N-Photo UK - Issue 154, September 2023

FROM THE EDITOR
This issue’s special

contributors…
Gary Jones
PAGE 6
Wildlife photographer Gary takes
this issue’s Apprentice under his
wing to photograph birds of prey
fighting and feeding.
Paul Wilkinson
PAGE 38
Image: © Shutterstock
Portrait pro Paul tells a

cautionary tale of how he
came to the rescue when a 100 brilliant tips and tricks for
wedding shoot went wrong… shooting the great outdoors in
our lead feature – see page 26.
Welcome to issue 154

Tom Mason
PAGE 42
Tom is never happier than when
abseiling up a tree to set camera
traps for owls. He explains how
you can shoot remotely too. As the harsh light of summer begins to subside,
there’s never a better time of year to get out and
about with your camera to shoot the great outdoors.
Samir Hussein In this issue’s lead feature, we’ve collated 100 tips
PAGE 60
Photographer of rock royalty
to help you get the best images of everything the
– and actual royalty – Samir qdwxudo#zruog#kdv#wr#rļhu/#lqfoxglqj#odqgvfdshv/#
tells how he carved out a career zlogolih/#dvwur/#pdfur#dqg#sodqwv#dqg#ľrzhuv1#
shooting the rich and famous. We treat our apprentice to a day out at the Gigrin Farm red kite
feeding centre in Wales, as she learns to shoot these incredible
raptors as they swoop at dizzy speeds to feed on the wing.
Ray Spence
Lq#rxu#Elj#Whvw/#zh#wu|#d#vhohfwlrq#ri#vtxduh#vorw0lq#Ľowhu#v|vwhpv/#
PAGE 68
beloved of landscape photographers, and we test Sigma’s 16mm f/1.4
Fine-art ’tog Ray converted a
Nikon to infrared to photograph DC CN | C wide-angle lens for crop-sensor DX Z-mount Nikons.
out-of-context shop mannequins Elsewhere, we reveal how there’s more to the battery that powers
for a forthcoming exhibition. |rxu#Qlnrq#wkdq#phhwv#wkh#h|h>#vshdn#zlwk#d#Ľqh0duw#skrwrjudskhu#
about shooting mannequins in infrared; reveal the results of the
‘low light’ round of our NPOTY competition (where there’s a Nikon
Nigel A Ball
Z 9 up for grabs, no less!); and bring you our usual selection of photo
PAGE 84
shooting and editing projects to try your hand at. Enjoy the issue!
Nigel tells how he put his new
Z 8’s astonishing 120fps shooting
rate to use to freeze the flight Adam Waring, Editor
path of a fluttering butterfly. [email protected]
WORTH
£52
SUBSCRIBE TO N-PHOTO & GET
YOUR FREE LOWEPRO ADVENTURA
GO SH 160 CAMERA BAG
Take out a subscription to N-Photo and get the magazine delivered to your door plus a free bag! SEE PAGE 24
www.digitalcameraworld.com 3
Contents
38 Paul Wilkinson gets to the

point about biting off
more than you can chew
Shoot the great outdoors!

100 tips for shooting pretty much everything the
natural world has to offer, including landscapes,
wildlife, astro, macro, and plants and wildlife 26 84
Creepy-crawlies
captured on the
new Nikon Z 8
06 Apprentice Our reader learns to

capture a birds of prey feeding frenzy 60 Interview Meet Samir Hussein,
photographer of royalty and rock stars 82 Letters Put pen to paper – or fingers
to keyboard – and have your say…
16 Lightbox Winning images from the

2023 Environmental Photography Award 68 On Assignment Behind-the-scenes
on Ray Spence’s ‘Mannakin’ shoot 84 Your Stories A reader uses his new
Z 8 to shoot incredible insect images
26 Shoot the great outdoors 100

tips for photographing the natural world 70 Nikopedia There may be more to your
Nikon’s battery than you first thought 105 Back Issues Fill your shelves with
any missing copies of N-Photo
38 Go Pro Paul Wilkinson saves the day

when a wedding shoot goes wrong 76 N-Photo POTY Good heavens above,
it’s our NPOTY comp’s low-light round! 111 Next Issue Coming up in the next
edition of your fave photo mag…
41 Nikon Skills Camera traps, backlit

portraits, waterfalls, aviation and more! 81 Win a Nikon Z 9! It could be yours –
but only if you enter our competition 114 Parting Shot Mike on condensing
complex subjects into two-line tips…
81 Nikon Z 9 up
for grabs!
Enter your best images into our
SUBSCRIBE!
How to get your hands on
a free Lowepro Adventura
monthly NPOTY competition to GO SH 160 camera bag!
be in with a chance of winning
WORTH
24 £52
Nikon’s flagship professional
mirrorless camera! Turn to
SEE
page 81 to find out more PAGE
4 www.digitalcameraworld.com
CONTENTS
NikonSkills
Master your Nikon today!
60
Samir Hussein on his right royal
portfolio of the rich and famous
06
42 Lay a camera trap 44 A fall’s errand
Expert tips for remote wildlife shots How to use an ND filter to slow the flow
Spray and pray to

capture super shots
of birds of prey
BEFORE AFTER
48 Plane sailing 50 A perfect blend

Tips and tricks for ace aviation images 15 free textures for Affinity Photo blends
BEFORE AFTER
Gear Zone
88 New Gear Our round-up of the latest and
greatest kit to enhance your photography
52 Explore adaptive presets 54 The beauty of backlighting
90 Sigma 16mm f/1.4 It’s wide, it’s fast,
and it’s for DX-sensor Z-series Nikons
Get to grips with new Adobe CC tools Shine a light behind your subjects
92 Slot-in filter holders Five fab starter

systems that make using filters easy VIEW THE Whenever you see this logo you’ll know
there’s an accompanying video that
106 Buyer’s Guide An up-to-date list of

you can watch online.
Nikon cameras and compatible lenses VIDEO The videos and information provided are 100% independent and not
endorsed or sponsored by Nikon Corporation or Adobe Systems Incorporated
APPRENTICE
THE APPRENTICE
NAME: Rebecca Elliott
CAMERA: Nikon Z 8
Becky works as a legal translator, but is
also fluent in photography. She caught
the bug at just 14, learning the ropes
using a selection of camera books her
dad bought her. It’s been her main hobby
ever since, but it wasn’t until a trip to
Canada in 2008 that she decided to pick
up her first decent digital camera. She
then migrated to the Nikon Z 50, before
spiralling down the Z-Series rabbit hole
with incremental upgrades in the form
of a Z 6II, followed by a shiny new Z 8.
THE PRO
NAME: Gary Jones
CAMERA: Nikon Z 9
Gary resides near the Snowdonia
National Park in North Wales. He’s
been enamoured with animals and
photography all his life. And although he’s
travelled all over the world photographing
wildlife, perhaps his biggest passion
is raptors. When he’s not following
wildlife subjects to far-flung places –
and even scaling mountains – he runs a
busy workshop schedule and regularly
presents at camera clubs across the UK.
Find out more via: www.gjwp.co.uk
Our apprentice photographs one of Wales’
finest wildlife spectacles with pro Gary Jones
T
he reintroduction of red kites small population in Wales. Despite citing the
in England and Scotland is one of species as a ‘valued’ asset in medieval
the UK’s most incredible Britain, the RSPB highlights the 16th
conservation success stories. century as the turning point; the raptor was
Go back roughly three decades considered ‘vermin’ and hunted until the
and this magnificent bird of prey early 20th century. Such was the
had been reduced to a dangerously Victorians’ vilification, they drove the birds
APPRENTICE
TECHNIQUE EXPERT INSIGHT

ASSESSMENT A NICE, CLEAN FLIGHT
Gary says… Try to photograph subjects
1 on a clean background. This will make
them ‘pop’, since there’s nothing to
detract the viewer’s attention. A good
method is to sight a bird in the sky and
track it until it passes against a clean
background, like a bank of trees. A long
focal length and a wide aperture will
then blur the backdrop into obscurity.
RING-A-DING-DING
Gary says… I almost always use
Manual mode, but I like to pair it with
Auto ISO. I can then use Exposure
Compensation to quickly control my
exposure. This is made more effective
by assigning the function to my
100-400mm’s control ring, so I can
alter Exp Comp with a flick of the wrist.
2 to extinction in England and Scotland.

Today – following a reintroduction
programme in 1989 – red kites have been
brought back from the brink. So much so,
they are now becoming an increasingly
frequent sight beyond their Welsh
stronghold, but ‘red kite country’ is still
the best place to witness these majestic
birds of prey.
WIDEN THE FIELD And there’s perhaps nowhere better to
Gary says… AF-C is a given, but I like see them up close than the red kite feeding
to set my AF-area mode to Wide-S or station at Gigrin Farm (www.gigrin.co.uk).
Wide-L, depending on the subject, but This 160-acre site is situated near
use Wide-L the most. I then set AF Rhayader, in the heart of Powys, a county
subject detection to Animal Detection. that proudly bears the silhouette of a red
You can then move the box around like kite on its logo. The wild birds are fed daily
a single focus point, but if the bird in a wild staging area, flanked by a terrace “The better shots are when they thin out,
moves out of it, the camera will track it. of permanent hides. Gigrin has become a after the initial feeding frenzy,” he said.
haven for wildlife photographers, catered “For one, it’s easier to track a bird and
for with several specialist photo hides. then you have a much better chance of
3 The centrally positioned Gateway Hide capturing an individual or pair against
would be Becky and Gary’s office for the a clean background.
duration of the three-hour shoot. And even “We’ll see some buzzards as well; they
before the food had been spread across spend a lot of time on the ground. The kites
the staging area, the kites were circling. won’t attack them, but they will swoop past
them to pick up food. I’ll often hover
HIDE AND SEEK around a buzzard, knowing that a kite
“There’s a lot up there already,” said Becky might swoop down near it at any moment.
BLOCKED SHOT as she wiped the front element of her “And if we’re really, really lucky, we might
Gary says… The ‘Focus tracking with Z 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 VR S with a lens see a rare, leucistic red kite.”
lock-on’ custom setting’s ‘Blocked shot cloth. “Does it always draw a crowd?” “What are they?” asked Becky.
AF response’ is how long the camera “It can vary depending on the weather,” “Kites with leucism, which reduces the
waits to refocus if an object comes said Gary. “Heavy rain brings worms to the pigmentation in their plumage, making
between you and your subject. If I’m surface, and sometimes you get fewer them look very pale or near-white.”
shooting in a forest with obstacles, kites because they’re feeding elsewhere. Gary attached the Nikon AF-S 500mm
I’ll increase the delay. Birds are erratic, Usually, when the food is first put out it’s f/4E FL ED VR to his gimbal and secured a
so I set ‘Subject motion’ accordingly. a great free-for-all.” With his tripod set up, Z 9 onto its mount. He attached the same
the pro began to attach a gimbal head. 100-400mm as Becky’s to a second Z 9 for
SUPER
SHOT #1
Camera: Nikon Z 8
Lens: 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6
Exposure: 1/2500 sec, f/5, ISO560
handheld shooting. “I use that lens a lot,”

he said. “I like to shoot in Manual mode
with Auto ISO. I then assign Exposure
Compensation to the lens’s control ring.”
At that moment a tractor rumbled onto
the staging area, pulling a bucket laden
with scraps of meat. The driver then left
the cab and began shovelling the meat out
onto the field, spreading it far and wide.
As more kites arrived, a few brazen birds
swooped down to pick up the first morsels.
“It’s about to get very crowded,” said Gary.
“This is the point where I find it’s best to
stand off the camera and let the birds thin
out for a few minutes. This might be the
perfect time to go through your settings.”
Becky was already used to the pro’s
preferred Manual mode, but switched to
Auto ISO and set up her control ring
accordingly to match his setup. She then
set her AF-area mode to Wide-L and the
AF subject detection option to Animal
APPRENTICE
SUPER
SHOT #2
Camera: Nikon Z 8
Lens: 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6
Exposure: 1/2500 sec, f/5.3, ISO2800
Detection. Gary held up his Z 9 and pointed
PRO KIT
at one of the Fn buttons on the front: “I also
like to set a function button to single-point
GIMBAL
AF, so I can switch to it at will, should a
particularly busy scene cause Animal
HEAD
Detection to struggle.”
Becky’s first task was to capture a
conventional portrait of a bird in flight
Gary says… When and, with the initial brawl for food having
you’re using a big subsided, she started picking out subjects.
lens like my Nikon “Pick a bird in the sky and track it as it
AF-S 500mm f/4E swoops down,” said Gary. “Once it flies
FL ED VR, hand past a clean backdrop, fire the shutter.”
holding isn’t really Becky was having no trouble using Gary’s
an option. Using a AF setup and was already capturing sharp
standard tripod portraits of kites on the wing.
head is fine if your “Try lingering on a buzzard for a while,”
subject isn’t said the pro. “They feed on the ground, but
moving much or you’ve framed your composition, pre-focused and are waiting to fire one will take off eventually.” Sure enough,
the shutter, but if you’re photographing fast-moving subjects like birds in flight, after a few minutes of sighting a buzzard,
a gimbal head provides the best of both worlds; stability and freedom of movement. it spread its wings and took flight. Becky
locked onto the big bird of prey and
RED KITES
HOW TO:
EDIT BIRDS OF PREY
1
A hide offers shelter from the elements and

reduces the chance you’ll spook subjects.
captured two images. Super Shot #1 would

be a frame-filling, head-on image of the
buzzard with its wings spread wide. MASK YOUR SUBJECT
Gary says… Lightroom’s Select
IN-FLIGHT CATERING Subject feature within the Masking tool
“That was a great shot,” said Gary. “But as is really powerful. At the click of a
we aim for more elusive moments, I’d aim button, it gives you the ability to
to capture a longer sequence. The beauty process your subject without affecting
of the Z 8/9’s 20fps burst mode is that you the rest of the image. It worked well for
get a second, third, fourth, fifth chance to this bird-in-flight image, where there
select the sharpest image in a sequence or were dark shadows beneath the wings.
the one with the perfect wing position, for
example. This time, try to capture a kite
with a piece of meat in its beak or talons.” 2
“I’m shooting at 1/2500 sec,” said
Becky. “Would you be happy with that?”
“With kites, it’s as fast as you can get it.
Obviously ISO is the trade off. Some people
try to stay below ISO1000, but with Nikon’s
current pro-level cameras I think you can
hit around ISO2500 and not be worried.”
Becky nodded before stepping up to
the hide’s opening and sighting another HSL/COLOR PANEL
subject through her Nikon Z 8’s EVF. Gary says… Many wildlife images are
Capturing a feeding bird wasn’t easy. If set against a background dominated by
she waited for one to snatch a piece of green foliage; sometimes this can look
meat, there was barely enough time to over-saturated. Rather than reduce the
react, let alone track it as it flew away. overall saturation with the Saturation
slider, I like to target only the green
tones, by using the Green Saturation
EXPERT INSIGHT BIRDS BEHAVING BADLY

slider in the HSL/Color panel.
Gary says… Once you’ve mastered the techniques required to consistently capture sharp 3
shots of birds in flight, you can focus your attention on what you’re capturing. To build up
a well-rounded portfolio of any species, you’ll need to capture a variety of behaviours.
Even during this one
scenario, Becky was
able to capture a
well-rounded selection
of images: birds eating
on the wing, scrapping
mid-flight, strafing the GLINT IN THE EYE
ground for food. Burst Gary says… For close-up bird
shooting helps too, portraits, it’s essential that the eye is
ensuring you don’t pin sharp, with a beautiful catchlight.
miss something good You can enhance this by clicking on the
and allowing you to Masking tool and selecting Brush. Paint
choose the best image a mask over the eye and then tweak the
from a sequence. Clarity slider accordingly to add punch.
APPRENTICE
As soon as the food is flung onto the staging area, a

wake of red kites descends to the delight of onlookers.
She remembered Gary’s advice to follow finger pressed down on the back-button to
a circling kite in the sky and hope it would maintain constant focus. Suddenly, it
soon make a strafing run. dived. Becky tracked it as far as the tree
“It’s been theorized that there’s a line, but let out a frustrated sigh: “I lost it,”
hierarchy and the dominant birds feed she said, “they’re really quick.”
first,” said Gary. “But I don’t know how true Gary glanced at the 100-400mm’s
that is. With that in mind, I’d stick with a barrel: “You’re maxed out at 400mm. Try
bird for a while and if it doesn’t swoop down zooming out to 300mm to give yourself a
to feed within a minute or two, move on.” little breathing room by allowing the bird a
Becky had locked focus on a kite that little more space to move within the frame.
was moving through the sky at pace – An upside of that massive 45.7-Mp sensor
is the ability to crop in post.”
This did the trick. The next time Becky
EXPERT INSIGHT tracked a kite to the ground, she was able

to keep up with it through the viewfinder.
TAG, YOU’RE IT! “It’s got something,” she said under her
breath as she followed it back up to the
treeline. With a clean background and a
Gary says… I don’t avoid or clone out
side-on angle that clearly revealed the been hovering around f/5, which is a good
bird rings. When I photograph a ringed
morsel hanging from the bird’s beak, she middle ground if you want a little bit of
osprey, I’ll pop onto social media and
fired a burst and captured Super Shot #2. extra play when focusing, while keeping
research its story. I once discovered an
your shutter speed suitably quick.”
individual had been ringed two years
FLIGHT CLUB As Becky continued taking photos, Gary
prior – just a couple of miles down the
Capturing a bird in flight is often commented on the wind direction: “It’s
road from where I’d photographed it.
considered one of the hardest techniques blowing to our right and slightly behind so
This was likely the first time in its adult
to conquer in photography, but Becky was the birds are flying across and towards us,
life it had returned to the UK.
having no trouble capturing sharp shot which is ideal as they fly into the wind.”
after sharp shot. “You decide what “It’s definitely easier with fewer birds in
behaviour you want to capture this time, the sky,” said Becky as she tracked a kite.
and keep an eye out for that leucistic kite,” Gary pointed to a neighbouring hide:
said Gary with a light-hearted grin. “Most people have left now, but this is the
“Capturing a pair of birds would be nice,” best time to photograph them. It’s
said Becky. “Which reminds me, what are definitely... there. Did you get that Becky?”
your thoughts on aperture?” In a blink-and-you’ll miss it moment a
“Usually, as wide as I can get. But if kite and buzzard had a coming together,
you’re trying to capture two birds on with the latter spinning partially in midair.
different focal planes, you could stop down “I did. I was tracking that kite,” said the
to f/8 if the light is bright enough. You’ve apprentice as she showed the pro the
SUPER
SHOT #3
Camera: Nikon Z 8
Lens: 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6
image on the Playback screen. The

20fps burst helped her capture the
exact moment the birds passed each EXPERT INSIGHT FLIGHT SCHOOL
other on nearly the same focal plane. Gary says… You have to react very quickly when photographing birds in flight. Learn to
“Fantastic,” said Gary. “Not sure how adjust your settings
we can top that – that’s Super Shot #3.” without leaving the
viewfinder. The
THE GHOST OF GIGRIN moment you look
Gigrin Farm had one more surprise in down, you’ll miss
store for the pair of photographers as their something. It’s muscle
allotted time in the hide was drawing to an memory – when you
end. Becky was still searching for her final get a new camera you
Super Shot, while Gary was taking a few have to put the hours
photos from his gimbal. Suddenly, he in so using it feels like
pointed towards a copse at the far end of second nature. Spend
the staging area: “There, leucistic kite.” hours photographing
Becky momentarily looked up from her garden birds, pigeons
Z 8’s EVF in a bid to zero in on the elusive or gulls if you have to.
bird, but lost it in the diffused white of the
overcast sky. “I’m sure it’ll come
APPRENTICE
SUPER
SHOT #4
Camera: Nikon Z 8
Lens: 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6
Exposure: 1/1600, f/5.3, ISO560
around again,” said Gary. “We want to

really show off its plumage so try
photographing it in front of those dark
trees. Dial in a little negative exposure
compensation to make the background
really dark. You’ll end up with a low-key
effect that will make the kite stand out.”
Becky dialled in a couple stops of
negative exposure compensation and
scanned the sky, while Gary searched
through his binoculars. “It’s by the trees,”
he said. Becky located the bird before
looking through her EVF. She zoomed out
to the wide end, which provided a little play
when locating the kite, before zooming in
further. “I’ve got it,” she said as she tracked
the soaring raptor. “Hopefully, it’ll make
another pass or two,” said Gary as Becky
followed her subject up into the sky.
A 100-400mm lens (35mm equivalent) provides enough This time, she managed to keep up with
reach to sight faraway subjects and a versatile zoom range.
it, even as it briefly flew out of sight over the
hide. When it emerged from the left-hand
RED KITES
PRO
PORTFOLIO
GARY JONES
EAGLE-EYED ATTACK
Observation is an important part of wildlife
This encounter left me amazed at the
photography and so a good-quality pair of
binoculars are a mainstay within Gary’s kit bag. lengths birds will go to protect their
young. The golden eagle was happily
feeding, but a pair of jays – nesting close
BE OUR NEXT by – kept dive-bombing it. The action was

incredibly fast, and it became evident,
APPRENTICE! upon reviewing the images, that the jays

were actually targeting the eagle’s eyes.
We’re looking for future Apprentices!
So if you would like to appear on these
pages and get top one-to-one
professional tuition into the bargain,
send an email headed ‘Apprentice’ to
[email protected] and make
sure that you include the following
information: your name, address, a
contact phone number, the camera
and kit you use, and the subject that
ROMEO THE PUFFIN
you’re interested in shooting.
I was watching a big group of puffins on
Skomer Island when this guy flew in with a
flower in his mouth and duly paraded it
side, the apprentice was waiting to track it around the group. We were convinced he
back past the trees. Slowly letting out an was looking for a mate, and was trying the
intake of breath, Becky calmly held down flower approach, so we named him
the shutter and captured a sharp Romeo. We never did see if it worked!
sequence. Remarkably, Super Shot #4
was the elusive leucistic red kite.
BECKY’S COMMENT
Using Gary’s AF settings was a
game changer. Confident with
focusing, I could worry about
Image: ©Paul David Smith
the subject and composition.

This made all the difference when I had
only a few tries to capture the white kite.
SEA EAGLES FIGHTING
GARY’S VERDICT I love images of raptor behaviour. I was
Once Becky’s Z 8 was set up, lucky enough to witness two white-tailed
she was unstoppable, there eagles come together, high over a loch, in
were so many shots to choose NEXT ISSUE: our apprentice dives a territorial dispute. The action was fast
from. The feeding couldn’t into the world of environmental and noisy. My main concern was keeping
have gone better: good weather, plenty of portraiture, quite literally! both birds in focus and using a fast
birds and that stunning leucistic kite. shutter speed to freeze the action.
Our favourite Nikon images from the
2023 Environmental Photography Award
16
2023 ENVIRONMENTAL PHOTOGRAPHY AWARD
Falling Leaves
are Blue
© Kallol Mukherjee / 2023 Environmental Photography Award

KALLOL MUKHERJEE
1st place, Into the Forest
The photographer captured a snowstorm in the

Indian Himalayas at an altitude of 4267m, just as
a flock of grandala birds invaded the landscape,
offering a superb view of their synchronized
flight or murmurations.
Camera: Nikon D850

Lens: 300mm f/4
17
LIGHTBOX
© Knut M. Selmer / 2023 Environmental Photography Award
The Polar Fox in

the Arctic Winter
KNUT M. SELMER
2nd place, Polar Wonders
The Arctic fox, sometimes called the polar fox,

is commonly found in Spitsbergen, Norway.
In order to find food in all seasons, the animal
has to cope with the Arctic’s extreme
conditions. But its small size and its thick fur
enable the fox to withstand the extreme cold.
Camera: Nikon D850

Lens: 500mm f/4
© Clément Fontaine / 2023 Environmental Photography Award
Predator versus
Predator
CLÉMENT FONTAINE
3rd place, Into the Forest
The jaguar is an emblematic animal of Brazil;

it is also a super-predator, essential for
ecosystem balance. A victim of deforestation
and hunting, it has almost disappeared from
the Atlantic forests of the Brazilian coast and
even in the Amazon is increasingly rare.
Camera: Nikon D850

Lens: 150-600mm f/5-6.3
LIGHTBOX
© Pratik Chorge / 2023 Environmental Photography Award
Risking Life
for Thirst
PRATIK CHORGE
3rd place, Humanity Versus Nature
The 20,000-litre water tanker takes two hours

to fill but when it enters the village, it gets
emptied within five to seven minutes. From
elderly people to families to young children,
all huddle in the massive crowd to fill their
buckets with water.
Camera: Nikon D810

Lens: 20mm f/1.8
© Simon Biddie / 2023 Environmental Photography Award
My Kingdom
SIMON BIDDIE
1st place, Ocean Worlds
California sea lions enjoy protected status in

Espiritu Santo National Park in Mexico. The
region is a no-fishing zone, which provides
them with an environment rich enough in
food, and limiting human activity benefits the
stability of their population. The only threat
that remains is that of climate change.
Camera: Nikon D850

Lens: 8-15mm f/3.5-4.5
LIGHTBOX
© Tommy Trenchard / 2023 Environmental Photography Award
Wildlife CSI
Academy
TOMMY TRENCHARD
2nd place, Change Makers: Reasons for Hope
Forensics students from the UK and the

Netherlands at a rhino poaching mock-up
in Buffelsfontein, South Africa.
Camera: Nikon D750

Lens: 24mm f/1.4
This third edition of the Environmental Photography Award saw 10,000 images entered, submitted by over 2300
photographers from across the globe. The five categories – Polar Wonders; Into the Forest; Ocean Worlds; Humanity Versus
Nature; and Change Makers: Reasons for Hope – were judged by a jury of professional photographers, and in addition a
Public Award was chosen from over 5000 public votes, and the Students’ Award was chosen by the high school students of
Monaco. A total prize fund of €11,000 was shared among the winners. For more information see: www.fpa2photoaward.org
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ips to...
100 top t
Shoot the
great outdoors
Become one with nature and your Nikon with N-Photo’s guide
to capturing the great outdoors. Supercharge your shots with
tips and tricks for landscapes, wildlife, astro and more…
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100 top tips…
Landscapes
Luck’s got almost nothing to do with it – here’s how
to capture sprawling vistas in glorious conditions
PRO ADVICE
Canvass a landscape expert, and this
is what they’re likely to tell you…
WEATHER REPORT
1 Always check the weather or tides
ahead of travelling to your location and stay
informed – not just for when the conditions
will be ideal, but for personal safety.
STAY FREE OF FAFF

2 From clean lenses and full batteries to
empty memory cards, make sure you’re ready
to go on the day, so you don’t have to faff
around and risk missing the moment.
DRESS SMART
3 Rather than looking sharp, we mean
wearing layers of outdoor clothing you can
add or remove to suit the weather conditions
to prevent getting too cold or overheating.
BE PATIENT
4 Shooting landscapes can often be a long
game, so make sure you’re provisioned for
more time in the field than you envisaged.
Image: Shutterstock
SHOOT RAW
5 Raw files allow you to use your Nikon’s
sensor to its fullest and are essential for
maximum editing latitude in post-production.
Top techniques for cracking compositions

A trinity of methods for you to employ on your next outdoor shoot
Image: Shutterstock
Image: Shutterstock
Image: Shutterstock
TRY ONE OF THE CLASSIC DON’T LET A GOOD FOREGROUND USE LEADING LINES TO
6 RULES OF COMPOSITION
7 FEATURE GO TO WASTE
8 GUIDE YOUR VIEWER’S EYE
If you’re not familiar with the rule of thirds or While it’s never a good idea to spoil the Whether they’re naturally occurring like a
golden ratio, make sure you educate yourself. foreground of an image with clutter that stream or man-made like a road, leading lines
They’re by no means the only way to compose doesn’t add anything to the composition, a are an effective way to guide viewers towards
a landscape, but they’re often a good starting complementary – and relevant – object or two your subject. For the best results, place them
point, especially if you find yourself stuck. can help guide the viewer’s eye into the image. at the base of the frame and work upwards.
LANDSCAPES
Image: Getty
TOP TIPS
FOR SUPER
SCENICS
Buena vistas every time…
MAXIMIZE MIST
13
Image: Shutterstock
Get into position early to
make the most of this moody
phenomenon as daylight breaks.
GO HYPERFOCAL
14 If your lens has no distance
CAMERA CRAFT scale, focus roughly one third of
the way into the frame for
Two essential technical tips you should always bear in mind maximum depth of field.
KEEP THE ISO LOW GO CONTRE-JOUR

9 For images that would suit a large print,
15 Shoot into the sun to vary
aim to shoot around ISO100. Any recovered the look of your captures – it will
shadow detail will look more natural. certainly produce distinctive,
high-contrast results.
READ THE HISTOGRAM
10 Histograms are more reliable than rear MAKE IT MONO
screens. If the reading touches the graph’s
16 Black and white is the go-to
left- or right-hand side, clipping has occurred. for minimalist landscapes – use
the Monochrome picture control
to preview this in Live View.
Top kit you can’t do without 17

SMOOTH MOVE
There’s so much to mention, but don’t leave the house without these… Use an ND filter to shoot a
long exposure of running water
and marvel at its beauty.
GOLDEN HOURS
18 The hour after sunrise and
the hour before sunset produce
soft, golden rays of light that will
flatter landscape scenery.
FIGURE IN A LANDSCAPE
19 Frame a person in your
scene to add a sense of scale or
INVEST IN A STURDY TRIPOD GRADUATED ND FILTERS a clear subject to compositions
11 Pick up a cheap tripod and risk stiff leg
12 ND grads tame bright skies in-camera, with no obvious focal point.
releases and drifting ball joints, so it pays to without underexposing the ground. They’re
invest in a good one. Aluminium is generally clear at the bottom, and from roughly the BLUE HOUR
cheaper and carbon-fibre is lighter, but a half-way point, get darker towards the top. On
20 Hang around after sunset to
quality tripod made of either should serve reverse ND grads, the darkest bit is near the witness the blue and violet light
you well. Just be mindful of the load capacity. middle, ideal when the sun is on the horizon. that cloaks the landscape.
100 top tips…
Wildlife
Bolster your wildlife portfolio with our top
tips from animal-loving pro photographers
SHOOT LIKE A PRO

Essential pointers to help you capture
your best photos of fauna in the field
INVEST IN GOOD GLASS

1 Wildlife is a genre where you’ll see a huge
improvement when using decent optics. So
splash out on the fastest glass you can afford
to separate subjects from backgrounds and
avoid camera shake at longer focal lengths.
YOU CAN ALWAYS HIRE A LENS

2 Can’t justify picking up premium glass
just yet? Hiring lenses can prove a more
palatable way to experience the best optics.
KEEP PRACTISING
3 The local nature reserve or even duck
pond are viable training grounds that will allow
you to hone your ability to capture tack-sharp
shots of fast-moving subjects in flight.
DO YOUR RESEARCH
4 Use online search engines to find hides,
wetlands and nature reserves close to you.
There’s a wealth of options beyond zoos.
GET AN IDENTIFICATION BOOK

5 Slip a bird, insect or general wildlife book
into your kitbag to help you identify species,
so you can label your images accurately.
Top techniques for wildlife photos

Get set up to capture fantastic animal antics with these easy-to-learn skills
FAST SHUTTER SPEEDS CONTINUOUS AUTOFOCUS STAY OUT OF SIGHT

6 For fast-moving animals, such as birds
7 Switch to AF-C to continually focus on
8 The best practice with wildlife photos
in flight, you’ll want a shutter speed of at least your subject via your active AF point or cluster is to patiently wait for subjects to enter the
1/1000 sec to stand a chance of capturing a of AF points. Nikon’s most advanced Z frame, but you’ll have more success if you use
pin-sharp shot. You can do this by shooting cameras feature deep-learning AI technology a hide. You can purchase pop-up hides, DIY
wide open and bumping your ISO up until you that’s capable of automatically locking onto one out of some old camouflage material or
have a fast enough shutter speed to work with. the eyes of particular species. visit permanent structures at nature reserves.
WILDLIFE
Image: Dan Mold

TOP TIPS
FOR ANIMAL
MAGIC
Image: Dan Mold

Expert insight to elevate
your wildlife photography
AVOID AUTO ISO
13 When photographing birds
CAMERA CRAFT in flight, the background and lighting
will change very quickly as you track
Quick tips to improve any wildlife composition subjects, making Auto ISO unreliable.
HOW LOW CAN YOU GO? KEEP YOUR KIT CLEAN

9 Getting down to your subject’s eye level
14 Regularly clean your front
will often form a stronger composition, helping lens element and take care when
to blur the foreground and background too. swapping lenses to avoid having
to remove dust spots in post.
SHOOT WIDE OPEN
10 Fast lenses with a wide aperture, like RESPECT NATURE
f/2.8, allow you to capture a shallow DoF to
15 Never spook, stress or endanger
separate your subject from the background. the animals you’re photographing.
BREAK THE RULES

16 You can get great wildlife
Top kit you can’t do without pictures with wide-angle lenses
and not just super-telephoto optics.
Essential gear for making the most of your telephoto lens
VIBRATION REDUCTION
17 Quality Nikon lenses often
have different VR modes, which are
better for handholding or panning.
GOLDEN HOUR
18 This isn’t just the magic hour
for landscapes, wildlife also looks
incredible bathed in rich, golden rays.
KEEP GOING BACK

TRY A GIMBAL HEAD USE A TELECONVERTER
19 Revisit locations to build up
11 Long lenses can end up becoming quite
12 Teleconverters provide more reach at a picture of your subjects’ habits.
heavy over the course of a day-long shoot. So more affordable prices. For example, a 2x
to take the strain off your back, while also teleconverter (or ‘doubler’) multiplies the SHOOT IN YOUR GARDEN
helping you achieve a buttery smooth panning focal length by two, so a 200mm focal length
20 Gardens are a hive of animal,
action, a gimbal head on a sturdy tripod is an effectively becomes 400mm. Be aware, this avian and insect activity throughout
excellent solution when shooting in a hide. will also reduce your aperture by two stops. the year. If you have one, use it!
100 top tips…
Astrophotography
Capture exquisite imagery in the dead of night
with our pro advice for star-studded astro photos
PRO ADVICE
Expert insight to help you take your best
astro shots with beautiful starry skies
FOCUS IN THE DARK

1 Our favourite way to focus in the dark is
to have a friend point a powerful torch at your
foreground, so you can lock on easily via AF.
DARK SKY LOCATIONS

2 Have a look online for dark sky locations
that are closest to you. These sites will give
you the best astrophotography opportunities,
thanks to their low levels of light pollution.
TURN THE NOISE DOWN

3 Enable Long Exposure Noise Reduction,
if your Nikon has it. This will create cleaner
astro images, but will cause a delay between
shots, so it’s unsuitable for star trails.
THE 500 RULE

4 Divide 500 by your focal length to work
out the max number of seconds you can shoot
to capture sharp stars. DX users must work
out the FX-equivalent focal length first.
Image: Shutterstock
FOCUS USING LIVE VIEW

5 When focusing on a bright star, to make
the starry sky pin-sharp, zoom into Live View
mode so you can refine your focus accurately.
Top techniques for astro shots

Three out-of-this-world tips for taking better photos of the night sky
SET UP ON A TRIPOD WIDE, LONG AND SENSITIVE DIM THE LIGHTS

6 A tripod is an astro essential. It will allow
7 Switch to Manual mode and open the
8 Bright lights can affect your natural night
you to accurately compose and lock off the aperture as wide as possible. Here, we set our vision, so turn down your rear LCD or EVF
framing for the long exposures needed to aperture to f/2.8, while extending the shutter brightness. We also suggest wearing a head
achieve good results in low light. Extend the speed to eight seconds and boosting the ISO torch with a red filter, which is said to impact
thickest leg sections first and hang your kit to 6400, which makes the sensor more night vision less than white light. Some Nikons,
bag off the centre column as a counterweight. sensitive to light, essential at night. like the D850, have buttons that light up.
ASTROPHOTOGRAPHY
Image: Dan Mold

TOP TIPS
FOR AMAZING
ASTRO IMAGES
Stellar advice for celestial shots
CLEAR NIGHTS
9 Check the weather to make
sure it’s going to be a clear,
cloud-free night at your location.
NEW MOON
10 The new moon phase 15 secs, f/4, ISO25,600
reflects little to no sunlight, so it’s
the perfect time for night shoots
thanks to the low light pollution. CAMERA CRAFT
SPARE BATTERIES
Get your exposure spot on with these
11 Charge your batteries and tried-and-tested celestial strategies
take plenty of spares; shooting in
cold weather drains them quicker TAKE A TEST SHOT
and temperatures drop at night.
17 Always take a test shot and amend your
settings accordingly to ensure everything is
FIGHT LENS FOG set, before committing to a long exposure.
12 You can get electric heat
bands to wrap around your lenses PAINT WITH LIGHT
to help maintain temperatures
18 If your foreground is looking very dark
and prevent condensation. and silhouetted, shine a torch over it to ‘paint’
4 secs, f/8, ISO6400
with light, or fire off your flash to illuminate it.
STAR TRAILS
13 Take a continuous stream of
30-second (or longer) exposures
for at least an hour, and merge Best kit advice
them together to create a Essential low-light kit that doesn’t cost the Earth
fantastic star-trail image.
COMPOSITES
14 Take a shot with your
foreground in focus and another
of the starry sky, and then merge
them together to create a
super-sharp astro composite.
GO REALLY WIDE!
15 An ultra-wide-angle lens is
perfect for astrophotography, as
you’ll be able to fit even more of SELECTION OF TORCHES SMARTPHONE APPS
the night sky into the frame.
19 It’s essential to have an assortment of
20 You’ve a plethora of apps at your disposal
torches when you’re working in low light. to make shooting at night easier. Some, like
TIME IT RIGHT They’re great for seeing where you’re stepping SkyView, use augmented reality so you can
16 It’s easier to shoot in winter en route to your location, for illuminating your easily identify constellations and celestial
as the nights are longer – but the foreground to balance the exposure, or for objects. Others, like PhotoPills and The
Milky Way is less visible in the UK. creative light-painting projects. Photographer’s Ephemeris, help you plan.
100 top tips…
Macro photography
Bring tiny critters to life with extraordinary detail using
macro lenses, camera hacks and close-up imagery
PRO ADVICE
Pull these expert moves to help you
get up close and personal with nature
USE A TRIPOD
1 For less-skittish subjects – like roosting
butterflies – it’s worth using a tripod to help
eliminate camera shake and make it easier to
refine focus, especially if working manually.
BOOST THE ISO

2 Don’t be afraid to boost your ISO so you
can reach shutter speeds of 1/200 sec or
faster, helping you to avoid camera shake.
HANDHOLDING
3 VR is often essential when handholding.
Brace yourself against a wall or your camera
bag to help further mitigate camera shake.
HEAD HONCHO
4 Shoot at an angle where you can frame
your subject’s head; this will create eye
contact and make for a more engaging shot.
CONTINUOUS AF
5
Image: Getty
Use continuous AF and place a single AF

point over the eye of your subject, to maintain
focus until you’re ready to take the shot.
REVERSING RINGS EXTENSION TUBES

6 A reversing ring is a lens
7 These are another
Best kit mount that screws onto a filter
thread, so you can attach the
affordable macro lens alternative.
They fit between your lens and
advice optic to your camera backwards. camera to shorten the minimum
Get fantastic This allows you to shoot close-up focusing distance. Our tubes
macro shots images without having to invest in came in three sizes: 12mm,
a dedicated macro lens. Kit lenses 20mm and 36mm. You can use
on the strictest work well, but a 35mm or 50mm one, all three or a combination to
of budgets prime will perform even better. get the perfect working distance.
Image: Getty
TOP TIPS FOR MAGNIFICENT MACRO

Learn these useful RISE EARLY STAY LOCAL
13 OR STAY UP
14 Find a nature
tips and tricks to
Insects tend to be reserve close to you
supercharge your inactive at sunrise/ that you can regularly
macro skill set and sunset, so they’re visit so you can get to
easier to shoot. And know the insects that
bag your best bug
the golden light will are there, while you
shots ever look fantastic! practise your skills.
www.digitalcameraworld.com
MACRO PHOTOGRAPHY
TOP TECHNIQUES
FOR MACRO SUBJECTS
Easy-to-overlook skills that will make
your macro journey that much easier
FOCUS PEAKING
10 Some Nikons feature Focus Peaking, a
neat visual aid that helps take the guesswork
out of focusing manually. It indicates sharp
portions of the frame via a coloured overlay in
Live View or via a Z-series camera’s EVF.
TRY USING A CLAMP

11 You can buy articulating clamps that
attach to tripods, with jaws that hold twigs and
stems to prevent them swaying in the breeze.
CAMERA CRAFT
Fieldcraft essentials to help you get frame-
filling shots of minuscule minibeasts
GET THE GOOD SIDE
8 Struggling with your macro lens’s
shallow DoF? Photograph your subject side-
on to render as much of it in focus as possible.
FILL THE FRAME ROCK THE RIGHT FOCUS

9 Make use of your macro lens’s short
12 A macro lens’s shallow DoF can make
minimum focus distance and fill the frame refining focus tricky. Try gently rocking back
with your subject. If it’s sharp and you have and forth instead of turning the focus ring, or
pixels to spare, don’t be afraid to crop in post. go a step further and try using a focusing rail.
LOW WIND RESPECT BE PATIENT NATURAL TEXTURE SHARP SHOTS

15 Plan to head
16 NATURE
17 It takes time
18 LIGHT
19 LIBRARY
20 Go narrow – like
out on clear mornings Always move slowly, to find an insect in Flash can sometimes Use your macro f/16 – to get a larger
with still wind don’t over trample an ideal position. be too harsh, so use lens to capture any DoF to work with, but
conditions to give wildflowers and avoid Alternatively, frame reflectors to interesting textures avoid noticeable
yourself the best creating loud noises the perfect spot and manipulate the you find, as these are diffraction. Or focus
chance of capturing that might scare away wait for them to move available natural brilliant for creative stack for front-to-back
sharp subjects. your subjects. into your composition. light instead. close-up composites. sharpness.
100 top tips…
Flowers & plan ts

Capture the wonders of nature in all its
glory with your Nikon and our expert advice
SHOOT LIKE A PRO

Tips to help you take better nature shots
when you’re out shooting with your camera
CAPTURE CHANGING SEASONS

1 Nature is brimming with photographic
opportunity all year round, so plan ahead to
make the most of the changing flora.
CLOSE-UP FILTERS
2 Close-up filters screw onto a filter thread
to reduce a lens’s minimum focus distance.
They’re cheap, easy to use, small and light.
Just don’t expect the best image quality.
TURN OFF STABILIZATION

3 When shooting on a tripod, turn off any
image stabilization for the sharpest shots.
OVERCAST LIGHTING
4 Clear, sunny days produce bright,
high-contrast lighting, which isn’t flattering.
Wait for overcast days or use a diffuser to
bathe your subject in soft, attractive light.
DIY BACKGROUNDS
5 Try placing a DIY backdrop behind
subjects when shooting flower portraits
Image: Getty
to provide a clean background. Have fun

experimenting with different textures and
colours that complement your subject.
Top techniques for nature shots

Three ways to work in tandem with the natural world and get the best results
Image: Dan Mold
Shutterstock
NATURE’S LEAD-IN LINES FOCUS ON FUNGI INVEST IN A MACRO LENS

6 Look for natural lines that you can use to
7 Mushrooms and fungi make for
8 A true macro lens with a reproduction
lead the eye to the focal point of your subject. fantastic subjects. You can backlight them ratio of 1:1 offers the best results. It will render
The tightly bunched-up petals of this rose with off-camera flash or LED panels, or use a your close-ups ‘life size’ – in other words, the
make brilliant leading lines that swirl around small reflector to bounce some of the available same size as if you’d laid your subject on your
the frame, directing the eye to the heart of the sunlight back onto them. An articulating LCD camera’s sensor – so you can get frame-filling
flower and creating an obvious focal point. screen will help you get low to the ground. shots of even the tiniest subjects.
FLOWERS & PLANTS
Image: Shutterstock
TOP TIPS
FOR FAB FLORA
Grab great flower shots
inside or out in your garden
USE A TRIPOD
13 A tripod doesn’t just keep
your camera steady, it keeps your
hands free to hold a reflector or
Image: Dan Mold

brush aside an obstruction.
SCREEN TIME
14 Your Nikon’s Live View
allows you to refine your
CAMERA CRAFT composition and zoom in
to check critical focus.
Carefully placed water droplets can transform
your flower portraits into something special
SLOW SHUTTER
ADD WATER DROPS
15 Convey movement –
9 Use a mister or spray bottle to coat your plants swaying in the breeze –
subject with tiny water droplets, or use a pipette by slowing your shutter speed.
to place larger drops with more precision.
FLASH CONTROL
CLEAR FOCAL POINT
16 Flash too bright? Turn
10 A single large drop of glycerin, the power down, move the unit
carefully placed with a pipette, will add a further away, diffuse it, or swap it
shimmering focal point to your flower shots. for a continuous LED light source.
BLACKOUT
17 A set of blackout curtains
Top kit you can’t do without will help to block sunlight when
Bend natural light to your will with a five-in-one reflector using studio lighting to create
floral still-life setups at home.
BUY A BUNCH
18 Not much of a gardener?
You can get great results with
an arrangement of store-bought
flowers for as little as £5/$5.
SHUTTER RELEASE
19 A remote shutter release
allows you to take an image
without pressing the shutter
BOUNCE LIGHT BACK IN SCRIMS FOR SOFT LIGHT button, to avoid camera shake.
11 Reflectors are fantastic for bouncing 12 Five-in-one reflectors usually come
light back at your subject, whether it’s natural with a translucent scrim layer that acts as a CLEAN YOUR KIT
light or flash. A five-in-one reflector comes diffuser. This can be held between your light
20 Clean your lens’s front
with gold, silver and white sides, giving you source and your subject for softer light, element and take care when
options to change the quality of the light. They diffusing direct sunlight or bare flash. This swapping lenses so your images
also come with a black side to take light away. creates flattering lighting akin to a softbox. are dust-spot free.
Paul Wilkinson FMPA FBIPP FSWPP is a multi-
award-winning international photographer and
Paul co-author of the best-selling book Mastering
Portrait Photography, and shares his skills
Wilkinson through the free companion site
MasteringPortraitPhotography.com. In this
Go Pro monthly series he shares his experiences and
stories as he talks about the trials and
tribulations of becoming a pro photographer.
Take the time to

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GO PRO – PAUL WILKINSON
As a photographer, you never
know what is coming your way;
make sure you have the tools to
deal with whatever you take on!
Photography: © Paul Wilkinson
Ingenious recipes for stunning shots
42
Lay a camera trap
Tom Mason’s expert tips for remote wildlife
shots with your Nikon and an infrared trigger
44
A fall’s errand
Use different strengths of ND filter to slow the
flow, for silky-smooth images of waterfalls
54 48
Plane sailing
The beauty of backlighting How to shoot a minimalist masterpiece, plus
Shine a light behind your subjects for a gorgeous rim-lighting effect more tips and tricks for ace aviation images
BEFORE AFTER
VIEW THE
VIDEO
50 52 Whenever you see this logo, it

means there’s a video to accompany
the tutorial, taking you through
things step-by-step. If a tutorial has
A perfect blend Explore adaptive presets accompanying project files, there will
Use our 15 free-to-download textures for Get to grips with new Adobe CC tools for be an accompanying download link too.
creative portrait blends in Affinity Photo applying localized enhancements using AI
P rojec t one: Se t up a camera trap
Lay a camera trap Expert Tip

Tom Mason has a hoot setting up a camera trap so Aperture Priority allows
the camera to change the
he can capture a wide-eyed subject with a wide lens shutter speed and
maintain exposure as the
light dims. I set -2 stops
When it comes to wildlife photography, most cameras can be a fantastic way to produce truly
exposure compensation
people immediately think of long lenses: super- unique wildlife shots. I’ve been working with
to ensure I don’t clip the
telephotos of 300mm or more used in order camera traps for half a decade now and simply
highlights. You can add
to capture close-ups of elusive subjects. It’s well love the possibilities they offer.
flash to your remote
known that these types of lenses are the bread I’ll take you behind the scenes on how
setup when working in
and butter when it comes to photographing I capture shots like the above, delving into the
low light, but this isn’t
wildlife, but they’re far from the only solution. surprisingly cheap gear I use and the technical
necessary in daylight.
With good fieldcraft, subject knowledge, tips for making these images work, so you’ll be
creativity and a bit of a DIY attitude, remote well placed to give remote photography a go.
CAMERA TRAPS
How to capture remote wildlife

1 Stake out your subject
The key to a successful camera trap
image is knowledge – gear is irrelevant if
you don’t know your subject. You’ll need to
get your binoculars to understand where it
perches/passes on a daily basis. Once
you’ve built up a picture of your subject’s
movements, you can pin down where best
to build your set-up and frame your camera.
2 Cheap and cheerful

For most of my camera traps I use
cheap secondhand DSLRs, as I’m leaving
them out in the elements. Wide-angle
lenses are best. I work from DX-format
10.5mm fisheyes to 35mm, but an
18-55mm kit lens is a great place to start.
The key thing here is that the DSLR must
have a wired remote release port.
3 Trigger happy
You need a way to trigger your
camera remotely and the answer is an
infrared sensor. I use a beam sensor
connected to my Nikon’s remote port. This
device emits a beam of light that triggers
the shutter when broken. The one shown
here is a Scout Trail Monitor from Cognisys,
designed for extensive outdoor use.
4 Framing and focus

Framing is key, since you won’t be
Camera: Nikon D3300
around to change it. Think about where you
Lens: 10.5mm f/2.8
want your subject to be and pre-focus; stop
Exposure: 20 secs, f/8, ISO200
down to f/8-f/11 to maximize the depth of
field. Enable manual focus to prevent
Above: A wide-angle field of view doesn’t refocusing or hunting when triggered.
just look good, the inherently large DoF Always trigger a selfie before you leave, to
means focusing is more forgiving. make sure everything is working!
5 Hidden in plain sight

Photography: © Tom Mason
Camera traps need to blend into the

environment so as not to unsettle the
wildlife. I build custom weather-proof boxes
that provide environmental protection and
can be spray painted to blend in with the
habitat. If I know the weather is going to be
dry, I’ll wrap the camera in camo material.
43
WATERFALLS
BEFORE
P rojec t two: Waterfalls
A fall’s errand
Don’t go chasing waterfalls
without an ND filter – Mike
Harris goes with the flow…
If you own a neutral density (ND) filter, you’ve almost
certainly photographed a waterfall. They’re often the first
image budding landscape photographers turn to when they
start to learn about long-exposure photography, and it’s not
difficult to see why. There are hundreds of waterfalls and
weirs up and down the country; fast-flowing water looks
incredible blurred and people are quite simply enamoured
with long-exposure photographs of waterfalls.
While you don’t have to travel to the Isle of Skye’s Fairy
Pools or the Brecon Beacons’ Sgwd yr Eira to capture a
great waterfall image, you do need to learn to wield your ND
VIE W THE filters like a pro. So, whether you’re thinking of dipping your
toe into blurred waters for the first time or consider yourself
a seasoned waterfall veteran, read on to find out what stop
ND filter to use, how to nail the correct exposure and why
VIDEO blending multiple images together in post can enhance
your photos further. It’s time to get your feet wet.
www.bit.ly/np154falls
1 Lock it down
You’ll need to use a tripod to avoid
2 Shake, slap & hunt
To avoid tripod camera shake, turn any
3 Camera settings
Attach your filter mount, but not the
camera shake when shooting long exposures. Vibration Reduction off and either use a remote filter – we used the NiSi V7 for 100mm filters.
Make sure you extend the thickest legs first and shutter release or Exposure Delay Mode to If you’re purchasing filters for the first time,
refrain from raising the centre column – unless avoid physically pressing the shutter button. ensure the filter system can be attached to your
absolutely necessary – for maximum stability. If The latter is a good shout if you’re using a lenses, natively or with a step-up ring. Most
your tripod is standing in water, we recommend DSLR, as it will flip up the mirror prior to firing Nikon-fit lenses will have the filter thread
leaving the legs extended until they dry out, to the shutter to prevent mirror slap. Consider etched onto the inside of the lens cap. Switch to
help prevent trapping moisture within the using back-button focus so AF is assigned to Manual mode so your settings remain constant
locking mechanisms. Wiping the legs down may the AF-ON button only. This allows you to fire when you add the ND filter and select your base
help too. We shot at 24mm. Depending on the the shutter when you’re ready, rather than ISO. Input an aperture of f/8 to f/11 and the
size of the waterfall, refrain from going too wide having to switch to manual focus to avoid shutter speed required, so your light meter
as you could diminish your subject. hunting or refocusing with an ND filter attached. is underexposed by roughly one stop.
Exposure blend
A neat trick is to combine different
exposure lengths in the same image.
Import each image into the same
Photoshop document, before selecting
Edit > Auto-Align Layers and then using
layer masks to paint various exposures
in or out at various points throughout
the waterfall. We recommend choosing
the image you’re most happy with as the
main image and then positioning the
exposure layer you want to blend on top
before hitting the ‘Add layer mask’ icon
and then holding Cmd+I to invert it. You
can then paint the layer back where
desired using a soft, white brush. Keep
tabs on the mask you’re revealing by
hitting ‘\’ to activate a red overlay.
4 Fit your filter 5 Avoid the math 6 Oh, stop it!

Select your chosen neutral density If you’re using a Z-series camera, The strength of ND filter that you use
filter, and hold the edges between your thumb ensure ‘Apply settings to live view’ is switched will depend on the speed of the running water
and forefinger to prevent fingerprints forming on in the Custom Setting Menu. The vibrant EVF and the available light, although you’re perhaps
on the glass surface. Use an air blower to and Live View screens should enable you to slow most likely to find yourself using a 3- or 6-stop
remove any loose deposits from the front and your shutter speed while ‘eyeballing’ exposures filter. That said, we always recommend trying
back of the filter – this will help to mitigate of up to 30 seconds. If you’re using a DSLR or out various strengths, so you can settle on the
scratches on the surface – and then follow up having trouble selecting the right exposure, use perfect flow of water. If you keep your framing
with a lens cloth (we used our NiSi Clever an exposure calculator app like Long Exposure consistent, you can blend multiple exposures
Cleaner). Gently slot the ND filter in the holder. Calculator (iOS/Android) to determine the right to create a more enthralling image. Our main
If there are multiple slots, select the one that’s shutter speed. You simply input the base image had a shutter speed of 8 secs, which we
closest to the lens. Finish with a final check of shutter speed from step three, along with the blended with a 1 sec exposure of the river below
the filter’s front element, to ensure it’s clean. ND filter you’re using to calculate the exposure. to add texture to the slower-moving water.
P rojec t three: Avia tion
Plane sailing
Nigel Wood explains how he
shot his stunning NPOTY
winner, along with general
aviation photography advice
This image of a de Havilland Vampire was taken at last year’s
Midlands Air Festival. The aircraft’s beautiful, silver finish
contrasts against the dark, dramatic clouds that had formed.
But what separates the plane further is a small break in the
cloud cover, allowing bright rays of light to stream through
to backlight the subject. Here’s how I captured the moment.
1 Blame it on the weatherman

While UK weather is unpredictable and changeable,
try using it to your advantage. Take the time between flights
to think about the available light, where it’s coming from and
whether the sky is clear or cloudy. This will influence your
composition and exposure settings. For example, exposing
for the highlights enhanced the mood of my image.
2 Room to zoom
Safety precautions at modern displays mean the display
line is some way back from the crowd line. This makes a super-
telephoto zoom an essential part of your kitbag. A 100-400mm
zoom range is the minimum I’d recommend, with the wider end
proving useful for display teams, but a 150-600mm lens’s
extra reach will certainly come in handy.
3 Prop blur matters

I recommend using a high shutter speed of 1/1250 sec
or higher to freeze a fast jet. But if you’re shooting a propeller-
driven aircraft, you’ll want to come down to at least 1/640 sec
so you can capture a sharp plane, but blurred propeller. Prop
blur is essential to convey movement, otherwise, a frozen
propeller looks like the plane is simply suspended in midair. Expert Tip
4 Negative space
It can be tempting to crop an image so the aircraft fills
Aviation photography is a
great way to practise the
the frame, but by leaving some negative space you can convey
exposure triangle. You
a greater sense of movement, while encouraging the viewer to
can’t modify the light
think about the aircraft leaving the frame as part of the wider
so you must learn how
display. Unless you’re making a statement, negative space
shutter speed, aperture
should be placed in the aircraft’s direction of travel.
and ISO interact with
each other to avoid
5 Don’t bin it until the edit
Always play around with your photos in your chosen
blown-out skies and
blurry aircraft, all while
editing software. If you don’t like what you’ve done, reset the
inputting the settings
edit and start again. I played with colour-gradient masks but
quick enough to keep up.
just wasn’t happy, so I reset and tried converting the image
to monochrome. Suddenly, it looked more evocative. If I had
not spent the time on this image, I might have passed it by.
AVIATION
This image wasn’t working until

Nigel converted it to mono and it
became a minimalist masterpiece.
Camera: Nikon Z 6II

Lens: 100-400mm f/4.5-6.3
BEFORE AFTER
P rojec t four: Affinity Photo
The perfect blend VIE W THE
Choose from an array of 15 free textures and learn VIDEO
how to enhance your portraits with James Paterson www.bit.ly/np154blend
Affinity Photo offers all kinds of tools for create four levels from white to black. textures for you to experiment with. There’s
blending images together, from layer From here we can select the four areas of an array of colourful soap bubble images,
blending modes to masking and more. In brightness using the Magic Wand tool and rusty old trays and close-up details.
this project we’ll take advantage of clipping, create separate layers for each. Then the Not only are textures like this useful
which allows us to position one layer inside fun begins, as we can simply copy in for this effect, they’re also a fun way to get
the shape of another. This way, we can different textures and colourful abstract creative with image blending for all sorts of
break down our portrait into several simple images, then drag them on top of each layer interesting results. Try copying a texture
shades of grey then clip textures to each. so that the texture is confined to the shape on top of any photo then simply go to the
We begin by using the Posterize effect, of the layer. Effectively, it lets us fill in each Layers panel and experiment with the layer
which allows us to simplify the image into area of brightness with an image of our blend modes. The Overlay, Multiply
just a few shades of grey. We’ve chosen to choice. We’ve supplied a set of 15 free and Screen modes often work well.
AFFINITY PHOTO
1 Posterize the portrait

Open the image into Affinity
2 Select the whites
Press Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+Alt+E to
3 Make layers for each
Double-click the layer name and
Photo. Go to the Layers panel, click the merge a copy of all the layers. Set Magic rename it ‘Whites’. Hit Cmd/Ctrl+D to
Adjustment icon and choose Black and Wand Tolerance 20% and uncheck deselect then highlight the merged layer
White. Tweak sliders to control the mono Contiguous in the tool options. Click on below. Use the Magic Wand to select
conversion. Next, click Adjustment again the whites to select them. Click the Refine the next brightest range of tones. Make
and choose Posterize. Set the Levels button and set Smooth to 5px. Apply, then separate layers for each, renaming them
to 4 to create four levels of brightness. hit Cmd/Ctrl+J to copy to a new layer. ‘Highlights’, ‘Midtones’ and ‘Shadows’.
4 Remove the
background
We need to remove the background from
the effect. Highlight the bottom layer,
grab the Selection Brush, click ‘Snap to
Edges’ in the options and paint over the
background to select it. Click on the top
layer and hit Delete, then repeat for the
four layers below.
Expert Tip
The Magic Wand tool quickly
selects areas of similar
pixels. The Tolerance slider
picks the range of similar
pixels the tool will seek out;
a low tolerance means it will
5 Add a texture
Open up a texture image, hit Cmd/
only search for the exact
same shade of colour, while
Ctrl+C to copy then go to the portrait and
hit Cmd/Ctrl+V to paste. Drag the layer on
6 Finish it off
Experiment by moving the layer around
a high tolerance expands the
range. The other key setting
top of one of the layer names – ‘Whites’, with the Move tool to find the best position, or
is Contiguous. With this
‘Highlights’, ‘Midtones’ and ‘Shadows’. use the bounding box to resize it. Copy in more
checked you can confine
This will clip the texture to the layer so that textures and drag onto the other layers to build
the search to pixels
the shape of the layer confines the texture. it up. You can lighten or darken the textures
connected to one another.
with Curves (Cmd/Ctrl+M) to fine-tune tones.
VIE W THE
VIDEO
www.bit.ly/np154ai
BEFORE
AFTER
P rojec t five: Adobe CC
Explore Adobe’s
adaptive presets
Get to grips with this new functionality in
Lightroom and Photoshop’s Camera Raw Preset basics
The latest updates to Adobe tailored tonal effects to the area. Presets let you apply tonal effects
Lightroom and Photoshop include Additionally, a new control lets us to your photos with a single click.
an exciting new approach to using fine-tune a preset’s strength and You can use them in both Lightroom CC
presets. By building artificial new premium preset sets offer (shown here) and Lightroom Classic, and
intelligence into presets, Adobe a host of effects that are tailored in Photoshop’s Camera Raw. As well as
has now taken things a step further. towards dealing with different making use of the inbuilt presets, you
Available in Adobe Camera Raw, subject matter. can find thousands of sets online. What’s
Lightroom CC and Lightroom Classic With these improvements, Adobe more, you can create your own custom
(v11.4), the new adaptive presets are continues the trend in implementing presets. After making a tonal effect,
powered by machine learning. They AI into its photo applications. Aided click the plus icon in the Presets panel
function in a similar way to normal by machine learning, complex edits in Lightroom (or the new Presets icon in
presets, but rather than altering the are gradually getting easier and Camera Raw). Choose the tools/settings
entire image, they zero in on either quicker, which is great news all you’d like to include and hit Save.
the subject or sky, before applying round for Nikon enthusiasts.
ADOBE CC
1 Adaptive presets
Adaptive presets work by employing
2 Preset Strength slider
The new Preset Strength slider gives
3 Masks panel
After adding an adaptive preset to
AI to isolate either the sky or subject before you control over preset effects by allowing boost your subject or sky, you can delve into
adding tonal settings to boost the selected you to change the strength of the tonal the Mask panel to adjust aspects of the
area. You can make powerful selective change. If you think an effect is too strong, image. Masks will have been generated for
adjustments to parts of your photo with a lower the slider to tone it down. It works with your presets. You can add or subtract from
couple of clicks. Here, the ‘Blue Drama’ both normal universal presets and the new the initial AI mask with the brush. You can
preset isolates the sky and pulls out some range of adaptive presets. Here, it enables also tweak the tonal sliders to adjust the
of the delicate cloud detail, while the us to increase the strength of the Warm Pop effect. Here, the sky adjustment has
‘Warm Pop’ preset identifies the bronze preset. Like all sliders, the function can be also amplified the noise, so we have
car and boosts the colour and contrast. reset simply with a double-click. added a touch of noise reduction.
4
2
5
4 Create custom
adaptive presets 5 Use premium presets
Premium presets are included in the
6 Video presets
Another new feature in CC is the
You can now sync AI masks from one photo paid version of Lightroom/Photoshop. option to edit video using Lightroom’s
to others, so you can sync local edits to your The latest updates include five premium tonal tools, as well as trim the start and
subject across a set of photos. You can also sets: Portraits: Black & White; Portraits: end of video clips. It’s only possible in
use AI masks in presets you create yourself, Edgy; Portraits: Group; Subject: Concerts; Lightroom CC, but if you’re a Classic user
so you can effectively make your own and Video: Creative. These features are there’s a workaround to apply presets and
custom adaptive presets to alter the created by pro photographers and editing tonal changes by using the Quick Develop
subject or sky in any way you choose. experts, so they’re great for learning panel in the Library module. There’s a new
Here, we have created a preset to about the tools and techniques used set of premium presets for toning video
include a touch of warmth to the sky. by pros to enhance the final image. clips – you can apply these to stills, too.
P rojec t six: The big projec t
The beauty of
backlighting
Some may think it’s as simple
as lighting the subject from
behind – but there’s more to
using glorious backlighting in
portraits, says James Paterson
Place a light behind a person and to one side – or two lights
either side – and the light glances off the edge of the subject
in the most wonderful way. This is one of the simplest yet
most powerful lighting skills you can learn. Get to grips with
backlighting, and you can craft sensational portraits.
We’ve used a set of lights from a home studio kit here,
each fitted with a softbox. But you don’t necessarily need to
go and buy a whole load of new kit. Any light source can be
used for backlighting. A Speedlight and a cheap white
umbrella will give amazing results, but even a household
lamp can be used to great effect.
Then, of course, there’s the sun. When it’s low in the sky,
it can create lovely warm backlighting if you position your
subject with the setting sun behind them.
Backlighting is ideal for side-on poses, because it
highlights the edge of the body. As such, it’s perfect for a
pregnant subject like Kelli here, highlighting her beautiful
bump and glancing off the edge of her face in profile. It’s
also ideal when you want your subject to stand out from
their surroundings, or to give them a heroic, cinematic feel. VIE W THE
(Backlighting is used all the time in movies and TV.)
Over the next few pages, we’ll look at how to shoot and
edit quality portraits like this. From exposure settings to
light placement, you’ll learn the best way to backlight your VIDEO
subjects for beautiful low-key photos.
www.bit.ly/np154backlight
BACKLIGHTING
A soft backlight is a simple but

effective way to generate mood
and atmosphere in your shot.
Get set up for backlit portraits LEARN HOW TO USE A HOME
STUDIO KIT FOR STUNNING RESULTS
1 Light source
The key piece of kit for backlighting is
2 Dark backdrop
A dark, uncluttered backdrop will help
3 Camera settings
Here’s a good stock setting for a studio
a movable light source, ideally with a light stand. to focus attention on your subject, and will flash setup like this. Set your camera to Manual
We’ve used an Elinchrom home studio head contrast with the edge highlight created by the exposure mode with ISO100. Set the shutter
here: a mains-powered light like this is perfect backlighting. We’ve used a roll of vinyl that is speed to 1/200 sec and the aperture to f/8.
for a home studio setup. The lights can be white on one side and dark grey on the other, Take a test shot, then either increase or
triggered either with a wireless trigger or but a plain wall or a blanket strung up will work decrease the power of the light source, or
optically after detecting another flash. just as well. open or close your aperture until it looks right.
6 4
5
4 Rear light
The positioning of the rear light is
5 Posing
Posing your subject is vital. You don’t
6 Bracket exposures
Here, a fill light is positioned to the left
crucial. We want to lift the edge of the body, and want them to be looking at the camera, because side of the subject to lift the shadows in the
we usually want to leave the front of the subject their face will be in deep shade unless you have face. It’s set at a lower power than the light used
in shade. There’s no right or wrong. Start by a fill light to lift the shadows. Better to have to backlight the subject on the right. You can
placing the light source just behind the subject them looking off to the side, or with eyes down. see that it lifts the hair and the subject’s left
to one side, angled towards the camera, then This creates more of a thoughtful pose that’s shoulder. If you prefer to keep things dark
experiment by moving it forwards or back. perfect for our pregnant subject here. and moody, though, stick to a single light.
BACKLIGHTING
Top tips for backlighting

1 Hard light vs softbox
In general for portraiture, it’s better to use a
large light source, like a softbox, rather than a small
light source, like a bare flash. Look at the difference
here between the bare flash used in this image and the
softbox lighting in tip 3. The larger the light source is,
the gentler the shadows become, making it much
more flattering. You want a soft, diffuse light source.
2 Setting flash power

Once you have your camera
3 Get the light in close
You’ll often get the best results if
4 Work the angles
A slight change in the position of
settings locked in, don’t change them – you bring your backlight in close to the the light can have a big impact. Look at
instead, alter the power of the lights subject: this makes the light larger in the difference here: on the left, the light
to suit your exposure. With one light, relation to the subject, and causes the is more side-on; while on the right, it’s
work out the power and position for it light to wrap around them. It also means moved a metre back, resulting in more
by taking test shots, then add a second less light will spill onto the backdrop. You moody light. The further back the light
light and build it up from there. can remove the light itself in Photoshop. is, the thinner the edge highlight will be.
5 Open the aperture

Backlighting can also be used to
create a bright, airy feel in this shot of Kelli
6 Build the lighting
If you want to add in a second light,
and her partner. We’ve not done anything you can create edge lighting that wraps all
different with our lighting setup here: it’s the way around the subject, or subjects.
exactly the same as the dark shots. All Here we positioned a second backlight
we’ve done is widen the aperture to f/3.2, behind and to the left (you can see them
which blows out the backdrop and creates in the edges of the frame). Now we have
overexposed edges around the subjects. an edge light for each face in profile.
Edit your backlit portrait SIMPLE TIPS AND TRICKS FOR
TIDYING AND ENHANCING YOUR PHOTOS
1 Convert to mono
Backlighting creates a wonderful sense
2 Fix stray hairs
Backlighting shows up distracting
3 Try light leaks
Backlighting can lend portraits a
of mood and depth, which often goes hand in stray hairs around the edge of the head. dreamy, thoughtful mood that can sometimes
hand with a black-and-white treatment. Colour There’s no quick fix for this in Photoshop: you be enhanced with simple post-processing
can be a distraction, and you can emphasize simply have to get stuck in with the Healing tricks, like adding a light leak. We’ve used the
the subject and expression by removing it. tools to remove unwanted hairs. The new Nik Collection, a fantastic plugin for Photoshop.
The Black & White panel in Camera Raw and Remove tool is great for getting rid of larger It includes Analog Efex Pro, which offers all
Lightroom is the ideal place to convert to mono. objects like lights, or for extending a backdrop. sorts of retro effects and an array of light leaks.
Experiment with gels

COLOURED GELS CAN TAKE YOUR BACKLIGHTING AND EDGE LIGHTING TO THE NEXT LEVEL
Why not try fitting coloured

gels over your light sources?
A simple shift in colour can
create an entirely new mood.
Here we fitted our backlight
with an orange gel, and our
frontal fill light with a blue
gel. Complementary colours
like this can work well
together, so pick colours
that sit opposite one another
on a colour wheel.
The fun thing about using
orange and blue is that we
can also get creative with
our white balance to make
the image cooler or warmer,
so the balance shifts
towards vibrant oranges or
blues. We adjusted the white
balance so that the blue gel
has a minimal cast, which
makes the warm light from
behind even more vibrant.
As well as tinting the light
sources that illuminate your
subject, you can also colour
the background by directing
another gelled light on it.
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THE N-PHOTO INTERVIEW
From Royal Ascot to Lady Gaga,

Buckingham Palace to Glastonbury,
you’re likely to find Samir Hussein
taking the official pictures. A day
after photographing King Charles,
he made time for an exclusive
All images: Samir Hussein
audience with Keith Wilson in

this month’s N-Photo interview...
60
SAMIR HUSSEIN
Samir
Hussein
Profile
● Samir Hussein is one of the
world’s most widely published
royal photographers. He regularly
travels abroad with the Prince and
Princess of Wales.
● His images have been published
on the covers of top international
titles, including Vanity Fair and
Paris Match, as well as gracing
royal stamps and coins.
● Samir has shot for some of the
world’s biggest music artists while
on tour, including Taylor Swift, Adele
and Lady Gaga.
● Represented by Getty Images, Samir’s
client list includes Soho House, MTV,
IWC, Vogue, Ralph & Russo, Mouton
Cadet and Freuds.
● Samir’s numerous awards include
Arts and Entertainment Photographer
of the Year on three occasions at
the prestigious Picture Editors
Awards, and Royal Photographer
of the Year in 2021.
www.samirhussein.com
Instagram: @samhussein1
61
ooking at Samir I’m always thinking about the next Previous page:
Hussein on my picture, the next job. Thankfully, Taylor Swift
performs live at
screen as we there are periods during the year
Wembley Stadium,
speak via when it does get a bit quiet. August 22 June 2018, as
Zoom, I’m is one of them, when the royals go part of her 53-date
struck by away and there’s not many jobs, Reputation tour.
how relaxed so I tend to take August off; and
Below: This playful
he looks. the same for the second half of portrait of Queen
He’s casually December and January. Outside of Elizabeth II was
dressed in a those periods, it’s full-on, with events used as a
plain T-shirt and and shoots throughout the year. I am promotional photo
for the Oxford
leaning back in his quite fortunate I’m freelance, and
Films documentary
chair as we talk about I can still choose when I work and Queen of the
summer (it’s raining outside) and spend time with the family. World, broadcast
forthcoming holidays. in 2018.
It’s such a contrast to his profile How do you pick engagements? Right: Lady Gaga
photo on his website, which shows Are official duties with the royal makes a dramatic
the royal photographer in black tie family always scheduled a long entrance to the UK
and designer sunglasses on the time ahead? premiere of House
of Gucci, at the
Cannes Film Festival red carpet, Well, it is to some degree, in that you
Odeon Luxe,
looking just like one of the A-listers have the big royal events the same Leicester Square,
he normally photographs for a living. time every year; let’s say Royal November 2021.
When I look back at the man on the Ascot, Trooping the Colour.
screen, I am reminded that this is The same goes for showbiz stuff
what Samir looks like on those rare like the Cannes Film Festival or
occasions when he can get some
downtime from photographing the
great and the good. The day before,
Samir was at Sandringham
You probably know

photographing the King. I bet he
wasn’t dressed then like he is now!
about a big royal tour
about a month in
As a royal and entertainment
photographer, do you ever get
a chance to switch off?
It’s difficult to switch off because I’m
advance, sometimes
so passionate about photography. two months
Glastonbury, the BRIT awards, the

BAFTAs; so you have those in your
diary, but there are some things
that come up very last-minute.
What about royal tours?

You probably know about a big royal
tour about a month in advance,
sometimes two months. But you
probably won’t know the specific
details of it – how long you’re going
to be away, what dates, and what
that will involve – until a month
before, sometimes less than that.
Which of the big events do

you most look forward to?
Something like Trooping the Colour
is always a great event to shoot. You
know you’re going to get all the royals
SAMIR HUSSEIN
there, including the kids. You can

shoot them coming down in the
carriages, you get them on the
HARRY & MEGHAN’S RAIN CHECK
balcony, you usually get SAMIR HUSSEIN’S 2020 IMAGE OF MEGHAN AND
spontaneous moments from the HARRY WALKING THROUGH THE RAIN WENT VIRAL,
kids, and you have all the pomp and AND HAS BEEN DESCRIBED AS ONE OF THE MOST
grandeur that the royals bring. I like ICONIC ROYAL PHOTOS EVER TAKEN...
variety too: I like going from that to
shooting something like Glastonbury,
which is completely different. The weather was not ideal, with rain and lightning,
so how did you react in time to get this shot?
That’s quite a contrast: Trooping It was one of their last engagements as working royals. It was
the Colour and Glastonbury! And pouring with rain and it was at night, so I had to use flash. There
they happen within a week or so was so much that could go wrong. When they got out of the car,
of each other? I saw a light in the background – I think it might have been a TV
This year it was Trooping the Colour camera crew – which acted as a strong backlight. I moved a few
then straight into Royal Ascot. inches, just enough to position the lighting so it created this
Normally they don’t clash, but this halo effect. It’s one of those moments where you react to what’s
year Royal Ascot clashed in the same in front of you and everything comes together.
week as Glastonbury, so from
shooting Royal Ascot in my suit, Taylor Swift, the pictures are always Below: Charles III
I drove straight to Glastonbury. amazing; Madonna, Lady Gaga. waves to the crowd
from the balcony
That was a huge contrast, but Those are the ones that every time
of Buckingham
I love the variety of

things like that happen quite a lot. you photograph, they give you Palace after his
A couple of weeks ago, I was something else, they’re going to coronation in May.
shooting Prince William playing polo.
As soon as it ended, I had to drive to
produce something spectacular;
so I get really excited when I get to
Right: The Duke VKRRWLQJKLJKSURȩOH
shoot Bruce Springsteen in Hyde shoot them.
and Duchess of
Cambridge (now SHRSOHLQGLȨHUHQW
Park, a mad dash across London the Prince and
Princess of Wales) scenarios: it keeps
you on your toes
with just five minutes to spare! Is there a celebrity who you
share a moment
always enjoy photographing?
together at 2017’s
Variety is the spice of life, is it not? I don’t know that I could say that Royal Ascot.
I love it. I love the variety of shooting I have a favourite, but the Princess
high-profile people in different of Wales is the person I have Below right: On a well-planned and quite formal, so
tour of Bhutan in
scenarios: it keeps you on your toes. photographed the most, without when the children are around, it adds
2016, Kate has a fit
I think it makes you a better a doubt. I’ve been photographing of giggles after her that spontaneity to things you don’t
photographer when you have to her for so long, and travelled all over attempt at archery, normally get. At the end of the day,
adapt to these different situations. the world with her and in so many the country’s they’re still children, royal or not, so
Live music is very different to different scenarios, whether it be national sport. there are going to be times when
shooting the royals. engagements, the wedding, or all Below far right: they play up, there are going to be
around the world, from small places A four-year-old times when they don’t play ball; but
Speaking of music, are there in the Pacific to up a mountain in Princess Charlotte I think that’s great to see, and I think
greets the Cowes
favourite artists you always Bhutan. They are the sort of pictures people love seeing that side of it.
Week crowd before
look out for? I hold most dear to me, and because the presentation
It’s funny, but some of the music of the access I’ve had and the ceremony for the Kate has developed a reputation
I like, which might be just a guy with library of pictures, she’s my most King’s Cup, 2016. as a photographer herself. Has she
a guitar, doesn’t always make for the photographed; so I guess that’s received any coaching from you?
best pictures. I now do the big arenas someone that’s important to me. Not coaching as such, but I’ve
and all the top stadium gigs, so the definitely had a chat with her about
artists that spring to mind are Yes, and with that comes the photography. There was one time
Florence and the Machine – I always photos of the children. They say in Bhutan where she walked up the
find her amazing to photograph you shouldn’t work with children: mountain and she took her camera
because of the way she moves is that also true of royal children? to take some pictures. When I do
around on stage and dresses. I really love photographing the have the opportunity, usually on tour,
Stormzy is another one I’ve children, because it’s so different. to have a drink and a chat with her,
photographed a number of times; With the royals, it’s usually very that’s where we can have some nice
common ground and we can talk
about photography.
She’s improved a lot: I can really
see a difference in her pictures from
when she released her first-time
pictures of family. They’re really
good, so you can see that she’s keen
and she’s been photographing a lot.
Could she have a second career?

Yeah! She could do.
How old were you when you

started taking the idea of being
a photographer seriously?
My father (Anwar Hussein) was
a photographer. He used to
photograph Princess Diana back in
the day, and showbiz going back
to the 1960s, so I was brought up
surrounded by photography. But
it wasn’t something I wanted to do
growing up. It’s not something that
my dad pushed me towards in
any sort of way. If anything, he
discouraged me. I was more
interested in journalism, and
that’s what I did at university.
www.digitalcameraworld.com
Where and when was that? the Nikon system. I’ve always loved Above: A family in a lot for the royals, because we aren’t
It was in Southampton; I graduated their stuff, particularly their lenses. mourning: Prince always able to get too close to them.
George, Queen
in 2000. I did a degree in journalism, But the lens I love is the Z 400mm
Camilla and the
and in one of the modules we had Do you have a favourite lens? Princess of Wales f/2.8, which is absolutely amazing.
the opportunity of doing some It’s different lenses for different arrive at the I’ve been using that for the past
photography. We were shooting and scenarios. I love their prime lenses, funeral of Queen six months. It’s got the built-in
developing film, and I really loved it; the new Z 85mm f/1.2. It’s amazing Elizabeth II, teleconverter that gives it a longer
September 2022.
so that’s what piqued my interest. for portraits. For red-carpet events, focal length, so that’s a fantastic lens
The lecturer at the time was very I love the 200mm f/2: it gives for shooting portraits from a
encouraging. He said, “Actually, beautiful pictures, and it’s one I use distance. I have pretty much every
you’ve got a great eye,” and that was focal length up to 600mm, because
the first time when I started thinking, I’m shooting at all sorts of distances,
“This is something I really do enjoy.” depending on the job and the access.
Pick someone who’s

Has it always been Nikon for you? When you go on tour with the
It has, actually. When I first started royals, do you pack everything?
taking pictures, I managed to buy at the top of their You have to because they have the
game, and try to get

one of my dad’s old cameras off him, pool system, so the photographers
and he was always Nikon. So, from take it in turns. If, say, you’re indoors
the very beginning I started with
to their standard. and they’re meeting someone and
That’s what I did

Nikon, and built up numerous lenses there’s not much room, only one or
over the years. You get entrenched in two photographers are allowed. In
SAMIR HUSSEIN
obviously, would be when the Queen

REMEMBERING TONY died. From the moment it was
announced in September 2022…
LEGENDARY CROONER TONY It was actually at the time of my
BENNETT PASSED AWAY THIS YEAR. SAMIR wife’s birthday. The kids were coming
RECALLS HOW HE WAITED FOR THE RIGHT home from school and we were going
MOMENT TO MAKE HIS STYLISH PORTRAIT… to have a party with them. Then the
news started breaking that the
Queen was very ill, and it became
It could have been a typical formal portrait of a evident she wasn’t going to make
big-name artist, but how did you approach a shoot it, so I went to Buckingham Palace.
like this to get something that stands out? I was there when the flag was
lowered, and the scenes will always
For me, lighting is the most important aspect of stick in my mind. There was silence
photography. One of the things I’ve learned is how to all around Buckingham Palace for
use the best lighting in any scenario. I don’t think you at least five minutes before people
can go in too premeditated. I like my photography to be started breaking out into ‘God Save
about spontaneous moments that show a bit of the Queen’. It was surreal to be
humanity. With Tony Bennett, it was at the Royal Albert capturing those moments.
Hall, where he was doing a gig, and they had some stage
lights set up. I didn’t have long, but he just put his hand Historic moments…
on his chest and looked up at the light. It captured that Just a few minutes before that,
little bit of emotion, rather than just that standard there was a rainbow just above
picture of somebody looking around before the show. Buckingham Palace, so I got some
shots of that. That whole evening
It’s that split-second I was there photographing the
where he drops his reaction, and it didn’t stop after that.
self-awareness? I went straight up to Scotland to get
Exactly, and that’s the coffin leaving Balmoral and then
what I’m always covering everything in Edinburgh,
trying to look for. I then arriving back at Buckingham
speak about light, but Palace; and in between you had King
I think another skill Charles and Camilla coming to
set is knowing when Buckingham Palace to look at all the
that moment is going flowers, William and Kate in Windsor.
to come, knowing I had a black suit on the whole time
when to anticipate because I was going to so many royal
that, and be ready engagements. That whole two weeks
to capture it. was non-stop, and I didn’t have
much time to take it in. It was hugely
historical, and it will stay in my mind.
that case you pool those pictures, I shoot everything in colour. When
so you might need a 24-70mm or I go into post-production, when I’m Any advice for someone who
a 70-200mm. Or you could be a long doing my editing process, there are wants to follow in your footsteps?
way away and shoot on a long lens to certain images when something You cannot beat going out there and
do some portraits. So you bring a lot goes in my head: “Black and white; shooting. It’s fine if you want to go to
of equipment with you. that will work in black and white.” university to study photography, but
Even yesterday, I was taking pictures nothing can beat going out there and
I suppose switching to the Z series of King Charles on a big set in shooting and learning the hard way.
has helped in terms of the weight? Sandringham, and as I was going Get a mentor, or get to know
Yes, definitely. I use the Z 9, which is through the images, I thought, “Ah, people in the industry you want
fairly bulky compared to some of the let me see that in black and white.” to work with, whatever type of
mirrorless cameras, but they are I don’t do it for the sake of it. photography you want to do, and
lighter. What has been a big help is It’s because of the tones, the speak to them about what it takes.
the longer lenses are much lighter; atmosphere of the picture, and it Pick someone who’s at the top of
you can handhold them easily, so can give a classic, timeless look. their game, and try to get to their
I don’t have to use a monopod. I think it works more for slightly standard. That’s what I did.
I can be a lot more mobile with older characters, often more for That’s how you make mistakes,
them. That has definitely helped. men than for women. that’s how you learn. By doing that,
you develop your own style and
You create both colour and mono What has been your most learn what you really want to shoot.
portraits, so where do you stand memorable moment? You can only do that by shooting
on black-and-white imagery? Something that springs to mind, lots, and learning from the best.
ON ASSIGNMENT
$ȨQHERG\RIZRUN
reflecting upon. It was an exciting day,
finding a unique location that could have
been made for my style of work.
With such an overwhelming location, the
main challenge was to isolate compositions
that told a story and had some underlying
Fine art photographer Ray Spence combines meaning that went beyond pure recording.
his fascination with mannequins and infrared Technically, being able to recognize how
infrared translates colours and tones
imagery for an upcoming exhibition comes with experience but – unlike my days
of infrared film photography – the ability to
see the images on the digital camera back
and check the histogram makes life so
first photographed shop window which refurbishes and hires them out for much easier.
mannequins in Athens in the film, photography and events. For the Responding to Light exhibition at
1970s and have always had I approached the shoot with an open MAKE Southwest, I had the images printed
a fascination with them. mind, but it was one of those situations onto 70x50cm acrylic using Permajet’s
I have several in my house where the possibilities were endless. PermaLux. For me, the way images are
and garden, and I have I looked for scenarios that could be presented is so important, and these
forever been interested in translated to some of the events happening materials are ideal for this subject matter.
the way we use mannequins now and in the past in our society.
and dolls, aimed not just at Ray Spence is exhibiting in Responding
displaying clothes or childhood An infrared convert to Light – a group show of seven leading
play, but sometimes in a far These were the result of a single day’s photographers celebrating the diversity
more sinister context. shoot over about four hours. I had of modern photography as a medium
This Mannakin series is a small part of the upgraded to a Nikon D810, and so this was that straddles fine art and craft. The
work done and will eventually find its way a great opportunity to make use of my D700 exhibition runs from 16 September to
into a larger exhibition and book. It is surreal by having it converted to infrared. I used it 4 November at MAKE Southwest,
but has a direct reference to many aspects along with a Nikon AF-S 24-120mm lens. Bovey Tracey, Devon, and entry is free.
of society and the issues facing us. The use I like to work with the minimum of See: www.makesouthwest.org.uk
of mannequins to reflect the human equipment, so the use of a single body and
condition is a recurring theme in my work. lens allowed me to concentrate totally on
I often work collaboratively with my friend the subject matter. Most shots were
and photographer Clare Acford. We tend to handheld, but there are also a number of
work with mannequins, particularly in interior shots that required the use of my I approached the shoot with
an open mind, but it was one
conjunction with the human figure, to trusty 40-year-old Benbo tripod.
produce a visual narrative. She is great at The subject matter and location was
searching out unusual locations and it was rather surreal, so the use of infrared was the
of those situations where the
possibilities were endless
Clare who found this location. It was a ideal way of translating this surreal feeling.
mannequin repository in Lincolnshire, It has led to a body of work that I am still
RAY SPENCE
2 4
5 [1] An image of chaos

and discarded bodies of
all ages, gender and colour.
[2] Even in such dire

circumstances, there is love
and affection to be found.
[3] Ranks of identical

figures that have lost all
sense of identity.
[4] Figures standing defiantly

at the border fence. Are they
trying to get in or keep us out?
[5] The discarded pile of limbs

is reminiscent of the horrific
images from World War II
concentration camps.
Images: © Ray Spence
The only camera manual you’ll ever need...
70 Nikon Academy Your Nikon’s 74 Ask Matthew Nikon niggles
battery does more than you think… nullified by our resident tech-head
NIKON KNOW-HOW
Power to the people!

Despite all its fancy features and sophisticated imaging technologies, your
Nikon is nothing more than an expensive doorstop without a simple battery…
We take it for granted, but you
simply can’t take pictures with WHERE DOES YOUR BATTERY POWER GO?
digital cameras without a
It’s surprising how many parts of
battery. And while some your camera rely on the battery 5 FIRING THE SHUTTER
old-fashioned film cameras can in order to produce images The camera’s focal plane shutter
use human mechanical power mechanism is powered by the battery.
to cock the shutter, lift the 1 FOCUSING
mirror and wind on the film, all Your lenses’ autofocus systems 6 RAISING THE MIRROR
use motors driven by the battery On a DSLR, a motor flips up the mirror that
digital cameras have so many in the camera body. directs the light path to the viewfinder,
electronic components that
exposing the image on the sensor.
they become little more than a 2 STABILIZING 1
paperweight when they run out Both IBIS and lens-based VR stabilize 7 SHOWING STATUS
of electricity to run on. the image using gyroscopic sensors The status display on the top panel of some
Although the rechargeable
and motors driven by the camera. 2 models consumes less power
lithium-ion pack that you get than the rear LCD, but still
3 IMAGE PROCESSING relies on the battery.
with your Nikon lasts for Inside all Nikons is a mini-computer, 9 8
hundreds of shots before it a processing engine for turning 8 BACKLIGHTING
needs to be topped up from the light values into digital data. 3 5 The status panel backlight
mains, it is put under a fair bit of and light-up buttons use
4 DISPLAYING 6 small lamps, for visibility
strain. Powering the LCDs, The rear LCD display – and
processors and circuitry is one EVF in mirrorless cameras 7 in the dark.
thing, but the cells also provide – consume a considerable 9 FLASH LIGHTING
power for a number of high- amount of power, and not The pop-up flash on some
drain motors, as your camera is just in Live View but for models uses the camera
menu display and info screens.
still a very mechanical machine. 4 battery as its power source.
The shutter, image stabilization,
lens focusing and mirror (in CHEMISTRY LESSON voltage produced by the battery – a process that reverses the
DSLRs) are all powered from So what goes on inside that vital drops off as it is used. Once it chemical process, so that the
this one battery. grey block? It’s important to reaches the cut-off limit set by ions in the battery are ready to
If your Nikon has a pop-up realize that all batteries, the camera, the battery power your camera once again.
flash, this drains a significant including the lithium-ion packs indicator starts flashing and Although we might think of
amount of power from the cells used in Nikon cameras, create the shutter button and LCDs rechargeable batteries as a
to fill the high-voltage capacitor electricity through a controlled soon stop working. A rise in renewable energy source with
needed to provide the charge chemical reaction. Temperature temperature (putting the a low running cost, they do not
that creates its spark of light. affects this reaction; use your battery in your pocket) can last for ever. Typically, you can
A flash-lit picture takes almost pack on a cold day and it will not bring the pack back to life for expect your battery pack to last
twice the power of a flash-free allow you to take as many shots a shot or two, but ultimately for around 500 charge cycles
image to create. as on a warm afternoon. The the cells will need recharging before it will need to be
NIKON KNOW-HOW
CAMERA CONTROLS
Inside a Nikon battery

Take a look inside one of Nikon’s lithium-ion batteries – it’s rather sophisticated
For something so vital, your Nikon’s battery is SIZE MATTERS
a wonderfully compact component. If you’ve Different Nikons use different
ever wanted to look inside one, we definitely batteries – an important factor
don’t recommend pulling a real battery apart, to consider when it comes to
so we’ve uncovered its secrets here for you… upgrading. (See the battery
type and life data in our
TWIN CELLS table on page 73).
Your Nikon’s battery
contains not one cell but
two, each with a nominal HEAT VENT
output of 3.7 volts and Each individual cell
giving a combined has its own heat vent
output of 7.4 volts. and terminals, and
they are linked
together in series
ON-BOARD to create a
COMPUTER connecting circuit.
Hidden inside your
rechargeable battery LAYERS
pack is a circuit board that The battery is made
helps regulate the output up of alternating
of the battery and ensures layers of two
correct charging. It also chemicals, between
has safety features, such which the reaction
as a heat sensor, built in. occurs. Each of these
layers is separated by
a micro-perforated
plastic so they don’t
touch, but through
MAKING CONTACT which the ions can
These areas make contact pass freely.
with the terminals inside the
camera’s battery compartment CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
and the battery charger. These The anode chemical is normally graphite,
need to be kept clean and should and the cathode material is most often
be kept away from metal objects lithium cobalt oxide. An electrolyte material
to avoid a short circuit. is also added to aid electrical flow.
ON THE BUTTON
&ORFNLQJRȨ"
Your Nikon has a clock battery. Here’s what to do when the ‘clock’ display flashes
1 2 3 4
Don’t let it run down Time zone and date Set your time zone Date and time
The clock battery recharges To reset the clock, use the ‘Time Check the Time Zone setting, Setting the correct date is most
from the main battery and can zone and date’ option in the and make sure you pick the important, since this will ensure
last several months. It’s fine to Setup menu. It’s important to right home location. If your your software can sort your
remove the main battery for set this correctly because this camera has forgotten the time images chronologically. The
charging, but don’t leave it out information is embedded in the and date, it will have forgotten time setting is less important
or you’ll need to reset the clock. image file and can prove useful. your time zone, too. but still worth getting right.
NIKOPEDIA
NIKON KNOW-HOW
What the lamps on

your charger mean MH-26
You plug in your battery and the lights start

blinking... but how do you know when it’s charged?
CONSUMER CHARGERS PROFESSIONAL CHARGERS
The chargers for Nikon’s non-professional The charger for pro Nikon models is a much more complex beast
cameras are quite straightforward
01 TWIN CHARGING BAYS Many 04 50%, 80%, 100% LAMPS
01 BLINKING LAMP This pros carry a fully charged spare battery These let you know how far the charging
means the battery is still charging. on assignment – you can charge them has proceeded – very useful for busy
It takes around two hours with individually or two at a time. professional photographers who might
most models. need to grab batteries in a hurry!
02 BLINKING LAMP Like on the
02 SOLID LAMP This means ‘consumer’ chargers, a blinking lamp 05 CALIBRATION Professional
the battery is now fully charged – means the battery is still being charged. photographers need to know exactly
though you can also remove a how much charge remains in the
part-charged battery and put 03 SOLID LAMP When the lamp battery, and this option is used to
MH-25
it back in the camera if you’re stays on all the time it means the recalibrate batteries which are
in a hurry to start shooting. battery is fully charged and ready to go. reporting battery power incorrectly.
replaced, but this longevity can charging it. Complex monitoring SIZE MATTERS for ‘enthusiast’ DSLR and
vary significantly in practice. circuitry in the charger and the Some Nikons come with a mirrorless cameras. The D6
Lithium-ion cells will lose battery ensures that the bigger battery than others, and and Z 9 don’t need them
about five to 10 per cent of the charging process is optimized size is a pretty good indicator of because the ‘grip’ is effectively
charge a month even if they are and typically takes a couple of how long this will last between built into the body.
not used, and if they are left idle hours. Don’t worry about charges. However, for a Your Nikon also has a second,
to self-discharge they may not overcharging; the circuitry will scientific measure you need to ‘clock’ battery. This is a small
recover, so try to use spare detect when the battery is full. look at the battery’s capacity, rechargeable cell built into the
batteries in rotation. One of the Temperature plays a role here which is measured in camera, and it ensures that you
big advantages of lithium-ion too. In warm climates, a battery milliampere hours (mAh). do not have to reset the time
batteries is their lack of will not give you as much In addition to carrying a spare and date every time you remove
‘memory’ effects. You don’t service as in a cold one. If you battery, one way of increasing the battery to charge it. It gets
need to charge your battery live in a hot country, it may pay your available portable its power from the main battery,
fully before using it, or to ensure you keep your electricity supply is to use a and can last for up to three
discharge it fully before batteries cool when not in use! battery grip. These are available months when fully charged.
Step by step Make your battery last longer

Concerned about running out of power? A few simple precautions will help you shoot for longer
1 2 3 4
Don’t use Live View Avoid using flash Image review off Auto off timers
Live View on DSLRs uses a lot Shooting with flash uses twice If your camera displays the Many features stay active for
of power. If your battery icon the power of a regular exposure, image you’ve just shot on the some time after taking a shot.
glows red, turn if off – there and quite often you’ll get a more LCD, image review is enabled. Change this with the Auto off
will be enough power to shoot attractive picture by increasing It uses extra power, so switch timers in the Setup menu or
for a while using the viewfinder. the ISO setting instead. it off if you can do without it. Timers in Custom settings.
NIKON KNOW-HOW
Nikon mirrorless
PUTTING IT INTO PRACTICE
Get a grip or call for AA

& DSLR batteries A slot-in battery isn’t the only power source
Your at-a-glance guide to batteries, battery Battery grips offer a more comfortable grip for vertical
life, and chargers for current and recent shooting and extend your shooting time. You can get battery
Nikon mirrorless and DSLR cameras grips for Nikon’s enthusiast cameras. You may also get a
choice of power sources – lithium-ion cells of the type used
in the camera or widely-available AA batteries.
MODEL BATTERY* NUMBER OF SHOTS** CHARGER
Z 30 EN-EL25 330 MH-32 BATTERY GRIPS

Z 50 EN-EL25 300 MH-32 MODEL GRIP BATTERIES
Z fc EN-EL25 300 MH-32 Z 5/6/6 II/6/7/ 7II MB-N10* 1 or 2 x EN-EL15/a/b/c

Z5 EN-EL15c 390/470 MH-25a
Z 6 II/7 II MB-N11 1 or 2 x EN-EL15a/b/c
Z6 EN-EL15b 310 MH-25a
Z8 MB-N12 1 or 2 x EN-EL15/a/b/c
Z 6II EN-EL15c 400/450 MH-25a
D300/300S/700 MB-D10 EN-EL3e, 8 x AA, EN-EL4a**
Z7 EN-EL15b 330 MH-25a
Nikon D7000 MB-D11 EN-EL15, 6 x AA
Z 7II EN-EL15c 380/440 MH-25a
D800/800E/810/810A MB-D12 EN-EL15, 8 x AA, EN-EL18**
Z8 EN-EL15c 340/370 MH-25a
D600, D610 MB-D14 EN-EL15, 6 x AA
Z9 EN-EL18d 740/770 MH-33
D7100, D7200 MB-D15 EN-EL15, 6 x AA
D3500 EN-EL14a 1550 MH-24
D750 MB-D16 EN-EL15, 6 x AA
D5600 EN-EL14a 970 MH-24
D500 MB-D17 EN-EL15, 8 x AA, EN-EL18**
D500 EN-EL15 1240 MH-25a
D850 MB-D18 EN-EL15, 8 x AA, EN-EL18**
D7500 EN-EL15a 950 MH-25a *
Does not have a shutter release or buttons for vertical shooting. ** With battery chamber cover.
D780 EN-EL15b 2260 MH-25a
D850 EN-EL15a 1840 MH-25a

NIKON SPEEDLIGHTS
Nikon Speedlights all use AA or AAA batteries. The basic
D6 EN-EL18c 3580 MH-26a SB-300 uses two AAA cells, the SB-500 uses two AAs,
*
whereas the more powerful SB-700 and SB-5000 each use
Cameras are backwards-compatible with ‘a’, ‘b’, ‘c’ and ‘d’ variants, but later batteries generally
offer greater capacity and may enable features such as the ability to use the camera while charging. four. The type of battery is important because outright
**
When two figures are stated for ‘number of shots’ on mirrorless cameras, the first figure refers to capacity is not the only criterion. Your Speedlight may
using the electronic viewfinder, the second using the rear LCD.
sit unused in your bag for days
– even weeks – at a time,
so you
also need
batteries
with a good
shelf life.
AA BATTERY TECHNOLOGY
Alkaline AAs provide longer, more
consistent performance than zinc-chloride
batteries, which should be avoided. Lithium
5 6 AAs are more expensive but last many
times longer and last well in storage.
Older rechargeable NiCad batteries
Auto info display Check Battery info suffer from ‘memory’ effects, have limited
Nikon’s D3xxx and D5xxx-series Enthusiast and pro Nikons have capacity and tend to give up with little
cameras use the LCD to show this option on the Setup menu. warning. Rechargeable NiMH cells are
shooting information, yet the It displays the battery charge, better, but lose power in storage. Newer
main exposure settings are also number of shots since the last NiMH battery designs, such as Sanyo’s ‘Eneloop’ cells, last
displayed in the viewfinder. charge, and overall condition. much better in storage.
YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED
Ask Matthew...
Our resident Nikon expert Matthew Richards answers your
questions and solves your problems. If you have a Nikon-related
question, email it to [email protected]
Q I’m jealous of the

vehicle-detection
rear panel. A small white square will be
displayed in the centre of the viewfinder or
rear screen image. Align it with the object
autofocus option in the Z 8 on which you want to autofocus, then press
and Z 9. What’s the best the AF-ON button or lightly press and hold
the shutter button to track it.
setup for tracking cars and
motorbikes with my Z 6II?
Zack Wolff Q I’m after a wide-angle
zoom for landscapes
and long exposures of
For tracking moving vehicles with
A my Z 6II and other Z-system waterfalls with my LEE100 Another bonus of the AF-S 16-35mm is that
it features optical VR, so you’ll only really
cameras, I tend to use AF-C filter system. Would the need a tripod for taking long exposures.
(continuous autofocus) mode with the
Auto-area AF option. This makes autofocus
Nikon AF-S 14-24mm
available across almost the entire image f/2.8G work for me? rectangular filters. I’d go for the Nikon AF-S
frame, so it can track objects if they stray Martin Dunsmore 16-35mm f/4G ED VR (£1149/$1097).
away from the central area of the frame. It’s a strong performer with a generous
But the camera can initially autofocus on The Nikon AF-S 14-24mm has a maximum field of view – and at 83x125mm
something other than the vehicle or object
that you’re interested in. You can stop this
A fixed petal-shaped hood that
precludes the direct fitment of
and 685g, it’s ideal for trekking off the
beaten track. It has a separate hood and a
happening by pressing the OK button on the screw-in filters or a filter holder for square/ regular 77mm filter thread. However, you
may need to a LEE100 Wide Angle Adaptor
Ring (£53/$75) which sits closer to the
front element and reduces the risk of
vignetting at the widest 16mm focal length.
Q IAF-P
have a D5600 with
DX 18-55mm
and Sigma 150-600mm
lenses. Would a Nikon AF-S
18-140mm fill the gap?
David Kitchinman
As we mentioned in last month’s
A Big Test, Nikon has now
discontinued all of its DX format
DSLRs, bar one, and most of its DX format
lenses. Only the D7500 is still in production,
and it’s offered only as a kit option with the
AF-S DX 18-140mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR.
I’m glad it’s still around, as it has
a very versatile ‘effective’ zoom
After pressing the OK button, the small white AF square will turn yellow to indicate that range of 27-210mm in full-frame terms,
it’s locked onto your chosen object and prevents the autofocus making the wrong selection. stretching from good wide-angle coverage
YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED
Secondhand superstar
Q Which inexpensive standard
prime lens would you
recommend for a D3500?
Sandra Fisher
Matthew recommends…
A Due to the 1.5x crop factor of DX format
cameras, you’re best off with a 35mm lens.
Nikon makes a DX 35mm prime that fits the bill.
Measuring 78x97mm and weighing in at 490g, this versatile superzoom lens

is very convenient for travel photography and shooting images on the move.
to fairly powerful telephoto reach. Apologies for any confusion

Considering the extended zoom A but, as we said at the time,
range, compared with typical the example shots for depth
standard zooms, there’s fairly little of field at f/2.8, f/8 and f/22 were
compromise in image quality. taken at a distance equating to 0.5x
Sharpness is impressive at both macro rather than full 1.0x
the short and long ends of the zoom magnification. That naturally gives
range, although it drops off a bit in quite a lot more depth of field.
the middle sector. Autofocus is brisk For example, if you shoot with a
and VR lives up to its 4-stop billing. 105mm macro lens at f/22, at its
Nikon AF-S DX 35mm f/1.8G

All in all, the lens is a very good minimum focus distance of around
buy at around $599/$497. 30cm, you’ll get a total depth of field
of roughly 7mm. Conversely, for 0.5x UNLIKE MANY DX FORMAT F-MOUNT LENSES,
magnification, you’ll be shooting at a THIS ONE’S STILL AVAILABLE TO BUY NEW,
Q Was there a typo
in issue 150’s
focus distance of around 70cm. At the BUT WHY PAY MORE AND MISS A BARGAIN?
same aperture, you’ll get a much
macro lens Big Test? larger depth of field of about 51mm. RELEASED: 2009 Key points
The upshot is that, if you’re PRICE NEW: £169/$197 1. Autofocus system
You said there was 4cm shooting three-dimensional objects SECONDHAND PRICE: The ring-type ultrasonic
between the front and and don’t need maximum resolution ‘Excellent’ £97/$87 autofocus system is quick
for large-format printing, it can be ‘Good’ £85/$75 and whisper-quiet.
back of the model bus. easier to shoot from a little further
Should that be 4mm? away and crop your images Full-frame photographers 2. Optical path
Alan Pryor afterwards, as necessary. often say that a ‘nifty fifty’ The optical path includes
is the most essential prime one aspherical element
lens. This 35mm lens gives and Nikon’s trusty Super
an almost identical Integrated Coating to
‘effective’ focal length of reduce ghosting and flare.
52.5mm on DX format
cameras, giving an entirely 3. Build quality
natural perspective. That’s The construction feels
coupled with a bright f/1.8 pretty robust and features
aperture that helps to give a metal mounting plate,
a tight depth of field for complete with a rubber
blurring the background weather-seal ring.
in portraiture, as well as
maintaining quick shutter Elements/groups: 8/6
speeds under low lighting. Aperture diaphragm:
Thanks to only needing 7 blades
to produce a relatively small Min focus distance: 0.3m
‘DX’ image circle, it’s Max magnification: 0.16x
compact and lightweight. It Filter size: 52mm
offers nice image quality Dimensions: 70x53mm
As with this image of a matchbox-sized model taken at f/22, shooting at 0.5x and has good all-round Weight: 200g
rather than full 1.0x magnification gives about seven times more depth of field. performance. Bargain! VR: No
PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR 2023
The search for the world’s best Nikon photographer

of 2023 continues! Each issue the monthly N-Photo
POTY 2023 photo contest’s top 10 images are selected
by the N-Photo team. This issue’s competition has
the theme of low-light photography…
NPOTY is powered by
LOW LIGHT
2
3
1. Electric Landscape 2. Lonely Night 3. Hare Brawl

BY ALEXIUS VAN DER WESTHUIZEN BY TONY NORTH BY KNUT M SELMER
This incredible lightning storm was captured from Buttermere’s lone tree is one of the Lake District’s These boxing mountain hares were captured in the
the top of a multi-storey car park. Initial efforts most popular subjects, and this Milky Way image dead of night. A backlight was positioned behind
seemed fruitless, as the lightning was too far away, is a stunning take on a beloved scene. Tony had the brawl, with a secondary light source used to
but Alexius didn’t give up, and the bolts soon to plan his April shoot meticulously so that the illuminate the subjects from the front. The result is
moved towards his position. Three shots were core loomed over the lake and the conditions a striking contre-jour effect, pulling the hares from
blended in post, spreading the lightning across the enabled an unobstructed view of the night sky. the black background and outlining even their tiny
frame and balancing the composition. We like how The galaxy and ground were captured in separate strands of fur. ISO3200 enabled a fast shutter
the bolts are brightly rendered, but not blown out. shots before blending them together in post. speed, freezing this jaw-dropping moment.
Camera: Nikon D750 Camera: Nikon D500 Camera: Nikon Z 9

Lens: 24-70mm f/2.8 Lens: 11-16mm f/2.8 Lens: 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6
Exposure: 3 secs, f/8, ISO50 Exposure: 15 secs, f/2.8, ISO6400 Exposure: 1/1000 sec, f/5, ISO3200
WIN! A WhiteWall Photo Lab voucher Worth £100!

Witness your work as a glorious gallery-quality print from award-winning online photo laboratory WhiteWall. The winner,
as judged by the N-Photo team, will receive a £100 WhiteWall voucher to have their entry printed in a range of stylish
options including acrylic, aluminium, giclée and canvas in a huge array of sizes. See www.whitewall.com/uk
4. Astro Array 5
BY JOSEF VALENTA
Framing a large subject beneath the night sky

is a great way to add interest when you capture
astrophotography. Few objects are as relevant as
this radio telescope from an array in New Mexico.
The lack of light pollution has allowed for a
beautifully defined sky, and pinpoint focusing
has produced a crisp Milky Way core, tastefully
teased out from among the stars in post.
Camera: Nikon Z 7II

Lens: 14-24mm f/2.8
Exposure: 30 secs, f/2.8, ISO800
5. Purple Lagoon
BY FREDERIC ALLEGRINI
This deep sky image of the Lagoon Nebula was

captured by mounting a D750 onto a telescope.
It’s a 10-shot composite, each requiring a three-
minute exposure. Perfect conditions and a remote
location were essential. Frederic calls the nebula
“a reasonably easy and satisfying object” for astro
beginners, but it still takes a huge amount of
dedication and planning to get an image like this.
Camera: Nikon D750

Lens: Telescope and mount adaptor
Exposure: 180 secs, ISO1600
LOW LIGHT
6
6. Island, Ice and Stars
BY DONEY D
Ogoy Island on Lake Baikal, Siberia, is a popular

photography subject, and this image is a fine
example. The distinctive shard-shaped rock is
sandwiched between the Milky Way and a thick slab
of ice. A prominent crack through the frozen lake
acts as a leading line, guiding the viewer towards
the subject and the starry sky beyond.
Camera: Nikon D810

Lens: 16-35mm f/4
Exposure: 20 secs, f/4, ISO3200
7. On the Night Trail

BY WILLEMK
This 90-minute exposure was captured in the

rugged South African landscape of Richtersveld.
The long exposure caused the stars to trail due
to the Earth’s rotation, while forming circular
curves thanks to the frame being lined up with
the southern hemisphere’s pole star. The remote
location also resulted in virtually no light pollution.
Camera: Nikon D800

Lens: 17-35mm f/2.8
Exposure: 90 mins, f/8, ISO200
8. Moonscape
BY ALEXANDER GALKIN
A full moon and the epic landscape of Red Rock

Canyon State Park in California combine to create
a moody night scene that wouldn’t look out of
place as the establishing shot in a classic horror
movie. We like how the moonlight catches the
rocks, with dark clouds adding texture to the sky.
Camera: Nikon D810

Lens: 24-70mm f/2.8
9
9. Light up the Floor
BY KATIE HEYKOOP
It can be hard to anchor light painting within

a wider image. Here the dancer’s silhouette
combines with light streaks to create an abstract
dress. The ‘painter’ had to guess the end result,
making this level of precision very impressive.
Camera: Nikon Z 6II

Lens: 28-75mm f/2.8
Exposure: 8 secs, f/5.6, ISO400
10. Night Shift

BY STEVE JAMES
The light source has created a moody film-noir

vibe, while the re-enactor adds to the vintage feel.
A wide field of view adds context, and the subject
gazing out of the frame is a compelling narrative.
Camera: Nikon D850

Lens: 24-70mm f/2.8
10 Exposure: 2.5 secs, f/5.6, ISO800
3 NPOTY 2023
4
WORTH
£5299!
2
GOLD
AWARD
WIN! A Nikon Z 9 6
The Nikon Z 9 is
The overall winner of N-Photo’s Photographer quite simply Nikon’s
most powerful
of the Year 2023 will receive the grand prize of a Nikon Z 9! camera ever!
When we reviewed the Nikon Z 9, we called controls for comfortable vertical shooting.
it: “Simply the best camera ever!” And now,
together with Nikon UK, we’re giving you the
The camera is fully weather sealed to
withstand extreme temperatures and
How to enter
chance to win the flagship Z camera. It’s records data to a pair of CFexpress Type B
HOW OUR COMPETITION WORKS
an incredible prize that’s worth a whopping (or XQD) card slots. It comes with built-in
£5299/$5499. All you have to do is enter Ethernet port, in-camera Wi-Fi FTP, as well
● Each issue, the N-Photo team sets
any of the 12 rounds of NPOTY 2023 to be as 5G smartphone connectivity via USB-C.
a theme – we next want to see your
in with a chance of taking Nikon’s most The Nikon Z 9 is also a powerful tool for
best autumn images. You can enter your
advanced camera home and being crowned video capture. It can shoot at an astounding
chosen photograph(s) by visiting:
N-Photo’s Photographer of the Year 2023. max resolution of 8K 60p and 4K 120p,
www.photocrowd.com/npoty23autumn
while a built-in microphone can capture
● The deadline for entries is 28 Sept 2023.
Mirrorless behemoth 24-bit PCM linear audio. You can also
The top 10 gallery will appear in N-Photo
The Nikon Z 9 features some truly ferocious capture 4K 60p UHD footage oversampled
156, on sale 26 October 2023.
specs, as you’d expect from a pro-grade, from 8K, to boost quality without having
● After the Autumn round, only two rounds
full-frame, flagship camera. It boasts to store and work with huge 8K files.
remain before we crown N-Photo’s
a stacked 45.7Mp CMOS sensor and runs
Photographer of the Year 2023:
via Nikon’s EXPEED 7 image-processor.
Food Opens: 21 Sept Closes: 26 Oct
It also packs Nikon’s most advanced AF
system and can shoot bursts at an
Z 9 Features www.photocrowd.com/npoty23food
Winter Opens: 19 Oct Closes: 23 Nov
astonishing 120fps, making it the most
1 The deep grip extends to the underside, and www.photocrowd.com/npoty23winter
powerful Nikon camera on the market. duplicated controls allow vertical shooting. ● It goes without saying that all images
It’s the first pro-grade camera to feature
must be shot on Nikon cameras!
an all-electronic shutter, allowing for those 2 There are no fewer than four programmable
● Please ensure your entry does not
incredible burst speeds and 1/32,000 sec Fn buttons for customized camera setup.
contain a watermark and is submitted
maximum shutter speed. At full 45.7Mp
3 On the inside, a revolutionary sensor and
with the necessary EXIF data: the model
resolution, the Z 9 can capture JPEGs at
fast processor enable a shutter-free design. of the camera and lens, and the shutter
a jaw-dropping 30fps and Raws at a still-
speed, aperture and ISO used.
lightning-fast 20fps. The new AF system
4 There are oodles of direct-access controls, ● 12 competitions will appear throughout
can detect nine kinds of simultaneous
along with a mode dial. 2023, and the overall N-Photo
subject and boasts five times more auto-
Photographer of the Year 2023 –
area AF points than the Nikon Z 7II.
5 Unlike on the Z 6/7 line, there’s a dedicated and winner of the grand prize – will be
The back-side illuminated sensor results
AF mode button for switching focus modes. crowned in the January 2024 issue.
in superior low-light performance and the
So get out there and start shooting
EVF is the world’s brightest, and offers 6 A dual-axis flip-out touchscreen comes
your best photographs today!
blackout-free shooting. The Nikon Z 9 has out in both horizontal and vertical planes.
a deep grip with duplicated essential
READERS’ LETTERS
Readers’ letters
We’d love to hear your thoughts on the mag and all things photographic! You can write
to us, message us or share your images in the following ways: [email protected]
twitter.com/nphotomag facebook.com/nphotomag instagram.com/nphotomag
Star Letter
A time for reflection on water, was taken on my Nikon P950. The best camera is always
reflection particularly impressive. The infrared image was the one you have with you
I had to wait for the autumn achieved with a Hoya R72
I
at the time, Allan! We have
’ve been reading your season to come around Infrared Filter, which works featured bridge cameras
magazine for many (I’m in New Zealand), and well with any Nikon Bridge from time to time, but many
years now, and in managed to capture my own Camera, including the P610, of the techniques we print for
the October 2022 version, with a black swan P900 and P950 – all of interchangeable-lens DSLR
issue (N-Photo 142), rather than a duck, on a lake which I have owned. and Z-series mirrorless can
I was very keen to read in McLaren Falls Park, Yes, I know that I should be applied to your cameras.
the 25 Ways to Shoot Tauranga, New Zealand. try to use my DSLR more We’re planning a new autumn
Autumn lead feature, by I had a Nikon P900 at often, but it would be nice photography feature for our
Ross Hoddinott. the time and took the to see more about the next issue – with tips for you
I thought that the image shot handheld. forgotten Nikon cameras, to try when the season
that went with tip number I’m also including an like the models I have used. eventually comes around to
seven, of the mallard duck infrared photo, which was Allan Godfrey the southern hemisphere!
Images: © Allan Godfrey
Allan was inspired by our ‘reflection’ tip but had to wait until Allan used an infrared filter on his Nikon P950 for this image,
autumn in New Zealand for the opportunity to take his swan shot. proving that ‘bridge’ cameras are capable of cool camera tricks.
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READERS’ LETTERS
www.DigitalCameraWorld.com
The best from our companion website
Image: © photools.com
Image: Future
Darwyn recommends IMatch digital asset management software,
which has handy tools for searching thousands of images quickly.
Perfect match Thanks for your advice,

1. New entry-level DSLRs are not what they seem
Darwyn. While we’ve not tried
For a long, long time we’ve been recommending the Nikon D3500 as one
Presumably your star letter IMatch, we have recently
of the best cameras for beginners. But the Nikon D3500 is no longer
correspondent Paul Markides reviewed Mylio Photos+, available and new low-cost mirrorless cameras, such as the Nikon Z 30,
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N-Photo 151, July 2023) management software aimed mirrorless, so what exactly is the problem? https://bit.ly/3Kl6fM2
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While the various photo-
editing software packages My photo skills
reviewed in your March 2023 are flowering
issue (N-Photo 147) do a bit of
this task as an add-on to their I seem to have developed the
main job, they are no skill to focus thanks to ‘Live
substitute for software View explained’ in the April
dedicated to the task of 2023 issue (N-Photo 148).
image management. This is the first reasonable
This is readily resolved by photo I’ve managed to shoot 2. Shooting pro portraits made me a better model
It’s almost an unwritten rule that photographers hate being on the other side
acquiring Photools’ IMatch with my new D3500 and of the camera. Behind the lens they might be calm, confident and collected,
(www.photools.com/imatch). Nikon AF-S DX 40mm f/2.8G but put them in front of it and they have no idea how to act. But have I always
What’s not to like about Micro. My missus grows loved being in front of the camera and I’ve become a better model since
IMatch’s face recognition, flowers, so I’ll be using my I started shooting portraits professionally. https://bit.ly/3OAnStv
GPS mapping, full metadata new skills to photograph
reading, unlimited user them from now on. Thanks
categories and much more? for an entertaining mag!
The software contains so Kevin Lazenby
many useful features: it works
with any brand of camera Were glad to be of service! It’s
linked to a PC; it remembers a great shot, Kevin, with sharp
which images have already focus in all the right places!
been downloaded from a
Image: Nikon
card (only transferring the

new ones); it can auto-
rename downloaded images
(sequentially if you wish, I’m
past 40,000 now); and can 3. The unloved Nikon Z 50 versus the Nikon Z fc
The Nikon Z 50 arrived with all the warmth of a guest’s plus-one at a party.
be configured to place Everyone was happy to make a new friend, but nobody was fawning over it.
Image: © Kevin Lazenby
images into folders and Contrast that with the arrival of the Nikon Z fc, greeted with the kind of joy
subfolders, where IMatch that would occur if Jesus had walked into the party with a six-pack. What’s
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It is the ideal companion to
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Nikon’s free Nikon Transfer 2, Sign up to our newsletter for the latest
and would be worthy of an Nikon news! Simply scan this QR code
Kevin finally mastered manual
N-Photo review! focusing with a macro lens after or go to https://bit.ly/dcwnews
Darwyn Sumner learning to shoot in Live View.
YOUR STORIES
[1] Nigel used the setting sun

to backlight his subject,
providing a warm, orange
glow that complements the
butterfly’s colouring.
Camera: Nikon Z 8
Lens: 105mm f/2.8
7KHEXWWHUȩ\HȧHFW
courtship displays and subsequently
decode behaviour patterns the D850 just
couldn’t, consistently. Having viewed the
first few images from my Z 8, I realized just
how far optics have progressed.
The Z 8 has enabled me to get much
The Nikon Z 8 has allowed Nigel A Ball to sharper images. Combining in-body VR and
capture close-ups of butterflies and other lens VR means I can use lower ISO settings.
The high frame rate of up to 120fps means
insects he previously never thought possible I can get in-focus sequences of insects in
flight, much easier. Focus stacking is also
much quicker than the D850, which means
less chance of the insect moving or a breeze
MISSION: Capture the spirit of nature by photographers have an important part to interfering with the sharpness of the shot.
photographing insects in their natural habitats. play in conservation, sharing the wonders of
PHOTOGRAPHER: Nigel A Ball nature to a wider audience and thereby It’s a wing-win situation
LOCATION: Nantwich, Cheshire increasing awareness of the beauty we I wanted to capture the essence of a
KIT USED: Nikon Z 8, Z MC 105mm could potentially lose. summer’s evening – a butterfly in a
f/2.8 VR S and Z 24-120mm f/4 S I was introduced to photography by my meadow bathed in golden sunshine.
WEBSITE: www.nigelaball.com late father in the early ’70s; we used to Butterflies roost in the early evening,
TWITTER: @NigelABall develop and print our own photos in a home often where they’ll catch the dawn sun.
INSTAGRAM: @nigelaballphotography darkroom. We then got into macro As a volunteer at my local reserve, I knew
photography. Our field kit was a macro lens a secluded meadow with the right grass.
on bellows with a pistol grip and cable The challenge was to find a solitary
try to capture the spirit of release. Fast forward and I’ve been using butterfly, catching the sun with its wings
I
nature, so I can share its Nikon cameras for many years. My first
beauty with others. All my DSLR was the D70. The last, my D850, as
images are taken in natural I’ve just received a brand-new Nikon Z 8.
habitats. I never move or My interest in butterflies has become
relocate subjects for better backgrounds much more serious in recent years, and I’m ,JRWP\VHOIVHWXSDQG
and tread lightly to respect the habitat I’m
privileged to experience. The images are a
now studying their behaviour at my local
nature reserve. The Z 8’s high frame rate
ZDLWHG,WKDGVHHQPH
gift to me by nature herself. I believe has given me the chance to photograph DQGSURPSWO\PRYHG
INSECT CLOSE-UPS
[2] It took two attempts and several
insect bites to capture an image of this
skittish dragonfly. But it was worth it!
Camera: Nikon Z 8
Lens: 24-120mm f/4
YOUR STORIES Camera:
Lens:
Nikon Z 8
105mm f/2.8
[3] Nigel used a Novoflex [4] Nigel has assigned the Fn

MagicBall ballhead and Novoflex button on his 105mm macro lens
CASTEL-Q focusing rail to frame to zoom 50% into the image, so
and focus this incredible image. he can quickly check the focus.
Camera: Nikon Z 8
Lens: 105mm f/2.8
SUBMIT
not fully closed and no wind. The small and Z MC 105mm f/2.8 VR S would YOUR IMAGES!
heath butterfly [1] closes its wings as compare. I arrived just after dawn, mist
soon as it settles, hiding the ‘eye’ and hanging in the meadow and the sun 7RVHH\RXULPDJHVKHUH
orange colour of the forewing, so I had to peeping above the horizon. Research VHQGDVPDOOSRUWIROLRWR
fire the shutter before it settled. meant I had a pretty good idea where the
Dragonflies are skittish subjects [2]. I’d silver-studded blues roosted. I eventually
PDLO#QSKRWRPDJFRP
watched this one for a while and realized it found a pristine female covered in dew and ZLWKȅ<RXU6WRULHVȆ
favoured sitting on the same stick. I got not obscured by heather stems. Once the
myself set up and waited. It had seen me sun crept above the trees behind me, it
DVWKHVXEMHFW
and promptly moved to another stick... I illuminated the butterfly and added golden
crawled towards it – silhouette below the sparkles to each of the dew drops. Perfect!
skyline. Bingo! It landed and I got the shot. The six-spot burnet [4] is a day-flying
I’ve taken images like this [3] before on moth. It can be seen on a summer’s day,
my D850 and wanted to see how the Z 8 painting the sky with black lines, edged in
red. I recced a few locations and waited for
Nigel’s Top Tips
a calm evening with subdued lighting. I
[5] Nigel blended
found four roosting on a thistle bloom, but • Get to know your subject, where they
multiple images in
post to create this as soon as I got set up they fell into the roost, which flowers they visit and how
take-off sequence. undergrowth; an effective defensive they fly. The latter is particularly
mechanism. I waited and, sure enough, important when capturing insects in
they crawled back up their stems. I used flight. Predicting the flight path can
Focus Peaking to ensure the nearest point make or break an image.
was in focus and then used Focus Shift.
The butterfly in this image [5] is • Use a fast shutter speed when
smallish in size and very ‘flighty’. I wanted photographing insects in flight, ideally
to capture it in its natural environment, 1/8000 sec. This will freeze your
where it often skips among the brambles. subject’s beating wing movements.
It’s also known as the hedge brown due to
its propensity to frequent hedgerows. I • Insects are more dormant late in the
used back-button focus with the Z 8’s Pre- evening or early in the morning. The
Camera: Nikon Z 8 Release Capture so it recorded images latter is preferred, as dew will often
Lens: 24-120mm f/4 when the shutter button was only half settle on potential subjects, especially
Exposure: 1/3200 sec, f/5.6, ISO3200 depressed, compensating for my slow if there has been rain overnight.
reactions as the butterfly took off.
New gear, buying advice and the world’s toughest tests
Lab tests explained
Sharpness
A chart with multiple sharp boundaries
is photographed, the extent of blur at
the centre, mid and edges showing how
many line widths per picture height the
lens can resolve. Simply put, the bigger
the numbers the sharper the lens.
NEW GEAR REVIEW
88 New stuff for your Nikon 90 Sigma 16mm f/1.4 | C

Our round-up of the latest and
greatest kit to enhance your photography
It’s wide, it’s fast, and it’s available
for Nikon DX-sensor Z-system cameras
Fringing
Chromatic aberration is visible as
purple or green fringing around
high-contrast boundaries, caused by
different wavelengths being focused on
different areas of the sensor. The larger
the number, the worse the score.
Distortion
A lens that bulges towards the edges of
the frame produces barrel distortion,
shown as a negative score. Pincushion
BIG TEST BUYER’S GUIDE distortion produces a positive score.
92 Slot-in filter systems 106 Camera & lens list

A score of zero indicates no distortion.
Five square starter kits to make Every current Nikon camera, plus
using filters a breeze for landscapes our exhaustive guide to compatible lenses
Our awards in a nutshell Our scoring system

1.0 Forget about it!
2.0 Below average
The best A product that The very best kit
BEST ON performance,
design and value GREAT
gives you more
for your money GOLD
that really sets the
standard
3.0 Good for the money
TEST VALUE AWARD 4.0 Excellent product

5.0 Best-in-class
GEAR ZONE
New gear
Here’s what caught our eye this month
Crucial X10 & X9 Pro SSD

From: £83/$90 https://uk.crucial.com
rucial has added two backward-
C entirely new product

lines to its range of
compatible with
Gen 2x2. In order
mobile SSDs (solid- to get a USB4
state drives). The X10 Pro and the port that’ll allow
X9 Pro will be competing squarely the X10 Pro to
with the likes of the SanDisk perform at its
Extreme Pro V2 mobile SSD and fastest, you’ll need
the Samsung Portable SSD T7 in a new or very recent computer. The drive’s metal enclosure is commonplace USB 3.2 Gen 2
the mobile SSD market. This extreme speed comes in a IP55-rated against water, dust and connection, and is therefore a
The X10 Pro is Crucial’s new device that’s exceptionally compact. sand ingress. Like all current Crucial smarter choice today for most
flagship mobile SSD. It boasts The drive measures only 65x50mm mobile SSDs, the X10 Pro is built to users. As with the X10 Pro, the
impressively fast read/write speeds and weighs a featherweight 42g. survive a drop of up to two metres. X9 Pro is available in 1TB, 2TB and
of up to 2100/2000MB/s, making it Compare that with the rival SanDisk Expect to pay £120/$130 for the 4TB capacities, and features the
marginally faster on paper than the Extreme PRO Portable SSD – hardly 1TB X10 Pro or £195/ $210 for the same rugged credentials.
SanDisk Extreme PRO Portable SSD a bloated device itself – which 2TB capacity. The range-topping The Crucial X9 Pro is available
V2. Like the SanDisk drive, the X10 measures 110x57mm and is twice 4TB version is priced at £315/$340. now, with prices ranging from
Pro is only able to operate this the weight of the X10 Pro. The X9 Pro is the same size as the £83/$90 (for the 1TB model) to
quickly thanks to its use of the Both the X10 Pro and the X9 Pro X10 Pro, and is marginally lighter £268/$290 (for the 4TB model).
cutting-edge 20GB/s USB 3.2 Gen-2 combine Micron TLC NAND flash at 38g. It’s also slower, with its
2x2 interface. memory with what Crucial calls 1050MB/s max read/write speed FIRST IMPRESSIONS
It’s worth remembering, however, “a revolutionary single-ASIC matching the existing X8 Pro. That The new Crucial X10 Pro and X9 Pro
that very few laptop or desktop portable storage architecture”. said, unless you have a computer pack serious performance while
computers support this USB Crucial says the X10 Pro and the X9 with a USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 or USB4 being unbelievably compact and
revision at present – you’re more Pro have the most storage capacity connection to get the most out of light. While the X10 could be the
likely to find a computer with the per square millimetre of any SSD in the X10 Pro, the X9 Pro is already fastest mobile SSD yet, most will
latest USB4 connection, which is the industry. fast enough to max out the more be better off with the X9.
CEWE Photobook with recycled paper

From £18.99/$24.49 www.cewe.co.uk
his sustainable new including landscapes, portraits
T CEWE Photobook
(CEWE’s print-to-order
and lifestyle images.
We were supplied with a sample of used in the
photo album) consists a book printed with the new recycled production of their Photobooks,
of inside pages that have been made paper, along with the same book while also reducing energy and have a
from 100-per-cent recycled paper, printed on CEWE’s Classic stock. water usage, thus helping the smooth, bright-white surface
while the endpaper is FSC-certified Both were pleasingly glossy and company’s reforestation and with as few colour streaks
paper (which ensures that it’s made bright, and we were hard-pressed conservation efforts. as possible.
of responsibly sourced wood fibre). to see any difference, even viewing CEWE says that the new stock
The brilliant white base of this them side-by-side. has been developed after customer FIRST IMPRESSIONS
new recycled paper forms the The recycled paper for the inner feedback, suggesting that they There is a modest price increase
perfect canvas for an eco-friendly pages were made from scraps and wanted a more sustainable for a CEWE Photobook with
photo book. The silky semi-matte trims of paper that would otherwise photobook option that didn’t recycled paper compared with
finish results in natural colours and go to landfill. Reusing and compromise on quality. The quest the Classic stock, but it’s a small
a contrast that works well for most repurposing scraps enables CEWE for the right paper proved to be price to pay for conserving the
popular genres of photography, to reduce the amount of virgin pulp demanding, as the paper need to planet’s precious resources.
GEAR ZONE
Zhiyun Molus G200 Benro Cyanbird

£369/$369 www.zhiyun-tech.com £235/$190 www.benro.com
hiyun is making a huge range is 2700K to 6500K, with enro’s new lightweight help the Cyanbird stand out from
Z play to be the most

exciting name in lighting
a colour rendering index (CRI)
score of ≥95 and a television light B travel tripod Cyanbird is
apparently named after
the crowd. Unusually, the legs are
constructed from a mix of materials,
right now. Its latest consistency index (TLCI) score a legendary bird – an with top leg sections made from
Molus G200 light can produce up of ≥97. imaginative simile for a humble carbon fibre, while the lower
to 300W of lighting power in its The Molus G200 cannot run on camera tripod! sections use aluminium. A weight
boost mode, despite its small size. battery power or USB-C PD like the Designed with a firm focus on hook is incorporated into the base of
The Zhiyun Molus G200 is an previous lights in the Molus range; portability, the Cyanbird weighs the centre column to help stabilize
evolution of the Molus X100, keeping instead the Molus G200 comes with just 1.05kg and folds down to 46cm the shooting platform on uneven
the compact design that made that a separate 0.91g wired controller in length. Its maximum height is terrain, or in windy conditions. The
light so interesting, but now offering that also throughputs power to the 155cm, and the tripod can support centre column is also designed to
a standard 200W of lighting power. light. The controller has a display up to 4kg. Arch-profile legs fold in split in half, enabling a minimum
This power can be boosted to 300W screen and two buttons for setting tight to the centre column, enabling shooting height of only 17cm.
using the G200’s new MAX settings. brightness and colour temperature a super-slim 6cm folded diameter. The Cyanbird kit comes with
At peak brightness and at 1m, the as well as accessing music sync This should make it easy to slip the Benro’s Arca-compatible N00P ball
Molus G200 can output 9460 lux mode, which matches the light’s Cyanbird into even a small backpack head, which uses a single locking
(without reflector) or 61,500 lux with output with the beat of a song. or camera shoulder bag. Included knob for the ball motion, with an
Zhiyun’s standard reflector. In MAX with the tripod is a rollup padded independently controlled pan base.
Extreme mode, it offers 13,800 lux FIRST IMPRESSIONS carry case in which you can store
(without reflector) or 85,800 lux With the Molus G200 offering up to the tripod and small accessories. FIRST IMPRESSIONS
(with a standard reflector). The CCT a huge 300W of lighting power, this Ocean-blue anodized castings Benro’s latest travel tripod looks
(colour-correlated temperature) is Zhiyun’s most powerful light yet. with satin aluminium lever leg locks to be a triumph of compact design.
TTArtisan Tilt-Shift 100mm f/2.8 2X Ultra Macro

£317/$389 www.ttartisan.com
hinese lens specialist and up to 8° of tilt, and can be FIRST IMPRESSIONS
C TTArtisan has launched

its first tilt-shift lens
rotated by up to 90°.
Tilt-shift lenses allow you to move
Marrying a tilt-shift mechanism
with super-macro optics essentially
for Nikon Z mount. The the lens’s position relative to the gives you two fun lenses in one, and
TTArtisan Tilt-Shift 100mm f/2.8 2X sensor – up and down, side to side, the price is attractive, too.
Ultra Macro is a telephoto macro and at an angle. This allows you to
lens with a maximum 2:1 correct for or exaggerate distortion
magnification, making it ideal in the image, and lets you adjust
for photographing insects and depth of field without having to
other miniature subjects. change the aperture value.
The new lens joins the tilt-only The lens is supplied
TTArtisan Tilt 50mm f/1.4, but with a detachable cold
offers shift and macro-focusing shoe, which screws into
capabilities, to give it more appeal to the top of the lens and can
wildlife and product photographers. be used to provide targeted
The lens offers up to 6mm of shift, lighting for macro subjects.
REVIEW
4
1
2
6
5
Sigma
Specifications
Lens mount: Nikon Z (DX)
16mm f/1.4 DC DN | C
Elements/groups: 16/13
Angle of view: 83.2º
Diaphragm blades: 9
Minimum aperture: f/16
£449/$499 www.sigma-global.com Minimum focusing distance: 0.25m
Maximum magnification ratio: 0.1x
Go wide without going large with Sigma’s 16mm Filter size: 67mm
f/1.4 DC DN | C fast wide prime, engineered for Dimensions: 72x94mm
Nikon Z-mount DX-sensor cameras! Weight: 420g
ount this dinky new Sigma ethos. Compared with the 28mm, this three top-class FLD (Fluorite Low
16mm f/1.4 DC DN | C lens 16mm model gives a similar effective focal Dispersion), two SLD (Special Low
on a Nikon Z-series length and fast aperture rating for crop- Dispersion) and two aspherical elements.
DX-sensor camera, and sensor mirrorless cameras, but it’s less The overall aim is to maximize sharpness
you’ll get an effective than half the weight, at 420g. It’s and contrast, while keeping chromatic
focal length of 24mm in refreshingly small for such a fast, wide- aberrations and distortion to a minimum.
full-frame terms. That angle lens too, measuring 72x94mm with Super Multi-Layer Coating is also applied
puts it in the territory a 67mm filter thread. to minimize ghosting and flare.
of being anything from The lens feels solid and well-built. As we’ve seen with an increasing number
a seriously wide-angle Handling is completely straightforward but of Sigma lenses for Nikon DSLRs, this new
prime to an ideal lens very refined. The only moving part is the Z-mount lens is preloaded with data for
for street photography, focus ring, which is nice and wide, and enabling in-camera corrections for
landscapes and interiors. operates with supreme smoothness. That’s aberrations like peripheral illumination,
mainly because instead of a mechanical chromatic aberration and diffraction,
Build and handling linkage, it’s electronically coupled to the where featured in the host camera.
Whereas Sigma’s 28mm f/1.4 Art lens virtually silent stepping motor that drives
designed for full-frame DSLRs weighs in at the focusing system. Performance
nearly a kilogram, its Contemporary lenses Although small, the lens packs in no fewer Naturally, there’s not a whole lot of point
are built to a more space-saving, lightweight than 16 optical elements. These include in having a fast f/1.4 lens if the image
SIGMA 16MM F/1.4 DC DN | C
Sharpness
Our close-up lab-test results show nothing

special, but the Sigma proved impressively
sharp in our real-world testing.
Fringing
Sharpness remains very good across the whole image frame, right into the corners.
quality doesn’t hold up while you’re

shooting wide-open. As it turns out,
sharpness and contrast are maintained
very well, even at the widest aperture.
Another bonus is that the wide aperture
and the short 25cm minimum focus
distance enable a fairly tight depth of field
and good bokeh, enabling interesting
perspective effects.
Even when uncorrected in-camera,
vignetting is pretty minimal for such a fast, At short focus distances, the f/1.4 aperture There’s virtually no colour fringing – and
wide-angle lens. Stop down to f/2 and it enables a fairly tight depth of field, with automatic corrections are enabled anyway,
becomes fairly unnoticeable. Ghosting and good smoothness in defocused areas. in most Nikon Z cameras.
flare are also well-controlled, and the same
goes for barrel distortion. High-quality optics with fast aperture
We found autofocus to be speedy and ratings generally come with a big build and Distortion
highly accurate for stills, while enabling a high cost. This Sigma lens is beautifully
smooth autofocus transitions during movie built, handles really nicely and delivers
capture. As with other Sigma lenses in the sumptuous image quality. Everything’s
series, there’s no optical image stabilization packed into a compact and lightweight
on offer here. package that’s utterly in keeping with the Despite the wide viewing angle, barrel
mirrorless crop-sensor cameras for which distortion is no worse than in Sigma’s
it’s designed. It simply ticks every box. companion 30mm lens.
Features
1 The lens packs in 16 elements, including
N-Photo verdict
specialist FLD, SLD and aspherical glass. Wide-angle lenses with fast aperture ratings
can be notoriously big and heavy, quite at
2 Image quality is superb, dipping only slightly odds with slimline mirrorless camera bodies.
at the extremes of the aperture range. Now available in Nikon Z mount (having been
previously released for other manufacturers’
3 It’s compact and lightweight, weighing in mounts), the Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC DN | C from
at just 420g and measuring 72x94mm. the company’s Contemporary line-up proves
that smaller really can be better.
4 The lack of an image stabilizer is partly
offset by the fast f/1.4 maximum aperture.
Features
Build &
5 The sole control is the manual focus ring, handling
which handles beautifully smoothly. Performance
Value
6 A Super Multi-Layer Coating applied to the
front element minimizes ghosting and flare.
4.5 Overall
BIG TEST
Slot-in filter
holder systems
Looking to take creative control of your
exposures? Then you’ll need one of these
convenient and versatile accessories
ens filters are particularly useful square filter holder systems can be
L
for getting the correct exposure much easier to use than a collection
in landscape photography, of screw-in circular filters, as you can
as seen in this image. But switch the holder between different-
if you’re looking to invest sized lenses with ease.
in a filter system, with a Some types of filter work much
range of filters for different better in a square system – for
occasions, buying a decent example, graduated neutral-density
filter holder is essential. filters, where the photographer needs
Filter holders make it quick and the flexibility to be able to move the
easy to change between individual gradient up and down in the frame.
filters, and you can stack filters on top Here are our five best-buy filter
of each other. While they may seem holders, some of which are also
more cumbersome at first glance, available in kits with filters.
The contenders
Lee Filters LEE100 Holder £79/$116
Cokin NX Series Filter Holder £100/$100
Marumi M100 100mm Magnetic Filter Holder £143/$150
Kase Wolverine Series K9 Filter Holder kit £146/$139
Formatt Hitech Firecrest 100mm Holder Magnetic Kit £175/$189
Image: © Getty
92
93
BIG TEST
Specifications
Filter size:
100mm type filters
Mount: Via adapter rings
Construction: Injection-
moulded composite
Kit options: Three are
available, including
Landscape and Long
Exposure variants
Lee Filters
the screw-on type of the older Build and handling
holder. The company supplies While it doesn’t feel as tough as
the holder with three pairs of the earlier Lee Filters 100 series
LEE100 Holder
guides that enable it to hold holder, the new LEE100 Holder
one, two or three square or looks more refined and modern.
rectangular filters, in addition to It has a weave pattern that
£79/$116
a circular polarizer at the front. looks like carbon-fibre, but it’s
The new guides just click into actually made from injection-
place, and a tool is provided to moulded composite.
Lee’s 100 Filter System is one of the best- help slide them out of position Once an adapter ring is fitted
known and most widely used filter systems, when you want to use one with on a lens, the holder is mounted
so how does the LEE100 Holder shape up? a different number of slots. We by hooking its two fixed tabs
opted to use the two-slot guide, into the ring’s notch, then
https://leefilters.com as this enabled us to use both pulling back on the catch’s
a Lee Big Stopper ND filter (or release knob as the holder is
similar) and a graduated filter. eased back towards the ring.
ee Filters is one as same-sized filters from other In addition, the polarizer filter The knob can be released as
L of the best-
known names in
brands. However, the old-style
Lee Filters 105mm Landscape
mount is integrated into the new
holder. The downside is that the
soon as the holder is in place.
The release lock is the blue
photographic filters, Circular Polarizer Filter can only new LEE100 Polarizer has a ring at the base of the release
and its 100 Filter System is very be mounted via the 105mm bespoke clip mount instead of knob. If the knob is on the right
popular. In March 2019, the Polarizer Ring (£39/$59). a screw thread, so you can’t use when you’re behind the camera,
company introduced a new Note that if you own a Nikon it without the filter holder. the lock is in the neutral position
filter holder and polarizer; some Z 14-24mm f/2.8 S lens, The LEE100 Holder mounts when the largest tab on the ring
photographers were surprised there is a separate LEE Filter onto a lens via an adapter ring, is facing towards the camera.
because the old holder had Holder (£150/$188) and filters and it’s compatible with all of Rotating the lock ring clockwise
served them well for years. made specifically for this Lee Filters’ existing adapter through 90°, so that the large
The new LEE100 Holder looks ultra-wide-angle zoom. rings. It has a spring release tab is facing upwards when
and feels more modern, and catch, with a lock that can be the camera is in landscape
does away with the need to Key features set to one of three positions: orientation, sets it to half-lock.
use fiddly little screws to attach Lee Filters makes the LEE100 • Neutral: The holder can From that position, rotating
the filter guides. The LEE100 Holder from injection-moulded be rotated and removed – or the lock through 180° anti-
Holder is compatible with all composite, and has given it dislodged if caught by clothing clockwise (it won’t move
existing LEE100 filters, as well clip-in filter guides in place of or something similar, thus clockwise), so the larger tab
protecting the camera and is facing downwards, sets the
lens from a fall. lock to full-lock.
• Half-lock: The holder can be
rotated, but can’t be removed Performance
While it doesn’t feel as tough as the earlier while in this position. It’s easy to attach the LEE100
Lee Filters 100 series holder, the LEE100 • Full-lock: The holder cannot
be rotated, and it’s locked in
Holder onto a lens once the
adapter ring is in place, and
Holder looks more refined and modern position, so it can’t be removed. Lee’s square and rectangular
FILTER HOLDERS
Key features FOR

What to look for with the Lightweight design
Lee Filters LEE100 Holder Attaches securely to
a lens when locked
Compatible with many filters
Clip-in guides
The holder is supplied with AGAINST
three pairs of guide blocks, Adapter required to fit Lee’s
plus a removal tool.
older 105mm polarizer filter
Tricky to remove the polarizer
No markings on the holder’s
locking mechanism
Refined and modern

The holder is made from
a composite material.
Bespoke clip mount

Lee’s 105mm CPL can Release knob
also be mounted, via a Use this to select
cost-option polarizer neutral, half- or
ring (£39/$59). full-lock positions.
filters slip in smoothly. Lee release knob and press the tip are in the correct position. With you’ve carefully aligned the
Filters recommends that you onto the ridged tab of the that done, the knurled front ring transition. Because there are
remove the holder from any lens polarizer and push forwards. of the polarizer allows it to be no filter frames or geared
before mounting the LEE100 It takes a little pressure rather rotated to give the desired controls, when you’re adjusting
Polarizer, but we found it than extreme force, so if it degree of polarization. the rotation of the polarizer or
snapped on pretty easily and doesn’t move, you haven’t got repositioning a rectangular filter,
without much force, so we the technique quite right. You Verdict take care to avoid putting
usually attached it when should only press one of the The Lee Filters LEE100 Holder fingerprints on the optical
the holder was on a lens. polarizer tabs, not both. is light, so it doesn’t add much surfaces as you reach around
Removing the polarizer, Despite watching a video to your burden in the field. With with your hand.
however, is another matter about using the LEE100 the right-size lens adapter ring,
– there’s a knack to it. We found Holder, it took a while to find it fits quickly onto a lens, and Features
that the easiest way to remove a technique that worked square and rectangular filters Build &
handling
the polarizer from the LEE100 consistently for us. When the slide smoothly into position.
Performance
Holder is to take the holder off holder lock is in the neutral or The lock is a real bonus when
the lens, hook our index finger half-lock position, it can be you’re using a graduated filter, Value
under the catch on the inside,
then reach our thumb over the
rotated around the lens fairly
freely until any graduated filters
because it prevents any
accidental movement after 4 Overall
BIG TEST
Specifications
Filter size:
100mm type filters,
Cokin L (Z-Pro series)
Mount: via adapter rings
Construction: Aluminium
Kit options: Five are
available; all include
the holder and a
circular polarizer
Cokin NX Series
polarizing filter (CPL) plus up to – thankfully, Cokin provides
two square or rectangular filters a couple of spare screws with
in their frames. Before the the frames.
Filter Holder
holder can be mounted on a Once an adapter ring has
lens, an adapter ring must be been mounted on the lens filter
screwed onto the filter thread of thread, the holder can be
£100/$100
the lens. The low profile of the clipped onto the adapter. It’s
holder and the filter frames held by two metal tabs, one of
mean that the system is suitable which is sprung to allow it to be
Cokin’s NX Series Filter Holder is built to last, for use with lenses with focal pulled back while the holder is
with features that should make it a popular lengths as short as 16mm. aligned on the adapter before
choice among discerning photographers the clip is released. It keeps the
Build and handling holder securely on the lens.
https://cokin.com The NX Series Filter Holder is With the holder on the lens,
made from aluminium; while it’s it’s time to mount a filter. If you
light, it feels strong and looks want to use a polarizing filter,
okin offers three In an odd quirk, Cokin’s well-made. Most filter holders mount this first, as it pushes
C series of filter
holders – Creative
graduated 100mm filters are
143.5x100mm, while most of its
have slots for accommodating
the filters, but the NX Filter
neatly into a dedicated circular
area in the holder and sits close
and Evo holders, competitors’ filters are 150 x Holder has two rows of four ball to the lens. A small metal cog in
which are available in a range of 100mm. Consequently, Cokin bearings on either side. These the filter holder engages with
sizes, and the newer NX Series. makes two sizes of rectangular ball bearings fit into slots in the teeth in the CPL filter’s frame
The latter is designed for use filter frame and one square filter frames so that the filters so that it can be rotated easily
with 100mm-type square and frame in the NX Series, so it’s slide smoothly into place. while you look in the viewfinder.
rectangular filters from a range important to ensure that you Before you use a filter, it Now you’re ready to slide a
of brands, including Cokin. have the correct-size frames needs to be mounted in one of framed filter into the holder. We
What sets the NX Holder apart for your filters. Cokin sells the Cokin’s filter frames. This is not found it helpful to touch the end
from most other filter holders frames separately and as part something you want to do out in of the filter frame onto the top
is that each filter needs to be of a kit. the field; it’s also something you of the holder, then slide it onto
mounted in an aluminium frame really only want to do once, so the row of ball bearings closest
before it can be used. Cokin Key features it’s well worth ensuring that you to the lens. This avoids any
makes frames to fit square The NX Series Filter Holder is have a frame for every filter that misalignment or straddling the
100x100mm filters and made of aluminium and is able you’re likely to use. two rows of ball bearings. If you
rectangular graduated filters. to accept a Cokin circular The filter is held in the frame want to insert a second filter,
by a small aluminium tab that rest its frame against the first
must be removed to allow the filter’s frame, then slide it in.
filter to be slipped in. The tab is
secured on the frame by two Performance
Any frustration with mounting the filter tiny screws; they are easy to As soon as you start using the
frames is forgotten because they make remove, but refitting them is a

frustratingly fiddly job. We lost a
NX Series Filter System, any
frustration with mounting the
the filters much easier to handle screw or two in the process filter frames is forgotten,
FILTER HOLDERS
Key features FOR

What to look for with the Low profile and robust build
Cokin NX Series Filter Holder Frames make filters easier
to handle
Suitable for use with
Adapter rings wide-angle lenses
72, 77 and 82mm rings
come in the Starter Kit, or AGAINST
can be bought separately.
Requires filter frames
NX filter frames are
very fiddly to fit
Tricky to remove the polarizer
Get framed up
Filters must be mounted
in a frame.
Fine adjustments
Turn this cog to rotate
the polarizer.
Well-manufactured
Made from aluminium
and low in weight, the
holder still feels strong.
because they make the filters Cokin claims that the NX from the back after the holder There are only really two
much easier to handle. The Series Filter Holder is suitable has been removed from the issues that count against the NX
broad tab at the top makes an with lenses as short as 16mm. lens. In a pleasing touch, the Series Holder: the fiddly screws
ideal holding point so you can We found no reason to question filter holder has a light seal that for mounting the filter frames,
easily adjust the filter position or this when we used the system does a good job of excluding and the awkward way in which
remove it, and with less chance on ultra-wide lenses, with just a light when an ND filter is fitted the polarizing filter has to be
of covering it in fingerprints than little vignetting at 14mm or so. for a long exposure. removed. After using the NX
with many other filters. The Cokin NX Series CPL filter system, these points
We used the holder both with works very well with the holder. Verdict seem a small price to pay for
Cokin Nuances Extreme filters The cog mechanism makes While circular filters, especially its performance in the field.
and with filters from Lee Filters; it easy to adjust the rotation those with a magnetic mount,
aside from the difference in precisely, and there’s no danger are quicker and easier to use, a Features
the length of the two brands’ of touching any of the filters in holder is required for the proper Build &
handling
graduated filters, there was no the process. The only hiccup is use of a graduated filter. The
Performance
difference in how they slipped that it’s awkward to remove the Cokin NX Series Filter Holder
into the filter. They pushed in CPL from the frame: you either makes a great choice, offering Value
easily and were held securely,
yet were easy to adjust.
have to hook it out with a
fingernail or poke it through
delightful build quality and
holding the filters securely. 5 Overall
BIG TEST
Specifications
Filter size:
100mm type filters
Mount: Screw-fit
via adapter rings
Construction:
Aluminium
with magnets
Kit option: No
Marumi M100 100mm

Similarly, the filter holder needs fairly chunky main section
filters that are in a frame, each that gives it a solid feel overall.
of which is designed to mount The filter holder is held on the
Magnetic Filter Holder

by magnetic attraction. adapter ring by two screw-down
retainers, one on either side of
Key features the back of the adapter ring.
£143/$150
Marumi supplies the M100 These prove tricky to use if the
100mm Magnetic Filter Holder adapter ring is already on the
with 72mm, 77mm and 82mm lens: it’s better to mount the
Marumi’s use of magnets in its M100 holder adapter rings, but the holder adapter ring on the holder
means that it’s very quick and easy to swap can be mounted on lenses with first, then screw the whole
between different filters other filter threads via an thing onto the lens.
optional step-up ring. Each Once an adapter ring has
www.marumi-global.com adapter ring has a wide, smooth been mounted on the holder,
rim that enables it to be the polarizer can be moved into
threaded easily onto a lens, position. Fitting the polarizer
arumi may not be As well as the standard and a slightly recessed knurled reveals a little surprise: unlike
M the best-known
filter manufacturer,
graduated neutral-density
(ND) filters, Marumi offers
section that can rotate
separately from the outer part.
the other filters, it isn’t
magnetic. Fortunately, when
but the firm has more exotic options like Because the filter holder uses it’s screwed into the correct
been in the optics industry for reverse-graduated ND and magnets to hold square and position, the polarizer is held
over 85 years. It produces a centre-graduated ND filters, rectangular filters, there are pretty tightly, but it doesn’t
huge range of filters, with which can be useful when no guide rails or filter slots to always slip straight into the
screw-in, round magnetic you’re photographing sunsets thread the filters into. This right place, and it’s a bit fiddly
and square filter options. or sunrises. means the holder is slimmer in practice.
The company’s square and Marumi sells the M100 than the holders in several Consequently, it’s important
rectangular filters are produced 100mm Magnetic Filter Holder other filter systems. to be very careful with the fit,
in collaboration with H&Y, and filter by itself, but the Circular A cog in the bottom of the especially if the lens is tipped
feature an H&Y frame that Polarizer for M100 is specifically holder knits with the knurled rim forwards and no other filters are
allows them to be mounted in designed for use with it and the of the Marumi adapter rings to in use. If a square or rectangular
the Marumi M100 100mm holder. The polarizer fits within enable the Circular Polarizer to filter is in use, it will keep the
Magnetic Filter Holder. You’ll the raised edge of an adapter be rotated without touching the polarizer in the holder, even if
see H&Y branding on the holder ring, which has a dedicated filter itself. It’s good to see a it isn’t screwed in properly.
alongside the Marumi logo. section for it in the holder. light seal around the aperture The M100 holder is designed
in the Marumi 100mm Magnetic to be used with Marumi’s filters,
Filter Holder, as this prevents which feature a magnetic frame
light leaks from occurring made by H&Y. These are pulled
during long exposures. magnetically onto the holder
The magnets are strong, but it’s still fairly and are held securely. The
easy to push a filter up or down if you need Build and handling

Marumi makes the filter holder
magnetic attraction is strong
enough for up to three filters
to adjust the position of a graduation from aluminium, and it has a to be stacked together.
FILTER HOLDERS
Key features FOR

What to look for with the M100 Strong magnets keep
100mm Magnetic Filter Holder square filters in place
Metal construction
Graduation marks help
Easy to transport with filter positioning
The filter holder and
three adapter rings come AGAINST
in a handy soft pouch.
The polarizer filter
isn’t magnetic
The holder is fiddly to mount
Requires framed filters
Magnetic attraction
Rectangular and square
filters attach in a snap.
Circular argument
The polarizer isn’t Adapter rings
magnetic, so it screws 72, 77 and 82mm
into position. sizes are included.
Performance only acts upon the first filter in and well-made. Thanks to its to change between lenses with
The square filter-holding section the holder, although it does keep use of magnets, it’s very easy to different filter thread sizes on
of the Marumi 100mm Magnetic that filter in place well. mount and adjust square and a frequent basis while you’re
Filter Holder is only the depth of When the polarizing filter is in rectangular filters. However, out in the field.
one filter, but you can stack one position, the cog at the bottom we’d feel more confident using It would be quicker if each
or two on top, using the of the holder makes it easy to a polarizing filter by itself if the lens had its own adapter
magnetic attraction to keep rotate it into the correct position Marumi Circular Polarizer for already mounted, but instead
them in place. The magnets to give the desired level of M100 was also magnetic. Its you have to put the different-
are strong enough to hold polarization. If there’s a screw-fit design isn’t as easy sized adapters onto the holder
everything still during use, but graduated filter, this can be to use as you’d like. before it can be mounted.
it’s still fairly easy to push a filter rotated by moving the whole In addition, while the fixing
up or down if you need to adjust holder on the adapter ring, mechanism enables the holder Features
the position of a graduation and the polarizer can be to be held very securely on a Build &
handling
while you shoot. moved again to compensate. lens, the holder needs to be
Performance
There’s a small screw in one attached to the adapter ring
side of the holder that can be Verdict before it is screwed onto the Value
tightened to prevent a filter from
being moved up or down. This
The Marumi M100 100mm
Magnetic Filter Holder is robust
lens. This isn’t especially
problematic unless you want 3.5 Overall
BIG TEST
Specifications
Filter size:
100mm-type filters
Mount: Screw-fit
via adapter rings
Construction: Aviation-
grade aluminium;
plastic filter guides
Kit option: Yes
Kase Wolverine Series

magnetic rim that holds it onto
the magnetic geared adapter
ring; this has a knurled edge
K9 Filter Holder Kit

that knits with the cog in
the side of the holder. The
combination of mechanisms
£146/$139
allows you to use the cog to
rotate the polarizer without
touching it, which avoids the risk
Kase’s 100mm K9 filter holder is well of getting fingerprints on it.
made, easy to use and relatively The holder is designed to
affordable. What’s not to like? take 100mm-type square or
rectangular filters. In the US, the
https://kasefilters.com holder comes with two different
sizes of slot: 2mm and 1.1mm.
The 2mm slots are fitted as
ase has an extensive are the Kase Wolverine Armour standard, as that’s suitable for
K range of filters,
offering everything
100mm Filter Holder system,
which has magnetic frames to
most 100mm-type filters. In
the UK, only the 2mm slots are
from 150x170mm surround 100mm rectangular provided, but 1.1mm slots can
filters to rear-mounted filters filters; and the more widely be supplied by special order
that slot into the back of some known Kase Wolverine K9 should you need them.
lenses. There’s also a choice 100mm Filter holder, which is Kase supplies the holder with
of circular magnetic filters and the one we’re testing here. two geared adapter rings for
Take greater creative control with
square or rectangular filters mounting it on a lens: 77-90mm
a neutral-density filter, which has
that fit into one of the Key features and 82-90mm. This means they enabled a long exposure to smooth
company’s holders. Although Kase offers the can be mounted on lenses the flow of a waterfall here.
Kase offers two different- Wolverine Series K9 Filter with 77mm or and 82mm filter
sized filter holders: a small one Holder by itself, it primarily threads. There are also two
for 75mm-type filters, which sells it as a kit with the 90mm step-up rings in the box, are made from plastic, and
are suited to lenses made for magnetic circular polarizing however, which enable the there are graduation marks on
small mirrorless cameras; and filter, as the two items are holder to be mounted on lenses the front to help guide the
two holders that are designed designed to work together. with 67mm or 72mm threads. positioning of a graduated filter.
for 100mm-type filters. These The polarizer frame has a Should you need it, a third set of
Build and handling filter slots is provided in the kit;
The Kase Wolverine Series this can be added to the holder
K9 Filter Holder is made from using the supplied hex tool and
aviation-grade aluminium, longer screws. The use of
The Wolverine K9 filter holder is made from which is CNC-machined, and aluminium means the holder
aviation-grade aluminium, and it has a it has a pleasing matt-black

anodized finish. The filter slots,
is light but strong.
Once an adapter ring is
pleasing matt-black anodized finish two on each side of the holder, threaded onto the filter thread
FILTER HOLDERS
Key features FOR

What to look for with the Kase Lightweight metal construction
Wolverine Series K9 Filter Holder Kit Kit includes a magnetic polarizer
Accepts a wide range
of 100mm filters
In the box
Two adapter rings and AGAINST
two step-up rings are Including the polarizer
included, plus a
magnetic polarizer.
increases the cost
Filters by Lee Filters don’t
thread as smoothly as Kase’s
The holder clip isn’t sprung
Secure mounting
Wind this knob to fix
the holder to the lens.
A great match Smear-free tuning

The 90mm polarizer is Use this cog to adjust
designed to complement the polarizer without
the K9 Filter Holder. touching it.
of a lens, the holder is mounted Performance the filter guides, then to slide makes it easy to mount the
by turning the small red knob The Kase Wolverine K9 filter them up or down into position. polarizing filter, and the cog or
until the red tab is withdrawn. holder fits easily onto an Lee Filters rectangular filters, dial lets you adjust the degree of
Then it’s just a case of fitting the adapter ring on a lens and, as which we also tested with the polarization while you look in the
holder over the adapter ring mentioned, winding the red Kase holder, don’t have such a viewfinder without touching any
before turning the knob in the knob fixes it securely. Once the wide curve, and they don’t slip of the filters. The Wolverine
opposite direction to move the holder is in place, the magnetic as smoothly into position as Series K9 holder is compatible
tab back into position. polarizer snaps into position a result – in fact, we found that with any 2mm-thick 100mm-
It would be good to have a when it’s offered up. There’s they are prone to catching on type filters, but works especially
sprung clip that can be pulled room for the polarizer to rotate their way in, and needed a little well with Kase’s own.
back and released, but the around in the holder, as it’s wiggle to send them fully home.
screw-close clip is very secure. the geared adapter ring that Features
It can also be tightened meshes with the cog on Verdict Build &
handling
sufficiently to prevent the holder the holder’s side. The Kase Wolverine Series K9
Performance
from rotating, which is handy Kase’s Wolverine K9 filters Filter Holder is very well-made.
when you’re using a graduated have a fairly wide curved It’s light in weight and not as Value
filter and need to keep it firmly
in place for a long exposure.
chamfer at each corner. This
makes them easy to slip into
bulky as some other holders,
but it’s also robust. The magnet 4.5 Overall
BIG TEST
Specifications
Filter size: 100mm

type filters
Mount: Via magnetic
adapter rings
Construction: Metal with
plastic filter guides
Kit option: Yes
Formatt Hitech Firecrest

aluminium, while the filter Unlike some filter holders,
guides are made from plastic. there’s no spring in the Firecrest
Slots enable up to two square or 100mm Holder’s mounting
100mm Holder Magnetic Kit

rectangular filters to mechanism. This means there’s
be mounted in the holder, but no satisfying snap as the holder
Formatt Hitech provides an clips into place; instead, you just
£175/$189
extra pair of guides, plus longer have to ensure that the tab is
screws, to enable up to three wound down tight. It makes for
filters to be mounted. a secure grip, but when we first
This system combines the convenience of To prevent light from hitting used the holder, we didn’t have
magnetism for a polarizer with the flexibility filters from behind while they’re it in quite the right place on
of slots for square filters mounted in the holder, there are a couple of occasions.
two sets of covers that can be Square or rectangular filters
www.formatt-hitech.com slotted onto the top and bottom can be slid into the filter guides
of the holder. One set is ‘closed’ without a polarizer in place on
for use with square filters, while the magnetic adapter ring, but
K-based Formatt mounts onto a lens via a the second set is ‘vented’ to if you want to mount or remove
U Hitech is not the

most widely known
magnetic adapter. The supplied
circular polarizer is mounted
enable rectangular graduated
filters to be moved up and down
the polarizer, you have to
remove the holder. A fuzzy light
filter manufacturer, via magnetic attraction, while in the holder. seal around the inside edge of
but it’s a well-respected brand the holder for square and The holder, polarizing filter the holder butts up against the
by those in the know. The rectangular filters is attached and the rings or another filter, first square or rectangular filter
Firecrest 100mm Magnetic mechanically. Formatt Hitech plus a magnetic lens cap, can mounted in the holder, and the
Holder is an update to the supplies two magnetic adapters be stored in the supplied pouch, provided covers also slot on
Firecrest 100mm Holder in the kit: one for lenses with which can be used to cover the snugly to ensure no light gets in.
Mark II: it introduces a magnetic an 86mm filter thread, and polarizer whether the holder is The ‘vented’ covers, which
attachment for the polarizer, another for lenses with an or isn’t mounted, provided have a rectangular aperture to
which was hard to unscrew in 82mm filter thread. There are that there are no filters in the allow rectangular filters to pass
the cold on the old system. also two step-up rings in the kit holder slots. through, are such a snug fit that
to allow the 86mm adapter to they need to be mounted after
Key features be mounted on lenses with Build and handling the filters. It’s possible to adjust
Like other filter holders, the 77mm or 72mm filter threads. The use of lightweight the position of a graduated filter
Formatt Hitech Firecrest The Firecrest 100mm Holder aluminium for the holder while the vented covers are in
100mm Magnetic Holder is made from aircraft-grade means it feels solid without place, but we couldn’t get a filter
being heavy. It is mounted on to thread into the slots when
a lens adapter by hooking its they were in position.
two fixed tabs onto one side
of the adapter ring; pushing it Performance
The holder grips the filters securely, back onto the ring; and then Once the magnetic adapter
which means there’s little chance screwing closed the third (blue)
tab on the opposite side of the
ring is on a lens, the circular
polarizer snaps neatly into
of them falling to the ground first two. place. Then, with the holder
FILTER HOLDERS
Key features FOR

What to look for with the Formatt Hitech Easy polarizer attachment
Firecrest 100mm Holder Magnetic Kit High-quality construction
Compatible with many filters
Flexibility is key AGAINST

Two magnetic adapters, As the polarizer is included,
plus a pair of step-up the kit is expensive
rings, are supplied.
Holder must be removed before
the polarizer can be removed
Care needed to ensure
the holder is mounted
In-cog-neato
Turn the cog to adjust the
degree of polarization.
Versatile holder
Up to three square Reassuring build
or rectangular filters Metal construction
can be mounted. inspires confidence.
fixed on, the cog on the side be support from the opposite Verdict Recently, we’ve tested a few
of the holder allows you to direction to the movement when Formatt Hitech’s Firecrest filter systems that use frames
adjust the degree of polarization you’re adjusting their position 100mm Holder is well-made, around the filter; while the initial
without having to touch the filter to prevent the camera from and its metal construction gives set-up of the filter seems a faff,
and risk leaving fingerprints. moving. Formatt Hitech confidence that it will last. The the approach does avoid getting
The position of any graduated provides an Allen key with the polarizer mount is assured and fingerprints on the filter. With
filters slotted into the holder Firecrest 100mm Holder to the holder mounts securely. the Firecrest 100mm Holder,
can be adjusted by rotating the enable the supplied extra filter Unlike the Lee Filters LEE100 though, you need to have a lens
holder on the adapter ring, with slots to be added if necessary. Holder, this design doesn’t cloth at the ready to keep the
the polarizer cog being turned Most photographers are likely have a locking or half-lock filters clean.
to compensate if necessary. to be satisfied by the ability to mechanism, but it does have
It means you can adjust the mount a polarizer and up to two a slick means of adjusting the Features
respective positions while square or rectangular filters; for rotation of the polarizer. It’s also Build &
handling
looking through the viewfinder. those who need a third, it only good to have a magnetic lens
Performance
The holder grips the filters takes a few minutes to insert the cap that can be popped into
securely, which means there’s extra slots. Just keep an eye on position between shots, once Value
little chance of them falling to
the ground, but there needs to
the position of the polarizer
adjustment cog.
any square or rectangular filters
have been removed. 4.5 Overall
BIG TEST
The results are in…

%HVWEX\ȩOWHUKROGHUV
he use of magnets and filter advisable to have a frame for every filter of the bunch here – it’s very well-made and
T frames is transforming filter

holders and the way we use
you use rather than swapping them around;
but the long-term gains soon become
enables precise adjustments of the filter.
However, if you prefer to avoid using filter
filters. There’s some short-term apparent, as the filters are easier to handle. frames, the Kase Wolverine Series K9
pain in fitting a frame to your filters, and it’s The Cokin NX Series Filter Holder is our pick holder makes an excellent choice.
Good
Formatt Hitech Firecrest
Better
Kase Wolverine Series
Best
Cokin NX Series
100mm Holder Magnetic Kit K9 Filter Holder Kit Filter Holder
Good value for money, and the holder’s Light in weight but robust; the included Filter frames are essential, but the filters
rugged build quality inspires confidence. polarizer is easy to mount and rotate. are held securely. Delightful build quality.
How the
filter holders
compare Lee Filters Cokin NX Series Marumi M100 100mm Kase Wolverine Series K9 Formatt Hitech Firecrest
LEE100 Holder Filter Holder Magnetic Filter Holder Filter Holder Kit 100mm Holder Magnetic Kit
Contact www.marumi-global.com www.formatt-hitech.com www.cokin.com www.kasefilters.com www.leefilters.com
Filter size 100mm type filters 100mm type filters, 100mm type filters 100mm type filters 100mm type filters
Cokin L (Z-Pro series)
Mount Via adapter rings Via adapter rings Screw-fit via magnetic Screw-fit via Via magnetic
adapter rings adapter rings adapter rings
Construction Injection-moulded Aluminium Aluminium with magnets Aviation-grade aluminium; Metal with plastic
composite plastic filter guides filter guides
Kit option Three are available, including Five are available; all include the No Yes Yes
Landscape and Long holder and a circular polarizer
Exposure variants
Price £79/$116 £100/$100 £143/$150 £146/$139 £175/$189
Features
Build & handling
Performance
Value
Overall
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BUYER’S GUIDE
Nikon cameras
The current range of Nikon DSLR, Coolpix & Z-series mirrorless cameras
NIKON D7500 TESTED IN ISSUE 141 • £1049/$997

Sensor 20.9Mp, DX (5568x3712)
AN ADVANCED DSLR that’s easy to use, the D7500
DX DSLRS
Processor EXPEED 5
delivers superb performance and image quality, plus Viewfinder Pentaprism, 0.94x, 100%
great value. The D7500 steals most of the best bits
ISO 100-51,200 (50-1,640,000 expanded)
from the now-discontinued pro-grade D500, and
AF 51-point (15 cross-type)
squeezes them into a smaller, lighter body at a
much more affordable price. LCD 3.2-inch, tilt, touch
Current market prices are checked regularly with reputable stores to serve as a guideline. Body-only prices quoted unless stated. Different lens bundles are available. Prices correct at time of going to press.
Max burst (buffer) 8fps (50 Raw)

Memory card SDXC UHS-I

Sensor 24.5Mp, FX (6048x4024)
THE D780 IS a highly capable and entirely natural- Processor EXPEED 6
feeling DSLR for shooting stills in viewfinder mode, Viewfinder Pentaprism, 0.7x, 100%
coupled with the same kind of accuracy and
ISO 100-51,200 (50-204,800 expanded)
performance as a mirrorless camera in live view and
for shooting movies. Despite its strong credentials,
though, it looks overpriced compared with the Z 6II. LCD 3.2-inch, 2359k, tilt, touch
Max burst (buffer) 7fps (68-100 Raw)
Memory card Two SDXC UHS-II

Sensor 45.7Mp, FX (8256x5504)
THE HIGH-RES D850 can turn its hand to pretty
FX DSLRS
Processor EXPEED 5
much anything, and is arguably Nikon’s most tempting Viewfinder Pentaprism, 0.75x, 100%
DSLR camera. It’s capable of stunning images with
ISO 64-25,600 (32-102,400 expanded)
immense fine detail. For live view and video capture,
however, the contrast-detection autofocus system is
inferior to that of Z cameras and the D780. LCD 3.2-inch, 2359k, tilt, touch
Memory card One XQD/CFexpress, one SDXC UHS-II

Sensor 20.8Mp, FX (5568x3712)
GEARED MOSTLY TOWARDS action sports and Processor EXPEED 6
wildlife photography, the D6 is a high-performance Viewfinder Pentaprism, 0.72x, 100%
DSLR but only features a 20.8Mp sensor. All the same,
ISO 100-102,400 (50-3,280,000 expanded)
stills performance is exhilarating: the fast continuous
drive rate and AF system help you to nail the definitive
moment, no matter how fast-paced the action is. LCD 3.2-inch, 2359k, touch
Memory card Two XQD/CFexpress
NIKON P950 NIKON P1000

SMALLER & LIGHTER than the ANOTHER BRIDGE CAMERA,
P1000, the P950 has broader the P1000 offers a zoom range
COOLPIX
appeal, but a smaller full-frame equivalent to 24-3000mm in

equivalent zoom range of full-frame terms, so it’s ready
24-2000mm. Like all bridge for any shooting situation. The
cameras, image quality is the camera has a 16Mp sensor and
pay-off for unrivalled versatility. supports Raw photography.
£849/$797 £1049/$997
NIKON Z 30 TESTED IN ISSUE 141 • £699/$657

Sensor 20.9Mp, DX (5568x3712)
DX Z-SERIES
THE Z 30 IS aimed at vloggers, for which the Processor EXPEED 6

vari-angle touchscreen works much better than Viewfinder None
the tilting screen of the Z 50, however there’s no EVF,
ISO 100-51,200 (100-204,800 expanded)
which isn’t such good news if you primarily shoot
AF 209-point
stills. There’s virtually no difference in image or video
quality between the Z 30 and the Z 50 and Z fc. LCD 3-inch, 1040k, vari-angle, touch
NIKON CAMERAS

Sensor 20.9Mp, DX (5568x3712)
SMALL AND SIMPLE but power-packed, the Z 50 is Processor EXPEED 6
capable of fabulous results, and it’s a real joy to use. Viewfinder OLED, 2360k, 0.39-inch, 100%
The slimline build makes the most of the compact
ISO 100-51,200 (100-204,800 expanded)
mirrorless design ethic and firmware updates have
AF 209-point
added Eye-Detection AF capabilities, bringing it
in-line with more recent DX Z-camera releases. LCD 3.2-inch, 1040k, tilt, touch
DX Z-SERIES

NIKON Z FC TESTED IN ISSUE 141 • £879/$957

Sensor 20.9Mp, DX (5568x3712)
IT’S NOT JUST its retro chic styling and direct-access Processor EXPEED 6
dials that makes the Z fc so alluring. Far from a case Viewfinder OLED, 2360k, 0.39-inch, 100%
of style over substance, this DX-format Z camera is a
ISO 100-51,200 (100-204,800 expanded)
pleasure to operate and captures quality images to boot.
AF 209-point
Matching ‘SE’ lenses complement its good looks and the
Nikon Store offers exclusive colours like the Z fc Black. LCD 3-inch, 1040k, vari-angle, touch

Sensor 24.3Mp, FX (6016x4016)
FULL-FRAME PHOTOGRAPHY starts here, with Processor EXPEED 6
Nikon’s most affordable FX Z camera. Despite its low Viewfinder OLED, 3690k, 0.5-inch, 100%
cost, it boasts plenty of top-notch features including ISO 100-51,200 (50-102,400 expanded)
IBIS, the EXPEED 6 processor and dual card slots. AF 273-point
Add to that great image quality and 273-point hybrid LCD 3.2-inch, 1040k, tilt, touch
AF, and this is a very capable FX Z-series camera. Max burst (buffer) 4.5fps (100 Raw)
Memory card Two SDXC UHS-II
NIKON Z 6II TESTED IN ISSUE 141 • £1999/$1997

Sensor 24.5Mp, FX (6048x4024)
OFFERING AN IDEAL balance of price and Processor Dual EXPEED 6
performance, the Z 6II delivers superb quality for Viewfinder OLED, 3690k, 0.5-inch, 100%
stills and 4K video, and is a brilliant all-rounder. With ISO 100-51,200 (50-204,800 expanded)
fewer megapixels to process, the Z 6II beats the Z 7II AF 273-point
with a 14fps rather than 10fps drive mode and it can LCD 3.2-inch, 2100k, tilt, touch
focus better in low light, down to -6 EV.
NIKON Z 7II TESTED IN ISSUE 141 • £2949/$2997

Sensor 45.7Mp, FX (8256x5504)
FX Z-SERIES
WITH ITS 45.7MP sensor, the Z 7II matches Nikon’s Processor Dual EXPEED 6
similarly priced D850 for megapixels. But, especially in Viewfinder OLED, 3690k, 0.5-inch, 100%
handheld shooting and for movie capture, the Z 7II can
ISO 64-25,600 (32-102,400 expanded)
yield even better results, thanks to features like IBIS. It
AF 493-point
also boasts 493 focus points to the Z 6II’s 273. If you
want a mirrorless powerhouse for stills, this is it. LCD 3.2-inch, 2100k, tilt, touch

Sensor 45.7Mp, FX (8256x5504)
BILLED BY NIKON as a “baby Z 9”, the Z 8 inherits Processor EXPEED 7
the vast majority of the flagship mirrorless’s specs Viewfinder OLED, 3690k, 0.5-inch, 100%
– including its blisteringly fast electronic shutter
ISO 64-25,600 (32-102,400 expanded)
and EXPEED 7 processor – in a more compact and
AF 493-point
manageable body that forgoes the bulky bottom
grip. It costs a good deal less, into the bargain. LCD 3.2-inch, 2100k, v/h tilt, touch
Max burst (buffer) 20fps Raw (79-1000 Raw), 120fps JPEG
TESTED IN ISSUE 141 • £5299/$5497

Sensor 45.7Mp, FX (8256x5504)
THE FLAGSHIP MODEL of Nikon’s Z series blows Processor EXPEED 7
the D6 out of the water for resolution, speed and Viewfinder OLED, 3690k, 0.5-inch, 100%
all-round performance. A key factor is that it ditches
ISO 64-25,600 (32-102,400 expanded)
the mechanical shutter and uses a purely electronic
AF 493-point
shutter. It boasts Nikon’s best video specs too, and
can shoot 12-bit Raw 8K 60p via a paid update. LCD 3.2-inch, 2100k, v/h tilt, touch
Max burst (buffer) 20fps Raw (79-1000 Raw), 120fps JPEG
Memory card Two XQD/CFexpress
BUYER’S GUIDE
Nikon-fit lenses
Your at-a-glance guide to the current crop of Nikon-fit lenses
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KEY: ■ BEST ON TEST ■ GOLD AWARD ■ GREAT VALUE
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WIDE-ANGLE ZOOMS
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Nikon AF-S 8-15mm f/3.5-4.5E ED £1449/$1246 F FX 1.9x No Ultrasonic 485g 0.16m 0.34x None 7 149
Nikon AF-P DX 10-20 mm f/4.5-5.6G VR £299/$308 F DX 2x Yes Pulse 230g 0.22m 0.17x 72mm 7 149 ■
Nikon AF-S DX 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5G ED £949/$900 F DX 2.4x No Ultrasonic 460g 0.24m 0.2x 77mm 7 77
Nikon AF-S 14-24mm f/2.8G ED £1619/$1749 F FX 1.7x No Ultrasonic 1000g 0.28m 0.15x None 9 122
Nikon AF-S 16-35mm f/4G ED VR £1149/$1097 F FX 2.5x Yes Ultrasonic 680g 0.28m 0.25x 77mm 9 149
£379/$357 Z DX 2.3x Yes Stepping 205g 0.19m 0.21x 67mm 7 152
WIDE-ANGLE ZOOMS
Nikon Z DX 12-28mm f/3.5-5.6 PZ VR

Nikon Z 14-24mm f/2.8 S £2099/$2497 Z FX 1.7x No Stepping 650g 0.28m 0.13x 112mm 9 149 ■
Nikon Z 14-30mm f/4 S £1149/$1347 Z FX 2.1x No Ultrasonic 485g 0.28m 0.16x 82mm 7 149 ■■
Nikon Z 17-28mm f/2.8 £1099/$1200 Z FX 1.65x No Stepping 450g 0.19m 0.19x 67mm 9 145 ■■
Sigma 8-16mm f/4.5-5.6 DC HSM £599/$700 F DX 2x No Ultrasonic 555g 0.24m 0.13x 72mm 7 89
Sigma 12-24mm f/4 DG HSM | A £1259/$1299 F FX 2x No Ultrasonic 1150g 0.24m 0.2x None 9 149
Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 DG HSM | A £1269/$1299 F FX 0.19x No Ultrasonic 1150g 0.26m 0.19x None 9 149 ■■
Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM | A £699/$800 F DX 1.9x No Ultrasonic 810g 0.28m 0.23x 72mm 9
Sigma 24-35mm f/2 DG HSM | A £729/$950 F FX 1.5x No Ultrasonic 940g 0.28m 0.23x 82mm 9
Tamron SP AF 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5 Di II VC HLD £500/$500 F DX 2.4x Yes Modulated 440g 0.24m 0.19x 77mm 7 135 ■■
Tamron SP 15-30mm f/2.8 Di VC USD £1279/$1300 F FX 2x Yes Ultrasonic 1100g 0.28m 0.2x None 9 142
Tokina atx-i 11-16mm f/2.8 CF Plus £480/$449 F DX 1.5x No Electric 555g 0.3m 0.09x 77mm 9 32
Tokina atx-i 11-20mm f/2.8 £500/$529 F DX 1.8x No Ultrasonic 560g 0.28m 0.12x 82mm 9 135
Tokina AT-X 14-20mm f/2 PRO DX £625/$630 F DX 1.4x No Electric 735g 0.28m 0.12x 82mm 9
Tokina Opera 16-28mm f/2.8 FF £700/$700 F FX 1.7x No Electric 940g 0.28m 0.19x None 9 101
Tokina atx-i 17-35mm f/4 FF £560/$599 F FX 2x No Electric 569g 0.28m 0.2x 82mm 9
Current market prices are checked regularly with reputable stores to serve as a guideline. Prices correct at time of going to press.
STANDARD ZOOMS
Nikon AF-S DX 16-80mm f/2.8-4E ED VR £989/$1070 F DX 5x Yes Ultrasonic 480g 0.35m 0.22x 72mm 7 138
Nikon AF-P DX 18-55mm f/3.5–5.6G VR £229/$250 F DX 3.1x Yes Stepping 205g 0.25m 0.38x 55mm 7 125 ■
STANDARD ZOOMS
Nikon AF-S 24-70mm f/2.8E ED VR £1919/$2400 F FX 2.9x Yes Ultrasonic 1070g 0.38m 0.27x 82mm 9 138
Nikon AF-S 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5G ED VR £579/$500 F FX 3.5x Yes Ultrasonic 465g 0.38m 0.22x 72mm 7 88
Nikon AF-S 24-120mm f/4G ED VR £1069/$1097 F FX 5x Yes Ultrasonic 710g 0.45m 0.24x 77mm 9 153
Nikon Z DX 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 VR £329/$307 Z DX 3.1x Yes Stepping 135g 0.2m 0.2x 46mm 7 153
Nikon Z 24-50mm f/4-6.3 £449/$397 Z FX 2x No Stepping 195g 0.35m 0.17x 52mm 7 153
Nikon Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S £2099/$2300 Z FX 2.9x No Ultrasonic 805g 0.38m 0.22x 82mm 7 138 ■■
Nikon Z 24-70mm f/4 S £799/$997 Z FX 2.9x No Stepping 500g 0.3m 0.3x 72mm 7 153
Nikon Z 24-120mm f/4 S £969/$1097 Z FX 5x No Stepping 630g 0.35m 0.39x 77mm 9 153
Nikon Z 28-75mm f/2.8 £859/$897 Z FX 2.7x No Stepping 565g 0.39m 0.34x 67mm 9 153 ■■■
Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 DG OS HSM | A £1149/$1299 F FX 2.9x Yes Ultrasonic 1020g 0.37m 0.21x 82mm 9 153
Sigma 24-105mm f/4 DG OS HSM | A £639/$899 F FX 4.4x Yes Ultrasonic 885g 0.45m 0.22x 82mm 9 153 ■
Tamron SP AF 24-70mm f/2.8 Di VC USD G2 £1199/$1200 F FX 2.9x Yes Ultrasonic 905g 0.38m 0.2x 82mm 9 88
TELEPHOTO ZOOMS
Nikon AF-S 70-200mm f/4G ED VR £900/$1400 F FX 2.9x Yes Ultrasonic 850g 1m 0.27x 67mm 9 118
Nikon AF-S 70-200mm f/2.8E FL ED VR £2119/$2350 F FX 2.9x Yes Ultrasonic 1430g 1.1m 0.21x 77mm 9 118 ■
Nikon AF-P DX 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3G ED £295/$347 F DX 4.3x No Stepping 400g 1.1m 0.22x 58mm 7 148
Nikon AF-P DX 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3G ED VR £385/$397 F DX 4.3x Yes Stepping 415g 1.1m 0.22x 58mm 7 148
TELEPHOTO ZOOMS
Nikon AF-P 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6E ED VR £629/$597 F FX 4.3x Yes Ultrasonic 680g 1.2m 0.25x 67mm 9 148 ■
Nikon AF-S 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR £2299/$2300 F FX 5x Yes Ultrasonic 1570g 1.5m 0.2x 77mm 9 137
Nikon AF-S 120-300mm f/2.8E FL ED SR VR £10499/$9500 F FX 2.5x Yes Ultrasonic 3250g 2m 0.16x 112mm 9 118
Nikon AF-S 180-400mm f/4E ED VR TC1.4 £10999/$12397 F FX 2.2x Yes Ultrasonic 3500g 2m 0.25x Drop-in 9
Nikon AF-S 200-400mm f/4G ED VR II £7599/$7000 F FX 2x Yes Ultrasonic 3360g 1.95m 0.27x 52mm 9 76
Nikon AF-S 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR £1399/$1400 F FX 2.5x Yes Ultrasonic 2300g 2.2m 0.22x 95mm 9 137
Nikon Z DX 50-250mm f/4.5-6.3 VR £289/$377 Z DX 5x Yes Stepping 405g 0.5m 0.23x 62mm 7 148 ■
Nikon Z 70-180mm f/2.8 £1299/$1247 Z FX 2.6x No Stepping 795g 0.27m 0.48x 67mm 9
Nikon Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S £2399/$2600 Z FX 2.9x Yes Stepping 1140g 0.5m 0.2x 77mm 9 118 ■■
Nikon Z 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 VR S £2419/$2700 Z FX 4x No Stepping 1355g 0.75m 0.38x 77mm 9 137 ■■
Nikon Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR £1799/$1697 Z FX 3.3x Yes Stepping 1955g 1.3m 0.25x 95mm 9
Sigma 50-100mm f/1.8 DC HSM | A £999/$1100 F DX 2x No Ultrasonic 1490g 0.95m 0.15x 82mm 9 72
Sigma 60-600mm f/4.5-6.3 DG OS HSM | S £1699/$2000 F FX 10x Yes Ultrasonic 2700g 0.6m 0.3x 105mm 9 127
Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 DG OS HSM | S £1099/$1380 F FX 2.9x Yes Ultrasonic 1805g 0.95m 0.21x 82mm 11 121 ■■■
NIKON-FIT LENSES
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Sigma 100-400mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM | C £699/$699 F FX 4x Yes Ultrasonic 1160g 1.6m 0.26x 67mm 9 148
Sigma 120-300mm f/2.8 DG OS HSM | S £2699/$3600 F FX 2.5x Yes Ultrasonic 3390g 1.5-2.5m 0.12x 105mm 9 118
Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM | C £849/$900 F FX 4x Yes Ultrasonic 1930g 2.8m 0.2x 95mm 9 137
Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM | S £1330/$2000 F FX 4x Yes Ultrasonic 2860g 2.6m 0.2x 105mm 9 137
Sigma 200-500mm f/2.8 EX DG £14999/$25999 F FX 2.5x No Ultrasonic 15700g 2-5m 0.13x Drop-in 9
Tamron SP 70-200mm f/2.8 Di VC USD G2 £1449/$1200 F FX 2.9x Yes Ultrasonic 1500g 0.95m 0.16x 77mm 9 118 ■
Tamron 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3 Di III RXD £699/$699 Z FX 4.3x No Stepping 580g 0.8-1.5m 0.11-0.2x 67mm 7 148
Tamron SP AF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 Di VC USD £325/$450 F FX 4.3x Yes Ultrasonic 765g 1.5m 0.25x 62mm 9 109
Tamron 100-400mm f/4.5-6.3 Di VC USD £799/$799 F FX 4x Yes Ultrasonic 1115g 1.5m 0.28x 67mm 9 148
Tamron SP 150-600mm f/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2 £1279/$1400 F FX 4x Yes Ultrasonic 2010g 2.2m 0.26x 95mm 9 137
SUPERZOOMS
Nikon AF-S DX 18-140mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR £599/$500 F DX 7.8x Yes Ultrasonic 490g 0.45m 0.23x 67mm 7 27
SUPERZOOMS
Nikon Z DX 18-140mm f/3.5-6.3 VR £579/$650 Z DX 7.7x Yes Stepping 315g 0.2m 0.33x 62mm 7 136
Nikon Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR £749/$900 Z FX 8.3x Yes Stepping 570g 0.5m 0.28x 67mm 7 136 ■■
Sigma 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 DC Macro OS HSM | C £275/$400 F DX 11.1x Yes Ultrasonic 430g 0.39m 0.33x 62mm 7 99
Sigma 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3 DC Macro OS HSM | C £370/$580 F DX 16.7x Yes Ultrasonic 585g 0.39m 0.33x 72mm 7 136 ■
Tamron 16-300mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD Macro £500/$630 F DX 18.8x Yes Ultrasonic 540g 0.39m 0.34x 67mm 7 115
Tamron AF 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC £235/$250 F DX 11.1x Yes Electric 400g 0.49m 0.25x 62mm 7 136 ■
Tamron AF 18-400mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC HLD £699/$650 F DX 22.2x Yes HLD 710g 0.45m 0.34x 72mm 7 136
WIDE-ANGLE PRIMES
Irix 15mm f/2.4 Blackstone £560/$480 F FX None No None 653g 0.28m 0.1x 95mm 9 142
Laowa 20mm f/4 Zero-D Shift £1140/$1100 F FX None No None 747g 0.17m 0.17x 82mm 14 138
Nikon AF DX 10.5mm f/2.8G ED Diagonal Fisheye £640/$775 F DX None No Body-driven 305g 0.14m 0.2x None 7 12 ■
Nikon AF 14mm f/2.8D ED £1599/$1900 F FX None No Body-driven 670g 0.2m 0.15x None 7
Nikon AF 16mm f/2.8D Diagonal Fisheye £765/$1000 F FX None No Body-driven 290g 0.25m 0.1x None 7 12
Nikon PC 19mm f/4E ED (tilt & shift) £3699/$3400 F FX None No None 885g 0.25m 0.18x None 9
Nikon AF-S 20mm f/1.8G ED £799/$720 F FX None No Ultrasonic 355g 0.2m 0.23x 77mm 7 116
Nikon PC-E 24mm f/3.5D ED (tilt & shift) £2099/$2200 F FX None No None 730g 0.21m 0.37x 77mm 9 25 ■
Nikon AF-S 28mm f/1.8G £649/$700 F FX None No Ultrasonic 330g 0.25m 0.22x 67mm 7 87
Nikon AF-S 28mm f/1.4E ED £1999/$1997 F FX None No Ultrasonic 645g 0.28m 0.17x 77mm 9
Nikon AF-S DX 35mm f/1.8G £159/$177 F DX None No Ultrasonic 200g 0.3m 0.24x 52mm 7 111 ■
Nikon Z 20mm f/1.8 S £980/$1047 Z FX None No Stepping 505g 0.2m 0.23x 77mm 9 149
Nikon Z DX 24mm f/1.7 £289/$279 Z DX None No Stepping 135g 0.18m 0.19x 42mm 7 153
Nikon Z 24mm f/1.8 S £959/$1000 Z FX None No Stepping 450g 0.25m 0.18x 72mm 9 116 ■
Nikon Z 26mm f/2.8 £479/$499 Z FX None No Stepping 125g 0.2m 0.19x 52mm 7 150
Nikon Z 28mm f/2.8 £229/$300 Z FX None No Stepping 160g 0.19m 0.2x 52mm 7 134 ■
WIDE-ANGLE PRIMES
NIkon Z 35mm f/1.8 S £799/$850 Z FX None No Stepping 370g 0.25m 0.19x 62mm 9 125 ■■
Samyang 8mm f/3.5 IF MC CSII Dh Circular Fisheye £299/$280 F FX None No None 435g 0.3m N/S None 6 12
Samyang 10mm f/2.8 ED AS NCS CS £429/$400 F DX None No None 600g 0.25m N/S None 6 113
Samyang 12mm f/2.8 ED AS NCS Diagonal Fisheye £465/$500 F FX None No None 530g 0.2m N/S None 7
Samyang MF 14mm f/2.8 Z £339/$349 F FX None No None 810g 0.28m 0.08x None 6 142
Samyang 14mm f/2.8 AF £499/$800 F FX None No None 474g 0.2m 0.15x None 7 105
Samyang 14mm f/2.4 XP £900/$730 F FX None No None 791g 0.28m 0.08x None 9 142 ■■
Samyang 14mm f/2.8 IF ED UMC £350/$350 F FX None No None 560g 0.28m N/S None 6 70
Samyang 20mm f/1.8 ED AS UMC £499/$580 F FX None No None 488g 0.2m N/S None 7 116
Samyang 24mm f/1.4 ED AS UMC £559/$550 F FX None No None 680g 0.25m N/S 77mm 8 104
Samyang T-S 24mm f/3.5 ED AS UMC (tilt & shift) £599/$800 F FX None No None 680g 0.2m N/S 82mm 8 25
Samyang 35mm f/1.4 AS UMC AE £499/$500 F FX None No None 660g 0.3m 0.2x 77mm 8 125
Sigma 8mm f/3.5 EX DG Circular Fisheye £699/$900 F FX None No Electric 400g 0.14m 0.22x None 6 12
Sigma 10mm f/2.8 EX DC HSM Diagonal Fisheye £599/$520 F DX None No Ultrasonic 475g 0.14m 0.11x None 7 12
Sigma 14mm f/1.8 DG HSM | A £1399/$1599 F FX None No Ultrasonic 1170g 0.27m 0.1x None 9 149
Sigma 15mm f/2.8 EX DG Diagonal Fisheye £600/$610 F FX None No Electric 370g 0.15m 0.26x None 7 12
Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC CN | C £449/$499 Z DX None No Stepping 405g 0.25m 0.1x 67mm 9 154
Sigma 20mm f/1.4 DG HSM | A £779/$900 F FX None No Ultrasonic 950g 0.28m 0.14x 77mm 9 116
Sigma 24mm f/1.4 DG HSM | A £629/$850 F FX None No Ultrasonic 665g 0.25m 0.19x 77mm 9 116 ■■■
Sigma 28mm f/1.4 DG HSM | A £629/$799 F FX None No Ultrasonic 865g 0.28m 0.18x 77mm 9
Sigma 30mm f/1.4 DC HSM | A £449/$500 F DX None No Ultrasonic 435g 0.25m 0.15x 62mm 9 111
Sigma 30mm F1.4 DC DN | C £349/$399 Z DX None No Stepping 265g 0.3m 0.14x 52mm 9 152
Tamron SP 35mm f/1.4 Di USD £829/$900 F FX None No Ultrasonic 805g 0.3m 0.3x 72mm 9 111 ■
Tamron SP 35mm f/1.8 Di VC USD £649/$600 F FX None Yes Ultrasonic 480g 0.2m 0.4x 67mm 9 125
Viltrox AF 13mm f/1.4 Z £458/$459 Z DX None No Stepping 420g 0.22m 0.1x 67mm 9 142 ■■
Viltrox AF 23mm f/1.4 Z £280/$320 Z DX None No Stepping 300g 0.3m 0.1x 52mm 9 144 ■
Viltrox AF 33mm f/1.4 Z £239/$279 Z DX None No Stepping 270g 0.4m 0.1x 52mm 9 152 ■
Zeiss Milvus 15mm f/2.8 ZF.2 £2419/$2700 F FX None No None 880g 0.25m 0.11x 95mm 9
BUYER’S GUIDE
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STANDARD PRIMES
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Zeiss Milvus 18mm f/2.8 ZF.2 £1999/$2300 F FX None No None 675g 0.25m 0.1x 77mm 9 116
Zeiss Otus 28mm f/1.4 ZF.2 £3759/$5000 F FX None No None 1350g 0.3m 0.2x 95mm 9
Zeiss Milvus 35mm f/2 ZF.2 £1699/$1200 F FX None No None 650g 0.3m 0.19x 58mm 9 87
7Artisans 50mm f/1.05 £450/$349 Z FX None No None 606g 0.57m 0.13x 58mm 13 152
Nikon PC-E Micro 45mm f/2.8D ED (tilt & shift) £1899/$2050 F FX None No None 740g 0.25m 0.5x 77mm 9 25
STANDARD PRIMES
Nikon AF-S 50mm f/1.8 £159/$280 F FX None No Ultrasonic 190g 0.45m 0.15x 58mm 7
Nikon Z 40mm f/2 £229/$280 Z FX None No Stepping 170g 0.29m 0.17x 52mm 9 140 ■
Nikon Z 50mm f/1.8 S £499/$700 Z FX None No Ultrasonic 415g 0.4m 0.15x 62mm 9 140 ■■
Nikon Z 50mm f/1.2 S £2099/$2099 Z FX None No Stepping 1090g 0.45m 0.15x 82mm 9 122
Nikon Z 58mm f/0.95 S Noct £8299/$7999 Z FX None No Stepping 2000g 0.5m 0.19x 82mm 11 108
Samyang 50mm f/1.4 AS UMC £350/$370 F FX None No None 575g 0.45m N/S 77mm 8
Sigma 56mm f/1.4 DC DN | C £449/$499 Z DX None No Stepping 280g 0.5m 0.14x 55mm 9 152
Tamron SP 45mm f/1.8 Di VC USD £499/$550 F FX None Yes Ultrasonic 540g 0.29m 0.29x 67mm 9 130
Tokina Opera 50mm f/1.4 FF £879/$999 F FX None No Electric 950g 0.4m 0.18x 72mm 9
Viltrox AF 56mm f/1.4Z £263/$299 Z DX None No Stepping 320g 0.6m 0.1x 52mm 9 152 ■■
Yongnuo YN50mm f/1.8Z DF DSM £288/$359 Z FX None Yes Stepping 417g 0.45m 0.15x 58mm 9 152 ■
Zeiss Milvus 50mm f/1.4 ZF.2 £1160/$1200 F FX None No None 875g 0.45m 0.15x 67mm 9 130
Zeiss Otus 55mm f/1.4 £2900/$4000 F FX None No None 970g 0.5m 0.15x 77mm 9
TELEPHOTO PRIMES
Nikon PC-E Micro 85mm f/2.8D (tilt & shift) £1799/$1980 F FX None No None 635g 0.39m 0.5x 77mm 9 25
Nikon AF-S 105mm f/1.4E ED £2099/$2200 F FX None No Ultrasonic 985g 1m 0.13x 82mm 9 124
Nikon AF-S 200mm f/2G ED VR II £6299/$5700 F FX None Yes Ultrasonic 2930g 1.9m 0.12x 52mm 9 29
Nikon AF-S 300mm f/4E PF ED VR £1819/$2000 F FX None Yes Ultrasonic 755g 1.4m 0.24x 77mm 9 63
Nikon AF-S 300mm f/2.8G ED VR II £6299/$5500 F FX None Yes Ultrasonic 2900g 2.3m 0.16x 52mm 9 14
Nikon AF-S 400mm f/2.8E FL ED VR £12999/$11200 F FX None Yes Ultrasonic 3800g 2.6m 0.14x 40.5mm 9 143 ■
Nikon AF-S 500mm f/4E FL ED VR £10999/$10300 F FX None Yes Ultrasonic 3090g 3.6m 0.15x 40.5mm 9 143 ■
Nikon AF-S 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR £3229/$3600 F FX None Yes Ultrasonic 1460g 3m 0.18x 95mm 9 143
Nikon AF-S 600mm f/4E FL ED VR £12999/$12300 F FX None Yes Ultrasonic 3810g 4.4m 0.14x 40.5mm 9 143 ■
Nikon AF-S 800mm f/5.6E FL ED VR £18999/$16300 F FX None Yes Ultrasonic 4590g 5.9m 0.15x 52mm 9
Nikon Z 85mm f/1.8 S £699/$800 Z FX None No Ultrasonic 470g 0.8m 0.12x 67mm 9 124 ■■
TELEPHOTO PRIMES
Nikon Z 85mm f/1.2 S £2999/$2797 Z FX None No Ultrasonic 1160g 0.85m 0.11x 82mm 11 151 ■
Nikon Z 400mm f/2.8 TC VR S £13499/$14000 Z FX None Yes SSVCM 2950g 2.5m 0.17x Drop-in 9 143 ■
Nikon Z 400mm f/4.5 VR S £2815/$3250 Z FX None Yes Stepping 1245g 2.5m 0.16x 95mm 9 143 ■■■
Nikon Z 600mm f/4 TC VR S £15499/$15497 Z FX None Yes Stepping 3260g 4.3m 0.14-2x Drop-in 9 146
Nikon Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S £6299/$6500 Z FX None Yes Stepping 2385g 5m 0.16x Drop-in 9 141 ■■
Samyang 85mm f/1.4 IF UMC £320/$300 F FX None No None 539g 1m 0.11x 72mm 8 40
Samyang AF 85mm f/1.4 F £550/$530 F FX None No None 480g 0.9m 0.11x 77mm 9 140
Samyang MF 85mm f/1.4 Z £319/$399 Z FX None No None 730g 1.1m 0.09x 72mm 8 152
Samyang 135mm f/2 ED UMC £449/$500 F FX None No None 830g 0.8m N/S 77mm 9
Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG HSM | A £929/$949 F FX None No Ultrasonic 815g 0.85m 0.12x 86mm 9 124 ■■
Sigma 105mm f/1.4 DG HSM | A £1249/$1600 F FX None No Ultrasonic 1645g 1m 0.12x 105mm 9 124
Sigma APO 300mm f/2.8 EX DG HSM £2599/$3400 F FX None No Ultrasonic 2400g 2.5m 0.13x 46mm 9
Sigma 500mm f/4 DG OS HSM | S £4699/$6000 F FX None Yes Ultrasonic 3310g 3.5m 0.15x 46mm 9 143 ■■
Sigma APO 800mm f/5.6 EX DG HSM £4999/$6600 F FX None No Ultrasonic 4900g 7m 0.11x 46mm 9
Tokina SZX Super Tele 400mm f/8 Reflex MF £209/$229 F, Z FX None No None 355g 1.15m 0.4x 67mm None 148
Tokina SZ Super Tele 500mm f/8 Reflex MF £439/$399 F, Z FX None No None 310g 1.7m 0.34x 72mm None
Yongnuo YN85mm f/1.8Z DF DSM £320/$379 Z FX None Yes Stepping 405g 0.8m 0.13x 58mm 7 152 ■
Zeiss Planar T* 85mm f/1.4 ZF.2 £980/$1285 F FX None No None 570g 1m 0.1x 72mm 9
Zeiss Otus 85mm f/1.4 ZF.2 £3180/$4490 F FX None No None 1140g 0.8m 0.13x 86mm 9
Zeiss Milvus 135mm f/2 ZF.2 £1760/$2200 FX None No None 1060g 0.8m 0.28x 77mm 9
MACRO
Irix 150mm f/2.8 Macro 1:1 Dragonfly £449/$495 F FX None No None 831g 0.35m 1x 77mm 11 150
Laowa 90mm f/2.8 2:1 Ultra Macro APO £569/$499 Z FX None No None 619g 0.21m 2x 67mm 13 150
Laowa 100mm f/2.8 2:1 Ultra Macro APO £519/$499 F, Z FX None No None 650g 0.25m 2x 67mm 7, 13 150
MACRO
Nikon AF-S DX 40mm f/2.8G Micro £299/$280 F DX None No Ultrasonic 235g 0.16m 1x 52mm 7 110
Nikon AF-S DX 85mm f/3.5G ED VR Micro £459/$557 F DX None Yes Ultrasonic 355g 0.29m 1x 52mm 9 150
Nikon Z MC 50mm f/2.8 £579/$647 Z FX None No Stepping 260g 0.16m 1x 46mm 9 150
Nikon Z MC 105mm f/2.8 VR S £939/$1047 Z FX None Yes Stepping 630g 0.29m 1x 62mm 9 150 ■■■
Samyang 100mm f/2.8 ED UMC Macro £429/$490 F FX None No None 715g 0.31m 1x 67mm 9 110
Sigma 105mm f/2.8 EX DG OS HSM Macro £339/$569 F FX None Yes Ultrasonic 725g 0.31m 1x 62mm 9 150 ■
Tokina atx-i 100mm f/2.8 FF Macro Plus £424/$429 F FX None No Electric 515g 0.3m 1x 55mm 9 150
Zeiss Milvus Makro Planar 100mm f/2 ZF.2 £1300/$1840 F FX None No None 807g 0.44m 0.5x 67mm 9
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FROM THE EDITOR

This issue’s special

Portrait pro Paul tells a

Welcome to issue 154

38 Paul Wilkinson gets to the

Shoot the great outdoors!

06 Apprentice Our reader learns to

16 Lightbox Winning images from the

26 Shoot the great outdoors 100

38 Go Pro Paul Wilkinson saves the day

41 Nikon Skills Camera traps, backlit

Spray and pray to

48 Plane sailing 50 A perfect blend

92 Slot-in filter holders Five fab starter

106 Buyer’s Guide An up-to-date list of

TECHNIQUE EXPERT INSIGHT

2 to extinction in England and Scotland.

handheld shooting. “I use that lens a lot,”

Detection. Gary held up his Z 9 and pointed

A hide offers shelter from the elements and

captured two images. Super Shot #1 would

EXPERT INSIGHT BIRDS BEHAVING BADLY

As soon as the food is flung onto the staging area, a

EXPERT INSIGHT tracked a kite to the ground, she was able

image on the Playback screen. The

around again,” said Gary. “We want to

BE OUR NEXT by – kept dive-bombing it. The action was

APPRENTICE! upon reviewing the images, that the jays

the subject and composition.

© Kallol Mukherjee / 2023 Environmental Photography Award

The photographer captured a snowstorm in the

Camera: Nikon D850

© Knut M. Selmer / 2023 Environmental Photography Award

The Polar Fox in

The Arctic fox, sometimes called the polar fox,

Camera: Nikon D850

© Clément Fontaine / 2023 Environmental Photography Award

The jaguar is an emblematic animal of Brazil;

Camera: Nikon D850

© Pratik Chorge / 2023 Environmental Photography Award

The 20,000-litre water tanker takes two hours

Camera: Nikon D810

© Simon Biddie / 2023 Environmental Photography Award

California sea lions enjoy protected status in

Camera: Nikon D850

© Tommy Trenchard / 2023 Environmental Photography Award

Forensics students from the UK and the

Camera: Nikon D750

Pay less than you would in the shops

FREE Lowepro Adventura GO SH 160

The latest tips and insights

Option 1 Option 2 Option 3

Subscribe to N-Photo today at

STAY FREE OF FAFF

Top techniques for cracking compositions

KEEP THE ISO LOW GO CONTRE-JOUR

Top kit you can’t do without 17

SHOOT LIKE A PRO

every Ĩ Ǖ

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