Badminton Horse Trials 2024 with Viltrox 75mm F1.2

ReviewsSports PhotographyPersonal Photography

13 May

Badminton Horse Trials Cross Country 2024

Being the father of a horse-loving daughter and wife, it has become a bit of a yearly ritual for us to attend the Cross Country Day at Badminton Horse Trials here in the Cotswolds.

It’s a fantastic day out if you are into such things, and as it's only a fifteen-minute drive from our home, I always look forward to it.

This was the 75th anniversary of the Badminton Horse Trials, a highlight in the global equestrian calendar, held at the Duke of Beaufort's estate in Gloucestershire, UK. This event is renowned for its triathlon of equestrian disciplines—dressage, cross-country, and show jumping—drawing top competitors worldwide.

The 2024 event was especially memorable as it gathered many past champions for a reunion, underscoring the rich heritage and tradition of the trials. Caroline Powell emerged as a standout, finishing 6th in the cross-country phase and maintaining her lead to secure an overall victory. This win was particularly significant given the challenges faced from other frontrunners, Tim Price and William Fox-Pitt, who both encountered setbacks in their jumping rounds on the final day, altering the leaderboard dramatically.

Viltrox AF 75mm F/1.2 XF Pro Lens For Fujifilm X

I continued my testing of the impressive Viltrox AF 75mm F/1.2 XF Pro Lens For Fujifilm X Mount attached to one of my Fujifilm X-T5s.

As mentioned in my previous post about this lens, I hope to have a full review soon. I chose to shoot the event primarily wide open at F1.2, which I feel is an attraction for many of these lenses.

I doubt this lens would be suitable for Weddings simply because of my Documentary Wedding Photography Style. Still, it certainly has a place in some of my commercial and personal work.

It’s crisp, responsive and very sharp. I do notice a little bit of dirty detail when pixel peeping at 100% on very fast shutter speed shots taken wide open at F1.2, though I have to say I think the lens has done remarkably well, given the speed of the riders and their horses.

A Note on the Editing of the Photos

The colour Images were edited with my Kodachrome Style Profile in my Film Edition 3 Colour Preset Pack, and the Monochrome Images were edited with the Monochrome Standard Profile from the Film Edition 3 Monochrome Preset Pack.

I also have a sample pack available for you to test out these new Lightroom Presets and Profiles.

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