smart photography 201408

Camera manufacturers struggling

to increase output and sales would

do well to look at the latest trends

emerging for the first five months of 2014.

These trends reveal that in a market where

compact camera sales are declining, sales of

mirrorless models are gaining. Whilst sales of

mirrorless models in Japan take nearly 40% of

the market, they took 16.5% in Europe, 13.4%

in America and 26.3% in Asia. The Indian

market for mirrorless cameras have been

hardly explored so far. However, things should

change with new exciting products from

the likes of Sony, Olympus and Panasonic.

Of course, the ones with the best marketing

strength will win this race.

H. S. Billimoria

WE ARE GLUED TO THE GLOBAL

IMAGING INDUSTRY

Our team is updated with all the benchmarks

and road blocks that the fi eld of photography

and imaging across the globe experiences.

Th is helps us record the changes in the global

perspective, thus making us the fi rst to predict

which products will be a rage in the Indian

markets.

WE’RE IMPARTIAL

Loyalty towards our readers is a given, and

their best interests are always on our mind.

Every verdict is honest and not infl uenced by

advertisers or personal favorites. So when we say

a product is a ‘BEST BUY’, then, it is just that!

OUR TESTS ARE CONDUCTED BY

EXPERTS

All equipment go through a series of tests at the

hands of our experts. Our reviewers are experts

in the fi eld of photography across the country

and have many years of experience. Th at

gives us the foresight to distinguish between

a passing trend and a big change in the fi eld

of photography and imaging. And fi nally, our

reviews are not extended to just fi ll up the pages!

WE ARE HERE TO HELP YOU

Th ere is no debate on why we are here. Our sole

goal is to provide you options and better your

judgement in product purchase while, sharing

tips and tricks to improve your images. Our

biggest joy is in building a bridge between you

and your perfect picture!

HERE’S WHAT

MAKES US

Views and opinions expressed in the magazine are not necessarily those of Next Gen Publishing Ltd. Next Gen Publishing does not take the responsibility for returning unsolicited material sent without adequate postal stamps for return postage. No part of the magazine may be reproduced in part or full without the prior express writt en permission of the publisher. Printed by Girish Mallya, Next Gen Publishing Ltd., Trade World, 2nd Floor, C Wing, Kamala Mills Compound, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel (W), Mumbai 400013. Published by Girish Mallya on behalf of Next Gen Publishing Ltd., Trade World, 2nd Floor, C Wing, Kamala Mills Compound, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel (W), Mumbai 400013. Printed at Kala Jyothi Process Pvt. Ltd, 1-1-60/5 RTCX Roads, Hyderabad - 20. Published at Next Gen Publishing Ltd., Trade World, 2nd Floor, C Wing, Kamala Mills Compound,

Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel (W), Mumbai 400013. Copyright 2006 SMART PHOTOGRAPHYAll readers are recommended to make their own independent enquiries before sending money, incurring expenses or entering into commitments in relation to any advertisement appearing in the publication. Smart Photography does not vouch for any claims made by advertisers for their products and services. Th e editor, publisher, printer and employees of the publication shall not be held liable for any consequence in the events of such claims not being honoured by the advertisers. All disputes are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of competent courts and forums in Mumbai only.

Editor – Hoshang S Billimoria

August 2014 Smart Photography 5www.smartphotography.in

WELCOME

EDITORHoshang S. Billimoria

TECHNICAL EDITORRohinton Mehta

SENIOR CORRESPONDENTSujith Gopinath

COPY EDITORTanika Godbole

PHOTOGRAPHYMahesh Reddy

HEAD-DESIGN & PRODUCTION Ravi Parmar

DESIGNNandkishor Sawant

ADVERTISE DESIGNSanjay Awad, Shubham RohatgiPRODUCTION SUPERVISOR

Dinesh BhajnikPICTURES DESKDeepak Narkar

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Tel: + 91 22 43525220 Fax: + 91 22 24955394 Email: [email protected]

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#1

6 Smart Photography August 2014 www.smartphotography.in

Contents ISSUE 113 / AUGUST 2014

TUTORIALSBUILDING AN ARCHITECTURAL PHOTOGRAPH (EXTERIORS)

LIGHTING, LENSING AND MOLDINGMACRO PHOTOGRAPHY

ISSUE 5VOLUME 10

AUGUST 2014

RS.125

SUBSCRIBER’S COPY

INTERVIEW NISHA PURUSHOTHAMAN PROFILE LOPAMUDRA TALUKDAR

REVIEWS: SIGMA 50MM F/1.4 ART LENS ● ZEISS 55MM F/1.4 OTUS APO DISTAGON T* LENS ● NISSIN i40 FLASHGUN

INDIA’S NUMBER 1 IMAGING MAGAZINE!

TIPS FOR TRAVEL & LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY

HEAD-TO-HEADMACRO LENSES

Just a moment!Readers can find the updated Buyer’s Guide, log on http://smartphotography.in/news/monthly-special

Smart Photography thanks the readers who participate in the Picture of the Month contest. We would like to bring to your attention a few changes in the rules for submission. From now on, you may send in your images with the longer side measuring atleast 17 inches. Please note that the images have to be horizontal. This permits readers to submit panoramic shots, which was not possible with the current size of 17 x 11 inches.

REGULARS

08 Mail Bag

10 News Watch

32 Picture of the Month

146 Tidbits

36 KaleidoscopeA platform for budding photographers to

exhibit their talent and get noticed!

42 Showcase A photographic profile of the person

behind the lens

48 If I Were YouOur expert comments on how your pic-

tures can be taken to another level

52 Ask Uncle RonnieYour photo queries answered by Uncle

Ronnie

56 Photo feature Ajay Sood captures Ladakh -

A Photographer’s Delight

64 MasterCraftsman The masters of the craft share their in-

sights and photographs

64

36


SUBSCRIPTION OFFERpage105

REVIEWS

LEARNINGS

72 Building an Architectural

Photograph (Exteriors)

78 Lighting, Lensing and

Molding

82 Making Sense of BSI Sensors

84 Macro Photography

90 Tips For Travel & Landscape

Photography

98 Head-to-head: Macro lenses

for Nikon FX mount

106 Zeiss 55mm f/1.4 Otus

APO Distagon T* Lens

110 SIGMA 50 MM F/1.4

DG HSM (Art)

112 NISSIN i40

114 Sony Xperia Z2

BUYERS GUIDE

118 Lens Nomenclature

120 SP Recommended:

10 Compact Cameras

78

84

72

MAILBAG


Write to us at:

Mail Bag

Smart Photography,

Trade World, C-Wing, 2nd Floor, Kamala Mills Compound, Senapati

Bapat Marg, Lower Parel(W), Mumbai 400013.

E-mail:

[email protected]

TUTORIALSHOW TO SHOOT LIGHTNING

MOTION BLUR WITH ND FILTERS

ISSUE 4VOLUME 10

JULY 2014

RS.125

SUBSCRIBER’S COPY

INTERVIEW KANE LEW PROFILE VAIBHAV JAGUSTE SP READER SURVEY RESULT

112

REVIEWS: CANON G1X MARK II ● NIKON COOLPIX P340 ● TAMRON 16-300MM LENS ● SAMSUNG GALAXY S5 SMARTPHONE


PROFESSIONAL TECHNIQUES DEMYSTIFYING COLOUR SPACES

PRO SHOTS WITH MINIMUM LIGHTS

INDIA EXCLUSIVEREVIEWS

FUJIFILM XT1SONY A77 II

Great Mix

Th e July issue defi nitely had a great mix of photographers! Th e nature photography of Kane Lew was quite stunning. Sometimes SP tends to concentrate too much on wildlife and nature photography. But this time there was a good mix of genres with Vaibhav Jaguste’s interesting travel shots.

Th e Reader Survey Result was interesting to read. I was glad to know that many readers like myself prefer SP because of its learnings and easy language. I fi nd the reviews most thorough and in-depth. Th ey are the biggest tool for consumers, since they provide an unbiased analysis of the product.

Ramesh Mahanta

Errata

In the July 2014 issue of Smart Photography, the news piece about Sony RX100 III had an image of RX 100 II. The error is sincerely regretted. This is the correct image of Sony RX100 III.

Shedding Light

Th e July 2014 issue was a delight to read. I oft en admire the work of professionals in fashion photography, because the lighting is always controlled and perfect. Whenever I tried taking similar pictures, the lighting never was enough and I wasn’t able to invest in professional lighting equipment, since I am just learning. But the article Using Minimum Lights by Dilip Yande literally shed some light on the subject for me. I learned how to create stunning fashion photos without having to spend money!

Th e tutorial on Motion Blur with ND Filters was also easy to understand. I am not an outdoor person as such. But reading that made me borrow ND fi lters from a friend and go out in the open to photograph waterfalls. It was an enjoyable experience. A well-timed article, since the monsoon is here and there will be many small and big waterfalls for us to click. Another lesson that came in good time was Lightning Photography. Th ank you for preparing us for a better monsoon.

Srijay Kamat

NEWS International


Nikon Corp. has released a full-frame D-SLR, the D810, with

improved resolution and image processing. It offers a newly-developed FX-format 36.3 MP CMOS sensor and EXPEED 4 image processing engine. The camera doesn’t have an optical low pass filter, but has improved software that boosts performance and reduces false colour and moire. The D810 has a 51 point Multi-Cam 3500 FX Autofocus system, an ISO range from 64 to 12800 (expandable ISO 32-51200), advanced Scene Recognition and Picture Control profiles. It has a 3.2-inch LCD screen, Zebra stripes for overexposure

SNIPPETS

Canon Inc. launched its new 35mm format lens, the EF 16-35mm f/4L IS USM, on June 19 at a suggested list price of 154,000 Yen.

Panasonic has announced the pricing and immediate delivery of the world’s fi rst 4K/30fps wearable camera, the HX A500, priced at $399.99. It features a 1.5-inch LCD screen, Wi-Fi and NFC connectivity. Th e camera yields incredible image quality.

Olympus forecasted that their operating profi t for the fi rst quarter ending on June 30, 2014 would double to 16.5 billion Yen or $162 million, from a year ago.

In order to counter the slump in digital camera sales, Nikon’s incoming Chief Executive Offi cer Kazuo Ushida (currently the senior executive vice president) said Nikon plans to spend about $2 billion for merger and acquisition in medical and other growth areas for the fi scal year ending in in 2015.

Nikon launches D810

used controls. The company plans to sell 20,000 units per month.

areas and fully manual control. It has an ‘i’ button for quick access to frequently

Panasonic launches Lumix DMC-FZ1000 Panasonic launched on July 17 the Lumix DMC-FZ1000, a new Bridge camera capable of taking 4K resolution or Ultra HD images. The camera features a 1-inch Type 20MP MOS sensor, a Leica DC Vario-Elmarit 25-400mm f/2.8-4 equivalent lens with integrated Smartphone Wi-Fi connectivity for remote control.

This is the first time that Panasonic will use 4K video capture technology on a lens-mounted compact camera. For greater versatility, the camera has manual operation in Create Video mode and dramatic slow motion in full HD at 120 fps. A new linear motor integrated in the focus system achieves approximately 275% faster focusing as

compared to the conventional DMC-FZ200. In addition, new DFD (Depth from Defocus) technology shortens the time to set the focus to achieve ultra high-speed AF of about 0.09sec (wide end)/ 0.17 sec (telephoto end). The hybrid optical image stabilizer with 5-axis correction provides a blur-free one-handed video-shooting ability.

NEWS International


Cosina to make VM Adapters for S and C Mount LensesCosina Co. announced that it will market new VM Adapters for Nikon S-Mount and the rangefinder Contax C-mount interchangeable lenses to be used on full-size E-mount D-SLR cameras like the Sony Alpha 7 series. The adapter is meant to be used with VM-E Close Focus Adapter. Both adapters will become available at a suggested list price of 25,000 Yen each. With this adapter, close-up photography as close as 75cm is possible with a 50mm lens.

Tamron Co. announced the availability of its first interchangeable lens in the Micro-Four Thirds format, the 14-150mm f/3.5-5.8 Di III (Model C001), which was showcased at the CP+ 2013. This model does not offer Vibration Control function. The lens is 63.5mm in diameter and 80.4mm long, weighing a mere 285g.

Tamron will also offer an interchangeable lens dedicated to Canon EOS M-series of mirrorless cameras, the 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 Di III VC (Model B011). The features of this lens are almost the same as those of APS size 18-200mm lens for Sony mounts. It has Vibration Compensation

and a stepping motor for autofocusing. It measures 68mm in diameter, is 96.7mm long and weighs about 460g. Simultaneously, the full-size D-SLR interchangeable lens, the 28-300mm f/3.5-6.3 Di VC PZD (Model A010) will also be made available in Canon and Nikon mounts.

Tamron announces

Interchangeable Lenses

Canon to release Telephoto Zoom lens for EOS M Series

Canon Inc. announced a new interchangeable

lens for its EOS M mirrorless camera series, the EF-M 55-200mm (88-320mm in 35mm format) f/4.5-6.3 IS STM, at a suggested list price of 49,000 Yen.

This is Canon’s first zoom lens for the EOS M mirrorless cameras and the company has made it compact

and lightweight to match the M-series bodies. The lens measures 86.5mm(L) x 60.9mm(D) and weighs about 260g. The lens utilizes a glass-moulded aspherical element offering high-quality images throughout the zoom range. The stepping motor makes auto-focusing smooth and quiet. It also offers an image stabilization function.

NEWS International


Fujifi lm to launch 7.5x Zoom Lens for X-Series

Fujifilm announced the Fujinon XF 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR for the X-series

interchangeable lens system cameras. The lens offers weather sealing at 20 spots, thus protecting it from splashes and dust. An image stabilizer (5 stops) is on offer. The lens has High

Transmittance Electron Beam Coating (HT-EBC) on the entire surface to reduce ghosting and flare. It measures 75.7mm in diametre and is 97.8mm long at the wide-end and 158mm at the telephoto end. The lens weighs around 490g and the filter thread is 67mm.

Kenko Tokina launches new Telephoto Lens

Panasonic to launch Network Surveillance Cameras

Kenko Tokina launched the AT-X 70-200mm F4 PRO FX VCM-S telephoto zoom lens for full-size sensor cameras. The lens is equipped with Tokina’s newly developed proprietary VCM (Vibration Correction Module) technology, a key aspect of telephoto zoom lenses. In scenes where the use of a tripod or monopod is not an option, VCM provides about three levels of vibration control

to ensure dynamic performance. The newly added ring-shaped ultrasonic motor is quiet and enables minute adjustments between AF and manual modes to dramatically increase operability. The dedicated hood (BH-672) is also designed to not take up space during storage. Attaching the separately sold removable tripod base ring (TM-705) will ensure the lens achieves its full potential.

Panasonic is launching six new network surveillance cameras, a network disc recorder and a network microphone. Th e company has created four dome type cameras, two for indoor and two for outdoor installation, and two box-type models for indoor use. Th ese new cameras have a super-dynamic function with a dynamic range of 133dB so that they can

take optimum images despite changing environment or lighting conditions.

Th e top-of-the-line WV-SFV631LT is a dome type outdoor use model with a 3MP MOS sensor, a built-in infrared LED and a water and dust proof fi nish. Th e box-type WV-SPEN631 features a 3MP MOS imager, and the SPN611 comes with a 1.3MP MOS

sensor. Both models accept IR LED lighting for shooting in the dark. Other dome type cameras include the WV-SFV311 outdoor model with a water and dust proof fi nish and the indoor models WV-SFN311 and WV-SFN310J. Th e network disc recorder WJ-HV250 series is capable of recording full HD resoution at 60 fps and comes in fi ve diff erent models.

NEWS International


Seiko Epson Co. will off er a new compact mobile inkjet printer, the PX-S05, from late September 2014.

As many corporations now use mobile computing terminals such as Smartphones

and Tablets for outgoing marketing personnel, the demand for compact printers is getting higher. Th is printer measures 309x154x61mm and weighs approximately 1.6 kg. Th e built-in battery lasts for 50 sheets for colour or 100 sheets for monochrome printing. Its battery can be recharged via AC adapter, from PC via USB connect or a mobile battery source. Its

1.44-inch colour LCD panel shows battery and ink levels. It can connect Smartphones or Tablets via USB, Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi Direct, which allows output even when a wireless LAN router is not available. Th e PX-S05 will be available in black and white, at an expected price of around 30,000 Yen. Th e company expects to sell 50,000 units in the year.

Epson to off er Mobile IJ Printer

Epson’s EVF now Standard for Leica T

Epson to launch New Dry Minilab

On July 3, 2014, Seiko Epson Corporation announced that its Ultimicron Electronic Viewfi nder technology is now used as standard in the Leica Visofl ex electronic viewfi nder for the new Leica T camera. Designed exclusively for the camera system Leica T, Visofl ex is an optional high-resolution electronic viewfi nder that opens up new possibilities to expand the user’s creative horizons.

First launched in 2009, Ultimicron is based on the HTPS technology that has been behind Epson’s success as global market leader for thirteen successive years. Using Ultimicron, photographers can can reproduce rich colour gradations and natural blurring when required. Measuring 0.48 inches diagonally, the Ultimicron off ers XGA (1024 x RGB x 768), 2.36 million dot resolution, and provides the

quality required by Leica.

In addition, the use of a colour fi lter prevents the colour break-up that can occur with other systems while shooting fast-moving subjects and while panning. Th ese specifi cations allow the creation of the easy-to-see and natural viewfi nder, strongly demanded by serious camera users.

Seiko Epson will release a new compact inkjet dry minilab in its SureLab series, the SureLab SL-D700. Th is entry model was showcased at the PhotoNEXT 2014. Th e compact dry lab has an output of 455 sheets of L-size prints per minute in the standard mode of 720x720 dpi or 225 prints per minute in the high resolution mode (1440x720 dpi). Th e printer requires only 0.2 square metres for installation. It measures 460x430mm and is 354mm high. With an optional spindle, multiple sizes of roll photo paper can be installed. A 65 metre roll paper comes

in fi ve models in 4-inch, 5-inch, 6-inch, 8-inch and A4 sizes. Glossy, lustre and matt types of paper are available. Six colours of Epson Ultra-Chrome D6-S are available in a large tank of 200ml.

Th e company will off er the dry minilab system, SureLab SL-D733C including the printer SL-D700, a PC, a monitor and operation soft ware SureLab Order Controller at around 1 million Yen. Th e minilab SL-D700S alone will be sold at 370,000 Yen. Th e company expects to sell 300 systems per year. Epson is conducting a sales campaign until September 12, 2014.

NEWS International


Photokina 2014 at Cologne in September

MB&F M.A.D.Gallery launches first Art Book

The Photokina Fair, the world’s largest exhibition of the photo and imaging industry is to be held from September 16-21, 2014 at Cologne, Germany. During the fair, image recording, processing and storage and output innovations are displayed and demonstrated, with cutting-edge technological developments and trends being placed in the spotlight. The fair has received an overwhelming response from exhibitors. For Photokina 2014, the organisers, Koelnmesse and the Photographic Industry Association, are once again counting on 1,000 exhibiting companies from about 40 countries. In 2012, around 185,000 visitors from 166 countries came to Cologne to inform themselves about current trends and technologies surrounding the image.

Photokina 2014 will show the internationally organised “Largest

Photoglobe in the World”, working together with the 175 Years of Photography Jubilee and also Photokina 2014. Within the framework of the “175 Years of PhotoMoments” theme, photo-enthusiasts throughout in the world were called upon to help create this globe by contributing images to the English and German language portal www.photoglobus.de/en. This is a unique journey in pictures, to cover not only all continents, but also a photographic journey through time.Visitors to the fair will be able to view this collection on the “Largest Photoglobe in the World” with its vast diameter of six meters.

This year, Photokina, in cooperation with the company Suite 48 Analytics which

specialises in research and opinion polls in the mobile photorgraphy sector, will be offering interested visitors a series of lectures, workshops and seminars, which will deal closely with the “Smartphone phenomenon” from a wide range of perspectives.

The MB&F M.A.D.Gallery, Geneva, anounced the release of its first ever art book, American Trucks by Swiss photographer Ulysse Fréchelin—including a limited edition of 100 copies, numbered and signed. A graduate of Vevey’s renowned School

of Photography and specializing in still-life techniques using natural light, Ulysse Fréchelin has created portraits, not of trucks per se but of what they represent.

This series of photographs witnesses the

artist’s love for American trucks on the road. To accompany this release, the M.A.D.Gallery in Geneva is also hosting an exhibition of 8 photos selected from the book—each image available in a limited edition of 8 large-format prints.

Canon to release Large-format IJ Printers

Canon Inc. announced that it will launch four new models of large-format inkjet

printers in its imagePROGRAF series from late July, 2014.

The imagePROGRAF iPF785 and iPF780 feature a faster output of around 21 seconds for an A4 size print, with newly developed magenta colour ink to express vivid red and yellow and a new file output and share software—imagePROGRAF Direct Print and Share 2.0—for cloud computing systems. Both models can

produce up to A0-plus size prints. The iPF785 has a larger memory capacity (320GB) HDD and a larger ink tank of 300ml. The iPF780 has a sub ink tank for refilling the ink seamlessly and can make prints from an iPAD via the app ‘imagePROGRAF Print Utility.’

The imagePROGRAF iPF685 and iPF680 can produce up to A1 size prints with a maximum speed of 25 seconds for an A1 sheet. Other features of the iPF685 are common with the iPF785; and those of iPF680 are similar to iPF780.

NEWS International


The Hidden World of WWI Sony releases image of Curved Sensor

Tablet with

3D imaging

to be made

Photographer Jeffrey Gusky, M.D., FACEP, was given exclusive access to record the underground cities of World War I lying beneath private farms in France. He captured several striking images. This collection is titled The Hidden World of WWI. The art and emotionally charged inscriptions are carved in stone by soldiers, who fought in the war that began in 1914, one hundred years ago.

Gusky, an emergency physician and fine-art photographer is believed to be the first person ever to bring to light the large number of underground cities beneath the trenches of WWI. The Hidden World of WWI reveals the artifacts, sculptures and evocative graffiti left behind by soldiers on both sides of the conflict. Landowners determined to preserve the past have zealously protected these underground treasures for decades.

Gusky found thousands of works of art, graffiti and

inscriptions by German, French, British, American, Canadian, Polish, Hungarian, Australian, New Zealand, Chinese, African and even New Zealand Maori soldiers, among others. He spent a total of six months exploring miles and miles of these underground spaces.

Gusky is strongly committed to preserve and protect these treasures in France. “I’m a man on a mission. I hope these images will change the way we think

about WWI and that they will be protected for future generations. The Hidden World of WWI gives us a glimpse into the humanity of individual soldiers who refused to be silenced in the face of modern warfare. Men from both sides declared themselves as human beings who could think, feel, express and create, and who remind us today that they were here, that they once existed as living, breathing human beings.” Images from The Hidden World of WWI can be found at www.JeffGusky.com.

Sony released the very first image of an impressive leap forward in digital imaging technology, the curved full-frame sensor. With the curvature equivalent to that of the human eye, this sensor promises 1.4x better sensitivity in the middle and 2x better sensitivityin the corners, all of which reduce noise caused by ‘dark current’. Sony presented this technology at the 2014 Symposia on VLSI Technology Circuits in Honolulu, Hawaii during June 9-13, 2014.

Google said that it is working with LG Electronics to make a version of a Tablet that captures 3D images. This Tablet was developed as part of a research effort called Project Tango. The aim is to have the gadget ready for sale in 2015.

World Press Photo Exhibition season kicks off with record number of visitors

World Press Photo announced that the debut location of

its 2014 exhibition tour, at De Nieuwe Kerk in Amsterdam, attracted more than 75,000 visitors, a record number for the location. This exhibition travels to nearly 100 locations every year that attract around 3 million visitors. Michiel

Munneke, managing director World Press Photo said, “We are extremely happy to see that a record number of 75,060 visitors came to see the exhibition in Amsterdam. We’ve nearly doubled the number of visitors since 2004 and we hope to see a similar trend at all the other exhibitions to come.”

World Press Photo is also running two pilots this season. Firstly, the winners of the multimedia contest were shown alongside the photo contest winners in Amsterdam, where visitors could witness the prize-winning productions through projections, headphones, and computers. Secondly, in Lagos (Nigeria),

the exhibition will be displayed outdoors, a rarity for the World Press Photo exhibition. The 2014 exhibition is also stopping in a number of new cities such as Hiroshima (Japan), Kinshasa (DRC), Oxford (UK), and Philadelphia (USA). Finally the exhibition will return to Helsinki (Finland) for the first time since 1995.


NEWS Business

It is reported that the profitability of Japan’s seven major digital camera makers

is improving for the current fiscal year ending in March 2015 (Canon’s fiscal year ends in December 2014). Though total shipments of digital camera units may decline by double digits, many expect profitability will improve by focusing on interchangeable lens system (ILS) cameras and high-end compact cameras.

Canon anticipates its shipments to fall by 13% year-on-year, coming to 18.1 million units. But the operating profit of the imaging division will keep the year-on-year growth almost level, except for a 2% drop by revising a product mix. The company plans to ship 7.6 million units of ILS cameras, while reducing shipments of compact cameras. Nikon anticipates an 8% fall in the

income of the imaging products segment and a 15% fall in unit shipments, but it expects a 3% gain in the operating profit for the current business year to 66 billion Yen. Nikon intends to introduce new models centering on ILS cameras. The company also plans to focus on new business areas including a medical segment, since it is too dependent on the imaging business for its consolidated operational profit.

Both Fujifilm Holdings and Panasonic expect the operational profits from their imaging divisions to turn black within the fiscal year, helped by value-added mirrorless interchangeable lens system cameras. Olympus will also boost mirrorless models by 20% over the previous year, aiming to turn the operational profit black in the next business year.

On June 23, Olympus’ stock hit its highest price since August 2008, receiving a shot in the arm from expectations for its medical equipment. Olympus reached a high of 3,670 Yen (US$35.60) on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, up by 6.4% over the closing rate on Friday, June 20. Turnover soared to a two-month high as well, at 3,620 Yen.

The jump was caused by predictions that the company’s consolidated April-June performance will improve due to the recovery of its medical equipment business in China and North America. The slowdown in China’s economy during the last quarter caused the company’s Yuan-denominated revenue to decrease there, but it saw double-digit growth in April and May. Olympus holds about 70% of the global market for endoscopes, and its medical business has been the main profit generator.

A report by Goldman Sachs released on June 23 also boosted the confidence in the company’s stock. Olympus has not disclosed a forecast for its consolidated operating profit for this quarter, but Goldman Sachs expects it to double on the year to 16.5 billion Yen. The company also shows promise for medium-term growth. It hopes to raise the operating profit to 143 billion Yen in fiscal 2016, up 60% from the projected figure for the year ending in March 2015. Many analysts, however, call the forecast too conservative, saying the company has more growth potential.

Nikkei Shimbun compiled the world market share of products and commodities in 2013 from data by research companies. Below are the values of the market shares of companies in the categories of Interchangeable Lens cameras, Camcorders, IJ Printers, Smartphones and Li-ion Batteries. The figures are mentioned in percentage quantities in year-on-year growth ratios. The change in year-on-year percentage is in parantheses.

Interchangeable Lens Camera (Source: Nikkei)Canon: 43.2 (0.3)Nikon: 34.6 (0.0)Sony: 12.1(-0.3)Three Total: 89.9 (0.0)Olympus: 3.5 (-0.6)Panasonic: 2.8 (-0.8)Others: 3.8World Shipments: 17.70% (-7.3%)

Camcorder (Source: Nikkei)Sony: 49.5 (5.5)Panasonic: 18.5 (3.5)JVC Kenwood: 14.5 (-3.5)Three Total: 82.5 (5.5)Canon: 10.0 (0.0)Samsung Electronics: 5.0 (-5.0)Others: 2.5World Shipments: 6.53 (-23.2%)

IJ Printer (Source: Gartner)Hewlett-Packard: 46.3 (1.6)Canon: 26.9 (1.0)Seiko Epson: 20.4 (-0.6)Three Total: 93.6 (2.0)Brother Ind.: 5.9 (0.5)Samsung Electronics: 0.2 (0.0)Other: 0.3 World Shipments: 66.529 (-4.8%)

Smartphone (Source: IDC USA)Samsung: 31.3 (1.0)Apple: 15.2 (-3.5)Fuawei: 4.8 (0.8)Three Total: 51.3 (-2.5)LG Electronics: 4.7 (1.1)Lenovo Group: 4.5 (1.2)Others: 39.5World Shipments: 1009.64 (39.2%)

Li-ion Battery (Source: Techno SystemSearch)Samsung SDI: 25.1 (0.0)Panasonic: 20.4 (-0.3)LG Chemical: 15.8 (-0.4)Three Total: 61.3 (-0.7)Sony: 7.2 (-0.5)BYD (China): 6.2 (0.6)Others: 25.3World Shipments: 4,380 (20%)

Camera Majors’ Profitability to improve in Fiscal 2014-15

Olympus’ Share Price

returns to Pre-Crisis

Level

The 2013 Worldwide Market Share of Imaging products

August 2014 Smart Photography 23

www.smartphotography.in

NEWS National

24 Smart Photography August 2014

Samsung launches Galaxy K ZoomSamsung Electronics announced its new Smartphone with a specialized camera, the Samsung Galaxy K Zoom. The much-awaited device offers advanced digital camera technology with Samsung’s Galaxy Smartphone experience and is available in India from July 9, 2014. It offers effortless capturing ability, real optics and a premium design, providing users the mobile solutions they need with the ability to create professional-quality visual content in a fun, easy-to-use device.

Mr. Asim Warsi, V.P, Marketing, Mobile and IT at Samsung India said, “With the launch of Galaxy K Zoom, Samsung brings consumers a unique combination of a stylish Smartphone with advanced photography capabilities. Equipped with excellent image processing apps,

new Galaxy K Zoom enables users to swiftly capture and share their memorable moments with ease.”

The Smartphone has a 4.8-inch HD super AMOLED touch screen display and is equipped with Android 4.4 Kit Kat OS. It features a hexacore processor and has 2GB of RAM and 8GB internal memory expandable upto 64GB.

The Galaxy K Zoom is a camera specialised Smartphone which offers an advanced technical camera system designed to offer the control and functionality of a professional camera. It is equipped with a new retracting lens technology which provides 10x optical zoom and a 20MP BSI CMOS sensor. It excels in low light conditions, has a Xenon flash and provides Optical Image Stabilizer (OIS) to reduce blur caused by movement. It also delivers Full

HD video.

The new device also integrates the most advanced camera usability features and functions, including

AF/AE Separation (Auto Focus/ Auto Exposure Separation) for the precise balance of light and clarity, next-generation Pro Suggest mode which offers 5 optimized filter settings, Selfie Alarm that allows users to take timed selfies with ease, and object tracing for a clear, focused shot of a moving subject. Each feature comes with a simple User Interface, allowing users to easily capture photos and videos with ground-breaking quality, in any situation.

The compact and portable Smartphone features an ergonomic grip and a stylish build. Additionally, the Galaxy K Zoom offers all the features that consumers want in a flagship Galaxy Smartphone, such as Ultra Power Saving Mode for minimizing battery consumption, S Health Lite for personalized fitness and lifestyle coaching, and a Studio app to allow users to easily edit their pictures and videos.

The Galaxy K Zoom is available in India from 9 July 2014 at Rs.29,999 on www.amazon.in. It will be available in three colour options including Charcoal Black, Electric Blue and Shimmery White.

Ricoh will release a new bridge camera, the Pentax XG-1 with 52x optical

zoom range, for beginners looking to move ahead from compact cameras. The XG-1 has a 16MP BSI-CMOS sensor and comes with a 24-1248mm equivalent f/2.8-5.6 zoom lens. It offers a burst shooting of

9fps and HD video recording at 1080/30p. It has a 460k-dot 3.0-inch fixed LCD screen and 200k-dot built-in electronic viewfinder. It also offers shake reduction and Auto Tracking AF Function. This product will be available in India by August 14, 2014. Prices are to be announced later.

Ricoh to release Pentax XG-1 in India

Gionee launches Slim Smartphone in India

Gionee, the global designer and manufacturer of mobile devices launched the ‘World’s slimmest Smartphone,’ the Elife S5.5, in India. It has a distinct metallic frame and Corning Gorillas Glass Uni-Body, with a slim 145.1 x 70.2 x 5.55mm body. It features a 5.0-inch Super AMOLED Plus display, an Octa- Core 1.7GHz CPU, a 16GB memory and a non-removable 2300mAh Battery. The phone has a 13 MP camera and a 5MP front camera with autofocus. It comes in a range of colours like Blue, Pink, black, White and Gold. Elife S5.5 will be available at the price of Rs.22, 999 in India.

www.smartphotography.in26 Smart Photography August 2014

German soft ware developer Ashampoo has released Ashampoo Photo Commander 12 for photo management and editing. Besides new features, user handling has been completely overhauled. Th e soft ware promises to achieve the desired results in just a few clicks.

Photo Commander 12 bundles all essential features on an overview page and makes them 1-click selectable. New features include intelligent photo imports, support for web-

based email clients, Ashampoo Webspace uploading, support for cloud services such as GoogleDrive, Dropbox or Microsoft OneDrive and a newly developed slide-show wizard.

Photo Commander 12 will allow photos to be synced between devices such as Tablets, Cellphones PCs or laptop computers. Traditionally, users had to rely on email clients such as Microsoft Outlook or Mozilla Th underbird to send photos

via email. Th is latest version of Photo Commander features support for web-based email clients and allows users to send their photos through the browser via Gmail or Yahoo mail. Ashampoo Webspace off ers a convenient and time-saving way to share photos, slide-shows and videos online. Th ird-party cloud services such as GoogleDrive, Microsoft OneDrive or Dropbox are also supported.

Ashampoo Photo Commander 12 comes with a completely

redeveloped slide-show wizard that turns your photos into digital slide-shows complete with background music and elegant transitions in a few clicks. Ashampoo Photo Commander 12 provides extensive photo management and editing capabilities for $49.99. Owners of a previous version may purchase the upgrade for $19.99. Th e program runs on Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7 and Windows 8. Further details can be obtained from www.ashampoo.com

Ashampoo releases Photo Commander 12

Sony India launches 3 new cameras

Sony launched three new cameras in India—the Alpha 7S, Alpha 77 II and

the Cybershot RX100 III.

Joining the acclaimed A7 and A7R family of the world’s smallest full-frame interchangeable lens cameras, Sony’s new A7S model off ers better sensitivity and low noise and 4K video ability. It adopts the XAVC S recording format which allows for full HD recording at a data rate of 50 mbps, with lower compression for improved video quality. Th e camera features a newly developed 12MP 35mm full frame Exmor CMOS sensor

paired with a powerful BIONZ X image processor, allowing it to shoot at a sensitivity range of ISO 50 – 409,600. Th e A7S is compatible with the family of E-mount lenses, as well as A-mount and others lens systems with optional adapters. A7S full-frame interchangeable lens camera will be available at selected Alpha Flagship stores and Sony Centers across India, for a price of Rs.1,54,990.

The A77 II builds on the design of the A77 and A700, but has a tough, dust and moisture resistant body. It features 79 autofocus detection points, including

15 cross points within most frequently-used central area of the sensor. It offers a 24MP Exmor CMOS sensor with a BIONZ X processor. There’s also a f/2.8 AF point placed horizontally in the centre of the sensor. The AF system also performs well in low light, locking onto subjects in scenes with illumination levels as low as EV-2 (ISO100). The camera has a clear XGA OLED Tru-Finder screen with 2,356K-dot resolution. The A77 II can record Full HD 60p and 24p movies using the AVCHD 2.0 format. The A77 II is available for Rs.84,990 (body only).

Th e compact Cyber-shot RX100 III has an OLED Tru-Finder with Zeiss T* coating and a 180-degree tilting LCD screen. It features the Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* 24-70mm f/1.8-2.8 lens. A built-in 3-stop Neutral Density fi lter gives more creative fl exibility. Th e camera has a 20MP back-illuminated Exmor R CMOS sensor and powerful BIONZ X processor. Th e RX 100 III can take 50 Mbps high bit-rate Full HD movies with XAVC S support. the articulated 3.0-type Xtra Fine LCD screen fl ips up 180 degrees for taking selfi es. Th e camera is available for Rs.54,990

NEWS National

Benefits of spyder HDControl your Capture

First off the shiny metal carry-cased Spyder HD delivers the perfect

portable device for setting white and grey points for stills and videos. The

SpyderCUBE is a highly pocketable version of a grey card but avoids you

having to worry about it becoming creased, stained and worthless when

compared to conventional foldable cloth or paper cards.

Control the ColourWhen you need to do more than simply set white balance and control con-

trast for your shots but instead control all the colours across your shoot’s

spectrum, allowing you to get that dress, skin tones and any other impor-

tant hues just right, then the SpyderCUBE’s big brother the SpyderCHECKR

comes in to its own.

Controlling the RetouchOnce you’ve gone to the trouble of removing colour casts and linearising all

your images to appear to be in the same lighting conditions you’d be rather

defeating the object if you now start retouching and adjusting colours on a

non-colour managed screen. Fittingly the SpyderHD comes with the latest top

of the range SpyderELITE HD screen calibrator as part of the system.

When showing your workIgnoring how your images may be printed, frequently the most critical

environment (certainly for any Wedding Photographer) is the final viewing with the clients. If what appears on screen doesn’t tally with

expectations you’ve a lot of back-tracking and persuasion ahead of you. Having already used the SpyderELITE HD within the kit to calibrate

your retouching screens you can feel assured that colours here will look spot on but courtesy of the accompanying SpyderWEB holster and

calibration DVDs or Blu-ray discs you can now also calibrate the largest of TV or Video playback displays to make sure your stills and video

colours match superbly as well.

So it really is just one stop to get your Pictures looking perfect.

After

Before

If you’ve ever had the problem of shooting the same subjects over the period of a day using multiple cameras and in varying lighting conditions but yet still have to arrive at a consistent end result, the guys at Datacolor may have just saved you a lot of time and heartache. Never more obvious than when shooting Weddings where the bride and groom can lead you through the joys of shooting in a poorly lit church with a range of stained-glass diffused lighting, candles and in the worse cases... bar heaters! The group scenes invariably involve decamping to the outside and whatever natural light is available and then finally the inside shots for the reception deliver you into yet another lighting set up with a possible coup de grâce of an evening disco to complete the lighting extravaganza. If you are using multiple cameras and also shooting video across the same range of conditions then you really are giving yourself a potential nightmare for making sure everyone looks equally tanned in all shots and it doesn’t look as if the bride has had four changes of gown as she appears to be in ivory in one set of shots and beige in another etc.

With so many variables it’d be nice to have an easy way to set some control over what you’re doing, allowing you to match different cameras, deliver a neutral white point for shots (where needed) and control your contrast across your entire shoot. Fortunately new to the market is Datacolor’s SpyderHD, the top of the line Spyder product. This clever bundle of invaluable elements puts you in the driving positioning. Fortunately new to the market is Datacolor’s SpyderHD. This clever bundle of invaluable elements puts you in the driving position from the first shot of the day to the last viewing of the end stills and video.

www.datacolor.com

One Stop to Picture PerfectControlling your image colour quality in stills and video

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NEWS National


Konica Minolta introduced Bizhub Press C70hc which produces vivid colour quality that surpasses other production print systems

in the market. It has a print speed of 71 ppm and uses Konica Minolta’s eco-friendly high chroma toner, first introduced with the game-

changing bizhub PRO C65hc.

The machine prints at 1,200 dpi printing at full rated engine speed, high-speed RIP processing and transfer between control and print engine, enhanced accuracy in CMYK colour reproduction, and new colour management functions, job control, editing functions, and remote operation capabilities.

The solution features optimized profiler—a mapping algorithm with settings fine-tuned to achieve various results: CMYK, similar to offset

colour reproduction; RGB natural mode, for natural reproduction to match prints from the normal CMYK process and switching between the modes of normal and vivid, for maximum use of the colour space to emphasize vivid colours. The Bizhub PRESS C70hc also features Konica Minolta’s proprietary advanced colour processing technology—SEAD (Screen-Enhancing Active Digital Process)—and combines an array of technical innovations to guarantee truly exceptional colour reproduction at top speed.

Transcend Information Inc. introduced the SSD370, the SATA III 6Gb/s 2.5-inch solid state drive (SSD). The SSD370 features a storage capacity of 1TB and has fast read and write speeds of up to 570MB and 470MB per second. It supports various useful features such as SATA DevSleep to optimize power management. The drive features the MLC NAND Flash chip. It comes equipped

with practical features such as Advanced Power Shield mechanism, Intelligent Block Management, Wear Leveling, and TRIM and NCQ. It also supports enhanced S.M.A.R.T. (Self-Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting Technology) commands and provides exceptional long-term reliability and data protection.

Transcend’s SATA III 6Gb/s

SSD370 SSD is available in 32GB (Rs.2950.approx), 64GB (Rs.3599.approx), 128GB (Rs.5999.approx), 256GB (Rs.10,199.approx), 512GB (Rs.19,199.approx) and 1TB (Rs.40,899.

approx) capacities. All models are backed by Transcend’s Three-year Warranty.

Konica Minolta’s Prints with enhanced gamut closer to sRGB

Transcend introduces 1TB SATA III

Portronics launches Scanny 7

Portronics, which makes portable and digital devices, announced the

launch of its easy, new portable scanner. The ‘Scanny 7,’ is the newest to join the series of portable scanners—Scanny 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, which have been launched earlier by Portronics.Scanny 7 is a portable scanner for going paperless as it is

tiny and mobile. The user can scan photos, business cards, invoices, statements, receipts, contracts, forms, handwritten notes and more with this lightweight portable scanner. It automatically pulls your sheet through and makes a digital copy in seconds. It is as small as an empty paper towel roll and can be set up in two minutes

as scans are stored on an SD card (which is included), just like a digital camera. It does not require to be connected to any other device. The user has the option to scan the photos in the JPEG formats and documents in PDF formats. Scans from 300 or 600 DPI upto 600 DPI can be created. Scanny 7 is available at a price of Rs.7,499.

Revolutionary LED lighting for video shooting

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A light-emitting diode (LED) is used to provide continuous light when shooting the videos.Taking a picture in the dark has become easy now due to flash lights but what about a video? Well, to solve this problem, there are LED Lights. These lights are small and can easily fit into your pocket or camera bag and can be used to get perfect bright videos.

Photopro India is known to provide innovative quality products which are quite cost effective. Photopro India has come up with Led Light-312 LEDs. This super product is Battery operated, with charger.

LED Light has various advantages like Efficiency: LEDs emit decent lumens per watt. LEDs can emit light of an intended color without using any color filters as traditional lighting methods need. This is more efficient and can lower initial costs. LEDs are very small & light up very quickly.IT can very easily be dimmed & provides cool light.It has long life time,are difficult to damage.

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Light Rain-312 LEDs


NEWS National


Adobe hosts Symposium for

PhotographersIn concordance with its vision of empowering the creative community, Adobe organized a Photography Symposium on June 26, 2014 in Bangalore to enable hobbyists and professional photographers enhance their skills, get inspired by transcendent creations and learn about ways to boost their photography brand and business.

The Symposium that was open to all connoisseurs of photography, witnessed a healthy participation from over 350 individuals. During the symposium, celebrated professionals including Sudhir Shivaram (Wildlife Photographer),

Naina Redhu (Luxury & Lifestyle Photographer), Neeta Shankar (Wedding Photographer), Swapnil Rane (Creative Head- Films Division, Marching Ants Pvt Ltd) and Jayanth Sharma (Natural History Photographer and Co-founder of Toehold Travel & Photography) among others, led a number of specially tailored sessions for photographers. In addition to sharing insights on their professional journey, these specialists covered many aspects of the changing landscape in professional photography like balancing between shoots and how to become a professional photographer.

Neeta Shankar, Wedding & Lifestyle Photographer shared her experiences and aspects of photography beyond shooting. She highlighted how critical it is to engage with clients prior to the shoot to understand their culture and customs and setting the right expectations in terms of the work. These soft chords play a large role in capturing the intimate moments and emotions.

Jayanth Sharma, Natural History Photographer & Co-founder Toehold Travel and Photography Pvt. Ltd. spoke about the need to recognize business potential in the photography space. He gave ideas to commercialize

photography, such as workshops, tours, photo vacations for honeymooners, to name a few.

The 4 pillars of photography – subject matter knowledge, core concepts of photography, equipment and shooting techniques and digital post-processing, were taken up in detail by Sudhir Shivaram, the well-known Wildlife Photographer.

Naina Redhu, a Luxury and Lifestyle Photographer and Brand Storyteller advised all participants to keep an open mind and click everything in the dawn of their career and subsequently decide their genre.

Intex Technologies has launched its first KitKat Smartphone

range with Aqua i14 and Aqua N15 priced at Rs. 7,090 and Rs 6,090 respectively. Both the Smartphones will run on latest 4.4 KitKat OS. They are available at an affordable price range and are targeted at students and young professionals in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities of India.

Aqua i14 and Aqua N15 are both Dual -SIM Smartphones loaded with advanced features including 1.3 GHz Quad core processor, 1GB RAM, 4GB ROM an 8 MP rear camera and 2 MP front camera. Both the

devices come with an IPS screen. Aqua i14 comes in two colours of white and black whereas Aqua N15 will be available in white, black and blue as well.

Mr.Sanjay Kumar Kalirona, Business Head—Mobiles, said, “we at Intex are proud to incorporate Android KitKat OS in our Aqua portfolio. This will enable our users to experience a seamless user interface and smooth functioning of apps. The devices are laden with all the latest features which a user expects from a Smartphone including a IPS display screen to provide users an enjoyable experience while

watching their favorite content, all this at a very affordable rate”.

Aqua i14 and Aqua N15 will be available at all Intex retail stores, hypermarkets and leading e-commerce portals across India to match the purchasing pattern of today’s customer.

Last year, Intex sold 11.5 million handsets out of which Smartphones contributed over 1.5 million units of its share. Intex has already launched 32 mid-segment Smartphones under its Aqua range and has plans to launch around 8 more models during the next quarter.

Intex launches its first Smartphone range

www.smartphotography.in August 2014 Smart Photography 31

Canon India Pvt Ltd. unveiled range of 9 professional video cameras (PRO-Video), utilizing advanced features such as full HD recording, for the India market. The lineup, which has been categorized under the XA and XF series, includes XA10, XA20, XA25, XF100, XF105, XF200, XF205, XF300 and XF305—a range of light weight compact design video cameras.Speaking on this occasion Dr. Alok Bharadwaj, Executive Vice President, Canon India Pvt.

Ltd, said, “We are excited with the entry into this new business segment which has a market size of Rs. 500 crores, growing at 40% annually. Currently, the professional video camera market in India is estimated to be around 30,000 units a year. Out of this, the palm-held video segment is estimated to be 9,000 units a year. Canon India expects to garner 15 per cent

market share of the palm category within 2 years. The introduction of the professional video cameras which we call as PRO-DV is focused at emerging professional video recording culture in India, particularly for event videography professionals like

weddings, electronic news gathering professionals, documentary film makers, etc. We are happy to see growing momentum in TV

viewership, multiple channels proliferation, news gathering and wedding videography as, it will help us grow the Pro-DV category in India, where Canon is already present in multiple domains.”He further added, “Canon had launched 4 models in CINEMA EOS product group for high end cinematography applications where we have achieved 200 installed base in last 2 years. These new domains of cinema & Pro-DV have promising applications for growth”.

Canon Introduces Professional Video Products in India

Albus Atrum 2014 opens to a full house

Albus Atrum, a photography exhibition by the students of

Bharatiya Vidyapeeth drew an overwhelming response on the opening day. The exhibition took place at the Tao Art Gallery, Mumbai, from 4th July to 6th July 2014. Dr. Vishwajeet Kadam, Bharat Dabholkar, Avinash Govarikar, Subhas Avchat, Rajan chaughule and Kunal Vijaykar did the honours for this exclusive 3 day photography exhibition by the students of Bharatiya Vidyapeeth. The opening was also attended by Niranjan Hiranadani and Rashmi Uday Singh.

Sonali Kulkarni made a rare appearance. Sandhya Shetty was all praise for the efforts of the students and was also overheard speaking about her preparations for the karate championship in the forthcoming Asian games. Parvez Damania was accompanied by his wife Roshni. Viveck Shettyy was spotted exchanging notes about the future of the Indian economy with Kamlesh Hemdev. Ace photographers Girish Mistry and Vikram Bawa were also spotted at this do. Vasant Bhandari mingled freely with the guests.A select 150 images captured

by the students trained and mentored at Bharatiya Vidyapeeth School of Photography (BVSoP), was on display at the exhibition. These images span across disciplines like fashion, portraiture, still-life, food and beverage, automobile, travel, and people photography amongst others and bear testimony to BVSoP and new media.

“At Bharati Vidyapeeth we believe that education is the most potent channel to empower humanity and enrich their life, and future. This vision has helped us establish presence across geographies, educational streams, disciplines, subjects etc.We established the BVSoP to further this Vision. I am glad to state that our students have proven us right, once again!” added a proud Dr. Kadam. He also said that the school has now started its education in cinematography, film-making, sound etc. as a natural extension of the photography industry.

“BVSoP has shown great promise and potential, and is on its way to crowning itself a world class institution. Kudos to the mentoring team that’s behind this success. I firmly believe

that talent without proper care, mentoring and nurturing, is like a beautiful flower that never basked in the glorious rays of the sun. I equally believe that it is their talent that is today our foremost measure of success. I take this opportunity to congratulate and wish them success in all such endeavours. I shall always remain committed to the Vision and beliefs that we hold dear at Bharati Vidyapeeth, of which BVSoP is an integral part,” elaborated Dr. Kadam.

Mr. Rajan Chaughule, Director of BVSoP and a photographer himself said, “For students to become skilled in photography, the alma mater needs to be appropriately equipped with infrastructure, technology, tools and most importantly, well-informed faculty. BVSoP, being state-of-the-art on most counts, helps students tremendously. That’s why we are also able to attract students from all over the country and even the border regions.”

PICTURE OF THE MONTH

1. Th e picture has to be horizontal.

2. Kindly ensure that the longer side should measure atleast 17 inches, at 300ppi.

3. Low resolution images will not be accepted.

4. We do not check images on online galleries.

5. Kindly ensure complete contact/address details are provided. Winners will have

to collect their prize from SP’s Mumbai offi ce or send an authorised representative

to do so.

6. Please make sure that your picture does not have your name/logo on it.

A NOTE TO OUR READERS

PICTURE OF THE

MONTHWe are sure that all of you have a

few pictures that you think are prize

worthy. It happens very oft en that you

don’t know where to send the image

that could put a feather in your cap.

If you have such images (we’re sure

you have many!), send us ONE such

horizontal image. If it qualifi es, we

shall publish it as a double-spread.

a. You have to guarantee that the

picture was shot by you

b. If there are people in the picture

who can be identifi ed, we’ll need a

model release

c. Th e picture should not have been

printed elsewhere (magazine

newspaper, or off ered to any

publication)

d. Mark the entry as “Picture of the

Month” and rename the fi le using

your name

e. You may send images via print/e-

mail to: Next Gen Publishing

Ltd.,2nd Floor, C Wing, Trade

World, Kamala Mills Compound,

Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel

(W), Mumbai 400013 (or) sphoto.

[email protected]

WIN!MK 393 PD

Tripod

Sponsored by:

Photograph by

Amit Sarda


Snowy Peak Camera: Canon EOS 500D Aperture : f/14.0; Shutter speed: 1/125sec.; ISO: 100

When I was a child, we travelled a

lot because my father’s profession required him to move. Whenever we travelled by train, I would occupy the window seat and look at nature’s magnificent

vistas. I trained to be an IPS officer, a career that kept me excessively busy, but also provided me an opportunity to see the world. Being an IPS officer means a lot of responsibility and work but at the same time, there is an opportunity to travel around. I use this opportunity to see the world through my lens.

The first camera I used was a Hotshot 110, a point-and-shoot film camera. I took as many pictures as I could during our university’s picnic to Sariska with that camera. My love for nature and photography continued and I tried to capture moments from life. However, I became more aware about my passion for photography in the new millennium. My first D-SLR was Nikon D70 with its kit lens. Unfortunately, I lost that one. Later, I bought a Canon 500D with 18-200 IS lens. Presently, I have a D800 Nikon with three lenses-16-35 f/4, 70-200 f/4 and 50 mm f/1.8, all Nikon. I shoot in Raw mode and use Lightroom for post-processing. Very rarely do I use Photoshop. I find Lightroom more than enough for basic corrections.

I love to photograph nature, be it landscapes or wildlife, flowers or just beautiful surroundings. Chasing light has been my passion, which is obvious through my sunrise and sunset pictures. However, I would love to explore more genres of photography, as it’s an expression of how I see the world. For me, photography is an art with a technological wrapping. We use technology to create art. Capturing the true essence of the grace of Mother Nature is impossible. But this humble effort through photography will make us aware of how beautiful it is and how badly we need to protect it.

Hemant Sharma, Jaipur


Day at the Beach Camera: Canon EOS 500D; Aperture: f/11.0; Shutter speed: 1/500sec.; ISO: 400

Night View Camera: Canon EOS 500D; Aperture : f/11.0; Shutter speed: 13.0sec.; ISO: 800

Gondolas Camera: Canon EOS 500D Aperture : f/9.0; Shutter speed: 1/60sec.; ISO: 400

Llama at London Zoo Camera: Canon EOS 600D; Aperture : f/2.8; Shutter speed: 1/20sec.; ISO: 100


Above Everything Camera: Canon EOS 500D Aperture : f/4.0; Shutter speed: 6.0sec.; ISO: 200

The Eiffel Tower

Camera: Canon EOS

500D Aperture :

f/4.5; Shutter speed:

2.0sec.; ISO: 400

SHOWCASE


Lopamudra Talukdar took up photography in 2010 and started looking at the world differently. She is particularly fascinated by travel and culture photography. More than 150 of her

photographs have been accepted and exhibited by 68 International Salons spread across 28 countries.

As told to Tanika Godbole

I had always been interested in painting and photography. My father, who worked in

the Advertising industry, was a keen photographer. As a child I had access to many books on

photography, but I was more inclined towards painting. My husband is interested in photography too, and we often combined the activities of travelling and photography.

CAPTURING

CULTURE

Cormorant Fishing


Bonda Tribal Lady

DaZhai Village, China

SHOWCASE


But I myself was never a photographer. In 2010, my husband started finding it very hard to make time for his hobby. Since his cameras were gathering dust, he gifted me his Canon set comprising of a Canon 5D Mark II, a 7D and accompanying lenses. It was a life changing experience. All my photographs that you can see have been taken in the last four years. I have had no formal training at all but picked up tips along the way. The internet was a great help as well.

Since my family travels a lot, it has never been a problem to balance

Getting ready for the show, Siliguri

Khiva, Uzbekistan


photography and family life. My husband and son are both enthusiastic photographers have encouraged and supported my passion.

Photography is the means through which I can traverse the boundary of my city, state or country and reach out to the world. I express my thoughts, my feelings, and our rich Indian culture through my images. To budding photographers, I would say—if you have a dream, strive to achieve it. Share the photographs you take and seek advice. With so many photography and social networking sites, its easier to seek expert advise and hone your skills. At the end of the day, stay true to your heart. Observe as many photographs as possible but believe in originality instead of imitating someone else’s style of photography.

Bukhara, Uzbekistan

IF I WERE YOUE-mail your images at [email protected]


MonkeysThis picture of two monkeys comes to us from Smita Naik from Mumbai. She photographed the monkeys at Nandi Hills near Bangalore. She wants to know whether the framing is right and also wants to know if there is some method to get rid of the fog.

The picture was taken when it was drizzling and the fog has created a low-contrast image. If I were you, I would have checked the contrast setting within the camera and if needed, boosted the contrast. I feel that the framing is okay; the monkey on the left is placed as per the rule of the thirds. By adjusting the contrast and sharpening the image, we can reduce the foggy effect (but cannot remove it totally).

You have taken the shot at a shutter speed of 1/10 second. At such low shutter speeds, it is generally not possible to avoid hand-shake. You have also used the widest aperture that your lens offers at the 55mm setting. Lenses do not perform at their best when used wide open and depth of field

Rohinton Mehta,Technical Editor, Smart Photography

Our Imaging ExpertNo one can take a picture that everyone likes. But, almost every picture can have scope of improvement. Often, we are not our best critics, while others can immediately point out the faults. In If I were you, our expert comments on how your pictures could be taken to another level.

Camera: Canon EOS 1000D; Lens: 18-55mm kit

lens at 55mm; ISO: 400;

Shutter speed: 1/10 sec; Aperture: f/5.6

Edited Image 1

Edited Image 2

Original Image

is also very restricted at the widest aperture. These all add up to create a less-than-satisfactory picture.

Since the ambient light was very low, you could have increased the ISO to 1600. On the 1000D that


Camera: Nokia Lumia 720; ISO:100; Shutter speed: 1/100 sec; Aperture: f/1.9

would have increased the digital noise but sometimes it is better to have a noisy picture than have a fuzzy picture!

In edited picture 1, I have adjusted the contrast and sharpened the image. In the edited picture 2, I have given it a Pseudo-HDR effect, which is too lengthy a process to explain within this column.

The MushroomThis picture of a mushroom has

the fact that you have not done any ‘gardening’ (removing the little muck) because this looks more natural.

The picture is ‘noisy’ due to the limitation of the cell-phone camera, which at this point, we shall ignore.

I have boosted the contrast in Photoshop and added some sharpening (which has further increased the ‘noise’). The borders have been added purely for the sake of aesthetics.

YummiesThis picture of fresh-fruit cheese cake with some fruits has been sent to us by Siddharth Shah from Mumbai. This wasn’t really a pre-planned shot and hence Siddharth wasn’t properly equipped to take the picture (didn’t have a tripod, and no external light source). In spite of the fact that a very slow shutter speed was used (which was because of the poor room lighting) the picture is reasonably sharp. This tells us that Siddharth may have used some kind of support, may be the table itself. One way to procure a higher shutter speed would have been to use the camera’s built-in flash, but that would have certainly destroyed the ambiance. So the only alternative left to Siddharth

been taken using a mobile-phone camera. The author, Abhishek Kumar, admits that he is not tech-savvy, but loves to click photos. He has sent the photo for the ‘If I Were You’ column.

I would say that this is a good attempt. I like the mushroom’s tilt to the right. You could also have tried taking the shot from a lower angle, pointing the cell-phone camera towards the underside of the mushroom, where there is generally better texture. I also like

Edited Image

Original Image

IF I WERE YOUE-mail your images at [email protected]


was to increase the ISO and hope for the best!

So how could this picture be

Note: If I Were You is meant to encourage and guide readers, and help them improve their

photography. Please ensure that the required camera/exposure details are sent to us (or are

available in the EXIF data). We shall not accept images for this section if the required data is

not available. Readers are requested to send their images at 300ppi for 8 x 10-inch size. If they

are too small, working on them is difficult, and hence they may be rejected.

improved? What would I have done If I were you? Observe that the picture has a yellowish colour cast. This is due to the

incandescent lighting (household bulbs) in the room. If I were you, I would have set my camera’s White Balance to ‘Incandescent’, which would have eliminated/reduced the yellow colour cast.

Another point that I would have considered If I were you, is to check for possibilities of a better backdrop. The toneless light areas in the background calls for attention, taking away some importance of the main subject. I might have considered drawing the curtain (I think what we see on the right side, behind the plate, is a curtain).

As it stands, I have adjusted

the tones using the Shadows/Highlights Tool in Photoshop and slightly sharpened the picture. I think it looks better now.

Edited Image

Camera: Canon EOS 1000D; ISO: 1600; Shutter speed: 1/5 sec; Aperture: f/4

Original Image

TUTORIALS

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Q&AAsk Uncle Ronnie


WorkflowAfter a photo is opened in Photoshop, how do you decide the line of action?

Amar S, via email

This is a very interesting question. The ‘line of action’ that you are referring to is also known as ‘Workflow’. It reminds us of our goal or objective. Unless we are clear as to what needs to be done to improve the picture, we are running around in circles without any definite clarity.

So, what exactly is a ‘Workflow’?A workflow can be considered as a series of (flexible) steps that we need to take to improve a picture. The reason why I have put the word ‘flexible’ in parenthesis is because the steps are generally carried out in a particular order, but that is not always necessary. You may choose to first complete a particular step that is usually considered later on. For example, when working in ACR (Adobe Camera Raw), one generally attends to the White Balance first, but this is not compulsory. If your exposure is incorrect, you may not be able to set a good White Balance till you adjust the exposure. So the exposure adjustment precedes the White Balance adjustment.

Did you know...

Ronnie has

over 35 years of

experience in

photography?

In fact, he has

taught several

thousand photo-

enthusiasts

in various

institutions

and through

workshops, as well as judged

many national and international

photo contests, including the

prestigious International Photo

Contest held at Colombo, Sri

Lanka. So, if you have any photo-

queries, whether conventional or

digital, don’t hesitate. Just go ahead

and Ask Uncle Ronnie at sp@

nextgenpublishing.net, ‘cause he

knows it all!

To keep things short and sweet, I will explain only the basic parameters to adjust, though an advanced Photoshop user can definitely do much more.

Workflow, using ACRHere is my workflow using Photoshop CS6. (This works for other versions too but there are some differences in the way Adobe has labelled the sliders and the work they perform).1. I always open every single image in ACR (Adobe Camera Raw) which is a part of Photoshop, whether it is a Raw file or JPEG or TIFF file. If you double click on a Raw/TIFF file icon, it will automatically open in ACR. To open a JPEG file in ACR, go to File > Open As and then navigate to the image, select it

and in the Open As box, select Camera Raw. Click Open and the image will open in ACR. Always enable the Highlight clipping warning (O) and the Shadow cliiping warning (U).

Note: a) Opening a JPEG file in ACR does not convert it to a Raw file, though it makes it somewhat easy to apply global colour correction using the Temperature/Tint sliders.

b) When the image opens, first click on the blue coloured Workflow Options bar at the bottom of the screen (see PS 1) and then set the parameters as shown in PS 2. Click OK. This is to be done only the first time you open any file in ACR.

We regularly get requests to suggest a camera or a lens. While some do their preliminary

homework, most don’t. It is important for you to do some spadework and narrow down

your options before writing in to us. You also need to give us an idea of what genre of

photography you are interested in and how much you are willing to spend. We would then be

in a better position to evaluate your query and suggest suitable gear. We have received one

such ‘homework-done’ request from a reader who has narrowed down his choice but wants

to know if the extra amount that he would spend is justifiable or not. The questions he has

asked are relevant to every reader. Read on...

Printscreen 1

Printscreen 2


At this point, if the image has blown out highlights, the same could be corrected using the Highlights slider (Use it with the Alt key). Moving it to the left will reduce/eliminate the blown highlights. If the shadows are too deep, you can lighten them using the Shadows slider by moving it to the right.

2. Adjust the White Balance (there are 3 ways to adjust the WB but I suggest you use the Temperature slider). Moving it to the left will make the image ‘cooler’ (bluer) while moving the slider to the right will make the image ‘warmer’ (yellowish).

3. Set the Black Point. (See PS 3). To do that, while keeping the Alt key pressed, move the Blacks slider to the left till you see the first sign of any area on the screen turning black (or any other colour). Move back the slider a bit till the clipping goes away.

4. Set the White Point. While keeping the Alt key pressed, move the Whites slider to the right till you see the first sign of any area on the screen turning white (or any other colour). Move back the slider a bit till the clipping goes away.

5. Set the Mid-tones. In CS6, this is done using the Exposure slider. Moving the slider to the left will darken the mid-tones; moving it to the right will lighten the mid-tones. This is a very important parameter; don’t neglect it!

6. Adjust the Clarity (micro-contrast in the mid-tones). This should be done with the screen at 100%. Adjusting Calrity gives the impression of sharpening the picture.

7. Adjust Vibrance if necessary. Vibrance can be thought of as ‘intelligent saturation’. The Saturation slider (which we very rarely use) saturates all the colours, even those that do not require saturation; the Vibrance slider only saturates colours that need saturation!

8. Click the Open Image button to open the image in Photoshop for further adjustments, if any. You may now adjust Levels/Curves etc but if you have adjusted the parameters in ACR correctly, there is often no need for it (except to re-size the image).

9. Save the image using the Save As command.Note: You might wonder as to why I haven’t mentioned about sharpening the image. The fact is, we should not sharpen any image till we have made a copy of the original, re-sized it as per our needs, and only then should we sharpen that duplicate image.

EOS 6D or 5D III?I have decided to buy a D-SLR and my choice is Canon. I am torn between the EOS 6D and EOS 5D Mark III. If I get the 6D, I save a lot for other purchases. Would I be missing out on something important if I go in for the less expensive 6D? I am what I consider

EOS 6D EOS 5D Mark IIIEffective pixels 20 million 22 millionImaging Processor Digic 5 Digic 5Build quality Very good Very good, may be a shade bettersRaw No YesFocus Points 11 61LCD 3” 3.2”Viewfinder coverage 97% 100%Max. Shutter speed 1/4000sec 1/8000secX-sync for flash Up to 1/180 sec Up to 1/200 secBurst speed 5fps 6fpsMicrophone Stereo MonoBattery LP-E6 LP-E6GPS Built-in Extra purchase

Printscreen 3

Q&AAsk Uncle Ronnie


2) While a 100mm macro lens is very useful, in your case, and considering the small print size, I do not think you will reap the full benefits of this lens in terms of sharpness.

3) On the other hand, if you take your portrait shots between f/2.8 and f/4, you will be able to have a better out-of-focus background than was possible with your 15-85mm lens.

The 100mm macro lens you are referring to is designed for full-frame camera bodies, but works well with APS-C bodies (like your 600D) too.

A trial with

Table-top

I like doing table top photography. I recently purchased a Nikon D5300, with a 18-55 mm kit lens. I tried to photograph steam coming out of hot water in a cup. I could see the steam nicely with my naked eyes, but unfortunately my camera could not capture it. I tried different shutter speeds with different apertures and ISO’s. but failed miserably to capture the steam. I think I got it right exposure-wise, but didn’t get the desired result.

I have attached herewith, two images for your reference. My light source was a 10 W Philips bulb (bright enough, couldn’t stare at it with naked eyes), with a ‘thermocol’ reflector on the opposite side.

Dhananjay Ingle, Nagpur

I am glad you tried to experiment, though I must say, you got it all wrong.a) Both the images you sent us (which I have not reproduced here) are totally underexposed (almost black).b) A 10 watt bulb is often used in night-lamps, and is not bright enough to prevent you staring at it, unless of course the bulb was 100w and you erroneously mentioned 10w.

Please refer to the sketch shown here.

to be at intermediate level, and I like to get involved in most genres of photography.

P. R. Shah, Ahmedabad, Gujarat

Let’s analyze both the models for key similarities and differences: (page 53) You can see that in some respects the 5D Mark III scores over the 6D, but my question to you is, would it make a difference to you? And if yes, how much difference? Would the 2 million less pixels of the 6D make a dent in your image quality? No it will not! Would the 1-stop slower top shutter speed of the 6D be a reason for you to miss out on action shots? I don’t think so. Would the 1-fps less burst speed make a great difference to your photography? I agree that if you are into bird-in-flight photography, it could make a slight difference, but only slight. What about the 61 focus points of the 5D Mark III against the only 11 focus points of the 6D? If you were using a film camera earlier, you would have noted that there was only one focus point (and we never had any focusing problems to write home about). Whilst the extra focus points may matter to some users (either justifiably or just in their minds), I personally don’t think much of them. Don’t get me wrong, in certain situations they can be useful, but for the majority of users (who anyway use only the central cross-type focus point), it’s more of a bragging right!

So, to cut the long story short, for you, I would advise the EOS 6D over the more expensive 5D Mark III. The Rs.85, 000 that you save (on MRP) can be used to buy a better lens.

Macro lens for portraits?My main interest is portraiture. I have a Canon 600D with 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 Canon lens. I usually print 6 by 9 inches enlargements. For such enlargements, if I buy a 100 mm f/ 2.8 macro lens, will I get sharper prints?

Dinakar. J, via email

There are a couple of things to consider:1) A macro lens may be too sharp for portraiture, especially for portraits of women and children.

For steam to be photographed successfully, you must:1) Have a very dark background, preferably black.

2) There should be sufficient distance between the cup and the background to prevent any light spill on the background.

3) The cup should be backlit/45-degree side-back-lit as shown here, preferably using continuous-source light.

4) Reflectors may be placed to reflect some light back to the cup. It would be nice if the reflectors are made of cardboard/thin ply-wood (white on the reflecting side), which would also act as ‘cutters’ to prevent any stray light hitting the front surface of the lens.

5) Take shots at various shutter speeds for different effects/steam shapes. You may find medium shutter speeds (like 1/125) to give you better-looking images, but experiment.

Instead of a hot cup of water, try the shot using tea or coffee and angle the camera so that you can also see the content of the cup.

Do send us an image or two after you re-do the shot. Best of luck.

Illu

stra

tion

: Aja

y P

arad

kar

Black background

Continuous light source

Reflectors, white towards the subject, black on the other side

Journey to Mesmerising Ladakh

Contact: Ravine Trek Tel.: 91 9967009904 / 9322647575Website: www.ravinetrek.com • email: [email protected]

PHOTO FEATURE Ladakh

56 Smart Photography August 2014 Smartphotography.in

Ajay Sood (Travelure)Travel Photographer/Photo-educator

Ajay Sood is an accomplished travel

photographer and a travelogue writer. He has

been covered as Mastercraft sman in Smart

Photography (May 2012). He was on the jury

of Canon Photomarathon 2012. He is also

an assignment photographer for National

Geographic Traveller.

Besides mentoring photography workshops, he leads photo-

tours, and contributes travelogues and features to various

publications. Ajay has a passion for capturing the sights, sounds

and stories of places he visits. He has travelled across India

extensively, and to over 20 countries across the globe. His 27

years in the communication industry have been his training

ground, leading to his deep understanding of the visual medium,

refl ected in his unique compositions.

I have been to Ladakh twice. At the outset, I am taking the liberty of sharing the pre-visit

experience of my fi rst visit, since it was both perplexing and scary.

My fi rst visit to Ladakh was as a mentor for a Fashion & Nature Photography Workshop. It was late June, which I was told was peak summer in Ladakh. Our ‘Ladakh Expert’ gave us a strange check-list of stuff to carry that included oddities like Diamox tablets, oxygen cylinder, thermals, earmuff s and skullcap. Why would we need these crazy woollens in summer?! Upon checking, I was told that during the day, high altitude (average altitude – 14,500ft .) and resultant higher UV radiation would necessitate stuff like sunglasses, hat, sunscreen lotion, etc., while the evenings would necessitate other things like thermals, ear-muff s etc. as the temperature drops drastically since it is a desert, and there is a high wind-chill factor.

I was still perplexed about Diamox and the oxygen cylinder. Th e explanation for those was that there is much less oxygen than what we are used to in the plains; Diamox would help our blood stream absorb whatever little oxygen is available, and if that still isn’t enough, the oxygen cylinder will come in handy.

Ladakh A Photographer’s Delight

August 2014 Smart Photography 57Smartphotography.in

Gompas near Hemis Monastery



Diskit Monastery

32-Metre Maitreya Buddha Statue near Diskit Monastery Lush Vegetation, Barren Rocky Mountains, and Snow-capped peaks - Only in Ladakh


Alchi Monastery Good Luck World - Ladakhi Way of Wishing it

Prayer in progress, Shanti Stupa



Frankly, I went there somewhat freaked out. Upon landing in Leh (the regional HQ of Ladakh), our first Diamox tablet was administered. Upon reaching our hotel, we were briefed to spend as much time as possible in bed for the first 24 hours, as it would help us get acclimatized to high altitude. But then, Day 2 onwards, Ladakh was all it had promised to be – scenic, mesmerizing, quaint and full of surprises at every turn one took – all my anxiety had vanished by then.

Though every corner of Ladakh is delightful, let me share some must-sees here. The places of interest (besides Leh) are – Nubra Valley, Lamayuru Monastery, Pangong Tso and Tso Moriri (Tso = Lake). Just a small note to fill you in on the region and its construct - Ladakh comprises of 2 districts - Leh and Kargil. It is an autonomous region administered by the Hill Council. It is called the roof of the world since it the highest plateau in the world.

Nubra Valley is a 7-8 hour drive to the north of Leh. During the journey, you drive past the highest motorable pass in the world, Khardung La (Altitude – 18,318ft.), which is snow-covered all year round, and the small township of Diskit, which has a huge Buddha statue and a beautiful monastery. The valley itself is a sandy desert with river Shyok flowing through it. This is also the home of the Bactrian Camel – a unique 2-humped creature. You should plan and spend a night in one of the camp-

A herd of Bactrian camels - Hundar, Nubra Valley

Shanti Stupa


sites there. While returning, do take a short detour closer to Leh to visit the Hemis Monastery that lies within Hemis National Park – home of the famed-yet-elusive Snow Leopard.

Lamayuru lies to the west of Leh and is halfway to Kargil. While the end-destination is just a beautiful monastery, the journey is worth the visit to this place. The mountains along the way are rocky, yet many-hued – ranging from browns to oranges to greens. If you take

effort and see Alchi monastery en route. This monastery is unique as it is made entirely of mud. In case of any flash flood in the area, this monastery is likely to vanish in a jiffy.

Pangong Tso is towards the east of Leh and should ideally be planned as an overnight trip. The drive would take about 8 hours and along the way, you pass through Chang La – the 3rd highest motorable pass in the world (altitude – 17,560ft.). The first view of

the old road to Lamayuru, you’ll also see multiple road loops below. There is a spot where your guide will stop the vehicle and ask you to disembark to see Indus-Zanskar confluence. Then, there is Patthar Sahib, a holy shrine for Sikhs. You will also come across the famous Magnetic Hill, where, despite the road sloping up, the vehicle auto-rolls upwards when left in neutral. Closer to Lamayuru, you’ll also see Moonscape – a string of hills with textures resembling the surface of moon. Do make that extra

Indus-Zanskar Confluence



Hundar, Nubra Valley Landscape

A Frozen Pond, just short of Tso Moriri

River Shyok, Nubra Valley

Ice Needles, Tso Moriri

Khardung La Road in summers

Thiksey Monastery


this lake is likely to take your breath away as the water and sky is the same shade of deep blue. The mountains around the lake are various hues of the earth. The lake also has a sizable population of sea gulls (Pangong is a salt-water lake - hence the sea gulls)! This 140 km x 3.5 km (Average Width) lake is 40% in India and 60% in China. Here, the low night temperature and high wind-chill factor will necessitate the use of thermals and other woollen accessories. During the night, you’ll see more stars than you have ever seen in your life. Hence, the place is ideal for astrophotography. Just as a side note, the last scene of the Bollywood hit – 3 Idiots – was shot here.

Tso Moriri lies to the south of Leh and is a detour from the Leh-Manali highway. While it is a much smaller lake than Pangong, its beauty is unique. During early summer, you are likely to find melting ice needles at the entrance of the lake as that area gets relatively lesser sunshine than the rest of the lake. Also, the lake lies within a wildlife reserve that is home to Tibetan Wild Ass, Red Fox, Marmots and a few migratory birds. Through most of your journey, you’ll be driving along river Indus and will also come across some smaller lakes. Closer to the lake, the drive is bumpy and you are advised to leave the road and take the sandy paths in the plains heading in the general direction of the lake.

Though there are many monasteries in Ladakh, the ones of note are Shey, Thiksey, Hemis, Alchi, Lamayuru, Diskit and Vishwa Shanti Stupa. If you have done the various trips outlined above, you’d have already seen Diskit, Hemis, Alchi and Lamayuru. The other 3 are close to Leh and should be visited during the initial acclimatization phase. On the way to Shey and Thiksey, there is a place called Sindhu Darshan. Most likely that this will be your first glimpse of river Indus. The annual Ladakh festival is held at this very venue. My concluding observation is that for most of you, a trip to Ladakh is likely to be hectic. At the same time, it is equally likely that you’ll return with a resolve to visit this place again. I know I did!

Rough with the smooth, Pangon Tso

Monks welcoming a senior monk from another monastery - Lamayuru

Lamayuru Monastery

MASTERCRAFTSMAN Nisha Purushothaman


Dubai-based Nisha Purushothaman is a nature lover who freezes moments in bird and wildlife photography. Through her pictures, she wishes to share stories with the world. You can find some of her work at www.nishas.info

As told to Tanika Godbole

WILD FRAMES

How did you get introduced to photography, and how did you choose wildlife as your field of expertise?I am a Fine Arts graduate, specializing in Applied Arts. This was how I got introduced to photography. I love traveling and after college wherever I travelled, I used to carry a camera. I was born and brought up in a remote village of Kerala, which means I was always very close to nature. After I moved to Dubai, I got introduced to a group called Shutter Bugs Creative Forum that was led by Mr. Arfan who is a pharmacist by profession and also a hardcore photographer. Every Friday we used to visit a pre-decided location and shoot for 2-3 hours. I got addicted to photography and started doing the same on Saturdays too. The time I dedicated to photography went on increasing. Dubai’s culture and rules of conduct impose a lot of restrictions on street or people photography. This is why I got into birds and nature photography.

You are not a full-time photographer. What do you do when you’re not out clicking pictures?I was working with an advertising agency as a Project Manager. Photography makes you want to

Lion Cub

travel more but it was quite difficult to request for leave every month. Finally, last September, I left the job and started working as a freelance web consultant in order to dedicate more time to photography and travel. I earn money from this and spend on equipment and travel. Recently I, along with three like-minded friends, started a Photo Tour company called Ynot Escapades. To do our bit for the Green movement we have also started the Shades of Life project 18 months back, which is an international movement to plant trees. Now we combine Shades of life with Ynot Escapades to spread awareness and inspire our co-travellers to plant trees at the places we travel to.

How do you manage to capture the moment so well in your pictures of birds and mammals?When I started taking pictures, I clicked everything. After a while, I tried different angles and techniques. Then I started to look for moments and action. I am a very active person by nature, sitting idle is something which I can’t do for very long. But wildlife photography needs a lot of passion, time, and patience in observing the behaviour of a bird, mammal or an insect. This lets you predict their action to some extent.

Photography and nature really moulded me into a better person, with a higher tolerance level and patience. I believe I am still in the initial stages of an endless journey.

What are the things that you keep in mind before going on a shoot? As a woman, are there any specific things that you need to take care of?Thanks to Google, I do a proper search about the place, species and weather conditions. Then I take a look at pictures that others have clicked at the same place. Every image teaches you something. I try to visualize a few frames that I would shoot. Then I check the camera settings, keep the cards formatted and batteries charged. As a female I


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am not very worried but often, my parents tend to worry. Thankfully I haven’t faced any dangerous situations so far during my photo trips.

Digital editing is becoming increasingly common as a way of improving image quality. Do you spend time editing your photographs?In nature photography high-end editing is not promoted to preserve the reality, at national and international level contests. The only changes permitted are colour correction, noise reduction and cropping. Adding an element or removing an existing element is strictly not acceptable in nature

photography, for any competitions. I only do the basic editing as it helps present a picture in its true value.

What do you enjoy the most about photography?I get to see the connection between nature’s elements, the way animals communicate and their behaviour. I feel every species has an invisible circle around them, including us. The moment we cross that circle they become alert, and depending on their mood, they either move away or become aggressive. But if we visit one particular location again and again, in the long run we can make a connection with the fauna there. This creates a bond and lets us freeze some amazing moments from their

world. This feeling is beyond words.

Any pointers that you would like to share with budding photographers?Photography is all about practice. The more you practice, the better you become. In the beginning, don’t bother about any specific genre. In due course, you will have some idea about what your area of interest is. Then you can start to concentrate on that and upgrade your gear according to your convenience. Once you buy equipment, understand it well. One must also study the subject, its behavior and its environment. This too helps a lot in predicting actions or behavior. Everything requires a lot of patience along with passion and love.



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Play of light

Indian Roller


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Majestic Seat



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Cheetahs Feasting



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Superb Starling

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72Building an Architectural Photograph (Exteriors)

78Lighting, Lensing and Molding

828490

Making Sense of BSI Sensors

Macro Photogralhy

Tips for Travel and Landscape Photography

LEARNING Understanding Photography

72 Smart Photography August 2014 August 2014 Smart Photography 73www.smartphotography.in www.smartphotography.in

Building an Architectural Photograph (Exteriors)

architectural photographer should do the same with a building. Only then can his (or her) photograph bring out the beauty of the structure and will be a pleasure to behold. How to achieve such photographs is the objective of the article.

Any architectural photograph, however large the enlargement may be, will be a lot smaller than the building itself and you need to bring out all the aesthetics and detail in that small size. Many times this may require several photographs (covering exteriors, interiors, etc.) to do the job comprehensively. If you are doing professional architectural photography every building will require a portfolio to satisfy the client in all respects.

Before we go further you should be aware that there are two main technical problems that photographers encounter in architectural photography. These are “Perspective” and “Distortion”.

Let me emphasize right here that these two terms are different though many mix them up. The first is an optical effect (see Smart Photography, August, 2013 issue, “Perplexing Perspective” for more details) and is very different from distortion, which is a lens defect. The former causes leaning of verticals and the second bends lines which were straight originally. Let us see these in more detail.

Perspective: It is very likely that you have taken a photograph of a tall building from a close distance by standing near the base of the building.

Smart

Photography has

been continually

receiving

requests to start

a basic course for

beginners. With

this in mind, we

have asked a very

knowledgeable

photographer from

Hyderabad to take

over writing these

articles. We have

also requested him to be as jargon-free

as it is possible, so that newcomers to

photography feel comfortable to pursue

the hobby.

The author, Ashok Kandimalla has

been in the photographic field for

over three decades and has extensive

experience in both film and digital

photography. Being an electronics

engineer by profession and a

photographer, he possesses a unique

and deep insight into the technical

aspects of digital photography and

equipment. He has published several

articles on photography and some of

his writings have also been published

in the well-known international

magazine Popular Photography.

An avid collector of photographic

books and vintage cameras, Ashok

has a keen interest in the history of

photography and a passion for sharing

his knowledge on photography through

teaching and writing. He is presently

working as a Management and

Engineering consultant. You can see his

work at http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashok_kandimalla. He can be reached

at [email protected]

When you look at such a photograph you would have noticed that the building appears to “lean” backwards. That is, vertical sides of the building are no longer vertical and the parallel sides look to be converging at the top (Picture 1). This is due to perspective. This is happening because you are very close to the base of building (foreground), making it look large. You are also far from the top of the building (background) making it look small. This makes the sides of the building look as if they are converging at the top and hence gives the impression that the building is leaning. Often this “leaning” effect is labeled as “distortion”. This is simply not correct. Perspective is not distortion. Distortion is the inability of a lens to render straight lines straight as you will see next. Perspective is also independent of focal length (it depends only on the subject distance and the position of the lens with reference to the subject) though many erroneously think that only wide-angle lenses (especially ultra-wide ones) cause it.

So, how do you rectify such a situation? One solution is to move away from the building so that the relative difference in distance between you and the top and base of the building is very less. This reduces the difference in size (on the image) between the top and base of the building thus correcting this “leaning”. Another way is to get into a building opposite the building you are photographing, preferably at a height that is half that of the opposite

structure. If both these are not possible then you need to do one of the following:1. Use a technical / view camera with movements.

2. Use a tilt/shift lens or a tilt/shift adapter with a mirrorless camera. (You only need the ‘shift’ operation to correct this problem, ‘tilt’ is not required).

3. Correct with post-processing software like Photoshop or Lightroom (Picture 2).

Distortion: The second problem is distortion (Picture 3) which is a lens defect. Due to this straight lines will look bent. You are most likely to encounter “barrel” distortion (lines bend outward) as it occurs with

Ashok Kandimalla

What is architecture? Wikipedia tells us that it originated from the Latin

word “architectura” which means a builder or a mason. From this comes the word “Architecture” and it is the process of designing and constructing buildings, towers and other structures. Architecture, over a period of time, has assumed great importance and it is not unusual to associate a certain type (or style) of architecture with a particular civilization, era or dynasty, very much like a painting. Architects are also recognized as great artists and their work is admired even after centuries.

Architecture is partly engineering and of course, partly art. As photographers we are naturally interested in capturing that art part. However, can photographing someone else’s artistic creation be art by itself? Is it like photographing a statue or a painting? No, it is not! This question is best answered by a quote from Frederick H. Evans (1853—1943), an eminent architectural photographer who said –

“.... it is not everyone who has the time to see a building in all its phases of beauty and effect, or has the power of isolation those beauties and so realizing the more subtle and recondite charms a great building has, but gives up only to patient study and trained observation…”

This is why an architectural photograph is not a mere reproduction of architecture. It needs careful planning, study of the structure, its lines, symmetry, etc. An art critic understands and appreciates the nuances of a painting. An

Picture 2: Here perspective correction was applied in Photoshop to correct the leaning to a great extent. See also the person at the base of the tower. He provides a reference for scale to show how tall the minaret is.

Picture 1: The “leaning” of the minaret (tower) is due to perspec-tive – you are close to the base of the building (making it appear large) and far from the top (mak-ing it look small). It is not because of focal length. This is not distor-tion either; as you can see that the sides of the minaret are straight (there is no curvature).

Picture 3: See how the vertical wall

on the left is bending (bulging)

outwards. This is called

“barrel” distortion and is due

to a lens fault.

LEARNING


Lighting, Lensing and Molding

If you refer to any dictionary like the Oxford or the Webster, you may not find the word ‘lensing’.

But it does exist, at least in the glossary of photographers. This is what they refer to, while talking about choosing the right focal length for a shoot. Thus the expression ‘Use the right lensing’.

MoldingMolding (creating the right feel, form and tonality) on any product can best be attained when there is a right combination of lighting and focal length for the object to be photographed. Many amateurs may ask that if 85 to 105mm is considered ideal for portraits with full frame cameras, what focal length is good for a tabletop? In case of shooting pack-shots of tall product, say a tall box, or a bottle, it is necessary to keep the verticals as parallel as

sufficiently away, you can create the required sharpness/blurriness of the background.

PerspectiveApart from this, one has to remember that wide-angle lenses tend to exaggerate the distances between the subject and the background, while telephoto lenses compress them. This is the very reason that while watching a cricket match on television, one finds the opposite side of the stadium is much closer and enlarged, when the cameraman zooms-in onto the batsman.

Product photographers also have to take several other parameters into consideration, like the ‘flat-field’ property of a lens, the distortions that it may produce or the aberrations that it may create in the picture. Hence all serious hobbyists and professionals should opt for good quality lenses. Taking all these parameters into consideration one has to plan one’s own kit of lenses which would be helpful to him as per the nature of the job one handles.

LightingLighting plays the most important role in defining the molding of an object or a face. Changing the angle of the light with respect to the camera and subject, changes the roundness or the depth of a subject. The hardness or softness of the light source also makes a lot of difference, especially if there is texture on the

Having crossed over 20 active years in commercial photography, Dilip Yande

says his forte is Fashion and Portrait photography. He believes variety is the

spice of life, and to keep himself motivated he does a lot of tabletop as well.

For Dilip, names like Rembrandt, Renoir, Gauguin, Picasso, Turner, Monet are

household names because of his childhood that was spent in a lineage of fine

arts. This ‘fine art’ reflects in his work because he feels that there is always

a little bit of ‘you’ in everything one does. Having shot for many advertising

agencies, juried a few competitions, mentored many workshops, and guided

many photographers in their formative years, for Dilip, photography is just

another way to romance his first love – art. He may be contacted at dilipyande@

gmail.com.

surface of the object. The light source also decides the kind of shadow that will be created on the base or the background. Once again the angle of the light and its distance from the subject/object decides the length of the shadow that is created. This indirectly decides the drama in the picture.

Every three-dimensional object has to be viewed and analyzed in a specific way. (See diagram 1) The x, y and the z planes have to be analyzed and defined for precise lighting. Please note that with any object a maximum three such planes can be viewed from any angle at one time. The surface texture has to be taken into consideration while doing the lighting. To explain these lighting fundamentals, I have taken an off-white box as our subject. The surface has a beautiful texture of ‘mother-of-pearls’ on it. I have specifically chosen this long box in order to explain the ‘lensing’ factor. I chose to use a 70 to 300 mm zoom lens. This gave me the liberty to use intermittent focal lengths which are not available in non-zoom lenses. The box was kept on a small sheet of seamless white drawing paper. Light from any and every position was reflecting back from this seamless

paper. Since the field area was small, controlled lighting was a must. In the beginning I first framed the shot by going closer and then further away from the box, observing from where it would not appear distorted through

the camera, I kept zooming in and out as I shifted the distance. I did not wish to give a very ‘shallow depth of field look’ to the pictures. After the position of the camera was fixed, the placement of lights was started.

In pic 1 the box was placed as shown on the white background and a very basic lighting with a single soft-box kept slightly topish, was done to study the molding of the box and to observe the texture of the ‘mother of pearl’ on the box. It is very important to see how texture stands out in a given lighting condition. Using a black ‘cutter’, part of the light reflected back from the white background was controlled. This defined the top of the box in a better way. The picture though may be technically correct in terms of lighting, still has a lot of scope for improvement. The overall depth in the picture appears less, this is mainly due to the fact the plane Y has a less surface area compared to the other visible planes.

In pic 2, the light source which was a ‘rectalight’ was shifted to the left

Dilip Yande

possible and this can be achieved with lenses having focal lengths of 105mm and above (with full-frame cameras) and then shooting from the correct angle.

Depth of FieldSome people have misconceptions that shallow depth of field is only possible by using a longer focal length lens. But this is not so. One can also try to photograph the same subject by going much closer with a lens of lower focal length that has an f/stop like f/1.4, f/1.8 etc. Doing this, and with the same composition, it is possible to get a better bokeh (out of focus background). This happens because you are moving closer to the subject and as you move closer, depth of field reduces. Hence by using the right focal length, the right aperture, the right shooting distance and keeping the background

Y

plane

Z plane

X plane

Diag 1

Pic 1

Pic 2

LEARNING Tech-Talk



which converts accumulated electrical charge from each pixel into a voltage before it is transferred to the ADC.

Both the CCD and CMOS have their share of advantages as well as limitations. There is no clear

An image sensor can be called the heart of any digital camera. Being technically

complex, sensors are never fully understood by most people. Here we try to demystify the world of sensors, from CCDs to Back-side Illuminated (BSI) CMOS sensors without elaborating deeply on the technical aspects.

To explain the different types of sensors, it is important to understand the functioning of sensors. The image sensor is the last point of contact for light after passing through many layers of glass (lens elements) and the colour filter array. Each photo receptor (photo diode) on the sensor converts the light striking it into an electrical charge proportional to the light intensity at that spot, much like a solar cell on a solar panel. But unlike in a solar cell, the electric charge thus generated is stored in the diodes till it is read by another circuitry.

Charge-Coupled Device

(CCD) Sensor

In the case of a CCD sensor, the electrical charge is transferred across the sensor towards one corner and an amplifier converts the charge into voltage. This process is repeated till the entire array has been read out in the form of a sequence of voltages. An Analogue-to-Digital Converter (known as ADC, A to D or A/D) then converts the voltage into digital information.

Sujith Gopinath

Complementary Metal

Oxide Semiconductor

(CMOS) SensorA CMOS sensor is an active-pixel sensor imaging device. This means that each pixel on a CMOS sensor is connected to an active amplifier,

Metal wire

Amplifier

Row decoder

Column decoder and output

Vertical shift registers

A/D converter

Output amplifier

Horizontal shift registers

< Conventional back-illuminatedCMOS image sensor >

< Newly-developed stackedCMOS image sensor >

Back-illuminatedCMOS image sensor

pixel section pixel section

circuit section circuit section

circuit section

supporting substrate


layer structure

layer structure




Front-Illuminated Structure Back-Illuminated Structure

Light receivingsurface

On-chip lenses

Metal wirings

Metal wirings

Surface

Substrate

Substrate Photodiodes

Photodiodes

Color filters

advantage of using either of the technologies. CCD sensors produce high-quality, low noise images compared to CMOS sensors. CCD sensors consume approximately 100 times more power than CMOS sensors. CMOS sensors are less expensive to manufacture. CCD sensors also suffer from vertical smear and blooming from bright light sources. CMOS sensors process information from a row at a time, while CCD sensors capture the entire image at once. This can cause a rolling shutter effect, which distorts the image in videos. Hence manufacturers have been constantly at work to improve the efficiency of CMOS sensors to a level similar to CCDs.

As mentioned before, CMOS sensors require to have several auxiliary components (such as transistors) next to each pixel. This circuit layer is positioned on the front surface (this can be visualised as photo receptors peeping out of gaps left by the circuit layer), severely affecting the efficiency (or light gathering capacity) of the pixel layer (photo receptors) below. To overcome this, manufacturers of CMOS sensors use micro lenses to direct more light onto each pixel so as to improve the efficiency of the sensors. But this also has limitations since the circuit layer (also referred to as ‘illumination’) reflects part of the incident light, reducing the quantity of light falling on the pixel layer. The megapixel war necessitated every manufacturer to increase the pixel count on the sensor by cramming more photosites. But there is a practical limit to the number of photosites that can be fabricated on a sensor, and the circuit layer complicates the issue by using up considerable amount of space. The solution was to move the circuit layer to the back of the sensor unit.

Back-side Illuminated CMOSManufacturers have now found a way to deposit (or fabricate) the circuit layer at the back of the pixel layer. Such a sensor is known as Back-side Illuminated (BSI) sensor. Since the pixel layer is in front of the circuit layer, a BSI sensor receives more

light per photo diode and hence the efficiency is higher. Also, the front-side illuminated (FSI) sensor carries less number of photo receptors than their similarly-sized back-illuminated counterparts since the circuit layer blocks part of the sensor area. Another advantage of the BSI sensor is that a smaller sensor can pack more photo receptors because more surface area is freed due to the shifting of circuit layer to the back side, thus increasing the pixel resolution (megapixels) of small sensors without affecting the low-light performance. This is quite an advantage at this time of small imaging devices (such as Smartphones) demanding higher ‘megapixels’. Since photo receptors on BSI sensors receive more light than their FSI counterparts, their low-light performance is better, producing more detail and generating lower noise. Sony was the first to introduce BSI CMOS sensors and they call it the Exmor R CMOS sensor.

Stacked CMOS Fabricating the circuit layer at the back of the same substrate layer (the base material on which different components are deposited or integrated) posed some serious

challenges to manufacturers. For example, trying to improve the light gathering capacity of the pixel layer damaged the silicon substrate layers, and hence they needed to be heat-treated to heal the damages.

But this heat treatment reduced the efficiency of the circuit layer. Again, the manufacturing process made the substrate very thin, requiring a supporting substrate to be used to strengthen it for transportation. Hence Sony decided to integrate the circuit layer on the supporting substrate, which is also a silicon substrate identical to the one used for the pixel layer and stack the two layers together, one over the other. This stacking of layers solved all the problems associated with the manufacturing process, and reduced the size of sensor considerably due to the reduction in auxiliary circuits used to improve the efficiency of BSI CMOS. Sony named the new sensor Exmor RS, and it is now widely used in mobile devices.

Backside illuminated sensors have been in existence for quite a long time, especially in high-end applications such as astro photography and surveillance equipment. Then why weren’t they used in commercial photographic equipment? The reason was that these sensors were very expensive owing to the complex process by which the silicon wafers were produced. But now the demand for BSI sensors have gone up many fold and hence the price has begun to fall considerably.

The new technologies have culminated in better light gathering capability, higher dynamic range, and compact size of image sensors. Though semiconductor technology is not as simple as it is explained here, diving deeper into the fabrication process might not be of interest to many of our readers and hence could be beyond the scope of this feature.

Illustration: Ajay Paradkar

Illu

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tion

: Aja

y P

arad

kar

Illu

stra

tion

: Aja

y P

arad

kar

Illu

stra

tion

: Aja

y P

arad

kar

CCD Sensor

CMOS Sensor

Stacked CMOS

Back-side Illuminated CMOS

LEARNING


Macro Photography

sensor, the reproduction ratio is 2:1 (Magnification 2x); 4:1 would mean that a subject is recorded on film / sensor, 4 times as large as the original.

Macro photography opens up a new world, so to say. Things which we cannot see with our naked eyes, details which we cannot imagine, nuances of colour that we cannot even think of, can be shown with the help of macro photography. The best part is that we don’t have to travel long distances to reach a particular forest to do macro photography. You can get ample subjects right in

your balcony garden. And there is no specific season for macro, you can enjoy macro photography all year around.

By getting your lens very close to your subject, you can fill the frame with a very tiny subject or greatly magnify details on a larger subject. But most camera lenses don’t let you get very close to a subject (every lens has a Minimum Focusing Distance or MFD) unless you have a specially designed lens. Such lenses that allow you to focus extremely close, are called ‘Macro’ lenses. Keep in mind that Nikon labels its macro lenses as ‘Micro’ lenses.

Note: Some lenses have a ‘macro mode’, marked by the letter ‘M’. While these allow you to focus closer than other lenses, they are not true macro lenses as they (in most cases) offer a reproduction ratio of around 1:4 (quarter life size).

In the context of this article, the term ‘close-up’ will be used for anything up to almost life-size reproductions on film / sensor and the term ‘macro’ will refer to reproductions of 1:1 and beyond, using specialized close-up attachments.

Note: Macro photography is often confused with another form of very-high-magnification photography. In the scientific world, a further sub-division of macro photography is created for close-up work done with the aid of microscopes, and is called ‘Photomicrography’. This technique, using microscopes and stereo-microscopes with trinocular tubes or complex scanning electron microscopes, can achieve magnifications of 40x and higher (a 1mm object can be recorded as 40mm or even larger on the film/sensor).

Canon calls its ‘macro’ lenses as ‘macro’, so why does Nikon call its ‘macro’ lenses as ‘micro’? The word ‘macro’ means big,

whereas the word ‘micro’ means small. So how can these two terms be used for the same purpose? If the subject you are photographing is small and you want to make it look big, you end up with a ‘macro’ view of a ‘micro’ subject. So probably, Nikon, while giving the term, was considering photographing of very small subjects while Canon was considering the idea of making a small subject look much larger!

Can we distinguish be-

tween ‘macro’ and ‘close-

up’ photography?

Capturing the most intricate detail is one of the main differences between macro and close-up photography and macro lenses allow the photographer to capture

finer detail (and easily too) than would have been possible using a non-macro lens or by using most other close-up attachments. Consider these two photographs as an example. The first image is a very good example of a close up photograph.

The second photograph is a macro shot, with greater magnification and finer detail.

Macro lenses are available in various focal lengths. Which one should one go in for?For nature photography, it’s preferable to go in for the longest focal length macro lens that you can afford,

though a macro lens of a lower focal length would be cheaper and lighter in weight too. With a lower focal length macro lens, at any given magnification, you will be much closer to your subject, which could not only disturb your subject but could even put your life at risk. Consider using a 50/60mm macro lens to photograph a scorpion or a tarantula. At 1:1 magnification, the front of the lens may be around 4-5 inches from the subject. The subject may flee or fight! If it flees, you have another chance at photographing it but if it fights (attacks you), you could be in serious trouble. Under the same shooting conditions, a 200mm macro lens for example, could have a working distance (the distance between the front of the lens and the subject) of say 8-10 inches, making it safer for you.

Yuwaraj Gurjar

In layman’s terms, macro photography is often considered the same as

close-up photography, though technically speaking, there is a difference. Close-up photography starts at a reproduction ratio of about 1:20 (on the film / digital sensor), and goes up to 1:1 (life size). Macro photography starts at a reproduction ratio of 1:1 (life size) on the film / digital sensor and goes up to about 25x magnification.

Note: Since the early macro lenses only went up to half life size (1:2), many consider a

reproduction ratio of 1:2 also as macro.

What is 1:1, 1:2, 1:4? What is 2:1, 4:1 etc?

If a subject 1cm long is recorded as 1cm on the film / sensor, the reproduction ratio is 1:1 or life-size (Magnification 1x). If that same 1cm long subject is recorded as 1/2cm, then the reproduction ratio is 1:2 (half life size). If it is recorded as 1/4cm, the reproduction ratio is 1:4 (quarter life size). Going the other way around, if a subject 1cm long is recorded as 2cm on the film /

Snake Tongue - Checkered Keelback - Xenochrophis PiscatorNikon D90, Tamron 180mm macro, 1/60sec, f/18, ISO 200, handheld.The forked tongue flicking in and out was the focal point. The snake was photographed at ground level.

Blue Oakleaf Butterfly Nikon D70s, Tamron 180mm macro, 1/60sec, f/10, ISO 200, handheld.This is a perfectly camouflaged butterfly looking just like a dry leaf. Photographed using fill-in flash but keeping the green background as it is.

Close-up shot

Macro shot

Blue Oakleaf Butterfly–close upNikon D70s, Tamron 180mm macro, 1/60sec, f/16, ISO 200, handheld. Macro shot using extension tube (20mm). Magnifica-tion is greater than 1:1

Yuwaraj Gurjar

stays at Thane

on the outskirts

of Sanjay Gandhi

National Park,

which spreads

across 104 sq. km.,

the home for many

small, wonderful

creatures, as well

as the elusive

leopard. He has

been visiting the

Park almost every

weekend for the last

26 years and still

finds new things

to photograph at

every visit.

Initially starting

with birdwatching,

he was fascinated

by the variety of

butterflies, ants,

beetles, dragonflies

and other tiny

creatures as well

as wild flowers

and this eventually

spurned him

towards macro

photography.

LEARNING



care to know. The Internet shows you various nearby locations too and how to get there. You can also do your hotel bookings, air/train/taxi travel bookings etc on the Net.

If you have decided to travel abroad, make sure that you have at least 6 months left before your passport expires and that you have some blank pages remaining in your passport. Do remember that air tickets bought at the last minute can cost much more, so book your air tickets well in advance. When travelling abroad, be vigilant and take utmost care of your passport

and other valuables like your camera and laptop. Avoid leaving your camera/laptop in the hotel when you go out because these items are the first to be stolen. As a precaution, scan your passport and email the same to your own email ID. Do take health insurance because attending to any medical problem will cost you an arm and a leg. Check with your medical practitioner and carry your personal medicines too. Keep a copy of your hotel bookings, just in case.

If travelling within the country, there is no need to carry your passport but do observe the same guidelines as mentioned above. Yes, do carry some sort of identification (driving licence, PAN card etc) because you may have to prove your identity, especially at air terminals and even for train travel.

Very important. 1) Keep a note of your bank’s telephone numbers in case your credit card is stolen or lost. In such an unfortunate event, contact the bank immediately to freeze your account, lest someone use the card to empty your account. Keep the telephone numbers in 2-3 different diaries/notebooks for safety.

2) Keep in a safe place (not on the mobile phone) your mobile phone’s IMEI number. (Dial *#06# and you’ll get the 15 digit IMEI number).

In case your mobile phone is stolen, send the IMEI number via email to [email protected]

There is no need to go to the police. Your mobile will be traced in the next 24 hours via GPRS and the Internet. You will also know where the mobile phone is being used, even if the thief changes the mobile number.

What else should you carry?Always carry a torchlight (don’t forget to check the batteries), a GPS device if possible, your day-to-day clothes (but don’t overload your travel bag; often you’ll have to carry your own

luggage!), and cash/traveller cheques. Also remember to carry two more important items – courtesy and your smile! Courtesy and a smile may ease your discomforts with fellow travellers and those in authority.

LandscapesLandscapes are found everywhere, whether you live in a city full of maddening crowds, or whether you live in a picturesque village in Switzerland! Hence opportunities are available to everyone, albeit to a greater or lesser degree. In case you feel that you can get great landscape images only if you go to a beautiful countryside, I am still with you, but that does not mean that you can never get good landscapes in the city you dwell in.

DisciplineTravel and Landscape photography, like any other genre of photography, requires dedication and discipline. Lazy photographers – those who want to sleep till 9am, those who only want to move around in a car, those who do not want to face the vagaries of nature, those who do not want to face difficulties – should not attempt travel and landscape photography! You have to be up and around when the sun peeps its golden head through that mountain range; you have to be around when the sun calls it a day! Remember, when you photograph landscapes, it is the light in its various shades that you are recording, not the topography. And good light for landscapes is generally from pre-sunrise up to 10am and from roughly 4.30pm to after sunset (also depends on the season and your location on the globe).

EquipmentThen comes the question of photo equipment to take along. This is, for me at least, the most difficult decision. Which camera body/bodies should I carry? Which lenses should I carry? Which filters should I carry? Am I game lugging around my trusty tripod? Should I carry a macro lens too? And what about that flashgun? Should I carry a hand-held light meter? Well, here are my personal views:

a) Camera body: Always carry an extra camera body if you are using an interchangeable lens camera. If you are using a fixed lens model, carry an extra camera! Remember, if your camera body/camera conks out when you are at an exotic location (and such things do happen), and if you don’t have another body/camera, you’ll kick yourself in the back.Suggestion: Considering the fact that you would be lugging your camera for the better part of the day, a Micro Four Thirds model would be very helpful in keeping down the weight. Also, a camera body that offers a ‘Level Indicator’ or a framing grid would be of additional help.

b) What size sensor? Should your camera have a full-frame (36 x 24mm) imaging sensor, APS-C (approx. 24 x 16mm), Micro Four Thirds (Approx. 17 x 13mm), 1-inch Type (12.8 x 9.6mm) or one of those tiny sensors used in Compacts and Bridge cameras? Theoretically, the full-frame sensor scores when it comes to image quality. It uses larger photosites and hence has better control over digital noise. It also offers better dynamic range. In practical terms, the APS-C sensor can provide almost similar results (many people may not be able to distinguish between pictures shot with full-frame and APS-C sensor cameras). Micro Four Thirds sensors offer very good image quality too, but in low light situations (and in shadows), may not be as good as the larger sensors, particularly with regard to digital noise and dynamic range. Also consider the 1” Type sensors found in some modern ‘professional-type’ cameras which give very good results. I am not a fan of small sensor cameras and would not consider using a small sensor camera for any serious photography, unless the intention is to see the images only on-screen. Having said that, with every new generation of small-sensor cameras, I see a lot of improvement in image quality.

c) Lenses: You may have a ton of lenses, but obviously you cannot carry them all (unless your name happens to be Hercules!). Remember,

Rohinton Mehta

How very true! A traveller is a sort of a wanderer; he has no goal in mind, he travels

wherever fate takes him. The tourist has definite plans of visiting some place he has in his mind, to see “what he has come to see”.

Whichever place or land you travel to, there is no shortage of subjects to photograph – people, historical monuments, libraries, street scenes, lakes, rivers, seas, boats, ships, aircrafts, beautiful homes, gardens and landscapes of all sorts to name a few. Since landscapes are probably one of the most photographed

subjects during travel, we shall devote this write-up to tips for travel and landscape photography.

TravelTravel, which at one time used to be time-consuming and often uncomfortable, is now easy, thanks to technological advances in transport and communication. The best way is to first decide on your travel destination. Today, fortunately, we have the Internet to help us. All that you have to do is type out the location in the search engine of your choice, and presto! You’ll have (sometimes) more details than you’d

“The traveller sees what he sees, the tourist sees what he has come to see” ...G. K. Chesterton



Building an Architectural Photograph (Exteriors)

architectural photographer should do the same with a building. Only then can his (or her) photograph bring out the beauty of the structure and will be a pleasure to behold. How to achieve such photographs is the objective of the article.

Any architectural photograph, however large the enlargement may be, will be a lot smaller than the building itself and you need to bring out all the aesthetics and detail in that small size. Many times this may require several photographs (covering exteriors, interiors, etc.) to do the job comprehensively. If you are doing professional architectural photography every building will require a portfolio to satisfy the client in all respects.

Before we go further you should be aware that there are two main technical problems that photographers encounter in architectural photography. These are “Perspective” and “Distortion”.

Let me emphasize right here that these two terms are different though many mix them up. The first is an optical effect (see Smart Photography, August, 2013 issue, “Perplexing Perspective” for more details) and is very different from distortion, which is a lens defect. The former causes leaning of verticals and the second bends lines which were straight originally. Let us see these in more detail.

Perspective: It is very likely that you have taken a photograph of a tall building from a close distance by standing near the base of the building.

Smart

Photography has

been continually

receiving

requests to start

a basic course for

beginners. With

this in mind, we

have asked a very

knowledgeable

photographer from

Hyderabad to take

over writing these

articles. We have

also requested him to be as jargon-free

as it is possible, so that newcomers to

photography feel comfortable to pursue

the hobby.

The author, Ashok Kandimalla has

been in the photographic field for

over three decades and has extensive

experience in both film and digital

photography. Being an electronics

engineer by profession and a

photographer, he possesses a unique

and deep insight into the technical

aspects of digital photography and

equipment. He has published several

articles on photography and some of

his writings have also been published

in the well-known international

magazine Popular Photography.

An avid collector of photographic

books and vintage cameras, Ashok

has a keen interest in the history of

photography and a passion for sharing

his knowledge on photography through

teaching and writing. He is presently

working as a Management and

Engineering consultant. You can see his

work at http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashok_kandimalla. He can be reached

at [email protected]

Ashok Kandimalla

What is architecture? Wikipedia tells us that it originated from the Latin

word “architectura” which means a builder or a mason. From this comes the word “Architecture” and it is the process of designing and constructing buildings, towers and other structures. Architecture, over a period of time, has assumed great importance and it is not unusual to associate a certain type (or style) of architecture with a particular civilization, era or dynasty, very much like a painting. Architects are also recognized as great artists and their work is admired even after centuries.

Architecture is partly engineering and of course, partly art. As photographers we are naturally interested in capturing that art part. However, can photographing someone else’s artistic creation be art by itself? Is it like photographing a statue or a painting? No, it is not! This question is best answered by a quote from Frederick H. Evans (1853—1943), an eminent architectural photographer who said –

“.... it is not everyone who has the time to see a building in all its phases of beauty and effect, or has the power of isolation those beauties and so realizing the more subtle and recondite charms a great building has, but gives up only to patient study and trained observation…”

This is why an architectural photograph is not a mere reproduction of architecture. It needs careful planning, study of the structure, its lines, symmetry, etc. An art critic understands and appreciates the nuances of a painting. An


When you look at such a photograph you would have noticed that the building appears to “lean” backwards. That is, vertical sides of the building are no longer vertical and the parallel sides look to be converging at the top (Picture 1). This is due to perspective. This is happening because you are very close to the base of building (foreground), making it look large. You are also far from the top of the building (background) making it look small. This makes the sides of the building look as if they are converging at the top and hence gives the impression that the building is leaning. Often this “leaning” effect is labeled as “distortion”. This is simply not correct. Perspective is not distortion. Distortion is the inability of a lens to render straight lines straight as you will see next. Perspective is also independent of focal length (it depends only on the subject distance and the position of the lens with reference to the subject) though many erroneously think that only wide-angle lenses (especially ultra-wide ones) cause it.

So, how do you rectify such a situation? One solution is to move away from the building so that the relative difference in distance between you and the top and base of the building is very less. This reduces the difference in size (on the image) between the top and base of the building thus correcting this “leaning”. Another way is to get into a building opposite the building you are photographing, preferably at a height that is half that of the opposite

structure. If both these are not possible then you need to do one of the following:1. Use a technical / view camera with movements.

2. Use a tilt/shift lens or a tilt/shift adapter with a mirrorless camera. (You only need the ‘shift’ operation to correct this problem, ‘tilt’ is not required).

3. Correct with post-processing software like Photoshop or Lightroom (Picture 2).

Distortion: The second problem is distortion (Picture 3) which is a lens defect. Due to this straight lines will look bent. You are most likely to encounter “barrel” distortion (lines bend outward) as it occurs with

Picture 2: Here perspective correction was applied in Photoshop to correct the leaning to a great extent. See also the person at the base of the tower. He provides a reference for scale to show how tall the minaret is.

Picture 1: The “leaning” of the minaret (tower) is due to perspec-tive – you are close to the base of the building (making it appear large) and far from the top (mak-ing it look small). It is not because of focal length. This is not distor-tion either; as you can see that the sides of the minaret are straight (there is no curvature).

Picture 3: See how the vertical wall

on the left is bending (bulging)

outwards. This is called

“barrel” distortion and is due

to a lens fault.



wide-angle lenses. If you are keen on architectural photography, I suggest that you look at lenses that have low distortion. Generally (there are exceptions though) fixed focal length (prime) lenses have less distortion compared to zoom lenses, especially kit lenses.

Distortion occurs mainly at the edges of the frame. So, try and avoid keeping straight Ines near the edges. For this you can compose a little loosely and then crop later. This means you will lose pixels but this is better than ugly looking distortion.

The only other way to correct distortions is through software. Most post-processing software like Adobe Lightroom have the lens characteristics built in and if you tell the software the lens you are using, the distortion is corrected automatically. Unless you are a purist, I suggest this as a solution for distortion as completely distortion free lenses (like the Zeiss Biogon) are very expensive.

Equipment: Now let us see what equipment is needed for architecture photography. You must have often heard that you need specialized equipment for this genre. While this is true to a certain extent, this is not a must. I have already mentioned in the preceding paragraphs the need for ‘tilt/shift’ and distortion-free lenses. Both these cost big bucks but as I had already explained, you can manage

Though not absolutely essential, a lens of longer focal length (like a 135mm for full frame, 85mm for APS-C or 75mm for Micro 4/3) can be useful for capturing details (like carvings on the walls) that are not easily accessible.

The most important accessory, as you may have guessed by now, is your three legged friend, the tripod. This is a vital accessory. It is needed for keeping the camera steady when you use slow shutter speeds. This is however, not the most important of its uses. The most critical one is that it allows precise composing, framing and leveling which is extremely important for any architectural photograph. I can emphasize its importance by saying - when allowed, use a tripod!

Now, we are ready to look at techniques and tips that are useful, along with some examples:

Basic Composition: Remember the fundamental composition guideline, the rule of thirds? This means that you

without these. Both the problems can be corrected to a great extent or even completely, with software. (Remember, even if you have tilt/shift lenses or technical/view cameras the perspective corrections can be done only within certain limits.)

The rest of the equipment you need is general in nature. Just any D-SLR or CSC (Compact System Camera) with a decent wide-angle or wide-angle zoom will do. Some cameras show a grid in the viewfinder. This is a useful feature to have as it helps in framing and leveling. Since the light levels are generally high outside you can get really good architectural photographs even with a simple P&S camera.

Focal lengths most useful are from 24 to 50mm for full-frame (or 16 to 35mm for APS-C D-SLRs, and 12mm to 25mm for CSC Micro 4/3 cameras). Lenses wider than these are generally not useful but you can get some dramatic results by using very short focal lengths.

Picture 4: Called a “rule” but really a guide-line, the rule of thirds is one of the most basic points to consider in composing an image.

Picture 5: Observe how the camera is placed at an angle to

the building at approximately 60º and 30º as shown. The converging lines of the roof

convey a sense of depth. See text more details.


have to divide your viewfinder frame into 9 parts (as shown, like a tick-tack-toe) and keep the subject at one of the intersections (Picture 4). These intersections are called “points of dominance”. The following paragraph explains how these concepts are applied to architectural photography.A head-on photograph of a building (which results when the façade is kept parallel to the camera back) will make it look two-dimensional (like a card board cutout), without depth. This is especially so, if the building is without much surrounding area. Photograph from an angle instead and see that the

corner of the building coincides with the vertical line at the 1/3 position (as per rule of thirds). The intersection of the corner along with the roof can be placed at one of the points of dominance. These aspects are illustrated in Picture 5.

Here are some more points to help you when you are photographing a building along with the surroundings. As already touched upon, it is a good practice to put the subject (which will be the structure itself or the most important part of the structure) at the

points of dominance. The building should be dominant in size and must have some contrast in tone or colour from the rest of the background to make it stand out. While an asymmetric placement like this works very well, sometimes it is alright to keep the horizon at the center when you are photographing scenes with reflections. Where possible, you can also use leading lines to draw the eye to the main subject. A picture can also have a secondary subject to draw the eye to it and also to create a balance. This will cause some tension

Picture 6: This image is good example to show several compositional concepts in architec-

tural photography. The main subject (a cylin-drical castle) is placed as per the rule of thirds and is dominating in size. The roof is at the upper thirds line. The bridge forms a leading line with repeating pat-tern of arches and brick work. The lamp on the right forms a second-ary subject while less

dominant is different in color and tone.

Tech Data: Camera Nikon D90, tripod mounted, focal length 20mm, f/8, 1/4 sec.



and make the eye move away from the main subject and make it explore the photograph. The secondary subject should be less dominating but sufficiently different to draw the viewer’s eye to it. This can be done by making the secondary subject have a different Colour, contrast, shape, etc. All these concepts are shown in the example given (Picture 6).

Shapes: The human eye recognizes shapes very easily. Shapes also draw the attention of the viewer and are useful for keeping the attention within the frame. Commonly seen shapes in building are triangles (like roofs), rectangles, circles, ellipses etc. Look for these when you are composing the image (Picture 7).

Symmetry: Many important buildings

and structures are highly symmetric (Picture 8). That is, the left half will be very similar (or even identical) to the right half. Sometimes due to this symmetry the rule of thirds does not work very well. One tip that might

help you is that symmetrical subjects sometime look better in square format. The present D-SLRs or CSCs do not give you a square format. However, you can get a square format through cropping during post-processing. It is important that you give this aspect a thought before you take a photograph. It is always better to pre-visualize the end-result before you press the shutter release.

Creation of depth: An important sub-element in composition is creation of depth. What this means is

that, you need to create the impression of depth (a three dimensional effect) on a flat surface (like a print or a monitor). This is created with the help of perspective. Yes, it is the same perspective that gave you a headache earlier but now you are going to

Picture 7: See the strong triangle formed by the roof and the two more on either side. There are also multiple rectangular shapes under the triangle. The blue colour of the pool and several horizontal lines give a sense of tranquility. Observe how the horizon has been kept at the thirds. A picture like this must be perfectly framed and camera kept level.

Picture 8: The camera with an ultra-wide lens (15mm, full frame) kept close (less than two feet from

the plants) to make the foreground look large. The large building at the other end is relatively small, thus

emphasizing the depth of the huge garden. This is a very symmetrical structure and the image was com-

posed to emphasize that aspect. A narrow aperture of f/16 was used for adequate depth of field.


You are now ready to start looking for “photogenic” structures. These are generally museums, art galleries, etc. where special attention is given to appealing architecture (compared to Government housing blocks !). Look for specific features in these structures from the architectural photography point of view. Your eyes will start recognizing these elements as you practice. Remember the quote given in the beginning. Some study is needed on your part before a building reveals its beauty. And remember the basic compositional guidelines given here. You don’t need any fancy equipment to start with.

Next month’s article will cover photographing interiors. So, stay tuned!

CONCLUSION:

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use it your advantage. Perspective simply makes objects closer to you to appear larger than those objects that are far away. Thus, you instinctively

know that larger objects are closer even though they are, in absolute terms, physically small. This creates a feeling of depth (Picture 8).

Explore unusual angles: Always look for something unusual. The best way to find them is to look at subjects at odd angles. Everyone looks at a building from straight ahead. Bend

low, look up/down, or climb nearby structures to get unusual viewpoints. These give you an opportunity to be different and sometimes you will see

things that others did not (Pictures 9 and 10).

Provide a scale: If you want to give an idea of the size of the structure to the viewer, you should include, as a reference, an object whose size is known. The most commonly used reference is the human being (Picture 2) though you can provide any familiar object as a size

reference.

An important point: These days everyone is paranoid about security. Simply do not photograph any building (even an office building) without getting permission as you might land in trouble. Respect the local laws. Likewise, don’t photograph private homes (other than those of people you know) as you might be violating their privacy.

Picture 9: A typical tourist photograph that is a bit boring!

Picture 10: I took this picture of the same structure lying down. This is much more dramatic and interesting.

LEARNING


Lighting, Lensing and Molding

If you refer to any dictionary like the Oxford or the Webster, you may not find the word ‘lensing’.

But it does exist, at least in the glossary of photographers. This is what they refer to, while talking about choosing the right focal length for a shoot. Thus the expression ‘Use the right lensing’.

MoldingMolding (creating the right feel, form and tonality) on any product can best be attained when there is a right combination of lighting and focal length for the object to be photographed. Many amateurs may ask that if 85 to 105mm is considered ideal for portraits with full frame cameras, what focal length is good for a tabletop? In case of shooting pack-shots of tall product, say a tall box, or a bottle, it is necessary to keep the verticals as parallel as

sufficiently away, you can create the required sharpness/blurriness of the background.

PerspectiveApart from this, one has to remember that wide-angle lenses tend to exaggerate the distances between the subject and the background, while telephoto lenses compress them. This is the very reason that while watching a cricket match on television, one finds the opposite side of the stadium is much closer and enlarged, when the cameraman zooms-in onto the batsman.

Product photographers also have to take several other parameters into consideration, like the ‘flat-field’ property of a lens, the distortions that it may produce or the aberrations that it may create in the picture. Hence all serious hobbyists and professionals should opt for good quality lenses. Taking all these parameters into consideration one has to plan one’s own kit of lenses which would be helpful to him as per the nature of the job one handles.

LightingLighting plays the most important role in defining the molding of an object or a face. Changing the angle of the light with respect to the camera and subject, changes the roundness or the depth of a subject. The hardness or softness of the light source also makes a lot of difference, especially if there is texture on the

Having crossed over 20 active years in commercial photography, Dilip Yande

says his forte is Fashion and Portrait photography. He believes variety is the

spice of life, and to keep himself motivated he does a lot of tabletop as well.

For Dilip, names like Rembrandt, Renoir, Gauguin, Picasso, Turner, Monet are

household names because of his childhood that was spent in a lineage of fine

arts. This ‘fine art’ reflects in his work because he feels that there is always

a little bit of ‘you’ in everything one does. Having shot for many advertising

agencies, juried a few competitions, mentored many workshops, and guided

many photographers in their formative years, for Dilip, photography is just

another way to romance his first love – art. He may be contacted at dilipyande@

gmail.com.

Dilip Yande

possible and this can be achieved with lenses having focal lengths of 105mm and above (with full-frame cameras) and then shooting from the correct angle.

Depth of FieldSome people have misconceptions that shallow depth of field is only possible by using a longer focal length lens. But this is not so. One can also try to photograph the same subject by going much closer with a lens of lower focal length that has an f/stop like f/1.4, f/1.8 etc. Doing this, and with the same composition, it is possible to get a better bokeh (out of focus background). This happens because you are moving closer to the subject and as you move closer, depth of field reduces. Hence by using the right focal length, the right aperture, the right shooting distance and keeping the background


surface of the object. The light source also decides the kind of shadow that will be created on the base or the background. Once again the angle of the light and its distance from the subject/object decides the length of the shadow that is created. This indirectly decides the drama in the picture.

Every three-dimensional object has to be viewed and analyzed in a specific way. (See diagram 1) The x, y and the z planes have to be analyzed and defined for precise lighting. Please note that with any object a maximum three such planes can be viewed from any angle at one time. The surface texture has to be taken into consideration while doing the lighting. To explain these lighting fundamentals, I have taken an off-white box as our subject. The surface has a beautiful texture of ‘mother-of-pearls’ on it. I have specifically chosen this long box in order to explain the ‘lensing’ factor. I chose to use a 70 to 300 mm zoom lens. This gave me the liberty to use intermittent focal lengths which are not available in non-zoom lenses. The box was kept on a small sheet of seamless white drawing paper. Light from any and every position was reflecting back from this seamless

paper. Since the field area was small, controlled lighting was a must. In the beginning I first framed the shot by going closer and then further away from the box, observing from where it would not appear distorted through

the camera, I kept zooming in and out as I shifted the distance. I did not wish to give a very ‘shallow depth of field look’ to the pictures. After the position of the camera was fixed, the placement of lights was started.

In pic 1 the box was placed as shown on the white background and a very basic lighting with a single soft-box kept slightly topish, was done to study the molding of the box and to observe the texture of the ‘mother of pearl’ on the box. It is very important to see how texture stands out in a given lighting condition. Using a black ‘cutter’, part of the light reflected back from the white background was controlled. This defined the top of the box in a better way. The picture though may be technically correct in terms of lighting, still has a lot of scope for improvement. The overall depth in the picture appears less, this is mainly due to the fact the plane Y has a less surface area compared to the other visible planes.

In pic 2, the light source which was a ‘rectalight’ was shifted to the left

Y

plane

Z plane

X plane

Diag 1

Pic 1

Pic 2

LEARNING


of the frame, this gave the feeling of a window light coming from the side. Now plane Y was brighter and automatically a better definition was created between plane X (the plane facing the camera) and plane Z (top of the box). Position of the black cutter was still the same. One can find that this source has now cast a shadow

Pic 3

32 degree grid

White paper scoop

Box

Cutter

Camera

Diag 2

on the right side of the frame. To soften the shadow on the right side, a white thermocole was used. The dimensions of the box were now getting slowly controlled but the texture on the box, needed some other attention through lighting.In order to further study the texture, a single light source was placed from behind the box, this source was a hard source of light and a 32 degree grid was used as light modifier for the same (diag 2). Pic 3 shows that the texture on

the top of the box has suddenly got

Pic 4

Pic 6

Pic 5 Pic 7


enhanced. The other sides were getting illuminated by the light bouncing on the white paper below. The position of the light is fine, but is casting a dirty hard shadow in front of the box.

In pic 4, a soft-box was added to the left with a thermocole on the right. This softened the shadow and gave a better definition to the molding on the box.

Pic 5 is just to show you how the same box can look distorted if shot with a wide angle lens.

In pic 6 ( an incense-stick holder) I have used this property of a wide angle lens to distort an image

when shot from a close distance to my benefit, by making an artistic use of the same.

Pic 7 was produced after studying the dimensions and the texture of the wooden incense-stick holder. It is a fact that smake registers well when backlit and shot against a darker background. The lighting was done considering all such properties.

Pic 8a and b are excellent examples to show how changing focal length and camera angle can make the same object (the same bottle in this case), appear shorter then what it really is. Pic 8a was shot at a focal length of112mm while pic 8b was shot at 250 mm.

There is no standardized lighting in table tops. It all depends on the shape, molding, size and the surface texture of the object.

Pic 8a

Pic 8b

LEARNING Tech-Talk



which converts accumulated electrical charge from each pixel into a voltage before it is transferred to the ADC.

Both the CCD and CMOS have their share of advantages as well as limitations. There is no clear

An image sensor can be called the heart of any digital camera. Being technically

complex, sensors are never fully understood by most people. Here we try to demystify the world of sensors, from CCDs to Back-side Illuminated (BSI) CMOS sensors without elaborating deeply on the technical aspects.

To explain the different types of sensors, it is important to understand the functioning of sensors. The image sensor is the last point of contact for light after passing through many layers of glass (lens elements) and the colour filter array. Each photo receptor (photo diode) on the sensor converts the light striking it into an electrical charge proportional to the light intensity at that spot, much like a solar cell on a solar panel. But unlike in a solar cell, the electric charge thus generated is stored in the diodes till it is read by another circuitry.

Charge-Coupled Device

(CCD) Sensor

In the case of a CCD sensor, the electrical charge is transferred across the sensor towards one corner and an amplifier converts the charge into voltage. This process is repeated till the entire array has been read out in the form of a sequence of voltages. An Analogue-to-Digital Converter (known as ADC, A to D or A/D) then converts the voltage into digital information.

Sujith Gopinath

Complementary Metal

Oxide Semiconductor

(CMOS) SensorA CMOS sensor is an active-pixel sensor imaging device. This means that each pixel on a CMOS sensor is connected to an active amplifier,

Metal wire

Amplifier

Row decoder

Column decoder and output

Vertical shift registers

A/D converter

Output amplifier

Horizontal shift registers

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CCD Sensor

CMOS Sensor


< Conventional back-illuminatedCMOS image sensor >

< Newly-developed stackedCMOS image sensor >


pixel section pixel section

circuit section circuit section

circuit section



layer structure

layer structure




Front-Illuminated Structure Back-Illuminated Structure

Light receivingsurface

On-chip lenses

Metal wirings

Metal wirings

Surface

Substrate

Substrate Photodiodes

Photodiodes

Color filters

advantage of using either of the technologies. CCD sensors produce high-quality, low noise images compared to CMOS sensors. CCD sensors consume approximately 100 times more power than CMOS sensors. CMOS sensors are less expensive to manufacture. CCD sensors also suffer from vertical smear and blooming from bright light sources. CMOS sensors process information from a row at a time, while CCD sensors capture the entire image at once. This can cause a rolling shutter effect, which distorts the image in videos. Hence manufacturers have been constantly at work to improve the efficiency of CMOS sensors to a level similar to CCDs.

As mentioned before, CMOS sensors require to have several auxiliary components (such as transistors) next to each pixel. This circuit layer is positioned on the front surface (this can be visualised as photo receptors peeping out of gaps left by the circuit layer), severely affecting the efficiency (or light gathering capacity) of the pixel layer (photo receptors) below. To overcome this, manufacturers of CMOS sensors use micro lenses to direct more light onto each pixel so as to improve the efficiency of the sensors. But this also has limitations since the circuit layer (also referred to as ‘illumination’) reflects part of the incident light, reducing the quantity of light falling on the pixel layer. The megapixel war necessitated every manufacturer to increase the pixel count on the sensor by cramming more photosites. But there is a practical limit to the number of photosites that can be fabricated on a sensor, and the circuit layer complicates the issue by using up considerable amount of space. The solution was to move the circuit layer to the back of the sensor unit.

Back-side Illuminated CMOSManufacturers have now found a way to deposit (or fabricate) the circuit layer at the back of the pixel layer. Such a sensor is known as Back-side Illuminated (BSI) sensor. Since the pixel layer is in front of the circuit layer, a BSI sensor receives more

light per photo diode and hence the efficiency is higher. Also, the front-side illuminated (FSI) sensor carries less number of photo receptors than their similarly-sized back-illuminated counterparts since the circuit layer blocks part of the sensor area. Another advantage of the BSI sensor is that a smaller sensor can pack more photo receptors because more surface area is freed due to the shifting of circuit layer to the back side, thus increasing the pixel resolution (megapixels) of small sensors without affecting the low-light performance. This is quite an advantage at this time of small imaging devices (such as Smartphones) demanding higher ‘megapixels’. Since photo receptors on BSI sensors receive more light than their FSI counterparts, their low-light performance is better, producing more detail and generating lower noise. Sony was the first to introduce BSI CMOS sensors and they call it the Exmor R CMOS sensor.

Stacked CMOS Fabricating the circuit layer at the back of the same substrate layer (the base material on which different components are deposited or integrated) posed some serious

challenges to manufacturers. For example, trying to improve the light gathering capacity of the pixel layer damaged the silicon substrate layers, and hence they needed to be heat-treated to heal the damages.

But this heat treatment reduced the efficiency of the circuit layer. Again, the manufacturing process made the substrate very thin, requiring a supporting substrate to be used to strengthen it for transportation. Hence Sony decided to integrate the circuit layer on the supporting substrate, which is also a silicon substrate identical to the one used for the pixel layer and stack the two layers together, one over the other. This stacking of layers solved all the problems associated with the manufacturing process, and reduced the size of sensor considerably due to the reduction in auxiliary circuits used to improve the efficiency of BSI CMOS. Sony named the new sensor Exmor RS, and it is now widely used in mobile devices.

Backside illuminated sensors have been in existence for quite a long time, especially in high-end applications such as astro photography and surveillance equipment. Then why weren’t they used in commercial photographic equipment? The reason was that these sensors were very expensive owing to the complex process by which the silicon wafers were produced. But now the demand for BSI sensors have gone up many fold and hence the price has begun to fall considerably.

The new technologies have culminated in better light gathering capability, higher dynamic range, and compact size of image sensors. Though semiconductor technology is not as simple as it is explained here, diving deeper into the fabrication process might not be of interest to many of our readers and hence could be beyond the scope of this feature.

Illustration: Ajay Paradkar

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Stacked CMOS

Back-side Illuminated CMOS

LEARNING


Macro Photography

sensor, the reproduction ratio is 2:1 (Magnification 2x); 4:1 would mean that a subject is recorded on film / sensor, 4 times as large as the original.

Macro photography opens up a new world, so to say. Things which we cannot see with our naked eyes, details which we cannot imagine, nuances of colour that we cannot even think of, can be shown with the help of macro photography. The best part is that we don’t have to travel long distances to reach a particular forest to do macro photography. You can get ample subjects right in

Yuwaraj Gurjar

In layman’s terms, macro photography is often considered the same as

close-up photography, though technically speaking, there is a difference. Close-up photography starts at a reproduction ratio of about 1:20 (on the film / digital sensor), and goes up to 1:1 (life size). Macro photography starts at a reproduction ratio of 1:1 (life size) on the film / digital sensor and goes up to about 25x magnification.

Note: Since the early macro lenses only went up to half life size (1:2), many consider a

reproduction ratio of 1:2 also as macro.

What is 1:1, 1:2, 1:4? What is 2:1, 4:1 etc?

If a subject 1cm long is recorded as 1cm on the film / sensor, the reproduction ratio is 1:1 or life-size (Magnification 1x). If that same 1cm long subject is recorded as 1/2cm, then the reproduction ratio is 1:2 (half life size). If it is recorded as 1/4cm, the reproduction ratio is 1:4 (quarter life size). Going the other way around, if a subject 1cm long is recorded as 2cm on the film /

Snake Tongue - Checkered Keelback - Xenochrophis PiscatorNikon D90, Tamron 180mm macro, 1/60sec, f/18, ISO 200, handheld.The forked tongue flicking in and out was the focal point. The snake was photographed at ground level.

Yuwaraj Gurjar

stays at Thane

on the outskirts

of Sanjay Gandhi

National Park,

which spreads

across 104 sq. km.,

the home for many

small, wonderful

creatures, as well

as the elusive

leopard. He has

been visiting the

Park almost every

weekend for the last

26 years and still

finds new things

to photograph at

every visit.

Initially starting

with birdwatching,

he was fascinated

by the variety of

butterflies, ants,

beetles, dragonflies

and other tiny

creatures as well

as wild flowers

and this eventually

spurned him

towards macro

photography.


your balcony garden. And there is no specific season for macro, you can enjoy macro photography all year around.

By getting your lens very close to your subject, you can fill the frame with a very tiny subject or greatly magnify details on a larger subject. But most camera lenses don’t let you get very close to a subject (every lens has a Minimum Focusing Distance or MFD) unless you have a specially designed lens. Such lenses that allow you to focus extremely close, are called ‘Macro’ lenses. Keep in mind that Nikon labels its macro lenses as ‘Micro’ lenses.

Note: Some lenses have a ‘macro mode’, marked by the letter ‘M’. While these allow you to focus closer than other lenses, they are not true macro lenses as they (in most cases) offer a reproduction ratio of around 1:4 (quarter life size).

In the context of this article, the term ‘close-up’ will be used for anything up to almost life-size reproductions on film / sensor and the term ‘macro’ will refer to reproductions of 1:1 and beyond, using specialized close-up attachments.

Note: Macro photography is often confused with another form of very-high-magnification photography. In the scientific world, a further sub-division of macro photography is created for close-up work done with the aid of microscopes, and is called ‘Photomicrography’. This technique, using microscopes and stereo-microscopes with trinocular tubes or complex scanning electron microscopes, can achieve magnifications of 40x and higher (a 1mm object can be recorded as 40mm or even larger on the film/sensor).

Canon calls its ‘macro’ lenses as ‘macro’, so why does Nikon call its ‘macro’ lenses as ‘micro’? The word ‘macro’ means big,

whereas the word ‘micro’ means small. So how can these two terms be used for the same purpose? If the subject you are photographing is small and you want to make it look big, you end up with a ‘macro’ view of a ‘micro’ subject. So probably, Nikon, while giving the term, was considering photographing of very small subjects while Canon was considering the idea of making a small subject look much larger!

Can we distinguish be-

tween ‘macro’ and ‘close-

up’ photography?

Capturing the most intricate detail is one of the main differences between macro and close-up photography and macro lenses allow the photographer to capture

finer detail (and easily too) than would have been possible using a non-macro lens or by using most other close-up attachments. Consider these two photographs as an example. The first image is a very good example of a close up photograph.

The second photograph is a macro shot, with greater magnification and finer detail.

Macro lenses are available in various focal lengths. Which one should one go in for?For nature photography, it’s preferable to go in for the longest focal length macro lens that you can afford,

though a macro lens of a lower focal length would be cheaper and lighter in weight too. With a lower focal length macro lens, at any given magnification, you will be much closer to your subject, which could not only disturb your subject but could even put your life at risk. Consider using a 50/60mm macro lens to photograph a scorpion or a tarantula. At 1:1 magnification, the front of the lens may be around 4-5 inches from the subject. The subject may flee or fight! If it flees, you have another chance at photographing it but if it fights (attacks you), you could be in serious trouble. Under the same shooting conditions, a 200mm macro lens for example, could have a working distance (the distance between the front of the lens and the subject) of say 8-10 inches, making it safer for you.

Blue Oakleaf Butterfly Nikon D70s, Tamron 180mm macro, 1/60sec, f/10, ISO 200, handheld.This is a perfectly camouflaged butterfly looking just like a dry leaf. Photographed using fill-in flash but keeping the green background as it is.

Close-up shot

Macro shot

Blue Oakleaf Butterfly–close upNikon D70s, Tamron 180mm macro, 1/60sec, f/16, ISO 200, handheld. Macro shot using extension tube (20mm). Magnifica-tion is greater than 1:1

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One more reason for the choice of longer focal length macro lens is the amount you cover behind the subject. A longer lens will show less of a confusing background and thus improve the overall picture. With a shorter focal length lens though, there’s no escaping whatever is back there. And yet another important reason in favour of the longer lens is that you will have a better chance of lighting the subject. To give you an idea of the difference in magnification between focal lengths, a 100mm macro lens used at approximately 45cm from the subject will have the same magnification as a 50mm macro lens used at only 23cm from the subject. However, if you want to do table-top or product photography, a 50/60 mm macro lens can be considered.

So, are there any downsides to longer focal length lenses for macro? Well, yes. They tend to be more expensive and bigger in size than their shorter focal length counterparts. This can be a real concern since we have to carry all this gear around, and we all work under a strict budget.

Other means of achieving

higher magnifications1. Close-up lenses (filters)A close up lens attaches to the filter thread of your primary lens, and allows the combination to focus closer. This is likely the least

expensive way to start shooting macro but make sure that you use a good quality close-up filter. Another factor that has to be looked at is the type of camera lens you will be using. A high quality prime lens plus a high quality close-up filter can produce very good results, while a zoom lens with the same close-up filter will

Leaf Blue Butterfly

eggsNikon D7100,

Tamron 90mm VC

macro, 1/200sec,

f/16, ISO 200, handheld.

These are very tiny butterfly eggs, similar

in size to Poppy seeds.

The high magnification

is obtained using three ex-

tension tubes – 12mm +

20 mm + 36 mm.

Tusser Silk Moth

AntennaeNikon D90,

Tamron 180mm mac-

ro, 1/60sec, f/22, ISO 200,

handheld.Only feathery

antennae were captured with the help

of narrow aperture and

use of flash.

Queen of Red Weaver Ant ( Oecophylla smaragdina) guarding eggs Nikon D90, Tamron 90mm VC macro, 1/60sec, f/40, ISO 200, handheld.This photo was taken with very narrow aperture to show the details of the eggs guarded by the queen of red weaver ant.

Close-up filters


generally produce less than stellar results. Keep in mind though that a dedicated macro lens generally produces overall sharper results. The biggest advantage of the close-up filters is that they are very light in weight and inexpensive.

2. Extension Tubes/BellowsExtension Tubes and Bellows are pieces of equipment that put space between the camera body and the lens thus allowing the lens to focus closer. An extension tube has a fixed dimension whereas

bellows vary in the amount of extension they can offer. They work well with certain lenses. If you have a 50mm prime lens, this might be a good option to get into macro work at an affordable cost, using extension tubes or bellows. Extension tubes often come in sets of three, in different widths (some expensive tubes tend to

a high magnifications on the order of 2X or more. For people interested in high magnification photography, this is often the way to go, especially if you are on a budget. One thing to keep in mind is that the depth of field will be almost nil and the attached lens is vulnerable to dust and other particles that could possibly get into the lens and scratch it.

4. TeleconvertersUnlike a diopter, a teleconverter is an auxiliary lens that goes, not

be sold individually) that can be used singly or combined to get the magnification required. One area where extension tubes really shine is for making a long focal length lens (like 300mm) focus much closer, which is great for photographing skittish dragonflies and other critters. Bellows work on the same principle but as mentioned earlier, but are expandable, allowing a great deal of flexibility. The real downside to bellows is the high cost plus the bulk and weight. Most people use bellows for studio work only as they aren’t very practical in the field.

3. Lens Reversal RingsLens reversal rings allow you to mount a lens ‘backwards’ on the camera body. When used with high quality prime lenses the results can be stunning and if you reverse a wide angle lens, often you can achieve

Ceropegia Vincaefolia Nikon D90, Tamron 180mm macro, 1/200sec, f/6.3, ISO 200, handheld.This is a rare and unique flower. To show its natural beauty with blurred, even-green background, I purposely photographed it at wide-open aperture.

Gharial Baby Nikon D7100, Tamron 90mm VC macro, 1/60sec, f/36, ISO 100, handheld.This photo shows the details in the eyes and the pointed teeth of the Gharial crocodile.

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on top of your main lens, but between it and your camera body. Teleconverters are more commonly associated with telephoto and wildlife shooting, but they can also be useful for macro, enabling you to get a shot from further away. Since most lenses won’t get anywhere near life-size on their own though, magnification with even a 2x teleconverter will still be somewhat limited.5. Stacking lensesUsing a special adapter, a lens having a short focal length, can be attached in reverse to another lens, usually of a longer focal length. As an example, a 200mm lens can be attached to the camera body. Then attach the adapter to the filter thread and finally, attach (in reverse) a 50mm lens. This is known as Stacking Lenses. In this case, the 50mm lens acts like a highly corrected supplementary lens and can be used at wide open aperture. The other lens (200mm in out example), could be used at a narrow aperture like f/16 to gain DOF.

The formula to calculate the resulting magnification is : Focal length of the primary lens (200mm in our example) divided by the focal length of the coupled lens

(50mm in our example), or 4x. This means that a subject 1/4” in length would reproduce as 1” on the film/sensor.

Importance of TripodAt high magnification, even the slightest vibration can mar your image. To minimize this problem, you should have a good, solid tripod. This means not just the ‘legs’, but the ‘head’ as well. There’s

no such thing as a light-weight sturdy tripod. Nor is there such a thing as a cheap and sturdy tripod. Invest in the best tripod you can reasonably justify purchasing. Be sure your tripod is tall enough for you so you don’t have to stoop over to use it. While a lot of macro work will be low to the ground, you want your tripod to work well for all your shooting, not just macro. You want a tripod with independently adjustable legs since you may be working at times on uneven ground. A tripod that has no center column makes low level shooting much more doable than other systems that require you to invert the center column.

If you shoot a lot of macro, you may want to consider getting a dedicated low or ground-level tripod with a good tripod head for it, in addition to your regular tripod. Switching heads back and forth can be a real pain.

Image Stabilization:

VR / IS / VC If your camera is not tripod-mounted, image stabilization (built into the body or the lens) is certainly advantageous for sharper shots. Though true for all genres of photography, in macro

Deccan Banded Gecko cleaning eye Nikon D90, Tamron 180mm macro, 1/60sec, f/16, ISO 200, handheld.Geckos normally clean their eyes with their tongue. The apt move-ment is captured using a macro lens and flash.

Atlas MothNikon D90, Tamron 180mm macro, 1/60sec, f/9, ISO 200, handheld.This is the world’s largest moth measuring around 10 inches. The moth had just emerged from its cocoon at late night and I photographed it using flash.


photography especially, camera shake can adversely affect the image formed on the sensor and the image in the viewfinder. This is especially relevant to hand-held shooting at higher magnifications, since the inability to properly compose and focus due to a shaky image in the viewfinder makes it extremely difficult to record sharp images. The technology in image stabilizers calculate the direction and the amount of shake at the image plane and try to stabilize it, thus rendering sharper pictures in hand-held situations.

FlashThere is a general assumption that flash photography is ‘flat photography’ and if you are using a ‘ring flash’ then the light is “flat, shadowless, and uninteresting”. This is not necessarily true. If you use flash correctly and creatively, it can provide quite flexible and interesting lighting for all your macro work. Flash can be built into your D-SLR or can be an accessory unit attached to the accessory shoe (hot shore) or could be a ring flash fitted around

the lens. Flash can be very useful for boosting the natural, diffused light illuminating our macro subjects. In-built flash is generally not good enough if your subject is very close to the lens as the flash light is likely to fall beyond the subject and not on it. So, for macro photography, ring flash is quite useful. Ring flash is a convenient way to light close-up subjects in nature / field. Some ring flashes also allow you to control the modeling on the subject. If you are doing macro photography on regular basis, then you should certainly think of buying a good dedicated ring flash. But a ring flash may not be that useful for the general non-macro photography.

Some tips for macro pho-

tography1. Control your depth of field: You can control the depth of field and put the background out of focus, and thus make your subject ‘stand out’. Using a wider aperture, you can control the in-focus area and thus concentrate the viewer’s gaze on the subject’s eyes, or

pollens / stigma of the flower you are photographing.

2. Eye to eye: Try to photograph your subjects at their level, especially when you are shooting insects, flowers and other macro subjects. By moving down to the level of your subject you increase the apparent size and importance of the object.

3. Lighting: The light falling on your subject is extremely important, so pay proper attention to lighting. The subject should be properly lit and there should be no overexposed highlights or underexposed shadows.

4. Look for abstract compositions: Try to be innovative. It is not necessary to record the entire flower / insect all the time. You can, for example, just frame some part of it and make the picture look unusually interesting or artistic.

5. Know your subject: If you are going in for flower / insect photography for example, keep a track of the flower’s blooming period and timing, or the habits (like feeding time, roosting time etc) of the insects. This will definitely help you in the long period.

Macro photography, like all other genres of photography, demands the photographer’s dedication along with a good dose of technical knowledge. Its often not too easy to photograph macro subjects; you got to be ready to go down on your knees or even go flat on the ground, without worrying about what the onlookers may think or say. Happy shooting!

Scorpion babies with motherNikon D70s, Tamron 180mm macro, 1/60sec, f/20, ISO 200, handheld.A rare chance in the wild. Scorpion mother carrying babies on her back. The sun was quite high in the sky, so fill-in flash was used to keep the tail’s shadow as it is in the photo.

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care to know. The Internet shows you various nearby locations too and how to get there. You can also do your hotel bookings, air/train/taxi travel bookings etc on the Net.

If you have decided to travel abroad, make sure that you have at least 6 months left before your passport expires and that you have some blank pages remaining in your passport. Do remember that air tickets bought at the last minute can cost much more, so book your air tickets well in advance. When travelling abroad, be vigilant and take utmost care of your passport

Rohinton Mehta

How very true! A traveller is a sort of a wanderer; he has no goal in mind, he travels

wherever fate takes him. The tourist has definite plans of visiting some place he has in his mind, to see “what he has come to see”.

Whichever place or land you travel to, there is no shortage of subjects to photograph – people, historical monuments, libraries, street scenes, lakes, rivers, seas, boats, ships, aircrafts, beautiful homes, gardens and landscapes of all sorts to name a few. Since landscapes are probably one of the most photographed

subjects during travel, we shall devote this write-up to tips for travel and landscape photography.

TravelTravel, which at one time used to be time-consuming and often uncomfortable, is now easy, thanks to technological advances in transport and communication. The best way is to first decide on your travel destination. Today, fortunately, we have the Internet to help us. All that you have to do is type out the location in the search engine of your choice, and presto! You’ll have (sometimes) more details than you’d

“The traveller sees what he sees, the tourist sees what he has come to see” ...G. K. Chesterton


and other valuables like your camera and laptop. Avoid leaving your camera/laptop in the hotel when you go out because these items are the first to be stolen. As a precaution, scan your passport and email the same to your own email ID. Do take health insurance because attending to any medical problem will cost you an arm and a leg. Check with your medical practitioner and carry your personal medicines too. Keep a copy of your hotel bookings, just in case.

If travelling within the country, there is no need to carry your passport but do observe the same guidelines as mentioned above. Yes, do carry some sort of identification (driving licence, PAN card etc) because you may have to prove your identity, especially at air terminals and even for train travel.

Very important. 1) Keep a note of your bank’s telephone numbers in case your credit card is stolen or lost. In such an unfortunate event, contact the bank immediately to freeze your account, lest someone use the card to empty your account. Keep the telephone numbers in 2-3 different diaries/notebooks for safety.

2) Keep in a safe place (not on the mobile phone) your mobile phone’s IMEI number. (Dial *#06# and you’ll get the 15 digit IMEI number).

In case your mobile phone is stolen, send the IMEI number via email to [email protected]

There is no need to go to the police. Your mobile will be traced in the next 24 hours via GPRS and the Internet. You will also know where the mobile phone is being used, even if the thief changes the mobile number.

What else should you carry?Always carry a torchlight (don’t forget to check the batteries), a GPS device if possible, your day-to-day clothes (but don’t overload your travel bag; often you’ll have to carry your own

luggage!), and cash/traveller cheques. Also remember to carry two more important items – courtesy and your smile! Courtesy and a smile may ease your discomforts with fellow travellers and those in authority.

LandscapesLandscapes are found everywhere, whether you live in a city full of maddening crowds, or whether you live in a picturesque village in Switzerland! Hence opportunities are available to everyone, albeit to a greater or lesser degree. In case you feel that you can get great landscape images only if you go to a beautiful countryside, I am still with you, but that does not mean that you can never get good landscapes in the city you dwell in.

DisciplineTravel and Landscape photography, like any other genre of photography, requires dedication and discipline. Lazy photographers – those who want to sleep till 9am, those who only want to move around in a car, those who do not want to face the vagaries of nature, those who do not want to face difficulties – should not attempt travel and landscape photography! You have to be up and around when the sun peeps its golden head through that mountain range; you have to be around when the sun calls it a day! Remember, when you photograph landscapes, it is the light in its various shades that you are recording, not the topography. And good light for landscapes is generally from pre-sunrise up to 10am and from roughly 4.30pm to after sunset (also depends on the season and your location on the globe).

EquipmentThen comes the question of photo equipment to take along. This is, for me at least, the most difficult decision. Which camera body/bodies should I carry? Which lenses should I carry? Which filters should I carry? Am I game lugging around my trusty tripod? Should I carry a macro lens too? And what about that flashgun? Should I carry a hand-held light meter? Well, here are my personal views:

a) Camera body: Always carry an extra camera body if you are using an interchangeable lens camera. If you are using a fixed lens model, carry an extra camera! Remember, if your camera body/camera conks out when you are at an exotic location (and such things do happen), and if you don’t have another body/camera, you’ll kick yourself in the back.Suggestion: Considering the fact that you would be lugging your camera for the better part of the day, a Micro Four Thirds model would be very helpful in keeping down the weight. Also, a camera body that offers a ‘Level Indicator’ or a framing grid would be of additional help.

b) What size sensor? Should your camera have a full-frame (36 x 24mm) imaging sensor, APS-C (approx. 24 x 16mm), Micro Four Thirds (Approx. 17 x 13mm), 1-inch Type (12.8 x 9.6mm) or one of those tiny sensors used in Compacts and Bridge cameras? Theoretically, the full-frame sensor scores when it comes to image quality. It uses larger photosites and hence has better control over digital noise. It also offers better dynamic range. In practical terms, the APS-C sensor can provide almost similar results (many people may not be able to distinguish between pictures shot with full-frame and APS-C sensor cameras). Micro Four Thirds sensors offer very good image quality too, but in low light situations (and in shadows), may not be as good as the larger sensors, particularly with regard to digital noise and dynamic range. Also consider the 1” Type sensors found in some modern ‘professional-type’ cameras which give very good results. I am not a fan of small sensor cameras and would not consider using a small sensor camera for any serious photography, unless the intention is to see the images only on-screen. Having said that, with every new generation of small-sensor cameras, I see a lot of improvement in image quality.

c) Lenses: You may have a ton of lenses, but obviously you cannot carry them all (unless your name happens to be Hercules!). Remember,

LEARNING


whichever lens you don’t carry, you’ll have a need for it! (Murphy’s Law?). So then how do you get over this problem? Consider how oft en you are likely to use a particular lens. If the answer is ‘rarely’ or ‘may be’, then leave the lens at home. You can surely do without that lens!

Generally, landscapes involve the use of wide-angle lenses, but that does not mean that you cannot photograph landscapes with ‘normal’ or ‘telephoto’ lenses. It all depends on what you want to convey to the viewer. And whilst we are talking of lenses, let me crib about how zoom lenses are responsible for poor image perspectives.

Here’s how photographer ‘A’ takes his shots using a zoom lens. He stands at the same position and merely takes shots at the various focal length settings his zoom lens off ers. He feels happy because the angle of view his lens covers is diff erent for each shot!

Photographer ‘B’, in spite of having

use narrow apertures like f/8 or f/11. Hence having a ‘fast’ lens is not important, but do remember that ‘fast’ lenses autofocus faster (and oft en more accurately too).

d) Filters: Th e fi lters I would recommend for travel and landscape photography are Circular Polariser, Neutral Density and Gradual Neutral Density.

e) Flashgun: What about the fl ashgun? Again, if you are unlikely to use it or use it very rarely, you might as well as leave the fl ashgun at home.

f) Tripod: Don’t leave home without one! Early mornings and late evenings, which are the best times to shoot landscapes, come with their own problems – medium to low light. You could always push up the ISO but that also means more digital noise and lower dynamic range. A tripod will allow you to shoot at your camera’s native ISO (ISO for which the imaging sensor is designed) with whatever aperture you like to control the depth of fi eld. But do remember that if the shutter speed gets too low, subject movement (swaying trees etc) is likely to cause blurry images.

Note: Some readers may consider this point as moot or even silly. I do understand your reasons for feeling that way. I do understand that you don’t want to be burdened with a tripod when you are out enjoying your holidays. Th ere are times when I myself feel that way but nothing stops me from carrying a small lightweight tripod. As someone had once said, a lightweight tripod is better than the steadiest hands!

g) Hand-held light meter: Most photographers today do not carry a hand-held light meter. Th e newer generation do not even know that such a thing exists or how important it is to have one. If I am going for serious photography, I always rely on my hand-held light meter because it gives me the ability to measure off a very tiny area (1-degree), whereas the Spot Meter in the camera reads 3-5% of the screen area (depending on the make and model of the camera) and

the same zoom lens on his camera body, uses his feet to ‘zoom’; he considers each marked focal length as a diff erent prime lens and goes towards or away from his subject to compose his frame. Whom do you think will have images with better perspective? Everything else being equal, photographer ‘B’ of course. While photographer ‘A’ will have diff erent areas covered (because he changed the focal length between each shot), all his shots will have identical perspective; photographer ‘B’ will have diff erent perspectives because he changed the position of his lens for each shot.

A lesson to learn: Don’t use your zoom lens as a zoom lens; instead consider each focal length setting as a diff erent prime lens and get diff erent perspectives by moving your feet instead.

Th en there is the question of duplicating the focal lengths. Let’s say you have a 70-200mm as well as a 70-300mm lens. Should you carry both? Th e 70-300mm includes the 70-200mm range so why carry the extra weight? You might say that the 70-200mm is f/2.8 throughout while the 70-300mm is f/5.6 at the longer end and hence carrying the faster lens gives you a 2-stop advantage. True, but then again you get into a Catch-22 situation (a situation from which you cannot escape). You either carry the slower lens with the longer focal range or carry both and then crib about the extra weight! Or if you are more likely to shoot in low light, consider the faster lens with the shorter focal range and leave the other lens at home.

What about a macro lens? Should you carry it? If you plan to do only landscapes, you could consider leaving the macro lens at home but if you are also carrying say, a 50mm ‘normal’ lens, you could instead consider the 50/60mm ‘macro’ lens which can serve the purpose of the ‘normal’ lens as well as the ‘macro’ lens.

Should you use ‘fast’ or ‘slow’ lenses? For landscape photography we generally try for maximum depth of fi eld and more oft en than not,

Panasonic 35-400mm f/2.8 lens

Panasonic 12-35mm f/2.8 lens

Nikon 70-200 f/4 lens.

Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8 lens


this is not good enough for me. So many a times, I include my hand-held light meter and, if necessary, travel with one lens less.

Please remember that the tips given above are intended for travel and landscape photography without breaking your back with equipment weight. Someone once asked me, what is your message to budding travel and landscape photographers? My answer, which applies to all genres of photography, is “Give up your comforts. If you prefer comforts, better stay at home and watch some soap opera on TV”.

Composition

“Composition is the strongest way of seeing” - Edward Weston

Composition to a photographer is what flower arrangement is to a florist. Your neighbourhood florist just does not pick up flowers from his basket, wrap them up in a bundle and hand them over to you. He painstakingly arranges the flowers in a bouquet in a manner that looks most beautiful. An artist carefully chooses the colours and the various elements in his drawing and places them at strategic positions which create the best viewer appeal. Similarly, a landscape photographer has to choose which elements in nature should be included in his frame and which discarded. This arrangement of various elements in our frame is what we refer to by the term ‘composition’.

Good composition can improve a not-so-good photo but bad composition can ruin an otherwise good picture. Volumes have been written on how to improve photographs through good composition but the limited space for this write-up means that we can discuss just a few.

1. Go close to your subjectMost beginners in photography try to include anything and everything in the frame. In a few situations that might be okay, but in most cases, this only helps to clutter the image and take away the importance of the main element in the scene. Hence it is often necessary to go closer to the main subject so that the viewer’s attention goes straight

to that element. Other elements in the frame, if any, should be subservient to the primary subject.

2. Keep horizons levelledThis is especially true when your subject is a water body. Remember, water maintains its own level and tilting your water-body composition feels as if the water will run down to one side!

Tilted horizon

Level horizon

x

LEARNING


3. Avoid horizons passing through the center of the frameAvoid placing the horizon in the dead centre (or close to the dead centre) of the frame. Doing so divides the picture in two equal (or nearly equal) halves

If sky is more important, keep 2/3rd for the sky and 1/3rd for the foreground

If foreground is more important, keep 2/3rd for the foreground and 1/3rd for the sky

Leading-in lines

Do not divid the picture into two equal halves

Aerial Perspective

x

and thus divides the viewer’s attention.

4. Create visual depthOur photographs have only 2-dimensions (width and height), whereas we see in 3-dimensions


(width, height and depth). Hence it is necessary to create the third dimension of depth in our photos. This can be done using leading-in lines, aerial perspective, having an element with distinct foreground interest, mid-ground and background, frame within a frame, and also by using a narrow aperture that increases the depth of field.

5. Rule of ThirdsIf you mentally divide a scene in three equal parts, vertically as well as horizontally, the four points of intersection are strongest points that

attract the viewer’s attention. Hence important elements of the picture should ideally lie on one of these points. Do not place the centre of interest in the centre of the frame (Because it looks dull and static) unless its an extreme close-up. The four points of intersection are the strongest to place the main element of your scene.

6. BalanceTry to create a balance between the

various elements in the frame, lest it appears lop-sided.

7. Diagonal lines, C-curves, S-curvesDiagonal lines, C-curves and S-curves tend to strengthen a picture.

8. FormatPictures can be shot in an horizontal format (as most people do) or in a vertical format. Most landscapes look better in a horizontal format (probably because we see wider using our two eyes), but that

Including a foreground element helps to increase visual depth S-curve

The tree on the left is balanced by the tree on the right

shouldn’t stop you from using the vertical format. Tall thin mountains, trees, rivers meandering through a

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forest are examples where vertical framing can look very nice. Do remember that about 85% of books and magazines are in the vertical format!

Yes, and don’t forget, a square composition can often look bold and beautiful.

The Final WordBe different. Be creative. Take the route that others don’t take. Don’t shoot the same pictures that every Tom, Dick and Harry takes. Your pictures need to be different. This is the key to unlock your potential.

Some do’s and don’tsThese do’s and don’ts apply to all genres of photography but in some ways it is more important from the tourist’s point of view. A tourist can’t always go back to his travel destination for a variety of reasons and hence these guidelines are more important to him.

1. Make a list of all things (especially photography related) to take along

2. Carry extra memory cards

3. Don’t take along memory cards that have had some problem earlier on. For example, a particular memory card has given you some sort of error warning which later on went away by formatting the card. This becomes a ‘suspect card’. Either throw it away or leave it at home (or present it to a photographer you don’t like!)

4. Change the memory card in the camera before it becomes 100% full. You can set your camera to show how many frames are remaining and when the camera shows that 2-3 frames are remaining, replace the card.

5. Get into the habit of backing up your images, either on another memory card, CD/DVD, laptop or

an external hard drive.

6. Don’t keep all the backup images in the same carrying bag. Put them in different bags, just in case one bag is lost/stolen or pilfered.

7. Carry extra camera/flash batteries. And don’t forget the battery chargers.

8. Double (and triple) check your list to make sure you have not left out anything. Tick mark each item when you place it in your bag.

9. If you are like me who sometimes forgets where I have put what, make a smaller list to remind yourself but don’t lose that list!

Try subtle variations in your exposures and take many pictures. Not all will be masterpieces, but the good ones will keep your memory fresh for a long long time.

Even though we see in colour, consider landscapes in B&W too

112Flashgun ReviewNISSIN i40

Rev

iew

s

106Lens ReviewZeiss 55mm f/1.4 Otus APO Distagon T* Lens

110Lens ReviewSIGMA 50 MM

F/1.4 DG HSM (Art)

Change in Rating SystemSmart Photography’s new rating system exercises stricter evaluation in view of improvements in the overall performance of photographic equipment. Marks will be awarded for the following parameters...

Final RankingsRecommended ......................................... 75-80%Best Buy .........................................81% and above

D-SLR CAMERAS

Design & Build Quality .................... (out of 20)

Key Features ........................................... (out of 20)

Ergonomics ............................................. (out of 20)

PerformanceAutofocus .................................................... (out of 5)Metering ...................................................... (out of 5)Noise control ........................................... (out of 5)Distortion/Sharpness .......................... (out of 5)LCD/Viewfi nder..................................... (out of 5)Auto White Balance ........................... (out of 5)

Value for Money ....................... (out of 10)

Grand Total ............................... (out of 100)

LENSES




PerformanceAutofocus .................................................... (out of 5)Sharpness..................................................... (out of 5)Distortion control ................................. (out of 5)Aberrations ................................................ (out of 5)Darkening of corners ......................... (out of 5)Extra Features............................................ (out of 5)

Value for Money ................................. (out of 10)

Grand Total ......................................... (out of 100)

COMPACT CAMERAS




PerformanceAutofocus .................................................... (out of 5)Metering ...................................................... (out of 5)Noise control ........................................... (out of 5)Distortion/Sharpness .......................... (out of 5)LCD/Viewfi nder..................................... (out of 5)Auto White Balance ........................... (out of 5)

Value for Money ....................... (out of 10)

Grand Total ............................... (out of 100)

98Head-To-HeadMacro Lenses for Nikon FX mount

114Sony Xperia Z2Smartphone Review

HEAD-TO-HEAD

Macro lenses for Nikon FX mount

Macro subjects evoke lot of interest to all

people alike. The lure could be in the details that otherwise escape our vision, or the colourful world of insects. A Macro lens is one that every photographer desires to add to his kitbag. Rarely do you choose a specialist lens first and scout for a D-SLR that can go with it. Hence for lens tests, it makes more sense to compare lenses in such a way that we end up suggesting the best lens for a particular format of D-SLRs from the same brand. In this test, we compare Macro lenses that are made for Nikon FX format (Full-Frame) camera bodies and attempt to suggest the best option in the market.

For this test, we approached all prominent manufacturers that produced lenses for Nikon FX bodies and which were easily available in the Indian market. The list included Nikon, Sigma, and Tamron. Unfortunately, the Sigma distributor politely informed us that they did not have any macro lens readily available. So we were left with Nikon and Tamron. So this test is between the AF-S Micro Nikkor 60mm 1:2.8G ED, AF-S micro Nikkor 105mm 1:2.8G ED VR, Tamron SP AF 90mm 1:2.8 Di Macro 1:1, and Tamron SP 90mm 1:2.8 Di VC USD Macro.

Sujith Gopinath

Hunt for the ‘Detailer’



Both the Nikkors feature Silent Wave Motors, while the Tamron 90mm VC features Ultrasonic Silent Drive. The Tamron 90mm non-VC does not feature any high-speed motor.

ErgonomicsComing to the comfort of using the lenses, the Nikkor 105mm, being heavy and bulky, induces more fatigue to your hands. The focus rings are narrower and the grips are smoother in the Nikkors compared to the Tamrons. The Tamron 90mm VC lens has the best grip, and being thinner and lighter than the Nikkor, is easier to handle. The Tamron non-VC version comes second in user-comfort, while the Nikkor 60mm takes the third place. All except the Nikkor 60mm have focus limiter switches for faster focusing, but this does not essentially put the Nikkor 60mm at an advantage since you need to turn the focus ring only about 180 degrees to cover the entire range of focus. The Tamron non-VC lens has a nice push-pull type AF/MF switch, but on the flip side, this is the only lens that does not have internal focussing and hence the lens barrel extends considerably while focussing.

PerformanceThe lenses were tested on a D800E body in JPEG format to keep consistency with the internal sharpening applied. VR/IS was turned off and the camera was mounted on a sturdy tripod.

AF SpeedAll lenses except the Tamron 90mm non-VC feature high-speed motors and all of them were equally fast in focussing. The Tamron 90mm non-VC was slow and noisy while focussing.

Darkening of CornersTo test darkening of corners, we kept the Vignette Control feature in the camera to ‘High’ so that all lenses were povided the same advantage. All lenses exhibited Darkening of Corners at the widest aperture. The Nikkor 105mm produced the least darkening followed by the Tamron 90mm non-VC. The Tamron 90mm VC came third.

Flare and Chromatic AberrationTo test Flare and Chromatic Aberration, we usually photograph strong sunlight peeping through branches. But the monsoon clouds spoiled our plans and hence we had to simulate the situation in the studio. A studio light was kept behind a cardboard with holes punched on it to test flare and chromatic aberration. The Tamron 90mm non-VC controlled flare better than all others, though the difference was very small. The Nikkor 60mm came a very close second, while both the Nikkor 105mm and the Tamron 90mm VC produced slightly higher flare. In case of chromatic aberration, the Tamron 90mm non-VC produced heavy purple fringing. The Nikkor 105mm also produced prominent purple fringing, but less than that of the Tamron. Both the other lenses produced slight magenta fringing. In this, the Nikkor 60mm fared marginally better than the Tamron 90mm VC. DistortionNone of the lenses produced any perceptible distortion, and hence they all share full points.

SharpnessEvaluating the sharpness of macro lenses at 1:1 magnification is very challenging because of the very shallow

Feature Nikkor 60mm Nikkor 105mm Tamron SP 90mm Tamron SP 90mm f/2.8G ED f/2.8G ED VR f/2.8 Di VC USD f/2.8 Di

Filter Size (Dia) 62mm 62mm 58mm 55mm

Magnification ratio 1:1 1:1 1:1 1:1

Max. Aperture F/2.8 F/2.8 F/2.8 F/2.8

Min. Aperure F/45 F/57 F/64 F/64

Image stabilisation No Yes, VR Yes, VC No

High-speed motor Yes, SWM Yes, SWM Yes, USD No

Diaphragm blades 9 9 9 9

No. of Elements 12 14 14 10

No. of Groups 9 12 11 9

Special Elements 1 x ED, 2 x Asph 1 x ED 2 x XLD, 1 x LD Data Not Available

Special Coatings Nano Nano eBand Data Not Crystal Coat Crystal Coat coating Available

Min. Focus distance 18.5cm 31.4cm 30cm 29cm

Working distance 4.8cm 15.4cm 13.9cm 10.6cm

Diameter 73mm 83mm 76.4mm 71.5mm

Min. Length 89mm 116mm 114.5mm 97mm

Max. Length 89mm 116mm 114.5mm 163mm

Weight 425g 790g 550g 405g

Accessories Lens Hood, Lens Hood, Lens Hood Lens Hood, Lens Pouch Lens Pouch Case

Design and Build QualityThe outer body of the Nikon 60mm lens is made of sturdy polycarbonate material, while the Nikon 105mm is made of metal and is undoubtedly the most rugged amongst the four. It is also the largest and heaviest. Both the Tamrons have polycarbonate exteriors. The Tamron 90mm VC (since both the Tamrons have near-identical designations, we would use VC or non-VC to distinguish between the two) is the second in both bulk and weight. All the lenses have metal mounts. All except the Tamron SP 90mm non-VC lens have rubber cushions near the lens mount as a weather-sealing measure.

Key FeaturesThe following table will give you an idea of how the key features are matched. Both the Nikkor 105mm and the Tamron 90mm VC feature image stabilisation in the form of VR (Vibration Reduction) in the Nikon and VC (Vibration Correction) in the Tamron. The Nikkor 105mm offers the longest working distance, while the Nikkor 60mm offers the shortest working distance. The non-VC Tamron is physically longer at 1:1 magnification, thereby reducing the working distance.

HEAD-TO-HEAD



Aperture:f/11.0; Shutter Speed: 1.0sec; ISO:100

NIKKOR 60MM F/2.8G ED



NIKKOR 105MM F/2.8G ED VR

HEAD-TO-HEAD




TAMRON SP 90MM F/2.8 DI VC USD



TAMRON SP 90MM F/2.8 DI

HEAD-TO-HEAD



lens, however, produced the most consistent results.

Value for MoneyThe Nikkor 105mm retails at an MRP of Rs.60,000, while the Nikkor 60mm f/2.8G carries a price tag of Rs.40,250. The Tamron SP 90mm non-VC lens retails at Rs.28,900, while the Tamron SP 90mm VC is priced at Rs.39,800.

depth-of-field. Even a fractional difference in alignment of the film plane with the subject plane can make a significant difference in the depth-of-field and hence the sharpness. Because of the inconsistency in results, we did not take into account the peripheral sharpness. Comparing the centre sharpness, all the four lenses had identical sweet spots at f/11. All the lenses are manufactured to provide the best sharpness in the range of f/11 to f/32. After the sweet spots were obtained, the sharpness was again compared using a slightly lower magnification (less than 1:1) so that it provided better depth-of-field. The Nikkor 60mm, Nikkor 105mm, and the Tamron 90mm VC lenses were equally sharp (when visually observed). The Tamron 90mm non-VC was slighly soft. We also found that the Tamron 90mm non-VC lens overexposed the images. Since the same camera body was used for all the lenses, we presume it to be the slight inaccuracy in the aperture mechanism. The Tamron 90mm VC

75%

NIKKOR 60MM F/2.8G ED

FINAL SCORE

Design and Build Quality 14/20

Key Features 13/20

Ergonomics 15/20

Performance

Autofocus and 4.5/5 Burst Shooting

Darkening 3/5 of Corners

Flare and 4.5/5 Chromatic Aberration

Distortion 5/5

Sharpness 4.5/5

Sub-Total 21.5/25

Value for Money 11/15

Total 74.5/100

75%

NIKKOR 105MM F/2.8G ED VR

FINAL SCORE


Key Features 19/20

Ergonomics 13/20

Performance


Darkening 4.5/5 of Corners

Flare and 3/5 Chromatic Aberration

Distortion 5/5

Sharpness 4.5/5

Sub-Total 17/25


Total 75/100

Choosing a specialist lens is no mean feat. For high-end professionals, the most imprortant consideration is image quality, whereas for amateurs, the price matters a lot. In this review, we have attempted to provide a comprehensive report, by which both the professionals and amateurs can easily make a choice. Please note that the test result reflects the performance of the test equipment that the manufacturers provided to Smart Photography, and the results could vary slightly from piece to piece. As you can see, the results are indeed very close. Overall, the Tamron SP 90mm f/2.8 Di VC USD wins this test, most importantly owing to the smart pricing.

VERDICT

81%

TAMRON SP 90MM F/2.8 DI VC USDFINAL SCORE


Key Features 17/20

Ergonomics 19/20

Performance


Darkening 3.5/5 of Corners

Flare and 3.5/5 Chromatic Aberration

Distortion 5/5

Sharpness 4.5/5

Sub-Total 21/25


Total 81/100

69%

TAMRON SP 90MM F/2.8 DI

FINAL SCORE


Key Features 13/20

Ergonomics 15/20

Performance

Autofocus and 3/5 Burst Shooting


Flare and 4/5 Chromatic Aberration

Distortion 5/5

Sharpness 3.5/5

Sub-Total 19.5/25


Total 68.5/100

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LENS REVIEW Zeiss 55mm f/1.4 Otus APO Distagon T* Lens


Th e “best lens” money can buy for a D-SLR!

Ashok Kandimalla

Yes! You have read the price correctly. It is indeed a breathtaking Rupees two

lakhs seventy nine thousand nine hundred fifty only! That makes it one of the most expensive ‘normal’ lenses on the market today (the others being made by Leica). Before we go into the review here is a brief introduction. This lens like other Zeiss lenses for D-SLRs are designed in Germany but are manufactured in Japan. Uniquely, each Zeiss lens is individually tested and is supplied with a signed inspection certificate. This particular model is available in Canon and Nikon mounts.

Design And Build QualityLike all German lenses this lens has a name and is called APO Distagon (APO stands for an apo-chromatic design). The lens also has an additional name “Otus”. Otus incidentally is the name of a sub-species of owls which have excellent night vision!

The Zeiss 55mm f/1.4 Otus APO Distagon lens is built like a heavy main battle tank. It has all metal construction (except for the rubber covered aperture and focusing rings) and looks beautiful in satin black. The lens flares out in the front ostensibly to accommodate large diameter front elements. The supplied metal lens hood too is very well made – strong with good flocking. This is a manual focus only lens but with electronic contacts. So, apart from focusing it manually (and as you will see, carefully) it

behaves like an AF lens with focus confirmation and compatibility with all exposure modes and meter patterns.

The lens is unusually large and heavy for a normal lens. It is far closer in dimensions and weight to a 24-70mm f/2.8 lens! The filter diameter is a huge 77mm.

Key Features The Zeiss 55mm f/1.4 Otus is based on an unusually complex design (for a normal lens) with

no less than 12 elements in 10 groups. Of these, one element

is aspheric and six elements are made of special anomalous partial dispersion glass. It also uses Zeiss’ famed T* multi-coating to reduce reflections.

Zeiss says this lens has been designed and made to make the present generation high pixel count D-SLRs (like Nikon D800/e, D600 and Canon 5d MkIII) achieve medium format performance at a fraction of the cost. We did not have an opportunity to verify this claim but there is no doubt this lens belongs to a totally new class hitherto not available, even from Zeiss. Zeiss has specifically stated that this lens has been built with finest of (optical and mechanical) materials and is for all practical purposes free of chromatic aberration. They also

✓ 77mm snap-on front lens cap ✓ Rear lens cap ✓ Metal lens hood ✓ User manual ✓ Warranty card ✓ Inspection report.

Inside the Box

` 2,79,950


Aperture: f/1.4 Shutter Speed: 1/13sec ISO: 100

Ash

ok K

and

imal

la

claim that the lens resolves consistently with excellent contrast over the entire frame without any aberrations or distortion, even fully open. One Zeiss engineer told us that this lens is optimized to give outstanding performance at full aperture and if you need more depth of field (DOF) you should use focus stacking! Zeiss simply claims it to be the best standard lens in the world.

The aperture has 9 blades and has a very circular opening to aid the smoothness of bokeh. All numbers and markings are engraved (not screen printed) in very legible bright yellow colour. However, both meters and feet on the distance scale are marked in the same colour and this may sometimes confuse the user.

Ergonomics The lens supplied to us came with a Nikon mount and we tested it on a Nikon D600 body. The lens/body combination was a bit front heavy. Adding a battery pack to the camera made the balance better. As it employs an internal focusing system the length of the lens does not change when you focus and so the balance does not shift either. The front element does not rotate thus making it easy to use graduated and polarizing filters. Both the focusing and aperture rings

are rubber covered. There is no pattern on this rubber cover but is made of very soft material and hence prone to scratches. However, it provides a very good non-slippery grip. Manual focusing was a delight due to the very wide and easily graspable focus ring. The damping was excellent and movement of the focusing ring was silky smooth. You need to turn the focusing ring as much as 248º to focus from closest focusing point to infinity. This large turn greatly helps in precise focusing which is essential for this lens. The aperture ring (only for Nikon mount) engages at half stop intervals with very positive clicks and is marked from f/1.4 to f/16.

Performance As you would expect this lens is an exceptional overall performer. There was no chromatic aberration visible. Nor could we observe any noticeable distortions.

The contrast was excellent and the colours were very vibrant straight off the camera. All this was maintained throughout the frame. The most important aspect was that the lens was absolutely amazing when used fully open. It was sharp corner to corner even at f/1.4 with only very slight degradation on the corners. Vignetting was minimal. To get most of this lens you need to focus it very very carefully (at f/1.4 DOF is wafer thin) in live-view with zoom in (magnification). Using focus confirmation is just not accurate enough! There is simply no point in buying this lens and hoping to cover up sloppy focusing with DOF. A tripod is a must to get the best of this lens. The bokeh is buttery smooth and guaranteed to make even the most cluttered background creamy.

Value For Money Now for the sticker shock! This

MINUS• Super expensive• No whiz bang technology• Huge and heavy for a normal lens

LENS REVIEW Zeiss 55mm f/1.4 Otus APO Distagon T* Lens


then this may even be considered as an “economical” alternative to a medium format system. In any case, remember that a lot of care (especially in focusing) is needed to extract the best out of the Otus.

lens is priced at a whopping Rs. 2,79,950/- (MRP). That is an extraordinarily high number for any normal D-SLR lens. We are not aware of any normal lens that costs even half of this. In fact most normal lenses of this speed and focal length are only about 12% as expensive as the Otus! So, is it worth it? This largely depends on what you are looking for. If you are planning to use it as a “normal” normal lens then this is just not worth the money. However, if you are a very contemplative photographer or a studio/landscape shooter (or someone else who just wants the highest quality money can give)

Focal length & coverage : 55mm, full frame

Aperture range : f/1.4 to f/16 (with ½ stop intervals)

Lens construction : 12 elements in 10 groups

Picture angle : 43.7° with full frame format

Highest magnification : 1:7

Focusing Range : 0.5 m – ∞

No. of diaphragm blades : 9 (rounded)

Filter/attachment size : 77mm

Lens Hood : Supplied, all metal construction

Diameter x length : Approximately: diameter 92.5 mm, length

141 mm (without lens caps)

Weight : Approximately 970gms

SPECIFICATIONS

82%Design and Build Quality 19/20

Key Features 16/20

Ergonomics 18/20

Performance

Autofocus 0/5

Sharpness 5/5

Distortion Control 5/5

Aberrations 5/5


Extra Features 3/5

Sub-Total 23/30


FINAL SCORE

This is a specialist lens. It will not appeal to tech buffs who are looking for the latest technology like AF and VR. Also. it is perhaps simply beyond many due to its price. However, not all lenses can claim to be “best in the world” confidently the way Otus does. It is of a different breed and has been produced with a simple but challenging brief to be the best in the world in this class by a wide margin. The super-high price is reflected in its exemplary performance. For those who want the “best in the world” normal lens this is the ticket.

VERDICT

PLUS• Simply the best normal lens for D-SLRs• Highest optical quality you can get• Practically no aberrations or distortions.• Capable of extracting the maximum out of present high pixel density D-SLRs • Razor sharp even wide open• Superb build quality next to none• Extremely smooth operation• Long focus throw for precise manual focusing


Ashok Kandimalla

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LENS REVIEW SIGMA 50 MM F/1.4 DG HSM (Art)


An Expensive Aff air! Rohinton Mehta

In recent times, Sigma has been giving a hard time to the main players,

proving that they can make lenses as good as or even better than the competition. Th eir high-end lenses are

marked as ‘Art’-series and this 50mm f/1.4 lens that we have on review is an ‘Art’ lens with Canon mount. According to the Company, “the Sigma 50mm 1.4 DG HSM has been redesigned and re-engineered to set a new standard for the Art line”. Th e lens is available in Sigma, Nikon, Canon and Sony mount. Going by its price, it seems that these lenses are meant for the high-

end market. Let’s put the lens through our gruelling test...

Design & Build QualityHeavy, large in size, and excellent

build quality; that’s how I would describe the Sigma 50 mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art lens. Th e body is mainly in matte black colour and looks every bit professional. Th e lens mount is made from metal. A fl ower shaped lens hood is provided. Th e lens weighs 845g without front and rear caps, but including the hood.

Key FeaturesTh e Sigma 50mm 1.4 DG HSM (Art) lens is designed for the full-frame 35mm format and is constructed

with 13 elements in 8 groups that include Special Low-Dispersion (SLD) glass and Super Multi-Layer coating to provide superior performance even at wider apertures. A plastic window covers the distance scale in meters and feet. DOF scale is provided only for f/16. An AF/MF focus switch is available on the left of the lens. Th e aperture diaphragm is made with 9 blades to provide smooth bokeh. Accurate and silent autofocus is ensured by the use of a Hyper Sonic Motor (HSM). Filter thread is 77mm and the lens dimensions are 85.4 (Dia.) x 99.9 mm (L).

Sigma off ers (at extra cost) a USB Dock which, when used with Sigma Optimization Pro soft ware, allows you to update lens fi rmware, fi ne-tune autofocus, and perform few other upgrades.

ErgonomicsWe tested the lens using a Canon EOS 6D body. Th e combination felt quite heavy but the lens was otherwise easy to use. Th e DOF scale being only for f/16, wasn’t a great help. A white, raised plastic dot at the lens mount was useful in quickly aligning the lens to the camera body. Th e front element does not rotate during focussing and this makes it easy to use PL and Graduated ND fi lters. Th ick-rimmed fi lters can cause vignetting, but Sigma’s

✓ Lens, with front & rear cap ✓ Lens hood ✓ Instruction sheet ✓ Lens case

Inside the Box

` 72,900



Mah

esh

Red

dy

instruction sheet clearly mentions so.

PerformanceThis is a peach of a lens! Images shot outdoors with the Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM (Art) lens were sharp, with perfect contrast and superb tonality. Autofocus was smooth and quick, but let’s give some credit to the body too which has a part to play in it. Manual focussing was smooth too. We did not notice any lens distortion, which is good.

Test shots indoors – of a newspaper stuck flat on a wall – at a distance of around 5 feet, and using a firm tripod, were not as sharp as we would have liked them to be. But do remember that ‘normal’ lenses are not designed for maximum sharpness at such close distances. In the indoors test, corners/sides were not as sharp as at the centre but by f/2.8, corners/sides sharpness improved. Darkening of corners/sides could be seen at

80%Design and Build Quality 18/20

Key Features 15/20

Ergonomics 16/20

Performance

Autofocus 4/5

Sharpness 5/5

Distortion Control 5/5

Aberrations 4/5


Extra Features 3/5

Sub-Total 20/30


FINAL SCORE

The Sigma 50mm 1.4 DG HSM (Art) lens is extremely sharp and is probably one of the best ‘normal’ lens that we have ever tested. It may not be oozing with features, but we did not ever feel the lack of them. The lens is heavy (for a ‘normal’ lens) and the price is definitely high, but then, if you want super quality, you should be ready to pay a super price. Best Buy indeed!

VERDICT

PLUS

• Very sharp• Good build quality

MINUS

• Expensive

Focal length : 50 mm

Aperture range : f/1.4 - 16

Lens construction : 13 elements in 8 groups

Angle of view : 46.8 degrees

Minimum focussing : 40 cm (15.7 inches)

Maximum magnification : 1:5.6

Filter size : 77 mm

Dia. x Length : 85.4 x 99.9 mm

Weight : 845g without front & rear caps,

but including hood

SPECIFICATIONS

every aperture, though reducing at narrower apertures.

Flare was reasonably well controlled but some purple fringing could be seen around dark objects in strong against-the-light shots.

Value for MoneyThe lens is available at an MRP of Rs.72,900. In spite of its great performance, it is one of the most expensive ‘normal’ lenses other than the Zeiss Otus 55mm APO Distagon T* which is reviewed on page 106 of this issue.

FLASHGUN Review NISSIN i40


Th e Little Powerhouse!

Rohinton Mehta

The Nissin i40 is a compact, dedicated fl ashgun and is a winner of the prestigious TIPA

Awards 2014 for the “Best Portable Lighting System”. Th e i40 that we received had a Canon mount and was tested using a Canon EOS 6D full-frame camera.

` 19,990

✓ Flashgun ✓ Diff user (Soft box) ✓ Flash stand ✓ Carabiner ✓ Pouch ✓ i40 Quick Manual

Inside the Box

low lighting conditions, the fl ashgun’s AF-assist beam (0.7 - 5m) enables the AF system to latch on. With Canon models, the fl ash works in E-TTL II / E-TTL mode.

Th e i40 has a convenient Mode Dial and a Power Dial. Th e Mode Dial has settings for:a) Video light with 9 steps of output level (Output power can be adjusted using the Power Dial)b) Full Automatic Mode (A)c) TTL Program Mode (TTL). Flash output can be adjusted in 9 steps: -2.0, -1.5, -1.0, -0.5, 0, +0.5,+1.0, +1.5 and +2.0 EV.d) Manual mode (M). Fractional power can be used, 1/1 up to 1/256 power.e) Slave Digital (SD): For digital cameras. Flash exposure is controlled using the pre-fl ash system.f) Slave Film (SF): For fi lm cameras. Flash exposure is controlled using light refl ected off the fi lm. g) Wireless TTL Slave Mode (A/B/C): Wireless remote fl ash system.

Here is a table from the i40’s user manual, showing the aperture and the shutter control possible using the i40:

Design & Build QualityCompact and well designed, the outer body is made from durable plastic and the hot-shoe is made with metal. Th e mounting foot has a tiny pin that acts as a safety-lock. A Quick Release button is provided. Build quality is quite good but the swivelling hinge could have been made better. Th e fl ashgun is made in China and is currently available in Canon (E-TTL, E-TTL-2) and Nikon (iTTL) mounts. Th e i40 in Sony

and Fujifi lm mounts are expected soon.

Key FeaturesTh e Nissin i40 fl ashgun has a GN of 40m/132ft at ISO 100 (at 105mm position of the fl ash-zoom-head). With fl ash head set to 35mm position, the GN is 27m/89ft at ISO 100. Th e head can rotate 180 degrees to the right/left , tilt up to 90 degrees. Th e head includes a ‘Fill-in Refl ector’ and a ‘Wide-angle Diff user’ (covers up to 16mm). Th e fi ll-in refl ector slides out, revealing manual zoom positions as per colour coding. A continuous light source placed under the fl ash-head acts as video light. In


Guide Number : 40m/132ft at ISO 100 (Flash head set to 105mm)

27m/89ft at ISO 100 (Flash head set to 35mm)

Flash head : Can rotate 180 degrees to the right/left; tilt 90 degrees

Flash head zoom range : 24-105mm

Wide-angle diffuser : Built-in (Covers 16mm)

Wireless slave system : For Film/Digital

Fractional Power : Supported (Up to 1/256th power)

High speed sync : Supported (up to 1/8000 sec)

Power : 4 x AA batteries (Alkaline, Lithium, Ni-MH)

Recycling time : 0.1- 4 seconds

No. of flashes per charge : 200 – 1700 flashes

Flash duration : 1/800 – 1/20,000 sec

Colour Temperature : 5600K

Exposure control : E-TTL II/E-TTL (for Canon mounts)

Weight : Approx. 203g without batteries and diffuser

KEY SPECIFICATIONS

PLUS• Compact• Reasonable price• Overall performance okay

MINUS• Battery compartment lid flimsy• Swivelling hinge could have been better

78%FINAL SCORE


Key Features 16/20

Ergonomics 15/20

Performance 15/20


This is an extremely compact flash unit best suited for small D-SLRs, Interchangeable Lens Compact Cameras and some non-interchangeable lens compact cameras. It has excellent power output for its size and is feature rich. The price is reasonable. The user interface is quite easy and all parameters can be changed instantly without resorting to the menus. It’s small size and reasonably low cost may have been the reason for some limitations like the dials not being back-lit, and individual channel support removed, but these may or may not be importance to you. All in all the i40 is a very compact unit that will satisfy your needs. Recommended!

VERDICT

In TTL mode, the flash output can be compensated by +/- 2EV, in 0.5EV adjustments. The flash has an overheat protection system. If the flash is used in a continuous burst at full power (20 to 30 flashes), the i40 will automatically shut down to prevent internal damage through overheating and will recover after 15 minutes of inactivity.

ErgonomicsOnce you know how to, the Nissin i40 is easy to use. Using the flash on the hot-shoe and the built-in 16mm wide-angle diffuser, I found the i40 quite suitable for close-up photography (but this also depends on the focal length you are using and the flash to subject distance).

A detailed user manual is not provided and has to be downloaded from Nissin’s website. Unfortunately, the user manual is poorly written and is quite confusing. This could possibly make it difficult for a new-comer to use the i40 to its full potential.

PERFORMANCEThe flash unit was tested on a Canon EOS 6D camera.

Manual modeThe i40 performed well when used in manual mode. In this mode you need to calculate the flash exposure yourself by using the formula GN/Distance = Aperture.

Auto modeExposures in (non-TTL) auto mode were satisfactory, except at the far limits of the permissible distance, where some underexposure was noticed. This is true of most auto flashguns.

TTL auto modeHere too we were satisfied with the

exposures (flash directly pointed at the subject and also when bounced). However, we did notice that ‘Daylight’ White Balance gave more neutral colours than WB set to ‘Flash’.

Wireless TTL Slave ModeWe could not check the wireless remote flash system as the Canon EOS 6D camera does not have a built-in flash.

Value for MoneyThe Nissin i40 flashgun is available at an MRP of Rs.19,500. We feel the price is justified.

SMARTPHONE Review Sony Xperia Z2


Stretching the Limits Sujith Gopinath

Premium Smartphones are trying to woo high-end users with new features and better

capabilities. For the budget-conscious general public, these are but sour grapes—desirable features, but at a very high price. Th e Sony Xperia Z2 is an upgrade to the Xperia Z1 and competes with the likes of Samsung Galaxy S5 and HTC One M8. Let us see how it performs.

Design and Build QualitySony products are known for their sturdy construction, and the Xperia Z2 is no diff erent. It inherits the front and back glass body of the Z and Z1 along with being dust and water proof. Th e front glass material seems more scratch resistant than that of the Z1. Th e Z2 is a few millimeters longer than the Z1 and features the same aluminium frame that runs around its perimeter for enhanced protection. With an Ingress Protection rating of IP55/58, it is waterproof and dust resistant. Th is essentially means that the device is waterproof up to a depth of 1.5 meters for up to 30 minutes when all the covers for the slots are fi rmly closed. Th is is very important since a Smartphone’s touchscreen is likely to catch dirt and grime very easily, and there is no better way to remove it than washing it off . I have been doing

` 49,990

✓ Sony Xperia Z2 ✓ USB cable ✓ Power adapter ✓ Headphones ✓ Leafl ets

Inside the Box

X-Reality for mobile technology. Th e display has a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels, which translates to a pixel density of 441 pixels per inch. Th is helps to display pictures that are razor sharp and bright. It off ers multi-touch with support for up to 10 fi ngers. Th e X-Reality for mobile engine, adapted from Bravia televisions, analyses and selectively processes all images so that the correct amount of enhancement is applied. Th e display also features

this with my Z1 for over 6 months and it has never given me trouble from water ingress. Th e Z2, like the Z1, has magnetic pins to connect it to a Sony magnetic charging dock. Going by my experience with the Z1 and our test of a few competing brands, the Z2 is easily one of the best built Smartphones available in the market.

Key FeaturesTh e Sony Xperia Z2 is not signifi cantly diff erent from the Z1 we reviewed in January this year. Th e hardware is mostly the same, but Sony has enhanced the capability of the device to scale up to the competition. Th e Z2 uses a 2.3 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 (MSM8974AB) quad-core processor combined with an Adreno 330 GPU. It features 3GB RAM, up from 2GB on the Z1 and internal memory of 16GB. It can accept an external microSD card of up to 128GB. Additionally, it can connect with an external USB storage, which provides virtually unlimited memory. Th e device works on Google Android platform and is launched with Android 4.4 (KitKat) Operating System (upgradable to 4.4.4 at the time of review). Th e Z2 uses a 5-inch Full HD IPS Triluminos Display with


Aperture: f/2.0 Shutter Speed: 1/60sec. ISO: 80

Live Colour LED, a new Sony technology that increases colour depth and gradation. The display also has a wider viewing angle than conventional Smartphone displays.

The Sony Xperia Z2 features the same 20.7-megapixel, 1/2.3-inch Type (6.16 x 4.62mm) Exmor RS for mobile sensor that was used in the Z1. This high sensitivity sensor is believed to reduce digital noise while maintaining high resolution. The camera features a BIONZ for mobile processor, which aids in fast sutofocus, motion detection, and noise reduction. The camera features a Sony G 27mm equivalent f/2.0 lens. It also features a pulsed LED light that can function as a camera light and a torch. The highlight of the Z2, however, is the capability of its camera to record 4K (3840 x 2160) Ultra High Definition videos. The camera features SteadyShot, which compensates for camera movements by boosting the sensitivity at the time of capture.

The various pre-installed camera apps include Background defocus, Creative effects, Timeshift video, AR effect, Vine (video sharing app), Info-eye, Timeshift burst, Social live, and Sweep panorama. Background defocus allows you to retain focus on the desired spot, rendering the background (or foreground) out of focus. This provides a professional look to your photographs by simulating shallow depth-of-field. Creative effects app lets you apply different effects to the photograph such as Brightness/Contrast, Hue/Saturation, Mirror, Old Film, Motion effects, Mosaic, Motion trail, Nostalgic, Miniature, Vivid, Tint, Fisheye, Colour sketch, Pencil sketch,

Comic, Partial colour, Harris shutter, and Kaleidoscope. In Timeshift video app, you can capture high-speed clips at 120 frames per second and then use the video editor to select and slow down one or more sections of the clip for creativity. AR effects mode adds fun animations to your photos and videos. If you use Info-eye to capture the image of an object, the camera will provide you relevant information about the object. With Timeshift burst, you can capture 61 frames in just 2 seconds, including a few frames before you press the shutter release button. You can then select the images you want to keep. The camera lets you download more features as and when they are released.

The camera also features Manual mode, which allows you to set various parameters such as White Balance, Exposure compensation, ISO sensitivity, and Metering. White Balance options are Auto, Incandescent, Daylight, and Cloudy. Exposure can be compensated up to +/-2 EV in 1/3-EV steps. Focus

modes available are Single AF, Multi AF, Face detection, Touch focus, and Object tracking. ISO sensitivity can be set to ISO 50 to 800 or Auto. Metering can be set to Centre, Average, or Spot.

The Xperia Z2 is powered by a 3200 mAh embedded battery. For power saving, the device provides Stamina mode, which keeps the camera at a low-power state when the screen is switched off. The Z2 has dimensions of 146.8 x 73.3 x 8.2 mm and weighs 163 g.

ErgonomicsThe 5-plus inch screen of the Z2 is just right for most Smartphone users. It is not too small for typing and watching movies nor too big for making calls without handsfree or earphone. The screen is one of the best around — bright, lively and crisp. The colours too are close to reality. Even if you do not like the colours, you can tweak it easily in the settings. The large screen makes touch controls fairly easy to operate.

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SMARTPHONE Review Sony Xperia Z2


background. Again, this depends on various factors such as GPS activation, mobile data usage, graphic intensive gaming and screen brightness.

Coming to the camera’s performance, the Z2 performed very well. Images appeared crisp. Native image size was 13.12 x 17.49 inches at 300 ppi. At 25 percent screen size, we observed slight noise at ISO 800. Observed at 50 percent of the screen size, slight noise was observed at ISO 400 and above. At 100 percent screen size, though the camera produced noise at all ISOs, images remained usable up to ISO 200. We would consider this good noise control for a Smartphone camera using a tiny sensor. Also, we observed that the marked sensitivity of ISO 100 corresponded to a measured sensitivity (in EXIF data) of ISO 160. Auto White Balance performed well. Slight cast produced under artificial lighting could be

The phone has a dedicated camera button, and the camera interface is quite user-friendly. Though the screen might appear too dim outdoors, checking the ‘Adapt to lighting conditions’ checkbox solves the problem. Our only grievance is the over-sized power adapter that doesn’t fit any Indian socket. Hope this is limited to the review unit supplied to us.

PerformanceWe were quite impressed by the Z2’s performance. The powerful processor, combined with 3GB RAM and Adreno 330 GPU makes for a superlative performer. We tried all high-performance 3D graphics in the form of HD gaming and the Z2 performed brilliantly. Initially, the device heated up quite a lot, but the experience with the Z1 came in handy. If the device heats up much, the first step is to backup the data and do a factory reset from Settings. If this does not solve the issue, you may do a fresh software installation from the Sony support site via the desktop application.

This time, we used AnTuTu benchmarking software, and the Z2 scored a cool 34600, placing itself at the third spot in overall processing power. In the battery test too, it came in the top three with the battery lasting over 3 hours with 100 percent CPU use. This is really top notch performance. The battery easily lasts for a day with moderate to heavy usage if you do not have a real time antivirus shield working in the

Operating system : Google Android 4.4 (KitKat)

Processor : 2.3 GHz Qualcomm MSM8974AB Quad Core

GPU : Adreno 330

SIM card : micro SIM

Main screen : Colours 16,777,216 colour TFT

Resolution : Full HD 1920x1080 pixels

Size (diagonal) : 5.2 inches

Text input : On-screen QWERTY keyboard

Touch screen : Capacitive

Touch gesture : Yes – multi-touch, up to 10 fingers supported

RAM : 3 GB

Flash memory : Up to 16GB

Expansion slot : microSD card, up to 128 GB (SDXC supported)

Camera resolution : 20.7 MP

Digital zoom : 8x

Photo light : Yes – Pulsed LED

Video recording : Yes – 4K2K

Front Camera : Yes – HD 1080p for video chat and 2.2 MP for camera

capture

Sensitivity : ISO 50 to 3200 maximum in manual mode

Minimum Focus distance : 100 mm

Sensors : Accelerometer, Ambient light sensor, Barometer sensor,

Game rotation vector, Geomagnetic rotation vector,

Gyroscope, Magnetometer, Step counter, Step detector,

Significant motion detector, Proximity sensor

Battery (Embedded) : 3200 mAh minimum

Size : 146.8 x 73.3 x 8.2 mm

Weight : 163 grams

KEY SPECIFICATIONS

PLUS• Excellent build quality• Water and dust proof• Powerful hardware• Good camera

MINUS• Adapter doesn’t fit Indian power sockets• Back-side glass body is not scratch proof

87%FINAL SCORE


Key Features 17/20

Ergonomics 18/20

Performance 17/20


The Xperia Z2 is a beautifully crafted premium Smartphone with powerful hardware that provides great performance. Combined with a water and dust-proof body, the Z2 is certainly one of the best Smartphones available in the Indian market. Moreover, it incorporates a capable camera that you can use in most situations.

VERDICT

easily removed in post-processing. The camera produced beautiful images in close-up. We would rate this above average performance for a Smartphone camera.

On the video front, the Z2 captured very good 4K videos. But this process utilizes a large part of the processing power and hence the device heats up. Sony has incorporated a safety, mechanism to shut down the camera when it reaches a threshold. This is quite normal. If you do not intend to view the footage on a large UHD screen, avoid capturing 4K videos and stick to Full-HD or lower resolution. We are not overly worried about this since 4K is still in its infancy and Sony has stretched the device to its maximum potential by incorporating 4K capture.

Value for MoneyThe Sony Xperia Z2 retails at an MRP of Rs.49,990. At this price, the device is good value for money, considering the premium segment in which it competes. Those with slightly shallower pockets may find a near-comparable device in the Z1.

March 2014 Smart Photography 103

READERS CAN CHECK THE ENTIRE BUYER’S GUIDE,

THAT FEATURES SPECS AND PRICES OF

D-SLRS, ILCCS, DIGITAL COMPACTS AND LENSES VIDE LINK

http://www.smartphotography.in/buyers-guide

Lens manufacturers use diff erent suffi xes to identify certain lens characteristics. Here they are, along with simple explanation (wherever required) of how they help.

Rohinton Mehta

Lens Nomenclature Guide

CANONDO : Diff ractive Optics: Special lens elements that reduce colour aberrations to the minimum, thus improving image quality.EF : Denotes that the lens is designed for full-frame cameras EF-S : Denotes that the lens is designed for APS-C camerasIS : Image Stabiliser: Helps to eliminate/reduce blur caused by camera movement during exposure.L : ‘Luxury’-series lens: Canon’s high-end, professional lenses.

NIKONAF-S : Denotes that the lens is using a Silent Wave Motor: For fast and quiet autofocusCRC : Close Range Correction: Allows lenses to focus closer, while still maintaining good sharpness. Th is is done using a ‘fl oating lens element’ design. Generally used in macro and wide-angle lenses. D : Distance information passed on to the camera body: Helps to provide more accurate exposuresDX : APS-C camera lensFX : Full-frame camera lensED : Extra Low Dispersion glass element: Corrects for chromatic aberrationsG : Lens without aperture ring; aperture is controlled from the camera bodyN : Nano Crystal Coat: Greatly reduces fl are due to internal refl ections of light.IF : Internal focussing: Instead of moving all the elements further away or closer to the fi lm/sensor to focus, IF lenses move only certain internal elements. Th is allows for much faster focussing.RF : Rear Focussing: Similar to IF but only the rear group of elements move to focus the lens.

OLYMPUSED : Low Dispersion glass element: Corrects for chromatic aberrations

PANASONICOIS : Optical Image Stabilizer: Helps to eliminate/reduce blur caused by camera movement during exposure.Mega OIS : Mega Optical Image StabilizerPower OIS : Power Optical Image Stabilizer: A superior design of Mega OIS.ED : Low Dispersion glass element: Corrects for chromatic aberrations


SIGMAAPO : Apochromatic lens element: Corrects for chromatic as well as spherical aberrationsASP : Aspherical lens element: Corrects chromatic aberrationsDC : APS-C camera lensDG : Full-frame camera lensHSM : Hyper Sonic Motor: Internal motor, for fast and quiet autofocusOS : Optical Stabiliser: Helps to eliminate/reduce blur caused by camera movement during exposureRF : Rear Focussing: Only the rear group of elements move to focus the lensEX : ‘Excellent’ series lens

TAMRONAD : Anomalous Dispersion element: Eliminates lateral chromatic aberrationUSD : UltraSonic Silent DriveASL : Aspherical lens element: Corrects chromatic aberrationsDi : Digitally integrated: Full-frame camera lens designed for digital camerasDi-II : Digitally integrated: APS-C camera lens HID : High Index Dispersion glass element: Special glass for improving optical performanceLD : Low Dispersion glass: Corrects for chromatic aberrationsIRF : Internal Rear Focussing: Only the rear group of elements move to focus the lensVC : Vibration Correction: Helps to eliminate/reduce blur caused by camera movement during exposurePZD : Piezo Drive: Internal motor, for fast and quiet autofocus

TOKINAAT-X : ‘Advanced Technology Extra’- range of lensesPRO : Professional lensSD : Super-low Dispersion element: Corrects chromatic aberrations

PENTAXSDM : Sonic Direct-drive Motor: Internal motor, for fast and quiet autofocusDA : APS-C camera lens

SONYDT : APS-C camera lens


SPRecommends


Canon PowerShot G15

The G15 is the latest in Canon’s G-series and one of very few

compact cameras to offer an optical viewfinder. With a

12.1-megapixel 1/1.7-inch Type CMOS

sensor, a 28-140mm F/1.8-2.8 lens, and a 3” LCD, the camera

handles extremely well and produces superb

pictures.

Olympus XZ-2

The Olympus XZ-2 has a new 12MP back-

illuminated 1/1.7-inch Type CMOS sensor, and features a 28-

112mm f/1.8-2.5 Zuiko lens and a tiltable touch-sensitive 3”

LCD monitor. Overall, the Olympus XZ-2 is a very capable and

pocketable compact camera.

Canon PowerShot G1X

Canon’s G1X has excellent build quality in a compact camera. With a 14.3MP sensor, a 28-112mm F/2.8-5.6 lens, and an optical viewfinder as well as a tilt-and-swivel LCD panel, the G1X is highly impressive,

with its excellent noise control, outstanding

White Balance performance, and

quality images.

Panasonic Lumix DMC TZ40

The TZ40 is the successor to the TZ30 in Panasonic’s popular

TZ (Travel Zoom) series. Featuring the

first ever 18.1 MP MOS sensor, a 24-480mm F/3.3-6.4 lens, and a 3” touch screen, the

camera, with its Leica lens, ensures optimum

picture quality, and overall results are

impressive.

Fujifilm Finepix X100s

The Fujifilm Finepix X100s comes with a 16 MP APS-C size CMOS sensor, paired with a 35mm equivalent f/2 lens and a 2.8” LCD screen. The X100’s noise control and

hybrid viewfinder are very impressive, and it produces pleasing pictures with good

accuracy.

Panasonic Lumix DMC FZ200

Panasonic’s FZ200 is a bridge camera. Equipped with a

12.1MP high-sensitivity MOS sensor, a unique 25-600mm F/2.8 Leica lens with 24x optical zoom, and a tilt-and-swivel monitor, the FZ200 impresses

with good and fast autofocus, reliable

metering and overall image quality.

Nikon Coolpix P7800

The Coolpix 7800 is Nikon’s top

professional compact. It features a 12.2 megapixel 1/1.7-

inch Type CMOS sensor, a 28-200mm f/2.0-4.0 lens, a 3” articulated LCD

monitor and an EVF. Overall, the Coolpix 7800 produces very good results, with an

impressive Auto White Balance system.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC RX1

The RX 1 is the world’s first compact camera

with a full size 24.3 MP CMOS sensor. It has a Carl Zeiss Sonnar 35mm f/2 lens that can be switched to

macro mode. There is a built in 3” LCD screen.

Anyone wanting a compact camera that produces high quality results should look at

the RX1.

Nikon Coolpix A

The Nikon Coolpix A, reviewed in this edition of SP, comes with a 16.2 MP APS-C sized CMOS sensor, and a fixed 18.5 mm (28mm equivalent) f/2.8 lens attached to the camera. The 3”

LCD helps monitor the image to be captured.

Given its mouth watering specifications,

the Nikon Coolpix A is certainly a worthy addition to this list.

Sony Cyber-shot RX100 II

Sony’s RX100 has a unique 20.2 MP 1-inch

Type CMOS sensor. Along with a 29-105mm

F/1.8-4.9 lens, and a 3” LCD, the camera is exceptionally light at 254g. Image quality

and handling are top notch and the RX100

II is certainly to be considered if you want a high quality compact

camera that is also pocketable.

Compact Cameras

PHOTOGRAPHY INSTITUTE

PHOTO PRODUCT AND ACCESSORIES

MINILAB

PHOTO PRINTERS

TIDBITS


The Magic Of GoPro

I recall being asked a few years back by a rather cocky Divisional Head of Nokia

India the question as to which was the best selling camera in the world. I mentioned Canon and immediately he retorted saying that I was wrong and that the best selling camera in the world was Nokia because they sold more camera phones worldwide than Canon.

Coming back to today, a new category of cameras has suddenly taken an increasing share of the market. In fact, they have started playing a role in the slow demise of the camcorder. This category works loosely under the term “action camera”. Action cameras are rugged, waterproof and lightweight cameras that take both video clips and still. They can work in extreme environments where other cameras would cease to function. Further, they can

record Full High Definition video in any situation whether its a sky-dive or a drive around a race track.

Most action cameras have the following features:

a. Excellent build quality.b. Superb handling with as few

buttons as possible.c. High quality wide-angle lens;

enough to cover the subject to be shot.

d. Wi-Fi functionality is a must especially if the camera is to be controlled remotely from your laptop or Smartphone.

e. Water-proofing - since the action camera is to be used mainly outdoors and that too in extreme conditions, a water-proof housing can be very useful.

f. Generally, action cameras have very small batteries. It is therefore useful to either

have spare batteries or invest in a USB power bank charging unit.

g. A tripod thread is useful with an action camera in order to have a quality picture. Alternatively, adhesive mounts can be used. For more professional applications, helmet mounts or chest harness mounts are available.

As far as brands are concerned, the leader in this market is clearly Gopro. More Gopro action cameras are sold than any other brand and Gopro’s main advertising slogan is “the world’s most versatile camera – wear it, mount it, love it”. Other brands available in the market include the Ego from Liquid Image, the Game from ION and VIRB Elite from Garmin. Other brands like Rollei and Sony are also testing this fast expanding market segment.

H. S. Billimoria

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