L-Brackets and Remote Cables for the Fuji GFX 50S

I've been enjoying most aspects of the Fuji GFX 50S camera for my landscape photography, but some of the decisions by Fuji's designers have me scratching my head.  Fuji obviously understands that photographers will sometimes use the camera in the vertical ("portrait") orientation, since they wisely decided to make the rear LCD articulate in that plane.  However, they must not have considered that many serious photographers, myself included, use quick-release L-brackets for mounting the camera on a tripod.  

Fuji's decision to move the battery door to the left side of the camera means that the battery cannot be replaced without requiring tools to remove or reposition the L-bracket.  I initially purchased a Really Right Stuff L-bracket, being familiar with the quality products RRS normally produces.  The RRS L-bracket design is a clever two-piece arrangement with a screw that can be loosened to re-position the vertical portion of the bracket - unfortunately, it does not move far enough away from the body of the camera to allow the battery compartment door to open wide enough to remove the battery.

Really Right Stuff L-Bracket for the Fuji GFX 50S 

In order to change the battery, the user needs to completely remove the fastening screw and the vertical portion of the bracket.  I quickly discovered that re-installing the screw was a very fiddly procedure, and I dropped it numerous times while sitting at my desk trying to re-assemble the bracket.  I can only imagine how much more difficult this task would be out in the field, in cold rainy or snowy weather, and how easy it would be to lose the fastener.

RRS L-Bracket removed to access battery compartment

I returned the RRS L-Bracket, and ordered a bracket from Kirk Enterprises, which is a simpler, one-piece bracket, but the bracket can be loosened and moved far enough to the side to allow the battery to be replaced without removing the screw holding the bracket to the camera.  While this does mean carrying a smallAllen wrench to loosen and tighten the screw, it's a much less fiddly procedure than what is required with the RRS bracket.  The Kirk bracket has a clever holder in the bottom to store an Allen wrench, and I keep spares in all of my camera bags anyway, so I feel I'm much less likely to be inconvenienced while working in the field as I would if I lost the screw from the RRS bracket.

Kirk Enterprises BL-50S L-Bracket on the GFX 50S

Battery can be replaced without reming the Kirk L-Bracket

The other common issue with using an L-bracket is the placement of the ports for the remote control cable on the GFX.  The L-bracket needs to be moved away from the camera a considerable distance in order to attach the Fuji RR-90 remote cable, resulting in a somewhat top-heavy tripod head.

Fuji RR-90 Remote Cable attached to the GFX 50S

The Fuji RR-90 Remote requires a lot of clearance

Due to the size and configuration of the USB connector on the RR-90, it also requires that the Kirk L-bracket be loosened and re-positioned in order to attach the cable... which means digging out that Allen wrench again.

Fortunately, Fuji decided to give us not one, but two remote sockets on the GFX 50S.  The Fuji RR-90 connects (somewhat awkwardly) into the camera's USB3 port (at top right, in the photo below), but the camera also features a 2.5mm min-plug connector port for third-party remotes (the small round port at bottom left, below).  

Fuji GFX 50S Connection Ports

The remote I chose was the Canon RS-60E3, which features a right-angle mini plug connection.  It is small enough that with a bit of dexterity, it can be attached to the camera and removed again while the Kirk bracket is fixed in place, leaving the bracket positioned securely against the side of the camera for maximum stability.

Canon RS-60E3 Remote attached to the GFX 50S

Stable vertical shooting with the Kirk L-Bracket and Canon RS-60E3

Canon RS-60E3 (left) and Fuji RR-90 (right) Remote Release Cables

Canon 2.5mm mini-plug and Fuji USB connections

There are a number of third-party remotes available, but I chose the slightly more expensive Canon RS-60E3 because I find that the Canon remote cables tend to stay a bit more flexible in cold weather compared to some other brands.

Park Swing, Gabriola Island

I discovered this old swing hanging from the trees in Drumbeg Provincial Park on Gabriola.  It looked okay in colour, but I decided to try the Fuji Acros + Ye film profile, and I think it works pretty well.  

I hadn't been a big fan of the Acros film simulation, because it seems to be over-used as an attempt to salvage a poorly exposed image, but with a bit of restraint, it can yield some pretty pleasing results - but it's all a matter of personal taste.

Click to view larger version on black background

Park Swing, Gabriola Island

(Fuji GFX 50S with GF 23mm f4, Acros + Ye Filter)

Lee Filters Adapter Ring for the Fuji GF 23mm f4 WR Lens

One of the first lenses I purchased with my new Fuji GFX 50S camera was the Fujinon GF 23mm f4 WR lens.  This stunningly sharp wide-angle lens has an equivalent field of view to an 18mm lens on a 35mm camera, so it requires thin 82mm filters to avoid vignetting.

I use the Lee Filters 100mm filter system for most filtration duties, and I already had the Lee 82mm WA (wide angle) adapter ring, but as I had seen reported on Fuji Rumors, the standard 82mm WA filter ring would not thread onto this lens, despite having the correct filter thread size.  It turns out that the metal lugs on the front end of the lens, where the lens hood attaches, block the standard adapter ring before the threads can properly engage.

Lee Filters has recently released a special adapter ring for the GF 23mm lens, and I was able to track one down at Canadian distributor for Lee Filters.  They were not aware of the new dedicated filter ring, but after I contacted them they were able to source one for me.  I am pleased to report that the new ring fits perfectly on the lens.

Lee Filters Adapter Ring for Fuji GF 23mm (left) and standard 82mm WA Adpater (right)

I can also confirm that the Lee 105mm Landscape Polarizer does not vignette on the Fuji 23mm f4 lens, even when mounted in front of two slots on the Lee Filters 100mm holder.

Lee 105mm Landscape Polazrizer - no vignetting on the GF 23mm f4 lens at f/32, mounted on the front of a Lee two-slot 100mm series filter holder

The new Lee Filters Fuji GF 23mm adapter ring will be available at B&H Photo starting October 28, 2017.

Evening at Drumbeg with the Fuji GFX

One of my first outings with the new Fuji GFX 50S medium-format digital camera, at Drumbeg Provincial Park on the south end of Gabriola.  The amount of detail this camera can capture is astounding, and the colours and dynamic range are equally impressive.

One of my favourite spots for photography (or quiet contemplation) is Drumbeg Provincial Park at the south end of Gabriola Island.  There are some fascinating sandstone rock formations that are exposed at low tide, and I think they make very interesting subjects when the golden hour of sunset corresponds with low tide.

Click to view larger versions on black background

Gabriola Passage and Valdez Island

Oak Leaf in Pool, Drumbeg Provincial Park

Sandstone Shoreline, Drumbeg Provincial Park

Evening at Drumbeg Provincial Park, Gabriola 

(All images taken with Fuji GFX 50S and GF 23mm f4 WR lens)

Gabriola Summer

Late summer on Gabriola Island...

Stairs to the beach near El Verano 

Edge of the Sea

All of my Sony mirrorless cameras have now been sold, and I'm back to shooting with the much more capable and reliable Nikon D810.  Here's an image captured last night at Drumbeg Provincial Park...

Edge of the Sea

Common Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea)

One of our most recent wildflowers to bloom - Common Foxglove.  The raindrops add a nice touch to the photo, but getting a sharp image was a challenge in the low light with a slight but persistent breeze blowing.

Common Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea)

McDougall Memorial Church, Morley, Alberta

I was saddened to learn that the historic McDougall Memorial United Church near Morley, Alberta was destroyed in a fire this past weekend.  During the time I lived in the Calgary area, I spent many early mornings at this site attempting to photograph the church.

McDougall Memorial Church, Morley, Alberta

The McDougall Memorial United Church was a one-storey building located on the north bank of the Bow River, roughly two kilometres east of Morley. The church was constructed in 1875 in the Carpenter's Gothic style and features pointed arch windows and front door, shingled front-gabled roof, and a central steeple crowned by a pinnacle. The designation also includes the archaeological remains of mission structures at the site.  

The heritage value of the McDougall Memorial United Church lies in its association with early missionary efforts and pioneering settlement in southern Alberta at the Morleyville Mission, its association with the famed McDougall family, and its architectural significance as the first Carpenter's Gothic building still standing in Alberta on its original site.

Links:

McDougall Stoney Mission Society

Canada's Historic Places Registry

Crag & Canyon News Article

Rhododendron in Bloom

Last week our Camellia was out in bloom; this week our Rhododendrons have started flowering.

Rhododendron, Gabriola Island BC

Stormy Evening at the Majorville Medicine Wheel

A stormy fall evening at the Majorville Medicine Wheel in southern Alberta.  I took this photo many years ago, using a Pentax 645 medium-format camera with a 45mm lens and Fuji Velvia transparency film.  The wind was blowing so hard, I literally had to hold down my tripod with both hands so it would not blow over in the wind.  Even though this was not a really long exposure, the grass in the foreground was still blurred.  

The thing that really makes this photo stand out is the intense, vivid colours in the sky as the sun was setting below the edge of a chinook arch.  I've been back to the medicine wheel site many times over the years, but I have never seen conditions like repeated - definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

This image was recently selected by Ducks Unlimited Canada to accompany an article on the great conservation work they have been doing in the area of the Majorville Medicine Wheel.

Majorville Medicine Wheel, Alberta

Camellia in Bloom

Spring has arrived here on Gabriola, and the Camellia in front of our house has been blooming for the past week or so.  We hear that spring has been late this year, and the flowers and shrubs have been late blooming, but coming from Alberta this is a bit hard to comprehend.

Camellia Flower

This bloom was right at the top of our tree, and I captured this image from the front porch with a 1,000mm lens (500mm + 2x extender).

Roughskin Newt

We discovered another visitor to our yard this afternoon... a little Roughskin Newt (Taricha granulosa).  A friend of the garden, they like to eat insects, slugs, and worms.

However, their skin contains a very potent poison, so we will have to supervise the cats more closely when we let them outside.

Roughskin Newt (Taricha granulosa)

Roughskin Newt (Taricha granulosa)

Roughskin Newt (Taricha granulosa)

Roughskin Newt (Taricha granulosa)

Rufous Hummingbirds

We recently bought a hummingbird feeder, and received another as a house-warming gift (thanks, Connie!) and we put them up over the weekend.  Within a few hours, we had several little feathered friends hanging around the front garden.

More Malaspina Galleries Images

I recently added a new gallery of images from the fascinating Malaspina Galleries on Gabriola Island to my Photoshelter stock photo archives (the following link opens in a new window):

Malaspina Galleries, Gabriola Island BC

Here are a few more sample images...

Malaspina Galleries, Gabriola Island

Malaspina Galleries, Gabriola Island

Malaspina Galleries

Enjoying some late winter sunshine at the Malaspina Galleries on Gabriola Island.

Malaspina Galleries, Gabriola Island

Sproat Lake Petroglyphs

The Vancouver Island region is a rich source of First Nations culture and history, including many fascinating petroglyphs.  Below are some of the petroglyphs from Sproat Lake near Port Alberni, BC.

Sproat Lake Petroglyphs

Sproat Lake Petroglyphs

Sproat Lake Petroglyphs

To see more petroglyphs, please visit my web site:  Images West - Petroglyphs

Vancouver Island Revisited

I was going through the slide film scan archive and came across a few images from my first trip to Vancouver Island, when I visited Tofino, Victoria, and Port Renfrew in September, 2000.  

Looking back, it's hard to believe I had never ventured west of West Vancouver in the twenty-some years I lived in BC; in fact I had been to Europe, Asia, and made at least half a dozen trips to Nova Scotia before I ever made it over to Vancouver Island.  Now, I'm trying to make up for lost time...

Botany Bay, Vancouver Island

Long Beach Waves, Vancouver Island

Long Beach Sunset, Vancouver Island

Red Rock Coulee, Alberta

Living on Gabriola is great, and there are a lot of new landscapes for a photographer to explore here on the west coast, but one thing I do miss from living in Alberta was the ability to get up and go somewhere without having to catch a ferry...

Here's a photo from the archives, circa 2005, taken at the Red Rock Coulee Natural Area in southern Alberta.  We had camped there overnight, so we could take advantage of the great light at sunset and again the following morning.  Thinking about this makes me wish we still had our VW Westfalia camper...

Red Rock Coulee at Sunset

Petroglyph Island

Gabriola is sometimes referred to as "Petroglyph Island", perhaps because of the book of the same title by Mary and Ted Bently, but certainly because of the large number of ancient petroglyphs carved into the exposed sandstone in various locations around the island.

The best place to view the petroglyphs is at the Gabriola Museum at 505 South Road, where concrete casts have been made of the most prominent petroglyphs on the island; this way visitors can see and enjoy the First Nations rock art without damaging the fragile originals.

Most of the original petroglyph sites are located on private land, but one of the best sites, near the United Church, is still accessible to the public.  If you do visit this site, take care not to disturb or damage the petroglyphs; even walking on them will eventually destroy them.

Church Site Petroglyph, Gabriola Island

Church Site Petroglyph, Gabriola Island

Malaspina Galleries, Gabriola

I finally managed to get over to the Malaspina Galleries one day last week to do some exploring.  I don't know why I waited so long to check out this site - it really is amazing.  I had great afternoon light for the photographs, but there were also a lot of other people there which greatly limited my choices for composition.  Here are some of the photos - I hope you like them!

Malaspina Galleries, Gabriola Island 

Malaspina Galleries, Gabriola Island

Malaspina Galleries, Gabriola Island

Humpback Whales at Green Wharf

A humpback whale and her calf have been spending some time in False Narrows this week, and yesterday I managed to get a few photos of them near Green Wharf.  The lighting conditions weren't exactly ideal for photography, but it was a wonderful experience nonetheless - these were the first whales I've ever seen in the wild!  Very cool to have them come this close and seemingly not pay any attention to the human activity around them.

Humpback Whale Approaching

Humpback Whale

Humpback Whale Up Close

Humpback Whale in False Narrows

Humpback Whale Near Green Wharf, Gabriola

Here's a short video clip of the whales exhaling as they float near the wharf:

Humpback Whales at Green Wharf, Gabriola on YouTube