Following the death of Her Magesty the Queen the UK’s and world’s press will be arriving in London.
From Thursday 15th to Saturday 17th we will be offering complementary sensor cleaning and camera check-ups for the Press, agency photographers and @thebppa members at our London Showroom and Workshop.
Fixation with Wex Rental will be opening on Saturday 10am – 5pm with repair technicians and additional rental equipment on hand.
We will be closed on Monday 19th September.
Our carpark, just outside of the congestion charge zone, is available over the weekend and on Monday to members of the press. If you require a space please contact our sales team directly for further information: sales@fixationuk.com
Our current gallery display highlights Royal images from The British Press Photographers’ Association and from customers gifted to us throughout our 34 years serving the press community.
The map image shows the Laying in State procession route in Yellow, The Queue route in Blue and the border of the congestion charge zone in Red.
As both a stand-up comedian and a photographer, Steve Best enjoys unparalleled access behind the closed doors of the comedy circuit. His stylish, artful images show a different side of people we recognise from panel shows and comedy clubs. Sometimes they’re nervous, sometimes they’re excited, sometimes they seem decidedly contemplative.
It’s this knack for capturing a different side of his funny-people subjects that has made Steve such a popular figure on the comedy circuit – a popularity that has also translated to two successful photobooks.
Steve owns a few bits of kit from Fixation, so we were thrilled when he agreed for a sit-down to chat about his work and his ongoing ‘Comedians’ project. So, let’s get into it!
Photo Steve Best
Fixation: Thanks for talking with us Steve. Your ‘Comedians’ project is a favourite on the comedy circuit and beyond – how did it all come about?
Steve Best: I’ve always been interested in photography. I’d been doing stand-up for years and years, and I had a little Ricoh point-and-shoot film camera which I’d take on my holidays. I really loved that camera, and then I got the digital version of it. Because it was so small, I used to just slip the camera into my pocket, and so I’d take it to gigs. And there, I would just take a snapshot of a comedian backstage I was speaking with at the time. That was how it started.
That must have been the year two thousand and… something! But eventually I did that first little book, Comedy Snapshot. It’s a chunky little book with more than four hundred comedians – I took a snapshot of them, and then they all gave me a one-liner joke, and four or five facts.
They were just little portrait snapshots, but they went down so well with the comedy community that I decided to lose a lot more money and do another book!
So we did another book, very similar to the first, called Joker Face. It was nearly twice the size, chunky-wise – which I got told off for, because the spec was meant to be the same, but I just kept on adding comedians.
And for my photography, that was when I started upping my game a bit. I got into Fujifilm – I had the X-Pro1 at the time. The pictures are still snapshots; they’re not, you know, ‘proper’ portrait shots, but that’s what I want it to be. It was never meant to be stylish; it was just me being backstage, having access to these comedians.
Mike Gunn through the curtain at the Hammersmith Apollo. Photo Steve Best
Fixation: I was wondering about your shooting process – do you approach different people in a different way? Or do you have a more set process that seems to work every time?
Steve Best: I think because I’m accepted in that world – I’m ‘one of them’, as they say – their guard does kind of come down slightly. So I know that they will not play up to the camera, and I can just chat with them. For instance, there are quite a lot of mirror shots where I’m looking at the comedian, I’m chatting with them as well, and I’m just surreptitiously pinging the shutter.
That kind of backstage work is actually one of the reasons why recently I got a Leica Q, which I really love because it’s so quiet. It’s so nice. So I can just muck around – even with the big names, as I know most of them now. That’s how you’re kind of let into this world. I think the backstage photographs are slightly more interesting than the front-of-stage photographs – because people see the front of the stage, but most people don’t see backstage.
Fixation: You mentioned you’re shooting on the Leica Q, which is a gorgeous camera. Do you have much else in your setup at the moment?
Steve Best: I’ve always had a Fuji. Fujifilm has been really good to me. I bought myself a Fujifilm X-Pro1 to start with, and Fujifilm lent me a load of gear early on, so I’m very loyal to Fuji and I really love their stuff. I’ve moved on to the medium format for my portrait stuff – a GFX 50S, which I bought second-hand through Fixation. I’ve got the 32-64mm lens, and the 80mm. The 80mm has taken me so long to get used to the focusing, but for portrait work it’s really great.
I’ve actually used medium format live as well – I’ve found a way of using it for shooting live performances, which I love, I think it’s fantastic. It’s sluggish, but it’s great to get a different kind of image.
Michael Fabbri and Joe Rowntree, waiting to go on stage, and you can see he’s a bit stressed. Photo Steve Best
Fixation: Is there a particular image of yours that’s a favourite, or one you look on most fondly?
Steve Best: I think maybe there are two. The one of Mike Gunn through the curtain at the Hammersmith Apollo is the one people often comment on, and it got shortlisted for the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition. I like that one because although it’s an on-stage image, I’m backstage, peeking through the curtain. I like the light, and the fact that he’s on his own – even though he’s actually in front of three and a half thousand people, it’s quite a lonely picture.
I do also like the one of Barry Cryer. But the other one I was thinking of is one of the first pictures I took, which is one of Michael Fabbri and Joe Rowntree. Joe’s head is on the doorframe; he’s waiting to go on stage, and you can see he’s a bit stressed. And Michael Fabbri, he’s just finished his set, so he’s lying on the couch, and is very relaxed.
Barry Cryer, relaxing. Photo Steve Best
Fixation: Lastly, you’ve photographed absolutely loads of comedians, but are there any you haven’t photographed yet whom you’d like to?
Steve Best: Tim Minchin. I think he’s a great performer. And I’ve never got hold of Bill Bailey, which would be nice as well. There are still a few people out there. I’m always trying to collect people.
Steve Best was talking to Jon Stapley. See more of his books and prints at stevebest.com.
A compact, lightweight and versatile prime lens has just been announced by Canon; the RF 24mm f1.8 Macro IS STM is only 270g and 6.3cm long. Despite it’s small size Canon has packed in features with image stabilization, close macro focussing and a silent STM motor making this new lens a poweful addition to any EOS R series camera. Great for details as well as environmental portraits and general views this lens will be in the kit bag for photographers shooting weddings, travel, street, portraits, vlogging and more. Canon RF 24mm f1.8 Macro IS STM Key Features
High Quality Wide Angle: The 24mm focal length is arguably the widest focal length lens available without introducing distracting distortion to images especially with people in the frame. Canon have a long history of producing spectacular wide angle lenses and we expect this lens to be perfect for environmental portraiture and travel photography, capturing people within their environments. Canon has used an asphercal element and lens coatings in the lens construction to imforve image clarity and control for chromatic aberration.
5-Stop Optical Image Stabilisation: Canon IS lenses strady your image using a floating optical element group to ounter the effects of hand-held camera shake. Shoot hand-held at slower shutter speeds with confidence and enjoy smoother video footage witht the Canon RF 24mm Macto IS STM. When paired with an EOS R system mirrorless body featuring in-body stabilisation the benefit increases to a 6.5 stop advantage as the body and lens benefit from rapid communication afforded by the RF lens mount.
Compact and Lightweight: 6.3cm in legth and only 270g this lens will fit in any camera bag, can be carried all day and is an un-obtrusive size for street photography.
Fast bright f/1.8 aperture: a 9-blade aperture mechanism delivers a circular aperture at all f-stops for smooth out of focus areas and beautiful background bokeh. The f/1.8 maximum aperture will deliver a shallow depth of field to isolate subjects from busy backgrounds.
Close focussing: a minimum focus distance of 14cm combines the benefits of macro photography (0.5x magnification or half life size projected onto the image sensor) and a wide angle lens that will let you get close while showing your subject in it’s environment. The water droplets and shallow depth of field on the rose, and marbles images below show how close you can get – perfect for capturing detail.
Customisable on-lens controls: A customisable on-lens control ring can be used to dial in settings from the lens, set the control ring for Manal focussing, ISO control, swiching between AF settings or selecting aperture without removing your hand from the lens.
Smooth Silent STM motor: The Canon STM motor or stepping motion has a smoother and quieter action ideal for recording video the STM motor delivers smooth focus pulls. If you have a microphone mounted on camera the STM motor is quieter than the USM equivalent so you will not pick up any sound from the lens while the STM focus motor is working.
The Canon RF 24mm f1.8 Macro IS STM Lens £719 The lens is available to pre-order just contact our sales team on sales@fixationuk.com or call us on 0207 582 3294 to pre-order.
Profoto has announced a new trigger to control their impressive lighting system and added the smallest flash unit in the range so you can always bring a a flash no matter how light you are travelling.
Profoto Connect Pro trigger and two views of the Profoto A2
Profoto Connect Pro
The Profoto Connect Pro is remarkably easy to use. Forget the user manual; the large display is intuitive and straightforward with improved TTL group control matching the latest lights from profoto such as the A10, B10 and B10 plus. Simply slide it on your camera’s hot-shoe – and you’re ready to go.
The Profoto Connect Pro is available in different versions dedicated to Canon, Nikon, Fujfilm, Leica and Sony TTL systems and hot shoe configurations. Also a Non-TTL version is available compatible with all standard hot-shoes.
The trigger allows instant and complete control of each individual flash setting, viewed on the Connect Pro screen in clean, clear numbers, from your shooting position. So, you can fine-tune at will to get the exact effect you’re going for. This high degree of control is thanks to Profoto’s AirX connectivity which allows you to tailor your workflow to your shooting situation.
You can also choose where you receive the information on your phone or smart device because the group controls on the Connect Pro are mirrored in the Profoto Control app on your iPad, iPhone, or Android smartphone.
With up to 100 available channels, there will always be a free channel for your lighting setup – even in the largest commercial studios. Add to that improved battery life and the possibility to use rechargeable Lithium Ion batteries, seamless firmware updates via Profoto AirX, and you have a remote that takes connectivity to new heights.
Key Features:
Control each individual light in absolute numbers straight from the remote
Sync and manually control any Profoto light that is compatible with Air or AirX
Intuitive and easy to use user interface
Sync and remote control 0.5-300 m (1.5-1000ft) TTL: 0.5-100 m (1.5-330 ft)
Up to 100 channels
TTL group control
Switch from TTL Mode to Manual Mode with the automated TTL settings intact – a huge time saver
Wireless updates through the Profoto Control app
Profoto A2
The Profoto A2 is small, lightweight, and portable – about the size of a regular soda can, making it Profoto’s smallest ever monolight. Ideal when space is at a premium and time is short. Throw it in your bag or a jacket pocket, and you’re ready to make the most of whatever location you find yourself in.
Like all Profoto lights, the A2 has a great setup interface and connectivitiy with the AIR TTL and AirX system so you’ll go from box to first flash in record time.
With AirX connectivity built-in, you can use the A2 as a part of a more extensive Profoto lighting system, and you can shoot with any camera. In addition, enjoy the freedom of choosing where you adjust all settings. Either via the user-friendly large display on the flash or the Profoto Control app and even shoot with your smartphone with all the benefits of a profoto lighting setup.
The creative possibilities become almost endless when you combine the A2 with the Profoto Clic System – a series of light shaping tools bespoke to A-series flashes. The Clic OCF Adapter II brings entire range of OCF light shaping tools are available to use as well with this handy light.
Authorised Profoto Service Centre
At Fixation we are proud to be an official repair centre for Profoto in the UK. As a repair partner with Profoto we can complete many warranty repairs in-house, our technicians specialise in photographic repair making us the destination for professional photographers. All our spare parts for repairs are supplied by Profoto to ensure all repairs are completed with genuine manufacturer spare parts.
With the support of our in-house workshop our customers at Fixation know they will always recieve the best technical insights when investing in new equipment.
Nikon announces a new full-frame super-telephoto prime lens for the mirrorless Z system. The NIKKOR Z 400mm f/4.5 VR S is a smaller lighter version of the super-fast f/2.8 aperture version launched in January. The 400mm focal length is a go-to lens for sports, wildlife, and nature photography and with a smaller maximum apperture this new announcement from Nikon is significantly more compact, lightweight and lighter on the wallet than its f/2.8 counterpart.
The Nikon Z 400mm f4.5 VR S Lens £3,299 The lens is available to pre-order just contact our sales team on sales@fixationuk.com or call us on 0207 582 3294 to pre-order.
Nikon Z 400mm f4.5 VR S Lens
Nikon Z 400mm Build Quality
Built to give photographers every advantage out in the field, the NIKKOR Z 400mm f/4.5 VR S is impressively lightweight at only 1245g and 23.5 cm long. weather sealing and a rubber gasket keep dust, dirt, and moisture out of all moving parts. Nikon’s fluorine coat makes it easy to wipe the front lens element clean. Controls on the lens are customisable with two function buttons one close to the body and one on the larger barrel towards the front of the lens for fast access to settings in any given shooting situation.
Nikon Z 400mm f4.5 TC VR S lens detail showing on-lens controls and tripod mount ring.
Nikon Z 400mm Key Features
Powerful VR: Powerful in-lens optical VR gives a 5.5-stop advantage. This increases to 6.0 stops if paired used with the Nikon Z 9, Synchro VR.
Teleconverter compatibility: extend the reach to 560 mm with a Nikon Z TC-1.4x, or 800 mm with a Nikon Z TC-2.0x teleconverter. Using teleconverers reduce the maximum aperture by 1 and 2 stops respectively but with superb ISO performance from Nikon this should be no issue if you need to get closer.
Compact and Lightweight: 234.5mm in legth and only 1245g this lens will fit in a standard camera bag and give you telephoto reach whenever you need it without any additional cases or carry requirements that come with larger telephoto lenses.
Exquisite detail: Nikon’s ED, Super ED, and SR glass elements counter chromatic aberrations. ED stands for Extra-low Dispersion which reduces colour fringing at high-contrast edges. Super ED glass offers and improvement on ED elements Super Extra-low Dispersion. SR glass elements combat blue fringing bringing all wavelengths into a precise point where corrections had previously focused on red-magenta wavelengths. Nikon’s Nano Crystal Coat optical coatings significantly reduce ghosting and flare.
Weather sealed and robust: sealing around all moving parts keeps dust and moisture at bay, and Nikon’s fluorine coating protects the front element. As a repair centre we must caution that no DSLR lens is completeley waterproof – a rain cover is essential to keep your kit dry when shooting in the rain.
Balanced: the lens’ centre of gravity is towards the rear for more stable operation. The tripod foot allows optimum balance when the lens is attached to a tripod. The foot is removable for a more compact form or when travelling.
Customisable on-lens controls: two custom function buttons L-fn and L-fn2 can be set to change different parameters whether that is snapping to a particular focus point or allowing modfication of a camera setting such as ISO without moving your hand off the lens. These butons once set up can make working with the lens much smoother. In addition there is a silent control ring that can be used to dial in settings from the lens. Switches on the lens are AF / M for switching off Autofocus if you are locked onto a subject at a set distance. The focus limit switch allows you to select the full focal distance range or limit to subjects between 6m and Infinity which makes locking on to a subject much faster as the motor has to move the optics in a smaller range.
The NIKKOR Z 400mm f/4.5 VR S: £3,299 The lens is available to pre-order just contact our sales team on sales@fixationuk.com or call us on 0207 582 3294 to pre-order.
Authorised Nikon Service Centre
At Fixation we are proud to be an official repair centre for Nikon in the UK able to service the current DSLR and mirrorless range of camera bodies and lenses. As a repair partner with Nikon for over 30 years we can complete many warranty repairs in-house, our technicians specialise in photographic repair making us the destination for profressional photographers. All our spare parts for repairs are supplied by Nikon to ensure all repairs are completed with genuine Nikon spares.
With the support of our in-house workshop our customers at Fixation know they will always recieve the best technical insights when investing in new equipment.
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