New Lens Vs Old Lens

We compare the Canon 16-35mm F/4 IS against the older Canon 17-40mm F/4 in a landscape photography setting to see if the upgrade is worth the money.

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After a recent video some said I should get the Canon 16-35mm to replace my 17-40mm. So I have. But I’ve been talking recently how the gear doesn’t make the photographer so I’m not totally convinced this purchase was required. So I thought I would put it to the test, possibly prove myself wrong, and help you when it comes to making your next lens purchase decision.

Sharpness

There are certain things important to me in a lens when shooting landscape photography. Sharpness is important up to a certain extant. Once an acceptable level of sharpness is reached then I am happy. Most photographs are viewed at a reasonable distance and a normal viewer is not looking at minute details or pixel peeping an image. The overall story is much more important.

Lens Distortion

When working with super wide angles like 16-20mm, distortion can become a real problem and is extremely distracting and prevalent in cheaper lenses. The Canon 17-40mm handles distortion reasonably well so I was interested to see if Canon 16-35mm F/4 IS would be better.

Chromatic Aberration

The coloured soft edges in high contrast areas of an image look extremely unpleasant and can make an image look cheap. Also known as chromatic aberration, one major benefit of a high quality lens is the ability to control it. These days, it can be controlled in post-processing but it results can be hit and miss depending on the image. The Canon 17-40mm can be susceptible to chromatic Aberration, can the 16-35mm improve matters.

When conducting a camera lens review I am also looking at build quality and extras such as IS. Image stabilisation is not important to me for stills. For video, it is much more important so it is still something I look for.

In the video I pit the two lenses against each other at Ribblehead viaduct in the Yorkshire Dales. The Limestone pavement provides some big foreground interest for a shot, something I really wanted to include in the lens review.

What's in my Camera Bag? | Wild Camping Edition

Take a peek inside my camera bag to see all the photography gear and wild camping kit that I hiked up a mountain during my latest landscape photography vlog.

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Check out all the camping gear:

• Tent - http://bit.ly/Phoxxtent
• Ground Mat - http://bit.ly/OEXgroundmat
• Cooking Pot - http://bit.ly/oexcookpot
• Stove - http://bit.ly/aplinestove
• Water Purifier - https://amzn.to/2xnTddC
• Pillow - http://bit.ly/OEXpillow

Check out all the photography equipment - https://www.firstmanphotography.com/my-gear/

There is nothing lightweight about camera gear. We are literally carrying around chunks of glass and metal. This is not too much of a problem for many situations but with landscape photography it is a big issue. To get the very best landscapes it often means getting off the beaten track and carrying your gear so we need things to be lightweight. Add in a shooting video and then add in camping equipment, we suddenly have a very heavy camera bag.

Watch the vlog - https://youtu.be/pmZgxymtY_E

On my recent landscape photography vlog, where I collaborated with Gary Gough Photography, we hiked up one of the biggest mountains in the Lake District called Great End. It stands at 900m with an 800m climb from the car. With my bag as light as possible, so I could achieve everything i wanted, the bag still weighed in at over 20kg. I therefore wanted to create this video so you could see what i had with me and what I had to sacrifice and leave behind.

The extra weight from the wild camping gear meant I could not bring the full range of lenses that I normally do. Water alone is shockingly heavy. On a hot day hiking a mountain you will need at least a litre of water every couple of hours. One litre of water weighs 1kg, heavy. Thankfully the water purifier meant I could carry less and refill but it is something that is vital to think about. However I still had to leave the 24-70mm lens behind. Normally my go to lens, I suspected I could get away with the 17-40mm and 70-200mm. I also didn’t want to sacrifice the drone.

Despite the weight and the hard climb it was absolutely worth it once we got to the top. Enjoying challenging adventures like this though hinges on being prepared and having the right gear. Once you do you are free to enjoy the stunning views and experiences that wild camping and photography have to offer.

Photo and Video Editing Setup with the iMac Pro

We take a look at what’s in my photography and video editing setup for 2018. It includes the iMac Pro with an amazing 10 cores to take productivity and creativity to the next level.

Check out all the gear:

• Get a FREE trial of Adobe Lightroom CC and Photoshop - https://goo.gl/YznzDv
• iMac Pro in the US - https://amzn.to/2K4aJpp
• iMac Pro in the UK - https://amzn.to/2HkUiHC
• Viewsonic Monitor in the UK - https://amzn.to/2Hfz9OS
• Viewsonic Monitor in the US - https://amzn.to/2vvO0zn
• Canon PRO 10S Printer in the UK - https://amzn.to/2qOYsgH
• Canon PRO 10S Printer in the US - https://amzn.to/2JbPWPx
• Drobo in the UK - https://amzn.to/2qQb0DK
• Drobo in the US - https://amzn.to/2qRA8K3
• Headphones in the UK - https://amzn.to/2HiTu66
• Headphones in the US - https://amzn.to/2HFP1tj
• Phillips Hue Lights in the UK - https://amzn.to/2qSf3iy
• Phillips Hue Lights in the US - https://amzn.to/2Hii9Dz
• Battery Backup in the UK - https://amzn.to/2Hhr7oM
• Battery Backup in the US - https://amzn.to/2qPa1nh

A really important part of any photo editing setup is your workspace. This has nothing to do with size but having a place to sit, edit and to be comfortable is going to let you be more creative and productive whatever level you are at. In the past, my spaces have been the corner of a room, I had a full blown home studio in the last place and now that the kids need more space I have this office. I am really happy with it. I have worked hard to get it right, I’ve got a new desk and it feels productive.

As I’ve mentioned a few times before, on top of all this, I had been maintaining a part time job to give the family a bit of security. About 3 weeks ago I quit that part time job so I am now full time at this……whatever this is…….photographer, filmmaker, youtuber. I’m going to be doing lots of different things, both on and off this channel but virtually all of it with be around photo and video production.

So right at the centre of my new setup is a new iMac Pro. The workhorse that is going to be pumping out content on a daily basis. It’s a stunning machine…..frighteningly expensive but I have invested back into all of this so I have a machine that will speed up everything I do. No more waiting for Lightroom and Premiere Pro to catch up. It is expensive but I recently sold my 2009 iMac for £500 after I bought it for £1500 nearly ten years ago. If I get the same kind of value out of this machine then it will have been well worth it.

I’ve then got the iMac driving this second monitor. This is the Viewsonic VP2785. It’s designed for photographers and covers 99% of the Adobe RGB colour space and comes colour calibrated straight from the factory. It’s a stunning monitor that will act as my main editing screen for photos and also the play window when editing video.

Next up I have storage. The iMac has a built in 1TB SSD which is very very fast but is by no means big enough to store all my image and video files. So for that I have this Drobo 5D3 that connects via thunderbolt. It’s fast, it currently has an 18TB capacity and it should keep me going for at least the next couple of years as I add in extra drives when required.

Since this is now my livelihood I have invested in a battery backup. Just after moving in we had a few issues with the power repeatedly going off. I thought at one point I had lost everything off the Drobo which would have been annoying restoring everything from backups. I managed to get it going again but it’s not a problem I want to face again. Now if the power goes off the battery kicks in an keeps me going for another hour or so giving me the chance to shut down safely.

Next is the printer. The beautiful Canon Pro 10s. I’ll be doing a video about printing in the next few weeks so we’ll discuss that a bit more then.

Post processing wise I am using Adobe Lightroom. I use this for virtually all my editing these days and am going into Photoshop less and less. I use Adobe Premiere Pro for video editing and I just love the Adobe package. It works seamlessly across all your devices and just keeps you productive.

Fujifilm XH-1 Real World Review

We take the Fujifilm XH1 to the Lake District to put it to the test in this real world review with a landscape photography flavour.

• Buy the Fujifilm XH-1 in the UK - http://amzn.to/2p6vHKN
• Buy the Fujifilm XH-1 in the US - http://amzn.to/2GfTcZI
• Buy the Fujifilm XF16-55mm f2.8 in the UK - http://amzn.to/2p9QsFt
• Buy the Fujifilm XF16-55mm f2.8 in the US - http://amzn.to/2FHghXv

The Fujifilm XH-1 is Fuji’s new flagship mirrorless camera and sits above the XT2 in the Fuji lineup. It has the same 24mp crop sensor as the XT2 so we know the sensor is capable of capturing some great images. 

Many of us need a camera to be rugged and reliable and that’s exactly what this camera is. The all new metal chassis feels rock solid and it’s weather sealed so when the rain starts, we don’t have to stop. One of the big benefits of mirrorless cameras is they can be smaller and more compact than a DSLR. This in part led to popularity of the XT2, especially amongst landscape photographers because weight and size really matters when hiking in the wilderness.

It might seem odd then that Fuji have gone in the opposite direction and made this camera bigger than its predecessor, but I don’t think so. It’s still significantly lighter than a pro DSLR body so weight is still being saved over most pro cameras. However the bigger size makes it much more comfortable in the hand, especially with the optional battery grip. The comfort adds versatility and makes this camera a genuine option for photographers working with their camera all day like wedding and street photographers. It seems to be a genuine all rounder.

One of the big selling points of this new mirrorless camera is the new in body 5 axis image stabilisation. Image stabilisation has never excited me when it comes to stills but it absolutely does when it comes to video. The system works really well to smooth out your shot and also breaths some new life into older lenses you might have lying around that don’t have IS.

This camera is a bit of a beast when it comes to video and I’ve been very impressed. It shoots 4K, it can do 120fps at 1080p and has loads of built in video presets to vary the look of your footage including a log mode. I’ve settled for the new ETERNA film mode that mimics the look of that film but still leaves me with plenty of room for post production if I need it.  Aside from that I’ve just been hugely impressed by the sheer quality of the video image. It looks sharp and punchy and just looks really good and is on a par with the Canon 5D mark iv.

An external microphone can also be attached and a really nice feature is the ability to set microphone gain separately for the built in mic and an external mic so you don’t need to adjust it every time you plug a mic in.

So will this be replacing my DSLR. To be honest, not at the moment. It’s very close though and I have been very impressed with the Fujifilm XH1. I have absolutely loved shooting with it today and I feel it’s definitely better than the lower end DSLR’s and also better than the Canon 6D Mark ii that I reviewed the other week They are very similarly priced. 

It’s not the perfect camera, there are slight annoyances like the lack of a built in bulb timer and the touch screen is not as useful as it could be but the biggest issue for me is the cropped sensor. It is a good sensor but it’s just not full frame. Like all cropped sensors any noise that is present looks harsh and kills the sharpness and you lose some dynamic range. That might not matter to you but when you think the new full frame Sony A7R Mark iii is just around the corner, at a pretty similar price, personally I would need to try that out first before finally making the leap to mirrorless.

Anyway this is still a very nice camera and I have had a great time using today here in the absolutely stunning Lake District. If you decided to buy I don’t think you would be sorry.

I’ll put more information down in the description and Please subscribe if you enjoyed this video, I have more reviews coming up and I’ll be out again next week for another landscape photography vlog. leave a comment down below with your thoughts or questions about the camera and I’ll see you another one very soon

Out!!!

Canon 6D Mark II Real world Review

I review the Canon 6D Mark II DSLR camera and head to the Lake District to put it through it’s paces from a landscape photography perspective.

• Buy the 6D Mark II in the US - http://amzn.to/2C7HVeM
• Buy the 6D Mark II in the UK - http://amzn.to/2og1icq

If you have seen my camera reviews before you will know I am not interested in repeating all the specs and obvious elements. I want to get the camera out into the real world and use it exactly like a photographer would. In the video we look at the abilities of the camera mostly from a landscape photography perspective when we headed to Loughrigg Fell in the Lake District.

Full Frame Sensor

The whole point of the Canon 6D Mark II is the entry into using a full frame sensor. This has a number of advantages. It usually includes improved dynamic range (not so much in this case - read on), better low light ability and least obviously - the potential to use better glass, particularly at the wide end. High end lenses like the Canon 16-35mm L are perfect for landscape photography and on a full frame camera you get the full 16mm wide end coverage. Putting this lens on a cropped sensor camera effectively increases the 16mm to a more narrow 25mm which can be limiting in some situations.

Build Quality

Build quality of the camera is the usual Canon quality. It is a plastic build but it feels solid and secure and the weight also benefits from this. It has a flip out screen, which is missing from the higher end cameras for the sake of durability, but I find them particularly useful. When the camera is low down near a stream, or close to the ground, having the screen point up towards you is a real back saver. The flip screen means you can also use the Canon 6D Mark II for vlogging. Not a cheap vlogging option, but it is possible.

Image Quality

Next is the image quality. There are not many cameras out there today that provide poor image quality. This camera is no different. Image quality is superb for stills and you can quite happily use the 26MP sensor to create massive prints. Sadly though dynamic range was not as good as I would have hoped, especially at low ISO. This might put off some landscape photographers who might be looking at rivals from Sony and cameras like the Nikon D750. Personally when it comes to stills I am not concerned too much about dynamic range. Using bracketing can easily capture all the dynamic range in a landscape scene.

Portraits and Focusing

The dynamic range of the camera improves dramatically as ISO increases. Therefore, like many full frame cameras, The Canon 6D Mark 2 is excellent in low light. Any noise that does appear has a film grain type feel rather than the harsh noise often associated with crop sensor cameras. This means the camera lends itself to shooting portraits as well as landscapes. Depending on the lens you attach to the camera it is capable of capturing stunning portraits. However I would be reluctant to use it at a wedding or for any other professional portrait work. The focus system covers a smaller area of the frame than higher end cameras like the Canon 5D Mark IV which can be limiting when you have to focus and re-frame more often that you would like. Having said that, for most, that will not be a problem. The focus system is still very accurate and fast. It also has the dual pixel autofocus system for video. This Canon system is really second to none for video focus and it very very rarely misses including when using face detection.

Video Quality

Video quality is reasonable but again the dynamic range can be limiting. When I was out in the mountains getting detail across the frame was not easy and I was often left with blown out skies. This could probably be improved by using a flatter picture setting rather than sticking with the built in presets like I did. There is also no 4K option and the 1080p quality is softer than the Canon 5D Mark IV and more in line with the cropped sensor Canon cameras. However the ability to shoot 1080p at 60fps does provide the option of producing some slo-motion footage.

Conclusion

Overall I had a superb time using this camera. If you were to buy it, you would be very happy. Just be aware it is not a professional level camera. We should not be expecting it to be though given the price point of £$1600. Indeed, the camera only comes equipped with one SD card port. To remove the slight limitations mentioned above you are looking at upgrading to the pro level Canon 5D Mark IV which is more than double the price. The Canon 6D is an all round performer suitable for all different genres of photography and will perform them all to a good standard. In many respects the upgrade to full frame is something many photographers aspire to and this camera allows you to do it much sooner with only very slight downsides. It is a shame the dynamic range is not better at low ISO but that is being hypercritical. An all rounder at a great price point for a full frame camera. A solid 4 out of 5.

How to Choose a Vlogging Camera

What is the best vlogging camera for 2018? We look at everything from a phone up to the Canon 5D Mark IV to help you decide what is the best camera for starting your vlog.

• Check out the gear here.

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In this video we’re going to look at several cameras and decide which is the best for vlogging.

First we need to decide what we are going to shoot and the level of production quality required. I am a photographer so I feel an extra level of pressure to get high quality images but it’s absolutely not required. The story you tell is absolutely the most important thing……and you, of course…we need to give our audience a reason to watch, and provide them value. 

Once we have that nailed we need to start looking at the gear. At the moment there really isn’t a perfect vlogging camera. There isn’t a camera out there that strikes the right balance between image quality, features, focusing and weight.

Budget also comes into it so we’re gonna take a look at a few cameras and discuss the pro and cons of using them for vlogging.

4K is not really required for vlogging. When you look at the Youtube analytics a growing majority of people are watching content on their phones and tablets and they are far from having 4K screens. 1080p is the sweet spot at the moment and it makes post processing easier and quicker and storage is much less of an issue.

The cameras we discuss in the video are:

• A phone
• Compact cameras like the Sony RX100v and Canon G7X
• A GoPro
• An Entry level DSLR like the Canon 800D
• A top of the range camera like the Canon 5D Mark IV. 

At the moment I am using all of these for my vlogging in addition to the drone. It makes shooting very complex especially when I am trying to capture some nice landscape photographs at the same time. It’s more than reasonable to vlog with just one of these solutions but the perfect vlogging camera really doesn’t exist yet.

If you are going to start a vlog then good luck. Film your first video and upload it and forget about it. Then do that again and again and again.

Stay to the end for a peek at my very first video.

Out.

Irix 11mm f4 Blackstone Lens review

A review of the astonishing new Irix 11mm f/4 ultra wide angle lens.

This Irix 11mm wide angle lens that is designed for full frame cameras. The lens comes in a variety of mounts including Canon, Nikon and Pentax. When mounted to a full frame camera the 11mm 126 degree field of view is astonishing and opens up new realms of creativity for landscape, architecture photographers and even some scenes close in.

Low Distortion

iris 11mm f4 review

The Irix 11mm f4 lens is not a fish eye. It is rectilinear with minimal distortion thanks to the '4 high refractive lenses, 2 ED lenses and 3 aspherical lenses that guarantee minimal distortion'. Irix claim distortion is as low as 3.13%. If you want a full technical breakdown of the lens there are some excellent channels out there. I am more interested in practical applications of gear and I can say that distortion handling is excellent, particularly across the centre of the image. Horizon lines remain perfectly straight and vertically down the middle as well. There is some distortion towards the corners of the image but if used correctly this can compliment the image. Its not ideal if you have people in the corners but this is not really a portrait lens.

Image Quality

iris 11mm review

The lens is nice and sharp but does produce a small amount of vignette and also Chromatic abberation. This was within perfectly acceptable boundaries for me and is very easily removed in post processing using Adobe Lightroom. The vignette is also reduced by stopping down a bit.

Blacktone or Firefly

The lens comes in two varieties to suit the style of photography you are doing. The Irix 11mm f/4 Blackstone is the flagship version. There is also a cheaper and lighter version, with the same high quality optics that may be more suited to photographers wanting to travel light. This is called the Irix 11mm f/4 Firefly Lens.

Build Quality

irix

The build quality of this Blackstone version is excellent. The metal body is well constructed and feels so solidly built that it could survive some serious punishment. The focus barrel is reassuringly stiff but rotates smoothly and accurately. There is a focus lock to ensure there is no slippage in focus and the engraved markings on the Blackstone glow in the dark.

The lens is manual focus. I am sure if you're looking seriously at this lens that will not be a concern for you. The distance markings are there to assist but I did the majority of my focusing using the camera’s zoomed live view function. Quick and easy. The lens is so wide that most things are in focus anyway.

Weather Sealed

The Irix 11mm is weather sealed on all parts apart from the front element. It is splash proof and I used it in the rain without any problems. The lens hood is permanent and protects the bulbous front element.

The Firefly is built using high quality plastic to save weight and bring cost down but is still weather sealed the same as the Blackstone.

Alternatives from the much more expensive Canon 11-24mm F/4 lens and Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8.

Conclusion

I have loved using this lens. It has allowed me to get shots that I otherwise would not have been able to achieve. The wide angle rectilinear perspective gives you a really interesting point of few and opens up new creative possibilities. It is not a lens I would use for every shot but it is relatively unique and having it in your arsenal is a real benefit that will allow you to get shots that other people cannot.

11mm is very wide and captures a large portion of your field of view. The amount of bokeh you get will be limited so it really forces you to think about every single area of your frame and you need to carefully compose your shot. This is a good thing and can result in some really exciting shots.

Cost

At the point of release.

Irix 11mm f/4 Blackstone - $799 / £771

Irix 11mm f/4 Firefly - $599 / £567

You can find a list of dealers at - http://en.irixlens.com

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Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM Review

In this video review we take a look at the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM.

Buying photography gear can be an expensive pursuit and this is particularly the case when it comes to lenses. When first looking at the price of lenses it can be a shocking experience. Even when using one of my favourite lenses, the Canon EF 500mm f4 L IS II USM, I am still astounded when reminding myself it costs £7000. Thankfully there are lenses out there that cost less than cars. The Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM is one such lens.

See my related video on why you should invest in your photography. https://www.firstmanphotography.com/blog/why-you-should-invest-in-your-photography

Budding photographers often ask me what lens they should buy when upgrading from the kit lens. My answer is almost always, a 50mm prime lens. Canon’s cheapest lens fits into this category so how does this ‘new’ cheapest lens shape up?

The Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM has always been an excellent upgrade from the kit lens, introducing photographers to prime lenses and the joy of extreme blurred backgrounds at a very reasonable price. It also teaches new skills, such as being more thoughtful about composition; when zooming is limited to what you can do with your feet. Shooting with bigger apertures also introduces bigger challenges when it comes to focusing due to the small depth of field where less than a millimetre of movement can be the difference between a great shot and an unusable shot.

The Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM Lens is an improvement on the previous version. The old lens had a cheap plastic construction and mount. The newer lens is still made from plastic, albeit a better plastic, but the mount is now of metal construction offering a more solid feel. Other improvements include the aperture blades; where the old lens had five, the new version has seven curved blades offering better bokeh. The bokeh is however a bit rough and does not have the creamy properties of more expensive lenses.

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM Review

The focus system also receives an upgrade to STM. This is an improvement over the standard focus motor but is still quite noisy. The lens focuses very quickly though and without hesitation providing the kind of assurance normally reserved for much higher end lenses. Even when working with a very shallow depth of field at f/1.8, the focus rarely missed. The focus system is ‘focus by wire’ meaning the camera needs to be powered on in order for the lens to adjust focus, even in manual focus.

STM lenses operate well in live view mode and this often makes them great for video. Sadly this is not the case here due to the noise of the motor. Often this problem can be solved by manual focusing but because the motor operates in this mode as well, your only option is to move your sound recording off the camera. Whilst this step will improve your videos generally, it becomes more difficult and there is also the associated cost of buying microphones and sound recorders. The lens is also lacking image stabilisation which is not an issue for stills but is a must for any kind of decent video work.

Chromatic Aberration is present in areas of high contrast but is no worse than on the more expensive f/1.4 non L version of the Canon 50mm. Stop down a bit and this becomes better controlled.

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM Review

In terms of sharpness this lens is offers improvements over the kit lens and other more expensive zoom lenses but is not at the level of more expensive primes lenses. Be happy with the sharpness. For the cost, you can't complain.

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM Review

Overall the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM lens is an improvement over the previous incarnation. There are some weaknesses along the way and there is a little point upgrading if you already own a 50mm 1.8. However the value and the opportunities it opens up make this lens a superb option to photographers upgrading from the kit lens. This will no doubt ensure this becomes Canon's new best selling lens.

Buy now Canon EF 50 mm 1.8 STM Lens - in the UK

But now Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM Lens - in the US

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