Phil

Hey guys. I think the time has come where I need to clean my X-T1's sensor. There's some dust on it that a rocket blower doesn't want to take off. What methods have you guys used? I know it's something that seems scary until you do it once or twice, but I still don't want to take any chances. Anything in particular to look for or avoid? I don't have a lot of extra money at the moment, so if possible, something under $50 would be amazing, but I can spend more if I have to.

That looks amazing. I've tried it, but my 35mm really isn't tight enough. Looking forward to trying it with the 56 when I get it.

I agree with Antonio. Regardless of how much complaining Fuji gets, every camera released lately has been a hit. Putting off the X-Pro 2 must mean they're putting the effort in to make it live up to expectations. And the fact that they're willing to delay it in the face of all this demand speaks volumes. As much as I'd love it now, I can't afford one at the moment. So if it's delayed, but better because of it, then that works out great for me personally. But if it's in my budget, I'll be getting it for sure. I love my X-T1 (mainly for the vertical grip and ISO dial), but I'd really like a rangefinder style for every day use in particular.

I don't know if it's the same with the i40, but with the kit flash, I believe the AF doesn't kick in until the flash has recycled. I could be wrong, though. That's probably my #1 gripe with the Fuji system. I wish there was a flash that worked with Fujis and used the red AF assist beam. Those are fast and discreet. If the i40 had it, it would be perfect for me.

Agreed. I'd love to see an X30 variant, even with a fixed or reduced focal range to help keep size down. It's funny seeing some people complain about Fuji not catering enough to the high end market. Then they release fast WR primes and pro zooms, and people complain about the price and/or size. Same with complaints about lenses being too big, and complaints about the APS-C sensor. Looks like they're damned if they do, damned if they don't.

Agreed. 9/10 times I treat variable aperture zooms like fixed zooms at the slowest maximum aperture (i.e. I'd treat a 2.8-4 like a fixed f/4), and if anything, I'd prefer the slower, fixed aperture to satisfy my OCD haha. Plus, I use the marked aperture rings a lot more than I thought I would. I was seriously considering getting the 10-24mm, but for some reason it doesn't have a marked aperture ring, and I think it's a deal breaker for me. If I'm just shooting snapshots with family or on a vacation, I'll work in aperture priority, and usually choose an aperture for indoor/low light and an aperture for outdoor, and bounce between the two as lighting changes. Normally I'll just look down at the lens and change it with the camera on or off, but the 10-24 would require the camera being on and me looking at the back screen or viewfinder. This. I find 35mm a little tight for general use, so it's become more of a specialized portrait lens for me. Other than that, I mostly use it for environmental photos where I want to give the subject a little more space (like shooting bar gigs and such). I'd take the 1.0 for the extra speed, even if the AF was the same or a bit slower. (On that note, for everyone wanting a 1.0-1.2 with faster AF, it's probably very unlikely. Fuji has said that the amount of glass will somewhat hamper the AF speed, so an f/1.0 lens with fast AF would probably be absolutely massive.) We know the 35 f/2 WR with fast AF is in the works, so hopefully there's a companion 35 1.0 for more specialized needs. Having said that, the current lens lineup more than exceeds my needs or skill level, but I'd love to see: -35mm 1.0 (ideally with wide open performance similar to the 35 1.4 wide open) -10-24 2.8 (I'd be happy with a 10-16 if they needed to cut some range to keep size/costs down)

I have no idea about the raw bitrate or whatever. The dynamic range is great. I'd say better than any of the full frame Canons, and I think better than the recent APS-C sensor Nikons like the D7100. Highlight recovery is good. I don't know if it's better than any of the Canons I've used or not, but I never really did a lot of serious highlight recovery. Shadow recovery is much, much better than Canon bodies. At lower ISOs, I'm comfortable pushing the shadows 3 stops easily, probably 4. I haven't really tried 5 stops, because I wasn't a fan of the look - it was getting too close to the fake HDR look for me. I wouldn't say it's necessarily a ton of noise that you get when you push the shadows, but maybe just lost detail. It's definitely a lot less detracting than all the colour noise you get from Canons (sorry this is so Canon-oriented, it's just that I know Canon better).

The T has better AF/overall performance, a more fleshed out viewfinder, wifi, and the Classic Chrome/electronic shutter firmware. Not to mention, the T has the new standardized control layout, so if Filippo gets into Fuji as a system, he'll have a smoother transition to future bodies. If those don't matter, then by all means, save some money and go with the S. But rather than explain that for every post, I think it's easier to just recommend the T, seeing as it's the current model. The X-Pro 1 is a totally different ballgame IMHO, and someone should go into that camera knowing what to expect and being willing to make some performance sacrifices for the experience. Same goes with the original X100, but to a lesser degree. While the X-Pro 1 is indeed a fine camera, and even though it's seen improvements through firmware updates, it's still a very clunky camera by today's standards and could potentially turn off some newcomers. It's a great way to get your Fuji fix on the cheap, but I don't think it's good to recommend it as a first camera without some warnings.

I love that last one.

This is basically what Magic Lantern does to the 5D Mark III. They call it Dual ISO I believe - they have alternating lines of a higher ISO for proper exposure and a lower ISO for cleaner images. It seems to work well, albeit at a lower resolution than the sensor natively outputs. I think it's a cool idea, but it's not a priority for me. The dynamic range on the newer Fuji sensors is already amazing.

I wouldn't be scared of the X100T if I were you. I got the X-T1 to be safe, because I do the odd paid job and wanted to make sure I had interchangeable lenses and the fastest handling possible. After owning the X-T1 and using an X100S, I'd prefer the X100T for everyday/street/travel photography. If you do the odd portrait or take landscape a little more seriously, you can get the wide and tele adapters for the X100 and get 18mm, 23mm, and 35mm. When I'm just shooting "personal" work or taking my camera around with me, I often have trouble choosing which lens to bring (or end up bringing a larger bag that holds all three) - if I had the money, I'd grab an X100T just to use as an everyday camera to streamline everything that much more. If you don't need a huge range of lenses, and don't need the fastest performing Fuji camera possible, I'd say the X100T is worth a serious look. For what you mentioned in your original post, it's maybe the perfect camera.

A couple of my newest guitar. Taken with the X-T1 and 35mm. DSCF0007 by Phil Babbey, on Flickr DSCF0012 by Phil Babbey, on Flickr

This is bittersweet for me. I love the form factor of the X-Pro 1 and would love to get one cheap as my everyday carry camera, but with those amazing JPGs, I'd want wifi to go with it. I've started posting unedited JPGs straight out of my X-T1, and on top of being liberating, I find I'm starting to appreciate the colour profiles more. I've been after a rangefinder styled body for a while, but the X-Pro 1 would need wifi to become my go-to camera. And Classic Chrome.

Thankfully I haven't noticed the rubber lifting on mine, just the accessory port door. I've given up on sending it in because of the turnaround time, and the fact that I'll have to pay either way if it's not covered under warranty. I looked at the door and I'm pretty sure the issue isn't the outside top and bottom, but the lip/gasket inside of that. Next time I feel like it, I'm going to try shaving the corners of that inside lip down a bit to see if that helps. I don't have the time to send it away right now since it's my only body, but it's driving me crazy. I'll probably end up gluing it down with a spot of non-permanent glue, and paying to have it fixed down the road when I feel like spending the money.

I'm perfectly happy with the high ISO performance of the current Fujis, but I just wish they could shoot at higher native ISOs (even one stop). It seems true that the Fuji's seem to meter about a third or have of a stop darker than other cameras (i.e. what an A6000 sees as ISO 5000 the X-T1 might see as 6400). I'm fine with that because I like the look of Fuji's higher ISOs, but I just wish I could take it farther to shoot RAW in darker situations. Having said all that, of course I wouldn't complain if the newer batch of Fujis are cleaner at high ISOs. I don't know how many people would agree with me, but I'd love to see Fuji split their sensors two ways. I'm all for 24MP on the next batch of bodies - I think it's the sweet spot between manageability and detail. But what I'd really like to see is them come out with an 8MP body and make it a low light beast. Personally, I'd like that to be the X-Pro line (so the X-T series is the studio camera and the X-Pro is the reportage camera), but a lot of people want the X-Pro to basically be X-T performance in a rangefinder body, so I'd settle for the X-E or X100 series.

I didn't shoot much street on my honeymoon, but got a few! DSCF1278 by Phil Babbey, on Flickr DSCF1298 by Phil Babbey, on Flickr DSCF0822 by Phil Babbey, on Flickr

I'm sure this has been said already, but I'm in a rush and can't read all the posts. Regarding metering, you can just set the spot meter to follow the focus point. Problem solved. Between that, the meter indicator in the viewfinder, the pretty accurate EVF, and live histogram, I'd say if anything, Fuji is one of the best camera makers on the market for metering.

How much do you shoot on vacation? OP: You mentioned one body or the other. As much as I'd like two bodies, I can't afford it, and have traveled with one. Since weather sealing is a priority for you, I definitely suggest getting the X-T1 and 18-135. That will cover a lot of ground, so if there are focal lengths you'd only use sometimes (for me, it's longer ones - I enjoy shooting wildlife but don't get to do it much) the 18-135 will cover most of them. You already listed the primes you would get, so that's covered already.

I shaved the top and bottom of the door down slightly, but it still bulges a bit. It's definitely a problem with the front corners of the door (away from the hinges). I'm pretty sure the main problem is the corners of the inside lip of the door.

This is my thinking. I'm suspicious my warranty will be voided anyway, and I'm not particularly worried about the weather sealing - I'd rather have it sit cleanly just so it doesn't bug me. I'm looking into it tonight after work, so I'll post if I go through with it.

I should say, when I asked about removing it, it was so I could make it a bit shorter and put it back on. edit: I reread the email and am having second thoughts. It said (not surprisingly) that they would inspect it for warranty validation before servicing it. That's fine, but if they decide it's not under warranty, I have to pay no matter what - either the repair fee, or a repair refusal fee. I just got married and money is really tight, so I might hold off and take my chances.

I emailed Fuji Canada and they told me the only way to fix it is to send it away to Missisauga with a 7 business day turnaround. I've read some mixed reviews about replacement doors. Some say the new door does the same thing, but a couple have said the new doors are better. Seeing as the turnaround should be under two weeks all told, I think I'll try that, as I should be able to get away with that.

Does anyone know if it's possible/how to remove the accessory door? Mine's been bulging over the past few months, and it seems to be getting worse (despite the weather not getting much worse than 25C so far). It looks like the rubber door is slightly too wide, so when it expands, it pushes up harder than the seal can hold it. It seems like I could shave or file the top and bottom edges of the door down slightly and get it to seat properly. I just can't get the door off, and with it on, I can't get at the entire length of the edge. I should be able to get the door replaced by Fuji under warranty, but that would require me to send it away, and it's my only camera and I use it for some paid work. Also, I don't really want to replace the door, just to have the new one start bulging again. From what I've read online, replacement doors aren't any different than the originals, and they start expanding again.

Agreed. I've second shot a couple weddings with the X-T1, and done some local shows, aside from a lot of shooting for myself which usually happens at night. There's definitely a learning curve, but once you get a feel for it, I think Fujis are nearly as effective as DSLRs. It slows you down for sure, but I find I actually get more shots in focus with the X-T1 than the Canon 70D or Nikon D610 I used. With the DSLRs, I would shoot a lot to be safe, then zoom in in Lightroom and see which ones came out in focus (instead of slight misfocuses). This is shooting at f/2.2+ on crop and 2.8+ on full frame to buy myself some depth of field. Too many times the DSLRs would slightly misfocus, and I wouldn't find out until I got into Lightroom. The X-T1 confirms focus more slowly, but it's accurate. And when it does a false confirm, which is rare, it's incredibly obvious so I don't waste shots on it. Now that I've slowed down, I work more on my timing and planning. And that's just talking about the AF. With MF and peaking, I think the Fuji has an advantage. Focus traps are amazing with the peaking. I'm not afraid to shoot lenses wide open now, either.

Awesome photos everybody. :yesway: Here are a few from a bar show I shot Saturday night. Really wishing I had FW4 for it. The band wants to do a promo shoot, hopefully sometime this week. :yesway: DSCF0202-2 by Phil Babbey, on Flickr DSCF0222-2 by Phil Babbey, on Flickr DSCF0230 by Phil Babbey, on Flickr DSCF0260 by Phil Babbey, on Flickr DSCF0273-2 by Phil Babbey, on Flickr DSCF0277 by Phil Babbey, on Flickr DSCF0283-2 by Phil Babbey, on Flickr DSCF0495 by Phil Babbey, on Flickr DSCF0505 by Phil Babbey, on Flickr