Gareth_E

I have only 3 lenses, and that is all I plan on having for the time being:
 
1.)  18-55
2.)  35mm f1.4
3.)  90mm f2
 
I have a Raynox 250 I can quickly clip onto the front of the 90mm to make it an instant true 1:1 macro.  I did have the 56mm 1.2, but sold it to get the 90mm. As fantastic a lens as the 56mm is, I never really liked the quality of the Bokeh. Yes there's lots of it, but I didn't really care for the 'soap bubble' effect. I much prefer how both the 35mm 1.4 and the 90mm render out of focus areas. So much smoother, and more like what i'm used to coming from DSLR.

Simple as that!
 
Received my 90mm f2 today, and quickly clipped my Raynox 250 to the front and took a couple of test shots and was very impressed. Fantastic quality, and true 1:1 magnification.  I had previously tried extension tubes and screw in close up filters (high quality ones though) on my 56mm 1.2, and was never satisfied with the final quality when approaching 1:1... there would be lots of distortion, aberrations etc. 
 
After reading some macro forums, someone suggested I try a Raynox 150 or 250 instead. I thought they looked cheap & nasty, and were suspiciously inexpensive, so I thought what the hell, and ordered one. 
 
I am very impressed. So much easier than extension tubes, as just quickly clips on to the front of the lens, and can be removed in a second to allow for regular shooting. Optically I cannot fault it. I just wish i'd found out about these ages ago! 
 
Anyway, here is a quick test shot of some moss in the garden with this combo... using the standard small XT-2 flash and a piece of paper help over the lens as a makeshift diffuser. 
 
Macro Moss by Gareth Edwards, on Flickr
 
 
And here is the patch of moss next to the 35mm 1.4 lens cap for scale. 
 
Moss 35mm by Gareth Edwards, on Flickr
 
Not bad huh! If you already own the 90mm, do yourself a favour and pick up a Raynox 250 for quick proper macro gratification! 

Simple as that!
 
Received my 90mm f2 today, and quickly clipped my Raynox 250 to the front and took a couple of test shots and was very impressed. Fantastic quality, and true 1:1 magnification.  I had previously tried extension tubes and screw in close up filters (high quality ones though) on my 56mm 1.2, and was never satisfied with the final quality when approaching 1:1... there would be lots of distortion, aberrations etc. 
 
After reading some macro forums, someone suggested I try a Raynox 150 or 250 instead. I thought they looked cheap & nasty, and were suspiciously inexpensive, so I thought what the hell, and ordered one. 
 
I am very impressed. So much easier than extension tubes, as just quickly clips on to the front of the lens, and can be removed in a second to allow for regular shooting. Optically I cannot fault it. I just wish i'd found out about these ages ago! 
 
Anyway, here is a quick test shot of some moss in the garden with this combo... using the standard small XT-2 flash and a piece of paper help over the lens as a makeshift diffuser. 
 
Macro Moss by Gareth Edwards, on Flickr
 
 
And here is the patch of moss next to the 35mm 1.4 lens cap for scale. 
 
Moss 35mm by Gareth Edwards, on Flickr
 
Not bad huh! If you already own the 90mm, do yourself a favour and pick up a Raynox 250 for quick proper macro gratification! 

I agree - both are fantastic lenses. My 35mm is nice and sharp at 1.4, with the only exception being objects near the close focus distance... for some reason it gets a bit hazy in that scenario and is not as sharp. but anything further away is fantastic.

I own both the 18-55 and the 35 1.4.  I purchased both of these with my X-E1 back in February 2013.  The 18-55 is my "don't leave home without it lens" and the 35 1.4, though not used as often, pretty much goes with me anywhere and everywhere.  
The 18-55 is ultra-sharp, it is light, it is small, and it is fairly fast at F2.8-F4 variable aperture.  With OIS, it's pretty darn near perfect for me.  You can check out my blog in the signature block below to see how I've used it in pretty much any weather, anywhere.  
Just with the 18-55 alone, I've "kept" not taken mind you, over 30,000 images (per my LR collection);  many, many are for stock sales. 
 
The 35 1.4 is just a gorgeous lens.  Yes, you'll read it's not ultra-sharp in the corners, blah blah blah, but I will never, ever do away with that lens as long as I have an X-camera.  It just gives images a certain look, and the fast aperture helps tremendously in low light, and the bokeh is amazing. 
It's a b*tch to lock focus at times, but when it does, it's cutting edge.  
There was a post here somewhere a while back asking what are your two favorite lenses -- I chose as my #1 the 18-55, and the 16 1.4 as the number 2, but the 35 1.4 i an amazing piece of glass --- and it's a looker as well.

Here's my favorite setup. I have found, after trying out most bag versions over the years, that there is no perfect setup. It's not even fair to try. The best we can hope for is a bag that helps us feel some relief as we manage a portfolio of tradeoffs around what we want and what we need. it helps if it has some style to it, at least for professional work that requires moving in an out of a variety of offices and meetings over a week.
 
The best quality bags I've found are ThinkTank and Ona. Others are good, too, but even some of the really expensive bags out there have frustrating inserts, or stiffness in the bag, that makes them hard to work out of. For those who use their bags to transport their equipment from one table top to another, I think there is a larger selection of bags that check most of the boxes you need. But if you're going to be working out of a bag for longer stretches, there are just a lot fewer options where the tradeoffs don't become overwhelming pretty fast.
 
I don't carry around a bunch of loose lenses. I almost never change them when shooting out of a walking bag, and I've found that the best way to get the benefit of multiple lenses is by keeping them mounted on multiple bodies. For all my professional work, I use two XT2 bodies (XT1 before that) and then I have a "third body" for a third lens, or that I use in terrible weather (never want to chance it with the main bodies if I can avoid it). My third body, right now, is an XT1 that also serves as a very small "cocktail camera" when I need it to be as unintrusive as possible.
 
I keep the 23mm on a body almost always, and then either the 56mm or the 90mm fuji lenses on the other. If it's during the day, I generally have the 90mm on it as it's a great tradeoff for size against the 135mm equivalent reach. I found I'd be called in to shoot a protest or a fire scene or etc, and I'd want to keep some distance. With fires, you never know the fumes present in the smoke. The three fuji bodies don't get too heavy for me, but I could never do this when I had the big DSLR rig going.
 
My daily carry setup is one of two Ona bags. I have the Bowery in canvas (leather does start to get too heavy with that bag) for days when I need all three bodies on me, plus a laptop or tablet. And when I only need one or two bodies and no computer, I use a leather bowery bag.
 
I find both bags to be outstanding in terms of both function and style. I can wear them with a tux or with jeans--in a boardroom or on a loading dock--and never have to think about it. All in all, I love this setup and it is, by far, the most productive set up I've worked with in my career. I can wear either of these bags, loaded with my equipment, all day long with only minor complaints about strain after even a long day of constant wear. I love the large pockets on the front of the ONA bags--they're among my favorite "front pockets" in the business. I only wish they had some sort of locking mechanism for slightly improved security when traveling.
 
Cell phone pics, but you get the idea.
 

 

 

 

 

 
Edited for spelling.

I actually just tweeted at FujiUS for the ability to re-assign the Q button to AF-On. That button falls perfectly under my thumb and I will literally never ever use it. The AE-L button is what I have resorted to, but it's too much of a reach to be comfortable. The AF-L button is cramped to get to for me.

Thank you, I'll see about trying to get an exchange. I do love the little thing, it takes beautiful pictures and the screen/evf are fantastic in good lighting.
 
Thanks again!

Bummer... sorry to hear that. When I had my X-T10 I remember the EVF being a little bit noisy in low light (as to be expected), but not as bad as you describe.  Hopefully after the hassle of returning it and getting it replaced you will be a lot happier.  

Despite his self promoting 'pro' advice, reading his reviews and articles smacks of nothing more than an enthusiastic amateur trying desperately to come across as more... but then with alarming regularity he will state an opinion as fact, that flies in the face of reason, or real working practices. 

Sorry, but this is a terribly wrong myth. Each lens is designed for optimal convergence of light at a specific flange distance (register distance). At this distance maximum resolution (and minimum aberrations) is achieved. Some lenses are more prone to aberrations/degradation when this optimal distance is going to be altered, some are more tolerant. The more tolerant ones are those that are most suitable for being used with bellows or extension tubes.
 
One of the best macro lenses ever made, the Leica Apo-Macro-Elmarit-R 100mm f2.8, is relatively prone to flange distance changes, and Leica does not recommend using it with any extension! Same goes with the Fujifilm XF 60mm f2.4 Macro. I had/have both and can confirm that from experience. The Leica performs much better with Leica’s Apo 2x teleconverter than with any extension (the converter doubles the reproduction ratio as it retains minimum focus distance). The Fujifilm XF 60 I tried with the Fujifilm extension tubes – and gave up.
 
As for the main topic here, the XF 90 with Raynox 250 is a surprisingly nice performing combo indeed.

Ken Rockwell uses Nikon D3300 and his recommended settings is JPEG BASIC and image size SMALL (6Mpix) because "The default of JPEG Normal wastes twice as much space in your computer" and "Since the pictures look the same at BASIC, I use it so more pictures fit on my card, and more importantly, I don't clog up my computer and everything transfers, copies and sends twice as fast." and "I'm serious: even at the Small setting you've got 6 very sharp megapixels, which is more than enough to print at any size if your photo is in focus in the first place."
 
He also said "The NORMAL, FINE and NEF RAW modes are for people who don't mind fitting only 12 images on a card. The pictures really do look the same; try it and see if you're curious. I did, which is why I shoot JPG BASIC."
 
So, it is the same that I will say that my doctor is not "pro", I can choose my medicine myself!

I wouldn't trust anything that Ken Rockwell has to say. This is the guy that refers to 'P' mode as Pro Mode.

Ken Rockwell... the Donald Trump of the photography world...

Simple as that!
 
Received my 90mm f2 today, and quickly clipped my Raynox 250 to the front and took a couple of test shots and was very impressed. Fantastic quality, and true 1:1 magnification.  I had previously tried extension tubes and screw in close up filters (high quality ones though) on my 56mm 1.2, and was never satisfied with the final quality when approaching 1:1... there would be lots of distortion, aberrations etc. 
 
After reading some macro forums, someone suggested I try a Raynox 150 or 250 instead. I thought they looked cheap & nasty, and were suspiciously inexpensive, so I thought what the hell, and ordered one. 
 
I am very impressed. So much easier than extension tubes, as just quickly clips on to the front of the lens, and can be removed in a second to allow for regular shooting. Optically I cannot fault it. I just wish i'd found out about these ages ago! 
 
Anyway, here is a quick test shot of some moss in the garden with this combo... using the standard small XT-2 flash and a piece of paper help over the lens as a makeshift diffuser. 
 
Macro Moss by Gareth Edwards, on Flickr
 
 
And here is the patch of moss next to the 35mm 1.4 lens cap for scale. 
 
Moss 35mm by Gareth Edwards, on Flickr
 
Not bad huh! If you already own the 90mm, do yourself a favour and pick up a Raynox 250 for quick proper macro gratification! 

Until the af-on button is a big easy push away, I'll pass on the whole back button focusing thing...
 
I do like the current dpad now, avoids me inadvertently pushing it.

Thanks for the link! Yeah they look good... like you say, pricey for what they are. Might end up giving them a shot, although I'm just experimenting wit using the front function button on the X-T2 to focus, and it works quite well for me, as my finger naturally falls right on it when I grip the camera.
 
EDIT: I've just placed an order. Not sure how long shipping will take to the UK, but i'll report back when I receive them.
 
$25 seems like a lot for what is basically a few tiny stick on buttons, however if they greatly improve the BBF experience on the X-T2 then they will definitely be worth it... for me at least.

Well, I finally got my hands on an X-T2 after weeks and weeks of back orders at my local camera store. I would have had to wait longer if I wanted the kit with the 18-55, so I opted for just the body, and will just have to use my longer lenses for the time being. 
 
This camera just feels right. For me, it is the perfect blend of size, function, features and quality. I have almost nothing bad to say about it......almost. So here it is...
 
The AF-L & AE-L buttons are bad. Tiny, and difficult to press - especially the AE-L which is almost recessed!
 
The first thing I do with cameras is to set them up for back button focus, which I have just done with the X-T2.  The trouble is, the AF-L button is so small and clicky, it does not make for a pleasant BBF experience. And this isn't even in comparison to a DSLR..it's coming from my X-T10, where although the button was still small, it seemed to protrude out more and was much easier for your finger to locate and press.
 
A very small gripe on an otherwise flawless camera. It's such a shame the Q button can't be used instead, as on my copy at least, it is a far more 'confident' button to press than the AF-L or AE-L buttons. Ho hum! 
 
 
But the EVF.........drool! 

If you can press the command dial of your X-T1, you broke it.
 

I went from a 5dmkii (and I still have a 40D) to an X-T10, and I did not regret it at all. The X-T10 is so much fun to shoot with, the image quality is excellent, and things that I didn't even think of beforehand were far superior than the 40D.. like accuracy of auto white balance etc. With the 40D, unless I did a custom white balance or shot a grey card in every scene, I inevitably spent quite a bit of time correcting the colours in Lightroom afterwards. With the X-T10, I only felt like I had to do this once per about 150 shots or so.
 
Another great thing for me from moving to mirrorless from dslr... no more front/back focussing problems! I had to micro adjust the focus on some of my canon lenses to almost their maximum settings to get them to focus on target. You won't find this problem with the Fuji cameras 
 
My only two negatives of the X-T10 were the physical size, and the viewfinder. Now I have small hands, and one of the main reasons I went mirrorless was the smaller, more convenient form factor, but even taking this into account I found that I would be frequently pressing buttons on the back of the camera with my palm with got a bit frustrating. I ended up disabling the function of a couple of the buttons in the end so this wasn't a problem. Although the optional metal grip that Fuji sells for it helped a lot with this, and I would 100% recommend it (although is a rip off at about £80).
The viewfinder is amazing in terms of resolution, refresh rate and general quality... but the eye cup is not very deep, and in brighter light situations the image in the EVF can appear washed out due to the light seeping in there between your eye and the 'cup'. Not sure if there are other eyecup options out there for the X-T10, but might be worth checking out.
 
In summary, moving from a 40D to X-T10 is a no brainer move as far as I am concerned. You will really enjoy the experience of this fantastic little (but very capable) camera compared to your ageing canon beast. However If I had to do it again I would probably have gone for an X-T1, for the slightly more comfortable grip size and better EVF/eye cup.
 
Hope this helps!

I went from a 5dmkii (and I still have a 40D) to an X-T10, and I did not regret it at all. The X-T10 is so much fun to shoot with, the image quality is excellent, and things that I didn't even think of beforehand were far superior than the 40D.. like accuracy of auto white balance etc. With the 40D, unless I did a custom white balance or shot a grey card in every scene, I inevitably spent quite a bit of time correcting the colours in Lightroom afterwards. With the X-T10, I only felt like I had to do this once per about 150 shots or so.
 
Another great thing for me from moving to mirrorless from dslr... no more front/back focussing problems! I had to micro adjust the focus on some of my canon lenses to almost their maximum settings to get them to focus on target. You won't find this problem with the Fuji cameras 
 
My only two negatives of the X-T10 were the physical size, and the viewfinder. Now I have small hands, and one of the main reasons I went mirrorless was the smaller, more convenient form factor, but even taking this into account I found that I would be frequently pressing buttons on the back of the camera with my palm with got a bit frustrating. I ended up disabling the function of a couple of the buttons in the end so this wasn't a problem. Although the optional metal grip that Fuji sells for it helped a lot with this, and I would 100% recommend it (although is a rip off at about £80).
The viewfinder is amazing in terms of resolution, refresh rate and general quality... but the eye cup is not very deep, and in brighter light situations the image in the EVF can appear washed out due to the light seeping in there between your eye and the 'cup'. Not sure if there are other eyecup options out there for the X-T10, but might be worth checking out.
 
In summary, moving from a 40D to X-T10 is a no brainer move as far as I am concerned. You will really enjoy the experience of this fantastic little (but very capable) camera compared to your ageing canon beast. However If I had to do it again I would probably have gone for an X-T1, for the slightly more comfortable grip size and better EVF/eye cup.
 
Hope this helps!

Hopefully this is an indication that more stock will start filtering in to other outlets soon. Enjoy your camera tomorrow! 

The good thing is; once you get to buy it, the first firmware updates will have been released. So it will be a better camera.

I love my new Domke bag, but the velcro is way too noisy. I know there are lots of similar discussions out there and techniques on silencing noisy velcro on camera bags, I thought i'd share mine. It is cheap, simple, and quick to revert back when needed.
 
1. Get a piece of felt - (try and get wool felt instead of polyester, as it has more 'sticking' potential with velcro). I got a small sheet from ebay that cost me about £1.50. Cut to appropriate size.
 

 
2. Take a wire brush, and firmly run it over the surface of the velcro a few times to loosen the fibres. Without this stage, the felt will not stick well at all.
 

  3. Simply stick to exposed velcro and you are good to go. Silent bag.   
 
It is then super quick and easy to remove the felt and put it in the bag if you want to go back to the full on velcro.
 
Hardly ground breaking, but I thought i'd share anyway in case someone else out there would benefit from this! 
 
 
 
 
 

Hi all, i'm Gareth and I live in Northamptonshire, UK. 
 
I am a full time retoucher, and an 'enthusiastic amateur' when it comes to photography. I have owned mostly Canon cameras before, although I did dabble with Mirrorless with the Sony a6000 and just wasn't 100% happy. However now I have 'discovered' Fuji, I am absolutely loving it! A total convert. 
 
Look forward to joining in on the forum!