Photo Plus - UK (2020-01)

110 http://www.photoplusmag.com

What we love

In our recent Super Test of

lenses for astrophotography,

this fast wide-angle prime from

Samyang’s premium range of

manual-focus lenses came out

on top. Not just for starry

nights, however, it makes a

fabulous ultra-wide lens for

everything from sweeping

landscapes and cityscapes to

architectural interiors. Unlike

some Samyang manual-focus

lenses, this one has built-in

electronics to enable aperture-

control from the host camera,

as well as illumination of the

focus confirmation lamp in the

viewfinder. Image quality is

simply spectacular.

What’s missing?

It doesn’t have autofocus

but, at medium to narrow

apertures, the depth of field is

so enormous that you don’t

really need it.

Why upgrade?

For an ultra-wide-angle prime

lens on a full-frame DSLR, this

Samyang lens is hard to beat,

especially for

astrophotography.

Samyang XP 14mm f/2.4

Price £899/$999 Tested 155

What we love

Although it packs away small

and is lightweight for carrying,

this flash modifier kit is

enormously versatile. It’s based

on a fabric panel that can bend

into a flat or curved bounce

card, or even roll up into a snoot.

The kit also contains a

secondary smaller panel and

diffuser, plus a three-way

honeycomb grid. It’s not cheap

to buy but is nevertheless keenly

priced compared to some

competitors, and can massively

improve the quality of light from

a flashgun.

What’s missing?

It’s not the quickest and easiest

kit to set up, but the reward is a

wide range of effects along with

compact, lightweight stowage.

Why upgrade?

The quality of lighting from a

flashgun can look horribly flat

and harsh. This kit enables you

to get a range of much lovelier

lighting effects.

Rogue FlashBender 2 Portable Lighting Kit

Price £149/$151 Tested 156

What we love

Like a superzoom lens on

steroids, this Sigma gives a

mighty 10x zoom range but,

instead of starting at a wide-

angle focal length, it kicks off

in standard territory and

stretches to super-telephoto

lengths. It’s feature-packed

with wide-ranging on board

controls and customization

options. What we love most

is the ability to shoot with

anything from standard to

super-telephoto focal lengths

without the need to swap

lenses. It can make all the

difference between getting the

shot and missing it, especially

in wildlife and sports scenarios.

What’s missing?

The aperture shrinks to a

disappointing f/6.3 at the long

end of the zoom, but avoids the

lens being too enormous.

Why upgrade?

If you need immediate access

to this range of focal lengths,

without losing time and

opportunities while swapping

the lens on the camera, this

Sigma works brilliantly.

OFTHEYEAR

Enthusiast/Mid-range

The prices are rising steadily, but the quality of the kit is sky-rocketing!

SUPER-TELEPHOTO

ZOOM

WINNER

FLASH

MODIFIER

WINNER

ASTRO

LENS

Sigma 60-600mm f/4.5-6.3 WINNER

DG OS HSM Sports

Price £1699/$1759 Tested 147