bradsarno

X20

The X30 to this day (June 2016) is still my #1 most recommended compact camera to those who ask. It's got so much going for it. The small sensor only penalizes in very low light. Other than that, it's images are often on par with far pricier, larger-sensored compacts. It's simply a wonderful camera that for many people would be the perfect, one-camera solution. I can't say enough great things about the X30. Worth every penny. 
 
 
B

Other than the obvious issues relating to a smaller sensor and shooting in very low light, the X30 is spectacular, will be quite valid for a few more years to come. My wife shoots one and constantly gets asked what camera she used for her photos she shares. She's even been offered a wedding gig based on the image quality, and she's an amateur. The X30 is just stunning. I still think it's perhaps the best compact camera out there. I'd pick it over the RX100's and LX100 and G5X, for a number of reasons. It may not win every category over these larger-sensored cameras, but the whole experience combined with the stunning image quality has it at the top. I'm still waiting for a better compact camera option to come out. 
 
B

My X-E1 with the cheap K&F adapter using a beat up $20 Super-Takumar 50mm F1.4, probably at about F2.8 or so. 

When you hit the Q menu and look at the bottom row flash symbol, is it simply the lightning bolt, or is it "auto"? Try with just the lightning bolt. That should force the flash to flash when it's popped up. Also consider the list of items above that can prevent the flash from flashing. 
B

X20

X20

Hello all
Just bought an xe1, now initially I'm loving the ergonomics, viewfinder etc..
I'm off to Barcelona on the 24th and want to get the best out of it.
Any tips help and advice appreciated.
 
I bought due to the retro look and knowing of the xtrans sensor really.
Had an xa1 before but always wanted a viewfinder.
Are you users happy with your camera?
Thanks Gary
 
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Here's a night shot from my car, handheld at 1/6 of a second. 
 
First shot is the crop to see edge sharpness and impressive lack of motion blur. 
 
 
B

Handheld at 1/15 of a second.
 
 
 

All said, I still love this lens and use it daily - in-camera JPEG's with slight adjustments in LR. It takes wonderful shots and I don't think much about this detail stuff. But its quirks are worthy of conversation. I see many Fuji X shooters that consider this their #1 go-to prime lens, me included. 
 
B

The BIG issue with the edges on this lens seems to have EVERYTHING to do with the lens correction profile that Fuji developed for it. While it fixes the central barrel distortion issue quite nicely, they seem to have overstretched things at the very outer edges. If you open a RAW file from this lens in a program that doesn't automatically apply this profile, you can actually see how much sharper and LESS distorted it is at the wide edges. Importing a RAW into LR looks different at the edges too compared to an in-camera JPEG. Then in Raw Therapee or Iridient, you can also see how the lens correction varies from place to place. Surprisingly, the worst edge stretching happens in the camera with Fuji's own correction.
 
So my great wish is that Fuji would fix this issue somehow, perhaps with camera firmware, perhaps with the profiles they've submitted to Adobe and others. The lens is optically better than Fuji's correction would lead you to believe. In the middle it's wonderful and wonderfully corrected. But at the wide side edges, they seem to have paid less attention when refining their correction algorithm. 
 
But again, this is only at the wide edges that it's an issue. For most photographs, this is not an issue. I've got thousands of wonderful in-camera JPEG's with this lens, and I hardly ever find myself bothered by this. But it would be nice to nail it better - c'mon FUJI!!!
 
It's still a gorgeous lens, great contrast, great rendering, nice 3D, very sharp, wonderful colors... It's my go-to. 
 
B

I think this 18mm f2 lens has something very special going on with it. My only gripes have to do with what happens at the far sides with the digital distortion correction, that could have been done by Fuji just a bit better. So avoid group people shots with faces at the extreme edges.
 
And sharpness, well, this lens is plenty sharp, often VERY sharp where it matters. That's a non-issue for me. People should make more photos and stop peeping. Sharpness is generally not what gives a lens its character and special qualities. 
 
What I love about the little 18 is its look, how it renders a well placed subject. Shooting with an 18mm on a cropped-sensor is an art. It's easy to take boring shots if you don't make your subject and your viewpoint interesting, easy to make everything seem blandly distant. But when done well, this lens really has a special pop to it, a nice 3D realism. I also love its color and contrast and a certain liveliness about it. Even it's bokeh is nice. 
 
And don't forget, f2 is fast. That's a real factor to consider. 
 
It focuses quickly too. 
 
It's affordable, especially used. 
 
It has a fairly close near focus distance, not quite macro, but nice and near. It's small and light and has a great hood. It has the nice aperture ring and focus ring. I think it's quite the special lens, often misunderstood, tragically underrated among the XF collection. A well kept secret actually. 
 
Highly recommended. 

Thought I share some from Morocco... 
Have a good summertime!
 
JPH
 

Hi, I'll like to introduce myself and new to the forum. My name is Thien and decided to leave my job last year(April 2015). Ever since, I've been backpacking around the world with a Fuji XT-1. This is a photo taken of Khan Tengri Mountain from Inylchek Base Camp, Kyrgyzstan. 2014-08-29 -190510 Inylchek by thien.bui, on Flickr Fuji XT1 with 10-24 Lens  
For more of my work:
Blog- thientravelography.blogspot.com
500px- 500px.com/thienbui
Facebook: www.facebook.com/thientravelography

When you hit the Q menu and look at the bottom row flash symbol, is it simply the lightning bolt, or is it "auto"? Try with just the lightning bolt. That should force the flash to flash when it's popped up. Also consider the list of items above that can prevent the flash from flashing. 
B

The X30 to this day (June 2016) is still my #1 most recommended compact camera to those who ask. It's got so much going for it. The small sensor only penalizes in very low light. Other than that, it's images are often on par with far pricier, larger-sensored compacts. It's simply a wonderful camera that for many people would be the perfect, one-camera solution. I can't say enough great things about the X30. Worth every penny. 
 
 
B

I like how it performs on landscapes. I think the 12MP and small sensor gives photos are "down to earth" look. Hard to explain but I like it alot. Might even sell my MFT MD10 II and keep my Lumix GM1 for when I want higher res photos. 
Took this a few days ago with my X30 with a little PP with an my ipad. These are not the original quality photos I usually just put them on Instagram and they process them down, I just grabbed them off instagram website, so this is after my uploading to Instagram then just saving the photo off Instagram. I dont keep the orignals after I upload them to Instagram. 
 

 
 
 
Dennis

I think the X30 is hands down the best kept secret in the high-end compact world. Smaller sensor, yes, but image quality and shooting experience are arguably better than the 1" offerings out there. It's a stunning camera. 
 
B

Hello all 
I just wanted to drop a line as new user on this forum. I thought why not register here as well since I am already part of another great Fuji X forum. So my next vacation in the alps lays just a bit more than a week ahead and I hope to contribute with some nice new photos by then.
 
Glencoe
by Bruno, on Flickr

The BIG issue with the edges on this lens seems to have EVERYTHING to do with the lens correction profile that Fuji developed for it. While it fixes the central barrel distortion issue quite nicely, they seem to have overstretched things at the very outer edges. If you open a RAW file from this lens in a program that doesn't automatically apply this profile, you can actually see how much sharper and LESS distorted it is at the wide edges. Importing a RAW into LR looks different at the edges too compared to an in-camera JPEG. Then in Raw Therapee or Iridient, you can also see how the lens correction varies from place to place. Surprisingly, the worst edge stretching happens in the camera with Fuji's own correction.
 
So my great wish is that Fuji would fix this issue somehow, perhaps with camera firmware, perhaps with the profiles they've submitted to Adobe and others. The lens is optically better than Fuji's correction would lead you to believe. In the middle it's wonderful and wonderfully corrected. But at the wide side edges, they seem to have paid less attention when refining their correction algorithm. 
 
But again, this is only at the wide edges that it's an issue. For most photographs, this is not an issue. I've got thousands of wonderful in-camera JPEG's with this lens, and I hardly ever find myself bothered by this. But it would be nice to nail it better - c'mon FUJI!!!
 
It's still a gorgeous lens, great contrast, great rendering, nice 3D, very sharp, wonderful colors... It's my go-to. 
 
B

I still can't get over how wonderful the 18-55mm "kit" lens is. It is not like other kit lenses. It's like (or better than) a high end pro zoom lens from any other brand. It's fast, it's sharp, it's got beautiful bokeh, it renders with that special Fuji look and pop, the colors are amazing, the contrast is wonderful, has the best image stabilization in the business, it focuses VERY quickly, handles great, it's compact, it's outrageously affordable, and the zoom range is just about all most people need. It compares to lenses that cost well over $1000. That's my #1 go-to, do-all lens. 
 
Brad

Yes, I already own the 27 mm and it surprised me with how well I got along with it.  The 40 mm FF equivalent is a great focal range. 
 
I saw how much the 35 mm is used and the $299 price at discount and I couldn't resist the temptation to give the 35 a try.  I normally use zooms as I like the versatility, but using a prime has some real advantages, especially when it comes to opening up the creativity. 
 
This gives me a 12, 27, 35, and 60 in primes.  I definitely suffer from GAS, but that's part of the fun.

Or shoot in Raw and try out different film simulations in Lightroom after the event. Sometimes it can surprise you - a scene you think ought to look best in Classic Chrome actually looks better in Velvia, or in black & white.
 
 
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hopefully more than one