Shooting the Fuji X-E1 with long lenses

In my last blog post I editorialized about the need for long telephoto lenses in Fuji-X mount to expand the pro capabilities of the system. To explore this theme, over the past few days I have been using the Fuji X-E1 and the Fuji 55-200mm zoom, and adapting some long Nikon telephotos to gain some super-tele effects.

I used the Fuji 55-200mm zoom alone to do these stark compositions of some of New York's bridges in black and white.

Abstract detail of the Manhattan Bridge shows how really sharp the Fuji 55-200mm zoom really is.

Abstract composition of cabling on the Manhattan Bridge

The Brooklyn Bridge framed by highway girders. In this shot and the one below I blasted out the sky by increasing the contrast to provide a high contrast graphic composition.

The Manhattan Bridge framed by some highway support girders.

The Brooklyn Bridge

Shipping cranes along the East River  frame the Verrazano Narrows Bridge off in the distance

Continuing with my theme of shooting long lenses on the X-E1, I used a Nikon-to-Fuji-X G-lens adapter to mount a Nikon 80-400mm lens plus teleconverter to photograph the full moon we had over Manhattan.

Taken with the Fuji X-E1 and Nikon 80-400mm zoom with a 2x converter.

This image of the full moon with a passing airplane was taken with the Nikon 80-400mm zoom plus a 1.4x converter mounted on the Fuji X-E1

For comparison, this is the same scene with the Fuji 55-200mm zoom set to 200mm focal length.

 Using long lenses on something as small as the X-E1 was quite comfortable, and convinced me even more that some third party lens options would be a welcome addition to the Fuji-X system.