Critique Welcomed Wally By Fuji

[Keith Hollister]

A grab shot with the X-E2 & 23/1.4 @ f2, ISO 3200(!) Raw in LR with Luma NR=15.

Wally is our 2 year old. Great cat rescued as a feral kitten in a state park by a friend, although he does have a temper - we refer to him as "Snarkasaurus". I'm surprised he let me stick the camera in his face this close. I couldn't resist the north window light on a cloudy day.

I'm with Chris on being a fan of this lens in spite of the price tag.

 

[Lesley Jones]

Absolutely wonderful Keith. The muted colours and the light are awesome and what a handsome boy!

 

[Keith Hollister]

Thanks, Lesley.

 

[Pete Askew]

Simply gorgeous Keith.

 

[Pui-Hang Miles]

Love the colours and softness. Wally is a gorgeous boy too!

 

[Keith Hollister]

Thanks, Pui-Hang (and you too, Pete )

 

[Brian Moore]

There is a beautiful kind of softness about this image, Keith.

 

[Keith Hollister]

Thanks, Brian. At least some of that is due to the Glamour Glow filter in Nik CEP

 

[Keith Hollister]

And just to complete the triptych of our 3 cats ala Fuji, here's our old guy Zeke. He is 16 and not the brightest bulb, but he is handsome. Another ISO 6400 shot, 23mm/1.4 @ f/2.

 

[Pete Askew]

Simply lovely.

 

[Chris Dodkin]

Keith - they're just tolerating you because you provide food and warmth!

Lovely stuff - love that color in Wally's eyes

 

[Keith Hollister]

Thanks guys, but I think you are being a bit kind, at least with respect to Zeke's photo. While I like the light (table lamp) and the "bokeh'd out" photos hanging on the wall behind (I'm always amazed at friend's houses/apartments with none of their images on the walls even though they dabble in photography), the Fuji IQ really starts to slide at 6400. The noise is quite manageable (actually damn impressive, although I brushed in additional NR on the background here) but the resolution, color transitions and DR are really heading south. The luminosity and delicate softness of the Wally image is largely missing in the latter one, even though it was the same lens, same aperture. A shame really, because the noise is still not too bad. Useable in a pinch, but not where I would choose to shoot unless there is no recourse.