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Smart
PHOTOGRAPHY
S
ometimes, I feel we are a fated economy. After

several years of virtual stagnation, we were
looking forward to a bounce-back 2016. A
good monsoon and a few feel-good factors helped
us to be optimistic. Alas, that was not to be. The
demonetisation, however well-intentioned, has
taken its toll and along with December 2016, the
next few months may be a washout. Lets look
forward to a better 2017.
As we move ahead, we wonder what lies in store for the imaging

industry in 2017. 2016 saw both, smartphones get better in their
picture taking ability and the compact camera market shrinking
again. D-SLRs and mirrorless cameras saw some success but the
rising prices of high-end D-SLRs are a cause for concern. Why camera
manufacturers under attack have not taken the competition by the
horns by entering the smartphone market beats one. Again, why have
they been so slow in providing easy software to transfer images on to
your smartphone or laptop? Does anyone know why?
A very happy and prosperous 2017 to all!
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publisher, printer and employees of the publication shall not be held liable for any consequence in the events
of such claims not being honoured by the advertisers. All disputes are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of
competent courts and forums in Mumbai only.
Editor Hoshang S Billimoria
www.smartphotography.in
Smart Photography
January 2017
EDITOR
Hoshang S. Billimoria
TECHNICAL EDITOR
Rohinton Mehta
ASSISTANT EDITOR
Sujith Gopinath
ASSISTANT COPY EDITOR
Unnati Sagar
Contents
Smart
PHOTOGRAPHY
INDIAS NUMBER 1 IMAGING MAGAZINE!
EW S
RE VI
SONY
SIGMA
FUJIFILM
X PRO2
Smart
ISSUE 142 / JANUARY 2017
RS.150
PHOTOGRAPHY
85MM F/1.4 GM
50-100MM F/1.8 | A
SUBSCRIBERS COPY TOTAL PAGES 132
VOLUME 12 | ISSUE 10 | JANUARY 2017
HEAD TO HEAD
Phone Cameras Compared
142
TOP 10
D-SLRS
Learnings
PERSPECTIVE
AND ALIGNMENT
IMAGE EDITING
28
Special
Features
Switzerland
Fossil Park
Interview
Gurdas Dua
ISSUE 1012
VOLUME
| VOLUME
| ISSUE 10 | JANUARY 2017
2014
Profile
Sunny Oberoi
Cover credit:
Dr. Mukesh Batra
Kaleidoscope
34
Showcase
REGULARS
10 Mail Bag
12 News Watch
26 Picture of the Month
28 Kaleidoscope
A platform for budding photographers to exhibit

their talent and get noticed!
34 Showcase
A photographic proile of the person

behind the lens
40 Mastercraftsman
40
Mastercraftsman
50
Special Feature
The masters of the craft share their insights and

photographs
66 My Life with Cameras
68 The Ones that Did Not

Make it...
78 Ask Uncle Ronnie
SPECIAL FEATURES
Smart Photography
January 2017
48 Himalayas Black & White

50 Frozen In Time
56 Magic Moments
70 Top 10 D-SLRs of 2016
Just a moment!
Readers can find the updated Buyers Guide, log on http://smartphotography.in/news/monthly-special

Smart Photography thanks the readers who participate in the Picture of the Month contest. We would like to bring to your attention a few changes in the rules for submission.
From now on, you may send in your images with the longer side measuring atleast 17 inches. Please note that the images have to be horizontal. This permits readers to submit
panoramic shots, which was not possible with the current size of 17 x 11 inches.
ISSUE 142 / JANUARY 2017
Contents
Smart
PHOTOGRAPHY
SUBSCRIPTION
OFFER
page
47
67
LEARNINGS
82 If I Were You
Our expert comments on how your

pictures can be taken to another level
85 Image Editing - Part 2
90
98
102
116
Learnings
Review
90 Picture perfect
92 Making Perspective
and Alignment Corrections
in Post-processing
REVIEWS
98 Fujiilm X-Pro 2
Review
Review
102 Sigma 50-100mm

F/1.8 DC HSM Art
106 Sony FE 85mm f/1.4 GM
108 Head-To-Head: Phone
Cameras Compared
114 Asus Zenfone 3 Max ZC553KL
116 Google Pixel XL
118 First Look: Camoline Lens
Stabiliser
76
Smart Photography
January 2017
SMART
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PHOTOGRAPHY
VOLUME 12 | ISSUE 9 | DECEMBER 2016
SUBSCRIBERS COPY TOTAL PAGES 148
Interview
Subhadip Choudhury
141
PHOTOGRAPHY
IPHONE
7 PLUS
Special
Profiles
Brandon Donnelly
Deepti Asthana
Stefano Tomassetti
Profile
Saksham Gangwar
VOLUME
ISSUE 1012
| VOLUME
| ISSUE 910| DECEMBER
| JANUARY 2014
2016
Write to us at:
Smart Photography,
Next Gen Publishing Ltd,
Trade World, C-Wing, 2nd Floor,
Kamala Mills Compound, Senapati Bapat Marg,
Lower Parel(W), Mumbai 400013.
E-mail: sp@nextgenpublishing.net
Learnings
LENS DEFECTS AND

CORRECTIONS
IMAGE EDITING
Special Feature
Andaman and Nicobar
Langtang National Park
Indonesia Series: Bali
Beautiful Edition
Dear SP Team,
Greetings!
December 2016 edition of Smart Photography was amazing. Photographs featured in

Kaleidoscope and Showcase were wonderful. Being able to correlate the exif data provided along
with the images is really helpful. Saksham Gangwar has used extreme f stop, from wide open to
most narrow, for landscape photography and the pictures have good details. Also the quote by
Henri Cartier-Bresson that was mentioned in Kaleidoscope gives the article an ecstatic feeling.
Both the travel photo-features, Indonesia and Malaysia, were enthralling. Thank you for such a
beautiful edition.
Regards,
Manish Sitlani
Kudos Team
Dear Editor,
I have been reading Smart Photography for over 5 years. I wanted to let you know that the Travel
Special (Dec 16) issue of SP was one of the most splendid issue. It was amazing to view some of the
most beautiful images from around the world. I loved reading it. Kudos to the SP team.
Yours faithfully,
Rachit R., Indore, MP.
Visual Odyssey
Team SP,
Smart Photography
January 2017
As a reader of Smart Photography and an amateur photographer myself, I thoroughly enjoyed

reading the December 2016 issue. It was truly a visual odyssey. The different pictures from around
the globe that were featured were extremely beautiful. Also the stories and tips given by various
photographers were insightful. Thank you team SP for such a beautiful issue.
10
Regards,
Sonal Dave, Mumbai
sanket odisha tourism 2016
Chandipur
Bhubaneswar
Chandipur
Come to see the sea playing
hide and seek.
Website: odishatourism.gov.in/www.visitodisha.org E-mail: oritour@gmail.com Toll Free : 1800 208 1414, OTDC Central Reservation Counter (10 am - 6 pm): Tel. : +91674 2430764
If youre looking for an extraordinary holiday destination, look closely at Odisha. Dotted with some of the worlds
finest beaches and waterfronts at Puri, Chandipur, Gopalpur, Talasari and Astarang, Odisha is the sun, sand and
surf paradise like none other. But it isnt only the beaches that will bring you to its shores. Odishas resplendent
past, evident at Khandagiri, Udayagiri, Ratnagiri and Konark; pristine wildlife beauty at Bhitarkanika, Similipal and
Chilika; and unflinching devotion at Jagannath, Lingaraja, Ananta Vasudeva and Mukteshwar temples will leave you
spellbound for years. So make it to Odisha this year. It promises to be a one-in-a-million holidays.
TAKE YOUR BODY WHERE YOUR MIND HAS BEEN LATELY.

TAKE YOURSELF TO ODISHA.
SP
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International
Snippets
Panasonic has announced a
reduced estimated profit for the
year 2016 due to the companys
massive investment in battery cell
production, largely at the Telsa/
Panasonic Gigafactory.
Sony has filed a patent for a
3D printing system which will
enable PlayStation users to select
characters and objects from the
game and convert them into a 3D
printable format. This application
will periodically render the virtual
environment of the game from
multiple viewpoints to collect 3D
data.
Panasonic, with a fading presence
in television, mobile phones,
laptops and gadgets market, turns to
batteries and automobile electronics
to drive new directions and growth.
Huawei takes the top spot as
the most profitable Android
manufacturer. Although Apple
maintains its place as the overall
leader in the smartphone market,
Huawei and other Chinese
manufacturers - ViVo and Oppo
make it to the top four on the list.
Smart Photography
January 2017
Kenko Professional
launches cinema
lenses
12
Kenko Professional Imaging Co.

announced the launch of its new cinema
lenses for mirrorless cameras with
the Veydra Mini Prime series. The
new lens series was introduced at the
Inter BEE 2016. The lineup includes
six models: 12mm T/2.2, 16mm T/2.2,
25mm T/2.2, 35mm T/2.2, 50mm
T/2.2, and the 19mm T/2.2 lens (which
is to be added later). The lens comes
with Micro Four-Thirds and Sony
E-mount. The six-lens kit, along with a
case, will be available for 853000 yen.
YI M1 Mirrorless,
Interchangeable Lens
Compact Camera
I, a Shanghai Chinabased company

has entered the
consumer-level camera
market by offering a 20
megapixel Interchangeable
Lens Camera (ILC), the
companys first. The M1 is
available in silver (Ice Silver)
and black (Storm Black)
along with 42.5mm f/1.8 and
12-40mm f/3.5-5.6 lenses.
The camera uses Sonys
IMX269 Micro Four Thirds
imaging sensor. The camera
was introduced to the world
in Photokina 2016.
The body features a
minimalistic design for
simplicity and ease of use;
the camera back has only
two buttons! The body
is made with L-XO7805
thermoplastic elastomer
skin-friendly materials
and weighs a mere 280g,

including the Lithium
battery. The M1 offers
4K video at 30fps along
with BlueTooth and Wi-Fi.
Another interesting feature
is its 3 LCD Touchscreen.
The camera offers 81 AF

points and can capture
images in Raw and JPEG.
Metering modes available
are Evaluative, Centreweighted Average and Spot,
while Exposure Modes are
AUTO, Programmed Auto

(P), Aperture Priority (A),
Shutter Priority (S), Manual
(M), Bulb, Time, Panorama,
SCENE, Super Professional
guide. ISO sensitivity can
be set from 100-25,600,
plus Auto. Images can be
recorded on SD.SDHC/
HDXC cards (max. 512 GB).
The cameras dimensions
are 113.5mm(W)
64.3mm(H)33.6mm(D),
excluding protrusions.
Hitachi to enable video

shooting without lenses
itachi Ltd.
announced that it
has developed a
new technology to enable
video shooting using a thin
film on which a pattern
of concentric circles is
printed. The film is placed
on the image sensor
and data of the images
captured by the sensor
are processed by a special
mathematical formula to
determine the shapes and
position of the subject from
the moire or interference
fringe generated from
the two patterns of the

image and the concentric
patterns printed on the
film. As the image sensor
is able to record the depth
of the image, the point of
focus can be changed after
shooting the videos, like
a light field camera. The
developers recorded and
studied the movement of
various subjects shot at
30fps but the periphery of
the subjects were darker
than taken by a usual
video camera using a
lens. The images recorded
with the lens-less camera

were darker than the
conventional cameras
using a lens. However, the
company will continue their
research. Rice University
and Rambus Inc. of the
US are developing lensless cameras but their
systems take time for image
processing. On the other
hand, Hitachis technology
can process images easier
and speedier than the
processing of current
systems to one-three
hundredth.
SP
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International
Sony ties up with Eagle Eye Networks

and Bosch Security Systems
ony Corp. will now offer

a total service in the
surveillance business
including surveillance network
cameras, image storage and
analysis of data, as one of its
business models. The company
has tied up with Eagle Eye
Networks of the US to sell its
clouding services. Sony has
also collaborated with Bosch
Security Systems to develop
new surveillance cameras and
services. The collaboration offers
Boschs analysis technology and
Sonys high-quality imaging
technology. Sony has already
developed a new face recognition

system based on NECs face
recognition technology which
can recognize faces from even
images in low resolution. Sony
recently marketed its new
4K surveillance camera, the
SNCVB77, which features a
full-frame 35mm CMOS Exmor
sensor in 12.2MP resolution
and minimum brightness of the
subject at 0.004lux. Expected
street price is about 850,000
yen body only. Nomura Research
Institute estimates the global
market size of the surveillance
cameras in 2021 will grow 2.4x
Entries open for

World Press Photo
annual contest
Smart Photography
January 2017
anon has announced its

60th annual World Press
Photo Contest and the 7th
annual World Press Photo Digital
Storytelling Contest. Entries to
the contests are now open for all
photographers. The 2017 Photo
Contest requires participants to
register before 6th January 2017.
The registered participants can
submit their work on the official
contest website. The deadline
for submissions for the 2017
World Press Photo Contest is
14
11th January and that for the

Digital Storytelling Contest
is 6th January. The contest
winners will be announced on
13th February. Winners in each
category will be invited to the
World Press Photo Festival of
Visual Journalism, and will also
receive a diploma and a Golden
Eye Award, presented during
the annual Awards Ceremony.
For futher details, kindly visit:
www.worldpressphoto.org/
activities/photo-contest
over 2015
to 2,400
billion yen.
Japanese
companies
including
Canon,
Konica
Minolta and
Sony are
showing
strong presence in the
surveillance systems market.
Canon has purchased Axis of
Sweden and Konica Minolta has
collaborated with Mobotics of
Germany to expand the business.
The network camera systems

are expected to be the core
technology for IoT to collect big
data and the surveillance camera
business could be a milestone for
its IoT business.
High resolution LCD

panels for VR devices
apan Display Inc. announced

the development of a new
LCD panel featuring a 651
ppi resolution. Expecting for
replacement from OELD panels
of the current mainstay, the
company began sample shipment
of 3.42-inch panel for a single
glass. The company utilises the
LTPS (Low Temperature Poly
Silicon) driving technology
cultivated with the one for
smartphones to yield high
resolution and high response
speed. The panel also features a
lesser extent of afterimages by
switching backlight at high speed.

Current head-mount displays for
VR devices employ OELD panels
because of its faster response
time than LCD counterparts at
a cost of lesser image quality
because the VR glasses display
images at just several centimeters
away from the eyes. JDI expects
the new LCD panels featuring
high response speed and high
quality images have a chance to
replace the OELD panel. In fact
the company received high praise
by major VR device suppliers in
and out of Japan.
SP
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Business
Industrial-use 3D printer
market growing
orlds leading photo

copier and printer
companies are
entering into the industrial-use
3D printer market at a full-scale,
spearheaded by Hewlett Packard
Co. of the US and Ricoh Co. from
Japan. Companies like Canon
Inc. and Seiko Epson Co. will
soon join the race. HP Inc. and
HP Japan Corp. have recently

announced its industrial-use
3D printing systemthe HP
Jet Fusion 3D Printing Solution.
It can produce high quality
components at approximately
10x faster rate and at about a
half the cost of conventional 3D
models. In 3D printing, a voxel
represents a value on a regular
grid in a three-dimensional
space; like a pixel with volume.
Each voxel contains volumetric
information that will essentially
bring a product to life with
the desired properties. HPs
3D printing platform features
capability of producing 30
million drops of voxel per second
across each inch of the working
areas. Thus yielding faster

modeling and superb quality at
economical costs. The company
has developed two models of 3D
printers. The HP Jet Fusion 3D
3200 and the 4200 printer. Both
3D printers will be available in
late 2017. The suggested price of
3200 Printer in the U.S. market is
US$130,000 approximately.
Panasonic to develop solar cells using

printing technology
anasonic Corp.
reportedly succeeded
in manufacturing a
next-generation solar cell
in the Perovskite type and
developed a prototype. The
Perovskite solar cell is very
thin (1 micron meter) and

flexible. The production
cost will of these solar cells
are estimated to be much
lower since it uses printinglike method of production.
Panasonic has succeeded in
making a prototype which

has the power generation
efficiency of 21.6%. The
cell is transparent and very
thin so making it easier to
use. Panasonic is workking
towards making a larger
panel from the prototypes

4 square millimeters. It is
said the production cost to
generate 1kW/h for some 20
yen and the new Terovskite
solar cell can be reduced to
one-tenth of the current level.
Chinese television makers lead the market

in 2016
ccording to a research
by Sigma Intel, sales of
Chinese-branded TVs
in 2016, are likely to exceed
those of the Korean brands. The
research reveals that the sales
of TVs in China, will grow by

12.5% over 2015 to about 51.2
million units. Thus having an
overall market share of 33.9%.
Sales of Korean branded TVs
are likely to decline by 1.2%,
Smart Photography
January 2017
Samyangs first AF
lens to debut soon
16
amyang Optics Co., a

South Korean company,
announced its first
autofocus interchangeable lens the AF50mm F1.4 FE for Sony-E
mount. Its expected street price is
around 85,000 yen. The lens can
be used with 35mm full-frame

cameras. The lens construction
is 9 elements in the 8 groups,
including 3 aspherical elements
with 9 aperture blades. The
filter thread is 67mm, the closest
shooting distance is 45cm.
amounting to 31.3% of the

total market share. Exports by
Chinese makers are to increase
by 19% to 32.4 million units.
World market share of Japanese
branded TVs continue shrink
to 9.4%. Market share by each

brand: Samsung Electronics
19.7%, LG Electronics 11.6%,
followed by TCL 7.6%, Hisense
7.1%, Skyworth 6.6% and Sony
5.0%.
Kodak Eastman reveal

financial reports
astman Kodak reported its

financial results for the 3rd
quarter ended September
31, 2016. The companys net
earnings accounted for $12
million. The company had incurred
a net loss of $21 million during
the same period in the previous

accounting year. Sales amounted
to $360 million, a 11% drop
due to the declined sales of the
print system division, technology
solution business, and consumer
inkjet printer cartridge business.
SP
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National
Consumer Electronics Imaging

Fair 2017 Cancelled
he Consumer Electronics
Imaging Fair 2017 that
was scheduled to be
held from 5th to 7th January
2017 in Delhi NCR, has been
cancelled. The organisers of
the event have announced that
the 2017 edition of the CEIF
will not be held due to the

current economic conditions
prevailing in the country. With
the on-going cash crunch
faced by all, the organisers
have cancelled the event.
The decision has been taken
keeping in mind the interest
of the photographers, trade

& industry and the visitors at
large. In spite of the fact that
the expo was fully booked, the
managing committee of the
All India Photographic Trade
and Industry Association has
unanimously decided to refund
the amount collected from

the exhibitors. The goodwill
generated and the support
received by the organisers
towards CEIF is one of the
prime reasons that the decision
to refund the collected amount
was taken by the organisation.
A glimpse of the African wilderness

Photo credits: Girish Vaze
he photographs from the

Maasai Mara National
Reserve, by Girish Vaze
will be exhibited in Mumbai.
The photo exhibition titled
Enchanting Africa will be
displayed at the Terrace Art
Gallery, a part of Jehangir Art
Gallery, Kala Ghoda. Starting
from 10th of January 2017,
the exhibition will be open for
public viewing till 16th January,

from 11am to 7pm. The images
in this exhibition have been
selected mainly on the basis of

their emotional impact on me,
says Girish Vaze, who attempts
Second annual exhibition of DCP

Expedition concluded
of the beautiful exhibited images

was also released.
The exhibition involved displays

in three galleries. A total of
300+ breath-taking images
by 130 professional as well as
amateur wildlife and nature
photographers from across India
adorned the exhibition walls. The
photographs were from members
as young as 15 to 65 years of age.
A coffee-table book showing some
Photography products were

on display by the sponsors
Canon, Nikon and Tamron, along
with renowned brands like
Wulfro, Honeycomb Creative
Support, and further supported
by Ria Enterprises and Mehta
Enterprises.
Smart Photography
January 2017
CP Expeditions, one of
Indias fastest growing
Wildlife Photography
Training Academy, hosted
their 2nd Annual Wildlife &
Nature Photography exhibition
at Kalabhavan, Ghodbunder
Road, Thane, from 16th to 18th
December 2016.
18
Apart from the exhibition, a

photography workshop was
conducted free of cost for
photography enthusiasts on
17th December by Nikon School
mentor, Naveen Krishnan, who
conducted a session on video
using D-SLRs.
to bring before the audience,

a glimpse of the African
wilderness.
National
India Art Fair 2017

announced
he 2017 edition of
the India Art Fair will
be held from the 2-5
February 2017. The event
will be take place at the NSIC
Grounds, Okhla, New Delhi.
With BMW as its presenting
partners, the event will feature
an exciting range of national
and international exhibitors
from South Asia, Middle East,
Europe and US, representing
a breadth of contemporary
art practices such as painting,
sculpture, new media,
installation and performance
art. The participants this year

includes Britto Arts Trust
(Dhaka, Bangladesh), Nepal Art
Council (Kathmandu, Nepal),
Theertha International Artists
Collective (Colombo, Sri Lanka)
and Blueprint 12 (New Delhi,
India), among various others.
The 2017 edition of the fair
will unveil Vernacular In Flux,
curated by Dr. Annapurna
Garimella. It will showcase the
vernacular art with a focus
on Gond, Madhubani and
Mysore paintings. The panel of
speakers for the event includes
Galeria Joan Gaspar, Antoni Clave, Carmen No 1
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two prominent
US museum
representatives
Sheena Wagstaff, the
Leonard A. Lauder
Collection, Chairman
for Modern and
Contemporary Art
at The Metropolitan
Museum of in New
York, and Richard
Armstrong, director
of the Solomon
R. Guggenheim
Museum in
New York.
Photo credits: Fanil Pandya
Fanil Pandyas first solo exhibition announced
Smart Photography
January 2017
T
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he Egg Art Studio

has announced a
solo exhibition titled
Headhunters by Fanil Pandya.
Curated by Amrita Varma,
the exhibition will be held
from 20th December 2016
to 19th January 2017 at the
Egg Art Studio, Delhi. The
studios emerging artistFanil
Pandya, has been selected

by The International Center
of Photography of New York
for their program. With
the upcoming exhibition,
Fanil showcases the life and
culture of the headhunters of
Nagaland. He has photographed
the Konyark tribe, which is
a warrior clan living in the
remotest
regions of
Nagaland,
near the
border of
Burma.
These
portraits
represent the past, present and
future of a land and people fast
disappearing from this part of

the earth.
Honor smartphones and SFA

celebrate Girls Day
Gionee launches
Pioneer P7
Gionee has recently introduced

the Pioneer P7, its newest in
the smartphone market, with
an improved performance
and expanded memory. The
smartphone supports VoLTE
and CDMA and comes with a
5 inch HD IPS
display. It runs
on Quad core
1.3GHz processor
and has a 2GB
RAM along with a
16GB ROM which
is expandable up
to 128GB. Gionee
P7 comes with a
8MP primary and
5MP secondary
camera with
screen flash for
high quality selfie
experience. The
phone comes with
a 2300 mAH Li-ion polymer
battery and has a standby time
of 259 hours. It runs on Android
OS, V6.0 Lollipop (amigo 3.2).
The P7 is priced at INR 9,999
and is available in the Indian
market from December 2016.
The device is available in three
standard color variants of Gold,
White and Grey.
passion. Indian badminton star,

Saina Nehwal, attended the
event to motivate and encourage
the youngsters. Saina, the
brand ambassador for Honor,
lauded the efforts of the SFA and
thanked Honor for rendering
support towards this initiative.
The event was attended by
over 30,000 children who
participated in over 25 different
sporting categories. The founder
of SFA, Rishikesh Joshi, lauded
Honor for extending their
support towards the initiative.
GoPro announces Hero5 Cameras
oPro recently launched

its new line of Hero5
cameras in India through
partnerships with Creative
Peripherals Pvt Ltd and
Stereovision. Creative Peripherals
will distribute GoPros new
HERO5 Black and HERO5 Session
cameras, as well as the existing
HERO Session to Flipkart as
well as brick-and-mortar stores.
In addition to Hero5 cameras,
GoPros world famous mounts
and accessories are also available
in stores throughout
India.
The Hero5 line of
cameras can auto-upload
photos and videos to
GoPro Plus, a cloudbased subscription
service that makes it easy
to access, edit and share
GoPro content anytime,
anywhere using a mobile
phone or computer.
Additionally, the cameras
are now waterproof to
33 feet without the need
for a separate waterproof
housing. The devices also feature
voice control, image stabilisation,
HERO5 cameras is the ability to

capture non-fisheye perspectives
as well as the traditional wideangle look GoPro has become
famous for.
simplified controls, and improved

battery life. Also new to both
The Hero5 Black can deliver

professional quality 12 megapixel
photos and feature Raw and
WDR (Wide Dynamic Range)
modes, while the Hero 5 Session
can record 10-megapixel photos.
Both the devices feature 4K video
capability. The Hero5 Black will
retail at an MRP of INR 38,000,
while the Hero5 Session carries a
price tag of INR 29,500.
Smart Photography
January 2017
uaweis smartphone
brand Honor,
recently announced a
partnership with SFA (Sports
For All). It is an initiative by
both the entities to revolutionise
the way school sports is played
in India. This collaboration is
aimed at encouraging girls to
participate in sports. SFA had
recently organised a special
event Girls Day, at the D. Y.
Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai,
to encourage young sports
enthusiasts to pursue their
21
National
une Biennale, an event

in the public art domain
showcasing various forms
of visual arts, is gearing up
for its third edition. Covering
different segments like art,
architecture, photography
and design, the event will
be held from the 5th 29th
January 2017. The event will
host a series of hand-picked
participatory projects curated

around the theme identity
& self. The exhibition can
be viewed at the Shri Shivaji
Preparatory Military School
(SSPMS) ground at Shivaji
Nagar, Pune, during the course
of Pune Biennale. One of the
project to be showcased at the
event, Moving Art Spaces is a
unique work of art that depicts
TPOTY 2016
winners
announced
Smart Photography
January 2017
22
he winners of the 2016

international Travel Photographer
of the Year awards (TPOTY) have
been announced. And the winning images
have been revealed. Photographers from
20 countries have won awards, including
two young Indian photographers
Darpan Basak and Ankit Kumar. The
selected images of the winners will be
exhibited at TPOTY exhibitions at the UK
City of Culture from 18th May to 30th
June 2017 and at 10 Stockwell Street,
Greenwich at the University of Greenwich,
London from 4th August to 3rd
September 2017. Travel Photographer
of the Year is judged by an international
panel of judges that includes Deputy
Editor in Chief, Fotomagazin, Germany,
Manfred Zollner, champion jockey turned
travel photographer Richard Dunwoody
and Jerry Tavin (co-president of
Glasshouse Images and founder of Young
Photographers Alliance). 14-year old
Darpan Basak has won the award for the
Young Travel Photographer of the Year
2016 and Ankit Kumar won the award
for Young TPOTY 14 and Under. Darpan
Basak will receive an award of 500,
Photo Iconic photography tuition and a
Plastic Sandwich leather portfolio case.
Each Young TPOTY age group winner
will receive 250 plus Photo Iconic
photography tuition.
the concept
of migration,
minorities and
movement. The
event will also
display a series
of photographs
from India,
Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal,
Poland, Italy and the US. Along
with this, there will alos be
installation works by two artists

from Bengal and poems from
varied poets.
Photo credit: Ankit Kumar
Third edition of Pune

Biennale announced
photo credits: The Rohingyas in Bangladesh by Saiful Huq Omi
Photo credit: Darpan Basak
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Natures Philosophy exhibition

recently concluded
atures Philosophy, an
exhibition by Chetan
Valia, was held at the
Philosophical Gallery and Studio.
The exhibition showcased images

by Chetan that depicted nature
in its rawest form. The images
inspire positivity and they come
alive with the interplay of light

with nature. All pictures have
been shot and printed by Chetan
and can be viewed at the the
Photo credits: Chetan Valia
Philosophical Gallery and Studio,

at Lodhi Road, New Delhi. For
more information visit:
www.thephilosophical.com
ony India recently

introduced its new flagship
APS-C sensor camera, the
6500 (model ILCE-6500). The
new 6500 shares the same 4D
FOCUS system as the 6300.
It features 425 phase detection
AF points and touchscreen
AF capabilities for focus point
selection and adjustment.
The new 6500 also features
in-camera 5-axis optical image
stabilisation. It can shoot images
at up to 11 frames per second
with continuous autofocus
and exposure tracking, and
up to 8 frames per second in a
live-view shooting mode. Sony
interchangeable lens camera
offers 4K movie recording. It can
shoot 4K (3840 x 2160p) video
in 35mm format on the full width
of the image sensor. The camera
supports the XAVC S codec while

video shooting, recording at a
high bit rate of up to 100 Mbps
during 4K recording and 50 Mbps
during Full HD shooting. The
new 6500 features an APS-C
sized 24.2 MP12 Exmor CMOS
sensor and provides sensitivity
ranging from ISO 100-51200. The
6500 comes with a magnesium
alloy body and a high-durability
shutter. It is compatible with
Wi-Fi, QR and NFC. The Sony
6500 is also compatible
with its PlayMemories
mobile applications which is
available for both, Android
and iOS platforms, along with
Sonys PlayMemories camera
applications. The camera will
be available in all Sony Center
across India at INR 119,990
(body only)
Smart Photography
January 2017
Sony India introduces 6500

in Indian markets
23
PICTURE OF THE MONTH
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PICTURE OF THE
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We are sure that all of you have a few

pictures that you think are prize worthy.
It happens very often that you dont know
where to send the image that could put a
feather in your cap. If you have such images
(were sure you have many!), send us ONE
such horizontal image. If it qualifies, we
shall publish it as a double-spread.
a. You have to guarantee that the picture
was shot by you
b. If there are people in the picture who can
be identified, well need a model release
c. The picture should not have been printed
elsewhere (magazine newspaper, or
offered to any publication)
d. Mark the entry as Picture of the Month
and rename the file using your name
e. You may send images via print/e-mail
to: Next Gen Publishing Ltd.,2nd Floor,
C Wing, Trade World, Kamala Mills
Compound, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower
Parel (W), Mumbai 400013 (or) sphoto.
india@gmail.com
A NOTE TO OUR READERS

1. The picture has to be horizontal.
2. Kindly ensure that the longer side should measure atleast 17 inches, at 300ppi.
3. Low resolution images will not be accepted.
4. We do not check images on online galleries.

5. Kindly ensure complete contact/address details are provided.
6. Please make sure that your picture does not have your name/logo on it.
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Clicking on the go!

As told to Unnati Sagar
S
Srikanth Samaga
rikanth, an embedded engineer by

profession, enjoys travelling. He took his
irst step towards photography with a
cousins Nikon point and shoot. His irst owned
camera was a Canon EOS 600D, which was gifted
to him by his best friend in 2013. Srikanths
pictures are not restricted to a particular genre.
However, he says, candid and nature are his
favourite genres of photography. |SP
Smart Photography
January 2017
Majestic Chitradurga fort
28
EXIF data not available
Camera: Canon EOS 600D

Aperture: f/5.6
Shutter Speed: 1/200sec
ISO: 800
Smart Photography
January 2017
Smiling damselly
29

Aperture: f/8
ISO: 800
Aguada old lighthouse
Barcelona gaint wheel

Aperture: f/8
ISO: 800

Aperture: f/5.6
ISO: 100
Hogenakkal
Smart Photography
January 2017

Aperture: f/6.3
ISO: 200
30
Life in Didina

Aperture: f/5
ISO: 800
Curious look

Aperture: f/5.6
ISO: 400
Long way to lighthouse

Aperture: f/1.8
ISO: 6400
Smart Photography
January 2017

Aperture: f/8
ISO: 200
Busy at work
Bengaluru
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Camera: Nikon D500

Aperture: f/7.1
ISO: 2000
Spendid &
Untamed
Sunny Oberoi
Sunny Oberoi, a post-producer by

profession, started wildlife photography
in November 2013, on a casual trip to
Ranthambore National Park, Rajasthan.
To transform his passion into something
concrete, he launched Camera Speaks by
Sunny Oberoi in December 2013. Since
then, there has been no looking back.
His work has been featured in various
publications.
Black Shouldered Kite
Smart Photography
January 2017
Indian Roller
34
Camera: Nikon D500

Aperture: f/7.1
ISO: 1000
Crested Lark
CraterSpotted
Lake, Oregon
Owlet
Camera: Nikon D500

Aperture: f/7.1
ISO: 1600
Ultramarine Flyctahcer
Camera: Nikon D500

Aperture: f/6.3
ISO: 2000
Smart Photography
January 2017
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark III

Aperture: f/5.6
ISO: 1250
Red Necked Falcon
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Camera: Nikon D500

Aperture: f/6.3
ISO: 1600
Smelling Tree
Smart Photography
January 2017
Long Legged Buzzard
36
Camera: Nikon D500

Aperture: f/7.1
ISO: 500
Camera: Nikon D500

Aperture: f/7.1
ISO: 560
Camera: Nikon D500

Aperture: f/7.1
ISO: 3200
Arrowhead
Leopard
Smart Photography
January 2017
Jackal
Camera: Nikon D500

Aperture: f/6.3
ISO: 3200
37
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Camera: Nikon D500

Aperture: f/7.1
ISO: 500
Long Legged Buzzard Portrait
Snakebird
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark III
Aperture: f/5.6
ISO: 1000
Smart Photography
January 2017
Blackbuck
38
Camera: Canon EOS 7D Mark II

Aperture: f/5.6
ISO: 800
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Smart Photography
January 2017
Gurdas Dua
40
Tell us about your interest in

photography. How and when did
you start?
Since my childhood days, I have
been fascinated with cameras
and photographs. Being born and
brought-up in Agra, I always got an

opportunity to see many tourists
at Taj Mahal, using long barrel like
cameras. I used to wonder what that
was all about. As a child I dreamed
that one day, I too will have such a
camera in my hand and will pursue

photography. My dream came true in
1988, when I was in my thirties and
for the first time in my life I picked
up a camera - a Minolta XG1. Though
initially I may have clicked some
Gurdas Dua
Souvenirs
Smart Photography
January 2017
Pictorial
Gurdas Dua, who specialises in nature, wildlife,

portrait & advertising photography, is a Fellow of
India International Photographic Council, Butterfly
Art Foundation as well as an Honorary Associate
of Pictorial Art Society of Pakistan. Gurdas has
conducted several technical and specialised
photographic campaigns for the Archaeological
Gurdas Dua
Survey of India. He has documented more than 100
ASI listed monuments. He has conducted many
photography workshops throughout India and has been honoured as Sony
Alpha Series Brand Ambassador for conducting workshops, organised by Sony
India. A winner of many photographic accolades, Gurdas has represented India
at the FIAP-KODAK International Photo Contest in 1993 at Belgium and led an
Indian photographers delegation to Pakistan for Art for Peace mission in March
2006. He was also placed among top 30 exhibitors of the world by National
Geographic for the year 2008.
41
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hopeless, rather worst shots, but

few of them were nonetheless very
good. And that prompted me to start
learning and training myself, trying to
get a better shot each time.
Smart Photography
January 2017
What gear do you carry for

landscape photography?
SONY alpha 7 with 16-35mm F2.8, 2470mm F2.8, 70-200mm F4 lenses.
42
Which is your favourite lens and

why?
I pursue different genres of
photography. For portraiture, I prefer
a 70-200mm f/2.8. While for still life
photography or food photography I use
a 100mm macro f/2.8 or 70-200mm
f/2.8. But when it comes to landscapes,
I would say that 16-35mm f/2.8 is my
favourite lens. The reason behind this
is, a 16-35mm covers almost 96.7
to 64 angle field view. This is much
beyond the viewing angle of a human
eye (i.e 47). The vastness in the
Gurdas Dua
Gurdas Dua
Which is your favourite place for

It would be difficult to pick one
specific place as my favourite
destination for landscape
photography. As a landscape
photographer, I believe that good
composition, adequate lighting, some
interesting elements and radiant
colours, can give an outstanding
result. If you are lucky enough, even
the backyard of your house can prove
to be a good place for photography.
But does it mean that the place really
doesnt matter? Not the least, because
I said if you are lucky - and as we
know, luck does not strike always. So
even though one says that mountains
or rivers or sand dunes are the best
places for landscape photography, one
has to really explore and put in the
best of his skills to make a particular
Smart Photography
January 2017
Gurdas Dua
landscape makes it much fascinating

and impressive.
43
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Smart Photography
January 2017
Gurdas Dua
44
Smart Photography
January 2017
Gurdas Dua
Gurdas Dua
Gurdas Dua
45
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step ahead and say

that image processing
has no limits. I say
this because image
processing not only
involves the ever
evolving technology,
but various other
aspects as well. A
photographers
skills, moods,
imagination,
persistence and endless
efforts has major
impacts on the final
outcome. In a way, it is
a ceaseless journey of
hits and misses.
A few words of
encouragement for
our readers, please.
Photography is not only
a wonderful hobby but
an incredibly creative
place picture perfect.
Smart Photography
January 2017
46
What, according to you,

are the most important
qualities that a landscape
photographer must
possess?
To become a better
landscape photographer, one
must be fond of travelling.
It gives him an opportunity
to witness some of the most
exotic places to photograph.
One must train his eyes to
visualise the perfect frame, along
with good sense of judgement,
concentration and alertness. Learning
lessons pertaining to pictorial laws of
photography and image processing
during the initial days will prove to be
extremely beneficial.
What are your views on image
Gurdas Dua
What do you prefer

travelling alone or with
a group for nature/
I always prefer travelling
along with a group.
Sometimes with a group
of photographers, and
sometimes with my family. It
is more of a personal choice
than professional.
processing? Would you consider a

limit, or, since photography is an
art form, would you say skys the
limit?
Yes of course, sky is the limit for
photography. And the same holds
true in case of image processing.
However, I would dare to take it a
profession. You can achieve

limitlessly if you set your mind to
it. With sincerity and dedication
you can achieve the shots that
you desire. Have faith, hold your
camera with a hope that everything
shall click right for you. So, Get
Set Go!!! |SP
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January 2017*
City
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Sp
HIMALAYAS
BLACK & WHITE
Rohinton Mehta
Smart Photography
January 2017
48
imalayas Black & White

is a tribute to the father of
landscape photography and
his guru the one and only, Ansel
Adams (1902-1984) from one of
his shikshaks, Ashok Dilwali. The
Foreword is written by Shyam Benegal,
the well-known film-maker. This coffeetable book represents Ashoks several
visits (almost 300) to the mighty
Himalayas over the last four decades.
If you have ever been to the Himalayas,
youd be humbled by its sheer
magnitude and splendour. To imagine
my work like his (Ansels) would be the
highest form of foolishness says Ashok,
with all humility.
With ample quotes from his beloved
guru and some other well-known

photographers, this paperback
has 36 double-spreads and 89
single page photographs that will
warm your heart and take you on a
virtual journey that will imprint the
stunning images in to your heart.
You will want to see the images time
and again, and still not be satisfied!
But those who understand postprocessing will notice that several
images have been over-sharpened.
The printing is very good.
This limited edition book is published

by Ashok Dilwali, designed by Abhijeet
Kumar and printed at RaveIndia. |SP
ISBN 978-81-927871-0-7
Pages: 204, including covers
Size: 237 x 237mm
Price: Rs.1500/- inclusive of courier

charges, in India only.
For availability, please contact Ashok

Dilwali at dilwaliashok@gmail.com.
Smart Photography
October 2015
January
2017
Ashok Dilwali is probably the biggest

Indian name when it comes to
photographing the Himalayas. You might
be surprised to know that Ashok Dilwali
is a qualified Chartered Accountant from
A. F. Ferguson & Co., Mumbai. All his
sojourns to the great Himalayan ranges
have been self-financed, without a single
one being sponsored! And Himalayas
Black & White is his twenty-fourth
publication.
49
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Bipin Christian
is an upcoming
photographer
from Ahemdabad,
Gujarat. A member
of the Federation of
Indian Photography,
Bipin started his
photographic journey
Bipin Christian
around 20 years
ago, when he started photographing animal fairs in
Kutch. Soon he started photographing the people of
Kutch, whom he found very impressive. Bipin has won
many accolades for his work and has been featured in
various publications.
Frozen In Time
Smart Photography
January 2017
50
iscovery of various fossils have

been fascinating mankind
for over thousands of years.
Fossils are the physical evidences
of our evolution. Tracing back to
the remote past, these preserved
remains tell us about our history. The
chemical reactions and atmospheric
pressures that lead to fossilization,
reveal evidence of life that existed
millions of years ago. India, with its
geographic diversity and vibrancy, has
various sites with abundant historic
signiicance. One such prominent
archaeological site is at Dholavira in
the state of Gujarat. Located in Khadir
Island, surrounded by the Great Rann
of Kutch, this Harappan site is spread
over 100 Hectares. Also known locally
as Kotada Timba, the site contains
ruins of an ancient Indus Valley
Civilization which is better known to
all as the Harappan city. Besides the
ancient ruins, it also contains wood
fossils that are about 1.8 billion years
old, plus age old stones and rocks,
as well as the magniicent view of
the White Desert. Bipin Christian, a
passionate photographer, recently
exhibited his work - Faces @ Fossil
Park at the Piramal Art Gallery, NCPA,
Mumbai. The exhibition showcased
photographs which he clicked at the
fossil park in Dholavira. The pictures
relect beauty in the stillness of these
fossilized rocks. The different shapes,
layers and colours give them life and
expressions. Even in the sleep mode
these fossils look marvelous and alive.
Here are some of Bipin Christians
photographs from the fossil park. |SP
Camera: Canon 550D

Aperture: f/7.1
ISO: 100
Camera: Canon 550D

Aperture: f/6.3
ISO: 100
Camera: Canon 350D
Aperture: f/19
ISO: 100
Smart Photography
January 2017
Camera: Canon 350D

Aperture: f/8
ISO: 100
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Smart Photography
January 2017
Camera: Canon 70D

Aperture: f/16
ISO: 400
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Camera: Canon 350D

Aperture: f/11
ISO: 100
Smart Photography
January 2017
Camera: Canon 70D

Aperture: f/14
ISO: 100
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Camera: Canon 70D

Aperture: f/8
ISO: 100
Smart Photography
January 2017
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Camera: Canon 550D

Aperture: f/8
ISO: 100
Smart Photography
January 2017
Camera: Canon 70D

Aperture: f/11
ISO: 100
Camera: Canon 550D

Aperture: f/13
ISO: 100
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Ski slopes at Arosa on a bright sunny day
Magic Moments
Smart Photography
January 2017
Mumbai witnessed the 12th one-man-show of photographs by the well-known homoeopath

Dr. Mukesh Batra. The exhibition a splendid collection of images from Switzerland was held at
The Piramal Art Gallery, NCPA, Nariman Point, Mumbai, between 1st and 10th December 2016. The
proceeds of the event would be sent to The Victoria Memorial School for the Blind.
56
Dr. Mukesh Batra
Dr. Mukesh Batra, apart from being a successful doctor and a proficient singer, is also an avid
photographer and his excellence in this art could be seen in his beautiful presentation of Switzerland
in all it snowy glory. It was difficult to say which was the better image, as all were equally exquisite. It
wouldnt have been wrong to title the exhibition, Switzerland in Mumbai! For those who were unable
to witness this splendour, we bring a glimpse of Switzerland to you.
A snowman with PAGI (meaning Good Morning) in German language
Smart Photography
January 2017
Houses nestled in the valley floor, surrounded by the towering Swiss Alps
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A walk through snow-flaked trees
Smart Photography
January 2017
Ski slopes
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A beautiful frozen lake that is a heaven

for skaters and ice-walkers
Endless skiing paradise with the Alps in the background
Smart Photography
January 2017
A Swiss train chugging through a mountain range
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Smart Photography
January 2017
A snow-covered cottage against the stark beauty of unspoilt nature
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Alpine family holiday
Smart Photography
January 2017
A mountain cafe for the thrill-seekers
Fresh overnight snow on cars
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VEL
A
TR
GORGEOUS
GOA
R Srinivasan
T
Pic courtesy: Rohinton Mehta
he very thought of beach

destinations and most people
would come up with the name
Goa! But lets take a look at what other
attractions Goa has to offer the avid
tourist... In fact, the Goa experience
begins right from the moment we
catch a glimpse of vibrant rustic homes
(like Mario Miranda paintings) in
every conceivable rainbow hue with
Mangalore tiled roofs that line both
sides of the meandering road, along
with swaying coconut trees even as one
heads to the hotel.
Things to see and do
Smart Photography
January 2017
Hot air ballooning: Since few things
62
This destination leaves out nothing - ample opportunities for

sightseeing, thrilling adventure sports, water-based theme
parks, spicy seafood and serene beaches, says R Srinivasan.
in the world could compare with a
balloon ride even while offering for a
great selfie opportunity and memories
to last a lifetime, we could avail of the
chance to take a hot air balloon ride,
which is now available for tourists in
Goa. Cruising at heights of about 3,000
feet, the ride offers a panoramic 360
degree aerial view of the lush green
countryside and golden brown beaches
either during sunrise or sunset. The
balloons reportedly take off from
Chandor in South Goa and the wicker
baskets can accommodate around 12
people, including a pilot who controls
the balloons ascent and descent using
a propane-fuelled burner. The balloons
that take around half an hour to inflate

are launched around 7 am and after
the hour long ride is over, the pilots
will on request give a certificate to
verify that the person has completed
the flight.
White water rafting: The white water

rafting trip begins from Earthen Pot
restaurant in Valpoi, North Goa and
is carried out on Mhadei river every
year during the monsoon from July
to September. Though the around
three-hour trip and 10 km white water
stretch is apt for adrenaline junkies,
it is safe for families. After an exciting
ride we can buy photographs of the
trip from the tour guide. Tips: Take

along dry clothes, a towel and a pair
of shoes since you are bound to be
drenched by the time the ride is over
and book the ride much in advance to
avoid getting disappointed by lack of
seats later. Also children under the age
of 12 or less than 4 feet tall will not be
allowed.
Scuba diving: This would be perfect
for those who love to see marine
life in their aquatic surroundings or
magnificent corals amid World War II
shipwrecks.
Water scooters: Water scooters

accommodating two people on a ride
are readily available at Dona Paula,
Majorda and Candolim beach and
speedboats that can achieve speeds of
up to 30-40 miles an hour are available
in some places.
Chapora houseboat: Indulge in a full
day cruise along Chapora river through

remote idyllic villages even as you
are being treated to the best of Goan
cuisine.
Conclusion
Goa offers much more than just
beaches and the best time to visit is

from October to March. Its allure is to
be seen and experienced to be fully
understood. In a few more days it will
be time to celebrate Christmas and
usher in the New Year - what better
place to spend it than Goa? |SP
Beaches in Goa
Some of the sun-kissed beaches

Calangute: The seven-km long Queen of Beaches located
15 km from Panaji also offers para-sailing opportunities.
Vagator: Adjoining Anjuna beach and about 22 km from
Panaji, the 30 km stretch is one of the most photographed
and much sought-after for midnight parties.
Anjuna: Located about 18 km from Panaji, it is famous for

its weekly Flea market, where one could buy souvenirs.
Aguada: It is the location of one of the most famous
landmarks, Fort Aguada, which is about 14 km from
Panaji.
Morjim: This Olive Ridley turtle nesting site is about 28

km from Panaji.
Bambolim: Located about 7 km from Panaji, it is perfect

for lounging on a bamboo chair in the shade of a palm
thatched umbrella or coconut trees even as we look out at
the open sea in the company of our loved ones and with
only the sound of crashing waves.
Betul About 18 km from Margao, one could catch
sight of a carpet of silvery scaled fish stretched out
for some distance along the white sand in this fishing
village. Another attraction is the Portuguese fort located
atop a hill from where one could get a great view of the
surrounding area.
Smart Photography
January 2017
Water parks: There are many waterbased theme parks that offer fun and
frolic for the entire family. The rides are
open on all days except Mondays.
63
Service your passion with

professionalism
Profoto presents its first free service campaign.*
From December 1, 2016 to February 1, 2017 you can
bring your Profoto product to any of our service
centers or collection points for service.
*Conditions apply
Service centers:
Service collection points:
Mumbai Service Centre

Abacus Enterprices / Ajay Turkar
+91 9820038965
32, Sugra Building. Tribhuvan Road Across Lamington
Road.
400 004 Mumbai
Srishti Digilife Pvt. Ltd.

(Bangalore, Service Collection Point)
08041178864
No. 52, Golden Square
3rd Floor Lalbaugh Main Road
(Next to Passport Office)
560027 Bangalore
Chennai Service Centre

044 28154778
84/90, D.V.K Towers 3rd Floor. G.N. Chetty Road
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682 019 Ernakulam, Cochin

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Banjara Hills
500 034 Hyderabad
(Kolkata, Service Collection Point)
+91 84430 99922
No. 231, Karnani Mansion, 25-A, Park Street, 2nd Floor
700 016 Kolkata
Always up to speed
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A photographer faces many different challenges every day.
Its with that in mind we created the Profoto D2. Its a breakthrough, because its the worlds fastest monolight. So for the
first time, no matter what the assignment, speed is always on
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Kolkata
Cochin Photo Emporium

Cochin
Dubai Shoppe
Hyderabad
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Bangalore
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Mehta Enterprises
Mumbai
Photosystems
Delhi
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Kolkata
V Traders
Cochin
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My Life with
Cameras...
Anil Dave
Anil Dave is a Mumbai based

Annual Report & Conceptual
Corporate Photographer
since the last 43 years.
Bill of Rs. 17/for processing a

TP roll in 1974!
Smart Photography
January 2017
started with photography in 1964

when I was studying in 6th or 7th
standard. The first film roll that I
used on my fathers Kodak Brownie
had disastrous results unknown to
me, the front element of the lens had
fallen off!
66
I then went to Idar, my native place

in Gujarat, and there I saw a Kodak
waist-level box camera at a relatives
home. The camera was unused for
a very long time. I cleaned it as best
as I could and went looking for a
Kodak film since the word Kodak
was mentioned on the camera. I then
came to know that the film used
in this camera was known as 620
format and that the camera would
yield 8 frames per roll. The Kodak
film was not available and hence I
bought a Fomapan film and took some
snapshots of my relatives. At the
film-processors shop in Kalyan, I met
a person who was then working for
A photo from the first ever roll that Anil exposed (1964)
Marg Publications. He liked the photos

and encouraged me.
In 1966, I bought my first camera
(Bunny, 120 format) along with
4 rolls and went on my school
excursion to Ajanta-Ellora. In 1969,
I graduated to a Yashica 635 (120
format) camera but soon realised
that its non-interchangeable lens was
not to my liking. Someone suggested
that I should have bought a Konica
Autoreflex 35mm type camera
instead of the Yashica 635. So that

was my next camera the Konica
Autoreflex! Once again, I realised that
I was misguided because though the
camera was a 35mm type, the lens
was not interchangeable! I dumped
the Konica and purchased a Yashica J7
SLR which had Pentax-mount thread
for lens interchangeability. After using
this camera for some time, I started
to learn about its drawbacks and
eventually got myself a Minolta SRT
101. This happened in the year 1971.
In 1973, I upgraded to the Nikon

brand and up to 1986, used different
Nikon SLRs, like the Nikkormat, Nikon
F, F2 with Motor Drive, FA, FE and F3
Titanium. Simultaneously, in 1982,
under pressure from ad agencies, I had
also bought a 120-format Hasselblad
500 with 80mm f/2.8 Normal lens
and a 50mm f/4 Distagon Wideangle lens and also used these lenses
with extension rings when needed.
After 1982, Mamiya came in with the
medium-format Mamiya 645 Super
with interchangeable film magazines
and I once again shifted my loyalty
this time to Mamiya, with 45mm Tilt/
Shift lens and sold my Hasselblad

kit. 1986-1990 saw me using a
large-format Sinar F with 135mm
f/5.6 Sironar and 46mm f/5.6 Super
Angulon lens. I used the Sinar F with a
6 x 7 cm film holder.
In 1990, I switched over to Olympus
OM-4T since they came out with a
24mm f/3.5 Perspective Control lens
(at that time, Nikon only had the
28mm and 35mm PC lenses). In those
days, I had paid Rs.29,000/- for the
OM-4T body and Rs.29,000/- for the
24mm f/3.5 PC lens!
Between 1992 and 2007, I switched

to Canon. Readers might want to know
the reason for my frequent changes. My
professional work demanded certain
lenses and formats which were not
available with every manufacturer.
Hence whenever the requirements
changed, I had no choice but to switch
to a manufacturer that offered those
lenses/formats.
Within this period, I used Canon EOS
5 (film camera, Eye Control), 1n, 20D,
5D, 1D Mark III and 1Ds (Canons first
full-frame digital SLR). I also used

extensively, the Canon 24mm, 45mm
and 90mm Tilt/Shift lenses.
2008 saw me back with Nikon with

the full-frame D3 and the Df in 2013,
which I still continue to use. |SP
Smart Photography
January 2017
As I Progressed...
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The Ones that

Did Not Make it...
Part VIII
H. S. Billimoria
he photography industry has

been through a highly exciting
but tumultuous century. During
this period, many corporates have
entered and exited the camera
business. The industry has been
severely competitive in the nineteen
sixties, seventies and eighties and this
inevitably took its toll. SP tracks those
companies that did indeed play a part
in the fortunes of the industry, but for
a variety of reasons were forced to
exit the business.
In this issue, we look at a number of

small Japanese companies that surfaced
before and during the boom years for
SLR cameras namely in the 1960s and
70s. They were, for a variety of reasons,
not able to withstand competition and
therefore had to close down.
Aires Reflex 35. The companys

foray into SLRs met with little success
and led to its bankruptcy in 1960.
Aires cameras were noted for their
interchangeable leaf shutters and had an
unusually fast 1/1000 sec shutter speed
for their time.
CIMA KOGAKU COMPANY
Cima Kogaku Company was a Japanese

lens maker and used to make lenses
for brands like Photax and Hanimex.
Later, it started making lenses for its
Smart Photography
January 2017
Aires Penta 35
68
KOWA
The Kowa Optical Company was

founded in 1946 and produced opera
glasses, binoculars and spotting
scopes. The company entered camera
Kowa E1
Cimko LS1
AIRES CAMERA WORKS
Lets begin with the AIRES CAMERA

WORKS, a Tokyo based company
which started operations in 1949 with
35mm TLRs heavily based on the Zeiss
Contaflex. The company made TLRs and
rangefinders for nearly a decade. It then
ventured into the field of SLRs with
models like the Aires Penta 35 and the
clearly wrong and the LS1 remained the

only camera that Cima ever produced.
The company continues to make
industrial lenses even today.
own brands named Cimako and Cimko.

Some Topcon lenses also were made
by Cima. The boom in the camera
market encouraged Cima to buy over
the production lines of Topcon when
Topcon
ceased
Aires Reflex 35
production in
the early 80s.
These lines
were used to
produce the
Cimko LS1
in 1982. The
timing for
the launch,
however, was
Kowa UW190
Kowa 6
ZUNOW OPTICAL
INDUSTRY:
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Fossil Park
Interview
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Profile
Sunny Oberoi
2014
2017
Tokiwa Seiki is still remembered for

putting on the market the first high
level 35mm
Firstflex 35 SLR made
in Japan.
The name
Tokiwa
means
ever green
and Seiki
stands for
precision
instruments.
Initially,
Zunow SLR
the
companys products were distributed
under the brand name FIRST.
Accordingly, the Firstflex 35 was a
leaf shutter SLR launched in 1954.
The Pentaflex followed in 1955 and
it was the first SLR with an eye level
porroprism finder. Tokiwa Seiki is
also supposed to have made a few
TLRs but, in general the quality of
their products was very average
and the company could not survive
cine cameras for other
beyond the 60s.
Japanese manufacturers.
YASHIMA KOGAKU
Its success with lenses
Yashima Kogaku was the short lived
encouraged the company
optical company that was set up and run
to venture into 35mm
by the brother of the founder of Yashica
SLRs. In 1958, the Zunow
cameras.
SLR was launched
Yashima EMC750
Yashima
and it was highly
produced just
innovative both in
one 35mm
design and handing.
SLR called
It, however, failed in
the Yashima
the market
EMC750(also
place and Zunow
known as
had to shut down in
the OSANON
1960. |SP
wherever you go...
142
Zunow Optical Industry,

formerly known as
Teikoku Kogaku, started as
a lens manufacturer and
rapidly became a leading
player in the Japanese
market to produce fast
lenses. Although the
factory of the Company
was completely destroyed
during the second World
War, it rapidly revived lens
manufacture and the first
lenses were released in
1953 as the Zunow 50mm
f/1.1. The word Zunow in
Japanese means brain.
Zunow started making
lenses for both still and
Now read your favourite magazine
TOKIWA SEIKI
750). The SLR featured an

interchangeable Pentax
Praktica thread mount.
With only a single product
at its disposal, the Yashima
company was not able
to compete and went
bankrupt in the early
1980s.
RE VI EW
production in 1954 and produced a

range of TLRs. In 1960, Kowa ventured
into the filed of amateur 35mm SLR
cameras. The Kowa E was launched in
1962 and was followed by the Kowa SE,
SW and a string of other models. The
SLRs unfortunately had a proprietary
Kowa bayonet mount which limited
their success. Kowas last SLR was the
UW190 which was launched in 1972.
Subsequently, Kowa tried its luck with
a 6 x 6m cm SLR called the Kowa 6
which met with some initial success but
then rapidly petered out. Kowa stopped
production of cameras thereafter. The
company still produces binoculars,
spotting scopes and projection lenses.
Available on
www.zinio.com/smartphotography
Digital Platform Partners
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Top 10 D-SLRs
of 2016
Sujith Gopinath
Canon
EOS 1Dx Mark II
Smart Photography
January 2017
The 1Dx Mark II is the full-frame flagship from

Canon. This 20.2 megapixel camera with Dual
DIGIC 6+ processors offers continuous shooting
speeds of up to 14 fps along with 16fps high
speed Live View shooting. Dual Pixel CMOS
and touch screen allows smooth and seamless
AF during Live View. It also boasts an expanded
AF detection area with up to 61 points
responsive to f/8. The 1Dx Mark II is capable of
recording 4K videos at 60p or 50p in addition
to Full HD 120p/100p High Frame Rate
movies. The Frame Grab function allows an
8.8 megapixels to be captured during playback
of a 4K movie. The shutter has been tested for
400,000 cycles and the body is dust and dripproof. This camera is compatible with CFast 2.0
memory cards in addition to CF cards.
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t is yet another New Year, and one that we are looking at with much
excitement. It is also the time for us to set aside the hopes, concerns and
curiosities and reflect upon a year gone by. For Smart Photography, a
reflection on the previous year cannot go by without a compilation of the best
cameras available in the market by the end of 2016. Here is a compiled list of top
D-SLRs in the market. The cameras are featured in random order and hence the
first position does not necessarily indicate that it is better than the rest. The list
includes both Full Frame and APS-C format D-SLRs.
Canon
EOS 5D Mark IV
Smart Photography
January 2017
The 5D-series has been the best selling fullframe D-SLRs from the Canon stable,
and the EOS 5D Mark IV
features major advancements.
This 30.4-megapixel camera
boasts Dual Pixel CMOS AF,
enhancing speed and precision
in AF. The camera is capable
of recording 4K videos at 25
or 30p and features 4K Frame
Grab. All 61 AF points are
f/8-sensitive, and 41 points are
capable of cross-type AF. The
camera also supports touch
screen operation of AF points
for enhanced accuracy, as well
as recording in Dual Pixel Raw
format, which allows precise
micro-adjustment of captured
images. The built-in Wi-Fi/
NFC system enables image files
to be quickly and easily backed
up or transmitted online for
real time sharing.
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Canon
EOS 7D Mark II
The APS-C Type 20.2 megapixel 7D Mark II is
an improved version of the EOS 7D. Powered
by Dual DIGIC 6 image processors, the camera
features sensitivity up to ISO 16,000. Dual
Pixel CMOS AF function provides smooth
and accurate focussing when shooting videos,
so that subjects will remain in focus even
in the most dynamic scenes. The camera
features 65-point all cross-type AF and 10 fps
continuous shooting. The AF points cover
virtually the entire frame, leading to increased
accuracy even if the subject is in rapid motion.
The 7D Mark II has a fast 55 milliseconds
shutter release time lag. A new mirror bounce
reduction mechanism allows users to switch to
Silent mode while shooting under 5 fps.
Canon
EOS 80D
Smart Photography
January 2017
The 80D was the first camera to

feature the enhanced Dual Pixel
CMOS AF. This 24-megapixel APS-C
D-SLR boasts 7.0fps continuous
shooting and a 45-point, all crosstype AF sensor. The camera can
capture videos at Full HD 60p. The
80D also features remote shooting
and image sharing with smart devices
with support to Wi-Fi and NFC.
A DIGIC 6 processor ensures high
speed processing while an enhanced
ISO sensitivity of 16000 and
expanded ISO of up to ISO 25600
allow the capture of beautiful shots
at fast shutter speeds, even in low
light conditions. A Scene Detection
System enhances overall clarity
and improves accuracy in focus on
human subjects.
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Nikon
D5
This new full-frame flagship from Nikon was

launched with much fanfare. The 20.8-megapixel
D5 features an autofocus system with 153 focus
points including 99 cross-type sensors. The
cross-type sensors are distributed efficiently
in central and peripheral areas for freedom of
composition. An EXPEED 5 image processor
delivers saturated colours and improved clarity
between ISO 100 and 102400. It has a buffer that
can accommodate up to 200 Raw images during
a high-speed burst. The camera has 4K/UHD
video capability and a new radio-controlled
flash system. 12-fps continuous shooting speeds
ensure that the picture opportunity is not lost
due to fast action. The camera can accept the
fast XQD cards in addition to SD card. Standard
sensitivity is up to ISO 102400.
Nikon
The D500 is the new DX flagship
of Nikon, launched along with
the D5. The D500 lets you capture
images with stunning clarity, speed
and resolution. The 20.9-megapixel
camera features 153 focus points with
99 cross type sensors with broader
and denser image area coverage for
better performance. The camera
can record cinema quality 4K UHD
video. The D5000 also features
SnapBridge to display and share
images using your smart devices.
The camera can capture images at
a high-speed continuous speed of
approximately 10 fps, making it ideal
for fast action. The camera accepts
XQD memory cards in addition to
SD cards.
Smart Photography
January 2017
D500
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Nikon
D810
The 36.3-megapixel D810 offers highmegapixel video and still photography

with the full-frame CMOS sensor. The
camera can capture Full HD 1080/60p
video with reduced moir and noise.
The high-resolution sensor ensures
sharpness beyond usual levels when
combined with superior optics. The fullframe sensor boasts wide dynamic range
from ISO 64 to 12800. An EXPEED
4 image-processing engine renders
high-definition images with enhanced
sharpness, rich tonality, accurate colour
reproduction and low noise. The camera
features the Flat Picture Control for
better control over the images.
Nikon
D750
Smart Photography
January 2017
The Nikon D750 is the smallest and

lightest Nikon FX-format model and
features a 24.3-megapixel CMOS
sensor. A tilting LCD monitor and
built-in Wi-Fi enhance the user
experience. The camera can capture
continuous images at up to 6.5
fps. A high-density 51-point AF
system with 15 cross-type sensors
ensures enhanced focus detection
performance in extremely lowlight situations. All focus points are
responsive at f/5.6. An Advanced
Scene Recognition System, utilizing
a 91K-pixel RGB sensor delivers high
accuracy in AF, exposure control and
flash control, with added priority to
human faces. The double SD card
slots can be configured for overflow,
backup storage or for separate storage
of NEF and JPEG images.
74
Nikon
D3400
The 3400 is the new entry-level D-SLR from

Nikon and it adds SnapBridge connectivity for
viewing and sharing images with the help of
smartphones. The 24.2-megapixel D3400 offers
sensitivities ranging from ISO 100 to 25600,
and features a 11-point autofocus system. The
camera can record Full HD 1080/60p videos.
The D3400 incorporates 10 special effects,
which you can apply to your photos and videos.
The camera accepts an SD card for storage.
Pentax
The K1 is the first 35mm full-frame
D-SLR from Pentax, and features a
36.4-megapixel CMOS image sensor.
The K1 features a newly designed
PRIME IV imaging engine, finetuned to process higher-resolution
images, while boosting the operating
frequency by nearly 50 percent. Its
noise-processing algorithm has also
been upgraded to capture beautiful,
fine-gradation images at higher
sensitivities. The camera offers a top
sensitivity of ISO 204800. The K1
offers Pixel Shift Resolution along
with in-body Shake Reduction
mechanism. The Pixel Shift System
captures four images of the same
scene by shifting the image sensor
and combines them into a superhigh-resolution image.
Smart Photography
January 2017
K1
75
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Destination name.This is to ensure that your correct name appears in the magazine
along with the image.(e.g: If your name is RAVI SHARMA, rename the entry as
RAVI SHARMA_Gateway of India _Mumbai.JPG . This is to ensure that your correct
name appears in the magazine along with the image.
Dis
o
it M
nas
y,
ter
d
, La
y
e
all
ra V
y
B
Ask your question to Uncle at sp@nextgenpublishing.net
Ask Uncle
Ronnie
Which AF Points?
I am using a Nikon D810. I generally

use the Group AF for photographing
birds. This works well most of the
time, but sometimes I feel that the
images (especially of small birds)
are not as sharp as I would like. Any
suggestions?
Arthur S. via email.
The Group AF, as the name suggests,

is a cluster (group) of AF sensors
which work together like a single large
autofocus sensor. This works very well
for large birds (even in flight). When
photographing small birds, especially
those sitting on a tree branch, I would
opt for the Single point AF, which
has a better chance of locking on the
subject; with the Group AF, the leaves/

twigs surrounding the small bird could
cause the AF system to focus on the
leaves/twigs instead of the bird and
this can be a cause of the issue you
mention.
Travel Photography
I am planning to pursue travel

photography as my career. Can you
please guide me through?
Tina Khan, via email
The world is a book, and those who do

not travel read only one page. Saint
Augustine
Group-area AF points
As photographers, we love to travel.

Sometimes, we travel to take pictures;
at other times, pictures inspire us
to travel. But we mortals cannot fly
like Superman from one location to
another; we travel by air, road, rail,
or the sea. And of course, the biggest
issue is the finance we have to pay
for the journey, hotel accommodation,
local transport at site, expensive
food and what not. Add to that the
money we spend on our photographic
equipment!
Smart Photography
January 2017
Financial support to pay for our

travels is probably the main problem.
If we could make travel photography
as our career, we would have the best
of both worlds, so to say.
78
Single point AF
But what can you photograph? Who

will buy your photographs? These,
and many more questions will come
to mind. The global tourism industry
is mind-bogglingly large. There
are literally thousands of subjects
tourist attractions, hill-stations,
scenery, places of local interests, local
markets, attractive homes, home
decor, hotels, restaurants, photos of
local inhabitants, local industries,
local food and drinks, toys, specialties,
But who will need these images?

International tourism boards,
local tourism boards, travel
agencies, advertisement agencies,
manufacturers of sports goods, vehicle
manufacturers, fashion designers,
manufacturers of shoes/hiking boots...
if you ponder over it, images are
required by every industry; the world
revolves around advertisements. Your
job, besides taking good pictures,
is to approach them with your
portfolio and keep on trying to make
an inroad. This may not be easy for
various reasons, and there may be no
short-cuts. Also, to be recognised as
a professional travel photographer,
and to start earning money with your
travel photos can take time. So dont
be disheartened if your initial efforts
do not pay dividends. Keep trying and
you will succeed. Also keep in mind
that for your photos to sell, they must
be better than (or at least as good as)
what others have already provided to
the organisations that require those
images. For this, you could try your
images to be different from the runof-the-mill images. Look for different
viewpoints and perspectives that
others may not have tried. Dont be
afraid to experiment.
version is too costly and the Canon

200-600 is nowhere on the horizon).
Abhijit Tokekar, via email
Adapters are available to attach Nikon

lenses to Canon bodies, but not Canon
lenses to Nikon bodies! And just for
information, when you use such an
adapter, you lose Autofocus, Auto
Aperture Control as well as VR!
If you are considering the Nikon D500

and decide to go for it, you could
consider the AF-S Nikkor 200-500mm
f/5.6E ED VR lens.
If you are looking at a higher reach,

you could consider a 150-600mm lens.
Between the Tamron and Sigma (C)
150-600mm, I would opt for the Sigma
lens.
Nikon D500
Soft Backgrounds
To create soft out of focus

backgrounds, one needs
a fast lens with as wide
an aperture as possible. I
cannot afford such lenses.
Is there any other way out?
Lens Adapters
I am currently a Canon user (550D

and 70D). I am interested in bird/
wildlife photography and also
am into a little bit of aviation
photography. I currently use a 100400mm (the older version). Are
there any Canon-Nikon adapters /
converters that will let me retain
the AF and aperture setting controls
if I attach a Canon lens on a Nikon
body? The reason is that I am getting
more and more tempted looking at
the capabilities of the Nikon D500;
the Canon 7D Mark 2 is nowhere
close for my kind of requirements.
(Shifting loyalties would burn a big
hole in my pocket). Secondly, which
of the 150-600mm lens, between
Tamron and Sigma (C) would you
go for... if you were me! (the Sigma S
A. B. Sawant, via email
With any lens, the closer

you go to the subject, the
softer will be the quality of
the out of focus background.
In other words, a framefilling shot will have a better
bokeh than one that fills
only half the frame.
AF-S Nikkor 200-500mm

f/5.6E ED VR
Sigma 150-600mm C
Besides the aperture, the

focal length too plays an
important role in creating
a smooth bokeh. In general,
the longer the focal length,
softer the background.
If you can combine the
characteristics use a
Smart Photography
January 2017
architecture, museums, opera houses,

transport systems like trains/buses/
steamers, schools, colleges, picnic
spots, photos showing the different
seasons; the list can be almost endless.
79
K
AS
NIE
N
O
ER
L
C
UN
Medium tone background correct exposure
White background - Subject underexposed
a 500mm lens
at its minimum
focussing distance
and at its widest
aperture. You
could also use a
85mm lens, wide
open, to take the
same portrait. In
both the cases,
the subject will
look different; the
longer lens will
give an impression
of compressing the
face whereas the
85mm lens will
make the subject
look proper.
Manual
Exposure
Mode
Smart Photography
January 2017
Black background - Subject overexposed
80
long focal length lens, go as close as

possible to the subject and use the
widest aperture available, you could
get a very soft background.
Do keep in mind though, different

focal length lenses will provide a
different look to the image. You could,
for example, take a portrait using
I dont
understand the
logic behind
having Manual
exposure
mode. I have
photographed
the same subject
using Aperture
Priority (at
f/11) as well as
Shutter Priority
(using the same
shutter speed
that I got when
using Aperture
Priority) and
found both
exposures to be
perfect. Manual
exposure on the
other hand, is
cumbersome
to set up as you
have to fiddle
around getting
the correct setting. So why is Manual
exposure setting provided?
(Name withheld on request, telephonic inquiry)
I agree with you that setting

exposure via Aperture Priority
and Shutter Priority is easier and
quicker. But Manual exposure plays
a very important role. Please try this
experiment.
1) On a sunny day, place a subject in

front of medium tone background.
Ensure that the lighting is frontal.
From a reasonably far distance, take
the shot using Aperture Priority
mode. Do not fill the frame with your
subject; in other words, leave ample
space around the subject.
2) Repeat the shot, but this time
make sure that the background is
very light in tone (like open, toneless
sky). The aperture you use here
should be identical to what you used
earlier. Be certain that the light has
not changed either.
3) Once again repeat the shot,
but this time make sure that the
background is very dark (like deep
shade). The aperture you use here
should be identical to what you used
earlier. Be certain that the light has
not changed either.
4) Examine the three shots on your

computer. What do you find? The first
shot (with medium tone background)
is likely to be perfect in terms of
exposure; in other words, the subject
would have been perfectly exposed.
5) In the second shot, where the

background was light in tone, the
subject will be underexposed while in
the third shot, where the background
was dark, the subject will be
overexposed.
Remember, the lighting has not
changed for all the three shots; the
subject has not changed either. So then
why are the three exposures different?
The reason is that, with reflective
light metering (the type we have in
our cameras), exposures can change
depending on the tonality of the
background. But when you meter in
Manual Exposure mode, the exposure
does not change due to the reflectivity
of the background. So once you find
the correct exposure in Manual
exposure mode, you do not have to
worry about any change in exposure
due to the tonality of the background,
unless the lighting changes. If the
lighting changes, you have to recheck the exposure. |SP
If
Original
E-mail your images at sp@nextgenpublishing.net
Our Imaging Expert

No one can take a picture that everyone likes. But,
almost every picture can have scope of improvement.
Often, we are not our best critics, while others can
immediately point out the faults. In If I were you,
our expert comments on how your pictures could be
taken to another level.
Camera: Canon EOS 760D;

Focal Length: 400mm
Aperture: f/5.6;
Shutter Speed: 1/500 sec;
ISO: 100
Rohinton Mehta,
Technical Editor, Smart Photography
The Deer
legs are cut off. Also, the man-made

structure in the background, is
disturbing, at least to me.
This picture comes to us via email

from Zitesh Kaushal of Himachal
Pradesh. He hasnt mentioned why
he has sent this picture so I take it
that it was meant for If I Were You.
In the edited image, I irst toned

down the antlers, cropped the
image (to make it like a portrait
In terms of composition, it is good

that you have left enough space
to the left of the deer, where it is
looking. But I do not like the way its
and at the same time, reduce

the disturbing background)
and then sharpened the image,
especially the eye. I still felt that
the background was asking for
attention and hence I toned down
the background too.
Edited
Edited
One Legged Stand
Original
SP reader Nilesh Charde

has once again sent a
picture for review. I am
glad that some readers
are taking image editing
seriously.
I opened your original image in

Photoshop and applied a 0.5%
Gaussian Blur (Filter > Blur > Gaussian
Blur) to try and subdue the grungy
effect. You can also see the 100% crop
of the edited image.

Lens: EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS II
Aperture: F/5.6
ISO: 200
82
100%
crop of
Edited
Whenever sharpening an image in

Photoshop, irst enlarge the image to
100% (earlier, I used to often suggest
50%), apply the sharpening, pre-view

the effect of sharpening, re-adjust if
necessary and only then accept the edit.
LE
AR
Image Editing
Smart Photography
January 2017
Smart Photography
January 2017
Nilesh, while this is a

good attempt, you have
over-sharpened the
image; most beginners
do so. Just look at the
100% crop of your
original image. It has
become grungy and the
white halo around the
bird conirms the oversharpening.
82
If I Were You
83
NIN
- PART 2
Rohinton Mehta
In Image Editing Part I (Smart Photography, December

2016), we discussed the various important settings that we
need to set in Photoshop before we can use it optimally.
n page 107 of that issue, we had

mentioned that in Photoshop,
the Screen Resolution is set by
default to 72 pixels per inch (ppi). We
had further said that this point will be
discussed in the next issue of SP. So
here goes...
accurately judge the final print? In

other words, the on-screen preview
does not match the actual print size
and due to this, it is not possible to
get an exact idea of how the final print
will appear in terms of sharpness and
visual impact.
For quite some time now, I was

helping a lady do her basic edits in
Photoshop. Every time, she would
take a measuring scale and measure
the image size on the screen and then
complain that the measured size never
matched the print size. Why was that?
This happens because the Screen

Resolution is generally set to 72ppi,
when actually, the figure is something
different. For some reason or the
other, most people feel that the screen
resolution is 72ppi, which it is not!
The Issue
Let us say that we are working on

an image that is, for example, 12x8.
If you check the Print Size, it will
show as 12x8; a print, if made, will
also be 12x8, but if you actually take
a measuring scale and measure the
image on the screen, it will show some
different size!
Note: In Photoshop CS6, if you once
click on the Zoom Tool, you will see
on the Options Bar at the top, the
following 4 boxes: Actual Pixels, Fit
Screen, Fill Screen and Print Size.
Why Does This Happen?
The Solution
Ensure that your computer screen is

set to its native resolution. We will go
along using my office computer screen
as an example. The screen that I am
using is a 24 Asus ProArt screen that
has a maximum resolution of 1920 x
1200 pixels. So I need to make sure
that the screen resolution is set to 1920
x 1200 pixels and not to some other
value. This also means that there are

1920 pixels covering the width of my
screen.
Measure the exact width of your
computer screen in inches, but
without the screen bezel. This means
that you measure the actual screen
size, from extreme left to extreme
right. In my case, this size happens
to be 20.5 (Note that when we say
a screen is 24, we are talking of the
diagonal and not the width or the
height).
Now divide the width in pixels
(1920 in this case) by the actual
measured screen width in inches
(20.5 as measured). This gives
us 93.6585 pixels as the linear
resolution, which we shall round up
to 94 pixels per linear inch.
Now that we have calculated the

exact linear resolution, we need to set
this resolution in the Units & Rulers
Smart Photography
January 2017
In Photoshop CC, however, the Print

Size option is not shown. You will have
to go to View > Print Size.
The question is, why dont the final print

size and the measured image on your
screen, match? And since the image
viewed is different in size compared
to the actual print size, how can you
85
Picture 1: An example of a panorama. This is the result of merging 4 images.
NIN
85
Image Editing - Part 2
Debraj Chakraborty
AR
LE
Picture perfect
Debraj Chakraborty
e saw on Facebook, a very

interesting picture by
Debraj Chakraborty. For the
benefit of our readers, we requested
him to write to us and explain how
he went about capturing such a
beautiful image, and Debraj happily
agreed. This picture reminds us what
Ansel Adams once said, You dont
take a photograph, you make it.
Thank you Debraj for sharing your
creativity. Heres what he had to say
about his image...
Smart Photography
January 2017
I love to shoot water and its a key

element in most of my landscape shots.
As I belong to North East of India, I am
blessed with lots of waterfalls, lakes
and rivers nestled in-between its hilly
terrain. Often, while shooting these
water sources, I like to experiment with
shutter speeds that depict the different
characters of water. Likewise seascapes
also attract me a lot but staying faraway
from our coastline doesnt give me
enough opportunity to photograph
seascapes. But this November I zeroed
into some parts of our west coast the
Karnataka and Konkan coastline which
presented some exciting places to shoot
with its rugged rocky beaches and
islands.
90
The photograph you see here is from an

island called St. Marys Island, just off
the Malpe coast near to Udupi. This was
on my list for a long time for its amazing
hexagonal basalt rock columns which
are unique of its kind in India. With a
new set of filter system that I received
from Nisi India and especially the 10stop Neutral Density filter, it became
even more exciting to shoot those rock
formations while blurring out the details
of the sea which gives a surreal touch to
the image.
A 10-stop ND filter reduces the amount
of light hitting the cameras sensor
by about 1000 times. To balance the
exposure while using this filter, we need

to use a longer shutter speed (balance
the exposure by using a shutter speed
10 stops slower). The longer shutter
speed causes motion blur in moving
elements within the image, even in
full sunlight, making it look surreal.
So talking about the techniques used
behind this scene, I was using a Nikon
D810 camera with a Nikon 16-35mm
ultra-wide-angle lens set at an aperture
of f/11 at 16mm. The camera was
mounted on a tripod and a trigger
release was used to fire the shutter. The
first thing I did was to find a suitable
composition as I would for any shot.
I wanted to achieve the misty-water
look. So I found some rocks with water
splashing over them and composed
my shot without the ND filter, as it is
not possible to see the subject once a
10-stop ND filter is attached to the lens.
Its vital to use a sturdy tripod with
such shots due to the long exposures.
Once I had the shot composed, the
next step was to correctly focus and
lock it there (typically, manual focus is
the best option). At this point I took a
test shot without the ND filter (camera
on Aperture Priority mode) and then
multiplied the shutter speed by 1000.
As an example, if at ISO 100 and f/11,
the shutter speed is 1/100, then the
required shutter speed with the 10stop ND filter would be 10 seconds
with the camera set to manual mode
(1/100 sec = 0.01 sec x 10000 = 10 sec).
Based upon the calculation done on
the settings without filters, my settings
for this particular shot were f/11, and
25 seconds at ISO 64. Focal length was
16mm. There are also exposure charts
available for 10-stop ND filters on the
internet. I downloaded one and printed
it on a small card and laminated it for
ready reference in the field, which saves
me a lot of time. If the shutter speed
goes beyond 30 seconds, I use the Bulb
setting in Manual exposure mode on
my camera and use the stop-watch
feature on my smartphone or a wristwatch to end the exposure at the correct

calculated time. Using the cameras
mirror lock-up or exposure delay or the
electronic front curtain (if available on
your camera) can yield sharper images
by avoiding the minor vibrations during
the exposure.
Technique alone cannot make a shot
standout or stunning; some sense of
aesthetics together with subtly-done
post processing will definitely improve
the shot. Here in this image I kept the
sky part less, as the sky was not as
interesting as the land was with those

bizarre rock formations. I looked for a
good foreground element as it leads the
viewers eye into the scene and also give
a sense of being in that place. The light
falling on the distant columnar rock face
and a lone crow sitting on it, also added
to the image. The surreal misty-looking
water which resulted from using a
strong ND filter, adds to the image by
not dragging too much attention and
making those rocky structure stand out.
A decent amount of work has also gone
in post processing as I wanted to make
it a gray-scale image. The foreground

textures were accentuated a bit more
then those distant objects to give depth
to the image. Subtle adjustment has
been done while converting the RAW
file in Adobe Lightroom and later in
Photoshop to adjust the tonalities
in some isolated parts of the image.
This was done using custom-made
luminosity masks and applying the
adjustment through those masks,
which makes the adjustments not look
obvious. As this is a black and white
image, the blacks and whites in the
image have to look really rich; which
means the darkest black part to be

true black and brightest white part to
be true white but it has got a thin line
where parts of the image is not over or
underexposed in the process.
Lots have been discussed regarding

this picture here but I feel that there is
no perfect recipe for a better picture.
Experimentation is the key and one
has to try new things without fear
of failure. Some of my very useful
learnings were from my failure and
also the learning curve has to stay with
one at all times. |SP
Smart Photography
January 2017
91
hy
G rap
NIN otog
AR g Ph
LE tandin
An avid collector of photographic books and vintage cameras, Ashok has a keen interest in the history of
photography and a passion for sharing his knowledge on photography through teaching and writing. He is
presently working as a Management and Engineering consultant. You can see his work at http://www.flickr.com/
photos/ashok_kandimalla. He can be reached at kashokk@gmail.com
Making Perspective and

Alignment Corrections
in Post-processing
Perspective, as we tell our readers often, is a rarely

understood phenomenon that occurs in our daily life. It
also has a significant impact on our images.
Smart Photography
January 2017
et us start with a recap of

perspective and look at what
it means to us photographers.
Simply put, objects closer to the camera
appear larger than those that are far
away due to perspective. This property
can be used to create an illusion
of depth in a flat two-dimensional
photograph (either when printed
or viewed on a monitor). It is best
understood by looking at an example
(Picture 1).
92
This effect gets more pronounced as the

foreground elements get closer to your
camera and as the distance between
foreground and background elements
increases (Picture 2).
Picture 1: In this picture, the camera was placed close
to the foreground element, a rock. This has made it
large relative to the elements in the background, giving
the impression of depth - that the shore of the lake is
very far away. This is a classic example on the use of
perspective as a depth cue. Here, the foreground rock
literally works like a stepping stone into the picture.
Picture perfect
However, post-processing software

packages like Lightroom have now
come up with some really sophisticated
features to correct perspective errors.
These allow you to emulate most of the
movements that you can do with a view
The author, Ashok Kandimalla has been in the photographic field for over three decades and has extensive
experience in both film and digital photography. Being an electronics engineer by profession and a photographer,
he possesses a unique and deep insight into the technical aspects of digital photography and equipment. He has
published several articles on photography and some of his writings have also been published in the well-known
international magazine Popular Photography.
Ashok Kandimalla
90
have shifting capability (called Tilt and

Shift lenses). Both these solutions while
technically excellent, cost a lot!
Smart Photography has been continually receiving requests to start a basic course for beginners. With this in
mind, we have asked a very knowledgeable photographer from Hyderabad to take over writing these articles. We
have also requested him to be as jargon-free as it is possible, so that newcomers to photography feel comfortable
to pursue the hobby.
Picture 3: The leaning of the building is due to

perspective you are close to the base of the building
(making it appear large) and far from the top (making it
look small). It is not because of focal length. This is not
distortion either.
Picture 2: The size of the foreground element will become

relatively large compared to the background element
when distance D1 decreases and/or D2 increases.
While creation of depth is a positive trait

of perspective, it also produces some bad
side effects. It is very likely that you have
taken a photograph of a tall building
from a close distance by standing near
the base of the building and tilting the
camera upwards. When you look at such
a photograph you would have noticed
that the building appears to lean
backwards as if it is falling!
That is, vertical sides of the building are

no longer vertical. The parallel sides of
the building look to be converging at the
top (Picture 3). This is once again due to
perspective. This happens because you
are very close to the base of building
(foreground), making it look large. You
are also far from the top of the building
(background) making it look small. This
makes the sides of the building look as if
they are converging at the top and hence
gives the impression that the building is
leaning.
Before we move on to the topic of
correcting this issue, there are two
very important facts that you should
remember:
First, this effect occurs only due to the

relative distance of the foreground and
background elements. It is completely
independent of the focal length!
Second, this leaning effect is often
erroneously labeled as distortion. This
is simply not correct. Perspective is not
distortion. Distortion is the inability of
the lens to render straight lines, straight.
So, how do you rectify such a situation?
One solution is to move away from the
building so that the relative difference

in distance between you and the top
and base of the building is very less.
This reduces the difference in size (on
the image) between the top and base
of the building thus correcting this
leaning. Another way, is to photograph
the building from an opposite building
(if there is one) while you are about
mid-way in height to the building being
photographed. This way, your imaging
sensor (back of the camera) will be
parallel to the other building and there
will be no issue with the perspective.
The best solution is to shift the lens.
For this you can use a technical camera
with movements. If you want to use a
D-SLR, the solution is to use lenses that
(technical) camera, in software, post

picture capture.
Before we proceed with the procedure

for correcting the perspective, let
me also mention about one mistake
nearly everyone commits. This is the
misalignment of the horizon. Also called
the crooked or misaligned horizon,
this simply means that the horizon is
not level or in other words not perfectly
horizontal. This happens when you
dont hold the camera level, that is,
the base is not parallel to the ground
(Picture 4). The effect will be obvious
even if the horizon is tilted less than
a degree! An inclined horizon looks
worse if there is a water body, as water
maintains (Picture 5) its own level.
Smart Photography
January 2017
rs
e
Und
Learnings
I Were
You
100%
crop of
Original
93
92

in Post-processing
If
Our Imaging Expert

No one can take a picture that everyone likes. But,
almost every picture can have scope of improvement.
Often, we are not our best critics, while others can
immediately point out the faults. In If I were you,
our expert comments on how your pictures could be
taken to another level.
I Were
You
Rohinton Mehta,
Technical Editor, Smart Photography
The Deer
legs are cut off. Also, the man-made

structure in the background, is
disturbing, at least to me.
This picture comes to us via email

from Zitesh Kaushal of Himachal
Pradesh. He hasnt mentioned why
he has sent this picture so I take it
that it was meant for If I Were You.
In the edited image, I irst toned

down the antlers, cropped the
image (to make it like a portrait
In terms of composition, it is good

that you have left enough space
to the left of the deer, where it is
looking. But I do not like the way its
Edited
Smart Photography
January 2017
Original
82

Lens: EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS II
Aperture: F/5.6
ISO: 200
and at the same time, reduce

the disturbing background)
and then sharpened the image,
especially the eye. I still felt that
the background was asking for
attention and hence I toned down
the background too.
Original
100%
crop of
Original
Camera: Canon EOS 760D;

Focal Length: 400mm
Aperture: f/5.6;
Shutter Speed: 1/500 sec;
ISO: 100
Edited
One Legged Stand
SP reader Nilesh Charde

has once again sent a
picture for review. I am
glad that some readers
are taking image editing
seriously.
I opened your original image in

Photoshop and applied a 0.5%
Gaussian Blur (Filter > Blur > Gaussian
Blur) to try and subdue the grungy
effect. You can also see the 100% crop
of the edited image.
100%
crop of
Edited
Whenever sharpening an image in

Photoshop, irst enlarge the image to
100% (earlier, I used to often suggest
50%), apply the sharpening, pre-view

the effect of sharpening, re-adjust if
necessary and only then accept the edit.
Smart Photography
January 2017
Nilesh, while this is a

good attempt, you have
over-sharpened the
image; most beginners
do so. Just look at the
100% crop of your
original image. It has
become grungy and the
white halo around the
bird conirms the oversharpening.
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IF I WERE YOU
Note: If I Were You is meant to encourage and guide readers, and help them
improve their photography. Please ensure that the required camera/exposure
details are sent to us (or are available in the EXIF data). We shall not accept images
for this section if the required data is not available. Readers are requested to send
their images at 300ppi for 8 x 10-inch size. If they are too small, working on them is
difficult, and hence they may be rejected.
Old Man
Smart Photography reader

Manish Sitlani from Vadodara
has sent us two photos of an
old gentleman one original
and the other, edited by him.
He says I clicked the photo
with a Samsung Galaxy Grand
Prime mobile phone. Contrast,
saturation and sharpness have
been adjusted using Snapseed
to intensify the feeling. He
wants to know my views.
Manish, I am glad that you have

made this effort to edit your
image, though I must say that
the effect has been overdone.
Even without looking at the
original image, one can say
that something has been done
to the photo. The white halo
around the old mans hands,
Original
Smart Photography
January 2017
Edited by
Manish Sitlani
84
Edited
by Uncle
Ronnie
the darkening of his white T-shirt

and dhoti, and the change in the skin
texture/detail, especially on his legs,
tell me that you have gone too far in
your edits.
Please see my version of the edit. You

will notice deeper blacks, and his hair
and beard have been made a bit whiter
compared to your original image. It is
possible that his hair and beard were
not as white as you see in my edited
image, but then, this is the way I like it.
You are the master of your image and
hence you should feel free to change/
alter whatever you desire, as long
as they are within accepted limits.
Remember, as an artist, you dont take
a photo, you make one! |SP
Camera: Samsung Galaxy Grand Prime;
Aperture: f/2.2;
Shutter speed: 1/250 sec;
ISO: 50
LE
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Image Editing
NIN
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Rohinton Mehta
In Image Editing Part I (Smart Photography, December

2016), we discussed the various important settings that we
need to set in Photoshop before we can use it optimally.
n page 107 of that issue, we had

mentioned that in Photoshop,
the Screen Resolution is set by
default to 72 pixels per inch (ppi). We
had further said that this point will be
discussed in the next issue of SP. So
here goes...
accurately judge the final print? In

other words, the on-screen preview
does not match the actual print size
and due to this, it is not possible to
get an exact idea of how the final print
will appear in terms of sharpness and
visual impact.
For quite some time now, I was

helping a lady do her basic edits in
Photoshop. Every time, she would
take a measuring scale and measure
the image size on the screen and then
complain that the measured size never
matched the print size. Why was that?
This happens because the Screen

Resolution is generally set to 72ppi,
when actually, the figure is something
different. For some reason or the
other, most people feel that the screen
resolution is 72ppi, which it is not!
The Issue
Let us say that we are working on

an image that is, for example, 12x8.
If you check the Print Size, it will
show as 12x8; a print, if made, will
also be 12x8, but if you actually take
a measuring scale and measure the
image on the screen, it will show some
different size!
Note: In Photoshop CS6, if you once
click on the Zoom Tool, you will see
on the Options Bar at the top, the
following 4 boxes: Actual Pixels, Fit
Screen, Fill Screen and Print Size.
Why Does This Happen?
The Solution
Ensure that your computer screen is

set to its native resolution. We will go
along using my office computer screen
as an example. The screen that I am
using is a 24 Asus ProArt screen that
has a maximum resolution of 1920 x
1200 pixels. So I need to make sure
that the screen resolution is set to 1920
x 1200 pixels and not to some other
value. This also means that there are

1920 pixels covering the width of my
screen.
Measure the exact width of your
computer screen in inches, but
without the screen bezel. This means
that you measure the actual screen
size, from extreme left to extreme
right. In my case, this size happens
to be 20.5 (Note that when we say
a screen is 24, we are talking of the
diagonal and not the width or the
height).
Now divide the width in pixels
(1920 in this case) by the actual
measured screen width in inches
(20.5 as measured). This gives
us 93.6585 pixels as the linear
resolution, which we shall round up
to 94 pixels per linear inch.
Now that we have calculated the

exact linear resolution, we need to set
this resolution in the Units & Rulers
The question is, why dont the final print

size and the measured image on your
screen, match? And since the image
viewed is different in size compared
to the actual print size, how can you
Smart Photography
January 2017
In Photoshop CC, however, the Print

Size option is not shown. You will have
to go to View > Print Size.
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field in Photoshop Preferences. In case

you have forgotten how to do this, in
Photoshop, go to Edit > Preference >
Units and Rulers (Mac users to go to
Photoshop > Preferences). In the New
Document Preset Resolution box, set the
Screen Resolution to 94 Pixels/Inch
as you can see in the printscreen on
page 85.
Note: Please do your own calculations
for your own computer screen and set
the Screen Resolution to whatever figure
you arrive at. Do not merely set your
Screen Resolution to 94 ppi; it will not
work!
to do the same thing. Yet another reason

is that most newcomers to Photoshop, do
not know what to do next once an image
is opened. In other words, they do not
have a fair idea as to what is lacking in
the image and unless you know what the
issues are, how can you find a solution?
Dont worry if you are in that group; just
follow our instructions. Also keep in
mind that this series of articles are meant
to be tutorials and are not intended to
replace (nor can it replace) any book/s
on Photoshop.
There are just too many things that
may not be perfect in your images.
For example, your image may have

dust spots, the horizon could be
tilted, the image could be lacking in
contrast, the shadows could be blocked
(underexposed), the highlights could
have blown out (overexposed), the White
Balance could be wrong; the list can
be almost endless. Your first step is to
identify the problems; you cannot have a
solution unless you know the problems!
In this series, we will take images
that need editing and work stepby-step towards our goal. You can
download the image that I work on,
from the following URL:
http://smartphotography.in/imageediting-part-2/. The image will be
available for download till 31st
March 2017.
We shall take our first step using an

image that is easy to edit. We shall call
it Image 1. Do remember what I have
said earlier; there are several methods
to edit an image. If your method differs
from mine, it does not mean that one of
us is wrong.
Step 1: Identify what is wrong. At this
stage, dont worry if your judgment is
off, because this is a learning process.
Now go to Edit > Preferences
> Performance and navigate to
Graphics Processor Settings and
ensure that you check (tick) the Use
Graphic Processor box as you can see
in the printscreen above.
Re-start Photoshop to let the
settings take effect.
Smart Photography
January 2017
Now that we have completed our

basic settings for the optimal
working of Photoshop, let us proceed
further.
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What is the aim or what

is the result that you are
looking for?
Let us first understand as to why

Photoshop appears so overwhelming
to most users. One reason is that there
is much to learn and the other reason
is because it offers various methods
Image 1
So, lets see what is wrong with the

image.
a) The picture is lacking in contrast

and is on the lighter side
b) The horizon is tilted
Step 2: Decide on the tool that you will

use to rectify the problem. It is very
rare that you will be able to rectify
any problem using just one tool. So be
prepared to use several tools, if need be.
In this case, we will start with what is
known as Levels. Levels allow us to
adjust contrast and thereby, indirectly, to
adjust the dynamic range of our image.
Like any tool, Levels can be used the

right way or the wrong way. We shall
start with the wrong way. I believe that
it is important to know what is wrong,
if you want to learn what is right!
The Wrong Way to use Levels
The short-cut to Levels is Ctrl + L

(keep the Ctrl key pressed and at the
same time, press the L key). When you
do that, a dialog box as you see below,
will open. Under the histogram, you
can see three small sliders Black, Gray
and White. The black slider controls
the dark tones (shadows), the gray
slider controls the middle tones and
the white slider controls the lighter
tones (highlights). Moving the black
In this case, most beginners will move the

black slider to the right till he/she feels
it is okay. Similarly, he/she will move the
white slider to the left till the whites look
okay. The problem here is, what is okay?
Ten different photographers working on
the same image could move the sliders
to different positions. There has to be a
more organised method; and thankfully,
there is.
But before you can follow the correct

method (which will come soon), there
is one more thing to know.
When you do a Ctrl + L and adjust
the Levels, you would be working
directly on the image pixels and this
is not a good way to proceed. Working
directly on the image pixels is known
as Destructive Editing and should be
avoided.
The Right Way
Press the F7 key on the keyboard to

open what is known as the Layers
Panel. (Some computers require that
you press the Func key along with the

F7 key). Note that the original image is
shown as the Background with a blue
band and that there is a lock to prevent
you from inadvertently ruining your
image. (Printscreen - Layers panel)
Click on the half-black, half-white

circle at the bottom of the Layers panel
and select Levels from the drop-down
Menu. When you click on the halfblack, half-white circle at the bottom
of the Layers Panel, you are creating
an Adjustment Layer. Adjustment
Layers allow us to edit our images nondestructively. If you are not satisfied
with the edits you have made, just drag
the adjustment layer into the Trashcan
at the bottom of the Layers Panel.
Before you start using Levels through

the Adjustment Layer, I want you to
create one more setting. When you
create an adjustment layer and select
Levels, youll see this dialog box as well
as the Properties dialog box :
Click on the very small downward
pointing arrow with the small four
Layers Panel
slider to the right will darken the dark

tones; moving the white slider to the
left will lighten the highlights. Moving
the gray slider to the left will lighten
the mid-tones, moving it to the right
will darken the mid-tones.
Layer drop-down Menu
on the Properties box

lines
and
select Auto Options
from the drop-down menu. A new
dialog box, named Auto Color
Correction options will open.
(Printscreen on top, next page).
Select Find Dark and Light Colors
Smart Photography
January 2017
Ctrl + L
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Now that the main job is over, we shall see

how to correct for the sloping horizon.
Lets have a look at the Toolbox. The
Toolbox can be configured in a single
column or two columns by clicking on
the or arrows. I prefer the single
column. Observe that some of the icons
on the Tool box have a small black
arrow. These arrows tell us that there
Toolbox,
single column
and Snap Neutral Midtones. Check

(tick) Save as defaults and click OK.
Since you save this setting as Defaults,
you need not re-do the setting every
time you use Levels.
Well now adjust the sliders for Levels.
Keeping the Alt key pressed, click on
the black slider with your computer
mouse. The image on the screen will
go completely white. Move the slider
to the right till you find a trace of black
(or any other colour). Move the slider
back to the left (very gently) till the
black /any other colour just vanishes.
You have set the Black Point.
Now, keeping the Alt key pressed, click

on the white slider with your computer
mouse. The image on the screen will
go completely black. Move the slider to
the left till you find a trace of white (or
any other colour). Move the slider back
to the right (very gently) till the white /
any other colour just vanishes. You have
set the White Point. (Most pictures will
not look good unless the Black Point
and the White Point have been set).
are some other tools nestled with

the tool that you can see. Know that
the tool you see will be the one you
used last. If you keep the computer
mouse pressed on any tool that has an
arrow, you will see a drop-down menu
showing the other tools. The tool that
you select will now show up instead of
the earlier tool.
Select the Ruler Tool from the Toolbox

and place the arrow tip on one end of
the inclined horizon, click the mouse
and drag it to the other end; but
ensure that the line it creates perfectly
matches the incline as you see below.
Toolbox,
double column
Click the Straighten Layer box at

the top of the computer monitor and
Photoshop will do its work.
Smart Photography
January 2017
Now adjust the Gray slider, which will

adjust the middle tones. No need to
keep the Alt key pressed while doing
this. Generally youll find (not always)
that moving the gray slider slightly to
the right will strengthen the mid tones.
88
Now you can flatten the layers (that

is, merge the adjustment layer to the
original layer). To do that, there are
several ways but I suggest you go to
the Menu Bar at the top of your screen,
select Layer > Flatten Image from the
drop-down menu.
Horizon levelled
You may now use the Crop Tool

to crop away the unwanted
area.
You may now save the image using

the Save As command.
Note to readers: Please note that

certain basic things (like how to
save the image using the Save As
command, etc, are not explained just
now (so that beginners will not run
away!). They will be explained in the
coming issues. Also remember that
actually editing an image is much
easier than writing step-by-step
about it.
Crop taking place
Those interested in editing their

images using Photoshop, should save
these articles for future reference. |SP
Smart Photography
January 2017
Final image
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Picture perfect
Debraj Chakraborty
e saw on Facebook, a very

interesting picture by
Debraj Chakraborty. For the
benefit of our readers, we requested
him to write to us and explain how
he went about capturing such a
beautiful image, and Debraj happily
agreed. This picture reminds us what
Ansel Adams once said, You dont
take a photograph, you make it.
Thank you Debraj for sharing your
creativity. Heres what he had to say
about his image...
Smart Photography
January 2017
I love to shoot water and its a key

element in most of my landscape shots.
As I belong to North East of India, I am
blessed with lots of waterfalls, lakes
and rivers nestled in-between its hilly
terrain. Often, while shooting these
water sources, I like to experiment with
shutter speeds that depict the different
characters of water. Likewise seascapes
also attract me a lot but staying faraway
from our coastline doesnt give me
enough opportunity to photograph
seascapes. But this November I zeroed
into some parts of our west coast the
Karnataka and Konkan coastline which
presented some exciting places to shoot
with its rugged rocky beaches and
islands.
90
The photograph you see here is from an

island called St. Marys Island, just off
the Malpe coast near to Udupi. This was
on my list for a long time for its amazing
hexagonal basalt rock columns which
are unique of its kind in India. With a
new set of filter system that I received
from Nisi India and especially the 10stop Neutral Density filter, it became
even more exciting to shoot those rock
formations while blurring out the details
of the sea which gives a surreal touch to
the image.
A 10-stop ND filter reduces the amount
of light hitting the cameras sensor
by about 1000 times. To balance the
exposure while using this filter, we need

to use a longer shutter speed (balance
the exposure by using a shutter speed
10 stops slower). The longer shutter
speed causes motion blur in moving
elements within the image, even in
full sunlight, making it look surreal.
So talking about the techniques used
behind this scene, I was using a Nikon
D810 camera with a Nikon 16-35mm
ultra-wide-angle lens set at an aperture
of f/11 at 16mm. The camera was
mounted on a tripod and a trigger
release was used to fire the shutter. The
first thing I did was to find a suitable
composition as I would for any shot.
I wanted to achieve the misty-water
look. So I found some rocks with water
splashing over them and composed
my shot without the ND filter, as it is
not possible to see the subject once a
10-stop ND filter is attached to the lens.
Its vital to use a sturdy tripod with
such shots due to the long exposures.
Once I had the shot composed, the
next step was to correctly focus and
lock it there (typically, manual focus is
the best option). At this point I took a
test shot without the ND filter (camera
on Aperture Priority mode) and then
multiplied the shutter speed by 1000.
As an example, if at ISO 100 and f/11,
the shutter speed is 1/100, then the
required shutter speed with the 10stop ND filter would be 10 seconds
with the camera set to manual mode
(1/100 sec = 0.01 sec x 10000 = 10 sec).
Based upon the calculation done on
the settings without filters, my settings
for this particular shot were f/11, and
25 seconds at ISO 64. Focal length was
16mm. There are also exposure charts
available for 10-stop ND filters on the
internet. I downloaded one and printed
it on a small card and laminated it for
ready reference in the field, which saves
me a lot of time. If the shutter speed
goes beyond 30 seconds, I use the Bulb
setting in Manual exposure mode on
my camera and use the stop-watch
feature on my smartphone or a wristwatch to end the exposure at the correct

calculated time. Using the cameras
mirror lock-up or exposure delay or the
electronic front curtain (if available on
your camera) can yield sharper images
by avoiding the minor vibrations during
the exposure.
Technique alone cannot make a shot
standout or stunning; some sense of
aesthetics together with subtly-done
post processing will definitely improve
the shot. Here in this image I kept the
sky part less, as the sky was not as
Debraj Chakraborty
A decent amount of work has also gone

in post processing as I wanted to make
it a gray-scale image. The foreground

textures were accentuated a bit more
then those distant objects to give depth
to the image. Subtle adjustment has
been done while converting the RAW
file in Adobe Lightroom and later in
Photoshop to adjust the tonalities
in some isolated parts of the image.
This was done using custom-made
luminosity masks and applying the
adjustment through those masks,
which makes the adjustments not look
obvious. As this is a black and white
image, the blacks and whites in the
image have to look really rich; which
means the darkest black part to be

true black and brightest white part to
be true white but it has got a thin line
where parts of the image is not over or
underexposed in the process.
Lots have been discussed regarding

this picture here but I feel that there is
no perfect recipe for a better picture.
Experimentation is the key and one
has to try new things without fear
of failure. Some of my very useful
learnings were from my failure and
also the learning curve has to stay with
one at all times. |SP
Smart Photography
January 2017
interesting as the land was with those

bizarre rock formations. I looked for a
good foreground element as it leads the
viewers eye into the scene and also give
a sense of being in that place. The light
falling on the distant columnar rock face
and a lone crow sitting on it, also added
to the image. The surreal misty-looking
water which resulted from using a
strong ND filter, adds to the image by
not dragging too much attention and
making those rocky structure stand out.
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Smart Photography has been continually receiving requests to start a basic course for beginners. With this in
mind, we have asked a very knowledgeable photographer from Hyderabad to take over writing these articles. We
have also requested him to be as jargon-free as it is possible, so that newcomers to photography feel comfortable
to pursue the hobby.
The author, Ashok Kandimalla has been in the photographic field for over three decades and has extensive
experience in both film and digital photography. Being an electronics engineer by profession and a photographer,
he possesses a unique and deep insight into the technical aspects of digital photography and equipment. He has
published several articles on photography and some of his writings have also been published in the well-known
international magazine Popular Photography.
Ashok Kandimalla
An avid collector of photographic books and vintage cameras, Ashok has a keen interest in the history of
photography and a passion for sharing his knowledge on photography through teaching and writing. He is
presently working as a Management and Engineering consultant. You can see his work at http://www.flickr.com/
photos/ashok_kandimalla. He can be reached at kashokk@gmail.com

in Post-processing
Perspective, as we tell our readers often, is a rarely

understood phenomenon that occurs in our daily life. It
also has a significant impact on our images.
Smart Photography
January 2017
et us start with a recap of

perspective and look at what
it means to us photographers.
Simply put, objects closer to the camera
appear larger than those that are far
away due to perspective. This property
can be used to create an illusion
of depth in a flat two-dimensional
photograph (either when printed
or viewed on a monitor). It is best
understood by looking at an example
(Picture 1).
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This effect gets more pronounced as the

foreground elements get closer to your
camera and as the distance between
foreground and background elements
increases (Picture 2).
Picture 1: In this picture, the camera was placed close
to the foreground element, a rock. This has made it
large relative to the elements in the background, giving
the impression of depth - that the shore of the lake is
very far away. This is a classic example on the use of
perspective as a depth cue. Here, the foreground rock
literally works like a stepping stone into the picture.
have shifting capability (called Tilt and

Shift lenses). Both these solutions while
technically excellent, cost a lot!
However, post-processing software

packages like Lightroom have now
come up with some really sophisticated
features to correct perspective errors.
These allow you to emulate most of the
movements that you can do with a view
Picture 3: The leaning of the building is due to

perspective you are close to the base of the building
(making it appear large) and far from the top (making it
look small). It is not because of focal length. This is not
distortion either.
Picture 2: The size of the foreground element will become

relatively large compared to the background element
when distance D1 decreases and/or D2 increases.
While creation of depth is a positive trait

of perspective, it also produces some bad
side effects. It is very likely that you have
taken a photograph of a tall building
from a close distance by standing near
the base of the building and tilting the
camera upwards. When you look at such
a photograph you would have noticed
that the building appears to lean
backwards as if it is falling!
Before we move on to the topic of

correcting this issue, there are two
very important facts that you should
remember:
First, this effect occurs only due to the

relative distance of the foreground and
background elements. It is completely
independent of the focal length!
Second, this leaning effect is often
erroneously labeled as distortion. This
is simply not correct. Perspective is not
distortion. Distortion is the inability of
the lens to render straight lines, straight.
So, how do you rectify such a situation?
One solution is to move away from the
building so that the relative difference

in distance between you and the top
and base of the building is very less.
This reduces the difference in size (on
the image) between the top and base
of the building thus correcting this
leaning. Another way, is to photograph
the building from an opposite building
(if there is one) while you are about
mid-way in height to the building being
photographed. This way, your imaging
sensor (back of the camera) will be
parallel to the other building and there
will be no issue with the perspective.
The best solution is to shift the lens.
For this you can use a technical camera
with movements. If you want to use a
D-SLR, the solution is to use lenses that
(technical) camera, in software, post

picture capture.
Before we proceed with the procedure

for correcting the perspective, let
me also mention about one mistake
nearly everyone commits. This is the
misalignment of the horizon. Also called
the crooked or misaligned horizon,
this simply means that the horizon is
not level or in other words not perfectly
horizontal. This happens when you
dont hold the camera level, that is,
the base is not parallel to the ground
(Picture 4). The effect will be obvious
even if the horizon is tilted less than
a degree! An inclined horizon looks
worse if there is a water body, as water
maintains (Picture 5) its own level.
Smart Photography
January 2017
That is, vertical sides of the building are

no longer vertical. The parallel sides of
the building look to be converging at the
top (Picture 3). This is once again due to
perspective. This happens because you
are very close to the base of building
(foreground), making it look large. You
are also far from the top of the building
(background) making it look small. This
makes the sides of the building look as if
they are converging at the top and hence
gives the impression that the building is
leaning.
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Picture 4: This drawing shows what is meant by holding the camera level (left) and not level (right).
Picture 5: A tilted horizon mars an otherwise good picture.
Mind you, this is a result of improper

levelling of the camera by the
photographer! This is not a defect of
the lens or an optical issue like the
perspective. Lightroom can correct
this error while it is correcting the
perspective in one shot. So, we will look
at this aspect also.
Correcting perspective and

alignment errors:
Both these errors are corrected through

the Transform tool (Picture 6) on the
right panel of the Development module
of Lightroom.
Smart Photography
January 2017
Locate the Transform Tool on the right

panel (Picture 61) and click on the little
triangle to the right (Picture 62) to
expand the tool.
94
You will now see the Upright command

with options (Picture 63). Here is a
brief explanation of the options:
Auto: Corrects level, maintains aspect
ratio, and corrects perspective.
Level: Perspective corrections biased
to correct horizontal details. Good for

landscapes.
Vertical: Perspective corrections

biased to correct vertical details. Good
for images with tall elements.
Full: Combines all of above
Dont worry if this sounds confusing!

Simply click on these one after another
and see which corrects the image best
and choose that. Normally Auto is
good enough to correct the misaligned
horizon.
Picture 7: Compare this image

with Picture 3.
Though the picture
was taken from
angle (that is not
directly from the
front of the building) thus causing
asymmetrical
inclinations, you
can see that the
perspective has
been corrected to
a very great extent.
Picture 6: Transform expanded. The symbol indicates arrow numbers.

61 Transform tool
6 2 Click here for expanding

63 Upright options
64 Guided Upright
65 Transform sliders
66 Constraint Crop
However, there is one option here which

is indeed the most powerful! And that is
the Guided option (Picture 64).
Well what is the big deal, you may ask?
The Guided option allows you to sort of
customize the corrections by allowing
you to draw guides. Until now only
symmetric inclinations, that is, both
sides of a building inclined towards
each other by the same amount were
Let us look at the procedure, step by

step. First select the Upright Guided
option (Picture 64). Next draw lines
(these are the guides) along elements in
the image that you want to be perfectly
horizontal and/or vertical. To draw a
guide, just click and move the mouse

with left button pressed. You need to
draw at least two guides (Picture 8)
and thereafter Lightroom allows you to
draw more guides interactively.
See the result after you have drawn

the guides (Picture 9). The perspective
errors and inclination of roof have
been corrected. But now you have a
new problem! During the correction,
blank (white) areas have appeared on

either side. This is because the software
while correcting had no data to fill that
area with. There is a remedy for this
in post-processing. First crop out the
excess unwanted area (Picture 10).
Now, take this image to Photoshop. To
do this, from the Lightroom main menu
choose
Photo > Edit In > Edit In Adobe
Photoshop CC
Alternatively, you can also press Ctrl + E

from your key board.
The image being edited will be opened
in Photoshop. Select these blank areas
(you need not be very precise) with the
Lasso tool and then right click on the
Picture 8:
This image
shows the
leaning of the
building due
to perspective.
Also the roof
of the building
is inclined.
To correct all
these, three
guides have
been drawn
(you can see
these as red
lines).
Picture 10: Unwanted area has been cropped out.

Picture 9: This
is after the
Guided Upright
command was
used. Compare
this with
Picture 8 and
see how the errors mentioned
have been
corrected. But
what are those
blank areas
on the sides?
See text for
explanation.
Picture 11: Content Aware fill
Smart Photography
January 2017
correctable. However, with this feature

you can now correct asymmetric
inclinations (Picture 7). Also, you can be
a lot more precise.
95
G grap
N
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ARding Ph
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L an
selected area. From the

popup menu that appears
choose Fill. Another popup
menu will now appear
(Picture 11). Here, choose
Content Aware from
the drop box and also
check Color Adaptation
check box. Click on OK.
Photoshop will fill up the
blank areas. Now, you have
a perfect image (Picture
12)! However, at times
the Photoshop may not be
able to do a perfect job as
complex interpolation is
involved. Just be aware of
this. You can now save this
file and exit Photoshop to
come back to Lightroom.
If you find this solution

of taking the image to
Photoshop and editing
cumbersome (as I do), then
there is a better solution
available. All you need to
do is to leave some room
around (that is frame
loosely) when you take
the picture itself. With
this in mind, compare
Pictures 3 and 7 carefully. Here there
are no such blank areas but the image
is cropped. That is because while taking
the image itself, I took care by leaving
space around and after corrections, the
unwanted areas were simply cropped
away. This is the method I recommend.
Smart Photography
January 2017
Here is one important precaution you

need to take. When you invoke the
Upright command it will nullify any crop
and Transform (Picture 65) settings
that you might have applied earlier. To
prevent this, hold Alt key and then select
the Upright command.
96
At this stage if you are still not getting

what you want, you do some tweaking
manually by using Transform sliders
(Picture 65). These are labeled
Vertical, Horizontal, Rotate, Aspect,
Scale, X Offset, Y Offset and you can
try them out and see. Dont worry if you
dont find the operations useful as you
can always undo them in Lightroom.
Finally, we have Constraint Crop
(Picture 66) check box. If you check
(to use Content Aware Fill,

for example).
Tip: Using these

corrections after you
rectify the lens defects will
give you the best results.
(For more on lens defects
and corrections, see the
article, Lens Defects
and Corrections, Smart
Photography, December
2016 issue.)
Picture 12: Take the image after cropping to Photoshop

and fill the blank areas. Now, the corrections are complete and you have a perfect picture!
this, the image will get automatically

cropped when you make corrections. I
suggest that you dont use it as cropping
manually gives you a lot more control,
especially if you want to take the image
later to Photoshop for further processing
Limitations: The
operations described
involve interpolations
(that is, some sort of
educated guesses by
sophisticated algorithms)
by Lightroom. So these
may not be hundred
percent accurate and
may rarely result in some
degradation of image
quality. Nevertheless,
they are a popular and
economic alternative
to expensive tilt and
shift lenses or technical
cameras.
Also, a word of caution. Remember

that while the software will do a
reasonable job but dont expect it to
perform miracles. In other words, dont
stand at the foot of a building with 100
floors, take a photograph and expect a
correction to be possible. This cant be
done, even with a shift lens or technical
camera! |SP
CONCLUSION
The correction features that you have read about are
really magical. However, please do not use them to
compensate for sloppy techniques. It is always best to get
all aspects (or at least as many as possible) correct when
you are taking the photograph itself. However, we do
live in a world with limitations. Sometimes you may not
be able to get to the right position or you may not have
the right lens on hand to take a good picture. Please use
these techniques when you run into such situations.
All text, diagrams and images Ashok Kandimalla
rst
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98
ILCC Review
106
102
Lens Review
Sigma 50-100mm
F/1.8 DC HSM Art
Lens Review
Sony FE 85mm f/1.4 GM
108
Reviews
Fujifilm X-Pro 2
Head-To-Head
Phone Cameras Compared
114
116
118
Smartphone
Review
Asus Zenfone 3 Max

ZC553KL
Smartphone
Review
Google Pixel XL
First Look
Camoline Lens Stabiliser
Change in Rating System

Smart Photographys new rating
system exercises stricter evaluation
in view of improvements in the
overall performance of photographic
equipment. Marks will be awarded for
the following parameters...
Final Rankings
Recommended ......................................... 75-80%
Best Buy .........................................81% and above
D-SLR CAMERAS
LENSES
COMPACT CAMERAS
Design & Build Quality .................... (out of 20)
Key Features........................................... (out of 20)
Ergonomics ............................................. (out of 20)
Performance
Autofocus ....................................................(out of 5)
Metering ......................................................(out of 5)
Noise control ...........................................(out of 5)
Distortion/Sharpness..........................(out of 5)
LCD/Viewfinder.....................................(out of 5)
Auto White Balance...........................(out of 5)
Performance
Autofocus ....................................................(out of 5)
Sharpness.....................................................(out of 5)
Distortion control .................................(out of 5)
Aberrations ................................................(out of 5)
Darkening of corners.........................(out of 5)
Extra Features............................................(out of 5)
Performance
Autofocus ....................................................(out of 5)
Metering ......................................................(out of 5)
Noise control ...........................................(out of 5)
Distortion/Sharpness..........................(out of 5)
LCD/Viewfinder.....................................(out of 5)
Auto White Balance...........................(out of 5)
Value for Money ....................... (out of 10)
Value for Money ................................. (out of 10)
Value for Money ....................... (out of 10)
Grand Total ............................... (out of 100)
Grand Total ......................................... (out of 100)
Grand Total ............................... (out of 100)
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Inside the Box

Fujiilm X-Pro 2 body
Li-ion battery NP-W126
Battery Charger BC-W126
Shoulder strap
Body cap
Strap clip
Protective cover
Clip attaching tool
Owners manual
Warranty card
ujiilm had once been regarded

as the innovators in imaging,
though the company was trimmed
of a large share of its popularity
with emerging digital and mirrorless
technologies. However, the brand
has been luring the professionals
with its retro-designed cameras and
excellent lenses. The Fujiilm X-Pro 2
is a possible replacement to the X-Pro
1, a popular model with a strong retro
appeal.
Design and Build Quality
The X-Pro 2 carries the same retro

design as the X-Pro 1. The camera has
a magnesium-alloy body and a ilmSLRtype ISO dial (pull-up) built into
the shutter speed dial. An exposure
compensation dial sits adjacent to this
dial along with the threaded shutter
release button (useful in case you use
a threaded cable/soft release system).
The LCD is ixed. A new joystick at the
back helps in quick navigation through
the menus.
Smart Photography
January 2017
Key Features
98
The 24.3 megapixel Fujiilm X-Pro 2

uses an APS-C Type (23.6 x 15.6mm)
X-Trans CMOS III sensor with primary
colour ilter. The sensor incorporates
an ultrasonic dust reduction system
that uses ultrasonic vibrations to shake
off dust from the sensor assembly. The
camera uses a Fujiilm X mount. The
X-Pro 2 features a dual (electronic and
mechanical) shutter mechanism. The
mechanical shutter provides a shutter
speed range of 30 to 1/8000 sec along
with Bulb (up to 60 min), while the
electronic shutter provides a shutter
speed of 1 to 1/32000 sec. The shutter
synchronises with the lash at 1/250
sec or lower speeds. Sensitivity ranges
Fujiilm X-Pro 2
147,999
Body only
Sujith Gopinath
Tank Battle...
Anyone?
from ISO 200 to 12,800, which can be
extended from 100 to 51,200. Exposure
is controlled through TTL 256-zone
metering and the metering modes
available are Multi, Spot, and Average.
Exposure can be compensated up to
+/-5 EV in 1/3-EV steps.
Still images are recorded in Raw
(RAF) or JPEG format (simultaneous
Raw and JPEG possible), while videos
are recorded in MOD format (MPEG4 AVC / H.264 with Linear PCM/
Stereo). The camera can produce a
maximum resolution of 6000 x 4000
pixels. The camera can capture images
at a maximum continuous speed of
approximately 8.0 fps. At this speed,
you can capture up to 83 JPEG and up
to 27 uncompressed Raw images. The
camera features focus modes such as
Single AF, Continuous AF and Manual
Focus. The X-Pro 2 uses Intelligent
Hybrid AF, which makes use of TTL
Contrast and Phase detection AF for
better eficiency. AF frame options

are Single point, Zone and Wide /
Tracking. Shooting modes available are
P (Program), A (Aperture Priority), S
(Shutter Priority) and M (Manual). The
camera offers the best movie quality
of 1920x1080 60p / 50p / 30p / 25p /
24p (Full HD), and it can be recorded
for up to 14 min. Film simulation
options available are Provia (Standard),
Velvia (Vivid), Astia (Soft), Classic
Chrome, Pro Neg. Hi, Pro Neg. Std, Black
and White, Black and White+Yellow
ilter, Black and White+Red ilter, Black
and White+Green ilter, Sepia, Acros,
Acros+Yellow ilter, Acros+Red ilter
and Acros+Green ilter. Dynamic range
options are Auto, 100%, 200% and
400%.
Advanced ilter options are Toy
camera, Miniature, Pop colour, Highkey, Low-key, Dynamic tone, Soft focus,
Partial colour (Red, Orange, Yellow,
Green, Blue, Purple). Fujiilm has
The X-Pro 2 uses

a Reverse Galilean
optical viewfinder
with electronic bright
frame display. This
finder superimposes
information on to the
otherwise static frame.
The superimposed
information includes
a framing area
corresponding to the
lens you are using.
The trouble with this
is that if you mount a
long telephoto lens, the
frame will be too small to be of any
practical utility. The electronic part of
the viewfinder is a 0.48-inch TFT with
approx 2.36 millions dots. The camera
has a 3.0-inch, approx 1.62 million-
dot fixed TFT monitor. The device

has two identical memory card slots
using SD/SDHC/SDXC cards of up to
256GB capacity (UHS-I/UHS-II). The
camera offers WiFi connectivity along
with USB 2.0 high-speed interface and

HDMI micro connector (Type D). The
X-Pro 2 is powered by an NP-W126
Li-ion battery (supplied). The device
measures 140.5 x 82.8 x 45.9mm
Smart Photography
January 2017
incorporated bracketing
options for AE, Film
Simulation, Dynamic
Range, ISO Sensitivity,
and White Balance.
White Balance options
available are Auto,
Custom (3 settings),
Colour temperature
(2500K 10000K),
Fine, Shade, Fluorescent
(Daylight), Fluorescent
(Warm White),
Fluorescent (Cool
White), Incandescent
and Underwater. Selftimer can be set to 10
or 2 seconds. Interval
timer shooting is
available. The Fujifilm
X-Pro 2 does not have
a built-in flash, but has
an accessory shoe (Hot
shoe) for a dedicated
TTL flashgun. The flash
modes available are
Auto, Forced Flash, Slow
Synchro, Suppressed
Flash, Rear-curtain
Synchro, Commander,
Red-eye Reduction Auto,
Red-eye Reduction and
Forced Flash, Red-eye
Reduction and Slow
Synchro, Suppressed
Flash, Red-eye
Reduction and Rearcurtain Synchro.
Aperture: f/2.8
ISO: 400
99
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Aperture: f/5
Shutter Speed: 0.3sec
ISO: 100
Smart Photography
January 2017
ISO 100
100
NOISE
ISO 400
ISO 1600
ISO 6400
ISO 25600
are not very intuitive. The video clips

were smooth and punchy.
The Fujifilm X-Pro 2 offers a broad grip

with a rubberised projection. Even the
thumb rest has a rubber lining offering
better grip. The buttons and dials are
of premium quality. The viewfinder is
bright and the images crisp. Same is the
case with the LCD as well. We received
the X-Pro 2 with the 23mm f/2 lens,
and even this small lens obstructed
the viewfinder a bit. This could be a
real problem if you mount a long lens
on this body. The body balances well
in your hands. As is the case with all
Fujifilm cameras, the menu is quite
exhaustive and confusing. Both the
front and rear command dials have
dual functionsone activated by
rotating and another activated by
pressing on the dial. However, it is quite
difficult to press the rear dial owing to
the small size and recessed design. The
camera does not have either a shortcut
button or a menu setting for recording
videos. To initiate video recording, you
need to press the Fn1 (the function
button near the shutter release) button.
We have no clue why Fujfilm has not
labelled this as Movie button.
The Fujifilm X-Pro 2 retails at an MRP

of Rs.147,999 for body only. This
is quite high for this camera. The
23mm lens is not launched in India
yet and hence the price has not been
announced. |SP
Ergonomics
Performance
We received the X-Pro 2 along with

the Super EBC 23mm f/1.2 R WR lens.
The combination focussed fast and
autofocus was fast, quiet and precise.
Metering was perfect and out-of-thebox JPEGs were quite sharp.
Native print size is 20 x 13.33 inches

at 300 ppi. At 25 percent screen size,
images were absolutely free of noise up
to ISO 3200. The images were perfectly
usable up to ISO 12,800. ISO 25,600
was noisy, but usable in an emergency.
At 50 percent, we did not observe much
change from the above. Enlarged to 100
percent, images were practically free of
noise up to ISO 200 and were perfectly
usable up to ISO 800. You could use
up to ISO 3200 in a crunch. Colours
were reproduced close to the original.
Any cast could be removed in postprocessing.
We feel the camera is not made for

videos. Video features are buried deep
inside the menus, which, by themselves,
Value for Money
KEY SPECIFICATIONS
Effective Pixels: 24.3 million

Image Sensor: APS-C (23.6 x 15.6mm) XTrans CMOS III with primary colour filter.
Sensor Cleaning System: Ultrasonic
Vibration
Storage Media: SD/SDHC/SDXC (up to
256GB, UHS-I/UHS-II)
Memory Slots: 2 identical
Still Image Format: JPEG, Raw (14bit, RAF
format), Raw+JPEG possible
Movie File Format: MOD (MPEG-4 AVC /
H.264 with Linear PCM/ Stereo sound)
Max. Recorded Pixels: 6000 x 4000
Lens Mount: Fujifilm X mount
Sensitivity: ISO 200 to 12800 (Expandable
up to ISO100 / 25600 / 51200)
Exposure Control: TTL 256-zone metering
Exposure Mode: P (Program), A (Aperture
Priority), S (Shutter Priority), M (Manual)
Exposure Comp: +/-5.0EV, 1/3EV step
Shutter Speed: Mechanical: 30 to 1/8000
sec., Bulb (up to 60 min)
Electronic: 1 to 1/32000 sec.
X-Sync Speed: 1/250 sec.
Max. Continuous Speed: Approx. 8.0 fps
(JPEG : 83, Uncompressed Raw : 27)
Focus Mode: Single AF, Continuous AF,
Manual Focus
Autofocus Type: Intelligent Hybrid AF
(TTL Contrast /Phase detection AF)
AF Frame Selection: Single point, Zone,
Wide / Tracking
Hot Shoe: Yes (Dedicated TTL Flash compatible)
OVF: Reverse Galilean viewfinder with
electronic bright frame display
EVF: 0.48-in TFT colour viewfinder with
approx 2.36 millions dots
Monitor: 3.0-inch, approx 1.62 millions
dots
Best Movie Quality: Full HD (1920x1080
60p / 50p / 30p / 25p / 24p) up to 14 min.
Dimensions: 140.5 x 82.8 x 45.9mm
Weight: Approx. 495g (including battery
and memory card)
FINAL SCORE
80%
Design and Build Quality19/20

Key Features
18/20
Ergonomics
15/20
Performance
Autofocus
Metering
Noise Control
Sharpness
LCD/EVF
Auto WB
4/5
4/5
4/5
4/5
2/5
4/5
Sub-Total
22/30
Value for Money
6/10
MINUS
PLUS
Retro styling
Magnesium
Confusing controls
Video mode not the
Dual card slots
No built-in flash
Prohibitively
best
alloy body
Great image
Viewfinder useless
for telephoto lenses
quality
VERDICT
expensive
The Fujifilm X-Pro 2 can be called a retro

lovers delight and it provides a sense of
Deja Vu if you have grown up with those
manual film SLRs. The camera produces
brilliant images along with useful video.
However, the confusing menu can leave you
with much heartburn, having to go through
the owners manual to find where in the
camera has Fujifilm hidden its gems. Our
final wordbuy this jewel box if you have
the patience to hunt for the gems and do
not intend to use long telephoto lenses.
Smart Photography
January 2017
and weighs approximately 495g with

battery and memory card.
101
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Inside the Box

Lens
Front & Rear lens caps
Lens hood
User Instructions
igmas Art lenses have created

a name for themselves as being
amongst the finest, offering
very high optical performance.
Sure, they are heavy but their image
quality and build are outstanding.
This focal length range (equivalent
to 80-160mm) makes it ideal for a
variety of photographic situations as
in weddings, portraits, travel, action
etc. The fast f/1.8 maximum aperture
allows for quick autofocussing even
in low-light situations and can create
great bokeh. We have today with us
the Sigma 50-100mm f/1.8 DC HSM
Art (Canon mount). Lets see how it
fares on our test bench...
Smart Photography
January 2017
Design & Build Quality
102
The 50-100mm f/1.8 DC HSM Art lens

is designed for APS-C sensor D-SLRs.
Its build quality is immaculate and
so is the finish. The focussing ring is
towards the filter-end and is 33mm
wide with serrated rubberised grip.
The zoom ring, also rubberised, is
almost 20mm wide and has clearly
legible white markings for 50, 60,
70, 85 and 100mm settings. The lens
mount is made of metal and there is
a small white raised plastic dot at the
lens-mount end that makes it easy
to align the lens to the camera body.
Filter size is 82mm and the lens is
made in Sigmas Aizu factory in Japan.
The lens (Canon mount) weighs 1600g
with its front and rear lens caps.
Key Features
The 50-100mm f/1.8 DC HSM Art lens

is constructed with 21 elements in
Sigma 50-100mm
F/1.8 DC HSM Art
` 95,900
Rohinton Mehta
The Bokeh Artist

15 groups that includes 3 x Premium
FLD elements and 1 x SLD element.
The DC in its nomenclature indicates
that the lens is designed for APS-C
sensor camera bodies, where it offers
an equivalent focal length of 80160mm (75-150mm for Nikon bodies).
A distance scale, marked in meters
and feet, can be seen under a plastic
protector between the focus and
the zoom ring. A Focus Mode switch
is located to the left of the lens and
offers AF-MF settings. The lens comes
with a tripod collar that allows you
to easily turn the camera for vertical/
horizontal orientation. A tripod socket
is provided.
The 50-100mm incorporates a Hyper

Sonic Motor (HSM) for quick, quiet
and accurate autofocus. The lens
also offers an Internal Focussing (IF)
design and hence the lens does not
extend during focussing or zooming.
And since the front element does not
rotate, its easy to use polarising and

graduated neutral density filters.
The lens works with the Sigma USB
Dock (not included with the lens)
to calibrate focus, if necessary and
update firmware.
Ergonomics
We reviewed the lens using a Canon

EOS 600D body. The lens is heavy
and after a while, the weight gets on
to you. The lens is easy to use. Due to
its Internal Focus design, it maintains
good balance at all focal length
settings.
Performance
Overall, the performance of the Sigma

50-100mm f/1.8 DC HSM Art lens
was very good. Sharpness was good
throughout the focal range, at the
centre as well as sides. Distortion was
very well-controlled at all marked
focal length settings, except at
100mm, where, if you indeed looked
Mahesh Reddy
Focal Length: 100mm

Aperture: f/10
ISO: 800
Mahesh Reddy
Focal Length: 70mm

Aperture: f/4
ISO: 400
Focal Length: 100mm

Aperture: f/16
ISO: 800
Smart Photography
January 2017
Mahesh Reddy
103
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Mahesh Reddy
Mahesh Reddy
RE
Focal Length: 75mm

Aperture: f/8
ISO: 400
Smart Photography
January 2017
Focal Length: 100mm

Aperture: f/11
ISO: 800
104
Focal Length: 55mm

Aperture: f/1.8
ISO: 400;
for it, there was a hint of pin-cushion

distortion. Darkening of corners was
well-controlled too; corner darkening
could be seen at f/1.8 and f/2, and
became imperceptible by f/2.8. Strong
flare was noticeable in shots that
included the sun and strong blueviolet fringing was visible at edges of
opaque objects. The lens created very
nice bokeh, which will be loved by
wedding and portrait photographers.
Mahesh Reddy
FINAL SCORE
83%
Key Features
16/20
Ergonomics
16/20
Performance
Autofocus
Sharpness
Distortion control
Aberrations
Darkening
of corners
Extra features
4/5
4/5
5/5
4/5
4/5
4/5
Sub-Total
25/30
Value for Money
MINUS
PLUS
Overall, Great
Value for Money
The 50-100mm f/1.8 DC HSM

Art lens is available at an MRP of
Rs.95,900. At first look it appears
expensive but we need to consider
that this is an Art lens and that it
has a maximum aperture of f/1.8
at all focal lengths. Add to that the
excellent build quality and the great
performance and suddenly, the price
seems reasonable. |SP
Lens Construction: 21 elements in 15

groups (includes 3 Premium FLD and 1 SLD
element)
Hyper Sonic Motor: Yes
Angle of View: 31.7 16.2
Diaphragm Blades: 9 (rounded)
Apertures: F/1.8 f/16 throughout the
zoom range
Min. Focussing Distance: 37.4
Filter Size: 82mm
Max. Magnification: 1:6.7
Dimensions (DxL): 3.7 x 6.7 inches
Weight: 1600g (as measured) with front/
rear caps, Canon mount
Available Mounts: Canon, Nikon and Sigma
performance
Quick AF (but
that depends on the
camera body too)
Fast f/1.8 aperture
available at all focal
lengths
Excellent control
over distortion
Heavy
No image
stabilisation
No weather
sealing
Strong blueviolet colour
fringing
VERDICT
If most of your photography calls for focal

lengths between 50-100mm (equivalent
of 80-160mm in the 35mm format),
then you must consider this Art lens.
Portraits and wedding photographers as
well as photojournalists now have a lens
which is very fast, which can throw the
background out of focus for beautiful
bokeh. Personally, I wish the focal length
was from 24-100mm, but then, thats my
wishful thinking! Best Buy!
Smart Photography
January 2017
KEY SPECIFICATIONS
8/10
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Inside the Box

Lens
Hood (ALC-SH142)
Lens front cap (ALC-F77S)
Lens rear cap (ALC-R1EM)
Case
ony G-Master lenses have

been specially manufactured
to provide high-resolution
optics required for the latest highmegapixel cameras. These are still
and video compatible and offer
superior optics combined with high
precision in mechanical and electronic
components. The 85mm f/1.4 GM
lens caters to portrait specialists who
need that uncompromising sharpness
combined with pleasing bokeh and
ine control.
The 85mm GM lens is constructed

with a combination of metal and
plastic on the exterior, and provides
a sturdy feel. The focus ring has a
textured rubber grip. The lens has an
aperture ring, allowing you to override
the electronic controls. The aperture
ring has stops at every 1/3 stop. The
clicks at stops can be turned off with a
switch at the right hand side. This will
allow movie-makers smooth and ine
control of depth of ield and bokeh in
videos. The lens also features an AF/
MF switch and a Focus Hold button,
which is essentially a shortcut button
that can be customised for various
other functions.
Like all GM lenses, this lens also

features advanced weather-sealing in
the form of a rubber gasket at the lensbody interface for a tight sealing.
Smart Photography
January 2017
Key Features
106
The 85mm GM lens is designed for

Full Frame (35mm) bodies with Sony
E-mount. The lens is constructed with
11 elements in 8 groups including the
new XA (Extreme Aspherical) element
and three ED (Extra-low Dispersion)
Sony FE 85mm
f/1.4 GM
` 1,29,990
Sujith Gopinath
Portrait Master
elements. These elements help to
improve bokeh and reduce lare. The
lens has an angle of view of 29. The
lens further features advanced Nano
AR coating technology to eliminate
relections that can cause lare and
ghosting.
Sony has added a second sensor to the

lens in addition to the rotational focus
sensor to detect the position of the
focus lens group. This ensures better
precision in focussing, enhancing the
resolution of the lens. A supersonic
wave motor (SSM) drive allows
making the focus fast.
The 85mm lens provides aperture

ranging from f/1.4 to 16. Sony has
incorporated a 11-bladed diaphragm
for a circular aperture that produces
pleasing bokeh, a requirement in any
portrait lens. The lens produces a
maximum magniication of 0.12x. It
accepts a ilter of 77mm diameter. The
lens measures 89.5 x 107.5mm and

weighs 820g.
Ergonomics
The 85mm GM lens certainly looks

over-sized on an Alpha mirrorless
body, but is still comfortable to hold
and operate. The aperture ring is a
great addition and provides excellent
damping. The focus ring is smooth
and easy to rotate. The De-click
switch is positioned conveniently and
is easy to use. The front element of
the lens does not rotate and the focus
ring freely rotates, allowing you ine
control over focussing. At 820g, the
lens is of optimal weight.
Performance
The 85mm f/1.4 GM lens is a

specialist portrait lens and Sony has
particularly improved the features
that are essential for portraits. The
lens produced pleasing, smooth and
rounded bokehs. We used the lens
Mahesh Reddy
Aperture: f/8
ISO: 320
The lens produced slight darkening of

corners at f/1.4 and f/2. We did not
observe any distortion. To make things
clear, the distortion correction feature
was kept on. It exhibited prominent
lare and purple fringing at the widest
aperture in strong against-the-light
shots. The lens produced sharp images
out of the box. Sweet spot was f/4
and you would do well to choose
any aperture from f/2.0 to f/16 for
reasonably good sharpness. We would

consider this excellent sharpness.
Even the corners exhibited excellent
sharpness.
The lens coatings did not induce any

discernible cast.
The Sony FE 85mm f/1.4 GM retails at

an MRP of Rs.129,990. We would rate
this good value for money, considering
the performance of this lens. |SP
FINAL SCORE
85%

Key Features
18/20
Ergonomics
17/20
Performance
Autofocus
Sharpness
Distortion control
Aberrations
Darkening
of corners
Extra features
Sub-Total
Value for Money
PLUS
Superior build
KEY SPECIFICATIONS
Mount: Sony E-mount

Format: 35 mm full-frame
Focal Length: 85 mm
Lens Construction: 11 elements in 8
groups
Angle of View (35 mm): 29
Maximum Aperture: f/1.4
Minimum Aperture: f/16
Aperture Blades: 11
Circular Aperture: Yes
Maximum Magniication: 0.12 x
Filter Diameter: 77mm
Dimensions (diameter x length): 89.5 x
107.5mm
Weight: 820g
Value for Money
4/5
5/5
4/5
2/5
4/5
5/5
24/30
8/10
quality
Excellent sharpness
Aperture ring
Smooth and
pleasing bokeh
De-click option for
videographers
MINUS
Heavy lare
and chromatic
aberration
VERDICT
If you are a professional photographer
who does lot of portraits, you certainly
need to have a look at this lens. The lens
maintains sharpness across a wide range
of apertures, right from the centre to the
peripheries, and this is quite incredible.
Certainly a Best Buy.
Smart Photography
January 2017
with an Alpha 7 II body. Autofocus

was not as fast as some other prime
lenses, but the precision of focus was
top-notch.
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The Smart Cam Bout:
Google Pixel XL vs iPhone 7 Plus vs Samsung Galaxy S7
Smart Photography
January 2017
108
n 2003, when we pitted the

leading five Smartphone cameras
against two mid-priced compact
cameras, the cameras blew the
lids off the phones by a very wide
margin. However, Smartphones have
come a long way since, and have all
but replaced low and mid-segment
compact cameras. Now cameras
have become the main features of
Smartphones, and even hardcore
photography professionals have started
appreciating the utility of Smartphones
as a secondary camera. Here we
have selected three of the high-end
Smartphones that boast exceptional
image quality in their cameras.
Meet the Devices
Google Pixel XL: The Pixel XL is

Googles first phone from own stables.
The device runs on Android Nougat
and features a 12.3 MP, f/2.0 main
camera employing Phase Detection
AF along with Laser Detection AF. It
offers 4K quality videos. The Pixel XL
does not offer Pro Camera mode in its
native app.
iPhone 7 Plus: The iPhone 7 Plus
uses a dual camera system, though
the difference is only in the focal
lengths. The phone runs on iOS 10

operating system and the main camera
is a 12 megapixel model with 28mm
f/1.8 and 56mm f/2.8 lenses mounted
side-by-side. It offers Optical Image
Stabilisation and 4K video recording.
The camera does not offer Pro features.
Samsung Galaxy S7: The Galaxy S7

was launched much ahead of the other
two phones, but is still a hot favourite
when it comes to imaging capabilities.
It runs on Android Marshmallow and
uses a 12 megapixel f/1.7 main camera.
It offers 4K video recording. The S7s
camera offers a Pro mode.
Google Pixel XL
Testing Method
We conducted this test

to determine the main
cameras imaging capability
pertaining to still images.
Most users are likely to
use the native camera app
in any device and hence
we did not use any third
party app. We turned
HDR capture off wherever
possible and the images
were shot in Auto mode so
that the cameras chose the
best settings.
The Results
Aperture: f/2
Shutter Speed:
1/50sec
ISO: 340
Low-light
iPhone 7 Plus
Here the Pixel was clearly

the winner with the camera
producing the sharpest
image with excellent detail
in every part of the image.
The tones were pleasant
and the images had the
most natural look. Noise
was under control even at
ISO 342, which the camera
automatically chose for the
scene.
The iPhone 7 Plus, like
the Pixel XL, produced
natural colour. The camera
reproduced fine detail
well, though the sharpness
was not comparable to the
Pixels image. Slight flare
was observed around the
flames, but not enough to
be of concern.
Aperture: f/1.8
Shutter Speed:
1/17sec
ISO: 50
Samsung Galaxy S7
Smart Photography
January 2017
The S7 produced a pinkish

flare around all open flames
and this completely spoiled
the image. To rule out any
problem with the particular
piece we were using, we
used another S7 Edge, and
the results were consistent.
This also produced lot of
noise around the image.
For the records, the camera
chose ISO 200 for this
scene.
Pixel
iPhone 7 Plus
Galaxy S7
Aperture: f/1.7
Shutter Speed:
1/20sec
ISO: 100
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Google Pixel XL
Aperture: f/2
Shutter Speed:
1/180sec
ISO: 50
Sm
Studio Light
The Google Pixel reproduced fine details better,

especially in highlights. However, the Pixel XL does
not offer manual control and so the images were
noisy, owing to the higher ISO. Again, the Pixel XL
uses automatically switches to HDR and so the
dark areas were quite noisy due to the aggressive
processing.
The iPhone images suffered from discontinuity in
edge pixels, though the image was comparatively
noise-free owing to a low sensitivity of ISO 40 that
the camera chose. A little bit of noise-reduction
was also evident. We also observed that the image
lacked details in both highlights and shadows.
The S7 produced the sharpest images, though we

feel they were slightly over-sharpened. The images
were quite noisy even at ISO 125, which suggests
some aggressive processing.
Overall, the Google Pixel images looked the most
natural, followed by the S7 and then the iPhone 7
Plus.
Pixel
iPhone 7 Plus
Galaxy S7
Smart Photography
January 2017
iPhone 7 Plus
110
Aperture: f/1.8
Shutter Speed:
1/16sec
ISO: 40
Samsung Galaxy S7
Aperture: f/1.7
Shutter Speed:
1/50sec
ISO: 100
Google Pixel XL
Shade
Aperture: f/2
Shutter Speed:
1/100sec
ISO: 332
The Pixel produced the most neutral colours,

but the image lacked the punch that the other
two phones produced. However, if you look
closely, you could see that the image had the widest
dynamic range. The camera reproduced details well
in both shadows and highlights.
The S7 produced the most saturated image, but has

a strong warm cast. The image was low on details,
but the sharpness was excellent. If you see the image,
you will appreciate the image processor in this
camera.
The iPhone 7 Plus produced a predominantly bluish
cast. Sharpness was better than the Pixel, but not
close enough to the S7. Highlights lacked details.
Overall, if you are a casual photographer who likes

the camera to do the processing, you will appreciate
the S7 for its brilliance in processing. But if you like
to work on your images later, the Pixel will provide
you will enough detail to produce a much superior
final image.
Pixel
iPhone 7 Plus
Galaxy S7
Aperture: f/1.8
Shutter Speed:
1/180sec
ISO: 20
Samsung Galaxy S7
Aperture: f/1.7
Shutter Speed:
1/500sec
ISO: 100
Smart Photography
January 2017
iPhone 7 Plus
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Aperture: f/2
Shutter Speed:
1/2000sec
ISO: 51
iPhone 7 Plus
Bright Sunlight
Aperture: f/1.7
Shutter Speed:
1/4211sec
ISO: 100
The Pixel, without doubts, was the winner here, reproducing

excellent fine details in both shadows and highlights. On the
flip side, the overall sharpness was slightly below the Samsung
S7. The camera retained the slight warm hue of the evening,
which makes the image quite pleasant to view.
The S7 produced the sharpest image (we would say, oversharpened), but details were lost in highlights and shadows.
The camera removed all cast and made the image look like a
morning shot, while it was captured in the evening.
The iPhone, clearly, is nowhere close to both the other

competitors in sharpness or details. However, the colours were
more on the neutral side, retaining some warmth, but not so
much as the Pixel did. We observed some noise even though
the image was captured at ISO 20.
Pixel
iPhone 7 Plus
Galaxy S7
Smart Photography
January 2017
VERDICT
112
Aperture: f/1.8
Shutter Speed:
1/2336sec
ISO: 20
As we said before, this test does not aim to suggest the best smartphone
among the three. As far as the camera is concerned, the Google Pixel has,
without doubts, the best camera among the three devices. The Galaxy S7
is brilliant in outdoor images and provides punchy images out of the box,
though these are over-processed. We were disappointed with the iPhone
images, though we expected it to give tough competition to the other two.
The results are for you to see.
Pixel
iPhone 7 Plus
Galaxy S7
Smart Photography app
Download now!
ON
H
P
ART VIEW
SM
RE
hen Asus launches a product,

it loods the market with
variants differing quite a
lot from each other that each can be
considered a separate model. The
Max designated phones have higher
capacity batteries and can recharge
other phones with an OTG cable. These
are value for money phones that are
less capable than the main models from
which they derive their names. We are
putting to test, the latest in the Max
designated phones, the Zenfone 3 Max.
Inside the Box

ZenFone 3 Max
ASUS ZenEar with Mic
OTG Cable
Ejector Pin
USB Power Adapter
Documentation (User Guide,
Warranty Card)
The Zenfone 3 Max has a metal unibody

design like most phones in the market
now. The screen is protected by a 2.5D
curved glass, though it is not mounted
seamlessly. The square ingerprint
sensor is at the back, which requires
you to pick up the device to unlock it.
The phone uses a micro USB terminal,
while most others have moved on to
the faster and reversible USB Type C.
The camera is mounted at the same
level as the body and sits between the
lash and laser emitter. The chrome
antenna lines are slightly receded into
the body.
Key Features
Smart Photography
January 2017
The Zenfone 3 Max has two variants,

and we received the ZC553KL, which
has the best camera out of the two. The
device runs on Android 6.0, under an
ASUS ZenUI 3.0 skin. It uses an FHD
(1920x1080) IPS display, protected by
a 2.5D contoured glass. Like all recent
models, the screen is coated with a
ingerprint and smudge-resistant
oleophobic coating. The device
uses a 64-bit Octa-Core Qualcomm
Snapdragon 430 CPU clocked at 1.4GHz
along with Adreno 505 GPU.
114
The phone has 32GB eMCP internal

storage and supports up to 128GB of
expanded storage via micro SD card.
You can get cloud storage of 100GB on
Google Drive for two years along with
5GB Asus Web Storage for life. The
Zenfone 3 Max has 3GB LPDDR3 RAM.
The main camera is a 16-megapixel

PixelMaster 3.0 model with a 1/3-inch
sensor. The camera offers a constant
Asus Zenfone 3
Max ZC553KL
17,999
Sujith Gopinath
Buddy Refueller
aperture of f/2.0. The camera uses
what Asus calls the TriTech AF system,
which combines Laser AF, Phase
Detection AF and Continuous AF to
ensure fast autofocus in 0.03sec. A
dual LED real tone lash is part of the
unit. Shooting modes include Auto,
Manual, HDR Pro, Beautiication, Super
Resolution, Low Light, QR code, Night,
Effect, Selie, Panorama and Time
Lapse. Videos can be recorded at HD
(1080p, 30 fps) quality, and there is a
provision to capture a still image from
video. The front camera is 8 megapixels
with an aperture of f/2.2. The front
camera offers shooting modes such
as Beautiication, Auto, Night, HDR
Pro, Effect, Low Light, Time Lapse and
Audio.
The smartphone uses an ICE power
enhanced speaker along with dual
microphone with noise cancellation.
It also has a built-in FM receiver.
The Zenfone 3 Max has one SIM slot
accepting a Micro SIM and another
hybrid slot that can accept either
a Nano SIM or a Micro SD card for
memory expansion. Both the slots
support 2G, 3G and 4G. The device

is powered by a 4100mAh nonremovable battery. The smartphone
measures 151.4 x 76.24 x 8.3mm and
weighs 175g.
Ergonomics
The Zenfone 3 Max is not very thin,

and the phone is quite slippery. The
Zenfone 3 Max its perfectly in your
hands and the interface is quite
uncomplicated.
Performance
The Zenfone 3 Max performed

reasonably well, though it does not
stand a chance with the high-end
phones in the market. We would rate
the performance as mid-level, though
the battery lasts for a very long time.
The device is mostly useful as a power
backup because of power bank mode,
which lets you charge other devices
with this phone.
11.52 x 15.56 inches at 300 ppi. At

25 percent screen size, the images
were comparatively free of noise up
to ISO 200 and were perfectly usable
Mahesh Reddy
KEY SPECIFICATIONS
Operating System: Android 6.0 with ASUS
ZenUI 3.0
Display: FHD (1920x1080) IPS
Screen Protection: 2.5D contoured glass
Processor: CPU: 64-bit Octa-Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (1.4GHz); GPU:
Adreno 505
Internal Storage: eMCP 32GB
MicroSD Card: Supports up to 128GB
Google Drive: 100GB free space (2 years)
ASUS Web Storage: 5GB lifetime
Memory: 3GB LPDDR3
Rear Camera: 16-megapixel PixelMaster
3.0 with 1/3-inch sensor
Aperture: f/2.0
Video Recording: HD 1080p at 30 fps
Image Stabilisation: 3-axis electronic image stabilization
Still from Video: Available
Front Camera: 8 megapixel, f/2.2, PixelMaster 3.0
Battery: 4100mAh (non-removable)
Dimensions: 151.4 x 76.24 x 8.3 mm
Weight: 175 g
up to ISO 400. At 50 percent, noise

was observed at all ISOs. Images were
usable up to ISO 200. At 100 percent,
none of the images was usable. The
camera produced heavy cast under all
light sources except daylight. We would
not consider this as a device meant for
serious photography.
of Rs.17,999. We feel that this is quite

high for this device. |SP
FINAL SCORE
75%
Value for Money
The Zenfone 3 Max retails at an MRP

Key Features
14/20
Ergonomics
15/20
Performance
15/20
Value for Money
16/20
PLUS
MINUS
phones
Noisy output
No USB Type-C
Excellent battery life

Can recharge other
VERDICT
Mediocre
performance
The Zenfone 3 Max is not quite a

photography-centric smartphone.
The device is a mid-lever performer
and certainly not recommended for
photographers.
Smart Photography
January 2017
Aperture: f/2
ISO: 400
115
ON
H
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ART VIEW
SM
RE
Inside the Box
f you have used or are using Android

OS, chances are you must have
heard of the Nexus devices. The
Nexus programme that started in 2010
allowed Google to focus on the software
while its chosen partner focussed on
the hardware of the phone. However,
this year, Google is trying to notch up
its promise on the Google experience
by bringing the phones design and
software under one roof. The Pixel and
the Pixel XL are the irst two phones
that are Made by Google and while
both are inherently similar in terms
of design, both phones differ slightly
in terms of screen size and resolution,
which is 5 inches and Full HD in the
Pixel compared to Pixel XLs 5.5 inches
and Quad HD resolution. The battery
capacity also vary with 2770mAh and
3450mAh in the Pixel and Pixel XL
respectively.
Smart Photography
January 2017
116
Android phones these days generally

go full metal or glass. But in case of the
Pixel XL (and Pixel), it goes for both, at
least at the back. The top portion of the
phone dons the shiny glass whereas
the body is all aluminium. The sides
of the phone feature smooth curves,
chamfered edges and is 8.5mm thick. In
terms of colour choices, Googles selling
the Really Black and Very Silver colour
options in the Indian market; having
seen both colours in the lesh, we liked
the black variant more than the silver
one. However, all said and done, we
found the overall design of the Pixel XL
a bit underwhelming. While it may look
like nitpicking, Google could have really
worked to make the bezel thinner at
the bottom end of the display, but the
biggest omission we feel is the lack of
water-resistant capability. When you are
pricing the phone as much as a Samsung
Galaxy S7 edge or Apple iPhone 7,
theres no excuse for leaving such a
marketable feature out.
Key Features
The Pixel XL comes with a 5.5-inch

AMOLED display that supports
Quad HD resolution. AMOLED panel
results in some deep blacks with
colours seemingly on the cooler
side. The display boasts a contrast
Google Pixel XL
USB-C 18 W adaptor with
USB-PD
USB-C to USB-C cable
USB-C to USB Standard-A
plug cable
SIM tool
Headphones with rubber
earbuds
OTG dongle
Safety and warranty
information
Quick start guide
Google Assistant card
Google Social promo card
Google Pixel XL
67,000
(32GB)
Kunal Gangar
Ogle a Google!
ratio of 100,000:1 and features few
enhancements like adaptive brightness;
ambient display that wakes up the
display when receiving notiications;
and a night light that tints the screen
red to reduce eye strain when using the
phone in dark.
The Pixel XL packs Qualcomms latest

Snapdragon 821 clocked at 2.15GHz +
1.6GHz octa-core processor along with
4GB of RAM. In terms of storage, the
base variant comes with 32GB, whereas
the other variant comes with a generous
128GB internal storage. Do note, theres
no support for storage expansion, which
means if you have the means to spend
a little more, go for the 128 gig version.
The phones ingerprint sensor aka Pixel
Imprint is located at the back of the
phone.
Connectivity-wise, Pixel supports global
LTE bands but interestingly, misses
out VoLTE support out of the box. We
suspect Google will enable it later as
Pixels modem is clearly capable of
supporting VoLTE. It also supports
802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.2 and USB
Type-C. Speaking of Type-C, Google also

bundles a USB Type-C adapter that makes
it easier and faster to copy data from the
existing Android device or iPhone to the
Pixel XL.
The Pixel duo are one of the irst devices

in the world to run the latest Android 7.1
Nougat OS. The phones come with Google
Assistant which helps to search, manage
tasks, ind photos or even play music
through voice commands.
The second exclusive feature for the Pixel

range is unlimited storage for all videos
and photos shot from the Pixel phones.
Although Google offers unlimited storage
for photos and videos uploaded from
non-Pixel devices, anything shot from the
Pixel will be backed up to Google Photos
in full resolution.
On the camera front, both the Pixel

and the Pixel XL come with a 12.3MP
sensor with f/2.0 lens. Battery is another
highlight of Pixel XL. The 3450mAh
easily lasts over a day with mixed usage
of internet, gaming, videos and some
calls.
Mahesh Reddy
Ergonomics
The sides of the phone features smooth

curves, chamfered edges and is 8.5mm
thick, which gives the phone a good grip
KEY SPECIFICATIONS
Operating System: Android 7.1 Nougat

Display: Immersive 5.5 AMOLED QHD
(2560 x 1440 pixels) 534-ppi display
Screen Protection: Corning Gorilla Glass 4
Coating: Fingerprint and smudge-resistant
oleophobic coating
Rear Camera: 12.3 MP, f/2.0 with 1.55 m
pixel pitch
Autofocus: Phase Detection Auto-Focus
(PDAF) and Laser Detection Auto-Focus
(LDAF)
Best Video Quality: 4K (30 fps)
Front Camera: 8-MP, f.2.4
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 821
Cores and Clock Speed: 2.15 GHz + 1.6
GHz, 64-Bit Quad-Core processor
GPU: Adreno 530
RAM: 4 GB LPDDR4
Internal Storage (ROM): 32 GB/128 GB
Cloud Storage: Unlimited
Dimensions: 154.72 x 75.74 x 7.31 mm
Weight: 5.92 oz (168 g)1
Battery: 3,450 mAh
NFC: Enabled
better than Apples Siri and even reads

aloud answers like Hows the weather
today? and so forth.
The Pixel XLs camera takes some great

pictures with rich details. Autofocus was
fast, and the images quite sharp. Sure,
theres a bit of post processing going in
the background but the result is ogleworthy pictures, making it good enough to
compete with Samsungs Galaxy S7 series
and Apples iPhone 7 Plus. The Pixel
XLs camera app does not have Manual
or professional camera-like controls.
So we couldnt set ISO speeds and
hence evaluate its noise under various
sensitivities. For a casual user, it will not
make a signiicant difference, but when
you really need some manual control,
this could be a problem. All images had a
warm cast.
Value for Money
The 32GB version of Pixel XL retails at an

MRP of Rs.67,000, while the 128GB version
carries a price tag of Rs.76,000. |SP
FINAL SCORE
81%
Performance
Thanks to Googles tight optimisation,

the Pixel XL is the fastest Android device
we have used till date. The animations
are luid and offer few software
enhancements as well that are exclusive
to the Pixel line.
In our use, we found the Google

Assistant picking up the Indian accent

Key Features
16/20
Ergonomics
16/20
Performance
17/20
Value for Money
15/20
PLUS
Great performance
Excellent battery life
Unlimited cloud
storage
Assured updates
MINUS
No manual
camera controls
No waterprooing
VERDICT
Is this the best smartphone you can

buy? It is a contentious statement to
make but one things for sure it is
right up there if you want an excellent
Android phone. Sure, there is no water
resistance or dual-edged display
compared to its closest Android
competitor but the thing that works for
the Pixel family is the quick and assured
software update for irst two years from
Google and an impressive battery life.
But if you are particular about having
ine control over your camera, the Pixel
XL does not give you an option.
Smart Photography
January 2017
Aperture: f/2
ISO: 100
and excellent
feel in the
hands. Phones
ingerprint
sensor aka
Pixel Imprint
is located at
the back of the
phone. While
the placement
is ideal when
youre holding
the phone,
youre forced to
either pick the
phone up or use
the password
or pattern to
unlock the
phone. While
the phone
unlock is fast
and accurate,
its the swiping
the sensor
gesture to
show phone
notiications
that we
particularly like. We hope Google
expands on this functionality and adds
relevant gestures that work as per
different app requirements.
117
OO
TL
FIR
Camoline Lens Stabiliser

Rohinton Mehta
Camoline
Lens Stabiliser
he most common cause for

unsharp images, especially
when using long focal length/
heavy lenses, is, camera shake
during exposure. No one appreciates
a fuzzy image, unless its done for
a particular effect. To counteract
this problem, one can use a sturdy
tripod, but unfortunately, there
are times when a tripod is just not
practical. Tripods, though useful, can
often be a pain to carry and set-up.
Enter CAMOLINE Lens Stabiliser!
Smart Photography
January 2017
CAMOLINE Lens Stabiliser is Indias

first lens support bean bag with an
anti-skid abrasion-resistant base
and a Head Mounting Plate. The
Lens Stabiliser can be used with
any lens/camera combination from
70-200mm to 800mm. It is a musthave accessory, especially if you own
lenses above 300mm. Its anti-skid
base provides exceptional stability
on both smooth and rough surfaces
or when shooting from vehicles; it
just wont slip! Its designed so that
it will stay put on railings or bars of
a safari vehicle!
118
Using the Head Mounting Plate (an

optional accessory), you can attach a
Gimbal, Ball or Pan-Head to the Lens
Stabiliser and easily track moving
subjects without having to worry
about losing focus! The plate is made
from aerospace aluminium alloy
(6061 series), known for its strength
and excellent corrosion resistance.
It has a stainless steel 3/8-16 screw

attachment which is a standard fit for
most head types. The plate is anodized
for good surface protection and
aesthetic appeal. Smooth edges avoid
any injury while handling.
The bag is made from heavy-duty
imported polyester fabric that is
water-repellent and lightweight. Its
dual zippers enables faster filling
and emptying - saving you time
and trouble! It also has a storage
pocket that can be used to keep
small accessories like an allenkey or equipment-related tools. In
addition, a PALS (Pouch Attachment
Ladder System) is given to attach
small pouches and accessories such a
Tele-Converter or a pancake lens. The
carry straps are made from nylon; the
buckles are from ITW Nexus, USA, and
the zippers and runners are from YKK,
Japan.
The lens stabilizer can be filled with
a variety of seeds or grain, available
locally. Plastic beads are highly
recommend (~6kgs) as a filler; this
will provide a good sturdy support
and also prevent insect infestation,
mould and fungus formation which
could otherwise be an issue with food
grains.
The Lens Stabiliser is 10 (L) x 7 (B) x
9(H) and weighs 320g when empty.
The Mounting Plate is 7 x 9 and
weighs 185g without the spacer-disc
and pouch. |SP
For orders and queries, please write

to sales@camoline.in
Contact No.: +91 98861 67367
Facebook:
www.facebook.com/CamolineIndia
Instagram: CamolineIndia
WWW: www.camoline.in
CAMOLINE Lens Stabilizer + Mounting
Plate INR 5,750/- (For Smart
Photography readers INR 4,000/-)
CAMOLINE Lens Stabilizer INR
5,000/- (For Smart Photography
readers INR 3,250/-)
CAMOLINE Head Mounting Plate

INR 1,500/- (For Smart Photography
readers INR 1,400/-)
*All above prices are specially for Smart

Photography readers until 31 Jan 2017
& FREE SHIPPING via IPS Speed Post*
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5000
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10000
Instant Power DIP-10000 PLA
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THE
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writers
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9.9.Most
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11.
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6.6.Magazines
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share
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. Withcompetent
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WHY WOULD YOU

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