Jun
15
Lightroom 5 arrives, is it worth it? | David Cleland
Firmware & Software / Firmware & Software / Firmware & Software / Fuji X-E1 / Fuji X-Pro1 / Fuji X100s
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Well it is here, Adobe have released version 5 of their brilliant Photoshop Lightroom photo management and editing software.
I have been using Lightroom from the initial beta and have watched it grow from strength to strength. Just over a year ago I celebrated the release of Lightroom 4 which brought with it considerable improvement in image quality, especially when it comes down to image noise.
Lightroom 5 brings a strong focus on the photographer’s workflow and some of the new tools really are brilliant, I suspect even less time in Photoshop as a result of the ‘advanced healing brush’ alone.
It is now possible to paint out larger areas of an image for correction but the big bonus is the fact you can be much more accurate. For example in this image I had to use a large circle to remove a bird yet the new brush means I can create a smaller circle and heal only the pixels necessary.
The vertical straightening tool is particularly intelligent in auto mode. This image was taken at the bottom of a waterfall at a slightly skewed angle to ensure all of the fall is in the shot. Lightroom was able to bring the wall forward to correct the vertical perspective…..
See on www.flixelpix.com
Jun
14
A couple of weeks ago I posted my impressions of the Zeiss 32mm Touit lens for NEX cameras, based on a copy loaned to me by Zeiss, USA. Now that we have our own copies I can be, shall we say, a bit more aggressive in examining the lens. Not to mention getting an opportunity to continue my string of aggressively bad pun titles (which Drew absolutely hates). But, hey, don’t blame me. I didn’t pick the name. I just do what has to be done. I have yet begun to pun. Anyway, given that a lens with electronic autofocus and aperture control was something new in the Zeiss consumer lineup, Aaron and I couldn’t wait to take a look inside and see how things were put together. Once we got a look inside, we found there was more Touit than we expected (don’t say I didn’t warn you). The lens is put together solidly in typical Zeiss fashion….
See more pictures on www.lensrentals.com
Jun
13
HIGH QUALITY EXTRA SOFT PORPORA RED SUEDE LEATHER FOR INNER FINISHING
Tripod screw already inclusive for ALL cases without any price surcharge !!
AVALAIBLE IN THE FOLLOWING COLORS:
Foxy Brown Waxed:A very aged dark brown color,tonalities goes from foxy brown to dark brown,one of the model more succesfull in our collection, it is done with one of the best leather. This new type is also waxed on the surface, giving better tonalities and saturation of colours.
Each leather is worked by tannery for us following our requests, a process which last not less than 15 days for each leather, using the same traditional methods for hundreds years (all vegetable tanned, no chemicals at all). Our leather is very thick (up to 3mm) and was received by natural ageing process to fit Leica owners’ taste.
Hand made by some of the most skilled italian artisans with more then 30 years of experience in this field. Each half case requires one day of work, all process is carefully handmade, the bottom of the case is stitched by hands (not glued to the upper part)
The case is adjusted to fit like a glove to the camera body. The case also features a grip on the front part to aid ergonomical camera handling. A removable LCD protector has been included too…..
See on www.angelo-pelle.com
Jun
12
Custom settings can be an extension of the film simulations, adding another layer to your jpgs, or they can be set up to give you the best preview of your RAW files, enabling you to make better exposure decisions. I show you how to set them up, use them effectively and some of my favourite settings for your Fuji X cameras….
See on www.youtube.com
Jun
11
A week ago at this time, I was on a train heading to New York. I was going on business and unfortunately, I was only staying for two days. Despite being off Sunday through Tuesday, I had to rush back for a Saturday shift that none of my colleagues were willing or able to pick up. I would have loved to stay in NYC for a few more days. Although I’ve been recently trying my hand at street photography, I wouldn’t call myself a street photographer. I prefer landscapes and other subjects. Perhaps a big part of that is the city that I’ve done most of my urban photography in – Washington, DC. Anyone who knows me well will tell you that after 20+ years, I’ve had enough of this place. I’m long overdue for a change and hope to end up in a ‘new’ and colorful city very soon. The next chapter of my life likely won’t be played out in New York City. But being on the streets there with my Fuji X-Pro1 – even if only for a few rushed hours – was a real pleasure. I could see myself indulging in street photography everyday if I lived there. A marvelous stage with a plethora of various characters. I must go back soon…..
See more pictures on blog.karimhaddad.com
Jun
11
Fujinon 55-200mm Zoom Lens Test Run | Gene Lowinger
Fuji X-E1 / Fuji X-Pro1 / Lenses and Accessoires / Lenses and Accessoires / Sample Images
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I don’t usually talk about equipment stuff or technical settings on this blog, but today will be an exception. I’m off to a bluegrass festival on Sunday to meet up with some old friends from Nashville who will be performing. One of the reasons I splurged on the new Fujinon zoom lens is to be able to shoot concert and festival performances, so this is the first opportunity to put this puppy to the test in a real life situation. I spent the afternoon today in the Chelsea district an the High Line of Manhattan to test out various functions and settings, and to get comfortable with using the EVF. Most importantly to see how sharp the IQ is at the full zoom distance, and to see just how many stops the Optical Image Stabilization will buy for me. I’ve got a bit more learning to do with using the EVF and the image stabilization, but I’m really pleased with the results I got today. I examined all the images at 100% and was quite surprised to see that I can easily hand hold the camera at 1/60th second. In some cases down to 1/30th second, and in one example below even to 1/15th second (although in a real life situation I wouldn’t go slower than 1/60th second).
All the images below were shot RAW and turned into jpegs in Lightroom with no other processing, so there’s some noise in the images shot at faster shutter speeds. I’ll be posting some of the individual shots in the next few days after I process them for noise and do my usual b/w conversions….
See on genelowinger.blogspot.com
Jun
11
Shooting with the Fuji 55-200 mm | Nick Lukey
Fuji X-E1 / Fuji X-Pro1 / Lenses and Accessoires / Lenses and Accessoires / Reviews / Reviews
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A rather big box arrived at the gallery this morning, furiously cutting through a million miles of tape and plastic air bags, lay my new lens, the 55-200 mm. It looked impressive and had a nice heft, not too heavy not too light. Quickly grabbed the X pro, locked into place nicely. Initial thoughts are very well made feels and looks good. The balance of the camera is quite even. Did the firmware upgrade, and had a play. Image quality is awesome, no I’m not bullshitting this glass is good, I would say a tad sharper than my 70-200 f2.8 vr2. Contrast is good too. The hood is nice and large and thankfully not a tulip one. The image stabilization works very well, however I think it will suck the hell out of the battery. Zoom ring is a trifle stiff but the aperture ring is a delight positive clicks. Not impressed by not having the aperture markings on the lens, this is a faux pas to me, you read the aperture in the viewfinder. I like to use it by setting it beforehand without having to raise the camera to my eye. The OVF is a waste of time so it’s EVF only with this baby attached. The light this evening is fabulous so I’m off to give it a workout. Well after spending a couple of hours out in the lanes. I am more than impressed by the image quality,and all round handling of the X pro 55-200 combo. Some of my shots tonight were direct into the setting sun testing out its flare handling, very very good, one of the flaws in my Nikon 70-200 was side flare, the Fuji lens showed none of those issues at all. That said the lens does struggle with focus, sometimes on seemingly easy to focus subjects. Macro focus is good I’ve never had a 300 mm focus so close. Overall I would score the lens 9/10. My lens roadmap is complete, the Nikons are being retired. Next up another body i think an XE 1, and leave the 55-200 on that…..
See more pictures on www.thebigpicturegallery.com
Jun
11
First of all I should tell you that I love looking through a lens to compose and shoot. I have always been partial to reflex cameras, and 4X5 ground glass viewing for that matter, and the few times in the past I have tried rangefinder cameras I was quick to give them up. The little focusing squares in the viewfinder would drive me bananas. In the early 70′s I tried the Nikon S2 and SP cameras. I liked that the controls were the same as the Nikon Ftn I had at the time, but the focusing and parallax issues were distracting, I could not work fast. I am also one of those guys who tries to use every millimeter of the frame for composition. You might be surprised but I find I do very little cropping when I know where the frame boundaries are.
Two years ago I had a brief love affair with the Leica M9. I loved the size, the images were fantastic and the Leica glass, well, do I need to tell you? Again, I was vexed by the RF and less than a year after shelling out way too many shekels I bid it farewell….
See on foto-gizmo.blogspot.de
Jun
11
….
I’d love to say the Zeiss Touit 12mm f/2.8 should be purchased for your Fuji without question, but I can’t. As the pronunciation of the lens family implies, Zeiss would like you to just run out and do it today. I wouldn’t. I’d put the Fuji 14mm f/2.8 ahead of this particular lens. It’s less expensive and doesn’t have an aperture control ring that spins whenever the wind changes direction. On top of that, the Fuji 14mm sports a very useful depth of field scale and, despite being lighter, actually feels denser and less toy-like then the Zeiss. Out of the box I really, really wanted to love this lens. I love ultra wides, putting the 12mm right up my alley. Maybe if the price was $900 to $1,000, I could see past the minor flaws……
See more pictures on petapixel.com
Jun
11
Conclusion:
Looks like Fuji produced another winner with the 55-200mm for its line of zoom lenses. It shows true professional qualities: no distortion, solid build, high resolution, image stabilization, and quick focus. This is a lot for a lens with a $699 price tag, much better than most zooms I have tested in this price range, and even better than some costing several times as much….
See more pictures on aboutphography.blogspot.it
