Welcome to the December edition of Photography News, our year-ending double issue full of news, views and reviews. We have two big tests this month, the Canon EOS R6 and the Panasonic Lumix S5. Both full-frame mirrorless, both relatively modest in their resolution and both laden with video as well as still imaging features. As the headlong megapixel race starts running out of steam and video getting more and more important, it’s very probably a sign of the things to come. The issue also sees the launch of our Awards 2020 where it's we give the opportunity to our readers to vote with they consider the best kit on the market. We’ve drawn up shortlists in a huge range of categories and the rest is up to you. Please cast your votes by going to photyography.co.uk Until 2021, all the best from the Photography News team and may next year be more normal than 2020.
Photography News Your FREE newspaper packed with the latest news, views and stories The big listen / Check out The PN Podcast ISSUE 83 Big test: Canon EOS R5 / A perfect stills/ video hybrid? Nature’s best / Stunning wildlife winners
23 Nov-13 Jan 2021 photographynews.co.uk
Canonbags abrace Canon confirms its
You can’t take amazing pictures without amazing gear. The PN Awards recognise the best kit around and the winners are decided by you! Your vote counts To launch our awards, the editorial team has shortlisted kit and service providers in a massive range of categories, covering all aspects of modern imaging. All you have to do is vote for what you think deserves to win. Simple. You can vote in as many or as few categories as you desire. To cast your vote, go to our website and see inside for the full list of nominations. • photographynews.co.uk
commitment to its RF mirrorless system by launching two new optics, covering popular focal lengths
EARLIER THIS YEAR Canon added two innovative, fixed aperture, long telephotos: the 600mm f/11 and 800mm f/11.
However, the latest two lenses on the way mark a return to more popular focal lengths. Canon is keen to point out that its latest lenses embrace the opportunities provided by the wider RF mount, so they are not just the equivalent of its EF mount-suited DSLR lenses. The RF 50mm f/1.8 STM is a standard lens, featuring a brand-new optical design. It uses an aspherical lens element for high image quality, even at maximum aperture, and allows users to enjoy shallow depth-of-field effects, without sacrificing optical performance. The STM focus motor gives fast, controllable AF and, while not silent, it’s very quiet. Super Spectra Coating (SSC) helps ensure flare-free performance, even in strong lighting. There’s no lens image stabiliser,
but with the Canon EOS R5/R6, you still get 7EV benefit, courtesy of the camera’s integral image stabiliser. Other key features include 30cm minimum focus, 43mm filter thread and a customisable control ring. The second new lens is the RF 70-200mm f/4L IS USM, a telezoom with a constant f/4 aperture that offers top performance in a very compact body. It weighs just 695g. At 70mm, this lens is just 119mm long and, with the zoom barrel set to 200mm, it is a similar length to the current EF 70-200mm f/4.
Core features include a 77mm filter thread, 60cm minimum focus, dust- and water-resistance and an integral image stabiliser with 5EV benefit. Used on an EOS R5/R6, the combined benefit can reach 7.5EV. Focusing is silent, so it’s suitable for video work and it handles focusing smoothly and quickly, thanks to its Dual Nano USMmechanism. Both lenses go on sale in the first week of December. The RF 50mm f/1.8 STM is priced at £219.99 and the RF70-200mm f/4L IS USM at £1699.99. • canon.co.uk
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Laowa in perspective Leading Chinese lens maker announces the world’s widest shift lens for full-frame cameras
As we approach year’s end, it’s customary to take a look in the rear- viewmirror and reflect onwhat’s happened in the past 12months. You know, great holidays and trips, stunning pictures youmight have taken and those that got away – and just simply revelling inwonderful memories frombrilliant times. Well, speaking personally, I only had one photo trip, Also, although I have taken thousands upon thousands of pictures, most were at home or on a hill a ten-minute walk away, and they are almost all eminently forgettable shots. Simply, 2020 has been a desperate year for most people, and while the news as I write is optimistic about a vaccine that’s 90% effective, hundreds are still dying every day fromCovid-19, thousands are losing their jobs or on furlough and, to put the tin hat on it, my RAID has just crashed. Actually, that’s not correct. Apparently, my 20TB RAID is not working properly because Apple did something in the latest OS update, whichmeant I could access files, but I couldn’t save any changes. I’ve had to take everything off the RAID, format it and start again – it’s amere 12TB of pictures so it’s only taken a week of my life I’ll never get back andmy computer has been running 24/7, somaybe Apple should pay the electricity bill, but luckily I’mnot bitter! Much. Good God, don’t these people realise the impact they have by fiddling with things in thematrix, trying to improve our experiences with their products? Just stop it. Or maybe I should turn off auto update.
Now, I’m thinking I need two RAIDs to guard against similar events. Is that realistic, practical or evenworth it?Why do I want to save the thousands of sunsets and water drop images I have taken this year for posterity? The answer is simply: it’s what I do. I’ve ingrainedmyself to back things up, somuch so I’m paranoid andmake umpteen copies of my valueless images. I need help. So, let’s look forward in the hope that the world returns to some degree of normality in 2021 and let’s start right now. In this double issue of Photography News , we have launched our annual Gear of the Year Awards, where we ask you to vote and recognise great products and outstanding service. We’ve come up with a shortlist of nominations and we’re asking you to vote for the winners on our website, photographynews.co.uk . It’s free and it’s your chance to say thank you to all those nice folk in the industry. Finally, thanks for your unwavering support in 2020 and all the best for the season from everyone at Photography News . See you in 2021.
If you’ve never looked at what Laowa lenses offer, now’s a good time to check them out, especially if you like using wide-angles and macro lenses. The company’s latest introduction is the 15mm f/4.5 Zero-D Shift lens, the world’s widest perspective control for full-frame cameras. It is available in Canon EOS EF and EOS RF, Nikon F and Nikon Z, and Sony FEmounts. It’s priced at £1249 and it can be pre-ordered now, with stocks for the DSLR fittings – Canon EOS EF and Nikon F – expected early December. Mirrorless owners will have to wait until January 2021. A specially designed dedicated shift lens support, which keeps the optic axis unchanged as you
take shots for panorama stitching, is priced at £159.90 This manual focus lens has an optical construction of 17 elements in 11 groups, with two aspherical lenses, giving an angle of view of 110° and a 65mm image circle that allows up 11mm of shift for a full- frame camera and 8mm for Fujifilm GFX and Hasselblad X1D. This lens is a member of the Laowa Zero-D family, which means there is minimal optical distortion and straight lines are faithfully recorded without the need for correction in software. Other notable features include
minimum focus of 20cm, five diaphragm blades and the lens
55 Christmas photo gifts buyers’ guide Just leave PN open on this article and strategically place it where your near and dearest can’t help but see it. Boom! 62 First tests l Think Tank Photo Backstory 13 l CameraCal calibration services l Fujifilm XF50mm f/1.0 R WR l Canon imagePrograf Pro-300 mechanism is rotatable 360°, so you can get creative and shoot at different angles. Optical performance is said to be very good and there’s a new lens coating to minimise chromatic aberration and flare. The 15mm f/4.5 Zero-D Shift is not a mass appeal lens, but what it offers is remarkable. It’s a great price for a specialist lens, too. Architectural, interior, landscape and creative photographers will be hankering for one when stocks become available. laowalens.co.uk
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What’s inside issue 83
4 News All the latest news and deals from the world of photography 10 Word search Your chance to win a Samsung 256GB microSD card 13 Club news The latest news from camera clubs 15 Awards 2020 Make a difference and vote for the best imaging gear and services in The Photography News 2020 Awards
22 Nature’s best The award-winning images in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition never fail to amaze, enthral and inspire. Guess what? It’s the same this year – and the winners are awesome 30 Mission: landscape Excerpts from 52 Assignments: Landscape Photography by pro landscapers, Mark Bauer and Ross Hoddinott. Weekly project ideas to improve your scenic shooting skills supported by lots of hints and tips
35 The great indoors Make staying indoors photographically rewarding by investing in some kit to keep your creativity buzzing through the long winter nights 38 Make the Switch John Atherton shoots astrophotography with his Fujifilm X-T3 thanks to mates at his camera club 40 Profoto Academy Live Three PN readers join Profoto ambassador Hannah Couzens for an exclusive day’s studio shoot
44 Big test: Canon EOS R6
The EOS R6 might not have the high megapixel count of the EOS R5, but it delivers fine pictures. Add great handling and you have a fine camera that will appeal to those Canon DSLR owners thinking of going mirrorless 50 Big Test: Panasonic Lumix S5 It’s the smallest ever full-frame mirrorless camera from Panasonic, Okay, so it’s only the fourth in the range, but it is wonderfully compact
l Vanguard VEO3+ 263CB l Epson SureColor SC-P900 l Leofoto LS-324C and LH-40 l Nikon Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S
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Olympus goes so very long Olympus’s incredible telezoomwith an integral converter enables handheld shooting at the equivalent of 1000mm
Buy Tamron now and save
Minimise the risk of dirty sensors with CameraCal’s Dust Catchers Dust is a serious issue for digital cameras. CameraCal has designed its Dust Catchers to catch any loose debris and minimise any potential problems. These sticky pads attach to the inside of your lens and body caps and it is advised that they are changed every two months. A pack of ten pads costs £3.99. CameraCal offers a free sensor contamination detection service. Send over an image and it can instantly diagnose if there is a problem. There's a similar service for potential front/back focus issues as well, which is unique in the industry. Call or web chat on the website for more details. There’s also a review of CameraCal’s calibration service in this issue. cameracal.co.uk 01798 306599
Sony owners looking to buy a Tamron 17-28mm f/2.8 Di III RXD, 28-200mm f/2.8-5.6 Di III RXD or 70-180mm f/2.8 Di III VXD can get up to £100 cashback if making their purchase from a participating dealer before 15 January 2021. These three Sony E-mount lenses suit full-frame and APS-C format cameras and offer excellent performance and outstanding value for money. For details of the promotion, please visit the website below. • transcontinenta.co.uk/ promotions
The much-anticipated Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 150-400mm f/4.5 TC 1.25x IS PRO is on sale in early 2021. This remarkable lens is sure to appeal to wildlife and sports photographers alike, and has a guide price of £6499.99. The lens’ maximum aperture is a constant f/4.5 and the built-in 1.25x converter means you have coverage to 500mmwithout needing any extra accessories. That’s the 35mm equivalent of a 1000mm focal length – add the Olympus 2x teleconverter and you have a 2000mm lens.
The lens construction features 28 elements (and that includes four super extra-low dispersion lenses and a new large diameter, extra-low dispersion aspherical lens) in 18 groups. Despite its coverage and fast constant maximum aperture, the lens weighs 1875g. To assist sharp handheld picture-taking, it also features a powerful five-axis stabiliser with up to 8EV benefit. It is also dust, splash and freeze proof, and the front element has a scratch-resistant fluorine coating.
For OM-D E-M1X owners keen on photographing birds, this lens adds another dimension, because a firmware v2.0 update due on 2 December 2020 sees birds added to the camera’s intelligent Subject Detection AF system. Developed with deep learning technology, the updated camera is able to automatically prioritise the bird’s eye for focus and tracking, leaving the photographer to concentrate on catching the moment and composition. olympus.co.uk/site/en/c/lenses
Panasonic’s prime time The Panasonic S series gains a new short telephoto prime
Fujifilm’s wide view Fujifilm has taken an old favourite and given it a new lease of life
The Lumix S 85mm f/1.8 is the first of four fast aperture f/1.8 lenses to come from Panasonic; the others coming soon are a 24mm, 35mm and 50mm, and all feature common design points, including filter thread size and physical controls. A 70-300mm zoom is also in development. The 85mm itself consists of nine elements in eight groups, with two special extra-low dispersion lenses. The lens also promises smooth bokeh and extremely minimal vignetting. Users making the most of the S series’ impressive video specs will be pleased to hear that features like suppressed focus breathing are present on the 85mm, with its fairly light 355g body making
handheld shooting and
The original Fujifilm XF10-24mm f/4 R OIS was a popular choice among X-Series owners and rightly so, because it was a fine, very capable lens. However, while this new XF10- 24mm f/4 R OIS WR has the same focal length range, covering the 35mm format equivalent of 15-36mm, there have been important and worthwhile improvements. On its build, the addition of the initials WR to the lens name tells you that the lens is now weather and dust resistant, and the lens’ aperture ring now has f/stops marked. The lens optical image stabiliser has been enhanced by 1EV, too, and the benefit has been increased to 3.5EV. The lens’s optical construction has been refreshed as well, now with 14 elements,
including four aspherical lenses and extra-low dispersion elements to minimise
gimbal balancing all the easier. The lens is dust and splash resistant, and capable of functioning down to -10°C. When it hits shelves, the Lumix S 85mm f/1.8 will cost £599.99. In other Lumix news, a free firmware update for S1H, S1R, S1, S5 as well as G100 bodies is being released on 24 November, with another following in 2021. The older S models will inherit the improved autofocus capabilities of the newer S5 (tested in this issue), with improvements in AF-C tracking performance, among other areas. panasonic.co.uk
aberrations and deliver an even better edge-to-edge performance.
The autofocus is near-silent and very accurate, with the lightweight focusing elements reacting very rapidly to the situation, even when the subject is moving around the frame. The XF10-24mm f/4 R OIS WR is available from late November for £899. fujifilm.eu/uk
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Deep impact by DxO A major update to its Photolab software has been announced by DxO
Prints mean prizes Canon and Permajet have teamed up for a print competition, with prizes worth over £1000 to be won Win this free-to-enter photo contest and you could be the proud owner of a Canon imagePrograf Pro-300 A3+ inkjet printer and an A3 pack of Permajet Art Pack printing paper, a prize worth over £750. Second prize is a £250 Permajet voucher and third prize is a place on a From Print to Perfection course at The Photographic Academy at Permajet's base in Stratford-upon-Avon. The shortlisted entries will be judged by an esteemed line-up, including Louise Hill, Permajet representative and head of The Photographic Academy; Mike McNamee, editor of Professional Imagemaker ; Will Cheung, editor of Photography New s; and Sanjay Jogia, professional photographer and Canon Ambassador. The contest theme is ‘light in the dark’ and it is open to your interpretation, but Permajet suggests you take pictures of someone or something that has got you through the dark times this year, or prompts you to get creative with light and shadows. The judges are looking for creative vision, good camera skills and impressive editing, so make sure your entries are up to scratch on those counts before submitting them. Entry is through the website
Manfrotto offers professional- standard, industrial-stength SD and CompactFlash memory cards and its range has been supplemented with CFexpress Type B memory cards. These are designed to meet professional needs in the worlds of both video and stills, and the cards are fast, high-capacity and durable. There are two options when it comes to capacity – 128GB and 256GB – and both feature write speeds of up to 1540MB/s and read speeds of 1730MB/s, meaning they’re ready to handle 8K or high frame rate video, or a rapid burst of Raw stills. The cards are also ready to go wherever you need them, rated for extreme temperatures ranging from a low of -25°C to a high of 70°C. Both cards are available now exclusively through the brand’s website. The 128GB version is priced at £159.95 with the 256GB version retailing for £319.95. • manfrotto.com/uk-en Manfrotto plays the card game
PHOTOLAB IS A powerful image editing software and its power has been enhanced in v4 with a smart workspace, batch renaming and an advanced history tool, all designed to improve workflow. Its biggest attraction for many, however, could be DeepPrime, a revolutionary de-mosaicing and de-noising technology using artificial intelligence and deep learning to give amazing noise reduction of high ISO Raw shots. DeepPrime has been trained using several billion samples looking at digital noise, different situations, loss of sharpness and lens aberrations from each camera/lens combination measured by DxO since 2003. This means your old Raws can also benefit from DeepPrime, too. We tried DeepPrime on an ISO 4000 Raw shot (pictured right) and you can see the benefit clearly. The full version of DxO Photolab 4 is £109 for the Essential edition and £169 for the Elite version. For existing DxO owners upgrading, the Essential version is £59 and the Elite £69. dxo.com
IMAGE Photograph of a kingfisher feeding captured by Ann Healey ARPS
below and the closing date is 10 January 2021. The top 50 short-listed entries will be required to send in a print for the final judging. permajet.com/competition
IMAGE RIGHT David Collyer
PhotoLab 4 DeepPrime
Photoshop
Topaz Denoise
The feeding kingfisher was shot on an Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II with a 300mm f/4 lens, and in the fading light the exposure was 1/2500sec at f/4 and ISO 4000. The same Raw file was put through Photolab 4 and two other softwares, and you have to admit that the DxO software did a remarkable job
Editorial team Editorial director Roger Payne Editor Will Cheung FRPS 01223 499469 willcheung@bright-publishing.com Digital content writer Lee Renwick leerenwick@bright-publishing.com Chief sub editor Beth Fletcher Sub editor Elisha Young Junior sub editor Jack Nason
Advertising team Group admanager Sam Scott-Smith 01223 499457 samscott-smith@bright-publishing.com Senior sales executive Jemma Farrell-Shaw jemmafarrell-shaw@bright-publishing.com Key accounts Mike Elliott mikeelliott@bright-publishing.com
Design team Design director Andy Jennings Senior designer Laura Bryant Design & ad production Man-Wai Wong Distribution Distribution and subscriptionmanager Phil Gray philipgray@bright-publishing.com Publishing team Managing directors Andy Brogden & Matt Pluck As well as your local camera club, you can pick up Photography News in-store from: Cameraworld, Castle Cameras, Jessops, London Camera Exchange, Park Cameras, Wex Photo Video, Wilkinson Cameras
Photography News is published 11 times a year by Bright Publishing Ltd, Bright House, 82 High Street, Sawston, Cambridge CB22 3HJ. No part of this magazine can be used without prior written permission of Bright Publishing Ltd. Photography News is a registered trademark of Bright Publishing Ltd. The advertisements published in Photography News that have been written, designed or produced by employees of Bright Publishing Ltd remain the copyright of Bright Publishing Ltd and may not be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher. The content of this publication does not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher. While Bright Publishing makes every effort to ensure accuracy, it can’t be guaranteed. Street pricing at the time of writing is quoted for products.
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The Nikon Photo Contest 2020-21 is divided into two parts, a photo competition and a short film competition, each featuring an open category for all and a ‘next generation’ category for those aged 25 and under. For the stills and video competitions, the open category theme is ‘connection’, with entrants asked to explore the meaning and significance of communication, as well as the bonds that connect people to the world. The theme of the next generation competition is ‘passion’, which seeks photos and videos that convey a sense of pure devotion, whatever the subject. Entrants may submit a single photo or a photo story of two to five images for the stills competition, while the film competition requires a video of 180 to 300 seconds in length. One grand prize winner will be selected from both the stills and video competitions, meaning two winners walk away with ¥500,000 (roughly £3660) each. Four more entrants will win the excellence award, with prizes of a Nikon Z 7II with Z 24-70mm f/4 S in the photo competition, and a Nikon Z 6II with Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/4 S and Z 35mm f/1.8 S in the film competition. There will be 18 further winners of the special encouragement and Nikon’s selection awards, with each set to receive a Nikon mirrorless camera and lens kit. Winners’ works will also be displayed across the Nikon Photo Contest website and social media channels, as well as being shown at exhibition venues managed by the brand. Entries close between 25 January and 15 February 2021, dependent on which category of the competition you enter. nikon-photocontest.com/en/entry Nikon Photo Contest returns The competition is open to amateurs and professionals, nowwith a host of prizes and worldwide recognition on offer
Affinity good to go
Affinity has updated its apps – Designer, Photo and Publisher – and the 1.8.5 update means that they are ready to go with the latest Mac OS, Big Sur, and Macs with M1 chips. affinity.serif.com
Free prints for all
Fujifilm and One Vision Imaging challenge all photographers to ‘print to prove it’. The Print to Prove It campaign was the brainchild of One Vision Imaging owner Derek Poulston. He said: “I am passionate about photographic printing and want to show as many people as possible the difference in quality when they choose to print professionally. This is why the Print to Prove It challenge has been created and, with Fujifilm’s support, I look forward to seeing it continue to grow. It doesn’t matter if you are a professional or an amateur, all photographers stand to benefit from reviewing and improving how they print their work.” You can claim three free 10x8in or 12x8in prints on your choice of paper in this promotion – all you have to pay is postage. The offer closes 21 March 2021. • fujifilmprinttoproveit.com
IMAGE Nikon Photo Contest 2018-19 Grand Prize and Next Generation Single Image winner, Ayimpoka by Sara De Antonio Feu
Lowepro introduces Photo Active Toploaders
The two new shoulder bags are compact in size and designed for modern mirrorless kits
Lowepro has expanded its Photo Active range with two new Toploader shoulder bags. The two new options are designed for compact mirrorless systems and for photographers on the move. As such, the Toploaders are compact and lightweight, offering room for a premium mirrorless camera, spare battery, filters, small accessories and either an attached 24-70mm lens in the case of the smaller Photo Active TLZ 45 AW, or an attached telezoom lens in the case of the larger Photo Active TLZ 50 AW. Put simply, it's the ideal carrying solution when you want to travel really light.
Users can enjoy quick access to their kit, thanks to the Toploaders’ on-top opening, interior zipped pocket and two external pockets. The bags also feature an all-weather cover to protect from rain, snow, dust and sand. Both bags can also be worn with an over-the- shoulder strap, carried using the padded web handle or attached at the waist via built-in belt loop. The Photo Active TLZ 45 AW and Photo Active TLZ 50 AW are available now, priced at £44.95 and £54.95 respectively. lowepro.com/uk-en
Saramonic on the Blink
Nik celebrates its 25th A famous plug-in suite is 25 years old and to celebrate, Nik Collection 3 by DxO has added 25 new presets The award-winning collection of imaging plug-ins from Nik is 25 years old and the latest version 3.3 recognises this with 25 new presets
for Color Efex Pro and Silver Efex Pro. These presets showcase five popular photography genres, so we have wildlife, street, classic portrait colour, classic portrait black & white and light & bright. The Nik Collection 3.3 by DxO (Windows and Mac) costs £125 for the full version and £69 for the upgrade and it is compatible with MacOS Big Sur as well as the latest versions of Lightroom Classic, Photoshop and Photoshop Elements. A fully working, one-month trial version is available for download from the DxO website. nikcollection.dxo.com/download
The Saramonic Blink 500 range offers broadcast-quality sound in a tiny package and at attractive prices. The new additions, Blink 500 B1W and Blink B2W, have all the hallmarks of the existing range and sell at £180 and £240 respectively. The white B1W has a receiver and a transmitter, which can be used handheld,
an optional lavalier microphone. The B2W allows the use of two microphones with a single receiver and comes with an extra transmitter for dual use. saramonicuk.com
slipped into a pocket or placed on a desk to record, or used with
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P X K Y P B B W H T U C S C S W Q M X K E R S N I A T N U O M S B T C G G V H B Y L N A E T O U Q S G C N U N M I W W T N T I B S E S O M C T O E B N O X C N N R O W E O N O P U D O O U S R V R G O W K C Z P T T A W U S C H I Y I O S F O U U U E T G C R D K P I R R A Y O E M O P H R E S D G L C M O H Z G J O I K O K R S H A K E R U Q C T Q N B V S H I D X E A L I G H T S F R O S T S L I A R T Capture life’s magical moments across all devices with the Samsung Evo Plus 256GB microSDXC memory card with SD adapter, offering read speeds of up to 100MB/s and write speeds of up to 90MB/s. Samsung’s latest cards are also ultra reliable and are water, temperature, X-ray and magnet proof, so shooting in the most challenging conditions isn’t an issue. We have one 256GB Samsung Evo Plus microSDXC card with SD adapter worth £51.99 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 10 January 2021. The correct answer to PN81’s word search was ‘mouse’, and the Samsung 256GB Evo Plus card was won by M Terry of Dorset. • samsung.com/uk/memory-cards A Samsung memory card! WIN!
Give your photography a boost
The long winter nights will fly by with The Photography News Podcast
Make yourself a cuppa, settle down in your favourite armchair and tune into The Photography News Podcast. The latest is episode 13, but if you’ve missed earlier ones, all episodes are still available on the magazine’s website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube (the bit.ly addresses below take you to YouTube). Indoor portraits and the best lighting techniques to use are discussed by the PN team. Plus tips to get your photo mojo back EPISODE 12 bit.ly/3lrvuh1 PN has an exclusive chat with Matt Barker, the CEO and founder of the hugely successful online used photo retailer, MPB EPISODE 11 bit.ly/33Q5l5c The PN team’s musings on autumn, including locations, techniques and what kit to have to make the most of this glorious season EPISODE 10 bit.ly/ bit.ly/3kvaPYL The exciting world of lenses is mulled over, plus we have special guest expert insect photographer, Ann Healey ARPS EPISODE 9 bit.ly/3aRFFqM EPISODE 13 bit.ly/36yxRsm PN shoots big-sky landscapes, bugs and drooling dogs, plus an interview with Dom Gurney of Epson EPISODE 8 bit.ly/3gfBuXJ The team pick their Desert Island Kit and explain their choices, and invite you to get your ideas in, too
There’s the chance for you to be involved in the podcast, too, so if you have any questions for the team, an opinion you want to share or ideas for future podcasts, please drop us a line. The email address is podcast@ photographynews.co.uk photographynews.co.uk EPISODE 7 bit.ly/2OFzY4S The team nominate their best-ever lenses, past and present EPISODE 6 bit.ly/2OILQ6f Landscape special with an exclusive interview with master landscaper Charlie Waite EPISODE 5 bit.ly/2OGTUUT Advice for astrophotography and long exposures, plus why you should consider back-button focusing EPISODE 4 bit.ly/32DsXtt The team reveal their self-portraits, plus why photography contests are worth the effort EPISODE 3 bit.ly/2WHeQQ3 Inspiration for lockdown shooting and the team’s choices for their best-ever DSLRs EPISODE 2 Shooting at home special with product photography in the bath and astrophotography from the spare bedroom EPISODE 1 bit.ly/3eUk3KU bit.ly/2ZKreAT
Inaugural episode with advice for at-home shooting and the team’s favourite cameras Six books must be won We have six copies of 52 Assignments: Landscape Photography by Mark Bauer and Ross Hoddinott to give away
Written and illustrated by two of the country’s leading landscape photo pros, Mark Bauer and Ross Hoddinott, 52 Assignments: Landscape Photography is a book to keep you inspired all year long with 52 projects to help you improve your own work. Each project features technique advice, tips, what kit you need and field notes to help you get the most out of situations. It’s a great way to improve your work, with techniques concisely explained and supported by awesome images.
52 Assignments: Landscape Photography by Ammonite Press costs £12.99, and we have six to give away. All you have to do is send an email to giveaways@ photographynews.co.uk with 52 assignments in the subject box. After the closing date, we will randomly select six winners and contact them for their address. Closing date for entries is 8 January 2021. photographynews.co.uk ammonitepress.com
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SUCCESS + EXHIBITIONS + PERSONAL ACHIEVEMENTS + OUTINGS News Camera club BeaconCameraClub The deadline for submissions to be included in the next issue of Photography News is 3 January 2021. Please send us your news
“Our club is still managing to thrive despite the Covid-19 pandemic,” says Colin Walls ARPS, membership secretary of Beacon CC. It’s a very active club, has more than 100 members, weekly meetings all year and special interest groups. “Many camera clubs have suspended operations; others have embraced using online facilities tentatively. Our approach was to take a problem and change it into an opportunity. “First, we moved our weekly meetings on to Zoom, which we quickly realised had a number of advantages,” Colin reports. “We organised some high-profile speakers who otherwise might have been too expensive – the only requirement was that they were awake during the UK evening! ”The special interest groups did not want to be left out, and Zoom has worked well for most of them; others have had outings when government guidelines have permitted,” he adds. “Looking to the future, we anticipate being able to meet in person again one day, but we will probably continue to ‘broadcast’ meetings on Zoom and host occasional speakers via the platform. There are really no downsides to using Zoom. “Of course, we would rather have had a normal year, but we are confident that we can emerge from Covid-19 a better and more vibrant club,” concludes Colin. beaconcameraclub.co.uk
Battle Photographic Society
Battle PS has continued meeting over Zoom keeping its membership together. “Members have lots of energy and meetings are well- attended. New members have joined this season and more are welcome. An events calendar has been produced, with options for live indoor meetings and outdoor photo shoots when possible,” says Liz Blackwell, the club’s publicity officer. “We asked members for two images each, which were displayed on the club’s website. They
presented images of their choice and talked for one minute about each of them. Also, the first monthly PDI competition took place recently. A three-way competition was held alongside clubs from Hailsham and Rye. To date, there have been two Zoom workshops and more are set to follow in the near future,” she reports. “In addition, special interest groups have been set up for projects, like black & white and flower/macro, among others.” battlephotographicsociety.co.uk
Wokingham&EastBerkshireCC
Thanet PS
Sheffield PS
“The Wokingham & East Berkshire CC is currently meeting every two weeks via Zoom,” says Roger Holdsworth, WEBCC chairman. “Actually, given the present circumstances, we believe that it may not be possible to meet face to face for some time, so we have planned a virtual programme for the rest of this season. “We have a variety of activities planned including talks, online PDI competitions and tutorial sessions run by club members,” continues Roger. “To date, we’ve run one round of our PDI competition and we’ve heard from speakers, such as Slawek Staszscuk and Chris Palmer. Speaker sessions are open Lorraine Finney is the new chair of Boscombe CC, replacing Martin Sotheran. “I’m honoured to follow in Martin’s footsteps and we are all grateful for his leadership,” she says. “I’m determined to ensure the club continues to serve its members during the Covid-19 crisis, embracing Zoom meetings and smaller external groupings. We aim to emerge from Boscombe’s new chair
“The club’s virtual meetings are proving popular and have
“Our club currently meets online on Zoom and we are still having lectures, competitions and talks on how we can take better pictures with constructive ideas from our club members,” says press officer, Wayne Paulo. “All in all, it works well – without having to drive.” Meetings in December include ‘Covid Hell!’ with Phil Hodson DPAGB NorthFlydePS created opportunities for talks by photographers from around the UK,” says Rod Giddins, Thanet PS’ publicity officer. “It’s also been easier to make late changes, if a booked speaker has cancelled. One change enabled us to enjoy a talk on the use of textures by Jane Lazenby. “Our first digital image contest was judged by Kylie-Ann Martin from the Great Barr PS. She cast her expert eye over 46 images from the intermediate group and 43 from the advanced group, offering a detailed critique of each image.
The intermediate winner was John Draper, with his stunning image of a horsefly (pictured above). Laura Drury won the top three placings in the advanced group,” reports Rod. The annual membership fee remains £35. Non-members can attend virtual meetings for £5. isleofthanetphotographicsociety. co.uk
to visitors for £3 – tickets are available from Ticketsource and the link is available on the club website. “We look forward to the happy day when we can meet again, face to face.” webcc.org.uk
Traditionally, Sheffield PS has put on its Perspectives exhibition every November for two weeks in the SheffieldWinter Gardens. “Sadly, that’s not going to be possible this year and we have decided to hold an online exhibition, hosted on our website, as an alternative,” says publicity officer John Gorman. “The key feature of our annual Perspectives exhibition is to give members an opportunity to display images of their own choice, without any judging or selecting involved. So from 21 November, we have 27 members presenting up to six images of their work.” sheffield-photographer.org.uk
the crisis fitter and stronger, with an exciting agenda guided by the needs of the members.” boscombecameraclub.co.uk
on the 1 December and a PDI contest on 8 December. northfylde-ps.co.uk
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Gear of the Year
AWARDS 2020 THEPHOTOGRAPHY NEWS2020AWARDS Calling all photographers, video makers and content creators. Whatever your discipline or subject interest, we want your votes in our PN 2020 Awards. Voting is free and there are prizes to bewon
BEST ENTHUSIAST MICROFOURTHIRDS CAMERA The Micro Four Thirds market is the province of Olympus and Panasonic, but in general, the products available are first-rate, so there’s still plenty of choice. Our four nominees are great value, too. Cameras
EXCEPTIONAL GEAR AND outstanding service deserve to be recognised and shouted about – that’s why the Photography News Awards exist. It is the chance for us, the consumers, to highlight the wonderful kit we have at our disposal and it is a way of saying thank you to all those clever people who produce this stuff for us to enjoy. We’ve put in the work to shortlist products in all of the different product categories. Now, you get the chance to pick what you think deserves to win. Voting is done online and it’s free – you don’t even have to register to vote. To have your say, visit photographynews.co.uk, follow the link to the PNAwards and complete a voting form. You can vote in every category, but if you prefer to vote for just a few categories, that is perfectly fine, too. It’s entirely up to you. Thanks in advance for your support.
BESTTOP-ENDMICRO FOURTHIRDS CAMERA
BEST ENTHUSIASTAPS-C MIRRORLESS CAMERA This is a hugely competitive sector of the camera market. You can see why by looking at the features and skills of our four-strong shortlist of products below, which includes the recently launched Fujifilm X-S10.
BESTTOP-ENDAPS-C MIRRORLESS CAMERA Mirrorless cameras continue to develop at pace and the latest models offer incredible performance. The leading models are suitable for both stills and video imaging. It’s a tricky choice for voters in this category.
If you want to travel light, but with a pro-level camera, these products are for you, with their fast shooting speeds, high image quality and innovative, user-friendly features. Every nominated camera deserves to win.
Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV
Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III
Canon EOS M6 Mark II
Fujifilm X-Pro3
Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III
Olympus OM-D E-M1X
Fujifilm X-S10
Fujifilm X-T4
Panasonic Lumix G90
Panasonic Lumix GH5S
Fujifilm X-T200
Leica CL
Closing date is 25 January 2021 photographynews.co.uk
Panasonic Lumix G100
Panasonic Lumix GH5
Nikon Z 50
Sony A6600
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Awards
BEST ENTHUSIAST FULL- FRAMEMIRRORLESS CAMERA It is incredible to see how far and how fast full-frame mirrorless cameras have developed. The latest models are very capable of producing great images in almost any situation, even when there is little light present. Cameras continued
BEST BRIDGE/COMPACT CAMERA An all-in-one bridge camera, or a compact, offers a potentially ideal solution when space and weight is an issue. The latest bridge cameras have incredibly powerful zoom lenses, making them suitable for nature photography.
BESTMEDIUMFORMAT
CAMERA Bigger is better, if ultimate image quality is your goal, but it does come at a price, both in money and in bulk. Though the fact remains, you get what you pay for and if you decide to make the leap to medium format, you’ll love what you get.
BESTTOP-END FULL-FRAME MIRRORLESS CAMERA This is the category that really demonstrates how far full-frame mirrorless shooting has come. Super- high megapixel counts, deadly accurate AF and in-body image stabilisers, and all in remarkably compact bodyforms.
BEST DSLR CAMERA Camera makers haven’t quite lost interest in DSLRs, but undeniably the focus for many of them is developing their mirrorless models. Nonetheless, there are some deeply impressive products on show in this category for you to choose from.
Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III
Fujifilm GFX 50R
Canon EOS R5
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV
Canon PowerShot Zoom
Canon EOS R6
Fujifilm GFX 50S
Leica M10-R
Canon EOS-1D X Mark III
Fujifilm X100V
Leica SL2
Fujifilm GFX100
Nikon Z 7II
Nikon D6
Nikon Coolpix P950
Nikon Z 6II
Hasselblad 907X 50C
Panasonic Lumix S1R
Nikon D780
Panasonic Lumix S5
Panasonic Lumix LX100 II
Hasselblad X1D II 50C
Nikon D850
Sony A7R IV
Sigma fp
Ricoh GR III
Pentax 645Z
Pentax K-1 Mark II
Sony A9 II
Sony A7C
Sony ZV-1
BEST CAMERAPHONE
BESTTRIPOD: ALLOY
BESTTRIPOD: CARBON-FIBRE 3 Legged Thing Legends Ray Benro Rhino FRHN34CVX30 FLM CP-26 Travel Gitzo tripod Traveler, GT2545T Leofoto Ranger LS-324 + LH-40 Manfrotto Befree GT XPro Carbon Novo Explora T20 Vanguard VEO 3+ 263CP
BEST FILTER SYSTEM
BESTMEMORY CARD
Kenro Karoo Compact Tripod Kit (small, aluminium)
Apple iPhone 12
Benro 100mm Breakthrough X100
Formatt Hitech Firecrest 100mm H&Y Revoring Variable ND+CPL Kase Wolverine Magnetic Circular Marumi Magnetic Filter M100 LEE LEE85
Google Pixel 4
Huawei P40 Pro
Lexar Professional 2000x SDHC/ SDXC UHS-II Lexar Professional CFexpress Type B PNY Elite-X SDXC SanDisk Extreme Pro microSDXC UHS-II Sony SF-M Tough UHS-II SD
Manfrotto 190XPro Aluminium 4-section Slik Pro 700DX Vanguard VEO 3+ 263AB
Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra
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Sigma
Worthy winners? ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE Sigma has received its fair share of nominations in this year’s PN Awards, but is this impressive trio worthy of your votes? We take a closer look to help you decide
Far andwide Perhaps something that’s evenmore widely enjoyed than Sigma’s camera bodies are the brand’s lens offerings, serving as equally ideal companions for native cameras, like the fp, or even third-party systems. One of the biggest draws of the Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 DGDNArt is obvious. On a full-frame camera, this particular range of focal length is incredibly versatile, offering lots of potential for those shooting landscape, street, travel, astrophotography and more. In all of thesemediums, it’s certainly a user favourite against the wider field of optics. Nicely light and compact at 131mm in length and under 800g inweight, the 14-24mmproduces outstandingly sharp images, evenwide open at its fast maximumaperture of f/2.8, thanks in part to its large front element. Great care has been put into the optical construction of the lens. This is evident in features such as its nano porous coating. This advanced design helps ensure quality images, even in harsh incident lighting and when capturing backlit subjects. Its autofocus performance is just as strong, with fast and accurate results, courtesy of the lens’ steppingmotor. Externally, the 12-24mm really excels as well, with an AFL button that can be used for its intended purpose or customised to fulfil a host of requirements. Moving to the Sigma 105mm f/2.8 DGDNMacro Art, it’s safe to say things are just as impressive. With a 1:1magnification ratio and aminimum focusing distance just shy of 30cm, the 105mm really is a true macro lens, but to consider it only in
SIGMA IS A REAL frontrunner in the worlds of cameras and independent lenses. Its lenses are beloved by users of countless third-party systems, and the company has a strong hand in producing its own bodies, too. The Sigma fp has been nominated in the category for Best Enthusiast Full-frameMirrorless Camera, while the Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 DGDNArt is up for BestWide-angle Lens and the Sigma 105mm f/2.8 DGDNMacro Art is in the running for the Best Macro Lens category. But what exactlymakes When the Sigma fp was announced, much of the fanfare surrounded the camera’s tiny size andmassive video specs. As the smallest and lightest full-framemirrorless on themarket, at just 112.6mm in length, weighing 422g (with battery and card) and with Raw 12-bit CinemaDNG video recording among other impressive features, it’s no surprise. them so special? Littlewonder Of course, the fp’s size is a draw for photographers and video shooters alike, but that aside, many of the camera’s impressive stills qualities have been overlooked. In truth, it’s actually a real hybrid piece of kit. To get right to the heart of it, the Sigma fp features a backlit full-frame 24.6-megapixel Bayer sensor, which works towards supreme image quality and strong low-light performance. For those seeking even greater levels of sharpness, the sensor’s lack of a low-pass filter is a pleasing extra touch. The fp’s autofocus performance is also just as relevant to stills shooters as those working primarily with video. The camera’s 49 AF points offer lots of potential, with fast and accurate results. Face and eye priority are there for those who need it, and its all-round performance remains strong, even in low light. The fp is packed with features specifically designed for stills shooters, and it’s here the camera becomes a tempting proposition.
that role does it a real disservice. The mid-telephoto focal length is ideal for macro work, but it also lends the lens perfectly to shooting landscapes, portraits, nature, weddings andmuch more. This makes it truly versatile. Unsurprisingly, image quality is exactly what you would expect from Sigma. The results are incredibly sharp and the bokeh is beautifully soft. Once again, this is thanks to superior design and construction. For a fast and constant f/2.8 lens at 105mm, the Sigma is impressively light, weighing just 710g at 133.6mm in length. There are a number of other nice physical attributes, too. Namely, an aperture ring that can be set to de-click or lock, a focus limiter switch, an AF/MF switch and a customisable AFL button. The Sigma fp, the 14-24mm f/2.8 DGDNArt and the 105mm f/2.8 DG DNMacro Art all offer good levels of resistance to the elements, opening themup to evenmore potential for users. Both lenses are available in L-Mount and Sony E-mount. Across the board, this is a very impressive bunch indeed. “Great care has beenput into the optical constructionof the lens”
The camera’s sensor offers a number of very neat tricks. First, electronic image stabilisation allows the user to shoot four frames in just a split second. Subsequently, the fp compares all of these frames and creates a smooth composite. A similar process takes place inHDR shootingmode, too. A bracket of three different exposure levels is captured. This is then combined in-camera for a superbly natural shot with great dynamic range.
Elsewhere, there are 13 colour modes to choose from, adjustable over 11 increments, offering real creative control. Tone curve can also be controlled in-camera, so you can shape the images to an impressive degree. Looking at the bigger picture, these functions amount to the same thing: more time with your camera in hand and less time behind a screen. There are 20 native L-Mount lenses offered by Sigma – certainly enough to cover virtually any need.
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Awards
Continued frompage 17
Lenses
BESTWIDE-ANGLE LENS
BEST STANDARD LENS
BESTTELEPHOTOLENS
BEST SUPERZOOMLENS
BESTMACROLENS
Voigtländer 110mm f/2.5 Macro Apo-Lanthar
Laowa 14mm f/4 FF RL Zero-D
Irix 45mm f/1.4 Dragonfly
Tokina ATX-M 85mm f/1.8 FE
Canon RF 24-240mm f/4-6.3 IS USM
Canon RF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM Canon RF 600mm f/11 IS STM Fujifilm XF50mm f/1.0 R WR Nikon Nikkor Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 100-400mm f/5-6.3 IS Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8 Di III VXD Tamron 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3 Di III RXD Zeiss Otus 100mm f/1.4
Fujifilm XF18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR Nikon Nikkor Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-200mm f/3.5-6.3 Tamron 18-400mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC HLD Tamron 28-200mm f/2.8-5.6 Di III RXD
Fujifilm XF80mm f/2.8 R LM OIS WR Macro Irix 150mm f/2.8 Macro 1:1
Canon RF 15-35mm f/2.8L IS USM Fujifilm XF8-16mm f/2.8 R LM WR
Canon RF 50mm f/1.2L USM Nikon Nikkor Z 50mm f/1.2 S Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 25mm f/1.2 Pro
Laowa 60mm f/2.8 2:1 Ultra Macro Sigma 105mm f/2.8 DG DN Macro Tamron SP 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 VC USD Tokina FiRIN 100mm f/2.8 FE Macro
Irix 11mm f/4 Blackstone Nikon Z 14-24mm f/2.8 S Samyang AF 14mm f/2.8 FE
Panasonic Lumix S Pro 50mm f/1.4 Tamron SP 45mm f/1.8 Di VC USD Tokina Opera 50mm f/1.4 FF Zeiss Otus 55mm f/1.4
Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 DG HSM Art Tokina Opera 16-28mm f/2.8 FF Zeiss Otus 28mm f/1.4
BEST LED LIGHT
BEST PORTABLE FLASH
BESTSHOULDER/SLINGBAG
BEST PHOTOBACKPACK
BEST ROLLER/HARDCASE
Lowepro Slingshot SL 250 AW III
Vanguard VEO Select 46 BR BK
Think Tank Essentials Convertible Rolling Backpack
Profoto B10 Plus
LitraStudio
Broncolor Siros 400 L Elinchrom ELB 500 TTL Interfit S1a HSS TTL Flash Pixapro CITI400 Pro TTL Profoto B1X
Broncolor LED F160 Elinchrom ELM8 Interfit Badger Beam Manfrotto Lumimuse8 BT NanLite PavoTube II 6C Profoto C1 Plus Rotolight Anova Pro 2
BESTON-CAMERA FLASH
Hahnel Modus 360RT Nissin i600 Pixapro GIO1 Round-Head TTL Profoto A10 Rotolight NEO 2
BESTMAINS FLASH
Elinchrom ELC 500
Evoc Photop 22L Lowepro ProTactic BP 300 AW II Mind Shift Gear FirstLight 30L Peak Design Everyday 20L v2 Shimoda Explore 40 Think Tank Backstory 15
Billingham Hadley Pro 2020 Lowepro ProTactic MG 160 AW II Mind Shift Gear Exposure 13 Think Tank Spectral 8 Think Tank Retrospective 30 V2.0
Lowepro Whistler RL 400 AW II Panzer Conqueror 31P Peli 1600 Protector Tenba Roadie Hybrid Roller 21 Vanguard VEO Select 55BT BK
Broncolor Siros 400 S Wi-Fi/RFS 2 Interfit Honey Badger 320Ws Profoto D2
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