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The Iceland trip

Michael Schirnhofer

Photographer from Austria

When I travelled to Iceland for the first time exactly one year ago, I already knew that I have to come back and visit this incredible country another time. This year, summer, July - it was time to head there again to explore some angles of the islands that I haven’t seen before. 

With three very good friends that are also photographers we finally headed there last week for 7 days. This trip was all about producing high quality content but simultaneously enjoying and appreciating the moments to the fullest. When thinking about Iceland and its thousand huge waterfalls and canyons you might instantly think about bringing a wide angle to capture this best. In addition to my SAMYANG 14mm 2.8 MF I brought In cooperation with SAMYANG a new lens to this trip - the 85mm with AF for my Sony A7III. This enabled me not only to capture the whole scenery (with my wide angle), but also details that I wouldn’t be able to capture otherwise. But more about that later.

After landing in Keflavik we picked up our rental car and immediately headed into the highlands to a very special place called Kerlingarfjöll, which is a geothermal area with numerous hot springs. At this time of the year the sun barely sets behind the horizon, so there is some daylight even at night. We arrived at our first photo spot at around 9pm after a long drive on gravel roads - but I can tell you - it was more than worth it. When we arrived there we couldn’t believe our eyes as it looked like entering a different planet.
This was just the first spot out of hundred spots we have researched for our trip to Iceland. This is how our map looked like: 




Kerlingarfjöll, based in the highlands 




needless to say we couldn’t make all of them, a reason to come back.

 

 

On the next following 6 days we visited a lot of places that couldn’t be any more different. As said we immediately headed into the highlands after our arrival, where we spent the first days.

This are some impressions from the highlands, that left me speechless: 







Landmannalaugar


I already saw those places on social media a lot of times, but seeing this in real life just totally blew my mind. Those highlands, especially in Landmannalaugar looked like a perfect perfect 
painting. I have no words for this. We just stood there for hours and enjoyed the moment. The SAMYANG 85mm gave me the perfect opportunity to capture more details here - definitely the best SAMYANG lens I have tried so far, it's very sharp and the colors are really on point. 

The next days of the trip brought us to massive waterfalls



valley of waterfalls



black sand beach, Vik



Skogafoss, captured with SAMYANG 14mm 2.8 MF


black sand beaches



Svínafellsjökull









and glaciers.
Basically you can capture beauty everywhere you go in Iceland. The roadviews are insane all the time - we took photo spots every few minutes.
With my SAMYANG 85MM AF I also tried a lot of portraits as the focal length and the amazing 1.4 aperture are ideal for that. What can I say, I have barely seen any lens with this amazing sharpness, true colors and bokeh. I will take it to every trip from now on, as I really like to capture detail shots on trips



portrait I took with the 85mm

Can’t wait to try more of the SAMYANG collection and go on more trips like that. The Iceland trip was definitely a time that I will remember forever. 

Follow me on more adventures:


Written by Michael Schirnhofer (@intohimoni)

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Samyang’s Guide to Achieving the Optimal Angle of View

The perfect spacing and distance are always necessary when shooting all kinds of subjects, including people, to give them a proper relationship with the beautiful space around them. So, what’s the exact distance that helps you best appreciate a work of art, or a photo?

The correct answer is the diagonal length of the full frame of a subject.

표준화각 자료 이미지
표준화각 자료 이미지

The best standpoint from which to appreciate the full view of a subject is the distance of the diagonal length of the subject frame. This wider angle is superior to standing closer at a 50 degree angle to get a more detailed view. This notion of an ideal distance or view point is also applicable in the world of photography.

For still images, keeping a distance equal to the diagonal length of the full image surface is recommended. The full frame sensor of a digital camera is 36 x 24mm and the diagonal length is 43.26mm so any distance close to this number is nearer to the ideal than the currently accepted industry standard of 50mm.

Back when film cameras were common, 45mm was the industry standard and this continued as reflex cameras needed extra space to fit a mirror. However, as mirrorless cameras become more popular again, there has been a need to return to this industry standard…which is the impetus for the Samyang AF 45mm F1.8 FE. With less distortion than a 35mm lens and wider angles than a 55mm lens, the Samyang AF 45mm F1.8 FE is a perfect lens for portraits, landscapes, architecture photography, and pictures of pets.

What is Preset Aperture Control Function?

On the Preset Aperture Control function, the aperture blade operates smoothly like a "De-clicked lens", which is advantageous for video recording.
Fujifilm cameras are engineered to control the aperture according to the minimum exposure value(F-stop), so when the camera controls the aperture, it blinks momentarily to set the proper exposure.

AF 75mm F1.8 X intentionally disconnects the communication with the camera body and the lens itself on the Preset Aperture Control function, so it is possible to smoothly adjust the exposure without flickering. ISO and shutter speed are adjusted according to the changed exposure by controlling the aperture, so the exposure value can be changed even with the 1/2 F-stop.

What is Preset Aperture Control Function?

On the Preset Aperture Control function, the aperture blade operates smoothly like a "De-clicked lens", which is advantageous for video recording.
Fujifilm cameras are engineered to control the aperture according to the minimum exposure value(F-stop), so when the camera controls the aperture, it blinks momentarily to set the proper exposure.

AF 75mm F1.8 X intentionally disconnects the communication with the camera body and the lens itself on the Preset Aperture Control function, so it is possible to smoothly adjust the exposure without flickering. ISO and shutter speed are adjusted according to the changed exposure by controlling the aperture, so the exposure value can be changed even with the 1/2 F-stop.

What is Recommended Settings for Preset Aperture Control Function?

The Preset Aperture Control function operates only when shooting video(Movie mode) and the focusing mode of the camera is set to AF mode. Please set the aperture at f/1.8 before switching the "Custom Switch" to "Mode 2. It is recommended to set the "Exposure mode" as A mode (Aperture Priority AE) or M mode (Manual Exposure).

* How to use the “Preset Aperture Control” function?

1) Camera Body Setting
      AF Mode → Video Mode ('A' or 'M' mode) → Set the Aperture @F1.8
(2) Lens Setting
      Switch your "Custom Switch” to “Mode 2(M2)"
(3) Now, you're ready to use the Preset Aperture Control function with your focus ring

What is Recommended Settings for Preset Aperture Control Function?

The Preset Aperture Control function operates only when shooting video(Movie mode) and the focusing mode of the camera is set to AF mode. Please set the aperture at f/1.8 before switching the "Custom Switch" to "Mode 2. It is recommended to set the "Exposure mode" as A mode (Aperture Priority AE) or M mode (Manual Exposure).

* How to use the “Preset Aperture Control” function?

1) Camera Body Setting
      AF Mode → Video Mode ('A' or 'M' mode) → Set the Aperture @F1.8
(2) Lens Setting
      Switch your "Custom Switch” to “Mode 2(M2)"
(3) Now, you're ready to use the Preset Aperture Control function with your focus ring

[What is Dolly Shot? How to shoot easily]

[What is Dolly shot?]

A dolly shot, also referred to as a tracking shot or trucking shot, is a camera movement technique used by cinematographers to track and follow a subject in motion. To achieve this, the camera is mounted on a device called a "dolly," which facilitates smooth tracking movement. The dolly can move in front of, behind, or alongside the subject, which can be a person, a location, a product, or any other object of focus in the frame. Through this, you can control the emotional distance between the subject and the viewer by highlighting the audiovisual and dramatic effects.

[How to take a Dolly Shot simply by handheld]

Tip. If the moving distance is long, the camera may shake, so please shoot at a focal length between 35 and 100mm.
1. Stand at a distance of about 1.5 to 2 meters away from the subject.
2. Set the custom switch to MF and Mode 3 and adjust the focal length to about 100mm.
3. After focusing on the subject, set the aperture to F8~16.
4. Slowly turn the zoom ring to the left (towards the wide-angle end) while using your upper body and arms to move the camera toward your subject.
5. Dolly Shot complete!
※ When shooting from a farther distance from the subject, use a cart or gimbal for more stable shooting.

DSLR / Full Frame
1D X Mark Ⅱ
1D X
1Ds Mark Ⅲ
1Ds
5DsR
5Ds
5D Mark Ⅳ
5D Mark Ⅲ
6D Mark Ⅱ
6D
DSLR / APS-H
1D Mark Ⅲ
1D
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M6
M5
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7D Mark Ⅱ
7D
80D
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60D
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D60
D30
77D (9000D)
760D (8000D / Rebel T6s)
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1200D (Kiss X70 / Rebel T5)
200D (Kiss X9 / Rebel SL2)
800D (Kiss X9i / Rebel T7i)
700D (Kiss X9i / Rebel T7i)
100D (Kiss X7 / Rebel SL1)
650D (Kiss X6i / Rebel T4i)
600D (Kiss X5 / Rebel T3i)
550D (Kiss X4 / Rebel T2i)
500D (Kiss X3 / Rebel T1i)
1000D (Kiss F / Rebel XS)
450D (Kiss X2 / Rebel X냐)
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D850
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D810
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Df
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D800
D800E
D600
D3s
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D7500
D3400
D500
D5600
D7200
D5500
D3300
D7100
D5300
D5200
D7000
D300s
D300
DSLR / Full Frame
Z6
Z7
D810A
D4S
D750
D810A
DSLR / APS-C
D7200
D500
D3300
D5500
D5600
D3400
D7500

* Cameras released within 5 years from 2019 are tested.

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