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 CONTENTS
FIND OUT WHAT’S INSIDE THIS ISSUE
NEWS
CANON UNVEILS DUO OF
CLOSE-FOCUS RF LENSES
Plus: Canon announces Selphy
CP1500 compact printer

F E AT U R E
SHARPEN YOUR ACT
Pro tips for getting well-focused
and sharp shots every time
PHOTOS
GALLERY
F E AT U R E Our pick of the best reader

© Getty
photos fromƤaround the world

I N S P I R AT I O N I N S P I R AT I O N
STAR QUALITY
Astronomy Photographer of the
Year announces 2022 shortlist
CRASH COURSE
PHOTOS SHOOT AND MOVE
Capture intentional motion blur
for stunning abstract images
CRASH COURSE PHOTOSHOP
PHOTOSHOP
ADD THE FILTER FACTOR
Discover a host of cool creative
effects in the Filter Gallery

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 N E W S

W H AT ’ S H O T
THE WEEK’S TOP HEADLINES IN PHOTOGRAPHY

C ANON UNVEIL S 15-30MM AND

24MM LENSES FOR RF MOUNT
New close-focusing full-frame lenses are compact and relatively affordable

© Canon

anon has launched the RF angle prime lens and a macro lens – The STM stepping motor autofocus is

C 24mm f/1.8 Macro IS STM and

RF 15-30mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM,
though with a maximum magnification
of 0.5x, it’s not a true ‘macro’ lens. It
designed for fast and quiet AF, and while
this is a compact lens, on the outside
a pair of new close-focusing full-frame will, however, focus a lot closer than there’s still room for a customisable
RFƤmount lenses that are both compact a regular lens, and should still prove Lens Control Ring for adjusting the lens
and relatively affordable. highly versatile. aperture, ISO or AF modes. The optical
The new lenses are for full-frame Unusually for a prime lens, this one configuration consists of 11 elements in
RF mount cameras such as the EOS RP does have Canon’s IS image stabilisation nine groups, with super spectra coating
or EOS R5/R6. They will naturally also built in, so it’s a great choice for use and a circular nine-bladed aperture.
fit the new APS-C format Canon EOS with Canon cameras that don’t have The RF 15-30mm f/4.5-6.3 is arguably
R10 and EOS R7, though with a 1.6x crop IBIS, such as the EOS R10, EOS RP and the more interesting of the two new
factor that will make them less useful. original EOS R. Canon claims a 5-stop lenses. It offers an ultra-wide angle of
A key feature of the RF 24mm f/1.8 advantage from the lens IS alone, and view in a small and affordable design,
Macro is that it doubles as a fast wide- 6.5 stops with an EOS R body with IBIS. and should appeal strongly to travel
 N E W S

THE WEEK’S TOP HEADLINES IN PHOTOGRAPHY

photographers and beginners. for an ultra-wide zoom – for 5.5 stops Like the new 24mm f/1.8 ‘macro’ lens,
Most camera makers’ ultra-wide of compensation in the lens alone, and this one can focus really close, for a
zooms are big, heavy and expensive, so seven stops with an EOS R camera maximum magnification of 0.52x. It also
it’s great to see Canon bucking the trend with IBIS. This lens comes with STM has a combined focus and lens control
with a much smaller and more sensible autofocus, which combines compact ring to allow adjustments without taking
alternative – though the somewhat dimensions with fast, quiet AF, and the your camera from your eye.
restrictive f/4.5-6.3 maximum aperture lens weight just 390g. Oddly, the two new lenses are
somewhat undermines the notion that Canon sees this as an ideal lens not significantly more expensive in the
mirrorless cameras and lenses would just for travel but also for vlogging, UK than in the US. The RF 24mm f/1.8
offer new optical opportunities. where an ultra-wide lens is useful Macro IS STM will sell for £719.99 /
Other key features include optical for getting both yourself and the â599, and the RF 15-30mm f/4.5-6.3 IS
stabilisation – another big plus point background in the frame. STM is priced at £669.99 / â549.

C ANON ANNOUNCES SELPHY

CP1500 COMPAC T PR INTER
anon has announced the

C Selphy CP1500, the latest in

its Selphy range of compact
photo printers. Canon says these
printers can preserve your treasured
memories by applying a protective
coating that willƤlast for 100 years when
prints are stored in a photo album.
The Selphy CP1500 is a sleek printer
complete with an LCD display and a
simplified set of buttons that make
it easy to use. It can print images
wirelessly from your smartphone,
camera or computer, or from an SD card
or USB stick inserted into the printer.
Using fast dye sublimation
© Canon

technology, the Selphy CP1500 is able

to create vibrant postcard-sized prints
in just 41 seconds. When the printing can quickly be turned into prints. pattern overlays and stickers, should
process is finished, a special coating is An unlimited number of phones you want to add an extra element to
applied to the photo to protect it from can be connected to the printer at any your images. Custom QR codes can
water, dirt, fading and fingerprints. one time, which is great for weddings, alsoƤbe added to prints, which is a fun
The companion Selphy smartphone birthday parties or events. To pair your way to promote your business, website
app has also been updated. Supported devices, you simply need to scan a QR or even share an album.
on iOS, iPadOS and Android, it now code with the Selphy photo layout app The Selphy CP1500 is expected to be
allows you to access images that you’ve and click ‘Connect’. available from the end of September in
uploaded to social media and the cloud, In the smartphone app, photos three colours – black, white and pink –
which means memories stored digitally can be customised with text, borders, priced at £129.99 Šabout â155š.
 F E A T U R E

SHARPEN UP YOUR SHOTS

Address focusing and blur errors to achieve crisp, detailed images, whatever
subject you’re capturing. Jon Adams and Andrew James show you how

s a photographer, if there’s one

A bar you have to hit it’s the ability
to capture a sharp shot – and f/8
1/4 ISO
SEC 100
that means an image with crisp, well-
defined edges on the subject or area you
want to be sharp. By ‘sharp’, we mean
that there’s no trace of blur or double-
image ghosting on the in-focus area.
With today’s sophisticated and quick
autofocus systems, this doesn’t sound
like it should be too much of a challenge,
but if you’ve critically inspected your
images, you may have noticed that a
significant percentage are not pin-sharp
in the places where they should be.
This lack of sharpness occurs for
various technical reasons, all of which
we’ll explore over the coming pages.
Along with the reasons why that
crispness is lacking, we’ll also explain
how you can overcome these problems
to ensure that your shots hit the mark
and deliver super-sharp results.
With all this in mind, the first thing you
need to do is identify the specific type of
blur problem your shot has. If you know
what this is then it’s relatively easy to find
the appropriate fix, and then revisit your
technique and/or camera setup to make
sure it doesn’t happen again.

THE DEVIL’S IN THE DETAIL

Consider your setup and settings
for super-sharp landscapes

Have you ever taken a shot, only to zoom in and

realise the image is actually out of focus, or not
as sharp as you’d like? You can take steps to stop
this happening before even Āring the shutter,
because as well as considering the stability of
your camera and the quality of your lens, camera
settings are important, too. Using a low ISO, such
as 100, creates little noise in your images, unlike
higher ISOs, so locking your camera settings to
a low ISO will help you get more detail, clarity
and sharpness. Plus, a narrow aperture, ideally
between f/8 and f/32, will give you a larger
depth of Āeld, which will then be sharper. Using
a weighted tripod and remote shutter release This image of the
also helps avoid camera shake – if you don’t have mountainous landscape
a sturdy tripod, you can still get slight camera in the Dolomite Alps,
shake when pressing the shutter with your Ānger. Italy, has wonderful
© Getty

clarity and sharpness.

 F E A T U R E

THREE REASONS WHY YOUR

PHOTOS AREN’T ALWAYS SHARP
How to analyse your shots and pinpoint the specific causes of blurred images

e need to start out by around the subject that doesn’t seem

W acknowledging that compelling
and engaging photos don’t
crisply defined, or the poor optical
performance of a lens. We wouldn’t
2 FOCUSING ERRORS
If the subject of the shot is soft,
have to be sharp! After all, if your suggest you use the latter as an excuse your AF targeting is to blame
aesthetic treatment of a shot requires for shots that aren’t sharp, but a budget
A common cause of blur in a shot is
fuzzy or indistinct areas then sharpness lens with a lack of resolving power at
a relatively simple one: focusing on
may not be the intended outcome. the end of its zoom range, for example, the wrong part of the image. This is
But nine times out of 10, most shots will not be able to produce a super- revealed in its most obvious form as a
require some part of the image to be sharp result, especially towards the soft-edged and indistinct subject on a
crisply defined, so if you discover on edges of the frame. sharply focused background, but has
more subtle variants, such as when the
close examination that you’ve missed These caveats aside, let’s take a
eyes of a portrait are soft but the tip of
the mark, then one of the three reasons lookƤat the major reasons why shots the nose is pin-sharp. When you see
outlined here is likely to be the cause. don’t come out with well-defined this in your images, it’s a simple case of
We say ‘likely’ because it’s possible edges, or show an unexpected user error, and means you’ve placed the
that softness in a picture is due to fuzziness when viewed on your active AF target over the wrong part of
the scene or subject. This is easily done,
hazy or misty climatic conditions, computer screen that you didn’t think
especially with a moving subject like a
strong backlighting creating a ‘glow’ was there at the time of capture. pet that won’t keep still. The good news
is that with a screen on the back of your
camera, you can zoom and check the
1 CAMERA SHAKE MOVEMENT Wait for the shutter shot to make sure you’ve focused in the
place you intended. It’s better to verify
If the camera and lens are moving when the movement will be the cause of the blurring. that your shot is sharp in the right place
shutter opens for the image to be recorded Camera shake doesn’t have to be extreme while you’re at the scene than Ānd out
then no matter how precise your focusing for its eýects to be captured, but a lens that later that it’s not!
may be, the resultant image will be blurred. magniĀes the subject – such as a macro or
You’ll be able to observe the eýects of telephoto model – will make the problem
camera shake across the entire frame, and more prominent. If you can see a slight
the amount of streaking or ghosted double fuzziness on all the edges in the image then
edges will be consistent. If some parts of camera shake is the culprit, and the solution
the scene are sharp and don’t show the required is to keep the camera still and
problem then camera shake is not the stable for the time period over which the
issue, and either a focusing error or subject shutter opens and closes.

AF TARGET ON BACKGROUND
© 3x Jon Adams

© 2x Jon Adams

AF TARGET ON SUBJECT
 F E A T U R E

THREE REASONS WHY YOUR

PHOTOS AREN’T ALWAYS SHARP CONTINUED
The blur in the bird’s wings is a
result of subject movement, but
in this case it doesn’t detract from
the shot, as the critical part – the
eyes – are sharp.

1/640 ISO
f/8

© Jon Adams
SEC 400

3 SUBJECT MOVEMENT
Watch out for motion blur
If your shots show a blurred main
subject – or blurred parts of the subject PRO ADVICE USE MANUAL FOCUS FOR MACRO SHOTS
– this reveals that even though the
camera was still for the time the shutter When you magnify a subject with a macro magnify your exact point of focus, and then
was open, some movement of the lens your focusing has to be absolutely adjust the focusing ring on the lens to get
subject occurred during the exposure. spotƤon, as any errors will be magniĀed. the sweet spot with absolute precision. It
This is sometimes a desired eýect – for IfƤyou rely on AF, then the slightest also pays to shelter or stabilise the subject,
example, if you want to record the movement of the subject from a breath of so the eýect of any breeze is minimised.
blurred motion of water in a landscape – wind can place your AF target point over
but if you weren’t looking to achieve this the wrong part of the scene.
then you’ll be disappointed. For this reason, it’s often best to use
No matter how stable your camera Manual Focus, where you override the
is, if the shutter is open long enough for AF system entirely and set your own
movement in the scene to be recorded focus point in the scene. Because it can
then blur will occur. The blur from a sometimes be hard to see the critical point
moving subject can be confused with a of focus in the viewĀnder, a good solution
focusing error, but the distinction is that is to mount the camera on a tripod and use
movement always has a direction, so will Live View mode. Once you’ve enabled this,
‘streak’ rather than be soft. you can zoom in on the screen up to 10x to
How pronounced the eýect is
depends on how fast the subject is PRO ADVICE USE A REMOTE SHUTTER RELEASE
moving, but whether the motion blur
actually ruins a shot often depends To avoid causing camera shake when
on where it occurs. For example, if the you press the shutter button, you
motion blur occurs in the wings of a bird need to Āre the camera with your
or the limbs of an athlete, it may provide hands oý it. One way is to use the
a shot with extra energy and excitement. self-timer, set to a delay of 2 secs,
But if it occurs on the head and facial but if exact timing is critical, invest
features of the subject, the shot would in a remote release. This lets you Āre
likely be one that’s destined for the bin. the shutter at the optimum moment
Always zoom in on the camera’s screen without making physical contact with
to check the image after shooting. the camera.
 F E A T U R E

CURING CAMERA SHAKE FOR GOOD

Make sure a basic error like moving your camera
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PRO ADVICE
f/11
1/250
SEC
ISO
200
IMAGE STABILISATION
Image Stabilisation (IS) has various
names depending on the lens or
camera brand – Vibration Reduction or
Optical Stabilisation, to name just two –
and works either in the lens itself or in
the camera body. Using IS can make a
big diýerence because it compensates
for any inherent and unwanted camera
movement, allowing the photographer
to get sharper shots at slower shutter
speeds. Lenses with IS are more
expensive, but worth buying, especially
for telephoto or macro optics, both of
which are more prone to camera shake.

Freezing the motion of fast-moving

motorbikes creates an image that
the unaided eye cannot perceive,
and requires accurate focusing and
© Future

a very fast shutter speed.

ow well we know that camera heavier and less naturally balanced.

H shake – caused by physical
movement of the camera
It’sƤimpossible to say exactly what
shutter speed you need to prevent
during the moment of exposure – is camera shake, but a rough rule of
the biggest culprit when it comes to thumb suggests that your shutter speed
ruined shots. But the combination of too should be at least the reciprocal of your
slow a shutter speed and movement focal length, so for a 200mm lens you
of the camera in the photographer’s want 1/200 sec as a minimum.
hands is something that is directly However, to be on the safe side,
within your control. It’s important that going a full stop faster will ensure your
you understand the various things shots are sharp. So instead of using
you can do to prevent the curse of the 1/200 sec with a 200mm lens, use
accidentally blurred image. 1/400 sec instead. This is for a full-
© Andrew James

The longer your lens is, the greater frame sensor, but if you have a camera
the chance of camera shake. This is with a smaller APS-C sensor, multiply
simply because a camera body and the focal length by the crop factor
long telephoto lens combination is (usually around 1.5x).
 F E A T U R E

CURING CAMERA SHAKE FOR GOOD

CONTINUED

HOW TO MASTER YOUR CAMERA SUPPORT SYSTEM Use tried and tested ways to keep your camera still
Anything you can use to limit the – just leaning against it will addƤstability,
possibility of camera movement comes because it prevents your body from
under the umbrella term of camera swaying and creating unwanted
support. It can be a dedicated device movement. When you hold a camera,
you carry with you, or something more there are three main planes of motion
makeshift that’s already at the scene. you can fall prey to – up/down, side
The perfect solution is a tripod, as to side and forward/backward, so the
this will fix the camera in place and more you can limit these movements,
eliminate movement, but if you don’t the more stable your camera will be –
have one, be inventive and adapt to and the more stable your camera, the
whatever is around you. sharper your shots will be.
From stone walls to lampposts, and
railings to road signs, use whatever you
can find to increase the stability of your A weighted tripod and a remote shutter
release are useful for avoiding camera
camera. You don’t even have to place shake when working outdoors,
the camera on the support directly especially in places where there could
be a breeze, like on the coast.

GET GROUNDED FOR STABILITY LEAN ON ANYTHING LET A MONOPOD TAKE THE STRAIN
By getting down low and shooting in a prone If you can prevent yourself from swaying Light and easy to carry, a monopod is quick to
position with both elbows on the ground, you then this is passed on to the camera. Leaning set up, and provides a great support solution
can form a really stable platform to restrict onƤanything solid will help with locking that when a tripod is not a practical option.
movement. camera in place.

MASTERING VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL GRIPS RIGHT HAND

This moves
There really is a right way to hold a camera through 90
ifƤyou want to maximise stability and be able LEFT HAND degrees to the top,
to switch between landscape and portrait This supports the lens and is the only
format in a smooth and eþcient way. When and camera with the thing that changes
you’re hand-holding, you want to make your heel of the hand, position.
body and grip as stable as possible to leaving the Āngers free
reduce the chance of camera shake, so to operate the zoom
before you start shooting, make sure you’ve and focusing rings.
given yourself time to slow your breathing
and heart rate.

RIGHT HAND LEFT ELBOW

This goes on the grip to operate the Tuck this into your ribs
shooting controls and add stability, but for extra stability, and
it’sƤnot taking any signiĀcant weight. notice that the left
hand and elbow
RIGHT ELBOW positions do not
Tuck this against your side to maximise change between the
support, or leave it outstretched for horizontal and vertical
balance if you Ānd it more comfortable. grips.
 F E A T U R E

HOW TO FIX YOUR FOCUSING FLUFFS Make sure your AF is on target

here’s nothing worse than

T discovering that your shots
aren’t critically sharp,
PRO ADVICE
HOW TO CHOOSE THE BEST FOCUSING MODE FOR THE JOB
especially if you only find out when
All modern DSLRs and mirrorless cameras
you’re at home with no opportunity to feature a range of focusing modes. These
reshoot the scene. Knowing the right let you select the most appropriate type
focusing mode for the situation is the of autofocusing for the subject, because
key factor to ensuring your images how fast they’re moving dictates the
mode you should use.
are sharp, and it’s a minefield ready to
AF-S (for ‘single’) or One Shot mode
catch you out! Not only do you need lets you set the focusing distance at a
the right focusing mode, you also speciĀc point by half-depressing the
need to focus at the right place within shutter button. Providing you don’t let
your scene to get the most amount of go of it, this locks the focus, and it won’t
change until you Āre the shutter or release
sharpness in front of and behind that
the button. This is perfect for capturing
point. But get it right, and your images any static subject. DON’T FORGET MANUAL FOCUS!
will display that important critical AF-C or AI Servo mode gives you The third mode is Manual, where you
sharpness you’re after. continuous AF, so while the shutter is overrideƤthe AF system and take charge of
half-depressed, the camera will focus on the focus point by rotating the focusing ring.
whatever is under the AF target point. This It’s the most accurate method, as you can
is the best mode for anything that moves, beƤprecise with where you focus. It’s best
but make sure you keep your Active AF forƤstatic subjects, but you could pre-focus
point on target, or you might end up with manual even for fast-moving subjects
focusing on the wrong thing. asƤlong as you can rely on where they’ll be.

SETTING UP FOR STATIC SUBJECTS Use AF-Single to target a precise point of focus that isn’t going to change
When your subject isn’t going to move or
moves only slightly, you can use AF-Single
(AF-S) or One Shot focusing; once the focus
is locked, the distance isn’t going to change.
This allows you to focus, then move the
camera slightly to recompose the scene
before shooting.
When using AF-S it often pays to use a
single Active AF-point so that you can be
ultra-accurate and targeted with where you
focus. This is particularly important when
you’re using a large aperture such as f/2.8 to
create a shallow depth of Āeld in a portrait, as
you have little room for error, and the area of
sharp focus is so narrow. In this case, it’s best
to focus on the closest eye so that it’s the
sharpest point in the frame, leaving the focus
to fall away behind the plane that’s pin-sharp.
© Getty
 F E A T U R E

HOW TO FIX YOUR FOCUSING FLUFFS

CONTINUED

THE RIGHT MODE FOR CAPTURING MOVING TARGETS

For subjects in motion, like a bird in flight or a racing car, continuous AF is the way to go 1/1000 ISO
f/5.6 SEC 800

Here, Continuous AF mode has

allowed the photographer to lock
focus and then maintain it by tracking
this barn owl while it was hunting.

When your subject moves towards,

away from or across you, you have to use
continuous AF while you track it. This is
a trickier mode to use, because as soon
as your active AF point (or points) slip oý
target, they’re going to attempt to lock onto
another part of the scene. A smooth panning
action will help, and it’s generally best to
use your most central AF points, as these
are the fastest and most accurate, even if
that means re-cropping your shots later in
your image-editing software. It’s deĀnitely
worth exploring the focus point options
oýered by your camera, as this will enable
you to choose the right setup for a particular
subject or scene.

© Getty
USING HYPERFOCAL DISTANCE
Increase through-sharpness by combining a small aperture and a calculated focus point

If you need a lot of through-

sharpness in a landscape photo,
using the hyperfocal distance
is a technical-sounding way of
achieving it: you identify a point
at which you focus to maximise
sharpness both in front of and
behind that target.
The hyperfocal distance varies
with the lens and the aperture
you use. It’s possible to work out
the hyperfocal distance for a lens
and aperture combination, but it’s
easier to use a chart or app on your
smartphone. If you want an even
easier but less accurate method,
choose a focusing point around
one-third into your scene. Having a
3 x 3 grid visible in your viewĀnder
or on your Live View screen will
help – in many cases all you need
to do is simply focus on a point on
the line marking the bottom third.
Alternatively, try aiming at the back
© Getty

of your foreground interest.

 F E A T U R E

COPING WITH SUBJECT MOVEMENT

Master shutter speed to capture pin-sharp shots of fast action

he three points on the USING SHUTTER PRIORITY

T exposure triangle – aperture,

ISO and shutter speed – are
Using Shutter Priority (S or Tv) mode means
you can choose the shutter speed you need,
while your camera will balance the exposure
closely interrelated, but when it comes for you by selecting the appropriate aperture.
to shooting a subject that moves,
shutter speed is the most important
factor. If you want to capture pin-sharp
shots of something that’s moving, you
need a faster shutter speed than you
do for something that’s static.
Of course, the speed of moving
objects varies, so you can use different
shutter speeds and still get your
subject in focus. For example, to
capture a person walking you can get a
sharp shot at 1/250 sec, while a person
jogging will need at least 1/500 sec,
and the same person running as fast
as they can will probably be slightly
blurred unless you increase your
shutter speed to 1/1000 sec or more.
The faster your subject’s movement,
the higher the shutter speed needs to
be in order to freeze the motion.
It’s easy to get a fast shutter speed
when the sun is out, but when the light
isn’t as good you need to get help from
either aperture or ISO, or possibly both.
Opening up the aperture lets more
light in, although it will also decrease
depth of field. Increasing ISO will make
the sensor more sensitive to light, so
higher shutter speeds can be achieved
– though to the detriment of quality, as
the more you push up ISO, the more
you increase the noise in the picture.
Ultimately, if you want to freeze the
motion in a photograph, there’s no
such thing as a shutter speed that’s
too fast, since the appearance of a
mountain biker suspended in mid-air,
for example, is pretty much the same
atƤ1/5000 sec as it is at 1/2000 sec.

Freezing the āeeting motion of fast-moving

water spray creates an image that the unaided
eye cannot perceive, and requires accurate
focusing and a very fast shutter speed.

1/2000 ISO
f/5.6
© Getty

SEC 200
 SHARPENING IN SOFTWARE
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o amount of post-capture
N sharpening can make a
blurred photo sharp, and
this is why capturing your shot
as sharp as possible in-camera is
so important. However, you can
increase the apparent sharpness
ofƤan image in various ways in all
image-editing and raw processing
packages. The exactƤtechniques
may vary, but essentially in every
case you’re simply improving the
edge definition of your images,
so the eye perceives greater
sharpness. It’s important not to
over-sharpen a shot, though, or
sharpen areas that don’t need to
beƤworked on, or you’ll end up
making a photo look worse.

© Andrew James
GET CRISP EDGES IN PHOTOSHOP Use the High Pass filter selectively to give your pics extra bite

1 SELECT THE AREA TO BE SHARPENED

With your image open in Photoshop, use
the Lasso Tool to select the area to which
2 APPLY THE HIGH PASS FILTER
Go to Filter > Other > High Pass and enter
a Radius of around 3 to 5 pixels in the dialog;
3 ADJUST THE SHARPENING STRENGTH
Select the Eraser Tool, and with a soft-
edged brush remove the edges of the
you want to apply the sharpening, and press some images will require a higher amount top layer so you get a natural-looking
Ctrl/Cmd+J to copy this selection to a new than others, depending on the level of detail blend (or use a layer mask). If the
layer. In the Layers panel, click where it says that’s present. You’ll see the well-deĀned sharpening looks too aggressive, reduce
Normal and select the Overlay blending edges become a little more crisp. Don’t the layer opacity to tone down the eýect.
mode. The selected area in the new layer worry if it looks too much – we’ll Āx that nextñ Alternatively, change the blending mode
will have a lot of contrast. to Soft Light.
 S U B S C R I B E

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 G A L L E R Y

XPOSURE
THE WEEK’S MOST INSPIRING READER PHOTOS

THROUGH THE WINDOW

NEAL SMITH
“This is the view through one of the arrow slits in the ruins of Tintagel
Castle in Cornwall to the coast beyond. I could see straight away that
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 G A L L E R Y
THE WEEK’S MOST INSPIRING READER PHOTOS

49 SHADES OF GREY
ROSS FARNHAM
i5IJTXBTUBLFOEVSJOHPOFPGNBOZWJTJUT*NBEFUPUIFGPSNFS
%JOPSXJDTMBUFRVBSSZEVSJOHNZXFFLMPOHTUBZJO8BMFTFBSMJFS
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XPOEFSGVMESBNBUJDTDFOFTMJLFUIJTw
IUUQTCJUMZPYE0K
 G A L L E R Y
THE WEEK’S MOST INSPIRING READER PHOTOS

AFTERNOON WALKIES
STEVE PELLATT
“Holywell Bay near Newquay in Cornwall is a huge sandy beach that’s
QPQVMBSXJUIGBNJMJFT TVSGFSTBOEEPHXBMLFST5IFSFBSFTFWFSBMDBWFTUIBU
CFDPNFBDDFTTJCMFBUMPXUJEF BOEQVSFMZCZDIBODFUXPQFPQMFUBLJOHUIFJS
EPHGPSBXBMLXBOEFSFEJOUPUIJTTDFOFXIJMF*XBTTIPPUJOHw
IUUQTCJUMZ/BSFN
 G A L L E R Y
THE WEEK’S MOST INSPIRING READER PHOTOS

5)&$-06%4 5)&3"*-*/(45)&.0/6.&/5
MIKE THORNBERRY
i5IJTNPOVNFOUBOEUIFSBJMJOHTBSPVOEJUDSFBUFETUSJLJOHTJMIPVFUUFTBHBJOTUUIFESBNBUJDTLZw
IUUQTCJUMZ"0*3

PHOTOGRAPHY WEEK WANTS YOUR PHOTOS!

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 I N S P I R A T I O N

I T ’ S C O O L , T H AT
THE BEST THING WE’ VE SEEN THIS WEEK

Images © The photographer and courtesy Astronomy Photographer of the Year

Riverside of Funakawa in Spring by Takanobu Kurosaki Rosette Nebula Core Region by Alpha Zhang

Clouds of Hydrogen Gas by Simon Tang Saturn and Its Moons by Flávio Fortunato

SHOOTING STARS: ENJOY THESE

AWE-INSPIRING ASTRO IMAGES
The world’s biggest astrophotography competition announces its 2022 shortlist
he UK’s Royal Observatory has Aurorae, People and Space, Stars and
T announced the shortlist for this
year’s Astronomy Photographer
Nebulae, Galaxies, and Young Astronomy
Photographer of the Year, as well as two
ofƤthe Year contest – the world’s largest special awards.
Astrophotography competition – and it’s The winners will be announced at an
aƤsuitably stratospheric showcase of onlineƤceremony on September 15, and
spectacular night-sky images. theƤwinning images will be displayed at the SEE MOR E IM AGE S
This year’s contest received more than National Maritime Museum in London from h t t p s : // bi t . ly/ 3y Bb9 x t
3,000 entries from amateur and professional September 17. Click the link to see more
photographers from 67 countries. There are shortlisted images at the competition
nine main categories, including Skyscapes, website, and read the stories behind them.
 S K I L L S

CRASH COURSE
ESSENTIAL PHOTO SKILLS MADE EASY

MOVE YOUR C AMER A

'03ç$3&"5 * 7&"#453 "$ 54
Jason Parnell-Brookes shows you how to capture motion blur with intentional
camera movement, using a tripod ball-head and a slow shutter speed

The technique of intentional the obvious choice use; however for with a ball head, and we’re certainly
1
HOUR
camera movement, or ICM,
involves moving the camera
this project we’re using a ball-head.
You might think this sounds odd;
not expecting you to invest in a three-
way head just to try out this technique
during a long exposure in after all, three-way tripod heads – so we’ll show you that it’s possible to
order to introduce motion blur. You can make this so much easier, as all you take ICM shots using a ball-head.
either hand-hold your camera or use have to do is unlock one of the three Sure, it’s a little trickier, as a ball-
a tripod, and it normally works best directional movement controls and head moves in all directions. But with
when the camera is moved in just one you can pan or tilt the camera in one aƤsteady hand and a bit of practice,
direction, which makes a three-way direction smoothly and with precision. you should be able to ach ieve great
tripod head (aka a pan-and-tilt head) However, most of us buy our tripod results inƤaƤmatter of minutes.
 S K I L L S
STEP BY STEP CAPTURE INTENTIONAL MOTION BLUR

1
$)004&"46#+&$5
5)"5803,4
The direction of camera movement should
follow the lines of your subject – for our shot
we moved the camera vertically to follow the
lines of these tree trunks, but in a seascape, for
example, the lines of the horizon and shore are
typically horizonatal, so you would move the
camera from side to side.

2
4&561:06353*10%
Although you’ll be moving your camera
intentionally to create motion blur, you still need
to use a tripod for the best results. Keeping your
camera fixed in one place will make it easier to
introduce blur that looks intentional by moving
the camera in only one direction.

3
64&5)&#"--)&"%
For horizontal movements, use the panning
movement of the ball-head for steady, smooth
side-to-side motion blur. For vertical movements,
lock the panning lever and loosen the ball-head
locking screw, then move your hand as steadily
as possible when tracking up and down.

MOVE THE TRIPOD

If you’re not getting theƤresults you want by tracking backwards or forwards around the two legs on the
the ball-head up and down, lock it in place and instead ground as you take the shot to cause the camera to
shorten one tripod leg, then pivot the entire tripod move up or down.
 S K I L L S
STEP BY STEP CAPTURE INTENTIONAL MOTION BLUR

4
4-08%08/:0634)655&3
To introduce motion blur we set a shutter
speed of one second in shutter priority mode.
The aperture and ISO settings aren’t crucial,
so we kept the ISO low at 100 to minimise
image noise, and the camera set an aperture
of f/3.2 for a standard exposure.

5
1"64&'035)06()5
Slow down – or stop completely – part-way
through your movement. The image sensor will
capture more scene detail during this pause,
so you’ll be left with a clearer image of your
environment at this point, but you’ll still capture
some artistic motion blur in the final shot.

6
"*.618"3%4"/%41*/
Up, down, left and right are all fine for the
typical ICM shot, but how about rotating the
camera? Here, we shot up towards the tree
canopy, and panned our camera around for a
circular motion-blur effect.

QUICK TIP
We found that a one-second exposure
combined with a moderately-paced camera
movement yielded great results. However,
you may want to experiment with different
speeds – either speed up the exposure and
movement, or slow both down.
 E D I T I N G

PH OTOS H O P
LEARN ESSENTIAL EDITING SKILLS FAST!

D O W NL O A D T HE
P R O J EC T F I L E S
h t t p s : // b i t . l y/ 3g Z z K m a
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HOW TO...

GET CREATIVE WITH THE FILTER GALLERY

Discover the nerve centre for applying a host of colourful and eye-catching effects
he Filter Gallery is a creative they can be used to give your image seem tacky orƤgeneric. One way you
T hubƤfor an abundance of effects
in Photoshop. If you’re looking
aƤpencil sketch look, aƤpainterly finish
orƤa pattern-like texture.
canƤcombat this is by combining several
filters into one, asƤwe’veƤdone in this
for a different look or a fun treatment, All the filters in the Filter Gallery video tutorial, by using the Cutout,
you’ll find plenty of vibrant options here. workƤby altering pixels using universal Texturizer and Diffuse GlowƤfilters
These are Photoshop’s more creative algorithms, so the effects aren’t tailored inƤcombination. Your image needs to be
filters, as opposed to the image-editing/ towards the content of the image, but in 8-bit format before you openƤit in the
enhancement filters found in the Blur rather the makeup of the pixel values, Filter Gallery, so if necessary go to Image
Gallery, for example. Among other things and asƤsuch, effects can sometimes >ƤMode > 8-Bit to convert it.

WANT MORE PHOTOSHOP TUTORIALS? CHECK OUT PRACTICAL PHOTOSHOP

For more Photoshop tutorials, tips and advice subscribe to Practical Photoshop, the world’s premier
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 GROUP TEST

STURDY
CARBON TRIPODS
For solid yet lightweight support, you can’t beat a set of carbon fibre sticks

or most photographers, the chore and end up being left at home, most full-sized carbon tripod kits
F perfect tripod should offer
solid support with a lofty
where they’re no use at all, while at
theƤother end of the scale, lightweight
(including head) are about 20 per
centƤlighter than their aluminium
maximum operating height, yet fold tripods are often disappointingly short counterparts. Another bonus of carbon
down reasonably small for stowing and comparatively flimsy, making them fibre is that itƤtends to be better at
away, and it shouldn’t be overly heavy; prone to swaying around in a breeze. damping vibrations. Moreover, on a
after all, nobody wants to lug around Carbon fibre has distinct advantages chilly day, carbon fibre feels less cold
more weight than they need to. Big, over aluminium. It’s impressively rigid, to the touch than aluminium. Let’s take
heavy tripods often feel like a bit of a yet lighter in weight to the extent that a look at our top picks…
 GROUP TEST STURDY CARBON TRIPODS

CUTTING-EDGE DESIGNS
Carbon tripods incorporate some clever design tricks
GOOD TO GO
A quick mention for Winston’s
more travel-friendly siblings...

he lines of distinction between full-sized shooting from. The limiting factor is the centre Small but sturdy and full of tricks, the

T tripods and ‘travel tripods’ have become

increasingly blurred in recent years
column, which will come into contact with the
ground. To get around the problem, the Benro
3ƤLegged Thing Punks 2.0 range of kits
come in a variety of sizes. They pack
– indeed, some travel tripods extend to a greater Mach3 and Novo tripods on test are supplied with some of the same high-end features as
maximum operating height than competing a second, short, stubby centre column, which you the full-blown Winston, including
conventional sticks. So you’re really best oý can use instead of the full-length centre column. three detachable legs that enable
looking for a tripod with a set of features that will The 3 Legged Thing Winston is designed so that tabletop conversion with optional
be most ideal for your needs. you can remove the centre column and attach the footwear, a removable centre
To enable a relatively small stowage size, travel head direct to the tripod spider. column so the AirHed Neo 2.0
tripods tend to have four or Āve sections in each Some tripods have a pivoting centre column. ball head can attach direct to
leg rather than three. Models in this test group Typically, which enables you to rotate it through 90 the spider, and a tri-mount plate
include the Benro Go Plus Travel, Kenro Ultimate degrees and use the centre column as a horizontal that enables easy attachment of
Travel, Manfrotto 190go! and the Novo Explorer. boom. It’s ideal for low-level shooting and great accessories. The Corey is made
OfƤthese, the Benro, Kenro and Novo add another for extreme close-ups, and it’s also useful for from magnesium alloy and is the
space-saving trick. Instead of folding them down shooting with ultra-wide-angle and Āsheye lenses, smallest with a folded length
in the traditional manner, you can extend the as it stops the tripod feet creeping into the image. of 36cm and max height of
centre column to its maximum height, and then Of the tripods on test, the Kenro Ultimate Travel 146cm. The Travis and Billy,
swing the legs fully upwards so that the feet and both Manfrotto models enable the centre magnesium alloy and carbon
encircle the head. This typically saves an extra column to be used in upright or horizontal mode. Ābre respectively, are 46cm
20cm or so in the folded height. The full-sized The Benro Go Plus Travel and Vanguard tripods folded and 166cm at full
3ƤLegged Thing Winston does the same trick. oýer an even greater level of versatility, as their stretch, and the carbon
To enable low-level shooting, all the tripods centre columns can rotate through a complete Ābre Brian folds to 42cm
onƤtest feature multi-angle legs, so you can splay 180-degree arc, locked at a number of angles and extends to 186cm.
them wide and reduce the height that you’re along the way.

WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR… Most current tripods have a sophisticated set of features

1 COMPACT STOWAGE
To reduce the folded size, the 3 Legged
Thing, Benro Go Plus Travel, Kenro and Novo
2 STUBBY CENTRE COLUMN
For low-level shooting, you can swap the
Benro Mach3 and Novo Explorer’s centre
3 PIVOT FACILITY
Centre columns in the Manfrotto and Kenro
tripods pivot 90 degrees. The Benro Go Plus
have swing-up legs, so the feet fold up to column for a short stub. The head of the and Vanguard oýer 180 degrees.
encircle the head. Winston can attach directly to the spider.

4 LEG SECTION CLAMPS

Twist-action locking clamps are generally
more popular for loosening and locking the
5 BALL HEAD
Most tripods on test are available as
complete kits, including a ball head. For the
6 MONOPOD ALTERNATIVE
The 3 Legged Thing, Kenro, Novo and
both Benro tripods give you the option of
leg sections, but the Manfrotto 055 uses Benro tripods and Manfrotto 055, you need unscrewing one leg and using it with the
equally eýective āip locks. toƤbuy a head separately. centre column as a monopod.
 GROUP TEST STURDY CARBON TRIPODS
02 01 02
01

03

03

3 Legged Thing Benro

Pro 2.0 Winston Mach3 TMA27C + B1 head
£349/$400 £352/$450
KEY FEATURES KEY FEATURES
The Winston has three rather While swing-up legs and
than four sections in each leg, 1. Unusually for a full-sized tripod, pivoting centre columns 1. Benro’s B1 ball head is sold
UIFç8JOTUPOGFBUVSFTTXJOHVQMFHT separately, but is a great match for
and a single centre column are featured increasingly in UIFçUSJQPE
section. It doesn’t fold down 2. The complete kit includes an AirHed tripods, the Mach3 looks very
1SPCBMMIFBEXJUIBLHNBYJNVN 2. "TUSBJHIUGPSXBSECMVFMPDLJOHSJOH
as small as its siblings, but still load rating. traditional. It has a conventional enables height adjustment of the
shrinks to 61cm yet extends to layout of three-section legs, centre column.
3. 'PSVMUSBMPXMFWFMTIPPUJOH 
a 194cm maximum operating UIFçIFBEDBOCFBUUBDIFEEJSFDUUP and a height adjustment clamp 3. 5IFMFHXJUIDPNGPSUQBEEJOH
height, thanks to legs that UIFçTQJEFS for the centre column. The VOTDSFXTGPSVTFBTBNPOPQPE
swing up around the centre upside is that it’s easy to set up,
column for compact folding. and not short of smart features.
SPECS SPECS
Three lockable angles are A locking mechanism
available for the legs, which MODEL NUMBER: WINSTON 2.0 & enables use of the legs at MODEL NUMBER: TMA27C + B1 HEAD
can be unscrewed for quick AIRHED PRO KIT PRICE (LEGS + HEAD): £264/$330 +
PRICE (LEGS + HEAD): £349/$400 (KIT)
three different angles. A stub is £88/$120
detachment. For low-level WEIGHT: 2.05KG supplied for low-level shooting, WEIGHT: 1.92KG
shooting, you can remove the FOLDED HEIGHT, MAX HEIGHT: 61CM, and the tripd comes with FOLDED HEIGHT, MAX HEIGHT: 72CM,
194CM 171CM
centre column and fit the head MAX LOAD (LEGS, HEAD): 15-40KG, rubber pads and metal spikes MAX LOAD (LEGS, HEAD): 14KG, 14KG
to theƤspider. 40KG for the feet.

Performance Performance
The twist-action leg and centre It maintains excellent stability
column locks require minimal even at its maximum operating
turning for loosening and VERDICT height. Adjustments of the leg
clamping. Bubble levels on The biggest and sections and centre column
the spider and AirHed Pro ball sturdiest tripod kit in are smooth, and the B1 ball VERDICT
head enable easy levelling, and the Pro 2.0 carbon fibre head works a treat. It features Traditional design makes
the head features a pan-only range, the Winston is independent clamp and friction this high-performance
release, plus an Arca-Swiss super-solid yet folds damper knobs, plus a pan- Benro quick and easy to
quick-release platform. down conveniently only release with a calibrated set up, even if it lacks a
Although weighing just over small. rotation scale and an Arca- few fancy features.
2kg, the legs and head are Swiss type quick-release plate.
sturdy. For our money, it’s the All in all, it’s a simple design yet
best buy in the group. highly effective.
 GROUP TEST STURDY CARBON TRIPODS

01
01
02
03
03

02

Benro Kenro
(P1MVT5SBWFM'(1$ 6MUJNBUF5SBWFM
£353/$460 £199/$259
KEY FEATURES KEY FEATURES
The Go Plus Travel features all The Kenro Ultimate Travel is
the latest design concepts. As 1. 5IFTQJEFSFOBCMFTUIFMFHTUPTXJOH available in both aluminium 1. 5IFUFMFTDPQJD UXPTFDUJPODFOUSF
GVMMZVQXBSETGPSDPNQBDUTUPXBHF DPMVNOFOBCMFTFYUSBFYUFOTJPOBOE
such, its swing-up legs enable and carbon fibre editions. Like EFHSFFQJWPU
it to shrink down to a carrying 2. 5IFQJWPUJOHDFOUSFDPMVNOMPDLT a number of recent designs,
BUçNVMUJQMFBOHMFTUISPVHIBGVMM 2. 5ZQJDBMPGNBOZUSBWFMUSJQPE
length of just 49cm, yet it 180-degree arc. the Kenro has swing-up legs to EFTJHOT UIFMFHTTXJOHVQUPSFEVDF
extends to 179cm. reduce its carrying size, in this carrying size.
3. 5IFQBEEFEMFHDBOCFVOTDSFXFEGPS
The extra height is also due monopod duty. case to just 48cm. 3. 5IFMFHDBOCFVOTDSFXFEBOEVTFE
to the legs each having four Despite being the shortest XJUIUIFDFOUSFDPMVNOBTBNPOPQPE
sections, which means three tripod in this test group when
clamps for each leg. Each joint folded, it reaches 187cm at
SPECS SPECS
can reduce rigidity, and the full stretch. This is not only
bottom leg sections are thinner. MODEL NUMBER: FGP28C + B1 HEAD due to its four-section legs, MODEL NUMBER: KENTR401C
Even so, its stability almost PRICE (LEGS + HEAD): £265/$340 + but also because the centre PRICE (LEGS + HEAD): £199/$259 (KIT)
£88/$120 WEIGHT: 1.96KG
matches that of the Mach3. WEIGHT: 2.05KG column’s inner section extends FOLDED HEIGHT, MAX HEIGHT: 48CM,
Also, the pivoting centre FOLDED HEIGHT, MAX HEIGHT: 49CM, telescopically. Rigidity suffers 187CM
179CM MAX LOAD (LEGS, HEAD): 10KG, 8KG
column can be rotated vertically MAX LOAD (LEGS, HEAD): 14KG near the top of its range, but it
180 degrees, with multiple also incorporates an upper joint,
locking angles. which enables the inner section
to pivot 90 degrees.
Performance
The Go Plus Travel takes longer Performance
to set up than some, but that’s Adjustment of the legs and
the price you pay for the more VERDICT centre column can lack VERDICT
travel-friendly design. Even so, For photographers on smoothness, but everything It’s not particularly
swinging the legs and adjusting the go who want sturdy works well overall. The ball head lightweight for a ‘travel
the centre column is painless, support and clever tricks is of a similarly high standard, tripod’, but the upsides
and the adjustment mechanisms aplenty, this travel tripod with an independent main clamp are solid performance
operate with precision. The ticks pretty much every and friction adjuster, plus a pan- and a towering max
pivoting system for the centre box. release and Arca-Swiss style operating height.
column is elegant, and every quick-release plate. All in all, you
feature of the design is perfectly get a lot of sophistication and
implemented. versatility for a modest outlay.
 GROUP TEST STURDY CARBON TRIPODS

01 03 02
01

02

03

Manfrotto Manfrotto
190go! 055CXPRO3 + XPRO ball
£279/$453 £453/$569
KEY FEATURES KEY FEATURES
Manfrotto’s ‘190go!’ range is The Manfrotto 055 is relatively
available in both aluminium and 1. The XPRO ball head is super-sturdy large when folded compared 1. The Top Lock edition of the XPRO
BOETVQFSCMZXFMMFOHJOFFSFE IFBEBEETBOFYUSBbUPUIFDPTU
carbon fibre, and with three- toƤmost of the other tripods on
way or ball heads. The ‘M-lock 2. 'PVSMFHBOHMFTBSFBWBJMBCMFWJB test, thanks to having three- 2. "TXFMMBTBO&BTZ-JOLTPDLFU UIF
simple, sprung push-in latches. TQPSUTBCVCCMFMFWFMPOBSPUBUJOH
system’ is claimed to enable section legs that don’t swing mount.
quicker setup, although the nine 3. The ‘Easy Link’ 3/8 inch threaded upwards, although a four-section
socket enables the attachment of 3. 5IFEFHSFFQJWPUNFDIBOJTNGPS
clamps add to the time. accessories. edition is also available. With the centre column is easy to use.
The MK190GOC4-BHX maximum and minimum leg
editionƤon test combines section diameters of 29/21mm,
Manfrotto’s latest design of the 055 feels solid, and the
SPECS SPECS
carbon fibre tubing and the maximum load rating increases
excellent XPRO ball head. The MODEL NUMBER: MK190GOC4-BHX from 6kg to 9kg. MODEL NUMBER: MT055CXPRO3 +
head has a beefier maximum PRICE (LEGS + HEAD): £279/$453 (KIT) XPRO BALL
WEIGHT: 1.94KG
Like the Manfrotto 190go!, PRICE (LEGS + HEAD): £349/$569 +
load rating than the legs, at 10kg FOLDED HEIGHT, MAX HEIGHT: 54CM, thisƤtripod has a pivot £104/$149
rather than 6kg. Four lockable 159CM mechanism for the centre WEIGHT: 2.54KG
MAX LOAD (LEGS, HEAD): 6KG, 10KG FOLDED HEIGHT, MAX HEIGHT: 72CM,
leg angles are present, as is an column. However, you can only 182CM
‘Easy Link’ threaded socket for use the centre column when MAX LOAD (LEGS, HEAD): 9KG, 10KG

attaching accessories. vertically upright or horizontal.

Performance Performance
While it folds down small for The 055 is simple to set up,
a tripod that lacks swing-up andƤsturdier and more rigid VERDICT
legs, the maximum operating VERDICT thanƤthe 190go!, especially The GlobeTrotter is
height of 159cm is the least It’s quite small and when it’s used with heavier relatively hefty at just over
generous of the tripods on test. travel-friendly, but combinations of DSLR bodies 2kg, but has a generous
With a diameter of 16mm, the the maximum height and telephoto lenses. If big maximum load rating and
bottom leg sections are also the is a little limited. The telephoto lenses are your ĜŸƴåųƼƤŸƋƚųÚĜĬƼÆƚĜĬƋţ‰Ęå
thinnest on test, and resistance pivoting centre column thing, you might want to look head and leg clamps are
to flexing isn’t impressive. Even is an added bonus. at upgrading to the Top Lock comfortable to use.
so, the 190go! delivers good edition of the XPRO ball head,
performance and versatility, as which features a larger, Arca-
well as speedy setup. Swiss type quick-release plate.
 GROUP TEST STURDY CARBON TRIPODS

01 02
01 02

03

03

/PWP Vanguard
&YQMPSB5 ALTA PRO 2+ 263CB 100
£239/$312 £239/$349
KEY FEATURES KEY FEATURES
Weighing in at 2.29kg, the The Vanguard looks relatively
Novo isn’t as heavy as the 1. An adjustable friction control is slim and, indeed, the 1. A full 180-degree arc of rotation is
CVJMUçJOUPUIFNBJOMPDLJOHLOPCPG FOBCMFECZUIFDFOUSFDPMVNOTQJWPU
Manfrotto 055 kit, but has a UIFçCBMMIFBE diameters of the three leg mechanism.
greater maximum load rating sections are quite modest at
2. Dual panning mechanisms are 2. The spider incorporates a bubble
of 20kg. The bottom sections BWBJMBCMFJOUIFUPQBOECPUUPNPG 26/23/19mm. Even so, the MFWFMBOEJODIUISFBEFEBDDFTTPSZ
of its four-section legs are a UIFçCBMMIFBE maximum load ratings of 7kg socket.
fairly typical 21mm, but the top 3. One of the four-section legs can be for the legs and 10kg for the 3. 8JUIPVUTXJOHVQMFHT XIFOGPMEFE
sections are the widest of any VOTDSFXFEBOEVTFEBTBNPOPQPE head should prove more than this is one of the longer tripods on test.
tripod in the group, at 32mm. sufficient for typical use.
ItƤfolds down to 53cm. With legs that don’t swing
SPECS SPECS
The leg that features upwards for stowage, the
comfort padding can be MODEL NUMBER: NV-EXT20KT tripod is quick and easy to MODEL NUMBER:
unscrewed and used in PRICE (LEGS + HEAD): £239/$312 (KIT) 263CB 100
WEIGHT: 2.29KG
set up. The same applies to PRICE (LEGS + HEAD): £239/$349 (KIT)
conjunction with the centre FOLDED HEIGHT, MAX HEIGHT: 53CM, the pivoting centre column, WEIGHT: 2.1KG
column and ball head as a 188CM which can be locked at various FOLDED HEIGHT, MAX HEIGHT: 71CM,
MAX LOAD (LEGS, HEAD): 20KG, 20KG 172CM
monopod. The platform itself angles through a complete MAX LOAD (LEGS, HEAD): 7KG, 10KG
features an Arca-Swiss type 180-degree arc. Another nice
quick-release plate; remove feature is a 3/8 inch threaded
this to see the bubble level. socket on the spider for
accessories.
Performance
Resistance to flexing and VERDICT Performance
vibrations is excellent, and the Both the legs and Operating the twist-locks for VERDICT
twist-locks for the leg sections head of this Novo kit extending the leg sections is It folds down in a
require minimal rotation for are immaculately simple, with a quarter-turn all traditional way, but the
unlocking and relocking. engineered and that’s needed. The sliders for Vanguard adds a whole
However, unlike on some beautifully turned the leg angles are similarly host of smart features,
competing tripods, there’s out, making it great well-engineered, and the ball backed up by solid
noƤpivot facility for the centre value at the price. head is solid. Rigidity isn’t as performance.
column. Instead, the tripod is impressive as with some of the
supplied with a short stub for other big hitters in the group,
low-level shooting. but it’s very good nonetheless.
 GROUP TEST STURDY CARBON TRIPODS

HOW THE
TRIPODS 3 Legged Thing Benro Benro Kenro Manfrotto Manfrotto Novo Vanguard
COMPARE Pro 2.0 Winston Mach3 Go Plus Travel Ultimate Travel 190go! 055CXPRO3 Explora T20 ALTA PRO 2+

Website www.3legged www.benroeu. www.benroeu. www.kenro. www.manfrotto. www.manfrotto. www.novo- www.vanguard

thing.com com com co.uk co.uk co.uk photo.com world.co.uk

Street price £349/$400 £352/$450 £353/$460 £199/$259 £279/$453 £453/$569 £239/$312 £239/$349

Product Winston 2.0 ¼ TMA27C + B1 FGP28C + B1 KENTR401C MK190GOC4- MT055CXPRO3 + NV-EXT20KT 263CB 100
reference code AirHed Pro Kit head head BHX XPRO Ball

Kit/separates Kit Separates Separates Kit Kit Separates Kit Kit

Folded height, 61cm, yes 72cm, no 49cm, yes 48cm, yes 54cm, no 72cm, no 53cm, yes 71cm, no
leg inversion

Weight 2.05kg 1.92kg 2.05kg 1.96kg 1.94kg 2.54kg 2.29kg 2.1kg

Max operating 194cm 171cm 179cm 187cm 159cm 182cm 188cm 172cm
height

Max load (legs, 40kg, 40kg 14kg, 14kg 14kg, 14kg 10kg, 8kg 6kg, 10kg 9kg, 10kg 20kg, 20kg 7kg, 10kg
head)

Sections per leg 3 sections 3 sections 4 sections 4 sections 4 sections 3 sections 4 sections 3 sections

Leg section 29, 26, 23mm 29, 25, 22mm 29, 25, 22, 19mm 28, 25, 22, 19mm 25, 22, 19, 16mm 29, 25, 21mm 32, 28, 25, 21mm 26, 23, 19mm
diameters

Locking leg 3 angles 3 angles 3 angles 3 angles 4 angles 4 angles 3 angles 4 angles
angles

Leg extension Twist Twist Twist Twist Twist Clip Twist Twist
locks

Pivoting centre No (stub) No (stub) 180 degrees 0/90 degrees 0/90 degrees 0/90 degrees No (stub) 180 degrees
column (+ invert)

Levels (legs, 1, 1 bubble 1, 1 bubble 1, 1 bubble 0, 2 spirit 0, 2 bubble 0, 2 bubble 0, 1 bubble 1, 2 bubble
head)

Detachable
monopod

Feet Pads Pads + spikes Pads + spikes Retractable Pads Pads Pads + spikes Pads
spikes

Bag included Padded Padded Padded Padded Unpadded None Padded Unpadded

THE W INNER IS...

3 L EGGED T HING PRO 2.0 W INS TON
ou’ve probably noticed that Getting back to the Winston, it’s 055 and Novo T20 pretty much
Y the overall ratings for all but
one of these tripods are the
aƤconveniently lightweight and
compact tripod, yet stretches to a
match the Winston, although
the Manfrotto is the only one of
same at 4.5 stars. That’s because generous operating height, and the three to feature a pivoting
they’re universally excellent, although combines sturdiness with versatility. centre column. The
some score a little higher in certain It’s also beautifully engineered and Manfrotto 190go! and Kenro
areas. Taking everything into account, offers fabulous handling. The kits are particularly
though, the 3 Legged Thing Pro 2.0 Vanguard is another good option, travel-friendly, but the
Winston is our favourite. (For an even especially if you prefer speedier Kenro has a loftier
more travel-friendly tripod check out setupƤover compactness. maximum operating
the 3 Legged Thing Punks 2.0 range, For rock-solid dependability and height, and is great
as mentioned earlier.) rigidity, the Benro Mach3, Manfrotto value at the price.
 A P P S
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