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Photography News | Issue 67 | photographynews.co.uk
me. I always wanted to wait until there were more bodies available and a variety of lenses to choose from. I was delighted to be selected by PN to borrow some awesome kit. I chose the Fujifilm X-T3 body, the Fujinon XF18-55mm f/2.8-4 R LM OIS lens for my landscapes (as I like the flexibility with a bit of zoom) and the Fujinon XF100-400mm f4/5-5.6 R LM OISWR, a long lens equivalent to 600mm in 35mm format for wildlife shots. I was instantly surprised by the lightweight camera body. The retro look and feel also immediately appealed to me. Compared to my old set-up, the big lens didn’t feel too heavy – it had just the right weight and length for steady handheld shots. The handling of the camera, with its generous complement of dials, an AF joystick and a touchscreen, was very easy to get used to. It felt a bit like an old-school SLR, the one my dad used to own in the old days, but with all the benefits of cutting-edge camera technology. One of the first things I noticed after I unpacked it was that it lacked a mode dial, but the external shutter speed dial on the camera and the aperture ring on the lens meant it didn’t need one. The ISO is also located as a dial on top of the body. I wanted to try the X-T3 out at locations in and around Bournemouth, Poole and Dorset. Unfortunately, the weather didn’t always
The autofocus speed stood out – something essential when shooting wildlife
comply with my plans – I had to carry the camera through some light drizzle on two occasions – but having an environmentally sealed camera body with a weatherproof lens, I wasn’t too concerned. On a trip to Hengistbury Head in Bournemouth, I found some stonechats modelling for me on top of the yellow gorse. The lens performed really well in these low-light conditions. I was impressed by
the good dynamic range and the high ISO performance in the pictures. There is no in-body stabilisation in the X-T3 camera body, only in the lenses, but this performed exceptionally well! I was surprised by the formidable sharpness. The autofocus speed stood out, too – something essential when shooting wildlife, because birds won’t wait for you to press the shutter! My current set-up with the Canon
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