Photography Gear Reviews

iPhone 6S Unboxing and Review

A first look at the new iPhone 6s

In this video review we are unboxing the new iPhone 6s that was released today and having a quick look at some of the new key features.

The new iPhone 6s is very similar in form factor to the previous version, the iPhone 6, as is normal with the S iteration of iPhones.

The big new feature of the iPhone 6s is 3D Touch. This uses force sensors to figure out how much pressure you are applying to your touch and uses this for new contextual menus. When you press once on the screen you can preview or 'peek' at things in a list, such as, emails or iMessages. Then press harder again and the message will 'pop' into the screen. It is actually a very useful feature and feels incredibly natural to do.

We also play around with the new 'Live Photos’ feature of the iPhone 6s which look like they could be good fun.

The iPhone 6s also features two new cameras. A 5 megapixel front facing camera, or selfie camera and a 12 megapixel rear camera that could prove to be the best camera we have ever seen on a phone. I will be playing with the new camera for the next few days and then putting up a full review later in the week.

Check out the new iPhone 6s for yourself over on the Apple website.

iPhone 6s

Sigma 35mm F1.4 DG HSM | ART Lens Review

Is the Sigma 35mm F1.4 DG HSM Lens a True Contender?

Typically, when research begins to buy a new lens most people will begin looking at the options from their chosen camera manufacturer. This is a sensible approach as historically the output from the likes of Canon and Nikon was better than the offerings from third party manufacturers. Recently however things have changed with companies such as Sigma and Tamron producing some excellent lenses that are giving the big boys a run for their money. The truly superb Tamron 24-70 mm F2.8 VC, for example, challenges closely in image quality and offers benefits not found currently in the main models. There must be some nervous people around at present in Canon and Nikon as Sigma has been rolling out a number of new lenses branded under it's Art line and they have been gathering much favour.

The Sigma 35mm F1.4 DG HSM is one such example. Unboxing is a pleasant experience as you are struck by just how beautiful this lens looks and the solid feel in your hands. The metal construction is welcome in the face of the more recent plastic trend. The look is more Zeiss or Sony than Canon or Nikon. Once attached to the camera it formed a nice balance in the hand with a large focus ring perfectly placed with a satisfying smooth motion. On the smaller cropped sensor cameras the lens was a little more weighted towards the front as the optics and quality build provide some bulk. This lens is much bigger than your standard 50mm f/1.4 or f/1.8.

When shooting the first few images I noticed that focusing was off leaving images soft. Whilst this could just be the model I was using a lens should come ready to shoot perfect images, straight out the box. Not ready to give up on the initial impression this lens had made on me I spent a few irritating minutes shooting a wall chart from my tripod to calibrate my camera to the lens. Sigma do offer a lens dock for some of their new lenses where calibrations can be made to the lens itself and firmware can be updated but I would rather it all just worked so I could get straight to shooting.

Sigma 35mm
Sigma 35mm

On taking the first few frames i was reminded of just how much I love the 35mm focal length. It is neither a hugely wide field of view nor a close in one. In fact it is very near to the field of vision of the human eye. This makes it a hugely versatile focal length with virtually endless creative possibilities. It is the ideal focal length to hone your eye and get used to taking beautiful pictures because you are forced to think and work for it. Close in you can capture portraits whilst further away you can grab a beautiful landscape. In the middle it is perfect for documentary and street photography. On a crop sensor camera this lens will give you a 56mm focal length which is still perfect for street photograph and portraits.

sigma 35mm
sigma 35mm

The Sigma 35mm F1.4 DG HSM has thirteen elements in eleven groups and the optical quality is simply excellent. With nine aperture blades and a large f1.4 aperture the quality of the bokeh is dreamy and satisfying. Chromatic aberration is well controlled and I have never once felt the need to correct this in post production.

sigma 35mm
sigma 35mm

There is a small amount of distortion that is noticeable when shooting portraits close in but this would be true of most lenses at 35mm. There is noticeable vignette when shot wide open but performs better than the equivalent canon 35mm L and can be quickly and easily removed in post. In terms of sharpness the lens performs superbly well even wide open and at this focal length I could not ask for more. Sharpness across the image is better than the Canon and Nikon and as soon as you stop down a bit, you might get cut. The Sigma 35mm F1.4 DG HSM is not weather sealed but thanks to the build quality, should survive a bit of drizzle just fine.

sigma 35mm
sigma 35mm

This lens has been a joy to use and once you get your hands on it you simply want to hold on and never let go. If you are starting out with a cropped sensor this will act as a beautiful 56mm lens, then, on upgrading to full frame, you will already have an amazing 35mm in your arsenal. Whilst the focal length is covered by many excellent zoom lenses the optical quality achieved by this lens could make it worth the purchase alone. When you consider the low light capabilities, the simplicity and the value, at nearly half the price of the main manufacturer equivalents, the Sigma 35mm F1.4 DG HSM is a lens I will be keeping in my bag and very often attached to my camera.

Please use one of the below links if you decide to buy this lens.

Buy in the UK -

Graham Slee Solo and Sennheiser HD650 Headphones

Photographers Have a Need for Great Headphones

In this video we look at the Graham Slee Solo and Sennheiser HD650 headphones and amp combination. We know as photographers we love shooting. Time passes quickly as we put our skills to use capturing beautiful and amazing moments. This could be anything from your most recent wedding to a family holiday.We all know at some point we are going to have to organise and edit them all ready for the end user. This means hours sat behind a computer screen on your own. It is fair to say that sometimes this can get boring, especially when you have hundreds of images. Therefore we need something to keep us going. Food and drink are a good help but listening to music is vital,at least to me.

Although you never intend it, it's far too easy to sit up editing late into the night to get a job finished. I have been there many times. It is at this point that a good pair of headphones are truly essential to maximise your enjoyment of the music whilst not disturbing your neighbours or family.

Headphones are very much like camera lenses. They are a well established technology where new models only come out rarely and only offer modest improvements. With this in mind it is a very safe bet to invest in a good pair of headphones that will last years and years.

That is why I invested in a pair of Sennheiser HD650's. They are over ear, open backed headphones. That means they sit right over your ears providing wear-all-day comfort. The open back means they provide a cleaner more open sound with a wider and more impressive sound stage in your head. The downside is that more sound will leak out of them so they are not ideal for portable use. They also require a large amount of power to drive them so will not work well with your phone or MP3 player. Instead they need to be plugged into an amplifier, home stereo or dedicated headphone amp. Once these drawbacks are overcome though you are left with an almost perfect set of cans that provide a natural and spacious sound that you will not tire of. 

My setup currently has these hooked up to a dedicated headphone amp. For the last couple of years I have been using a Graham Slee Solo SRGii connected to my computer via a separate DAC for maximum quality. Graham Slee is a UK based company and they specialise in creating hifi equipment using their knowledge of electronics to create truly musical gear that defies their price point. Whilst not cheap the Solo produces such a clean, valve like sound that combined with the Sennheiser's just makes you want to rediscover your entire music collection all over again.

The Sennheiser's are currently available for £250 and the Solo is about £400. Whilst admittedly this is expensive, if you consider the amount of time you are sat editing and the many years of joy that a good pair of cans will provide, the return on investment is significant.

Get more details on the Graham Slee Solo and Sennheiser HD650 Headphones here:

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