Today, Saturday the 26th of November, 2022 at the pinnacle of #NationalSkinCancerActionWeek
@SkinCheckChampions and @SpencerTunick invited 2500 people to #StripOffForSkinCancer. Participants paid homage to the lives lost from Skin Cancer in Australia. https://t.co/Dwvy0ASK1K pic.twitter.com/xYd9OjwkUp

— Spencer Tunick (@SpencerTunick) November 26, 2022

One of the best things one can do with photography, is to raise awareness for important issues.

And that’s what world-renown photographer Spencer Tunick did with his latest installment, where he photographed 2,500 nude people at Bondi Beach beach in Australia with the goal to draw attention to skin cancer (2,500 was also the number of people, who died last year on skin cancer in Australia).

Various news outlets report about this (see below), and in some of them you can see him using a Fujifilm GFX camera for his work.

It does not matter which gear he used. But having literally just this month lived on my own skin how important it is to make regular checks, I’ll use the GFX as a pretext to join the message Spencer is spreading with his work and remind everybody to make regular checks.

via theguardian (NSFW) via nos.nl (NSFW) and more at Spencer Tunick Instagram (NSFW)  and Spencer Tunick Twitter (NSFW)

We Are the 5.9%

Marketing research data says we Fujifilm X and GFX shooters make up 5.9% of the entire digital camera market.

So we are certainly not the top dog in the industry, but it is still better than the 0.1% we were back when I started this blog over 10 years ago.

Slowly, but steadily, Fujifilm was able to carve out its niche and some cameras even got some decent mainstream success, leading Fujifilm to be the third most popular mirrorless camera manufacturer ahead of Nikon.

And this number, 5.9%, made me think… how did it all start for you?

I mean, which one was your first Fujifilm camera that you bought intrigued by the X/GFX system and hence made you become part of those 5.9%?

If you want to satisfy my curiosity, then you can vote the survey down below.

• Top 10 Most Important Fujifilm Digital Cameras of All Time
• Which X Gear Do You Own? (includes Third Party AF lenses) – POLL

POLL

• List of Novoflex products for Fujifilm X and GFX currently available at BHphoto
• Novoflex Automatic Reverse Adapter for FUJIFILM X-Mount

Novoflex recently added an Automatic Bellows (BAL-FUG), as well as an Automatic Reversing Ring (FUG-RETRO) for Fujifilm GFX to their program. Both, the Auto Bellows and the Auto Reversing Ring allow for full electronic passthrough, meaning the camera and lenses are still able to “talk” to each other as if the lens would be connected directly to the camera. Above you can see images of both products.

The Auto Bellows is quite intereting in combination with the GF120mmF4 R LM OIS WR Macro lens. This lens offers a magnification factor of 1:2 when used directly on the camera. Putting the new Auto Bellows inbetween, at full bellows extension you’ll reach a whopping 3x life size magnification at 13cm working distance (front lens element – subject).

Here are some other examples:
Fujifilm GF 50mm f/3.5R LM WR
achievable magnifcation factors: 1.5 – 4.4:1
Fujifilm GF 32-64mm f/4.0 R LM WR
achievable magnifcation factors: 1.2 – 4:1 (in reverse position on the bellows)
Fujifilm GF 45-100mm f/4.0 R LM OIS WR
achievable magnifcation factors: 0.59 – 3.6:1

The Auto Reversing Ring FUG-RETRO has a 77mm filter thread by default and is best used with zoom lenses e.g. Example: with a Fujifilm GF 45-100mm f/4.0 R LM OIS WR in reverse position directly on the camera, a magnification factor of 1.1:1 at 100mm focal length up to 1.9:1 at 45mm focal length can be achieved. Lenses having filter threads other than 77mm can be used with stepping rings. 

As is usual with NOVOFLEX-parts, the Auto Reversing can be attached to the other universal bellows BALPRO T/S with Tilt/Shift movements, as well as the CASTBAL-PRO Bellows attachment to form full-fledged Auto Bellows again.

• Novoflex Automatic Reverse Adapter for FUJIFILM X-Mount
• List of Novoflex products for Fujifilm X and GFX currently available at BHphoto