Fringer just released Fringer EF-FX Pro and EF-FX adapters’ new firmware ver. 2.60.
It mainly addresses the following issues.
Version 2.60
Fixed PDAF issues for some of the following lens models: Lens didn’t get recognized by the adapter after upgrading lens firmware to version 2.0.
– Sigma 150-600/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Sports/Contemporary
Bug fixed: Some telephoto lenses, e.g. EF200/2.8L II, don’t work properly with 2X TC. When setting shutter speed to ‘A’, LCD or viewfinder is always too dark or too bright, so that it’s hard to see the object being shot.
Tony Northrup launched a poll, where people voted which images they considered had the best colors.
He starts off analysing, if we just think a certain camera has the best colors because of brand loyalty.
So what he did is the following: sometimes he labeled pictures with numbers, and sometimes he put the fake brand names on the same images that don’t even match up to the pictures.
The results:
Canon has the highest brand loyalty. Canon users picked an image 3.1 times more likely if marked with “Canon” than with a number, even though it was not a Canon image
Sony 2.2x
Nikon 1.5x
Fujifilm 1.4x – the lowest brand loyalty. Tony says “maybe Fujifilm users are the most rational people“
92% of people picked a different image when numbered or marked with brand name, showing that there was no consistency.
Interestingly, the most popular image when it was numbered (the Nr.1) suddenly became the least popular, when Tony wrote “Fujifilm” on it, even though it was exactly the same picture. It seems there is a lot of hate for Fujifilm by Sony, Canon and Nikon users out there.
Tony speculates that this is because Fujifilm users tend to be the meanest of all and can be very hostile, and kind of give “the whole brand a bad name“.
On the contrary, Fujifilm users downvoted only Sony, and not Canon and Nikon, which tells us about the brand rivalry.
Then back to the colors. He says “fake colors” are ok. People don’t upvote the most realistic colors, which is normal. In one example, the Nikon got the colors completely wrong, much to warm, and people voted it the best.
Color science is overblown, because if you see pictures individually, they are just fine. But photographers tend to compare.
White balance is more important than color science. When he adjusted white balance in post, results where much more balanced.
Tony says he adjusts colors in post anyway, so he never really cared much about “color science”.
The results for the best colors:
Sony (1,336)
Fujifilm (227)
Nikon (-518)
Canon (-605)
Read also
fujirumors.com – Sony A9 Vs. Fujifilm X-T2: Who Has Better Colors?
fujirumors.com – Fujifilm X-T2 vs Nikon D500 Shootout: Fujifilm X-T2 Wins Overall… and The Fuji Colors Rock Again (at Least For Me)
fujirumors.com – The Great JPEG Shootout by TheCameraStoreTV
NOTE – Film Simulations Anyone?
I hope I will not pass for hostile and mean if I point this out, but what about film simulations?
Fujifilm is renown and loved for its color science, not because they created the universal profile that is best for everything, but because they offer the film simulations, which are created to give the best results in different shooting situations or to create a certain mood. Velvia for landscapes, Astia for skin tones, Acros for black and white, Classic Chrome for a vintage touch and when the story should stand out more than the colors, Sepia for nothing ;) etc…
And while I get the point that you can change colors in post, if the camera itself offers you a great starting point, then you simply have less work to do in post, which can save you a lot of time. We should not underestimate the value of passing less time on the computer editing images ;).
When I was at photokina 2018, I stopped at the Kipon booth, and checked out the Kipon EF-FX 0.7x focal reducer (the quivalent of Metabones’ Speedbooster). Since I couldn’t test it, all I can say it that it feels very well build.
If you want to know more about it, definitely check out the Kipon Baveyes EF-FX ”Speedbooster” review at Mattias Burling Youtube.
PROS
all metal very sturdy build
USB port for firmware
similar results to Viltrox and Metabones focal reducers, and no so buggy like the Viltrox
AF for stills is pretty good
CONS
with some lenses swirly bokeh (the reviewers likes it, but some others might not like it)
X-H1 IBIS sometimes gives vignetting and ND sometimes creeps into frame
AF is not as reliable as native lens
not for streets and sports photography
Video AF is not great
You can purchase the following Kipon Adapters for Fujifilm:
Fringer just upload a video on his youtube channel (video above), showing the Face/Eye detection tracking using the Fujifilm X-T3 with Canon EF600/4L II adapted via Fringer EF-FX AF Autofocus smart adapter with firwmare ver. 2.50.
As you can see, the eye/face AF works really very well in his video demo. He writes:
“To my surprise it works incredibly well on X-T3 when doing AF-C tracking. I set X-T3 to AF-C mode, CH (11 fps) and Face/Eye detection on. The focusing object is a person riding a electric motorcycle moving fast towards the camera.
30 pictures were taken in less than 3 seconds. The focus areas were cropped at 100% scale and combined to the following picture“
guy on motorbike tracked using face/eye AF on Fringer Smart AF Adapter
“I also tested video mode Face/Eye tracking. Thanks to the great improvements of PDAF performance and coverage of X-Trans IV CMOS, both still and video mode works very well.
The new firmware ver 2.50 for Fringer EF-FX AF smart adapters will be out soon, and it will add support for Canon EF600/4L II.
And since we are speaking of Fringer adapters, check out also the latest reviews about the Fringer EF-FX Pro.
phoblographer – Adapter Review: Fringer EF-FX Pro (Tested on the Fujifilm X Pro 2)
dcfever – Fringer EF-FX Pro smart adapter on Fujifilm X-H1
Randall Herrera Youtube – Fuji XT3 Eye AF (Part2) and Fringer adapter on Sigma 18-35 and XF35mmF1.4. Works much better on Fujifilm X-T3 than on Fujifilm X-T2. Sony still a tiny bit better.
