NEW FOREST 13/09/2024
Despite the New Forest being called 'The New Forest' there is a lot more to it than just Forest.
It's location to the coast is key to much of the wildlife that call it home, it also has a proud military history which is evident throughout the area.
One area which has a strong maritime link is Bucklers Hard (I am going to try and keep this serious so I am not making any jokes on excited Butlers) So with my Fuji X100F I headed out here and had a little shoot.
Despite being here before, I never actually brought a camera last time, which explains why I couldn't find any images on my drive from here in the past.
Traveling through Beaulieu and turning left towards St Leonards brings you to this beautiful cottage.
There is a tiny layby on the side so I pulled up and grabbed a shot.
It was definitely a washing day as the crisp air was warming and a slight breeze was drifting through.
I did a quick sense check on the washing to check if it was acceptable to shoot this and as it was only towels, I took the shot.
I like the light on this and the washing.
Not a bad first shot from the day.
Fujifilm X100F - 23mm - f8 - ISO250 - 1/200th
Handheld.
Boats. Yes I have a thing for boats, not in a freaky way, I just think they are very photogenic.
Annie Irene must have been someone to someone, and I love the colours on this. The shadows help with the tone as well
Fujifilm X100F - 23mm - f8 - ISO320 - 1/250th
Handheld.
Bucklers hard is an historic village which is fully resorted to the days when ships like the Mayflower ruled our seas.
The cottages, which are still lived in by residents, line both sides of the lawn that lead down the hill to the Beaulieu River.
I didn't want the standard shot so decided on a tight angle with the sun peaking through the roofline.
The ladders added a bit more interest, I wanted to see if the guy who was working on the ladders would make an appearance, but he was having a brew I think, so I left him to it.
Fujifilm X100F - 23mm - f8 - ISO400 - 1/400th
Handheld.
More Boats.
This time looking south on the Beaulieu River.
This is a very picturesque place, and Otters, Seals, Ospreys and White Tailed Eagles are often spotted down here.
Fujifilm X100F - 23mm - f8 - ISO320 - 1/250th
Handheld.
As you can see, boats are everywhere.
I feel like I need to dedicate a gallery to boats.
This is looking north of the Beaulieu River, I like the curve in this and the reflections, same as the other in that respect but, I feel like I could have got closer due to the brightness, saying that, beyond where I was standing was clearly water, so it would have been a little tricky.
Fujifilm X100F - 23mm - f8 - ISO640 - 1/500th
Handheld.
Heading back to the car, I walked past this.
A simple shot but the transition of the greens of the summer to the rusty colours of Autumn tells a bit of a story. With Autumn approaching fast there will be many more scenes like this to photograph, and it is my favourite time to be out in the woodlands.
I also wanted to see how the X100F stacked up with a relatively high ISO.
Fujifilm X100F - 23mm - f5.6 - ISO1250 - 1/125th
Handheld.
I like this scene, I think it is the lighting.
But the way the river comes through in the background and trees give the dappled light make it one of my favourite images from today.
To many this would be pretty dull, but I am a little weird so it was right up my street.
Fujifilm X100F - 23mm - f7.1 - ISO640 - 1/125th
Handheld.
To end my mini tour I stopped at a place called Tanners Lane, a beautiful tucked away place which leads directly to the Solent and views across to the Isle of Wight.
There is very little here, and that makes it special, I love this shot, it might not make it to my portfolio but, I love the dog in the centre which works with the tide level, the post work with this as well.
I do wish the Pony on the right of the frame was more obvious and the Oak Tree was framed in full, but all in all, I cannot moan about this as a quick snap.
Fujifilm X100F - 23mm - f - ISO400 - 1/500th
Handheld.
After Thoughts
So the main aim for today was to test my Fujifilm X100F in low light and high light with a potential to make it my main camera, so what did I think?
Well, the plus points.
Image quality is brilliant, I have always loved the Fuji colours and the 23mm lens is a super sharp lens.
With low light, or when I was shooting woodland in dappled light, I was worried that I would struggle and I purposely left my tripod at home to test this out, to be honest, I was happily surprised, there was noise but nowhere near what I have seen on other cameras I have used, and these other cameras have been full DSLR's, at my highest ISO (1250) the noise was not obvious until I really zoomed in, then Adobes noise removal tools can now perform wonders to clear this for you, it would be good to test it at even higher ISO but I don't often shoot past 1000, so this is more then good enough for me.
Weight is the obvious plus as to be able to carry this around your neck and not feel it is brilliant.
The feel, When ever I have picked up a Fuji, I always feel like I am at one with it. Although it is not for everyone, I love the layout, the ergonomics and the quality. My X-T2 is the same, as was my X-T5 and all my other Fuji cameras that I have owned.
I was always switching between Nikon and Fuji in the past and in all honesty, the only reason I didn't stick to Fuji was the price, but with the second hand market being so strong right now, you can get some very good Fuji camera bodies and lenses for a very good price, so I can't see myself switching anytime soon.
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Built in ND filter is a great touch, although I have not used it, it may come in handy at some point.
The sensor is quality, 24mp is plenty and I can easily print A2 and A3 with this type of sensor, I would get in to the technically side of this but there are so many videos about this.
So, the negatives.
Well, apart from the obvious limitations of a fixed 23mm lens, there is very little.
Okay, Image stabilisation (IS) would have been nice, but this is 7 years old, and the cameras that did have IS then didn't have the other features that this camera does.
I hear a lot of people saying that the battery life is poor, well get a second battery, I personally find it fine, I have used it on a few long exposers shots and it preforms about the same as most other camera batteries.
I will always have a spare with me but don't often need it for shoots under 3 hours.
So will this be my main camera going forward?
In a word, No, but it will be my most used.
When I say a main camera, I mean one that I will use on trips where I need to capture details in the landscapes which my X-T2 range and lens allow me to do.
My X100F will always be by my side, like a friend to capture that fleeting moments.
This is a very serious camera, yeah, it has it's quirks, but it is 7 years old and that gives the camera more of a personality. Could I use it professionally? 100% despite its age, it can do what it was originally designed to do, this is also true of my X-T2.
I don't believe being a professional photographer means breaking the bank for top of the range gear, and unless you can afford it, or get that lucky break it is not needed.
Don't get me wrong, I love tech and Fuji, if you are reading this, pop me an email ;)
There are some amazing cameras out there that I would love to be able to use for my work, I previously had the X-T5 and loved everything about it but , I reluctantly had to sell it.
So, if you would like an every day camera which will make you very happy, this, could be the one.
Matt