Novoflex BALPRO T/S adapter review Part 3
Fun with the BALPRO T/S

guest post by Nathan Wright (ohm-image.net)

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In part 1 of this review, I covered the design and operation of the BALPRO T/S. In part 2, I discussed how its controls apply to professional work, and to what extent it can replace, or augment larger bellow systems.

This part is all about images. Images taken when hiking. Images taken when touring around Japan’s country side .Images taken whilst drinking from high pylons overlooking Chiba Kun’s crotch.

I am not a landscape photographer. I’m not even an artist. So the images in this section should be treated as simple, sophomoric attempts at fun. And fun they were.

Every image in this part of the review was drawn by a fantastic Fujifilm wide-angle large format lens. Its spec goes like this:

135mm f/5,6
Copal 0
Fits in an iPod sock

One of the reason I love large format lenses is that they are so small and light. And they can make great images. This Fujifilm isn’t the sharpest when put on small format sensors, but it has lovely, painterly bokeh. No, not ultra smooth, but ultra brushed-on, and full of ultra earthy tones.

I has a 52mm front thread, making it instantly compatible with all of my Nikon 135 format film lenses and caps. It is sharp when shot straight on, with little tilt or shift applied. It is less than sharp when the film plane is skewed in one direction or another.

But I’m of the mind that when not being paid for producing it, sharpness isn’t that important.

Here’s how the BALPRO T/S and Fufjilm 135/5,6 combo makes a scene look toyish:

Here it is making a tree look scary:

This image was taken at a polluted reservoir made famous by Kent Shiraishi’s OSX desktop image. It is a ridiculous attempt at creating something unique when in my brain, all that burned was Blue Pond:

FR-reader John received his copy of the HS-V5 tethered shooting software (it’s available in Japan) and sends us his very first impressions after spending 20 minutes with it. A more detailed review will come soon.

Thanks a lot John… and here we go:

“Initial twenty minutes.

Having used the Canon dedicated software and Adobe Lightroom tethering solutions, I can say that Fuji is spot on.

I set the import folder in Fuji, to be the same as the one I normally use for my eye-fi card and used a dedicated usb male to micro usb 2.0 cable from “Tethertools”. This allowed me to use Adobe Lightroom and compare speeds. I loaded the software onto a Microsoft surface Pro 3 with a docking station by use of an old iomega external drive.

The CD comes in a hard case with instructions on how to quickly setup and use. It’s simple and easy. Fuji got it right first time. You must first set your X-T1 USB settings to PC Auto. I discovered this from a few minutes of trial and error, I wanted to see if a non techy could do this without extensive knowledge of tethering. After you open the Hyper Utility, which is really cool itself, you click on the dedicated tether icon, the simple instructions in the case tells you to do this. The software immediately recognizes the camera. I immediately chose the camera option and depressed the camera’s shutter, nearly instantaneously, the photo appears on the monitor.

I minimized the Fuji software, and yes it was sitting right there in Lightroom too. You can now use LR without that bothersome tether icon floating around. Adobe prefers that you have this software as a compliment to theirs. I can say to those that don’t have it, you will wish that you did. I will send you a more detail review after this weekend.

Your reader, John”

The HS-V5 has already been released in Japan and should be released elsewhere within February (that’s the information that came to me from a new source).

MTF Charts at ephotozine

XF 56mm f/1.2 APD
USA: BHphoto / AmazonUS / Adorama / DigitalRev EUROPE: AmazonUK / PCHstore / WexUK / DigitalRev AUSTRALIA: CameraPro / DigitalRev

MUST READ: Rico’s X-pert corner comparison XF 56 vs XF 56 APD

ephotozine published the XF 56 APD reivew. They end up highly recommending this lens, saying that it is “incredibly sharp with impressive background blur“! The CON is a “slight loss of light due to APD filter makes the choice of this lens a creative decision over the standard lens“.

Fujifilm X-A2 Unboxing & Getting started video by Fuji Guy Billy (youtube)

Fujifilm XQ2 unboxing video by Fuji Guy Billy (youtube)

PRE-ORDERS

Fujifilm X-A2 + XC 16-50 OIS II –  $599: AmazonUS /
Fujifilm X-A2 + XC 16-50 OIS –  $549: Adorama / BHphoto /
Fujifilm XQ2 – $399: AmazonUS / Adorama

Jumping In: Or How I learned to stop nitpicking and love Fuji. Guest Post by Jason Lee.

It is not an exaggeration when I say Fuji cameras have changed my life. But I have a confession to make. I was once a loyal Canon shooter. Before you dismiss this post as yet another Canon to Fuji success story, I feel I should explain a little bit of my back story.

Fuji X-T1 Graphite, 56mm f/1.2 at f/1.4

Numbers have always been important to me. As such, I was born in the year 1990, at 6:30 AM on August 15th. The era of 90s music, punk haircuts, and the dSLR. Good numbers right? Some numbers that didn’t sit well with me were: 3 months premature, 1.5 lbs., and 53 days in the intensive care unit. I had arrived too early and those numbers weren’t so good. Doctors diagnosed me with a condition known as cerebral palsy, essentially a form of brain damage. According to them, I would never walk and would probably show signs of mental retardation as I aged.

“Let him take it easy,” they told my parents. “He’s going to have a tough life.”

Needless to say, my parents were having none of that. Around age five or six, I managed to take my first steps and it’s been a roller coaster ever since. Growing up was a struggle, as I switched to 6 different schools before the 4th grade, trying to fit in while being mercilessly teased for the way I walked.

Fuji X-E2, 35mm f/1.4 at f/4.0

Enter photography. It changed my introverted demeanor and forced me to go outside my shell and interact with others. Despite the stigma from my gait, slowly but surely, I was able to express myself through art. I received my first dSLR at the age of 20, and from then on I was hooked. I would take pictures of everything and anything, from lawn chairs and coffee cups to random cats.

There was only one problem. I wasn’t happy with it. My Canon 7D was extremely bulky and difficult to carry around, and not only that, it was APS-C! Full Frame was where it was at!

You can’t take good pictures with APSC! I naively thought.

I pined for full frame and waited and waited for the opportunity to “upgrade.” When I eventually managed to get my hands of a 5D Mark III, I waited for the magic to happen. And waited. And waited. And waited.

Fuji X-T1 Graphite, 35mm f/1.4 at f/2

Why aren’t I happy with this? Why do I hate going outside and shooting? Why is that random car honking at me?

My photography had hit a rut, my 5D lay on the shelf gathering dust, and I contemplated quitting the art that gave me so much opportunity just a few years back.

Fujifilm to the rescue.

I knew the moment I picked up my first Fuji camera, the x100s, that I was experiencing something groundbreaking. The controls, the handling, the portability, just the sheer fun that occurred as I took pictures was a game changer for me. Not only was the handling of the Fuji easier for me, who had to shoot with one hand and a cane, I was also able to be nondescript and not draw (more) attention to myself. Each time I had thoughts of coming back to full frame, I would pull up my Fuji files in post and smile. After a temporary lapse dabbling with the Sony RX1-R, I sold it and committed to Fuji full time (currently own an X-T1 Graphite edition and the 56mm f/1.2 and 35mm f/1.4), and have never been happier.

Fuji X-E2, 35mm f/1.4 at f/2.2

There’s something about the Fuji system that speaks to me, over the more clinical and computerized Sony and Canon. It just has a heart that matches my shooting style. I like to shoot using primes so I can get into the midst of the action, and the Fuji’s portability, user friendliness, and non-invasive appearance really lends itself well to that. Sure, it may not have the ability for the shallowest depth of field, nor the highest megapixel count, but when it comes to delivering beautiful images, it has never let me down. Sometimes, the moment calls for putting the numbers aside and taking chances.

Fuji X-E2, 35mm f/1.4 at f/2.0

And with that said, I’m about to embark on a journey and take a chance of my own, essentially with just Fuji X camera. At the urging of some of my photographer friends and family in the Bay Area, I’ve decided to make a photobook documenting my time in San Francisco. It is to be a testament of man’s ability to overcome the obstacles in life, even with the help of the littlest things (or camera!) I’ve recently hit my minimum goal, but would love to blow it out of the park so I can add more pages and share more of my story to the well.

You can find the Kickstarter link here. There is a video as well (filmed right when I was in between Fuji and Canon that explains more of my journey (and you can see how I walk!). I’m grateful for all your support and encouragement.

I’m 24 now, and four years after starting my photographic journey, I have to credit the Fuji system for pushing me out of my comfort zone and giving me the confidence to go out there and capture my dreams. It is not a perfect system by any means, but it’s MY system, and it’s one I have no regrets making the jump into.

Are you ready to take the plunge?

-Jason Lee
www.theleestudio.com
www.flickr.com/theleestudio
www.facebook.com/theleestudio

Fuji X-E2, 56mm f/1.2 at f/2