Innholdsfortegnelse for The Canon Camera Book 5th Revised Edition i The Canon Camera Book

Professional SRP: £4,849/$7,999 Precision-engineered specifically for professional filmographers, the Canon EOS-1D C shares many of the specifications enjoyed by the Canon EOS-1D X such as the 18.1-megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor but adds video recording at a cinematic 4k (4096 x 2160 pixels) as well as Full HD resolution (1920 x 1080 pixels). It makes this DSLR an ideal choice for those working in motion picture and television production. What’s more, users can vary the capture rate from 24p to 60p for fastmoving or slow-motion scenes and can enjoy complete control over exposure, audio capture and compression. The enviable native sensitivity extends from ISO 100 to 25600 for movies and ISO 51200 for stills, expanding to ISO 204800 making high-quality handheld night shooting a realistic possibility. Most impressive here perhaps, is…

Professional SRP: £2,024/$3,599 A nnounced at the same time as the 5DS, the Canon EOS 5DS R is identical to its sister camera, except for one major difference: it contains a low pass cancellation filter. Low pass filters are placed in cameras to eliminate the effects of moiré, a wavy pattern that often appears when the photograph shows repetitive details. Many manufacturers are removing them in certain models, though, to produce a sharper shot. Canon has chosen to keep it, but instead include a second low pass filter to cancel out the effect of the first one, giving an overall sharper result. It’s something that can help capture landscapes, architecture, fashion and more with the kind of sharpness a pro photographer craves. As well as the same DIGIC 6 processor…

Enthusiast SRP: £519/$649 The Canon EOS 760D was announced at the same time as the 750D, and they are very similar indeed. W hile t he 7 50D i s t argeting t hose first starting out, the 760D has a more advanced design. It is aimed at those who are already familiar with DSLR controls but want to stick to a camera that’s smaller than the likes of the 6D, for instance. It would make the perfect second body for a semi-pro, or for those wanting to push themselves into a more advanced way of shooting. The basic difference, as we’ve said, is in the design, with the 760D handling more like the 70D, with a top LCD panel and a control wheel on the back. The top LCD…

Canon EF 40mm f2.8 STM The ultrawide f2.8 aperture means that this well-priced lens from Canon will cope well in low light and with street photography. The ultra-slim design helps the photographer from scaring their subjects with a large lens, putting models at ease while also producing stunning, professionallooking results. The newly developed stopping motor is smooth and quiet, too. Price: £184/$149 Canon EF 35mm f2 IS USM For those that are wanting a wider angle, this 35mm prime lens from Canon is popular with street and portrait photographers alike. Like the EF 40mm lens that we looked at above, the 35mm option has a wide aperture, but this one goes as shallow as f2. Keep the eyes in focus to get the best results. Price: £469/$549 Canon EF 24-70mm…

In close-up photography, a macro lens produces consistently great results. There is of course a variety of matter that can be shot in macro form, but macro lenses are most often used for product photography, while bright colours, flowers and insects generally make excellent subjects too. A macro lens could measure any focal length, but a 30-60mm range is typically used for product photography and small objects. A 90-105mm range is the standard focal range used for flowers and small objects, and a 150-200mm range gives more working distance and is typically used for shooting insects and other small animals. There are even a few zoom lenses available to buy that also provide a macro option, although they generally do not allow a one-to-one magnification. In macro photography, if you…

Canon EF 70-300mm f4-5.6L IS USM This affordable telephoto zoom lens from Canon has a decent focal range and supports an eightblade circular aperture, which creates a beautiful background blur and makes your subject stand out. It’s an ideal lens for zooming in close to whatever action you’re trying to capture. Price: £1,159/$ 1,249 Canon EF 200mm f2L IS USM Fixed focal length lenses such as this one generally offer a wider maximum aperture. Canon offer a fixed lens for every shooting scenario, and this one is geared towards the wildlife, sports and news photographers that crave a telephoto lens to bring them closer to the action. The lens also comes with a dedicated, detachable hood. It’s definitely a premium option, so only those serious should apply. Price: £3,899/$5,699 Canon…

Buying a Canon camera is an investment – whether it’s a small compact camera for snapping holidays and events, or a bigger DSLR model for professional or pleasure purposes. When it comes to adding accessories, the choices are vast, stretching from gizmos and gadgets that are fun play with, to more serious pieces of kit such as tripods and cleaning equipment. Chances are that if you’re passionate about photography, your kit wish list will never end as you aim to build as many options as possible to help you shoot better images using different techniques. We’ve compiled a list of accessories that complement your Canon camera and explain briefly about how they’ll help you. We start by looking at tripods, which are often the most bulky piece of equipment after…

When shooting with a tripod, the legs do the bulk of the heavy lifting but it’s the tripod head that provides the functionality. Entry-level tripods often come as a kit with both the legs and the head included, but as you move up, these two ranges of gear are often sold separately. Some manufacturers, such as Manfrotto, offer kits that include both components, but it’s not uncommon for photographers to mix and match according to their immediate shooting needs. As with all camera equipment, the price of tripod heads range dramatically from the very highly priced top range to offerings aimed at amateur photographers. The most important aspect to keep in mind is how much flexibility you will need while you’re shooting. High-end models aim to give photographers a seamless…

CANON 100EG PADDED CAMERA AND GADGET BAG £39/$50 Protect your gear from harmful bumps, moisture and dust with a shoulder bag that’s built to fit either one or two DSLR bodies and up to four lenses (depending on size). The padding serves a dual purpose of offering protection and making it comfortable to carry around. The Velcro inside the bag is adjustable to fit your particular gear. There’s also enough space for memory cards, batteries and other peripheral accessories. LOWEPRO SLINGSHOT EDGE 150 AW £63/$90 This fast-access camera bag is perfect for holding the smaller Canon EOS M10 or older Canon mirrorless models. Its slim size holds a small camera with a lens attached, an extra lens and a tablet, as well as coming with a protective rain cover to…

SAMSUNG PRO MICROSD CARD (16GB WITH ADAPTER) £23/$30 This high performance microSD is perfect for any Canon camera that requires the smaller sized SD card. The card offers quick transfer to your computer as a Class 10 card with a transfer speed of up to 90MB/s, which translates to roughly 660 images per second. It’s also available in 32GB and 64GB versions. It comes complete with an SD adapter so you’ll be able to plug it into any SD card reader on laptops or other devices. SANDISK EXTREME PRO COMPACT FLASH 64GB £361/$150 The main difference between CF and SD cards is the speed and the size. CF cards are much quicker but don’t fit into all cameras, and they’re more costly. This high speed SanDisk card is available from…

With a fashion portrait, the product is often more important than the model – finding the right balance here as well as incorporating props, challenging lighting and the pressure of pleasing a client can be a daunting task, especially if you’re not used to shooting people. It’s important to keep in mind that your compositions need to showcase the fashions in the best way. Unlike portraits where limbs close to the camera are a no-no, products in prime positions draw attention to the item rather than the model. However, when combining the two elements in the frame, eye contact is another technique to entice the viewer to engage with what’s on display. Despite what you may have heard, it’s okay to place the model in the middle, as the symmetry…

Plan Visit your location beforehand and take test shots to work out the best compositions. If shooting seascapes, check tide levels. Get up early, stay out late Be disciplined and get on location at least an hour before you intend to shoot so that you can work out the best light. Compose using a decent tripod If you’re serious about taking great images, think about how to support your camera. I’ve seen students with tripods less stable than a drunk on a cattle grid. Use a cable release Buy a hard-wired option as you’ll be confident of getting that stunning, shake-free shot. This is perfect for long exposures. Invest in filters Buy a 0.9ND grad and a six or ten-stop ND. This is a great place to start and will…

While many photographers will say how great a wideangle lens is for architecture photography, they aren’t the best option to keep the lead-in lines of a building straight. A telephoto lens is better when composing those important lead-in lines in an architecture shot as it won’t convex its original shape and will give a true representation of what is in front of you. Tilt-shift lenses are also a good investment for architecture photographers, especially those who have a tight space to work with. The tilt-shift lens will maintain the straight vertical lines. If capturing straight lines on a building in-camera is proving difficult, you can correct in Photoshop by reshaping the image.…

Balance items Make it look like the items are balancing and with one small touch it will a collapse. Like a game of Jenga, it adds tensions and interest. Break the pattern Prepare a surprise for the viewer. For example, put one product out of five at a different angle to break the symmetry in the frame. Use the rule of thirds The rule of thirds rarely fails and happens naturally most of the time in compositions. Saying that, rules are meant to be broken. Add movement When possible, create a sense of movement. Although it’s a still life, there needs to be an energy so the viewer feels the atmosphere. Use props Create a set to complement the products and to produce a narrative, whether that’s with completely contrasting…

Your Canon camera can offer you a choice of four metering modes. Each one is useful for certain kinds of shot under certain kinds of lighting conditions. The metering sensor inside your Canon camera measures and responds to light to help you balance your exposures and compose creatively. Set your metering options to one of the following depending on the kind of shot you’re taking. Evaluative metering is used to get an all-round even exposure. It meters the light within the entire scene and balances the highlights and shadows for clear unbiased results. This is perfect for well-lit scenarios such as daytime landscapes, but less suitable if you’re working with directional light such as a sunbeam or spotlight, or if you’re trying to capture dramatic contrast. Centre-weighted average metering is…

Cameras have within them a device called a shutter that allows a timed and finely controlled amount of light to enter the camera. It can take the form of a focal plane shutter, such as that found in DSLRs, or a more simple leaf shutter, as found in most compact digital cameras. The shutter is usually positioned in the camera body behind the lens and in front of the sensor as with DSLRs, where it can be clearly seen when you swap a lens. This is a focal plane shutter. Or it can be inside the lens (the leaf shutter type) as with compact digital cameras. Whatever the case, as the shutter travels it reveals an open slit to the outside world that allows focused light to enter and hit…

If you have no lighting accessories available, window light provides you with a means of capturing elegantly lit portraits with minimum fuss. The light through a window can still be modified – net curtains, for example, can diffuse the light, while patterns can be created with blinds. A reflector can be used on the subject’s shadow side to even up the exposure if desired.…

50MM LENS AT F1.8 Used wide open, a 50mm f1.8 lens produces very limited depth of field and is also ideal for dull lighting, in which a wide aperture enables you to use faster shutter speeds. REFLECTOR ADDED Adding a white, silver or gold reflector is a simple way to lift shadows and produce a more balanced exposure. Resulting images are well lit without looking fake. 50MM LENS AT F1.4 Though considerably more expensive than an f1.8, a 50mm f1.4 lens produces only a marginal difference in terms of depth of field, so if you’re budgeting, an f1.8 would be better suited.…

Metz 52 AF-1 Digital Flashgun www.intro2020.co.uk £230/$300 This speedlight is available for Canon, Nikon, Olympus, Pentax and Sony cameras. This model features 24-105mm automatic zoom functionality and a touchscreen, with a guide number of 52 with ISO 100/21 – more powerful than the Nikon SB910, which you can expect to pay more for. Phottix Mitros TTL Flashgun www.intro2020.co.uk £250/$499 Even more powerful still, this speedlight – which can be found for around £250 – is available for both Canon and Nikon cameras. It has a 24-105mm motorised zoom capability, TTL functionality, plus bounce and swivel features. Nissin Di866 www.nissindigital.com £268/$350 Available in both Canon and Nikon fits, this speedlight is adjustable from full power to 1/128 power. At full power, this is the strongest of the three speedlights featured here…

Use a reflector These simple accessories provide an excellent means of improving your portraits without investing in extra lights. Buy a 50mm lens Offering either a f1.8 or f1.4 maximum aperture, these lenses enable you to create very shallow depth-of-field effects in-camera. Try off-camera flash Even if you only own one speedlight, simply using if off-camera, rather than on the camera, will make a big difference to your images. Use soft light Make the available light do some of the work. Soft, diffuse light will be more flattering than harsh sunlight. Buy second-hand Get more for your money by buying used lenses, speedlights and accessories. Models that have been superseded offer excellent value. Co-opt the sun If you only have one speedlight, position your subject so the sun serves as…

Combining a slow shutter speed with a short burst of flash will capture a subject that’s still and sharp, but with the added effect of motion blur. By selecting rear-curtain sync mode on your camera, the flash will be fired at the end of the exposure, rather than the beginning. This means that the ambient shutter blur occurs first. Slow-sync flash requires the use of relatively slow shutter speeds, to intentionally make the blur trail visible. 1 Select camera settings Use manual mode and dial in a relatively slow shutter. This image used 0.8 seconds, but the exact exposure will depend on your subject’s speed. 2 Set up the flash Attach a speedlight onto your camera’s hotshoe, and set the flash power to around 1/32. The flash will freeze the…

Canon EF 16-35mm f2.8L II USM The recommended retail price of this lens is pretty expensive, but Canon users will not be disappointed with the results of the 16-35mm – they’re absolutely incredible. The zoom range is highly adaptable to any landscape scene, and the fact that it’s teamed with a wide f2.8 aperture makes this lens perfect in low light. Price: £1,349/$1,499 Canon EF 14mm f2.8L II USM This fantastic landscape lens goes beyond human perspective, offering a massive 114-degree field of view. Its ultra-wide nature not only packs plenty into the frame, but also gives a strong separation between foreground and background elements. A maximum aperture of f2.8 enables you to take sharp handheld shots too. Price: £1,789/$1,999 Canon EF-S 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 IS II Don’t be put off…

Canon EF-S 60mm f2.8 Macro USM The EF-S 60mm f2.8 Macro USM is the first true Macro lens in the EF-S series from Canon. With its ability to focus crisp and sharp lifesize images onto the sensor, the EF-S 60mm f2.8 Macro USM offers true macro performance for a relatively low price. Price: £399/$419 Canon EF 100mm f2.8L Macro IS USM This lens’s 100mm focal length enables a comfortable distance between the subject and the photographer, meaning that there’s less chance of scaring insects and small creatures away. There is also less chance of casting a shadow and spoiling your otherwise-perfect image. Price: £789/$799 Canon EF 50mm f2.5 Compact Macro Light and compact, this generalpurpose macro lens can also function as a flexible standard lens. The large f2.5 aperture enables…

MANFROTTO 055 MAGNESIUM BALL HEAD £165/$250 Built to work with the 055 Tripod series, this head is extremely precise and offers extra smooth movements, which is especially important if you use your Canon for the dual purpose of filming and photography. Its most useful features include the 90-100 degree portrait angle selector and an independent pan lock. It’s constructed from light-weight magnesium and it comes with a traditional disk attachment. GITZO SERIES 1 MAG CENTRE BALL HEAD GH1780 £190/$235 At a basic level the design of ball heads are based on a large ball that sits inside a socket, which is locked by a clamping screw. This model by Gitzo features the same basic design but with an added emphasis on balance and smoothness for the photographer. This tripod head…

Learning to use a flash properly is a big step in any photographer’s career and one that will take your images to a whole new, well-lit, level. Many Canon DSLR models come with a built-in flash, but as these are attached to the camera they offer little flexibility for how they’re angled and the intensity of flash they transmit. Investing in a flash means opening yourself up to new creative possibilities as you learn how light works and how to manipulate it to achieve evenly-lit and radiant results. Canon offers a range of speedlights from small and basic options to those that include flash to work alongside constant LED light for video work. If you buy flash units not manufactured by Canon, be sure to check that the one you…

CANON LEATHER NECKSTRAP FOR POWERSHOT CAMERAS £12.49/$20 Keep your PowerShot camera safely around your neck with this smart and stylish leather strap. The nylon ends feed easily into the eyelets on the body of your camera and you can use the clips on the side to adjust the strap to suit you. The style of the strap fits perfectly with both Canon’s soft and leather cases for PowerShot cameras, which makes this a nice all-rounder. OP/TECH CAM STRAP QD £7.99/$9.95 Get more grip with this neoprene wrist strap, which is ideal for keeping smaller cameras securely around your wrist while being able to detach them if needed. The strap can take up to 1.13kg, while the thick and wide strip of material makes sure it’s a comfortable fit. Attach and…

Position the body We get fixated on faces and sometimes forget what the rest of the body is doing. Keep hands and feet away from the camera. Don’t ruin visual flow Arms and legs act as lead-in lines to follow to the frame edge. Cropping at ankles, wrists and foreheads is too abrupt for viewers. Background distractions Avoid brain stems – lines, trees, or other things that photographers accidentally place their models directly in front of. In studios they appear as backdrop creases. Slide to the side Symmetrical, centreweighted images can be good, but the rule of thirds is still strong. Placing your model at an angle rather than square with the frame is flattering. Think of the light Broad lighting is good for softening skin and for thin subjects,…

Educate your eyes Learn to observe symmetry. Put this in your composition when you can, as it creates harmony. Get a tilt-shift lens They are the most important tool. Images with converging vertical lines are totally unacceptable. Find shapes Lines and curves must be in total harmony – they have to make your eyes follow them across the image. Maintain balance Ensure that every aspect in your composition is in balance. Look up and down Some of the best details aren’t at eye level, so look around. Be patient Wait for the right time to get the right light, as lights and shadows can affect your composition significantly. Visit the place beforehand Check the location and see if you need permission to climb the building across the street. Be polite…

Exposure value – or EV – simply refers to the effective combination of any shutter speed, any aperture and how different combinations relate to one another. There’s a rather confusing equation that can be used to calculate the EV based on any given shutter speed and aperture combination, but fortunately there are plenty of tables online – and of course apps – that negate the need to be an advanced mathematician. Assuming that ISO 100 is being used, a landscape scene at sunset will often have an EV of around 8 or 9. In other words, there’s a good chance that you’ll be shooting at something like 1sec at f16, or 2sec at f22. This EV table is the origin of the sunny 16 rule. As a sunny day generally…

• Use a fast shutter speed to freeze a fast-moving subject. The faster the action, the faster the shutter speed needed to freeze it. • Use slow shutter speeds to creatively blur your subject, be it a waterfall or waves on a beach, to convey the feeling of motion in a subject. • Using flash can help freeze motion as well as a fast shutter speed. • Use a neutral density filter if you have problems with detail bleaching out when using longer exposures in daylight. • Always use a shutter speed the reciprocal of the focal length in use to help reduce problems from things like camera shake. • Bump up the camera’s ISO sensitivity to help get faster shutter speeds at your disposal. • If using slow shutter…

The standard zoom is arguably the most maligned lens in all photography. Though most zoom lenses do represent a marginal degree of compromise, optically, over prime lenses, the advantages that they offer in terms of compositional flexibility are considerable. Since certain prime lenses – often with a focal length of 85mm – are commonly referred to as portrait lenses, it’s easy to think that portraits have to be taken using this focal length to be successful. Although it’s true that these focal lengths produce a flattering perspective for head-and-shoulders portraits, there’s plenty of potential offered by the wider end of a standard zoom for creative portraits. When you consider that most cameras are sold with a standard zoom, you automatically have access to a huge degree of creative potential. To…

One of the most powerful means of creating successful portrait images without recourse to expensive lenses, lighting or accessories is to take control of the depth of field in your images by working with aperture and focusing distance. Limiting the presence of distracting background elements will make your portraits look far more professional, enabling you to create an image in which all the attention is on the subject. This isn’t a recipe for every portrait, though – there will be situations in which a shallow depth of field isn’t desirable and you’ll want at least some of the background in focus. The kit lens you get when you buy a camera almost certainly won’t boast a particularly wide maximum aperture, with perhaps f4 or f4.5 at the widest end of…

Bottletop 5-in-1 50cm Reflector (Diffuser + Gold/White & Sunfire/Silver) www.lastolite.co.uk £36/$39 This product enables you to reflect the light in using gold, white, sunfire or silver surfaces. There is also a diffuser panel included. 4 Section Heavy Duty Air Cushioned Stand www.lastolite.co.uk £50 (approx. $78) This portable stand will enable you to use your speedlight off-camera and produce creative, professionallooking flash effects. Ezybox II Square Medium 60 x 60cm www.lastolite.co.uk £91/$115 Quick and easy to assemble and disassemble, this softbox is highly collapsible and very portable. You can also get grids to fit across the front diffuser panel.…

Have you ever watched a Hollywood movie and wished you could capture the glitz and glam of Tinseltown in a portrait? Well, what if we told you that not only could you do just that, but you can actually do it all from the comfort of your own home? All it requires is a clever bit of lighting, a willing model as well as the right clothing and props to make it appear convincing. If this sounds like a challenge, then think again as it’s actually incredibly simple to pull off and with our easy-to-follow step-bystep guide we’ll show you exactly how it’s done from setup and shooting, to adding the finishing touches in Photoshop. Before you get started you’ll need to make sure you have the right gear, most…

If you’ve ever looked admiringly at pro images of water droplets suspended in mid-air, it’s easy to think you’d need years of experience and an expensive studio to get started yourself. High-speed flash is a technique that requires practice and patience, but it can be achieved using standard speedlights. You’ll need to dial your flash units down to their lowest power settings to reach the very fast flash durations needed for freezing split-second action. You’ll also need to use a device such as the TriggerSmart (www.triggersmart.co.uk), to sync the camera’s shutter with the collision. A long-reach macro lens is also necessary for close-up shots of intricate subjects. When you’ve set up, take some test shots and check the precise focus on your camera or computer screen. Experiment with settings on…

Professional SRP: £3,092/$4,599 Strictly targeting professional photographers, this 1 series camera combines speed with image quality in order to deliver a stronger shooting performance than ever witnessed before. The Canon EOS-1D X teams a full frame 18.1MP sensor with the Dual DIGIC 5+ processor that hands the users greater flexibility over depth of field and produces pictures that exhibit rich, crisp details even when printed as large as A2. Sports, action and wildlife pros will rejoice at its shooting speed of 12fps, or 14fps in High Speed mode with mirror lock up, which can run to a maximum of 180 large JPEGs or 38 RAW files, and at ISO 32000 low-light enthusiasts can power out a phenomenal 10fps. Add to that a native gamut of ISO 100-51200 that can then…

Professional SRP: £2,840/$3,399 The Canon EOS 5DS made waves when it was announced because of its massive 50.6MP full frame sensor. At the time of writing, this is the highest resolution sensor ever included in a camera of this type, beating the Nikon D810’s 36.3MP sensor and more than doubling the Canon EOS 5D Mark III’s 22MP. The extra pixels will allow photographers to crop into their frames much further, while retaining the finest level of detail. It will mean buying larger memory cards and hard drives though to store the larger file sizes. This new model doesn’t replace the 5D Mark III, but it does share the same exterior, with some new technology housed inside. As well as the 50.6MP sensor, it also contains dual DIGIC 6 processors and…

Enthusiast SRP: £429/$499 Sitting between the 700D and 70D in the line up, the Canon EOS 750D is aimed at those who are looking to take on more creative control over the images they capture. More specifically, t he 750D i s t argeted a t those upgrading from compacts and trying to get to grips with an EOS system for the first time, while still wanting a few more than the features the beginner 1200D has to offer. The 750D is a streamlined camera with just the key buttons present on the back to keep it easy for those just starting out, but there’s also a touchscreen. It has the advantage, however, of a 24.2MP APS-C sensor, upgrading from the 700D and 1200D’s 18MP. Hybrid CMOS AF III has…

For portrait photography you want to shoot the head and the shoulders. Prime lenses will produce perfect results and Canon has plenty of options. However, some photographers find these lenses hard to use as they’re fixed in their focal range, which means any zooming you do will have to be with your feet. Despite this, the unique style that this type of lens produces is highly popular with many industry professionals. Many prime lenses are able to open to a wide aperture and this can create a dreamy effect where the subject is sharp and the background is blurred, which puts the focus on your subject. On some lenses the aperture will go as wide as f1.4, meaning it’s effective to use in low light and for street/documentary photography. Prime…

Canon EF-S 18-135mm f3.5-5.6 IS STM On this well-priced lens, Dynamic Image Stabiliser technology smooths out vibrations and camera movements so that whether you’re shooting hand-held or recording a video, the results are sharper and better quality – ideal for shooting on the go. High speed auto focus locks onto subjects quickly and accurately. Price: £319/$549 Canon EF 70-200 f2.8L IS II USM This compact lens is ideal shooting sports, wildlife and portraits, making it perfect for the wide variety of subjects that a travel photographer faces. It boasts rugged durability and a four-stop Image Stabiliser. It’s not the cheapest, but if you want quality photos on the go there aren’t many better. Price: £1,839/$1,999 Canon EF-S 55-250mm f4-5.6 IS II Light, compact and great for those on the go,…

Canon TS-E 90mm f2.8 This is a short telephoto lens that comes with perspective and depth-offield control, which enables you to produce images that simply are not possible with normal lenses. It is perfect for architecture, portraits and product photography. You can also focus all the way down to 0.5cm, boosting its versatility. Price: £809/$1,399 Canon EF 8-15mm f4L Fisheye USM This robust 8-15mm lens has been made for rough weather conditions, while the all-important front glass has been treated with a distinct fluorine coating that makes it much easier to keep clean. For users with a crop factor this lens will equal 12-24mm. It has a hefty price tag, so make sure you’re serious about creativity before buying. Price: £1,079/$1,199 Canon TS-E 17mm f4L The tiltand-shift lens effect has…

SIRUI N-2004X TRIPOD WITH BUILT-IN MONOPOD £180/$234 This tripod stands out from the crowd because you can remove one of the legs and use it as a monopod, and there’s a hand strap included too. It’s constructed from aluminium, weighs 1.8kg, and can hold up to 15kg, so it’s certainly a solid option. It has flip-type leg locks and nonslip rubber feet with metal spikes that can be retracted, so you’re able to get a solid purchase on the ground. This is an all-rounder and its ability to be turned into a monopod makes it a really versatile option. VELBON ULTRA 355 TRIPOD £135/$230 This compact tripod comes with a three-way panhead and quick-release platform. It also has a multi-angle splittable centre column to allow you to work down to…

CANON SPEEDLIGHT 90EX £120/$150 Simplicity is the main quality of the Canon 90EX. This no-nonsense unit is perfect for regular, everyday shots and is an ideal fit for an amateur’s kit. It is an apt speedlight for portraits and does wonders to evenly light up indoor scenes. Its slim design means it can slip into any size of camera bag and its quick, discreet and fully automated, ready to be pulled out a moment’s notice. The unit is powered by AAA batteries, so be sure to carry some spares with you. CANON SPEEDLIGHT 270EX II £180/$170 For use with EOS models, this flashgun has a lightweight and compact design while still offering a range of functions. One of its useful attributes is the ability to use the speedlight both on…

KINETRONICS SPECKGRABBER £6.70/$3.50 Use the SpeckGrabber pen to get rid of pesky bits of dust or debris on your camera. The unit has an adhesive surface to pick up the dirt and remove it. The pen works best with spots, hairs or dust you’ve identified as being a problem. It’s handy to tackle debris on the sensor where you might not want to take the risk wiping over the entire surface. It’s a great way to clean your lens without risking it being damaged. Always be careful when handling the lens. LENSPEN MICROKLEAR CLOTH £15.74/$14.99 Keep your EF lenses sparkling with this neat cloth made from fabric soft enough to wipe away dirt and dust but not scratch or damage the lens. Always make sure to store the cloth away…

Scene modes are a lot more advanced than your standard Auto mode setting. They are programmed to automatically capture your subject using the best possible settings for the scene. The selected exposure settings are based on those that are traditionally used by photographers in order to get creative results when shooting the likes of portraits, landscapes, sports and still life. The Landscape scene mode, for example, ensures more of the picture appears in focus by selecting smaller aperture settings to increase depth of field. Other scene modes make similar adjustments to optimise images, including blurring the background in portraits. To select a scene mode, simply rotate the mode dial to one of the icons. On some models, you may need to select the scene symbol and choose a specific mode…

Balancing act Experiment with compositions by balancing items for a product shot with more impact. Successfully selling a product is no easy feat. As photographers, it’s our job to compose an atmosphere that presents products from the world of fashion to food, accessories and cosmetics in the best light possible. As with fashion, choosing the right location to unveil your narrative is an important factor as you are emulating a desirable world to potential buyers. Chanel do this very well with perfumes by placing them in clean spaces with props, suggesting expensive desires. Materials and backgrounds are also a simple way to alter how a product is presented alongside a well-planned lighting setup, which ensures that the product is on show, or in the case of food, the dish is…

DIFFERENT METERING MODES Most cameras are equipped with a number of different in-camera metering modes, but understanding how they work and when to use them will only add greater creativity to your photographic approach. Let’s examine the five main styles of metering systems: CENTRE-WEIGHTED AVERAGE METERING When pointed at a scene, the camera biases the light reading towards a central zone and pays less attention to light values at the extreme outer edges. PARTIAL METERING Similar to centre-weighted metering, but the light-gathering area is rapidly reduced to a smaller zone (10-15%) in the centre of the frame. SPOT METERING/MULTI SPOT METERING The metering area is concentrated in a small spot (3%), ignoring all light levels outside this greatly reduced zone. Cameras that have multi-spot metering let the photographer use this…

One of the best things about digital photography is that you now have the ability to see – at the time of capture – how your images have turned out, by pressing a review button on the back of your camera. Before digital, photographers had to wait until the film was developed to discover if their images were over- or underexposed. By that time, it was too late to change anything and also difficult to know just what it was that you did wrong – which made it harder for beginners to learn from their mistakes. However, rather than just looking at the image itself on the camera’s LCD, it’s important to pay attention to the histogram, as this tells you precisely how the scene has been recorded. The centre…

1. SIGMA 17-70MM F2.8-4 DC MACRO OS HSM This lens costs around £350/$400 and is designed for cameras with an APS-C sensor. This model is a new version of an old favourite and provides the equivalent of around 27-112mm on the Canon APS-C sensors with their 1.6x conversion factors. Its close focusing capability is ideal for minimising depth of field and the zoom offers flexibility in focal lengths. 2. CANON EF 85MM F/1.8 USM Canon users will be interested in this perfect portrait lens, which retails for around £250/$350. The f1.8 aperture enables shallow depth of field and it offers the classic 85mm portrait focal length. 3. SIGMA 50MM F1.4 EX DG HSM This alternative from Sigma is very highly respected and retails for around £300/$500. It features a maximum…

If you don’t have a lens with a particularly wide aperture to hand, you can re-create a similar shallow depth of field by going to the telephoto end and focusing tight on your subject at the widest aperture that’s offered to you, which will probably be f5.6. Depth of field is limited at longer focal lengths and closer focusing distances, so you will be able to reproduce the appearance of a much wider aperture.…

The term ‘shutter lag’ refers to the time between pressing down the shutter, and when the photo has actually been recorded. When photographing fastmoving objects or people in motion, any delay is an evident problem, but you can overcome it to a certain degree by anticipating your shot and using presets on your camera. On most DSLRs, when you press down the shutter halfway, the camera will set the focus and exposure before you take the shot. Then, on a full press of the button, the shot should be taken almost instantaneously because the majority of the processing has already taken place.…

Whether by road, sea, rail or air, transport is both essential in our daily lives, but easily overlooked as a subject. In particular, night-time and the golden hours are the perfect times to capture long exposures, especially when you focus on the movement of lights in the traffic. A great technique for conveying speed is to physically move your camera during an extended exposure, panning so that the subject remains in the same position in the frame. For the best results, position yourself parallel to the path of your object so that it’s the same distance away from you throughout the exposure. Another option is to take pictures from inside a moving vehicle for a different perspective. However you choose to capture the action, make use of the Motion Blur…