Landscape photography by new standard zoom lens
I have been photographing the natural scenery of Japan for about 50 years now. When I was younger, I used to travel around the country with a medium-format film camera to take pictures of the scenery in every corner, but now I use an X camera, which I have become accustomed to using, to capture the expressions of nature in each of the four seasons as far as I can go on a day trip.
What I want to capture is the climate. To capture the nuances that cannot be expressed in words, such as the different atmospheres in different regions, we need to move as one with handy tools. This time, I was given the opportunity to try out XF16-50mm, a compact and lightweight lens that is perfect for this purpose, so I immediately attached it to my trusty companion X-T5 and headed out for the day.
This is Onuma Park, which can be considered my home ground. The cold weather is getting worse day by day, and the tense air makes both my body and mind tense.
The surface of the lake is partially covered with a thin layer of ice, and snow repeatedly accumulates and melts, creating a variety of patterns. The combination of X-T5 and XF16-50mm is ideal for taking snapshots while strolling along the lakeside at such times. It is compact, lightweight, and highly portable, and it provides a delicate descriptive performance.
In the middle of winter, the entire surface of the lake freezes over and does not thaw until spring. The ice is up to 30 centimeters thick, and the snow piles up on top of it, creating a monotonous, otherworldly space. No sound is heard, and you can truly feel like you are in a Zen world.
It’s been a while since we’ve had sunny weather. Clear skies in winter are a rare treat.
XF16-50mm now allows for angles of view that could not be captured with an 18-55mm lens because it could not be extended any further. I appreciate the additional two millimeters on the wide-angle side.
It was minus 15 degrees Celsius this morning. In the biting cold, I tried to get a closer look at the frost and ice handheld. When I enlarged the playback image, I was surprised at how much more realistic the foot area looked beyond the reality. The 40-million-pixel-resolution is a reliable ally.
After Onuma Park, I headed to the winter sea. I ventured into the Tsugaru Strait and the raging Sea of Japan in winter to capture the sea of “motion” as opposed to the lake of “stillness”.
In winter, the Sea of Japan is often buffeted by gusty winds, known as “tabakaze”, which literally means “bundle winds”, because they blow in bunches, and even on a sunny day, you can suddenly be hit by a snowstorm so fierce that you can barely stand.
The fierce winds blow relentlessly, and equipment and people are covered in snow. What you can rely on are a dustproof and splashproof lens and a 7-step image stabilizer on the camera body. In addition, a zoom lens with a constant overall length that does not extend even when zooming allows you to concentrate on shooting with peace of mind.
Even in a harsh condition where I would be blown away unless I held on to a rock, it allowed me to take blur-free pictures.
The sea is still rough, but when the blizzard subsides, the light shines through the clouds and I can breathe a sigh of relief.
I was not the only one who was venturing out to the Sea of Japan in winter. It seems that anglers are also enjoying the spectacular view all to themselves with their favorite rods.
A good tool will never fail you. A tool can be a good companion if you use it well. And if you carefully maintain it after use, it will always be ready for the next opportunity.
