FenFotos

Reflections and Mist
           

Yosemite Valley near the Mist Trail trailhead
The haze was actually smoke, from nearby wildfires.
Smoky-bright light can be interesting. For b&w too.

X-T2 with Fujifilm 18-55mm / Provia

Havana Cityscape



Not much in the way of skyscrapers... but oh those colors!

Exposure info:
Fujifilm X-T2 XF18-55mm F2.8-4 R LM OIS ƒ/5.6  46.3 mm 1/1100     ISO400  0.33 EV

One more Fuji-X cityscape - again with the much-maligned , but generally great in daylight, 18-135mm Fuji lens. This one in color. 
Again, the context/backstory.
This is the heart of Times Square, where there is currently a public space occupied by this: "All Over the Place".
Which it is, with Disney characters, tourists, and passersby stopping to rest here on a hot summer day.

Bonus: This piece, co-sponsored by the Queens (NY) museum, comes with a sound-track, mostly talking with a backdrop of wonderful NY images:
http://bit.ly/SoundtrackMel
More information about the artist @ bit.ly/MelChinAOTP
 

Here's a little snippet of cityscape with Fuji-X, from this past sunny weekend in Times Square, NY, USA.
Wide grand shots of the colors, and this microcosm, a classic New York Deli, in glorious Acros-sim black and white.
This hand-held exposure (XT-2) was, by the way, using the much-berated 18-135mm (and WR!) Fuji lens. 

Sad note, incidentally (don't shoot the messenger) but Fuji has announced this lovely film (on a roll) will be allowed to die this October (2018).
The news: https://petapixel.com/2018/03/30/fujifilm-acros-100-film-to-be-killed-off-in-october-2018-report-says/

X-H1 + XF55-200 ...

sky on fire by Enzio Harpaintner, auf Flickr

My first walk around with my new XT3 & 18-55. Loving it so far!

Early Morning Mist - Bash Bazaar, Bangladesh
Fujifilm X-T3
Fujinon XF35mmF2 R WR

X-H1 + XF55-200 ...

Linde by Enzio Harpaintner, auf Flickr

X-Pro2 & 35mm f2
 

X-T30 and 16mm 2.8

Fujicolor Pro 400H

S.Angelo Ischia (Naples) Italy
Fuji X100
 

watercolors ...

If you're happy with the T2, a new one is now only $799.
 

X70, London
Shot in RAW, Classic Chrome simulation applied in Lightroom
 
 
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Old Friends - Trinidad, Cuba
 

 
 
XT-2  w/ XF 18-135mF3.5-5.6 LM OIS WR
Exposure: ƒ/5.0  55.6 mm  1/125  200 ISO

[ Sound track: "Old Friends/Bookends" ]

I’ve been shooting with the 18-55mm and 55-200mm for two years now and always wanted to replace them with one lens because: a) I hate to change lenses and I feel like I missed some great shots in the past because of that; I hate carrying additional weight with me and 18-135mm weights about half of what 18-55mm and 55-200mm weight together.
For two years I couldn’t convince myself spending that much for a lens that got so many negative reviews claiming it was a mediocre lens for that price.
Two weeks ago I finally decided to get one and play with it. Boy was I surprised! The quality of my copy is fantastic! I run some tests comparing all the three on my X-T10 and the 18-135 beats the crap out of 18-55mm at any focal length and at any aperture. It is almost as good as the 55-200mm and the only way you can see a difference between them is if you start pixel peeping. And even then the difference is very insignificant.
I only give up about ½ stop of light which is easily compensated by a great OIS system which will easily give you 5 stops. It doesn’t reach as far as 55-200mm does but 95% of the time you won’t really miss it (unless you’re a wildlife photographer).
18-135mm is a keeper! 

Great thread. I think Konzy is the one who nailed it. Having a lens that will get you the shot in most conditions quickly and reliably is often more important than absolute IQ. The 18-135 is a great lens when you aren't focused primarily on photography but want the ability to capture that special scene or moment. It focuses quickly and is nicely weather resistant. When I traveled with my late wife I couldn't concentrate first on photography the way I do when I go out on my own. She was reasonably tolerant of my photo obsession but the travel together was about, well, travel together. Record photos were nice. The occasional magic moment was easy to capture with the "swiss army knife" lens. And domestic tranquility was ensured. Consider the extra lens cheaper, and less painful, than couples counseling. 
 
As Fuji owners we can get carried away with having the best lenses. But, corner to corner sharpness is really not that essential to most non-landscape or architectural photos. Getting the shot usually is the primary goal. Good photographers work with the limitations of their equipment, whatever that is, and get good photos. Period. Just look at any famous travel photographer. Many, many of photography's iconic shots are not sharp, sometimes not totally in focus. The photographer's eye is the crucial element.
 
Besides, having to change lenses because you have the wrong focal length on the camera has cost all of us once in a lifetime shots. If it hasn't, you aren't looking for time sensitive photos. Remember the old documentary photographer adage, f/8 and be there. 
 
My last trip with my wife I took the 18-135, the 35 f1.4  and the Samyang 12. One do everything lens. One fast interior lens for frescos and one low light normal lens. No regrets. I do own the 55-200. I use it. I like it. 
 
If I could offer Sapphire one piece of advice it would be sell all her old Canon gear and still get the 18-138. Using two systems seldom serves anyone. Muscle memory gets mixed up switching cameras and it's just extra weight to schlep around.

Coming back to share one of the photos taken in France with the 55-200 mm lens. We happened to be staying in a hotel room with a view over the rooftops toward Sacre Coeur. (I did not bring a tripod on this trip as we were walking most of the time so I was photographing this basilica from my hotel room, some handheld shots and some with the camera secured to the railing with a gorillapod.) 
 

I saw fristly like this. Really magical.

Bologna taken From Asinelli tower
X-T1 10-24 F4 at F5,6 1/600 Iso 200