The Fujifilm TCL-X100 is a screw-in teleconverter for the X100 and X100S which increases the effective focal length of their 23mm F2 lens to 50mm. We’ve been shooting with the TCL-X100 for a few days now, in a range of different situations and light levels to see how it performs in everyday use. Click through to read our first impressions, and see our sample images.
News: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
There is one camera company that is really getting noticed these days, and that is Fuji. They seem unstoppable as they continually are releasing new cameras and lens at a very fast pace. They stand apart with their APS-C X-Trans CMOS II sensor. It all started with the X100 and since that introduction Fuji has followed with numerous other X branded cameras. Not forgetting where their roots are they released the next generation X100s a few months ago. This little camera has a huge following and if there is a camera that has done retro right it is the X100s. Alain Briot a regular contributor here on Luminous-Landscape switches gears from his regular essays and does a Camera Review Of The X100s.
We are very excited about the new Fuji X-T1 camera recently announced. In addition Fuji has made a number of new lens announcements. We are eager to try out the new 10-24mm zoom. This lens combined with the 18-55mm and 55-200mm zoom will make a formidable kit. We will be posting articles and information on all this in the near future.
Are you planning on attending this year’s WPPI Trade Show and Convention in Las Vegas March 3-5? If so drop us an email. Kevin and Chris will be there reporting on the show and it would be great to meet some where and say hi.
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The Luminous Landscape – What’s New
We’re at the CP+ show in Japan, where Fujifilm is showing a new teleconverter for the X100S. Attached in the same way as the existing WCL-X100, the new TCL-X100 increases the X100S’s effective focal length to 50mm, without effecting the minimum aperture. Details are scarce but unofficially we understand that the new converter will be available later in spring, for around $ 300. Click through for some hands-on impressions.
News: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
CES 2014: Fujifilm has announced a black version of the X100S. It’s a more discreet-looking variant that’s in all other ways identical to the original X100S – including the price tag. It uses the same 16 megapixel APS-C X-Trans CMOS and fixed 23mm F2 lens that helped earn the X100S a dpreview gold award and recognition as one of our personal Gear of the Year favorites in 2013.
News: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
Fujifilm has announced forthcoming firmware updates for its X-Pro1, X-E2 and X-E1 mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras, and for the X100S fixed-lens large sensor compact. Features promised include customizable Auto ISO, exposure preview in manual exposure mode, improved workflow for in-camera Raw conversion, and the ability to edit filenames in-camera. The update for the X-Pro1 will be available on 5th December; those for the X-E1, X-E2 and X100S on 19th December. Click through for full details.
News: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
A lot of equipment passes through our Seattle and London offices, everything from high-end cameras to inexpensive accessories. A lot of it gets reviewed, but we can’t cover everything. In this series of short articles, DPReview staff will be highlighting their personal standout products of the year. In part 1, editor Barnaby Britton takes us through his personal favorite – the Fujifilm X100S.
News: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
Please note that this is not a technical review of the Fuji x100s. There are many great reviews already written by photographers who are technically more savvy than I am. This is simply an account of my experience as I make my first steps away from a DSLR system.
I finally did it! I left the DSLR and lenses behind and boarded a plane to France, via Iceland, with one camera and a fixed focal length lens. I can hear some of you think out loud: “Iceland without all your gear? Are you crazy?” Well… Maybe I am, but I was ready for the challenge and I never looked back! If you’re not familiar with the Fuji x100s, it’s a retro looking mirrorless 16MP camera, fitted with a 23mm lens (35mm equivalent) and an APS-C X-Trans CMOS II sensor. Google it, everyone is talking about it!
I wrote quite a bit about the power of limitations in photography before. This is not a new thing for me. Even with my Canon 5DMarkII, you were more likely to see me with a 40mm lens recently than a zoom lens. Limitations help you grow as a photographer. Traveling with the Fuji x100s for a month, from Iceland to my home country in France, was very liberating. Not only the comfortable size and weight of the camera was a great advantage, the fact that the camera became a simple tool and did not get in the way between me and my vision was the best part. It was almost like shooting with a camera phone without ever sacrificing control or quality.
I’m not a landscape photographer, I’m an urban shooter. That doesn’t mean that I don’t appreciate a beautiful landscape when I’m in front of one. Iceland is like no other place on earth. The thought of my Canon gear, thousands of miles away, did cross my mind a couple of times while taking in the amazing Icelandic minimalist landscape. But, as they say: “The best camera is the one you have with you.” And I had a heck of a great piece of equipment with me on this journey.
Although my true love is street photography, I shoot whatever moves me wherever I happen to be. I can honestly say that I discovered a renewed joy for the craft. I felt like a child at play again. I loved the fact that no one took me seriously by the look of my camera. Being so inconspicuous when you shoot street photography has several advantages. You’ll dare some shots that you may not feel so comfortable capturing with a larger camera. Also, if you enjoy doing street portraiture as well as candids, you will find that people are much more receptive to having a portrait taken in the street with something that looks like a point-and-shoot than a professional looking camera. With a smaller camera, you become a lot less intimidating.
Many photographers have asked me if I would replace the x100s for a model with interchangeable lenses. NO, I wanted something different! I already own a system with the best glass in the world (although I would love to try a mirroless system with interchangeable lenses eventually…) Truth is, the fact that you cannot change lenses IS the reason why I chose the Fuji x100s. If you don’t believe that a fixed lens will help you grow as a photographer, try it for a week. Put any fixed focal length lens on your camera body, get out there and shoot the world around you. It will slow you down, you will take more care in your composition, you will be more creative. With a fixed lens, your feet become your zoom. You will pay closer attention to what you include in your frame, and more importantly, what you decide to leave out in order to make a stronger image. Try it! My workshop students get a little nervous at first when I suggest they shoot with a 50mm all day in Paris and leave the rest of the gear at the hotel. They soon realize that it is on those days that they yield their best work.
What’s going to happen to my Canon bodies and L glass? They are definitely not going to accrue much frequent flyers miles anymore but I’m still using them for commercial shoots when I’m not traveling or teaching workshops. For the time being there is still a place for DSLRs, especially in some specific genres of photography such as wildlife, fast action sports, etc. For most other types of photography, you won’t compromise on quality with a smaller system. The perception from the client’s point of view may be a barrier for a little while longer, but that too will change. As far as I am concerned, I think I already own my last DSLR…
I made a selection of images that I shot with the Fuji x100s over the past few weeks, they include a variety of genres to demonstrate that you can pretty much do anything with one fixed lens. It’s all about taking letting your creative juices flow.
I would love to read about your experience traveling with minimal gear or your fear to give it a try.
I am not a landscape photographer, I’m more an urban shooter, but that doesn’t mean that I was insensitive to the minimalist landscapes of Iceland. It was time to apply the saying: “The best camera is the one you have with you.”
Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.
Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips.
My 30 Day Adventure With The Fuji x100s
We’ve just posted our long-awaited review of the Fujifilm X100S – Fujifilm’s flagship fixed-lens compact. The 16MP X100S offers a fixed 35mm equivalent F2 lens, and builds on the appeal of the popular but quirky X100 by adding improved automatic and manual focus, an overhauled interface and a 16MP X-TRANS sensor. Do the on-paper refinements add up to better real-world performance? Click through for a link to the full review, and a note from the editor.
News: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
Fujifilm has announced the availability of new firmware for its X100S fixed-lens compact camera. Firmware version 1.02 corrects an issue where the framelines in the camera’s viewfinder did not automatically adjust brightness at ISO 1600 and higher. Fujifilm has also issued firmware updates for its ZS2000EXR, HS50EXR, F820EXR and F900EXR compacts. Click through for more details and links.
News: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
For leaf-shutter flash geeks only: high-speed Phantom v1610 video of a Fuji X100s shutter not-quite-really syncing at 1/4000th of a sec.
Sorry, I know many of you will be bored to tears by this. But the full technical article photographer Kevin Housen developed around this video (and others, at different shutter speeds) will really peel the onion for you if you want to know about the demonstrable quirkiness of this camera and ultra-high speed sync.
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