Tuesday 11 June 2024

Nikon Z 28-400mlym f/4-8

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An affordable and unique Z cameras
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Passionate about photography since 1884

Wildlife workshop
Ben Hall and Ross Hoddinott share their tips for success

War story
The IWM pays tribute
to Tim Hetherington

Mark Littlejohn
The landscape pro on his
£4.25

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Plus The Victorian cult of the carte de visite • The Canon EOS 550D revisited
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 7days
Inside this week’s issue
3 7 days
Welcome
8 Books and 38 There’s something
for everyone in this
exhibitions week’s issue. Two of
10 The visual Britain’s top nature
novelist: Tim photographers have
Hetherington got together to offer
their tips for composing wildlife
16 Mark Littlejohn photos, while award-winning
18 Cult of the carte landscape shooter Mark Littlejohn
talks about his approach to social
23 Nikon Nikkor Z

© ROSS HODDINOTT AND BEN HALL

media. We pay tribute to the gifted
28-400mm photojournalist Tim Hetherington,
f/4-8 VR review whose life was cut tragically short
27 Second-hand during the Libyan civil war, and is
classic the subject of a new retrospective
at the Imperial War Museum. We
30 Accessories also go back in time to look at the

16
33 Tech talk Victorian craze for cartes de visite.
On the equipment front we test
34 EISA Maestro the new Nikon Z 28-400mm lens,
Photo Contest and consider the Canon EOS 550D
2024 UK winner as a great-value used buy. If you
38 Ben Hall and enjoy the variety that AP offers
Ross Hoddinott’s and you don’t already subscribe,
top wildlife tips check out our latest offer on page
50. Nigel Atherton, Editor
44 Inbox

WORKSHOP. INSET, TOP, BY TIM HETHERINGTON © IWM (DC 64010). INSET, BELOW © MARK LITTLEJOHN
COVER PICTURE © BEN HALL AND ROSS HODDINOTT, FROM THEIR BOOK, THE WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY
46 It’s good to share
© MARK LITTLEJOHN

53 Best Buys
66 Final analysis 23
© IWM (DC 92602)

10 27
Our cover image, by Ross Hoddinott, is
taken from The Wildlife Photography
Workshop by Ben Hall & Ross Hoddinott,
RRP £16.99, Ammonite Press. Read their
THIS WEEK’S CONTRIBUTORS wildlife photography tips on page 38.

Connect with us
@ EMAIL US at ap.ed@kelsey.co.uk with your
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JOIN US ONLINE in one of these AP communities:
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HOLLIE LATHAM KEITH WILSON DAVID CLARK TRACY CALDER AMY DAVIES DAMIEN FACEBOOK: amateur.photographer.magazine
HUCKER Acting Features Ed
The AP regular
Features Editor DEMOLDER TWITTER: @AP_Magazine
Technique Editor AP’s former editor
on an exhibition David interviews talks to Paul Amy tests the Photo equipment INSTAGRAM: @AP_Magazine
Hollie shares some about the late Tim the UK winner of Frecker about his affordable Nikkor Z expert Damien FLICKR: flickr.com/groups/amateurphotographer
of Ben Hall and Hetherington, a the EISA Maestro book on the 28-400mm f/4-8 tests the Hollyland
Ross Hoddinott’s unique war Contest 2024, Victorian craze for VR for full-frame Lark M2
top tips for wildlife photographer Nick Ledger cartes de visite Nikon Z cameras microphone kit

World’s first f/1.8
full-frame zoom lens
NOBODY can accuse Sigma of resting on
its laurels, and the industrious
independent lens maker has now announced
the 28-45mm F1.8 DG DN Art, the world’s
first full-frame zoom lens with a constant
maximum aperture of f/1.8.
While the zoom range is somewhat limited,
the lens is competitively priced, coming in at
£1,299. The lens, which follows on from
Sigma’s 18-35mm F1.8 DC HSM Art and
24-35mm F2 DG HSM Art, employs an inner
zoom mechanism to keep the overall length
of the lens constant when the focal length or
focus distance changes. This means that
the lens is easy to use when shooting
handheld, stable when mounted on a tripod
or gimbal, and more resistant to dust and
water, Sigma claims.
Handy for close-ups
In addition, the minimum focusing distance is
a constant 30cm across the zoom range,
with a maximum magnification ratio of 1:4 at
the telephoto end – making this a handy lens
for close-up work.
There are 5 SLD elements and 3 aspherical
elements to correct any aberrations –
including the axial chromatic aberration
which is particularly noticeable with
large-aperture lenses. Focus breathing, flare
and ghosting are suppressed too. The AF
mechanism’s near-silent HLA (High-response
Linear Actuator) motor will help when
shooting video.
Other features include a dust- and splash-
resistant body, a water- and oil-repellent
4
Sigma’s
28-45mm F1.8
DG DN Art
full-frame lens
coating on the front of the lens, and a
petal-type hood to keep stray light at bay.
‘With high-speed and adaptable AF, a durable
© ATHANASIOS MALOUKOS / TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR (TPOTY) 2023
weather-resistant structure, a de-clickable
aperture ring, smooth manual focusing and
on-barrel AFL buttons, all features combine to
create a versatile photographic tool capable
of responding to any situation,’ said Sigma.
The Sigma 28-45mm F1.8 DG DN Art lens
goes on sale from 20 June and as
mentioned, costs a relatively affordable
£1,299. For more information on this and the
company’s other lenses, see sigmauk.com
The new Sigma
will be available
from 20 June
Major travel
contest opens
THIS stunning image by Greek
photographer Athanasios Maloukos
was a category winner in last year’s Travel
Photographer of the Year competition,
which is now open for 2024. Portfolio
categories include Faces, People,
Cultures; Planet Earth – Landscapes,
climate and water; and Nature and
wildlife. There are also single-shot
categories – Cities, Towns and Streets;
Escape; Festivals and Celebrations; and
Women in World Culture – and the Young
Travel Photographer of the Year award,
open to entrants aged 18 and under. For
full entry details, visit www.tpoty.com
Take note: Abbey
Road music awards
IN MORE competition news,
this year’s Abbey Road Studios
Music Photography Awards
competition is open for
submissions until 18 July. Entry
is free, and the categories include
Music Moment of the Year and
Undiscovered Photographer of
the Year.
The results will be announced at
the famous studios on 3 October,
with top portrait photographer
Rankin amongst the judging panel
luminaries. For details, see
bit.ly/abbeymusicprize
www.amateurphotographer.com
Full-frame pinhole camera
THE CubeFF 35mm film pinhole camera has been released by
Chroma Camera, with FF standing for full-frame (it can also
shoot in half frame via a drop-in frame insert included in the box).
Key features include a
0.2mm laser-drilled
pinhole, 30mm focal
length, equivalent
aperture of f/150 and
optimisation for ISO
200/400 films. The
new camera joins the
pocket-sized Baby
© ASHLEY VERSE
Cube pinhole model,
and is available now
for £120 from
Stormzy by Ashley Verse, one of chroma.camera/
CubeFF 35mm film pinhole camera
last year’s winners products/
5
 New range
of Lexar
SD cards
LEXAR has expanded its Professional
Silver Card range, offering a decent
amount of storage and data transfer
speeds at a competitive price.
You can get the 64GB version of the
Lexar Silver SDXC UHS-I Card for a mere
£12.79 on Amazon, while the 128GB
version costs around £7 more. At the
higher end of the storage range, the
256GB version is available for £34.99,
with 512GB and 1TB versions available
soon. These should obviate the need for
carrying around lots of extra cards
(though it’s always sensible to have a
back-up card in your bag or camera
case). Should you need a Micro SD for
your phone or action camera, the Silver
Follow AP on
YouTube
Don’t miss our videos for the latest
kit, tutorials, behind the scenes
tours and exclusive interviews
with top photographers
SOME RECENT VIDEOS
Plus microSDXC UHS-I Card is available
in 64GB (£9.99), 128GB (£15.99) and
256GB (£24.99) versions. Again, 512GB
and 1TB capacities will be available soon.
The Sliver series cards offer maximum
read speeds of 205MB/s and 150MB/s
write speeds (140MB/s for the
Professional Silver SDXC UHS-I Card).
‘These cards are also designed with
real life in mind and are drop-proof,
temperature-proof, x-ray-proof,
shockproof, magnetic-proof, and
vibration-resistant,’ the firm said. ‘They
also offer users peace of mind with the
Lexar Recovery Tool, which allows users
to recover accidentally deleted files, and
a lifetime limited warranty.’

Nikon marks lens milestone

NIKON hit a production milestone of 120 million lenses for its interchangeable-
lens cameras in April – this includes both DSLR and mirrorless glass.
As with Canon, the company has a long history. The Nikkor trademark was first
registered by Nippon Kogaku K.K. in 1932, before the company changed its name to
the much easier-to-remember Nikon.
‘Beginning with the introduction of Aero-Nikkor aerial photographic lenses in 1933,
Nikon is still one of the few manufacturers that crafts lenses starting from the
production of optical glass,’ the firm said. ‘Over the years, Nikkor has consistently
integrated cutting-edge technologies into its lenses, including features like aperture
control, autofocus, and vibration reduction (VR). The legacy continues with Z lenses,
specifically designed for Nikon mirrorless cameras, boasting a new mount with the
industry’s largest
diameter. This innovation
unlocks new possibilities
in lens design.’ Nikon
also cited the release of
the Z 58mm f/0.95 S To find our channel simply
Noct, the fastest lens in point your smartphone
the firm’s history with an camera at this QR code or
aperture of f/0.95. type our name into Google:
See our expert guide
Total production of Nikkor lenses for
to the best Nikon
Nikon interchangeable-lens cameras YouTube/AmateurPhotographerTV
Z-mount lenses at
has reached 120 million
bit.ly/apzlensguide

6 www.amateurphotographer.com
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ALL PICTURES © JOANNE COATES. 2023

Middle of Somewhere
Until 17 November (Wed-Sun), Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, Gateshead Quays, NE8 3BA
Joanne Coates’ latest work explores the hard reality of life for
young women in rural places today, writes David Clark
Many people have an idealised view of historically and says it’s important for her to bring for them. The exhibition includes portraits
sparsely populated rural locations and what it be part of the communities she documents. of the women, shots of the landscapes they
would be like to live and work in them. In Her work has included long-term projects Lie inhabit, and a wooden shed in which recordings
Middle of Somewhere, Joanne Coates, of the Land and Daughters of the Soil, both of of the women speaking are played.
recipient of The Vasseur Baltic Artists’ Award which document women with low incomes The landscapes, including Orkney in
2024, looks at the hard reality of life for living in rural locations. Scotland and the Yorkshire Dales, shot in a
people who live in such places. In Middle of Somewhere, Coates again plain, realistic style, have been chosen to
Coates, who describes herself as a concentrates on young women in rural show the effects of climate change in the
working-class visual artist using the medium locations, exploring their situation using form of coastal erosion and rising water
of photography, is based in the north-east of photography, audio and installations. She levels. Meanwhile, Coates’ thoughtful and
England and works as an agricultural particularly focuses on the struggles they face empathetic portraits show the women with
labourer. She’s interested in the lives of today, including the cost of living crisis and the thoughtful, pensive expressions or staring
people who have been under-represented housing shortage, and what the future might into the distance – and an uncertain future.

8 www.amateurphotographer.com
Books & exhibitions
The latest and best books and exhibitions
from the world of photography

© NICKY BIRD
Before and After Coal
Free. Until 15 September at National
Galleries Scotland: Portrait, 1 Queen Street,
Edinburgh EH2 1JD
Subtitled ‘Images and Voices from Scotland’s Mining
Communities’, this free exhibition focuses on the
history and impact of coal mining. Its starting-point is
a 1982 series of black & white photographs of
Scottish miners by US photographer Milton Rogovin,
titled Family of Miners. These images have been
revisited by artist Nicky Bird, who has photographed
sites and surviving people from those images and
their families for her related project, Mineworkings.
Rogovin’s images, which show miners at work and in
their free time, are an evocative document of the
community at that time. Bird’s touching images of
their children and grandchildren show the importance
of industrial heritage and the community spirit still
present today, as well as the mark that generations
of mining has left on the landscape. David Clark

Leaving Ukraine
From £10.40. Age 21 and under, free. Until
1 September. The Foundling Museum, 40
Brunswick Square, London WC1N 1AZ
Since winning the Guardian Young Photographer of
the Year prize in 2002, Polly Braden has become a
successful documentary photographer. Her long-term
project, Leaving Ukraine, focuses on women forced
to leave their homes since the Russian invasion in
2022. The exhibition is a combination of images,
film and aural testimony and explores four stories,
including three school friends finding new lives in
Europe and a mother and young baby starting afresh
in Poland. Braden has got to know them well and her
sensitive, engaging work gives a moving insight into
the daily lives and emotions of women whose lives
have been irrevocably changed by war. David Clark

9
© IWM (DC 64010)
The visual I
Tim Hetherington was not your typical
war photographer, but that’s what made
him unique. Keith Wilson reviews a new
exhibition remembering the life and work
of a talented storyteller who died too soon
10
knew Tim Hetherington before he became a war
photographer. We worked together on a couple of
stories for a new magazine that never launched. It
was 1999 and our paths then diverged; I went to
leafy Sussex and Tim went to war. In choosing Liberia,
he entered an especially brutal conflict zone, a country
that had already suffered a seven-year-long civil war,
when only three years later it plunged into another.
Liberia in 1999 marks the starting point of Storyteller:
Photography by Tim Hetherington, an exhibition of his
sensitive and deeply considered work, now showing at
the Imperial War Museum, London.
I wasn’t sure what to expect, as Tim was anything
but the clichéd, bullet-dodging war photographer that
Hollywood loves to portray. Fortunately, the museum
and curator Greg Brockett have gone out of their way
to show what made this tall, young, Oxford-educated
photographer and filmmaker so profoundly different
from his peers. That difference is made immediately
apparent by the exhibition’s first installation –
surrounding the TV screen playing interviews with
www.amateurphotographer.com

those who worked with him is a montage of colour
contact sheets. For most of his working life, Tim used
medium-format film cameras, from a twin-lens Rolleiflex
in Liberia to a Mamiya 67 on his final assignment in
Libya. As his fellow filmmaker, James Brabazon, speaks
on screen, we are shown footage of Tim at work,
Rolleiflex around his neck, smiling and talking to
locals on an African beach while taking a manual light
reading. This is not to say he eschewed digital entirely
– his 15 months embedded with US troops on the front
line in Afghanistan demanded the faster approach and
delivery of chips and sensors – but his preference for
film was a deliberate choice as it slowed him down and
gave greater freedom to connect with people.
Visual novels
Tim was also a diarist and the inclusion of some of his
journals – opened to reveal his hand in neat and fine
ink – adds to the poignancy of the exhibition and
the impact of the many quotes that adorn the walls.
Explaining the significance of the diaries, exhibition
curator Greg Brockett says: ‘Having access to his diaries
has helped us, and in turn our audiences, to better
understand the person that produced this thoughtful
and sometimes self-reflective work.’
Self-reflection often leads to personal insight and
one of Tim’s most thoughtful quotes concerns the
motivation behind his intent: ‘I do not set out to make
a work of photojournalism, but rather a visual novel
that draws upon real people and places.’
This difference in approach is further underlined in
a video interview with photojournalist Mike Kamber:
‘When we were covering Liberia, or any of the other
wars, most of the photographers were on the front
line or trying to get to the front line, taking pictures
of guys shooting guns, getting the classic war photo.
I can’t think if he maybe doesn’t even have a picture
of a guy shooting a gun, maybe one. He’s interested in
the context. He’s interested in the societal aspects of it.
He’s interested in the culture of violence. That’s what
he’s photographing.’
In Liberia, Tim’s subject depicting the societal aspect of
the civil war was a football team called the Millennium
Stars, made up of former combatants, some with
© IWM (DC 64035)
www.amateurphotographer.com
TIM HETHERINGTON
© IWM (DC 63058)
Above: An prosthetic limbs. By documenting these young and
amputee about to wounded men training and playing football, Tim found
take to the field another way for audiences to engage with war through
for a friendly the more familiar subject of sport. He described this
football match at
a war veterans nuanced approach to storytelling as a ‘Trojan Horse’ and
camp situated on over the next three years deployed it again for other
the outskirts of post-civil war stories in Sierra Leone and Angola,
Luanda, Angola. culminating in a project called Healing Sport.
June 2002
Compassion and connection
Far left: A Projects such as Healing Sport required more time
Liberians United
for Reconciliation and engagement with local civilians than most of his
and Democracy contemporaries were prepared to give, but Tim felt
(LURD) combatant compelled to make that degree of personal investment.
in Liberia, June ‘I have no desire to be the kind of war firefighter flying
2003 from war zone to war zone,’ he declares in another
quote from the exhibition walls. Healing Sport is proof
Left: A Liberian of that declaration and in explaining its significance to
woman carries
cassava leaves to the ethos behind his journalism, he says: ‘The idea of
the central market working as a photographer who takes pictures and then
in Tubmanburg, goes home to his own press is not right. I’m not really
Liberia, May 2003 into that any more. That doesn’t really interest me
because how can we affect change in Africa? It seems a
very long way around the problem: I go to your country,
I go to Africa, I take a picture of your community, I take
it back to my community and show it to the press in my
community and hope that someone in my community
is going to do something about your problem! That
seems to be an awfully long way round to change
people’s consciousness or affect some sort of debate.’
Such a position takes compassion, empathy and a
connection rarely seen in the work of modern war
photographers, but the Tim I remember from two
decades ago had those qualities in bucketloads, and they
were still apparent to Sebastian Junger, the journalist
who was embedded alongside him during the war in
Afghanistan. He says: ‘The thing that made his
work good was that he was also an incredibly
11
 TIM HETHERINGTON
© IWM (DC 66144)

A sleeping soldier from the United States Army’s 173rd Airborne Brigade in Afghanistan’s Korengal Valley

compassionate, beautiful person, emotionally

speaking. And his big struggle in life was opening
that part of himself up and exposing it and suffering the
consequence of being vulnerable because of it. But it’s
also what made him a completely brilliant photographer.’

Embedded in Afghanistan
It was Tim’s prolific work from Afghanistan that brought
him to global attention. From 2007, he and Sebastian
were embedded with a platoon from the US 173rd
Airborne Brigade based in an isolated outpost called
Restrepo in Afghanistan’s Korengal Valley. Initially there
for an assignment with Vanity Fair, they spent 15 months
taking turns eating, sleeping and going on operations
with the soldiers. As well as news, their work resulted in
books – most notably Infidel – a video installation called
Sleeping Soldiers, and a 93-minute documentary film,
Restrepo. The film was critically acclaimed on its release
in 2010, winning the Grand Jury Prize for documentary
at Sundance Film Festival and an Oscar nomination for
best documentary film the same year.
Maya Mumma, associate editor of Restrepo, remembers
Tim’s proficiency with both stills and video as a rare and
advantageous skill: ‘I think because he worked with both
footage and photography too, he knew how to isolate
© IWM (DC 64030)

moments, but he also knew moments that needed to

unfold over time… and he was incredibly adept at the
balance of those.’ Tim’s time in the Korengal Valley
resulted in his most celebrated photograph, too: a The Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD) advance on the
grim and grainy image of a soldier reeling in Liberian capital, Monrovia, during the Second Liberian Civil War (1999-2003), 2003

12 www.amateurphotographer.com
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 TIM HETHERINGTON

exhaustion in his muddy dugout, winner of the

World Press Photo of the Year in 2008.
By the end of the decade, he was 40 years old,
at the peak of his creative powers, acclaimed and
acknowledged by his peers and the film industry, and
in a romantic relationship with the film director and
actress Idil Ibrahim. Then came the Arab Spring and
civil war in Libya. Tim decided to go.

Grimly happy
Even with the hindsight of 13 years after his death, it is
hard to think of this handsome young photographer,
filmmaker, World Press Photo Winner and Oscar
nominee making that fateful trip to Libya. This is where
Storyteller ends. We see his last self-portrait, we see his
pictures of rebel fighters posing and posturing with their
weapons for his camera. We see the camera, a Mamiya

© IWM (DC 92602)

67, sitting alongside his old Vivitar flash and iPhone in
a glass display box. And the diary.
The last entry is from 19 April, 2011, the day before he
was fatally wounded in Misrata by a piece of shrapnel
Above: Soldiers from the United States
from a mortar shell blast. Tim writes of a funeral for
Army’s 173rd Airborne Brigade during
a fighter at the house where he has been staying, and a 15-month deployment in the Korengal
recalls the words of a mourner who tells him, ‘Misrata is Valley, Afghanistan, June 2008
paying the tax for all of Libya.’ Even amid the death and
grief, there is hope in Tim’s reaction, his last entry reads: Left: A self-portrait of Tim Hetherington,
‘They are grimly happy that we are here to help them. taken in Libya, April 2011
They feel that now the whole world can see.’ We
still are, but no longer through Tim’s eyes. Below: The ‘Millennium Stars’: a
© IWM (HU 137369)

football team comprising mainly of

former combatants involved in the First
Storyteller: Photography by Tim Hetherington is on show at the Imperial War Liberian Civil War. Liberia, 1999
Museum, London, until 29 September. Entry is free. Visit www.iwm.org.uk

© IWM (DC 66178)

www.amateurphotographer.com 15
CREATIVITY
and
When Mark Littlejohn started
writing extended captions to his
Instagram images each morning, little
did he know where they would take
him and his photography…
I
f you aren’t a fan of social
media, then this article
probably isn’t for you. Because
it’s about my use of social
media. In particular, my little daily
stories on social media. Spiels, I call
them. I’m not a fan of the word
‘blog’. I’ve never been a particular
fan of what they used to call
buzzwords. Not that what you call
them is in any way important. They
are what they are.
Everything is done so quickly
these days. And the sharing of
photographs on platforms such
as Instagram and Facebook is no
different. People have lists of
hashtags already carefully prepared.
Hashtags that will increase their
pictures’ visibility. But does a
one-second glance count as
visibility? Seen for an instant and
forgotten a moment later. I found
the whole thing too emotionless.
And photography for me is all
about emotion. So, I started using
hashtags that no one had used
before. Usually taking the mick
out of myself. Or about my mother
breaking wind. People began to
read the hashtags and comment on
them. But then the hashtags started
to affect the captions I wrote that
‘The spiels aren’t lectures about how we should
take photographs. About our technical proficiency
with a camera. They’re about life’
16
accompanied the pictures. And so,
the captions turned into spiels.
Sales talk
What is a spiel? Apparently, it’s an
elaborate or glib story, typically used
by a salesperson. And I suppose, as a
photographer and workshop leader
I’m selling myself. I’m not sure that
was my plan to start with. I’m not
even sure how long they’d have
lasted, if I’m honest. But not long
after I started writing them, I was on
the phone with a good friend. She
was very ill with cancer, and going
through a painful time in her life,
but she said that for five minutes
each morning she forgot about her
worries while she read my spiels.
Read them with a smile. Because the
spiels aren’t lectures about how we
should take photographs. About our
technical proficiency with a camera.
They’re about life. And life’s little
foibles. My little foibles, to be
precise. And, much as with the
hashtags, it’s about taking the mick
out of myself. Self-deprecating,
I think the phrase is.
I always think that we take our
best pictures when we’re relaxed. Over the past two
When we’re not putting ourselves years I’ve been
under too much pressure. And so, photographing kelp.
It’s a fascinating
subject. Even more
so since the tide is
only rarely low
enough to capture
scenes such as this
www.amateurphotographer.com

I’ve been drawn to reeds more and
more. There is a calming balance
when you find the right scene
Mindfulness is often talked about
in photography these days. But what
if despite all that talk, our minds are
still shackled to the same trains of
thought that they’ve always been
shackled to? Progressing along the
same tracks as always? Perhaps
thinking about your days, their
highs and lows, the funny wee
anecdotes, and putting them down
on paper allows for that greater
freedom of expression. People talk
about other photographers as their
inspirations. But our photographs
should be a reflection of who we
CREATIVITY
Mark Littlejohn is a are, how we’ve lived our lives. And
photographer and perhaps writing about ourselves
workshop leader who allows our own influences to come
lives in north-west through to a greater degree.
Scotland. You can read These days, one of my spiels might
his spiels on Instagram be about walking into a pub with a
naked cheese grater, or it might be
@mark_littlejohn
about how it doesn’t really matter
how many likes an image didn’t get.
When you make a photograph, you
only have to please one person.
If you are smiling, then you are
winning. And as long as my friend
is still smiling, I’ll keep on
writing my spiels.

the spiels, in addition to being

(hopefully) humorous, are also
sometimes about little aspects of
common sense that we can apply
when we’re using a camera. They
can be about the emotional aspects
of life with a camera. And the
strange thing is that writing the
spiels has led to me becoming more
creative when I’m out and about.

Reactive photography
I’ve always been what I’d call a
‘reactive’ photographer. I see
something obviously nice, and point
the camera in that general direction.
However, over the past four years of
writing my spiels, I’ve noticed a
change. The picture is as likely to
be one of reeds or kelp as it is to be
of a tree or a hill. A hidden beauty
I may not have noticed before. Has
the act of writing opened my own
mind to just a little bit more of that I’ve always felt an
wonderful world that surrounds us? attraction to surreal
Letting my mind wander while I scenes and I loved
write has allowed me to look at my that the trees were
growing horizontally
own photography differently. Given
over a void
it a freedom of expression.

www.amateurphotographer.com 17
VICTORIAN MINIATURE PORTRAITS

The

of the
The Victorian craze for
collecting miniature portraits
is explored in Paul Frecker’s
new book, Cartomania. He
talks to Tracy Calder about
the cult of the carte

I
n 1877 Rossa Richter (also known as Zazel) began
appearing as a Human Cannonball at London’s
Royal Aquarium. As a child, she was taught to
walk the tightrope and master the trapeze, but at
17 she climbed into a spring-style cannon and was fired
20ft across the room – a feat she would repeat countless
times while touring Europe and North America. Rossa
suffered a number of injuries during her career and
eventually broke her back after falling 40ft from a high
wire in New Mexico. Despite her questionable life
choices, she survived well into her 70s.
Rossa is one of a number of eccentric characters
celebrated in Paul Frecker’s new book Cartomania:
Photography & Celebrity in the Nineteenth Century. Other
personalities include Captain Paul Boyton, the aquatic
entertainer who designed an inflatable rubber costume,
and Senor Donato, the one-legged Spanish dancer who
thrilled audiences with his enthusiastic, rapid
revolutions. Each of these characters has been
immortalised in a carte de visite, a photograph mounted ‘A Basket-Seller’ course of my life,’ he reveals.
on a piece of card similar in size to the visiting cards by Johannes While he’s never conducted a full count, Paul
beloved by the Victorians. Monstein of St estimates he now has around 8,000 loose cartes de visite
Petersburg
Paul has been collecting cartes de visite since 2001, in archival boxes and about 50 unbroken albums (each
when he came across an album of photographs in a local containing around 50 and 200 cartes). He adds to the
antique market. He was working as a fashion stylist at collection steadily, regularly walking the aisles of vintage
the time, but was growing weary of the profession. ‘I photography fairs and ephemera sales. At the very
knew a little about the history of photography but beginning, eBay was a wonderful source of cartes de
nothing about this particular format,’ he admits. visite, but Frecker has found that bargains now don’t
While tempted, he decided not to buy the album on come up as often as they once did. ‘One generation of
this occasion. ‘A few weeks later I was on holiday in eBayers has stripped the attics of the world,’ he jokes.
Mexico and one morning on the beach in a small Anyone thinking of starting their own collection of
fishing village in Jalisco I found myself thinking of the cartes de visite would do well to choose a subject or
way the light fell on a woman’s hair in one of the theme first. Paul has sold cards to collectors all over the
portraits in the album,’ he recalls. As soon as he world and is always surprised by the diversity of
returned to London, Frecker went back to the market interests. ‘Some people collect portraits of dogs, some
and secured the album. ‘That one carte changed the people collect royalty,’ he explains. ‘I even know one

18 www.amateurphotographer.com
collector who only buys cards of men sporting a Right: Queen
moustache – the bigger the better!’ Other popular Victoria and
subjects include nuns, nurses, soldiers, sailors, artists, Prince Albert,
actors and circus performers (like Zazel). ‘Collect 1860, by John
Mayall of London
whatever grabs your attention most,’ urges Paul.
Despite this advice, his own collection is relatively Below left: A
diverse, although he does have some preferences: self-portrait by
portraits by the photographer Camille Silvy (who ran a photographer
studio in London from 1859-68), for example, feature Camille Silvy of
heavily. He also has a penchant for a genre known as London, 1862
‘Russian types’. ‘These are portraits of working-class
Below right:
Russians in the mid-19th century: street vendors, Rossa Matilda
lamp-lighters, glaziers, carpenters, house servants, Richter, also
chimney sweeps, all posed as if going about their jobs or known as Zazel,
engaged in activity of some kind,’ he explains. the Human
Of course, a buyer today will have different reasons for Canonball
collecting cartes de visite than the Victorian public they
were originally intended for. While the idea had been
around for most of the 1850s, these cards didn’t reach
peak popularity until the 1860s.
‘The format owed its success to the Parisian

www.amateurphotographer.com 19
 Above: ‘Aquatic
Entertainer’
Captain Paul
Boynton by
Lesage of Dublin

Above left:
Theatre
performers John
Toole and Paul
Bedford in The
Area Belle, by
Southwell
Brothers of
London

photographer André Disdéri, who in 1859 issued
several portraits of the French imperial family in
the new, compact dimensions,’ Paul explains. Initially
these cards were commissioned by aristocrats who
exchanged them with their friends and family, but as
price wars began and the process became more
affordable, ‘a moneyed middle class’ started to head to
the studio to record their likeness.
Fans of this photographic phenomena included Queen
Victoria, who compiled more than 30 cartes de visite
Cartomania:
albums, each with a different theme. ‘She reputedly
drove her ladies-in-waiting to distraction with
Photography & Celebrity
interminable demands that they write to an endless list in the Nineteenth
of people around the world requesting portraits for her Century by Paul Frecker
ever-growing collection,’ Paul says. is available now. To find
Cultural commentators called the craze for collecting out more, visit publisher
these miniature portraits ‘Cartomania’ and, for a while, September Publishing at
it looked like there would be no end to its popularity. septemberpublishing.org
Alongside personal portraits, cards were produced
featuring celebrities, members of the church and, on
some occasions, criminals.
But the craze for cartes de visite was short-lived. ‘The
Left: Señor
Donato, the
one-legged
Spanish dancer,
by Ludwig Haase
of Berlin
Cartomania flame burnt brightly but it burnt quickly,
despite – or because of – the plethora of new
practitioners who jumped on its bandwagon,’ says Paul.
It might have been brief, but the passion for collecting
miniature portraits had a lasting impact on
photography, and also on Paul. ‘If someone else had
bought that album while I was on holiday in Mexico,
the past 20 years of my life would have been utterly
different,’ he reflects.
For Paul, these cards are a window into the past, and
also serve as an introduction to a cast of captivating
characters. ‘Sometimes the back story is the cherry on
the cake, sometimes it’s the not knowing that’s so
intriguing,’ he concludes.

20 www.amateurphotographer.com
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of Nikon & other brands of equipment

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 SAVE
£
UP TO

on EOS R cameras & lenses

INSTANTLY & save even more when bought
together with Canon Lens Rewards
Selected models only Ask in-store or check online for details.
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26 Stores Nationwide E & O E. Subject to availability. Check website or in-store

for latest pricing. Images are for illustrative purposes only.

This all-in-one zoom
can tackle a wide
range of subjects
Nikon Z 7II, 28mm,
1/30sec at f/4, ISO 640
Nikon Nikkor Z 28-
400mm f/4-8 VR
This is an affordable and uniquely versatile superzoom
for full-frame Nikon Z cameras, but what are the
compromises? Amy Davies finds out
A
nnounced in March,
the Nikkor Z 28-
400mm f/4-8 VR is
designed as a
versatile superzoom lens that
might, theoretically, never leave
your camera. Giving you a 14.2x
zoom, it could cover subjects as
diverse as landscapes, portraits,
macro, sports and wildlife. This
could make it a good choice for
www.amateurphotographer.com
situations such as travel or day
trips, when you’re trying to keep
your kit bag as light as possible.
It might also be a good option
for those who want to shoot
distant subjects but are working
to a relatively tight budget. Up
until now, the options for shooting
with such a long lens for the Z
series have been to use either
the Nikkor Z 180-600mm
LENS TEST
f/5.6-6.3 VR (£1,799), or the
Nikkor Z 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6
VR S, a fantastic lens but with an
asking price of £2,599.
Coming in at £1,399 instead,
the Nikkor Z 28-400mm offers a
much more affordable route into
this kind of shooting, as well as
being lighter and more travel
friendly. But of course there are
compromises to be had to make
Testbench
the cost and space savings. Most
obviously, the small maximum
aperture will push you towards
shooting at higher ISO settings.
This lens is designed to be
used with Nikon’s full-frame Z
models, including the Z 7II, Z 6II
and Z 5. More expensive models
such as the Z 9 or Z 8 are of
course compatible too, but it’s
not really targeted towards typical
users of those cameras. It’s also
possible to use this lens with
Nikon’s APS-C Z models, such as
the Z 50 and the Z fc, on which it
will give an equivalent focal
length of 42-600mm.
23
The lens delivers reasonably
sharp and clean-looking images
Nikon Z 7II, 70mm, 1/80sec at f/6, ISO 250
Features
The optical construction
consists of 21 elements in 15
groups, including 4 ED elements
and 3 aspherical elements.
These should combat colour
fringing, distortion and other
aberrations. The lens is weather-
sealed, but there doesn’t appear
to be any special coatings to
repel dirt and water. Meanwhile,
nine blades are employed to form
the aperture.
The minimum focus distance
depends on the position of the
You can blur the background
quite effectively at 400mm
Nikon Z 7II, 400mm, 1/400sec at f/8, ISO 800
24
zoom. At 28mm, the lens can
focus as close as 0.2m, rising to
1.2m at the 400mm end.
Bearing in mind that this distance
is measured from the sensor,
it means you can be almost
touching your subject at the
28mm end. The maximum
reproduction ratio is 0.35x.
A stepping motor is used for
autofocus, which promises to be
quick and near-silent. The VR in
the lens name indicates that it
has inbuilt vibration reduction.
That’s particularly important for
shooting at long focal lengths,
especially if you intend to use it
with Nikon’s APS-C cameras
which don’t have in-body image
stabilisation. Five stops of
compensation are promised, or
5.5 stops on a camera with
Synchro VR (Z 9, Z 8, or Z f).
It’s worth remembering that
you can also use DX mode on
full-frame models to effectively
extend the reach. Again you’ll get
a 42-600mm range. However, you
also need to be mindful of the
camera you’re using it with. If it’s
a high-resolution model such as
the Nikon Z 7II, you’ll end up with
a very usable 19.5MP file. But for
lower-resolution cameras such as
the Z 6II, the output will drop to
10.3MP, which is fine for social
media but could be less
favourable for printing.
Build and handling
Despite being marketed as small
and lightweight, I was still
surprised by exactly how compact
the 28-400mm is for such a long
lens when I took it out of the box.
It’s certainly something that I feel
comfortable carrying around for
day trips and holidays without
having to see a chiropractor
afterwards, and it’s comfortable
for handheld shooting too.
The lens measures 141.5mm
in length (84.5mm diameter)
and weighs 725g. To have a
28-400mm full-frame zoom lens
in something of this size is quite
an impressive feat, even if it does
come at the expense of
maximum aperture. Of course,
that’s not to say that the lens is
inherently small, but it still
balances well with models such
as the Z 6II and the Z 7II. But it
would perhaps make APS-C
models such as the Z fc feel a
little unbalanced – particularly at
the 400mm end. When the full
length of the zoom is extended,
of course it becomes much
bigger. But on the whole, it still
balances quite well if you support
it with your left hand.
The outward design of the lens
is relatively straightforward. A
lock to stop the lens from
extending by itself when being
carried around is useful;
otherwise you’ll likely find the
zoom changes of its own accord.
There are no other buttons or
switches to be found here, so
functions such as switching
between manual and autofocus
will need to be controlled from
the camera body.
www.amateurphotographer.com

You can shoot subjects such as
flowers very well with this lens
Nikon Z 7II, 84mm, 1/100sec at f/6, ISO 160
There is however a small ring
near the mount end of the lens,
which can be customised to
control a few functions, including
exposure compensation,
aperture, and manual focus.
It’s also possible to set the dial
to do nothing at all, which is
worth remembering if you’re
prone to knocking it out of place.
Much of the bulk of the lens
barrel is taken up by the zoom
mechanism, as you’d expect.
The zoom ring has just the right
amount of give to make small
increments easy, without being
so stiff as to be difficult to
operate. Focal lengths of 28,
35, 50, 70, 105, 200, 300
and 400mm are marked
on the zoom ring.
The lens can be used with
77mm filters. A lens hood
(HB-114) is included in the box,
which can be reversed when
storing or transporting the lens
to save space.
Autofocus
I’ve been using the lens with the
Nikon Z 7II and on the whole,
autofocus has been quick and
quiet. Occasionally it pauses
with low-contrast subjects, or
when the light is low, but I’ve
never seen a false confirmation
of focus.
Sometimes, when moving
between shots from a close
subject to a distant one, it can
www.amateurphotographer.com
take a little longer to lock onto
focus than perhaps might be
ideal, particularly with fast-
moving subjects. But for the
price and specification of the
lens it’s still reasonably good.
It’s also very quiet. You can
just about hear it focusing if you with the narrow aperture comes
hold the camera next to your ear
in a quiet room, but it doesn’t
show up on most videos, and
certainly shouldn’t disturb
situations such as weddings or
wildlife. It would be a good
choice for travel shooters who
are keen to cross off a number
of different subjects without
carrying lots of lenses around
with them.
Performance
This is not a lens to buy for
ultimate sharpness, but it still
performs fairly well if you look at something to bear in mind.
pictures at normal printing sizes
and don’t obsess too much
about pixel-peeping.
You’ll likely see the softest
results at the furthest reach of
the telephoto, but only if you’re
zooming into 100% and really
seeking out softness. The overall distracting and can be easily
impression is certainly good
enough, especially considering
the versatility of shooting
subjects and space/cost saving show up particularly often, even
the lens offers.
In a similar vein, the relatively high-contrast situations and
narrow aperture might lead you
to assume that creating shallow scene to look for them.
LENS TEST
depth-of-field effects is difficult.
However, if you shoot at mid to
long focal lengths, you’ll find that
a blurred background is easily
achieved and in fact yields some
attractively soft results.
Another potential problem
if you tend to shoot in low light.
Although this lens starts at f/4,
by the time you reach 50mm, it’s
dropped down to f/5.6, gets to
f/6.3 by 100mm and f/8 from
200mm onwards. This can mean
in poor lighting conditions you
have to shoot at a higher ISO
than you might like. If you’re
generally using it in bright
conditions – such as for travel
– then that’s not going to be a
big problem. But where visibility
is compromised, such as with
some nature shoots, it’s
Barrel or pincushion distortion
isn’t immediately obvious, as like
other manufacturers, Nikon
corrects it in software. There is
some very slight vignetting
visible in some situations at
28mm and f/4, but it’s not
removed in post-production if you
don’t like it.
Chromatic aberrations don’t
when shooting in relatively
zooming right into the
Testbench
Verdict
IF YOU want to shoot at long focal
lengths, you either need to be
prepared to spend a huge chunk
of change, or be prepared to
accept compromises. At £1,399,
this lens falls into the latter
camp. It gives you huge scope to
shoot a wide range of subjects –
and on the whole it does that
fairly well – but it’ll never produce
the sharpest or best shots that
your camera is likely capable of.
It’s ideal to pair with lower-cost,
lower-resolution cameras such as
the Nikon Z 6II or the Nikon Z 5,
and it makes a great travel optic
for those that don’t want to lug
around a kit bag full of stuff but
still want the option to shoot an
array of different subjects.
This is the second superzoom
lens we’ve seen from Nikon, after
the 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR. You’ll
opt for this one if you crave the
extra zoom. Alternatively you
could go for the 24-200mm if
you’d prefer to keep things lighter
and have a larger aperture and
wider angle of view. You’ll also
need to spend more to get the
28-400mm, which costs £1,399
vs £950 for the 24-200mm.
Overall, the best thing about
this lens is its versatility. The
images it produces are very good,
and although they’re not superb,
it likely opens up subjects that
might not have ordinarily been
within the average photographer’s
budget. It’s a great all-rounder
that comes recommended.
Data file
Price £1,399 Length 141.5mm
Filter diameter Diameter 84.5mm
77mm Weight 725g
Lens elements 21 Lens mount
Groups 15 Nikon Z
Diaphragm Included
blades 9 accessories
Aperture Caps, hood
f/4-8 - f/22-45
Minimum focus
0.2-1.2mm
Recommended
25
 USED CAMERAS Testbench
SECOND-HAND CLASSIC
Canon
EOS 550D
For novices and anyone starting
out, the 550D is a steal at just over
£100 in excellent used condition

T
he EOS 550D was introduced in 2010, succeeding the
500D from 2009. Although it was billed as a baby EOS 7D
by Canon at the time of release, the maximum shooting
speed of 3.7fps was never a match for the 7D’s 8fps burst,
and neither was its nine-point AF system. By and large, though, the
550D’s 18MP APS-C sensor, ISO 100-12,800 range and 3in,
1.04m-dot LCD screen met the requirements of the average
enthusiast. It also offered some other useful features such as Full
HD video recording, an external mic socket and an LP-E8 battery,
good for around 400 shots on a single charge. Today it’s a camera
best suited to those who don’t fancy breaking the bank when
starting out, but at the same time want their camera to be reliable The Av button must be used
and offer highly respectable image quality. with the small dial on top to
apply exposure compensation

What we said What to pay or change the aperture in

l ‘Like Canon’s other
DSLRs, the EOS 550D has
a well-organised menu’
l ‘Autofocusing is
reasonably quick and
accurate in decent light’
l ‘The 5x and 10x magnified
views make it easy to
position the point of manual
focus precisely’
l ‘Its control layout is much
better suited to right-eyed
shooters than left-eye users’
manual exposure mode
The 550D cost £799 (body
only) from new in 2010. Today
you can pick one up in
‘excellent’ used condition with
a shutter count of around
20,000 frames for £110.
Examples deemed to be in
‘good’ working condition with
some cosmetic wear can be
picked up for £90. The best
examples we found had shutter
counts under 5,000 frames and
were going for £115.
Helpfully, the fixed LCD screen has the same 3:2 aspect ratio as the
images captured by the camera and the 1.04m-dot resolution means

How it fares today New alternatives that there’s plenty of detail visible

Many of the EOS 550D’s If you’d like to go mirrorless at

features are now rather dated,
however this is to be expected
for a camera that’s 14 years
old. Its main downfalls by
today’s standards are its basic
9-point AF system and
pedestrian 3.7fps burst rate.
The sensor is still very capable
of producing pleasing results
and there’s a wide selection of
used EF and EF-S lenses
available to pair it with.
a budget that’s close to what
the 550D cost when new, the
Canon EOS R50 is worth a
look. It costs £639 (body only)
and features a 24.2MP APS-C
sized sensor, Dual Pixel CMOS
AF II system, 4K 30p video,
3in vari-angle touchscreen as
well as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi
connectivity. EF and EF-S lenses
can be attached using the
EF-EOS R mount adapter.
At a glance For and against
+ Respectable image quality
£90-£115 + Comfortable feel in the hand
body only + Faithful colour reproduction
l 18MP APS-C CMOS sensor + 100,000-frame shutter life
DIGIC 4 processor expectancy
l ISO 100-6400 (expandable to ISO – Lacks an AF joystick
12,800) – Basic autofocus system
l 95% viewfinder coverage – Single SD card slot
l Built-in flash – Screen is fixed and not
l 530g touch-sensitive

See over to find out what Canon EOS 550D owners have to say

www.amateurphotographer.com 27
 Testbench USED CAMERAS

What the Jeroen has successfully used the

550D for wildlife photography

owners
Canon EOS 550D, 100-400mm at 400mm,
1/1000sec at f/5.6, ISO 400

think
Three Canon
EOS 550D users
give their verdict

Jeroen Van
Nieuwenhove
The Canon EOS 550D is the
camera I started out with when I
ventured into digital photography.
I initially picked it due to its fairly
small form factor, easy-to-
understand menus and, perhaps
the largest selling point, it having
the same resolution sensor as
the widely praised EOS 7D at the
time. Not wanting to drop a lot of myself turning towards landscape and wildlife
money on something I wasn’t professional photography, photography, though, the more I
sure I’d like was definitely a part shooting small events and selling started hitting its limitations due
of the decision too. my first prints with images taken to its lack of weather-sealing and For and against
I ended up being extremely on the 550D. I did that for two limited image quality compared to + Small form factor for a DSLR
happy with the EOS 550D and in years until my photography really full-frame cameras. + Easy-to-understand menus
a way, it really kickstarted my love started to outgrow the camera. More of Jeroen’s images can –Lack of weather-sealing
for digital photography. I found The more I ventured into be seen on Instagram @jvn.photo –Polycarbonate body

Kristina Ravdanovic The 18MP sensor delivers

very creditable image quality
I bought my Canon EOS 550D in Canon EOS 550D, 18-55mm at 18mm,
2012. I was looking for a camera 1/125sec at f/11, ISO 100
to begin my photography journey
with and it was a DSLR that was
highly recommended by many
people back then. I found myself
taking it everywhere on my travels
and I also used it to capture a
number of family events and
some very fond memories. I was
particularly pleased with how the
camera performed in natural light,
but also in more testing
conditions such as fog and rainy
days. Other things I like about the
550D include being able to
switch easily from the viewfinder
to live view and vice versa.
One genre I found quite
challenging to shoot with the
camera was street photography.
I put this down to the
responsiveness of the autofocus
system, which seemed to
struggle at times to lock on with
objects that move. Despite this I one feature I could have added to with low- and high-angle shots. For and against
would say that in most situations the 550D, it would have been a Kristina can be found on + Rendition of colour in natural light
it gets the job done. If there was flip-out articulated screen to help Instagram @photo_kristi – Autofocus speed for moving subjects
28 www.amateurphotographer.com
 Jeroen took this striking aurora in Iceland
using the excellent Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8
Canon EOS 550D, 18-35mm at 19mm,
8 sec at f/1.8, ISO 100

Maëva Pageot Despite its limitations, the

550D is usable for action
The Canon EOS 550D is my Canon EOS 550D, 120mm,
first DSLR and one I purchased 1/640sec at f/5.6, ISO 400
after using a bridge camera for a
long time. I quickly appreciated
having the burst mode, as I often
like to photograph moving
subjects. It truly changed the
game compared to my old
camera, which was extremely
slow. But I’ve noticed that the
autofocus is less precise for this
type of subject, sometimes
resulting in blur in the photos.
As I contemplate moving
towards reportage photography,
this limitation of the camera
becomes more apparent.
Nevertheless, it remains a very
good quality camera for beginners
and is very affordable on the
second-hand market. In summary,
I’d say the EOS 550D is a good
model to begin photography with,
but those looking to further their
practice may feel restricted in
terms of autofocus. Despite all camera does not define the Maëva can be found on For and against
the technical aspects, I still enjoy photographer, and passion Instagram @maeva.pag + Superb choice of EF-S and EF lenses
photographing with it because the always prevails. – Autofocus has its limitations
www.amateurphotographer.com 29
 Testbench ACCESSORIES

Hollyland Lark M2
combination kit
Twin
transmitters
Kit comes with two
microphone transmitters to
allow conversations
between two people
Wireless microphones have no business to be recorded.
being as fun as this, says Damien Demolder Charging case
The case holds two
● £170 ● hollyland.com transmitters and the camera
Technically I’m not a sound man, but I do know that
receiver, and can charge all
sound people hate to see a microphone in the
twice before it needs
charging itself.
frame. So, I was very pleased to see Hollyland
offering a set of wireless microphones that are very
small and discreet, and which can either make a
fun statement or to be hidden away out of sight.
Hollyland sent me the Lark M2 combo kit, which Recommended
includes two microphones and three receivers.
One of these is designed for cameras, one is for
iPhones with Lightning ports, and the third has
USB-C for use with other mobile devices.
The microphones and camera-mounted receiver
all fit into a neat case that keeps them safe as well
as charged. The case has enough capacity to
charge all three devices twice, and once charged
they can run for ten hours each. The two button-
shaped microphones have magnetic backs so they
can be attached to clothes, via either a small
magnetic disk that goes the other side of your shirt,
or mini plastic A-clamps. For windy conditions a pair
of very hairy windshields are provided.
Each microphone has just one button for noise
cancelation, while the main receiver has two
buttons and a dial. The dial allows us a choice of
three volume settings, and the buttons allow us to
switch between mono and stereo recording as well
as to turn the receiver off.
The 300mm specified range is only available
Small mics
The microphones are
when there’s a clear line of sight between the just larger than a £1 coin
receiver and the transmitters, otherwise people and and weigh 9g, so can be
walls will get in the way. I found though that within concealed very easily. Pouch
30m or so, bricks could be dealt with. But at A neat two-sectioned
greater distances, solid objects block the signal. pouch can hold the charging
Most occasions will see short distances between case and all the cables and
camera and subject, and then the 48kHz 24-bit accessories, so it’s easy to
recording will sound great – especially for speech. keep everything together
Noise levels are pretty low so recordings sound in one place.
clean, clear and well rounded.

Verdict HOLLYLAND LARKSOUND APP

This is a really nice little kit that offers good sound At a glance
from very small microphones and a very neat The LarkSound app allows a little more control
package of accessories. Controls are a bit limited, ● Receivers for cameras and of volume for mobile phone video, and a
ALL PRICES ARE APPROXIMATE STREET PRICES

but the idea is that it works out of the box so
anyone can use it. For more complex controls and
extra features, you need to look at the Lark Max or
the Rode Wireless Go ll. However, this Lark M2 will
keep a lot of people very happy. It’s a great, simple
kit that’s a lot of fun to use and which produces
very good results for little effort.
phones
● 300m max range
● 48kHz 24 bit recording
● >70dB signal to noise ratio
● 115dB sound pressure level
● 10hr record time x 2 charges
double click of the yellow button on the mic
can trigger recording in phones that use their
volume button for record-start/stop. I hoped
the app would allow more control of volume
and noise cancellation for camera recording,
but it doesn’t.

30 www.amateurphotographer.com
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BLAST FROM THE PAST
The Focaflex
John Wade discovers
an oddly designed
French SLR
LAUNCHED 1959
PRICE AT LAUNCH £40-50
GUIDE PRICE NOW £130-150
Foca cameras were made in
France by Optique et Précision de
Levallois, better known as OPL.
The company made military
equipment that included machine
guns and marine rangefinders
before deciding, in 1938, to
produce a precision 35mm
rangefinder camera to rival Leica
and Contax. World War II put a
stop to production, which was
resumed again in 1945. In the
years that followed, nearly 20
quality 35mm rangefinder
designs were produced. Then
came the Focaflex, OPL’s first
fixed-lens 35mm single lens
reflex (SLR). It was an
unconventional design.
As the film is advanced, a reflex
mirror swings up at an angle,
rather than down in the usual
way, so that its reflective side
faces down as opposed to the
more traditional up. Behind it a
capping plate simultaneously
swings into position to shield the
film from light entering the lens
as the aperture iris and shutter
blades open to their widest
The camera viewed from the top, showing how major controls are
recessed into the body
www.amateurphotographer.com
The sleekly designed Focaflex, an unusual SLR from France
settings to enable focusing.
The mirror is semi-silvered to
allow light to be both reflected
from it and transmitted through it.
For focusing, light enters the lens,
hits the mirror and is reflected
down to a silvered focusing
screen in the base of the body.
From there the image is reflected
up again through the semi-
slivered mirror to a small prism
arrangement, which turns it the
right way up and right way round
before reflecting it back out of the
viewfinder. As the shutter is
released, the aperture closes to
its pre-set f-stop, the shutter
blades close completely and the
reflex mirror flips down, taking the
film-shielding capping plate with it
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so that light can now reach the
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opens. At the same time, a blind
closes over the viewfinder to
prevent stray light from entering
the body. The shutter then opens
and closes again for its pre-set
time to complete the exposure.
In 1962 the Focaflex II and
SAVE
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33
EISA MAESTRO PHOTO CONTEST 2024
a
The UK winner of The EISA Maestro
Photography Contest 2024 is Nick Ledger.
He talks to David Clark about his work,
inspiration and winning portfolio
T
he EISA Maestro
Photography Contest is
always a tough challenge
and involves submitting
portfolios of 5-8 connected photos
on a given theme. This year, the
theme was Sports and Games and
images had to be taken between
1 May 2023 and 30 April 2024.
The winner of the national prize,
Nick Ledger, stood out with his
powerful portfolio of images taken at
bareknuckle fight events in London
and Wolverhampton. His sharp,
colourful and perfectly timed images
capture the sport in all its raw and
uncompromising physicality.
Nick wins a one-year digital
subscription to AP and his portfolio
will progress to the International
round of the contest, where the
winners of all 16 participating EISA
countries will be judged later this
month. Up for grabs is a First prize of
€1,500, Second Prize of €1,000 and
34
Third Prize of €750. The
International results will be
announced online on 15 August and
celebrated at the EISA Awards Gala
in September. There’s also an EISA
Public’s Choice competition for
National Maestro winners, with a
prize of €1,000, which will be
published on Facebook.
Here, Nick reveals what inspired
him to get into photography, the
subjects he loves shooting, the kit
he couldn’t do without and the
technical challenges of shooting
close-up at a fast-moving and often
bloody sporting event.
Congratulations on your win,
Nick! Please tell us about
yourself
I live in York with my partner and
three kids. For my day job I’m a
co-director of a web-based business
selling juicers, blenders and other
healthy appliances.
How and why did you get into
photography?
I’ve always had an interest in it, but
in my late 20s I started travelling
and going on more adventurous
holidays and dabbling in travel
photography while I was away.
Eventually I ended up with a
contract with a stock travel library,
AWL Images, which really helped
develop the technical aspects of my
photography.
What are your favourite
subjects, and why?
I love cityscapes at dusk. I really like
the ‘blue hour’ effect and use a
tilt-shift lens to ensure buildings are
represented correctly in the photos.
I’m most passionate about fight
photography. I regret not learning a
martial art when I was younger and
have a lot of respect for combat
sports and those who take part in
them. Being ringside and so close to
 Left: Bareknuckle
boxers Daniel
Lerwell and CJ
Mills fight at
BKB33 in July
2023

Below: Scott
McHugh throws a
‘screw punch’ at
his opponent, Tony
Lafferty, during
their world title
clash in January
2024

the action as well as being able to see

the respect that fighters have for
each other, both at the end and
often during the fight, is the next
best thing.

Have you won any other photo

competitions?
I won the Sports Category of the
British Photography Awards last year.

What do you love about

photography?
I love being able to capture a scene
and show what I was lucky enough
to see. That applies to both travel
and fight photography. With fight
photography in particular the
camera can freeze a moment in time
that the eye would never have time
to process.

Which photographers do you

most admire, and why?
In travel photography, Jordan

35
EISA MAESTRO PHOTO CONTEST 2024
Banks and Marco Bottigelli
from AWL are outstanding. In
fight photography, Mikey Williams
and Andy Couldridge. They’ve both
produced some fantastic images
from Tyson Fury’s recent fight with
Oleksandr Usyk.
What was your first camera?
If I remember correctly, it was the
Canon EOS 3.
What’s your current kit?
Canon EOS R5 and Canon lenses: RF
28-70mm F2, EF 70-200mm f/2.8 IS
Mark II and TS-E 24mm Mark II.
Do you have a favourite lens?
Yes, the Canon RF 28-70mm F2. The
quality is superb and being able to
shoot fighting at f/2 beautifully picks
out the fighters with great
background blur and allows you to
maximise the quality with a lower
36
Top left: Johnny unusual for a club venue, and I
Lawson lands a started coming away with half-
right hook on his decent photos which has led to
opponent, Reece other opportunities.
Murray, during a
fight in May 2023
What inspired you to create
Left, below: your winning portfolio?
Fighter Carl I’ve been lucky enough to
Hobley lands a photograph at some fantastic events,
devastating blow in particular BKB’s (bareknuckle
on CJ Mills in boxing), usually at the O2 in
November 2023
London. They’re not the back-street
Below: tear-ups that people might associate
Bareknuckle with bareknuckle, these are elite-
boxers Martin level athletes competing at
Reffell and professionally-run events, and with
Ronaldo Gabriel the subject being Sports for this
Dy clash in their year’s EISA Maestro competition it
British Title fight
was great to get the opportunity to
in 2024
show this work.
Bottom: Richie
Samuels (left) is What were the technical
struck by a blow challenges of shooting these
from his opponent images?
Tyrone Eliffe in Focus and anticipation. The ideal
January 2024 focus point I suppose is the face of
the person who is unfortunate
enough to be receiving a punch or
kick and it’s a great bonus if both
fighters are in the same plane of
focus. The eye-tracking focus of the
EOS R5 really helps with this, but it
can become tricky with younger
fighters who wear headguards. With
regards to anticipation, you can’t
afford to wait for a punch to be
ISO. The shallow depth of field just
makes focus even more critical!
Is there a piece of kit you
couldn’t do without?
Certainly, the Canon RF 28-70mm
for fight photography and a tripod
and circular polariser for travel.
Do you have a dream purchase?
I guess the upcoming EOS R1!
What software do you use for
editing?
Lightroom Classic only.
How long have you been doing
fight photography?
Around three years now. During
Covid I wasn’t travelling as much
and started photographing fight
nights at my son’s kickboxing club
near York. I was really lucky as they
have great lighting there which is
www.amateurphotographer.com

thrown as it will have been and gone
by the time the shutter has released.
You learn to anticipate when
something is about to happen and
start shooting (I use the high-speed
burst on the R5 on mechanical
shutter which is 12fps). You also
need to balance this by trying to be
selective when you shoot and not
coming away with an unmanageable
number of images (I generally tend
to come away with around 5,000
images from a 10-bout BKB event).
These guys (and women) also move
very quickly. I’ll often have a bit of
motion blur in an arm or a leg at
1/1000sec, but I like the effect as
the face will usually remain sharp
and it makes the image more
dynamic. You just have to be ready
to jump back very quickly if they
suddenly hurtle towards you!
What makes a good fight shot?
The two things I believe need to be
in place to produce good fight
photos are great lighting and skilful
fighters. These provide the elements
to make a good photo and the rest is
up to you to catch the moment of
impact, hopefully with some water/
sweat and maybe a splash of blood!
Photos of the ring walk, initial
face-off with the referee, cornering
between rounds and portraits of the
winner at the end can really help
build a story of the fight alongside
the action shots.
How did it feel when you were
told you had won the UK
round of the competition?
EISA MAESTRO PHOTO CONTEST 2024
Left: Martin It was a massive surprise and I was
Reffell celebrates absolutely chuffed to bits!
his win over
Ronaldo Gabriel What are your favourite
Dy during their
2024 British Title photography tips?
fight Not to be complacent. You can’t
wait for a good photo to come to
you. With fight photography in
particular, I constantly try to think
of new ways to make more
engaging photos.
What advice would you give
anyone thinking of creating a
portfolio for next year’s EISA
Maestro competition?
Absolutely go for it, but give a lot of
thought on how your set of images
will work together. In my case, for
example, I considered including
some ring walk and cornering shots
with my submission as I think they
add a nice amount of drama and
emotion. However, in the end
I thought it would break the
continuity of the action shots, so the
only non-action photo I included
was of Martin Reffell with his British
Title belt at the end of the
Below: submission.
Bareknuckle
boxers Mathilda To see more of Nick’s work, visit
Wilson and Sadie www.instagram.com/nickledgerphotography. The
Reffell fight at
BKB37 in overall results of the EISA Maestro contest will be in
Wolverhampton in a future AP issue. To vote for the Public’s Choice
March 2024 award, search for ‘EISA Maestro’ on Facebook.
 Technique WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY

Where the
wild things are
Composition is key for successful wildlife shots. AP shares some of Ben Hall
and Ross Hoddinott’s top compositional tips from the latest edition of their
book, The Wildlife Photography Workshop

C
omposition is the age-old art of arranging
elements within a frame into the most visually
pleasing, stimulating order. It is key to successfully
communicating your ideas, vision, creativity, and
message. The two biggest compositional challenges are how to
balance the elements within the picture, and how to represent
three dimensions in a two-dimensional medium. Nature
photographers have colour, space, balance, symmetry, perspective,
scale, motion, depth, and lighting at their disposal to help bring
their compositions to life. As the natural world rarely stays still
for long, wildlife photographers often must make decisions very
quickly. In time, you will start to do this intuitively. However,
at first, there are several useful compositional ‘rules’, tips, and
techniques designed to help you capture striking and well-
balanced photographs every time. We get some expert advice from
Ben Hall and Ross Hoddinott’s latest edition of their book.

Tip 1 PRO TIP

Some cameras
allow you to
The rule of thirds overlay a
The goal for any photographer is to rule-of-thirds grid
achieve consistently strong in the viewfinder
compositions, with a good balance or during live
between the key elements in the view operation to
frame. There are many ways to achieve aid composition.
this, but the most reliable and The function is
effective approach is to use the rule of normally
thirds. Imagine two horizontal and two accessed via a
vertical lines splitting the viewfinder menu setting.
image into a grid of nine equal parts. Consult your
The intersecting lines create four camera manual
‘power points.’ According to the rule, to find out
placing your subject – or a key element whether your
of it – on, or near, one of the points Imagine a grid overlaying your viewfinder, dividing it into thirds horizontally and camera has this
produces a more balanced, spatially vertically. The points where the lines intersect are particularly powerful points to facility.
interesting composition. It is often place your subject, or key elements of interest. Nikon D500, 100-400mm, 1/800sec at f/5.6, ISO 800
considered a rule most applicable to
landscape photography, but it applies
to just about any subject – and
particularly wildlife. For example, if
you’re photographing a frame-filling
animal portrait, you might position the
subject’s eyes on an intersecting
power point, or if you’re shooting a
wideangle environmental shot, you
might place the horizon on one of the
two horizontal grid lines.

The rule of thirds can dramatically improve composition. Compare the following shots and most would
agree that the image composed according to the rule of thirds, with the tern placed on an intersecting
point is far more dynamic and visually interesting. Canon EOS-1D Mark II, 100–400mm, 1/80 sec. at f/5.6, ISO 50

38 www.amateurphotographer.com
The rule of odds is easy to understand: an odd number
of subjects is more visually interesting than an even
number. Three and five are particularly strong
numbers, creating a frame for the central subject.
This rule is not always easy or possible to apply, but
when the opportunity allows, your compositions will
benefit. Nikon D850, 200mm, 1/100sec at f/16, ISO 400
The Wildlife
Photography
Workshop by Ben
Hall & Ross
Hoddinott, RRP
£16.99, Ammonite
Press, available
online and from all
good bookshops.
Ammonite Press is
pleased to offer AP
readers the following
exclusive offer – visit
giftstome.co.uk and
use the code R5631
to get 20% off your
copy of The Wildlife
Photography
Workshop! (RRP
£16.99, now £13.60
(+P&P). Offer ends 3
September 2024.

ALL PICTURES ON PAGES 38 TO 43 © BEN HALL AND ROSS HODDINOTT

Tip 2

The rule of odds

The rule of odds states that an odd number in an image is more
interesting and, therefore, more pleasing to the eye. The rule is
particularly relevant to wildlife photographers who regularly
photograph small numbers of animals in family or social groups.
There are various arguments as to why this works. The most
logical answer is that an odd number creates a natural frame –
there will always be a central subject. Our eye naturally searches
for the centre of the group, so if there is an even number, there is
a risk that the viewer’s eye will settle in the negative space
between the animals. The rule is relevant when you are trying to
achieve a visually pleasing composition of small groups of
animals; three is a particularly engaging number, as a line or
triangle will be formed, both of which are interesting and desirable
within a composition.
However, the rule doesn’t apply to larger groups of animals.
Once numbers enter double figures, the number simply translates
to our brains as ‘many.’ For example, it isn’t of any real
significance whether there are 21 or 22 wading birds feeding
together. As with any compositional rule, there will always be
exceptions. For example, you will only include two subjects when
photographing, say, courting grebes or stags fighting. However,
intentionally including a third key element within the composition
will bring a sense of harmony.

Birds and mammals are often found in pairs, making it difficult to

apply the rule of odds. However, try including another key element
in the frame to produce a similar effect. In this example, the pine
needles provide the third point of interest. Together with the two
birds, the branch forms an implied triangle, creating a strong
composition. Canon EOS-1D Mark II, 100–400mm (at 260mm), 1/320sec at f/5.6, ISO 100

www.amateurphotographer.com
 Technique WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY

When
photographing
wildlife, almost
anything can
create a frame for
your subject. In
this instance, the
two gannets in
the foreground
form an ideal
frame for the bird
in the centre,
drawing your eye
into the shot. This
image also
conforms to the
rule of odds –
three is a
particularly strong
number of
subjects to
include in the
frame.
Canon EOS-1D Mark II,
500mm, 1/640sec at f/9,
ISO 160
buildings, and other animals, for example. in context, add scale, and create a greater
Tip 3 Out-of-focus grass or foliage created by a low impression of depth, while an out-of-focus
viewpoint, a long focal length, or narrow depth frame can add mood or even intrigue to your
of field can also create subtle but effective nature images.
Using a natural frame natural borders. By framing the subject in this Be aware that including a frame will not
Natural frames are another excellent way, the viewer’s eye is immediately drawn automatically improve your compositions. In
compositional tool. A frame within a frame inwards towards the main subject. It may also fact, a poorly selected frame can add clutter
will keep compositions tight and help to focus keep the eye there longer, because the frame or make a composition look awkward or
attention on your main subject. All manner of forms a barrier between the subject and the cramped. Before shooting, always be sure
objects can be used as a frame – trees, outside of the shot. that the frame will actually enhance your
overhanging branches, crops, flowers, An in-focus frame helps to place the subject subject and not detract from it.

40 www.amateurphotographer.com
 Although most of this photo consists of
black, empty space, the image is far stronger
than it would have been without it. I placed
this captive owl’s eye near an intersecting
power point, and the viewer naturally follows
the bird’s gaze into the negative space in
front of it. Nikon D200, 200mm, 1/1000sec at f/5, ISO 100

Don’t be afraid to be bold, though. Using negative space works well in

Tip 4 Minimalist compositions, in which the combination with other compositional PRO TIP
subject is small in the frame, can be guidelines, particularly the rule of
striking, creating an exaggerated thirds. For example, try placing the When including
Negative space impression of solitude. subject in one third of the frame, negative space,
the best results
It is easy to assume that, to achieve The best results are often achieved leaving the other two-thirds completely
maximum impact, the subject should when the space around the subject is empty. The key to using negative are often
fill the frame. While this approach can a constant, contrasting colour, free of space is to experiment with subject achieved by
certainly create bold and eye-catching distraction – for example, sky, snow, placement and the amount of space leaving space in
nature photographs, it rarely produces shadow, or out-of-focus grass or you include. You will soon be able to front of the
the strongest, most stimulating foliage. This kind of simple, clean recognise how the empty areas can subject, rather
compositions. By including a degree of backdrop will accentuate the subject, help to direct the eye and highlight than behind it.
negative space around your subject, focusing the eye and allowing the your chosen subject. Used correctly, Doing so
you can capture a far more compelling, viewer to appreciate the animal negative space can transform a good generates space
harmonious image, and one that without distraction. nature shot into a captivating one. for the subject to
conveys more about the subject and look, fly, or move
its environment. into. Generally,
Put simply, negative space is the this looks more
area of the image that is not occupied natural and
by the subject. Regardless of whether visually pleasing.
you are photographing a large
mammal, a bird, a wild plant, or a tiny
insect, the principle remains the same In this image,
– including a degree of negative space negative space
helps to tell a
will give your composition balance.
story, illustrating
Positive space – the area that is the cold, harsh,
occupied by your subject – will inhospitable
completely overwhelm the frame if conditions and
there is no breathing space around it, remote
and the image may look cramped, environment. A
static, and unimaginative as a result. closer, frame-filling
Creating negative space is easy: use approach would
not have produced
a shorter focal length or move further the same
away from the subject so that it is less atmosphere.
dominant in the frame. How much Canon EOS-1D X, 500mm,
space you include is a matter of taste. 1/2000sec at f/5.6, ISO 250

www.amateurphotographer.com 41
 Technique WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY
It is important to understand how focal length can alter the appearance of perspective. In this image, a telephoto lens was used to foreshorten
perspective. As a result, the hills in the background look closer to the subject, and more imposing, highlighting the relationship between the
family of geese and their environment. Canon EOS-1D Mark II, 100–400mm, 1/500sec at f/5.6, ISO 160
Tip 5
A new perspective
When discussing compositional rules, the role of
perspective in photography is often overlooked. However, it
can be a valuable compositional tool and is often employed
to good effect in successful nature images. In photography,
perspective refers to the relationship between subjects or
their surroundings within the image space. Their relative
position to one another can help dictate how the viewer
perceives size, depth, and distance. Without perspective,
compositions can lack scale or character.
Lens choice, depth of field, and shooting angle can all
have an impact on perspective. Wideangle lenses appear
to stretch perspective, making nearby subjects look more
prominent while pushing distant subjects further away.
Wideangle compositions will appear to have greater depth,
so it is easier to place subjects in context with their
surroundings. In contrast, telephoto lenses compress
perspective, making foreground and background subjects
look much closer together.
Perspective compression is common in wildlife
photography, as photographers often must rely on long
42
focal lengths to get close to their subjects. This type of
foreshortening means that subjects at varying distances PRO TIP
look artificially close to one another; it can also help
The most
background objects impose themselves on those in the
important thing
foreground. This can prove effective if you include an
to remember
animal’s wider environment within the composition.
when composing
The background subject doesn’t always need to be in
images is to keep
sharp focus, it simply needs to be recognisable enough to
it simple –
create the desired perspective. Foreshortening can help to
cluttered, fussy,
highlight the relationship between subjects and create a
and chaotic
heightened sense of scale or context.
pictures are
Shooting angle also has a bearing on perspective and the
rarely successful.
way in which the subject is perceived. We are often advised
Composition is
to shoot from eye level. Doing so creates a natural
often as much
eye-to-eye perspective, which is both engaging and intimate.
about what you
Often, far more striking compositions can be created by
exclude from the
choosing a different perspective. When an animal is
frame as what
photographed from far above eye level, the subject
you include.
immediately looks smaller and more vulnerable. When shot
from a worm’s-eye view, a subject looks larger and more
imposing. The effect on perspective of lowering or raising
the camera angle can be hugely significant. Don’t be limited
by the ease and convenience of always shooting from eye
level – a new or unusual perspective will bring interest and
impact to your nature photographs.
www.amateurphotographer.com
 Often an animal’s
shape, behaviour,
or environment
will dictate the
orientation of the
camera. Don’t be
afraid to
experiment,
though, or employ
the frame
unconventionally.
You can produce
vastly different
images of the
same subject
simply by
switching format.
Nikon D850, 200mm,
1/500sec at f/8, ISO 400

Tip 6

Portrait or landscape?
On our workshops, we are often asked which is best, a vertical
(portrait) or horizontal (landscape) composition. Vertical
compositions look bold, accentuate height, and can imply
strength. A horizontal format will emphasise width and can give a
greater feeling of balance and stability. However, as with all
matters relating to composition, there are no hard-and-fast rules
or easy answers.
Whether you opt for a portrait or landscape-format composition
will depend on your subject, situation, and the visual effect you
want to achieve. Composition is all about arranging the elements
in the most logical, pleasing way, so often the subject, its shape,
behaviour, and environment will make the decision for you. For
example, tall subjects such as orchids, or narrow-bodied insects
like damselflies, will usually suit a vertical composition, while
birds in flight or a butterfly with its wings held open will often
look best shot in a horizontal format.
What you should always look to avoid is shooting in one format
or the other simply out of habit or laziness. Newcomers to
photography can often forget to turn the camera on its side,
maybe because we are so accustomed to viewing the world in a
horizontal format – just take a look at your television for proof.
The orientation of your composition can make or break an image
and affect the viewer’s perception of the subject. However, while
you should generally try to match the shape of the frame to that
of the subject, dramatic, eye-catching results are possible by
orienting the frame in an unexpected way. After all, there’s no
photographic rule that says you can’t hold the camera at a 45º
angle! Don’t be afraid to experiment and, if in doubt, photograph
your subject using both vertical and horizontal formats.

www.amateurphotographer.com
 YOUR LETTERS

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Email ap.ed@kelsey.co.uk project, started in 2005,
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I am a fan of film is here ‘today’ because it
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my DSLR and
Subscriptions
51 issues of Amateur Photographer are mirrorless cameras so No joy in joysticks
published per annum. it was good to see your I really enjoy reading the
UK annual subscription price: £379.62
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USA annual subscription price: £430.62 classic cameras of the I don’t see myself moving

© MALCOLM HAWKINS
Rest of World annual subscription price: £456.12
1970s (AP 14 May). I away from my super-
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01959 543 747 still use my Canon EF, lightweight Olympus MFT
Overseas subscription orderline
0044 (0) 1959 543 747 Canon AE-1P, Canon cameras any time soon.
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1-888-777-0275 T90 and Canon EOS 5. Taken on a film camera: One of Malcolm’s images What intrigues me,
UK customer service team 01959 543 747 I develop the b&w however, is the number of
Customer service email cs@kelsey.co.uk
Customer service and subscription postal films myself, and take the C-41 films listening to vinyl rather than CDs. times I see that the lack
address Amateur Photographer Customer to my local lab. I then scan the Using films slows my picture-taking of an autofocus toggle is
Service Team, Kelsey Publishing Ltd,
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Find current subscription offers on again. I like the look of film and to me disappointed with the results because use them? I had an old
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Already a subscriber? this is a more pleasing route to the of poor composition, wrong exposures Canon EOS which had one
Manage your subscription online at end result rather than heavy and simply not getting the best out of but I didn’t get on with it
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Newspread. Telephone +353 23 886 3850
refreshing positive Emily’s. Life isn’t all doom Taylor’s letter (AP 28 May) on them. Glenn O’Brien
Kelsey Media 2024 © all rights reserved. Kelsey Media documentary photo essay and gloom. Her essay is a and his point that from a
is a trading name of Kelsey Publishing Ltd. Reproduction
in whole or in part is forbidden except with permission in
(AP 28 May) that Emily wonderful example. I heritage and history point Yes it will, and I still use
writing from the publishers. Note to contributors: articles Endean used to field test agree with Emily regarding of view it’s important to this method myself
submitted for consideration by the editor must be the the Fujifilm X100VI. the powerful therapeutic capture things changing sometimes. Having a spot
original work of the author and not previously published.
Where photographs are included, which are not the Generally, so-called benefits of photography. over time. I would urge focus point that you can
property of the contributor, permission to reproduce them
must have been obtained from the owner of the copyright. ‘serious’ documentary Humans are born creative readers to submit such move around the frame
The editor cannot guarantee a personal response to all photographers seem to and in modern society photos to Geograph. This though is useful in so
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magazine are not necessarily those of the Editor or the prefer portraying life’s photography is one of the is a nationwide community many situations.
Publisher. Kelsey Publishing Ltd accepts no liability for downsides, whilst positive best outlets to fulfil these
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motivate action but we
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44 www.amateurphotographer.com
 Our favourite photos posted by readers
on our social media channels this week

AP picture
of the week
Arctic Elements, Part 2
by Gemma Rourke
Sony Alpha 7 III, Sony 24-105mm F4,
1/80sec at f/14, ISO 125
‘Thru-hiking the Kungsleden in Arctic Sweden,
I witnessed raw elemental beauty combining to create
images akin to paintings. While Lapland is often
represented as winter white, there are other seasons
that burst with vibrant palettes of colours and
contrast. The blend of light and dark, greens and
yellows, was truly inspiring.’
Instagram: @gemmarourke

#appicoftheweek
Win!
The AP Pic of the Week winner will
receive a beautifully framed print of
their winning image worth up to £100.
If you Love it, Frame it!
ThisPicture.com is an experienced,
high-quality framing company with a
unique, easy-to-use website. Build single or multi-image frames
with a few clicks of your mouse and select from a wide range of
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with a three-year guarantee and FREE P&P within the UK.
Visit thispicture.co.uk

46 www.amateurphotographer.com
 When Life Gives You
Shadows, Create
Beautiful Silhouettes
by Damion Bankhead
Canon EOS R10, Sigma 150-600mm Sport,
1/1000sec at f/13, ISO 160

‘I’ve been waiting to get a detailed photo of a

ruby-throated hummingbird. I encountered this
one at Moss Rock Preserve, but I was far away
and on its dark side. I knew that I wouldn’t be
able to get around/close to it, so I decided to
capture some cool silhouette shots.’
Instagram: @damionbankheadphotos
Website: www.damionbankheadphotos.com

www.amateurphotographer.com 47
We
also
liked... Swan Lake by Dave Peck
Nikon Z 7II, 24-200mm, 1/15sec at f/6.7, ISO 64
‘With the promise of no wind at Derwent I decided to get
up for sunrise. Camera on a tripod and images in the
bag I was busy filming a vlog when I noticed this
approaching swan in the viewfinder. Running to the
camera I opened the aperture and captured this.’
YouTube: @davepeckphotography
X: @davepeckphoto
Instagram: @davepeckphotography
Facebook: @davepeckphotography

Not Christine by Lee Parker

Canon EOS R5, Canon RF 70-200mm F2.8,
1/4000sec at f/3.5, ISO 200
‘This shot is from a Steam Rally event in Abergavenny.
I’d never attempted car photography before, preferring
landscape or wildlife normally, but this car stood out to me
as it was a classic American Buick and I didn’t realise how
large one actually is; and it was in great condition.’
X: @UkAnvil

Want the chance to see your pictures here? Simply share them with our
Flickr, Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook communities using the hashtag
#appicoftheweek. Or you can email your best shot to us at
ap.ed@kelsey.co.uk. See page 3 for how to find us.

48 www.amateurphotographer.com
 IN ASSOCIATION WITH

Amateur Photographer
of the Year Competition
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 In association with l Quality workshops to top UK and worldwide destinations
l Small groups led by world-leading photographers
l High-quality accommodation, daily activities and lectures
l A tour coordinator from Zoom Photo Tours on every trip

Book
now!

www.amateurphotographer.com/photo-tours
 IN ASSOCIATION WITH
OM System Tough TG-7
l £499 l explore.omsystem.com
This latest model in a long line of class-
leading rugged cameras is waterproof to
15m, shockproof against a 2.1m drop,
crushproof and freezeproof. The 25-100mm
equivalent lens is paired with a 12MP
sensor, with in-body stabilisation to combat
shake. Viewing is via a 3in LCD. The TG-7 is
also one of the few cameras of its type that
can record raw files.
★★★★★ Reviewed 2 Apr 2024
Ricoh GR III
l £949 l ricohgr.eu/en-gb
A favourite of street photographers, the
GR III combines a 24MP APS-C sensor and
a sharp 28mm equivalent f/2.8 lens in a
slim, pocketable body. It offers sensitivities
up to ISO 102,400 and 4fps shooting, while
in-body image stabilisation helps keeps
image sharp. Viewing is via a fixed 3in rear
LCD or an optional optical viewfinder that
slots onto the hot shoe.
★★★★★
Reviewed
3 Aug
2019
www.amateurphotographer.com
A round-up of the AP testing team’s favourite
and most highly rated kit, including both
cameras and all kinds of accessories, across
a wide range of price points
Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark III
l £1,140 l www.canon.co.uk
This unique zoom compact offers excellent
image quality by employing the same
24.2MP APS-C sensor as several of Canon’s
DSLRs and mirrorless cameras, along with
a 24-72mm equivalent lens. A central
viewfinder, fully articulated touchscreen and
comprehensive external controls round off a
superb little camera for enthusiast
photographers.
★★★★★
Reviewed
3 Feb 2018
Sony RX100 VII
l £1,050 l www.sony.co.uk
Sony has somehow crammed a 24-200mm
equivalent zoom, pop-up electronic
viewfinder, tilting screen, 20 fps shooting
and 4K video recording into a body that you
can slip into a jacket pocket. With the firm’s
latest AF technology also on board, it’s
without doubt the most accomplished
pocket camera on the market.
★★★★
Reviewed
5 Oct 2019
Fujifilm X100VI
l £1,599 l www.fujifilm.eu/uk
The sixth version of Fujifilm’s charismatic
rangefinder-styled compact boasts a 40MP
APS-C sensor in front of its fixed 23mm f/2
lens. It also gains in-body stabilisaiton while
barely increasing in size. Traditional
analogue control dials are joined by a
unique hybrid optical/electronic viewfinder
and a tilting touchscreen on the back.
It’s a truly fabulous camera.
★★★★★
Reviewed
9 Apr 2024
Sony RX10 IV
l £1,500 l www.sony.co.uk
This sets a new standard for superzoom
cameras, with a 24-600mm equivalent lens,
20MP 1in sensor, and 24 fps continuous
shooting. Its SLR-shaped body hosts a large
electronic viewfinder and a decent set of
physical controls. It’s the best all-in-one
camera for wildlife or
travel photography
that you can buy
right now.
★★★★★
Reviewed
2 Dec 2017
53
BEST BUYS REVISITING GREAT KIT FROM OUR TEST ARCHIVES

Canon EOS 250D Canon EOS R50 Fujifilm X-S20

l £650 with 18-55mm IS lens l www.canon.co.uk l £899 with 15-45mm lens l www.canon.co.uk l £1,249 body only l www.fujifilm.eu/uk

One of the smallest DSLRs around, the EOS With the EOS R50, Canon has fitted some Styled like a mini DSLR, the X-S20 uses
250D strikes a great balance between impressive technology into a compact and electronic dials for changing exposure
portability and usability. It’s equipped with a lightweight body. It boasts highly capable settings, as opposed to the X-T series’
novice-friendly Guided Mode, while Canon’s subject recognition autofocus coupled with analogue controls. But you still get Fujifilm’s
Dual Pixel CMOS sensor provides excellent rapid continuous shooting. Image quality is signature fine image quality, along with
autofocus in live view. Image very pleasing too, with attractive files direct in-body image stabilisation. It also boasts
quality is very good, from the camera. It also works well with an array of advanced video
delivering vibrant EF-mount DSLR lenses. features, making it
colours and ★★★★★ a great choice
plenty of fine Reviewed for vloggers and
detail. 6 Jun 2023 photographers
★★★★★ alike.
Reviewed ★★★★★
7 Sep 2019 Reviewed
25 Jul 2023

Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV Panasonic Lumix G9

l £749 with 14-42mm l explore.omsystem.com Fujifilm X-T30 II l £1,000 body only l www.panasonic.com/uk

With a charismatic retro design, fine l £899 with 15-45mm lens l www.fujifilm.eu/uk The finest Micro Four Thirds stills camera
handling, highly effective in-body This lovely little camera provides excellent Panasonic has ever produced, the G9 backs
stabilisation and attractive JPEG output, performance, while preserving the charm up its sturdy construction with a winning
Olympus has made a camera that’s more and charisma of the X-series. It’s a great combination of high-speed shooting, fast
pleasant to use than its entry-level all-rounder, and handles exceptionally well focusing and effective in-body stabilisation.
competitors. Its 20MP sensor delivers good thanks to an intuitive interface based Boasting a control layout as complete as
results up to ISO 3200 at least, and its around traditional analogue dials. Image most pro-level DSLRs, it’s an
tilting screen can be set to face forwards quality is superb in both raw and JPEG, extremely versatile
beneath the camera. aided by camera that’s
★★★★ Fujifilm’s capable of
Reviewed peerless Film dealing with
26 Sep Simulation any subject.
2020 modes. ★★★★
★★★★★ Reviewed
Reviewed 27 Jan 2018
8 Feb 2022

Fujifilm X-T5 Panasonic Lumix GH6 OM System OM-1

l £1,699 body only l www.fujifilm.eu/uk l £1,949 body only l www.panasonic.com/uk l £1,999 body only l explore.omsystem.com

Fujifilm’s latest X-T model is a great choice Panasonic’s flagship Micro Four Thirds It may be nostalgically named after a
for serious enthusiast photographers. It camera is aimed at videographers, but classic 35mm SLR, but there’s nothing
boasts a 40MP APS-C sensor housed in a holds its own when capturing stills as old-fashioned about this high-speed
retro-styled body covered with traditional well. Its 25MP sensor delivers plenty of powerhouse. It’s capable of shooting at
analogue control dials. Subject-detection detail, while enabling 5.7K recording at 120fps with focus fixed, or 50fps with AF.
autofocus, in-body stabilisation and 60fps, or 4K at 120fps. Pro-spec video AI subject detection recognises vehicles,
Fujifilm’s lovely colour modes functionality and highly effective in-body animals and birds. It’s also rugged, with
round off an stabilisation round off IP53-rated weather-
extremely a fine package sealing, and
desirable for content includes
package. creators. class-leading
★★★★★ ★★★★ stabilisation.
Reviewed Reviewed ★★★★★
3 Jan 2023 26 Apr 2022 Reviewed
15 Mar 2022

54 www.amateurphotographer.com
 IN ASSOCIATION WITH
Nikon Z 6II Nikon Z 7II
l £2,000 body only l www.nikon.co.uk l £2,999 body only l www.nikon.co.uk
This upgraded full-frame mirrorless Nikon has delivered a sensible update to its
all-rounder boasts a 24.5MP sensor, flagship high-res model, with an additional
273-point autofocus and rapid 14fps burst SD card slot and slightly faster shooting. As
shooting. It also gains an SD card slot, before, its 45.7MP sensor gives stunning
alongside XQD/CFexpress. Its excellent image quality, backed up by 5-axis in-body
viewfinder is complemented by a tilting image stabilisation and fast, accurate
screen, and both image quality and handling autofocus. The viewfinder is superb, and
are superb. F-mount SLR lenses can be
★★★★ used via the
Reviewed FTZ adapter.
9 Jan 2021 ★★★★
Reviewed
6 Feb 2021
Sony Alpha 7 IV Nikon Z 9
l £2,399 body only l www.sony.co.uk l £5,299 body only l www.nikon.co.uk
Sony’s latest enthusiast-focused full-frame Without doubt Nikon’s finest camera yet, the
mirrorless model sets a new standard in its Z 9 combines high resolution, breathtaking
class. Its 33MP full-frame sensor delivers speed, subject-recognition autofocus and
excellent image quality, and it can shoot at pro-level build. It’s capable of shooting
up to 10fps. Its practically foolproof 45.7MP raw files at 20fps for 1,000 frames,
subject-detection AF can now recognise and 11MP JPEGs at 120fps. It can also
birds as well as humans and record 8K video. With its
animals. A large, superb viewfinder
clear viewfinder and tilting rear
and fully articulated screen, it’s
touchscreen round probably the
off the package. most capable
★★★★★ camera around.
Reviewed ★★★★★
11 Dec 2021 Reviewed
22 Mar 2022
Nikon D780
l £2,299 body only l www.nikon.co.uk Canon EOS R6 Mark II
l £2,779 body only l www.canon.co.uk
This highly accomplished 24MP full-frame
model shows that there’s life in the DSLR Based around a 24MP full-frame sensor,
yet. It’s superbly built with extensive this brilliant all-rounder will do almost
weather sealing, handles brilliantly, and anything you might ask it to. It combines
gives excellent results in any conditions. It’ll reliable subject-detection AF, rapid
provide top-level service to continuous shooting, and effective image
photographers who want to stabilisation in a body that handles well and
keep using their gives great results. It also
F-mount lenses works well with
and still prefer adapted
an optical EF-mount
viewfinder. DSLR lenses.
★★★★★ ★★★★★
Reviewed Reviewed
4 Apr 2020 21 Mar 2023
www.amateurphotographer.com
Sony Alpha 7R V
l £3,999 body only l www.sony.co.uk
With its 61MP full-frame sensor, the A7R V
provides class-leading image quality while
adding a whole array of improvements over
its predecessor. These include subject-
detection AF, a larger, more detailed
viewfinder, and a more flexible rear LCD
design. For those whose needs are more
about image quality than speed,
it’s probably the best
full-frame camera
you can buy.
★★★★★
Reviewed
17 Jan 2023
Leica M11 Monochrom
l £8,300 body only l uk.leica-camera.com
Within its own specialist niche, this
monochrome-only manual-focus
rangefinder is almost perfect. Its build
quality is stunning, and the pared-back
design allows you to immerse yourself
completely in the process of taking
pictures. Most importantly, the 60.1MP
sensor produces fantastic results,
reaching a new
pinnacle in
black & white
image quality.
★★★★★
Reviewed
16 May 2023
Fujifilm GFX100 II
l £6,999 body only l www.fujifilm.eu/uk
Fujifilm’s latest super-high resolution
medium-format camera places an updated
102MP sensor in a pro-spec modular body.
Subject-detection autofocus is on board for
animals, birds and vehicles, while in-body
image stabilisation helps keep handheld
shots sharp. It’s the ideal camera for
serious photographers who
demand the
ultimate in
image quality.
★★★★★
Reviewed
21 Nov 2023
55
BEST BUYS REVISITING GREAT KIT FROM OUR TEST ARCHIVES

Tenba DNA 9 Slim Messenger
l £110 l uk.tenba.com
If you’d like a small shoulder bag to carry a
camera and a couple of lenses, this is
among the best you’ll find. Measuring 28cm
wide by 20cm tall, it’s well suited to holding
a mirrorless camera or a compact DSLR.
The quality of materials and construction is
excellent, and there are plenty of handy
pockets for organising accessories.
★★★★★ Reviewed 26 Apr 2022
NiSi NM-180 Macro Rail
l £105 l www.nisioptics.co.uk
Arguably the best macro focusing rail
available right now, the NM-180 combines
excellent quality build with super-smooth
operation. It’s easily capable of supporting a
full-frame SLR while offering up to 130mm
of travel, with a fold-out handle providing
fine adjustment. It also boasts extensive
compatibility with the Arca Swiss quick
release system, with a dovetail profile along
its base and a rotating clamp on top.
★★★★★
Reviewed
24 Oct 2020
Benro Rhino 24C tripod
with VX25 head
l £250 l uk.benroeu.com
Benro has got pretty much
everything right with this sturdy,
well-designed tripod and head that’ll
support a substantial load. This
four-section carbon fibre model
offers a maximum height of
almost 1.7m, while folding
down to 49cm and weighing
1.74kg. It’s easily capable
of supporting a full-frame
DSLR with a telephoto
zoom. Quite simply, it’s
a fantastic kit for the money.
★★★★★ Reviewed
28 Nov 2020

NiSi True Color ND-Vario

Cullmann Rondo 460M RB8.5 1-5 stops
Vanguard Veo Select 46BR l £75 l www.transcontinenta.co.uk/cullmann
l £89-£189 l www.nisioptics.co.uk
l £120 l www.vanguardworld.co.uk
If you want a fully featured tripod kit on a This high-quality variable neutral density
This backpack is capable of swallowing a budget, this is a great filter is ideal for regulating the amount of
substantial amount of kit while retaining a choice. Four-section light entering your lens, without introducing
travel-friendly 28cm slim profile. An array of aluminium legs provide a any colour cast. It’s optically excellent,
access points allow max height of 160cm, while boasts an oil and water-repellent coating,
you to get at your kit packing down to 43.5cm. and includes a
from the back, top or It’s rated to support a 4kg handy and
either side. It’s load, weighs 1.46kg, and accurate density
capable of holding a one leg can be combined scale. It’s available
full-frame DSLR with with the centre column in sizes from
4-6 lenses along with to form a monopod. 40.5mm to 95mm.
a 13in laptop. ★★★★
★★★★★ ★★★★★
Reviewed Reviewed
Reviewed 21 Mar 2020 24 May 2022
6 Jul 2019

MeFOTO RoadTrip PRO Benro SupaDupa

Wandrd Prvke 31 l £225 l uk.benroeu.com Pro MSDPL46C
l £279 (photography bundle) l eu.wandrd.com Few tripods come close to l £190 l uk.benroeu.com
This spacious backpack offers an excellent matching this one for sheer It may have a ridiculous name,
combination of uncluttered style, rugged versatility. It extends to but this five-section carbon fibre
construction and a selection of genuinely 152.5cm, folds down to model might just be the best
useful pockets. The roll-close 38.5cm and weighs 1.37kg. monopod we’ve ever tested. One
top section is the One leg can be detached for clip leg lock provides easy length
icing on the cake that use as a monopod or boom adjustment, while the lower twist
always seems to allow arm, and there’s even a locks are waterproof. On the top
just one more item to small desktop stand stowed there’s a clever bowl head with
be squeezed in. inside the centre column. an Arca-compatible clamp. It’s a
Crucially, it’s It’s sturdy enough to great choice for those who
comfortable to carry support a full-frame regularly shoot with large
over long distances. mirrorless set-up. telephotos.
★★★★★ Reviewed ★★★★★ ★★★★★
11 Sep 2021 Reviewed 12 April 2022 Reviewed 24 April 2021

56 www.amateurphotographer.com
 IN ASSOCIATION WITH

Nissin i40 Datacolor SpyderX Pro Kase Wolverine K9 100mm

l £159 l www.kenro.co.uk l £159 l www.datacolor.com Entry-Level Kit
A compact flashgun that’s designed for If you like to post-process your images, you l £385 l www.kasefilters.com
mirrorless cameras, the i40 stands out for need to be sure that your monitor is showing With this top-quality filter system, Kase has
its high specification, compact size and colours accurately. Datacolor carefully rethought every component. The
ease of use. Its auto-zoom head covers has designed the SpyderX slimline, low-profile holder benefits from
lenses from 24-105mm equivalent. With a to calibrate your display extensive light-sealing, while the 82mm
powerful output that faster than ever before, polariser clips into place magnetically; it’s
belies its size, and with the process taking about also easy to adjust from behind the camera.
a built-in LED video two minutes. For most All of the filters use top-quality glass, and
light, it’s available photographers the everything fits together
for most brands of Pro package makes into a single case. The
camera. most sense. result is a top-quality
★★★★★ ★★★★★ set-up that’s easy to
Reviewed Reviewed 6 Apr 2019 use and
3 May 2014 delivers
superb
results.
Rotolight NEO 3 ★★★★★
RØDE Wireless Go II l £549 (Ultimate Kit) l www.rotolight.com
Reviewed
l £309 l en.rode.com 5 Dec 2020
LED lighting technology has advanced in
RØDE’s compact wireless system makes it
leaps and bounds over recent years.
easier than ever to get high-quality audio for
Rotolight’s compact on-camera NEO 3 offers
video recording. This dual-channel wireless
a unique feature set thanks to its full colour
Intrepid Compact Enlarger
mic kit includes two transmitter units and a l £280 l www.intrepidcamera.co.uk
RGBWW LEDs, with the ability to provide
receiver (a single-transmitter set is also
either continuous light or flash in 16.7 For film photography enthusiasts wishing to
available for £200).
million colours. This firm has also make prints at home, this compact and
Key features
programmed in the affordable unit includes lots of handy
include built-in
characteristics features. Based around full-colour LED
rechargeable
of 2,500 colour technology, it supports both mono and
batteries lasting
filters. Power is colour printing. It’s perfect for those who
up to 7 hours,
provided by an don’t have
onboard backup
NP-F type Li-ion space for a
recording, and up
battery. permanent
to 200m range.
★★★★★ ★★★★ darkroom.
Reviewed
Reviewed ★★★★★
5 April 2022 Reviewed
15 May 2021
17 July 2021
Hoya Ultra-Pro Circular
Hahnel ProCube2 Polariser Fujifilm Instax Link WIDE
l £80 l www.hahnel.ie l £47-£179 l www.intro2020.co.uk l £140 l www.instax.co.uk

This dual battery charger boasts a sturdy Hoya’s premium range of circular polarisers This brilliant portable printer produces
metal shell and interchangeable plates that is available in 13 sizes from 37mm to great-looking 6x10cm prints on Fujifilm’s
each accept a pair of batteries. An LCD 82mm. These filters feature 16 layers of Instax Wide film. It connects to your
display shows progress, and a 2.4A USB anti-reflective coatings, high transmission, smartphone via Bluetooth and is controlled
output allows phones or tablets to be and are designed to repel water and oil using an attractively
charged once the while being scratch designed and
camera batteries and stain resistant. intuitive app.
are full. An ultra-thin Powered by a built-in
Versions are aluminium frame rechargeable battery
available for all prevents vignetting and available in
the main when used with white or grey, it’ll slip
camera brands. wideangle lenses. easily into a bag.
★★★★★ ★★★★★ ★★★★★
Reviewed Reviewed Reviewed
24 Feb 2018 3 Mar 2018 25 Jan 2022

www.amateurphotographer.com 57
 York Road, BURGESS HILL,
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Experts in photography Unbeatable stock availability Competitive low pricing UK stock

CANON EOS R6 MARK II SAVE £780 FUJIFILM X-T50 NEW!

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Be creative without compromise. The X-T50 is a compact and lightweight

The EOS R6 Mark II’s breakneck body weighing approximately 438g,
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CANON EOS R8 CANON EOS R5 CANON EOS R1 FUJIFILM FUJIFILM FUJIFILM

XF 16-50MM GFX100S II GF 500MM
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Normally £1,699 Normally £3,799 more about this camera. See website to learn more. See website to learn more. See website to learn more.

PANASONIC LUMIX S9 NEW! SONY A7 IV £300 CASHBACK

Motion. Picture. Perfect Expected Late June 2024 For a new generation of creators Available 30.04.24 - 31.07.24

24.2 33.0
MEGA
PIXELS 30 fps
3.0” IS 4K MEGA
PIXELS 10 fps
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The LUMIX S9 is the smallest and lightest With groundbreaking performance in

full-frame mirrorless camera in the LUMIX both still and movie recording, the a7 IV
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BODY ONLY + 26MM F/8 + 20-60MM BODY ONLY + FE 28-70MM

£1,499 £1,599 £1,799 £1,879* £2,299* SPREAD THE COST
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PANASONIC PANASONIC PANASONIC SONY A7C SONY ZV-1 II SONY

LUMIX S 26MM LUMIX S 18-40MM LUMIX GH7 FE 20-70MM
F/8 F/4.5-6.3 £200 £100 F/4 G
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See website to learn more. more about this lens. Expected July 2024 £200 from Sony UK. £100 from Sony UK. £200 from Sony UK.

HASSELBLAD XCD 25V

f/2.5
Embrace the expansive view and eternalise the
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All products are UK stock. E&OE. Please mention “Amateur Photographer” when ordering items from this advert.
Prices correct at time of going to press; Prices subject to change; check website for latest prices.
 Visit our website - updated daily
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or e-mail us for sales advice using

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SIGMA 28-45MM TAMRON 28-75MM

NEW! NEW!
F/1.8 DG DN | Art f/2.8 Di III VXD G2
This is the world’s first full-frame zoom lens with
a constant maximum aperture of f/1.8, delivering This is a compact and easy to use lens,
sharpness and clarity comparable to that of a prime yet has excellent optical performance
lens. It is a lens that will inspire full-frame film- and is compatible with the latest digital
£1,299 cameras with increasingly high pixel
NOW IN STOCK!
makers, while bringing unparalleled versatility to
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Available for L-Mount resolution. £849
or Sony E-Mount Available for Nikon Z Mount.

SIGMA 24-70MM SIGMA 105MM SIGMA 150-600MM TAMRON TAMRON TAMRON

F/2.8 DG DN | ART F/2.8 DG DN MACRO | A F/5-6.3 DG DN OS| S 11-20MM 18-300MM 70-180MM
L-MOUNT / E-MOUNT L-MOUNT / E-MOUNT L-MOUNT / E-MOUNT
F/2.8 DI III-A RXD F/3.5-6.3 DI III-A VC VXD F/2.8 DI III VC VXD G2

£175 £65 £125

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SAMYANG AF 35-150MM DJI RS 4

NEW! NEW!
F/2-2.8 Gripping Storytelling
Introducing the first L-Mount zoom lens designed The DJI RS 4 supports next-generation native
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of 3 aspherical lenses and 9 special lenses! Expected mid-July. professional and efficient creative experience and Limited stock
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MANFROTTO MANFROTTO MANFROTTO JOBY WAVO AIR JOBY WAVO POD JOBY
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USED USED USED USED

CANON NIKON SONY A7 II OLYMPUS
EOS 5D IV Z 50 BODY ONLY E-M5 III
BODY ONLY BODY ONLY BODY ONLY

available from £699 available from £449 available from £499 available from £579

CANON DSLRS NIKON DSLRS SONY MIRRORLESS

EOS-1D IV ............................................ from £429
EOS 6D................................................... from £229
EOS 80D ............................................... from £369
EOS 250D ............................................ from £329
CANON MIRRORLESS
EOS R5 ...............................................from £2,259
EOS R ...................................................... from £719
EOS R10 ................................................ from £639
EOS M50 Mark II............................. from £389
EOS M50 ............................................... from £339
D800 ........................................................ from £289
D750 ........................................................ from £329
D5500 ..................................................... from £299
D7500 ..................................................... from £579
NIKON MIRRORLESS
Z 9..........................................................from £3,669
Z 7 II .....................................................from £1,639
Z 7.............................................................. from £974
Z 6 II .....................................................from £1,069
Z fc ............................................................ from £549
A9 ...........................................................from £1,319
A7S III ..................................................from £2,729
A7S II ....................................................... from £709
A7R IV .................................................from £1,439
A7R IIIa ..............................................from £1,239
A7R III ..................................................... from £789
A7R II ....................................................... from £719
A7 III ......................................................... from £929
A6600...................................................... from £819
A6500...................................................... from £549
A5000...................................................... from £229
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OM-1 Mark II..................................from £1,029
OM-5 ........................................................ from £919
E-M1X ..................................................... from £689
E-M1 Mark III ..................................... from £649
E-M1 Mark II....................................... from £269
E-M1 ......................................................... from £139
E-M5 Mark II....................................... from £399
E-M10 Mark IV.................................. from £509
E-M10 Mark III .................................. from £339
E-M10...................................................... from £179

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 Mifsuds Photographic Ltd Est. 1954.
Family Run Pro Dealership With Friendly, Knowledgeable Staff.
27-29, Bolton Street, Brixham. Devon. TQ5 9BZ.
www.mifsuds.com 01803 852400 info@mifsuds.com
Current opening times: - Tuesday - Saturday 10am till 2pm.
Proudly Celebrating 70 Years Of Serving The Photographic Community
As a thank you to the many customers who have supported us during these fabulous years,
we are planning a series of promotions and giveaways throughout 2024,
so be sure to keep checking our website... WWW.MIFSUDS.COM for full details.
Remember too that we have the West Country’s best selection of used & new stock....
DIGITAL (DSLR / Mirrorless) ~ FILM (35mm-6x7)
LENSES (AF / MF) ~ ACCESSORIES Etc.
Or sign up via the website, to receive regular updates on the latest news of what is new and happening at This is the camera used
to photograph weddings
back when the business
MIFSUDS PHOTOGRAPHIC. first opened

THE BEST STOCKED DEALER IN THE WEST COUNTRY

FILTERS - PLEASE SEE WEBSITE - WWW.MIFSUDS.COM

UV, CIRCULAR POLARISER,ND, INFRA RED, YELLOW, GREEN, RED, ORANGE, STARSCAPE ETC.

WANTED

YOUR FILM AND DIGITAL KIT

UPGRADE NOW - PART EXCHANGE & COLLECTION AVAILABLE (Subject to postcode)
CALL MATT 0736 828 8126 8am till 8pm daily
Sensor cleaning and Pro equipment hire available
ANY PRICES SHOWN INCLUDE VAT AND U.K. MAINLAND DELIVERY. Correct 31/05/2024. E&OE.
 Website
updated daily www.mifsuds.com The best stocked
dealer in the
inc. promotions Here to help - just call 0736 828 8126 (8am-8pm) or 01803 852400 West Country
QUALITY USED EQUIPMENT - Checked, Tested and Warrantied. More on website - www.mifsuds.com.

Used Canon RF 200-800mm

F6.3/9 IS
500mm F4
IS USM LII
7D MKII
body box Used Canon Used Canon
R3 body R5 body 5D MKIV body 80D body
USM 200-400mm 300mm F2.8 400mm F4 USM
box
box box IS USM IS USM LII DO II USM
box

£3699 £2699 £2099 £3999 £2999£2999£4999 £1299 £399 £499

CANON R MIRRORLESS USED
R3 body box ...................................£3699
R5 body box. ..................................£2699
R6 body box ..................................... £999
R body box.....£699 RP body ...... £499
RF 14-35 F4 L IS USM box ..........£1199
RF 15-35 F2.8 L IS USM box ......£1599
RF 18-45 F4.5/6.3 IS STM box ..... £249
RF 24 F1.8 STM macro box .......... £499
RF 24-70 F2.8 IS USM box ..........£1999
RF 24-105 F4 L IS...........................£1099
RF 50 F1.2 L USM box .................£1699
RF 70-200 F4 L IS box ..................£1299
RF 85 F2 IS macro box .................. £499
RF 100 F2.8 L IS USM macro .....£1099
RF 100-500 F4.5/7.1 L IS USM...... £2399
RF 200-800 F6.3/9 IS USM box.£2099
RF 600 F11 IS STM box ................. £499
RF 800 F11 IS STM box ................. £599
CANON DSLR USED
7D MKII body box........................... £499
6D body box..................................... £499
5D MKIV body box .......................£1299
5D MKIII body .................................. £599
90D body box. ................................. £899
80D body box .................................. £399
760D body ........................................ £369
650D body ........................................ £299
BG-E20/16/14/13/11/9/8 grip ea .£99
CANON M MIRRORLESS USED
M50 MKII + 15-45 box................... £499
M3 + 15-45 F3.5/6.3 IS STM ........ £199
EF-M 11-22 F4/5.6 IS STM ............ £249
EF-M 15-45 F3.5/6.3 IS STM ...........£79
EF-M 18-150 F3.5/6.3 IS STM ...... £349
EF-M 32 F1.4 STM box .................. £429
EF-M 55-200 F4.5/6.3 IS STM ...... £249
EF-M adapter.......................................£89
CANON AF LENSES USED
8-15 F4 L USM .................................. £749
10-18 F4.5/5.6 IS STM EFS ........... £149
11-24 F4 L USM box.....................£1399
14 F2.8 USM LII ................................ £799
15-85 F3.5/5.6 EFS .......................... £199
16-35 F4 USM IS L box .................. £599
17-40 F4 L USM ............................... £299
17-55 F2.8 IS USM box EFS.......... £399
18-55 F3.5/5.6 IS STM EFS ..............£99
18-135 F3.5/5.6 IS EFS ................... £149
18-200 F3.5/5.6 IS EFS ................... £299
24 F3.5 TSE II box ..........................£1399
24-70 F2.8 USM LII box ................. £999
24-70 F4 IS USM L........................... £599
24-105 F4 IS USM LII ...................... £749
24-105 F4 IS USM L ........................ £499
35 F1.4 USM LII box .....................£1199
50 F1.2 L USM box.......................... £599
50 F1.4 USM box ............................. £249
55-250 F4/5.6 IS EFS ...................... £149
60 F2.8 macro EFS .......................... £349
70-200 F2.8 IS USM LIII ...............£1299
70-200 F2.8 IS USM LII .................. £699
70-300 F4/5.6 IS USM II Nano..... £499
70-300 F4/5.6 IS USM .................... £249
75-300 F4.5/5.6................................ £149
85 F1.8 USM...................................... £299
100 F2.8 IS USM L macro box..... £599
100 F2.8 USM macro box............. £299
100-400 F4.5/5.6 LII box .............£1499
135 F2 L USM ................................... £499
180 F3.5 L USM macro box ......... £699
200-400 F4 IS USM .......................£3999
300 F2.8 IS USM LII .......................£2999
400 F4 DO IS II USM .....................£2999
400 F5.6 L USM box ....................... £699
500 F4 IS USM LII ..........................£4999
1.4x extender MKIII ........................ £299
2x extender MKIII............................ £299
12mm ext tube II. ..............................£59
25mm ext tube II ...............................£99
SIGMA CAF USED
10 F2.8 EX DC HSM ........................ £199
10-20 F3.5 EX DC HSM .................. £199
12-24 F4.5/5.6 II DG ....................... £399
17-50 F2.8 OS DC box ................... £249
20 F1.4 DG Art box......................... £399
24-105 F4 DG OS box .................... £399
50 F1.4 DG HSM Art box .............. £399
70-300 F4.5/5.6 DG ........................ £139
100-400 F5/6.3 DG OS box.......... £499
105 F2.8 EX DG HSM OS box ...... £299
120-300 F2.8 DG OS HSM Sport . £1499
150 F2.8 OS mac box..................... £399
150-600 F5/6.3 DG OS sport....... £999
150-600 F5/6.3 DG OS contem .. £749
TC1401 1.4x extender ................... £149
TC2001 2x extender....................... £199
OTHER CAF USED
TAM 16-300 F3.5/6.3 II VC ............ £399
TAM 28-300 F3.5/6.3VC ................ £299
TAM 70-300 F4/5.6 Di.......................£99
TAM 90 F2.8 Di ................................. £199
TOK 12-24 F4 DX MKII ................... £199
TOK 12-28 F4 DX box .................... £269
FLASH/ACCESSORIES USED
ST-E3 transmitter box ................... £169
ST-E2 transmitter box ......................£69
MR14-EXII ringflash box ............... £449
430EXIII.........£199 430EX II ............£99
580EX II..................................................£99
600EX RT ............................................ £199
Angle finder C.....................................£79
TC-80N3 remote.................................£79
RS-80N3 remote .................................£30

Used Nikon Z6 MKII

body Used Nikon 600mm F4
AFS
Used Nikon D500
body box
Z9 body box Z8 body Z7 body box 200-500mm 500mm F5.6 D4 body D850 body
box box F5.6 E ED AFS E PF VR AFS VR box box

£3699 £3199 £1299 £1299
NIkON Z MIRRORLESS USED
Z9 body box ...................................£3699
Z8 body box ...................................£3199
Z7 MKII body box .........................£1999
Z7 body box ...................................£1299
Z6 MKII body box .........................£1299
12-28 F3.5/5.6 PZ VR box ............. £279
14-24 F2.8 S box............................£1699
17-28 F2.8 box ................................. £999
24-70 F2.8 S box............................£1699
24-70 F4 S.......................................... £499
24-120 F4 S ....................................... £899
35 F1.8 S box .................................... £599
50 F1.2 S box ..................................£1499
50 F1.8 S............................................. £449
70-200 F2.8 VR S box ...................£1799
85 F1.8 Z box.................................... £499
105 F2.8 VR macro box ................. £849
400 F4.5 VR S Mint box ...............£2299
FTZ adapter II box .......................... £229
FTZ adapter box.............................. £179
MB-N10 grip (fit Z6/7) ................... £149
NIkON DSLR USED
D6 or D5 body .................................£ASK
D4 body box..................................... £699
D850 body box.................. £1499/1999
D810 body box................................ £799
D800 body box................................ £499
D780 body box..............................£1599
D750 body box................................ £699
D700 body ........................................ £299
D610 body box................................ £399
D500 body box................................ £999
D300 body ........................................ £199
D200 body ........................................ £129
D7500 body box ............................. £799
D7200 body box ............................. £499
D7100 body box ............................. £399
MBD-18 (D850) box ....................... £299
MBD-17 (D500) ................................ £199
MBD-16 (D750) ...................................£99
MBD-15 (D7000/7100/7200) ........£99
MBD-12 (D800/810) ..........................£99
MBD-80 (D80/90)...............................£49
£899 £1999
NIkON AF LENSES USED
10.5 F2.8 fisheye box..................... £199
10-20 F4.5/5.6 AF-P DX VR .......... £199
10-24 F3.5/4.5 AFS box................. £399
14 F2.8 AFD....................................... £499
16 F2.8 AFD fisheye ....................... £299
16-35 F4 AFS VR box ..................... £399
16-80 F2.8/4 VR DX ........................ £599
16-85 F3.5/5.6 AFS VR ................... £199
17-55 F2.8 AFS ................................. £299
18-35 F3.5/4.5 AFS box................. £399
18-55 F3.5/5.6 AF VR DX .................£99
18-105 F3.5/5.6 VR DX AFS.......... £149
18-140 F3.5/5.6 AFS VR box ........ £149
18-200 F3.5/5.6 VR DX MKII......... £299
20 F1.8 AFS box............................... £599
24 F1.4 G AFS Mint box ................ £799
24 F2.8 AFD box .............................. £249
24-70 F2.8 AFS VR box .................. £999
24-70 F2.8 AFS ................................. £349
24-120 F4 AFS VR............................ £499
35 F1.4 AFS G box ..............................£799
£2999
35 F1.8 AFS G DX ...............................£99
35 F1.8 AFS ED..................................... £299
35 F2.8 AFD........................................... £299
50 F1.4 AFS G box .......................... £249
50 F1.8 AFS box..................................£99
50 F1.8 AFD..........................................£99
55-200 F4.5/5.6 AFS VR box ........ £149
60 F2.8 AFS macro.......................... £299
70-200 F2.8 E FL AFS box ..........£1399
70-300 F4.5/5.6 E AF P VR ............ £499
70-300 F4.5/5.6 AFS VR box ........ £299
70-300 F4.5/5.6 AFD .........................£99
80-400 F4.5/5.6 AFS VR box ........ £999
85 F1.4 G AFS box .......................... £799
85 F1.8 AFS box............................... £299
105 F2.8 AFS VR macro ................. £399
200-500 F5.6 E ED AFS VR box ... £899
500 F5.6 E PF VR AFS box ..........£1999
600 F4 AFS VR ................................£2999
TC14-EIII box..................................... £399
TC14-EII box...................................... £149
TC17-EII box..£99 TC20-EIII box £149
£699 £1499
SIGMA NAF USED
10-20 F3.5 DC box .......................... £199
10-20 F4/5.6 DC HSM .................... £129
12-24 F4.5/5.6 II HSM .................... £399
24-105 F4 DG OS ............................ £499
35 F1.4 DG Art ................................. £399
50 F1.4 DG HSM Art ....................... £399
70-200 F2.8 EX DG OS HSM ........ £399
105 F2.8 EX DG HSM OS............... £299
150 F2.8 EX DG OS HSM box ...... £399
150-600 F5/6.3 DG OS sport....... £999
150-600 F5/6.3 DG OS contem .. £749
TC-1401 1.4x extender.................. £149
TC-2001 2x extender ..................... £199
OTHER NAF USED
TAM 15-30 F2.8 Di USD ................ £399
TAM 16-300 F3.5/6.3 II VC ............ £399
TAM 18-250 F3.5/5.6 Di II ............. £199
TAM 70-300 F4/5.6 Di VC ............. £199
FLASH / ACCESSORIES USED
SB-R1 ring flash box ...................... £399
SB-700 box.....£199 SB-900 box £199
£999
SU-800 commander ...................... £199
DR-6 or DR-5 angle finder each £149
MC-36A remote ..................................£99
MC-30A remote ..................................£59
SC-19/SC-28/SC-30 cable each .....£49
NIkON 35MM BODIES/LENSES USED
F5 body .............................................. £499
F100 + MB-15 grip ......................... £399
F3HP body......................................... £599
F + plain prism Apollo chr body £499
FM2N body Black............................ £399
FM2N body Chrome ...................... £399
24 F2.8 AIS......................................... £199
35 F2 AIS ............................................ £269
50 F1.4 AIS......................................... £299
55 F2.8 AIS micro ............................ £199
80-200 F4 AIS ................................... £199
105 F2.5 AIS ...................................... £299
180 F2.8 ED AIS ............................... £299
200 F4 AIS macro ............................ £399
300 F4.5 ED AIS ............................... £399
PB-4 or PB-6 bellows each .......... £199

Used Olympus 40-150mm

F2.8 Pro Used Panasonic 42.5mm
F1.2 DG
Used Sony 12-24mm
F2.8 GM
OM-1 body 8-25mm F4 box G9 body 45-200mm A9 MKIII body A7R MKV
Pro box body box box
box F4/5.6 box

£1199 £749 £799 £499 £179 £499 £4499 £2699 £1999

FUJI X DIGITAL USED 1.4x XF conv ..................................... £299 30 F3.5 macro box.......................... £149 12-60 F3.5/5.6 .................................. £299 A7R MKIV box ................................£1999 24 -70 F2.8 GM II box ..................£1699
X-T2 body .......................................... £499 X500 flash .......................................... £299 40-150 F2.8 Pro box ........................... £799 14-42 F3.5/5.6 .....................................£99 A7R MKIV A body box .................£1999 24-70 F4 ZA OSS box..................... £399
10-24 F4 XF R box........................... £349 EF-42 flash ............................................£99 40-150 F4 box ...................................... £649 14-45 F4/5.6...................................... £149 A7 MKIV body box .......................£1699 24-105 F4 G OSS box..................... £799
16 F1.4 WR box. ............................... £499 OLyMPUS MICRO 4/3 USED 40-150 F4/5.6 ................................... £149 25 F1.4 box ....................................... £299 A7 MKIII body.................................£1199 35 F1.4 ZA OSS box........................ £599
16-80 F4 WR...................................... £449 OM-1 body Mint box...................£1199 45 F1.2 Pro box................................ £599 35-100 F2.8 MKII box..................... £599 RX10 MKIV box ..............................£1199 35 F2.8 box ....................................... £299
18 F2 R ................................................ £299 E-M1 MKIII body box ..................... £699 60 F2.8 macro .................................. £379 42.5 F1.2 DG ..................................... £499 VG-C4 EM grip box......................... £299 50 F1.2 box .....................................£1399
18-55 F2.8/4 XF ............................... £299 E-M10 body box.............................. £349 75-300 F4.8/6.7 MSCII ................... £379 45-175 F4.5/5.6................................ £299 VG-C3 EM grip box......................... £129 50 F1.4 ..............................................£1199
23 F1.4 XF .......................................... £399 7-14 F2.8 Pro..................................... £699 PANASONIC MICRO 4/3 USED 45-200 F4.5/5.6 box ....................... £179 Sony F60M flash box ..................... £299 55 F1.8 box ....................................... £399
35 F2 XF WR ...................................... £279 8-25 F4 Pro box ............................... £749 G9 body box ..................................... £499 100-300 F4/5.6 MKII....................... £349 Sony F58AM flash ........................... £149 85 F1.4 G ............................................ £999
50-140 F2.8 WR box ....................... £999 9-18 F4/5.6 ............................................ £299 BGG9 grip box ....................................£99 SONY DIGITAL USED Sony F43 flash ................................ £149 90 F2.8 G OSS macro ..................... £699
50-230 F4.5/5.7 MKII...................... £239 12-40 F2.8 ..............................................£399 G7 body ............................................. £299 A1 body box ...................................£4499 SonyF56AM flash ........................... £149 100 F2.8 GM OSS box.................... £899
55-200 F3.5/4.8 R box ................... £399 12-45 F4 Pro .........................................£399 GH4 body .......................................... £399 A9 MKIII body box ........................£4499 SONy FE MOUNT DIGITAL USED 100-400 F4.5/5.6 OSS D box .....£1399
56 F1.2 R ............................................ £449 12-100 F4 ........................................... £799 7-14 F4................................................ £399 A9 MKII body..................................£2499 12-24 F2.8 GM box .......................£1999 135 F1.8 box ...................................£1299
60 F2.4 R mac ................................... £299 12-200 F3.5/6.3 box ....................... £599 8 F3.5 box .......................................... £399 A9 body box ...................................£1499 16-35 F4 ZA box .............................. £599 See website
100-400 F4.5/5.6 WR box ............. £899 17 F1.2 Pro box................................ £599 8-18 F2.8/4 box ............................... £629 A7R MKV body box ......................£2699 24 F1.4 G box ................................... £799 www.MIFSUDS.COM
BRONICA, FUJI, HASSELBLAD, MAMIYA, PENTAX ETC. MEDIUM FORMAT USED
BRONICA ETR 645 USED BRONICA Sq 6x6 USED HASSELBLAD 6x6 USED MAMIyA 645 MF USED Extention tube 1 ................................£59 Helicoid ext tube ............................ £149
ETRSi + AEII prism + 75 EII SQAi + 80 + WLF +120 box ........ £699 501CM, 80 F2.8 CF, A12, WLF ..... £2999 645 Pro body .................................... £399 PENTAX 645 AF USED REF converter angle finder ......... £149
+ speed grip + 120 back .............. £699 SQAi body.......................................... £399 500CM + 80 F2.8 CF + A12 ......£1999 Teleplus 2x conv ................................£39 33-55 F4.5 FA.................................... £499 PENTAX 6x7 USED
ETRSi body ........................................ £299 SQA body .......................................... £299 501CM body chr ...........................£1199 120 back............................................. £149 45-85 F4.5 FA.................................... £499 35 F4.5 fisheye ................................. £599
ETRS body ......................................... £199 40 F4 S ................................................ £399 40 F4 C early ..................................... £499 120 insert..£29 Ext tube 1/2/3 ea£29 55 F2.8 D FA box ............................. £499 55 F4 late ........................................... £499
40 F4 PE.........£399 40 F4 E ......... £199 50 F3.5 PS box ................................. £349 50 F4 CF FLE ..................................... £699 MAMIyA TLR 6x6 USED 55-110 F5.6 FA ................................. £499 75 F4.5 box ....................................... £499
50 F2.8 PE .......................................... £299 110 F4 macro ................................... £299 80 F2.8 CB.......................................... £699 C330S body + WLF ......................... £399 150-300 F5.6 FA ED box ............... £499 90 F2.8 ................................................ £599
50 F2.8 E MC ..................................... £199 150 F4 PS ........................................... £299 135 F5.6 CF + macro bellows ..... £699 C330F body box .............................. £299 200 F4 FA ........................................... £399 105 F2.4 early ................................... £499
135 F4...........£299 150 F3.5 E.........£99 2x converter PS ............................... £149 150 F4 CF ........................................... £499 55 F4.5 ................................................ £249 300 F5.6 FA........................................ £499 120 F3.5 soft focus ......................... £399
180 F4.5 PE........................................ £299 2x converter S .....................................£69 150 F4 Black T* ................................ £299 MAMIyA 7 RF 6x7 USED 400 F5.6 FA........................................ £499 165 F2.8.............................................. £199
2x extender..........................................£49 SQAi waist level finder.................. £199 180 F4 CF box .................................. £699 7II body box....................................£2299 PENTAX 645 MF USED 200 F4 latest ..................................... £199
ETRSi 120 back RWC late ................£99 SQAi prism late ................................ £399 250 F5.6 black T*............................. £299 43 F4.5 box ....................................... £899 45 F2.8...........£299 55 F2.8........... £299 300 F4 latest ..................................... £199
AEIII prism ......................................... £399 SQAi 120 back late ......................... £149 PME90 prism .................................... £499 80 F4..........£999 150 F4.5............. £399 80-160 F4.5 ....................................... £299 1.4x rear converter grey ..................149
AEII prism .......................................... £199 SQA 120 back early ...........................£99 PM 5 prism...£399 PM90 prism . £369 210 F8 ................................................. £399 120 F4 macro ................................... £399 2x rear converter grey .................. £149
Ext tube E14 or E28 each ................£49 Plain prism S..................................... £199 A12 magazine ......................... £199/499 Polarising filter ZE702 box .......... £149 200 F4 ................................................. £299 Plain prism ........................................ £199
Speed grip E...£99 WLF ............... £149 Polaroid back ......................................£20 A16 magazine...£299 Pro shade. .£79 MAMIyA RB 6x7 USED 300 F4 green T* ............................... £499 REF converter angle finder ......... £199
Rotary prism E box......................... £149 WLF...........£149 SQA speed grip ...£99 Snap lock flash grip box............... £399 55 F4.5 ................................................ £299 1.4x or 2x converter each ............ £149 Helicoid ext tube ............................ £149
Plain prism E box ............................ £149 Lens hoods various .................... £20/50 Lenshoods & filters ................. SEE WEB Prism early....£129 Chimney box£149 Auto ext tube set ............................ £149 Wooden grip .................................... £199
FOR 35MM AF/MF ETC PLEASE SEE WEBSITE FOR CURRENT STOCK ~ WWW.MIFSUDS.COM
ITEM yOU REqUIRE NOT LISTED? EMAIL DETAILS OF wHAT yOU ARE LOOkING FOR AND wE wILL CONTACT yOU wHEN wE CAN HELP. CORRECT 31/05/2024.
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.
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Final Analysis
John Wade considers…
Isambard Kingdom Brunel by Robert Howlett, 1857
I
sambard Kingdom
Brunel was the
19th century’s most
renowned civil engineer.
At age 20, he joined his father
Marc Brunel in the construction
of the Thames Tunnel, a project
that nearly cost him his life in a
flood. He went on to design and
build some of the age’s greatest
bridges, viaducts, buildings,
railways and ships, culminating
in The Great Eastern, at that
time the largest ship ever built.
At 22,500 tons and nearly
700ft long it was designed to
carry 4,000 passengers from
England to Australia in a single
luxurious trip. Unfortunately,
with construction under way,
Brunel’s business partner went
bankrupt, leaving the engineer
to raise more money while
restoring confidence in both
his investors and his workforce.
He needed a public relations
campaign with a picture to
spearhead it.
Enter Robert Howlett.
Howlett was a young
photographer previously
commissioned by Queen
Victoria to create portraits of
soldiers from the Crimean War.
This was the wet plate era,
when photographic glass plates
were made in a darkroom prior
to exposure, used in the camera
while still wet, then rushed
back to the darkroom for
on-the-spot development. The
process involved the use of
dangerous chemicals such as
nitric, sulphuric and pyrogallic
acids, silver nitrate and iodide,
plus potentially lethal
potassium cyanide.
Environmental portraits
Given this, many were content
to shoot portraits in the
comfort of a studio with a
John Wade is best known for his regular contributions to AP on classic cameras. He is the author of 25 books on social and photographic history. Find him at www.johnwade.org
66
Photo Critique
nearby darkroom. But Howlett
took his large plate camera –
plus portable, badly ventilated,
tent-like darkroom – to places
such as dockyards and military
hospitals. He developed a style
of environmental portraiture,
acquiring an understanding of
how photography could change
and disturb public opinion
about the war and its soldiers.
This picture was taken when
Howlett had been hired to
chronicle construction of The
Great Eastern, where his
creativity came to the fore.
He played with scale, showing
how the immensity of the
vessel dwarfed those working
on it. He looked for unusual
angles, how subjects formed
into patterns and shapes.
PHOTOGRAPH BY ROBERT HOWLETT. REPRODUCED VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
A man in charge
Here, using the massive
chains on one of the ship’s
launching drums as a
background, the immensity
of the ship is conveyed, while
providing a metaphor for the
power of Brunel’s reputation
and expertise. The engineer’s
pose is confident, a little
arrogant, but a man in charge
of his own destiny. With his
cigar, stovepipe hat, and
three-piece suit complete with ‘Howlett took his large plate camera –
watch and chain, he’s the
perfect Victorian gent. But the plus portable, badly ventilated, tent-like
dishevelment of his clothing, darkroom – to places such as dockyards
the mud-spattered shoes and
trousers show that he’s not and military hospitals’
afraid to get down and dirty
with his workers. age 53, the same month The Atlantic. In Liverpool, between
Overall, the right subject, in Great Eastern finally undertook 1888 and 1889, the great ship
the right location with the right its first sea trials. The ship was broken up for scrap.
photographer has produced one completed only a few The original of this picture
of the most iconic images of the transatlantic passenger-carrying resides in the New York
Victorian age. trips before being sold to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Robert Howlett died in 1858, Telegraph Construction and Now in the public domain,
aged 27, from typhoid fever. Maintenance Company for it is reproduced here via
Brunel died in September 1859, laying a cable under the Wikimedia Commons.
www.amateurphotographer.com
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LONDON
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SUSSEX
York Road, BURGESS HILL,
West Sussex, RH15 9TT
Visit our website - updated daily or call us 7 days a week
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Prices correct at time of going to press; Prices subject to change; check website for latest prices.
Hahnemühle Sustainable Photo Satin
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APER
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Come see us at Clicklive exhibition 23-25 June to view our papers and more.
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