What is Fujifilm's best lens for wildlife photography - PART 5 - Conclusion 

Thank you, I really appreciate it

Thank you!

I hope it's helped

Thank you, I honestly really appreciate it and all the best to you as well

Thank you, and a great conclusion from you

Great summary!

Thank you

Happy to help!

Thank you, very happy it helped

You're very welcome, thank you for taking the time to write that message, I really appreciate it

Cheers mate, exactly the kind of effect I was hoping to have

Thank you!

Cheers mate, I think I'll do a wide angle and astro 2021 soon, not as a series but just updated for new lenses and what I now know

All the best and thank you

You're welcome and all the best

You're welcome!

If Fuji get it to me I'll compare it to all these or do a 2022/3/4 etc version when/if it comes out

And it's the perfect option for people like your self.

Ditto, 40 years a Pro shooter, at 75 I have exactly the same opinion.

I also believe in a subconscious passive factor where the bigger a lens/camera is, the less likely you are to use it/pull it out, go for a walk with it etc. No matter your age or ability size and weight can't be under valued

I'm 65 and recently tried out a used 100-400mm and new 70-300mm in my local shop. There was little difference in the price, so that wasn't a factor in my decision. On lifting the 100-400mm lens it didn't seem that bad, but once on my camera I realised that it was too heavy. The 70-300mm seemed to be just about manageable. Even though the 100-400mm had the better zoom range, I went for the 70-300mm. In addition to using the lens for wildlife photography, I also wanted a lens to photograph the total solar eclipse in Texas in 2024. Using the 70-300mm lens with the 1.4X teleconverter would give a 35mm effective focal length of around 630mm and I think that it would be a good focal for the eclipse. Taking the 100-400mm along with my small astronomical mount to the States would be nightmare.

Do be aware that the eclipse is very dark when it’s it the middle of it, and you’ll really need to turn your iso way up with that combo to capture it.

Thank you!

There are lots of third party options for camouflage, I would even consider looking at doing it your self. But thank you the the comment, I really appreciate it

Thank you for the idea, I might make it my next video

Thank you and yes I very much agree 100% with everything you just said.

I won New Zealand landscape photographer of the yeah when my rate was less than 8 good photos a year that I was happy with. It’s not bad to have high standards for your self, but the solution is still the say, spend more time on your self, specially shooting

Thank you!!

Thank you!

Cheers buddy

I honestly thought the 100-400 would beat it out, but yes it's hard to argue with all the pros of the 70-300

Happy you liked it

Ohhh I do normally test abberations as well, not sure why I didn't for this series. I did only have the lenses for a far shorter time than I usually do so I guess I was just under the pump and didn't think of it

Yes I'd agree with you for most of the style of wildlife content I've shot when in Africa, a 150-600 would be outstanding.

So you think it is worth getting the 1.4 tc...which one do you use;

Just the normal black Fuji one, the silver one isn’t any different unless paired with the 200mm

Hahaha thank you and all the best

Happy you’re enjoying the content and cheers for the support

Yeah I really struggled with this as it depends on what you're shooting, but if it helps focal length got more weight that anything else in my algorithm.

Yeah I find the weight of those two for the zoom really nice

I have shot a little surf but not much, but from my limited experience with surfing work it is usually pretty clean shots with a single subject to focus on, so I’d go with the 1.4x TC and use single point focus. In be confident in that combo for your work.

@@ThomasBusbyPhotography thanks a lot dude 🤘

Thanks

Thank you very much for your support mate, means the world

It’s very much worth playing with the difference as there are some pros and cons beyond the obvious

Thank you! For my focus test it was single point at the default size, focusing on the middle of a black and white circled star. I can’t remember which mode I had things set to now but they were all tested the same

@@ThomasBusbyPhotography Welcome! Thank You for the quick reply! Above all is definitely one of the best content ever regarding X lens, if not the Best! Trust me, I've seen quite a few! Cheers

Thank you, I honestly really appreciate it

I don’t have the xs10 on me, but what I do with my xt4 is just use a external power bank, like one you would use to charge your phone. Get one with about a 30w output and atleast 10k mah and you should be all good to go.

Yeah I actually got an amazing offer last year and I am now a full time RU-vidr/photographer, just for another company. But they have also given me the go ahead to make BTS videos of how I make my content and upload them to this channel. So yes more will be coming, but in a far more informative way and less reviews I think.

I’m not sure how to explain more about focus settings sorry, but I could happily answer questions about them if you could be more specific?

@@ThomasBusbyPhotography I will try ;). So did you also use the back button focus with the 100-400 +TC and did you notice a difference ? Did you use single or continuous auto focus while testing (or even both, if so is there a huge difference) ? Aside from focus which shutter type would you recommend for wildlife by experience ? Since the metering mode has effects on the contrast which is usually included in the measure of focus, which one did you use for your tests ? Thanks a lot in advance for taking the time to answer and please continue these types of videos they are a huge help to many people !

With back button vs shutter button AF I feel it also has a lot to do with subject, so I’d do some testing with both when getting ready to shoot and see which one feels better. I personally like single point focus point with single shot AF, I find it the fastest. BUT if shooting a rapidly moving subject I’d suggest continuous and tracking. I also use metric metering, and I am a big believer in getting used to how your camera will read a lighting situation and adjusting your exp comp to suit.

Though all my notes above will change radically with the x-H2S as the speed out of that is game changing

@@ThomasBusbyPhotography Thanks a lot. This is very helpful and you are right the X-H2S will be a game changer.

I think this series does a very good job of explaining all I now feel about your questions, I’m not sure I could say much more to guide you sorry

@@ThomasBusbyPhotography Thanks for answering the questions. Let's watch this series again. It seems easy to judge and make decisions because my situation is not easy, but your answer helped me. I hope you continue to post helpful videos.

If something comes up that you feel I’ve missed or didn’t explain well, please ask in these comments and I’ll try my best to help. Thank you for taking the time to supply some encouraging feedback, I honestly really appreciate it

If I was suggesting new lenses for wildlife shooters, I’d suggest starting with the 70-300 And then replacing it with the 150-600. So yes I’d get it instead of the 100-400. Based on the feedback from the pros I talk to who shoot fuji wildlife most days for a living

Yup it will get a full review once Fuji send it to me, it's on the list and hopefully sooner rather than later

Maybe a second hand 100-400 could be a good move if you’re happy to sell it on again once the 150-600 is released

I haven’t used it but would rank it quiet low, it’s a little dark, and all broad range lenses like that which I have used have been quiet soft at the ends of their zoom

The 70-300 gets lots of points for being lite and cheap, but if size and price of the 100-400 doesn’t bother you I would rather have that. If it helps my personal choice between the 70-300 and the 100-400 for wildlife photography would be the 100-400

@@ThomasBusbyPhotography awesome ! Thank you for your quick reply.

No worries and all the best

A few things actually, I’ve received a full time job creating content and a lot of my energy has been into that, plus Covid really effected Fuji NZ getting me gear to review, I have plans underway for a new direction for this channel in a far more educational sense, but I think the review side of things might be gone for a long while unfortunately

@@ThomasBusbyPhotography Hi Thomas, Congratulations to the job. Looking forward to the "new direction" for the channel.

If possible I’d really suggest testing that combination first, as f11 is pretty dark for how insanely high you need your shutter to prevent the very high levels of diffraction that combination causes

I believe it already gives you the best possible IS if you’re using a lens with IS, I’m very sure it’s not something you can unlock more of if that makes sense as it’s already all or nothing

Hahaha thank you but its source is long lost to the internet sorry as I've had it for well over a year

That’s a great idea thank you (I actually thought I already had) But for now if you want to see more my website is www.tb-photography.co.nz

6.4 at 600mm would be my best case guess…but I think f8 more likely

@@ThomasBusbyPhotography think so too

Eventually, some major events have happened in my life and I am pretty full time behind the camera these days, but I have been given the go head to make BTS videos of that content so it’s in the pipes, just no date yet

I really look forward to see more@@ThomasBusbyPhotography 👌🏼👌🏼🙌🏼

Thank you, me too

Ohh the spell checking is a major one I am constantly having issues with due to Excell and my editing software not having it, but thank you very much for the support, I do honestly appreciate it

Is it still under warranty?

​@@ThomasBusbyPhotography No, I got the lens at the end of 2018. It was fine until this July when I began getting the error messages. Paid repair fee and sent it in to Fuji to be looked at. They replaced lens mount, lens group, and aperture mechanism, adjusted focus and IS. In meantime tried the XT-2 with almost unused kit lens and same thing happened, so sent camera in as well, and they replaced top cover and front assembly. Got 400mm lens and camera back and within a few weeks the lens control error message popped up again only this time I could only use the camera if lens was fully extended otherwise message came up and stopped any further use. So sent lens back again (this time under their 6 mth repair warranty thingy so no additional cost to me) and they replaced the lens group again and adjusted focus! Now got the lens on a second hand XT-4 that I've just bought and was concerned when message came up to switch camera off and on again - that is how the problems began on the XT-2+ this lens. All I really wondered was whether you have ever experienced this or heard of it happening to other people with the 400mm lens? I certainly won't want to risk buying another 400mm after all this so considering the 300mm now which I hope won't have similar problems. Sorry, didn't mean to make this your problem - was just curious as to whether it is a common thing!

I have had the “turn on and off” message on my xt4 a few times but not much, and I have a feel it was from when the camera was under stress (heavy shooting, hot day, not the best sd card etc) But I haven’t had any lens with that issue before. How often does it pop up?

@@ThomasBusbyPhotography Just before I sent them in to be looked at, it was happening every time I turned the camera on, unless the lens was totally extended first. Then it got so that if I retracted the lens a bit after taking some pics, it would immediately flash up the lens control error message, so then I had to turn the camera off, extend the lens completely again so it would turn on without the message, and then I could actually use it again! All very odd. At first I thought it was because I had carried the camera around by the grip instead of using a strap - thought it was putting a strain on the mount, so stopped doing that, but even after being fitted with new mounts, it began to happen again. So far, on this second-hand XT-4 it has only shown the 'switch off/turn on' message twice, (not the lens error message) so I am watching and waiting to see whether it becomes an issue. I really hope not! The more I think about it now, I suppose it COULD have been the XT-2 at fault, and not the lens..... if so, it should be fine on the XT-4, fingers crossed. Watch this space!

Yeah if you get on/off message on your xt4 I wouldn’t assume it’s the lens. And that it’s something different, and for me that issue cleared up when I switched to good sandisk cards (if it starts being a constant issue for you)

Maybe the new 18mm

@@ThomasBusbyPhotography I can’t decide between the 16 (1.4) and the 18, they are both so good! (Have the 16 my wife the 18).

I love my 16mm, 18mm should be better AF

Hahaha oops I thought this was going up tomorrow night, congrats mate, you earned this!

@@ThomasBusbyPhotography i had my phone in my hand, when I godt the notification. That you are uploading.

Hahaha well congrats

Because I always want to greet people with a happy smiling face.

Because I always want to greet people with a happy smiling face.