Lunch With a View

FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (23.3mm, f/9, 1/800 sec, ISO200)

Morro Bay one more time. I think I forgot to include the iconic 550 feet high rock that makes Morro Bay so special.

But from my former blog post you know that it’s not just the rock or that huge power station or the wildlife or the beautiful boardwalk that connects all the bars and small restaurants. It’s the combination of all of that. Think of Monterrey just smaller and with way less tourists.

FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (18mm, f/9, 1/340 sec, ISO200)
FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (20.5mm, f/9, 1/450 sec, ISO200)
FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (18mm, f/9, 1/550 sec, ISO200)

We had lunch in one of the small restaurants. We sat outside under a big umbrella and behind glass hat protected us from the chilly breeze from the ocean. I can’t remember what I had for lunch because I was distracted. I watched the pelicans diving for fish in the harbour right in front of me. What an experience!

After lunch we walked down the boardwalk. At that time I had still my XF 18-55 OIS which gives very good results in good light and which of course makes a wonderful small combo on my X Pro-2. But there is a difference in between very good an excellent and I have no doubt that even in this not demanding light the XF 16-55 would have given me even better results. But that excellence of the 16-55 comes at a price. This lens is much bigger and heavier and it makes a huge difference on the X Pro-2.

I’m curious about the XF 16-80/4 OIS. I think this could be the perfect travel lens since it offers a real wide angle plus more tele and of course OIS. If size and weight stays reasonable small and of course performance is closer to the 16-55 than to the 18-55 it would be a real winner. I hope that Fuji will offer this lens in a kit with the X-T3 and other future Fuji cameras.

FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (18mm, f/10, 1/300 sec, ISO200)
FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (18mm, f/9, 1/400 sec, ISO200)
FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (18mm, f/8, 1/350 sec, ISO200)
FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (18mm, f/8, 1/450 sec, ISO200)
FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (27.7mm, f/8, 1/320 sec, ISO200)

But enough rambling about lenses that are not even available. We should be grateful with what we already got. Fuji really has delivered. Out of nothing the created the finest travel camera system on the planet. There is nothing that comes even close and I doubt that there will be a competitor any time soon since most camera makers focus on cameras with a full frame sensor now.

But when you travel the weight of your camera gear always is an issue. A smaller sensor will always have an advantage here since the lenses can be much smaller. Fuji has created a perfect set of lenses when it comes to primes and Fuji also delivered on high quality zooms, the only thing missing so far was a perfect travel zoom but that could be solved soon. I know that there is a 18-135 but I would rather have a lens that starts at 16mm and has a little less tele instead just like the upcoming 16-80.

What else could you want? OK, I guess a high quality 70-300 would be nice. The XF 100-400 OIS is excellent but of course it is a monster. I took it on my last my last vacation and I loved the results but of course it’s not made for travel photography.

FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (18mm, f/8, 1/320 sec, ISO200)
FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (18mm, f/9, 1/340 sec, ISO200)
FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (55mm, f/7.1, 1/480 sec, ISO200)

Back to the Morro Bay and the little XF 18-55 OIS. Sometimes even a 18-55 is good enough to capture some wildlife like the sea lion in the image above or the seagull in the image below. I’m always amazed how easy it is to get close to wild animals in the USA or in Canada. There is no way to get that close to any animal in Europe unless it’s a cow.

But this is not Europe, it’s not even close and that’s a good thing. I love to be somewhere completely different when on vacation and California is something completely different though it start to feel familiar.

FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (31.5mm, f/3.6, 1/1900 sec, ISO200)