I think that will be the future. Phones will get better and the niche for dedicated cameras will get smaller and smaller. I am also thinking about getting one of the next iPhones and then using my X-T3 only for things like wildlife where the phone can't (yet) compete with a big zoom lens.
I have had both and I think the X-T2 was a big step forward in terms of handling. Focus is better and the dials are better. Just about everything is much better. As far as IQ they both are different and have their strengths and weaknesses.
I am on it and I am always surprised how pictures I am not proud of get 50 likes and pictures I really like get only 3. It's definitely a learning experience what people like. Still haven't managed to get 100 likes or more.
The problem with those whales is that they are really unpredictable and it may be hard to find it on time with the narrow FOV of the 100-400. My best shots I have made so far were at around 200mm with a lot of cropping but at least there was a whale in the picture :-)
thanks for an honest review. I am starting to get used to the X-T2 with the 100-400 and it can be challenging to set up focus correctly. I would love to try a D500 and see how that works.
I went to the Moto cross event today as I wanted to try the AFC tracking on the XT2 with both the 100-400 and the 16-55 and I used the following settings:
ISO = Auto Zone Focus = 9 central spots then wide tracking AFC category = I used setting 4 (subject suddenly appears) 100 - 400 set to f8 and 1/2000 sec The above were for most of the images but used f5.6 with the 16-55mm
I am thrilled with the performance and it more than lived up to all my expectations and the only focus fails were down to operator headspace!
I have that one too. If you get one, make sure to test it out thoroughly so you know its behavior. There are only two LEDs on it so you need to know what blinking or not blink means.
Since I just got this combo I gave it a go through today. As the sun was heading to the "Golden Hour" I snagged this one. I'm digging this combo for sure.
Once you've taken sufficient amount of pictures, people start asking questions. But rarely are they the sort of questions you'd imagine, such as "Where do you find inspiration?" or "Why did you take that picture?". No, most of the time, if not all the time, the only question you get asked is "What gear do you use?". As tiring as I find the question, maybe it's time I give you my thoughts on that subject, at least when it comes to travelling. I've had some private messages from users asking about gear and I find it's easier to answer all of them in one big swoop.
My main concern nowadays is the creative part of photography. Gear used to occupy my mind a lot more until a couple of years ago. These days, I'm happy to use whatever happens to be available to me. Since I travel a lot for work, my preference is always to carry as little as possible to get the job done. Reducing the gear to the bare essentials helps you enjoy the trip and focus more on the scene and subject... Last 18 months I've taken more pictures than ever before, yet I've never used as little gear as I currently do...
Camera choices
So let's start with cameras. I currently use Fujifilm bodies and lenses as my digital cameras. I have a X100T and a X-T2 should be arriving shortly. For film work, I use a variety of older cameras, including a Nikon FM2 and Hasselblad Xpan. I find that any current modern APS-C or larger sensor is more than adequate for most photography, so whatever it is you use or prefer should be able to do the trick. I like Fujifilm bodies mainly because they are small and feature the same manual controls as old film cameras. They're nice to look at too, so that's a bonus. DSLR's still have their place, but for travel, I usually go with the "less is more" mantra. Any mirrorless camera of the latest generations is a good bet as a travel cam. One camera is fine, two at most with one lens each.
Lenses
I usually pair two focal lengths together. I tend to go with either 24mm & 50mm or 35mm & 85mm as complementary focal lenghts. The gaps in between standard focal lengths are usually redundant I find, so prime lenses are usually my go to choice. You could go with a 24-70mm or similar zoom lens, but I'd rather have the faster apertures and lighter weight of a prime. Usually, I only keep one prime on the camera (35mm or 50mm) and keep the other lens in the bag. I rarely switch them during any given day, unless I really need a different field of view. There are "travel zooms", like a 24-200mm zooms, but I've never seen one that I liked. You usually trade image quality for reach, and that is not usually a compromise I'm willing to make.
Unless you are sure you need a long telephoto lens, I usually recommend leaving the longer focal lengths at home. Good telephoto zooms or primes tend to be heavy, and I've rarely used one if I bothered to drag it along. If you are sure you need it, longer is nearly always better. I'd recommend at least something in the 600mm range for birds and wildlife, so usually your choice will be a 150-600 zoom, or a fast 300mm prime with a 1.4x or 2x teleconverter. I find the 70-200 lenses usually too specific for travel, and you can always take a nice portrait with a 50mm or 85mm anyway, as long as you get a few steps closer to the subject.
Narrowing down the options to one or two focal lengths, helps focus more on subject, scene and composition. It doesn't matter if you can't get every possible shot. What usually happens is you'd either miss the moment while contemplating what lens and gear to use, or you'd never even experience the moment because you got tired from hauling everything around all day. The point is to enjoy yourself, as soon as that happens, the shots will follow. No matter what gear you happen to carry at the time. The more you use a single focal length, the more you will get used to seeing the frame without even raising the camera to your eye.
Accessories
As little as possible. I usually only bring the following and anything else I brought stays in the safe at the hotel.
One or two extra batteries, just enough to last the day. I've never used up more than two batteries on any given day with my Fujifilm cameras. But I keep the camera switched off untiI I see something. By the time I've raised it to my eye, it's on again anyway. For film cameras, one spare battery of whatever type they use.
A lens pen. Just in case I really messed up my front element or filter. I don't even bother with the occasional dust specks until it gets really dirty. Cura Lens Cleaner & Wipes works even better if you can find it, they have tiny travel sized kits. And those are better for old film cameras and lenses.
My phone. I use offline maps a lot to navigate a city and mark interesting places beforehand. I never bother with paper maps anymore. Also, how else will you capture those pesky Pokémon?
My ID, a debit card, a credit card, some cash. Maybe a public transport card, like Oyster. Everthing else stays in my wallet in the safe. I keep the cards and money in my front pocket.
A small hex key to unlock an Arca Swiss plate, if I'm using one (like for the Peak Design Capture Pro clip).
Sometimes, I bring a battery pack to charge the phone, since it's battery life is just plain bad. As an added bonus, the battery pack is also compatible with the Fujifilm X100T and hopefully also the X-T2 via the built-in usb micro port.
I have pale skin, so maybe depending on the weather, some sunblock in a small tube.
If you shoot film, two or three extra rolls tops.
Bags and straps
If you're hiking, a backpack is usually the best choice. LowePro and ThinkTank used to be my go-to brands, but the most interesting one at the moment looks like the new Peak Design ones that are in their new Kickstarter campaign. Check out their new Kickstarter here. They are in the same price bracket as the others, but are way more modular and the coating on the shell is superior.
For everything else, I'd recommend a messenger bag. The messenger bags are usually less conspicuous in a city than a big backpack or dedicated camera bag. I currently use a ThinkTank Retrospective 5, but later this year the new Peak Design Sling bag will hopefully fix the minor things that bug me about the Retrospective. I like leather bags a lot, but given how expensive they are, I can't justify squishing it into my luggage three times a week.
For me, a good bag takes care of the following requirements:
It shouldn't be too heavy and should fold as flat as possible when not in use. I keep my cameras in a backpack or flightcase when on the plane, and store the messenger bag in my luggage. So the less space it uses, the better. If the bag is padded, I usually remove most of the padding. I find that as long as you're not totally reckless, minimal padding is just fine. A camera is still a tool and they tend to be far more rugged than people usually think anyway.
It should not be too obvious that it's a camera bag. Some people like to show off how much gear they are travelling with, but I don't. At best, the bag should look like anything but a camera bag. The Retrospective series bags look old and worn, which I like. I'm curious to see how the Peak Design bags hold up. They do look more modern and utilitarian, but they don't look like every other generic camera bag out there, so at least that's a plus. Ona bags rock the looks, but I find those are more suited to take along if you happen to work in an office.
It should be rain repellent. The Retrospective I currently have isn't. It comes with a rain cover, but I've never used it since it takes up space when not in use and it blocks access to the bag when used. This is where Peak Design bags have the edge with their rain repellent coating. When it pours, obviously, the best bet is still to take shelter, have a drink or a bite to eat and wait till it passes...
It should be modular. I currently use a Peak Design Capture Pro Clip on the outside of my ThinkTank bag. It's handy for when I keep the camera on a strap but need both hands for something else. Instead of opening up the bag to put the camera down, I just quickly clip it onto the outside of the bag. It's also very useful for when I've already put a sweater or bottle of water in the bag. I've even attached a Cactus RF60 flash this way to the bag, so I can still travel light and only needed to worry about carrying the light stand. I wasn't sure about the use of the Capture Clips, but since using a review sample, I have to say that it's one of the few accessories I actually used every time (a lot). The option to strap a tripod or light stand to the bag should be there too. On the Retrospective, it's a bit of a Frankenstein rig but it works. Looks like the new Peak Design bags have a better system for that too, but I'll need to test it first before I can comment on it's usefulness.
I use one strap, also a Peak Design one, the Slide Lite. They have locks that can be attached to every camera, so I just have locks on all lugs and swap out the swap depending which camera is in use. For evenings, I just use a wrist strap and don't even take a bag.
Tripods & filters
If you're travelling alone and/or your whole trip is based around taking pictures of landscapes, sure take a tripod. I like the travel sized carbon ones, but aluminium is fine too if budget is a factor. Any simple sturdy ballhead will do, there are many great options available nowadays. If you are travelling with family members or you only shoot a landscape when the opportunity arises, I wouldn't bother with a tripod. I mainly use mine at home or leave it in the car. When travelling abroad, it's mostly just too much hassle. Especially in cities, tripods are a pain and do little else but slow you down. A good intermediate is something like a monopod with a fluid base and tiny extendable feet. They are mostly used for video shooters, but they work fine for pictures too up to a certain point, and are far more easy to store and carry around.
Unless you are shooting landscapes or long exposures from a tripod, you don't need to bother with a filter kit. The occasional shot without will be fine. Obviously if you are a dedicated landscape shooter, you'll need at least the tripod and a few filters. I don't use them so I can't recommend any specific brands or sets.
Lights
For travel, a TTL capable flash with an adjustable head is just fine. Modifiers are not really a must and I like the tiny flashes for travel, like Meike or Nissin. I actually don't bother with flash for travel at all, but I get the point of people who need one. You could tape a quarter or half CTO gel to the head just to warm up the light a bit to avoid that "deer in the headlights-look". If you need a modifier, MagMod to me is the gold standard, but I leave those at home for serious shoots.
Some tips?
Wear comfortable shoes. But make sure you don't turn up in white sneakers either. That's just not classy at all.
Don't worry too much, enjoy yourself first and foremost. You don't need pictures of everything and everyone.
Go eat where the locals eat. If the menu has pictures on it, run.
Smile and talk to people, but don't go bother everyone with your life story either. Learn a few words in the local language.
The fun parts of travel are often the unexpected ones, don't be scared to improvise and do something other than the highlights.
Pictures are there to reminisce on the memories of your travels, they are not the point of travelling.
Here's a few pics of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup from last week-end at the Mont Sainte-Anne ski resort in Québec, Canada.
It was the 26th edition of the Velirium, a great event that brings all of the best riders from around the world to compete on very technical and steep 2.9km course. The winner did it in under 4 minutes, so at a average speed of 43.5 km/hr but in some section of the course they reach top of 80 km/hr....they are fast !
My X-T1 and XF 50-140 combo did quite good, even with the riders coming out of shaded area into the bright sun, lost frames from AF errors was under 10 %, just about the same as the number of frame lost because of framing errors when trying to follow the riders with the EVF.
I know I'm going to love my X-T2
Shot with a X-T1 and the XF50-140 f/2.8, AF-C, Drive on CH (8fps), Zone Focus (3x3 grid), Raw, PP in LR 6.6.1 and the Nik Collection.
The Flickr Album (77 pics): https://flic.kr/s/aHskFQHoSG
Thanks for looking !
Velirium 2016, DH #22
Velirium 2016, DH #57
Velirium 2016, DH #65
1,2 and 3 would help me a lot especially with night landscapes. 6 is an interesting idea. Fuji, go ahead and implement the list. It's a good one and you'll get a lot of value for relatively small effort.
First of all: the following list might give someone the impression I'm disappointed with Fuji.
I'm not. Quite the opposite, I'm slowly making a full switch from a Sony A7r based setup, building up my lens collection.*
*Yes, the A7r is quite sharper, but you can see this only in VERY big prints. While it takes a lot less post processing to get the right colors with the Fuji, and this shows even in postage stamp sized prints...
I'm waiting to be able to try in person the X-T2 against the X-Pro2 before making a final decision on the camera body, but in the meantime even my X-T10 is giving me superb results.
But this doesn't mean that Fuji can't improve! So here we are, the list, in no particular order.
FIRMWARE IMPROVEMENTS
1) Long term request of every Fuji user I know: we need a bracketing on at the very least 3, but better 5 shots with a 2 stop intervals. The existing one of 3 shots at 1 stop is useless
2) We need the ability to move the magnified area when checking the focus without the need to zoom out and move the focus point. On other cameras you can, and especially in landscape shots when you're checking the focus on the entire scene is mighty useful and way faster to be able to do it this way
3) Do you shoot landscapes yourselves? If so you should know too well that having a self timer that gets canceled every time you turn the camera off to preserve power during long hikes is a major pain. Please, make the self timer sticky
4) I prefer the aperture ring on the lens, but all the same many users have other preferences so let us use the rear dial to set the aperture on the lenses (even the ones with their own aperture ring) if we so wish
5) This is major, and it would set you apart for every other camera brand: let us upload, in camera, our own Lightroom or Photoshop curves ON TOP of the existing film simulations (not in alternative). Or at the very least we need the ability to create a curve with multiple points of our liking in camera.This would cut my post processing time a lot because at that point I'd have to do mostly localized adjustment, and it would make easier to be sure to have nailed the shot already in the field
6) I only shoot in manual mode. But I'd very much like a new kind of A mode (or, better, an option in the menu) where I can specifically tell the camera NOT to blow any highlight regardless how insignificantly small (without me having to constantly check the histogram). Basically an automatic ETTR
7) Switching white balance or film simulations in the Q menu should give us a preview of the change, like it already does if you do this via the general menu
8) Why can't we use the flash in continuous shooting??? If the problem is that it would be unable to keep up, give us at least the choice to abilitate the flash so it will fire as long as it can; after all few of us use continuous shooting for more than a short 3 or 4 frame burst just to nail the moment
9) I find them perfect for my tastes, but it sure would be nice for users coming from other brands to be able to change the direction of the dials, much like you already permit with the focus ring
BODY IMPROVEMENTS
10) A proper eyepiece shielding the eye from extraneous light is a must for a camera, so please no more screw ups like the one on the X-T10; pick a standard, like the screw in ones of the pro Nikon bodies that you used on your medium format cameras, for example, and stick with it for all your models
11) It sure would be nice to have an Arca-Swiss compatible base (and left side...L bracket style) instead of a "plain" camera base
Here you have it, and I'd be happy to discuss it further if you just send me a complimentary X-T2
I have a similar loupe http://www.amazon.com/Carson-Camera-Sensor-Magnifier-SM-44/dp/B0091SS310?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage and it's useful. I often don't need to use any other tool to clean the sensor but just use an air blower again.
It's also very useful to remove splinters from skin :-). Seriously!
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