The Fujifilm X-T2: Perfect for Water Landscapes

18.08.2016

Written by... Bill Fortney

Bill Fortney is a photographer, writer, pilot, and highly sought after presenter with over

45 years of experience in-the-field. Bill has done professional work as a newspaper and magazine photojournalist, sports photographer, (once an official photographer for the Washington Redskins), medical photographer, and nature/landscape photographer. Bill’s best selling books include; The Nature of America (with David Middleton), American Vision (with David Middleton, John Shaw and Wayne Lynch), America From 500 Feet (with Wesley Fortney), Bill Fortney’s Great Photography Workshop. America From 500 Feet II (with Mark Kettenhofen). Bill’s books have sold well over 150,000 copies, placing him on the list of best selling photographer/authors in America. Bill has been named a Fellow by the North American Nature Photographers Association.

Bill currently teaches for KelbyOne and appears at Photoshop World as a speaker/teacher. Bill teaches His Light Workshops, a Christian based workshop company and for you can learn more about Bill, his workshops and view his work at www.billfortney.com Bill, and his wife Sherelene, live in Corbin, Kentucky, and have three grown children and 6 grandchildren.

As a landscape shooter, I may be best known for my water photography: streams, waterfalls, rivers, and on and on! The new FUJIFILM X-T2 is especially well suited because of several key features.
Before its release in July 2016, I had the chance to wring one out in the Great Smoky Mountains, and the experience solidified for me that the X-T2 is truly the professional nature photographer’s dream.

Here are my favorite features;

1) The wonderful new viewfinder of the X-T2 combined with distinct advantages of a mirrorless camera makes this kind of imaging a joy! When shooting long exposures for a silky rendition of moving water, you can see the effects of the polarizer and the tonal range in real time. While you can see that with a DSLR, you can’t see what the actual final file will look like as in the X-T2! The resolution and magnification of the new viewfinder allow even seeing the smallest subtleties of reflections and minute details.

2) I’ve fallen in love with the Exposure Compensation Dial – one of the greatest features of the FUJIFILM X Series cameras, especially the X-T2. I shoot in Aperture Priority Mode and use the Exposure Compensation Dial to get the exact exposure I need. With the in-viewfinder histogram, you can actually see your histogram scale and visually see if you are holding highlight detail as you actually dial in compensation. The dial has 1/3^rd stops of adjustment, so very precise exposures can be attained. The best news is the finished file is identical to what you saw while adjusting the exposure!

3) When doing water landscapes it is key to pick your focus point carefully and the new joystick allows very precise placement of the focusing point!

4) Capturing moving water can be challenging: you may be working in the rain or have spray from waterfalls. These conditions never worry me with the superior weather-resistance of the X-T2 and WR lenses! The XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR is my favorite for these kinds of photographic situations!

While I’m finding the X-T2 to be ideal for much of the kind of work I do, it is especially wonderful for landscape, nature and close-up work!
Bill Fortney – Fujifilm X-Photographer

Continue to read other stories by Bill Fortney:

#1 The One I’ve Always Wanted
#2 Perfect for Water Landscapes
#3 Tiny Landscapes