Capturing Puffins in Flight with the Fujifilm X-T2

Since the launch of the Fujifilm X-T2 I have been asked many times how good the Auto Focus system is compared to the X-T1 and X-Pro2 and also compared to a pro level Nikon or Canon DSLR.  

The question regarding the X-T1 and X-Pro2 is easy to answer because it is a huge step up from the X-T1 and a definite improvement on the X-Pro2s excellent AF system which I have used for shooting motorsport and international rugby.  

Now the second question regarding the comparison between the X-T2 and pro level DSLR is harder to answer because I haven't used a DSLR since I sold my Nikon gear in 2014.  The X-T2 is definitely on a par with the D800 / D700 / D300S I used but how it compares to a Nikon D5 or D500 or Canon 1DX MkII or 5D MkIII is difficult for me to answer.  

All I can say for definite is that the AF-C tracking on the X-T2 allows me to take shots of moving subjects with ease and the images are crisp and sharp, and that is all that really matters.  

So the X-T2 can track a moving race car and produce a sequence of images all sharp and technically perfect.  This is great news but race cars are predictable and fairly large objects to lock on to.  The only downside to a race car is they are shiny and sometimes in bright sunlight the AF can lose the lock, but this has only happened on one occasion in the last three months, which is a better hit rate than I had with my D700 / D300S.

So I decided that I needed to test the new continuous AF on something a little less predictable and a lot smaller in size.  I booked an Isle of May landing trip through the Scottish Seabird Centre in North Berwick, with a view of trying to capture Puffins in flight. 

The Atlantic puffin (Fratercula arctica) is quite small, 30cm / 12 inches in length, but is very quick.  To compound the difficulty in trying to capture the birds in flight is the fact they fly quite low to the ground to evade predators such as the Black Backed Gulls.

Using the XF100-400mm f4.5/5.6 lens with the 1.4x converter I set myself the task of capturing these beautiful birds in flight.  Shooting images of the birds on the ground is easy, there are thousands of them all over the island and everywhere you look there are Puffins.  Capturing images of them flying is a totally different challenge and one, that I am pleased to report, the X-T2 rose to admirably.

Using the X-T2s AF-C custom settings I selected Set 5 to start with.  This is set for Erratically Moving and Accelerating / Decelerating subjects, which describes Puffins in flight pretty well.  I had the camera set for Zone AF, with a 9 box square selected set to one side of the other of the viewfinder depending on where the Puffins were flying in from.  

The AF system coped very well and the shots I missed were more down to user error - trying to keep the bird inside the AF Zone in the viewfinder rather than anything the camera had done wrong. 

I then moved to a different part of the island where there were more birds flying around.  This added the complication for the AF system where birds were flying across the frame between me and the subject bird.  So I switch the AF-C Custom function to Set 2, which is 'Ignore Obstacles & Continue to Track Subject'.  This solved that particular problem and now the camera would track a bird in flight and not be distracted by other birds flying into the frame. 

The camera's drive was set to CH and with the 'Boost' function switched on to increase the AF response time, but I selected 8fps rather than 11fps.  The reason I did this was to save me time sifting through even more images in post production and also I tend to allow the camera to track the bird and then I would fire 2-4 frames as it reached the right point.  I did shoot some sequences at 11fps but only when I needed to.  I have the front function button set to select easily between 8 and 11 or 14 fps if using the electronic shutter.

I could've switched the camera to 11fps all the time and shot thousands of frames but I don't like shooting that way.  I used to shoot film and I still work on the fact that frames cost money.  Well not money now because digital shooting is free but now frames cost time! (which as a professional photographer is pretty much the same thing.)

The results on this page speak for themselves.  Capturing Atlantic Puffins in flight in not an easy task for any photographer or camera but the Fujifilm X-T2 is certainly capable of doing the job with relative ease.  

I have a final attempt to land on Bass Rock next Tuesday after four abortive attempts in the past three months.  Weather and sea state permitting I look forward to giving the X-T2 another test on capturing Northern Gannets in flight on Bass Rock.

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