Innholdsfortegnelse for August 2022 i Digital Camera Magazine

Arguably somewhat of a niche or geeky pursuit pre-Covid 19, macro photography gained some serious traction during lockdown, when many photographers were limited to shooting at home. Now, with the cost of living crisis impacting us all and many hours of summer light to take advantage of, we’re offering a masterclass in shooting macro on a budget. Turn to page 50 for some tips, tricks and hacks for shooting the world in close-up, whether it’s plants, insects or getting creative. You don’t even need a macro lens, but if you are inspired then pick up a pre-owned one for as little as £200 by turning to Help Me Buy (p116). Also this month, feast on the flowing fashion shots in One to One (p8), check out our highlights from Underwater…

STEP 1 ENTER THIS URL www.digitalcamera world.com/dc258 Enter the URL www.digitalcameraworld.com/dc258 into the destination bar of your internet browser – we’re using Google Chrome, but other browsers work in a similar way. Please do not enter it in any search field or search bar. This will take you to a page on our website. STEP 2 JUST CLICK THE HIGHLIGHTED LINK Here you’ll find all the gifts and videos to accompany this issue of Digital Camera. Click on the link labelled ‘Download the disc for Digital Camera 258’ and your download will start, delivered from our own server. It may take a few minutes. STEP 3 ACCESS YOUR FILES Open the.zip In your Downloads folder, or wherever you chose to download your files to, double-click the dc258-disc.zip file icon. Then…

1 Study the tide times I researched the tides in the Porlock and Minehead area about six months beforehand with a tide booklet, which I had bought on a previous visit. I booked accommodation close to the first location I wanted to shoot and had a plan of several places in the area that were of interest. 2 Take the right kit In addition to my trusty Nikon Z 7 and 14-30mm wide-angle lens, I knew I was going to shoot long exposures, so would need a tripod with a remote timer. I like to keep my lenses and ND filters pristine, so I packed a blower and lens cloths, and I didn’t overlook batteries and a formatted memory card. 3 Find your composition When shooting a minimalistic shot, my…

Macro is a specialised field of photography that draws on a whole assortment of specialised kit to help you take better close-up pictures, from LED lighting to illuminate your tiny subjects, to focusing rails that allow you to incrementally adjust your focus to achieve total precision and create focus stacked images, too. Here, we’ve laid out some of the most useful equipment for macro work. Luckily, you don’t require all of them and you can get the essentials and add to your kit bag as you go. Once you’ve started shooting, you’ll learn which areas could be improved and set your sights on a piece of kit that would make your macro shoots easier. If you’re on a super-tight budget, lots of the items listed here can be picked up…

While dedicated macro lenses are ideal and also essential if you want to shoot macro professionally, you can still achieve fantastic results with other lenses, such as a Lensbaby or a standard telephoto that can focus at a reasonably close distance. Here are some examples of alternative optics. TRY USING A CREATIVE LENS 1 Portrait or street photographers may own an experimental lens in the form of a Lensbaby Spark 2.0, a Lomography Petzval or similar. These aren’t macro lenses, but if the focal length is long enough you will be able to get tightly cropped images of your subjects that will look totally different to images taken with a typical macro lens, helping to create shots that really stand out. USE YOUR TELEPHOTO TO CAPTURE GREAT MACRO DOF EFFECTS…

Shooting scenics with a telephoto lens can be surprisingly addictive. Telephotos have focal lengths that are longer than the standard focal length for your camera – which is 50mm for a full-frame camera and around 30mm for a camera with an APS-C sensor. As well as making it easier to isolate interesting details in the landscape and crop out distractions, longer focal lengths can make background details look bigger compared to those in the foreground, and closer to them, too. This perspective effect isn’t down to the lens per se, but rather the fact that you have to stand further away to frame a scene. The longer the focal length, the more pronounced the effect. You can make the moon look much larger in a scene by using a 600mm…

If you’re using a graduated filter, it can be tricky to see where the dark section of the filter falls on many cameras – particularly in the optical viewfinder of a DSLR. To remedy this, press the depth of field preview button and make sure a relatively small aperture is selected, as this will make the dark line obvious…

Fine art landscape photographer Title: ‘Isle of Skye’ Location: Isle of Skye Date: 2022 www.skyephotoguide.com After David finished writing his book, Photographers Guide: Isle of Skye and the North West of Scotland, a highly comprehensive and detailed guide to all the best landscape locations, he says that he found himself “at a loss” for what to do next. “I decided to continue writing guides about many of the other places I photograph throughout Scotland, and make them freely available on my website. “But as I was shooting in the Cairngorms, my camera displayed the dreaded ‘Error, restart your camera’ message, due to the shutter mechanism wearing out and the curtain sticking shut. It had to be sent for repair, and six long weeks later it was finally returned to me.…

FILE & VIDEO www.digitalcameraworld.com/dc258 WATCH THE VIDEO! BONUS HALO EFFECT PRESET Turn to page 88 to find out more! Sean McCormack is a photographer and writer, based in Galway. He’s the author of The Indispensable Guide to Lightroom CC. In Photoshop compositing, a neat trick is to create a layer between the subject and the background and add a radial gradient in white – this produces a pleasing fog effect. Our brain sees this fog and thinks there must be distance between the subject and the background, effectively creating depth in the composite. Obviously, the subject has to be cut out to give a clear view of the background. This could be done with erasing, or using a layer mask in Photoshop. Lightroom does not have the benefit of these…

The brand’s newest – and cheapest – mirrorless camera, the Z 30 targets vloggers, content creators and anyone looking to upgrade from a camera phone to a camera. The Z 30’s 20.9MP APS-C sensor is the same one used in Nikon’s Z 50 and Z fc, offering stills shooters 11fps image capture with autofocus and auto-exposure, plus full-time video AF with eye and animal detection for both stills and video. The Z 30 packs pretty extensive video features for the price, with continuous recording for up to 35 minutes in 4K UHD or 125 minutes for full HD, and there are 20 in-camera filter effects for both stills and video. Interestingly, there’s no electronic viewfinder on the Z 30, which isn’t ideal for stills photography, but there is a fully…

A popular choice for photographers, eneloop batteries are now more sustainable than before, thanks to new and improved packaging and enhanced performance. Pre-charged using solar energy, eneloop batteries can be recharged up to 2,100 times, according to the manufacturer, even keeping 70% of their charge for up to 10 years. The latest generation of eneloop batteries and chargers come in a new, fully cardboard and 100% plastic-free wrap, and the bestselling standard eneloop battery gets upgraded capacities. Offering up to 500 recharges and able to retain 85% of their capacity after one year in storage, eneloop pro batteries are popular for powering energy-hungry flashguns, while standard eneloop batteries can be used for compact cameras and other accessories. www.panasonic.com; from £9.99 (4-pack) Go to www.digitalcameraworld.com for the latest news, reviews &…

www.irixlens.com Combining Swiss precision, Korean ingenuity and Japanese glass, the Irix 21mm f/1.4 Dragonfly is built for professional use and promises to deliver sharp images with minimal distortion or aberrations. This super-fast, wide-angle prime is ideal for anything from astrophotography to interiors, landscapes, architecture or even weddings. It benefits from internal focusing, a weather-sealed design and a rigid, durable casing. 15 lens elements in 11 groups include four ultra-low dispersion elements, four high refractive elements and two aspherical elements. The lens has full-frame sensor coverage and comes in Canon EF, Nikon F (FX) and Pentax K mount options. All versions of the lens feature a scratch-resistant coating on the front element, an anti-slip focus ring for precision focusing, EXIF data recording capabilities, and an 11-blade diaphragm promising silky-smooth bokeh. Irix…

Good Laowa 100mm f/2.8 2X Ultra Macro APO £300/$360 (Used: Excellent condition) www.venuslens.net here are two similar editions of this manual-focus, full-frame compatible Laowa lens, available in a wide range of mount options catering for DSLRs and mirrorless cameras. Both give twice the maximum magnification of most macro primes, at 2.0x, but the mirrorless version is 30mm longer and has a more well-rounded aperture, based on 13 diaphragm blades rather than seven. The manual effort required pays dividends in terms of image quality. There’s pincushion distortion, but not enough to cause any concern. Fringing Colour fringing is minimal wide open at f/2.8 and absolutely negligible at medium to narrow apertures. Sharpness Sharpness is not only excellent from the very widest aperture, but also highly consistent across the whole frame. Verdict…

Yelena Yemchuk Art photographer Yelena’s photographic journey started at the age of 14, and she has gone on to have her work seen across the world. She discusses her book, Odesa, on page 120 Graham McCowen Fashion photographer Creating concept-driven imagery with a fantastical edge is one of Graham’s passions… we get to see how he does it on a flowing-fabric shoot in London, from page 8 Elizabeth Ebsworth Equine photographer With a life-long love of horses, and photographing them, Elizabeth documents their relationship with humans for her photographic practice. Read more on page 32 Jayna Ho Photographer Jayna has been exploring intentional camera movement techniques and the abstract results they produce. See how she does it, on page 30 Jon Devo Photographer & writer Jon likes to ponder how…

Hailing from South Africa but now residing in London, creative fashion photographer Graham McCowen has invited us to see him incorporate one of the capital’s most iconic locations into one of his photoshoots. Meeting at 11am at Tower Hill underground station, we were joined a few minutes later by Victoria, a Ukrainian model who has been living in the UK for the last eight years. The three of us made the short trip across Tower Bridge in very sunny, beautiful weather, and headed down onto the steps leading to the shaded shingle bank below. Graham explains that off-camera flash is common in South Africa, overpowering the sun to light the model and create a darker background. He has stuck with it since – it’s less common in the UK, so…

Shooting in ‘live’ environments is challenging. You learn quickly where your boundaries are and what people will tolerate. One of the biggest challenges I had when I started was getting people to ignore me. Social skills are especially important in these situations – you must communicate effectively and explain what your intentions and processes are. The last thing I want to do is annoy or get in the way of training. It does not always go to plan, however, so make it fun. I once dropped a speedlight on [UFC fighter] Mason Jones’s neck, which surprised and hurt him, so I told him his ‘situational awareness’ needed work. We all laughed – thankfully! Developing relationships with your subjects is key to making them feel at ease. If they feel at…

Photography is often referred to as the art of painting with light. With the pursuit of image perfection so highly prized, imperfection may actually augment your art. One of the ways that many modern photographers add to their photography is with the inclusion of what are known as light leaks. As the name suggests, these are patches – or ‘leaks’ – of light that occur in parts of a photograph. Some light leaks are subtle, while others have the effect of dominating the composition. During the era of film photography, light leaks were often considered to ruin a photograph. This is because when created unintentionally, light leaks can subtract from images. But this look, while mostly unwanted in film photography, can add creativity and nostalgia on digital images. Today, we…

My love of horses spans a lifetime, and I have been photographing horses and their humans for over six years now, something I continue to develop and grow all the time. I really enjoy photographing people and their horses and capturing the essence of their relationship. I also love to photograph horses at liberty and at incredible locations – they are so majestic, and it really activates my creativity! A personal project I have been working on and continue to work on is Horses & Architecture; a celebration of the craftsmanship of historical buildings and the natural beauty and form of the horse, something that is deeply connected through history. Personal projects are important and will broaden your knowledge and experience. I host a programme of equine photography workshops throughout…

Category Winner and My Backyard Winner, Category: Behaviour ‘All You Need Is Love’ Pekka Tuuri, Finland “This love pond is in my backyard – a 20-minute drive from home – and it has rewarded me plentifully over the past 10 years. It is full of love in late April. The common frogs come first, then toads and finally newts. I spent four days and four night-time sessions in it in 2021. I wore a drysuit with argon, lots of undergarments and a heated vest to survive in the five-degree water. I floated and stayed put among the frogs and quite soon they accepted me and my camera as part of the scenery. The frogs climbed on top of my camera, making grunting sounds in my ears and squeezing between my face and…

USE A REVERSING RING GIVE A STANDARD LENS MACRO ABILITIES BY USING THIS ECONOMICAL ADD-ON Shoot through a lens backwards using a reversing ring to increase your miniumum focus distance 1 Get your reversing ring Available online from retailers such as SRB, a reversing ring won’t break the bank. Make sure you get one that fits your camera mount, such as Canon EF or Nikon F, and also has the correct filter thread for your lens. 2 Attach your lens An old film 35mm or 50mm prime lens will work well, as they often have a physical aperture ring that makes it possible to change the aperture when mounted in reverse. 3 Rack the focus Using the rear LCD screen or looking through the viewfinder, move your camera back and…

Achieving a totally sharp shot can be much more difficult when shooting macro photography because your depth of field becomes more shallow as your subject gets closer to the front of your lens. This means that even a relatively narrow aperture of f/16 or f/22, which would usually deliver good sharpness throughout a scene in normal conditions, will only provide a shallow band of sharpness when shooting close-ups. The solution is to create a focus stack. This is where you take a batch of images, focusing on a different part of your subject matter in each frame, then merge the sharpest pieces of each shot for a completely sharp photo. A slider rail is handy for this, as you can keep the focus set and rack the whole camera and…

Weather resistant If you’re shooting near (or in) water, consider using a carbon fibre tripod and extending the thinner bottom sections of the legs first, so that you don’t have to spend time drying, cleaning and greasing all of the leg locks later. Ball vs three-way Broadly speaking, there are two types of tripod head: ball and three-way. Ball heads are faster to use as you generally have one lock to tighten and loosen the ball, but a three-way head is more precise and easier to move during panoramic shots Quick release A tripod head with a quick-release system allows you to leave plates attached to your camera and lenses so that they can be rapidly slotted or clipped onto the tripod. Quick-release add-ons are available, so you can convert…

Using a remote release to trigger a camera while it’s locked firmly on a tripod enables you to ensure that you’re getting the sharpest image possible. With a Wi-Fi enabled camera you may be able to use a compatible app on your smartphone to do this – although you’ll need to remember to switch off the camera’s Wi-Fi when you’re finished, as otherwise it will drain the battery pretty quickly.…

1 ‘Pretty Flamingos’ by Peter Howes “Taken at Chester Zoo, this is a cropped image of a flock of flamingos. Although I liked the original shot, I felt that the crop worked better and filled the picture with the distinctive colour of the birds. It was taken on a Nikon Z 6 with a Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 at 300mm and edited in Affinity Photo.” Digital Camera says: A pleasure to include one of your images in our reader’s gallery again, Peter. This is a really beautifully captured and processed shot – we love the frame-filling choice with the main subject up front, surrounded by the matching colour, detail and texture of the feathers. 2 ‘Serendipity’ by Helen Shurmer “Bluebells and greater stitchwort flowers taken in woodland local to me. I…

FILE & VIDEO www.digitalcameraworld.com/dc258 WATCH THE VIDEO! BONUS CONTRAST ACTION KIT Turn to page 88 to find out more! James is a professional photographer who specialises in landscapes and portraits. He’s an advanced Photoshop user and has created hundreds of tutorials. Contrast is an important part of photography, whether that’s increasing it for impact, reducing it to create retro effects or using colour contrast for creative effect. It’s a simple yet powerful visual effect, and within the realms of photo editing, there are many ways that these different types of contrast can be controlled and even manipulated. For our four techniques this month, we’re going to look at more advanced and creative ways of increasing contrast than simply creating an S-curve or increasing the black and white points using Levels.…

What is a fast lens? It’s a common misconception among newcomers to photography that a fast lens refers to an optic’s ability to focus quickly, but this isn’t the case. If a lens is referred to as fast, it means that it has a wide maximum aperture, typically f/2.8, but also potentially f/1.8 or f/1.4. So where does the term ‘fast’ come from? It simply refers to the ability of the lens to achieve faster shutter speeds in low light by opening the aperture up to its widest setting. This means when the hole (aperture) in the lens through which light passes on its way to the sensor is physically at its largest. Why aren’t all lenses fast? As a general rule, the extra material that’s required to create a…

Finished in matte black with an ergonomic workstand and integrated lighting on the rear of the unit, the ColorPro VP2776’s 98% DCI-P3 capability is the same colour gamut as an Apple Retina Display, and ViewSonic’s ICC Bridge technology guarantees that the ICC profiles automatically match for identical colour on the monitor. VESA-verified HDR400 with Nano IPS Color Gamut combine to offer a Hollywood-style viewing experience, while Delta E < 2 colour accuracy offers flawless colour reproduction. The ColorPro VP2776’s multi-function Color Pro wheel allows the user to colour-calibrate the monitor quickly, accurately and easily. It can also make simple and intuitive adjustments to on-screen menus, as well as parameters found in editing software – for example, display zoom settings, brush sizes, brightness, opacity and more. To enable users to see…

www.fujifilm-x.com Thanks to the rumour mill surrounding Fujifilm’s May 2022 X-Summit event, we thought we were getting a Fujifilm X-H2, but the X-H2S surpasses our expectations, especially when it comes to its impressive video specs. Fujifilm is a bit late to the high-speed party, having traditionally aimed its cameras squarely at the lifestyle end of photography – think food, portrait and travel. However, the manufacturer might now have done enough to be considered a serious contender among those who rate speed as a priority when it comes to choosing a camera. And to be honest, speed aside, the Fujifilm X-H2S is a brilliant camera in its own right. Key features Aimed at pro photographers who need high-speed performance for tracking wildlife, sports or action, the X-H2S is designed to pack…

Most lenses have some field curvature. For any focus distance at the centre of the image, the focus distance can be slightly different towards the edges and corners of the frame. By contrast, macro lenses aim for a ‘flat field’ design so that the focus distance is the same across the entire frame. It’s an important consideration if you intend on photographing two-dimensional objects like stamps, so that everything is sharp from corner to corner. When shooting flat objects head-on, like a watch face, a flat field design enables more consistent sharpness across the whole frame.…

9 ALL-NEW TIPS CARDS This issue, get wallet-sized advice on long exposures, autumn wildlife and making the most of local sporting events. If your copy doesn’t include printed cards, see the Gifts folder of this issue’s download for print-your-own versions. NEW-LOOK TIPS CARDS! ✔ 9 subjects ✔ Techniques ✔ Settings ✔ Kit list Actions and Presets for Photoshop and Lightroom We’ve curated a selection of actions and presets to complement this issue’s tutorials. You can find them with this issue’s other bonus digital gifts – see the instructions below. Buyer’s Guide ebook Over 270 pages of camera and lens reviews, plus buying advice for accessories! See the Gifts folder in your download.…

1 “Let your environment tell you how to light the scene. This could be a cool window to flash through, or if the sun is coming from a certain area, place a strobe to enhance the effect of that light.” 2 “The choice of lens you shoot with will often dictate how to light a scene. Using a super-wide lens means that the key light needs to be positioned out of the frame.” 3 “Use gels and different light shapers to add colour and different hard or soft light effects to your model and your location.” 4 “Colour and use of light and shadow are great ways to sell emotion in an image. Use a hidden strobe to light the environment instead of the subject.”…

Having crafted a reputation for visually sleek and sharp photography that captivates audiences, British-born photographer and filmmaker Sam specialises in creating commercial, portrait, landscape and automotive imagery. Visual storytelling is at the forefront of Sam’s work and stems from his love of motion pictures, where he also draws inspiration for his cinematic tones, colours and composition witnessed throughout his portfolio. With nearly a decade of experience behind the camera, Sam is never far away from capturing split-second moments influenced by his perception of light, filled with emotion that visually arrests viewers. Instagram: @bearingeast 1 Scout for locations I’ll always be looking for a focus point to base my image around, such as a tree, wall or old wooden gate. The majority of the time when I’m shooting landscapes, I like…

I Live in Somerset in the south west of England, and have been taking photographs of wildlife in its natural habitat for over 10 years. Ever since my very first safari back in 1994 to Tsavo East National Park in Kenya when I was 11, I have had a passion and fascination for viewing wildlife within their natural environment. The thrill of the mystery and unknown as to what may be seen during any given game drive or walking safari is something that grows with every excursion. My photography is incorporated into my global travels with a mixture of independent wildlife watching and organised safaris. I love to visit new national parks and areas of wilderness at every given opportunity. This enables my passion for capturing shots of those unique…

www.benedictbrain.com Camera: Fujifilm GFX 50R Lens: GF 45mm F2.8 R WR Settings: 1/125 sec at f/11, ISO 125 In many of my workshops and musings on photography and in my practice, I encourage the idea of expressing a true sense of place. An idea that an image can transcend being a mere record of place, but also express something of the experience of being there. One of the ways I like to explore this and encourage others is to put down the camera and discover a place using the other senses. How does a place sound, feel or smell? These can all contribute to the vibe and build of the image. The creative choices you make when you finally come to make a picture can feed off this. This is…

There’s a whole new world just waiting to be discovered with your camera – all it requires is a macro lens, or even budget-friendly macro accessories (see page 54). This will help you get closer to everyday items to transform them into extraordinary photographs. The brilliant thing about macro is that it covers a broad range of subjects, including everything from still-life to inanimate objects or kitchen items, to insects and flowers that you can easily find in your garden, local park or nature reserve – they all make great considerations for close-up photo subjects. In this feature, we’ll show you how to achieve fantastic macro shots with minimal kit and even the most limited of budgets, plus more advanced gear that will come in handy if you want to…

You’d be amazed at the detail of some of the tiny creatures and critters that visit your garden, and getting close with a macro lens will reveal them in astounding detail. Here, we will look at some useful tips when photographing insects. It’s always worth putting in the hours to get up early, as not only will you be greeted by amazing early light from shooting in the blue hour as it transitions into the golden hour, you’ll also be able to catch early morning dew droplets which will add extra sparkle to your shots. Many insects like damselflies and dragonflies are torpid in the early hours and only start to move around once the sunlight starts to warm them up. This makes it much easier to get close to…

SPONSORED BY Photographer and writer Marcus is a former editor of Digital Camera Fast, powerful and precise editing software for PC, macOS and iPad affinity.serif.com/photo Landscape photography regularly tops our surveys of the most popular photographic genres. It’s easy to see why. Spending time in wild and beautiful locations, photographing subjects that can be relied upon to always deliver, is inspiring stuff. You can tread in the footsteps of the masters of landscape photography if you wish, fill your lungs with fresh air – and fill memory cards with fantastic images of your favourite places. Photographing the great outdoors is, like many types of photography, easy to learn but tricker to become proficient in. In some ways, it’s like sport photography. You know where to stand to get the best…

Trying to find the perfect setup to suit your shooting style can easily become a work in progress. The ultraportable and easy-to-handle Fujifilm X-S10 is a compact APS-C sensor mirrorless with more consumer-friendly dials than other members of the X Series family (the Fujifilm X-T and Fujifilm X-Pro), and it’s more affordable. The high build quality of this camera is instantly obvious, and the tech inside the case doesn’t pull any punches either, with superb performance and colour rendition from the X-Trans CMOS 4 sensor. One of the best all-rounders in the APS-C mirrorless camera market right now in terms of performance, quality and value, the camera handles particularly well when an XF 16-80mm F4 R OIS WR lens is attached: the weight distribution of this camera and lens combination…

FILE & VIDEO www.digitalcameraworld.com/dc258 WATCH THE VIDEO! BONUS ADAPTIVE PRESETS SET Turn to page 88 to find out more! With over a decade as a writer and photographer behind him, James knows exactly which Photoshop and Lightroom tools and techniques matter most. The latest updates to Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop include an exciting new approach to using presets. By building artificial intelligence into presets, Adobe has taken things a step further. Available in Adobe Camera Raw, Lightroom CC and Lightroom Classic (v11.4), the new Adaptive Presets are powered by machine learning. They work in a similar way to normal presets, but rather than altering the entire image, they zero in on either the subject or sky, before applying tailored tonal effects to the area. Additionally, a new control lets us…

Z 9 FIRMWARE UPDATE New firmware update for Nikon flagship Update 2.10 for the Z 9 introduces a new High-Frequency Flicker Reduction function and improvements to AF tracking performance, particularly when shooting small subjects. www.nikon.co.uk New GPS unit for Pentax DSLRs Succeeding the O-GPS1, the O-GPS2 goes further than other GPS add-ons, as it can calculate the movement of celestial objects using the latitude obtained from the location data and the camera’s alignment data. www.ricoh-imaging.eu; £249.99/$179.95…

www.canon.co.uk This is a camera we’ve been waiting for since the launch of the R system back in 2018. The long-awaited first APS-C member of the EOS R family, it asks questions of the much smaller and more compact EOS M system, but gives Canon the most powerful APS-C camera on the market. Offering speed that matches (and, mechanically, beats) the Canon EOS R3, and resolution second only to the Canon EOS R5, the Canon EOS R7 is a technical marvel. Following in the footsteps of the Canon EOS 90D and Canon EOS 7D Mark II, shooters will leverage its 1.6x crop factor to amplify the effective focal length of full-frame lenses. As such, this could become the best camera for wildlife photography thanks to its unique combination of resolution,…

www.samyanglens.com The original edition of the Samyang AF 50mm F1.4 FE II (badged Rokinon in the US) was Samyang’s first-ever autofocus lens, launched in celebration of the company’s 50th year in the business. Five years down the road, the Mark II features a new and improved autofocus system, which is faster and more consistently accurate. It’s only one third of an f/stop slower than the highly acclaimed Sony FE 50mm f/1.2 G Master lens, but barely more than half the weight and only half the price to buy. Although compact and lightweight for a modern 50mm f/1.4 optic, the Samyang packs some impressive features. Its new linear stepping motor-based autofocus system is super-fast for stills capture and works well for Sony’s face-and eye-detection AF, complete with effective tracking. It also…

Our top three are available in Canon EF and Nikon F mount, but those certainly aren’t the only parties in town. The manual Laowa 100mm F2.8 2:1 Ultra Macro APO in third place is available in a huge array of Canon EF, Canon RF, Leica L, Nikon F, Nikon Z, Pentax K and Sony E mount options. It’s therefore a great second-hand option for many different cameras, and is also available new for around £469/$399. For camera manufacturers’ own-brand options, naturally there’s another barrage of choices. You’d be hard-pressed to find used versions of Canon RF and Nikon Z macro lenses, as they’re relatively recent launches, but there are good EF and F mount lenses respectively. Sony’s own-brand 90mm macro is also an impressive lens. For Micro Four Thirds, we’d…

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