One of the reasons to own 8k video most probably is to crop the video like this one to get more clarity (but I didn’t reduce it to 4k just want to show 8k video and zoom in)
let’s have a look at 4k and tell me how’s this video looks like? very good? good? normal?
I am glad to be given a chance to be tried on the Fujifilm XF70-300mmF4-5.6 R LM OIS WR. Even though we don’t have that many opportunities to do more tests on this setup because of the Covid-19 lockdown.
for quick sharing from Fujifilm XF70-300mmF4-5.6 R LM OIS WR Liew WK – Lens Stories
For birding Photography, we always concern about on few camera and lens specifications
1. Image Quality
– how sharp and how’s the ISO performance
– with Teleconverter Image quality
2. Autofocus performance
– how fast the autofocus, how accurate autofocus, and how good is the tracking capability
3. Weather-resistant, Weight and Size
– no one can deny bigger lens (longer and bigger aperture) will give you better image quality but we need to know how much we can tolerate with Image quality drop with the size and weight reduce.
– most of the bird photography here (Tropical rainforest – Malaysia) involves a lot of tracking, walking, hiking so it is not really a good choice to carry heavy equipment to long hours to do bird photography here.
Some Extra Features
4. Minimum Focus Distance
– most of the Bird photographers also a nature lover who may also capture many other creatures (butterfly, snake, etc
– minimum focus distance of 0.83 which give magnification 0.33
5. Image stabilization
– I can’t comment much as not really do a lot of testing on this but some of the dark conditions where I shoot ~600mm at 1/10-1/30s also give a very good success rate but for my comfort. 1/100 is a base shutter speed to get a very high success rate for myself.
I also captured some videos handheld
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Very low light condition
ISO1600, F8.0, 1/30
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1. Image Quality
– with previous testing on the Fujifilm equipments
– as previous testing share, the X-T4 AF performance FAST, accurate and tracking is good too.
– I won’t share any single point AF here as all others above are using AFS or single focus but here I am sharing what I am concern about continuous focus for both lock focus & tracking capability
– Both above Loglight Condition sharing pictures were captured in very low light condition and AF is still fast and accurate for AFS
All pictures below captured with AFC – continuous focus and Zone (almost full screen). [I let the camera and lens decide to lock the object and track without any additional setting change]
i. Terns
– many of them flying far and near with moderate speed but in any direction under the hot sun
– most of the focus can lock fast and continuous tracking the bird by the next 1-2 s as the tern fly out from the frame
– it is almost no fail to lock focus when the birds flying with blue/white sky and sea background which has enough contrast
– it is getting difficult to lock focus when a bird flies into the frame where the background is green
– this owl all of a sudden fly out from the small palm oil plantation- the focus lock fast but the tracking miss 50% intermittent as it is flying toward me fast and close (some of the focus frame lock on the wing but not the head).*** the tracking may able to improve by some AF setting. as the focus locking is fast enough to focus again after miss out of focus within 1-2s flying toward me seriesFujifilm X-T4, Fujifilm XF70300, TC 1.4x [434mm, ISO800 F.8.0 1/1250]
– This is a special case where this hornbill standing on a building wall. So make use of the continuous focus & tracking mode. Even the bird is near the tracking work since the bird begins flying until it missing into a tree.
– the moment happens just ~2s, while I am shooting 7fps. and the focus just miss 2 frame
– it is very difficult to capture swift picture due to normally they are flying fast, all different direction
– success rate is not very high due to the flying speed very fast and accelerates in any direction for feeding. But the camera and lens still able to lock the focus as long as my position is at the right position.
– due to the APS-C sensor size the lens design in a smaller size compared to an equivalent 35mm equivalent lens (100-400mm)
– the lens with X-T4 which is 607g (including battery and SD memory card)
– 1.4x TC
with such focal length 107mm to 457mm or (107mm to 457mm)x1.4 or x2)
look at the size
4. Minimum Focus Distance
– this lens can take a photo at a minimum focus distance of 0.83 which give magnification 0.33 think this is also good for some butterfly, big object macro
This is the world’s smallest squirrel—a must-see when exploring the lowland forests of Borneo! It’s not too rare and not too hard to find if you’re lucky. Almost the size of a small lizard:
Head-body length: up to 7.5 cm
Tail length: up to 5 cm
Weight: around 20 grams
Such a cute and tiny creature waiting to surprise you in the forest!
– a medium-sized tree squirrel, overall olive-brown and underpart red. Slight different form the Plantain squirrel which is lowland species and with an extra Black buff stripe on the flank
– Fraser Hill, Cameron Highland, Genting Highland Pahang, Malaysia
9. Red giant flying squirrel, 棕鼯鼠, 大鼯鼠, Petaurista petaurista
– common at lowland forest (RDC, DANUM etc)
– 在低海拔森林，蛮普通。
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update 202409
– a wonderful special extension for some mammals, we sight Thomas’s Flying Squirrel flying in day time at Danum Valley, follow by Black flying squirrel flying close toward us (yes just ~10m from us like hitting us … plus this common Red giant flying squirrel flying in close distance while ours dusk drive .. wow wow wow
Thomas’s Flying Squirrel is endemic to Borneo where it inhabits tall forest, both primary and secondary, in the lowlands and in mid-montane areas at elevations of up to 1600 metres.
Its fur is reddish-brown to dark brown, with no markings to speak of : it is this plain appearance which distinguishes it from other large flying squirrels, such as the Red Giant Flying Squirrel and Spotted Giant Flying Squirrel, both of which typically have black fur on some part of the body (e.g. face, feet, tip of the tail etc.).
In common with most other flying squirrels it is exclusively nocturnal. Its diet includes forest fruits, but little else is known of its ecology.
Within Borneo, this species has been documented in parts of Sabah (including Mount Kinabalu), Sarawak, Brunei and west and east Kalimantan. It appears to be absent in the southeast of the island. [https://www.ecologyasia.com/verts/mammals/thomas%27s-flying-squirrel.htm]
After witnessing the spectacular gliding display of the Red Giant Flying Squirrel, we encountered this Thomas’s Flying Squirrel up close—just about 10 feet away. It was calmly feeding on a small tree, completely unbothered by our presence.
