Fujifilm XF 70-300mm F4-5.6 Full Review & Romania's Wildlife

[@MihaiStrömpl]

One small thing, the image at 12:03 is actually at 300mm, not 70. Otherwise what do you guys think of this powerful little lens?

[@ev6377]

Love the lens and the photos you took - amazing!

[@MihaiStrömpl]

@@ev6377 Thank you so much! And happy holidays! 🎉 🎅

[@georgetalbot7650]

Thanks for a very well balanced assessment. I have this lens and the 50-140 and 100-400, I don't see myself using either much anymore. At 72 years old the weight is a issue and this resolves that. It works very well with the 1.4TC and comparing the images with the other two you really have to pixel peep hard to see the difference. The most important aspect of it is that the ease of handling and weight makes the experience much greater and more enjoyable.

[@MihaiStrömpl]

Thank you so much! Glad if this was helpful in any way. And thanks for your example as well, yeah that's definitely something to consider, when the size difference is double or almost triple for similar (enough) results, it's probably a good compromise to go for the smaller one, for most people.

[@ev6377]

Lovely cat 🖤😻 Btw, great photos! Love them!

[@julioareck]

My conclusions about your nice video: 1. Get this lens. 2. Travel to Romania. 3. Bears are lovely to see.

[@MihaiStrömpl]

Haha thanks a lot! And definitely visit Romania. There's a lot to see, and ven as a Romanian, I feel like I've barely scratched the surface.

[@jeanie779]

finally a great review for the 70-300!

[@MihaiStrömpl]

Thanks so much!

[@norbfacee]

Finally a decent review of the Fuji 70 - 300

[@MihaiStrömpl]

Thanks man! Also I love True Detective :)

[@k.o.t.o.n.]

@@MihaiStrömpl is it bettter than the 70-350 g for sony a6000 series?

[@MihaiStrömpl]

@@k.o.t.o.n. Interesting comparison! I haven't personally used the Sony, but at least on paper and from what I've heard the Fuji might have the edge on a few things: Slightly wider aperture, shorter minimum focus distance, 9 aperture blades instead of 7 on the Sony. On the other hand the Sony does have a bit of a longer reach.

[@NWind-go9qn]

Well done. I appreciate your humble authenticity. Keep up the good work!

[@MihaiStrömpl]

Thanks a lot! Highly appreciated 😊

[@seyedk8908]

AmAZING REVIEW AND aMAZING SHOTS OF THE BEAR. i LOVED IT. THANK YOU

[@fjzingo]

Thanks for a great review, and congratulations to your meeting with the bear. The 70-300 is my favourite fuji lens next to my 16 1.4 for wildlife and nature photography. The 70-300 is extremely light and works really good together with the 1.4 tc. It is also very comparable to the 100-400 which I also use extensively. Did a trip to Iceland a few weeks back and brought two cameras and a few lenses. I used a GFX100s with 23mm and an xt3 with 70-300 for almost all nature shots. They complemented each other really well. Didnt use the 1.4 tc at all. Used a 35 mmf2 and 18-55 for documenting Reykjavik and people. If highly recommend the 70-300.

[@MihaiStrömpl]

Massive thanks! And thank you for the insight as well. Mind sharing a link where I could see some photos you took in Iceland?

[@santiagocasier6436]

Hey I know this is about a a year late but is there anywhere that I can see your photos?

[@fjzingo]

@@MihaiStrömpl still processing those….I should share at some point.

[@HansPetterOsvold]

hello Mihai👍😀 really really nice video, thanks for making this video, very helpful for me, atb from Norway

[@MihaiStrömpl]

Awesome thanks a lot!

[@charlesgroley6309]

Great commentary on the lens (and the bears). Sorry about your missing the observatory opportunity but I thought your video was very informative.

[@MihaiStrömpl]

Thank you so much!

[@blankonbank]

I did like your review. It's quality is just as good as some really big youtubers. 👍🏻 Keep going and thanks for the review.

[@MihaiStrömpl]

Thanks a ton! Glad you enjoyed it.

[@_noahrh]

That bear on the street was so relaxed! Thank you for the review of this lens. Great work.

[@visualsbypreet]

Very Nice review, but a small suggestion that the Music goes too loud in comparison to your voice, I had to keep increasing and decreasing volume

[@MihaiStrömpl]

Thank you! Yes I believe you're right.

[@malfunkt]

Just bought mine this morning and used it on a corporate shoot. Can't wait to use it for street, landscape and abstract work. I've had the 16-80 for a while, which is a great lens, and some of that tech / feel is in this lens. Particularly the OIS. I can get sharp shots at 1/12 at 300mm which is great for low light landscape and city shots without a tripod. The total investment in the 16-80 and 70-300 gives you an entire system. Pair it with 1 or 2 larger aperture lenses (in my case two Kamlans 50 F1.1 II, 28 F1.4) and you have a versatile kit. One lens that might be a consideration is the coming Tamron 18-300. Likely, there will be larger sacrifices made to make that lens feasible, but it may make sense for certain shooters. The other telephoto lenses I looked at were the Mitakon 135mm F2.8 and the Samyang 135mm F2 - the latter which looks like it has incredible image quality. But they are manual, and at telephoto ranges and with my current kit, I don't want to burn out my hands cranking the focus ring even more. One last thing. Oddly, the 70-300mm balances incredible well on an X-E3 (with hand and thumb grips). Even better than the 16-80 despite being a bit heavier, and this is in large part due to its length.

[@MihaiStrömpl]

Awesome! I'm curious what you think of it once you get to test it out in the wild. But yes I definitely agree, there's a very familiar feel and behavior to it, coming from the 16-80, which is a praise I believe. And I was thinking the same thing, regarding getting a 35 or 50 fixed fast aperture lens. Plus the 16-80 + 70-300 really do cover everything you'd need. If not, the Tamron does sound like it would indeed, all in one body, but yes I do think there's way more compromises than with this one. And I really am open to other brands of lenses for the X mount, but I just don't know if I can go the full Manual Focus path, for the ones that don't have AF of course. I might try it with a small 35mm or something at some point though.

[@malfunkt]

@@MihaiStrömpl My early impressions so far are very positive. The OIS is perhaps even more impressive than the 16-80, as it is so effective even at long focal lengths. At max 300, the edges are bit soft, but that is to be expected. The rest of the zoom range is very strong. While the manual focus lenses have their own advantages, for non-tripod use and fast focus acquisition (which at long focal lengths becomes more tricky with manual), the 70-300 excels. Adjusting the zoom ring is a bit stiff. Though this may be of benefit as it prevents accidental adjustment which even minute could throw off focus. Also the lens works great in back button focus configuration in manual. The latter being one of the reasons why I've stuck with the X-E3 instead of moving to the X-E4 as regularly switch between focus modes and the X-E3 has more configurable control for this type of setup.

[@MihaiStrömpl]

@@malfunkt Glad to hear you're enjoying it. Yes the OIS is impressive, I think it's the same system but definitely is more impressive at those focal lengths. And about the zoom ring, it does feel pretty stiff but it probably will become a bit looser in time, so I don't think they could've done it otherwise, without having Zoom creeping for sure.

[@olekl5721]

Good review. THanks!

[@MihaiStrömpl]

Thanks a lot!

[@mazdaram226]

Great review, thank you from 🇬🇧

[@MihaiStrömpl]

Thank you! And I certainly want to visit the UK in the near future✈

[@tugrultekbulut]

Very nice and fair review. Thanks. I love this lens. It’s the only telephoto lens that I use now, I think I am going to sell my 50-140.

[@MihaiStrömpl]

Thanks a lot! And that's interesting to hear, also good for the wallet haha

[@catalinene146]

Great review, Romania it's definitely on the list, can you please mention the bear observatory. Many thenks and lot's of good shots.

[@HaiTomVlog]

I was tempted to get the 55-200mm instead of this 70-300 (it was half the price), but I went ahead and purchased this lens - arrives tomorrow 🤙🏼

[@MihaiStrömpl]

Congrats! Great choice, I hope you enjoy it.

[@HaiTomVlog]

@@MihaiStrömpl thanks! You’re one closer to 1k subs 🤙🏼🤙🏼🤙🏼

[@MihaiStrömpl]

@@HaiTomVlog Awesome! Cheers mate 🍻

[@pdebie1982]

Nice video. 1 suggestion: the music was really loud against your voice. Maybe turn the volume a bit down next video :)

[@MihaiStrömpl]

Thank you! Got it :)

[@rawlinsdiaz]

Hey nice video. Does it do some refocus when you zoom out quickly in video mode even with the lens in manual focus. Im seeing this via hdmi out to a screen. Dont know if its the lens or the body under some display setting. Could help me if you have tried this.

[@MihaiStrömpl]

Thanks a lot! And yes it does, sadly zooming in or out does affect focus on these Fuji lenses even on Manual, I've noticed.

[@rawlinsdiaz]

@@MihaiStrömpl thanks a lot. Keep it up. Cheers

[@olekl5721]

How you film your videos for youtube? Which lense do you usually use?

[@MihaiStrömpl]

I've been using the Fuji X-T4 for the past 2 years with either the kit 16-80mm or Sigma 30mm f1.4, the latter which is a pretty awesome lens all around, but especially if you want to get some subject separation. I plan to do a review of the Sigma soon!

[@richaneesh]

I was thinking of going for 100 400 but when I went to buy the 50-140 the weight just pushed away from it and ended up buying the 18-120. I definitely cannot deal with the weight and size of 100-400 because I really don't like to carry a tripod with me, and this 70-300 is out of stock. I am just waiting for the stock now... Hopefully not too long..

[@DexterPiano]

Do you think it's great to film concerts ? Live music ? Thank you and great video :))

[@MihaiStrömpl]

Thanks! I think it'd be great for concerts actually, almost a pocketable size and plenty of reach.

[@DexterPiano]

@@MihaiStrömpl even with somekind of lowlight situation ? At the same time concerts doesn't occur with artificiel light but not specificaly low-light ? Thank you man 🙏

[@MihaiStrömpl]

@@DexterPiano i think it's gonna do just fine. You probably want to keep some of the dark mood anyway, and not be able to pixel peep in every shadow

[@DexterPiano]

Thanks a lot Mihai !!!

[@DexterPiano]

@@MihaiStrömpl Hey Mihai, according to Photo Video Chris and Andy Mumford, the 70-300 is not super fast and not so suitable for low-light, what do you think about that ? Sorry for all these questions :)

[@johnsamuelmcelroy]

I tired of waiting for the chance to purchase this lens. Since then I traded in an X-T3, the XF16-90, and XF18-55 to purchase a used Nikon D500, Nikkor 200-500, and a Tamron 70-200.

[@MihaiStrömpl]

The Nikkor 200-500 is a beast! But yes I see the 70-300 is currently not available on many markets. Might be a victim of its own success with the high demand.

[@cristiabc1310]

Ce regiuni ai recomanda?

[@mzm4344]

Sorry, but what about Bence Mate?

[@MihaiStrömpl]

I was mentioning that he is the one who made this bear observatory. He is also known for making this specific type of one way glass used in animal watching observatories.

[@atsylor5549]

It’s kind of shameful that you actually have to warn some people not to try and take a selfie with a bear

[@rescuerofwildlifejigneshpa3011]

🔥👌👌👌👌

[@paulm8157]

Decent lens review and bear adventure story. Old joke: never walk in the woods with a “bear” behind.😁 Are you a cat person?

[@MihaiStrömpl]

Haha sounds like some wise words! And I'd say I'm an animals person but I do have 2 cats, so can't deny it.

[@christingeorge3556]

❤️