I took the X-H2S and 150-600mm out this morning. Rain was forecasted later in the morning so I only had an hour or so. I'm having real issues with obtaining consistent eye focus with birds. Sure I get a few in-focus, but the files either side are just not sharp.
Next week I'll put the 150-600mm on the X-T3 and see how that performs. If I get time I'll put the Nikkor 500mm pf on the X-H2S and also try that combo.
As fun as the Fuji is to use, the results can be very frustrating
I took the Nikon Z 9 out this morning. I haven't used it for a few months. It nailed focus on the eyes of the birds more often than the Fuji X-H2S does. I have been discussing my Fuji birding AF issues with a number of Canon users. A few have been experiencing similar issues with their Canon R bodies. One this morning who was using a Canon R5 with a 600mm f/4 lens was saying it's as though instead of focusing on the eye (where the focus point is) it shifts focus to the breast. Interesting thing is, BIF photos appear to be more consistent in-focus than perched birds.
Richard_M wrote:
I took the Nikon Z 9 out this morning. I haven't used it for a few months. It nailed focus on the eyes of the birds more often than the Fuji X-H2S does. I have been discussing my Fuji birding AF issues with a number of Canon users. A few have been experiencing similar issues with their Canon R bodies. One this morning who was using a Canon R5 with a 600mm f/4 lens was saying it's as though instead of focusing on the eye (where the focus point is) it shifts focus to the breast. Interesting thing is, BIF photos appear to be more consistent in-focus than perched birds.
What's crazy is all of the false positive AF acquisitions the xh2s gives. I love the camera, especially for video and it's ergonomics are outstanding and most of my use case is single AF high frame rate so it's great. But the caf just can't be trusted. My 6 year old A9 obliterates the xh2s. I understand that's completely different price points, but I had better results with the om-1 and A7iii which are priced similarly. And it sounds like the zfc also beats it.
gunmetal wrote:
What's crazy is all of the false positive AF acquisitions the xh2s gives. I love the camera, especially for video and it's ergonomics are outstanding and most of my use case is single AF high frame rate so it's great. But the caf just can't be trusted. My 6 year old A9 obliterates the xh2s. I understand that's completely different price points, but I had better results with the om-1 and A7iii which are priced similarly. And it sounds like the zfc also beats it.
I have a few concerns with regards the X-H2S, one in particular is when subject AI is activated, the camera appears to take control of the metering. I feel this goes partway to why some bird images are not being correctly exposed. With my other birding bodies I will change metering mode depending on the scene. Another is the noise in the files compared to what I see with Nikon bodies I use at the same reported ISO settings. I don't know how much manipulation of the RAW files is done prior to saving, but this could also why there are differences in visible noise.
A superb collection of photos. Even with a reduced hit rate, you are able to do well . I'm no bird photographer, and the few times I tried eye-AI with my X-T5 it wasn't that great.
Question: are these RAW images or SOOC jpgs? The issue of noise, sharpness, etc for higher ISO shots is getting more and more irrelevant given the new breed of noise reduction softwares. My friend Keith Bauer (who is a phenomenal wildlife photographer and moderator at NPN) has a couple of videos on dxo's Pureraw: https://youtu.be/vlGH2rctmHo
He, in fact, ditched his entire lineup of FF Canons and shoots entirely with Olympus m43.
A superb collection of photos. Even with a reduced hit rate, you are able to do well . I'm no bird photographer, and the few times I tried eye-AI with my X-T5 it wasn't that great.
Question: are these RAW images or SOOC jpgs? The issue of noise, sharpness, etc for higher ISO shots is getting more and more irrelevant given the new breed of noise reduction softwares. My friend Keith Bauer (who is a phenomenal wildlife photographer and moderator at NPN) has a couple of videos on dxo's Pureraw: https://youtu.be/vlGH2rctmHo
He, in fact, ditched his entire lineup of FF Canons and shoots entirely with Olympus m43....Show more →
Thank you
The photos are processed RAW files.
I also use Olympus but for specific subjects. Trying to use one system for all types of photography can get frustrating IMO, so I find a body/lens combination which makes my life easy for the genre and use that. It's like using a mobile phone for taking photos. They are convenient, easy to use, but sometimes can be frustrating trying to get the result one wants.
Wow Molson, that purple finch is really pretty but looking at the 1/80s shutter speed at 600mm is even more impressive. Proof that the IS works great and the bird was also very cooperative beautiful
gregcpb wrote:
Wow Molson, that purple finch is really pretty but looking at the 1/80s shutter speed at 600mm is even more impressive. Proof that the IS works great and the bird was also very cooperative beautiful
You can get reasonably sharp results at 1/15th of a second with that combo... that seems to be my limit anyway.
The keeper rate jumps up to about 95% if I can get a minimum of 1/20th of a second. The image below was the worst one out of a series of about 40 shots.
Barred Owl (Strix varia)
X-H2SXF150-600mmF5.6-8 R LM OIS WR lens600mmf/8.01/15s3200 ISO0.0 EV
Thanks for all the frustration you endured by taking all the wonderful photos in this thread. It is really enjoyable to read through.
A couple of questions.
Have you grown more accustomed or tolerant of the XF 150-600 or less so? (I have the X-T5 but not the 150-600.)
How did your further experiences with the Nikon Xfc and Z 100-400 work out? Would you choose that over the Fuji
combination for birds/wildlife?
When is the best time of year for visiting Victoria and Australia? I am finally planning to retire next June and want to plan a trip there in the not-to-distant future.
ElliotV wrote:
Thanks for all the frustration you endured by taking all the wonderful photos in this thread. It is really enjoyable to read through.
A couple of questions.
Have you grown more accustomed or tolerant of the XF 150-600 or less so? (I have the X-T5 but not the 150-600.)
How did your further experiences with the Nikon Xfc and Z 100-400 work out? Would you choose that over the Fuji
combination for birds/wildlife?
When is the best time of year for visiting Victoria and Australia? I am finally planning to retire next June and want to plan a trip there in the not-to-distant future....Show more →
Thank you Elliot for your kind comments.
We went to Queensland a couple of months back and I took the Fuji X-H2S and 150-600mm along. It was just as well as our carry-on baggage was checked and weighed. We were only allowed 7kg's each. I note some airlines you can purchase additional 7kg's, which is fine. However, if you are near the end of the line for boarding good luck finding somewhere to stow your bags.
When we got home from Queensland I sold the Fuji body and lens. These were the last of the Fuji camera gear I had. I only kept it for the last trip. I have since purchased a Nikon Z 8 and Nikkor 180-600mm lens to replace the Fuji combo as my travel wildlife setup.
With regards travelling to Australia, timing will depend on what you would like to see and do. Currently we're heading into summer. Like most places Autumn and Spring can be colourful with plenty of fauna and flora, plus the waterfalls are likely to have good water flow. Birding is generally good all year round, particularly in country Victoria, and Queensland. However, the summers can get hot. I would say anytime from April through to December would be a good time for visiting Australia. If you enjoy the heat, then January through to March would be okay, although some summers in Melbourne are a non event.
Some snaps I managed on our recent trip to Queensland. These are some of the last photos I took with the Fuji combo.
I'm wondering if anyone has found a replacement tripod that fits the XF 150-600?
The Fuji foot has an Arca-Swiss dovetail, but it doesn't run the full length of the foot, so you there isn't enough range of adjustment to balance the lens on a gimbal if you're using a body with a battery grip attached.
. I'm no bird photographer, and the few times I tried eye-AI with my X-T5 it wasn't that great.
