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Jun 19, 2013

Hi all,

Look what was in the mail yesterday:

             .........

and inside some revelation's:


makes you what is going to be presented on the 25th of JUNE. ;)



Apr 17, 2013

Fujifilm Fujinon XF55-200mm (83-300mm) F3.5-F4.8 R LM OIS - First Look

Just posted: Our hands-on preview of Fujifilm's latest telephoto zoom lens, the Fujinon 55-200mm F3.5-4.8 R LM OIS. Designed for the company's X-system mirrorless cameras, it offers an 83-300mm equivalent angle of view, and a relatively fast maximum aperture. It also includes optical image stabilisation and two linear stepper motors for quiet focusing. Click below to read our detailed preview for more information.
Thanks to dpreview.com

Fuji Guys - Fujifilm Fujinon XF55-200mm (83-300mm) F3.5-F4.8 R LM OIS - First Look





FujiRumors By Rico
First Look: XF55-200mmF3.5-4.8 R LM OIS

UPDATE: US readers can already preorder the brand new Fuji 55-200mm lens at BHphoto (Click here).

Apr 9, 2013

Zack Arias @zarias on twitter today

Today on twitter, another high profile photographer takes the step:

Apr 6, 2013

FUJI X-Pro1 | Friends, exhibition opening, Good wine and good food!


FUJI X-Pro1 | Friends, exhibition opening, Good wine and good food!

Mais uma estreia no p a p a r a z z i em Faro. Nova Exposição do Paulo Lopes

MEMÓRIAS DE UMA TARDE DE VERÃO
Exposição de Fotografia
PAULO LOPES
05 Abril a 06 de Junho 2013
PAPARAZZI - FARO
During a friend photo exhibition opening in a very nice italian restaurant, i decided to take some shot's with multi exposure, on the X-Pro1, a project that i've been thinking on starting.
Photos were taken at a very high ISO jpg's (5000, 6400iso).Love the result is just great, The images take a three dimension aspect, making you stop to figure out what's going on.
One option that Fuji could add in a future firmware upgrade, is what Olympus OMD-E5 did, you can fine tune the opacity of the second photo in camera, blending more or less the two images.

All images are jpg's out of the camera and very lightly processed in LR 4.4 w/ VSCO Film 3 presets.
Fuji X-Pro1 XF 35mmF1.4 (double exposure)

Fuji X-Pro1 XF 35mmF1.4 (double exposure)

 Fuji X-Pro1 XF 35mmF1.4 (double exposure)

Fuji X-Pro1 XF 35mmF1.4 (double exposure)

You see more photos on my Flickr

Apr 3, 2013

La sélection de la semaine #104 (1 avril 2013)

La sélection de la semaine #104 (1 avril 2013):
En attendant prochainement une série exclusive réalisée au X100S par le photographe Jean-Fabien ; pour la sélection de cette semaine, qui aurait pu se nommer « la scène francophone », il partage l’affiche aux côtés de Vincent Loyer équipé quant à lui d’un Fujifilm X-E1 pour notre plus grand plaisir et en tout cas déjà égoïstement pour le mien ! Rendez-vous dans quelques jours pour une nouvelle sélection de la semaine et en attendant n’hésitez pas à vous rendre sur le groupe Flickr où nos approchons la barre des 40 000 photographies et comme toujours n’ayez pas de scrupules à soumettre les vôtres !
JULIETTE DRAGON
Lou di Franco @ Le Bistrot de le Scène
CABARET DES FILLES DE JOIE
Lou di Franco @ Le Bistrot de la Scène
CABARET DES FILLES DE JOIE

Fujifilm works for Raw Processing of X-Trans CMOS | Fujifilm Global

Fujifilm works for Raw Processing of X-Trans CMOS | Fujifilm Global

April 3, 2013

FUJIFILM Corporation (President: Shigehiro Nakajima) announced that Fujifilm and Adobe Systems Incorporated have been working together to improve image processing of X-Trans and EXR-Sensor based raw captures. X-Trans CMOS has a new type of sensor filter array developed by Fujifilm to improve image quality. The release of Adobe® Photoshop® Lightroom® 4.4 and Adobe Camera Raw 7.4 today offers significant improvements in the processing of X-Trans raw files for the X100S, X20, X-Pro1 and X-E1, resulting in better Moire reduction and enhanced performance in color reproduction.

"We worked closely with Fujifilm to increase the quality of image processing of X-Trans and EXR-Sensor based raw captures," said Tom Hogarty, group product manager, Adobe. "Lightroom 4.4 and Adobe Camera Raw 7.4 demonstrate the results of this cooperation and provide remarkable improvements in the raw file rendering."...continue reading




Apr 1, 2013

Using a Leica Summicron 50mm with the Fujifilm X-Pro1

Using a Leica Summicron 50mm with the Fujifilm X-Pro1:

I’d been wanting to use some Leica glass on my X-Pro1 for a long time, but it doesn’t come cheap so I kept putting it off.  I finally found a Summicron 50mm lens on eBay that went relatively cheaply so I picked it up, along with both a 3rd party and the genuine Fujifilm Leica M adapter.  For those that don’t know, Leica name their lenses based on the maximum aperture, so a Summicron is an f/2.0 lens.  The lens I managed to get was one from the mid 80′s, pre-asph.  Despite the lens being around 25 years old, although the lens design changed in 1994, the optical design stayed the same until fairly recently with the newer aspherical design (which is a cool £5400!), and you can still buy this same non-aspherical version new for the bargain price of £1550.  The one I had was in absolute mint condition.
Fujifilm X-Pro1 with Leica Summicron 50mm
The Summicron is the image of sexiness on the front of the X-Pro1!  It just looks fantastic doesn’t it?!  Retro cool! :)
As soon as you hold the lens you can feel the quality.  I can see why some Leica shooters might think that the Fujinon lenses are “too light” – though when carrying them around in my bag all day I’d have to disagree!  It’s a very solid heavy feeling lens, and despite the age, everything on it still has a silky smooth feel to it.  It’s simply a beautiful piece of engineering and you can’t help but admire it for that alone.
I was expecting the manual focus to be a real pain, but one of the great things about this Summicron is the tab on the focus ring that your finger falls into below the lens and makes adjusting the focus super quick.  I thought I’d be forever zooming in and out with the manual focus aid on the X-Pro1, but with the high quality high-resolution screens on the X-Pro1 it is surprisingly easy to manual focus and get it right using the normal EVF/rear LCD view without having to resort to the MF zoom aid.
Close up focus is a breeze and you get a super shallow depth of field with the combined f/2.0 aperture and 75mm equivalent focal length.   Click on any of the images here to get a larger version.
X-Pro1 Leica 50mm Summicron f/2.0
DSCF0578
The lens works well on the X-Pro1 and with the X-Pro1 menu option you can set the correct focal length of the lens to show up in the EXIF data – although as with all manual lenses, you don’t get any information on the aperture, so you have to note it down if you want to remember the settings.  With the official Fujifilm Leica M-mount you can define specific settings for the lens, distortion, vignette control etc to be applied to the JPEGs as well.
DSCF0755
DSCF0753
Images are sharp with nice contrast from the Summicron.  However, where the Fujinon 60mm macro has beautifully smooth bokeh even under difficult conditions, the Summicron does suffer from rather fussy bokeh under the wrong circumstances.  As you see below, the leaves in the background are not all that smooth and there are some strange things going on in the second image with the highlights on the right side of the frame.  This doesn’t happen all the time and is very much dependent on the background, you do have to be aware of it and be careful where you shoot to get the best out of the lens.
DSCF0754
With the X-Pro1 set to Aperture priority mode (basically by default of having a manual aperture lens) you don’t need to worry about settings things up manually, you select the aperture on the lens and the camera will select the right shutter speed and ISO is you have that set to auto.  You don’t really even need to open it up wide to focus as the auto-gain on the EVF/LCD keeps the image bright enough to see under normal lighting, although opening up the lens to get pin-point accurate focusing before closing it down to take the shot is an advantage.
DSCF0580
DSCF0565
The image colour is different between the two lenses, the Summicron has a much warmer feel to the image where the Fujinon is more realistic – neither is right or wrong, it just depends on what you prefer, and can always be adjusted in a matter of seconds in post in these days of digital photography.
DSCF0778
I did some side-by-side tests with the native Fujinon 60mm macro lens as this was the closest to the 50mm.  I’m afraid that I messed up some of the comparisons so I’ve only got the one scene below to show you the differences, and I sold the lens before I had chance to do more (I’ll explain to you why I sold it later).
I’ve taken each image from f/2.8 (I ignored wide open as they both start off at different points) and run through to f/11.  The focus point is on the ‘vine’ by the ear, and in this case I used the magnified image on the Summicron to make sure I got it spot on.  The best way to view the images is to click on them and load the matching pair into two tabs on your browser so you can flip between the two, but feel free to download them and look at them on your computer too.  There are slight variances in the images as the two lenses have different focal lengths and I stood in the same spot for consistency.
Fujinon 60mm at f/2.8
Fujinon 60mm at f/2.8

Fujinon 60mm at f/2.8
Fujinon 60mm at f/2.8
Fujinon 60mm at f/4
Fujinon 60mm at f/4
Fujinon 60mm at f/5.6
Fujinon 60mm at f/5.6
Fujinon 60mm at f/8
Fujinon 60mm at f/8
Fujinon 60mm at f/11
Fujinon 60mm at f/11
Summicron 50mm f/2.8
Summicron 50mm f/2.8
Summicron 50mm f/4
Summicron 50mm f/4
Summicron 50mm f/5.6
Summicron 50mm f/5.6
Summicron 50mm f/8
Summicron 50mm f/8
Summicron 50mm f/11
Summicron 50mm f/11
Here are the 100% side-by-side views to make it easy for you to see the differences.
fujinon-v-summicron-f28
fujinon-v-summincron-f4
fujinon-v-summicron-f11
To my eyes, and my surprise, the Fujinon is the sharper of the two.   At f/2.8-f/4 they are pretty evenly matched, but by f/8 the Fujinon is way ahead and by f/11 there is really quite a difference.  That isn’t missed focus on the Summicron – I was very particular and I’ve had a good look over the whole frame at 100% and it’s consistent across the frame.
Leica lovers don’t hate me here!  I just didn’t see that one coming given Leica’s reputation for excellence, and especially given the fact that I paid nearly twice as much for a 25-year-old lens than I did the Fujinon new.  I’m not saying that the Summicron is a bad lens, what it does show though is just how damn good a job Fuji have done with the 60mm macro lens.  It’s widely praised as super sharp, but this goes to show how good it really is when compared side-by-side with a lens as legendary as the Leica 50mm Summicron.  The performance is probably a combination of the pure optical brilliance of the Fujinon and the fact that is has been designed to work specifically with the X-Pro1, whereas the Summicron was designed to work with the old Leica film cameras, even though many people still use it today with their digital cameras.
I bought the Summicron more out of curiosity than need, and would decide whether to keep it depending on performance.  Whilst manual focusing was a very pleasant experience and a lot easier than I expected, the optical performance across the board wasn’t as good as the Fujinon.  Combine that with not having a full set of EXIF data, having to open the lens to focus then stop it down to shoot, the rather fussy bokeh, and the fact that using the 60mm macro just makes more sense given that it is a native lens means that I decided not to keep the Summicron.  The best part here being that not only did I have the pleasure of shooting with a beautiful piece of glass, I managed to sell it for more than I paid for it! :)

Mar 30, 2013

Don McCullin Feature: “Seeking the light”

Don McCullin Feature: “Seeking the light”:


Great interview with legendary photographer, Don McCullin and his journey from film to digital. While I’m sure some people will be cynical and say this is just a Canon promo piece, it’s actually a really good short documentary film and well worth a watch. Don’s passion for photography really comes across and is very inspiring.
The original story behind the film is up over on Canon’s Professional network site and shows some of the wonderful shots Don took during the movie.

DigitalRev: X100S hands-on video review

DigitalRev: X100S hands-on video review:
DigitalRev X100S Hands-on Review is now online (click here). Thanks to Fujirumors reader Andrew who send me this video via email.
X100S: BHphoto / AdoramaAmazonUS / AmazonDEAmazonUK / AmazonITA / DigitalRev / your ebay / your Amazon

X20:  BHphoto (blacksilver) / Adorama (blacksilver) / AmazonUS (blacksilver) / AmazonUK (blacksilver) / AmazonDE / AmazonITA / DigitalRev / your ebay / your Amazon

Mar 27, 2013

X-TRANS versus Lightroom, Silkypix, Capture One and AccuRaw

X-TRANS versus Lightroom, Silkypix, Capture One and AccuRaw:
 photo chroma_zpsd78705e4.png
image courtesy: chromasoft
Fuji X-photographers finally have more software options to process their X-Trans RAW files. That’s great. Now the question is, which one is the best option for your needs?
Sandy (chromasoft) compared ACR7.4/LR 4.4 RC, Silkypix, C1 and AccuRaw (you may know that AccuRaw is Sandy’s product). As other reviews already pointed out, he says that Adobe considerably improved its products. On his site you can see comparison images with the old version of Adobe Camera Raw. Here just a some PROS and CONS of ACR7.4/LR 4.4 RC:
“Compared to the previous generation, the new Adobe algorithm has much less obvious chroma smearing, so it certainly is much improved. Taking a closer look, where previously the smearing was really bright and intrusive, in the new version the smearing is a lot less bright. However, there’s actually more smeared pixels – in effect, the smearing now has a wider radius. In addition, the image is noticeably softer than the previous version.”
And what about Capture One, Silkypix and AccuRaw? Read the whole comparison here!
From the conclusions:
“Firstly, Adobe’s products, even in the new LR 4.4RC/ACR7.4 form, still don’t stack up. Although much improved over the previous generation, they still have excessive chroma smearing relative to image resolution.  If you were to select a raw processor purely on the basis of getting the maximum out of your X-Trans based camera, Lightroom wouldn’t be it. [...] with the new raw developers, the difference between a conventional sensor and a X-Trans sensor is small enough to get lost in differences in lens performance, etc. There are now enough good raw developers that most users will be able to find one that works for them.
At the end of the post you can read also his thoughts about the X-Trans technology. While many praise the new Fuji-sensor (technology of the year according to imaging resource), here is Sandy’s point of view:
“It’s ten months since I first blogged about the X-Trans processor, and so far it’s delivered nothing to justify the “greater resolution than conventional sensors” hype. Finally, the really big losers are the many camera “reviewers” out there that uncritically repeated Fuji’s claims about the X-Trans sensor’s greater resolution. To their credit, some reviewers did raise warning flags – Sean Reid and Thom Hogan to mention two, but they were the exceptions. So next time you read a camera review, here’s a suggestion – take look at what they wrote about the X-Pro when it was introduced, and judge accordingly.”
In response to chromasofts article, read the one at soundimageplus here.
“Well there may be be some reviews out there like that and I’ll take the writer at his word, but I certainly haven’t seen any. I’ve talked about how good I think the X-Trans image quality is, seen as a whole package including ISO performance, clean results etc., but I’m not sure resolution is part of this.”

Mar 26, 2013

Review: Fujifilm Fujinon 18-55mm f/2.8-4 XF-mount zoom lens.

Review: Fujifilm Fujinon 18-55mm f/2.8-4 XF-mount zoom lens.:
DSCF3585-2
I come from a zoom background. I have almost always used zooms with my dSLR gear. I had the odd prime knocking around, but the zoom was my mainstay.  That was until I started using the Fujifilm X100 and X-Pro1 gear.  I totally fell for the prime lens.  I just love using primes now, the image quality is generally better and it makes you think a bit more about where you’re standing, makes you think about perhaps getting a more interesting composition because you can’t just zoom in/out to get what you first saw.  Using the X100 and X-Pro1 with primes made me a better photographer.  The 35mm is almost glued to my X-Pro1.  I was ‘over’ zooms and I didn’t think I needed the 18-55 zoom.  In fact, as soon as they announced an 18-55mm my mind went “What the hell are they doing?”  I mean, 18-55?? we’re talking classic cheap dSLR kit lens territory here, right?  That’s not in keeping with the X-Series philosophy.  Sure it’s f/2.8-4, but just the sound of 18-55 put me off.  I know it shouldn’t, but I can’t help associate 18-55 with a cheap low-end kit dSLR lens.
That was until I met the Fujinon 18-55 XF lens.  This little zoom blows everything out of the water about ‘kit’ zooms….
..see what more I have to say about the new zoom from Fujifilm in my review here.

Fujifilm X-E1 Real World Sample Images

Fujifilm X-E1 Real World Sample Images:

FUJIFILM X-E1, f/8 @ 27.7 mm, 1/80,ISO 200, Shade WB, Velvia Film Simulation Mode
While out doing private training with one of my clients I had a chance to fire off a few frames with the Fujifilm X-E1 and managed to get some deliciously vibrant images. I thought I’d share them here for fun in case readers like you were wanting some better examples of this camera in the real world.
You can see my full review of this camera in these articles:
All of the images shown in this article were casual snapshots taken to illustrate a point to my student, so my apologies for the lack of consideration to people and horizontal & vertical lines in these shots. These shots were not intended to be displayed publically, but since I thought they were great samples of the X-E1’s ability to make great exposures under sometimes difficult conditions I thought I’d share.

Real World Samples Images

All of the following images are copyright Ron Martinsen – ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. You may view them but you may not store them on your computer, edit them, print them, or link them in any way without a signed written licensing agreement.
The images shown here are all in-camera JPEG’s with no post-processing (no cropping, sharpening, or editing of any sort). The vivid colors which some may enjoy and others may hate came from the built-in Velvia (Vivid) film simulation mode of the X-E1. I also shot with the Single Shot AF mode most of the time, but even in these conditions it had its moment where it failed to acquire focus no matter what I did so I gave up and used a different camera. This camera is great when it fires, but it can be frustrating sometimes when it can’t seem to find the contrast to focus even with larger AF points.
All of the images shown in this article and many more can be found in the sample gallery at http://www.ronmartinsen.com/fujifilm/x-e1.

Panoramic Mode - M

Panoramic Mode – L
The two examples above were take with Velvia film simulation.

X-E1, f/7.1 @ 18 mm,1/320, ISO 200, No Flash, Shade WB, Velvia Film Simulation Mode

X-E1, f/8 @ 20.5 mm, 1/90,ISO 200, No Flash, Shade WB, Velvia Film Simulation Mode

X-E1, f/8 @ 48.4 mm,1/100, ISO 200, No Flash, AWB, Velvia Film Simulation Mode

X-E1, f/10 @ 18 mm,1/250, ISO 800, No Flash, AWB, Velvia Film Simulation Mode

X-E1, f/9 @ 55 mm,1/240, ISO 200, No Flash, AWB, Velvia Film Simulation Mode

X-E1, f/4 @ 48.4 mm,1/2200, ISO 400, No Flash, AWB, Velvia Film Simulation Mode
High shutter & ISO used due to very windy conditions shooting this bouncing branch

Conclusion

While these images are casual snapshots, they are good enough to call done for personal photos intended for friends and family. I find them to be visually satisfying enough that my desire to own a X-E1 is growing stronger, despite the logical side of my head remembering some of my concerns during my review. This is a camera with a fantastic lens, sensor and internal image processing. The only thing not to love in my book is the price and AF performance.

Where to order

Click here to see all of the offerings on the B&H. My friends at Adorama have it available here. During the religious holiday breaks you can also place your order here on Amazon.

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Disclosure

If you make a purchase using links found in this article, I may make a commission. It doesn’t cost you a penny more, but it does help to support future articles like this.