Fujifilm X-T50 – The Olympic Choice! Welcome Gold Medalist Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone to the X Shooter Club

Olympic Gold Medalist Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone has been spotted carrying around her Fujifilm X-T50.

The image has been shared on her Instagram story here.

She picked the charcoal X-T50 btw.

And just because it was so nice, enjoy her Olympic gold medal run (with world record) below.

I guess she was in a hurry to get her race done and finished quickly so that she can finally do what she was really there for: get out and explore Paris with her Fujifilm X-T50 ;).

Freewell X100VI/X100V 1.5x Telephoto and 2-in-1 Wide-Angle & Macro Lens and Filter Kit plus Lens Hood

Freewell has launched some stuff for X100VI and X100V owners.

Let’s start with the two lenses for the Fujifilm X100VI and the X100V.

But first a note: while it’s great to have more options over the original screw-on lenses, I do recommend to wait for real life reviews before to see how the image quality of these lenses is.

Freewell 1.5x Telephoto Lens for Fujifilm X100VI and X100V Cameras
Additional details at BHphoto here and Adorama here

  • 1.5x Closer Views
    Capture distant subjects with greater clarity using this telephoto lens, offering enhanced detail and sharpness.
  • Designed for Fuji X100VI & X100V
    Engineered to work seamlessly with your Fuji X100VI and X100V cameras for optimal performance.
  • Premium Optical Quality
    Crafted with high-quality glass to minimize chromatic aberrations, ensuring crisp, high-resolution images.
  • Lightweight & Portable
    Weighing just 250g, this lens is perfect for travel and on-the-go photography.
  • Easy Installation with Adapter Ring
    Includes an adapter ring for seamless mounting on your camera, along with a 62mm front thread for attaching filters effortlessly.

Freewell 2-in-1 Wide-Angle & Macro Lens for FUJIFILM X100VI & X100V
Additional details at BHphoto here and Adorama here

  • Versatile 2-in-1 Lens
    Combines macro and wide-angle functions, offering flexibility for stunning close-ups and wide shots. Use the macro lens alone for detailed close-ups or thread the wide-angle lens on top for broader scenes.
  • Superior Image Quality
    High-quality lens construction reduces distortion and chromatic aberrations, delivering sharp, clear images in all conditions.
  • Compact & Lightweight
    Weighs just 155g, adding versatility to your Fuji X100VI/X100V without extra bulk, ideal for travel and on-the-go photography.
  • Enhanced Magnification
    Achieve 0.75x wide-angle and 2x macro magnifications, perfect for capturing vibrant, detailed images with minimal focusing distances.
  • Easy Installation with Adapter Ring
    Includes an adapter ring for seamless mounting on your camera, along with a 62mm front thread for attaching filters effortlessly.

There is the new Freewell Filter Kit for Fujifilm X100 cameras listed at BHphoto here.

Key Features

  • Innovative Hybrid Filter: This filter combines the benefits of a Circular Polarizer (CPL) for glare reduction and color enhancement with the soft-focus and glow effects of a 1/4 glow mist filter, ensuring both clarity and a cinematic touch.
  • Adjustable Polarization: The CPL component is rotatable, allowing you to control polarization levels for customized glare reduction and enhanced color saturation, perfect for various lighting conditions.
  • Lens Protection with Hood: The included lens hood reduces unwanted light and lens flare, while offering robust protection against scratches and impacts, extending the lifespan of your lens.
  • Comprehensive Kit: The set includes an adapter ring, the hybrid CPL/GMIST (1/4) filter, a protective lens hood, and a lens cap, ensuring you’re equipped for immediate use.
  • Effortless Installation: Designed for quick and effortless installation, the kit allows for fast adjustments, making it ideal for dynamic and fast-paced shooting environments.

DxO PhotoLab 8 Launched, But Fujifilm Shooters Should be Aware of This!

DxO has launched DxO PhotoLab 8.

They strongly advertise the new DeepPRIME XD2s, but to my knowledge it does not work with Fujifilm X-Trans files. So please just be aware of that. UPDATE: in the video below Peter says that that support for X-Trans will come “in the near future”.

The standard DeepPRIME XD works, though, which does a great job with X-Trans files, so much so that DPReview recommends to make the default option for high ISO images on X-Trans files.

But the DxO PhotoLab 8 is not only about DeepPrime XD2s. There are other improvements you can read down below.

As always, software comes with a free trial period, so you can always check out the software for free and then decide if it’s something you want or not.

As you know, I was very annoyed with Adobe, so I switched to Capture One. And now I really dislike the Capture One policy. So I will download my 30 days free trial for DxO Photolab 8 and if I like it purchase the software myself.

Press Release

** CLICK HERE to Read the Rest of the Article **

BLAZAR APEX 35mm T1.8 and a 50mm T1.8 1.33x Anamorphic Autofocus Cine Lenses

Blazer has just launched the new Blazer Apex 1.33x autofocus Full Frame Anamorphic Cine lenses, which will be available also for Fujifilm X Mount. The lenses are:

  • BLAZAR APEX 35mm T1.8 1.33x
  • BLAZAR APEX 50mm T1.8 1.33x

They did not unveil the pricing, but to CineD (video below) they say it will be “in line with our Blazar Remus lenses“. The lenses will be ready for Christmas.

These are the world’s first anamorphic AF lenses and it’s nice to see them coming also for X mount.



Reframing the Debate: Fujifilm Film Simulations as a RAW Photographer’s Ally

Stop Hating Film Simulations

When we posted the rumor about the Fujifilm X-M5 having the film simulation dial, there were again some who just snubbing the concept of using Fujifilm Film Simulation overall. For example here:

I’m the Maestro I shot RAW files and make art from them.

I get the point. Shooting RAW opens up lots of creative possibilities in post processing.

But here is the thing: Fujifilm Film Simulation are not necessarily intended to stop you from using RAW files, but they can be a helpful (and extremely time saving) starting point when editing your RAW files.

Here is a real life example from my own shooting experience.

When I shot my best friend’s wedding, I captured everything in RAW (+JPEG). Out of countless photos, I chose 129 to edit. My first step was setting the right vibe by adjusting the colors. Some images called for a vintage look (Classic Chrome), others needed vibrant colors with good skin tones (Astia), some looked best in black and white (Acros), and for tricky indoor lighting, ProNeg Standard or High worked perfectly.

Choosing the right Film Simulation in Capture One was quick and easy – just a few seconds per image – and then I could move on to other edits like cropping and sharpening. This made the color correction process fast and efficient, even with RAW files.

So, it’s a misconception that Film Simulations are only for JPEG shooters. They can speed up RAW editing significantly.

At the end of the day film simulations are just a tool that can be super helpful also for RAW shooters, if they want to save time editing. And of course they are a true blessing for JPEG shooters, as you get the best colors of any digital camera with just a click of a button… or a turn on the dial, if you use the X-T50 or the upcoming X-M5.