Amateur Photographer - UK (2021-03-06)

8 http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk

Look At This If You Love

Great Photography

£14.99, The Ivy Press, hardback, 224 pages,

ISBN: 9780711256040

Written by former AP Features Editor

Gemma Padley, this book should be

right up the streets of our readers. It

features 100 of the best photographs

ever captured on camera, with a

concise, insightful summary on just

what it is that makes each one so special. Padley

draws on her expert knowledge to reveal the

fascinating stories behind these incredible pictures;

and whether it’s gut-punching photojournalism that

changed public opinion and made us question who

we are, or images that rewrite the rules of

photography, these are images you need to see (if

you haven’t already). To celebrate the launch of the

book, Padley has written a Final Analysis of an Ansel

Adams image, which you can see on the back page.

The Karakoram: Ice Mountains

of Pakistan by Colin Prior

£44, Merrell, hardback,160 pages,

ISBN: 9781858946870

The ice mountains of the Karakoram,

which includes K2 – Earth’s second

highest mountain – are among the

world’s greatest natural treasures.

While most of the world’s great peaks

are almost always blanketed in snow

and ice, the Karakoram mountains are so vertical

that they rapidly shed snow, leaving their bold, jagged

outlines of granite glistening in the sun. It is these

dramatic structures that landscape photographer

Colin Prior was inspired to visit nearly 30 years ago.

He’s made a further  ve expeditions to the region

and this book showcases the breathtaking beauty of

the scenery, with images juxtaposed by essays and

quotes from historical expeditions of the area. Also,

a fascinating section highlights the challenges that

come with capturing such photographs.

Books

The latest and best books from the

world of photography

Panasonic launches 70-

300mm full-frame telezoom

PANASONIC has released a

telephoto zoom for its full-frame

L-mount cameras, in the shape of the

Lumix S 70-300mm F4.5-5.6 Macro

OIS. The  rm claims that it should

offer outstanding image quality along

with fast, precise autofocus. It’s also

compatible with Dual IS, meaning that

the lens’s optical stabilisation

operates in conjunction with the

in-body stabilisation in Lumix S

cameras, enabling handheld

use at shutter speeds up to 5.

stops slower than would

otherwise be possible.

Optically, the lens employs 17

elements in 11 groups, including

one UED (Ultra Extra-low Dispersion)

lens, two ED (Extra-low Dispersion)

lenses and one UHR (Ultra-High

Refractive Index) lens. Together, these

aim to suppress colour fringing due to

both lateral and axial chromatic

aberration, while maintaining high

image quality across the frame. An

11-blade rounded aperture promises

attractive bokeh.

The new lens

is designed

for full-frame

L-mount cameras

Physical AF/MF, OIS on/off, focus limiter

and zoom lock switches are on the barrel

NIKON has released  rmware

updates for its latest

full-frame mirrorless models,

the Z 6II and Z 7II.

Version 1.1 for both

cameras is claimed

to provide enhanced

eye-detection

autofocus, including

the ability to detect

and track subjects

that are smaller

within the frame.

Nikon Z 6II users also gain

the option of recording 4K

60p video, as promised at

Firmware updates for Nikon Z 6II and Z 7II

the time of its launch. Additionally, both

cameras will be able to output raw video

to Blackmagic external recorders.

The  rm has also launched

a Nikon Z 6II Essential Movie

Kit. This includes a camera

body with the latest  rmware

already installed, an Atomos

Ninja V recorder, a Nikon FTZ

Mount Adapter for using

F-mount DSLR lenses, and a

SmallRig camera cage. It’ll

cost £2,909.

One notable feature is unusually close

focusing, ranging from 54cm at the

70mm end to 74cm at the 300mm

setting. The latter provides an

impressive 0.5x magni cation, equating

to an image area of 72mm x 48mm. A

switch on the side of the barrel can be

set to limit the minimum distance to 3m,

which should reduce any hunting when

shooting distant subjects.

Physically, the lens boasts a

dust and splash-resistant

design, along with  uorine

coating on the front

element to repel raindrops

and  ngerprints. It

measures 148mm in length

and 84mm in diameter,

weighs 790g, and takes 77mm

 lters – unusually large for this type

of lens. The lens is due to go on sale at

the start of May for £1,259.99.

The Z 6II Essential Movie Kit

includes an Atomos recorder

8 News&Books Mar6 AW JP.indd 8 23/02/2021 15: