Innehållsförteckning för April 2017 från Smart Photography

Smart Photography started its publishing journey 12 years ago at around the time the last analogue SLR was launched. Since then, the digital bandwagon has completely conquered the market. A significant change like that brings in its wake a lot of pain. All the film manufacturing companies (bar Fujifilm) virtually disappeared. Camera manufacturers had to face competition from smartphones. The compact camera market was under severe pressure. The consumer electronics companies opted for the mirrorless format thus putting pressure on existing major D-SLR players. At the same time, more pictures than ever before were taken. The problem was, however, that they were not printed except in cases like wedding photography. Instead they were uploaded on Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram or WhatsApp, putting lab owners under severe pressure. Lab owners, like…

Born in Uttar Pradesh and brought up in Rajasthan, Vikas Swades Sharma is a Food & Beverage, Product & Still Life photographer. In 2006, Vikas received his first camera, a Canon IXUS 60, as a gift from his brother. This marked the beginning of a lifelong commitment to the art of photography. Vikas moved to Mumbai and joined the Udaan School of Photography after completing his engineering course in Biotechnology. An engineer by qualification and photographer by passion, Vikas assisted renowned photographers for a few years and mastered his craft. Vikas Swades Sharma is a professional photographer who loves to travel and share the stories of different people across the nation through his photographs.…

A photojournalist by profession, Ashish Vaishnav currently works with an online news photo agency. Ashish began his career in the field of marketing and has also worked in the education sector. In the year 2009, he bought a prosumer camera and started learning the basics of photography. He spent his leisure hours in the streets of Mumbai, photographing with groups of hobbyist photographers. Ashish decided to turn his hobby into profession and studied photojournalism to enhance his skills. Quitting his regular job for pursuing his passion, Ashish has been narrating different stories from around the city through his photographs.…

Hiroyuki Tokuno, Deputy General Manager of Digital Imaging Business, Sony India “I would like to congratulate the brilliant team at Smart photography for having successfully completed 12 years in the photography business. Smart Photography has been a consistent information source educating both photography enthusiasts and professional players about the innovative camera technologies being introduced into the market. It has been a pivotal knowledge window simplifying technology for consumers, guiding their purchasing decision and also encouraging them to experience the very best the industry has to offer. We wish more success to the publication and look forward to continuing our association to further nurture and promote the photography culture in India.” Sajjan Kumar, Sr. Vice President, Corporate Sales & Strategy, Nikon India “ Smart Photography has been one of the leading…

Smart Photography has been continually receiving requests to start a basic course for beginners. With this in mind, we have asked a very knowledgeable photographer from Chennai to take over writing these articles. We have also requested him to be as jargon-free as it is possible, so that newcomers to photography feel comfortable to pursue the hobby. The author, Ashok Kandimalla has been in the photographic field for over three decades and has extensive experience in both film and digital photography. Being an electronics engineer by profession and a photographer, he possesses a unique and deep insight into the technical aspects of digital photography and equipment. He has published several articles on photography and some of his writings have also been published in the well-known international magazine Popular Photography. An…

WE ARE GLUED TO THE GLOBAL IMAGING INDUSTRY Our team is updated with all the benchmarks and road blocks that the field of photography and imaging across the globe experiences. This helps us record the changes in the global perspective, thus making us the first to predict which products will be a rage in the Indian markets. WE’RE IMPARTIAL Loyalty towards our readers is a given, and their best interests are always on our mind. Every verdict is honest and not influenced by advertisers or personal favorites. So when we say a product is a ‘BEST BUY’, then, it is just that! OUR TESTS ARE CONDUCTED BY EXPERTS All equipment go through a series of tests at the hands of our experts. Our reviewers are experts in the field of…

Shipment of digital camera shows an upward trend According to the statistics released by Camera & Imaging Products Association, Japan, total production of digital cameras in the beginning of 2017 declined 3.8% year-on-year in unit but their value increase by 5.2%. The shipment of Mirrorless models in particular grew by 37.5% in unit and 43.9% in value. In the domestic market, sales unit of Mirrorless cameras increased to 67.7% and the value increased to 78%. Sales volume of Mirrorless cameras surpassed the sales of D-SLRs. Compact camera sales in the Japanese markets were favorable, with an upsurge of 17.7% in the number of units produced and 27.4% in their value. In the market outside Japan, especially in the US and others regions, sales increased as compared to the previous year.…

Sajid Aboobaker is a former senior designer, currently residing in Kerala. Over the years, Sajid’s passion for photography has grown into a serious hobby. He conducts photography workshops and takes classes in schools and colleges. Along with various well-received solo exhibitions, Sajid is a recipient of many accolades for his brilliant work in the field of photography. He also holds an AFIAP distinction which was received by him in the year 2015.…

Ravindra K. Joisa, a resident of Bangalore, is a software engineer by profession. Along with his full-time IT job he also pursues his love of photography. An ardent outdoor lover, Ravindra has spent his childhood days in Mangalore, Karnataka. Being in close proximity to the Western Ghats, Ravindra’s love for nature and adventure is reflected in his photography. He has worked as photographer for various trekking events and is the official photographer for Global Command Center at EMC, Bangalore. Ravindra specializes in photographic education and spends his weekends leading photo tours and treks. To view more of Ravindra’s work, visit his website: www.ravindrajoisa.com  When and how did you start pursuing photography? I love nature and enjoy trekking very much. It is something that I have been doing for a few…

Francis Mascarenhas is a photojournalist. About five years ago, Francis quit his job to pursue a course in photography and has been working as a photojournalist ever since. His work has been featured in numerous acclaimed publications. Renowned Indian photographer—Arko Datta is his and mentor and he admires the works of James Nachtwey and Daniel Berehulak. Francis believes that a camera is a powerful tool and can be used to bring about a change. “Photojournalism enables me to witness history unfold before me, and freeze critical moments along the way”, says Francis.…

Based in Toronto and Mumbai, Krushit Vanzara is a professional fashion photographer. After completing his graduation in Creative Photography from Humber College, Krushit began his career as a professional photographer. His genres of interest are Fashion Advertising | Commercial and Lifestyle Portraits. Krushit’s work has been featured in various national and international publications as well as on renowned social media portals. “I constantly keep connecting with different individuals, collaborate with them and build up new relationships”, says Krushit Vanzara. Apart from being an impassioned photographer, he is also a travel fanatic and loves meeting people from different regions and documents their lives and cultures. To view more of Krushit’s work, visit his website: www.krushitvanzara.com…

Randeep Singh An industrialist by profession, Randeep Singh ventured into the field of nature and wildlife photography almost a decade ago. Randeep has travelled to more than 55 countries worldwide for both, his business and wildlife photography. His work has been showcased in national and international publications. For him, wildlife photography is not only a passion but also a means to share with others, a thing of beauty and wonder of the natural world that one has been honoured to witness through the lens of his camera. Here he covers a voyage on the Royal Caribbean Cruise. Wildlife photographer - Randeep Singh, was recently invited by the Royal Caribbean Cruise to click some photographs of their ship. After exploring the varied options given to him, Randeep decided to photograph the…

As a child, I didn’t have the slightest inclination to understand the fundamentals of photography, even though we did have a Yashica SLR at home. Like most people who get into photography I too had my humble beginnings with the camera. Got into photography when I was gifted a Nikon Coolpix E995 in 2003. It was a good starting point as it didn’t seem as complicated as an SLR camera. The Coolpix E995 is just a 3.34 megapixel camera, but in those days it was considered as one of the best digital cameras. Now a days even a mobile phone has more megapixels, but back then it meant the world to me. I still have the camera, it works fine even after so many years. I still use it sometimes…

Watt-Seconds or Guide Number? I am a student of photography. When using studio flashguns, I notice that photographers use the term ‘Watt-Seconds” to denote the power of a flashgun. At the same time, I have also noticed that the power of a flashgun is mentioned as Guide Number. Which is right and which is wrong? G. S. Ambekar, Nagpur Neither is actually wrong but I prefer to use the term Guide Number (GN) instead of Watt-Seconds (WS). A flashgun in its simplest form has a flash tube, behind which is a reflector that spreads the light. Watt-Second denotes the output power of the bare flash tube, without a reflector. So if you are using a bare flash tube (no reflector), then it would be right to mention the output power…

Our Imaging Expert No one can take a picture that everyone likes. But, almost every picture can have scope of improvement. Often, we are not our best critics, while others can immediately point out the faults. In If I were you, our expert comments on how your pictures could be taken to another level. Wren Warbler  Smart Photography reader Nilesh Charde has sent us this photo of a Wren Warbler for my comments. The cross lighting is superb. The catchlight in the eye and the tonality is perfect. The composition is very good too. The backdrop is completely non-disturbing, as it should be. So how could this picture be improved? If you have the answer, please let me know. I don’t think that I can improve this beautiful picture. Good…

AF-P DX NIKKOR 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3G ED 21,950 Inside the Box ✓ Lens ✓ LC-58 58 mm Snap-on Front Lens Cap ✓ Rear Lens Cap Camera optics has seen a marked improvement during the last decade, and superzoom lenses are no longer considered untouchable by professionals. The AF-P 70-300mm is a telephoto zoom lens for the beginners keen on some wildlife photography without burning a hole in their pockets. Design and Build Quality The AF-P 70-300mm is very light. Being an amateur lens, the build quality compares to other kit lenses—engineering plastic body, plastic lens mount and protruding lens barrel. Since the lens is lightweight, a polycarbonate lens mount is sufficient to withstand any strain, but if you keep on mounting and dismounting the lens, the mount is likely to suffer…

Vivo V5 Plus   28,980 Inside the Box ✓ Vivo V5Plus ✓ Documentation ✓ microUSB to USB Cable ✓ USB Power Adapter ✓ SIM Ejector ✓ Protective Case ✓ Protective Film (1 applied, 1 backup) Twin cameras seem to be the order of the day. While most smartphones incorporate their twin cameras on the rear, Vivo has decided to mount it on the front and market it as a selfie specialist. Design and Build Quality Most Chinese Android smartphones features the same design with cosmetic changes and the V5 Plus is no different. The phone has a metal unibody design and the front surface is protected by a 2.5D curved Corning Gorilla Glass 5. The oval fingerprint sensor is in the front and the surface above the screen accommodates the…

HTC U Ultra 59,990 Inside the Box ✓ HTC U Ultra handset ✓ Charger ✓ USB cable ✓ SIM ejector tool ✓ Headphone (USB Type-C interface) HTC had been at the forefront of a revolution when Android was just a blip in the smartphone market years ago. Innovative designs and bold strategy is what made HTC a darling amongst Android fans and while things have slowed down for the Taiwanese company, we still see some interesting devices coming out from their side. A case in point is the new HTC U Ultra. U Ultra is the best that HTC can offer right now and its claim to fame is the Dual Display and Sense Companion. Design and Build Quality HTC U Ultra is a beautiful-looking phone. The moulded glass at…

Write to us at: Smart Photography, Next Gen Publishing Ltd, Trade World, C-Wing, 2nd Floor, Kamala Mills Compound, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel(W), Mumbai 400013. E-mail: sp@nextgenpublishing.net Inspiring Dear Editor, It is rightly stated that ‘Smoking is a slow form of suicide”. It is confirmed that smoking is injurious for non-smokers as well as, they passively inhale the smoke. Sometimes it so happens that a person is unable to quit smoking, does quit for the sake of his/her loved ones, like it happened with a friend of mine. After reading it, I hope, people will be inspired to leave smoking forever (refer to ‘Quit Smoking” SP March, 2017). Yours faithfully, Mahesh Kumar, New Delhi Thank You Dear Sir, I would like to thank you for publishing my picture of…

A n interior designer by profession, Yasir Mehmood is a passionate photographer. Based in Islamabad, Pakistan, Yasir Mehmood specializes in macro insect photography. Photography, for Yasir, is one of the most important part of his life. Being a designer, he really admires the varied colour combinations and marvelous patterns of the insects he photographs. Yasir tries to capture every minuscule movements of the insects and considers it as one of nature’s most beautiful creation. To view more of his work, follow him on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/  yasirwildlifephotographer…

Saurabh Dhowan is a product, food and architectural photographer. After successfully running an auto-component business for ten years, he decided to pursue commercial photography. Saurabh truly believes that pictures reflect a photographer’s personality. “I strive to bring out the positioning of the subject/product in the minds of the viewer. I wrestle with every image I shoot, because perfection is possible and I want to wring it out of all my pictures”, says Saurabh.…

The photography industry has been through a highly exciting but tumultuous century. During this period, many corporates have entered and exited the camera business. The industry has been severely competitive in the nineteen sixties, seventies and eighties and this inevitably took its toll. SP tracks those companies that did indeed play a part in the fortunes of the industry, but for a variety of reasons were forced to exit the business. So far we have reviewed brands from the Far East that have failed to withstand the ravages of time. In this last concluding article, we will review some famous German names which have ceased to exist or exist merely in name. Meyer Optics Of Goerlitz, East Germany Meyer Optics was named after its founder Hugo Meyer and was founded…

Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L II USM 21,950 Inside the Box ✓ Lens ✓ Lens Cap E-72II ✓ Lens Hood EW-77B ✓ Lens Pouch LP1219 Fast prime lenses are part of any professional photographer’s kit as also topmost in any amateur photographer’s wish list. A 35mm prime can be considered a perfect bridge between a true wide-angle and a normal lens on a full frame body and perfect normal lens for an APS-C body. The Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L II USM is an upgrade to the 35mm f/1.4L USM. Design and Build Quality The 35mm f/1.4L II USM lens provides a premium feel like all L-series lenses. The outer shell is made of sturdy engineering plastic. The lens is constructed with 14 elements in 11 groups. It has a metal mount.…

CAMOLINE Lens Cover   A lens cover is an essential accessory for your lens, especially when heading out on photography tours. Safari rides in dusty wildlife parks or in the vast expanses of a desert, boat rides on rivers or lakes, photographing shore birds on the beaches or a Pelagic trip off the coast, a walk through dense forests, or snow-covered peaks in search of the elusive snow leopard – all these excursions and many more, expose your precious equipment to elements like grime, dust, water splashes, rain, sand, snow and sea-spray. The CAMOLINE Lens Cover & Lens Cap, together provide a complete protection to your equipment in all these scenarios. They greatly reduce the chances of foreign matter coming in direct contact with your equipment and thus adversely affecting…