Fuji X Pro 1 and action shots YES IT CAN Part 1
If you are here reading this you like many others are interested in this new Fuji X Pro 1 camera system. I have read what it can and can not do. What is good and what is bad. Many, many people writing about this camera. This is part one with more action images to follow. Ending with images from the Indy 500. More on that later.
First I am not paid or sponsored by Fuji. In fact, I have only had the camera for a week. Usually it takes me a good three months to get comfortable with new gear. I must say something about the Fuji instruction manual that comes with the camera. Nicely done! Usually these booklets are just plain painful to read. What surprised me was the clarity of the descriptions. Along with the fact you can get through it fairly fast. I think thats because there isn't a lot of stuff this camera does on the side. In essence the manual says "This is how it works, shut up and go take pictures."
Now a little about me. I have been a professional action photographer for almost ten years. My primary gear is two Nikon D300 bodies and associated lens. Each body has over 200,000 actuations and they keep going. On average I shoot over 100,000 action photos a year. Sometimes upwards of 12,000 images in one day. All of my shooting is done in Single action. I NEVER use the continuous modes on my Nikons. One click only per image. I do not make stop action video at 10fps. You must really master single action to shoot fast moving objects with this camera. What I shoot? Well to start a lot of High School performing arts competitions. This includes Dance, Bands, Color Guard, Percussion and High School Sports events, Soccer and LaCrosse mainly. Beyond that I am a seasonal employee for the Indy Racing League. Have been doing this for almost ten years. So I get up close to all the action and then some. Being the month of May here in Indy, I will be at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway taking pictures with this Fuji camera. My goal/challenge is to see if indeed this camera can take pictures of quick movement. Especially of cars going 230 MPH at the Speedway!
So to begin with I wanted to see what we can do with the X Pro 1 and the 35mm at my sons soccer game today. Could I get sharp images of fairly fast action. My sons play travel soccer and we play it year round. Kyler my youngest son, in these images, is 11 years old and these boys are starting to get pretty fast with some power on the ball. So the camera had a challenge. It was a beautiful sunny day in the low 80's. So how did I setup the camera?
Because it was so bright out I used the OVF in non zoom range. I do love this view. I can see all the ball action that is coming into view. This allows me to better anticipate the action. I can't wait to try this with Indy Cars. I set the camera to have the OVF and EVF only. Did not use the screen on the back of the camera. Next I set Continuous servo. NOT Single but Continuous. It works just fine. It does work a bit different than the C mode on a Nikon camera. But very functional. Since I shoot single and not multiple frames I left the review on. I like this feature of seeing what was just shot in the view finder. It works for me.
Fuji USA if someone is reading this can I borrow an 18mm and 60mm for the Indy 500? Would love to try these other two lens on fast moving cars.
The images below are JPEGS directly out of the camera. The only thing done to them is cropping. They are "Normal" JPEGS not "Fine" I was also playing around with the various film simulation modes. They look so good out of camera, I am not sure how much RAW I will shoot. Like everyone else, waiting for Lightroom to support the RAW files. So on to the images.
Stay tuned for further images and thoughts on this wonderful camera.
Tell me what you think. Would love to hear comments.
This is action with the ball coming in. I am focused on the keeper. As good as or better than my D300 bodies.
Another of my son in goal. You must anticipate the movement. Single shot as he is kicking. Spot on.
Well he did not stop this one. But I did stop the action! Camera focused on the keeper as the ball slips by. Tack sharp even with the massive cropping.
These boys are sprinting past my son as he saves the play.The focus locks and stays there.
Everyone in full sprint. Now my son is out of keep and playing mid. Ball in front of him. Focus locked on to him (Boy on right).
I love the B&W this camera puts out. The image in Lightroom looks amazing. Again this is cropped in from 35mm.
Full sprint directly at camera. Camera servo in C mode. Single shot no blur.
