I think it is safe to say I've pushed my Fujifilm XT1 to its limits. The little black box has been a trusty companion of mine on the streets of London, Havana and Hong Kong where it delivers with ease.
I've captured long exposures where its has rested on a tripod or something stable that happens to be lying around, accepting and smashing the tests I set, so to speak.
It has also accompanied me to extreme destinations such as North Korea where it didn't shirk at the danger whereas I sometimes decided not to shoot for my own well being.
Qatar international Akram Afif bears down on goal during Al Sadd's demolition of Al Kharitiyath in April.
The Fuji has also been dropped on numerous occasions, sometimes by me, sometimes by others, and survived with some scratches and only one battle wound, a permanent scar; the battery slot sometimes won't shut.
Afif dribbles into the box at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium.
Its survival through all this belies its diminutive size.
However, one issue I've had with the XT1 since I got it is its autofocus. Despite software updates it is still no match for a DSLR in this department and unlike its successors, the XT2 and XH1, it doesn't have customized focusing options. The newer Fujis can track fast moving and momentarily disappearing subjects such as animals and sportsmen if they become obscured.
Eager to make otherwise poor football more tolerable and to take the trendy looking tool out of its comfort zone I ventured to numerous Qatar Stars League football matches
Without a press pass I positioned myself on the front row of the stands, as close to sports photographers on the sidelines as possible. There might be some funny images around of photographers equipped with chunky DSLRs and 400mm lenses and a spectator in the background pointing in the same direction with a significantly smaller XT1 and the Fujinon 55-200mm.
To give myself the best chances of getting good shots I switched the front lever to 'Continuous' shooting and selected CL or CH (continuous low and high) on one of the dials. Of course, a fast shutter speed was selected and I used the biggest aperture possible to isolate my primary subject, the players.
A crunch tackle during during Al Sadd vs Al Kharitiyath.
Eventual champions of the league, Al Duhail, celebrate a last gasp equaliser against nearest title challengers Al Sadd. The game finished 4-3 to Al Duhail.
If you place your focus point in a certain area of the frame and the action happens at the same point within the first focus, the players and ball will be clear. However, if in the likely event the players move out of those specific points the action won't be as sharp as it could be.
The camera, in my experience, cannot re-focus fast enough or without screen blackouts as you fire in the continuous shooting modes.
A rare Al Sadd shot that didn't go in during the game against Al Kharitiyath.
This is a massive hurdle for sports and action photography. You can have your camera in manual focus, which may yield more 'keepers', but the ability for a camera to reliably autofocus in the midst of a fast paced event is essential for pros.
The latest in the X series appear to have revamped the autofocus. The XH1 and XT2 can track subjects far better than the XT1 and with the right lenses can be used professionally. The XT1 may have performed better with a faster lens yet it certainly wasn't designed for the hustle of a football match.
And yet, I am fairly happy with some of the shots I managed with the XT1. I captured world superstars such as Xavi and Wesley Sneijder in action for their Qatari clubs and caught a number of goals, including the majority of a 9-1 drubbing I witnessed and even a rare save by the Al Kharitiyath goalkeeper in that match.
Perfectly timed challenge thrawts an attack.
Barcelona and Spain legend Xavi applauds Al Sadd fans after they beat Al Gharafa 0-4 in January 2018.
Young Qatari supporters await their heroes at the end of Al Gharafa 0 - 4 Al Sadd at the Thani Bin Jassim Stadium.