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ajurjans

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ajurjans last won the day on March 1 2023

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  1. I currently have the 100-400, and it is quite ok, except that it is a bit soft at the 400mm end. I have been thinking about upgrading to the 150-600, unfortunately, I'd have to get rid of my 100-400 first. The 150-600 is said to be good, however the f/7.1 is a bit worrying. Other options could be the tamron 150-500 or sigma/tamron 150-600 versions (I have the fringer adapter, so I could get one in EF mount). There is really no way to rent these lenses over her for testing. In terms of reach the 400mm is enough The primary intended use is going to be birds and planes, currently on an X-T4. Since the 100-400 is on the X-T5 compatibility list (while 16/1.4 isnt), my concern is that it is as sharp as it gets at those mms, and any benefit the 150-600 has in sharpness would be wiped out because of slower shutter speeds with moving objects. I used to have an ancient Sigma 400/5.6 lens and while it was hard to get the AF to focus when and where I wanted it to, the images were nicer looking. Has anybody tried several of these options and what are the real-world findings/impressions?
  2. For start you might want to clean the lens contacts. Also, try removing the lens and taking some shots with the camera cap on. (This needs to be allowed in the settings first). I have had this only when having lens issues.
  3. @jerryy Glad you like them. I am too far South to get the really spectacular auroras, but the one last night was cool. 14/2.8 @F4, ISO 800, 20 seconds
  4. Ok, so, in my last post I said I'd avoid the field monitor. Boy, did I forget that I had an ebay sniper set up for some already? So, I got a ESDDI F5 monitor (5inch, fhd, can receive 4k signal). And last night there were favourable conditions for Aurora Borealis in my location. And I am happy to report that the monitor helped me get the focus spot on! At least far better than I would have been able to. I switch the camera to video mode (hdmi otuputs 4k in video and playback modes, fhd in photo mode), found a star, zoomed in on the focus point and then zoomed in on the display itself a few times. When the focus was reached, switched the camera back to photo and this is what I got. I am quite happy with the result. And, funny enough, the in-camera focus sclae was showing around 4 meters distance - waaay off the infitiny mark. Not even touching it. Had this confirmed with both 14mm and 10-24. Fujinon 10-24 @10mm, F4, ISO 1250, 15 second exposure.
  5. Amazing! Thank you! Very valuable insights. Did not know about astrophotographers using video to create an image. I'll stay off the field monitors until I decide to get a tracking mount and play with the mask more.
  6. @jerryy, I am well aware of the trailing effect, no worries I use different lenses for different scenarios. I do have a bahtinov mask as well, and while I have only tried it with a mirror-type 500mm lens, the results were not too good. My guess is that the mask I have is too coarse. But thanks for reminding that I have one, will give it a try next time the sky is clear.
  7. Hi, All. I have a Fuji X-T4 and shoot mainly for my own fun. I am slightly interested in astrophotography. Don't have the fancy trackers, etc, just my lenses., so I would do some aurora timelapses, some comet shots, and so on. I have spent several nights out there shooting timelapses only to discover at home that the focus was off. Fuji only offers 6x magnification in focus peaking mode, which is not enough for accurate manual focus during night, due to the high noise level and the size of stars even when magnified. I have been trying different tricks, but that is always a trial and error process, and the result can only be seen once home. Bringing a laptop with me is not really an option. I know that some external hdmi monitors have their own focus peaking features, and was thinking if this would help. However, it will probably not be very useful, if the camera outputs only what is on the display to the monitor. So, my question is - has anyone used an external field monitor for fine focusing on stars during night and would it be helpful for me? Does the X-T4 output clean HDMI? I don't do video, so I know nothing of this.
  8. I have to agree, the Flipside is great as a day bag or transportation bag, but as a shooting bag it just does not give speed and things can and will get in way. I have had great successes with Slingshot series and the Sideline Shooter - they both allow for a very smooth and quick lens change, etc. I start to like the ThinkTank Rotation series more and more, will need to find it in a store somewhere to try and fit it.
  9. It is not too much for a day, but not for several days over rougher terrain. I might be getting old, but I like not having any pain while hiking. 20 kilos on my back can be fine for 5 days, but only if the pack sits on hips, not shoulders. I know they have a great service, but I am in the Eastern part of Europe and we don't have much options in terms of seeing niche equipment before purchasing it. Video demonstration is nice, but I'd love to feel a €400-€500 bag fully loaded on my back, before spending that money.
  10. How heavy is the pack? I cannot really imagine carrying a backpack heavier than 5kg for several days in a row without hip and sternum belts. The Iceland hike was 5 days long and we spent nights in tents at temperatures around freezing point, sadly, a simple bag will not allow for that.
  11. I don't know if anyone will be able to suggest anything, since I have done my research pretty well, at least I think so. This is mainly venting after another futile day of research :)) So, the thing is that I like being outdoors, hiking. Mostly those are a one day hikes, but I have previously been out for a week, carrying with me most of the gear in my signature (except the flash and 100-400) as well as the tent, sleeping bag, food, clothes etc. And I can't really find the right camera bag that: allows carrying both my photo gear and some hiking gear is suitable for both larger lenses and smaller lenses at the same time, whilst not wasting space (being too deep) allows for quick access on the go, when needed - or supports hanging items from chest straps has a pocket for a hydration bladder (a must). The one thing that, I guess we all love Fuji for, is that the lenses are not large and many are quite small indeed. If I don't want to carry around my 100-400, then there is really a plethora of bags that will do the job just fine. However, when I want the gear to be with me, problems start. Here is a picture of the superbly made Lowepro Flipside 500 that I own, but have never used in real life (I have more than 10 bags at the moment, and this is the largest; had a REALLY good deal on it): As you can see, there is a) lots of space left in terms of area (and that could be used for other hiking gear, unless the jacket or anything else is wet, so thats ok, however the other thing b) is that there is lots of unused space in terms of volume! The bag could have been 2 inches shallower and have had a 2 inches wide pocket with top access in front of the camera compartment. Plus now the gear is moving around while walking, so that is less than ideal too. And from what I have seen, there seem not to be bags with such configuration - most divide stuff between top and bottom, almost none separate the top and bottom with some kind of waterproof divider, and few have easy access. So for now I am stuck with using hiking bags, such as Osprey Kestrel 68 or Haglofs Spira 25 and have multiple lens pouches attached to shoulder straps and waist strap, which is less than ideal but works. I don't like the PD Clip for attaching my camera to the bag, so the camera is on its neck strap around my neck and under one armpit - when not needed, the camera just hangs on my side and does not impede with more technical sections of trails, etc. I then have easy access to my gear, but little to none protection in case of massive rain. The Lowepro Photosport Pro 55L/70L seems to have got most things right, however, I have not seen the bag in real life and the price tag seems a bit much, especially considering how many bags I already own Plus I have never used a bag that uses a camera cube, and have my doubts about whether it would actually be large enough for the lenses, and the access to them is not quick - I would still have to use the lens pouches and store them away in case of rain. I really love the idea behind Think Tank Mindshift Rotation series (looking at 50 liter model), but have no way of fitting the bag and seeing how it feels - we don't have it available locally here in Latvia. If anyone has used it - how does the rotating hip belt behave, when the total weight of the bag is 15+ kilos? Does it rotate freely and does it provide enough support for the bag to rest on the hips, instead of relying mostly on shoulders? The bag is quite expensive and I would really hate to spend that much money on something that turns out to be a gimmick. Plus, the raincovers are extra, and not cheap. However, the waist bag as such is an awesome concept, I have an old Lowepro Sideline Shooter for outdoors shoots, say, on the beach, when me and the person I am shooting are almost knee-deep in water - very convenient to change lenses, without running back to the shore or balancing a backpack. Unfortunately, they don't make these any more, so this is probably my last of a kind. Sorry for the long post, and thank you for reading through my frustration What kind of setup do you use for adventure/hiking/climbing photography. Here's a bit of Iceland as my way of saying sorry
  12. I got a weird Rise-Spray lens on the Black Friday sale last year. Did not have high expectations and hey were initially confirmed - the lens while had great build quality, had a bit of play in the mount, so, the focus not always was ideal. Well, that was on my X-T1. I recently upgraded myself to an X-T3, and the play is gone, focus is easy and great, and the IQ is stunning for a €66 lens. Here are some samples, however, they have undegrone some VSCO processing. X-T1. https://www.flickr.com/photos/ajurjans/albums/72157718288371701
  13. So, just an update. Had a reasonably good offer and went for the Fuji X500 flash unit. Yes, the AF assist lamp is annoying, but I suppose thats the best one that one gets in mirrorless world. Am I correct that there is no wireless TTL capable trigger for this flash? As far as I understand, the godox unit communicates over the 2.4g wireless range only (although, id does see to have a sort-of ir window on front) and would not operate with Fuji flashes?
  14. Thanks, I never expected anyone to go that far, just shows how great the Fuji community is. I created this post because of the mixed-bag reviews, I had read the fstoppers one, but really wanted to know/see the pattern. To me it is very surprising that noe of the reviews show this in action. Thanks once again, I might just wait for a deal, grab one and see for myself.
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