The Fuji X Files

Yeah, I know - the Jpeg vs Raw debate is about as old as Canon vs Nikon - and about as interesting (not). Any photographer worth their salt will tell you that you should only ever shoot in Raw, and if you absolutely HAVE to have a Jpeg (for some bizarre reason), then shoot in Raw + Jpeg (and then throw the Jpeg away). I'm one of those photographers, to be honest. I've pretty much only ever shot in Raw since picking up my Nikon D70 sixteen years ago, and have never really understood the Raw + Jpeg argument. If you've shot Raw, what on earth would you need the (inferior) Jpeg for? Ok - maybe sports photographers had a case for shooting jpeg once upon a time (when cards were measured in Megabytes and not Gigs). But for 99.99% of the rest of us, just shoot Raw. Job done. But... (isn't there always a but)... more recently - and I mean only in the last few years - the allure of shooting Jpeg-only has been brewing. More and more 'serious' photographers ...

Every year, a group of men from my local anglican church in Cobden, go away to Okarito for a 'mens weekend'. This usually involves lots of fishing (for trout and whitebait), lots of walking (around the lagoon and up to the Okarito Trig Lookout) and lots of cards (500 seems to be the card game of choice). I've only been once before, six years ago, so I thought it was high time I went away again. And of course, my focus (excuse the pun) was always going to be on one thing only - photography. Okarito Boat Shed at pre Dawn. Fuji X-E2 with Fujinon XC 16-50mm. F/11 @ 6 secs, ISO 200. To get away for a whole weekend, no other pressures or concerns, to concentrate 100% on photography is practically unheard of - for me at least. And an amazing luxury. So I was determined to make the most of the opportunity. Unfortunately, the long-range forecast one week out didn't look promising. There was, in fact, Civil Defence rain warnings in place, especially for the Fr...

Worms. Not a word I typically associate with photography. We have a dog though. And yes, worms is a topic of conversation that is often associated with her (every 6 months with the vet). Yet since moving to the Fujifilm system, I have come across the term 'worms' being mentioned in relation to Fuji images on many occasions. Mainly in regards to the post-processing of files from the x-trans sensor, in Adobe's Lightroom. Rock the Boat. Fuji X-E1 with Fujinon XF 27mm f2.8 pancake. f/5.6 @ 1/480th, ISO 200. C1: Classic Chrome recipe Many people report to seeing 'worm-like' artifacts in Fuji files, specifically after image sharpening. Fuji files have become somewhat notorious for the dreaded 'worm' effect. Lots of reports on the interwebs discuss the issue, and refer to photos that look like watercolour paintings due to the worm-like pattern that pervades the entire image. This kind of talk is, not surprisingly, cause for some concern. And ...

My pimped X-E1 with 27mm pancake... Nice! As mentioned in my last post, I am using the Fuji X-E2 as my main camera, but have also purchased an X-E1 and Fujinon XF 27mm f2.8 pancake lens as a 'backup'. Just a couple of  months ago, I put my toe in the water of the Fujifilm system with an X-E1. I was hooked from the moment I took my first image with the compact, range-finder style body, and the beautiful Fuji x-trans sensor. The X-E1 very quickly made way for the X-E2, although it was far from being a straight forward decision. I was still running a Nikon DSLR kit as well, and couldn't justify keeping both X-E's. So reluctantly the X-E1 had to go. But, so enamored have I become with Fujifilm, that I soon after decided that it was the one system for me - so I sold my Nikon gear and got an X-T1. Great decision - right? Well, for some maybe. But not for me. Turns out I'm a compact, range-finder style guy. Who knew!? (Certainly not me). So I've so...

If you've been following along recently (thanks if you have - shame on you if you haven't), you will have been introduced to the first two of my custom film recipes for my Fujifilm X-E1. If you want to catch up on these posts, go here for my version of Classic Chrome, and here for my version of Acros. Hansen Park, Christchurch. Fuji X-E2 with Fujinon 16-50mm. f/16 @ 1/100th, ISO 400 C4 film simulation recipe - Kodak Tri-X jpeg To mix things up a bit (and to keep those who are following along on their toes), I'm going to jump from C2 to C4, missing out C3 - my Kodak Portra 400 simulation - for another time. Couple of reasons for this. First, I haven't used the C3 Portra 400 simulation yet, since I haven't been taking many portraits (which is mainly what I would use this film simulation recipe for). But mainly it's because I recently had the opportunity to shoot in a park early in the morning and decided to use the more 'grittier' C4 fi...

Maybe it's just me? But I think that Fuji's cheap, lightweight, plastic, consumer-based kit lens - the Fujinon XC16-50mm f3.5-5.6 OIS (to give it its full title) - is a damn fine lens! Damn fine. Now to be fair, it also happens to be the only lens I've ever used in the Fujifilm lineup. So maybe I haven't got that much to compare it to? I do know, from reading and watching other reviewers, that Fuji's optical quality is spoken of in extremely high regard. Words like 'outstanding' and 'exceptional' are used on a very regular basis by anyone reviewing the XF primes or pro level zooms. And yet almost nothing is ever said about the XC range of lenses. And if they are mentioned at all, it's almost in embarrassment, and they quickly move on to more 'serious' optics. I think this does the Fujinon 16-50mm XC lens a severe injustice. I really do. Because while I may not have any experience with other Fujinon lenses, I have a ple...

Well, it is indeed official. I am now a complete Fujifilm X shooter! And the winner once the dust had all settled? Ok, it's no surprise if you've been following along (or if you've read the title). I've kept the X-E2. Lone Tree, West Coast. Fujifilm X-T1 and Fujinon 16-50mm XC. f/5.6 @ 1/320th, ISO 200  In my last post I talked about using the X-T1, and the things I didn't like about its ergonomics. After picking it up for the first time I knew I probably wasn't going to keep it - which was something of a surprise to me. It's positives didn't outweigh its negatives (for me at least), and the fact that it has exactly the same sensor as in the X-E2 didn't help its chances of me keeping it. So it's gone. Lake Mahinapua reeds . Nikon D300 with Nikkor 17-80mm. f/11 @ 1/6th sec, ISO 200 In another recent post, I took my other recent purchase, the Nikon D300, out for a trip to Lake Mahinapua. I enjoyed the experience of shooting w...