Meike is rumored to be releasing more Nikon F-mount DSLR lenses. This comes off the back of it launching its AF 85mm f/1.8 SE Mark II earlier this year - another lens with an F-mount variant. At just $229, with stepping motor autofocus, this lens is significantly cheaper than the F-mount AF-S Nikkor 85mm f/1.8G, which costs around $500, or the $750 Nikkor Z 85mm f/1.8 S.

So what's with this latest resurgence of lenses for Nikon DSLRs? As much as we love the immediacy of shooting with a proper optical viewfinder, not to mention the terrific battery life that most DSLRs can give you, the harsh truth is that the DSLR's days are numbered. Nikon won't be making any new models, and its most recent offering - the D6 - is now exactly (and appropriately!) 6 years old.

Sure, you can still buy a new D7500, D780, D850 or D6, but with their tech now being over half a decade old, these legacy cameras exist mostly for Nikon DSLR purists who are now heavily invested in the F mount system and don't want to incur the expense of selling up and switching to mirrorless.

The reason for Meike's puzzling pivot towards the dying F-mount could actually be due to legal concerns, not because there's a renewed demand for new DSLR lenses. It's been widely reported that Nikon may be suing Viltrox for potentially producing cut-price Z-mount teleconverters without paying Nikon licensing fees.

But whatever the reason for Viltrox being in hot water with Nikon, any third-party lens manufacturer looking to launch a new Z-mount optic will now want to tread very carefully.

One solution could therefore be to avoid the Z-mount completely and instead switch to F mount. There will still be plenty of F-mount users who'll appreciate new glass being released for their tried-and-tested system, but let's not forget that Nikon Z shooters can also buy a new F-mount lens and use it on a Z camera courtesy of the FTZ II mount adapter. Switching to F-mount is therefore a clever workaround from Meike, as the company avoids the legal heat currently focused on the Z-mount, yet it can still make lenses that can, technically, be used on Z-mount cameras.

This new resurgence of DSLR lenses is an intriguing subject, and one we've covered in greater detail in the latest edition of the Digital Camera World podcast, Bokeh Face, available here:

The Brenizer method is the brainchild of renowned US wedding photographer Ryan Brenizer. It's sometimes referred to as the 'bokeh panorama' or 'bokeh-rama', owing to the panoramic stitching technique used to achieve it and the super-shallow depth of field that's produced. 

'Bokeh panoramas' boast shallower depths of field than are otherwise achievable with a wide-angle lens and give APS-C and full-frame users the ability to produce portraits with a large-format aesthetic. 

The key to this striking technique is to use a telephoto lens, ideally a fast one such as the best lens for portraits. You then shoot your portrait in small sections - in a tile-like grid that you will then stitch together in Photoshop. For each shot you use constant camera settings that won't change between frames, so you can create a seamless blend.

Once you've settled on a white balance preset, and locked your exposure in Manual, you used AF to focus on your subject and then switch to manual focus so as not to change your point of focus as you begin to shoot your panoramic sequence. Exactly how many photos you take is down to personal preference, but we strongly recommend overlaying each image by around 30% to ensure you don't leave any gaps.

Adobe Photoshop CC makes it easy to blend your sequence by automatically merging your images. You then simply need to check the blend for any inconsistencies and crop it as desired. If you like the idea of creating a wide portrait with a super-shallow depth of field, here's how to shoot and edit your own 'bokeh panorama'.

The Brenizer method

1. Select a fast lens 

A fast medium telephoto is handy for maximizing the shallow depth of field. However, if you don't have a pro porttrait lens any telephoto zoom will do. The great thing about this trick is you end up with a wide-angle view with much less depth of field than your existing lenses will allow.

In this instance, we used the Nikon AF-S 85mm f/1.4G, but the classic 50mm f/1.8 could also work well, especially when providing an equivalent focal length of 75mm on an APS-C camera. 

Depending on your system, the Canon RF 85mm F1.2L USM, Sony FE 85mm F1.4 G Master, and Fujifilm XF 56mm F1.2 R WR would work well, too. Thankfully, you're not limited to just prime lenses though. A fast telephoto zoom, like a 70-200mm f/2.8, will still produce a suitably blurry background for this effect.

2. Set a consistent white balance  

As you'll be merging photos, each image needs to be as consistent as possible. To prevent the white balance from changing mid-sequence, head to menu and set the color temperature manually. We'd suggest shooting in Raw so you can tweak the color temperature of you batch of images later.

3. Frame your image 

You'll have plenty of room to crop your large panorama in post, but you should still consider your composition. Visualize your final image and position yourself accordingly before you start shooting. Still leave enough space to crop, though, as your blended image will be an irregular shape.

4. Camera settings 

Select Aperture Priority mode and choose a wide aperture. We'd recommend f/2.8 or wider. Adjust the ISO value until you get a shutter speed of 1/200 sec (or higher). Select Manual mode and input the same settings to lock your exposure. Just like the white balance, consistent exposure is vital.

5. Switch to manual focus 

Your focus needs to be consistent throughout your sequence. If you're using back-button focus you can simply release the back button after you've focused on your subject. If not, focus on your subject using AF and then switch to manual focus. Your focus will then remain locked as you proceed to capture your bokeh panorama.

6. Capture a 'bokeh panorama'

We framed and captured our subject, and then shot three frames to the left and three frames to the right. This process was repeated just above the model's head and below her feet. There's no hard and fast rule for how many or how few images you should capture. Just make sure you overlay each image by around 30% to prevent any gaps between frames.

Blend a 'bokeh panorama'

7. Open your sequence in Camera Raw 

Highlight your sequence in Adobe Bridge (select the first image, hold Shift and select the last image). Right-click and select Open in Camera Raw. Hold Shift and select the last image in the left panel to highlight the sequence. Edits will now affect all of the images.

8. Set the color temperature

Once you've selected Remove Chromatic Aberration and Enable Profile Corrections in the Lens Corrections tab, check the exposure and color temperature of each image. Ensure you fix any inconsistencies before blending your panorama and select Done.

9. Import your sequence into Adobe Photoshop

With the images still selected, click Tools>Photoshop>Photomerge. Make sure Auto and Blend Images Together are selected when the Photomerge window opens and click Browse to select the images from your sequence. Hit OK to start the merging process.

10. Blend your 'bokeh panorama'

You'll now have a large medium-format style image that's spliced into multiple layers. Photoshop generally does a good job of blending images together, but it's worth looking for any obvious inconsistencies, which you can rectify with the Clone or Patch tools.

11. Crop your blended image 

Your image is likely a rather irregular shape; fix this using the Crop tool. It's worth remembering that your photograph is a blend of multiple pictures, so you have plenty of room to play with if you opt for a tighter composition.

6. Flatten and finish 

Make a flattened copy of your image by selecting the topmost layer and pressing  Ctrl+Alt+Shift+E (Cmd+Alt+Shift+E on a Mac). You can then proceed with your normal tonal editing regime to finish it off.

You may also be interested in how to use Photoshop's High Pass Filter to selectively sharpen your photos, or to learn other great Photoshop tips

Tamron has been knocking it out of the park with its recent lens releases, and thanks to a leak, we now have information about a brand-new macro lens.

According to the leaked press release which has appeared on many camera rumor sites (including SonyAlphaRumors), the Tamron 90mm f/2.8 Di III VXD 1:1 Macro lens will be officially launched later this week, with Tamron stating that its 'legendary 90mm macro is reborn for mirrorless'. The lens will be available for full-frame Sony E and Nikon Z mounts and hosts impressive features to rival most macro lenses.

The 90mm f/2.8 will feature Tamron's first 12-blade aperture diaphragm enabling users to capture circular bokeh and minimal vignetting when using the lens for macro. Tamron states that the 12-blade design creates 12 rays for stunning starburst effects when stopped down, making it ideal for dramatic images with point light sources.

The lens has been ergonomically designed to be held in the palm for an extended amount of time, measuring just 126.5mm long and weighing 630g, it is considerably compact for a 90mm f/2.8 macro lens.

Tamron lenses have recently been praised for quick and efficient AF and this lens looks to follow suit with the addition of a focus limiter that can restrict the AF coverage. This may sound counter-intuitive however, when you are focusing on a stable subject with a macro lens, it prevents the AF from hunting the lens range of focus enabling quicker adjustments.

Manual focus is still an option, and a preference for some when shooting macro, and the rotational torque of the focus ring has been calibrated to assist with precise manual adjustments.

Other notable features include a new hood design with a sliding window for filter adjustments, compatibility with Tamron Lens Utility software enabling users to further fine-tune lens settings, and a minimum focusing distance of just 0.23m.

From what we've seen, the Tamron 90mm f/2.8 Di III VXD 1:1 Macro lens will be priced at just $699 / £525 – $400 less than Sony's 90mm macro equivalent.

The original Tamron 90mm macro lens was a fan favorite among users, and this lens has the potential to be the same, especially at such an attractive price!

It is also worth noting, that although the leaked information and images appear to be taken from an official Tamron press release, no official announcement has yet taken place.

You may be interested in our guides to the best Sony lenses, the best Nikon lenses, and the best macro lenses.

While its garden is well-trodden, Prospect Cottage’s interiors remained largely private after famed film director Derek Jarman died in 1994. The photographs and essays in my book on Prospect Cottage explain my experience of being inside Prospect, revealing the care given to it by Derek’s companion Keith Collins across 24 years following Derek’s death, before Keith too sadly passed away. 

In 2018, Keith became unwell with a previously undiagnosed brain tumor. Friends and neighbors became very concerned for him and for what his illness might mean for Prospect, to which he had so dutifully tended. During this uncertainty, I was asked to photograph the cottage to record how it was at that moment.

The photos were taken between 2018 and 2022. I originally planned to photograph inside the cottage only, with glimpses of the garden through windows and doorways, partly because I felt the garden had been so extensively photographed there was little point me adding to that discourse. But as time went by, I realized I needed to photograph outside Prospect as well, as otherwise I was telling just half the story, and not revealing the dialogue happening between the inside and the outside.

Initially, I photographed each wall and corner as a true inventory. However, I realized that, while capturing ‘everything’, those shots missed what Prospect Cottage was about. My approach soon became a journey of exploration and experimentation, as I allowed myself to be led round Prospect by the mood, the light, my memories of Prospect before Keith died, the weather… whatever seemed right. 

On visiting Keith previously, Prospect had always seemed a peculiar mix of histories: in part a museum-memorial, in part a living home. But the more I spent time there with my camera, the more my understanding developed of how the house had been used – and perhaps seen – by its residents. 

My idea for the series evolved as I came to see that, while Prospect’s history was heavily punctuated by Derek’s and Keith’s deaths, it was ultimately one story of love to which each man added pages.

As an architectural photographer, I generally work methodically, planning and bracketing exposures widely. When I have to work fast to capture a moment, though, I know I can rely on the dynamic range offered by my Nikon D800E. I used Nikon PC-E 24mm f/3.5 tilt-shift lens, Nikon AF-S 24-70mm f/2.8 and Nikon AF-S 70-200mm f/2.8 lenses, along with a Manfrotto tripod with a three-way pan/tilt head. 

Having time to properly engage with Prospect Cottage was a hugely enjoyable experience, allowing it to reveal to me how it wanted to be seen. But it was not without its challenges. Prospect can be dark, especially when it’s bright outside. Balancing the exposure was at times a challenge, though one my D800E was up for. 

Having taken down the cottage’s net curtains partway through the shoot, it also became somewhat challenging to get a clean shot of a room without someone’s nose pressed against a window! 

Prospect Cottage: Derek Jarman’s House

Prospect Cottage: Derek Jarman’s House, by Gilbert McCarragher, is published by Thames & Hudson.

Micro-scale toy models of four Nikon cameras have been released in Japan. The set of four 'Gashapon' includes the Nikon Z9 fitted with a Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S lens, and the Nikon Z fc with Z DX 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 VR lens. There are also two 35mm film cameras: the iconic Nikon F from 1959 with a Nikkor-s 55mm f/1.2 lens, and the Nikon SP from 1957 equipped with a W-Nikkor 3.5cm f/1.8.

Gashapon are small capsule toys dispensed from dedicated vending machines. Each toy usually costs around $1-5 USD. Gashapon has been around since the 1960s and are hugely popular in Japan, with a growing fan base in other parts of the world. Most Gashapon are released as themed sets (like this set of four Nikon cameras), with the idea being the purchaser will want to collect the full set. However, this may not be easy, as it's often difficult or simply not possible to see the contents of each capsule inside the vending machine before purchase.

The cameras featured in the “Nikon Miniature Collection” are just that - tiny - with the Nikon F toy measuring only 2cm in height. Though even at this tiny scale, the toys are fairly well detailed replicas of their full-size counterparts, with the lens on each camera being removable and a body cap supplied to replace it. The Z fc model is also said to come with a random sticker that can be used to customize it in some way. Each miniature Nikon camera/lens combo will cost 500 Yen, or around $3.50 / £2.70 / AU$5.20.

Read more: The best Nikon cameras • The best Nikon Z lenses

The original Sony FE 85mm f/1.4 GM is unquestionably a Sony lens classic, originally launched in 2016 as one of the first of three G-Master lenses, it proved that Sony could make lenses for its new mirrorless cameras that rivaled the best DSLR lenses for optical quality. 

Over the years as lens technology has evolved the original 85mm G-Master is starting to show its age, with slow autofocus, prominent chromatic aberrations, and a large size that doesn’t perfectly balance with smaller bodies. So, Sony has gone back to the drawing board to design a more compact and lightweight 85mm lens that solves the previous version’s optical flaws – and has come back with the Sony FE 85mm f/1.4 GM II.

With 14 elements in 11 groups, including x2 XA and x2 ED elements, as well as a Nanon AR II coating on the front of the lens, Sony is promising this second-generation’s refined optics will produce significantly less color fringing and improved chromatic aberrations. Sony demonstrated some images taken with both generations of the lens, and this definitely looks to be improved, as well as the lens being clearly sharper than the Mark I version. However, we will have to test this ourselves in our review. 

The 11-blade aperture should make for a nice rounded bokeh, with the classic 85mm portrait focal length being a favorite of many for creamy background falloff. Sony has brought all its lens technology to bear here, claiming its XA elements are manufactured to a 0.01-micron surface precision to remove any onion ring effects in the bokeh.

According to Sony’s calculations, the lens should be three times faster during autofocus (AF-S) than the previous version, with two XD linear motors driving the internal autofocus. This should allegedly make for a seven-fold improvement in subject tracking speed, with 120fps tracking supported. The lens has also been engineered to suppress focus breathing and will work alongside the focus breathing compensation in Sony’s latest cameras.

The Mark II version of the lens has shrunk down, measuring 84.7x107cm, versus the 89.5 x 107.5 mm of the original lens, and is also much lighter, weighing in at 642g versus 820g for the Mark I. The lens features two focus hold buttons, a manual focus ring, a de-clickable aperture/iris ring, and an iris lock switch.

The Sony FE 85mm f/1.4 GM II will be available at the beginning of September 2024 for a launch price of $1,799 / £1,850, with AU pricing to be confirmed. This is a jump from the $1,699 / £1,499 price of the original, although 8 years is a long time, so this price hike isn’t completely unexpected.

For more on all things Sony – check out our guides to the best Sony camera and the best Sony lenses.

I think most photographers start out with either buying something new, that's also cheap and growing their kit or buying something slightly better but secondhand to see if they actually like photography and then expanding upon that camera/lens combo.

I started out like that myself and slowly bought better second-hand cameras until I was in a position to buy new, and while I knew that buying new would also have a depreciation over time the lenses would more than make their money back during my professional career - which they all did, but when it came time for them to move one, the only lens I bought brand-spanking-new was the one I lost the most money on... and it will surprise you. 

The lens in question was quite a rare item in terms of photography telephotos, while most dream of owning a 300mm f/2.8 or at a push the lavish 400mm f/2.8 - I had to go one better and buy at the time the brand new Nikon AF-S 600mm f/4G ED VR lens for an eye-watering £8,000 / $9,500 - and I enjoyed all 11.2 Ib / 5.1kg of it for many man-years and traveled the world with it covering international events.

But when it came to letting this beautiful lens go I was hit with a sting that even today sends a shiver down my spine, due to the up-turn Nikon releasing some of the best Nikon Z lenses around the same time, including the new Nikkor Z 600mm f/4 TC VR S my 'slightly-used' but pristine optics 600mm took a nosedive on the secondhand market and my investment look like a poor choice in the grand scheme of things.

So how much did I sell one of the best lenses I've ever owned you ask? I initially bought it for $9,500 / £8,000 in 2012, and 12 years later I sold this massive lens for a mere $2,619 / £2,000... a massive loss of $6,881 / £6,000!

Yes, I had enjoyed using this lens and I know it made its money back ten-fold over those 12 years of ownership, but man... what a hit, and lesson learned!

In fact, it is the only lens I have ever bought brand-new, and as a special order. Heck, it even came directly from Nikon Japan in a wooden transport box - something straight out of an Indiana Jones movie!

But what this story does teach you all reading this is these exotic lenses in the Nikon F-mount are now a steal of what they once used to cost, and if equipped with the Nikon FTZ-adaptor you can still use these wonderful F-mount lenses your Nikon Z9 or any of the best Nikon mirrorless cameras. Take a look on eBay and secondhand specialists – there are bargains to be had!

Nikon has rolled out new firmware to 5 of its Z-mount Nikkor lenses, adding a much-longed-for feature for all manual focus shooters.

Linear focus has now been added as an option when manually focusing with the focus ring – in addition to the default non-linear focus – making it easier to make fine adjustments.

The lenses benefiting from the update include some of the best Nikon Z lenses on the market – the Nikon Nikkor Z 28-75mm f/2.8, Nikkor Z 28mm f/2.8(SE), Nikkor Z 40mm f/2(SE), Nikkor Z 40mm f/2, and the Nikkor Z 28mm f/2.8.

The firmware notes are the same for all included lenses and reads as follows:

" • The lens now supports options for [Focus ring rotation range] * in the camera [CUSTOM SETTINGS MENU] in addition to [Non-linear]. When a linear option is selected, rotating the control ring the selected amount in manual focus mode will take the lens from the minimum focus distance to infinity, regardless of the speed with which the ring is rotated.

* As of August 2024, the cameras that support this option are (from “C” firmware version 2.00) the Z9, Z8, Z6III, Zf and (from “C” firmware version 1.40) the Z7II and Z6II. "

The download pages for each lens can be found using these links:

Nikkor Z 28-75mm f/2.8 (Ver.1.10), Nikkor Z 28mm f/2.8(SE) (Ver.1.10), Nikkor Z 40mm f/2(SE) (Ver.1.10), Nikkor Z 40mm f/2 (Ver.1.10), and the Nikkor Z 28mm f/2.8 (Ver.1.10).

For those wondering what linear and non-linear focusing means, and the differences between them, you're not alone. I had to do a little research myself to find out.

Both are terms to describe different ways lenses allow you to manually focus when using the focus ring. Non-linear focusing moves the focal point based on how fast you rotate the ring,

Linear focusing is the type of manual focusing that existed before the invention of autofocus and is perhaps the one most often thought of. Instead of the focal point moving depending on how fast you turn the ring, linear focusing moves the focus point depending on how much you turn the ring. This is the same way focusing works on traditional manual lenses and cine lenses as it allows the user to pull focus gradually.

Linear focusing enables the users to make more refined adjustments by incrementally turning the ring, a very useful update for owners of these Nikon Z lenses. If you are unfamiliar with how to update your Nikon lens, there is a helpful step-by-step guide on the download page.

You may also be interested in our guides to the best Nikon lenses, the best Nikon cameras, and the best mirrorless cameras.

Yongnuo is a Chinese camera and lens manufacturer that focuses on delivering premium optics with an entry-level price tag. Over recent years its standard of development has risen, but Yongnuo has kept its attractive prices – and now it has announced a new autofocus lens packed with tech for just over $400!

The Yongnuo YN23mm f/1.4 DA DSM WL Pro has officially been announced and although packed with great features, it will fit comfortably in our guide to the best cheap lenses.

The lens is designed for APS-C sensors, meaning the 23mm focal length is the equivalent of 35mm on full-frame bodies – a common focal length for street photography and reportage, and a great all-arounder for photography and video.

Initially available for Nikon Z mount, both Fujifilm X and Sony E mount versions are scheduled for a future date.

Much like the Yongnuo YN33mm f/1.4 DA DSM WL Pro, released earlier this year, it comes complete with a wireless remote that enables the user to control aspects of the lens from a distance. 

The small controller facilitates changes to aperture and focus via a 2.4GHz radio frequency wireless link, meaning it's a great option for video.

The lens also promises great photography capabilities. Constructed of 11 elements in 9 groups, with 9 aperture blades, and a wide max aperture of just f/1.4, the lens offers great bokeh and falloff in the out-of-focus areas.

Other notable features include a quick and accurate AF stepping motor, a minimum shooting distance of just 0.3m, a control ring, customizable buttons and switches, a USB-C interface for firmware updates, and multi-layer lens coating.

The Yongnuo YN23mm f/1.4 DA DSM WL Pro is available now for Nikon Z mount for just $420 (converted from the US$276 price tag).

You may also be interested in our guides to the best cheap lenses, the best Nikon lenses, and the best wide-angle lenses.

Sigma has announced a firmware update that enables several of its E-mount lenses to be compatible with the maximum 120fps burst shooting rate of the Sony a9 III. Three lenses have been given the update:

• 50mm F1.4 DG DN | Art Ver.02 (Sony E-mount)
• 105mm F2.8 DG DN MACRO | Art Ver.04 (Sony E-mount)
• 14-24mm F2.8 DG DN | Art Ver.04 (Sony E-mount)

Read more: Sony a9 III full review

We were stunned by the a9 III and its incredible global shutter that enables 120fps full-resolution RAW continuous shooting, with no strings attached. Except that last bit was only true providing you were using the camera with a supported Sony lens - third-party lenses from the likes of Sigma were not compatible with the maximum 120fps burst shooting rate. Whether or not that was because of legitimate technical reasons, or just because Sony was intentionally restricting this stand-out feature for use with its own lenses, is up for debate. But now it is available with select Sigma optics, albeit still with a rather large caveat!

While these Sigma lenses are now compatible with the a9 III's 120fps mode, this is only when used in AF-S, DMF or MF focussing modes. You can't use AF-C; the very focussing mode you're most likely to want when shooting a continuous burst of stills. Granted, you'll still be able to track subjects moving across the image frame at a consistent distance from the camera, but you won't be able to maintain focus of a subject like a cyclist or racing car that's approaching you.

Of course it is plausible that only Sony lenses have the necessary processing ability to facilitate AF-C autofocus at 120fps. But on the other hand, Sigma is more than capable of producing world-beating optics with top quality AF, so we can't help but wonder if this is just Sony artificially reserving uncompromised 120fps a9 III burst shooting for use with its own lenses.

The Zeiss Milvus 15mm f/2.8 follows suit with various other families of Zeiss lenses, like the Batis and Loxia (for Sony E-mount cameras), in that it’s named after a bird. This time around, instead of being a sub-Saharan flycatcher or a stocky finch, Milvus takes its name from the red kite, a bird of prey. That sounds like a more high-performance and impressive deal from the get-go. It’s worth bearing in mind though that, in my neck of the woods, the red kite went extinct for about 100 years before being so successfully being reintroduced to the UK. I have to wonder if the writing is also on the wall for DSLR lenses, with so much of the world going mirrorless. Either way, the Milvus 15mm ultra-wide-angle, full-frame compatible lens is still available in ZE and ZF.2 options, for Canon and Nikon DSLRs respectively. In fact, these manual-focus lenses arguably work even better on Canon and Nikon mirrorless cameras via the respective companies’ mount adapters, where focusing aids like magnified preview and focus peaking come into play.

Specifications

Key features

This Zeiss Milvus lens has two key features as far as I’m concerned. First is its ultra-wide 15mm focal length, delivering a mighty 100-degree viewing angle. As an ultra-wide lens, it’s great for sweeping landscape vistas, cityscapes, architectural interiors and simply for exaggerating the perspective between foreground and background areas of a scene. Indeed, with a short minimum focus distance of just 0.25m (9cm or 3.5 inches from the front of the lens), you certainly can get in close.

The second major attraction is the fairly fast f/2.8 aperture rating. That comes in useful for maintaining quick shutter speeds for freezing motion even under dull lighting conditions, as well as enabling a fairly tight depth of field if needed, when shooting extreme close-ups. It also adds astrophotography to the remit of the lens.

A glaring omission from the feature set, at least for many digital photographers, is that there’s no autofocus. Many of us have come to rely almost entirely on autofocus since the 1970s, and the lack of it can seem a real challenge. But hang on a minute. At regular focus distance and medium aperture settings, the depth of field of a 15mm lens is huge, so ultra-precise, pinpoint focusing is largely unnecessary. As it turns out, the long throw of 119 degrees for the focus control ring enables very fine adjustments, and the silky-smooth action gives a really fluid feel.

And there’s more. The long throw of the focus ring enables a genuinely useful focus distance scale, complete with depth of field markers for all full f/stop intervals from f/2.8 right through to f/22. This enables effective ‘zone focusing’, so you can set the near and far limits covered by the depth of field for any focus distance and aperture combination. On top of that, while there’s no split screen or microprism in the viewfinders of DSLRs, there’s a focus confirmation lamp in Canon cameras and the additional benefit of focus direction lamps in Nikon cameras. Those are enabled thanks to the lens having an integral CPU and full electronic communication with the host camera body.

All in all, the lack of autofocus needn’t be a deal-breaker. And if you use an EOS R-system or Nikon Z-system mirrorless camera, the lens is fully compatible via EF-EOS R and FTZ mount adapters respectively. A bonus in both cases is that you can take advantage of magnified preview in the viewfinder or rear screen, and the option of focus peaking to help with accurate focusing.

Many ultra-wide-angle lenses have an integral hood that precludes the easy use of filters. I like that the Milvus 15mm has separate petal-shaped, bayonet-fit hood, enabling the inclusion of a filter attachment thread. A downside, however, is that the filter thread is unusually large at 95mm.

A bonus for video shooting, at least with the Nikon F-mount version of the lens, is that the aperture ring comes complete with a click/de-click option. That’s sadly lacking in the Canon edition. Both versions of the lens are epically well built, with an black anodized metal barrel and comprehensive weather-seals. And unlike many ‘metal lenses’, this one has a rubberized focus control ring which feels more tactile and less cold to the touch in chilly weather.

Performance

The lens is designed on classic Zeiss Distagon principles. As such, it has a retrofocus design that aims for optical excellence right out to the edges of the image frame, with effective correction of aberrations and very low field curvature. The complex optical path contains 15 elements which include two aspherical elements and five low dispersion elements, the latter to boost sharpness and clarity while reducing color fringing. Zeiss’s legendary T* Anti-Reflective Coating is applied to minimize ghosting and flare, and to boost contrast. To further this, the edges of all the optical elements are manually coated with pitch-black lacquer light traps are built into mechanical components to combat internal reflections.

Center-sharpness is excellent, even when shooting wide-open at f/2.8. As I’d expect, it pays to stop down to apertures of between f/5.6 and f/11 for enhancing sharpness towards the extreme edges and corners of the frame.

Lab results

We run a range of lab tests under controlled conditions, using the Imatest Master testing suite. Photos of test charts are taken across the range of apertures and zooms (where available), then analyzed for sharpness, distortion and chromatic aberrations.

We use Imatest SFR (spatial frequency response) charts and analysis software to plot lens resolution at the center of the image frame, corners and mid-point distances, across the range of aperture settings and, with zoom lenses, at four different focal lengths. The tests also measure distortion and color fringing (chromatic aberration).

Sharpness:

Surprisingly, the lens delivers its best center-sharpness at the very widest aperture of f/2.8, but it remains excellent all the way down to f/11. Edge/corner-sharpness comes on song at f/5.6 and remains impressive through to f/11.

Fringing:

There’s only minimal color fringing across most of the image frame, throughout the entire aperture range. It can be a little visible towards the extreme edges and corners of the frame but is still very well controlled.

Distortion: -2.15

Barrel distortion is of a low order for such an ultra-wide-angle lens. For critical scenarios, like in architectural photography, the uniform nature of the distortion makes it easy to correct at the editing stage.

Verdict

I feel that sometimes bigger really is better, and the Zeiss Milvus 15mm F2.8 certainly delivers in terms of an oversized viewing angle. I love the way it can shoehorn vast landscape vistas into the image frame and that it works similarly well for architectural interiors and even for astrophotography. Build quality, handling and performance are all exceptional but it lacks autofocus and comes at a very steep purchase price.

• Other Zeiss Milvus lens reviews
• Zeiss Milvus 35mm f/2 review
• Zeiss Milvus 50mm f/1.4 ZE review
• Zeiss Milvus 18mm f/2.8 review
• Zeiss Milvus 21mm f/2.8 review

Laowa is teasing the launch of the world's first-ever lens that is both a zoom and a shift lens. To date shift lenses have only been prime lenses - and the ability to have a choice of focal lengths in the one zoom will be of huge interest to architectural photographers. 

We don't know much about this lens as yet—we will have to wait until Monday, 08 July, for more information on what this innovative lens actually offers. But the launch has been announced on Laowa's Weibo social media channel, promising a video launch at 7.30pm Chinese time – so 10.30am ET / 3.30pm BST.

From the name and the teaser image, we can tell that this is not a tilt-shift lens and will only offer shift movements. Laowa already offers an attractively-priced 15mm f/4.5 Zero-D Shift wide-angle prime that offers ±11mm on full-frame cameras. This manual-focus lens is available in Canon RF, Canon EF, Nikon Z, Nikon F, Sony FE, L mount, and Pentax K mounts. It also produces a Laowa 20mm f/4 Zero-D Shift lens option.

The shift movements allow the lens to move sideways or vertically relative to the camera, correcting for converging verticals while keeping the image sensor parallel to the surface being photographed.

The launch invitation shows that the lens has a rotating collar at the rear, that allows you to move the lens so that it can shift either vertically or horizontally. And it is also clear that this a manual focus only affair. It also shows that it has a minimum focus of 0.15m (6 inches).

Rumors suggest that it will have a focal length of 12-24mm with a maximum aperture of f/5.6 - but we can't confirm this, although there is an existing Laowa 12-24mm f/5.6. It is also hard to be sure whether this is for full-frame, or solely for APS-C crop sensor cameras.

We will have to wait until next week to have the answers…

Sometimes it can feel there are dozens of things to think about, even when you’re taking a shot of a static subject that’s completely motionless. Add movement into the equation and everything can get very complicated, very quickly. 

For anything from kids playing in the garden, to wildlife or sporting action, keeping subjects in focus can feel a bit like herding cats. Thankfully, the best Nikon cameras have a host of autofocus tracking options that you can put to good use, giving you a great hit rate instead of a memory card full of blurred photos.

It’s worth considering how autofocus works. DSLRs have a separate autofocus module for viewfinder-based shooting, which employs phase-detection. It’s fast and highly effective. In Live View mode, when you’re composing shots on the rear screen, contrast-detection is highly accurate as it’s based on the actual image sensor, but tends to be painfully slow and unable to keep pace with the action. 

The Nikon D780 is a notable exception. Its image sensor is more akin to those of Nikon’s Z-series mirrorless cameras, featuring a ‘hybrid’ system that incorporates contrast-detection with phase-detection sites across most of the sensor. It’s like the best of both worlds.

Continuous improvements

For tracking moving subjects, you’ll need to switch to AF-C (Continuous) rather than AF-S (Single) autofocus mode. This keeps adjusting for the whole time you keep a light press on the shutter button, or hold down the AF-ON button (where featured on the back of various Nikon cameras). 

If your camera doesn’t have an AF-ON button, you can often customize the action of the AE-L/AF-L (auto exposure lock/autofocus lock) button in the Custom Settings menu, to act as AF-ON instead. This makes tracking very intuitive, as you hold in the button for continuous focusing and use the shutter button solely for taking a shot. But that’s just for starters. Let’s take a closer look at all the various autofocus tracking options. 

Single-point AF

Mid-range DSLRs including the D7500 and D780 have a 51-point phase-detection autofocus module, where it’s as much as 153 AF points for the D850. 

Z-system mirrorless cameras have between 209 and 493 AF points, spread out across most of the image sensor. However, single-point AF is only really suitable for tracking if the subject is moving slowly and very predictably. 

Dynamic-area AF

Dynamic-area autofocus works much better than single-point for subjects moving erratically and, let’s face it, movement can be hard to predict at the best of times. 

You can still select the initial point on which you want to autofocus, but if the subject strays from its position in the image frame as you’re tracking it, the camera switches to surrounding AF points to keep focus locked on.

3D-tracking

This mode is similar to Dynamic-area AF tracking. However, while you can often change the size of the active area to suit the subject in Dynamic mode, 3D-tracking is based on advanced recognition of factors like color and brightness to lock onto the selected subject. 

However, you can encounter problems if the main subject is similar in color and brightness to its surroundings.

Group-area AF

Group-area AF is featured in many DSLRs, rather than Z-system mirrorless cameras. You can select a ‘group’ of active autofocus points so cover a larger area than when using single-point AF. 

It can be useful when subjects are in motion, especially if they have areas of flat, featureless surfaces. For mirrorless cameras, use the Wide-area AF option, with small and large areas available.

Auto-area AF

This is a common option in both mirrorless cameras and DSLRs. The detection area for autofocus utilizes all of the available focus points and automatically selects the subject. If several subjects are ‘detected’, it will tend to autofocus on the closest. 

That can work well in many situations but is less suitable if you have a particular subject in mind that’s in the middle distance.

Subject-detection AF

Z-system cameras offer benefits over DSLRs for tracking specific subjects. You’ll get ‘intelligent’ detection and tracking of people and animals, which picks out the shape then refines the autofocus distance for faces and eyes. 

You can easily swap between different faces or eyes in the process. The Nikon Z9, Z8 and Zf extends the range for bicycles, motorbikes, cars, trains and aircraft.

Take a look at the best Nikon lenses for DSLRs and mirrorless cameras, along with the best Nikon Z lenses tailor-made for the Z system. 

If you’re of a certain age, there’s a good chance you spent your formative photography years lusting after a Nikon. After all, Nikon was the it camera brand for decades. Its gorgeous SLRs were ahead of their time and captured the hearts and minds of millions. It even landed on the Moon. And when digital rocked the industry, Nikon acted decisively, beating its peers to the punch by launching the now-legendary D1. 

This trend continued well into the noughties. Remember hit crime procedural CSI? The whole forensic crew and their mothers were packing the best Nikon cameras. And so, for that matter, was everyone else. Owning a digital compact camera was like owning a watch: everyone had one. How else could you photograph your tipsy friends sipping WKD, while listening to Scooter in Ibiza?

But trouble was brewing...

Apple launched the iPhone in 2007, starting a chain reaction that would bring the compact market to its knees. In 2013, Sony challenged both Nikon and Canon’s dominance over the pro market with the release of the world’s first pro mirrorless, the A7R. Despite launching some of the best DSLR cameras ever made, Nikon was no longer seen to be operating at the forefront of camera technology. And it hurt. 

Unaware of the Big N’s legendary history, new generations of photographers adopted Sony as their camera brand of choice. And somewhere along the way, the Internet ilk started referring to Nikons as potatoes. The Big N’s cool factor was at an all-time low. Nikon finally entered the full-frame mirrorless market with its incredible Z mount. And by the Nikon Z6/Z7 II, I really thought it was firing on all cylinders. But the naysayers persisted. Then, the Nikon Z 9 came out. 

Suddenly, the delay in joining the mirrorless party made sense. It launched with a newly developed stacked sensor, internal 8K 30p video and the world’s fastest burst speed. Then came the Nikon Z8; an all-but-flagship camera in a smaller body. Then the Nikon Zf, arguably the most authentic retro-themed digital camera ever made. Heck, Nikon even landed the lion's share of the prizes handed out at the prestigious Camera Grand Prix Awards. 

YouTubers are reviewing Nikon cameras without a wry smile, once again a Nikon is set to land on the Moon, and the gap in mirrorless tech between Sony has been bridged. Imagine my glee, when I visited the cinema recently to watch the Alex Garland movie Civil War, only to find the experienced photojournalist (Kirsten Dunst) using a Sony mirrorless and the up-and-coming Gen Z journo (Cailee Spaeny) touting a Nikon FE2. 

Nikon’s back, baby! But for us fans, it never went away.

You might be interested in the best Nikon lenses, including the best Nikon Z lenses for its mirrorless system. 

In an attempt to find Earth-like planets in the Universe, the European Space Agency (ESA) will launch its Plato (PLanetary Transits and Oscillations of stars) space mission in 2026. 

The 26 cameras that will be used on the Plato spacecraft are now being integrated at the Space Centre and Optics facility, run by European space technology group OHB (Otto Hydraulik Bremen), in Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany. 

With each camera capable of 81.4MP images, the overall spacecraft will ve capable of 2 billion-pixel images – a world first in any space mission. 

One by one the cameras will be attached to the optical bench, the surface that keeps all the cameras pointed in the right direction, and the first camera has now been successfully attached. 

Planter hunter Plato will use 24 "normal" cameras and a pair of "fast" cameras to look at more than 200,000 stars and the rocky planets orbiting them. Specifically, Plato will discover and study planets in orbits up to the 'Goldilocks' region, the habitable zone around the star where the temperature is just right for liquid to exist on a planet's surface. 

"Plato will characterize hundreds of rocky (including Earth twins), icy or giant planets by providing exquisite measurements of their radii (3% precision), masses (better than 10% precision) and ages (10% precision)," says the ESA. 

"This will revolutionize our understanding of planet formation and the evolution of planetary systems, as well as the potential habitability of these diverse worlds."

The cameras acquire images every 25 seconds and have a field of view of 1,037 square degrees. They have been grouped into 4 sets, each set pointing outwards at a 9.2-degree angle, allowing for a total field of view of 2,232 square degrees. This means that about 5% of the whole sky can be observed simultaneously.

The fast cameras have a cadence 10 times higher than that of the normal ones, with an image being captured every 2.5 seconds. They are only capable of detecting bright stars but are extremely useful for navigation.

One of the fast cameras has a red filter and one a blue, to help distinguish between starlight reflected off the exoplanet surface and emission from the exoplanet itself, aiding with more accurate solar mapping.

Plato's Instrument System Engineer, Yves Levillain said:

"Away from the Sun’s brightness we expect to be able to detect the presence of Earth-like exoplanets, where life as we know it might be able to develop, and even to perform stellar seismology, gathering evidence of ‘starquakes’ in the stars we observe."

If you feel like photographing the stars, why not take a look at our guide to the best cameras for astrophotography and best lenses for astrophotography. Also check out the best star tracker camera mounts for astrophotography. 

An extremely rare, and huge, collectable lens has become available to purchase, the Nikon fisheye 14.3mm f4.

The lens is available to buy from the Leica Store Lisse, in the Netherlands.  

"We currently don't really have a price in mind yet, as we aren't officially putting it up for sale at this time. We are happy to have it in our collection ourselves! Although we never know what offers might come our way..." Martijn de Clercq from the Leica Store Lisse told DCW.

This museum-worthy, one-of-a-kind, lens is a piece of photography and optics history, and was originally made for Disney with plans to use it for futuristic film and theatre viewing with 360-degree screens. 

Made by Nikon, the lens could be fitted to IMAX film cameras shooting onto 70mm film.

With some professional engineering, this lens can be adapted to attach to multiple modern cameras, including the Leica S, and Hasselblad XCD. Its speed of f4, which translates to f2.8 on 35mm can be considered ultra-fast for a fish-eye lens.

In the photo below, the giant lens is sat next to the Leica Noctilux 50mm f1.2, which takes a moment to even notice in comparison!

Described by Leica Store Lisse as “the holy grail of (fish eye) lenses,” they add, “Considering this lens is one of a kind vs the dozens of copies of the 6mm, features 70mm coverage vs 35mm of the 6mm, has a similarly ultra-fast aperture scaled up to 70mm, you can begin to understand the significance of what we have on our table today!”

Fisheye lenses date back to 1906, when inventor and physicist Robert W. Wood developed a lens based on how a fish would view the world underwater.

The lenses were used in the 1920s when they were used to study cloud formations, when they were known as whole-sky lenses, but it wasn’t until the 1960s that the fisheye lens became more popular, and mass-produced.

Nikon released their first consumer fisheye lens in 1962 and the style of photography became synonymous with the swinging sixties. Many famous album covers were taken with fisheye lenses including Jimi Hendrix’s ‘Are You Experienced, and The Rolling Stones ‘Big Hits (High Tide and Green Grass).

Check out our guide to the best fisheye lenses on the market. We've also put together our guide to the best Nikon lenses. 

Sigma has carved a reputation for itself in the camera world as something of a maverick – a manufacturer that isn't afraid to try new things, a brand that dares to do things differently. 

And this is something that the company is acutely aware of, with the company's owner and CEO recently stating that "Sigma is kind of the guinea pig in the lens industry."

It's not just lenses, of course. Sigma marches to the beat of its own drum when it comes to cameras – such as the eccentric Sigma fp and fp L, and before it the truly audacious Sigma dp Quattro series.   

The uniqueness also extends to the image sensors themselves. Sigma was so enamored of the Foveon-made sensors used in cameras like the dp Quattro, SD Quattro and dp Merrill that it acquired Foveon outright in 2008. 

While its struggles to bring a modern Foven sensor to market are well documented, this exemplifies the spirit of Sigma more than anything else the company is working on. 

In this specific instance, though, Kazuto Yamaki is referring to the company specifically in terms of lens design – and how it is often the canary sent down the optical mine shaft to see what will work. 

"In most cases, we are the first to use a new type of element, and once [other companies] see Sigma use that lens element, they start using it," he told DPReview, explaining the risk involved in lower-yield specialist elements, such as those that made the recent Sigma 500mm f/5.6 possible. 

"I'm very happy to play such a role. Sigma is kind of the guinea pig in the lens industry: they use Sigma as an experiment, and if we prove it, they use it."

So why is Sigma willing to take these risks, to be the industry guinea pig, to make the niche and quirky products that nobody else will?

"I believe it’s one of Sigma's missions to create niche products," he continued. "If we only concentrate on standard products and release lower-priced versions, it’s not good: we would not be able to contribute to the development of the photography culture."

Thank you for being the guinea pig, Yamaki-san. The industry is better for what you do. There's plenty more fascinating insight in the full interview, which I highly encourage you to read.

Sigma makes some of the best L-Mount lenses as well as the best Sony lenses, along with some of the best Canon DSLR lenses and best Nikon lenses for the F-mount. 

Nikon announced that it has reached a major milestone, having produced a total of 120 million Nikkor lenses as of April 2024. 

That’s 55 million up from 2011, as the company almost doubled its lens production over the last 13 years. (For reference, Canon hit the 160 million EF/RF lens mark mark in June 2023.)

Nikon is one of the world’s only manufacturers that begins its process with the production of optical glass, offering Nikkor F lenses for single-lens reflex cameras and Nikkor Z for mirrorless cameras. 

Last year saw the company celebrate the 90th anniversary of its first Nikkor release, the Aero-Nikkor lens for aerial photography in 1923.  

“Drawing inspiration from the Nikkor brand's remarkable 90-year history and its endless technological advancements, Nikon remains committed to contributing to the development of imaging culture, with the hope of expanding possibilities for imaging expression,” said Nikon.

The Nikkor line has had a rich history, with photos taken during the Korean War by David Douglas Duncan featured in Life magazine, and in 1948 the New York Times published an article that highlighted the high quality of Nikkor products, which helped to establish the concept of "made in Japan" quality.

Nikkor lenses have also been used in NASA’s space missions. In 1971, both the Nikon Photomic FTN (NASA specifications) and Nikkor lenses were used on the Apollo 15 mission, the fourth United States Apollo mission to land on the moon, and the first to use the Lunar Roving Vehicle.

In 2009, the D3S and AF-S Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8G ED lenses were used to document activities at the International Space Station. Specially modified Nikkor Z lenses, along with a Nikon-designed Handheld Universal Lunar Camera (a modded Nikon Z9), will be used by astronauts on the moon when NASA returns in 2026 on the Artemis 3 mission.

"These lenses, among many others, showcase Nikon’s commitment to providing unique and high-quality options that support users in expressing their creative vision," concluded Nikon.

Check out our list of the best Nikon lenses and best Nikon Z lenses on the market today, as well as the best Nikon cameras.

Photography enthusiasts will have heard the sad, yet potentially not overdue, news recently about the discontinuation of the Sigma APO 200-500mm f/2.8 EX DG, also affectionately known as 'The Bigma’.

Launched back in 2008, the gigantic lens weighs in at 15.7kg / 34.6lb, with a 200mm+ diameter for the majority of the barrel. With its dark green paint job, it looks more like a piece of military equipment than a camera accessory. 

At a whopping $26,000 (£20,450), only a limited few have ever seen this lens in action, so imagine our surprise when photographer Tom Calton decided to attach 'The Bigma’ to the tiny Panasonic Lumix GM1. 

The Sigma lens was sold in Canon EF, Nikon F, and Sigma SA mounts. The Lumix is a Micro Four Thirds camera, so using a Metabones speed booster to connect the camera to the lens allowed the camera to maintain full autofocus functionality, and we spoke to him about the process and, more importantly, the results. 

“I’ve made videos about 'The Bigma’ in the past and they’ve always drawn an audience, mainly because it’s absolutely ginormous, but also because it’s a pretty rare lens,” Calton told Digital Camera World, “I had a feeling this might be something people would be curious to see.”

As well as its unique size, the Sigma APO 200-500mm f/2.8 EX DG was the first telephoto zoom lens to provide an aperture of F2.8 at the 500mm focal length.

The lens is so large it even needs its own battery-powered motor to control the zoom and autofocus, which sounds like a small plane taking off when in use.

What started off as a fun experiment actually produced some pretty nice results.

“Shooting at 500mm with an aperture of f/2.8 gives a pretty unique look to your images and it's certainly something I like,” said Calton, “However, trying to focus was an absolute nightmare as all of the tech involved is pretty old now and also not really designed to be used in combination, so I came away with way more out of focus shots than I did sharp ones. But that's all part of the challenge I guess!”

Check out our guide to the best portrait lenses on the market that you can actually pick up. 

If your looking for the best micro four thirds cameras, or the best compact cameras, we've also got you covered. 

It's been a great award season for Nikon as it received 4 more awards to add to its cabinet. 

Off the back of winning four TIPA awards, Nikon picked up four Red Dot Awards for product design, among the winners are two of the best Nikon cameras and Nikon lenses on the market. 

Two of Nikon's flagship full-frame mirrorless cameras were among the winners, the Nikon Zf and the Nikon Z8 were both recognized by the jury of esteemed design specialists. In the lens department, two further awards were won by the Nikon Z 135mm f/1.8 S Plena and the Nikon Z 600mm f/6.3 VR S. 

For those unfamiliar, the Red Dot Design Awards is a prestigious competition that celebrates the best in design and business, often awarding state-of-the-art products with a 'Red Dot'. It covers all aspects of design, from cars to camera equipment, and the red dot signifies an industry seal of confidence in great design. (Despite the name, they are not signifying that the winner suddenly becomes a Leica, though the awards are organized in and hosted in Germany).

This year, product submissions from over 60 countries were entered and deliberated over by a panel of judges. The products were judged on the degree of innovation, functionality, ergonomics, and durability. Nikon's winning products were:

Nikon Z8 

Released in May 2023, the Z8 brings the features of the flagship Nikon Z9 to a body that is 30% more compact. The 45MP stacked CMOS sensor provides exceptional image quality and substantial dynamic range. Deep learning AF system provides fast and efficient focus, for capturing even the most action-packed scenes, making it ideal for sports and wildlife. 

Nikon Zf

Classic analog Nikon design meets modern mirrorless technology in one of the best retro cameras on the market. Since its release in October 2023, the Nikon Zf has taken the market by storm enticing those who want the appearance of shooting analog without the added effort and cost of film development. 

As well as looking the part it also walks it, with a 24.5MP full-frame sensor, powered by the Expeed 7 processor, which delivers great autofocus performance. 

Nikon Nikkor Z 135mm f/1.8 S Plena

Nikon's signature portrait beast of a lens, the Plena offers exceptional image quality with an 11-blade rounded aperture for extremely attractive and soft depth of field. The 11 aperture blades minimize diffraction and aberrations, suppressing them at any aperture. 

The 135mm focal length is coupled with the f1/8 widest aperture enabling exceptional subject separation making it a fantastic portrait lens option. 

Nikon Z 600mm f/6.3 VR S

The super-telephoto lens was released in October 2023 and offers a surprisingly lightweight design with superb optics. Typically, lenses of this focal length are incredibly heavy and cumbersome, but this is the lightest and most well-balanced 600mm lens that I have held, which is ideal for keeping up with fast-paced action such as wildlife and sports.

So, congratulations to Nikon for winning yet more awards. Nikon has been releasing some exceptional cameras and glasses of late, and the awards that they are gaining are certainly echoing the thoughts of the market. It makes me excited to see what comes next!

You may also be interested in our guides to the best Nikon camera, the best Nikon lenses, and the best Nikon flashguns.

It’s the time of year that many of us are planning our summer getaways, packing our Nikons, naturally. So in this issue’s lead feature, intrepid photographer Iain Afshar shares his tips for getting off the beaten track and capturing your best-ever travel images. 

You don’t have to go to the ends of the earth for incredible scenic shots, though. Landscape pro Ian Asprey leads his apprentice through the Eryri (Snowdonia) national park in North Wales, where an unexpected dusting of spring snow transformed the mountains into something truly magical. 

A ‘nifty fifty’ should be in every photographer’s kit bag, and in our Big Test we rate eight FX and DX lenses with a 50mm-ish effective focal length for Z-mount Nikons, plus highlight the F-mount options that are still available. We also check out the Astrhori 25mm f/2.8 Macro 2-5x, a fun optic that renders subjects up to five times larger than life – and at a bargain price, too. And we pit the Manfrotto Befree Advanced and Novo Helix T50 travel tripods against each other. 

We speak with macro maestro Tony North about his amazing images of minibeasts and mushrooms in the N-Photo interview, while in our On Assignment section, Alfie Bowen tells how his affinity for horses helped him through tough times and set him on the road to be a wildlife photographer. 

Plus we have a plethora of projects to try your hand at, shooting reflections, festivals, birds of prey and making a party photo booth! 

N-Photo: The Nikon Magazine is a monthly magazine that's written by Nikon enthusiasts for Nikon enthusiasts, you can be sure that all the content is 100% relevant to you! So for the best Nikon-focused news, reviews, projects, and a whole lot more, subscribe to N-Photo today – with our unmissable subs deal!

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Subscription deals: Our guide to the best photo magazines

Fujifilm continues to roll out its big-time firmware updates, adding features and future-proofing its best mirrorless cameras. 

The manufacturer has been releasing what it calls Kaizen firmware, which is a substantial update that often adds new features as well as just fixing issues. The latest camera to benefit from this is the Fujifilm X-H2, one of the best hybrid cameras around, and users will be in for a treat as there are a lot of new additions. 

The firmware is almost identical to the recent Kaizen update for the Fujifilm X-H2S and features a long list of firmware notes. Instead of writing them all out, let's go through the highlights. 

Fujifilm X-H2 (Ver.4.00)

Improved connection to the Fujifilm XApp

"Camera registration and operation information are now displayed in the 'Equipment' management function of the app". This addition enables quick and easy inspection of the camera's maintenance management, adding the number of lifetime shots, number of mechanical shutters, degree of battery deterioration, and the number of days elapsed since the last sensor cleaning, under one easy-to-view tab. 

Updating camera firmware via the app has also been made easier, as you can now automatically download the latest firmware directly to your camera. This process uses the app and downloads it directly to the camera's memory card, providing a prompt to download when you next turn on your camera. This is incredibly valuable as it means you won't miss any important big fixes moving forward. 

The final point on the XApp is that RAW file transfer has now been made possible, a feature many Fujifilm users have been wanting for a while. 

Improved AF

The holy grail of firmware updates is improved camera performance, especially when it comes to autofocus. In this update, Fujifilm has improved AF tracking performance in AF-C mode in scenes "where it is easy to lose focus" – what I imagine to be busier environments, such as foliage. 

The update has also corrected a phenomenon where AF focusing accuracy and distance index varied when used in combination with a wide-angle lens. 

Video Shooting Settings

Video on the Fujifilm X-H2 is hugely important, as it is considered a top hybrid camera, and ranked highly for its video capabilities. The new update has added a few features that aid in this. 

Fujifilm has introduced a Red 'REC' frame to act as a tally light, highlighting when footage is being recorded. Another addition that helps with indicating recording is the addition of a sound that notifies when recording is turned on or off. 

A 'Wide/Tracking' function is now available for focusing when shooting videos. The notes state: "When the focus mode is AF-C, touching the screen will automatically track the subject. In AF-S, the camera automatically selects the subject to focus on".

These are just three firmware notes out of twelve included in the bumper firmware update! Mirrorless cameras are easier than DSLRs to meaningfully update with substantial features, and Fujifilm has delivered its Kaizen update promise so far – with many more scheduled for later in the year. 

The rest of the firmware notes and a step-by-step guide on how to update the firmware can be found on the download page. 

See our guides for more information on the best Fujifilm cameras, the best Fujifilm lenses, and the best cameras for video. 

Canon’s big white telephoto lenses are widely respected for their quality and performance, I can’t argue with many of the world’s most demanding professional sports and wildlife photographers. The EF-mount range includes some of the best Canon lenses for DSLRs, while the growing range of RF-mount options widens the remit for the best Canon telephoto lenses for both DSLRs and EOS R-series mirrorless cameras.

The RF 400mm F2.8L IS USM is the fastest of Canon’s big guns, coupling a generous super-telephoto focal length with a fast f/2.8 aperture. This gives the double bonus of delivering a tight depth of field when you want it, and fast shutter speeds for freezing movement when you need to, even under dull lighting conditions. But we’ve been here before, as I’ll come to next.

Canon RF 400mm F2.8L IS USM: What's changed?

The short answer to ‘what’s changed’ is very little. Back in 2018, Canon announced new versions of its EF 400mm f/2.8L IS III USM and EF 600mm f/4L IS III USM super-telephoto primes, with a weight loss of about 25% and 20% respectively, plus some performance enhancements. The ‘new’ RF editions of the lenses are essentially the same as the EF versions with a few tweaks. Most notably, an RF mount is built into the back of the lenses, saving the use of a separate EF-EOS R mount adapter, and the RF versions are rewired for EOS R electronics, which have a much faster data transfer rate and can enhance the performance of autofocus and optical image stabilization. The focus distance scales of the EF lenses have been stripped but, apart from these changes, the new RF lenses are fundamentally the same as their EF forebears.

Canon RF 400mm F2.8L IS USM: Specifications

Canon RF 400mm F2.8L IS USM: Price & Availability

There’s no getting away from the fact that this is a very expensive lens, tagged at $11,999 / £13,119 / AU$19,999. Even so, that’s what I’d expect to pay for a lens of this type, quality, and performance and the pricing is actually identical to the older EF-mount version of the lens. Due to the price, it’s not the sort of lens you can expect to buy over the counter at small photographic retailers but is widely available from larger online stores.

Canon RF 400mm F2.8L IS USM: Design & Handling

The design and handling are everything I could hope for in a top-flight, super-telephoto prime lens. The optical path features two fluorite glass elements which reduce the overall weight and enhance optical quality. By way of comparison, the F-mount Nikon AF-S 400mm f/2.8E FL ED VR which also includes two fluorite elements is about a kilogram heavier. However, the newer Z-mount Nikon Z 400mm f/2.8 TC VR S is about the same weight as the Canon, despite also featuring a built-in 1.4x teleconverter which can be engaged or disengaged instantly.

The optical design also includes an SUD (Super Ultra-low Dispersion) element to enhance clarity and minimize color fringing. High-tech Air Sphere Coating and Canon’s more conventional Super Spectra Coating are both utilized to minimize ghosting and flare. Fluorine coatings are applied to the front and rear elements to repel moisture and grease.

Electronic enhancements over the older EF lens include faster RF processing power. There’s a dual ring-type ultrasonic autofocus system for super-speedy AF, and the effectiveness of the optical image stabilizer is boosted from 5 stops to 5.5-stops. Further bonuses include variable speed manual focus and two focus presets.

Onboard controls are identical to those of the EF lens. There’s a triple-mode image stabilizer switch for static and panning shots, as well as a third option which only applied stabilization during exposures. This makes it easier to track erratically moving subjects. Focus preset comes with an optional beep.

You can set two preset focus distances and swap between them using the ‘Playback ring’ You can also use this ring for the motorized ‘Power focus’ mode, with the option of three different speeds available via a switch, which is handy when shooting video. Focus mode and focus range limiter switches are fitted at the rear. Towards the front is a rank of customizable function buttons positioned around the circumference of the lens, typically used for AF-hold.

The most obvious difference in the RF lens compared with the EF model is that it adds a native EOS R mount. About an inch long and finished in brushed metal, it sticks out rather like a saw thumb, as the rest of the lens is coated with a white ‘heat shield’ finish. Just forward of the RF mount section is a 52mm drop-in filter holder, as in the EF lens. As I’d expect, the lens is extensively weather-sealed, and it’s supplied with exactly the same ET-155 (WIII) lens hood and LS400 lens case as the EF version.

Canon RF 400mm F2.8L IS USM: Photo Performance

Although the two fluorite elements save weight and enable a better center of gravity, the lens is still a hefty beast, at just under 2,890g (6.37lbs). Even so, I found short periods of handheld shooting perfectly viable, for which the 5.5-stop image stabilizer lives up to its billing. Autofocus is very fast, snapping onto subjects almost instantly and making the most of the advanced tracking facilities in recent EOS R-series cameras. I tested this taking photos of my grandkids and cat at play in the garden.

Naturally, if you’re going to spend the big bucks on a super-telephoto lens with a fast aperture of f/2.8, image quality is paramount when shooting wide-open. I found the lens was really impressive at f/2.8, delivering superb sharpness and contrast, along with really smooth bokeh. Performance remained excellent when I tested the lens with Canon’s Extender RF 1.4x and Extender RF 2x teleconverters, adding yet more telephoto power and versatility.

Canon RF 400mm F2.8L IS USM: Sample Images

Canon RF 400mm F2.8L IS USM: Lab Results

We run a range of lab tests under controlled conditions, using the Imatest Master testing suite. Photos of test charts are taken across the range of apertures and zooms (where available), then analyzed for sharpness, distortion and chromatic aberrations.

We use Imatest SFR (spatial frequency response) charts and analysis software to plot lens resolution at the center of the image frame, corners and mid-point distances, across the range of aperture settings and, with zoom lenses, at four different focal lengths. The tests also measure distortion and color fringing (chromatic aberration).

Sharpness:

Levels of sharpness are very good, and remarkably consistent across the whole image frame, even when shooting wide-open at f/2.8. They only drop off a little even at f/16, a little more noticeably at f/22, due to the usual problem of diffraction at very narrow apertures.

Fringing:

There’s barely any lateral chromatic aberration to be seen even at the extreme edges and corners of the image frame, throughout the entire aperture range. And that’s with automatic in-camera correction disabled.

Distortion: 0.42

There’s very little pincushion distortion which will generally go unnoticed in ‘real-world’ shooting. As with color fringing, that’s with automatic in-camera correction disabled.

Canon RF 400mm F2.8L IS USM: Verdict

The only thing wrong with this lens is that I can’t afford it. And I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one. Sure, it’s a weighty beast but the handling, image quality and all-round performance are epic. And yes, it tips the scales at just under 3kg but, considering the combination of 400mm super-telephoto length and fast f/2.8 aperture, that’s actually pretty good. I found fairly short stints of handheld shooting entirely viable, for which the 5.5-stop image stabilizer really earns its keep. Bear in mind that the directly competing Nikon F-mount rival to this lens is about a kilogram heavier. So while I can’t afford to buy one, I’d certainly earmark it for hiring when special occasions crop up.

Alternatives

Freefly produces high-speed cameras to capture slow-motion footage, and has been known for its E-mount cameras. They have just announced the new Ember 2.5K camera, at NAB 2024, with a Canon EF mount which shoots at up to 2,900fps.

By 'active', Freefly means that the mount has electronics that allow the camera to talk with and control the Canon EF mount electronics through the camera body (or the camera's remote controls).

This is especially interesting because Freefly originally produced its 5K Ember camera with an Sony E-mount, but according to the company's own frank video, Sony has asked them to cease doing so. They have done that and switched to Canon EF compatibility, and clearly done all the necessary work to support Canon in a way convenient to users. 

It sounds like there will be no more new Sony E-mount cameras from Freefly (the B&H page for the Freefly Ember 5K says 'temporarily out of stock'). In the long run, it also begs questions about other Freefly Sony-linked products, like the Astro drone camera platform 

Freefly says their mission is nothing less than creating the “smallest, easiest, most fun to use high-speed imaging system,” and the S2.5K might sound like lower resolution than its predecessor the S5K – because it is – but in this game that isn't necessarily a bad thing. The reduction and crop help in pushing up the frame rates; at 2.5K the device can shoot in 2277fps, while 2K is the 2,900fps (it'll even go to 3,563 with a less broadcast-friendly crop).

The camera boasts a new high-endurance 2.56TB pSLC SSD built right into the camera – all those frames make for a lot of data! The drive also enables pre- and post-recording until it's full, a handy feature.

This launch video (above) shows off the slow-motion capabilities of the Ember 2.5K

Freefly sees its customers likely to be scientists and industrial testers (think crash test dummies, defense testing, and the like), rather than filmmakers. Both the Ember S2.5K and the Ember S5K can be operated using an iPhone, iPad, or Mac app that can also be used as a monitor. A new feature will be 'amplify', to signal process at certain frequencies.

A firmware update for the S5K will also be available on May 1, offering the new crops and frame rates in monochrome only. The update will also bring stabilization options that use the camera's inertial measurement unit.

The Ember S2.5K is already available for order, and will ship in May, at $24,995 from Freefly Systems.

Check our guide for best slow motion cameras for some more consumer-friendly options!

They say change is hard, but it can also be exhilarating, as I recently found out when I defected from the Canon camp for arch-rival Nikon. Not only did I change brands, but I also upgraded from the enthusiast-level Canon EOS 6D Mark II DSLR to the pro-level Nikon Z8 mirrorless camera – a giant leap.

I’ve made no secret of the fact that I’d been lusting after the Z8 since it was released last year. It was one of the DCW team's picks for the best cameras of 2023 and the only thing that stopped me from getting hold of one sooner was its 'pro' price tag. While I hadn't personally tested the Z8 myself, from my colleagues' accounts it was one heck of a camera, and I couldn’t think of a better upgrade from my DSLR.

Well, I finally did bite the bullet on it… and just weeks before I jetted off to beautiful New Zealand – Queenstown in the South Island to be specific – in March. 

What I didn’t anticipate was the Nikkor lenses I wanted for the camera being out of stock at most retailers in Sydney, Australia, where I am based. By the time I managed to pick up some glass, I had a day left before traveling and hadn't spent any time learning the ins and outs of the camera.

So there’s me, on a plane, trying to go through a far more extensive menu system than I’ve been previously used to, and thinking I'll manage just fine since I play with different camera systems as part of my job.

Well, that didn't quite work out as I thought.

Muscle memory magic

One worry I’ve had about switching systems is the physical control layout, but the Nikon Z8 felt like an old friend in my hand with a lens on. It’s not only almost as big as my old DSLR, but most of the buttons and dials are just where I want them. In fact, I prefer it to the setup on the Canon EOS R5. So, thankfully, the muscle memory I had developed after years with a Canon DSLR translated almost well enough to make me feel comfortable using the Z8.

There was one small hiccup there, though. The placement of the Mode and Drive buttons are different on the Z8, which caused some delays in taking shots on the first few days of my trip – I’m someone who goes very quickly from shooting single shots to bursts, and I also move between Program, Aperture Priority and Manual modes quite often. 

On the Canon, I was used to the Mode dial being on the left of the top panel (beside the viewfinder bump) and the Drive button on the right. On the Z8, both are on the left and there is no dial there, instead replaced by a cluster of four buttons.

Looking for the Drive button, in particular, made me miss some aerial acrobatic shots of what is locally called a ‘shark ride’ – a submersible speedboat that can leap out of the water and is designed to look like a shark.

ISO impasse

While muscle memory didn't leave me with too many regrets, it was the ISO settings that threw me off entirely. I tend to keep ISO set to auto for simplicity's sake, particularly when traveling. And that’s what I set the Z8 to. During my first day in Queenstown, however, when the weather was overcast and wet, a lot of my shots were very underexposed as the camera was only shooting at ISO 100.

I double-checked the ISO settings in the menu system and it seemed I had it selected correctly, but I was still not having any luck getting better results. So I began to manually select the sensitivity levels for each individual shot, but that was proving to be far from ideal while traveling.

I did the usual shut-off, take-out-battery, restart process – no joy. I tried to figure out what the issue was through a tedious process of trial and error and, eventually, found that reselecting the same setting fixed the problem.

I can’t explain it, but I’m putting it down to a temporary glitch – one that I could have done without, as I lost a lot of images from when I was up in the mountains (called the Remarkables) after some early-season snow.

Off track(ing)

One of the main reasons I decided to go with the Z8 was its tracking precision – after all, it’s the same tech that’s in the Nikon Z9 pro sports camera. However, my years with a Canon DSLR with no such prowess made me forget I had this speed and precision at my fingertips.

Case in point: I was trying to capture some fun pictures during an Easter egg hunt while in Queenstown and, while the autofocus was spot on, I didn’t have the tracking set up properly, resulting in some shoddy work on my part. Well, I really can’t blame the camera for that.

I also didn’t have time to install the latest firmware (update 2.00) before my trip, which would likely have made the Z8 a far more phenomenal experience in terms of precision.

Money well spent

Despite some glitches at the start, the Z8 served me well for the rest of the trip, although it became evident that I will have a steep learning curve to learn everything the camera can do for me. 

For example, only on returning from the trip did I realize the camera gives me extra reach by selecting the DX crop option without compromising too much on resolution. Had I known this, I probably would have been able to zoom in further with the Nikkor Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR kit lens that I took with me on this trip to keep things light. However, upgrading to a 45.7MP effective resolution full-frame sensor from 26.2MP gave me leeway to crop my photos where necessary without losing too much image quality.

Speaking of keeping things light: while the Z8 itself is heavier than the 6D Mark II, the Z-series Nikkor lenses are remarkably lightweight, which more than makes up for the camera body itself.

The Z8 gives me the freedom to capture so many more scenarios than my old Canon could, like a high-speed jet boat that would have been a blurry streak with the DSLR. I’m passionate about wildlife photography, which was another reason for me choosing the Z8 – its speed.

Sure, I could have chosen to buy the Canon EOS R5, which would have more than met my needs and saved me some money too. I prefer Canon's color science over Nikon, but the Canon mirrorless lenses are heavier than Nikon's options. 

That said, the idea of not having a mechanical shutter in the camera appealed to me. Whether the lack of moving parts will extend the life of the camera is a different story altogether – after all, electronics can fail – but the Z8, like the Z9, is revolutionary that way. 

Either way, I wish I had jumped on the Nikon bandwagon a touch earlier as I regret some of the missed opportunities during my trip because of the teething problems in this new partnership. What I don't regret, though, is practically emptying my savings for the Z8 as I did come back with some good photos and I can't wait for my next adventure with the camera.

Learn more about the Nikon Z8 vs the Canon EOS R5, or you can check out what we think is the best full-frame mirrorless camera right now. If you're already a Nikon user, find some of the best Nikon lenses or the best Nikon Z lenses for your camera.

Documentary photography captures moments from everyday lives that not only show how people around the world live but can also serve as a reminder of events in our own lives. By reflecting on the past, bygone moments are brought back to life and reflected in our memories. This is particularly true when the images document aspects of childhood. 

“These boys had just finished school and were fooling around before heading home,” Rico explains. “Watching them reminded me of my own childhood memories. Most days, I would drag out the time from finishing school to getting home, messing around with friends.” 

The most interesting images are the ones that allow the viewer to interpret the scene. In this photo, the focus is on the interaction between multiple subjects, creating a sense of intrigue in the viewer. “In this case, it was important for me to include the boys who were watching. You have one boy watching me and another boy watching them, while I am watching them all.” This gives the picture a narrative level.

“When composing this image, I needed to get everything proportionally in the frame – and especially the two boys watching,” Rico explains. To do so, he paid particular attention to the framing of the image in post-processing. 

“It was all about the corners. I cropped the image in post-processing and converted it to black-and-white. I felt that their skin tone against the school uniform would really make the image pop.”

Tech details

Camera: Nikon D850
Lens: Nikon AF-S Nikkor 24mm f/1.8G ED
Aperture: f/9
Shutter speed: 1/200 sec
ISO: 1600

You might be interested in the best cameras for black and white photography, along with the best lenses for street photography. 

Nikon’s newly-announced Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR lens and its incredible 14.2x zoom offers a one-stop solution to one of the biggest mistakes that new or keen-to-upgrade photographers make: throwing their entire budget into a camera body, and overlooking the lenses. 

Sure, there’s nothing quite like picking up a state-of-the-art mirrorless body, but while faster and more accurate AF, a better sensor and eye-watering burst speeds might change the way you shoot, these specs are unlikely to change what you can shoot.

You could spend thousands and thousands on a flagship Nikon Z9, arguably the best camera for sports photography in existence. But if all you’ve got to go with it is a Z 24-70mm f/4 S, you’ve got yourself an F1 car and a set of slicks in the pouring rain. 

Give me a first-gen Nikon Z6 and a Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR, or a D500 and 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR to photograph sports or wildlife over that Z9 and standard-zoom setup every day of the week. You need only look back at the jaw-dropping photographs captured by analog photographers over the years for proof that modern cameras are a luxury, not a necessity. 

Optics are infinitely more important than cameras, and that’s precisely why Nikon’s new super-duper superzoom is such a big deal for Z-series users. If you’re an enthusiast photographer who simply cannot justify the expenditure of a kit bag bristling with top-quality glass, or a frequent flier who values portability over all else, then the Z 28-400mm is a complete game-changer – not to mention the only lens you could feasibly ever need! And I don’t say that lightly. 

With the exception of a few specialist applications such as ultra-wide or low-light photography, there’s literally nothing this veritable multi-tool of a zoom range won’t cover. Landscapes? Check. Wildlife? Check. Sports, portraits, architecture, street, close-ups… check, check, check, check and check.

We’ve yet to put it through our lab but, on paper, the only big compromise is that narrow f/8 aperture at the telephoto end. When you add together the zoom range, portability and bang for your buck, something had to give, right? And realistically, even if the aperture range matched the F-mount equivalent Tamron 18-400mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC HLD, would it really make that much difference? 

Don’t get me wrong, faster glass is always better. But If you care that much about wider apertures and image quality, you’re probably better off picking up more specialist lenses anyway. 

Looping back around to my previous analogy; if you’re intent on investing your hard-earned cash in a new camera and don’t currently have a versatile collection of lenses, then the Z 28-400mm could be the most affordable answer to your optical needs. After all, you’ve got three zoom lenses in one – enclosed in a 142mm-long cylinder that weighs just 725g. 

Not too shabby Nikon, not too shabby at all. 

You might be interested in the best Nikon lenses, including the best Nikon Z lenses for its mirrorless system. 

Can you imagine trying to photograph a horse with a manual focus lens? How about a racehorse? How about an entire horse race? How about the finish line at the Kentucky Derby? 

That's exactly the situation that sports photographers used to find themselves in. Back in the days when the best sports cameras had no autofocus whatsoever – let alone subject tracking and animal detect and algorithmic AI processors – and fired about 6fps on a good day, getting any shot in focus required true skill.  

But getting the shot of the first horse to cross the finish line at the Kentucky Derby? That's next-level stuff.

Below is a photograph that has started to blow up on Facebook. (Because Meta is Meta, I can't actually embed the post in this article, so please click through to the full thread.) In it you can see photographer Michael Brohm, in the late Eighties or early Nighties, nestled amid 18 Nikon cameras with manual focus Nikon lenses at the Kentucky Derby to capture the money shot.

A 25-year veteran of the legendary Churchill Downs derby, Brohm can be seen fine-tuning one of the many bodies on the camera tree (or "P" pole) – all of which were hardwired, rather than radio-triggered, to prevent catastrophic interference. 

Brohm's post – and the many comments that accompany it – remind us all just what a different world it was in the days before cameras like the Sony A9 III, the Canon EOS R3 and Nikon Z9 took much of the skill out of sports photography. 

"Basically you mount your camera to that [camera tree]," commented Hans-Martin Issler. "Then you focus your lens on the finish line and fix that with gaffer tape. Then you turn on the camera and test your remote cable and lead it to your position."

With only one chance to get the winning shot, the best bet is to CYA: cover your ass. "Shooting a finish line at any horse race with remotes is a crap shoot. The reason for so many cameras and lenses," noted Charlie Bernhardt. 

"Will the winner be on the rail? Will the winner be in the 3-4 path? Will he be sandwiched in between 2-3 other horses? Even with camera in hand you can get fooled, especially on the turf / inside position if they [sic] are 2-3 horses jockeying for the lead. The last jump might be the winner. On there [sic] other hand you could have a winner by 2-3 lengths or more! CYA is the name of the game if you can."

Something else that's notable about this image is that every single camera is a Nikon – likely a Nikon F3 or F4. These were the days when Nikon had a monopoly on professional sports photography, before Canon started dominating the scene. Indeed, when asked how different this setup would look today, Brohm simply said, "It looks much the same, except now mostly Canons."

Another thing to consider? Not only are all these cameras completely manual, they're also shooting film. Which meant you not only had to get the shot, you also had to develop it as quick as you could in order to get it back to your agency or picture editor before your rivals. 

Again, this is all lightyears away from 120fps shooting and CFexpress cards and WiFi and 1000BASE-T ethernet. I was having a conversation the other day with someone complaining about the autofocus on his camera not being good enough. Oh, sweet summer child, if only you knew!

Take a look at today's best cameras for sports photography and the best lenses for sports photography. You might also be interested in some tips on how to shoot showjumping, from our resident equestrian photographer! 

Nikon has announced a new full-frame superzoom for its Z-mount mirrorless that sets a new range for an all-in-one zoom lens. The Nikkor Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR offers a phenomenal 14.2x zoom ratio - which beats all other contenders for its reach.

The lens is designed for use on full-frame cameras, but its size, weight and price means that you will also be able to used on APS-C DX Nikon cameras, such as the Z50 and Zfc. On these DX models, the effective focal range becomes 42-600mm.

Superzoom lenses offer an all-on-one lens solution, that offers wide-angel and telephoto focal lengths in the one zoom. With this lens, anyone can effortlessly capture the finest details and facial expressions of distant subjects, opening up new possibilities for your photography or filmmaking. The longest range superzoom previously available for Nikon cameras was the Tamron 18-400mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC HLD - but that could only be used on Nikon F-mount DX-format DSLRs.

Whether you're shooting sporting events, amusement park attractions, or parade shows where the subject's distance varies continuously, this lens allows anyone to adapt to any situation with ease. Its versatility means I could rely on just this one lens to capture a wide range of scenes, eliminating the need to switch between multiple lenses.

What's more, the Nikkor Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR excels in close-up photography, with a minimum focus distance of just 0.2m at the widest angle and 1.2m at the maximum telephoto position, while also offering a maximum reproduction ratio of 0.35x. It therefore promises to be able to can subjects in exquisite detail, whether it's delicate plants or intricate tabletop scenes.

Despite its impressive telephoto reach of up to 400mm, this lens maintains a very compact and lightweight design, weighing only approximately 725g / 1.59 lbs this portability makes it the perfect lens for travel and everyday use, allowing you to carry it wherever you go without feeling weighed down - making this the perfect lens for content creators wanting to shoot video while out on location.

Additionally, the Nikkor Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR features a stepping motor (STM) for fast autofocus drive, ensuring quick and accurate focusing on moving subjects, Its vibration reduction function provides the equivalent of a 5.0-stop increase in shutter speed, minimizing blur and allowing for sharp handheld shots even in challenging conditions.

The lens supports linear manual focus operation, making it easy to focus precisely on your intended subject during video recording, enhancing the quality of your videography no end.

I'm excited about Nikon's commitment to pushing the boundaries of optical performance and meeting the evolving needs of photographers or filmmakers like myself. With the Nikkor Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR, Nikon is not just providing a lens; they're empowering users to explore new possibilities. 

Nikon already has two superzooms in its ever-expanding Z-mount lens range - the Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR for full-frame cameras, and the  Z DX 18-140mm f/3.5-6.3 VR for APS-C models.

I can see this being a very popular lens with many beginners, content creators, and anyone in between who just wants one lens to cover a vast array of distances whenever the mood or situation strikes. Also, filmmakers will be thrilled, as I think this lens could be used in any situation and again cover so many different scenarios that this lens might just be on their camera forever, with no need to change it - and I like that!

Pre-order and Pricing

The Nikon Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR will go on sale from mid-April for $1,299 / £1,399 / AU$2,199 - and will come with a rectangular lens hood.

Pre-order at B&H (US)
Pre-order at Adorama (US)
Pre-order at London Camera Exchange (UK)
Pre-order at Wex (UK)
Pre-order at Ted's Cameras for a special price (AU)
Pre-order at CameraPro (AU)

If you follow the filmmaking or photography news you will have noticed the surprise announcement that Nikon has acquired RED. Nikon, the digital cinema camera goliath's tech is often used by solo filmmakers, now owns a Hollywood tech name, and for many that came as a bit of a shock. Immediately after, though, everyone started asking what could it mean when Nikon buys Red?

One of the biggest questions on everyone's lips is: Will RED not support some of the best Nikon Z lenses? Well, what if I told you that RED actually did support Nikon lenses, and I've been using some of the best Nikon F-mount lenses on my RED camera for over 8 years?

As you can see I have indeed been using Nikon lenses on my Red camera. This is where the tale of Nikon's acquisition of Red becomes interesting. Back in the day when Red first announced the Red One in August 2007, costing a massive $17,000. That still sounds like a massive amount of money today (and it's $25,000 in today's money). But back in 2007 this was the steal of the decade for cinematographers!

The RED One featured a Super 35mm Mysterium sensor that could deliver REDCODE RAW or R3D video in 4K at up to 60p and 2K at up to 120p. It was used in plenty of very well-known movies—it’s a near guarantee that you have seen work from the Red One – My own Red is the Red One MX which boosted the video quality to 4.5K at 60fps and better slow motion setting in 3K and 2K resolution.

The RED One and One MX were both able to be equipped with Nikon F-mounting options – which is why I chose it to be my main cinema camera. One I have had and used for the last 8 years. Today Red cameras come equipped with either PL-mounts or Canon RF mounts, but 8 years ago the Nikon F-mount was also an option.

So, will the Nikon Z-mount be equipped for future Red cameras? I think it will. I've always found the image quality from my Nikon F-mount is outstanding, not just when using wide-angle lenses, but also when I've used super telephoto lenses like my Nikon 600mm f/4. I've used to film wildlife and, if I'm honest, when using them it was like they belonged together!

I think the future of RED in the Nikon era will be very interesting as it roles out, a relationship which will strengthen both companies going forward. For this Red and Nikon user, I can say that if Red does start offering Nikon Z-mount options I will certainly consider upgrading to the bigger 8K cameras and Nikon Z-mount lenses.

From crumbling castles to epic feats of engineering, the human imprint on the landscape is everywhere you look, and in this issue Nigel Forster shows you how to capture scenes that have been transformed – for better or worse – by the stamp of mankind. 

Our apprentice heads into the streets to photograph Bristol Light Festival – a once-a-year installation that fills the city with light-themed artworks.

They don’t come cheap, but in our Big Test we rate 10 of the best telephoto prime lenses for both F-mount and Z-mount Nikons, which combine epic reach with the optical quality that only a fixed-focal-length lens can deliver, and are the go-to glass for pro sports and wildlife photographers. On the other end of the scale, we bring you our five-star review of the Viltrox 27mm f/1.2 – a fully professional lens for DX mirrorless Nikons that comes with a bargain price tag. 

In our interview, Brett Florens tells his unlikely tale of how a stint as a riot policeman led to being one of the world’s most in-demand wedding photographers. Plus landscape photographer John Miskelly explains why slow is the way to go on a trip to capture the epic scenery of Iceland. 

We have projects on shooting spring flowers, starling murmurations, model railways and cyanotypes – an old-school method of exposing chemically coated paper to capture simple shapes, plus our usual Photoshop and Affinity Photo tutorials.  

N-Photo: The Nikon Magazine is a monthly magazine that's written by Nikon enthusiasts for Nikon enthusiasts, you can be sure that all the content is 100% relevant to you! So for the best Nikon-focused news, reviews, projects, and a whole lot more, subscribe to N-Photo today – with our unmissable subs deal!

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Subscription deals: Our guide to the best photo magazines

The Irix 65mm T1.5 Cine is the company’s cine lens, coming soon for Canon EF and RF, PL, Sony FE, Nikon Z, Micro Four Thirds, Fujifilm X and L Mount. 

It is compatible with majority of cine accessories, both manual and motorized, and the design ensures that a change of focus distance has no influence on the lens’ length or front element rotation.

Crucial markings are engraved and filled with UV-reactive paint, making them better visible in low light, and up to eight times more visible than standard paint under UV light, making it perfect for shooting in challenging conditions. The weather-sealed construction provides protection from dust and moisture.

The lens is equipped with 11 rounded aperture blades, to offer extraordinary image quality over the entire frame with smooth bokeh, and its low-distortion optical design enables super-panoramic film shots with a rectilinear image. 

There’s an 86mm thread, but the lens also comes with a Magnetic Mount System for rapid attachment of accessories and filter placement. 

This latest Irix Cine lens means the brand now has most common focal lengths covered, covering 11mm to 150mm, with the same color reproduction, weight and location of gears across the range.

The Irix 65mm T1.5 Cine lens retails for approximately $1,300 / £1,050 / AU$1,980 and is available direct from the Irix store. 

See it at The Photography & Video Show on stand B601

The Photography & Video Show 2024 : everything to know

Growing up in Bristol, I was surrounded by the creative wave of local photographers, street artists and architects in my community – and I wanted to be a part of that. My love of photography grew after leaving school, as I observed and learned from others I looked up to. 

My journey really began when I picked up my first proper camera, a Nikon Coolpix P510 bridge camera. This allowed me to develop my skills and creative outlook. I advanced onto a Nikon D5100 DSLR shortly after, and then a Nikon D3500. I’ve recently invested in my first Z-series camera, the Nikon Z5, which I’m excited to be using more often in the near future.

I took my trusty D3500 on this trip to London. It’s an absolute workhorse, and has been my go-to camera for a while. It was paired with my AF-S DX 18-140mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR lens, a versatile piece of kit to suit all environments and subjects. I also had a Manfrotto Element MII tripod, which is nice and light to carry around. 

My best shots

After spending the latter part of the morning walking around Piccadilly, I took a couple of photos of the Ritz, but wanted to find an angle to create something unique within my surroundings. I noticed there were several motorbikes parked not far away, and I couldn’t resist trying my luck with one of the mirrors. It took a few attempts to get the focus right, as the camera was set to Face-Priority AF, but I used the framing grid display to help keep it central. I then flipped the image in editing to make the lettering legible, which I think made the image stand out more.

I could tell by the clouds forming above that there was a good chance of a nice sunset (a rarity in London). I walked towards Tower Bridge, wanting to capture something with architecture in the foreground. The pattern on the side of the bridge gave me the perfect opportunity to capture a frame within a frame (although it did raise a couple of eyebrows from some nearby tourists). It took some time to frame the image properly – the ‘Walkie Talkie’ needed to sit in the middle of the pattern – and I found myself racing against the clock so I wouldn’t miss the best light as the sun began to set.

London Bridge can be a busy place, especially with the financial district nearby. I felt it was time to try my luck with my tripod. I had a long-exposure shot in mind – vibrant red buses with iconic London architecture in the background. It can sometimes take a little trial and error to settle on the right exposure length. I opted for just one second, as I didn’t want the blur to look too elongated and artificial.

One of my favorite storytelling genres is science fiction, with elements of film noir and dystopian fiction. The London Underground offers a great location to try something that fits these categories. The key with shooting these candid scenes is to respect people’s space and to be considerate (and not use the flash) when taking portraits of strangers.

A slight Dutch tilt (where you rotate the camera to angle the frame) and muted color palette provided me with an image that I initially thought would look good in black and white; but in post-production, color seemed more appropriate. I only altered the highlights and shadows.

I’ve always loved leading lines. You need to have a clear subject for the viewer to be led to – and what better example than St Paul’s Cathedral? This quiet street nearby offered a great chance to get down low and capture a quirky image of the famed building. It took several minutes to adjust my focus with Wide-Area AF, along with Vibration Reduction. I wanted the double yellow markings to stand out just enough so the landmark in the distance would remain in focus. I was delighted I managed to capture a clear scene with no pedestrians, as that would have changed the image.

My street and urban photography tips

• Explore your surroundings and try something new. It could help you find a unique composition, and is a great way to allow your creativity to flow.
• Always take a spare battery (or two). The last thing you want to do is worry about conserving the battery level while you’re out in the field, experimenting with shutter speeds and different compositions.
• Take your time. Don’t rush or panic about your photography goals for the day. Enjoy the process of developing your photo skills and creating content. Be curious about your environment and let your imagination run wild.

Read more:

• How I embrace intentional camera movement to bring a fresh look to my street photography
• The best camera for street photography
• Are London’s self-appointed "tripod police" overstepping their boundaries?

The Mark III edition of this Canon 1.4x Extender, or teleconverter, is the latest (and probably last) in the EF-mount series, designed for Canon cameras and compatible EF-mount Canon telephoto lenses. It’s primarily designed for DSLRs but can also be used on EOS R-system mirrorless cameras via an EF-EOS R mount adapter. 

As such, it’s one of the best teleconverters on the market. As a 1.4x teleconverter, the focal length of the attached lens is magnified by a factor of 1.4x, with a 1 f/stop reduction in aperture rating, so a Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS III USM zoom effectively becomes roughly a 100-280mm f/4 lens.

The aperture reduction naturally means you’ll suffer a drop in shutter speeds. In some cases, it can also scupper autofocus. For example, if you use the teleconverter with a Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens, you’ll need a DSLR that supports autofocus at f/8. Back on the upside, when using the teleconverter, the minimum focus distance of the main lens remains unchanged. You therefore get a 1.4x boost in the maximum magnification ratio, which can work well for extreme close-ups.

Canon Extender EF 1.4x III: What's changed?

Compared with earlier editions, the Mark III features a completely redesigned optical path and a tougher, weather-sealed construction with a new lock release mechanism. It also features an integrated microprocessor for enhanced data communication between the main lens and host camera body.

Canon Extender EF 1.4x III: Specifications

Canon Extender EF 1.4x III: Price & Availability

Priced at $429 / £459 / AU$749, the Canon Extender EF 1.4x III certainly isn’t cheap for a teleconverter but it’s good value considering the features and build quality. It’s actually slightly less expensive than the rival Nikon AF-S TC-14E III for Nikon DSLRs and the newer Canon Extender RF 1.4x for EOS R-system cameras, the latter retailing for around $499 / £579 / AU$899. Originally launched back in 2010, the teleconverter has been widely available for more than a decade.

Canon Extender EF 1.4x III: Design & Handling

I like that the Canon Extender EF 1.4x III is of pancake lens proportions, measuring just over an inch thick. It’s also very lightweight at 190g. That’s just a tiny fraction of the size and weight of carrying around an extra telephoto or super-telephoto lens. From a handling perspective, I can add this teleconverter between a camera body and lens and hardly notice any difference in overall size and weight.

Although lightweight, build quality feels very solid and robust. That’s an important point if you’re mounting a big, heavyweight lens to it, like the Canon EF 400mm f/2.8L IS III USM that I used during testing, which weighs in at a comparatively massive 2,840g. As well as being upgraded for greater durability and featuring weather seals, I like the new fluorine coatings on the front and rear elements, to repel moisture and grease and make the surfaces easier to clean.

There are no less than 7 optical elements shoehorned into the small build, arranged in 4 groups. The optical design is completely new, compared with previous versions, while the built-in processor enhances electronic communication between the main lens and the host camera body.

As with almost all teleconverters, the Canon Extender EF 1.4x III has a protruding inner section at the front, which extends into a cavity at the rear of the main lens. It’s important to note that not all telephotos have enough clearance between the rear element, so you need to be careful not to try to mount an incompatible lens. Suffice it to say that the teleconverter is compatible with most Canon L-series telephoto prime and zoom lenses.

Canon Extender EF 1.4x III: Photo Performance

Question marks normally hang over teleconverters when it comes to performance, compared with using a bigger lens fitted directly to the camera body. Any teleconverter acts rather like a glorified magnifying glass, enlarging the central area of the image circle produced by the main lens and passing it through to the camera. On the plus side, you’re only effectively using the central region of the image circle, where quality is typically best. However, a teleconverter will also draw more attention to any flaw or failure. Autofocus speed can also take a hit, along with the effectiveness of optical IS (Image Stabilization).

I tested this teleconverter with a high-performance Canon EF 400mm f/2.8L IS III USM and a Canon EOS R6 Mark II camera body via an EF-EOS R mount adapter. No doubt thanks to the built-in processor featured in the teleconverter, I found that autofocus speed and image stabilization were largely unaffected.

I’d expect a bit of a drop in outright sharpness when using a 1.4x teleconverter and the Canon is no exception. Even so, it performs well for its type and images retain good levels of sharpness across the entire image frame. Any increase in color fringing is entirely negligible and, with the 400mm lens, I found a swing from minimal pincushion distortion to slight barrel distortion.

Canon Extender EF 1.4x III: Sample Images

For the sake of comparison, the following gallery includes a series of shots taken with a Canon EOS R6 Mark II (with EF-EOS R mount adapter) and a Canon EF 400mm f/2.8L IS III USM on its own, as well as with both a Canon Extender EF 1.4x III and a Canon Extender EF 2x III. This shows differences between using the lens natively, as well as with the 1.4x and 2x teleconverters. 

The first sequence was taken from a viewpoint overlooking the city of Bath, UK, from a distance of half a mile, on an overcast morning. Due to deteriorating weather conditions with strong winds and heavy rain, the subsequent shots were taken indoors with bounced flash. 

All of the example images were taken using a sturdy tripod and exposure delay mode and shot several times to ensure the consistency of results. As per our usual testing regime, all of these images were taken in addition to the lab-test shots that we captured, based on the use of official test charts.

Canon Extender EF 1.4x III: Lab Results

We run a range of lab tests under controlled conditions, using the Imatest Master testing suite. Photos of test charts are taken across the range of apertures and zooms (where available), then analyzed for sharpness, distortion and chromatic aberrations.

We use Imatest SFR (spatial frequency response) charts and analysis software to plot lens resolution at the center of the image frame, corners and mid-point distances, across the range of aperture settings and, with zoom lenses, at four different focal lengths. The tests also measure distortion and color fringing (chromatic aberration).

Sharpness:

Sharpness remains very good when using the teleconverter, and is very consistent across the entire image frame. 

Fringing:

There’s an almost imperceptible increase in color fringing, compared with using the main lens on its own, from the center of the image frame to the extreme edges and corners.

Distortion: -0.72

Whereas the 400mm produces slight pincushion distortion, this swaps to mild barrel distortion when using the teleconverter.

Canon Extender EF 1.4x III: Verdict

Much as I love lenses, top-quality super-telephoto primes and zooms are horrifically expensive to buy. They’re also real heavyweights that are literally a pain to carry around. The Canon Extender EF 1.4x III gives a useful boost in telephoto reach at comparatively little expense. And being just over an inch thick and weighing only 225g, you can add it to your bag of camera gear without even noticing the difference. There’s very little drop in the performance of the main lens, in terms of autofocus speed, image stabilization, and image quality, making the teleconverter a smart buy.

Alternatives

Surely the last in an illustrious line of Canon EF-mount 2x ‘extenders’ or teleconverters, the Mark III edition is designed for Canon cameras and compatible EF-mount Canon telephoto lenses. It’s primarily designed for DSLRs but can also be used on EOS R-system mirrorless cameras via an EF-EOS R mount adapter. 

As such, it’s one of the best teleconverters on the market. As a 2x teleconverter, the focal length of the attached lens doubled, with a reduction in aperture rating of two f/stops. For example, add it to a Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS III USM zoom and you effectively get a 140-400mm f/5.6 super-telephoto lens.

The 2-stop aperture reduction naturally results in slower shutter speeds but it can also cause problems for DSLRs. For example, if you use the teleconverter with a Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens, the widest available aperture at longer zoom settings becomes f/11, giving a dark viewfinder image and ruling out autofocus even on the most recent Canon DSLRs that support autofocus at f/8. 

On the upside, the minimum focus distance of the main lens remains unchanged when using the teleconverter. You therefore get a 2x boost in the maximum magnification ratio. With some telephoto lenses, it takes close-up potential into macro territory.

Canon Extender EF 2x III: What's changed?

Compared with earlier editions, the Mark III features a completely redesigned optical path and a tougher, weather-sealed construction with a new lock release mechanism. It also features an integrated microprocessor for enhanced data communication between the main lens and host camera body.

Canon Extender EF 2x III: Specifications

Canon Extender EF 2x III: Price & Availability

Originally launched back in 2010, the Canon Extender EF 2x III certainly is currently priced at $429 / £469 / AU$749. It’s not cheap for a teleconverter but is good value considering the features and build quality. It’s slightly less expensive than the rival Nikon AF-S TC-20E III for Nikon DSLRs and the newer Canon Extender RF 2x for EOS R-system cameras, the latter with a price tag of $599 / £719 / AU$999. 

Canon Extender EF 2x III: Design & Handling

The Canon Extender EF 2x III has dimensions of 72 x 52.7mm, or a couple of inches long and weighs in at 325g, so it’s the size and weight I’d expect for modern full-frame compatible 2x teleconverter. It’s about twice the length of its sibling 1.4x teleconverter and 100g heavier but still very manageable. Naturally, it’s only a tiny fraction of the size and weight of carrying around an additional super-telephoto lens, which is a major plus point for shooting scenarios like sports and wildlife.

Despite being small and lightweight, teleconverters need to be strong. It’s essential if you’re coupling it to a big, heavyweight lens, like the Canon EF 400mm f/2.8L IS III USM that I used during testing, which is comparatively massive and weighs 2,840g. As well as taking the strain, it’s important that there’s no flexing which can degrade image quality in super-telephoto shooting. Thankfully this third edition feels super-solid and is upgraded to boost durability. It also features a set of weather-seals. 

Although the teleconverter is only a couple of inches long, it packs in no less than 9 optical elements, arranged in 5 groups. The new optical layout of the third edition claims to enhance performance in terms of image quality. For full and speedy data communication between the main lens and host camera body, the Mark III adds an integral microprocessor.

Canon Extender EF 2x III: Photo Performance

Teleconverters can be notorious for degrading the performance and image quality of lenses. There’s no denying that relatively cheap examples do just that. However, this Canon teleconverter is designed to have minimal impact on the performance of even the best Canon L-series telephoto prime and zoom lenses.

To judge performance, I tested the Canon Extender EF 2x III with a high-performance Canon EF 400mm f/2.8L IS III USM and a Canon EOS R6 Mark II camera body via an EF-EOS R mount adapter. I was impressed that autofocus speed remained very snappy, quickly locking onto subjects and tracking their movement very effectively. I also found that optical IS (Image Stabilization) gave the same effectiveness for handheld shooting with the teleconverter in place, taking into account that the focal length doubles, therefore requiring a faster shutter speed.

Even the best 2x teleconverters tend to impact on the sharpness of the main lens to some extent, and this one is no different. Our lab test results don’t look overly impressive but, in real-world shooting, I found that very good levels of sharpness were retained, compared with using the 400mm lens on its own. Distortion is actually reduced and, while there’s an increase in color fringing, it remains well within the remit of the automatic in-camera correction featured in current and recent Canon cameras.

Canon Extender EF 2x III: Sample Images

For the sake of comparison, the following gallery includes a series of shots taken with a Canon EOS R6 Mark II (with EF-EOS R mount adapter) and a Canon EF 400mm f/2.8L IS III USM on its own, as well as with both a Canon Extender EF 1.4x III and a Canon Extender EF 2x III. This shows differences between using the lens natively, as well as with the 1.4x and 2x teleconverters. The first sequence was taken from a viewpoint overlooking the city of Bath, UK, from a distance of half a mile, on an overcast morning. Due to deteriorating weather conditions with strong winds and heavy rain, the subsequent shots were taken indoors with bounced flash. All of the example images were taken using a sturdy tripod and exposure delay mode, and shot several times to ensure the consistency of results. As per our usual testing regime, all of these images were taken in addition to the lab-test shots that we capture, based on the use of official test charts.

Canon Extender EF 2x III: Lab Results

We run a range of lab tests under controlled conditions, using the Imatest Master testing suite. Photos of test charts are taken across the range of apertures and zooms (where available), then analyzed for sharpness, distortion and chromatic aberrations.

We use Imatest SFR (spatial frequency response) charts and analysis software to plot lens resolution at the center of the image frame, corners and mid-point distances, across the range of aperture settings and, with zoom lenses, at four different focal lengths. The tests also measure distortion and color fringing (chromatic aberration).

Sharpness:

Our lab tests reveal a drop in sharpness when using the 2x teleconverter with a 400mm lens but, in real-world shooting, we found that images retained plenty of sharpness and clarity.

Fringing:

There’s an increase in color fringing when attaching the teleconverter to the main lens, in all areas of the image frame, but automatic in-camera correction featured in current and recent camera cameras takes care of it.

Distortion: -0.19

The 400mm lens that we used for testing produces slight pincushion distortion but, with the 2x teleconverter fitted, negligible barrel distortion is virtually unnoticeable.

Canon Extender EF 2x III: Verdict

There’s a lot to like in this little teleconverter. For me, the Canon Extender EF 2x III is one of those ‘tiny but mighty’ products that really delivers on its promises. I found that it gave incredible reach with the Canon EF 400mm f/2.8L IS III USM during testing, effectively giving me an 800mm f/5.6 lens while maintaining really good image quality, autofocus speed and optical image stabilization performance. And it’s only a tiny fraction of the expense, size and weight of buying an extra super-telephoto lens.

Alternatives

It’s highly unlikely that Nikon will ever make another F-mount teleconverter, so this 2.0x version is probably the last in the line for Nikon cameras with compatible F-mount Nikon telephoto lenses. Unlike the newer Z-system teleconverters, it’s primarily designed for DSLRs but can also be used on Z-mount mirrorless cameras via an FTZ or FTZ II mount adapter. And it remains one of the best teleconverters on the market. As a 2x teleconverter, it doubles the focal length of the attached lens, with a reduction of 2 f/stops, so a Nikon AF-S 70-200mm f/2.8E FL ED VR lens effectively becomes a 140-400mm f/5.6 super-telephoto zoom.

The 2-stop aperture reduction can be a bridge too far for DSLRs. For example, if you use the teleconverter with a Nikon AF-S 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens, the widest available aperture at longer zoom settings becomes f/11, giving a dark viewfinder image and ruling out autofocus even on later DSLRs that support autofocus at f/8. A plus point is that, when using the teleconverter, the minimum focus distance of the main lens remains unchanged. You therefore get a 2x boost in the maximum magnification ratio, which can edge into macro territory for close-ups with some lenses.

Nikon AF-S TC-20E III: What's changed?

A headline upgrade in the third edition is that, when it was launched back in 2009, it was the world’s first teleconverter to include an aspherical element. Aimed at professional photographers, the overall design strove for excellent all-round performance and image quality, wrapped up in a tough, weather-sealed construction. However, autofocus is only compatible with a select number of newer AF-S G and E type lenses, as there’s no mechanical autofocus screw-drive for older ‘AF’ Nikon lenses. As with other teleconverters, compatibility is only available for a relatively small number of up-market telephoto lenses anyway. Here's Nikon’s official teleconverter and lens compatibility list.

Nikon AF-S TC-20E III: Specifications

Nikon AF-S TC-20E III: Price & Availability

Currently priced at $497 / £529 / AU$999, the Nikon AF-S TC-20E III has been around since 2009. It’s still widely available from photographic retailers, as well as from Nikon’s own regional online stores around the world. The price might seem quite steep for a teleconverter but it’s definitely much cheaper than buying an additional super-telephoto lens if you already have a telephoto prime or zoom for which the teleconverter is compatible.

Nikon AF-S TC-20E III: Design & Handling

Measuring 66 x 48mm, or a couple of inches long, and weighing 330g, it’s the size and weight I’d expect for a modern 2x teleconverter. As such, it’s about twice the length of a 1.4x teleconverter but still very manageable and only a tiny fraction of the size and weight of carrying around an extra telephoto or super-telephoto lens.

Although relatively tiny, teleconverters need to be tough. It’s vital if you’re coupling it to a big, heavyweight lens, like the Nikon AF-S 400mm f/2.8E FL ED VR that I used during testing, which weighs in at a comparatively massive 3,800g. With a feeling a bit like the tail wagging the pony, it’s not only important that the teleconverter doesn’t come apart, but also that there’s no flexing which can degrade quality in super-telephoto shooting. As such, this third edition feels rock-solid and is upgraded for greater durability, complete with weather seals.

The teleconverter packs in no less than 7 optical elements, including one aspherical element, arranged in 5 groups. The revised optical layout of the third edition claims to boost image quality. For maintaining full data connectivity between the main lens and the host camera body, there’s a complete set of electronic contacts.

Nikon AF-S TC-20E III: Photo Performance

Teleconverters don’t have the best of reputations for performance. Sure enough, there are some relatively cheap third-party examples on the market that degrade image quality considerably. A teleconverter basically acts a bit like a magnifying glass, enlarging the central area of the image circle produced by the main lens and passing it through to the camera.

This Nikon teleconverter is designed to make the most of what’s on offer from the main lens. And on the plus side, a teleconverter is only effectively using the central region of the image circle from the main lens, where quality is typically best. However, any teleconverter will also draw more attention to any flaw or failure. Autofocus speed can also take a hit, along with the effectiveness of optical VR (Vibration Reduction).

While I was testing the Nikon AF-S TC-20E III with a Nikon D780 camera body and a top-end Nikon AF-S 400mm f/2.8E FL ED VR prime lens, I was impressed that autofocus speed remained super-fast, locked onto subjects easily, and was well able to track movement. I also found that optical VR gave around 4-stop effectiveness for handheld shooting with and without the teleconverter in place. That’s taking into account that the focal length doubles when the teleconverter is fitted, therefore requiring a faster shutter speed anyway.

Powerful 2x teleconverters typically degrade the sharpness of the main lens but, at wide to medium aperture settings, this Nikon example does extremely well to minimize the damage. Sharpness and clarity are retained very well indeed, while color fringing is also well controlled.

Nikon AF-S TC-20E III: Sample Images

For the sake of comparison, the following gallery includes a series of shots taken with a Nikon D780 and a Nikon AF-S 400mm f/2.8E FL ED VR on its own, as well as with both Nikon AF-S TC-14E III and Nikon AF-S TC-20E III teleconverters. This shows differences between using the lens natively, as well as with the 1.4x and 2x teleconverters. 

The first sequence was taken from a viewpoint overlooking the city of Bath, UK, from a distance of half a mile, on an overcast morning. Due to deteriorating weather conditions with strong winds and heavy rain, the subsequent shots were taken indoors with bounced flash. 

All of the example images were taken using a sturdy tripod and exposure delay mode and shot several times to ensure the consistency of results. As per our usual testing regime, all of these images were taken in addition to the lab-test shots that we captured, based on the use of official test charts.

Nikon AF-S TC-20E III: Lab Results

We run a range of lab tests under controlled conditions, using the Imatest Master testing suite. Photos of test charts are taken across the range of apertures and zooms (where available), then analyzed for sharpness, distortion and chromatic aberrations.

We use Imatest SFR (spatial frequency response) charts and analysis software to plot lens resolution at the center of the image frame, corners and mid-point distances, across the range of aperture settings and, with zoom lenses, at four different focal lengths. The tests also measure distortion and color fringing (chromatic aberration).

Sharpness:

I tend to think that Nikon’s latest Z-system edition is the benchmark for a 2x teleconverter but this older F-mount version delivers similar retention of excellent sharpness, at least at wide to medium aperture settings of the main lens.

Fringing:

There’s a rise in color fringing towards the edges and corners of the image frame but it’s controlled pretty well and easily within the remit of automatic in-camera correction, featured in current and recent Nikon bodies going back many years.

Distortion: -0.26

As is often the case, the moderate pincushion distortion produced by the bare lens is replaced by very slight barrel distortion when using this 2x teleconverter.

Nikon AF-S TC-20E III: Verdict

My pockets aren’t deep enough to satisfy my lust for lenses. Big super-telephoto lenses in particular come with monster price tags that make them unaffordable for many of us. I love that this teleconverter gives me double the reach for minimum extra outlay and that it’s compact and lightweight enough to take along for the journey without being weighed down by an extra big lens. Performance is very impressive and, while it’s pricey for its type, you definitely get what you pay for.

Alternatives

This is the 1.4x version of Nikon’s latest (and probably last) F-mount teleconverter, designed for Nikon cameras and compatible F-mount Nikon telephoto lenses. It’s primarily designed for DSLRs but can also be used on Z-mount mirrorless cameras via an FTZ or FTZ II mount adapter. As such, it’s one of the best teleconverters on the market. Typically for a 1.4x teleconverter, the focal length of the attached lens is magnified by a factor of 1.4x, with a 1 f/stop reduction in aperture rating, so a Nikon AF-S 70-200mm f/2.8E FL ED VR zoom effectively becomes a 98-280mm f/4 lens.

The aperture reduction naturally means you’ll suffer a drop in shutter speeds but can also rule out autofocus in some cases. For example, if you use the teleconverter with a Nikon AF-S 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens, you’ll need a DSLR that supports autofocus at f/8. A plus point is that, when using the teleconverter, the minimum focus distance of the main lens remains unchanged. You therefore get a 1.4x boost in the maximum magnification ratio, which can edge into macro territory for close-ups with some lenses.

Nikon AF-S TC-14E III: What's changed?

As billed in the product name, this is the third edition of Nikon’s TC-14E teleconverter. Headline upgrades include a new optical path to boost image quality, along with better build quality that adds weather seals and fluorine coatings on the outer elements. However, the mechanical design precludes fitment of older Nikon AF lenses with an aperture ring, so it’ll only work with newer AF-S G and E type lenses, and there’s no mechanical autofocus screw-drive, again ruling out AF rather than AF-S lenses. Here's Nikon’s official teleconverter and lens compatibility list.

Nikon AF-S TC-14E III: Specifications

Nikon AF-S TC-14E III: Price & Availability

The Nikon AF-S TC-14E III is widely available from photographic retailers around the world, as well as from Nikon’s own regional online stores. Priced at $497 / £479 / AU$799, it might seem pretty pricey for such a small bit of kit but it’s naturally a whole lot cheaper than buying an additional super-telephoto lens for when you need a bit of extra reach.

Nikon AF-S TC-14E III: Design & Handling

I like that the teleconverter looks and feels like a pancake lens, measuring just under an inch thick. It’s also really lightweight, at a mere 190g. That’s just a tiny fraction of the size and weight of carrying around an extra telephoto or super-telephoto lens.

Although lightweight, the build quality feels very solid and robust. That’s an important point if you’re mounting a big, heavyweight lens to it, like the Nikon AF-S 400mm f/2.8E FL ED VR that I used during testing, which weighs in at a comparatively massive 3,800g. Version III is upgraded for greater durability and features weather seals. I like that the new fluorine coatings on the front and rear elements repel moisture and grease, and make the surfaces easier to clean.

Although small, the teleconverter packs no less than 7 optical elements arranged in 4 groups. The optical design is revised, with claims of a reduction in chromatic aberration, while full electronic connectivity is maintained between the main lens and the host camera body.

Nikon AF-S TC-14E III: Photo Performance

There’s always a bit of a question mark over the performance of teleconverters, compared with using a bigger lens fitted directly to the camera body. In essence, a teleconverter acts a bit like a glorified magnifying glass, enlarging the central area of the image circle produced by the main lens and passing it through to the camera.

On the plus side, you’re only effectively using the central region of the image circle, where quality is typically best. However, a teleconverter will also draw more attention to any flaw or failure. Autofocus speed can also take a hit, along with the effectiveness of optical VR (Vibration Reduction).

While testing the teleconverter with a high-performance Nikon AF-S 400mm f/2.8E FL ED VR and a Nikon D780 camera body, I found that autofocus speed remained very snappy and was well able to track moving subjects. The performance of VR remained pretty much the same as well, giving me about 4-stop effectiveness in real-world handheld shooting when taking the longer focal length into account.

There’s surprisingly little impact on image quality when using this teleconverter. Sharpness remains excellent across the entire image frame and any increase in color fringing is very negligible. Overall performance is outstanding, much the same as when using Nikon’s newer Z-mount edition of the teleconverter.

Nikon AF-S TC-14E III: Sample Images

For the sake of comparison, the following gallery includes a series of shots taken with a Nikon D780 and a Nikon AF-S 400mm f/2.8E FL ED VR on its own, as well as with both Nikon AF-S TC-14E III and Nikon AF-S TC-20E III teleconverters. This shows differences between using the lens natively, as well as with the 1.4x and 2x teleconverters. 

The first sequence was taken from a viewpoint overlooking the city of Bath, UK, from a distance of half a mile, on an overcast morning. Due to deteriorating weather conditions with strong winds and heavy rain, the subsequent shots were taken indoors with bounced flash. 

All of the example images were taken using a sturdy tripod and exposure delay mode and shot several times to ensure the consistency of results. As per our usual testing regime, all of these images were taken in addition to the lab-test shots that we captured, based on the use of official test charts.

Nikon AF-S TC-14E III: Lab Results

We run a range of lab tests under controlled conditions, using the Imatest Master testing suite. Photos of test charts are taken across the range of apertures and zooms (where available), and then analyzed for sharpness, distortion, and chromatic aberrations.

We use Imatest SFR (spatial frequency response) charts and analysis software to plot lens resolution at the center of the image frame, corners, and mid-point distances, across the range of aperture settings and, with zoom lenses, at four different focal lengths. The tests also measure distortion and color fringing (chromatic aberration).

Sharpness:

In our lab tests, the outstanding sharpness of the Nikon AF-S 400mm f/2.8E remained largely unaffected when adding the 1.4x teleconverter, compared with using most rival teleconverters.

Fringing:

There’s only a marginal increase in color fringing towards the extreme edges and corners of the image frame, again putting this Nikon 1.4x teleconverter ahead of most competitors.

Distortion: -0.26

The slight pincushion distortion of the native lens is switched to very minor barrel distortion with the teleconverter attached.

Nikon AF-S TC-14E III: Verdict

I love lenses. I certainly don’t need much of an excuse to add to my collection. However, when you get into super-telephoto territory, extra lenses can be fiendishly expensive to buy, and very heavy to carry around. The Nikon AF-S TC-14E III gives me a useful boost in telephoto reach at comparatively little expense. And being just an inch thick and weighing only 190g, I can pop it in my kit bag and not even notice the difference. Performance of the main lens remains excellent in terms of autofocus speed, VR, and image quality. It’s a win!

Alternatives

When it comes to prime lenses for portraiture, 85mm is a perennially popular focal length, when using a full-frame DSLR body. Established fast, faster and fastest choices include the budget-friendly Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM, and the pricey Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM (£1500/$2000). One thing lacking in all of these lenses is optical stabilization, which has never been available for a Canon EF-fit 85mm prime lens – until this Tamron came along in 2016.

Specifications

Mounts Canon EF or Nikon F

Full-frame compatible Yes

Image Stabilizer Yes

Minimum focus distance 0.8m

Max magnification factor 0.14x

Filter size 67mm

Iris blades 9

Weather seals Yes

Dimensions (dia x length) 85x91mm

Weight 700g

Handling

Some might say that you don’t need stabilization in a ‘fast’ lens that enables quick shutter speeds under low lighting conditions. We beg to differ, and you might too if you’ve ever tried shooting indoor portraits with a short telephoto lens, like an 85mm. It’s equally true that you might want to use your posh prime at narrower apertures, to retain its sharpness and relatively distortion-free optical characteristics while gaining greater depth of field and reducing vignetting. In this case, optical stabilization becomes even more desirable.

It’s interesting to see that, while Sigma has a range of high-end ‘Art’ lenses with a fast f/1.4 aperture, Tamron has gone for a slightly narrower aperture of f/1.8 while adding stabilization in its recent up-market primes. These include the SP (Super Performance) 35mm and 45mm f/1.8 primes, and now this new 85mm lens.

Another neat addition that’s lacking in Sigma Art lenses is that the Tamron primes are weather-sealed, which will no doubt be appreciated by wedding photographers on rainy days. Meanwhile, Tamron has played catch-up to the Sigma Art lenses by launching an optional USB console, via which you can apply firmware updates to the 85mm lens when attached to a computer.

Performance

The Tamron lens delivers great sharpness and contrast, even when shooting wide-open at f/1.8. Sharpness in handheld images really does benefit from the VC (Vibration Compensation) system, which proved to worth about four stops in our tests. Vignetting is somewhat noticeable at this aperture, but pretty much disappears by the time you reach f/2.8. Autofocus is fast and very quiet, with the typical full-time manual override of ring-type ultrasonic systems.

Beautiful bokeh (the quality of defocused areas) is retained even when stopping down a little, thanks to a well-rounded aperture based on a nine-blade diaphragm. Both lateral and longitudinal chromatic aberrations are very well controlled, while Tamron’s eBAND nano-structure gives good resistance against ghosting and flare. Overall performance and image quality are nothing short of excellent. 

Sample images

While the digital age revolutionized photography as we know it, especially in the genre of sports and fashion, there was one camera I was never going to sell: my Nikon F5.

Film photography, and the adoption of first-time film shooters, has seen a massive resurgence in recent years, with many wanting to go back to film for the nostalgia or others wanting a 'slower' process than instantly being able to see your results on a digital screen. No matter what your reasons for shooting film, there is no denying that it is back with force. But for my Nikon F5, it never went away! 

Nikon first introduced the F5 to the world back in 1996 (ahh, the good old days) to replace its aging F4 flagship SLR – which is still highly sought-after today. The Nikon F5 was targeted at professionals, and it even ran with the marketing tagline "Imported from the future" – with the likes of Joe McNally showing you what this new revolutionary product could do for you, while sitting in a flamboyant shirt on a speedboat shooting some waterskiers at 40 knots. Well, it was the Nineties! 

It's safe to say that the Nikon F5 did revolutionize the analog world. It featured focus modes such as AF-S, AF-C, and Manual, had a built-in TTL prism, and it even offered 3D Matrix, Center-weighted, and Spot metering, and was capable of an astonishing 8 frames of continuous shooting. This was the pinnacle of film photography for me, and the F5 is just as usable today as it was back in 1996.

What is an amazing fact, and something that I think the Nikon F5 doesn't get enough credit for, is that it’s able to communicate with modern Nikon F-mount lenses that feature the electronic aperture control and autofocus – meaning I've been able to slap on a brand new Nikon 50mm AF-S f/1.4G and 200mm f/2. Heck, I have even used my massive Nikon 600mm f/4G lens, and the F5 can control focus and aperture with ease – without even severe drain on the batteries. 

Yes, this camera still takes eight AA batteries. Some might think this is outdated, but in reality AA batteries can be picked up anywhere around the world – and the same can't always be said for spare camera batteries or power outlet adaptors for the countries you travel to.

Nikon F5 image samples

As with many things almost 30 years old, things can go wrong – and I have heard some awful stories. However, I have used and abused my Nikon F5 for over 15 years and have friends who have had them since new – and they are still going strong. 

It really is built like a tank and, because of its automatic DX-code reader, I can still use 'modern' film today from ISO 25-3200, and I can even push up to ISO 6400 manually. That can't be said for a lot of 28-year-old cameras, let alone them still being able to function as well as when they first rolled off the production line.

And all of those facts, including its reliability and functionality in the modern world, enable me to keep the Nikon F5 in my camera bag forever!

You might be interested in the best film cameras, which includes some of the best Nikon cameras of the analog era.

Did you know that yesterday was National Opposite Day? Appropriately enough, after reports raged across the internet that all Nikon F mount products have now been discontinued, Nikon replied to the contrary and said that, actually, they have not.

The claim was initially made by Nikon Rumors. "This is not really news and has probably been the case for a while: all Nikon F-mount products are already out of production," wrote the site. 

"This means that once the current inventory is depleted, the F-mount cameras and lenses will simply be discontinued and never produced again."

The news was picked up by outlets in Nikon's native Japan, prompting Mynavi to reach out to the manufacturer for clarification.

"The article on the camera information site did not mention the source of the information, and I felt that the information was unreliable, so I asked a Nikon Imaging Japan spokesperson if production of F-mount products had ended," said the Japanese outlet. "The response from the spokesperson is as follows.

'We will refrain from commenting on information posted on external websites. Production, sales, and support for F-mount products will continue as usual, so please continue to use our products with confidence.'"

So, there you have it. While we haven't had any new F-mount products for a while – and though it seems exceptionally unlikely that we will see any again – F-mount products are still being manufactured. 

We have certainly seen a significant number of F-mount items being discontinued – such as the Nikon D500, Nikon D3500 and D5600, Coolpix B600, and a number of F-mount lenses – but to say that the entire lineup has been laid to rest isn't accurate. 

It may only be a matter of time, but for now the Nikon F system is still alive and just about kicking.

The best Nikon cameras and best Nikon lenses still feature some fantastic F-mount kit.

Researchers at the University of Sussex have developed a camera that is able to view the world as animals see it. It’s a well-known fact that lots of animals can see way more colors than us, while others such as dogs see less, but exactly what they visually perceive has remained a mystery. 

It’s hard to imagine seeing the world any other way. Humans are capable of perceiving ten million colors, making our planet a truly beautiful place to live (and of course photograph), but to a lot of animals it looks very different. Animals possess a unique set of photoreceptors (different to those of humans) that can perceive ultraviolet and infrared light. Many animals can also detect polarized light, which makes the colors that animals see look different.

Using cutting-edge camera software that can record and process videos under natural light conditions, scientists have finally been able to accurately represent what animals see. Using commercially available parts from a Sony A6400 fixed in custom 3D-printed housing, the camera was modded with a beam splitter mirror, a short pass filter cone that minimizes light leakage, and a bellows lens mount. A Nikon 80mm f/5.6 EL Nikkor lens was then attached to the adapted camera to take the photos. 

How it works is incredibly complex, and I’m not ashamed to admit that I don’t fully understand the ins and outs, but my very basic understanding is that light passes through a beam splitter that reflects a short wavelength and transmits visible light. This reflected short wavelength of light is then passed through a shortpass filter before reaching a full-spectrum camera. The transmitted visible light is captured by a stock camera and the UV and some visible light reaches the receptive camera, which can create curves that can be used to work out the image. 

I’m no scientist, but I am an animal lover and when I had dogs I always found myself wondering what life looked like through their eyes. We often hear that dogs are colorblind, so the world would look very different to them – while humans can perceive red, green and blue, dogs can only see yellow and blue, making them green/red colorblind. Being colorblind doesn’t mean you necessarily see the world in black-and-white, as I used to think, but more that some tones are muted or swapped with different colors. 

With technological advances such are this, it’s hoped that humans will develop a better understanding of why animals see as they do and deepen our connection to the complexity of nature. There is still a lot we don’t know about color vision, and we often take our color vision for granted, but animals see in ways that make it easier for them to hunt, navigate and communicate with each other – so even if they can see less colors, lots of them have way more advanced vision. 

You can read the full academic paper here.

You might be interested in the best cameras for wildlife photography, along with the best lenses for birds photography, as well as the best trail cameras to see what animals are up to in your back yard!

Black or silver? Silver or black? I seemed to have had an early preference for silver until I bought my Nikon F4 back in 1986 and then it’s been all black since then, although mostly because there wasn’t any choice. 

The contention seemed to be that silver was more elegant and classier – perhaps because of the contrast with black inserts – and that a black finish was more workmanlike because it looked to be the choice by professionals. Did the black paint wear any better? Not really, but now that patinaed look of brass showing through the scuffs and scratches of a well-worn Leica M or Nikon F is highly desirable… perhaps even more so than mint examples especially if there’s provenance involved.

If pros picked another finish other than black then it was titanium which was popular on higher-end 35mm SLRs for a while… the Nikon F3/T and FM2/T, and the Olympus OM-4Ti are notable examples, but you could still have them in black as well the slightly warmer silver finish of this coating.

Leica’s signal that its cameras meant business was a khaki green finish for the likes of the M4 and the R3 35mm SLR (along with various lenses) which was dubbed ‘Safari’ and aimed primarily at wild-life photographers. It’s since been reprised, but more as a limited edition thing than cameras to go bush-bashing with.

Canon clearly decided right from the start than pros preferred black so the various iterations of the F-1 were only ever available in this finish, likewise everything from the EOS-1 to today. Nikon has been the same since the F4; but the F, F2 and F3 could all be had in silver (the titanium finish for the F3). 

Do some cameras look better in one color or the other? Well, big seems to wear black well which may explain the pro camera thing. It’s hard to see, for example, the Nikon Z 9 in silver, but the petite Nikon Z fc arguably looks much nicer in silver just as, at least in my opinion, did the original Olympus OM-1. 

So where do we stand on colored inserts as per the Z fc and now the Nikon Z f? Leica has been doing it for years with the M models, both film and digital… sometimes in good taste, sometimes not so much. 

The Z fc’s options are a bit ‘bubblegum’ which probably suits its intended market, but the choices for the Z f all look quite classy. I saw them all in the flesh at a recent trade show and I think it would be quite hard to pick a favourite. Notably, the Z f body is only available in black… the FM2 in black looked much more purposeful too. Colored inserts are one way of having a little bit more individuality without going over the top, although it can be quite dramatic on a bigger camera such as when, in the early 2000s, Hasselblad did limited edition versions of the 503CW and the 501CM 6x6cm cameras in red, blue, yellow and green. They were great to look at, but possibly attracted just a bit too much attention when you were out shooting.

Nobody can top Pentax when it comes to colored cameras and many of its entry-level DSLRs came in red, blue and white as well as black or silver. It all came to a head with the K-r which was offered in a choice of 12 body colors and ten grip colors plus 12 colors for the DA 35mm f/2.4 AL prime lens. You mixed and matched however you liked and, after you’d made your choices, the camera was built to order. It was popular in Japan, less so in rest of world where research as shown that, when it comes to colored cameras, we’re a pretty conservative lot…. perhaps because serious cameras should, well, look serious and not toy-like. 

The Pentax K-r was a very capable compact DSLR regardless of its color scheme…but perhaps a pink body with a gold lens and a yellow grip wasn’t necessarily so good for the image. As it happens, hot pink was actually one of the standard body colors (along with black or white) and should perhaps be revived to make the most of the current Barbie fever.

I have to confess that I’m definitely among the traditionalists here, but I also think colored inserts can be a great look and a nice bit of inexpensive personalization… so make mine black with a splash of Sunshine Orange. 

I have a deep love of lenses and all the physics, chemistry and mechanical engineering that goes into their designs. It really came about as a spin-off from my camera collecting – specifially 35mm SLRs – because often a body would come with an interesting lens. Many were, of course, classic primes from the camera maker, but there have also been plenty of third-party curiosities from brands now long gone. 

In the past, these were mostly destined to sit on the shelf as very few of them warranted a roll of film even just for fun. Mirrorless has changed all that because the configuration – with its shorter flange back distance – means that mount adapters really come into their  own and you can pretty well fit anything you want to any mirrorless mount with levels of functionality varying from nothing to the works, including corrections for fitting 35mm format lenses to cropped sensor bodies. Or you can go the other way and fit full frame DSLR lenses to your Fujifilm GFX medium format mirrorless body. These adapters with conversion optics are pretty expensive, but if you want to revive a beloved ‘legacy’ lens, it could well be worth the investment. I have a brilliant Zeiss Distagon T* 15mm f/3.5 rectilinear ultra-wide in the Contax/Yashica mount and I use it on my Fujifilm X-Pro3 via a C/Y-to-X adapter with full exposure control functionality maintained (it’s equivalent to a 22mm on ‘APS-C’).

Testing the Nikon Z f recently, there was yet more fun to be had with another brilliant ultra-wide prime – this time the Sigma AF 14mm f/3.5 which I actually bought in the early 1990s to use on my Nikon F4 (and, later, F5). I bit the bullet and purchased the FTZ II mount adapter – well, there may be a Z mount camera in my life sometime in the future – and so was able to play with quite a number of old F mounts lenses on the Z f. In reality, there are numerous limitations with anything other than AF-S motorized Nikkors, so the Sigma has to be focused manually, but the focus peaking display makes it easy. Like the Zeiss 15mm, the Sigma 14mm also has bags of depth-of-field so it doesn’t need much focusing especially when shooting at f/8 or smaller.

Talking of depth-of-field, the lens highlight recently has been the Fujinon GF 110mm f/5.6 T/S Macro. I’m a sucker for tilt/shift lenses and the precision engineering of the GF 110mm’s movements is a pure delight, especially as there are two rotational adjustments too, so you can have any combination of up/down tilt and/or shift and left/right tilt and/or shift. It all looks a bit daunting to start with, but once you start working with it, the extra control over both sharpness and perspective becomes addictive… it really takes some key technical aspects of photography to another level. Yes, yes, I know there are software solutions that are arguably easier and certainly cheaper, but nothing beats doing it in camera.

It’s often said that T/S lenses are highly specialized tools, but the reality is that you can make good use of, particularly, the tilt adjustments in just about any situation, but the shift is equally useful with a wider-angle lens. It certain makes a lot of sense to have them in a macro lens because the depth-of-field is inherently shallow at short focusing distances. The tilt adjustments essentially tip the plane-of-focus over so, regardless of anything else, you end up with a greatly extended depth-of-field… handy with many subjects that need to be sharply rendered from front to rear. Of course, you can also do the opposite and deliberately minimize the D-of-F to create the miniature effect.

The GF 110mm T/S is a big beast – you’re touting nearly 2.3 kilos when it’s on the Fujfilm GFX100 II – and it needs more hands than you’ve got for the focus (no AF on these lenses), tilt, shift and rotation adjustments so it needs a tripod otherwise you’ll be constantly reframing and cursing a lot. Not surprisingly, it’s not cheap either especially as you need a GFX body on the back end, but the GF 110mm T/S has convincingly reconfirmed the usefulness of the extra technical controls. Most rollfilm medium format camera systems had one, but they’re a lot rarer in the 35mm/full frame world although Canon, which introduced the very first 35mm format T/S lens in 1973, still lists five new models in the EF mount. Even the original Canon TS 35mm f/2.8 SSC still commands good money on the used market, but it’s rough-y a third or even less of the cost of the new TS-E 24mm f/3.5L. However, I think that the usefulness of a tilt/shift lens is vastly undervalued… especially when you consider that the alternative, in technical terms, is a large format view camera. 

I'm one of the biggest Olympus fans out there. My second film camera was an Olympus (the OM-10). My first mirrorless camera was an Olympus (the OG E-M5). Olympus kit has been my go-to gear, both personally and professionally, for a decade now. I even bought my ex-partner an Olympus body.

I truly believe that the best Olympus cameras aren't just the best Micro Four Thirds cameras out there, but some of the very best cameras for photography period. 

However, after a couple of less-than-ambitious camera launches, OM System is going to have to do something very special in 2024 to prove to the world that it's more than just "the company that used to be Olympus". 

So what does that look like? How does OM show the world what it can do – and, with the mirrorless market more crowded than ever, how does it communicate its unique strengths to an overwhelmed public? 

OM System in 2023: a quick recap

It has been a quiet year for OM System in terms of releases. Sony launched five cameras, including a new flagship; Canon launched four cameras and four lenses; Nikon launched two cameras and three lenses; even Leica and Instax, at completely opposite ends of the spectrum, launched three cameras apiece.

By contrast, OM released a camera and a lens. And some uncharitable journalists would say that it re-released a camera, given that the OM System Tough TG-7 was so similar in spec to the Olympus Tough TG-6. 

The lens, though, was very well received. The OM System M.Zuiko 90mm f/3.5 Macro offers fantastic performance and some unique properties, thanks to the miracle of Micro Four Thirds, including a potential 8:1 reproduction ratio using a teleconverter.

Still, it's fair to say that 2023 wasn't the most active year from OM – made more pronounced by the fact that Panasonic, its opposite number in the Micro Four Thirds (MFT) space, launched a new flagship photo-oriented camera, the Lumix G9 II. 

Not to mention Canon and Sony further encroaching on potential MFT customers in search of smaller bodies, with their similarly-sized APS-C cameras like the Canon EOS R50 and Sony A6700. 

It's against this backdrop that OM steps into 2024, with perhaps a bigger target on its back than ever before. 

2024: What to expect from OM System

Well, it's no secret what people want: more megapixels. OM System cameras plateaued at 20MP back in 2016, with the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II. And this seemed to be the ceiling for MFT in general, until Panasonic broke out with a 25.2MP sensor on the G9 II – which puts it, in resolution terms, on par with most APS-C cameras from Canon, Fujifilm and Sony. 

There is an expectation, then, for OM to similarly step up its sensor game. However, this comes at a seemingly mismatched time in the company's product cycle. 

Having already launched its spectacular OM System OM-1 flagship camera in 2021 (which replaced the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III), and then the enthusiast OM System OM-5 (replacing the Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III), the next in its triumvirate of OM offerings would logically be an OM System OM-10 (which would replace the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV). 

The only problem is, the OM-10 would be an entry-level camera – hardly the place to debut a new high-resolution sensor. And yet, a new novice camera is a real essential for OM (particularly given that the E-M10 IV is one of the best cameras for beginners). 

So, while I thoroughly expect an OM-10 this year – and for it, like the OM-5, to share a lot in common with its predecessor – I think we may be in store for another prestige product as well. Indeed, the rumor mill lately suggests that a high-end camera is coming in 2024. 

So what could that look like? Well, I'm not alone in wishing for one camera in particular: a successor to the Olympus PEN-F, which may be my single favorite camera of all time. 

In this context, I guess it would be called the OM System PEN-F. For those who don't remember, the PEN-F was a mirrorless 2016 reimagining of the PEN-F film camera from 1963. Years before the Nikon Zf and Z fc made it fashionable to reboot old film cameras (Nikon Df notwithstanding), Olympus was ahead of its time in bringing back an iconic classic that was dripping in style and designed for pure creativity, with flagship-sensor resolution and a Tri-X-like film simulation that is out of this world. 

While the PEN-F was truly beloved by the photo community, it didn't find a mass audience back in 2016. However, in 2024 when retro-looking cameras have never been more popular, I think a new PEN-F would do gangbusters business. Heck, perhaps OM will even resurrect the Olympus Trip 35. Either way, a 25MP update would be an instant purchase for me and many others.

The other option I can see is a do-over of the Olympus OM-D E-M1X. Designed as a pro-body (with integrated grip) alternative to the E-M1 Mark II with more horsepower, it was geared towards speed and computational photography for wildlife and outdoor shooters – though it seemed to struggle to find an audience. 

An OM System OM-1X, with a substantially different set of specs to the core OM-1, would perhaps fare better. There is still the question of whether Micro Four Thirds users actually want a pro DSLR style body (since the whole point of MFT is to have smaller gear), but as a launchpad for new sensor tech that trickles down to the OM-1 Mark II in a few years it would certainly make a lot of sense.

M.Zuiko = more Zuiko?  

Olympus / OM's offering of M.Zuiko lenses has taken some curious turns in recent years. Again, as noted, MFT users are interested in (and OM is directly marketing them) cameras and lenses that are compact and lightweight – and specifically smaller and lighter than what is possible on full-frame or even APS-C systems.

So while it was great to have a range of f/1.2 pro prime lenses launch a few years ago, these jumbo-sized optics were very at odds with that ethos. Ditto the wild Olympus 150-400mm f/4.5 TC 1.25x IS Pro lens, which wasn't just enormous but also carried a safari-sized price tag to boot. 

It looked briefly like we might get a line of f/1.4 primes, when the OM System M.Zuiko 20mm f/1/4 Pro launched in 2021 – but we've had nothing more since then. Could 2024 be the year that we get more? 

Personally, I'd prefer to see OM go back to the glass that brought it to the dance in the first place: its pocket-sized primes. I'd love to see the brilliant M.Zuiko 17mm f/1.8, the M.Zuiko 25mm f/1.8 and M.Zuiko 45mm f/1.8 all get updated versions with weather sealing. Heck, give the M.Zuiko 12mm f/2 a weather seal and an f/1.8 aperture while you're at it, and I'll finally buy one!

However, what seems more likely is that we'll receive the long-roadmapped 50-200mm f/2.8 Pro and 50-250mm f/4.0 megazoom lenses – the former being particularly exciting,, as it's an equivalent 100-400mm f/2.8 in full-frame terms! 

OM System in 2024: Predictions

We're going to get an OM System OM-10, I'm almost positive about that. And given the newfound chatter about a high end camera, my money is on either an OM System PEN-F (and my money would quite literally be on that one!) or an OM System OM-1X. 

Of the two, Olympus / OM has been asked about a new PEN-F for years. The original (well, the mirrorless original) didn't sell in quite the volume that was hoped for in 2016, but 2024 is a very different beast. People are more interested in vintage-looking cameras than ever before – and they don't come more vintage or beautiful than the PEN-F. With the right marketing, this could be the camera that absolutely kills it for OM this year. 

In terms of lenses, I'd love to see the tiny f/1.8 primes get revamped – and given that OM has been doubling down on the outdoor and adventure aspects of the MFT system, seeing them re-released with OM branding and weather sealing isn't impossible. But we're probably looking at the pair of wild megazooms, adding another couple of unique lenses to the super-rich MFT ecosystem. 

Whatever it does, the next OM System product needs to come out of the gate with guns blazing. Its last two cameras were perceived as being a little too familiar by most of the market, so what's needed is a fresh product that's undeniably daring and different. 

The rest of the industry has caught up with almost all of the company's USPs, from image stabilization to Pro Capture, so we need something new… or, indeed, something old, if it's a retro camera. It's time to bring it OM! 

Take a look at the best Micro Four Thirds lenses, which consists of some of the best Olympus lenses (OM System). And check out the best waterproof cameras, too!

Way back in the year 2000 Nikon made a momentous decision. It decided that DSLR lenses no longer needed aperture rings. Advances in electronic lens coupling mean that the lens aperture could instead be controlled by the camera body and that was the best way to do it, and that in turn would make DSLR lenses cheaper, simpler and lighter.

It must have seemed a good idea at the time.

But where does that leave the Nikon Zf? Nikon has figured correctly that photographers today love the retro camera look and traditional external exposure controls and produced the rather beautiful and affordable Nikon Zf in response.

Actually, it’s not Nikon’s first retro model. 2013 saw the launch of the full frame Nikon Df DSLR, and then in 2021 we got the somewhat plasticky but still rather nice APS-C Nikon Z fc. In their time, both have been amongst the best Nikon cameras that you can buy. 

But it’s the Nikon Zf that’s really caught everyone’s eye, with its lovely design, superior build quality and up to date 24MP full frame sensor. It’s not that expensive, either, all things considered.

So where’s the aperture ring?

The problem for the Zf, and for Nikon, is that it can only get two-thirds of the way to the kind of camera it’s meant to emulate, and it’s because of that fateful lens decision it made all those years ago.

It’s all about the exposure triangle – shutter speed, lens aperture and ISO setting. The best Fujifilm cameras got this right with its X-T and X-Pro series cameras, with shutter speed and ISO dials on the top and aperture rings on the lenses. You could argue that this is what made Fujifilm’s reputation and its subsequent success.

But while the Nikon Zf has the shutter speed and ISO dials, Nikon no longer makes lenses with aperture rings. It hasn’t for years. Not even the best Nikon Z lenses have aperture rings.

Instead, you can control the lens aperture ONLY from the camera body via the command dials and an appropriate exposure mode (M or A). Then, the aperture is displayed in a rather small LCD panel on the top plate. It’s not the same.

Will this harm the Nikon Zf?

Probably not that much as it’s still a beautiful camera, but that decision Nikon made over two decades ago in the name of technological advancement and efficiency has come back to haunt it. Of course, many photographers do indeed want those things and aren’t really interested in the retro vibe. 

Many more, however, have come to realize that photography is also about the experience of using cameras and find that this does actually have an impact on their personal creativity and inspiration. It shouldn’t, you might argue, but it does.

Will Nikon start making Z lenses with aperture rings? Sony has with its own full frame E-mount optics and it’s become a key selling point even for non-retro shooters. 

Or is it the case that the camera electronics cannot easily be reconfigured for lens-based aperture control, or that Nikon simply won’t want to admit it made a wrong decision?

If things stay as they are, though, in my opinion the Nikon Zf will only ever offer two-thirds of the retro experience it was designed to recreate. 

Cosina has announced the release of the Voigtländer Nokton 40mm f/1.2 Aspherical for Canon RF-mount cameras – offering a big aperture standard prime, for much less than Canon's own version.

Of course, Canon has still not opened up the RF lens mount for any third-party manufacturer to use Canon's autofocus, so the Nokton 40mm lens is a fully manual focus affair. As is the aperture, which is controlled by a de-clicked step-less manual aperture ring.

However, there is a silver lining, the Nokton lens does have the appropriate contacts to connect to the camera electronically, so it will be possible to use the usual focus peaking, enlarged display, and focus guide assists to help nail that tricky manual focus, especially at the super wide apertures this lens is capable of. The lens can also manually focus down to 0.3m.

The Nokon 40mm can also work in conjunction with the camera to record EXIF data, and if your Canon EOS R body has in-body image stabilization, it will also work with this Nokton lens (or any manual focus lens for that matter, but worth mentioning).

The lens configuration uses double-sided aspherical lenses for two of the eight elements in six groups, which enables the lens to produce what Cosina claims is the perfect optical performance that doesn't rely on any in-camera corrections, which is handy, as Canon restricts those to only first-party lenses anyway.

It is the second lens that Voigtländer has made for the Canon RF, with the new Nokton 40mm joining the existing Nokton 50mm f/1.0, which is already on sale.

The 40mm lens is the perfect general-purpose angle, suitable for landscapes, street scenes, and environmental portraits, and still life. The f/1.2 aperture is made up of a rounded 10-blade diaphragm and should allow the lens to achieve a very shallow depth of field, so it should make for some impressive creative shots or low-light image quality.

The lens has an all-metal construction although while durability is mentioned, there is no official mention of weather sealing. Previous Voigtländer lenses have been exceptionally nice to hold, featuring a timeless look.

The 40mm f/1.2 lens has a planned release date of January 2024, and although there is no official US or UK pricing yet, in Japan, the Voigtländer Nokton 40mm F1.2 Aspherical will cost ¥132,000, which is around $930 Stateside, which seems like a very reasonable cost considering the aperture and optical quality promised.

Read more: you can find more of the best Canon RF lenses in our guide or check out our top picks for the best Canon camera.

One of Nikon's most famous lenses has resurfaced, attracting attention and amazement in equal parts. 

The rare Nikon Zoom-Nikkor 1200-1700mm f/5.6-8P IF-ED lens is an absolute monster, and like the one in Loch Ness, pops its head up occasionally to remind us of its existence. The Nikon lens, however, is very much real and is one of the largest full-frame zoom lenses ever developed, dwarfing the best telephoto lenses of the modern era. PCH Pro Shop in Belgium happened to get its hands on one, and the sheer size of the lens is unbelievable.

Released in 1994 at an eye-watering price of $60,000 (with inflation that's around $124,800 / £98,800 / AU$188,100 today), sightings of the lens are few and far between. So when PCH Pro Shop had a customer bring one to the shop, the photos started doing the rounds. 

The size of it is the crazy thing, with that being the feature that now defines it. It has a length just shy of 3ft (888mm) and a weight of over 35lbs (16kg) making it difficult for the shop employees to pose for a photo with it.

First used in 1990 at Japan's Koshien Stadium, the baseball ground at which the spring high school baseball tournament is staged, it wasn't until 1994 that it was made available to the general public – which at the time boasted the longest focal length of any zoom lens for 35mm cameras.

At the same time, Canon was developing its own monster lens and created the Canon EF 1200mm f/5.6 L USM, which recently fetched $462,321 at auction. Nikon distinguished its lens from Canon's by featuring a zoom function, instead of Canon's switch teleconverter function, meaning the photographer was free to use the whole focal range between 1200-1700mm.

The lens found popularity with photojournalists and sports photographers due to its enormous focal length. It has been used in many notable historic events, such as the French Charlie Hebdo hostage situation in 2015 to capture photos from a safe distance, and a famous incident in 2013 where a photographer used it to capture a photograph of the then-new Pope.

The engineering and design of the lens are remarkable for the short time in which it was developed. The "monster of zooms" consists of 18 elements in 13 groups, including 3 extra-low dispersion (ED) lenses. With a minimum focusing distance of 32.8ft / 10m, it offers a variable maximum aperture of f/5.6-8, controlled by a 9-blade diaphragm.

Although now mainly fallen into disuse, Nikon says that, "the experience that the engineers of the 1200-1700mm gained in developing the lens has subsequently been put to good use in the development of contemporary super telephoto lenses."

Nikon is currently celebrating 90 years of Nikkor lenses, and this certainly counts as a standout!

You may also be interested in our guides to the best Nikon cameras along with the best Nikon lenses, and the best Nikon Z lenses for mirrorless cameras.

Nikon has launched firmware updates for its two retro cameras, the Zf and Z fc – the latter of which adds support for a newly revealed high-capacity battery. 

The Nikon Zf – the full-frame big brother of the pair – receives its first ever firmware update, though it's quite a lean one, adding one new feature and a lone bug fix.

While the firmware for the Nikon Z fc – the smaller APS-C half of the throwback tag team – receives an even leaner update, it's arguably more significant, adding support for the new EN-EL25a battery that Nikon stealth launched on its Japanese website. 

Here's an overview of all the new stuff:

Nikon Zf

In firmware version 1.10, the Nikon ZF receives the following updates (from Nikon's official firmware notes):

• Added slow-motion video recording

• Fixed an issue, which the viewfinder live view display may not show correctly under some conditions

To download the new firmware and for instructions on how to update your camera, visit Nikon's Download Center here.

Nikon Z fc

In firmware version 1.41, the Nikon Z fc receives the following update (from Nikon's official firmware notes):

• Added support for EN-EL25a rechargeable Li-ion batteries

To download the new firmware and for instructions on how to update your camera, visit Nikon's Download Center here.

Li-ion rechargeable battery EN-EL25a

According to the Nikon Japan website, the EN-EL25a "is a rechargeable battery pack that can be used for a long time with one full charge. It can be charged and used repeatedly with a dedicated battery charger."

The new battery is compatible with the Nikon Z fc, Nikon Z50 and Nikon Z30, and is supported by the MH-32 charger.

Take a look at the best Nikon cameras, and the best Nikon lenses (including the best Nikon Z lenses) to use with them. If you're looking for a bargain, check out the best Nikon Black Friday deals along with the best Black Friday camera deals across all brands. 

Over the last 90 years, humanity has been through a lot – and Nikon's Nikkor lenses have been there to capture the vast majority of it.  

Nikkor began in 1932 when Nikon Corporation, known then as Nippon Kogaku KK, registered the Nikkor trademark. A year later, the release of Aero-Nikkor aerial photographic lenses started the 90-year production of optical instruments. The Nikkor brand has subsequently grown and is renowned globally for delivering the highest performance on the best Nikon cameras. 

To celebrate the anniversary, Nikon aims to increase awareness of the Nikkor brand through several promotions. A new logo has been designed for the occasion, noting the 90 years of Nikkor, surrounded by silhouettes of 18 standout lenses that helped put the brand on the map. 

Inscribed within the ring of lenses is a new message, 'A Story in Every Lens'. According to Nikon, "this phrase expresses the unique characteristics and thoughtful dedication found in all Nikkor lenses, as well as their power to capture precious moments while preserving history and telling stories that resonate with people’s hearts."

Nikon will add to the promotions of the Nikkor brand by releasing a number of videos highlighting its value and influence, as well as the history of its lenses.

The lenses have been used to capture innumerable historical events over the past 90 years. In 1963, the Zoom-Nikkor Auto 43-86mm f/3.5 was the first standard zoom lens to offer practical performance, and was featured often in Life magazine. 

The lenses also played a part in NASA's space missions. In 1971 Nikkor glass was employed on the Apollo 15 mission, and in 2009 the Nikon D3S coupled with the AF-S Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8G ED lens was ordered to document activities at the International Space Station.

Nikon has continued to push the limits of the Nikkor line with the advent of the Z mount, which boasts the largest diameter mount among full-frame mirrorless cameras – enabling a "new dimension in optical performance" for Nikon. In 2019 the Nikkor Z 58mm f/0.95 S Noct, the flagship among Z lenses, achieved the milestone of being the fastest lens in Nikon history with an aperture of f/0.95.

Nikon remains among the top camera and lens manufacturers, and the transition into mirrorless has enabled it to continue innovating and manufacturing specialized lenses – its latest signature lens, the Nikkor Z 135mm f/1.8 S Plena, being the most recent example.

For any company to remain so dominant over 90 years is a triumph, but it is even more impressive within the fast-paced and ever-changing landscape of technology. Congratulations, Nikon, and happy birthday, Nikkor!

For the best optics for your Nikon body, take a look at the best lenses for the Nikon Z fc along with the best lenses for Nikon Z7 II and best lenses for Nikon Z9 and Z8. 

I had used Nikon since my college days, back in the early Eighties. Everyone who I ever assisted used the same combination of Nikon, Hasselblad, and Sinar. It’s what the pros of the time used, and who was I to buck the trend? Obviously, as a student, Hasselblad and Sinar were way out of my budget, but I was able to afford a used Nikon F2A and a couple of second-hand Nikkor lenses. 

I then remained with Nikon for the rest of my career. I was privileged to represent it as a brand ambassador in 2016-17, shooting the launch brochure for the Nikon Df. I have always enjoyed using Nikon cameras and lenses; the bodies have always suited me ergonomically, and the lenses – of course – were of the highest quality available. From the F2A and F4S through to the D2X and onto the D850, I have loved the handling and usability of the Nikons.

So, why change? There are two main catalysts for change, both personal. I just didn’t like the feel of the new, mirrorless Nikons – the Z6 and Z7. I felt that Nikon had lost something, that "Nikon feel". The cameras could have come out of any old factory, and looked and felt like just about any other mirrorless camera on the market. I also disliked the electronic viewfinder.

The second reason I was looking to change was that I no longer wanted to carry large amounts of camera equipment around with me, in an even larger and very heavy rucksack. I looked at what I was shooting – landscapes, panoramas, and architecture – and looked at the focal lengths I was using; 20mm, 35mm, and 50mm were the mainstay, with the occasional use of a longer lens.

A funny thing then happened. A friend of mine showed me his Leica M3, made in 1956. I handled it and fell in love with it. A camera, it’s just a camera, but my god, what a camera. Within two weeks I had bought one with a 50mm lens, just to shoot the occasional roll of film as a bit of fun. 

A short time later Leica introduced the digital M10, based on the original M3. It had a shutter release, shutter speed dial, ISO dial, and an aperture ring on the lens. So beautifully simple; no modes, no auto-this, that, and the other – just wonderful simplicity.

I bought a second-hand M10 and a 50mm lens to run alongside my Nikon kit, more for occasional use than anything, but I found myself going out with just the Leica and 50mm. I loved using it. The M10 was replaced by the M10-R which was then replaced by the M11, which I think is stunning. My lenses are 21mm, 35mm, 50mm, and 90mm – and they all fit neatly into a Billingham bag with the M11 body and two or three filters. Do I miss longer lenses or extreme wide angles? Not really. Having limited focal lengths makes me go and look harder for images that will work.

I have now sold all my Nikon kit, apart from my original F2A. Other than that, the sum total of my camera kit is now the Leica M11 and 4 lenses.

It is hard to explain why using an old-fashioned rangefinder camera and manual lenses is so much fun. It is inspiring to use but it is, after all, just a camera. But there is something about it; it oozes quality, the solid feel. It is just so wonderfully tactile and incredibly well-built. The lenses are stunning as well, and small, provided you don’t go for the f/1.4s.

Since switching to using just the Leica, I carry a camera with me wherever I go, and it has opened new horizons. I am still shooting mostly landscapes, for which I am known, but I now shoot a lot of architecture and what I would call ‘urban’ scenes (though I am certainly not a ‘street’ photographer, and I hate the phrase).

I love my Leica M11, but here’s the sad thing. Nikon once made a series of rangefinder cameras in the film era, and they too were superb. It’s such a shame it never brought out a digital version.

If you're interested in the best Leica cameras and the best Leica lenses we've got you covered – and if you're not feeling as flush we also have a best Leica alternatives list (which might include a Nikion!).