Have a great Saturday… and keep up dreaming here ;)

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X-stock&deals

[shoplink 19210 ebay][/shoplink]

XQ1 – USA: AmazonUS / BHphoto / Adorama / DigitalRev / EUROPE: wexphotographicUK / DigitalRev / PCHstore / AmazonDE (via DR)

– Top rated Plus ebay reseller cameraland has both, the [shoplink 19210 ebay]black XQ1[/shoplink] and the [shoplink 19211 ebay]silver XQ1[/shoplink] available for $439 $409 [price dropped to $409], which is $10 $40 cheaper than anywhere else. Limited number available.

– Up to €70 cashback on the X-M1 and X-A1 for our French readers. Check it out here (via photoblogue)

– Save $160 on the X100S and purchase the DEMO X100S at [shoplink 19200 ebay]top rated plus ebay reseller kenmorecamera here[/shoplink].

[shoplink 19200 ebay][/shoplink]

Fuji-X meet-up

After the Italian Fuji X Series Club Italia, there is now also a Canadian meet-up in Toronto, the FujiTuesday. Join them here and see more about their first meeting. Do you know other meet-ups. Share them in the comments.

X-E2
USA: AmazonUS / BHphoto / Adorama / DigitalRev / Pictureline / EUROPE: wexphotographicUK / DigitalRev / Fotomundus24 GER / PCHstore / AmazonDE (via DR)

– At the FR-facebook page Bryan wrote: “I absolutely LOVE my Fuji X-E2, and here’s the story behind it. I also talk about why learning as a photographer is the most important thing you can do.” From the article: ” I am photographing 35% of my client work with my Fuji X-E2, and 100% of my personal work with it. I love everything about it from the image quality, the feel, and the mechanics of it to how it makes me think as a photographer.”

– Tom Grill has now given the X-E2 a true pro workout in a beauty shoot. Here is a review of it and the results: “Two important changes in the X-E2 over the X-E1 made this shoot easier to pull off. The first was the ability to move the auto-focus point in AF-C (continuous focus) mode. When photographing models I strive for a pinpoint focus on the eyes, which means having a small focus point coupled with the ability to move it around for placement on the eye. The full screen grid of focus locations on the X-E2 was very helpful in achieving this. Most cameras have focus points congregating in a central area so it is sometimes hard to position one over an eye that is located in the corner of the image frame. The second important change was in the refresh rate of the EVF finder in the 3fps drive mode. This allowed me to actually see what was changing in almost real time.”

– rafagarciaphoto brought his X-E2 in the pinewoods here: “I’m impressed with the shutter lag, there’s no such thing with this new camera. This is great for people who (like I do) shoot in the streets and for whom burst mode is not an option. No more missed shots because of that.”

– Japanese dc.watch review here (translation).

XF 23mm
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– Admiringlight XF23mm review here: “It’s one of the most anticipated lenses for the system, and Fuji did not disappoint.  The XF 23mm f/1.4 is extremely sharp, and even provides high image sharpness at f/1.4 across the frame.  Bokeh is excellent and the lens has surprisingly few flaws in any category, with only a bit of chromatic aberration worth noting.  Autofocus is generally fast and accurate, though capable of hiccuping under the right circumstances.”

– Fuji vs Fuji… or better, X100S vs 23mm at fujivsfuji.com here: “Overall, the Fujinon 23/1.4 outperforms the X100S in my tests. This is to be expected given the lens retails for 70% of what the X100S does at the time of this writing. The X100S holds its own though. And this test doesn’t take into consideration the difference in size and weight yet.”

X100S
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– photographyreview X100S review here: “It feels great, it’s fun to use, and the image quality is excellent. The X100S is a fabulous compact street, people and travel camera. There are smaller cameras with comparable features and performance, though ([shoplink 13349]Ricoh GR[/shoplink] and [shoplink 13071]Nikon Coolpix A[/shoplink]). What sets the X100S apart and makes it special the traditional rangefinder-style design with the hybrid viewfinder, the solid build, and the outstanding image quality.”

– Dennis Berti says that the Fujifilm X100s is good not only Street Photography here: “I also tried twice to use the Fuji to shoot a wedding and I’m so happy with the final product. Nobody realized when you press the shutter, it’s so silent. And also the wedding guests don’t point at you as the photographer in charge but as a guest, because the small camera.”

– findingrange XF23mm review here: “Here’s the bottom line: this is an amazing lens!  If you want a 35mm equivalent lens for your Fuji, do not hesitate to buy this lens.  I returned the XF 23mm F1.4 last week but I’m still thinking about it, and there’s a big part of me that’s considering purchasing a copy as I’m writing this.”

– The X100S in Venice with Roger here: “Thankfully I’d flown Ryan Air (never thought I’d use those words in the same sentence) which meant my carry on baggage was extremely limited, and so I’d taken only one Canon 5d MkIII and 3 lenses to cover the job. I’d decided to pack my Fuji X100S as a backup camera which turned out to be a great decision. I put my heavy DSLR and lenses in left luggage, along with my lighting equipment and hopped on a train to Venice with only the X100S and two batteries.”

– French test of the X100S here (translation).

– Mathieu is using the X100S for over six months and he published his consideration about it here: “With the Fuji X100s, I just pick it up, turn it on and start shooting. I don’t have to care about anything else.”

– [shoplink 14323]Leica X2[/shoplink] or Fuji X100s – Which to Take with Me? Read more at outdoorimagesfineart here: “So, which one will I take?  I’ll decide in the morning before I leave, but it will probably be the Leica….”

– Scott’s two week road trip with the X100S here: “The auto-focus on this little guy is a dream! It’s nice to finally have camera that doesn’t hunt for focus. If you’re coming from the Canon world, be warned that there is slight learning curve. The different setup that Fuji presents took some time to grasp before it finally felt right.”

– “The X100S + Long Exposure = Really good.” Read more at Donovan’s website here… Read also his blog post “Former Fuji Fanboy?” here. “A couple weeks ago, I turned the X-E1 on and brought the camera to my eye, but the electronic viewfinder stayed black. I thought maybe it was a setting or something, but no, the EVF wasn’t working.”

– fujixfiles says that the X100S made him a better B&W photographer. Read why here: “And in case you don’t have a lot of experience with B&W photography the Fuji X cameras with EVF will take you by the hand and guide you to your first successful exposures. When you switch your JPG to B&W you will see a B&W image in the EVF preview. Now use the exposure compensation dial (in Aperture priority mode) to increase or decrease the exposure in order to get the amount of contrast in your subject that you desire.”

– Mehrdad and his X100S in Neaples. See his shots here.

– Five Cameras To Bring With You to Tour Big Cities at thephoblographer… of course the list starts with the X100S ;).

X-E1
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– X-E1 vs X100S shootout at philippabele here: “I found the X100s to be the overall better camera, more convenient to use and better performing. Still I have decided to keep the X-E1 and get the 23mm f/1.4 because I’m a low light freak. If there was a big ass 23mm f/0.95 lens for the Fujifilm X system I’d probably get it.”

– Photographing Cyclocross with the Fujifilm X-E1 and X20 at danbaileyphoto.com here: “Overall, I had lots of fun shooting this race. Especially whenever the guy in the viking costume rode by. Both X cameras held their own, they were really fun to use, and I’m super happy with the feel and mood of my photographs; I think they tell a great story of what happened over at Goose Lake last Saturday afternoon, and that fact shouldn’t be camera dependent.”

– The love affair with the X-E1 continues at markschuelerphoto.com here. Read his practial review: “I can’t speak for every­one, of course, but I can tell you that for me, that just hap­pened. I finally have the cam­era that con­vinced me to let go of all that weight. A cam­era that reminds me to focus on the moment, the the pho­to­graph, and the idea. To com­mu­ni­cate the emo­tion, to con­vey the expe­ri­ence. I’m not sug­gest­ing a DSLR can’t do that… I’m sug­gest­ing that ANY cam­era can do that, if it works for you.”

– pixelogist X-E1 review can be read here: “And the X-E1 is one such camera. Superb design, build, good performance (except for the AF system, alas!) and absolutely excellent image quality – what more would you want? A better AF system, perhaps, yes – but it’s quite brilliant as it is. My favorite mirrorless camera? Definitely. Until I check out the X-E2, at least!”

X-PRO1
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image courtesy: alexlagarejos

– “Fujifilm X-pro 1, travel companion” at alexlagarejos here: “There is a real freedom to having such quality in a compact form. Firstly, the x-pro 1 goes everywhere with me, I don’t even think about it any more. […] I love fuji for making the x series of cameras, the quality is exceptional, they are a joy to use, of course they have their quirks, I’ve yet to use a camera that doesn’t have something that could be better, but the fuji x-pro 1 gets most things right. Fuji also seem to really listen to their customers, every firmware update has addressed issues that people raised and added features that have been of real use, the recent peak focusing upgrade for the x-pro 1 being an example.”

– Sometimes Karim really loves his job… especially when goes to the Caribbian with his X-PRO1. See his shots here.

– “The Fuji X-Pro 1 – Is It a Landscape Photographers Camera? Some Initial Thoughts.” Read more at dougchinnery here.

– thekagecollective at the SOS Children’s Villages here.

– Views of Berlin taken with the X-PRO1 at refro.at here: “So let me take you through a journey with expressive pictures –  all taken with my Fuji X-PRO1 with the 18-55 zoom. I really like the image quality of the X-TRANS sensor.”

“A new interview that is part of our series of 100 interviews we will be holding with professional photographers who use mirrorless cameras for work! This week’s interview is with freelance photographer Patrick La Roque from Montreal, Canada. He uses the Fuji X-Pro1 and X100 to shoot a variety of subjects, including “people, spaces, street and products.” Read the interview here at mirrorlessons.

– The X-PRO1 in Havana de Cuba at handcarryonly here.

– Street: Fuji X-Pro1 vs [shoplink 16850 ebay]Canon 5D MKII[/shoplink] at krysalisphotography: “To conclude, this model is not the DSLR killer that people may have been hoping for, but the mirrorless systems are definitely heading that way at an amazing speed.”

– X-Pro1 – Replichrome Kodak B&W Film by Totally Rad at ikphotography here.

– – Step aside Leica, the Fuji X-Pro1 is here! at paulkomarek here: “This is one of those cameras you need to pick up and try out for yourself to truly appreciate. I can’t say enough positive things about it but it has definitely earned a rightful spot on my “Recommended List” and is quicklybecoming the camera I carry around day-to-day and on vacations and outings. While it won’t replace a full-frame DSLR in terms of functionality (ie: wildlife and sports photography), it will fill in all the spots where lugging around that big DSLR becomes less and less practical.”

image courtesy: paulkomarek

X20
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– Optical Viewfinder Matters – Fujifilm X20 Compact Camera at thedigitalstory here: “Fujifilm’s viewfinder zooms with the lens so I have a relatively accurate field of view. Plus its readouts keep me apprised of the current camera settings. It’s not as accurate as the framing with a DSLR. But then again, the X20 fits in my front pants pocket and only weights 12 ounces.”

X-A1
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– A Day with the Fujifilm X-A1 and the Rockettes at thephoblographer here: “Overall, I shot 357 photos over the course of an hour. We were ushered out at 11:00 a.m. The X-A1 paired with the 35mm f1.4 performed admirably. I imagine I’d have had a harder  time with the kit lens. Of course, I haven’t seen images from the other photographers there, but the quality of the X-A1′s images are wonderful. The RAW files provided a great degree of information to work with, and almost no editing was needed.” You can also read their full review here.

– yodobashi beautiful shooting report can be seen here (tranlsation).

– the X-A1 at mapcamera.com here (translation).

– pocket-lint X-A1 review here: “That’s the key thing about the X-A1: at £499 all in – including the 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 lens – the camera is a bit of a bargain. Great to use – and there’s built-in Wi-Fi for saving images straight to your PC, managing them via an Android or iOS app – it’s also the camera that represents Fuji’s expanding platform. But it is more basic than the original models in the range that pushed “pro” aspirations.”

– Some studio shots at the Polish site optyczne (tranlsation)

X-M1
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– X-M1 review at digitalphotographyschool here: “Quality: above average. Why you’d buy the Fujifilm X-M1: good quality, small form factor. Why you wouldn’t buy the Fujifilm X-M1: no panorama mode.” Another review on the same site can be read here.

– “Hi Patrick, Here is our most recent review about the X-M1. We came to the conclusion that the X-M1 is one of the best in its category thanks to overall IQ but it remains a less attractive option than other Fuji X cameras due to the lack of VF, certain extra features and a price tag just $200 off the X-E1. Cheers! Mat & Heather.”

– X-M1 review at bestmat.ch here: “The image quality of the X-M1 is excellent, a predictable result as it uses the same sensor and lens as the X-Pro1. Fuji’s X-mount lens system will be very appealing to professional photographers; the lenses have excellent build and optical quality, though it comes at a rather high price.”

– X-M1 review at cameras.about.com here: “You certainly can find other DIL cameras that offer slightly less power and performance than the Fujifilm X-M1 for a couple hundred dollars less, but its stylish design and large image sensor are valuable aspects of this model.”

X100
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– “Picture-perfect Paris – A weekend shooting in the streets – Fuji x100 Firmware 2” at Morgan’s website here.

– “Simon Burgess is a talented photographer based in the Hampshire Village of Nether Wallop. After a recent dose of inspiration, he took to his favorite London markets for a unique project. Armed with a Fuji X100 and Replichrome, film presets for Lightroom, he began creating compelling images, reminiscent of classic film street photography, but updated for the modern era.” See and read more here at gettotallyrad.

lenses

– 18-55mm vs 14mm at regislessent.com: “On the technical side, I was surprised how the AF of the 18-55 felt so different from the 14mm or the 35mm I own. I would say it’s less « brutal » and less noisy.”

– soundimageplus XF55-200 review and user experience here: ” It actually balances really well with both the X-E2 and X-Pro 1. I carried it around for a couple of hours yesterday on a cold day and actually found the experience easier than I imagined it was going to be.” Part II can be read here.

– The Polish site tested the XF14mm here (translation)

– A lot of kind words to Fujifilm’s decision to deliver, together with the high end X-cameras an awesome, fast kit lens with aperture ring. Read the article “How Fujifilm is Reimagining the Kit Lens; And Others Should Look to Them” here: “This is less a review and more of an ode. “

– Zeiss Touit 12 vs. Fuji 14 vs. Zeiss ZE 21 at mfoto.ca here.

– “Here is a gallery of pictures taken by Damien Lovegrove with the fabulous Fujifilm XF 60mm f/2.4 macro prime lens. All the pictures were shot on the Fujifilm X-Pro1 camera.”

– Switching Gears – Fuji 55-200mm walkabout at chadwadsworth here: “I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised with the 55mm-200mm. Coming from a background of fixed, fast aperture zooms with shallow DOF and creamy bokeh, I was expecting to be disappointed, but that was not the result. The 55mm-200mm Fuji is priced competitively for what it offers and as an all-purpose zoom, it is absolutely capable in almost every regard.”

– XC 16-50 review here: “I give this lens a blue rating since it is a superb value. Step it down to f/5.6-7.1 and you will get a nice sharp lens across the range. This makes it a great lens to take on a trip and take landscape shots, and other general purpose shots.”

– Fuji X-M1 with the [shoplink 13829]XF 27mm[/shoplink] and [shoplink 12888]XF 14mm[/shoplink] at flixelpix here: “The X-M1 was the perfect powerhouse of portability as we ventured over Fair Head and the long way back to Ballycastle.”

– paulkomerek 18mm review here: “[…] it is a good all-around lens that fills the wide angle spot needed for landscape, indoor candid, and up close and personal street photography.”

RAW-conversion

– soundimageplus RAW conversion with Photo Ninja here: “Regular readers will know that’s how I like my images to look anyway, but for the first time I’ve got this without having to do a lot of post-processing and it’s nice to have this as pretty much the ‘default’ look.”

Fuji Instax Mini 90 Neo Classic
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– At filmdigital.tumblr.com you can read a quick review about the Fuji Instax Mini 90: “Overall, it’s a pretty basic camera with features you don’t really need to use but are helpful if you want to take a bit more time in creating your instant photos. There’s something special about being able to hold a print of a photo you just took and physically passing it around to everyone in the room. Or use it as a bookmark in your journal or favorite novel. Thanks to companies like Fuji for still keeping instant film alive and still making instant cameras for the masses.”

– First Impressions: Fujifilm Instax Mini 90 at thephoblographer here: “While the Mini 90 is a cool camera, we’re not sure who else it may appeal to besides the hipsters, wedding photographers, and a handful of creatives. If Fujifilm really wanted to create a classic, they should have added full manual control.”

George

Hi Patrick,

I’m a new convert to Fuji and thought I’d share the journey with you. I did a blog on the change, and then a review on the X-E1, and you can find them here:

The DSLRosaurus (“All I can feel is freedom!”)/ Fuji X-E1 review (“All my concerns about changing from a DSLR system were totally unfounded. I doubt I will ever own a DSLRosaurus ever again.”)

The biggest anxiety I had during the changeover was if the Fuji’s could handle wildlife. To give you an idea of whether or not the [shoplink 12881]X-E1[/shoplink] can handle wildlife, I’ll just say that where I used to be happy if I managed a dozen keepers, I’m now finding I’m managing 30 keepers or more. Not only that, but the RAW files are a real joy to work with. Check out these recent photos from a wildlife shoot, all taken with the X-E1 with [shoplink 12892]55-200mm[/shoplink].

shot 1 / shot 2 / shot 3 / Many thanks to Fuji for transforming my photography life, and I can’t wait for the X-Pro 2!

One of my biggest challenges in the past has been capturing the moments. Well, not really capturing the moments, but having RAW files at the end of the day that were usable. It’s been a problem. In the past, if files weren’t too noisy, they would be too soft, or not have enough dynamic range, or something else that mostly prevented me from using them professionally even though I’d caught the moment. Since changing to the Fuji X series, my keeper rate has rocketed up. We were on a seals shoot this past weekend, and I jokingly said to my gf that I thought I might have as many as 40 keepers. I laughed when I said it as it was a joke, as I expected *hopefully* perhaps up to 20 *in my dreams*. I’ve just finished working through the RAWs today and I have 36 keepers! For example, here is a grey seal mother and her pup having a kiss out in the ocean. I knew I’d caught a once in a lifetime moment, but in my heart I doubted my gear. Had my gear caught focus? Would there be enough dynamic range as I was shooting almost into the sun. Would the pup’s white fur be too burned out? What would the noise be like? Again, the RAW files astounded me. Here’s the photo. Not only was it sharp, there was hardly any noise, and I was able to pull the detail out of the pup’s white fur with no problems at all.

Here is a heavily backlit sun shot of a male grey seal mating with a female. I couldn’t believe how much dynamic range there was to play with in the RAW file. I know for a fact that if I’d taken this with my old gear, this shot would have ended up in the recycle bin as the highlights would have been totally burned out.

.

Here is another example of a heavily backlit subject, a bull grey seal who decided to come out of the water to check me out. You can’t mess around with wildlife when shots like this present themselves, you just have to take the shots. Again, I was convinced that the RAWs would be unusable, but as you can see there is plenty of detail and colour in the highlights and in the shadows. This is another keeper I most definitely would not have had with my old gear.

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The details and textures in the RAW files are also astonishing. You can’t really see it in these small jpgs, but this seal you could almost reach out and touch in the full sized image it’s fur and whiskers look so real.

.

As to favourites? Well, here are three very recent ones [Patrick: one is shared at the beginning of this post] from the last couple of weeks which I love, and which I’ll be entering into a top Scottish photography competition – a family portrait, a pup, and a seal in the surf. Next week I’ll be trying out the [shoplink 12887]18-55mm[/shoplink] with wildlife, and I’m excited about it. I’ve not been this excited about photography for a long, long time.

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Edric: “I attached 3 photos. These shots give me the confidence to never look back [to the DSLR].”

You can share your stories via email at fujirumor@gmail.com, anonymously via rumor box and also via google+, facebook and twitter.

have a great Sunday
  (google+, facebook and twitter)

by Edrich Chen

(http://theedricchen.com/)

Hi Patrick,

I switched from a [shoplink 13457]Canon 5D Mk III[/shoplink] earlier this year and have not since looked back.

A lot of cameras are fun to play with but sometimes, one simply cannot unconditionally trust them. I switched from a full-frame Canon system to the Fuji XPro-1 earlier this year. As much as I can trust the Canon in almost every circumstance, my back and shoulders couldn’t take the weight especially since I loved wandering in the streets for extended periods of time. That all changed when I started using the [shoplink 12882]X-Pro1[/shoplink].

I know I am a latecomer to the X system but reading all those slightly negative to downright negative reviews really worried me at first. I shopped around to be sure. Personally, I can say that the X-Pro1 has the most tactile response out of all the other MILCs in the market. It is not as fast as a DSLR in terms of autofocus and card write speed but I learned to accept those constraints. The biggest plus was that I became really careful with every shot, not as careful as with a film camera, but definitely more intentional with every click of the shutter.

The small but solid construction of the camera helps my human subjects be less intimidated with being photographed. It also makes other people, especially security, less interested in what I’m up to when I shoot. I do still get kicked out of certain areas but for the right reasons. I have to admit that the X-Pro1 has made me more adventurous as a photographer.

I am not qualified to add more to the technical discussion of the X cameras but I can assure that anyone who embraces its quirks will have a good time with it. One thing I cannot entirely wrap my head around is how beautiful the colors are with the Fuji. I do shoot RAW and process files in [shoplink 17566]Lightroom 5.2[/shoplink] and [shoplink 17567]Photoshop CC[/shoplink] but I can’t understand how easy it is for me to achieve the colors I want. It’s almost magical.

I own the [shoplink 12888]XF 14mm f/2.8[/shoplink], [shoplink 12891]XF 18mm f/2.0[/shoplink], [shoplink 12889]XF 35mm f/1.4[/shoplink] and the [shoplink 12890]XF 60mm f/2.4 Macro lenses[/shoplink]. More recently, I acquired an [shoplink 12881]X-E1[/shoplink] as a backup body and also the wonderful [shoplink 12887]XF 18-55 f/2.8-4.0 lens[/shoplink]. Honestly, Fuji has made everything so affordable for such a high performance system.

My only wish is for a fast, native optic 85mm or 90mm lens. That’s about the only focal length where the Fuji X system cannot replace my Canon except when you consider the [shoplink 12892]XF 55-200mm zoon lens[/shoplink]. It also won’t hurt to get a built-in ND filter like the [shoplink 12883]X100S[/shoplink].

Cheers to Fuji for listening to what people have been longing for in digital cameras! Everything so far has been well worth the wait.

You may check out some of my X system shots on my photo blog. Almost all of the recent portraits and street shots were taken with the XPro-1. The biggest job I’ve ever shot with the X was for the local edition (Philippines) of Esquire Magazine a few months ago [link here]. I have since done more with the X for the same magazine but I haven’t had the time to post them up.

I’m honestly addicted to your site and have also bought Rico’s book on the X-Pro1 and X-E1 [Patrick: use code FUJISAVES30 to save 30% on Rico’s book].

Thank you for keeping the site very updated and very informative!

Cheers,