# World Press Photo 2015 Photo Contest Winners



## Maximilian (Feb 16, 2015)

The winners of the 58th World Press Photo Contest:

1st price goes to Mads Nissen
http://www.worldpressphoto.org/content/world-press-photo-year-2014-goes-mads-nissen

View also the 2015 Photo Contest gallery and categoy winners here:
http://www.worldpressphoto.org/awards/2015

Some really impressing pictures.


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## fragilesi (Feb 16, 2015)

Very impressive pictures, and guess what camera that dark, shadowy winner was taken with . . . 

The technique for the ski jumping one is hugely impressive, 1/15s on such a target . . .

Simon.


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## Maximilian (Feb 16, 2015)

fragilesi said:


> Very impressive pictures, and guess what camera that dark, shadowy winner was taken with . . .


But, but... what about DR and noise and banding... 



> The technique for the ski jumping one is hugely impressive, 1/15s on such a target . . .


Yeah! That one with the white background is really impressing. 
I'd like to know how many tries/shots Mr Ilnitsky needed! (with a 1D X and 12 fps you can get a lot of tries at one jump  )
Looking at the other photos of his "story" I'd say some of them are also great but some look like "fault/not on purpose, but fits to the series, so do not delete"


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## Click (Feb 16, 2015)

Great picture. Thanks for sharing Maximilian


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## Mt Spokane Photography (Feb 18, 2015)

Its interesting to see which brands of cameras and lenses were used. Although Most were Canon as I would expect, 1 Iphone was in there.

No Sony lenses or Cameras, the owners were too busy measuring DR  

Cameras:








Lenses:


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## LukasS (Feb 18, 2015)

Seriously? nobody is concerned about lack of DR in Canon's cameras? What a shame!


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## Maximilian (Feb 18, 2015)

Mt Spokane Photography said:


> Its interesting to see which brands of cameras and lenses were used. Although Most were Canon as I would expect, 1 Iphone was in there.
> 
> No Sony lenses or Cameras, the owners were too busy measuring DR


Thanks for sharing those graphics. 

But we must be aware that 5,692 participating photographers were NOT sharing just 38 cameras. 
So these statistics are about the winners and runner ups. 

It would be more interesting to me to see the overall statistics, because they would give a better overview over the used tools.


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## Northstar (Feb 18, 2015)

The d800 barely made it on the list...interesting.

I say that because I think it would've been much higher had Nikon made the d800 a true follow up to the awesome d700, instead of going the high MP route.

I was one of those that left Nikon at the time and bought a 5d3.....it makes me wonder how many others did the same.


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## Marsu42 (Feb 18, 2015)

Northstar said:


> I say that because I think it would've been much higher had Nikon made the d800 a true follow up to the awesome d700, instead of going the high MP route.



I think Nikon appreciated this and thus released the d750 as 5d3 "all around camera" competition.

As for the d800, well, that doesn't make the d8x0 a bad camera - it's just proof that specialized cameras like these and the 5ds aren't designed for photojournalism use and not ideal for a _world *press* photo_ competition. How many metapixies do you need max. for any reasonable press release, web or print?


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## Roo (Feb 18, 2015)

Maximilian said:


> The winners of the 58th World Press Photo Contest:
> 
> 1st price goes to Mads Nissen
> http://www.worldpressphoto.org/content/world-press-photo-year-2014-goes-mads-nissen
> ...



Thanks for sharing! Some great images in there


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## Northstar (Feb 18, 2015)

[quote author=Marsu42 



> I think Nikon appreciated this and thus released the d750 as 5d3 "all around camera" competition


.

Almost three years too late.


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## Don Haines (Feb 18, 2015)

Mt Spokane Photography said:


> Its interesting to see which brands of cameras and lenses were used. Although Most were Canon as I would expect, 1 Iphone was in there.


sometimes it's being in the right place at the right time.....


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## erjlphoto (Feb 18, 2015)

Lol, that must be difficult for the Sony acolytes to explain?


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## Ivan Muller (Feb 18, 2015)

What a surprise! With the way Canon has been lambasted here I would have though the results would have been quite different. All this DR and other noise seems to be just that....It will be interesting to see how the DR etc crowd explain this away...


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## V8Beast (Feb 18, 2015)

Mt Spokane Photography said:


> Its interesting to see which brands of cameras and lenses were used. Although Most were Canon as I would expect, 1 Iphone was in there.
> 
> No Sony lenses or Cameras, the owners were too busy measuring DR
> 
> ...



Canon has lost TONS of market share due to shadow noise and banding. The fact, inconveniently, don't seem to support this claim


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## Mt Spokane Photography (Feb 18, 2015)

The awards are given based on the photo. In some cases, the IQ fine points have a big influence, but for most, its subject - subject - subject, so the choice of camera is based on the tools selected by the photographer, and any camera, including a Iphone can win. 

The lack of Sony cameras in the mix merely reflects their struggle to get professional PJ's to use them. They have poor service and support, and have only recently tried to start improving. There will not be major numbers of Pros using them until a good support system is in place. Still, looking at some of the other cameras in the mix, others have poor or no support, so luck and being in the right place is also part of the story.

Most PJ's would not see a need for high MP bodies, that's why the D4 and 1D X have lower pixel counts, speed and low light capability rate high on a PJ's needs.


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## m (Feb 18, 2015)

I wonder if it's the same guy with the mamiya as last year.

Worldwide Partners: Canon.
Doesn't make the numbers look trustworthy to me.


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## Sunnystate (Feb 18, 2015)

Was Ron Howard on the jury? 



m said:


> I wonder if it's the same guy with the mamiya as last year.
> 
> Worldwide Partners: Canon.
> Doesn't make the numbers look trustworthy to me.


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## Aglet (Feb 18, 2015)

Ivan Muller said:


> What a surprise! With the way Canon has been lambasted here I would have though the results would have been quite different. All this DR and other noise seems to be just that....It will be interesting to see how the DR etc crowd explain this away...



I'd like to see a similar report on art and studio photography awards and see how the proportions stand then.

As it is, even niche brands are over-represented here, considering CaNikon have close to 90% of the interchangeable lens market.


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## casperl (Feb 18, 2015)

Great photos! Not that surprised by the distribution since there is a big Canon logo at the bottom right of the website


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## Mt Spokane Photography (Feb 18, 2015)

casperl said:


> Great photos! Not that surprised by the distribution since there is a big Canon logo at the bottom right of the website



Canon is indeed one of the sponsors, and Nikon buys from DXO.

The Jury that selects the winners is listed on the site, and I did not notice any Canon executives on it, they are all noted photographers.


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## AshtonNekolah (Feb 18, 2015)

nice.


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## Cet (Feb 19, 2015)

erjlphoto said:


> Lol, that must be difficult for the Sony acolytes to explain?



They do not explain because they are too busy measuring DR!


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## nonac (Feb 19, 2015)

Wow, people who actually use their cameras to take pictures! More people need to do this rather than pixel peeping and complaining about what they see. A good photographer takes pictures and mitigates the weaknesses of the camera through skill and knowledge of photography.


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## justaCanonuser (Feb 19, 2015)

Maximilian said:


> The winners of the 58th World Press Photo Contest:
> 
> 1st price goes to Mads Nissen
> http://www.worldpressphoto.org/content/world-press-photo-year-2014-goes-mads-nissen
> ...



Really some impressive images! I like e.g. Michele Palazzi's more silent story about Mongolia. Thanks for sharing.

Canon is a sponsor, but I doubt that the jury is too much biased by this fact. For press work, the tools need to be tough and reliable, and e.g. a 5DIII with the right lenses never lets you down. Besides that, good photographers do not need 20 stops of DR, they never needed that in the whole history of photography.


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## Maximilian (Mar 19, 2015)

Some additional note I've just read in the German "fotomagazin":

20% of all participating pictures were disqualified due to PP and modification not according to the conditions of participation. Especially in the sports category.
I am sure that a lot - maybe most - of those photographers were NOT cheating or doing it on purpose, but I am shocked that so many didn't look for/read/care/bother about these conditions. :

Because it should be well known that these contests (also like nat geo, etc.) have such strict conditions of participation.


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