The best landscape photographers will sit in a field for days just waiting for the right light. The best news photographers are blessed with similar patience – but they also need to be lucky.
Scotland-based photographer Jeff Mitchell has just picked up three more honours for his creaking mantlepiece at the annual UK Picture Editors’ Guild Awards.
The 47-year-old Getty Images photographer is a multi-award-winning professional whose work takes him across the globe in a relentless quest to ‘capture the moment’ for an insatiable news media.
Jeff’s compelling close-up photograph of an exhausted migrant father comforting a crying infant as he tries to get through a police line to his family in Croatia, won him the title ‘News Photographer of the Year’ sponsored by Fixation, and, following his win in the Photo Essay of the Year category with an additional series of unforgettable photos, judges awarded him the Shutterstock Press Photographer of the Year honour.
“I am lucky to have what I think is the best job in the world and it is a great honour to be recognised by my peers in this way’ he said. There is no question that 2016 was a very good year for news pictures – but you still have to be in the right place at the right time to capture them. My mantra is: Be there first, leave last and never give up.
I remember the great news photographer Ken Lennox once saying: “This is your time. Make your time the best time’ – that’s what I try to do each time I go out with a camera.”
He added: “The picture of the father and the little girl happened after many hours of waiting. The police were holding the migrants back and they were all exhausted and thirsty. I picked my moment – and sometimes you just know instinctively that you’ve got the shot.”
The UK Picture Editors’ Guild Awards judges agreed:
Said Chairman of the panel Ian Day: “What a brilliant set of images from one of the biggest news years ever.”
Fiona Shields (The Guardian) added: “The news category is one of the most difficult to judge as there are so many memorable pictures. They really prove the skill of the professional in telling the story, connecting with the viewer and in making sense of an often unpredictable or chaotic news situation in a single frame.”
Fixation General Manager Michele Channer said: “Fixation has been serving professional photographers, and particularly press photographers for almost thirty years and we shall continue to do so. The News category is our customer heartland so we are delighted to be able to support our customers and the Guild.”
[gdlr_quote align=”center” ]‘There has never been a greater need for news images and the harder I work the luckier I seem to get’ – multi-award-winning news photographer Jeff Mitchell
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She added: “Over 600 professional press photographers entered these awards in eleven categories, and over 3,000 pictures were judged by ten of the country’s leading experts in press photography. Over one hundred of the entries were submitted in the News Photographer of the Year grouping.”
Winner Jeff, who also picked up a total of £2,000 in cash, praised the Guild Awards organisation. “The Guild is the true benchmark in this discipline – and at Getty the team is used to working with Fixation who sponsored the news category. Whenever we have any issue with a piece of kit we just stick it in the post or drop it off at Fixation HQ. They understand the urgent nature of our work and they always get the job done quickly for us.”
It’s very easy to focus on the visual side of video production, but sound recording plays a huge role in the quality of the finished piece.
We sat down with our Rental Manager, Rob Gardner, and asked his advice on the basics of location sound recording.
Can you give us an idea of the basic kit needed to record professional quality sound on location?
In essence all you need is a means of gathering the sound with the highest fidelity – a microphone – and a means of capturing that sound, a recording device. The tools and techniques vary but at core it is that simple.
Most video-capable DSLRs have built-in microphones. Some, like the Nikon D5600 pictured here, have stereo microphones.
Can’t I just use the built-in microphone on a DSLR?
Certainly in-built camera mics fit those criteria, but anyone who has used them will know that they produce poor results. The first problem they create is one of distance. In recording studios you see the singer inches away from the microphone. On set you’ll sometimes see boom swingers heroically hanging microphones in from over 10 meters away to capture sound as well as possible. Sound recordists go to great lengths hiding microphones in costumes and even wigs in order to get as close to the source as they can. The in-camera mic is often just too far away to be useable. The next consideration is that the in-camera mics are just too small and too low quality to gather satisfactory sound quality. A top end microphone can cost thousands of pounds and the reason for this is the materials used, the research that went into their design and the expertise in their construction, the mics in cameras just can’t compete.
Recorders such as the Zoom H4n are perfect for location recording and offer a choice of microphone inputs alongside built-in XY mics.
My DSLR has an external microphone socket. Can I plug one in and record the sound directly to camera, or should I use an external recorder?
It will largely depend on your shooting conditions. An external recorder gives you more control over the recording but it is then an extra bit of kit to monitor and operate. If you are moving around this might prove problematic. In an ideal world you would have a dedicated sound recordist to take care of all of this, a lone operator may have to think about simplifying their approach.
On-camera microphones such as the Nikon ME-1 offer a better recording experience than built-in mics.
If I record the sound on an external recorder, what is the best way to sync it back to the footage?
Traditionally the clapper board at the top or end of a take was used to give a frame accurate sync point. A less professional but equally accurate technique is to have someone actually clap at the top of the take to give a sync point. A more modern approach is to use embedded timecode generated by externally synced generators – again, this would normally fall under the auspices of a sound recordist.
Should I use auto or manual record levels?
If you are on your own you’ll almost definitely have to use the auto levels. Monitoring the image will be taking up too much of your focus. If you have an external recorder and someone to work it then manually ‘riding’ the levels is a more versatile approach.
How does a limiter work and what does it do?
Limiters are there to stop the analogue signal from overloading, thus corrupting the digital recording. They can also be used to set a lower limit to the sound recorded to avoid too much bass.
I’ve read about Directional and Omni-directional mics. Can you tell us the difference?
The names of these mics pretty well cover it. Omni-directional Mics are indiscriminate and pick up sound from all directions. Directional mics are designed to have a narrow ‘beam’ or corridor of sensitivity outside of which significantly less is picked up. For the majority of applications relating to AV recording, Directional mics would be the more appropriate tool.
Directional mics such as the Rode NTG-2 are perfect for location recording and can be mounted on a DSLR hotshoe (with a suspension mount) or on a boom with a wind-jammer if necessary.
Fixation’s rental department carries a wide range of microphones and recording equipment. For advice on your needs, speak to one of our advisors on 020 7582 3294 or email rental@www.fixationuk.com
Canon’s EOS 5D Mark IV lists video recording as one of its main features – we take a look at what it offers the videographer.
The Canon 5D Mark IV
Resolution and frame rate
The Canon EOS 5D Mark IV is currently one of only a handful of DSLRs that records 4K quality video. This is captured in the DCI 4K format, which records at a resolution of 4096 x 2160 pixels (as opposed to the more common UHD 4K format that records at 3860 x 2160-pixel resolution).
The 5D Mark 4 RAW video setting is made possible thanks to the Dual Pixel photodiode innovation. But with double imaging comes double the usual file size of usual RAW.
The camera offers the user a choice of 24fps (23.98fps), 25fps and 30fps (29.97fps), when recording 4K footage in the PAL format. The camera also offers Full HD (1920×1080) and HD (1280×720) options, at up to 50fps.
High speed shooting at up to 100fps is also possible, and this output at 25fps (a quarter of the speed).
When set to NTSC, frame rates on offer are 30fps (29.97fps), 24 fps and 23.98fps, with an additional 60fps option when recording in Full HD. High-Speed footage, meanwhile, is captured at 119.97fps and output at 29.97fps.
Crop factor
To record DCI 4K footage without pixel binning, the camera only uses a central portion of the sensor. This requires a crop factor of 1.64x, relative to the full-frame. So, using a 28mm lens when recording 4K footage will give you an effective angle of view that’s closer to that provided by a 46mm lens.
When recording HD or Full HD footage, the camera uses the entire sensor (without a crop being applied, and so that angle of view of whatever lens you’re using will be maintained). This also means that if you find yourself limited while shooting in 4K by this, you have the option of switching to Full HD (obviously at the expense of high resolution).
The EOS 5D Mark IV records 4K video using a central portion of its 30.4MP sensor.
Aspect ratio
As the horizontal DCI 4K resolution is slightly higher than that of UHD 4K, the aspect ratio of recorded footage is approximately 17:9 rather than the more standard 16:9 ratio. This changes to 16:9 when recording in either Full HD or HD options.
Sensitivity
This Canon camera’s ISO range can be adjusted over a range of ISO 100-12,800 as standard when capturing 4K footage, and ISO 100-25,600 when capturing Full HD videos. In both cases this can be controlled in 1/3EV increments.
If you want the camera to automatically select higher ISOs, this needs to be enabled through the menu system beforehand. The options here allow you to set a range of ISO 100-Hi1 (51,200 equivalent) or ISO 200-Hi2 (102,400 equivalent).
This extended Lo setting, which is equivalent to ISO 50, is not available when recording 4K or HD footage. This means that in the particularly bright conditions in which you may want to use it, you will either need to stop down your aperture or use an ND filter.
The camera’s ISO can be directly controlled from a button on its top plate.
File formats
The camera records in both MOV and MP4 formats and is one of only a handful with built in GPS. When recording 4K footage it employs the Motion JPEG codec, which records at a bit rate of approximately 500Mbps. When recording HD or Full HD footage, however, you have the option of choosing ALL-I and IPB compression options, with a further IPB Light option if recording using the MP4 setting.
As there is no way to record 4K footage at a different level of compression, Canon recommends using a CompactFlash memory card rated to UDMA 7 with a write speed of 100Mbps or faster. It also states that UHS-I Class 3 SD-format cards can be used, although these only guarantee a transfer rate of of 30Mbps.
If you use a slower-than-recommended memory card to record video, the camera may display a five-bar indicator as the card fills up, eventually stopping video recording. The camera will also notify you if the sensor becomes too heated through prolonged use.
Card formats
As with the Canon EOS 5D Mark III, the model is designed with dual card slots: one for SDHC and SDXC media and one for CompactFlash. The SDHC/SDXC slot supports UHS-I cards (but not UHS-II) while the CompactFlash slot supports cards conforming to the UDMA 7 specifications.
The camera accepts both SDHC/SDXC and CompactFlash media.
Chroma subsampling
The camera records with YCbCr 4:2:2 chroma subsampling when shooting in 4K, and 4:2:0 when recording in HD and Full HD formats. When outputting HD footage via the HDMI output, this is set to 4:2:2.
Frame grabs
While it’s not possible to capture images while recording movies, the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV allows you to extract individual frames from 4K footage and save them as JPEG files in camera. This happens at a resolution of around 8.8MP – slightly higher than other 4K-enabled cameras on account of it recording in the DCI 4K format (rather then UHD 4K).
Touchscreen
The Canon EOS 5D Mark IV follows the EOS 1D-X Mark II in offering a touchscreen on its rear, and this can be used for a variety of purposes when recording video.
At a basic level this can be used to select options on the screen, such as ISO and the Q menu that brings up the audio recording level and volume for external monitoring although, perhaps more usefully, this can also be used for focusing (explained below).
The camera’s touchscreen can be used for a range of purposes, including shifting the focusing point while recording.
Autofocus
One of the advantages of the camera’s Dual Pixel CMOS AF system is that it can continue to focus using phase-detection AF (performed on the main imaging sensor) while recording videos. This also allows for continuous autofocus while recording, with control over tracking speed and sensitivity offered to better suit your subject.
The partnership of this technology with the camera’s touchscreen allows for two key things. First, you have the option of keying the subject on which you want the camera to focus on the screen, prior to recording. It has 61 AF points selectable distributed on the viewfinder. Here, it focuses it swiftly but fluidly, much more so than with a standard contrast-detect AF system. This also means that you can use it in live view while capturing stills.
Another benefit of this is that you can use this touchscreen functionality while the camera is recording videos, which means you can shift focus from one subject to another simply by touch. This means that you don’t need to physically pull focus using the lens.
Audio
The camera is equipped with a monaural microphone, which is positioned just beneath the camera’s name badge on the front plate, although any professional that wants to record sound at its best possible quality will no doubt use an external microphone. This can be connected to the camera though a 3.5mm stereo mic port at its side.
Both wind-cut and attenuator filters are selectable through the camera and control over audio levels can be set to manual (over 64 levels) or auto options. A headphone socket is also provided for monitoring audio, and the camera allows you to adjust volume here too.
The EOS 5D Mark IV is compatible with external stereo microphones such as Canon’s own DM-E1 model.
HDR movie function
A feature that appeared on the recent EOS 760D and EOS 80D is HDR Movie Recording, and this has made the cut here too. The Canon 5DMK4 video specs is designed for the same kinds of conditions as you would use it when shooting stills – ie. scenes with a naturally broad dynamic range, which may exceed the sensor’s capabilities. This option records at 60fps and outputs footage at 25fps (PAL) and 29.97fps (NTSC), although only at Full HD resolution.
HDMI out
The camera is equipped with a Type C, HDMI mini port around its side, and this allows you to output clean (uncompressed) footage to an external recorder. The only caveat here is that this is only possible at a maximum full HD resolution, as opposed to 4K.
The camera is fitted with a The Canon 5D Mark iv ports: The camera is fitted with a Type C HDMI mini port, along with USB 3.0, microphone, headphone and flash-sync sockets.
Time-lapse footage
You can also use the EOS 5D Mark IV to for time-lapse recording, with the individual frames stitched together in camera and output as Full HD files.
As with the HDR movie option, this is output at 25fps (PAL) and 29.97fps (NTSC), and control is provided over the interval between each frame and the number of images captured in total. Usefully, as the camera is stitching together the time-lapse video itself (rather than just capturing the individual images), it will also inform you of the length of time required and the length of the final movie in advance, as well as whether you have enough room on your card to achieve this.
Time limits
As with other DSLRs, the maximum length of footage than can be recorded without interruption is 29mins and 59 seconds. When using the camera’s High Frame Rate mode, this is reduced to 7 mins 29 seconds.
Fujifilm have today launched the Fujifilm Professional Service (FPS) and we’re proud to announce we will be an official Service & Support Centre, working in conjunction with Fujifilm to offer benefits to FPS members.
With the increasing numbers of professional photographers switching to Fuji mirrorless cameras like the X-Pro2 and X-T2, and also with the launch of the GFX medium format mirrorless system in March 2017, there is an increasing need to offer support to these photographers in a similar vein to services offered by Nikon & Canon.
As Fuji products have evolved and are now widely used by professional photographers, it is a natural development that Fixation should be able to offer service support for Fuji products. We are also proud to be a key supporter of the FPS programme. Fixation General Manager
The scheme is open to working photographers who own either a GFX system or at least 2 professional X system bodies and 3 XF lenses. Membership to FPS will be offered free of charge for the first 2 years.
Paul Stewart, long time Fixation customer and professional press photographer, switched to Fuji over a year ago and hasn’t looked back. ” I’m delighted to hear that Fixation will be the London Support Centre for FPS. It’s something I’ve been asking Fuji for and I’m glad they listened!”
Fujifilm’s GFX, X-Pro2 & X-T1 models have been well received by professional photographers
Mick Edwards, Fixation’s Technical Manager will be heading up the Fuji service department: “We’re very excited to take on Fuji as an authorised service centre, allowing us to support our customers as we’ve always done.”
FPS members will be able to take advantage of while-you-wait sensor cleaning, cosmetic repairs and loan stock if equipment has to be sent away for more extensive repair.
For more information on which models we can service, click here.
For details on how to join the FPS, see Fujifilm’s page here
Fixation Ambassador Hugo Pettit and his shooting partner Finn Pomeroy put the Leica SL through its paces on a recent trip to Austria. Here they talk about their experiences and Hugo discusses his thoughts about the camera.
Hugo I was heading out to Austria for a couple of days of work and knew I had one full day to get my skis on. Although a short amount of time, the ideal photo opportunities in these environments are slim, you have to take them when you can. Before being asked to review the Leica, I was going to shoot with my ‘go-to’ Canon 5D Mk III. Rugged, light and reliable, I’ve been a Canon man for a long time, I know my way around the cameras well, totally necessary when in an environment where you (or the others waiting for you) are freezing while you change camera settings. This test of the Leica was not about testing every setting, it was about experience, ease of use and most importantly, image quality. I used settings that I know work well on other cameras, therefore much more of a straight comparison.
Finn We discussed where best to test the Leica SL as we really wanted to try and show the stunning landscape but also the human exploration element within. We decided after the first day touring that our best bet was to take the camera up on a climb. We could take our time climbing across one of the regions most famous ridges and if we timed it right then the sun would be setting for our descent back into town. We were going on a mission to test the Leica SL but the most key element for everything in the mountains is safety and to ensure we remain as safe as possible. We would be equipped with avalanche transceivers, probes, shovels, first aid kits, food, water and we would be harnessed on with leashes. All the kit goes on our back along with skis and poles and then we have to work out how best to carry our camera equipment. I had my Canon 5D Mk III in my bag alongside my kit whilst Hugo carried the Leica SL on a peak design clip attached to his chest. Both have advantages and disadvantages, my aim was to lead the way and push forward to be able to stop set up shots of Hugo using the SL whereas Hugo was going to be shooting from the hip continuously when a shot presented itself.
Hugo We had about 30 minutes the night before shooting to have a play with the camera; while the aesthetics are beautiful, I did at first feel a little confused looking at the minimalist buttons and lack of instruction. However, I got to grips with the basics quickly and set the camera up on Manual exposure and flicked the ISO to auto, setting the maximum to 3,200 and minimum to 50. On photo shoots where timing is key, (unless you’re well versed with changing these while looking through the viewfinder and shooting!) it’s very handy not only to be able to set the min and max ISO but to do this and trust the camera’s dynamic range and image quality is fundamental.
We shot with 2 x 64GB cards inserted in the camera to reduce faff having to carry extra cards and carried a full battery in a jacket pocket, close to my body heat! Batteries in cold environments don’t generally perform very well, so from the outset, with an electronic viewfinder and every part of the camera being electronic, battery life was certainly a worry.
Finn We wanted to leave toward midday as then the ridge we were climbing would sit in the sun nearly continuously. It worked out well and, apart from the initial ascent, we had some beautiful light to use and work in all day. It’s quite an undulating climb varying between vertical sections, down climbs and meandering ridges with sheer drops either side. I pushed forward and allowed Hugo to shoot in as much space as he needed. He would radio through to me when a shot appeared and we would work together with his direction where I needed to be. Unsurprisingly he would normally find the most precarious positions to shoot in. I normally work directly with athletes as does Hugo, so to work together on shots was really refreshing and be able to describe from a photographic point of view the direction we both wanted sped the whole process up.
Hugo We got as high up the Rendl side of Sankt Anton as we could by lifts before started our climb along the Klettersteig from there. I used Peak Design’s Capture Pro to attach the Leica to my rucksack strap on my chest. The potential risks of climbing rock faces with over £10,000 worth of equipment round your neck are lessened somewhat with this handy piece of kit that I’ve used numerous times and trust implicitly. It was a beautifully sunny day with minimal wind and we had the mountain to ourselves. With skis and poles on my back, a climbing harness and two leashes and carabinas, I was clipped (where possible) onto a cable that ran up the spine of Klettersteig. Where I (not necessarily Finn) had a steady footing or where I felt it was a particularly beautiful setting, I had the opportunity to use the Leica, unclipping it from the Peak Design unit while still having the Leica strapped around my neck.
Finn It took us a few hours to reach the main peak from where we would start our down climb and to drop in for the skis. The Leica had been producing some stunning images and we took a few moments on the top to review what had and hadn’t been working. I’m used to being in the mountains with my Canon throwing it around, relying on it fully and knowing it inside out. It was really invigorating to be shooting on the Leica and seeing how it held up in the more than adverse conditions. The images seemed to be coming out as we’d hoped and my behind-the-scenes shots of Hugo had been working in a similar fashion.
Hugo Having spent some time arranging kit so that unnecessary movement was minimised, I was still worried about the ‘inevitable’ battery change. Leica have removed this with two simple solutions: Having a very simple and intuitive battery removal 2-step-system, and more importantly, creating a battery that I didn’t have to change all-day… unheard of! I climbed with lens cap and lens hood on to protect the lens, and despite watching the hood roll off a cliff, it was with just 100 metres of climbing left, so I felt secure that the kit was safe. Having said that, I would certainly tape the hood on and certain parts of the camera up to reduce potential scuffing of the beautifully design aluminium body.
What I look for in a camera, aside from ease of use in the more extreme environments, is simply image quality. There is obviously a price difference between the Leica and my Canon 5D Mk III, but I am incredibly impressed with the image quality and I definitely feel it’s worth the difference. We shoot in a huge variety of locations, our most natural of which are in the sea and the mountains. These environments offer incredible beauty but sometimes tricky lighting conditions. The contrast between the highlights and shadows is always extreme and unappreciated. What the Leica does beautifully is pull light and definition from the shadows. At low ISO’s (below 2,000) it has an incredible dynamic range. Added to the general image quality, this camera excels in these environments, allowing you to pull the shadows and crop very effectively when editing images.
I would love to spend more time with the camera, fully get to grips with the various settings and ability to change the functionality of the various buttons. Not only this, but the video and amazing image stabilisation looks tasty, I have some film projects upcoming which I’d love to shoot with the Leica.
Overview
Pros
Amazing dynamic range
Clarity and image quality
Camera aesthetics and solid build (with just two pieces of aluminium)
Easy to use with gloves on (as long as you don’t have to go into the menu)
Easy buttons and dials (once you know what they do!)
Easy focus point adjustment while shooting
Easy battery lock system and card slots
Great battery life
ISO 50 with 1/8000 sec shutter allows for large aperture
Dual card use (with addition of UHS-II for extra speed)
Floating ISO – changes in ISO when changing zoom (and thus maximum aperture)
Cons
Electronic viewfinder in bright light is hard to see (extra hand sometimes needed to cover incoming light)
Takes a while to familiarise yourself with the menu and controls; less buttons means more time spent in the menu sorting the personal controls. Good in the long run, not great if you’re picking it up for the first time
Weight (heavy)
Controlling focus point shooting from a long distance or picking a small point at 24mm
In a studio or in any environment where playing with settings is more appropriate than the sea or on a sheer rock face, this camera is in it’s natural home off the shelf. However, despite the seemingly unintuitive menu and minimalist buttons, with some time spent creating the perfect menu setup, this is also a camera I’d love to spend more time with in the mountains and the sea. With extra preparation, I can envisage this camera actually becoming easier to use than the more standard DSLR, with many more buttons on the back.
With image quality being paramount, this is where this camera excels. While finding some focus points a little tricky to control, the images I got out of this camera were noticeably better than my Canon 5D Mk III. With the huge contrast in light and dark in the mountains, it proved a great test of it’s dynamic range and image quality and has passed with flying colours.
Weight is always an issue with the choice of camera and despite it being comparatively heavy and seemingly cumbersome, the hardwearing aluminium shell offers great protection to a fantastic piece of kit. It’s important to continue to learn and finding my way around this camera in time is something I look forward to. It’s nice to be sure that it’ll be worth the time through the quality of images.
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