10.02.2021 Kiko Arcas

FUJINON XF70-300mmF4-5.6 R LM OIS WR Impression

Kiko Arcas

Vigo, 1975

I am a photographer from Vigo and I have been passionate about birds for more than thirty years. I have dedicated my time to be a scientific bander, to collaborate in ornithology courses for the University of Vigo, I have carried out several scientific works on the ecology of species such as the Lesser sandpiper or the Red-backed shrike and all this together with my brother José Arcas, doctor in biology and artist of Nature.

My photographs have appeared in several books and publications such as El Río de la Vida, Fotografiando Aves, Ptaki Otop, Visión Salvaje, Guía de las Especies Marinas de Canarias, etc.

I am currently a collaborating photographer for the prestigious nature documentary production company IntoTheWildProductions, and I give wildlife photography workshops for the travel and nature tourism agencies Somiedo Experience and GoThombi. For some years now I have had a very special relationship with FUJIFILM SPAIN where I give talks, write articles or test new equipment before it is released on the market. Some of my talks have been at the Delta Birding Festival, Urdaibai Bird Center or Feria Internacional de Turismo Ornitológico de Extremadura among others.

As well as being an ambassador for Fujifilm, I am also lucky enough to represent the prestigious Dutch brand of photographic hides for wildlife ButeoPhotoGear and clothing for photographers StealthGear.
In the years that I have been a photographer some of my photographs have been awarded in prestigious national and international competitions:

  • Montbarbat 2003 and 2005. finalist and fourth prize respectively.
  • Ateneo Ferrolán 2008 First prize.
  • Cíes Islands National Park 2009 First prize.
  • BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2010. Finalist.
  • Montphoto 2011 Second prize.
  • Glanzlichter 2011 Honourable mention.
  • Narava 2012 Finalist.
  • Festival de l’Oiseau et de la Nature 2015 Finalist.
  • Festival de lÓiseaux et de la Nature 2020 Finalist
  • FIO 2020 Finalist
  • Bird Photographer of the Year 2020 2nd Prize in the Man and Nature category.

I am currently involved with my friend and X-Photographer of Nature, Javier Ramos, in the Boreal Wings project with Fujifilm Spain. We are documenting bird life in the Norwegian Arctic as well as testing Fujifilm equipment under harsh weather conditions.

Since I started working with Fujifilm equipment three years ago, until today, I have had a lot of different equipment in my hands, starting with the X-T2, a camera that I fell in love with for its aesthetics and functionality, to my current equipment consisting of the X-T4 as first body, X-S10 and X-H1. I will always highlight the factors that are fundamental for me in Fujifilm equipment; colour, sharpness of the lenses, weight and finally camera-optics balance.

As for the Fujinon lenses that I use the most in my field work, they are, first of all, the new Fujinon XF200mm F2 LM OIR WR that together with the 1.4x teleconverter make it an indispensable tool for me. In addition to this telephoto lens, in my backpack I can’t miss the versatile Fujinon XF100-400mm 4.5-5.6 R LM OIR WR .

As for wide angle lenses I use the Fujinon 16mm 1.4, the Fujinon 10-24mm 2.8-4 and of course the Fujinon 80mm F2.8 Macro.

The arrival of a new addition to the already extensive range of Fujinon lenses is a cause for celebration. The new FUJINON XF70-300mmF4-5.6 R LM OIS WR, is a small, compact and extremely versatile zoom lens that will delight any photographer just starting out in the fascinating field of nature photography, whether their speciality is wildlife, landscape or macro photography, or other disciplines such as social-documentary, street photography, etc. Advanced and professional photographers looking to add a medium zoom lens to their kit will find that this lens, with its various focal lengths, will greatly expand their potential to take great shots and increase their composition options.

Crested Tit (Lophophanes cristatus) 1/140, F8, ISO1600, zoom 300mm + 1.4x

QUALITY BUILD

It boasts an attractive design and excellent build quality, as is the custom with this brand. It has a metallic body and mounting ring, a lightweight, compact design and is exceptionally well weather-sealed to withstand the most adverse conditions (rain, dust, etc.). It is also image stabilized with an EV of up to 5.5. It also comes with a zoom lens lock, another plus, as it prevents the barrel of the lens from extending and accidentally knocking against other objects when carried over the shoulder, and it also prevents zoom creeping when working at the shortest focal length (70mm). This lightweight lens is ideal for taking on trips into the countryside, camera in hand, allowing the photographer to work swiftly and with complete confidence.

When using with the X-T4, X-T3 or the new X-S10 camera, a focal length of 140-450mm F4-5.6 can be obtained, since, as we know, these are APSC format cameras, which expand the focal length of the lens by 1.5x. If we combine it with a 1.4x teleconverter, the focal length can be extended even further, to a not inconsiderable 196-630mm f/8. This is without considering the crop factor that is available on the X-T3 and X-T4 cameras in their sport finder mode, which will expand our focal range by 1.25x, to obtain a maximum focal length of 800mm.

Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major) 1/110, F4.5, ISO1600, zoom at 97mm

Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major), 1/60, F5.6, ISO 1600, zoom 300mm

Field Trial

As you can see in the photos in this article, the superb quality of this new lens can be appreciated when working at any of its focal lengths. It picks out the vivid details at both its shortest focal distance and at its maximum zoom of 300mm. The autofocus function is fast, accurate and instantaneous. With respect to the mechanical parts, the zoom action is exceptionally smooth, allowing you to zoom in and out gradually and to turn the zoom ring confidently. One of its outstanding features is undoubtedly the excellent quality of the bokeh it produces, resulting in images of extraordinary quality that will satisfy professional photographers and fastidious amateurs alike. 

Blue Tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) 1/140, F7.1, ISO 1600, zoom 300mm

Little Grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis) 1/4000, F 7.1, ISO1000, zoom 300mm

When using longer focal lengths (300, 400 and 500mm) in wildlife photography, particularly when capturing birds, our aim is to achieve a soft, out-of-focus background so that our focal point stands out sharply. This can only be carried off with a lens that produces a bokeh that is up to the task, and I believe that the new FUJINON XF70-300mmF4-5.6 R LM OIS WR more than meets this challenge.

European Greenfinches (Carduelis chloris). 1/550, f5.6, ISO 1600, zoom 300mm

European Robin (Erithacus rubecula) 1/240, F5.6, ISO 1250, zoom 300mm

MACRO PHOTOGRAPHY

In addition to the longer focal lengths, used in wildlife and landscape photography, the lens also offers the possibility of taking macro images at a minimum distance of 80cm. The results are excellent; the images have a great bokeh with no loss of sharpness, thus enabling the photographer to produce a wide range of appealing shots. Trips into the field will be a much more all-round experience and will generate a wide variety of images to take home (a small bird on a branch, a flower, a spider’s web bathed in the morning dew, and perhaps even a fox bounding across a field).

Spider’s Web 1/680, F8, ISO 500, zoom 300mm, OIS activated, freehand

Oak leaves. 1/180, F11, ISO 400, zoom 300mm, OIS activated, freehand

Fly Agaric (Amanita muscaria) 1/38, F5.6, ISO1600, zoom 300mm, OIS activated, freehand

The possibilities are endless with this new zoom lens. The only limit is your imagination.