CAPTURE NEW HORIZONS

I have tested the X-Series cameras at two international rugby matches in 2016.  The first was back in March testing the X-Pro2 at the Scotland v France 6 Nations encounter.  The second was in November when I tested the X-T2s AF system in the Scotland v Australia match at Murrayfield. This is my stand out shot from that match and is Australia's Scrum Half Will Genia passing the ball back .  The focus remains locked on Genia's face as the ball flies across the frame and it is the facial expressions of the players in the image that make it into my favourite ten shots of 2016. CLICK HERE to see the blog post   ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PLEASE SUPPORT THIS BLOG BY VISITING THE ADVERTISERS ON THIS PAGE By clicking on the adverts you are helping support this blog - thank you. ---------------------------------------------------------------...

Fujifilm X-Pro2 + XF50-140mm f2.8 On Saturday afternoon I had the pleasure of joining fellow photographer Rob Gray on the touchline at Murrayfield for the first of the three Autumn Tests where Scotland would be taking on the might of Australia.   The last time the two teams met was in the quarter finals of the 2015 Rugby World Cup and Australia won by just one point when the Wallabies were awarded a controversial penalty in the dying seconds of the game to win 35-34 and a place in the semi finals against Argentina.   So this was a rematch that everyone was looking forward to and Murrayfield was packed with over 64,000 fans anticipating a great game of rugby.  They duly got their wish as the the game was one of the best I have ever witnessed but, once again, it was Australia who triumphed by a single point. Fujifilm X-T1 + Samyang 8mm f2.8 fisheye I was given a green bib, which meant I could shoot from behind the touchline in front of the south stan...

As a sports photographer the Fujifilm X-T2 continues to impress especially in the auto focus department.  Yesterday I got the opportunity to test the camera at the Scotland v Australia Autumn Test at the home of Scottish Rugby Union at Murrayfield in Edinburgh. I had tested the X-Pro2 at the Scotland v France Six Nations game in March but this was the first chance I have had to test the X-T2 at a top international game, so the pressure was on to come up with the goods.  I needn't of worried, the X-T2 performed brilliantly in the tricky floodlit stadium conditions. I set the camera's AF to Set 2 (Ignore Obstacles and Continue to Track Subject) so the camera wouldn't start tracking any players or other obstacle that came between my position behind the touch line in front of the South Stand and the ball.   I fitted the X-T2 with the XF100-400mm f4.5/5.6 as this gave me the pulling power that I needed but the f5.6 max aperture meant I needed to push the ISO to 3200...