Photography Week - 7 May 2015
Content
WHAT’S INSIDE PENTAX’S
NEW FLAGSHIP DSLR
8 ABOUT YOUR TRIPOD
THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW
T H E W O R L D ’ S B E S T-S E L L I N G D I G I T A L P H O T O M A G A Z I N E
7 - 13 M AY
I S S UE 137
INSPIR AT ION IDE A S IN-DEP T H RE V IEWS
ROCK-STEADY!
WE PUT 8 OF THE STURDIEST TRIPODS
TO THE ULT IMATE TEST
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JOIN THE CLUB...
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CONTENTS
FIND OUT WHAT’S INSIDE THIS ISSUE
F E AT U R E
F E AT U R E
WHY (AND WHEN)
YOU NEED A TRIPOD
We explain the most likely
instances when you’ll need
extra support for your camera
NEWS
THE WEEK’S HEADLINES
Find out what’s happening in
the world of photography
PHOTOS
GALLERY
The very best reader images
I N S P I R AT I O N
IT’S COOL, THAT…
Take a first look at Sony’s new
Zeiss lenses with OLED screens
SKILLS
CRASH COURSE
GALLERY
I N S P I R AT I O N
Lose your inhibitions and take
candid street photography!
PHOTOSHOP
LIGHTROOM
Learn how to rescue midtone
detail with the Clarity slider
SKILLS
GEAR
ROCKSTEADY
TRIPODS
We test eight
of the sturdiest
options out
there and give
you our verdict
LIGHTROOM
JUS T
39c/39p
PER ISSUE!
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W H AT ’ S H O T
THE WEEK’S TOP HEADLINES IN PHOTOGRAPHY
SONY WORLD PHOTOGR APHY
AWARDS 2015 W INNER
Getty photographer scoops the top prize at this year’s Sony awards
A
merican photographer John Moore, a senior
Capital’ captures the scale of the ebola epidemic in
staff photographer and special
Monrovia, Liberia. Based in New York, Moore was
correspondent for Getty Images, has
crowned the winner at Sony’s gala ceremony in
won the overall L’Iris d’Or / Professional
Photographer of the Year award at the Sony
World Photography Awards 2015. Chosen from
the winners of the Sony World Photography
Awards’ 13 professional categories, Moore’s
winning project, ‘Ebola Crisis Overwhelms Liberian
London last night, where he was presented with
SEE THE AWARDS
GALLERIES
h t t p : // t i n y. c c / 743h x x
his award along with a $25,000 cash prize and
new Sony camera equipment. Special
recognition was given to Magnum legend Elliott
Erwitt, who won the evening’s Outstanding
Contribution to Photography award.
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W H AT ’ S H O T
THE WEEK’S TOP HEADLINES IN PHOTOGRAPHY
C ANON BU YS L IFEC AKE
PENTA X UNVEIL S
NEW FL AGSHIP SLR
The K-3 II brings new sensor-shifting
technology to Pentax’s K series
P
Canon Europe has acquired a digital start-up company
called Lifecake, which produces the Lifecake photosharing app. This enables parents to store and share key
moments in their kids’ lives and create shareable photo
and video timelines. “Lifecake is an extremely exciting
addition to the Canon Group, providing a digital service
that makes it easy for families to take control of their
ever-increasing number of photos,” said Canon’s Alberto
Spinelli. “This acquisition fits perfectly with our vision
to give everyone taking photos the tools to bring their
stories and experiences to life.”
iOS http://tiny.cc/7y3hxx Android http://tiny.cc/uz3hxx
entax has announced an upgrade of the K-3.
The main addition is improved AF and image
stabilization, via the Pixel Shift Resolution System.
This takes four images of the same scene by shifting the
sensor by a single pixel for each shot, and then combines
them all. The AF system is 27-point, while other key features
include a 24Mp sensor, maximum ISO of 51,200 and 8.3
frames per second continuous shooting. The K-3 II costs £770
/ $1100 (body only) and goes on sale 22 May.
http://www.ricoh-imaging.co.uk
NEW SONY A-MOUN T L ENSES
Two new Sony A-mount lenses have been announced,
the Vario-Sonnar T* 16-35mm f/2.8 ZA SSM II and the
Vario-Sonnar T* 24-70mm f/2.8 ZA SSM II. Sony claims
that they offer improvements in image quality, ghost
reduction and AF performance, along with a new dust
and moisture-resistant design. Pricing and availability is
to be announced.
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WHEN
YOU NEED
A TRIPOD
Once you’ve bought a decent camera,
a solid tripod should be at the top of
your shopping list because it will help
you produce better quality and more
creative photographs. Here’s how…
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LONG EXPOSURES
A tripod enables you to take night-time landscape and cityscape
photographs, or to use a neutral density filter to enable long exposures in
daylight. This means that a whole new area of creative opportunities are opened up.
Long exposures enable you to smooth out choppy lake surfaces, calm raging seas
into a blur, and turn moving clouds into attractive streaks in the sky.
02
SHARP IMAGES
You may think that you’ve got
a steady hand, but believe
us, there’s always a little bit of wobble,
and this translates into blur in your
images. Even at what are considered
‘safe’ handheld shutter speeds, a tripod
can help you get sharper images. This
is especially true if you have a very
high resolution camera like the 36Mp
Nikon D810, because even very small
movements are significant when there
are lots of very small photo receptors
(aka pixels) packed onto the sensor.
If you’re using a shutter speed less
than 1/125 sec with the D810, we
recommend using a tripod and either
mirror lock-up or exposure delay mode
to get the benefit of every pixel.
Using a tripod also means that you
don’t have to compromise on sensitivity
or aperture when you’re photographing
a landscape early in the morning or
around sunset because there’s no
chance of the camera moving.
03
MACRO PHOTOGRAPHY Because depth of field is so shallow
when you’re shooting very close to a subject, it’s absolutely critical
that the focus is on exactly the right spot in a macro setup. It’s very
difficult to get this spot-on when you’re holding the camera. Also, because
the field of view is so small with macro photography, even tiny side-to-side
and up-and-down movements can make a significant difference to image
composition, but you don’t need to worry about this when the camera is
mounted on a tripod.
F
04
USE LIVE VIEW
Live View mode can be
extremely useful when you’re
shooting stationary subjects, especially
macro scenes, because it’s possible to
magnify part of the scene to check that
the focus is in exactly the correct spot.
However, working in this way slows
things right down, and it’s unlikely that
you’ll be able to hold the camera in
exactly the same position while you
focus, making a tripod essential.
Another benefit of your camera’s
Live View mode is that you can see the
impact of the exposure, white balance
and color settings without too much
faffing about.
But even if you use automatic focus
mode, it’s not usually practical to hold
an SLR, especially a large one. A tripod
makes life much easier.
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FOCUS STACKING
Focus stacking is a technique often used for macro photography
and sometimes for landscape photography to produce images
that are critically sharp from the very nearest object in the scene to the very
furthest. It involves shooting a sequence of images of a scene at different
focusing distances using the lens’s optimum aperture. This is the aperture
that makes the point of focus the sharpest, but it doesn’t usually produce
maximum depth of field. The aim is to produce a series of image with the
focus point gradually moving from the foreground to the distant
background. These shots are then
merged using specialist software or
Photoshop to create a single image
that uses the sharpest parts of the
component images.
Naturally, when shooting the
component images, it’s vital
that the camera doesn’t move
between exposures, and that the
focus distance is changed evenly
between shots. This means using a
tripod to keep the camera steady.
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SLOW DOWN
One of the often claimed
downsides of using a tripod
can also be an advantage; it slows
you down. This means that you’re
unlikely to use one with street or
action photography, but it has huge
benefits when you’re shooting still-life,
landscape, macro and portrait images.
It gives you time to really consider
important things like composition,
exposure and depth of field.
07
ENGAGE THE MODEL
Many portraits are shot hand-held, but if you mount the camera on
a tripod, and perhaps even use Live View mode, it’s far easier to
engage with your model and get her to relax.
Those of us who don’t have a willing assistant will find using a tripod
invaluable when shooting portraits, because suddenly you have your hands
free to hold a reflector or diffuser, adjust the lighting and tidy hair or clothing
without having to put the camera down or change the framing.
One thing to watch out for, however, is that the model may look at you
rather than the camera. If you want strong eye-contact, you need her to look
down the barrel of the lens.
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FAMILY PHOTOS
One of the downsides to
being the photographer
in the family is that you
have lots of pictures
of everyone else, but
none of you.
A tripod enables
you to join the rest
of the family in your
photographs. You just
need to pop the camera
on the tripod, frame the
shot, select self-timer
mode, press the shutter
release and run into
your specially reserved
space. Alternatively,
if you have a remote
shutter release, you
can save yourself
the run and fire the
shutter from within
the framed scene.
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XPOSURE
THE WEEK’S MOST INSPIRING READER PHOTOS
UNDER THE MASK
MIGUEL ÁNGEL LORENTE LÓPEZ
One of the Nazarenes of the
Hermandad de Penas de Santiago.
They say a portrait is all about the
eyes, and never is this more true
than with Miguel’s striking portrait
http://tiny.cc/69jlxx
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THE WEEK’S MOST INSPIRING READER PHOTOS
COLD TONE WHERRY
MICHAEL ATKINSON
We love the rich, saturated
color and cool blue cast in this
tranquil scene
http://tiny.cc/yaklxx
LINES
DAVID BALL
David’s clever composition has created
a great sense of depth in this picture
http://tiny.cc/bbklxx
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THE WEEK’S MOST INSPIRING READER PHOTOS
SØRBY BRYGGE
DAG
We love the use of empty space in this
wonderful, non-traditional landscape
http://tiny.cc/1bklxx
PIENINY MOUNTAINS
TOMASZ ROJEK
Gorgeous light and an unusual
perspective give this scene drama
http://tiny.cc/fcklxx
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THE WEEK’S MOST INSPIRING READER PHOTOS
BUDAPEST
CALVIN TAYLOR LEE
Well-spotted, and wellcomposed. Calvin’s bright
reflection adds extra
emphasis to this scene
http://tiny.cc/1ruewx
BARCELONA TUBE
JORDI CORBILLA
This is a great example of candid
street photography, as discussed
in this week’s Crash Course
http://tiny.cc/s3mlxx
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THE WEEK’S MOST INSPIRING READER PHOTOS
COMFORTABLE PLACE
JUAN CARLOS FAJARDO
Bright, sharp and full of detail. This is
macro photography at its best!
http://tiny.cc/9cklxx
PHOTOGRAPHY WEEK WANTS YOUR PHOTOS!
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Taken a portrait you’re particularly proud of? Shot a sensational sunset you’d like to
show off? Then join the Photography Week Facebook community and share your best
photos today! You’ll get feedback from fellow readers and the Photography Week
team, plus the chance to appear in Xposure, or even on our cover!
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THE BEST THING WE’ VE SEEN THIS WEEK
SONY’S NEW ZEISS LENSES
WITH OLED SCREENS
Sony’s new ‘Batis’ lenses bring an interesting new feature to the table
he new Zeiss Batis 2/25 and
1.8/85 lenses are the first
full-frame autofocus lenses
with an OLED display for the mirrorless
Sony Alpha series, and therefore the
pioneers of a new era.
As professional tools, they enable
outstanding outcomes with optimal
image performance, impressive contrast
and maximum resolution down to the
very last detail.
The innovative OLED display shows
the distance of the focal plane from the
camera system, and the depth of field,
T
therefore supporting creative image
composition. For the demanding
photographer, the OLED display is an
absolute highlight – an innovation that is
currently unparalleled in camera lenses.
Zeiss Batis lenses are available in
wide-angle and portrait-friendly focal
lengths, and are the perfect match for the
existing lenses offered for the system.
The Zeiss Batis 2/25 and Batis 1.8/85
lenses will be available worldwide from
July 2015.
In the meantime, check out this video
for a teaser of what they can do!
W AT CH T HE V IDEO
h t t p: // t iny. cc / h h a j x x
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CRASH COURSE
ESSENTIAL PHOTO SKILLS MADE EASY
C ATCH THEM IF YOU C AN
Siân Lewis hits the streets to show you how to get great candid shots
of city life. It’s time to take your photography out of your comfort zone
If you’ve ever been inspired
by the long tradition of
street photography by
MIN
photographers like Henri
Cartier-Bresson, Walker Evans or
Garry Winogrand, you’ve probably
always wanted to experiment with this
exciting genre yourself.
Getting great street shots is all
about being in the right place at the
right time, which means that you don’t
need years of experience to take an
incredible candid photograph. But,
60
understandably, the idea of taking
photos of total strangers can strike
terror into the hearts of even the
bravest photographers. Don’t worry:
we’re here to help!
In our beginner’s guide to candid
photography, we’ll show you ways to
get compelling - and stress-free! street shots.
We’ll start by walking you through
some easy, atmospheric city shots,
and look at framing up urban
backgrounds and including passers-
by in your composition. We’ll cover
how to set up your camera before
you hit the streets so that you’re
ready for anything, and we’ll look at
some sneaky ways to grab urban
portraits without being noticed. Plus,
we’ve got a mini-guide to the world’s
best carnivals for amazingly colorful
candid photographs of crowds and
street performers.
So what are you waiting for? Be
brave, grab your camera and start
shooting the urban jungle.
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STEP BY STEP: CANDID STREET PHOTOGRAPHY
53"7&--*()5çBeing as adaptable as possible is essential.
You’ll be moving and changing position as you chase
after the best shots, so forget your tripod and go handheld.
A rucksack or messenger bag that isn’t obviously a camera
bag is a good choice too, so you won’t look too conspicuous.
'*/%"-0$"5*0/çBefore you worry about getting a shot,
have a wander around and see what interesting backdrops
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but here it adds color and interest for vibrant backgrounds, and
can even be a focal part of a composition.
4&561"/%8"*5çOnce you’ve found an exciting
background, a great picture to start out with is simply
to let someone walk into your shot. Compose your photo and
then just wait – when someone interesting walks across your
WJFXmOEFS
TOBQPGGBRVJDLTVDDFTTJPOPGTIPUT
$)004&"-0/(-&/4çYou’ll be varying your distance from
your subject hugely, so a lens with a lot of scope will give
you a big advantage. An 18-200mm lens is ideal for switching
between portrait and landscape shots. Don’t worry if you haven’t
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1
3
2
4
TOP TIP SHOOT FROM THE HIP
Standing out like a sore thumb? Try lowering your camera and shooting from waist level,
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likely to realize that you’re taking their photo. The down side? It’s a lot harder to get
a nicely framed shot when you can’t see what you’re doing! Unless your camera has
an articulated LCD, that is!
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STEP BY STEP: CANDID STREET PHOTOGRAPHY
130(3"..0%&çFlick your camera’s settings button to P
for Program mode. This means that the camera will pick
the best balance of shutter speed and aperture without your
having to think about it, freeing you to seize the moment, but
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*40"6508)*5&#"-"/$&çConditions are constantly
changing on the street, with people coming and going, so
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Program mode, set the white balance and ISO sensitivity to auto
in the settings menu, and they’ll take care of themselves too.
"1130"$)1&01-&çWaiting for passers-by to step into
your shot will only take you so far, so take the plunge
and ask someone if they’d mind if you took their photo.
Alternatively, look out for people who are engrossed in a task
or a conversation – often they won’t even notice you.
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life lack a bit of oomph, try converting them to mono in
post-production. Urban portraits look great in black and white
– it adds a gritty, timeless feel, and it’s easy to do in Photoshop.
(PUPUIF)4-(SBZTDBMFUBCBOEDIFDL$POWFSUUP(SBZTDBMF
5
7
6
8
TOP TIP WHERE TO GO TO FIND GREAT CANDID LOCATIONS
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL 5IFCFTULOPXO.BSEJ(SBTDBSOJWBM
XIJDIMBTUTGPSUIFGPVSEBZTMFBEJOHVQUP-FOU
BOEVTVBMMZ
occurs in February. VENICE, ITALY The beautiful porcelain masks and rich costumes against the city’s architecture make for
incredible photos, but be warned that some attendees expect payment for having their photo taken. NOTTING HILL, LONDON,
UK London’s Caribbean community puts on an amazing spectacle every August bank holiday, and hundreds of thousands of
SFWFMMFSTHBUIFSUPXBUDIEBODFUSPVQFTQBSBEJOHJOnBNCPZBOUDPTUVNFT
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LIGHTROOM
LEARN ESSENTIAL EDITING SKILLS FAST!
HOW TO...
AFTER
BEFORE
REVEAL
MORE
MIDTONE
DETA IL
Show more texture and
detail by increasing
midtone contrast using
the Clarity slider
he starting image on this page
has some bright areas in the
background windows, but the
majority of the photo consists of dull
shadows and murky midtones.
The flat-lit printing press has lots of
interesting textures and details, but in
the unprocessed picture these areas of
interest are lost in a muddy wash of dull
brown midtones.
To reveal more detail we could have
captured more tonal information in a
series of bracketed exposures. However,
Lightroom lacks Photoshop CC’s ability
to merge multiple photos as a single
HDR composite. We could also have
zapped the scene with a burst of flash,
but we chose to use the mix of artificial
tungsten and natural daylight instead.
In this tutorial we’ll show you how to
lighten these midtones in Lightroom
and increase their contrast to make finer
features and textures stand out more.
We’ll also show you how to reveal the
scene’s true colors by cooling down a
warm color cast.
T
W AT CH T HE V IDEO
h t t p : // t i n y. c c / 1 3 8 i x x
D O W NL OA D T HE
PROJEC T F I L E S
h t t p : // t i n y. c c / 5w 8 i x x
ON A PC OR MAC
WANT TO LEARN HOW TO USE LIGHTROOM FASTER? GET THE WHOLE COURSE NOW!
If you don’t want to wait a whole year to learn how to use Lightroom, you can download our whole course
from the Photography Week app for just $19.99/£11.99. We’ll be including one part of the course every week
until the end of the year in the magazine, so the choice is yours: wait and take the course for free, or buy it
now and learn faster, with all the videos in one place!
http://tiny.cc/0bxaqx
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GROUP
TEST
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STURDY TR IPODS
Indoors or outdoors, a sturdy tripod should help you stay steady, even when
you’re using the heaviest D-SLR cameras and lenses. Matthew Richards
tests the best options at a range of prices
1 BENRO A2970F VERSATILE TRANSFORMER + BH2-M BALL HEAD £145 / $225
2 SIRUI ET-2004 KIT (COMES WITH E-20 BALL HEAD) £190 / $200
3 MANFROTTO MK190XPRO3-BH KIT (COMES WITH 496RC2 BALL HEAD) £245 / $300
4 BENRO C2970F VERSATILE TRANSFORMER + BH2-M BALL HEAD £245 / $420
5 INDURO AT214 ALLOY 8M + BHD1 BALL HEAD £250 / $310
6 MANFROTTO MT055CXPRO3 + 498RC2 BALL HEAD £415 / $620
7 SIRUI N-3204X + K-30X BALL HEAD £475 / $605
8 GITZO GT3542XLS SERIES 3 + GH3780QD BALL HEAD £1115 / $1530
GROUP TEST: BEST STURDY TRIPOD
BENRO A2970F VERSAT ILE
TR ANSFORMER + BH2-M BALL HE AD
£145 / $225
ake a quick glance at this aluminium Benro
tripod and you’d never guess that it’s one of the
least expensive in the group. Take a
longer look and the build quality and
features become even more impressive. Based
on three-section legs with firm yet easily
operated clip locks, the tripod has a 10kg
maximum load rating, closely matched by the
8kg rating of the BH2-M ball head, which can be
locked with three grub screws.
There are three locking leg angles to choose
from, plus a pivoting center column. Only the Manfrotto
tripods in this test group match this feature, but it’s better
T
implemented on the Benro, where you can lock the center
column at many angles through a 180-degree arc. The
Manfrottos only offer vertical or horizontal options.
There’s a high-precision feel to all the
adjustments in the legs and head, and the
extension of all leg sections is very smooth.
A firm footing is guaranteed thanks to a set of
spikes that is supplied as an alternative to the
fitted rubber feet. Bubble levels on the tripod
collar and head enable quick and easy levelling.
Our only complaint is that the plush padded bag
that’s supplied isn’t quite long enough to accommodate
the tripod with the BH2-M head fitted.
GROUP TEST: BEST STURDY TRIPOD
SIRUI E T-2004 K I T
(W I TH E-20 BALL HE AD)
£190 / $200
current trend in travel tripods is to have the legs
swing upwards for stowage, so the head ends
up between the feet and the carrying
height is reduced. It’s seldom used in
the design of ‘sturdy’ tripods, but it’s
nevertheless featured in both of the Sirui
tripods in this test group. Indeed, the ‘ET’ in the
name stands for ‘Easy Traveller’. However, with
a maximum load rating of 12kg for legs and ball
head, this kit is sturdy enough for big cameras
and lenses.
Despite being made from aluminium, this kit is the joint
lightest in the group, with the Benro carbon fiber outfit.
A
Even so, its four leg sections range in diameter from 28mm
to 19mm, so the bottom ones aren’t too spindly. The catch
is that the maximum operating height is just 154cm.
A center column extender is supplied, but that
only brings the height up to 162cm, which is still
the lowest in the group. More usefully, replacing
the column with the extender reduces the
minimum operating height to just 21cm.
For what is essentially quite a small and
lightweight tripod kit, rigidity is impressive, and an
improvement over the Manfrotto 190-series kit. The
tripod is very well engineered, as is the E-20 ball head,
which features a pan-only release.
GROUP TEST: BEST STURDY TRIPOD
MANFROT TO MK190XPRO3-BH K I T
(W I TH 496RC2 BALL HE AD)
£245 / $300
anfrotto’s ‘190’ series of tripods has enjoyed
much popularity over the years. The latest
editions have been made more compact
and portable; this aluminium
190XPRO3, with its three-section legs and
pivoting center column, has a collapsed height
that’s 7cm shorter than its predecessor,
although its maximum operating height is also a
little reduced. The main reason for this is that
the new pivot mechanism retracts fully into the
tripod collar, rather than sitting proud.
New ‘Quick Power Lock’ clip fasteners are more
comfortable in operation. Neat extras include a bubble
M
level on the tripod collar, which can be rotated so it’s not
obscured, and a threaded socket for attaching accessories.
Extension of leg sections is almost too free, with the
legs crashing to their longest length under gravity,
while rigidity at full extension isn’t quite as good
as with some competing tripods.
The legs feature four locking angles instead
of the usual three, and the 496RC2 ball head
works beautifully. It features an adjustable
friction damper and has a 6kg load rating,
although there’s no pan-only release. The pivot
mechanism for the center column is easy to use, but is
limited to two positions – upright or horizontal.
GROUP TEST: BEST STURDY TRIPOD
BENRO C2970F VERSAT ILE
TR ANSFORMER + BH2-M BALL HE AD
£245 / $420
ore expensive than the aluminium edition, this
version of Benro’s 2970F Versatile Transformer
tripod is made from eight-layer carbon
fiber. The diameter of each leg section,
the clip locks and all the magnesium alloy
castings are identical in both cases. With the
head fitted – it has the same BH2-M ball head
– there’s a reduction in carrying weight from
2.5kg to 2kg, while the maximum load rating of
the legs goes up from 10kg to 12kg.
The excellent pivoting center column mechanism
is also the same in both tripods. One thing that’s slightly
different is that the aluminium tripod (with head fitted)
M
has a maximum operating height of 190cm and collapsed
height of 77cm, but the carbon fiber edition is slightly
shorter, at 184cm and 75cm respectively.
An upside of this is that the tripod fits into the
padded bag that’s supplied with the head fitted.
There’s really no difference in the
performance of the two Benro tripods. Both
feel equally rigid and sturdy, and as we’ve
mentioned, the fasteners and head are identical.
The carbon fiber edition is noticeably lighter to
carry, but is typically rather more expensive to buy.
Even so, the Benro C2970F is very competitively priced
for a carbon fiber tripod.
GROUP TEST: BEST STURDY TRIPOD
INDURO AT214 ALLOY 8M
+ BHD1 BALL HE AD
£250 / $310
ike the Gitzo and Sirui tripods on test, this Induro
aluminium model has four-section legs. It
collapses down to 64cm (with head
attached) and extends to an impressive
180cm maximum operating height. Another
similarity with the Gitzo and the carbon fiber
Sirui tripod is that the leg section locks have a
twist, rather than clip, action. Some say that
clips are faster to use than twist locks, but that’s
not our experience. It’s certainly easy to lock or
unlock all sections simultaneously with one hand
when the legs are at their minimum height. The standard
of engineering feels close to that of the Benro tripods on
L
test, and the similarities include three locking angles for
each leg, plus a bubble level on the tripod collar. The
maximum load rating also matches that of the Benro
aluminium tripod, at 10kg. However, the ball head
has a higher rating of 12kg and boasts a more
elaborate design.
Despite there being a fairly typical 4mm
difference in the diameter of each leg section,
extension is a little lacking in smoothness. The
bottom sections measure just 16mm in diameter,
which has an adverse affect on rigidity. By contrast,
the ball head is super-steady and has an adjustable
friction damper and pan-only release.
GROUP TEST: BEST STURDY TRIPOD
MANFROT TO MT055C XPRO3
+ 498RC2 BALL HE AD
£415 / $620
nlike the aluminium Manfrotto 190-series model
on test, which comes as a kit, the
MT055CXPRO3 carbon fiber legs and
498RC2 ball head are sold separately.
The maximum load ratings of 9kg and 8kg
respectively are a little down on some
competing outfits in the group, but both parts
feel particularly sturdy.
Like the 190-series model, this newgeneration 055-series tripod has been revamped,
with the same updated clip locks, four-way multiangle leg locks, 90-degree pivot mechanism and an
adaptor socket for attaching accessories. There’s also the
U
same rotating bubble lock on the tripod collar. However,
the carbon 055’s leg sections have a wider diameter, and
the maximum operating height is loftier, at 183cm
instead of 171cm (head attached). A contributing
factor is that the 498RC2 head itself is also taller.
Compared with the Manfrotto 190-series
model, the carbon fiber 055 feels much more
rigid, even at its higher maximum extension.
The leg sections also extend more smoothly.
The ball head is particularly solid, and has a panonly release. The only sticking point is that the price
of the legs and head is nearly twice that of the 190-series
kit (more than double in the US).
GROUP TEST: BEST STURDY TRIPOD
SIRUI N-3204X
+ K-30X BALL HE AD
£475 / $605
old as separate legs and head, the Sirui ‘NX’, or
Universal X, series shares much of the design
philosophy of the Easy Traveller kit also
on test. It’s compact, thanks to legs that
swing upwards and encompass the head when
folded. The folded height is greater, at 51cm
compared with 43cm, but the maximum
operating height is more impressive, at 187cm.
The maximum load rating is beefed up, at 18kg
and 30kg for the carbon fiber legs and ball head
respectively, while the carrying weight only rises
from 2kg to 2.4kg. Leg section locks are changed
from clip to twist.
S
One of the legs can be unscrewed to form the basis of
a separate monopod. The center column comprises two
pieces, and when split, the longer section can be
used with the head to form the monopod, while
the shorter one can be used for ultra-low-level
shooting (at just 13cm high) without the need to
invert the camera.
Rigidity is slightly better than with the smaller
Sirui tripod on test, and nearly as impressive as in
the Manfrotto 055 carbon fiber model. The K-30X
ball head is beautifully engineered. The head’s main
locking screw doubles as an adjustable friction damper,
and the pan-only release is a useful addition.
GROUP TEST: BEST STURDY TRIPOD
GI T ZO GT3542XL S SER IES 3 6X
S YS TEMAT IC + GH3780QD HE AD
£1115 / $1530
itzo is a favorite with many pro photographers,
and the ‘Systematic’ range is its most exotic
product line. The idea is that the large
aperture at the center of the tripod
collar can be configured with a geared or sliding
center column, a levelling base, a video
half-ball adaptor or a flat disk. You fit the
components that best suit your requirements.
The GT3542XLS (extra long) tripod has foursection carbon fiber legs. When folded with the
GH3780QD ball head attached, the 80cm carrying
height is the joint-longest in the group, along with the Slik
700DX. However, with all leg sections extended, the Gitzo
G
reaches 212cm, dwarfing everything else in the group.
That’s quite something, considering it doesn’t have a center
column. The lack of a center column enables ultralow shooting down to 20cm.
As you’d expect from a tripod of this price, the
build quality is fabulous. The load rating of the
legs and head are 25kg and 21kg respectively,
and the Gitzo feels solid even when supporting
the heaviest D-SLRs and lenses. All adjustments
are quick, easy and effective, and the ballhead locking mechanism works well. Even so,
performance of some competitors comes close, at a
fraction of the price.
GROUP TEST
BEST STURDY TRIPOD
HOW THE
TRIPODS
COMPARE
NAME
Benro A2970F
+ BH2-M
Sirui ET-2004
+ E-20
Manfrotto
MK190XPRO3-BH
kit
Benro C2970F
+ BH-2M
Induro AT214
+ BHD1
Manfrotto
MT055CXPRO3
+ 498RC2
Sirui N-3204X
+ K-30X
Gitzo GT3542XLS
+ GH3780QD
CONTACT
kenro.co.uk
sirui.co.uk
manfrotto.co.uk
kenro.co.uk
indurogear.com
manfrotto.co.uk
sirui.co.uk
gitzo.co.uk
STREET PRICE
£145/$225
£190/$200
£245/$300
£245/$420
£250/$310
£415/$620
£475/$605
£1115/$1530
MAIN TRIPOD
MATERIAL
Aluminium
Aluminium
Aluminium
Carbon fiber
Aluminium
Carbon fiber
Carbon fiber
Carbon fiber
190cm
154cm (162cm
with extender)
171cm
184cm
180cm
183cm
187cm
212cm
49cm (23cm
with pivot)
43cm (21cm
with extender)
43cm (15cm
with pivot)
49cm (23cm
with pivot)
44cm
51cm (15cm
with pivot)
39cm (13cm
split column)
20cm
FOLDED HEIGHT
(+ HEAD)
77cm
43cm
66cm
75cm
64cm
73cm
51cm
80cm
WEIGHT
(WITH HEAD)
2.5kg
2.0kg
2.4kg
2.0kg
2.4kg
2.6kg
2.4kg
3.0kg
MAX LOAD
(LEGS, HEAD)
10kg, 8kg
12kg, 12kg
7kg, 6kg
12kg, 8kg
10kg, 12kg
9kg, 8kg
18kg, 30kg
25kg, 21kg
29, 25, 22mm
28, 25, 22, 19mm
26, 22, 19mm
29, 25, 22mm
28, 24, 20, 16mm
29, 25, 21mm
32, 28, 25, 22mm
32, 28, 24, 20mm
3 angles
3 angles
4 angles
3 angles
3 angles
4 angles
3 angles
3 angles
LEG EXTENSION
LOCKS
Clip
Clip
Clip
Clip
Twist
Clip
Twist
Twist
CENTER COLUMN
Invert only
Invert only
Invert only
Invert only
Invert only
Invert only
Split/invert
No column
MAXIMUM
OPERATING HEIGHT
MINIMUM HEIGHT
(NOT INVERTED)
LEG DIAMETERS
LOCKING LEG
ANGLES
THE W INNER
GI T ZO G T 3542XL S SER IES 3 6X S YS T EMAT IC + GH3780QD BAL L HE AD
or the ultimate in
recommendation for ‘best
high-grade build
buy’ in the group is the
quality and
Manfrotto MT055CXPRO3
rock-solid sturdiness, the
carbon fiber tripod and
Gitzo is an outright winner.
498RC2 ball head. It’s
It’s a joy to use, and
nearly as rigid as the
despite lacking a
Gitzo, less than
center column,
half the cost,
achieves a
and features a
spectacular
neat 90-degree
maximum
pivoting center
E XCEL L ENCE
operating height.
column. The
AWA RD
The only real
Sirui N-3204X
problem is that its
carbon fiber
asking price of
tripod and K-30X ball
£1115/$1530 is far more
head is another enticing
than most of us want to
option. If you’re on a tight
pay for a tripod.
budget, the Benro A2970F
Taking purchase price
and BH2-M ball head are
into consideration, our
unbeatable value.
F
A
P
P
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9000
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NEW FLAGSHIP DSLR
8 ABOUT YOUR TRIPOD
THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW
T H E W O R L D ’ S B E S T-S E L L I N G D I G I T A L P H O T O M A G A Z I N E
7 - 13 M AY
I S S UE 137
INSPIR AT ION IDE A S IN-DEP T H RE V IEWS
ROCK-STEADY!
WE PUT 8 OF THE STURDIEST TRIPODS
TO THE ULT IMATE TEST
W
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CONTENTS
FIND OUT WHAT’S INSIDE THIS ISSUE
F E AT U R E
F E AT U R E
WHY (AND WHEN)
YOU NEED A TRIPOD
We explain the most likely
instances when you’ll need
extra support for your camera
NEWS
THE WEEK’S HEADLINES
Find out what’s happening in
the world of photography
PHOTOS
GALLERY
The very best reader images
I N S P I R AT I O N
IT’S COOL, THAT…
Take a first look at Sony’s new
Zeiss lenses with OLED screens
SKILLS
CRASH COURSE
GALLERY
I N S P I R AT I O N
Lose your inhibitions and take
candid street photography!
PHOTOSHOP
LIGHTROOM
Learn how to rescue midtone
detail with the Clarity slider
SKILLS
GEAR
ROCKSTEADY
TRIPODS
We test eight
of the sturdiest
options out
there and give
you our verdict
LIGHTROOM
JUS T
39c/39p
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WHEN YOU SUBSCR IBE
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N
E
W
S
W H AT ’ S H O T
THE WEEK’S TOP HEADLINES IN PHOTOGRAPHY
SONY WORLD PHOTOGR APHY
AWARDS 2015 W INNER
Getty photographer scoops the top prize at this year’s Sony awards
A
merican photographer John Moore, a senior
Capital’ captures the scale of the ebola epidemic in
staff photographer and special
Monrovia, Liberia. Based in New York, Moore was
correspondent for Getty Images, has
crowned the winner at Sony’s gala ceremony in
won the overall L’Iris d’Or / Professional
Photographer of the Year award at the Sony
World Photography Awards 2015. Chosen from
the winners of the Sony World Photography
Awards’ 13 professional categories, Moore’s
winning project, ‘Ebola Crisis Overwhelms Liberian
London last night, where he was presented with
SEE THE AWARDS
GALLERIES
h t t p : // t i n y. c c / 743h x x
his award along with a $25,000 cash prize and
new Sony camera equipment. Special
recognition was given to Magnum legend Elliott
Erwitt, who won the evening’s Outstanding
Contribution to Photography award.
N
E
W
S
W H AT ’ S H O T
THE WEEK’S TOP HEADLINES IN PHOTOGRAPHY
C ANON BU YS L IFEC AKE
PENTA X UNVEIL S
NEW FL AGSHIP SLR
The K-3 II brings new sensor-shifting
technology to Pentax’s K series
P
Canon Europe has acquired a digital start-up company
called Lifecake, which produces the Lifecake photosharing app. This enables parents to store and share key
moments in their kids’ lives and create shareable photo
and video timelines. “Lifecake is an extremely exciting
addition to the Canon Group, providing a digital service
that makes it easy for families to take control of their
ever-increasing number of photos,” said Canon’s Alberto
Spinelli. “This acquisition fits perfectly with our vision
to give everyone taking photos the tools to bring their
stories and experiences to life.”
iOS http://tiny.cc/7y3hxx Android http://tiny.cc/uz3hxx
entax has announced an upgrade of the K-3.
The main addition is improved AF and image
stabilization, via the Pixel Shift Resolution System.
This takes four images of the same scene by shifting the
sensor by a single pixel for each shot, and then combines
them all. The AF system is 27-point, while other key features
include a 24Mp sensor, maximum ISO of 51,200 and 8.3
frames per second continuous shooting. The K-3 II costs £770
/ $1100 (body only) and goes on sale 22 May.
http://www.ricoh-imaging.co.uk
NEW SONY A-MOUN T L ENSES
Two new Sony A-mount lenses have been announced,
the Vario-Sonnar T* 16-35mm f/2.8 ZA SSM II and the
Vario-Sonnar T* 24-70mm f/2.8 ZA SSM II. Sony claims
that they offer improvements in image quality, ghost
reduction and AF performance, along with a new dust
and moisture-resistant design. Pricing and availability is
to be announced.
F
E
A
T
U
R
E
WHEN
YOU NEED
A TRIPOD
Once you’ve bought a decent camera,
a solid tripod should be at the top of
your shopping list because it will help
you produce better quality and more
creative photographs. Here’s how…
F
01
E
A
T
U
R
E
LONG EXPOSURES
A tripod enables you to take night-time landscape and cityscape
photographs, or to use a neutral density filter to enable long exposures in
daylight. This means that a whole new area of creative opportunities are opened up.
Long exposures enable you to smooth out choppy lake surfaces, calm raging seas
into a blur, and turn moving clouds into attractive streaks in the sky.
02
SHARP IMAGES
You may think that you’ve got
a steady hand, but believe
us, there’s always a little bit of wobble,
and this translates into blur in your
images. Even at what are considered
‘safe’ handheld shutter speeds, a tripod
can help you get sharper images. This
is especially true if you have a very
high resolution camera like the 36Mp
Nikon D810, because even very small
movements are significant when there
are lots of very small photo receptors
(aka pixels) packed onto the sensor.
If you’re using a shutter speed less
than 1/125 sec with the D810, we
recommend using a tripod and either
mirror lock-up or exposure delay mode
to get the benefit of every pixel.
Using a tripod also means that you
don’t have to compromise on sensitivity
or aperture when you’re photographing
a landscape early in the morning or
around sunset because there’s no
chance of the camera moving.
03
MACRO PHOTOGRAPHY Because depth of field is so shallow
when you’re shooting very close to a subject, it’s absolutely critical
that the focus is on exactly the right spot in a macro setup. It’s very
difficult to get this spot-on when you’re holding the camera. Also, because
the field of view is so small with macro photography, even tiny side-to-side
and up-and-down movements can make a significant difference to image
composition, but you don’t need to worry about this when the camera is
mounted on a tripod.
F
04
USE LIVE VIEW
Live View mode can be
extremely useful when you’re
shooting stationary subjects, especially
macro scenes, because it’s possible to
magnify part of the scene to check that
the focus is in exactly the correct spot.
However, working in this way slows
things right down, and it’s unlikely that
you’ll be able to hold the camera in
exactly the same position while you
focus, making a tripod essential.
Another benefit of your camera’s
Live View mode is that you can see the
impact of the exposure, white balance
and color settings without too much
faffing about.
But even if you use automatic focus
mode, it’s not usually practical to hold
an SLR, especially a large one. A tripod
makes life much easier.
E
A
05
T
U
R
E
FOCUS STACKING
Focus stacking is a technique often used for macro photography
and sometimes for landscape photography to produce images
that are critically sharp from the very nearest object in the scene to the very
furthest. It involves shooting a sequence of images of a scene at different
focusing distances using the lens’s optimum aperture. This is the aperture
that makes the point of focus the sharpest, but it doesn’t usually produce
maximum depth of field. The aim is to produce a series of image with the
focus point gradually moving from the foreground to the distant
background. These shots are then
merged using specialist software or
Photoshop to create a single image
that uses the sharpest parts of the
component images.
Naturally, when shooting the
component images, it’s vital
that the camera doesn’t move
between exposures, and that the
focus distance is changed evenly
between shots. This means using a
tripod to keep the camera steady.
F
06
E
A
T
U
R
E
SLOW DOWN
One of the often claimed
downsides of using a tripod
can also be an advantage; it slows
you down. This means that you’re
unlikely to use one with street or
action photography, but it has huge
benefits when you’re shooting still-life,
landscape, macro and portrait images.
It gives you time to really consider
important things like composition,
exposure and depth of field.
07
ENGAGE THE MODEL
Many portraits are shot hand-held, but if you mount the camera on
a tripod, and perhaps even use Live View mode, it’s far easier to
engage with your model and get her to relax.
Those of us who don’t have a willing assistant will find using a tripod
invaluable when shooting portraits, because suddenly you have your hands
free to hold a reflector or diffuser, adjust the lighting and tidy hair or clothing
without having to put the camera down or change the framing.
One thing to watch out for, however, is that the model may look at you
rather than the camera. If you want strong eye-contact, you need her to look
down the barrel of the lens.
08
FAMILY PHOTOS
One of the downsides to
being the photographer
in the family is that you
have lots of pictures
of everyone else, but
none of you.
A tripod enables
you to join the rest
of the family in your
photographs. You just
need to pop the camera
on the tripod, frame the
shot, select self-timer
mode, press the shutter
release and run into
your specially reserved
space. Alternatively,
if you have a remote
shutter release, you
can save yourself
the run and fire the
shutter from within
the framed scene.
S
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G
A
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R
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XPOSURE
THE WEEK’S MOST INSPIRING READER PHOTOS
UNDER THE MASK
MIGUEL ÁNGEL LORENTE LÓPEZ
One of the Nazarenes of the
Hermandad de Penas de Santiago.
They say a portrait is all about the
eyes, and never is this more true
than with Miguel’s striking portrait
http://tiny.cc/69jlxx
G
A
L
L
E
R
Y
THE WEEK’S MOST INSPIRING READER PHOTOS
COLD TONE WHERRY
MICHAEL ATKINSON
We love the rich, saturated
color and cool blue cast in this
tranquil scene
http://tiny.cc/yaklxx
LINES
DAVID BALL
David’s clever composition has created
a great sense of depth in this picture
http://tiny.cc/bbklxx
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THE WEEK’S MOST INSPIRING READER PHOTOS
SØRBY BRYGGE
DAG
We love the use of empty space in this
wonderful, non-traditional landscape
http://tiny.cc/1bklxx
PIENINY MOUNTAINS
TOMASZ ROJEK
Gorgeous light and an unusual
perspective give this scene drama
http://tiny.cc/fcklxx
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THE WEEK’S MOST INSPIRING READER PHOTOS
BUDAPEST
CALVIN TAYLOR LEE
Well-spotted, and wellcomposed. Calvin’s bright
reflection adds extra
emphasis to this scene
http://tiny.cc/1ruewx
BARCELONA TUBE
JORDI CORBILLA
This is a great example of candid
street photography, as discussed
in this week’s Crash Course
http://tiny.cc/s3mlxx
G
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THE WEEK’S MOST INSPIRING READER PHOTOS
COMFORTABLE PLACE
JUAN CARLOS FAJARDO
Bright, sharp and full of detail. This is
macro photography at its best!
http://tiny.cc/9cklxx
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THE BEST THING WE’ VE SEEN THIS WEEK
SONY’S NEW ZEISS LENSES
WITH OLED SCREENS
Sony’s new ‘Batis’ lenses bring an interesting new feature to the table
he new Zeiss Batis 2/25 and
1.8/85 lenses are the first
full-frame autofocus lenses
with an OLED display for the mirrorless
Sony Alpha series, and therefore the
pioneers of a new era.
As professional tools, they enable
outstanding outcomes with optimal
image performance, impressive contrast
and maximum resolution down to the
very last detail.
The innovative OLED display shows
the distance of the focal plane from the
camera system, and the depth of field,
T
therefore supporting creative image
composition. For the demanding
photographer, the OLED display is an
absolute highlight – an innovation that is
currently unparalleled in camera lenses.
Zeiss Batis lenses are available in
wide-angle and portrait-friendly focal
lengths, and are the perfect match for the
existing lenses offered for the system.
The Zeiss Batis 2/25 and Batis 1.8/85
lenses will be available worldwide from
July 2015.
In the meantime, check out this video
for a teaser of what they can do!
W AT CH T HE V IDEO
h t t p: // t iny. cc / h h a j x x
S
K
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CRASH COURSE
ESSENTIAL PHOTO SKILLS MADE EASY
C ATCH THEM IF YOU C AN
Siân Lewis hits the streets to show you how to get great candid shots
of city life. It’s time to take your photography out of your comfort zone
If you’ve ever been inspired
by the long tradition of
street photography by
MIN
photographers like Henri
Cartier-Bresson, Walker Evans or
Garry Winogrand, you’ve probably
always wanted to experiment with this
exciting genre yourself.
Getting great street shots is all
about being in the right place at the
right time, which means that you don’t
need years of experience to take an
incredible candid photograph. But,
60
understandably, the idea of taking
photos of total strangers can strike
terror into the hearts of even the
bravest photographers. Don’t worry:
we’re here to help!
In our beginner’s guide to candid
photography, we’ll show you ways to
get compelling - and stress-free! street shots.
We’ll start by walking you through
some easy, atmospheric city shots,
and look at framing up urban
backgrounds and including passers-
by in your composition. We’ll cover
how to set up your camera before
you hit the streets so that you’re
ready for anything, and we’ll look at
some sneaky ways to grab urban
portraits without being noticed. Plus,
we’ve got a mini-guide to the world’s
best carnivals for amazingly colorful
candid photographs of crowds and
street performers.
So what are you waiting for? Be
brave, grab your camera and start
shooting the urban jungle.
S
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STEP BY STEP: CANDID STREET PHOTOGRAPHY
53"7&--*()5çBeing as adaptable as possible is essential.
You’ll be moving and changing position as you chase
after the best shots, so forget your tripod and go handheld.
A rucksack or messenger bag that isn’t obviously a camera
bag is a good choice too, so you won’t look too conspicuous.
'*/%"-0$"5*0/çBefore you worry about getting a shot,
have a wander around and see what interesting backdrops
ZPVDBOmOE(SBGmUJNJHIUOPSNBMMZCFBCMPUPOBOVSCBOTDFOF
but here it adds color and interest for vibrant backgrounds, and
can even be a focal part of a composition.
4&561"/%8"*5çOnce you’ve found an exciting
background, a great picture to start out with is simply
to let someone walk into your shot. Compose your photo and
then just wait – when someone interesting walks across your
WJFXmOEFS
TOBQPGGBRVJDLTVDDFTTJPOPGTIPUT
$)004&"-0/(-&/4çYou’ll be varying your distance from
your subject hugely, so a lens with a lot of scope will give
you a big advantage. An 18-200mm lens is ideal for switching
between portrait and landscape shots. Don’t worry if you haven’t
HPUPOF
UIPVHI"ONNLJUMFOTJTmOFGPSTUBSUJOHPVU
1
3
2
4
TOP TIP SHOOT FROM THE HIP
Standing out like a sore thumb? Try lowering your camera and shooting from waist level,
BOHMJOHVQ5IJTJTBRVJDLBOEFBTZXBZUPHFUDBOEJETIPUT
CFDBVTFQFPQMFBSFMFTT
likely to realize that you’re taking their photo. The down side? It’s a lot harder to get
a nicely framed shot when you can’t see what you’re doing! Unless your camera has
an articulated LCD, that is!
S
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STEP BY STEP: CANDID STREET PHOTOGRAPHY
130(3"..0%&çFlick your camera’s settings button to P
for Program mode. This means that the camera will pick
the best balance of shutter speed and aperture without your
having to think about it, freeing you to seize the moment, but
ZPVMMTUJMMIBWFDPOUSPMPWFSUIF*40
XIJUFCBMBODFBOEnBTI
*40"6508)*5&#"-"/$&çConditions are constantly
changing on the street, with people coming and going, so
ZPVSDBNFSBOFFETUPCFSFBEZUPBEBQURVJDLMZ0ODFZPVSFJO
Program mode, set the white balance and ISO sensitivity to auto
in the settings menu, and they’ll take care of themselves too.
"1130"$)1&01-&çWaiting for passers-by to step into
your shot will only take you so far, so take the plunge
and ask someone if they’d mind if you took their photo.
Alternatively, look out for people who are engrossed in a task
or a conversation – often they won’t even notice you.
(0.0/0$)30.&ç*GZPVSmSTUBUUFNQUTUPDBQUVSFTUSFFU
life lack a bit of oomph, try converting them to mono in
post-production. Urban portraits look great in black and white
– it adds a gritty, timeless feel, and it’s easy to do in Photoshop.
(PUPUIF)4-(SBZTDBMFUBCBOEDIFDL$POWFSUUP(SBZTDBMF
5
7
6
8
TOP TIP WHERE TO GO TO FIND GREAT CANDID LOCATIONS
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL 5IFCFTULOPXO.BSEJ(SBTDBSOJWBM
XIJDIMBTUTGPSUIFGPVSEBZTMFBEJOHVQUP-FOU
BOEVTVBMMZ
occurs in February. VENICE, ITALY The beautiful porcelain masks and rich costumes against the city’s architecture make for
incredible photos, but be warned that some attendees expect payment for having their photo taken. NOTTING HILL, LONDON,
UK London’s Caribbean community puts on an amazing spectacle every August bank holiday, and hundreds of thousands of
SFWFMMFSTHBUIFSUPXBUDIEBODFUSPVQFTQBSBEJOHJOnBNCPZBOUDPTUVNFT
E
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LIGHTROOM
LEARN ESSENTIAL EDITING SKILLS FAST!
HOW TO...
AFTER
BEFORE
REVEAL
MORE
MIDTONE
DETA IL
Show more texture and
detail by increasing
midtone contrast using
the Clarity slider
he starting image on this page
has some bright areas in the
background windows, but the
majority of the photo consists of dull
shadows and murky midtones.
The flat-lit printing press has lots of
interesting textures and details, but in
the unprocessed picture these areas of
interest are lost in a muddy wash of dull
brown midtones.
To reveal more detail we could have
captured more tonal information in a
series of bracketed exposures. However,
Lightroom lacks Photoshop CC’s ability
to merge multiple photos as a single
HDR composite. We could also have
zapped the scene with a burst of flash,
but we chose to use the mix of artificial
tungsten and natural daylight instead.
In this tutorial we’ll show you how to
lighten these midtones in Lightroom
and increase their contrast to make finer
features and textures stand out more.
We’ll also show you how to reveal the
scene’s true colors by cooling down a
warm color cast.
T
W AT CH T HE V IDEO
h t t p : // t i n y. c c / 1 3 8 i x x
D O W NL OA D T HE
PROJEC T F I L E S
h t t p : // t i n y. c c / 5w 8 i x x
ON A PC OR MAC
WANT TO LEARN HOW TO USE LIGHTROOM FASTER? GET THE WHOLE COURSE NOW!
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from the Photography Week app for just $19.99/£11.99. We’ll be including one part of the course every week
until the end of the year in the magazine, so the choice is yours: wait and take the course for free, or buy it
now and learn faster, with all the videos in one place!
http://tiny.cc/0bxaqx
1
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GROUP
TEST
6
7
8
STURDY TR IPODS
Indoors or outdoors, a sturdy tripod should help you stay steady, even when
you’re using the heaviest D-SLR cameras and lenses. Matthew Richards
tests the best options at a range of prices
1 BENRO A2970F VERSATILE TRANSFORMER + BH2-M BALL HEAD £145 / $225
2 SIRUI ET-2004 KIT (COMES WITH E-20 BALL HEAD) £190 / $200
3 MANFROTTO MK190XPRO3-BH KIT (COMES WITH 496RC2 BALL HEAD) £245 / $300
4 BENRO C2970F VERSATILE TRANSFORMER + BH2-M BALL HEAD £245 / $420
5 INDURO AT214 ALLOY 8M + BHD1 BALL HEAD £250 / $310
6 MANFROTTO MT055CXPRO3 + 498RC2 BALL HEAD £415 / $620
7 SIRUI N-3204X + K-30X BALL HEAD £475 / $605
8 GITZO GT3542XLS SERIES 3 + GH3780QD BALL HEAD £1115 / $1530
GROUP TEST: BEST STURDY TRIPOD
BENRO A2970F VERSAT ILE
TR ANSFORMER + BH2-M BALL HE AD
£145 / $225
ake a quick glance at this aluminium Benro
tripod and you’d never guess that it’s one of the
least expensive in the group. Take a
longer look and the build quality and
features become even more impressive. Based
on three-section legs with firm yet easily
operated clip locks, the tripod has a 10kg
maximum load rating, closely matched by the
8kg rating of the BH2-M ball head, which can be
locked with three grub screws.
There are three locking leg angles to choose
from, plus a pivoting center column. Only the Manfrotto
tripods in this test group match this feature, but it’s better
T
implemented on the Benro, where you can lock the center
column at many angles through a 180-degree arc. The
Manfrottos only offer vertical or horizontal options.
There’s a high-precision feel to all the
adjustments in the legs and head, and the
extension of all leg sections is very smooth.
A firm footing is guaranteed thanks to a set of
spikes that is supplied as an alternative to the
fitted rubber feet. Bubble levels on the tripod
collar and head enable quick and easy levelling.
Our only complaint is that the plush padded bag
that’s supplied isn’t quite long enough to accommodate
the tripod with the BH2-M head fitted.
GROUP TEST: BEST STURDY TRIPOD
SIRUI E T-2004 K I T
(W I TH E-20 BALL HE AD)
£190 / $200
current trend in travel tripods is to have the legs
swing upwards for stowage, so the head ends
up between the feet and the carrying
height is reduced. It’s seldom used in
the design of ‘sturdy’ tripods, but it’s
nevertheless featured in both of the Sirui
tripods in this test group. Indeed, the ‘ET’ in the
name stands for ‘Easy Traveller’. However, with
a maximum load rating of 12kg for legs and ball
head, this kit is sturdy enough for big cameras
and lenses.
Despite being made from aluminium, this kit is the joint
lightest in the group, with the Benro carbon fiber outfit.
A
Even so, its four leg sections range in diameter from 28mm
to 19mm, so the bottom ones aren’t too spindly. The catch
is that the maximum operating height is just 154cm.
A center column extender is supplied, but that
only brings the height up to 162cm, which is still
the lowest in the group. More usefully, replacing
the column with the extender reduces the
minimum operating height to just 21cm.
For what is essentially quite a small and
lightweight tripod kit, rigidity is impressive, and an
improvement over the Manfrotto 190-series kit. The
tripod is very well engineered, as is the E-20 ball head,
which features a pan-only release.
GROUP TEST: BEST STURDY TRIPOD
MANFROT TO MK190XPRO3-BH K I T
(W I TH 496RC2 BALL HE AD)
£245 / $300
anfrotto’s ‘190’ series of tripods has enjoyed
much popularity over the years. The latest
editions have been made more compact
and portable; this aluminium
190XPRO3, with its three-section legs and
pivoting center column, has a collapsed height
that’s 7cm shorter than its predecessor,
although its maximum operating height is also a
little reduced. The main reason for this is that
the new pivot mechanism retracts fully into the
tripod collar, rather than sitting proud.
New ‘Quick Power Lock’ clip fasteners are more
comfortable in operation. Neat extras include a bubble
M
level on the tripod collar, which can be rotated so it’s not
obscured, and a threaded socket for attaching accessories.
Extension of leg sections is almost too free, with the
legs crashing to their longest length under gravity,
while rigidity at full extension isn’t quite as good
as with some competing tripods.
The legs feature four locking angles instead
of the usual three, and the 496RC2 ball head
works beautifully. It features an adjustable
friction damper and has a 6kg load rating,
although there’s no pan-only release. The pivot
mechanism for the center column is easy to use, but is
limited to two positions – upright or horizontal.
GROUP TEST: BEST STURDY TRIPOD
BENRO C2970F VERSAT ILE
TR ANSFORMER + BH2-M BALL HE AD
£245 / $420
ore expensive than the aluminium edition, this
version of Benro’s 2970F Versatile Transformer
tripod is made from eight-layer carbon
fiber. The diameter of each leg section,
the clip locks and all the magnesium alloy
castings are identical in both cases. With the
head fitted – it has the same BH2-M ball head
– there’s a reduction in carrying weight from
2.5kg to 2kg, while the maximum load rating of
the legs goes up from 10kg to 12kg.
The excellent pivoting center column mechanism
is also the same in both tripods. One thing that’s slightly
different is that the aluminium tripod (with head fitted)
M
has a maximum operating height of 190cm and collapsed
height of 77cm, but the carbon fiber edition is slightly
shorter, at 184cm and 75cm respectively.
An upside of this is that the tripod fits into the
padded bag that’s supplied with the head fitted.
There’s really no difference in the
performance of the two Benro tripods. Both
feel equally rigid and sturdy, and as we’ve
mentioned, the fasteners and head are identical.
The carbon fiber edition is noticeably lighter to
carry, but is typically rather more expensive to buy.
Even so, the Benro C2970F is very competitively priced
for a carbon fiber tripod.
GROUP TEST: BEST STURDY TRIPOD
INDURO AT214 ALLOY 8M
+ BHD1 BALL HE AD
£250 / $310
ike the Gitzo and Sirui tripods on test, this Induro
aluminium model has four-section legs. It
collapses down to 64cm (with head
attached) and extends to an impressive
180cm maximum operating height. Another
similarity with the Gitzo and the carbon fiber
Sirui tripod is that the leg section locks have a
twist, rather than clip, action. Some say that
clips are faster to use than twist locks, but that’s
not our experience. It’s certainly easy to lock or
unlock all sections simultaneously with one hand
when the legs are at their minimum height. The standard
of engineering feels close to that of the Benro tripods on
L
test, and the similarities include three locking angles for
each leg, plus a bubble level on the tripod collar. The
maximum load rating also matches that of the Benro
aluminium tripod, at 10kg. However, the ball head
has a higher rating of 12kg and boasts a more
elaborate design.
Despite there being a fairly typical 4mm
difference in the diameter of each leg section,
extension is a little lacking in smoothness. The
bottom sections measure just 16mm in diameter,
which has an adverse affect on rigidity. By contrast,
the ball head is super-steady and has an adjustable
friction damper and pan-only release.
GROUP TEST: BEST STURDY TRIPOD
MANFROT TO MT055C XPRO3
+ 498RC2 BALL HE AD
£415 / $620
nlike the aluminium Manfrotto 190-series model
on test, which comes as a kit, the
MT055CXPRO3 carbon fiber legs and
498RC2 ball head are sold separately.
The maximum load ratings of 9kg and 8kg
respectively are a little down on some
competing outfits in the group, but both parts
feel particularly sturdy.
Like the 190-series model, this newgeneration 055-series tripod has been revamped,
with the same updated clip locks, four-way multiangle leg locks, 90-degree pivot mechanism and an
adaptor socket for attaching accessories. There’s also the
U
same rotating bubble lock on the tripod collar. However,
the carbon 055’s leg sections have a wider diameter, and
the maximum operating height is loftier, at 183cm
instead of 171cm (head attached). A contributing
factor is that the 498RC2 head itself is also taller.
Compared with the Manfrotto 190-series
model, the carbon fiber 055 feels much more
rigid, even at its higher maximum extension.
The leg sections also extend more smoothly.
The ball head is particularly solid, and has a panonly release. The only sticking point is that the price
of the legs and head is nearly twice that of the 190-series
kit (more than double in the US).
GROUP TEST: BEST STURDY TRIPOD
SIRUI N-3204X
+ K-30X BALL HE AD
£475 / $605
old as separate legs and head, the Sirui ‘NX’, or
Universal X, series shares much of the design
philosophy of the Easy Traveller kit also
on test. It’s compact, thanks to legs that
swing upwards and encompass the head when
folded. The folded height is greater, at 51cm
compared with 43cm, but the maximum
operating height is more impressive, at 187cm.
The maximum load rating is beefed up, at 18kg
and 30kg for the carbon fiber legs and ball head
respectively, while the carrying weight only rises
from 2kg to 2.4kg. Leg section locks are changed
from clip to twist.
S
One of the legs can be unscrewed to form the basis of
a separate monopod. The center column comprises two
pieces, and when split, the longer section can be
used with the head to form the monopod, while
the shorter one can be used for ultra-low-level
shooting (at just 13cm high) without the need to
invert the camera.
Rigidity is slightly better than with the smaller
Sirui tripod on test, and nearly as impressive as in
the Manfrotto 055 carbon fiber model. The K-30X
ball head is beautifully engineered. The head’s main
locking screw doubles as an adjustable friction damper,
and the pan-only release is a useful addition.
GROUP TEST: BEST STURDY TRIPOD
GI T ZO GT3542XL S SER IES 3 6X
S YS TEMAT IC + GH3780QD HE AD
£1115 / $1530
itzo is a favorite with many pro photographers,
and the ‘Systematic’ range is its most exotic
product line. The idea is that the large
aperture at the center of the tripod
collar can be configured with a geared or sliding
center column, a levelling base, a video
half-ball adaptor or a flat disk. You fit the
components that best suit your requirements.
The GT3542XLS (extra long) tripod has foursection carbon fiber legs. When folded with the
GH3780QD ball head attached, the 80cm carrying
height is the joint-longest in the group, along with the Slik
700DX. However, with all leg sections extended, the Gitzo
G
reaches 212cm, dwarfing everything else in the group.
That’s quite something, considering it doesn’t have a center
column. The lack of a center column enables ultralow shooting down to 20cm.
As you’d expect from a tripod of this price, the
build quality is fabulous. The load rating of the
legs and head are 25kg and 21kg respectively,
and the Gitzo feels solid even when supporting
the heaviest D-SLRs and lenses. All adjustments
are quick, easy and effective, and the ballhead locking mechanism works well. Even so,
performance of some competitors comes close, at a
fraction of the price.
GROUP TEST
BEST STURDY TRIPOD
HOW THE
TRIPODS
COMPARE
NAME
Benro A2970F
+ BH2-M
Sirui ET-2004
+ E-20
Manfrotto
MK190XPRO3-BH
kit
Benro C2970F
+ BH-2M
Induro AT214
+ BHD1
Manfrotto
MT055CXPRO3
+ 498RC2
Sirui N-3204X
+ K-30X
Gitzo GT3542XLS
+ GH3780QD
CONTACT
kenro.co.uk
sirui.co.uk
manfrotto.co.uk
kenro.co.uk
indurogear.com
manfrotto.co.uk
sirui.co.uk
gitzo.co.uk
STREET PRICE
£145/$225
£190/$200
£245/$300
£245/$420
£250/$310
£415/$620
£475/$605
£1115/$1530
MAIN TRIPOD
MATERIAL
Aluminium
Aluminium
Aluminium
Carbon fiber
Aluminium
Carbon fiber
Carbon fiber
Carbon fiber
190cm
154cm (162cm
with extender)
171cm
184cm
180cm
183cm
187cm
212cm
49cm (23cm
with pivot)
43cm (21cm
with extender)
43cm (15cm
with pivot)
49cm (23cm
with pivot)
44cm
51cm (15cm
with pivot)
39cm (13cm
split column)
20cm
FOLDED HEIGHT
(+ HEAD)
77cm
43cm
66cm
75cm
64cm
73cm
51cm
80cm
WEIGHT
(WITH HEAD)
2.5kg
2.0kg
2.4kg
2.0kg
2.4kg
2.6kg
2.4kg
3.0kg
MAX LOAD
(LEGS, HEAD)
10kg, 8kg
12kg, 12kg
7kg, 6kg
12kg, 8kg
10kg, 12kg
9kg, 8kg
18kg, 30kg
25kg, 21kg
29, 25, 22mm
28, 25, 22, 19mm
26, 22, 19mm
29, 25, 22mm
28, 24, 20, 16mm
29, 25, 21mm
32, 28, 25, 22mm
32, 28, 24, 20mm
3 angles
3 angles
4 angles
3 angles
3 angles
4 angles
3 angles
3 angles
LEG EXTENSION
LOCKS
Clip
Clip
Clip
Clip
Twist
Clip
Twist
Twist
CENTER COLUMN
Invert only
Invert only
Invert only
Invert only
Invert only
Invert only
Split/invert
No column
MAXIMUM
OPERATING HEIGHT
MINIMUM HEIGHT
(NOT INVERTED)
LEG DIAMETERS
LOCKING LEG
ANGLES
THE W INNER
GI T ZO G T 3542XL S SER IES 3 6X S YS T EMAT IC + GH3780QD BAL L HE AD
or the ultimate in
recommendation for ‘best
high-grade build
buy’ in the group is the
quality and
Manfrotto MT055CXPRO3
rock-solid sturdiness, the
carbon fiber tripod and
Gitzo is an outright winner.
498RC2 ball head. It’s
It’s a joy to use, and
nearly as rigid as the
despite lacking a
Gitzo, less than
center column,
half the cost,
achieves a
and features a
spectacular
neat 90-degree
maximum
pivoting center
E XCEL L ENCE
operating height.
column. The
AWA RD
The only real
Sirui N-3204X
problem is that its
carbon fiber
asking price of
tripod and K-30X ball
£1115/$1530 is far more
head is another enticing
than most of us want to
option. If you’re on a tight
pay for a tripod.
budget, the Benro A2970F
Taking purchase price
and BH2-M ball head are
into consideration, our
unbeatable value.
F
A
P
P
S
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