CAPTURE NEW HORIZONS

As a Fujifilm X Photographer working in the field of motor sport I am very proud to help Fujifilm develop new cameras and lenses that helps them produce high quality products.  Since my last blog nearly a year ago, Fujifilm has launched the XF200mm f2 with the matched 1.4x converter, which now gives the X Series a top class fast telephoto prime lens that can compete with the 'big boys' on a level playing field. I tested the 200mm prior to it's launch and I was the first photographer in the UK to purchase this lens last autumn.  Over the past nine months I have used it extensively, usually on my X-T3, and I haven't once regretted putting my money where my mouth is; it is a superb piece of glass and the best Fujinon XF lens by far! I am always interested in seeing what the other manufacturers are doing and last year Sony launched the FE 400mm f2.8 G Master lens, the lightest 400mm f2.8 on the market.  Because the Sony system is full frame, the XF200mm f2 fitted wi...

The small but perfectly formed Fujinon XF18mm f2R has been the lens I have used the most since I bought it in 2013.  The fast f2 aperture along with the small size and 27mm equivalent angle of view makes the 18mm f2 my 'go to' lens.   However has the new 16mm f1.4 usurped this position?  The slightly wider 24mm equivalent focal length is one that I used to have when I used film cameras and for landscapes it is a great lens to have in the bag.  But how different is the 18mm and 16mm?  Is that 2mm going to make a huge amount of difference?  and will that extra stop on the aperture compensate for the difference in the physical size of the 16mm compared to the 18mm?  I went for a walk along the coastal path in Dunbar down to the harbour and took there shots with the X-T10 fitted with the 18mm f2 and my X-T1 fitted with the 16mm f1.4.  As usual for this blog I need to point out that this is NOT a technical test, I don't do that, I just report...

The other night I went out to take some images of the poppy field near Burton Coggles - see blog post on 27 June.  I took these images on my Nikon D800 but at the same time I took some pictures with the Fujifilm X100 and X100S to do a side by side comparison. To do this I set the tripod in position and then put the X100S on it to take an image of some poppies.  The camera was set to ISO500 and Aperture Priority with the camera set to f4.  I took two images and then did exactly the same with the X100, using the same settings.  The two images came out at 1/110s @ f4. The image on the left was taken on the X100 and the image on the right by the X100S.  Both images were downloaded in RAW and the same changes made to the exposure, clarity and highlights. The images are so similar that if I swapped them over I don't think anyone would be the wiser.  The older 12.2mp sensor certain holds it own against the newer 16mp X-Tran sensor. I will be doing...