Innehållsförteckning för No. 394 från Photography Week

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When black and white film was the only photographic medium available and every image created was devoid of colour, the viewer had their expectations set by these limitations. And while the photographer had to be aware of the effects of shooting a scene without the ability to reproduce colour, and worked to maintain impact, they had the familiarity of monochrome in their favour. In today’s modern age of advanced digital technology, where cameras are able to capture even the most subtle of colour gradation and HD TVs display breathtaking contrast and saturation, things are very different. Audiences expect strong, life-like colour images, as even camera phones are able to reproduce impressive colour gamuts. If we’re going to intentionally remove this chromatic information to produce a black and white image, we…

One of the most important things novices learn about photography is that an effect or style is not reason enough for an image to exist. Any exposure, colour, lighting or composition choice should enhance the impact of a carefully selected and positioned subject, rather than becoming the main focus of the image in its own right. If the photographer approaches a shot with the intention of making the rule of thirds, a long exposure or a colour effect the subject of the composition, then the resulting photograph will likely fail to capture the imagination. In a similar way, black-and-white conversions (or the use of a camera’s monochrome picture style) must also be thought of as a means to an end, rather than the main purpose of any shot. A great…

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Marginally larger and heavier than Canon’s previous EF-S 18-55mm IS II kit lens, the latest IS STM boasts some key advantages. Previous editions relied on a basic electric autofocus motor that was noisy and sluggish, and worse still, the manual focus ring and the front element both rotated during autofocus, impairing handling and making it tricky to use filters. The stepping motor in this lens addresses all of these issues, and delivers fast yet virtually silent autofocus. The STM lens inherits the four-stop image stabiliser from its predecessor, while adding two extra optical elements and a more well-rounded seven-blade diaphragm. Performance Centre sharpness is pretty good on the whole, but drops off quite noticeably at the long end of the zoom range, while corner sharpness is merely mediocre. SHARPNESS FRINGING…

Easily manageable for an f/2.8 standard zoom, this lens is little more than two thirds the physical length of the competing Nikon, and shaves nearly 25% off the weight. The Mark II represents a major revamp over the original lens, with an upgraded optical design that aims to deliver improved sharpness. The Mark II is sturdier, better weather-sealed, and has a more well-rounded nine-blade diaphragm, which helps to maintain the lens’s attractive bokeh. However, given that Sigma, Tamron and Nikon have built optical image stabilisers into their latest 24-70mm f/2.8 lenses for DSLRs, it’s a disappointing omission here. Performance Sharpness is excellent, although it’s eclipsed by the competing Nikon lens, as well as by Canon’s new RF 24-70mm f/2.8 lens for its mirrorless bodies. SHARPNESS FRINGING SHORT 2 .47 LONG…

Building on the success of Nikon’s original AF-S 24-120mm VR, this second edition has a constant rather than variable aperture rating and an upgraded stabiliser. It’s been on sale for a decade now, though, and the 3.5-stop stabiliser is less effective than those in most newer Nikon lenses, although the VR comes complete with Normal and Active modes. Build quality is very good for a kit lens, up to and including weather seals. Conventional internals include mechanical control for the diaphragm and a ring-type ultrasonic AF system. Performance Sharpness holds up pretty well throughout the zoom range, right out to the edges and corners of the frame. If uncorrected, however, colour fringing and distortions are rather noticeable, especially in comparison with newgeneration Z-mount lenses. SHARPNESS FRINGING SHORT 4 .06 LONG…

The DJI Osmo Pocket is arguably the most innovative camera to have been launched in the last couple of years. This miniature device combines an action cam with a built-in gimbal stabilizer, making it a great choice for vloggers. But now this DJI’s device has a rival, in the shape of the similar-looking and similarlyspecced Feiyu Pocket from FeiyuTech. The Feiyu Pocket can record 4K-resolution video at up to 60fps at 120Mb/s, and also offers 1080p shooting for 120fps slow-motion footage, while if you need super slowmo there’s also a 720p option that records at 240fps. Still images can be shot at 8.2MP resolution, with images and video stored on a microSD card. The Feiyu Pocket features 6-axis stabilisation, and can be controlled via the miniature 1.3-inch touchscreen LCD, with…

Any successful digital photographer working at a professional level understands the importance of bespoke image processing. No two images benefit from identical editing settings, and when working with genres as different as colour and monochrome photography it’s even more crucial to identify how and why the processing recipes differ. As we’re working without colour we can be less concerned about white balance correction, but this doesn’t mean colour can be ignored entirely. Depending on the colours present in the landscape, it will often be necessary to adjust contrast via the HSL panel in Lightroom or Camera Raw, and the Black and White controls in Photoshop. These can also be used for creative effect, to alter the balance of tones based on the distribution of colour values throughout the frame. The…

This lens offers a wider maximum viewing angle than any other Canon standard zoom for APS-C DSLRs. It also boosts telephoto reach, compared with the 18-55mm kit lens, with an effective zoom range of 24-136mm. The design of this optic is comparatively old-school, which isn’t surprising as it was launched 10 years ago. Autofocus is driven by a ring-type ultrasonic autofocus system with mechanically coupled fulltime override. It’s quick, but it’s not as quiet as most of the lenses that use stepping motors. The focus distance scale is a plus point. Performance Both the autofocus system and the four-stop stabiliser offer solid performance, but sharpness is a little disappointing. Our review sample delivered its best sharpness when we were shooting wide open. SHARPNESS FRINGING SHORT 3 .12 LONG 2.55 Colour…

Available as a kit lens with or without Nikon’s Vibration Reduction tech, the stabilised version of this lens is definitely the one to go for. Both have a retractable design that enables a small carrying size, but unlike the previous AF-S editions, the AF-P models use a quiet stepping motor to drive autofocus, like the competing Canon 18-55mm. Unlike in previous designs, the focus ring remains stationary during autofocusing. However, neither autofocus nor manual focusing works with older Nikon DSLRs. There’s also no VR on/off switch: you can only switch it off via the camera menu. Performance Nikon’s smallest kit zoom for DSLRs boasts fast autofocus speeds, and outright image quality is very good in most respects, although colour fringing and barrel distortion are quite severe at the short end…

Measuring 155mm in length, this is one of the biggest standard zoom lenses on the market. You’d be forgiven for assuming that it had an internal zoom mechanism, but the barrel extends even further as you near either end of the zoom range. Redesigned a few years ago, this edition adds fourstop stabilisation; the previous incarnation had none. It also gains an entirely new optical design, incorporating four ED elements. The nine-blade diaphragm is also upgraded with electromagnetic control. Performance The lens is capable of magnificent results, and delivered the best scores for sharpness in our lab tests. Even so, it’s somewhat eclipsed in this aspect of its image quality by Nikon’s new full-frame Z-mount standard zooms, and its colour fringing, distortions and vignetting are much more noticeable. SHARPNESS FRINGING…

N-PHOTO N-Photo is a monthly magazine for Nikon photographers, and is packed with technique and Photoshop video lessons every month. http://bit.ly/3atHLfO https://apple.co/2TNE26T DIGITAL CAMERA WORLD A monthly magazine that aims to improve your photography with an inspirational mix of amazing images and how-to articles. http://bit.ly/2RER7g6 https://apple.co/2RBrZqG PHOTOPLUS PhotoPlus is a monthly magazine for Canon photographers that features expert advice, tips and video tutorials on all things Canon. http://bit.ly/30FoOlQ https://apple.co/2vaIdzw PRACTICAL PHOTOSHOP Improve your Photoshop skills with the monthly guide to creating stunning images. Each issue comes with expert video lessons. http://bit.ly/2NJASNx https://apple.co/2tGYBam…

There’s an undeniable irony that black and white photography is one of the most popular genres of the medium today. Despite the advances in photographic technology and colour reproduction processes, photographers the world over still choose to either shoot in monochrome immediately or convert their colour digital images to black and white. Not only have black and white films maintained a significant presence on the market, but entire companies are based on products solely used to convert images to monochrome, giving photographs a classic filmic quality. Software packages such as Silver Efex Pro from the Nik Collection by DxO are carefully crafted to apply film simulation filters to your shots to recreate the tonality and texture of well-known film stock. It can be difficult to identify the exact qualities of…

When it comes to black-and-white images there’s a significant difference in the most effective style for each scene. One approach does not fit all conditions, and just as with the choice to convert an image to monochrome or leave it in colour, the style of black-and-white exposure and processing must be tailored for the scene currently being studied. As such, low-key lighting won’t fit all types of landscape or lighting. In these cases we can try adjusting our low-key approach to make exposure more appropriate for the scene, or alternatively we can consider inverting the settings and trying our hand at high-key lighting. Just as low key uses shadows to best effect, the high-key approach exploits the highlights. Originally used as a method of reducing contrast on a set or…

THIS FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY IS A FEAST FOR THE EYES Shortlist is announced for Food Photographer of the Year 2020 he shortlist has been announced for the Pink Lady Food Photographer of the Year, with images selected from more than 9,000 submissions from 70 countries, across 27 categories. The competition, which is open to both pro and amateur photographers, features images which capture every aspect of food production, preparation and consumption, from photos of fishing and farming through to elaborate images of restaurant dishes and colourful shots of people around the world enjoying street food. Due to the Covid-19 crisis, this year’s winners will be announced on the Food Photographer of the Year Facebook page and YouTube channel, on April 28. We’ve picked out a few of our favourite images above…

Standard zoom lenses cover most eventualities for day-to-day shooting, so it pays to have a good one. You can buy most Canon and Nikon DSLRs as complete kits with a standard zoom. In the APS-C format camp, the most popular option is a light and fairly unassuming 18-55mm lens. The main full-frame kit zooms are the Canon EF 24-105mm IS STM and the Nikkor AF-S 24-120mm f/4 ED VR. They’re all solid performers, so why would you need to upgrade? Some kit zooms feel like they’re built down to a price. Only the Nikkor 24-120mm features a nano-structure coating, weather seals and a focus distance scale, while both of the Canon and Nikkor 18-55mm lenses have plastic rather than metal mounting plates. If you decide to shift up to a…

Compared with Nikon’s 24-120mm VR kit lens, this model, often bundled with the EOS 6D Mark II, is little more than half the price. It lacks some of the Nikkor’s finery, though: it’s not a constant-aperture lens, it has neither weather seals nor a focus distance scale, and you have to buy a hood. On the plus side, the Canon lens has a refreshingly lightweight build, a fast and near-silent stepping motorbased autofocus system, and a more effective four-stop stabiliser. Build quality feels rather better than that of Canon’s 18-55mm kit lens, with a sturdy barrel and a metal mounting plate. Performance This full-frame kit lens punches above its weight in terms of image quality. There’s plenty of sharpness on tap, even when shooting wide open, and distortions, colour fringing…

New meets old in this lens: it combines an effective yet conventional ring-type ultrasonic autofocus system with a new-generation, electromagnetically controlled diaphragm, which helps to maintain consistently accurate exposures in rapid continuous drive mode. The zoom range is an ‘effective’ 24-120mm, which works out the same in practical terms as Nikon’s full-frame kit lens for the D750. However, while that optic has a constant-aperture rating of f/4, the DX lens is up to a full f/stop faster at short zoom settings. Like current kit lenses for DX-format DSLRs, it has a seven-blade diaphragm and a four-stop stabiliser. Performance Sharpness is exceptional at all but the longest zoom setting; however, lateral chromatic aberration can be visible when uncorrected at the short end. SHARPNESS FRINGING SHORT 3 .29 LONG 1.78 There’s noticeable…

When you trade up from a standard kit lens to a more sophisticated zoom, there’s often little or no improvement in autofocus speed, nor in facets of image quality like sharpness, colour fringing and distortion. The biggest difference you’ll usually find is that top-flight lenses typically have a faster aperture rating, delivering a tighter depth of field and giving you more creative freedom. Premium lenses are also generally more adept at keeping ghosting and flare to a minimum, while build quality also tends to be much better, catering to the demands of professional photographers. The Nikkor 24-70mm is the most impressive lens in this test. Even so, if you’re got the excellent Nikkor 24-120mm kit lens, there’s little need to upgrade unless you really feel the need for that extra…