Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II: Best image stabilisation ever

A while back I had my hands on the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II for a full test. While using the camera I was keen to test out one of its headline features, its unmatched image stabilisation.

Up to 6.5EV image stabilisation seems to good to be true. Rather audaciously an Olympus spokesperson even claims that image stabilisation is limited to 6.5EV by the rotation of the earth. Say what?

What does this mean in plain English?

Well, there's the old camera settings guide for sharp handheld shots. It's shutter speed = focal length. That means when shooting at 30mm, a shutter speed of 1/30sec should give you sharp results. Should.

If you factor in 6.5EV to this equation, you should be able to get a sharp handheld image up to 3 seconds with the E-M1 Mark II. Ridiculous. 

That 6.5EV is for select Olympus lenses only, though 5.5EV is possible for other lenses, which is still amazing. On the same calculations as above for 5.5EV, I can get a sharp image at 1-2 seconds.

Does the camera deliver? Yes, yes it does. Oh and by the way it transforms shaky handheld video footage into silky smooth loveliness.

I've heard the term witchcraft being thrown around about this image stabilisation by level-headed camera nerds (yes tongue in cheek, but paints a picture of how this technology has been received by those in the know).

This is camera technology at its very best.

You can read the full piece on the hireacamera.com website.

Nikon D5600 review: More connected than ever

I'm still waiting for the 'I am connected' Nikon slogan - surely the aptest for the Nikon D5600.

This is the sixth iteration of the well established Nikon D5000 series - a DSLR camera range with APS-C size sensor, one up from the entry-level model. 

As far as improvements go, the D5600 is about as underwhelming as it gets. Really, the only difference between the new model and its predecessor is Bluetooth connectivity.

You’d be forgiven for thinking, ‘Is that it?'

It’s no bad things per se because the D5500 is a perfect entry-point to interchangeable lens cameras.

With 24.2-million-pixel sensor, 39-point phase detection AF and vari-angle 3.2in LCD touchscreen, the D5600 is hard to beat at this level.

Before a few more words and a link to my full review, these are my key points on the D5600:

For

• Impressive image quality especially in low light
• Big and vibrant tilt LCD touchscreen
• Small body with comfortable grip
• Excellent battery life
• Seamless auto-upload of web-ready images to phone via SnapBridge

Against

• Video AF remains behind competitors
• Not many reasons to pick this over cheaper predecessor

Build

If you’ve used a DSLR camera at all, especially one of the big boys, one of the most striking things about the D5600 is just how small and light it is. You’d struggle to find a smaller DSLR.

In fact, dimensions wise it's similar to the top-spec mirrorless cameras. Who said DSLRs are big and clunky? The D5600 also has a lovely textured grip with a deep recess. You’ll get a firm hold of the camera.

The D5600 is dominated by its rear 3.2in LCD touchscreen. It’s a lower resolution version of the wonderfully bright and vibrant display as found in Nikon’s latest and greatest DSLRs, but this one is a vari-angle screen. Its touch functions work really well.

You may forget that the D5600 has a through-the-eye viewfinder, which is the main reason DSLR cameras are larger than mirrorless cameras. The size of Nikon viewfinder displays increases as you move up the range.

At 0.82x magnification (that’s 0.55x full-frame effective), the D5600 display appears bigger than the one in the D3400, smaller than in the D7500 and positively dwarfed by the class-leading full-frame Nikon D850, which we have viewed side-by-side. For cameras this size, the through-the-eye viewfinder makes less sense.

One thing that has had no song and dance made out about it is the camera’s battery life. At this level, it is staggeringly good at 970-shots - a good 3x the life of a comparable mirrorless camera.

Bluetooth

All of Nikon's latest DSLRs feature built-in Bluetooth for an always-on connection. It works best by automatically sending low-resolution 2MP JPEG versions of all images to your smart device, immediately after they are taken. 

Other features of Nikon's SnapBridge App leave a bit to be desired. Remote control and live view is confusing to start up

Features

It’s 'as you were' in the feature specification, which is no bad thing. The D5600 has the same 24.2-million-pixel sensor and EXPEED 4 processor as the D5500. The continuous high-speed shooting remains at a rather modest 5fps.

You’ll find other useful shooting modes, including time-lapse, intervalometer, but no panorama option. There are the usual beginner-friendly scene modes and picture effects, the latter of which we feel is now largely redundant, given how easy it is to connect to a smart device and find all those picture effects and more using image-editing apps. 

No 4k video, but the camera offers full HD 1080p video recording at up to 60fps, with no sensor crop. You won’t find slow motion video modes at any resolution. Users can connect an external microphone, but as expected there is no headphone port.

When it comes to AF, Nikon has again forged a clear difference between its DSLRs. In the D5600, the phase detection AF is made up of a 39-point AF array, 9-points of which are cross-type. That’s more than the 11-AF points of the D3400 and less than the 51-AF points of the D7500. 

Autofocus sensitivity is down to -1EV, which makes for sharp focusing in low contrast light, like a room in the house at night with the lights on. That’s not to the same level of the D7500, which has a -3EV sensitivity good for shooting under moonlight. 

In live view, AF is a contrast detection based system, where the point can be selected anywhere in the frame by a touch of the LCD screen. In high-contrast light like outdoors during a bright day, AF is snappy. It’s in low contrast light where the system struggles, often hunting for the subject or even failing to latch on at all. 

Image Quality

For my D5600 test I used the supplied AF-P Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G DX VR kit lens, as well as a few others including the Nikon 12-24mm f/4 (DX), Sigma 35mm f/1.4 Art (FX) and Sigma 105mm f/2.8 (FX) macro lenses.

Impressions of image quality are positive indeed - even the kit lens is capable of sharp detail. Around 24-million-pixels with ISO 100-25,600 is currently the sweet-spot for APS-C size sensors. As such, the D5600 holds its own very well, without standing out from the crowd.

Verdict

The Nikon D5600 is a DSLR camera that in many ways it feels like a mirrorless camera. It’s a camera that can be used comfortably with a single hand and you’ll be drawn to use its large and vibrant touchscreen before the viewfinder.

In the end, its all about the images. The D5600 is capable of taking the sort of images you really do want to share via that new Bluetooth feature, even ones taken with the standard kit lens. It's a dinky and very capable camera that is hard to beat for the price. 

For the full review, please go to the Pocket-Lint website.

Nikon D850 for action

Can a high-resolution camera like the Nikon D850 really be suitable for action photography? Nikon thinks so.

I thought I'd give it a go, capturing kitesurfers and cyclists among others and have been encouraged by the camera's snappiness. So what are my top four reasons as to why the D850 is up to the task?

• Body
• Shooting modes & Performance
• Auto Focusing
• DX crop mode

Body

Getting close to action often puts the camera at risk of damage. Thankfully, the build quality of the D850 is excellent. I had no hesitation exposing the camera to salt-water splashes and sand at the beach. (I stood waist deep in the ocean against the waves, with the review sample of the camera in hand, shh.)

Shooting action usually means taking lots of pictures which drains the camera battery, while going to places where it is hard to access charging points. We were blown away when seeing the battery life of the D850. It's a class-leading 1,840 single shots. If that wasn't enough, it's 5,140 shots with the optional battery pack and MB-D18 battery inserted. That’s plenty of high-speed sequences covered.

Shooting Modes & Performance

With such a high-resolution it seems optimistic that the D850 could deliver for action, but it has the same EXPEED 5 processor as the Nikon D5, which is a camera used by professional action photographers.

With more pixels, the D850’s 7fps high-speed shooting does not match the 12fps of the Nikon D5. However, add the optional battery pack and you'll get 9fps, with full-time AF. From experience, you’re highly likely to capture that key moment with 9fps at your disposal. 

At 7fps, the camera will shoot up to 51 full-resolution raw images in a single burst before slowing down. That seems kind of crazy - around 350MB of data per second sustained for 7 seconds approximately. However, you’ll need to use an XQD and UHS-II compliant SD memory card to get the most out of the high-speed shooting. 

Autofocus

More importantly than high-speed shooting modes, the D850 has the same phase detection AF system as the Nikon D5. It is just about the best autofocus system of any camera. 

The 153-point AF array covers a large portion of the frame so will track off-centre subjects. Plus, AF sensitivity is down to -4EV in the centre AF point, which enables sharp and quick focusing in near darkness. 

With kitesurfers and cyclists, once the subject is tracked the camera will keep it in focus for the entire sequence, for what is on average 9 out of 10 shots.

DX crop mode

You've got to get close to the action, right? Here’s where the high-resolution really comes into play. In the DX crop mode you’ll get pictures at a totally useable 19.4-million-pixels with a 1.5x magnification factor of Nikon’s full-frame lenses. That’s almost the same resolution as the D500 and D5, which have 20.9MP. 

In DX mode and with a 2x teleconverter, I have a good relatively portable and cost-effective wide aperture telephoto lens option for action. My Nikon AF-S 70-200mm f/2.8 ED VR II lens becomes a 270-600mm f/5.6 lens!

Also, in the DX (APS-C format) crop mode that wide 153-point AF array covers virtually the entire frame - that’s how wide the coverage is. Most AF points are the more sensitive cross-type down to f/8, so the best AF accuracy is possible in DX crop mode. 

For a little more detail about my experience using the Nikon D850 for sports and action, you can read the full feature over at Photography Blog.

Nikon D850 for portraits

Last week I shared my review of the Nikon D850, which I said may well be the only DSLR camera you ever need. As a follow up I have used the D850 in various scenarios to check its prowess in popular photography disciplines.

First up is portraits. Here are my five top reasons as to why the Nikon D850 is so good for portraits:

• Resolution & Detail
• Dynamic range
• Colour & Metering
• Lenses
• Composition

Resolution & Detail

45.4-million-pixels gives you a heck of a lot of detail and massive prints sizes of 874x583mm at 240dpi. Of all DSLRs, only the Canon EOS 5DS out-resolves the D850. Detail is clean from ISO 32 to ISO 1600

Dynamic Range

From my experience with the D850, its dynamic range is quite exceptional. At its true base ISO 64 setting, the breadth of tonal detail from highlights to shadows has been likened to medium format cameras. Less detail lost in those bright highlights like shine on skin. More detail recovered from dark areas too.

Colour & Metering

Perhaps one of the bigger surprises is just how well the D850 renders colour. Nikon’s latest 3D colour matrix metering III system and 180,000-pixel RGB metering sensor gives accurate exposures right off-the-bat and skin tones are lovely when using the Neutral picture setting.

Lenses

You'll want dreamy out of focus areas in most portraits. Well, there are plenty of fast-aperture f/1.4, Nikon-fit prime lenses that give the control over depth of field akin to medium format cameras.

Composition

Getting the right composition is key too. With Nikon's largest through-the-eye viewfinder yet and vibrant 3.2in tilt-touchscreen, you can clearly see the composition even when it's dark or the camera angle is awkward. 

For a little more detail on my experience using the Nikon D850 for portraits, including how it compares to the Nikon D800, please read my feature on Photography Blog.

Nikon D850 review: Best ever DSLR?

I have owned the Nikon D800 for a few years now - it's the camera I use for 'serious' photography (OK let's call it professional). Needless to say, I am completely familiar with the camera by now. This full-frame DSLR was updated in the shape of the D810 and now, five years on, we have the Nikon D850.

The Nikon D850 could well be the only DSLR that professionals ever need. 

Compared to its predecessors, the D850 is quicker in virtually every way, it handles better and it offers higher-resolution images, at 45.4-million-pixels.

Nikon or otherwise, there is no other DSLR quite so comprehensive. High-speed and high-resolution makes it a true all-rounder. The Nikon D850 could well be the only DSLR that professionals ever need. Whether the DSLR is the crème de la crème of the camera world anymore is another subject.

For me, 36.3-million-pixels from the D800 was already plenty enough. But 45.4-million-pixels opens up the DX crop mode (APS-C) as inherently more useful. You'll get 19.4-million-pixel images at a 1.5x magnification. 

Nikon's latest metering system is used. I have found exposures consistently spot on. Perhaps more surprisingly (and satisfying-ly), colour rendition looks better. You can read more about this in a feature I have written on using the D850 for portraits. 

The grip is more defined and gives a firmer hold. Key buttons illuminate - no more fumbling around the camera controls at night with torch in the mouth. The through-the-eye viewfinder is Nikon's largest yet, while the 3.2in tilt-touchscreen is vibrant.

Let's pause there. The large design of a DSLR is centred around a through-the-eye (optical) viewfinder. Comparable mirrorless cameras are smaller by using an electronic viewfinder. So the big question is how much is an optical viewfinder worth it for the extra size/ weight? In this case, with 100% coverage and 0.75x magnifiation, it is. It really is. Back to the summary.

Focusing is quicker and seemingly more accurate. There's 4k video with no sensor crop. There's a new silent electronic shutter (obviously in live view mode). Battery life is insane - at 1,840 shots no other camera comes close. 

I could go on. What I'd say is that the D850 ticks all the wishlist boxes, bar one. In my opinion, autofocus in live view mode for video could be improved. It's a little better than previous Nikon's, but no match for the competition.

With the optional battery grip and MB-D18 battery inserted, the performance gets even more impressive. 7fps max high-speed shooting is boosted to 9fps. That's a lot quicker than the D800! Battery life is propelled to 5,140 shots.

Those two factors alone would make me really want to get the additional grip, yet with all the extras you're looking at £600 on top of the cost of the camera. (Not to mention needing to fork out for the XQD and SD UHS II cards to make the most of those high-speed modes and 4k video. Oh and a couple of the latest high-resolution lenses.) 

So what do I make of the camera? Well, the Nikon D850 is surely an early runner for camera of the year and if I had a minimum £4,500 spare I'd go for it. I know the camera would serve me well down the years for landscapes, action and everything in-between. 

Read my full review on Pocket-Lint.

Sigma 14mm f/1.8 ART lens review

When I heard about the Sigma 14mm f/1.8 Art lens, my first thought was that this could be THE lens for nighttime photography. 

It's part of Sigma's ART series, which has quite rightly built up a solid reputation. I have the 35mm f/1.4 Art and it's my go-to-lens.

There is no getting away from that unmatched f/1.8 fast aperture of this new lens. Maximising light intake is paramount to high-quality, vibrant night images. No other lens at such a wide-angle accepts so much light as the Sigma 14mm Art. 

Most other lenses this wide have a maximum f/2.8 or f/4 aperture - that's at least 1 1/3EV less light. (Exception being the Samyang 14mm f/2.4.)

In the hand, this is one mighty lens - it positively dwarfs a mid-size full-frame camera. It's virtually twice the size of the Laowa 12mm f/2.8 lens that I reviewed recently. More so, it is heavy - there is some serious glass inside.  

As for the quality of the pictures I could make, well the fast aperture makes all the difference. Under a full moon, I could shoot at ISO 200 and still get the stars nice and sharp - that's not been possible before. (At 14mm it is possible to use a shutter speed up to 30 seconds.)

The 1 1/3EV extra light intake not only makes for more vibrant images but ensures you get to the sharpest apertures sooner. 

Use the widest aperture of any lens and it's not at its best. Lens distortions and fall-off in edge detail are present. Yet, stop down the Sigma 14mm to f/4 and these distortions have totally gone away (while other f/2.8 lenses still show distortions at this setting).

That's why us photographers get excited about fast aperture lenses like this one. More light = better performance at like-for-like apertures than other lenses.  

It ain't cheap. It ain't small. But the Sigma f/1.8 Art lens is good, oh so good.

Check out the full review at Photography Blog.

Sirui P-204S monopod review

I'll admit it now, I've never really seen the usefulness of monopods. Granted, I am not a touchline sports photographer or an on-the-go filmmaker, but hey.

Now a tripod, yes I regularly use one, especially for landscape photography.  

So as I commenced my review of the Sirui P-204S monopod I had to lay aside any preconceived notions and judgements.

Skip forwards to me finishing my review and I wonder if all monopods are this good. I think not, having had enough discussions with other photographers that confirm to me this is a brilliant monopod. 

So what is so good about the Sirui P-204S monopod? I am going to list what I think are its key selling points and the one in bold is the feature that I believe to be exclusive to Sirui monopods.

• Superb build quality - it's hard wearing in all areas (and it looks good if that matters to you)
• Locks off easily and securely.
• Massive stabilising feet - at 170mm they are longer than most (maybe all) others meaning you can leave the monopod freestanding
• Detachable feet unit
• 3-in-1: Its a monopod with stabilising feet, a mini-tripod and a regular monopod all in one - the latter two can be configured simultaneously
• 360° panning function
• The tilt-angle limiter. It's brilliant, locking the monopod off at any angle up to 20°. Makes the mini-tripod useful in its own right
• Supplied in a hard wearing bag with a host of accessories

Downsides?

• It doesn't come with a tripod head like other similarly priced monopods (though you could argue the 360° panning and tilt-angle limiter eliminate the need for one) 
• It doesn't have the best minimum folded away to maximum extension ratio

All in all, this is one heck of a monopod. By the way, it ain't just for photography - this would make a verstaile light stand, just saying.

Check my full review here.

Loupedeck review

Loupedeck is a photo editing control deck designed specifically for Adobe Lightroom, compatible with version 6 and later.

A control deck essentially emulates a midi controller (similar to a mixing desk), though in Loupedeck’s case it’s built-in hardware serves Lightroom exclusively. A world first we are told.

The dials, buttons and wheels found on the Loupedeck are assigned and labelled specific Lightroom controls, while a few can be customised. 

Instead of navigating the screen with a mouse or trackpad to make the edit you want, the edit can be made by using the specific dial/ button/ wheel on the Loupedeck that controls that edit. 

The clear selling point of control decks are enhancing the photo editing workflow. I've also reviewed the Palette Expert kit which is the same type of device.

Quicker. Less strain on the hand. For those that spend hours upon hours using Lightroom, the Loupedeck could be a godsend. 

So is it?

Well, Loupedeck's exclusivity to Lightroom may prove to serve its success or failure. 

This consequent simplicity ensures the hardware works flawlessly, while the focused design makes for a speedy marriage between Loupedeck and user - you'll get to grips with it quickly.

The controls feel good in the hand, though the buttons/ keys feel a tad on the cheap side for a device that costs £330. 

I feel a few tweaks to the handling would make a Loupedeck even more helpful. Flexibility over the dial's editing speed would be handy, plus a greater degree of customisation for the controls.

All in all, the Loupedeck is a tough product to really judge. For me it's not a godsend, but does enhance the editing experience.

I'm not convinced and am quite happy to continue using mouse and keyboard for now.

But I am prepared to be proved wrong. Feel free to add your experience in the comments section below.

See my full review here.

Laowa 12mm f/2.8 Zero-D lens review

Last week I shared my review of the Laowa 7.5mm f/2 lens, which is an impressive ultra-wide angle rectilinear lens for micro four thirds cameras.

Alongside this lens I have also been using the Laowa 12mm f/2.8 Zero-D lens. Again it's an ultra-wide angle rectilinear lens. It's even better. 

Zero-D stand for zero distrotions. (Well 0.2% to be exact.) It's a massively impressive performance for such a wide angle lens - virtually no chromatic aberration or barrel distortion. 

Position the camera level with you subject and straight lines are straight. Architecture photographers are very well catered for with the Laowa 12mm f/2.8 Zero-D lens. 

What is more, detail is pin sharp, with only a minimal fall-off in corner detail at f/2.8.

Again, there is no full-frame lens as wide and fast as the Laowa 12mm f/2.8 Zero-D.

Again, it's manual focus only and does not have weather sealing or image stabilisation. 

It’s very difficult to obtain critical focusing without using focus magnification through live view. However, with the focus distance set to infinity when using apertures of f/8 to f/22, one can be sure that virtually everything is in focus. In this regard the user can just point and shoot.

None-the-less, the all-metal lens is solidly made, is well balanced on any full-frame DSLR and handles beautifully. 

At £899 it's right up against the Samyang 14mm f/2.4 manual focus lens. I have not compared the two or indeed against lenses like the Sigma 12-24mm f/4 ART.

What I do know though, is that this lens is brilliant and has expanded my astrophotography horizons.

Read my full review here.

All pictures below are taken with the Laowa 12mm f/2.8 Zero-D lens mounted to a Nikon D800

Laowa 7.5mm f/2 lens review

We are seeing an increasing number of lens manufacturers making what are very good alternatives to the brand lenses. China based company Laowa is one of these relatively new players in the lens world.

In some cases, the lenses made by these companies are better and/ or offer something that is not available elsewhere. The Laowa 7.5mm f/2 lens is a case in point.

It's a tiny and well built manual focus lens designed for micro four thirds cameras (M43) - that is Olympus and Pansonic compact system cameras (CSCs).

There is no rectilinear M43 lens available that is as wide and fast. Those that come close are expensive wide-angle zoom lenses that are twice the price, size and weight. As such, the Laowa 7.5mm f/2 is clearly aimed at astrophotographers, as well as for architecture and landscapes. 

The lens delivers where it counts most, in its excellent image quality. Pictures are sharp and there is impressive control over distortions that are so common in ultra-wide angle lenses, especially chromatic aberrations. 

The fast f2 aperture is advantageous for astrophotography - M43 cameras typically suffer in low contrast light so any further light intake improves image quality.

Another bonus especially for landscape photographers and filmmakers is that the lens accepts threaded filters, which is unusual for such a wide angle lens. 

Before you say Shut up and take my money, there are the downsides, mainly the handling.

I found its controls a little too tiny - the lens cap/ lens hood and aperture ring are all fiddly to manoeuvre.

It's manual focus only and it's very hard to see what is in focus because of the wide angle. As such, live view focus magnification becomes essential for accurate focusing. 

The lens is not weather sealed either. 

All being said, the Laowa 7.5mm f/2 lens serves a niche audience very well indeed. Nothing is as wide or fast. Its images are sharp and its price at just under £500 is reasonable. 

To read more about the lens, please visit Photography Blog for my full review. Images below are all taken with the Laowa 7.5mm f/2 lens, attached to an Olympus OM-D E-M1. 

Sony a6500 review

I've reviewed a lot of Sony Alpha cameras down the years. The Sony a6500 happens to be one that I really like. I mean really, really like. Here's why.

Sony Alpha cameras are launched with massively impressive specs and a lot of marketing hype. Consequently - rightly or wrongly - they are immediately put on a pedastal for reviewers like me tear them down. 

More often than not, they don't quite live up to the hype. For example, the processor might not quite match the high-speed performance. 

So while the Sony Alpha cameras often still outperform the competition, the end feeling does not reflect that.

The Sony a6500 is an exception. Believe the hype, believe the numbers. The camera's performance backs it all up.

Of course, no camera is perfect. Poor battery life is a big problem and there is no charger included! Come on Sony.

Yet, the Sony a6500 is an exceptionally capable, tough, tiny and powerful camera. Its image and video quality are excellent, particularly the 4k videos. (On the flipside, many other cameras boast 4k video, but often come with severe unpublicised limitations. Not so the a6500)

You can find my full review here and I've included one or two shots taken with the camera below, enjoy!

Nikon D7500 Review

I had the chance to review the Nikon D7500 for Pocket Lint recently. In the face of stiff competition from mirrorless cameras (CSCs), the D7500 is a great DSLR ambassador.

Somewhere in a camera bag I have a Nikon D300 - it's 10 years old this month. Like the D7500, it's an enthusiast-level APS-C DSLR camera, but the two are quite different. 

DSLRs have evolved somewhat and the Nikon D7500 is a case in point - it's a wonderful concoction of old and new.

Compact and solid body (though bigger than comparable CSCs). Built-in Wi-Fi and bluetooth connectivity. A simply outstanding 3.2in tilt-touchscreen. Large optical viewfinder. 4k video recording. Sharp images. Expanded ISO 50 to ISO 1,640,000 (that's not a typo).

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None of these new features are gimmicks, they all genuinely improve the user experience and the images produced (plus it's easier and quicker to share the images too).

I can think of no better compliment and summary of my time with the camera other than to say I used it with a smile on my face. I've included a couple of my favourite pictures made with the camera below.

Check out the full review at Pocket Lint. 

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Wyming Brook, Peak District. Unedited raw file from the D7500, with the Nikon 12-24mm f/4 lens and a Tiffen Advantix 10-stop ND filter

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Sunrise at Arundel Castle, River Arun, West Sussex. Unedited raw file from the D7500, with the Sigma 35mm f/1.4 ART lens for full-frame.

Sony Alpha 99 II review

Wow.

42.4-million-pixel BSI (back illuminated) full-frame CMOS sensor.

12-frames per second with continuous tracking AF.

UHD 4k 100Mbps video recording at 8-bit 4:2:2

5-axis image stabilisation. 

And that is just the start of the Sony Alpha 99 II - the company’s flagship Single Lens Translucent (SLT) interchangeable lens camera.

Sony has gone some way to demonstrate that its SLT line-up is not dead in the water.

On paper, the Sony Alpha 99 II looks like it could cater for both those professionals that want to print big and those that want to never miss a shot.

After using the camera, my take is that it comes close to catering for all those professional level users.

When it comes to landscape and portrait photography, the Sony Alpha 99 II shines.

You get massive file sizes and excellent colour rendition, complimented with excellent lenses. Featuring image stabilisation and a fixed translucent mirror, landscape photographers using the Alpha 99 II can enjoy sharp images with less care, than with similar DSLRs that lack either feature. 

As for action photography, the Sony Alpha 99 II offers much but is not quite backed up by the performance. That's the harsh word, but the camera is put on a pedestal and cannot quite match the best in class. 

The Alpha 99 II represents a marked improvement from its predecessor and a brilliant all rounder. 

Make sure to read my full review of the Sony Alpha 99 II on the Pocket Lint website

Palette Gear Expert Kit review

A Palette Gear kit is a unique take on the MIDI controller (like a DJ mix desk), squarely aimed at - though not exclusive to - Adobe CC users.

Designed to speed workflow and make it more comfortable, a Palette Gear kit is made up of customisable hardware modules, including sliders, buttons and multi-function dials.

Typically sitting alongside your keyboard, the modules are placed together to taste and used to make photo workflow and editing adjustments. 

A Palette Gear kit is not restricted to photo software and the modules can be used as controllers for gaming, among other things. 

In one sense a Palette Gear kit is more flexible than a MIDI controller, because you build your own kit in the way you like by moving the modules.

What is more, Palette Gear uses its own software that is compatible with a numerous apps, including much of the Adobe Creative Cloud Suite, Final Cut Pro X and Capture One Pro, whereas a MIDI controller would make use of a separate third party software for each app.

Having used the kit with Adobe Lightroom CC for several editing jobs, I got on rather well with it.

All the modules are really well crafted and make individual adjustments quicker, but especially more comfortable than when using a mouse or trackpad. 

The Expert Kit which contains 7 modules, that when combined with Palette Profile Switching, provide the right number of controls to be useful before becoming overwhelming.

Familiarising yourself with what each module does in each profile takes a good bit of time though. To be useful, a Palette kit is not something to dabble with, but to invest your time in. 

Then there is the price. A Palette Gear kit is a tad on the expensive side. Casual Adobe CC users may struggle to justify such an outlay, but regular users will find the value in time saved and editing that is much more pleasurable.

I've shot a video review of the Palette Gear Expert kit which can be found on my Vimeo channel, clicking the link above.

To read my in depth review, go the Photography Blog website.

Guide to Metabones Speedbooster adaptor

I'd seen how popular the Metabones Speedbooster adaptors are, particularly among filmmakers, but knew very little of the real detail around this rather niche product.

Writing for the Hireacamera.com blog - a company that rents out theMetabones Speedbooster adaptors - I had an opportunity to write a guide and review from the perspective of a 'newbie'.

With the Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 lens on a Panasonic GH4, an aperture of f/1.4 is used for this picture, which is made possible through the Metabones Speed Booster. Vignetting is obvious, but in this case looks rather good!

It was a fun time - receiving the Canon to Micro Four Thirds Metabones Speedbooster, a Canon fit 18-35mm f/1.8 Sigma lens for APS-C cameras and a Panasonic Lumix GH4 with which to use the adaptor.

There is much more detail in my two-part guide to Metabones adaptors on the hireacamera.com website, but in short the Metabones Speedbooster is the opposite of a teleconverter - decreasing focal length and increasing light intake. 

My combination results in a 26-50mm f/1.2 lens for the GH4. It's quick to see why filmmakers with compact Micro Four Thirds cameras in particular love the adaptors so much.

The adaptors aren't perfect - there is a softness in edge detail at the wide aperture settings and AF is slower. However, centre sharpness is mightily impressive, with no discernible difference in images taken with the same lens yet without the adaptor. 

Downsides but in perspective to what a Metabones Speed Booster offers - larger apertures from increased light intake and depth of field control for smaller format cameras - and the adaptors are a real winner. 

For my in-depth Metabones adaptor guide, check out the hireacamera.com blog.

Detail is pin sharp when the lens is set to an optimum aperture 

Canon EOS M6 review

Testing the Canon EOS M6 was my first experience of Canon's EOS M range of compact system cameras (CSC).

Coming 5 years after the first CSCs, the EOS M system has been slammed a bit. But the two-year-old predecessor the EOS M3 showed signs of improvement.

Aimed at enthusiast photographers, the EOS M6 is a diminutive camera packed with the sort of features one would expect from a Canon DSLR.

It's really similar to the EOS M5, save for the exclusion of a built-in electronic viewfinder (EVF). The result is that the EOS M6 is significantly cheaper than the EOS M5 and some way smaller, with an optional EVF available. 

Canon JPEG colours are consistently auucrate right off the bat - no editing whatsoever in this picture.

It took me a while to warm to the Canon EOS M6, but the more I used it the more liked it. The camera sits in the hand nicely, has an intuitive, customisable layout. 

Aperture, shutter speed, ISO and focusing are quick to hand. The touchscreen is great too - being able to touch the part of the frame that you want to focus on increases the hit rate of sharp shots. 

For much of the test I wanted to see if the EOS M6 could be a viable alternative to a camera like the Fuji X-100F, because I had the 22mm f/2 pancake lens which essentially creates the same setup. In summary, it's not quite as responsive as the Fuji.

Once again though, Canon has delivered when it comes to image quality. JPEGs straight out of the camera are crisp and vibrant, with faithful colour rendition. 

The main downside to the EOS-M system is its current lens line-up. Serious photographers will want to see more serious dedicated EOS-M glass available to buy into the system, irregardless of the Canon EF-S to EF-M lens adaptor.

Overall, the EOS M6 tick a lot of boxes and sees Canon continue to move in the right direction with its EOS-M range of compact system cameras. 

Read my full review on the Photography Blog website.

Picktorial 3 review

I recently reviewed Picktorial 3 for Photography Blog. 

Picktorial 3 contains ‘pro-level' non-destructive raw photo editing tools, all within a simple single-space interface and is available for Mac only.

If you don't want to be tied into an Adobe Cloud subscription for software like Adobe Lightroom CC, or fork out loads for a standalone photo editor, Picktorial 3 is a viable option. 

The introductory price of $39.99 is an absolute snip.

With a simple layout and tools that are easy to navigate, Picktorial 3 actually offers some sophisticated editing functions.

Undoubtedly for me, where Picktorial 3 shines is how quick it operates, from start to finish. Importing images, viewing images, applying edits and exporting. It is fast and it is easy. 

Operational speed normally lets down low cost editing software, but not so Picktorial 3. It is staggeringly fast.

It is faster than Adobe Lightroom CC for many functions. Kudos to the Israeli based team at Picktorial Innovations Ltd.

The software is not perfect. As things stand I'm not a total fan of how the algorithms render major exposure adjustments and the limitations in recovering tonal detail.

I say this from experience editing Nikon, Olympus and Sony raw files, but adjustment sliders at times behave in a way I would expect from JPEG editing. Those with Fuji raw files may have a different experience, because it seems there is additional support for Fuji cameras. 

One other point is that Picktorial 3 is more limited when it comes to batch processes, making it more suited to editing individual images. You can batch apply edits, but I could not find a way to batch rename exports. 

All in all though, you'd struggle to find a better photo editor even close to this price point. The team are helpful too - my experience is that they look after the Picktorial 3 users. 

You can read my review on the Photography Blog website. I'd be happy to chat through any questions you have about the software :-)

Corfe Castle is a landscape photographer's dream

Catching the last cold morning before the summer, James Jagger and I took the two hour drive for a night and a morning around Corfe Castle.

I'd seen the location a number of times. My first real awareness of Corfe Castle was when it was featured in the winning image of The Landscape Photographer of the Year 2010, by Anthony Spencer.

With a clear, cold night and morning forecasted, it was a fair bet that we'd encounter a misty morning, though it being a full moon the conditions were not ideal for starry nightscapes - though I tried a star trail sequence.

Full moon conditions were too bright for the stars to 'pop', but the landscape is illunimated vibrantly. 

Our time photographing Corfe Castle did not disappoint.

Going for the first time and with no guarantee of return, the real challenge was deciding where best to setup the camera. Truly, it was like being a kid in a sweet shop. 

I had 2-3 cameras on the go at the same time - 2 mounted on tripods and the other handheld. That didn't always work because the front lens element on the camera lens needed semi-regular wiping to remove the build up of condensation.

Keeping kit clean is a tricky task when shooting in the cold and misty conditions that are ideal for atmospheric landscape images.

Ultimately, I wanted to be everywhere, which is a real compliment to Corfe Castle - it is right up there with the best landscape photography locations I have ever been to. 

Just before sunrise, we hiked our way up an adjacent hill to the castle. I decided to stay low in order to get the outline of the castle against the sky, while James went high.

Taken using the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II

We had very different experiences. I like the composition of my images, but the real stand out moment was walking back up the hill to higher viewpoint as daylight unfolded.

On the other side of the castle, the sun-soaked mist was glorious, being moved along briskly in the breeze and illuminated orange in parts. The scene will be etched in my mind for a long time.

Hopefully you enjoy the images here. I will add more of my favourites in the gallery section of the website too. 

Enjoy!

Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II review

I've been back in the camera reviewing game a bit recently. And what a reintroduction - especially with the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II. It really is quite a camera.

I rate this camera as the best micro-four thirds (M4T) camera for photography. (That's a small, interchangeable lens camera with no internal mirror.)

Packed with features, lightning quick and the lens collection keeps growing, this is for sure a viable alternative to a DSLR camera.

The inherent limitation of this format is the relatively small sensor size, which limits image quality in low and high contrast light. However, Olympus is for sure creating innovation after innovation to counter this limitation.

The best image stabilisation (IS) bar none means that for still subjects, the camera can be used at slower shutter speeds which increases light intake and therefore improves image quality.

I did a test of the IS and found that with a 20mm wide angle lens I could take a sharp image handheld with a shutter speed of 2 seconds, which is astonishing. 

This sensor and lens based IS works really well for video too - I could get smooth footage when moving with the camera handheld in a way I could only do so with a gimbal of some kind.

And there are more features on offer that totally outshine the DSLR system, thanks no doubt to the small(er) sensor size.

One example is the 60fps raw & JPEG Pro Capture High shooting mode. 60fps!! Or, you can shoot at 18fps with full-time AF. Wow. 

At £1849.99 RRP body only, the OM-D E-M1 Mark II is not cheap. It's roughly the same price as the top-of-the-line APS-C DSLRs such as Nikon’s D500 and some full-frame DSLRs. 

In simple terms you could claim M4T versus DSLR has been a size & features versus image quality decision, but the argument is not that simple any more.

You can read more about the camera in my full review on the Pocket Lint website plus I have included some images taken with the camera below.

If photography is your thing yet you are committed to the DSLR system, I'd recommend trying this system out, you might be surprised at how capable it is. 

My Journey: From the UK press to making images in East Africa

I studied Photography at university and since graduating have had the opportunity to work in the photo industry, now for more than 10 years. 

From being on staff at Amateur Photographer magazine to wedding photography, I have had a broad experience.

Yet, my vision has always been to use the power of photography as a means to make a positive change in the lives of others. So, in 2015 I joined SIM as its image maker in East Africa. 

Through my time with SIM I have been realising the purpose in the images I make and the responsibility that comes with using a camera and sharing pictures.

I had wanted to put 'pen to paper' to express this journey and WEX Photographic gave me the opportunity to do so back in December through its photographer series called 'More than an Image'.

The article I wrote for WEX is just about the most personal feature I have ever shared.

To read the article in full, follow this link to where it is found on the WEX Photographic website