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You are here: Home / Articles / Forgot My Camera Rain Cover

July 13, 2017 by Joel Wolfson 9 Comments

Forgot My Camera Rain Cover

9 Wet Days in Ireland with the X-Pro2

I actually loved the light during the stormy and rainy weather in the peninsular southwest of Ireland. Here a little spot of sun pokes through the overcast and rainy skies. I used my XF 55-200mm f3.5-4.8 zoom on the X-Pro2 at 70mm (FF= 105mm). Exposure 1/200 sec. f14. I used EVF viewing with Velvia preset.

 

I didn’t go to Ireland for the sunny weather. The wonderful people, food, music, beer, and spectacular scenery far exceed any benefit one might get from a sunny destination.

One problem. I forgot my camera rain cover. Ergo, Murphy’s Law dictates it would rain a lot when I wanted to shoot.

You could barely feel the rain this day. It was almost a mist but got everything wet in seconds. The X-Pro2 is weather resistant. This lens technically isn’t but it did well and of course I wiped off my lenses frequently- both the front elements and the barrels.

 

So for my 9 day trip to southwest Ireland there was a little sunshine here and there but mostly there were just variations of wet. I shouldn’t worry, right? Fuji says about the X-Pro2: “water-resistance…61 weatherproof seals around the body. Shoot with confidence, no matter what the weather.” I shot daily with two X-Pro2 bodies and various Fujinon lenses. It was an opportunity to see how the “weather resistant structure” of the X-Pro2 does in a real world wet environment.

Another spot of sun making it through the dark skies for a few seconds (literally) on the Dingle Peninsula. But this is what made shooting so interesting. XF 55-200mm lens at 55mm (FF = 83mm). I exposed for the sunlit portion. f11, 1/550 sec., ISO 320. EVF viewing on X-Pro with Velvia preset.

 

On any given day out of the nine I had some rain, sometimes all day and sometimes off and on. Often it was a constant misting rather than a driving rain but the net result was getting pretty wet in a few seconds. On many occasions I was wiping water off the front element of my lens between each exposure. Fortunately not much salt water so as long as I paid attention, no harm done.

Slea Head Drive on the Dingle Peninsula. I used 1/500 sec. to freeze the bird in flight. XF 55-200mm f3.5-4.8 lens at 55mm (FF= 83mm) f11.

 

The bottom line is the X-Pro2s handled the wet weather capably, without holding me back from getting shots I wanted. Very few of my lenses are officially WR (weather resistant) but by using common sense and paying attention I had no ill effects with any of them.

I was surprised by the exposure needed in this fog. I used X-Pro2 with XF 55-200mm f3.5-4.8 at 200mm (FF= 300mm) f11, 1/420 sec. ISO 320. EVF viewing. Acros (black and white) preset.

 

To avoid changing lenses in the rain and keep my kit lightweight I used 2 bodies, each with a compact zoom mounted. The two zooms I used were the XF 18-55mm f2.8-4.0 and XF 55-200mm f3.5-4.8. These lenses seem to be underdogs in the Fuji world but I’ve found them to be of superb quality and easy to carry around. I’m confident enough in them that I use them for important commercial assignments too. Another thing I’d like to note is that although I use the film presets frequently it is mostly for viewing and reference purposes and I will apply the equivlent preset to the raw file or if I’m using something like ON1 to process I will use the out-of-camera JPEG for reference.

Although it was slightly inconvenient to deal with the rain and dampness I really enjoyed the opportunities I had with the light, mist, and fog.

Here are several more images. Enjoy!

I really liked the contrast of the red fishing boat and green moss against the dramatic skies. I waited for a balance of positioning with the boats and thanks to paying attention, managed to get an unplanned seagull in position as well. With a very wet X-Pro2 and XF 55-200mm zoom at 100mm (FF= 150mm) I froze the motion in the shot at 1/680th of a sec. (using an AP preset with min. 1/500sec) f9.0. I brought up the shadows in post to bring out the texture and color in the rocks and fishing boat.
Low tide on the Dingle Peninsula. X-Pro2 on EVF viewing. Provia preset. XF 55-200mm f3.5-4.8 lens. 1/200 sec. f11, ISO 1600.
More overcast skies, imagine that! Slea Head Drive. X-Pro2 with XF 55-200mm f3.5-4.8 at 75mm (FF= 110mm).
A partially sunny day! I waited for the Ferry to load so I could get some boats in the shot at this pier on the Dingle Peninsula. I took advantage of the dry spell to change lenses on my X-Pro2. I used EVF viewing with the XF 14mm f2.8 (FF= 21mm). 1/200 sec. f11, ISO 320. Velvia preset.

 

Remember to embrace the weather, even if it’s wet. If you’re sensible you can go ahead and use your gear in the rain.

Happy Shooting everyone!

Cheers,
Joel

Joel Wolfson is an internationally published photographer who loves teaching as much as shooting. He shares his 30 years of experience as a working pro with other photographers and enthusiasts by way of his workshops, 1 on 1 training, webinars, articles, blog and speaking engagements. His technical articles have been translated for use in more than 30 countries yet he is best known for his artistic images of nature’s fleeting moments and unexpected views of everyday places around the globe. He is one of the pioneers of digital photography having conducted digital photography seminars for Apple and other corporations starting in the early 90s.  His roster of notable clients includes numerous publications and fortune 500 companies. He currently works with great affiliates like Arizona Highways, Topaz Labs, ON1, and Macphun to have more avenues for working with those wanting to pursue their love of photography. His goal is to make learning and improving one’s photography easy, fun and rewarding.

A note about product links and affiliations: Some of the links I provide are affiliate links which means I get a small commission, with no additional cost to you, if you click it and end up buying something. It helps keep the lights on as well as supporting this blog and my other free educational resources and articles. So if you use them, thanks! It is always my goal to report my results in a straighforward manner whether or not it favors a particular product.

Filed Under: Articles, Fuji X Professional System, Learning, Photo Tips and Techniques, Reviews, Travel

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Comments

  1. Cindy Loewen says

    July 13, 2017 at 9:12 pm

    This is utterly outstanding, Joel…a nice variety of shots and each one certainly captures the essence of the moments. These photos are “mother nature” at her best from the goats to landscapes and low tide moored boat….Exquisite!

    …I love your use of color….you never miss a beat! Looks like a wonderful trip…

    Cindy

    Reply
  2. Marilou Peavley says

    July 13, 2017 at 9:20 pm

    Hi Joel,
    Pictures are amazing with your camera. They are so clear. Will be buying a Fiji real soon. Does Fiji have a macro lens?

    Marilou Peavley

    Reply
    • Joel Wolfson says

      July 13, 2017 at 10:14 pm

      Hi Marilou,

      Thanks and glad you enjoyed them. Yes, Fuji has a great macro lens, the Fujinon XF 60mm f2.4 (FF equivalent 90mm)!

      Cheers,
      Joel

      Reply
  3. Anne Forbes says

    July 13, 2017 at 10:02 pm

    Happy to hear that you find the weatherproofing is reliable. I haven’t tried my Fuji XTs in the rain. Lovely moody shots!

    Reply
    • Joel Wolfson says

      July 13, 2017 at 10:17 pm

      Thanks Anne!

      Reply
  4. Tim Cleland says

    July 13, 2017 at 10:09 pm

    Awesome!!! Thanks for sharing and thanks for including techy stuff.

    Reply
    • Joel Wolfson says

      July 13, 2017 at 10:18 pm

      Hi Tim,

      Thanks for the kudos! And you’re most certainly welcome for the techy stuff too.

      Cheers,
      Joel

      Reply
  5. Gina says

    July 13, 2017 at 10:59 pm

    Moody and stunning. Bravo!

    Reply
  6. Bonnie Williams says

    July 14, 2017 at 12:00 am

    Love your moody shots, Joel. Bad weather really does make beautiful images assuming the camera is in the hands of a great photographer. Thanks for your comments on Fuji’s weather resistance. I have the same gear but haven’t used it in the rain yet. My last trip to Ireland I had just 1 misty/rainy day out of 21 – go figure.

    Reply

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