FUJIFILM X-T1 (200mm, f/9, 1/100 sec, ISO1000)
When we think of California, we think of sunny beaches, bikini girls and surfers. Well this is about the other California.
Grey, chilly mornings on almost empty beaches. Well almost. Before I came here the first time I didn’t expect the rich marine wildlife and birdlife. I didn’t expect to see seals, sea otters, sea elephants, sea lions and pelicans and large numbers.
Well I learned that California is much more than silicon chips and implants.
FUJIFILM X-T1 (115.9mm, f/5.6, 1/100 sec, ISO320)
FUJIFILM X-T1 (200mm, f/5.6, 1/100 sec, ISO320)
Monterey was at the beginning of our trip. We came here for the Aquarium but if we come here again I really want to rent a Kajak to get closer to the wildlife. Mainly the seals and the sea otters.
On this trip my longest lens was the Fuji XF 55-200 OIS. A very fine lens but of course a little short for wildlife and bird photography. Next time I will bring my XF 100-400 OIS. Which will give me four times the subject size and that’s without the 1.4 tele converter. I can’t wait to shoot that lens in California or Canada or whatever comes next.
FUJIFILM X-T1 (121.8mm, f/8, 1/100 sec, ISO640)
FUJIFILM X-T1 (55mm, f/8, 1/100 sec, ISO640)
FUJIFILM X-T1 (90.4mm, f/5, 1/110 sec, ISO200)
FUJIFILM X-T1 (104.9mm, f/8, 1/100 sec, ISO500)
But don’t get me wrong. The Fuji XF 55-200 OIS is a truly fine lens. Image quality is really good and I like that it is just a little bit faster than the average “slow” tele zoom while it remains small and light. That’s what this lens is perfect. Still light enough that I will take it with me even on longer hikes.
I know what I’m talking about because the year before on a long hike in the Arches NP I left my Canon 6D plus 70-200/2.8 II in the car and only took the Sony A7R with the Canon 16-35 IS. It was extremely hot that day with temperatures still around 35 degrees Celsius late afternoon. Instead of the heavy DSLR plus the heavy pro zoom I preferred to take two additional water bottles. Because of that I missed the chance to capture the cute little rabbits on the way back to our car. Next time I can bring the Fuji X Pro-2 plus 10-24 plus 55-200 and the weight will be roughly that of the Sony A7R plus the 16-35 IS. Full frame cameras are nice but if you want to travel light they are not a good option. That’s why the Fuji X system is perfect for me: Rather compact and light and still very capable.
FUJIFILM X-T1 (148.5mm, f/8, 1/100 sec, ISO640)
FUJIFILM X-T1 (77.9mm, f/5.6, 1/250 sec, ISO400)
If you look at the EXIF data you will see that I took all images with the Fuji X-T1. At the beginning of the trip I put the wide angle zoom on the X Pro-2 and the tele zoom on the X-T1. Later I changed to the X Pro-2 as much as possible for two reasons: 1. image quality 2. better and much brighter EVF.
When I started to shoot with the X Pro-1 it was the perfect camera for me as long as I saw the much improved EVF of the X-T1. Even though image quality was the same I sold the X Pro-1 because I knew I could not step back to its inferior EVF. With the X Pro-2 and X-T1 it is the same except that now image quality is also much better on the new camera.
As a result I either have to get another X Pro-2 or to get an X-T2. Today I don’t know which one I will get but I know that I have to sell the X-T1 because it is to hard to step back. Seems that you got me Fuji!
FUJIFILM X-T1 (190.3mm, f/5.6, 1/250 sec, ISO500)