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Archive for November, 2019

7 clichéd photography gifts to avoid (and what to buy instead)

29 Nov

7 clichéd photography gifts to avoid this season

What follows is a list of seven of the most common cliched gifts likely to be received by photographers this holiday season, based on informal polling around the DPReview office.

If you’re thinking about giving that special photographer in your life one of these items, we implore you, consider our alternatives. No one needs another damn camera lens mug.

Camera lens mug or shot glass

There’s nothing worse than stumbling upon a Canon 70-200 F2.8 for a bargain price in a second-hand store only to discover it’s actually just a stupid mug. Damn you, lens mug. Damn you.

It’s a camera lens – wait, no. It’s a mug! How novel! But the thing is, every photographer on planet Earth already has one of these. And the truth is, most of them are pretty crappy when it coms to their primary function: transporting beverages and keeping them warm. And woe unto you if you leave it in your car cupholder, only to come back and find a brick through your window and your imitation 70-200mm F4L mug missing. It’s happened.

Rather then gift a piece of junk that’ll likely get pushed to the back of the cabinet or end up filled with pens, how about gifting that special photographer some nice coffee, or tea? We’re a hard-working bunch and will likely appreciate the caffeine. Better yet, throw in a decent-quality mug or vacuum thermos. We’ll think of you every time we sip.

Camera or photography-themed clothing

Do you love photography? Great, keep it to yourself! (or at least off your shirt). Also if you need a Pix 2015 Tee, just say the word. We’ve got loads.

I don’t know many photographers that feel a strong urge to walk around in clothing that advertises their profession or hobby. So kindly hold off on buying the cheesy T-shirt with the silhouette of a camera on it that says ‘I shoot people,’ or that other one that says ‘Everyone’s a photographer until…’ with an image of a mode dial set to ‘M.’ We’ll stick to dressing in all black or in geeky photo vests, thank you very much.

But seriously, rather than getting photographers cheesy apparel that’ll likely end up in the donation bin, get us a nice article of clothing, like a soft sweater, a thermal layer, or some camera-friendly gloves to keep warm this winter.

See also: Photography-themed cuff links, lapel pins, tie clips and watches.

Smartphone camera accessories

I don’t know about you, but I’d rather just reach for a Ricoh GR III than carry around the clunk-master above.

There’s a whole market for add-on accessories like lenses and grips, meant to improve the experience and/or output of your smartphone’s camera. The truth is, most photographers would rather reach for a dedicated camera than bulk out their phone. After all, the appeal of the smartphone camera is that it’s always on you because it’s pocketable.

So instead of gifting something that’ll likely get left behind, give that special photographer a smartphone accessory they’ll actually use: a decent USB power pack for charging on the go (and many can often top up the batteries in newer cameras as well). It may be the tube sock equivalent of tech gifts, but it’s an item anyone can genuinely appreciate.

Thrift store camera finds

Sure she looks pretty, but the electronics are fried, the focus ring won’t turn and there’s something strange growing in the viewfinder… not exactly the most useful gift.

Nothing beats unwrapping something like a Yashica Electro-35 and being told ‘I found this at Goodwill and thought of you’, only to find that it has a seized up focus ring and mold in the finder. Here’s the thing: When it comes to shopping for cameras on the second-hand market, knowledge is power and research is king.

While a classic fixed-lens rangefinder sure looks great, there’s a risk that it’s really just a moldy paperweight. Don’t be the person that gifts a moldy paperweight. If you’re serious about getting someone a second-hand camera, awesome! We’ve put together two lists of reliable and affordable film cameras that are easy to acquire used. Check them out here and here.

‘Inspirational’ photo books and/or how-to’s

Skip the lame photo how-to books and cheesy inspirational ones and instead opt for something that shows off a celebrated shooter’s work.

Inspiration is obviously a very important part of the creative process. However, there are a ton of lackluster supposedly inspirational photography books on the market. The same can be said for photography how-to books: there’s a lot of them out there, but many are out-of-date and / or dull.

So rather than pick any old photography-related book, I implore you to do a little research. Find out who that special someone looks up to photographically and purchase a photo book by that person. If you’re unsure who their favorite ‘tog is, put on you sleuth hat and check their Instagram ‘following’ list. Chances are they probably follow some of their favorite shooters. If you’re still unsure, go for a classic like ‘The Americans’ by the late Robert Frank or ‘Street Photographer’ a collection of images by the late Vivian Maier.

A stylish or overly-technical camera strap or camera bags

If you wouldn’t feel comfortable picking out a pair of underwear for the photographer in your life, don’t get them a bag or strap either.

Camera straps come in all sorts of shapes, sizes and materials. Some are woven, others are leather, rope or neoprene. Some offer quick-releases and / or neck-padding and/or length adjustments, others do not. So how do you choose the right strap this season? You don’t.

Photographers are very particular about their straps and trying to pick one out for that special someone is not unlike buying them a pair of pants – only they can tell whether the fit and feel are right. It’s worth noting camera bags and backpacks fall into a similar category of ‘definitely don’t buy unless you’re absolutely sure.’

But if you insist on purchasing a camera strap this holiday season, the Peak Design Slide offers a good balance of features, weight-capacity and price. We’re also fans of CAM-IN’s leather and rope straps.

The photographers’ work printed on something

OK, maybe we’d be happy with a Belvedere mug.

Receiving a personalized gift is nice, but generally speaking, most photographers don’t want to be gifted framed prints of their own work to hang on the wall (we’ll do that ourselves, if there’s a picture we’re particularly proud of), nor do they want their photos printed on items like a throw pillow, a blanket or a coffee mug. It’s a little crass to so blatantly show off your own pictures.

Instead, most of us would much prefer a print of someone else’s work to hang on our walls and inspire us. Legendary photo agencies like Magnum and VII often do $ 100 signed, small-sized print sales. And other famous photographers’ work like the late Ansel Adams can be found for sale directly through their estate’s official website.

In conclusion

Honestly, if you can’t think of anything else, just get us a big roll of gaffer tape.

There you have it, seven clichéd photography-related gifts to avoid giving this year and what to give instead. We hope this list inspires you to better understand that special photographer in your life and their desires. And don’t worry if you’ve given some of these gifts in the past, we all make mistakes. Maybe this year you can make up for it.

To our fellow photographers: If you’ve been on the receiving end of another lackluster photo gift that we missed, let us know in the comments. We’ll add to this article as we see fit.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Samsung Galaxy A80 teardown reveals complex camera swivel mechanism

29 Nov

The Samsung Galaxy A80 is a Snapdragon 730-powered mid-range phone that would not stand out much from the crowd if it weren’t for its pretty unique camera swivel mechanism. Like the Asus ZenFone 6 and other swivel phones the A80 only has only one camera that can be used as both a main shooter and selfie camera.

Youtuber JerryRigEverything has now put the A80 through a detailed teardown process and discovered that the swivel mechanism is quite a complex piece of engineering that uses a stepper motor with a threaded shaft for raising and lowering the camera module.

At the peak of the extension the rotation of the camera is triggered through a clever gearing system. The camera ‘carriage’ is also running on rails at the side of the phone for smooth movement.

The camera module itself features a 48 MP main camera with 1/2″ sensor, a 12mm-equivalent ultra-wide and a depth-sensing time-of-flight camera for bokeh simulation.

JerryRigEverything concludes that the A80 is one of the most over-engineered phones he has seen but that it’s quite difficult to take apart, and especially to put back together again, with many more screws to remove and reinsert than on more conventional devices.

No matter your opinion on the swivel design, it’s quite amazing to see how much engineering can be squeezed into the tiny body of a smartphone these days.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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News: Tamron Announces E-Mount Prime Lenses for a Great Price

29 Nov

The post News: Tamron Announces E-Mount Prime Lenses for a Great Price appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

News: Tamron Announces E-Mount Prime Lenses for a Great Price

Last month, Tamron announced three Sony E-mount lenses:

  • The 20mm f/2.8 Di III
  • The 24mm f/2.8 Di III
  • The 35mm f/2.8 Di III

These new E-mount lenses expand the range of glass for Sony mirrorless shooters while making the Sony full-frame lens lineup more affordable for those who can’t justify Sony prices.

In other words: If you’re thinking of switching to Sony but don’t want to pay a premium for full-frame E-mount glass, you have a way in. Each of these lenses is debuting for an ultra-low price of $ 349 USD; compare this to some of Sony’s full-frame E-mount lenses, and you’ll understand why these Tamron offerings are so exciting.

Of course, there’s always a question of optical quality. Can a sub-$ 500 USD lens really be equivalent to Sony’s current 24mm and 35mm glass? The answer is undoubtedly “No,” but not everyone requires the sharpest, fastest, most perfect lenses money can buy. And Tamron has proven themselves to be very capable lens manufacturers in the past, making me think that these lenses will be optically satisfying, even if they can’t go toe-to-toe with some of Sony’s fastest primes.

According to Tamron, we should expect “superb high-resolution performance,” and that “these lenses can be used with complete confidence for a wide range of applications from casual family snaps to serious professional photography.”

While these are bold words from Tamron, I wouldn’t dismiss them out of hand. Plus, Tamron has made sure to include some extra features that make these lenses impressively flexible. For instance, the lenses themselves are relatively small, which makes them ideal for walkaround shooting and travel photography. And all three lenses also offer 1:2 close-focusing capabilities. This won’t get you to true macro magnifications, but you’ll be able to capture some gorgeous close-ups, even as you use the lenses for more general wide-angle photography.

Speaking of wide-angle photography:

For me, the main drawback of this announcement is the lack of focal length diversity. While lenses in the 20-35mm focal length range are undoubtedly useful for a broad range of Sony photographers, I’d have liked to see a telephoto in the mix.

Here’s the bottom line:

For hobbyist and enthusiast photographers who like to work with lightweight wide-angle primes but don’t require f/1.2-f/1.8 apertures, these Tamron lenses are definitely worth a look. The 24mm f/2.8 is available for pre-order, while the 35mm f/2.8 has begun to ship. The 20mm f/2.8 should hit the shelves in January.

What do you think of this announcement? Are you interested in these lenses? Would you have preferred different focal lengths? Share your thoughts in the comments!

The post News: Tamron Announces E-Mount Prime Lenses for a Great Price appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.


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Black Friday and Cyber Monday Photography Deals

28 Nov

The post Black Friday and Cyber Monday Photography Deals appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darren Rowse.

Black Friday Cyber Monday Photography Deals

It’s that time of the year – if you’re looking for a good deal, then you’re sure to be on alert for the next few days! Here at dPS we save our best deals for our dPS Holiday Deals over 12 days in December. But in the meantime, here’s a great saving on one of our most popular collection of eBooks.

Save 70% on our Black Friday Cyber Monday Portrait Photography Bundle

Black Friday and Cyber Monday Photography Deals

Tens of thousands of photographers from all around the world have significantly improved their portrait photography with this series by Gina Milicia. This is your chance to own all 5 eBooks plus some great bonuses:

In this bundle you get Gina’s

  • 5 portrait photography eBooks
  • 14 recipes for amazing portraits
  • 67 printable portrait posing guides
  • 12 bonus Lightroom presets

All up it’s worth $ 123 but today it’s yours for just $ 37!

That’s a SAVING of $ 86 (70% Off).

Check out full details on the books and bonuses now

LEARN MORE

More deals from our partners

And some of our trusted partners have deals of their own too, for which we receive an affiliate commission.

Photzy always have great deals and if you’ve previously missed out on their famous Snap Cards you can get them for 87% off and the newer Action Cards set for 88% off right now on their Black Friday Deals page.

If you recently did our Landscape and Nature Photography course, then definitely check out Johny Spencer’s “Ultimate Lightroom Workflow Bundle”, just $ 37 (save 53%). You’ll get:

  • 80 Lightroom Workflow Presets
  • 10 videos and case studies
  • Member-only discounts on 3 Colors products
  • The original RAW files so you can edit along with the videos

Or save 71% on Picture Correct’s Photography Tutorial eBook. An in-depth eBook on how to capture amazing photography anywhere. Over 250 pages of photography tips & tricks from industry insiders. 

Looking for Photography Gear Deals?

We took a quick look at what Amazon is offering. We get a commission if you buy anything through our links below, at no extra cost to you.

There is a big sale happening in their Camera, Photo and Video section. Their specials are changing all the time so do check back later to see what else they’ve added. Or take a look at our most popular digital cameras and gear page for some hints as to what others are buying. Many of the cameras listed there are currently on sale at Amazon too.

Also, B&H Photo’s Black Friday Deals can instantly save you $ 600 on a Canon EOS 5D Mark IV DSLR Camera Body with Accessory Kit or $ 700 on an Apple 27″ iMac with Retina 5K Display (Mid 2017), plus many more deals!

Happy clicking!

The post Black Friday and Cyber Monday Photography Deals appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darren Rowse.


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Olympus updates its lens roadmap with three new lenses due out in 2020

28 Nov

Olympus has released an updated version of its M.Zuiko Digital lens roadmap that adds three new lenses to its Micro Four Thirds System lineup.

In addition to its previously-announced lenses, the new roadmap confirms three new lenses: the ED 12-45mm F4.0 Pro standard zoom lens, ED 100-400mm F5.0-6.3 IS super-telephoto zoom lens and ED 150-400mm F4.5 TC1.25x IS PRO lens super-telephoto zoom lens.

A product image from Olympus showing off the impending ED 150-400mm F4.5 TC1.25x IS PRO super-telephoto zoom lens.

Olympus doesn’t elaborate further on any of the new lenses other than saying the detailed specifications will be ‘officially announced in 2020.’ Olympus also says an ‘additional PRO telephoto zoom lens of an unspecified focal length will also join the M.Zuiko family,’ although no timeframe is given for its release.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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DPReview TV: This is how you set up Sony’s ‘Real-Time’ autofocus tracking

28 Nov

Sony’s ‘Real-Time’ autofocus promises to track almost anything you throw at it, but it’s not enabled by default. The words ‘Real-Time’ don’t even appear in the camera’s menu. In this video, Chris shows us how to set up this very useful feature.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel to get new episodes of DPReview TV every week.

  • Introduction
  • Tracking in Auto mode
  • Tracking modes
  • Animal eye-AF
  • Conclusion

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Sony a6600 review: Amazing autofocus, acceptable ergonomics

28 Nov

Introduction

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Silver Award

83%
Overall score
Jump to conclusion

The Sony a6600 is the company’s top-of-the-line APS-C mirrorless camera, with 24MP of resolution and 4K video capture. It looks a lot like Sony’s other a6000-series models at first glance, but this one has the biggest battery and the best build quality of the bunch, even if the images it produces are broadly comparable to the less expensive options.

The a6600 further differentiates itself by offering in-body image stabilization, which is still a rarity among APS-C cameras. This should help with stills shooting in low light, to be sure, but also combines with excellent autofocus tracking to make it the best crop-sensor video shooter Sony currently sells.

Despite its refinements, we still think the a6600 could benefit from some ergonomic updates to make it an easier camera to take control over.

Key features:

  • 24MP APS-C CMOS sensor
  • Advanced, capable subject-tracking autofocus
  • In-body image stabilization
  • 2.36M dot OLED electronic viewfinder
  • 0.9M dot tilting touchscreen
  • Wi-Fi for image transfer, and NFC
  • 4K video capture with log profiles
  • USB charging
  • 810-shot battery life (per CIPA)

The Sony a6600 will be available on November 29th, 2019, at a suggested price of $ 1400/€1600 body-only, and $ 1800/€2000 with an 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 kit lens.

What’s new, how it compares

Check out how the a6600 stacks up against its closest competition here.

Read more

Image quality

The a6600’s familiar sensor produces clean, pleasing images in a wide range of situations.

Read more

Autofocus and performance

With an industry-leading autofocus implementation, the a6600 is a capable sports-and-action shooter, but we have some reservations.

Read more

Video

Oversampling 4K footage from 6K capture, the a6600 churns out really detailed video footage, but rolling shutter remains a problem.

Read more

Conclusion

The a6600 is a supremely capable camera, but it just misses out on earning our top award – find out why.

Read more

Sample galleries

Check out some of our samples from across North America in our a6600 sample galleries.

Read more

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Our favorite gear, rewarded: DPReview Awards 2019

28 Nov

DPReview Awards 2019

If 2018 was the year that full-frame mirrorless went mainstream, 2019 was the year when all of the major manufacturers really doubled-down on their mirrorless strategies. Canon pumped out a series of very high quality RF lenses, alongside the world’s cheapest full-frame mirrorless camera. Nikon went all-in on its range of affordable F1.8 primes, and Sony pulled out all the stops – yet again – in the a7R IV.

Meanwhile, Olympus threw all of its technological know-how into the sports-oriented OM-D E-M1 X, Fujifilm reinvented medium-format with the GFX 100 and Ricoh’s GR III and Leica’s Q2 offered a welcome refresh for fans of fixed-focal length compacts.

That’s a lot, and it’s only a small taste of what happened this year. At the end of every year we get together as a team to recognize the standout products of the past 12 months in our annual DPReview Awards. Take a look through the slides above to find out which products made our list of the best gear of 2019!

Best accessory

Shortlist:

  • DJI Osmo pocket
  • DJI Ronin SC
  • Gnarbox 2.0 SSD
  • Peak Design Travel Tripod

Runner up: Peak Design Travel Tripod

The role of photography accessories is to play support to your creative endeavors. That can mean support in the traditional sense, like a well-designed travel tripod or 3-axis gimbal rig. Or it can mean support in the form of peace of mind, like a rugged file back-up device.

Our runner-up for best photography accessory, the Peak Design Travel Tripod, falls into the former category. Travel tripods aren’t new, but Peak Design has managed to radically rethink the concept to create a package that’s significantly more compact than the competition and just as stable, if not more so. Its Arca Swiss-compatible, dual-locking ball head in particular is worth calling out for its clever low-profile design. Available in both aluminum and carbon fiber, this is the travel tripod we’ll likely be reaching for in 2020, whenever space is tight.

Read more about the Peak Design Travel Tripod

Winner: GNARBOX 2.0 SSD

The Gnarbox 2.0 brings calm to the often chaotic world of photography. It’s the friend in the field you always wanted: a rugged (weather, dust and impact-resistant) SSD (available in 256GB, 512GB and 1TB) with built-in SD reader and super-fast transfer speeds (up to 350MB/s). It’s there to protect all your precious data until you get it home for a full backup.

One-touch copying and an info LCD make it effortless to start transferring and confirm files have been properly duplicated. And for those eager to get ahead on their edits, Gnarbox will pair with a smart device so that you can sort and tag (using Photo Mechanic’s image engine). But that’s not all: Gnarbox also has swappable batteries and can even be used to charge other devices via a Micro-USB port. It’ll also play nice with Apple’s iPad Pro, with support for programs like Adobe Lightroom and Affinity Photo, when connected via its USB-C port. What more could you ask for?

Read more about the GNARBOX 2.0 SSD

Best smartphone camera

Shortlist:

  • Apple iPhone 11 Pro
  • Google Pixel 4
  • Huawei P30 Pro
  • Samsung Galaxy S10 5G

Runner up: Apple iPhone 11 Pro

The iPhone 11 Pro is a significant step forward for Apple, and from a pure experience standpoint, is the nicest smartphone camera to use today. Its bright screen combined with HDR playback of photos makes the on-device experience of shooting and enjoying photos industry-leading. And unlike any other smartphone camera to-date, iPhones since the iPhone X utilize the wide P3 color space, meaning more life-like color capture and rendition.

A new ultra-wide lens allows for dramatic perspectives, and wide angle portrait mode – utilizing the main camera module – makes it easy to shoot more intimate perspectives of your loved ones and pets, with better image quality than the standard portrait mode offers. Editing photos, depth effects, and video is pleasing thanks to the Photos app updates, and clever features like ‘capture outside the frame’ offer creative uses of the phone’s three lenses. Video quality is superb, with HDR capture up to 4K/60p.

We have some reservations over the warm and green-shifted colors, overly-processed faces from semantic rendering choices, significant lag in portrait mode, and image quality artifacts including banding, aggressive noise reduction and over-sharpening, but as an all-rounder, the iPhone 11 Pro is hard to beat.

Read more about the Apple iPhone 11 Pro

Winner: Google Pixel 4

The Pixel 4 offers compelling still image quality. If you shoot Night Sight – even during daylight hours – you’ll be rewarded with some of the best detail retention and balanced noise reduction we’ve seen from a smartphone. It only gets better in Raw, since the DNGs produced by the Pixel 4 are the result of aligning and merging multiple frames. A new astrophotography mode is not just cool but inspiring, and also benefits any nighttime scene where longer exposures can be used. The combination of super-res zoom and a new telephoto module make ‘zoomed in’ photos better than many peers. And unlike the iPhone, you can continue to use the telephoto module in dim light.

New ‘dual exposure controls’ allow you to fine tune the ‘look’ of the resulting HDR image in real-time. Portrait mode has been improved to yield bokeh similar to what you’d expect from ILCs, with fewer depth map errors and virtually no shutter lag. As such, the Pixel 4 is truly an enthusiast’s smartphone camera. We have reservations over its video quality, display, as well as certain metering and image processing choices, but its strong core competency in stills makes it our winner.

Read more about the Google Pixel 4

Best zoom lens

Shortlist:

  • Canon RF 70-200mm F2.8L IS USM
  • Canon RF 24-70mm F2.8L IS USM
  • Nikon Z 24-70mm F2.8 S
  • Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Summilux 10-25mm F1.7 ASPH
  • Sony E 16-55mm F2.8 G

Runner-up: Nikon Z 24-70mm F2.8 S

Every year we struggle to narrow down the number of lenses released to a shortlist of just four or five. This year saw a lot of action in the lens space, with both Canon and Nikon putting considerable energy into building out their native mirrorless lens lineup, and Sigma, Sony and Tamron doing the same.

One of the zoom lenses that has most impressed us this year is Nikon’s Z 24-70mm F2.8 S. Built for use in difficult conditions, the Z 24-70mm is tough and weather-sealed, but more than that, it’s optically outstanding. Sharp, virtually aberration-free and extremely flare-resistant, the Z 24-70mm F2.8 really lets Z7 shooters make the most out of their camera’s resolution, for anything from landscapes to portraiture.

Read more about the Nikon Z 24-70mm F2.8 S

Winner: Canon RF 70-200mm F2.8L IS USM

We really, really like the Canon RF 70-200mm F2.8L IS USM. It’s small (at 70mm), relatively lightweight, autofocus is lightning fast and silent, and its optical image stabilization system is excellent.

The 70-200mm represents the first time we’ve seen Nano USM technology incorporated in fast L-series glass, and the increase in focus speed is dramatic compared to ring-type USM on EF lenses. But perhaps the most impressive thing about this lens is its optical quality. Contrast and sharpness are class-leading wide open at all focal lengths, bokeh is smooth with no distracting patterns, and both longitudinal and lateral forms of chromatic aberration are very well controlled.

This is the most impressive 70-200mm F2.8 lens we’ve ever seen, in a surprisingly compact form factor, and a worthy winner of our award for best zoom lens of 2019.

Read more about the Canon RF 70-200mm F2.8L IS USM

Best prime lens

Shortlist:

  • Tamron SP 35mm F1.4 Di USD
  • Sigma 35mm F1.2 DG DN | Art
  • Sony FE 135mm F1.8 GM
  • Nikon Nikkor Z 85mm F1.8 S

Runner-up: Sony FE 135mm F1.8 GM

There were so many great prime lenses released this year, and inevitably, it’s near-impossible to reduce the list to just four. This ‘shortlist’ could have been at least twice as long and we would still have had to omit some great lenses. But the primes listed above represent our favorites of 2019, not only because of their optical quality, but also their versatility and overall value for money.

Among the most impressive lenses of any type released this year was the Sony FE 135mm F1.8 GM. Designed for portrait fans, the 135mm F1.8 is stunningly sharp and delivers beautiful images at its widest apertures. It’s virtually aberration free, and is the fastest-to-focus lens of its kind. Sony’s optical science has improved by leaps and bounds in recent years and the FE 135mm F1.8 is an excellent example of the company’s current state-of-the-art. While 135mm isn’t necessarily an everyday focal length, the Sony FE 135mm F1.8 GM is arguably the best option on the market right now for portrait shooters.

Read more about the Sony FE 135mm F1.8 GM

Winner: Nikon Nikkor Z 85mm F1.8 S

Nikon’s S-series prime lenses for the Z system have impressed us this year with their performance, not to mention their versatility and value. All sub-$ 1000 and all relatively small and lightweight, the best of Nikon’s new F1.8 options outperform many faster lenses that cost considerably more.

The Z 85mm F1.8 S is a great example. Sharp, virtually aberration-free and still nicely portable, this portrait prime isn’t as fast as some of its competitors, or as polished as (say) the Sony FE 135mm F1.8 which takes the runner-up spot, but it’s a supremely practical, useful lens. With its smooth bokeh, the Z 85mm F1.8 S is, of course, a fantastic portrait lens for Z6 and Z7 shooters, and a nifty 135mm equivalent on the APS-C Z50. But its size and weight, plus its superb sharpness make it just as useful for landscape and candid work.

Read more about the Nikon Nikkor Z 85mm F1.8 S

Best compact/fixed lens camera

Shortlist:

  • Canon PowerShot G5 X Mark II
  • Leica Q2
  • Ricoh GR III
  • Sony Cyber-shot RX100 VII

Runner-up: Sony Cyber-shot RX100 VII

This is always a tricky category, spanning multiple sensor formats and including both zoom and fixed focal length lenses. This year saw the release of some very impressive – and very different – compact / fixed-lens compact cameras, from the high-end Leica Q2 to the more consumer-friendly Canon PowerShot G5 X Mark II.

Despite their different shapes, sizes and prices, all of the cameras in this section cater to the same basic need: high quality imaging, in a compact form factor. Our runner-up this year is Sony’s best RX100-series camera yet. A small, powerful zoom with a high-quality EVF, great video and formidable autofocus, the RX100 VII is a near-perfect camera for travel and everyday photography and video. Inevitably it’s not cheap, but this kind of technology never is.

Read more about the Sony Cyber-shot RX100 VII

Winner: Ricoh GR III

First announced in 2018, the GR III was released this year and quickly became one of our favorite compact cameras. Small and lightweight, but with a stabilized sensor and capable of stunning image quality the GR III is – like the Sony Cyber-shot RX100 VII – a wonderful camera for travel and everyday photography.

Yes, the lens is a fixed 28mm equivalent. No, the video mode isn’t great, but this is a pure photography camera, capable of getting you images that larger, heavier or more complicated models simply won’t.

Read more about the Ricoh GR III

Best consumer stills / video camera

Shortlist:

  • Fujifilm GFX 100
  • Panasonic Lumix DC-S1
  • Panasonic Lumix DC-S1H
  • Sony Cyber-shot RX100 VII

Runner up: Sony Cyber-shot RX100 VII

While the RX100-series has always been primarily about stills photography, Sony has evolved its range of high-quality 1-inch sensor compacts into powerful video tools, as well. The Mark VII captures oversampled UHD 4K video, Full HD at up to 120 fps and lower resolution video with a top frame rate of almost 1000 fps. Unlike its predecessor, the RX100 VII has a built-in mic input.

In short: the RX100 VII offers excellent 4K video, very good autofocus and a handy built-in finder, making it exceptionally versatile for photographers that need to capture both stills and movie footage.

Read more about the Sony Cyber-shot RX100 VII

Winner: Panasonic Lumix DC-S1

It might seem odd having both the Panasonic Lumix DC-S1 and S1H on the same list, for best stills / video hybrid camera and have the S1 beat its more video-centric stablemate, but this is precisely the point. With the S1H in the pipeline, Panasonic didn’t need to make the S1 as good for video as it did, and it certainly didn’t need to make it even better with a paid firmware update.

With the paid update, the S1 becomes a formidable camera for video, even to the extent that the costlier S1H may prove unnecessary for many filmmakers. We’ve done a lot of shooting this year on the S1 and it’s an impressive machine from a manufacturer that perhaps more than any other, really knows how to do video right.

Read more about the Panasonic Lumix DC-S1

Best entry-level ILC

Shortlist:

  • Canon EOS M200
  • Fujifilm X-A7
  • Olympus PEN E-PL10
  • Sony a6100

Runner-up: Fujifilm X-A7

While a lot of attention gets paid to the high-end and professional market segments, often the most important cameras in a manufacturer’s lineup are at the entry-level. The reason they’re so important is that these are the products which – it is hoped – will attract new customers into a system.

The Fujifilm X-A7 is a significant camera for Fujifilm, and a great all-round option for beginner photographers in general. Significant for Fujifilm because it’s the company’s first entry-level offering that has really impressed us, and a great entry-level camera because it does exactly what a camera aimed at first-time buyers and smartphone upgraders should. It’s simple, streamlined, reliable and responsive, and can easily transition between stills and high-quality video.

Read more about the Fujifilm X-A7

Winner: Canon EOS M200

If there’s one thing Canon knows how to do it’s make an attractive, sensibly-designed entry-level ILC. The EOS M200 is the company’s latest, and while it doesn’t represent a massive upgrade compared to the M100, the changes are very welcome including one change in particular – Eye Detect autofocus. Assuming that a lot of us (and arguably most beginners) will take a lot of pictures of friends and family, the addition of eye detection to the M200’s autofocus mode really does make a big difference. Canon has also added 4K video capture and ‘CRaw’, for Raw format shooting without the massive file sizes.

Overall, the Canon EOS M200 doesn’t bring much to the table which is genuinely ‘new’ but its combination of features, easy to operate design, and reliable image quality make it a great entry-level ILC, and our favorite of 2019.

Read more about the Canon EOS M200

Best midrange ILC

Shortlist:

  • Canon EOS M6 Mark II
  • Fujifilm X-T30
  • Nikon Z50
  • Sony a6600

Runner-up: Nikon Z50

We define ‘midrange’ cameras as those transitional models between entry-level and enthusiast / pro which need to be able to work for inexperienced and more seasoned photographers alike.

Nikon’s first APS-C format mirrorless camera is also one of its most user-friendly. Intended to be picked up by first-time ILC buyers and smartphone upgraders, the Z50 is designed to be simple and straightforward to use, but isn’t ‘dumbed down’. Featuring a high-quality electronic viewfinder, twin control dials and photographer-friendly ergonomics, the Z50 is a camera that leaves plenty of room for a beginner to experiment and grow creatively.

Read more about the Nikon Z50

Winner: Canon EOS M6 Mark II

Canon has been making good, solid interchangeable lens cameras for a really long time, and this experience shows in products like the EOS M6 Mark II. A really great camera doesn’t need to do everything better than its competitors, it just has to do everything well enough, without getting in the way of your creativity.

The EOS M6 Mark II reaffirms Canon’s commitment to its compact, mirrorless EF-M system. After years of competent but usually beginner-focused models, the M6 II comes out swinging as a convincing option for more advanced users. Its new 32.5MP sensor has impressive resolution and dynamic range, the 14 fps maximum burst speed with autofocus is competitive, and its 4K video uses the full width of the sensor.

It doesn’t hands-down beat any of its competitors in any specific area, but as an all-around package, the M6 Mark II easily won us over for best midrange ILC of 2019.

Read more about Canon’s EOS M6 Mark II

Best high-end ILC

Shortlist:

  • Fujifilm GFX 100
  • Olympus OM-D E-M1X
  • Panasonic Lumix DC-S1R
  • Sony a7R IV

Runner-up: Panasonic Lumix DC-S1R

The Lumix DC-S1R will tick a ton of boxes for a ton of photographers, which is all the more impressive given that it’s Panasonic’s first full-frame offering (alongside the lower-resolution DC-S1). It’s built like a tank and all of the buttons and dials feel like they’re in just the right place.

The 47MP sensor at the heart of the S1R isn’t class-leading at this point, but it’s still capable of producing excellent image quality in almost any situation. Unfortunately, the DC-S1R falls somewhat short in terms of autofocus and tracking. While it can drive focus very quickly using Panasonic’s DFD technology, it just can’t quite keep up with competitors’ on-sensor phase detection systems for accuracy when photographing moving subjects.

Read more about the Panasonic Lumix DC-S1R

Winner: Sony a7R IV

The fourth iteration of Sony’s high-resolution mirrorless full-frame camera is the most capable, well-rounded interchangeable lens camera on the market today. It shoots 60.2MP files, offers industry-leading autofocus tracking, is capable of 10fps continuous bursts and shoots the best 4K video of any high-resolution camera you can buy. Plus, Sony claims weather-sealing has been improved, battery life is well above average and ergonomic tweaks have made it more comfortable and enjoyable to use than previous models.

The a7R IV is a camera that you really can shoot just about anything with, from action sports to billboard-ready landscapes, and because of that, it earns the distinction of being our high-end ILC of the year.

Read more about the Sony a7R IV

DPReview innovation award

Shortlist:

  • Canon RF 70-200mm F2.8L IS USM
  • Fujifilm GFX 100
  • Olympus OM-D E-M1X
  • Peak Design Travel Tripod

Runner-up: Canon RF 70-200mm F2.8L IS USM

Optically the RF 70-200mm F2.8L IS USM is stunning, but it’s also a marvel of engineering. At its short end, it collapses down to a barrel size not much longer than that of the RF 24-70mm F2.8L IS USM. At 1070g, it’s 26% lighter than its EF equivalent, and feels surprisingly light in one’s hands, and well-balanced on an EOS R body. Optical image stabilization offers an impressive CIPA rating of 5 stops. Combined with dual-sensing IS on EOS R bodies, you can expect tack sharp handheld shots on the long end at shutter speeds as low as 1/13s.

If that’s not innovative, we don’t know what is.

Read more about the Canon RF 70-200mm F2.8L IS USM

Winner: Fujifilm GFX 100

While very little about the GFX 100 is new or unique to this model, what counts is how all the ingredients are mixed together. The addition of in-camera stabilization, impressive video capture and hybrid on-sensor PDAF to the medium format world makes the Fujifilm GFX 100 among the most capable and most innovative cameras out there.

Fujifilm has been working hard to democratize digital medium format for a couple of years, but with the 100 megapixel GFX 100, the company completely changed our understanding of what a medium format camera could be.

Read more about the Fujifilm GFX 100

DPReview product of the year, 2019

Shortlist:

  • Apple iPhone 11 Pro
  • Canon RF 70-200mm F2.8L IS USM
  • Fujifilm GFX 100
  • Sony a7R IV

Runner-up: Fujifilm GFX 100

As we wrote in the previous slide, the GFX 100 really did turn our idea of what a medium format camera could do on its head. While the MSRP of almost ten grand puts it out of reach to most non-professional photographers, there is an audience out there for cameras like this, and Fujifilm has done a great job of catering to them.

Pro wedding and event photographers, portrait and lifestyle shooters, and even a certain type of videographer have kept the GFX 100 on more or less continuous backorder since it was released. You may not need 100MP, but some people do. And the GFX 100, with Fujifilm’s range of excellent GF lenses, makes 100MP shooting practical and enjoyable.

Read more about the Fujifilm GFX 100

Winner: Sony Alpha a7R IV

Sony is one of the more divisive brands on our site, partly because of a perception that it gets more attention than other manufacturers. This perception stems from two factors: firstly, Sony has released an astonishing number of high-end products in the past handful of years. Secondly, they have tended to be very good.

Taken as a whole, the a7R IV is Sony’s best mirrorless camera yet. The enthusiast-focused a7 III continues to top the best-seller lists but if you want the highest resolution, the best autofocus system and some of the best video features on the market (not just in Sony’s own product lineup) the a7R IV is where it’s at. A true ‘flagship’, the a7R IV has undoubtedly benefited this year from no direct competition from Canon or Nikon, but it will take an unusually good product from either manufacturer to make the a7R IV look uncompetitive in 2020.

Read more about the Sony a7R IV

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Sotheby’s Space Photography auction includes NASA ‘Red Number’ prints

28 Nov

Sotheby’s auction house is holding an online Space Photography auction that includes multiple NASA ‘Red Number’ photographs, as well as vintage silver gelatin and other chromogenic prints featuring spacecraft, astronauts, and more. Sotheby’s estimates the prints will sell for between around $ 600 and $ 9,000 each, depending on the print.

The Space Photography auction features more than 200 lots featuring vintage prints, some of which are signed by Jack Fletcher, Buzz Aldrin, LMP Fred Haise and others. A large percentage of the photos are original NASA ‘Red Number’ prints, which means they’re chromogenic color photographs that include unique NASA image ID numbers printed in red in the photo’s margin.

Some of the space prints include a watermark, such as ‘This Paper Manufacturered by Kodak,’ as well as press captions printed on the back of the prints in purple ink. NASA ‘Red Number’ prints include the launch of the Skylab 4/Saturn 1B space vehicle, pre-launch preparations, the launch of Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-1), various shots of the Space Shuttles Discovery, Atlantis, and Challenger, and more.

The auction includes other non-Red Number vintage space prints, including three that feature UFO sightings that happened in Switzerland in the 1970s, vintage large format prints of iconic NASA lunar photos, and more. The NASA ‘Red Number’ prints come from the collection of Philip Kulpa.

A total of 140 photographs are available as part of ‘The Vintage NASA Photo Collection of Philip Kulpa,’ and they’re joined by a selection of prints from the estate of Bill Taub, NASA’s first senior photographer who covered all major NASA missions from the launch of Mercury to the end of Apollo. The online auction is open to bids until December 3, 2019, at 12 PM EST, according to Sotheby’s.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Here are the winners for Red Bull Illume’s Image Quest 2019 competition

28 Nov

Red Bull Illume Image Quest 2019 Winners

At the beginning of this month, 260 semi-finalists were selected out of nearly 60,000 entries for Red Bull Illume’s photography and videography contest. The 5 finalists for each category attended the Winner Award Ceremony hosted at the LUMEN – Museum of Mountain Photography on November 20th. The Overall Winner, 11 Category Winners, and Top 60 finalist images were revealed at the ceremony hosted by Italian sports journalist Zoran Filicic.

Ben Thouard was this year’s Overall Winner.

This year’s Overall Winner is Ben Thouard for his underwater image of surfer Ace Buchan riding a massive wave in Teahupo’o, Tahiti. Here is Thouard’s story behind his winning image: ‘I‘ve dedicated the last few years to shooting underwater, looking for new angles and a new way to shoot surfing and waves. Shooting surfing from underwater is a whole new world and I love it! Tahiti has some of the clearest water in the world so it was easy for me to take advantage of it and explore it as much as I could. This photo was shot during a freesurf session right before the WCT event in Teahupo‘o. This is Ace Buchan kicking out from the barrel through the wave, a technique to escape a close-out wave.’

He continues, ‘luckily I was right below, breathless with my [underwater housing] waiting for this moment and I was able to capture the whole sequence of it; this frame from the beginning of the sequence is the most powerful one because of the water around his face and body.’ Thouard was a Red Bull Illume semi-finalist in 2013 and a finalist in 2016 before becoming the Overall Winner this year.

60 finalist images were on display outside the LUMEN.

Once all the winners and finalists were announced, attendees were able to view the 60 finalist photos illuminated with 2mx2m lightboxes outside the LUMEN. The winners for each category are:

Overall Winner 2019: Ben Thouard, French Polynesia

Category Winners 2019

Best of Instagram by SanDisk: Baptiste Fauchille, France
Creative by Skylum: Denis Klero, Russia
Emerging by Red Bull Photography: JB Liautard, France
Energy: Ben Thouard, French Polynesia
Innovation by Sony: Laurence Crossman-Emms, United Kingdom
Lifestyle: Alexander Wick, Germany
Masterpiece by EyeEm: Lorenz Holder, Germany
Moving Image: Rupert Walker, Canada
Playground: Lorenz Holder, Germany
RAW: Noah Wetzel, USA
Wings: Philip Platzer, Austria
Best Mountain Sports Image by Salewa: Kamil Sustiak, Australia
SanDisk Extreme Award: Philip Platzer, Austria

For those interested, a Limited Edition Red Bull Illume Photobook featuring 260 semi-finalist action and adventure sports images submitted to the competition is now available to order. 4,000 copies were made, each individually numbered and stamped, and they come with a SanDisk Ultra SD Memory Card containing the Moving Image Category videos plus the full Luminar 4: Creative Photo Editor suite from Skylum.

Energy & Overall Winner: Ben Thouard, France

About this photo: As the quotes in the introduction to this series illustrate, Thouard was in the right place at the right time, underwater, when he captured athlete Ace Buchan kicking out from the barrel through the wave in Teahupo’o, Tahiti.

Category Winner, Best of Instagram by SanDisk: Baptiste Fauchille, France

About this photo: This is a shot from a buddies trip with a business goal showing biker Alex Bibollet’s shadow in the bowl of Fillinges, France. In Fauchille’s words, ‘We were a team of riders, photographers, and videographers, leaving for the very first trip of the new BMX clothing brand linked to the BMX: ‘Unicorn, we are legends’. We travelled for 5 days in the middle of summer, through different spots in different cities; it was a buddies trip with a business goal.

This photo was taken at the bowl of Fillinges. I remember the heat was insane like it rarely had been in the Alps. When I arrived on the spot the first thought I had in mind was to make a top- shot video with the drone: a fixed plan with a rider who makes his line with the intention of creating a loop. Then I realized that the bowl was really clean: no tags, no dust. I was able to have the rider and his shadow to come out well. I asked Alex Bibollet — one of the riders — to do what he did best, and I immortalized this moment!’

Category Winner, Creative by Skylum: Denis Klero, Russia

About this photo: In Klero’s own words,’last year‘s trend reports have shown that as soon as the first snow starts falling the social media community bursts in excitement and instantly shares videos and photos showing the first flakes of the year. I didn‘t want to miss out on the trend and started working on a concept to show the change of seasons. To attract the attention of the social media world it had to be something that would make one stop and stare. Consequently, I developed an idea of a series of three main pictures with some supporting detail shots, which had to be visually strong and inherent to the world of Red Bull. This picture with Pavel (Alekhin, the athlete in this photo) is one of those.’

Category winner, Emerging by Red Bull Photography: Jean-Baptiste Liautard, France

About this photo: ‘Two things that I love when it comes to photography are silhouettes and reflections and I wanted to use both in a single frame for a long time. After a lot of drawings, I knew what I wanted but it took me six months to get the perfect conditions and final ideas.
Jeremy‘s trail is a piece of art and this jump is definitely a highlight. I knew I wanted to shoot it from the side and get that reflection but it was really dry at this time of the year and of course there was no water around,’ says Liautard.

‘When I saw a wheelbarrow hanging around by the jumps, I had the idea to fill it up with water to create a mirror. We didn‘t have any water hose that day, so I had to do round trips with water cans to a little ditch by the road. After spending a lot of time adjusting the wheelbarrow and cleaning the water in the afternoon, my mirror was finally ready for the evening shoot.’

We were lucky enough to have a few friends helping us with the fire that night and adjusting the smoke just as we needed. The hardest job was Jeremy‘s as he had to ride the trail almost blind. Riding bikes at night is so scary and I can‘t thank the athletes enough when they are in these kinds of conditions. After a few attempts, we got this one, just as I imagined it at the very beginning, and it was a great feeling to finally see the image I had in my head for months, displayed on the back of my camera.

Category Winner, Innovation by Sony: Laurence Crossman-Emms, United Kingdom

About this photo: In Laurence’s own words, ‘Blaenau Ffestiniog was once described as the wettest place in Wales, this is no lie. Even when the sun shines, the puddles are plentiful. I’ve always been attracted to their animations when struck by a bicycle at full steep. The tyres of Katy Winton making the perfect parting of this muddy sea. The combination of dynamic action and the silk-like curtains made me try each time more determined. There are always challenges when shooting bikes and water close up … don’t get run over and don’t get wet.

This concept had always been in the back of my mind but finding the perfect location and it aligning with both the weather and sufficient puddle depth was tough. This breathless day at Antur Stiniog with Katy proved ideal. You can never guess how water reacts when you hit it with force, sometimes the results exceed your expectations … this was one of those times.’

Category Winner, Lifestyle: Alexander Wick, Germany

About this photo: In Wick’s words, ‘Together with my boys Phil and Chris I went on a US West-Coast climbing trip. Obviously Yosemite is a must and so we tested our very humble European crack climbing skills right away on El Capitan‘s Salathé Wall. A climb I‘ve been dreaming of for quite a while.

The first Ascent of this line was a master piece way ahead of its time. Climber and photographer Tom Frost was part of the three man team back then. His photography of the same climb is just breathtaking. The picture of Royal Robbins napping on a rock atop El Cap Spire with loads of exposure is one of my favorites, so of course I planned on getting a tribute shot to the old masters once we reached the spot. As we got stuck behind another climbing party just up on El Cap spire I used the moment, aided my way up the next pitch and took the shot as the boys and our new friend Luke actually took a nap.

No old hemp ropes and linen haul bags like in 1961 but modern nylon and Dyneema this time. No uncharted terrain but a well known and established route. Having a rest amidst a sea of granite: probably almost as amazing as back in the days.’

Category Winner, Masterpiece by EyeEm: Lorenz Holder, Germany

About this photo: ‘The first time I saw this location was when I was watching Game of Thrones and I was blown away by the pure magic this road generated in me. First, I thought that it‘s of course a CGI composition, but after a little research I found out that this place is actually real and located in Northern Ireland. A year later I was actually standing there with Senad Grosic and trying to get a bunny-hop-tailwhip on camera.

It was early in the morning with the first sun rays hitting the road and we managed to get a pretty cool shot, but somehow I knew that there was pure potential in the spot. So, we decided to stay a couple days longer and waited for some kind of rain, fog or other particles in the air, so I could use one flash from behind and create a white background to make Senad stand out a bit more and get the focus a bit more on the action. The rain came on our last day and I still remember the goose-bumps I had when I saw the image appearing on the screen of the camera. That‘s when I felt the same magical feeling I got when I watched Game of Thrones for the first time.’

Category Winner, Moving Image: Rupert Walker, Canada

About this photo: This is a still from Walker’s award-winning video. Here’s his explanation for getting all the key shots: ‘It was particularly challenging because it required extreme precision from the FPV drone pilot, Jonny Durst, and during this shoot, we experienced very heavy rains, which caused the track to be nearly unrideable. From the moisture, the track was riding much slower than anticipated and caused the athletes to struggle at performing their best. The dig crew was all hands-on deck with tiger torches and shovels to dry up any wet spots and dig out any soft spots. With hard work from all, a solid shot plan, and great coordination between the drone pilot and the athletes, the shot was accomplished.’

Category Winner, Playground: Lorenz Holder, Germany

About this photo: Lorenz Holder’s reputation as a stellar location scout continues (he was a winner in this year’s Masterpiece by EyeEm category). Holder talks about his latest find: ‘The Ouse Valley Viaduct is pretty cool old railway bridge in the South of England. When you approach it from the side, you can‘t really see the secret this bridge has to offer, but once you get underneath of one of the arches you can‘t believe your eyes. You are caught in a place that could easily be in the movie Inception. The arches create a very surreal visual effect – when you are taking a picture, you don‘t understand if you are looking down into something or at least you get very confused about what you‘re actually seeing. I was blown away by this fact, but also blown away that this looked like a pretty good spot for skateboarding.

When I showed Vladic an image of the viaduct, he was on fire to try it out. To be honest it was super hard to ride and Vladic‘s quote that got stuck in my mind was: “This is so hard, when my brain is going down in the transition, my body is already going up again – this will be difficult to get something done here.“ A couple of hours later, when his brain and body came together, he landed this kickflip while the sun was just at the perfect angle as well.’

Category Winner, RAW: Noah Wetzel, USA

About this photo: ‘After weeks of preparation and creative conception, I loaded my Subaru and headed North to Wyoming for the Total Solar Eclipse in August of 2017. Arriving a couple days before the eclipse, I linked up with athletes Chris Brule, Evan Grott, and Blake Sommer. The imagery goal was to capture the Eclipse and showcase mountain biking utilizing an in-camera double exposure – a very complex process.

The morning of, we loaded our packs well before sunrise with light stands, powerful flashes, extra camera gear, and two magnum bottles of champagne to celebrate. After capturing the first image successfully during two minutes of totality, all we had to do was endure the midday sun, waiting for twilight and the attempt at the second frame.

Unfortunately, I was unaware I had damaged the hot shoe connection on my camera four weeks prior while shooting fly fishing, preventing me from triggering my flashes.
Our only option required athlete Chris Brule to hit the feature in near darkness at 9pm, allowing me to set the camera to a 2.5 second exposure, manually firing the flashes and freezing Chris mid-air. Nearly escaping complete failure, we hiked out in darkness while sipping on champagne, truly in awe of the total solar eclipse and thankful we were able to capture something special.’

Category Winner, Wings: Philip Platzer, Austria

About this photo: Here is how Platzer captured athlete Marco Fürst flying hot air balloon swing in Austria: ‘Together with the Red Bull Skydive Team, I did this crazy Project called Megaswing back in 2016. After my assignment I already knew this had to be a tricky one: Two hot air balloons, one with a long rope attached and the other one to jump out with the swing, and of course the skydiver with his parachute.

After the first couple of jumps I realized that I wouldn’t get the perfect shot by simply shooting from the inside of the basket they where jumping out of. Lucky me, I had my monopod in the car as well as a pair of radio-triggers. My solution to get the right angle was to hold the camera, that I had attached to my monopod, as deep under the basket and just hope to get the perfect framing.

Another thing, I asked the athlete Marco Fürst to turn a little bit towards my direction to avoid getting an ass-shot and to get this playful mood in the image. In the end it was the very last try which gave us the moneyshot.’

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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