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Russell and Fujifilm Australia set out to try the new camera - a pre-release model - in his special place - the surf off the coast of New South Wales. No better man to operate the camera - Russell is a dedicated Fujifilm user. He currently does surfing and commercail work with several models from Fujifilm - including the X-T4 and one of the GFX cameras. He's got a dedicated underwater housing that mounts these two with just a change in a back plate - he volunteered to use it with the new X-H2 in the water.
And what water! He knows the coastline and the difficult surf areas from lon experience and can set up for either ambient seascape shots or full-on on-the-water action. He's out there trying to stay at the top of the water and out of the coroner's reports as the waves tower over him and the surfers go sliding by.
Now the camera - like many of the Fujifilm models - is weather-resistant to an extreme degree. Fujifilm's Warwick Williams confidently uses his Fujifilm cameras in mists, fogs, showers, etc, and as long as WR lenses are on front they are fine. But they're not surf-proof, so that's where water-tight underwater housings come in. Just making that clear...
Did it work? Russell said yes. He could get out there and bob around and it would nail the surfer first time as they thindered by. The dynamic range was exceptional and the 40+ megapixels meant that there was more than enough resolution to pick cropping detail from any part of the image.
He also got a chance to take the camera into a dusty environment - the shaping bay of a surfboard manufactory - and it performed flawlessly in the mess. Of course he was wise enough not to open the commanders hatch on the turret during the dust storm - and to clean it off carefully afterwards. He might be wet, but it isn't around the ears.
Note that CE is also offering a bonus deal on pre-orders for the next few days, so you might ring up or come in and discuss that.
Finally, I set myself a puzzle - I noticed a 56mm f:1.2 lens on the table and a Fujifilm camera body waiting to pose as a model. I had the 35mm f:1.4 Fujinon mounted on the old X-E2 Reporter's Special, so I took a picture of it at full aperture. Then I switched on the X-E2 to the 56 f:1.2 and did the same thing.
Why? Because I have been playing with the idea of getting a new 56mm f:1.2 MkII to use as a portrait lens for soft focus areas behind subject's heads. I really did not know if there would be all that much difference between the 35 I own and the 56. I was also curious to see what close-focus wide open would do.
Frankly there's not all that much difference so far, so the next part of the experiment will involve an actual head on actual shoulders. Never discount photographer's curiosity... it's what brings customers into the shop. And uses up my hobby money.
