Crunch Time

I bought my first Fuji camera, an X-T1, in March 2015; and, since that time, I've run the Fuji system in parallel with my Canon gear.  Initially I was worried that the quality might not be "up to snuff", but my trip to Iceland during the summer of 2015 soon put my worries to rest.  It's true that Adobe have still not added good support for the X-Trans sensor within Lightroom and Camera Raw, but there are other solutions out there - notably Iridient and Capture One - which do an excellent job.

Since 2015, Fuji has gradually become my system of choice, and I gradually added more lenses and a backup body (the amazing X-E2, which has since been converted for Infra Red).  Just before Christmas last year I decided to rationalise my setup and sell the Canon lenses for which I had a Fuji equivalent in order to fund the purchase of an X-T2.  Effectively this meant using Canon for long lens and close-up work (300/2.8L IS plus 1.4x and 2x converters plus the 100/2.8L IS macro), and Fuji for everything else.  In the past 12 months I have only used the Canon system three times, most recently when I went bittern-spotting at Lakenheath Fen last weekend.  Cutting a long story short, I ended up with neck and back ache from carrying the long lens and carpal tunnel syndrome in my right hand from gripping my 5DmkIII all day.  The camera felt like a house brick compared to the Fuji bodies, and I found it frustrating having to press buttons and dive into menus in order to change the camera settings.  In short, I realised that I had become completely "Fujified", expecting proper controls (like a shutter speed dial and an aperture ring) as well as a live preview of what was being captured.  Clearly I needed to decide whether to to make the final move to Fuji after 37 years with Canon.  Crunch time, in other words.

The spanner in the ointment was that I don't possess a long lens for the Fuji system (the 50-140, although a stellar performer, simply doesn't have enough reach for nature and sports work).  I was aware of Fuji's 100-400, but wasn't confident that this could come close to replacing Canon's amazing 300/2.8.  As with many things photographic, Ann Miles came to the rescue by very kindly lending me her 100-400 to try.  Ann and I went to a small nature reserve in Kingston, not far from her home, and I played with the 100-400 while she went off photographing bugs.  First impressions were really encouraging - particularly the size/weight compromise and the image stabilisation.  It was only when I got home and downloaded the files onto a computer that I realised quite how good this lens really is.  Granted, this is a slow lens and we were in bright sunshine; but, even so, the performance is highly impressive.  Even with the 1.4x converter attached (560mm, or 840mm in full-frame terms) the images were sharp, and I was able to hand-hold without any problems.  The pictures here were all taken with the X-T2 and 100-400, some with the 1.4x converter, processed in a combination of Lightroom and Iridient X-Transformer.

The conclusion?  Well, it has to be "bye-bye Canon and hello Fuji".  I know we're all supposed to suffer for our art, but for me this doesn't extend to back ache plus pins and needles in my right hand.  Even without the size and weight issues, I simply prefer the ergonomics of the Fuji system: these are cameras, designed to be used as such, and not computers with lenses attached.  As a result, my whole Canon system will be going up for sale, as there are plenty of other people around who don't feel the same and might was well get the benefit of this superb, and well looked after, equipment.  It's the end of an era for me, though.

A trip to Bristol Zoo

The day after I visited Crufts back in March (yes, it's taken me two months to get round to processing the pictures!) we went for a family outing to Bristol Zoo.  It was the first decent spring-like day of the year, and the Zoo was absolutely heaving with people.  It's not an ideal place for photography anyway as many of the animals are behind very dirty glass (as with the lizard) or in cages of fine wire mesh (as with the red panda).

I wanted to test a new acquisition (a Fuji 1.4x teleconverter, matched to my 50-140/2.8 lens), and the Zoo was an ideal place for this.  I have to say that I'm really rather impressed: there is a very slight loss of sharpness when viewed at 100%, but this is absolutely minimal.  It's perfectly possible to use the combination wide open, and the converter extends the focal length to a very useful 200mm (300mm in full frame terms).  An excellent addition to the kit bag, in other words.

OK, so the black headed gull wasn't exactly an exhibit at the Zoo, but it proved an ideal subject to test the sharpness and contrast of the lens/extended combination!

Iceland 2.8: Cafés, Cathedrals and other Reykjavík delights

Harriet's group didn't leave to catch their flight until after lunch, so I had a free morning to wander around Reykjavík.  I was sorely tempted to go into the local photography shop, but restrained myself just in time.  As for the "tights, knickers and suspenders" shop, I simply crossed to the other side of the road.

It was clear that, in Reykjavík, it's possible to get every possible cuisine - unlike the rest of Iceland which is limited to local produce (lamb and fish) or the ubiquitous burger/pizza.  Unsurprising, I suppose, given that Keflavík has set itself up as a hub airport between western Europe and north America.

Having failed to get inside Hallgrímskirkja - Reykjavík's cathedral - on my previous visit, I was determined to rectify the situation.  Rather optimistically I took a tripod with me, completely failing to anticipate the sheer number of tourists which would be milling around.  As a result, all the pictures here are hand-held out of necessity - quite a good test for Fuji's image stabilisation.  The interior is painted white and is flooded with light coming in through lots of clear windows, but the Fuji coped admirably with the huge dynamic range.

Later on I discovered why Reykjavík's streets are so clean and tidy: a nice man with a street Hoover goes around and makes them spotless!

This hydrant appeared to have been attacked by an Icelandic "Banksy", but I also managed to capture another one in its natural habitat.

Reykjavík was positively glowing in the morning sunshine, given that many of the buildings are painted white.  There are three examples here: a church, a synagogue and our hotel.

Having said goodbye to Harriet's group we decided to go and grab some lunch - not at one of the emporia photographed earlier, but a very particular location where I'd taken a picture called "Waiting" on my previous trip.  The image had since been published on the cover of the RPS Visual Art magazine, so I had decided to give a copy to the proprietors on my next visit.  They were  truly appreciative of the gesture, and offered both Harriet and me anything we wanted from the menu.  Who says that there's no such thing as a free lunch?

By the way, we can thoroughly recommend the the Stofan Café, both for its atmosphere and the quality of its food.  It was voted "Reykjavík's best place to sit and read a book", and I'm not at all surprised.

Hever Castle

On the way home from our brief trip to Sussex and Kent, Harriet and I stopped off at Hever Castle.  It was a dull, grey day; and, since we had Amber with us, it wasn't possible to go inside the castle itself.  This was more than made up for by several marquees which were groaning with food from local producers.

Hever is famous for its topiary, as will become apparent from several of the pictures which follow.

Having exhausted the hedges, I turned my attention to the various specimens of Homo photographicus which were wandering around.

OK, so some of them weren't exactly "photographicus"...

The final shot shows some of the amazing ornamental carp which were swimming in the moat and begging for food from the passers-by.