Ornithologist and wildlife photographer Kiko Arcas discusses his preferred Fujinon lenses
In his work as a specialist bird photographer, Kiko Arcas works with very small, fast and nervous subjects. Accordingly, he needs to select lenses that can cope with this.
“Everything depends on the destination, the proximity of the animals and, above all, how I want to photograph them,” begins Kiko.
“When I can, I use a telephoto lens with a fixed focal length – largely because of the brightness afforded by a wider aperture, as I can get a faster shutter speed in low light, but also because of the improved sharpness,” he continues.
“When the focal length of my prime lens is not enough, I use a powerful zoom to get that extra reach.”
Choosing a focal length
“The factors that make me select a focal length are, firstly, the species I want to photograph; secondly, the size of that species; and, lastly, how I want to photograph it. That could be close-up, a medium image or a more open composition,” Kiko explains.
“In the case of small birds, since I usually photograph them at feeders or drinking troughs, the focal length I use most often is between 200mm and 400mm. If I want to photograph a more elusive species that won’t allow a good close-up, or simply because I am out and about with the camera on foot or in the car, the focal length will be between 400mm and 600mm.
“My first choice would definitely be the FUJINON XF200mmF2 R LM OIS WR with the XF1.4X TC WR Teleconverter, firstly because of the focal length and secondly because of the guaranteed excellent quality.
“Another option would be a medium zoom like the FUJINON XF70-300mmF4-5.6 R LM OIS WR or XF100-400mmF4.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR – but if I know I’m going to need something longer, without hesitation I would take the XF150-600mmF5.6-8 R LM OIS WR.
“In the end though, the decision to use one focal length or another will be based on what I want to photograph – and how I want to do it.”
Vital lens features for wildlife photography
Lenses are more than the sum of their focal lengths. For Kiko, someone who spends long days hiking in the wild, he needs to consider how well suited his equipment is to prolonged outdoor use.
“The fact these lenses are lightweight makes the whole effort more bearable,” he insists. “A few years ago, I wouldn’t have considered carrying so much equipment in my backpack.
“For years, I used another brand where the telephoto lens alone weighed 5.5kg – that is unthinkable for me today. I have to thank Fujifilm for making such powerful and light equipment.
“They have managed to find a balance between camera and lens that allows me to carry two camera bodies with battery grips (the FUJIFILM X-H2S and X-H2), the XF200mmF2, XF150-600mmF5.6-8, XF10-24mmF4 R OIS WR and XF18-55mmF2.8-4 R LM OIS in my backpack. And I’ve just added the FUJIFILM X100VI, which fits perfectly into the last available slot.”
Singling out the XF200mmF2 and XF150-600mmF5.6-8, Kiko praises their suitability for his work. “Both are weather-sealed, which allows me to work without fear of damage,” he notes. “Another fundamental characteristic is that both have stabilisation. This is a great help, as I can use very slow shutter speeds while working handheld.
“I must also mention the autofocus. Nowadays, it’s unthinkable to talk about wildlife photography and not have good AF in the camera – if it’s not fast, we are doomed to fail. Thanks to the X-H2S, whether I use the subject detection on birds or not, the AF works perfectly with these lenses and guarantees me results, which gives me a lot of security.”
Controlling camera shake at extreme focal lengths
The longer the focal length, the more consideration you need to give to stability and shutter speed, explains Kiko. “The way I compensate for shake at long focal lengths is by using a good tripod,” he remarks, “or if I’m working handheld, by activating image stabilisation on my camera so I can correct the shake.
“If I don’t have a tripod in a given moment, and I’m working in low light, I first try – with high ISOs and wider apertures – to find a sufficient speed so the subject doesn’t come out blurred. But if it’s not possible, the best option is to activate the stabilisation options.”
A good rule of thumb for shutter speeds? “I always try to work at a speed faster than the longest focal length of the lens – so if I’m zooming in to 600mm, I know I should set the shutter faster than 1/640 sec to avoid camera shake.
“An example I often use is that a lens with a long focal length is like a fishing rod: the longer the rod, the more trepidation there will be at the tip. Even if we think it doesn’t shake because we have a firm grip on it, if we look at the tip, it will be moving.
“In the case of a long telephoto, the same thing happens. We may think the pictures will come out sharp because we have the camera well gripped, but if we are using an inappropriately low speed, all that movement will be transferred to the lens, causing the pictures to come out with motion blur.”
The best lens for bird photography
For Kiko, the performance of one lens in particular makes it completely essential to his work.
“Although it has a shorter focal length – and given the difficulty in Europe to get close to wildlife – the XF200mmF2 is my first choice,” Kiko remarks. “Equivalent to a 300mmF2 in full-frame – or 420mmF2.8 if I use the XF1.4X Teleconverter that comes with the lens – it has more than enough reach to do the kind of photography I want to do.
“The sharpness is incredible, as it not only gives me extreme brightness, but also allows me to work at high shutter speeds late in the day when light is already low. Having such a bright lens is a great help, especially living in a region like Galicia where it rains a lot, and the sun is conspicuous in its absence during the winter months.
“Additionally, I mostly work in forests where the level of light decreases even if there are no leaves on the trees. When you work with small forest birds that are extremely nervous and restless, it is a problem you can only solve with a lens of this type.
“Someone like me, who is a composition-orientated photographer, doesn’t need extremely long focal lengths or to cover the whole frame with the subject – that’s why the XF200mmF2 is my favourite lens.
“Of course, if I were to photograph snow leopards in Nepal tomorrow, I would need all the millimetres possible. In that case, we’re talking about a different kind of photography. But the XF200mmF2 best suits my workflow.”
Kiko urges his fellow image makers to approach lens selection as artists, not merely to relegate it to a question of numbers.
“Whatever the situation, nature photographers always want more and more millimetres. But at some point, we have to stop and decide what we really need in our daily work,” he concludes. “For me, extreme focal lengths are not a priority – my photography isn’t based on close-ups, but on more open compositions.”
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