44 23 November 2019 I http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk I subscribe 0330 333 1113Testbench
Over £1,000
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH MPBALL PRICES ARE APPROXIMATE STREET PRICES
Atomos Shogun 7
● £1,558 ● http://www.atomos.com
For those wanting to push the video capabilities of their
camera to the realms of professional broadcast quality,
look no further than the Atomos Shogun 7.
Simply connect it to your camera via HDMI and
you have the ability to capture up to 4K 60p
footage, meaning it can get the best from the
very latest cameras. Low-compression
ProRes or ProRes Raw formats offer far
superior quality to the codecs that are used
to save the footage to in-camera memory
cards, with the Shogun 7 saving directly to
SSD drives. The 7in screen has a 1500-Nit,
daylight viewable brightness, and can also display
HDR footage with up to 15EV dynamic range. In
summary it is one of the best tools you can have if
you want to get serious about shooting video.Sigma 105mm F1.4 DG HSM
● £1,299-£1,499 ● http://www.sigma-global.com
Available in Canon EF, Nikon F, Sony E, Sigma and
L-mount fi ts, the Sigma 105mm F1.4 DG HSM has
already earned a reputation for creating stunning
portraits thanks to being incredibly sharp, even when
combined with the latest, unforgiving, high-resolution
sensors. As you would expect from Sigma’s Art range
of lenses, image quality comes fi rst, with no
compromise to be found in the build of the lens. As
such, the 105mm f/1.4 lens weighs an incredible
1,645g (Nikon Fit) and requires a 105mm fi lter to
cover the huge front element that is required to realise
the f/1.4 aperture and the beautiful bokeh it creates.
Inside, there are 17
elements in 12 groups,
with all sorts of
low-dispersion glass
and aspherical
elements used to
keep chromatic
aberrations,
vignetting and
distortions to an
absolute minimum.
For portrait
photographers it is a
lens that should be high up
on your wish list. You can read our
full review online.DJI Phantom
4 Pro V2.0
● £1,589 ● http://www.
dji.com
Flown responsibly,
drones can be a fantastic
opportunity to take your
creativity literally to new
heights. The DJI
Phantom 4 Pro V2.0 has
a whole array of built-in
safety features, while its
camera is fi tted with a
20MP 1inch sensor. A
3-axis gimbal keeps both
the 4K-video footage
smooth and still images
shake-free, and with a
fl ight duration of up to
30 minutes you have
plenty of time to capture
unique aerial images, as
well as shooting amazing
video footage.Rotolight Anova PRO 2 Bi-
Colour Standard 50 Degree
● £1,549 ● http://www.rotolight.com
LED lighting has come a long way in the past few years,
and British company Rotolight has been helping to lead
the way. The Anova PRO 2 is great for photography
and video as it acts as both a continuous light source
and a fl ash. The great advantage of using LED lights for
fl ash is that there is no recycle time, meaning you can
shoot at extremely fast frame rates so you can capture
a full range of motion, such as a subject dancing. If you
want to use the Anova PRO 2 as a continuous light
source the LEDs run far cooler
than traditional studio lights,
making them great for food
photography and other
product shots. Meanwhile
videographers can
take full advantage of
a range of built-in
special effects that
work extremely well
when combined with
colour fi lter gels, for
instance to mimic a
warm, fl ickering fi re.
Whether you are shooting
portraits, product shots or
video, the Anova PRO 2 is
a great bit of kit.Wacom Cintiq Pro 16 UHD
● £1,199 ● http://www.wacom.com
A graphics tablet can make life a lot easier when it
comes to retouching images, but what if you could
actually feel like you are drawing on your image,
rather than using a controller to move a
cursor? That is exactly what the Wacom
Cintiq Pro 16 UHD does. It’s a 16in,
4K-resolution touchscreen that plugs into
your computer via USB-C connection
and acts like a second display, while
allowing you to use a Wacom pen to
edit an onscreen image, just like
drawing on the image itself. It has over
8,192 pressure-sensitivity levels for
responsive drawing, whilst the large
screen means you can really zoom into the
fi ne details on your image. It’s perfect for
retouching portraits or cloning out unwanted
objects from wedding photos, and complete
overkill for removing dust spots!EIZO
ColorEdge
CG279X
● £1,699 ● http://www.
eizoglobal.com
Eizo is renowned for
making some of the best
monitors on the planet,
and this is a great option
for the discerning
enthusiast and
professional alike. It
features a 27in screen
with a 2560x1400 pixel
resolution and a contrast
ratio of 1300:1, as well
as a comprehensive set
of options for connecting
to your computer. It even
has four USB ports for
connecting peripherals,
which is extremely useful
if you are planning to use
it with a laptop to create
more of a desktop-style
experience.