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X-T2 and IBU Summer Biathlon World Championships 2016


HendrikOsula

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It has been just few days since I left Rio and I had a day to recharge my batteries (my own one and also all of my Fuji ones) and now I'm shooting Summer Biathlon World Championships in southern Estonia. Fujifilm Estonia is again helping me and gave me one X-T2 with battery booster for the event (first camera here in Estonia) and let me keep X-Pro2 also which I had with me at the Olympics. So now I can compare them side-by-side and show you pictures from both cameras. When I have time, I will post my first remarks. After first day at least I can say that X-T2 suits my style much better. Bigger EVF, battery booster (which really boosts the camera) and faster AF are the first things to mark down, where X-T2 is kicking X-Pro2s butt :)

 

28599288214_8c588e513c_h.jpgOfficial Training @IBU Summer Biathlon WCH Otepää 2016 by Hendrik Osula, on Flickr

 

X-T2 + 50-140/2,8

 

28599295194_bb865cbaa6_h.jpgOfficial Training @IBU Summer Biathlon WCH Otepää 2016 by Hendrik Osula, on Flickr

 

X-Pro2 + 14/2,8

 

28622544203_64111df4ac_h.jpgMixed Relay Juniors @IBU Summer Biathlon WCH Otepää 2016 by Hendrik Osula, on Flickr

 

X-T2 + 14/2,8

 

29164854401_db834500dc_h.jpgMixed Relay @IBU Summer Biathlon WCH Otepää 2016 by Hendrik Osula, on Flickr

 

X-Pro2 + 18-55/2,8-4

 

29164849971_f4ba361c9e_h.jpgMixed Relay @IBU Summer Biathlon WCH Otepää 2016 by Hendrik Osula, on Flickr

 

X-Pro2 + 18-55/2,8-4

 

29243296935_13e958dbf2_h.jpgMixed Relay @IBU Summer Biathlon WCH Otepää 2016 by Hendrik Osula, on Flickr

 

X-T2 + 50-140/2,8

 

All comments and questions are welcome!

Edited by HendrikOsula
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Nice! Did you shoot this with the grip? How is AF without?

 

I have grip always on, but I use Boost mode only when I need it. This one is taken by using Boost mode. AF is better than X-Pro2, even without Boost mode. It tracks much, much better and I completely missed only few shots out of hundreds!

 

Here are some photos from today:

 

29160346312_45024fc68b_h.jpgMen Sprint @IBU Summer Biathlon WCH Otepää 2016 by Hendrik Osula, on Flickr

 

X-Pro2 + 14/2,8

 

29268661365_70139793ca_h.jpgWomen Sprint @IBU Summer Biathlon WCH Otepää 2016 by Hendrik Osula, on Flickr

 

X-Pro2 + 14/2,8

 

29160366382_ed249757f6_h.jpgWomen Sprint @IBU Summer Biathlon WCH Otepää 2016 by Hendrik Osula, on Flickr

 

X-Pro2 + 14/2,8

 

29268677935_b41c441a80_h.jpgWomen Sprint @IBU Summer Biathlon WCH Otepää 2016 by Hendrik Osula, on Flickr

 

X-T2 + 14/2,8

 

29234238816_5f451561f2_h.jpgJunior Women Sprint @IBU Summer Biathlon WCH Otepää 2016 by Hendrik Osula, on Flickr

 

X-T2 + 50-140/2,8

 

28980367890_39e5fc589b_h.jpgJunior Men Sprint @IBU Summer Biathlon WCH Otepää 2016 by Hendrik Osula, on Flickr

 

X-T2 + 14/2,8

 

Today I shot everything in JPEG, so all the photos here are just a little edited JPEGs from both cameras. I'm really surprised, how well those JPEGs can handle editing. My X-T1 files handled it quite well, but this new sensor and processor combo is some kind of sorcery! I also really enjoy using new X-T2, with grip it feels like tailored for my hand and it balances with 50-140/2,8 really well. I think that X-T2 might be the camera which will move me (mostly) away from Canon! Huge, huge step forward from X-T1...

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Yesterday was so busy that I didn't have time to post new pictures. Here they are!

 

28685024834_7824cde9e5_h.jpgMen Pursuit @IBU Summer Biathlon WCH Otepää 2016 by Hendrik Osula, on Flickr

 

 

X-T2 + 50-140/2,8

 

29273588866_69fdc2b494_h.jpgJunior Men Pursuit @IBU Summer Biathlon WCH Otepää 2016 by Hendrik Osula, on Flickr

 

X-Pro2 + 14/2,8

 

29307411235_2fce07ea3c_h.jpgMen Pursuit @IBU Summer Biathlon WCH Otepää 2016 by Hendrik Osula, on Flickr

 

X-T2 + 50-140/2,8

 

29228731051_246444c10f_h.jpgMen Pursuit @IBU Summer Biathlon WCH Otepää 2016 by Hendrik Osula, on Flickr

 

X-T2 + 50-140/2,8

 

As the competition is now over, I'm going to return the pre-production model and will be waiting for mine which I hope to receive soon! As I said previously, the X-T2 is a huge leap forward from X-T1 and also at least for me a step forward from X-Pro2. It just suits better for photojournalists as I am, especially for Sports and action stuff, which is my main subject. Battery grip makes it much more handier and also boosts performance quite significantly, which does make it almost DSLR like, just in a smaller body. X-Pro2 is in my opinion more suited for street photography or documentary, when you have to be less noticeable, but you still need fast AF with great image quality (which due to same sensor and processor is just the same as X-T2). Biggest difference between X-T2 and X-T1 for me is speed and I don't mean AF speed of FPS, I mean responsiveness and shutter lag. Using them side-by-side, you can feel the difference and how much faster you can take shots and miss them less with X-T2. Beside that there is also much more accurate and faster AF system. I saw biggest difference when using one point AF, where X-T2 performs much better than X-T1. X-T1 in my opinion can't track too well with one point and tends to miss to much. This is why I didn't use it too much on X-T1, but got used to it again using X-T2.

 

But everything isn't rainbows and butterflies still with X-T2. Main thing is still that batteries just don't last, even on normal mode. I used five full batteries in a day and had only three chargers to charge them so after three days of shooting and charging as much as I could meantime I finished last day with just one battery with juice in it . Quite a close call! Also I felt quite paranoid as when battery level went to one bar I felt that after next shot I will see the red sign. It just disturbs. I wish that Fuji could offer in some foreseen future new batteries, so I wouldn't have to fill my pockets with them every time I leave for shooting. Beside the batteries, I'm quite annoyed that rating system in Fuji isn't working in LR CC, so I couldn't mark the photos I would like to edit as I'm used to do on my Canon and also the time data on Fuji files are recorded somewhat wrongly as the photos are mixed up in LR when sorted by shooting time. This really slows down my workflow. These are minor things, but are important for working pros as I am.

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But everything isn't rainbows and butterflies still with X-T2. Main thing is still that batteries just don't last, even on normal mode. I used five full batteries in a day and had only three chargers to charge them so after three days of shooting and charging as much as I could meantime I finished last day with just one battery with juice in it . Quite a close call! Also I felt quite paranoid as when battery level went to one bar I felt that after next shot I will see the red sign. It just disturbs. I wish that Fuji could offer in some foreseen future new batteries, so I wouldn't have to fill my pockets with them every time I leave for shooting. Beside the batteries, I'm quite annoyed that rating system in Fuji isn't working in LR CC, so I couldn't mark the photos I would like to edit as I'm used to do on my Canon and also the time data on Fuji files are recorded somewhat wrongly as the photos are mixed up in LR when sorted by shooting time. This really slows down my workflow. These are minor things, but are important for working pros as I am.

 

 

I normally don't even bring external chargers along, as I can and do charge 3 batteries at the same time in-camera with a USB cable and the provided charger for the grip. 

 

Of course, I also have one or two dozen of spare batteries available. Might come in handy for long assignments w/o access to external power, but even at the Le Mans event in July, none of the 200 VIP participants trying the X-T2 for a full day ran out of juice with their kit. That said, shooting action for an extended day can certainly require more than the 3 batteries, so bring a few spares. 

 

People should indeed write Adobe and press them to interpret the maker notes metadata for the image rating. 

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I see two options re battery:

 

1) Use dual chargers, with LCD that shows % of charge. Two of these would mean you could charge 4 batteries at the same time!

s-l225.jpg

 

2) Use an external battery with a flexible cord to the camera. A belt mounted V-Lock Anton Bauer will certainly provide plenty of juice. In the "old days" we all used external battery packs for big flash guns. So even though this may not be a perfect solution, I think it is a very workable one. More so with a single body, as I would want tangled wires with 2 bodies around my neck. If I had to go for a full day's shooting, I would definitely look into that.

 

Anton_Bauer_Gold_Mount_Kit_1_763925.jpg

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Thanks for the heads-up re X-T2 vs X-PRO2 AF. It is hardly a surprise, however. It's like saying that a Nikon D5 is better for sports than a Leica M. They are different tools for different shooting scenarios and probably for different shooters. For me, as I am interested in both genre's I want one of each. If I was a reporter covering events, I would have 2x X-T2's for sure.

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I normally don't even bring external chargers along, as I can and do charge 3 batteries at the same time in-camera with a USB cable and the provided charger for the grip. 

 

Of course, I also have one or two dozen of spare batteries available. Might come in handy for long assignments w/o access to external power, but even at the Le Mans event in July, none of the 200 VIP participants trying the X-T2 for a full day ran out of juice with their kit. That said, shooting action for an extended day can certainly require more than the 3 batteries, so bring a few spares. 

 

People should indeed write Adobe and press them to interpret the maker notes metadata for the image rating. 

 

Well as you said, shooting action for an extended period of time does really drain your batteries quite fast. Even on normal mode. For regular use, I think that 1-2 batteries for one day shooting will do it. The problem is, that there is no percentage in camera like for example Canon 1DX has. This way you can time your battery change more accurately. I hoped that X-T2 have it, but too bad we still have to figure it our from three bars...

 

 

What's the exception - when you need a fast 300mm or longer lens, you'd keep a Canon for that?

R

 

Yeah, as Fuji only has one longer lens and it's over F4, it's quite unusable for Sports photography. I with they had at least 200 F2,8 (300mm equivalent on FF), but as it's gone from roadmap I don't have too much hope it comes in foreseen future. This is why I still have to hold on to my Canon gear.

 

Thanks for the heads-up re X-T2 vs X-PRO2 AF. It is hardly a surprise, however. It's like saying that a Nikon D5 is better for sports than a Leica M. They are different tools for different shooting scenarios and probably for different shooters. For me, as I am interested in both genre's I want one of each. If I was a reporter covering events, I would have 2x X-T2's for sure.

To be honest, I don't think that the Fuji comparison is so obvious as D5 vs Leica. X-Pro2 and X-T2 share the same processor and sensor and AF system is just tweaked (ok, added some rows of DPAF points for X-T2). It really at the moment comes down to added features in software and some algorithmic magic that X-Pro2 should get via firmware update. Of course X-T2 is advertised more as sports and photojournalists type of camera, but X-Pro2 is still quite capable and suitable for sports (and uses the Pro sign as a flagship). For example I used it whole time while covering Rio Olympics. Just now I had a chance to put them side-by-side and confirm that X-T2 is at least at the moment much better in AF department. 

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Hendrik Osula:

"Biggest difference between X-T2 and X-T1 for me is speed and I don't mean AF speed of FPS, I mean responsiveness and shutter lag."

 

This is very good news! It's just the improvement I'm hoping for. My X-T1 always hesitates a little before it takes a picture. A shutter should be frighteningly fast; anything less is a disappointment.

Edited by spivey
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Hendrik, 

Battery issues aside, these are fantastic images! I saw your work from Rio, and that was outstanding, and this series from the Biathlon is as well. Looking forward to seeing more of your work. 

 

On a side note, I am hoping that B&H Photo in the USA will start shipping out X-T2s next week after the embargo lifts and I will receive mine in time for the upcoming Indy Car race I will be covering at Sonoma Raceway in California the week of Sept 17-18th. I pre-ordered mine within minutes of the official X-T2 announcement in July. 

 

Regards,

Stephen

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  • 1 month later...

Hendrik, thank you for sharing.  I am struggling with AF settings on my XT-2 even though I keep hearing great things about its performance.  Could you share some of your tips for AF-C tracking custom settings and which ones you use for what as well as how you choose the size of the af point you use?  I was trying to figure out the system by photographing my dog running around and I was getting very few hits compared to my Nikons.  One of the problems is probably the glass I use.  For instance, the 56 1.2 is terrible at AF-C in my experience. Thanks!

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Hendrik, thank you for sharing.  I am struggling with AF settings on my XT-2 even though I keep hearing great things about its performance.  Could you share some of your tips for AF-C tracking custom settings and which ones you use for what as well as how you choose the size of the af point you use?  I was trying to figure out the system by photographing my dog running around and I was getting very few hits compared to my Nikons.  One of the problems is probably the glass I use.  For instance, the 56 1.2 is terrible at AF-C in my experience. Thanks!

 

To be honest, I haven't modified the presets in any way. I just use the one which should work best for subjects I shoot. They are quite similar to ones I have on my 1DX. Which I can say, is that 56/1,2 is a pain for me also, even on X-T2. The AF-C on this lens is just not working well. How are other lenses working for you? My advice is to try switching between different modes and find the best one for you. I mainly use 3x3 zone or if needed, the second smallest point. 

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