Innehållsförteckning för V75 issue 1 från Pro Photo

Many of you will be aware of the recent high-profile case involving photographic plagiarism which resulted in the disqualification of a winning image from last year’s Australian Professional Photography Awards (APPAs). The APPAs are run by the Australian Institute Of Professional Photography (AIPP) and a lengthy investigation by its Awards Committee concluded that the image had breached the rules of entry in several areas, including the alleged plagiarism. Following further investigation, numerous other images from the same photographer have been found to breach entry regulations for both state and national awards over a number of years, resulting in the cancellation of the photographer’s AIPP membership and the rescinding of all awards, titles and prizes. Clearly then, an unwitting breach or any coincidences can be ruled out. The motivations for such…

Olympus is again stressing the advantages of the Micro Four Thirds sensor size when it comes to more compact lenses, this time showing off a 12-200mm superzoom – which is equivalent to 24-400mm in 35mm format terms – which is a fraction under 100 millimetres in length and weighs a very manageable 455 grams. The screwthread filter fitting diameter is 72 millimetres. The new M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-200mm f3.5-6.3 represents a 16.6x zooming range which makes it useful for a wide selection of applications, but is obviously particularly suited to travel and landscape photography. The external construction is weather-sealed to provide protection against dust and moisture, which Olympus claims is to the same level as its PRO series lenses. To further enhance its versatility, the 12-200mm zoom has a minimum…

Announced at last year’s Photokina and due to go on sale locally during April, Panasonic’s all-new Lumix S full-35mm format mirrorless camera system will launch with two bodies and three L mount lenses. With Lumix S, Panasonic will start competing with Sony, Canon, Nikon and fellow L Mount Alliance member, Leica, in the full-35mm mirrorless category. Thanks to the alliance, L mount lenses are already available from Leica (at a price, of course) with more promised soon from the third member, Sigma. The Lumix S bodies are designated S1 and S1R, with Panasonic following Nikon’s policy of offering two identically styled and featured models but with different resolution sensors and associated specs. The S1R is the flagship with a 47.3 mega-pixels (effective) CMOS which has a sensitivity range equivalent to…

Staged every three years, the Red Bull Illume Image Quest is the world’s biggest competition for adventure and action sports photography. In 2016, a record-breaking 34,624 images were submitted by 5646 photographers from 120 countries, with Lorenz Holder crowned for the second consecutive time as the overall winner. In fact, because of this success, the competition will now be held every two years. The Image Quest 2019 is the fifth edition and introduces two exciting new categories: Best Of Instagram by SanDisk and the Moving Image category. Submissions for Best of Instagram by SanDisk are open from now until 14 June 2019 and will be judged by the community every month, while entries for the main contest are open from 1 May to 31 July 31, 2019. These will be…

“I’ve always loved the water and when I was 15, I used to hitchhike from St Ives down to the surf at Bilgola Beach on Sydney’s northern beaches. But I wasn’t a great surfer. Surfing is very natural and there is no oil or petrol, but it was surfing that actually got me into motorbikes… the fluidity of it. I was very keen on motorbikes from the get-go and, in 1973, my first motorbike was a 250cc Suzuki. I was 16 and nine months and had my learner’s permit, but I wasn’t allowed to have a bike so I left it at my mate’s. I got found out and my Dad made me bring it home and he chained it up. One of my favourite things now is kayaking... that’s…

FROM THE EARLY 1970S onwards, Canon and Nikon have dominated the professional camera market, establishing a duopoly which has resisted all attempts at wresting away some significant market share. Over the decades there have been creditable attempts by Olympus (undoubtedly the most successful with its OM System), Minolta, Pentax, Leica and Contax. More recently the major challengers have been Fujifilm, Sony, Panasonic and Olympus (again), all promoting mirrorless camera systems as the brave new world of professional photography… while the top guns have doggedly held onto the D-SLR. One of the reasons for this is that, quite simply, they could. When you control as much of this market sector as they do, you can call the shots. Initially at least, there were plenty of good reasons to keep buying D-SLRs…

Colour is a tricky concept to pin down. Try describing a colour in words… there are no other adjectives that apply except those that are other colours and these all mean different things to different people. And exactly what colour is an object, given what we’re seeing are the reflected wavelengths from a given part of the visible spectrum. All the other wavelengths are being absorbed so, technically speaking, the colour of an object as we perceive it, is actually the colour it isn’t. So how do we define a description of a colour… precisely so everybody knows what we’re talking about and, more importantly, it can be accurately reproduced by anybody, anywhere using any medium? It’s a challenge that has been occupying both artists and scientists since the end…

Olympus is promoting itself as the champion of the Micro Four Thirds mirrorless camera format, announcing a number of new products which clearly emphasise the benefits to be derived from the smaller sensor size. The new OM-D mirrorless system flagship is called the E-M1X, and it represents a significant step up from the E-M1 Mark II – which remains in the OM-D line-up – in just about all areas of durability, speed, functionality and performance. As a camera for sports and action photography, the E-M1X refocuses attention on the compact telephoto lenses that are made possible by the M43 sensor size. With an integrated vertical handgrip – to enhance the overall integrity of the bodyshell – the E-M1X is quite a bit bigger than the E-M1 Mark II, but still…

Nikon has started delivering on the promises of more Z mount lenses made when it launched its full-35mm mirrorless system in 2018. The two new arrivals are a 14-30mm f4.0 ultra-wide zoom and a 24-70mm f2.8 standard zoom. Both join the three existing ‘S Line’ high-performance models. The Nikkor Z 14-30mm f4.0 S is interesting for a number of reasons, not the least being its comparatively compact length of 85 millimetres and modest weight of just 485 grams. Yet it employs heavy-duty magnesium alloy barrel tubes and is fully weather-proofed to the standard of the current Nikon Z series camera bodies. Additionally, the exposed surfaces of the front and rear elements have a fluorine coating to help better repel moisture and grease, and also allow for easier cleaning. The new…

Announced along with the E-M1X, the M.Zuiko Digital ED 150-400mm f4.5 TC1.25x IS PRO is a long lens (with a long title) and currently under development by Olympus, with a launch planned for 2020. As with the new OM-D flagship, this lens again demonstrates the size-related benefits of the Micro Four Thirds format. The standard focal range is equivalent to 300-800mm, but this lens has a built-in 1.25x teleconverter which extends the longest focal length to 1000mm. There’s a two-thirds stop light reduction which means the widest aperture is still f5.6. Additionally, there’s a matched 2.0x teleconverter which gives the equivalent of a 600-2000mm supertelephoto zoom. The inclusion of optical image stabilisation – which will work in conjunction with the five-axis IBIS systems in the higher-end OM-D camera bodies –…

The Australian Institute Of Professional Photography (AIPP) has appointed a new board to oversee its activities and operations during 2019. It is a requirement of the AIPP’s constitution that existing office bearers must formally resign their roles prior to the Institute’s AGM and then either stand for re-election or vote for new people to take over these roles. John Swainston was re-nominated as the AIPP’s president and subsequently elected for a second year to the role. A new position of national vice-president has been created and Louise Bagger was elected to this position. The intent is that this new role will enable someone on the board to take on some of the duties otherwise carried out by the president and even-out the workload. Additionally, Louise will maintain her oversight of…

Colour management solutions expert Datacolor has introduced its latest-generation colour calibration too, the SpyderX. Datacolor says that the new product represents its “…fastest, most accurate and easiest to use colour calibration tool for monitors”. SpyderX employs a completely redesigned colour engine to give “significantly increased” colour accuracy and enhanced low light capabilities made possible by using more advanced sensors. These deliver more precise screen colour, white balance and shadow detail. SpyderX also features an integrated ambient light sensor that can measure room light throughout the day, enabling the display brightness and contrast to be adjusted to ideal levels. The software can either warn that a recalibration is necessary or do it automatically using custom profiles based on the light level. The increased speed means that SpyderX takes less than two…

The Right Gear Shooting stills on a movie or TV program set may look like a ‘glamour’ assignment, but there are a number of challenges… such as getting close to the action while also keeping out of the way. And, of course, you can’t make any noise. Melbourne-based photographer Lachlan Moore has been working as a stills photographer on movie and TV sets for the past 13 years and, with the demand for new content steadily on the rise, he’s busier than ever. However, the way he now works has been transformed following his switch to the Olympus OM-D mirrorless camera system “Originally, I shot with a D-SLR housed in a sound blimp – which looks like an underwater housing – to minimise the shutter noise when shooting on a…

As it has done many times in the past, especially with digital cameras, Canon is again resetting the expectations about how far your money can go. Like the EOS D30, 300D and original 5D, the new EOS RP delivers a level of new affordability and accessibility for anybody contemplating the purchase of a full-35mm format mirrorless camera. While the recent emphasis in this sector has been on higher-end models (from Nikon, Panasonic and Sony, as well as Canon), the EOS RP is not only likely to be the least expensive full-35mm mirrorless camera body on the market, it’s also the smallest and lightest. Canon says it’s the most compact and lightest full-frame digital camera it has ever made, noting that it’s 25 percent lighter than the EOS R and ten…

The current AIPP Australian Wedding Photographer Of The Year, Canberra-based Dan O’Day, has won another major award, collecting the grand prize in the recent International Wedding Photographer Of The Year awards. The IWPOTY Awards are dedicated to the promotion and celebration of the art of wedding photography from around the world, and attracted entries from photographers from 61 countries. Just one photographer is selected annually for the grand prize title. Of the nine images Dan O’Day submitted to the contest, one image was selected to win the grand prize title while six others were among the highest scoring ten prints in four other categories. The overall winning image was a couple portrait taken by Dan at the Cell Block Theatre in Sydney. The awards are peer-judged anonymously by an international…

Originally introduced for wildlife and bird photographers, the ‘Safari’ Leicas have now become limited editions with the latest being a run of 1500 M10-P digital rangefinder camera bodies finished in an olive green enamel. A matching Leica Summicron-M 50mm f2.0 Edition ‘Safari’ standard lens is available separately, but clearly you’re going to want this as well, aren’t you? Incidentally, it is the first ever M lens in the history to be produced in olive green enamel finish and just 500 will be made. Being a ‘P’ version of the M10, the Safari edition goes without the famous Leica ‘red dot’ logo on its front, and has classic scripting on the top plate. All visible metal components of the M10-P Edition ‘Safari’ body and the Summicron-M 50mm f2.0 Edition ‘Safari’ lens…

“Sometimes I would fall flat in the middle of a shoot. I’ve done three good ones, I think! Then someone will say, ‘Why don’t we try this?’. ” I’m talking to fashion photographer Graham Shearer over breakfast at his home in Byron Bay. I became aware of Graham’s byline back in the early 1990s… perhaps it was through the documentary about shooting an Elle McPherson calendar. Not surprisingly, the self-taught Shearer has never thought of his last four decades as a job, except perhaps when he was shooting a catalogue for ten days straight. It’s 9.30am and he’s now on the ’phone, getting a surf check from his son. Back in his heyday, Graham would do a 3.30am weather check then meet his team at 4.30 or 5.00am for hair…

Type: Professional digital mirrorless camera with Nikon Z bayonet lens mount Focusing: Automatic via 493-points wide-area system (90 percent vertical/horixontal frame coverage) using hybrid phase/contrast detection. Focus points may be selected manually or automatically with Pinpoint, Single-Point, Dynamic Area, Wide Area (large or small) and Auto Area modes. One-shot and continuous modes with auto switching in AF-F mode. Tracking and face recognition modes. Adjustable tracking sensitivity. Sensitivity range is EV -1.0 - 19 (ISO 100, f2.0), down to EV -4.0 with Low-Light AF function. AF assist provided by built-in illuminator. AF micro-adjustment available. Manual focus assist in live view via magnified image (up to 16x) and/or focus peaking display (choice of colours – red, yellow, blue or white; and high, standard or low sensitivities). Metering: TTL via sensor with multi-zone,…