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Mirrorless News

Photographing New Zealand Tip-to-Tip

20/03/2019 By Heather

By Thomas Stirr

Travelling around New Zealand with a camera in hand can be a surreal experience. It is hard to believe that so much beauty and variety can be packed into two relatively small islands. This article shares a selection of images captured during some of our travels to New Zealand over the past few years.

new zealand nikon 1

While technically not the most northern point on the North Island of New Zealand, Cape Reinga is the farthest north that a regular tourist can visit. The area has a sub-tropical climate and beautiful sea views.

Ninety Mile Beach stretches from Ahipara to Scott Point. It is officially classified as a highway, but is only suitable for 4-wheel drive vehicles. Rental car companies typically do not allow their vehicles on Ninety Mile Beach.

Paihia is a quaint small town located across a bay from Russell. It is a great place to spend a few days to unwind, explore the scenery and learn about the history of the area.

There are various cruises available from these towns that treat participants to view of the Bay of Islands and the opportunity to photograph a number of species of dolphins.

South of Auckland and across the Firth of Thames you’ll find the rugged Coromandel Peninsula. There are forest trails to explore, beautiful beach scenes to photograph, and even an opportunity to dig your own pool on Hot Water Beach. The Seven Stairs to Heaven cascading waterfall is also found on the Coromandel Peninsula.

As you head south on the east coast of the Coromandel Peninsula you’ll find the town of Tairua. Boating and fishing are popular pastimes in the area, and there are numerous sea birds to photograph.

Some of the scenery at Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland is jaw dropping. You’ll find many of the trees resplendent in bright orange hues. This is caused by trentepohlia.

A drive on the Whangaehu Valley Road will reveal breathtaking views of the green, rolling hills for which New Zealand is famous.

No journey to the North Island of New Zealand would be complete without a visit to the Hobbiton Movie Set Tour. Even if you are not a fan of the movies you’ll find many photographic opportunities and learn interesting facts about the filming of the movies while on the tour.

Folks who love garden and flower photography will appreciate the diversity and beauty found at Hamilton Gardens. There are 24 garden areas to explore.

The South Island of New Zealand is far less populated than the North Island, but offers a treasure trove of locations to explore with your camera in hand. A hike out to the rocks at Castle Hill will reveal some dramatic landscape opportunities.

The beautiful Huangshi Chinese Gardens are found in the city of Nelson. It is a wonderful place to visit to photograph the quiet beauty of the gardens.

The roads in the Wanaka area offer stunning views of rugged hillsides and steep valleys. The area is popular with motorcyclists.

The town of Te Anau has its own beauty with lovely lake front views. It is also a good location from which to explore the rugged terrain on the southern portion of the South Island.

Driving through the Lindis Valley will reveal some truly spectacular vistas as you drive along the many twists and turns.

With some luck you’ll be able to photograph some Hooker’s Sea Lions along the southern coast of the South Island. These are the most endangered sea lions in the world and can sometimes be spotted at Surat Bay and at Waipapa Point.

The town of Kaikoura was hit by a major earthquake in November 2016. Parts of State Highway 1 are still under reconstruction, but there is good access to the town. You’ll find stunning sea views and some of the best whale watching in New Zealand.

Along the coast between Christchurch and Dunedin you’ll find the Moeraki Boulders strewn along Koekohe Beach. Ongoing beach erosion reveals additional boulders from the sedimentary layers.

If you want to experience the highest mountains in New Zealand, a visit to Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park is in order. Numerous hiking trails thread throughout the park.

The most southern part of the South Island of New Zealand is Slope Point. This coastline is continually battered by high winds which have permanently bent and twisted many of the trees in the area.

New Zealand is a diverse and spectacular country to photograph. If you’d like to learn more about photographing various sites in New Zealand you may have an interest in our eBook, New Zealand Tip-to-Tip.

https://tomstirrphotography.com/new-zealand-tip-to-tip

Article Copyright 2019 Thomas Stirr. Images are Copyright 2016 and 2018 Thomas Stirr. All rights reserved. No use, adaptation or reproduction of any kind is allowed without written consent. Mirrorlessons.com is the only approved user of this article. If you see it reproduced anywhere else it is an unauthorized and illegal use.

Filed Under: Mirrorless News

Fujifilm X-T30 Hands-On Review

10/03/2019 By Mathieu

The X-T30 is the third-generation model in Fujifilm’s mid-range selection.

One characteristic that makes this specific line-up popular is that despite the affordable price tag, the image quality and performance are on par with the flagship models.

We had the chance to play with a pre-production sample of this new APS-C camera. You can find our first impressions in the video below.


Ethics statement: We tested a pre-production X-T30 sample at a press event in London. Within the article, there are affiliate links. If you buy something after clicking one of these links, we will receive a small commission. To know more about our ethics, you can visit our full disclosure page. Thank you!


Video Review

Correction note: in the video below, at minute 2:55, I report that the camera has a remote input and that the USB-C port can be used to plug a microphone or headphone via an adapter.

That statement is incorrect: the 2.5mm remote input also serves as a microphone connection (you’ll need a 2.5mm to 3.5mm adapter in most cases) whereas the USB-C port can be used with a headphone (using an analog adapter).


Main Specs

  • Sensor: 26.1 MP APS-C X-Trans IV CMOS
  • Lens system: X-mount
  • Weatherproof: None
  • Internal Stabilisation: None
  • Autofocus: Hybrid with up to 425 points (7×13 and 17×25 grids selectable)
  • Continuous shooting: 8 fps, or up to 30fps with electronic shutter (AF-S and AF-C)
  • ISO Sensitivity: 160 – 12800 ISO (pull 80, push up to 51200)
  • Shutter Speeds: 1/4000 to 30 seconds, 1/32000s with electronic shutter
  • Viewfinder: 0.39in OLED with 2,360k dots, approx. 100% FOV coverage, 17.5mm eyepoint, 0.62x magnification and 100fps refresh rate
  • Rear monitor: tilting 3″ LCD (1.04M dots)
  • Movie recording: 4K up to 30fps, Full HD up to 120fps
  • Built-in Flash: Yes
  • Extra Features: WiFi, Bluetooth, Pre-Shot, Panorama, Timelapse, Bracketing, Multiple exposure, Advanced filters
  • Dimensions: 118.4 x 82.8 x 46.8 mm
  • Weight: 383g (including battery and memory card)

Highlights

  • Same sensor and processor as the Fujifilm X-T3
  • Same 4K video quality as the X-T3 (no sensor crop, full pixel readout) minus the internal 10-bit recording. 10-bit 4:2:2 is possible via the HDMI output. Video is limited to 10min/clip in 4K, 15min/clip in 1080p
  • High Frame Rate mode up to 120fps in Full HD
  • Up to 20fps, or 30fps with a 1.25x crop with live view and no blackouts when using the electronic shutter
  • New AF algorithm with improved Face and Eye tracking
  • Same compact dimensions as the X-T20
  • Most reactive touch screen to date among Fujifilm cameras
  • Thinner LCD screen
  • Same viewfinder as X-T20, but with a brighter panel and faster refresh rate (100Hz with boost mode)
  • New charcoal color in addition to black and silver

Our Verdict

The X-T30 carries on the tradition of packing the same image quality and performance as the more advanced products into a smaller, lighter and less expensive package.

I don’t see why the X-T30 shouldn’t become as popular as its predecessor. You get excellent 4K video quality, better touch screen capabilities, an improved autofocus algorithm with better face and eye tracking, and fast continuous shooting speeds with no blackouts.

Could Fujifilm have done more with it? Well, perhaps the possibility to flip the screen out 180 degrees would have been a positive option for V-Loggers, and the 10 minute limitation per clip in 4K could have been lifted. Also, if you plan to get this camera for video, you’ll certainly need some spare batteries and some stabilised lenses.

These small considerations aside, there’s no question the X-T30 is a powerful mirrorless camera.

Filed Under: Mirrorless News

The New Nikon Mirrorless Full Frame Camera: What we’d like to see

25/07/2018 By Mathieu

Nikon made official what we’ve suspected for some time now: a full-frame FX-format mirrorless camera is indeed in the works. The official launch date has yet to be revealed, but it is reasonable to expect it in time for Photokina 2018 or if rumours are correct, sometime close to the end of August.

[Read more…] about The New Nikon Mirrorless Full Frame Camera: What we’d like to see

Filed Under: Mirrorless Musings, Mirrorless News

Thomas Stirr’s Nikon 1 eBook Announced!

18/01/2018 By Heather

I’ve been shooting with the Nikon 1 system exclusively for the past two and a half years for both my client video work and my personal photography. It just seemed like a natural progression to write an eBook about my journey with this small, capable system.

[Read more…] about Thomas Stirr’s Nikon 1 eBook Announced!

Filed Under: Mirrorless News

5DayDeal – The Complete Photography Bundle 2016 – Save 96% on photography resources while giving to charity

14/10/2016 By Heather

This year, Mathieu and I are proud to be promoting The Complete Photography Bundle by 5DayDeal.

Running annually since 2013, The Complete Photography Bundle comprises more than 25 high-quality photography resources written and designed by the world’s top photography educators including well-known names such as Trey Ratcliff, David DuChemin, Brian Matiash, and many more.

[Read more…] about 5DayDeal – The Complete Photography Bundle 2016 – Save 96% on photography resources while giving to charity

Filed Under: Mirrorless News

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