A few random twilight and night shots captured with the Fuji X-E1, the Fujifilm 35mm f1.4 and 18mm f2. When my favorite all-round camera, the Nikon D800E remains shelved due to weight and size (crazy good refurbished Nikon deals, including D600, D800, click here), I reach for the Fuji X-E1, a serious lightweight alternative. I admit, shooting without an AA filter can be very addictive
See more pictures on www.mikekobal.com
Conclusion
The X-Pro1 was 2012’s most fun new camera, but if you’re one of those people that thinks saving money is fun too, Fujifilm has the answer. By reducing the X-E1’s footprint and stripping out the novel—but unhelpful—hybrid viewfinder, the company has shaved $400 off the X-Pro1’s already-reduced price tag, all without sacrificing much of that model’s stellar performance. For better or worse, our most enthusiastic praise is reserved not for the camera itself, but for the new kit lens. When the X-mount debuted, Fujifilm showed a commitment to high quality glass with its first three prime offerings, but many wondered if this performance would extend to a zoom lens. Now we know the answer. The X-E1’s 18-55mm kit lens is almost exactly as sharp as the XF 35mm f/1.4, which is really quite amazing for a zoom lens. We only wish the aperture and focus rings were mechanical. As for the most important tests, many scores match the X-Pro1’s numbers. Noise reduction is almost as strong, and white balance is nearly equivalent between the two. Dynamic range is also roughly equal, although the X-E1 is able to carry its performance further down the ISO range. We were surprised by the camera’s just-okay color accuracy score, and our high weighting of this test will drag the overall score down, however this is but one blemish against a backdrop of impressive results. Minus the X-E1’s smaller frame, hardware is also similar, most notably the “X-Trans” APS-C sensor, which omits a low-pass filter to trade video moire for sharper stills. Video is sort of an afterthought on this camera anyway, but at least continuous shooting speed is still a respectable 5.5-ish frames per second. Of course the X-E1 is still a lot of fun too. All of the retro mechanical dials are back, and they turn everyday photography into an empowering, hands-on experience. Apart from these dials, the button layout is not without its quirks and problems, and we do wish Fujifilm had made at least some effort in this area, but rest assured the X-E1 has wholly carried over the X-Pro1’s distinct shooting experience. Autofocus is also fixed. The X-Pro1 got a lot of flak for its lackluster focus system, especially when compared to the Olympus OM-D E-M5, its close competitor. While the X-E1 is still no match for Olympus’ autofocus efforts, and the camera still probably isn’t appropriate for fast action, excessive hunting isn’t nearly the problem it was for the X-Pro1. The Fujifilm X-E1 is all of the fun and none of the frivolity of the X-Pro1. The decision to exchange the hybrid OVF for lower costs will make a lot of consumers happy, but keeping performance at basically the same level is the real achievement here. We loved having this camera in-house and hate to see it go. Anyone who’s been watching this series but put off by the price should take a second look. We recommend this camera for those hoping to more fully enjoy the photographic process, or really anyone who wants to capture sharp photos and have a good time while doing so.
Overall Score: 7.6
See full review on www.digitalcamerainfo.com
Fujifilm’s 14mm f2.8 was announced a while back, and the lens is now starting to ship into the hands of reviewers and buyers everywhere. To date, this is the company’s widest angle lens–rendering a 21mm field of view in full frame terms, and when you incorporate the aperture’s depth of field on 1.5x crop APS-C sensor on the X Pro 1, it really comes out to around 21mm f4.5 (1.5 stops away from f2.8.) This is the lens that the company is marketing to street photographers, landscape shooters, and architecture shooters. Fujifilm has a long history of making lenses, but how does this one stand up?
First Impressions
In our tests so far, we’re fairly impressed with the image quality but still don’t think that this lens can touch the 35mm f1.4. However, we love the fact that Fujifilm decided to put a working depth of field scale on this lens. The build quality is also the best of the X series lenses released so far.
We’re a bit disappointed with the autofocus performance on the X Pro 1, so far, with the latest firmware updates.
I’ve been shooting with this lens for a couple of days so far and I can’t truly pinpoint who would buy this lens. While the focal length appeals to certain photographers, it has its caveats that we’re going to need to explore more in the full review. Stay tuned.
See on www.thephoblographer.com
There are times when a great product just needs time to mature and grow, before it makes its way out into the world. Some time ago I received an email, inviting me to try a new RAW converter which was in Beta. My computer froze, coughed and then spat it out. But that was then and this is now. In the intervening period, Oloneo PhotoEngine grew up, shook off its birthing issues, and came of age. The butterfly which emerged from the chrysalis is shiny, polished and highly competent.
Background
When I began using the Fujifilm XPro-1, there were few processing applications available for it, and at the time only the native Fuji software and Adobe PhotoShop Lightroom supported it. On the one hand the Fuji supplied software, their own take on Silkypix, provided sharp rendition of detail but was prone to a mottling problem in midtone areas; on the other hand Adobe PhotoShop Lightroom provided sharp edges but was prone to smearing micro-detail. For a long time I wondered why, but a recent comparison test by Sean Reid (paywalled), gives an insight into how Adobe have worked around the problem presented by a unique sensor. Their workaround uses an embossing effect to give the illusion of sharpness. Now however there are more applications on the market to deal with the problems presented by the almost-analogue nature of the Fuji sensor. Recently, Capture One released a version which supports the X-Trans sensor. More and more application developers are coming to the X-series party. Oloneo PhotoEngine is the brainchild of a small company based in Paris, France, whose developers are working on a heavily-crowded stage, with a wide range of raw converters and processing software available to all of us. So why would you look at this particular product? There are reasons. I recently downloaded a copy of the application, and for the last month or two I have been getting into it. And, for those of you who want the answer upfront, rather than at the end, I am impressed…..
See full article on www.thistonybridge.com
Fuji Expedition with the X-E1
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Another series, during the same weekend as the China Light event.
This hotel is a beauty and a good place to test the Fuji X-E1…..
See more pictures on forums.dpreview.com
For me, taking the time to watch the sunrise is a spirit-lifting experience in itself. Every day is new, untold and full of possibilities. To be out there facing that iconic view, seeing the day being born out of the darkness and lighting up the city where I’ve spent my entire life is quite an evocative thing to witness. That said, it’s not always such a calming experience because as the sun rises and its rays dance over the clouds, occasionally, and perhaps only for a few fleeting seconds, the sunlight skims the atmosphere at just the right angles and your eyes are treated to a fantastic explosion of colour. It’s at those times when my sleepy mind is suddenly very alert and I’m most likely darting between two cameras I’ve got set up on tripods making sure their shutters are firing and the exposures are looking good. And when I see those rear LCD previews glowing with same radiance, well, that’s when I don’t mind losing a bit of sleep so much. My usual kit for these sunrise shoots has been a Nikon D700, Nikon 24-70mm with an assortment of Lee filters (ND grads and a Big Stopper), a Fuji X-Pro 1 with the 35mm and 18-55mm XF lens and B&W 10-stop filter. Let’s not forget the many layers of warm clothing, a flask of something hot and many hours to stand around waiting! The 4-year old D700 still has a place in my heart despite higher resolution offerings from younger siblings and rivals. It’s reliable and predictable in so much as I know I can get extremely satisfying results from it. Like a faithful old dog who knows where my favourite slippers, newspaper and pipe are. The Fuji X-Pro 1 on the other hand is still a very new camera, fashioned with classic and retro lines, but underneath its cool, dark exterior lies technology which would make the Borg salivate. The X-Trans sensor is innovative with its lack of anti-aliasing filter and funky colour array filter, but software companies have had decades to perfect their algorithms to render ‘traditional’ Bayer pattern sensor data so it’s no surprise there are still improvements to be had. It’s not all bad news, though, and the X-Pro 1 still has a legion of fans with me being one of them. Personally, I don’t find the raws that bad when processed in Lightroom. Certainly, not as bad as some might claim. The styling is great, the handling is great, the autofocus is decent for a contrast detection based system, the sensor is relatively huge for such a small body and in my opinion packs just the right number of megapixels (16). Crucially, the lenses are excellent (aherm, Sony) which makes the XF system such a great one. To me, great lenses are the foundation of any system because they’re the pieces of equipment you carry over from one body to the next. The JPG processing in-camera is good, but I’m still going to continue shooting raw because that leaves me the option of processing in-camera afterwards and because I believe raw support will improve. With all that said, what matters is the end result and whether I like it. I do. Very much so.
See more pictures on www.digitalrelish.net
Als kleinen Auftakt für die neue Website, möchte ich mit einem Post über meine Ausrüstung beginnen. Ich bin kein Freund von pauschalen Empfehlungen, daher werde ich meinen persönlichen Entscheidungsweg beschreiben, ich hoffe ihr könnt etwas für euch daraus ableiten.
Ich begann meinen Weg in die Fotografie mit einer digitalen Einsteiger-Spiegelreflex und ersetzte diese immer, wenn ich an seine Grenzen stieß. Dieser Weg führte über diverse Modelle, bis ich schließlich bei der Nikon D700 landete. Vollformat – Wow! Dachte ich, und diese Kamera ist auch unbestritten ganz hervorragend. Doch es begann der Siegeszug der spiegellosen Systemkameras und ich erwischte mich immer wieder, wie ich mit einem Auge die Entwicklung dieser Modelle verfolgte, war es doch immer wieder eine Quälerei die D700 + Objektive mit sich herumzutragen. Es gab aber immer etwas, dass mich davon abhielt, mich ganz auf ein solches System einzulassen. Voraussetzung für einen kompletten Umstieg war für mich vor allem, keine Kompromisse im Bezug auf die Bildqualität eingehen zu müssen.
Bei der Sony Nex-5n wagte ich dann zumindest einen Versuch als Zweitkamera. Es ist auch zweifelsohne ein wirklich gutes Gerät mit sehr guter Bildqualität, aber irgendwie ist sie mehr Computer als Kamera und die verfügbaren Objektive waren unbefriedigend, ich konnte sie als “Arbeitsgerät” nicht so recht ernst nehmen. Zu diesem Zeitpunkt kam mein Ausflug in die analoge Fotografie dazwischen, in der ich die damit verbundene Arbeitsweise zu schätzen lernte. Konzentration auf die Basics der Fotografie ist die Devise. Ich begab mich also auf die Suche nach einer Kamera, die die Vorzüge beider Welten so gut es geht in sich vereint. Naheliegend hierfür wäre wohl eine Leica M, doch die Recherche nach Preisen für Kamera und notwendigem Glas ließ diese Alternative in weite Ferne rücken. Und dann kam Fujifilm mit der X-Pro 1 auf den Markt.
Nach sorgfältiger Recherche und Probe-begrabbeln vor Ort war die Entscheidung schnell gefallen, die D700 musste gehen, die X-Pro 1 würde sie ersetzen. Dazu kamen alle 3 der zu Anfang verfügbaren Objektive, also das 18mm f/2, das 35mm f/1.4 und das 60mm f/2.4, der passende Zusatzgriff und eine Tasche, die gerade groß genug ist, alles aufzunehmen, eine Retrospective 5 Pinestone. Es gibt bereits zahlreiche Reviews und Tests im Netz, daher möchte ich mich auch hier auf meine persönlichen Pros und Kontras beschränken:
Aber auch die Nachteile sollen nicht unerwähnt bleiben:
See full article on www.tobiasnaumann.de
Most of the photos were taken with the Fuji E1 and 18/2, with a few special appearances by the Contax 28/2.8 & 45/2.
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Hahnemühle FineArt has introduced a new line of resin-coated papers for inkjet photo printing. The Hahnemühle Photo Luster offering features a: bright white, smooth, lustre surface with a pearlescent finish, while the Photo Glossy paper boasts a super smooth, high-gloss bright white surface for vivid results. Both papers feature an “extremely large” colour gamut and a weight of 290gsm. Photographers will get a chance to see these new products at the SPE Conference in Chicago, March 7-10 at the WPPI Expo in Las Vegas, March 11-13. Availability is slated for March with pricing to be communicated….
See on www.photographyblog.com
