Tag: #FujifilmTripodGripTGBT1

A Super Quick Try-Out of the Fujifilm X-S20 with Fujinon XF 18-120mm f/4.0 LM PZ WR Variable Focal Length Lens

Last Saturday I was in the Sydney CBD on a series of errands, had some time to spare so dropped into the Fujifilm House of Photography, borrowed a Fujifilm X-S20 and Fujinon XF 18-120mm f/4.0 LM PZ WR with their kind permission, stepped out the door accompanied by a staff member who was keeping a keen eye on camera and lens, then rapidly snapped a short series of pictures of which these were the least awful! 

Of course it helps if you are a little familiar with the myriad possibilities for setting up any given digital camera but time was of the essence and I wanted get a quick and effective feel of how both items might work when the files are processed in DxO PhotoLab Elite 6 and its plug-ins, all of which were updated to support the X-S20 the week before.

I processed the X-S20’s files to quick-and-dirty proof (not exhibition print) quality to reflect the strange light and weather that day, choosing my default colour transparency film simulation, Digital Films/Fujifilm Astia, for its excellent rendering of natural variations in skin colour.

Photograph © copyright Karin Gottschalk 2023. All rights reserved.
Photograph © copyright Karin Gottschalk 2023. All rights reserved.
Photograph © copyright Karin Gottschalk 2023. All rights reserved.
Photograph © copyright Karin Gottschalk 2023. All rights reserved.
Fujifilm X-S20 with Fujinon XC 15-45mm f/3.5-5.6 OIS PZ, XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4 R LM OIS and XF 18-120mm f/4 LM PZ WR lenses. Image courtesy of Compact Camera Meter.

Although this article is not a review of either camera or lens, the brief time I spent with both was enough to show that Fujifilm really is onto something special and I hope to be able to try them out in combination again in future.

In-depth reviews of the X-S20 are beginning to appear online now and I’ll be publishing some of them here after watching them.

Meanwhile the Fujinon XF 18-120mm f/4.0 has been out for a while having been announced alongside Fujifilm’s X-H2S over a year ago in 2022 and despite some initial scepticism from first-look reviewers, still photographers and videographers who’ve spent time with it to understand its uniqueness have come away impressed.

I’ve long been waiting for a zoom lens like this one with its very decent 27-183mm focal range, lightweight plastic body, optical and mechanical design by Fujifilm’s legendary Fujinon cinema lens division and affordable pricing and it is top of my lens wishlist now for documentary photography and video production.

Fujifilm X-S20 with Fujinon XF 18-120mm f/4 LM PZ WR, Fujinon X-H2S with MKX 18-55mm T2.9 and MKX 50-135mm T2.9, Image courtesy of Compact Camera Meter.

The Fujinon XF 18-120mm f/4.0 balanced very well with the X-S20’s small and lightweight body and I’ve previously handled this lens while attached to a Fujifilm X-H2 and an X-H2S gripped and ungripped.

Although I prefer using heavier, battery-gripped hybrid cameras for handheld video production such as the X-H2S with Fujifilm VG-XH Vertical Battery Grip, cage and accessories as needed, the X-S20 gave the impression it would work well as a small, light and discrete video camera with the non-OIS Fujinon XF 18-120mm f/4.0 or either of its two OIS kit lens options, the Fujinon XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4 R LM OIS and the Fujinon XC 15-45mm f/3.5-5.6 OIS PZ.

I’ve rarely used telephoto lenses over 105mm (35mm sensor equivalent) except for the odd times I’ve had to cover packed press conferences with a borrowed 70-200mm or 80-200mm zoom, and I couldn’t find a personal use for the university art school’s Nikkor 80-200mm f/2.8 when I was studying then teaching there.

Fujifilm X-S20, x-Pro3, X-T5 and X-H2S with Fujinon XF 18-120mm f/4 LM PZ WR lens. Image courtesy of Compact Camera Meter.

Normally I cover events like those at Fujifilm House of Photography with three Fujinon XF prime lenses and swap them about as needed but I’ve often wondered if I’d achieve more keepers and greater variety with a zoom lens like the Fujinon XF 18-120mm f/4.0 LM PZ WR.

A crucial lesson I learned years ago from the late, great filmmaker and photographer William Klein was that one must constantly jump out of one’s comfort zone and a great way to do that is to use lenses and therefore ways of seeing that one normally would not.

Two legendary Nikon Nikkor manual focus lenses, 28mm and 180mm (18mm and 120mm in APS-C)

Nikon Nikkor Ai-S 28mm f/2.0 Nikon F-mount prime lens with “Hollywood 28” optical design licensed from Zeiss. Image found on ebay.
Nikon NIKKOR✱ED 180mm f/2.8 AI-s telephoto lens, manual focusing, made from 1981 through to 2006. Image found on ebay.

Accordingly I chose to bounce between the two extremes of the XF 18-120mm f/4.0 LM PZ WR’s focal range, 18mm and 120mm, or in their 35mm sensor equivalents 27mm and 183mm, during this brief lens and camera tryout.

I don’t recall the art school owning a Nikon 28mm wide-angle or 180mm telephoto lens though there was a 24mm lens in the store-room: it wasn’t my favourite focal length then or now, being too long for some things and too wide for others.

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Leica Elmarit-M 28mm f/2.8 manual prime lens for Leica M-Series. This was my automatic go-to lens for documentary photography and photojournalism. Photograph courtesy of Japan Camera Hunter.

After switching from Nikon SLRs to Leica rangefinder cameras I bought an Elmarit-M 28mm f2.8 and felt right at home with it to the point where it permanently lived on one of my Leica M-4Ps, the one I carried all the time in a waist-pack.

If Fujifilm offered a Fujicron-style Fujinon XF 18mm f/2.0 or even f/2.8 compact lens sized to fit its X-Pro series cameras and smaller, then I’d be ecstatic and snap one up immediately.

The Fujinon XF 18mm f/1.4 R LM WR seemed like an excellent lens from my tryout of it at an event in 2021 but it may be better suited to DSLR-style and size cameras like the X-H2S, X-H2 and X-T5 and I don’t really need an f/1.4 maximum aperture as I use wide-angle lenses for their deep depth-of-focus and not their bokeh capabilities.

If bokeh is what you need and in abundance, however, consider the longer end of the XF 18-120mm f/4.0 when set at f/5.6 or f/8.0.

Using the XF 18-120mm f/4.0 at the opening of Sydney’s Fujifilm House of Photography in 2022

Photograph © copyright Karin Gottschalk 2023. All rights reserved.
Photograph © copyright Karin Gottschalk 2023. All rights reserved.
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‘List of Fujinon XF Lenses that Get Maximum Benefit from Fujifilm X-H2 (and X-T5) with 40 Megapixel Resolution’ published by Fuji Rumors in September 2022.

I made both of these photographs with the XF 18-120mm f/4.0 attached to our X-Pro2 and despite this camera not supporting the lens’ extra features via firmware I found the lens easy and fast to use and the results excellent for the focal length range.

Although many reviewers have commented that they miss having more on the wide end, preferring 16mm to 18mm, I have no such desire and would simply carry our Fujinon XF 14mm f/2.8 R alongside the zoom lens.

The only downside to that is that Fujifilm rates the XF 18-120mm f/4.0 LM PZ WR as more suitable for 40 megapixel sensor cameras while the XF 14mm f/2.8 R is not on that list.

Time to update the 14mm lens, Fujifilm?

Links

Re-Processing Photographs from the Pre-COVID-19 Pandemic Era in the Latest DxO PhotoLab Elite, DxO FilmPack Elite & DxO ViewPoint

Today has been a wonderfully sunny and warm day for a Sydney winter that has been the coldest on record for the last forty years and tomorrow, Saturday, was forecast to be equally sunny.

Then tomorrow’s forecast was updated to mostly sunny with some cloud and I was reminded of a project I shot in the Sydney CBD a year before the pandemic began, one where I made some of my favourite images for some years. 

That day was mostly sunny with some cloud and there was always a soft edge on the sunlight coming out of a mostly blue sky, probably the same kind of mix of hardish and softer light that tomorrow may bring. 

I much prefer hard-edge laser-beam sunlight for urban documentary photographs in summer and winter, particularly winter with its low-angled sunlight throughout the day, as those long shadows take on a life of their own and can act as counterfoils or echoes of the figures projecting them.

So I thought it might be a good idea to re-process this set of photographs from February 2019 that I made with an ungripped Fujifilm X-T3 and Fujinon XF 8-16mm f/2.8 R LM WR Red Badge variable focal-length aka zoom lens kindly loaned by Fujifilm Australia.

The sunlight wasn’t particularly laser-beamish, the specular highlights weren’t particularly sparkling and the sunstars this lens makes so beautifully rarely made an appearance, but there were quite a few people on the streets in a way that has become rarer since.

I re-processed these images with DxO’s Fujifilm Astia colour reversal film simulation for the sake of the skin tones and DxO PhotoLab Elite’s DeepPRIME XD denoising and demosaicing algorithm and while the full-sized JPEGs look amazing these 2048px-width JPEGs still look better than their earlier versions from 2019.

DeepPRIME XD seems to reveal even more detail with increased tonal and colour separation in the low values and I’ve tended to make my images darker in the low values than I used with earlier versions of DxO software.

This may be a temporary thing but I will see what I make of tomorrow’s photographs in the Sydney CBD where I may well use one of DxO’s colour negative film simulations instead.

Meanwhile I’ve just updated all our DxO software due to the new versions supporting Fujifilm’s X-S20 camera and I’d love to see what DxO PhotoLab Elite et al makes of X-Trans raw files from that camera and the Fujinon XF 8mm f/3.5 R WR ultra-wide lens.

I’m still learning what DxO’s latest versions can do and what they permit me to do that I couldn’t before.

Most of these photographs were made around 15mm, though, with a few at 8mm and I suspect I’ll be favouring our Fujinon XF 14mm f/2.8 R for photographs depicting people more than architecture, but we’ll see what ensues on the day.

The X-T3 was ungripped, having neither Fujifilm’s VG-XT3 Vertical Battery Grip nor MHG-XT3 Metal Hand Grip attached, and I recall having some misgivings about the lack of balance between the rather lightweight, smallish camera and the large and weighty lens.

It would be wise to try out the XF 8-16mm on an X-S20 with its pronounced grip for such a small camera as well as on the X-H2S and X-H2 with their very impressive built-in grips and even more impressive Fujifilm VG-XH Vertical Battery Grip.

Let’s see what tomorrow brings, but fingers crossed for no clouds and nothing but blue sky and laser-beam sunlight.

It might be a decent trial run in advance of the coming months if not years of El Niño.

Links

  • B&H Affiliate Link – Click here to research and purchase or pre-order your choice of cameras, lenses and accessories for stills photography and video production whatever your genre and subject matter.
  • DxO – website – PhotoLab, FilmPack, ViewPoint, PureRAW, Nik Collection – Our #1 choice in raw image processing and editing software.
  • FastRawViewer – website –  “Is your RAW converter slow while building 1:1 previews or culling RAW files? Use FastRawViewer – a great time-saver and an ideal RAW workflow helper.“
  • Fujifilm X Global – X-S20: Explore the unseen world
  • Fujifilm X Global – XF8mmF3.5 R WR: Everything is in my hands

First Birthday Celebration at Fujifilm House of Photography in Sydney on Saturday 8th July 2023

I dropped in to Sydney’s Fujifilm House of Photography to see how their first birthday celebration was going during this mid-winter school holiday season when wealthy Australians jet off to Europe while the less well-off vacation within this country so the streets were emptier than usual and so were the stores. 

My visit was an opportunity to try out the Fujinon XF 33mm f/1.4 R LM WR “Fujilux” premium lens that I’d recently seen attached to the great British documentary photographer David Hurn’s Fujifilm X-Pro2 and to form an initial impression of this very popular standard normal prime.

I made the top five photographs with my trusty Fujinon XF 23mm f/1.4 R and the last one with my beloved XF 14mm f/2.8 R while all photographs in between were made with the 33mm lens.

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Pentax Spotmatic F 35mm film camera with Pentax SMC Takumar 55mm f/1.8 lens. Image found on ebay.

My history with standard normal prime lenses is a checkered one. My first single lens reflex camera, a Pentax Spotmatic F,  came with one and as a lowly low-paid 15-year-old part-time press photographer cum regional correspondent I couldn’t afford to add longer or wider lenses to it so all my work was done with it for several years.

When I graduated to a pair of secondhand Leica M4-P analog rangefinder cameras my first lens was a brand new Leica Summicron-M 35mm f/2.0 followed by an Elmarit-M 28mm f/2.8 then a Summicron-M 90mm f/2.0 and I added a Summicron-M 50mm f/2.0 for more technical photography and the occasional head-and-shoulders portrait.

nikon_micro-nikkor_55mm_f2.8_01_1024px_60pc
Nikon Micro-Nikkor 55mm f/2.8 manual focus, manual exposure macro lens with 1:2 magnification. Image courtesy of B&H.

After enrolling in photography at university art school I discovered the joys of macro lenses via the school’s Nikon Micro-Nikkor 55mm f/2.8 and Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8 and both lenses kindled an interest in portraiture that matured into a career as a magazine and newspaper colour supplement editorial portrait photographer.

Most of my portrait work was done with medium format and 4″x5″ sheet film view cameras instead of 35mm cameras though I always carried at least one Leica and a couple of lenses in a waist-pack.

My medium format and large format lenses were wider and longer than standard normal, and the nearest I got to the latter was a 135mm perfect normal for my sheet film cameras though I rarely used it.

I preferred larger cameras and a Broncolor monobloc lighting kit because, although I had very little time with my magazine subjects, I needed to grab their attention immediately instead of building a relationship over a longer time and more impressive gear helped enormously.

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Fujifilm GFX100S 100MP medium format camera. Image courtesy of Fujifilm Australia.

Nowadays I’d use cameras like Fujifilm’s GFX100S, longer and wider lenses than standard normal and a two or three-light Rotolight LED lighting kit and definitely no tripod given in-body image stabilization.

The GFX series cameras’ 4:3 aspect ratio is ideal for portrait photography whether in portrait (vertical) or landscape (horizontal) orientation and I wish Fujifilm would add 4:3 and 4:5 to the firmware for its X-H2S and X-Pro series cameras and not reserve those aspect ratios for the X-H2 and X-T5.

Oskar Barnack based the 3:2 aspect ratio of his Ur-Leica and subsequent cameras on landscape painting aspect ratios, forgoing feature films’ 4:3 aspect ratio that was shot on the same film that he selected for his revolutionary 35mm pocket cameras.

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Ernst Leitz Wetzlar Mikro-Summar 42mm f/4.5 brass-barrel triplet three-element perfect normal lens as used by Oskar Barnack in one or more of his three Ur-Leica cameras.

He also chose a perfect normal, not standard normal, lens for his first three Ur-Leicas, the Ernst Leitz Wetzlar Mikro-Summar 42mm f/4.5 brass-barrel triplet three-element that was designed more for close-up photography than landscape purposes.

When Leicas finally entered production, however, 50mm standard normal lenses seem to have become the optics of choice and that tradition continued when Henri Cartier-Bresson chose to attach mostly a 50mm lens to his Leicas though he was reportedly spotted occasionally using short telephoto lenses in dangerous situations.

My choice of a 35mm lens as the first for my Leicas was influenced by the work of Mary Ellen Mark, Susan Meiselas and other female photojournalists and I felt right at home with it as soon as I made my first photographs with it.

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Leica Summicron-M 35mm f/2.0 Aspheric M-mount prime lens. Image courtesy of Leitz Auction at https://www.leitz-auction.com/.

I soon added the 28mm when I needed to include more background context and more depth of focus at the same apertures than afforded by 35mm.

More width and more depth was so natural and so right for the way I saw the world and needed to depict it and that continues to this day.

While I appreciate the technical photography uses for 50mm standard normal lenses as well as their place in cinematography I find they generate a feeling of distance from the subject, one that was embraced by Cartier-Bresson due to his interest in Surrealism and irony.

I found Fujifilm’s XF 33mm f/1.4 R LM WR to be very fast-focussing manually and automatically, with excellent resolution and micro-contrast, and if Fujifilm were to create an XF 27mm f/1.4 R LM WR then I would be ecstatic as it would be an excellent choice for single-lens narrative video work and as a companion to the XF 18mm f/1.4 R LM WR for documentary work.

The current “Fujilux” trio: Fujinon XF 18mm f/1.4, 23mm f/1.4 & 33mm f/1.4 R LM WR

Fujifilm Fujinon XF 18mm f/1.4 R LM WR “Fujilux” prime lens. Image courtesy of Fuji Rumors.
Fujifilm LH-XF18 Lens Hood for Fujinon XF 18mm f/1.4 R LM WR. Image courtesy of Fujifilm Australia.
Fujifilm Fujinon XF 18mm f/1.4 R LM WR prime lens optical cross-section. Image courtesy of Fujifilm Global.
Fujinon XF 23mm f/1.4 R LM WR “Fujilux” prime lens. Image courtesy of Fujifilm Australia.
Fujifilm LH-XF23-2 Lens Hood for 23mm f/1.4 R LM WR, also works for XF 33mm f/1.4 R LM WR lens. Image courtesy of Fujifilm Australia.
Fujifilm Fujinon XF 23mm f/1.4 R LM WR prime lens optical cross-section. Image courtesy of Fujifilm Global.
Fujinon XF 33mm f/1.4 R LM WR “Fujilux” prime lens. Image courtesy of Fujifilm Australia.
Fujifilm Fujinon XF 33mm f/1.4 R LM WR standard normal prime lens optical cross-section. Image courtesy of Fujifilm Global.

Fujifilm describes its premium “Fujilux” f/1.4 prime lenses as suitable for its 40 megapixels cameras including the X-H2 and X-T5 at time of writing and, as some of the photographs above indicate, the XF 33mm f/1.4 R LM WR performs well on sensors with lower megapixels ratings such as our X-Pro2.

…

Links

Fujifilm Australia ‘Discover Fujifilm’ Video Workshop at Fujifilm House of Photography in Sydney on Saturday 1st July 2023

Last Saturday’s ‘Discover Fujifilm’ Video Workshop at Sydney’s Fujifilm House of Photography was the last such event to be presented by globetrotting architecture and travel photographer/videographer Stephen Pierce and it came just days after the launch of the Fujifilm X-S20 and Fujinon XF 8mm f/3.5 R WR ultra wide prime lens. 

Although some commentators have been referring to the X-S20 as a “mini-X-H2S” both it and its X-H2S sibling have differences enough to justify adding one of each to a serious stills and video production kit with the smaller, lighter X-S20 being the obvious choice for daily carry as well as entry point into Fujifilm’s APS-C X-mount camera system for those needing to lighten their load while still obtaining excellent image quality.

I processed these images in my favourite raw processing software system made by DxO comprising DxO PhotoLab Elite with DxO FilmPack Elite and DxO ViewPoint as plug-ins.

These Fujifilm House of Photography events are an excellent opportunity to try out a range of film simulations under similar lighting conditions and subject matter, so this time I chose DxO’s rendering of Kodak Portra 400, a colour negative film popular for portraiture and documentary photography.

As usual I chose DxO’s DeepPRIME XD demosaicing and denoising feature to obtain maximum detail and improved separation in the low values: the effect is incredible in full-sized exported files but even in these 2048px JPEGs above the boost in quality is noticeable.

For the past few months I’ve been doing my raw file selects and rejects in FastRawViewer then opening the selects in DxO PhotoLab Elite direct.

As opposed to most if not all raw image processors FastRawViewer is fast and efficient give it does not need to build previews from raw files’ JPEG previews and its histogram is based on raw files so provides an accurate assessment of your photographs and not just an approximation.

If only camera histograms were based on raw files and not JPEGs too!

The late Michael Reichmann of Luminous Landscape adopted in0camera raw histograms as one of his several digital photography hobbyhorses and we’re still having to guess at the state of our raw files from JPEG previews and histograms.

Another workflow enhancement worth investigating is Photo Mechanic Plus, the Digital Asset Management version of Photo Mechanic, the press photographer’s portable daily go-to for image ingesting, selecting and rejecting before processing.

I’ve used Photo Mechanic when working in press photography and have yet to try out its DAM-enhanced sibling but I’ve relied on other DAMs in the past that later became corporatized then financially out-of-reach for self-funded independent documentary photographers (and videographers) like me.

Tech notes

Photographs were made with a Fujifilm X-Pro2 and Fujinon XF 14mm f/2.8 R, XF 23mm f/1.4 R and XF 50mm f/2.0 R WR prime lenses.

I’d love to try out some other Fujinon cameras and lenses for documenting these events in order to expand the range of images I make of them. A Fujinon X-H2S with Fujinon XF 18-120mm f/4.0 LM PZ WR perhaps? Or a Fujinon X-S20 with Fujinon XC 15-45mm f/3.5-5.6 OIS PZ.

I’ve noted how Johnnie Behiri of CineD seems rather fond of both cameras and lenses for his documentary video projects and they may also work well for documentary stills. The same two-camera, two-lens kit might also be appropriate for producing documentary videos and stills for The Robert Krasker Project.

Another thing I’d like to try when documenting these events is to do it again with just one prime lens, the Fujinon XF 18mm f/1.4 R LM WR. There are three equivalent focal lengths I’ve used during the analog era in this way – 28mm, 35mm and 40mm – and I was rather pleased at how well the Fujinon XF 30mm f/2.8 R LM WR Macro worked as a single prime lens earlier this year despite its slightly longer 45mm equivalence.

I’d love it if Fujifilm released an 18mm f/2.0 or so Fujicron-style lens as it would go so well with X-Pro series rangefinder-style cameras as well as the X-S20.

Links

  • B&H Affiliate Link – Click here to research and purchase or pre-order your choice of cameras, lenses and accessories for stills photography and video production whatever your genre and subject matter.
  • DxO – website – PhotoLab, FilmPack, ViewPoint, PureRAW, Nik Collection – Our #1 choice in raw image processing and editing software.
  • FastRawViewer – website –  “Is your RAW converter slow while building 1:1 previews or culling RAW files? Use FastRawViewer – a great time-saver and an ideal RAW workflow helper.“
  • Fujifilm X Global – XF8mmF3.5 R WR: Everything is in my hands
  • Fujifilm X Global – X-S20: Explore the unseen world
  • Photo Mechanic Plus – website – “Photo Mechanic®Plus is the Ultimate Image Database for Photographers.”

Fujifilm Australia ‘Discover Fujifilm’ Video Workshop at Fujifilm House of Photography in Sydney on Saturday 25th March 2023 – Updated

This past week has been stressful, challenging and packed with things we’d rather not be doing so it’s delayed us in processing the raw files from Fujifilm Australia’s ‘Discover Fujifilm’ Video Workshop at Fujifilm House of Photography in Sydney last Saturday the 25th of March 2023. 

Our apologies! 

Given this free workshop was about videography we somewhat subconsciously shot it more like a short movie than an even shorter photoessay hence more images than usual.

Presenter Stephen Pierce did an excellent job of introducing those of us new to hybrid camera video and those of us more experienced in this two-hour seminar and shared some insights unique to his many years as a globe-trotting photographer and videographer.

Image Creation

We made these photographs with our trusty Fujifilm X-Pro2 digital rangefinder camera and two older Fujifilm lenses, a Fujinon XF 14mm f/2.8 R and a Fujinon XF 14mm f/2.8 R.

Neither of these lenses are rated by Fujifilm as getting the best results for its new generation 40 megapixel sensors in camera including the X-T5 and X-H2 and we have yet to try them out on an X-H2.

Their image quality is perfectly fine on the 24 megapixel sensor in the X-Pro2 and should be equally good on the 26 megapixel X-H2S.

We love using both lenses not the least for their excellent manual clutch focusing rings that we wish were also on all other Fujifilm prime and zoom lenses in the way that Olympus saw fit to add manual clutch focus to all its M.Zuiko Pro lenses.

We’ve been astounded at how well DxO supports Fujifilm X-Trans raw files especially with the recent addition of DeepPRIME XD.

DxO profiles thousands of combinations of sensors, cameras and lenses and these profiles are called down by its software to refine how images made with them render so even images from old cameras and lenses look excellent.

We note that the late, great photographer of the Vietnam War, Tim Page, relied on a two-lens  combination in his latter years comprising a 21mm lens and a 35mm lens on his 35mm sensor-equipped Leica M Series cameras.

The equivalent in Fujifilm APS-C terms is 14mm and 23mm.

Image Processing

We processed these images in our default raw processing and editing software collection comprising DxO PhotoLab Elite, DxO FilmPack Elite and DxO ViewPoint.

We chose the Kodak Portra 400 colour negative film simulation and our new default demosaicing and denoising setting of DeepPRIME XD.

Small JPEGs like these benefit from DeepPRIME XD and full-size JPEGs and TIFFs even more so.

We can’t recommend DxO’s software too highly and encourage you to try them out by downloading trial versions right now.

Even if you currently prefer other raw file and image processing and editing software then we suggest trying out the new DxO PureRAW 3 to first process your raw files then open the exported files in your current favourite software.

The difference can be stark.

We usually choose Fujifilm Astia as our default film simulation as we almost always used colour transparency aka colour reversal films during the analog era but for these images we thought we’d give Kodak Portra 400 a go.

Becoming used to a new film simulation can take time as does learning how get the best out of it.

Both film simulations, like the films upon which they’re based, are designed for portraits and photographs where people are a prime part of the picture, but they render skin tones in slightly different ways.

We chose to push the look of these images a little more toward that of prints on Kodak photographic paper than we would normally, a look remembered from jobs decades ago where we processed and printed colour and monochrome films and prints.

Before we even open DxO PhotoLab Elite we do our selects, rejects and tagging in FastRawViewer which exports an .XMP file alongside to import into PhotoLab to transmit our labels and ratings.

We still yearn for the long discontinued Apple Aperture software that we loved so much but the combination of FastRawViewer plus DxO software works well.

Gearing up for video? Consider Fujifilm X Series & third-party hardware & accessories.

Fujifilm Fujinon MKX 18-55mm T2.9 cinema zoom lens. Image courtesy of Fujifilm Global.
Fujifilm X-H2S. Image courtesy of Fujifilm Global.
Fujifilm X-H2. Image courtesy of Fujifilm Global.
Fujifilm Tripod Grip TG-BT1 with Bluetooth. Image courtesy of B&H.
Fujifilm FT-XH File Transmitter Grip. Image courtesy of Fujifilm Global.
RØDE VideoMic NTG Hybrid Analog/USB Camera-Mount Shotgun Microphone. Image courtesy of B&H.
RØDE VideoMic GO II with included Foam Windshield and SM8-R Shockmount. Image courtesy of RØDE Microphones.
RØDE VideoMic Pro. Image courtesy of RØDE Microphones.
SmallRig Multifunctional Cage for FUJIFILM X-H2S with FT-XH / VG-XH Battery Grip 3933. Image courtesy of SmallRig.
SmallRig Cage for FUJIFILM X-S10 Camera 3087. Image courtesy of SmallRig.
Fujifilm VG-XH Vertical Battery Grip. Image courtesy of Fujifilm Global.
Irix has released its affordable but top-class cinema prime lenses in Fujifilm X-Mount versions in focal lengths from 11mm through to 150mm. Image courtesy of Irix.
Fujifilm X-T4. Image courtesy of Fujifilm Global.
RØDE DeadCat VMP+ artificial fur wind shield for RØDE VideoMic Pro+. Image courtesy of RØDE Microphones.
Fujinon XF 18-120mm f/4.0 LM PZ WR stills + video zoom lens with lens hood. Image courtesy of Fujifilm Global.
Fujinon XC 15-45mm f/3.5-5.6 OIS PZ kit zoom lens. Image courtesy of B&H Photo.
RØDE Stereo VideoMic X on-camera stereo video microphone with dual male 3-pin mini-XLR out or 3.5mm stereo out. Image courtesy of B&H.
RØDE VideoMic Pro+. Image courtesy of RØDE Microphones.
Fujifilm X-T4 on DJI Ronin RS3 gimbal. Image courtesy of DJI.
The control interface. Tascam CA-XLR2d-F XLR Microphone Adapter for Fujifilm cameras. Image courtesy of Tascam.
Fujifilm VG-XT4 Vertical Battery Grip for Fujifilm X-T4 camera. Image courtesy of B&H.
Rotolight NEO 3 On-Camera RGBWW LED Light Ultimate Bundle. Image courtesy of B&H.
RØDE VideoMicro II on-camera shotgun microphone. Image courtesy of RØDE.
Fujifilm Fujinon MKX 50-135mm T2.9 cinema zoom lens. Image courtesy of Fujifilm Global.
Tascam CA-XLR2d-F XLR Microphone Adapter for Fujifilm cameras mounted on Fujifilm X-S10. Image courtesy of Tascam.
Wooden Camera FUJIFILM X-H2S Unified Accessory Pro Kit (V-Mount). Image courtesy of B&H.
Rotolight Neo 3 three LED light kit. Image courtesy of Rotolight.
Fujifilm Tripod Grip TG-BT1 with Bluetooth. Image courtesy of B&H.
Fujifilm Fujinon XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4.0 R LM OIS kit zoom lens. Image courtesy of B&H.
RØDE NTH-100
 Professional Over-Ear Headphones. Image courtesy of RØDE Microphones.
Fujinon XF 14mm f/2.8 R ultra wideangle prime lens. Image courtesy of Fujifilm Australia.
RØDE Wireless GO II Kit. Image courtesy of RØDE Microphones.

Links

Fujifilm House of Photography: Discover Fujifilm Video workshop, Fujifilm House of Photography, Saturday 25th March 2023, 11:00 am – 1:00 pm AEDT – Commentary

https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/discover-fujifilm-video-workshop-tickets-575122947217

“Keen on honing your videography skills too?

DISCOVER Fujifilm Video workshop will help you understand the tools, controls, staging and lighting to help you produce top quality videos.

Start to make your own video masterpiece.

Come & join us at Fujifilm House of Photography.”

Fujifilm X-H2, X-H2S & X-T4 with Fujinon cinema lenses & accessories

Fujifilm X-H2. Image courtesy of Fujifilm Global.
Fujifilm X-H2S. Image courtesy of Fujifilm Global.
Fujifilm X-T4. Image courtesy of Fujifilm Global.
Fujifilm FT-XH File Transmitter Grip. Image courtesy of Fujifilm Global.
Fujifilm VG-XH Vertical Battery Grip. Image courtesy of Fujifilm Global.
Fujifilm VG-XT4 Vertical Battery Grip for Fujifilm X-T4 camera. Image courtesy of B&H.
Fujinon XF 18-120mm f/4.0 LM PZ WR stills + video zoom lens with lens hood. Image courtesy of Fujifilm Global.
Fujifilm Fujinon MKX 18-55mm T2.9 cinema zoom lens. Image courtesy of Fujifilm Global.
Fujifilm Fujinon MKX 50-135mm T2.9 cinema zoom lens. Image courtesy of Fujifilm Global.
Fujinon XF 18-120mm f/4.0 LM PZ WR stills + video zoom lens optical cross-section. Image courtesy of Fujifilm Global.
Fujifilm Fujinon MK 18-55mm T2.9 cinema standard zoom lens optical cross-section. Image courtesy of Fujifilm Global.
Tascam CA-XLR2d-F XLR Microphone Adapter for Fujifilm cameras. Image courtesy of Tascam.

Commentary

All hybrid mirrorless cameras released during the last decade or so are capable of recording good quality video and recent mirrorless hybrid cameras have been approaching ever closer the video quality of dedicated cinema cameras.

Since the hybrid stills and movie revolution was accidentally kicked off by Canon with its EOS 5D Mark II and the 2008 release of Reverie, the short movie co-directed by Vince Laforet and Yoni Brook, many former stills-only photographers have also become videographers if not cinematographers.

Fujifilm has come relatively late to supporting video and is still in the throes of catching up with the likes of Canon, Panasonic and Sony, but its APS-C/Super 35 cameras are more affordable than 35mm sensor aka “full frame” cameras by the latter manufacturers while offering excellent stills quality that competes with 35mm sensor cameras.

This free workshop should provide an excellent and in-depth introduction into videography using Fujifilm cameras and lenses and Sydney’s Fujifilm House of Photography provides the opportunity to touch and try cameras and lenses well-suited to video work.

Links

Is The Fujifilm X-H2S Gaining Feature Parity or Better with The X-H2 & X-T5?: X-H2S Firmware Version: 3.00 – This article is now updated

Fujifilm X Global: X-H2S Firmware update, Version: 3.00, Last Updated: 12.01.2023

https://fujifilm-x.com/en-au/support/download/firmware/cameras/x-h2s/

Details of X-H2S Firmware Update Ver.3.00

  • Enhanced subject detection based on AI for various situations like backlighting, subjects looking sideways and small subjects.
  • Newly added subject types includes insects and drones.
  • Improved AF algorithm for tracking moving subjects at high speed.
  • No display lag before and after the AF when set to “Performance Boost EVF Frame Rate Priority”.
  • X-H2S is now compatible with the new Tripod Grip TG-BT1.

FUJIFILM X Series: X-H2S FW3.00 Auto Focus Promotional Video/ FUJIFILM

“See the story of X-H2S Firmware Update Ver.3.00

“I am confident that the performance of this camera is good enough to be used in any scenario.”(Product Planner, Jun Watanabe)

“I’m happy that the performance has improved to the point where I don’t think it could be any better.”(Photographer, Tadateru Takahashi)

“With the release of X-H2S and especially with the new firmware, I’m confident to say that it’s up to par with any other camera”(Photographer, Hendrik Osula)”

This update has already been well received and some videographers have been asking for more video-oriented firmware improvements:

“Now that AF is even better than before, and since H2s is a very capable video camera, why not adding some missing options/features to the camera especially for video? Particularly, I would love to have the option to see a red box around the LCD screen when video is being recorded. Since on-camera tally lights might interact with the subject/scene, by having a red box on screen while recording would be very helpful for the user.” … Christophe Anagnostopoulos

“We need tap-to-track continuous autofocus in video, please! More video features as a whole would also be welcome: shutter angle and false color (or waveforms) would be amazing.” … Grahm Doughty

“Awesome! One thing I think would really make the AF top notch is AUTO subject detection. Sometimes, swiping through different types of subjects in the menu leads to a missed moment.” … Kamau

“There are still have two problems need to be solved. One is video AF tracking is very easy to lose tracking when the subject was covered by another subject for just 1 or 2 seconds, as people coming across. Another problem is about the non-living things touching tracking, as a cup, a wedding ring or any products, it’s one of the most important function, hope they are to be solved soon.” … Matthew Qin

Fujifilm X-H2S, X-H2, Tripod Grip TG-BT1, File Transmitter Grip FT-XH, Fujinon XF 18-120mm f/4.0 LM PZ WR & XC 15-45mm f/3.5-5.6 OIS PZ, all improved by this and related firmware updates

Fujifilm X-H2s with Fujinon XF 30mm f/2.8 R LM WR Macro prime lens. Image courtesy of B&H.
Fujinon XF 18-120mm f/4.0 LM PZ WR stills + video zoom lens with lens hood. Image courtesy of Fujifilm Global.
Fujifilm FT-XH File Transmitter Grip. Image courtesy of Fujifilm Global.
Fujinon XC 15-45mm f/3.5-5.6 OIS PZ kit zoom lens. Image courtesy of B&H Photo.
Fujifilm Tripod Grip TG-BT1 with Bluetooth. Image courtesy of B&H.

Postscript

I published this article in its original form just after reading the email announcement about it and before downloading Fujifilm’s related X-H2S New Feature Guide and X-H2S Network and USB Setting PDFs.

Users of the X-H2S downloading the new firmware have begun reporting on their experiences in online fora including Fuji Rumors and video reviews will  doubtless be appearing over the coming days.

I received just one email notification of the Fujifilm X-H2S version 3.00 update but three more firmware updates were also released according to Fuji Rumors:

We’re now looking forward to more firmware updates coming to the Fujifilm X-H2 and X-T5 especially relating to video functionality and autofocus for stills and video.

Fujifilm’s plastic fantastics

We’ve also been impressed by reviews of two of Fujifilm’s XC-series plastic-bodied zoom lenses, the Fujinon XC 15-45mm f/3.5-5.6 OIS PZ and XC 50-230mm f/4.5-6.7 OIS II, rated very highly for the quality of their optics.

We’d love it if Fujifilm made the XC 15-45mm available once again as a lens-only purchase and not just bundled with their lower-priced cameras such as the Fujifilm X-S10 – is there an X-S20 on the cards for 2023?

The option of carrying a small, lightweight and versatile stabilized zoom lens like the XC 15-45mm with an X-Pro series or X-T series camera instead of a set of primes or a larger, heavier zoom lens is an attractive one.

The idea of carrying the XC 15-45mm alongside its natural companion lens the XC 50-230mm is also appealing.

What next for Fujifilm firmware?

After ensuring as much feature parity as possible between the X-H2S, X-H2 and X-T5, the company should integrate Director of Photography Edward Lachman ASC‘s EL Zone System into its more video-focused cameras if not all cameras from now onwards.

Derived from Ansel Adams’ Zone System for analog photography, Lachman’s evolution of it for the digital hybrid age cuts through the constant confusion and debate about how exactly to expose for video.

The EL Zone System is finding its way into video production hardware and software after being incorporated into Panasonic’s VariCam cinema cameras and we’ve been hearing from other vendors in the process of licensing the system from Mr Lachman.

Wouldn’t it be terrific if the simple-to-use EL Zone System became standard throughout the industry at all levels, supplementing if not replacing the often confusing array of traditional in-camera exposure tools?

The EL Zone System by Director of Photography Ed Lachman ASC

Chart of the Ansel Adams Zone System by Sean De Wispelaere. Available to download via a pin at his YouTube channel.
EL Zone System developed by Ed Lachman, ASC. implemented in SmallHD PageOS 5. Image courtesy of SmallHD.
The EL Zone System by Ed Lachman ASC, based on Ansel Adams’ Zone System. Screenshot from FD Times web page.
The EL Zone System by Ed Lachman ASC, based on Ansel Adams’ Zone System. Screenshot from FD Times web page.
EL Zone System by Ed Lachman ASC in use in Colourlab.Ai. Image courtesy of Colourlab.Ai.
Panasonic USA: EL Zone System Uses Stop Values in 15 Delineated Steps for Precise Image Control for VariCam Cinema Cameras, page 1. Image from PDF by Panasonic USA.
Panasonic USA: EL Zone System Uses Stop Values in 15 Delineated Steps for Precise Image Control for VariCam Cinema Cameras, page 2. Image from PDF by Panasonic USA.

“Ed’s adaptation of Ansel Adam’s Zone System to the digital world is a game changer.

For any disciple of photography, Ansel Adams’ stunning and iconic landscapes underscore the paramount need for precise exposure control in the creation of indelible images.

EL Zone is a tremendous gift to all of us who have been endlessly frustrated by the imprecise nature of digital exposure.

We finally have a tool that is much more accurate than false color, zebras, or waveforms.

EL Zone brings back the direct relationship between lighting and lens stops that inform so much of image creation.

Thank you Ed!” … Buddy Squires ASC, co-founder with Ken Burns of Florentine Films, in Film and Digital Times – EL Zone [System] by Ed Lachman ASC.

Links