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
– 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
– Adobe Camera RAW 12.4, same recovery and other parameters for the same test
*** I found the Dynamic Range setting not just affect JPEG output, but also affects the data inside the RAW files. So testing also included DR100 (off), DR200 (suppose reserve highlight exposure 1 stop) & DR400 (suppose reserve highlight exposure 2 stop)
But check out the RAW files recovery result below !!! it is some magic that happens !!!
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1. Highlight Recovery Test
1A. Highlight Recovery Test: Dynamic Range setting
– make sure of in Camera setting to protect Highlight details
Even with the direct JPEG output, the highlight details have been protected (DR200 1 stop and DR400 2 stops). But let’s have a look at the RAW file recovery
LEFT: DR100
CENTER: DR200
RIGHT: DR400
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1B. Highlight Recovery Test: RAW files recovery
Test1: Highlight recovery from RAW files
– ISO1000, F5.6, 1/15 – this makes the picture +4 (4 stops overexpose)
– Adobe Camera Raw recovery. [Highlight -100%, Exposure -3.00]
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Test1Bi. Highlight recovery, DR100 (DR off)
– All setting same as mentioned above
– DR100
– LEFT: Direct JPEG from Camera
CENTER: RAW
RIGHT: recovery setting as above and save as JPEG
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Test1Bii. Highlight recovery, DR200
– All setting same as mentioned above
– DR200
– LEFT: Direct JPEG from Camera
CENTER: RAW
RIGHT: recovery setting as above and save as JPEG
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Test1Bii. Highlight recovery, DR400
– All setting same as mentioned above
– DR400
– LEFT: Direct JPEG from Camera
CENTER: RAW
RIGHT: recovery setting as above and save as JPEG
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Here’s come the magic of the RAW file and the Dynamic Range settings !!!!
– Look at the right face of the toy & background paper beg
– the DR400 not just protect highlight data in JPEG but in the RAW file, preserve more than what we expect (3 stops + 100% hight recovery)
DR400DR200DR100
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2. Shadow Recovery Test
– 5 stops underexpose
– ISO800, F5.6, 1/8000
– DR100, 200, 400
– below are JPEG direct output from Camera
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Test2A. Shadow recovery
Test1: Highlight recovery from RAW files
– ISO800, F5.6, 1/8000
– this makes the picture -5 (5 stops underexpose)
– Adobe Camera Raw recovery. [Exposure +5.00]
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As the discussion of Dynamic Range is to protect Highlight data of the pictures. But I still go ahead with my test with DR100, 200 & 400
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Test2Ai. Shadow recovery, DR100
Test2Ai. Shadow recovery, DR200
Test2Ai. Shadow recovery, DR400
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For the 5 stops Shadow recovery, most of the details of the focused object still intact.
But when we turn on the Dynamic Range (DR200 & 400) gives an impact on the RAW files. Something really weird where DR400 actually give negative impact which produces more color noise and purple tint when exposure recovery
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So we need 2 settings for Highlight & Shadow recovery
1. Highlight recovery: Highly recommend Turn on DR400
2. Shadow recovery: Highly recommended Turn of DR which is DR100
3. Purple-winged Roller, 紫翅佛法僧, Coracias temminckii,セレベスブッポウソウ, Tiong-lampu sulawesi
– a very beautiful bird, just like Malaysia Indochinese Roller but this with less vibrant colors and a “purple” wing-tail. Sulawesi endemic.
– 非常漂亮的佛法僧，非常害羞。蘇拉威西特有種。
update 202102
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51. Indian Roller, 印度佛法僧, 棕胸佛法僧, Coracias benghalensis, インドブッポウソウ
A brightly colored bird with various shades of blue on the wings, tails, and belly that are often more prominent in flight. Note the longitudinal white streaks on the throat and breast. Indochinese Roller has a purple-blue breast, a darker olive back, and is generally darker blue. Generally silent, but more vocal in breeding season with harsh calls. Prefers open areas, including agricultural landscapes, sitting on exposed perches including electric wires, occasionally pumping its tail slowly. Practically a resident roller with some movements in the western parts of its range. 【Ebird]
update 20231218
– wonderful moment to get close and stay long for us, it is so colorful
1. Greater Painted-Snipe, 彩鹬, 彩鷸, Rostratula benghalensis, タマシギ, MERAGI BIASA
– very beautiful bird
– abnormal breeding behavior where the male will taking care after lay egg
– very shy bird
update 202105
– casual lazy birding, driving around. but not a bad morning at all, found this pair of the lovely couple.
– male and female are also beautiful. the one focus is female
3. Mountain Tailorbird, 金头缝叶莺, 山縫葉鶯, Phyllergates cucullatus, PERENJAK-GUNUNG BIASA
– a named to be Tailorbird but not a truth Tailodbird. very active bird to be photograph
– 名为缝叶莺可是属
3. Mountain Tailorbird, 金头缝叶莺, 山縫葉鶯, Phyllergates cucullatus, PERENJAK-GUNUNG BIASA
– very active bird that named after Tailorbird but not actually a Scotocercidae
– bright yellow overall and rufous crown
– 非常活跃的鸟，被名为缝叶莺。可是属于树莺科。
update 202406
– very lucky day to have this bird come so close and long keep singing in-front of us.
– 没遇过这么乖的，这鸟在我们面前叫了好几分钟+很近。
202406, KNP, Sabah, Malaysia
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update 202402
– another bird that we seldom missed since pandemic “covid” (previously seem more shy). This bird just pop up when we trying to locate the partridge. Cute, small and fast
– “side effect” of the CANON RF200800, this bird small, fast and always in lowlight .. end up ISO20000 needed
– as usual very fast moving and tiny bird.but now with the AI camera CANON R7. so much easier with the animal eye detect. almost like point the lens to the bird and press shutter
Male is unmistakable, with black body, brown-edged wing coverts, and red-and-yellow bill with raised, spiky red frontal shield (unlike smaller moorhen). Females and immature are similarly large but speckled brown above with tan faces, and lack male’s frontal shield. (*EBird)
– very shy bird to be seen and photographed
– normally found near fresh water pond, stream etc
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– a shy big, normally the female and non-breeding overall brown. Wing with bars
– breeding male overall black, spiky red frontal shield, yellow-red bill, brown-edged wing coverts
– very lucky to have a few, not that shy bird allow us captured pictures and video
– male breeding is an overall black, red-yellow crown, yellow bill, brownish mark wing. female/juvi/male non-breeding is overall brownish and wing marking
202104, Sekinchan, Selangor, Malaysia (male)202104, Sekinchan, Selangor, Malaysia (male)202104, Sekinchan, Selangor, Malaysia (female)
update 202103
– a shy bird and lucky to have the male breeding plumage. ready to go home or ready to breed?
– 非常害羞的鸟。繁殖羽了。是为了回家还是繁殖？
202103, Selangor, Malaysia
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6. White-breasted Waterhen, 白胸苦恶鸟, 白胸苦惡鳥, Amaurornis phoenicurus, シロハラクイナ, RUAK-RUAK BIASA
– medium size, very common and widespread (urban, river, stream, pond, paddy-field etc)
– overall black upper and white underpart, red-yellow bill, white face
update 202105
Pulau Indah, Selangor, Malaysia
7. White-browed Crake, 白眉田鸡, 灰田雞, Amaurornis cinerea, マミジロクイナ, RUAK-RUAK KENING PUTIH
– medium size, common at fresh water pond, stream
– overall light brown, yellow-orange bill and obvious white-browed and black mask
update 202105
Dengkil, Selangor, Malaysia
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8. Red-legged Crake, 红腿斑秧鸡, 紅腿斑秧雞, Rallina fasciata, ナンヨウオオクイナ, SINTAR-MERAH KAKI API
– overall orange, the orange from head to chest. bellied are a black-white bar and red leg. smaller bill
Small, chickenlike inhabitant of marshes, vegetated river edges, ditches, wet croplands, sometimes dry fields. Brown above, with orange from lower cheek to lower breast. Similar to Band-bellied Crake, but more brightly colored and lacks white wing markings. (*Ebird)
Chestnut-tailed Minla, 斑喉希鶥, Actinodura strigula, ノドジマコバシチメドリ, Burung Rimba Ekor Perang
Blue-winged Minla,藍翅希鶥,Actinodura cyanouroptera, ルリハコバシチメドリ, Burung Rimba Murai Gunung
