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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
4 Photography News | Issue 83
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