The One I’ve Always Wanted by Bill Fortney

14.07.2016

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 Fujifilm X-Photographer and dedicated fan of the Fujifilm X Series System, I had a feeling that something new was coming! The X-T1 was a terrific camera, one that has served me very well for the past few years, but when I experienced an early prototype of the X-Pro2, I started wishing and praying the X-T2 would have those fantastic improvements if and when it arrived. For just a minute, let’s pretend (I love to pretend, so let’s pretend) that Fujifilm called me and said, “Bill, what would you like to have in the new X-T2?” Well, when I got the chance to shoot an early prototype of the X-T2, I realized just how innovative and talented those folks at Fujifilm really are: it’s as if the X Series engineers could read my mind!

Fujifilm doesn’t make life very easy for us, choosing between the already incredible X-Pro2 and the now newly released X-T2. The new X-T2 is the perfect option for people like me that do a number of different kinds of photography: nature/landscape, wildlife, travel, close-ups and Americana. The newly developed viewfinder in the X-T2 is the best electronic viewfinder of any Fujifilm camera so far – and that’s saying a lot! With increased magnification and resolution, the X-T2 is a pleasure to see the world through – and with that viewfinder, it’s a beautiful world.

One of the new features that is especially valuable for capturing a variety of moods in landscape photography is the new ACROS Black and White film simulation. I shoot in jpeg file mode and shoot Velvia, Provia and Acros as my three film simulations. When studying a landscape’s potential, I need the three options for capturing the best scene in the most effective way. The X-T2 is wonderful in how easy it makes it for me to do just that: this camera is the perfect instrument for all landscape photographers.

The newly developed X-Trans CMOS III sensor gives a great boost in resolution with its 24.3 megapixels. It has gorgeous gradation and maintains superb low noise performance as the previous X-T1 sensor, actually even around a stop better!

Another sheer joy on the X-T2 is the placement and action of the buttons and dials, all making the use of the camera sleekly enhanced. The new joystick is a great improvement for moving the focus points and one improvement I can’t live without now that I’ve experienced it.

Hey, all this is wonderful but the bottom line for any camera is the image quality and the new X-T2 delivers in spades! Team the new X-T2 with those incredible FUJINON XF lenses and the results are simply amazing.
Once again, Fujifilm has delivered up a fantastic tool for us to go out into this beautiful world and capture it all!
Bill Fortney