Brilliant! riflessifotografici XF14mm review (Donato Chirulli)

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Fuji X-E1 & Fujinon XF 14mm f/2,8 R – Iso  400(Auto) f/11 1/550 sec.

image courtesy: riflessifotografici

The long expected 14mm is finally in the hands of the talented photographer Donato Chirulli of riflessifotografici who immediately put it on his X-E1 and began shooting with it in the streets of Rome.

This lens is of course perfect for architecture and landscape photography. But the 14mm is also important in some particular aspects of street photography. You’ll have to face some challenges, (as the light that a wide angle like this can capture from different sources)… but Donato will tell you how to deal with it.

And, once you tamed this lens, be creative! Sometimes you should forget all the good “composing rules”. This focal length allows you to play for example with perspective, stretching and distorting the image and add new “forms of expression” in the “language” of photography! And that is what Donato did, turning imperfection into beauty!

It’s a review, it’s a photography lesson, it’s art… brilliant work!

Ah, I forgot, you want to know about chromatic aberration, distortion, aperture ring, backlight performance, see 100% crops and more… so just read the whole review here (translated version)… and enjoy the pictures. (If you want, tell us your favorite shot in the comments)!

[ XF14mm in stock status check: AmazonUS/ B&H / Adorama / Amazon GERMANY / Amazon ITALY / or on ebay worldwide via slidoo ]

Fuji X-E1 & Fujinon XF 14mm f/2,8 R – Iso 320 (Auto) f/4,0 – 1/30 sec. -0,3EV

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 Fuji X-E1 & Fujinon XF 14mm f/2,8 R – Iso  400 (Auto) f/8,0 1/30 sec.
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Review: Billingham Hadley Small

bag

image courtesy: composinghands (image of Billingham Hadley Small (AmazonUS) taken with X-E1, 18-55 lens: File OOC JPG)

Now that David from composinghands got his X-E1, he looked for the right bag to put in this little great cam. He decided to buy a Billingham Pro… if you use a DSLR, you’ll surely grab the Billingham Hadley Pro but for the small X-E1 the Hadley Small is enough.

It’s everything I hoped for, material and construction are all top grade, you can see it’s built by craftsman. Design is retro like… so doesn’t shout I’m a camera bag. Take out the removable sleeve and you have yourself a beautiful everyday bag, plus the canvas has been treated to be waterproof which is good to know your gear is well protected… it’s made to last a lifetime and it’s going to protect my gear, I can rely on its build quality not to fail.” 

Read the whole review and see more images here at composinghands.com.

Billingham Hadley Small: AmazonUS / B&H / Adorama / AmazonUK / AmazonGER / AmazonITA / AmazonFRA

… and thanks Andy for linking this video in the comments. How much you can fit in a Bilingham Hadley Small?

X100s: First Look, test shots and shutter sound at Brandon Remler

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image courtesy: brandonremler

“Here are some quick shots to illustrate how the Menu/OK button is now raised and feels better, and is easier to control.  It’s amazing how much difference just this extra height makes.”

Fuji put into this camera a lot of improvements. You know about PDAF, split image, focus peaking and more. But there are some more changes that you may like. So, compared to the X100, the X100s has a raised Menu/Ok and a new and improved Auto ISO menu. “The X100s also has a couple new features like the Shutter Count and 0.5 second image review for faster shooting with image playback.” You can see the comparison pics (X100/X100s) in Brandon’s first look here.

In this post here he published his shots with the X-E1 (14, 35 & 18-55 lenses) as well as some snaps with an early pre-production X100s. And for more shots, like the Salad below, click here.

And in Brandon’s youtube video at the bottom of this post you can hear how quite the shutter sound of the new  X100s (with adapter lens) is.

X100s preordersBHphoto / AmazonUS / Adorama / AmazonUK (should be released on March, 1).

image courtesy: brandonremler

Fujfiilm X100s at ISO 2000 – F/2.0 @ 1/45th

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X20 preorders: AmazonUS (black / silver) / BHphoto (black / silver) / Adorama (black / silver) / AmazonUK (black / silver) (should be released on March 10) / ebayITA (March 7)

miXed zone: SLR Magic 35mm T1.4, Speed Booster and more

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image courtesy: thephoblographer.com

SLR Magic

– I’ve already posted Steve Huff’s review about the SLR Magic 35mm T1.4 (specs&price). Now, let’s go over to the next one, made by thephoblographer (read here).

Well dampened and easy to turn focus and aperture ring, very good build quality, operation is smooth and easy-going, the image quality is amazing (““this looks like I took it with my Leica M8 and 50mm Zeiss Planar“), some slight softness wide open, very pleasing bokeh…. ok, let the test shots speak from now on! Click here to see them and to read more.

SLR Magic 35mm T1.4 at Adorama or here on slidoo.

Here is the email that Fujirumors reader Yves received form Sales dept at SLR Magic :
“Dear Yves. We have 3 lenses that can be used on Fuji X mount cameras. The SLR Magic 35mm T1.4 lens in X mount is ready now, and you can order with us.  No adapter is needed. The SLR Magic HyperPrime CINE 35mm T0.95 lens is in M mount, only for use via adapter for M to X mount, M to mFT mount, M to E mount.  This lens has APS-H coverage and it does not work on M mount cameras.  This lens will be available around March 2013. The SLR Magic HyperPrime 23mm f/1.7 lens in X mount.  This lens will be available by March/April.”
Thanks Yves. Click here to see his Flickr album.

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Speed Booster

… and here a speed booster review at youtube of AFMarcotec.

… and more

– “If pricing has made you hesitant to enter Fujifilm’s X-Series, the X-E1 might be just the thing to draw you in. And if you’re just looking for a really nice rangefinder-style ILC, you should give the X-E1 a try. We think you’ll like it.” popphoto X-E1 test (Click here)

image courtesy: popphoto
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– Is it to love or to hate? Here is another X-E1 review. “With the X-E1, YOU are the photographer and the artist. There are no Instagram magic, that makes a dull picture exiting. You have to think up what you want to show in the scene you capture, you have to be an artist and a photographer. And that is why I like it so much. I do believe it forces me to be a better photographer.Read it all here.

– If you want to join a new x-forum, just click here to go to Xtogs. They give away a X20.

-Exploring Time Lapse with the X-E1. Read how it works, step by step, from the images to the final video, by clicking here.

– photographytalk posted 6 tips to make photographing in public easier. First tip: 1) Keep it small… the X100 is perfect! Read 5 more tips here.

-Mike Kobal’s night shots with the X-E1 and 35mm (specs & price) / 18mm lens (specs &price)… See them here!

image courtesy: Mike Kobal

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Reader review (Iulian): “My thoughts about The Fuji X-E1”

Hi, my name is Iulian and I’m from Romania. I’d like to share my thoughts about the Fuji X-E1. Best regards, Iulian.

 “My thoughts about Fuji X-E1 – what bugs me

No photos, just thoughts

Before I start writing about the Fuji X-E1, I have to provide something about my background skills and gear.

I’m relatively young (33 yrs) and I started photography only three years ago. So, I don’t have the shooting on film background. I started with a Sony Alpha A200, upgraded to Sony Alpha A580 and, after that, to Sony Alpha A77. I had some nice lenses, including the very nice 16-50 F2.8 Sony lens and the excellent Samyangs: the 35 1.4, 85 1.4 and 8 2.8 fisheye. I also had the 50 1.4 Minolta AF and Sony primes. After two years of using the DSLR’s I found out that the gear is too heavy for me and, most of it, the noise that came out from the Sony A77 was obvious even at ISO400, when printed at poster size. The IQ was excellent.

I bought the Nex 5N for keeping it light and paired it with the two Sigmas and the Sony 50 1.8, and I also bought the external electronic viewfinder for it. Since I started using the Nex, I also started using the old M42 lenses, the best of them being the Revuenon 55 1.4. This way I started to love the manual focusing, the focus peaking in the viewfinder making it easier and, especially, faster.

Being so pleased with the Nex, I wanted more. So, I bought the Fuji X-E1, paired with the 18-55 Fujinon lens and the SLR Magic 35 1.4.

Now, about the X-E1, from my perspective:

–          The size, the weight and the feeling – they are all there.

–          The 18-55 lens – it’s a nice lens, similar in build quality and IQ with the Sony 16-50 F2.8 lens (very nice lens, but not exceptional)

–          The autofocus of X-E1 is ok in daylight, but very slow indoors, under the room lightings. In fact, is so slow, that, with autofocus, I simply cannot track my 2 yrs old daughter when running or even walking through the house. [personal note: some FR-readers reported that the latest firmware improved AF in low light conditions]

–          So, I thought I should start using the manual focus instead. No chance at all because of:

o   The manual focus on the 18-55 is annoying – no direct focus like the old real manual focus lenses

o   The viewfinder of the Fuji X-E1 might have the same resolution as the external Sony one for Nex – but, because of the slower refresh rate, the ghosting is disturbing

o   The lack of a real focus peaking is something beyond my understanding

–          Because I thought that, if I cannot rely on autofocus indoor, the autofocus of the Fuji 35 1.4 lens doesn’t provide me any help – I bought the SLR Magic 35.1.4 real manual focus. Somehow, I ended being familiar with manual focus at F2 without the help of the magnification in the viewfinder. So, now, I have around 75% keepers in manual focus.

–          Another thing that I observed is the inaccurate LCD of the Fuji. When I have something bright in the photo (like a paper, or a white toy), when reviewing in on the LCD, the brightest objects have no details. When I look through the viewfinder, those objects appear to have some details. When I check the histogram, everything is ok. And, when I check on my computer, all the details are there. It’s only the LCD of the camera that cannot show me anything.

–          The small flash it’s nice and, when bounced indoors, it’s even great.

Outside, the camera has another face. I think of my Fuji like as a Phoenix bird. It simply reborns every morning. It’s such a nice camera for everything else but indoors and sports.

The photos have colors, vibrancy, sharpness and no disturbing noise.

I give Fuji so much credit, that I bought a leica M to Fuji X adapter and intend to buy two Voigtlanders: the Skopar 25 F4 Pancake and the Heliar 75 1.8 for portraits. Hopefully, one day, Fuji will provide the focus peaking via firmware.

Maybe stupid, maybe not, I sold all my Sony gear, except the Nex 5N and the Revuenon 55 1.4, and I intend keeping and, eventually, falling in love with the X-E1.”