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NikonunveilsD6 andnew lenses
EDITOR’S LETTER WILL CHEUNG
Its development had already been announced late last year and the Nikon D6 has nowofficially been launched
HANDS ON
WE’VE BEEN LIVINGwith uncertainty for several years, and now the world is struggling to come to terms with coronavirus; who knows what the future holds for travel, trade and life itself? But life does go on and so do new camera launches – andwe have seen very exciting DSLRs andmirrorlessmodels announced recently, although stocksmight be subject to delay given the virus situation. Thinking about it, most imaging kit comes from the Far East – so if you are wandering around The Photography Show at the NEC right nowumming and ahhing about whether to invest in new kit, it might be wise to buy now if stock is available and you have the cash. I managed to get my hands on the FujifilmX-T4 and NikonD6 and I have to say, even in the short time I got to handle them, both are deeply impressive cameras. You can readmore about both inNews. I was excited about many aspects of the X-T4 but what got memost was itsmechanical shutter. It is so quiet. I know electronic shutters are silent but the option of a really quiet mechanical shutter is a big selling point for me. Of course, photography is not just about shiny kit: it’s what we dowith it that counts. With one thing and another I haven’t had asmuch time as I’d like to get out to take pictures, so I stayed indoors and started shooting water droplets and food colouring dripped intowater. Nothing original in either, but that’s not the point – they were new subjects tome. Anyway, it has been fun, somuch so that I’ve even gone as far as makingmy own trays just to dropwater into. See you next month – and if you are at TPS reading this, please feel free to come and say hello.
people walking around a hotel room. TheAFpattern can be customised from its 105 sensors with GroupArea AF– so you can have a 1×7 AF zone pattern, or 5×7 or 15×3 – and there is a total of 17 customgroups.This helps you configure theAF system to cope with subjects of various shapes. The layout of the controls seems logical, and the buttons are a good size as you would expect froma pro camera, and the horizontal shooting controls are repeated for upright use too. The optical viewfinder is first- rate and the information is clearly laid out. It is early days but it seems tome that D6 users will have a very dependable camera, built in the finest tradition of Nikon pro cameras, that will deliver in even themost challenging conditions.
NIKON’S FLAGSHIP CAMERA is closely alliedwithmajor sporting events so the NikonD6’s launch coming inOlympics year is no coincidence. Its features set is targeted fairly and squarely at professional action, wildlife and press photographers and it is clearly built to deliver images in themost arduous conditions. The D6 is a full-frame 20.8-megapixel DSLRwith speed of shooting verymuch its key feature. The autofocus system has 105 all-selectable cross- NIKOND6 SPECS ATAGLANCE › 2105 cross-type sensors withAF sensitivity down to EV -4.5 › Auto-AreaAFor 3D tracking › 14 fps with full AF/AE › 10.5fps inAE tracking in silent mode › ISO 100–102,400 range, extendable to ISO 50 and 3,280,000 › 20.8-megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor EXPEED 6 image › 2x CFexpress/XQD slots › Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, wired Lan and built-in GPS
point focus sensors whichwork down as low as -4.5EV. These 105 sensors can be configured in 17 different customgroup patterns, so you can have, for example, a single rowof seven sensors active, which is versatile for a DSLR. The camera’s ISO range, with the sensor working with Nikon’s EXPEED 6 processing engine, stretches from 100 to 102,400 but is expandable to Hi5.0 which is equivalent to an ISO of 3,280,000. That means there is the potential of shooting at fast shutter speeds in the poorest light. Top shooting speedwith full- sized files is said to be 14 frames- per-secondwith AE/AF tracking. Robert Harmon, interimhead of commercial planning, Nikon UK, said: “You can’t control the action, the lighting, or the environment. But you can control the D6, and this DSLRwill deliver incredible shots of defining moments –without fail.” The NikonD6 is due on sale this spring at £6299 body only. The D6 wasn’t the brand’s only announcement. Two new lenses will be released later this spring. The Z 20mm f/1.8 S is due in March, with the Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR to followonemonth later. The 20mm is priced at £1049 and the 24-200mm£849. nikon.co.uk
I got a brief hands on with a pre-production sample of the newD6, though I did not get the chance to put in a card and take any shots. The Nikon D6 is certainly built in the rugged tradition of Nikon pro flagships so it is a very robust camera. If you like a camera to get hold of, this is it. It’s fundamentally the same shape and size as the D5 – the D6 has a bigger pentaprismtoaccommodate the GPS sensor. TheAF system is a significant improvement over the D5with a lower working sensitivity of -4.5EV comparedwith the -4EV for the D5. Certainly in the low light where I got to handle the D6 it was very effective, autofocusing nicely on a candlelit scene.
Followus:
Its continuousAF in low light seemed quick and responsive too, tracking
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Clubprofile special: Bexleyheath PS
Travel Photographer of the Year Awardwinning images fromaround the world What’s newat TPS: buyers’ guide page 62 Many brands will be unveiling their latest products, so here’s what to look out for Big test: NikonD780 page 70 ADSLRwith somemirrorless features Big test: Sony A7R IV page 77 Sony’s 61-megapixel flagship reviewed page 56
Big test: FujifilmX-A7 page 80 An entry-level FujifilmX-series camera that offers great value in a compact body and is supported by a big lens system Big test: NikonCoolpixP950 page 83 The Coolpix P950 is a bridge camera with the 35mm format equivalent of a 2000mm lens, but is it any good? First tests page 86 A round-up of the latest imaging kit to arrive in the PN office
page 36 page 38 page 41
Isle of Thanet PS
News page 4 New cameras fromCanon, Fujifilm and Nikon, lights fromElinchromand updated software fromSerif and DxO – it has been a busymonth Wordsearch page 13 Solve the puzzle and you couldwin a Samsung 256GBmicroSD card Clubnews page 17 Latest exhibitions, salons to enter
Awards 2019 – the results page 23 You voted in your thousands so thank you somuch for your support, and here are the winners Streetwise page 26 Master of street photography Brian Lloyd Duckett offers his ten pointers to success on the streets
Earl ShiltonCamera Club
Audio-video buyers’ guide page 44 Accessories to help youmake themost of your camera for movie shooting Make the Switch page 51 PN reader Rob Davies tells us about his experiences with the FujifilmX-T3
Issue 75 | Photography News 3
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