As you know, a new source told me a while ago here, that the new tele converter lens (TCL) for the X100/S will be available in late April / May. Now it is already listed at BHphoto’s website here. There is still no information about the price and release, yet.

With the [shoplink 12893]WCL-X100 ($300)[/shoplink] and TCL, X100/s owner will have a three-lens mini system (28mm, 35mm and 50mm) with leaf shutter, fast aperture and terrific IQ.

X-T1

– fuji x-t1 review #1: body & controls at f8blog here: “My first impressions are as positive as I anticipated they would be. Fuji has done a fine job designing this camera. The camera controls are very logical, and since there is a dedicated knob/switch for everything, you hardly need to dive into the menu at all.”

– Fuji X-T1 Review: 8 Hours Later at danielkcheung here: “Having now fumbled my way with the Fuji X-T1 at a wedding, I have a much better understanding of the X-T1′s strengths and weaknesses as per to the context of my specific experiences and usage of camera equipment. My main gripe is with the 4-direction pad and ISO dial locking mechanism. With time, I will overcome these I suppose. […] I’m not ready to say that the Fuji X-T1 is ideal for wedding photography; it is still early days. But I am happy to say that with more practice, I will get used to the quirks of the Fuji X-T1. I may make some modifications to the rear 4-direction pad. I will probably invest in faster memory cards. I also will need to wait for my XF14mm and XF56mm to arrive to do a thorough wedding test with a complete X-series camera set up. For now, I am satisfied.”

XF 56mm f/1.2
USA AmazonUS / BHphoto / Adorama / DigitalRev / – EUROPE: wexUK / wexDE / PCHstore / DigitalRev

– Review at dcfever here (translation).

XF 10-24
USA. AmazonUS / BHphoto / Adorama / Pictureline / DigitalRev / EUROPE: DigitalRev / PCHstore / WexDE / WexUK

– First Impressions Fujinon XF10-24mmF4 R OIS Lens at bertstephani here: “Great lens and I wouldn’t hesitate to highly recommend it to Fuji shooters who like it really wide. I’ll probably stick to the 14mm but that has nothing to do with the quality of the 10-24. It’s just that I don’t shoot a lot of wide angle pictures and for the few that I do, the 14mm is a better choice to me because it takes up less space and weight in my bag. But if I shot a lot of wide angle work, I would definitely add this lens to my collection.”

X-E2
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– Read trustedreviews‘ review here: “The X-E2 doesn’t succeed in every area, failing to match competing models in terms of AF speed and Wi-fi performance. However, if you’re looking for a retro rangefinder-type CSC that delivers in terms of design and image quality, the X-E2 is a pleasure to use and one of the best on the market.”

– Duncan Foster: “You sometimes publish reviews of newer Fuji cameras. If you want another one of the X-E2 on a trip in Belize, the review is here. And more photos from the trip (all taken with the X-E2) are here.”

– Fujifilm X-E2 review at trustedreviews here: “The X-E2 doesn’t succeed in every area, failing to match competing models in terms of AF speed and Wi-fi performance. However, if you’re looking for a retro rangefinder-type CSC that delivers in terms of design and image quality, the X-E2 is a pleasure to use and one of the best on the market.”

– AF speed comparison X-E1 vs X-E2 on youtube here.

– Harland and Wolff at Night with the X-E2 at flixelpix here: “I packed the Fujifilm X-E2 and the 14mm and 23mm lenses. I suspected that I would concentrate on shooting with the 23mm f/1.4 to capture the lights from the rig whilst trying to keep the sky as dark as possible (which isn’t easy in any city). After a number of captures with the 23mm I discovered a rather large puddle so decided to employ the 14mm to try and capture the rig, the cranes as well as their reflection.”

– Fuji X-E2 – Voigtlander 20mm – Fuji 55-200 – More beauty and the beast at soundimageplus here.

– Fuji X-E2 with XF 55-200mm vs Nikon D4 with 28-300mm at stanleyleary here: “If you are used to being able to shoot sports as I have with a auto focus system as quick as the Nikon D4, then you will be a little disappointed in the Fuji. However if you never shot with the best Nikon systems, then you might be OK and not notice the delay.” For his other post “Fuji X-E2 is great for meetings“ click here.

X100S
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– NYC Long Exposures with the Fujinon [shoplink 12893]WCL-X100[/shoplink] at stephenip here: “The good thing about the conversion lens is that the filter thread is the same size as the X100S. This meant that I didn’t have to buy an additional step up ring to use my ND filter. The bad thing is that you need to tell the camera the lens is mounted to get the right Exif data. Not a huge deal, but I did find myself constantly forgetting to switch this setting on and off during our trip.”

– Settings for Great Black and White with the Fuji X100s – Part II at outdoorimagesfineart here: “It’s a long time coming, but I wanted too finish the discussion I started about using black and white with the Fuji X100s. I extend this now to really include all the Fuji X series, including the X-Pro1 and the X-E2. If you recall from the first part I tried what others have used by increasing contrast using the red filter option. However, I didn’t like the grey rendering for some colors.”

– Food photography with Fujifilm X100s at pavels here: “Again, zero experience with paid food photography and Fujifilm X100s as my only workhorse camera.”

– One Week in the Field with the Fuji X100s at photographytricks here: “Put simply, the Fuji X100s made shooting with a DSLR seem soulless and disconnected. For the first time in a long time, I am using a camera that seems a part of me, yet connects me seamlessly to my subject.”

– Wedding Photography with the Fujifilm X100S at rogerspictures here: “One of the things I love about using this tiny camera is the fast f/2.0 fixed 23mm lens. Because the sensor is smaller than a traditional 35mm DSLR, the equivalent focal length is 35mm, and the images have slightly more depth of field than a f/2.0 lens would have on it’s larger cousin. But for a camera this small, the shallow depth of field is still almost unique. I use that feature a lot in my compositions, framing the subject with natural elements, the depth of field drawing the viewers attention to the subject with less distraction.”

– review at michaelkircher here: “This is in no way the most comprehensive review of this camera you can find. For that you should check out David Hobby and Zack Arias and Kai Wong. What follows is simply a first impression type of review after a few days usage. No pixel peeping or tech talk is used…well, not excessively anyway.”

X-E1
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– A Dabble in Commercial Shooting with My X-E1 at adrielhenderson here: “My personal photography kit consists of a Fuji X-E1 paired with the XF 35mm f/1.4 and XF18-55 lenses, four cheap YN-560 speed lights, triggers, an off-brand soft box, a handful of umbrellas and stands. Add to that my DIY collection: a pile of homemade ghetto sandbags, a staples-and-felt soft box grid, and best yet, my flower-pot-turned-beauty-dish! Quite the circus, really.”

– Hemanshu Narsana: “Hi Patrick, Since you keep featuring photographers and are extremely passionate about the Fuji series, I thought I’d share some photos I recently took with the XE-1 and8mm Rokinon. I am based out of India, and I don’t see many Fuji photographers here, so I thought I could try and provide an Indian perspective on the Fuji scene. Everyone who sees my XE-1 or my X100s is beginning to wonder what they are missing out on! Keep up the good work. I check your site every day for updates! Thank you for doing that for us!” Read and see his post “Fuji XE-1 with the 8mm Rokinon on my trip to Pondicherry” here at yougotlittup.

– A Vintage Alternative With Fuji X-E1 by Meng Yeap at findingrange here: “The quality that is produced from the Helios 44m is awesome. The lens is sharp wide open at f/2. For me, it is sharp enough especially, when I am shooting portrait with it. But if you want to get tack sharp photos, do shoot it at f/4 and above. The bokeh produced is also very smooth and shooting it at wide open f/2, it is definitely bokehlicious.”

X-PRO1
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– The Owl Sanctuary (Barrow in Furness) – Fuji X-Pro1 / XF 60mm 2.4 R Macro at roblowephoto here: “Up until recently, my two favourite macro lenses were always the Ricoh A12 50mm 2.5 or the Fujifilm XF 60mm 2.4 – both 1:2 (half-size) macros.”

– February 17th, 2014 ….. Fuji XP1 & 15mm Heliar ….. Ideal Street Combo! at streetshooter here.

– Marrakech summer trip with the Fuji X-Pro1 at fullframeboy here.

– Fuji X-Pro1 Shoots The Moon at prometheus here: “I’ve been exploring astrophotography a bit more with the Fuji X-Pro1 and have been tremendously happy shooting the moon at least.  The next step in the evolution of astrophotography with this camera is to start shooting more deep sky objects.”

– Fuji X-Pro1 camera test at markboltonphotography here: “My most recent camera acquisition, before the X-Pro1, was the Sony RX100… I kept it for 4 months before getting rid of it… The X-Pro 1 is obviously a different beast entirely, but I can assure you that it will still be in my camera bag for a while to come!”

– A camera build to endure klutzes: the Fuji X-Pro1 at charlenewinfred here: “The fact that my X-Pro 1 still working is a testament to how solidly this baby was built. Against all odds, despite the slew of delicious new offerings from Fuji, I’m hoping it will be a companion for many more years.”

X-A1
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– X-A1 review at pcmag here: “The Fujifilm X-A1 is the least expensive X-series camera that Fuji sells; while it doesn’t feature the company’s unique X-Trans image sensor, it’s still a solid performer.”

X-M1
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X-M1 review at neocamera here: “People looking for great image-quality at an affordable price have a good deal to like about the Fuji X-M1. This mirrorless itself is also relatively compact and saves weight compared to a DSLR. While Fuji’s lenses are not the smallest, most offer impressive image-quality which allow the X-Trans sensor to show its full potential.”

lenses

– Fuji 55-200mm review at thephotofrontier here: “If you are looking for long lens with great image quality, a pro build, and very functional image stabilization…well, this is it!”

– Zeiss Touit 32mm f/1.8 (Fujifilm) – Review / Test Report Lens Reviews – Fujifilm X-Pro at photozone here: “The Zeiss Touit 32mm f/1.8 is capable of delivering the high quality results that we associate with this brand. The images are sharp straight from the max. aperture and the center quality is even stunning when stopping down.”

– A Very Brief Review of the Fujinon XF 35mm 1.4 lens at colinnichollsphotography here: “Peoples main love of this lens comes from its outstanding sharpness, I’m not going to make tests and charts, but show two examples of just how good it is, even wide open, which is how I shoot this lens most of the time.”

– Hands On with Fuji’s Premium X-Series Long Lens at macleancomms here: “Well the image and build quality are on a par with the other X-Series XF lenses and despite the variable aperture, the images are sharp across all focal lengths and at all apertures.  Even with the aperture wide open and the lens zoomed out to 200mm, the results are really impressive.”

– XC 50-230mm review at photographyblog here: “Priced at £379 / $399, we probably wouldn’t rush out and buy one, but the Fujifilm XC 50-230mm F4.5-6.7 OIS is definitely a cut above the usual cheap telephoto lenses. If you can’t stretch to the better-performing and better-built Fujifilm XF 55-200mm F3.5-4.8 R LM OIS, or can’t wait for the upcoming XF 50-140mm f/2.8 R OIS WR, then this affordable telephoto lens is still worth adding to your X-series system.”

Speed Booster:
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– Metabones Nikon F to Fuji X adapters at fujixtras here: “Looking at the Speed Booster, the resulting images come very close to the “experience” obtained with a full-frame camera, and the image quality of the attached lens is largely preserved. The extra f-stop is a welcome addition to that. The Speed Booster helps to fill gaps in Fujifilm’s current XF lens line-up, at least until new lenses are added to the roadmap and become available (and the extra cash is spent).”

RAW-conversion / Jpeg vs RAW

– Hank: “Patrick, I just published an article that attempts to discover whether there have been any meaningful improvements in processing X Trans files in the new ACR release. As always it can be found at henrysmithscottage.com. Thanks!” – Later versions of ACR are much better than the early versions. I’m not sure if there is much improvement in detail with the newest release. I’ll use it though.

– JPG vs RAW at arihallami here (translation): “Yet another story for Fujifilm shooters. This time it’s about how to scale your images to have a filmy look and why not to shoot JPG with high ISO. Google translate will probably make a mess with translation, but the images will tell you the obvious.”

– A first look at the Fujifilm Film Simulation modes with Adobe Camera Raw 8.4 at mirrorlessons here: “[…] the update remains interesting as it gives you a starting point to build upon in the recreation of your Fujifilm OOC JPGs taken with the in-camera film simulation modes. The rendering may not be identical but at least you aren’t creating something out of nothing as you would be if you were working the RAF files without the Camera Raw update.”

– Dan Bailey: “Here’s another- shooting RAW with the X-T1 and seeing how much information is actually preserved in the X-Trans sensor on the X-T1.” Read more at danbaileyphoto here. “As much confidence as I have in the Fuji JPEGs, sometimes RAW is necessary if you want to preserve the maximum level of sharpness, exposure and color info in your image, especially in tricky light. Seeing how well the 16MP X-Trans sensor handles RAW gives me even more confidence to use the X-T1 in any kind of situation.”

– Film Candy for Lightroom Now Available at thomasfitzgeraldphotography here: “After over a year of going back and forth trying to port my Film Candy presets to Lightroom, I’m delighted to say that they’re finally available. Film candy for Lightroom is a set of Develop Module that I designed to create a stylised image based on the look of expired and instant film.”

–  Optimal Sharp and Optimal Snap a good combination for Fuji X-T1 Images at outbackphoto here.

a little bit of everything

– Why Do DSLRs Still Sell Better Than Mirrorless Systems? at amateurphotographer here (via CanonWatch via MirrorlessRumors).

– Another Fuji manager says: “Full Frame? First complete the APS-C line, and then maybe… we are investigating!” Read more at the Spanish site dslrmagazine here (tranlsation).

– Fujifilm 2014 Rajasthan Photo Trek at thedigitaltrekker here: “It is always difficult to find even a few moments to post photos and updates when leading a workshop. But we have made it to Pushkar and that means for the participants of the Fujifilm Rajasthan Photo Trek a day of rest.”

– My Mirrorless Choice(s) – Fuji X-E2 and/or Fuji X-M1 and/or Sony A7 and/or Panasonic GX7 – Part 4 – Fuji X – Beauty and the Beast at soundimageplus here.

– V Opoku: “Hey Patrick, I just returned back from shooting a wedding in Jamaica. I shared my thoughts with Fujifilm UK on using their cameras for wedding photography, and it ended up as an interview blog post on their site (read it here). Just thought I will share the post with you and I hope that it is helpful for any  wedding photographers who are interested in the Fujifilm X-Series, especially with the newly announced XT1 looking pretty good. Here is the link to the wedding.”

. Mat: ” […] Fujifilm is going to discontinue the best medium format instant film, the 3×4 FB-3000b. This saddens me and about 11.000 customers who signed a petiton. I guess there is a way to stop Fuji from stop production: selling directly from Fuji’s sites? Producing after a great global order placement? In marketing terms, it is important for Fuji itself to keep a strong connection with instant analogue artists and enthusiasts. It would be great if you could make some room in your blog for this petition: https://www.change.org/petitions/stop-the-discontinuation-of-fuji-3000b-instant-film-by-fujifilm. I’m not a native english speaker so, please, forgive my mistakes. Thank you Patrick. Kind regards, Mat, Milan”

– A FR-reader wrote me: “Have you ever seen the site Pixel Peeper? Well Fujifilm has seven (7) lenses in the top 20 most popular and the 35mm f1.4 is in the top spot under mirrorless lenses.“

Fujinon XF 23mm

USA: eBay / AmazonUS / BHphoto / Adorama / Pictureline / DigitalRev – EUROPE: AmazonUK (via DR) / eBay / DigitalRev / wexcamerasDE / wexphotographicUK / PCHstore

– At therealsphotographersforum you can read a review of the XF 23mm: “The new Fuji 23mm lens is a beast – as fast as the excellent Fuji 35mm lens (at f/1.4), but with the latest AF drive and pull focus ring from the 14mm. The build quality feels superb – this lens is a chunky guy, with some reasonable heft, and a rather impressive girth. […] the smoothness of the bokeh is really impressive.”

– yodobashi.com shared his impressions and beautiful pics of the 23mm here (google translation): “It may be said that is the size that a strong presence as a little lens of single focus of APS-C for but, given the stunning image quality and value of open F1.4, to be rather small and light.”

X-rayed by Dag

FR-reader Dag analized an image Bert Stefani shot in his recent visit to Tokyo with three more X-photographers in order to present Fujifilm their own suggestions to make the X-series even better and more complete. Now here are Dag’s findings… and what do you see?

“This is unconfirmed , but take a look at this picture. http://confessionsxl.com

Is the x70 the black camera on the table? Or the silver one beside it? The silver one is NOT a X100S. Also. Look at the two cameras on the left side. If you look at the writing on the lens and the depth of the lenses it may look like they have different lenses. Is a X100S with a different focal length lens on the cards. X100S(andard), X100T(ele), X100W(ide)?

The lenses on the right side are also interesting. There is a pancake lens with aperture ring … Maybe a 35mm 2(.8)? Pure speculation. The lens in the middle looks a lot like a 35mm 1.4 with manual focus clutch?

And last but not least. Zack, David and co. reported that they got to present a wish list for upcoming lenses for the X-system. If you look at the board on the left side it clearly states: “from x-photographers”. Beneath not much i clear other then the first lens is a variable aperture (zoom) with maximum aperture of 5.6 on the long end … A longer lens then the 55-200mm?

The next three lenses have a aperture that ends on 8. So either 1.8 or 2.8. The last of these have “macro” written behind the aperture. If i should take a calculated guess a 23mm 2.8, a long tele 2.8 and longer macro lens then the 60mm?

The last lens on the board is interesting. It is clearly marked with II behind. So of the lenses that are out today the 35mm and 60mm are the two lenses that is most “in need” of redesigning with “quick AF” as stated. I would guess 35mm since the AF on the 60mm is slow since it is a macro lens.

The is also something about 18-55mm on the right side of the board, but can’t read it. Maybe a “firm” aperture ring with stops?

Maybe i want to see more in the picture then there is?”

Photo Ninja

FR-reader Mehrdad is very pleased by the results of the RAW-converter Photo Ninja and wrote a German review here (translation). According to hin it’s worth abbandon LR finally!

win a X-E1 + 18-55 lens

“Hello, Patrick. I have one more piece of news for you – we at Photography Life were very impressed with the X-E1 and started a giveaway contest of the camera body + the 18-55mm XF zoom lens kit. Perhaps you would like to share this on your website, we would be very grateful. Thanks! http://photographylife.com/fuji-x-e1-giveaway“

X100S

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– Here is a fun little look at the X100S of Fernando Gros: “Time for a confession right up front. I suck at writing camera reviews. When I’ve written camera reviews in the past I often get hit with the kinds of questions most regular camera reviews spend a lot of time answering; stuff like sharpness, lens distortion and every little detail lurking in the camera’s menus. But, to the be honest, the only thing that interests me is “can I make the kind of photographs I like, with this camera?”

– X100S review at disneyphotographyblog here: “Imagine a camera that is liberating, light, powerful, and most importantly has fantastic image quality. Do you want to take that camera to the parks and shoot with it? I know I did, and that is why I rented the Fujifilm X100S recently.”

–  Florian wrote a comprehensive review about his new toy, the X100S, here: “I needed something more portable, especially for work trips. I considered switching to a more portable camera system – the Fuji X system comes to mind – but again this involves compromises (not to mention expenditure) that I don’t want make right now: An ideal camera (1) has excellent image quality, (2) is very portable and (3) is highly flexible. Again, pick two! My solution is to keep my DSLR system [(1) & (3)] and get a second, portable camera [(1) & (2)]. The X100s fits the bill perfectly. Moreover, it is very pretty, so even my finance minister approved of the purchase.“

– For a first look at the X100S check eoshd.com here: “Dynamic range is comparable to full frame on the X100S and it certainly gives the Sony RX1′s full frame sensor a run for it’s money at a considerably smaller price. The Zeiss lens is better on the RX1 but image quality is right up there between the two and the X100′s sensor also  does a great job in low light.”

X-E1

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– Dan Bailey shared on my FR-twitter page his blog post “Shooting Cyclocross with a Nikon DSLR and Fuji X-E1 here: “In my mind, the Fuji X-E1 held up well, and I’d use again with confidence for shooting action.”

– Check out photographylife’s X-E1 review here. From the conclusions: “Yes, the Fuji X-E1 is a camera that I want to pick up and shoot. I don’t know what it is – ergonomics, its looks, its feel, the noise of its shutter…it is hard to express why this camera just lures me into picking it up. To date, I have not enjoyed photography as much as I have with the X-E1. It feels just perfect in hands. […] I have been taking the Fuji equipment to every shoot with me so far and I have to say, I would not hesitate to shoot weddings and other portrait sessions with it (you can probably see why I am so excited about the upcoming 56mm f/1.2). […] In summary, the X-E1 is a phenomenal camera. I don’t think there is anything else to add to that.”

– Oh yes, he did it. Colin shot a whole wedding with the X-E1. Read more here: “I am happy with the results from this day, however I’m still holding on and using the 5Dii +100mm lens for my own assignments but I believe the way is paved for an all fuji kit bag, Im thinking a pair of XE1’s: 23mm/1.4 lens on one and the 56mm/1.2 on the other, with the 35mm being in the bag for backup. Can you imagine that? It would be such a light kit and all fit in one small bag, only downside is I would need about ten batteries, not even joking here I used 4 in one day recently.”

– The Fuji X-E1 & Fuji X-Pro1 and why I love mine at johnbarclayphotography here: “These cameras have made photography fun again!  I love the look and feel and their size allows me to always have one with me.”

– X-E1 article at henrysmithcottage here: “This was the first vacation, probably in a decade, where I have not taken an SLR as part of my kit. Instead on his trip, I brought instead 3 “X series” Fujifilm cameras:  my X 100s, my X Pro 1, and a brand new  E Bay acquisition, a silver XE 1.  I definitely had some concern over this. After all, I have some wonderful Nikon bodies and lenses. Would the Fuji’s suffice? […]

– “In the hands using the Fuji X-E1 and 35mm for me is a more photographic experience. I engage far more in the moment. I take more care before squeezing the shutter release and hearing the shutter control the light momentarily to the sensor creating the image. I love the detail with the narrow apertures too, street and landscape provide good opportunities to work at this end if the lens range.” Read Fuji X-E1 joined me on walk about at Simon Peckham here.

X-PRO1

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– X-PRO1, New York and street photography. See some shots here at rodneyboles.com.

– The Fuji Xpro 1 loves the Badlands (First field test) at tonysweet here: “I thoroughly enjoy using the Fuji X Pro 1 and it’s one of the few cameras that feels so good in your hands (after adding the aforementioned accessories), that it actually makes you want to get out there and take pictures! BONUS: Being a rangefinder, there no need for a tripod for general shooting in average light, although mounting on a tripod is always a good idea for best image quality in lower light and/or when using high apertures. BONUS2: The high ISOs are outstanding!”

– X-Wow: Initial Shots from the Fujifilm X-Pro1 at kevinbuchananphoto here: “‘I’ve been shooting with the X-Pro1 and the 35mm (equivalent to a 50mm on a full-frame camera) f/1.4 lens now for several days, and have been continually blown away by the photos I’ve been getting from it.  I’ve thrown it into several different situations – portraits, street, concerts, etc. – and have been learning how it behaves and responds.  It’s everything I loved about the X100, taken to a new level.”

– Alternative close-up photography with the Fuji X-Pro1 and X-E1 at aboutphotography here: “Sometimes, however, I like to break the mold and move into some more innovative ways of shooting close-ups. The procedure is simple, but the results can often be visually interesting and, for me, more exciting creatively.”

X-M1

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– Giovanni: “Hi, I’ve tested, for a few hours, both the (old) X-E1 and the (newer) X-M1. Here’s my reflections; the post is in italian, but you can read it also in english, or any other languages, thanks to “google translate“. Ciao“

– photoreview posted its X-M1 review here: “[…] the X-M1 plus 16-50mm kit lens will suit photographers who enjoy shooting general subjects, such  as landscapes and portraits. It’s small enough to be an attractive traveller’s camera and makes a reasonably good choice for photographing children and pets, although you’ll need a longer lens if you want to photograph sports action or wildlife.”

– photographylife‘s X-M2 review can be read here: “Overall, the X-M1 is an excellent camera that is very intuitive and easy to use, with superb image quality. Despite the fact that it lacks an electronic viewfinder, it is still equally as addictive as other X-series cameras from Fuji.”

X20

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– Cameralabs X20 review here: “Despite its smaller sensor, the Fujifilm X20’s wider f2.8 aperture produces a slightly better result at the telephoto end of the zoom range. The worst of the bunch [[shoplink 12884 ebay]X20[/shoplink], [shoplink 15087 ebay]Sony RX100 II[/shoplink], [shoplink 13071 ebay]Nikon A[/shoplink]] is the Nikon A. Its 28mm fixed lens not only renders the background almost as sharp as the subject, the wide angle perspective makes for particularly unflattering portraits.”

– Nowadays compact cameras deliver great results, as the [shoplink 12884]X20[/shoplink] or the [shoplink 15087]Sony RX100II[/shoplink]. Read more at mirrorlessons here.

artifacts

– “I would like to have your opinion about some TERRIBLE false outlines that I’m encounting on Lightroom and Silkypix when simulating a Red filter on BN, on the blue channel. I can’t believe that I’m the first to deal with this artefact, but I can’t find any discussion about this on the web. I decided to email you after trying to recreate the same artefact on other cameras like Olympus OMD and Canon G-15, both of them don’t show a false outline like this. I can confirm that it is in both of jpeg and RAF, and you can put every other parameter to default or automatic and you won’t remove this outline anyway. Look at the sky… Please help me :D Greetings from Rome, M“. Check Massimo‘s post here. To be honest, I’ve never experienced something like this, but feel free to drop your opinion in the comments. In any case, I’ve talked with Massimo and he told me that he found a solution in the meantime. So stay tuned on his blog, in case you experienced the same problem, he will tell you the solution in this post here!

Fuji X100

Lens Turbo

admiringlight posted its lens turbo review (Minolta MD to Fuji X) here: “If you planned to shoot with the Lens Turbo for a large portion of your work or for professional work, I’d recommend spending the extra money on a SpeedBooster (provided they make it for the mount you’d like to convert), but for occasional use when you want that full-frame depth of field, it’s useful.  I don’t often need the depth of field provided by ultra-fast lenses on full frame, as the depth of field from faster lenses on APS-C and Micro 4/3 provides plenty of isolation while keeping the subject sharp. However, for those times I want that super shallow look (especially in the normal focal range), I can grab this and get a decent shot. Ultimately, the Lens Turbo provides usable images with that full-frame look at a relatively low price.  It’s not a great buy, and it’s not a perfect set of optics, but it’s not a bad buy either.  The current $130 price range on eBay is right about where I’d put the worth on the Lens Turbo – if it were more expensive, the cons to image quality would be much harder to ignore.”

lenses
Fuji XF 27mm: [shopcountry 13829] Zeiss Touit 2.8/12: [shopcountry 13645] Fuji XF 55-200mm: [shopcountry 12892] Fuji XC 16-50: [shopcountry 17197] Fuji XF35mm: [shopcountry 12889]

– Some more images of the 23mm can be seen here.

– “Patrick – I just completed a hands on review of the Fuji 27mm pancake lens. This lens is a real winner as you can read in my post here. As always, I included downloadable samples so readers can judge for themselves. The lens looks particularly great on an X-E1 as this photo shows. Thought your readers migh enjoy the post. Thanks.  – Tom“

– Lenstip tested also the XF 27mm here. The PROS: “small and neat casing, excellent image quality in the frame centre, negligible chromatic aberration, well corrected spherical aberration, low astigmatism, fast and accurate autofocus.” CONS: “high vignetting, weak image quality on the edge of the frame near the maximum relative aperture, exorbitant price.”

– Read stockografie‘s Zeiss Touit 2.8/12mm review in English here (German here): “Color rendition, sharpness and even corner sharpness is handled very well. You can even achieve a little bit of bokeh with this ultra wide angle lens. Choose f/2.8 and get real close to your subject and you can manage this bokeh. Not bad for this ultra wide angle lens used on an APS-C sensor.”

– photoreview‘s XC16-50 review can be read here: “Covering a wide enough focal length range for everyday picture-taking and as a single lens for travellers, this lens is better suited to landscape and portrait photography than shooting sports action or wildlife. Optical image stabilisation promises up to four f-stops of shutter speed compensation. Extensive use of plastic means the build quality has been slightly compromised to keep its weight down. However, this makes it a travel friendly combination with the X-M1 body we used for our tests.

– 35mm review at picturebeast here: “Fact Number one –  this lens gets rave reviews both by the professionals and by the budding enthusiats and semi professionals that can be found hanging around the vignetted corners of the virtual WordPress world […]. Fact number two – this lens has a thrilling F1.4, which guarantees gorgeous bokeh”

– Don Craig‘s review of the 55-200 can be read here: “I was impressed. Thank you image stabilization! The OIS works really well. That, combined with the X-trans sensor’s superior image quality and amazing high ISO performance, meant that I was happily shooting an event with the XP1 and a Fujinon lens which previously required me to use a DSLR and a giant zoom lens.”

– XF 55-200 review at hossedia here: “Another great use of longer focal length lenses is creating the optical illusion of compression. The idea is to stand back from your subject, and use the longest focal length you can. This will result in visual elements appearing closer together than they are (kind of like your rear view mirror). The 55-200 does a brilliant job of this!”

image courtesy: hossedia

How to shoot a wedding with the Fujis

image courtesy: confessionsxl

“I want cameras that don’t scream “I’m the hired photographer!” but still give me the best possible image quality. Another reason for keeping my bag small and light is simply physical. I don’t shoot my best work when I’m tired or when my back hurts.  Here’s what’s in my camera bag:” Read more at confessionsxl here.

Talk about the X + Kaizen

– X-Photographers David Hobby and Zack Arias talk about their experience with the X-series here. These two photographers were part of the expedition invited to Tokyo from Fujifilm in order to give them honest feedback about the X-series. The other two X-photographers were Bert Stefani and Kevin Mullins. I’ve already shared the 23mm first impressions of Bert (here) and David (here) on Fujirumors (for a great first look at the 23mm check Rico’s X-pert corner post here). Now it’s time to read what Kevin Mullins thinks about Fuji’s Kaizen spirit (read his article here):

“See the guys in the blue shirts?  These are the people that design, manufacture, make, forge and breathe life into the X-Series of cameras. You know what they are doing here?  They are listening feedback from “us”.   The guys that actually build the systems, design the software and produce the cameras that we use on a day to day basis are listening to our feedback.  Feedback that all four of us took to them from many hundreds of photographers.”

– Also photographylife (click here) admires Fujifilms devotion to its customers and says:”Fuji has quickly become a manufacturer that feels involved with its clients more than any other camera maker no matter how well-known or popular. It feels as if they want to do good by their customers, as if you are using gear that real people design and improve, rather than a faceless company.”

PhotoLive

“Can you change your mental mindset and be a better photographer?  Come along to PhotoLive and sign up from a selection of over 200 seminars from 35 Pro Photographers and see what interesting tips can be picked up!!” If you are interested to learn from great photographers as Dave Kai-Piper then consider to participate to this seminar in London on the 26 and 27 of October. You can also profit from a discount. Dave Kai-Piper will tell you more about it here.

X-M1

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– Bert Stefani’s X-M1/16-50 review and lot of beautiful samples can be seen here: “So far this compromise, make the X-M1 the perfect companion for people on a budget who are looking for a small camera system with great image quality. But there’s more, the X-M1 is not all compromise, it has two features that none of the other X-cams have: a tilting screen and build-in wifi. […] having the same sensor as my main camera, the X-Pro1, it is well suited as a backup camera. The extra functionality with the tilt screen and wifi, gives me extra options that my current backup camera, the X-E1, doesn’t offer. […] About the 16-50 lens […] if you take the low price into account, I believe it’s not a bad deal at all. The image quality is surprisingly good. It’s a great starting all-round zoom for photographers on a tight budget. And if you add some better, more expensive lenses over time, it’s still a good backup lens. […] Despite my initial reservations about the X-M1 I’ve decided to give it a permanent place in my bag where it will replace my hardly used X-E1 as my backup camera. ”

– steves-digicams.com published an X-M1 review. From the conclusions:  “[…] The biggest drawback to the X-M1 is its high starting price of about $800 with the kit lens. You’ll be able to find more powerful and more feature-rich DSLRs and ILCs for well under that price range. However many of those models cannot match the stylish look and feel of the Fujifilm X-M1. The X-M1 is small enough to be used comfortably one-handed, yet the camera has a sturdy build. It’s a comfortable model to use, and even though the camera body is small, the buttons are of a good size and are easy to reach and press. This camera’s image quality and performance levels are pretty good too versus other entry-level ILCs, although those aspects of the X-M1 aren’t quite as impressive when compared to all models in its price range. You can shoot in RAW or JPEG with this camera, which is a feature that doesn’t appear in every ILC model. The X-M1 does a very nice job with low light photos too, thanks to its popup flash and good performance at high ISO settings, as well as a large APS-C sized CMOS image sensor. […]”

X100S

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– “In episode #3 of All About the Gear, Doug Kaye and I dive into the famed Fuji x100s camera. Find out if this little beastie lives up to all the hype, and if it’s actually the perfect walk-around camera.” See the episode here.

– Mike Kobal: “Yup, I was just as surprised as you probably are, I rarely find moiré to be an issue and here we have a good example, from the Fuji X100s, nonetheless. 100% moiré crop after the break.” See the image here.

X-PRO1

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– Comparing X-PRO1 and X-E1 at Tom Grill’s website here.

– photgraphylife’s in depth review of the X-PRO1 can be read here: “I have to praise Fuji engineers for going back and reworking the autofocus system of the Fuji X-Pro1 and fixing most of the issues via firmware updates. And I am happy to report that as of firmware 3.01, the Fuji X-Pro1 is a whole different camera compared to what it used to be. I was so frustrated with the autofocus system, that I practically disliked the camera just because of those issues. Autofocus speed has improved dramatically and AF accuracy has gotten a world better, even in low light situations.”

– The Fujifilm X-Pro1 for Landscape Photography at stephenip.com. A great camera for landscape photography combined with the [shoplink 12888 ebay]14mm[/shoplink] but “there is one thing about the X-Pro1 however, that I really, really don’t like. The location of the tripod mount. For some reason, Fuji decided that it’s unnecessary to access the battery or memory card when a tripod plate is mounted onto the camera. As someone that uses a tripod often, having to remove the tripod plate every time I want to charge the battery or download my images is extremely annoying. For a company that did so many things right in the usability department with the X Series cameras, an oversight like this is quite surprising.

– “X-Pro1, my take on it” at neillsoden.co.za:”I just love this camera, and can’t state it enough. This camera and most of Fuji’s cameras have been reviewed to death. This model has also been out for over a year, but I am going to add to it nonetheless. When I show it to people, their first response is always that they can get a DSLR for cheaper. Yes, it’s more expensive than the entry to medium range of DSLR and a lot of them think that DSLR has better image quality and looks more professional.”

– A wedding and more thoughts about the X-PRO1 at louwit.blogspot.dk

– A review of Fuji X-Pro 1 (ver 3.0) with 14mm lens can be read here at bigheadtaco: “If it’s all about the image, then you will not be very happy with the Fuji X-Pro 1. Combine this with great ergonomics, the industry only hybrid viewfinder, and super sharp legendary Fujinon XF lenses, I think you have a winner.”

– Shooting Beauty Portraits – Fuji X-Pro1 vs Canon 5D Mk2 Review at roughly365 here: “The more I use the Fuji, especially with the 35mm f1.4 lens, the more impressed I am with it, I love it. But, as I have stated in previous posts, I personally wouldn’t have it as my main camera, but its the best second camera I can think of.”

lenses

XF 27mm review at the Polish site optyczne here (translation).

dc.watch  took some shots with the XC 16-50. See them here (tranlsation).

… and some tips

– At thephoblographer you can read the “7 Tips for Photographing Strangers”: 1) start with a complimet… to be continued here.

– “5 questions you should ask yourself to become a better photographer” over here at photographytalk.com. 1) Where is the light coming from. 2) Why am I shooting this… and more.

– lightroomkillertips explains how the previous button works in this video.

– 3 Ways to Improve Your Images With Composition at digital-photography-school.com:  1. Rule of Thirds / 2. Second Point of Interest / 3. Room for Copy Space

– Understanding your Cameras Histogram at ephotozine here.

– Architectural Photography Tips at photographytuts here.