Small waves wash around well worn stones on Martha’s Vineyard
I can’t believe an entire year has passed us by already! It’s been amazing for sure!
Since mid-July I’ve shot in the Florida Keys, New York City, Maine, Canada/New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Martha’s Vineyard. I’ve taken almost 16,000 images since I started and I am still culling just over 11,000 that I have to yet go through. Once I complete the culling then I’ll edit the keepers, keyword, and start submitting to Getty Images and others that use my work.
In a few weeks I will compile the lists of lenses and how many images I made throughout the course of the year. I can without a doubt tell you my Zeiss Touit 12mm f2.8 is again, my least used lens. As a matter of fact, I’m considering selling it before the end of the year.
I’ve written about the fabulous Fuji 55-200 lens in the past but I have to say it is a truly spectacular piece of glass! FF field of view approximately 84mm to 300mm. Pretty sweet.
I got this lens before the 50-140 2.8 came out; and I considered my options — upgrade? sell the 55-200? what should I do? I’m here to say I’m glad I did nothing. The 50-140 2.8, though a phenomenal lens, is too expensive, too big, and too heavy for me. I switched from Nikon to Fuji to save weight, and my back so I’ll be darn if I’m lugging the 50-140 2.8 around. Heck, I remember lugging my fabulously sharp, and oh so heavy, 70-200 2.8 in the woods. No more.
Honestly I’ve tested both. I cannot tell the difference in sharpness. I read the stories and reviews about how phenomenal the lens is, and the writers are most likely correct. But for me the 55-200 just works. But that’s me. It’s small, lightweight, and has a marvelous range, plus it’s reasonably fast! Can’t ask for anything more than that.
What I will stress here is that if you are planning on purchasing one or the other, test them. Rent them. Use them out in the field. That would be the best way to determine if you can live with one or the other. I remember a year or so ago I purchased the Fuji 56mm 1.2 based on the positive reviews online. I shot three events back to back with it the same day and, after only the first event, wound up switching to my 35 1.4, and the 18-55 to finish the job! The 56 1.2, in a extremely well-light church and I mean well lit — sunny day, large skylights, bright light colored interior, and huge windows letting in the light down both sides, the damn thing refused to lock focus often enough that I switched it out and never looked back. It was returned for a full refund that Monday morning. Maybe it was a bad copy. Maybe it was I read too much into how great the lens was. I don’t know. But I’m to going back to it. Waaaaay too much money for a fixed focal length, that almost cost me some serious dough by not working as I expected it to.
Anyway, I’ll stop here singing the praises of the 55-200. You be the judge.
A couple of images here. My grandson, Jonah. First is the original image (from raw). I shot the entire day with the 35mm F1.4, The X-T2, Acros + G filter. This is the JPEG from the raw file, processed in Classic Chrome.
Now below is the SCREENSHOT of the same image, at 200 PERCENT as viewed on a 46″ display! You can see me, and Jonah’s dad in his eyes!!! Dang…….
Well, maybe not funny, but interesting from my perspective. I downloaded into separate folders on my desktop Fuji’s latest firmware updates for my lenses so I’d be ready to run the updates on Saturday morning. So, here I sit, early morning, coffee in hand, ready to go.
Without giving it much thought how did I decide to install the updates? Least used lens FIRST; So, here’s my order from least favorite to favorite: 23 1.4, 35 1.4 (though i LOVE this lens), then the 16mm 1.4, and finally my all-time favorite, don’t leave home without it lens: the 18-55.
Not a hugely massive post, but I found it interesting how I picked them without even thinking about it!
Well, the Nikon D800 is on it’s way to it’s new home. That was my last Nikon body. I am keeping both Nikon flash units because I’m certain they will work with some flash triggers and the Fuji. My 18-35G series, less than two year old lens has been acquired by one of my kids for use on my old D700 body, and the less than six month old 50mm 1.8G she will probably get as well unless I sell it.
This pretty much empties the Nikon closet for me. Now it’s all Fuji or nothing. In a way I knew this day would come ever since I got my first Fuji – the X-E1 back in early 2013 together with the 18-55 lens and the 35mm 1.4.
The X-T1 came along in 2014 and I just fell in love with the handling, the files, and most of all putting the fun back into picture-taking even though I shoot for stock most of the times. One of the best two features I’ve found? 1. the viewfinder: It’s incredible; you can see what your image will look like before snapping the shutter! and then make necessary adjustments. I wasn’t much of a chimper before and even less of one now. 2. The film modes. Even though I always shoot in jpeg+raw (except for odd miscellaneous family stuff) I find that setting the film mode in camera, then upon upload into LR I run the correct profile I’ve created on the raw files, truly generates some sweet looking raw files as well as jpegs.
In less than three weeks I’ll be heading out for a major stock shooting business trip. I expect to come with with many, many images. Well, consider this: based on the number and size of SD cards I have in m PocketRocket, I can shoot 8,280 images, jpeg+raw, before I have to reload. Sweet huh?
A few years ago I was out in the Southwest and came back with 11,250 images over eight days. If you double up because of the jpeg+raw I came back with 22,500 total images.
Enough jabbering for tonight. I’m hoping to at least start separating some gear and packing it to see how it’s all gonna fit. Should be much easier now that the D800 and lenses won’t be going with me. But we’ll see as I anticipate using the gear a few more times before I leave.
In closing I leave you for now with an image of one of my favorite subjects: Lobster Floats
Found abandoned old Lobster floats. I give them a good home. Fuji X-T1, 55-200 Lens, Tripod, raw processed as Velvia Exposure not available (click for a larger image) This is a FULL 9MB File. Click on it at your own risk 🙂
Adventures with the Fuji X System 