Fujifilm XF 90mm f2 Review

I had instant gear lust when the 90mm was announced. A full frame equivalent to a 135mm f2 is probably the ultimate portrait lens for great compression and beautiful shallow depth of field. But as usual, in the space between gear announcements and actual release, my brain takes over and starts to through in a bit of sense to the mix. I already have a 16, 18, 23, 35, 56, 16-55, 18-55 and 50-140mm. Plus the two conversion lenses for the X100T. Do I really need another lens?

But when I was asked recently to write some posts for Fuji's blog about my favourite lenses, I made the mistake of mentioning that I didn't own a 90mm and was on the fence about getting one. That was a bad idea, because Fuji then sent me a 90mm to try out.

My current lens lineup, which is almost all of the XF series minus the 14, 27, 56 APD, 10-24 and 18-135mm.

I setup the shot above to show the difference in size between the 90mm and other lenses in the XF range. My lenses tend to live in different bags, so I was a little shocked to see them all together like this. I only owned five lenses when I shot Nikon, but as you can see from the picture above, I have a lot more Fuji glass. I have also owned the 14mm and 60mm, which I replaced with the 16mm and 56mm. I like my lenses to be as fast as possible and tend not to use anything slower than an f2.8 because I shoot a lot of things in low light.

So, as I don't live on the Moon, I knew what the 90mm looked like and I knew it was sharp. To be honest though, I've shot with almost all of the XF lenses and every single one of them was sharper than any lens I've shot with from any other brand. Lets face it, Fujifilm make amazing cameras, but their lenses are on another level again! They set the bar high with the 35mm f1.4 back when they introduced the first of their compact system cameras, the X-Pro1, but have consistently, not just matched, but bettered that lens. That's no mean feat, because the 35/1.4 was and still is about the best full frame 50mm equivalent on the market.

The obvious use for the 90mm would be for portraiture. If you're a traditional wedding photographer and love those shallow depth of field outdoor portraits, you will absolutely love this lens! I shot some studio portraits with it and loved the look and performance. The problem I had was that I didn't have enough room to back off from my subject, so I ended up with mostly head shots and to be honest shot most of the session with the 56mm f1.2. But if you have plenty of room in your studio or shoot a lot outside, then this could be the portrait lens for you.

The Edinburgh Festival was in full swing when I received this test copy of the 90mm, so although a 135mm focal length is 100mm more than I would typically shoot street with, I gladly popped the 90 onto my X-E2 and jumped on a train to Edinburgh. I should say here that my perfect camera to use with the 90mm is the X-T1 with a battery grip, which is what I used for the portrait session. That setup is the perfect combination of grip and balance due to the physical length of the lens. But I realized recently while on a trip to Paris, that I don't like to shoot on the street with the DSLR shape of the X-T1 and much prefer the boxy rangefinder style of the X-Pro1 and X-E2. My favorite street camera is the X100T by a long way, but I would need a saw and a couple of screws to attach the 90mm to that :o)

the 90mm was a blast to shoot on the street. It took a bit of getting used to everything being so close when I brought the camera up to my eye, but as the day went on I just enjoyed it more and more. Have a look at my street photography blog at 35mmStreet to see a lot more of these pictures from the Edinburgh Festival.

Another thing to note here is that these were all shot using the Classic Chrome Film Simulation. I love the way it renders colour in a desaturated Kodachrome look. I've been shooting Classic Chrome almost exclusively now for about three months and I love it! Post processing on these is minimal. A bit of Contras, a bit of Clarity and a Vignette now and again. But I have no problem using JPEG's straight out of camera too.

The 90mm is such a great lens and certainly in the top three of the XF series. The 56mm is an amazing portrait lens, but the 90mm takes it to another level again, due to the compression of the longer focal length and the out of focus blur is even smother too. There were a couple of times where the subject moved outside my focus point and the lens felt as though it took a while to focus all the way in one direction and then back to where it locked on. This happened very little and to be fair, it focused wonderfully on subjects moving toward me. It nailed focus and faces were pin sharp, even at f2. It doesn't focus as well in really low light situations as the 16, 23, 56, 50-140 or even the 35mm. This surprised me a bit, considering it has the latest technology, including triple focusing motors. Although I'm talking extreme low light here, it is the only point that makes me hesitate about pulling the trigger on this lens and adding it to my kit.

I've noticed that the latest lenses I have bought, (the 16mm & 16-55mm) have a stiffer aperture ring and I'm glad to say the 90mm does too. A lot of the other lenses aperture rings are a bit loose and easy to knock to another position without knowing. Even my 50-140mm f2.8 is rather loose. Build quality on the 90mm is exactly the same as the other XF primes, which is very nice. I must say that it's not the best looking Fuji lens, looking a little bland due to its longer length. I think the award for best looking lens would have to go to the 16 or 23mm, due to the clutch mechanism and slightly wider front end. Speaking of front end, the 90mm has a 62mm filter thread. It's a shame there are so many filter sizes between the XF lens lineup, but it wouldn't be possible to have them all the same with so much variation in lens sized due to physics.

I had one of my regular jazz shoots the weekend before sending the 90mm back. This time round it featured US tenor saxophonist Benny Golson (remember him from the Tom Hanks movie 'The Terminal"?) The venue was dark and a challenging situation for any lens. I love the look I was getting. The shallow depth of field and the compression are great for music photography. It did hunt for focus a couple of times, but like I said, it was pretty dark.

CONCLUSION

I'm a bit torn with the 90mm f2. Do I need it? No. Do I want it? Yes. Although it's not the best lens for focusing in low light situations (by low light, I mean dark), it is an amazing piece of class! It possibly produces the best looking pictures from any of the X Series lenses. Certainly the smoothest, creamiest in shallow depth of field terms. It does take up a lot of room in a camera bag and it's not a lens I would take to every shoot. But when the job calls for a 135mm focal length, the 90mm f2 is just an amazing piece of kit that delivers wonderful pictures every time. Maybe I don't need it because I already have the 50-140mm f2.8, but the 90mm is physically smaller and a little faster (aperture wise). I'll wait to see how much I miss it when it's gone back to Fuji, then decide if one will join my lineup.

Fujifilm Macro Tubes MCEX-11 & MCEX-16

I just got hold of Fuji's MCEX-11 (11mm) and MCEX-16 (16mm) Macro Extension Tubes and I wanted to do a quick comparison. Fuji has a table on line with all the information in numbers form about focus distance etc, but photographers are visual beasts. So as I couldn't find much in picture form on line, I thought I would show some examples of what you get from each of them. I have included one with just the lens, one with the 11mm, one with the 16mm and one with both tubes stacked together. All shots were taken with the camera as close to the subject as possible. I basically focused each lens to minimum distance and then moved the camera in until it achieved focus. I have kept the subject the same throughout (my X100S) so that you can get a good idea of what the difference is from lens to lens with each tube. All of these JPGS were shot square in camera (yes, your X camera shoots in square and 16:9 too:o). Please note, the wider lenses (14mm, 18mm & 23mm) worked with the MCEX-11, but the lens touched the X100 before focusing was achieved with the 16mm or both stacked. The 35mm lens went in so close with both tubes attached, that I had to remove the X100S lens hood.

These tubes are more than double the price of the equivalent on Amazon or Ebay, but as this is a one off purchase and because I've read a lot of comments on line about the electrical contacts not working on third party ones, I though it was worth going for the original Fuji tubes. Besides, I sold my 60mm Macro lens when I heard these were coming out as they're smaller and easily stuff in the corner of a camera bag. Built quality is extremely high and the fit is tight (but not too tight). My one gripe is that neither of the tubes come with a case or a bag and as these go between lens and camera, dust is not welcome. I'm storing them in the little cloth bag that came with the X100 lens hood at the moment. I've used the 56mm f1.2, the 35mm f1.4 and the 50-140mm f2.8 for examples here. I think owners of the 56mm will get the most use out of these, as that lens has a poor minimum focus distance. Sop here are the results.

I wanted to confirm that the photos from the 50-140mm f2.8 lens are correct. I had to check the metadata to make sure these were in the right order. I even re-shot them just to be 100% sure. I hope this post has been useful. Use the comments section if you have any questions about these tubes, or if you would like to see a ring shoot ...etc.

Fuji 50-140mm f2.8 :: It Thinks It's A Prime

Warning. If you don't want to to spend more money on gear, do not read this post!

All of these portraits of my kids are straight out of the camera. I have not adjusted contrast or sharpness. This is what you get from an X-T1 and the 50-140mm f2.8. I will do a follow up post to show how great the shallow depth of field looks, but I wanted to get a review out as quick as possible and it's been a dark grey weekend. This won't be a technical review. You can find plenty of specs on the web if you need them. Specs are fine, but if they're not engineered properly, they don't mean a thing!

It seems nobody told this lens that it's not supposed to be as sharp as a prime. Come to think of it, nobody told Fuji that you can't make a zoom that performs like a prime lens either. But I'm glad, because they have pulled it off. Click on any of the portrait shots to see a full size version on Flickr.

Ok, so the shot above is sharp, very sharp. But look below and you will see that this is just a small crop of the original photo. Not only that, but as I said above, this is SOOC. These portraits of my kids were shot with the Fuji X-T1 and the new 50-140mm f2.8. With a full frame equivalent of 75-210mm, this is Fuji's answer to the classic professional workhorse 70-200mm f2.8. Now I own a 70-200mm Nikon and it's a fantastic lens (as is the Canon version). It's the reason I've held on to my Nikon D800, because I need that 200mm reach for my jazz photography. Fuji's other long zooms are too slow for what I need and my longest prime is the awesome 56mm f1.2. I'm looking forward to my next jazz shoot with an all Fuji setup!

So this shot of my son wearing his first tour t-shirt from our first father and son gig on Saturday (War Of The Worlds) is enough to show the amazing quality that the X-Trans sensor and the 50-140mm can produce. These portraits were lit using a Lastolite Hotrod Stripbox with a Nikon SB700 inside. I also used a Lastolite Trigrip 8 in 1 reflector to get clamshell style lighting. The Flash was triggered by the Flashwave III Radio Triggers. More information on using Flash with Fuji can be found in my 3 part post starting HERE.

The first thing you notice when you see this lens in person is the size of it. Although not as large as the Nikon or Canon version, it is however, a 70-200mm f2.8 (FF), and that means bulk. Compared to other X-Series lenses, this one is big and it's heavy. Not in a DSLR sense, but for mirrorless. But this is not a lens that you take with you every day. No this is the big gun that goes to a paid job and does the business. It's a wedding or portrait photographers must have piece of glass and it will be the lens that allow a large number of DSLR shooters to jump ship to Fuji mirrorless. There will be some that need an equivalent to a 24-70mm f2.8 before that jump, but don't worry because there's a 16-55mm f2.8 coming early 2015.

So here is how the lens looks on three Different bodies. On the left is the X-T1, which with the battery grip, will be my preferred camera with this big lens. In the middle we have the X-Pro1 and on the right is the smallest of the three, the X-E1. As you will notice from this Triptych, Fuji have put some thought into this and included a removable square (see centre image) on the lens hood. This is to give access to a polarising filter so that it can be turned. I would recommend using the hood with the hole at the bottom to keep out sunlight.

I'm really pleased that Fuji has went with an aperture ring that has the f stops marked on it and has a dead stop at either side, rather than the un-marked continuous ones found on the other zooms. The zoom ring is nice and stiff and very grippy. And on the subject of zooming, as this is a professional lens, all zooming movement is internal, so there are no unwanted protrusions at the front end.

A metal tripod mount Is included and attached, which is essential if you shoot landscapes etc. The lens is heavy and it doesn't matter which of the X bodies you use it on, there would be too much strain on the cameras lens mount if attached to a tripod via the bottom of the camera. As I only use a tripod now and again, I prefer to remove the tripod mount until required. This is easily achieved by removing two screws (they stay attached to the mount, so no chance of loosing them). I found the best way to reattach the tripod mount is to hold it in place with a thumb and turn both screws simultaneously. When I tried to do them one at a time, the second one was always a bit reluctant to go in. The tripod mount is attached to a ring on the lens that allows the camera to rotate for upright portraits. This locks into position by a single thumbscrew. A small wish for the tripod mount would have been a quick release system similar to the Nikon 70-200mm rather than the two screws....but it's no big deal!

I often use a BlackRapid Yeti double strap and I really wish Fuji had included a threaded hole for a tripod on the base of the lens as well as the tripod mount (other 70-200mm's have this). I would feel better about hanging my camera upside down from a BlackRapid FastenR with the rubber bush, than the two thumb screws holding the tripod bracket to the lens. It may be absolutely safe, but I'll be keeping an eye on it for the first few shoots.

My seven year old daughter played her first two gigs at the weekend. So the real reason for taking some studio pictures was really to mark the occasion. It was just good timing that Fuji released this lens at the same time. Ho did they know?

The focusing ring is well suited to portraits as you can make really fine adjustments without overshooting the distance. This is due to the focusing ring having a longer travel, something welcome on this lens, but not so much on a shorter focal length prime.

My time to shoot pictures of my son is limited, as he doesn't stop moving long enough. So I told him I would shoot 15 frames and he was done. This was the last shot and in response to me asking him to give me the James Bond look. As you can see from the catch lights in his eyes, the strip box is above and the reflector below.

 So in conclusion: The Fujifilm 50-140mm is just outstanding! We've waited a while, but the wait was well worth it. I keep thinking that Fuji has peeked with the quality of their lenses, but as soon as I do, they bring out something that just blows me away! Sure it's a big lens on such small cameras, but it is smaller than the equivalent Nikon or Canon (see comparison pic to the left). Apart from wishing for a quick release on the tripod mount and a threaded hole to allow direct tripod/BlackRapid mounting, the only other thing I would have wished for would be a soft or hard case to have been included, rather than the usual cloth bag.

But those are in no way deal breakers. The XF 50-140mm f2.8 R LM OIS WR (to give it it's full title) is value for money when you consider the quality and comparison to the price of the big two's 70-200mm f2.8 glass. If Fuji can pull off the same feat with the upcoming 16-55mm f2.8, they will have arguably two of the best zooms for the working professional. It's amazing to think how little time has passed since the launch of the first interchangeable lens X camera. But in such a short time Fuji has produced an unbelievable system. Let's hope they're working on a great wireless flash system to go with it.

Click these links to see what the 50-140mm looks like in daylight and with shallow depth of field.

Out & About With The Fuji 50-140mm f2.8 And Now For Something Completely Different :: Street Photography With The Fuji 50-140mm f2.8

Wide Angle Wizardry :: Fujifilm XF 10-24mm f4

I have fond memories of shooting with a Sigma 10-20mm and 10mm fisheye a few years ago on DSLR's. Super wide angle lenses are great fun and sometimes it's the things they say you shouldn't do with a wide angle that turn out to be the most interesting and fun. I got that familiar, but at the same time forgotten tingle of excitement when I attached the Fuji 10-24mm f4 lens to the X-T1, similar to how a piece of music takes you back to a memory tucked away in the back of your mind. A super wide angle lens is an epic way to see the world!

In full frame speak, this would be a 15-36mm, so it can be a decent documentary lens, especially in tight spaces. It could be used for street photography too, but it's a bit too big compared to the 23mm f1.4 or 18mm f2. But if landscape or architecture work is your thing, then this is the lens for you. I haven't managed to get anywhere near the sea since having the 10-24mm, but I'm sure it would produce epic seascapes.

At 87mm's long and with a filter size of 72mm, the 10-24mm can be a bit front heavy on most of the X-Series cameras. But with the battery grip attached to the X-T1 it feels about right and with the lens getting bigger toward the front, it feels both comfortable and secure when holding it in both hands. I'm so glad Fuji chose to make this a constant wide aperture of f4. Although 2.8 would have been nice, I much prefer a constant f4 to the variable f3.5-f5.6 of the 18-135mm. In my mind pro lenses don't have variable apertures.

On the subject of Aperture, I don't know why Fuji chose to have an endless aperture ring without f numbers marked on the lens. I get that you need this on the 18-55mm or the 18-135mm because the widest aperture is variable as you move through the range of the zoom. But as the 10-24mm is a fixed widest aperture of F4 all the way through, I don't see the point. I'm so glad to see that the upcoming 50-140mm f2.8 has an aperture ring like the primes, with the f stops etched on the lens and a dead stop at either end. Because the 10-24mm has an endless aperture ring, it does note have an A for Auto. So like the 18-55mm, there is a seperate switch to select manual or automatic aperture.

One slight gripe I have (personally) is that the focus ring is so far forward that it makes manual focusing awkward when turning the focus ring to the left (focusing closer), if like me, you prefer to hold the lens from below, rather than above. This is only a problem with the battery grip attached to the X-T1 as the heal of your hand hits against it. That won't be a problem with any other body.

Image stabilisation maybe not as crucial on a super wide angle lens as on a telephoto, but thanks for adding it Fuji. As on the 18-55mm, there's a constant (almost inaudible) hiss from the lens, with or without OIS switched on. Weight is spot on in my opinion for a lens of this type and size. Build quality, as on all Fuji XF lenses, is extreamly high and I couldn't wish for anything better.

 

The 10-24mm f4 is one of the quietest autofocus lenses I have ever used. It is practically silent! This will be great in conjunction with the Silent Shutter Mode available as part of a firmware update in Dec 2014.

So it's another big thumbs up for Fuji glass. They make fantastic cameras, but the quality of their lenses is breathtaking. The original three X-Series lenses, the 18mm, 35mm and 60mm, were and still are sharp, compact and well made. the 35mm f1.4 is already a classic in my opinion. But since those early lenses, Fuji have  taken things to another level and produced lots of amazing glass, including my all time favourite, the 56mm f1.2.

Next on my shopping list is the 50-140 f2.8 (75-210mm in full frame), which will be perfect for my long term jazz project. I reckon this will be the lens that make a lot of DSLR users jump ship to mirrorless. Watch this space for a full review soon.

Disclaimer: I am an Official Fujifilm X-Photographer and have done some work for them. However, I am not paid to review gear or promote the Fuji brand. I have been talking and writing about the X-Series since the X100 found it's way into my hands and long before Fuji knew who I was. The X-Series changed the way I shoot and has opened many doors for me.

WCL-X100 & TCL-X100 for Fuji X100 S & T

The Fujifilm X100 was a real game changer in my photography. I was in need of something small, light and above all else, great in low light. But I got more than I bargained for and the X100 took me on a journey and made me realize the direction I really wanted to go. I still have my original X100, but after including many other X cameras to my kit, I've recently came full circle and rekindled my love of the X100 with the addition of an X100S. Although I have five X series cameras and many lenses, I have had an urge lately to carry less....much less. So I've limited my personal photography to the X100S (although not exclusively). But although I love the 35mm field of view (full frame wise), Sometimes I can be restricted in zooming with my feet and then have to take another body and lens(s).

Thankfully Fuji have answered the prayers of X100 shooters with the introduction of two great converter lenses. The WCL-X100 (wide angle version) came first, and then more recently the TCL-X100 (telephoto version). Both are built to the same high quality as the X100 and feel so good in use. They attach to the original fixed 35mm lens by screwing on to the (external) filter thread. If like me, you have the Fuji lens hood attached, you must remove both the hood and the adaptor before attaching each of the converter lenses.

WCL-X100 The WCL-X100 takes the 35mm field of view down to 28mm. This doesn't seem like a lot, but it can make all the difference in a lot of circumstances. I know there's a lot of street photographers that prefer a 28mm field of view to a 35mm and for cityscapes or landscapes this is just the ticket. The WCL is the smaller of the two and as slim as the X100's fixed lens. It also accepts the original Fuji lens hood (without the need for the adapter ring. The WCL looks 100% like it's part of the camera and although extends the length and weight, the camera still feels pretty well balanced and small.

Even Leica Man couldn't take his eyes off the X100S with the WCL-X100

Fuji have done a great job getting rid of distortion on a lens this wide.Even at the edges, it doesn't pull and flatten out as much as a lot of 28m lenses.

TCL-X100 The TCL-X100 takes the X100/100S up to a 50mm and into the zone of portraits without distortion. Although it still looks like it's part of the camera, rather than a screw on converter, the size and weight ads quite a bit and makes the camera quite a bit more front heavy. But because of it's funnel shape and larger front end, it is really comfortable to hold both when shooting and holding. Sadly the TCL doesn't have a built in lens hood mount and the original lens hood would be much too small anyway. But it would have been great if Fuji had added a mount and included a larger version of the X100 hood. This request is not just for looks or even to prevent lens flare, but to protect the front element from scratches. The front of the TCL is large (68mm filter) and the front element is so close to the surface, that a UV filter is a must, even for a shooter like me that has no filters on any lenses and don't want any either. But after shooting for a day or two with the TCL, I bit the bullet and added a filter, even though this was a review copy sent to me by Fuji.

CONCLUSION So from what you've read above, it looks like the WCL has no flaws, but the TCL has a few. But if I can only have one of these it would be the TCL. Some people saw the fixed 35mm lens on the X100 as a downside. I thought it was great to not have to think about focal length and just shoot. In a way these new converter lenses kill that idea slightly, but that is a small price to pay in exchange for opening up the capabilities of the X100/100S and I'm excited about that. After having the original X100 for a few months, I fantisized that Fuji would bring out a 50mm or 85mm version of the camera, which would be a perfect combination of a fixed 35mm on one shoulder and a 50mm or 85mm on the other. Fuji has done even better with giving us an option, even if we only own one camera.

THE FUTURE When I bought the X100S, I was a bit sad that my X100 would become redundant and stay in the box until my kids are old enough to use it. But I now have a reason to use my original X100 with the X100S and have a different focal length on each. My Fuji wish list now includes an 85mm conversion lens, but I'm not sure if that would even be possible? But I'm glad to see that the X100 and X100S not only live on, but have a new lease of life. Although these units are for review purposes, I've already made my mind up that I will be adding the WCL-X100 and the TCL-X100 to my Fuji arsenal as soon as possible. For the last few weeks I've been carrying my X100S and these two converters in the small but perfectly formed Rob The Traveller bag by Millican (read my review here). It's really easy on the shoulder and well worth checking out if you're planning a bit of travel photography.

UPDATE ****************

Stewart asked (in the comments below) if the TCL-X100 is suitable for portraits. I'm more than happy to shoot portraits with a 50mm lens. The TCL handles portraits well...as you can see from the handsome beast above :o) This was taken in a portacabin/dressing room backstage at a festival, with Florissant strip lights. X100S with the TCL, 1/125sec, f4 at ISO 2000.

GoPro Hero3+ Black Edition

The makers of the GoPro Hero range have carved out a nice niche with these nifty little cameras. Aimed mostly at the sporting world, but used in a huge variety of ways from street photography (POV videos) to big budget television production. I've had my eye on one for a long time, but, not being into sports much, I wasn't sure if it was something I would use. I kept being drawn back time after time with all those great videos of people jumping out of planes and scuba divers swimming with sharks (two things I have no intention of doing). Finally the stars aligned, the time was right and a nice new GoPro Hero3+ Black edition arrived curtesy of Clifton Cameras in the UK. I bought my Fuji X-E1 from Clifton, so I knew they were quick and the service is fantastic. The Black edition is the highest spec of the GoPro cameras, but if you're on a budget there is also the White or Silver edition. Surf and Music editions are also available if that's your thing. I opted for the standard black edition as it has a wireless remote included.

When it comes to accessories for your GoPro, there are many available with a wide range of possibilities. Being a musician, the first thing I bought was the Jaws Clamp. It consists of a clamp with a mount on top that can be used as is, or with the included GorillaPod style bendable arm. The Jaws Clamp is ideal for attaching the Hero camera to instruments like guitar, saxophone and drums. There's some fun footage on line that has the GoPro attached to the slide of a trombone with the camera zooming in and out of the players face every time the slide is moved.

The hardest part for me was finding the time to shoot and edit, but luckily a trip to Corfu was on the horizon. A quick shopping spree on the net and more accessories arrived at my door the day before leaving. A Tripod kit and Anti-mist patches were just what I needed, but shock horror, I forgot to get the all important extendible pole, but. Luckily there were GoPro accessories available at the airport duty free and a POV Pole by SP was bought for £35.

The video at the top of this post is my first attempt at putting together a a short film with the Hero3+ (Click on HD to watch it in better quality on Vimeo). Picture quality from the Hero3+ is amazing. It's hard to believe that something so sharp comes from a tiny little box that looks like a cheap kids toy. For the video above, I set the camera to 1080 at 60fps with the Wide setting. I knew that I wanted slow motion, but I also wanted to keep great picture quality, so I ruled out 120fps at 720 until I could test and compare the quality settings. I inserted two Anti-fog patches inside the waterproof housing and had zero problem with fogging in the water. The SP POV Pole performed fantastic and is probably the best accessory available for the GoPro. One of the great things about a GoPro is that a lot of the time your subject become the camera operator. Stick one on a guitar and let the player do their thing. Being aware of the camera usually means they will move around and make sure to include things around them. The same goes for this film of my kids, give them a pole with a GoPro and they perform brilliantly.

I edited the footage using the free GoPro Studio app (downloadable HERE) and although it was my first time using the software, it didn't take long to get the hang of it. I think there are a few clinches in the software, but it could be my inexperience with a new app, so I'll need to do more editing to find out. GoPro Studio outputs the finished film for Vimeo, youTube of even just a high resolution version to sit on your hard drive.

The short clip above is a quick test of the time-lapse feature (Click on HD to watch it in better quality on Vimeo). I set the camera to take one picture every two seconds and left it on the GorillaPod Focus for ten minutes. I'm happy with the results and I'm looking forward to shooting more time-lapse soon using an Ikea egg timer with my GoPro mounted on the top via one of the included self adhesive mounts. The egg timer allows the camera to rotate for up to an house when shooting time-lapse. So not only will it produce cool stop motion video, but it will pan smoothly at the same time.

The GoPro range of cameras and accessories are available from Clifton Cameras in the UK. Click HERE for the Hero3+ Black Edition that was used for this review. These things exceed expectations in quality and performance. The biggest limit is your own imagination.

VSCO Keys :: Speed Up Your Workflow

There's been a buzz surrounding VSCO presets for Adobe Lightroom and Apple's Aperture for some time now. I can't say I've had much experience with them, but lots of photographers swear by them. Even my buddy Patrick La Roque is a self confessed VSCO addict. But I had a look on the VSCO website recently to see what the new Film Pack 5 included and came away with something I hadn't bargained for.

VSCO Keys is a workflow dream and I thought you guys would be interested in something that can drastically reduce the amount of time we spend editing in Lightroom. VSCO film presets get lots of exposure on the web, but VSCO Keys, maybe not so much. So here is a quick look at what VSCO Keys can do for you.

VSCO is basically a plugin that maps your Mac or PC keyboard to the sliders in Lightroom. Once installed, all you have to do to activate VSCO Keys is hit the Esc key on your keyboard and you're good to go. The VSCO Keys icon in your Menu Bar with be grey when inactive and colour when active. There are two templates available from VSCO the 'Simple' one that changes very little on your keyboard and the 'Standard' all singing all dancing template that changes most of the shortcut keys on your keyboard. The best bit is that you can make your own template on VSCO's website and not only download it to your computer, but they also supply a PDF diagram of all your shortcut keys (like the one below). Probably the easiest way (and the way I did it) was to take one of VSCO's templates, duplicated and save it with your own custom name. Then you can tweek and change the things you dont like and keep the things you do.

It doesn't take too long to get the hang of where everything is and the difference it makes to editing time is pretty significant. Remember that you don't just have one set of keys on your keyboard, when you press Shift, Control, Alt/Option or Command, you have a different set each time.

One of the best features is the ability to assign any preset to a key on your keyboard. VSCO preset shortcuts are included in the program (not the VSCO presets though, you have to buy them), but you can easily assign your own custom presets or any 3rd party ones you download. If, like me, you're on a Mac, it makes life easier to have your F keys (F1 - F12) set to work without having to press the Fn key first.

VSCO Keys is available from www.vsco.co. You can download a restriction free 14 day trial and if you like it (and why wouldn't you) there's a one off cost of $59.25 (regular price is $79). This is one of those workflow time savers that are worth their weight in gold (I know downloaded programs weigh nothing, but you know what I mean). I'm running the free trial at the moment, but I'll definitely be handing over my credit card this week. There's no going back! [embed title="Quickstart Guide Walkthrough"]http://vimeo.com/50731350[/embed]

Expert Shield :: Screen Protectors

The folks at Expert Shield sent me a couple of their screen protectors to try out on the D800, but will also be sending a couple for the X-T1 when available. If you're like me, you have probably tried loads of these stick on screen protectors from Ebay, only to curse them when you're looking at your LCD on the back of the camera with a cluster of air bubbles.

So I wasn't holding out much hope when the Expert Shield pack arrived last week. I've also been super busy lately, so the thought of a bubble wrestle was all I needed to put off trying these out and concentrating on getting edits done. But having recently broken the plastic LCD cover that comes with the D800, I thought it might be some sort of omen. I have however put glass covers on my D800 screens and didn't want to remove these (still thinking bubbles at this point). So I was about to have two layers of protection. But obviously this is overkill and one screen protector is enough for any photographer.

Boy was I wrong about these things! The application was quick (even though I was taking photos as I went) and there wasn't a bubble in sight. The Expert Shield protectors use silicon to stick to the screen, so no sticky residue and you can also peel them off and reposition if you don't get it right first time. Oh, and did I mention...no air bubbles?

Applying the screen protector was a breeze and very quick to do, even with the D800 having two screens. As the instructions say "dust is your enemy", so the included lens cloth was both handy and essential. As you can see from the photos below, the finish is absolutely flawless and there are zero air bubbles.

Our camera screens are not something we want to replace. In fact when they do get scratched we tend to just put up with them. So it's mad not to cover them with some sort of protector (My X-E1 is without protector, so I'm guilty with that one). I highly recommend the Expert Shield protectors as they're not much more expensive than a cheap ebay version, but the quality is far higher and of course the best bit is that they are air bubble free (I might have mentioned that). You can find more information HERE for the UK and HERE for the US. There's also a video on the site that's worth watching.

Two Great Photography Ebooks

Now that the Xmas mayhem has subsided and the new socks, DVD's and Aftershave / Perfume are sitting neatly in the cupboard, you might be on the prowl for something to inspire you photographically in the new year? Well here's two great ebooks from a couple of top guys that will do just that? Patrick LaRoque and David Cleland (also known as Flixelpix) are both Fujifilm X-Photographers and gifted lensmen. They are also very generous when it comes to sharing their knowledge about photography. So for less than the price of a DVD, you can kick back with your favourite tablet or laptop and treat your eyes and mind to some great photography and knowledge. I'll start with Patricks as his was released first. Disclaimer: I'm friends with both of these guys. I shot the Freedom Through Photography campaign for Fujifilm UK and Millican Bags with David (and Andrew James) and Patrick is a friend and colleague from The Kage Collective. That said, I wouldn't write a blog post about these ebooks if I didn't feel they would be a great resource for the readers of this blog.

Patrick sent me a copy of his ebook a couple of weeks before it went on sale (for some feedback), and although I know his style pretty well, I was really excited to see 1EYE Roaming open up on my iPad. I love the minimalist look of the layout and the way Patrick lets both the photographs and the words breathe. If you're not a reader of Patrick La Roque's blog, you really are missing out. You'll never find a better match of great photography and well crafted words. 1EYE Roaming is all about Patricks trip to France and is split into two with the first part dedicated to the photos and the second to Case Studies. Each section of the first part has a page of text followed by all the photos from that area or subject (Paris, Trains, Port Leucate etc). The photos are given either a full page or almost a full page (Landscape) to themselves. Case Studies take up the second half and are a gold-mine of information on how Patrick sees and edits his photos.

This is David's second ebook. His first was the brilliant Long Exposure and if you haven't read it, David has a discounted price on his website if you buy both his ebooks. This latest offering is called Shooting Shallow and as the name suggests, is all about the art of shallow depth of field, wide open apertures and how to get that beautiful Bokeh (the creamy out of focus part of a photo). David has written an ebook that will be interesting to any photographer, but for the beginner this is an absolute must. Getting that shallow depth of field look is a big mystery to a lot of people that have just started taking pictures with a DSLR or Mirrorless camera. This ebook is packed full of information that strips away the big mystery for the newbee photographer, but still very interesting to the more advanced.

Both of these works are the kind of books that you can go back to again and again and I recommend keeping them on your favorite reader. Both Patrick and David have done a stellar job! Lets hope they do more.

BlackRapid Yeti

I have an RS4 and RS5 strap from BlackRapid and a couple of straps to convert them into a double harness. This setup was great when I shot with two identical Nikon DSLR's. But These days I'm either shooting with a single Fuji X camera, a pair of X cameras or an X camera and a DSLR together. If I'm forced to shoot with a DSLR, it's usually because I need a fast 70-200mm (according to Rumors, Fuji is working on one). My double RS4, RS5 setup is great as long as both cameras are of a similar weight, but otherwise the heavier camera pulls the strap to one side and the full thing feels awkward and counterproductive. Enter The BlackRapid Yeti.

The Yeti has just become my favorite BlackRapid product and will make life so much easier in 2014. I'm a two camera shooter when I'm on a job, usually with one prime on each camera, but sometimes with a prime and zoom combination. The yeti has a similar design to the RS-Sport where the strap goes over the left shoulder using a comfortable pad with a rubber grip, then crosses over the back and chest and attaches to the cameras tripod mount via a FastenR (included). BlackRapid have redesigned both the FastenR, by making it more stelth, and the ConnectR (the clip that attaches to the FastenR), by making it smother. The new smother ConnectR allows you to clip it to the FasternR much easier (the older nobly version was awkward and scratched the FastenR).

As I said, the Yeti strap goes across the chest, but the magical part is that the second part of the strap connects to the shoulder pad front and back and hangs on the left side of the body with camera number two attached. Because the two cameras are hung from a single pad on the left shoulder, both cameras don't need to be the same weight. The downside of this is that the left shoulder is taking all the weight, but this should only be a problem with two DSLR's, but I don't think this strap is designed for that. It's more at home with a single DSLR (on the right) and a mirrorless camera (on the left). But where this strap really shines is with two Mirrorless cameras. I've been using it with the Fuji X-Pro1 (right) and the X-E1 (left) and it's absolutely perfect. It doesn't feel like you have to cameras on and the pad is very comfortable on the shoulder. The rubber grip on the underside of the shoulder pad does the job of keeping it in place and the adjustable sliders restrict the glide of the camera on the straps any way you like it.

The Yeti comes in two versions, the Yeti is the standard version and the Yeti Slim is..you guessed it, is a slimmer one. I went for the Slim as it will be used mostly for the Fuji X System and I wanted to get away from the bulk of the RS4/RS5 setup. Both Yeti versions come as a full kit with the main strap, the second strap, two optional stabilizer straps and two FastenR tripod mount connecters.

[embed title="BlackRapid Yeti & Yeti Slim Straps - How To Instructions"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hz84LiBJaMU[/embed]

I'm really impressed with the Yeti. As soon as I put it on with two of my X cameras I knew it was a winner. BlackRapid's usual way of connecting strap to camera via the tripod mount is very secure, but as I'm using Gariz half cases on both my X cameras and the FastenR's will be connected to the bottom of the cases which are then connected to the cameras, I'm wondering if I should play it safe. I was thinking of adding a wrist strap to each camera for times when I'm not using the Yeti. These wrist straps could be used as a tether to the BlackRapid ConnectR for a bit of piece of mind. I wouldn't bother with this if the FastenR's were going directly into the camera tripod mount, but with the half cases between them, I'd maybe prefer to play it safe. I'll give it some thought. BlackRapid also have a dedicated tether kit available which do a similar job (although I haven't tried them). The Yeti is available in the UK from WEX for £79 or from B&H in the US for $100.