My X-T2 is now a very expensive paper weight. Honest. That’s what I’m using it for now. a paper weight. I was hit by a wave while shooting the coast in South Carolina. This isn’t the first time I’ve been hit by salt water, but unfortunately, I had the rear display panel extended so sand and salt water made it’s way into the motherboard. Since I also have the X-H1 and the X-T1, I’m not too worried, but I really did use the X-T2!
Now what? Well I’m not sure. I was planning on selling some bodies and lenses and getting the Fuji GFX-R medium format and the 32-64mm lens. I just can’t pull the trigger on spending almost 6,000.00. I think I’ll wait until Fuji has one of their epic sales before I spend that kind of money.
So, for now I’m working with the X-H1 and my lenses; I really don’t use the X-T1 any more so no backup for me.
Fuji X-T2, 23mm 1.4 laying in the sand, using the rear LCD
Since i received my X-T2 about two years ago I’ve been playing with the memory card configuration. I’ve tried all the option: Sequential, Raw/Jpeg, and Backup.
Sequential: It just works. No worries. Fill up the card in slot 1, and the camera automatically rolls over and begins using slot 2. A no brainer there. Great for casual shooting, and casual shooters — of which I’m neither.
Raw/Jpeg: This is the option I’ve most often used. I always shoot raw/jpeg anyway but wind up keeping the raw files, and deleting the jpegs 90% of the time. This option makes it so much easier not having to load both jpeg/raw’s together. I just pop the card containing the raw files out of the camera, and import my images into LR. Easy enough. The only problem I find is if the card containing the raw files is for some reason corrupted or somehow damaged I’m left with only the jpegs. Now don’t get me wrong, the jpegs are nothing to sneeze at; as a matter of fact, the fuji jpegs are just amazing out of the box but as a travel, landscape and stock photographer I ‘really’ need those raw files. Granted, I’ve been shooting digital since 2002 (back then using “Smartmedia” cards in my Fuji 4900z) and in all this time I’ve only had one card go bad on me. This particular CF card actually worked and I would have never, ever know it wasn’t working – that is – until I pulled the card out of my D700 at the time, uploaded the images to my computer and discovered that a Nikon raw file was missing every four-five images! I would never had known this if I had just formatted the card, and went on my merry way. This is why I always purchase, and test, test, test. I wound up returning the card for a refund, but continued to use my other Transcend cards with full confidence. Frankly, I think it was just a bad sector on the card, that formatting both in camera and in computer did not fix.
Backup: This is it. This is nirvana! Yes. I found it. This week, after much trial and error and flip-flopping between the three methods I’ve decided to use this option going forward. Even though I have not experienced a catastrophic card failure while out in the field, I still feel much better knowing that I have a “backup” of both jpegs and raw files on card 2. The way I’ve set this up is to use a 32G card in slot 1 of the X-T2, and then use my 128G card as a backup in slot 2. Yes, the backup card is massive; I normally would never, ever use a card this large in any camera but for backup? Why not.
There are two very important reasons why using very large memory cards is not the most optimal solution:
Two cards, identical speeds, 32G and say 128G or 256G, the smaller card will ALWAYS write and read faster. Proven point.
Using smaller (32G) cards doesn’t put all your eggs in one basket. If something happens – camera is stolen, you drop it in a lake while photographing beavers (been there, done that) at least you will only lose the images on the card at the time. I recall a story from a workshop leader of a woman on a 10-day excursion into the Amazon. She had one huge CF card in her camera. On their last day there, they were at a local roadside cafe where she, for some reason, decided to pop out her memory card, and promptly dropped it in a puddle of water. Images lost. 10 days worth. So, no. DO NOT place all your eggs in one basket. Think of it this way: You’ve paid for the gear, you’ve gotten yourself to a great location, got the images you came for. Are you going to risk losing it all because it’s all on a single card? Heck no.
So for me it’s now 32G in slot 1, and my 128G in slot 2 for backup purposes. That 128G will stay in there until it’s full which means I can run through FOUR 32G cards in slot 1 before the 128G card needs to be wiped. So my images will remain on there for the duration of the trip, or until I get home, upload them, and decide I’ve got what I need.
On another note, but along similar lines: Once I have a card full, and it’s removed from the camera, that card is NEVER, EVER in the same location as any of my gear. Why? Because of the nature of my work, if my gear get’s stolen, or lost, the most important asset – the images – are safe, on my person. In practice if I’m shooting all day, get back to my room and then decide to go out to get a bite to eat, sometimes the cameras stay in the room, however, the memory cards are with me. The images I’ve taken become the most important asset to me after the cards are ejected from the camera. I can replace the gear, but not the photos… At least that’s how I see it.
Hope this post helps you out now or in the future. thanks for reading.
Last night I was supposed to head down to the beach and photograph the meteor showers that were happening.
I opted to use the X-T2, with the 16mm 1.4. In previous attempts at shooting meteors and stars I used my Zeiss 12mm F2.8 Touit but I found the chroma was too much for me.
At the end of the day I decided not to drive an hour, but to go out on my back deck and play with the X-T2. I setup the camera on a tripod with the 16 1.4. I made the focus point to the second smallest square; opened the lens wide to 1.4 and pressed my back-button focus. What surprised the heck out of me, and I mean very pleasantly surprised, was the fact the 16 1.4 actually focused on a distant star THE FIRST TIME. No hunting, nothing. I was so surprised, that I decided to re-focus again. Same thing. Perfect focus the first time! Damn!
I turned off Auto focus – moving the button on the front of the camera to M; Turned off Long Exposure Noise reduction, put the camera in .raf only. I turned the white balance to incandescent mode, I put the camera on “T” mode and made a test exposure of 50 seconds, at F2. That’s all I needed — one exposure.
With a fresh battery I set the intervalometer to 200 images at 1 second interval; started the first image and went back in the house.
I checked on the camera a few times and since all was well I left everything alone until the battery died at 196 images. I left the rear LCD image on which killed the battery a bit quicker than I wanted. I’ll need to shut that off for next time!
Once I had all the images in LR, I did some minor editing then used Photoshop to create the time-lapse. With the same images I used the free software Starstax to create one image out of the 190+ images. I caught too many aircraft flying by but they don’t bother me so I left them in.
Here is the still life as my version of wordpress won’t allow a video….
X-T2 with the non-weather resistant 18-55X-T2, 18-55, ACROS and Red FilterA Perfect curl25 second exposure, X-T2 + 18-55X-T2, 18-55, in rain and wind. In the 100% view, you can see the rain whizzing past the lens
Today was a very windy and rainy day thanks to the outer bands of Hurricane Matthew. Since my spouse had work to do, and I didn’t want to be in the way I decided to head out to the shore and see if I can capture some of the action.
I took my X-T2 with the 18-55 mounted as I did not want to be swapping lenses in the rain on a beach, in a storm. So I worked with what I had, even though I had all my lenses in my backpack.
The X-T2 performed flawlessly. No complaints whatsoever. I will mention here the X-T1, which has served me so well since early 2014 would have worked in the same, perfect way.
What I found out to be the biggest asset today was the flip-out LCD when the camera was in the vertical orientation on the tripod! That was fantastic! Just great. The second amazing item was the battery life; I shot a total of 370 images, all tripod, most between 6 to 29 seconds, with long-exposure noise reduction on, AND, every single image using the rear LCD, plus, at least for me, an inordinate amount of chimping as I wanted to make sure the image was sharp due to the heavy winds. I just checked and I still have TWO bars left! Much, much better than my X-T1 would have done under the same circumstances.
All-in-all the X-T2 came through with flying colors, as did the 18-55 even though it spent several hours in rain from a slight drizzle, and a downpour towards the end of my day. I was soaked, and tired, the camera could have kept going.
Adventures with the Fuji X System 