I'm generally drawn to rugged, diverse landscapes with dramatic and unforgiving conditions, and New Zealand is a dead-on match for these criteria. I was inspired by the idea of being able to photograph scorched volcanic terrain, dense rainforests, glaciated peaks, and untamed coastlines over the course of one week, rather than limiting myself to a single environment.

–Adam Weist

Coupled with the outstanding image quality, the X1D's ability to consistently perform during intense, unpredictable weather makes this camera indispensable for adventure photographers. I've shot in nearly identical conditions with other full-frame, “weather-sealed” camera bodies in the past, and many of them either stopped working during the shoot or developed chronic issues with the buttons and performance down the road. I never experienced any problems whatsoever with the X1D. The body was lightweight and easy to carry during long hikes, particularly when paired with the XCD 45P lens.

I think this was the first time I've ever laughed out loud while editing photos from a trip - that’s how blown away I was by the quality and dynamic range of the X1D files. I had a blast just seeing how far I could push the highlights and shadows before noticing any deterioration in the image quality (spoiler alert: it was a lot). I've honestly never seen anything like it.

The colors captured by the X1D were vivid, accurate and realistic, with a very pleasing look straight out of the camera. New Zealand is a country where the full spectrum of colors are on display, including just about every shade of green imaginable. I was consistently blown away by the depth of color the sensor captured and how well it picked up the nuances of each individual hue. As a result, I found these images much quicker and easier to edit than those of other cameras I’ve used in the past.