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Saturday 4 July 2020

Sig m a 14 -24 m m f/2 .8

e-aperture, wideangle
The ultimate larg
ll-frame mirrorless cameras?
TESTED zoom for fu

Passionate about photography since 1884

Garden macro
Ross Hoddinott’s guide to

How to capture the incredible bug life on your doorstep

Better than
full frame
Ben Brain spends quality time
with the medium-format
Fujifilm GFX 50R

Hospital
heroes
Dramatic pictures
from the front line of
the war on Covid-19

Win £1,000
of Sigma kit!
Enter your best urban and
street photos in APOY Round 5
148 current cameras listed in the UK’s most comprehensive buying guide
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 7days
A week in photography
One positive thing about the genre, we’d love to see your shots. Other
lockdown has been the highlights include an in-depth test of a
COVER PICTURES © ROSS HODDINOTT / © DAVID COLLYER

chance to try new things in wideangle lens for full-frame mirrorless,

photography, particularly
close-up and macro. So we
asked close-up king Ross Hoddinott to share
some essential tips for getting really cracking
shots of back-garden creatures. As always, if
the feature has inspired you to try your hand
at macro, or you are already a big fan of the
Sigma’s 14-24mm f/2.8, and a field test of the
medium-format Fujifilm GFX 50R by AP
regular Ben Brain. APOY round 5 is seeking
entries too and you can win £1,000 of Sigma
kit! Enjoy the issue and don’t forget you can
get AP delivered every week – see page 23.
Geoff Harris, Deputy Editor

This week’s Contribute to Amateur Photographer If you’d like to see your words or pictures published in Amateur Photographer, here’s how:
cover image Something to say? Write to us at ap.ed@kelsey.co.uk with your letters, opinion columns (max 500 words) or article suggestions.
Pictures Send us a link to your website or gallery, or attach a set of low-res sample images (up to a total of 5MB) to ap.ed@kelsey.co.uk.
Ross Hoddinott took this Join our online communities Post your pictures into our Flickr, Facebook, Twitter or Instagram communities or the gallery on our website.
stunning image. See pages amateurphotographer. Facebook.com/Amateur. flickr.com/groups/ amateurphotographer
14-19 for tips and advice co.uk photographer.magazine amateurphotographer @AP_Magazine magazine
from Ross to improve your
macro images of insects

In this issue
This week in 1932
TREASURES FROM THE HULTON ARCHIVE
3 7 days
4 It’s good to share
14 It’s a bug’s life
21 Inbox
24 EISA Maestro
UK winners
32 Creative
kaleidographs
36 Photo Stories
38 APOY Round 5
launch
40 Fujifilm GFX 50R
field test
47 Sigma 14-24mm
F2.8 DG DN Art
review
50 Accessories
51 Tech Talk
53 Buying Guide:
Cameras
© GETTY IMAGES

66 Legends of
photography
Aerial Garden Party by Fox Photos
A couple of aviators leave their aircraft and join the
aerial garden party held to mark the opening of the
new Redwing Aerodrome at Gatwick. Robinson
Redwing biplanes were first built at the Croydon-based
Robinson Aircraft Company in 1930, with a goal to
produce a ‘gentleman’s aeroplane’. It moved its entire
fleet of 12 aircraft to Gatwick in 1932, with the
aerodrome used as a new flying base. It was a pretty
short-lived relocation however, with the company
moving back to Croydon in 1934.

The Getty Images Hulton Archive is one of the world’s great cultural resources. Tracing its origins to the founding of the London Stereoscopic Company
in 1854, today it houses over 80 million images spanning the birth of photography to the digital age. Explore it at www.gettyimages.com.
 Our favourite photos posted
by AP readers on our social
media channels this week

AP picture
of the week
Badger by Dave Harden
Panasonic G9, 200mm, 1/125sec at f/2.8, ISO 5000
It’s unusual to see good daytime shots of badgers. The
lovely setting, attractive lighting and shallow depth of field
combine to make this one a deserving picture of the
week. Derbyshire-based Dave is a keen amateur
photographer, mainly of wildlife and landscapes. He says,
‘The Peak District isn’t too far away, though recently I’ve
been checking out my immediate surroundings, being
lucky enough to have fields and quiet footpaths in front
of my house. I’ve spent about a month watching this sett
not far from my house. This badger just happened to
come back to it over the top of a bank and I managed to
catch it when it paused.’ See more of Dave’s images on
his Flickr page www.flickr.com/photos/derbyshiredave.
Chosen by Nigel Atherton, Editor

#appicoftheweek
Win!
*PLEASE ALLOW UP TO 28 DAYS FOR DELIVERY

Each week we choose our favourite picture on Facebook, Instagram,

Flickr and Twitter using #appicoftheweek. PermaJet proudly supports
the winner, who will receive a top-quality print of their image on the
finest PermaJet paper*. It is important to bring images to life outside
the digital sphere, so we encourage everyone to get printing today!
Visit www.permajet.com to learn more. If you’re not on social media
you can email your best shot to us at ap.ed@kelsey.co.uk.

4 www.amateurphotographer.co.uk
www.amateurphotographer.co.uk 5
to share
We also liked…

Blue Lines
by Jon Rees
Sony Alpha 7 III, 16mm,
0.3sec at f/18, ISO 200
The bluebell season is short
and this year occurred
during lockdown, so Jon
has done well to get up
early and capture such a
magnificent spectacle. He
explains, ‘The woods on
Wrington Hill in Somerset
offer the best open
woodland to shoot bluebells
in my vicinity. I wanted to
make the most of the
amazing tree shadows at
sunrise and I shot this at
f/18 to maximise diffraction
as the sun crept around the
trees.’ Jon uploaded this to
his Instagram (@drjonrees)
Chosen by Amy Davies,
Features Editor

6 www.amateurphotographer.co.uk
 Fluorescent
by Steven
Gosling
Nikon D850, 50mm,
1/2sec at f/6.3, ISO 640
Steven took this striking
shot of model Laura
Draycon at Aura Studio in
Newmarket who had been
painted by bodypaint artist
Wolf Reicherter with UV
paint. ‘Under black light the
paint fluoresces but it
needs careful exposure,
explained Steven. ‘I asked
Laura to shake her hands
uniformly to produce
movement, tweaking the
shutter to 1/2sec was short
enough that the body was
still but long enough to
capture movement.’ The
result was well worth the
effort. You can see more
of Steve’s work at www.
instagram.com/
stevengoslingphotography.
Chosen by Geoff Harris,
Deputy Editor

Clinging On
by Garry Solomon
Nikon D750, 90mm, 1/20sec @f/5.6, ISO 200
This intriguing abstract composition grabbed our
attention and made us want to know more about it.
The almost monochromatic colour palette adds to
the visual impact. ‘During lockdown, I’ve tried hard
to look for new challenges to keep me creative,’
says Garry. ‘Sometimes with new subjects or styles
of photography or learning new Photoshop skills.
Dandelions were one of my first lockdown projects.
They give you lots of options in terms of types of
shot. This shot involved taking a single Dandelion
head, placing it carefully in a crocodile-clip holder
and spraying it with water. I set up my camera on a
tripod, and then play around with different
apertures and also lighting the seed from different
angles to create reflections and bokeh in the water
drops.’ See more of Garry’s work on Facebook,
www.facebook.com/GarrySolomonPhotography.
Chosen by Andy Westlake, Technical Editor

Want to see your pictures here? Share them with our Flickr,
Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook communities using the
hashtag #appicoftheweek. See page 3 for how to find us.

www.amateurphotographer.co.uk
 Tweaks to Creative Cloud

© STEVE MCCURRY / MAGNUM PHOTOS

and free Photoshop app
ADOBE has announced a range of
updates to its Creative Cloud (CC) suite,
which includes Photoshop Lightroom. Some of
the biggest changes affect Adobe Camera
Raw, the raw-editing powerplant that is a key
part of Photoshop as well as Lightroom (where
it has a more user-friendly and adaptable front
the local adjustments tools, enabling you to
make adjustments to an image using a gradient
or brush during targeted editing. You can also
save out multiple versions of the same image.
Furthermore, watermarking features have
been rolled out across all versions of
Lightroom, while the ‘Discover’ image-sharing/

McCurry has a shot

end but is essentially the same thing). As well showcasing feature in Lightroom CC will also
as a new improved interface for Camera Raw, be extended.
you can hide the names of images on Adobe also launched its Photoshop Camera
TRAVEL and documentary heavy-hitter thumbnails to make the preview bigger, and app on 11 June, which is available to download
Steve McCurry has been working on a move thumbnails to the side of the main for free on iOS and Android. The app uses
major project for The Macallan scotch whisky preview or along the bottom of the screen. In Adobe’s Sensei AI technology to add a range
brand. ‘Steve made the trip to the vast green addition, the crop tool has been improved to of interesting filter effects to your phone
forests of northern Spain, the source of make it easier to see rotated images. pictures. Watch out for a full review in the
European oak for The Macallan casks,’ Specific to Lightroom is a new Hue control in 15 August issue of AP.
explained a spokesperson for The Macallan.
‘Then he journeyed to Jerez, southern Spain, Camera Raw has
where The Macallan’s casks are hand-crafted an improved
and seasoned with sherry. McCurry also interface
travelled to Pennsylvania to discover the
influence of American oak.’ This marks the
second time McCurry has worked with the
brand, as he documented the construction
of the Macallan Distillery in 2018. See
www.themacallan.com for some great images.

Caption imil is eum

volupta erferferum
que asperum videm
quia vidis dolorera

Cartridge People zoo

photo competition
MANY zoos have reopened across the
UK, prompting printer suppliers
Cartridge People to set up a new zoo wildlife
Macro accessory for taking back control
photography competition. You need to go to NiSi has released its NM-180 Macro easy locking and release, and the bottom of
Cartridge People’s Instagram, Facebook or Focusing Rail. According to the company, the rail includes 3⁄8in and 1⁄4in mounts for all
Twitter page. Then, post your favourite zoo this accessory gives you control over the precise compatible tripod heads, along with four
or wildlife park photograph on social media. position of your lens in relation to your subject. (removable) studs allowing use directly on a
Use the hashtag #CPZooLife and tag It’s made of aluminium with a hard-anodised table top. The 180mm rail has
§CartridgePeople and the zoo or wildlife park corrosion-resistant finish delivering scuff and an adjustment range of
where you took your image. You can enter scratch resistance. The NiSi Macro 160mm (1.25mm travel per
as many times as you want and the Focusing Rail is also revolution) via the collapsible
competition will run until 2 August. ‘The compatible with the main thumb-screw or
winner will also have their winning design Arca-Swiss dovetail end-screw and a 360°
posted to our Cartridge People’s Instagram, mount and is equipped rotating head. Both sides of
Twitter, Facebook and our competition with an integrated the rail have engraved index
landing page,’ said a spokesperson. ‘They will Arca-Swiss type marks to further aid positioning
also receive an A2 canvas or a 20x20in quick-release foot plate and two rails can be stacked for
square canvas printed with their winning and clamp. The long plate for dual axis positioning. It’s currently
design.’ See bit.ly/cartridgezoo. telephoto mounts is designed for on sale for £105, see nisioptics.co.uk.

8 www.amateurphotographer.co.uk
ALL IMAGES © MARTIN SCHOELLER
Marta Wise, a survivor of the notorious Auschwitz-Birkenau camp
Survivors
Martin Schoeller
The horrors of the Holocaust must never be forgotten.
Important work such as Survivors helps to ensure
they won’t be, as Amy Davies discovers
‘W
e will soon find
BOOK ourselves living in
a world without
Steidl, hardback, 168 Holocaust
pages, ISBN: 978-3- survivors. This inevitable reality confronts
95829-621-3, €28 us with challenging questions. What will
★★★★★ the face of Holocaust commemoration
look like when the survivors are no
longer with us? How will we be able to
convey the impact and relevance of
Holocaust memory to future generations
without the eyewitnesses themselves?’
These questions – and more – are
asked by Avner Shalev, chairman of the
10
Moshe Ha-Elion, a survivor of multiple concentration camps
concentration camps, and with every
year that passes, more of those who
witnessed and experienced their
horrors become relegated to the
history books.
This project matched 75 survivors
from Israel with the photographer, in
cooperation with Yad Vashem: The
World Holocaust Remembrance Center
to commemorate the anniversary.
The result is a set of compelling
close-up portraits, showing the
weathered faces of Jewish men and
women. Along with every image is a
short quote from the person pictured,
along with some biographical
Yad Vashem Directorate, in Martin information. Each is a stark reminder
Schoeller’s poignant and important new that behind every statistic, every victim,
book, Survivors. The work itself provides is a real person, with a real story to tell.
at least part of the answer. Scholler’s style is perhaps a little
Between 1933 and 1941 Nazi unforgiving, but getting as close as this,
Germany pursued a policy that removed it’s easier to see and feel the emotions
the rights and property of the Jews, and experiences that the sitters have
followed by the branding and been through.
concentration of the Jewish population. The title of the book, Survivors, is a
In 1941, the Nazis launched the hopeful one. There is much sadness to
systematic mass murder of the Jews, feel when working your way through
meaning that by 1945, nearly six million this book, but there is also resilience,
had been killed. This year marks the optimism, and endurance too – and
75th anniversary of the liberation of the that’s something worth celebrating.
www.amateurphotographer.co.uk
Hannah Goslar-Pick, a survivor of Bergen-Belsen. ‘Regardless of colour or religion, we should try to live in peace together’

www.amateurphotographer.co.uk 11
 Viewpoint In next week’s issue

Angela On sale Tuesday 7 July

© CLAIRE GILLO
Nicholson
Why are female and minority photographers
always asked to shoot images that represent them?

A
few days ago I received an

© GETTY
email about a new grants
program designed to support
women, female-identifying
and non-binary photographers and
videographers. It offered a substantial
amount of money and mentorship to the
successful applicant. I was excited at the
thought that this could kickstart someone’s
career. However, as I read on, my heart
sank. Applicants were required to submit
their proposals for projects about the There are myriad reasons why women are

‘authentic representation of women’. Most
competitions have a theme, but why does
every one aimed at women seem to focus
on what it’s like to be a woman?
Keeping
less inclined to enter competitions than men
should be competitions and awards aimed
specifically at women. It could be

it sharp
It’s widely recognised that there should considered sexist and potentially
be equal gender representation in patronising. But statistics show that for a
photography and videography, but these whole host of reasons, women are less
competitions, bursaries and awards seem inclined to enter competitions or seek
to be so academic and worthy. Why don’t grants and awards than men. And as a
they aim to support women who are consequence, they don’t tend to win
interested in more accessible forms of general or open entry awards as often,
photography? Wouldn’t it be better to find which means they don’t get the
Get to know your lens and
the best female landscape, portrait, confidence boost and exposure that its relationship with light for
commercial or pet photographer? That comes with a win. Also, the point of these
would attract more entries and draw awards isn’t just to slap one person on the pin-sharp images
more attention to female photographers back, they are also about showcasing
than challenging, academic artwork. female photography and letting young
girls see that photography can be a career
Reinforcing inequality or hobby for them.
I also worry that by focusing on projects More significantly, and at the risk of
THE VIEWS EXPRESSED IN THIS COLUMN ARE NOT NECESSARILY THOSE OF AMATEUR PHOTOGRAPHER MAGAZINE OR TI MEDIA LIMITED

that show ‘real women’ we’re actually making generalisations, women often see
elevating the subjects to the point that in a different way or have a different point
they seem unreal. It almost reinforces the of view from men. That viewpoint is just as
inequality. And whilst I applaud anyone valid as any other, but it can get
pursuing a project exploring overlooked in a regular competition,
representation in photography, doing so especially if the judges are predominantly
specifically to win money seems to detract men. We need women’s photography to
from the authenticity. be highlighted to attract more women in
I think the awards bodies should to the craft, to get more women judging Fujifilm X-T4
concentrate on the craft of the competitions and awards and to get It’s here! How does this premium APS-C
photographers and their point of view. photography on a more even keel. mirrorless live up to AP’s expectations?
CONTENT FOR NEXT WEEK’S ISSUE MAY BE SUBJECT TO CHANGE

After all, that’s usually what happens in

open-entry competitions and it’s more Former AP Technical Editor Angela Nicholson is the founder AP stay at home challenge
likely to lead to a successful career that of SheClicks, a group for female photographers which We announce the winners of our
inspires others. I imagine that some boasts more than 6,000 members. Visit sheclicks.net lockdown photography competition
readers may be wondering why there to find out more information.
Get great portraits at home
Pro Lorraine Milligan shares her tips
Do you have something you’d like to get off your chest? Send us your thoughts in around and expertise for a successful shoot
500 words to the address on page 21 and win a year’s digital subscription to AP, worth £79.99

12 www.amateurphotographer.co.uk
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 Technique MACRO PHOTOGRAPHY
Ross Hoddinott Thick-legged flower
beetle on corn
Ross is one of the UK’s leading landscape and close-up marigold
photographers. He is a multi-award winning artist and the author Nikon D300, 150mm,
of several books. Ross is an Ambassador for Manfrotto, a Nikon 1/40sec at f/14, ISO 200
Alumni, a LEE Filters Master and a Global Icon for F-stop Gear. He
co-runs Dawn 2 Dusk Photography and also offers bespoke one-to-one
tuition and workshops. Visit www.rosshoddinott.co.uk.

It’s a bug’s life

Embrace the wide array of subjects found in your own
back garden and put your close-up skills to the test
with Ross Hoddinott’s top tips

A
t the time of writing this, social
distancing means little opportunity
to travel far with our camera.
But, in reality, our backyards are
home to a wealth of subjects, which should be
treated as a valuable habitat and a productive
resource for your photography.
Fortunately gardens come alive at this time
of year and buzz with insect activity. Fruit
trees blossom and flowerbeds bloom,
attracting busy bees, hoverflies and colourful
butterflies. If you have a small pond, expect
dragonflies and damselflies to patrol the skies.
Amongst grasses, stems and foliage, you will
find moths, caterpillars, shield bugs,
lacewings, grasshoppers and brightly
coloured ladybirds, while spiders decorate
flowers and buildings with wonderful webs.
Under rocks and flowerpots you will discover
woodlice and other wonderful mini beasts.
Look closely and you’ll discover your back
garden is home to a wealth of miniature
subjects. Extraordinary little creatures are
hugely photogenic, particularly in frame-
filling close-ups, when you can reveal their
design, colour, shape and form. Yet these
creatures are often overlooked because we are
too busy photographing other, more obvious
subjects. But there will never be a better time
to get to know your little co-inhabitants than
now. Even if you are not normally a big fan of
creepy-crawlies, you cannot deny that insects
are hugely photogenic.
Taking photos in your own garden has so
many advantages. You won’t be disturbed and
you can take photos at any time. You will
quickly learn what to look for and where, due
to your intimate knowledge of your own
backyard. You will have more time and
opportunity to ‘play’, be creative and
innovative. Not only are rural and urban
gardens an important and rich gateway for
invertebrates, they provide us with an
abundance of photo opportunities. You don’t
need to be in lockdown to unlock the great
potential of your garden.

1 Colour impact
Most gardens are full of colour at this time of year – vibrant blooms and colourful blossom –
so make it an integral part of your insect close-ups. Look for ladybirds, shield bugs or beetles
settled on petals or stamens, and fill the frame with subjects for maximum colour impact.
Bees and hoverflies love lavender and other nectar rich blooms. Rather than chase insects
ALL PICTURES © ROSS HODDINOTT

about, it is often better to wait for them to come to you. For example, identify a flower in
pristine condition, in a nicely lit position with an attractive backdrop. Set-up your tripod,
compose your shot, adjust your settings, and pre-focus. Now, get comfortable and wait.
Butterflies, bumblebees and honeybees will come back and forth. Select continuous shooting
and take a burst of shots as your subject enters and exits the frame.

14
ESSENTIAL KIT

Macro lens
YOU WILL need to achieve a high
level of magnification to take
eye-catching close-ups of the insects
residing in your garden. Many
telezooms have a short minimum
focusing distance and thus provide a
decent level of magnification – close
enough for bigger insects, like
dragonflies and larger garden
butterflies, like painted ladies and red
admirals. However, for smaller insects,
like beetles and bees, you will need to
focus closer.
The budget option is to buy an auto
extension tube or close-up filter –
take a look at NiSi’s NC close-up
filter, which is great for garden insects.
However, the downside to close-up
attachments is that you have to get
close to achieve a high level of
magnification. Ideally, when
photographing timid, flighty subjects
like insects, you want to generate a
practical working distance. The larger
the camera-to-subject distance, the
less you risk subjects flying or
scurrying away. A dedicated macro
lens will not only allow you to
achieve life-size magnification, but
longer focal lengths provide a
sensible working distance. A macro
lens with a focal length upwards of
100mm is the perfect choice for
backyard mini beasts.

‘A macro lens with a

focal length upwards
of 100mm is the
perfect choice for
backyard mini beasts’
15
 Technique
2 What’s your background?
Your subject’s background
will either make or break
your shot. You should aim
to avoid messy, distracting
backdrops, but in a
16
MACRO PHOTOGRAPHY
tightknit garden, it can be
tricky to place any distance
between your subject and
its surroundings. Gardens
tend be a busy, chaotic mix
of lawn, flowerbeds, garden
furniture and other
distractions. One effective
way to exclude or disguise
these things is to opt for a
large aperture. An f/number in the region
of f/2.8 or f/4 will generate a shallow depth
of field and diffuse background clutter. It
will also provide a faster shutter speed,
which is useful when shooting handheld.
However, working with a narrow zone of
focus means your focusing has to be
precise. Be prepared to take a sequence of
www.amateurphotographer.co.uk
 Common darter
dragonfly resting
on reed
Nikon D800, 200mm,
1/400sec
at f/10, ISO 400

3 Backlit bugs
Working so close to home should promote creativity
and experimentation. Light is a key ingredient to any
photo and, when shooting small subjects, it is easy for
photographers to control, alter and manipulate it. Use a
small LED light – for example, a Manfrotto Lumimuse
or an inexpensive LED torch. Unlike a reflector, an
LED allows you to generate light from any angle and
you can vary its intensity by moving it closer or further
away. Being a continuous light source, you can preview
and fine-tune its effect before taking photos. Light is
often in short supply at high magnifications, so an LED
can be useful for providing extra illumination. But be
creative. Try positioning the light at different angles for
different effects. Backlighting is particularly dramatic.
Hold your LED behind your insect to highlight
translucent wings, shape and form, or add sparkle to
dewy bodies. Backlit close-ups have oodles of impact.

Common blue
damselfly
Nikon D850 200mm,
1/160sec at f/8, ISO 2500

Common blue
shots to get one perfectly sharp. You damselfly on lake
will struggle to record subjects sharp Nikon D300, 150mm,
throughout with your lens wide-open, 2sec at f/11, ISO 200
but you can create arty results with
insect’s wings and body drifting into
soft focus, contrasted against
colourful bokeh.

www.amateurphotographer.co.uk
 Female emperor
dragonfly laying
eggs on a
garden pond
Nikon D7100, 80-400mm,
1/2500sec at f/6.3,
ISO 1000

Green lacewing
Nikon D850, 200mm,
1/40sec at f/14, ISO 800
4 The early bird
What do they say about the early bird?
Dock Bug
silhouetted on
bracken
When you don’t need to walk any Nikon D850, 200mm,
further than your garden, there is no 1/3200sec at f/11, ISO 1250
excuse not to get up early. Not only will
sunlight be low, soft and warm, but also
insects tend to be inactive when the
temperature is low. Look carefully and
assiduously among grasses, flowers and
under leaves for roosting, dormant
subjects. After clear, still nights, insects
may be encased with dew, adding
sparkle and interest to your shots.
Having found a subject, you should be
able to take photographs with relative
ease – until the temperature rises, most
insects will remain still. Set up a tripod
close by, being careful not to knock your
subject or disturb surrounding
vegetation. A tripod will provide
welcome stability and allow you to focus
precisely using LiveView.

18
 MACRO PHOTOGRAPHY Technique
5 Pond life
Water will always attract wildlife.
Even a small garden pond or
water feature will entice pond
skaters, damselflies and
dragonflies. If you don’t already
have one, consider building a
small pond. Buy a preformed
pond, made from durable plastic,
and sink it into the ground, or use
a heavy-duty membrane. You
could even use an old sink. Add
native aquatic plants as well as
reeds and lilies for insects to cling
to. Damsels and dragons are
among the most beautiful garden
insects – and a personal favourite. Small pearl-bordered fritillary butterflies on oxeye daisies
During the day, dragonflies will Nikon D810, 200mm, 1/1600sec at f/6.3, ISO 1000
dart about but – being territorial

Create an insect-
– you may notice them returning
to the same perch again and
again. If so, stay close by with

your camera ready to slowly move
into position. Damselflies are
smaller and will land more
regularly on stems and grasses
close to the water. Approach
slowly; being careful not cast your
shadow across the subject, as
doing so will alert it. Ensure your
focus is sharply on your subject’s
disproportionately large eyes.
friendly garden
BY MAKING your garden insect-friendly, you will not only
help wildlife, but your photography will benefit too. Begin by
leaving a small area of lawn uncut – longer grass is important
for insects. Fill borders with flowering plants and shrubs that
will provide nectar – lavender, buddleia, honeysuckle,
sunflowers and cosmos will not only attract insects, but they
are colourful and photogenic too. Think carefully about where
you plant flowers – try to site them in positions where they
will receive good light throughout the day. Consider their
background too – the more thought you put in at the planting
stage, the easier it will be to take good insect shots later.
Avoid using pesticides and, if possible, create woodpiles or a
composter for little critters to live and feed. Good luck!
Buff-tailed bumble bee in flight
Nikon D300, 150mm, 1/2500sec at f/4, ISO 200
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Joe O’Rourke says he was lucky to take this photo of a mink on a wall beside the River Liffey

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Your favourite magazine
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EISA MAESTRO UK WINNERS

Move on up
The top three winners of the UK leg of the pan-
European EISA Maestro competition have been
revealed. Geoff Harris gets their winning secrets

T
he results are in for the
UK National Round of
the EISA Maestro Photo
Contest, which sought
people’s best ‘movement’ shots,
presented as part of a portfolio.
The winner is Peter Barker from
Hertfordshire who goes through to
the final round of the EISA Maestro
Photo Contest 2020, alongside other
winners chosen by photography
magazines around Europe. Peter
also wins a year-long subscription
to AP. The winning entries from
each of the 16 participating EISA
countries will be judged together at
the Association’s General Meeting
in summer 2020. The final results
of the International Maestro contest
will then be revealed at the EISA
Awards Gala. All three winners will
be invited to Berlin for the official
EISA Awards. Read on for more on
Peter, and the runners up, Graeme
Youngson and Joy Winter.

24 www.amateurphotographer.co.uk
 EISA MAESTRO UK WINNERS

1st
Peter Barker
‘I took the images for this portfolio at a
local studio, using a Canon EOS 80D
DSLR and a second-hand 30mm
Sigma Art lens. The only other gear was
two lights, slightly angled behind the
dancer in softboxes. The background
itself is a white infinity curve, but
appears black in the images because of
the way it was lit. We chucked lots of
flour around, and it was quite a
challenge to keep it all in the frame, as
well as stopping it going all over my
camera (a ripped up plastic bag came in
handy). The model had a good idea of
what to try, having done similar shoots
in the past. I started around f/8 to keep
some depth of field, but went down to
f/7.1, using a shutter speed of 1/125sec
and an ISO of 250. I went for a
consistent look in terms of shooting
angles and editing and love how the
flour looks like wings on some shots.’

www.amateurphotographer.co.uk 25
EISA MAESTRO UK WINNERS

2nd
Graeme Youngson
‘I like to contrast static subjects with
movement in other parts of the photo:
using panning to introduce blur in the
background, play around with odd
angles, imbalance and discord, using
slow shutter speeds and intentional
camera movement, and so on. In the
shot from Las Ramblas, Barcelona
(number three in clockwise order), I
focused on the woman standing still,
handholding the camera at 1/10sec in
order to introduce blur into the
movement of those around her. I really
like the image from the Wailing Wall in
Jerusalem (number six clockwise) with
the mixture of motion, stationary
figures, modern/more traditional
clothing and the guy on the left looking
at me. I got lucky that day! The image
from an Edinburgh pub (number four
clockwise), meanwhile, was all about
trying to capture the drunken feeling of
the place. Other images in the portfolio,
of a Clydeside jogger, cyclists in Glasgow
and a truck in Mandalay, Burma, all
make use of panning.’

www.amateurphotographer.co.uk
www.amateurphotographer.co.uk
EISA MAESTRO UK WINNERS

Joy Winter
3rd
‘I used my favourite camera, a Pentax
K-3, alongside Nikon and Canon DSLRs
and a range of lenses. I decided to
explore zoom burst and light painting
techniques, using a tripod as I was
sometimes shooting with exposures as
slow as five seconds. That said, some of
my images needed only a 1/4sec
exposure, or as fast as 1/500. I adjusted
the aperture as I went along, but f/7
and above gave me sharp and clear
images, even when using zoom burst
techniques. I decided to keep the ISO
around 100-200 in order to minimise
noise. A couple of images required
higher ISO values because I was using a
telephoto zoom lens, or I’d set a faster
shutter speed with a narrow aperture. A
portable LED light, along with some
experimentation with twirl effects and
Layers in Photoshop, came in very
useful with this portfolio too. Several
images were inspired by Greek, Norse
and Egyptian myths, and this informs
the colours.’

www.amateurphotographer.co.uk
www.amateurphotographer.co.uk 29
40 Churton Street, London SW1V 2LP, England Tel: 020-7828 4925 Mon-Fri 10am - 5:30pm, Sat 10am - 1pm
info@graysofwestminster.co.uk Visit our website: www.graysofwestminster.co.uk
In June 1998, Nikon made a special model, very limited in number (2000 for Japan and 1000 for the rest of the world)
commemorating Nikon’s 50th anniversary of camera manufacture. The specially manufactured strap bears the dates
1948-1998. The F5 was Nikon’s most expensive film camera (when sold side by side with the F6 prior to discontinuation,
the F5 at around £2500 was the more expensive body). The F5 was fitted with an RGB meter (3 meters working in Red,
Green and Blue ends of the spectrum) and could take standard, action, waist and magnification finders and a vast range
of screens. The Nikon Corporation issued a comment on the F5 Anniversary model as follows:
“50th Anniversary Model of Nikon F5. In 1998, two years after the introduction of F5, we at Nikon marked the 50th anniversary of our
camera production from the first release of Nikon I in 1948. In commemoration of this, we decided to offer the 50th Anniversary Model, which
was designed based on the F5 with changes in the colour of the upper body cover and body cap to a sober dark silver colour, and the rubber of the
oval section of the grip to a dark grey, adding a quality appearance to the camera. On the front of the viewfinder was inscribed the same Nikon
logo as adopted in first Nikon I rangefinder camera of 1948, and the back of body was marked with the former company logo of Nippon Kogaku
K.K.(Japan Optical) and the symbol for 50th Anniversary of Nikon Camera. This was the only variation model of F5.”
MINT, Boxed: £1995.00

Facebook: Grays of Westminster YouTube: Grays of Westminster Twitter: @nikonatgrays

Instagram: @nikonatgrays LinkedIn: Grays of Westminster
 Technique PHOTOSHOP SKILLS

John Wade
Regular AP contributor John is best
known for his classic camera articles,
but occasionally he comes over to the
dark side and dabbles with digital.
Find him at www.johnwade.org

Creative 1. Original picture

kaleidographs
With a little Photoshop know-how you can transform
your photographs into abstract works of art. John Wade
shows you how to create your own kaleidographs

K
aleidograph is have made with the above Repeat the process
a name I have technique and paste it into a Both of these processes can
invented for a new same-size document. be used as the basis for even 2. First kaleidograph created
technique I first Open the perspective tool, grab further manipulation. Instead
saw demonstrated in the days the handle that appears at the of starting with a normal
before digital. Using film, top left of the image and distort image for the first version
it was a difficult process to it by dragging the handle all kaleidoscope, you can, for
master. In the digital age, it’s the way to the right. This will example, use an already
a doddle. As a starting point, turn your image into a kind of created kaleidograph as your
there are two simple processes ‘egg-timer’ shape on a separate starting point and repeat the
to learn, needing only an background. Copy that shape, processes all over again. 3. Perspective
elementary grasp of Photoshop. flip it 90° and fill the The more you do it, the more distortion applied
background with it. Use the abstract the design becomes,
Copy, flip and paste distort tool to make small creating unexpected and often
Choose a suitable picture, rotate adjustments until it fits and beautiful images that seem to
it 45° and crop a square section fills the available space. Flatten materialise from nowhere. See
out of the centre. Call this the image. Now you’ve made a more ideas on page 34 to take
segment 1 and copy it. Open a second type of a kaleidograph. things even further.
new document, adjust the
canvas size to twice the width
and height of segment 1 and
HOW TO MAKE A KALEIDOGRAPH
paste that segment in the top
left corner. Copy segment 1
again, flip it horizontally to
make segment 2 and paste that
beside segment 1. Copy segment
2, flip that vertically to make
segment 3 and place it beneath
segment 2. Copy segment 3, flip
it horizontally to make segment
4 and place it beside segment 3
and below segment 1. This will
have automatically created four
layers on one background, so
ALL PICTURES © JOHN WADE

flatten the layers. You’ve just

made your first kaleidograph.

Twist, flip and paste 2. Rotated and

Copy any kaleidograph you 1. Original picture segment 1 identified

32 www.amateurphotographer.co.uk
 4. Previous image rotated and used to fill background

3. Segment 1 in place with the other three flipped and positioned 4. The finished kaleidograph

www.amateurphotographer.co.uk 33
 Technique PHOTOSHOP SKILLS

John’s TAKING THINGS FURTHER

top tips Here (right) an image of a bed
of tulips has been turned into a

1 Learn to look at picture

subjects in a different way,
noting how aspects line up across
the frame while visualising how
they will translate when the
kaleidograph is assembled.
2 Simple subjects that contain
strong horizontal lines make a
good starting point as the lines
become four sides of a diamond in
the kaleidograph.
kaleidograph, then a circular
portion cut out of the centre
and subjected to Photoshop’s
Extrude filter.
Photoshop’s twirl tool turned
loose to twist a kaleidograph
made from a sunset sky (below).
Photoshop’s polar coordinates
tool is a strange filter that takes
a square or rectangular image
and warps it into a circular
image. Apply it to a kaleidograph

3 Look at what is below and
above the horizontal lines and
visualise how this will converge
either in the middle or at corners
of the final image, according to
how the segments are assembled.
and you get weird effects. The
original subject for this was a
back-lit tree (below right).
While the egg-timer shape
was created from a sunset over
the sea kaleidograph. The two
halves were then copied and

4 Graduated tones in skies,

particularly at sunset and
sunrise, add an interesting texture
swapped to lay flat side against
flat side with points at each end.
Copying and pasting four
to the centre or edges of the versions of the same image
finished image. together created the glowing
diamond effect (bottom image).
5 Colourful subjects without any
real sense of composition can
result in an explosion of colour,
Photoshop’s extrude tool in action on a kaleidoscope

particularly in the second type of

kaleidograph.

6 Instead of starting with the

first segment top left of the
canvas and working clockwise, try
placing it at the bottom right and
work anticlockwise. In this way the
same four segments will make up
two different kaleidographs.

7 Try shooting new pictures for

the purpose, holding the
camera at an angle to use the
whole frame as a starting point,
instead of having to crop a small
segment from a larger image.

8 Don’t be afraid to add other

Photoshop effects and filters
to your kaleidograph. Particularly
useful are the solarize, skew,
Photoshop’s twirl tool adds a new effect to a kaleidoscope Polar Coordinates applied to a kaleidograph that
warp, pinch, wave, hue and
started life as a picture of a tree
saturation tools.

9 If you are not sure where to

find any tool or filter search
Google: ‘Where can I find [name of
A sunset turns into a
glittering diamond
tool] in Photoshop?’

10 Make notes of the steps

you take in your
experimentation so that you can
go back and repeat them if you
are particularly pleased with a
final result.

34 r.co.uk
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 Photo Stories
All in a
day’s work
Peter Dench speaks to a photographer with
unique access to the NHS front line
W
hen David Collyer saw his
photograph on the front page
of The Guardian, he nearly fell
off his bike. When he saw the
two pages of pictures inside, he bought every
copy from the garage on his way to his job as an
operating department practitioner at the Nevill
Hall Hospital in Abergavenny. It’s been a long
ride for the committed 52-year-old
documentary photographer. His enthusiasm
began as a teenager shadowing Terry Habgood,
chief photographer at the Surrey Advertiser.
David moved to Abergavenny from Bristol in
2017, a conscious decision to downgrade his
NHS position and spend more time having a
life outside work, and to concentrate more on
his photography. It was both that propelled him
to the front page. David had been considering
documenting the final year of Nevill Hall in
some way before it underwent significant
changes. He immediately recognised
COVID-19 presented an important
opportunity, making the immediate decision
not to photograph patients. ‘I wanted to get the
project off the ground very quickly; once you
go down the route of shooting patients, it’s a
lot more difficult to get ethical clearance from
the trust, you also have to get permission from
patients, family members, a lot of the patients
are in an induced coma, how do you get
permission from them?’ he explains.
By turning the camera on his colleagues, his
photographs humanise the NHS workers being
eulogised on the streets and in homes across
Britain. ‘I wanted to show the whole range of
emotions they go through and what we’re
having to deal with. There’s a real dark sense of
humour in health care, you can see people
messing around and having fun because
something exciting is happening, something
out of the ordinary, something big, it gets the
adrenaline going and then as things wear on,
you can see people are being worn down by it.’
More than 90 images David shot on shift
have been turned into a book, All in a Day’s
Work, published by Static Age (profits go to
mental health charities MIND and Campaign
Against Living Miserably). The book is an
36
intense and confined document of real life
drama performed in and around operating
theatres, views of the outside world are absent.
‘You have Personal Protective Equipment
(PPE) on which makes it even more
claustrophobic. Until you’ve been in that
situation where you’re wearing full PPE it’s very
difficult for an outsider to understand what it
feels like. Just the act of putting a mask on
you’re rebreathing in carbon dioxide, you get
very tired, very sleepy, your thought process
gets slightly dulled. You’ve got the added
difficulty wearing things that are raising your ALL IMAGES © DAVID COLLYER
body temperature, making you incredibly hot
so you’re sweating, you’ve got a visor on and
are very closed in.’
Tools for the job
For the gruelling shifts, David opted for his Clockwise from top: Waiting to remove PPE after
Olympus XA3 over Leica M3. The size of the an infected case. Exhausted after four hours. A
XA3 allowed it to hang unobtrusively under his moment of reflection. Mascara for morale. A light
moment at the end of a long shift
scrubs, the zone focusing allowed him to be
quick and crucially, it was easy to wipe clean.
The 800 ISO rated Kodak Tri-X film was
developed in a Rodinal dilution of 1:50, the
negs then scanned with a Plustek 8100. That’s
a lot of work after a distressing day, why not
digital? ‘I wanted to stay true to myself. I’ve
been shooting film for the last three years,
partly because I love the process. I found with
digital that I was getting lost, spending too
much time looking at the back of the camera.
Film really concentrated me. I know I can shoot
a roll and have it scanned in two hours. I wasn’t
planning on putting it out as a news story
initially, it was never designed to get into a
newspaper quickly. Technically these photos
aren’t my best work but in terms of having a
narrative, they do exactly what I set out to do.’
What David set out to do, he has done well,
learning from the biography of his hero Sir Don
McCullin that you soon realise what you’re cut out
to do, great photography takes dedication and a
refusal to compromise. There’s an intimacy to the
images beyond the press photos seen a thousand
times of an incubated patient surrounded by staff.
Absorbing David’s photos leaves the eyes
almost as shattered as the staff themselves.
www.amateurphotographer.co.uk
David
Collyer
David Collyer is a
photographer who
works as an operating
department
practitioner in
Abergavenny, Wales.
Visit staticage.co.uk
to purchase the book.

www.amateurphotographer.co.uk 37
COMPETITION

Amateur Photograp
Your chance to enter the UK’s most prestigious com
Round Five
City Life
Street photography is at once the hardest and easiest genre. Everybody
has access to a subject – just step outside – but not everybody can
£10,000
produce skilful work. Spotting the extraordinary within the mundane is
what makes great photographs stand out. Take a look at Henri
of
Cartier-Bresson, Robert Doisneau and Vivian Maier. More
contemporary practitioners include Martin Parr, Niall McDiarmid and
prizes to
Nick Turpin, so look them all up to see what works – and what doesn’t. be won
Plan your APOY 2020 year
Below is a list of all this year’s rounds including when the rounds open,
when they close and the dates the results will be announced in AP.
THEME SYNOPSIS ANNOUNCED CLOSES RESULTS
Points of View Landscapes 14 Mar issue 03 Apr 30 May issue
Monochrome Magic Black & White 11 Apr issue 01 May 27 Jun issue
Up Close & Personal Macro 02 May issue 22 May 25 Jul issue
Keep On Moving Sports & Action 06 Jun issue 26 Jun 29 Aug issue
City Life Street & Documentary 04 Jul issue 24 Jul 26 Sep issue
Natural World Nature & Wildlife 01 Aug issue 21 Aug 31 Oct issue
Light & Shadow Various genres 05 Sep issue 25 Sep 28 Nov issue
About Face Portraits 03 Oct issue 23 Oct 19 Dec issue

YOUR FREE ENTRY CODE

Enter the code below via Photocrowd to get one free
entry to Round Five – City Life Steve has chosen
the best possible

APOY52923445
© STEVE BECKETT

moment to capture
this shot, with
excellent framing

To enter visit www.amateurphotographer.co.uk/apoy

ROUND 5: STREET PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS
Advice and ideas to help you on capture street scenes with ease
Be dynamic Points of view
© WENDY DAVIES

© SEBASTIANO PIERI

A little bit of motion Consider shooting from

blur can help bring different angles when
your street shots to photographing street
life. It helps to give the scenes. You could head
impression of the to a high vantage point
hustle and bustle of a for an unusual view that
city, as well as making will set your shots apart
your main subject from those taken at
really stand out. street level.

38 www.amateurphotographer.co.uk
her of the Year
petition for amateur photographers
In association with

PRIZE
WORTH
£1,000

Choose your prize

Your best street shots could
bag you a lens or two
The winner of Round Five – City Life
– can choose products of up to £1,000
in value (based on Sigma’s RRP) as their
prize. If the winner’s choice of lens is
above this amount, they can choose to
pay the difference. Classic street
photography demands classic street
photography lenses – standard primes
are perfect for the task. Sigma has
many different options that fit the bill,
but two which you might consider are
the SIGMA 35mm F1.4 DG HSM | ART
(£799.99) or the SIGMA 50mm F1.4
DG HSM | ART lenses (£749.99).

Crowded house Story time

© ULRIKE UNTERBRUNER

© ALISON SWINBURNE

We tend to think of Some of the best

classic street street photographs
photography as build a story in your
having just one or two mind’s eye. They leave
main subjects. But a you wanting to know
busy scene like this more about what’s
shows that shooting going on – or free to
wide and including a make up your own
whole crowd creates a interpretations. Look
lot of interest to keep for interactions which
the viewer occupied. can easily tell a tale.

www.amateurphotographer.co.uk 39
 Testbench
Zen
and
the art of
choosing
the right
kit Photographer
Benedict Brain
makes the switch
to the medium-format Fujifilm
GFX 50R and instantly falls in love
I
n one of the best books
about photography, On
Being a Photographer - A
Practical Guide by Bill Jay
and David Hurn the duo discuss
photographers’ attitudes to talking
about cameras and kit. They
observe that people new to
photography often obsess about
their equipment, then, as they
evolve creatively they dismiss and
deny its importance, but yet the
very ‘best’ photographers, those at
40
IN THE FIELD
At a glance
£3,199 body only
● 51.4MP medium-format sensor
● ISO 50-102,400 (extended)
● 3fps continuous shooting
● 3.69m-dot OLED EVF
● 3.2in, 2.36m-dot tilt touchscreen
ALL PICTURES © BENEDICT BRAIN
the top of their game spend a lot middle stage. With my art-school as if it was beneath us. Mere
of time talking about their cameras background, I’ve dismissed the trivialities that distract from the true
again. They relate this evolution to relevance of kit, and have been meaning, message or the story of
the Zen saying that goes along the more preoccupied with my ‘big’ the work. And in many ways we
lines of ‘on the first encounter a ideas, cool concepts and generally were right, the stories are more
rock is just a rock; on further being an ‘arty-farty pants’. When I important than the kit used – in
examination, a rock is not a rock; interviewed some of the world’s much the same way that George
and with full understanding, a rock greatest photographers for Orwell’s words are more important
is a rock again’. I’m really fond of consumer photography magazines than the portable Remington he
their anecdote and feel it is relevant and was compelled to ask them used to write them with or
to my experiences in the world of what kit they used, I was Picasso’s choice of paintbrush.
photography. I guess I’ve spent embarrassed to ask and often they However, I bet Picasso carefully
much of my photographic life in the too were reluctant to answer. It was chose which paint, brush and type
www.amateurphotographer.co.uk

of canvas to use and I bet he got
excited if a new hue of blue was
developed. And so it is, that I have
recently become more attuned to
the tools I use and what they mean
to me and how they make me
behave and feel as a photographer.
And while I wouldn’t lay any claims
to greatness, reconciling my
relationship with kit and the
importance of choosing the right
tools for the job has made me a
better photographer.
www.amateurphotographer.co.uk
Glacier Bay, Alaska
Fujifilm GFX 50R, Fujinon
GF 63mm F2.8 R WR,
1/1250sec at f/9, ISO 200
My camera journey
For a long time, I worked as a
writer and editor for a variety of
photography magazines. Pretty
much since digital cameras
became mainstream in the
mid-2000s, I was exposed to a
wide range of cameras, press
events, hands-on experiences and
I had in one form or another a
fairly good understanding of the
camera landscape. So when
it came time for me to leave
 Testbench
the world of magazines and
commit to photography in
other ways, I was in a pretty good
position to make a well-grounded
evaluation of what I needed. For
its all-round versatility and
outstanding quality, I plumped for
the Nikon D850 and a bunch of
quality glass. It was great,
wonderful even, and it did
everything I needed it to and a
whole lot more to boot. To be
honest there’s really nothing I
could find fault with, however, as
time progressed it just didn’t feel
quite right.
My photographic work splintered
off into surprising new directions
and I found myself travelling to
far-flung corners of the world. I
also found myself making images
in a new way. If one must try to
define it I was working towards the
‘fine-art’ and/or documentary
tradition. I didn’t like the
conspicuousness of a big SLR
system, but was hesitant and if I’m
honest a little snobby about using
a smaller mirrorless system… and
then the GFX 50R came along.
When the Fujifilm GFX 50R was
released I just knew this was the
camera for me. It really was love at
IN THE FIELD
first sight. I had been thrilled when
Fujifilm first announced its entree
into the medium-format market.
I was at the press conference at
Photokina and the excitement was
palpable. However, the GFX 50S
and other options from Hasselblad
and Pentax priced me out of the
medium-format market.
The GFX 50R’s more accessible
price point prompted me to rather
impulsively trade in my entire
Nikon kit. And so it was that I
found myself with a GFX 50R and
one lens, the Fujifilm GF 63mm
F2.8 R WR (I’ve since added
more). On paper I recognise it was
madness, I had gone from a
complete system and range of
focal lengths that could handle just
about any situation I cared to
throw at it to a one-lens system
with several compromising
shortfallings, such as slow
autofocus, slow continuous
shooting speed and not the world’s
best low-light shooting capabilities.
However, these factors didn’t
bother me and the best part of a
year later they still don’t, but my
photography feels invigorated.
Perhaps one of the greatest
delights of the GFX 50R and most

Fujifilm X100F
companion
FOR MY total immersion into the world of Fujifilm, I also added a
Fujifilm X100F. Initially, this was a camera to sling in my backpack for
expeditions with my son and other everyday adventures. Perhaps my
biggest surprise and delight was just what an amazing camera this is in
its own right. I have to admit to having been something of a full-frame
sensor snob and to be honest, this held me back from the idea of
engaging with the APS-C sensor sized X series cameras. I would now
re-evaluate this assertion. And while I will still use my medium format
GFX 50R for most of my ‘serious’ photography, I would not rule out
using the X100F either. It is way more than a sling-in-my-bag casual
camera, it’s a viable and capable tool in its own right and delightful
companion to its big
brother. Most of the
controls, features,
dials and functions
are in similar locations
and once I’ve
‘harmonised’ the
customisable features
between the two
cameras the transition
from one to the other
will be relatively
seamless.

www.amateurphotographer.co.uk
 Dog in Alaska, tack
sharp ‘action’ shot
Fujifilm GFX 50R, Fujinon
GF 45mm F2.8 R WR,
1/900sec at f4, ISO 250
of the Fujifilm range of cameras
for that matter is that they feel as
if they’ve been designed by
photographers for photographers.
While arguably superficial in some
ways the analogue buttons, dials
and knobs are a sheer delight to
use. For me, they are instinctive
and mitigate the need to dig deep
into menus. I loathe menus,
especially as I now need reading
glasses. My approach and style of
photography is pretty
straightforward. For my personal
practice, I don’t tend to dwell on
fancy, complicated techniques and
so having the simple controls of
aperture, shutter speed and ISO
literally at fingertips allows me to
take control of the camera
instinctively without thinking. Like
driving a manual car, I don’t need
to think about it too much and
interrupt the creative flow.
It is true that the autofocus is
clunky. It was described in these
very pages as the GFX 50R’s
Achilles’ heel. I wouldn’t argue with
this, but for me, it doesn’t really
matter. I’m not interested in
making photographs that demand
the speed of on-chip phase
detection. Part of the GFX’s allure
for me was working in a slower,
more considered and deliberate
way. There’s not much that I’m
drawn to photograph that
demands the speed of super-fast
autofocus. I grew up with manual
www.amateurphotographer.co.uk
Julieta in Alaska
Fujifilm GFX 50R, Fujinon
GF 45mm F2.8 R WR,
1/200sec at f4, ISO 250
focus and am still of a mindset that
autofocus, whatever, the speed, is
pretty good. And while the GFX’s
focus might be slow and clunky, it
is very accurate and using the
joystick with my thumb to move
the focus point quickly became
second nature.
Image quality
One of the most compelling
reasons for me to switch to
medium format was the attraction
of the medium-format sized
sensor. For someone with petty
aspirations in the fine-art world of
photography the ability to make
large, detailed and highly
descriptive prints was seductive.
The 51.4MP medium-format
sensor, which is 70% larger in
area than full-frame, more than
satisfies this whim and I have
made massive prints that blow me
away. The files are simply sublime.
I was also really drawn to the 4:3
aspect ratio of the medium-format
sensor. For purely aesthetic reasons
I found I was nearly always cropping
my 3:2 files from the D850 to the
more-pleasing-for-me 4:3 ratio. It
might seem a superficial reason,
but it was important to me and it
seemed such a shame to be
wasting the pixels I was cropping
out of the NEFs.
None of the lenses I use has
image stabilisation and
neither does the camera
43
 Testbench
‘Using one focal length for a prolonged period of time will,
without doubt, make you a better photographer’
body, so I have to be extra
careful with selecting an
appropriately fast enough shutter
speed. The nature of much of my
current personal practice sees me
travelling (before lockdown)
around the world, so I don’t always
want to have to carry a tripod.
Also, I’m often working in a
‘documentary tradition’ and
prefer to be as inconspicuous as
possible. However, the extremely
good ISO performance helps me
deal with this.
One of my biggest concerns was
switching from a through the lens
viewfinder of a conventional DSLR
to an EVF. I needn’t have worried.
I’ve barely given it a second
thought, and to be honest when
I’m using my Fujifilm X100F which
has hybrid optical/EVF options,
unlike the GFX which only has EVF
I rarely use the optical option.
Great glass
For economic reasons, I initially
only had funds for the GFX 50R
camera body and one lens. I
plumped for the Fujifilm GF
44
IN THE FIELD
63mm F2.8 R WR. Perhaps I was
aspiring to my introduction to
photography in the early ’80s
when I bought, as was pretty
normal in those days, a body with
a ‘standard’ lens (by coincidence a
Fujica STX-1N 35mm with Fujifilm
X-Fujinon 50mm F1.9). The
Fujifilm GF 63mm F2.8 R WR is
35mm equivalent to a 50mm,
which in turn is the closest focal
length to the field of view we have
with our eyes. In many ways, only
having one lens was liberating.
One of the things I often bang on
about in photography workshops I
run for Light and Land and the
Royal Photographic Society is that
using one focal length for a
prolonged period of time will,
without doubt, make you a better
photographer. I found this to be
truer than I’ve preached, and in
many ways, the restriction was
creatively liberating. However, I
make my living through
photography in one form or
another and realistically one focal
length wasn’t going to cut the
mustard. The GF system comes
After Lee
Friedlander,
North Wales
Fujifilm GFX 50R, Fujinon
GF 45mm F2.8 R WR,
1/200sec at f/5.6, ISO 100
into its one with the impressive
line-up Fujinon GF optics. My
lineup is still pretty simple, I added
the Fujinon GF 110mm F2 R LM
WR and the Fujinon GF 45mm
F2.8 R WR giving me a kit bag
with the 35mm equivalent of a
35mm, 50mm and 85mm. This
pretty much covers most bases for
me. If I add anything else I’ll most
likely wait for the Fujinon GF
30mm F3.5 (24mm) which is
on the roadmap for release later
this year.
The build quality of the Fujinon
GF 110mm F2 R LM WR is
excellent, as it is with all the GF
lenses. It’s the largest and heaviest
lens in my Fujifilm kit bag and I
definitely use this lens ‘by
appointment’, usually for portrait-
based work. I don’t tend to carry it
around in my kit back. There is no
built-in optical image stabilisation,
so choosing a suitably fast shutter
speed or mounting on a tripod is
essential. The Fujinon GF 45mm
f/2.8 R WR is probably my go-to
lens. I’m blown away by the quality
of it time and time again.
www.amateurphotographer.co.uk
 Storm approaching,
Alaska Fujifilm GFX 50R,
Fujinon GF63mm F2.8 R WR,
1/850sec at f/8, ISO 100
www.amateurphotographer.co.uk
I can easily carry the GFX 50R,
the 63mm, the 45mm, spare
battery (even though the battery
life is surprisingly good), a Godox
flash and memory cards in my
small 25-year-old Billingham
Hadley, which is perfect for my
way of working.
My one gripe
In case you haven’t got the gist
yet, I’m in love with the Fujifilm
GFX 50R. However, if I have one
bugbear it is with the Cam Remote
app and connectivity with the
camera. Compared to the Nikon
and GoPro apps, both of which I
have used, it’s clear there’s room
for improvement here. It’s not a
deal-breaker, but it’s frustratingly
close to being a really useful
feature. When it works it’s great,
but in my experience, it is not very
stable. I would love to use this as a
tool, especially as a teaching aid
when running workshops, but it’s
simply too unreliable. The
Bluetooth remote trigger is great.
The app’s shortfallings are
especially annoying as the JPEG
files out of the camera are so
good, they’re pretty much ready to
share immediately.
I’ll be the first to admit I have a
capacity for the superficial
sentiments of a shallow aesthete.
I’m a sucker for good looks and
design perfection, and for me the
way this camera looks and feels
both in the hand and to the eye is
stunning. While it might be
superficial on one level, this does
also play into the creative process
– for me. I feel ‘right’ when I’m
using this camera, personally it
feels like a good fit – that feeling
when you try on a new pair of
shoes and they’re perfect. This, in
turn, fuels my creativity and in the
best part of a year that I’ve been
using it, I feel that my photography
has truly evolved for the better
and in new and exciting ways.
There are other reasons too of
course but I feel invigorated and
sense that my switch to the GFX
50R has played an important role
in all of this.
At the end of the day, it’s all
about the end image; the final
result. The camera is just the tool
used to get you there. For me the
GFX 50R is, without doubt, the
most perfect tool I’ve used. Sure, it
is just a camera - but, boy,
what a camera it is.
45

Free !
Aurora HDR
software
Now here’s an offer you don’t get
every day: download award-winning
HDR software from Skylum
IN PARTNERSHIP with leading
software developer Skylum, we
are delighted to offer AP readers
the chance to get their hands on
the award-winning Aurora HDR
2018 software for free. All you
need to do is to enter your email
address.
Aurora HDR 2018 is available
for both Mac and Windows and
features a new interface, speed
improvements and a range of
useful tools.
One of the most impressive
features is a powerful algorithm
for tone mapping single or multiple
exposures that results in a very
realistic starting image. When
merging brackets, the algorithm
analyses each image separately,
automatically detecting dark and
light zones and adjusting the level
To get your free copy of Aurora HDR visit skylum.com/ap-aurora
of detail which will produce a
natural-looking HDR image. With
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mapping algorithm brings out
colours and enhances dark and
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Tons of tools
Another major improvement is the
HDR Enhance Filter. A single slider
adds details and clarity to an
image, adjusting colours, details
and contrast without creating
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Then there is the Lens Correction
Tool, a Dodge and Burn filter to
selectively lighten or darken
specific areas of an image, an
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details and adjust colours and
contrast and much more. See
aurorahdr.com/2018.
AFTER
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transformative power of Aurora HDR 2018
BEFORE
©ALIK GRIFFIN
IMAGE BY JOSE RAMOS
The ability to edit Layers and Masking can generate impressive results
HOW TO GET YOUR FREE COPY
To download Aurora HDR
2018, which originally sold for
$99, simply go along to the
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This offer is available until 30 June 2020.
You will need to confirm your email
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with the download links and code
We’d love to see any
great images you have
created with Aurora...

The lens exhibits softening
from diffraction beyond f/16 to
its minimum aperture of f/22
Sony A7R IV, Sigma 14-24mm F2.8 DG DN
Art at 15mm, 1/100sec at f/16, ISO 400
Sigma 14-24mm
F2.8 DG DN Art
It promises to be the ultimate large-aperture, wideangle
zoom for today’s full-frame mirrorless cameras, but is it?
Michael Topham tested it locally to find out how it fares
N
ot to be confused with
the Sigma 14-24mm
F2.8 DG HSM that
was released in 2018,
the Sigma 14-24mm F2.8 DG DN
is a new wideangle zoom that has
been specially developed and
optimised for today’s high-
resolution full-frame mirrorless
cameras. Whereas the 14-24mm
www.amateurphotographer.co.uk
F2.8 DG HSM (£1,129) is available
in Canon EF, Nikon F and Sigma
lens mounts; the £1,299 lens we’re
looking at in this review is made for
mirrorless cameras that use the E
mount or L mount.
For landscape, architectural and
astronomy photographers, it’s a
lens that lets you squeeze more of
what’s around you in the frame
LENS TEST
than lenses like the Panasonic
Lumix S Pro 16-35mm f/4
(£1,499) and Sony FE 16-35mm
F2.8 G Master (£1,995), which
are £200 and £695 more
expensive respectively. Sony does
produce a lens of similar focal
length – the FE 12-24mm F4 G,
but this is also more expensive and
doesn’t provide as fast maximum
Testbench
aperture through its zoom range.
On paper it seems Sigma has
created a very strong product at
an excellent price point where
there’s an obvious gap in the
market. As we all know though, a
lens is only as good as the optical
performance it puts in, so with the
mighty 61MP Sony A7R IV in my
possession I took the opportunity
to find out if the lens is a match
with today’s highest resolution
full-frame mirrorless camera.
Made for mirrorless
Compared to the Sigma 14-
24mm F2.8 DG HSM, which is a
brute of a lens, this zoom has a
noticeably thinner barrel that’s
4mm shorter in overall
length. There’s a substantial
47
The lens handles tricky backlit scenes
exceptionally well with no sign of flare
or chromatic aberration in this example
Sony A7R IV, Sigma 14-24mm F2.8 DG DN Art at
24mm, 1/1000sec at f/11, ISO 800
weight saving to be made
too. Unlike its wideangle
sibling that weighs over a kilogram,
this lens is 355g lighter at 795g.
The weight saving is actually
rather surprising given it has more
elements in a greater number of
groups. Whereas the Sigma
14-24mm F2.8 DG HSM is made
up of 17 elements in 11 groups,
this lens features a construction of
18 elements in 13 groups.
Included within this construction
Haysden Park Sony A7R IV, Sigma 14-24mm F2.8 DG DN Art at 14mm, 1/125sec at f/5.6, ISO 400
48
are five special low-dispersion
(SLD) glass elements and one ‘F’
low-dispersion (FLD) glass
element. This low-dispersion glass
is used to curtail chromatic
aberration, which is known for
being problematic in large-
aperture ultra-wideangle lenses,
especially towards the edge of the
frame. To prevent flare and
ghosting when shooting towards
the light, Sigma has combined its
Super Multi-Layer Coatings with a
new Nano Porous Coating. The
idea behind this is that the porous
silica layer has nano-sized holes
with air inside. Having holes of this
size enables a large reduction in
the refractive index, allowing the
reflectance to be lowered more
than conventional anti-reflective
coatings. As a result, Sigma claims
any reflected light that can cause
flare and ghosting is greatly
reduced, thus achieving sharp and
high-contrast images even in
backlight conditions.
Complementing the complex
construction is a 11-blade
rounded aperture diaphragm,
which can be set between a
maximum aperture of f/2.8 and a
minimum aperture of f/22. As for
autofocus, the lens relies on a
stepping motor to keep the AF
drive fast and silent. You also get a
focus lock button on the barrel
below the AF/MF switch that can
be set up from the camera’s menu
to perform different functions.
The bulbous front element does
extend slightly when the zoom is
being retracted from 24mm to
14mm, but the fixed petal-shaped
hood does a good job of shielding
it. I’ll touch on how the lens is used
with filters in more detail shortly,
but a glance at the rear reveals it’s
equipped with a rear filter holder
and robust metal mount.
Elsewhere it supports full-time
manual focusing and has a
minimum focus distance of 28cm.
The lens is supplied with three
accessories in the box – a padded
case, rear cap and a push-on front
cap that has felt lining on the
inside to create a tight, secure fit.
Premium build quality
Sigma lenses that are embellished
with the letter ‘A’ in a silver circle
on the barrel have gained an
excellent reputation for having a
first-class finish and robust build
quality. The same is true of this
lens. Though it may be
considerably cheaper than main
brand rivals, this doesn’t show in
the quality of its build. The
construction of the barrel is a
blend of precision-engineered
metal and smooth matte black
polycarbonate plastic, with
rubberised zoom and focus rings
offering good control when your
hands might be wet or you’re
wearing gloves. The zoom ring has
a short throw, operating very
smoothly across the zoom range
in just under a quarter turn. The
www.amateurphotographer.co.uk

focus ring doesn’t have hard end
stops and is electronically rather
than mechanically coupled, but
operates smoothly and combined
brilliantly with the automated
manual focus magnification on
the A7R IV to quickly establish
pin-sharp focus.
Having good weather resistance
is extremely important on a lens
that’s likely to see a lot of use
outdoors in demanding
environments. The dust-and
splash-proof structure features
seals at seven strategic points in
its construction, including a
rubber seal around the perimeter
of the metal mount that
compresses against the mount on
the camera when it’s attached.
The autofocus lock (AFL) button
is also weather sealed and soft to
press, but does exhibit a subtle
click in use.
As mentioned earlier, the lens
comes with a rear filter holder
and locking mechanism so
drop-in filters can be used. If
you’d prefer to use the lens with
filters that don’t require you to
remove the lens, it can be with
more conventional filters from the
front too, though you will need a
specially designed ultra-wide
angle system such as the LEE
Filters SW150 Mark II. At the
time of writing a custom adapter
hadn’t been made by LEE Filters
for this lens, but we expect one
will appear at some point in the
www.amateurphotographer.co.uk
LENS TEST Testbench
Verdict
SIGMA has always been quick to
acknowledge gaps in the market.
Up until recently, full-frame
E-mount and L-mount users have
been limited by the selection of
wideangle zooms available to
them; in particular those with a
fast f/2.8 maximum aperture.
For Sigma to call it the ultimate
large-diameter, wideangle zoom
lens for full-frame mirrorless
cameras was a bold claim, but
having tested it extensively with
the highest resolution mirrorless
camera on the market, I can
confirm it is at this current time.
The lens resolves good Constructed to a robust, weather
centre sharpness at its sealed standard with quiet and
maximum aperture Sony A7R accurate focusing, there’s very
IV, Sigma 14-24mm F2.8 DG DN Art
little not to like if you’re into
at 14mm, 1/400 sec at f/2.8, ISO 100
landscape, architectural or astro
photography. The fact it doesn’t
‘The bulbous front element does extend accept screw-in filters will make it
more expensive if you don’t
slightly when the zoom is being retracted’ already own a large filter system,
but if you do, your only added
future. One filter manufacturer starts to soften detail at f/16 and expense will be a new adapter ring.
that does currently offer filter f/22, so it’s best to avoid these Photographers who prefer to
support for the lens is NiSi. The small apertures if you want to be shoot wider than faster may find
adapter isn’t cheap (£180), but it rewarded with the sharpest shots. themselves holding out for a
works with the company’s S5 The in-camera lens mirrorless version of the Sigma
filter system, which can hold up to compensation plays an important 12-24mm F4 DG HSM to appear,
two 150mm filters, as well as an role. There’s no reason to turn but how long before this arrives for
integrated circular polariser. this off, but if you do you should E-mount and L-mount systems is
be prepared to witness mild unknown. If you can see an extra
Performance chromatic aberration creeping stop being useful in low-light and
With strict social-distancing into your images. Shading 14mm is wide enough, look no
measures and non-essential compensation is effective at further than this lens. To
journeys curtailing my plan of reducing vignetting at the long summarise, it’s the finest example
using the lens extensively at the end of the zoom when the lens is of a fast wideangle zoom we’ve
coast, it was tested close to home used at f/2.8, however it doesn’t tested for full-frame mirrorless
as part of my daily exercise. remove it completely when the cameras at sensible money.
Inspecting images at different lens is used between 14mm to
zoom settings across the 18mm where some manual
aperture range with in-camera correction is still required. Stop Data file
corrections for shading, chromatic down to f/4 and f/5.6 and you’ll
aberration and distortion turned notice that corner shading Price £1,299 Aperture blades 11
Lens mount Aperture f/2.8-f/22
on revealed that its image quality subsides. Shooting towards the E-mount or L Mount Minimum focus
is sublime. The level of sharpness light also revealed the new Nano Filter diameter N/A distance 28cm
at the far edge of the frame at Porous Coating does a fine job of Lens elements 18 Dimensions
14mm doesn’t match that in the reducing ghosting and flare. Lens groups 13 85x131mm
centre at f/2.8, however users will As for distortion, it should be Weight 795g
notice corners are quick to noted that the lens does exhibit Included
sharpen up by stopping down to barrel distortion when used in the accessories Lens
cap (push-on), rear
f/4. For the best edge-to-edge region of 14-16mm, even with cap, padded case
sharpness at the longer end of distortion compensation applied.
the zoom (24mm) users are Though admittedly it doesn’t
recommended to stop down from handle curvilinear distortion quite
the maximum aperture to around as well as the Sigma 14-24mm
f/5.6, which I identified to be close F2.8 DG HSM at the wide end,
to the lens’ sweet spot at any distortion at longer focal
GOLD
given focal length. Diffraction lengths is negligible.
49
 Testbench ACCESSORIES

JOBY Beamo
Brightness
Five modes of brightness Diffuser
can be selected via the A soft rubber diffuser
buttons. Precise brightness is included in the box to soften
control can be made via the light. It simply pushes on
the app. at the front.
Michael Topham tests a small and
powerful LED light with Bluetooth
● £80 ● www.joby.com/uk-en/

THERE are times when it can be a good idea to carry a

small, portable LED light in your kitbag to help pick out a
subject in low-light or lighten any shadowed areas. JOBY’s
Beamo is designed for photographers and vloggers who’d
find this type of light useful and it presents a benefit over
Manfrotto’s Lumimuse range of compact LED lights in that
it has a robust aluminium shell that’s waterproof to a depth
of 30m (100ft). At full power the Beamo offers 1500
lumens of brightness with a constant colour temperature
of 5100K. If full power is a little overpowering you can
choose from four reduced power settings and the light is
intelligent enough to remember your last chosen
setting so you don’t have to spend time adjusting
the brightness next time you turn it on. The At a glance
spread of light is impressive for a spotlight so small
and when you’d like to soften the intensity, such as ● Colour temperature: 5100K
when shooting portraits or still life, you can use ● LED lux: 750 lux @ 1m
the supplied diffuser that pushes over the front. ● Dimensions: 51x51x47mm
On the base of the Beamo you get a 1⁄4in x 20
● Weight: 125g Recommended
thread that can be used to attach it to various
mounts, plus it has two cold shoe mounts, which
with the supplied cold shoe adapter lets you mount it
directly to your camera’s hot shoe. At full brightness I
found the battery lasts for 40 minutes before a
recharge is required, whereas you’ll get around 100
minutes of use at 50% brightness.
Charging the device couldn’t be simpler. Open
the catch at the side, remove the weatherproof
seal and plug in and charge using the supplied
USB-C cable. Alternatively, users may wish to
take advantage of wireless charging using a
compatible wireless hub. Downloading the
myJOBY app (available for iOS and Android) and
connecting the Beamo to my smartphone via
Bluetooth revealed that functionality extends
further. From the app you have the option to set
the brightness precisely by a percentage level, you The interface of the app
can control up to four Beamos at once, save is concise and lets you
settings for future use and turn it into a flash or a control up to four JOBY
strobe. The pairing was made instantly with no Beamos at once
discernible lag when settings were adjusted and
a blue LED confirms a successful connection. Battery level
The myJOBY app displays
Verdict battery status and prompts ALSO IN THE RANGE
The Beamo is a really intuitive LED light to you to recharge the battery
use. It’s powerful for its size, maintains a when it’s running low. JOBY makes a smaller version of the Beamo
natural white colour temperature across its called the Beamo Mini (£60). It has a robust
ALL PRICES ARE APPROXIMATE STREET PRICES

brightness range and will stand up to serious
abuse, whether it’s used above or below water. It
gets very hot when it’s used at high power for
long durations and I’d have liked the diffuser to
clip on to provide a bit more reassurance that
it won’t fall off. Overall though, it’s a well priced,
portable LED light that offers great durability.
Charging
It’s possible to use the
Beamo while it’s being
charged via USB.
and waterproof design like the larger Beamo,
but has thinner dimensions (51x51x39mm)
and a lower brightness output (1000 lumens)
at maximum power. Another difference is
found at the rear where it has a magnetic
backing, allowing it to be attached to a
fence, pole or any other magnetic surface.

50
IN ASSOCIATION WITH
Ask the
Looking for a new camera or accessory and need some advice? The experts at Wex Photo Video
are here to help. Contact us at ap.ed@kelsey.co.uk or on Twitter at @AP_Magazine and #AskAP
A new way to support
heavy wildlife lenses
Q With lockdown rules about
outdoor exercise opening
up a bit, I’m now looking
to really go out and embrace my
passion of wildlife photography
once more. I’m lucky enough to
own a fantastic 500mm prime
lens for this but due to my age,
struggle to support it after a while.
I find monopods don’t take the
weight in the way I’d like and find
my tripod a bit restricting in terms
of its movement when tracking a
subject. Any ideas for a solution to
this problem? Frank Wilson
A
Telephoto primes are an
ideal choice for wildlife
photography, but as
you’ve found Frank, they are
often bulky and heavy. While
many professional sports and
wildlife photographers do opt for
monopods, you’ll be pleased to
hear that there are other
options for supporting large
optics on the market. We suggest
you consider picking up a gimbal
head for your tripod. This type of
head allows you to securely
balance the weight of your setup,
so that it can be moved
effortlessly vertically and
horizontally on an axis when
tracking a subject, with no need
for adjusting pan or tilt knobs as
on other types of tripod heads.
One of the options we stock is
the Calumet Gimbal head priced
at £179, below, which will safely
support loads of
up to 12kg and
provides drag
adjustment for
total control.
www.amateurphotographer.co.uk
Tech Talk
ex erts
Best camera bag for hikers?
Q A
My two main passions are hiking and When it comes to camera bags there are
photography, often combining them as literally hundreds of choices, all providing
I adventure around the UK and further their own unique feature sets. If you’re
afield. Despite owning a few small camera bags looking for a camera bag that’s suitable for hiking,
though, I’ve never found one that I really love for we’d probably opt for a classic backpack-style
my trips, they’ve all either lacked enough room for design that will offer you shoulder and back
my gear or failed to support me properly. Are support to help it remain comfortable when worn
there any particular models I should be looking at for longer periods of time. Weatherproofing,
picking up? I normally carry a Canon EOS 5D protective padding for your gear and lightweight
Mark IV, a spare lens or two and a tripod. design are also important features. Here are
Elisha Campbell three models we’d recommend.
Our experts suggest
Lowepro Photo Sport BP Gitzo Adventury 45L MindShift Gear BackLight
300 AW II Backpack Backpack Elite 45 Backpack
Available in blue or black, the If you’re interested in a bag with It may not be the cheapest of the
Photo Sport BP 300 AW II has maximum storage space consider three, but if you need the
been designed for active users. the Adventury 45L. It can be ultimate adventuring camera
It has room for a DSLR and two configured to hold larger bag, then look no further than the
standard lenses, features a telephoto lenses such as 600mm BackLight Elite 45. With 45 litres
dedicated space for a 2-litre primes, multiple professional of space for cameras, lenses, or
hydration reservoir, has multiple camera bodies, and even drones, hiking equipment, there are
attachment points for trekking or alternatively, smaller setups with almost no limits to where this
poles or small tripods, and internal plenty of room for personal items. bag could take you, or with
space for a bike helmet or other An ‘infinity pocket’ is designed to what! It features dual-density,
personal items. An all-weather take a tripod. The bag’s shoulder honeycomb mesh shoulder
cover protects your gear, while the straps are fully adjustable and its straps for total comfort, two
padded and back panel large water bottle pockets,
adjustable features a numerous
ActivZone™ ventilation attachment points
harness system. for tripods and
system Coated zips walking sticks,
keeps the and a rain and dedicated
bag cover laptop and
supported ensure hydration system
at all times weather compartments.
for total protection.
comfort.
£159 £179 £359
● UltraCinch secures gear for ● Dedicated 15-inch laptop compartment ● Removable camera compartment
bounce-free protection and space for a 9.7-inch tablet with emergency shoulder straps
● Space for one DSLR and ● Space for multiple cameras and ● Space for multiple cameras and
two standard lenses lenses including a telephoto prime lenses including a telephoto prime
● Weight 1.5kg ● Weight 3.1kg ● Weight 3.2kg
51

Buyin
Guide
Our comprehensive listing of key camera specifications
Cameras
Cameras come in three types:
DSLRs with optical viewfinders,
mirrorless models with electronic
viewing, and compact cameras
with non-interchangeable lenses
Handgrip
DSLRs traditionally
have relatively large
handgrips, while many
mirrorless models have
much smaller grips
to keep size down.
However, some can
accept accessory grips
to improve handling
with larger lenses.
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www.amateurphotographer.co.uk
SPONSORED BY
148
cameras
listed &
rated
Controls Viewfinder Compact cameras
Entry-level cameras The biggest difference These range from
tend to have simple, between DSLRs and small, pocketable
easy-to-understand mirrorless cameras models to large
controls, while more is that the latter use bridge-type cameras
expensive models add electronic, rather than with long zoom lenses
lots of buttons and optical viewfinders. and SLR-style designs.
dials to give quick Some advanced In this guide, we’re only
access to settings. compact cameras including those with
also have built-in relatively large sensors
electronic viewfinders for high image quality,
to complement their raw format recording
rear LCD screens. and manual controls.
AMOST all serious photographers manufacturers offer a range of
Lens mount prefer to use cameras with options, from simple, relatively
Each camera brand interchangeable lenses, as this gives inexpensive beginner-friendly
uses its own lens the greatest degree of creative designs, to sophisticated
mount, and mirrorless flexibility. At one time, this meant professional models. In the middle
cameras use different digital single-lens-reflex (DSLR) of the range you’ll find enthusiast
lenses to DSLRs even cameras, but these have now been cameras with more advanced
from the same brand. joined by mirrorless cameras that control layouts. Meanwhile the term
However, mirrorless use electronic viewfinders. The ‘compact’ refers to cameras with
models can often latest models are true alternatives built-in lenses, regardless of their
use DSLR lenses via to DSLRs, offering the same image size. Many offer excellent image
a mount adapter. quality and creative options. Camera quality and full manual control.
Park Cameras was established in 1971 in Burgess Hill, West Sussex. For over 40 years they have forged a reputation
across the photographic industry as one of the top independent photographic retailers in the UK, serving the needs of
all photographers, from enthusiasts through to professionals, through the very highest level of customer service.
53
 BUYING GUIDE

RESOLUTION (MP)

BURST MODE (FPS)

SCREEN SIZE (IN)

ARTICULATED LCD
Mirrorless cameras

BUILT-IN WI-FI

TOUCHSCREEN
VIEWFINDER
LENS MOUNT
SENSOR SIZE

BATTERY LIFE

HEIGHT (MM)
WIDTH (MM)

DEPTH (MM)

WEIGHT (G)
AF POINTS
MIC INPUT
MAX ISO

(SHOTS)
FLASH
VIDEO
NAME & MODEL RRP SCORE SUMMARY SHOOTING SCREEN DIMENSIONS
Canon EOS M100 £449 3★ Lightweight model for beginners, but overly simplistic APS-C 24.2 Canon M 25,600 1080 49 6.1 • • 3 • • 295 108.2 67.1 35.1 302

Canon EOS M200 £499 Basic entry-level viewfinderless model gains 4K video recording APS-C 24.1 Canon M 25,600 3840 143 6.1 • • 3 • • 315 108.2 67.1 35.1 299

Canon EOS M50 £649 4.5★ Very likeable and well-specified entry-level model with viewfinder APS-C 24.2 Canon M 51,200 3840 • 143 10 • • • 3 • • 235 116.3 88.1 58.7 387

Canon EOS M6 Mark II £869 4★ Sports 32.5MP sensor and 14fps shooting, uses removable viewfinder APS-C 32.5 Canon M 51,200 3840 • 143 14 • • 3 • • 305 119.6 70 49.2 398

Canon EOS RP £1400 4★ Compact and affordable but over-simplified full-frame camera ever FF 26.2 Canon RF 102,400 3840 • 4779 5 • • 3 • • 250 132.5 85 70 485

Canon EOS R £2350 4★ Canon’s first full-frame mirrorless uses the EOS 5D Mark IV’s sensor FF 30.3 Canon RF 102,400 3840 • 5655 8 • • 3.2 • • 350 135.8 98.3 84.4 660

Fujifilm X-A5 £549 3.5★ Budget model with tilting screen and phase detection AF APS-C 24.2 Fuji X 51,200 3840 91 6 • • 3 • • 440 119 67.7 41.1 320

Fujifilm X-A7 £699 3★ Sports large fully articulated LCD, but frustrating controls APS-C 24.2 Fuji X 51,200 3840 • 425 6 • • 3.5 • • 270 119 67.7 41.1 320

Fujifilm X-E3 £849 4.5★ Excellent image quality in compact body that handles well APS-C 24.3 Fuji X 51,200 3840 • 325 5 • • 3 • 350 121.3 73.9 42.7 337

Fujifilm X-H1 £1699 4.5★ Pro flagship with robust build and 5-axis in-body stabilisation APS-C 24.3 Fuji X 51,200 4096 • 325 14 • • 3 • • 310 139.8 97.3 85.5 673

Fujifilm X-T100 £619 4★ Attractively designed entry-level model gives excellent image quality APS-C 24.2 Fuji X 51,200 3840 91 8 • • • 3 • • 430 121 83 47.4 448

Fujifilm X-T200 £749 3.5★ Fine handling and great image quality, but slow and buggy in use APS-C 24.2 Fuji X 51,200 3840 • 425 8 • • • 3.5 • • 270 121 83.7 55.1 370

Fujifilm X-T20 £799 5★ Small SLR-style model with strong feature set including touchscreen APS-C 24.3 Fuji X 51,200 3840 • 325 8 • • • 3 • • 350 118.4 82.8 41.4 383

Fujifilm X-T30 £849 5★ Superb mid-range model that borrows much of its tech from the X-T3 APS-C 26.1 Fuji X 51,200 3840 • 425 8 • • • 3 • • 380 118.4 82.8 46.8 383

Fujifilm X-Pro2 £1349 5★ High-end model with unique optical/electronic hybrid viewfinder APS-C 24.3 Fuji X 51,200 1080 • 77 8 • • 3 250 140.5 82.8 45.9 495

Fujifilm X-Pro3 £1799 4★ Employs unusual hidden rear LCD design that polarises opinions APS-C 26.1 Fuji X 51,200 4096 • 425 20 • • 3 • • 370 140.5 82.8 46.1 497

Fujifilm X-T3 £1349 5★ New sensor and improved autofocus make it the best APS-C camera yet APS-C 26.1 Fuji X 51,200 4096 • 425 20 • • 3 • • 390 132.5 92.8 58.8 539

Fujifilm X-T4 £1549 Exciting update with in-body stabilisation and fully articulated screen APS-C 26.1 Fuji X 51,200 4096 • 425 20 • • 3 • • 500 134.6 92.8 63.8 607

Leica CL £2250 4.5★ Gorgeous APS-C mirrorless model with viewfinder and touchscreen APS-C 24.2 Leica L 50,000 3840 49 10 • • 3 • 220 131 78 45 403

Leica TL2 £1700 4★ Update to the TL with 24MP sensor and much faster operation APS-C 24 Leica L 50,000 3840 49 20 • 3.7 • 250 134 69 33 399

Leica SL £5500 4★ Leica’s full-frame SLR-style model has a superb 4.4m-dot viewfinder FF 24 Leica L 50,000 4096 49 11 • • 3 • 400 147 104 39 847

Leica SL2 £5300 4★ Sports 47.3MP full-frame sensor, in-body stabilisation and 5K video FF 47.3 Leica L 50,000 5120 • 225 20 • • 3.2 • 370 147 107 42 835

Nikon Z 6 £2099 5★ Full-frame mirrorless all-rounder with 24MP sensor and 12fps shooting FF 24.5 Nikon Z 204,800 3840 • 273 12 • • 3.2 • • 330 134 100.5 67.5 675

Nikon Z 7 £3399 5★ High-resolution full-frame mirrorless with in-body stabilisation FF 45.7 Nikon Z 102,400 3840 • 493 9 • • 3.2 • • 330 134 100.5 67.7 675

Nikon Z 50 £849 5★ Well-specified APS-C mirrorless model boasts excellent handling DX 20.9 Nikon Z 204,800 3840 • 209 11 • • • 3.2 • • 320 126.5 93.5 60 450

Olympus PEN E-PL9 £650 4★ Entry-level model with built-in flash and 4K video but no viewfinder 4/3 16.1 Mic4/3 25,600 3840 121 8.6 • • 3 • • 350 117.1 68 39 380

Olympus PEN E-PL10 £599 Near-identical to the E-PL9, entry-level camera with no viewfinder 4/3 16.1 Mic4/3 25,600 3840 121 8.6 • • 3 • • 350 117.1 68 39 380

Olympus OM-D E-M10 II £549 4.5★ Mid-range model has a strong feature set and performs very well 4/3 16.1 Mic4/3 25,600 1080 81 8.5 • • • 3 • • 320 119.5 83.1 46.7 342

Olympus OM-D E-M10 III £699 4.5★ Excellent mid-range camera with simplified, easy-to-use interface 4/3 16.1 Mic4/3 25,600 3840 121 8.6 • • • 3 • • 330 121.5 83.6 49.5 410
ALL PRICES ARE RRPS, STREET PRICES MAY VARY

Olympus OM-D E-M5 II £900 5★ Combines great handling and image quality with stylish looks 4/3 16 Mic4/3 25,600 1080 • 81 10 • • 3 • 750 123.7 85 44.5 469

Olympus OM-D E-M5 III £1100 5★ Very capable camera with a small, lightweight, weather-sealed body 4/3 20.4 Mic4/3 25,600 4096 • 121 10 • • 3 • • 310 125.3 85.2 49.7 414

We’ve tried our hardest to ensure that the information in this guide is as complete and accurate as possible. However, some errors will inevitably
have crept in along the way: if you spot one, please let us know by emailing ap.ed@kelsey.co.uk. Unfortunately we don’t have space to list every
single product on the market, so we don’t include the most expensive speciality items. Before making a purchase we advise you to check
prices, along with any crucial specifications or requirements, with either a reputable retailer or the manufacturer’s website.

Mirrorless cameras at competitive low

rk Cameras in store or online.

of our expert team for free impartial

d the perfect camera for your needs.
Keep up to date with us on:

54 www.amateurphotographer.co.uk
 SPONSORED BY

RESOLUTION (MP)

BURST MODE (FPS)

SCREEN SIZE (IN)

ARTICULATED LCD
Mirrorless cameras

BUILT-IN WI-FI

TOUCHSCREEN
VIEWFINDER
LENS MOUNT
SENSOR SIZE

BATTERY LIFE

HEIGHT (MM)
WIDTH (MM)

DEPTH (MM)

WEIGHT (G)
AF POINTS
MIC INPUT
MAX ISO

(SHOTS)
FLASH
VIDEO
NAME & MODEL RRP SCORE SUMMARY SHOOTING SCREEN DIMENSIONS
Olympus PEN-F £1000 5★ Lovely retro rangefinder-styled body with built-in viewfinder 4/3 20.3 Mic4/3 25,600 1080 81 10 • • • 3 • • 330 124.8 72.1 37.3 427

Olympus OM-D E-M1 II £1850 5★ Superb AF system, super-fast shooting and remarkable in-body IS 4/3 20.4 Mic4/3 25,600 3840 • 121 60 • • 3 • • 440 134.1 90.9 68.9 574

Olympus OM-D E-M1 III £1600 5★ Super-fast, incredible IS and packed full of advanced features 4/3 20.4 Mic4/3 25,600 4096 • 121 60 • • 3 • • 420 134.1 90.9 68.9 580

Olympus OM-D E-M1X £2800 4.5★ Pro-spec high-speed model with built-in vertical grip 4/3 20.4 Mic4/3 25,600 4096 • 121 60 • • 3 • • 2580 144.4 146.8 75.4 997

Panasonic Lumix G9 £1499 4.5★ High-speed, rugged photo-centric flagship camera with in-body IS 4/3 20.3 Mic4/3 25,600 3840 • 225 9 • • 3 • • 890 136.9 97.3 91.6 658

Panasonic Lumix G80 £699 4.5★ SLR-style model for enthusiasts with in-body IS and 4K video 4/3 16 Mic4/3 25,600 3840 • 49 9 • • • 3 • • 330 128.4 89 74.3 505

Panasonic Lumix G90 £899 4.5★ Versatile SLR-shaped stills/video hybrid with 4K video and in-body IS 4/3 20.3 Mic4/3 25,600 3840 • 49 9 • • • 3 • • 290 130.4 93.5 77.4 533

NEW Panasonic Lumix G100 £590 Small SLR-shaped camera specifically designed for vloggers 4/3 20.3 Mic4/3 25,600 3840 • 49 10 • • • 3 • • 270 115.6 82.5 54.2 345

Panasonic Lumix GX880 £400 Tiny easy-to-use pocket camera with tilting screen and 4K video 4/3 16 Mic4/3 25,600 3840 49 5.8 • • 3 • • 210 106.5 64.6 33.3 270

Panasonic Lumix GX9 £699 4★ Compact body with tilting screen and viewfinder, and 5-axis stabilisation 4/3 20.3 Mic4/3 25,600 3840 49 9 • • • 3 • • 900 124 72.1 46.8 450

Panasonic Lumix GH5 £1299 4.5★ Video-focused high-end model with in-body stabilisation and 4K video 4/3 20.2 Mic4/3 25,600 4096 • 225 12 • • 3.2 • • 410 138.5 98.1 87.4 725

Panasonic Lumix GH5S £2199 Professional video version of GH5 with 10.2MP multi-aspect sensor 4/3 10.2 Mic4/3 204,800 4096 • 225 11 • • 3.2 • • 410 138.5 98.1 87.4 660

Panasonic Lumix S1 £2199 4.5★ 24MP full-frame mirrorless with exceptional viewfinder FF 24.2 Leica L 204,800 3840 • 225 9 • • 3.2 • • 380 148.9 110 96.7 899

Panasonic Lumix S1H £3600 Specialist full-frame mirrorless model designed for pro-level video FF 24.2 Leica L 204,800 4096 • 225 9 • • 3.2 • • 380 151 114.2 110.4 1164

Panasonic Lumix S1R £3399 4.5★ High-resolution full-frame mirrorless with in-body stabilisation FF 47.3 Leica L 51,200 3840 • 229 9 • • 3.2 • • 360 148.9 110 96.7 898

Sigma fp £1999 4★ Smallest full-frame mirrorless, but compromised features and handling FF 24.6 Leica L 102,400 3840 • 49 18 3.2 • TBC 112.6 69.9 45.3 422

Sony Alpha 5100 £549 4★ One of the very best entry-level cameras for video and image quality APS-C 24 Sony E 25,600 1080 179 6 • • 3 • • 400 110 63 36 283

Sony Alpha 6000 £670 4.5★ A fine camera for its time, but now very much showing its age APS-C 24 Sony E 25,600 1080 179 11 • • • 3 • 310 120 67 45 344

Sony Alpha 6100 £830 Update to the A6000 with Sony’s latest AF technology and 4K video APS-C 24.2 Sony E 51,200 3840 • 425 11 • • • 3 • • 380 120 66.9 59.4 396

Sony Alpha 6300 £1000 4.5★ Improved version of A6000 with faster AF tracking and 4K video APS-C 24.2 Sony E 51,200 3840 • 425 11 • • • 3 • 350 120 66.9 48.8 404

Sony Alpha 6400 £1000 4★ Extraordinary new autofocus system, but in an outdated body design APS-C 24.2 Sony E 102,400 3840 • 425 11 • • • 3 • • 360 120 66.9 49.9 403

Sony Alpha 6500 £1500 5★ Technically hugely accomplished, with in-body image stabilisation APS-C 24.2 Sony E 51,200 3840 • 425 11 • • • 3 • • 350 120 66.9 53.3 453

Sony Alpha 6600 £1450 4★ Updated A6500 with real-time subject-tracking autofocus APS-C 24.2 Sony E 102,400 3840 • 425 11 • • • 3 • • 720 120 66.9 59 503

Sony Alpha 7 £1300 4.5★ One of the lightest, smallest full-frame cameras FF 24.3 Sony E 25,600 1080 • 117 5 • • 3 • 340 127 94 48 474

Sony Alpha 7 II £1498 5★ The full-frame Alpha 7 II includes in-body image stabilisation FF 24.3 Sony E 25,600 1080 • 117 5 • • 3 • 350 126.9 95.7 59.7 556

Sony Alpha 7 III £1999 5★ Remarkable all-rounder with 10fps shooting and 4K video recording FF 24.2 Sony E 204,800 3840 • 693 10 • • 3 • • 610 126.9 95.6 73.7 650

Sony Alpha 7R II £2599 5★ A big step up from the A7R; one of the best full-frame cameras available FF 42.4 Sony E 102,400 3840 • 399 5 • • 3 • 290 126.9 95.7 60.3 625

Sony Alpha 7R III £3200 5★ Same sensor as A7R II, but faster and with improved body design FF 42.4 Sony E 102,400 3840 • 399 10 • • 3 • • 650 126.9 95.6 73.7 657

Sony Alpha 7R IV £3500 5★ Superb high-resolution, full-frame mirrorless with new 61MP sensor FF 61.0 Sony E 102,400 3840 • 567 10 • • 3 • • 670 128.9 96.4 77.5 665

Sony Alpha 7S £2259 4★ Remarkable low-light and video capabilities FF 12.2 Sony E 409,600 1080 • 25 5 • • 3 • 380 126.9 94.4 48.2 489

Sony Alpha 7S II £2500 5★ A specialist camera for low-light shooting and 4K video FF 12.2 Sony E 409,600 3840 • 169 5 • • 3 • 310 126.9 95.7 60.3 627

Sony Alpha 9 £4500 5★ Super-fast 20fps shooting and stunning overall performance FF 24.2 Sony E 204,800 3840 • 693 20 • • 3 • • 650 126.9 95.6 63 673

Sony Alpha 9 II £4800 A9 gains professional connectivity options and an improved body design FF 24.2 Sony E 204,800 3840 • 693 20v • • 3 • • 500 128.9 96.4 77.5 678

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 BUYING GUIDE

VF COVERAGE (%)
RESOLUTION (MP)

BURST MODE (FPS)

SCREEN SIZE (IN)

ARTICULATED LCD
DSLR cameras

BUILT-IN WI-FI

TOUCHSCREEN
LENS MOUNT
SENSOR SIZE

BATTERY LIFE

HEIGHT (MM)
WIDTH (MM)

DEPTH (MM)

WEIGHT (G)
AF POINTS
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(SHOTS)
FLASH
VIDEO
NAME & MODEL RRP SCORE SUMMARY SHOOTING SCREEN DIMENSIONS
Canon EOS 2000D £469 3★ Minor update to EOS 1300D gains 24.1MP sensor APS-C 24.1 Canon EF 12,800 1080 9 3 95 • • 3 500 129 101.3 77.6 475
Canon EOS 4000D £369 2.5★ Super-cheap stripped-back DSLR for budget-conscious beginners APS-C 18 Canon EF 12,800 1080 9 3 95 • • 2.7 500 129 101.6 77.1 436
Canon EOS 200D £580 4.5★ Very compact entry-level DSLR with fully-articulated touchscreen APS-C 24.2 Canon EF 51,200 1080 • 9 5 95 • • 3 • • 650 122.4 92.6 69.8 453
Canon EOS 250D £530 4★ Update to EOS 200D with 4K video recording but simplified controls APS-C 24.1 Canon EF 51,200 3840 • 9 5 95 • • 3 • • 1070 122.4 92.6 69.8 449
Canon EOS 800D £780 4.5★ Fine upper entry-level DSLR with sophisticated 45-point autofocus APS-C 24.2 Canon EF 25,600 1080 • 45 6 95 • • 3 • • 600 131 99 76.2 532
Canon EOS 850D £820 Replaces both EOS 800D and EOS 77D, adding 4K video recording APS-C 24.1 Canon EF 51,200 3840 • 45 7 95 • • 3 • • 800 131 102.6 76.2 515
Canon EOS 77D £830 4.5★ Same core spec as EOS 800D but in higher-end body design APS-C 24.2 Canon EF 25,600 1080 • 45 6 95 • • 3 • • 600 131 100 76.2 540
Canon EOS 80D £999 5★ Extremely capable mid-range DSLR for enthusiast photographers APS-C 24.2 Canon EF 25,600 1080 • 45 7 100 • • 3 • • 960 139 105.2 78.5 730
Canon EOS 90D £1210 4★ Mid-range DSLR boasts 32.5MP sensor, 10fps shooting and 4K video APS-C 32.5 Canon EF 51,200 3840 • 45 10 100 • • 3 • • 1300 140.7 104.8 76.8 701
Canon EOS 7D Mk II £1599 4.5★ High-speed APS-C DSLR includes sophisticated AF system APS-C 20.2 Canon EF 51,200 1080 • 65 10 100 • 3 670 148.6 112.4 78.2 910
Canon EOS 6D Mk II £1999 4.5★ Includes 26.2MP full-frame sensor and fully articulated screen FF 26.2 Canon EF 102,400 1080 • 45 6.5 98 • 3 • • 1,200 144 110.5 74.8 765
Canon EOS 5D Mk IV £3599 4.5★ Hugely accomplished workhorse model, but pricey FF 30.4 Canon EF 102,400 3840 • 61 7 7 100 • 3.2 • 900 151 116 76 890
Canon EOS 5DS £2999 High-resolution model with 50MP sensor FF 50.6 Canon EF 12,800 1080 • 61 5 100 3.2 700 152 116.4 76.4 845
Canon EOS 5DS R £3199 5★ Same as the 5DS, but low-pass filter removed for maximum resolution FF 50.6 Canon EF 12,800 1080 • 61 5 100 3.2 390 152 116.4 76.4 845
Canon EOS-1D X Mk II £5199 Professional high-speed sports and action model FF 20.2 Canon EF 409,600 3840 • 61 14 100 3.2 • • 1,210 158 167.6 82.6 1340
Canon EOS-1D X Mk III £6499 Super-fast pro model for sports and action photographers FF 20.1 Canon EF 819,200 5496 • 191 16 100 • 3.2 • 2,850 158 167.6 82.6 1440
Nikon D3400 £399 4★ Entry-level DSLR that includes Bluetooth smartphone connectivity DX 24.2 Nikon F 25,600 1080 • 11 5 95 • 3 1,200 124 98 75.5 445
Nikon D3500 £499 4★ Easy-to-use entry-level DSLR with Bluetooth connectivity DX 24.2 Nikon F 25,600 1080 11 5 95 • 3 1,550 124 97 69.5 415
Nikon D5300 £830 4.5★ Ageing mid-range DSLR is now available at bargain prices DX 24.2 Nikon F 25,600 1080 • 23 5 95 • • 3.2 • 700 125 98 76 530
Nikon D5600 £800 4.5★ Excellent image quality and handling, plus Bluetooth connectivity DX 24.1 Nikon F 25,600 1080 • 39 5 95 • • 3.2 • • 970 124 97 78 465
Nikon D7200 £939 4★ Updates the D7100 with some useful extras such as Wi-Fi DX 24.2 Nikon F 25,600 1080 • 51 6 100 • • 3.2 1,100 135.5 106.5 76 765
Nikon D7500 £1299 4.5★ Places the excellent sensor from the D500 into a smaller body DX 20.9 Nikon F 1,640,000 3840 • 51 8 100 • • 3.2 • • 950 135.5 104 72.5 720
Nikon D500 £1729 5★ Probably the best DX-format DSLR ever, with remarkable autofocus DX 20.9 Nikon F 1,640,000 3840 • 153 10 100 • 3.2 • • 1,240 147 115 81 860
Nikon D610 £1800 5★ Nikon’s cheapest full-frame model with a solid feature set FX 24.3 Nikon F 25,600 1080 • 39 6 100 • 3.2 • 900 141 113 82 850
Nikon D750 £1800 5★ Great all-round enthusiast full-frame model with tilting screen FX 24.3 Nikon F 51,200 1080 • 51 6.5 100 • • 3.2 • 1,230 140.5 113 78 840
Nikon D780 £2199 5★ Superb all-rounder blends the best of DSLR and mirrorless technology FX 24.5 Nikon F 204,800 3840 • 51 7 100 • 3.2 • • 2,060 143.5 115.5 76 840
Nikon DF £2600 4★ Retro-styled full-frame model with excellent sensor FX 16.2 Nikon F 204,800 - 39 5.5 100 3.2 1,400 143.5 110 66.5 765
Nikon D810 £2699 5★ High-resolution full-frame DSLR offers superb image quality FX 36.3 Nikon F 51,200 1080 51 12 100 • 3.2 1,200 146 123 82 980
Nikon D850 £3499 5★ High speed and superb image quality make this the best DSLR yet FX 45.7 Nikon F 102,400 3840 • 153 7 100 • 3.2 • • 1,840 146 124 78.5 1005
Nikon D5 £5199 Nikon’s top-end sports and action model for professionals FX 20.8 Nikon F 3,280,000 3840 • 153 14 100 3.2 • • 3,780 160 158.5 92 1405
Nikon D6 £6299 Latest pro-level high-speed sports camera boasts new AF system FX 20.8 Nikon F 3,280,000 3840 • 105 14 100 • 3.2 • 3,580 160 163 92 1450
Pentax K-70 £600 4.5★ Solid performer with fully articulated screen and in-body stabilisation APS-C 24.2 Pentax K 102,400 1080 11 6 100 • • 3 • 410 125.5 93 74 688
Pentax K-3 II £769 4.5★ Well-featured enthusiast model with in-body stabilisation and GPS APS-C 24.3 Pentax K 51,200 1080 • 27 8.3 100 3.2 720 131.5 102.5 77.5 785
Pentax KP £1099 4★ Compact but well-specified DSLR with interchangeable hand-grips APS-C 24.3 Pentax K 819,200 1080 • 27 7 100 • • 3 • 390 131.5 101 76 703
Pentax K-1 II £1799 4.5★ Well-featured full-frame DSLR that’s excellent value for money FF 36 Pentax K 819,200 1080 • 33 4.4 100 • 3.2 • 670 136.5 110 85.5 1010
ALL PRICES ARE RRPS, STREET PRICES MAY VARY

Sigma SD Quattro £850 3★ SD-mount mirrorless camera with unique Foveon X3 sensor APS-C 19.6 Sigma SD 6400 - 9 3.6 100 3 N/A 147 95.1 90.8 703
Sigma SD Quattro H £1499 Physically identical body to SD Quattro, but with larger APS-H sensor APS-H 25.7 Sigma SD 6400 - 9 3.8 100 3 N/A 147 95.1 90.8 708
Sony Alpha 68 £479 3★ Excellent AF and sensor, but low-resolution LCD screen and no Wi-Fi APS-C 24 Sony A 25,600 1080 • 79 8 100 • 2.7 • 580 142.6 104.2 82.8 675
Sony Alpha 77 II £1000 4.5★ Impressive autofocus and fast shooting, plus good handling APS-C 24.3 Sony A 25,600 1080 • 79 12 100 • • 3 • 480 142.6 104 81 647
Sony Alpha 99 II £2999 4.5★ Places the superb sensor from the Alpha 7R II in a DSLR-styled body FF 42.4 Sony A 102,400 3840 • 79 12 100 • • 3 • • 100 142.6 104.2 76.1 849

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RESOLUTION (MP)

BURST MODE (FPS)

SCREEN SIZE (IN)

ARTICULATED LCD
Compact cameras

BUILT-IN WI-FI

TOUCHSCREEN
VIEWFINDER
SENSOR SIZE

LENS RANGE
(MM EQUIV)

BATTERY LIFE

HEIGHT (MM)
WIDTH (MM)

DEPTH (MM)

WEIGHT (G)
MIC INPUT
MAX ISO

(SHOTS)
FLASH
VIDEO
NAME & MODEL RRP SCORE SUMMARY SHOOTING SCREEN DIMENSIONS
Canon G1 X Mark III £1149 5★ Rewrites the rule book by fitting an APS-C sensor in a compact body APS-C 24.2 24-72 25,600 1080 9 • • • 3in • • 200 115 77.9 51.4 399
Canon G3 X £799 3.5★ Long zoom range, but let down by slow shooting and no built-in EVF 1in 20.2 24-600 12,800 1080 • 5.9 • • 3.2in • • 300 123.3 76.5 105.3 733
Canon G5 X £599 5★ Useful large-aperture f/1.8-2.8 zoom in a well-designed SLR-like body 1in 20.2 24-100 12,800 1080 5.9 • • • 3in • • 210 112.4 76.4 44.2 377
Canon G5 X Mark II £849 4★ Handles well and gives great image quality, but sluggish AF in low light 1in 20.2 24-120 25,600 3840 30 • • • 3in • • 230 110.9 60.9 46 340
Canon G7 X Mark II £549 4.5★ Pocketable body that handles well, with really useful zoom range 1in 20.1 24-100 12,800 1080 8 • • 3in • • 265 105.5 60.9 42 319
Canon G7 X Mark III £699 4★ Lovely pocket camera that includes 4K video and YouTube live streaming 1in 20.1 24-100 25,600 3840 • 30 • • 3in • • 265 105.5 60.9 41.4 304
Canon G9 X Mark II £449 4★ Slim, stylish, pocketable camera gives great image quality 1in 20.2 28-84 12,800 1080 8.2 • • 3in • 235 98 57.9 30.8 206
Fujifilm XF10 £449 3.5★ Small, attractive APS-C compact, slightly let down by sluggish AF APS-C 24.2 28 51,200 3840 • 6 • • 3in • 330 112.5 64.4 41 279
Fujifilm X100F £1249 5★ Beautifully-designed premium compact gives fantastic image quality APS-C 24.2 35 51,200 1080 • 8 • • • 3in 390 125.5 74.8 52.4 469
Fujifilm X100V £1999 5★ Replaces the X100F with new lens, tilting screen and weather-sealing APS-C 26.1 35 51,200 3840 • 20 • • • 3in • • 420 128 74.8 53.3 478
Leica C-Lux £875 Customised, re-badged version of the Panasonic TZ200 1in 20.1 24-360 25,000 3840 10 • • • 3in • 370 113 67 46 340
Leica D-Lux 7 £1075 Customised, re-badged version of the Panasonic LX100 II 4/3 17 24-75 25,000 3840 11 • • 3in • 340 118 66 64 392
Leica V-Lux 5 £1049 Customised, re-badged version of the Panasonic FZ1000 II 1in 20.1 25-400 25,000 3840 • 12 • • • 3in • • 440 136.7 97.2 131.5 812
Leica Q £3500 5★ Stunning full-frame compact boasts optically-stabilised f/1.8 lens FF 24.2 28 50,000 1080 10 • • 3in • N/A 130 80 93 640
Leica Q-P £3600 Cosmetically redesigned, understated version of the Leica Q FF 24.2 28 50,000 1080 10 • • 3in • N/A 130 80 93 640
Leica Q2 £4250 Update to the Q with high-resolution sensor and weather-sealed body FF 47.3 28 50,000 4096 20 • • 3in • 350 130 80 91.9 718
Panasonic FZ1000 £749 4★ Bridge camera with decent zoom range, but lacks touchscreen control 1in 20.1 25-400 25,600 3840 • 12 • • • 3in • 360 136.8 98.5 130.7 831
Panasonic FZ1000 II £700 4★ Updates FZ1000 with higher-resolution, touch-sensitive screen 1in 20.1 25-400 25,600 3840 • 12 • • • 3in • • 440 136.2 97.2 131.5 810
Panasonic FZ2000 £600 4.5★ Sophisticated bridge camera with strong focus on 4K video 1in 20.1 24-480 25,600 3840 • 12 • • • 3in • • 350 137.6 101.9 134.7 966
Panasonic LX15 £370 4.5★ Likeable advanced compact with ultra-fast f/1.4-2.8 zoom lens 1in 20.1 24-72 25,600 3840 10 • • 3in • • 260 105.5 60 42 310
Panasonic LX100 £400 5★ Engaging camera, but rather low resolution by current standards 4/3 12.8 24-75 25,600 3840 11 • • 3in 300 114.8 62 55 393
Panasonic LX100 II £600 4.5★ Fine camera with Four Thirds sensor, fast lens and analogue controls 4/3 17 24-75 25,600 3840 11 • • 3in • 340 115 66.2 64.2 392
Panasonic TZ100 £350 4.5★ Long zoom lens in pocket-sized body makes for a fine travel camera 1in 20.1 25-250 25,600 3840 10 • • • 3in • 300 110.5 64.5 44.3 312
Panasonic TZ200 £500 4.5★ Huge zoom range for a pocket camera, but telephoto images lack detail 1in 20.1 24-360 25,600 3840 10 • • • 3in • 370 111.2 66.4 45.2 340
Ricoh GR II £549 Fine pocket camera, but showing its age in terms of specifications APS-C 16.2 28 25,600 1920 4 • • 3in 320 117 62.8 34.7 251
Ricoh GR III £799 4★ Slimline, lightweight advanced compact with in-body image stabilisation APS-C 24.2 28 102,400 1920 4 • 3in • 200 109.4 61.9 33.2 257
Sigma dp0 Quattro £899 3.5★ One of four cameras with the same body design but different lenses APS-C 19.5 21 6,400 - 3.5 3in 200 161.4 67 126 550
Sigma dp1 Quattro £899 Oddly-shaped body, but logical control layout and clear user interface APS-C 19.5 28 6,400 - 3.5 3in 200 161.4 67 87.1 475
Sigma dp2 Quattro £899 3.5★ Sports an excellent lens designed specifically for the Foveon sensor APS-C 19.5 45 6,400 - 3.5 3in 200 161.4 67 81.6 460
Sigma dp3 Quattro £899 The Foveon sensor is excellent at low ISO but poor above ISO 800 APS-C 19.5 75 6,400 - 3.5 3in 200 161.4 67 101.8 515
Sony RX0 £580 Tiny oblong-bodied camera is shockproof, waterproof and crushproof 1in 15.3 24 12,800 1920 • 16 • 1.5in 240 59 40.5 29.8 110
Sony RX0 II £730 Updated RX0 with tilting screen and internal 4K video recording 1in 15.3 24 12,800 3840 • 16 • 1.5in • 240 59 40.5 35 132
Sony RX1R II £3450 5★ Fabulous full-frame compact with f/2 lens and pop-up viewfinder FF 42.4 35 102,400 1920 • 5 • • 3in • 220 113.3 65.4 72 507
Sony RX10 £829 5★ Excellent bridge camera with constant f/2.8 zoom lens 1in 20.2 24-200 12,800 1920 • 10 • • • 3in • 420 129 88.1 102.2 813
Sony RX10 II £1200 5★ Stacked CMOS sensor enables faster shooting and 4K video 1in 20.2 24-200 12,800 3840 • 14 • • • 3in • 400 129 88.1 102.2 813
Sony RX10 III £1400 5★ Much longer zoom than previous RX10 models, but also much larger 1in 20.1 24-600 12,800 3840 • 14 • • • 3in • 420 132.5 94 144 1095
Sony RX10 IV £1800 5★ Update to RX10 III with vastly improved shooting speed and autofocus 1in 20.1 24-600 12,800 3840 • 24 • • • 3in • • 400 132.5 94 144 1095
Sony RX100 £399 5★ The original 1in sensor compact now looks outdated in terms of features 1in 20.2 28-100 12,800 1920 10 • 3in • 330 101.6 58.1 35.9 240
Sony RX100 III £810 5★ Features fast f/1.8-2.8 zoom lens and pop-up electronic viewfinder 1in 20.1 24-70 12,800 1920 10 • • • 3in • 320 101.6 58.1 41 290
Sony RX100 IV £896 4.5★ Improves on III with higher-resolution EVF, faster shooting and 4K video 1in 20.1 24-70 12,800 3840 16 • • • 3in • 280 101.6 58.1 41 298
Sony RX100 V £900 4.5★ Includes super-fast 24fps shooting and slow-motion video up to 960fps 1in 20.1 24-70 12,800 3840 24 • • • 3in • 220 101.6 58.1 41 299
Sony RX100 VI £980 4.5★ Fantastic pocket travel camera with 24-200mm equivalent f/2.8-4 lens 1in 20.1 24-200 12,800 3840 24 • • • 3in • • 240 101.6 58.1 42.8 301
Sony RX100 VII £1200 4.5★ Gains Sony’s latest AI-based autofocus tech, including real-time eye AF 1in 20.1 24-200 12,800 3840 • 20 • • • 3in • • 260 101.6 58.1 42.8 302
NEW Sony ZV-1 £700 Designed for vloggers, with high-spec mic and fully articulated screen 1in 20.1 25-70 12,800 3840 • 24 • 3in • • 260 105.5 60 43.5 294

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Tamron 17-28mm Tamron 28-75mm Tamron 18-400mm Sigma 56mm Sigma 85mm Sigma 24-70mm
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Tamron SP 70-200mm Tamron 100-400mm T 150 600
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Manfrotto Befree GT Manfrotto 055 Manfrotto Pro Light

Carbon Fibre 4-section Car 3N1-36
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Samyang MF 14mm Samyang MF 85mm Samyang 85mm Joby GorillaPod 3K Lowepro Tahoe Lowepro ProTactic
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 Legends
of photography
© LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
Roger Fenton’s
assistant Marcus
Sparling on Fenton’s
photographic van
Roger
Fenton
© GETTY
Fenton’s images showed the vital
role of photography in documenting
conflict, says Oliver Atwell
T
rue ‘pioneers’ in
photography are
slippery. We’ve seen
in this very column
many names vying for the
title. Thankfully, we can say
with some confidence that
one name stands above all
others when discussing war
photography: Roger Fenton.
Born in England, Fenton was a
big name during photography’s
66
‘golden age’ of the 1850s. A
well-travelled and educated
individual, he founded the
Royal Photographic Society,
was appointed the official
photographer of the British
Museum and excelled
at a dizzying number of
photography genres. However,
it was his striking document of
the Crimean War in 1855 that
assured his legacy.
Fenton’s images were the first
use of photography to record
conflict, though perhaps that
term is a little misleading. His
photographs are relatively
tranquil, almost romantic.
They are bloodless, too, due to
Fenton’s supposed
squeamishness about featuring
corpses in his photographs.
He worked with cumbersome
large-format glass plate
cameras so his exposure times
were often 20secs and upwards.
Additionally, he travelled
around in a wagon that doubled
as a darkroom (see the
photograph above). As a result
of this slow process, kinetic
shots of conflict were
impossible. Instead, the
majority of his images
illustrated the day-to-day lives
of the soldiers. His most famous
image, ‘Valley of the Shadow of
Death’ was instantly iconic. It
shows countless cannonballs
strewn across a road and is a
‘Fenton’s images
were the first use of
photography to
record conflict’
simple but devastating image,
potent in its symbolism
(though it’s worth looking into
the accusation that the image
was staged).
Fenton’s 360 images taken
during the Crimean War were
so impactful they helped to
birth a new genre of
photography. To this day, our
newspapers and TV screens are
awash with ever-shifting
montages of war and famine.
But why do we need such
images? In the introduction to
her book War/photography:
Images of Armed Conflict and
Its Aftermath, Anne Wilkes
Tucker proposes that the
images captured by
photographers had, and still
have, value for countless
reasons. These include
instruction, keepsake,
historical marker, publicity,
reconnaissance, criminal
evidence and, crucially, acting
as a catalyst to further inquiry
and understanding of armed
conflicts and their aftermaths.
In the history of war
photography, none of these
rationalisations takes
precedence over the other. All
are equally viable reasons for
the existence of war
photography.
Some sources suggest
Fenton’s images helped to
shape public opinion on the
Crimean War and that he was
specifically commissioned
with this in mind. We can’t
know how true that is but a
reported two million people
viewed Fenton’s images when
they were exhibited back in
England. Sadly, he made little
money and though he
continued to photograph for
a few more years, he eventually
grew disillusioned and
returned to practising law,
his vocation prior to
photography.
www.amateurphotographer.co.uk
 Id G
V

ea GI
LO
INTRODUCING THE NEW

lf N
or G
PANASONIC LUMIX G100
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