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3 Tips for Capturing your Holiday with the Nikkor 60mm Micro Lens

10 Sep

The post 3 Tips for Capturing your Holiday with the Nikkor 60mm Micro Lens appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Lily Sawyer.

Going on holiday is so exciting for me. It’s a chance to unwind and take it easy. The one thing I don’t want to do on holidays is carry heavy equipment for my photography. I do that already as my day job and heavy cameras paired with heavier lenses are a drag. When on holiday, I usually take one camera body and one small prime lens with me. That’s it!

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This article is about capturing your holiday photos with the simplest of gear: a camera and lens. I used my Nikon D750 full-frame camera and a Nikkor 60mm micro prime lens for all the photos featured in this article. The combination is small in size and light in weight. Just a note though, as the D750 has a full-frame sensor, the 60mm viewed through it is a 60mm. If you use a cropped-sensor camera, this 60mm becomes a 90mm when viewed through the smaller sensor. Therefore it’s not something I recommend as a holiday combo. If you only have a cropped-sensor camera, then you are better off going with a 35mm fixed lens.

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Why Nikkor 60mm?

You may ask why 60mm, not 50mm, not 35mm? That’s a valid question. I used to take the 50mm as that focal length is most versatile and I love it’s lightness too. I have previously written an article here on the 50mm and its versatility. But I have swapped this for my 60mm as my go-to holiday lens recently.

1. The 60mm medium focal range is versatile

Landscape

If you have enough space to back off from the subject, you can take a good landscape photo without distortions (like cropping out too many tourists for example) and without it being too unnecessarily wide. Landscape in wide-open areas is easy. You can do more “considered” compositions because of the viewpoint the focal length allows. You can also “crop” in-camera just by moving forward or backward to include or exclude areas within the frame.

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Portraits

A portrait, by strict definition, is usually a view from the shoulders to the head. However, you can loosen it up a bit by going half body or even full-body! It’s not close-up nor too wide. The Nikkor 60mm Micro is the perfect focal length for a portrait. Because it’s an f/2.8 lens, you can still get shallow depth of field and achieve a pleasing background compression for a flattering image. This is especially so when I want to accentuate the subject and blur the background.

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Close-Up

Because the Nikkor 60mm Micro has a micro/macro lens capability, I can capture close-ups (including extreme close-ups) with it too. The photos below are of a wall covering at Peterhof Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia. We were passing through the darkly lit rooms (no flashes allowed) in a tour group so there was no stopping for a long time. It’s quite literally aim, shoot and go! I wanted to capture the intricate embroidery on these fabric wall coverings and a patch of the design. The Nikkor 60mm Micro gives fairly heavy vignetting, especially when shooting close-ups in low light. Close-range photography usually requires more light which wasn’t available here. However, the vignetting created works for me because I wanted to focus on the central areas of the patterns.

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All in all, the Nikkor 60mm Micro is light and nifty and has macro capabilities. With it, you can shoot really close-up details, through to much wider views, as shown in the photo below.

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2. Shoot to tell a story

I have recently written an article, 3 tips in photographing details in a scene, where I talked about shooting to tell a story. This is essentially utilizing the elements of story-telling as you visually capture scenes. So, you can tell the beginning, middle and end of a story effectively just by using photos.

Varied angles

You can make a story more interesting by employing a variety of angles. Think of a film being shot. You often have several cameras with various lenses coming in from different angles: wide, medium, high, low and close-up. These viewpoints offer new and different insights into the scene at hand.

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Emotions

Capturing moments that carry emotions is a surefire way of immortalizing memories in our minds. Action photos often help with these. The photos below of my daughter blowing soapy suds will remind her of her delight upon seeing a fountain overflowing with foamy white stuff! It was a marathon day when we visited Tallinn, Estonia. Crossing roads was tricky with all the runners zooming past too. A nice smile at the camera when we got on a train, and a much-needed rest from miles and miles of walking while sightseeing. All precious memories.

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Series

A series of shots showing a progression or a beginning, middle and end can also be a fun and interesting way of telling a story of a moment. It doesn’t have to be a complicated moment. A snapshot of something that catches your eye will do, like the little scene below. Including a couple of other shots of the same material but from a different perspective will bring new interest.

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3. Don’t forget the details

Details help us remember and set memories firmly in our minds so we can chat about it for years to come. I make annual family albums which my kids love to pore over and talk about regularly. They give us a lot of laughter as we recall the fun events of our holidays and reminisce the special moments. Still life, scenery, close-ups…they all play a part in helping us capture details more effectively to tell stories of our lives.

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I hope you found this little article on how to capture your holiday photos with just one lens, such as the Nikkor 60mm Micro helpful. Do share more tips in the comments below.

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The post 3 Tips for Capturing your Holiday with the Nikkor 60mm Micro Lens appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Lily Sawyer.

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8 Micro Habits That Will Completely Change Your Photography in a Year

25 Jul

The post 8 Micro Habits That Will Completely Change Your Photography in a Year appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

Do you want to become a master photographer…

…in only a year?

That’s what this article is all about.

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Because in it, I’m going to give you 8 micro habits that will completely change your photography in a year. These micro habits are small adjustments in how you go about taking photos. They take very little effort.

But if you make a real effort to follow them, you’ll be a photography master within a year.

Sound good?

Let’s get started.

1. Check your settings every time you turn on your camera

This is such an easy way to improve your photos.

And yet photographers always forget about it!

All you have to do…

…is check your camera settings before you begin a shoot. And make sure you have the settings you need for the current situation.

Because here’s the thing:

Every photography outing is different. And you absolutely do not want to find yourself using the same settings from shoot to shoot. That’s a recipe for disaster.

But if you don’t check your camera before you start shooting, that’s exactly what will happen. Because you’ll forget about your previous settings, and you won’t realize that you’ve seriously messed up until halfway through a photo shoot.

(How do I know? Because I used to do this all the time! Until I started checking my settings, that is.)

So here’s what you do:

Get in the habit of choosing new settings every time you turn on your camera.

First, make sure you’re shooting in RAW, or RAW+JPEG. This is absolutely key. If you don’t do this, you’re sacrificing a ton of post-processing potential in your images. Fortunately, this can be a ‘set it and forget it’ feature, but it pays to be alert.

Next, think about your camera mode. Do you want to shoot in Aperture Priority mode? Do you want to shoot in full Manual mode? This depends on your shooting situation, but Aperture Priority is a good go-to.

Third, think about your ISO setting. It should sit at a default of around ISO 200, but feel free to raise it if the light is limited.

Fourth, choose your metering mode. I recommend leaving your camera set to evaluative metering mode (also known as matrix or multi-segment metering, depending on the brand). Evaluative metering takes into account the entire scene and determines the best overall exposure.

Finally, think about your focus mode. AF-S (One Shot) focusing is a good default because it locks focus when you press your shutter button halfway.

Checking your camera settings is easy. It takes 60 seconds, tops.

So you’ve just got to get in the habit of remembering to do it!

2. Check the surroundings before you take each photo

You’ve framed up your shot. Your finger is on the shutter button. You’re itching to capture a photo.

But you wait.

Why?

Because if you want to make sure your photo is a stunner, then you must check the surroundings.

In other words, you need to look all around the viewfinder, so you can be absolutely sure there are no distractions.

Notice how clean this photo is; it’s a flower, a stem, and nothing else. That’s what you want.

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But if you don’t get in the habit of checking the whole scene before taking a photo, you’ll find that all sorts of distractions creep into the frame.

You’ll get stray leaves, branches, and other elements around the edges.

And you’ll get telephone poles, wires, and street signs sprouting out of your subject’s head.

These things are so easy to miss if you’re not looking for them. You get so excited about your subject, so fixated on it, that you miss what’s going on in the surrounding area.

Now, you don’t have to do a long check. It doesn’t have to take more than a couple of seconds. But just flick your eyes over the scene. And make sure there are absolutely no distractions.

Then you can take your shot.

3. Only get out to shoot during the best light

One of the easiest mistakes to make in photography?

Shooting during bad light.

In fact, bad light is probably the number one culprit of lackluster images. Because bad light can break a photo so easily. It can take a beautiful composition and make it into a muddy mess.

That’s why you should get in the habit of shooting only during the best light.

But what counts as the best light?

It depends somewhat on your genre of photography. But it’s pretty hard to go wrong with golden-hour lighting.

You find golden-hour light early and late in the day when the sun is low in the sky. The low sun casts a golden glow over the entire scene, giving you light that’s soft, warm, and just all-around beautiful.

This photo was shot with classic golden-hour lighting:

Golden hour is usually seen as the two hours after sunrise and the two hours before sunset. But there’s no hard-and-fast rule. Instead, just start shooting when the light becomes golden, and you’ll do just fine.

Now, there are a few other types of light that are worth pursuing.

First, just after sunset (and just before sunrise), you get something known as the blue hour, when the sun moves lower and lower over the horizon. This can be great for landscape photos, as long as you remember to bring your tripod!

Second, cloudy light is good for bringing out colors. That’s why macro and flower photographers love clouds; it allows them to capture deeper, richer colors in their subjects.

It took cloudy light to get these stunning red tones:

Here’s the bottom line:

If you can restrain yourself from shooting bad light, and get out to shoot during good light…

…well, your photography will move to the next level, instantly.

4. Shoot every scene from 5 different angles

It’s easy to get stuck in a creative rut.

One where you approach a scene and shoot it head-on, without ever trying different angles.

By doing this, you’re missing out on so many potential shots. So many possibilities for creativity!

That’s where this micro habit comes in.

Here’s how it works:

When you approach a scene, go ahead and take the standard, head-on shot. This can sometimes look good, after all!

But then get into unusual angles. Try finding a vantage point and shooting from overhead. Try getting down low down to the ground and shooting up.

Move around your subject, taking care to capture at least five unique angles, every single time you do a shoot.

And you’ll soon be taking unique photos everywhere you go.

5. Use the rule of thirds to begin every composition

The rule of thirds is a basic composition guideline.

It states that the best compositions put the main elements a third of the way into the frame, somewhere along these gridlines:

In particular, you should try to put your main subject at the power points, which are the four intersection points on the grid.

Here’s an example of a photo that uses the rule of thirds:

I was careful to put the two flowers along the gridlines, and the overall shot came out looking well-balanced (which is exactly what you want!).

Now, the rule of thirds isn’t a hard-and-fast law of composition. You can break the rule of thirds. And sometimes you can create truly unique photos by being willing to break the rule of thirds.

But the rule of thirds is an excellent starting point for all of your compositions.

So here’s what I recommend:

Get in the habit of using the rule of thirds to start off your compositions. Think to yourself: How can I align elements of this photo with the rule of thirds gridlines?

If you ultimately don’t use the rule of thirds for that photo, that’s okay. But if you at least consider the rule of thirds before breaking it, your compositions will improve fast.

6. Post-process all of your good photos

Here’s the thing about photography:

If you take photos, and you don’t do anything with them, they’ll look decent.

But if you do even a bit of post-processing…

Well, you can make them look amazing. Because a little post-processing can go a long way.

Which is why I suggest that you post-process every single one of your good photos, even if you’d rather be out shooting.

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Now, you don’t actually have to do much to your photos. Take all of the photos from your recent shoot, and go through them quickly, selecting the ‘decent to good’ photos out of the mix.

Then go through these and do a quick processing job.

What should this entail?

You should at least do two very basic things.

First, you should adjust the contrast. Most photos can benefit from a significant contrast boost, so test it out on your photos to see how it looks.

Second, you should adjust the colors. Lightroom has a slider called Vibrance, and it’s amazing. It simply increases the saturation of colors that aren’t yet saturated, so it’s sort of a ‘smart saturation’ option. And it’ll really make your colors pop!

After this, you can go on to make other changes, do noise reduction and sharpening, etc. But you don’t have to. Just a bit of contrast and a bit of Vibrance can do a long way.

7. Take one image every day to increase your photography skills

Do you currently take one photo every day?

For a long time, I didn’t. I went out once a week, took a series of photos, then went home.

And then I decided to take photos every day for a month.

By the time the month was up, I had resolved to continue to take photos every single day, no matter what – because it improved my photography so much.

I started to see compositions where I previously saw none. I started to get a sense of the light that I had never had before.

And this didn’t require any extra learning. It was just from being…aware. From keeping my photography brain awake.

So I urge you:

Start taking photos every day. Even if you can only take one photo, even if you can only take it with a smartphone, you should still do it.

You’ll be amazed by how quickly your photography improves.

8. Look at beautiful photos every single day

Here’s the final micro habit that will drastically improve your photography:

Look at beautiful photos.

Every day.

You see, the more you look at good photos, the more you develop your sense of color, composition, and lighting. You’ll start to notice the way other photographers use the rule of thirds. You’ll start to notice how photographers use contrasting colors to great effect. You’ll start to notice how different angles give different looks.

And then you’ll start noticing how you can use these techniques in your own photography.

Plus, in this day and age, it’s not difficult to look at stunning photos. You can subscribe to the Instagram feeds of great photographers. You can subscribe to high-quality Facebook groups. Or you can join the email lists of top photography websites (such as this one!).

The key is to make sure you look at amazing photos every day, no matter what.

8 Micro Habits That Will Completely Change Your Photography in a Year: Conclusion

Now that you know about these game-changing micro habits…

…all that’s left is to start implementing them in your daily life so you can completely change your photography in a year.

None of them are hard. They take a few minutes, at most.

But look back in a year, and you’ll be so glad you started them.

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Also, if you found these micro habits useful, then you should check out our course, 31 Days to Become a Better Photographer. Registrations close on 31st July, so make sure you don’t delay!

The course is full of useful tips and suggestions like the ones I’ve given here. And it’s guaranteed to improve your photography, fast.

So if you’re looking to take your photography to the next level, the course is exactly what you need.

View it here:

31 Days to Become a Better Photographer.

The post 8 Micro Habits That Will Completely Change Your Photography in a Year appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

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Tiniest Interchangable Lens Micro Four Thirds Cameras for Travel with Amazing Quality

21 Jun

The post Tiniest Interchangable Lens Micro Four Thirds Cameras for Travel with Amazing Quality appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.

In this video by MarkusPix, he looks at some of the tiniest ILC micro-four-thirds cameras and shows how well they hold up on his travels when taking some portraits.

In the video, he specifically looks at the Panasonic Lumix GX1 (2012), GX850 (2017), GM1 (2013), GM5 (2014) and uses the M Zuiko 45mm f/1.8 lens (which he describes as a great portrait lens).

He also uses the Godox Ad200 with the world’s smallest flash trigger – the FlashQ.

Panasonic Lumix GM1 (2013)

He states that the GM1 is one of the smallest and lightest ILC M4/3 cameras in the world. It has no viewfinder, hot shoe or image stabilization. However, the GM1 has a 16mp CMOS sensor, with a shutter speed of up to 1/16,000th, face detection, built-in wireless, built-in flash, video, and time-lapse recording.

Panasonic Lumix GM5 (2014)

Mark also states that the GM5 is one of the smallest and lightest ILC M4/3 cameras in the world. It has similar features to the GM1 but the GM5 has an electronic viewfinder and a flash shoe.

Panasonic Lumix GX1 Black (2012)

The GX! has a hotshot and can take an optional EVF (you can’t use a flash while using the optional EVF as it connects to the flash hotshoe). It has some similar features as the above cameras, but it also has optical image stabilization and built-in flash. The battery door opens all the time and the menu is confusing.

Panasonic Lumix GX850 (2017)

The GX850 (also known as the GX800 and GF9) has no EVF or hotshoe, but has a tilting screen, better LCD resolution, focus stacking and face detection. The images are very sharp. It also has a built-in flash.

So check out his experiments and see if you think these cameras would make a great (lightweight) travel companion.

Have you used these cameras? Do you agree? What are your thoughts?

Or do you have any cameras you’d add to the list?

Share with us in the comments below.

You may also find the following helpful:

Full Frame VS Crop Sensor VS Micro Four Thirds: Camera Sensors Explained
Some of the Pros of Using Micro Four-Thirds Cameras for Wildlife Photography
My experience with a micro-4/3rds camera – (Panasonic GF1 Review)
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7 Review
Panasonic Lumix DMC-G6 Review
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF6 Review

The post Tiniest Interchangable Lens Micro Four Thirds Cameras for Travel with Amazing Quality appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.

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Vazen launches “world’s first” anamorphic lenses for Micro Four Thirds

04 Jun

Vazen, a Chinese optics manufacturer, is set to launch a trio of anamorphic lenses for Micro Four Thirds cameras. Showing at the Cine Gear Expo and spotted by Newsshooter, the company will be offering 28mm, 40mm and 65mm focal lengths with a 1.8x anamorphic effect.

The lens on show at Cine Gear is a 40mm T2 that will be shipping at the end of this month. When used on Micro Four Thirds cameras, such as the Lumix GH5/s, Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera or Z-cam E2, it will produce 2.39:1 aspect ratio images. Vazen claims the lenses will provide ‘buttery smooth oval bokeh, signature blue horizontal flare and the widescreen cinematic look’ as well as a minimum focus distance of 0.82m (2.7ft) for the 40mm example. The focus and aperture rings are fitted with gears and the front filter thread measures 110mm.

Below is sample footage captured with the 40mm T2 lens:

The 40mm version weighs 1.8kg (3.97lbs), is 110mm x 175mm (4.33in x 6.89in), and will cost $ 3,250. Users will have to wait until much later in the year for the 28mm and 65mm models. For more information see the Vazen website.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Hands-on with Panasonic’s 10-25mm F1.7 Micro Four Thirds lens

01 Jun

Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Summilux 10-25mm F1.7 ASPH

The Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Summilux 10-25mm F1.7 ASPH is a fast zoom lens that covers several popular focal lengths. When mounted on a Micro Four Thirds body, where it’s equivalent to 20-50mm, you can hit 20mm, 24mm, 28mm, 35mm or 50mm with a single lens (and a fast one, at that). It will ship in July for $ 1799/£1799.

The lens was originally announced last year at Photokina, and saw a mockup under glass at CP+ back in March.

We were able to get our hands on a preproduction lens, so click through to learn more about this beast of a lens.

Big, but not that big

Make no mistake, the 10-25mm F1.7 is a hefty lens, but it’s not nearly as large or heavy as one would expect given its ambitious spec. The lens is 128mm (5″) long, has a max diameter of 88mm (3.5″) and weighs in at 690g (1.5lb). By comparison, Sigma’s 18-35mm F1.8 Art lens is a bit shorter, but almost 20% heavier, despite covering a narrower range of focal lengths.

The 10-25mm is a pricey lens, and it feels like it in the hand. It’s virtually all metal and is dust and splash-resistant. The lens can function down to -10°C/+14°F.

Seventeen elements

It shouldn’t come as a huge surprise that this ambitious lens requires a lot of glass. The 10-25mm F1.7 has 17 elements in 12 groups and includes aspherical, ED and UHR elements. The lens is threaded for 77mm filters, which serves as an example as how compact (relatively speaking) the 10-25 is.

The lens uses a stepping motor that focuses quickly and quietly.

Grabbing control over focus

The 10-25 is the first Panasonic Micro Four Thirds lens to have a focus clutch, making it easy to quickly switch between auto and manual focus. As you can see from the photo above, the lens can focus down to 28cm (11″).

With the clutch pulled back, the manual focus response is linear. This will be especially useful for video shooters, since it means you can be certain of how much the focus will change in response to you turning the lens. There’s a feedback stop at either end of the focus range but they’re not hard stops: the focus ring will continue to rotate beyond the close and far points, so it’s not great for use with a follow-focus.

Stills shooters are likely to appreciate that it gives an experience much more like an old, mechanically-driven lens,

Put a ring on it

The aperture ring, which travels from F1.7 to F16, is click-less, another feature the video crowd will appreciate. Something we like about the dial, at least on the prototype we used, is that there’s a detent to prevent you from accidentally switching the ring out of Auto mode.

Just as importantly for videographers, the aperture/iris is driven smoothly, without steps. This allows subtle adjustments in exposure (either manually or in auto mode), without the brightness of the video visibly jumping.

No going to great lengths

The lens extends when you adjust the zoom, but not by much: here it’s shown at full-extension.

Its comparably low weight should make it easy for a gimbal to stabilize, and the limited change in length should also mean its center of gravity doesn’t move very much. This should make it possible to get away without having to re-balance for different focal lengths, which is a clear benefit over using a series of prime lenses.

L-mount teleconverters

Panasonic released a pair of teleconverters for its S-series full-frame bodies alongside the 10-25mm F1.7. These 1.4x and 2x converters are compatible with Panasonic’s S Pro 70-200mm lenses: the currently available F4 version as well as the F2.8 model coming later this year.

Both teleconverters feature UHR (ultra-high refractive index lens) elements, and Panasonic claims that there’s virtually no reduction in resolution when using them.

The 1.4x and 2x teleconverters are priced at $ 499/£489 and $ 599/£579, respectively.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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My thoughts on the Micro Nikkor 60mm f/2.8G Lens and the 105mm Macro

28 Apr

The post My thoughts on the Micro Nikkor 60mm f/2.8G Lens and the 105mm Macro appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Lily Sawyer.

I must tell you first of all that before I had the Micro Nikkor 60mm f/2.8G lens, I have always used the bigger and heavier big brother – the Micro Nikkor 105mm f/2.8G Macro. While this article will be about what I think of the 60mm, I feel I must also compare it with the 105mm as I have used both.

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Lens specs

Let’s start with the basic similarities: both are prime lenses with an f/2.8 maximum aperture and f/32 minimum aperture, have the same number of diaphragm blades and both rounded blades. Both are autofocus, and being G lenses, have an internal ultrasonic motor type.

In terms of differences, the 105mm has vibration reduction while the 60mm hasn’t. The 105mm weighs in at 720g, much heavier due to the size and optics with 14 elements compared to the 60mm at 425g with 12 elements. Interestingly, both have the same filter thread size at 62mm which I found handy when changing filters.

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The main difference, however, for me (and the most crucial one of all) is the focusing distance, which is roughly 6 inches for the 60mm and double that for the 105mm at 12 inches. Why does this difference matter to me?

With the 60mm, I need to be really close to the subject to fill the frame. It can get quite tricky when being so close and sometimes I revert to manually focusing the lens. When photographing rings, to get a really great shot, you have to be extremely close for the ring to take up a lot of the frame. As I usually prop both the ring and lens on a steady surface, I can take my time to focus and get really close.

However, because it’s a wider lens than the 105, sometimes I just can’t fill the frame enough with very tiny objects. I then resort to cropping in post-production for these instances.

The 105mm lens with it’s narrower field of view means I don’t have to get as close to the subject and still can get close enough to fill the frame with it. I find there is less need for cropping in post-production too. Because I am usually photographing still life objects such as rings, movement isn’t an issue. However, this becomes one if you were photographing, say insects, where you can’t be close enough otherwise you disturb them and lose the insects as well as your shot.

When I use these lenses

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Generally, and as a rule, when I’m doing smaller and shorter shoots like an engagement session, I bring three lenses – wide, medium and long. Because my shoots are mostly on location and often we walk around quite a lot, I try to pack as lightly as possible. For these types of shoots, I use my three prime lenses: a 35mm f/1.4 G, an 85mm f/1.8G, and a 105mm f/2.8 macro. The 105mm here acts as my longer lens and my macro without the bulk of the 70-200mm zoom and another micro lens being the 60mm.

When I do a wedding that only requires a few hours coverage, I also don’t bring my entire arsenal. Instead, I carefully choose my lenses to make sure I have everything covered for those hours. For short weddings, I pack my 24-70mm f/2.8 G, 70-200mm f/2.8G, 85mm f/1.8G, and 60mm f/2.8G. I don’t need the bulk of the 105mm when I cover that focal length with my zoom but I still need a macro, and the 60mm is perfect.

How I use these lenses

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I find the Nikkor 60mm Micro Lens is such a versatile focal length and being a micro lens means I do not have to carry my 50mm f/1.4G along with my other lenses anymore. It fulfills both macro capability – mainly for the ring shot and close-up details like food, table setting, and flowers – and a versatile focal length that allows for natural portraits without distortion and those not-so-close-up details.

When using the 60mm for portraits, I am usually shooting with apertures between f/2.8 – f/5.6. When using it as a micro/macro, I am shooting at apertures between f/7.1 – f/11.

The 105mm, as well as being a macro lens, is also perfect for portraits and gives you that creamy bokeh with gorgeous background compression.

When using the 105mm for portraits (which I love doing), I am usually shooting with apertures between f/2.8 – f/4. When using it as a micro/macro, I am shooting at apertures between f/7.1 – f/8. I find that this lens really sings at f/7.1. I have set my camera to 1/3 stops hence the f/7.1.

Performance

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Both lenses have top specs and perform brilliantly. Generally speaking, I find that when shooting with both lenses, more ambient or available light is required.

Both lenses tend to produce more vignetting than other lenses. However, there is one main difference to the performance of both lenses. Provided there is enough light for the subject matter, the 60mm is faster and quicker to grab focus whereas the 105mm is slower and often hunts for focus. The 60mm works better for moving objects without flash than the 105mm in the same scenario. While the use of artificial light such as electronic flashes does away with this issue, I am mainly speaking about natural or ambient light.

Recommendation

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In summary, I highly recommend both lenses both in quality and overall performance. I think there is a lens for each purpose. You just need to analyze which lens you require to achieve your aim. I don’t think there is a one lens for all. My preference is for prime lenses because of their cleanness and sharpness of images, and for me, they perform better.

However, they cannot compare with the zoom lenses when it comes to fast-moving and hectic shoots like weddings where I physically cannot be zooming in and out with my feet all day.

If you are looking for a prime that gives you the flexibility to shoot portraits and macro, then the 105mm is your lens. However, if you are after more of a travel, photojournalistic, natural view type of images and need a micro, then the 60mm would be my suggestion.

On family holidays, I used to carry my 50mm f/1.4 G. You can read here an article I have written on 5 creative uses of the 50mm. But that was during my pre-60mm days. Since then, my 60mm has replaced my 50mm for these occasions. If I am only allowed one lens for family holidays and travel, I go for the 60mm. I may have lost the wider aperture of the 50mm f/1.4 G, but as holidays are usually during the summer when light is abundant, the difference it makes is not an issue.

dps-60mm-nikkor-micro-105mm-macro-review

I hope you found this helpful. Do let me know your thoughts in the comments section below.

The post My thoughts on the Micro Nikkor 60mm f/2.8G Lens and the 105mm Macro appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Lily Sawyer.

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CP+ 2019 Olympus Interview: Micro Four Thirds can be appreciated in almost all photographic fields

15 Apr

[L-R] Toshi Terada and Shigemi Sugimoto, pictured at the CP+ 2019 show in Yokohama

We spoke to Olympus at the CP+ trade show in Yokohama, Japan, shortly after the announcement of the OM-D E-M1X. We spoke to Shigemi Sugimoto: Executive Officer, Head of Imaging Business Unit and our old friend Toshi Terada: General Manager, Global Marketing Department, Imaging Business Unit.

We discussed a range of topics, from the company’s new camera to its overall ambitions for Micro Four Thirds.

Please note that this interview was conducted partly via an interpreter, and has been edited for clarity and flow.

What’s the response to E-M1X been like?

We’ve been holding touch-and-try events in many places and have received a lot of very positive feedback from customers. Pre-sales orders are at expected levels and we have had a good start worldwide.

The E-M1X is a model that requires a lot of consideration before users make a purchase, so we believe the users will read many reviews and learn about benefits of E-M1X before buying.

I’ve attended some touch and try events and I was very pleased to see so many customers at these events. We’re also been getting positive feedback from professional photographers.

Some people may feel that the E-M1X is big for a Micro Four Thirds system. However, the feedback we’re getting from customers that have actually tried the product is that it has changed their view. So we hope people will pick up our product and try it.

Who is the E-M1X it aimed at?

It’s a part of our professional line, along with E-M1 Mark II. One of the user groups we’re targeting is professional photographers, but also the high-level amateur, the enthusiast: they make up much of our target audience, along with the professionals.

Do you think there is significant demand for sub full-frame professional cameras?

Having received feedback from professional photographers, we feel that Micro Four Thirds’ benefits of being compact and lightweight can be appreciated in almost all photographic fields.

We feel that Micro Four Thirds’ benefits of being compact and lightweight can be appreciated in almost all photographic fields

Actually, we are seeing that there are many photographers who started using the Micro Four Thirds as their second camera, are going on to use it as their main camera.

How would you like the ‘X’ line to evolve? (and how will it need to evolve?)

As a part of the professional series with E-M1 Mark II, we will evolve the basic performance and continue to offer innovative features. Also the E-M1X line-up will further improve the level of operability and reliability.

The OM-D E-M1 II continues alongside the E-M1X as part of Olympus’s products for professional and enthusiast photographers.

How did you choose the subject-types for the subject detection/recognition AF?

Initially, we’ve chosen those three subjects that are really difficult to track by yourself, without any help, just using the single point or even using the group target area. They’re really hard to chase, with a fast-moving subject.

We also chose subjects where you need pinpoint focus – the kind of moving subject where it’s really hard to focus precisely on one specific point, for example to focus on the rider’s helmet rather than just to detect a motor bike. That’s the kind of subject where it’s most helpful to have subject detection.

If you get feedback from users, how difficult is it to train the system to recognize a new subject?

At the moment we have three specific subjects that can be detected automatically and we’re also looking to enhance the range of subjects, the types of subject. That is, if we can manage it using the current hardware, of course: at some point there is a limitation to the hardware. Also, subject detection maybe not be effective for every subject.

We have prioritized the other subjects we could look at: I cannot tell you specific subject names but, as I said, the benefit of subject detection is pinpoint autofocus, [in situations] where we should focus on a specific point. And the kind of subject that’s not easy to chase – that’s the kind of subject we should select in future.

In a lot of other brands’ systems, the machine learning efforts have mainly concentrated on human subjects. Do you feel your system is already good enough at this?

Humans are the most important subject for many photographers. We have face and eye detection already, of course. We know it’s possible to improve those kinds of detection, though, so we feel we should somehow improve [our cameras’ performance] in the future.

Could you imagine a time where we might see different subject recognition modes in different models?

This is one possibility: to choose which type of product should have what kind of subject tracking.

We are just launching that kind of new technology, so we should listen to the market to find out how they are using it, or what kind of demand they are looking for. Depending on feedback from market we can consider how to implement this kind of function in a future model.

The Micro Four Thirds system is fairly comprehensive, where are the gaps in your lens lineup right now?

Our lens roadmap has been well received by customers. We have more plans for the future, and we will continue to listen to our customers’ requirements.

What kinds of lenses are your professional customers asking for?

The high resolution of our lenses continues to satisfy professional customers, therefore we will continue building compact, high resolution lenses.

The 150-400mm F4.5 TC 1.25x IS PRO is going to launched in 2020: providing a level of reach that’s difficult to match in such a compact form.

We plan to launch several lenses every year and, of course, there will be releases of lenses before the 150-400mm PRO launch in 2020. So, please look out for a more information about our forthcoming product releases.

How much demand are you seeing for video features in your cameras?

As you may recognize, the demand of video capability is increasing. We are, of course, trying to catch up that kind of technology. Videographers are seeing our potential in terms of superb image stabilization performance in a compact and lightweight package.

Our stance for video is not changed: our products are stills-based cameras that also can capture video. We’re not a pioneer in video technology but we know it’s become a necessary technology for photographers, and we have heard from videographers saying they see the benefits of our powerful image stabilization and lightweight system for their video recording. So we’re working to offer a unique video capability for these videographers as well as for photographers who record video.

What effect, if any, do you see HDR displays having on photography?

If that kind of display is getting popular in the market, then maybe we should consider our output take advantage of that display character.

If performance of current displays makes it worthwhile, to have some other kind of the gamma, perhaps Log character, then why not? It’s just a different kind of Raw development, effectively. We can process images to suit the current display technology or for printing or we can process for a wider DR display: it’s really flexible.

In the case of video footage the data file becomes larger to accommodate the dynamic range, but in stills it’s easier. In still photography the dynamic range is defined by the image sensor [so the information is already in the Raw file]. It’s a kind Raw development challenge, we’d just need to optimize the algorithm.

We are a very R&D-orientated company: we focus on the technology which is necessary for photographers

We will keep looking at the standards and the level of performance of these displays: if we find we need to optimize for the display, why not? It all depends on whether there’s a market for this kind of display, whether it’s worth developing.

We have our own perspective because we’re a camera and lens maker. For consumer electronics manufacturers, who are also making monitors, there might also be an element of marketing strategy.

As you know, we are a very R&D-orientated company: we focus on the technology which is necessary. We’re not from the marketing world, so we can look at these technologies solely from the perspective of whether they’re valuable for photographers.

How will you reassure fans of smaller, lighter cameras? Is there still interest?

As you know, the E-M1X is a new product line for offering the benefit of a compact and lightweight system for users that require an integrated battery grip for telephoto shooting such as wildlife.

The E-M5 line is important: we can reassure users we are planning a successor model.

We can’t give you the details of future models today, but we can say that we will continue with current lineup strategy and successor models will be coming. We’d like to mention that the E-M5 line is an important product category for middle users: we can reassure users we are planning to introduce a successor model.

What advantages can you offer by using a smaller sensor (compared with those who’ve rushed to full frame)? Small/fast readout/easier to stabilize?

The Olympus ILC system has been defined by the benefits of being compact and lightweight, right back to the time of the film camera. We will continue to offer the same benefit while focusing on Micro Four Thirds, this means our brand offers a single mount system for all customers, which makes it to easily understand and can be used for a long time with confidence.

The OM-D E-M5 II demonstrates the company’s ability to make small, capable cameras with excellent handling

A single Interchangeable lens camera system offering high image quality, will continue to evolve as a system, to provide the significant values of compact and lightweight, high resolving power and image stabilization that full-frame cameras cannot offer.

We consider our strengths to be that our cameras are compact and lightweight. High resolution power (means resolution lens) and also image stabilization as you know. Across our entire product lineup we are always looking to enhance these core technologies.

What are the benefits to offering everything from entry-level to pro-level in a single system?

It means to upgrade the customer doesn’t need to change everything. You can keep using the lenses, of course. Also, if we change the [sensor] format size all sorts of things change. The aspect ratio might change, the depth-of-field changes, the effect of focal length changes: the angle-of-view is different – it’s complicated.

A single format system means don’t worry about that kind of thing. Your existing experience can be carried over to the next model.

Which types of photographer/photography benefit most from balance of size/Image Quality that Micro Four Thirds offers?

We believe that all types of photographers will benefit from shooting with Micro Four Thirds. The value of compact and lightweight system offers photographers greater freedom in shooting across many fields.

For example in landscape or bird shooting, users traditionally have to shoot from a fixed point, using a tripod. However, our system offers new shooting styles such as handheld telephoto shooting thanks to its compact and lightweight system together with strong IS. In this way our system is expanding the photography shooting range for cameras.

Will the Digital Imaging division always be a small part of Olympus’s overall business, or do you hope it might one day rival the medical division?

Olympus has three business domains: Medical, Scientific Solutions and Imaging. Through these, Olympus is contributing to the society by ‘Making people’s lives healthier, safer and more fulfilling’. The role of the Imaging business is to make people’s lives more fulfilling through our products, mainly cameras and lenses including related services. We would like to deliver the joy of capturing and expressing special moments through photography to as many people as possible.

Also, the imaging business is contributing as a technology driver regardless of its business size, in terms of the advanced digital technologies, Low-cost production and design technologies, and Mobile technologies.

Editor’s note:

Olympus is one of the few companies not currently expanding into a new mirrorless format. Given how expensive it is to develop a wholly new system and how much competition there now is (in a market segment whose potential size is still unknown) this is understandable.

The decision leaves Olympus in a position where it needs to clearly communicate the appeal of its system: cameras that can’t necessarily match the image quality of larger systems but that can be smaller and lighter, as a trade-off, and this was a recurring feature of our conversation. The use of a smaller sensor is also part of how Olympus is able to offer the ridiculously good image stabilization in the E-M1X and, potentially, more video-capable models in future.

Mr Sugimoto is right to say that the E-M1X makes a lot more sense once you’ve held it

The thing I was surprised wasn’t mentioned more was how extensive the Micro Four Thirds lens lineup is. As the originator of the modern mirrorless system, Olympus has comfortably the most extensive lens lineup for this style of camera. Of course the quandary is: once you have a lens lineup that stretched from consumer zooms to a trio of F1.2 primes, what else do you do, if the message of small and light isn’t reaching a wide enough audience?

Mr Sugimoto is right to say that the E-M1X makes a lot more sense once you’ve held it: it may look like a massive pro-sports DSLR but is well judged so that it’s big enough to feel comfortable with a large lens on it, but small enough to offer something distinct from the likes of the big twin-grip Canons and Nikons.

Personally, though, the thing that stood out was the confirmation that the company is working on a third-generation of E-M5. I consider the original version to have been the first genuinely great mirrorless camera and think it’s the perfect type of camera to take advantage of the Micro Four Thirds lens range.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Venus Optics adds Micro Four Thirds version of its 9mm F2.8 Zero-D lens

05 Apr

Venus Optics has announced the release of a new Micro Four Thirds variant of its Laowa 9mm F2.8 Zero-D lens, adding yet another mount to the Fuji X, Sony E, Canon EF-M and DJI DL versions.

The 9mm F2.8 Zero-D lens features nearly identical specifications and optical performance as the existing versions, with a few notable differences. Its optical construction remains the same with 15 elements in 10 groups, including two aspherical elements and three extra-low dispersion elements, and it features the same seven-blade aperture diaphragm.

Despite the same optical design, the lens features a 100-degree angle of view, differing 13 degrees from the 113-degree angle of view on the aforementioned APS-C mounts. The Micro Four Thirds version is also slimmed down a bit, measuring in at 6cm / 2.36in long, 5.3cm / 2.09in in diameter and just 210g / 0.46lbs.

Below are three sample photos provided by Venus Optics:

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The Laowa 9mm F2.8 Zero-D MFT mount lens available for pre-order at B&H for $ 499.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Sharp announces it’s officially joining Micro Four Thirds system

04 Apr

Electronics giant Sharp has officially joined the Micro Four Thirds system according to a press release on the Olympus global website. In the statement Sharp is identified as a ‘driving force’ behind 8K imaging, suggesting that the company will use the MFT system for its future camera systems.

Sharp has already shown a Micro Four Thirds prototype 8K camera at this year’s CES show back in January, so this announcement just confirms the company’s direction for the future, saying ‘Sharp will add Micro Four Thirds products to their line-up.’

For more information see the Micro Four Thirds organisation and the Sharp websites.

Press release:

Sharp Joins in the Micro Four Thirds System Standard Group

Olympus Corporation and Panasonic Corporation jointly announced the Micro Four Thirds System standard in 2008 and have since been working together to promote the standard. We are pleased to announce that Sharp Corporation has recently declared their support for the Micro Four Thirds System standard and will be introducing products compliant with the standard.

As the driving force behind 8K imaging technology and a product developer, Sharp Corporation now supports the Micro Four Thirds standard. In the future, Sharp will add Micro Four Thirds products to their line-up. The possibilities unique to a joint standard will expand the enjoyment of imaging further.

As the company responsible for initiating both the Four Thirds System and the Micro Four Thirds System standards, Olympus will continue to develop and enhance the product line-up to meet the diverse needs of our customers.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Kamlan announces new 7.5mm F3.2 fisheye lens for Micro Four Thirds systems

12 Feb

Chinese optical manufacturer Kamlan Optical has announced its next lens will be a 7.5mm F3.2 fisheye for the Micro Four Thirds system. The lens joins an existing line-up of manual focus primes for APS-C and MFT systems, and will be shown at the CP+ show later this month.

The FS 7.5mm f/3.2 will provide an angle of view of 160° with a construction that consists of seven elements in six groups. It will focus as close as 10cm and will have a minimum aperture of F16. The manufacturer says the lens will measure 48x58mm, will weigh 250g and it will be impossible to mount a filter in the conventional way because of the shape of the built-in hood.

According to DC Watch, the price in Japan will be about 25,000 yen, which is approximately $ 230. For more information see the Kalman website

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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