Rediscovering film ...

Although in the last few years I’ve shot mainly digital, I still shoot film occasionally. Until recently, however, the only film camera I possessed was Nikon F65, a camera which is almost fully automated (auto-wind, autofocus, auto ISO-reading, etc.).

I had a hankering to go  back to a more manual camera, however, so bought a Nikon FM (Fully Manual).

In the 1980s I owned a Praktica BCA, so I immediately felt at home with the FM. I have to say, though, that the Nikon is a more robustly-engineered piece of machinery than the former East-German SLR. The manual controls are a joy and the winder is buttery-smooth; a truly tactile experience and a pleasure to use. (I was lucky to get my FM (black body) in almost-mint condition, too — an added bonus.)

I’m still figuring which film stocks I prefer, but so far for colour it has to be Portra (I’ve yet to try 400 ISO; so far I’ve only used 160). As for B&W, I’m still experimenting, though I do like Fuji Acros 100 and Neopan 400 (used for the images below).

Going forward, then, I think I’ll shoot film and digital on a 50/50 basis. In the meantime, a few images taken with the Nikon FM and 50mm 1.8 lens:

En plein air

Girls' day out

Savoir faire

Unimpressed

When you can't find the key

View

Steps

Takeaway service

Fuji X-Pro 1 at the Edinburgh International Festival 2016

It's that time of year again. During the month of August, Edinburgh's native population almost doubles during the annual Edinburgh International Festival. Crowds throng to the city centre — particularly the Royal Mile and Mound Square in Princes Street — where performers appearing at a myriad of Fringe events gather to enact little snippets of their shows and hand out publicity flyers to the public.

My latest photo walk took in the stretch of the Royal Mile between Hunter Square at the Tron Church and Bank Street at the top of the Mound, before finishing at Mound Square (Princes Street).

I had my X-Pro1 set on black and white mode, apertures between F6.7 and F8, 1/500 second, 27mm lens:

Alfresco lunch

Eats & treats

Fourth Monkey

Fringe group

Fringe trio

Ikki

Low angle

Musical duo

Royal Mile style

Straitjacketed

Why Fuji’s X-Pro 1 is still very much my X camera of choice ...

I’m sure the recently-released Fuji X-Pro 2 is superb. Offering as it does a 24 megapixel sensor, top dial ISO input, Acros film simulation, wifi operability, focus joystick and the like, the new camera is guaranteed to have wide appeal.

I’d like to point out that for me, however, the performance of the first iteration, the X-Pro 1, is far from shabby. (When introduced the camera had some focussing issues, but these have been resolved with subsequent software updates.)

More importantly, although launched four years ago, the current X-Pro1 isn’t really that old. I bought mine in September of last year (2015), and discovered recently it was manufactured in the third quarter of the same year (for information on how to find out when your Fuji X-Pro 1 was made, see this excellent Youtube video by photouniverse: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NO73lpQB-VU)

There’s also a number of comments online which say that the original X-Pro1 sensor, the X-Trans CMOS sensor EXR processor — despite having eight megapixels fewer than the X-Pro2 — offers plenty of resolution, and gives images a unique and special film-like 'look.'

As the video points out, the X-Pro I is now excellent value for money, too. I paid £430 for the camera together with the 18mm F2 (and have since acquired a 27mm F2.8, a pancake lens which makes the camera almost invisible).

Anyway, I’m more than happy with my X-Pro 1 and don’t intend to replace it — it delivers great images which I’m more than happy with.

The proof of the pudding is in the eating, they say, so here’s a few images from my latest photo walk (taken with the camera and the 27mm):

Bird's-eye view

Alfresco dining ...

Disapproving look

Embrace the moment

Sunshine and shadows

Watch the birdie ...

Birdwalk

Wired for sound

Meeting room

Dogged walk

Fuji X-Pro 1 with 27mm lens

Usual territory for my street walk on Thursday 31 March. I'm noticing a steady increase of visitors to the city — amazing the difference a month or two makes.

This was the first outing with Fuji's 27mm lens attached to the XP1. Its pancake length makes the camera lighter and gives it an even stealthier profile. I found it quick to focus, though occasionally it would hunt a bit before locking onto the subject. (Initially, I abandoned my usual F8 with shutter speed of 1/500th, and opted instead to use aperture priority (F4), with the camera choosing the shutter speed. This worked okay for most shots, but there were one or two that could have used a faster shutter time, as well as the depth of field afforded by a smaller aperture.)

Most images were okay, though, and overall I'm pleased with the lens' performance:

Little green man

Changing pace

Nae hurry ...

Pointing the way

Smokin' Sounds

Take five ...

Mind the step ...

Garden squad

The aliens have landed

Well red

Fuji X-Pro 1 photo walk March 10, 2016

A wee bit longer since I last took out the XP1, but I finally got out today and bagged a few pictures. (The weather had improved a bit, too, so that helped. Okay, I admit, I'm a fair-weather photographer :-) )

Since I last posted, however, I had bought (and tested) Fuji's brand-new X70, which I'm sorry to say had to be returned. The on-off switch on the unit I received occasionally malfunctioned — sometimes the camera turned on, sometimes it didn't. (I see the X70 is made in China rather than Japan, so perhaps the quality control isn't quite as rigorous. A sample photo from the camera is the last image featured below.)

I'd planned to use the X70 as a small pocketable camera I'd always have with me, but, alas, the switch failure made me rethink this strategy.

Anyway, anyone reading my last entry may have seen that I tried the new 35mm F2 lens, which I found a bit restricting. (I got to wondering if the 27mm F2.8 might be a better choice, so I have it on order and intend using it on my next photo walk.)

Meantime, here are a few pictures taken with the 18mm F2 ( a lens I find a great all-rounder for street photography):

Backdrop

Boulevardier

Cheers

Colour co-ordination

Five out of ten

Improving the image ...

Lady in red

Middleman

On the bench

Thinking inside the box (taken with the X70 in the Chrome setting)

Fuji X-Pro 1 + 35mm F2

As mentioned in my last post, I acquired the new 35mm F2 lens, which I used to take the following images.

Excellent lens, though I've now realised I prefer shooting wider, and came to the conclusion that the lens would see minimal use, Because of this, and the fact that I'm I'm not able to lay out £300 for a lens which will spend most of the time in my camera bag, it was returned. I repeat, it's an excellent lens, but just not for my style of shooting.

I do love Fuji though and am thoroughly pleased with the X-Pro 1. (Saw on Friday 15 January that the company have released two new models, the X-Pro 2 and the X70. There are a few new features on the X-Pro 2, but at around £1400 it's way above my budget. Anyway, for my needs as a street photographer the X-Pro 1 more than fills the bill.)

The X70 is a different matter, however. I like a camera that is truly portable, one you can stick in a pocket and take with you. I've owned several compacts, the best of which was the Ricoh GRD 4, which I later sold, a decision I came to regret. I bid several times on Ebay for a replacement, but as that particular model is now attracting a premium price, I subsequently settled for a GRD III, which is pretty much the same camera without the image stabilisation facility. The X70 really appeals, though, as it has the same amazing X-trans sensor of its larger brethren. I'm certainly thinking of adding it to my collection in the near future.)

Meantime, however, below are some images shot with the X-Pro 1 and the 35mm F2:

Auld Reekie no more ...

Bike and brolly

Cool

Emphasising a point

Faithful companion

Shades of mood

Sharing a confidence

Style ...

Swing o' the kilt

Window on the world ,,,