Tom H.

Marvelous composition

If you know anything about statistics, you'd know that one sample from a controlled environment is not a representative sample. I've taken 9000 shots on my Olympus all over Europe, in lots of different circumstances. Experience tells me otherwise, not belief. But feel free to stay indoors and shoot static displays. Also, I'm not the only one to draw this conclusion. Cameralabs came to exact the same findings, and feel free to argue with them on their static test. "The combination of the X Trans sensor, X Mount lenses and Fujifilm's latest image processing, which includes diffraction and edge softness compensation, simply delivers outstanding quality. In my RAW noise tests the X-T1 was two stops ahead of the Olympus OMD EM1 and exhibited less noise speckles than some of my tests with full-frame cameras." http://cameralabs.com/reviews/Fujifilm_X-T1/verdict.shtml

Looking at those samples a bit closer now I'm on the big screen, I can clearly see colour noise creeping in already at ISO 1600 on the Olympus, which I found as well often, even as low as ISO 800. And banding too, which is near impossible to get rid off. Still, again, personal experience. I found that banding and discolouring is near completely absent from my Fuji files all the way up to ISO 6400. The grain itself is the least of your problems at those ISO's. And yes, the Olympus files are sharp, as the lenses are great. No argument there.

I never do static testing. I tried both for over a year now. For me, the difference in acceptable iso is 2 to 3 stops. Yes, ibis helps mitigate that. But when shooting people or street, you can't go down to those slower shutter speeds, so no use for my kind of shooting. Again, personal opinion after 9000 shots on the Olympus and 7000 on the Fuji's. The Olympus is a good camera, but mine is for sale for that reason.

Cute kid

I use the Peak Design Slide and Cuff. I have fasteners on my X-T1, X100T, E-M1 and Xpan, switching between them is a breeze. I love a nice leather strap or retro design, but in the end, I picked the most utilitarian design, since I travel a lot and the Slide also works great when I'm on a bike with my X100T on my back. Peak design has a Slide Lite design coming, for smaller cameras. I will most likely pick up one of those eventually.

Also, I find I can push the Fuji raw files much harder in post if needed. The MFT ones are great when properly exposed. But anything underexposed is usually a throw away... My personal opinion though, but if you are not happy with your Fuji ISO performance, I'd surely steer clear of MFT...

Yes, ISO 800 on my E-M1 compares to ISO 1600-3200 on my Fuji. I've never taken side to side comparisons, but one year of shooting both weekly, I find that I hated the Olympus output in anything but daytime shots. And the Fuji has often surprised me even at 6400 ISO. Noise levels on the Fuji are always bareable, even if it's there. On the OIympus, I will quite often get noise at even low ISO...

Make it crazy sharp wide open, and improve ISO at least 1 stop, then I'll gladly get one. My X100T is just way too soft wide open.

You save ISO stops, but Fuji ISO performance is at least 2 or 3 stops ahead of my Olympus E-M1. MFT is great for daytime use, but after dark, boy does it fall apart quickly. Shadow noise is really bad, and while it's not great on the Fuji, at least it's useable. I will happily shoot my Olympus all day, but as soon as darkness comes, it goes back into the bag. IBIS is really nice, but honestly, it's a feature I don't miss at all since moving mostly to Fuji. The MFT stuff I only use for video nowadays, for which it's perfect.

I use a 56 1.2 APD and the X100T as my main portrait combo. For environmental, even 23mm is sometimes not wide enough, so I also have the 16mm just in case. Frankly, if it's environmental portraits you need, shallow dof is usually not the main factor, so a zoom might also suit your needs. First I'd pick 23mm Then maybe add 56mm range later Then 16mm or 18mm, depending if you need wider If you go for the 35mm, consider a 16mm or 90mm equivalent on the other ends to complete a kit. I tend to prefer skipping one focal length when choosing lens combos, so for me that usually makes 16/35 or 23/56. Two focal lenghts is what I use 90% of the time. If you are on a budget, an 18mm or 27mm or the kit lens is your best bet. My website has some examples of both, monochrome album is almost entirely shot with the 56mm, colour is a mix of mostly 23mm, one 16mm, one 35mm (X100T with adapter) and some 56mm.

It's underrated, I will get one eventually when they bring out a mark 2. Just a useful focal range and very compact. I know a few street photographers who use it to great effect.

One of our biggest newspapers sends their international reporters on the road with Fuji's. They are currently reporting from Syria, Iraq, Nepal, etc and those images are more than good enough. Portability and access is the key, not image quality. Domestic stuff they still use Nikon, for now...

Great shot!

Last one are the Alps, just north of Milan.

Descending into Milan last night... Fuji X100T

Thanks!

I had that plastic skin look in the beginning, but I found that for studio use, Classic Chrome gives the best skin tones, onto which you can also add your own colouring afterwards, if required. Sharpening differently helps a lot too, I tend to go with amount 25, radius 0.7, detail 60-80, masking 0. This works fine for me and greatly improves how my images look.

I'll join the party Mira, Fuji X-T1, 56 1.2 APD

Salut Eric! Nice website

Thanks Olli

Old Timers Victoria, Gozo, Malta, 2015

Seriously Fuji, this is taking that whole "old school looks" thing too far. Pull yourselves together! :D :D

Good to know, I'm ordering a new hood for my 56. The smaller ones look much better.

Pretty much this: And I'll add: - A super battery saver mode, customisable so that when you switch to OVF, you only have the most basic OVF. - Coupled with that, a set of sharp 1.4 manual focus only primes, with excellent dof scales. Only 3 versions, like a 28, a 35 and a 50. A street photographers dream kit. Make it f2's if you have to, but keep them small. Oh, and please Mr. Fuji, give those of us who want it, blinkies, or zebra's, or whatever, so we can actually judge overexposure correctly. My Olympus had this, and it's the only feature I really miss...