze package, which costs £60 for one year.
Campaign two is Plan for Freedom, and here Amazing Internet is offering a 20% off new custom design websites until 31 August 2020. “This campaign is to encourage people to get ready for when we are all released from lockdown. That day will be upon us sooner than we realise and getting new or refreshed marketing material ready is something that we should all be doing now,” said company director, Andrew Skirrow. For details of both campaigns, click on Special Offers on the home page. amazinginternet.com
Samyang’s new tele Samyang’s new lens for Sony E full- frame cameras is perfect for portraits
Samyang’s latest addition to its lens range is anAF 75mm f/1.8 FE for Sony E-mount cameras. For its focal length and fast maximumaperture, this lens is very small and light, weighing in at 230g – Samyang says it is the lightest andmost compact autofocus 75mm lens currently on themarket. Autofocus is handled by a new Linear Stepping Motor (STM) giving fast, quiet and very accurate focusing, while the advanced ‘ten elements in nine groups’ optical design gives first-rate results. Three extra-low dispersion and two high refractive elements are included to help the lens deliver impressive sharpness, low chromatic aberration andminimal distortion.An extra neat feature of this lens is the customswitch, which lets the user adjust the aperture value using the focusing ring. This lens is available now at a price of £379. intro2020.co.uk
BLUE CLEAN
LENS MACRO NEUTRAL
PENS QUIET RAIN SCHOOLS SUNNY
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COMETS INDOORS ISOLATION
WALKS WATER WINDOWS
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SUCCESS + EXHIBITIONS + PERSONAL ACHIEVEMENTS + OUTINGS News Camera club
Wensleydale CC’s online show
Harpenden’s annual
Like many clubs, Harpenden PS has successfully adapted to the lockdown by holding virtual meetings. HPS ran its annual themed competition night using Zoom, with over 50 HPS members joining in. The theme was ‘movement’ and the external judge was Colin Harrison FRPS who sent back critique and scores on each image. On the night itself, HPS showed each image, while reading out the judges’ comments and scores. The winning images were: colour print: Watching theWorld Go By by Paul Johnson; mono print: Passing By by Iain Fry; and digital projected image: A Little Tipple by Peter Wilson. Club chairman Peter Stevens FRPS comments: “We’re privileged
Wensleydale CC launched its first online annual exhibition on 15 May, which runs until 30 June. The ‘ANNual EXhibition’ will be hosted in an ‘AnnEx’ to the club’s website and is free to visitors. “We use the site mainly to communicate with members,” said club chairman, Andrew Fletcher, “and we thought, why not open it up to a bigger audience?” In another first, the club has teamed up with the Wensleydale Railway Association, a heritage rail charity. “We heard they were really struggling financially with not getting any visitors and we wanted to help. So the exhibition welcomes visitors to Wensleydale, virtually, and invites them to make a donation if they can to the charity.” wensleydalecameraclub.co.uk/ ann-ex
that HPS has such an incredibly enthusiastic and passionate membership, and we were determined to find a way through the current lockdown to ensure we continue our excellent programme.” harpendenphotographicsociety.co.uk
LichfieldCC’s leagues
Lichfield CCmembers have been keeping creative by entering a weekly PDI league. The brainchild of competitions secretary, Graham Slight, three leagues have been established based on the experience of members. Each week, members enter one image and have it judged by other members. Points are awarded and the image with the highest total after four weeks is the winner of that round. Members can enter any image for the first three weeks, but the fourth week is a themed round to add a little spice! At the end of each round, promotions and demotions occur. Club chairman, Darron Matthews, said: “Participation rates have been excellent, with well over 60% of members involved. The club
Sheffield PS
Sheffield PS has been hosting weekly meetings using Zoom, with over 60 members regularly attending. The success of these meetings has also encouraged the club to hold its critique groups on Zoom, too. The club’s annual exhibition has been cancelled, but following an initiative with the local weekly newspaper, The Sheffield Telegraph , it is publishing ten images per week
from the club’s exhibition portfolio. Publicity officer John Gorman said: “I am hopeful with the extended lockdown that the paper will continue with the arrangement, and I have offered to supply images to the end of May. To date I have achieved my goal of featuring an image from every member who achieved acceptances into the exhibition.” sheffield-photographer.org.uk
BHPC, based at Canford Magna near Bournemouth, has won the annual Fordingbridge CC Challenge. Competing against seven other local clubs, BHPC came top with a score of 72.5 out of 80 for eight images. This year saw the competition held online and over 120 photographers joined the virtual event to view 64 entries, with judge Louis Rumis MPAGB scoring each image. “We are delighted to have won this prestigious trophy against strong competition, and will be using similar technology in our own club for the foreseeable future. Thanks to the Fordingbridge team for their huge efforts in running the event,” said BHPC chairman, Ian Byers. bhphotoclub.co.uk BHPCwins annual contest
has also welcomed some guest photographers, who we hope will join us when normal meetings resume.” lichfieldcameraclub.org
Sodbury&Yate PC
Calling all clubs
Sodbury & Yate Photography Club is based near Bristol and meets every Monday night of the whole year, and does not have a typical September/May season. SYPC embraced Zoom from day one to maintain contact with members, putting on a full Monday- night programme since lockdown, including virtual member evenings
and committee meetings. Club chairman, Stuart Lewis, is an IT expert and ensures visiting speakers and judges are well acquainted with Zoom prior to the call. The club also runs a weekly Thursday morning Photoshop training class run by club president, Ray Grace ARPS for 20+ members. sypc.org.uk
We would love to hear from all clubs with your lockdown stories. Please send emails to clubnews@photography-news. co.uk . The deadline for the next issue is 7 June.
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ADVICE , TECHNIQUE and INSPIRATION to get you shooting
8 Themagic ofmirrorless DSLR, mirrorless or film – there’s no right or wrong. It’s all win, win, win whichever camera type you go for and each has pros and cons. The force, though, is with mirrorless and we explain why.
11One second and beyond Push your creative boundaries and explore shutter speeds of one second and longer. Whether you keep the camera steady or swing it above your head, you are only limited by your imagination.
16Moving pictures Your digital camera will deliver you great still pictures, but do you know it’s also most likely a very capable video camera? If video is new to you, here’s the place to start with our guide to getting the most from it.
Go to photographynews.co.uk for loads more festival content over the coming three months – we’re adding new features every week!
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Photo kit
THEMAGICOF MIRRORLESS We’ve had single-lens reflex cameras for over 70 years, and they will carry on for many years to come, but there’s no denying the inexorable rise of themirrorlessmarvel. It’s here where we kick off the Photography News Summer Festival of Photography
ABOVE High-quality lenses and good camera technique will help you achieve detail-packed pictures, irrespective of camera type. This shot was taken on a full-frame Nikon D780, which is a DSLR Picture quality
THE SAD FACT is that the camera market is in decline and has been for the past decade. However, with sales into the millions, there is still plenty of money to be made for some, with seriously large brands out there pitching for market share. And in the interchangeable lens camera market,
the newcomer mirrorless type is right up there scrapping with the classic DSLR. Depending on which sector of the market you look at, you could even say this upstart is now the dominant force. That is some going when you consider that the first mirrorless camera – which was the Micro Four
Thirds Panasonic Lumix G1 – was only launched in late 2008. So why has mirrorless picked up so quickly and what gives it such appeal among photographers compared to the DSLR? Over these pages, we’re going to take a look at the pros and cons of mirrorless.
Both mirrorless and DSLR cameras are capable of very high picture quality, so this is not a consideration if you are looking at which camera type to buy. Of course, there are performance differences frommodel to model,
with format size and sensor type key to ultimate quality. So larger sensors will outperform smaller sensors, especially at higher ISO settings, but differences are only evident when files are printed very large.
Shooting speed Not having to move a reflex mirror out of the way before an exposure is made helps mirrorless cameras to shoot lots of frames at high speed and quietly (even silently). The Olympus OM-D E-M1 can do 60fps with full Raws, but this is with the silent electronic shutter and without AF tracking – it’s 18fps with AF tracking. But the DSLR designers have been working hard on this and if you look at Canon’s flagship, the EOS-1D X Mark III, this can race along at 16fps with AE/AF tracking and 20fps in live view. Nikon’s new D6 shoots at 14fps Of course, we’re are not talking comparable products, but it shows how mirrorless technology has brought new features to the party, overtaking what DSLRs were capable of at the time. However DSLRs, especially at the top end of the market, are now catching up.
Mirrorless cameras can be smaller and lighter than their same format DSLR rivals. One format, Micro Four Thirds, adopted by Olympus and Panasonic, does not have a DSLR rival, and here the saving in bulk with cameras and lenses is undeniable. With APS-C and full-frame, the size and weight benefits are less clear-cut. For example, the full-frame Panasonic Lumix S series rivals its DSLR counterparts. Canon and Nikon are the only brands with mirrorless and DSLR products of the same format. The full-frame Canon EOS R with the RF 24-70mm f/2.8 weighs 1560g, whereas Size and weight
the EOS 5D Mark IV and EF 24- 70mm f/2.8 is 1700g – a weight saving equivalent to six AA cells. A Nikon Z 7 with a Z 24-70mm f/2.8 weighs 1480g and that compares well against the D850 with the AF-S 24-70mm f/2.8, which is 2075g, so here the benefit is more clear. Lighter and more compact cameras have benefits, especially for travel work, but many photographers prefer large, heavier models. Larger controls and bigger bodies are easier to grip, and heavier cameras can help shooting stability. However, some mirrorless models do have optional power/handgrips if you want to bulk up the body.
ABOVE If you’re a budding action/sport shooter with no system commitments, a big budget and broad shoulders, choosing between the two camera types might not be so straightforward
Keeping your image steady Five-axis in-body image stabilisation (IBIS) is currently the province of mirrorless cameras. Being able to work in five axes (vertical, horizontal, pitch, yaw and roll) not only efficiently deals with camera shake for stills, but gives smoother, more watchable handheld video. Models such as the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III offer 7EV benefit with standard Micro Four Thirds lenses and 7.5EV with IS-sync lenses. DSLRs use lens-based image stabiliser systems. Canon has IS and Nikon has VR, and they have around 3 to 4EV benefit depending on the lens. Brands Sigma and Tamron also have lens-based systems, called OS and VC, respectively. The downside of a lens-based system is that not every lens features it. If it is offered, it makes for a bigger, more expensive lens. Typically, an IBIS system will work with all lenses, although the benefit might vary.
TOP LEFT The new FujifilmX-T4 is anAPS-C format camera with the option of a battery grip, which not only greatly enhances shooting capacity, but makes the body larger, which some users might prefer TOP RIGHT Panasonic’s camera designers took the no-compromise approach when designing its full-frame Lumix S series, so the cameras and lenses are comparable to DSLR in terms of bulk
ABOVE The Nikon Z 6 has an in-body image stabiliser and you can see its howwell it works here, with an exposure of 0.4sec at f/4 using the 70mm end of a 24-70mm zoom
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Photo kit
Focus features
SLR autofocus has been around since 1985 with the Minolta 7000, and the latest phase-detect systems are amazing in terms of accuracy, tracking efficiency, low-light performance, speed and general usability. It’s fair to say that contrast-detect mirrorless AF lagged behind to start with, but has caught up quickly and many cameras have a hybrid phase/contrast-detect systems. Mirrorless also brought along features not seen on DSLRs, including focus bracketing, focus stacking and face/eye detection. For video, face detect with tracking is a great feature. The latest mirrorless AF innovation is animal detect and subject detect in the Olympus OM-D E-M1X, Nikon Z 6/7 and Panasonic S series. AF in mirrorless also has the plus point of wide coverage with a great many AF points regularly spaced across a large part of the frame
EVF v OVF People don’t make camera- buying decisions based on just one feature – or do they? If there is one feature that divides opinion, it is likely to be the viewfinder. DSLRs, with their pentaprisms and reflex mirrors, have optical viewfinders (OVF), while mirrorless models have electronic viewfinders (EVF) – exceptions include the FujifilmX-Pro range and Leica M models. The two finder types essentially do the same job but the users’ experience is different. That certainly was the case with early EVFs. Panning the camera smeared the image, the view lacked contrast and could be grainy, the resolution was low, and fine detail lacked crispness and definition. There’s also the need for power, which had an impact on shooting capacity. The latest mirrorless models, though, are amazing and the drawbacks of earlier EVFs have almost been negated. Look though the EVFs of the FujifilmX-T4 and Nikon Z 7 (which both have a 3.69m dot resolution) and the Sony AR7 IV, with its 5.76m dot resolution, and it is impossible not to be impressed. But the two types are still different. Many DSLR diehards will tell you that an OVF gives a connection with the subject. On the other hand, EVF users love the live exposure/white- balance preview and histogram showing what you are getting before taking the shot. BELOW The latest EVFs are very impressive, giving a contrasty, detail-packed image with no smearing during panning. This is the optical construction of the Nikon Z 7’s EVF, which boasts a 3.69m dot resolution
ABOVE The latest mirrorless cameras are blessed with great features. The Olympus OM-D E-M1X for example, has Tracking Subject mode with options for cars, bikes and planes, and Target Mode settings that let users set up their focusing pattern from the camera’s 121 AF points
and touch AF/touch AF shooting, too. DSLRs are catching up on some of these benefits – focus bracketing, for example – but some aspects don’t suit the reflex mirror design. Focus area, for example, is limited in optical viewfinder use,
because of the piggyback mirror. DSLRs in live viewmode do have wide-zone AF, but focusing on older models with contrast-detect is much slower and less sensitive, although newer models are noticeably better.
Battery life
Unless you use live view all the time, a DSLR will comfortably give you more shots per battery charge than a mirrorless camera. With an EVF as well as a monitor to power, a mirrorless camera’s, often smaller,
battery has a lot on its plate. If you’re a heavy shooter, a spare battery or two on a day’s shoot is essential. A few of the most recent cameras of both types are USB rechargeable from a powerbank.
About video DSLRs and mirrorless both offer video shooting. If video is an important feature for you, then taking the mirrorless route is the best option, with 4K as well as Full HD available on many models and better handling. As well as, often, more sure-footed autofocusing and in-body image stabilisation for superior results when handholding. DSLRs are evolving though, with models like the Nikon D780 with hybrid phase-detect/contrast-detect AF, and the Canon EOS 90D with Dual Pixel CMOS AF, face and eye detect tracking, and touchscreen AF. ABOVE The Sigma fp is the world’s smallest, highly specified full-frame hybrid camera and is proving a very popular camera for video use. It doesn’t have in-body image stabilisation andAF is contrast-detect only, but it’s ruggedly built
ABOVE Of course, we’re not comparing like with like, but these two Canons share the same 32.5-megapixel sensor. The EOS 90D DSLR gives 1300 shots and the EOSM6 Mark II manages 305
Lens support We’ll be digging into lens systems in greater depth in the next issue of Photography News issue 78, out from 16 June. The long and the short of it is that DSLR systems have the advantage when it comes to the sheer numbers of lenses available. This is not just with new lenses, but also of the millions of legacy lenses out there already. That said, mirrorless cameras do have one huge benefit. Their thinner bodies means that adapters are available to fit existing lenses and maintain infinity focus, and there’s a huge range of marque and third-party adapters to enable this. How much automation and aperture control is possible depends on the adapter/mount pairing. When their mirrorless systems were announced, Canon and Nikon offered adapters to allow their existing DSLR lenses to be used with full autofocus and exposure control.
ABOVE The Nikon D850 DSLR is significantly bigger than the mirrorless Z 7, but you can see the smaller camera has the wider-diameter lens mount. The Nikon F-mount has been around for 60 years and the inner diameter measures 47mmwhile the Zmount is 55mm (the largest full-frame mount around). This gives lens designers more options and users more benefits
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Photo kit
Views fromthetop PN catches up with some leading photographers who have gone mirrorless
Peter Dench Camera: Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II “The key advantages of mirrorless for me are the body-based stabilisation and
Drew Buckler Cameras: Panasonic Lumix S1/S1R “The Panasonic Lumix S1 and S1R both have excellent IBIS.
Donna Crous Camera: Nikon Z 7
Paul Sanders Camera: Fujifilm GFX 50S “My first move into mirrorless was because of the weight. As a landscape photographer,
“Mirrorless is lightweight and compact, which makes a big difference for me during a full
day of shooting and moving around heavy backgrounds; every gram starts to count. The other advantage is being able to see the adjustments in the viewfinder before I have even captured the image.” donnacrous.com
my bag was just too heavy, to the point I was losing my enjoyment and love of photography. I switched to the X-Pro1 and a 14mm for a six-month period to get my mojo back. It certainly did that.” discoverstill.com
I’m often working with models and want to capture both photos and video quickly. The in-body stabilisation allows me to capture smooth video footage without carrying heavy gimbal equipment.” drewbuckler.com
adjustable viewing screen for getting the camera down low to the ground. Plus, the speed of focus, water-resistant body and overall mobility of the camera.” peterdench.com
Jay McLaughlin Camera: Olympus OM-D EM-1 Mark II
Ben Kapur Camera: Panasonic Lumix S1R “The sensor on
“Size is the most important thing for me, since I don’t want my gear to come in between me and my subject. The nature of mirrorless – and specifically Micro Four Thirds – means that it’s much easier for me to interact and build a rapport with my subject, and to capture images that I’d struggle with using a larger, more imposing camera.” jaymclaughlin.co.uk
my Lumix S1R is incredible – the detail and the freedom of being able to crop and retain detail is by far the best part. For me, the weight is also a huge benefit. When I’m hiking long distances, every gram counts, and the weight saving from a mirrorless camera over a DSLR camera is huge.” benkapur.co.uk
Dominic Fraser Camera: Sony A7R III “For me one of the most
appealing features of Sony’s E-mount mirrorless system has been the high-quality EVFs. I was a total convert from the moment I tried one.” fraser73.myshopify.com
Hannah Couzens Camera: Sony A7R IV
Mike Inkley Camera: Olympus OM-D E-M1X “For me, the key dynamic has always been the size and weight.
Brian Lloyd Duckett Cameras: Fujifilm X-Pro3, X-H1 “For me, I can’t say there’s any downside to shooting
Marianne Chua Cameras: Fujifilm X-T3, GFX 50R “The quieter Fujifilm mechanical shutter and the
“I was very sceptical of eye AF when I first picked up a Sony camera, as I just couldn’t
believe that it would be so accurate. Weirdly now, it’s a feature I use constantly. I’m a fan of shallow depth-of-field in my portraits, so this is so much help for when I am shooting down at those low apertures. hcphotography.co.uk
The Olympus lenses are among the sharpest available and the cameras and sensors suit me perfectly for sport, action and nature. There’s no other brand where there’s an 80- 300mm f/2.8 that fits in your pocket.” mikeinkley.com
mirrorless. Though at first it felt like a huge leap of faith and it took me a while to actually ’trust’ the gear, I quickly got over that, and now there’s no going back to DSLRs.” streetsnappers.com
option to use the totally silent electronic shutter has really helped me in my theatre production work and during those intimate wedding ceremonies.” mariannechua.com
NEXTMONTH Mirrorless lenses lowdown
Go to photographynews.co.uk for more Summer Festival content. This month, focusing modes, a live histogramhow-to, getting the most from your battery and advice for buying pre-owned cameras
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Camera technique
A blue sky over a rape field was blurred with a 2sec at f/16 exposure on a Nikon D810 with a 50mm lens fitted with a 64x (6EV) ND filter. Once you have worked out the exposure, shoot a couple of dry runs to check the effect you are getting. Are you panning too slowly and not getting much blur or too quickly and running out of scene when the shutter is still open? Is the timing right so the shutter opens as you are moving? Is the result smooth or jerky?What about the horizon – is it level or wavy? Upright or horizontal format – which looks best? Is the shutter speed the right one for the scene? There are lots of things to consider – just as many as taking a normal shot
Generally speaking, long exposures are usually taken with the camera supported on a tripod, so whatever’s static comes out nicely sharp and whatever’s moving is attractively blurred or, in extreme cases, not visible at all. The essence of ICM is that the camera is moving during all or part of the exposure time, and this deliberate blurring gives fascinating, usually abstract, results. It is worth saying that ICM and panning, while similar, are different.With panning, you are trying to track or keep pace with the subject through the lens so it comes out mostly sharp, while using a relatively long shutter speed so the background comes out blurred. It’s an essential technique for sports.With ICM, part of the fun is that the subject might not even be recognisable. Trying ICMwith a shutter speed of one second or longer might need – depending on the lighting – the help of an ND filter, so see the appropriate section for more on those filters. ICM can work for all subjects, although bold colours or defined shapes often help, and there are no rules in terms of how youmove the camera during the exposure. Moving it horizontally or vertically across the scene can work, or youmay decide to go for a diagonal pan or twist the camera around the lens axis. You could spin round in a circle, or move in towards the subject, whether you take a few steps or zoom the lens. If you’re standing away frompeople and have a camera you’re not worried about, you could be random and press the shutter button and throw the camera into the air. How quickly, howmuch and when you start moving the camera will all influence the final result and you need to be prepared to experiment. For example, moving the camera after you have started the exposure means there may be some outline detail, but if you start moving the camera and then press the shutter button, the result will be smoother. With bold-coloured landscapes or seascapes, the more smooth approach can work better, but if you’re tackling buildings or a line of trees, waiting, say, half a second before moving the camera might suit the scene better. There are no rules and the end result justifies the means, so play and if it works, it works. ICM (intentional cameramovement)
ONESECOND ANDBEYOND Most of our photographic lives are spent at shutter speeds of 1/125sec or shorter as we aim to shoot sharp pictures in decent light. Venture down the shutter speed scale to one second and beyond, though, and a world of wonderful picture opportunities await the creative photographer
MOST OF THE TIME, we’re shooting with shutter speeds in the order of 1/125sec or 1/250sec, dipping into the slower speeds when light levels fall. But what about exploring shutter speeds of one second and longer, even when the sun is shining bright? Indeed, look at the most basic modern DSLR or mirrorless camera and you’ll find the shutter speed range extends way beyond one second, often to 30secs or even 60secs, so the opportunity to produce individual and creative images and to capture unique effects simply not possible at faster speeds is there for us all to enjoy.
The holy trinity of exposure are aperture, ISO and shutter speed. When it comes to exposure, these three factors are inexorably linked and if you alter one, to maintain the correct exposure, one or both of the other two settings must be adjusted, too. Exposure is a simple balancing act and knowing how these settings interlink with each other and some understanding of this, together with a few important accessories, will let you explore the realm of long exposures. When shooting with shutter speeds of longer than one second, the conventional advice – despite
the effectiveness of the latest image stabilisers – is to suggest using a camera support, a monopod or, better still, a tripod. But actually, there are support-free techniques to try too if you want to enjoy a more relaxed, free- form approach to your photography. And you might not even need any extra kit, although if you have any neutral density filters, they will be needed if you want to really exploit the longer end of your camera’s shutter speed range. Over these pages, we outline the core long techniques, how to master them and what to try shooting.
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Camera technique
Using ND filters
Overall plain grey neutral density filters come in varying strengths starting from2x (1EV) and available as strong as 32,000x (15EV) and more. An ND filter’s strength is indicated by a filter factor, such as 1000x, or by the amount of f/stops it absorbs, such as 10EV. Youmight see another figure though, and that is optical density and in the case of a 1000x (10EV) filter, that is 3.0, ie 0.3 per 1EV. The weaker ND filters, such as 2x, 4x and even 8x, are more useful in terms of general photography – allowing, for example, the use of wide lens apertures for blurred background effects even when it’s bright. If you want to get shutter speeds down to one second and longer, you need stronger ND filters, even if you set the camera’s lowest ISO speed and a small lens aperture. Let’s take a practical example. The camera indicates that correct exposure of a scene is 1/125sec at f/8 and ISO 200. Setting ISO 100 takes you to 1/60sec and stopping down to f/16 takes you down another 2EV to 1/15sec, but you’ll still need a 16x (4EV) ND filter to get to 1sec, a 500x ND (9EV) to allow 30secs and a 1000x for 60secs.
Most ND filters have a set light-absorbing value, but there’s a growing number of variable ND filters that cover a range of light- absorbing strengths in one filter, so are convenient and potentially money-saving, too. However, some work better than others. Variable NDs work by having two polarisers in the same filter mount and, as one is rotated, the amount of light transmission is altered. At the stronger settings on some filters, there can be an X-pattern, so check that with a test shot or two. Some filters have some sort of index to indicate which strength you are using, but many don’t so you might need to so some educated guesswork with exposures beyond the camera’s timed range. One final technical point: despite the termneutral density, not all NDs are neutral, especially when you get into the denser values. With your camera set to its auto white-balance, the ND filter might get close to neutrality, but often there is a cool or a warm colour cast. If you are shooting Raw, this is easily remedied in post-processing, but if you prefer a more accurate out-of-camera result, adjust the
camera’s kelvin setting until you are happy. If images are cool and blue, set a higher kelvin value, 8000K andmore; if too warm go for 5000K and lower. By the way, if you do this, remember to reset yourWB setting when back to normal shooting. Deciding which strength of ND filter to fit depends on you want to achieve and the subject itself – and experience helps. Apopular subject for long-exposure technique is water. If it’s fast-moving, an exposure of one or two seconds could easily be enough to blur and any longer might not make much difference, while a benign sea might need several minutes. It’s the same with that other popular subject: the sky. Fast-moving fluffy cumulus clouds on a windy day will give nice streaks with a 30sec exposure, while calmer days and high clouds might needmuch longer. And of course, somuch depends on your previsualised effect, because milky water and streak-filled skies are not to everyone’s taste, so it’s a matter of balance, and that’s when experience comes into play. See the ‘Using extreme ND filters’ section (in the box on the right) for more on super-long exposures.
ABOVE Dull days can mean you can try long exposures without needing ND filters. Here, a Canon EOS-1D X with 70-200mm f/2.8 zoomwas used and the combination was on a tripod. Setting an ISO of 50 enabled an exposure of 4secs at f/25. The lens was zoomed in for the last two seconds of the exposure so part of the image is sharp. Zoom later and the leaves would be even more defined, while zooming as soon as the shutter was opened would give more blur
Zoom the lens
Moving the camera is one way to give your shots a sense of movement, but how about keeping the camera still and zooming the lens? Or moving the camera and adjusting the lens at the same time? You need to alter your camera settings or use an ND filter to enable an exposure time of 2secs or more. This gives you time to open the shutter and zoom the lens without
being rushed and jogging the camera. In the example shown here, the exposure time was 4secs, with the lens zoomed for half that time. Zooming the lens in, ie zooming a 70-200mm lens from 70mm to 200mm, gives a different effect from zooming out, ie from 200mm to 70mm. In the example shown, the lens was zoomed in. It is always worth trying both.
ABOVE A growing number of mirrorless cameras are coming with a built-in neutral density filter or have a feature that replicates the effect, so you don’t even need to carry any filters with you to enjoy longer shutter speeds. The Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III and OM-D E-M1X both have Live ND modes. This works with the camera’s electronic shutter taking a sequence of shots and then merging them in-camera to give the effect of a longer exposure. It has a range of strengths fromND2 (1EV) to ND32 (5EV) and works in manual and shutter-priority AE modes within a 1/30sec to 60secs shutter speed range. The really useful thing is that in works in Raw as well as JPEG.What’s more, you can see the effect before taking the shot. This was taken on an Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III, with the 32x Live ND filter allowing an exposure time of 15secs
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