New Fujifilm XF 10-24 f4 OIS WR Review

As a Travel & Landscape photographer, with a preference for the versatility of zoom lenses, the XF10-24 f4 is one of my most used and favourite lenses.

Launched in 2013, I bought my copy in 2014 and it’s served me really well ever since. Its relatively light weight, constant f4 aperture and performance has never caused me to question its inclusion in my bag. Therefore, although no spring chicken, it was slightly surprising to hear that Fujifilm was upgrading the lens with some welcome improvements.

 I am grateful to Fujifilm UK for loaning me a pre-production model so I could put it through its paces and compare to the original model.

 Before I go through the improvements I’ll explain what is unchanged from version 1.

The 10-24mm focal length, equivalent to 15-36 in the 35mm format, remains an ideal focal range for a super wide angle. The fairly fast aperture of f4 is retained throughout the focal range which means the lens is a perfect size and weight.

LEFT XF10-24 f4 OIS WR (NEW VERSION) | RIGHT XF10-24 f4 OIS

Whilst the “red badge” XF8-16 f2.8 is a stunning lens optically and weather resistant, it is much larger, heavier and cannot accommodate a standard filter system which makes it a no no for landscape and long exposure photography. So, for many, the XF10-24 is the super-wide solution.

Fujifilm have confirmed that, optically, the new lens remains unchanged which for most is acceptable as the original has been a popular, well performing lens. However, I can’t help thinking that Fujifilm has missed a trick to further improve, see my wish list below.

 So, what are the improvements? The first, and most welcome to Landscape photographers, is the addition of WR to the nomenclature. This lens is now weather (dust and moisture) resistant and can operate to minus 10 degrees.

Pairing with an XT3 or XT4 makes it a great weather resistant combination. I can confirm from personal experience that the WR really works after my XT4 and original XF10-24 went for a swim in a stream I was photographing! Whilst the XT4 was pulled out and continued to perform faultlessly, the lens my original XF10-24 produced some lovely misty looking images! A night in the airing cupboard and a check over by Dr Fuji confirmed everything was well but maybe there was a message in that experience. Something or someone telling me you need to upgrade!

Another improvement is the f stop scale on the aperture ring allowing a visual check of the aperture selected without the need to check the EVF or LCD screen. An Auto lock button replaces the switch on the previous model.

 But there are other improvements too. The Optical Image Stabilisation has been improved by 1 stop to -3.5 EV and when combined with XT4 this improves to -6.5 stops – pretty impressive.

 The Auto Focus system has also been improved by using light weight focusing elements and as a result the AF is fast and near silent.

 Finally, the lens is a tad lighter by 25g coming in at 385g. The filter thread remains the same at 72mm.

 I found the lens very pleasant to use and I much preferred having the scale on the aperture ring. It felt smoother than my old lens but perhaps that’s psychological. The images produced were sharp, with good contrast levels and the usual great Fujifilm colour. In fact, although Fujifilm claim there is no difference optically, I found the new version to be sharper, especially in the corners from f4 to f8, though this might just be down to my lens.

 Of course, we wouldn’t be human if we didn’t have a few niggling I wish’s and I have three.

I must admit to being slightly surprised that there were no optical improvements to the lens. Don’t get me wrong it is already a very good performer but the optics are 7 years old and with advances in sensor technology since then I feel that a tweak might have been in order.

One area where I have found the lens, or should I say my copy, to struggle is with flare. As I shoot a lot at sunrise and sunset, often shooting directly into the sun, my lens sometimes suffers flare, improvements in this area would have been appreciated.

My final wish would have been for the design of the lens to have been tweaked to avoid the problem that in certain lighting, the white writing on the lens bezel reflects back off filters and appears on the image. I know this is a bug bear with other photographers and it has been reported back to Fujifilm. Fortunately, there is a workaround either writing over the words with a Sharpie or, as I have done, covering up the writing with black electrical tape – an inelegant but practical solution.

 So, overall it appears that Fujifilm have done a very good job with the upgrade with some tangible improvements. I’d say if you would benefit from weather resistance or find the lack of aperture markings an issue, then it’s definitely worth the upgrade. But if that’s not important then stick with version 1. If you’ve hankered after a super wide but are a little more budget conscious then look on the used sites because there are bound to be some bargains – in fact I already know of one that’s about to go on sale ….!

Either way it’s a great lens and highly recommended.

Top Tips for using the XF10-24

• Compose with care. The key with landscapes is to find some foreground interest. Foreground objects will look much bigger when shot close up on an ultra-wide lens so use this technique to fill the frame and create impact.

• Watch out for distortion from converging verticals, try and keep the camera level in both axis. Sometimes this is not possible so my workaround is to shoot slightly wider then correct the convergence in post processing.

• The flipside is to use the distorted perspective to your advantage creating images full of impact.

• Try different perspectives. A low perspective can bring a more dynamic feel to the image. The flip out screen on your camera really helps to fine tune the composition.

• Move closer : our eyes have a focal length of around 43mm so when we use an ultra-wide angle lens distant objects seem further away and smaller in the frame so if you can move closer to fill the frame it will help.

• Take care when using Polarising filters. Because of the extreme wide angle of view blue skies can get polarised differently across the frame creating dark spots, which can be difficult to correct in post. The best advice is not to use these filters at the shorter focal lengths.

• This lens is great for environmental portraits, though take care not to get too close to their face, they won’t thank you for the distortion!

• Avoid using the lens for shooting Panorama’s at the shorter focal lengths due to the distortion. You are better to shoot vertically at the longer focal lengths.

• When shooting into the sun remove filters and keep the front element spotlessly clean to avoid lens flare.

ALL LANDSCAPE IMAGES SHOT ON FUJINON XF10-24 f4 OIS WR

www.chrisuptonphotography.com

How to Shoot Better Summer Landscapes

Here is a link to a blog I wrote for Fujifilm with lots of hints & tips to help you take better Summer Landscape photographs

SAAL PHOTO BOOK REVIEW

Digital photography has many benefits but one of the pitfalls is that most of the photos taken today do not leave the digital spaces and social media and websites can never show off our images in the best way.

There really is no substitute for a book to present a selection of our favourite images or to provide a record of a special event. So, when I was approached recently by Saal Books to try their Professional Line Photobooks with the incentive of a voucher for £100 I decided to try them out.

Software

In order to create your book you need to download the Saal Digital Design software from their website. The download process was quick and very straightforward and within a few minutes you are ready to start creating your photobook.

 As with all photo books it’s best to prepare your images outside of the book software and then import. I used Lightroom to do this and was impressed with the soft proofing option from Saal where I downloaded the ICC profile for my chosen paper which replicates the way your pictures will look when printed allowing me to fine tune the image settings.

 Once you have prepared your images, I used Lightroom, you can lay out your pictures choosing between an Auto Layout which automatically positions your pictures across the pages or Custom where you do it manually. I chose the Custom option and whilst it sounded daunting it was actually pretty straightforward with its drag and drop function. You can add or remove pages, edit and save your project so you can work on it again whenever you want. The only thing I would have liked was a centre guide on the page, you can select a grid overlay but a simple horizontal and vertical alignment guide would have been useful. Note, you can, if you wish, include an image on the inside front and back covers but I chose not to do that but you will get a warning telling you that you have unused pages.

When you are happy with the results you can place your order and pay, which is a very quick process.

Product Specification

There are various options to choose such as cover and paper type but these can be changed at any stage. However you do need to settle on a book size. There are a number of options including portrait, landscape and square books in different sizes and I chose a 30 x 21 cm Landscape version. I would have preferred a slightly larger size but the size up from this was too big. For the cover I chose acrylic and black leather which sounded intriguing and rather upmarket. The professional line of books are layflat which means that you can spread an image across two pages without having the normal binding in the middle.

Paper choices included Gloss, Matte or High End Matte which is more of an art paper. I chose standard Matte (actually Fuji Crystal Archive paper), though I would describe it as a lustre finish which is actually what I wanted. You can choose to have a gift box for an extra £45 which would be great for a wedding album but I didn’t select this option.

Product Quality

In short the quality was absolutely stunning. Despite some initial reservations about choosing an acrylic cover it looked fabulous. The leather on the binding and back cover give this book a premium quality feel. The paper is heavyweight, since the pages are glued back to back giving a 368gm thickness, and the lustre finish (they call it matte) was perfect. The printing was also excellent with great colour and contrast which other manufacturers can often struggle with. I must admit to being rather sceptical about the layflat concept thinking that it wouldn’t look as good as it sounded. But when I turned the page and saw it for real it looked fabulous, very impactful.

Customer Service & Delivery

I was very impressed with the communication from Saal. I had one or two issues, my fault, which were quickly dealt with. There are some very good help videos on their website and there is chat function available should you need it. My book arrived from Germany delivered by DHL well packaged within about a week, great service.

Overall

I have created several photo books previously but this is definitely the best one, though it was the Professional line with a price to match. That said there is a difference between expensive and value for money and if you’re looking to produce a book for a special event or to showcase your portfolio images then it is definitely worth it. Hand made with high quality products, excellent print quality and efficient customer service I have no hesitation in giving Saal a Highly Recommended rating.

 My book was a 30 x 21cm, Professional Line lay flat book. 74 pages Matte paper with an acrylic and leather cover. The full price, excluding my voucher and postage (£4.99), was £128

PHOTOGRAPHY NEWS INTERVIEW

Let’s start at the beginning. Can you briefly say who you are and what’s your day job please?

I am a professional photographer, based in Nottinghamshire, specialising in Travel, Landscape and Social Documentary photography. I’m an Associate of the Royal Photographic Society and proud to be a Fujifilm X-Series Photographer.

You are known for your landscape and travel photography, how did you start out?

My love of photography started in my teens when I used the camera to record walking and climbing trips to the Peak District and Lake District. As my knowledge developed and results improved, I walked less and photographed more. Joining a camera club and the shift to digital was a pivotal moment in my photographic journey.

You're a Fujifilm X-photographer so we can safely assume you use Fujifilm camera kit. So, what do you take out with you when you go shooting?

I use a variety of cameras including the XT3, XH1 and the tiny XE3 which I use with the wonderful f2 prime lenses.

My workhorse lens is the Fujifilm XF16-55 f2.8, equivalent to a 24-70 full frame. My other “red badge” lens is the Fujifilm XF 50-140 f2.8. These lenses are so good with their fast apertures, robust build, weather resistance and stunning image quality. The excellent XF10-24 makes up the “holy trinity” of lenses that I normally work with.

What appealed to you about the Fujifilm X-system in the first instance?

I loved the compact style and retro design, the lighter weight and build quality. But it’s the intuitive, user-friendly interface that makes these cameras such a joy to use with all the main features and controls available on the outside of the camera without the need to dive into menu’s. Ultimately though it’s the wonderful image quality with the almost filmic feel that just makes me want to take pictures.

Our readers will be keen to know about your camera set-up? So, for example, which exposure mode, focus setting, ISO speed and so on do you use?

This varies depending on whether I’m shooting using a tripod or hand holding. With a tripod, I’ll use the native ISO for best file quality, and use either aperture priority mode or manual. I use multi metering 95% of the time otherwise it’s spot metering and single point AF or manual using the focus peaking with my highlights set to red. For handholding, it’s auto ISO so I can select the appropriate shutter speed to capture movement and aperture to give me the required depth of field, safe in the knowledge that the ISO will take care of the rest of the exposure.

You primarily use Fujifilm X-series cameras and of course they are capable of excellent image quality, but is shooting with Fujifilm GFX medium-format cameras an option you’ve considered?

I’ve used both the GFX50S and 50R, they handle really well and the image quality is stunning and I have considered switching from my X system. However, choice of gear is based on a number of factors including the way you shoot. The X System offers me image quality to produce large prints, the range of lenses that I need and is relatively small, portable and light which is very important for my travel photography. A tough one perhaps and I’m not saying never but just not at the moment.

A Desert Island discs-type question, if you had to pick only one camera/lens combination, what would you choose and why?

That vote goes to the XH1 and XF16-55 f2.8 as these two work together superbly. The lens with its versatile 24-83mm full frame equivalent focal length, has a fast f2.8 aperture throughout the focal range, is weather resistant, robust and delivers superb image quality. Although not image stabilised, when paired with the XH1 with its 5 axis, 5.5 stops IBIS I can now hand hold down to ¼ second. The XH1 has a comfortable and practical grip which balances really well with the XF16-55, it’s very well built, and features a beautiful quiet, soft shutter.

What’s your favourite photograph from your own archive and why?

It’s an image I took at Zabriskie Point, Death Valley. I was there just after dawn and was shooting the patterns and folds in the rocks when a group of walkers appeared on a ridge. Some continued their walk into the valley leaving these two to give the image some scale and context. I composed to exclude the sky and the valley to give the impression of an unending landscape, took four shots and they were gone too. It was a magical moment in an awesome environment that I’ll never forget, which I guess sums up photography perfectly.

Which photographer inspires you most?

This is really difficult as I shoot different genres and different styles. Charlie Waite was an early inspiration, I love his natural style and sublime compositions. Elia Locardi, Richard Bernabe and Steve McCurry are among my favourite travel photographers whilst Art Wolfe’s images combine the best of nature and travel with fine art. I just think it’s important to open your eyes to the world out there and draw inspiration from as many sources as possible.

A lot of landscape photographers shoot very early and/or very late on the day so I guess you’re similar. What do you get up to in the middle of the day when the sun is high in the sky, or do you find things to shoot despite the harsh light?

Yes definitely, I prefer to shoot at either end of the day but that doesn’t mean you can’t photograph in the middle of the day depending on the season and weather conditions. In the autumn and winter the sun never rises too high so you can get beautiful low raking light throughout the day. Overcast lighting is excellent for woodland and streams but if it’s really bright and harsh I would use some time to scout new locations or have a rest before going out for golden hour and sunset.

Are you a big user of camera filters? If so, which is the one you use most?

Filters are an important part of my kit though my use of them has changed over the past year or so. A Polarising filter is invaluable because you can’t replicate it’s results in post processing. I love my Neutral Density filters to bring some creativity to my images through slowing the shutter speed but I use Neutral Density Graduated filters a lot less than I used to. Whilst there’s a lot to be said for the convenience of getting it right in camera I find that bracketing and blending in post processing can get me more pleasing and better images.

What one location/country do you aspire to go to but haven't managed yet?

I’d love to visit Vietnam. It has such a rich history and culture, the architecture and natural beauty look fabulous but I like nothing more than getting in amongst the people experiencing and recording daily life in the streets, markets and homes.

Do you have a final tip for our readers on how they can improve their own photography?

Very simply get to know your camera and shoot more. Most people typically don’t use all the functions on their cameras either because they didn’t know they were there or don’t understand them. Now is a great time to sit down with your camera and the manual and go through all those features until changing the main controls and settings becomes second nature. It’s only by shooting pictures, assessing them and correcting the mistakes that your pictures will improve and you’ll become a better photographer.

How are you coping with the country’s current lockdown situation? Obviously, you can't go anywhere so how are you keeping yourself occupied?

It’s a really difficult time for everyone, we are all impacted in some way and I have had to postpone many of my Tours & Workshops for this year. That said I believe that out of every crisis there are opportunities so I’ve been using the time to edit images, improve my processing skills and update my website. However, the biggest positive has been the opportunity to continue with my camera club talks using Zoom and to help other photographers improve their knowledge and skills through my Online Learning Programmes. It’s been great to “meet” new audiences that previously would have been limited by geography.

If any club would like a talk or if anyone would like help to move their photography forward details are on my website www.chrisuptonphotography.com

FUJIFUND APPEAL

I am delighted to be involved in the Fujifund, a fundraising campaign to support two charities, one global (Love the One) and one in the UK (The Trussell Trust).

At this difficult time people in the UK and around the world are not only directly affected by the Coronavirus but also its effects on the wider economy which are impacting their daily lives.

There are two elements to the appeal, direct donations and through an auction of fabulous prints from 16 of Fujifilm’s X Photographers from around the world.

Your support is greatly appreciated.

See the website for full details.