Digital Camera World (August 2005)

184 Pages·2005·22.037 MB·English

NIKON D50 FIRST TEST + 20 PAGES OF REVIEWS!
Helping you create better photographs
August 2005
www.dcmag.co.uk
FLASH
MADE EASY
Simple lighting tips to
transform your photos
DIVE TALKIN’
Shark photographer Doug
Perrine reveals his secrets
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Great techniques for capturing people and places
■ The gear you really need – and how to pack it 005
2
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■ Brilliant photo advice from award-winning pros GUS
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A
PRINTED IN THE UK

Digital Camera Magazine
Future Publishing, 30 Monmouth Street, Bath, BA1 2BW
Editorial ☎ [phone] www.dcmag.co.uk
Customer services ☎ 0870 444 8475
YOUR TEAM
Marcus HawkinsEditor – [email protected]
Andrea Thompson Deputy Editor – [email protected]
Rob Bowen Art Editor– [email protected]
Elizabeth Raderecht Operations – [email protected]
SECTION EDITORS AND EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS
Lee Frost, Mark Harris, Karl Foster, Matt Fagg, Derek Lea, We’re packing it in this issue…
Mark Sparrow, Pete Martin, Rod Lawton, Matt Henry, Dan Oliver,
Kate Foley, Shaun Marin, Tom Ang
PHOTOGRAPHIC CONTRIBUTORS
(Where not credited inside) How much camera gear do you take away with you “It’s the
Future Network Photo Studio, Photolibrary.com, Getty Images
when you go on holiday? If you’re anything like me,
ADVERTISING passage
probably more than you’ll ever need. I know I’ve
Mandy Atkin Senior Advertising Manager
☎ 01225 788205 [email protected] missed nailing photographs in the past because I’ve had my through
David Gaine Senior Sales Executive
☎ 01225 788169 [email protected] head buried in my camera bag trying to decide on the right
Lesley Whigham Senior Sales Executive combination of equipment to capture a fl eeting moment Customs
☎ 01225 822853 [email protected]
Advertisement typesetting J Jays Ltd with. These days I try to keep it to a minimum – just one SLR where you’ll
body, a couple of zooms and a compact for back-up. And a
NEW MEDIA
Ali Jennings New Media Editor – [email protected] fl ash. Plenty of memory cards. Oh, and some kind of portable fi nd the
Sarah Williams Software Copyright Co-Ordinator storage. And a light tripod…
[email protected] greatest
It’s hard to stop, as you can see – you want to feel as
CFiIoRnCaU TLuAllTy IMONar kAeNtiDng M MAaRnKaEgTeIrNG though you’re prepared for any event as you never know what benefi t of
Jennifer Wagner Marketing Executive photo opportunities will arise once you arrive at a location. But
Clare Tovey Production Manager the key to successful travel photography, as Lee Frost explains reducing
Katty Pigott Production Co-ordinator
Colin Polis Future Plus Buyer in our cover story this month, is to do your homework and gain
your kit”
as much knowledge of the photographic potential of a place
INTERNATIONAL LICENSING
Simon Wear International Licensing Director before you get there. He also gives a dead useful guide to the
Tell us what you think of
SENIOR MANAGEMENT minimum kit you should pack to make the most of your time in this and other photography
NStiecvke M Geortroitbt eGdr oSeunpi oSre nAirotr E Eddititoorr a new location. issues on our chat room at:
Stuart Anderton Publisher To be honest, it’s the passage through Customs where www.dcmag.co.uk/forum
Lynda Burgess Assistant Publisher you’ll fi nd the greatest benefi t of stripping your kit down. I
Dom Beaven Publishing Director
know from bitter experience how tedious it is to have every
SUBSCRIPTIONS & BACK ISSUES piece of carefully packed camera gear removed from carry-on
If you have a query regarding a subscription or back issue, or would like to place an
order, please contact our customer services team: luggage, every box opened, every surface wiped – and how
Telephone: [phone] irritating it is trying to squeeze everything back in a bag which
Email: [email protected]
now seems smaller than it did when you were at home. Now
Future Publishing Ltd is part of Future plc.
Future produces carefully targeted special-interest magazines for people I really do make an effort to travel light – and use a bag that’s
who share a passion. We aim to satisfy that passion by creating titles built for the job. Speaking of which, we’ve got a round-up of
offering value for money, reliable information, smart buying advice and
which are a pleasure to read. Today we publish more than 100 magazines the best on page 101…
in the UK, US, France and Italy. Over 100 international editions of our
magazines are also published in 30 other countries across the world.
Future plc is a public company quoted on the London Stock Exchange (symbol: FUTR).
Non-executive Chairman: Roger Parry
Chief Executive: Greg Ingham
Group Finance Director: John Bowman
Tel [phone]
www.futureplc.com
Distributed by
Marketforce (UK) ltd, 5th Floor, Low Rise Building, Kings Reach Tower,
Stamford Street, London, SE1 9LS. Tel ☎ 020 7633 3300
Printed in England
© Future Publishing Ltd 2005
Disclaimer All contributions to Digital Camera Magazine are accepted
on the basis of a non-exclusive worldwide licence to publish or license others to do so, Marcus Hawkins Editor
unless otherwise agreed in advance in writing. We reserve the right to edit letters.
We cannot accept liability for mistakes or misprints, or any damage to equipment or possessions [email protected]
arising from use of this publication, its discs or software. Due to unforeseen circumstances, it may
sometimes be necessary to make last-minute changes to advertised content, for magazine and discs.
Our promise to you… Meet your experts…
■We will show you how to create better pictures, give clear, Andrea Thompson Lee Frost
independent buying recommendations on the latest kit, and deliver a
Deputy editor Professional landscape photographer
CD packed with the top PC software.
Andrea has a degree in Visual Arts and great Lee’s a widely-published author who also leads
■We use boxes, tips, quick fi xes, quality photography, walkthroughs
passion for both photography and digital art. photography tours around the world.
& diagrams to show you how to improve your skills.
■We have a cast-iron policy of editorial independence. All our kit is Rod Lawton Mark Harris
reviewed as-sold. We discourage our journalists from accepting
Reviewer and writer Reviews editor and writer
gifts from advertisers.
Rod has an encyclopaedic knowledge of Mark once worked for Which? so what he
Get in touch… digital cameras and accessories. doesn’t know about kit isn’t worth knowing.
■Articles/ideas for publication and general enquiries email: Tom Ang Derek Lea
[email protected] Photographer, writer and broadcaster Professional digital artist and writer
■Customer services/subscriptions departments email: Tom presented the BBC series ‘A Digital Picture Derek is an award-winning Photoshop
[email protected] of Britain’. He’s a regular camera reviewer for us. specialist with an international following.
003
Photo ideas
12 Send us your shots
August 2005 #36 How you can make sure we see m
your masterpieces co
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Learn to photograph gardens at e
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129 Your Mission: challenge y Je
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This month, the theme is water o
– there’s plenty of scope for you to hot
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Doug Perrine’s secrets of get creative with thie one! ver
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marine photography – page 44 C
Contents
Technique 72 Cover disc programs
Step-by-step walkthroughs of the
software on this month’s free CD
54 RAW power
More on what RAW can do for you 74 Q&A
– and what it can’t – in the second Your problems solved by our team Cuny Janssen’s work on
part of our series. of digital photography experts show in London – page 85
58 Know your camera sCtoovreyr
Make the most of your fl ash Your pictures
In-depth
with our expert advice – this month,
we enlighten you on ways to soften
harsh, raw fl ash 6BirHdso, btseehso, stksies and trees in the 30 On the road sCtoovreyr
64 Gum bichromate effects best of this month’s reader photos Where to go, what to take
How to mimic this traditional print and how to use it, plus tips from
technique on your digital images in 76 Photo clinic top travel photographers in our
Photoshop Our experts offer constructive practical guide to taking holiday
criticism of the pictures you send in photos like a pro
68 Golden brown
The easy way to add warm, golden 126 Your Mission: results 44 Wet and wild Cover
story
highlights to your photos June’s theme was sunlight – here’s Learn how award-winning
the best of what you came up with underwater and marine wildife
69 Revert to Cyanotype photographer Doug Perrine
Get the moody blues with this captures the beauty of the oceans
atmospheric colouring effect – your Offers & compos
three-step guide
26 Photographer of
the Year 2005
The stunning winners of this year’s
Landscapes category – plus the
chance to enter your action photos
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004
FREE
Guide to Essentials
Light
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26 Competition POTY 2005
21 Back issues Phone and get one
25 Subscribe Save money
119 Dealer ads Advertiser offers
Kit reviews
Cover
story
New cameras
88 ...............Canon PowerShot S2 IS
92 ........Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ5
94 .........................Nikon CoolPix S1
96 ........................Pentax Optio S5n
Other reviews
98 ...............Epson PictureMate 500
98 ............Apacer Disc Steno CP300
98 ..........Epson Stylus Photo R2400
101 Rucksacks on test
Bag of tricks or not your bag, baby?
We try out photography backpacks
115 The A-List
Buyers’ Guide: the 60 best cameras
on sale – at their latest street prices
THE ART OF TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY
30Whether you’re headed for Hanoi, Hyderabad
Cover
feature or Hungary, we give you all the knowledge you
need to take travel photos you’ll treasure forever
ON YOUR COVERDISC
Get started with the only discs that
containeverything you need – Photoshop
videos, tutorial fi les, free full software, test
shots and much more!
■ To use, load disc and follow instructions
■ Use the software – tutorials from p72
005
Hotshots
First-rate reader photos
006
Hotshots
SHOT OF THE MONTH
Dean Lawton
Lighthouse At Dawn
“This shot was taken from St Mary’s Island
in Whitley Bay, half an hour or so before
sunrise in late May. The tide was fully out,
which provided lots of foreground interest. I
particularly like the way the patterns in the
sand and colour of the refl ections in the nearby
rock pools lead the eye into the picture.”
Camera usedCanon 300D
Settings1/50 sec at f/22
Lens18-55mm
■ Turn to page 10 for details on how you can
become a prize winner next month…
RDA•WWINWNE RPIAWNRANRIDZE•WERINNERAWWA•RD
A NI
RENNIW•DRAWA R EN
Dean Lawton
“I’ve been using a digital
camera for two years
now and I’ve never
looked back. I started
photography four years
ago and I feel I’ve found
my life-long hobby.”
007
Hotshots
Mazyar Ansary
Cloudy Sky
“After watching this beautiful evening sky for
four or fi ve minutes, I decided to capture a
panorama. I’m very satisfi ed with the result!”
About Mazyar“I’m a software engineer,
and I took up photography in 1990, when I
bought a Zenit analog camera.”
Camera used Nikon Coolpix 4300
Settings 1/8 sec at f/2.8
Gary Lawrence
Raptor
“This is one of the photos I took during a
visit to a falconry in Sauerland, Germany.
I’ve always been fascinated by birds of prey
and this trip provided an ideal opportunity to try
out my new Nikon VR 80-400mm zoom lens.
The quality of detail that this lens gives is
absolutely stunning. ”
About Gary“I’ve been taking photographs
for years, and I’ve recently become particularly
interested in capturing close-up shots.”
Camera used Nikon D100
Settings 1/1000 sec at f/5.3
LensNikon VR 80-400mm zoom
008
Hotshots
Antony Ward
Hover Fly
“I got a Canon EFS 60mm lens two weeks ago,
and I’m amazed by the quality of the pictures
so far. Thanks to your magazine my work goes
from strength to strength.”
About Antony“I enjoy taking shots with my
macro lens, and my work has now been
published in two magazines: one in the UK and
one in The Netherlands. I’m doing some work
for a local shop’s website and part of the deal is
that I get my own pages on their site.”
Camera used Canon EOS 20D
Settings 1/500 sec at f/2.8
Lens Canon EFS 60mm
009