FUJIFILM X-H1 (55mm, f/8, 1/350 sec, ISO200)
We had troubles to find a reasonable prized hotel room in Washington DC and my wife was sick so we decided to stay somewhere outside.
Next morning we planned to make a day trip to Washington but you should never make plans. My wife was still sick and decided to stay in the hotel to recover. I planned to drive to Washington but there was a massive traffic jam and the outlook to go through stop and go traffic just to see Washington, have a quick lunch and go back was not very attractive. So I decided to skip Washington too.
FUJIFILM X-H1 (16mm, f/2.8, 1/200 sec, ISO2500)
FUJIFILM X-H1 (33.2mm, f/8, 1/240 sec, ISO200)
FUJIFILM X-H1 (16mm, f/8, 1/60 sec, ISO200)
I stopped the car beside the road and googled for things to see nearby. The only thing that was close to our place was a wildlife centre so I went there. But it was too late already with the sun quite high in the sky. I know from my time when I was into bird photography that you have to be on location before sunrise to get the shot. And of course I had no idea if there would be any birds at all here at this time if the year.
To keep it short. There weren’t any except some geese but they were far away. I walked a trail that was so short that I couldn’t believe that I walked the whole thing. It looked much bigger on the map but you must never trust a handmade map. It was hardly half an hour where I saw nothing but two photographers with heavy tele lenses leaving the place. My longest lens on this trip was the 55-200 so I was glad that I didn’t see a bird. After my short walk I went inside. At least my lenses were long enough for some stuffed animals.
FUJIFILM X-H1 (16mm, f/8, 1/40 sec, ISO200)
FUJIFILM X-H1 (16mm, f/2.8, 1/15 sec, ISO1000)
FUJIFILM X-H1 (24.2mm, f/2.8, 1/15 sec, ISO800)
FUJIFILM X-H1 (16mm, f/2.8, 1/15 sec, ISO1000)
FUJIFILM X-H1 (41.4mm, f/2.8, 1/15 sec, ISO800)
FUJIFILM X-H1 (22.7mm, f/2.8, 1/15 sec, ISO640)
FUJIFILM X-H1 (18.7mm, f/2.8, 1/15 sec, ISO320)
I still had my back bag but I ended up to take all images with my new Fuji X-H1 plus the XF 16-55/2.8 WR. I know that I have said this here already many times but this is just a perfect combo.
The X-H1 is an excellent, beautifully executed camera with a shutter that is almost as quiet as a leaf shutter. So people won’t hear you shooting even in a library. I wished I would have had such a camera earlier. I was always embarrassed by the sound of my SLRs and later DSLRs even if photography was allowed and even more so when it was not.
The XF 16-55/2.8 WR is the perfect match. The lens is rather big and heavy by mirrorless standards but it balances very nicely with the X-H1. There is no image stabilisation in the lens but since the sensor in the X-H1 is stabilised I was able to shoot at 1/15s without the risk of unsharp shots. This is just a wonderful system and sometimes I think of how many images that I have missed on my first travels when I shot Fuji’s Velvia slide film. A film with ISO 50 which was rather ISO 40 in reality.
Just imagine: A camera with a sensor that is limited to ISO 40 and no stabilisation at all! Regarding technology we live in amazing times that you only can truly appreciate if you are used to shoot film some decades ago. For those into moving pictures the change is even more dramatic. From 8mm to literally lugging a video recorder on your shoulder to having 4k video on your phone.
I say it again: Regarding technology we are living in amazing times. Now we just need time to adjust. I shoot purely digital now since January 2002 and I still haven’t figured out how to avoid that I take far too many pictures. I’m afraid it might take me another 20 years.
FUJIFILM X-H1 (29.2mm, f/2.8, 1/15 sec, ISO320)