If you’re shooting in manual mode but you still find yourself wrestling with your camera automatically changing the exposure, you need to check your ISO setting. If it’s still on auto, you’ve found the problem.

Auto ISO is a fabulous invention – if you are using auto exposure modes. What it does is adjust the ISO, shot by shot, to maintain a minimum ‘safe’ shutter speed to prevent camera shake even in really low light. You can specify the maximum ISO you want the camera to go to, and the minimum shutter speed you want it to use. It’s brilliant.

But if you don’t switch auto ISO off when you swap to manual exposure mode, something else will happen. The camera will keep adjusting the ISO to give you what it thinks is the correct exposure with the manual settings you’ve chosen. You’re in manual mode, but you’re still getting auto exposure, this time via the ISO setting. What the heck?!

This is especially annoying if you're doing any night photography in the city. You want manual exposure control and a low ISO for quality and long-exposure times to capture light trails. You don't want the camera to bump the ISO through the roof in search of a fast shutter speed.

ISO and the exposure triangle

These days, people talk about the exposure triangle, which consists of shutter speed, aperture, and ISO. Manual mode puts shutter speed and aperture directly under your control, but you also need to select a manual ISO setting to finish the job.

Really? It’s true. It’s easy to switch your camera to manual mode, but that doesn’t automatically set the ISO to manual mode at the same time. You have to do that with a separate button, dial, or menu setting. If you don’t, manual mode will only do half a job. It will let you set the shutter speed and the lens aperture manually, but it will still use automatic ISO adjustments to get the ‘correct’ exposure. You might think manual mode will give you full control over the exposure, but it won’t, as the camera is simply making decisions behind your back.

Some cameras even make a feature of this. Pentax’s TAv mode (Time and Aperture Value Priority) is found on the best Pentax cameras and is designed so that you can set whatever shutter speed and aperture you like, and the camera will use ISO to adjust the exposure (it’s more effective in low light, where the ISO setting comes into play, not so much in bright light).

For most people, the whole point about manual exposure is not just that you can change the shutter speed and aperture settings directly, but that you can control the brightness of the image at the same time. And for this to work, you need to set the ISO manually.

Personally, I don’t much like using ISO for shot-by-shot exposure control in manual mode. I think it just confuses things. I think it’s much better to choose an ISO setting appropriate to the conditions and then adjust the exposure using shutter speed and aperture alone. That already gives you plenty to think about, whereas one more exposure variable – ISO – just tips things over the edge. If you realise your ISO setting is wrong for the conditions, then sure, change it, but don’t treat it as a third exposure adjustment for every single photo.

So remember, true manual control requires choosing your ISO manually, not just your shutter speed and lens aperture. Otherwise, if you leave auto ISO enabled, you're just using a different version of auto-exposure.

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For more of my thought-provoking photography tips, "Limitations" boost photographic creativity – here's why I ditched RAWs and zooms, and embraced JPEGs and prime lenses. If you're looking for your first serious camera, check out the best camera for beginners and the best cheap cameras.

Why would you even need to think about exposure? Can’t the camera do that for you? It’s certainly a lot easier to let the camera work out the exposure settings so that you don’t have to, and there are probably countless photographers who’ve never done anything else and still come away with great photos. But not always.

Sometimes the camera captures a shot that’s too dark or too light, or you take a series of shots in the same surroundings, and each one has a slightly different exposure. This happens because the camera doesn’t really understand what it’s looking at, it doesn’t really know what you want, and every time you take another shot, it’s taking another guess at the exposure, even if it’s just your framing or where you’re pointing the camera that’s changed, not the lighting.

Cameras are incredibly good at analyzing light patterns and brightness levels, but do not have a brain to work out what they mean. Fortunately, you, the human behind the camera, do. This is why taking control of exposure is important, even in an age of multi-pattern metering and multi-mode auto-exposure options.

Reciprocity rules

Let’s start with the basic concept of ‘reciprocity’ in exposure. To keep the same exposure but with a faster shutter speed, you have to let more light through with a wider lens aperture. To use a small lens aperture for more depth of field, you need a slower shutter speed (a longer exposure time) to compensate for the lens passing less light through.

So in auto-everything ‘P’ or ‘Program’ mode, the camera works out a combination of lens aperture and shutter speed that’s an all-round compromise between shutter speed (stopping subject movement and camera shake) and lens aperture (a small enough aperture to achieve decent near-to-far sharpness).

If you want to control shutter speed or aperture directly because they are important creative tools for the kind of photographs you’re taking, you can switch to ’S’ (shutter priority) or ‘A’ (aperture priority) mode. You choose the shutter speed or aperture, and the camera adjusts the other one to compensate and still get the correct exposure.

These days, there’s a third exposure control – ISO. Back in the days of film, the sensitivity was fixed by the film you loaded into the camera. Now, with ISO controls, you can change the sensitivity from one shot to the next. ISO, like shutter speed and lens aperture, works on a system of doubling and halving. You can use a shutter speed twice as fast by doubling the ISO, for example. This is why higher ISO settings are so useful in low light – they let you shoot with faster shutter speeds to avoid subject movement or camera shake.

This is the so-called exposure triangle, and you can set your camera up to adjust all three exposure settings automatically or just one or two. That fixes the problem, then, right? Not really, because there’s another problem...

What camera meters don’t know

Cameras can measure the light in a scene in all sorts of clever ways, but still have to guess at what it means. To be fair, modern evaluative/multi-pattern metering modes are now so good that most of the time they are close enough to a decent exposure that you don’t need to worry about it.

But there are lots of things that even the most sophisticated metering system won’t know. It won’t know that wedding dresses are supposed to be white and need more exposure, and it won’t know that black cats are indeed black and need less exposure so that they actually look black.

Indeed, this is why the best light meters can still pull off a trick that in-camera light meters can't – with incident light readings, they can measure the light falling on your subject, not just the light bouncing back. White dresses and black cats? No problem!

Now, as a photographer (and being gifted with actual intelligence, not just the artificial sort), you know this. You don’t need a $500bn AI data center in Nevada to work this out. You can use the camera’s EV compensation control to adjust its automatic exposure setting to make the picture come out lighter or darker. But now you’re having to do more work to override an automatic system, which is surely halfway towards setting the exposure manually yourself.

Another problem is that the camera won’t know what you want the photo to look like. If you shoot a backlit portrait, it won’t know if you want your subject’s face exposed properly or if you want a dramatic silhouette. It’ll have to guess, probably choosing an exposure somewhere in the middle, which doesn’t really do either properly. It’s another situation where you will have to interpret and override the camera’s response to such a degree that you might just as well have done it yourself in the first place.

Enough problems yet? Here’s a final one. The camera will adjust the exposure every time you take a shot, even if nothing has changed in the lighting or the subject, except maybe you’ve moved slightly or adjusted the zoom setting. It has no memory of what it did for the shot before, and no idea that nothing actually needs to change.

This is the fundamental flaw behind all exposure metering systems. They are measuring devices that need interpretation. Sometimes you don’t need to interfere with the settings, but often you do. You can do this with the EV compensation dial or with the AE-L button, but either way, you’re having to step in and override what the camera was going to do.

There comes a point when surely it’s simpler to work out for yourself what the exposure needs to be, set the exposure manually, and leave the camera’s auto-exposure system out of the equation entirely. You can do this with the camera’s in-built meter by measuring and interpreting and applying the exposure yourself, or with a handheld meter, or by using experience or easy guides like the ‘sunny 16’ exposure rule for outdoor photography.

What manual mode does is hand back exposure control to you. Otherwise, you’re just riding shotgun with an automated exposure system and trying to make sure it doesn’t mess up.

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In a recent Instagram Reel, a professional videographer has proven that Sony lens caps are not 18% grey, and should not be used instead of a color chart or grey card, exposing all of the gurus on the platform touting this malarky.

The video (embedded below) shows Chung Dha Lam, a cinematographer based in the Netherlands, holding an ALC-R1EM rear lens cap for Sony mirrorless cameras next to a color checker.

He clearly shows that it’s “not even in the same ballpark” as middle grey – and that influencers are sharing this false information “without doing their research”.

Middle gray, or 18% grey as it’s also called, is the tonality in an image that color digital cameras use as a basis for correct auto-exposure and white balance.

If you’re not familiar with this concept, then you’re probably wondering why the color is allocated a specific number. My colleague James has an explainer on what is 18% grey in his tutorial on how to use a light meter, but suffice to say that you can blame Kodak for this calculation!

Nonetheless, 18% grey is something that many photographers live by – which is what makes the myth of the Sony middle grey lens cap more than just an old wife’s tale, and actually a damaging lie.

If you’re working in tricky lighting, then you can use a color chart or an 18% grey card to correctly calibrate your camera’s light meter and white balance. Color charts and grey cards accurately display middle grey, meaning you can rely on them.

However, as the Sony lens cap is a much darker shade of grey, using it to calibrate your camera can lead to incorrect exposure and colors in images.

I don’t know where this myth originated, and neither does Lam, but it’s spread like wildfire recently through several photography influencers, and it’s even been posted in help forums on the Sony website.

So, don’t fall into this trap and ignore all this BS about the Sony rear lens cap being an alternative for a color chart or grey card.

We’ve got a cheat sheet for camera metering modes, written by actual experts, to help you further with this. I can’t say I pay any attention to 18% grey when I’m shooting, but it's definitely something you need to be aware of.

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Discover our take on the Sony A7 V, which our reviews editor, Gareth Bevan, says is the best Sony camera right now. And have a gander at the best lenses for the Sony A7 V to complete your rig.

To  photograph a full moon (or any moon) successfully, you first have to understand it. Although astrophotographers specializing in the moon usually photograph it through a powerful telescope, a telephoto lens of almost any focal length is good enough to get a good shot. Making the moon the sole focus of a shot, however, is only one way to approach lunar photography; another is for it to enhance a landscape photo, where it can provide a powerful addition to a wide-angle image.

While it can help, the fact that you don’t need any specialist equipment to photograph the moon makes it one of the most accessible celestial subjects out there. It’s a great starting point for those interested in astrophotography, whether you’ve only got a kit lens or even just a camera phone.

All full moons are given names, which often differ depending on the region or culture. Tonight’s full moon is most commonly referred to as the Full Strawberry Moon. According to Almanac, which cites The Old Farmer’s Almanac, full moon names can have Native American, Colonial American and European roots. And while Strawberry Moon might conjure images of a fiery red orb, its Native American origins link it to strawberries harvested in June.

According to NASA’s SKYCAL, the Full Strawberry Moon will peak tonight on June 29 19:57 EDT and 23:57 GMT. Because it’s the closest full moon to the summer solstice, it will hang lower in the sky than any other moon this year.

Equipment for shooting the Moon

The equipment you’ll need is the same as for wildlife or sports photography: a DSLR, mirrorless or bridge camera on a sturdy tripod, and either a wide-angle or any regular telephoto lens, such as one with a 70-300mm focal range. A remote shutter-release cable will also be useful so you don't introduce vibrations, although you can also use the timer in your camera.

Check out this article, if you want to know how to photograph the moon with a monster Nikon P1000 bridge camera. And if you're interested in picking up essentially the same camera with a few modern appointments, the Nikon P1100 has recently been launched.

The Moon is a moving target; the combination of the Moon's 2,288 miles-per-hour orbit and Earth's 1,000 miles-per-hour rotation makes our satellite a fast-moving target. However, it's usually bright enough for a relatively fast shutter speed to yield good results.

How to focus on the Moon

Although you can autofocus on the Moon as it rises, or as it becomes visible just before sunset, it's a good idea to focus manually. With your lens set to manual focus, set the the focusing ring to infinity. It takes some practice since most cameras can focus beyond infinity, and finding the exact point that works for your lens takes trial and error.

Take some test shots and zoom in on the result on your camera's LCD screen to see which one works best. Don't skip this step; only once you've done it correctly will your Moon photos be reliably sharp.

How to expose for the Moon

It's a common mistake to overexpose the moon but it's actually much brighter than you think. However, if you want to photograph the foreground and not just the moon by itself you will need to make sure your exposure works for both or use bracketing to take multiple shots with different exposures.

To get a great Moon shot and little else, set your camera to ISO 100 or ISO 200 and the aperture to between f/5.6 and f/11, and adjust your shutter speed to between 1/125sec and 1/250sec. The exact settings will vary depending on your camera and the brightness of the Moon, which depends on its exact phase, but these base settings will get you started.

Taking a landscape photograph that includes the Moon is more difficult because during that 'blue hour' after sunset the Moon is already too bright. So, if you take a longer exposure for the landscape, you'll overexpose the Moon, and if you expose for the Moon, the landscape with be under-exposed. So what do you do?

The answer is either to photograph the Moon just before sunset when the light levels are higher (they drop-off so quickly at the point of sunset), or to take two exposures and combine them in photo-editing software. The latter approach, however, often looks fake. Another way is to expose for the Moon, and use a flash to light the foreground.

When to photograph the Moon

The full moon is probably the lunar event that most beginner astrophotographers will want to photograph first - but it is actually one of the most difficult due to the glare that this creates. Some of the most impressive shots of the full moon are those where it is seen behind a building or a natural structure – which makes the moon look much larger than it does to the naked eye.

If you want less of a cliche, go for other phases of the Moon when you can see a line between the light and dark sides. This is called the terminator line, which is when the craters on the Moon throw shadows, particularly near its South Pole. You can see this most nights, but perhaps the most precious kind of Moon is visible only on the few days on either side of New Moon. At this time, you'll also see a waxing or waning Crescent Moon close to the horizon, and it comes with the bonus of Earthshine.

How to capture Earthshine on the Moon

Although 50% of the Moon is constantly being illuminated by the Sun, there are a few days each month when the Earth gets involved – and it's a beautiful event to capture.

Earthshine is a dull glow to the unlit area of the Moon that's the result of sunlight reflecting off Earth's surface and onto the lunar surface. Its subtle and mesmerizing, and easy to capture if you time it right.

Set up for the first (or, more likely, the second) sunset after a New Moon. Using a lens with as long a focal length as possible, and with your camera on a tripod, dial in a sensitivity of ISO400, an aperture of f/2.8 (or as wide as your lens aperture will go), and open the shutter for between one and four seconds.

See our guide to photographing earthshine

In fact, Earthshine is always being reflected onto the Moon to some extent, but it's only around the New Moon that the crescent of sunlight is small enough for the camera to expose for both the lit and unlit areas.

This is also a good time to combine Moon photography with night-sky photography because the Moon will set soon after you've photographed it. You can then go looking for stars and the Milky Way.

How to capture a moonrise or moonset

There are two exceptions to the advice to avoid photographing the Full Moon.

The first is when there's a total lunar eclipse, and the second is when a Full Moon rises or sets, as it's a great alternative to a sunset. The sight of a Full Moon peeking above the horizon and turning from deep orange to pale yellow to bright white during twilight is a spectacular sight. It also presents an opportunity to get the Moon in the context of a beautiful landscape.

The colourful spectacle lasts mere minutes and is easy to miss, but, like everything else in the night sky, a rising Full Moon is predictable down to the second. Simply find out exactly on what day the next Full Moon is going to be where you are, and exactly what time sunset is on that date, then look to the east for the moonrise. Start-off with your camera set to ISO100, f/10 and 1/125 sec.

If you've ever seen photos of someone or something silhouetted against a seemingly giant Moon, perhaps while standing on top of a hill, they were taken during a moonrise. They were also ruthlessly planned; The Photographer's Ephemeris and PhotoPills apps are ideal for this kind of project.

To make the Moon look so large in the background, photographers need to use superzoom telephoto lenses of at least 1,000mm while being positioned a mile or so away from the all-important foreground subject that introduces that sense of scale.

Composites, moon-stacks and super moons

It's possible to shoot the Moon and add it to another landscape shot using Photoshop. However, almost everyone who attempts this either makes the Moon look way too big, or they place it somewhere in the night sky that it doesn't occur (such as in the norther hemisphere's northern sky).

To anyone with a trained eye, most composites look like what they are: fakes. There is one exception; moonstacks, a lunar time-lapse, in which you take several photos of the moon as it moves through the sky, and then use Photoshop to composite them into a single image.

Read more: How to create a moonstack

Although it often grabs the attention of photographers and media alike, pay little attention to the term 'supermoon'. A recent term that merely means that the Moon is slightly closer to Earth than normal, it has little practical meaning or use. However, while a Super Full Moon does look larger as it rises above the horizon, it's only by about 10%-15%, so it's barely noticeable to eye or camera.

The very finest way of getting a close-up shot of the Moon – and the only way to get enough magnification for it to fill the entire frame – is to mount the body of a camera on a telescope using a cheap T-adaptor; it's like having a very large telephoto lens. Try to find a telescope with a focal length of over 1,000mm, but under 2,000mm to capture the whole of the moon.

Whatever kind of Moon-shot you try for, photographing our satellite provides a good lesson in the role of precision timing in composing unique landscape and nature images.

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It may be a simple question: what is ISO in photography? However, the answer isn't quite so straightforward – mainly because it's a term that originated before digital imaging.

So, let's rewind: what is ISO in photography in terms of analog shooting? Camera film comes in different speeds, with a higher ISO rating equating to a ‘faster’ film – which means it is more sensitive to light, enabling you to use faster shutter speeds than you can with ‘slower’ film.

Using a higher-sensitivity ISO is useful for moving subjects (where faster shutter speeds are required) and particularly for shooting in low light. Thus, ISO forms one corner of the exposure triangle – along with aperture and shutter speed.

Okay, but how is this speed measured? A number of different scales were introduced when film was invented, and two of the best known – the American ASA and German DIN scales – were ultimately brought together to create the standardized ISO system.

The best digital cameras, of course, do not use film – but the same ISO scale is still used today to measure the camera’s sensitivity to light. Although the camera’s image sensor cannot be changed the way film can, its sensitivity can be boosted by the camera’s circuitry. This is done with the ISO control.

What does ISO stand for?

So, we've answered "what is ISO in photography". But what does ISO stand for? ISO is the name of the International Organization of Standardization: a body that creates thousands of agreed standards for a huge range of products, procedures, and practices. ISO isn't an acronym and doesn't stand for anything – it simply refers to the Organization.

For the photographer, ISO is simply a set of numbers. The base sensitivity – the lowest native setting – of many digital cameras is ISO100. But is typically increased by pressing the appropriate button, rotating a dial, swiping the touchscreen or changing a menu setting. On some cameras, you may even get a separate ISO control dial.

The scale is such that doubling the ISO number doubles the sensitivity of the sensor. So increasing the ISO setting from 100 to 200 means that, to get the same overall exposure, you can use a shutter speed that is half as long (or twice as fast).

Each doubling of the ISO also increases the sensitivity by a full exposure ‘stop’ – with the typical full-stop ISO scale progressing to 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600 and so on. The top ISO setting varies depending on the age and cost of your camera. Typical maximum settings range from ISO3200 to ISO819,200. Some of the best low-light cameras are particularly good at handling high ISOs

Confusingly, the top ISO settings on some models are hidden and must be enabled using a custom option called ‘ISO Expansion’ or similar. The reason for this is that each time you increase the ISO setting, you also get a small and cumulative decrease in image quality. So, while cameras boast extremely high or low 'expanded' ISO sensitivities, you may not want to use them!

Boosting the picture signal also amplifies impurities in the signal known as ‘noise’. This noise shows up as grain and color mottling in the image – and this gets progressively more noticeable the higher the ISO is set.

When to increase the camera's ISO

Some photographers try to resist increasing the ISO at all costs in search of getting the best, grain-free images. However, pumping up the ISO often actually increases image quality overall, as this simple change lets you use a faster shutter speed – thereby eliminating camera shake. A grainy picture is always better than a blurry one!

A higher ISO can also enable you to use a narrower aperture – increasing depth of field, and thus increasing the resolution of a lens – to give you sharper-looking pictures.

Although higher ISO settings are invaluable in low light, they are not essential for all low-light situations, in fact, if you can keep the camera steady, they are often best avoided. If you are using a solid tripod, the slowest ISO setting (ISO100) is usually the best option – as you can then use a longer shutter speed to make up for the lack of light.

Similarly, if you are using flash, high-ISO settings are not needed (although increasing the ISO will increase the effective range of your flash).

What are the types of image noise?

There are two different types of noise found in digital images. Luminance noise shows up as a speckled pattern, like specks of black sand, and is similar to the grain that was found when using high-ISO black-and-white films. Chromatic noise is colored and looks like the rainbow-like sheen when looking at a patch of oil (and is similar in appearance to the blotchy dye patterns that you saw when enlarging high-ISO color films).

It’s important to look at these two types of noise separately – as each can be reduced using different tools during the editing stage. These are often provided as separate noise-reduction sliders by a RAW converter (such as in Adobe Photoshop’s Camera Raw utility). Specialist software, such as DxO Dfine , is particularly useful for reducing noise without sacrificing detail.

So, what is ISO in photography? It's a whole lot of things – and all of them are important!

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Take a look at out A-Z Dictionary of photography jargon for more common and confusing camera terminology. We can also help you answer other questions like what is exposure in photography and what is aperture in photography.

I love to photograph motorsport and if there’s one thing I learned very quickly, it’s how to rely on exposure compensation so I can just about keep up with all the fast cars and bikes. Exposure compensation is a quick way to alter your exposure and is the perfect progression once you've learned the exposure triangle. If the image is too dark, you add positive exposure compensation. If it’s too bright, you add negative exposure compensation.

Exposure compensation doesn't work in pure manual mode. Typically, it’s used in aperture and shutter priority, program mode, and manual mode with auto ISO enabled. It is usually controlled in ⅓-increments, although some cameras allow you to adjust the size of these increments.

Think of exposure compensation in relation to your camera’s in-built light meter. Visualize a ‘perfect’ exposure of zero, dialing in -1 exposure compensation will reduce your exposure by one stop of light and dialing in +1 exposure compensation will increase your exposure by one stop of light.

In this article, I’ll explain where to find exposure compensation on your camera. How it works. And how I like to use it…

Where is the exposure-compensation button?

How to control exposure compensation differs between manufacturers and even from camera to camera. The best Nikon cameras, like the Nikon Z6 III, tend to use an exposure-compensation button on their top plate, near the shutter button. You simply hold it down and scroll the necessary command wheel left and right for negative and positive exposure compensation, respectively.

The best Canon cameras typically use a large scroll wheel (the Quick Control dial) on the back of the camera that surrounds the D-pad, like the Canon EOS R6 Mark II. However, some Canon’s, like the Canon EOS Rebel T100 / 4000D, do have a designated exposure compensation button on the back. The best Sony cameras and the best Fujifilm cameras, like the Sony A7 IV and Fujifilm X-T5 feature a dedicated exposure compensation dial, just like the film SLRs of yore.

How exposure compensation works

Exposure compensation holds the master key to the exposure triangle in that it’s capable of affecting shutter speed, aperture and ISO. The clever bit is that you don’t have to tell it what to adjust, it will simply react to the shooting mode you’re using. If you’re using aperture priority, exposure compensation will alter your shutter speed, if you’re using shutter priority it will alter your aperture and if you’re using manual mode with auto ISO, it will alter your ISO.

This means you have to be mindful of the subject you are shooting. If you’re capturing landscapes on a tripod, then selecting aperture priority would be best, since controlling your aperture is vital, while controlling your shutter speed isn’t (unless you’re attempting to capture a long exposure of course). And if you’re shooting a fast-moving subject, say, your child batting in a Little League game, your shutter speed is vital so you’ll want to select shutter priority and have exposure compensation alter the aperture.

I like to pair exposure compensation with manual mode and auto ISO. This is because it allows me to fully control both my aperture and shutter speed. I find this to provide the perfect balance between control and automation. You can ensure your shutter speed is fast enough to avoid camera shake or to freeze a moving subject, while setting your aperture to achieve the desired depth of field, while relying on your camera to select the right ISO.

It’s then simply a case of using exposure compensation to darken or brighten the exposure accordingly. This does mean that you need to keep an eye on your ISO to make sure it doesn’t stray into heavy noise territory, in which case you need to slow down your shutter speed or widen your aperture.

So there you have it. Exposure compensation will help you speed up inputting your exposure settings, without forcing you to give up too much control.

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If you're interested in mastering exposure, you may like to find out why I still use the 'outdated' reciprocal rule to beat camera shake. If you'd like a more accurate way to measure exposure then check out the best light meter for photography. And if you want to upgrade your camera, but don't know where to start, considering browsing the best mirrorless cameras.

Even if you've never manually adjusted the f-stop on your lens or camera, you've likely come across this setting before. While it's possible to let the camera handle it automatically, mastering the f-stop is crucial if you want to conquer the exposure triangle and fully control your photography.

Scroll down for your cheat sheet

Definition: What are f-stops?

Also known as aperture size, the f-stop controls the amount of light that passes through the lens at a given shutter speed. All else being equal, a smaller aperture (like f/16) allows in less light than a larger one (like f/4), meaning it takes longer for the same amount of light to reach the sensor. It's similar to how an hourglass works: the size of the opening between the chambers determines how long it takes for the sand to flow from top to bottom.

So, the smaller the aperture, the longer the shutter speed you'll need in a given situation. You can observe this by setting your camera to Aperture Priority mode and adjusting the aperture; the shutter speed will change with each adjustment.

One thing that often confuses beginners is that small physical apertures have high f-stop numbers like f/16 and f/22, while large (or "wide") apertures have low f-stop numbers like f/1.4 and f/2. The reason is that f/16 represents one-sixteenth, not sixteen, and f/4 represents a quarter, not four.

• Why do small apertures have large f-numbers?

F Stop cheatsheet

The f-stop number actually refers to the size of the aperture opening, calculated by dividing the lens's focal length by the f-number. For example, with a 200mm lens, an f/4 aperture would have a diameter of 50mm (one-quarter of 200mm).

So, how does the f-stop, or aperture, impact your image? Primarily, it influences exposure, though the effect depends on the exposure mode you’re using. In Manual mode, if you change the aperture without adjusting the shutter speed, your image will either become darker or lighter depending on your adjustment. In Aperture Priority mode, however, your camera automatically adjusts the shutter speed as you change the aperture, maintaining a consistent exposure.

No matter which mode you choose, adjusting the aperture will impact the depth of field. Depth of field refers to the range within a scene that appears in focus, and photographers often use medium to small apertures to achieve greater sharpness throughout the image. However, depth of field also depends on factors like where you focus within the scene.

Read more: Cheat Sheet: How to Affect Depth of Field

Both very small and very wide apertures have their challenges, so it's important to evaluate each scene to determine the most appropriate setting. Wide apertures are excellent for isolating subjects from their backgrounds, but they can lead to softer images due to an effect known as spherical aberration.

Extremely wide apertures can also be difficult to manage in bright conditions, as your camera may not be able to use a fast enough shutter speed to prevent overexposure unless you use an ND filter.

On the other hand, small apertures can make diffraction more noticeable, which can also soften images. These apertures are also more challenging when hand-holding the camera, as the smaller the aperture, the longer the shutter speed required—eventually making it difficult to hold the camera steady enough for sharp images. In such cases, a tripod or a good image stabilization system can be helpful.

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• Dictionary of photography terms

Sometimes you simply can’t get a sufficiently large depth of field to retain sharpness in a scene, from the closest foreground area to the background. Using a narrow aperture can only get you so far. Depth of field itself is governed by three factors – the focal length of the lens, the aperture and the focus distance. Use a wide-angle lens at a narrow aperture (large f/number) and more than a very short focus distance and you’ll get a large depth of field. For example, use a 24mm lens on a full-frame camera, set the aperture to f/16 and the focus distance to 1.5m, and everything should appear sharp in the resulting image from a distance of about 70cm to infinity, as measured from the camera’s image sensor, which equates to the focal plane. That should work for most landscape and architectural shooting scenarios.

The closer, the trickier

Getting a large depth of field is more problematic when shooting close-ups, for example with a macro lens. If you’re shooting with a Nikon Z 105mm macro lens at its shortest focus distance for maximum 1.0x magnification, the depth of field is barely more than 2mm in front of or behind the focus point. Macro lenses are generally designed to be ‘flat field’ optics with no field curvature. The focus distance remains the same from one side of the image frame to the other. That’s good news if you’re a stamp collector and want to shoot your collection. But most of us want to shoot 3D objects and, for extreme close-ups, the depth of field won’t be sufficient to get more than a small area looking sharp.

Some Nikon cameras have a Focus Shift Shooting menu option. This feature enables you to set up the camera to take a series of shots throughout which the focus point is automatically moved incrementally. You can later merge the sequence into a composite image with front-to-back sharpness, with a program like Photoshop. 

On the menu

It’s important to keep the camera fixed throughout the process; you’ll need a tripod or other support and it’s best to fully charge the battery before you start, or to power your camera from an AC power adapter, compatibility allowing. Next, head to the Focus Shift option in the Photo Shooting menu, as featured in the D850 and all current Z system cameras apart from the Z 50.

Pick a number

Play it safe and make sure you take plenty of shots in your sequence, but it’s context-sensitive. If you’re shooting a landscape scene with a wide-angle lens, half a dozen shots should be sufficient. For macro shots of bugs and other small objects, as many as 100 shots or more might be required. You can set the total number for the sequence in the ‘No. of shots’ section, up to a maximum of 300.

Keep in step

Set the amount by which the focus distance changes between each shot in the sequence, using the ‘Focus step width’ section. Smaller numbers indicate a ‘narrower’ change in focus distance, whereas larger numbers equate to a bigger step change. Make the adjustment using the left and right sides of the Multi selector pad on the rear of the camera. A setting of 5 is a good starting point.

Set the timer

Next up, select the amount of time between each shot, using the ‘Interval until next shot’ section. You can typically set the interval timer to anything between 0 and 30 seconds. It’s often best to stick to 0, and you’ll find that your camera will shoot at a fast frame rate. If you’re using a flashgun, you’ll need to set a longer interval to give the flash enough time to recycle between shots.

Choose exposure settings

There’s an option to use ‘First frame exposure lock’. When ‘On’, this locks the exposure for every shot to the value used for the first frame. It can work well for the likes of landscapes where there might be small changes in lighting conditions in the sequence. For large changes in the brightness of lighting, or if there’s likely to be no change at all, switch the function to ‘Off’, for consistency.

Get started

Further options include switching ‘Silent photography’ on or off, creating a new folder and resetting the file numbering. Be sure to switch off your camera’s Self-timer drive mode. Once you’ve made all your selections, focus the lens to the minimum distance required, highlight ‘Start’ and press the ‘OK’ button to begin. Pressing the ‘OK’ button again interrupts the sequence, if you need to. 

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. 

Focus peaking is designed to boost your accuracy when focusing manually. This visual aid is viewed via an electronic viewfinder or rear LCD screen and indicates areas of focus via a flat-coloured overlay. As the user twists the focus ring, the overlay shifts its position in real-time. Both the intensity and color of the overlay can be customized to suit a variety of shooting situations.

Digital Camera World's list of the best Nikon cameras all have focus peaking, and for that matter, every Z-Series camera has focus peaking, including the Nikon Z50 II. But you'll also find focus peaking on the Nikon D850, Nikon D780 and Nikon D6.

Focus peaking was once the preserve of videographers. This makes sense because it’s difficult to assess how accurately you’re focusing when shooting lengthy pieces of footage, especially if you’re not using a field monitor and have to make do with a tiny rear screen.

Today, plenty of savvy photographers are recognizing the benefits of focus peaking for stills. It’s useful for pretty much any manual focus situation, but it excels when used for techniques that require a precise point of focus, like macro photography and focus stacking.

Focus peaking isn’t switched on by default, so I delved into a Nikon Z6 II and my Nikon Z8's menu systems to show you how to turn it on and make the most of its customizable features. And don't worry if you're using a different Z-Series camera. While the menus can vary slightly, the broad strokes remain the same.

You'll also find a quick guide to setting up focus peaking on the Nikon D850 at the bottom of this article.

Soft, manually focused images stop right here!

1. Head into the Custom Settings Menu

Press the Menu button and use the D-pad to navigate to the tabs on the left of the screen. Select the pencil icon to enter the Custom Settings Menu and hit OK when you reach Shooting/Display. Then select d10 Peaking Highlights.

On my Nikon Z8, this differs slightly, you select Focus in the Custom Settings Menu and then navigate to a13 Focus Peaking.

2. The Peaking Highlights and Focus Peaking menus

The Peaking Highlights menu on the Z6 II features two options: Peaking Level and Peaking Highlight Color. The former allows you to set the intensity of the focus peaking overlay, from 'Off' to '3(high sensitivity)'. The latter allows you to customize the focus peaking overlay's color.

On the Nikon Z8, you have three options: Focus Peaking Display, Focus Peaking Sensitivity and Focus Peaking Highlight Color. The latter two options are essentially the same as the Z6 II's Peaking Level and Peaking Highlight Color, respectively.

The difference is that Focus Peaking Display is used purely to toggle focus peaking on or off. So, while increasing the focus peaking sensitivity on the Z6 II automatically turns the function on, you can keep your focus peaking set to your preferred sensitivity on the Z8 and toggle the function on or off independently.

3. Turn focus peaking on

Both the Z6 II and Z8 have three focus-peaking sensitivity levels. The higher the level, the greater the focus depth. Level one (Low Sensitivity) has greater accuracy but poorer visibility and level three (High Sensitivity) has better visibility but won’t be as accurate. What you choose will depend on how accurate your focus needs to be and whether or not you’re struggling to see the overlay.

4. Change the focus peaking overlay's color

The ability to change the color of your overlay may seem irrelevant, but it’s a handy feature. You can choose from red, yellow, blue and white on both the Z6 II and Z8. We’d recommend changing the color to suit the subject. If you’re shooting a close-up of a red flower, for example, the red overlay will be much more difficult to see than white or yellow.

5. Switch to manual focus

Once you’ve turned focus peaking on in the Peaking Level menu, it’ll automatically turn on once you switch to manual focus. D850 users can only observe the overlay on the rear LCD in Live View mode, but the effect is also visible through a Z-Series camera's EVF.

6. Focus peaking when shooting video

While photographers often have the time to check if an image is in focus via Playback. Videographers shoot hours of footage and don’t always have this luxury. As such, focus peaking is invaluable for video as you can keep tabs on your focus on the fly. Z-Series cameras can use focus peaking while shooting 4K video, while on the D850 it’s limited to Full HD and below.

Quick Tip: Focus peaking on the Nikon D850

The Nikon D850 is the greatest Nikon DSLR of all, and arguably the best DSLR ever made (and still available to buy new today). You can access focus peaking by setting your lens and camera to manual focus, turning Live View on and pressing the ‘i’ button. Scroll down the menu until you reach the Peak Off icon and select your preferred peaking level. The colour settings are found in the Custom Setting Menu, via Peaking Highlight Color.

Interested in manual focus? You might be interested in the best macro lenses or the best ringflash for macro.

This vibrant photograph of a tiger dancer was captured as part of Sayan Biswas' series on folk art form Pulikali, which is celebrated in the state of Kerala, India. Sayan used a Nikon D5200 and a Tokina atx-i 11-16mm CF f/2.8 lens. And while you might assume the best flashgun or strobe was used to capture the photograph, the photographer made fantastic use of the D5200's built-in, pop-up flash.

• Do you have an image that should be Photo of the Day? Send your image to: digitalcameraworld@futurenet.com for the chance to be featured.

Sayan told me: "Capturing this intense festival moment presented several challenges. The low-light conditions required careful attention to balance the exposure correctly, and with the many moving subjects, timing was crucial. The performers moved quickly, so focusing on a single subject was a challenge, especially when aiming to create a balance between a sharp subject and dynamic motion blur."

But what really makes this image stand out is the spiraling light trails, caused by the photographer's decision to drag the shutter: "I kept the camera still on the performer in the foreground to ensure they stayed sharp, while the slower shutter speed allowed the background lights and surrounding movement to blur naturally." The pop of flash from his D5200 helped ensure the subject remained sharp, producing an overall effect that Sayan explained: "helped emphasize the subject and create a sense of energy."

The upside of dragging the shutter by using the slower 1/13sec shutter speed allowed Sayan to get more light into the camera. He told me: "I adjusted my aperture to maintain enough depth of field. Balancing the ISO with acceptable noise levels was critical, as I did not want graininess to overpower the image's vibrancy."

The best wide-angle lens isn't what most photographers would reach for when capturing a portrait, as Syan explained: "[the wide angle] allowed me to capture both the primary subject and the surrounding scene, adding context and depth. It created a sense of immersion and helped accentuate the movement in the background without losing the performer’s details."

Sayan edits all of his photos in Adobe Lightroom. He says he does a "bit of cropping, color correction and exposure handling, not much. I believe the lion’s share of work should be done before clicking the photo and not after."

Sayan's top tip for street portraits...

"Embrace the movement rather than fight it. A slower shutter speed can work to your advantage, adding energy and life to the scene. Practice with settings that balance motion blur with subject sharpness and be patient—it may take a few shots to get that perfect mix."

To see more of Sayan's incredible work, follow him on Instagram.

• Do you have an image that would like to be featured in our new Photo of the Day feature? Send your image to: digitalcameraworld@futurenet.com for the chance to be featured, along with some details about how and where the photo was taken. Check out our previous Photo of the Day images.

Are you interested in flash photography? Check out the best flash triggers and best flash diffusers.

The new issue of Digital Photographer is out now!

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This month we have another amazing issue for you, featuring professional tips, reviews, and practical how-to guides. Here's a sneak peek of what's inside!

Shoot creative autumn landscapes

Autumn/Fall is one of the most exciting times of the year for landscape photographers. The incredible changes of colour are intoxicating and an endless source of inspiration. However, with everyone photographing the same subjects, how can we make sure our images stand out? With help from two expert landscape photography tutors, discover how to use creative exposure techniques and careful timing to shoot incredible scenic images with a unique edge. You'll discover how to push the boundaries of your landscape photography to make the most of those golden tones. 

Shoot spectacular dramatic images!

Meanwhile, our second feature is all about drama - an elusive element in many photos. Sometimes an image will just burst with energy, but you can't figure out what makes it so special. Well, we have the answers! With advice and insight from five professional photographers, working across the full spectrum of photo genres, we’ve put together a detailed guide to how you can introduce dramatic contrast, colour and light in any area of photography. Learn how to work with silhouettes, craft cinematic lighting on a budget in a home studio or on location, capture spectacular landscapes and work with extreme black-and-white contrast.  

The living city: capture urban wildlife shots today

We love spending time with photographers each month for our popular Shoot Like a Pro feature and this month, we visited urban wildlife photographer Mark Deans in Aberdeen, Scotland to gain his essential tips for finding incredible animal subjects in any location. If you thought wildlife photography meant you had to travel huge distances, think again!

Break the internet: viral marketing tips from an influencer

Social media is a powerful tool for getting your work the attention it deserves, but making sure your artistic voice is heard can be a challenge. This month, in our career feature section, we're very excited to have partnered with online marketing consultant and author, Gordon Glenister who explains in clear steps how you can break the internet and make your content reach the maximum number of viewers possible. If you want to build an online photography brand, this is the place to begin. 

Wild law

For our interview slot this month we sat down with Ian Plant, a photographer who knows a thing or two about travel, landscape and wildlife photography. In the issue, Ian explains his creative motivation, what gear and genres excite him right now and how he creates a connection with the viewers of his images and his animal subjects.  As a photographic instructor, Ian has insight you won't want to miss.  

Advice from the DP community 

From page 72, our community of pro photographers are on hand to answer all of your industry-related questions. Our guest professional, Siobhan Hennessy discusses what it takes to become a full-time sports photographer and explains her career journey. Meanwhile, our resident consultant Claire Gillo answers questions from the community, covering memory card choice, shooting for estate agents and defining what genres you shoot for clients. 

Latest review and kit 

Get your copy of DP Issue 284 today!

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Plus we've got the usual tutorials, interviews, insight and opinion, from a range of experienced pro photographers from across the industry. 

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Read more:

Essential exposure technique: settings for seamless backgrounds

Photo therapy: the art of patience - why it's worth waiting!

Adapt and conquer! Learn to use lens adaptors the right way

Lighthouse photography: learn to compose images of very tall subjects

Lomography has released a new edition of its Lomomatic 110, a pocket-sized analog camera that uses the retro 110 film format. The Zebra Crossing edition has zebra-print detailing to distinguish it from the previously released plastic Golden Gate and metal-bodied Flash Metal variations.

Aside from this cosmetic tweak, the camera offers the same functionality and specifications as the other Lomomatic 110 models. It's fronted by a 23mm Minitar CX multi-coated glass lens, has automatic exposure control, a zone-focusing slider, adjustable ISO, and the choice of f/2.8 or f/5.6 apertures.

Buillt-in tricks include multiple and long-exposure shooting modes, and it comes complete with a stylish metal wrist strap and tin canister for holding your 110 negatives.

Also in the box with the Lomomatic 110 Zebra Crossing is a detachable Lomomatic Flash with a selection of colored filters; these can be slid in front of the flash head for multicolored lighting effects.

In our review of the Flash Metal model, we surmised that the camera "looks great with fantastic retro styling but is awkward to use, has fiddly settings and it isn’t the cheapest way to get on the vintage 110 bandwagon".

It is undeniably fun, however, particularly the cool film advance mechanism, which winds on to the next frame by simply sliding the camera body closed and open again.

Sample images

Film photography and cameras have seen a huge resurgence in recent years, and it's great to see more 110 options like this to go along with popular 35mm cameras like the Pentax 17 and Rollei 35AF.

The Lomography Lomomatic 110 Zebra Crossing comes with a flash for $119 / £109 (Australian pricing TBC). Lomography also offers a range of 110mm film stocks.

See our guides to the best film stocks, the best film cameras, and the best film scanners.

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

Insta360 has just released two new webcams – both with AI subject tracking as their central feature. 

The Link 2 is an updated version of the 4K AI camera which can literally follow you around the room using its tracking tech and gimbal, while the Link 2C does more or less the same thing without moving parts to make it even more portable.

The AI also powers noise cancelling features and a 'Smart Whiteboard Mode' which auto-detects a real whiteboard and makes adjustments to square it off and keep it in focus. 

Both devices sport a 1/2-inch image sensor capable of delivering 4K at up to 30fps (and 1080P at 60fps) and an HDR pipeline. To cater to the ongoing needs of the social media market, they also offer landscape and portrait modes – meaning live-streaming and social content generation for phone consumption should be smoother.

The larger image sensor than that in most laptops and phones should offer a potential boon to people working in lower light, though I'll confirm that when I've finished my reviews (we have the devices in hand at DCW). Other key features are Smartphone remote control, background replacement (though, to be fair, a lot of apps have this covered for you already), DeskView mode for overhead presentations, "One Click Makeup" and Privacy Mode.

“Link 2 and Link 2C represent our ongoing commitment to making virtual connections more engaging and seamless. We've listened to user feedback and pushed the boundaries of what's possible in a webcam, combining premium 4K imaging, crystal-clear audio, and intuitive AI-powered features. Link 2 and Link 2C empower you to present your best self online, no matter where you are,” shared JK Liu, Founder of Insta360.

Specs list ±3 EV exposure compensation, ISO 100-3200, a shutter speed of up to 1/8000 and an aperture of f/1.8. The EFL is 26mm and digital zoom up to 4x.

Only the Link 2 – not the 2C – bosts a 2-axis gimbal, but both work entirely from power drawn from their USB-C connection. They can be mounted on a monitor (with a stand included) or a tripod.

The Link 2 is priced at $199 and the Link 2C $149 and both are available from today from Amazon:

🇺🇸 Link 2 - Amazon.com
🇺🇸 Link 2C - Amazon.com 

While you're waiting for reviews of these to come live, you can read about some of the other best 4K webcams we've seen.

A conventional camera shutter works in an entirely mechanical way. The shutter is fully closed before taking a shot. At the start of an exposure, the ‘first curtain’ opens, traversing the image sensor in the process. At the end of the exposure, the second curtain slides across in front of the sensor.

But at very fast shutter speeds, the second curtain starts to close before the first curtain has fully opened. That can cause a dark band in images when using a flashgun. The solution is to use ‘Auto FP’ (Auto Focal Plane) or High-Speed Sync’flash, which fires a short burst of flashes rather than a single flash. 

Nikon Z-system mirrorless cameras with mechanical shutters offer other options with pros and cons, but curing the flash sync problem isn’t one of them.

Going electric

Almost all Z-system cameras default to an ‘Auto’ shutter mode. This uses a conventional mechanical shutter most of the time, automatically switching to an ‘electronic first curtain shutter’ when it would be beneficial. As its name suggests, this uses electronics to initiate the exposure, but a mechanical second curtain to end the exposure. As well as letting the camera choose which type of shutter to use, you can select either option for yourself in the Custom Setting menu. In the Photo Shooting menu, you’ll also find a ‘Silent photography’ option. This enables a fully electronic shutter, making the mechanical shutter redundant.

The Nikon Z8 and Z9 are exceptions in that they ditch the mechanical shutter for stills exposures. Thanks to the super-fast data readout of their fully stacked image sensors, these cameras rely purely on an electronic shutter. 

The Z6 III has a partially stacked image sensor, which is much faster than conventional sensors but not quite as fast as in the Z8 and Z9. The Z6 III therefore has a mechanical shutter and offers the same range of options as most other Z-system cameras.

Shutter type

To select shutter types, head to the Custom Setting menu of Z-system cameras. You’ll need to go to the Shooting/display section and select the option showing as ‘d4 Shutter type’ in the Zfc camera that we’re using here by way of example. And lest we forget, some Nikon DSLRs also have an electronic first curtain shutter option, including the D7500, D500, D810 and D850.

Auto shutter mode

Cameras with a mechanical shutter default to it automatically. As detailed in this image, the camera automatically selects the most appropriate shutter mode for the shooting conditions, usually sticking to the mechanical option but swapping to electronic first curtain shutter when this would be beneficial. Leave the camera in Auto mode unless you have particular needs.

Mechanical shutter

As defaulted to in Auto mode, the Mechanical shutter option usually works best. The mechanical shutter takes a snapshot of the scene, which is read out from the image sensor to the image processor. The full range of shutter speeds is available whereas, in Electronic first curtain mode, the maximum shutter speed is often limited to 1/2000 sec. However, the latter mode can be beneficial.

Electronic front-curtain shutter

At shutter speeds of around 1/60 sec or slower, mechanical movement, often referred to as ‘shutter shock’, can degrade sharpness as it can destabilize the camera. The effect can also be problematic when shooting with long telephoto lenses and in macro photography. Shutter shock is reduced in Electronic front-curtain mode, as the mechanical shutter only moves at the end of the exposure.

Silent photography off

There are options for switching the Silent photography mode on or off in the Photo Shooting menu, rather than the Custom Setting menu. When switched off, the camera uses Auto, Mechanical or Electronic front-curtain shutter, as set up in the Custom Setting menu. If you want to use a fully electronic shutter, disabling the mechanical shutter altogether, switch on Silent photography.

Silent photography on

The Silent photography mode uses a fully electronic shutter, as well as disabling flash, long exposure noise reduction, flicker reduction and the beep speaker. There’s no shutter shock but, due to the relatively slow line-by-line readout of conventional image sensors, moving subjects change their position throughout an exposure, causing lateral distortion (rolling shutter effect).

Learn more about the pros and cons of electronic shutters 

I am fascinated by the power of volcanic eruptions, and capturing them in a photograph is a dream come true. That’s why I frequently hike around volcanoes in Guatemala. In fact, my fascination with volcanic eruptions inspired me to start running photography workshops and private tours to see them. I want more people to experience the Earth in all its fierce glory, and helping them to capture that perfect shot motivates me to do my best. I want them to return home with incredible photos and memories from a real adventure.

“In this shot, my goal was to capture the aftermath of a volcanic explosion, with the cone of the volcano covered in the molten rocks that have just come out of the crater. To avoid a trial on the rocks rolling down the mountain, I wanted to freeze them in the photo so I used a short exposure of three seconds.

It’s always a challenge to stay awake throughout the night while being exposed to the elements. For this capture, I was shooting from another volcano at a distance of 2km away from the Volcan de Fuego – the most active volcano in Latin America. The altitude and the cold weather are always a challenge, but the excitement of seeing the volcano erupting in the distance is a great reason to get out of the cabin.

I didn’t have to do too much editing to this image in post-processing. I only added some contrast, increased the colors slightly, and decreased the highlights close to the crater.

Tech details

Camera: Nikon Z 6
Lens: Nikkor Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S 
Aperture: f/3.2
Shutter speed:  3 sec
ISO: 800

The wait is over – iPhone 16 pre-orders are now live worldwide. After the initial announcement, Apple and various carriers have made their flagship models available for purchase, with some fantastic promotions for those ready to upgrade.

Below I've listed the main carriers for both the US and UK, along with key details you need to know before making your purchase. While I don't expect iPhone 16 preorders to sell out, it’s wise to grab one during the initial launch period as the early deals tend to be better than those offered later.

As you've no doubt heard, the biggest changes to this year's models comes in the form of the new Camera Control button – a haptic input on the side of the handset that acts as a shutter release button, focus and exposure lock (via a two-stage press) and can also be used to control functions such as the zoom. 

Apple has really doubled down on the iPhone 16 being a camera for photographers and videographers, in part due to the slower-than-anticipated rollout of eagerly anticipated Apple Intelligence features. 

iPhone 16: US Pre-order

• Apple: up to $650 off with a trade-in
• Verizon: up to $1,000 off with a trade-in and unlimited plan
• AT&T: up to $1,000 off with a trade-in and unlimited plan
• Best Buy: up to $1,000 off with a trade-in and unlimited plan

iPhone 16: UK Pre-order

• Apple: up to £650 off with a trade-in
• EE: up to £480 off with a trade-in
• Sky: iPhone 16 from £26 per month, no upfront
• Vodafone: save up to £736 with a trade-in

The iPhone 16 series officially releases on September 20. Preorders placed today should arrive on that date. You can also purchase the iPhone 16 in stores starting the same day, if you prefer to pick it up directly.

The best deals from major carriers like AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile are typically available during the preorder period, so if you're planning to upgrade then securing a preorder will ensure you get the most value. Apple’s trade-in rebates, offering up to $650 / £650 off, are unlikely to change in the near future.

Following the launch of the iPhone 16 Pro earlier this week, makers of smartphone accessories have been falling over themselves to tell us about their new products. And so we've already published guides to both the best iPhone 16 Pro cases and the best iPhone 16 Pro Max cases, not to mention the best camera lens protectors for the iPhone 16 Pro & Max.

But on the whole, these have largely been tweaked versions of existing products. And that's fine, of course… but here's something completely new.

Moment has just unveiled an evolution from their snap-on filters called the QuickLock Filter System. Compatible with iPhone 15 Pro, 15 Pro Max, iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max models, this new line claims to offer a new way for photographers interact with their smartphones. 

Traditional screw-on filters can be fiddly to apply, while magnetic ones can feel less than secure. Moment says its proprietary QuickLock filters, which attach to a Moment phone case, offer the best of both worlds. In that they're easy to attach and remove, while secure enough that they won't detach during use, and robust enough to withstand the demands of professional use – and they cover all three of the lenses on the four iPhone models.

Certainly, the ability to quickly swap filters without worrying about them falling off could be a game-changer for anyone involved in run-and-gun shooting. We haven't got our hands on these filters yet to test their claims. But Moment is a reputable company – and produces some of the best add-on lenses for smartphones around.

Four to choose from

The QuickLock system covers all three lenses on the four iPhone 15 Pro and 16 Pro models. They aren't cheap, but Moment believes their combination of high-end optics and practical usability makes the cost well worth it.

There are four distinct filter types, each designed to address specific iPhone photography needs.

1. Mobile VND (2-7 Stop) QuickLock Filter: Offering a range of 2 to 7 stops, this filter allows you to control exposure in bright conditions. 

Moment says they're "like sunglasses for your camera lens [that] lets you adjust the strength of the filter by rotating the filter ring. This way, instead of carrying multiple filters for different lighting conditions, you can carry just one and adjust for your specific shot." Variable neutral density filters are particularly useful for video, allowing you to adjust brightness to get the shutter and aperture you want to use.

Made with premium Schott B270 Pro Cinema Glass, these filters are crisp edge to edge without color fringing or cross polarization, while the filter rings are precision machined from aerospace-grade metal.

2. Mobile CineBloom QuickLock Filter: Available in 5%, 10% and 20% densities, these diffusion filters add a dreamy, film-like quality to images, softening hard edges and smoothing skin tones. Moment says they: not only catch and bloom light but soften hard edges and provide a smoothing effect on skin tones, making wrinkles less noticeable." The glass is made by fusing a microlayer of NanoBlack particulates between two layers of top-grade Japanese filter glass.

3. Mobile AntiGlare CPL QuickLock Filter: This circular polarizer (CPL) filter is designed to reduce glare and enhance color saturation, which could be especially useful for landscape and architectural photography. It works by rotating a piece of polarized glass in front of your lens to cut out unwanted glare.

Moment says this filter: "makes the skies bluer, trees greener, waters deeper, and allows you to shoot through glass without that hazy look. It does this by changing the light angle bouncing off of bright surfaces, scattering the light rays you don’t want directly in your shot."

4. Mobile CineClear UV Protection QuickLock Filter: This clear filter safeguards the phone's lens from scratches and debris while maintaining image quality. Resistant to dust, fingerprints, and reflections, it's made from premium Schott B270 glass with 98.5% transmission rate and 16 layers of optical coating. Moment says it: "won’t degrade your image quality and maintains full functionality of the iPhone camera system [...] allowing you to protect your expensive camera phone and make it much easier to clean, without the hassle of removing your phone from the case."

The VND filter is priced at $75 and the other three options costing $50 each. Pre-orders are currently open, with shipping expected to begin by the end of September.

Note that the QuickLock Filters are designed to work exclusively with Moment's phone cases, which need to be bought separately. 

Moment has also released a range of other accessories for the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max, including cases, universal grips, cages, and a new shotgun mic.

You shouldn’t crop in software.
Always choose the focal length to get the right shot at the time of capture.
Only use prime lenses, a zoom lens dilutes your image quality.
Nail your exposure. If you underexpose or overexpose you’ve missed the shot.
Set your sharpening correctly for a pinsharp image.
Make sure your shutter speed is enough to prevent camera movement.
Always use a tripod. 
Real photographers shoot black and white only as it’s the most direct link to historical photography.
And those primes? They should be vintage lenses.
You should never stage a photo, you should always capture the scene as you find it. 

Honestly folks, can you imagine how boring and suppressed photography would be if you had to stick to rules like that? We’re blessed in a world where 40+ Megapixel cameras allow us to crop in to get photos within our capture, allowing you to tailor the crop to both the subject and the destination. Be that for print (and you should print), Instagram stories, posts, or going into videos like reels, shorts, or longer form. 

Use the lens that gets the shot. Many a shot has been lost swapping to the right prime. Put the zoom lens on. Sure, using one fixed length is great practice – I recently shot a festival with the fixed 23mm (35mm full frame equivalent) on a Fujifilm X100VI, but being able to choose a length leads to a far greater variety of images from a location. Get the best one you can afford. Modern zooms are easily as good are older primes for sharpness. 

If you shoot Raw, you have an amazing amount of leeway in exposure. You can easily bring back around two stops of lost highlights, or open up dark shadows with underexposure. These are just tools to enhance your photo. You may have been shooting against overcast skies and nailed your subject’s exposure at the sake of the sky. So you bring it back in raw processing. Good for you. That’s a choice based on experience. 

You don’t need a tripod all the time. Sure, if you’re looking at back-to-front depth of field, which can require long exposures, but handheld photos can work well in other situations. You could even use a tripod with motion. There’s a whole brigade of amazing Intentional Camera Movement photographers using motion during exposure to create unique pieces of art. 

Black and white photography is beautiful. That classic, pristine, look of form and tone. Often breathtaking. But that doesn’t take from the jaw-dropping shot of an amazing sunset. Or the creative use of color. Understanding how colors interact allows you to take photos that have an immediate and lasting impact, often more than with black and white. 

Sharpness is overrated.  As Ansel Adams said "There’s nothing worse than a sharp image of a fuzzy concept". Film photography was often not perfectly sharp and the grain of the film prevented really sharp edges. Digital sharpness can be a bane for portraits where the depth of pore detail means a lot of retouching to create a more flattering image. Can you ignore it altogether? No, of course not. Shallow focus photos need the subject to be sharp enough for the subject to be obvious. Better to capture a great photo and fix sharpness later than miss it. 

Ignore the purists and use your creativity and gear to the fullest to create photos that represent you, your views, values and likes. 

More opinion pieces by Sean McCormack:

• This is why I hate being a photographer
• I switched camera systems, and this is the lens that really surprised me
• I can't believe I actually bought this camera
• These two lenses could do 90% of your photographic work
• You don't always have to shoot Raw as a photographer, but you probably should
• No, you don't need to get on a plane to take great travel photos

If you have been keeping up with the latest film camera news, we saw the launch of the brand new half-frame Pentax 17, with initial first looks at the exciting development of the new Rollei 35mm film camera. Today is that day when we get to put our month where our mouth is as the new Rollei 35AF camera goes on pre-order for $799. But we have now been told you only have until September 12 to get your order in due to the high demand!

The new Rollei 35AF is set to make a significant impact in the world of analog photography, combining the charm of a classic film camera with modern technological advancements. Built to cater to both beginners and seasoned photographers, this new 35mm film camera comes equipped with auto and manual exposure options. 

One of its standout features is its autofocus system powered by LIDAR technology, which ensures perfect focus on subjects, removing the guesswork that often comes with manual film cameras.

In addition to the autofocus, the Rollei 35AF boasts an OLED display and a built-in flash, offering a seamless shooting experience. These modern touches are carefully integrated into the camera without compromising the legacy of Rollei's century-old tradition of quality craftsmanship. 

The original Rollei 35, beloved by legendary photographers like Diane Arbus and Queen Elizabeth II, has now evolved into a model fit for today's photography enthusiasts, blending timeless design with cutting-edge performance.

The camera's newly enhanced 5-element glass lens promises outstanding image clarity, reflecting Rollei’s commitment to optical excellence. With a focus range from 70 cm to infinity, thanks to LIDAR autofocus, photographers no longer have to deal with the challenging manual zone focusing that made the original Rollei 35 difficult to master. Whether users prefer auto mode for simplicity or manual settings for a nostalgic touch, the Rollei 35AF offers the best of both worlds.

Pre-orders for the new Rollei 35AF are now being accepted until September 12 due to the high demand for this new film camera, with deliveries starting later this year.  Orders will be fulfilled according to your order on the waitlist, so that early sign-ups will receive their cameras sooner. 

 Shape, form, pattern and texture – and the effect of light falling on these features – is where I often find my inspiration. I love man-made structures that have the potential for abstract architectural images, but I’m also excited by the natural abstracts you find in sand dunes, foliage and rocks, for example.  

Although intended as standalone images, recent photos of architecture in Bilbao and Valencia, Iceland’s volcanic rocks and English sandstone outcrops provided source material for what has subsequently become a multiple-exposure (ME) project.

Experiments with multiple exposures (ME) hadn’t excited me in the past, but a session at The Photography & Video Show and seeing work by other creative photographers reignited my interest. It all began when, to pass the time creatively on a long train journey home from a photo shoot, I played with the PhotoSplit app, layering and blending some of my recent architectural images and natural abstracts. By the end of that train journey, I had the beginnings of an exciting project that has since received positive feedback. 

Initially layering complementary natural and architectural abstracts in a relatively subtle way, I’m now blending photos of different buildings, or the same building from different angles, to create images that are more graphic in character. I’m now also thinking about other combinations that I can explore in the future.

I didn’t initially set out to make ME creations, so the source images I used weren’t intended for this purpose. For me, the key to creating an ME image that ‘works’ is to select two or three archive images with compositions that complement each other when overlaid. Deciding which way to go when blending images is a part of the creative process, as different blending modes can produce subtle images with a muted color palette, graphic images with vibrant colors, and a range of options in between. 

Underpinning these decisions on source images and blending modes is the aim of creating an artistic image that catches and pleases the eye, as both a standalone image and as part of a visually cohesive set.

In a world first, NASA astronaut Matthew Dominick recently gave an interview from the cupola on the International Space Station.

In the conversation with Rachel Feltman, host of Scientific American podcast, Dominick spoke about his favorite photographs, life in space, and what it feels like to not walk since March. 

Explaining that his father was a photographer and a journalist, and also ran a motion picture unit for the United States Air Force, in the months that he’s been up in space, he’s wanted to capture all the incredible things he’s seen. 

Understandably, Dominick says the lighting is one of the hardest parts of taking photographs in space. 

“Lighting is really a challenge but then you're also lucky. You know in photography they talk about the golden hour or right there at sunrise or sunset folks like to take a lot of pictures at those times, the lighting is just incredible. We're lucky to get 16 of those a day. We're going 17,500mph making a lap around the Earth every 90 minutes so, if I don't get the lighting right or the setup right on a pass, I can wait 90 minutes and I'll get a chance to do it again.”

Another challenge of photography in space is having to shoot through windows.

“You have to manage a lot of odd reflections and so we have things like shrouds that we put up around the cameras to kind of block out interior lights from reflections shooting through the glass can be can be troublesome. You have to shoot really fast shutter speeds sometimes just because we're going so fast.

“Folks who do astrophotography on Earth might be able to expose 10, 15 seconds without seeing star trails depending on what lenses they're using up here you know I was taking pictures the other day in a half second exposure I was seeing streaks in city lights so it presents some unique challenges but we have we have great instructors that teach us how to do it and it's a lot of fun.”

Due to strict rules about how much weight can be taken onboard the space station, the astronauts had to make some pretty tough decisions about what kit to take.

“We have these big full-frame mirrorless cameras, this is an 85mm lens, super fast lens 1.4 for the focal length that's super fun. We have cameras that are great for taking pictures of Earth during the daytime. This is a 50 to 500 zoom lens, love using this guy for daytime photography, super versatile. We got a new lens and so I've been posting a lot of images online with this lens. It's a 15 mm lens that's super fast. It doesn't use f- stops but it's about an f1.2 or 4 and it's a t 1.8.

“I love this thing, this has yielded so many incredible photographs. So lots of great equipment up here and lots of practice and luckily it's not analogue anymore so you could shoot a lot and not feel too bad about wasting film.”

Some of Dominick’s favorite photographs are the candid ones he takes of his crewmates. Outside the space station, Dominick has taken pictures of the river Nile, lightning over Africa, and meteors.

As his mission comes to an end, Dominick said he would miss all the gear.

“I'm going to miss having all of these cameras in my fingertips. It's amazing I've got five or six cameras in my fingertips I can choose from.

“I just want to share what we see. I feel this immense obligation to share what we're seeing up here in space. I'm super lucky to be here.”

Take a look at our guide to the best cameras for astrophotography, and the best star tracker mounts for astrophotography. 

I spent nearly two decades being a professional sports photographer, traveling the world for my job and shooting at many different shutter speeds to capture the action in full swing.

Now, as I've changed gears and tried to capture the beauty in the mundane through street/documentary photography 1/500sec seems to be my limit, well not even my limit more an "always-on" approach, and while that might sound odd this exposure triangle hack really works in any setting!

Now I know that 1/500th shutter speed isn't going to suit everyone, and there will be times when you need something much slower to let in more light, or faster to freeze every millimetre of motion, but for some reason I have all my cameras set to 1/500th and it always just seems to work out really well.

The type of things I'm shooting for street requires that I either move quickly to get the shot or things out in the open that are stationary and don't need anything faster to stop motion.

All my cameras, film or digital, have these two settings fixed: Shutter speed and ISO; Shutter speed being 1/500sec and ISO set to 400. The only thing I ever change is my aperture, and you know what? It just works so well for me that I'd highly recommend trying it yourself.

I guess you could say I'm manually adjusting with a "Shutter priority" mindset when I go out shooting, by just adjusting the aperture to my environment, but knowing that I have 1/500th set on my camera means I'm confident that any situation that comes my way I can capture it and my images will be motion free. Personally I see no need for shutter speeds of 1/4,000 and above because, honestly, 1/500th just works so well, it's like my own 'gold standard', and the setting I first change on any camera.

While this might be a very 'primitive' way of capturing images, it is also the way many photographers shot in the film days when nothing had a light meter built-in, and people might not have one to hand. The technique is called the 'Sunny 16 rule' and focuses on changing your aperture to the available light around you, but keeping your shutter speed the same as your ASA film speed or ISO.

Most common films in the day were rated at ASA 400 and ASA 800, so according to the Sunny 16 rule, you'd set your shutter speed at 1/500 or 1/1000, respectively. The rule is that the number under the fraction is the nearest to the ASA/ISO – since shutter speed steps tend to be 1/500sec rather than 1/400sec the numbers aren't quite perfect reciprocals.)

While we now live in the digital age, and I still shoot analog and digital, this rule still applies, and it is the best technique I learned in my photography. Would it be nice to change shutter speeds once in a while? Yes. But do I really need to? Not in the slightest!

1/500th is my 'go-to' shutter speed for everything. Knowing that my camera is set to that speed, I can capture any shot I want and know what I am going to get, be that on film or shooting digital.

It frees my mind to think about other things in the image, composition for example, how the light is hitting a scene, etc. Having one less thing to think about when taking images is such a feeling experience that I recommend giving it a try, it will certainly work for most things and you might be surprised!

Pentax has released a new hotshoe flashgun for use on its DSLR cameras and on Ricoh GR compacts. With a guide number of just 18 (m/ISO100) it is designed for on camera use for fill-in in daylight, or as the main light source after dark.

Pentax AF180FG is a replacement for the existing Pentax AF201FG strobe – and both are exactly the same size and weight and have nearly identical features. The only difference that we can make out is that the newer version has a slightly lower maximum output (the AF210FG has a guide number of 20 (m/ISO100)).

The AF180FG has a simple interface that offers a dial offering access to its four operating modes. In addition to a fully automatic TTL exposure mode, there are two manual options that provide either full or quarter power. There is an additional option for rear-curtain sync flash.

The head can tilt through ten different positions from -10 degrees through to 135 degrees for flash photography. The flash offers coverage for a 24mm wide-angle full-frame lens – extending to cover a 20mm lens, if the built-in pull-out diffuser is used.

Boasting a weatherproofed construction, the flash weighs 141g before you add the two AAA batteries that are needed to power the unit. A new set of alkaline cells should give around 100 flashes, with a recycle time of 6 seconds. You get a slightly better performance if you use nickel metal hydride rechargeable AAA batteries - with 130 flashes with a recycle time of 5 seconds.

The Pentax AF180FG will cost $199/£199 – the same price as the flashgun it is replacing.

See our guide to the best flashgun for your camera

Fujifilm’s camera history has been kind of like a game of two halves. It made its name with compact retro-styled X-T, X-E, and X-Pro cameras with compact bodies and external exposure controls. These came with a range of compact f/2 prime lenses designed for compactness and affordability, including an 18mm f/2, 23mm f/2, 35mm f/2, and 50mm f/2. This XF16mm F2.8 came along a little later to provide a 24mm equivalent prime no larger than the rest, and yet with a physical aperture ring and weather sealing.

These are among the best Fujifilm lenses, certainly for travel photography and fans of old-school external exposure controls.

Since then, though, Fujifilm has shifted gears, aiming for a more mainstream enthusiast/hybrid market with the X-S10 and X-S20, and higher-end professional users, with the Fujifilm X-H2 and X-H2s. These are among the best Fujifilm cameras to buy today but have lost some of the uniqueness of earlier models.

The X-T series carries on with the Fujifilm X-T5 and X-T50, but the X-E and X-Pro range appear to have gone. Along with this has been a shift towards larger, professional zooms and fast f1/4 primes which appeal to a wider market but don’t sit so well on the smaller cameras.

The XF16mm F2.8, however, will still have strong appeal for owners of smaller or more modest Fujifilm bodies. Its maximum aperture may be modest, but it’s compact, inexpensive, and practical – and it could fill a gap in many users’ prime lens line-up.

Fujinon XF 16mm F2.8: Specifications

Fujinon XF 16mm F2.8: Price and availability

The Fujinon XF16mm F2.8 is widely available and costs around $399 / £339. Fujifilm also makes an XF16mm F1.4 R WR which is quite tempting, because it has a maximum aperture 2 stops faster – though it does cost almost three times as much. The other alternative is the much newer Fujinon XF18mm F1.4 R LM WR, but that has a slightly longer equivalent focal length of 27mm, and as well as being a lot more expensive, it’s physically larger and longer too. If you’re happy with an f/2.8 maximum aperture, the little XF16mm F2.8 is terrific value for money.

Fujinon XF16mm F2.8: Design and handling

The XF16mm F2.8 is pretty cheap by prime lens standards, especially for one that has a physical aperture ring and weather-sealed construction. It feels very well made indeed, with a metal mounting plate (of course) and a petal-shaped lens hood included.

Everything about this lens feels well-designed. The aperture ring is clearly marked and is beautifully weighted with 1/3-stop clicks between the major aperture markings and an A (auto) setting past f/22, where the lens aperture is controlled by the camera body.

The manual focus ring feels really smooth and is mounted ahead of the aperture ring where the lens barrel tapers in slightly. This means there’s no danger of mistaking one ring for the other and you can find both easily by touch.

However, there’s no focus distance scale on this lens, and hence no depth of field markings for zone or hyperfocal distances. These can be displayed on the camera, though, so it’s still perfectly doable.

Beyond that, there’s not much more to say. This is a simple, solid-feeling little lens that gets on with the job without any fuss or distractions. It also looks good and balances well on any Fujifilm bodies.

Fujinon XF16mm F2.8: Performance

Optically, the XF16mm F2.8 is good but not stellar. Fujifilm’s in-body corrections and embedded profiles effectively remove chromatic aberration, vignetting, and distortion, but while the edge-to-edge performance is good on older Fujifilm bodies, the 40MP sensor in my X-T5 does make the fall-off in resolution towards the edges of the frame more apparent.

This is the curse of high-resolution sensors. All those megapixels can turn anyone into a pixel-peeper, and it’s only human nature to zoom right in to see how much detail you’ve captured. Provided you don’t zoom in too far – say 100% on a 4K monitor – the images from this lens look great. Zoom in further to 200%, say, and you’ll see that while the center resolution is excellent, it does fall away somewhat toward the edges.

Will this bother you? On a 26MP, 24MP, or older 16MP Fujifilm camera, I doubt it. It’s only with the latest 40MP sensors it starts to become apparent. That’s a bit of a shame because the little XF16mm 2.8 is such a wonderful match for an X-T5 body, and especially the new X-T50.

The autofocus performance is excellent. Fujifilm’s smaller lenses don’t get the company’s high-speed Linear Motor actuators but it doesn’t seem to matter here. The XF16mm F2.8 is whisper quiet and focuses in an instant.

Fujinon XF16mm F2.8: Sample images

Here’s a selection of shots taken with the XF16mm F2.8. It’s an ideal walkaround lens for city streets and architecture, and landscapes too. The modest F2.8 maximum aperture only becomes a limitation in dimly-lit interiors, but if you’re using a later Fujifilm body with IBIS, you can get around that with slower shutter speeds.

Fujinon XF16mm F2.8: Verdict

The Fujinon 16mm F2.8 is a super little lens that’s really well made and nice to handle. The controls and finish are so good that it feels as if it ought to cost a lot more than it actually does. What keeps the cost and the size down is that maximum aperture of f/2.8, which isn’t much in a world where 24mm equivalent primes are typically f/1.8 or f/1.4. But if that’s the price of compactness and affordability then I’m happy to pay for it. (I actually did pay for it – I own this lens.)

Ideally I would like it to be a little sharper at the edges than it is when I use it on my X-T5, but that’s an issue raised by this camera’s unprecedented resolution. It is proving quite difficult to find affordable X-mount lenses that can live up to this sensor’s potential.

I don’t want to overstate this, though. You have to be a bit of a pixel peeper to notice in the first place, and if you’re using a 26MP body or lower, then it’s pretty much a no-issue.

I say that because it would be a real shame if this lens was overlooked because it’s not perfect. It’s small, affordable, practical and beautifully made.

Fujinon XF16mm F2.8: Alternatives

Looking for bokeh camera settings, on a film or digital camera? Getting a delicious, bokehlicious, blurry background requires the same set of parameters whether your camera is analog, DSLR or mirrorless.

If you're asking what is bokeh, in technicaly terms, it doesn't actually mean the blurry background itself; rather, it's the quality of that blur, and the out of focus areas in the fore and background of an image. Though some people still use "bokeh" and "blur" interchangeably. 

Regardless, these bokeh camera settings on film or digital will produce images with shallow depth of field – which means only a narrow plane of your photo will be in focus, with the background reduced to a buttery blur. This is how to achieve it…

Film bokeh camera settings

There's a notion that film cameras produce more blur than digital cameras, and this is kindasorta true. Most film cameras take 35mm film, which is equivalent to a "full frame" image sensor on a digital camera and produces a natively shallow depth of field (all things being equal, which I'll come onto in a minute). 

You also have medium format and large format film cameras, which take even larger sheets of film and have an even shallower depth of field. 

Digital cameras and camera phones, on the other hand, have image sensors of all different sizes, including things like 1/1.9-inch sensors in an iPhone, Micro Four Thirds sensors on OM System cameras, and APS-C sensors on Fujifilm X cameras… all of which are smaller than 35mm / full frame sensors, and cannot produce as shallow a depth of field. 

TLDR: there are many digital cameras and phones that cannot, all things being equal, render the same amount of background blur as a film camera. But bokeh camera settings are about much more than the size of your film or sensor!

All about the aperture…

At the end of the day, regardless of what camera you've got, you're going to need the right lens to unlock that beautiful blur! 

Look for a lens with a fast aperture, which is a low f-number such as f/1.8. In crude terms, the faster the aperture / lower the f-number the more background blur you can render.

This is where the bokeh camera settings come in: essentially, you'll need to "open" your aperture to its widest possible setting – which means setting the aperture all the way to the lowest f-number, whether that's f/1.8, f/1.4, f/1.2 or even f/0.95. 

This will mean that the maximum amount of light hits your film or image sensor, so you'll need to balance the exposure triangle to get the image you want!

… Well, and the lens

In addition to a lens with the fastest aperture, you also need a lens with a long focal length – like a 50mm, an 85mm or a 135mm. The longer your lens, the more defocus can be created behind your subject to create more background blur. 

When you see a portrait with that "cinematic" bokeh, it's as much to do with having the right focal length as it is about shooting with a wide open aperture. Shooting with telephoto lenses when photographing wildlife, for example, tends to produce inherently more blur. 

Distance matters, too

You will never blur out your background, no matter what settings you use, if your subject is leaning directly against it! 

The easiest way to blur the background is to move the subject as far away from it as possible; the greater the distance between subject and backdrop, the greater the degree of defocus that can be achieved. 

Conversely, you can also increase the amount of background blur by moving your lens closer to your subject. This can work to great effect for macro photography, as bringing the camera closer will start to reduce light sources to beautiful "bokeh balls".

Bokeh camera settings… the cheat code!

While I said that bokeh camera settings are about much more than the size of your film or sensor, I wasn't lying… but having the biggest sensor or film format really is a cheat code to getting deliciously defocused background blur.

Using a medium format camera, for instance, will simply melt the backdrop into a puddle of blur. Pair it with a long lens and a fast aperture and you can achieve some supernaturally shallow depth of field.

But you don't have to break the bank with medium format – check out the best lenses for bokeh regardless of what camera you're using, and if you use these settings and techniques you'll get that creamy, dreamy look in no time.

Wondering where to start? Take a look at the best cameras for portraits and the best lenses for portraits.

Whether you are using a DSLR or mirrorless camera, both offer a variety of Picture, Creative Styles, or Picture Control options. An option in many cameras is the Black and White setting, which allows you to see a monochrome translation of the scene rather than having to visualize it. This helps you to decide whether the scene is suitable and rearrange the frame accordingly.

Here, the biggest concern is losing the color image due to this style setting. Ending with a monochrome frame isn’t ideal and is a big limitation when the client’s expectations change. What often gets forgotten is that when shooting B&W in RAW format, the camera records the frame’s color information. 

This not only gives you the freedom to decide whether it will end up as a monochrome image but also opens doors in post-processing, as fine-tuning through various color channels requires color information. Activating the B&W style in-camera will, therefore, help you visualize, analyze, and optimize the subject. 

When using your camera manufacturer’s RAW conversation software, the image will appear in black and white, along with any other in-camera adjustments you have made. When opening the RAW file in other editing software, such as Photoshop, the software won’t recognize the Picture Style information. This means that the photograph appears in color and requires manual conversion to monochrome. However, when you set your focus on black-and-white photography, in-camera settings, and adjustments are best to use to achieve maximum precision in detail. To manually convert the shot later takes just one click.

Set up your camera

Create and tune mono images in-camera without losing colour information

1. Shoot in RAW

Select RAW as the file format so that the camera is still recording the scene’s color data. As a RAW file type, choose Uncompressed to ensure high quality and avoid data compression.

2. Switch to Live View

When working with tripods or an optical viewfinder, enabling the live view on your screen can help you compose your image. This way, you will be able to oversee the preview in monochrome.

3. Select mono

In the camera shooting menu, the monochrome feature’s name differs from the camera brand. Watch out for Picture, Creative Style or Picture Control to enable a B&W preview.

4. Adjust parameters

Every scene requires different adjustments in contrast and sharpness to highlight specific features like textures or material. It is advisable to start fine-tuning these options in-camera.

Use in-camera filters

Enhance contrast and drama to cut the time spent in post-processing

Black-and-white photography requires more fine-tuning than colour images. Even when photographers predominantly used film, manual editing happened in the dark room. These days, editing programs such as Photoshop or Affinity make this possible. However, enhancing elements like the sky or luminosity distribution can take time. 

It is often overlooked that cameras feature genius settings that let you fine-tune settings directly in the camera. Color filters are integrated into most models, which are key to maximizing the effect of monochrome images. When shooting B&W analog, these come in physical form and are used in front of the lens of monochrome cameras. 

The Monochrome Circle

Use this cheat sheet to see how different colored filtration can affect the shade of gray you get when converting to black and white…

If you've been holding off upgrading your Best DSLR to the latest and best Nikon camera, well today is a good a day as any, as the Nikon Zf with special edition Z 40mm f/2 has now reached dropped in price to just £2,299 at Park Cameras - that's a cool saving of £220, and the lowest price we have ever seen.

Inspired by the legendary Nikon FM2, the Nikon Zf captivates with its exquisite, tactile charm. Its precision-machined edges, knurled dials, and marbled texture offer both visual appeal and a rich sensory experience. 

The shutter speed, ISO, and exposure compensation dials, made from precision-carved aluminum with engraved markings, allow for accurate manual adjustments. The mechanical shutter delivers a satisfying click, enhancing the tactile interaction.

The Zf's electronic viewfinder, housed in a prism-shaped casing, complements the vintage-inspired controls with an intuitive design. It integrates seamlessly with the 3.2-inch vari-angle rear LCD screen, enabling easy adjustment of focus points, subject tracking, and display modes without breaking eye contact. The fully articulating screen, which includes a front-facing option, enhances navigation and operation from various angles.

There is no question about it, film photography is back, and from the recent exponential growth in popularity, it's here to stay. The majority of the best film cameras are tools from the past and have not seen much modern development since the migration to digital cameras. That is however until recently.

Alfie Cameras is a family-run business and after a successful Kickstarter, started producing small half-frame compact film cameras with modern digital elements – providing a truly hybrid shooting experience. The cameras have all the feeling of shooting film, with the added benefit of electronic light metering and a rechargeable battery – I personally see this hybrid nature as the future of film photography.

It would be remiss if I didn't mention the other modern compact film camera, the Pentax 17, which also happens to be a half-frame. Having not used one it will be difficult to compare my experience to it, however, from my understanding of each camera, they were built to serve two different purposes.

Although technically a compact camera, the Alfie Cameras Tych+, and Tych models offer several creative lens options on a fixed rotary board.

The Tych+ offers a premium, meniscus, zone plate, and pinhole lenses, which create unique images making the camera a little more niche and experimental than cameras such as the Pentax 17.

Alfie Cameras Tych+: Specifications

Alfie Cameras Tych+: Price

The price of the Alfie Cameras Tych+ is something that I keep challenging with, as priced at $642 / £500 / AU$987, it is a steep investment for a creative camera. On the flip side, the camera is extremely well designed and each one is built by hand by the in-house team, so in that regard a more than fair price (It is also only available to purchase through the Alfie Cameras website).

The Pentax comes in at a similar price, potentially a little cheaper, so would prove stiff competition, for users looking for a more traditional shooting experience rather than the experimental.

I think the unique nature of the four lenses can be both a draw and a turn-off, as without trying the camera out for yourself, it can be a tough ask to put down the money without knowing if the lenses work for your way of shooting.

For users who enjoy pinhole style and meniscus camera aesthetics, having a compact camera such as the Tych+ would be more than worth the money, plus think of the money you can save on film when using double the amount of shots!

Alfie Cameras Tych+: Design & Handling

The first thing you notice with the Tych+ is that it is tiny! Measuring just 90mm x 79mm x 45mm, it takes the term compact camera to a new level as it can easily be slipped into your pocket and carried around daily without even noticing it. This is however a double-edged sword as those with slightly larger hands may find it a bit fiddly to grip for long periods.

The construction of the body is very durable and secure and provides a sense of confidence that it won't be easily broken if bumped or dropped. The body is made from an anodized aluminum / MJF hybrid construction, keeping light yet sturdy.

The lens rotary board is easily adjusted and clicks when the lens is in place. The viewfinder is also well constructed, and offers a clear view when used although does make it difficult to frame images, but more on that later.

The camera has an LCD screen that displays the camera menu and enables the user to select settings such as ISO, exposure comp, and shot count. The screen is well designed and constructed.

The USB-C charging is a stroke of genius and after a full charge, the battery lasted all three days I used it, in fact, I don't think it ran out the whole time I had it and remained with a charge when returned two weeks later.

Where I do feel the construction fades slightly is with the film spool and winder mechanism inside of the camera body. I never felt safe that my film was fully safe and attached and hadn't unhooked from the small gear to the point where I had to rewind my film halfway through the roll to make sure there were no issues. When manually rewinding the film, the tension was also inconsistent, and I often felt like I had gone too far.

Alfie Cameras Tych+: Performance

Having never previously used a half-frame camera I didn't know what to expect, and once I got my head around the fact that portrait and landscape had switched alignments, it was an absolute blast!

I decided to test the camera by shooting some street photography on my commute to the office. The Tych+ lent itself wonderfully to shooting street as it is so discrete, that no one realized I was shooting.

The camera was extremely simple to set up once the roll of film was loaded. Using the digital LCD screen I was able to set my ISO and reset the shot count. I also had the option to shoot in manual or auto mode. Being the first time using it I opted for auto and let the electronic light meter do its thing, and provide me with a perfect exposure.

The electronic light meter is one of the best things about the camera, as it enables new users the feeling of shooting digitally. Metering can often be an obstacle for new film shooters so having this taken care of, is very useful.

The viewfinder was clear although it was a bit hit-and-miss after receiving my film scans back from the lab. As someone who heavily relies on composition, it is very difficult to know what you're going to get as a result. My advice in this regard is to shoot wider and crop.

The camera's 4 lens options offered something different from each, although other than for test purposes (below), I exclusively used the premium lens. This was down to personal preference, and the shooting conditions.

As mentioned earlier, this was my first time shooting half-frame and the concept was a great creative challenge. As the 35mm film frame is essentially split into two, it enabled me to play around with diptychs, and as a photo editor, I enjoyed forming relationships between the two images in the frame.

I shot on Ilford FP4 at ISO 200, so pushed it a little bit as I wanted to lean into the grain and contrast.

For the most part, I was extremely pleased with the results. Removing the composition through the viewfinder, which may also be down to user error, the images came out exactly as I imagined when shooting, which is all you can ask for when shooting film!

Alfie Cameras Tych+: Sample images

Alfie Cameras Tych+: Verdict

Overall the Alfie Cameras Tych+ was an extremely enjoyable camera to use, and depending on your style of photography, creates some really interesting results. I think it is a fantastic option for those looking to experiment with film photography and create exploratory images that utilize the four lens options.

By having digital elements such as auto mode with the electronic light meter, it's less of a jump into the unknown for film novices and I think it's a great combination of digital and analog worlds – future film cameras should take note!

My only sticking point is the price. It's a lot of money to put down on an artistic camera without trying it, and subsequently knowing if it's right for you. Alfie Cameras does attend events such as this year's Photography & Video Show, so it might be best to see one in the flesh first.

However, I think for a film photography enthusiast who enjoys the process and is looking for an everyday carry option that can slip into your jacket pocket - the Alfie Cameras Tych+ is the perfect option!

Alternatives

There are two new cameras on the market created specifically for astrophotography, both cooled CMOS cameras, equipped with full-frame 61MP Sony sensors. 

Back in 2021, Japanese optics manufacturer Sightron announced that it would release a range of new Player One Astronomy CMOS sensor astrophotography cameras. The collaboration with China-based Player One was designed to make its astrophotography kit much more accessible. 

The latest two CMOS cameras (via Digital Camera Watch) are the Zeus 455C Pro (color) and the Zeus 455M Pro (monochrome). It seems as though the models were launched in November last year, but have predominantly been kept on back order. 

Both models are equipped with Sony's 61MP full-frame back-illuminated IMX455 sensor, along with its Starvis technology that achieves high quantum conversion efficiency of roughly 80% for the color model and 91% for the monochrome.

Cold camera photography is a technique used by astrophotographers to reduce the electronic noise that can accumulate during the long exposures needed to capture exquisitely detailed shots of the cosmos. By reducing the temperature of the sensor, longer shots are possible without the worry of the chip heating up, reducing thermal shot and readout noise.

The Sony image sensor is cooled using a dual TEC (thermoelectric cooler) system. This works by optimizing the structure of the sensor chamber, reducing heat with a Teflon spacer to a maximum of 95°F / 35°C. The cameras also come equipped with a heater to stop condensation when cooling.

Both cameras feature non-amp glow, native 16-bit performance for more vivid color and superior light and dark transition, and a Dual Sampling Mode – with Normal mode offering faster frame-rates for planetary imaging, and Low Noise mode boasting superior noise and dynamic range performance for deep space objects.

There have been many opportunities to shoot incredible astrophotographs this year, as the northern lights have been more visible due to increased solar activity at this stage of the sun’s 11 year solar cycle. Though many non-astrophotographers were disappointed to realize that the northern lights, and other cosmic delights, never look as good as they do in photographs.

The Zeus 455C Pro retails from $3,599 (approximately £2,819 / AU$5,565) while pricing for the 455M Pro starts at $3,699 (£2,895 / AU$5,719). You can find more information at the Player One Astronomy website.

Main specifications 

• Image sensor: Sony IMX455 back-illuminated CMOS sensor
• Format: Full frame (36mm x 24mm)
• Resolution: 9,576 x 6,388 pixels (approximately 61.17 million pixels)
• Pixel pitch: 3.76 x 3.76 μm
• Shutter: Rolling shutter
• Shutter speed: 32μs to 2000s
• QE: Approx. 80% (color) / Approx. 91% (monochrome)
• Read noise: 4.2-1.27e-
• Protective glass: AR-coated clear glass (diameter φ55mm / thickness 2mm)
• Flange back: 17.5mm/12.5mm (when tilt plate is removed)
• Data port: Main cable USB3.0 (Type-C), accessory USB2.0 (Type-C)
• Internal cache: 512MB (DDR3)
• Power supply: DC12V 3A (max)
• Case diameter: Maximum 90mm, inner diameter φ2.1mm, outer diameter φ5.5mm center plus
• Connection standard: M48 P0.75mm, 50.8mm plug-in/31.7mm plug-in
• Weight: Approx. 650g

Take a look at the best cameras for astrophotography, the best lenses for astrophotography, and the best star tracker mounts for astrophotography. 

To master harsh summer light, a polarising filter is a helpful tool to maintain dynamic range and enhance color intensity. This is especially useful when photographing around midday when the sun is at its highest point and there are usually fewer clouds in the sky. When aiming for a wider landscape shot, achieving a pleasing result can be challenging in these conditions.

That is why many photographers avoid shooting landscapes at this time of day. The sun’s position creates a flat look overall and the direct, undiffused light causes a lack of shadows. However, this light creates an opportunity to shoot tighter nature frames with more detail by including foreground subjects, including flowers. When doing so, lower your camera position, aim the lens at a 90°-degree angle to the sun and position the sky behind your subject for maximum effect. 

One experimental approach to introduce more dynamism is to intentionally overexpose the landscape scene. For this, you may want to avoid looking at your camera’s histogram, which shows when highlights or shadows are clipped due to overexposing or underexposing the frame. 

In most cases this is not a good sign, as those elements will not contain much image information even when shot in RAW and are therefore hard to recover in post-processing. However, when following this photographic technique, clipping highlights or shadows is desirable. Here, a popular approach is to convert those frames into monochrome scenes in post-processing, as the focus then shifts from color to shapes and textures.

Control The Exposure

1. Test the light

Shoot in Evaluative metering mode. Analyze the camera’s histogram and note any signs of overexposure. When many areas are clipped, it might be best to reconsider your composition or to use supporting tools, for example, a gradient ND filter so that you can better manage the exposure. 

2. Be precise

To master challenging lighting, you need to work precisely. To create measurements from smaller areas of highlights or shadows, switch the Metering Mode to Spot or Partial Metering. Both of these settings typically ignore the edges of the frame and minimize the exposure reading area.

• Photography cheat sheet: camera metering modes

3. Compare

Take a reading from both the darkest and the brightest elements and the camera will suggest exposure settings (in EV stops). If tones are one EV out of range, activate the in-camera Dynamic Range Optimization. If the range goes over three EV stops, then you may need to attach an ND filter.

4. Bracket exposure

If you are unsure about the ideal exposure, activate the Exposure Bracketing feature. Select Cont. Bracketing of five images +2.0EV. By pressing the shutter slightly longer, you now shoot three frames with variable EVs, so that you can create a High Dynamic Range image in post-processing.

Use Lens Flair

Ditch your lens hood

To create a lens flare, get into a position where the sun is approximately 45° degrees to the camera. To avoid overexposing the sun itself, think about a composition that excludes the sky, or incorporates elements such as trees that can partially hide the sun. This way, you underline the atmospheric factor while keeping the focus on the landscape. By doing this, you create a tonal variance throughout the frame. While this technique adds visual depth to the scene, the shadows appear lightened and reduced in contrast.

Create an airy mood

To capture a warm summery atmosphere in your landscape shots, you might not think that varying the aperture setting makes all the difference. However, by working with open apertures (low f/stop numbers), you can visually spread the light, making it appear less defined and blending it into the landscape to create a moody frame.

Shoot a starburst

On the other hand, when working with apertures of around f/16 or above, you create defined rays of light. When doing so, the sun itself will transform into a starburst, adding visual appeal to the photographic frame. This is also a great technique to use when capturing artificial light like street lamps in cityscapes at night.

In a time when film photography has hit an all-time high, prices have also seen an increase, especially from Kodak in its color film. However,  Kodak announced that it would be decreasing its prices for black and white film, and we saw it go down to $10 a roll, and now I'm pleased to report that a price cut has arrived in to the UK!

You can now pick up a 36-exposure 35mm roll of Kodak T-Max 400 for just £12.99 at Amazon, which makes it the LOWEST-EVER price it has been for over a year.

Kodak's T-Max 400 is a high-speed panchromatic black-and-white negative film known for its unique T-GRAIN emulsion, which delivers an exceptionally fine grain structure with remarkable sharpness and edge detail. 

With a nominal sensitivity of ISO 400, it offers a wide exposure latitude, allowing the film to be rated up to ISO 1600 and push-developed. This versatility makes it ideal for challenging lighting conditions and capturing moving subjects. Its fine grain, broad tonal range, and high resolving power make it perfect for scanning and enlarging applications.

It has been used by some of the greatest photography masters around the world and is often chosen over the legendary Tri-X for its sharper grain structure, perfect for those looking for a dramatic, contrasty image. 

For its competition in association with Photocrowd, Digital Photographer magazine challenged you to submit your best Dark Nights images. After working through all the entries, the winners have been selected. As a prize, the expert winners will receive a licence for Affinity Photo 2 professional editing software. 

Congratulations to all of the winners – as usual, the standard of submitted images was extremely high and it was a difficult task to select the best ones.

1st PLACE

Untitled by esraburcun

We love the high contrast of this shot. The choice to keep the colour version adds to the stark difference in tone between the building and the darkness beyond. It almost looks like a tear in a black curtain, revealing a stage behind and the placement of the figure is perfect for drawing the eye to it. Well done!

2nd PLACE

Lost in your phone by John Wakeling

There’s a wonderful contemplative atmosphere about this image. Many people see night-time in the city as intimidating, avoiding shadowy areas like this. However, this image shows off the tranquil side of the darkness – this man is experiencing the city in a way that would be impossible during the day. Nicely spotted.

3rd PLACE

Startrail above Michaelschapel by Helitz_photography 

We saw many star trail images in this round, so it was a popular approach to the brief. However, this one stood out for its simplicity and tranquillity. The subject is so small it feels dwarfed by the night sky, while the exposure
is perfectly matched and blended. Well done.

RUNNERS UP

Manhatten Bridge At Night by MartinDuffyPhotography 

Nothing makes better use of the night-time than a cityscape, but the detail in this
shot is truly astonishing. From the deepest shadows to the brightest highlights, the exposure is perfectly blended, giving us an all-encompassing view of the New York skyline. A brilliantly shot and edited image.

Night Hunter by Graham Davis

This shot looks far more difficult to take than one might immediately imagine. The timing, lighting and composition all come together to tell a story and give us a glimpse into this bird’s nocturnal life, as it scans the blackness for its next meal. Expertly photographed. 

Spring Moon by Tetiana

This is an unusual shot and an exciting interpretation of the brief. The colours are beautiful and we love that the photographer has chosen to focus on the flowers, which contrast warmly against the deep blue of the twilight sky. A lovely night study. 

City Night by Ludwig P

Many shots of people walking through dark streets were submitted for this round, but the buildings drew us to this particular example. The lights, colour depth and composition pull the viewer into the frame and make us want to know what is around that corner.

How to enter 

Enter at photocrowd.com/digitalphotographer for a chance to win a licence to Affinity Photo editing software (worth £49 for Mac or Windows). Affinity Photo is a toolset for photography professionals. Whether you’re editing and retouching or creating multi-layered compositions, Affinity Photo has the power you need, with non-destructive editing, RAW processing and color management as standard. Winners will be notified by email and can choose between Mac, Windows or iPad versions. Winning images will be revealed in an issue of Digital Photographer.

For a lot of people, their first camera is their phone. They take a lot of photos, so much so that they think about getting a dedicated camera. They ask friends and research online to pick one that suits them and their budget. They start shooting and realise that the photos don’t match those from the phone. Phones do computational photography. They do HDR, basic editing and even give haptic response when the phone is level. Mirrorless cameras? Not so much. So here’s some tips to help on that journey. 

1: Forget about Manual, for now

Sure the pros use Manual exposure,  but there’s an old joke that Canon’s Program mode was ‘P for Professional’. Auto exposure in modern cameras is really good. Get used to the camera before worrying about refining your exposure mode choices. Move to the semi-automatic modes like Aperture and Shutter Priority while allowing Auto ISO to keep the shutter or aperture reasonable. 

2: Composition is king

Let the camera do the hard work and concentrate on the compositional elements. Learn the Rule of Thirds and start using the intersections to place your focal point or subject. There are, of course, other compositional rules like the Golden Spiral or intersecting diagonals that you can look up. Use leading lines, curves and triangles to improve your photos. Look for unusual angles to show common things in a new way. 

3: Keep it level

Cameras love to tilt. Holding them one-handed is a good way to make sure you don’t get a straight horizon. Use the camera’s display options to have the digital level visible at all times. It’s the number one mistake made by beginners. It’s easy to correct in software, but try get it right in camera.

4: Raw wars

It’s tempting to stick with the JPEG files and their baked in good looks, but sooner or later you’ll want to go to Raw for more longevity of editing. A good compromise in the meantime is to shoot Raw and JPEG. You get to use those JPEGs now, but have Raw files for when your editing improves. I’ve so many regrets from not having Raws from old files that would greatly benefit from new tech like Lightroom’s Denoise. 

5: It's a system

One thing that you don’t realize at the start is that you’re not buying a camera; you’re buying a system. The cameras don’t matter in the long run. Your real investment over time will be in lenses. Buy the ‘for now’ camera, knowing that you’ll replace it every few years. Get the lenses that suit your work. Now that the world has shifted to mirrorless, you’ve no fear that your lenses will become obsolete. Even older DSLR lenses can be adapted to mirrorless, which could mean cheaper second prices. So think about your requirements. These could be things like weight, low light performance, focus speed, continuous focus, availability of long lenses..anything that ties to the work you want to shoot. 

Bonus tip: The kit lens is okay

Yep, it’s slower than a professional zoom lens, but it’s still fine for everyday use. Exhaust your use of it before spending more money. If you want another lens, consider getting a 50mm f/1.8, or the 35mm f/1.4 if you’re on an APS-C (crop) body. This gives you access to shallow depth of field. Third-party makers like Viltrox and Sigma make cheaper versions for the budget-conscious. 

Check out the best cameras for beginners

1. Use golden hues 

Take advantage of the warm, soft light during the golden hour, shortly after sunrise or before sunset. This light enhances colors and textures, adding a magical quality to your summer landscapes.

2. Add interest 

Incorporate foreground elements to create depth and add interest to your composition, drawing the viewer into the scene. For this, it’s better to avoid shooting at eye level by lowering the camera.

3. Try compositions

Experiment with different compositions such as leading lines, diagonals, or framing to create visually compelling images. When doing so, activate supporting features like grid lines in your camera menu. 

4. Keep an eye on colors

Summer scenes are often filled with vibrant colors. Pay attention to the color contrasts and complementary shades, for example, green and red tones, to make your photos stand out and visually appealing. 

5. Lengthen exposure 

Use ND filters to blur the motion of water, creating a silky-smooth effect that adds a dreamy quality to your summer landscapes. They also enable you to capture the movement of clouds, adding dynamism.

6. Watch the weather

Summer weather can be unpredictable, but it can also provide opportunities for impactful shots. Storm clouds, rainbows, or dramatic skies can add an extra dimension to your summer landscapes. 

7. Seek out reflections

Summer scenes may feature bodies of water, whether it is a calm lake, a babbling brook, or a tranquil pond. Use these surfaces to your advantage by capturing reflections that mirror the surrounding scenery. 

8. Make the most of DOF

Experiment with depth of field to control what is in focus and create a sense of depth; the whole scene might be in focus or a specific subject gets isolated by using wide apertures to produce a shallow DOF

9. Explore perspectives

Think with your feet and change your point of view to find unique perspectives. Get low to the ground for a worms-eye view or climb to higher ground for a sweeping panorama or an elevated view.

10. Get out early 

Summer mornings often bring fog or mist, especially in areas with bodies of water or dense vegetation. Use these atmospheric conditions to capture the soft, diffused light and the sense of mystery it creates.

You might be interested in our video explaining what is the rule of thirds, as well as our explainer on what is exposure in photography. 

The Pentax Film Project has been in the works since 2022, inspired by the resurgence in the popularity of film, Pentax decided to once again start producing new film cameras. Instead of dragging some blueprints out of storage for one of its old legacy models (of which there are a lot of incredible entries), Pentax decided it was going to call on all its engineering history but develop something brand new to the market.

The first camera to come from this project is the Pentax 17. Maybe not what many photographers envisioned as the first model based on the iconic cameras Pentax is most renowned for, the Pentax 17 is a half-frame 35mm film camera with a rangefinder-style design. 

Although today this makes total sense. The resurgence of film can almost certainly be credited to social media, especially Instagram, where vertical half-frame images perfectly fit Instagram’s favored 4:5 vertical style. Film has also become breathtakingly expensive compared to its heyday, with a roll of 36 Portra 400 now costing anything from $25-50 each to buy, develop and scan. Half-frame at least stretches this to 72 frames, so half the frame, double the value.

But are film cameras coming back just as AI takes over editing? The new Pentax 17 comes just at the same time as AI editing is taking off, and with dozens if not hundreds of apps trying to convince you that iPhone photos can look like they were shot on a range of vintage film cameras. While right now, I think film still has an authentic edge that can’t be beaten, and iPhones can’t replicate the experience of shooting film, if costs keep spiraling and no one online can tell the difference, then how long will new film cameras last?

With a lot riding on its shoulders as the camera to usher in the new age of film, does the Pentax 17 rise to meet the challenge?

Pentax 17: Specifications

Pentax 17: Price

I keep going back and forth on the value of the Pentax 17. On the one hand, it takes damn good photos, but on the other, whenever I pick it up, neither the build nor features sell me that it is $500 worth of camera. Obviously, substantial development costs went into creating a brand new film camera, but when it is possible to get a digital camera like the Canon EOS R100 or a phone like the excellent Pixel 8a for less money, it is hard to feel fully satisfied with the price.

This isn’t the only production film camera in town though, you can pick up a new half-frame Kodak H35 film camera for a fraction of that cost (around $50), although the image quality from the Kodak lens isn’t nearly up to the Pentax, the Kodak certainly still takes charming retro images that'll look good on your Instagram. 

If you are willing to play the second-hand market then there are plenty of great condition cameras from the film era for under $100 like the ever-popular Olympus Trip 35 (at the time of writing there are 1,600+ matching listings on eBay).

There is a reliability risk with buying old camera gear, and while the new Pentax 17 is, in theory, more reliable and can be repaired by Pentax should you damage it – repairs cost money, and in the end, it might be cheaper to just buy multiple copies of your favorite second-hand cameras. I have bought three Canon AE-1 cameras over about 10 years – and only spent around $250.

Pentax 17: Design & Handling

Pentax has done an excellent job styling the 17. There must have been a real temptation to just recreate a beloved design from the past, but instead, Pentax has developed a camera that looks every bit like a classic from the film era, yet with its own distinct imprint. It looks great, and it is easy to see why it has captured so much buzz online. 

However, appearances can be deceiving. While the Pentax 17 might look the part, when you pick it up the feel is underwhelming. The whole design just feels quite toy-like. The magnesium-alloy material could easily be confused for silver-painted plastic (which it was by several people I showed it to). There are also a few choices I am not sold on like the faux-leather finish on the front not stretching around onto the back of the camera. Some of the mixed textures across the camera like the raised diamond pattern just feel cheap.

The thing is, I don't think the camera needed to be so light and plastic-y. The resurgence of vintage clunky and heavy film cameras has shown that people are happy to carry around what is maybe not the most practical camera if it looks and feels right. Pentax, if you're going to design a vintage camera – go all the way.

However, despite my reservations around the feel of the materials, the camera does feel robust. The wind lever has a nice solid clunk to it and the dials feel precise with a nice click, but the mode dial really needs a lock. I managed to turn it accidentally quite a few times, and I don’t think it came out of my bag once in the same position as it went in. 

The film loading process is incredibly easy and I didn’t have any issues – just pop the canister in the back, line up the end with the marker, and close the case. This is blessed relief from some of the horrendous film-loading designs I have endured over the years. It takes about 5-6 photos to get to the official beginning of the roll, but I found that I could squeeze in a few shots before the counter hit zero. While there is no film advance indicator, the wind mechanism will spin as you advance the film using the lever. 

You are also able to rewind the film manually mid-way through the roll if you need to change the film mid-way. There is no double exposure mode, but if you want to attempt some double exposures you can use the old trick of fooling the camera into thinking it has been wound on by popping the rewind button to disengage the wind as you crank the lever. 

Winding the film back in was smooth, with a clear difference in resistance once the film was off the spool which should reduce any premature openings (I've done this before on other cameras, and it's devastating).

The viewfinder is one of my favorite aspects of the Pentax 17 design. As this is a half-frame camera, the viewfinder is vertical when the camera is held horizontally, and you can turn the camera portrait to take landscape photos. Which surprisingly didn't take much getting used to.

The viewfinder is not particularly big, but it is clear and easy to compose through, with framing lines that seem to be very accurate (from my recollection of desired framing at the time vs the final image). You can also see which focus zone you are in which is really handy for not taking your eye from the viewfinder. The viewfinder also goes slightly beyond the frame, which is handy for watching for a subject to enter the frame.

Next to the viewfinder, there is a red and blue LED that flash when something is wrong, although since I wasn't carrying the manual around with me, I wasn't always sure what the issue was. Some are obvious like the lens cap is still on, or I hadn't wound the film. Although some of the warnings were about lighting conditions or being in a certain zone which weren't immediately clear. What if I was in poor lighting and in the close-up zone? It would be nice to get a little clearer feedback than just an incessant flashing.

Powering those LEDs is a CR2 lithium battery, which are very widely available and I don't think should be going anywhere anytime soon. There is a note in the specifications that rules out rechargeable versions of the CR2 (likely due to the different voltage), which is an environmental disappointment but you shouldn't be churning through these batteries. The battery also powers the light meter and the flash and Pentax thinks you should get through 10 rolls of film if you use flash 50% of the time. (Unfortunately, I did not manage to shoot 10 rolls, i.e. 720 photos, in the week I had the camera to test this).

Pentax 17: Performance

In practice, I think the Pentax 17 is more simplistic to use than I hoped when it was first announced. But whether this is a good or bad thing for you depends on your expectations for how you want your photographic experience. Sometimes I was glad to just be able to slip the camera into auto and let it do its thing, but more often, I wanted the option to do more with my settings.

Pentax has chosen to prioritize the type of photographer who is going to want the highest proportion of immaculate shots, which in the economy of film today is a smart move – film photography is expensive and no one wants to waste money on rolls where they didn't quite nail the settings. But because of this lack of freedom, I found the camera a little less fun to shoot with.

You can play with the exposure using the compensation dial, but I found with no feedback from the camera there is a lot of guesswork based on your own assumed center-weighted average about how much compensation to apply. I have a decent sense of when I should be applying compensation, but without vital settings information, I can't even employ a light meter to help me out. I tended to just leave the exposure compensation dial untouched for just applying small changes and letting the camera decide what was best.

The film ISO is also manual, which means you can set it to a different ISO from the box speed for alternate looks to your images. There are some options for slow shutter speed if you're carrying a tripod, or a 'Bokeh' more maxing the aperture (more on these in a sec). Otherwise, apart from choosing if you want to have the flash on or off, there isn't much else to do.

For others though, I am sure this ease of use will be the biggest selling point – as with minimal input, the Pentax 17 didn't fail to take consistently good shots. Out of the four rolls of film I took with the camera, it achieved the highest proportion of "keepers" I think I have ever had with any film camera. The ones that were missed were mostly down to my own dumb human errors (remember to check your focus zone everyone). 

I also didn't think I would be, but I am now a half-frame convert. Having only played around a little with half-frame before to not always the most ideal results, I was skeptical about Pentax going down this route, but the Pentax 17 has really won me over with its impressive results.

Scanning the images with one of the best film scanners (I used the Plustek OpticFilm 135i) gives plenty of resolution for display online or on social media, or even small prints. The below examples were scanned at 3600dpi, you can hit the icon in the corner to view them in full resolution. 

With the price of film and development continuing to climb, getting 72+ frames on a roll really makes a difference when you are shooting a lot of them.

I think the Pentax 17's half-frame success comes down to its lens. With its compressed appearance, and plastic-y design, it might not look like it's capable of much, but the lens is incredibly sharp. Although what did I expect when the lens is based on the Ricoh Auto Half and the Pentax Espio Mini lenses? The lens also has an HD coating for sharpness and an SP coating for easier cleaning, which are taken from Pentax's DSLR lenses.

The zone-focusing system is also a wonder. With having to eyeball estimate so many distances, I was absolutely certain that I would have missed quite a few, yet there is enough leeway in the focus zones that you really don't have to get it exactly right. The camera automatically adjusts the aperture for different focus zones, so it maximizes the depth of field possible in each zone while keeping things pin sharp.

Unsurprisingly as the Pentax 17 does so well at nailing the perfect exposure in good light, this also extends to the camera's flash modes. There is a separate area on the mode dial for the flash with two options. The regular P mode is for your everyday flash shooting – either utilizing the flash as a fill light on a backlit subject or shooting in low light. The flash isn't powerful enough to light much beyond a group picture, but for these shots and portraits, it does a decent job, although as the flash is direct and has no diffusion, the light takes on a harsh quality.

There is also a separate mode for forced long exposure with flash, this is slightly harder to get to grips with but is useful in situations where you might want to light a subject, but also create light trails or keep some of the ambient light in the background. Like with any long exposure, you're going to need to carry a sturdy tripod and have a static subject.

The Pentax 17 also includes a 'BOKEH' mode, which increases the aperture to the maximum permissible size to still expose the photo correctly. If you want to get technical, bokeh is actually the shape and quality of specular highlights, not depth of field, but I guess that didn't look as good on the dial. 

Despite the smaller half-frame size the Pentax 17 can achieve some pleasing results, although with a maximum aperture of f/3.5 and a focal length of 25mm (or 37mm in full frame), the camera isn't going to be creating any super creamy backgrounds. 

The bokeh mode also only really becomes effective the closer you get to a subject. I think it's best to think of this like an iPhone's portrait mode, and it is only really worth slipping into this mode once you move into the portrait zone of the lens' focus options.

The Pentax 17 also has a macro mode, although the word macro may not be the right word to use here. The camera can focus down to 0.24m in this mode, which is pretty close for flowers and insects, but it's not macro and not going to reproduce life-size detail as you would get from a true macro lens. A 25mm focal length would also not be my first choice, although it can create an interesting perspective. 

Due to the rangefinder design of the camera, the Pentax 17 has a parallax compensation frame in the viewfinder for lining up macro (and tabletop) shots which I found to be effective. From what I can recall, the framing matched perfectly with the final shot, and I managed to get a few close-up shots that were sharp and detailed. You can see in the image below that the camera managed to capture some bees feeding on a flower. 

Pentax 17: Sample Images

These images (as well as those above) were all shot with the Pentax 17 on a mix of color Kodak Ektar 100 and Kodak Portra 400, and black-and-white Ilford HP5 Plus film. 

Development was handled by my local lab. I then scanned the film using a Plustek OpticFilm 135i film scanner and VueScan software to create RAW.dng files – before converting the .dng scans using Negative Lab Pro.

You can, of course, get your lab to produce scans for you as well.

Pentax 17: Verdict

The Pentax 17 is a solid first entry into Pentax's film project, and despite any reservations I had with the camera, I am very excited to see film cameras being produced once again.

On one hand, I appreciate the simplicity of the Pentax 17. With minimal skill, the Pentax 17 delivers reliably good photos nearly without fail. The lens is exceptional in producing incredibly sharp images, the viewfinder is bright and makes it a breeze to line up shots, and the zone focusing feature pleasantly surprised me with its accuracy. The half-frame design also makes some efficient use of film rolls, stretching their capacity further as film and development become increasingly expensive.

However, I found the camera's simplistic nature to be a double-edged sword. It is clear that this camera is designed to cater to a social media-savvy audience, with its straightforward approach being a deliberate choice to appeal to those who will prioritize the camera for its film aesthetic over its technical photography abilities. Yet because of this, I didn't find the point-and-shoot photography experience all that fun, and I found myself yearning for more manual controls.

When it comes to the price tag, the build quality is just underwhelming for what it costs. The plastic-y toyish feel of the camera body did not align with my expectations based on the exceptional design of the camera, and while as a fashion accessory, the design is an absolute classic, it doesn’t feel like good value.

Alternatives

Despite the fact that the Automat looks and sounds like something from the Communist-era Soviet Union, Lomography has replaced the camera’s Cold War aesthetic in favor of a dead painter from a hundred years ago. That means the Gustav Klimt special editions come wrapped in the visually attractive signature artwork of the Viennese Secession movement painter. This is the Gold Leaf version, complete with gold logos. Whether that makes it any more fun is for you to decide, but it certainly livens up what is a very square and boxy format. 

This is, of course, an instant camera, which means you slot Fujifilm Instax Mini cartridges in the back and tiny, self-developing prints emerge out the side, with an accompanying squeak and a rumble of the infernal internal mechanism. The box it comes in is attractively designed and has all the accessories you could ever want, from three lens attachments (close-up, wide angle, fish eye) to useful things like a remote control and a creative option with a rotating lens blocker for crazy multiple exposures. Even the manual comes in the form of handy and colorful tip cards. It’s an entire ecosystem in a box. 

Lomo’Instant Automat Gold Leaf: Specification

Lomo’Instant Automat Gold Leaf: Price

You can get Instax Mini cameras for $80 / £70 / AU$99, so for $200 / £179 / AU$270 this could be considered fairly pricey, but it does come with a range of lenses and extras.

Lomo’Instant Automat Gold Leaf: Build and handling

It’s built like an East German block of flats so it isn’t ergonomic by any means, but at least the fire button is well placed. Turning it on and off is a little bizarre though - you turn the focussing distance ring on the lens to your preferred setting of 0.6m, 1-2m or Infinite. To turn it off requires holding down a button on the other side of the lens and rotating it back to the off position again. Of course, actually judging focus distances when you come to take photos is pretty hit and miss anyway. 

Going back to the start though, loading the Instax Mini film is very straightforward, just open the back, slot it in, turn the camera on and take an initial photo to eject a dummy first frame. Then you’re ready to go. It works with automatic exposure, so there’s not too much brainpower required, but if the photos are overexposed, which happens with any kind of bright sky, then a trip to the controls on the back is required. These are tiny and crammed in, like the typical proletariat family in the aforementioned East German housing development. There’s a button to turn the flash on and off, one for the multiple exposure function, plus and minus 1 EV exposure compensation, and then a button that toggles between Auto exposure and Bulb (30 seconds).

It’s slightly surreal to find a screw thread for a tripod mount on the base, but consider this something for group selfies out in the open - in combination with the remote control shutter release.

The three additional lens attachments are fairly easy to screw on and off but the effect they have can really only be guessed at as the view through the viewfinder remains the same regardless. In a nod to modern sensibilities, the fire button itself is shiny chrome, making it useful for composing the shot for selfies.

Finally, each Instax Mini cartridge offers 10 prints so there is a series of small LEDs down the side corresponding to the number of shots still left. This is very handy so you don’t lose track of how many shots you have left.

Lomo’Instant Automat Gold Leaf: Performance

Once you get past the arcane method of turning the camera on, then judging the photo distance - anything past 2m is in the Infinite range, then it’s simple and fun to find something to photograph and shoot. With only 10 shots per film it’s easy to run out though, so it pays to be a little more prudent than shooting digitally. A twin pack of 10 prints cost around £15, which works out at 75p per developed print. They are small - the overall print is 54x85mm with an image area of 46x62mm, but this does mean you can build up collections of images in a compact book.

Now, the apertures the camera uses are f/8 and f/22, might have been a recipe for camera shake, but the Instax Mini film is rated at ISO 800 so that helps enormously. The narrower than expected apertures also mean that there’s more depth of field so once you get further than 2m away from the camera, there’s little chance of anything being out of focus. Closer than that, however, and it can be hit and miss, though the little icons on the lens of a single person (0.3m) and two people (1-2m) are handy prompts. The main issue with the prints is not camera shake, but over exposure. On a day with a bright, white sky the photos look like someone poured bleach over them. In those cases, definitely use the -1EV exposure compensation.

The default lens focal length of 60mm means it’s set up for portraits more than anything, so if you want to photograph scenery or a building then the wide angle converter is required, but it’s a case that it’s wider than the default lens than actually being a wide angle. The fish eye lens does give a round, fish eye view, but this crops into what is already a small print. Then there’s the close up lens, which makes things a bit closer, but don’t think it’s a macro lens because, obviously, it isn’t. 

Lomo’Instant Automat Gold Leaf: Verdict

If you have managed to get your shot in focus, not overexposed and the like, then the results are retro and quirky, which is really the market for this kind of thing. It’s fun to be able to see the prints pop out and develop fairly quickly, making them ideal for scrapbooking and the like. 

Alternatives

Want a different flavour of Lomography, then have a look at these Lomo cameras. Alternatively, check out this Instax Mini option. If, though, you just want some film-based nostalgia, see what our writer thought of the movie Kodachrome.

In landscape photography, dynamic skies have a profound impact on composition and viewer engagement, adding an extra layer of interest and drama to the scene. Stormy skies are commonly observed in the summer months, due to the increased heat and humidity during this season, bringing a sense of mystery and intensity. 

Of course, monitoring weather forecasts is key to anticipating stormy conditions. To maximize your chances of capturing dynamic clouds and stormy conditions, scout locations known for dramatic skies, such as coastal areas or mountain ranges, where weather patterns are prone to rapid changes. 

The changing light under dynamic skies amplifies contrasts and alters color temperatures, creating high-contrast scenes with dramatic shifts in hue. As sunlight penetrates the clouds, it spotlights specific elements. Those spotlights are not controllable and may make you readjust the composition to highlight other elements of the scene. This way you visually make the element stand out and directly draw in the viewer’s attention. 

Here, shooting in RAW format rather than JPEG is crucial. RAW files retain more information in both shadows and highlights, allowing for greater flexibility in post-production. This increased dynamic range enables us to preserve intricate details and tones, maximizing the creative possibilities during the editing process.

Balance the drama

1. Level it

Before capturing your shot, make sure to set up your tripod to avoid any unwanted shake that causes blur. Activate horizontal guidelines in the camera menu to ensure a straight horizon.

2. Dial in settings 

Shoot in M mode to gain control. Choose Evaluative metering, which analyses the entire scene to calculate exposure based on factors such as brightness, contrast and colour distribution.

3. Set White Balance

Access the camera menu to adjust the White Balance settings and test some presets. Experiment with unconventional WB settings to create a more dramatic and artistic effect in your photos.

Pro's favorite lens

“For dramatic summer landscapes, the Canon EF 16-35mm f/4L IS USM lens is ideal. Its wide-angle perspective captures vast skies and the majesty of the surroundings,” says Karolina. “The focal length range provides flexibility in composition, from sweeping views to narrow close-ups, in creating shots. The f/4 aperture provides sufficient light-gathering capability for most outdoor situations, while offering greater depth of field, ensuring sharpness from foreground to background,” she says. “Its optical quality ensures minimal distortion, which is crucial for accurately capturing intricate landscape details and textures.”

You might be interested in our video explaining what is the rule of thirds, as well as our explainer on what is exposure in photography. 

It wasn't until Alexandra Robins' last year of university that she discovered he true passion for pet photography. After graduating, she knew that she wanted to pursue a career there, and did as much research, networking and practice as she could to gain experience and build a portfolio. Over time, her skills and reputation grew. Here, he shares the joy and challenges of pet photography and reveals how her career has evolved…

A longer version of this interview originally appeared in Issue 206 of PhotoPlus magazine. Click the link below to see our latest special subscription deal!

The world’s leading digital photography magazine, Digital Camera launched in 2002 and has been helping photographers of all skill levels to improve their images ever since. 

Every issue is packed with technique tips, tutorials, inspiring images and expert buying advice, plus the latest news and equipment reviews, as well as a selection of bonus gifts (see below). 

Lovers of wildlife photography are in for a real treat this month. Our cover feature adapts some key content from two chapters of the updated edition of The Wildlife Photography Workshop by Ben Hall and Ross Hoddinott. 

Learn how to improve your wildlife compositions and take control of the ideal settings for exposure and white balance while shooting in the field… plus, the authors share their insights on the best lenses to use for this popular genre of photography.  

Don’t forget that you can subscribe to Digital Camera magazine and get the magazine delivered to your door every month. Choose between a print or digital subscription, or a bundle of the two. 

All subscribers to Digital Camera magazine can now access digital back issues dating from 2009 (when using iOS) or 2012 (when using the Pocketmags Magazine Newsstand app or the Pocketmags website). 

There are more outdoor projects to enjoy in Photo Active. Find out how to capture the glories of the British seaside holiday (above), even when decent weather decides to stay at home. 

Also this month, learn how to shoot vintage camera gear with a macro lens, use fill-flash to rescue portraits taken outside, and photograph puffins like the one featured on the front cover of the magazine. 

Photo Active’s four-page project sees us go on location with music photographer Steven Christie – he shares his smarts for capturing the essence of rock bands for the publicity photos you see on album covers and gig posters. 

Our latest monthly reader challenge is ’Sunsets’, so to be in with a chance of winning a £50 voucher towards Cewe Wall Art, send us your best shot. You’ll find all the details in project 10, on page 38. 

Other highlights in August’s Digital Camera

For many beginner and enthusiast photographers, the perceived complexity of flash lighting is something best avoided, but August’s Camera Clinic shows that there’s nothing to fear. 

Discover how flash can be used as a powerful creative tool that can transform your photography. Expert user Will Cheung takes you the various forms of artificial light to show you what’s possible, and how to get started on your flash journey. 

Our wildlife focus continues in the One to One pro masterclass, where we travel to The Red Kite Feeding Centre at Gigrin Farm in Wales, to watch Paul Way photograph the daily avian invasion. 

See what happens as hundreds of red kites descend for feeding time, and discover how Way uses his deep knowledge of the birds’ behaviour to capture some amazing photographs of this majestic raptor.  

This month’s Hotshots gallery showcases the winning entries from the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation’s Environmental Photography Award 2024. 

Launched in 2021, these awards were created to reward photographers who put their creativity to good use in raising awareness of protecting planet Earth.

We take to the skies with Donn Delson for August’s interview. Delson is an aerial photographer, but one with a distinctive approach – he uses a helicopter to fly higher than a drone, on a mission to capture scenes that look entirely different from what they are in reality. 

Discover more about his ’down’ shot technique, where he leans out of doorless helicopters – yes, really – to get a unique perspective on what’s below. 

With holiday season starting this month, don’t head off on your travels without our recommendations for the best photo books to enjoy this summer. 

We’ve curated a collection that will be at home in suitcases or on coffee tables… from technique manuals to career retrospectives and collections of documentary photography, there’s something for all readers. 

This month’s Practical Photoshop section comprises three tutorials to immerse you in the latest creative features of Photoshop and Lightroom. 

Starting with Tool School (above), see what Photoshop’s all-new Adjustment Brush can do for your captures. Included in the latest update of Photoshop CC, it allows you to paint tonal adjustments over an image. 

Get the Look (above) suggests four ways to transform drab landscape photos, including sky replacement and adding creative blur. 

Fundamentals turns its lens on portraits with shiny faces. Learn how to use masking techniques in Lightroom Classic to tame any distracting shine in your people pictures. 

August’s Kit Zone starts with a hands-on preview of the Fujifilm X-T50, the latest entry level interchangeable lens camera from the brand. 

With a 40MP APS-C sensor, the X-T50 promises to be a great stills camera – read our early verdict on it from page 102. 

Also on test this month is the Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 DG DN II Art, an updated ’trinity’ lens for Leica L-Mount and Sony E-mount cameras. 

With optical and handling improvements over the original, it certainly impressed our test team. Find out why from page 112.  

Also dropping this month is the DJI Mini 4K. This new camera drone for budget-conscious beginners delivers 4K video at a sub-£/$300 price tag. 

Other hot products in August’s Kit Zone include the GoPro Hero12 Black action camera, and the Fujinon GF120mm F4 Macro R LM OIS WR, a powerful medium-format lens that’s ideal for extreme close-ups. 

The latest issue of Digital Camera comes with an unrivaled selection of digital gifts 

This month’s bonus gifts include nine all-new photo tip cards, three packs of software extras for Photoshop and Lightroom, 46 minutes of video tutorials, and two photography eBooks. 

Here’s the full list of the bonus gifts that are bundled with Digital Camera’s August 2024 issue: 

• Nine new photo tips cards covering landscapes, wildlife, macro – and more! 
• 46 minutes of video tutorials for Photoshop and Lightroom 
• 15 software extras for Lightroom and Photoshop
• 196-page ’Shoot Like a Pro’ photo projects eBook 
• 250-plus-page Camera Buyer’s Guide eBook full of buying advice

Subscribe now

Every issue of Digital Camera magazine is packed with tips, techniques, pro advice, reviews, news and inspiration. 

Don’t forget that you can subscribe to Digital Camera magazine and get the magazine delivered to your door every month. Choose between a print or digital subscription, or a bundle of the two. 

All subscribers to Digital Camera magazine can now access digital back issues dating from 2009 (when using iOS) or 2012 (when using the Pocketmags Magazine Newsstand app or the Pocketmags website). 

You can buy limited back issues of Digital Camera magazine in print at our Magazines Direct secure store.

Alternatively, there is a range of different digital options available, including:

• Apple app (for iPad or iPhone)
• Zinio app (multi-platform app for desktop or smartphone)
• PocketMags (multi-platform app for desktop or smartphone)
• Readly (digital magazine subscription service)

Buy our back issues USB stick

For any readers who would like to enjoy every digital back issue from 2022, plus all the bonus gifts, a special Digital Camera 2022 Collection USB stick for Windows and Mac users is on sale now. 

Using Adobe Reader or Adobe Acrobat, you can browse, search and print out issues 250-262. The Digital Camera 2022 Collection is available for UK readers for £19.99 including postage – for international readers, overseas postage fees will apply. 

Today is the last day of the Amazon Prime Sale and that means you only have until midnight tonight to buy the best Amazon Prime camera deals, which include this great deal on the first mirrorless retro-style camera from Nikon, the Nikon Z fc.

On the last day of the Prime Sale, the Nikon Z fc with a 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 lens is only £909 - that is a sweet £180 saving!

Blending classic looks with modern performance, the Nikon Z fc fulfills all the desires of a content creator's dream list. Its stylish and sleek retro design is paired with impressive image quality, courtesy of the Z mirrorless system's flexibility. This combination makes the Z fc an ideal choice for both photography and videography enthusiasts, especially those focused on vlogging and video applications if you wont require a full frame sensor.

The Z fc features a DX-format mirrorless design with a 20.9MP CMOS sensor, which works seamlessly with the Expeed 6 image processor. This powerful duo enables quick shooting performance of up to 11 fps and UHD 4K video recording at 30p, along with a wide sensitivity range of up to ISO 51200. 

Despite its vintage aesthetics, the camera is built for contemporary content creation, boasting a fully articulating touchscreen LCD, support for live streaming, compatibility with external microphones, and an advanced 209-point AF system with full-time subject tracking and eye-detection AF.

Physically, the Z fc pays homage to Nikon's classic SLR film cameras, featuring several familiar controls such as dedicated dials for ISO, shutter speed, and exposure compensation. The camera body is equipped with a 2.36m-dot OLED electronic viewfinder (EVF) and supports SnapBridge wireless connectivity, allowing remote camera control via a mobile device. Enhancing its suitability for on-location shoots and extended recording sessions, the Zfc also supports in-camera battery charging and on-the-go power via a USB C port making this the perfect camera for those who love style, but want modern tech.

The humble light meter has been a staple in working photographers' kit bags for decades – and while some would argue it was the most valuable piece of equipment. 

However, after the migration from analog to digital, its popularity seemed to drop off with the introduction of digital meters in the camera – and with the advent of mirrorless cameras, you get instant feedback as you adjust your exposure. Due to this, even the best light meters on the market never felt the need to evolve much – until now! 

Lit Systems has launched a Kickstarter for the Lit Duo 1, dragging the light meter into the modern era by combining 6 essential tools in one pocket-sized device.

Combining streamlined user interface and software with tactile controls provides a contemporary and sleek aesthetic, with powerful photography and video light-measuring features bringing it into the 21st Century. 

I never thought I'd see the day I was this excited by a light meter, but the advanced features are a huge leap from existing offerings. Lit Systems has provided a tool to accurately measure exposure, color, flash, illuminance, spectrum and flicker. 

The ability to quickly and efficiently measure color can be a game changer for photography, but even more so for consistent video. A trio of color modes enables the user to measure ambient color of any type and from any source, measure multiple lights to determine the differences between them, and see chromaticity values in CIE 1931 or HSI. 

As is the case for all great meters, accurate measuring of exposure is vital and the Lit Duo 1 delivers in this area – and then some! Measuring ambient exposure is simple and enables the user to adjust all parameters, add ND filters and alter exposure compensation. 

The ΔEV function accurately measures the exposure ratio between two points, the camera target function enables the users to set camera parameters manually, and the flash exposure measures the difference between ambient and flash – which works with HSS and provides the user with an analysis graph for enhanced control. 

In what Lit Systems calls 'special measuring' we find industry-first measuring features: illuminance, spectrum and flickering can all be calculated via the precisely calibrated sensors, providing greater information to video teams and filmmakers. 

Lit Systems really has redesigned the wheel with the Lit Duo 1 and it is being extremely well received in the industry, which is translating into significant Kickstarter backing – already close to smashing its $545,000 / £420,000 / AU$803,000 target.

Despite the long list of features I barely scratched the surface and I recommend heading over to the Kickstarter page for a more detailed explanation of the features – I didn't even mention that you can play Snake on it! Super Early Bird Prices start at $479 / £369 / AU$705. 

Editor's note: As with all crowdfunding projects, there is no guarantee that the final product will match the early depictions in the campaign – or that the final product will be completed or delivered at all. DCW does not endorse this or any other crowdfunding campaign. 

You may also be interested in our guides to the best light meter for photography, the best lighting kits, and the best video lights.

When it comes to scenes with high-contrast lighting, your camera’s sensor struggles to capture the details of both the foreground subject and the background. Despite what one of the commonly taught rules in photography says, intentionally blowing out shadows can benefit your image. Here, you need to go against the grain and remember that not every element of an image needs to contain information.

By exposing the sky, the viewer’s attention is drawn toward its details, without being distracted by the lackluster foreground that adds little and may prove to be a hindrance. Underexposing the subject integrates into the scene, with only the outlines of the houses visible, creating a silhouette while adding an extra layer of depth and interest.

To capture scenes such as this, we must bear three things in mind. Firstly, the timing is crucial – sunrise and sunset often produce dramatic backdrops, but even harsh midday sun can work if it is hidden behind the subject you are trying to capture. Secondly, selecting the right subject is key, so choose ones with distinctive shapes or outlines, such as trees, houses or even humans.

Finally, it is crucial to keep the sun’s position in mind. To create a silhouette, you need to shoot into the sun. At midday, when the sun is at its highest, light illuminates the subject from many angles but when the sun is low at sunset or sunrise, an elevated perspective such as a window on the second floor offers the best angle to create a true black silhouette in front of a colorful sky.

Before and after

Shooting steps

1. Shoot in M

When trying to create silhouettes, it’s important to switch to manual mode. In automatic mode, the camera will try to optimize the exposure for the scene, searching for details in the dark elements and making it a challenge to get true black pixels.

2. Deactivate functions

Some cameras have modes that create a balanced exposure for all elements. To produce deep black pixels, disable these settings. For Nikon users, it’s called Active D-Lighting; Canon’s is Auto Lighting Optimizer; and Sony’s is DRO.

3. Attach a polarizer

A polarizing filter boosts the saturation in a scene but it also reduces the amount of light reaching the sensor. This tool isn’t ideal for low-light conditions, so this stage is optional, but it can be useful when shooting in harsh lighting conditions.

4. Select Spot Metering Mode

Metering from the brightest element is best to achieve balanced background exposure. Take the meter reading from the sky and not from the sun as this leads to underexposed results where it is not wanted – in this case, in the sky.

5. Set the focus

In low-light conditions, your camera’s autofocus can struggle to achieve a precise focus. If this is the case, disable the autofocus function and focus manually on the subject. Focus on the edges of the subject’s silhouette to make it easier.

6. Overview and fine tune

Pay attention to the histogram and zoom in on both the sky and the silhouette. Experiment with exposure, reducing it by one or two stops until the silhouettes are a deep black – this way, you will better understand the technique.

More tutorials 

• Ditch your tripod – try handheld HDR instead!
• Freeze the motion in your images with this step-by-step tutorial
• Long exposure flash photography can give you mind blowing results
• Street photography: how to remove distracting elements with long exposures

Neutral density filters are like sunglasses for your camera, reducing the total amount of light that reaches the camera sensor through the lens, without affecting the color rendering. Incorporating the best ND filters into your workflow has the advantage that you can capture moving elements, such as clouds or waves, with a longer exposure time to highlight the movement smoothly without overexposing the shot. 

ND filters are available in various stops, such as ND2, ND8, or ND1000, which determine the degree of light reduction and each one serves a specific purpose. ND filters are complemented by the so-called Graduated Neutral Density (GND) filters, which darken only part of the frame, while the other part remains transparent, creating a precise gradient transition. This gradient is particularly useful in landscape photography, where the sky is often significantly brighter than the foreground.

By darkening the sky while leaving the foreground untouched, the best ND grad filters help balance the exposure, resulting in a more evenly lit image. These filters are characterized not only by different densities but also by different types of gradation transitions, including soft, medium and hard.

The choice between an ND filter and a GND filter depends on the scene and the effect to be achieved. ND filters are great for reducing light evenly across the frame, while GND filters are great for scenarios where there are noticeable differences in brightness between the sky and the foreground.

Use a filter

1. Stay steady

As we are working with long exposures, mount your camera on a sturdy tripod to ensure stability and reduce the risk of motion blur. This helps deal with demanding angles and allows you to handle long exposures effectively.

2. Turn off VR/IS

To ensure sharp results, deactivate VR/IS (Vibration Reduction/Image Stabilisation) on the lens and body. This is to prevent image distortion caused by movement, otherwise, the stabilizer may introduce vibrations, leading to blurry images.

3. Select Manual

Switch to M mode for precise exposure control. Use a higher f/stop to widen the depth of field, keeping more in focus. Select low ISO as enough light will enter the sensor during the long exposure for clear images.

4. Add the filter

Attach the ND filter to the lens. To reference exposure times at different filter strengths, use an app with immediate results rather than a conversion table. Or use this formula: new exposure time = base exposure time x 2^ (number of stops).

5. Fire the shutter

Activate the two-second self-timer in your camera menu and use a remote shutter release. Both techniques reduce the risk of movement, so the photos remain sharp. These simple steps maintain the integrity of the composition.

Digital Filters

When there is no ND filter available or you simply forgot it at home, why not make use of Photoshop’s features? To simulate the exposure balance of a GND/ND filter, make a copy of your RAW file and edit one frame focusing on the appearance of elements in the upper half of the frame, while editing the second file with a focus on the lower part of the image, then blend both layers. The long-exposure effect of clouds can be mimicked by applying a Radial Blur filter, found under Filter > Blur. As this filter will affect the entire frame, masking or blending needs to be taken into account again.

You might be interested in our video explaining what is the rule of thirds, as well as our explainer on what is exposure in photography. 

Panasonic has unexpectedly launched a new bridge camera - updating the seven-year-old Panasonic Lumix FZ80 (sold as the FZ82 in Europe). The new version will be called the Lumix FZ80D in North America, and as the Lumix FZ82D in the UK and Europe.

Many of the key specifications of the newer version are the same as those of the 2017-vintage original - including the design, the 60x built-in zoom, and the 1/2.3-inch 18-megapixel sensor. However, some new features are being added to the mix.

For starters, there is now a USB-C socket for simpler charging - and the eyelevel electronic viewfinder has been upgraded. The new EVF uses a 2,360k-dot OLED with 0.74 magnification - doubling the resolution of the existing model.

The rear 3-inch LCD display also gets an image quality boost, upping its resolution to 1,840k dots, compared with the 1040k-dot screen on its predecessor.

A completely new feature is the Zoom Compose Assist button on the top plate, which "lets you quickly zoom out with a single press of a button when you've lost your subject while telephoto shooting". This could prove handy if as the lens gives you an effective focal length range of 20-1200mm.

Panasonic has been one of the few companies to continue making bridge cameras, which offer a big built-in zoom lens in a camera with similar handling characteristics to a traditional DSLR. However, many of its bridge cameras have been in short supply in the last few years, so they have often been hard to find in stock. Hopefully, the new model will ensure better availability.

Other key features of the new model include 4K video recording, optical image stabilization, 10fps burst mode, and a full range of exposure modes (including manual, program and aperture priority).

The Panasonic Lumix FZ80D/FZ82D will go on sale in July for $479/ £429/AU$849.

Check out our guide to the best bridge cameras

One of the most challenging tasks in photography is to freeze a fast-moving subject, such as a racing car, a bird in flight or a plane at an airshow. 

Taking photos in automatic mode can be frustrating, as the camera’s settings need adjustments in exposure and focus. This means that some shots may be usable and sharp, but many will lack precision. To capture those dynamic and dramatic moments, technical knowledge and practice are the keys to success. Here the exposure triangle comes into play, which consists of three elements: shutter speed, aperture, and ISO. These settings all have an impact on each other.

For action shots, the priority is to select a fast shutter speed, such as 1/1,000 sec, to freeze the subject. However, this also means that light has less time to reach the sensor, resulting in a darker image. You might think that working with a wide aperture (low f-stop number) would solve this problem, as it enhances the brightness. 

The problem is that the more open the lens, the shallower the depth of field and therefore the narrower the focus area. This makes it even harder to keep the subject in focus, especially if it is moving unpredictably. Raising the ISO for brightness seems logical, but extreme values cause noise and grain – reducing the image quality in both sharpness and clarity. 

By understanding the exposure triangle and by experimenting with different settings, you will learn how to freeze the moment. Fortunately, the camera’s automatic modes and focus assistance can help guide you.

Before and after

Shooting steps

1. Choose an optic

To get up close to your subject and for extra flexibility in framing, a zoom lens with a focal length of 200mm or above is probably your best bet. However, these lenses can be expensive, so renting a zoom lens for a special occasion could be a more cost-effective option to consider.

2. Clean the lens

We are relying on the autofocus settings to keep up with the speed of the moving subject, so it is important to clean your lens first. This way you ensure that the AF can work accurately and won’t be distracted by dirt or spots on the lens. Use a suitable microfibre cloth to clean the lens.

3. Prioritize shutter speed

 Select the Shutter priority mode and lock the shutter speed. Now the camera calculates an appropriate aperture and ISO value to ensure correct exposure. After doing some test shots, select Manual mode and experiment to put your exposure triangle knowledge into practice.

4. Set the focus

To maximize your chances of getting sharp results, shoot in Servo autofocus mode. This setting tracks the subject as it moves across the frame. By selecting continuous / burst shooting mode, the camera takes multiple consecutive shots when you keep the shutter button depressed.

5. Control exposure

When shooting in bright conditions, for example, if your subject is directly against a bright sky, using an ND (neutral density) filter helps to control the exposure. A filter works like sunglasses for your lens and reduces the amount of light while improving dynamic range and detail.

6. Track the subject

Now it is time to capture a fast-moving subject. Get into position with your legs slightly apart and keep your attention on the subject, panning along with the movement. Take some test shots and review the results. Change your point of view occasionally to add variety to your shots.

If you're shooting fast subjects, you might want to take a look at the best cameras for sports photography or the best cameras for wildlife photography.

There are as many creative filters out there for photographers as there are photographic applications, and each new filter to the market promises to do something different or better than the last. The best variable ND filters reduce the light entering your camera, slowing down exposures for expressive movement, or balancing scenes with different light levels.

Variable neutral density filters are my go-to for achieving wide apertures in super-bright situations like the midday sun because I can control the amount of light entering the camera and still create a shallow depth of field. And that's not something I can fix or add in post-production.

The Pro1D Smart Variable NDX filter offers densities between ND3 to ND450. You can change the strength infinitely by rotating the filter, and vary the light entering the camera from a minimum of 1.5 to a maximum of 9 stops. As an entry-level option, it's not got the coatings and glass kudos of more expensive options like the Urth ND1000 and the largest size you can get is an 82mm thread. However, it makes a great starting point for landscape and portrait photographers who want to start experimenting with long exposures.

Confusingly this filter isn't part of Kenko's Instant Action range, which has a magnetic adapter to allow the quick switching of magnetic filters in the field. It has the same NDX3-450 filter as the Kenko Pro1D+ NDX3-450+C-PL I've previously tested but without the built-in polarizer. I thought that filter was a jack of all trades, and that a solo ND option would have been better than a combined product. So Kenko has almost answered my wishes with the PRO1D Smart Variable NDX, and I was eager to see how the traditional screw-on design would compare to a magnetic or slide-in alternative.

I've had the largest 82mm filter in my bag for over a month now, screwing it onto my Canon RF 24-70mm f/2.8L IS USM lens every time I've wanted to slow down the exposure – either for extended exposures or shallower depths of field beyond what the ambient light allows. If you're looking for one of the best variable ND filters, read on to find out whether the Kenko Pro1D Smart Variable NDX filter makes the cut, and if so, whether it's the right cut for you.

Kenko Pro1D NDX3-450 filter: Specification

Kenko Pro1D NDX3-450 filter: Price

None of the filters in Kenko's Pro1D (and magnetic Pro1D+) range are particularly expensive, which is just as well given they come in basic plastic cases and offer few real "features" worth paying a premium for. The Smart Variable NDX filter costs between $30/£30-$45/£45, depending on the thread size you need, which is on the budget side for adjustable ND filters.

Unlike the Kenko Pro1D+ UV filter and its water-repellent, anti-reflection, and anti-stain coatings – something you need on an everyday filter – Kenko doesn't mention any coatings on the Pro1D NDX3-450. By contrast, the LEE Elements Variable ND filter has anti-reflective, hydrophobic, and oleophobic coatings to resist fingerprints, but then you're looking at a price around six times as much. For such a steep investment, I'd rather be extra careful not to touch the front of the filter.

I don't know what the glass is, either, so you can assume it isn't German-made SCHOTT. I don't want to sound too disparaging, though. The Pro1D smart Variable NDX is keenly priced for its target market of hobbyists.

Kenko Pro1D NDX3-450 filter: Design & Handling

The Pro1D NDX3-450 filter comes in an unassuming gray cardboard sleeve that's worlds away from the bright, cheerful Kenko Pro1D+ range. But let's not judge a book by its cover, or a filter too harshly by its packaging. It comes well-protected in a hard, square plastic case, and inside this, there's a perfectly sized hole cut for slotting the filter into so that it doesn't rattle around in transport.

If I was being picky, I found the filter case hard to open, and imagine it being more so when you're shooting an early landscape with cold hands, or wearing gloves. The upside is that the case shuts securely, and there's little chance of it coming open in your bag and the filter getting scratched by the contents. It isn't labeled either, so if you have several of these cases in your bag you might find it hard to tell between them.

Physically, it's much slimmer than the Pro1D+ CPL ND, which must be because it doesn't have to incorporate a polarizing filter into its dimensions. On immediate handling, I'd say that it felt sturdy, being made from a strong but still lightweight magnesium, which blended well on the end of my Canon RF lens. Mounting the filter was painless, which sounds strange to mention, but cheaper filters often have poorly machined threads that make them fiddly to screw on.

Once mounted, the filter rotated smoothly in a full 360-degree motion, and I was pleased that there wasn't any grating. There's some subtle resistance, which is what you want to avoid the filter moving during a shot, but just enough for the movement to feel smooth. Helpfully, there are minimum and maximum markings on the perimeter of the ND filter, and these are incredibly useful when trying to work out where you are on the density scale.

Where UV filters are usually designed to allow a lens cap to sit on the end, the Pro1D Variable ND filter wasn't compatible with my lens cap. This is a shame, as several times I took a shot, walked five or ten minutes to another spot, and had to take the filter on and off each time to put my camera in my bag. The filter has different sized diameters on its front and back, and I've since discovered that if you want to attach a lens cap, you'll need it to be one size larger than your lens' thread.

Kenko Pro1D NDX3-450 filter: Performance

While the Pro1D NDX3-450 filter is a simple, affordable variable ND filter, it still needs to deliver clear, sharp images that make the most of your lens' tech. I'm pleased to report that I couldn't spot any image quality issues when it was mounted. I tested the filter at a range of focal lengths with my telephoto and there was no noticeable vignetting (darker edges of the frame) or drops in contrast or clarity. Some ND filters can affect the color temperature and often run a touch cool, but I didn't notice any casts when using the Pro1D NDX3-450 either. The white balance was identical to control shots without it.

While you can theoretically darken your exposures in post-processing software, you can't slow the shutter speed and capture motion blur after the event. This is where the Pro1D NDX3-450 was key for me. I experimented with exposures between half a second to twenty seconds and was satisfied with the results.

For me, that's where this filter wins over a fixed-density option like the Urth ND1000 Filter Plus, even with its well-labeled case and 20-layer nano-coating. That being a fixed 10-stop ND filter, it can't offer you the more subtle light-blocking capabilities that the Kenko does. Being able to adjust the ND density infinitely from ND3 to ND32 makes it a very adaptable accessory in many environments, including if you're using it for video and need to stop down to a suitable shutter speed. And as you don't have to stack a set of ND filters, you won't get the vignetting that comes with that.

I used it a lot during bright sunshine to set a low ISO speed and take advantage of my lens's maximum f/2.8 aperture for a blurred background. During these daylight situations, being able to twist the filter and work in manual exposure mode allowed me to choose the balance of settings precisely, but given that the filter blocks light in real-time, a semi-automatic Aperture Priority mode also worked well.

When I used the filter near or at its Max setting, I noticed an X-shaped dark pattern in the frame. Kenko says that this is a normal effect, can't be prevented due to the filter's construction, and that adding a stopper would have made it less versatile for getting a wide range of densities. I was surprised by the dark, muddied effect at first, but it's not a problem or a defect of the product, and even more reason to use the handy markings on the filter's edge for guidance so that you don't use it past the maximum point.

Kenko Pro1D NDX3-450 filter: Verdict

Overall, I'm impressed with Kenko's Pro1D NDX3-450 filter. If a range of ND strengths is what you're after – to completely blur movement in your landscapes or just slightly affect the exposure to reach the optimum shutter speed in your video – then this filter does exactly what it's designed to do. And by doing away with coatings or fancy glass, it can be sold more cheaply than Lee or Tiffen equivalents.

The screw-on filter design offers a secure fit on the lens, and the ability to alter the ND strength with a gentle twist. However, the disadvantage compared to a slide-in filter is that you'll have to buy several duplicates if you want to use filter thread sizes on different lenses. As I generally have one workhorse lens this isn't a problem, nor will it be for many landscape shooters who stick to a single wide-angle. And the competitive pricing means you could still buy several filters for a fraction of the cost of the premium brands mentioned above.

Does the Kenko Pro1D NDX3-450 offer the same clarity you'd get for a filter five times the price? Probably not. But I'd say the difference in quality is entirely negligible unless you're a fine art photographer making a living from giant prints and image excellence. For most, it'll provide an easy way to tweak their exposures with minimal effort, time, and investment.

Kenko Pro1D NDX3-450 filter: Alternatives

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. 

The world’s leading digital photography magazine, Digital Camera launched in 2002 and has been helping photographers of all skill levels to improve their images ever since. 

Every issue is packed with technique tips, tutorials, inspiring images and expert buying advice, plus the latest news and equipment reviews, as well as a selection of bonus gifts (see below). 

If you haven’t given manual photography a go, then perhaps it’s time to start now. This month’s cover feature explains how taking control of exposure, focusing and white balance can make a real difference to your image making.

Over 12 pages, we’ll walk you through techniques that will help you realise your creative vision, whatever type of photography you like to shoot… there’s coverage of landscapes, nature and wildlife, portraits and astrophotography. 

Don’t forget that you can subscribe to Digital Camera magazine and get the magazine delivered to your door every month. Choose between a print or digital subscription, or a bundle of the two. 

In our current deal, Summer Savings, UK and overseas customers can get three print issues for £5/$5/€5. 

All subscribers to Digital Camera magazine can now access digital back issues dating from 2009 (when using iOS) or 2012 (when using the Pocketmags Magazine Newsstand app or the Pocketmags website). 

There are plenty of other projects to enjoy in Photo Active. Discover how to photograph the interiors, exteriors and gardens of stately homes and capture the majesty of our iconic heritage spaces. 

We also suggest strategies for success when taking action shots of cycle races, and if you’re heading to a desert this summer and want to turn your lens on a camel then we’ve got your back. 

Other inspirational projects this month include creating a 3D effect on a photo you’ve already taken, photographing fog from above using a drone, and combining images with different focus points to get incredible front-to-back sharpness. 

Our latest monthly reader challenge is ’Coastlines’, so to be in with a chance of winning a £50 voucher towards Cewe Wall Art, send us your best shot. You’ll find all the details in project 10, on page 38. 

Other highlights in July’s Digital Camera

Also this month, Camera Clinic offers an expert overview of lens filters, and how to choose and use them. 

These accessories can really take your photography to the next level, but if you don’t know your soft grads from your hard grads, or a variable ND from a virtual ND, then turn straight to Will Cheung’s eight-page masterclass. 

If you like the idea of photographing horses, then saddle up for an equine portraiture masterclass in One to One. 

Leading pro Emma Campbell uses a straightforward approach to creating her images – natural light, no reflectors or modifiers – and we learned a lot during our morning spent watching her at work in England’s beautiful Lake District.  

A veritable photo-feast awaits you on page 42, where you can savour the winners of Pink Lady Food Photographer of the Year 2024. 

It’s the foremost international competition that aspiring and established food photographers want to win. Find out what it takes to do so in Hotshots. 

Former award-winning photojournalist Harriet Logan takes us around a new exhibition that she has co-curated, in our main interview.

’The Camera Never Lies: Challenging images through The Incite Project’ explores the power of documentary images, drawing on many key examples of photojournalism over the last 100 years. 

The exhibition is open until 20 October at the Sainsbury Centre in Norwich, and Logan takes us behind the scenes of putting it together. 

Outdoor photographer, author and educator Glenn Randall has just published the second edition of his book ’Dusk to Dawn’. 

He shares his love of after-dark photography, and how he creates his incredible images, in Behind the Lens from page 96. 

This month’s Practical Photoshop delivers another trio of tutorials taking you inside the latest creative features of Photoshop and Lightroom. 

Discover the new AI-powered Remove tool in Lightroom and Adobe Camera Raw and why it’s a game changer for photo fixes – that’s Tool School (above). 

Get the Look (above) explores a set of monochrome techniques in Photoshop that will let you apply realistic analogue effects to your digital images. And you can see them at work in no time at all, as the four included Photoshop Actions replicate all the steps. 

Fundamentals this month focuses on newborns. Don’t let editing a baby’s skin bring you out in blotches – follow our expert’s steps in Lightroom Classic and your editing process will be much smoother. 

This month’s kit reviews include a hands-on preview of the Leica SL3, the third iteration of the SL-System camera. 

With a 60.3MP full-frame sensor, and benefiting from hybrid phase detect autofocus, the SL3 could be the body that’s worth switching to the brand for… especially as it’s more affordable than a Sony A1 and A9 III. 

Also this month, we test DxO Nik Collection 7, the latest version of the popular plug-in suite. 

Elsewhere in Kit Zone, you’ll find three lens reviews. The Nikkor Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR is a new superzoom that offers several lenses in a travel-friendly form, and Sony continues to redefine the trinity lens formula with its FE 16-25mm F2.8 G. How much difference does sacrificing 10mm at the long end make? Find out on page 114.

One optic that does cover 35mm is the Lumix S 35mm F1.8. It looks pretty understated but our reviewer says it could be a terrific investment for L-mount camera owners. Read his review on page 110. 

The latest issue of Digital Camera comes with an unrivaled selection of digital gifts 

This month’s bonus gifts include nine all-new photo tip cards, three packs of Actions and presets for Photoshop and Lightroom, 41 minutes of video tutorials, and one camera guide eBook. 

Here’s the full list of the bonus gifts bundled with Digital Camera July 2024: 

• Nine new photo tips cards covering action, wildlife, landscapes – and more! 
• 41 minutes of video tutorials for Photoshop and Lightroom 
• 15 software extras for Lightroom and Photoshop
• 250-page Camera Buyer’s Guide eBook full of buying advice

Subscribe now

Every issue of Digital Camera magazine is packed with tips, techniques, pro advice, reviews, news and inspiration. 

Don’t forget that you can subscribe to Digital Camera magazine and get the magazine delivered to your door every month. Choose between a print or digital subscription, or a bundle of the two. 

In our current deal, Summer Savings, UK and overseas customers can get three print issues for £5/$5/€5. 

All subscribers to Digital Camera magazine can now access digital back issues dating from 2009 (when using iOS) or 2012 (when using the Pocketmags Magazine Newsstand app or the Pocketmags website). 

You can buy limited back issues of Digital Camera magazine in print at our Magazines Direct secure store.

Alternatively, there is a range of different digital options available, including:

• Apple app (for iPad or iPhone)
• Zinio app (multi-platform app for desktop or smartphone)
• PocketMags (multi-platform app for desktop or smartphone)
• Readly (digital magazine subscription service)

Buy our back issues USB stick

For any readers who would like to enjoy every digital back issue from 2022, plus all the bonus gifts, a special Digital Camera 2022 Collection USB stick for Windows and Mac users is on sale now. 

Using Adobe Reader or Adobe Acrobat, you can browse, search and print out issues 250-262. The Digital Camera 2022 Collection is available for UK readers for £19.99 including postage – for international readers, overseas postage fees will apply. 

Back when the super-thin 2024 iPads were launched, a Live Multicam feature was demonstrated whereby Final Cut Pro on an iPad Pro could switch between live footage from up to four iPhones.

Now, finally, the app which makes that possible – Final Cut Camera – has been released into the App Store as a free download. This enables, in Apple's words, the user to "Capture professional footage with full manual control" and "Preview, record, and sync up to four devices with Live Multicam in Final Cut Pro for iPad."

You might ask why this is separate from the standard camera app. It does, after all, have features you'd recognise, like pull focus. When you see the features you'll understand why Apple has chosen to ring-fence more deliberate users into an app which offers easy access to settings including shutter speed, ISO, white balance, and manual focus as well as choosing resolution, frame rate and color space.

Other pro features are Focus peaking and overexposure indicators, though these require more recent iPhones (A13 Bionic or newer). To be fair, that means the iPhone 11 and onward. There are also overlays like grids and aspect ratios.

Preview media is automatically synced and instantly available for edit with FCP, and the app allows you to see your available audio recording time as well as levels.

The app is compatible with all iPhones with iOS 17.2 and up, but one especially useful feature – the ability to record video files directly to an external recording device – does (as the USB-C socket might suggest) require an iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro Max.

Perhaps more financially significant, if you're headed down this route, is that Final Cut Pro for iPad requires a subscription. At £49/$49 per year or £4.99/$4.99 per month, it's also Apple's first subscription app.

While this feature might now provide a much better reason for some creators to make that investment – immediately synchronising content and doing an on-the-fly edit can save a lot of time – it is still a choice which will weigh a little more on the wallet than a traditional set-up.

If you're planning on using a few iPhones for an event, check our guide to the best iPhone camera grips.