choice « 360Photography

RSS

Posts Tagged ‘choice’

Gear of the Year 2019 – Dale’s choice: Laowa 15mm Zero-D

20 Dec

Photo: Dan Bracaglia

I feel like I’m stretching the rules a wee bit for my 2019 gear of the year by choosing a lens that was technically launched a couple years ago. However, Venus Optics released the Laowa 15mm F2 Zero-D in Nikon Z-mount and Canon RF-mount this year, and since I’ve been using the Nikon version I’m going to call it a 2019 product.

Before you protest, let me review the rules for our gear of the year selections:

The gear you enjoyed using most this year.
If there’s any ambiguity, refer to rule #1.

OK, with that out of the way let’s do this.

If you’ve been visiting the site for a while you may have noticed that over the past few years I’ve become a keen aurora borealis photographer. No matter how many times I see the northern lights I never get tired of them. It’s addictive, and I mean that in a good way. In the process I’ve experimented with a lot of different gear in an effort to find my ideal kit, and I’m really loving this Laowa lens.

Processed to taste in Adobe Lightroom.
ISO 10,000 | 2 sec | F2

I should clarify what ‘ideal’ means in this context. What it doesn’t mean is absolute technical perfection. I know there are hardcore astrophotographers who care very much about technical perfection, and for good reason, but that’s not me. My goal isn’t to create technically perfect images. It’s to create art, to tell a story, to share a unique experience with others.

Yes, I want good technical quality, but I also care about factors like weight, cost and my enjoyment when using the equipment. Why? Because like everyone else I have a budget. Also, when I photograph aurora I often carry three cameras (‘carry’ being the operative word), but that means I have to carry three lenses, three tripods, yada yada yada… It starts to add up pretty quickly, so keeping things on the small side is really helpful. My back appreciates it more every year.

Processed to taste in Adobe Lightroom.
ISO 5,000 | 6 sec | F2

One of the advantage of mirrorless cameras with short flange distances is the ability to create smaller lenses at wide focal lengths, and the Laowa leverages this fact. My other favorite lens for this type of work, the Sigma 14mm F1.8, is both larger and heavier.

In terms of absolute image quality, I think the Sigma 14mm F1.8 – which I picked as my gear of the year a couple years ago – is a bit better. It’s also slightly brighter. The downside? It’s pretty freakin’ big. Three of them in my pack would be noticeably heavier and more crowded than three Laowas; enough so that it matters to me.

The Laowa 15mm F2 (left) is significantly less bulky than the Sigma 14mm F1.8 (right).

Another thing I love about this lens is its build quality. I would describe it as feeling dense; despite its all metal construction and small size it’s still a bit heavier than it looks. It reminds me a lot of my old manual focus Nikkors, including the very nicely damped focus ring.

Speaking of which, it’s entirely manual focus, but I’m shooting the night sky and it’s not like the stars are running an AF test on a bike. (I’m not suggesting Richard Butler isn’t a star in his own right, but you know what I mean.)

Is it perfect? No. There’s definitely vignetting wide open, and even for a couple stops beyond, but the lens profile in Lightroom does an admirable job of correcting it. If I really needed perfection corner-to-corner that would bother me, but I don’t.

Processed to taste in Adobe Lightroom.
ISO 5,000 | 2 sec | F2

Similarly, there are some minor ‘angel wings’ on stars in the corners due to coma, but all things considered it’s not bad. Fortunately, most people aren’t focused on the stars in my photos, but rather the lights.

I’ll admit there’s one thing that drives me bat**** crazy. The metal lens hood doesn’t lock into position securely enough, and the slightest bump knocks it out of alignment, which is easy to miss in the dark. This results in some occlusion of the image in a couple corners. I did it by accident a couple times at first, but I’ve trained myself to be ever vigilant.

Processed to taste in Adobe Lightroom.
ISO 5,000 | 4 sec | F2

Some will argue that the wide angle Rokinons are better and even more affordable. Maybe they are, but in my experience it depends a lot on the particular copy you get. For what it’s worth I own two of them, and neither is as good in the corners as the two Laowas I’ve used.

Is it the best wide angle lens I’ve ever used? No. Do I love using it? Yes. It’s not the right lens for everyone, but it’s certainly a great lens for me, and that’s why it’s my gear of the year.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

Comments Off

Posted in Uncategorized

Gear of the Year 2019 – Dan’s choice: DJI Mavic Mini

18 Dec

A lot of awesome gear arrived on the scene in 2019 including plenty of ground-breaking and impressive cameras, lenses and accessories. But of all the releases, there was only one piece of gear I purchased for myself to enjoy outside of work: The DJI Mavic Mini.

Back in 2016 I picked the original DJI Mavic Pro as my gear of the year because I felt it represented a turning point in the drone market. It was the first mid-level unit that seemed to offer everything I wanted: a folding design, good stills/video, a user-friendly interface and a reasonably affordable price. It was a product I threw down my own money for and one that opened my eyes to a new way of creating stills and video.

There was only one piece of gear I purchased for myself this year: The DJI Mavic Mini

But three years on and my Mavic Pro is starting to seem, well, old. While the folding design was unique at launch, the drone itself now feels hefty in comparison to many newer models. This has made me less likely to take it along on trips or adventures, unless I’m certain I’ll be using it. And though the image quality from its 1/2.3″ sensor is still largely good enough for my needs, I find the JPEG profiles unappealing and the Raw files lack malleability. It also doesn’t help that several ‘oh crap’ moments have now led the camera’s lens to become de-centered. Oops.

Image quality from the Mavic Mini won’t knock your socks off, but it’s more than good enough for social sharing and Web viewing, especially if you take a little time to tweak the JPEGs.
Processed to taste in Adobe Lightroom.
ISO 100 | 1/40 sec | F2.8

Even before the Mavic Mini was launched this Fall, I’d put together a wish list in my mind for my next drone: It would have to be small enough and light enough for me to bring it with me wherever, without a second thought. It would have to offer similar or better image quality to my Mavic Pro (either with better out-of-camera JPEGs or more workable Raw files), it would hopefully be quieter/less intrusive to others, all while offering similar battery life and a just as easy-to-fly interface.

There’s no Raw capture on the Mini, so I pull the JPEG files into Lightroom and tweak them slightly, with good results

The Mavic Mini checks off all the boxes (which is why I purchased one shortly after its launch, sight unseen). It’s nearly a quarter of the weight of the Mavic Pro and about half the size. It uses the same-sized, 1/2.3″ sensor (essentially, a smartphone-sized sensor) but the JPEG output, including color and tone, looks significantly more natural and pleasing (to me at least). There’s no Raw capture on the Mini, but that doesn’t really bother me: I pull the JPEG files into Lightroom and tweak them slightly, with good results.

The Mini also sounds less like an angry swarm of bees compared to my Pro, which will hopefully lead to fewer angry glares out in the Pacific Northwest wilderness from all those passive aggressive Seattlites I encounter. And at $ 400 for the unit, controller and battery, the Mavic Mini is significantly less investment than the current Mavic Pro offerings (The Pro Platinum is $ 1150 at the time of writing). The lower price also leads to less anxiety about potentially losing it (though that’d still majorly suck).

Processed to taste in Adobe Lightroom.
ISO 100 | 1/40 sec |F2.8

I’ve only been flying the Mavic Mini for several weeks now, but after a few adventures – including one in Oregon wine country – I’m hooked. The impossibly small size is hands-down its greatest feature. Getting it into my 16L Lowepro bag without displacing other necessities is no problem at all. Which means this little sky camera can come with me everywhere I go.

The impossibly small size is hands-down its greatest feature – this little sky camera can come with me everywhere I go

It’s also oh-so-easy to operate. DJI further simplified the flying experience for the Mini: It uses the new DJI Fly app, which is a pared-down and more user-friendly version of the standard DJI Go app (used by most of the brand’s other consumer drones). This is a change I welcome given the intended user is likely someone who is a beginner or intermediate drone flyer. Cleaning up the settings and options means there are less things to distract you while flying, but the experience is in no way dumbed-down. And perhaps most importantly, users still have full manual control over the camera’s settings.

Processed to taste in Adobe Lightroom.
ISO 100 | 1/60 sec |F2.8

I did have to give up some features by stepping down from the Mid-level Mavic Pro-series to the more beginner-oriented Mini, above and beyond Raw capture. One such feature is video quality: the max video resolution is 2.7K/30p compared to 4K/30p on my Mavic Pro (not a deal-breaker for my needs as a primarily stills shooter). The maximum flight range is also less than that of the original Mavic, a limitation I’ve yet to encounter, but I’ll report back if I do.

There is, however, one feature I wish the Mini had: Rear and front accident avoidance cameras. My Mavic Pro has a front avoidance camera and who would’ve guessed, all my crashes with it have been while going in reverse. But hopefully their absence will lead me to become a safer, more competent flyer (knocks on wood).

Access to a go-everywhere flying smartphone camera has put a big smile on my face

Ultimately, if you’re a photographer who’s been curious about drone capture and trying to decide when to pull the trigger and on which model, the time is now and the model is the Mavic Mini. At $ 400, it’s cheaper than a lot of other cameras accessories you can purchase. But it’s one that’ll likely change your perspective more than anything else you could put that money toward. Moreover, access to what is essentially a go-everywhere flying smartphone camera has put a big smile on my face, which is why the DJI Mavic Mini is my gear of the year.

$ (document).ready(function() { SampleGalleryV2({“containerId”:”embeddedSampleGallery_6196828136″,”galleryId”:”6196828136″,”isEmbeddedWidget”:true,”selectedImageIndex”:0,”isMobile”:false}) });
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

Comments Off

Posted in Uncategorized

Gear of the year 2019: Barney’s choice (part 2) Nikon Z 50mm F1.8 S

16 Dec

Photo: Dan Bracaglia

We’ve been writing these articles for a few years now, and when it comes time to think about what I would pick as my ‘Gear of the Year’, I tend to go by two main criteria: What (if any) gear in the past 12 months did I actually spend my own money on, and what did I most enjoy using? And if those two criteria happen to be met by a single product, then there’s my answer. No further consideration required.

This year, two products met both of those criteria. The Ricoh GR III (which I wrote about here) and the Nikon Z 50mm F1.8 S. Clearly they’re very different things. One is an APS-C compact camera and the other is a lens for full-frame mirrorless cameras. But both have been in my camera bag almost every time I’ve gone out shooting in 2019.

Of the thousands of frames I’ve shot with the Z 50mm this year, the vast majority have been taken at F1.8

Why do I love the Nikon Z 50mm F1.8 S so much? The boring answer is that it’s just really really good. Historically I’ve not been not a big 50mm fan in general, and I will admit to being a bit of a snob about F1.8 lenses in the past. But the Z 50mm F1.8 S is so good – and so good at F1.8 – that it has changed my perspective on what a ‘nifty fifty’ can be.

I would estimate that of the thousands of frames I’ve shot with the Z 50mm this year, the vast majority have been taken at F1.8. With most of the standard lenses I’ve used during my career, that would not be a particularly smart move. Generally speaking, lenses of this type are at their best when stopped down slightly. But the Z 50mm F1.8 is almost as sharp wide open as it is stopped down, and at all apertures it’s largely free from common aberrations like longitudinal chromatic aberration.

Nikkor Z 50mm F1.8 S | ISO 100 | 1/800 sec | F1.8

There are plenty of 50mm lenses that give a more interesting rendering than the Z 50mm F1.8 S, but few which provide its biting cross-frame sharpness and virtually coma-free images at wide apertures. And it just so happens that those qualities ended up being crucial to me this year, when working on a long-term project down on Washington’s coast, during twilight clam digs. The combination of the Nikon Z7’s resolution and in-body stabilization and the Z 50mm’s sharpness and clean rendering at F1.8 proved invaluable, allowing me to get sharp, hand-held images in near-darkness that I could never have captured with a DSLR.

$ (document).ready(function() { SampleGalleryV2({“containerId”:”embeddedSampleGallery_5393471639″,”galleryId”:”5393471639″,”isEmbeddedWidget”:true,”selectedImageIndex”:0,”isMobile”:false}) });

The fact that the weather-sealed Z7 and Z 50mm F1.8 S continued to work reliably and accurately for hours in heavy rain and strong winds is another major point in both their favor.

I’ve also come to really appreciate the Z 50mm F1.8 S for portraiture, despite its relatively short focal length, which discourages very tight framing. Bokeh isn’t the smoothest at wide apertures, but it’s smooth enough, and virtually free from colored fringing.

Nikkor Z 50mm F1.8 S | ISO 64 | 1/80 sec | F1.8

Of course, I’m lucky. Like almost all professional photography reviewers I get to try all kinds of different equipment, at no cost. When I do spend my own money on something, it’s because I’ve used it, probably quite extensively, and I’m very confident in my investment.

That means that I have to be careful to stay grounded when talking to our readers, especially when it comes to making value judgements about the cost of new gear. Personally, having used a lot of lenses, I think that the Z 50mm F1.8 S’s price of around $ 600 is exceptionally good value, but I understand the complaints from some of you that $ 600 is a lot to pay for a 50mm F1.8. And a large-ish one, at that, by traditional (if not current) standards.

The point I would make (and which I hope I made in this article) is that $ 600 spent now, on a modern lens designed for mirrorless, buys you greater performance than $ 600 ever has before. We are very lucky, as photographers, to be on the cusp of a new era in optics, where some of the old paradigms are being overturned. In the case of this particular lens, it’s probably the only 50mm I’ll ever need for my Z7. Not bad for $ 600.

$ (document).ready(function() { SampleGalleryV2({“containerId”:”embeddedSampleGallery_9560366311″,”galleryId”:”9560366311″,”isEmbeddedWidget”:true,”selectedImageIndex”:0,”isMobile”:false}) });
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

Comments Off

Posted in Uncategorized

Gear of the Year 2019 – Jeff’s choice: Canon PowerShot G5 X Mark II

13 Dec

Photo: Dan Bracaglia

It goes without saying that a lot of cameras come and go through the DPReview office. Over the last year, most of them have been something you either can’t carry around for hours, or don’t want to (looking at you, Panasonic Lumix DC-S1).

One of the few actual compacts that we received (and reviewed) was the Canon PowerShot G5 X Mark II, which was announced alongside its nearly identical twin, the G7 X Mark III. The latter provides additional video features, while the former – targeted more toward enthusiasts – eschews these in exchange for an electronic viewfinder.

ISO 125 | 1/1600 sec | F4.5 | 69mm equiv.
Photo by Jeff Keller

When I first laid eyes (and hands) on the PowerShot G5 X Mark II, it was very obvious what camera Canon was going after: the Sony Cyber-shot RX100 V. They both have fast lenses with a control ring around them, a centered, pop-up flash and tilting LCDs. Even the button layouts are similar. And let’s not forget the EVF that rises at the push of the button: a feature so similar that I wonder if Sony licensed the design to Canon.

ISO 125 | 1/1000 sec | F4 | 30mm equiv.
Photo by Jeff Keller

Despite their similarities, I’d grab the Canon every time, mainly because I find the shooting experience much more engaging. The front grip and thumb rest are perfect, and the rubberized front plate prevents the camera from sliding out of my hands. I tend to adjust exposure compensation fairly often, and I like that I don’t have to move my thumb to reach the provided dial that adjusts that setting. While I like the clicky control ring around the lens, I’m still not a fan of the small, fiddly dial on the back.

ISO 125 | 1/500 sec | F8 | 120mm equiv.
Photo by Jeff Keller

And then there’s the EVF. It’s not the cool new design found on the Sony RX100 VI and above, which extends the eyepiece automatically, but I don’t mind having to manually do so. What I don’t like is that it’s very easy to press it back in when your eye is to the finder, at least with glasses on. Speaking of glasses, the OLED EVF allows me to wear my polarized sunglasses without a problem (which can be a problem with LCD panels). The location of the EVF also keeps my nose off of the screen, which is always a plus.

ISO 125 | 1/1600 sec | F4.5 | 24mm equiv.
Photo by Jeff Keller

A lot of enthusiast compacts make compromises in order to get fast maximum apertures. On the RX100 V and Panasonic LX10, the focal length tops out at around 70mm equivalent. The Sony RX100 VI and VII have very ambitious 24-200mm equiv. lenses, but they let in 1.3 stops less light than the G5 X II.

Converted from Raw using ACR 12. Exposure and sharpness adjusted.
ISO 125 | 1/100 sec | F2.8 | 108mm equiv.
Photo by Jeff Keller

For me, the G5 X II has just the right balance. The equivalent focal length of the lens is 24-120mm, which is more than enough for the kind of shooting I typically do. The max aperture range of F1.8-2.8 gives it good light low performance and nice background blur, especially on macro shots than I enjoy taking.

ISO 200 | 1/400 sec | F3.2 | 24mm equiv.
Photo by Jeff Keller

I spent several weekends with the camera, taking it over the Cascade mountains and back again (among other places), and I have no complaints about the quality of the photos I captured. A lot of people like to crow about the vibrance of Canon color, and I’m one of them. I took a number of photos in low light and was able to pull up the shadows without too large of a noise increase: at least for my needs (read: social media).

When all is said and done, I found the Canon PowerShot G5 X Mark II to be a great ‘daily driver’. It’s a camera that I can stuff into a back pocket and take for walk around town – in bright or low light – and get great results straight out of the camera.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

Comments Off

Posted in Uncategorized

Gear of the Year 2019 – Richard’s choice: Sigma 56mm F1.4 DC DN

11 Dec

Photo: Dan Bracaglia

I originally wanted to choose The High Line in New York as my Gear of the Year, but apparently a one-and-a-half mile elevated stretch of re-purposed freight railway doesn’t count as photographic gear. It’s also somewhat exclusionary, in geographical and logistical terms.

I’ll (grudgingly) concede those points. And anyway, it’s not the ex-railway infrastructure itself that’s so good for photography: it’s the fact that it’s full of ambling tourists and relaxing New Yorkers taking a break from the city’s hubbub, such that they’re much more amenable to being photographed by slightly nervous Brits wielding camera gear.

The three lenses I’ve most enjoyed shooting with this year have all been portrait primes

But thinking about photographing strangers along The High Line made me realise that the three lenses I’ve most enjoyed shooting with this year have all been portrait primes. Reviewing the GFX 50R and 100 gave me a chance to use the GF 110mm F2, which might be the best lens I’ve ever used. Covering the launch of the Sony a7R IV gave me my first exposure to Sony’s very impressive 135mm F1.8 GM. But it was a rather more modest lens that I used most often, and can most easily imagine myself buying.

The 85mm equivalent focal length is a classic choice for head-and-shoulders portraits.
Sigma 56mm F1.4 DC DN | ISO 1250 | 1/100 sec | F1.4
Photo: Richard Butler

The Sigma 56mm F1.4 DC DN is exactly the kind of lens I wanted when I first started getting into digital photography: it’s small, it’s light, it’s fast (both in F-number and autofocus) and, above all, it’s affordable.

It’s small, it’s light, it’s fast and it’s affordable

Most of the big camera makers have been pushing comparatively inexpensive full-frame bodies, but have saddled them with often bulky and expensive lenses. The Sigma 56mm provides a credible portrait option for owners of smaller-sensor cameras at a size and price that’s hard to match.

It’s available for Micro Four Thirds as well as Sony E and Canon EF-M mounts, but I personally prefer it when mounted on APS-C. 112mm equiv (on Micro Four Thirds) is still a great focal length for portraits, but I find myself using it a bit more freely when it’s acting as an 85.

But 85mm equiv is also wide enough to allow landscape portraits, as well as portrait ones.
Sigma 56mm F1.4 DC DN | ISO 100 | 1/1600 sec | F3.5
Photo: Richard Butler

For me, having it as an option instantly makes the Sony and Canon APS-C mirrorless systems more interesting: it means I can think about putting together a kit with a 35mm-equiv prime, a standard zoom and a small, effective portrait lens, giving me just about everything I need.

Like many people, the first prime lens I owned was an elderly but inexpensive 50mm F1.8, mounted on an APS-C DSLR. But, while I loved the shallow depth-of-field ability and the option to shoot in much lower light, I never found myself enjoying the 75mm-equiv experience. My colleague Rishi points out that the real-world difference between 75 and 85mm should be negligible, and yet I’m convinced I shoot unflatteringly close with a 50mm, but end up delighted with my 56mm results. It may well be all in my head, then, but that’s where my confidence and creativity come from, too.

In fact the lens can be used for things other than portraits
Sigma 56mm F1.4 DC DN | ISO 100 | 1/200 sec | F3.5
Photo: Richard Butler

Best of all, unlike Carey’s choice of the 45mm F2.8, I don’t feel the need to temper my enthusiasm for the lens with caveats. I’d love it just for being small, light, fast and affordable, since it’s in a focal length I like so much. But it’s also optically very good. It’s sharp where I want it, has pleasant, smooth bokeh and looks good in the transition between the two. F2.1 equivalent is more than sufficient for the shooting I do. What more could I ask for?

$ (document).ready(function() { SampleGalleryV2({“containerId”:”embeddedSampleGallery_0753964569″,”galleryId”:”0753964569″,”isEmbeddedWidget”:true,”selectedImageIndex”:0,”isMobile”:false}) });
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

Comments Off

Posted in Uncategorized

Gear of the Year 2019 – Allison’s choice: iPhone 11

11 Dec

Photo: Dan Bracaglia

In my defense, it was the beginning of a night of drinking when I dropped my phone in the toilet, not the end of the night. The humor isn’t lost on me: it was the same day we published my defense of small phones, specifically praising my iPhone SE for its ability to slip into my back pocket. That, unfortunately, was also its undoing.

I needed another phone quickly and ended up buying a Pixel 3a. Here were the primary factors that drove me to this decision:

The camera is very good
It’s only $ 400
It was in stock at Best Buy for same-day pickup, which meant minimal interaction with salespeople

Just like that, I became an Android user after almost a decade (!?) of owning Apple phones. But after using the iPhone 11, I’m not only comfortable declaring it my Gear of the Year – I’m also thinking of switching back. Here’s why.

Girls just wanna take wide-angle portraits

I have a pretty firm understanding of focal length and how it impacts your distance to a subject. I can even kind of explain equivalence. But for some reason I can never remember just how far the Pixel 3a crops in for portrait mode.

I find myself frequently sitting across the table from someone I want to photograph, pulling my phone up to take a picture and then realizing I’m way too close. I can either take an uncomfortably close photo of that person’s face, or stand up and move backward to get the framing I wanted in the first place. The iPhone 11 lets me take that across-the-table portrait without leaving my seat.

The ultra-wide lens is a draw for me too. I haven’t used the phone quite enough to decide whether its appeal would wear off, or if it would remain a feature I’d keep turning to. For now anyway, I’m into it.

No more crooked horizons

Some people can’t grasp the concept of a passing lane on the highway (looking at you, Washington drivers), just as some of us are prone to crooked horizons. It’s our lot in life, apparently. Thankfully, there are effective coping strategies. The one I like is a ‘spray and pray’ approach: I frame up my shot and take a series of photos while tilting the camera from one side to the other. There’s usually a frame in there that’s just about level. It also means that I end up with lots of what you see below in my photo archive.

Lots of the same photo slightly tilted one way and the other.

The iPhone 11’s ‘Photos Capture Outside of the Frame’ feature makes this unnecessary. It uses the ultra-wide lens to capture extra image data outside the frame, saving it alongside your original image. If you edit one of these images in the native camera app, the phone will automatically fix crooked horizons and fill in the edges of the image with that extra information: preserving your original framing.

Having that ability would save me quite a bit of time and digital storage space. Until then I’ll just be that weird lady in the park taking 200 photos of the sunset, hoping one of them isn’t crooked.

The Pixel 3a keyboard makes me ??

I’m not sure if Apple’s keyboard is better or I’m just too used to it, but I have a really hard time typing out messages with the Pixel 3a keyboard. I thought it might the bigger size of the phone compared to my last one, but switching to the similar-sized iPhone 11 for a while proved that theory false: I immediately noticed I was making fewer typos.

Even after months of use the Pixel 3a keyboard remains a challenge to me

Whatever the reason, I get along better with iPhone keyboards. Even after months of use the Pixel 3a keyboard remains a challenge to me, and I do not particularly like feeling challenged when I’m trying to type out a text.

We’ll meet again

Even if I do jump ship, Google knows it’s not losing me as a customer, not really. If I do get an iPhone 11, the first app I’ll download is Google Photos. When I arrive back at home that day, I’ll tell Google to play my favorite radio station, and start a timer when I put my frozen pizza in the oven. As I use Chrome to find Christmas presents for family, research the symptoms of whatever ailment I think I might have, plan my wedding and pay my bills, Google will be right there with me, watching.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

Comments Off

Posted in Uncategorized

Gear of the Year 2019 – Carey’s choice: Sigma 45mm F2.8

06 Dec

Photo: Dan Bracaglia

Sigma’s 45mm F2.8 DG DN Contemporary lens is, in many ways, not a great lens for pixel-peepers. It exhibits some fringing, it isn’t particularly sharp, and it has a pretty pedestrian maximum aperture. But I really enjoy it anyway, and it’s served as a reminder that any given lens doesn’t have to be perfect to be fun.

I first got to shoot around with the 45mm F2.8 Contemporary on a trip to Japan for the release of Sigma’s fp, their staggering 35mm F1.2 Art, and the newly designed 14-24mm F2.8 Art. No surprise, the little 45 mil was easily overshadowed by its headline-grabbing brethren. But during my time on that trip, it was glued to the a7R III I was using while traveling from one locale to another. The biggest reason for that is that the lens itself is so small.

Sigma fp | ISO 160 | 1/100 sec | F4

Small gear is unobtrusive and far less intimidating for subjects, and this definitely has an impact on the way I take pictures: namely, I take more pictures of people when I’m working with less intimidating gear. I also just tend to take pictures more often, as I’ll always have a smaller camera and lens combo slung over my shoulder, whereas larger gear is more likely to be tucked away in a bag when I’m not actively using it.

We’ve touched a bit on the Sigma 45mm’s image quality at the outset out of this article, but I’d like to backpedal a bit. The biggest ‘issue’ with it is uncorrected spherical aberration, essentially trading-off some sharpness for more attractive bokeh: a deliberate decision on Sigma’s part. And I have to admit that there’s something about its rendering that I find appealing. I also appreciate its very close minimum focus distance, which helps you get shallower depth-of-field than you might expect with an F2.8 aperture, though images get a bit hazy if you’re focusing very close with the aperture wide-open.

Sony a7R III | ISO 100 | 1/320 sec | F2.8
Taken with a pre-production lens

And then there’s the build quality. The 45mm Contemporary is not weather-sealed, which is a big disappointment; especially considering how well it pairs with Sigma’s fp, which is very well-sealed throughout. But the lens still has a premium feel, with its all-metal build. The focus ring is so perfectly damped that I fiddle with it all the time even though I’m exclusively an autofocus kinda guy, and the aperture ring has just the right amount of clickiness to it. Autofocus is very fast, and works well with the DFD technology in Panasonic’s S1-series of cameras.

There is room in the market for less ‘serious’ tools that are still excellent in actual use

I think my main grumble concerns the price. It’s currently still hovering around its launch price of $ 559 USD, which is unequivocally a lot of coin for a slow, non-weather-sealed prime lens that has, perhaps, a bit more optical ‘character’ than people may expect nowadays.

Sigma fp | ISO 100 | 1/125 | F8

On the other hand, I’m pleased that Sigma is making it. It’s a company with a portfolio chock-full of glass that was created with size and weight considerations taking a back seat to optical excellence. There is room in the market for smaller, lighter, less ‘serious’ photographic tools that are nonetheless engaging in actual use. That’s the type of tool the Sigma 45mm F2.8 is, and I hope it’s not the last lens of its type we see from Sigma.

Sample gallery

$ (document).ready(function() { SampleGalleryV2({“containerId”:”embeddedSampleGallery_3585230725″,”galleryId”:”3585230725″,”isEmbeddedWidget”:true,”selectedImageIndex”:0,”isMobile”:false}) });
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

Comments Off

Posted in Uncategorized

Gear of the Year – Barney’s choice part 1: Ricoh GR III

05 Dec

Photo: Dan Bracaglia

I’m of the opinion that if you use a phrase like ‘shut up and take my money’ in the title of an article about a camera, you’d damned well better buy it. It’s not about gear acquisition (honest it isn’t) it’s about reader trust.

Yeah, right. But either way, I was serious. It wasn’t long after writing our review of the Ricoh GR III that I bought my own, right before a trip to Japan this summer. I’ve been to Japan a few times for work, but this was to be a proper vacation for once. Just me, a couple of guidebooks, some depressing podcasts and a sturdy pair of hiking boots. And the GR III.

In the end, it didn’t end up being all vacation (one of those “Hey, so we’re planning a video project in Japan, and since you’re going to be there anyway…” things) but I did get in a decent amount of hiking, and the GR III was with me every step of the way.

ISO 200 | 1/400 sec | F5.6

The GR III wasn’t the only personal camera I took to Japan (I also grabbed my Nikon Z7 with a 24-70mm F2.8 lens, just to be on the safe side) but it was the one I ended up using most. Partly that’s because it’s a great camera and I love the images that come out of it, but that’s equally true of the Z7. Mostly it’s because the GR III is small enough to fit into a shirt pocket.

In terms of image quality, the new sensor in the GR III offers a useful resolution boost over its predecessors, but more important to me is the addition of stabilization and a major increase in usable Raw dynamic range.

ISO 160 | 1/400 sec | F7.1

There’s no doubt that 28mm equiv. is a limiting focal length, but it also turns out to be perfect for trail landscapes and for quick grab shots walking around cities. Considering that the GR III is barely any bigger than my phone (albeit thicker) it’s hard to imagine a better traveling companion, provided of course that you don’t need to shoot video.

Downsides? Naturally there are a few. The aforementioned uninspiring video mode, for one, but aside from that, the GR III’s maximum aperture of F2.8 means there’s very little scope for creative depth of field control, and while built-in stabilization helps, low light shooting often ends up meaning high ISO shooting.

ISO 640 | 1/40 sec | F4

There’s no built-in flash, which I know some GR/II fans will sincerely miss, the battery is tiny (but offers more stamina than you might expect in normal use) and there’s no EVF. Outside on a sunny day it’s not always easy to get an accurate idea of composition on the shiny rear screen, and it’s hard even to make out the horizon level indicator when shooting in especially bright conditions.

It’s a pocketable and silent camera with a very sharp lens, which can get you pictures that larger, louder cameras simply cannot.

Of course you can boost the screen brightness, and you can also add an optical finder. Neither are a perfect solution though. Bumping up the brightness kills battery life, and with a finder, framing becomes approximate, there’s no shooting data in your eye-line (obviously) and the GR III suddenly gets less pocketable.

Being such a small camera, the GR III’s controls are also rather cramped in general, but that comes with the territory.

Like many cameras of its type, the GR III is arguably at its best when used as a point and shoot, but that doesn’t mean you can’t (or shouldn’t) take full control. The GR III offers full manual exposure control and retains the top control dial from previous generations, which for an aperture-priority photographer such as myself is probably the most important single control point. A large, responsive touchscreen takes care of almost everything else.

ISO 1600 | 1/40 sec | F2.8

Although some GR/II fans will miss those cameras’ dedicated +/- rocker switch for exposure compensation, the rear jog switch on the GR III can be set up to do the exact same thing, and users of previous generations will be reassured to know that it’s just as easy to accidentally hit.

That was sarcasm. For the most part, the GR III does exactly what I want it to, when I want it to, and it’s exactly in line with what Ricoh has aimed to provide from the very beginning of the GR series way back in the 1990s. The GR III is a pocketable and silent camera with a very sharp lens, which precisely for those reasons can get me pictures that larger, louder cameras simply cannot.

Like all cameras, it has some limitations. Many of these are inherent to the design and form factor, but all are forgivable and in my opinion none devalue its main selling points.

For all of these reasons, my first choice for Gear of the Year is a camera that I’ve carried with me more than any other in 2019, not including my phone: the Ricoh GR III.

Watch out for Part 2 of my personal ‘Gear of the Year’ in a few days.

Ricoh GR III sample gallery

$ (document).ready(function() { SampleGalleryV2({“containerId”:”embeddedSampleGallery_7380089310″,”galleryId”:”7380089310″,”isEmbeddedWidget”:true,”selectedImageIndex”:0,”isMobile”:false}) });
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

Comments Off

Posted in Uncategorized

Wildlife Photographer of the Year announces LUMIX People’s Choice Award finalists

04 Dec

Wildlife Photographer of the Year LUMIX People’s Choice Award finalists

Drawing over 48,000 entries from 100 countries, the Natural History Museum’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year awards is not only well-known, it’s also the world’s longest-running photography competition. Thanks to a partnership with LUMIX, the public can have their say in which shortlisted image should win. 25 photos have been selected by a panel of judges and anyone can vote for their favorite here.

‘The LUMIX People’s Choice images capture the essence of the competition; they all ignite a reaction about the natural world and make you see it differently. Showcasing breath-taking beauty, compassion and cruelty, it is impossible not to be moved by them – I think everyone who votes has a tough decision to make,’ said Tim Littlewood, the National History Museum’s Executive Director of Science and member of the judging panel.

Those in close proximity to the Natural History Museum of London can view all 25 shortlisted images at the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition. It will be open for viewing until voting closes on February 2nd. The entry that receives the most votes for the LUMIX People’s Choice Award will be on display until the exhibition concludes on May 31st. The winner plus four other top entries will be featured online at The Wildlife Photographer of the Year hub where they’ll be seen by millions of online visitors from all over the world.

Wildlife Photographer of the Year is an annual event hosted by the Natural History Museum. Its goal is to shine a light on nature photography as an art form while challenging the viewer to question the plights facing animals and our planet. Entries for the 2020 competition are open until Thursday, December 12th. Photographers of all ages and skill levels are encouraged to submit their work.

Shortlisted image: Matching outfits by Michel Zoghzoghi, Lebanon

About the photo: Michel was in the Pantanal, Brazil photographing jaguars. One afternoon, as he was on the Três Irmãos River, a mother and her cub crossed right in front of his boat. He watched, mesmerized, as they left the water holding an anaconda with a very similar pattern to their own.

Gear and specs: Canon EOS 1D X Mark II +500mm f4 lens; 1/1250 sec at f13 (-1e/v); ISO 1250.

Shortlisted image: What a poser by Clement Mwangi, Kenya

About the photo: In Kenya’s Maasai Mara National Reserve, Clement spent time observing this beautiful leopard as she soaked up the last warm rays of the setting sun. Clement is mindful to remember to take pleasure in life’s simple moments – being all too aware that sometimes, as a wildlife photographer, you can miss the exceptional while looking for the unusual.

Gear and specs: Canon EOS 5D Mark III + Sigma 150-500mm lens; 1/320 sec at f6.3; ISO 1250.

Shortlisted image: Inquisitive by Audun Rikardsen, Norway

About the photo: From a hide on the coast of northern Norway, it took Audun three years of planning to capture this majestic bird of prey in its coastal environment. After some time, the golden eagle became curious of the camera and seemed to like being in the spotlight.

Gear and specs: Canon 6D Mark II + Canon 8-15mm f4 lens; 1/640 sec at f18 (-1e/v); ISO 400, Canon 600II Flash; Siuri tripod head; motion sensor.

Shortlisted image: Tender play by Steve Levi, USA

About the photo: It was early March and Steve spotted this mother polar bear and her two cubs after 10 days of looking. They had recently left their birthing den in Wapusk National Park, Canada, to begin the long journey to the sea ice so their mother could feed. After a nap the cubs were in a playful mood.

Gear and specs: Nikon D850 + 800mm f5.6 lens + 1.25x teleconverter at 1000mm; 1/1250 sec at f10; ISO 640.

Shortlisted image: Family get-together by Michael Schober, Austria

About the photo: Marmots have become accustomed to the presence of humans in Hohe Tauern National Park, Austria and allow people to observe and photograph them at close range. This behaviour is beneficial for the marmots, as human company deters predators such as golden eagles.

Gear and specs: Nikon D4 + Nikon 17-35mm f2.8 lens; 640 sec; ISO 400.

Shortlisted image: Training session by Stefan Christmann, Germany

About the photo: When Stefan came across this penguin couple in Atka Bay, Antarctica, seemingly with an egg, he was surprised as it was too early in the season for egg-laying. Upon closer inspection he discovered the egg was a snowball! Perhaps the diligent couple were practicing egg transfer in preparation for when their real egg arrived. This is possibly the first time it has ever been witnessed and documented.

Gear and specs: Nikon D810 + Nikon AF-S Nikkor 400mm f2.8 E FL ED VR lens; 1/1000 sec at f4.0; ISO 800.

Shortlisted image: Beak to beak by Claudio Contreras Koob, Mexico

About the photo: Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve in the state of Yucatán is home to Mexico’s largest flock of Caribbean flamingos. This chick is less than five days old – it will stay in its nest less than a week before it joins a crèche of other youngsters who wander around the colony searching for food.

Gear and specs: Canon EOS 5D Mark II + Canon 300mm f2.8 Lens + Canon 2X Teleconverter II; 1/160 sec at f11; ISO 1600; Camo throwover blind.

Shortlisted image: Teamwork by Jake Davis, USA

About the photo: Jake was on a boat off the coast of Great Bear Rainforest, British Columbia, Canada where he watched humpback whales bubble-et feeding. Here the leader whale dives to locate the fish, once the fish are located, the rest of the pod swim in decreasing circles while blowing bubbles which create a net, trapping the fish.

Gear and specs: Canon EOS 1D X Mark II + 100-400mm lens; 1/500 sec at f5.6; ISO 2500.

Shortlisted image: A pulsing sea by David Doubilet, USA

About the photo: A school of red tooth triggerfish form a cloud of silhouettes above a river of convict blennies flowing over the coral in Verde Island Passage, Philippines. The Passage, a strait that separates the islands of Luzon and Mindoro, is one of the most productive marine ecosystems in the world.

Gear and specs: Nikon D3S with Nikon 17-35 mm f/28 lens in SEACAM Underwater housing. Sea & Sea YS 250 strobes at ½ power 1/50th sec f/10 at ISO 250.

Shortlisted image: Station squabble by Sam Rowley, UK

About the photo: Sam discovered the best way to photograph the mice inhabiting London’s Underground was to lie on the platform and wait. He only saw them fight over scraps of food dropped by passengers a few times, possibly because it is so abundant. This fight lasted a split second before one grabbed a crumb and they went their separate ways.

Gear and specs: Nikon D500 + 105mm f2.8 lens; 1/125 sec at f2.8; ISO 1000.

Shortlisted image: Ocean’s signature by Angel Fitor, Spain

About the photo: Angel took this image in the waters off of Alicante, Spain. Immersed in a strong current, an otherwise slightly undulating salp chain twists and turning forming whimsical shapes. Salps move by contracting, which pumps water through their gelatinous bodies.

Gear and specs: Nikon D800 + Sigma 20 mm f1.8 lens; 1/250 sec at f16; ISO 50; Nexus D800 housing; Two Retra strobe.

Shortlisted image: Losing the fight by Aaron Gekoski, UK

About the photo: Orangutans have been used in degrading performances at Safari World, Bangkok – and many other locations – for decades. The shows were temporarily stopped in 2004 due to international pressure, but today the shows continue – twice a day, every day – with hundreds of people paying to watch the orangutans box, dance, play the drums and more.

Gear and specs: Canon 5D Mark II +100-400mm f4.5/5.6 lens; 1/100 sec at f5.6; ISO 800.

Shortlisted image: The surrogate mother by Martin Buzora, Canada

About the photo: Elias Mugambi is a ranger at Lewa Wildlife Conservancy in northern Kenya. He often spends weeks away from his family caring for orphaned black rhinos like Kitui here. The young rhinos are in the sanctuary as a result of poaching or because their mothers are blind and cannot care for them safely in the wild.

Gear and specs: Nikon D4S + 85mm f1.4 lens; 1/5000 sec at f1.4; ISO 800.

Shortlisted image: Captive by Marcus Westberg, Sweden

About the photo: A giant panda sits in its cage in a breeding center in Shaanxi, China. With a growing wild population and no realistic plan of how to breed and raise pandas for rerelease into the wild rather than a life in captivity – not to mention lack of habitat being the largest barrier to the continued spread of the wild population – it is unclear how such centers will benefit the species.

Gear and specs: Canon 1D X Mark II + 16-35mm f2.8L III lens at 20mm; 1/60 sec at f28; ISO 2500.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

Comments Off

Posted in Uncategorized

2018 Wildlife Photographer of the Year People’s Choice Award Shortlist

12 Jan

2018 Wildlife Photographer of the Year LUMIX People’s Choice Award Shortlist

The Wildlife Photographer of the Year has been running for fifty four years now. Created and operated by the Natural History Museum, the competition is meant to ‘showcase the world’s best nature photography.’

As part of its LUMIX People’s Choice Award, the Natural History Museum has released a shortlist of 25 images that showcase some of the best images to be submitted thus far — more than 45,000 in total from professionals and amateurs across the globe.

Voting for the LUMIX People’s Choice Award is open through Monday, February 5th, 2019 on the Natural History Museum website. An accompanying exhibition of entries is open at the Natural History Museum in South Kensington through June 30th, 2019. Tickets cost at £8 for children, £13.50 for adults and between £28-£38 for families.

DPReview has compiled the shortlist photos in addition to the captions from the artists behind the photographs.

Above: Isolated by Anna Henly, UK

Snapped from a helicopter, this isolated tree stands in a cultivated field on the edge of a tropical forest on Kauai, Hawaii. The manmade straight lines of the ploughed furrows are interrupted beautifully by nature’s more unruly wild pattern of tree branches.

Canon EOS 5D Mark II + EF70-200mm f/2.8 L IS USM lens used at 130mm; 1/2500 sec at f2.8; ISO 400.

Ice and Water by Audun Lie Dahl, Norway

The Bråsvellbreen glacier moves southwards from one of the ice caps covering the Svalbard Archipelago, Norway. Where it meets the sea, the glacier wall is so high that only the waterfalls are visible, so Audun used a drone to capture this unique perspective.

DJI Phantom 4 pro + 24mm lens; 1/120 sec at f 6.3; ISO 100. Panorama of 3 images.

Family Portrait by Conner Stefanison, Canada

A great grey owl and her chicks sit in their nest in the broken top of a Douglas fir tree in Kamloops, Canada. They looked towards Connor only twice as he watched them during the nesting season from a tree hide 50 feet (15 metres) up.

Canon 1D Mark IV + Canon 500mm f4 IS lens; 1/200 sec at f7.1; ISO 1250; Manfrotto monopod.

Curious Encounter by Cristonbal Serrano, Spain

Any close encounter with an animal in the vast wilderness of Antarctica happens by chance, so Cristobal was thrilled by this spontaneous meeting with a crabeater seal off of Cuverville Island, Antarctic Peninsula. These curious creatures are protected and, with few predators, thrive.

Canon EOS 5D Mark IV + Canon EF 8-15mm f4L Fisheye USM lens; 1/250 sec at f8; ISO 160; Seacam housing and flash.

Bond of Brothers by David Lloyd, New Zealand/UK

These two adult males, probably brothers, greeted and rubbed faces for 30 seconds before settling down. Most people never have the opportunity to witness such animal sentience, and David was honoured to have experienced and captured such a moment.

Nikon D800E + 400mm f/2.8 lens; 1/500th sec at f4.8, ISO 500.

Clam Close-up by David Barrio, Spain

This macro-shot of an iridescent clam was taken in the Southern Red Sea, Marsa Alam, Egypt. These clams spend their lives embedded amongst stony corals, where they nest and grow. It took David some time to approach the clam, fearing it would sense his movements and snap shut!

Nikon D7100-105mm lens + Saga 10 diopters wet lens; 1/180 sec at f27; ISO 200; Isotta housing; 2xStrobes.

Painted Waterfall by Eduardo Blanco Mendizabal, Spain

When the sun beams through a hole in the rock at the foot of the La Foradada waterfall, Catalonia, Spain, it creates a beautiful pool of light. The rays appear to paint the spray of the waterfall and create a truly magical picture.

Canon 5D Mark III + 24-105mm f.4 lens; 30 sec at f9; grey neutral filter, tripod.

Ambush by Federico Veronesi, Kenya

On a hot morning at the Chitake Springs, in Mana Pools National Park, Zimbabwe, Federico watched as an old lioness descended from the top of the riverbank. She’d been lying in wait to ambush any passing animals visiting a nearby waterhole further along the riverbed.

Nikon D810 + 400mm f2.8 lens; 1/1000 sec at f5 (-1e/v); ISO 140.

Teenager by Franco Banfi, Switzerland

Franco was free diving off Dominica in the Caribbean Sea when he witnessed this young male sperm whale trying to copulate with a female. Unfortunately for him her calf was always in the way and the frisky male had to continually chase off the troublesome calf.

Canon 1DX Mark II + 8-15mm f/4 lens; 1/100 sec at f16; ISO 640; Seacam housing.

Resting Mountain Gorilla by David Lloyd

The baby gorilla clung to its mother whilst keeping a curious eye on David. He had been trekking in South Bwindi, Uganda, when he came across the whole family. Following them, they then stopped in a small clearing to relax and groom each other.

Fox Meets Fox by Matthew Maran, UK

Matthew has been photographing foxes close to his home in north London for over a year and ever since spotting this street art had dreamt of capturing this image. After countless hours and many failed attempts his persistence paid off.

Canon EOS 5D Mark III + 70-200mm f2.8 IS II USM lens; 1/500 sec at f4.0; ISO 800.

Shy by Pedro Carrillo, Spain

The mesmerizing pattern of a beaded sand anemone beautifully frames a juvenile Clarkii clownfish in Lembeh strait, Sulawesi, Indonesia. Known as a ‘nursery’ anemone, it is often a temporary home for young clownfish until they find a more suitable host anemone for adulthood.

Nikon D4 +Nikkor 70-180mm f4.5-5.6 D ED AF Micro lens at 78mm; 1/250 sec at f16; ISO 100; Seacam housing; two Seacam Seaflash 150TTL.

The Extraction by Konstantin Shatenev, Russia

Every winter, hundreds of Steller’s sea eagles migrate from Russia, to the relatively ice-free northeastern coast of Hokkaido, Japan. They hunt for fish among the ices floes and also scavenge, following the fishing boats to feed on any discards. Konstantin took his image from a boat as the eagles retrieved a dead fish thrown onto the ice.

Canon1DX + EF300 f4IS USM lens; 1/1250 sec at f13; ISO800.

Otherworldly by Franco Banfi, Switzerland

A school of Munk’s devil ray were feeding on plankton at night off the coast of Isla Espíritu Santo in Baja California, Mexico. Franco used the underwater lights from his boat and a long exposure to create this otherworldly image.

Canon 5DS + 8-15mm f/4 lens; 1/4 sec at f11; ISO 160; Isotta housing; Seacam Seaflash 150; two strobes.

The Orphaned Beaver by Suzi Eszterhas, United States

A one-month-old orphaned North American beaver kit is held by a caretaker at the Sarvey Wildlife Care Center in Arlington, Washington. Luckily it was paired with a female beaver who took on the role of mother and they were later released into the wild.

Canon 1DX + 24-70mm f2.8 lens; 1/200 sec at f3.5; ISO 1600.

Red, Silver and Black by Tin Man Lee, USA

Tin was fortunate enough to be told about a fox den in Washington State, North America, which was home to a family of red, black and silver foxes. After days of waiting for good weather he was finally rewarded with this touching moment.

Canon 1DX Mark II +600mm f4 lens; 1.4x teleconverter; 1/1600 sec at f11; ISO 2000.

Sound Asleep by Tony Wu, USA

This adult humpback whale balanced in mid-water, headon and sound asleep was photographed in Vava’u, Kingdom of Tonga. The faint stream of bubbles, visible at the top, is coming from the whale’s two blowholes and was, in this instance, indicative of an extremely relaxed state.

Canon 5D Mark III + Canon 15mm f2.8 fisheye lens; 1/200 sec at f10; ISO640; Zillion housing; Pro-One dome port.

Three Kings by Wim Can Den Heever, South Africa

Wim came across these king penguins on a beach in the Falkland Islands just as the sun was rising. They were caught up in a fascinating mating behaviour – the two males were constantly moving around the female using their flippers to fend the other off.

Nikon D810 + Nikon 24-70mm f2.8 lens at 40mm; 1/250sec at f11; Nikon SB910 flash.

All That Remains by Phil Jones, UK

A male orca had beached itself about a week before Phil’s visit to Sea Lion Island, Falkland Islands. Despite its huge size the shifting sands had almost covered the whole carcass and scavengers, such as this striated caracara, had started to move in.

Canon 1Dx Mark I + Canon 15mm f2.8 fisheye lens; 1/1250 sec at f16; ISO 1600; Joby gorillapod; Hahnel wireless remote shutter release.

Gliding by Christian Vizl, Mexico

With conditions of perfect visibility and beautiful sunlight, Christian took this portrait of a nurse shark gliding through the ocean off the coast of Bimini in the Bahamas. Typically these sharks are found near sandy bottoms where they rest, so it’s rare to see them swimming.

Canon 5D Mark II + 16-35mm f2.8 lens; 1/200 sec at f9; ISO 200; Aquatica housing.

A Polar Bear’s Struggle by Justin Hofman, USA

Justin’s whole body pained as he watched this starving polar bear at an abandoned hunter’s camp, in the Canadian Arctic, slowly heave itself up to standing. With little, and thinning, ice to move around on, the bear is unable to search for food.

Sony a7R II + Sony FE 100-400mm f4.5-5.6 GM OSS lens; 1/200 sec at f10; ISO 800.

Unique Bill by Rob Blanken, The Netherlands

The pied avocet has a unique and delicate bill, which it sweeps like a scythe, as it sifts for food in shallow brackish water. This stunning portrait was taken from a hide in the northern province of Friesland in The Netherlands.

Nikon D500 + AF-S Nikkor 200-500mm f1:5.6 E ED lens at 250mm; 1/200 sec at f6 (+ 2 2/3); ISO 800.

One Toy, Three Dogs by Bence Mate, Hungary

While adult African wild dogs are merciless killers, their pups are extremely cute and play all day long. Bence photographed these brothers in Mkuze, South Africa – they all wanted to play with the leg of an impala and were trying to drag it in three different directions!

Canon EOS-1DX Mark II; 200-400mm lens (35mm equivalent: 197.2-394.3 mm); 1/1800 sec at f4.0; 4000 ISO.

Under the Snow by Audren Morel, France

Unafraid of the snowy blizzard, this squirrel came to visit Audren as he was taking photographs of birds in the small Jura village of Les Fourgs, France. Impressed by the squirrel’s endurance, he made it the subject of the shoot.

Nikon D7200 + Nikon 300mm f4 lens; 1/1600 sec at f4 (-0.7e/v); ISO 500.

A Bat’s Wake by Antonio Leiva Sanchez, Spain

After several months of field research into a little colony of greater mouse-eared bats in Sucs, Lleida, Spain, Antonio managed to capture this bat mid-flight. He used a technique of high speed photography with flashes combined with continuous light to create the ‘wake’.

Canon7D Mark II + Tamron 18-270mm f3.5-6.3 lens; 1/13 sec at f10; ISO 200; Infrared barrier; Metz 58 AF-1 flash; E-TTL flash cable.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

Comments Off

Posted in Uncategorized