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FEBRUARY 202 2
EDITION Passionate about photography since 1884

INSIDE
32-page
pull-out
Low light
Tips and inspiration for great
guide
shots from dusk to dawn
O CITY LIGHTS top tips
for striking urban photos
O BEST CAMERAS &
LENSES for low light
O NOISE REDUCTION
Best software compared

Astrophotography
How to get amazing shots
of the sky at night £4.99

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 7days
COVER PICTURES © MIKE WILL / © DEEPAL RATNAYAKA / © SHONA CUTT

Some of the most compelling
photo opportunities occur after
the sun goes down. In the city,
lights of all colours, on buildings
and moving vehicles, provide
compelling subject matter for the
creative photographer, while out in the country
you only have to look skyward at the stars to find
amazing subject matter. This week’s special issue is
dedicated to getting great photos from dusk to
dawn, with tips from leading photographers on
everything from astrophotography to shooting
gigs. We look at the best cameras and lenses for low
light, and the best noise-reduction software for
editing. I hope we give you lots of ideas and
inspiration. Also in this week’s issue we launch the
brand new 2022 Amateur Photographer of the Year
competition, with £11,000 of prizes from MPB. For
more details and to find out how to enter turn to
page 30. Good luck! Nigel Atherton, Editor

This week’s
cover image
Mike Will used a moving
light to create this striking
If you’d like to see your words or pictures published in Amateur Photographer, here’s how:
SOMETHING TO SAY? Write to us at ap.ed@kelsey.co.uk with your letters, opinion columns (max 500 words) or article suggestions.
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amateurphotographer.co.uk amateur.photographer.magazine amateurphotographer @AP_Magazine @ap_magazine

This week in 1953

pic, set against a backdrop
of The Shard, London.
Read his tips on page 36

TREASURES FROM THE HULTON ARCHIVE

In this issue
3 7 days
14 Stars in their eyes
22 Inbox
24 Something of
the night
28 Photo insight
30 APOY 2022 launch
36 Light after dark
42 Midnight rambler
46 Gig secrets
48 Northernexposure
52 Fast workers
56 Best cameras
for low light
62 Noise-reduction
software
68 Reader portfolio
71 Canon RF
100-400mm
f/5.6-8 IS USM
75 Zoner Photo
Studio X (Autumn
Centenary Exhibition by L Blandford
2021 update) The Royal Photographic Society (RPS) celebrated its science of photography’. Originally called simply
centenary in 1953 with an exhibition at the Science The Photographic Society, its first royal patrons were
79 Second-hand Museum. In this photograph, Mrs Betty Sheppard Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, with the royal
classic of Leicester compares the Daguerreotype camera moniker being added in 1894.
82 Accessories with the latest ‘Graphic Pace Maker’. The original The RPS is still going strong today, and is now
aim of the society was to ‘promote the art and headquartered in Bristol.
83 Tech talk
85 Buying guide The Getty Images Hulton Archive is one of the world’s great cultural resources. Tracing its origins to the founding of the London Stereoscopic
over 80 million images spanning the birth of photography to the digital age. Explore it at www.gettyimages.com.
Company in 1854, today it houseswww.bookshq.net
98 Final analysis
 Our favourite photos posted by readers
on our social media channels this week

AP picture
of the week
Crescent Moon
by Andy Parker
Canon EOS M6 Mark II, Sky-Watcher 127
telescope, 1/30sec at f/12, ISO 100, 20 stacked
exposures
‘The 12% waxing crescent moon was just above the
rooftops from my back garden in south-east London.
I attached my Canon EOS M6 Mark II to my
Sky-Watcher 127 telescope to try to get a better
zoomed view. I took 20 exposures and then stacked
them in Photoshop. The moon was so sharp that night
that only a few tweaks were needed in editing,’ says
keen landscape and astro photographer Andy, from
London. Instagram @balders18

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4
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5
We also liked...

Morning Sky
by Cath Thomas
Huawei P20, 1/475sec at f/1.8, ISO 50
‘This image of Mornington beach, in County
Meath, Ireland, was taken around dawn while
I was walking my dog. We’re very lucky in this
part of the world to have such a wonderful
natural resource close by and watching the
sunrise from the seashore is definitely one of
my favourite activities. I know I should but
I don’t generally take my camera (a Fujifilm
X-T3) on my morning dog walks – but I do,
however, always have my Huawei P20,’ says
Cath, from North Wales and living in Ireland.
‘I took up photography around 2018 after a
trip to Vietnam and Cambodia for which I’d
bought my first DSLR (a Nikon D3400). While
travelling, I realised I hadn’t a clue how to get
the best, or anywhere near average for that
matter, from the camera, so, on my return,
I promptly signed up to a beginner level
photography course with a local club,
Drogheda Photographic Club (DPC).’ Cath is
on Instagram @caththomasphotography
www.bookshq.net
6 www.amateurphotographer.co.uk
 Follow the
White Lines
by Ian
Johnston
Panasonic Lumix LX5
at 51mm, 1/60sec at
f/6.3, ISO 80
‘This image was taken
with an old Lumix LX5
which I have had since it
first came out (2010),
but has spent many
years sitting in the “use
again one day” drawer.
So it has been recently
dusted off and this image
posted. The LX5 has
always been a favourite
due to the compact size
and reasonable lens. For
a camera which is
probably considered old
at ten years, it can still
do a reasonable job as a
street shooter,’ says Ian,
who is now retired and
enjoys photography in his
spare time. He has,
though, left chemical
processing behind to
shoot only digital, mainly
with Nikon hardware.

Lensball Sparkles
by Kate Parmaku
Canon EOS 1300D, 18-55mm at
49mm, 2 secs at f/5.6, ISO 100
Kate says, ‘I took this picture in my
back garden with a sparkler left over
from Fireworks night. I took it as part
of a 365/photo a day project, which I
am hoping will improve my photography
skills. I have been taking photos as
a hobby since I got my camera in
2018, and it was the first “proper”
camera I have ever owned. I am
keeping track of my 365 photos on my
Instagram account @katie_writes_
nice.’ Kate’s main Instagram account
is @kate_parmaku

Want to see your pictures here? Share them with

our Flickr, Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook
communities using the hashtag #appicoftheweek.
Or email your best shot to us at ap.ed@kelsey.co.uk.
See page 3 for how to find us.
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www.amateurphotographer.co.uk

Fujifilm firmware causes
file problems
FUJIFILM has identified a firmware
incompatibility between specific X and
GFX series cameras, which can result in
MacOS users being unable to directly
access files if they were initially saved to
SDXC memory cards in-camera.
The cameras affected include models
that don’t depend on the firmware version
(the GFX100, GFX100S, GFX50S II, X-Pro3,
X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, X-T30 II and X100V) and
models that do – the GFX50S (Ver.4.00 or
later), GFX50R (Ver.2.00 or later) (see
image above) and X-T3 (Ver.3.20 or later).
To address the problem Fujifilm is
working on creating a firmware patch, which
(at the time of going to press) was
expected to be available for free download
by X series and GFX system users ‘soon’.
Mirrorless dominant:
Sony leads the market
THE 2021 year-end sales report from
Japan, compiled by BCN Retail, has
revealed that Sony leads the mirrorless camera
market while Canon leads the DSLR market.
The BCN Retail report monitors point-of-sale
data from 40% of Japanese retailers, including
specialist camera chains. In the mirrorless
camera market for 2021 Sony increased its
share to 32% (up from 27.44% in 2020), while
Canon grew its second-placed position to
28.2% (up from 23.78%). The third-biggest
share was for OM Digital Solutions (formerly
Olympus) with 12.7% (but down from 23.37%).
According to 2021 figures from the Camera
& Imaging Products Association (an industry
Sony’s 2021
mirrorless launches
included the A7 IV
association) the total worldwide camera
shipments were 488,933,327 units (up 16.4%
from 2020) with mirrorless cameras accounting
for approx. 66.38% of those shipments.
In BCN Retail’s sales data for DSLRs, Canon
has a commanding 59.8% market share (up
from 51.91% in 2020) with Nikon in second
place with 33.9% (a drop from 44.78% in
2020). Ricoh (the manufacturer of Pentax
cameras) comes in as a distant third, but with
an increased 5.8% share (up from 3% in 2020).
Canon held first place in sales of fixed-lens
cameras with 34.01% (down from 39.08%),
followed by Sony at 23.1% (up from 19.65%)
and Fujifilm at 11.6% (up from 11.41%).

CaptureOne adds LIVE

photo platform
PHOTO editing software company
CaptureOne has unveiled LIVE – a
cloud-based collaboration add-on that
allows creative teams working remotely to
rate, tag and view images or to watch an
edit or a tethered shoot in real time.
The live photography/creative platform
will allow photographers to show their
clients their work in real time or to work on
image edits together during a shoot.
The LIVE service is immediately available
for both Catalogs and Sessions and is
available as an add-on paid service with an
introductory rate of $9.99 USD per month
or it can be trialled free for one month. For
a complete list of all options visit the store
at www.captureone.com.
8 www.amateurphotographer.co.uk
NPG opens up The Nation’s Family Album
THE NATIONAL Portrait Gallery (NPG) has announced ‘The
Nation’s Family Album’ initiative, which encourages people
to submit images of their families for possible inclusion in a
landmark exhibition online and at the gallery when it reopens in
2023. The NPG is collaborating with genealogy website Ancestry
on the project and the idea is to represent the diversity of family
stories in the UK and to showcase ‘undiscovered portraits of
everyday British people’, which will then be collated into a
‘representative’ online album.
Submissions to ‘The Nation’s Family Album’ will close on 30
June and must be uploaded digitally. Any person in the UK can
submit up to a maximum of three images that relate to the
following themes – Belonging; Legacy; Connection and Identity.
Later this year, a panel of experts – including the NPG’s chief
curator, Dr. Alison Smith – will shortlist a selection of portraits
The NPG is asking for
that best encapsulate the three themes’. Those selected will
your family photos
feature in the exhibitions. Find out more at www.ancestry.co.uk.
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 Buy. Sell. Trade. Create.
mpb.com

Photography can

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T&C’s: E. & O. E. §Online stock only. ‡ Exclusions apply, visit website for details. ∆Products listed are correct at time of going press, goods subject to availability.
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 Viewpoint
Jon Bentley
Get away from the default of groups lined up,
and be inspired by centuries-old paintings
E
very group event these days
needs commemorating with a
group photo. Whether it’s a
meeting of family and friends,
a team’s celebration of a job well done,
or just a pleasant night out at the pub,
the occasion wouldn’t be complete
without a shot of the happy participants.
Group portraits may be more common
but our instincts on how to arrange
ourselves within them haven’t changed
much. Some sort of genetic
predisposition to standing side-to-side
quickly takes over, with everyone forming
an orderly line as if summoned to an
impromptu identification parade.
This knee-jerk behaviour can jar with a
photographer’s instincts, especially if
you’re called on to record the occasion.
But in the heat of the moment, finding
the inspiration to rearrange the group
into something more interesting can be
a challenge.
Happily the problem isn’t a new one,
and the work of some old masters can
provide inspiration. I’m not talking about
photographers, but painters.
Dutch artists of the 17th century often
immortalised their local city’s voluntary
guards on canvas, most famously
Rembrandt in his 1642 masterpiece,
THE VIEWS EXPRESSED IN THIS COLUMN ARE NOT NECESSARILY THOSE OF AMATEUR PHOTOGRAPHER MAGAZINE OR KELSEY MEDIA LIMITED
The Night Watch. Rembrandt’s soldiers
aren’t lined up in rows, they’re ready for
action, not empty-handed but carrying
their weapons, the musketeers pouring
powder into their muskets’ muzzles.
The lesson seems to be to find props
Hogarth’s painting
can inspire us when
creating group shots
Jon Bentley is a TV producer and presenter best known for Top Gear and Channel 5’s The Gadget Show
www.amateurphotographer.co.uk
and ask your subjects to interact with
them whether beer glasses, pets or cars.
William Hogarth, the British satirical
painter, took things further. He started
his serious career with group portraits
called conversation pieces. His subjects
would be artfully arranged, playing
instruments or card games, drinking tea,
or looking through a telescope and would
appear totally involved in their pursuits.
Centuries later, Hogarth’s work can
inspire us to arrange everyone in as
diverse a way as possible – using seats
to vary head heights, creating a
foreground and background by staggering
how near people are to the camera, and
dividing the ensemble into sub-groups to
vary the composition. His pictures can
also encourage us to try shots with
people not looking at the camera but
absorbed in their activities. Also, people
running, jumping, scrummed over a
camera on the ground or distracted by
an event that’s out of the frame can work.
On The Gadget Show we often create
quick group publicity photos with
contributors. One that I thought worked
rather well was for a recent item with a
group of TikTok influencers. A shot of me
and some of the group through their ring
light, while they were in turn shooting a
video of us dancing, was much more
effective than just lining up side-by-side.
I’d like to think that if Rembrandt or
Hogarth were called on to render some
21st-century TikTokers, it’s the kind of
picture they’d have painted.
© NATIONAL TRUST
www.bookshq.net
Books & exhibitions
The latest and best books and exhibitions
from the world of photography
International Garden
Photographer of the Year
Until 6 March, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew,
London. Entry included with gardens ticket
There’s still a couple of weeks left to see the
exhibition of the 15th International Garden
Photographer of the Year (IGPOTY) competition at
Kew Gardens in Richmond.
Featuring a selection of higher-placed winning
photographs from across all the main pay-to-enter
categories, you’ll see shots from ‘Beautiful Gardens,’
‘The Beauty of Plants,’ ‘Wildlife in the Garden’, and
the newest category, ‘The World of Fungi’.
There’s also a chance to see the photo projects
and a selection of exclusive winning photographs
from the latest ‘Captured at Kew’ special award.
Images are displayed outdoors and in a large
format to show off the truly stunning winners and
finalists. After leaving Kew, other IGPOTY exhibitions
can be seen in other locations around the UK,
including Cambridge, Barrow-in-Furness and
Rotherham. See igpoty.com for more details.
Photographers on the
Art of Photography
£22, ACC Art Books, hardback, 240 pages,
ISBN: 9781788840880
Some of the world’s biggest names in
photography appear in this
compendium of interviews. Whether
you’re interested in portraits, wildlife,
fashion, landscapes or something in
between, there should be a
photographer here which matches your interests.
Discovering what motivates them, inspires them and
how they go into the business makes for fascinating
reading. Although relatively light on pictures (each
interview is accompanied by just one picture from
the photographer’s back catalogue), this is a
veritable who’s who in photography. Names in the
book include Tim Flach, Tom Stoddart, Eva Sereny,
Gerd Ludwig, Terry O’Neill, Sue Flood and several
more besides. Well worth a read if you want to get
an insight into how big-name photographers tick.
11
From the archive
Nigel Atherton looks back at past AP issues

The rise of the 35mm compact camera Chinon beats five Eastern Bloc SLRs

14 February 1979
As Venus emerges from the sea on her shell, AP readers
gasp in amazement: how did they do that? George Hughes
provided the answer in his interview with Bill Carter, the
photographer behind the ‘eagerly awaited 1979 calendar
from Motorway Tyres and Accessories.’ (Remember the days
when motor-trade glamour calendars were eagerly awaited?)
The calendar blended studio shots of 12 top international The story behind the ground-breaking 1979 Motorway Tyres & Accessories calendar
models in a variety of pre-designed poses which were then
‘ingeniously combined with the work of six artists’, creating a
‘striking effect in which the eye cannot tell where fact
becomes fantasy’. According to Hughes, ‘Carter’s 1979
calendar is being hailed as The contemporary breakthrough
in combination photo/art.’ He went on to explain, with the aid
of artist sketches and behind-the-scenes shots, the huge
cost and complexity of creating images like this in the days
before Photoshop. In his leader, editor Martin Hodder was
more interested in the rise of the 35mm compact, and expert
predictions that this will become ‘by far the most popular
type of camera within a couple of years or so,’ as
photographers trade down from their bulky and complicated
35mm SLRs which often offer inferior features and
specifications. ‘I wouldn’t mind betting that the reflex camera
market could have one or two hiccups heading its way as
some people realise that the compact camera has more to
offer,’ he predicted. It’s a scenario that’s all very familiar
today. Meanwhile in a group test of those bulky, soon-to-be-
obsolete SLRs costing under £100, five Warsaw Pact models
from Praktica, Zenith and Prinzflex were beaten to the podium
by the fancy Japanese upstart Chinon CS. A Tamron ad, citing Victor Blackman An ad for the Photocolor II processing kit
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12 www.amateurphotographer.co.uk
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 Technique NIGHT SKY

Stars in
their eyes
To kick off our low-light special issue we
focus on the biggest challenge of all –
astrophotography. Peter Dench asked three
winners of Astronomy Photographer of the
Year 2021 to share practical advice on
shooting the night sky

Jeff Lovelace Approach

Jeff is an award-winning photographer from When I go out to do Rule of 500
California, USA. He has telescopes running nightscape photography Have your lens wide open, and aim it at the Milky Way.
at a remote observatory in the Sierra I have two approaches. There is the rule of 500, which is an old rule anyone
Nevada Mountains. Each scope includes a One is to go to an can look up – basically you divide the focal point of your
specially designed digital camera cooled to interesting area, see what lens into 500, and that gives you your exposure time.
-25°C to help capture images of extremely I can find and create in So, if your full-frame equivalent focal length is 20mm,
faint objects, some over a billion light years the moment. ‘Luna the 500 rule would suggest that you use a shutter
away. www.jklovelacephotography.com Dunes’ was the other speed of 500 ÷ 20 = 25 seconds. I use a Sony camera
kind. I had planned in with smaller pixels, so I go with the rule of 250 which is
WHEN I was a child I always wanted to be an advance, I’d been to those the same thing. The rule of 500 is to avoid exposures
astronaut, fascinated by space. I grew up during the dunes before. I had that are so long the stars turn into little streaks. You
period when Star Trek first came out and watched researched the phase of want your stars to be pin-point or close to it, so you
the moon landings. I didn’t do a lot of photography the moon and weather. I’d don’t want to go beyond the rule of 500 (or 250).
in my teens; I had this rivalry with my brother who even sketched out the
really got into photography, which meant in my image that I wanted. Where Beginnings
mind, I couldn’t. What kept me from launching into End – a focus-stacked
it was I thought it would be difficult – but I kept Apps timelapse comprising
57 images.
seeing this one telescope in the store I thought I quite often use various Sony A7R IV, 16mm lens, 30 secs at
would be really cool, then I saw a photograph taken apps to find exactly the f/4, ISO 6400
through a telescope of Jupiter and I thought, you right spot and time, what
can do that! That was that, and it’s been a big part of angle the moon is going to
my life ever since. be at relative to the
landscape. The apps that
I use are The
Nightscape Photographer’s Ephemeris
Wideangle photography, after dark with a normal and The Photographer’s
camera and lens, typically with a landscape in the Ephemeris 3D. Together
foreground, it’s fairly easy with just a few key settings, they’re a wonderful tool for
some very obvious. Typical exposure times will be from planning shots. I might
10-30 seconds, sometimes up to a couple of minutes, also use PhotoPills and
so you’re going to need a tripod. A wideangle lens is Planets Pro. You can get a
good, a very fast lens is good, it can be a zoom if it’s a star tracker to track the
high-quality zoom, F2.8 or faster. You have to know your stars as the Earth rotates,
camera settings and be a reasonably proficient or if you’re more analogue
photographer and not have everything on automatic or you can still use charts!
shutter priority; everything is manual including focusing.
www.bookshq.net
14
 Noises off
With my regular camera
I do multiple exposures.
I align them and blend
them together, and you
get exactly the same
picture but it reduces the
noise. If you can do 8-16
shots and blend them
together you end up with a
reasonably noise-free
image. The longer you
shoot the more noise you
get; the darker you shoot
the noisier your images
get. The problem with
aligning is you have sharp
stars and a blurry
landscape or vice versa.
You have to do some
APOTY Skyscapes work in Photoshop to
combine the two, where
Winner - Luna Dunes you take the foreground
Image taken in Death Valley from one of the shots and
National Park, California, USA
Sony ILCE-7RM4 camera; Sand and sky: 70mm f/8 lens, make that the steady
ISO 400, Sand: 30-second exposure, Sky: 1-second foreground then take the
exposure; Moon: 200mm f/2.8 lens, ISO 100, Moon face: sky and put it on top of
2.5-second exposure, Moon edge: 1/100-second exposure that. That’s a nice easy
trick to get rid of noise.

The Shot
When do you know you’ve got the shot? It can happen when I’m in the field.
With ‘Luna Dunes’, I knew it in the moment. That being said, I’ve had many of Web of Wisps.
those moments and then I look at it on a larger screen and go, oh no, that’s not Taken with a FLI ML-16070M, a
thermo-electrically-cooled camera
so good. The real moment is when you finally do look at a digital image on your operating at -25°C. Lens focal
computer screen and you know that’s it. Landscape photographer Ansel Adams length is 381.6mm at f/3.6. The
is a perfect example, he said something to the effect that great photographs image comprises 153 exposures at
are made not taken. Every image, because of the limitations of the digital two mins each (RGB filters) and
camera, needs to be adjusted, the light values have to be adjusted, the 245 exposures at 10 mins each
brightness, colour values and saturation levels. (narrowband filters)

Audience Filters
For me the procedure is I put an image on my website first, I don’t use filters
second Flickr, then Instagram. I output it at different because I tend to shoot
resolutions and see how they do. Flickr is my favourite, its in a very dark location.
social media but really specifically for photographers. If you do encounter light
What I’m trying to give them is that Ooh and Aah moment, pollution, there are a
an experience. I want it to have a touch of mystery, for number of brands of
people to say where is that or what is that little detail... light-suppression filters
those multi-layer experiences are my favourite. available. Those work or
don’t depending on the
We are not alone public lighting or
I hear things. I wear one of those headlamp torches and whatever city you’re in. If
I’ll look around and see a pair of eyes looking at me everything’s lit with LED
somewhere over there. I don’t know what that is but it’s a lights, which are a broad
little creepy. If I am alone, I deal with it in two ways, I make spectrum, they don’t
noise and make sure that whatever creatures are out work at all. If you’re in a
there know I’m here. I may put on a podcast on my iPhone city with mercury vapour
and set it on a rock and occasionally stomp around. I lights or other specific
often shoot with other people; if you have someone within types of light that put
shouting distance your anxiety reduces by about 90%. A out light at a particular
friend of mine was once surrounded by a growling snarling frequency, these filters
pack of coyotes, another encountered a mountain lion, are designed to filter out
there have been photographers killed by bears, so it’s those so they can work
something to keep an eye on; I’ve been lucky. very well.
www.bookshq.net
www.amateurphotographer.co.uk 15
 Technique
Deepal Ratnayaka
Deepal was born and raised in Sri Lanka,
arriving in the UK around 12 years ago. His
day job is working as an SAP Consultant
specialised in Enterprise Asset
Management. Outside of work, he is a
dedicated and passionate astro-
photographer. www.cosmicdazzle.com
Instagram @deepalratnayaka
I’M FOND of misty mountains. From a very young
age I liked photography. I’ve always been intrigued
by astronomy. I picked up a camera after coming to
the UK and started doing landscape photography. I
felt like something was missing, it didn’t have that
oomph! Around five years ago, I started trying
astrophotography. The moment I took that very first
photograph at night I immediately felt this was the
missing bit and then I never looked back. Every time
we get clear skies I make an excuse to go out and
master astrophotography.

Educate Plan ahead

yourself
I read a lot and watch
YouTube videos and
tutorials. Loads of good
photographers are there.
It’s difficult because you
don’t have a methodical
way of sitting through a
course and then going
out. Practically every night
I read something about
astronomy or
astrophotography, gear,
techniques etc.
Starting out
Plan a daytime trip so that
you get familiar with the
location until it doesn’t
become a big deal. I
would recommend doing
an evening shot first. At
twilight when the stars
come up, you feel like
you’re still in the comfort
zone. If you reach the
place in the evening and
stay there until night-time
then it’s an easier
experience than getting
there at night. It calms
you and you feel prepared.
16
I first go to Google and
use the street view and
photos available, to find
out how the location
looks. Apps can show you
where the Milky Way lines
up at that particular time
of the night, All that
planning I can do, and I
know at 10.30pm I need
to be in this place, my
camera pointing
southwest. I check the
weather for clear skies;
one cloud can pass by
and ruin your moment.
Sometimes no matter how
much you plan, when it
comes up in the camera
it’s different from what
you’ve planned. You can
either be content with that
or try something different,
improvise.
Star streaks
A 30-second exposure
captures everything at
night at that point in time.
Then the next 30-second
exposure, capture the
exact same thing but the
sky has moved a bit. So
when I superimpose
them in Photoshop,
every star in there
generates a streak, where
the land components
remain the same.
www.bookshq.net
APOTY People and Space
Winner - Lockdown
Image taken in Windsor, Berkshire, UK
Sony ILCE-6600 camera, 8mm f/4 lens; Foreground: ISO 1600,
8-second exposure; Sky: ISO 1000, 844 x 30-second exposures
Precision Aftercare
I did three tests for the Star Trails image. I had For post-processing itself
this idea Around Christmas time, the photograph I can take about one
was taken around 20th January. One night when I month, every evening
walked into the kitchen I saw one of the prominent spending about 30-45
stars reflected in the surface which gave me the minutes, because my
idea there’s a picture I can imagine. Every test had hardware PC set-up is not
different challenges, it’s a wide shot so tiles on capable of handling more
the floor, shiny surfaces, even my router’s light had than 50 photos loaded at
registered as green spots. Carefully studying my a time. I load all the
house I eliminated these. photos, superimpose
them, show me the star
streaks, then there are
many plane trails that
Keep trying I need to eliminate
There were times over because I live very close
three consecutive weeks to Heathrow Airport.
where I tried a location in
Wales and tried things and
none of that generated a Patience
decent photo, because Night photography is quite technical, you push the
the conditions changed camera to its extreme to catch the last available bit
and I was not up to the of faint light. I need a minimum of one and a half to
challenge. So I came back two hours to line up and take the photograph, even
to research and study the with the best preparation. You can’t just quickly snap a
situation to find out what I shot at night, you have to run a series of shots. You go
had to do. home and then use the techniques to develop those to
get the photograph the way you want. Iit’s very
technical, that’s why I like it!
www.amateurphotographer.co.uk
 A vertical panorama
showing a comet over
Windsor Castle
Sony Alpha 7 III, 100-400mm lens.
Sky: 4 secs at f/5.6, ISO 6400
Foreground: 25 secs at f/5.6,
ISO 3200

Astro modified
I have a Sony A7S, renowned for its ISO performance,
astro-modified by a company in the USA called
Spencer’s Camera & Photo. They buy the cameras for
the clients from Sony, modify them and ship it. They
take out the filters which captures and mimics what we
see. If they take those filters out, the camera can
capture nebula-specific colours like blood red and pink.

Get noticed
I’m part of a number of astrophotography social media
groups and communities. Some of them pick a photo
of the week to share. The groups are Star Trails
Chasers, Milky Way Chasers, NightScaper and a new
Take control Exposures one called Landscape Astrophotography - it’s an ideal
The most common I want very long continuous lines in the sky (as star one for me because that’s what I do. I rarely do just
mistake I see is over- trails) to make it pleasing to the eye (quite opposite to nebulas, stars and galaxies, I like taking photos located
processing. When we get small discontinued ‘dashes’). With experience I know from within the Earth.
on with our day-to-day lives that it definitely needs more than five hours of clear
under the sunlight, even sky. Anything beyond is a bonus.
when it’s cloudy, you get
used to seeing the world a Harmony
certain way. When you Sony Alpha 7S, 14-24mm lens,
look at night, we can see 5 secs at f/9, ISO 250
maybe 20-30% of what
the camera sees. A
camera’s way of light-
gathering capabilities
reconstructs a
photograph; our eyes take
a snapshot. It becomes
surreal, you look at the
camera and go, oh wow –
it’s a lot more than you
can see. It’s very easy to
push your boundaries and
say I’m going to take the
best out of this and you
end up seeing a cartoon
image which almost takes
the beauty of the night sky
away because it becomes
something different.
www.bookshq.net
www.amateurphotographer.co.uk 17
 Göran Strand
A freelance photographer, Göran is based
out of Östersund, Sweden. He has domestic
and international clients for portraits,
commercial shots, events and sports.
www.astrofotografen.se or on
Instagram @astrofotografen.
APOTY Our Moon
Runner-Up - Lunar Halo
Image taken in Östersund, Jämtland
County, Sweden
Nikon Z 6II, 14mm f/5.6 lens, ISO 200, 6 x 15-second exposures

IN 2012 I quit my job in IT to work as a

freelance photographer, and it was the best
thing I’ve ever done. My interest in astronomy
has developed since childhood and in 2013 and
2016 I was awarded astrophotographer of the
year in Sweden.

Go wide
Halos are quite big in the sky so for ‘Lunar Halo’
I used my wideangle 40mm lens. I centred the
halo to get the exposure on the halo right. I did
some exposure tests and decided on 15
seconds. Because the halo is so big and you
want the surrounding area with the trees, I
needed to do a six-shot panorama. The halo is
okay to do a panorama as it’s only moving a
little; with a wideangle lens it’s not a problem.

Panorama no drama
My camera has a built-in shutter release so you
press the button and two seconds later it takes
the shot. I do the first frame, take the shot, move
it. I use a programme called PTGui for stitching
them together. It’s a paid-for software but if you’re
getting serious with panoramic shots, that is the
number one, super-easy to use and really powerful.
When I come back home I copy the images onto
my computer, make small adjustments to the raw
files, export them to TIFFs and import them to
PTGui. Then I do the stitching there and export for
final post processing in Photoshop.

Chile Mosaic Cold comforts Use your nodal

Nikon D850, 24-120mm lens, Mirrorless cameras are ‘Lunar Halo’ is two rows of
1/40sec at f/5.6, ISO 1600 known for being bad in three images stitched
cold weather because together. Usually when you
of the battery life but have the camera on a tripod
they are getting better you have the camera body
and better. My Nikon centred. When you’re turning
Z 6II performs great. the camera, you want the
You can get frost on the centre of rotation at the
front lens so when I’m middle of the lens or you get
not shooting I always parallax error. I have a small
put the lens cap back nodal plate so I get my front
on, wear gloves and lens at the centre of my
keep your spare tripod, so that when I move
batteries as close to the lens and do these big
your body and as warm panoramas, I won’t have the
as possible. parallax error.

www.bookshq.net
18 www.amateurphotographer.co.uk
 NIGHT SKY Technique
Beginners’ steps Beware bear
Perhaps the most surprising thing for beginners is Sweden doesn’t have any wild
that the cold and the darkness is more intense animals that are dangerous
than they could imagine; they get a bit stunned during winter but during March
and can’t do anything, see anything, feel anything. and April you should be a little
Usually I tell them to learn about their camera like bit careful because there
you’re blindfolded, get to know every bit about it in could be bears waking up
darkness – changing exposure, ISO, manual focus, from winter sleep who could
the basic things so when you’re out in the dark be a bit hungry. That time of
wearing thick clothes you can do all that. If you the year I stay close to my car
can’t handle the equipment you get really and have a door open with the
frustrated, and frustration isn’t good for creativity. radio on.

The Andromeda
Galaxy in a spin
Taken with a Sky-Watcher Esprit
100 ED telescope, ZWO ASI2600MC
Pro camera, Sky-Watcher AZ-EQ5 GT
Pro mount. There were 15
300-second exposures for a total of
75 minutes. Stacked and processed
using PixInsight

Embrace failure
The most common mistake, in my opinion, is that
people tend to underexpose because they are a bit
afraid of ISO noise. I would advise going crazy, see
what the camera does, see what you like and what
you don’t like. Play around with extreme long
exposures, get a feel for what you like and what your
camera is capable of doing. That’s a good start,
understanding your personal boundaries. Learn from
your mistakes. If you’re not happy with a photo, you
should analyse why you’re not happy with it and make
changes for next time.

For more great tips from Göran on photographing the northern

lights, along with details of his exciting Zoom Photo Tours
workshop, see page 48
www.bookshq.net
www.amateurphotographer.co.uk 19
Grays of Westminster...

“Grays of Westminster rightly claims a place in

Nikon’s history, and in the history of camera stores
the world over. It is a perennial stop for me when
in London. The gracious welcome extended to
everyone, the sense of service, even the very
scale and architecture of the place speaks
of an era gone by, yet at the same time,
somehow, remains resolutely current.
It is a memorable experience every
Nikon shooter should have.”
– Joe McNally

www.bookshq.net
40 Churton Street, London SW1V 2LP, England
Tel: 020-7828 4925 Mon-Fri 10am - 5:30pm
info@graysofwestminster.co.uk Visit our website: www.graysofwestminster.co.uk
...open for the essential
to the exceptional.

Facebook: Grays of Westminster www.bookshq.net

YouTube: Grays of Westminster Twitter: @nikonatgrays
Instagram: @nikonatgrays LinkedIn: Grays of Westminster
YOUR LETTERS

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address Amateur Photographer Customer
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replaced later by a

Win!
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Find current subscription offers on
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The Granary, Downs Court, Yalding Hill,
Yalding, Maidstone, Kent ME18 6AL article on the Nikon F5 in find the other easy to use, at today’s prices an F5 is F-601 in 1993.
Distribution in Great Britain AP 28 December. I was though the command dials a real bargain though I Like many other readers
Marketforce (UK) Ltd, 3rd Floor, fortunate to be able to buy protrude slightly less on don’t begrudge paying the I’m grateful to AP for your
161 Marsh Wall, London, E14 9AP
Telephone 0330 390 6555 one of the first F5s in the the F5 and the AF-ON price when they were new. reviews and especially for
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Newspread. Telephone +353 23 886 3850 I used it, and another F5, The Nikon F5 is a the Fujifilm X-S10 at the
Printed by Precision Colour Printing until I bought a D2H in bargain investment time when, at 90, I wanted
Kelsey Media 2022 © all rights reserved. Kelsey Media
is a trading name of Kelsey Publishing Ltd. Reproduction
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writing from the publishers. Note to contributors: articles
submitted for consideration by the editor must be the them, most recently with IBIS. Fujifilm Loan
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Where photographs are included, which are not the
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must have been obtained from the owner of the copyright. must disagree with John. I was instantly hooked.
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www.bookshq.net
22 urphotographer.co.uk

Society in particular,
which does sterling work
in making our hobby
accessible to everyone.
You can find more
information on its website
at www.the-dps.co.uk.
EBay fees
I agree with your
correspondents
that eBay fees
are too high,
and I am critical
of its listing and
selling conditions
and policies and the
move away
from PayPal.
Their experiences are
for the sale of modern
digital equipment. If you
are selling vintage or
unusual film cameras as
I have done a few times, a
listing on eBay can be
seen by millions of
potential buyers all
around the world so an
auction site is useful. I
even sold a Canon SLR
back to a buyer in Japan.
Richard Bond
It’s worth pointing out that
some independent UK
retailers also buy film as
well as digital equipment,
so it’s worth checking
prices with them before
going to the hassle of
listing on eBay.
Back with Olympus
I began my photography
in the late 1950s with an
Ilford Sportsman before
eventually becoming a
long-time Canon user.
By the turn of the
millennium I was
increasingly being asked
by friends about ‘these
new digital cameras – are
they any good?’. So to
find out for myself I
bought a second-hand
Olympus E-20P which
had a fixed zoom lens,
so it was essentially a
bridge camera.
Some 40 years of ‘old’
thinking quickly went out
of the window. I saw that
this was the future. The
shutter lag was
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horrendous for someone we would be happy to give
like me, shooting motor more coverage to video if
sport, but the image there is enough interest.
quality – even though only I’d love to hear other
5MP – was excellent. readers’ views on this.
I sold the Olympus and my
Canon film cameras and The dividing lines
bought Canon’s then-new (1) Where are the dividing
EOS 10D. I was staggered lines between an
by the rate at which the ‘enhanced photograph’, a
technology evolved year ‘record photograph’, and a
on year, and eventually I ‘composite photograph’?
finished up with a Canon And (2), is there any
EOS-1D X, an amazing dishonesty in submitting
camera but oh so heavy! an ‘improved’ image?
Now that I’m into my The answer to (1) is that
seventies, weight has depends on the viewpoint
become an issue for me of those assessing the
so I’ve switched back to image. Every competition,
Olympus and an OM-D and every publication, will
Save
E-M1X. So a big thank have ‘gatekeepers’, such
you to Olympus – you as judges and editors. If
started my digital ‘journey’ they perceive that an
71%
and 20 years later, I’m image has crossed a line,
back with you. then sadly it will be
Mike Dodman dismissed. They don’t
have to explain why they
More video tips liked an image more than
I have been getting into those they rejected.
video with my DSLR and it The answer to (2) is that
would be useful to be able if there are clearly worded
2 EASY WAYS
to read a guide to taking rules, and you knowingly
better video – for example, submitted an image that
which cameras are more
suited for video, which
settings are best etc. Is
breaks those rules then
you have been
dishonest. Ignorance of
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Hollywood-quality movies David Price
www.bookshq.net
23
FILM PROJECT
Nocturne 24, Haugesund, Norway
2008, Konica Hexar, Ilford Delta 3200
Something of
the night
Noted film photographer and
darkroom expert Mike Crawford
talks us through his Nocturne project,
shooting cities after dark on film
S
ome photographic projects
seem to be easy to start
and finish. It always helps
if there are plans for an
exhibition or publication, while
other work may be produced
primarily to see if an idea or theme
might develop into something
interesting. I also appreciate the
immediacy of photographing a
small series, producing a hand-made
artist’s book, or using online printers,
considering the project complete.
24
However, my series Nocturne, is
one best classed as ‘ongoing,’ and
one I keep returning to with new
ideas and images.
While based on the urban
landscape at night, it would be
difficult to present it as a text book
example of how to shootphotograph
the city after dark. I purposely limit
myself in the equipment and
materials used, making things as
basic as possible. Indeed I don’t even
use a tripod!
www.bookshq.net
What I do want in the work, if
not technical perfection, is a sense
of mystery, atmosphere and
narrative. I want the viewer to be
taken on an anonymous walk,
exploring hidden corners of cities,
brief glimpses observed as darkness
encroaches on their streets and
buildings. The images are often
multilayered, reflections and
shadows used to suggest stories
within a story. Others are purposely
diffuse, unwanted details subdued
to leave just shape and form. The
series has been photographed in
different cities, though initially just
London and Berlin, and presented
so the viewer is taken on a
nocturnal journey through an
imagined city.
www.amateurphotographer.co.uk
 I have used the Konica Hexar for over
25 years. It is small, quiet and
inconspicuous compared to larger
SLRs, with an excellent 35mm f/2
lens. Perhaps a limitation, though
I appreciate it for this simplicity

Process and printing

The visual characteristic of the work
is determined by the process. I use a
Konica Hexar AF 35mm camera
loaded with Ilford Delta 3200. It’s a
relatively simple camera, first
produced in 1993, which handles
like a rangefinder (except that it is
autofocus), with a high-quality, fixed
35mm f/2 lens. When I first bought
one in the mid 1990s, it had a
certain cult status amongst
photographers like Peter Lindbergh,
and was sometimes referred to as the
‘poor man’s Leica.’
I rate the film at 2000 ISO,
processing accordingly to lower the
contrast, and as I shoot handheld,
I’m usually working on low apertures
and shutter speeds. I want to be able
to photograph with a sense of
spontaneity and the camera is small
enough to take with me on trips and
not feel burdened with having to
carry a tripod and extra lenses. The
film is high grained and also prone
to a slight amount of irradiation.
This gives a glow to the brightest
highlights, ideal for emphasising
lights within a cityscape.
This is accentuated by the lith
printing process I use in the
darkroom which intensifies contrast
and tone and enhances the texture
and grain. To add more limitations,
I print on outdated and discontinued
Seagull Oriental paper. Originally
manufactured in Japan, it became a
favourite for lith printing in the late
’80s, popularised by Anton Corbijn
and his printer Mike Spry. While a
version was later produced outside of
Japan for many years, the original
Oriental was considered one of the
most suitable and adaptable papers
for the process. Luckily I was able to
buy a large stock, though this is
slowly being reduced over time. For
exhibitions, I subsequently scan the
Nocturne 39, London, 2012
prints to produce larger, digital
Konica Hexar, Ilford Delta 3200
prints. While there is a purity to
www.bookshq.net
www.amateurphotographer.co.uk 25
FILM PROJECT

the original work, I am limited

to the paper size I have
(9.5x12in), and I appreciate the
further possibilities of working
digitally for final print production.
I have been asked why I shoot on
film when high ISO digital and post
production in Photoshop could
provide a similar result. A fair
question, and while I use digital for a
lot of work, I don’t see the point of
replicating the grain of film and the
texture and colour of lith printing
through filters and manipulation.
That is the inherent outcome of my
choice of materials and would see a
digital version as only a recreation of
an analogue process rather than a
natural process in itself. However,
digital does have so much to offer
low-light photography. Looking
through The Guardian’s Photographs
of the Year, 2021, it is noticeable
how many were photographed at
night or in subdued lighting, and
how impressive the selective use of
colour is in this work.

Visual influences Film noir

Aside from techniques, I think it’s
important to consider the creative
influences for the project. My
original intention had been just to
photograph the River Thames at
night, having experimented with lith
prints from Delta 3200 negatives.
Their muted, monochromatic tones
and luminous, sparkling highlights
reminded me of the work of 19th
century artist James Whistler and
particularly his nocturnal portrayal
of the River Thames. My project title
acknowledges Whistler’s influence
and the series of paintings he named
Nocturnes, which in itself referenced
musical compositions from the 1700s
evoking the atmosphere, moods and
melancholy of the night.
On reflection, perhaps I should
have chosen a less popular title, as I
have since learnt of similarly named
An additional and perhaps more
distinctly visual inspiration, is the
1965 Jean-Luc Godard film,
Alphaville, that placed contemporary
1960s Paris at night as the supposed
setting of a future, dystopian city.
This gritty, black & white film noir
featured Lemmy Caution, a
character taken directly from French
B-movies, re-cast into Godard’s
imaginative, yet sometimes
preposterous Nouvelle Vague classic.
I noticed in the film certain
similarities to photographs I was
taking, particularly in the use of
shadows, reflections and the
ominous presence of architecture
seen at night.
For a short while I tried to take
photographs directly referencing
themes and visual motifs from
Alphaville, but soon realised these

Proof prints and editing projects. What I did soon find was
the limitation of London as the only
subject and soon started to combine
Initial edits of possible images are selected from contact photographs from other cities. The
sheets, though I find it invaluable to then make 10x8in first exhibition of this work was in
proof prints to further the editing process. These are prints Germany. The gallerist had
made quickly on resin-coated paper, certainly not to particularly wanted to show just
exhibition quality, but just to see the image and which ones photographs of London, and while it
to lith print. I usually wait till there are several rolls to proof worked very well, I thought it would
and then spend a good day in the darkroom. With these I be too restricting to continue this
can take my time to edit and consider which might be theme and wondered if some of the
suitable for the project. Some may be obvious while others subjects were too recognisable. From
are filed away for future consideration. It is interesting how then on I looked for more
some images initially rejected may later be considered after anonymous images, purposely
time, though most will not get past the proofing stage. drawn from a variety of locations.
www.bookshq.net
26
were too derivative and simply trying
too hard. In watching this film, the
viewer must accept the director’s
conceit that this is the future, despite
no props, costumes or sets normally
associated with science fiction.
Lemmy Caution takes photographs
throughout the film with a cheap,
1960s Instamatic camera (an Agfa
Iso-Rapid), and is told his camera
looks old. ‘I don’t like new
technology,’ is his sarcastic reply,
which again resonated with myself
and my use of film and obsolete
papers. A further coincidental
www.amateurphotographer.co.uk
 Nocturne 40, London, 2013
Konica Hexar, Ilford Delta 3200

Above: Nocturne 12, Berlin, 2012

Konica Hexar, Ilford Delta 3200

reference from Alphaville is the brief

title on the opening scenes stating
that the film was shot on Ilford HPS
Negative. This was a 400 ISO movie
stock that cinematographer Raoul
Coutard uprated to 800, a 1960s
equivalent of my contemporary use
of Ilford Delta 3200.
While the choice of film used for
my project allows for low-light
photography, and gives the work an
initial texture, I feel it is the lith
prints on Seagull paper which
provides the overall atmosphere and
character. It also unifies the work,
allowing photographs taken at
different times and places to flow
together with a sense of narrative.
However, as mentioned previously,
I have a finite amount of material,
so perhaps when finished, this
will be a fitting time to call the
project complete?
Print sizes
Print size can make a big difference
I have had four opportunities depending on the exhibition. The most
to exhibit parts of the work so far, recent show was in Ljubljana, Slovenia, at
but not yet a complete show. the Cankarjev Dom, a prestigious arts
Ideally that would happen should venue. My preferred print size is usually
I get the chance to make a 49x31cm in a 70x50cm frame. As it was
publication. Until then, I will a relatively large space, the curator thought
continue working on Nocturnes as I should print larger at 73x47cm, displayed
time and resources allow. There are in 100x70cm frames. While I appreciated
processed films, proofed and still the visual impact of the work larger, and it
waiting to be printed, and always certainly worked in the gallery space, I
new ideas for places and think that for future exhibitions I’ll revert to Cankarjev Dom, Ljubljana, Slovenia, 2018
locations to shoot. the smaller size.
www.bookshq.net
www.amateurphotographer.co.uk 27
 Photo Insight
The Ghost
By Will Burrard-Lucas
An ethereal photograph of an elusive leopard
was an unintentional capture turned award-
winning shot. Amy Davies finds out more
S
ome photographs take much
meticulous planning, waiting for
the conditions to be just so, with
the camera set-up precisely for
the perfect outcome. Others are captured
by chance when a situation presents itself
at the right time. Yet more still, like this
image by Will Burrard-Lucas, are the result
of a happy accident.
Keen to find out how this serendipitous
shot came to be, I caught up with Will,
currently at home in the UK in between
trips to photograph the leopards with
which he’s become most-recently
associated, and the lions, which he is
photographing for his next project.
Taken in the Laikipia region of Kenya,
‘The Ghost’ is from the project on leopards
that Will has been working on for the past
few years, concentrating on it primarily in
2019 before the pandemic halted travel in
2020. His main task was to capture pictures
of the elusive black leopard – the main
subject of his latest book.
Black leopards are the same species as the
regular spotted leopards, but their (lack of)
markings is caused by a gene mutation. It’s
a recessive gene which needs to be
inherited by both parents for there to be a
chance of the offspring having it – so they
are much rarer than spotted leopards.
Most of Will’s leopard shots – particularly
the night-time images – are taken using
camera traps. To give you an idea of the
rarity of the species, he tells me he ended
up with just 25 shots of the black leopard,
and around double the number of regular
leopards from a whole year’s worth of
camera traps running constantly.
Although always hoping for pictures of a
black leopard, Will was nevertheless happy
to end up with pictures of a regular
leopard. He had set up this trap with a
specific shot in mind, hoping to tick it off
before moving the trap to another location.
‘One of the main shots I was after, that I
was working towards for quite a long time,
28
was a shot of the leopard under the night
sky, with the leopard in the foreground and
the stars in the sky. It’s quite a challenging
shot to get, in that a lot of elements have
to come together for it to work. It needs to
be a clear night where you can see stars, the
moon has to be below the horizon, the
leopard has to come past in the right place
and strike a nice pose.’
In the end, however, all the elements
Will was hoping for didn’t turn up, yet it
made the shot into something special
instead. ‘It’s obviously the “wrong” leopard
– this is a big male leopard, who is a rival to
the black leopard (also a male) that I was
hoping to photograph. Whenever this big
spotted leopard was around, the black one
would steer clear because the spotted one
was bigger and more dominant.
‘The other thing with this image was
that the moon was above the horizon, so
the long exposure that I’d set up to record
the stars ended up meaning that the
leopard was photographed at the start of
the exposure. The leopard then walked off,
and during the rest of the exposure because
the moon was so bright, it lightened the
sky behind the leopard and makes him
appear kind of translucent.
‘It wasn’t the photo I was expecting or
hoping for, but because of the atmosphere,
it was instantly a photo that I liked. For Although some suggest that the use of
me, it does sort of convey this kind of camera traps is controversial, there’s no
ghost-like quality leopards have. They’re so way an image like this could be captured in
elusive that they can be there and you just any other way. ‘What really makes or
don’t see them. So it’s one of my favourites breaks a nocturnal wildlife photograph is
from the project.’ the lighting,’ says Will. ‘If you come across
In recent years, Will has transitioned to an animal that you want to photograph, in
using mirrorless cameras for his handheld order to set up that lighting, by the time
and remote-control work, but for camera- you’ve put in a main light and a fill light,
traps the DSLR is still king, primarily for plus a back light, you could never do that
the long battery life. For this shot, he used before the animal has run off or wandered
a Canon EOS-1D X and a 24mm f/1.4 lens. away. What camera traps allow you to do is
In order to get the stars so prominent, a set up quite complex, quite considered and
long exposure of 30 seconds was set, with a artistic lighting.
fairly narrow aperture of f/7.1 and a ‘You’ve got all the control you’d have for
reasonably high ISO (3200). a “normal” photograph in that you know
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exactly where the animals will be when the
camera is triggered, so you can compose
your shot precisely, and place the lighting
exactly where you want it. A lot of
consideration goes into a creating a camera
trap photo, just as much as there would be
with traditional photography – it’s just that
you have that time to set up in advance.’
Over the past year, photographs from
Will’s leopards project have appeared in
four awards, including the prestigious
Wildlife Photographer of the Year, in which
he was highly commended in the Animal
Portraits category. ‘The Ghost’, meanwhile,
recently took home the Prize of Honor in
MontPhoto’s International Nature
www.amateurphotographer.co.uk
Photography and Video Contest. Will Burrard-Lucas
Will says that being featured in these Will Burrard-Lucas is a
competitions is understandably a fantastic British photographer
way to finish off the leopards project, who splits his time
though he fully admits that’s it’s one of between home and the
those bodies of work that’s never truly continent of Africa. He
completely ‘done’ – in fact he’s got camera is well-known for his
traps working over in Kenya right now. A wildlife photography,
familiar tale we often hear from many having invented
photographers – particularly those working ‘BeetleCam’, a remote
in the wildlife and nature genre. control camera buggy
For now at least, more photographs from which is used to capture close-up, ground-level
Will’s project can be seen in his book, The photographs of potentially dangerous African
Black Leopard: My Quest to Photograph One of wildlife. He has also built up an ecosystem of
Kenya’s Elusive Big Cats, which is out camera trap equipment, which is used to
now, RRP £26. Visit willbl.com. photograph shy and nocturnal wildlife.
www.bookshq.net
29
COMPETITION

Enter
today!
Amateur Photographer
of the Year Competition

£11,000
of MPB prizes to be won
Enter our annual competition for the chance to win some fantastic prizes
and be crowned Amateur Photographer of the Year 2022
www.bookshq.net
30 www.amateurphotographer.co.uk

A
mateur Photographer has
always championed the
best in image making, and
nowhere is this clearer than
in our annual Amateur Photographer
of the Year award (APOY), where the
best non-professional photographers
in the world compete over ten rounds
to win some fantastic prizes.
Once again, we have teamed up with
used camera and videography retailer
MPB to bring you £11,000-worth of
prizes. The categories cover everything
from black & white, to close-ups, to
portraits and more, so there’s
something to suit every interest. You
might submit images to only one or
two rounds, or you might set yourself
the challenge of entering them all, with
the aim of competing for the overall
title and taking home the main prize
– a £1,000 voucher to spend at MPB.
In addition, the winner of each round
receives a voucher for £500, while
To enter visit www.amateurphotographer.co.uk/apoy2022
www.amateurphotographer.co.uk
those placed second and third receive
vouchers for £100 and £50 respectively.
Last year, we launched the Young
Amateur Photographer of the Year
competition (Young APOY), which
attracted more than 3,000 entries from
885 photographers from across the
world. We are proud to be running this
award again, which is free to enter to
anyone aged under 21. The winner of
each round will receive a voucher from
MPB for £250, while the overall
winner receives a voucher for £500.
Once again, we are encouraging
camera clubs to enter and accumulate
points, with the highest-scoring club
receiving a voucher for £500.
Your work will be seen by a panel
of experienced judges and a wider
audience on Photocrowd. So, start
thinking about and planning your
entries – we can’t wait to see them!
Turn over for details on how to enter round one
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In association with MPB
About MPB
MPB is the world’s largest online platform to buy,
sell and trade used photography and videography
equipment. MPB is a destination for everyone,
whether you’ve just discovered your passion for
visual storytelling or you’re already a pro.
The company is committed to making kit more
accessible and affordable, and helping to visualise
a more sustainable future. It recirculates more than
300,000 items of used kit every year, extending the
life and creative potential of photo and video kit for
visual storytellers around the world.
With headquarters in the creative communities of
Brighton, Brooklyn and Berlin, the MPB team includes
trained camera experts, seasoned photographers
and videographers who bring their passion to work
daily to deliver outstanding service.
Every piece of kit is not only inspected carefully
by MPB’s product specialists but also comes with
a six-month warranty to give its customers peace
of mind that buying used doesn’t mean sacrificing
on quality or on reliability.
Visit www.mpb.com
31
COMPETITION

Amateur Photograp
Your chance to enter the UK’s most prestigious com
Round one
You can shoot in
naturally low light or,
as Tuule Muursepp did
here, create your own

Low light
Low light can mean anything from the subtlety of pre-dawn to the drama
of a sunset. It also encompasses the hours when streetlights come on
and night life begins. Entries can be anything from wildlife to portraits
– both studio and environmental – as well as architecture, street or live
shows. Images full of atmosphere will catch the attention of our judges,
but it doesn’t have to be over the top – something understated is just
as beautiful. Let your imagination go, and be guided by the light.

Your guest judge

Your guest judge for Round One, Low
Light, is Mike Will, a creative photographer
known for his vibrant urban style. Based
in London but travelling all over the world
to create content and energetic brand
campaigns, his portfolio includes night
cityscapes, travel, landscapes, music
festivals and portraits. Mike has become
known with his unique editing style and
for creating a global photography
community, @world.shooters.

Plan your APOY 2022 year

Below is a list of all this year’s rounds, including when they open,
when they close and the dates the results will be announced in AP
THEME OPENS PHOTOCROWD OPENS AP CLOSES RESULTS
Low light 08 Feb 15 Feb 04 Mar AP 12 April
Black & white 04 Mar 15 Mar 25 Mar AP 10 May
© TUULE MUURSEPP

Travel 26 Mar 12 Apr 22 Apr AP 7 Jun

Landscapes 23 Apr 10 May 20 May AP 5 Jul To enter visit
Best of British 21 May 7 Jun 17 Jun AP 2 Aug
Close-ups 18 Jun 5 Jul 15 Jul AP 30 Aug ALL ABOUT APOY 2022
People 16 Jul 2 Aug 12 Aug AP 27 Sep
Wildlife 13 Aug 30 Aug 09 Sep AP 25 Oct
The camera club award
Do you belong to a camera club? You can
Street 10 Sep 27 Sep 07 Oct AP 22 Nov accumulate points for your society when
you enter APOY, and after all the ten
Sport & Action 08 Oct 25 Oct 04 Nov AP 20 Dec rounds are complete, the one with
the most points will win a voucher
for £500 to spend at MPB. The
YOUR FREE ENTRY CODE club might want to spend it on gear
Enter the code below via Photocrowd to get one free for use by members, or even run its
entry to Round one – Low Light own in-house competition with the

APOY44229931www.bookshq.net
prize going to the most successful
photographer. It’s entirely up to the
winning group to decide.

32 www.amateurphotographer.co.uk
h
her of the Year
petition for amateur photographers
£11,000
of MPB prizes
to be won
www.amateurphotographer.co.uk/apoy2022
The Young POTY award
For the second time, we are adding a Young
Photographer of the Year category to APOY, in
order to encourage our up-and-coming snappers.
Entrants should be 21 years old or younger by the
competition’s final closing date of 4 November
2022. All the categories are the same as for
the main competition – simply select the Young
APOY option on Photocrowd when you upload your
images. This category is free to enter; each
category winner receives a £250 voucher, and
the overall winner receives a voucher for £500
to spend at MPB.
www.bookshq.net
www.amateurphotographer.co.uk
In association with MPB
PRIZES
WORTH
£900
What you win
Take your pick from MPB’s
huge catalogue of used gear
The winner of each round of APOY 2022
receives a £500 voucher to spend on
anything at MPB. From top-of-the-range
digital medium-format camera bodies,
to entry-level DSLRs, as well as the
longest telephoto zooms and widest
lenses, and useful accessories, MPB
is a one-stop shop for used kit.
The winner could put their £500
voucher towards the superb Fujifilm
GFX 50S, a medium-format 51.4MP
mirrorless camera that starts from
£1,974 at MPB.
You could also consider the Sony
A7 II, an outstanding full-frame
mirrorless camera that features
five-axis image stabilisation. Pick one
up at MPB for £639 to £709.
A versatile wide-aperture zoom such
as the Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM
Art is ideal for low-light shooting, and
can be found for between £484 and
£564 at MPB, depending on condition.
There are prizes for second and third
place, of £100 and £50 respectively,
while the winner of the Youth category
gets a voucher for £250.
Check out www.mpb.com to take
your pick from thousands of items of
second-hand gear at MPB.
33
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 Shooting
Mini Guide in low light
32 pages of advice, tips and
inspiration to pull out and keep PLUS
The city
at night
Get great street
Top cameras shots after dark
for low light
A selection of stand-out How to
models in each format shoot gigs
Tips for success
from Shona Cutt

Fast lenses
The pros and cons of wide
aperture lenses in low light

Best software
A round-up of the top
noise-reduction solutions

Urban foxes
How to photograph our www.bookshq.net
nocturnal neighbours
 Technique NIGHT AND THE CITY
Light
after dark
Accomplished urban photographer Mike Will
shares the secrets behind his dramatic and
engaging low-light urban images with Claire Gillo
Mike Will
Based in London, Mike Will is
known for his urban
architectural images and vibrant
style. Mike has travelled across
the globe with his photography
and his portfolio includes night
cityscapes, travel, landscapes, music festivals and
portraits. Follow Mike on Instagram, Tik Tok and
YouTube @m.visuals, and on Twitter @MVisuals
Stepping into the darkness. Additional lighting
in the form of a drone and light stick create
this impressive scene 4.5 seconds at f/8, ISO 250
36
M
ike Will is most definitely
nocturnal and seems to find
his creativity when the sun
goes down. So when the
majority of us have the urge to hibernate
and settle in for the evening Mike is doing
the exact opposite and will be getting ready
to go out onto the streets with his camera.
‘I love the process of shooting, of getting
out and exploring,’ he says.
Mike is a renowned photographer in the
industry, and has been a Sony European
Imaging Ambassador since 2018. Although
Mike started his photography journey as a
hobby his images soon got noticed on
social media and his profession took hold.
‘I started taking images in 2016 and was
instantly drawn to shooting at night. I just
kind of found it really exciting to bring a
city to life.’ he explains. ‘People walk
around the city at night and especially in
the winter, it can feel very dark, but there’s
this kind of electric vibrant feel that I want
to capture when the light drops.’ As well as
shooting urban city scenes Mike has also
travelled the globe, touring with DJs and
shooting music festivals. ‘I love music
festivals and the buzz of being on stage
with an artist is just amazing. When you’re
on tour with them the whole environment
is pretty inspiring.’
Previously and during the earlier days of
his photography career Mike was also a
professional ice hockey player and even
represented Team GB in ice hockey at the
World Championships. Although he loved
playing ice hockey it was the coronavirus
pandemic that finally cemented his
decision to just focus on photography.
‘Due to Covid, the ice hockey season
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London Lookups.
Mike uses buildings
and elements in the
scene to create
striking compositions
like this one
1/200sec at f/2.8, ISO 320
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www.amateurphotographer.co.uk
KIT LIST
Sony Alpha range
In his kit bag Mike switches
between the mirrorless Sony A7 IV
(recently launched and his main
camera body), Sony Alpha 7R III,
Sony Alpha 7 III, and Sony Alpha
7 II. He loves their low-light
capabilities and agility due to the
lightweight mirrorless build. Mike
has only recently unboxed the Sony
A7 IV. Check out his YouTube
channel to find out what’s in his
camera bag in 2022.
Sony 14mm
f/1.8 GM
Mike is a fan of the wideangle lens
and loves experimenting with his
Sony 14mm f/1.8. He tells us he
could talk about this lens all day.
Having the ability to open the
aperture wide helps greatly in a
low-light situation and Mike loves
the shallow-depth-of-field effect
created. He’s also drawn to the
ultra-wideangle view, which he
explains works great in a city
environment.
Sony 35mm
f/1.4 GM
Mike’s other favourite go-to lens is
the Sony FE 35mm f/1.4 GM. Mike
explains that 35mm was one of the
first focal lengths he used to shoot
on, and tells us how he has enjoyed
seeing the progression he has made
from using earlier cheaper lenses to
the current one.
Sony 12-24mm
f/2.8 GM
As well as his trusty 14mm and
35mm Mike also enjoys using his
12-24mm f/2.8. He tells us the
12-24mm is an amazing lens, and
having a wideangle but also being
able to zoom into 24mm is really
useful in the city.
Joby Rangepod
Mike takes a tripod wherever he
goes. A sturdy tripod is a must-have
for any low-light photographer and
Mike finds the Joby Rangepod to be
versatile and excellently priced. ‘If I
know I’m specifically just going out
to shoot long exposures then I pack
my Joby Rangepod because it’s very
sturdy,’ he says. ‘The height is
fantastic and the build quality is
really good.’
37
 Technique
was sadly cancelled. I had everything
set up for my photography career so I
decided to make the full-time switch then,’
he explains.

The power of social media

To get noticed in the industry and to
continue to showcase what he is doing
now Mike uses a range of social media
channels to his advantage. He has a large
and loyal following and for good reason –
Mike’s persona is as much a part of his
business as his photography with exciting
and enticing video content that he
presents, whether that be showing how he
took a shot, approached a scene, or
unveiling new kit. His social media
channels are packed full of tips and tricks
and worth exploring for any photographer
interested in low-light photography.
When questioned about how he began
his career he says that he started out by
posting on Instagram, and from there his
following grew. ‘The social media platform
gave me a place to showcase my work, and
then I got noticed by major brands and my
career took off.’ Mike makes it sound
effortlessly simple, however it’s obvious
that he has got to where he is through hard
work and talent. ‘I’m driven and I love
what I do,’ he confirms. ‘Therefore I’m
happy to put the time in.’

WHERE THERE’S A WILL THERE’S A WAY: MIKE’S BEST TIPS

Symmetry & leading lines Test your ISO Focus in

In the urban environment Mike likes to hunt
for leading lines or symmetrical patterns to
create strong compositions. The city is the
perfect environment to capture both these
elements. If you are going to go for the
symmetrical shot, make sure your lines are
straight and in line.
You need to get to know your camera and find
out what it is capable of. Do a test shoot
throughout your ISO range to see where the
image quality starts to deteriorate. Mike
advises that your image will retain better
quality if it is correctly exposed.
To ensure his shots are sharp Mike finds the
latest technology from his Sony cameras to
be top-notch. ‘If I’m on a tripod at night then
I’ll use manual focus but if I’m shooting on
the street I’ll use tap focus a lot. The
technology is amazing these days and you
can fully rely on them.’

www.bookshq.net
38 www.amateurphotographer.co.uk

Get creative
In an urban and natural setting there are lots
of opportunities to get creative. Mike enjoys
working with a drone. ‘I’m really passionate
about light painting and using a drone means
you can get really creative.’ There are a few
challenges Mike finds he has to get around,
from fast-draining battery life to battling
against the unpredictable British weather!
www.amateurphotographer.co.uk
Far left: Lighting up
Durdle Door. Mike’s
take on the much
photographed Durdle
Door involves light
painting, giving his
shot a unique twist
15 seconds at f/1.8, ISO 250
Left: Aliens in
Madeira. A drone and
some atmospheric
conditions create this
extraterrestrial result
13 seconds at f/8, ISO 400
Light painting
As well as using the ambient lights in an
urban setting, Mike also has a range of
portable lights for light painting. ‘I might take
something out like a Mini NanLite,’ he says.
The NanLite PavoTube lights range are
portable light tubes that can display a range
of colours perfect for this style of
photography.
www.bookshq.net
Look out
When it comes to taking images on the
streets and looking for the perfect subject
Mike is always on the hunt for strong
compositions and something of interest.
‘Symmetry,’ he says. ‘I’m very drawn to
symmetry, and I always look for leading
lines.’ Mike shoots the majority of his
images in a portrait composition and has a
great eye for placing elements in the scene
to draw the eye through.
As for his favourite time of day to shoot,
Mike likes to start at sunset and then go
into the night. ‘At sunset I want to capture
that nice burn in the sky, then from there it
moves into the blue hour and then
obviously into the night.’ Mike is also a fan
of taking images in foggy conditions. ‘You
can get these epic fog conditions if the
street lights are on,’ he says. ‘I’d say go out
about an hour or 45 minutes before the
sunrise and it’s just the most crazy, and
incredible lightning with the fog around
– it just looks epic.’
Figure it out
To engage with his audience and to add
something extra to his images Mike often
includes a figure in the scene. ‘It helps with
the scale,’ he says. ‘And it makes the image
relatable as well. If the person is in the
right position with a wideangle lens,
Don’t go out alone
Whilst photography can be a solo hobby,
becoming part of a community can bring great
benefit to your practice, whether you are an
amateur or professional. Mike is the
founder of UK Shooters (@uk.shooters and
www.worldshooters.com/uk-shooters), a
community hub of photographers that support
each other and meet up for shooting events.
39
 Technique NIGHT AND THE CITY
you can also make the scale of the
scene seem more dramatic,’ he
explains. Often the figure in the setting will
be Mike himself dressed in distinctive
urban clothing that matches the setting. It
is no coincidence that the elements in the
scene blend together perfectly to create
Mike’s vision of how he wants to see and
explore the city environment.
Mike will also often capture stillness and
movement in one shot. For example the
figure in the scene will be still but
movement from a bus, a car driving past or
from an additional light source will add
some colourful movement. When asked
how he achieves the two effects together
Mike replies, ‘I try to do them in one shot,
and if I have the patience, I will!’ Mike
advises that the person in the scene may
need to stay still for one or two seconds. Of
course though, as many photographers will
know, the perfect conditions can’t always
be achieved in one shot and when this is
the case Mike blends multiple images
together using Photoshop.
It’s too dark (and light)
When it comes to shooting at night,
Mike unsurprisingly finds lighting the
biggest technical difficulty. ‘Finding the
right light and the right kind of
composition is a challenge,’ he says.
Although you would think that lack of
light would be an issue Mike also
sometimes finds too much light will cause
him problems. ‘If I’m in an area that is well
lit at night with street lamps and I want to
do a long exposure, sometimes that can be
tricky because the highlights get blown out
when you open the shutter. But also vice
versa,’ he continues. ‘You can be
somewhere that is so dark and you have to
bring in more lighting – so I would say
lighting is the biggest challenge that I have
to think about.’
Make some noise!
Inevitably shooting at night means you
need to think about your ISO setting and
under some circumstances push it up.
Fortunately for Mike he finds his Sony
cameras to be easily able to handle the dark
conditions. ‘My Sony camera’s low-light
capabilities are really at the next level,’ he
tells us, then continues to advise to assess
your own ISO. ‘Test your ISO, do a little
experiment to see how much you can push
it because a lot of the time you can push it
more than you think,’ he says. ‘I didn’t
know until I started really testing and
pushing my camera that I could do as
much as it can do. I’ll crank my ISO,
anything up to 5,000 and not worry about
it at all,’ he declares. ‘If you expose
correctly you’ll find there’s not a huge
amount of noise even at the higher end of
40
the scales. However,’ he warns, ‘if it’s pitch
black and you need to lift the shadows
you’re going to get some nasty grain in
there, and some problems with the colours
that will need to be corrected.’ Mike uses
Lightroom for this and explains more on
his YouTube videos.
Team player
Shooting at night will not appeal to
everyone as for some the dark (especially in
an urban environment) can be a daunting
and scary place. When we questioned Mike
as to whether he had any concerns about
this aspect he replied that although he will
go out by himself he prefers to shoot with
others when he can. Although
photography can be a solo undertaking,
Mike is a team player (which his ice hockey
career taught him) and enjoys learning
from others. In 2016 when he was starting
his photography career he founded UK
Shooters (@uk.shooters), and from there his
network has grown. ‘UK Shooters is a
community hub of photographers,’ he
explains. ‘We have these amazing events
that are not just about shooting content
but they are also about meeting like-
minded photographers and learning from
each other. When you’re with other people
you’re in a team and you can help each
other out. I networked a lot when I first
started and from there friendships were
born. I love that someone might message
me now and say, “yo fog’s rolling in in the
morning, do you want to shoot it?”
And I’ll be like, hell yeah, let’s do it!’
Why it works
This image of the iconic Tower Bridge gives
a different perspective to the much-
photographed location. The composition
has been carefully considered and Mike is
spot on with the symmetrical framing. A
wide aperture setting has been used which
blurs the foreground pleasingly. The lights
in the centre of the frame jump out in their
star shape formation and draws the eye in.
The blue tone in the sky complements
the cool lighting and tones of the bridge,
and the warm orange/red subtle injection
of colour in the double lines on the road
contrast nicely against the overall cool
tone. The airplane streak across the back
of the scene is not apparent at first but
brings another subtle element to the scene
when you look further in.
Mike is known for his vibrant and unique
post production effects, and in this image
they have been carefully considered to
create an impactful result.
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The iconic Tower
Bridge rising to let a
large vessel through
1/50sec at f/2.8, ISO 3200
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Solo nights – Foggy London 4am.
Bad weather doesn’t stop Mike from heading
out, and the damp conditions create
interesting reflections 1/50sec at f/2.8, ISO 4000
Mike’s top
London subjects
Tower Bridge
Mike is lucky enough to reside near the
iconic Tower Bridge in London, making it
easily accessible all year round, whatever
time of the day. ‘There are so many angles
to shoot it from, and it’s such an iconic
landmark,’ he says.
Gherkin
Mike likes the buildings and cityscape
surrounding the Gherkin in London.
‘There are lots of leading lines, modern
architecture and cool buildings in this area
that I like to photograph.’
St Paul’s Cathedral
St Paul’s is another building that features
heavily in Mike’s portfolio. He has
photographed this iconic building close
and far away with the Millennium Bridge in
the foreground.
London Buses
For light painting, the famous London
double-decker red buses provide the perfect
streaky effect in Mike’s images. You need to
get the spacing and timing of the bus driving
past it right, so that the streaks from the
bus add to the composition of the shot and
don’t detract from it.
41
 Technique NOCTURNAL WILDLIFE SKILLS
KIT LIST
Canon EOS
5D Mark IV
Matt uses both Canon
and Lumix camera
systems, but the Canon
is his preferred option
for camera trap and
remote flash
photography. He favours
either one of two lenses
for his night fox work, the
EF 16-35mm f/2.8L USM
or EF 70-200mm f/2.8L
IS II USM (used in this
shot on the right).

Off-camera
flash
Matt has three Canon
flashguns to choose
from: the 680 EX-RT II,
580 EX and 430 EX II.
For this and most of his
flash photos he uses two
flashguns, off camera. ‘It
is so much better having
two flashes rather than
one, coming from either
side, both set to really
low power.’

Remote
trigger
Remote triggers allow
Matt to still be on
location and observe,
but far enough away to
remain unobtrusive. ‘I
use a Pocket Wizard,’ he
says, ‘So I’m standing
away from the camera.
When these animals are
drinking, they’re
vulnerable, so the
further away you can be,
the more likely it is that
they’ll exhibit natural
behaviour.’

Tripod

A Manfrotto tripod with
Arca Swiss ball head is
Matt’s choice of tripod.
‘I don’t like using
tripods, I find them
limiting. Obviously, with
camera traps you have
to, because if you’re
leaving your camera on
an overnight set-up, it’s
usually with a low
shutter speed.’
42
Midnight
Matt Maran
As a seasoned pro, Matt’s
images have appeared in
the UK press and National
Geographic, as well as
winning awards in Wildlife
Photographer of the Year,
the British Wildlife
Photography Awards and more. Visit
matthewmaran.com, @mattmaranphoto on Wildlife photographer Matt Maran haunts
Twitter and Instagram, and /
matthewmaranphotography on Facebook. – the beautiful and clever red fox. Keith
www.bookshq.net
www.amateurphotographer.co.uk

The fox and the mosquito
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, EF 70-200mm
f/2.8L IS II USM at 190mm, 1/40sec at
f/2.8, ISO 3200. Two EX flashguns, off
camera, remote trigger
rambler
London photographing our nocturnal neighbours
Wilson finds out how he gets such striking photos
www.bookshq.net
www.amateurphotographer.co.uk
J
ust over five years ago, on a cold
Boxing Day evening in 2016, wildlife
photographer Matt Maran and his
partner stepped outside their north
London home to walk off some of their
excess Christmas indulgence. Moments later
they turned a corner into a street they hadn’t
explored before and by chance witnessed two
foxes, both on their hind legs, scrapping with
each other on a small green. Quickly, Matt
ran back home to get his cameras but by the
time he returned the foxtrot was over and the
two participants had vanished. At the time,
Matt was trying to decide which wild animal
to document for a long-term project. This
unplanned encounter with urban red foxes
provided the answer. ‘I went back the next
night and the night after,’ he recalls, ‘and
because these foxes were just hanging around
on this green and it was just a ten-minute
walk away, I thought this was perfect.’
Matt recognised the potential of his
new-found wildlife location and returned
most nights to photograph his chosen
subjects, trying to get acquainted with their
habits and behaviour patterns. Foxes are
mostly nocturnal, so much of his work has
been done at night, and he freely admits to
making many mistakes in those early days.
‘In the beginning, I went out with one flash
mounted on the hot shoe and quickly learnt
it’s much better when it’s off the hot shoe
and you’re lighting it more subtly from the
side,’ he says. ‘You don’t want to blitz the
animal, you almost want to recreate the street
light on the fox’s face. The best-looking
images of urban foxes are the ones that don’t
look like they’ve been lit by flash, it could
almost be street light as well.’
Allotment access
Six months after that initial Boxing Day
encounter, Matt gained access to a nearby
allotment where he was told a family of foxes
lived relatively undisturbed. It proved to be a
major turning point as it allowed him to
observe the foxes on a daily basis. More
importantly, he gained the trust of the
animals as they became used to his frequent
visits. By now, the lighter summer evenings
meant he didn’t always have to resort to
flash. ‘When I got access to the allotment and
it was getting lighter in the evenings I would
only use natural light. That was definitely
easier.’
However, there was one piece of behaviour
that Matt wanted to capture, which still
required the use of flash and a remote trigger.
‘When the sun went down the foxes would
often stay on the allotment for a bit and that’s
when I got shots of them drinking from these
water troughs.’ The shot here (left) was taken
in almost complete darkness and reveals the
moment a fox looks up from drinking to see
the tiny form of a mosquito. Both the
fox and the mosquito are in focus and
43
 Technique NOCTURNAL WILDLIFE SKILLS
their movement frozen by the flash
burst. ‘That moment was 100% luck,’
says Matt. ‘There’s no way you could
anticipate for that, and then the lens is
wide open at f/2.8 so the focus plane is
incredibly narrow.’
A moment of luck
The presence of the mosquito may have
been luck, but Matt had planned this shot
meticulously, spending many weeks
observing how the fox would position itself
on the water trough to drink. He explains,
‘What they would always do is they’d leap
up onto their hind legs, put their front
THINKING OUTSIDE THE FOX: MATT’S TOP TIPS
Work close to home
Find somewhere that’s easily accessible and
nearby that you can return to ‘over and over
again’, says Matt. ‘Any city in the UK now has
urban foxes. By revisiting a location you learn
the lie of the land, where the light falls, and
eventually predict their behaviour.’
44
paws over the edge and lap up the water.’
To perfect his set-up he made many
practice shots, adjusting his focus, lighting
position and exposure settings. ‘I had two
flashes on that particular set-up, a camera,
a tripod, with a 70-200mm set back from a
water trough. Most of my efforts were
failures. I’ve got loads of pictures of me
pretending to be the fox with my hands
over the edge of that water trough!’
Matt firmly believes that practice and
fieldcraft creates its own luck, but it is the
years spent observing one particular vixen,
now six years old, that has provided him
with many of his most memorable photos,
Talk to neighbours
Ask your neighbours whether they have seen
foxes nearby. ‘That’s how I gained access to
the allotment,’ says Matt. ‘Relationship
building is not something that’s often talked
about in photography, but you might get
access to someone’s garden who has foxes.’
www.bookshq.net
including this wideangle portrait (above
right), which required him to lie on the
ground and wait for her to appear. ‘They are
creatures of habit, just like us,’ he says. ‘I
followed her the most. She would do
territory rounds, she would do food rounds,
so I got to learn which gardens she would
go in, and I would go ahead of her, prepare
myself, get my settings right. On that
occasion she just came out and stopped,
which is rare, because they are always on
the move. That was a pleasing moment,
this character portrait of a fox. As far as
she’s concerned she’s in her territory, these
are her front gardens.’
Get support where you can
Matt tries to avoid using tripods to stay
mobile, so he will improvise. ‘I’ll use my
camera bag or I’ve got a little beanbag filled
with lentils, but usually I’m lying around on
the streets of London, on my belly, getting
dirty. God knows what I’m lying on!’
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 FOX:
Neighbour
Villain Icon
Matt now has an
extensive collection of
images of urban foxes by
night, including photos
of them hunting rats,
standing on garden
walls, sleeping on grassy
verges or sitting at ease
while London’s traffic
roars by. This spring,
Fieldcraft and subject knowledge Above: and 50mm f/1.4 lens with him, his many of his images,
A busy city street might not seem like your The fox out front preferred combination when shooting including some shown
typical wildlife location, but the same Canon EOS 5D Mark III, EF handheld at night with available light, the here, will be published in
principles of knowing the location and 16-35mm f/2.8L USM at 16mm, ISO often rated at 5000. He only had time a new photo book, FOX:
1/15sec at f/3.5, ISO 1600, Neighbour Villain Icon. It
your subject in order to get the best images single flash to fire three frames. ‘There was no flash on
apply just as strongly, including for the this, just all ambient light but there was also features the work of
night-time antics of urban foxes. While out Above left: enough light coming out of the shop. fellow wildlife
walking one night, Matt noticed the The fox and the rat The first two shots were a shambles, but photographers Neil
familiar form of the vixen walking just Canon EOS 5D Mark III, EF then it was a case of adjusting the Aldridge and Andy
ahead of him. ‘I knew where she was going, 16-35mm f/2.8L USM at 16mm, aperture, it was quite bright, so bringing it Parkinson, and launches
she does her normal routes, including 1/100sec at f/8, ISO 3200, two EX down a little bit, and then firing as she was at the Natural History
flashguns, off camera, remote trigger Museum, London, in
running past this particular shop, but on turning. I think it was the only one
this occasion she just went in there, and where she was sharp. I just wish she had April. Priced at £35, you
I couldn’t believe it,’ he says (see below, far a bag of Walker’s in her mouth as she can order your copy now
left). Fortunately, Matt had his Lumix S1 left the shop!’ at www.foxbook.shop.

Flash control Crank up the ISO Develop a soft touch

Controlling the level of flash output is vital.
‘Don’t go right up and blitz the fox at the first
attempt. I’ve learnt to turn the power right
down on the flash to give it more of a natural
feel.’ Low power also reduces the risk of
overexposing the fox’s white front.
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A high ISO in ambient street lighting, or mixed
with low flash output, can produce excellent
exposures. ‘High ISO is definitely a game-
changer in low light. When you haven’t got the
chance or ability to use flash, then crank up
your ISO and don’t be afraid to do it.’
www.bookshq.net
Foxes are skittish, but low powered or
diffused flash won’t scare them. ‘If you get
enough to put a catchlight in the eye and take
out some of the shadow in the face it makes
such a difference to the depth and quality of
the picture,’ says Matt.
45
 Technique GIG PHOTOGRAPHY
Low-light
gig secrets
Gigs are up and running so refresh your low-light
concert photography skills with these practical
tips from seasoned music shooter Shona Cutt
M
ost of us can get to gigs
again, so here’s a reminder of
the core skills you need for
images with way more impact
than the punters in the crowd will get
with a phone. Whether you are shooting a
massive arena show or a tribute band down
the pub, the core principles of low-light gig
shooting remain.
Indeed, smaller gigs are often less
stressful, and you’re usually able to stay
after the first three songs. The performers
might really like your pictures too, and ask
you back to shoot them again. And who
knows, that talented local band could
become huge one day, so it’s well worth
trying to build a relationship with them
through photography.
Fast lenses and high ISOs
‘My first tip for low-light photography is to
use the fastest lens you can,’ advises highly
experienced gig photographer Shona Cutt.
‘I use a Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 bought
second-hand 11 years ago. It was all I could
46
Incorporating the
crowd into the shot
really helps capture
the atmosphere
Canon EOS 5D Mark III, 24-70mm,
1/320sec at f/2.8, ISO 1000
afford at the time but still works really well.
I also hire a 70-200mm f/2.8 lens as
needed. Being able to shoot at a wide
aperture makes life much easier as the light
often changes all the time – you combine it
with a higher ISO and faster shutter speed,
as required. I also have a Canon 50mm
f/1.8 which I take to gigs, but mainly use
for band portrait shots.’
Shona is also a great believer in using the
highest ISO setting you can in order to get
decent shots in low-light gig situations.
‘Higher ISOs are usually essential in smaller
venues,’ she counsels. ‘I will happily shoot
at ISO 6400 and sometimes higher. It’s
always better to have a noisy shot than a
slightly blurry one. The highest I usually go
is ISO 6400 but will try to stay lower if I can
depending on the venue/band. The highest
I’ve managed to get successful results is at
ISO10,000. Any higher and you risk the Below left: Watch Below: Expose
carefully for cool lights correctly and
image becoming a noisy mush of pixels – poses to give your they can look great
I’ve learnt the hard way!’ shots character Canon EOS 5D Mark III,
In terms of camera and lens settings, Cxnon EOS 5D Mark III, 24-70mm, 24-70mm, 1/400sec at f/2.8,
Shona’s mantra is to try to get as much 1/400sec at f/2.8, ISO 5000 ISO 6400
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light in as possible. ‘I keep the aperture
wide open at f/2.8 and try to restrict the
maximum shutter speed to 1/400sec as
anything higher will further restrict
whatever light is available from reaching
the sensor. Back-button focusing will also
help you get a sharper image, especially if
the band are active performers.’
For metering, Shona favours the spot
setting. ‘Spot metering makes it easier to
take a very specific reading based on where
you are focusing, and avoid blowing out
highlights – a real risk with gig
photography.’
Keep it moving
Fast lenses and smart camera settings are
one thing, but Shona also emphasises the
importance of good composition when it
comes to gig shots. You can have your
camera settings spot on, but it won’t
help if the singer has a toilet sign over
their head, for instance, a mic obscuring
their face, or other stage gear sprouting
out of the guitarist’s head as they blast
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out an epic solo. ‘Don’t be scared to move
around the venue if you can,’ Shona adds.
‘Nearly all smaller venues will have areas
where you can catch the stage lights
better than other positions. Take your time:
watch the lights for a pattern and listen to
the music to anticipate where you need to
be. If a big chorus is coming, try to get a
shot with the crowd belting their hearts
out, for example.’
It’s also important to respect the crowd.
‘Paying punters are the most important
people there, as the band would not be
performing without them. So try not to get
in anyone’s way. Get to venues as early as
you can to find a decent spot. Once you
have got the shots you need, move around
a bit, which helps other photographers
present. It also helps to chat to the crowd;
once they know you are not trying to push
in front of them; most of time they will
help you as long as they know you are not
there for a long time.’ See Shona’s
Instagram page at www.instagram.
com/shonacuttphotography/
www.bookshq.net
Editing tips
Some low-light gig images may need more
work at the editing stage. ‘Adjusting the
exposure, colour balance and saturation
levels can help bring digital noise down
more than the noise-reduction tool in
Lightroom, which can remove too much
detail. If the image still needs a bit of extra
help, the Denoise plug-in from Topaz
Labs for Photoshop has saved my skin
many times, especially when I first started.
I only tend to use the lightest setting (Raw
Lightest) as it is destructive and you can
lose a lot of detail if not careful.
Sometimes I will also use a High Pass filter
to help sharpen key details again.’
47
 Technique NORTHERN LIGHTS

Göran Strand
Göran Strand is a freelance photographer based out of
Östersund, Sweden, who specialises in astrophotography.
Many of his photos have been published by NASA’s Astronomy
Picture Of the Day, SpaceWeather.com, National Geographic
and more. In 2013 he received an astrophotographer of the
year award in Sweden. See astrofotografen.se

Northern
exposure
Northern lights specialist Göran Strand talks
us through this low-light challenge and his
forthcoming Zoom Photo Tours workshop

‘Handölsforsen in
Jamtland – an eight-
photo panorama made
using PTGui’
Nikon Z 6II, 14-24mm lens,
10 secs at f/2.8, ISO 800

‘Me and two of my
friends enjoying the
northern lights’
Nikon D850, 8-15mm fisheye,
4 secs at f/3.5, ISO 5000
www.bookshq.net
48
W
hen it comes to low light
and night photography,
few subjects are more
compelling – and popular
– than the northern lights. As the Royal
Meteorological Society explains, this
hugely photogenic phenomenon is caused
by activity on the surface of the sun. Solar
storms spew out huge clouds of electrically
charged particles, which can travel
millions of miles.
Some of these particles are captured in
the Earth’s magnetic field, accelerating
down towards the north and south poles
into the atmosphere. This is why aurora
activity is concentrated at the Earth’s poles.
So what we are actually seeing are atoms
and molecules in our atmosphere colliding
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with particles from the sun. The aurora’s
characteristic wavy patterns and ‘curtains’
of light are caused by the lines of force in
the Earth’s magnetic field.
Anyway, you don’t need to be a
meteorologist or physicist to know that the
northern lights are like catnip to
photographers. Swedish photographer
Göran Strand dedicates his life to shooting
them, so we caught up to get his tips –
don’t forget to sign up for his forthcoming
tour in March, organised by Zoom Tours
and AP (see box, page 51).
Cheaper and more accessible
‘My interest in photography goes back to
the 1990s when I started doing nature and
landscape photography,’ Goran explains by
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way of background. ‘Then I started working
part time as a professional photographer
back in 2003 and I’ve been working as a
full-time photographer since 2012.’
As Göran explains, he’s been interested in
astronomy and watching the stars for as
long as he can remember, so it was more or
less inevitable that he would point his
camera skywards at some point. ‘It all
started in the mid-1990s when I got my
first telescope. After some time I realised
that there’s so much beauty and interesting
things about space and different light
phenomena, so I decided to start showing
my photos more publicly and doing
lectures about what you can see and
photograph.’
Göran started doing workshops about a
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decade ago. ‘Back then it wasn’t as popular
as it is now. I think the interest for
northern lights really kicked off with social
media and that the camera gear that was
needed got cheaper and more accessible to
more people.’
We wondered how Göran went about
making his images of the northern lights
original and eye-catching – after all, many
photographers all over the world now have
them on their bucket list. ‘I’ve been
photographing the northern lights for
almost 20 years now so for me the
challenge is to come up with new ideas,’ he
explains. ‘I often think “what can I do next
time that I haven’t done before?” I think
my imagination and curiosity helps
me with my creativity. I always strive
49
 Technique NORTHERN LIGHTS
‘Light trails can add
Göran’s gear drama to your photos
and lead the viewer
AT THE moment Göran’s main mirrorless into the image centre.
A five-shot panorama’
cameras are the Nikon Z 9 and Z 6II, for the Nikon D850, 14-24mm lens, 20 secs
reasons outlined in the main feature. ‘The at f/4, ISO 6400
two DSLRs I’m using the most are the Nikon
D850 and the Nikon D810A. The latter is a
special astrophotography camera that Nikon
released back in 2014. It’s more sensitive to
red light which is very good when taking
photos of nebulas and so on.
His most used lenses are the Nikkor
14-24mm f/2.8, 24-70mm f/2.8 and
70-200mm f/2.8, both the Z-versions and the
older lenses with F-mount. ‘For big panoramas
I often use my Nikon 8-15mm f/3.5-4.5E ED
Fisheye Zoom Lens. I also use a Nikon 600mm Göran also favours the D810A, a specialist
f/4 lens quite a lot for lunar photography.’ astrophotography camera

to improve my creativity and ideas when it comes to low-light photography.

for new compositions to keep
making interesting photos that stand out
in some way.’
Common pitfalls to avoid
As a seasoned workshop leader, Göran has
a lot of experience in helping
photographers to capture this magnificent
spectacle for the first time. He’s got some
useful insights into the mistakes that
people tend to make.
‘People often forget to include the
surroundings, and I notice this a lot. They
forget to include the northern lights in
their context. Let’s say you photograph
the northern lights back home and then go
to, let’s say, Iceland. You need to show
Iceland at the same time. Also people
often tend to underexpose the photos a bit
too much in the beginning, and that in
turn exacerbates the problem of not
seeing the surroundings.’
Göran is now a Nikon Z ambassador and
reckons the smaller form factor of these
still very powerful mirrorless cameras is a
big help when it comes to shooting the
northern lights. ‘Both the camera bodies
and lenses are smaller which makes it
easier to move around and be more
creative. The LCD screen also makes
composition much easier when working in
awkward positions. The new Nikon Z9 also
has a new feature called Starlight mode
which really makes it much easier to
compose a photo in total darkness. This
mode helps the camera to focus right down
to -8.5 EV, while illuminated buttons help
to change settings in the dark.’
‘As for settings, it all depends on the
surrounding conditions and the intensity
and activity of the northern lights, but
usually a good start is something like ISO
1600 and a 5-10 second exposure. For
composition, the most important thing is
to be playful with your camera. Try to get
up close to something in the foreground
– usually a low angle gives a more dramatic
feeling to a photo. For the northern lights
themselves, look for interesting formations.’
Göran tries to keep editing to the
minimum. ‘Some photos are just a 10-15
minute edit, but big panoramas can take a
couple of days before I’m satisfied with
them. I use Adobe Photoshop with Adobe
Camera Raw for my editing. For
panoramas, I use PTGui and for
astrophotography, I use PixInsight.’
‘I put my headlamp in a
green bucket and
brought a paint roller
so we could paint the
sky green!’
Nikon D800E, 14-24mm lens,
8 secs at f/2.8, ISO 1600

You’ll still need a tripod

When it comes to camera settings, Göran is
first of all adamant that a tripod is still
needed, despite the many breakthroughs in
in-camera and lens image stabilisation
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50
Shoot with Göran
AS MENTIONED, you can learn directly from Göran himself on his forthcoming Zoom Photo
Tours workshop in March. It takes place in Abisko National Park in Sweden, which many
experts believe is the best place in the world for northern lights photography.
‘Besides general camera settings and photo editing I will explain how the northern lights
work and how to predict them. I will also teach how to make panoramas and time-lapses.
There will be lots of tips and ideas on composition and I will be explaining how to work in a
dark and cold environment… when your vision is limited and your fingers get cold, it’s much
harder than you think!’ Full tour details can be found at zoomphototours.com/northern-lights.

www.bookshq.net
 Technique FAST LENSES
Nikon’s Z 58mm
f/0.95 might seem
extravagant, but
the widest
apertures can
work wonders
Fast workers
With more and more very wide aperture lenses
available, how do they help with low-light
shooting – and what are the considerations?
We spoke to three photographers working
across portrait, landscape and street
T
he advantage of fast lenses comes
from their very wide maximum
apertures. Pound for pound, more
light means faster exposures at
lower ISOs, which are useful across the
board, and the secondary effect of aperture
– depth of field – gives photographers
creative choices. More light also makes AF
more efficient. These benefits can be felt
in almost any sphere of photography and
across the next few pages we’ll hear from
how they help photographers who are
52
working in very different subjects.
But before we get started, it is
important to understand just what fast
lenses are. This is a slippery term and
whether a lens’s maximum aperture defines
it as ‘fast’ depends on several factors. It’s
also highly relative.
For starters, there’s focal length. A 50mm
f/1.8 lens might not be seen as particularly
fast by modern standards, but a 135mm
f/1.8 lens would be, particularly as that’s
about the fastest you can practically go at
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that focal length. Similarly, a 14-24mm
f/2.8 is considered fast for a full-frame
zoom, but a prime lens at any of its focal
lengths wouldn’t be.
What’s more, just as with focal length,
what’s considered ‘fast’ is relative to sensor
size. On smaller-sensor systems, like APS-C
and Micro Four Thirds, you’ll find options
stating wider maximum apertures than full
frame, but when equated to a bigger sensor
the effective aperture falls.
Of course, despite all their benefits, fast
lenses have drawbacks, too. Comparatively,
they’re larger and heavier than ‘slower’
lenses, so not right for all occasions. The
very fastest lenses usually don’t feature AF,
and you might find that sharpness isn’t at
its peak when shooting wide open, where
you’ll also see more vignetting. They’re also
more expensive, so you need to choose
wisely when it comes to investing. Let’s
find out more.
www.amateurphotographer.co.uk
 Not only do fast apertures
deliver subject separation,
they can also let you freeze
movement more easily
Sony Alpha 9 II, 135mm f/1.8 lens,
1/400sec at f/2, ISO 125
Kate Kirkman
Kate is an experienced pro
photographer, specialising in
weddings, portraits and boudoir
subjects, with a style emphasising
fine-art storytelling. She’s a Sony
Europe Imaging Ambassador, and
also offers photo training at
trainingbylumiere.co.uk.
Portraiture
PORTRAIT photographers love fast
lenses – especially for low-light projects.
I shoot with Sony Alpha cameras and my
go-to fast lenses are the 50mm f/1.2 GM
and the 135mm f/1.8 GM. My indoor
workhorse used to be the 24-70mm f/2.8
GM, but those two primes have now
replaced it for interiors.
Why? It’s about a lot more than shallow
focus. Beginner photographers can obsess
over fast lenses and most of that is about
getting wafer-thin depth of field. But as
you grow and work more, it’s normal for
that to become secondary to the real
meaning of ‘fast’ lenses – the advantages
they give in exposure speed.
Often my work means operating in low
light. Sometimes that’s forced on me, but
more usually it’s illumination I find in
locations or create myself for a more
atmospheric or flattering look, and it’s part
of my style. But my preferences aren’t
going to convince a camera to do
www.amateurphotographer.co.uk
anything other than read the light and
expose as best it can!
I need a fast lens to help me keep image
quality at the maximum in terms of ISO
and also to keep shutter speed up, both to
avoid camera shake – yes, despite my
Alpha’s amazing IBIS it can still happen –
and to freeze subject movement.
Comparing my 24-70mm f/2.8 to my
50mm f/1.2, I’ve got over two stops more
light, so I can shoot faster and/or use lower
ISOs. Beginners tend to only see shallow
depth of field and think it’s great for a
while. But it’s not enough. The key is
always to find the right light and a lens’s
worth is in helping you work with that.
There’s also lots to take into account
when shooting at the widest settings. It’s
certainly not a free pass. Before I moved to
Alpha mirrorless cameras I would not
always be confident in shooting at f/1.4 or
below. Depending on how close you are to
the subject, depth of field can be
microscopic and for professionals focus has
to be spot on. It’s only with eye-detection
AF that I feel really comfortable.
When shooting portraits using low-level
Even then – and though I have f/1.2 or available light, fast lenses are a must
f/1.8 available – I often don’t shoot right at Sony Alpha 1, 50mm f/1.2 lens, 1/200sec at f/2, ISO 500
the maximum. As good as modern lenses
are, they usually hit a sweet spot of
sharpness just below wide open, and what’s
more, I don’t always want the shallowest Planes of focus
depth of field. That’s particularly true when It’s important to learn how your fast lenses
shooting couples or groups. render depth of field, both on their focal
I want the option to shoot at very wide length and distance to the subject. Get
apertures, even if I don’t always do it. Fast comfortable with this – even using depth-of-
lenses are more expensive, but choose field calculator apps in the beginning – or you
wisely and they’re a brilliant investment. could find subjects are blurred by mistake.
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53
 Technique

The widest apertures

allow more textured
seas in low-light
situations, showing
the energy of the
waves
Nikon D850, 28mm f/1.4 lens,
1/4sec at f/2.2, ISO 640

Kingsley Singleton lighter. In those situations, fast, wideangle

lenses are vital.
If you want to avoid
Kingsley is a photographer, tutor, star trails in night
Shooting at the maximum or just landscapes, apertures
and writer with decades of below it, the extra light gives good from f/1.4 to f/2 make
experience in shooting technique exposures at lower ISOs but more it easier
and image editing. Specialising in importantly allows shutter speeds that Fujifilm X-Pro 2, 16mm f/1.4 lens,
landscapes, nature and travel, he don’t show trailing, for instance, staying 20 seconds at f/1.6, ISO 3200
lives in Lincolnshire but likes to under 18secs on a 28mm, or under 25secs
travel to hillier places. Follow his on a 20mm. On slower lenses I’d need to
work at @kingsley.photo bump up the ISO to get similar speeds
which isn’t always welcome when already
operating at high levels in the dark.
Landscapes Exposure time also comes into play with
Earthly subjects. At the coast, I may want
the sea to show its texture and violence. In
MANY photographers think scenics are a low light, that’s tough, and available
subject where you don’t need particularly shutter speeds might calm waves into a
fast lenses. Typically people are shooting in misty blur, which isn’t my intention. A fast
daylight or twilight, and using tripods. And lens will let me work in fractions of a
with most landscapers wanting the whole second rather than tens of them.
scene in focus, the aesthetic benefits of very Despite the front-to-back sharpness
fast lenses can be seen as limited, too. aesthetic than many landscape images
But there are lots of situations where fast feature, shallow depth of field can be
apertures are vital. And at those times remarkably effective, too. I will often
– while I often use 14-24mm, 24-70mm change up from deep to shallow focus to
and 70-200mm f/2.8 zooms for my give scenes a different feel. Just as though
landscape work – I also rely on fast prime shooting a portrait, it’s also useful when
lenses, in particular 20mm and 28mm making the best of subjects that have
f/1.4s. The combination of wide aperture distractions around them, or for framing
and broad field of view makes them perfect through foreground elements such as Manual focus
for lots of subjects. leaves or long grasses. Whether it’s astro or other low-light subjects,
Maybe the most obvious is when Of course, extra care needs to be taken when shooting landscapes at apertures like
shooting landscapes with starry skies. with focus, but also remember that the f/1.4 I always focus manually. It’s more
Though I have a star-tracker – which characteristics of a lens change throughout effective than AF in low-light scenes and I’ll
compensates for the rotation of the Earth its aperture scale. Wide open or close to it, always zoom in to check critical sharpness for
and allows long exposures without creating you can see more flare, while lights and each frame because it’s easy to knock focus
‘star trails’ – there are times when it’s sun will diffuse, the opposite to small when setting up.
impractical to use, or I just want to travel apertures which turn them into starbursts.
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54 www.amateurphotographer.co.uk

Brian Lloyd Duckett
Fujifilm Ambassador Brian
lectures widely on street
photography and has written two
best-selling books – you’ll also
find him on YouTube. Brian runs
around 70 street photography
workshops every year, so find out
more at streetsnappers.com
Street
THERE ARE plenty of times when opening
up with a fast lens can bring real benefits to
your street photography.
It’s currently very popular to shoot wide
open – particularly when working at night
when we want to create some mood and
atmosphere. Early practitioners like
Winogrand and Meyerowitz were pretty
much committed to shooting at f/8 or
smaller – but there’s a new kid on the
block, who is much more concerned with
‘look and feel’ than he is with ‘content’.
And, more often than not, this new
aesthetic is created using a wide aperture.
Saul Leiter, undoubtedly one of the
greatest street photographers ever, was the
first to break with tradition, using lenses
that were both longer and faster than those
used by his peers, producing layered work
which often had an out-of-focus
foreground. He certainly started something!
My ‘holy trinity’ of prime lenses for street
are the Fujifilm 23mm f/1.4, 35mm f/1.4
www.amateurphotographer.co.uk
Street portraits at
night need fast
apertures to avoid
subject movement
Fujifilm X-Pro 2, 56mm f/1.2 lens,
1/320sec at f/1.2, ISO 3200
and 56mm f/1.2 – these are 35mm, 50mm
and 85mm full-frame equivalents,
respectively. I rarely use anything else and
whilst much of my work is shot at f/8 or
f/11, it’s good to have the ability to open
wide when the right opportunity arises.
You’ll often find me shooting street at Cluttered
night, when a fast maximum aperture is backgrounds
essential. The wider the aperture, the better are less of a
– f/2 is okay, f/1.4 is perfect and anything problem when
shooting wide
faster than that is a real bonus. Some street
Fujifilm X-E4, 56mm
shooters are even buying the new breed of f/1.2 lens, 1/30sec at
inexpensive f/0.95 manual focus lenses
which can produce stunning and very
f/1.2, ISO 400
‘characterful’ results.
At night I set my lens at its widest setting Manual focus
and rarely deviate from that. This means can be
that I need to take more care focusing, but surprisingly
helpful at the
with so much light entering the camera I widest
can keep a lid on the ISO setting. settings
Night shooting aside, I sometimes shoot Fujifilm X-T30, 56mm
wide open as a deliberate aesthetic f/1.2 lens, 1/480sec
consideration and I find myself using this at f/1.2, ISO 4000
approach more than ever before to
declutter a scene or to make the subject
more prominent.
Then, of course, there are street portraits
where a fast aperture is often vital in
softening awkward or distracting
backdrops, or simply to place emphasis on Keep it sharp when open
the eyes. My preferred style for portraits is When working wide open, focus needs to be
to have a very soft background; step in, precise. When I use AF, it’s in the standard
again, the fast lens. single-shot (AF-S) mode, never continuous, and
Essentially, having lenses that give me I don’t really trust face detection, preferring to
the option to go as wide as f/1.4 or beyond keep full control. Otherwise I focus manually,
gives me shooting possibilities that other even at the widest apertures, and rely on aids
models lack, and that’s something I like a magnified view or focus peaking to help.
wouldn’t want to be without.
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55
 Technique
Best ca as for
low-light shooting
Not every camera handles low-light photography
equally effectively. Damien Demolder enlightens
us with the stand-out models
S
ince the dawn of photography we
have been gradually moving to a
position where we need less and
less light to make a picture. While
bright sunshine, head clamps and heavy-
duty tripods were the order of the day in
the mid-1800s, today’s advances in camera,
lens and sensor technology allow us to
shoot handheld in dimly lit places with
an excellent chance of achieving a usable
image. Even the least advanced camera on
the market today is streets ahead of the
best offering of just a decade ago. We really
are very lucky.
Of course the elements that allow easy
photography in low light are not solely in
the gift of the camera, as fast-aperture
lenses play a major role in making the most
of any light that is available – so we need to
look at camera systems as a whole when
choosing equipment to suit our needs. It is
56
also important to appreciate that each of
the attributes that makes a system good for
low-light photography will not necessarily
make it good for all low-light work. The
main characteristics we might look for are:
Long shutter speeds
The most obvious action to take in a
low-light situation might be to increase the
length of time the shutter remains open, so
looking for a camera that allows
exceptionally long shutter speeds seems
like a good starting point. Long shutters are
great if you have a tripod or camera
support, but they are no good if you need
to record a scene or subject that is moving.
Image stabilisation (IS)
Modern image-stabilisation systems are
really remarkable, with some shifting the
sensor to keep up with the movements of
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the camera and others using a group of
elements in the lens. These systems allow
us to handhold the camera at much longer
shutter speeds than would usually be the
case. As with all long shutter speeds though
moving subjects will be blurred even with
the best IS system.
High ISO
To achieve a short enough shutter speed for
moving subjects, a high ISO setting might
be desirable. Many cameras offer high ISO
settings but not all manage the noise
produced by dramatic amplification as well
as others. However well noise is managed,
high ISO speeds will deliver lower overall
image quality.
Wide apertures
Using a lens with a wide aperture makes life
a whole lot easier when it comes to
shooting in low light. When we use a lens
that lets in more light focusing is easier,
and we don’t need the high ISO settings
and long shutter speeds quite so much.
This means we can handhold the camera
more often, should we need to.
www.amateurphotographer.co.uk

Best full frame
Canon EOS R6
O £2,400 O www.canon.co.uk
FULL-FRAME cameras are,
almost by default, better in
low-light situations than
smaller- sensor cameras at the
same ISO and with the same
resolution, and when a
full-frame sensor is asked to
house only 20 million pixels
each of those pixels can be large
and can gather more light. The
sensor of the Canon EOS R6
also has a benefit of using the
power of the DIGIC X processor
for noise reduction, so the
already low-noise pixels get
extensively polished before
being saved to the card. This
allows exceptional noise
performance at ISO settings
right up to ISO 12,800, and
good performance even beyond
that. Noise performance here
At a glance
O Max ISO 102,400
O 8 stops of IS
O Full-frame 20MP sensor
O AF down to -6.5EV
www.amateurphotographer.co.uk
p g p
has the advantage that there is
a limit to how far you can
enlarge a 20MP image so no
one can look too closely, but
even so the images this camera
produces are remarkably well
controlled. Noise doesn’t
become overpowering until ISO
102,400, but it can extend to
ISO 204,800 in an emergency.
The camera’s autofocusing
system is also remarkably
sensitive, and can operate right
down to -6.5EV – the dimmest
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working conditions for any
EOS R camera. This makes it
ideal for stage performance as
well as night-time news.
Demands on both noise
performance and the IS system
are eased somewhat though by
the collection of very fast lenses
Canon has in the RF line-up.
We have standard and portrait
lenses in f/1.2 as well as an f/2
28-70mm standard zoom.
Those all make life a lot easier
for the low-light worker.
The sensor’s
impressive dynamic
range can be clearly
seen in this Rutland
Water sunset
Star turn
Image
stabilisation
The R6’s image stabilisation is
the key low-light feature. The
camera on its own can use its
sensor shift to stabilise any lens
that can mount on it, but when it
is coupled with the right RF lens it
comes into its own. The image-
stabilisation systems of both
camera and lens will work
together to produce up to 8EV of
stabilisation. In real terms that
means we should be able to
handhold a 50mm lens for a
four-second exposure, or a
500mm lens for a 1/2sec. Much
is dependent on the lens in use
though, as some RF lenses allow
only 6EV – such as the RF
100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 IS.
The extended imaging circle of
many of the RF lenses is partly
responsible for this as they
produce a much wider-than-usual
area for the camera’s sensor to
move around in – and this makes
it possible to compensate for
more dramatic movements.
So, R6 users can really slow
down the shutter speed while still
staying sharp handheld.
57

Best APS-C
Fujifilm X-T4
O £1,400 body only O www.fujifilm.co.uk
THE FUJIFILM X-T4 is only the
second Fujifilm X model to
feature an in-body image
stabilisation system, but the
company seems to have learnt
how to make the most of this
technology pretty quickly. It felt
like a great step forward when
the first Fujifilm IBIS system
was introduced in the X-H1 and
that camera’s larger body was
well able to accommodate it.
The X-T4 however is a much
slimmer and compact camera
in line with the previous X-T
series, so the system had to be
miniaturised to make it fit.
Smaller though it is, it is still
very effective and with many of
the Fujifilm X lenses it offers
5-axis compensation at up to
At a glance
O Excellent high-ISO JPEGs
O Good in-body stabilisation
O Multiple very wide-aperture lenses
O Great noise performance up
to ISO 12,800
58
6.5 stops. With independent
lenses and those without their
own IS systems, we get 3-axis
stabilisation of up to 3 stops. If
you are a tripod user and like a
really long exposure, the X-T4’s
Bulb mode allows the shutter to
be held open for up to 60
minutes.
Another massive help in low-
light conditions is the camera’s
excellent control of image noise
at high ISO settings – in both
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raw and JPEG settings. JPEG
files tend to be a little smooth
and lacking the fine detail that
raw files contain, but they also
are free of speckles, coloured
bruising and unpleasant
textures. Right up to ISO 6400
they look pretty good, and
allow those Fujifilm users who
prefer to set their styles using
JPEG colour and contrast
settings to continue to do so.
A great low-light choice.
Effective in-body
image stabilisation
and a wide range of
fast lenses make the
X-T4 a winner
Star turn
Fast lenses
X-T4 users can take advantage of
the system’s superpower – the
enticing brace of fast-aperture
lenses for low-light shooting.
The leader of the pack is
obviously the XF50mm f/1.0 R
WR which gives us an angle of
view similar to that of a 75mm
lens on a full-frame system. This
makes it a very happy street lens
and is ideal for ambient light
portraits. The super-wide
maximum aperture means we
can work in very dark conditions
without having to push the ISO up
too high but still maintain a
shutter speed short enough to
freeze moving people.
The company’s XF56mm f/1.2
lenses afford us similar benefits
but with a slightly longer focal
length, while a collection of six
f/1.4 lenses offer us focal
lengths between 16mm and
35mm – nicely covering the
sweet spots of 24mm, 27mm,
35mm, 50mm and 52mm in
full-frame terms. And if you want
longer lenses there’s a range of
seven lenses with f/2 apertures
that includes focal lengths
between 18mm and 200mm.
www.amateurphotographer.co.uk

Best MFT
Olympus
OM-D E-M1 III
O £1,600 body only O om-digitalsolutions.com
IT IS certainly true that by
default smaller sensors are at a
disadvantage when it comes to
low-light photography, but in
the OM-D E-M1 Mark III
Olympus is working hard to
make this Micro Four Thirds
model compensate for its small
pixels with a range of excellent
features. The camera’s ISO range
might top-out at just 6400 in
the standard settings but
Olympus does all it can to
ensure we don’t have to crank
At a glance
O First-class image-stabilisation
system
O Live Bulb/Time modes
O Live Composition mode
O Starry Sky AF
www.amateurphotographer.co.uk
p g p
BEST LOW-LIGHT CAMERAS
the sensitivity up that high very
often. In fact at ISO 6400 the
camera produces images with a
well-controlled and not
unattractive noise profile, but
there is still more noise than
you would expect from a
modern full-frame model. The
Micro Four Thirds system
though is well-populated with
super-fast lenses from
Olympus’s own f/1.2 Pro series
as well as those from Panasonic
and the f/0.95 primes made
by Voigtländer.
The Olympus OM-D E-M1 III
also has one of the best image-
stabilisation systems on the
market, offering 5-axis
compensation of 7 stops using
just the shifting sensor. This
allows vintage lenses and those
without their own stabilisation
to be used handheld with very
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Technique
Excellent low-light results when
paired with a decent lens such as
the ED 20mm f/1.4 Pro
Star turn
Live Bulb
Olympus has a number of
‘Live’ shooting modes that
really help for judging exposure
with long shutter speeds. Live
Bulb, Live Time and Live
Composite all allow the user to
monitor how exposure is being
built-up during a long shutter
opening, by displaying the
progress of the exposure live
on the rear screen. A faint
image on the display becomes
brighter during the exposure;
the user can see in real-time
how the light is being recorded,
so the exposure can be
stopped when the image
reaches the required
brightness. This takes all the
guesswork out of long-
exposure work and saves
time-wasting experiments.
Live Bulb works while the
shutter button is being held
down, Live Time works between
two presses of the shutter
button and Live Composite
records the build-up of
multiple exposures.
Olympus is unique too in
being able to create low-light
situations to shoot in – or at
least the impression of low
light. Using Live ND mode the
camera can create the effect of
shooting through an ND filter of
long shutter speeds. When this up to 5 stops using a multiple
in-body stabilisation is exposure technique, so we can
combined with one of get movement in the clouds
Olympus’ stabilised lenses the and running water even in
compensation creeps up bright conditions.
another half stop to 7.5EV.
That translates to being able
to handhold a standard lens
(25mm in this case) for up to
three seconds –
which is very
impressive.
Obviously
that’s no good
for moving
subjects, but
it will mean
you have to
use a tripod
much less
often. Good
news for
many
shooters.

Best zoom compact
Panasonic Lumix
LX100 II
O £799 O www.panasonic.co.uk
COMPACT cameras are not
usually ideal for low-light work,
but at the same time they are
very often the only camera we
have with us in low-light
situations on social occasions. A
trip out to dinner, to the theatre
or out for an evening stroll are
rarely chances to take our full
kit, so finding a compact that
can handle low light can be
important if we want to
maintain decent image quality.
The Lumix LX100 II makes
itself ideal as a carry-around
low-light camera with its
combination of a fast zoom
At a glance
O F/1.7-2.8 24-75mm lens
O Micro Four Thirds sensor
O Stabilised lens
O Max ISO 25,600
60
lens, a larger-than-average image
sensor, image stabilisation and a
good maximum ISO setting of
25,600. As this is the same
sensor as used in the Lumix
GX9 interchangeable lens
camera, we get big-camera
performance in a small body –
and very usable images from
ISO 6400. While the sensor has
20 million pixels the whole
sensor isn’t used at the same
time, so the best resolution
www.bookshq.net
comes in 4:3 aspect ratio with
17MP, but the sensor and pixels
are still very much bigger than
those found in cameras that use
1in sensors.
Regular shutter speeds can be
set for as long as 60 seconds,
but a Time mode allows the
shutter to be held open for up
to 30 minutes, and Low Light
and Star Light AF modes mean
the camera can focus in the
lowest illumination levels.
AF works well in
extremely low light
and noise is kept
well under control
at ISO 1600
Star turn
Fast lens
There are compact zoom
cameras with physically larger
sensors than the 20MP Micro
Four Thirds sensor in the Lumix
LX100 ll, but few with an image-
stabilised lens that offers a
maximum aperture of f/1.7. In
this model the lens gives us the
views we’d expect from a
24-75mm lens on a full-frame
camera, and even with a variable
maximum aperture we can open
up to f/2.8 at the longest end of
the zoom. With these wide
apertures we can handhold the
camera much more often; it also
means we can avoid the high ISO
settings too.
Panasonic doesn’t tell us how
much stabilisation the OIS
system in this lens offers us, but
we can assume it is at least
three stops, so again the camera
can be handheld in dim
conditions more often than it
could without that in-lens system.
All good, but not so good if the
lens is a let-down. Fortunately,
this lens offers exceptional
sharpness and contrast, and
performs extremely well at f/1.7
and f/2.8.
www.amateurphotographer.co.uk

Best prime lens compact
Leica Q2
O From £4,675 O leica-camera.com
IT IS AN unfortunate truth that
many good things cost a lot of
money, and sometimes so
much money we just have to
content ourselves with standing
back to admire them rather
than actually owning them.
One of those things is the Leica
Q2 – well, all Leica cameras
come into this bracket actually.
The Q2 however is an excellent
choice for low-light workers
because it offers a number of
attractive features.
The most obviously attractive
feature is that it uses a full-
frame sensor and that the
sensor houses over 47 million
pixels. The general rule is that
more densely packed sensors
don’t have the noise
performance of those with
At a glance
O f/1.7 28mm lens
O 47MP full-frame sensor
O Stabilised lens
O Max ISO 50,000
www.amateurphotographer.co.uk
p g p
fewer and bigger pixels, but the
Q2 is still able to offer a
maximum ISO setting of 50,000
– and very good noise
performance all the way up to
6400. With so many pixels of
course we don’t always need to
use the images at full size, and
smaller prints will offer even
better noise appearance.
For tripod work the Q2 offers
a longest shutter speed of 60
seconds with the mechanical
shutter, which will be enough
for most urban night scenes
www.bookshq.net
and which allows low ISO and
small-aperture shooting. Even
in moderate lighting conditions
a tripod might be a good idea as
using the middle apertures
offers the best from the lens,
but also the base ISO setting
provides exceptional dynamic
range. And although this is a
relatively small camera it is also
solidly built and consequently
quite heavy. At 734g the body
provides the ballast needed to
help users to keep it still during
handheld work.
Technique
Not cheap, but the
47.3MP full-frame
sensor and 28mm
f/1.7 image-
stabilised lens are a
real help when the
light starts to fail
Star turn
F/1.7 aperture
lens
As this is a compact camera, and
Leica has tried to keep it
relatively small, squeezing in a
lens with an aperture as wide as
this is quite an achievement.
The lens is also very sharp, and
while resolution does decrease
as the aperture is stopped down,
the maximum f/1.7 is more than
usable. There are three
aspherical elements in this lens
to ensure it is sharp edge-to-edge
as well as when it is used at
anything other than the middle
aperture settings. Shooting wide
open offers more than enough
sharpness, as well as the chance
to avoid the highest ISO settings.
This lens also features an optical
image-stabilisation system that
helps to minimise camera shake
in long exposures so we can use
the camera handheld in a wider
range of situations.
As the lens is a 28mm
wideangle, it makes it easier to
hold without the effects of
camera shake showing as much
as they would if you were using a
longer focal length.
61
 Gloomy woodland
conditions may need
ISO 6400 or higher,
but noise-reduction
software can help
maintain image
quality
Noise-reduction
software
Shooting in low light often involves using
higher ISOs, which can result in noisy images.
Angela Nicholson looks at some handy remedies
A
t this time of year in the
Northern Hemisphere, the
window of photographic
opportunity can seem pretty
narrow and unless it’s one of those rare
clear-sky days, we have to embrace shooting
in low light or even at night. Consequently,
we often find ourselves having to push
up the camera’s sensitivity (ISO) setting
to enable us to shoot at the shutter speed
and aperture combination that we want –
62
especially when handholding the camera.
Consequently, you may see a bit more noise
creeping into your images than you do at
the height of summer.
Most cameras offer a small collection of
noise-reduction settings for JPEGs but they
can be rather crude and apply a blanket
treatment so that while the sky in an image
might look great, the detail of the
foreground is smudged. Meanwhile, using a
low setting can mean there’s more detail
www.bookshq.net
visible in the foreground but there’s
coloured speckling visible in the sky and
shadows. The solution is to take control
over how much noise reduction is applied
to each image so that you can strike the
right balance between concealing the noise
and retaining the detail. It’s also best to do
this while looking at the image either at
100% on a computer screen or at the size
that you intend to use it at. In some cases
you can even go the extra mile by
applying different levels of noise reduction
to different parts of the image.
Most image-editing software offers some
form of noise-reduction control but there
are a few packages that are specifically
designed for the task. While some software
allows you to apply noise reduction to
JPEGs, it’s best to work with raw files as
these have the maximum amount of data
and the least in-camera tinkering.
So let’s take a look at the noise-reduction
controls in some of the most popular
imaging software currently available.
www.amateurphotographer.co.uk

Affinity Photo
O £47.99 O affinity.serif.com
Affinity Photo is a very
attractive alternative to
Photoshop for anyone who
doesn’t like the Adobe
subscription model. It’s
especially enticing as the
£47.99 fee is a one-off and you
don’t have to pay for updates.
Like Photoshop, Affinity Photo
allows you to work with layers
and create masks which means
that you can apply noise
reduction and other
adjustments selectively.
Affinity Photo’s noise-
reduction controls are found in
the Details section in the
control panel on the right of
the screen when an image is
open. As with most other
software, Affinity Photo has
controls for adjusting the
degree of chroma (colour) and
luminance noise reduction.
Because chroma noise is more
objectionable in an image, it’s
best to start by working on this
NOISE-REDUCTION TOOLS
first – the controls are below
the Luminance controls in
the panel.
Moving the Colours sliding
control to the right increases
the intensity of chroma noise
reduction and it should be
moved until the coloured
speckling just disappears. The
treatment can then be refined
by using the Colours
Contribution slider, moving it
left from its maximum value
until the point just before the
coloured specking starts to
appear again.
Then it’s time to turn your
attention to the Luminance
slider which governs the
intensity of the luminance
noise removal. This needs to be
used with care as it can soften
the image dramatically. Drag it
to the right to increase the
intensity of the reduction,
stopping when you’re happy
that enough noise has been
removed. Next, adjust the
Luminance Details to set the
detail edge smoothing
threshold. Higher values make
more fine detail visible while
lower values smooth the fine
detail and hide more noise.
Lastly, use the Luminance
Contribution slider to control
how much of the overall
luminance noise reduction is
added to the image. It’s a
back-and-forth process with all
of the sliders until you get a
result that you’re happy with.
Requirements
Windows or Mac
2GB RAM minimum
1280x768 or better display
www.bookshq.net
Adobe Lightroom Classic
O £9.98 as part of the monthly Adobe Photography Plan
O www.adobe.com
Adobe Lightroom Classic is the
go-to image organiser and
editor for many photographers.
While it facilitates importing,
keywording and cataloguing of
images as well as global and
local adjustment, it doesn’t
support layers.
Lightroom Classic’s noise
reduction tools are found in
the Detail section of the
Develop control panel, under
the Sharpening controls. There
are three controls for the two
types of noise and as in Affinity
Photo, the luminance noise
controls sit above the chroma
noise controls, but it’s best to
tackle the chroma noise first.
If you have the main preview
filling the centre part of the
screen, you can use the small
window above the sharpening
controls to see a magnified
view of a small section at
100%. Alternatively you can
enlarge the main image.
Technique
By default the Color slider
in the Noise Reduction section
is set to 25. Dragging the
control left reduces the degree
of noise reduction so that more
coloured speckling appears. To
find the best setting, move the
Color control all the way to 0
and then slowly move it to the
right until the colour noise
just disappears.
Next, use the ‘Detail and
Smoothness’ controls to refine
the colour noise reduction.
Increasing the Detail value
enhances the detail but can
bring back some of the noise,
while increasing the
Smoothness helps to reduce
the visibility of some
coloured speckling.
When you’re happy with the
chroma noise, use the
Luminance slider to take out
some of the remaining noise.
Be careful not to push this too
far to the right as you’ll lose
image detail. However, you
may be able to bring some
back with the Detail slider.
Finally, if you’ve lost some
contrast, use the Contrast
control to give it a boost.
It can take a while to find
settings that you’re happy with
and you may find yourself
adjusting backwards and
forwards, not always seeing a
great deal of difference in the
impact of some of the controls.
Requirements
Windows or Mac
8GB RAM (16GB recommended)
1024x768 or better display
63
 Technique
DxO PureRaw
O £115 O www.dxo.com
While DxO’s PhotoLab 5
image-editing software is
excellent, the company
recognised that there are lot of
people who use software such
as Adobe Lightroom and
Capture One who would like a
little help with noise reduction.
The company’s solution is DxO
PureRaw which uses the same
DeepPRIME noise-reduction
algorithm as PhotoLab and
benefits from the company’s
background in analysing
lenses and cameras so as to
enable it to correct their flaws
with software.
It’s designed to fit into your
workflow whatever image
organisation and editing
package you prefer to use, and
it’s compatible with raw files
from a huge range of cameras.
The first step in using DxO
PureRAW is to import a folder
of images or drag and drop the
files into the PureRAW screen.
If it’s the first time that you’ve
used the software with images
from a particular camera and
lens combination, it will then
prompt you to download the
64
NOISE-REDUCTION TOOLS
necessary correction module
– if you’ve got a decent internet
connection it only takes a
couple of seconds.
Once the module is installed,
you just need to ensure that
the images you want to work
on are selected and click on
‘Process photos’.
This will bring up a dialogue
box that allows you select
whether you want the images
to be output as JPG or DNG
files, where they should be
stored and which method of
noise reduction you want to
use, HQ, PRIME or DeepPRIME.
DeepPRIME produces the best
results and takes the longest
time but it’s the one we
recommend as it does a superb
job. You can also opt to apply
DxO’s Optical corrections,
which is usually a good idea.
Once the images are
processed, you’re given the
option to see the results or
export them to your preferred
software for further editing.
DxO PureRaw is very easy to
use and one of the most
effective solutions for removing
noise from high-ISO raw files
while still enabling further
processing in your preferred
software. Its only shortcoming
is the lack of selective
adjustment or masking.
Requirements
Windows or Mac
4GB RAM (8GB recommended)
4GB or more of available hard
disk space
www.bookshq.net
Nik Collection 4 by DxO
O £135 O nikcollection.dxo.com
Nik Collection 4 by DxO is a
suite of eight plug-ins for
Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom
Classic, and DxO PhotoLab.
The most widely recognised of
the eight is Silver Efex Pro
which is popular for making
black & white conversions;
however, there’s also Dfine 2,
which is specifically designed
for noise reduction. It can be
used as a standalone package
for working on JPEGs or as a
plug-in to work on raw files via
Photoshop or Lightroom.
Although Dfine 2 is part of
DxO’s portfolio, it doesn’t use
the superb DeepPRIME system
that’s employed by DxO
PureRAW and PhotoLab 5. It
also seems a little unstable with
the latest Mac operating system
and Adobe software, but it’s
nevertheless very powerful.
Once an image is open in
Dfine, you have the choice of
working in Automatic or
Manual mode.
In Manual mode you can
position the measurement
squares that appear in the
preview over key areas of the
image, adding more as you
need. Dfine analyses these
areas and applies appropriate
noise reduction, however
you can tweak these settings
by clicking on the Reduce
button to access the Contrast
Noise and Colour Noise
sliding controls.
It’s also possible to target the
noise reduction to specific areas
by adding Control Points or by
selecting specific colour ranges.
When you’re happy with the
noise reduction, clicking on
‘OK’ applies it to match the
preview that you see.
Alternatively, if you started out
in Photoshop, you can click on
‘Brush’ and the software will
automatically create a mask as
the image opens back in the
host software.
The image will be shown
without any noise reduction
and you can paint it in exactly
where you want it. You can
even adjust the opacity of the
brush to make the noise
reduction subtler in some areas
if necessary.
Requirements
Windows or Mac
8GB RAM (16GB recommended)
4GB or more of available hard
disk space
www.amateurphotographer.co.uk
ON1 NoNoise AI
O www.on1.com O £63.56
NoNoise AI works as a
standalone package or as a
plug-in for Adobe Photoshop,
Lightroom Classic, Photoshop
Elements, Affinity Photo,
Capture One, Apple Photos
and Corel Printshop Pro as well
as ON1 Photo Raw.
Like DxO PureRAW and
Topaz Labs DeNoise AI,
NoNoise AI uses artificial
intelligence to tailor the noise
reduction that it applies to suit
the image. It also operates at
the demosaicing stage of raw
files and its default settings
produce very good results.
However, there are Luminance,
Enhance, Detail, Color, and
Sharpening controls available if
you want to adjust the result.
There are also masking tools
available to apply the noise
reduction selectively, however
you first need to lock in the
‘Noise & Sharpening’ settings
by clicking on the blue Apply
button and then create a
duplicate layer with alternative
noise and sharpening settings.
Once the new layer is created,
you have to unlock it by
clicking on the red Adjust
button before you can adjust
the noise reduction and
sharpening. Then you have to
hit the Apply button again to
access the masking tools so
that you can paint in your
original treatment, hiding the
new treatment. There are a few
different brushes available to
help you paint the edits in or
out and you can adjust the size
of the brush as well as the
opacity, feathering and flow.
Once you’ve finished making
the noise-reduction edits, you
can use the crop tool and
object remove tool to finish
your image before clicking on
File > Export to select the file
type that you want to save
your image as. DNG format is
available if you want to make
further edits to your shot. You
can also specify the storage
location and size of your
image, and even add a
watermark on Export.
It all adds up to make ON1
NoNoise AI an excellent choice
for anyone wishing to get
really serious about noise
reduction.
Requirements
Windows or Mac
8GB RAM (16GB recommended)
1024x768 or better display
www.bookshq.net
Topaz Labs DeNoise AI
O $79.99 O www.topazlabs.com
Topaz Labs DeNoise AI can be
used as a standalone package or
as a plug-in for Adobe
Lightroom Classic and
Photoshop. It can also be used
on JPEG or raw files (from
supported cameras) and can be
used on individual images or
batches of images.
DeNoise AI doesn’t just apply
a blanket noise-reduction
treatment, it applies it
selectively to specific areas to
give the right level of noise
reduction and detail
enhancement, drawing on
Topaz Labs’s deep learning that
comes from the analysis of
millions of images.
By default, once an image is
open in DeNoise AI, the
software will suggest settings,
but you can select from five
models of noise reduction
(Standard, Clear, Low Light,
Severe Noise or RAW) to use
and adjust the settings.
However, if you’re working on
a raw file from a supported
camera, the RAW model is
recommended and this is only
available in the standalone
version of DeNoise AI.
Fortunately, the software gives
the option to save denoised
images as a DNG file so you
can use your normal raw
processing software to make
any further adjustments.
DeNoise AI takes a couple of
seconds to render the preview
with the noise-reduction
settings after the model is
selected and after any settings
changes or if you move the
magnified preview window.
This can make tweaking the
suggested settings tedious, but
thankfully it generally works
well in the default settings,
striking a good balance
between noise reduction, detail
preservation and sharpening
with raw files.
Like ON1 NoNoise AI,
DeNoise AI includes a masking
option that could prove useful.
It allows you to paint in the
treatment where you want it,
adjusting the opacity of the
brush as you go if necessary so
you can create a bespoke
treatment for any image, but it
doesn’t have NoNoise AI’s layer
support to enable different
treatments to be applied to
different areas.
Requirements
Windows or Mac
8GB RAM (16GB+ for Mac)
1.5GB or more of available hard
disk space
65
 LONDON PHOTO CONVENTION MOVES TO MARCH 2022

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Reader Portfolio
Spotlight on readers’ excellent images and how they captured them
artin Leighton,
ottingham
bout Martin
artin is a Landscaper,
and has been taking pictures ‘on and
off’ for about 20 years.
Favourite subjects
Landscapes or seascapes, but in the
last few years, I’ve decided to capture
people or animals in the landscapes.
They make excellent subjects to rest
the eye on and also reflect light well.
How did you get into photography?
I love sunrises and sunsets. I wanted
to paint the landscape but was no
good so tried photography, a pure and
real way of recording nature.
What do you love about photography?
The feeling when you see a well done
picture in print and you exhibit it.
First camera
A £2.50 throwaway camera.
Current kit
Canon 5DS, 24-70mm f/2.8 lens.
Favourite lens
Canon 24-70mm f/2.8 lens.
Favourite accessory
LEE ND filters.
Dream purchase
A hybrid 100MP camera.
68
1
What software do you use?
RawTherapee and GIMP.
The Dreamer
Favourite photographers
1 Taken on holiday
at Mablethorpe. I
Joe Cornish and Marc Adamus love that you will
never create the
Favourite photography book
same image twice at
First Light by Joe Cornish
a beach, the waves
How do you find inspiration?
always have different
Local parks can inspire me and it’s
patterns. I wanted to
only a quick drive or walk away. Above
create a dreamworld
all for me, inspiration should come
type image with a
from the landscape or from within.
longer exposure.
Favourite tips Canon EOS 5DS,
Joe Cornish said there isn’t much 24-70mm, 0.5sec at
money in photography, and that was f/16, ISO 50
20 years ago when it wasn’t as
popular as now. Now it’s best to just
enjoy photography for the pleasure of 3
it. Try to keep your images as natural
as possible, not over-processed. Also,
the interval timer setting is fantastic
for portraits within the landscape.
Is there a story behind your photos?
Humans are a natural part of any
landscape. Whether you take a
self-portrait or a stranger (with their
permission), natural poses are best,
when a person acts unaware of the
camera. I’m not a fan of obvious
‘selfies’ – a lot of the photos on
places like Instagram are not really
‘photography’ in my opinion. I also like
images of mood or mystery.
www.bookshq.net
 YOUR PICTURES IN PRINT
NOTE: PRIZE APPLIES TO UK AND EU RESIDENTS ONLY

The Reader Portfolio winner chosen will receive a copy of Submit your images
Skylum Luminar AI, worth £79. See www.skylum.com Please see the ‘Pictures’ section on page 3
Luminar is a fully featured photo editor for Mac and PC designed for photographers of all skill levels, blending pro-level tools with for details of how to submit. You could see
remarkable ease of use and an enjoyable experience. A new Library feature lets you organise, find and rate images easily, while your photos here in a future issue!
over 100 editing features, plus a suite of fast AI-powered technologies under the hood, will make any image stand out.

Man’s Best
Friend
3 I was blown away
by the colours at
Highfields Park this
autumn. It’s me and
my dog in the photo.
The title is referring
to the trees as well
as the dog for being
a man’s best friend.
Canon EOS 5DS,
24-70mm, 0.5sec at
f/13, ISO 100

Looking for
Truth
4 A self-portrait
taken recently after
Christmas at Wyming
Brook, Sheffield.
I felt the picture
needed the human
touch. I think it looks
like an image full of
mystery and wonder.
Canon EOS 5DS,
24-70mm, 1/8sec at
f/16, ISO 100

Emerald Park
A Love for Autumn 5 At Highfields Park.
2 This is a natural stranger portrait taken This is one of my
at Padley Gorge. I never managed to favourite images.
catch up with the lady in the frame, but Again, the people
she 100% makes this image. I took one just create the image
without her in it and it really falls short. and add scale.
Canon EOS 5DS, 24-70mm, Canon EOS 5DS,
0.5sec at f/13, ISO 100 24-70mm, 1/8sec at
f/13, ISO 100

4 5

www.bookshq.net
r.c
 01954 252352

Digital Photography
CANON EOS 40D COMPLETE WITH ALL ACCESSORIES ..................... MINT-BOXED - £125.00
FUJI X10 ,WITH CASE AND HOOD......................................................MINT-BOXED - £199.00
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CANON 17 - 40mm f4 USM “L” .........................................................MINT-BOXED - £385.00
CANON 24 - 105mm f4 “L” USM IMAGE STABILIZER.........................MINT CASED - £395.00
CANON 70 - 200mm f4 USM “L” IMAGE STABILIZER.........................MINT CASED - £599.00
CANON 70 - 200mm f4 USM “L” IMAGE STABILIZER.........................MINT BOXED - £645.00
CANON 10 - 22mm f3.5/4.5 USM ................................................................EXC++ - £295.00
CANON 17 - 55mm f2.8 EFS IS USM WITH HOOD ..........................................MINT - £445.00
CANON 18 - 55mm f3.3/5.6 STM VIBRATION REDUCTION.............................MINT - £149.00
CANON 28 - 135mm f3.5/5.6 USM IMAGE STAB..............................MINT + HOOD - £165.00
CANON 70 - 300mm f4.5/5.6 USM IMAGE STABILIZER .....................MINT BOXED - £225.00
KENCO DG CANON FIT TUBE SET 12,20,36MM ....................................MINT BOXED - £99.00
CANON 580EX MK II SPEEDLITE........................................................ MINT-CASED - £169.00
CANON 580 EX SPEEDLITE .................................................................EXC++CASED - £99.00
CANON 580 EX SPEEDLITE ................................................................ MINT-CASED - £149.00
CANON 550 EX SPEEDLITE ..................................................................MINT-BOXED - £89.00
CANON 550 EX SPEEDLITE .................................................................EXC++CASED - £65.00
KENCO DG CANON FIT TUBE SET 12,20,36MM ................................................MINT - £99.00
KENCO TELEPLUS PRO 300 DGX 1.4 TELECONVERTER ........................MINT CASED - £99.00
CANON EF 1.4x EXTENDER.................................................................MINT BOXED - £215.00
LEICA 90mm f4 ELMAR BLACK SCREW......................................................EXC++ - £145.00
LEICA 135mm f2.8 ELMARIT M WITH SPECS........................................... EXC+++ - £299.00
LEICA 135mm f4.5 HEKTOR + HOOD M MOUNT ...........................................EXC++ - £99.00
LEICA 135mmf4.5 HEKTOR IN KEEPER.................................................... EXC+++ - £199.00
LEICA 135mm f4.5 HEKTOR + HOOD SCREW................................................EXC++ - £99.00
LEICA SF20 FLASH FOR M6 etc..............................................................MINT BOXED - £9.00
LEICA 14472 GRIP FOR M8/M9 etc....................................................MINT BOXED - £125.00
LEICA FONOR BLACK RANGEFINDER ................................................ MINT-CASED - £175.00
LEICA R7 CHROME BODY ...............................................................................MINT - £365.00
LEICAFLEX BODY CHROME.............................................................................MINT - £195.00
LEICA CURTAGON 35mm f4...............................................................MINT-BOXED - £395.00
LEICA 28 - 70mm f3.5/4.5 VARIO ELMAR R ROM..........................................MINT - £475.00
LEICA 50mm f2 SUMMICRON 2 CAM....................................................... EXC+++ - £299.00
LEICA 90mm f2.8 ELMARIT 2 CAM................................................................MINT - £299.00
LEICA 560mm f6.8 TELYT LENS WITH CASE AND .................................... EXC+++ - £399.00
Binoculars
SWAROVSKI 10x40 SL HABICHT+STRAP AND COVERS.................................MINT - £465.00
Medium & Large Format
BRONICA ETRSi 120 BACK...............................................................................MINT - £95.00
HASSELBLAD 28mm f4 HC FOR H SYSTEM....................................MINT BOXED - £1,075.00
HASSELBLAD 120mm f4 MACRO HC FOR H SYSTEM..............................EXC++ - £1,095.00
HASSELBLAD 150mm f4 SONNAR T* BLACK..............................................EXC++ - £195.00
HASSELBLAD 150mm f4 SONNAR CF............................................... MINT-BOXED - £395.00
HASSELBLAD 150mm f4 SONNAR SILVER..................................................EXC++ - £175.00
HASSELBLAD 250mm f5.6 SONNAR SILVER................................................. EXC+ - £179.00
HASSELBLAD HTS 1.5X TILT AND SHIFT ADAPTOR.........................MINT BOXED - £1,995.00
HASSELBLAD GIL GPS UNIT FOR H SYSTEM......................................MINT BOXED - £399.00
HASSELBLAD PM90 PRISM FINDER...............................................................MINT - £275.00
HASSELBLAD PME3 METERED PRISM FINDER..............................................MINT - £275.00
HASSELBLAD VFC-6 METERED PRISM ..............................................MINT BOXED - £175.00
HASSELBLAD A12 BACK CHROME.................................................................MINT - £129.00
BRONICA AUTO EXTENTION TUBE E-14................................................MINT BOXED - £45.00
BRONICA POLAROID BACK FOR ETRSI, ETRS ETC...............................MINT BOXED - £59.00
BRONICA PLAIN PRISM FOR ETRS/ETRSI........................................................MINT - £75.00
NIKON 28mm f2.8 A/F “D”.................................................................MINT BOXED - £225.00
NIKON 35mm f2 A/F “D”....................................................................MINT BOXED - £245.00
NIKON 50mm f1.4 A/F “D”.................................................................MINT BOXED - £195.00
NIKON 50mm f1.8 A/F “D”...............................................................................MINT - £89.00
Nikon 60mm F2.8 a/f D MACRO LENS...............................................MINT BOXED - £295.00
NIKON 85mm f1.8 A/F D..............................................................................EXC++ - £215.00
NIKON 300mm f4E PF ED VR AF-S LENS LATEST ...........................MINT BOXED - £1,195.00
NIKON 12 - 24mm f4 “G” DX IF-ED AF-S...........................................MINT BOXED - £395.00
NIKON 12 - 24mm f4 “G” DX IF-ED AF-S.......................................... MINT-CASED - £365.00
NIKON 16 - 35mm f4 “G” AF-S ED VR LATEST VERSION ...................MINT BOXED - £675.00
NIKON 24 - 70mm f2.8 “G” ED NANO AF-S........................................MINT BOXED - £695.00
NIKON 24 - 85mm f2.8/4 A/F “D” WITH HOOD...............................................MINT - £225.00
NIKON 24 - 120mm f4 “G” ED AF-S VR LATEST MODEL....................MINT CASED - £499.00
NIKON 24 - 120mm f4 “G” ED AF-S VR LATEST MODEL....................MINT BOXED - £595.00
NIKON 35 - 70mm f3.3/4.5 A/F LENS............................................................EXC++ - £49.00
NIKON 70-200mm f2.8E AF-S FL ED VR LATEST.............................MINT BOXED - £1,399.00
NIKON AF-S TELECONVERTER TC-14E III.......................................................MINT - £395.00
SIGMA 1.4x TC-1401 TELECONVERTER..............................................MINT CASED - £189.00
NIKON TC-17E II TELECONVERTER.....................................................MINT BOXED - £175.00
NIKON TC20E II 2X AF-S TELECONVERTER ....................................... MINT-BOXED - £175.00
NIKON DR4 RIGHT ANGLE FINDER........................................................MINT BOXED - £89.00
KENKO PRO 300 2X TELEPLUS CONVERTER N/AFS .........................................MINT - £75.00
SIGMA 300 - 800mm f5.6 EX APO HSM........................................EXC++CASED - £2,499.00
SIGMA 300 - 800mm f5.6 EX DG APO HSM ................................... MINT-CASED - £2,999.00
TOKINA 11 - 16mm f 2.8 AT-X PRO DX WITH HOOD............................MINT-HOOD - £245.00
TOKINA 35mm f2.8 ATX PRO DX MACRO 1:1 LATEST........................MINT BOXED - £245.00
Nikon Manual Focus
NIKON F3 HP “PRESS” + MD4 REALLY RARE MODEL....................................MINT - £895.00
NIKON F2AS BLACK BODY REALLY NICE........................................................MINT - £495.00
NIKON FM BODY .............................................................................................MINT - £165.00
NIKON FM2n BLACK BODY ....................................................................... EXC+++ - £275.00
NIKON FM2 CHROME BODY .........................................................................EXC++ - £199.00
NIKON 50mm f1.4 Ai.......................................................................................MINT - £195.00
NIKON 50mm f1.8 AIS SHARP LENS ................................................................MINT - £89.00
NIKON 50mm f1.8 AI LENS ...............................................................................MINT - £85.00
NIKON 135mm f2.8 AI LENS SHORT TELEPHOTO ...........................................MINT - £175.00
NIKON 135mm f2.8 AIS ..................................................................................MINT - £195.00
NIKON 300mm f4.5 AIS IF ED .........................................................................MINT - £399.00
NIKON 28 - 85mm f3.5/4.5 AIS MACRO .........................................................MINT - £135.00
NIKON 35 - 70mm F3.3/4.5 ZOOM NIKKOR MACRO AIS ................................MINT - £169.00
NIKON 35 - 105mm F3.5/4.5 AIS ZOOM MACRO.........................................EXC++ - £119.00
NIKON 80 - 200mm f4 AIS ZOOM + HOOD .....................................................MINT - £175.00
NIKON MD4 MOTOR DRIVE FOR F3/F3HP ......................................................MINT - £145.00
NIKON MD4 MOTOR DRIVE FOR F3/F3HP ..........................................MINT BOXED - £165.00
NIKON MD4 MOTOR DRIVE FOR F3/F3HP .................................................. EXC+++ - £99.00
NIKON MD12 MOTOR DRIVE FOR FM2n/FE2/FE/FM/FM3..............................MINT - £145.00
NIKON SB 16 FLASH FOR F3/FM2/FM3/FE/FE2 ................................ MINT-CASED - £115.00
NIKON SB 16 FLASH FOR F3..........................................................................EXC++ - £65.00
NIKON TC-14 B 1.4X TELECONVERTER...........................................................MINT - £125.00
NIKON TC-301 2X TELECONVERTER...............................................................MINT - £125.00
NIKON BP-3 SB FINDER..................................................................................MINT - £175.00
Olympus Manual
OLYMPUS 28mm f2.8 ZUIKO.............................................................................MINT - £75.00
OLYMPUS 38mm f2.8 ZUIKO MACRO LENS......................................... MINT-CASED - 299.00
OLYMPUS 50mm f1.8 ZUIKO LENS .....................................................................MINT - 55.00
OLYMPUS 50mm f1.8 ZUIKO LENS .....................................................................MINT - 65.00
OLYMPUS 80mm f4 ZUIKO MACRO LENS............................................ MINT-CASED - 175.00
OLYMPUS 135mm f3.5 ZUIKO LENS ...................................................... MINT-CASED - 69.00
OLYMPUS 200mm f4 ZUIKO LENS ......................................................................MINT - 75.00
OLYMPUS 2x TELECONVERTER.............................................................. MINT-CASED - 35.00
OLYMPUS 65 - 116 TELESCOPIC AUTO TUBE ...................................................MINT - £95.00
OLYMPUS VARI-MAGNIFINDER...............................................................MINT CASED - 49.00
OLYMPUS T32 FLASH UNIT...................................................................MINT CASED - £35.00
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PLEASE RING FOR DETAILS AND PRICES ..........ALL IN MINT OR CLOSE CONDITION PHONE

SIGMA EX 1.4 TELECONVERTER .......................................................................MINT - £75.00
SIGMA 14mm f2.8 EX HSM ASPHERIC ...............................................MINT CASED - £365.00
TAMRON 70 - 300mm f4/5.6 SP Di VC ULTRASONIC .........................MINT+HOOD - £225.00
TOKINA 12 - 24mm F4 IF DX ASPH AT-X PRO + HOOD....................MINT BOXED - £299.000
Contax ‘G’ Compacts & SLR & Ricoh
CONTAX TLA 140 FLASH FOR G1/G2 ....................................................MINT CASED - £65.00
YASHICA ML CONTAX FIT 28mm f2.8 ..............................................................MINT - £99.00
CONTAX 50mm f1.4 PLANAR MM SUPERB SHARP LENS ..................MINT BOXED - £275.00
CONTAX 50mm f1.4 PLANAR MM SUPERB SHARP LENS ..............................MINT - £255.00
CONTAX 50mm f1.7 AE LENS ...........................................................................MINT - £95.00
CONTAX 135mm f2.8 SONNAR WITH FILTER..................................................MINT - £175.00
YASHICA 135mm f2.8 CONTAX FIT ..................................................................MINT - £95.00
YASHICA 200mm f4 CONTAX FIT .....................................................................MINT - £90.00
CONTAX MAGNIFIER F2 ........................................................................MINT BOXED - £49.00
CONTAX TLA 30 WITH DIFFUSSER........................................................MINT CASED - £69.00
CONTAX TLA 280 FLASH...................................................................................MINT - £59.00
CONTAX TLA 280 FLASH UNIT ..............................................................MINT BOXED - £75.00
CONTAX TLA 360 FLASH...................................................................... MINT-CASED - £65.00
CONTAX GD1 DATABACK FOR CONTAX T3 .......................................... MINT-BOXED - £69.00
Leica “M” , “R” & Rangefinder & Screw
LEICA TRI ELMAR 28-35-50 f4 ASPHERICAL ................................. MINT-BOXED - £1,995.00
LEICA MR METER ..............................................................................MINT-BOXED - £175.00
LEICA 50mm f2 SUMMICRON RIGID SER No 15933XX ..................................MINT - £975.00
LEICA 90mm f2.8 TELE ELMAR + HOOD ........................................................MINT - £395.00
LEICA 5cm f3.5 COLLAPSIBLE ELMAR...........................................................MINT - £225.00
LEICA 90mm f2 SUMMICRON PRE ASP SER No35234XX ..............................MINT - £945.00
LEICA 90mm f4 ELMAR C FOR CLE / CL LEICA M..........................................MINT - £275.00
LEICA 90mm f4 ELMAR M MOUNT.................................................................MINT - £165.00
LEICA 135mm f2.8 ELMARIT M 11829 WITH CASE............................MINT BOXED - £375.00
LEICA 135mm f4.5 HEKTOR ............................................................................ EXC+ - £75.00
LEICA 90mm FINDER........................................................................................MINT - £99.00
VOIGTLANDER BESSA T WINDER .......................................................MINT BOXED - £149.00
LEICA 5cm f2 SUMMAR SCREW.....................................................................MINT - £175.00
BRONICA PLAIN PRISM FOR ETRS/ETRSI.....................................................EXC++ - £59.00
BRONICA ROTARY PRISM FINDER FOR ETRS, ETRSI ETC................................MINT - £75.00
BRONICA MOTOR WINDER E ........................................................................ EXC+++ - £9.00
BRONICA 40mm f4 MC LENS FOR ETRS/ETRSi .............................................MINT - £179.00
BRONICA 50mm f2.8 PE FOR ETRS/ETRSi.....................................................MINT - £199.00
BRONICA SPEED GRIP FOR ETRSW/ETRSi.......................................................MINT - £49.00
BRONICA 150mm F3.5 ZENZANON S ...............................................................MINT - £65.00
BRONICA PLAIN PRISM FOR SQAi/SQA ...........................................................MINT - £99.00
BRONICA 65mm F4 ZENZANON PS FOR SQ...................................... MINT-CASED - £145.00
BRONICA 110mm F4 PS ZENZANON MACRO FOR SQ....................... MINT-CASED - £365.00
BRONICA 150mm F4 PS ZENZANON FOR SQ.................................... MINT-CASED - £145.00
BRONICA 180mm f4.5 PS LENS & CASE........................................... MINT-BOXED - £199.00
BRONICA SPEED GRIP FOR SQA/SQAI .............................................................MINT - £69.00
BRONICA FILMBACK SQ-i220 FOR SQA/SQAi......................................MINT BOXED - £79.00
BRONICA SPORTS/ACTION FINDER VINTAGE...................................................MINT - £79.00
METZ 45 CL4 FLASH WITH SCA 386 FOR BRONICA...........................MINT BOXED - £150.00
MAMIYA 645 SUPER WITH AE PRISM 80mm COMPLETE ..............................MINT - £365.00
MAMIYA M645J COMPLETE WITH 80mm f2.8...............................................MINT - £299.00
MAMIYA 50mm f4 SHIFT LENS FOR 645 ETC ................................... MINT-CASED - £365.00
MAMIYA 80mm f1.9 SEKOR C FOR 645 etc ...................................................MINT - £299.00
MAMIYA 150mm f3.5 SEKOR C FOR 645 SUPER etc .....................................MINT - £145.00
MAMIYA 150mm F4.5 “G” WITH HOOD FOR MAMIYA 6.................................MINT - £295.00
MAMIYA 180mm F4.5 SEKOR Z W FOR RZ.....................................................MINT - £199.00
MAMIYA 250mm F4.5 LENS FOR RZ..............................................................MINT - £195.00
MAMIYA 210mm F4 SEKOR C FOR 645..............................................MINT CASED - £195.00
MAMIYA 180mm F4.5 SEKOR FOR RB ...........................................................MINT - £169.00
MAMIYA 220 BACK FOR RZ 67.........................................................................MINT - £95.00
PENTAX 200mm F4 FOR PENTAX 67 + FILTER AND HOOD ............................MINT - £199.00
PENTAX 55mm F4 SMC FOR 6X7...................................................................MINT - £175.00
PENTAX 55mm F2.8 FOR PENTAX 645...............................................MINT BOXED - £199.00
ROLLEIFLEX SCHNEIDER 150MM F4.6 MAKRO FOR 6008.............................MINT - £575.00
YASHICA 124G TELEPHOTO AUX LENS SET......................................................MINT - £69.00
Nikon A/F & Digital, Lenses Accessories
NIKON D3X BODY ONLY 10,392 ACTUATIONS ................................... MINT-BOXED - £875.00
NIKON D500 BODY ONLY 7252 ACTUATIONS...................................MINT BOXED - £1,075.00
NIKON F5 BODY REALLY NICE EXAMPLE .......................................................MINT - £499.00
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NIKON FE CHROME BODY ............................................................................EXC++ - £125.00 Pentax Cameras and Lenses
NIKON FE CHROME BODY ...............................................................................MINT - £145.00
PENTAX 20mm f4 M SMC & FILTER ................................................EXC++ CASED - £225.00
NIKON FM BLACK WITH MF-16 BACK ...................................................... EXC+++ - £169.00
NIKON FM BLACK ........................................................................................EXC++ - £145.00 PENTAX 24mm f2.8 A SMC & FILTER ................................................ MINT-CASED - £175.00
NIKON FE2 BLACK BODY .................................................................EXC++ BOXED - £225.00 PENTAX 28mm f2.8 A SMC & FILTER .................................................. MINT-CASED - £95.00
NIKON F2 A BLACK BODY ......................................................................... EXC+++ - £245.00 PENTAX 35mm f2 M SMC & FILTER .................................................. MINT-CASED - £169.00
NIKON F2 A BODY FULLY WORKING............................................................... EXC+ - £199.00 PENTAX 40mm f2.8 M SMC PANCAKE LENS & FILTER ..................... MINT-CASED - £105.00
NIKON F2 BODY FULLY WORKING.................................................................. EXC+ - £169.00 PENTAX 50mm f1.7 A SMC & FILTER .................................................. MINT-CASED - £39.00
NIKON F2 PHOTOMIC BODY CHROME .........................................................EXC++ - £275.00 PENTAX 50mm f1.4 M SMC................................................................. MINT-CASED - £95.00
NIKON F2 PHOTOMIC BODY CHROME ........................................................... EXC+ - £199.00 PENTAX 85mm f2 M SMC & FILTER .................................................. MINT-CASED - £185.00
NIKON F PHOTOMIC T WITH 50mm f2 NIKON LENS ....................................EXC++ - £250.00
PENTAX 100mm f4 A SMC MACRO & FILTER .................................... MINT-CASED - £139.00
NIKKORMAT FTN BODY ..................................................................................MINT - £145.00
PENTAX 135mm f3.5 M SMC & FILTER ............................................... MINT-CASED - £75.00
NIKKORMAT FT CHROME WITH 35mm f2.8 S LENS ........................EXC++ CASED - £145.00
PENTAX 200mm f4 A SMC & FFILTER ................................................. MINT-CASED - £89.00
NIKKORMAT FT CHROME............................................................................ EXC+++ - £75.00
PENTAX 300mm f4 A SMC ED GREEN STAR & FILTER .....................EXC++CASED - £165.00
NIKKORMAT FT2 BLACK WITH 50mm f2 LENS ...............................EXC++ CASED - £165.00
PENTAX 35 - 70mm f2.8/3.5 M SMC & FILTER ................................... MINT-CASED - £89.00
NIKON 24mm F2.8 AIS SUPERB SHARP LENS................................................MINT - £199.00
PENTAX 45 - 125mm f4/4.5 SMC & FILTER ........................................ MINT-CASED - £69.00
NIKON 28mm f2.8 AI ......................................................................................MINT - £165.00
PENTAX 75 - 150mm f4 M SMC & FILTER........................................... MINT-CASED - £49.00
NIKON 45mm F2.8 GN NIKKOR.......................................................................MINT - £199.00
NIKON 50mm f1.2 AIS ....................................................................................MINT - £395.00 PENTAX REFLEX ZOOM 400 - 600mm f8/12 + ALL FILTERS............. MINT-CASED - £345.00
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 LENS TEST Testbench

With its snappy autofocus,

the lens returned a decent
hit-rate for birds in flight
Canon EOS R5, RF 100-400mm at 400mm,
1/1000sec at f/10, ISO 400

Canon RF 100-400mm
F5.6-8 IS USM
Canon’s low-cost RF 100-400mm F5.6-8 offers a lot of
reach and utility for the price, but does it also offer the
image quality we’re used to, asks Damien Demolder

T
he image-stabilised
100-400mm zoom lens
has been a key feature
of the Canon lens
line-up since the late 1990s, and
has played a major role in the life
of the brand’s sport, wildlife and
fashion photographers, as well
as in that of the general
practitioner. These lenses have
www.amateurphotographer.co.uk
always been good too, and from
the first incarnation for the EOS
EF L series have offered a
maximum aperture of f/4.5-5.6
and USM autofocus. I have no
idea how many the company has
sold in the past 30 years, but I
would wager the £2,000+ price
tag it has been in the top ten of
Canon EF L series sales pretty
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much all of that time.
With the change to the
mirrorless R series a new
solution is required, and Canon
approximately addressed that
early on with the RF 100-500mm
F4.5-7.1 L IS USM which retails
at around £3,000 – about
£1,000 more than the EF version,
though with 100mm of extra
reach. To satisfy those with more
limited budgets the company has
launched a lower-cost alternative
with a smaller maximum aperture
and a plastic barrel, in the shape
of this RF 100-400mm F5.6-8 IS
USM. It isn’t quite as fancy as
the big boy L lens, but at a
quarter of the price it makes
itself accessible to a much
71
Sharpness is very creditable
indeed, especially with the
aperture closed down a little
Canon EOS R5, RF 100-400mm at 100mm,
1/250sec at f/11, ISO 100
wider audience – which is
usually a very good thing.
Features
The Canon EOS RF 100-400mm
F5.6-8 IS USM is a lens designed
to cover full-frame sensors in the
Canon R mirrorless camera
series. The internal design uses
12 elements in 9 groups, and
includes one UD element and an
aspherical element made using
the PMo plastic moulding
process. The PMo element plays
a key role in keeping down both
the size and the cost of the lens.
On paper at least, this budget
100-400mm lens offers an extra
0.5EV of stabilisation over the
firm’s much more expensive
100-500mm L lens, bringing the
effect to an impressive 5.5EV.
This of course combines with
in-body stabilisation for a further
leg-up to 6EV with the EOS R5
camera I used for this test.
We are told the iris uses
9 blades to keep out-of-focus
highlights nicely rounded and to
produce smooth focus
transitions. The variable
maximum aperture remains at
f/5.6 until the zoom ring reaches
about the 120mm mark where
it shifts to f/6.3. We don’t have
to hit f/8 unless we want to until
we ask for a focal length of
around 275mm – which I think is
quite generous.
Remarkably the lens is
compatible with Canon’s 1.4x and
2x tele-converters that were
introduced with the 100-500mm
L lens. But I’m not sure how
many takers there will be as the
£719 2x model actually costs
more than the lens itself, and the
1.4x isn’t far off at £559.
Build and handling
Like the RF 16mm F2.8 STM
wideangle prime that was
launched at the same time, one
of the main excitements of this
RF 100-400mm R5.6-8 is its
price, followed by its size and its
weight. In fact, it’s by far the
smallest and lightest 100-
400mm zoom on the market. At
635g it is less than half the
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what you have at cameraWorld.co.uk/trade-in
weight of both the EF-mount
100-400mm and the RF
100-500mm, and the barrel is
slimmer and the extension at the
greatest focal length shorter by
about 30mm. It is smaller, lighter
and cheaper all round, but of
course comes without its own
tripod mount, and it has fewer
external controls. We have a
zoom lock, AF/MF switch and a
simple stabiliser on/off control
without the panning modes the L
series version offers, and there’s
no focus range limiter, either.
Switching the IS on and off
makes it very clear how hard the
system is working to maintain a
steady view in the viewfinder – it
is very effective indeed.
The barrel features three rings
– one for focusing, one for focal
length adjustment and a third at
the extreme forward end that acts
as a function ring. This ring can
be customised to control one of
17 features, such as aperture or
white balance.
In use the lens is very
comfortable and balances nicely
on the EOS R5. Its moderate
weight makes it easy to hold still
even at the long end, and it’s no
bother to carry around all day – a
point that will be important to
many users. Its plastic finish is
also a God-send on a winter’s
day, as it doesn’t get nearly as
cold as a metal barrel.
All in all, using this lens makes
a very nice experience.
Autofocus
We have Nano-USM driving the
focusing in this lens, which is
supposed to make it quiet, fast
and smooth. I can report it is on
the better side of reasonable in
each of those tasks. The focus is
quiet, though not quite silent
enough if you have a microphone
in the hotshoe. It is definitely
smooth and it is definitely pretty
fast. I suspect this system
doesn’t quite get the most from
the EOS R5’s AF capabilities and
that top speeds are slightly
inhibited, but it remains more
than good enough for most
purposes. The hit-rate for a series

The effective image
stabilisation allows
handheld shooting at
slow shutter speeds
Canon EOS R5, 300mm,
1/30sec at f/8, ISO 8000
of birds-in-flight images is pretty
good, but still a significant
number are near-misses. The
camera is able to acquire focus
and identify the subject very
quickly, but when it comes to
getting the shot something held
the focus accuracy back a little.
Generally, though, the
autofocus in this lens is good
and will keep most
photographers happy.
Image quality
When a budget lens costs a
quarter of the price of the
premium version we should
know from the off that we aren’t
going to get premium quality.
However, I have been pretty
impressed with the images this
100-400mm produces and you’ll
get more line-pairs per £ than
you would with the L version in
either EF and RF mounts.
For best quality shoot in raw
as the JPEGs the R5 produces
are noticeably softer, and
consider whether you are happy
to allow the auto corrections of
vignetting, chromatic aberration
and curvilinear distortion to go
ahead either in-camera or in your
software. Pincushion distortion
(where the edges of the image
The lens is able to acquire
focus quickly and accurately
Canon EOS R5, RF 100-400mm at 335mm,
1/2500sec at f/10, ISO 400
www.amateurphotographer.co.uk
‘The autofocus in this lens is good and will
keep most photographers happy’
pinch inwards) is significant
when straight lines are in the
frame, with the effect stronger at
the long end of the zoom range.
If you are a portrait photographer
your subject may well thank you
for this as it makes faces and
figures thinner and taller, while
the prescribed correction
in-camera and in Photoshop
seems a little too much the
other way. Switching the lens
profile on and off makes the
degree of distortion and
vignetting quite clear without me
having to do a specific test for
the two, which is quite useful.
For technical subjects both
will need correction, but with
natural scenes the truth is
www.bookshq.net
LENS TEST
neither will be especially
noticeable. Canon has got the
balance between optical and
software correction about right
here, so that we don’t suffer if
we choose not to implement the
automatic adjustments.
Sharpness is good, even when
the lens is used wide open.
Inevitably it improves as we stop
down, but it is pretty important
when your maximum aperture is
f/8 that the lens can perform to
a decent standard at that
setting. Even with the good IS
system closing the aperture of a
400mm lens to f/11 and f/16 in
all but the brightest conditions
will mean either long shutter
speeds or higher ISO settings.
Testbench
Verdict
WHEN producing a lower-cost
lens a lot of difficult compromises
need to be made, and in many
ways how those compromises are
chosen is more critical than
those when the budget is much
higher. One wrong move and the
resultant performance can mean
even a low price tag doesn’t
make the lens worth owning. In
this case though Canon has
found a neat way through and
has produced a lens with such
moderate compromises it
becomes very good value for
money, instead of just cheap.
Canon’s decison to use such a
small aperture may look very odd
to SLR users. But the crucial
difference is that the autofocus
systems of mirrorless cameras
don’t have the same limitations
and continue to work effectively
at these smaller apertures. The
limited maximum aperture is also
countered by the R cameras’
good noise performance and the
fact that the widest apertures are
still very usable. The optical
imperfections are slight enough
we can either choose to live with
them or fix them in software with
hardly noticeable consequences.
If you are a Canon EOS R
system user and don’t want to
spend the thousands required for
the L-series RF 100-500mm
F4.5-7.1, and you are prepared to
accept a bit of give and take, this
RF 100-400mm F5.6-8 IS USM
will make you very happy indeed.
Data file
Price £699 Diaphragm blades
9
Filter diameter
67mm Aperture f/5.6-8
Lens elements 12 Minimum focus
Groups 9 0.88m
Length 164.7mm
Diameter 79.5mm
Weight 635g
Lens mount
Canon RF
Recommended
73
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Zoner Photo Studio X
(2021 Autumn update)
After a major update, Zoner’s comprehensive imaging
program is now one of the best options available for
Windows users. Andy Westlake explores the changes
I
originally reviewed Zoner
Photo Studio X (ZPS) last
summer and was
impressed by the
comprehensive feature set
offered by this imaging program
for Windows PCs (AP 10 July
2021). It does almost everything
a photographer could need, from
importing and organising images
on your computer, through raw
conversion and editing, to making
web galleries and prints. My main
criticism was that its raw
processing noticeably lagged the
competition in terms of tonal
adjustments and noise control.
However, in mid-September,
Zoner released a major update,
with completely overhauled raw
development. It provides
www.amateurphotographer.co.uk
SOFTWARE TEST
significantly improved control over
tonality, with new Whites and
Blacks sliders alongside the
usual Highlights and Shadows
(and in addition to conventional
White point and Black point
controls). In addition, Zoner has
upgraded the noise-reduction
algorithms. The result is arguably
the most capable all-round
imaging program available for
Windows users.
ZPS works on a subscription
basis only, which might not
endear it to photographers who
are looking for an alternative to
Adobe. But it costs much less, at
$4.99 per month. This equates
to about £3.65, compared to £10
for Adobe’s Photography Plan. It’s
also better behaved if you choose
www.bookshq.net
to end your subscription, as while
its editing functions will stop
working, it’ll still allow you to
browse your images and export
them to standard formats.
Program overview
When you first open the program,
you’re presented with a main
window that’s arranged into three
sections. On the left, there’s a
browser panel that encompasses
both local folders and external
locations and services. Unusually,
ZPS can be used with either a
databased catalogue of images,
or by pointing it towards a
standalone folder of images,
which can be handy for keeping
specific projects separate.
One particularly useful
Testbench
At a glance
O Raw converter and image editor
O For Windows computers only
O $4.99/month or $49/year
(1-person license)
O One-month free trial available
O www.zoner.com
Camera
support
Zoner supports a decent list of
cameras, but it’s not as
comprehensive or as quick to
support new models as Adobe.
However, if you install Adobe’s
free DNG Converter, ZPS can use
it in the background to decode
raw files that it doesn’t natively
recognise. The only catch is that
if you want work with raw files
from a new camera you’ve just
acquired, you’ll probably have to
update DNG Converter to its
latest version manually.
75
 Testbench
Detail crop
feature is that you can open
multiple folders and images
in tabs at the same time.
A large panel in the centre of
the screen shows the image
you’re working on, with a
thumbnail strip below showing
other images in the same folder.
The business end of the program
is located on the right, with four
sections labelled Manager,
Develop, Editor and Create. The
first of these provides a range of
digital asset management
functions: you can edit the image
title, description and keywords,
view GPS locations, and examine
EXIF data. It’s also possible to
assign both colour labels and
star ratings, which can then be
used to filter your images.
Once you’ve picked a file to
work on, switching to the Develop
tab brings up an impressive set
of raw editing tools. Alongside a
comprehensive array of colour
and tonal adjustments, there are
gradient, radial and brush filters
for local adjustments. One
notable option you won’t find
elsewhere is a Polarization slider,
which does a very creditable job
of selectively enriching blue skies
and foliage in landscape scenes.
Zoner’s excellent perspective
correction tools do a fine job of
automatically correcting
converging verticals and
horizontals, while leaving you
scope to tweak the results.
Healing and cloning tools are
76
SOFTWARE TEST
Canon PowerShot G3 X, ISO 1000
Left: Updated noise- Above and Right:
reduction algorithms Zoner’s expanded
give visibly better Dynamic range
results from high ISO settings provide much
images compared to greater control over
the previous version tonality than before
also on hand to deal with sensor Thankfully ZPS does understand image brightness, so there’s no
dust spots or other unwanted standard DCP profiles, many of need to fiddle around with
blemishes. Switch to the Editor which are installed alongside iterative adjustments to get the
tab and you can create layered Adobe DNG Converter. You just look you want.
composites or add graphical have to identify one that matches Once you get used to how they
elements like text and shapes. your camera manually. all work, these four controls for
Open the Create tab, and you’ll But the real magic happens Whites, Lights, Shadows and
find an extensive set of options when you start playing with the Blacks provide considerably
for making all kinds of physical sliders in the new Dynamic range greater overall scope for
output, including photobooks, section of the Exposure tab. As adjustment than the usual
calendars, prints and postcards. their names suggest, Whites Highlights and Shadows alone.
You can either print your works selectively on the brightest Compared to the previous ZPS
creations at home, output them tones of your image, while Blacks version, you can extract more
as PDF files, or order them via manipulates the deepest. The detail from deep shadows and
Zoner’s own online printing Lights and Shadows controls also subtly feed detail into bright
service. ZPS also makes it easy affect the same areas, but their highlights more easily. But what’s
to share attractive online albums influence extends across a wider perhaps most impressive is how
via the firm’s Zonerama service. range of tones. Crucially, Lights these controls all work together
and Shadows don’t interact with to make massive tonality
Improved output quality each other or affect the overall adjustments quickly and easily,
With the 2021 Autumn update,
Zoner has made significant
updates to its raw processing,
giving considerably improved
output quality. This elevates ZPS
from being a competent raw
processor to one that’s really very
good indeed, and a strong
competitor to Adobe Lightroom.
Let’s examine this in more
detail. Previously, ZPS’s default
raw development settings erred
to the neutral side, but now, the
2021 process starts off punchier
and more vibrant, making it
closer to print-ready from the off.
However, while Zoner’s colour
signature is generally very
attractive, it’s worth noting that
the firm doesn’t provide its own
camera-matching colour profiles.
www.bookshq.net

without the results looking
unnatural.
Clearly, the new Whites and
Blacks controls are tailor-made
for wedding photographers
looking to balance a white dress
against a dark suit. But they
should be equally invaluable for
landscape shooters who’d like to
enhance bright sky and cloud
detail while adding fill-light to
deep shadows. Alternatively, they
can readily balance the extremes
of brightness you can get with
night-time cityscapes. The
possibilities are vast.
Zoner has also added a new
texture slider that does a fine job
of enhancing fine detail, without
impacting the tonality of the
Adjusting Whites has
brought out detail in the
bright sky, while Blacks
feeds light into the shadows
image as a whole. As tends to be dramatically improved noise
the case in ZPS, the slider’s handling, particularly regarding
response is impressively the suppression of colour noise.
well-judged. Even at its maximum I’d probably turn up the Colors
setting, the result rarely looks Strength slider a bit further than
overcooked and unnatural, which Zoner’s default setting, but this is
means there’s no need to be a matter of personal preference.
afraid of moving it a substantial Not surprisingly, ZPS X is still
way across its range. no match for the very best
AI-based noise reduction
Noise reduction algorithms such as DxO’s
Perhaps the biggest improvement DeepPRIME. But a much fairer
introduced by Zoner’s 2021 comparison is against Adobe
Autumn update lies with noise Camera Raw, and Zoner now
reduction. Previously this was definitely holds its own.
Photo Studio’s Achilles’ Heel, with Previously, I wouldn’t have
high-ISO conversions lacking in recommended ZPS for users
detail while suffering from chroma who regularly shot at high
noise. But toggling between the ISOs, but now it’s not a
old and new processes reveals bad choice at all.
Verdict
WINDOWS users looking for a
comprehensive image-editing
solution will find a lot to like
about Zoner Photo Studio X. It
really does do it all, from
copying your pictures off your
memory card right through to
creating prints and web
galleries; I can’t think of
anything else that provides
such a complete set of
features. Once you’ve
familiarised yourself with how it
works, it’s also reasonably
easy to use, while providing an
impressive range of options for
advanced users to configure
and work with it pretty much as
they please.
Some photographers will
object to subscribing to
software on principle, but ZPS
has the twin virtues of being
both inexpensive, and nicely
behaved if you decide to stop
paying. Thanks to the Autumn
2021 update, it now also gives
much better output than
before, thanks to both its
updated noise reduction and
its improved tonality controls.
In fact, it’s now really only the
lack of profiled lens corrections
and camera colour matching
that places it behind more
expensive competitors.
As an all-in-one option for all
your imaging needs, Zoner
Photo Studio X is difficult to
match, and well worth giving a
try via its one-month free trial.
For many users, it could be the
only imaging software they

Lens need. It’s just a shame there’s

no Mac version.

corrections
Many cameras encode lens distortion
correction metadata in their raw files,
and Zoner is smart enough to apply it, so
straight lines don’t appear bent. But ZPS
GOLD
doesn’t include any lens profiles to use
with cameras that don’t supply such
metadata. It does support standard LCP
profiles, but you’ll have to source and For and against
select them manually (again, some come
with Adobe DNG Converter). Alternatively, + Excellent output quality
you can use its manual lens correction + Comprehensively featured
tools to combat distortion, vignetting and + Affordable subscription
chromatic aberration. – No colour or lens profiles provided
www.bookshq.net
77
www.bookshq.net
www.bookshq.net
www.bookshq.net
 USED CAMERAS Testbench
SECONDHAND CLASSIC
Panasonic
Lumix G9
Once Panasonic’s flagship stills
camera, the G9 can now be bought Recommended

for a third of its original price Colour is well matched between the

T
he Lumix G9’s arrival in 2017 received great interest from screen and EVF, meaning you get an
accurate impression of the final image
stills photographers looking for a smaller, lighter alternative with whichever you’re likely to use most
to a DSLR. It emerged two years after the G7 and slotted
into the Lumix line-up above the G80 at just under £1,500
(body only). Its 20.3MP Live MOS Four Thirds sensor provides an
extended ISO range of 100-25,600 and other key features include
high-speed shooting up to 60fps using its electronic shutter, 5-axis
in-body stabilisation and an 80MP high-resolution mode that shifts
the sensor between eight consecutive shots before creating a single
image with much finer detail. An impressive 4K video spec, dual card
slots and magnesium alloy chassis complement a DSLR-esque layout
that includes a top-plate LCD and 3in, 1.04m-dot vari-angle screen.

What we said What to pay Panasonic has released

O ‘Its deep ergonomic handgrip
offers ample space for those
with large fingers to wrap their
hand around it’
O ‘The Lumix G9 exceeded all
expectations and then some,
during challenging and
demanding tests’
O ‘With so much to like, it’s
hard to think of a reason why
anyone after a fast, lightweight
and versatile camera wouldn’t
seriously consider the G9’
What you’ll pay for a second- various firmware updates to
hand Lumix G9 will vary improve performance, and
depending on its condition. Well introduced new settings
used examples can be found including animal detection
below £500, however at only
four years old, most are in
excellent condition for which
you’ll pay a little more (£550).
Some G9’s are also available in
near mint used condition,
meaning they have no scuffs or
marks on the body. These
typically fetch closer to £600.

How it fares today New alternatives

The G9 remains a good choice
for wildlife and action shooters
seeking a well-featured camera
that represents great value for
money. Its splash-, dust- and
freeze-proof construction lets
you keep shooting when the
weather turns and its 6.5-stop
in-body stabilisation works a
treat. Firmware updates have
improved autofocus, but it’s the
handling of noise beyond ISO
3200 that’s its main weakness.
See over to find out what Panasonic Lumix G9 owners have to say
www.amateurphotographer.co.uk
Panasonic has come a long way
since 2017 and now has four
full-frame Lumix S-series
cameras to its name. The
closest to the G9 in terms of
price and spec is the Lumix S5,
which combines cinema-quality
video with exceptional stills
quality from its 24.2MP sensor.
Its low-light performance is
superior to the G9, but the
trade-off is that it’s heavier and
accepts bulkier L-mount lenses.
www.bookshq.net
At a glance For and against
+ Excellent design and handling
£500-£575 + UHD 4K video at up to 60p
body only + Large lens range available
O 20.3MP Four Thirds sensor + Hasty focusing in good lighting
O ISO 100-25,600 (extended) – Awkward positioning of AF joystick
O 5-axis Dual IS II image stabiliser – Burst mode descriptions aren’t clear
O 3.68m-dot EVF, 0.83x magnification – Lacks battery level indication as
O 658g
percentage
– Shutter button is highly sensitive
79
 Testbench USED CAMERAS

What the
owners
think
Three Panasonic
Lumix G9 users give
their verdict

Dave Meades
I bought my G9 in January 2020
as an upgrade to the G1 I had
been borrowing until then. As my
first outing into the pro level
camera world, I didn’t really know
what I was looking for when I
bought it. Luckily, I had stumbled
into a fantastic camera system. The 2x crop factor lets you get up
The Micro Four Thirds system close to wildlife subjects with ease
allows for a lot of features to be Panasonic Lumix G9, Olympus M.Zuiko 40-150mm f/2.8 Pro,
packed into a similar size body as 1/500sec at f/2.8, ISO 640
a full-frame equivalent. I shoot
both landscapes and wildlife, and a large array of affordable lenses it does highlight a weakness of
I can do it all with this camera at to choose from. My favourite is the system and that is its
the flick of a switch due to its the Olympus 40-150mm f/2.8 low-light capability. The small
customisability. The crop factor that is equivalent to 80-300mm sensor struggles with image For and against
allows long lenses to have and offers incredible sharpness quality as the ISO goes up and + Lightweight body and lenses
incredible reach and the fact that wide open. I also own the Lumix the light fades. This is a small + Pro level controls and features
Olympus and Panasonic work Leica 100-400mm f/4-6.3 price to pay in my opinion for an – MFT sensor struggles in low light
together on MFT, means you have (200-800mm equivalent) however excellent all-rounder. – Contrast-detect AF only

Robin Whalley
I’ve been a long-term fan of the
Micro Four Thirds format ever
since buying a used Lumix GF1 in
2010. I like the size and handling
of the G9 which makes it easy to
use for long periods in the
landscape; it’s ideal for travel and
trekking. I bought it new in 2020
with the excellent 12-60mm Leica
lens. I opted for the G9 rather
than another MFT model because
of its 80MP high-resolution mode.
The detail this achieves is
staggering. Whilst my main
camera system is based on the
Fujifilm X-series, I’ve found myself
using the G9 more frequently
over time. The handling is
excellent, and it’s easy to use
even with cold hands or wearing
thin gloves in winter. I love being
able to head out with a couple of
lenses and 75mm filters, all in a
small shoulder bag. Robin swears by the high-resolution mode to
To see more of my images, visit For and against capture highly detailed scenes in the landscape
www.lenscraft.co.uk or follow on + Kit size and weight Panasonic Lumix G9, Lumix G Vario 12-60mm f/2.8-4 OIS,
Instagram @robin_whalley. –Achieving natural colour from raws 1/125sec at f/8, ISO 200
www.bookshq.net
80 www.amateurphotographer.co.uk
 The G9 partners up well with the
Lumix G Vario 12-60mm ASPH Power
OIS weather-sealed standard zoom
Panasonic Lumix G9, Lumix G Vario 12-60mm f/2.8-4 OIS,
1/250sec at f/8, ISO 200

William Austin The focusing performance isn’t the best for video, but
works more than adequately when shooting stills.
I first held the Panasonic Lumix William can be found on Instagram @willfillstime
G9 in a Yodobashi Camera store Panasonic Lumix G9, Olympus M.Zuiko 17mm f1.8, 1/100sec at f/5.6, ISO 200
in Tokyo, and was immediately
impressed. The feel of the grip,
the ergonomics, the amount of
customisation, all fit my hands
perfectly. When I returned to
England, I decided to buy one.
I really appreciate the top-plate
LCD screen for checking settings
quickly. The EVF is still one of the
biggest and most detailed on any
mirrorless camera, even now. And
I love having a robust, weather-
sealed camera – when paired
with an appropriate lens – that
I can carry in the rain without
having to worry. Since its release,
it’s been one of the best bargains
out there, and that has continued
to be true as Panasonic has
rolled out firmware updates
improving performance.

For and against

+ Feel of the camera in the hand
– Lacks phase-detection AF
www.bookshq.net
www.amateurphotographer.co.uk 81
 Testbench ACCESSORIES

Feelworld F6 Plus 5.5in

field monitor
Andy Westlake tries out an
add-on HDMI screen
O £199.99 O www.feelworld.ltd

DO YOU ever wish that your camera had a much

larger screen, so that you could see your
composition more clearly and judge focus more
accurately? If so, an add-on field monitor might be
for you. This relatively small, affordable example
from Chinese specialist Feelworld can display a live
view feed from practically any camera on its Full HD
screen measuring 11.7x7cm. Compared to the 3in Power
screens found on most cameras, that equates to Either Sony F-series
almost two and a half times the viewing area. or Canon LP-E6 batteries
While the device is primarily designed for video, can be used to run the
there are situations where it could be valuable to device in the field. Both
stills shooters, too. For example, it could be 12V DC and 5V USB-C
handy for shooting at awkward angles if your inputs are also
camera has a fixed screen. More generally if your available.
close vision isn’t quite what it once was, having that
large display for composition could be welcome.
Setting up the monitor is very simple. You attach it Bracket
to your camera’s hot shoe using the supplied bracket This fits onto your
and then wire the two together using an HDMI cable. camera’s hot shoe, has a
Feelworld doesn’t include a battery in the box, but cold shoe for a microphone,
the monitor can be powered using either Sony F-type and allows the monitor to
batteries, which are widely used by video cameras be rotated to face Hood
and LED lights, or the Canon LP-E6 employed by EOS forwards. Recommended
A lightweight plastic folding
5D-series DSLRs. But you won’t get much running hood is supplied for use on
time from the latter, as it’s much lower capacity. sunny days, and attaches to
An array of aids is built in to help judge exposure the monitor via a snap-on
and focus. In addition to the familiar live histogram, frame.
you can also bring up waveform and RGB parade
displays. Once you get the hang of these, they’re
more detailed and informative, showing how
brightness values are distributed across the frame. Mounting
There’s also a vectorscope that visualises the For attaching the
scene’s colour palette, along with a peaking display monitor to a bracket or
for judging focus, and a zebra pattern overexposure shoe mount, three standard
warning. All are easily accessed using either the 1/4 sockets are arranged
touchscreen or the jog dial on top. on its top, bottom, and
You can set the screen facing forwards simply by right-hand side.
rotating it upside-down on the bracket. The device is
smart enough to detect this and flip the display back
upright, but disconcertingly, it doesn’t then mirror
left-to-right in the way you’d expect.
VIDEO-SPECIFIC FEATURES
Verdict At a glance
ALL PRICES ARE APPROXIMATE STREET PRICES

In use the Feelworld F6 Plus provides a sharp Useful video features include a stereo sound
image with accurate colours, and at 500 nits, it’s O 5.5in HDMI monitor level meter and a headphone socket for
just about bright enough for outdoor use on sunny O 1920x1080 IPS screen monitoring audio. The device supports 3D LUTs,
days. For photographers, it probably isn’t a device O Battery or DC powered allowing it to show a corrected display when a
you’ll use for handheld shooting, just because of its O Measures 14.8x9.3x2cm flat log profile is employed for later colour
size. But for slower, more considered tripod work, it O Weighs 235g grading. There’s even an anamorphic mode that
becomes a genuinely interesting option. supports a wide range of ratios up to 2x.
www.bookshq.net
82 www.amateurphotographer.co.uk
 Tech Talk

Proffessor Newman on…

S PE C I A L
SU B S C R I P T ION
OF F E R !

A look into how phase detection autofocus works, and
how it differs between SLRs and mirrorless cameras
C
onsider the two
illustrations below. Each
is a composite of two
images, taken through a
50mm lens set to f/1.2, and
focused on the word ‘of’ in the
centre. In Figure 1, a semi-circular
piece of black paper has been
used to cover half of the rear
element. The right side is
obscured at the top, whilst the
left side is covered beneath.
The images are aligned at the
point of focus. As we move along
the border between them, the
further from the point of focus we
get, the greater the misalignment
becomes. This is because light
rays from the lens arrive at a
point only within the focal plane.
Elsewhere, the sensor intercepts
a cone of rays instead, resulting
Figure 1
Figure 2
in a ‘blur disc’. Obscuring half of
the lens produces a semicircle of
blur, which shifts the resultant
blurry image sideways.
This is the basis of phase
detection autofocus (PDAF).
‘Phase’ refers to the relative
position of image features along
this border, which can be used to
determine not only whether the
feature is in focus, but also the
extent and direction of out-of-
focus. The phase difference
increases the further the books
are from the point of focus, while
its direction reverses behind the
point of focus.
SLR vs mirrorless PDAF
In Figure 2, the same set-up has
been used, but the semi-circular
mask replaced by a thin vertical
Get 13
issues
for only
£13
slot. This provides more depth of
field in the horizontal direction,
sharpening up the image and
allowing the phase difference to
be measured more precisely.
In terms of camera technology,
Figure 1 corresponds to what
happens in a mirrorless camera,
where the phase difference is
provided by inactivating one side
of the phase detection pixels.
Figure 2 illustrates how the AF
sensors of SLR cameras provide
more selectivity, allowing them to
provide a more accurate estimate
of the amount of misfocus.
This facility has been at the
heart of the ability of top-end
DSLRs to track moving subjects.
Once a subject has been
acquired it can be identified using
its distance, as measured using
the phase detection system.
Thus, until recently, the best
tracking autofocus was to be
Save
found in the domain of the DSLR.
But the latest crop of top-end
mirrorless cameras has
overcome this deficit by
71%
identifying the subject using
image recognition algorithms.
Which brings me to the event
which instigated this article, a
2 EASY
comparative YouTube review of WAYS TO
three top-end mirrorless cameras.
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 Guide
242
lenses
listed &
rated

Our comprehensive listing of key specifications for DSLR

LR lenses
len
nses

Lens mounts
Each manufacturer has its own
DSLR Lenses lens mount and most aren’t
compatible with one another. For
Interchangeable lenses come in example, a Canon DSLR can’t use
Nikon lenses, although you can
a huge array of types for shooting use independent brands if you get
different kinds of subjects them with the right mount.
IN GENERAL, the easiest way to
expand the kinds of pictures
you can take is by buying Built-in focus motor
different types of lenses. For Most lenses now incorporate an internal
example, telephoto lenses motor to drive the autofocus, although
let you zoom in on distant some are still driven from the camera
subjects, while macro body. DSLR lenses often use ultrasonic-
lenses enable close-ups type motors for fast focusing, but some
of small objects. now have video-friendly stepper motors
Large-aperture lenses as widely used in mirrorless systems.
allow you to isolate
subjects against blurred
backgrounds, or shoot in
low light without having to Filter thread Maximum
raise the ISO too high. A thread at the front of aperture
Meanwhile, all-in-one the camera will have Wider apertures mean
superzooms cover a wide range a diameter, in mm, which you can use faster,
of subjects, but usually with will allow you to attach motion-stopping
rather lower optical quality. a variety of filters or shutter speeds.
adapters to the lens.

OUR GUIDE TO THE SUFFIXES USED BY LENS MANUFACTURERS

AF Nikon AF lenses driven from camera DC Sigma’s lenses for APS-C digital ED Extra-low Dispersion elements LM Fujifilm Linear Motor SP Tamron’s Super Performance range
AF-S Nikon lenses with Silent Wave Motor DG Sigma’s designation for full-frame lenses EF Canon’s lenses for full-frame DSLRs MP-E Canon’s high-magnification macro lens SSM Sony Supersonic Motor lenses
AF-P Nikon lenses with stepper motors Di Tamron lenses for full-frame sensors EF-S Canon’s lenses for APS-C DSLRs OIS Optical Image Stabilisation STF Sony and Laowa Smooth Trans Focus
AL Pentax lenses with aspheric elements Di-II Tamron lenses designed for APS-C DSLRs EF-M Canon’s lenses for APS-C mirrorless OS Sigma’s Optically Stabilised lenses STM Canon lenses with stepper motor
APD Fujifilm lenses with apodisation elements Di-III Tamron lenses for mirrorless cameras EX Sigma’s ‘Excellent’ range PC-E Nikon tilt-and-shift lenses TS-E Canon Tilt-and-Shift lens
APO Sigma Apochromatic lenses DN Sigma’s lenses for mirrorless cameras FA Pentax full-frame lenses PF Nikon Phase Fresnel optics UMC Ultra Multi Coated
ASPH Aspherical elements DO Canon diffractive optical element lenses FE Sony lenses for full-frame mirrorless PZD Tamron Piezo Drive focus motor USM Canon lenses with an Ultrasonic Motor
AW Pentax all-weather lenses DT Sony lenses for APS-C-sized sensors G Nikon lenses without an aperture ring RF Canon full-frame mirrorless lenses USD Tamron Ultrasonic Drive motor
CS Samyang lenses for APS-C cropped sensors DX Nikon’s lenses for DX-format digital HSM Sigma’s Hypersonic Motor S Nikon’s premium lenses for mirrorless VC Tamron’s Vibration Compensation
D Nikon lenses that communicate distance info DS Canon’s Defocus Smoothing technology IS Canon’s Image-Stabilised lenses SAM Sony Smooth Autofocus Motor VR Nikon’s Vibration Reduction feature
DA Pentax lenses optimised for APS-C-sized sensors E Nikon lenses with electronic apertures L Canon’s ‘Luxury’ range of high-end lenses SDM Pentax’s Sonic Direct Drive Motor WR Weather Resistant
DC Nikon defocus-control portrait lenses E Sony lenses for APS-C mirrorless LD Low-Dispersion glass SMC Pentax Super Multi Coating Z Nikon’s lenses for mirrorless cameras

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 BUYING GUIDE

FILTER THREAD (MM)

DSLR Lenses

DIAMETER (MM)
STABILISATION

MIN FOCUS (CM)

FOUR THIRDS
SONY ALPHA

LENGTH (MM)
FULL FRAME

WEIGHT (G)
PENTAX
CANON

SIGMA
NIKON
IMAGE
LENS RRP SCORE SUMMARY MOUNT DIMENSIONS

CANON DSLR
EF 8-15mm f/4 L USM £1499 Impressive-looking fisheye zoom lens from Canon • • 15 n/a 78.5 83 540
EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM £299 4★ A superb ultra-wideangle that’s a must-have for anyone shooting landscapes and cityscapes • • 22 67 74.6 72 240
EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM £990 4★ A good performer, with solid MTF curves and minimal chromatic aberration • 24 77 83.5 89.8 385
EF 11-24mm f/4 L USM £2799 5★ Long-awaited by Canon full-frame users, this is the world’s widest-angle rectilinear zoom lens • • 28 n/a 108 132 1180
EF 14mm f/2.8 L II USM £2810 4.5★ Impressive resolution at f/8 but less so wide open • • 20 n/a 80 94 645
EF 16-35mm f/2.8 L III USM £2150 Revamped wideangle zoom includes new optics in a weather-sealed lens barrel • • 28 82 89.5 127.5 790
EF 16-35mm f/4 L IS USM £1199 4★ Versatile and with a useful IS system, this is a very good ultra-wideangle zoom for full-frame cameras • • • 28 77 82.6 112.8 615
TS-E 17mm f/4 L £2920 Tilt-and-shift optic with independent tilt-and-shift rotation and redesigned coatings • • 25 77 88.9 106.9 820
EF 17-40mm f/4 L USM £940 4★ Designed to match the needs of demanding professionals – and does so with ease • • 28 77 83.5 96.8 500
EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM £795 4★ Very capable lens with three-stop image stabilisation, Super Spectra coating and a circular aperture • • 35 77 83.5 110.6 645
EF-S 18-55mm f/4-5.6 IS STM £220 Latest standard zoom for Canon’s APS-C EOS DSLRs, with compact design and updated optics • • 25 58 66.5 61.8 215
EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM £478 Uses stepper motor for silent and fast autofocus that’s also well suited to video work • • 39 67 76.6 96 480
EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM £500 Versatile zoom with new Nano USM focus technology and optional power zoom adapter • • 39 67 77.4 96 515
EF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 IS £740 4★ Automatic panning detection (for image stabilisation) and a useful 11x zoom range • • 45 72 78.6 102 595
EF 24mm f/1.4 L II USM £2010 Subwavelength structure coating, together with UD and aspherical elements • • 25 77 83.5 86.9 650
EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM £165 4★ Bargain price, tiny carry-everywhere size and a highly competent imaging performance • 16 52 68.2 22.8 125
TS-E 24mm f/3.5 L II £2550 Tilt-and-shift optic with independent tilt-and-shift rotation and redesigned coatings • • 21 82 88.5 106.9 780
EF 24-70mm f/2.8 L II USM £2300 5★ Professional-quality standard zoom lens with a fast aperture • • 38 82 88.5 113 805
EF 24-70mm f/4 L IS USM £1499 L-series zoom said to be compact, portable and aimed at both professionals and amateurs • • • 38 77 83.4 93 600
EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS II USM £1129 4★ Reworked workhorse zoom for full-frame cameras uses an all-new optical design • • • 45 77 83.5 118 795
EF 24-105mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM £479 3.5★ A versatile standard zoom lens that’s an ideal route into full-frame photography • • • 40 77 83.4 104 525
EF 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6 L IS USM £3290 L-series optic with expansive range, image stabilisation and a circular aperture • • • 70 77 92 184 1670
EF-S 35mm f/2.8 Macro IS STM £399 Features an innovative built-in dual-LED light for close-up shooting • • 13 49 69.2 55.8 190
EF 35mm f/2 IS USM £799 First 35mm prime from Canon to feature an optical stabilisation system • • • 24 67 62.6 77.9 335
EF 35mm f/1.4 L II USM £1799 5★ An outstanding addition to the L-series line-up • • 28 72 80.4 104.4 760
EF 50mm f/1.2 L USM £1910 Very wide maximum aperture and Super Spectra coatings, and a circular aperture • • 45 72 85.8 65.5 580
EF 50mm f/1.4 USM £450 5★ Brilliant performer, with a highly consistent set of MTF curves. AF motor is a tad noisy, though • • 45 58 73.8 50.5 290
EF 50mm f/1.8 STM £130 5★ Lightest EF lens in the range, with wide maximum aperture and a Micro Motor • • 35 49 69.2 39.3 130
TS-E 50mm f/2.8L Macro £2500 One of a trio of tilt-and-shift macro lenses, this replaces the TS-E 45mm f/2.8 • • 27 77 86.9 114.9 945
EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STM £265 A compact telephoto lens featuring smooth, quiet STM focusing when shooting movies • • 110 58 70 111.2 375
MP-E 65mm f/2.8 1-5x Macro £1250 Macro lens designed to achieve a magnification greater than 1x without accessories • • 24 58 81 98 710
EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L USM £1540 Non-stabilised L-series optic, with rear focusing and four UD elements • • 150 77 84.6 193.6 1310
EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS III USM £2150 Updates Canon’s excellent pro workhorse zoom with water-repellent fluorine coatings • • • 120 77 88.8 199 1480
EF 70-200mm f/4L IS II USM £1300 Upgraded premium telephoto zoom promises five stops of image stabilisation • • • 100 72 80 176 780
EF 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 IS II USM £499 4.5★ Mid-range telephoto zoom offers really good optics and fast, silent autofocus • • • 120 67 80 145.5 710
EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 L IS USM £1600 5★ An L-series lens with a highly durable outer shell • • • 120 67 89 143 1050
EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III £300 Essentially the same lens as the 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III USM but with no USM • • 150 58 71 122 480
EF 85mm f/1.4L IS USM £1570 5★ Sublime, highly desirable portrait lens combines large aperture and optical image stabilisation • • • 85 77 88.6 105.4 950
EF 85mm f/1.8 USM £470 5★ Non-rotating front ring thanks to rear-focusing system, as well as USM • • 85 58 75 71.5 425
TS-E 90mm f/2.8L Macro £2500 One of a trio of tilt-and-shift macro lenses, this replaces the TS-E 90mm f/2.8 • • 39 77 86.9 116.5 915
EF 100mm f/2.8 L Macro IS USM £1060 5★ Stunning MTF figures from this pro-grade macro optic • • • 30 67 77.7 123 625
EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS II USM £1999 4.5★ L-series construction and optics, including fluorite and Super UD elements • • • 98 77 94 193 1640
EF 135mm f/2 L USM £1360 L-series construction with two UD elements and wide maximum aperture • • 90 72 82.5 112 750
TS-E 135mm f/4L Macro £2500 One of a trio of tilt-and-shift macro lenses, with 1:2 magnification • • 49 82 88.5 139.1 1110
EF 180mm f/3.5 L Macro USM £1870 L-series macro lens with inner focusing system and USM technology • • 48 72 82.5 186.6 1090
ALL PRICES ARE RRPS, STREET PRICES MAY VARY

LAOWA DSLR
12mm f/2.8 Zero D £899 Ultra-wideangle lens for full-frame DSLRs that exhibits minimal distortion • • • • • 18 77 74.8 82.8 609
14mm f/4 Zero-D DSLR £499 Relatively compact and lightweight ultra-wideangle manual focus prime that promises low distortion • • • 15 67 72.5 75 320
15mm f/4 1:1 Macro £449 4★ Unusual wideangle lens that offers 1:1 Macro together with vertical shift movements on APS-C cameras • • • • • 12 77 83.8 64.7 410
15mm f/4.5 Zero-D Shift £1249 4★ The world’s widest-angle shift lens offers +/-11mm movement in any direction • • • 20 n/a 79 103 597
24mm F14 2x Macro Probe £1599 Unique specialist macro lens with submersible front barrel and built-in LED lights • • • 47 n/a 38 408 474
25mm f/2.8 Ultra Macro 2.5x - 5x £399 Unusual lens designed solely for ultra-close-up shooting, with magnification from 2.5x to 5x • • • • 17.3 n/a 65 82 400
60mm f/2.8 2X Ultra Macro £319 3.5★ With 2:1 Macro, an all-in-one option for normal portrait photography as well as ultra-macro • • • • • 18.5 62 95 70 503
100mm f/2.8 2:1 Ultra Macro APO £469 Full-frame macro lens with twice-life-size magnification and apochromatic design • • • • 24.7 67 125 72 638

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.

is nothing without a lens attached!

s where you’ll find hundreds of lenses
range of uses, for a variety of budgets.

film • Nikon • Laowa• Olympus

• Pentax • Samyang • Sigma
n • Viltrox • Voigtlander • Zeiss
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FILTER THREAD (MM)

DSLR Lenses

STABILISATION

MIN FOCUS (CM)

DIAMETER (MM)
FOUR THIRDS
SONY ALPHA

LENGTH (MM)
FULL FRAME

WEIGHT (G)
PENTAX
CANON

SIGMA
NIKON
IMAGE
LENS RRP SCORE SUMMARY MOUNT DIMENSIONS

NIKON DSLR
8-15mm f/3.5-4.5 E ED Fisheye AF-S £1299 Fisheye zoom for full-frame DSLRs that gives a circular view at 8mm and full-frame coverage at 15mm • • 16 n/a 77.5 83 485
10-20mm f/4.5-5.6 G VR AF-P DX £330 3.5★ Inexpensive wide zoom for DX DSLRs has effective image stabilisation but rather average optics • • 22 72 77 73 230
10-24mm f/3.5-4.5 G ED AF-S DX £834 4★ MTF performance is good from wide open to f/11, only breaking down past f/22 • 24 77 82.5 87 460
10.5mm f/2.8 G ED DX Fisheye £678 DX format fisheye lens with Nikon’s Close-Range Correction system and ED glass • 14 n/a 63 62.5 300
12-24mm f/4 G ED AF-S DX £1044 4★ This venerable optic may be a little weak at f/4, but otherwise it’s a good performer • 30 77 82.5 90 485
14mm f/2.8 D ED AF £1554 5★ A really nice lens that handles well and offers excellent image quality • • 20 n/a 87 86.5 670
14-24mm f/2.8 G ED AF-S £1670 5★ A remarkable piece of kit, producing sharp images with little chromatic aberration • • 28 n/a 98 131.5 970
16mm f/2.8 D AF Fisheye £762 Full-frame fisheye lens with Close-Range Correction system and 25cm focus distance • • 25 n/a 63 57 290
16-35mm f/4 G ED AF-S VR £1072 5★ A fantastic lens that deserves to be taken seriously, with very little CA throughout • • • 28 77 82.5 125 685
16-80mm f/2.8-4E ED VR AF-S DX £869 4★ This new standard zoom for DX-format users is designed as a travel lens for APS-C DSLRs • • 35 72 80 85.5 480
17-55mm f/2.8 G ED-IF AF-S DX £1356 4★ A higher-quality standard zoom for DX-format DSLRs • 36 77 85.5 110.5 755
18-35mm f/3.5-4.5 G ED AF-S £669 5★ Wideangle zoom with instant manual-focus override for full-frame DSLRs • • 28 77 83 95 385
18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 G AF-P DX £149 A compact, lightweight DX-format zoom that’s an ideal walk-around lens • 25 55 64.5 62.5 195
18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 G VR AF-P DX £199 A compact, lightweight DX-format zoom lens with Vibration Reduction • • 25 55 64.5 62.5 205
18-140mm f/3.5-5.6 G ED VR AF-S DX £579 A compact and lightweight DX-format zoom, this lens is a great all-rounder • • 45 67 78 97 490
18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 G IF-ED VR II AF-S VR DX £762 4.5★ Four-stop VR II system, two ED and three aspherical elements in this DX superzoom lens • • 50 72 77 96.5 560
18-300mm f/3.5-6.3 G ED VR £849 New DX-format 16.7x zoom with super-telephoto reach – a compact walk-around lens • • 48 67 78.5 99 550
19mm f/4 E ED PC £3300 Super-wideangle tilt-and-shift lens for architecture and landscape photography • • 25 n/a 89 124 885
20mm f/1.8 G ED AF-S £679 A fast FX-format prime lens that’s compact and lightweight • • 20 77 82.5 80.5 335
20mm f/2.8 D AF £584 Compact wideangle lens with Nikon’s Close-Range Correction system • • 25 62 69 42.5 270
24mm f/2.8 D AF £427 Compact wide lens with Close-Range Correction system • • 30 52 64.5 46 270
24mm f/1.4 G ED AF-S £1990 5★ Nothing short of stunning. Aside from its high price, there is very little to dislike about this optic • • 25 77 83 88.5 620
24mm f/1.8 G ED AF-S £629 Fast FX-format lens that aims to appeal to landscape, interior, architecture and street photographers • 23 72 77.5 83 355
24mm f/3.5 D ED PC-E £1774 Perspective Control lens with Nano Crystal Coating and electronic control over aperture • • 21 77 82.5 108 730
24-70mm f/2.8 G ED AF-S £1565 5★ An excellent set of MTF curves that show outstanding consistency, easily justifying the price of this lens • • 38 77 83 133 900
24-70mm f/2.8 E ED VR £1849 5★ Nikon’s latest pro-spec standard zoom looks like its best lens yet • • • 38 82 88 154.5 1070
24-85mm f/3.5-4.5 G ED VR £520 5★ FX-format standard zoom with Auto Tripod detection and VR • • 38 72 78 82 465
24-120mm f/4 G ED AF-S VR £1072 5★ Constant maximum aperture of f/4 and the addition of VR makes this a superb lens • • • 45 77 84 103 710
28mm f/1.4 E ED AF-S £2080 Boasts a dust- and drip-resistant build for reliable shooting in challenging weather conditions • • 28 77 83 100.5 645
28mm f/1.8 G ED AF-S £619 5★ If you crave a wide aperture and prefer a single focal length then this Nikon prime delivers • • 25 67 73 80 330
28mm f/2.8 D AF £282 Compact wideangle lens with a minimum focusing distance of 25cm • • 25 52 65 44.5 205
28-300mm f/3.5-5.6 G ED AF-S VR £889 4.5★ Technical testing shows this zoom to be, as Nikon claims, the ‘ideal walkabout lens’ • • • 50 77 83 114 800
35mm f/1.8 G AF-S DX £208 5★ Designed for DX-format DSLRs, a great standard prime lens • 30 52 70 52.5 200
35mm f/1.8 G ED AF-S £479 Fast FX-format prime lens with bright f/1.8 aperture. Versatile and lightweight • • 25 58 72 71.5 305
35mm f/2 D AF £324 3★ At wide-aperture settings this optic achieves respectable resolution, which decreases with aperture • • 25 52 64.5 43.5 205
35mm f/1.4 G ED AF-S £1735 5★ A Nano Crystal-coated lens designed for the FX range • • 30 67 83 89.5 600
40mm f/2.8 G AF-S DX Micro £250 5★ A budget-priced macro lens that delivers the goods on multiple fronts • 20 52 68.5 64.5 235
45mm PC-E f/2.8 D ED Micro £1393 Perspective Control (PC-E) standard lens used in specialised fields such as studio and architecture • • 25 77 82.5 112 740
50mm f/1.4 G AF-S £376 5★ Internal focusing and superior AF drive makes this a good alternative to the D-series 50mm f/1.4 • • • 45 58 73.5 54 280
50mm f/1.8 D AF £135 Compact, lightweight, affordable prime, will stop down to f/22 • • 45 52 63 39 160
50mm f/1.8 G AF-S £200 5★ A cut-price standard lens for FX shooters or a short telephoto on DX-format DSLRs • • 45 58 72 52.5 185
58mm f/1.4 G AF-S £1599 4★ FX-format full-frame premium prime lens with large f/1.4 aperture • • 58 72 85 70 385
60mm f/2.8 D AF Micro £405 5★ Nikon’s most compact Micro lens, with Close Range Correction (CRC) system • • 22 62 70 74.5 440
60mm f/2.8 G ED AF-S Micro £500 Micro lens with 1:1 reproduction ratio, as well as a Silent Wave Motor and Super ED glass • • 18 62 73 89 425
70-200mm f/2.8 E FL ED VR AF-S £2650 Latest update to Nikon’s pro workhorse fast telephoto zoom brings electronic aperture control • • • 110 77 88.5 202.5 1430
70-200mm f/4 G ED VR AF-S £1180 5★ Latest 70-200mm offers third-generation VR and weight savings over its more expensive f/2.8 cousin • • • 1000 67 78 178.5 850
70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 E ED VR AF-P £750 Nikon’s first full-frame lens to feature a stepper motor for autofocus • • • 1200 67 80.5 146 680
70-300mm f/4.5-6.3 G AF-P DX £300 Budget telephoto zoom with stepper motor for AF and space-saving collapsible design • 110 58 72 125 400
70-300mm f/4.5-6.3 G VR AF-P DX £350 Adds extremely useful optical stabilisation to Nikon’s budget compact telephoto • • 110 58 72 125 415
80-400mm f/4.5-5.6 G ED VR AF-S £1899 5★ Successor to the 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6D ED VR, focusing is excellent at tracking fast-moving subjects • • • 175 77 95.5 203 1570
85mm f/3.5 G ED AF-S DX VR £522 DX-format Micro lens with a 1:1 reproduction ratio, VR II system and ED glass • • 28 52 73 98.5 355
85mm f/1.4 G AF-S £1532 5★ Fast mid-tele lens with an internal focusing system and rounded diaphragm • • 85 77 86.5 84 595
85mm f/1.8 G AF-S £470 5★ Rear-focusing system and distance window in this medium telephoto lens • • 80 67 80 73 350
85mm f/2.8D PC-E Micro £1299 Perspective Control (PC-E) telephoto, designed to be ideal for portraits and product photography • • 39 77 83.5 107 635
105mm f/1.4 E ED AF-S £2049 A 105mm FX-format prime lens with bright f/1.4 aperture, ideal for portraiture • • 100 82 94.5 106 985
105mm f/2.8 G AF-S VR II Micro £782 4.5★ A very sharp lens, with swift and quiet focusing and consistent MFT results • • • 31 62 83 116 720
200-500mm f/5.6 E ED VR AF-S £1179 A super-telephoto zoom lens compatible with Nikon FX-format DSLR cameras • • • 220 95 108 267.5 2300
300mm f/4 E PF ED VR AF-S £1230 5★ Light, compact AF-S full-frame telephoto lens with ED glass elements • • • 140 77 89 147.5 755

Canon EF 50mm Sigma 18-35mm Sigma 150-600mm

f/1.8 STM f/1.8 DC HSM | Art f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM | Contemporary

Our price Our price Our price

£119 £699 £849
Add a Hoya REVO SMC Available in Canon EF Available in Canon EF
49mm UV Filter for only and Nikon F Mount and Nikon F Mount

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 BUYING GUIDE

FILTER THREAD (MM)

DSLR Lenses

STABILISATION

MIN FOCUS (CM)

DIAMETER (MM)
FOUR THIRDS
SONY ALPHA

LENGTH (MM)
FULL FRAME

WEIGHT (G)
PENTAX
CANON

SIGMA
NIKON
IMAGE
LENS RRP SCORE SUMMARY MOUNT DIMENSIONS

PENTAX DSLR
DA 10-17mm f/3.5-4.5 HD Fisheye ED £499 Updated fisheye zoom lens gains refreshed cosmetic design, new optical coatings and removable hood • 14 n/a 70 67.5 317
DA* 11-18mmF2.8 ED DC AW HD £1399 Premium fast ultra-wideangle zoom, includes all-weather construction and innovative focus clamp • 30 82 90 100 704
DA 12-24mm f/4 smc ED AL IF £1050 Two aspherical elements, ELD glass and a constant aperture of f/4 in this wide zoom • 30 77 83.5 87.5 430
DA 15mm f/4 smc ED AL Limited £820 Limited-edition lens with hybrid aspherical and extra-low-dispersion elements • 18 49 39.5 63 212
FA 15-30mm f/2.8 ED SM WR HD £1500 Weather-resistant ultra-wideangle zoom with fast maximum aperture and fixed petal-type hood • • 28 n/a 98.5 143.5 1040
DA* 16-50mm f/2.8 smc ED AL IF SDM £950 3.5★ A nice balance and robust feel, but poor sharpness at f/2.8 (which significantly improves from f/4 onwards) • 30 77 84 98.5 600
DA* 16-50mm f/2.8 ED PLM AW HD £1500 All-new premium large-aperture standard zoom with updated optics and electromagnetic aperture control • 30 77 84 117 712
DA 16-85mm f/3.5-5.6 ED DC WR £600 Weather-resistant, this zoom features a round-shaped diaphragm to produce beautiful bokeh • 35 72 78 94 488
DA 17-70mm f/4 smc AL IF SDM £630 Featuring Pentax’s Supersonic Direct-drive (SDM) focusing system • 28 67 75 93.5 485
DA 18-50mm f/4-5.6 DC WR RE £230 Super-thin standard zoom that’s weather-resistant and features a round-shaped diaphragm • 30 58 71 41 158
DA 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 smc AL WR £229 A weather-resistant construction and an aspherical element, as well as SP coating • 25 52 68.5 67.5 230
DA 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 DA ED DC WR £600 3.5★ A weather-resistant mid-range zoom lens • 40 62 73 76 405
DA 18-270mm f/3.5-6.3 smc ED SDM £699 15x superzoom for company’s K-mount DSLRs featuring two extra-low-dispersion (ED) elements • 49 62 76 89 453
DA 20-40mm f/2.8-4 ED Limited DC WR £829 With state-of-the-art HD coating, a completely round-shaped diaphragm, and weather resistant • 28 55 68.5 71 283
HD-FA 21mm f/2.4 ED Limited DC WR £1499 Ultra-wide addition to the premium Limited line-up, with aluminium barrel and electromagnetic aperture motor • • 18 67 74 89 416
DA 21mm f/3.2 smc AL Limited £600 This limited-edition optic offers a floating element for extra-close focusing • 20 49 63 25 140
FA 24-70mm f/2.8 ED SDM WR £1149 Full-frame-compatible premium standard zoom – includes a HD coating to minimise flare and ghosting • • 38 82 109.5 88.5 787
FA 28-105mm f/3.5-5.6 ED DC HD £549 Standard zoom lens for the K-1 full-frame DSLR that’s much more affordable than the 24-70mm f/2.8 • • 50 62 73 86.5 440
HD-FA 31mm f/1.8 Limited £1100 Premium aluminium-bodied wideangle prime boasts an aperture ring plus HD and fluorine coatings • • 30 58 69 65 341
FA 35mm f/2 HD £399 Latest version of venerable Pentax fast prime features a multi-layer HD coating • • 30 49 64 44.5 193
DA 35mm f/2.4 smc DS AL £180 5★ A budget-priced prime lens for beginners • 30 49 63 45 124
DA 35mm f/2.8 smc Macro £640 4.5★ Despite slight edge softness, this lens performs excellently and is a pleasure to use • 14 49 46.5 63 215
DA 40mm f/2.8 smc Limited £450 Pancake lens with SMC coating and Quick Shift focusing system • 40 49 63 15 90
HD-FA 43mm f/1.9 Limited £650 Classic full-frame fast prime with perfect focal length for everyday use • • 45 49 64 27 155
FA* 50mm f/1.4 SDM AW HD £1200 Premium fast prime with dustproof, weather-resistant design and electromagnetic aperture • • 40 72 80 106 910
FA 50mm f/1.4 smc £399 Compact fast prime with film-era double-Gauss optics and traditional aperture ring • • 45 49 63.5 38 220
DA 50mm f/1.8 smc DA £249 4★ Affordable short telephoto lens ideal for portraits • 45 52 38.5 63 122
D-FA 50mm f/2.8 smc Macro £550 Macro lens capable of 1:1 reproduction and with a Quick Shift focus mechanism • • 19 49 60 67.5 265
DA* 50-135mm f/2.8 smc ED IF SDM £1200 4★ Constant f/2.8 aperture; well suited to portraiture and mid-range action subjects • 100 67 76.5 136 765
DA 50-200mm f/4-5.6 smc ED WR £210 Weather-resistant construction, Quick Shift focus system and an SP coating • n/a 49 69 79.5 285
DA* 55mm f/1.4 smc SDM £800 4.5★ Despite questions about the particular sample tested, this lens scores highly • 45 58 70.5 66 375
DA 55-300mm f/4.5-6.3 ED PLM WR RE £400 Compact weather resistant telephoto zoom has video-friendly fast and silent autofocus motor • 95 58 76.5 89 442
DA 55-300mm f/4-5.8 ED WR £399 Weatherproof HD telephoto lens featuring quick shift focusing system • 140 58 71 111.5 466
DA 60-250mm f/4 smc ED IF SDM £1450 4.5★ With a constant f/4 aperture and an ultrasonic motor for speedy focusing • 110 67 167.5 82 1040
DA 70mm f/2.4 smc AL Limited £600 Medium telephoto lens with an aluminium construction and a Super Protect coating • 70 49 63 26 130
D-FA* 70-200mm f/2.8 ED DC AW £1850 Fast telephoto zoom in Pentax’s high-performance Star (*) series developed for best image rendition • • 120 77 91.5 203 1755
D-FA 70-210mm F4 ED SDM WR £1199 Compact telephoto zoom with constant f/4 maximum aperture and weather-resistant construction • • 95 67 78.5 175 819
HD-FA 77mm f/1.8 Limited £800 Renewed version of short telephoto portrait prime that features a traditional aperture ring • • 70 49 48 64 270
D FA* 85mm f/1.4 SDM AW £1999 Upcoming large-aperture short telephoto prime promises premium optics and weather-sealing • • 85 82 95 123.5 1255
D-FA 100mm f/2.8 Macro WR £680 5★ Street price makes this something of a bargain for a true macro offering full-frame coverage • • 30 49 65 80.5 340
FA 150-450mm f/4.5-5.6 ED DC AW £2000 Super-telephoto lens with weather resistance, designed to produce extra-sharp, high-contrast images • • 200 86 241.5 95 2000
DA* 200mm f/2.8 smc ED IF SDM £1000 4.5★ SDM focusing system on the inside, and dirtproof and splashproof on the outside • 120 77 83 134 825
DA* 300mm f/4 smc ED IF SDM £1300 This tele optic promises ultrasonic focus and high image quality thanks to ED glass • 140 77 83 184 1070

SAMYANG DSLR
8mm f/3.5 UMC Fisheye CS II £274 Wideangle fisheye lens designed for digital reflex cameras with APS-C sensors • • • • • 30 n/a 75 77.8 417
10mm f/3.5 XP MF £950 World’s widest-angle rectilinear lens promises 130° field of view with minimal distortion • • • 26 n/a 95 98.1 731
10mm f/2.8 ED AS NCS CS £429 Features a nano crystal anti-reflection coating system and embedded lens hood • • • • • 24 n/a 86 77 580
12mm f/2.8 ED AS NCS Fisheye £430 Fisheye ultra wideangle prime lens for full-frame DSLRs • • • • • • 20 n/a 77.3 70.2 500
14mm f/2.4 XP MF £899 High-end ultra-wideangle prime with premium optics and large maximum aperture • • • 28 n/a 95 109.4 791
AF 14mm f/2.8 £649 4.5★ Samyang’s first AF SLR lens features very decent image quality and weather-sealed construction • • • 20 n/a 90.5 95.6 485
14mm f/2.8 MF Mk II £439 Ultra-wideangle manual-focus prime with weather-sealing and de-clickable aperture ring • • • 28 n/a 87 96.3 641
16mm f/2.0 ED AS UMC CS £389 Fast wideangle lens for digital reflex cameras fitted with APS-C sensors • • • • • 20 n/a 89.4 83 583
20mm f/1.8 ED AS UMC £430 Large-aperture manual focus wideangle lens for full-frame DSLRs • • • • • • 20 77 83 113.2 520
24mm f/1.4 AS UMC £499 Fast ultra-wideangle manual-focus lens comprising 13 elements arranged in 12 groups • • • • • • 25 77 95 116 680
24mm f/3.5 ED AS UMS TS £949 3★ Tilt-and-shift wideangle lens for a fraction of the price of Canon and Nikon’s offerings • • • • • • 20 82 86 110.5 680
35mm f/1.2 XP MF £719 Ultra-large aperture, manual focus prime with premium optics • • 34 86 93 117.4 1106
35mm f/1.4 AS UMC £369 4.5★ While manual focus only, this prime impressed us in real-world use, making it something of a bargain • • • • • • 30 77 83 111 660
50mm f/1.2 XP MF £639 Large aperture manual-focus prime promises 50MP resolution • • 45 86 93 117.4 1200
50mm f/1.4 AS UMC £299 Manual-focus fast standard prime for full-frame DSLRs • • • • • • 45 77 74.7 81.6 575
85mm f/1.2 XP MF £899 High-end manual focus lens sports an impressively fast maximum aperture • • 80 86 93 98.4 1050g
AF 85mm f/1.4 £599 3★ Autofocus fast short telephoto portrait lens for use on Canon or Nikon full-frame DSLRs • • • 90 77 88 72 485
ALL PRICES ARE RRPS, STREET PRICES MAY VARY

85mm f/1.4 MF Mk II £389 Large-aperture short telephoto manual-focus prime is weather-sealed and the aperture can be de-clicked • • • 110 72 78 72.2 541
100mm f/2.8 ED UMC Macro £389 Full-frame compatible, the Samyang 100mm is a true Macro lens offering 1:1 magnification • • • • • • 30 67 72.5 123.1 720
135mm f/2 ED UMC £399 Manual focus portrait prime has fast aperture for subject isolation and background blur • • • • • • 80 77 82 122 830

SIGMA DSLR
10-20mm f/3.5 EX DC HSM £650 5★ An absolute gem of a lens that deserves a place on every photographer’s wish list • • • • • 24 82 87.3 88.2 520
12-24mm f/4 DG HSM | A £1649 5★ Premium full-frame wideangle zoom designed to have minimal distortion in its wideangle imagery • • • • 24 n/a 101 132 1150
14mm f/1.8 DG HSM | A £1679 World’s first f/1.8 ultra-wideangle prime lens for full-frame DSLRs • • • • 27 n/a 95.4 126 1170
14-24mm f/2.8 DG HSM | A £1399 5★ Pro-specification fast ultra-wide prime for full-frame DSLRs includes weather-sealed construction • • • • 26 n/a 96.4 135.1 1150

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FILTER THREAD (MM)

DSLR Lenses

STABILISATION

MIN FOCUS (CM)

DIAMETER (MM)
FOUR THIRDS
SONY ALPHA

LENGTH (MM)
FULL FRAME

WEIGHT (G)
PENTAX
CANON

SIGMA
NIKON
IMAGE
LENS RRP SCORE SUMMARY MOUNT DIMENSIONS
15mm f/2.8 EX DG £629 4★ This fisheye optic puts in a very solid performance – not to be dismissed as a gimmick! • • • • • • 15 n/a 73.5 65 370
17-50mm f/2.8 EX DC OS HSM £689 FLD and aspherical elements, a constant f/2.8 aperture and Optical Stabilisation • • • • • • 28 77 83.5 92 565
17-70mm f/2.8-4 DC Macro OS HSM £449 Compact redesign of this well-received lens launches the ‘Contemporary’ range • • • • • • 22 72 79 82 470
18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM £799 5★ Said to be the world’s first constant f/1.8 zoom; DoF equivalent of constant f/2.7 on full frame • • • 28 72 78 121 810
18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 DC OS £449 4★ Excellent resolution and consistent performance, but control over CA could be a little better • • • • 45 45 79 100 610
18-300mm f/3.5-6.3 DC Macro OS HSM £499 Compact and portable high ratio zoom lens offering enhanced features to make it the ideal all-in-one lens • • • • • 39 72 79 101.5 585
20mm f/1.4 DG HSM | A £799 5★ An outstanding wideangle fixed-focal-length lens • • • • 27.6 n/a 90.7 129.8 950
24mm f/1.4 DG HSM | A £799 5★ The latest addition to Sigma’s ‘Art’ line of high-quality fast primes • • • • 25 77 85 90.2 665
24-35mm f/2 DG HSM | A £949 5★ The world’s first large-aperture full-frame zoom offering a wide aperture of f/2 throughout the zoom range • • • • 28 82 87.6 122.7 940
24-70mm f/2.8 DG OS HSM | A £1399 5★ Latest premium fast standard zoom for full frame includes optical image stabilisation • • • • • 37 82 88 107.6 1020
24-105mm f/4 DG OS HSM | A £849 4.5★ Serious full-frame alternative to own-brand lenses at a lower price, with no compromises in the build • • • • • • 45 82 89 109 885
28mm f/1.4 DG HSM | A £1099 4.5★ High-quality, weathersealed fast wideangle prime for full-frame DSLRs • • • • 28 77 82.8 107.1 865
30mm f/1.4 DC HSM | A £360 Unique fast prime for APS-C DSLRs that gives 45mm equivalent ‘normal’ angle of view • • • • • 30 62 63.3 74.2 435
35mm f/1.4 DG HSM | A £799 5★ Superb large-aperture prime; first lens in company’s ‘Art’ series • • • • • • 30 67 77 94 665
40mm f/1.4 DG HSM | A £1100 5★ Large and heavy prime promising natural-looking perspective and top-quality optics • • • • 40 82 87.8 131 1200
50mm f/1.4 DG HSM | A £849 5★ This lens has a unique design that pays off in truly excellent image quality • • • • • 40 77 85.4 100 815
50-100mm f/1.8 DC HSM | A £829 5★ This APS-C-format lens aims to cover the focal lengths of three prime lenses in one • • • 37.4 82 93.5 170.7 1490
60-600mm f/4.5-6.3 DG OS HSM | S £1899 Weathersealed 10x zoom encompasses huge range from standard to super-telephoto • • • • • 60 105 120.4 268.9 2700
70mm f/2.8 DG Macro | A £499 The first macro lens in Sigma’s Art line-up features an extending-barrel focus-by-wire design • • • • 26 49 71 106 515
70-200mm f/2.8 DG OS HSM | S £1349 5★ Superb large-aperture telephoto zoom shows high sharpness and minimal chromatic aberration • • • • • 120 82 94.2 202.9 1805
85mm f/1.4 DG HSM | A £1199 5★ Optically stunning fast short telephoto prime is the ultimate portrait lens for DSLR users • • • • 85 86 95 126 1130
100-400mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM | C £799 4.5★ Relatively lightweight telezoom comes with weather-sealing and choice of push-pull or twist zoom • • • • • 160 67 86.4 182.3 1160
105mm f/1.4 DG HSM | A £1499 4.5★ Sigma’s ‘bokeh monster’ super-fast portrait lens is weathersealed and comes with a tripod foot • • • • 100 105 115.9 131.5 1645
105mm f/2.8 EX DG OS HSM Macro £649 4.5★ An optically stabilised macro lens, this super-sharp lens is one of our favourites • • • • • 31.2 62 78 126.4 725
120-300mm f/2.8 DG HSM | S £3599 First lens in company’s ‘Sports’ series; switch enables adjustment of both focus speed and focus limiter • • • • • • 150 105 124 291 3390
135mm f/1.8 DG HSM | A £1399 5★ Super-fast portrait prime designed to provide sufficient resolution for 50MP DSLRs • • • • 87.5 82 91.4 114.9 1130
150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM | C £1199 Budget ‘Contemporary’ version of Sigma’s long-range telephoto zoom is smaller and lighter • • • • • 280 95 105 260.1 1930
150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM | S £1599 This portable, high-performance telephoto zoom from Sigma’s Sports line is dust and splashproof • • • • • 260 105 121 290.2 2860

TAMRON DSLR
10-24mm f/3.5-4.5 Di II VC HLD £580 4.5★ Wideangle zoom of APS-C with dust and splashproofing and optical stabilisation • • • 24 77 83.6 84.6 440
15-30mm f/2.8 SP Di VC USD G2 £1279 Second-generation image-stabilised fast wide zoom includes weather-sealing and faster AF • • • • 28 n/a 98.4 145 1110
16-300mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD Macro £600 4★ Versatile mega-zoom, a very good all-in-one solution, as long as you won’t need to enlarge to A2 size • • • • 39 67 99.5 75 540
17-35mm f/2.8-4 Di OSD £629 4★ Most compact and lightest full-frame ultra-wideangle zoom in its class • • 28 77 83.6 90 460
18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 AF Di II VC £169 4★ Lightweight all-in-one lens for APS-C DSLRs with Vibration Compensation • • • • 49 62 75 96.6 400
18-400mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC HLD £650 4★ The longest-ranging telephoto zoom yet made turns in a surprisingly decent performance • • • 45 72 79 123.9 710
24-70mm f/2.8 SP Di VC USD G2 £1249 Upgraded fast zoom with improved image stabilisation and moisture-resistant construction • • • • 38 82 88.4 111 905
35mm f/1.4 SP Di USD £930 Premium large-aperture prime with moisture-resistant construction, billed as Tamron’s best-ever lens • • • 30 72 80.9 104.8 815
35mm f/1.8 SP Di VC USD £580 4.5★ Moderately wide prime combines ultrasonic focusing, image stabilisation and a fast aperture • • • • • 20 67 80.4 80.8 480
35-150mm F2.8-4 Di VC OSD £799 Unusual image-stabilised full-frame zoom designed for portraits, with large maximum aperture • • • • 45 77 84 126.8 796
70-200mm f/2.8 SP Di VC USD G2 £1350 5★ Excellent telephoto zoom with updated autofocus and image stabilisation plus sealed construction • • • • 95 77 88 193.8 1500
70-210mm f/4 Di VC USD £699 4.5★ Lightweight telezoom promises high optical performance, image stabilisation and weather-sealing • • • • 95 67 76 176.5 860
100-400mm f/4.5-6.3 Di VC USD £789 5★ Relatively compact and lightweight telephoto zoom with moisture-resistant construction • • • • 150 67 199 86.2 1135
150-600mm f/5-6.3 SP Di VC USD G2 £1340 Popular long telephoto zoom that produces excellent results • • • • • 220 95 108.4 260.2 2010

TOKINA DSLR
ATX-i 11-16mm f/2.8 CF £449 Gains a new waterproof top coating for the front element and updated cosmetic design • • 30 77 84 89 555
AT-X 11-20mm f/2.8 PRO DX £499 4★ Compact, ultra-wideangle lens with a fast maximum aperture and decent optical performance • • 28 82 89 92 560
AT-X 12-28mm f/4 PRO DX £529 Replacement for 12-24mm f/4 wideangle zoom; for Nikon DX DSLRs • • 25 77 84 90 600
AT-X 14-20mm f/2 PRO DX £849 Wideangle zoom with super-fast, super-bright, constant f/2 aperture for shooting in very low light • • 28 82 89 106 725
Opera 16-28mm f/2.8 FF £699 4★ This large-aperture wide zoom for full-frame DSLRs is an updated version of the AT-X 16-28mm f/2.8 • • • 28 n/a 89 133.5 940
Opera 50mm f/1.4 FF £900 Premium fast prime designed for high-resolution DSLRs, with dust and weather-resistant construction • • • 40 72 80 107.5 950

VOIGTLANDER DSLR
28mm f/2.8 Aspherical SL II-S Color-Skopar £499 Manual-focus wideangle prime for Nikon F-mount SLRs boasts high-quality metal construction • • 15 52 66.3 32.8 205
58mm f/1.4 SL II-S Nokton £518 Large-aperture manual focus standard prime for Nikon SLRs, inlcuding classic film cameras • • 45 52 67.6 45.5 320
90mm f/2.8 APO-Skopar SL II-S £529 Remarkably small and lightweight manual-focus short telephoto portrait prime • • 90 52 66.3 41 260

ZEISS DSLR
15mm f/2.8 Milvus £2329 This super-wideangle lens has an angle of view of 110° and uses an advanced retrofocus design • • • 25 95 102.3 100.2 947
18mm f/2.8 Milvus £1999 Compact super-wideangle lens with premium optics including a floating focus system for close-ups • • • 25 77 90 93 721
21mm f/2.8 Milvus £1299 Premium wideangle lens with complex optics designed to be free of distortion • • • 22 82 95.5 95 851
25mm f/1.4 Milvus £1999 5★ Optically excellent, large-aperture manual focus wideangle lens with weather-sealed construction • • • 25 82 95.2 123 1225
35mm f/1.4 Milvus £1699 Large aperture, premium-quality manual-focus prime with weather-sealed construction • • • 30 72 84.8 124.8 1174
35mm f/2 Milvus £829 Compact, moderate wideangle manual focus prime • • • 30 58 77 83 702
50mm f/1.4 Planar T* £559 Classic double-Gauss design manual focus standard prime for full-frame SLRs • • • 45 58 71 71 380
50mm f/1.4 Milvus £949 5★ An exceptionally good lens offering sharpness, detail, clean edges and a great user experience • • • 45 67 82.5 94 922
50mm f/2 Milvus Macro £949 Manual-focus macro lens with half-life-size magnification and stunning optics • • • 24 67 81 75.3 730
85mm f/1.4 Planar T* £989 Classic portrait prime designed to give smooth, rounded bokeh effects • • • 100 72 78 88 670
85mm f/1.4 Milvus £1379 5★ Fast 85mm manual-focus prime lens that’s perfect for portraiture • • • 80 77 90 113 1280
100mm f/2 Milvus Macro £1299 A manual-focus macro lens with absolutely superb optics and half-life-size reproduction • • • 88 67 80.5 104 843
135mm f/2 Milvus £1899 Telephoto lens with a large aperture and smooth bokeh, ideal for medium-distance portrait photography • • • 80 77 129 132 1123

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 Mifsuds Photographic Ltd Est. 1954.
Family Run Pro Dealership With Friendly, Knowledgeable Staff.
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R5 body Mint- box ........................£3799
RF 14-35 F4 L IS USM box...........£1549
RF 24-105 F4 L IS............................£1099
RF 24-105 F4/7.1 IS STM................ £379
RF 70-200 F4 IS box ......................£1499
RF 100 F2.8 L IS USM macro ......£1269
CANON DIGITAL AF USED
1DX MKIII body Mint box ...........£5999
1DX MKII body box .......................£2399
7D MKII body box................... £599/899
7D body .............................................. £299
6D body box...................................... £499
5D MKIV body box ............ £1699/2397
5D MKIII body box........................... £997
80D body Mint box......................... £699
BG-E20 grip box............................... £199
BG-E16 grip........................................ £179
BG-E13 grip.....£99 BG-E11 grip ....£99
NIKON AUTOFOCUS CAMERAS, LENSES, FLASH, ACCESSORIES ETC USED
NIKON Z DIGITAL AF USED
Z7 MKII body box .............. £2299/2499
Z7 body box ....................................£1399
24-50 F4/6.3....................................... £299
24-70 F4 S Mint box........................ £499
FTZ adapter box............................... £249
NIKON DIGITAL AF USED
D5 Dual XQD body box...................£2997
D5 Dual CF body box.......................£2997
D3 body box....................................... £799
D850 body box...............................£2199
D810 body box......................£997/1297
D780 body Mint box ........ £1499/1599
D750 body box........................ £699/899
D600 body.......................................... £599
D500 body box...............................£1099
D300 body box...£299 D200 body£199
D7500 body....................................... £699
D7200 body....................................... £649
D7100 body....................................... £449
D3400 body....................................... £299
D3200 body...£199 D3000 body ..£99
D80 body........£199 D90 body .... £199
FUJI, MINOLTA/SONY, OLYMPUS, PANASONIC ETC. DIGITAL USED
FUJI DIGITAL USED
X-T4 body Mint- box....................£1199
X-T1 body box................................... £349
X-T10 body box ................................ £199
8-16 F2.8 XF WR box.....................£1299
10-24 F4 R OIS XF box.................... £599
14 F2.8 R box..£499 16 F1.4 XF box ..£599
16-80 F4 XF WR ................................ £599
18-55 F2.8/4 XF Mint- .................... £399
23 F1.4 XF M- box............................ £599
50 F1.0 XF R WR box.....................£1097
50-140 F2.8 XF box ......................... £997
50-230 F4.5/6.7 OS XC MKII ......... £299
50-230 F4.5/6.7 OS XC MKI .......... £249
60 F2.4 XF box .................................. £449
90 F2 R LM WR XF box ................... £599
100-400 F4.5/5.6 XF LM OIS WR...£1199
2x XF converter ................................ £339
BRONICA, FUJI, HASSELBLAD, MAMIYA, PENTAX ETC. MEDIUM FORMAT USED
BRONICA 645 USED
ETRSi + 75 PE + WLF + 120 back £749
ETRS + AEII prism + 75 PE
+ speed grip ...................................... £699
ETRSi body box ................................ £299
40 F4 PE............£449 40 F4 E........ £299
45-90 F4/5.6....£449 150 F3.5 E .. £149
200 F4.5 PE......................................... £299
ETRSi 120 back RWC late .............. £119
ETRS 120 back early...........................£99
Polaroid back box...............................£29
AEIII prism .......................................... £349
Waist Level Finder ........................... £149
Rotary prism E box.......................... £199
35mm AUTO/MANUAL FOCUS CAMERAS & ACCESSORIES, CANON, MINOLTA, NIKON, OLYMPUS, PENTAX, ETC. USED
CANON AF FILM BODIES USED
EOS 3 body.......£449 EOS 5 body .£99
EOS 600 / 650 body each ................£69
EOS 500/300/50E/30 body each...£39
CANON FD USED
A1 World Cup 1982 body box..... £249
A1 body............................................... £169
AE1P silver body .............................. £199
T90 body..........£199 T70 body.......£99
50 F1.4 ................................................. £149
50 F1.8...............£69 50 F2.................£69
70-210 F4.........£99 135 F3.5 ...........£69
2x extender B.......................................£49
FD bellows ......................................... £149
CONTAX USED
CZ 180 F2.8 AE.................................. £399
CZ 300 F4 AE ..................................... £399
LIGHTMETERS USED
Minolta Auto Meter IVF box ........ £249
ITEM YOU REQUIRE NOT LISTED? EMAIL DETAILS OF WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR AND WE WILL EMAIL YOU WHEN WE CAN HELP. CORRECT 04/02/2022.
Mail order used items sold on 10 day approval. Return in ‘as received’ condition for refund if not satisfied (postage not included - mail order only). E&OE.
www.mifsuds.com
Here to help - just call 01803 852400
F4 IS 500mm F4 IS
box 100-400mm 300mm F2.8 USM LII box
F4.5/5.6 LII box IS USM LII
BG-E9 grip box.....................................£89
BG-E6 grip .............................................£79
BG-E4 grip.......£79 BG-E2 grip .......£39
CANON AF LENSES USED
10-18 F4.5/5.6 IS STM..................... £219
10-22 F3.5/4.5 USM EFS ................ £349
15 F2.8 fisheye.................................. £399
15-85 F3.5/5.6 EFS........................... £299
16-35 F4 USM IS L............................ £799
17-40 F4 L USM ................................ £399
17-55 F2.8 EFS IS USM ................... £649
18-55 F3.5/5.6 IS STM........................£99
18-135 F3.5/5.6 USM Nano .......... £399
18-135 F3.5/5.6 IS EFS.................... £199
18-200 F3.5/5.6 EFS ........................ £299
24 F2.8 STM ....................................... £129
24 F3.5 TSE LII box.........................£1299
24-70 F2.8 L USM II .......................£1299
24-70 F4 IS USM L............................ £699
MBD-16 (D750)................................. £149
MBD-15 (D7100/7200) .................. £129
MBD-14 (D610/600) ..........................£99
MBD-12 grip (D810)........................ £199
MBD-11 grip (D7000) ..................... £149
MBD-10 grip (D300)...........................£99
MBD-200 or MBD-80 grip each .....£99
NIKON AF LENSES USED
10.5 F2.8 fisheye box...................... £349
10-20 F4.5/5.6 AF-P DX VR ........... £219
10-24 F3.5/4.5 AFS box.................. £579
12-24 F4 DX AFS .............................. £299
14-24 F2.8 AFS.................................. £899
16 F2.8 AFD fisheye box................ £399
16-35 F4 AFS VR box ...................... £599
16-80 F2.8/4 VR DX ......................... £599
18-35 F3.5/4.5 AFS M- box ........... £549
18-55 F3.5/5.6 AF VR .........................£99
18-105 F3.5/5.6 VR DX AFS........... £199
18-140 F3.5/5.6 AFS VR DX........... £249
18-200 F3.5/5.6 VRII box ............... £349
18-200 F3.5/5.6 VR box.................. £199
18-300 F3.5/5.6 VR DX ................... £599
X100 Limited Edition kit blk box £399
VG-XT3 vertical grip box............... £129
VPB-XT2 grip box................................£99
VG-XT1 grip ..........................................£49
SONY DIGITAL USED
A7R MKIV body Mint box ...........£2499
A7 MKII body..................................... £449
RX10 MKIV box ...............................£1199
RX100 MKIII...£299 RX100............ £199
A100 body.............................................£99
SONY A MOUNT LENSES USED
Sony A 16-50 F2.8 SSM DT ........... £299
Sony A 18-70 F3.5/5.6.......................£89
TAM 90 F2.8 SP ................................. £199
Teleplus 1.4x or 2x conv each........£79
Kenko 1.4x Pro 300DG................... £149
MINOLTA AF USED
28-80 F3.5/5.6..£49 28-85 F3.5/4.5..£99
Plain prism E box............................. £169
AEII prism ........................................... £169
Speed grip E .........................................£99
Lenshoods various.............................£40
BRONICA 6x6 USED
SQAi body .......................................... £499
SQA + 80 PS + WLF + 120 back.. £749
SQA body........£299 SQB body.... £299
40 F4 PS............................................... £499
50 F3.5 PS box .................................. £349
150 F4 PS ............................................ £299
2x converter PS ................................ £199
2x converter S................................... £149
SQAi 120 back late .......................... £199
Minolta Flashmeter IVF ................. £199
Sekonic L308s ................................... £169
Sekonic L308x................................... £199
Sekonic L358..................................... £239
Sekonic L508..................................... £299
MINOLTA AF USED
7Xi body.................................................£69
Dynax 4 body.......................................£39
500Si Super/505Si Super body ea...£39
VC700 grip fits Dynax 700Si ...........£49
VC-7 grip box fits Dynax 7 ..............£99
MINOLTA MD USED
X700 body.......................................... £199
X300s body black ...............................£99
X300 body blk/chrome ....................£99
35-70 F3.5/4.5 ......................................£69
50 F1.7 ....................................................£79
50 F3.5 macro ................................... £149
70-210 F4.......£99 75-200 F4.5.......£99
Used Canon
£1099
24-105 F4 IS USM L ......................... £549
35 F1.4 USM LII box ......................£1299
50 F1.2 L USM box........................... £997
50 F1.4 USM....................................... £299
50 F1.8 STM box..................................£99
55-250 F4/5.6 IS EFS ....................... £199
60 F2.8 EFS macro ........................... £299
65 F2.8 MPE macro ......................... £799
70-200 F2.8 IS USM LIII box........£1699
70-200 F2.8 IS USM LII ................... £997
70-200 F4 IS USM box.................... £599
70-200 F4 L USM.............................. £399
70-300 F4.5/5.6 U L IS box............ £799
70-300 F4/5.6 IS USM II.................. £499
70-300 F4.5/5.6 USM ...................... £299
85 F1.2 L USM MKII .......................£1299
85 F1.4 IS USM L.............................£1249
85 F1.8 USM....................................... £249
100 F2.8 IS USM L macro .............. £799
20 F1.8 AFS box................................ £579
24 F3.5 PC-E ED box ....................... £997
24 F1.4 G AFS Mint.......................... £997
24 F1.8 AFS box................................ £549
24 F2.8 AFD........................................ £299
24-70 F2.8 AFS VR M- box ..........£1499
24-70 F2.8 AFS box ......................... £897
24-85 F3.5/4.5 AFS VR .................... £299
24-120 F4 AFS VR box.................... £499
28-300 F3.5/5.6 VR box.................. £599
35 F1.4 G AFS M- box..................... £997
35 F1.8 AFS DX ................................. £149
40 F2.8 AFS DX macro box........... £249
45 F2.8 PC-E tilt box........................ £997
50 F1.4 AFS G box ........................... £299
50 F1.8 AFS box................................ £169
50 F1.8 AFD box............................... £129
55-200 F4.5/5.6 VRII box ............... £149
58 F1.4 AFS G box ........................... £899
60 F2.8 AFS.....£449 60 F2.8 AFD£299
70-200 F2.8 E FL AFS box ...........£1699
70-200 F2.8 AFS VRII M- box....... £997
70-200 F4 VR box............................. £699
35-70 F3.5/4.5..£29 35-105 F3.5/4.5£99
70-210 F4.5/5.6....................................£79
75-300 F4.5/5.6....................................£79
80-200 F4.5/5.6....................................£49
100-300 F4.5/5.6 APO .................... £149
100-300 F4.5/5.6 .................................£99
3600HSD flash .....................................£49
SIGMA SONY A MOUNT AF USED
SIG 18-300 F3.5/6.3......................... £299
SIG 50-500 F4.5/6.3 HSM OS ....... £749
SIG 70-200 F2.8 EX DG OS box .. £599
SIG 105 F2.8 EX DG OS .................. £329
SIG 150-500 F5/6.3 DG OS box... £499
SIG 1.4x EX converter........................£99
SIG 12x EX DG converter .............. £149
SONY NEX FE MOUNT AF USED
FE 16-35 F4 ZA OSS ........................ £899
FE 24-70 F4 ZA OSS ........................ £699
SQA 120 back early......................... £149
Polaroid back......£29 WLF............ £199
SQA speed grip ................................ £149
Lenshoods various...................... £20/50
HASSELBLAD 6x6 USED
150 F4 CF............................................ £699
150 F4 Black T* ................................. £499
A12 black latest box ....................... £499
WLF chrome late.............................. £299
Polaroid back .......................................£79
Lenshood various...............................£49
MAMIYA 645 MF USED
Qick shoe AQ701 box .................... £149
Teleplus 2x converter........................£39
100-300 F5.6...................................... £149
100-300 F5.6/6.7 .................................£99
Kenko Teleplus macro conv............£69
Auto bellows III................................. £149
Bellows IV box................................... £149
Macro ext tube for 50 F3.5..............£49
Auto ext tube set................................£89
NIKON AF FILM BODIES USED
F5 body box....................................... £699
F4s body ............................................. £499
F801 body .............................................£99
NIKON MF USED
Nikon F Photomic FTn Apollo
chrome body..................................... £699
F3HP body.......................................... £799
F3 body ............................................... £499
CF22 / CF20 case for F3 each .........£39
F2 Photomic + DP-1 chrome....... £499
FM2n body Black ............................. £499
www.bookshq.net
£1499 £1299
100 F2.8 USM macro ...................... £399
100-400 F4.5/5.6 LII box..............£1299
100-400 F4.5/5.6 L.................. £699/899
135 F2 USM L box............................ £649
180 F3.5 L USM macro................... £899
200 F2.8 USM LII .............................. £549
200-400 F4 IS USM LII ..................£5999
300 F2.8 IS USM LII........................£3799
300 F4 IS USM L................................ £749
400 F5.6 USM L................................. £799
500 F4 IS USM LII ...........................£6499
1.4x extender MKIII......................... £349
2x extender MKIII............................. £349
12mm ext tube II ................................£69
25mm ext tube II ............................. £129
SIGMA CAF USED
8 F4 EX DG fisheye .......................... £399
8-16 F4.5/5.6 HSM DC box ........... £299
10 F2.8 EX DC HSM ......................... £399
70-300 F4.5/5.6 AFS VR box......... £349
80-400 F4.5/5.6 AFS VR box..£899/1499
85 F1.4 AFS box................................ £997
85 F1.8 AFS box................................ £299
85 F1.8 AFD Mint box .................... £249
105 F2.8 AFS VR................................ £499
180 F2.8 ED........................................ £299
200 F2 G ED AFS VRII....................£3499
200 F4 AFD macro box................£1499
200-400 F4 AFS VR II.....................£2997
200-500 F5.6 VR AFS box.............. £999
300 F2.8 AFS VRII box...................£3499
300 F4 AFS E PF ED VR box ........£1199
500 F4 AFS VR E FL
latest box.............................. £6999/7997
500 F4 AFS VR serviced ...............£4499
500 F5.6 E PF VR AFS box ...........£2997
TC14-EIII box...................................... £459
TC14-EII box....................................... £299
TC17-EII ............................................... £299
TC20-EIII box.....£349 TC-20EII .... £199
SIGMA NAF USED
8 F3.5 EX DG fisheye....................... £399
FE 24-240 F3.5/6.3 OSS box......... £599
FE 35 F1.4 ZA OSS box................... £699
FE 35 F2.8 ZA box............................ £499
FE 70-200 F2.8 GM OSS box ......£1499
FE 70-200 F4 G OSS box................ £997
FE 100 F2.8 GM OSS box............... £997
SONY NEX E MOUNT AF USED
E 16-70 F4 ZA OSS box.................. £499
E 50 F1.8 OSS box............................ £189
E 55-210 F4.5/6.3 ............................. £219
OLYMPUS MICRO 4/3 USED
OMD-EM1X body box..................£1399
OMD-EM1 body black.................... £399
OMD-EM5 MKII body box............. £599
OMD-EM5 body box....................... £199
OMD-EM10 MKII body................... £249
Pen E-P5 silver box.......................... £199
12-40 F2.8 Pro box .......................... £599
120 insert...............................................£29
Ext tube 1, 2 or 3 each......................£29
MAMIYA 7 RF USED
43 F4.5 L + V/F box ......................... £997
Viewfinder for 150 F4.5 ................. £199
MAMIYA RB USED
55 F4.5 ................................................. £299
Ext tube 1 or ext tube 2 each ........£59
MAMIYA RZ USED
100-200 F5.2 W................................. £299
180 F4.5 W.......................................... £299
Plain prism ......................................... £349
PENTAX 645 AF USED
55-110 F5.6 FA .................................. £599
FM2n body Chrome........................ £499
F301 body .............................................£99
24 F2.8 AI.......£299 28 F2 AI box £299
28 F3.5 AI.......£169 28 F4 shift.... £399
28-85 F3.5/4.5 AIS............................ £199
35 F2 AI ............................................... £299
35-70 F3.5 AIS ......................................£99
35-105 F3.5/4.5 AIS......................... £149
50 F1.4 AIS....£329 50 F1.4 AI...... £249
50 F1.8 AIS...£149 50 F2 AI .............£99
55 F2.8 AIS micro............................. £199
80-200 F4 AIS .................................... £249
85 F2 AI box....................................... £299
100-300 F5.6 AIS .............................. £149
105 F2.5 AI......£299 135 F2.8 AI . £199
300 F2.8 ED AIS + case .................. £699
300 F4.5 IF ED AIS............................ £399
300 F4.5 AIS ....................................... £199
TC14B conv.....£99 TC300 conv .. £149
Used Canon
£3799
10-20 F3.5 EX DC HSM................... £279
12-24 F4.5/5.6 II HSM ..................... £499
17-70 F2.8/4 DC OS HSM .............. £249
24 F1.4 DG HSM Art........................ £579
35 F1.4 DG HSM Art........................ £579
50 F1.4 DG HSM Art........................ £549
50-500 F4.5/6.3 HSM OS ............... £749
70-200 F2.8 EX DG OS HSM ......... £599
85 F1.4 EX DG box........................... £399
105 F2.8 EX DG HSM OS box....... £329
150 F2.8 EX DG OS HSM box....... £599
150-500 F5/6.3 APO DG OS ......... £499
150-600 F5/6.3 DG OS sport......£1197
150-600 F5/6.3 contemporary.... £749
300 F2.8 EX DG HSM ....................£1399
TC1401 extender ............................. £179
OTHER CAF USED
TAM 10-24 F3.5/4.5 Di II ................ £199
TAM 16-300 F3.5/6.3 II VC............. £399
8-16 F4.5/5.6 HSM DC box ........... £299
10-20 F3.5 DC box........................... £269
10-24 F3.5/4.5 Di II VC HLD.......... £449
12-24 F4.5/5.6 II HSM ..................... £599
18-250 F3.5/6.3 DC OS................... £199
24 F1.4 DG HSM Art........................ £579
35 F1.4 DG HSM Art........................ £579
50 F1.4 DG HSM Art........................ £549
50-500 F4.5/6.3 HSM OS ............... £749
70-200 F2.8 EX DG OS HSM ......... £599
ALL 70-300 F4/5.6 each................. £139
100-400 F5.6/6.3 DG....................... £599
105 F2.8 EX DG HSM OS................ £329
150 F2.8 EX DG OS HSM box....... £599
150-500 F5/6.3 DG OS HSM......... £499
150-600 F5/6.3 DG OS sport......£1197
150-600 F5/6.3 contemporary.... £749
TC-1401 extender............................ £179
1.4x EX DG conv box ...................... £149
OTHER NAF USED
TAM 16-300 F3.5/6.3 II VC............. £399
TAM 24-70 F2.8 Di VC USD........... £499
TAM 28-300 F3.5/6.3 Di VC PZD . £499
12-100 F4 IS Pro box....................... £799
12-200 F3.5/6.3 box........................ £599
14-150 F4.5/5.6 MKII....................... £429
17 F1.2 ED Pro box.......................... £699
25 F1.2 Pro M- box .......................... £699
40-150 F2.8 Pro box........................ £929
40-150 F4/5.6 ED ............................. £149
45 F1.8 silver...................................... £149
60 F2.8 macro box........................... £349
75 F1.8 box ........................................ £499
75-300 F4.8/6.7 MKII Mint box.... £369
SAMYANG 12 F2 Mint box MF .... £239
HL-D7 grip for EM1 ............................£69
HL-D6 grip for EM5 ............................£69
FL-900AR flash .................................. £349
PANASONIC DIGITAL USED
G2 body .............................................. £129
7-14 F4 box........................................ £499
80-160 F4.5 FA .................................. £399
150-300 F5.6 FA................................ £599
200 F4 FA......£399 300 F4 FA ..... £799
PENTAX 645 MF USED
45 F2.8 ................................................. £349
80-160 F4.5 ........................................ £499
120 F4 macro .................................... £399
135 F4 leaf...£399 200 F4 ............ £199
300 F4 ED IF green T*..................... £599
Auto ext tube set............................. £169
Helicoid ext tube ............................. £199
REF converter angle finder box.. £179
PENTAX 6x7 USED
45 F4 late ............................................ £599
SAMYANG 85 F1.4 Mint box MF. £249
DG-2 Eyepiece magnifier.................£59
DR-4 angle finder ............................ £149
DW-4 finder for F3........................... £149
PB-6 bellows...................................... £299
PB-5 + PS-5 slide copy att ............ £199
OLYMPUS OM USED
OM-2N body chrome..................... £299
OM-2 body chrome box................ £299
OM-1N body chrome..................... £299
OM-10 chrome body.........................£79
28 F2.8.........£99 35-70 F4 ................£99
35-105 F3.5/4.5................................. £149
50 F1.4 ................................................. £149
50 F1.8...........£99 135 F3.5..............£99
100 F2.8.......£199 200 F4............. £129
7/14/25 ext tube each ......................£20
14/25 auto ext tube each................£29
Converter 2x A.....................................£99
The best stocked
dealer in the
West Country
£6499
TAM 28-300 F3.5/6.3 VC PZD....... £499
TAM 70-200 F2.8 VC USD GII box£799
TAM 180 F3.5 Di macro ................. £399
TOK 12-24 F4 ATX Pro II DX box. £299
TOK 12-24 F4 ATX Pro box ........... £249
Kenko ext tubes box .........................£99
FLASH/ACCESSORIES USED
MR-14EX ringflash box .................. £349
MT-24 ringflash ................................ £649
430EX MKIII RT box......................... £229
430EX II................................................ £149
580EX II................................................ £169
580EX................................................... £129
600EX RT............................................. £299
SB-E2 transmitter................................£79
ST-E3 Speedlight transmitter ...... £239
Angle finder C................................... £149
MORE ON WEBSITE
WWW.MIFSUDS.COM
TOK 11-16 F2.8 ATX ProII .............. £349
TOK 11-16 F2.8 ATX Pro................. £299
TOK 12-24 F4 ATX Pro II................. £299
TOK 12-24 F4 ATX Pro .................... £249
TOK 16-50 F2.8 ATX DX box......... £299
Kenko ext tubes box .........................£99
FLASH / ACCESSORIES USED
R1 macro ring flash inc SB-200... £369
SB-29 ringflash box......................... £199
SB-29S ringflash............................... £169
SB-300..........£99 SB-400................ £119
SB-600.................................................. £119
SB-700.................................................. £219
SB-900.................................................. £249
SB-910 box......................................... £299
SU-800 commander ....................... £269
SB-8A batt pack...................................£69
Nissin i40 ...............................................£99
DR-6 or DR-5 angle finder each . £169
DR-4 angle finder ............................ £149
DR-3 angle finder ...............................£89
MC-36A rem.....£89 MC-30A rem..£39
SC-17/SC-19/SC-28 cable each......£49
8 F3.5 box........................................... £499
14-42 F3.5/5.6 ......................................£99
14-45 F4/5.6....................................... £149
45-200 F4.5/5.6................................. £199
100-300 F4/5.6 II box...................... £449
200 F2.8 box....................................£1299
1.4x converter................................... £299
PENTAX DIGITAL USED
16-45 F4 ED DA box........................ £199
18-55 F3.5/5.6 AL................................£69
18-250 F3.5/6.3 DA ......................... £249
28-80 F3.5/5.6 silver FA ....................£69
35 F2.4 DA AL.......................................£99
35-80 F4/5.6......£49 50 F1.8 DA . £119
55-300 F4/5.8 ED WR...................... £299
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OTHER PENTAX AF USED
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75 F4.5 late......................................... £399
90-180 F5.6 ........................................ £499
100 F4 + macro adapter................ £699
120 F3.5 soft focus .......................... £399
200 F4 late....£399 300 F4 latest £349
1.4x converter................................... £199
2x rear converter grey ................... £299
Wooden grip ..................................... £299
REF converter angle finder .......... £199
Chimney.............................................. £299
YASHICA 6x6 TLR USED
124G..................................................... £399
Auto bellows + slide copy att ..... £179
Auto bellows box ............................ £149
PENTAX AF USED
SFXN body ............................................£39
PENTAX MF USED
LX body............................................... £499
17 F4 PK .............................................. £399
50 F1.4 PK......£149 50 F1.7 PK.......£99
50 F2 PK .................................................£69
80-200 F4.5 PK.....................................£69
135 F3.5 PK ...........................................£79
300 F4 PK box ................................... £399
400 F5.6 PK ........................................ £399
Helicoid ext tube PK....................... £129
Bellows M + slide copier PK......... £199
PENTAX M42 USED
50 F1.4.........£149 105 F2.8 ........... £199
300 F4 .................................................. £299
Honeywell Pentax auto bellows £149
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 Photo Critique

Final Analysis
Gemma Padley considers…
‘One Poised Wing’ by William L Finley and Herman T Bohlman

© WILLIAM L. FINLEY PHOTOGRAPHS COLLECTION, CIRCA 1900–1940, OREGON HISTORICAL SOCIETY RESEARCH LIBRARY, PORTLAND, OREGON (ORGLOT 369; B25; FINLEYA2718
W
ith the right
photographic
kit, a smidgeon
of skill and
a good dose of patience, it’s
relatively easy to freeze a bird
in motion today. So much so,
we tend to take images of birds
flying for granted. You have
only to scour past editions of
Wildlife Photographer of the
Year or Bird Photographer of the
Year (BPOTY) to find multiple
examples. There is a lovely
example in the 2021 BPTOY
competition, in fact – a magical,
beautifully lit photograph of a
hummingbird feeding from a
flower, taken by the Swedish
photographer Nicolas Reusens,
who won silver in the ‘Birds in
Flight’ category.
This photograph of a
hummingbird – a rufous
hummingbird – is rather
different but no less impressive.
It was taken 118 years ago in
Portland, Oregon, by William
Lovell Finley (1876-1953) and President Theodore Roosevelt The photograph appeals to and the potential effects of
his friend, Herman T Bohlman in declaring the site, and others me for both these reasons, but climate change on the birds’
(1872-1933). William had in Oregon, a special wildlife also because it is, I think, rather food supply and migration
trained as a biologist at the reservation. beautiful; I like the catchlight in routes. The population trend of
University of California, The image shown here – titled the bird’s eye, its delicate the rufous hummingbird
Berkeley, and shared a passion ‘One Poised Wing’ – depicts a translucent wings and the specifically is decreasing.
for birds with Herman. The hummingbird feeding from a shadow that is visible behind. My hope is that all wildlife
friends were advocates of using geranium blossom. It is To me, it all adds up to an images, whether historical or
photography to promote impressive not least because the image that says a great deal contemporary, will continue to
conservation, something that photographers have successfully about man’s enduring love of inspire and delight, of course,
was in its infancy at the turn of frozen the bird in the air. No nature, and our continuing but more than this, will jolt us
the century. From the early mean feat when you consider need to record it, to study it, to into action, real action. We
1900s, they began that many species of understand it, and ultimately, must do everything in our
photographing birds in their hummingbird – the only bird to hold onto it. power to save the most
environments, with puffins, that can truly hover – flutter Today, some ten per cent of critically endangered species
golden eagles and sea birds their wings between 50 and 80 hummingbird species are listed on planet Earth, and
among their subjects. The duo beats per second. That the men on the International Union for photography can play a
is credited with taking the were able to capture this at all is Conservation of Nature (IUCN) part in that fight.
first-known photographs of sea even more impressive when red list of threatened species as
birds and sea lions at Three you remember they were either Critically Endangered, Into The Wild: The Story of The World’s
Arch Rocks off the coast of working without the bells and Endangered or Vulnerable, the Greatest Wildlife Photography by
Oregon in 1903. Interestingly, whistles of contemporary main causes being the growing Gemma Padley is published by Laurence
their images helped sway photographic gear. destruction of natural habitats King, priced £40.

Gemma Padley is a writer and editor on photography and a former features editor of Amateur Photographer. Her other books include Look at This If You Love Great Photography (Ivy Press) and
From Above: The Story of Aerial Photography (Laurence King). www.gemmapadley.co.uk
www.bookshq.net
98 www.amateurphotographer.co.uk
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Image shot using a Canon EOS RP.

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