Fujifilm 55-200 and rockabilly fun at Yoyogi Park
Once again, my Fujifilm 55-200 mm lens got a workout. I used it to photograph the Strangers rockabilly group at Yoyogi Park. It is my go-to lens for these dancers. The results are always great.
Well, what can I say about the day? It wasn’t ideal. The sky was overcast, and rain threatened. Luckily, it stayed dry. It should have been cool, but it wasn’t. And it was muggy. It was a typical October day, between summer and autumn.
By the way, how many times have I seen these guys? I don’t know, but it must be more than fifty. Usually, there are quite a few dancers. This time there were only four. I have no idea where the others were. Should I have asked?
The conditions weren’t perfect for photography. There were moving subjects. I couldn’t use the lowest ISO settings. This time I set it at 640 and the shutter speed at 1/250th second.
I thought those settings would be good. Well, I checked them on my computer at home. There were a surprising number of shots with blur. Oh well, it had been a long time since I photographed dancers. Still, I got a usable number of pictures. Next time, my shutter speed will be 1/500 to reduce the blur.
This lens is great. It is versatile. 50 mm isn’t too short. It allows a relatively wide field of view.
On the long side, 200 mm is perfect. Anything longer would result in it only for headshots. So if you photographed these guys with only one lens, this one covers all your needs.
Its bokeh is also attractive. There are only seven diaphragm blades, but it isn’t a problem. Nine might be better, but then the cost of the lens would go up.
I wish the Fujifilm 55-200 were faster. It’s a variable f/3.5-4.8 which is slow in poor light. But it is a budget lens, and to be honest, it’s good enough for most purposes. Maybe I should invest in more lenses. That is a thought. The answer is obvious!
The 50-140 f/2.8 lens is an option. It is faster but heavier and a little shorter on the long end. It also costs a lot more. Its image quality is supposed to be outstanding. I can’t justify buying it now, but one day I might.
In the end, I was happy with these photos. I worked hard. The thick clouds made it hard to expose the dancers’ faces correctly.
As for people in the background, I waited for them to pass. If need be, I moved left or right to get them out of view. Whatever I did worked, as few passersby are in the photos. It would be better if that number fell to zero.
Postprocessing also helped. Using Lightroom, I selected the subject and lifted the exposure slightly. I think it made the dancers “pop” a little more. I was satisfied.
At the end of my time with Strangers, I chatted with one of the guys. He said they dance in the winter, so don’t worry about missing them in cold weather. I hope we will have some nice skies in those months. Leave questions and comments below.
Rohan Gillett
Rohan has lived in Tokyo for 30+ years. He loves photography and plans to capture the entire city.
More dance articles:
External related websites:
- Fujifilm 55-200 mm lens (official website)