Table of contents for December 2025 in Digital Camera Magazine

When it comes to taking sharp, professional-looking photos, understanding how to focus accurately is as important as understanding shutter speed and aperture choices. Even with the best lenses and perfect exposure, missing focus can ruin an image beyond repair. Modern DSLRs and mirrorless cameras offer sophisticated focusing systems, many of which can be customised to suit your style and subject preferences. To make the most of them, you need to understand how they work and take control of focus points and focus areas, the active parts of your focusing system that are designed to help you achieve sharp focus exactly where you want it. When it comes to choosing a focus mode, much depends on your subject and most cameras give several different options to choose from. SETTING UP THE…

This month: Creative lens techniques The lenses you own and how you use them define your photography You can spend as much as you like on a camera but you won’t get far without a lens or two. In essence, the camera is an expensive, hugely sophisticated box of technological tricks. Of course, features such as resolution, continuous shooting rates and high ISOs have an impact on your photography, but they’re nothing without a lens. Which lenses you decide to buy is governed by any number of factors. Budget is certainly high up on the list of those factors and almost as important is the camera you own. Manufacturers of interchangeable lens cameras have their own unique lens mount, which means there is usually no cross-brand compatibility. However, there are…

The background plays an important role in photos and bokeh is the term used to describe its aesthetic qualities. Bokeh varies depending on the lens design, the f/stop used, the distance between the subject and the background, and the features of the background itself. A background with well-defined highlights can be effective for producing interesting-looking bokeh. Fast lenses give the most pronounced effect, which is why expert portrait shooters invest in exotic optics such as 85mm f/1.2 or 135mm f/1.8 primes. However, decent bokeh is still achievable with a 70-200mm f/2.8 telephoto. If it’s bright, you may have to set a low ISO or use the camera’s electronic shutter for super-fast shutter speeds. Another option is to fit a neutral density (ND) filter.…

A professional nature and landscape photographer for over 30 years, Guy Edwardes runs many nature and landscape photography workshops around the world each year, and supplies some of the world’s leading picture libraries. This month, he has provided Digital Camera’s cover photo – a capture of mycena inclinata (clustered bonnet fungi) on a decaying oak stump in The New Forest National Park in Hampshire. It is one of the best places in the UK to search for a wide variety of fungi species that thrive in these ancient woodlands. “I used my old Canon EOS 90D, which was the only Canon DSLR that offered focus bracketing at the time, with my EF100mm f/2.8L IS USM Macro lens,” he recalls. “It’s a function I now use regularly for focus-stacking fungi images…

Share your photos with Irys Launched by street photographer Alan Schaller, this new social media app is a dedicated, ad-free space designed to put the focus back on stills photography Having co-founded Street Photography International on Instagram in 2015 and watched it grow into a 1.7-million-strong community, Alan Schaller was appalled by the advent of Reels, which favour video content. So he resolved to do something about it, and the result is Irys. Schaller’s answer to the short-attention-span internet, Irys is a high-resolution space for still images. There are no follower counts, no adverts and no data sales and curation is done by real editors, not algorithms. Generative AI is banned and screenshots and unauthorised sharing are limited. Fine-art nudity is allowed with context, moderation is handled by humans and…

www.canon.co.uk The Canon EOS R1 is the camera I’ve been waiting for since the entire R system was launched back in 2018. What is a camera system without a flagship camera – a standard-bearer to showcase the system and provide all the trickle-down goodness for the next half-decade? Well, I’ve reviewed every top-tier sports camera from every manufacturer – literally the A to Z of flagship cameras. And after countless hours, tens of thousands of photographs and endless second-sturned-minutes of 240p video, I think I can safely say that the EOS R1 is the best flagship sports camera out there. Key features The R1 has a lot of tech in common with the Canon EOS R5 Mark II – so much so, in fact, that the two cameras are essentially…

www.dxo.com The Nik Collection is typically used as plug-ins for programs such as Lightroom Classic and Photoshop, but also works as standalone programs and external editors for other programs, like Capture One. If you shoot in raw format, you will need a ‘host’ program to do your conversions before sending processed images to the Nik plug-ins for editing. Though usually described as a plug-in suite, Nik Collection offers a wide variety of workflows, with its huge creative range making it one of the best photo-editing software applications around. Key features Analog Efex is for recreating the look of old cameras, primitive lenses and lo-fi film stocks. It can create bokeh effects, light leaks, borders, dust and scratches, even ‘accidental’ multiple exposure effects. It’s like a wild analog playground, weird and…

The digital advantage Digital magazines can travel with you – even if you delete them, they are free to download again later. Subscribers can now access issues of Digital Camera going back to 2009 (iOS) or 2012 (Pocketmags). To subscribe today, go to: www.magazinesdirect.com/categories/photography-and-design Available on Available on the following: Apple iOS devices Get the free Digital Camera app for your iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch at: www.bit.ly/app_DCM (UK) or www.bit.ly/app_DCW (outside UK) Then browse through our back issues or buy a subscription (see page 42 for offers) using the app. Android, PC or Mac Zinio www.bit.ly/DCW_Zinio Pocket Mags www.pocketmags.com Other options Digital Camera is available for Kobo, Kindle, Nook and more (see above). It can also be found on the all-you-can-read Readly magazine app: https://gb.readly.com/ Printed back issues Prefer…

Toby Binder Documentary photographer Based in Germany but often found working in Belfast, Toby takes us behind the scenes of a photo series recognised at 2025’s Sony World Photography Awards. Page 116 Will Cheung Photographer and writer A fellow of the Royal Photographic Society and the former editor of many photography titles, Will is the man behind Camera Clinic, which continues on page 74 Guy Edwardes Outdoor photographer With 30 years at the forefront of macro photography, we’re delighted that Guy appears on this month’s front cover. Find out more about his picture on page 82 Andrew James  Photographer and writer Regular contributor Andrew used to helm Photo Answers – this month, he offers his hints, tips and insights for getting razor-sharp photos every time. Page 54 Jon Devo  Photographer…

1 | LANDSCAPES Capture the coast in winter Discover what you can photograph at the seaside, with Wendy Evans Summer is over and autumn is a fading memory but that doesn’t mean you should stay indoors for the next four months. Of course, you can if you want to – we won’t be checking up. However, it’s much more fun to pack your camera and tripod, plus warm clothes and an umbrella, and head for a scenic coastline to discover the photographic treats that await. You could probably use a flexible lens, like a 24-200mm, which offers a handy wide-angle focal length and a decent amount of telephoto. However, if you want more flexibility, then a really wide-angle lens, say 16mm, adds more drama and bringing a macro lens will…

OVERALL WINNER and WINNER: Close-up & Macro ‘Danlock’ Hasan Baglar (Cyprus) “I spotted the praying mantises on a branch and moved closer to get a better look. When I tried to touch them, they attacked by spreading their wings and began to follow me. I didn’t want to miss it, so I quickly started taking pictures. I’m not familiar with the behaviour of praying mantises and had never seen this pose before – I could hardly believe my eyes. I was excited and my hands were shaking as I took the photos. I think this is a miracle of nature – to me, they look like smiling dancers. I hope it inspires others to enjoy the beauty of wildlife photography.” WINNER: Landscapes ‘Into the Cave’ Filip Hrebenda (Slovakia) This photo was…

Using a wide-angle lens to capture this field stretching to the distant hills presents us with a dilemma. Focus on the lines of stubble in the foreground and, even at f/ll or f/16, we can’t capture tack-sharp detail all the way to the far distant hilltop in one single frame. Here, focus stacking comes to the rescue. By capturing multiple images, each focused at different distances within the frame, we can use software to blend them into one image that’s sharp from front to back. Rather than stopping down to f/16 or f/22 and potentially suffering from diffraction softness, we can shoot at the lens’s optimal aperture of f/8. The technique works well for landscapes with strong foreground elements, in this case, the stubble patterns of the field. Shooting for…

www.nikon.co.uk A top-spec ‘trinity’ standard zoom lens is something every serious camera manufacturer needs to attract a clientele of professional and enthusiast photographers, and Nikon is no exception. Recent options include the Nikkor AF-S 24-70mm f/2.8E ED VR for DSLRs, which is still on sale despite the obsolescence of many F-mount lenses, and the Nikkor Z 24‑70mm f/2.8 S, arguably Nikon’s truly pro-grade zoom for the top Z mirrorless cameras. Indeed, the original Z 24-70mm f/2.8 lens was so good that the Mark II has a tough act to follow. Build and handling The Nikkor Z 24‑70mm f/2.8 S II lens is a ‘world first’ in that it’s a trinity standard zoom with a fully internal zoom mechanism, so there’s no hidden agenda of an extending inner barrel. Turn back the…

Life on the streets for young people in Belfast, Northern Ireland, is something of a passion project for the German documentary photographer Toby Binder. He has been photographing there for a number of years, capturing the lived experiences of subjects who were born after the Good Friday Agreement in 1998, which brought an end to The Troubles – the civil unrest that had been a part of daily life in the province from the late 1960s. While the Unionist and Nationalist paramilitaries laid down their arms as part of the agreement, there are still tensions in both communities, which continue to be separated by physical barriers. Psychological divisions are prevalent, too, passed down from generation to generation, and this is something that Toby likes to explore. His series Divided Youth…

WANT TO HAVE YOUR SAY? Email us, with ‘Reader letters’ in the subject line: digitalcamera@futurenet.com Star letter prize Love capturing life’s moments? With CEWE, you can turn your favourite memories into something truly special. From an award-winning CEWE PHOTOBOOK to beautiful, high-quality wall art, CEWE will help you bring your story to life. The Star Letter each month will win a voucher for £50 to be used to create a CEWE PHOTOBOOK. Scan this code to find out more Star Letter: Guitar hero Your ‘Summon a six-string’ macro feature in Photo Active in the September issue (298) caught my eye because I have an ongoing project to create a photo book with pictures of all the guitars in my house. The attached photograph, of a Squier Precision Bass guitar, titled…

BONUS SOFTWARE EXTRAS! See page 94 ENTER THIS URL www.digitalcameraworld.com/dc301 Enter the URL www.digital cameraworld.com/dc301 into the destination bar of your internet browser – we’re using Google Chrome, but other browsers work in a similar way. Please do not enter it in any search field or search bar. This will take you to a page on our website. STEP 1 JUST CLICK THE HIGHLIGHTED LINK Click on the link labelled ‘Download the files for Digital Camera 301’ and your download will start, delivered from our own server. Please override any browser warnings about downloading from a non-secure source – our server is safe! STEP 2 ACCESS YOUR FILES Open the. zip In your Downloads folder, or wherever you download your files, double-click the dcm301-files.zip file icon. When it expands, double-click…

A sharp photograph captures the viewer’s attention, reveals intricate details and conveys a sense of precision and clarity that can elevate an image from good to truly exceptional. Quite simply, sharpness is what gives your images their bite and impact. Whether you’re capturing a beautiful landscape, a candid moment on the street, or a fleeting moment from nature, an image that’s sharp where it needs to be feels professional. Achieving true clarity requires careful technique, the right equipment settings and a thorough understanding of how to control your camera. Key methods include using the correct shutter speed for the subject, nailing the focus and understanding the relationship between aperture and depth of field. Even the best lenses can’t compensate for poor technique, and while post-processing can enhance contrast and detail, it…

The image stabilisation systems built into lenses or camera bodies represent one of the most effective solutions for preventing unwanted camera shake, allowing you to shoot handheld at shutter speeds that would otherwise require a tripod to steady the camera. So although we previously recommended shutter speeds that you wouldn’t want to drop below when handholding, in the right circumstances you could use them. Modern stabilisation systems use gyroscopic sensors to detect movement, shifting internal lens elements to counteract motion, and can provide up to four or five stops of improvement. Image stabilisation excels with telephoto lenses, where tiny movements are magnified, and is invaluable for wildlife photography, sports and any situation where mounting a camera on a tripod isn’t practical. However, not even the best IS system can stop…

1 ‘Kibble Palace’ by Stuart Neville “The Kibble Palace at the Botanic Gardens in Glasgow is my favourite place to try out a new lens or camera. There’s lots of natural light flooding in and it has interesting subjects to photograph. This is the entrance to the Palace.” Shot with a 20mm f/2.8 lens: 1/500 sec at f/11, ISO 800. Instagram: @glasgowpixman Digital Camera says: You’d need a very wide-angle lens to get all this in one frame. But we agree – this is a spectacular setting in a classic Victorian glasshouse. 2 ‘California Sea Lions’ by Tony Britton “The morning sunlight added a touch of drama to this spirited interaction between two sea lions in Santa Cruz, USA.” Shot at 221mm: 1/6,400 sec at f/6.3, ISO 800. Website: tonybritton.smugmug.com…

EXTENSION TUBES Focus even closer by fitting an extension tube or two. These non-optical devices increase the distance from the back of the lens to the sensor plane to allow closer focusing. Often sold in sets, they can be combined for a more powerful effect. Most have linkages for autoexposure and even autofocus, so they are easy to use. However, with shallow depth of field, focus is critical so placing the camera on a tripod helps. FILTERS There’s an extensive range of filters available to modify images in-camera. For the outdoor photographer, the polariser, neutral density and graduated filter are the most useful. Clear or faintly coloured filters are used to protect the lens’s front element. Filters either screw onto the lens or filter systems are held in place by…

With DSLR cameras, it’s possible to fit lenses with different mounts, but often without infinity focus. However, with mirrorless cameras, where there’s no reflex mirror that allows a much shorter lens flange to focal plane distance, it’s possible to fit lenses of different mounts and retain infinity focusing and more. It’s a great opportunity to enjoy your old lenses on a new camera. Many adapters will not have any communication pins, so there’s no EXIF data and focusing and aperture selection are manual, but there are exceptions. For example, you can fit Canon EF lenses on Canon R bodies and Nikon F lenses on Nikon Z bodies and have full functionality with a suitable adapter. There are also a few cross-brand adapters that enable almost full compatibility. For example, Megadap…

Most photographers rely on autofocus, but manual focus has its place, too. AF can struggle, so you may have to lend a helping hand, but you can use an AF lens switched to manual, of course. There’s also a wide choice of manual focus lenses and with no internal motors, these optics are much cheaper than AF optics, although there are many high-end options. Critical manual focusing can be tricky, so use the camera’s focus aids. Focus peaking with a range of colours is a popular aid and many cameras will bring the magnifier into action when the focus barrel is touched. Manual lenses – and some cameras – have a distance scale, which can be particularly handy for the pre-focusing technique.…

What’s the F to Z of Tamron lenses? Q I’m thinking of trading in my old Nikon D750 DSLR for a new Z5 II mirrorless camera. Would I still be able to use my existing Tamron lenses via an FTZ II mount adapter? Gillian Watson A The short answer is ‘maybe’. In a perfect world, the FTZ and subsequent FTZ II mount adapters would enable the use of any and every F-mount lens designed for Nikon DLSRs on Z-mount mirrorless cameras. But sadly, things aren’t quite that straightforward, especially when it comes to using third-party lenses. The same is also true when using Tamron EF and EF-S mount lenses that were originally designed for Canon DLSRs on EOS R system mirrorless cameras, via an EF-EOS R mount adapter. In an effort to…

www.tamron.eu Typically, the versatility that comes with a mirrorless camera is due in large part to the ability to twist off the lens and attach a new one. But the Tamron 18-300mm F3.5-6.3 Di III-A VC VXD is a single lens that can tackle wide-angle, telephoto and half macro all without swapping lenses. Or, for that matter, packing or buying multiple lenses. Now available in Canon RF and Nikon Z as well as the originally launched Fujifilm X and Sony E mounts, the Tamron 18-300mm APS-C lens is well-suited to travel and walkabout photography because of its unusual versatility. Cramming what would typically require multiple lenses into a single zoom comes with its sacrifices, however, so we spent some time with the Tamron 18-300mm F3.5-6.3 Di III-A VC VXD to…