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Updated: 2 hours 13 min ago

Winners Of LCE Photographer Of The Year 2024 Announced

Wed 20 Mar 2024 5:26am

‘Sunset at Shiprock’ by Curtis Blum

 

London Camera Exchange (LCE) has announced the winners of its inaugural competition LCE Photographer of the Year 2024. The contest featured 14 different categories including the ‘People’s Choice’ award open to public voting. The competition attracted nearly 13,000 entries from all over the globe and demonstrates photography’s continuing appeal. Entry was open to images captured on all types of devices: phones, action cams, drones and (the vast majority) using more ‘traditional’ camera equipment.

 

‘Long Tongued Bat Approaching Banana Leaf' by Marilyn Taylor

 

First prize winner: Marilyn Taylor

Taking overall first prize is Marilyn Taylor with her submission entitled ‘Long Tongued Bat Approaching Banana Leaf’, shot in northern Costa Rica. Marilyn recalls, “It was so dark that it was very difficult to see these tiny bats flying like ghosts. We could only photograph for a short time, as they soon flew off. This was probably one of the most interesting shoots I’ve ever been on – it was absolutely fascinating. The fact that I achieved a couple of super images out of it was a terrific bonus.”

Marilyn, from Woking in Surrey, has a background in engineering from Oxford and now balances her time between freelance photography and playing golf. She is no stranger to photographic competitions, having previously won several contests and national gold medals. She was the first recipient of the Royal Photographic Society Digital Group PDI Raymond Wallace Thompson Trophy. Marilyn is currently studying at the UCA in Farnham for a Master of Fine Art Photography, working on diverse projects including the ‘Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Fine Art Photography’ and ‘Visual Alchemy’. Marilyn received £5,000 in LCE vouchers as the overall first prize winner.

 

Category winners (£500 vouchers each):

  • Abstract – ‘Sailing’ by David Higton
  • Action – ‘Speedsters’ by Kaushik Majumder
  • After Dark – ‘Ready to Depart’ by Alexander Howard
  • Birds – ‘Incoming Gannets’ by Linda Ariss
  • Drone – ‘Haldon Belvedere Misty Sunrise’ by Daryl Baker
  • Landscape – ‘Sunset at Shiprock’ by Curtis Blum
  • Macro – Wasp Trio Drinking’ by Ian Mears
  • Music – ‘You!!’ by Dominic Beaven
  • Pets – ‘Anti Gravity Dog’ by Daniel Sheridan
  • Portrait – ‘Authenticity is a New Future’ by Laura Arkhypenko
  • Street – ‘The Last Train’ by A B M Nayeem Siddiquee
  • Travel – ‘Valencia Opera House’ by Graeme Hilditch
  • Wildlife – ‘Long Tongued Bat Approaching Banana Leaf’ by Marilyn Taylor
  • People’s Choice – ‘Yaks Nupse’ by Patrick Pfirrmann
 

The Landscape, Wildlife and Birds categories proved especially popular with entrants. Some of the shortlisted photographs featured particularly interesting stories, such as ‘Destination Dreamland’ by Becky Bailey, a deaf photographer who experiences the world through pictures.

‘Sycamore Gap – the Last Show’ by Ian Sproat, an electrician by day, is an outstanding image of the iconic Sycamore Gap tree on Hadrian’s Wall, captured just a week before it was maliciously chopped down.

 

‘Anti Gravity Dog’ by Daniel Sheridan

 

One of the judges’ favourites, and Pets category winner, was an image of a King Charles Cavalier Spaniel entitled ‘Anti Gravity Dog’ by Daniel Sheridan. An employee of Bournemouth Council, Daniel also runs a photography website named ‘A Billion Clicks’, which – of course – specialises in dog photography!

The awards were presented at a special ceremony at The Photography & Video Show on Sunday 17 March 2024 at The NEC, Birmingham. All winners and runners-up had their images displayed in an exhibition at the entrance of the Birmingham show, and shortlisted photographs have been made into a commemorative book.

Nick Richens, chief executive of LCE, commented, “We were thrilled by the sheer volume of entries to the competition and the outstanding quality and diversity of the photography submitted. Choosing the winning images was an especially tricky affair as there were just so many stand-out images. We would like to thank everyone for submitting their incredible work and making our very first POTY competition a resounding success. Congratulations to all the winners from the LCE team.”

The LCE POTY competition ran from October 2023 to January 2024, and was the first time the UK independent retailer had hosted a contest of this scale. Nearly 13,000 entries were submitted. Overall, there was a £12,000 prize fund generously supported by leading photo industry brands including Canon, Nikon, OM System, Fujifilm, Panasonic and Sony. Judges included Chris George, content director at Future Publishing, street photographer Peter Dench, journalist and SheClicks founder Angela Nicholson, and Nick Richens, Chief Executive at London Camera Exchange.

LCE is the UK’s largest chain of independent photographic stores and offers a wide portfolio of products and services for enthusiast and professional photographers and filmmakers. The company has been recognised for its outstanding customer service and support across the British photographic media for many years.

 

For more information, please visit the LCE Photographer of the Year 2024 website.

Categories: Photography News

How Do You Photograph The Moon?

Wed 20 Mar 2024 2:29am

 

The Moon. We've walked on it, watched it eclipse the sun and many of us will have spent many an evening looking at it as it sits above us in the night's sky. Another popular moon-related activity is to photograph it and with the right kit, a little understanding on how cameras 'see' and a bit of patience, it's actually not that tricky to capture a decent image of this giant lump of rock that we see every night. 

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1. Camera, Lenses & A Tripod

Obviously, you won't get very far without a camera and while most will reach for long lenses and their more advanced camera, it is possible to capture a half-decent image of the moon with a compact so long as it has a good zoom range on it. If you are going for the interchangeable lens option, reach for something around the 300mm plus mark and you'll capture much more frame-filling shots. A tripod and remote release are handy, especially if you plan on capture multiple shots to blends together, and do wrap up warm. 

 

2. Overexposed Moon 

Once your kit's out and you've taken your first shot, you'll probably see an image that has a very dark sky with an extremely bright, white circle in it. This happens because of the large amount of black surrounding the moon confuses your camera's light meter. To fix this, dial down the exposure compensation or you can try using Spot metering (or meter manually) as this will tell the camera to take an exposure reading just from the moon.

It'll also help if you use a smaller aperture (try a few test shots around the f/11 mark and adjust from there), particularly if you're noticing small spots on the moon which are appearing brighter than others as you'll be able to keep adjusting your settings (shutter speed, aperture, ISO) until most are removed. It's also worth remembering that using a smaller aperture will mean less light reaches your camera's sensor and as a result, you may need to reduce your shutter speeds slightly but we're not talking so much that the movement of the moon is blurred (the moon moves quicker than you think). Try something around the 1/125sec mark and tinker from there.

You'll also need to work rather quickly as spend too long messing with settings and you'll find the moon will have already moved out of the frame and you'll have to adjust your tripod's position again.

 

 

3. Bracketing Your Shots 

Right, back to exposure. What we've mentioned previously is great if you just want to capture a frame-filling image of the moon set against the night's sky but it won't really work for images where you want to capture some foreground interest as well. For this, you'll need to bracket your shots. Many cameras have a feature that automates this process but if your camera doesn't, you can do it manually. In a nutshell, bracketing is where multiple shots of different exposures are captured and merged together, either in-camera or manually on a computer, to create one image that has all the elements you want to feature in your shot correctly exposed. Take a look at ePHOTOzine's 'Inspiration' section for more tips on this technique

 

4. Location, Location, Location 

If it's possible, you'll want to get away from towns and cities as light pollution can reduce the amount of detail you'll see in your moon shots and don't always think the sky has to be completely dark either as the blue of twilight can add an interesting twist to your moon imagery. The weather, how cold it is and levels of pollution can also change how your final image will look so do take plenty of shots and consider taking images on different nights, too. 

 

 

5. Half Moon Or Less

Your idea of the perfect moon shot will probably be of a full moon and there's nothing wrong with this, but to really capture the shapes and lines of the craters, wait until there's half or less of the moon visible. By doing so, you'll see how shadows and light emphasis shape and really enhance to 3-D feel thanks to the side-on light the sun creates during this phase. Using an app or having a look online for a moon phase calendar will help you figure out when will be the best time to set your camera gear up outside. 

 

6. Boost Contrast 

You may find you need to boost contrast levels in your editing software or have a play with curves to pull detail that might have become lost but don't be tempted to adjust the size of the moon in your shot as this will just look unnatural and spoil the composition of your image. 

 

You've read the technique now share your related photos for the chance to win prizes: Daily Forum Competition

Categories: Photography News

Entries Open For The Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards

Tue 19 Mar 2024 5:28pm

Jason Moore, 'Air Guitar Roo', winner of The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2023

 

Nikon, in partnership with The Comedy Wildlife Awards, is pleased to announce that the world-famous competition is now open for 2024 entries.

 

The Comedy Wildlife Awards is celebrating a decade of sharing charming images from around the world, and this year, Nikon is delighted to be able to support this strong legacy as partner of the competition. To commemorate this exciting new partnership, the competition has officially been renamed 'The Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards', but the aim to help encourage the world to take part in the conservation conversation through hilarious wildlife images remains the same.

 

Entrants are invited to submit work that not only has the power to make people smile, but that encapsulates wildlife in all shapes and sizes - promoting the conservation of wildlife and their habitats through a humorous and positive message.

 

The entry shortlist will be judged by a panel of industry-leading photographers, which for the first time will include Nikon Creators such as Cameron WhitnallLara Jackson and Roxy Furman, who each possess a rich understanding and passion for both wildlife photography and conservation. They will be joining the regular cohort of expert judges, including renowned wildlife photographer and Nikon Ambassadors, Daisy Gilardini, and Charlie Hamilton James.

 

The competition is free to enter and is open to the public until it closes on July 31st 2024. The shortlist will be announced in September whereas the final winners will be announced in November of this year.

 

Submissions in the various categories will be in with a chance to win some impressive prizes, from a once in a lifetime safari in the Maasai Mara in Kenya, to a Nikon Z 30 camera. Other prizes include a Nikon Z 8 kit, and a brand-new iPad loaded with the latest Affinity Photo editing software for the Nikon Young Photographer winner.

 

Stefan Maier, Senior General Manager Marketing says, "We are thrilled to be partnering with The Comedy Wildlife team this year to become The Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards. Utilising the natural affinity between our brands to celebrate global wildlife, we look forward to generating vital awareness surrounding conservation. Nikon has spent more than 100 years not only pioneering imaging technology, but also empowering creators and image makers around the world as they perfect their craft. We're therefore thrilled to combine forces, providing a platform for talented creatives to not only tell stories that make an impact – but that put a smile on people's faces too."

 

Paul Joynson-Hicks, Competition Founder says, "It is with great excitement that in our tenth anniversary, we have partnered with Nikon, one of the world's leading camera brands. It is a very special year for us as we celebrate thousands of funny images entered by photographers from all over the world and it is made even more special by being joined by a global brand such as Nikon. Welcome to Nikon and here's to a glorious future together; celebrating global wildlife, celebrating the people taking the photographs and by doing so encouraging the world to take part in the conservation conversation through our funny wildlife images."

 

Competition Categories include:

  • Alex Walker's Serian Mammals
  • Spectrum Photo Birds
  • ThinkTANK Fish and other Aquatic Species
  • Insects
  • Reptiles/Amphibians
  • Nikon Young Photographer (up to 25yrs.)
  • Nikon Junior Category (up to 16 yrs.)
  • Amazing Internet Portfolio Category
  • Video Category
  • Affinity Photo People's Choice Award
 

For more information, please visit the competition's website.

Categories: Photography News

5 Top Tips On Low Key Flower Photography

Tue 19 Mar 2024 2:25am
 
 

Photographing a flower head on a black background is a simple but effective way to make yourself a piece of wall art. The bright petals against a stark, dark background make a vibrant image that wouldn't look out of place on the shelves of stores that are designed to fill your home with accessories and decorations.

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1. Gear Suggestions
  • Macro lens 
  • Window for light or two constant light sources placed either side of your set-up
  • Black background
  • Flower(s)
  • Tape
  • Container to hold your flower
  • Tripod - keep your hands free so you can adjust the position of the flower head etc.
  2. Constant Light Source 

If it's a sunny day you'll have plenty of free light falling through your windows to work with, however, if it's a gloomy and really overcast you'll need a couple of constant light sources to place at either side of your set-up. You want just enough light so the petals have contrast and don't blend together. Take a look at the edge of the flower too as you don't want it to vanish into the background too much.
 

3. Background Choices

You can use whatever you have to hand as long as it's black and not reflective. As holding a flower still is rather hard work, we used a plastic cup as a stand and taped the flower to it but a vase or any other container will work just as well.

  4. Do & Don't

Don't use an aperture that's too wide as you'll lose too much detail towards the edges of the flower and if you're shooting straight on make sure the centre of the flower is sharp. Experiment with your shooting distance, taking shots of just the centre of the flower or try changing the position of the flower to shoot it on a slight angle.
 

5. Photo Editing 

Once you have your shots why not get creative in Photoshop? Take a look at ePHOTOzine's technique section for Photoshop, Lightroom, Elements and GIMP editing tutorials. 

 

You've read the technique now share your related photos for the chance to win prizes: Daily Forum Competition

Categories: Photography News

A Captivating Norwegian Skyline Takes 'Photo Of The Week'

Mon 18 Mar 2024 5:01am

 

A dramatic spectacle of the stormy skies over Hamnoy has been chosen as our newest ‘Photo of the Week’ (POTW) champion.

Titled 'Stormy Skies Over Hamnoy' and captured by Leedslass1, the shot is brimming with fascination and detail that create a truly compelling image. The stormy clouds in the sky seize your focus and break up the serene landscape beautifully, adding a sense of drama to the image. The rugged landscape and the quaint charm of Hamnoy add a stark contrast, while the interplay of light and shadow adds depth. Exquisite composition, striking colours, and a truly atmospheric scene. It’s a masterfully framed snapshot of a captivating part of Norway.

All of our POTW winners will receive a Samsung 128GB PRO Plus microSDXC memory card with SD adapter offering memory storage across multiple devices. Plus, we will also announce our 'Photo of the Year' winner who'll win a Samsung Portable 1TB SSD T7 Shield in January 2025 courtesy of Samsung.

Categories: Photography News

10 Must-Read Close-Up Photography Tutorials

Mon 18 Mar 2024 2:22am

Here are 10 top tutorials that will get you looking a little closer at your photographic subjects as well as providing some handy tips along the way which includes lens choices, advice on lighting, set-up and more. 

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1. 4 Top Tips For Creative Fruit And Veg Photography

 

We thought we'd put together a quick and easy to follow tutorial on photographing fruit and veg slices with a light source behind them which you can do indoors when it's raining outside. Why do this? Well, the bright light combined with a single or even a few slices of fruit or vegetable can produce an interesting 'arty' style photograph that's really easy to capture at home. 

 

2. Five Quick Still Life Photography Tips

 

This step-by-step guide will give you a great basic introduction to the world of still life photography so if you're new to the subject, or are short on time, this could be the perfect place to start. 

 

 

3. Christmas Macro Photography Tips

 

Christmas is a great time of year to try out some macro photography, with loads of trinkets and brightly coloured objects to shoot. Here are some tips for festive macro photography.

 

4. How To Photograph Kitchen Utensils And Cutlery Creatively

 

Once you start searching, you'll find plenty of objects in the kitchen that have photographic potential. Things like pots and pans, colanders and, as here, a trivet can be pressed into service as subjects. A kitchen work surface will make a perfectly good background but so can the sink or any material you have in your house. Objects can be arranged on the worktop in various compositions, with the camera and lens aimed downwards.

 

 

5. Autumn Close-Up Photo Tips For Point & Shoot Digital Cameras

 

Autumn is the perfect time for capturing close-up/macro shots and this is something you can do even if you're a compact user who doesn't have an arsenal of lenses at their disposal. Be on the lookout for subjects that have interesting textures or are full of colour, plus look on the ground as well as up at the trees as you'll find conkers and other interesting items that make the perfect subject for an Autumn macro shot. 

 

 

6. How to Photograph Fungi In 10 Easy Steps

 

if you're venturing into the world of fungi photography for the first time or just want a quick reminder on what kit you'll need, have a read of our guide on photographing mushrooms, toadstools and fungi.

 

 

7. Macro Photography Tips - Raindrops On Windows

 

Raindrops on windows produce interesting patterns which can be photographed with ease on days when venturing outside will just soak you and your camera. Choose a window that has interesting raindrop patterns and that is facing a plain background. The background should be a long way off so a window into a garden with trees, grass or a fence at a good distance is ideal. The choice of background can really make a difference; a light background such as a sky will often result in the droplets having a darker more defined outline while a dark background will make the centres of the droplets more prominent.

 

8. Do I Need A Tripod For Macro Photography?

 

Outdoor macro photography, particularly during the Autumn months, can be very rewarding but as you'll most likely be doing some walking, you may be wondering if fastening a tripod to your camera bag is really necessary as, after all, they can be heavy and a bit awkward to carry. Well, the quick answer to this question is 'yes' but here are 6 reasons that'll further explain why you'll be annoyed at yourself if you don't pack your tripod when heading out of the door. 

 

9. 6 Outdoor Flower Photography Tips Every Compact User Needs

 

Just because you're a compact user doesn't mean you shouldn't shoot outdoor flower shots. In fact, with these few tips, you'll soon be on your way to capturing excellent examples of flower photography. 

 

10. Ten Top Macro Photography Tips

 

Macro and close-up photography allows us to see the world from a different viewpoint and sometimes, shots can be almost magical with what they unveil. Plus, with so many subjects waiting to be captured, you really can put your macro photography skills to the test and, you don't have to venture much further than your own garden either.    To get you started, here are our 10 top tips on capturing images with close-up/macro lenses. 

 

You've read the technique now share your related photos for the chance to win prizes: Daily Forum Competition

Categories: Photography News

ePHOTOzine Daily Theme Winners Week 2 March 2024

Sun 17 Mar 2024 8:22pm

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The latest winner of our popular daily photography theme which takes place in our forums have been chosen and congratulations go to CarltonR (Day 13 - Park).

 

Daily Theme Runners-Up

If you didn't win this time, keep uploading your images to the daily competition forum for another chance to win! If you're new to the Daily Theme, you can find out more about it in the Daily Theme Q&A

Well done to our latest runners-up, too, whose images you can take a look at below.

  Day 10

'Fresh' Theme

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  Day 11

Close-Up

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  Day 12

Lamb

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Day 14

People

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Day 15

Spring Landscapes

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Day 16

Small Mammals

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You’ll find the Daily Themes, along with other great photo competitions, over in our Forum. Take a look to see the latest daily photo contests. Open to all levels of photographer, you’re sure to find a photography competition to enter. Why not share details of competitions with our community? Join the camaraderie and upload an image to our Gallery.

Categories: Photography News

Fujifilm Fujinon GF 110mm f/5.6 T/S Macro Lens Review

Sun 17 Mar 2024 3:07am

Following on from our review of the 30mm f/5.6 T/S lens, we now look at Fujifilm's T/S sibling, the 110mm f/5.6 T/S Macro lens. This gives a “35mm equivalent” field of view of around 87mm, an ideal focal length for many photographers looking for a Macro optic. Add to this the Tilt/Shift function and we have something quite unique for Fujifilm medium format users. We now explore the features, handling and technical performance of the new lens, using the 100MP Fujifilm GFX100 II camera body. It should be an interesting journey.

 

Fujifilm Fujinon GF 110mm f/5.6 T/S Handling and Features

Much of what was said about the 30mm lens is also true of the 110mm.

It is well understood that if we point a lens upwards at, say, a building then we will observe it appearing to fall over backwards, an effect known as converging verticals. If we photograph a diagonal line of objects then we need to stop down the lens as much as possible to make sure all are in focus, maximising our use of depth of field. The Tilt/Shift lens addresses these issues, which are not problems as such, but just the inevitability of the laws of optics.

Taking the issue of converging verticals, what the camera sees is of course optically correct, but that is not what our brains want to observe, so using shift to “correct” those converging verticals, although now optically incorrect, puts things back to what we generally expect to see around us. Interestingly, this only works one way, vertically. If we take the example of railway lines receding into the distance, our eyes and brains accept the converging horizontals without question. To “correct” this effect would be quite bizarre. The 110mm lens enables shift of plus or minus 15mm, enough for most requirements. 

Taking the issue of diagonal planes of focus, the lens will allow plus or minus 10 degrees of tilt. This enables wider apertures to be used, as we tilt the plane of focus to follow the diagonal line of the subject matter. So no longer do we rely totally on small apertures for depth of field in these situations. This can be very useful for close up product photography. It is especially useful in a 100mm medium format lens as there is reduced depth of field from the focal length and the format as well. This is even more true at macro distances.

As well as the tilt and shift functions the lens can also rotate as a complete unit, adding more versatility. The 110mm is slightly lighter and yet slightly larger than the 30mm, but is not provided with a dedicated tripod ring/mount. The instructions caution against trapped fingers, and although with normal care this is unlikely to be a problem, there are numerous release catches, locking knobs and adjustment knobs as well as the lens tilting and shifting, so there is plenty going on that needs to be watched and operated properly.

All of this still results in a large, bulky and heavy lens. The 110mm weighs in at 1255g and measures 95mm x 149mm. The filter thread is a reasonable 72mm. The front element is well recessed, but the central optical unit does move forwards within the outer helical thread. The lens as a whole also slightly lengthens as we focus closer. However, the front element does remain fairly well shielded.

Apart from the main body of the lens, with its maze of shift/tilt/rotate controls, the only other adornment is the manual focus ring, as this is indeed a manual focus lens, not surprisingly. Despite being only f/5.6, the focusing aids of the camera make manual focusing very straightforward, more so as the longer focal length makes the point of focus easier to pinpoint. Again, Fujifilm caution that auto exposure may not be accurate when shifting and tilting, but in fact it does not seem to be too far adrift and easily corrected if necessary. Focusing is down to 0.43m, for a maximum magnification of 0.5x, or 1:2, also referred to as half life size. This is as close as macro lenses used to go, although current versions do tend to go to the true macro magnification of 1x, 1:1 or life size. However, this can be forgiven as we have here a medium format lens and this remarkably close focusing is very welcome as it is.

Optical construction is 11 elements in 9 groups, including 1 Aspherical and 2 ED (Extra Low Dispersion). The diaphragm comprises 9 rounded blades. Nano GI coating completes the picture and is well proven to reduce flare to miniscule amounts.                                                                                             

It is possible to use the lens hand held, even if it is somewhat unwieldy, but to extract the full quality from the amazing resolution possible it really does benefit from being tripod mounted. In any event, for macro shots this does enable more accurate framing. Another layer is added to the already impressive advantages in that we can also use the tilt/shift at extremely close distances, ensuring more of our subject can be in focus and any distortions can be corrected as well. 

 

Fujifilm Fujinon GF 110mm f/5.6 T/S Performance

Central sharpness is excellent at f/5.6, outstanding at f/8, excellent at f/11, very good at f/16, good at f/22 and fair at f/32. The edges are excellent from f/5.6 to f/11, very good at f/16, good at f/22 and fair at f/32.

 

Fujifilm Fujinon GF 110mm f/5.6 T/S MTF Charts Previous Next

How to read our MTF charts

The blue column represents readings from the centre of the picture frame at the various apertures and the green is from the edges.

For this review, the lens was tested on a Fujifilm GFX100 II using Imatest. Want to know more about how we review lenses?

 

CA (Chromatic Aberration) is very uniform across the frame, at very well controlled levels. This should not be obtrusive in most photography, but if for some reason further correction is needed, there are software solutions.

Distortion is almost zero, actually measuring at -0.08% barrel. This is an excellent result and the lens is virtually rectilinear.

Bokeh is pleasantly smooth and apart from the other qualities of the lens, we can add to that the medium format “look” that is so distinctive.

 

Fujifilm Fujinon GF 110mm f/5.6 T/S Chromatic Aberration Charts Previous Next

How to read our CA charts

Chromatic aberration (CA) is the lens' inability to focus on the sensor or film all colours of visible light at the same point. Severe chromatic aberration gives a noticeable fringing or a halo effect around sharp edges within the picture. It can be cured in software.

Apochromatic lenses have special lens elements (aspheric, extra-low dispersion etc) to minimize the problem, hence they usually cost more.

For this review, the lens was tested on a Fujifilm GFX100 II using Imatest.

 

Fujifilm's coating technology is well proven and excellent. Even with the most severe lighting tests it is almost impossible to generate any significant artefacts.

Vignetting is present at very modest levels.

 

Aperture Vignetting f/5.6 -0.8 f/8 -0.7 f/11 -0.7 f/16 -0.6 f/22 -0.6 f/32 -0.6

 

Fujifilm Fujinon GF 110mm f/5.6 T/S Sample Photos Previous Next

 

Fujifilm Fujinon GF 110mm f/5.6 T/S Aperture range Previous Next


You can view additional images in the Equipment Database, where you can add your own reviews, photos and product ratings.

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Value For Money

The [AMUK]Fujifilm Fujinon GF 110mm f/5.6 T/S|Fujifilm Fujinon GF 110mm f/5.6 T/S[/AMUK] Macro lens is priced at £3499.00

Alternatives within the GF system might be:

  • [AMUK]Fujifilm Fujinon GF 120mm f/4 R LM OIS WR Macro|Fujifilm Fujinon+lens[/AMUK], £2499
  • [AMUK]Fujifilm Fujinon GF 110mm f/2 R LM WR|Fujifilm Fujinon+lens[/AMUK], £2599

There are also a couple of Pentax 645 lenses that, although not usable on the Fujifilm cameras, do offer a benchmark regarding lens costs.

[AMUK]HD Pentax-FA 645 90mm f/2.8 ED AW SR Macro|HD Pentax-FA+lens[/AMUK], £3699

[AMUK]SMC Pentax-FA 645 120mm f/4 Macro|SMC Pentax-FA+lens[/AMUK], £1549

Fujifilm Fujinon GF 110mm f/5.6 T/S Verdict

It's a tilt/shift lens, it's a macro lens, it's quite possibly a portrait lens, it's medium format with quality that just sings with detail and it's (relatively) reasonably priced as well. Individually, there are lenses that will do all of these jobs, and probably at a lower price. If we want all the features in one lens then that balance of features/cost changes and the new lens looks much more attractive. Whichever we choose, the Fujifilm GFX range has certainly blossomed and has some cracking good lenses on offer.

The GF 110mm f/5.6 T/S Macro lens is one of those cracking good lenses, and is Highly Recommended.

Fujifilm Fujinon GF 110mm f/5.6 T/S Pros
  • Superb sharpness and detail
  • Low CA
  • Virtually no distortion (rectilinear)
  • Shift facility
  • Tilt facility
  • Rotate facility
  • Excellent handling when tripod mounted
  • Low flare
  • Smooth bokeh
  • Very modest vignetting
Fujifilm Fujinon GF 110mm f/5.6 T/S Cons
  • Heavy and bulky
  • Price

 

[REVIEW_FOOTER]R_features=5|R_handling=4.5|R_performance=5|R_value=4.5|R_overall=4.5|A_level=4.5|A_text=Highly Recommended – A highly efficient, high quality tilt and shift lens with added macro facility|E_id=8027[/REVIEW_FOOTER]

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Categories: Photography News

5 Basic But Essential Tips On Town Photography At Night

Sun 17 Mar 2024 2:12am

Town photography at night is a cool subject as objects that seem mundane in daylight can suddenly take on a whole new feeling/look at night. You can also use a variety of different techniques, too, to capture scenes in more creative ways. 

There's quite a bit to cover on night photography but to get you started, we've got 5 quick but essential pieces of advice. 

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1. Gear Suggestions

 

Your DSLR and normal lenses are fine for this sort of work but long exposures are the norm so a good, stable tripod is recommended, that together with a remote release. If you do want a camera that's particularly good in low light, have a read of our 'Top 21 Best Low Light Photography Cameras' list. 


Important non-photographic essentials include suitable clothing, protective kit for the camera, a watch for timing B exposures and a torch – a wind-up head torch is a good idea. It is also taking someone with you, for safety and for companionship during your time when you are hanging around waiting for the exposures to finish.

 

2. White Balance

 

Auto white balance is fine but feel free to try the preset, perhaps incandescent or fluorescent. AWB is fine and colour casts can add to the image anyway.

 

3. ISO

 

In low light, the temptation is to whizz up the ISO scale and shot at ISO1600 and higher. Most cameras cope well at higher ISO levels now but even though this is true, it is still best to stick to ISO100 or 200 and go for high quality and long shutter speeds. By the way, windy days, bridges that gently move, traffic vibration, poor technique, wobbly tripods, can all result in blurred images so watch out for that.

 

4. Buildings And Lighting

 

Office blocks and lit buildings are obvious subjects – and if it is raining, even better, especially, if your chosen location has cobbled streets.

Stop down to small apertures and highlights come as pinpoints of light and that can effective. Including streetlamps can result in flare – if they are in shot, there is nothing you can do about it so just go with the fact. In fact, on rainy evenings with water droplets landing on the lens you can get some graphic flare effects.

 

5. Traffic And Light Trails

 

Light trails of moving traffic is a popular subject and it is easy to do. just find your scene, open the shutter and the moving traffic with its head and rear lights on will record as colourful lines. Popular places to try this technique is on bridges over main roads, roundabouts and busy junctions. Obviously, take great care with traffic and where you place the tripod.

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Categories: Photography News

15 Top Wildlife Photography Tutorials For You To Peruse

Sat 16 Mar 2024 2:04am

Wildlife photography is a subject that all of us can have a go at in some shape or form as everything from pets and garden birds to wildlife in safari parks can be photographed. With so many animals waiting to be photographed, we thought we'd put together a list of our best wildlife tutorials so you can access all of the top tips from one easy-to-find place. 

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1. 10 Quick Tips On Photographing Garden Birds

 

Here are 10 basic but essential tips on photographing garden birds you can use to capture awesome wildlife images. You're going to need a telephoto zoom (300-400mm) for capturing frame-filling shots, a tripod and if you have one, a hide so you don't scare the robins and blue tits away. 

 

2. Winter Wildlife Photography Tips

 

Learn how to take great images of winter wildlife with our list of 9 top tips and essential advice which includes knowing how your camera and any other gear you have out with you works before you're outside in your hide. It may sound like a daft statement but knowing how to quickly adjust a setting can make all the difference when you only have a few seconds to take a shot.

 

3. Winter Bird Photography Tips

 

Winter days leave us with a shortage of daylight hours for photography but you don't have to venture far to photograph birds during this season, making them a perfect subject choice. Although, as well as garden birds, the British Isles – with its thousands of miles of coastland, is a haven for wintering waders, with Hooper Swan, Dunlin, Oystercatcher and Knot numbers swelling through the winter months. A visit to the coast can prove very successful through the winter.

 

4. How To Take Great Waterfowl Photos With Ease

 

Feeding ducks is something everyone enjoys but next time you head off for your Sunday morning stroll around your local pond, pocket your camera as well as the treats you take for the Mallards and Swans.

 

5. Photography In UK Wildlife Safari Parks

 

One location that's well worth a visit with your camera is a safari park as there are some excellent ones based in the UK that'll give you the opportunity to capture frame-filling images of Lions and other animals usually seen on an African plane. 

 

6. Why Use A Telephoto Lens For Wildlife Photography?

 

If you're thinking of trying nature or wildlife photography, as well as a camera it's worth investing in a telephoto lens. Why? Well, this is something we cover in this article but first, you need to decide which telephoto lens will work best for you. 

A medium telephoto can be useful for shots taken in and around zoos and wildlife parks but if you're capturing smaller subjects such as birds, even if it's in your own garden, you'll need a telephoto that has much more reach (300mm +). For shots of swans and ducks in the park, a shorter telephoto lens will be fine. 

 

7. Photographing Dragonflies And Damselflies

 

Head to ponds, lakes and rivers and chances are, you'll soon spot Damselflies and Dragonflies which make interesting subjects for a macro image. If you do want to have a go at capturing these flying insects in your shots ideally, you'll need a macro lens but a longer zoom with a macro function at the longer end will also work fine, especially when coupled with extension tubes. Approach slowly, and start taking pictures from a distance so if they do fly off, at least you've got a few images saved to your memory card.

 

8. How To Stop Wire Fences Ruining Your Wildlife Shots

 

Zoos and wildlife parks are great places to get up close with wildlife, but the fences and glass keeping us and the animals safe can cause a few problems for photographers.

Fences often rise above eye level and the tops aren't in easy reach (for good reason) so you can't hold your camera up above it to take your shots. As a result, we often have to take photos with the cage in front of us but this doesn't mean the fence has to appear and as a result spoil the shot.

 

 

9. 5 Common Wildlife Photography Mistakes To Avoid

Wildlife photography is a popular photographic subject, but it's not one of the easiest photography types to master. Subjects are fast, shy and can be tricky to capture, plus precision and patience are a must which means it's not something we can all get right. With this in mind, we've put together a list of 5 common mistakes along with advice on how to avoid them

 

10. Master Swan Photography With These 4 Tips

 

Swans are rather photogenic and you can easily spend half an hour or so taking pictures of these majestic birds. If you're in a particularly rural place where not many people venture and a swan sees you it probably means you won't be seeing it for much longer! But if you're at your local park where people often feed them you'll find it much easier to snap a swan's portrait. Nature reserves do have public hides you can sit and wait in but as we've said if you're in a place where the swans are used to seeing people you can leave your camouflage gear at home.

 

11. How To Capture Top Birds Of Prey Imagery

 

Photographing birds of prey in the wild isn't something that's easy to do, however as the UK is home to some excellent birds of prey centres, photographers have the opportunity to shoot up close with these majestic birds when armed with the right kit and technique. 

 

12. Photographing Lambs

 

Lambs are not only cute, but they're also a sign Spring is well-and-truely on its way so they make us doubly happy. Cuteness and happiness aside, they're great subjects for outdoor photos as not only do they make people go 'ahh' they're also pretty active so you can capture some great action shots as well as images that are a little calmer. 

To set you up for your lamb-themed photography shoot, we've got 5 essential tips to share with you. 

 

13. Perfect Your Pet Photography

 

Some people put their pets before family and have images of their favourite dog sat alongside their wedding, holiday and children's pictures. This might be you too! Of course, you are stuck if you do not have a dog, but the odds are you know someone with one so if you are really keen, finding a subject is not an issue.

 

  14. Butterfly Photography

 

Here we have a few tips to aid you in your pursuit of the perfect butterfly image. Meadows with wildflowers growing in abundance are great places for photographing butterflies but please don't trespass on other people's property. You could also visit one of the many nature reserves or public gardens found right across the UK.

 

15. 7 Essential Zoo Photography Tips

Take your camera along to the zoo for some close-up animal photography. Before you set off, go on the zoo's website, find a map and make a plan. Arrive early to beat the rush and try walking around the opposite way to the crowds to give yourself chance to capture shots without the crush. Feeding times are great photographic opportunities but they're popular with visitors so arrive early.

 

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Categories: Photography News

PortraitPro 24 Special Launch Offer: 50% Off Downloads + Extra 10% Off

Sat 16 Mar 2024 2:04am

 

Anthropics Technology is giving ePHOTOzine members the chance to save on the newly launched PortraitPro 24. 

Enhance your portrait work for pro-style portraits with new features:

 

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  • Effortlessly share presets.
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  • (Exclusive to Studio Max) Apply multiple presets to each picture.

 

Learn more about what’s new in PortraitPro 24 on the Anthropics website. Enjoy a free trial before downloading this smart portrait software.

Buy new PortraitPro 24 or upgrade at 50% off all downloads. Get an EXTRA 10% off when you use the code EPV24 at checkout.

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Categories: Photography News

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