FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (12.6mm, f/10, 1/180 sec, ISO200)
Frost is one of the most beautiful things but it has become rare where I live. That’s why I have to use every opportunity to take pictures.
Of course there is only frost if the temperature is sub-zero. The colder the better. In this case it was -16 degrees Celsius. At such temperatures snow makes a squeaking noise and it gets harder to breathe through the nose.
Stepping out of the warm car you can feel the cold air going straight into your lungs. It is a special experience.
FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (10mm, f/10, 1/420 sec, ISO200)
FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (12mm, f/10, 1/100 sec, ISO200)
FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (16.6mm, f/10, 1/600 sec, ISO200)
It was the first day of a cold wave in Austria. That’s why the small creek was not yet frozen.
Many years back I used to shoot in the cold a lot. At that time my camera was a Nikon D1. The first digital DSLR made by Nikon with an APS-C sensor with 2.7 MP. A pro camera with fast AF and a frame rate of 4.5 shots per second. Its battery was about three times the size of todays batteries but in the cold it lasted for less than 100 shots.
15 years later I shoot with a different camera. A pro level mirrorless. It also has an APS-C sensor but almost 10 times the resolution. The frame rate is 8 frames per second and while AF for moving subject might be a little slower there over 300 AF sensors for static subjects instead of 5 on the D1. And while the X Pro-2 is not exactly a superstar when it comes to battery life but at least the capacity doesn’t drop dramatically in the cold.
FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (12.6mm, f/10, 1/500 sec, ISO200)
FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (11mm, f/11, 1/140 sec, ISO200)
But the main difference is not battery life or AF points – its image quality! Amazing what has been accomplished in less than two decades. When I took the first picture with the Nikon D1 I knew that film was dead. I didn’t know though that sensors will improve that much within the such a short time frame.
And all the discussions that the high resolution is wasted because the lenses are not good enough to resolve the additional details. All I know is that I can see a clear difference in between a shot I take with my X Pro-2 compared to one I take with my X-T1. The X Pro-2 shot has much more fine detail in it. So it seems that 24MP on APS-C is still not the limit for our lenses. Not for the primes and also not for the very good zooms.
The Fuji XF 10-24 OIS is an excellent lens. It’s my favourite zoom lens from Fuji. Stopped down a little this lens gives impressively sharp results. And the best thing is that it covers all essential wide angle focal lengths. No need to change the lens when your fingers are cold because your gloves are not thick enough.
My cold fingers and my cold face forced me back into my car. My camera was still doing fine.
FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (24mm, f/11, 1/200 sec, ISO200)