Eric kim, gives out some thoughts after trying the new Fuji X100s, and some more on his Adventures in Mumbai, "Getting the Cops Called on Me in Hong Kong"

Eric kim, gives out some thoughts after trying the new Fuji X100s.

Adventures in Mumbai, Getting the Cops Called on Me in Hong Kong, Thoughts of the New Fujifilm X100s and Leica M & More:

It has been a while since I did a travel update video, so I just put one together to keep you guys in the loop. Also some written notes are below. Click more to read more about my adventures in Mumbai, getting the cops called on me in Hong Kong, thoughts on the new Fujifilm X100s and the Leica M, and more!

My experiences in Mumbai

Mumbai Introduction to Street Photography Workshop 2013

Mumbai Intermediate/Advanced Workshop 2013 (Batch 1)

Mumbai Intermediate/Advanced Workshop 2013 (Batch 2)

I had an amazing time in Mumbai, special thanks to KP for organizing the workshop and also inspiring me. Also huge shout-out to all of the workshop participants who attended the workshops. I was very impressed with your work, and can’t wait until I see you guys next year!

Mumbai Student Photos

Below are some of the best student photos from my workshops in Mumbai!

Mumbai Introduction to Street Photography Workshop (Batch 1)

Photograph by Avni Shroff. Click to see all the student photographs

Mumbai Intermediate/Advanced Street Photography Workshop (Batch 2)

Photograph by Kunalli Chandaria. Click to see all the student photos.

Mumbai Intermediate/Advanced Street Photography Workshop (Batch 3)

Photograph by Swarat Gorsh. Click to see all student photos.

Hong Kong Introduction to Street Photography Workshop 2013

Hong Kong, 2011. Photograph by Eric Kim

I am currently in Hong Kong, and will be here for about two weeks. My 3- day Introduction to Street Photography Workshop in HK this weekend (March 15-17th) still has a few more spots!
Sign up if you are interested in taking your street photography to the next level and also want to meet other passionate street photographers. You can read more info & register here.

Getting the cops called on me in Hong Kong

Here in Hong Kong, shooting street photography has been fine for the most part. But tonight, I actually got the cops called on me by two guys (more info on the story in the video above). I will try to get some photos uploaded later on my Facebook fan page of the incident.

Experimentation with color slide film

I also have been experimenting with slide films– I absolutely love the color, saturation, and contrast. Not only that, but the feeling of seeing my images next to a lightbox (or my iPad) is stunning. I have experimented with Fujifilm Provia 100 as well as Fujifilm Velvia 100.
I will get a few more rolls developed while I am here (because it is too expensive to process it in the states). Hopefully I will also share some of my results on my Facebook fan page!

Hands-on with the Fujifilm X100s

I had the chance today to also test out the Fujifilm X100s. Long story short, I think the Fujifilm x100s might be the best “bang-for-the-buck” digital camera for street photography of 2013. Superb image quality, high-ISO performance, and I am blown away with how fast the autofocus is. It is certainly as fast as the Olympus OM-D (if not faster).
fujifilm x100s 2

The autofocus also did a great job focusing in low-light, even with moving subjects. I am generally not a fan of electronic viewfinders, but the new one in the X100s is quite good in terms of the refresh rate and the image quality. Much more improved in all-regards (especially the simplified menus) compared to the x100.
To sum up, I love the camera and am very impressed with Fujifilm. I think it is a definite buy over the prior x100 and even the X-Pro 1.

Hands-on with the Leica M

I also tested out Gary Tyson’s new Leica M today. It is surely an improvement over the Leica M9. The high-ISO performance is much better (although I think it could still be a bit better). I could still see a small amount of noise at ISO 1600 (I dont think with a full-frame sensor nowadays you should see any noise at ISO 1600.
The ergonomics are much better, with the “thumbs-up-esque” grip in the back. The LCD is far improved, with a much bigger size, higher resolution– light years better than the M9. The live-view feature was quite cool, although I don’t think in reality I would ever use it (or most street photographers to say).
leica m back

We also tried the Olympus Electronic Viewfinder on the top of it, and the frame rate and image quality was pretty decent. However a big problem was the fact that it had around a 1-second shutter lag after taking a photograph. The colors of the camera looked quite good, although I don’t know if they are leaps better than the Leica M9. The shutter sound was also much improved, with it being much more quieter & discrete than the Leica M9.
The million dollar question is if it is worth the upgrade if you already own a Leica M9. In my personal opinion If you are a street photographer, I don’t think it is worth upgrading from the Leica M9 to the new Leica M (street photographers don’t need live view, electronic viewfinders, or video). But if you have the cash spend and want better ISO performance and image quality, I would say go for it.

Hands-on with the Voightlander 35mm f/2.5 Color Skopar

An interesting thing Gary Tyson shared with me is that he sold off all of his Leica 35mm lenses and ended up just buying the Voightlander 35mm f/2.5 Color Skopar. Why? He said he has tested the lens against several Leica lenses, and said the Color Skopar is nearly as sharp. Not only that, but it is a lot smaller, compact, and lighter (great for street photographers). The best thing is that it is a very cheap lens and built quite solidly, and thousands of dollars cheaper than Leica lenses.
So if you are a street photographer who uses a digital Leica or a film rangefinder — the Voightlander 35mm f/2.5 is probably the best bang-for-the-buck lens.

Visual Arabia 2013 and Street Photography Workshop in Dubai

I am excited to be one of the featured keynote speakers at the Visual Arabia 2013 conference in Dubai. Below is a description of the conference from their website:

Visual Arabia 2013 is a gathering of the creative community to celebrate design excellence, share ideas and inspiration. It is a full-day conference packed with visionary talks from top influencers in the field of design, illustration, animation and photography.

I have never been to Dubai before, except their epic airport. I am very excited to go and share my talk, and I am also pleased to share that I am teaching my first street photography workshop in Dubai!

The Introduction to Street Photography Workshop in Dubai is 3/22-3/24 and I still have a few spots open! Don’t miss out your chance if you are near or around the UAE!
Will keep you guys posted with the rest of my travels and things I experience/learn along the way. Stay tuned!