Amateur Photographer - 26 September 2023

Nikofance:Zretrf o-styled
Tuesday 26 September 2023
FIRST LOOK!
PREMIUM
OCTOBER 2023
EDITION Passionate about photography since 1884
32-page
pull-out
guide
Sport on a budget
The best low-cost kit for action photos
aspiring action shooters
Top action cameras
The best cameras to capture
action shots on the move
Succeed in sports
How to get into, and make
money from, shooting sport
Pro tips for action

How to master slow speeds,
flash, panning and more WIN!
Winning shots APOY 2023
Our picks from the World Enter your best sports shots
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Inside this issue
3 7 days
Welcome We have recently
4 First Look: received a flurry of
Nikon Z f letters asking for us
10 It’s good to share to cover more
sports photography
14 Tips for mastering so here we are – our
creative action bumper sports and action special.
photography For me, a great sports image is one
22 APOY R7 results where even people who have no
interest in the sport being depicted
28 A sporting chance will stop and linger and think,
of success ‘wow’. Our cover image this issue
31 Inbox is one such example, and there are
36 Pro techniques 14 lots of others inside these pages.

But admiring great photos is easy
for fast-moving – shooting them is a lot more
subjects difficult, so we’ve got plenty of
44 She shoots film, advice from the experts on what
she scores kit to use, the settings to apply,
48 How to get started

with sports
4 and the techniques to deploy to
increase the odds of getting that
wow shot. Also this issue, don’t
photography miss our first look at Nikon’s
54 World Sports fabulous new Z f camera, though
Photography be warned – you might want one.
Awards Nigel Atherton, Editor
60 Photo insight
COVER PICTURE © SCOTT BARBOUR / INSET PIC © AMY SHORE / PULL-OUT COVER PIC © LORENZ HOLDER
62 Action
photography
on a budget
75 81
68 APOY R9 launch
70 Capturing the
fight to protect
36
gorillas
75 Sony Xperia 1 V
review
81 Best action
cameras
84 Tech talk
87 Buying Guide:
DSLR lenses Our stunning cover shot of tennis ace
98 Final analysis Coco Gauff is by Scott Barbour, and is
one of the winners of the World Sports
Photography Awards. (see page 54)
THIS ISSUE’S CONTRIBUTORS
Connect with us
@ EMAIL US at ap.ed@kelsey.co.uk with your
letters, send us a link to your online gallery, or
attach up to 5MB of low-res sample images
JOIN US ONLINE in one of these AP communities:
WEBSITE: www.amateurphotographer.co.uk
ANDY WESTLAKE ANGELA RICHARD ISABELLA DENISE MAXWELL AMY DAVIES FACEBOOK: amateur.photographer.magazine
Technical Editor NICHOLSON HEATHCOTE RUFFATTI Features Editor TWITTER: @AP_Magazine
Online Writer The pro multi-genre
Our chief reviewer The AP regular The top sports photographer’s Amy has budget kit INSTAGRAM: @AP_Magazine
brings you a first explains some photographer is Isabella interviews insider tips for tips for action and FLICKR: flickr.com/groups/amateurphotographer
look at Nikon’s Z f, creative action one of four pros film photographers sports photography showcases the
its new full-frame techniques to sharing their who shoot and how to take World Sports
mirrorless camera improve your shots expertise women’s football pics that will sell Photo Awards
Nikon Z f
Nikon’s new full-frame
mirrorless camera combines
retro style with plenty of
substance, as Andy Westlake
finds out
At a glance
£2299 body-only Retro design

£2519 Nikon has included
top-plate dials for shutter
with 40mm f/2 SE lens speed, ISO, and exposure
Nikon’s new Z f is a
£2849 compensation.
retro-styled full-frame camera
with 24-70mm f/4 zoom
■ 24.5MP full-frame sensor With Nikon’s rich heritage in film it than that. Crucially, it gains the firm’s
■ ISO 100-64,000 photography, it’s no great surprise latest Expeed 7 processor, as used by
(standard) to find many of its users hankering after the top-end Z 8 and Z 9. This brings a
■ 14fps continuous Storage digital models that resemble classic number of benefits, most notably
shooting There are two card slots, 35mm SLRs. Previously, the firm’s subject-detection autofocus that can
■ 3.69m-dot electronic one for UHS-II SD and,
viewfinder attempts at delivering such cameras recognise and track people, animals
more unusually, a second
■ 3.2in fully articulated have been underwhelming, with the Df and vehicles. One notable new feature
for Micro SD.
touchscreen DSLR from 2013 being awkwardly bulky, is that subject detection can also be
■ 4K 30p video; 4K 60p and the mirrorless Z fc of 2021 used with manual focus, determining
(1.5x crop); Full HD 120p undermined by the lack of matched where the live view display will zoom
lenses for its DX-format sensor. into for checking focus.
However, the new Z f looks to be an Elsewhere, the Z f boasts a very
altogether more attractive proposition. capable-looking spec sheet that belies
Screen Like the Z fc, its design harks back to its vintage looks. It offers a standard
This is Nikon’s first the classic Nikon FM film SLR. But now, sensitivity range up to ISO 64,000 and
B&W full-frame model with a it packs a 24MP full-frame sensor along can shoot at 7.8 frames per second
A top-plate switch gives
side-hinged, fully with all the firm’s latest imaging with C-AF. There’s a further 14fps
quick access to black &
white shooting, plus articulating touchscreen. technology. As a result, it might just be ‘extended’ mode, and even 30fps if
conventional photo and the retro-styled camera that Nikon fans you’re happy to shoot JPEG-only. Its
video modes. have wanted all along. in-body image stabilisation (IBIS) is
Given its 24MP resolution, it might rated for 8 stops of shake reduction
be tempting to assume that the Nikon and has a new feature whereby it can
Z f is just a prettified version of the be linked to the focus point. This could,
existing Z 6II. But there’s rather more to in theory, provide better stabilisation for
A small panel on top

Rear controls are essentially the same as the DX-format Z fc displays the aperture
4 www.amateurphotographer.co.uk
Nikon has equipped
the Z f with a fully
articulated screen
Updated OM System
TG-7 tough camera
OM Digital Solutions has announced the OM
long exposures with off-centre subjects. One small but welcome update is that System Tough TG-7, a successor to the Olympus
Nikon has also included a pixel-shift the ISO dial now only locks into its C TG-6. This new rugged model has been updated to
multi-shot mode for the first time. position, which should make it easier to improve a number of features, whilst maintaining
However, such modes usually only work use. Another neat touch is that the compatibility with a wide range of existing accessories.
well with static still-life subjects. shutter button is threaded for an With a 12MP BSI CMOS sensor and a 25-100mm
While the Z f looks primarily designed old-fashioned screw-in cable release. equivalent f/2.0-4.9 zoom lens, the camera is
for stills shooting, it also has a decent A small front finger grip provides a more waterproof to 15m, freezeproof, and shockproof.
video specification. It can record in 4K secure hold compared to the Z fc, but There’s also a super macro mode for shooting objects
resolution at 30fps using the full it’s a shame Nikon hasn’t added a just 1cm from the lens, providing 7x magnification.
sensor width, and at 60fps with a 1.5x thumb hook on the back. Built-in focus stacking enables greater depth of field.
crop. Full HD can be recorded at Where the retro design comes a little Raw format shooting is supported, while Wi-Fi,
120fps. There’s a choice of 8- or 10-bit unstuck, though, comes with aperture low-energy Bluetooth, and GPS are all built-in. The
colour, and Nikon is promising extended setting. By default, this uses an camera also incorporates a Field Sensor System, which
recording times up to 125 minutes. electronic dial on the camera body, records location information, air pressure, temperature,
which doesn’t quite deliver the classic water temperature, depth underwater, and shooting
Retro beauty manual shooting experience. direction. This data can all be viewed in the free
In terms of design and control layout, Alternatively you could use the control OM Image Share smartphone app.
the Z f is near-identical to the Z fc. ring found on many Z lenses, but these Compared to the TG-6, the new model gains a USB
It has the same set of top-plate dials don’t click like traditional aperture Type-C port (in place of Micro USB), vertical video
controlling shutter speed, ISO and rings. However for manual-focus recording support, and in-camera time-lapse movie
exposure compensation, plus an aficionados, Voigtländer’s Z-mount creation. It’s also now compatible with the firm’s
exposure mode switch to select primes might just be the perfect match. RM-WR1 Bluetooth remote control and adds a special
between P, A, S, M, and Auto. The body At £2,299 body-only, the Z f looks mode for shooting on construction sites.
is, however, scaled up a little in size to competitively priced against its most Available accessories include a protective silicone
accommodate the full-frame sensor and obvious rivals, namely the Canon EOS jacket; an LED light guide and a flash diffuser for
IBIS mechanism. It’s also noticeably R6 Mark II (£2,779), Panasonic Lumix close-up photography; fisheye converters and a
better built, with a dust- and drip- S5II (£1,999), and Sony Alpha A7 IV teleconverter; and an underwater housing that extends
resistant magnesium alloy shell and (£2,399). Unlike the Z fc, it will only waterproofing to a depth of 45 metres. The OM System
chunky brass dials that click satisfyingly come in black and not silver. But for Tough TG-7 will be available from late September in a
as they’re turned. A central electronic those who’d like to add a degree of choice of black or red for £499.
viewfinder completes the faux-SLR personalisation, it will be available with
design, complemented by a side-hinged various attractively coloured coverings
fully articulated touchscreen. from Nikon’s online store.
First impressions
I must admit I wasn’t much of a fan of the Z fc, but the Nikon Z f strikes me as
being an altogether more desirable machine. It feels so much more nicely made,
and there’s a far wider range of matching full-frame Z-mount lenses available.
It’s not just a pretty face, either; there’s plenty of brains on board too. What’s
more, that full-frame sensor means that old F-mount SLR lenses can be used via
the FTZ adapter while providing exactly the same field of view as they did on film.
The camera is both
It’s by far the best of the firm’s attempts at making a traditionally styled digital
waterproof and freezeproof
model to date, and Nikon fans are sure to love it.
www.amateurphotographer.co.uk 5
Joint efforts succeed in
astro competition Improve
your
photography
THE WINNERS of the Royal Around the Star YY Hya’, by Marcel
Observatory Greenwich’s Astronomy Dreschsler that won the Stars and
Photographer of the Year 15 competition Nebulae category. ‘The photograph
have been announced, with the top prize captures a previously unknown galactic
going to a collaborative image produced nebula containing a pair of stars with a subscription to
by Marcel Drechsler, Xavier Strottner and surrounded by a common envelope, Amateur Photographer
Yann Sainty. adding another exciting discovery to the
The trio’s entry, ‘Andromeda, winning images,’ said the organisers.
Unexpected’, (pictured here) shows a You can see the full list of winners at
huge plasma arc next to the Andromeda bit.ly/2023astrowinners
Galaxy (M31), the
closest galaxy spiral to
the Milky Way. ‘This
astrophoto is as
spectacular as [it is]
valuable,’ said László
Francsics, one of
the judges.
Meanwhile, ‘The
Running Chicken
Nebula’, another joint
effort by Chinese
teenagers Runwei Xu
and Binyu Wang, won
the Young Astronomy
Photographer of the
© MARCEL DRECHSLER, XAVIER STROTTNER AND YANN SAINTY
Year category.
This year’s
competition attracted
over 4,000 entries from
64 countries, with a
very wide range of
subject matter.
SAVE
Another of the judges’
favourite images
was ‘New Class of
Galactic Nebulae Astronomy Photographer of the Year overall winner UP TO
Rare chance to shoot a Lancaster 49% *
TIMELINE Events is offering a great opportunity to put your night photography

skills to the test by photographing a Lancaster bomber at night. The Lancaster
Bomber Just Jane Sunset and Night Shoot event takes place at the Lincolnshire
Aviation Heritage Centre, East Kirby, on 14th October at 5pm and is open to all
photographers. There will also be the opportunity to photograph re-enactors in
period costume. 2 EASY WAYS
TO SUBSCRIBE
The event will run until about 10pm, and the ticket also gives access to the
centre’s museum in the day. Tickets cost £75 but you can get £25 off by quoting the
code JJ141023 – book at bit.ly/lancastershoot. Places were still available at the
time of going to press, but are limited. Visit shop.kelsey.co.uk/
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Places are limited for the

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cover price plus postage. Offer ends 30 September 2023. Your subscription will start with
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www.amateurphotographer.co.uk
INTRODUCING
A N O VA P R O 3
T H E A L L - W E AT H E R P O W E R H O U S E
BE THE FIRST TO KNOW
12TH OCTOBER 2023

R O T O L I G H T. C O M / K I C K S TA R T E R
A stub of rainbow appeared on the horizon
© John Gilbey 2020
Country Diary Wales

Since 2006, one of the threads of my
freelance career has been contributing to
the ‘Country Diary’ column of The
Guardian newspaper, talking about the
by John Gilbey landscape and ecology of west Wales.

For well over a hundred years, the Diary
has collected impressions of the British
countryside from a variety of writers –
creating a vivid picture of the changing
£14.99, Graffeg Books (graffeg.com), hardcover, 160 pages, countryside and seasons.
ISBN: 9781802581997 Both newsprint and web pages are
fairly ephemeral, so I wanted to collect
Writer and photographer John Gilbey 50 of my Diary columns into the more
permanent form of a hardback book.
shares the process of putting together Finding a publisher seemed like a logical
first step, and I was lucky enough to get
his new book into conversation with the MD of
Books & exhibitions
The latest and best books and exhibitions
from the world of photography
Autumn Mawddach
© John Gilbey 2020
© GOHAR DASHTI
Breathing Space – Iranian
Women Photographers by
Grasses and sea thrift on the cliff top
© John Gilbey 2020
Anahita Ghabaian Etehadieh
£40, Thames & Hudson, hardback, 160
pages, ISBN: 9780500027158
Showcasing the work of 23 women
photographers from Iran, this book shows
off a diverse approach to their craft.
Topics in the book include past and
present upheavals in Iran, the nature of memory, the
tension between tradition and modernity and the
scars of conflict and loss. Some of the images are
documentary, while others are more conceptual in
nature – but all are powerfully shot and created.
Cadair Idris from above Cross Foxes The book is put together by the founder of the Silk
© John Gilbey 2020 Road Gallery in Tehran, Iran’s first gallery which is
dedicated to contemporary photography. The women
she has included in this book include Maryan Firuzi,
Shadi Ghadirian, Yalda Moaiery and Gohar Dashti,
whose image is shown above.
This beautiful book is a fantastic collection which
speaks to women’s desire to shape the world, and
highly recommended if you want to see something
from a different perspective than usual. Amy Davies
Face to Face: With the Great

independent publisher Graffeg Books. Snow covers the summit of Cadair Idris Apes by Anup Shah and Fiona
This eventually led to a contract, then © John Gilbey 2020
detailed discussions on how best to
Rogers
present the material. kept image editing to a minimum, to £45, teNeues, hardback, 176 pages, ISBN:
Choosing the images took a lot longer retain an authentic feeling and avoid 9783961714926
than assembling the text. Each Diary using currently fashionable techniques The ape is a popular photographic
column had around 300 original images – which inevitably age quickly. subject, not least because we can see
associated with it, with each needing to The publishing journey taught me a lot so much of ourselves in these
be considered and filtered until only about book production and presentation, wonderful animals.
three or four remained. Given the span as well as the value of working with In this book, 60 portraits of the great apes from
of time, several cameras delivered the specialist professionals. My book, two nature photographers show off the beauty and
images. My first DSLR, a Nikon D300, Country Diary Wales, is now available in fascination of chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans and
provided many of them; with later all good bookshops (as they say…) as bonobos all taken in the animals’ natural
columns using a Nikon D800. The well as the usual online sources. I hope environment. To achieve this, the photographers
mirrorless Canon EOS M also came in folk enjoy reading it as much as I have actually lived together with the apes in the jungle to
useful when the day was too energetic to enjoyed writing it and putting it together. build up a relationship of trust – the results are
want to haul a full DSLR kit around. I And now, on to the next project! astonishingly intimate. Amy Davies
Our favourite photos posted by readers
on our social media channels this week
of the week
Hot Pink by Stephen Powers
Nikon Z 7, Nikon Z 24-70mm f/4 S lens,
1/10sec at f/13, ISO 125
‘Many parts of the Peak District are very popular during
heather season, so I knew I had to arrive at this
particular spot early. The hour before dawn was quite
grey and uninspiring but I clung onto hope as a tiny gap
in the clouds appeared on the horizon. As the sun rose
into position, I was gifted five minutes of intense,
golden light, illuminating the carpet of pink heather.
Undoubtedly an image I will cherish for years to come.’
Instagram: @stephenpowersphoto
Twitter: @StephenPowers77
#appicoftheweek
*CONTENTS OF BAG NOT INCLUDED
Win! The AP Pic of the Week winner currently wins a

3 Legged Thing Toxic Valkyrie medium camera
backpack in Onyx Black*, worth £199.99! It is
packed with smart organisation features
including the ability to fit a laptop and tablet up
to 13in, a unique wet/dry pocket to
keep damp items separate from
camera gear, dividers with integral
pockets for small items, and
premium comfort with padded
straps and back panel.
www.3leggedthing.com
Final Days of Summer
by Greg Shaw
Canon EOS R6, Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II
USM, 1/800sec at f/2.8, ISO 100
‘This photo features a Japanese anemone highlighted

by the setting sun. The back-lit approach was chosen
to showcase the intricate details of the petals. The
inspiration for the shot was the unique way the evening
light interacted with the flower, creating a vivid and
eye-catching subject.’
Website: www.gregshaw.uk
We also
liked...
Peace by Deborah Hutt
Fujifilm X-S10, Fujinon XF 55-200mm F3.5-4.8
R LM OIS, 1/320sec at f/4.2, ISO 160
‘Catching this dove mid-flight was a happy accident.
I was in the garden playing with my new lens when I
noticed the dove watching me from the roof. Luckily
he was curious enough to fly down to have a look!’
Want to see your pictures here? Simply share them with our Flickr,
Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook communities using the hashtag
#appicoftheweek. Or you can email your best shot to us
at ap.ed@kelsey.co.uk. See page 3 for how to find us.
Technique CREATIVE ACTION SHOTS
Tips for mastering

creative action
photography
Moving subjects are among the trickiest and most fun to
photograph. With a little know-how, you can also get creative
with the action. Angela Nicholson explains
Master shutter speed hockey or tennis that use a stick, club amount of blur, potentially making for
A good understanding of shutter speed is or racquet, the sports equipment usually more interesting, atmospheric images.
the crux of action photography. Put simply, moves the fastest. This gives us the For motorsports, you’ll need around
shutter speed determines whether the opportunity to freeze the athlete’s body 1/1000sec for sharp shots, dropping to
movement will be frozen or blurred. But while their feet and/or racquet/stick is 1/125sec to capture some blur.
with a thorough understanding of it and blurred. If you want everything frozen,
your subject, you can control which action you’re likely to need shutter speeds of at Perfect your panning
is blurred and which is frozen. least 1/500sec, but dropping to around Panning is a nifty technique that can add
With sports involving running, for 1/250 or 1/125sec will introduce some blur some drama to action shots. It involves
instance, the athlete’s feet and hands move to the faster-moving parts of the scene. moving your camera in sync with a
faster than their body, and with sports like Lowering the shutter speed increases the moving subject while shooting at a
© CLAIRE JONES
Shooting at a shutter
speed of 1/50sec
enabled official
Northampton Saints
photographer Claire
Jones to blur the
movement of the
player’s legs and arms
while their body
remains sharp
Nikon Z 9, 70-200mm, 1/50sec
at f/2.8, ISO 200
© JOHN ROURKE
Shooting at a shutter
speed of just 1/6sec
ensured there’s plenty
of blur in this image,
but John Rourke’s
panning technique
means that the
centre of the subject
is sufficiently sharp
for it to be
recognisable. Overall,
there’s a sense of
speed and excitement
Sony A1, 150-500mm, 1/6sec
at f/22, ISO 100
relatively slow shutter speed so the
John Rourke: Look for angles

subject is sharp while the background
is beautifully blurred, giving a sensation
of movement or speed. Experienced
motorsports photographers can shoot at John Rourke is the director and chief photographer at Adrenal Media, an international
shutter speeds of around 1/15sec and get agency that specialises in capturing high-end imagery of motorsports. Adrenal Media is the
the subject sharp while the wheels of the Official Photography Agency for the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) World
vehicle and the background are blurred. Endurance Championship (WEC) and Le Mans Series (ELMS), including the world-famous
The tricky part is matching the speed Le Mans 24hr and the Michelin GT Le Mans Cup.
of your camera movement to that of the As the head of a creative agency that looks for innovative ways to capture action, John
subject. It’s also important to remember likes to push the boundaries beyond the usual ‘straight’ shots of motorsport. He shoots on
that as you get closer, or use longer lenses, Sony cameras, relying on his years of experience to find the perfect shooting position. This
the apparent speed of the subject goes image was captured using the Tamron 150-500mm f/5.6-6.7 Di III VXD at 500mm using a
up and they zip across the frame much shutter speed of 1/100sec and aperture of f/6.7 and ISO 50. Thanks to John’s positioning
quicker. This can be countered by using a and the A1’s excellent continuous autofocus capability, the front rider exiting the corner is
faster shutter speed, maybe 1/125sec, but sharp. However, the two riders behind who are still going into the corner are blurred.
when you’re starting out, it’s easier to start
with slower and more distant subjects that
are easier to follow in the viewfinder.
Select the right shutter

Although many cameras offer faster
continuous-shooting rates when their
electronic shutter is used instead of the
mechanical shutter, with some cameras the
electronic shutter needs to be used with
care when photographing fast-moving
subjects. The problem is that not all
cameras have fast enough readout speeds
to keep up with the action and this can
lead to distortion, with the bottom of the
subject appearing further ahead in the
frame than the top part. Of course, this can
be used to creative effect, especially when
combined with panning to give a comic-
book-like appearance with the subject
appearing to lean backwards because of the
© JOHN ROURKE
G-force, but if you want to avoid it, make

sure that you’ve set the camera to use
the mechanical shutter.
Technique CREATIVE ACTION SHOTS
Shoot in manual-exposure colour advertising hoardings, but it can shadows and highlights that add depth to
mode also add impact to motorsports images, your images.
Although shutter speed is the most critical especially when the subject is coming over
factor in determining the degree of the brow of a hill or around a corner. Shoot at sunset
sharpness or blur in your image, and there Landscape photographers are drawn to
are times when it might be helpful to use Off-camera flash sunrise and sunset because the low sun
shutter-priority mode, shooting in Off-camera flash can introduce a whole and colourful sky give their images more
manual-exposure mode gives you control new dynamic to your action shots. The impact. The same is valid for sport and
of the depth of field as well. In many beauty of using an off-camera flash lies action photography; combining it with
instances, a wide aperture is desirable to in your control over the direction and flash to illuminate your subject will take
isolate the subject from its background. It’s intensity of the light. By strategically your images to a new level. However, the
especially useful for football and rugby positioning the flash, you can highlight conditions change quickly around dawn
matches where the players are in front of your subject while creating interesting and sunset, so it’s important to set
Patrícia Machado: Think small

© PATRICIA MACHADO
Sony A7 III, 90mm,

1/250sec at f/19,
Not all action has to be big or outdoors – you can create action images indoors at home or ISO 200
in a studio. Patrícia Machado is a Portuguese photographer who lives in Paris. She uses a
Miops Splash Water Drop Kit to release drops of water and fire her flash automatically when
she presses the shutter release on her Sony A7 III. She positions the Miops Splash above
a glass of water sitting in a bowl, with a large diffuser behind to create the background. It’s
all lit by her Godox flashgun, which is directed towards a white wall behind the diffuser so
everything is bathed in soft reflected and diffused light.
There are several aspects to consider when shooting water splashes created by two water
droplets. The first drop needs to generate the initial splash with which you want the second
drop to interact. Consequently, you need to find the settings for each droplet to give the
effect you want. You may also have to adjust the timing of the flash to capture the splash.
Fortunately, a Miops smartphone app makes it easy to adjust the settings, but you can expect
to spend 10-15 minutes or more changing the settings until you start to get what you want.
Patricia adds food colouring, washing up liquid and a sugar-based thickening agent to water
to create droplets of different colours.
16
© CAROLE ZIMMERMAN
Carole Zimmerman
was at a Kung Fu
show in China and
felt her high shutter
speed images didn’t
really capture the
event’s energy, so
she dropped the
exposure to 1/20sec
for this image
Canon EOS 7D Mark II, 24-105mm,
1/20sec at f/4.5, ISO 2000
Lorenz positioned two flashes behind this satellite dish to make it stand out
© LORENZ HOLDER
everything up in good time. The principle from the darkness and create a silhouette of the snowboarder. He relied on
the flash to freeze the movement
is the same as when shooting at night, but
Canon EOS 5D Mark II, Zeiss Distagon T* 18mm f/1.5 ZE, 4sec at f/3.5, ISO 1000
you’ll need a slightly faster shutter speed to
Lorenz Holder:
get the ambient exposure looking good.
Lorenz Holder recommends closing
the aperture down a little to ensure the
background looks real rather than like a
studio backdrop. He usually aims to make
use slow-sync
the background about 2EV darker than
the subject, but it depends upon the scene,
flash
and he uses the image on the back of the When a shoulder injury put Lorenz Holder’s
camera to check he’s getting the promising snowboarding career on hold,
desired result. he picked up a camera to photograph his
friends in action, and he’s not looked back.
His fine-art sports images have landed him
contracts with commercial clients looking for
Sony A7 III, 90mm, impactful pictures and he’s now a Canon
1/200sec at f/13, Europe Ambassador.
ISO 160 Lorenz loves to shoot at night and use
flash to freeze his subject, while a long
exposure allows the detail of the
surroundings to register in the image. He’ll
sometimes also use additional flash units
to illuminate other parts of the scene.
Lorenz sets the sensitivity (ISO) and
aperture to expose his subject correctly
with the flash while giving the depth of field Lorenz used flash to illuminate and freeze
he wants. With that done, he then adjusts the skateboarder here. At the same time,
the shutter speed to get the exposure he a shutter speed of 1/100sec at ISO 1250
wants for the background. Extending the ensured that the Canon EOS R5 recorded
© PATRICIA MACHADO
exposure time brightens the background the atmospheric details of the Natural
History Museum
but doesn’t affect the subject because the
flash dictates that.
17
Technique
© LORENZ HOLDER
Consider colour
One of Lorenz Holder’s key
considerations when photographing action
is colour. Ensuring the athletes’ clothing
contrasts with their surroundings adds
extra pop to an image.
Emphasise movement with

multiple exposures
How do you define action? Does it have to
be high-octane and fast-moving? Shooting
multiple-exposure images is an excellent
way of making more of slower movements
and transforming everyday scenes into
action shots.
Janina Wilde set her Canon EOS 80D
Above: The colourful
to multiple-exposure mode to composite
buildings have lots
four images into one while she was at the of impact, with the
Victoria and Albert Museum Photography diagonal lines of the
Centre. Shooting handheld means there’s staircase drawing the
also some movement in the background, eye to the top right
but this adds to the sense of action. Red was an obvious choice corner while the red
for the rider’s top in this shirt ensures the rider
stands out boldly from
© JANINA WILDE
predominantly blue scene,

while the white hat and the blue sky
trousers also stand out well
and match the bike, making
for a very stylish image
© PETER MURRELL
Janina used a base exposure of 1/30sec at
f/2.8 and ISO 800 for her four images that
were combined in-camera to create a sense of
bustle in the V&A’s busy Photography Centre
Left: Shooting in
black & white can
© JANINA WILDE
sometimes help tell

your story more
clearly and make the
action more apparent
Nikon D700, 50mm, 1/15sec
at f/16, ISO 200mm
© LORENZ HOLDER
A shutter speed of 1/20sec has captured

four handheld images with blurred
backgrounds, while faster-moving people
are recorded very faintly
Use the whole scene

Action photography often centres around
a small section of the scene and we’re Left: Adding context
to a scene can bring
frequently concerned with getting ‘close’ to it to life and offer a
the subject with a telephoto lens. However, creative perspective
sometimes the landscape can inject extra Canon EOS 5D Mark III, 24-70mm,
interest to the image, and rather than 1/640sec at f/8, ISO 500
framing the action tightly with a long lens
or going in close, stepping back and using a demonstrates the point perfectly. It’s a reflection. However, as a landscape image,
wider optic has more impact. beautiful autumnal scene with perfectly it’s calling out for something to give extra
This image by Lorenz Holder smooth water delivering a mirror-like focus. Lorenz saw the potential for an
18
Jaime De Diego
likes to have strong
contrast in his
images. In this shot,
the rider and the
spray he’s creating
are brightly
illuminated, injecting
extra drama
© JAIME DE DIEGO
Canon EOS-1D X Mark II,
70-200mm, 1/5000sec at
f/6.3, ISO 800
© LORENZ HOLDER
Jaime De Diego:
action image and got a cyclist to pull a
stunt on the brow of the bridge. Using a
Work with the landscape
low angle and shooting along the water Jaime De Diego is a Canon Europe
towards the bridge with a shutter speed of Ambassador and one of Spain’s most
1/640sec at f/8 and ISO 500, ensures that successful action photographers. He’s shot
the action is frozen and the cyclist is campaigns for brands such as Adidas, Nike,
perfectly silhouetted against the bright BMW, Triumph, Under Armour, New Balance
sky (and in the reflection). and Red Bull, and photographed an impressive
line-up of athletes.
Look for the light The location and composition are two of
It’s easy to get lost in the moment of the the most essential aspects for Jaime’s
action, but light is just as important in photography. Whenever he visits a new area,
action photography as it is in any other he keeps his eyes peeled for potential shoot
genre. Whether you’re setting up a shot or sites. He also makes use of features such as
waiting for the action to come along, take the horizon and the sun’s position to draw
a look at the position of the sun and see attention to his subject and make his images
where it is falling in the scene. Your image more dynamic. He might adopt a low position,
will have much more impact if the subject for example, and photograph his subjects on
is in a patch of sunlight than it does if it’s the horizon so they stand out boldly from their
in shadow. If the sun is behind the clouds, surroundings. And if the sun is low in the sky,
wait for it to appear (or consider using he sometimes includes it in the frame with the
flash), and if there are patches of light athlete appearing to interact with it.
© JAIME DE DIEGO
between the shade created by trees, prepare

to shoot when the subject reaches the
sunny spot. In some cases, you could
pre-focus on the area so you’re ready Above: Jaime shot this image for Runner’s World magazine and needed something striking for
for when the composition is perfect. the cover – but he also had to keep space for text in mind. He shot with his Canon EOS-1D X
Mark II at a low angle as the runner appears to leap over the sun in the background while
holding a running pose. Canon EOS-1D X Mark II, 70-200mm, 1/2000sec at f/7.1, ISO 250
© JAIME DE DIEGO
Capturing the motorcyclist as they move

along the horizon in a pool of light adds
impact to Jaime’s image
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV with EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM at 70mm,
1/5000sec, f/6.3, ISO 800
© VIVIENNE BECK
Vivienne was in Dublin with her late husband,

and as he pushed her along the cobbled
streets in a wheelchair, she shot long-
exposure images to capture the forward
movement and vibration from the cobbles
for more interesting photographs
Canon EOS 5D Mark II, 28-135mm, 1.3sec at f/20, ISO 160
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Amateur
Photographer
of the Year
In association with MPB
Here are the top ten images uploaded to Photocrowd

from Round Seven, Street, with comments by the AP
team and our guest judge 2
Round Seven 1
Street
Life on the street comes in every possible colour, sight,
sound and texture, and it’s no wonder so many
photographers throughout the decades have been
compelled to capture it. From the quirky to the classic,
almost every human experience can be found on the
street, and it’s there to be captured by the keen-eyed
among us, who have developed the ability to observe,
anticipate and react to the action – often with split-
second precision.
We always say it, but it’s a tricky genre to master. It
takes nerve and perseverance (you might end up being
challenged as to why you’re taking pictures, and you’ll
almost certainly end up with more duds than not), but
the rewards are plenty when everything does come
together in that one moment – and in that one frame.
This month’s top ten images demonstrate that carrying
your camera with you at all times pays dividends.
1 Sue Woodbridge UK 100pts

Fujifilm X100V, 23mm, 1/500sec at f/8, ISO 1000
Sue’s humorous shot was the outright winner this
month, with eight of the nine judges placing her
well-captured frame in their top ten. She says herself
that she did a double-take when she noticed the scene
– and the same went for the judges, too. For a split
second, you’re not sure what you’re looking at, and then
it all comes together as your brain makes sense of
what it’s looking at. Sue has placed herself in exactly
the right spot to ensure maximum surreal effect, as
even a few inches to the left or right would have
rendered the vignette ineffective. The young man in the
background, with his knowing look, adds to the overall
success of the shot, and the fact that Sue captured it
without either of the two women noticing is testament
to her skill and reaction times.
22
2 Tommaso Carrara UK 90pts
Leica Q2, 28mm, 1/250sec atf/11, ISO 320
Unlike many of the images in this
month’s top ten, Tommaso had a little
time to compose his shot, and in doing
so he has ensured that every element in
the frame plays its part. The viewer’s eye
cannot go anywhere other than straight to
the cat, lying in its sunlit rectangle, but
outside of that we have multiple other
rectangles repeated throughout the
composition, and each one is perfectly
placed. It might have been tempting to go
closer, but in doing so much of the
subtlety and nuance of the shot would
have been lost. Definitely more than just
a cat picture. Well done.
3 Bogdan Zarkowski UK 80pts

Canon EOS R, 24-240mm at 25mm, 1/250sec at f/16, ISO 800
Bogdan has done a fabulous job of exploiting the
contrasting light in this scene. The strip of sunlight falling
on the woman’s face is a huge stroke of luck that Bogdan
did well to capture. Her eye, looking straight at the camera,
catching out the photographer, gives the shot power and an
intensity that wouldn’t exist if she’d been looking away. The
way the rest of her face and her cigarette-holding hand falls
into silhouette adds further tension to the scene. Even
though the background is quite busy, it doesn’t detract at
all from the overall image, but instead gives it context. A
powerful image that leaves the viewer wanting to know
more about its subject.
23
APOY 2023
4 Vincent Villeger UK
70pts
Leica Q2, 28mm, 1/500sec at f/7.1, ISO 1600
Often, successful street
photography is about
juxtapositions, and that’s
very much the case with
Vincent’s coming together of
yellow in this frame. There’s
also the incongruity of the
billboard against the bright
ponchos to add into the
successful mix. Good shot.
5 Tommaso Carrara
UK 0pts
Leica M11, 28mm, 1/1250sec at f/2, ISO 64
This image transports the
viewer straight into the
scene. We can feel the hard
bus-stop bench and join the
man in his gaze across the
road. The presumably lost
soft toy and dumped drinks
bottle all add to the sense
of melancholy.
5
IN ASSOCIATION WITH
Winning kit
from MPB
The gear our winners used
can be found at MPB
6 The Leica Q2 was a popular camera
in this round, with our second-, fourth-
6 Vica Bogaerts Vietnam 50pts bag, but it’s the kind of luck that street and sixth-placed images all shot using
Leica Q2, 28mm, 1/250sec at f/8, ISO 100 photographers create for themselves, simply one. This full-frame compact features
In this apparently simple but cleverly by ensuring their camera is to hand when the a 47.3MP full-frame CMOS sensor,
composed shot, a trail of flowers appears to opportunity for a great shot arises. Vica was 28mm f/1.7 optically stabilised lens, a
be flowing from the person’s bicycle. It’s a also fortunate that the cyclist is the only 3.68m-dot OLED viewfinder and dust-
stroke of luck that the colour of the flowers is person in the shot, as it’s likely that anyone and splash-resistant construction. Our
echoed in the individual’s shirt and shopping else would have formed a distraction. technical editor said it ‘is an absolute
joy to shoot with, thanks to its intuitive
ROUND SEVEN WINNER, YOUNG APOY analogue controls, excellent viewfinder
and superbly implemented manual
focus’. It can be found at MPB for
between £3,249 and £3,939.
In third place, Bogdan Zarkowski
used a Canon EOS R. The
manufacturer’s first full-frame camera
features a 30.3MP CMOS sensor, ISO
100-40,000, and 5,655 selectable
autofocus positions, and was the first
model in the EOS R system to be built
around the new RF lens mount. When
it was reviewed in AP, it was said to
deliver ‘stunning images that are on
par with those you’ll get out of the EOS
5D Mark IV’. Pick up the Canon EOS R
at MPB for between £874 and £944.
The Fujifilm XF23mmF2 R WR,
used by Lloyd Hunter in eighth place,
received five stars when reviewed in
AP. This lens is weather-resistant,
constructed to an exceptionally high
standard, is both quiet and fast when
focusing and is constructed from ten
glass elements arranged in six groups
– two of which are aspherical. Its
review concluded, ‘Those who settle
Yousef Naser Mohamed Egypt 100pts for it won’t be disappointed by its build
Unknown quality or performance.’ Find it at MPB
A fabulously atmospheric shot from Yousef, where his shooting position has for between £279 and £359.
meant the raking light has captured the dust being kicked up by the horses’
hooves beautifully. This same light highlights the man’s robes and turban and, To browse the extensive range of
most importantly, his pensive pose and expression. stock at MPB, visit www.mpb.com
7 Max Dobens Spain 45pts
Nikon D780, 28-300mm at 40mm, 1/160sec at f/18, ISO 160
Another image that makes the most of graphic shapes, and
light and shade, this shot is simply composed – making the
most of the thirds – and is all the better for its restricted
colour palette. Waiting for just the right person to come
along has paid dividends, as a photograph of someone
dressed simply in jeans and a T-shirt almost certainly
wouldn’t have made the pick. The viewer is left wanting to
know who this smartly dressed individual is and where they
are going once they step out of the illuminated rectangle.
7
8 Lloyd Hunt UK 40pts
Fujifilm X-T30, 23mm, 1/500sec at f/11, ISO 1000 8
Lloyd has captured a brilliant
cacophony of colour in this scene,
where there’s a lot going on but at no
point does it feel confusing. It makes
the viewer want to jump into the chaos
and fun – and begs the question why
there’s a huge beach ball wedged into
the bus stop entrance. (Answer: it was
a street party in Plymouth.) The little
boy is making the most of the
mayhem, and little touches such as
his shoes echoing so many of the
bright colours help complete the
success of this shot.
9 Anna Lohmann UK 35pts

9 iPhone 12, 1/35sec at f/1.6, ISO 320
Guest judge Peter Dench
says:
‘I don’t usually applaud a
photograph that captures
another creative gag unless
the photograph elevates it and, in this
instance, escalates it. An escalator gives
us time to stand and scrutinise those
descending beside us or standing in front.
It’s a welcome pause in the daily tumult.
I find it impossible not to smile at this
image and I can imagine the photographer’s
impulsive grin and stoop to capture. It’s an
image that could easily fail, too many lines
to align coming from too many directions.
The smile and frown from the life socks
perfectly echo the curve of the trouser hem
and red All Star stripe. The softness of the
socks contrast with the metallic teeth of the
steps. It’s an image that sums up life, and
in many ways, judging this competition. One
can choose to frown or turn it upside down.’
To see more images from APOY Round Seven and Young APOY, visit www.amateurphotographer.com/APOY
IN ASSOCIATION WITH
The 2023
leaderboards
Out of nowhere, last year’s winner
Tommaso Carrara has rocketed to the
top of the leaderboard, thanks to his
90-point-earning second-placed image.
With three more rounds to go, and only
60 points separating first and tenth
places, it’s quite possible that even
more changes will take place between
now and the end of the competition. In
Young APOY, Yousef Naser Mohamed
has a strong lead, while in the camera
club category – what can we say? It’s
going to take a lot for Launceston
Camera Club to do anything but take
the win for the third time.
APOY
10 1 Tommaso Carrara 190
2 Laura Allegri 180
10 Damien Walmsley UK 30pts 3= Boris Bekelman 160
Apple iPhone 13 Pro, 14mm, 1/100sec at f/1.8, ISO 40
3= John Seager 160
A disconcertingly vertiginous image that plays with the viewer’s perceptions
because it is, in fact, a shot looking up at people’s reflections in a mirror in 5 Kirsty Dolphin 150
Marseille’s Vieux Port. Damien’s careful composition makes sense of a very 6 Lynn Fraser 145
busy scene, anchoring the lower part of the frame with the shadow of a 7= Bogdan Zarkowski 140
structure of some sort. But the stars of the show are all the figures and their
shadows. Nearly each one is separate from the next, with no overlapping, which 7= Charles Edward Ashton 140
keeps things coherent and ensures the shadows don’t block up. Overall, there’s 7= Peyman Naderi 140
a Lowry-esque quality to the whole scene that’s extremely pleasing.
10= Mark Letheren 130
10= Nguyen Tan Tuan 130
CAMERA CLUB COMPETITION
YOUNG APOY
Cliff Spooner
UK 10pts 1 Yousef Naser Mohamed 335
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, 2 Shadab Ishtiyak 240
70-200mm at 140mm, 3= Ahmed Ashraf Fareed 220
1/500sec at f/2.8, ISO 250
Flying the flag for 3= Hugo Salvador García 220
Hereford 5 Maddison Foreman 180
Photographic
6 Moataz Mahmoud Soliman 155
Society, Cliff’s
contrasty shot 7 Andrei Megan 145
makes excellent 8 Emily-May Stephenson 140
use of a tighter
frame, and is well 9= Finn Hanley 135
timed, with the 9= Jamie Spensley 135
unimpressed- 11= Luke Dale-Henderson 110
looking woman
just peering out 11= Matteo Botta 110
from under her
umbrella. Cliff has CAMERA CLUBS
earned ten points 1 Launceston Camera Club 725
for his camera
club – and you 2 Plymouth Camera Club 350
can do the same 3 Kempsey Camera Club 240
by clicking on the 4 Visions 120
dropdown menu
when you upload 5= Stafford PS 110
your images. 5= Truro Camera Club 110
ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE
A sporting chance
of success
The prestigious World Sports Photography Awards now has an
amateur category – find out more about entering, along with tips
for success from a previous winner of the competition
S
ports and action
photography is a very
creatively rewarding genre,
and one that encompasses
a wide range of skillsets. As well
as split-second timing to ensure
you get the goal being scored or
a ball rocketing off a racquet, you
need to be able to keep the main
subject sharp and well exposed, and
the composition nice and tidy – a
particular challenge given all that
may be going on in the background
or around you in the crowd.
Once you have taken the images,
you may also be wondering what
you can do with them. Unless you
are very lucky, only well-established
sports photographers, usually
accredited to some kind of media
organisation, will get widely
© KEVIN KIELTY
‘Wave Hello High Five’ by Kevin Kielty
published, or enjoy a massive
won Gold in the amateur category
social-media following.
Meanwhile, Issac Buay got in the This shouldn’t put you off taking
amateur top 10 with this image, sport and action images for your
‘Wrestling for Peace’. So own pleasure and satisfaction, of
it doesn’t need to be a big course, but another great option is
stadium shot to enter them into a competition.
As you will see in our bigger feature
on page 54, the World Sports
Photography Awards is an obvious
one to enter.
The organisers of this prestigious
competition, which is sponsored
by MPB, have introduced an
amateur category, which opened
on 4 September and closes on 4
October. You can enter up
to three images in the Amateur
category, and entry is free – register
at wspa.awardsplatform.com.
Good sports
The wider competition, which is also
sponsored by MPB, is the only global
© ISAAC BUAY
competition for sport photography,

and the last contest attracted entries
Tips for success
Top cycling photographer James Startt
has won a total of five awards in the World
Sports Photography Awards. He shares
some tips for success.
1 I have a masters in art history and studied

photography academically too, so even though
I focus on sports, you can learn a lot from studying
the formal qualities of photography. For example,
making the most of light and using elements at the
edges of the frame to help tell the story.
© PAWEL WILCZYNSKI
Sharp eyes and perfect timing

paid off for Pawel Wilczynski,
also in the amateur top 10 2 While subject sharpness is important, depending
on your intention, don’t be afraid to try more
creative appraoches, such as creative blur.
from more than 700 photographers

from all over the world. Across
photography, but that makes it even
more satisfying if you succeed. Even 3 Think carefully about balance and checking the
four corners of the frame to ensure what is there
is helping tell the story, or adds to the overall image.
multiple sporting disciplines, the if you don’t enter – but we hope
awards feature some of the world’s you do – it is well worth checking When I shoot a bike race, I am creating a ‘stage.’
4
most famous athletes at iconic out the competition winners for If you shoot a bike race in a historic or interesting
sporting events, but you can also do ideas and inspiration. location, scout it out beforehand to get the best
well with images of more low-key Whether you are shooting the locations to shoot from (see image below). The
local events. FA Cup final or a local five-a-side, location is then a key element of the ‘stage.’
The standard is high, as the World the skills of sport photography
Sports Photography Awards are
judged by a panel of high-profile
don’t change. Go along to www.
worldsportsphotographyawards.com 5 I’ve used a wide range of lenses, but now tend to
favour a 70-20mm f/2.8 as it’s so versatile for
action and sports. I have gone back to 50mm lenses
individuals, from sports, media and for more details.
too, as they have a unique look in the right
conditions, or will use wider lenses when necessary.
The categories
With 25 categories in this year’s World Sports Photography
Awards, there are many creative avenues to explore
© JAMES STARTT/AGENCE ZOOM/ROULEUR MAGAZINE
l American Football l Boxing l Ice Hockey Tennis etc)

l Aquatic (ie l Cricket l Martial Arts l Rugby
Swimming, Diving, l Cycling l Motor Sports l Tennis
Synchronised l Equestrian (excluding F1) l Urban and extreme
Swimming, Water l Esports l Other (ie Field
Hockey, Lacrosse, l Water (ie
Polo etc) l Football (Soccer) Paddleboarding,
Darts etc)
l Athletics l Formula 1 Surfing,
l Racquet sports (ie
l Baseball l Golf Tennis, Badminton, Water-skiing etc) This beautifully composed image won James a Gold award
l Basketball l Gymnastics Squash, Table l Winter in the World Sports Photography Awards
Another top ten winner,

Sydney Smith, nailed this
decisive moment About MPB
MPB is the largest global platform to buy,
sell and trade used photo and video kit.
MPB is not a marketplace. We buy
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evaluate all items before reselling MPB-approved kit. Our
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We promote sustainability, diversity and inclusion in
everything we do. Our business model is 100% circular,
all packaging is plastic-free and our cloud-based
© SYDNEY SMITH
platform using 100% renewable electricity. Every year we

recirculate over 485,000 cameras, lenses and
accessories. See mpb.com
29
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Will Cheung’s comparison
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writing from the publishers. Note to contributors: articles was both very helpful and
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Where photographs are included, which are not the purchased DxO PureRAW.
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www.kelsey.co.uk Fred Wilkinson took this great shot of a local women’s football match grain. Not very helpful!
YOUR LETTERS
Coolpix praise
Your excellent article on
modern vintage
overlooked the Nikon Improve
your
Coolpix 4500 from 2002.
This camera was part of
photography
the legendary 950-995
line-up featuring the
unique swivel body.
Tom Bog sent in this noise-reduction comparison My Nikon was carefully
stored away in a camera with a subscription to
A free trial of Topaz Martin Reed tribute bag. Powering up the Amateur Photographer
DeNoise AI was too good I was very sad to read of camera proved difficult as
to miss, and it gives the death, far too young, the battery connections
remarkably good results of Martin Reed, the had rusted. However the
with silver-based images, founder of what used to direct power connection
no special treatment be the best supplier of all worked and with the help
required. things analogue. of an extension power
Topaz can show faint I still have a few of the lead, I went into the
artefacts in large empty very informative garden to take some
areas as Will notes, but catalogues that are just pictures.
are easily removed with a too good to throw away. The controls were easy
dash of Photoshop. Note Silverprint, very often to use but the response
DxO apparently only offers Martin himself, would time was sluggish
‘High Quality’ for non-Raw, always help with advice. It compared to modern
so missing out on its would be fitting for AP to cameras. The onboard
more advanced compile a profile of the flash springs up over the
treatments. man and his company in lens and care is needed,
A colour transparency of appreciation of his as when used it may
the Festival Hall showed achievement. overpower the picture.
zero grain with Topaz, and Charlie Robinson The on-board screen and
no artefacts, whereas DxO viewfinders are small and
gave no improvement. The Ian Berry’s Water there is some guesswork
comparison (see image Please could you thank involved in framing the
above) showed Peter Dench for his subject. My next problem
remarkable Topaz wonderful feature about was transferring the
sharpness even though Ian Berry’s new images from the large
I dialled down its detail photography book, Water. CompactFlash card. This
settings. Very impressive. I immediately purchased was solved using my
SAVE
So I recommend giving one through Barton Books Canon EOS 5D Mark IV
Topaz a trial if, like me, in Penzance... and it is a which has the necessary
some of your library is too masterpiece, up there with slot and connects to my
spotty for easy viewing. Salgado. The photography, iPhone13. Success! The UP TO
49% *
Tom Borg the descriptions/copy, and Coolpix was a favourite
the printing are quite camera and was well
Top Trump exceptional, and the loved. Thank you for
The Donald Trump images are so very allowing me to revisit this
mugshot is a great photo. moving. It is what gem of a digital camera
He almost certainly photography is all about! which is still a delight to
rehearsed it, but the David R Morgan use. Damien Walmsley
Fulton County Sheriff’s
2 EASY WAYS
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Better sport &
Mini Guide action photos
32 pages of advice, tips and
inspiration to pull out and keep PLUS
Sport
on film
Shooting
Pro tips women’s
Expert tips for better action football
photos in every genre
Taking sport
seriously
How to make money from
sports photography
WSPA shots
Winning shots from World
Sports Photography Awards
Shoot action
on the cheap
The best low-cost options
for sports photography
Technique ACTION SUBJECTS
Ahead of
the game
From cars and planes to sport and wildlife,
AP speaks to professional photographers
working day-to-day with fast-moving
subjects to find out how they keep up with
the action and capture standout shots
Richard Heathcote
Richard is an award-winning Getty Images staff sports
photographer with over 25 years’ experience, covering World Cups,
Olympics, and other major sporting events. He loves new
technology and embracing the use of it to create better images.
See more at www.richardheathcote.com, www.gettyimages.com
and @rheathcote on Instagram and Twitter.
Camera settings
Keep your depth of field shallow. I generally shoot
wide open all the time unless I’m doing a wide
angle and want lots in focus or I’m using a slow
shutter speed and I need the aperture closed
down to get the exposure right. A shallow depth of
field makes your subject pop, it helps backgrounds
melt away and can create nice highlights to make
images more interesting. Use shutter speeds to
be creative – if you want to freeze a subject you
need to use fast shutter speeds such as
1/2000sec. As digital cameras have developed
over the years, image sensors have become
bigger, so we have found the need to use faster
shutter speeds to have the same effect 1/500sec
used to have on film.
Know your subject

Know your subject, this cannot be underestimated. If you want good pictures from a
sport, you need to understand that sport and know its athletes. Which way does a
certain striker typically run when they celebrate a goal? Which side does a pole
vaulter turn when they go over the bar? Which athlete has long hair that makes an
interesting shape when they are in action? What’s the racing line when a car goes
around a bend? Doing research and anticipating what could or should happen will
increase your chances of getting a great shot. There is always an element of luck
and the unknown with sports photography, but the best photographers increase their
chances by planning in advance.
KIT LIST
Fast telephoto
lenses
Sports photography is
better with longer, large-
aperture lenses. A sports
photographer’s main two
lenses are typically a
400mm f/2.8 and a
70-200mm f/2.8. They are
not cheap and a 400mm is
not something you would
use frequently if you are not
shooting sport. A fast
aperture of f/2.8 helps
throw the background out
of focus and with a lot of
sport indoors or under
floodlights at night it’s also
important to keep your ISO
lower and therefore your
image quality up.
Bag or belt
Find a comfortable way to
carry your gear if you’re out
walking with it. We spend
many long days outside
shooting golf, athletics and
winter sports, and you need
to carry the gear you need,
but have it handy when you
need it fast. Some
Panning photographers like the
and light This is an age-old technique used by motorsport waist-style belts, some
prefer easy-access
This is a simple photographers that has become a useful tool for many
photography tip that different sports. Here a noisy, colourful background backpacks. Personally I like
improves everyone’s becomes your friend because the colours and lights a shoulder bag that I wear
pictures regardless of blur to make interesting shapes. Experiment with like a sling.
genre or subject. I’m different shutter speeds. It will vary depending on the
always looking where subject – it may be as slow as 1/8sec once you have Phone apps
the light should be at perfected the technique. The key to a good pan is to Finally, the other piece of
a certain time of day make sure the main part of your subject is sharp, so kit I use a lot is a phone
– for example, when with a person put the AF point where you want the head app that tells me where the
are the nice long to be in the frame and keep it there as you pan. Use sun will be at certain times
shadows cast across image stabilisation and panning assist functions if your of the day.
the track? That’s camera has them, to help drop the shutter even lower.
when to shoot. Is my
background not Auto Focus settings
distracting from Cameras are becoming cleverer and smarter at
looking at the subject detecting what your subject is, so use this to your
– for example, bright advantage. With my current Canon EOS R3 bodies I can
yellow stewards’ switch between different subject types and scenarios
jackets, empty seats, and track right down to the eye. Use this eye detect
massive LED focus in the right situation like a single athlete in
screens? Keeping action, or a simple portrait – getting the eye sharp is
your images nice and the most important thing. When you have a bigger
clean will make your group of players, then subject tracking helps to keep
pictures stand out you on the person you want in focus. The AF patterns
above the rest. are there to make sure your subject is sharp in the part
of the frame you want them. Experiment with the
different AF patterns to see what suits you: everyone
is different and it’s possible to customise cameras to
exactly how you want to use them.
Amy Shore
Amy is an automotive and lifestyle
photographer, photographing some of the
world’s most iconic vehicles and the
adventures with them. Find her on
Instagram @amyshorephotography or
www.iamshore.com
Continuous autofocus
Use continuous autofocus when cars or bikes are about to blast past you at
speed, or especially if you have managed to get an exciting corner spot to shoot
from – the last thing you want to worry about is focusing on your subject. On my
Nikon Z 9, the clever auto tracking recognises cars and bikes, which helps when
I’m composing the image in frame rather than in post edit but using the
continuous focus on any camera you shoot with will be just fine. My personal Overshoot
preference is to use a single focus point in the lower end of the frame to give These skills take
myself a lot of sky to play with and adjust my crop afterwards. practice and a lot of
failed attempts. Shoot,
shoot, shoot! Don’t be
disheartened if you take
100 shots and find that
only two are in focus.
Slow shutter shots take
a long time to master
– something I’m still
working on myself!
Trying to understand
that balance between
lenses, proximity and
speed is a delicate one
and it changes in every
situation, so just keep
at it and experiment.
Start by practising
panning shots by
standing on the side of
a road or a track and
work on mastering the
motion of following the
car or bike through your
Play with your shutter speeds viewfinder, and then
If you use a monopod or have a steady hand, you’ll be able to get some awesome slowly begin dropping
shots with a super-slow shutter speed, like 1/20sec. I have neither, so I tend to the shutter speed and
shoot at 1/80sec! This is all dependent on how fast your subject is moving, how far raising the f-stop.
away from your subject you physically are, and how much motion blur you want.
KIT LIST
Use your
body Nikon Z 9
If you’re doing panning This is my go-to camera and
shots of a car or bike, the best camera I’ve ever
widen your stance, lean used. The intelligent auto
your elbows on subject tracking of subjects
something if you can makes shooting fast things a
(even your own legs if lot easier.
you’re in a squat) and
keep a solid position.
Aim to twist just your
Nikkor 70-200mm
upper body and to have f/2.8
control of it, to have Especially if you shoot a lot of
more of a chance of track stuff, this is a fantastic
getting that shot in lens for subjects you
focus. If you’re physically can’t get close to;
attempting the trickier and the longer focal length
car-to-car tracking, use helps with panning.
your legs as
suspension. Use your Holdfast
thighs to absorb any
road bumps. It’s
MoneyMaker
sometimes easier to harness
simply find a very I wear this harness for 99% of
smooth road instead! my shoots as it allows me to
Tracking can be shoot the same situation
dangerous so do make twice, on two prime lenses,
sure you have taken without the worry of dropping
appropriate safety a camera.
measures such as
wearing a harness.
Don’t worry about getting the

whole car in focus
As long as you have one point of the car in focus,
that’s all you need. With panning shots, the closer
you are to your subject with a wider lens, the less
of the entire car you will have in focus, so just aim
to get the important bits in focus. Headlights, front
badge, or wheels. If you want to have the entire
car in focus, you will need to use a longer lens and
stand further away. Shooting slow shutter things
often mean that your aperture will always be high,
so all you have to make sure of is that the end of
your lens and the subject you’re shooting are
always connected.
Danny Green
Danny is based in Leicestershire, UK. His images are widely
published, and he has won many awards for his images over the
years in some of the leading competitions. He co-owns Natures
Images which specialises in running tours in the UK and
overseas. See more at www.dannygreenphotography.com and
natures-images.co.uk
Choose the right location

We are blessed in the UK as we support some of the most important seabird
colonies in Europe. Visiting a seabird colony during the summer can be fantastic
for trying to capture these fast-flying birds in flight. At first you can be
overwhelmed by the sheer volume of birds but watching and observing you can
pick out the flight path of an individual bird. Puffins fly in fast when carrying a
beak-full of sand eels, but they never land first time and usually just do a fly-by to
check if the coast is clear. Try to follow it as it goes back out to sea and then you
will find it easier to track it with your autofocus as it heads back.
Predicting your
subject
Most wildlife subjects are
creatures of habit and by
studying your subjects over a
period of time you can predict
when they would be likely to show Pre-focus
themselves. Barn owls are mainly Some subjects are just too fast for you to
nocturnal and hunt at night but stand any chance of tracking them with the
they can sometimes be seen autofocus on a camera. When squirrels
hunting in the late evenings when jump it is nearly impossible for the
the light is at its best. If you find autofocus on your camera to react. For this
one hunting a corner of a field, image I pre-focused on a particular spot
then chances are it will return the that I knew the squirrel would pass through,
following evening at the same as he had to jump to get to some hazelnuts
time, so you can be prepared for I was putting out. I put a small twig in the
when it does. By concealing spot I knew he would pass, focused, and
yourself in a hedgerow or maybe then removed the twig and switched the
building a hide, you can then wait autofocus off. So, when he jumped, I just
for the owl to show itself and try hit the shutter. You must take a lot of
to capture an image of it as it images in these situations though and do
flies past. have a lot of waste, but it is a great feeling
when you eventually get one.
40
Photographing in bad light
In the old days of using film, you were restricted to capturing action shots only when
the light was good enough to do so. With the advance of modern digital cameras,
you can now shoot in any conditions. By choosing higher ISOs you can then select
faster shutter speeds to freeze the action. In bad light you can even take the step to
underexpose your images to give you that extra speed. Noise in digital cameras is
getting better with each new model and there are now some great software
programs to get rid of this background noise.
KIT LIST
Fast telephoto lens
Without doubt my go-to lens
for trying to capture action is
my 300mm f/2.8, as it is light
enough to handhold and the
autofocus is so fast.
Mirrorless
autofocus system
The autofocus on modern
mirrorless cameras is amazing
and the technology in tracking
– like Animal Eye setting – has
just made capturing action
that much easier. This
technology will just get better
and better.
Cable release
When trying to capture images
of a subject that you have
pre-focused on, then a good
Anticipating behaviour cable release is a must
Some subjects give you a warning when they are about to do
because that way you can
something, so it is important to be able to read those signs. Raptors
take your eye off the
usually defecate when they are about to fly so it is a good sign to look
viewfinder and watch the
for. This red fox image was a case in point of anticipating behaviour.
subject in a normal way.
The fox was hunting rodents underneath the layer of the snow and
when he located one, he would stand perfectly still and then would
listen intensely for any movement. Once he had pinpointed the mouse,
his ears would flicker and that was the sign for him to leap into the air
so he could then come crashing down into the snow to catch his prize.
41
Darren Harbar
Darren is an internationally published professional
photographer and has built a reputation as one of
the leading specialists in the vintage aviation world.
He also runs a number of photography events and
training days with an aviation theme. See more at
www.darrenharbar.co.uk
Shutter speeds are key

Choosing the right shutter speed is critical. In many cases, you want the
fastest shutter speed to freeze the action, but with propellor-driven aircraft
and those with rotor blades such as helicopters, you really do not want to
freeze the action. The slower the shutter speed you use on these types of
subjects, the more movement you get in the blades. This ensures that it
doesn’t look as if the engine has stopped, and thus gives the subject life.
The actual shutter speed you use, depends on the Revs Per Minute (RPM) of
the propellor or rotor, as a slow RPM needs a slower shutter speed to show
movement. You can get some movement at shutter speeds around 1/320
sec, but at 1/125sec or even slower, it looks even better. The downside is of
course that the slower you go, the harder it is to get sharp shots.
Short bursts for

better results
I’ve lost count of how many times
I’ve heard bursts of pictures being
captured along the crowd line,
with photographers utilising the
maximum frames per second, to
fill up their memory cards and
setting themselves up for hours of
unnecessary uploading and
editing! You really do not need to
take 20 frames every time an
aircraft flies past. In fact, you’ll get
much better results by using short
bursts of three shots. You can up
that a bit when using very slow
shutter speeds, but for shutter
speeds over 1/125sec, you’re far
better using short bursts of three
shots. You can shoot two short
bursts in a pass if you wish, but
that ‘breathing space’ between
bursts helps you pan better and
gives the camera more time to
adjust focus more accurately.
Panning to reduce blur

Considering Tip 1, at slow shutter speeds you need to
ensure you follow the subject at the right pace.
Matching the pace of the subject as you follow it
through your viewfinder is the key to successful
panning. The first step is to ensure you stand facing
the direction you intend to take the shot. You then twist
your upper body to start tracking the subject and rotate
as smoothly as you can to follow the subject. Once you
have taken your shots, you also need to continue
following the subject for a short time, before relaxing
the camera away from your eye. On my aviation
photography training days, I always recommend that the
clients get used to swinging their upper body from one
side to the other, before the subject arrives. This
ensures you feel fluid and comfortable.
42
Fix your zoom
I’m a fan of prime lenses for
photographing aircraft, as it
focuses your mind on the
composition, rather than
thinking about moving the zoom
in and out to fill a frame. The
same logic can be applied to
using a zoom lens, in that if you
decide what length you may
need, you set it and leave it at
that focal length as the aircraft
flies past. This is actually
helping you keep your shots
sharp, as you could potentially
be zooming the lens when you
press the shutter and that adds
unwanted movement during the
capture. With practice, it
becomes easy to guess what
focal length may be right for the
shot you intend to capture.
KIT LIST
Move your
focus points A long focal length
around lens
I have found that a lot A lens around 400mm is ideal
of photographers are for photographing aircraft in
not using the focus the air, but be warned that the
points effectively. They longer you go, the harder it is
can be moved around to keep the subject in the
for good reason, and frame. The best option is a
you also need to be long zoom that covers from
careful to not depend around 100mm through to
on multiple focus 400mm or more. A 400mm or
points. Modern 500mm prime lens would be
cameras have a great the perfect choice.
array of focus points,
and most of the time
they perform well.
However, dictating a
cleaning cloth
It sounds like a very simple
single focus point to be accessory, but I’ve been
active, and positioning it walking around airfields during
on the critical part of the typical British summer
the aircraft, will deliver where it’s often damp and my
more accurate focusing. camera is constantly getting
The cockpit is the damp. I learnt early on that a
important part to get in big lens cloth gives you more
focus as that is where dry cloth as the day goes on!
the pilot sits, so set the
focus point on that
area. Don’t forget you’ll
A strap that takes
need to change it as the weight onto
the aircraft flies from your shoulders
different directions. Airshows are generally run
I always recommend over several hours and a neck
using a single focus strap can start to hurt after a
point with servo focus few hours. A camera strap
for flying subjects. that takes the weight over your
shoulders is far more
comfortable. I use a Black
Rapid strap to take two
cameras, so this is even more
reason to have the weight not
carried around your neck.
FOOTBALL ON FILM
She shoots film,

Film photography and women’s football – a match
made in heaven? Isabella Ruffatti talks to two
young female photographers who have put the fan
experience on film
G
en Z has long established in which an image was captured.’
itself as a nostalgic In 2014 she stumbled across her
generation, one that parents’ old Olympus Trip 35
yearns to capture compact camera, which she found
moments, big and small. In a was a perfect introduction to film
time when stills and video can photography given that it wasn’t
be captured in near perfection, overwhelmingly full of functions
authenticity and the emotional and settings. Since then, film has
resonance of a moment appear key been her medium of choice. Why?
and this is reflected in recent trends The lengthy development and
like the “video your life as a Wes scanning process plus limited
Anderson film” trend. number of shots don’t faze Duffy,
Many young photographers have who explains that it is exactly this
taken to using film and even vintage that reiterates her love of film.
digital cameras to document the Following her graduation from
world around them, rather than the university last summer, she was
countless mirrorless cameras with an commissioned to photograph the
ever-growing number of megapixels 2022 Women’s UEFA European
available to them nowadays. Championship and stood pitchside
Another thing that has seen in Wembley as England’s women’s
a surge in recent years is women’s team won England its first major Below: A player
football, particularly in the UK trophy since 1966 when the men’s is given a yellow
with the Lionesses’ victory at the team won the World Cup. card by the
2022 Women’s UEFA European referee
Championship and successful run Creativity
at this year’s Women’s World Cup Duffy believes that incorporating
culminating in making it to the final film photography into women’s
match against Spain. Raiyan Rafiq football ‘helps increase the creativity
and Harriet Duffy are two young of the game off the pitch. The more
photographers (and women’s interpretations of football the better.’
football fans), both 25, who have She currently works as a freelance
been documenting this rise of the photographer and writer specialising
women’s game in the UK since last in women’s football, shooting film at
summer – focusing on the fan matches for independent outlets like
experience – on analogue cameras. Copa90 and Indivisa. She has even
Sports photography is probably been commissioned to document
not the first genre you’d think of for the fan experience on the grounds
doing film today, especially as film of the UEFA Women’s European
cameras can be unreliable and film Championship with a Fujifilm Instax
itself is increasingly pricey. Square camera which she enjoyed a
Harriet Duffy’s photography lot, saying, ‘Whilst yes, it’s instant,
journey began with her fascination you’ve still got to wait a bit for it
with capturing moments. She says, to develop, meaning endless
‘I like the idea of being able to look conversations with the subjects
back on a place, a relationship or about the nostalgia of the camera.’
a sporting event and be able to And for Duffy, this made it the
remember the feeling at the time perfect camera to document
44
© HARRIET DUFFY
women’s football fans during that I’m on the move, weaving in and Above: A woman
Euros tournament as it ‘highlighted out of fans, is invaluable to capturing cheers as she
just how euphoric that month was’. the true atmosphere I encounter.’ watches a match
As to what’s usually in her kit bag, Street photography is her favourite during the 2022
Women’s UEFA
Duffy explains that she’s limited due genre, as she likes to ‘document European
to the ‘A4-size bag only’ rule at things naturally because authenticity Championships
football games in England. ‘If I’m in representing women’s football is
in the stands I tend to just take my so important to me due to my
Mju I and three rolls of film but if passion for the game’.
I’m pitchside it’ll be my Canon AL-1, At the moment, Duffy is getting
Olympus Mju I and Canon EOS 300 ready for the new European
with five rolls of film. I tend to limit domestic football season, which
my shooting to two rolls per game to will be starting in October. ‘I’ll be
keep the costs down and ensure no back in the stands and the pitchside,
frame is wasted.’ capturing what’s set to be one of the
If given the choice to choose one biggest years for the Women’s Super
camera and one type of film for the League after the tournament the
rest of time, however, she’d go with Lionesses just had.’
the Olympus Mju I with Kodak Gold Raiyan Rafiq, like Harriet, is a
400 film that have become her go-to freelance photographer working
© RAIYAN RAFIQ
kit to have in her bag: ‘Having predominantly in women’s

something so readily available when football, as well as an avid
45
FOOTBALL ON FILM
© HARRIET DUFFY
© HARRIET DUFFY
A crowd of fans watch a match at Wembley Stadium Harriet Duffy’s photographs of fans, shot on a Fujifilm Instax Square camera
football fan. She will also be a player herself. After she moved to an indoor event, then I will probably
studying for a postgraduate degree London from Bangladesh, Rafiq rely on digital as not everyone likes
in law soon. struggled with the pressure of the flash from a film camera – they
She began taking photos at high university and learning to live can often be quite overpowering,’
school tournaments but didn’t take abroad alone but after her father she says. It also depends on the type
it too seriously at the time as she was encouraged her to combine two of shot she’s after. She says that
activities she enjoyed – photography while she might capture the match
and football – she started attending itself on digital, ‘I prefer to capture
matches in person. the atmosphere and fans on film.’
And this is how she got into
sports photography in the UK. Patience is a virtue
‘Before the Euros, the attendances For her, the nostalgic quality of film
were not very high so the security is a given. Then there’s the film
was relaxed, and we could take our aesthetic, she says, the unique
cameras and lenses,’ she says. Last contrast, tonal range or grain a film
summer she was commissioned to photo has that you can’t replicate
photograph the Women’s UEFA digitally. There is also the need to be
European Championships by patient. ‘We get everything so
Indivisa and was also there to see instantly nowadays that it takes the
the Lionesses’ historic win. experience of anticipation out of it.
She described this as a ‘dream’ and Film is exciting because you don’t
a ‘full circle moment’ especially as get a result immediately.’ She likens
she enjoys ‘capturing photos that the experience to opening presents
tell a story or evoke emotions in a on your birthday.
certain moment or time’, citing For Rafiq, film cameras, much like
photojournalism and event other gadgets from the 1990s and
photography as her favourite genres. beyond that have returned from the
© HARRIET DUFFY
Rafiq blends digital photography dead, such as vinyl, Walkman, and

with film photography too, typewriters, present a hands-on
depending on who she’s shooting experience that makes them more
England fans rejoice and when she’s shooting. ‘If there is endearing. ‘You need to learn about
46
the device before you can use it, love with the process or else you will
instead of just powering it up and end up spending money on a
clicking a button,’ she says. ‘So, in camera you barely use.’ She also
a way you feel more in tune with points to YouTube as a great place to
your devices, as clichéd as that learn from other photographers who
may sound.’ go through the technicalities, which
On a regular shooting day, Rafiq cameras to buy and how to use them.
carries a Canon EOS 600D and ‘I also think you have to be open
Canon EOS 5000D, a 300mm zoom to failing a lot. Some days, I have
lens, a Pentax point-and-shoot and taken only 12 good pictures out
three to four rolls of film. ‘Because of 36 and while that can
the weather in this city is always so understandably be frustrating, it has
unpredictable, I have started carrying also helped me get a grip on the dos
a rain cover,’ she adds. and don’ts. Most importantly, love
Her favourite film camera, what you capture. Document the
however, is also the Olympus Mju. things you love, and the photos will
She says, ‘I loved the camera so speak for themselves.’
much when I picked it up a few Rafiq is heartbroken at not being
years back, and instantly fell in love able to go to Australia to watch the
with it. The size is perfect, and the Women’s World Cup. She is taking
quality is amazing. Thus a break from sports photography
contributing to my username on before the WSL season starts anew.
Instagram, RaWithAMju.’ As for ‘I am trying to capture more
© RAIYAN RAFIQ
film, for her that prize goes to the everyday living through photos.
Kodak Ektar 100: ‘The contrast is Trying to fall in love with the
always so brilliant and the colours minute, ordinary things.’ A player gives a fan her autograph
pop out so well. It’s incredibly
Right: Arsenal
smooth but at the same time retains
goalkeeper
the feel of a film.’ Sabrina D’Angelo
Her advice? ‘Start small and move greets fans
up.’ Rafiq recommends beginners
start with a point-and-shoot and
then switch to more analogue
cameras: ‘You need to learn to fall in
Left: Pre-match
© RAIYAN RAFIQ
© RAIYAN RAFIQ
ceremony at
Wembley Stadium
in London
Technique SPORT PHOTOGRAPHY
Denise Maxwell
Denise of Lensi Photography is a full-time, multi-genre
photographer of 13 years. She covered her first major
sporting event in 2013 (Diamond League Athletics) in 2022,
was one of the Commonwealth Games Photographers and in
2023 was shortlisted for the World Sports Photography
Awards in two categories. www.lensilearning.co.uk
It’s in the
Get started with sports photography,
with Denise Maxwell as your guide
Essential kit
A must-have lens is the 70-200mm.
Every sports photographer I know has
one of these. They are quick, light enough to
carry around all day and versatile. I also have
longer telephoto zoom lenses, such as the
Sigma 150-600mm and Canon 100-500mm.
I’ve hired an 800mm previously too.
In terms of what camera to use, one with
a high frame rate in burst mode will make
your life easier. I have shot sports with a
range of cameras over the year, from my
Canon EOS 50D and 7D, all the way through
to my Canon EOS 5D Mark IV and mirrorless
models. If you’ve got the option to have a
few camera bodies teamed with a variety of
telephoto lenses, then it makes it easy to
switch between them rather than having to
keeping changing lenses as there is little
time to do this. It’s not always easy to carry
three cameras and navigate a stadium but
it’s worth it to ensure you can capture the
action unfolding in front of you.
48
Capture and creativity
Should you freeze the action or capture
motion? The one universal thing across
most sports is that nothing is slow. In netball
the ball moves rapidly on court and a 100m
race is over in ten seconds! Use a high
shutter speed to freeze the action: start at
1/1000sec and adjust to your environment.
If you however want to do something more
creative, such as the famous Usain Bolt
photo from a few years ago and show motion,
start at 1/30sec, and adjust your settings
from there to match your environment and
the look you are going for. There is no correct
setting for any type of shot, it’s simply a case
of working out what shutter speed gives you
your desired shot for your subject.
Bibs
You will be given a bib at the start of the
day. Usually there are two or three different
colours, and you will wear them on your
outside layer, so they are visible to officials.
You will be told which bibs have access to
where or at what time. Take note of which bib
you have on; this will dictate where you can
go in the stadium for major events. Or what
time you can shoot for other events.
Key camera settings

Shoot in continuous-
shooting mode to give
yourself the best chance of
getting the ‘money shot’, which
could look totally different on
frames milliseconds apart. The
same applies for focusing. I use
AI Servo on my Canon cameras
with back button focus. I find the
shutter release button is not
quick enough to focus and
release the shutter on such
fast-moving subjects. I also
switch between aperture-priority
and manual mode. If the light is
constant, manual will be fine, if
it’s not, aperture priority will help
to manage the light while you
concentrate on other settings
and framing.
Technique
Accreditation Planning round to photograph most races and I soon

I am always asked this question – so When it comes to big events it is realised it’s not possible. If you’re able to
to debunk a myth, no, you can’t just crucial to plan your day and what chase athletes that quickly, you should be
turn up! Granted, there are spectators shots you need to capture. When covering on the track instead of at the side of it!
shooting from the crowd, but you won’t be athletics, lots of events happen Also, with some sports such as netball
allowed in press areas just because you simultaneously. It’s important that you you may have to choose a position and
bring your camera. Each photographer gets plan your day as soon as you receive the stay there for the first half, as moving
accreditation to big events from different programme. Make a list of where you need around would distract the players. So
places: a news agency, sports agency, club, to be and at what time. You won’t be able again, pick the position carefully, making
some are freelancers, or a newspaper. to photograph them all, so make sure you sure you check the background and find
Everyone has to apply for accreditation, prioritise a few key events. out who will be attacking and defending
which means you are vetted and legitimate; On my first ever event I was trying to get during that half.
for many photographers their agency or
newspaper does this. The event will
determine who’s managing the
accreditation – some sports have their own
portal or body such as FIFA and F1. When
I shot the Commonwealth Games, they had
their own accreditation process in-house.
The Diamond League has its own portal
that manages accreditation across the
world. And local clubs will have a club
manager. They will ask for details on who
you are commissioned by or shooting for
and the reach of your agency’s readership.
Shoot JPEGs
Yes, I said it. The setting is there for a
reason, despite so many articles telling
you to shoot in raw. Sporting events lend
themselves to JPEG shooting. Cameras will
only do so many bursts before they buffer,
so shooting in raw during a 100m race will
probably mean your camera will buffer right
as the athletes hit the finish line, which
is the key photograph to get! I learnt the
hard way in my earlier jobs. All the other Research the big names and current affairs
photographers were shooting far beyond If someone is hot in the media – for example, if they are retiring, trying to beat a
the point when my camera was catching record, or running against a rival – take note of their lane and race if in a stadium.
up with itself. Also, for the sake of speed, Ideally you need to know who you are going to track in advance. It’s an educated guess
many photographers will have their laptops athletics-wise, who will win the short-distance 100m-type races. These go quick, but it’s
trackside and be sending their images to usually someone in the prime lanes – five, six or seven.
their news agency throughout the day. JPEG When Bolt was running, for example, everyone would focus on him, if Elaine Thompson-Herah
allows me to get images uploaded and sent is running, most people will be focused on her. Unless you are shooting for a particular team
quickly. This is another reason to plan your or country, of course, then you focus on your team. Mo Farah will run his last ever competitive
day – you will not have enough time to race in October, and I guess most photographers will be focused on him for that. Disclaimer to
shoot absolutely everything and file it. my lane tip above – Sha’Carri Richardson just won the women’s 100m from an outside lane.
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Technique
Check the background
This can make a difference between
a basic photo or a piece of art.
Consider your background when shooting;
this is as important as the subject you are
photographing. This is why fast lenses are
so important as they can throw the
background out of focus to ensure your
subject stands out. I always aim to
capture shots with clean backdrops, but
it’s not always possible. However, when
shooting the Commonwealth Games
gymnastics, for example, there are some
events that make life easy for you, such
as Rhythmic Gymnastics. The black
background means your shots will look
clean and as if they were shot in a studio.
photography skills
Learn how to anticipate a
moment, even wait for it. If
someone has just broken a record, or
won an unexpected medal, a reaction
will undoubtedly come next. Will they
throw themselves on the floor crying,
drop to their knees in a moment of
prayer, run to a trainer, parent, or
partner in tears? Wait for that moment
and be ready to shoot it. Do not just
consider the athletes for these
moments though, take time to look at
what is happening in the crowd and
with managers and family on the
sidelines for part of your story-telling.
Consider the
use of the
photographs
Who are you
shooting for,
what type of shots do
they want? Will you
use the shots for
anything else later?
As well as shooting
for an agency I am
also always looking
for shots that I might
enter awards with or
that can be used
editorially. These may
be more abstract or
quirky, not the type
that would normally
represent news. But
this will be in my
mind also whilst
shooting.
53
WORLD SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS
Amy Davies takes a look at

some of the winning images
from the World Sports
Photography Awards
A
ction photography is an together in a split-second to get that from American Football to cycling,
exciting genre for many of winning shot that will be splashed across gymnastics and football. The overall title
us to try out, but relatively all of the world’s waiting media. went to Patrick Smith of Getty Images
few have the same kind of Some of the best of the best has been for his photograph ‘Sky Drive’, from the
opportunities that professional sports shown off in this year’s World Sports Golf category.
photographers are in front of every day Photography Awards, which is now in Judges of the awards span sport,
of their working lives. its fourth edition and is the only global media, brands and creative sectors.
To witness world-class athletes at the awards specifically dedicated to sport Among their number are picture editors,
top of their game, and be the one to photography. This year, more than 700 photographers, retouchers, sports
photograph prize-winning and record- professional sports photographers from presenters, athletes and more.
breaking moments, is an enormous more than 70 countries submitted In this piece, I’ve selected some of
privilege – but of course it also takes a their images to be in contention to my favourites, but if you want to see
huge amount of skill, with timing, take home a prize. more, or discover how your favourite
patience, perseverance and an in-depth There are 25 categories for the awards, sport was represented, head to
knowledge of the subject all coming including all manner of sports ranging worldsportsphotographyawards.com
Vince
Mignott
Category:
Formula
One, Gold
Award
Sparks fly in this
dramatic shot
taken during the
F1 Grand Prix of
Great Britain at
Silverstone on
3 July 2022. It
shows Guanyu
Zhou, a driver
from the Alpha
Romeo team, as
he slides towards
the barrier at the
start of the race.
Nikon D5, 400mm f/2.8,
1/800sec at f/5.6, ISO 125
© VINCE MIGNOTT / MB MEDIA / GETTY IMAGES
Scott Barbour
Category: Tennis,
Gold Award
This strikingly graphic image by
Scott Barbour shows the American
tennis player Coco Gauff, with the
shadow she is casting during the
opening round of the Australian
Open in Melbourne in January 2022.
Sony A9 Mark II, FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS,
1/2000sec at f/2.8, ISO 640
© SCOTT BARBOUR/TENNIS AUSTRALIA
Anna
Szilágyi
Category:
Aquatic, Gold
Award
Aptly titled
‘Sparkle’, this
intriguing image
captures the
movement of an
athlete from Team
Kazakhstan during
the preliminaries of
artistic swimming
competition at the
19th FINA World
Championships in
Budapest, Hungary,
© AP PHOTO/ANNA SZILAGYI
June 2022.
Nikon Z 9, AF-S Nikkor
180-400mm f/4 TC 1.4
FL ED VR, 1/3200sec at
f/4, ISO 250
Aaron Gillons
Category: Racquet Sports,
Gold Award
Expertly timed, this dramatic
lunge from squash player Paul Coll
was taken during the New Zealand
Squash Open Finals at the Baypark
Arena in Tauranga, New Zealand,
November 2022.
Canon EOS-1D X Mark II, EF24-70mm f/2.8L II USM,
1/1600sec at f/2.8, ISO 5000
© AARON GILLIONS
© BODO KRÄLING, FERDI KRÄLING MOTORSPORT-BILD GMBH
Bodo Kräling
Category: Motorsports,
Gold Award
A flurry of activity in the pitstop during
the Kyalami 9 Hour race in South Africa,
February 2022.
Canon EOS R5, EF16-35mm f/4L IS USM, 1/15sec at f/13, ISO 800
Mariano Pozo
Category: Basketball,
Silver Award
Captured remotely, here we see the
Spanish basketball player Yankuba
Sima playing for his team Baxi
Manresa during the Copa del Rey
de Grenada in 2022.
Sony A9, FE 12-24mm F4 G, 1/1000sec at f/4, ISO 3200
© MARIANO POZO
Victor Joly
Category:
Gymnastics,
Bronze Award
This incredible image
shows Jennifer Gadirova
of Great Britain competing
in the FIG World Cup
Challenge Artistic
Gymnastics event in Paris,
France, September 2022.
© VICTOR JOLY
© VINCENT NURSALIM
Vincent Nursalim
Category: Martial
Arts, Bronze Award
A multiple exposure has been
used to show off the many
limb positions of the Chinese
martial art of Wushu Sanda.
Canon EOS R, EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM,
1/1000 at f/2.8, ISO 1600
57
© OCTAVIO PASSOS/GETTY IMAGES
Octávio Passos
Category: Water, Gold Award and Overall, Silver Award
A surfing session at Praia do Norte on 25 November 2022 where the
professional French surfer Justine Dupont cuts a tiny figure against the
huge swelling wave, with the spray frozen by the quick capture. Interestingly,
the image was captured with a drone.
DJI Mini 3 Pro, 1/6000sec at f/1.7, ISO 100
Cameron
Spencer
Category: Winter
Sports, Silver
Award
Using a wideangle lens
to include the lights, plus
a sun-star, gives an epic
sense of scale as the
skier flies through the
air. Taken at the Beijing
2022 Winter Olympics in
February 2022, it shows
Mengtao Xu of Team
China performing a trick
during a practice session
ahead of the Women’s
Freestyle Skiing Aerials
Qualification.
Canon EOS-1D X Mark III, EF 11-24mm f/4L
USM, 1/2000sec at f/18, ISO 2000
© CAMERON SPENCER / GETTY IMAGES
Germany’s Lea Meyer falls head first into the water
while competing in the Women’s 3000m
Steeplechase on day two of the World Athletics
Championships at Hayward Field, University of Oregon
in the United States, July 2022
Photo Insight
Women’s 3000m Steeplechase,

day two of the World Athletics
Championships
By Martin Rickett
Peter Dench discovers the story behind this
capture of a dramatic steeplechase moment
‘I had to wait until the end of the session to retrieve the
camera and that was a very nervous walk, to see how the
images had turned out’
Martin’s preset camera had to be in is incredible. And in hindsight the photo in

position two hours before the session a way encapsulates how my whole season
started. He selected a Sony A9 Mark II turned out. 2022 has been a rollercoaster of
with a Sony 12-24mm f/4 lens, Pocket ups and downs for me, and it illustrates
Wizard Plus III trigger, lens set to 12mm how every time I do fall, literally or
1/2500sec, f/5.6, ISO 4000. ‘The ISO was figuratively speaking, I always get back up.’
auto +2 stops as I didn’t know how the The image was selected as the World
light was going to be at the time of the Athletics Photograph of the Year and
race,’ Martin reveals. ‘It’s slightly shortlisted for the Motion – 2023 Open
overexposed, but there’s a lot of guesswork competition at the Sony World
in setting a remote. I didn’t anticipate it, Photography Awards. It’s pin-sharp, a
I was shooting from an elevated position billion water droplets frozen in time born
[about 60m away] at the top of the first fresh from the splash. The word balance
level of seating to capture the athletes as visible on Lea’s left trainer is an accusatory
they came out of the water jump.’ twist. The wide and low angle gives the
viewer a front-row, edge-of-your-seat
Pressing the trigger experience to the unfolding drama. The
He continues, ‘I pressed the remote trigger athlete about to jump a crucial player,
as the first group of athletes came over the muscles poised to face the challenge Lea
jump, but Lea was a bit behind. As I was so spectacularly failed at. ‘The flowers were
shooting, I saw someone in the background deliberate. The track at Oregon is dedicated
hit the barrier, so I pressed the trigger to Athletics rather than a bland stadium
again. I then had to wait until the end of that has been adapted to host athletics,
the session to retrieve the camera and that so it was nice to have something in the
H
was a very nervous walk, to see how the foreground to brighten up the picture.’
ow deep is the water? The images had turned out.’
steeplechase water jump It turned out well. ‘The camera fired 16 Make your own luck
consists of a barrier and a pit frames of the sequence, but it was the first As a sport photographer for PA Media,
filled with water. The barrier, four that were the important ones. The Martin’s expected to produce pictures of
unlike a hurdle, is fixed and can’t be rest were Lea emerging from the water and this quality from every event covered.
moved. The pit has an upward slope with getting back to her feet, with her back to ‘There are a lot of ways this shot could
the water deeper near the barrier. That me. I knew that frame was the shot as have gone wrong. Remotes are very hit
slope begins approximately 30cm (12in) soon as I saw it. I think it’s the way it looks and miss; you are relying on radio waves
forward of the barrier at which point the like she’s diving into a swimming pool reaching a receiver in a stadium full of
water is 70cm (28in) deep. That is not when, in reality, it’s only about two feet of other radio waves. There are remote
very deep. It doesn’t look deep enough to water and the athlete in the background cameras all over the place. Mine was one of
submerge athlete Lea Meyer as she fell. gives it the context. There are four frames ten at the water jump and with all the TV
‘When I tripped over the barrier, it was in the sequence that were sent out on and technical equipment, there’s a lot to
a bit of a wake-up call,’ Lea explains. ‘It the PA Wire – the first when she’s in a block the signal. Another athlete could
showed me that, even when I’m in good horizontal dive after hitting the hurdle, have blocked the picture or I may not have
shape, I still have to concentrate and be the second just as she’s entering the water pressed the trigger hard enough, which is
100% focused during the race. I still and the third is this shot with just her legs what I’d convinced myself I’d done during
finished the race, and my time wasn’t even sticking out of the water and the fourth as the 2.5-hour wait to see if the camera had
that slow. Ultimately that provided me she’s picking herself up.’ fired. A lot of luck went into this picture,
with the confidence that if everything does Lea could have interpreted the but like a retired colleague used to say, you
come together and I am fully focused, I can photograph as embarrassing, but like any make your own luck by working hard.’
deliver when it matters.’ She focused and good athlete, she took a positive spin. This capture should keep Martin as their
went on to win silver a few weeks later at ‘While it may not have been the best athletics photographer for many more
the European Championships in Munich. moment for me personally, the photo itself years to come.
Testbench ACTION ON A BUDGET
Get in on the action

Giving action photography a go needn’t mean spending a fortune – there are
more affordable options to suit a range of budgets, says Amy Davies
M
any professional and enthusiast for many of them, particularly those with a small fee to rent a product – and if you
photographers who shoot smaller than full-frame sensors. Using an decide to buy it, that will come off the
fast-moving subjects often opt APS-C or Four Thirds sensor means you get a final price. Look out also for retailer or
for the best, top-level cameras. longer effective focal length with your lenses, manufacturer activity or experience days,
These tend to boast advanced specifications, which can also help to keep costs down which also give you the opportunity to try
including super-quick autofocus, very fast compared to expensive telephoto primes things out before committing to buy.
frame rates, subject detection and more. usually designed for full-frame models. Lastly, you might also want to consider
However, that’s not to say you can’t achieve There are other ways to keep your costs using your smartphone for some action
good results with cameras and lenses that low. Don’t forget about the all-important subjects. Most smartphones can shoot in
are much cheaper, particularly if you’re quite second-hand market, with many older models burst mode, and if the action is happening
new to the genre or it’s not something you do available at greatly reduced prices once the quite close to you, the results can be good.
every day to make a living. newer version comes along. Even some of Our list here isn’t comprehensive by any
Top-line models such as the Canon EOS R3, the latest releases can be picked up means, but it should give you some ideas for
Nikon Z 9 and Sony A1 will easily set you back second-hand if you keep your eye on the cameras and specs to look out for if you want
over £5,000 – and that’s before you even re-selling sites. to try your hand at action photography. Feel
factor in the cost of some high-quality glass. Another option is renting, perhaps. If you free to let us know your favourite set-ups via
But we’ve rounded up some much more know you’ve got a specific event or activity the usual methods listed on page 3, and we’ll
affordable options here that still give you you want to capture, simply hiring a camera share any good recommendations with other
access to some of those key action-specific and/or lens for the weekend is a good way readers on our letters pages.
specs, hopefully without breaking the bank. to try your hand at an activity. You might
Not only are many of these cameras also find some companies allow a ‘try NB. Prices are correct at time of writing, but
cheaper, but there are also other advantages before you buy’ service, where you can pay it’s always worth checking the latest deals.
Fujifilm Olympus OM-D

X-T30 II E-M1 Mark III
l New price: £799 l New price:
(body only) Not available new
l Second-hand price: l Second-hand price:
From £769 From £765
(body only – Wex) (body only – Wex)
the whole sensor, you’ll get a very A key selling point of this
Key specs respectable 20fps instead. With Key specs camera for action is its high-
the mechanical shutter, this frame-rate capability. You can
l Sensor: 26.1MP APS-C drops to 8fps. Another benefit of l Sensor: 20.4MP Four Thirds shoot up to an incredible 60fps
X-Trans CMOS the electronic shutter is a top l Frame rate: Up to 60fps at full-resolution, if you’re
l Frame rate: Up to 30fps shutter speed of 1/32,000sec, l AF: 121 selectable points, prepared to fix the focus on
l AF: 117/425 selectable points, great for freezing action when face/eye detection a specific point. This can be
face/eye detection shooting in bright light with wide fantastic for capturing split-
apertures and a high ISO. Micro Four Thirds cameras – and second action. If the subject
Cameras like the X-T30 II prove As the X-T30 II has an APS-C their corresponding lenses – are is a bit more erratic, you get a
you don’t need a flagship sensor, rather than full-frame, the ideal for action photography in a still-excellent 18fps, but this time
full-frame model for action. accompanying lenses are also number of crucial areas. They’re with full AF tracking from the 121
Taking many of the key smaller and cheaper. small and light, and are very focus points. While the E-M1 III
elements from the X-T5 and In terms of AF, the X-T30 II often a lot more affordable than doesn’t benefit from the same
distilling them into a smaller and benefits from up to 425 their full-frame or even APS-C subject-detection skills as on
lighter body, with the X-T30 II you selectable points and reliable counterparts. One such example more recent models, we found
can shoot at up to 30fps. tracking autofocus. The face- and is the Olympus OM-D E-M1 III, during our tests that it coped very
Although this requires using the eye-detection function only works which although now discontinued, well with following moving
electronic shutter and a 1.25x for humans. It’s therefore great can be picked up for very subjects such as birds – and
crop, it still gives 16.6MP- for sports photography, but less reasonable prices in the there is eye-detection available
resolution images. To shoot with useful for wildlife. second-hand market. for humans, too.
Canon EOS Panasonic G9
R10 l New price: £999
(body only)
l New price: £899
(body only) l Second-hand price:
From £484
l Second-hand price:
(body only – MPB)
From £659 (body only
– Park Cameras)
to work impressively well, picking Another useful function of the

Key specs out very small eyes even from a Key specs Panasonic G9 is 4K Photo, which
distance. Tracking AF also puts in can be used to extract stills from
l Sensor: 25.5MP APS-C CMOS a good performance if the subject l Sensor: 20.3MP Four-Thirds what are essentially short video
l Frame rate: 23fps is moving erratically. Live MOS clips – a highlight being that it
l AF: 4,503 selectable points, Being APS-C, lenses are a little l Frame rate: 60fps starts recording slightly before
AI subject-detection smaller than its full-frame l AF: 225-area you press the shutter button,
counterparts, but as both models giving you lots of options.
The R10 is an APS-C version of share the same mount, you can For the G9’s price you get a You can shoot as fast as
Canon’s impressive full-frame use full-frame telephoto options fantastic array of specifications, 1/32,000sec using the G9’s
R-series cameras. Don’t be and gain the benefit of the crop many of which are perfect for electronic shutter, again useful
deterred by the fact that it’s a factor. You can use older Canon action. Let’s start with the frame for freezing action.
junior model though – the R10 DSLR lenses via an adapter, too. rate. There’s up to 60fps available As with other Micro Four Thirds
has some excellent specs for The fastest frame rate available if you’re happy to shoot with the cameras, the G9 benefits from
wildlife and action photographers, here is when using the electronic focus fixed at a certain point and the small size and weight of
including AI subject recognition, shutter, where it tops out an use the electronic shutter. You compatible lenses, meaning
which can recognise humans impressive 23fps – that’s will get full resolution, though. telephotos for getting close to
(eyes, face, head or body), fantastic for such a well-priced Switching to continuous AF sees your subject are easy to use
animals (including dogs, cats and model, dipping to a still pretty the frame rate drop, but still to a handheld and to carry. They’re
birds) and also vehicles such as good 15fps if you want to use hugely usable 20fps with the also generally a lot cheaper than
cars or motorbikes. We found this the mechanical shutter. electronic shutter. their full-frame equivalents.
Nikon D7500 Sony A7 III

l New price: £1,049 l New price: £1,699
(body only) (body only)
l Second-hand price: l Second-hand price:
From £539 From £964
(body only – MPB) (body only – MPB)
with excellent autofocusing, you points and 425 contrast-

Key specs might just be grateful for the Key specs detection points for widespread
reduction in the number of files coverage across the frame and
l Sensor: 20.9MP APS-C CMOS you need to sort through and l Sensor: 24.2MP full-frame CMOS excellent tracking. It’s a little bit
l Frame rate: 8fps edit after every shoot. That l Frame rate: 10fps slower than the A9, but it still
l AF: 51-point, 15 cross-type might be especially true for l AF: 693/425 AF points delivers well and won’t set you
reasonably predictable or back anywhere near as much.
We’re consistently being told slow-moving action.The group- If your heart is set on full-frame Frame rate tops out at 10fps,
these days that the DSLR is area AF mode is particularly for shooting action but you baulk which again, compared to some
dead, but the upside is that you handy for keeping track of a at the typical prices of the latest of the other cameras mentioned
can pick up some great bargains moving subject. models, then the Sony A7 III is a in this list might seem a little
on what was once considered Perhaps the key reason for good way to get into it for under pedestrian, but it at least
top-tier gear. choosing the D7500 for action £1,000 (used price). saves on filling up your hard
The Nikon D7500 is a very is the plethora of affordable It’s a great all-rounder, and drive too much.
solid all-rounder DSLR which telephoto lenses for DSLRs that many of its headline specs are There’s a good number of
works well in a variety of can now be picked up – again, versions of those found in the reasonably priced optics for the
situations, but has good action especially second-hand. With the pro-level A9, making it ideal for Sony E-mount, which has now
specifications. The 8fps frame D7500 having a crop sensor, action and movement. been around for ten years, with
rate perhaps sounds a little slow you’ll again have the advantage A good example of that is the some great telephoto options
compared to some of the other of an equivalent longer focal well-performing AF system which that are particularly suitable for
models mentioned here, but, length with your lenses. has 693 phase-detection AF action (see next page).
Testbench ACTION ON A BUDGET
© NIKON
With optical
stabilisation being
so good these
days, it’s perfectly
possible to shoot
handheld with
long lenses
What about renting?

If you don’t want to commit to an expensive investment, but still fancy
giving action a spin for an event, renting is a budget-friendly way to go
If you want to try your hand at action or example, a Nikon Z 8 (RRP £3,999) can be Try Before You Buy
wildlife photography without the expense hired for £132 from Friday to Monday. l Fujifilm
of investing in a set of new kit, it’s worth You don’t get much in life for free, but
considering renting. l LensesForHire happily a 48-hour Fujifilm loan is one thing
This can also be useful if you’ve got Perhaps you’ve already got a camera you can. X and GFX cameras and lenses are
a specific event or occasion coming up body but want a specific telephoto lens available to loan, with the option to pay for
where having appropriate gear would be for a trip to a birding centre, for example. longer periods of time too. You can rent up
necessary, but it’s not something you do all LensesForHire does exactly what it says to five items per year, and you will need to
that often. It’s also worth considering if on the tin, with a great range of different pay a refundable deposit. If you go on to
you’re not entirely sure whether or not a optics. For instance, the brand new Nikon purchase anything you tried out, the price of
product is right for you and want to try Z-mount 180-600mm (£1,799 to buy new) the loan (if longer than the free period) will
before you buy. can be hired for £69 for three days. be refunded too. Note, this is intended as a
Prices for rental vary from company to ‘try before you buy’ service, with each
company, with some retailers also offering l Wex Photo Video product only available to hire once.
rentals for free for short periods, to help you There’s a good selection of different cameras
with a purchase decision. Here’s a selection and lenses available to hire through Wex, l Canon
of options we’d recommend: which also has a ‘price match promise’, Another manufacturer offering you the
which guarantees to beat any like-for-like chance to test out kit for free is Canon,
l HireACamera rental quote. What’s more, if you decide you where a range of cameras and lenses can
There’s a huge range of different cameras, like what you’ve rented, if you go on to buy be booked for a ‘Test Drive’ for 48 hours (or
lenses and accessories available from this the product within 14 days of returning the longer if it’s over a weekend). Again here you
well-known rental company. Hiring products rental, you’ll get a refund on your rental price. can pay to have more time, and a refundable
over a weekend means you can take You can also take advantage of a weekend deposit is required. This is also intended as
advantage of a ‘day rate’ while having the and get a one-day price with Wex. Here, the a ‘try before you buy’ service and is
whole weekend to play with the gear. As an Z 8 can be rented for £105 Friday-Monday. therefore not suitable for repeat use.
Affordable action lenses
Whether you need an entire set-up, or want to add to your existing
kit – here are some good-value lenses for a range of mounts
Canon Nikon Fujifilm XC Olympus Sony FE

RF 100- AF-P DX 50-230mm M.Zuiko 200-600
400mm 70-300mm F4.5-6.7 75-300mm F5.6-6.3 G
F5.6-8 IS f/4.5-6.3G OIS F4.8-6.7 II OSS
USM ED VR l New price: £349 l New price: £549 l New price: £1,599
l New price: £649.99 l New price: Not l Second-hand price: l Second-hand price: l Second-hand price:
available new from £134 (MPB) from £261 (WEX) from £1,149 (MPB)
l Second-hand price:
from £579 l Second-hand price: This lens is a particular Use this with any Micro This is great value for
(Park Cameras) from £199 (MPB) bargain if you pick it up Four Thirds camera, such money for a telephoto
second-hand, where it as either the Panasonic or full-frame lens,
Compatible with either A good pairing with the can costs as little as Olympus mentioned on especially when paired
full-frame or APS-C Canon Nikon D7500 (and other £150 – or even less. The the previous spread. With with something relatively
EOS R cameras, you get Nikon crop DSLRs), you effective focal length this sensor format, you low cost such as the A7
a lot of reach for your get an effective focal with Fujifilm X-series need to double the focal III. The 200-600mm is a
money with this lens – length of 105-450mm cameras is 75-345mm, length to get the effective great range for shooting
especially when used on with this lightweight giving you a decent reach – so for under £300 a variety of action, giving
a crop-sensor camera. telephoto. The maximum amount of reach for you’ve got yourself a you the versatility of a
With something like the aperture is not too bad action subjects. If 600mm lens, fantastic zoom for following erratic
R10, you get 160-640mm, for a lens at this price, shooting with something value that gets you subjects and giving you
making it ideal for distant while you also benefit like the X-T30 II, a further super-close to the action. better scope for more
subjects such as wildlife. from features such as crop when shooting at Wildlife photographers genres than a fixed
As ever with lower-priced vibration reduction, which 30fps can get you even concerned about shy or prime might offer.
optics there is a comes in useful when closer. The price, of timid subjects might Autofocus is fast, and
compromise to be had, shooting handheld. course, means it’s got a particularly be drawn to it’s capable of producing
with the maximum Despite the cheap price, slightly narrow aperture this option. This is one of sharp images – so if
aperture available on the it focuses well and at the telephoto end, but the longest focal lengths action is something
narrow side, but if the light produces sharp images it benefits from optical available for Micro Four you’ll be keen to do a lot
is good that might not be so makes a nice option image stabilisation as Thirds and it benefits from of, it could be a great
too much of an issue. for wildlife and the like. a good trade-off. fast autofocusing, too. investment.
What about smartphones?

For example, if the action is happening quite close to you – say with
a pet, child or friendly wildlife, you might find that grabbing a burst of
photos (usually by long pressing the shutter button) is a good way to
Generally speaking, smartphones aren’t usually considered to be capture split-second action. Many phones will even choose which is
great for action. Most of them don’t have particularly long lenses, the best frame from a series for you, or allow you to extract stills from
and digital zoom should be avoided. However, depending on the video – if you’ve shot it at 4K this can yield high-quality results. With
type of action you’re shooting, it’s not completely out of the most of us having a smartphone in our pocket these days, it’s
question to go mobile. worth giving yours a go to see what you can achieve.
ACTION
FE 200-600mm
f/5.6-6.3 G OSS
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Z 24-200mm
f/4-6.3 VR Zoom
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f4.5-5.6 R LM
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Images are for illustrative purposes only.
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COMPETITION
Amateur Photograp
Your chance to enter the UK’s most prestigious com
Round Nine
Ashok came second in last year’s action
round with this dynamic and energetic shot
Action
Anticipation and preparation play a huge part in a successful action
image, so work out where your subject is likely to appear and which
direction it will take – whether the subject is a motorbike, a gymnast
or a bird taking flight. For maximum stability when panning, hold your
lens firmly from underneath and keep your elbows tight into your body.
Try being more creative too, be that shooting in various light conditions
or setting a long shutter speed to give the impression of movement.
Your guest judge

Your guest judge is Mike Owen. With over
25 years in the photo industry with Getty
Images, Canon, Panasonic and now EIZO
as head of marketing, Mike has been
involved supporting pro photographers at
Olympic Games, Football World Cups,
Wimbledon and F1. He has been a judge
for the World Sports Photography Awards
and is a writer, editor and co-founder of
2POINT8, a magazine dedicated to the
world’s best sports photographers.
Plan your APOY 2023 year

Below is a list of all this year’s rounds, including when they open,
when they close and the dates the results will be announced in AP
THEME OPENS PHOTOCROWD OPENS AP CLOSES RESULTS
Black & White 08 February AP 14 February 06 March AP 11 Apr
Travel 07 March AP 14 March 03 April AP 9 May
© ASHOK MANJANATH
Macro 04 April AP 11 April 02 May AP 6 Jun

Landscapes 03 May AP 9 May 30 May AP 4 Jul To enter, just
Portraits 31 May AP 6 June 26 June AP 1 Aug
Architecture 27 June AP 4 July 24 July AP 29 Aug ALL ABOUT APOY 2023
Street 25 July AP 1 August 21 August AP 26 Sep
Wildlife 22 August AP 29 August 18 September AP 24 Oct
The camera club award
Do you belong to a camera club? You can accumulate points for your
Action 19 September AP 26 September 16 October AP 21 Nov society when you enter APOY, and after all ten rounds are complete, the
one with the most points wins a £500 voucher to spend at MPB, and a
Low light 17 October AP 24 October 13 November AP 19-26 Dec Rotolight NEO 3 Pro Imagemaker Kit worth £650.
The kit includes one NEO 3 Pro, a custom NPF-
770 battery, a pouch,
YOUR FREE ENTRY CODE diffuser dome, ballhead
Enter the code below via Photocrowd to get one free and cold shoe. It’s the
entry to Round Nine – Action brightest LED on-camera
APOY47281889
light ever made, and comes
in a compact form factor
you can take anywhere.
her of the Year
petition for amateur photographers
£11,000
In association with MPB
PRIZES
WORTH
£900
of MPB prizes
to be won
What you win

Take your pick from MPB’s
huge catalogue of used gear
The winner of each round of APOY
2023 receives a £500 voucher to
spend on anything at MPB, with
vouchers for £100 and £50 going to
second and third places respectively.
Canon’s 20MP full-frame flagship
DSLR, the EOS-1S X Mark III, can
shoot up to 20fps and its Intelligent AF
can identify different sports and track
athletes even if they’re wearing goggles
or a helmet. It has shutter speeds of
30-1/8000sec and 191 AF points, of
visit www.amateurphotographer.co.uk/apoy which 155 are cross-type. Find it at
MPB for £3,349 in like-new condition.
With a 26.1MP APS-C X-Trans CMOS
4 sensor, 15fps burst shooting and
5-axis IBIS, the Fujifilm X-T4 was
described as ‘phenomenally
The Young APOY award versatile’when reviewed in AP and
For the third time, we are running an APOY awarded five stars. It is available at
Young Photographer of the Year competition, in MPB for £1,149 in like-new condition.
order to encourage our up-and-coming snappers. The Nikon AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm
Entrants should be 21 years old or younger by f/2.8G ED VR II has a wide aperture
the competition’s final closing date of 13 throughout its zoom range, making it
November 2023. All the categories are the ideal for action photography. It has 21
same as for the main competition – simply elements in 16 groups, with seven of
select the Young APOY option on Photocrowd those being extra-low dispersion, is
when you upload your images. This category is dust- and moisture-resistant and its
free to enter; each category winner receives a barrel is made from magnesium alloy.
£250 voucher, and the overall winner receives This excellent workhorse can be found
a voucher for £500 to spend at MPB. at MPB for £799 in excellent condition.
The production
team had to work
quickly, and in
challenging
conditions
Capturing the fight

to protect gorillas
See how Blackmagic Design video cameras and software were used to
make a powerful video about efforts to beat gorilla poachers in Uganda
A
n inspiring documentary one of the most biodiverse places in Armed escorts were needed at all times,
on gorilla conservation the world,’ says filmmaker Charli to safeguard against the ever-present
in Uganda called The Doherty, who was part of the small risk of meeting armed poachers
Hearts of Bwindi has production team from Biscuit
been put together by a crack team Bunker, with cinematographer Will
using Blackmagic Design video Hadley, editor Olly Cooper and
cameras, with all the editing done producer Tom Neish.
with DaVinci Resolve Studio, using ‘We had a two-camera setup,
Blackmagic Cloud for storage. shooting between the URSA Mini
The video, which was presented Pro 12K and Pocket Cinema Camera
by That Gorilla Brand in partnership 6K Pro,’ Charli explains. ‘The big
with the Ugandan Wildlife deal with a complete Blackmagic
Authority and The Gorilla workflow is not just what can be
Organization, was filmed in the achieved with the hardware, but also
unique surroundings of Bwindi what the software can do. It’s a
Impenetrable National Park deep in whole ecosystem that just works
Uganda, and was released to flawlessly between hardware,
coincide with World Ranger Day at recording, and into post production,’
the end of July. (see page 72 for more details).
‘Bwindi National Park is a The Hearts of Bwindi is full of richly
UNESCO World Heritage Site and detailed sequences of the rangers
70
ADVERTISING FEATURE
and villagers of the National Park, all the detail in the skin and the Left: The arrest of
a poacher
contrasted with colourful macro shadows without clipping the sky.
shots of the insects and wildlife, all We shot full-sensor 6K video on Below: The
against the background of the forest the Pocket Cinema Camera, but Blackmagic
itself. However, there are some what’s great about the URSA 12K is Design cameras
purely cinematic touches. being able to mix resolutions,’ he coped admirably
A wide canopy shot, accompanied continues. ‘We shot a few scenes in with the tough
by the sound of a bird, cuts to reveal 8K, but it was mostly in 4K. It’s an shooting
conditions
it is a ranger whistling; it strengthens incredible innovation, having the
the sense of an intimate connection option to jump resolution without Bottom: The video
with nature that pervades the whole cropping the sensor. It looks very also reveals the
film. ‘Running around a forest can filmic, which is what I wanted.’ vital educational
present many challenges,’ notes Charli further enhanced the work carried out
cinematographer Will Hadley. cinematic look at the editing stage, by the rangers
‘There’s a lot of humidity, moisture using DaVinci Resolve Studio. ‘We
and dirt, and all sorts of factors that applied a Kodak 2383 LUT towards
can be hard for us, as well as the the end, but a big part of the work in
cameras. With a little TLC, we didn’t post-production was matching
have any issues with the Blackmagic footage shot across a few days in
kit, however.’ very different environments and
Will shot on DZO Zooms. ‘They’re lighting conditions, from different
a flexible option for documentary, cameras,’ he explains.
but I like the texture you get from
them,’ he explains. ‘We also had A creative group effort
some super-wide primes for lots of Although 95% of The Hearts of
wide portraits, as well as the B roll Bwindi was filmed by the
capturing the forest and the cinematographer Will, both Charli
environment. Then there are macro and producer Tom Neish were able
shots of ants and beetles, and the to lend a hand in shooting. ‘We’d do
forest floor in detail.’ multiple takes of similar sequences,
The URSA Mini Pro 12K’s 14 stops and there were moments where we
of dynamic range, and the Pocket had to cross shoot, so it was great
Cinema Camera 6K Pro’s 13-stop having another camera on hand to
latitude, gave the team plenty to know you’ve got a different angle –
work with. ‘Dynamic range is or if we wanted to get a gimbal
incredibly important because we tracking shot to know that we’ve got
were constantly shooting into a super-wide lens on the Pocket
shadows,’ Charli Doherty explains. Cinema Camera,’ Charli elaborates.
‘It’s great for coverage. We had a
Ideal tools very limited time, and as we were
‘We did a lot of shooting up into the moving quickly through the space,
forest canopy, often having the just having an option on the second
environment dominate the space camera, and a different look,
above the rangers,’ he adds. ‘We got presented more options for us.’
The built-in ND Filters of the URSA
Mini Pro 12K helped control the
fluid change in exposure and depth
of field needed for certain shots.
‘Having the internal NDs allowed us
to fine-tune the subject,’ adds Will
Hadley. ‘The forest is rich in colour,
so we had that as a palette, while the
intimate close-ups showed beautiful
skin tones.’ Charli concludes: ‘I
think one of my favourite shots is
where Will pulls focus from the
forest to a portrait of a ranger, from
wider nature to the human. I hope
people look up the work of these
wildlife rangers. As well as catching
poachers, they partner with
communities and organisations
which offer sustainable alternatives
to wildlife crime. It’s an incredibly You can watch The Hearts of Bwindi video on YouTube –
valuable job; they’re protecting see bit.ly/HOBvideo1. For more about Blackmagic Design video
biodiversity for us all.’ cameras and software, see www.blackmagicdesign.com
71
A DaVinci
masterpiece
The editor of The Hearts of Bwindi, Olly Cooper, now
explains how the DaVinci Resolve Studio video-
editing suite was key to the success of the project
A
s we’ve seen on the story of The Hearts of Bwindi with Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro. Top: A Ugandan
previous pages, The Hearts visuals. He wanted to include only However, using the Blackmagic RAW national park is
of Bwindi documentary essential information from the park codec enabled them to deliver all the not the easiest
is a superlative example rangers to let the audience explore footage to me on a 4TB drive.’ place to make a
movie, but the
of what the small production team their character and passion. The Olly stresses that preparation was effort was worth it
from Biscuit Bunker achieved rangers don’t track poachers; they key. ‘Charli and Will put so much
with limited budgets. Editor Olly work closely with the village thought into the shots beforehand Above: Olly
Cooper now explains how the team communities within the park to and on location that it was visually Cooper, the editor
used both the Blackmagic Design protect and safeguard its biodiversity. “all there” on the drive. One of the of The Hearts of
ecosystem and the cloud to work On location for five days with Charli strongest aspects I found was the Bwindi
and collaborate across geographical and producer Tom Neish, our framing, especially in the shots we
boundaries. director of production Will Hadley used as the intro. This depicts all the
‘As much as possible, the director, shot mainly on the Blackmagic biodiversity of Bwindi, but then
Charli Doherty, planned to tell the Design URSA Mini Pro 12K and tracks focus from the forest to show
ADVERTISING FEATURE
the face of a ranger. Shots like that impressed, particularly by the tonal
are almost pillars of the story.’ quality of the voices we were
recording. With so much wildlife,
Cloud collaboration Bwindi is an extremely noisy place,
As Olly elaborates, he loves editing so Resolve Studio’s Vocal Isolation
in DaVinci Resolve Studio, but for plug-in was used on every single bit
him, the big highlight of this project of audio. It’s a one-slider operation
was the opportunity to use the to isolate the vocal, and we could
cloud. ‘For the first half of the keep the intimate sound of
post-production process, Charli, who interviews without the noise of the
was also grading the film, was based constantly loud crickets. Often if you
between London and Wiltshire, clean audio up, you can almost
while I live on the south coast. With Editing The Hearts of Bwindi in DaVinci Resolve Studio destroy it, but we managed to retain
editing and grading both taking a lot of personality in the voices.’
place in DaVinci Resolve Studio, we As Olly explains, DaVinci Resolve
collaborated using Blackmagic also played a key part in preparing
Cloud, a storage system that syncs the film for distribution. As well as
and shares media files with Dropbox ensuring it looked as good as
and Google Drive. Charli and I had possible when played on the popular
full-resolution files to work on Vimeo platform, the team worked
locally, but the project itself lived on hard to retain the best fidelity and
the cloud. Everything just syncs up!’ the best colour rendition, with the
Olly adds that Charli is also an grain still coming through. ‘We also
editor, and is very hands on. ‘We’d had to prepare some cut-downs as
each make selects, or raise issues, teasers, but the software can change
then jump on a call and start ratios and automatically reframe
making decisions on the shared for social media.’
project. It’s almost as if we were in So what is Olly’s favourite scene?
the same room. For me, that’s huge. ‘It has the least amount of dialogue
It makes the whole process so much and the most amount of visual
quicker. Halfway through the post, storytelling. We hear a bird in the
Charli moved to Berlin. However, forest canopy, but it’s revealed to be
this didn’t affect the workflow at all.’ a ranger whistling. I love it for
various reasons, not least the
Colours of the world message: the main thing the rangers
For The Hearts of Bwindi, Olly used do is preserve nature. I hope people
the DaVinci YRGB colour space for can come away from watching
grading the footage. ‘It’s like the Hearts of Bwindi with lots of
cloud collaboration, it’s just easy. I’m Colour grading with DaVinci Studio 2 questions.’
not a colourist so anything that gets
me editing quicker without having ‘We also found several features in
to faff around with colour Resolve that helped address issues
management settings is ideal for me. with the footage in post-production.
Likewise, we didn’t have to manage While Will captured some stunning
too many formats and resolutions.’ shots, everything was fast-paced, and
As well as the URSA 12K and you can never catch it all. For
Pocket 6K Pro, a drone was used for example, Charli found the Colour
some aerial shots above the forest Warper tool infinitely helpful when
canopy and to show the village, matching between shots and
while mini action cameras were cameras. He also combined the
placed on the rifles to give a close-up Magic Mask and Power Windows to
of the soldiers. ‘DaVinci Resolve add a bit of negative fill for contrast.
recognised the camera and You can apply a stroke to the person
automatically converted the footage in Resolve – it knows it’s a human
so I could start editing.’ being – and it creates the mask
There is a range of shades of green around them. We also explored the
everywhere in the film, from the new Relight FX tool in Resolve for a
bright green of the village couple of shots to adjust the
beekeeper’s clothes and the environmental lighting.’
schoolkids’ uniforms to the
camouflage of the rangers and the Sound and vision
forest itself. ‘Charli, who led the Another challenge was the audio,
grading, shifted luminance values to especially when filming in such a
add depth and vibrancy to some of challenging environment. ‘Working The Bwindi National Park is not a quiet
the greens and created a nice palette on a limited budget, Charli also took place, and DaVinci Resolve Studio dealt
across the film,’ Olly adds. on the sound duties, and I was admirably with the audio editing
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L-Mount is a registered trademark of Leica Camera AG.
L-Mount is a registered trademark of Leica Camera AG. L-Mount is a registered trademark of Leica Camera AG.
C Contemporary C Contemporary C Contemporary
56mm F1.4 DC DN 100-400mm F5-6.3 DG DN OS 18-50mm F2.8 DC DN

Available mounts: L-Mount, Nikon Z Mount, Available mounts: L-Mount, Sony E-mount Available mounts: L-Mount, Sony E-mount
Sony E-mount, MFT mount, Canon EF-M and FUJIFILM X Mount. and FUJIFILM X Mount.
mount and FUJIFILM X Mount.
L-Mount is a registered trademark of Leica Camera AG. L-Mount is a registered trademark of Leica Camera AG.
L-Mount is a registered trademark of Leica Camera AG.
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SMARTPHONE TEST Testbench
Night mode finally makes an
appearance for the Sony Xperia
1 V, for low-light situations
24mm equivalent, 1/8sec at f/1.9, ISO 1000
Sony Xperia 1 V
It promises image quality on a par with full-frame
cameras. Amy Davies finds out if Sony’s latest flagship
smartphone has done enough to silence the critics
S
ony undoubtedly makes number of problems with both The sensor is 1.7x larger in area
some of the best usability and image quality. than last year’s and it is joined by At a glance
cameras on the market. So we’re hopeful that with some a 24mm equivalent f/1.9 lens,
But it’s fair to say that it
hasn’t enjoyed the same kind of
tweaks made to both, things are
vastly improved for the 1 V.
which is slightly different from
last year’s f/1.7 lens. Sony
£1,299
critical or commercial success promises that the new sensor l 48MP wide camera, 24mm
equivalent, f/1.9, PDAF, OIS
with its range of smartphones. Features is capable of delivering ‘higher
l 12MP ultra-wide camera,
Its latest flagship device is the The 1 V features a triple-lens sensitivity and lower noise’ and 16mm equivalent, f/2.2, PDAF
Xperia 1 V, a follow-on from last camera setup. Although this is that it is ‘2x better’ in low light. l 12MP telephoto, 85-125mm
year’s Xperia 1 IV. Presumably the the same number as the 1 IV, Sony also says that image equivalent, f/2.3-2.8, PDAF, OIS
company hopes this device will it includes an improved main quality is on par with a camera l 12MP selfie camera, 24mm
help it to take some much- sensor. This gains a big equipped with a full-frame sensor. equivalent, f/2.0, fixed focus
needed market share away from resolution boost, from 12MP to But when pushed to name which l 4K video at 120/60/30/25/24fps
the bigger players on the market. 52MP (48MP effective) and, new camera the Xperia 1 V has been l Android 13
We weren’t hugely impressed for this model, uses pixel binning benchmarked against, Sony l sony.com
by last year’s Xperia 1 IV, noting a to output images to 12MP. refused to tell us.
16mm-equivalent ultrawide 24mm-equivalent main camera
85mm-equivalent zoom 125mm-equivalent zoom

Multiple angles of view from the Sony Xperia 1 V’s triple-lens set-up, including the two extremes of the zoom lens
But it’s a pretty big claim ultra-wide 16mm f/2.2 lens There’s also the option to record tastes. Like many other tall
nonetheless. and a 12MP optical zoom lens in Full HD if you prefer. phones, it’s quite awkward to use
Another thing to say about ranging from 85-125mm and with Super-fast stills shooting at for everyday tasks, especially
the sensor is that it is a an f/2.3-f/2.8 aperture. Although 30fps is available – an increase one-handed, without the benefit
multi-aspect ratio sensor, the hardware remains the same, from last year’s 20fps. Some of a wider screen to really show
meaning in this case that Sony says that it has tweaked other features of note include off your content.
although the total resolution is algorithms to make each of the a 5000mAh battery, a 3.5mm Design aesthetics are a matter
52MP, the default usage is 48MP, lenses perform better. headphone socket, and 256GB of taste, but Sony plays it fairly
with around 20% of the sensor We don’t have 8K video here, inbuilt storage with the ability to safe with the look of the 1 V. It
used for image stabilisation. but we do have 4K at a range of expand that via a MicroSD card. has a textured finish which has
Both the remaining two lenses frame rates, going all the way up It’s worth mentioning at this point the benefit of withstanding
in the set-up appear to be the to 120fps, which is relatively that disappointingly, Sony doesn’t fingerprints, but isn’t as attractive
same as last year’s, with a 12MP unusual in a smartphone. commit to supporting OS and as some of the other Android
security updates past a two-year models on the market. It benefits
The lack of a macro mode (OS) or three-year (security) point. from Corning Gorilla Glass Victus
means close-ups lack detail This is bad news for anyone who on the back and Victus 2 glass
24mm equivalent, 1/400sec at f/1.9, ISO 25 wants to keep their phone for a the front, which should mean it
long time, or perhaps buy it some will withstand scratches and
time after the initial release. knocks fairly well.
Handling and design Native camera app

Here we’ve got more or less the Sony has made a couple of
same design as last year, with a improvements to its native
6.5in screen utilising a 21:9 camera app since we reviewed
display. To put that simply, it’s the Xperia 1 IV, but it’s still
long and narrow. Sony says this lacking in some key areas, and
is to give a better experience frustrating to use in others.
when watching films and playing Squarely aimed at enthusiast
games, but it’s not to everyone’s and professional photographers,
SMARTPHONE TEST Testbench
A ‘bokeh’ mode acts as a the basic mode does a decent
typical portrait mode, but it job if you want to grab a quick
creates unremarkable results snap. But you’ll likely find that if
24mm equivalent, 1/1000sec at f/1.9, ISO 40 conditions are less than perfect,
for example with a high-contrast
scene, then you’ll need to switch
to one of the more extensive
modes and make manual
adjustments.
The ultra-wideangle lens puts
in a fairly good performance,
with not too much distortion and
reasonably good colours and
exposure. Images from both of
these lenses are perfectly nice,
and benefit from being matched
in colour between them, but
they’re not really any better than
any other decent mid-range
smartphone or above. It would
certainly be fair to expect
something a bit more impressive
from something at this price
point, especially from a company
making such bold claims.
Even worse news comes from
the 3.5-5.2x optical zoom lens,
which is the same hardware as
found in the 1 IV. Despite claims
the standard Camera Pro app but includes a few more options but it lacks the finesse and ease that the software has been
provides a choice between Basic which you can change. Here you’ll with which you can perform tweaked to improve performance,
and Auto, but also much more find a shutter button appears, but similar tasks with high-end the images it creates are still
extensive P(rogram), S(hutter) only if you’re shooting in portrait Samsung, Google, Apple, disappointingly soft and smudgy.
and M(anual) modes. orientation. Switch to landscape OnePlus, and Xiaomi devices. The 85mm end of the lens
In its basic mode, the Xperia format and it will sadly disappear, It’s also disappointing that produces the best results, but
1 V works as a point and shoot. so you’ll have to use the physical despite having that super-high- the 125mm end is best avoided
The phone will take care of shutter button on the side of the resolution sensor, you can’t unless you’re only using images
everything itself, and you’re also phone instead. opt to shoot in high-resolution at very small sizes and don’t
treated to an on-screen shutter Finally, Sony engineers have mode. This is something which is intend to scrutinise them much.
button. New for this model is a listened to the big gripe of readily available with most other Sony claims that it hasn’t
Night mode, which finally makes previous incarnations, and the high-resolution smartphones. included four lenses in the Sony
an appearance on a Sony Xperia display rotates to match the If you want to take more control Xperia 1 V to provide two different
1 model after many years of orientation you’re shooting in. over your video recording, there’s telephoto focal lengths (like we
waiting. This should activate You lose/gain a shutter button, a completely separate Video Pro see in the Samsung Galaxy S23
automatically if the phone but at least you can read what app, which gives you a range of Ultra) because of size issues.
detects there’s not much you’re looking at properly. extensive controls over This seems to be a somewhat
light around. In the Auto mode, you can parameters such as frame rates, spurious claim considering how
There’s still no ‘portrait’ mode, change things like eye-detection, resolution and more besides. big the mechanism for a zoom
but there is a ‘bokeh’ mode autofocus mode, single or Again, this is likely to be overkill lens is, but even if totally true,
which you can use to create continuous shooting and more. for most, but for vloggers and it still doesn’t make sense.
shallow-depth-of-field effects. If you head into the even more those who want all of that control, It would surely be better to offer
If you want to shoot video advanced options, you’ll be able it’s potentially appealing. just one very good lens, even if
directly from this app, Basic to control things like shutter limited in focal length, than a
mode is where you’ll need to speed, white balance, metering Image quality rather short zoom lens that is so
be. You’ll also need to select and so on. Again, in these more Sony has made some bold claims poor in quality. This feels very
video manually; there’s not the advanced modes, there’s no when it comes to image quality much like a lens that is mainly
convenience of simply pressing on-screen shutter button in with the Xperia 1 V, with there to prove a point, namely
and holding the shutter button to horizontal orientation. I’m told ‘Unprecedented’ being one of that an optical zoom can exist
do so. And if you are in another that Sony is aware of this them. In truth, it appears to be within a smartphone. Nobody
shooting mode, you’ll need to feedback and may do something largely similar to last year’s 1 IV. else on the market does this
come back to Basic, then select about it for the next model. As we found before, images – ask yourself why that might be?
Video. This three-step process Disappointingly, unlike most taken with the main (24mm) Low-light shooting is something
is a bit frustrating for capturing other flagships, there is no macro camera produce the best results, which admittedly has seen a big
quick off-the-cuff movies. mode. It’s possible to focus fairly with the opportunity to create improvement for the 1 V, as we’ve
An Auto mode is also available, closely with the super-wideangle good shots in good light. Colours finally now got a night mode,
which is similar to Basic mode, lens and crop in after the fact, are fairly well represented, and which kicks into action in
Testbench SMARTPHONE TEST
Verdict
IN A WAY, you’ve got to admire
Sony for keeping going in a
market where it attracts so few
sales. I pushed for how well the
Xperia 1 V is doing in terms of
units shifted, and was told this
information can’t be disclosed,
but it is ‘good’.
Without any hard data, it’s quite
possible that ‘good’ in this
context means ‘for a Sony’.
In several regions, Sony has
about 1% of the market, so it
seems unlikely that other big
makers need to worry just yet.
Although Sony has addressed
some criticisms of its flagship
model, it has done little to
address many of the others.
The overall annoyance here is
made all the more maddeningly
The ultra-wideangle lens frustrating when you consider
comes in useful in certain that Sony makes excellent ‘real’
circumstances cameras, screens and audio
16mm equivalent, 1/50sec at f/2.2, ISO 400 systems – some of the best on
the market, in fact. Why can’t it
do the same for Xperia?
either Basic or Auto modes attractive results, albeit arguably price like this, we’d expect it I went into this review hoping to
if low light is detected. slightly less realistic. In fact, the to deliver on at least some of have had my mind changed about
You no longer need to grab a Honor 90, a mid-range phone the hyperbolic promises the Xperia smartphones, and that
tripod and use a long exposure costing approximately one-third company makes and that it past criticisms would have been
when light levels are low, which of what the Xperia 1 V will set would also offer all of the basic fully addressed. Some of them
is great news. The results are you back, also produced more things we’d expect from a have been – we’ve now got a
reasonably good with a decent attractive results. high-quality smartphone. rotating display (finally!), and a
level of detail kept. Although there’s no macro Sadly, image quality is lacking functioning night mode. But
However, once again, it’s fair mode available, it’s not in certain areas – such as with there’s still far from enough here
to say that the Xperia 1 V is not impossible to get close to a the same disappointing zoom to justify spending £1,299.
producing anything special here. subject. However, the detail performance as last time – while If you’re keen on getting a
The iPhone 14 Pro I had with me resolved isn’t very good, and others are missing altogether. flagship smartphone and want
at the same time produced more you might see some strange There’s no macro mode, no superior image quality, lots of
halo or fringing effects. proper portrait mode, and control, an attractive design and
Data file For portraits, eye-AF does a although Night mode has finally longer support, then the obvious
good job of following a subject’s made an appearance, it’s still answer is the Samsung Galaxy
Ultra-wide Front selfie eye around the frame. But, the not that good. S23 or S23 Ultra. If you’re less
camera 12MP camera 12MP, bokeh mode produces results Sony will say that this device is bothered about control, go for the
1/2.5in Exmor RS 24mm equivalent, which are a bit smudgy and aimed at those who crave being Pixel 7 series, or the iPhone 14
for mobile sensor, f/2, fixed focus unnatural looking. The selfie able to take a high degree of Pro series if you prefer iOS.
16mm equivalent, Display 6.5in,
f/2.2, PDAF camera lags behind other control. There are probably
4K HDR OLED flagships, as it lacks autofocus. people out there who feel like
Wide camera (3840x1644),
48MP effective/ 120Hz, 21:9 Video performance is good, that, but even the most
12MP recording, aspect ratio with a well-performing image professional of photographers is
1/1.35in Exmor T Operating stabilisation system, and with likely to want to be able to grab
for mobile sensor, system the main camera performing the shots quickly and not be forced
24mm equiv, Android 13 best. You’ve also got a huge to make adjustments every time.
f/1.9, PDAF, OIS Dimensions degree of control here if you The lack of support for OS and
Telephoto camera 165x71x8.3mm want it from the Video Pro mode. security updates is a problem for
12MP, 1/3.5in Weight 187g longevity, too, meaning you’ll
Exmor RS for
mobile sensor, Value for money almost certainly need to upgrade
85-125mm equiv, The Xperia 1 V is one of the this phone in a couple of years,
f/2.3-2.8, most expensive smartphones at best. That’s a real shame for
PDAF, OIS currently available, at £1,299. something costing so much
It’s safe to say that for a high in the first place.
Photographica
10 October
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rangefinder cameras and
lenses, and more besides
Please contact
Mike Spencer
now, whether
buying
or selling.
01635 580595
Special Auction Services

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mike@specialauctionservices.com
ROUND-UP Testbench
Take your image-making on an adventure with the latest and greatest action
cameras, says Jon Stapley. There’s more to life than just GoPro, too
T
here’s nothing like using an action camera, we think GoPro – and the pioneering content for professional clients. If you’re
camera for sheer knockabout fun. design of the GoPro Hero, fundamentally going to be capturing photos as well as
For capturing adventurous video unchanged through eleven iterations, is videos, it’s also worth being aware of the
of extreme activities and remote indeed the inspiration for most of the models maximum photo resolution.
places, these hardy little box-like devices that come under the action camera umbrella. The level of waterproofing is important to
are your most reliable friend. A good action But, as we’ll see, action cameras can vary keep in mind, so that you don’t accidentally
camera can be taken to places you’d never in form and function. Before we get to our list take your camera too deep. Many action
think of taking a mirrorless or DSLR camera proper, here’s a quick run-down of the key cameras can be bought with optional
or a smartphone, and come back with the specs to consider you’re choosing the best underwater housings that extend the depths
high-quality video and stills to prove it. It’s model for your needs. to which they can be submerged. On the
a market that’s always moving and heaving other hand, there are some that can’t be
with new products – like the just-announced How to choose an action camera submerged at all.
DJI Osmo Action 4, which is a little too new Choosing the best action camera for your Stabilisation is an important part of an
for us to include on this list, but sports an personal requirements means weighing up action camera’s make-up, as it makes ‘point
impressive set of features. a few different features. You’ll want to pay of view’ (POV) footage much more pleasant
The definition of an action camera is attention to the top video resolution – while to watch. You may also want to consider the
a little more malleable than you might think. you don’t always need to shoot at the weight of the camera if it’s something you’re
In general, an action camera is defined as maximum resolution, it’s useful to know planning on wearing.
a small, wearable device with extensive how many pixels you have to work with, So here’s our list of the best action
waterproofing. When most of us think action especially if you’re going to be creating cameras to buy.
GoPro HERO11 Black

For the HERO11 Black, the
At a glance upgrade was the sensor. This
iteration sports a brand new
l 5.3K 60p video 1/1.9in-type sensor capable
l 27MP photos of producing 5.3K video in a
l Natively waterproof to 10m near-square 8:7 aspect ratio.
l Weight: 154g This makes your footage much
l Price: £399 easier to crop into for vertical
l www.gopro.com video formats, giving you
TikTok-friendly clips straight out
of camera. Fear not, though – you
GoPro brings out new versions of can also use the HyperView
its classic Hero action camera digital lens to create footage
with impressive regularity – in a gorgeous, cinematic 16:9
there’s a reason we’ve already aspect ratio, if you’re feeling
reached the 11th iteration. These more traditional.
©GOPRO
updates tend to focus on one With other minor but welcome

specific upgrade rather than upgrades across the board, The GoPro HERO11 Black has significant internal upgrades over
reinventing the wheel. Previous including Horizon Lock for previous HERO cameras
iterations have introduced stabilisation and improved
features like the famous battery life, the GoPro HERO11
HyperSmooth stabilisation, now Black is the best GoPro you can
a GoPro fixture, which makes buy right now. What’s more, it’s
video footage super-smooth even the the best action camera
when the camera is moving. available overall, too.
Testbench ROUND-UP
DJI Osmo Action 3

a few enticing features of its own.
At a glance The big one is battery life. DJI
crammed in a 1770mAh battery
l 4K 120p video rated for up to 160 minutes of
l 12MP stills recording and able to function in
l Natively waterproof to 16m temperatures as low as -20°C.
l Weight: 145g It’s also quick charging, able to
l Price: £309 gas up to 80% in 18 minutes and
l www.dji.com 100% in 50 minutes.
Like GoPro, DJI noticed that a
Never one to back down from a lot of video these days is watched
©DJI
fight, DJI released its long-awaited in the vertical 9:16 format. As
Osmo Action 3 on the same day such, the Osmo Action 3 features The DJI Osmo Action 3 is rated to keep running in extreme cold
as GoPro took the wraps off its a dedicated vertical recording temperatures
HERO11 Black. A return to the mode, and can be mounted
traditional action camera format vertically to facilitate using it. (albeit with a lovely 120p option) the latter received a significant
after the odd modular Action 2, It’s not got the raw resolution and stills resolution at 12MP. price slash, and is one of the
the Osmo Action 3 undercuts of GoPro’s latest Hero, with video Still, it’s significantly cheaper most compelling Hero
GoPro on price, and also gains resolution topping out at 4K than the latest GoPro, even after alternatives on the market.
Insta360 X3
©INSTA360
a palm-sized action camera, more value out of a GoPro or DJI
At a glance waterproof down to depths of camera. However, if you’re up for
10m, which can be extended experimenting with 360° content,
l 5.7K 360-degree video down to 50m with the recently the X3 is blast. It’s got generous
l 72MP 360-degree stills released ‘Invisible Dive Kit’. battery life (rated to 81 minutes!),
l Natively waterproof to 10m The video the X3 captures with effective stabilisation and fun
l Weight: 180g its dual 1/2in sensors is 5.7K editing tools that make fiddling
l Price: £459 360°, which you can either use to about with your clips a genuinely
l www.Insta360.com create immersive virtual reality enjoyable process.
content, or simply crop into the
parts where the action happened.
As the name implies, Insta360 The X3 can also capture 4K
specialises in putting 360-degree footage with a more standard
imaging in the palm of your hand ‘action camera’ field of view – if
– making it possible to capture it, this is mostly what you’re going to
Insta360 X3
well, instantly. The Insta360 X3 is be shooting, you’ll probably get
GoPro HERO11 Black Mini

©GOPRO
slapping down your credit card,
At a glance it’s worth appraising yourself of
where the cuts have been made.
l 5.3K 60p video Probably the most glaring
l 24.7MP stills (video framegrabs) omission is that the camera
l Natively waterproof to 10m doesn’t have a photo mode. Yep
l Weight: 133g – there’s no dedicated mode in
l Price: £299 which you point, you click and
l www.gopro.com a still image is produced.
Granted, you can produce stills GoPro
– the camera will let you have HERO11
The HERO11 Black Mini is exactly 24.7MP stills extracted from your Black
what it sounds like – a stripped- high-quality video footage, and Mini
back, slimmed-down, cheaper they look pretty good. Some
version of the HERO11 Black. If reviewers have declared that
you read the headline specs it this renders the lack of a photo There’s also no display of any want to use it for wearing to
may seem like a no-brainer that mode ‘moot’ – whether or not kind, and the battery is built-in capture POV shots, none of these
this is the one to go for – after that statement made you recoil is rather than removable. All these omissions are going to bother
all, it still shoots 5.3K 60p probably a pretty good indicator shavings mean the HERO11 you anyway. Plus, recent price
video, it still has HyperSmooth as to whether this camera is for Black Mini weighs an incredibly cuts have rendered it even more
stabilisation. But before you go you or not. slender 133g, and if you mainly tempting than it was before.
Insta360 GO 3
didn’t really pan out (turns out good edit, with heavy black
The Insta360 GO 3
©INSTA360
At a glance we’re all quite boring and no one vignette in the corners. There’s with its Action
wants to watch us walk to the also the option of the Action Pod Pod housing
l 2.7K 30p video shops), but a few of the cameras housing, which the GO 3 snaps
l 9.2MP photos did survive. The Insta360 GO 3 is into and makes it look and feel
l Natively waterproof to 4.87m the latest incarnation of probably a little more like a traditional
l Weight: 35g the most wearable camera out action camera – it even adds
l Price: £399 (64GB version) there – at an incredible 35g, it’s a flip-back screen for capturing
l www.insta360.com a camera you can easily pin to the perfect selfie. The FlowState
your chest and forget it’s there. stabilisation also works well,
The Insta360 GO series is This model still has action helping keep footage smooth
a leftover from the era of camera credentials, with when you’re on the move.
‘lifelogging’ cameras, a brief waterproofing down to almost It’s neither as tough nor as
period when a few dedicated 5m and the ability to shoot 2.7K powerful as the other cameras on
manufactures thought that video at up to 30p. It can capture this list, but as far as portability
everyone would take to wearing stills too, and can even do it in goes, a camera that weighs about
cameras at all times to record DNG format, though even by raw the same as a pack of crisps is
the minutiae of their day. That standards these files need a in a league of its own.
Insta360 ONE RS 1-inch
©INSTA360
360 Edition 360-degree camera that’s
capable in low light and produces
pristine 6K video.
At a glance The content it produces is
genuinely a cut above, aided by
l 6K 30p video the excellent stabilisation that
l 21MP photos has been optimised for shooting
l Not waterproof (IPX3 rain/snow in 360 degrees. Insta360’s
resistance) well-designed apps for desktop
l Weight: 239g and mobile make it easy to make
l Price: £799 sense of your spherical footage,
l www.insta360.com cropping in to find the action if
necessary. One thing that’s worth Insta360 ONE RS 1-inch 360 Edition in use
If you’re serious about creating noting though is that this camera
360° content, then the premium is nowhere near as rugged as Then there’s the price. While outlay. If you absolutely need the
Insta360 ONE RS 1-inch 360 other action cameras – its IPX3 this camera offers a unique kind of 360-degree quality it’s
Edition might be the best pick. rating means it can handle light experience, it’s hard to ignore the offering, then it’s worth it – if not,
It jams together two 1in sensor rain or snow, but you can’t expect fact that you could buy any two you can get better value for
modules to create a high-quality to submerge it. others on this list for the same money elsewhere.
Olympus Tough TG-6 ©KIRK SCHWARZ
compact camera, meaning it can

At a glance take an absolute pounding and a
soaking. There are a few of these
l 4K 30p video on the market, but the TG-6 is
l 12MP photos generally regarded as the best.
l Natively waterproof to 15m As well as a more comfortable,
l Weight: 250g grippable form factor, the TG-6
l Price: £399 has one key advantage over
l explore.omsystem.com traditional action cameras – a
25-100mm equivalent f/2-4.9
zoom lens, giving you much more
While the Olympus Tough TG-6 compositional flexibility and an
doesn’t quite fit the definition of ability to get in close to distant
an action camera, it performs subjects. It’s also got a nice big The OM System Tough TG-6
many of the same functions and 3in 1.04m-dot LCD screen, which
is a compelling alternative for provides a much more pleasant Of course, the TG-6 is not footage. It has some built-in
anyone who prefers the idea of a composing experience than any nearly as wearable as a stabilisation, though it’s not on
more traditional camera format. of the small screens on conventional action camera, and the level of GoPro’s or DJI’s.
The Tough TG-6 is a rugged traditional action cameras. isn’t as good for capturing POV But it’s much better for stills.
Tech Talk
Improve
your
photography
with a
subscription
Professor Newman delves into the mechanical to Amateur
intricacies of the Nikon F mount Photographer
magazine!
I
n my last article I looked at
the patents that disclose
the workings of the latest
Canon and Nikon mounts.
When electronic mounts first
arrived, I remember concern in
the photographic press about
their replacement of what were
considered to be reliable
mechanical systems. In this
article I will take a look at the
mechanical mounts and see, with
the benefit of hindsight, how
reliable they really were.
Let’s consider the functions
SAVE
that the lens mount must fulfil. The Nikon F-mount. Tab A signals how far the aperture is stopped
An emerging feature in the early down, and B whether it is set at its minimum. C is the stop-down lever.
D codes the minimum f-number, and E whether the aperture lever acts
1960s was an automatic linearly. F marks electronic contacts for such things as distance UP TO
49%
aperture diaphragm. In a single communication for metering, while G is the ‘screw-drive’ AF coupling *
lens reflex camera, it’s desirable
to have the lens operating at full the f-number actually set, the another tab on the aperture ring
aperture for viewing, so that the lens had to communicate its to indicate whether the lens was
image is bright. But it must be minimum f-number and whether set to its minimum aperture. Also
stopped down to the taking the aperture ring was set to its required was a connection to
aperture for exposure. A link minimum, so the camera could indicate the minimum f-number
between the camera and lens fully stop it down if required. of the lens, which was placed
is needed to set the diaphragm This required two further inside the bayonet. Finally, a
when the shutter is pressed. couplings. On top of those, the recess was made in the mount
Through-the-lens metering fact that these mounts evolved so that a switch on the camera
allowed the meter’s field of view through several versions meant could determine whether the
to be accurately aligned with the that further couplings were lens was AIS or AI type. Other
photo being taken and enabled needed to let the camera know mounts went through a similar
exposure measurements to take the capability of the lens fitted. process. In Canon’s case, all
into account lens transmission
differences and any attached
Taking as an example the Nikon
F-mount, the stop-down lever was
these couplings operated using
levers within the mount. 2 EASY
filters. Early implementations
required stopping down to the
an original feature, developed for
the Nikon F in 1959. Nikon made
To finish, I’ll return to the
question set in the introduction. WAYS TO
taking aperture for metering.
Open-aperture metering entailed
two attempts at the aperture
setting coupling. The one that
Were these old-style mechanical
mounts more reliable than
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lens would be stopped down consisted of a ridge on the Considering that each of these /AMP823P
when the photo was taken. The aperture ring which bore against levers and tabs actuated a switch
camera’s electronics then applied a follower on the camera body. or potentiometer, which depended
Call us on
the required compensation. When Nikon allowed shutter- on electrical contacts, the 01959 543 747
Then came shutter-priority priority automation, the ‘AIS’ reliance of modern mounts on and quote AMP823P
automatic exposure, whereby the version re-engineered the contacts is not really a weakness, Lines are open Mon-Fri 8.30am to 5.30pm. Calls are
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206
lenses
listed &
rated
Lens mounts
Each manufacturer has its own
DSLR Lenses lens mount and most aren’t
compatible with one another. For
Interchangeable lenses come in example, a Canon DSLR can’t use
Nikon lenses, although you can
a huge array of types for shooting use independent brands if you get
different kinds of subjects them with the right mount.
IN GENERAL, the easiest way to
expand the kinds of pictures
you can take is by buying Built-in focus motor
different types of lenses. For Most lenses now incorporate an internal
example, telephoto lenses motor to drive the autofocus, although
let you zoom in on distant some are still driven from the camera
subjects, while macro body. DSLR lenses often use ultrasonic-
lenses enable close-ups type motors for fast focusing, but some
of small objects. now have video-friendly stepper motors
Large-aperture lenses as widely used in mirrorless systems.
allow you to isolate
subjects against blurred
backgrounds, or shoot in
low light without having to Filter thread Maximum
raise the ISO too high. A thread at the front of aperture
Meanwhile, all-in-one the camera will have Wider apertures mean
superzooms cover a wide range a diameter, in mm, which you can use faster,
of subjects, but usually with will allow you to attach motion-stopping
rather lower optical quality. a variety of filters or shutter speeds.
adapters to the lens.
OUR GUIDE TO THE SUFFIXES USED BY LENS MANUFACTURERS

AF Nikon AF lenses driven from camera DC Sigma’s lenses for APS-C digital ED Extra-low Dispersion elements LM Fujifilm Linear Motor SP Tamron’s Super Performance range
AF-S Nikon lenses with Silent Wave Motor DG Sigma’s designation for full-frame lenses EF Canon’s lenses for full-frame DSLRs MP-E Canon’s high-magnification macro lens SSM Sony Supersonic Motor lenses
AF-P Nikon lenses with stepper motors Di Tamron lenses for full-frame sensors EF-S Canon’s lenses for APS-C DSLRs OIS Optical Image Stabilisation STF Sony and Laowa Smooth Trans Focus
AL Pentax lenses with aspheric elements Di-II Tamron lenses designed for APS-C DSLRs EF-M Canon’s lenses for APS-C mirrorless OS Sigma’s Optically Stabilised lenses STM Canon lenses with stepper motor
APD Fujifilm lenses with apodisation elements Di-III Tamron lenses for mirrorless cameras EX Sigma’s ‘Excellent’ range PC-E Nikon tilt-and-shift lenses TS-E Canon Tilt-and-Shift lens
APO Sigma Apochromatic lenses DN Sigma’s lenses for mirrorless cameras FA Pentax full-frame lenses PF Nikon Phase Fresnel optics UMC Ultra Multi Coated
ASPH Aspherical elements DO Canon diffractive optical element lenses FE Sony lenses for full-frame mirrorless PZD Tamron Piezo Drive focus motor USM Canon lenses with an Ultrasonic Motor
AW Pentax all-weather lenses DT Sony lenses for APS-C-sized sensors G Nikon lenses without an aperture ring RF Canon full-frame mirrorless lenses USD Tamron Ultrasonic Drive motor
CS Samyang lenses for APS-C cropped sensors DX Nikon’s lenses for DX-format digital HSM Sigma’s Hypersonic Motor S Nikon’s premium lenses for mirrorless VC Tamron’s Vibration Compensation
D Nikon lenses that communicate distance info DS Canon’s Defocus Smoothing technology IS Canon’s Image-Stabilised lenses SAM Sony Smooth Autofocus Motor VR Nikon’s Vibration Reduction feature
DA Pentax lenses optimised for APS-C-sized sensors E Nikon lenses with electronic apertures L Canon’s ‘Luxury’ range of high-end lenses SDM Pentax’s Sonic Direct Drive Motor WR Weather Resistant
DC Nikon defocus-control portrait lenses E Sony lenses for APS-C mirrorless LD Low-Dispersion glass SMC Pentax Super Multi Coating Z Nikon’s lenses for mirrorless cameras
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BUYING GUIDE
FILTER THREAD (MM)

DSLR Lenses
DIAMETER (MM)
STABILISATION
MIN FOCUS (CM)

FOUR THIRDS
SONY ALPHA
LENGTH (MM)
FULL FRAME
WEIGHT (G)
PENTAX
CANON
SIGMA
NIKON
IMAGE
LENS RRP SCORE SUMMARY MOUNT DIMENSIONS
CANON DSLR
EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM £299 4★ A superb ultra-wideangle that’s a must-have for anyone shooting landscapes and cityscapes • • 22 67 74.6 72 240
EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM £990 4★ A good performer, with solid MTF curves and minimal chromatic aberration • 24 77 83.5 89.8 385
EF-S 18-55mm f/4-5.6 IS STM £220 Latest standard zoom for Canon’s APS-C EOS DSLRs, with compact design and updated optics • • 25 58 66.5 61.8 215
EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM £500 Versatile zoom with new Nano USM focus technology and optional power zoom adapter • • 39 67 77.4 96 515
EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM £795 4★ Very capable lens with three-stop image stabilisation, Super Spectra coating and a circular aperture • • 35 77 83.5 110.6 645
EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM £165 4★ Bargain price, tiny carry-everywhere size and a highly competent imaging performance • 16 52 68.2 22.8 125
EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STM £265 A compact telephoto lens featuring smooth, quiet STM focusing when shooting movies • • 110 58 70 111.2 375
EF 8-15mm f/4 L USM £1499 Impressive-looking fisheye zoom lens from Canon • • 15 n/a 78.5 83 540
EF 11-24mm f/4 L USM £2799 5★ Long-awaited by Canon full-frame users, this is the world’s widest-angle rectilinear zoom lens • • 28 n/a 108 132 1180
EF 16-35mm f/2.8 L III USM £2150 Revamped wideangle zoom includes new optics in a weather-sealed lens barrel • • 28 82 89.5 127.5 790
EF 16-35mm f/4 L IS USM £1199 4★ Versatile and with a useful IS system, this is a very good ultra-wideangle zoom for full-frame cameras • • • 28 77 82.6 112.8 615
EF 17-40mm f/4 L USM £940 4★ Designed to match the needs of demanding professionals – and does so with ease • • 28 77 83.5 96.8 500
EF 24mm f/1.4 L II USM £2010 Subwavelength structure coating, together with UD and aspherical elements • • 25 77 83.5 86.9 650
EF 24-70mm f/2.8 L II USM £2300 5★ Professional-quality standard zoom lens with a fast aperture • • 38 82 88.5 113 805
EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS II USM £1129 4★ Reworked workhorse zoom for full-frame cameras uses an all-new optical design • • • 45 77 83.5 118 795
EF 24-105mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM £479 3.5★ A versatile standard zoom lens that’s an ideal route into full-frame photography • • • 40 77 83.4 104 525
EF 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6 L IS USM £3290 L-series optic with expansive range, image stabilisation and a circular aperture • • • 70 77 92 184 1670
EF 35mm f/2 IS USM £799 First 35mm prime from Canon to feature an optical stabilisation system • • • 24 67 62.6 77.9 335
EF 35mm f/1.4 L II USM £1799 5★ An outstanding addition to the L-series line-up • • 28 72 80.4 104.4 760
EF 50mm f/1.2 L USM £1910 Very wide maximum aperture and Super Spectra coatings, and a circular aperture • • 45 72 85.8 65.5 580
EF 50mm f/1.4 USM £450 5★ Brilliant performer, with a highly consistent set of MTF curves. AF motor is a tad noisy, though • • 45 58 73.8 50.5 290
EF 50mm f/1.8 STM £130 5★ Lightest EF lens in the range, with wide maximum aperture and a Micro Motor • • 35 49 69.2 39.3 130
EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L USM £1540 Non-stabilised L-series optic, with rear focusing and four UD elements • • 150 77 84.6 193.6 1310
EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS III USM £2150 Updates Canon’s excellent pro workhorse zoom with water-repellent fluorine coatings • • • 120 77 88.8 199 1480
EF 70-200mm f/4L IS II USM £1300 Upgraded premium telephoto zoom promises five stops of image stabilisation • • • 100 72 80 176 780
EF 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 IS II USM £499 4.5★ Mid-range telephoto zoom offers really good optics and fast, silent autofocus • • • 120 67 80 145.5 710
EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III £300 Essentially the same lens as the 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III USM but with no USM • • 150 58 71 122 480
EF 85mm f/1.4L IS USM £1570 5★ Sublime, highly desirable portrait lens combines large aperture and optical image stabilisation • • • 85 77 88.6 105.4 950
EF 85mm f/1.8 USM £470 5★ Non-rotating front ring thanks to rear-focusing system, as well as USM • • 85 58 75 71.5 425
EF 100mm f/2.8 L Macro IS USM £1060 5★ Stunning MTF figures from this pro-grade macro optic • • • 30 67 77.7 123 625
EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS II USM £1999 4.5★ L-series construction and optics, including fluorite and Super UD elements • • • 98 77 94 193 1640
EF 135mm f/2 L USM
ALL PRICES ARE RRPS, STREET PRICES MAY VARY
£1360 L-series construction with two UD elements and wide maximum aperture • • 90 72 82.5 112 750
MP-E 65mm f/2.8 1-5x Macro £1250 Macro lens designed to achieve a magnification greater than 1x without accessories • • 24 58 81 98 710
TS-E 17mm f/4 L £2920 Ultra-wideangle tilt-and-shift optic with independent rotation of the tilt and shift movements • • 25 77 88.9 106.9 820
TS-E 24mm f/3.5 L II £2550 Tilt-and-shift optic with independent tilt-and-shift rotation and redesigned coatings • • 21 82 88.5 106.9 780
TS-E 50mm f/2.8L Macro £2500 Tilt-and-shift macro lens for specialist product photography, with 1:2 magnification • • 27 77 86.9 114.9 945
TS-E 90mm f/2.8L Macro £2500 Tilt-and-shift macro lens for specialist product photography, with 1:2 magnification • • 39 77 86.9 116.5 915
TS-E 135mm f/4L Macro £2500 Tilt-and-shift macro lens for specialist product photography, with 1:2 magnification • • 49 82 88.5 139.1 1110
We’ve tried our hardest to ensure that the information in this guide is as complete and accurate as possible. However, some errors will
inevitably have crept in along the way: if you spot one, please let us know by emailing ap.ed@kelsey.co.uk. Unfortunately we don’t have space
to list every single product on the market, so we don’t include the most expensive speciality items. Before making a purchase we advise you
to check prices, along with any crucial specifications or requirements, with either a reputable retailer or the manufacturer’s website.
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BUYING GUIDE
FILTER THREAD (MM)

DSLR Lenses
STABILISATION
MIN FOCUS (CM)
DIAMETER (MM)
FOUR THIRDS
SONY ALPHA
LENGTH (MM)
FULL FRAME
WEIGHT (G)
PENTAX
CANON
SIGMA
NIKON
IMAGE
LAOWA DSLR
12mm f/2.8 Zero D £899 Ultra-wideangle lens for full-frame DSLRs that exhibits minimal distortion • • • • • 18 77 74.8 82.8 609
14mm f/4 Zero-D DSLR £499 Relatively compact and lightweight ultra-wideangle manual focus prime that promises low distortion • • • 15 67 72.5 75 320
15mm f/4 1:1 Macro £449 4★ Unusual wideangle lens that offers 1:1 Macro together with vertical shift movements on APS-C cameras • • • • • 12 77 83.8 64.7 410
15mm f/4.5 Zero-D Shift £1249 4★ The world’s widest-angle shift lens offers +/-11mm movement in any direction • • • 20 n/a 79 103 597
20mm f/4 Zero-D Shift £1139 Wideangle shift lens that offers +/-11mm movement and promises zero distortion • • • 25 82 91 95 747
24mm f/14 2x Macro Probe £1599 Unique specialist macro lens with submersible front barrel and built-in LED lights • • • 47 n/a 38 408 474
24mm f/14 2x Peri Probe £2449 Development of macro probe design with swappable straight and 90° periscopic front sections • • • n/a 61.3 408 770
25mm f/2.8 Ultra Macro 2.5x - 5x £399 Unusual lens designed solely for ultra-close-up shooting, with magnification from 2.5x to 5x • • • • 17.3 n/a 65 82 400
60mm f/2.8 2X Ultra Macro £319 3.5★ With 2:1 Macro, an all-in-one option for normal portrait photography as well as ultra-macro • • • • • 18.5 62 95 70 503
100mm f/2.8 2:1 Ultra Macro APO £469 Full-frame macro lens with twice-life-size magnification and apochromatic design • • • • 24.7 67 125 72 638
105mm f/2 (T3.2) STF £649 4★ Designed for full-frame DSLRS, and features an apodisation element that renders lovely bokeh • • • • • 90 67 98.9 76 745
NIKON DSLR
10-20mm f/4.5-5.6 G VR AF-P DX £330 3.5★ Inexpensive wide zoom for DX DSLRs has effective image stabilisation but rather average optics • • 22 72 77 73 230
10-24mm f/3.5-4.5 G ED AF-S DX £834 4★ MTF performance is good from wide open to f/11, only breaking down past f/22 • 24 77 82.5 87 460
18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 G VR AF-P DX £199 A compact, lightweight DX-format zoom lens with Vibration Reduction • • 25 55 64.5 62.5 205
18-140mm f/3.5-5.6 G ED VR AF-S DX £579 A compact and lightweight DX-format zoom, this lens is a great all-rounder • • 45 67 78 97 490
18-300mm f/3.5-6.3 G ED VR £849 New DX-format 16.7x zoom with super-telephoto reach – a compact walk-around lens • • 48 67 78.5 99 550
35mm f/1.8 G AF-S DX £208 5★ Designed for DX-format DSLRs, a great standard prime lens • 30 52 70 52.5 200
40mm f/2.8 G AF-S DX Micro £250 5★ A budget-priced macro lens that delivers the goods on multiple fronts • 20 52 68.5 64.5 235
70-300mm f/4.5-6.3 G VR AF-P DX £350 Adds extremely useful optical stabilisation to Nikon’s budget compact telephoto • • 110 58 72 125 415
85mm f/3.5 G ED AF-S DX VR £522 DX-format Micro lens with a 1:1 reproduction ratio, VR II system and ED glass • • 28 52 73 98.5 355
8-15mm f/3.5-4.5 E ED Fisheye AF-S £1299 Fisheye zoom for full-frame DSLRs that gives a circular view at 8mm and full-frame coverage at 15mm • • 16 n/a 77.5 83 485
14-24mm f/2.8 G ED AF-S £1670 5★ A remarkable piece of kit, producing sharp images with little chromatic aberration • • 28 n/a 98 131.5 970
16-35mm f/4 G ED AF-S VR £1072 5★ A fantastic lens that deserves to be taken seriously, with very little CA throughout • • • 28 77 82.5 125 685
20mm f/1.8 G ED AF-S £679 A fast FX-format prime lens that’s compact and lightweight • • 20 77 82.5 80.5 335
24mm f/1.4 G ED AF-S £1990 5★ Nothing short of stunning. Aside from its high price, there is very little to dislike about this optic • • 25 77 83 88.5 620
24mm f/1.8 G ED AF-S £629 Fast FX-format lens that aims to appeal to landscape, interior, architecture and street photographers • 23 72 77.5 83 355
24-70mm f/2.8 E ED VR £1849 5★ Nikon’s latest pro-spec standard zoom looks like its best lens yet • • • 38 82 88 154.5 1070
24-85mm f/3.5-4.5 G ED VR £520 5★ FX-format standard zoom with Auto Tripod detection and VR • • 38 72 78 82 465
24-120mm f/4 G ED AF-S VR £1072 5★ Constant maximum aperture of f/4 and the addition of VR makes this a superb lens • • • 45 77 84 103 710
28mm f/1.4 E ED AF-S £2080 Boasts a dust- and drip-resistant build for reliable shooting in challenging weather conditions • • 28 77 83 100.5 645
28mm f/1.8 G ED AF-S £619 5★ If you crave a wide aperture and prefer a single focal length then this Nikon prime delivers • • 25 67 73 80 330
35mm f/1.8 G ED AF-S £479 Fast FX-format prime lens with bright f/1.8 aperture. Versatile and lightweight • • 25 58 72 71.5 305
35mm f/1.4 G ED AF-S £1735 5★ A Nano Crystal-coated lens designed for the FX range • • 30 67 83 89.5 600
50mm f/1.4 G AF-S £376 5★ Internal focusing and superior AF drive makes this a good alternative to the D-series 50mm f/1.4 • • • 45 58 73.5 54 280
50mm f/1.8 D AF £135 Compact, lightweight, affordable prime, will stop down to f/22 • • 45 52 63 39 160
50mm f/1.8 G AF-S £200 5★ A cut-price standard lens for FX shooters or a short telephoto on DX-format DSLRs • • 45 58 72 52.5 185
58mm f/1.4 G AF-S £1599 4★ FX-format full-frame premium prime lens with large f/1.4 aperture • • 58 72 85 70 385
70-200mm f/2.8 E FL ED VR AF-S £2650 Latest update to Nikon’s pro workhorse fast telephoto zoom brings electronic aperture control • • • 110 77 88.5 202.5 1430
70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 E ED VR AF-P £750 Nikon’s first full-frame lens to feature a stepper motor for autofocus • • • 67 80.5 146 680
80-400mm f/4.5-5.6 G ED VR AF-S £1899 5★ Successor to the 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6D ED VR, focusing is excellent at tracking fast-moving subjects • • • 175 77 95.5 203 1570
85mm f/1.4 G AF-S £1532 5★ Fast mid-tele lens with an internal focusing system and rounded diaphragm • • 85 77 86.5 84 595
85mm f/1.8 G AF-S £470 5★ Rear-focusing system and distance window in this medium telephoto lens • • 80 67 80 73 350
105mm f/1.4 E ED AF-S £2049 A 105mm FX-format prime lens with bright f/1.4 aperture, ideal for portraiture • • 100 82 94.5 106 985
200-500mm f/5.6 E ED VR AF-S £1179 A super-telephoto zoom lens compatible with Nikon FX-format DSLR cameras • • • 220 95 108 267.5 2300
300mm f/4 E PF ED VR AF-S £1230 5★ Light, compact AF-S full-frame telephoto lens with ED glass elements • • • 140 77 89 147.5 755
19mm f/4 E ED PC £3300 Super-wideangle tilt-and-shift lens for architecture and landscape photography • • 25 n/a 89 124 885
24mm f/3.5 D ED PC-E £1774 Perspective Control lens with Nano Crystal Coating and electronic control over aperture • • 21 77 82.5 108 730
45mm f/2.8 D ED PC-E Micro £1393 Perspective Control (PC-E) standard lens used in specialised fields such as studio and architecture • • 25 77 82.5 112 740
85mm f/2.8D PC-E Micro £1299 Perspective Control (PC-E) telephoto, designed to be ideal for portraits and product photography • • 39 77 83.5 107 635
Stay inspired all year, never miss an issue and get AP delivered straight
to your door every week. See page 20 for details of our latest offer
BUYING GUIDE
FILTER THREAD (MM)

DSLR Lenses
STABILISATION
MIN FOCUS (CM)
DIAMETER (MM)
FOUR THIRDS
SONY ALPHA
LENGTH (MM)
FULL FRAME
WEIGHT (G)
PENTAX
CANON
SIGMA
NIKON
IMAGE
PENTAX DSLR
DA 10-17mm f/3.5-4.5 HD Fisheye ED £499 Updated fisheye zoom lens gains refreshed cosmetic design, new optical coatings and removable hood • 14 n/a 70 67.5 317
DA* 11-18mmF2.8 ED DC AW HD £1399 Premium fast ultra-wideangle zoom, includes all-weather construction and innovative focus clamp • 30 82 90 100 704
DA 15mm f/4 smc ED AL Limited £820 Limited-edition lens with hybrid aspherical and extra-low-dispersion elements • 18 49 39.5 63 212
FA 15-30mm f/2.8 ED SM WR HD £1500 Weather-resistant ultra-wideangle zoom with fast maximum aperture and fixed petal-type hood • • 28 n/a 98.5 143.5 1040
DA* 16-50mm f/2.8 smc ED AL IF SDM £950 3.5★ A nice balance and robust feel, but poor sharpness at f/2.8 (which significantly improves from f/4 onwards) • 30 77 84 98.5 600
DA* 16-50mm f/2.8 ED PLM AW HD £1500 All-new premium large-aperture standard zoom with updated optics and electromagnetic aperture control • 30 77 84 117 712
DA 16-85mm f/3.5-5.6 ED DC WR £600 Weather-resistant, this zoom features a round-shaped diaphragm to produce beautiful bokeh • 35 72 78 94 488
DA 18-50mm f/4-5.6 DC WR RE £230 Super-thin standard zoom that’s weather-resistant and features a round-shaped diaphragm • 30 58 71 41 158
DA 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 smc AL WR £229 A weather-resistant construction and an aspherical element, as well as SP coating • 25 52 68.5 67.5 230
DA 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 DA ED DC WR £600 3.5★ A weather-resistant mid-range zoom lens • 40 62 73 76 405
DA 18-270mm f/3.5-6.3 smc ED SDM £699 15x superzoom for company’s K-mount DSLRs featuring two extra-low-dispersion (ED) elements • 49 62 76 89 453
DA 20-40mm f/2.8-4 ED Limited DC WR £829 With state-of-the-art HD coating, a completely round-shaped diaphragm, and weather resistant • 28 55 68.5 71 283
HD-FA 21mm f/2.4 ED Limited DC WR £1499 Ultra-wide addition to the premium Limited line-up, with aluminium barrel and electromagnetic aperture motor • • 18 67 74 89 416
DA 21mm f/3.2 smc AL Limited £600 This limited-edition optic offers a floating element for extra-close focusing • 20 49 63 25 140
FA 24-70mm f/2.8 ED SDM WR £1149 Full-frame-compatible premium standard zoom – includes a HD coating to minimise flare and ghosting • • 38 82 109.5 88.5 787
FA 28-105mm f/3.5-5.6 ED DC HD £549 Standard zoom lens for the K-1 full-frame DSLR that’s much more affordable than the 24-70mm f/2.8 • • 50 62 73 86.5 440
HD-FA 31mm f/1.8 Limited £1100 Premium aluminium-bodied wideangle prime boasts an aperture ring plus HD and fluorine coatings • • 30 58 69 65 341
FA 35mm f/2 HD £399 Latest version of venerable Pentax fast prime features a multi-layer HD coating • • 30 49 64 44.5 193
DA 35mm f/2.4 smc DS AL £180 5★ A budget-priced prime lens for beginners • 30 49 63 45 124
DA 35mm f/2.8 smc Macro £640 4.5★ Despite slight edge softness, this lens performs excellently and is a pleasure to use • 14 49 46.5 63 215
DA 40mm f/2.8 smc Limited £450 Pancake lens with SMC coating and Quick Shift focusing system • 40 49 63 15 90
HD-FA 43mm f/1.9 Limited £650 Classic full-frame fast prime with perfect focal length for everyday use • • 45 49 64 27 155
FA* 50mm f/1.4 SDM AW HD £1200 Premium fast prime with dustproof, weather-resistant design and electromagnetic aperture • • 40 72 80 106 910
HD-FA 50mm f/1.4 £399 Updated large-aperture prime with HD coatings and refreshed cosmetic design • • 45 49 65 40.5 223
FA 50mm f/1.4 smc Classic £449 Compact fast prime with film-era optics, aperture ring, and coatings designed to give ‘rainbow flare’ • • 45 49 65 37 216
DA 50mm f/1.8 smc DA £249 4★ Affordable short telephoto lens ideal for portraits • 45 52 38.5 63 122
D-FA 50mm f/2.8 smc Macro £550 Macro lens capable of 1:1 reproduction and with a Quick Shift focus mechanism • • 19 49 60 67.5 265
DA* 50-135mm f/2.8 smc ED IF SDM £1200 4★ Constant f/2.8 aperture; well suited to portraiture and mid-range action subjects • 100 67 76.5 136 765
DA 50-200mm f/4-5.6 smc ED WR £210 Weather-resistant construction, Quick Shift focus system and an SP coating • n/a 49 69 79.5 285
DA* 55mm f/1.4 smc SDM £800 4.5★ Despite questions about the particular sample tested, this lens scores highly • 45 58 70.5 66 375
DA 55-300mm f/4.5-6.3 ED PLM WR RE £400 Compact weather resistant telephoto zoom has video-friendly fast and silent autofocus motor • 95 58 76.5 89 442
DA 55-300mm f/4-5.8 ED WR £399 Weatherproof HD telephoto lens featuring quick shift focusing system • 140 58 71 111.5 466
DA 60-250mm f/4 smc ED IF SDM £1450 4.5★ With a constant f/4 aperture and an ultrasonic motor for speedy focusing • 110 67 167.5 82 1040
DA 70mm f/2.4 smc AL Limited £600 Medium telephoto lens with an aluminium construction and a Super Protect coating • 70 49 63 26 130
D-FA* 70-200mm f/2.8 ED DC AW £1850 Fast telephoto zoom in Pentax’s high-performance Star (*) series developed for best image rendition • • 120 77 91.5 203 1755
D-FA 70-210mm F4 ED SDM WR £1199 Compact telephoto zoom with constant f/4 maximum aperture and weather-resistant construction • • 95 67 78.5 175 819
HD-FA 77mm f/1.8 Limited £800 Renewed version of short telephoto portrait prime that features a traditional aperture ring • • 70 49 48 64 270
D FA* 85mm f/1.4 SDM AW £1999 Upcoming large-aperture short telephoto prime promises premium optics and weather-sealing • • 85 82 95 123.5 1255
D-FA 100mm f/2.8 Macro WR £680 5★ Street price makes this something of a bargain for a true macro offering full-frame coverage • • 30 49 65 80.5 340
HD-FA 100mm f/2.8 ED AW Macro £699 Updated 1:1 macro lens boasts improved optical formula and all-weather construction • • 30 49 65 80.5 348
FA 150-450mm f/4.5-5.6 ED DC AW £2000 Super-telephoto lens with weather resistance, designed to produce extra-sharp, high-contrast images • • 200 86 241.5 95 2000
DA* 200mm f/2.8 smc ED IF SDM £1000 4.5★ SDM focusing system on the inside, and dirtproof and splashproof on the outside • 120 77 83 134 825
DA* 300mm f/4 smc ED IF SDM £1300 This tele optic promises ultrasonic focus and high image quality thanks to ED glass • 140 77 83 184 1070
SAMYANG DSLR
8mm f/3.5 UMC Fisheye CS II £274 Wideangle fisheye lens designed for digital reflex cameras with APS-C sensors • • • • • 30 n/a 75 77.8 417
10mm f/3.5 XP MF £950 World’s widest-angle rectilinear lens promises 130° field of view with minimal distortion • • • 26 n/a 95 98.1 731
10mm f/2.8 ED AS NCS CS £429 Features a nano crystal anti-reflection coating system and embedded lens hood • • • • • 24 n/a 86 77 580
12mm f/2.8 ED AS NCS Fisheye £430 Fisheye ultra wideangle prime lens for full-frame DSLRs • • • • • • 20 n/a 77.3 70.2 500
14mm f/2.4 XP MF £899 High-end ultra-wideangle prime with premium optics and large maximum aperture • • • 28 n/a 95 109.4 791
AF 14mm f/2.8 £649 4.5★ Samyang’s first AF SLR lens features very decent image quality and weather-sealed construction • • • 20 n/a 90.5 95.6 485
14mm f/2.8 MF Mk II £439 Ultra-wideangle manual-focus prime with weather-sealing and de-clickable aperture ring • • • 28 n/a 87 96.3 641
16mm f/2.0 ED AS UMC CS £389 Fast wideangle lens for digital reflex cameras fitted with APS-C sensors • • • • • 20 n/a 89.4 83 583
20mm f/1.8 ED AS UMC £430 Large-aperture manual focus wideangle lens for full-frame DSLRs • • • • • • 20 77 83 113.2 520
24mm f/1.4 AS UMC £499 Fast ultra-wideangle manual-focus lens comprising 13 elements arranged in 12 groups • • • • • • 25 77 95 116 680
24mm f/3.5 ED AS UMS TS £949 3★ Tilt-and-shift wideangle lens for a fraction of the price of Canon and Nikon’s offerings • • • • • • 20 82 86 110.5 680
ALL PRICES ARE RRPS, STREET PRICES MAY VARY
35mm f/1.2 XP MF £719 Ultra-large aperture, manual focus prime with premium optics • • 34 86 93 117.4 1106
35mm f/1.4 AS UMC £369 4.5★ While manual focus only, this prime impressed us in real-world use, making it something of a bargain • • • • • • 30 77 83 111 660
50mm f/1.2 XP MF £639 Large aperture manual-focus prime promises 50MP resolution • • 45 86 93 117.4 1200
50mm f/1.4 AS UMC £299 Manual-focus fast standard prime for full-frame DSLRs • • • • • • 45 77 74.7 81.6 575
85mm f/1.2 XP MF £899 High-end manual focus lens sports an impressively fast maximum aperture • • 80 86 93 98.4 1050g
AF 85mm f/1.4 £599 3★ Autofocus fast short telephoto portrait lens for use on Canon or Nikon full-frame DSLRs • • • 90 77 88 72 485
85mm f/1.4 MF Mk II £389 Large-aperture short telephoto manual-focus prime is weather-sealed and the aperture can be de-clicked • • • 110 72 78 72.2 541
100mm f/2.8 ED UMC Macro £389 Full-frame compatible, the Samyang 100mm is a true Macro lens offering 1:1 magnification • • • • • • 30 67 72.5 123.1 720
135mm f/2 ED UMC £399 Manual focus portrait prime has fast aperture for subject isolation and background blur • • • • • • 80 77 82 122 830
BUYING GUIDE
FILTER THREAD (MM)

DSLR Lenses
STABILISATION
MIN FOCUS (CM)
DIAMETER (MM)
FOUR THIRDS
SONY ALPHA
LENGTH (MM)
FULL FRAME
WEIGHT (G)
PENTAX
CANON
SIGMA
NIKON
IMAGE
SIGMA DSLR
12-24mm f/4 DG HSM | A £1649 5★ Premium full-frame wideangle zoom designed to have minimal distortion in its wideangle imagery • • • • 24 n/a 101 132 1150
14mm f/1.8 DG HSM | A £1679 World’s first f/1.8 ultra-wideangle prime lens for full-frame DSLRs • • • • 27 n/a 95.4 126 1170
14-24mm f/2.8 DG HSM | A £1399 5★ Pro-specification fast ultra-wide prime for full-frame DSLRs includes weather-sealed construction • • • • 26 n/a 96.4 135.1 1150
18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM | A £799 5★ Said to be the world’s first constant f/1.8 zoom; DoF equivalent of constant f/2.7 on full frame • • • 28 72 78 121 810
20mm f/1.4 DG HSM | A £799 5★ An outstanding wideangle fixed-focal-length lens • • • • 27.6 n/a 90.7 129.8 950
24mm f/1.4 DG HSM | A £799 5★ The latest addition to Sigma’s ‘Art’ line of high-quality fast primes • • • • 25 77 85 90.2 665
24-35mm f/2 DG HSM | A £949 5★ The world’s first large-aperture full-frame zoom offering a wide aperture of f/2 throughout the zoom range • • • • 28 82 87.6 122.7 940
24-70mm f/2.8 DG OS HSM | A £1399 5★ Latest premium fast standard zoom for full frame includes optical image stabilisation • • • • • 37 82 88 107.6 1020
24-105mm f/4 DG OS HSM | A £849 4.5★ Serious full-frame alternative to own-brand lenses at a lower price, with no compromises in the build • • • • • • 45 82 89 109 885
28mm f/1.4 DG HSM | A £1099 4.5★ High-quality, weathersealed fast wideangle prime for full-frame DSLRs • • • • 28 77 82.8 107.1 865
30mm f/1.4 DC HSM | A £360 Unique fast prime for APS-C DSLRs that gives 45mm equivalent ‘normal’ angle of view • • • • • 30 62 63.3 74.2 435
35mm f/1.4 DG HSM | A £799 5★ Superb large-aperture prime; first lens in company’s ‘Art’ series • • • • • • 30 67 77 94 665
40mm f/1.4 DG HSM | A £1100 5★ Large and heavy prime promising natural-looking perspective and top-quality optics • • • • 40 82 87.8 131 1200
50mm f/1.4 DG HSM | A £849 5★ This lens has a unique design that pays off in truly excellent image quality • • • • • 40 77 85.4 100 815
50-100mm f/1.8 DC HSM | A £829 5★ This APS-C-format lens aims to cover the focal lengths of three prime lenses in one • • • 37.4 82 93.5 170.7 1490
60-600mm f/4.5-6.3 DG OS HSM | S £1899 Weathersealed 10x zoom encompasses huge range from standard to super-telephoto • • • • • 60 105 120.4 268.9 2700
70mm f/2.8 DG Macro | A £499 The first macro lens in Sigma’s Art line-up features an extending-barrel focus-by-wire design • • • • 26 49 71 106 515
70-200mm f/2.8 DG OS HSM | S £1349 5★ Superb large-aperture telephoto zoom shows high sharpness and minimal chromatic aberration • • • • • 120 82 94.2 202.9 1805
85mm f/1.4 DG HSM | A £1199 5★ Optically stunning fast short telephoto prime is the ultimate portrait lens for DSLR users • • • • 85 86 95 126 1130
100-400mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM | C £799 4.5★ Relatively lightweight telezoom comes with weather-sealing and choice of push-pull or twist zoom • • • • • 160 67 86.4 182.3 1160
105mm f/1.4 DG HSM | A £1499 4.5★ Sigma’s ‘bokeh monster’ super-fast portrait lens is weathersealed and comes with a tripod foot • • • • 100 105 115.9 131.5 1645
105mm f/2.8 EX DG OS HSM Macro £649 4.5★ An optically stabilised macro lens, this super-sharp lens is one of our favourites • • • • • 31.2 62 78 126.4 725
120-300mm f/2.8 DG HSM | S £3599 First lens in company’s ‘Sports’ series; switch enables adjustment of both focus speed and focus limiter • • • • • • 150 105 124 291 3390
135mm f/1.8 DG HSM | A £1399 5★ Super-fast portrait prime designed to provide sufficient resolution for 50MP DSLRs • • • • 87.5 82 91.4 114.9 1130
150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM | C £1199 Budget ‘Contemporary’ version of Sigma’s long-range telephoto zoom is smaller and lighter • • • • • 280 95 105 260.1 1930
150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM | S £1599 This portable, high-performance telephoto zoom from Sigma’s Sports line is dust and splashproof • • • • • 260 105 121 290.2 2860
TAMRON DSLR
15-30mm f/2.8 SP Di VC USD G2 £1279 Second-generation image-stabilised fast wide zoom includes weather-sealing and faster AF • • • • 28 n/a 98.4 145 1110
18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 AF Di II VC £169 4★ Lightweight all-in-one lens for APS-C DSLRs with Vibration Compensation • • • • 49 62 75 96.6 400
18-400mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC HLD £650 4★ The longest-ranging telephoto zoom yet made turns in a surprisingly decent performance • • • 45 72 79 123.9 710
24-70mm f/2.8 SP Di VC USD G2 £1249 Upgraded fast zoom with improved image stabilisation and moisture-resistant construction • • • • 38 82 88.4 111 905
35mm f/1.4 SP Di USD £930 Premium large-aperture prime with moisture-resistant construction, billed as Tamron’s best-ever lens • • • 30 72 80.9 104.8 815
35mm f/1.8 SP Di VC USD £580 4.5★ Moderately wide prime combines ultrasonic focusing, image stabilisation and a fast aperture • • • • • 20 67 80.4 80.8 480
70-200mm f/2.8 SP Di VC USD G2 £1350 5★ Excellent telephoto zoom with updated autofocus and image stabilisation plus sealed construction • • • • 95 77 88 193.8 1500
70-210mm f/4 Di VC USD £699 4.5★ Lightweight telezoom promises high optical performance, image stabilisation and weather-sealing • • • • 95 67 76 176.5 860
100-400mm f/4.5-6.3 Di VC USD £789 5★ Relatively compact and lightweight telephoto zoom with moisture-resistant construction • • • • 150 67 199 86.2 1135
150-600mm f/5-6.3 SP Di VC USD G2 £1340 Popular long telephoto zoom that produces excellent results • • • • • 220 95 108.4 260.2 2010
TOKINA DSLR
ATX-i 11-16mm f/2.8 CF £449 Gains a new waterproof top coating for the front element and updated cosmetic design • • 30 77 84 89 555
AT-X 11-20mm f/2.8 PRO DX £499 4★ Compact, ultra-wideangle lens with a fast maximum aperture and decent optical performance • • 28 82 89 92 560
AT-X 14-20mm f/2 PRO DX £849 Wideangle zoom with super-fast, super-bright, constant f/2 aperture for shooting in very low light • • 28 82 89 106 725
Opera 16-28mm f/2.8 FF £699 4★ This large-aperture wide zoom for full-frame DSLRs is an updated version of the AT-X 16-28mm f/2.8 • • • 28 n/a 89 133.5 940
Opera 50mm f/1.4 FF £900 Premium fast prime designed for high-resolution DSLRs, with dust and weather-resistant construction • • • 40 72 80 107.5 950
VOIGTLANDER DSLR
28mm f/2.8 Aspherical SL II-S Color-Skopar £499 Manual-focus wideangle prime for Nikon F-mount SLRs boasts high-quality metal construction • • 15 52 66.3 32.8 205
58mm f/1.4 SL II-S Nokton £518 Large-aperture manual focus standard prime for Nikon SLRs, inlcuding classic film cameras • • 45 52 67.6 45.5 320
90mm f/2.8 APO-Skopar SL II-S £529 Remarkably small and lightweight manual-focus short telephoto portrait prime • • 90 52 66.3 41 260
ZEISS DSLR
15mm f/2.8 Milvus £2329 This super-wideangle lens has an angle of view of 110° and uses an advanced retrofocus design • • • 25 95 102.3 100.2 947
18mm f/2.8 Milvus £1999 Compact super-wideangle lens with premium optics including a floating focus system for close-ups • • • 25 77 90 93 721
21mm f/2.8 Milvus £1299 Premium wideangle lens with complex optics designed to be free of distortion • • • 22 82 95.5 95 851
25mm f/1.4 Milvus £1999 5★ Optically excellent, large-aperture manual focus wideangle lens with weather-sealed construction • • • 25 82 95.2 123 1225
35mm f/1.4 Milvus £1699 Large aperture, premium-quality manual-focus prime with weather-sealed construction • • • 30 72 84.8 124.8 1174
35mm f/2 Milvus £829 Compact, moderate wideangle manual focus prime • • • 30 58 77 83 702
50mm f/1.4 Planar T* £559 Classic double-Gauss design manual focus standard prime for full-frame SLRs • • • 45 58 71 71 380
50mm f/1.4 Milvus £949 5★ An exceptionally good lens offering sharpness, detail, clean edges and a great user experience • • • 45 67 82.5 94 922
50mm f/2 Milvus Macro £949 Manual-focus macro lens with half-life-size magnification and stunning optics • • • 24 67 81 75.3 730
85mm f/1.4 Planar T* £989 Classic portrait prime designed to give smooth, rounded bokeh effects • • • 100 72 78 88 670
85mm f/1.4 Milvus £1379 5★ Fast 85mm manual-focus prime lens that’s perfect for portraiture • • • 80 77 90 113 1280
100mm f/2 Milvus Macro £1299 A manual-focus macro lens with absolutely superb optics and half-life-size reproduction • • • 88 67 80.5 104 843
135mm f/2 Milvus £1899 Telephoto lens with a large aperture and smooth bokeh, ideal for medium-distance portrait photography • • • 80 77 129 132 1123
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Photo Critique
Peter Dench considers...

The Package Holiday 1969-1985 by Trevor Clark
© TREVOR CLARK
t’s the white Fila shorts that are the
star in his photograph. I have an
identical pair. They’re the shortest
shorts I have. If I wear them with
flip-flops my legs look longer and the
shorts even shorter. I rarely wear them
outside. I’m 51 years old and wouldn’t
impose that on the general public. I also
own two Ellesse-brand pairs of shorts in
lemon and pink. I do dream of having lived
during the time when this photograph was
taken, when wearing such microscopic
bottom wear was more acceptable, when
Björn Borg flowed across the tennis courts
resplendent in his trademark Fila and
football hooligans with hair flicks raced
across the terraces in velour Terrinda
tracksuits. Maybe I don’t dream about the
hooligan element so much. There’s also
an impressive supporting cast of garbs in
the image; a Fred Perry polo shirt, light-
blue Puma trainers and Keds sliders. It’s
a Casuals culture delight.
The image was taken on transparency
using a medium-format Hasselblad by
photographer Trevor Clark. Clark moved to
Mallorca in the late 1960s and is reported
to be the first British photographer to
document the abundance of new hotels
that were built to satisfy the burgeoning
package holiday industry. His photographs
graced the front covers of magazines,
catalogues and holiday brochures for
clients such as Thomas Cook and Skytours.
Clark originally wanted to live in Ibiza
but due to the lack of film developing skyrocketed. Clark, then a self-confessed including Butlin’s Holiday Camp 1982,
labs, changed direction towards Mallorca. party animal, embraced the workload The London Pub and A Very British Picnic.
It soon became evident the location was and the lifestyle, entertaining clients and The scene in this photograph is carefully
perfect for many reasons and different models who worked for and with him composed and lit, with the woman
types of shoots. In 1970 around two well into the night. kneeling, tweaking an archer’s arrow gazing
million tourists landed at Mallorca’s then When Clark died four years ago, he left up at the two men, one holding the bow.
very modest airport Son Sant Joan. A an archive of thousands of saturated It’s a sexist image by modern standards, but
second runway was built in 1974 as flight colour transparencies. His son Jake, who captures a slice of time and nostalgia from
travel became more affordable and in the lived with his father in Mallorca for a this golden age of British travel when
1980s and 90s the numbers of tourists time, has decided to publish a photo sun-hungry Brits
book based on Clark’s commercial travel sipped gin and
‘It’s a sexist image by photographs and recently breached his tonic by the
goal on crowdfunding platform pool, feasted at
modern standards, but Kickstarter. The Package Holiday 1969- lobster buffet
captures a slice of time 1985 is scheduled for release in February lunches and the
2024 by Hoxton Mini Press as part of its shorts were
and nostalgia’ Vintage Britain series alongside titles very short.
Peter Dench is a photographer, writer, curator and presenter based in London. He is one of the co-curators of Photo North and has been exhibited dozens of times. He has published a number
of books including The Dench Dozen: Great Britons of Photography Vol 1; Dench Does Dallas; The British Abroad; A&E: Alcohol & England and England Uncensored. Visit peterdench.com
CAPTURE THE DECISIVE MOMENT
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E&OE. Please mention “Amateur Photographer” when ordering items from this advert.
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Professional Wildlife
Discover the full story at www.sony.co.uk/alphauniverse
Photographer
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All other logos and trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

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Nikofance:Zretrf o-styled

Tuesday 26 September 2023

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