A few words about Fuji EX1

A few words, it does not mean a long review.

Having it now for a few month, I have to say  I like it very much and I use it very often. The reasons are easy to understand : it’s small, has no weight, a great captor. Pics are very sharp.
But it doe not match all my needs.

It’s an awesome camera for pictures without strobes. And for motives which are not too fast. The Autofocus is normal. It’s not a warrior. And the EVF is not smooth enough for making sure to have the shot while panning. But for landscapes or portraits, it’s a nice guy to have with.

I love the colors direct out of camera. I only use Topaz filters when I go for moody shots where I do not want to stay trusty. Zack Arias says he has a special emotional connection to his Fujis. I Am afraid to say I don’t. I like my fuji very much because I can take it with me anytime, but it could not replace entirely my Sony or my nikons. Because they are different and fill different needs for different situations.

Now some of you will ask me ” Hey Marc, If you could only take ONE camera with you, what it be? ” There is no right or wrong answer to that question. If I would not use flashes, I would say “Fuji Ex1!” But as I love to use my Quadra on location, I would say “Any DSLR”. With a good 24-70mm which is my workhorse.

Any?

Yes.

Any.

It’s just a tool. They all are soooo damned good! And they all provide good results when you shoot at 1/125 of a second, f/8! And outside, I almost never shot about 1600 ISO…

Due to some business trips and stomach dysfunctions, I haven’t yet used my new C-stand, But I am going to catch up very soon!

more to come…

A month with Fuji-Xe1

I have spent one month with my fuji Xe1, so-called sexy one, and before I go deeper in details about my experiences and impressions, I have to describe the kind of photog I am :

• I am a guy photographer. Even if I love nice landscapes, I am better at shooting people. My best pictures of landscapes are pictures with an individual in the fore or middle ground.
• I love motion in pictures. But when I watch my galleries in LR, it looks like I mostly shoot static subjects.
• I love to play with light. Light is for me even more important than the subject in itself.
• I now really agree and practice the following statement of Don McCullin who once said : “I use cameras like I use a teeth brush : It’s just a tool to get the job done”. For those who don’t know Don McCullin, he was a photojournalist who covered many wars during decades. His shots of the Vietnam war strongly influenced the public opinion. Click here and here for more information about his life. He is still alive and mainly shoots dark landscapes in the Somerset, United Kingdom. So to me it doesn’t really matter what camera I have as long as the picture is what I like.
• My favorite lens is a f/2,8 18-70mm because of its versatility.

 

 

That being said, let’s go down the topic.

 

Aspect of the camera
It looks nice. Is it important?
The good thing is the was you set the camera : like in the old times, you have to turn the ring to set the aperture and wheel for the shutter speed. Here, you have the “real” speeds : 15, 30, 60, 125, 250, 500, 1000, 2000, 4000. If you need a  more accurate in 1/3 of a stop, you have to use the correction exposure wheel. The camera is small and light.

Is it convenient?
It’s a camera which is very light and small. So you can take it with you everywhere you go.

Image Quality
I have the 18-50 which is actually a 24-75mm and the combination camera/lens is great. It’s not a continuous f/2,8, but honestly, it hasn’t yet been a problem. The quality is very good. Very sharp. There is a technical reason for that, but the technic does not interest me so much, the picture is what I care about. And the camera is able to deliver very nice pictures, with a lot of nuances, and nice colors. Fuji made/makes films and this know-how is noticeable.

Electronic View Finder
No optical view finder in the camera. Is it good or bad? It’s not so easy to answer that question in a few words. If you are a nostalgic guy who think old things are always best, then stay away from the fuji xe1. But maybe you should reconsider your point of view since EVF will certainly rule in the coming years. They are cheaper to produce. My opinion is that it depends on the situation: it’s nice to see the result in the EVF while you are composing the shot. When you down the shutter-speed, you see the picture becoming darker before you press the button. It’s cool. On the other hand there is a delay between what you see with your eye and what you see thru the EVF, especially when you shoot subjects in motion. Considering the fact you have to focus besides,… So to me, the FUJI is not a camera for sport or speed street photography. But it’s perfect for all subjects which don’t move or very slow.

Focus
Even after the new firmware, it’s not a ninja.

Battery
That’s a thing Fuji should, and maybe they are, work on. In the owner manual it is said you can shoot 600 times with a full loaded battery. Well, I am far below this. 300 is more realistic. A second battery is a must have.

The menus
Not as intuitive as Canon (best in class for me even if I am a Nikon/fuji shooter), much more easy to use than Nikon, they are at a very easy to understand. The “Q” button leads you to the main settings you see on the LCD . You can navigate there and change the values with the wheel. It’s easy, done within seconds, it’s very cool.

Is it OK for Studio work?
I don’t think so. Here the EVF hits its wall : because what you see is what you get thru the EVF, it’s often too dark to focus on the eye and the compose the shot. Maybe there is parameter to change this setting. But after a month, I am still looking for it. If one of you knows how to do it, please click above CONTACT and let me know!  🙂

Is it ok for on location shoots with strobes?
Yes, in the limitations of the EVF.

ISO and noise
The X-e1 makes a good job with very few noise. Good point!

 

Are you happy with your camera?
Yes! A big yes as it is suits my needs. And when I need a cam for sports or studio-works, I grab my dslr-cams.
It’s the camera I take anywhere any time. And the best camera is the one you have with you !

More to come…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Using a reflector

Sometimes it is simply bad light and we need to take control of it.
Sometimes you don’t want to carry all your gears and you just want to shoot for fun and set up all very quick. So you want to modify it but within seconds.

In such cases, I grab my FUJI X-e1 because of its weight (very light) and reflector from lastolite which has a great grip.

This shot was shot in A-mode at f/5,6, ISO 400 with a reflector below her arms.
That’s it.
I just hold the cam in one hand and the reflector in the other. That’s not complicated, it’s automatic, easy, just a nice shot with no particular expectations.

More to come…

A week with my Fuji X-e1

I know it sounds weired.

But there isn’t going to be any pictures in this post. Not that I have given up or resigned photography, but today’s blog is more about small things I have noticed about the FUJI X-e1 durind this passed week.

I love this camera : small, light, good image quality.
But there are small things I have noticed on the way that buggs me a little although there must be a reason why DSLR have their home aside my Fuji. My Fuji is not a AF-Warrior, meaning by that it is not as fast as my SONY or NIKONs. but still, since I have the new firmware, it has become better. But forget it if you are a sport shooter and you don’t practice zoom focus. Many photog in the past used to : ISO400, f9 or f11  so you know your depth of field, which used to me mentioned on the lenses back in the days. So in fact, they shot in A-Mode or metered the light before so they only had to frame and shoot. I guess this is how to use the “sexy one” if you want to make some quick street shots or sports.

What I like (not love) is that you can your picture right after it’s shot in the view finder (= FV). It’s cool so you see if you have messed up with something like you haven’t hange the ISO or you still have an Exposure Correction set. You see it in the VF and not in the display. It’s cool. But on the other hand, you have to wait a short moment to see the pic disapear and before you can refocus and shoot. Bad for subject in motion. Of course you can fix that, but it cost me a few nice shots. Again, not a real problem, but GRRRRR !

The menues are really well done, and I have to say, NIKON should see what other brands do because within a snap I was able to navigate and set the cam the way I wanted without having to throw a look in the owner’s manual. Which I did as I want to know my gears by heart.

Today I was at the firecenter of my town. The firefighters are celebrating today their 140th birthday and I was pride to follow them one year with my cam, NIKON D90 and D700. I made portraits with smoke and strobes and Ihave to thank, even if have no clue who I am, Mister Joe McNally for the video Kelby1 video where he shows how to shoot firefighter and also Frank Doorfhof, the guy I want to get to know for his videos about adding smoke in a shot. That being said, the officials thanked me and gave me a few wine bottles from the area!   🙂

It was nice to do these jobs on a voluntary basis as also are active to save lives for… free.

Okay folks, new comments about my FUJI-XE1 will follow!

Have a nice Sunday and stay tuned!

 

 

 

 

 

My First Landscape with Fuji X-E1

This picture was shot in Gmunden, Austria as we, my colleagues and I, were having a get together event in Gmunden, Austria. This place is well-known for its landscapes : lakes and mountains, I guess this is how you can sum it up! 🙂

The picture above is a nice composition. Again, you have a for- middle- and background, those 3 elements you need in a picture to create depth. It’s retouched, just a little, and what’s is really blowing me away it’s the way colors are close to the real ones. I have only changed some contrasts and sharpened he picture, nothing done with the colors.

Not a picture I am really a fan of, but it was taken at ISO 800 in the early morning around 5.45a.
The sensor made a great job here too. But Of course you need to see the Out Of Cam shot to make your own mind:

To be total honest I prefer the RAW file wich happens to be very closed to the reality. The buildings were a hair brighter but I think it’s OK.

Another shot a few minutes later from my window with view over the lake, still out of cam, just with added black borders :

I really love the nuances with the light. Fuji is a master company when it comes to films and lenses. And this small tiny cam embodies its experiences.

Here above another RAW file.

It’s great cam for landscapes and the pictures shot in A-mode are OK. My next review will be about landscapes shot with a light meter.

More to come…