diff --git a/src/_path_wrapper.cpp b/src/_path_wrapper.cpp
index 354097557..2fd90adb9 100644
--- a/src/_path_wrapper.cpp
+++ b/src/_path_wrapper.cpp
@@ -437,23 +437,25 @@ static PyObject *Py_affine_transform(PyObject *self, PyObject *args, PyObject *k
         return NULL;
     }
 
-    try {
-        numpy::array_view<double, 2> vertices(vertices_obj);
+    PyArrayObject* vertices_arr = (PyArrayObject *)PyArray_ContiguousFromAny(vertices_obj, NPY_DOUBLE, 1, 2);
+    if (vertices_arr == NULL) {
+        return NULL;
+    }
+
+    if (PyArray_NDIM(vertices_arr) == 2) {
+        numpy::array_view<double, 2> vertices(vertices_arr);
         npy_intp dims[] = { (npy_intp)vertices.size(), 2 };
         numpy::array_view<double, 2> result(dims);
         CALL_CPP("affine_transform", (affine_transform_2d(vertices, trans, result)));
+        Py_DECREF(vertices_arr);
+        return result.pyobj();
+    } else { // PyArray_NDIM(vertices_arr) == 1
+        numpy::array_view<double, 1> vertices(vertices_arr);
+        npy_intp dims[] = { (npy_intp)vertices.size() };
+        numpy::array_view<double, 1> result(dims);
+        CALL_CPP("affine_transform", (affine_transform_1d(vertices, trans, result)));
+        Py_DECREF(vertices_arr);
         return result.pyobj();
-    } catch (py::exception &) {
-        PyErr_Clear();
-        try {
-            numpy::array_view<double, 1> vertices(vertices_obj);
-            npy_intp dims[] = { (npy_intp)vertices.size() };
-            numpy::array_view<double, 1> result(dims);
-            CALL_CPP("affine_transform", (affine_transform_1d(vertices, trans, result)));
-            return result.pyobj();
-        } catch (py::exception &) {
-            return NULL;
-        }
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/numpy_cpp.h b/src/numpy_cpp.h
index 2218078ae..cddbcb659 100644
--- a/src/numpy_cpp.h
+++ b/src/numpy_cpp.h
@@ -398,6 +398,15 @@ class array_view : public detail::array_view_accessors<array_view, T, ND>
         m_strides = strides;
     }
 
+    array_view(PyArrayObject *arr)
+    {
+        m_arr = arr;
+        Py_XINCREF(arr);
+        m_shape = PyArray_DIMS(m_arr);
+        m_strides = PyArray_STRIDES(m_arr);
+        m_data = (char *)PyArray_BYTES(m_arr);
+    }
+
     array_view(npy_intp shape[ND]) : m_arr(NULL), m_shape(NULL), m_strides(NULL), m_data(NULL)
     {
         PyObject *arr = PyArray_SimpleNew(ND, shape, type_num_of<T>::value);
@@ -456,18 +465,18 @@ class array_view : public detail::array_view_accessors<array_view, T, ND>
                 m_data = NULL;
                 m_shape = zeros;
                 m_strides = zeros;
-		if (PyArray_NDIM(tmp) == 0 && ND == 0) {
-		    m_arr = tmp;
-		    return 1;
-		}
+                if (PyArray_NDIM(tmp) == 0 && ND == 0) {
+                    m_arr = tmp;
+                    return 1;
+                }
             }
-	    if (PyArray_NDIM(tmp) != ND) {
-		PyErr_Format(PyExc_ValueError,
-			     "Expected %d-dimensional array, got %d",
-			     ND,
-			     PyArray_NDIM(tmp));
-		Py_DECREF(tmp);
-		return 0;
+            if (PyArray_NDIM(tmp) != ND) {
+                PyErr_Format(PyExc_ValueError,
+                             "Expected %d-dimensional array, got %d",
+                             ND,
+                             PyArray_NDIM(tmp));
+                Py_DECREF(tmp);
+                return 0;
             }
 
             /* Copy some of the data to the view object for faster access */
diff --git a/src/py_converters.cpp b/src/py_converters.cpp
index cc235df2e..9119df6b6 100644
--- a/src/py_converters.cpp
+++ b/src/py_converters.cpp
@@ -158,45 +158,36 @@ int convert_rect(PyObject *rectobj, void *rectp)
         rect->x2 = 0.0;
         rect->y2 = 0.0;
     } else {
-        try
-        {
-            numpy::array_view<const double, 2> rect_arr(rectobj);
+        PyArrayObject *rect_arr = (PyArrayObject *)PyArray_ContiguousFromAny(
+                rectobj, NPY_DOUBLE, 1, 2);
+        if (rect_arr == NULL) {
+            return 0;
+        }
 
-            if (rect_arr.dim(0) != 2 || rect_arr.dim(1) != 2) {
+        if (PyArray_NDIM(rect_arr) == 2) {
+            if (PyArray_DIM(rect_arr, 0) != 2 ||
+                PyArray_DIM(rect_arr, 1) != 2) {
                 PyErr_SetString(PyExc_ValueError, "Invalid bounding box");
+                Py_DECREF(rect_arr);
                 return 0;
             }
 
-            rect->x1 = rect_arr(0, 0);
-            rect->y1 = rect_arr(0, 1);
-            rect->x2 = rect_arr(1, 0);
-            rect->y2 = rect_arr(1, 1);
-        }
-        catch (py::exception &)
-        {
-            PyErr_Clear();
-
-            try
-            {
-                numpy::array_view<const double, 1> rect_arr(rectobj);
-
-                if (rect_arr.dim(0) != 4) {
-                    PyErr_SetString(PyExc_ValueError, "Invalid bounding box");
-                    return 0;
-                }
-
-                rect->x1 = rect_arr(0);
-                rect->y1 = rect_arr(1);
-                rect->x2 = rect_arr(2);
-                rect->y2 = rect_arr(3);
-            }
-            catch (py::exception &)
-            {
+        } else {  // PyArray_NDIM(rect_arr) == 1
+            if (PyArray_DIM(rect_arr, 0) != 4) {
+                PyErr_SetString(PyExc_ValueError, "Invalid bounding box");
+                Py_DECREF(rect_arr);
                 return 0;
             }
         }
-    }
 
+        double *buff = (double *)PyArray_DATA(rect_arr);
+        rect->x1 = buff[0];
+        rect->y1 = buff[1];
+        rect->x2 = buff[2];
+        rect->y2 = buff[3];
+
+        Py_DECREF(rect_arr);
+    }
     return 1;
 }
 
@@ -336,27 +327,26 @@ int convert_trans_affine(PyObject *obj, void *transp)
         return 1;
     }
 
-    try
-    {
-        numpy::array_view<const double, 2> matrix(obj);
+    PyArrayObject *array = (PyArrayObject *)PyArray_ContiguousFromAny(obj, NPY_DOUBLE, 2, 2);
+    if (array == NULL) {
+        return 0;
+    }
 
-        if (matrix.dim(0) == 3 && matrix.dim(1) == 3) {
-            trans->sx = matrix(0, 0);
-            trans->shx = matrix(0, 1);
-            trans->tx = matrix(0, 2);
+    if (PyArray_DIM(array, 0) == 3 && PyArray_DIM(array, 1) == 3) {
+        double *buffer = (double *)PyArray_DATA(array);
+        trans->sx = buffer[0];
+        trans->shx = buffer[1];
+        trans->tx = buffer[2];
 
-            trans->shy = matrix(1, 0);
-            trans->sy = matrix(1, 1);
-            trans->ty = matrix(1, 2);
+        trans->shy = buffer[3];
+        trans->sy = buffer[4];
+        trans->ty = buffer[5];
 
-            return 1;
-        }
-    }
-    catch (py::exception &)
-    {
-        return 0;
+        Py_DECREF(array);
+        return 1;
     }
 
+    Py_DECREF(array);
     PyErr_SetString(PyExc_ValueError, "Invalid affine transformation matrix");
     return 0;
 }