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Pig Bitin`Mad

April 29, 2012, 4:01 pm
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The X-Pro1 chronicles continue. 

Lindsay Pougnet

Above is a picture of Lindsay Pougnet, Ottawa graphic artist. We got into conversation on the bus and I took a picture of her in with the X-Pro1, in camera settings set to black and white. No Photoshop. The picture is sharp as a tack and the camera is easy to compose with. I gave Lindsay the camera to shoot fellow bus traveller Freeman Stellar. Here is the result:

Freeman as photographed by Lindsay Pougnet

Lindsay took to the camera like an old friend. The composition, contrast and sharpness of focus are remarkable. I am impressed. Thank you, Lindsay. You are a great photographer. I seldom put other people's work on my blog, but this is a first rate work.

That was a highlight of the evening. I spent the night of April 28th shooting in black and white. When the camera worked well, we were in Leica territory.





All of the shots were done at 6,400 ISO. And again, using the in-camera black and white filter. No Photoshop. No augmentation. Just photographic pleasure and remarkable results.

Then there were other shots that failed because of the focusing and the auto focusing.




These are among the shots that I did not delete. A good number of shots were deleted because they were out of focus. These shots were great except for the focusing problem. But the focusing ruined the pictures. Manual focusing is slow and articulated. But it is accurate. The colour picture of the origami strings demonstrate this. Shooting from the hip in manual or auto focus is a different story. Sometimes I would auto focus on a specific spot in continuous AF only to have the lens not recognize the setting. Frustrating.

The focusing problems of the X-Pro1 need to be settled. This camera is superior in all ways to the Sony NEX 5N and 7 cameras except for the focusing issue. (On the blogs, a lot of people have been suggesting that Fuji should, and I quote, `steal`the peak focusing of the NEX series.) Using this camera can be great. It handles in a way that begs to do fast, street-style photographs. And it doesn`t deliver in one crucial area. Fuji, hear our plea. Correct the focusing problems. Please. I hate being pig bitin`mad.





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X-Pro1 + Voigtlander f4 25mm Color Skopar = Heaven

May 4, 2012, 3:36 pm
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The Voigtlander lenses are probably the most underrated lenses on the market. Anyone who has used them agrees that they are professional level and they never disappoint. I fixed my 25mm Color Skopar onto my Fujifilm X-Pro1 and I took to the street.


First, I have to tell you that this lens works beautifully on the X-Pro1. Being a 25mm, or a 38mm equivalent, it has tremendous depth of field. Manual focus is smooth and easy. It is unobtrusive and looks cute, sexy and businesslike all at the same time. I shot using the X-Pro1's black and white application. The results were fantastic.


Next week Leica will announce a black and white digital camera. For the life of me, I can't see how they will improve over the X-Pro1. With this Voigtlander lens, and the Fuji 35mm f1.4 lens, the black and white looks like it was shot on film. I am almost tempted to just shoot in black and white with the X-Pro1. Almost, that is. The colour rendition on this camera is far too good to be neglected.

 

At 1,000 ISO there is very little noise in any picture shot with the X-Pro1. I found that shooting at 3,200 or 6,400 ISO rears a slight noise that resembles film grain. This gives the black and white pictures a look of the thirties, forties or fifties through a Leica. Composing is easy on this camera due to its low profile. Once the auto focus is fixed, you have the perfect camera. it's probably the first digital camera with a soul. 


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REST

May 6, 2012, 5:11 pm
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Old abandoned restaurant sign taken with the Fujifilm X-Pro1, Voigtlander 25mm f4 Color Skopar, and a Leica polarizer. Alfred Ontario. 6th May, 2012.

Below are shots using the X-Pro1 and its 35mm 1.4 Fuji lens, all in Alfred.












Again, the X-Pro1 shows its worth. The sharpness and contrast of the pictures are sensational from such a small camera. And for the first time on any camera, the in-camera black and white applications are filmlike. After using LAB conversion and the Gorman B&W conversion systems, it is a real treat to see images that look like real black and white film. At high ISOs during daytime the results are like soft grain 125 or 400 ISO black and white film. Again, the focusing and the post-shot lag is a real concern, but try to find a camera that gives images this clean. Period!

Check out Todd Bennett's site http://tbgold.aminus3.com/ . First rate portraiture on his portfolio page!


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Do Not Enter

May 8, 2012, 1:52 pm
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Demonstration

May 10, 2012, 7:03 pm
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The torture test of any hand sized camera is in the field of conflict. We saw how the Leica covered the Depression, the Spanish Civil War, World War Two and the Korean Conflict.  We saw how Vietnam was covered with the Leica, Nikon F and the Pentax Spotmatic. The new Fujifilm X-Pro1 is a great camera. How does it handle a demonstration where opposing factions come face to face?

It handles well. It is a strong metal bodied camera that can take its share of jostling. I was downtown in Ottawa on May 10th, 2012, and I was witness to a demonstration of anti-abortion activists. Along the path that the marchers were assigned was a gauntlet of pro-choice supporters. At this point of the path, there was a perfect opportunity to observe an exchange of ideas...or conflict if you wish.

For this demonstration, I used the black and white application. I also used my Voigtlander 25mm f4 M mount Color Skopar lens. With this lens I was compelled to focus manually. Nothing auto. It was a fantastic, albeit scary, experience.



















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Bone Yard

May 11, 2012, 9:33 pm
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1954 Buick Roadmaster

1954 Buick Roadmaster

1963 Mercury S55 Marauder

Bone Yard, Cardinal, Ontario. 11 May, 2012
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Green Application - In-Camera Black and White

June 3, 2012, 3:33 pm
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When I think about what I want with the Fujifilm X-Pro1 I feel like a spoiled brat wanting more, more, more. The camera does so much and I am more satisfied than I sound.                                                                                                                                  
    In this case, it has to do with the red, yellow and green channels for the black and white applications. These applications are wonderful and in .jpg format I prefer the in camera application over other post camera processes. Even the Gorman Process gives more of a digital look to the pictures rather than the in-camera black and white.


The photo above is a snapshot of model Ayesha Eckert. Using the red application I managed to get a channel that reveals all of her facial details.  Skin detail is is made even on darker skin complexions, something that Ayesha never has to worry about. her skin is flawless. The red filter is great for bold skies, reminiscent of when I used red glass filters on my film camera. But it also lightens lips, as we can see with Ayesha. 
    The green filter is great for blanching out skin on fair complexions. It is also great for darkening lipstick. This way Goths can either look almost like they were photographed on Kodalith (Google that one, you young whipper snappers) or any regular orthochromatic film. I told the woman in the picture below hat I could have  her look like an actress from the '40s. The result is more '20s or '30s, the heyday of ortho film.


Another woman with marvelous makeup sensibilities was shot in green mode...

I shot this in RAW on the X-Pro1 using the green channel black and white application. Of course, when it goes to the RAW conversion interface (Silkypix in this case) it returns to colour. So I converted it in Photoshop as a .jpg. Again, contrast and detail stand well. Much can be done with this camera in black and white. The Leica Monochrom`s main competitor is the X-Pro1.
    I can't wait for Photoshop to accept the X-Pro1's RAW settings. The Lightroom update is here but it seems a tad buggy from what I have read in Fuji Rumors and Mirrorless Rumors. It will work itself out eventually, but until then the X-Pro1 remains the best .jpg camera on the planet.
    Another wish is that Fujifilm gives the X-Pro1 a blue B&W app. Then the ortho effect will be done far easier. And I know that Fujifilm is reading this. Fujifilm listens.


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Random Shots from a Time When I was in Toronto

June 3, 2012, 6:45 pm
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All photos were shot with the Fujifilm X-Pro1 at ISO ratings between 800 and 6400. Shots were done with the Fujinon 35mm f1.4, Voigtlander 25mm f4 Color Skopar, Leica (Leitz) 50mm f2 Summacron and the Leica (Leitz) 90mm f2.8 Tele-Elmarit. My entire kit can fit in a jacket pocket. That is liberation!
















































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Michelle Treacy

June 10, 2012, 4:24 pm
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Michelle Treacy as photographed with a Fujifilm X-Pro1 and a 1974 Leitz (Leica) 90mm 2.8 Tele-Elmarit lens. Shot at ISO 2000.

Michelle Treacy is a  multiple threat...singer, songwriter, actor and model. And astonishingly talented in all cases. She's also a good friend who will be performing at the Kiwanis Idol show in Kanata on June 30th. See http://kiwanisidol.org/ for details.


Michelle performed with guitarist Connor at the Barley Mow pub in Orleans, Ontario. And yes, I am giving them a well deserved plug.  http://www.barleymow.com/ . I'd kill for their fish and chips.







Again, all photos were taken wth the Fujifilm X-Pro1.
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Kathleen Black - Filmmaker - Petrostate

June 21, 2012, 8:58 am
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Kathleen Black, photographed with Fujifilm X-Pro1
and Leitz (Leica) 90mm f2.8 Tele-Elmarit lens

Kathleen Black is directing a film about the environmental impact of oil extraction in Canada, specifically the Tar Sands projects in Alberta. If you wish to know more about the film and how to donate money for the film, please go to this link http://www.indiegogo.com/petrostate .
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A Day in Renfrew Ontario - McDougall Museum

July 2, 2012, 11:32 pm
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Belated Happy Canada Day folks.

I spent my post-Canada Day doing one thing that I enjoy...going to small towns. On Monday 2nd July I went to Renfrew. It is a nice town that looks like a lot of other nice towns. Ther were very few people on the street but these people are extremely friendly and told me of some of the hidden gems of th town, like Ontario's only hanging bridge.

After crossing the bridge, I discovered another gem, the McDougall Mill Museum, Renfrew's local museum. The day just got better and better.




Instrument for texting.


The mannequin on the right has a Styrofoam head, hence the bizarre glow. 
And hence the D.W. Griffith look.

Oh show me the way to the next whiskey bar,
Oh don't ask why, oh don't ask why...






If you come by the museum you can pose with the Queen!




And we complete this entry with...shoes. I can't leave you without my signature motif.

Many thanks to Paula Campbell and Michael Bradley who work at the Renfrew Museum and were an immense help to me. They are knowledgeable, understanding and friendly, a great combination. If you are in Renfrew, drop by the Museum. The McDougall Mill Museum is located on 65 Arthur Avenue, Renfrew, Ontario, K7V 4B1. You can call the museum at (613) 432-2129. And here is the website: http://www.renfrewmuseum.ca/

All pictures were shot with the Fujifilm X-Pro1 and the Fujinon f1.4 35mm lens. Lowest ISO was 1000, highest (most pictures) was 6400 ISO. Amazing camera. Of the 395 shots taken that day, only four had focusing problems.
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Mondomdeusah/Electric Bitch Apparel Fashion and Art Show

July 9, 2012, 1:23 am
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8th July, 2012. The Fujifilm X-Pro1 goes to a fashion show.

I went to this show appearing at La Petit Mort Gallery on Dalhousie Street in Ottawa. http://www.lapetitemortgallery.com/ It was a great show and a good time was to be had by all. I wish to thank Donald K of http://www.mondomedeusah.com , (email mondomedeusah@gmail.com) and Tania Pecora, manager of ElectricBitchManagement http://electricbitchmanagement.com , (email info@electricbitchmanagement.com  ) , who both coordinated this great show. Please visit their websites and visit http://electricbitchapparel.tumblr.com/ for their clothing line!

All pictures were shot with the Fujifilm X-Pro1 at 6400 ISO. No flash. White balance was done on the Kelvin measurement. Focusing is still a bit of a challenge tracking the models as they did their rounds, but it can be done, and done well. Minor tweaks were done on Photoshop 5 Ext.















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Streets Ottawa with the Fujifilm X-Pro1

July 13, 2012, 3:30 pm
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Fujifilm X-Pro1, Night, and the City Transit

July 26, 2012, 12:08 am
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At 6400 ISO the camera sails on.
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Aerial Angels at the Ottawa Busker Festival

August 3, 2012, 7:21 am
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The Ottawa Busker Festival is on from August 2nd to 6th on Sparks Street in downtown Ottawa. For a schedule of the performances go to http://www.sparksstreetmall.com/2012BuskersSchedule.pdf . And see the Aerial Angels. They are great!

All photos were done with the Fujifilm X-Pro1 and the Fujinon f1.4 35mm lens.

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More Night Shots in Ottawa with the Fujifilm X-Pro-1

August 5, 2012, 10:29 am
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The Byward Market in Ottawa is the reveling centre on Saturday in Ottawa. The bars are filled to capacity, and so are the patrons. I went out on the street at night in the Market and shot pictures at about 11:00 p.m. with the Fujifilm X-Pro1, the native Fujinon f1.4 35mm lens and a fast Sandisk 16gb Extreme Pro SD card. With the exception of the third picture, (ISO 1000), all shots were done at a dizzying ISO 6400. For stability on the camera, I added the Thumbs Up CSEP-1S thumb rest http://www.matchtechnical.com/Pages/default.aspx that I bought from Rob Skeoch of The Rangefinder Store http://rangefinderstore.com/ in Burlington, Ontario. For portrait format pictures, the Thumbs Up is a valuable addition to the X-Pro1 and Leica M cameras.

The auto focus was surprisingly stable and seems to be faster than usual. This little camera can take on any dark situation efficiently and promptly. Fujifilm was wise not to place the FUJI logo on the face of the camera, making it nearly invisible to the subject. Canons and Nikons are noticeable  for their logos on the pentaprism of the camera, and frankly everyone agrees that the red dot on the Leica takes away from the camera. The stealthy X-Pro1 is a handy street machine. Once the auto focus is further improved it will match any Leica. Those are tough words from a Leica addict.










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Hail Victoria!

August 10, 2012, 8:55 pm
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Meet Victoria van Eyk, a damned good friend of mine. And not because she looks like the femme fatale in a Raymond Chandler novel, but she's smart and a really nice person (not to mention that she looks like the femme fatale in a Raymond Chandler novel). 

She and her sister Olivia are the owners of Mafia Jewellery http://www.mafiajewellery.com/ . Nice, well made and interesting jewellery at a good price. It's an offer you can't refuse.





You guessed it. Shot with the Fujifilm X-Pro1 and the Fujinon 35mm f1.4 lens. These pictures were shot at the Bayshore gala in Ottawa, 1st August, 2012.

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The X-Pro1 Goes to the Burlesque!

August 17, 2012, 4:35 pm
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The Burlesque network in Ottawa is healthy and vibrant. On Thursday the 16th of August, Maxwell's Bistro and Night Club offered Strip Cheese - A Burlesque Tribute to Rock Anthems, Power Ballads & Love Songs. Now I have my annual fill of Bon Jovi and Kiss.

This event put the Fujifilm X-Pro1 to its test. Where it succeeded, it was the best camera in the room, and that is in the company of Canon 5D IIs and Nikon D700s. That said, Continuous Focusing was a problem in the low light conditions, painfully slow and sometimes downright erroneous. So I went to spot focusing and damn it, it worked fine! However, and this is with Continuous Focus, the focusing hunting time is terribly long, often taking valuable seconds. Let's hope that Fujifilm looks further into this.  I used the 35mm f1.4 Fujinon lens. This prohibited my view but encouraged me to compose physically, moving closer to and away from the subject. I can`t wait for Fuji to release the new f1.4 23 and 56mm lenses to help the composition even further.

The Burlesque was fun and you can tell by the crowd watching. Many of the shots were done at speeds as low as 1/8th  of a second. All shots were done at between ISO 5000 and mainly 6400.

































The last picture is of a Harley-Davidson motorbike and the leg of Stephanie Gagne. Thank you, Stephanie. We took this as we left the burlesque.
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X-Pro1 Firmware Update

September 2, 2012, 12:42 pm
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Sie kommen! - Major Werner Pluskat, 6th June, 1944

The Fujifilm is getting a major (where did I hear that word?) firmware update that will likely be the panacea for this camera. The Version 2 firmware update is on its way. On the 18th of September, 2012, the new firmware update will be available. It will address pretty well all of the challenges that currently face the X-Pro1. Here is the press release from Fujifilm Canada:

http://www.fujifilm.ca/press/news/display_news?newsID=142

A special thank you goes to Greg Poole, who in Canada listened to X-Pro1 owners and passed the suggestions, big and small, to the Fujifilm technical staff in Japan. And thank you to the technical staff. I can't wait to upload the firmware and put the camera through the rigors that it is meant to perform.

Also, thank you, Fujirumors for its help and reserve. Fujirumors took a level headed approach in this announcement, never jumping to outlandish conclusions. This is why I take the site seriously. Thank you! http://www.fujirumors.com/

Also, an uploading tip. When loading the firmware onto the SD card, the instructions state to load onto the desktop. Just load directly onto the SD card. From all angles it is a far better plan.

Addendum, 11 September, 2012: Fujirumors has posted a clip from ThaiDphoto.com, showing the improvements from the firmware update. http://www.fujirumors.com/video-this-is-the-improvement-you-will-expect-from-the-new-2-0-x-pro-1-firmware/ The narrative is in Thai, but you won't have a problem following the clip. All in all, it is positive and exciting.




The stunning model Natalie Cruickshank





The last two pictures are of Kailah Villeneuve, Ottawa model.
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Factory by Night

October 15, 2012, 1:22 pm
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E.B. Eddy factory, Gatineau, Quebec.
14th October, 2012
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