Review | Fixation

Jonny Helm Feature, Review July 17, 2017October 4, 2023

Zeiss Otus lenses | Reviewed by Ian Derry

We spoke to celebrity portrait and commercial sports photographer, Ian Derry about his experience with the new Zeiss Otus lenses.

Hi Ian, thanks so much for talking to us today. You’ve made a series of visits to our London Showroom recently and rumour has it the new Zeiss Otus lenses are involved. What’s the story?

I originally popped into Fixation to look at the 5DS R. I was after the epic image quality and clarity of Medium Format, without the associated expense, weight and limited portability.

I hired the camera from Fixation for a weekend and loved it, but I still didn’t feel like I was making the quantum leap in quality that I was hoping for when using it with the Canon 50mm ƒ/1.2 and the 85mm ƒ/1.2, despite the fact they are premier lenses. Someone then recommended the Zeiss lenses, so I popped back into Fixation and hired the Zeiss Otus 55mm ƒ/1.4. It was an immediate “WOW”. The clarity was amazing and I pretty much had medium format quality on a 35mm camera. I returned to Fixation soon after and purchased the Zeiss Otus 85mm for myself.

How quickly did you see the difference in the Zeiss Otus lens?

Pretty much immediately. We tested on the chart alongside the Canon primes and the Zeiss was just so incredibly sharp by comparison – it was head and shoulders above the rest. We were stunned by the quality and just had to have it. There wasn’t much of an argument against, but at £3,000 each they are costly and it was quite an investment, but once you see that clarity you can’t really go back. The colours are also truer and there’s great edge-to-edge definition too.

What other camera kit do you use?

I have been using the Canon 1Dx and in the near future would like to test the Mark II version. However, my main camera for the Zeiss Otus lenses is the Canon 5DS R, as this combination gives me fantastic results. I work in studios mostly, using low ISOs around 100 or 200. The biggest drawback of this camera is that it doesn’t like high ISOs, but because I’m working in a studio a lot it works really well. I think the combination of that camera and that lens is utterly brilliant.

How do Zeiss Otus lenses compare to others?

ID: There is certainly still a time and a place for Canon lenses. The Zeiss lenses are manual focus only, so if I’m working really quickly and need the use of autofocus I would switch back to Canon. I wouldn’t even attempt to use the Zeiss in unpredictable shoots like my sports or action work, only for those shoots in a controlled environment that I can predict. Ultimately, the most important factor about lenses is the focus. If it’s in focus – BAM! – you’ve got the winning shot. I get this with Canon, but the Zeiss also gives extra clarity. When you’re doing a portrait of somebody and they’re looking at you and you’re looking back into their eyes, the extra clarity the lens brings gives it a bit more depth.

Has the Zeiss Otus changed the way you work?

One drawback with the Zeiss lenses is how precise it has to be. It can look sharp through the camera, but when you review the image it might not be quite spot-on, so you have to be on your “A” game. I tend to listen hard for the focus-confirmation beep on the camera now, as it gives me the indication that it’s in focus. I shoot tethered, so we check focus on the monitor all the time, but even more so with Zeiss because at first glance it can look sharp without being quite pin. The whole photography shoot becomes a slower process as you need to focus, re-frame, refocus etc.

I photograph celebrities quite a lot and surprisingly this slower pace has turned out to be a positive experience for my clients. In a normal situation, someone comes in, sits down and click, click, click – we’re done! When you arrive with a Zeiss lens and slow the whole process down it becomes more of a shared experience. Sitters have been quite interested in the different equipment and it makes for a more interesting shoot for them as well. It’s almost like going back to the Polaroid period where you take a Polaroid, you stop, you chat, you wait for the Polaroid to develop before getting to the next stage. The whole portraiture process is slowed down, making it more intimate.

Do you think you can see this intimacy reflected in the images?

I think you do. Its only small, but when everyone shoots the same way and you come in with something slightly different, it just changes the pace and the interest shows. Quite a lot of people are interested in photography these days and so it becomes a talking point.

Do you also notice the difference when shooting video with these lenses?

Yes, it’s a massive difference here too. Again, it all comes down to the clarity that I keep referring to. I made a short film earlier this year and we used the 55mm Zeiss Otus on a Sony F55. I can’t tell you too much about it yet, but the film is 3 minutes long and is about a lady who free dives, she just holds her breath and dives, but she does it under ice. Keep an eye out, I’ll be posting updates on Twitter soon! You’ll really see the difference the lens makes.

All images displayed in this post were taken using a Zeiss Otus lens available to purchase or hire from Fixation.

Ian was talking to Kate Wilkinson.

Jonny Helm Review June 1, 2017October 3, 2023

Bob Martin tests the Sony A9

Bob Martin is a multi-award winning sports photographer specialising in shooting sports and action pictures for advertising, corporate and editorial clients.

During a career spanning thirty years, Bob has photographed every major sporting event; from the last fifteen Summer and Winter Olympics, to Elephant Polo and Horse Racing on ice. His work has taken him to the farthest corners of the world and his photographs have been published in numerous publications including Sports Illustrated, Time, Newsweek, Life Magazine, Stern, Paris Match, Bunte, L’Équipe, The Sunday Times and the New York Times to mention a few.

During the London 2012 Olympics he was appointed as Photo Chief. He was a consultant on photographic issues to the Rio 2016 Olympic organising committee and is currently consulting for the IOC looking at the Tokyo Olympics in 2020.

Bob’s photography has been recognised by more than 60 national and international awards.

He is a three times winner of the prestigious British Sports Photographer of the Year also having won the World Press Photo Sports Picture in 2005. In 2017 Bob was awarded the coveted “Sports Photojournalist of the Year” in the NPPA Best of Photojournalism Awards in the USA.

In 2016 Bob published a book of his Photography “1-1000th” which won the Sportel International Sports Book Award and also the Illustrated Book of the Year in the UK Cross Sports Book Awards.

Bob is Director of Photography and a co-founder of the Silverhub Media agency.

Bob had the opportunity to test A9, along with a set of G Master lenses, including the new 16-35mm and 100-400mm.

Sony ILCE-9 + FE 100-400mm ƒ/4.5-5.6 GM OSS | © Bob Martin

You’re usually a Nikon user. What made you want to try the A9?

The silent shutter was a big deciding factor in me trying the camera. With my sports photography, being able to shoot unnoticed was a huge advantage, especially in situations like golf tournaments. Funnily enough though, when shooting portraits, I found that the lack of shutter noise caused a problem with some subjects; they didn’t know if I’d taken the shot and were unsure if they needed to try another pose! It’s easy enough to turn the sound back on, so this was soon remedied.

Sony ILCE-9 + FE 70-200mm ƒ/2.8 GM OSS w/ 1.4x Teleconverter | © Bob Martin

Are there any particular features of the A9 that stood out as beneficial

To be honest, I wasn’t expecting to like the electronic viewfinder as much as I did. Being able to preview the shot, especially in mixed lighting conditions was a big bonus and the detail through the finder is unbelievable. As I mentioned before, the silent shutter is amazing, especially when you can fire off 20 fps without anyone realising. I also liked the weight of the camera – much lighter than my Nikons, although I found the camera a bit front heavy when using longer lenses. Once I put the battery grip on, the balance improved dramatically.

Sony ILCE-9 + FE 24-70mm ƒ/2.8 GM | © Bob Martin

Was there anything you particularly didn’t like about the camera?

I was very pleased too see Sony had included an ethernet port on the A9, but at present you can’t shoot and send files at the same time. Hopefully something that can be rectified with a firmware update?

How did the Sony lenses stack up against your Nikkors?

The G Master lens series are as good as they get. I couldn’t really see any difference between these and my Nikon glass.

Sony ILCE-9 + FE 85mm ƒ/1.4 GM | © Bob Martin

Do you think this camera is a game changer for sports photographers?

Definitely. The ability to shoot quickly and silently, especially in short lens situations offers a massive advantage.

Sony ILCE-9 + FE 16-35mm ƒ/2.8 GM | © Bob Martin

You’ve been a customer and friend of Fixation’s for a long time. How much do you rely on us for your work?

Fixation is the only camera dealer in London as far as I am concerned. The level of professionalism in the sales people is unique and the combination of Sales or Repair gives me a one stop shop.

Sony ILCE-9 + FE 24-70mm ƒ/2.8 GM | NB. This shot was taken through glass | © Bob Martin

Bob was speaking to Tim Stavrinou. You can see more of Bob’s work on his website www.bobmartin.com and follow him on Instagram @bubblesontour

Jonny Helm Review June 1, 2017October 4, 2023

Jack Terry tests the Sony A9

Fixation ambassador Jack Terry is a successful lifestyle and advertising photographer and works with high profile brands such as Audi, Nintendo and Lenovo. Despite his busy workload, Jack shoots a lot of personal projects – to try new concepts and explore ideas that he’ll incorporate into his commercial work.

When Sony announced the A9 earlier this year, we approached Jack and asked him to try the camera alongside his usual Canons. As luck would have it, he was planning to shoot a couple of athletes for his latest fitness portfolio – something the A9 would be perfect for.

Using a new camera – let alone a new camera system – can be a daunting task, trying to find familiar settings and customising the camera so Jack had the camera for a couple of days before the shoot.

Apart from the obvious differences between the A9 and your usual Canons, how easy was it to get to grips with the Sony?

“To be honest, within 10 minutes of handling the A9, I felt pretty comfortable with the camera. A lot of the controls I’m used to such back button focus and command dials were in a similar place to my Canon Cameras, so it didn’t feel too different to use. I spent some time going through the various AF settings, as I was planning on shooting a couple of sprinters, and the menus were fairly self-explanatory.”

Armed with a G Master 70-200mm ƒ/2.8 and a Zeiss ZA 24-70mm ƒ/4, but never having shot on a Sony before, Jack wasn’t sure how the lenses would stack up against his L Series glass.

“The first shot I set up was a runner sprinting alongside a plain wall” explains Jack, “and being familiar with Canon, I tested the shot with a 1DX Mk II first.

“Reviewing the images in Capture One, I noticed the focus kept slipping to the wall, so I thought it would be a good time to test the tracking focus of the Sony”.

“When I was happy we had the first shot, I reviewed both sets of images side by side and was amazed to see that every single shot on the Sony was pin sharp. Even at 20fps, the AF had stayed on the subject and not once drifted. Reviewing frames shot at 20fps is crazy, its like watching a video then pausing when you get to the frame you like.

I switched to the 24-70mm Zeiss and had both runners sprint along the wall, and again, once the focus locked it didn’t shift.”

Not having used a mirrorless camera before, how did you find the EVF?

“I loved it! I often shoot outdoors on location and it’s generally difficult to review images in any great detail unless I’m tethered to my MacBook Pro. On fast moving shoots with multiple locations, to be able to review images in the viewfinder as they appear on a computer was a massive plus. I got so used to using it I even tried doing it on the 1D X by accident! Being able to go through menus when the sun is out was really helpful too.”

How did you feel the Sony glass compared to your Canon lenses in terms of sharpness?

“I honestly couldn’t see any difference between the lenses. I shot the same focal lengths on both cameras and when I was editing the images, I couldn’t tell them apart. Interestingly enough though, I borrowed a Metabones adapter so I could try my Canon lenses on the A9. I’d heard that the AF could be a bit hit and miss, but all my Canon L Series lenses (50mm ƒ/1.2, 100mm ƒ/2.8 Macro, 24-70mm ƒ/2.8 Mk II & 70-200mm ƒ/2.8 Mk II) worked like a dream. I couldn’t even see any noticeable difference in AF speed between the Sony and Canon lenses using the adapter.”

With the Sony being much smaller than a conventional DSLR, did you find the size harder to handle?

“The camera is a lot smaller than a DSLR like the 1D X, but I really liked that. At one point during the day I wanted to get a high angle shot of the runners and decided to climb a rather precarious bridge, which was a lot easier with the A9 than with my 1D X. I would have liked to try the battery grip as I’ve heard the balance is a bit better, especially with the longer lenses, but there wasn’t one available at the time.”

Would you use the A9 for your commercial work?

“Without a doubt. I shoot at a fast pace and usually with moving subjects. I felt the Sony gave me a clear edge compared to the Canon with focus. The ridiculously fast 20fps was also a massive plus point, especially when I could rely on every shot being sharp. I really think this camera is going to shake up the industry a bit and it’ll be interesting to see how Canon and Nikon react.”

Jack was speaking to Tim Stavrinou. You can see more of Jack’s work on his website www.jackterry.co.uk and follow him on Instagram @jackterryphoto

Thank you to Forte Model Management for supplying the athletes

Jonny Helm Review May 10, 2017October 4, 2023

Shooting Weddings with the Fuji GFX 50S

North West-based photographer David Stanbury reckons he has the best job in the world. For the last 20+ years, alongside his wife Jane, he has run an award-winning wedding & portrait photography business that grew out of a simple passion for photography & creating images that he loved.

In 2013 David was given the highest honour of being awarded a fellowship in the British Institute of Professional Photography (BIPP) and the Society of Wedding & Portrait Photographers (SWPP) – the highest qualification a photographer can receive and to date has received over 200 International, national & regional awards for his photography.

Earlier this year, David was approached by Fuji, who were looking for professional photographers to test their GFX 50S. A longtime Hasselblad user, David already knew the benefits of medium format for his work and jumped at the chance to road test the then unreleased camera.

We recently caught up with David to talk photography and to hear his views on Fuji’s latest medium format camera.

This must be a busy time of year for you, so thanks for taking the time to speak to us. Can you tell us a little bit about your background and how you got into photography?

I think it’s more a case that photography found me. My parents bought me a camera for my birthday and my Dad said “now go to college & learn how to use it” at the time my reply was why? But that push really sowed the seeds for a passion that is still as strong nearly 25 years later. My break into wedding photography was just as chaotic. Whilst at college I had really fallen in love with the darkroom and hand printing B & W images. A friend of a friend was looking for a wedding photographer but at the time the Pros would only shoot colour and the couple wanted B & W only, so we were introduced and my first wedding I shot, processed and printed the images. As no ‘pro’ photographers seemed to be shooting in B & W I received a steady infux of enquiries and bookings; it seems crazy now but my USP was that I shot B & W photographs. My move into Professional photography was again just as chaotic. I worked for a company and they went bust overnight and with a new home and young family, I found myself out of work. So with £500 of my redundancy money we struck a deal with a local landlord giving me 3 months free rent on a studio, bought a couch, a desk and with 4 16 x 20 prints, opened our first studio…. Yes I still have the couch 😉

[gdlr_quote align=”center” ]We both are the luckiest people in the world, not only do we have the best job in the world travelling all over the world photographing gorgeous people happy & in love, but also being at the beginning of their new journey & documenting with our images two peoples lives change forever.[/gdlr_quote]

What equipment do you use?

In my bag at the moment is my Hasselblad H3D-31 II and a Canon 5D Mk III. Lens-wise I have an 80mm ƒ/2.8 & 28mm ƒ/4 for my Hasselblad (I love the 28mm and use this the most). On the Canon it’s a 16-35mm ƒ/2.8, 24-70mm ƒ/2.8 & 70-200mm ƒ/2.8. I use the 70-200mm the most as I shoot my main images on the Hasselblad and candid on the Canon.

Did you always want to be a wedding photographer?

I have always been the sort of person that if I did something I had to do it ‘properly’, so from the start I wanted to pay for new kit and pretty much from day one, was shooting portraits and then asked to shoot weddings and this then grew. I pretty much fell in love with weddings from my first one – I just loved the adrenalin rush that you get from working under the most intense pressure and then seeing the couples faces when you showed them their images. I’m also very much a people person, I love to socialise and as a wedding photographer you get to meet so many people who are always happy and its just such an addictive career.

You’ve used Hasselblad alongside your Canon gear for many years. How did you find the GFX compared to the Hasselblad?

For me its unfair to compare the two as I’m shooting with an H3D and the jump from that to the GFX is immense. What I can say is that I’ve always wanted a medium format camera that has high ISO, low noise and is light enough so I can carry all day and the GFX certainly ticks these boxes. The GFX has so many features that I feel makes it the perfect medium format camera for wedding photographers, the touch screen is sharp, fast and the ability to tilt makes it easy to get those high and low angles. I really fell in love with the EVF and the lenses I found fast & incredibly sharp. I’ve pretty much used them all but the GF32-64mm ƒ/4 & GF110mm ƒ/2 are my favourites and could pretty much shoot a full wedding with just these 2 lenses.

Do you get involved in video with your wedding work?

I’ve just recently resurrected my YouTube channel (David Stanbury) to show Behind the Scenes footage from our personal shoots, weddings & workshops and am just as excited about getting ‘moving images’ into my workflow and think this is going to become a much bigger part of our shooting style.

Do you shoot any personal projects or do the weddings keep you busy?

We are always busy with weddings, but I’m very much an advocate of ‘practice makes perfect’ and personal shoots are a perfect way to keep my brain ticking and my photography creative – It’s my testing ground for new ideas, styles and approaches to our photography. One thing I’m very mindful of is I NEVER want photography to become a job, so stepping out of my comfort zone, trying different things and creating new images is my hobby and what I do to relax.

You offer 1-2-1 training for wedding photographers. Is it rewarding to give something back to a business you obviously enjoy?

Yes,YES,YES!!!! I have seriously the best job in the world, people pay me to be part of the biggest day of their life, they pay me to travel the world to photograph their day, photography companies have asked me to be a part of their future plans and new products, photography has given me so many amazing memories but mostly amazing friends and I feel its my duty to give back to an industry that has given me so much. One thing I’m most proud of is that I hope people now see wedding photographers with the respect they deserve. We have the hardest job in photography, we have only one chance to get it right whilst working in the most demanding of situations, we don’t have the luxury of reshoots or 8 hours for 1 image, we HAVE to deliver the goods fast and consistently week in week out, and this is what I want to get across to new photographers on our workshops who come to learn how to create their signature images in this demanding world.

David was speaking to Tim Stavrinou

David Stanbury FSWPP, FBIPP

www.stanburyphotography.co.uk

About David

David Stanbury FBIPP, FSWPP is a Multi Award Winning Wedding Photographer based in the North West of England with a career spanning over 20 years & shooting weddings in the UK & Worldwide.

David’s accolades include over 200 National & Regional awards including UK Wedding Photographer of the Year, UK Wedding Album of the Year and a Finalist in the Prestigious Hasselblad Masters. David is proud to have received a Fellowship in Wedding Photography from the SWPP & the BIPP.

David has presented sell out workshops & seminars on all aspects of wedding photography throughout the UK, Europe and America. David is a photography consultant, mentor & Judge and has judged national & International photography competitions.

David’s style is described as stylish & timeless and is very much in demand by couples who require the very best in wedding photography. He has a passion for photography and creating the perfect image combining all the aspects of the Wedding but also understands that being a people person is just as important.

The Fuji GFX 50S is available to hire from our rental department, or for demonstration in our South London store. Call us on 020 7582 3294 or email admin@www.fixationuk.com for more info

Jonny Helm Feature, Review April 24, 2017February 7, 2024

Fuji GFX 50S | A Working Day With A New Camera System

Paul Stewart, Night Picture Editor at the Daily Express and documentary photojournalist, has worked in the imaging industry for over 45 years, both as a photographer and an editor. As soon as the first GFX’s arrived in our rental department, we were keen to see what working professional photographers really thought of the camera, and Paul was only too happy to oblige..

I was really interested to hear early rumours of the GFX 50S, as the idea of a mirrorless medium format camera was an exciting new development. Having swapped my full frame DSLR kit for the Fuji X Series and specifically the wonderful X-Pro2s, I knew that FujiFilm’s evolution of digital photography was well up there with their previous take on the medium and always considered FujiFilm to be people who develop their sensors with an eye to their great history as a film manufacturer. In fact, only Kodak, to my mind, produced high end pro digital kit with a similar quality of colour and detailed reproduction. Having seen the GFX 50S at Fixation’s FujiFilm Open Day I was delighted when they asked me to try the camera out.

When I was the editor of HotShoe International and indeed when I reviewed equipment for the British Journal of Photography, I had a strict policy of not doing or commissioning a review unless an actual photographer went out and shot a real job with the equipment (after all if you can’t earn a living with it, it’s not a lot of good to a pro).

The first thing I noticed about the GFX was the ergonomics which are superb. In comparison to my Phase One Mamiya 645AFD, it’s lighter (when used without the battery grip) and handles far more like a high end DSLR, making location use far easier, though it’s happy to sit rock solid on a tripod in the studio. The next thing I noticed was that the firmware, menus and ergonomics all take a big lead from the X Series cameras that I am already used to, which meant that integrating myself into the camera system was a doddle.

This is a really well thought out camera. The tri-axis tilt screen on the back means that you can shoot from almost any angle and still see what you are framing, making a “Hail Mary” more a matter of framing than prayer.

Likewise, the tilting view finder, which I originally thought was not going to be that interesting, turned out to be a godsend when shooting in bright light when wanting to shoot from a lower angle.

So what job did I decide to use it on? I was asked to be the host photographer for a Royal Visit by the Duke of Gloucester, who, of all things, was meeting three Virginia Indian Chiefs of the Powhatan People, all of whom were of the descendant tribes of Pocahontas and who were celebrating the 400th Anniversary of her leaving Brentford, where she lived, to return to America.

Sadly, she only got as far as Gravesend, where she died. The ceremonials were being held in Syon House, so I arrived a bit early to check out the light, which, although soft, was very low outside the venue. Inside, especially in the private green drawing room, it was abysmal but plunging on, I shot this job jpeg only to see just how good the dynamic range of this camera was. I expected it to be good. It was, in fact, exceptional. I shot some portraits of the various Chiefs and dignitaries with extreme highlights and shadow within them and the detail recovery was beyond that I expected.

The camera behaved faultlessly throughout the shoot. I never had to go onto the second battery that I had as a back up and was incredibly pleased with the results. Everything you see, including the grip and grin type PR shot of the Chiefs with Lord Watson of Richmond, were shot in a low level of available light. In fact the very first shot I shot with the camera in anger was the one of the marble statue in Syon’s Great Hall.

Looking at this just on the back of the screen made me realise just what a great camera this is. Although, like all medium format cameras it is expensive, when compared to Phase 1s and other makes, it’s well priced. The only down side to the camera that I have seen so far, is that FujiFilm went back to a Bayer Pattern rather than adopting their fabulous X-Trans sensor design as used in the X Series, which I find to be the best sensor I have ever used. It would have been nice to see a larger format version of this. However, in terms of colour rendition etc I find it hard to fault the GFX 50S.

I don’t feel that the Mamiya would have allowed me to do the location shooting that the Fuji allowed and the only downside is that I now have to try and sell my Mamiya 645 AFD/Phase One System so I can get a GFX!

You can see more of Paul’s work here

To get your hands on the Fuji GFX 50S, pop into our showroom for a demo, or contact our rental department and try one for yourself.

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