It’s Sunday! Time to share some of your great images and stories you sent me via email at fujirumor@gmail.com, facebook and twitter. Keep it up!
let’s take some awesome pictures today 😉
Mehrdad
Dear fujirumor Team,
my name is Mehrdad Samak-Abedi and I am a semipro photographer based in Berlin, Germany. I found to Fujifilm in 2011 with the x100 and since then I realy appreciate the hightquality image quality the x cameras offer me. I own a x-pro1 and a x100s and prefer landscapes-, street- and urban-photography.
My [shoplink 16850 ebay]Canon 5D MkII[/shoplink] is finds the way into my bag only when I do studiowork and some of my professional stuff but the x cams are alwways with me and I really mean always.
Anyway, I wonder you might be interested in some of my free works and I would appreciate when you are considiring posting some of my pics via your rumorsite or facebook?.
My website
www.qimago.de
My 500px.com sets
http://500px.com/MehrdadAbedi/sets
95% of the shots in my profile/sets/stories are shot with a Fujifilm x camera.
By the way I frequently visiting your rumors site. Gooooood job!
And keep on posting news etc.!
Cheers
Mehrdad
Giacomo
Hi there,
I just wanted to share my flickr account, I’ve been shooting for the last 2 years with Fuji Cameras, first with an X100 and starting last Jan with an X-E1+[shoplink 12889 ebay]35mm f1.4[/shoplink]
http://www.flickr.com/photos/90193008@N04/
hope you enjoy it
regard
Giacomo
Geoff
Hi Patrick. A great resource you are providing in the Fuji Rumours site. Like others have stated, I too check back often, in fact daily. I bought into the Fuji system in January 2013 and have in the last month decided to sell off my FF Nikon and associated lenses as they had not been used in 7 months. I have a web presence dedicated to the imagery from my X system. www.xtographer.weebly.com
Geoff (XF 14mm)
Photo Sama
Manual focusing with Fuji X-E1 and [shoplink 12889 ebay]35mm f/1.4[/shoplink]:
“Hello, First of all thanks for your work on fujirumors… it’s realy helpfull. I contact you because I wanted to share with you my first samples with Fuji-XE1 and 35mm f/1.4 used in full manual. http://www.meghiref.com
I’m a canon user for years now with lenses from [shoplink 16844 ebay]17TSE[/shoplink] to [shoplink 16846 ebay]300mm 2.8[/shoplink], I also owned a [shoplink 16847 ebay]GF1[/shoplink] for the same raisons I decided to go for a fuji. And honestly the only missing steps for fuji today, is full frame and a true 35mm (like 23mm f/2). For marketing and investment return reasons, they will not reach my expectations soon. For 23mm if they launch a 23mm/2 they kill the Xhundred market, so it will be a near 40mm f2.8 (I can live with it), just as I can live with a [shoplink 16848 ebay]Cosina voigtlander 25mm f/4[/shoplink]. Witch is for me the best compact solution today with a 38mm f/4 equivalent.
OK let’s go back to our topic the 35mm in full manual mode, (applicable for street photography )
Why use manual focus when AF work well, (and improved since last firmware)? Because even the fastest AF ever will never be as fast as no AF. For me the goal of street photography is to be able to freez the moment without interacting with the scene. The main rule, what ever you shoot with, is anticipation. When you have to pre-focus (lock the af on your subject, you have to select the right AF point, to point the contrasted zone in your subject, then go back to the scene to compose and wait for the right moment. All this steps are sources of fail, and the one that make you 80% of time change the course of the scene, is when you turn your point your camera to the people you want to focus on.
Here is the process with full manual. ISO is auto, aperture is fixed, shutter speed also. Now compose you scene, and open both eyes to evaluate the distance of your subject wait the right moment and shoot, with this method you miss less than the half of your shoots, and people don’t even care about what you’re doing.( A positive point for X-E1 with his retro look you are considered as a film shooter…)
So now the point is that the 35mm 1.4 is not the most comfortable manual focus lens I had. the number of ring turns between to distances is too high. but here again it’s not impossible see pictures in the top link.
The easiest way is to set aperture to 4 or more, then set the distance between 5 and 10 meters, and shoot, shoot, shoot every thing will be in.
An other point is battery saving mode that turns of you camera… for this point practice the half shuttr button speed, when you feel the moment…
Last point, don’t be too attached to sharpness, you never watch a picture with a magnifier it’s the content (the moment) and the message that counts…
A special message for pixel peepers, … have break take a kitkat, and try manual focus without 100% zoom. you’ll sped more time living the moment ! Here we are hope this could be helpful for any one.
See you.
Photosama
10 Responses
Great picture, the last one in the fog.!!
Part of me always wonders why professional photographers bother talking about cameras like the XPro1 or X100s, since as “professionals” they acknowledge that for professional jobs, they don’t use the very same cameras they are talking about – they’ll mention the Phase One or the Nikon/Canon’s that they’ll use.
So I don’t really care what a professional uses for his or her non-professional work. The question people always want to know is can Camera ___ (fill in your favorite) be used in professional environments or on jobs. You never seem to get an honest yes or no.
Zack Arias says the DSLR is dead – well, except for the fact that if he has an important assignment – basically put, one that he won’t chance for foul-ups – he uses his Canon or Phase One. So then just clearly state that the XPro1, X-E1 and X100s are good at what they do – but these tools are not meant as replacements in professional environments over DSLRs.
Sure these professionals who are not full time paid street photographers will tell you they can get great shots out in the street. But then when you go to well known and also PAID street photographers, you’ll see them mostly using Leicas.
You’ll see a famous studio photographer talking about how cool and awesome the X100s is, but when he gets his next job shooting for Italian Vogue, he doesn’t set up the X Series gear. Out comes the Nikons/Canons or MF cams.
So isn’t it a bit of a joke? The people reading these reviews and posts and asking these same questions, they are probably 50% professionals (but not a made name) and 50% amateurs (where it doesn’t truly matter what they use). For theses up and coming, hopeful to succeed and grow professionals, they either use an XPro1 or X100s as a marketing gimmick to try and set themselves apart or they are using Nikon/Canon and tooling around with the X Series gear in free time. Or the amateurs, who really don’t matter from a professional stand point.
And the bigger named pros, they already made their name on Canon or Nikon (or others), so now they can afford to use anything they want – even polaroid instant cams because they have a name already.
Just don’t sell me that the DSLR is dead, but everyone who says that lists an asterisk next to it :
*well, not for the jobs I won’t risk losing because of this list of issues with X Series cams
Great article James, the truth is out there somewhere.
James
I am a pro, have been for thirty years, a large variety of cameras and jobs. I use canon system – two bodies, many lenses. I have had x100 and now x100s and really like it. And now bought XE-1with 14, 35 and 55-200, and I am using this kit for some jobs but not all. The DSLR is not dead, it is too fast, too flexible for me to get rid of. But I am trying to leave it behind sometimes, it is SO heavy. I have a canon 24-70 lens which cost $2100 and is so sharp and so useful but I hate it. I may sell it to help pay for the xe-1 — swapping one lens for most of a system.
I feel more comfortable with the full frame and larger file — a lot of my photos do go across two pages. I don’t know that the X files will look that good. We shall see. Maybe no one will care if the image is compelling enough?
So… I’m hoping the x will replace my DSLR system but don’t know yet
Oh, and by the way, I do own a phaseone back on a mamiya body. Mostly for still life in the studio. Just incredible files but a pain to work with
Sorry to ramble on a Sunday morning
Jackson
So in your professional opinion, when you think of a situation where a person wants a camera, and they are not a pro – they are a consumer, an avid photographer with a passion for it, but perhaps have the desire to be a pro but it may or may not happen – do you see going the XPro1(2) / X-E1(2) / X100s route a mistake over say a D800 or 5DM3?
I know the size and weight differences. I know the lens and accessories differences. Know the AF and IQ differences. I have $5000. I could go the X Series route, and it’s fine for anything I want to do as I wear the moniker of amateur. Anything more than the X Series is just going gear crazy – whether I want to do fashion, street, landscape, whatever – because if it’s just for my hobby, enjoyment or otherwise unpaid activities, nobody except my own ego will care what i am shooting with.
But if I want to get to a point where I can make a go at photography on the paid level – if it tossing money down the drain, whereas I could take the same $5000 and buy a 5DM3 body and one fast prime. Or a D800 and a fast prime.
All these cameras have excellent image quality, the real pro cameras (not from Fuji…) are going to be easier to use. However, there is one benefit to taking a Fuji camera – its so bad to use that you will have to learn much more about the fundamentals of photography than you would with a DSLR or Olympus 4/3ed camera.
And this will benefit you if you want to become a Pro, or just better.
Personally, I don’t pay too much attention to the thoughts of the Pros on X-cams, many of them benefit from that either directly or indirectly. Better to just rent one and try it out.
Geoff – your photo of the beach with the sky scrapers in the distance is FABULOUS.
I wish I could take 1 photo that good each year 🙂
(Although, personally I think the presence of the kites does not improve the shot)
James…the only time Zack uses his Canon is when he needs 200mm at f2.8 as Fuji dont cover that yet. You have to remember the X series is only a few years old. And yes, these guys do use their Fujis for pro assignments, not just ZA but Kevin Mullins & Damien Lovegrove to name a couple. In fact look up Lovegrove’s film noir shoot & read his comments on the gear used. You may be surprised. ZA never denies the superiority of his Phase but the cost! And even that great camera has its limitations. Ever seen one on the street? Or sports? Bottom line i guess is horses for courses…unless you’re shooting billboards save your money 🙂
Tim… “bad to use”? Geez I’ve found them to be a joy to use. And so have the folks I’ve met who’ve used them as well. Makes my dslrs (Nikon) seem downright awkward. First time I’ve heard of this. What particularly do you find “bad”?
Hi,
I own a X-E1 with XF 14mm, 35mm and the 18-55mm zoom. I love the camera and the quality it delivers but I am having some focusing issues. All my gear is firmwire updated.
The more constant problem I have is when auto-focusing people with the 35mm at f/2.8 or above. I focus at peoples eyes but when I import to computer I feel very disappointed because at least 1/3 of my pictures are lost.
Could anyone help me? Should I use autofocus or manual? let it choose focus or let the rectangle in the middle and recompose (I use that way). Continuous focus or Spot ?
Thanks