Category Archives: Photography

It has been a fascinating year for the camera world. Lots of great new cameras came out and lots of exceptional lenses hit the market. While the camera market doesn’t feel stable and keeping the pace with how it used to be, that doesn’t mean good products didn’t hit the market. As we do for every Thanksgiving, we’re releasing our Editor’s Choice product awards. Here are the best cameras, lenses, and photography gear.

Cameras

Our staff is strict when it comes to rating cameras and gear. Typically, something has to be without any faults to earn our Editor’s Choice award. We relaxed that stance a bit this year, but I didn’t give the Canon EOS R7 and Fujifilm XH2 Editor’s Choice awards because I’m waiting for firmware to fix their issues. Nikon’s Z9 has fixed a lot of its problems, but we haven’t gotten one in for prolonged testing. However, three cameras really stood out to us this year.

Of any of the top of the line cameras, the Canon EOS R3 is probably the best. It boasts the most innovation and is clearly capable of consistently nailing the shot. DJI has always impressed us with how good their products are. And the Fujifilm XH2s excels in multiple ways.

Lenses

We’re proud of our lens reviews. That’s for good reason; we’re the publication with the most of them. This year, we’ve been more or less going into factory production mode when it comes to lens reviews. Lenses this year took a fascinating turn too. Brands actually started to listen to what photographers want! Lenses have become less clinical these days, and there’s finally more variety. Japanese manufacturers have understood that folks want character, so things have started to change a bit.

In the case of Sony and Fujifilm’s newest lenses, things are more clinical. But from other brands, we’ve started to see the return of lens character qualities many have craved. Additionally, we’re starting to see the return of tilt shift lenses. Earlier this year, Fujifilm announced that those are coming for GF format. We’re excited! And we’re expecting Canon and Nikon to announce some next year.

Photography Gear

There isn’t a complete list without extra gear that we find great, and so here it is!

As many long time readers will know, we’ve reviewed tons of camera bags. There are some brands we purposely don’t touch for ethical reasons, but most are better at this. Additionally, there’s gear that supports what photographers use, like MacBook Pros and cards. And finally, everyone loves film!

We’ve had a lot of fun testing cameras, lenses, and gear this year. And we hope that you enjoyed reading!

Today the ZHIYUN’s FIVERAY F100 and M40 go-anywhere lights have been revealed. These innovative new lighting models increase the power and possibilities of how creators can use portable lighting. 

Of the two new lights, the FIVERAY F100 is aimed at the enthusiast and pro-market, while the M40 is a palm-sized light ready for use by vloggers or anyone in need of a little powerful illumination. 

The larger of the two models is the FIVERAY F100, the second model in the range, following on from the FR100c announced earlier in the year. That lamp is impressive with outstanding performance that has proven to be a powerful lighting solution for both stills and video in the intervening months. The new FIVERAY F100 builds on the design and quality of the FR100c.

The second light to be launched is the smaller palm sized M40, designed as an easy-to-use fill light for both stills and video. This makes it an ideal solution for those using ZHIYUN’s range of compact mobile motorised gimbal stabilisers and being used as a light in its own right. 

Both new lights feature the latest LED technology, and due to the brightness and power, both feature ZHIYUN’s patented DynaVort Cooling system. This system was used on the FR100c to dramatic effect, enabling incredibly bright illumination without the usual heat issues that plague many other compact lighting sources. 

The cooling system has been designed in collaboration with physicists and offers an intelligent stay-coll technology that applies fluid dynamics, advanced algorithms to control fans, and a gyroscopic modelling heat sink.

ZHIYUN M40

Inside the small M40, the attitude-control algorithm is similar to that utilised on gimbals. This means that the DynaVort technology offers superior heat dissipation compared with other compact lighting sources and enables a 40W output in a device that weighs in at just 320g.

Yilun Liao, CEO of ZHIYUN, said: “We are passionate about using breakthrough innovations – whether with our iconic gimbals or our new FIVERAY lighting devices – to simplify and reshape content creation. With several industry firsts under our belts, including the M40’s DynaVort Cooling System, our products offer full creative control and convenience for anyone wanting to experience and express their inner filmmaker.”

A quick look through the specifications of the ZHIYUN M40 and its credentials are impressive despite being small.

Embedded with 176 LED chips 

Incredible illuminance of 14,000 lux at its peak

Adjustable dual colour temperature ranging from 2,700-6,200k and consistent power output peaks at 40W with no strobes providing a stable light source 

A standard fidelity offering for both photography and videography with CRI reaching 96+ and TLCI reaching 97+

ZHIYUN FIVERAY F100

Hot on the heels of the FIVERAY FR100c launched earlier in the year, the ZHIYUN F100 is the tricky second album. Again the new light follows the stick-like design of the FR100c and, in almost every respect, looks identical to the large lamp with the long diffuser panel softening the illumination from the LED’s while on the back a row of encased fans and the control panel are all neatly arranged. 

The new lamp weighs in at just 950g, and with the grip, it’s lightweight and easy to use with a single hand, as well as being easy to tripod mount on the 1/4-inch thread if needed.

Inside, the LEDs enable a powerful illumination of 20,708 LUX at the maximum 100W maximum power, an ideal amount for most lighting situations.

As well as the adjustable 100W of powerful direct illumination, the F100 has six pre-programmed lighting effects that will enable you to build atmosphere into your scenes when required. 

Being the second in the series means that there’s also now a good selection of accessories available, including a diffuser and grid.

Here are a few highlights of the ZHIYUN F100 features:

• One-click operation of Hue Saturation Intensity mode via the control dial: HSI Mode. Adjust H-Hue (0-360°), S-Saturation (0-100%), I- Intensity (0-100%) and experience rich, vibrant colours via the dial.
• Frosted casing creates a diffused, warm ambience while its groundbreaking structure integrates portability and performance. 
• Professional colour rendition with the RGB increased by 47% from 2700K to 6200K in CCT Mode

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Pricing and availability

The ZHIYUN FIVERAY M40 is available for £99/$99/€119 from the ZHIYUN and Amazon store.

The ZHIYUN FIVERAY F100 is available for £249/$249/€299 from the ZHIYUN and Amazon store.

From 7 – 8 December, the F100 and M40 will be available on a buy-one-get-one-free basis from selected channels, including Amazon, ZHIYUN Official Store, AliExpress, and B&H. Please see this link for more details.

The winners of the 67th Walkley Awards for Excellence in Journalism have been announced, with ABC photographer Brendan Esposito named Nikon-Walkley Press Photographer of the Year for 2022.

Esposito’s entry spanned the civilian impact of war in Ukraine, social issues closer to home including opioids, incarceration, DIY erotica, and life after a double mastectomy.

The Walkley Awards for Excellence in Journalism are the highest honours in Australian journalism, celebrating excellence across all media.

The annual awards were presented in 30 categories covering print, radio, and television. 

“Brendan Esposito shows a high standard of professionalism, earning the trust of vulnerable people and getting into their inner circle to convey a sense of intimacy. Each portrait is tailored to its subject and gives us a different feeling. Ukraine Mona Lisa, shot through the condensation on the glass, looks like a classical painting,” said the judges. 

In other categories, photographer for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, Kate Geraghty, took out the Feature/Photographic Essay category with her series Invasion of Ukraine – Civilian Impact.

Geraghty described photographing the series as an opportunity to show the emotions of victims of the war in Ukraine.

“I photographed breaking news such as a woman being rescued after a missile strike, but the main focus was to show the emotions behind the impact on civilians,” she said.

“Previous experience of covering the Donbas war, and months of planning last year to return to Ukraine, meant that when Russia invaded, I was already accredited, allowing visits to Ukrainian forces on frontlines. On one of the five embeds I documented the bodies of Russian soldiers being recovered from a battle to be used in a prisoner exchange.

I had to photograph quickly as Russian missiles had been fired towards our location and would kill three Ukrainian soldiers soon after we evacuated.”

An image by Natalie Grono (The Saturday Paper and Surfing World Magazine), Peter takes a moment, won the News Photography category following its win as the 2022 Nikon Walkley Photo of the Year Prize in October.

The image depicts a ‘quintessential’ Australian impacted by the devastating floods that floodwaters inundated the Northern Rivers of NSW in February and March 2022.

Grono was first assigned to photograph Ballina and surrounding communities as they prepared for the waters to move down from Lismore. With roads, power and communications cut off, Grono waded into flooded streets, speaking with residents and making their portraits.

Finally, Getty Images Cameron Spencer was named winner of the Sport Photography category with his body of work, Sport is Back!

His images captured fleeting moments from tennis and ironman, to ski-jumping and AFL.

Of the work, the judges said: “This well curated series demonstrates Cameron Spencer’s impressive range. His strong use of natural light, shadows and silhouettes shows his great technical skills. His ability to see something different, and to find interesting, unusual viewpoints on a variety of sports, is a testament to his creative eye.”

You can see more work by the finalists at the Walkley Awards website.

New cameras and lenses are exciting and in their haste to get out and use them, many photographers often forget to think about what to do with their old kit that they no longer use. Instead of leaving it to gather dust, our recommendation is that you sell it. Here’s why:

Make money from something you don’t use

When you sell something that you don’t use anymore, it feels like you’re getting free money, and who doesn’t like that? Naturally, more recent kit is likely to command a higher price but you might be surprised by how things add up when you have a few old items to sell.

With specialist retailers, online auctions sites and private sales, there are lots of ways to sell secondhand kit these days, but one of the easiest is to use MPB. MPB is the world’s largest platform for used photography and videography kit. It makes it easy to buy, sell or trade-in secondhand camera gear and you can get a quote for the kit you’re selling in a matter seconds. MPB can even arrange the courier to collect your kit for you, you just need to tell them what day you want the courier to call. Alternatively, you can drop it off at a convenient depot.

However you decide to sell your kit, pop over the our post about how to prepare your camera for selling to see how you can ensure you get the best price while the purchaser gets the best possible buying experience.

Trade-in

The best time to sell your old kit is often when you’re thinking about making a new purchase because you may be able to trade-in the gear you don’t (or won’t) use. Selling something can offset some of the cost of your new kit, but alternatively, it could mean that you are able to buy more, maybe getting the next camera model up or investing in a lens to go with the camera you’ve promised yourself.

Environmentally-friendly

Selling old gear is the environmentally-friendly thing to do because it makes use of an existing product that used energy, raw materials and other resources for its creation. Instead of it sitting around doing nothing, your old kit is put to the use it was intended for by its new owner. It also means that the new owner doesn’t have to buy a new camera or lens that would use up more resources. Reduce, reuse, recycle!

Give someone the chance to use your old kit

Let’s face it, photography is not a cheap hobby and not everyone can afford to buy new gear. By selling your old kit, you could be giving someone the opportunity to try photography for the first time, develop their hobby, or even start a new career, without having to spend a fortune. It gives you a warm fuzzy feeling.

Save space

If you don’t sell your kit, you have to store it. Rather than cluttering up your house, or leaving old gear lying around where it could get damaged, sell your kit as soon as you realise that you no longer need it.

Maybe it’s time to have a look through the camera gear that you have accumulated over years and decide what you could sell?

Varanasi is known as the holy city of Lord Shiva. Bulls are everywhere in the town, from the residents of people, roads, inside shops, and even in the burning ghats. Locals highly respect the bulls as they are considered sacred animals due to their connection with Lord Shiva. They coexist in harmony and are an essential part of the people’s life in Varanasi.

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About Supriyo R Sarkar

I am Supriyo Ranjan Sarkar, a self-taught photographer from Kolkata, India. Though I run a Kolkata-based visual communication design firm, photography is an integral part of my life. I began my journey as a hobbyist using a prosumer camera and gradually became more serious about it.

I have received several recognitions from renowned platforms such as Nikon India, National Geographic Traveller India, Epson India, U.S. Consulate General and South Asian Forum for Environment, and many others. I was a finalist in the prestigious HIPA Awards 2016. A wide range of my photographs have been selected for exhibition both in India and abroad:

In India: The Indian Photography Festival, Hyderabad and the first ever official Instagram Photography Exhibition in Kolkata, India.

Overseas: The Powerhouse Museum in Sydney, Australia and the Auckland Photo Festival in New Zealand.

You can find Supriyo R Sarkar on the Web:

Copyrights:
All the pictures in this post are copyrighted to Supriyo R Sarkar. Their reproduction, even in part, is forbidden without the explicit approval of the rightful owners.

EACH month a photograph is selected at the Myall U3A Photography Group’s meeting to be printed in News Of The Area.

The November photo is a collage from the group’s recent Portrait Shoot Workshop, the first time ever that the Myall U3A Photography Group had held a portrait shoot.

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Under the direction of convenor, Paul Mulvaney, eleven photographers took part in the shoot.

“Most, if not all, photographers present had very little or no experience in this field of photography,” said Sue Donohue, Myall U3A Photography Group.

“With cameras, props, lighting, and photographers ready, our model, Jannine, arrived.

“A great time was had by all with lots of learning, trial and error and hundreds of photos later, the group finally packed up, exhausted after a great day of shooting.

“The following fortnight the group had their ‘show and tell’ of edited, printed and photos shown on the big screen.

“The model chose a photo taken by Anita Catharell as her favourite and the one to be printed in the paper.

“Anita is usually a landscape photographer and found the portrait shoot quite a challenge but most enjoyable.”

The group look forward to another portrait shoot next year.

For information on the Myall U3A Photography Group contact Paul at [email protected].