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Posts Tagged ‘2020’

Treat yourself 2020: The ultimate photographers’ gift guide

27 Nov

A gift guide just for you

It’s been a doozy of a year but thankfully, it wasn’t all sour grapes. While many aspects of society ground to a halt, manufacturers still had cool and exciting products in their pipelines that they managed to bring to market.

And while opportunities to get and out shoot may be limited at the moment, we can still dream big. And what better way to do that than by ‘browser window shopping’. What follows is a rundown of the headiest products of 2020, the ones photographers really want. So pour a tall cold one and get ready to treat yourself!

Canon EOS R5

There’s no two ways about it, the gold award-winning Canon EOS R5 is our favorite mirrorless camera over $ 3000 and perhaps Canon’s most impactful full-framer since the 5D Mark II. And while the RF mount is still relatively new, there’s no shortage of fast aperture primes and F2.8 zooms available, including ‘the holy trinity’ of the 15-35mm, 24-70mm and 70-200mm.

Well-suited to enthusiasts and professionals alike, the R5 offers outstanding image quality, excellent ergonomics, fast burst shooting and fabulous autofocus performance, not to mention lovely oversampled 4K. In short, if you really want to treat yourself to the best of the best, it’s the camera to get.

View our Canon EOS R5 sample gallery

Fujifilm X100V

Of course, not everyone wants or needs an interchangeable lens camera, for some of us, the simplicity and GAS-reducing nature of a fixed lens camera offers greater appeal. Lucky for folks in this camp, two new large-sensor, fixed lens cameras are featured on this year’s list including the glorious Fujifilm X100V.

Which begs the question: What do you get when you take a wonderfully designed camera and tweak it over the course of four generations based on user feedback, without straying from the original ethos? Why, the X100V of course. Building on its legacy, the ‘V’ bring all sorts of lovely refinements to the series including a newly designed lens with better corner/close-up sharpness, an updated sensor and AF system, better build-quality, a tilting touchscreen and more!

View our Fujifilm X100V sample gallery

Leica Q2 Monochrom

Another fixed-lens, large-sensor camera launched this year is a ‘Monochrom’ version of the Leica Q2, a staff favorite here at DPR. The camera’s B&W-only sensor offers improved dynamic range and noise performance over its color sensor counterpart. Plus, the super sharp 28mm F1.7 lens and moody monochrome output make it the perfect all-in-one option for street photographers, live music shooters and/or anyone who loves shooting after the sun goes down.

And while some may find 28mm a tad too wide, the camera’s 47MP full-frame sensor provides ample resolution for cropping. Plus the Q2 Monochrom handles just like the standard Q2, which is to say it’s built like a tank and both straightforward and immensely gratifying to shoot with. And immense gratification is what ‘treat yourself’ is all about.

View our Leica Q2 Monochrom
sample gallery

GoPro Hero9 Black

GoPro’s latest flagship, the Hero9 Black, is a seriously impressive piece of kit and easily the most compelling action camera to come out in quite some time. For filmmakers, it can shoot up to 5K/30p, offering room to crop in post, assuming you’re outputting 4K, or 4K/60p. And GoPro’s Hypersmooth video image stabilization is jaw-droppingly good. On the stills side, resolution has jumped from 12MP on previous models to 20MP on Hero9 Black.

The camera isn’t just capable though, it’s also well-designed: control/menus are accessed via the rear touchscreen and the whole unit is water/freeze/dust-proof without the need for a case. It also provides improved battery life over predecessors, a front-facing ‘live’ screen and even the option to attach an accessory wide angle lens. In short, it’s the perfect companion for anyone’s extreme lifestyle, whether that means leisurely bike rides to the park or free-climbing rock faces. Treat yourself!

iPhone 12 Pro & 12 Pro Max

iPhones, like GoPros, tend to see iterative yearly updates, but occasionally a new model drops with enough advancements that it’s impossible to ignore. The iPhone 12 Pro is that model and the ultimate ‘treat yourself’ device, not just from a photo/video shooting perspective but also when it comes to displaying and viewing your work.

Apple devices have been able to shoot HDR photos and videos for some time, but this new model (like all iPhone 12 models) can now display 10-bit Dolby Vision HDR on a beautiful OLED screen, right from within the photo app: an industry first!

The camera is also impressive. It consists of three 12MP modules, including standard wide-angle (with a 47% larger sensor than its predecessor), an ultra-wide and telephoto options. Additionally, the phone will make use of Apple’s new Raw format, ProRaw, in beta now and coming soon. And, as if that’s not enough, Apple claims the device has enough processing power to make it 50% faster than any phone currently on the market (not to mention, it’s 5G-enabled). Now that’s a treat!

View our iPhone 12 sample gallery

Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG DN Art

Everyone needs a good 85mm portrait lens and Sigma’s latest 85mm offering for mirrorless full-frame E-mount and L-mount makes a strong case for inclusion in your kit.

One thing that truly sets it apart from others like it, including 2016’s Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG HSM Art, is its compact and lightweight design. However, despite a comparatively smaller footprint, this lens remains optically outstanding, offering really good sharpness at all apertures (including in the corners), minimal chromatic aberrations and well-controlled ghosting and flare.

It’s also ‘dust and splash proof’ and impressively well-built. And at $ 1200, the Sigma is priced more affordably than the competition, too. Which is to say, it checks all the boxes for what make an outstanding F1.4 portrait lens – a difficult feat and a major treat.

Watch our video review of the Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG DN Art

DJI Mavic Air 2

Have you been holding out for the right moment to spread your wings and treat yourself to a drone? Well my friends, the moment is now. DJI’s new Mavic Air 2 represents the most lust-worthy enthusiast drone to launch in some time.

The perfect balance of size and capability, Air 2 fits in the palm of your hand but can deliver great stills image quality from its 1/2″ 48MP CMOS sensor, including both Raw and JPEGs formats. It can also shoot up to 4K/60p video and offers a variety of accident avoidance technologies as well features like subject tracking, HDR video and a panorama mode. Battery life is a useful 34 minutes and perhaps most importantly, the Mavic Air 2 is easy and enjoyable to fly.

Read our DJI Mavic Air 2 review

Olympus 150-400mm F4.5 TC1.25x

I’ve tried my best to keep this year’s ‘Treat Yourself’ guide somewhat mount-agnostic, but certain new glass is just too darn difficult to ignore. Take, for instance, the new Olympus 150-400mm F4.5 TC1.25x for Micro Four Thirds bodies. It’s not for everyone, but for a certain type of photographer, this is the the ultimate optical treat!

I’m talking of course about nature and wildlife photographers. Olympus’ king of tele-s packs a whopping 300-800mm equiv. focal range into a surprisingly well-sized, well-weighted body. But that’s not all! A 1.25x built-in teleconverter bumps that reach to an impressive 1000mm (at the cost of 2/3 EV of light). And, as is the case with most high-end Olympus gear, this lens is sealed against dust and moisture, and built to take some punishment – just be sure to protect that big, beautiful 95mm front element!

View our Olympus 150-40mm F4.5 TC1.25x sample gallery

DJI Pocket 2

The second iteration of DJI’s pocket-friendly vlogging machine is a real winner. This little unit is easy-to-use, offers a nice wide 20mm field-of-view (wider than its predecessor) and shoots high quality, super-smooth 4K video. It also features an updated four-way directional in-camera microphone, capable of recording good quality audio without the need for an accessory mic. And did we mention it’s pocketable?

Basically, the Pocket 2 is the perfect no-fuss, all-in-one vlogging machine and the right piece of kit for sharing your adventures with the world. And while now might not be a great time to leave your house and embark on any adventures, the Pocket 2 will be waiting for you when it’s safe to travel again. So go on and treat yourself to this tiny wonder.

Watch our DJI Pocket 2 video review


There you have it, our favorite lust-worthy gear of the year. Here’s hoping 2021 has even more treats in store. Until next time, Treat yourself!

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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The Best Black Friday Deals for Photographers in 2020

26 Nov

The post The Best Black Friday Deals for Photographers in 2020 appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

If you’re looking for the best Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals for photographers, then you’ve come to the right place.

We’ve put together a huge crop of discounts, from incredible savings on cameras, lenses, photography courses, photo editing software, and more.

black friday deals for photographers in 2020

We’ve even included a few coupon codes, so our readers can have access to the best exclusive deals on the internet.

Here’s the bottom line:

If you want to level up your photography, then you need to take advantage of these deals while they’re still available.

So without further ado, let’s look at the current best Black Friday deals!

You can click below to go directly to the product category you’re interested in:

  1. Special Deals and Courses
  2. Cameras
  3. Lenses
  4. Software

Photzy’s Snap Cards (at 86% off!)

Have you ever been out taking photos and wished you could have your training materials open in front of you? Or, better yet, for a photography expert to be standing next to you, giving you advice as you choose your settings and press the shutter button?

Thanks to Photzy’s Snap Cards, it’s possible.

black friday deals for photographers in 2020 Photzy Snap Cards

Because the Snap Cards are designed by experts to do exactly that:

Tell you what you need to know about photography – when you need to know it. Not when you’re sitting in your room reading about photography, but when you’re actually out in the field taking pictures.

The Snap Cards consist of 44 printable cheat sheets, including all the key information about:

  • working with your camera
  • creating perfect exposures
  • arranging perfect compositions
  • photographing people
  • working with flash
  • and much more!

They’re easy to read, they offer quick solutions in the field, and they’re wildly effective. But don’t take our word for it; here’s what Snap Card customers have said about this one-of-a-kind product:

  • “I printed the set and laminated them straight away, took the applicable sets on specific shooting sessions, as designed. They helped remind me of details I had forgotten over the years.” – John M.
  • “Easy way to access good information during the learning process. I really enjoy the cards and the other emails I have received since buying the cards! ” – Ryan S.
  • “These are excellent, well-paced tips. Good for both beginners and advanced photographers. These cards reinforce known facts and add a lot more.” – Dilip R.

Normally, the Snap Cards cost $ 220 USD.

But for a limited time, you can grab the Photzy Snap Cards at an insanely low price:

Just $ 29 (or less than $ 1 per card).

Oh, and here’s another little tidbit:

Simply enter the code “BF20” during checkout, and you’ll get another 20% knocked off the price.

So make sure you grab the Snap Cards at this ultra-discounted price while you still can. Because the deal certainly won’t last!

Click here to get the Snap Cards at over 89% off, right now.

Contrastly’s Decoding Lightroom Video Course (Just $ 49)

If you’re looking to create stunning photography, then editing your images is essential. After all, editing is how you take a decent photo and turn it into a masterpiece.

Unfortunately, learning to edit can be overwhelming. Many photographers give up before getting anywhere at all. And they never manage to make their photos shine.

Fortunately, there’s an easy way forward:

Contrastly’s Decoding Lightroom Video Course.

It’s an instant-access online course, one that gives you everything you need to start editing your photos in Lightroom Classic (one of the most powerful photo editors on the planet!).

Decoding Lightroom video course from Contrastly

Simply sit back and watch as professional landscape photographer Adam Welch takes you through the ins-and-outs of Lightroom, explaining everything you need to know – from making colors stand out to making details pop to exporting your photos for printing. There are over five hours of videos, plus several helpful bonuses including Lightroom presets (for one-click edits that will instantly improve your photos).

Normally, you pay $ 129 for this course.

But for the next few days only, you can get it at over 50% off, for just $ 49.

To grab Decoding Lightroom before the deal disappears, just click here.

So get the course. Try it out. Once you’ve mastered editing in Lightroom, your photos will never look the same again.

Also note that Contrastly’s other products, including The Lightroom Mastery eBook and The Cameras in the Wild eBook, are also over 50% off during the Black Friday period, so I highly recommend you check them out.

Capture Landscapes’ Into the Light Landscape Photography Course (Over 24% Off!)

Do you wish you could take stunning landscape photos, day in, day out?

That’s what Capture Landscapes’ Into the Light landscape photography course will show you how to do.

Into the Light offers 9+ hours of instantly-downloadable video content, instructing you on camera settings, composition, gear, and more.

black friday deals for photographers in 2020

It even includes several post-processing videos, so you can learn how expert landscape photographers edit their images (and so you can start editing your photos like an expert, too!).

Plus, you get a whole bunch of bonuses, including vlogs, membership to a private Facebook group, and RAW landscape files to practice on.

The course is taught by the incredible William Patino, one of the best landscape photographers in the world – so don’t miss this opportunity to learn from a master.

While Into the Light generally goes for $ 169, it’s currently available for $ 127, at over 24% off.

You can purchase it here.

Also note that Capture Landscapes is currently offering a host of other Black Friday discounts, so make sure you check out their other courses and eBooks!

All Visual Wilderness Learn to Shoot Courses (50% Off)

Visual Wilderness offers nature photography tutorials by some of the best photographers around, which will show you how to:

  • use slow shutter speeds for breathtaking results
  • create jaw-dropping colors, consistently
  • nail focus (so your images are tack-sharp)
  • use your camera’s aperture setting to take your photos to the next level

And much, much more! There is literally days of nature photography video content just waiting to be watched, designed for beginners and advanced photographers alike. So why not take this opportunity to improve your photos?

Visual Wilderness video courses

For the next few days, dPS readers can get any of the Visual Wilderness Learn to Shoot video tutorials for 50% off. At checkout, simply enter the code “dps50” to claim your discount, and gain access to some of the most valuable nature photography instruction available today.

To see the Visual Wilderness Learn to Shoot courses, and to claim your 50%-off discount, click here.

SLR Lounge Premium Membership (28% Off)

If you’re interested in portrait photography, creative photography, engagement photography, or artificial lighting of any kind, then you need to take a look at SLR Lounge’s video courses.

Peek at the course catalog, and you’re bound to see something you’d love to watch. For instance, there are workshops on posing, headshot photography, flash photography, and much more. 

black friday deals for photographers in 2020 SLR Lounge

Each course offers hours upon hours of high-quality, practical advice – which will jumpstart your photography and get you shooting on a whole new level, fast. 

Now, you can purchase the courses individually; each one goes for around $ 100. 

Or you can grab a Premium membership, which gives you access to all SLR Lounge courses. Normally, you pay $ 348 for a 12-month membership – but, as part of the SLR Lounge Black Friday sale, you can currently purchase a 12-month membership for $ 248. 

Alternatively, you can buy a 6-month membership for just $ 178 or a lifetime membership for $ 598 (note that these two memberships aren’t available at other times of the year).

So click here to start your SLR Lounge photography education!

Cameras and Camera Bundles

Black Friday always comes with stellar camera deals, and this year is no exception.

While there are too many excellent camera discounts to list, here are a few that we think you’ll really love:

Canon EOS M50 With 15-45mm Lens (15% Off on Amazon)

The Canon EOS M50 is one of Canon’s most eye-catching mirrorless cameras, offering great handling, beautiful images, and 4K video – all in a tiny package. It’s perfect for photographers aiming to upgrade from their point-and-shoot models, as well as anyone looking for an affordable entry into mirrorless.

Canon EOS M50

Thanks to the articulating screen and the recording capabilities, the Canon EOS M50 is also an excellent choice for vloggers, especially those that aim to shoot a mix of videos and photos.

Plus, in addition to a handful of EF-M lenses, Canon sells an adapter that lets you use the entire suite of EF lenses.

Not bad for an inexpensive mirrorless camera, right?

So if you want a nice little camera that packs quite the punch, give the EOS M50 a try. It’s currently selling at 15% off with a 15-45mm kit lens, which puts the price at just $ 549 on Amazon.

Canon EOS RP With 24-105mm Lens (29% Off on Amazon)

The Canon EOS RP is Canon’s cheapest full-frame mirrorless camera, but don’t let that fool you; it can go toe-to-toe with models that cost far more, thanks to its powerful image sensor (26 MP), fully-articulating screen, and 4K video capabilities.

Canon EOS RP

For those who are thinking of going full-frame but aren’t sure where to start, the EOS RP is a perfect choice. Or if you’re a Canon user but haven’t made the jump to mirrorless, this EOS RP package has got you covered.

After all, you get the powerful EOS RP, plus the ultra-useful 24-105mm lens, which is perfect for all kinds of shooting (from street photography to landscape photography to walkaround photography and more).

So grab the Canon EOS RP plus the 24-105mm f/4-7.1 while it’s still on sale, because you can get it for an ultra-low $ 999 on Amazon!

Sony a6000 With 16-50mm and 55-210mm Lenses (15% Off on Amazon)

Are you thinking about getting your first mirrorless camera?

If so, then I highly recommend you consider this Sony a6000 package, which gives you everything you need to get started in mirrorless photography.

black friday deals for photographers in 2020

It offers a compact body, an electronic viewfinder, and excellent image quality, plus you get two highly-useful lenses. The 16-50mm is perfect for sweeping landscape and wider portrait photography, while the 55-210mm is the better option for tighter portraits, action photography, and the occasional street shot.

Usually, the Sony a6000 bundle goes for $ 999, but you can currently grab it for just $ 848 on Amazon.

Sony a7 III (15% Off on Amazon)

The a7 III is one of Sony’s most popular professional cameras, combining outstanding low-light capabilities, in-body image stabilization, class-leading autofocus, a 24 MP sensor, and 4K recording capabilities into one ultra-powerful package.

black friday deals for photographers in 2020

If you’re looking for a standout full-frame mirrorless camera that can do just about anything, the Sony a7 III is a great choice.

And it’s currently available for 15% off on Amazon, at just $ 1698 (versus the usual $ 1998).

Sony a7R IV (14% Off on Amazon)

The Sony a7R IV is a resolution monster, packing 61 megapixels into its gorgeously crafted full-frame sensor. It also includes a stunning electronic viewfinder, excellent autofocus, and a line of brilliant lenses that you won’t want to miss.

black friday deals for photographers in 2020

If you’re a landscape photographer or a commercial photographer in need of mind-blowing levels of detail, then the Sony a7R IV is the perfect pick, especially at its current discounted price:

$ 2998, versus its normal $ 3499 price tag.

Nikon Z50 Plus a 16-50mm Lens (10% Off on Amazon)

The Nikon Z50 is a user-friendly, high-performing APS-C mirrorless model from Nikon, perfect for photography beginners, casual photographers, and Nikon DSLR users looking to upgrade.

Nikon Z50

While the Nikon Z50 doesn’t include any true standout features, you get a very respectable 20 MP sensor, 4K video, a tilting touchscreen, and decently-fast shooting speeds.

And there’s also the 16-50mm lens, which offers a nice range of wide-to-standard focal lengths, so you can smoothly shoot landscapes, portraits, street photos, and much more.

Grab the Nikon Z50 plus the 16-50mm kit lens for just $ 896 on Amazon, down from its usual $ 996 price.

Fujifilm X-T30 With 15-45mm Lens (10% Off on Amazon)

The Fujifilm X-T30 is one of the best APS-C cameras to debut in recent years, and that’s saying something; Fujifilm managed to combine a beautiful design, a great shooting experience, excellent autofocus, and blazing-fast shooting speeds for a do-it-all camera that you won’t be able to put down.

Fujifilm X-T30

If you’ve never tried a Fujifilm camera before, you’re going to be in for a treat. Honestly, it doesn’t matter if you’re a beginner, an enthusiast, or a professional – as long as you’re a fan of the retro design, then you’re going to love this model.

The Fujifilm X-T30 normally sells for $ 899 – but you can currently purchase it, with the excellent 15-45mm kit lens, for just $ 799 on Amazon.

Lenses

These are some of the best Black Friday lens deals that you’ll come across:

For Canon

  • Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM (7% off for $ 1249 on Amazon)
  • Canon EF 40mm f/2.8 STM lens (10% off for $ 179 on Amazon)
  • Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM (34% off for $ 429 on Amazon)
  • Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM (25% off for $ 599 on Amazon)
  • Rokinon 35mm f/1.4 for Canon (15% off for $ 339 on Amazon)

For Sony

  • Sony 70-200mm f/2.8 GM (5% off for $ 2398 on Amazon)
  • Sony FE 50mm f/1.8 (20% off for $ 198 on Amazon)
  • Sony 35mm f/1.8 (11% off for $ 423 on Amazon)
  • Sony 16-35mm f/2.8 (9% off for $ 1998 on Amazon)
  • Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 for Sony (9% off for $ 799 on Amazon)

For Nikon

  • Nikon AF-S 70-200mm f/2.8E VR (19% off for $ 1896 on Amazon)
  • Nikon AF-S 14-24mm f/2.8G ED (23% off for $ 1347 on Amazon)
  • Nikon Z 14-30mm f/4 S (15% off for $ 1097 on Amazon)
  • Nikon AF-S 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G VR (11% off for $ 847 on Amazon)
  • Sigma 35mm f/1.4 ART for Nikon (27% off for $ 656 on Amazon)

For Fujifilm

  • Fujifilm XF 16-55mm f/2.8 (25% off for $ 899 on Amazon)
  • Fujifilm XF 55-200mm f/3.5-4.8 (29% off for $ 499 on Amazon)
  • Fujifilm XF 50-140mm f/2.8 (19% off for $ 1299 on Amazon)

For Panasonic

  • Panasonic Lumix 45-150mm f/4-5.6 (41% off for $ 148 on Amazon)
  • Panasonic Lumix 35-100mm f/2.8 (18% off for $ 898 on Amazon)

Software

Every year, the Black Friday software deals just seem to get better and better. Check out the incredibly low prices on these powerful editing programs:

ACDSee

ACDSee Photo Studio Ultimate 2021 is an all-in-one post-processing program, offering cataloging, basic editing, and advanced editing in a single package. You get all the power you expect from a serious Lightroom competitor, plus the streamlined workflow that comes from using a single image editor with dozens of capabilities.

ACDSee Photo Studio Ultimate 2021

If you’re looking to enhance your images with post-processing and you’re tired of the hassle of going between Lightroom, Photoshop, and various plugins, then ACDSee is a fantastic choice – one that’s currently available for a fantastic low price. 

Currently, you can buy the ACDSee Photo Studio Ultimate 2021 with ACDSee’s Luxea Video Editor for just $ 109.95 (normally priced at $ 229.98).

So don’t miss out on this excellent Black Friday opportunity from ACDSee; make sure to grab your Photo Studio Ultimate 2021 package before the deal disappears.

Adobe Creative Cloud

We all know Adobe’s products, but did you know that you can currently purchase Lightroom, Photoshop, and all the other Adobe CC apps for 25% off, at just $ 39.99 per month?

The deal includes both versions of Lightroom – CC and Classic – as well as Adobe’s industry-standard video editing apps, graphic design apps, and more. 

Adobe Creative Cloud

If you’ve been on the fence about going all-in with an Adobe subscription, then now is the time to do it. Lightroom Classic is amazing, Lightroom CC is beautifully built, and Photoshop is on another level entirely. Plus, the video apps you’ll get as part of the full Creative Cloud subscription are perfect for vloggers, YouTubers, and videographers of all stripes. 

So start taking your photos – and videos – to the next level, today. Click here to get your Adobe CC subscription!

ON1 Photo RAW 2021

ON1 Photo RAW 2021 is an easy-to-use, feature-packed alternative to Adobe Lightroom Classic. It combines streamlined image organization with pretty much all of Lightroom Classic’s editing functionality, plus a beautiful interface to boot.

ON1 Photo RAW Black Friday deal

There are die-hard Lightroom fans out there who won’t want to consider ON1 Photo RAW, but the fact is that the software is genuinely great. ON1 Photo RAW 2021 is a pleasure to use, mostly because it just feels right, thanks to ON1’s focus on user experience over advanced editing functions. 

ON1 Photo RAW 2021 could easily take the place of Lightroom, and it’s way cheaper, too: 

Normally $ 99.99, and now – thanks to Black Friday – just $ 79.99. So click here for the deal!

Oh, and for those who are interested in really taking your ON1 Photo RAW 2021 software to the next level, you can also grab the ON1 Professional Plugin Bundle (including ON1 HDR, ON1 Resize, ON1 Effects, and ON1 Portrait AI) for just $ 59.99.

Affinity Photo

Affinity Photo Black Friday deals

These days, Serif’s Affinity Photo is the most popular Photoshop alternative available. It goes toe-to-toe with Adobe’s advanced photo editor in pretty much every way, packing an incredible amount of power for a surprisingly cheap price ($ 50).

And that cheap price just got even cheaper, thanks to Serif’s Black Friday sale, which makes Affinity Photo available for an ultra-low $ 34.99.

Honestly, I can’t think of any reason you shouldn’t buy Affinity Photo at that price. At the very least, I recommend you grab the free trial to see what you think, because the program truly is exceptional.

You can purchase Affinity Photo, or download the free trial, right here.

The Best Black Friday Deals for Photographers: Conclusion

I encourage you to grab these great discounts while they still exist. 

Because while there are plenty of amazing deals, they won’t stick around for long. Pretty soon, Black Friday will be over and prices will go back to normal.

So take advantage of these deals while you still can!

Know of any fantastic Black Friday deals for photographers that we missed? Share them in the comments!

The post The Best Black Friday Deals for Photographers in 2020 appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.


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Our favorite gear, rewarded: DPReview Awards 2020

25 Nov

DPReview Awards 2020

How is it nearly the end of the year already? Not that any of us are keen for 2020 to last much longer. To say the least, this has been a strange and difficult few months for people all over the globe, and one that we can’t wait to put behind us. The photo industry (like most industries) was impacted by the COVID-19 epidemic this year, but a lot of great products were released nevertheless, even if launch schedules were a little more erratic (and access to samples a lot more disrupted) than normal.

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. Normally we do that in a room, but hey – contentious multi-participant discussions about which products a bunch of very opinionated professional reviewers like best are what video calls were invented for!

Without further ado, take a look through this article to find out which products made our list of the best gear of 2020.

Best accessory

Shortlist:

  • Apple iPad Air (2020 version)
  • DJI Mavic Air 2
  • DJI Pocket 2
  • GoPro HERO9 Black

Runner up: GoPro HERO9 Black

‘Go big or come home,’ is a phrase we can only assume is often spoken (or shouted?) at GoPro HQ. And with the new flagship HERO9 Black, GoPro really did go big.

The HERO9 Black offers up to 5K/30p or 4K/60p video from a new 23.6MP sensor; the former gives room to crop-in in post, assuming you’re outputting in 4K. It also features GoPro’s impressive HyperSmooth 3.0 video stabilization, which is easily the best in the action camera class.

Still images are captured at 20MP, up from 12MP on the HERO8 Black. And a new accessory wide angle attachment (sold separately) adds increased versatility to the unit. Long gone are days of confusing button combinations: The HERO9 Black offers a rear touchscreen as well as a front-facing ‘live’ screen. It’s also waterproof, without the need for a case and provides 30% improved battery life over its predecessor. That’s good enough to make it our runner-up for best accessory of the year.

Read more about the GoPro Hero9 Black

Winner: DJI Mavic Air 2

The DJI Mavic series has likely done more to popularize drone photography than any other product, but in 2020 DJI really hit the sweet spot with the Mavic Air 2. It’s a true Goldilocks product that’s not too little or too much – it’s just right. In our review we called it ‘The best all-round drone for most people’.

While not the smallest drone on the market, the Mavic Air 2 still fits in the palm of your hand. Despite its compact size, it features a camera with a 1/2″ CMOS sensor to deliver better image quality than models with smartphone-style sensors. It captures impressive 4K/60p video and photos in JPEG or Raw, includes HDR and panorama modes, and packs useful features like an obstacle avoidance system and impressive subject tracking. Most important, it’s fun to fly and makes it easy to capture great photos and videos, earning it our photo accessory of the year award.

Read more about the DJI Mavic Air 2

Best smartphone camera

Shortlist:

  • Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max
  • Google Pixel 5
  • Huawei Mate 40 Pro
  • Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G

Runner up: Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G

Sitting at the top of Samsung’s Galaxy S20 lineup, the Ultra earns its name in multiple respects, starting with its massive 6.9” OLED screen. But what stands out most to us is its impressive camera hardware. It offers a large 1/1.33″ 108MP sensor in its main camera module, complemented by a 12MP ultrawide and depth-sensing time-of-flight sensors. An additional 48MP telephoto camera features a 103mm periscope configuration with an f/3.5 aperture, making it a native 4x optical zoom. A 10x “hybrid optic zoom” mode is offered that combines data from both the 108MP wide and 48 MP telephoto modules, and you can go up to 30x with some software upscaling wizardry. All but the ultrawide module offer phase-detect autofocus.

This phone was announced in February of this year and at the end of 2020 it’s still unrivaled in terms of raw camera specs. It’s large main sensor, 8K video, and its Nonacell and Tetracell technologies in the main and tele- modules that allow for higher quality images in low light thanks to hardware binning, to name a few.

In recent history, smartphone camera advancements have largely come from more sophisticated software. To be sure, the S20 Ultra has plenty of software tricks up its sleeves, but Samsung also went big on hardware in this device. For this unique combination of cutting-edge software and hardware, it earns our Best Smartphone runner up.

Read more about the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra

Winner: Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max

Apple reserved its most impressive imaging specifications for the iPhone 12 Pro lineup, with telephoto lenses, LiDAR scanners that enable night portrait mode images, and up to 4K/60p Dolby Vision video. In fact, iPhone 12 phones are the only devices in existence that allow you to capture, edit and display video in the 10-bit Dolby Vision HDR format all on the smartphone itself.

But the iPhone 12 Pro Max takes things a step further, introducing a 47% larger sensor with bigger pixels to the device’s main camera, which in conjunction with the F1.6 main lens aperture allows the Pro Max to capture nearly twice as much light as the previous generation phones. Sensor-shift stabilization has also been added to the main camera for the first time in an iPhone, allowing for better night mode photographs.

While this may not sound like a big deal considering the 1/1.33″ sensors we’ve seen in competitors, it’s the total package that makes the 12 Pro Max our winner. It’s the only smartphone not just capturing but displaying HDR in both stills and video, in more hands than ever before. Yet also doing so also with a large sensor, sensor-shift stabilization and the image processing many have come to know and love of Apple. And seeing HDR photos and videos is believing – it’s one of the next big steps forward in image capture and display, and the 12 Pro Max is going to turn a lot of people into believers. Especially if you set your screen brightness to max!

Read more about Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max

Best zoom lens

Shortlist:

  • Nikon Nikkor Z 14-24mm F2.8 S
  • Nikon Nikkor Z 70-200mm F2.8 VR S
  • Olympus 150-400mm F4.5 TC1.25x
  • Sony 12-24mm F2.8 GM

Runner-up: Nikon Nikkor Z 14-24mm F2.8 S

The third and final member of Nikon’s Z-mount ‘Holy Trinity’ is an impressive lens – the Z 14-24mm F2.8 S. This one had a hard act to follow, vying to replace the very well-liked AF-S 14-24mm F2.8 in the kitbags of Nikon mirrorless upgraders.

Instead of simply adapting and re-housing the older optical design for the new Z-mount, Nikon’s engineers went back to the drawing board, creating a fast wideangle zoom that manages to be smaller, lighter and more practical than its F-mount predecessor, without sacrificing optical quality and, actually, improving on it. This is a wonderfully sharp lens, and very practical too, weighing in at less than 1.5 lbs, with the option of screw-in filter compatibility via an included hood adapter. This is a lens which – like one of its main competitors this year, Sony’s FE 12-24mm F2.8 GM – really shows what optical designers can do with a short flange-back distance.

Read more about the Nikkor Z 14-24mm F2.8 S

Joint-winner: Nikon Nikkor Z 70-200mm F2.8 VR S

A good 70-200mm F2.8 equivalent seems to be essential in any system which wants to be taken seriously. Nikon announced the Z 70-200mm F2.8 VR S way back in January (which feels like years ago) but disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has meant that even now, it’s hard to get hold of.

Assuming you’re lucky enough to get your hands on one, you’ll find a lot to like about the Z 70-200mm F2.8 VR S. Perhaps the sharpest of the current (all very sharp) range of similar lenses for competitive mirrorless systems, this powerful telezoom features a very good minimum focus distance, excellent customization, and the ability to accept teleconverters. While it doesn’t have quite the same magic bokeh as the AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm F2.8E FL ED VR, the cross-frame sharpness and flare-resistance of this native mirrorless lens is superb, making it a very capable companion for users of Nikon’s Z-mount, and the joint-winner in this year’s DPReview Awards for best zoom lens.

Read more about the Nikkor Z 70-200mm F2.8 VR S

Joint-winner: Sony 12-24mm F2.8 GM

In the end we couldn’t choose between the Nikon Z 70-200mm F2.8 VR S and this one. The Sony 12-24mm F2.8 GM is a very different kind of lens, but equally excellent in its way. Aimed at landscape and astrophotographers alike, it’s a lens that can replace a handful of primes thanks to its optical performance. It’s tack sharp wide open, and three extreme aspherical (XA), two Super ED and three ED (extra low dispersion) elements help the lens achieve little to no lateral or longitudinal chromatic aberration. Stars and city lights are faithfully rendered thanks to minimal coma, and the precision of XA element grinding ensures smooth bokeh with no onion-rings.

The Sony 12-24mm F2.8 GM is impressively lightweight at 847g, only 6.5% heavier than the compact Sigma 14-24mm F2.8 DG DN Art lens. It accepts rear-mount gel filters, and is fast to focus thanks to four extreme dynamic (XD) linear motors that allow it to keep up with the 20 fps frame rate of the Sony a9 cameras. A newer Nano anti-reflective coating allows for lower flare and ghosting. Video shooters will be pleased by the linear focus response, lack of focus breathing, focus shift, and axial shift while zooming.

Read more about the Sony 12-24mm F2.8 GM

Best prime lens

Shortlist:

  • Nikon Z 20mm F1.8 S
  • Sigma 105mm F2.8 DG DN Macro
  • Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG DN Art
  • Sony FE 20mm F1.8G

Runner-up: Sigma 105mm F2.8 DG DN Macro

Another in a line of excellent ‘DN’ (Digital Native) lenses from Sigma, the 105mm F2.8 was designed specifically for full-frame mirrorless cameras, and delivers excellent results on the latest Sony E-mount and Panasonic/Leica/Sigma L-mount bodies.

Medium-telephoto macro lenses like this one are excellent for closeup work of smaller animals and plants, where you want to be able to maintain a reasonable camera-subject distance. They’re also handy as portrait lenses, where the longer focal length and sharpness wide-open help compensate for the relatively slow maximum aperture compared to a conventional portrait prime. As one of (still) very few native macro options for full-frame mirrorless shooters, the Sigma 105mm F2.8 DG DN Macro earns its runner-up spot in this year’s DPReview Award for best prime lens.

Read more about the Sigma 105mm F2.8 DG DN Macro

Winner: Sony FE 20mm F1.8G

The Sony 20mm F1.8G takes the top spot in our awards for prime lens of the year thanks to the fact that it’s nearly optically flawless. It’s sharp enough wide open to pair with the high-resolution 60MP a7R IV, with nearly no lateral or longitudinal chromatic aberration to speak of – particularly impressive for a lens of this type. Bokeh is smooth with no onion rings or bright edges. Nine aperture blades ensure smooth out-of-focus highlights even as you stop down, and for astrophotographers, there’s minimal sagittal flare or coma.

Autofocus is extremely speedy thanks to XD (extreme dynamic) linear focus actuators. Distortion and vignetting are also well-controlled and easily fixed in post-processing. The only flaw we can find really is a tendency to flare and ghost, but that’s excusable for a lens of this type and considering its lack of other optical aberrations.

As the most well-corrected lenses of this type that we’ve ever seen, the Sony 20mm F1.8G easily wins our prime lens of the year.

Read more about the Sony FE 20mm F1.8G

Best compact/fixed lens camera

Shortlist:

  • Fujifilm X100V
  • Nikon Coolpix P950
  • Sony ZV1
  • Zeiss ZX1

Runner-up: Nikon Coolpix P950

In a year with few highlights, testing the Nikon Coolpix P950 was definitely among them. Maybe the perfect camera for shooting during quarantine, if you can’t find some interesting photographic perspectives with a 24-2000mm zoom range, it’s time to find another hobby.

It’s all too easy to sneer at ‘big lens, small sensor’ cameras like this, but do so at your peril. The Coolpix P900 sold like hotcakes, and the P950 is a better camera, and nicer to use, too (thanks to Raw mode and a better EVF, respectively). If you respect its limits, the P950 will reward you with images that would be near-impossible to get with any other comparably-priced setup. A good camera removes obstacles to creativity, and for that reason the Nikon Coolpix P950 earns its runner-up spot in our category for compact / fixed-lens camera this year.

Read more about the Nikon Coolpix P950

Winner: Fujifilm X100V

And the Nikon Coolpix P950 would probably have won outright, were it not for this pesky kid. The Fujifilm X100V is the fifth camera in the company’s perennially-popular X100 range, and brings far more substantial changes compared to previous iterations. Featuring a new 26MP BSI-CMOS sensor, flip-out, touch-sensitive rear-screen and redesigned lens, the X100V is a significantly better camera than its forebears.

We’ve always loved the X100-series, and it was very good to see Fujifilm’s engineers really grasp the nettle this year and make some bolder updates to the concept. And while some photographers might still consider the X100V’s fixed 35mm equivalent lens to be limiting, it’s worth noting that the redesigned lens makes the company’s wide and tele-converters perform a lot better than they did on some previous X100-series models. For everyday photography the X100V is a reliable and enjoyable companion, and as such it takes the top spot in our 2020 DPReview Award for best compact/fixed-lens camera.

Read more about the Fujifilm X100V

Best stills / video camera

Shortlist:

  • Canon EOS R6
  • Fujifilm X-T4
  • Panasonic Lumix DC-S5
  • Sony a7S III

Runner up: Canon EOS R6

The EOS R6 risks being overshadowed by the 8K-capable R5 (and the initial concerns about how it recovers from overheating), but its a hugely capable stills / video camera.

The ability to record in 10-bit, either as Log or PQ HDR footage, is impressive, as is the option to shoot 4K/60p, but its appeal goes beyond that. Its stabilization is excellent, its autofocus is reliable and the video and stills settings are kept separate to a good degree, making it easy to switch back and forth. A firmware update that improves recovery times means it’s primarily its rolling shutter that counts against it. But even with this taken into account, there are few cameras at the price that make it easier to shoot genuinely excellent video.

Read more about the Canon EOS R6

Winner: Sony a7S III

Instead of chasing headline specs, Sony told us its priorities for the a7S III centered around reliability. In that spirit, it stuck with a 12MP sensor to capture native 4K, but its an all-new BSI sensor with dual gain architecture and fast rolling shutter performance. As a result, the camera can capture 4K/60p using the full width of its sensor, and up to 4K/120p with a slight (1.1x) crop, all in 4:2:2 10-bit color.

The a7S III also benefits from updated codecs, including a new All-I ‘intra-frame’ option, 16-bit Raw video output over HDMI, and dual-twin card slots that support both SD and CFexpress Type A. It’s also the first a7-series camera to feature a fully articulating screen in addition to Sony’s class-leading AF system, and it can record 4-channel audio with a new XLR adapter. the a7S III’s biggest drawback is that it’s stuck at 12MP for stills. Native 4K may result in slightly less detail than the oversampled video found on competitors, but it’s still the most impressive stills/video hybrid we’ve seen this year unless you really need more than 4K resolution.

Read more about the Sony a7S III

Best entry-level ILC

Shortlist:

  • Canon EOS Rebel T8i
  • Fujifilm X-S10
  • Fujifilm X-T200
  • Olympus OM-D E-M10 IV

Runner-up: Olympus OM-D E-M10 IV

The Olympus OM-D E-M10 IV is one of the dark horses of the current photography market. Introduced this year without much fanfare, on the surface the E-M10 IV might look like an iterative update to the venerable E-M10-series, and in some ways of course it is. But iteration is good! With the Mark IV, Olympus has created arguably its most competitive consumer ILC yet.

With a 20MP Micro Four Thirds sensor (an upgrade from the rather long-in-the-tooth 16MP sensor used in the last generation) and built-in IBIS effective for ~4.5EV, the OM-D E-M10 IV is a more powerful tool than its predecessors. It’s fairly fast (max shooting with AF is possible up to 4.5fps) and offers a decent electronic viewfinder, a flip-down touchscreen on the back, and 4K video. While its menu system and GUI can be overwhelming at first, the amount of features and technology that Olympus has packed into the E-M10 IV make it an excellent option for a keen beginner.

Read more about the Olympus
OM-D E-M10 IV

Winner: Fujifilm X-S10

The Fujifilm X-S10 is one of our favorite cameras of the year (spoiler alert). It uses the same sensor, processor and AF system as the flagship X-T4, and is only the third Fujifilm X-series camera to offer built-in stabilization, using a newly-developed compact IBIS mechanism. Meanwhile the deep handgrip recalls the popular X-H1.

Far from being a ‘parts bin’ camera, the X-S10 brings something genuinely new to Fujifilm’s lineup, offering a more conventional (less dial-driven) interface with a PASM exposure mode control which will be familiar to anyone who has used an entry-level camera from another manufacturer. Its performance, both in terms of autofocus and speed, is excellent, as is image quality in stills and video modes. While just on the cusp of ‘midrange’ considering its price, if you have the money, the Fujifilm X-S10 is one of the best entry-level ILCs on the market, and takes first place this year in our DPReview Awards.

Read more about the Fujifilm X-S10

Best midrange ILC

Shortlist:

  • Canon EOS R6
  • Fujifilm X-T4
  • Nikon Z5
  • Nikon Z6 II

Runner-up: Fujifilm X-T4

Fujifilm’s flagship APS-C format camera, the X-T4 is a model that we find ourselves recommending to friends and family quite often. There was apparently some debate within Fujifilm about whether to call this the ‘X-T3S’ but it was decided that enough had been changed to justify an entirely new model name.

We tend to agree. While the X-T4 looks a lot like the X-T3 (and the X-T2… and the X-T1…) it’s a better and more competitive camera. Now featuring a powerful in-body stabilization system (effective up to an impressive ~6.5EV) and 4K/60p video, the X-T4 is a highly versatile tool. We’ve seen the 26MP BSI-CMOS sensor before in the X-T3 and X100V, but it’s still among the best (if not the best) of its type on the market. Pound for pound and dollar-for-dollar, the Fujifilm X-T4 offers fantastic value, and it’s a lot of fun to shoot with, too.

Read more about the Fujifilm X-T4

Winner: Canon EOS R6

Now that full-frame mirrorless cameras have joined APS-C models in all market segments, it’s harder than ever to divide products up into categories. As you’d expect, the full-frame Canon EOS R6 costs a lot more than the APS-C Fujifilm X-T4, but it’s aimed at essentially the same kind of customers: advanced amateurs and enthusiast photographers, and perhaps professional photographers looking for a second, video-capable body.

It’s hard to imagine a camera better suited to this constituency of users than the Canon EOS R6. It’s fast, powerful and offers excellent autofocus. It’s a great stills camera, which produces very nice JPEGs and offers good (while not class-leading) dynamic range in Raw mode. The R6 also provides one of the sharpest and most responsive electronic viewfinders on the market, and offers an impressive video feature-set, in addition to stills. As a ‘do everything’ camera for enthusiast photographers the Canon EOS R6 is very hard to beat and is likely to remain competitive for a long time. As such, it’s a worthy winner of our 2020 DPReview Award for best midrange ILC.

Read more about Canon’s EOS R6

Best high-end ILC

Shortlist:

  • Canon EOS R5
  • Canon EOS-1D X Mark III
  • Nikon D6
  • Nikon Z7 II

Runner-up: Canon EOS-1D X Mark III

Announced in early January this year, the Canon EOS-1D X Mark III was meant to be Canon’s ‘Olympics’ camera, for the games originally planned in Tokyo this summer. We all know how well that worked out of course, but sports isn’t the only thing that the EOS-1D X Mark III is good for. Despite being a ‘Mark’ update, the Mark III brings a lot of new and impressive technology to Canon’s pro market segment. Blazing speed and extreme durability are a given, but in the Mark III, Canon created the nearest thing to a true ‘hybrid’ camera we’ve seen to date.

In DSLR mode the EOS-1D X Mark III is a conventional pro camera, albeit an extremely good one. But with the mirror locked up in live view mode, it offers many of the advantages of a high-end mirrorless ILC. These include near full-frame autofocus coverage, sophisticated AF tracking courtesy of an advanced Dual-pixel CMOS autofocus system and silent shooting with a maximum frame-rate of 20fps. Oh, and up to 5.5K/60p Raw video. The vast majority of photographers won’t need many of this camera’s features, but for those that do, the EOS-1D X Mark III is up there with the best of the pro bodies currently available.

Read more about the Canon EOS-1D X Mark III

Winner: Canon EOS R5

The R5 is a more costly and pro-focused camera than the R6, and at the time of its announcement, the big news was its unique ability (among cameras of this type) to shoot 8K video. Arguably, though, 8K video is the least of the reasons to be interested in the EOS R5. Much more useful to most photographers is its excellent resolution, highly effective autofocus system (closing the gap substantially with Sony’s best-in-class implementation in the a9/II) and photographer-friendly ergonomics. As a stills and video tool for serious professional photography, the EOS R5 has a lot to offer, even if overheating concerns did take the shine off some of its headline video features (something which, to Canon’s credit, has been improved via firmware since its release).

It seems strange to talk about any company having ‘a good year’ given the unmitigated chaos of 2020, but for Canon it’s actually kind of true. Alongside the EOS-1D X Mark III and several excellent lenses, this was this year that Canon made its most convincing entry into serious full-frame mirrorless imaging with the winner of our 2020 DPReview Award for best high-end ILC – the EOS R5.

Read more about the Canon EOS R5

DPReview innovation award

Shortlist:

  • Canon EOS R5
  • Canon RF 600 & 800mm F11 IS STM
  • DJI Mavic Air 2
  • iPhone 12 Lineup

Runner-up: Canon RF 600/800mm F11 IS STM

While neither of these lenses will challenge more conventional, brighter-aperture telephoto primes for ultimate image quality, they’re unique in that they bring true, practical telephoto shooting into range for amateur and enthusiast photographers. Considering their reach, both lenses are relatively small and lightweight, and while F11 can be limiting, autofocus support (including even using the RF 2X converter on the EOS R5 and R6) and built-in image stabilization make them surprisingly versatile.

We’ve seen collapsing mechanisms in lenses before, and we’ve seen diffractive optics used to reduce the weight and complexity of telephoto lens designs. It’s the combination of the two technologies which makes the Canon RF 600mm and 800mm F11 IS STM so innovative, and so special.

Read more about the Canon RF 600mm and 800mm F11 IS STM

Winner: iPhone 12 Lineup

This year we’re awarding the entire Apple iPhone 12 lineup for our Innovation of the Year award, because it brings HDR to the masses. No, not the overly tone-mapped, flat HDR you’re thinking of. We’re talking about high dynamic range (HDR) display of both images and video. Like the previous two generations of iPhones, the iPhone 12 captures a wide dynamic range and tonemaps this large range into the final image. Under SDR viewing conditions (like your web browser) this can lead to high dynamic range images appearing somewhat flat. However, these very images viewed directly on iPhones with OLED displays appear quite the opposite of flat, with very bright brights (skies, clouds, lights) and dark shadows, thanks to HDR playback. HDR playback (like Dolby Vision/HDR10/HLG for video) tries to preserve the contrast between brights and darks to produce more realistic results, so that sunlit grass actually looks radiant compared to grass in the shadows, for example.

This year, down to its cheapest iPhone 12 Mini, Apple has included an HDR OLED display and Dolby Vision video. Apple has been displaying HDR stills since the iPhone X, but this is the first time it’s doing so across its entire lineup, and for video as well with Dolby Vision, a format that optimizes scene dynamic range on a frame-by-frame basis. Add to that the wide P3 color space used for both stills and video, and you have some of the nicest looking imagery from any device. Not to mention one you can carry in your pocket.

Read more about the Apple iPhone 12 line

DPReview product of the year 2020

Shortlist:

  • Canon EOS R6
  • Fujifilm X100V
  • Fujifilm X-S10
  • Sony 12-24mm F2.8 GM

Runner-up: Fujifilm X-S10

The Fujifilm X-S10 might not bring much to the X-series lineup that’s genuinely ‘new’, but the way that its various features are packaged is extremely impressive – and very appealing. Built around a newly-designed compact IBIS system, the X-S10 breaks with Fujifilm’s traditional ‘traditional‘ control layout, offering a slightly more streamlined experience, more in line with competitive models.

These tweaks – plus a large, comfortable grip and a very attractive stills and video feature-set – make the X-S10 a seriously compelling camera for its price. The competition for our ‘Product of the Year’ award is always very tough, but the Fujifilm X-S10 beats out stiff competition to take the runner-up spot thanks to its uncommonly attractive suite of features, coupled with a great handling experience that make it a pleasure to shoot with.

Read more about the Fujifilm X-S10

Winner: Canon EOS R6

The Canon EOS R6 is one of relatively few cameras we’ve seen over the years which can genuinely be described as ‘multi-purpose’. While not class-leading in terms of resolution, 20MP is enough for most applications, especially when paired with such a powerful autofocus system, which rivals or outclasses the best of the R6’s competition at this price-point.

Designed as a ‘do-everything’ camera for both stills and occasional video shooters, the R6 offers a suite of advanced features in both modes. But arguably none of this would matter so much if it weren’t such a nice camera to use. The Canon EOS R6 is one of the most photographer (and videographer)-friendly cameras of its type, with performance that means it’s equally comfortable shooting sports and wildlife as it is covering weddings and events. It’s this combination of features, performance and excellent handling which make the Canon EOS R6 such a compelling camera, and the winner of this year’s DPReview Award for product of the year.

Read more about the Canon EOS R6

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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2020 Black Friday and Cyber Monday camera gear deals

24 Nov

Please note that this article will be updated over the course of the holiday week. We will make every effort to keep it up to date but we cannot guarantee that all of the deals listed below will be available at the time of reading.

Here in the US, we’re looking forward to Thanksgiving. While this year’s Turkey Day will be a little unusual thanks to you-know-what, some things remain the same. Holiday season traditionally means shopping season, and the week of Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday deals is here.

We’ve compiled a list of the best offers on cameras, lenses, accessories and software, and we’re going to be updating this article regularly as more deals are listed and others are taken down. If you find a nice deal you think we’ve missed, or you notice one that’s expired, please let us know in the comments below.

Do note that the ‘SAVE’ figures below represent discount from original MSRP and we make no guarantees that the discounts listed will be available across the entire holiday weekend.

We’re focusing on deals from major U.S. online retailers in this article, and if you choose to shop via the Amazon links below, you’ll be supporting DPReview in a small way.

Happy holidays!


Accessories

Loupedeck (November 27-30)

Loupedeck CT Save 10%
$ 500, normally $ 550 (Loupedeck, Amazon)

Loupedeck CT Save 10%
$ 225, normally $ 250 (Loupedeck, Amazon)

Peak Design (November 16-30)

Everyday Line (V2) Save 20%
(Adorama, B&H, Peak Design)

Travel Line Save 20%
(Adorama, B&H, Peak Design)

Straps, Clips and Accessories Save 10%
(Adorama, B&H, Peak Design)

Travel Tripod Save 10%
(Adorama, B&H, Peak Design)

SmallHD

502 Bright Full HD On-Camera Monitor Save $ 100

$ 699, usually $ 799

SmallRig

Entire Store — Save 15%


Canon

You can see a full list of Canon’s deals on its dedicated holiday deals page

Cameras

EOS RP RF24–105mm F4–7.1 IS STM Lens Kit — Save $ 400
$ 999, usually $ 1,399 (Amazon, B&H, Canon)

EOS R (body only) — Save $ 200
$ 1,599, usually $ 1,799 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H, Canon)

EOS M6 Mark II + EF-M 15–45mm f/3.5–6.3 IS STM + EVF Kit — Save $ 200
$ 899, usually $ 1,099 (Amazon, B&H, Canon)

EOS M6 Mark II + EF-M 18–150mm f/3.5–6.3 IS STM + EVF Kit Black — Save $ 200
$ 1,149, usually $ 1,349 (Amazon, B&H, Canon)

EOS 90D Video Creator Kit — Save $ 150
$ 1,299, usually $ 1,449 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H, Canon)

EOS M50 Video Creator Kit — Save $ 150
$ 599, usually $ 749 (Adorama, B&H, Canon)

Powershot G7 X Mark II — Save $ 130
$ 499, usually $ 629 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H, Canon)

Powershot G7 X Mark III — Save $ 100
$ 649, usually $ 749 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H, Canon)

Lenses

EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM — Save $ 30
$ 119, usually $ 149 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H, Canon)

EF-S 35mm f/2.8 Macro IS STM — Save $ 50
$ 299, usually $ 349 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H, Canon)

EF 40mm f/2.8 STM — Save $ 20
$ 179, usually $ 199 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H, Canon)

RF 50mm F1.2 L USM – Save $ 100
$ 2,199, usually $ 2,299 (Amazon, B&H, Canon)

RF 85mm F1.2 L USM – Save $ 100
$ 2,599, usually $ 2,699 (Amazon, B&H, Canon)

RF 24–70mm F2.8L IS USMSave $ 100
$ 2,199, usually $ 2,299 (Amazon, B&H, Canon)

RF 24–240mm F4–6.3 IS USM — Save $ 200
$ 699, usually $ 899 (Amazon, B&H, Canon)

RF 70–200mm F2.8 L IS USM — Save $ 100
$ 2,599, usually $ 2,699 (Amazon, B&H, Canon)


Fujifilm

Coming soon…


Nikon

You can view all of Nikon’s deals on its Black Friday camera deals page

Cameras

Z7 (body only) — Save $ 300
$ 2,499, usually $ 2,799 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H, Nikon)

Z7 with 24–70mm F4 S zoom lens kit — Save $ 300
$ 3,099, usually $ 3,399 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H, Nikon)

Z6 (body only) — Save $ 400
$ 1,599, usually $ 1,999 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H, Nikon)

Z6 with 24–70mm F4 S zoom lens kit — Save $ 400
$ 2,199, usually $ 2,599 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H, Nikon)

Z6 filmmakers kit — Save $ 400
$ 3,599, usually $ 3,999 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H, Nikon)

Z5 (body only) — Save $ 200
$ 1,199, usually $ 1,399 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H, Nikon)

Z5 with 24–200mm F4–6.3 VR lens kit — Save $ 200
$ 1,999, usually $ 2,199 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H, Nikon)

Z5 with 24–50mm F4–6.3 lens kit — Save $ 200
$ 1,499, usually $ 1,699 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H, Nikon)

Z50 Creator’s Kit — Save $ 100
$ 1,049, usually $ 1,149 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H, Nikon)

D750 (body only) — Save $ 200
$ 1,499, usually $ 1,699 (Adorama, B&H, Nikon)

D850 (body only) — Save $ 500 (currently back ordered)
$ 2,499, usually $ 2,999 (Adorama, B&H, Nikon)

Lenses

Nikkor Z 50mm F1.8 S — Save $ 100 (currently back ordered)
$ 499, usually $ 599 (Amazon, B&H, Nikon)

Nikkor Z 35mm F1.8 S — Save $ 150
$ 699, usually $ 849 (Amazon, B&H, Nikon)

Nikkor Z 85mm F1.8 S — Save $ 100 (currently back ordered)
$ 699, usually $ 799 (B&H, Nikon)

Nikkor Z 14–30mm F4 S — Save $ 200
$ 1,099, usually $ 1,299 (Amazon, B&H, Nikon)

Nikkor Z 24–70mm F2.8 S — Save $ 300
$ 1,999, usually $ 2,299 (Amazon, B&H, Nikon)

AF-S Nikkor 24–70mm F2.8E ED VR — Save $ 500
$ 1,599, usually $ 2,099 (Amazon, B&H, Nikon)

AF-S Nikkor 70–200mm F2.8E FL ED VR — Save $ 450
$ 1,899, usually $ 2,349 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H, Nikon)

AF-S Nikkor 500mm F5.6E PF ED VR — Save $ 300
$ 3,299, usually $ 3,599 (Amazon, B&H, Nikon)


Panasonic

Coming soon…


Sigma

18–35mm F1.8 DC HSM | A Save $ 120
$ 679, usually $ 799 (Amazon, B&H, Sigma)

24–70mm F2.8 DG OS HSM | A Save $ 240
$ 1,059, usually $ 1,299 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H, Sigma)

24–70mm F2.8 DG DN | A Save $ 240
$ 1,059, usually $ 1,299 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H, Sigma)

24–105mm F4 DG OS HSM | A Save $ 100
$ 799, usually $ 899 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H, Sigma)

70–200mm F2.8 DG OS HSM | S Save $ 160
$ 1,339, usually $ 1,499 (Amazon, B&H, Sigma)

16mm F1.4 DC DN | C Save $ 50
$ 399, usually $ 449 (Amazon, B&H, Sigma)

30mm F1.4 DC DN | C Save $ 50
$ 289, usually $ 339 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H, Sigma)

35mm F1.4 DG HSM | A Save $ 200
$ 699, usually $ 899 (Amazon, B&H, Sigma)

45mm F2.8 DG DN | C Save $ 100
$ 449, usually $ 549 (Amazon, B&H, Sigma)

50mm F1.4 DG HSM | A Save $ 150
$ 799, usually $ 949 (Amazon, B&H, Sigma)

56mm F1.4 DC DN | C Save $ 50
$ 429, usually $ 479 (Amazon, B&H, Sigma)

85mm F1.4 DG HSM | A Save $ 150
$ 1049, usually $ 1,199 (Amazon, B&H, Sigma)

MC-11 Mount Converter Save $ 100
$ 149, usually $ 249 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H, Sigma)


Sony

Cameras

a7 III — Save $ 300
$ 1,698, usually $ 1,998 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H)

a7 III with 28–70mm lens — Save $ 300
$ 1,898, usually $ 2,198 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H)

a7 III with 24–105mm lens — Save $ 600
$ 2,880, usually $ 3,480 (Adorama, B&H)

a7R IV (body only) — Save $ 500
$ 2,998, usually $ 3,498 (Adorama, B&H)

a7R IV with 24–70mm F2.8 lens — Save $ 715
$ 5,118, usually $ 5,833 (B&H)

a7R II — Save $ 600
$ 1,198, usually $ 1,798 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H)

a6000 with 16–50mm Lens — Save $ 150
$ 498, usually $ 648 (B&H)

a6600 (body only) — Save $ 100
$ 1,298, usually $ 1,398 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H)

ZV-1 — Save $ 100
$ 698, usually $ 798 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H)

Lenses

FE 35mm F1.8 Lens — Save $ 50
$ 698, usually $ 748 (Amazon, B&H)

FE 16–35mm F2.8 GM Lens — Save $ 200
$ 1,998, usually $ 2,198 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H)

FE 24–70mm F2.8 GM Lens — Save $ 200
$ 1,998, usually $ 2,198 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H)

FE 24–105mm F4 lens — Save $ 300
$ 1,098, usually $ 1,398 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H)

FE 70–200mm F2.8 GM OSS Lens — Save $ 200
$ 2,398, usually $ 2,598 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H)

Vario-Tessar T FE 16–35mm F4 Lens — Save $ 250
$ 1,098, usually $ 1,349 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H)

Vario-Tessar T* FE 24–70mm f/4 Lens — Save $ 200
$ 698, usually $ 898 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H)


Please note, DPReview is a wholly-owned but editorially independent subsidiary of Amazon. This article was put together entirely and exclusively by DPReview’s editorial staff, without any involvement from our parent company.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Slideshow: Winners and finalists of the 2020 Ocean Photographer of the Year awards

23 Nov

Winners and finalists of the 2020 Ocean Photographer of the Year awards

Oceanographic Magazine announced the winners and finalists for its annual Ocean Photographer of the Year awards. Over 3,000 images were submitted to six categories. Canadian photographer Nadia Aly was named Ocean Photographer of the Year and also received the Collective Portfolio award.

‘The photograph is perfectly exposed, compellingly dramatic and deeply intriguing. I know from experience that this image was not easy to create. Nadia Aly’s acknowledgement as the Ocean Photographer of the Year is a testament not only to the sheer power and uniqueness of her imagery, but to her journey as a photographer as well,’ says awards judge Cristina Mittermeier.

This top-down image of crabeater seals resting on icebergs has won Florian Ledoux many accolades, from international photography competitions, throughout the year.

Florian Ledoux, who received a third place nod in the Conservation category for his image (above) of crabeater seals resting on icebergs, told DPReview: ‘It gives my work even more exposure and a deep sense to it, and a bigger commitment toward conservation of the oceans’ ecosystems that makes our life possible on Earth. It is an honor be amongst very talented photographers working in the same direction with love for the planet.’

All winners, and highly commended images, can be viewed here.

Winner, The Ocean Photographer of the Year: Nadia Aly

Artist Statement: An aggregation of mobula rays in clear waters off Baja California Sur, Mexico.

Runner-Up, The Ocean Photographer of the Year: Sacha Specker

Artist Statement: Between two realms. A surfer seemingly waves to the world below as he surfs a wave at Log Cabins, Oahu, Hawaii.

Third Place, The Ocean Photographer of the Year: Magnus Lundborg

Artist Statement: A rare white southern right whale photographed off Puerto Pirámides, Argentina.

Winner, Young Photographer of the Year: Cruz Erdmann

Artist Statement: The silky tentacles of a brightly coloured Magnificent Anemone sway in surging water, exposing Maldivian anemone fish. Laamu Atoll, South Maldives.

Runner-Up, Young Photographer of the Year: Ben Cammarata

Artist Statement: A juvenile black skimmer hunts for prey at the water’s surface. Martha’s Vineyard, USA.

Third Place, Young Photographer of the Year: Kyla McKlay

Artist Statement: A dolphin breaches the waterline, USA.

Winner, Community Choice Award: Tobias Baumgaertner

Artist Statement: Two penguins look out across the water, Melbourne’s lights in the distance. St Kilda, Australia.

Winner, Ocean Conservation Photographer of the Year: Matt Sharp

Artist Statement: A hermit crab crawls atop a pile of plastic in a shell made from manmade waste in the Maldives.


Runner-Up, Ocean Conservation Photographer of the Year: Andrea Benvenutti

Artist Statement: A plastic bottle lies amongst the nests of the world’s largest colony of imperial cormorants, 100km south of Puerto Madryn, Argentina.


Third Place, Ocean Conservation Photographer of the Year: Joe Daniels

Artist Statement: A diver’s regulator holder cuts into the flesh of an oceanic whitetip shark, damaging its gills. Photographed in the Red Sea, Egypt.

Winner, Ocean Exploration Photographer of the Year: Ben Cranke

Artist Statement: Penguins march through heavy snowfall and strong winds in St. Andrews Bay, South Georgia, Antarctica.

Runner-Up, Ocean Exploration Photographer of the Year: Karim Iliya

Artist Statement: A freediver explores a cave in Tonga.

Winner, Ocean Adventure Photographer of the Year: Jason Gulley

Artist Statement: A freediving instructor waits for their student to return from a dive below Cenote Angelita’s microbial cloud. Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico.

Runner-Up, Ocean Adventure Photographer of the Year: Sean Scott

Artist Statement: Two sharks surf a wave at Red Bluff, Quobba Station, in remote Western Australia.

Third Place, Ocean Adventure Photographer of the Year: Duncan Murrell

Artist Statement: Three spinetail devil rays engage in sexual courtship – a behavior rarely observed or photographed. Honda Bay, Philippines.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Best gifts for photographers in 2020

22 Nov

Best gifts for photographers in 2020

First, an acknowledgement: this holiday season is unusual. It’s been a grim year to say the least, and it might seem a little frivolous to be recommending gadgets and stocking stuffers when many people are struggling.

The counter-argument is that in these difficult times, creative pursuits are more important than ever. For many of us, photography is therapeutic – something that invigorates us when we’re feeling depleted. If we can assist you in helping the photographer in your life find a little calm in the storm that is 2020, then we’ve done our job.

So in light of all of this, most of the gifts in this guide are well under $ 100, and many of them are geared towards enabling and enriching the experience of photography, rather than just adding to the world’s landfill sites. If you’re looking for camera cufflinks – and we advise against gifting them – you’ll need to look elsewhere.

Jump to:
Outdoor enthusiasts | Indoor enthusiasts | Creatives | Travelers | Stocking stuffers

For outdoor enthusiasts

If you’re shopping for someone whose photography takes them out into the elements, you really can’t go wrong with hand warmers ($ 24 for 40 pairs). They’re a wintertime wildlife or landscape photographer’s best friend. Plus, they’ll be great for all of those chilly outdoor hangouts with your COVID pod squad.

Outdoorsy types also tend to be early risers, so it’s a good idea to make sure they’re equipped with an excellent coffee tumbler. The Yeti Rambler ($ 35) is vacuum insulated, dishwasher-safe and uses a magnetic latch for easy opening and closing.

Also consider a membership or annual pass to a nearby park or wildlife preserve. In the US, an America the Beautiful interagency pass ($ 80) is like a golden ticket – it gets you into federally-managed sites including all national parks and national forests for a year from the time of purchase. Access to some federally-owned land has been tricky this year, but hopefully 2021 will be different.

For indoor enthusiasts

It’s a safe bet that many of us will be spending a lot of time in the great indoors over the next six months. With than in mind, we’ve got some ideas for photo-centric gifts to help curb cabin fever.

This deck of photography-themed playing cards ($ 35) has a couple of tricks up its sleeve. For starters, they’re gorgeously designed. They also serve a dual purpose with photography tips and techniques printed on each card. And of course, they function as regular ol’ playing cards, which will come in handy when every jigsaw puzzle in the house has been assembled and disassembled again.

Henry Carroll’s Photographers on Photography ($ 20) is another good bet for photographers of all skill levels and disciplines. It’s a collection of images and reflections on the photo-making process from a wide range of established photographers. It’s more thought-provoking and inspiring, less a technical guide or how-to.

For the truly ambitious tinkerer, consider a Raspberry Pi computer ($ 35 and up) and interchangeable lens camera module ($ 50). A helpful companion guide ($ 14) coaches the user as they build a working camera from scratch. Python coding experience is helpful, but not absolutely necessary – just ask The Verge’s Becca Farsace. And don’t forget a lens: Raspberry Pi offers two compatible lenses to choose from ($ 30/60).

For creatives

We’ve recommended an Instax Share instant printer in our gift guides several years in a row now, and for good reason: it’s really good! You’ll find lots of cheaper non-Instax options if you go looking for an instant smartphone photo printer, but you won’t necessarily find the quality of of Fujifilm’s instant prints in the lower priced alternatives. The Instax Share SP-3 ($ 100) uses Fuji’s slightly larger, more Polaroid-esque square format film. It’s a truly delightful way to share photos.

Capturing great-looking video clips starts with stabilization. The DJI OM 4 ($ 150) is smartphone gimbal that produces amazing results right out of the box with very little setup (its predecessor, the Osmo Mobile 3 is $ 30 cheaper and also a good buy while it’s still available). The included tripod accessory will also make it possible to shoot timelapses with movement. For the photographer who’s curious about video, or just wants to try something new, it’s a great low-cost tool that works with the camera they already have in their pocket: their smartphone.

The Lensbaby Omni ($ 100) is a little sci-fi looking, but hear us out. It attaches to the front of a lens and provides adjustable, magnetic mounts that hold included pieces of glass and objects in front of the lens for creative effects. Resulting images will include dramatic flare and reflections of light in the scene, which make for interesting effects in portraits or landscapes. It’s a fun way to let loose a little more creative energy and capture familiar scenes in a different way. Be sure to purchase the right size Omni – the ‘small’ will fit most standard DSLR kit lenses.

For travelers

Fun trips to other parts of the world have been cancelled for the foreseeable future, but that doesn’t mean we have to stop planning or reminiscing about past trips – and that’s part of the fun. Moleskine’s travel journal ($ 30) is part planner, part memory keeper for short trips and long journeys alike. Sure, it’s a little twee in the year 2020, but sometimes it’s nice to do things with pen and paper and stop looking at screens for two seconds.

When it’s safe to hit the road again, a Tom Binh organizer ($ 30) is a great tool for packing all of the cords and chargers that keep smartphones and cameras powered. An organized carry-on is truly the gift that keeps on giving.

Stocking stuffers

If it’s that little extra something you’re after, here are a few inexpensive, useful items that you can’t go wrong with. For starters, extra micro fiber cleaning cloths ($ 10 for pack of two) are always welcome in a photographer’s life, and they’re especially nifty when they fold up into their own storage pouch.

Another helpful item is this photographer’s multi-tool ($ 10), with a 5/32″ (4mm) allen wrench on one end and a flat-head screwdriver on the other. Between the two, you should be able to tighten or loosen attachments on most camera supports, cages and tripod plates. This handy double-ended tool is attached to a key ring so it’s always close by. What could be handier than that?

Finally, for the family photographer a Shutter Hugger ($ 20) is a simple-yet-genius way to coax little ones into looking at the camera. These small stuffed animals fit around a camera lens and come in four adorable varieties: monkey, giraffe, dinosaur and Dalmatian. Cute, effective and inexpensive – a true triple threat.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Buying guide: The best gifts for film photographers in 2020

21 Nov

Introduction

Do you love film photography, or are you shopping for someone who does? Lucky you / them! Film photography is exploding in popularity and the folks in on the fun tend to be some the coolest cats in town: sorry, digital peeps.

Cool cats deserve cool gifts. And so we’ve combed the analog universe, searching high and low for the hottest gear to include in this guide. It’s filled with fun stuff that should please even the pickiest analog avenger, and most budgets. From funky film stocks, to home developing and digitizing solutions, these are the best film photography gifts in 2020.

Note: Gifts are listed in order from least to most expensive.

Fujifilm Neopan 100 Acros II – $ 12 a roll – A classic film stock, resurrected from the dead

Fujifilm’s beloved B&W film stock is back, baby! Discontinued in 2018, the Japanese film producer announced a new and improved Acros II in November of 2019, much to the delight of monochrome fanatics everywhere. Available in 35mm and 120 formats, Acros II offers silky smooth grain, excellent sharpness and lovely tonality; the perfect film for a nice sunny day.

It’s nostalgic, yet practical, and a film certainly worthy of a spin through any analog lovers’ camera, whether they shot the OG version or not.

See our Fujifilm Acros II sample gallery

The Solarcan – $ 20 – A cool recyclable pinhole camera

The Solarcan is a long exposure camera, which, you guessed it, is built from a can. The intended use is for documenting the path of the sun across a horizon over a long period of time – we’re talking weeks or months. Originally launched on Kickstarter back in 2017, this single-use pinhole camera is a fun project for any analog nerd also interested in astronomy. Plus, it’s recyclable!

Each Solarcan is preloaded with a piece of B&W photographic paper (Solarcan Color is coming soon) and includes instructions for use, mounting materials and a storage tube to keep it light tight until exposure time. The Solarcan is also available in a five-pack ($ 80), which we recommend for added experimentation. Note: this item ships from the United Kingdom.

Lomography Analogue Aqua camera – $ 40 – An inexpensive waterproof 35mm camera

I’m giddy with excitement just thinking about how fun Lomography’s reloadable waterproof cameras are. For folks in the Northern Hemisphere facing a dreary winter, summer swims may seem like a far-off memory. But sunny skies and COVID-free days will someday soon (hopefully) be back upon us. And when the time does come again to take the watery plunge, the film-lover in your life will have the perfect camera to document it.

The Analogue Aqua is basically one of Lomography’s $ 20 disposable cameras sandwiched into a watertight plastic case. There are two version of the camera, one with Lomo Color Negative 400 film and one with Lomochrome Purple film. But it’s worth noting, unlike a traditional ‘disposable’ camera, these ones are not sealed shut and Lomography intends for you to reload them them again and again.

Lomography Fantôme Kino B&W ISO 8 film – $ 45.50 (5-pack) – A cool and new 35mm film stock

Speaking of Lomography, another great idea for the celluloid celebrator is the gift of a new film stock to try. Lomo’s Fantôme Kino B&W ISO 8 – announced earlier this year – is not technically new, since it’s cut from German cine film stock, but it’s newly-available for stills shooters!

This incredibly-low ISO monochrome film is super contrasty and perfect for creating a film noir–style look. And for more B&W fun, we also recommend Lomography’s Babylon Kino B&W ISO 13 film. Unlike Fantôme, it offers subtle tonal changes and plenty of dynamic range. Both are only available in 35mm as of writing.

View our sample gallery: Lomo Fantôme Kino ISO 8 & Babylon Kino ISO 13

The Pixlatr – $ 55 – A better way to digitize negatives

One of the most annoying struggles faced by analog lovers is how to get high-resolution, high-quality digital versions of their negatives. One of the best non-scanning solutions is to photograph negatives using a digital camera and a macro lens. But how the heck do you hold them in place and ensure even lighting?

Thankfully our good pal and DPR’s Film Photography Talk forum moderator, Hamish Gill, invented a solution. The Pixlatr, originally launched on Kickstarter, is a modular film holder that works with most film formats (up to 4×5) and features a semi-translucent back to diffuse light. It’s a simple, versatile and effective solution for anyone who owns a macro lens, a digital camera and a tripod.

Another solution is the Nikon ES-2. It’s a little more straightforward to use than the Pixlatr – it attaches to the end of a lens – but is also nearly three times the cost ($ 145) and only works with 35mm format film.

Analogue Wonderland film subscription box – $ 65 every other month – A reoccurring 35mm film subscription box

Who doesn’t love getting a parcel filled with fun surprises in the mail on a reoccurring basis? UK-based Analog Wonderland is bringing the concept of the ‘curated subscription box’ to 35mm film lovers everywhere. Once signed up, subscribers will receive a box every other month (depending on the length of subscription). Each box contains six different rolls of 35mm film, curated from a selection of 100.

This is not only a fun way for film lovers to try new emulsions, but also a way to connect with other 35mm shooters. Each month all subscribers receive the same film stocks, and Analog Wonderland provides an online space for folks to both discuss their results and compete in friendly competitions.

Lomography HydroChrome Panoramic Camera – $ 80 – A wacky camera with a ‘water lens’

Bear with us on this one, because Lomography’s HydroChrome Panoramic camera is truly wild. Based off a mid-1800’s camera design, this inexpensive panorama camera is built around a 32mm equivalent water-filled lens. Yes, you read that correctly.

While the concept may sound gimmicky, the results are actually pretty compelling and cool. And the camera plays nice will all sorts of liquids, not just water (though we’d avoid anything sticky). For instance, simply adding food coloring, or watered-down coffee can change the results dramatically.

UN Twin Film Pocket & Rama Works Film Canister – $ 20 & $ 110 – A watertight film holder

Is the film shooter in your life also an adventure-seeker? If so, a water/light tight film holder may be the perfect gift, providing peace of mind. And we’ve got two models to choose from: one on the sensible side and one a little more swanky.

First, the sensible: The UN Twin Film Pocket is a straightforward product that will safely store two rolls of 35mm film. It’s built of plastic and features screw-down caps with rubber gaskets as well as a metal clip to attach to a camera or bag strap. These units can be a little tricky to hunt down stateside, but the product is carried by both European and Japanese distributors. That said, we’ve successfully had them sent to the USA, just plan for a little extra time in transit.

On the other end of the spectrum is the Rama Works Film Canister. Sure, it costs 5x as much as the UN Twin Film Pocket, but it is a beauty to behold: machined from a solid block of aluminum and anodized. Note: Only the 120 format version is currently available as the time of writing.

Rama Works Film Canister shown above.

Fujifilm SQ1 Instax Square camera – $ 120 – A larger format Instax Camera

Most folks are probably familiar with Fujifim’s Instax Mini format, but did you know there’s also an Instax Square format, which provides a larger image size? And the hottest new Instax Square model is the Fujifilm SQ1, which dropped earlier this year.

It’s a handsome-looking model that’s easy-to-use, comfortable and capable of excellent results. Available in three chic colors, it’s the perfect camera for documenting social outings, once we’re allowed to gather together again!

For even more Instax photography fun, we also recommend the Fujifilm Wide Instax 300 ($ 90). It’s a good bit chunkier than the SQ1, but makes use of the largest Instax format: Instax Wide. It also offers a bit more creative control than the SQ1.

Lab-Box Daylight Developing Tank – $ 160 – An easier way to develop film at home

Analog shooting and DIY often go hand-in-hand. And nothing beats the thrill of successfully developing your own images at home. But for those a little nervous to dip their toes in the unknown world of loading exposed film to reels in the dark, the Lab-Box Daylight Developing Tank is for you.

Because let’s face it, most home developing mistakes are a result of improperly loading film and/or accidentally exposing it in the process. Lab-Box removes this pain point, though there is a slight learning curve to using the device. But ultimately, once mastered, it should help speed up the workflow of any home developer while also cutting down on the number of botched rolls.


And there you have it, the best film photography gifts in 2020, sure to bring a smile to the faces of emulsive eccentrics everywhere! Happy holidays and happy shooting, from the analog nerds here at DPReview.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Slideshow: Winners of the 2020 Int’l Photography Awards

30 Oct

Winners of the 2020 Int’l Photography Awards

This year’s International Photography Awards (IPA) received over 13,000 submissions from 120 countries. Judges selected winners and finalists for 13 categories and they were announced on Tuesday, October 27th.

‘In these unprecedented times, this year’s entries reflect some of the biggest challenges facing our generation–not the least of which is dealing with a virus which, for the first time, is an event that has affected every person on earth in some way. We see photography at its best–whether covering the COVID pandemic, or the world’s uprising against injustice–the images captured are breathtaking. I can easily say these are the best images I have seen in the last decades,’ says Hossein Farmani, IPA’s founder and president.

This slideshow contains images from Professional Category winners who received the Lucie Trophy and a $ 10,000 cash prize. The Non-Professional/Student Finalists for “DISCOVERY OF THE YEAR,” who were awarded a Lucie Trophy and $ 5,000 cash prize, can be found here. The final winners of the Pro and Non-Pro titles will be announced in an online event later this year and will be recognized at the Lucie Trophy at the 2021 Lucie Awards event.

Analog/Film Photographer Of the Year: ‘New Seas’ by Paulius Makauskas (Lithuania)

Artist Statement: Timothy Morton thinks of climate change as a ‘hyperobject’ – an incomprehensibly large object stretched in the space-time. Recognizable only in parts, but never all at once.

Microplastics are barely noticeable particles, but at the same time omnipresent in the ocean. I imagined them as synthetic plankton of all conceivable colors, invisibly wandering from one place to another. I have spent a great deal of time by the sea, so it was easier for me to see that the white ridges of waves creates boundless white-gray paper in space and time. I only needed to fill it with light to reveal the invisible.

Technical Info: 4×5, Fuji Provia 100, 40 – 50 min exposure, 210mm

Architecture Photographer Of the Year: ‘From the Stage’ by Jesús M. Chamizo (Spain)

Artist Statement: El teatro puede convertir el escenario en un templo, y el espacio de actuación, en algo sagrado. En el sur de Asia, los artistas tocan con reverencia el suelo del escenario antes de pisarlo, una antigua tradición donde se entrelazan lo espiritual y lo cultural.

Este es mi especial homenaje al Templo del Teatro y lo que representa, una noble labor cultural que ayuda a la humanidad a crecer. Contemplado desde el escenario, observamos ese majestuoso espacio vacío, que adquiere un doble significado. De asombro, pero también de esperanza, con este mensaje: ”La representación, sin duda…continuará.

Translated (Machine): The theater can turn the stage into a temple and the performance space into something sacred. In South Asia, artists reverently touch the floor of the stage before stepping on it, an ancient tradition where the spiritual and the cultural intertwine.

This is my special tribute to the Temple of the Theater and what it represents, a noble cultural work that helps humanity to grow. Contemplated from the stage, we observe that majestic empty space, which acquires a double meaning. Of astonishment, but also of hope, with this message: ”The performance, without a doubt… will continue.

Technical Info: Nikon, varias ópticas

Book Photographer Of the Year: ‘ANTARCTICA: The Waking Giant’ by Sebastian Copeland (Germany)

Artist Statement: This book documents over a decade’s worth of trips on and around Antarctica. While the coast stirs up visions of a lost world, it is the interior that hints to another planet. I spent 84 days crossing its lifeless plateau with no help but skis and kites.

Temperatures never warmed above -35C, a challenge on everything, particularly the equipment. My research gave me a deeper perspective on the variations taking place at the hands of climate change. The images I bring back tell the story of a changing environment which spells the oncoming re-drawing of the world’s map, and all that it implicates.

Deeper Perspective Photographer Of the Year: ‘Exodus’ by Nicolo Filippo Rosso (Columbia)

Artist Statement: This project chronicles the epic journey of the Venezuelan migrants, driven by desperation and hunger, at the stake of forces beyond their control. Two years ago, I decided to document their story and self-funded the project Exodus.

Spending weeks, and months at a time, in some of the border areas, I traveled alongside migrants who call themselves ‘the walkers.’ They were taking a long journey from the eastern Colombian border, through the Andes, up to the capital city, Bogotá. This series of photographs is the result of the time spent with them.

Editorial / Press Photographer Of the Year: ‘Pro Democracy Demonstrations, Hong Kong: The Revolution of Our Time’ by Kiran Ridley (France)

Artist Statement: On June 9th 2019, an estimated one million people took to the streets of Hong Kong to march in protest to the government’s proposed Extradition Bill, allowing citizens to be extradited to mainland China for prosecution.

Since that day, Hong Kong has been plunged into a political crisis, with waves of demonstrations and violent clashes between Police and protestors with an alarming rise in the number of police brutality and misconduct allegations, as protests morphed into a wider call for democratic rights and freedom in the semi-autonomous city.

Technical Info: Canon EOS 1Dx Mark ii, Canon 24-70mm f2.8L

Event Photographer of the Year: ‘Elements’ by Katja Ogrin (United Kingdom)

Artist Statement: Exploring the elements of live music performance such as water, fire, smoke and other pyro effects that enhance the visual impact for the viewing audience.

Fine Art Photographer of the Year: ‘Looking out from Within, 2020’ by Julia Fullerton-Batten (United Kingdom)

Artist Statement: Looking Out from Within, 2020 Covid-19 came. Life changed. Probably irrevocably. I felt numb. Couldn’t stand around helpless. I decided to document the new daily existence of millions. I advertised my idea on social media and through my local paper in West London. The response was enormous. Imprisoned in their home, they gaze forlornly out of their window onto a different desolate world outside.

Technical Info: f5.6, 1/30th sec.

Nature Photographer Of the Year: ‘Black Mountain’ by Ari Rex (Australia)

Artist Statement: On January 2019 Canberra had one of the most spectacular lightning storms ever. It passed the city from West to East over the black mountains and continued towards Brindabella mountains.

Technical Info: Canon EOS 5D Mark iii 88mm, x16, 4″, f5.6, ISO 640

People Photographer Of the Year: ‘Odilo Lawiny – Handmade Soccer Balls’ by Brian Hodges (Australia)

Artist Statement: Miles from the main roads in rural Uganda, soccer balls bounce unevenly. Playing fields are arid, lush, weedy, sandy—any flattish space will do. Some feet are bare, others shod in fraying sneakers, boots, or rubber sandals. Yet children kick and chase handmade, lopsided balls with skill and abandon, competing for pride and joy—for the sheer pleasure of playing.

The balls are spun into being with whatever’s at hand: rag or sock, tire or bark, plastic bag or banana leaves. Made entirely of recuperated materials, they give another life to something that would otherwise just be thrown away.

Technical Info: Leica S

Special Photographer Of the Year: ‘The Silent Menace’ by Toby Heikkila (Canada)

Artist Statement: An eerily quiet downtown Calgary during what normally is rush hour. The only inhabitant, a silent menace. Unseen and invisible.

Technical Info: Sony, 7rm2, FE 55mm f1.8

Sports Photographer Of the Year: ‘Bodies of the NFL’ by Howard Schatz (United States)

Artist Statement: The body type informs what position a player plays. The position necessitates the body type All NFL players.

Still in Motion / Video Photographer Of the Year: ‘The Journey to the Land of Dreams’ by Iwona Podlasinska (Poland)

Artist Statement: The video is a series of moving pictures that tell the story of an imaginary journey to the wintry land of dreams. Children shown in the photos travel by horses, trains or on foot to finally reach the land of imagination. The video was created by Zaman Dizini with photos taken by Iwona Podlasi?ska.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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HP launches eight new monitors for creative professionals at Adobe MAX 2020

22 Oct

During the Adobe MAX conference on Tuesday, HP introduced the newest products added to its HP Create Ecosystem, including the next-generation DreamColor and Z by HP monitors. According to the company, these models were made ‘with the creator in mind,’ offering everything from frameless designs to the promise of ‘seamless color accuracy,’ 4K resolutions and USB-C connectivity.

The HP create Ecosystem was first announced at Adobe MAX 2019, introducing a variety of products and partnerships aimed at supporting the creative community, including photographers and videographers. The new expansion of this ecosystem announced during Adobe’s 2020 conference adds a total of eight displays, all created for visual professionals.

Leading the lineup is HP’s Z25xs G3 and Z27xs G3 DreamColor displays; these models boast more than a billion on-screen colors, PANTONE Validated color gamut and the promise of color accuracy straight out of the box. HP says that these DreamColor models are the world’s first ‘color critical HDR monitors’ to feature a one-touch brightness adjustment feature, enabling users to rapidly increase display brightness.

Users are likewise promised up to HDR 600 and customized workflow color presets, USB-C connectivity and support for both macOS and Windows from the DreamColor monitors.

Those two models are joined by the six new Z Core displays, all of which HP describes as premium and offering creators ‘flawless color accuracy’ straight from the box. The Z Core models are notable for their incredibly thin profiles, nearly bezel-free displays — something HP calls a ‘frameless’ design — and support for all devices with its 100W USB-C power delivery.

HP notes a number of features that come with the Z Core displays, including the integrated HP Display Manager for remotely managing the monitors, as well as HP Eye Ease, a proprietary technology that offers ‘always-on low-blue light’ that HP claims offers ‘ultimate comfort with zero impact on color fidelity.’

The company likewise says that its Z by HP product family was made with a focus on sustainability, noting that, for example, the Z Display lineup uses plastics featuring more than 80% ocean-bound and consumer waste plastics. Likewise, 75% of the aluminum used in these monitors has been ‘upcycled’ and the packaging used to ship the monitors is 100% sustainably sourced.

The inclusion of USB-C connectivity makes these monitors ready for the latest and greatest laptops on the market, but they can also be used with other hardware, as well, due to the inclusion of DisplayPort 1.4 and HDMI 2.0 (DreamColor models). The new product lineup brings a variety of resolutions at various price points ranging from Full HD to Quad HD and $ 239 to $ 749.

HP lists the new monitor availability and pricing as follows:

  • HP Z25xs G3 QHD USB-C DreamColor Display is expected to be available in March 2021 for a starting price of $ 599
  • HP Z27xs G3 4K USB-C DreamColor Display is expected to be available in March 2021 for a starting price of $ 749
  • HP Z24f G3 FHD Display is expected to be available in January 2021 for a starting price of $ 239
  • HP Z24n G3 WUXGA Display is expected to be available in January 2021 for a starting price of $ 299
  • HP Z24u G3 WUXGA Display is expected to be available in May 2021 for a starting price of $ 349
  • HP Z27q G3 QHD Display is expected to be available in January 2021 for a starting price of $ 399
  • HP Z27u G3 QHD Display USB-C is expected to be available in March 2021 for a starting price of $ 449
  • HP Z27k G3 4K USB-C Display is expected to be available in March 2021 for a starting price of $ 599

The new HP DreamColor display models join Dell’s newly announced UltraSharp HDR display, a particularly pricey model at $ 5k launched to directly compete with Apple’s Pro XDR Display, beating it specs-wise by offering a 2,000-zone mini-LED array versus the 576 zones found in Apple’s model.

HP’s new models are quite a bit cheaper, of course, pitting them against Dell’s newly introduced and likewise less expensive UltraSharp 24 USB-C Hub monitor with ComfortView Plus tech and a WUXGA resolution; this model is priced at $ 450. In addition, Dell also released its new UltraSharp 34 Curved USB-C Hub monitor with a massive 21:9 aspect ratio, USB-C with 90W power delivery and an $ 800 price tag.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Slideshow: Winners of the 2020 Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition

18 Oct

Winners of the 2020 Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition

Over 49,000 images were submitted to the 56th annual Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition, put on by the Natural History Museum in London. The Duchess of Cambridge and Patron of the museum, Kate Middleton, announced the Grand Title Winner during the live-streamed ceremony which aired on October 13th.

Sergey Gorshkov spent over 11 months on his overall winning image, ‘The Embrace,’ depicting the rare sighting of an Amur tigress hugging a Manchurian fir. ‘Hunted to the verge of extinction in the past century, the Amur population is still threatened by poaching and logging today. The remarkable sight of the tigress immersed in her natural environment offers us hope, as recent reports suggest numbers are growing from dedicated conservation efforts,’ says Dr. Tim Littlewood – Natural History Museum’s Executive Director of Science.

All winning images will be showcased in an exhibition at the Natural History Museum, starting October 16th. Entries for the next Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition are open on Tuesday, October 19th.

GRAND TITLE WINNER: ‘The Embrace’ by Sergey Gorshkov (Russia)

Sergey Gorshkov/Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Artist Statement: With an expression of sheer ecstasy, a tigress hugs an ancient Manchurian fir, rubbing her cheek against bark to leave secretions from her scent glands. She is an Amur, or Siberian, tiger, here in the Land of the Leopard National Park, in the Russian Far East. The race – now regarded as the same subspecies as the Bengal tiger – is found only in this region, with a small number surviving over the border in China and possibly a few in North Korea.

Hunted almost to extinction in the past century, the population is still threatened by poaching and logging, which also impacts their prey – mostly deer and wild boar, which are also hunted. But recent (unpublished) camera?trap surveys indicate that greater protection may have resulted in a population of possibly 500–600 – an increase that it is hoped a future formal census may confirm. Low prey densities mean that tiger territories are huge.

Sergey knew his chances were slim but was determined to take a picture of the totem animal of his Siberian homeland. Scouring the forest for signs, focusing on trees along regular routes where tigers might have left messages–scent, hairs, urine or scratch marks–he installed his first proper camera trap in January 2019, opposite this grand fir. But it was not until November that he achieved the picture he had planned for, of a magnificent tigress in her Siberian forest environment.

Gear and Settings: Nikon Z-7 + 50mm f1.8 lens; 1/200 sec at f6.3; ISO 250; Cognisys camera-trap system.

Winner, Animal Portraits: ‘The Pose’ by Mogens Trolle (Denmark)

Mogens Trolle/Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Artist Statement: A young male proboscis monkey cocks his head slightly and closes his eyes. Unexpected pale blue eyelids now complement his immaculately groomed auburn hair. He poses for a few seconds as if in meditation. He is a wild visitor to the feeding station at Labuk Bay Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary in Sabah, Borneo–‘the most laid-back character,’ says Mogens, who has been photographing primates worldwide for the past five years.

In some primate species, contrasting eyelids play a role in social communication, but their function in proboscis monkeys is uncertain. The most distinctive aspect of this young male –sitting apart from his bachelor group –is, of course, his nose. As he matures, it will signal his status and mood (female noses are much smaller) and be used as a resonator when calling. Indeed, it will grow so big that it will hang down over his mouth –he may even need to push it aside to eat.

Found only on the island of Borneo and nearby islands, proboscis monkeys are endangered. Eating mainly leaves (along with flowers, seeds and unripe fruit), they depend on threatened forests close to waterways or the coast and –being relatively lethargic –are easily hunted for food and bezoar stones (an intestinal secretion used in traditional Chinese medicine). Mogens’ unforgettable portrait, with the young male’s characteristic peaceful expression–‘quite unlike anything I’ve ever seen on another monkey’–connects us, he hopes, with a fellow primate.

Gear and Settings: Canon EOS-1D X + 500mm f4 lens; 1/1000 sec at f7.1; ISO1250; Manfrotto tripod + Benrogimbal head.

Winner, Behavior, Amphibians and Reptiles: ‘Life in Balance’ by Jaime Culebras (Spain)

Jaime Culebras/Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Artist Statement: A Manduriacu glass frog snacks on a spider in the foothills of the Andes, northwestern Ecuador. As big consumers of invertebrates, glass frogs play a key part in maintaining balanced ecosystems. That night, Jaime’s determination to share his passion for them had driven him to walk for four hours, in heavy rain, through the forest to reach the frogs’ streams in Manduriacu Reserve. But the frogs were elusive and the downpour was growing heavier and heavier. Ashe turned back, he was thrilled to spot one small frog clinging to a branch, its eyes like shimmering mosaics.

Not only was it eating – he had photographed glass frogs eating only once before –but it was also a newly discovered species. Distinguished by the yellow spots on its back and lack of webbing between its fingers, the Manduriacu frog is found only in this small area. The reserve is private but seriously threatened by mining activities permitted by the government (open-pit mining for gold and copper), as well as illegal logging, and the new frog is considered critically endangered.

Serenaded by a frog chorus in torrential rain – he held his umbrella and flash in one hand and the camera in the other – Jaime captured the first ever picture of this species feeding.

Camera + Settings: Sony ILCE-7M3 + 90mm f2.8 lens; 1/100 sec at f16; ISO 320; Yongnuo flash + trigger; softbox.

Winner, Behavior, Birds: ‘Great Crested Sunrise’ by Jose Luis Ruiz Jiménez (Spain)

Jose Luis Ruiz Jiménez/Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Artist Statement: After several hours up to his chest in water in a lagoon near Brozas, in the west of Spain, Jose Luis captured this intimate moment of a great crested grebe family. His camera floated on a U-shaped platform beneath the small camouflaged tent that also hid his head. The grebes are at their most elegant in the breeding season–ornate plumage, crests on their heads, neck feathers that they can fan into ruffs, striking red eyes and pink-tinged bills. They build a nest of aquatic plant material, often among reeds at the edge of shallow water.

To avoid predators, their chicks leave the nest within a few hours of hatching, hitching a snug ride on a parent’s back. Here the backlings will live for the next two to three weeks, being fed as fast as their parents can manage. Even when a youngster has grown enough to be able to swim properly, it will still be fed, for many more weeks, until it fledges.

This morning, the parent on breakfast duty – after chasing fish and invertebrates under water–emerged with damp feathers and a tasty meal, just when not a breath of wind rippled the water and the stripy-headed chick stretched out of its sanctuary, open?beaked, to claim the fish. In soft light and muted reflections, Jose Luis was able to reveal the fine detail of these graceful birds and their attentive parental care.

Camera + Settings: Nikon D4S + 600mm f4 lens + 1.4x teleconverter; 1/800 sec at f6.3; ISO 500; floating hide.

Winner, Behavior, Invertebrates: ‘A Tale of Two Wasps’ by Frank Deschandol (France)

Frank Deschandol/Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Artist Statement: This remarkable simultaneous framing of a red-banded sand wasp (left) and a cuckoo wasp, about to enter next-door nest holes, is the result of painstaking preparation. The female Hedychrum cuckoo wasp –just 6 millimetres long (less than 1/4inch) – parasitizes the nests of certain solitary digger wasps, laying her eggs in her hosts’ burrows so that her larvae can feast on their eggs or larvae and then the food stores.

The much larger red-banded sand wasp lays her eggs in her own burrow, which she provisions with caterpillars, one for each of her young to eat when they emerge. Frank’s original aim was to photograph the vibrant cuckoo wasp, its colors created by the refraction of light from its cuticle (tough enough to withstand the attack of the wasps it parasitizes). In a sandy bank on a brownfield site near his home in Normandy, northern France, he located tiny digger wasp burrows suitable for a cuckoo wasp to use and out of full sun, which would have let too much light into the camera.

He then set up an infrared beam that, when broken by a wasp, would trigger the super fast shutter system he had built using an old hard drive and positioned in front of the lens (the camera’s own shutter would have been too slow). Despite the extremely narrow depth of field and tiny subjects, he captured not only the cuckoo wasp but also the sand wasp. Though these two species don’t regularly interact, Frank was gifted a perfectly balanced composition by the insects’ fortuitous flight paths to their nest holes.

Camera + Settings: Canon EOS 5D Mark II + 100mm f2.8 lens + close-up 250D lens + reverse-mounted lens; 5 sec at f13; ISO 160; customized high-speed shutter system; six wireless flashes + Fresnel lenses; Yongnuo wireless flash trigger; Keyence infrared sensor + Meder Reed relay +amplifier; Novoflex MagicBalance + home-made tripod.

Winner, Under Water: ‘The Golden Moment’ by Songda Cai (China)

Songda Cai/Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Artist Statement: A tiny diamondback squid paralarva flits below in the blackness, stops hunting for an instant when caught in the light beam, gilds itself in shimmering gold and then moves gracefully out of the light. The beam was Songda’s, on a night?dive over deep water, far off the coast of Anilao, in the Philippines. He never knows what he might encounter in this dark, silent world.

All sorts of larvae and other tiny animals –zooplankton–migrate up from the depths under cover of night to feed on surface-dwelling phytoplankton, and after them come other predators. Diamondback squid are widespread in tropical and subtropical oceans, preying on fish, other squid and crustaceans near the surface. In November, hundreds gather off Anilao to spawn.

A paralarva is the stage between hatchling and subadult, already recognizable as a squid, here 6–7 centimetres long (21/2inches). Transparent in all stages, a diamondback squid swims slowly, propelled by undulations of its triangular fins (the origin of their name), but by contracting its powerful mantles, it can spurt away from danger.

Chromatophores (organs just below the skin) contain elastic sacs of pigment that stretch rapidly into discs of color when the muscles around them contract; recent research suggests that they may also reflect light. Deeper in the skin, iridophores reflect and scatter light, adding an iridescent sheen. From above, Songda captured the fleeting moment when, hovering in perfect symmetry, the diamondback paralarva turned to gold.

Camera + Settings: Nikon D850 + 60mm f2.8 lens; 1/200 sec at f20; ISO 500; Seacam housing; Seaflash 150D strobes; Scubalamp lights.

Winner, Earth’s Environments: ‘Etna’s River of Fire’ by Luciano Gaudenzio (Italy)

Luciano Gaudenzio/Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Artist Statement: From a great gash on the southern flank of Mount Etna, lava flows within a huge lava tunnel, re-emerging further down the slope as an incandescent red river, veiled in volcanic gases. To witness the scene, Luciano and his colleagues had trekked for several hours up the north side of the volcano, through stinking steam and over ash-covered chaotic rocky masses –the residues of past eruptions. A wall of heat marked the limit of their approach.

Luciano describes the show that lay before him as hypnotic, the vent resembling ‘an open wound on the rough and wrinkled skin of a huge dinosaur’. It was 2017, and he had been on the nearby island of Stromboli to photograph eruptions there when he heard news of the new vent on what is Europe’s largest volcano. He took the very next ferry, hoping he would arrive in time to see the peak of the latest show.

Mount Etna, which lies on the boundary between the African and Eurasian continental plates, has been erupting continuously for almost 30 years, with shows that include lava flows and lava fountains – just the most recent phase in 15,000 years of volcanic activity, but a warning of its power.

What Luciano most wanted to capture was the drama of the lava river flowing into the horizon. The only way to do that was to wait until just after sunset–‘the blue hour’–when contrasting shadows would cover the side of the volcano and, with a long exposure, he could set the incandescent flow against the blue gaseous mist to capture ‘the perfect moment.’

Camera + Settings: Canon EOS 5D Mark III + 24mm f3.5 lens; 1 sec at f16; ISO 320; Leofoto tripod + ball head.

Winner, Wildlife Photojournalism, Single Image: ‘Show Business’ by Kirsten Luce (United States)

Kirsten Luce/Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Artist Statement: One hand raised signaling the bear to stand, the other holding a rod, the trainer directs the ice-rink show. A wire muzzle stops the polar bear biting back, and blue safety netting surrounds the circus ring. It’s a shocking sight–not because of the massive predator towering over the petite woman in her ice-skating outfit but because of the uneven power dynamic expressed by the posture of the bear and the knowledge that it is not performing by choice.

But for the visitors to the traveling Russian circus –here in the city of Kazan, Tatarstan – it is entertainment. They are ignorant of how the polar bear has been trained and what it might endure behind the scenes – including the fact that, when not performing, it probably spends most of its time in a transportation cage. The polar bear is one of four females, reportedly captured in Russia’s Franz Josef Land when two years old (‘abandoned’, according to the trainer) and still performing 18 years later – valuable property for the Circus on Ice, the only circus known to own polar bears.

For the photographer, who has spent a couple of years reporting on animal exploitation and abuse, this was the most symbolically shocking of all the scenes of exploitation she has shot, featuring as it does such an Arctic icon of wildness.

Camera + Gear: Canon EOS 5D Mark IV + 70–200mm f2.8 lens; 1/500 sec at f4; ISO 2000.

Winner, Wildlife Photojournalist Story Award: ‘Backroom Business’ by Paul Hilton (United Kingdom/Australia)

Paul Hilton/Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Artist Statement: A young pig-tailed macaque is put on show chained to a wooden cage in Bali’s bird market, Indonesia. Its mother and the mothers of the other youngsters on show, would have been killed. Pig?tailed macaques are energetic, social primates living in large troops in forests throughout Southeast Asia. As the forests are destroyed, they increasingly raid agricultural crops and are shot as pests. The babies are then sold into a life of solitary confinement as a pet, to a zoo or for biomedical research.

Having convinced the trader that he was interested in buying the monkey, Paul photographed it in the dark backroom using a slow exposure. Much of the illegal wildlife in the open?air bird market is traded in the backroom areas. Macaques can be legally sold; banned species such as baby orangutans are kept boxed out of sight. Such animal markets facilitate the international illegal trade, supplying on demand what isn’t in stock. So many animals stacked so close together also facilitates the spread of disease.

Camera + Gear: Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II + 16–35mm lens at 16mm; 1/10sec at f3.2; ISO 1600.

Winner, Rising Star Portfolio: ‘Eleonora’s Gift’ by Alberto Fantoni (Italy)

Alberto Fantoni/Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Artist Statement: On the steep cliffs of a Sardinian island, a male Eleonora’s falcon brings his mate food – a small migrant, probably a lark, snatched from the sky as it flew over the Mediterranean. These falcons – medium-sized hawks – choose to breed on cliffs and small islands along the Mediterranean coast in late summer, specifically to coincide with the mass autumn migration of small birds as they cross the sea on their way to Africa.

The males hunt at high altitudes, often far offshore, and take a wide range of small migrants on the wing, including various warblers, shrikes, nightingales and swifts. Outside the breeding season, and on windless days when passing migrants are scarce, they feed on large insects. When the chicks are fledged, they all head south to overwinter in Africa, mainly on Madagascar.

Alberto was watching from a hide on San Pietro Island, from where he could photograph the adults on their cliff-top perch. He couldn’t see the nest, which was a little way down the cliff in a crevice in the rocks, but he could watch the male (much smaller and with yellow around his nostrils) pass on his prey, observing that he always seemed reluctant to give up his catch without a struggle.

Camera + Gear: Canon EOS 7D Mark II + 500mm f4.5 lens; 1/2000 sec at f7.1 (+1 e/v); ISO 800; hide.

Winner, Wildlife Photographer of the Year Portfolio Award: ‘The Last Bite’ by Ripan Biswas (India)

Ripan Biswas/Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Artist Statement: These two ferocious predators don’t often meet. The giant riverine tiger beetle pursues prey on the ground, while weaver ants stay mostly in the trees–but if they do meet, both need to be wary. When an ant colony went hunting small insects on a dry riverbed in Buxa Tiger Reserve, West Bengal, India, a tiger beetle began to pick off some of the ants. In the heat of the midday sun, Ripan lay on the sand and edged closer.

The beetle’s bulging eyes excel at spotting invertebrate prey, which it sprints towards so fast that it has to hold its antennae out in front to avoid obstacles. Its bright orange spots – structural color produced by multiple transparent reflecting layers–may be a warning to predators that it uses poison (cyanide) for protection. At more than 12 millimetres long (half an inch), it dwarfed the weaver ants. In defence, one bit into the beetle’s slender hind leg. The beetle swiftly turned and, with its large, curved mandibles, snipped the ant in two, but the ant’s head and upper body remained firmly attached.

‘The beetle kept pulling at the ant’s leg,’ says Ripan, ‘trying to rid itself of the ant’s grip, but it couldn’t quite reach its head.’ He used flash to illuminate the lower part of the beetle, balancing this against the harsh sunlight, as he got his dramatic, eye-level shot.

Camera + Gear: Nikon D5200 + Tamron 90mm f2.8 lens; 1/160 sec at f8; ISO 160; Viltrox ring flash.

Winner, 10 Years and Under: ‘Perfect Balance’ by Andrés Luis Dominguez Blanco (Spain)

Andrés Luis Dominguez Blanco/Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Artist Statement: In Spring, the meadows near Andrés’ home in Ubrique, in Andalucia, Spain, are bright with flowers, such as these sweet-scented sulla vetches. Andrés had walked there a few days earlier and seen European stonechats hunting for insects, but they were on the far side of the meadow. He regularly sees and hears stonechats, their calls like two stones tapping together.

They are widespread throughout central and southern Europe, some – such as those around Andrés’ home–resident year round, others overwintering in northern Africa. Andrés asked his dad to drive to the meadow and park so he could use the car as a hide, kneel on the back seat and, with his lens on the window sill, shoot through the open windows. He was delighted to see stonechats flying close by, alighting on any stem or stalk as a vantage point to look for worms, spiders and insects.

It was already late in the day, and the sun had gone down, but it seemed that the low light intensified the birds’ colors. He watched this male closely. It often landed on branches or the top of small bushes, but this time it perched on a flower stem, which began to bend under its delicate weight. The stonechat kept perfect balance and Andrés framed his perfect composition.

Camera + Gear: Fujifilm X-H1 + XF 100–400mm f4.5–5.6 lens; 1/50 sec at f5.6; ISO 800.

Winner, 11 – 14 Years Old: ‘A Mean Mouthful’ by Sam Sloss (Italy/United States)

Sam Sloss/Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Artist Statement: On a diving holiday in North Sulawesi, Indonesia, Sam stopped to watch the behavior of a group of clownfishes as they swam with hectic and repeated patterns in and out and around their home, a magnificent anemone. He was intrigued by the expression of one individual, the result of its mouth being constantly open, holding something.

Clownfish are highly territorial, living in small groups within an anemone. The anemone’s stinging tentacles protect the clownfish and their eggs from predators – a clownfish itself develops a special layer of mucus to avoid being stung. In return, the tenants feed on debris and parasites within the tentacles and aerate the water around them and may also deter anemone?eating fish.

Rather than following the moving fish in his viewfinder, Sam positioned himself where he knew it would come back into the frame. It was only when he downloaded the photos that he saw tiny eyes peeping out of its mouth. It was a ‘tongue-eating louse’, a parasitic isopod that swims in through the gills as a male, changes sex, grows legs and attaches itself to the base of the tongue, sucking blood. When the tongue withers and drops off, the isopod takes its place. Its presence may weaken its host, but the clownfish can continue to feed.

Sam’s image, the reward for his curiosity, captures the three very different life forms, their lives intertwined.

Camera + Gear: Nikon D300 + 105mm f2.8 lens; 1/250 sec at f18; ISO 200; Nauticam Housing + two INON Z-240 strobes.

Winner, 15 – 17 Years Old: ‘The Fox that Got the Goose’ by Liina Heikkinen (Finland)

Liina Heikkinen/Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Artist Statement: It was on a summer holiday in Helsinki that Liina, then aged 13, heard about a large fox family living in the city suburbs on the island of Lehtisaari. The island has both wooded areas and fox-friendly citizens, and the foxes are relatively unafraid of humans. So Liina and her father spent one long July day, without a hide, watching the two adults and their six large cubs, which were almost the size of their parents, though slimmer and lankier.

In another month, the cubs would be able to fend for themselves, but in July they were only catching insects and earthworms and a few rodents, and the parents were still bringing food for them –larger prey than the more normal voles and mice. It was 7pm when the excitement began, with the vixen’s arrival with a barnacle goose.

Feathers flew as the cubs began fighting over it. One finally gained ownership–urinating on it in its excitement. Dragging the goose into a crevice, the cub attempted to eat its prize while blocking access to the others. Lying just metres away, Liina was able to frame the scene and capture the expression of the youngster as it attempted to keep its hungry siblings at bay.

Camera + Gear: Nikon D4 + 28–300mm f3.5–5.6 lens; 1/125 sec at f5.6 (-0.3 e/v); ISO 1600.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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