After the colourtastic (© MJr) images of Sabino, Olaf & Kasia in the travel-X post of yesterday, today I picked out some black and white shots from all the images you sent me. Really, thanks a lot for sharing your passion for photography and the X-series with me and all the other X-shooters who stop by this blog. Keep it up! You can contact me at fujirumor@gmail.com, facebook and twitter.

enjoy your day
Patrick

Brandon

On the Fujirumors-facebook wall Brandon said: “B&W: I have to ask myself, does the color add anything to this image? Frankly, much of the time it does. Maybe another quarter of the time it could go either way. But sometimes it is just clear. The image should be in black and white, plain and simple. Read and see more images here.”

Brandon

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Marco

– Hi Patrick, i send you my experience with [shoplink 13828 ebay]X-M1/16-50[/shoplink] and B/W shots of Matera! Thank you so much! … and this is my Group on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/fujixclubitalia/ and this is my personal facebook (all images shot with Fuji cameras) Excuse me for my english! :-) Marco Bozzato

X-M1/XC 16-50mm: First Impressions

First of all, i want to thank the Staff of Fujifilm Italy, I had the opportunity to fiddle with the latest arrival in the Mirrorless X Series Fuji, namely the X-M1 with the new lens XC16-50mm!
… I spent 48 hours in Matera where I took over 500 photos, both in daytime and at night and I have to say thatI was not astonished by the X-M1, in fact I was sure I would get the same results with its siblings,the X-Pro1 and the X-E1, since they share the same sensor, so I overlook about the image quality, that we already know.
… the approach to X-M1 is very different from the older sisters, I would define it in style Reflex, considering that the lack of the time dials and the calibration of overexposure and the presence instead of two multifunction dials.
… as you well know the X-M1 and the new 16-50mm are manufactured with a high percentage of plastic and even if you don’t notice any differences for the camera, you will notice the executive differences with the lens, especially if you had the opportunity to use the XF18-55mm.
… the X-M1 has not the viewfinder but it has a tilting monitor, very, very useful for different shots instead of the usual ones, of course under the sun there are some little problems, but everything is resolved with the motion of the tilting monitor.

… other option which I think is very important in some cases it is the Wi-Fi, I tried it with both my iphone 5 and with my iPad and I’d say it works very well.
… so I hope that these improvements will be added to the next cameras Fuji X Series.

In conclusion I think the X-M1 was created in order to have it always with you in combination with the XF27mm, compactness and top quality in a pocket!

http://marcobozzato.wix.com/fujixseriesgallery / http://marcobozzato.wix.com/x-users

Marco Bozzato (from the personal facebook)

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Jean-Luc Fauquier

Hello Fujirumor,
My name is Jean-Luc Fauquier, french photographer, and this is my photo blog showing  “Les Plasticiens Volants”, an internationaly known street theater group working with ‘”inflatables”, giant inflated puppets and objects flying over the audience. I follow them during all their 2013 summer tour and will continue with their future creation on 2014. A “behind the scene” black & white photographic project. I only use my X-E1 with standard 18-55mm and an old Nikon flash for night pictures. We travelled in Nederlands, England and France. Blog is regularly “refreshed” with new photos during all summer. http://enrouteavecplasticiensvolants.wordpress.com/

Best regards,
Jean-Luc Fauquier

If you are interested you can subscribe to the blog to be informed of new posts.

Jean-Luc Fauquier

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Scott

The [shoplink 13829 ebay]Fujifilm XF 27mm F2.8[/shoplink] night landscape image samples and small users first impressions (click here).

The images in this post were captured using a Fujifilm X-Pro1 and Fujifilm XF 27mm F2.8. This was the first time using this new lens which I received at the beginning of the week. The autofocus was the fastest I have used of all the fuji lens. It worked really well with the new updated firmware and focus peaking addition in low light. I was really impressed with the image quality especially in the centre of the image with some falloff towards the edges. The lack of aperture ring did not bother me at all in fact I preferred changing apertures with my thumb on the rear wheel.

http://www.scotthaskinsphotography.com/blog/

Scott (blog)

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G Dan Mitchell

I have extensively used a Fujifilm X-E1 compact mirrorless system for the past few months and I’ve been promising a review. I finally finished it. Enjoy and share! Click here.

G Dan Mitchell

Thanks X-shooters for sharing your stories, galleries and reviews with Fujirumors. Keep it up via fujirumor@gmail.com,  facebook or twitter.

Remember that until September 21 you can profit from hughe price drops on 5 XF lenses if you purchase them together with the X-E1 or X-PRO1 and save up to 1,150. You can find the deals here: AmazonUS: Fuji X-E1 / Fuji X-PRO1 – BHphoto: Fuji X-E1 / Fuji X-PRO1 – Pictureline: Fuji X-E1 / Fuji X-PRO1 – Adorama: Fuji X-E1 / Fuji X-PRO1

The brand new XF 23mm is not included in this offer. You can pre-order it here: USA: AmazonUS / BHphoto / Adorama / Pictureline EUROPE: PCHstore / wexcamerasDE / wexphotographicUK

have a great Sunday
Patrick

Jeff

Hi, there. Love that you are featuring Lawrence’s work [admin: I’ve shared Lawrence’s work here and here]…I’ve known him for a long time, and in fact was the one who urged him to ditch his old equipment and purchase the Fuji system! His work is fantastic. Anyway, I wanted to get on your radar. I’ve been using the X-Pro1 almost exclusively for a while and have blogged about some of my best images, all with X-Pro1. http://jeffseltzerphotography.com/blog/ . Thanks for taking the time to look. Best, Jeff (http://jeffseltzerphotography.com/  http://onlyapicture.tumblr.com/)

Jeff (onlyapicture.tumblr.com)

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Fuji XF 55-200mm: [shopcountry 12892]

Michael

Fujinon 55-200mm – A Love Story: Great site! My story from today – I didn’t believe in love at first sight, until I took out my X-E1 for my first shoot with the XF 55-200. I happened to have it with me when a storm suddenly broke and the sun sat perfectly between the cloud line and the horizon. This is a JPEG straight out of the camera w/ the Velvia film simulation – I absolutely love the colors that this lens can produce, and experienced very little lens flair unless pointed directly into the sun. I already loved the X system I’ve been building, but I might not take this lens off for quite some time.

More will be coming http://www.flickr.com/photos/the_lensman

Thanks for providing such relevant content!

Michael

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Fuji X-PRO1: [shopcountry 12882]

Carl

http://billfortney.com/

The above is a daily blog written by a 43 year professional photographer – the likes of 1) Washington Redskins Football Team Photographer, 2) photographed 6 standing Presidents of the USA, – well you get the picture.  He has been, for the last 10+ years, a Nikon representative but has retired in the last 2 months.  I think you will find his last two days of blogs very interesting.  In Thursday blog (click here) he tells of his life commitment to photography and primarily Nikon equipment – and then in the last 6 months his switch to Fuji equipment.  He got so many comments on Thursday blog that he wrote Friday’s blog (click here) about Fuji including many pictures.  I thought you needed to know this – and would enjoy reading it – and maybe your readers would too.  I am a friend of Bill’s and consequently switched to Fuji (X-E1) myself after much discussion with him personally.  Your blog (Fujirumor) is the first thing I read in the morning after my daily devotional.  Check it 2-3 times a day thereafter.  You REALLY do a good job!

Grace to you – and for all you do for the Fuji world!  Carl

“So many sad stories start with a visit to the doctors office.  My doctor said, “Would you like some more shoulder surgery?”  I responded, “would you like me to sock you in the jaw??!!”  ( My doctor is also a good friend and he’s use to my, sometimes, caustic manner!) He explained that if I wanted to preserve my remaining, good shoulder, I was going to have to stop carrying a 25 + pound camera bag! […] Then it happened ……. It was Nick’s fault […],  he introduced me to her!  She was much smaller and lighter, but really well built, and oh how sharp her lenses were.  Nick may have introduced me to her but I was the one who decided to take her for a spin, don’t blame Nick!  After a romantic afternoon of shooting the Fuji X-Pro 1, with my hands all over her, I went back and downloaded the files. There it was, starring me in the face, and as Judy Garland sang in the nineteen fifties, “You Made Me Love You!”

Carl (image courtesy: billfortney.com)

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Speed Booster [shopcountry 16275]

Tom

Patrick – I have done a review of the Metabones [shoplink 16275 ebay]Speed Booster[/shoplink] adapter that mounts Nikon G lenses onto Fuji X cameras. I have been excited by the potential of this device ever since it came out and wanted to give it a try. I performed a large number of practical tests some of Nikon’s best lenses mounted on a Fuji X-Pro1 with the Speed Booster. My results include many downloadable sample images that I think your readers will find interesting.

Here is a link to the post:

http://aboutphotography-tomgrill.blogspot.com/2013/08/metabones-speed-booster-nikon-g-lens-to.html

And here is a photo that shows an impressive hook-up of Nikon’s newest 70-400mm lens mounted on the X-Pro1:

  www.tomgrill.com/ti01067402bl.jpg

This was a really interesting test to perform. I think your readers will enjoy it.  – Tom

From the conclusions: “As already mentioned, optical quality will be degraded somewhat simply by inserting another optical element in the image path. Nonetheless, the center sharpness with almost all lenses I tested remained very high. It is only in the corners that things began to fall apart, as the image softened, vignetting increased, and color fringing crept in — all of which was more apparent with zoom lenses than with primes, and most of which was easily corrected in post-processing.

Tom

XF 23mm pre-order

USA: AmazonUS / BHphoto / Adorama / Pictureline EUROPE: PCHstore / wexcamerasDE / wexphotographicUK

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Switch to the X

image courtesy: rileyjoseph.com

Riley Joseph switched to the X. All his DSLR gear is gone, sold: “In my head I was making strange rationalizations for keeping my big dSLR: 1) I need it because of the full frame depth of field. 2) The Fujis are not weather sealed! I need it for shooting in bad weather! 3) With a crop factor I won’t be able to go super wide! I need full frame to go wide! 4) I need super fast auto focus. Or I might miss a shot!” Now read his answer to each of these points in his blog post here.

What X-Series Camera Should I Buy?

You’re struggling with the same question? Then read this fstoplounge post here… maybe he can help you.

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X-Trans

Some quick thoughts about Fujifim’s X-Trans Cameras and Software can be read at fujifilmxseries here: “Capture One is the best. Maybe Iridient Developer 2.2 gets more detail (important when you’re printing pixels), and maybe others do this or that, but for overall use as a RAW importer / converter / etc., I think Capture One comes out trumps. Overall, I find Capture One processed RAW files look best. […] I haven’t noticed anyone writing about the horrible smudged effect at the transitional edges of shadows. I first noticed it before I had bought my X100s, when I downloaded someone’s example X-Pro1 files (so, it’s not just me doing something odd on import). It looks like someone has taken some nugget (shoe polish) on a brush and dabbed it along the edges of shadows. I’ve never seen this before, so presumably it is an X-Trans thing. But it is also software compounded, as it is worse in jPegs, worse if soft-proofing and worse in Aperture than Lightroom […]”

X-M1

[shopcountry 13828]

– digitalcamera-hq X-M1 review can be checked out here. From the conclusions: “With the Fujifilm X-M1, it’s easy to snap stunning, detailed images. The design, both on the exterior and on the sensor and processor inside, translates into an excellent camera. The X-M1 is really a great all-around shooter—beginners will love the simple automated modes while enthusiasts will have plenty to love about the large sensor and wide range of manual capabilities. But, the mirrorless category is quite competitive. How does the X-M1 compare? The Olympus E-P5 is similarly designed, but uses a micro four thirds sized sensor. […] With the sharp, detailed images and excellent design, the Fujifilm X-M1 is likely the best mirrorless option for under $800 this year.”

– The French site focus-numerique.com posted its X-M1 test here (translation). You can download the RAW files of the samples and look at the ISO performance.

– photoxels assigned to the X-M1 with 16-50 the Gold Award. Read why in this review here: “The Fujifilm X-M1 is a camera that I can easily recommend to anyone who wants to start learning about photography. You can start with AUTO and scene modes, but at some time in your learning you will want to take control of the exposure settings, and this is where the X-M1 will make it easy to understand with its twin command dials. For many of you considering a purchase, its outstanding image quality will be the deciding factor for it stands right up there with that of top end DSLRs. All in a beautiful, solid and compact package. Highly recommended!”

– Fuji X-M1 | Lingerie Shoot at Dave Kai-Pipers blog post here.

image courtesy: Dave Kai-Piper

X100S

[shopcountry 12883]

– Pro photographer Matt Ludtke posted his X100S review on his blog here: “The X100s image quality rivals that of DSLRs with APS-C size sensors and even at times that of the full frame cameras like my 5D Mk III.  It has a sharp 35mm full frame equivalent f/2 lens that is even sharp wide open.  Best of all it is small, light weight and you have real controls on the camera for shutter speed and aperture. Oh and the hybrid viewfinder kicks butt.  The camera is just a joy to work with.  And like many other pros who have one, I’ve recently started to use it on paid gigs.  Here are some of my favorite images I’ve shot with it so far.”

Matt Ludtke

– X100S review at bestmat.ch here: “It’s hard to start concluding our review on the unique X100S. We enjoyed all time we had it in our hands which is something we don’t feel about many pieces of consumer electronics. The shooting experience is so enjoyable that we just forgot the various shortcomings of the camera. The fun part is that after we enjoyed taking the images, we’re left with an image of the highest quality.”

– An Entirely Subjective Look at the Fuji X100S at lightstalking here: “The real joy of this camera though is in the shooting. The way the controls fall to hand, and indeed the way the camera handles, make you wanting to take more and more. The fixed 35mm lens far from being an inconvenience is in fact a revelation. It makes you think about position and perspective. Its f2 aperture opening the doors to creative shallow depth of field shots or great low light images. In short, and in unison, with many other owners of this camera, this is the best digital camera I have ever owned, a camera that takes you back to the glory days of film not only in its looks and feel but also in its film-like image quality.”

– Zarek: “Hi. Just giving you the heads up on a detailed new Q&A style review I have prepared on the X100S. You featured my X-E1 review last year and I’ve had a lot of requests for a review of the new camera too. You can see it here.”

image courtesy: Zarek – 25daysoff.com

X20

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– X20 review at photocomment.net: “The X20 is a little camera that packs a big punch and is hard to fault. It improves on the areas of the X10 that needed it most which means the Fujifilm X20 even closer to being an unbeatable, pro compact camera.”

X-E1

[shopcountry 12881]

– Some images taken with the X-E1 + 18-55 lens at onecameraonelens here: “Overall I can’t think of a single item of this camera that I would want  changed. It focuses fast enough for me, its sharp, has a very easy menu to use. The lens is superb (18-55mm/2.8-4) and an absolute joy to use. This setup just makes me want to get out more and shoot!”

– Tom Grill: “Patrick – I just finished a comprehensive review comparing the Fuji X-E1 to the Sony Nex-6. It was an eye-opener for me that I think would interest anyone deciding between these two cameras. It definitely convinced me. blog link here.”

“[…]  If compact size is a prime consideration, then the Nex-6 is clearly the winner, especially when outfitted with its smaller kit zoom lens. When it came down to actually using the cameras,  however, I found myself always preferring the handling quality of the X-E1. Its controls and menus are more extensive, more intuitive, and extremely well thought out, something an experienced photographer will appreciate. I would have no trouble taking along a Fuji X-E1 as my only camera on a travel shoot. Plus, as Fuji and other manufacturers expand the quality lens lineup, this camera system is going to get even better. In the end I found myself constantly gravitating towards using the X-E1. It was such a comfortable and impressive camera to use that I decided to add it to my already too large assortment of camera systems. I suppose that sums it up best.”

–  Fuji X-E1 plus 28 year old £35 Nikon Series E 50mm f/1.8 lens at soundimageplus here.

X-PRO1

[shopcountry 12882]

– Black and white photography with the X-PRO1 and the Zeiss Touit lenses at riflessifotografici.com.

image courtesy: riflessifotografici.com

– There is a use for the in camera Multiple Exposure feature of the X-Pro1. Learn more about this and see some shots here at thedigitaltrekker. And be sure to check out also his beautiful shots in taken in Nepal here! You’ll read his comments regarding his frustrations with the current lens choices for the way he shoots.

image courtesy: thedigitaltrekker (Nepal)

– One day Nathan decided to hike up to the summit of Mt. Yamnuska and packed his light X-PRO1 with 18mm lens in the backpack. Check out the picutres, read his story and see his wild descent from Mt. Yamnuska here.

– Fujifilm X-Pro1 and Fujinon 35mm f/1.4 at thewsreviews here: “More than some other manufacturers, I get the sense that Fujifilm is hungry to do better. Each round of cameras is exponentially better than their last. They’re getting better at high-end digital cameras faster than the competition is getting better at doing, well, anything interesting.”

– A bit of black and white photography by Jean-Michel Leclercq here.

– A little bit of Fuji X-Pro 1 love…despite some of its shortcomings… at lydiashawphotography here.

lenses

Fuji XF 55-200mm: [shopcountry 12892]

Fuji XF 27mm: [shopcountry 13829]

XF 55-200 test at roel here. From the conclusions: “The Fujifilm XF 55-200mm f/3.5~4.8 R LM OIS is a decent performer. It is sharp, the OIS is effective and it balances nicely on an X-Pro1 body (but not so much on the X-E1).  For stationary subjects, AF is good (but not great), and given the current state of continuous AF on the X-Pro1 and X-E1, I won’t be using it for any of my action work (wildlife and sports). I have been on the fence as to whether I would keep this lens – not because it is bad, in fact, it is quite good.  I initially purchased my X-Pro1 system because of the high quality, fast and small prime lenses – I am not a fan of variable aperture zoom lenses.  But for now, I will keep this lens as it is the only way to go beyond 60mm with the “X” system and still have auto focus – plus optically, it delivers the goods. So for now, I will be holding onto it.  For me, it is a compromise but if you don’t mind variable aperture zooms, then you will probably like this lens a lot.”

– DPR posted some 55-200 real world samples here.

– Some samples taken with the XF 27mm can be seen at dc.watch here (translation)