Italy :: Venice & Verona With The X100 & X-Pro1

This post is just about showing a few shots from Italy. I have hundreds sitting on my hard drive, so I thought it would be a good idea to throw a few up here. These shots are from Verona, Venice, and Jesolo. They were all taken with either the Fuji X100 with it's built in 23mm f2 lens or the X-Pro1 with the 18mm f2. I'll note which is which at the bottom of the post.

• Photos 1 - 6::  Verona, Italy, X-Pro1, 18mm f2
• Photos 7 - 9::  Venice, Italy, X100, 23mm f2
• Photo 10::  Jesolo, Italy, X100, 23mm f2

My Bag Is Featured On Japan Camera Hunter

My Street and Documentary camera bag is featured on Japan Camera Hunter's 'In Your Bag' feature. I'm number 390 in this long running feature. You'll find a list of what's inside my bag, plus a bit of information too. Click here to see my bag Japan Camera hunter, AKA Bellamy Hunt is the man to contact if you're looking for quality cameras and equipment. Bellamy sources great gear from in Japan (where he's based) and ships it all over the world. Looking for a Leica M2? Bellamy's your man.

A Mute Reminder :: New Story On The Kage Collective

I have a new story on The Kage Collective website today. I say new, but it was actually shot back in November at the remembrance day parade in Glasgow, Scotland. As you can imagine, it was an emotional day for everyone involved, but especially for those who had lost friends and family in any of the conflicts around the world.

Please take a few minutes to have a look at A Mute Reminder and if you feel like leaving a comment on the Kage site, I'd love to hear your thoughts on the story. A Mute Reminder was shot with the Fujifilm X-Pro1 & X-E1.

The S Factor :: Fujifilm X100s

New from Fuji is the X100s, an update to the original X model. Fujifilm has done the opposite of what a lot of camera manufactures do by just giving the camera an S rather than naming it the X200. How many times do we see new models coming out with very minimal improvements? With the X100s, it looks like there has been a huge leap in the technology inside the camera, but very little on the outside. I'm really glad it's that way round as the the camera looks stunning!

Here are some of the new features:

• 16.3 million pixels APS-C X-Trans CMOS II sensor
• EXR Processor II
• Hybrid Viewfinder (OVF / EVF)
• FUJINON 23mm F2 lens
• Intelligent Hybrid AF (with the world’s fastest AF speed of 0.08 secs
• Start-up time of 0.5 secs
• Shutter time lag of 0.01 secs
• Shooting interval of 0.5 secs
• High-contrast and wide viewing-angle 2.8-inch Premium Clear LCD (460K dots)
• Super Intelligent Flash
• Burst shooting rate of up to 6 frames per second at full resolution (max. 29 frames)
• Focus Peak Highlight function
• Digital Split Image display
• Artistic filters
• Full HD movie recording (60fps / 30fps)

It's nice to see the old split screen focussing making a comeback. I have a similar thing in my Olympus OM2-n, but with a horizontal line, rather than vertical. The X100s looks like a cross between that and a rangefinder patch in the centre of the screen. I'm looking forward to trying it out. The X100s will also have the fastest focusing in it's class.

Let's hope we get an update to the X100 firmware to get an updated menu and to add a Q button function to the Raw button. While I'm on the subject of firmware, we really need a minimum shutter speed added to the Auto ISO in the X-Pro1 and X-E1. This should be a Fuji priority!

Trigger Happy :: Flashwave III Radio Triggers

I've been a heavy user of Nikon's Creative Lighting System for the past few years and it has worked well for me...if I'm shooting Nikon. But these days I need a radio system that would work equally well on the Nikon and the Fuji X-Pro1, X100 and now the X-E1. The latest pocket wizard plus iii's were looking like the direction I was going to go, but the system was a bit messy as the transceivers needed to be hung from the lights by lanyards. The Pocket wizards were also working out pretty expensive as I would have needed six units.

I was turned on to the Flashwave III system after reading that Billy 'the Fuji Guy' used these units and recommended them for the X cameras. I ordered two sets from Warehouse Express to try before buying the rest of the receivers that I required. A set consists of one very small transmitter for the camera hotshoe and one receiver to trigger a flash. One of the plus sides of the Flashwave system is that the receiver has it's own hotshoe that a strobe can be mounted on, plus because it has a flat base, the receiver also doubles as a Speedlight stand. These units can also be mounted on light stands via a threaded socket on the base.  A set of Flashwave III's also come with an impressive array of cables and adapters that most companies would charge as extras.

Built quality is pretty good and although the units are plastic, they have stainless steel plates on the flat areas that give them a quality feel. I get quite a few miss-fires with the Nikon SU800 commander unit (probably due to it being infrared line of sight), but the Flashwave's fire every time. Channels are controlled by 4 dip switches on all units, which gives a total of 16 channels. So if you do events with other photographers, both of you can select a different Channel and avoid firing each others lights.

It's great to use two cameras with a Flashwave transmitter on each! With a 50mm on one and an 85mm on the other, I can get through a full portrait session without having to change a lens. I used to either switch lenses or switch off cameras and move the SU800 from one to another.

The downside of using generic radio triggers is that you can't change power from the transmitters, they simply trigger and nothing more. But on the up side, I find that my lighting is more consistent when I come to editing a shoot, as I'm less likely to try to micro adjust power settings. Which of course means that photos can be adjusted in batches as the exposures are all the same.

We Are The Kage Collective :: An Announcement

I'm proud to announce the launch of The Kage Collective (pronounced Kaji), a project I'm involved in with fellow photographers Patrick La Roque (Canada), Paul Pride (England, UK) and Robert Catto (Australia), with me (Scotland, UK).

As you will see from the Kage Collective website, we are a group of international photographers shooting documentary projects about a wide variety of subjects. The one common thread that runs through the project and the thing that not only brought us together, but also binds us, is that we shoot with the Fujifilm X series cameras. At the moment the X100, X-Pro1 and X-E1 are the models being used by the collective, but I'm sure other models will become available to us, and of course we can't wait to get our hands on the new XF lenses as they come available.

Kage Collective has been simmering away in the background for a few months, taking shape and getting refined ready for todays launch. It's been difficult not to let it slip a few times, especially on Twitter. I'm excited and thrilled to be a part of this collective and couldn't wish for a better group of photographers to collaborate with. To say we're on the same wavelength would be an understatement! So please take a look at the brand new Kage Collective website (built by our very own Patrick LaRoque) and have a look at our launch stories. The site will be updated regularly and will definitely give us all a bit of pressure to go out with our Fuji X cameras and document life as we see it!

The photo above is taken from my first story on the Kage site 'Running Into Darkness' which was shot on the streets of Italy this year. As you can see, my style is my style, so if you're a regular on my 35mmStreet blog and you like my black and white photography, you should take a look at the Kage website. If you're not familiar with Patrick, Paul or Robert's work, you really are missing out on some great photography. Let me know in the comments what you think.

The Fujifilm X-E1 :: Hands On Review

There's more similarities between the X-E1 and the X-Pro1 than not, so I won't go over old ground here. You can find plenty on both the X-Pro1 and the X100 elsewhere on this blog, so I'll just give a brief roundup of the few differences and how this new camera feels.

I chose the black version for one reason...stealth! I recently tried to take photos at a murder scene and only had the X100 with me. Although it was dark, I was we'll aware that the silver body would be noticed by the police around the area far more than a black camera would, so for me, the X-E1 had to be black. I will probably put black Gaff tape over the front name plate of the camera to cover the white letters too.

First reaction when I unboxed the camera was that the packaging was a big drop down from the X-Pro1 (which was a drop down from the X100’s). The second thing I noticed was how light the camera was. I've had this initial feeling with all the X's, but like the X-Po1, when you add the battery and a lens, it starts to feel quite nice! I'm eagerly awaiting a Gariz half case to be made available, which will not only protect the body, but add a bit of weight and make it a bit more comfortable in the hand. The X-E1 is almost identical in size to the X100, but feels a bit easier to grip, thanks to the front rubber grip and the raised section that houses the Q button. Like the X-Pro1, I feel that the AE-L button would have been better placed to the left of the thumb wheel (where the View Mode button is). I would have liked the play button to have stayed in the same place as the X-Pro1 (just for consistency between cameras).

You notice the OLED viewfinder is obviously much higher resolution as soon as you look through it! The addition of a diopter is great too, but the one big thing that annoys me (apart from the lack of minimum shutter speed setting in auto ISO) is that unless you are using the rear LCD screen for shooting (why would you?) when you press the Q button or Menu button, you have to look into the viewfinder to see the display. This is a bit un-natural. For me the viewfinder is for shooting and the LCD is for menus. I know I'm not alone in this as I've read the same thing on blogs about the X-Pro1 when using the EVF.

The X-E1 is a cracking little camera and in my opinion the best in it's class! A firmware updates could sort out a couple of niggles, but there's nothing that should prevent anyone from buying this camera. If I didn't own any X cameras, I would buy the X-pro1, but if you're looking for something smaller, lighter, less expensive or to compliment an X-Pro1 or X100, then this is the one to buy. I have the 35mm f1.4 on the X-Pro1 and the 18mm f2 on the X-E1 right now and it's a pretty sweet setup. I'll buy the 23mm when it comes out next year as I love the 35mm point of view, but for now, this is a s good as it gets! Fuji are on fire right now and there commitment to existing products and customer feedback is unmatched by any other brand in my opinion.

One thing I should point out is that although the shutter sound is as awesome as the X-Pro1, there is an extra noise as the shutter closes that sounds almost like a rapid wind on of film, very short, but I wasn't sure if it should be there. I checked with Fuji UK and they confirmed that it was the sound it should make.

Fujifilm X-Pro1 v2.0 :: What We Got - What We Need

Christmas has come early with the release of firmware version 2.0 for the X-Pro1 and all the X Mount lenses. There are a few things we still need, but this is by far the biggest jump in performance Fujifilm has made in any firmware release.

WHAT WE GOT Focus has been improved by a long way. It really is amazing what Fuji has done with just a firmware upgrade, it feels more like a hardware upgrade! I'm seeing the biggest jump in the 18mm f2 lens. It used to be slower and could hunt a bit, but it's now fast and locks on really quick, even in rooms with bad lighting.

Manual focus is now really really really good and now has 3x as well as 10x magnification. I can now manual focus quickly and accurately through the viewfinder even without using the magnified view. It feels more like I've had laser surgery on my eyes that a firmware update! Things pot right into focus with less turning of the focus ring, although I would say that slightly less again would be even better. That said, I'm not complaining in the least.

The speed at which the files are written to the SD card has doubled, but the thing that is most noticeable is the speed you can flick through photos on the LCD, it's super fast and no longer pauses every few images when you hold the pad down.

Auto ISO now goes up to 6400, but that leads me to the one thing that's missing and what we really need. So Fujifilm is you're reading this, thanks for making the X-Pro1 and lenses even better, but here is a list of what we need IMO.

WHAT WE NEED

• 1. Minimum shutter speed limit when using Auto ISO (like in the X100).
• 2. The ability to use the Exposure Compensation Dial in Manual Mode.
• 3. The option to set Macro from the Quick Menu and have the four way pad constantly active for moving focus points without pressing the AF button first (like on a Nikon DSLR).

When shooting these cameras, it is crucial that they can be operated without having to press any of the left hand buttons (i.e. To select focus points), it's very slow and causes shots to be missed. Focus points are moved a lot more than Macro Mode!

Again, this is a huge leap for the X-Pro1 and I'm now looking forward to the X-E1 even more.

Fujifil X-E1 :: What It Holds For Photographers & Fuji?

The Fujifilm X-E1 is the newest member of the X family and is more like a baby X-Pro1 than the successor to the future classic X100. Although the body is almost the same size as the X100, it's looks and features are closer to the X-Pro1, plus it shares the amazing X-Trans sensor so the quality will be exactly the same. What it doesn't share though is the Hybrid viewfinder that was one of the biggest selling points with the other two cameras. It only has an electronic viewfinder, but the resolution has took a big leap in this body. But I don't want to make this post about the features as you can find them all over the web. Instead I'd like to talk about what this camera will do for Fuji (especially the X-Pro1) and for photographers.

I'm wondering if the new beast will kill a huge chunk of the X-Pro1 sales due to many improvements. The biggest of these being that the focus time is reported to be 0.1 seconds and the shutter lag will be .005 seconds, But these times are only available with the new 18-55mm f2.8-f4 R LM OIS lens due to it's new linear motor. I'm not sure yet if the new 14mm f2.8 lens has the same motor and performance, but as there isn't much info, I'm guessing not. There is a firmware due to be released for the X-Pro1 on the 18th of September (the start of Photokina 2012) and the rumours say that there will be a big improvement in focus speed, but this might be with the new zoom lens. I don't use zoom lenses so I'm hoping that there will be an improvement with existing lenses and that all future lenses will have the new linear motor too.

In fact the only drawback from buying this over the X-Pro1 would be the lack of an OVF. The new 2.3 million dot EVF almost makes up for it, but there's something special about an optical viewfinder, although the X-Pro1's is not as good as the big bright OVF found in the X100. So apart from the lack of OVF, the X-E1 has a much better EVF, fast autofocus (at last), almost no shutter lag (that's fantastic too) and this new model comes in both black and silver. Silver is lovely, but the black is more stealth, it all depends on your intended use...or taste.

So for Fuji this could either turn out to be the most amazing camera that proves that they are up there with Canon and Nikon and posssibly the leader when it comes to sensors, or it could end-up killing off their flagship camera that hasn't even been out for a year. Time will tell, but I really hope that Fuji reap the rewards for coming up with game changing cameras, maybe even life changing!

But what about us photogs? For me it could mean that I finally move away from DSLR's altogether. The main reason I've been using both the X-Pro1 and a DSLR was because moving subjects (especially coming toward the camera) were near impossible to capture with the X-Pro1. But shooting with the X-E1 as a second body might be a perfect duo. As I was about to make the jump from Nikon to Canon this could save me a fortune.

So if you're new to the Fuji X's and you can do without an OVF and you don't mind the small size of the body, then the X-E1 looks like the way to go. But if you want an OVF and a bigger body then it's the X-Pro1, but auto focus speed and shutter lag is something you will have to live with. If you already have an X-Pro1 and need a second body, then it's a no brainer...as long as the auto focus lives up to the hype (remember they said that the AF on the X-Pro1 was smokin' fast). I really hope for our sake and Fuji's that the X-Pro1 firmware update will take a big leap in focus performance, I'd hate to see the camera being killed by it's own brother.

If the X-E1 is as good as they say in the focus department, my camera bag might look like this next year:

• X-Pro1 Body with the 35mm f1.4 (50mm in full frame speak)
• X-E1 body with the 23mm f1.4 (35mm in FF and due in 2013)
• 18mm f2 (27mm in FF).
• 56mm f1.4 (84mm in FF due in 2013)
• EF 42 Flash (just in case)
• 

I'd like to say that it's not about the gear, but in the case of the X100, X-Pro1 and now the X-E1 (I'm leaving the X10 out as it's a point and shoot) it is sort of about the gear. The X cameras have thrown a lot of our worlds upside down, they are game changers. they change the way you shoot and in a lot of cases what you shoot. I kinda wish I had been around in the early Leica days when guys like Bresson, Robert Frank and Frank Cappa were trailblazzing small 35mm cameras. It's a romantic era in photography, but in some ways Fuji are giving us that same thing back with a jacket on. It's an exciting time for photographers, but even more so for street and documentary photographers as these small cameras give us all the good points of a Leica, but without the price tag.

X-Pro1 At 3200 ISO:: Belladrum Festival

There's no fear at shooting 3200 iso with the X-Pro1! There's also no fear shooting at wide apertures, you just simply compose and let the camera do the rest. This first shot was at f2 and 1/60 of a second. I was shooting the performers in the background playing with fire, but I found the foreground more interesting.

The photo of the crowd (above) was shot at f2.8 and 1/125th of a second. As Travis performed on stage, whipping the crowd into a frenzy, the X-Pro1 performed on the ground.

I don't know the name of this comedian, but he was a pretty funny guy. If only the crowd were as good!

I could have shot photos of this comedian all night long.

Not something you see everyday...not on this planet anyway.

This shot was taken at f 1.4 and 1/30th of a second. With a full frame eqivelent of a 50mm,  1/30th is half the shutter speed that you would need to shoot this on a DSLR. Another great reason to shot mirror-less cameras.

This last shot was taken with the 18mm at f2 and 1/30th of a second. I wouldn't dream of shooting this sort of event with a DSLR, not with mine anyway! Have a look at more black and white 3200 iso shots on my street photography blog 35mmStreet