In the Field: Fujifilm GFX 50R for Sports and Adventure Photography

Sports and adventure photographer Dan King used the medium-format mirrorless Fujifilm GFX 50R to capture the Tour of Britain cycling event. While not an obvious choice for sports photography, the medium-format 50-megapixel sensor is capable of capturing some great sporting images. In this article, Dan talks us through the importance of kit and his experiences using the MPB platform to upgrade his setup. Over to you, Dan.

I started out in photography by taking a borrowed camera along to cycling races, another passion of mine. I was simply documenting the experience for my own personal pleasure and never intended for it to become a career, something I consider myself extremely lucky for. As a sports and adventure photographer, much of my photography now involves long stints outside, often in remote and unpredictable environments within the UK and Europe. Sitting on a mountainside in Scotland for any length of time always presents you with a range of conditions, it’s a real test for any equipment, let alone a camera.

It's important for me that the relationship I have with my camera is somewhat disposable. Not in a wasteful sense, but in that I don't want to feel that I can't use it right up to its limits before letting it retreat back inside my bag. I don't want to be afraid to let it rest on a rock or clatter against my body. Otherwise, I think I'd definitely feel reluctant to have it in my hand, and therefore miss the opportunity of a shot. And that’s something that you can't afford to happen, especially after waiting for hours on end in the rain and when the athlete is in the middle of a race or endeavour.

Buying used is something I've done from day one. Once I had to hand back that borrowed camera, my budget dictated that I’d need to buy this way. I’d looked at a couple of options on listing sites, but soon remembered I hadn't had the best experiences in the past with purchases. The fact that MPB rates all the cameras they sell individually, with product shots of the very camera you're going to buy, is great. You can easily determine from the description if such items as lens caps, cables and original packaging are included. Personally, I’m looking for something that works perfectly—but I'm totally fine with it looking a little pre-loved. After all, I'm going to knock it about most likely so a bit of missing paint isn't an issue.

Over the years, I've also found myself more willing to try and experiment with more gear because I know I can part-exchange and or sell my old gear easily through the MPB platform. Most recently, I made the move from Sony to Fujifilm. It's been a great way for me to match the tool to the project, and not be limited to large investments I might have made in gear restricting me in my choices. For my latest project, documenting the Tour of Britain for Hunt Bike Wheels, I wanted to find a way to slow down my photography and capture moments with greater detail and more consideration—something I felt would lend itself well to medium-format photography. Staying with the Fujifilm system I'd now come to love, and in particular the rangefinder form of the Fujifilm X-Pro 2, I opted for the Fujifilm GFX 50R partnered with the Fujifilm GF 45mm f/2.8 R WR lens to give me that 35mm-equivalent focal length.