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Herco

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Everything posted by Herco

  1. Hi Ebell24, can you also tell what is your reference? The iPhone or did you also have another camera before the X-T3? (besides the X-T20 you mentioned)
  2. I've had a similar issue a couple of times (years ago) with an X-T2 and it happened again with a loaner GFX50S a while ago. Usually it was solved by switching the camera off/on and in between re-mounting the lens. I've talked about this to a camera repair company here in Switzerland and this is the (unconfirmed) story they gave me: >>The older X-cameras don't have a particularly strong mount. That is why Fuji made a big point about strengthening the mount of the X-H1. They told us it was for the upcoming heavier 'pro' lenses, but in fact it was for all lenses beyond the smaller f2-line. When the contacts between camera and lens don't work well, two things may happen: (a) no contact, which results in the infamous "f0" error message or (b) poor contact which leads to an electric charge building up between the contacts that will trigger eventually the "turn off/on" message to force a kind of discharge. Forcing comms between camera and lens (like a firmware check, induces a similar reset. The contacts of both the X and the GFX mount are quite fragile, but in order to maintain compatibility there's not a lot Fuji can do about the physical part of the issue. The only thing they can do is through firmware produce this "turn off/on" message. They do by the way the same for similar issues with card read/write errors (another issue that affects Fuji cameras more than some other brands - which is why Fuji is more critical to using the 'right' SD cards).<< The issue of the camera/lens contacts is often triggered by a small 'accident' like dropping the camera or bumping it. Heavier lenses (by nature) are more often affected. What amazed me was that it seems not solved in the GFX mount. Obviously the heavier cameras and lenses put more strain to the mount, but with a new engineered mount you wouldn't expect this. PS. by the way, the "f0" error that I sometimes get on my X-H1 is induced when I disconnect the camera from my iPhone (bluetooth). I hope this was solved in the recent 2.10 firmware under "small bug fixes".
  3. AFshoot.com has a silver one for the XF50/f2. It's a 'vented metal lens hood' so more similar to the metal lens hood for the XF35/f2 and the XF23/f2 rather than the original plastic one. Also it is a screw-on model with a filter thread instead of a bayonet. Nevertheless it fits well and the price is great (just EUR 11.50 or so).
  4. The only way -to my knowledge- to prevent the camera to go to My Menu every time you enter the menu button, is to leave the My Menu completely empty. The purpose of My Menu is to have quick access to the most used menu items, hence it always starts there. Should you decide not to use the My Menu, you can always add 4 most used feature to the Q-menu and activate them with the Q-button and the touch interface of that menu. From what you describe the 18-55 can do a couple of things in the background. When PRE-AF is ON, the camera will always focus. It could be that it still does when in replay mode (I haven't checked it as I don't have that lens). Another (more likely) noise could be that of the OIS. On the 18-55 there's a switch for that. Try it in OFF mode and see whether the noise persists. The focus peaking for manual focus indeed needs an upgrade. I also have experience with an A7RIV and an SL2 and they have better focus peaking esp. during magnification. Esp. the A7RIV with the Loxia lenses works brilliant. The issue with Fuji is that indeed when magnifying the peaking gives a very flickery image. So either quiet it down of switch FP off when magnification is activated. Another issue is that for some Fuji cameras (e.g. my beloved X-Pro2) the focus peaking color yellow is not available for some inexplicable reason. Yellow is for most shooting situations the most visible color (at least in my experience). Another issue is that for many menu settings there's no help function or explanation in the menu. After many years of Fuji I know most settings by heart, but it took me a while. It would be easy to have a line of text explaining the menu setting at hand. Most other cameras have such a feature. Fuji only does this for certain settings like film simulations, but consistent use would improve the usability. Finally, some menu options are named differently on the various Fuji cameras. On the X-Pro2 there's the option "preview pic. effect" which is called "natural live view" on the X-H1. Those things can be easily aligned, even though there could be a small tech. difference between the two options. Other than that I think the Fuji menus are quite good and at least a lot clearer than the older Sony menus (not the A7SIII) but not as good as the Leica and Canon menus. It sits nicely in between 😉
  5. Herewith my card with settings. I made cheat cards for the different cameras to be able to tell them apart. This one is for my X-H1 which I by the way rarely use anymore. I used the camera mostly for stills and esp. fashion portraits, so many settings are stills oriented. x-h1 settings.docx
  6. You should try and assign other features to the front dial command and see if it acts similarly. I've had this issue with an X-Pro2 (though with the back command dial) and it turned out to be a moist-issue. It started after a walk in some mild rain on Iceland and only after the camera was serviced it disappeared... Could it be the same issue for you?
  7. Apart from the generic comment that "this depends on what you're shooting" it makes sense to me. I already wondered about the huge overlap in the area beyond 50 mm. The 16-55 is a great lens and as you're used to the 18-135 you won't be struck by it's size and weight. Note that on the wider end (16 mm) the lens has much more distortion and corner softness as the 10-24, so I would definitely keep that, unless you have the 12 or 14 mm primes. On the long end (35 and above) it is a very good lens for portraits. The f2.8 creates a nice focus transition and good quality of bokeh for a zoom lens. Dustin Abbott on Youtube has made a very good balanced review of the 16-55.
  8. I indeed refer to the 1.4/1.2 versions. I don't have experience with the Viltrox and 7artisans lenses. The Zeiss Touit lenses for Fuji also have a great film-like look to them, but they are rather expensive (also used). Funny enough, I'm in the process of moving to Sony or Leica for my professional work (fashion portraits). I have the A7RIV and the SL2 now on trail and will decide which one (and esp. which lenses) in a couple of weeks. I'll keep the XP2 and some of the f2 lenses for fun when I need a compact set for personal use.
  9. The 'Fuji-colors' are mostly a product of the JPEG-engine in the cameras. While there is a slight difference between the 16MP and the 24MP, most differences are due to the JPEG engine and between lenses. Some of the older lenses (the fast 23, 35 and 56) have a 'special' film-like quality. It has mostly to do with how they render color and contrast. Using these lenses on the newer cameras, results in the same effect. Fuji-purists sometimes praise the older 16MP sensor for its character, but to my eye the 24MP sensor is just as good and has the resolution to do additional cropping. I've owned 6 Fuji cameras over the past 9 years (and still own 2) and the newer cams are just as good as the older ones (if not better). I've had the XP1 but upgrading to the XP2 didn't affect the colors in RAW. In fact, the JPEG-engine in the newer cams (like the XP2 and the XE3) can also control the film grain and has a few more film simulations that can be an advantage. Esp. Classic Chrome can be made to look similar to the 'Leica-look' (I've used a/o the M8 and the M262). To learn more check out fujiweekly.com and the film recipes outlined there. Also check-out the RAW and JPEG manuals of Thomas Fitzgerald. He gives very good advise on how to set sharpening and noise reduction. Fuji's JPEG engines are too aggressive to my liking, so I dial down NR to -2 or -3 on the 24MP-cameras and Sharpening to -1 or -2. I use Capture One as imo it works way better with RAF-files than LR. PS. with the new XP3 out, second-hand prices for the XP2 dropped. While not as low-priced as a used XE3, an XP2 is now great value-for-money.
  10. Check out Fujiweekly.com. Ritchie Roesch has a long list of 'film recipes' for all different Fuji cameras. Kodachrome 64 is one of them.
  11. For some reason Fuji cameras are quite susceptible to read/write errors on SD cards. I've had multiple issues (incl. lost images) with several different Fuji cameras, so I use the following 'workflow' to reduce the chance of error: always use Fuji recommended SD cards use two exact same cards if the camera has two slots insert them gently straight in and out format both cards in the camera before a shoot regularly copy (not move!) all images on the card to your computer then (re)format both cards in your camera (never on your computer) do not take out one card to view images on a computer/tablet and then put it back in the camera for further shooting (I share the images via my phone to a Dropbox to view them on bigger screens. Or in the studio I work tethered.) That way you don't have to select and delete images one by one or by group in your camera, which is a tedious process. In general: SD cards are not meant for long-term storage of images. Just for shooting and transport to your safe storage on a computer and back-up drives.
  12. I don't know about the X-T10, but in general for the Fuji cameras I('ve) own(ed), in MF setting they seem pretty accurate but in AF setting they can be way off for some reason. For AF I've therefore switched it off on both my Fuji cameras. The white marker in the distance scale shows the measured distance and the blue bars show the focus depth given the aperture. Esp. that latter part is not very accurate.
  13. This is unfortunately a recurring issue with multiple Fuji camera's. I've had an X-T2 suffering from this issue occasionally. My first X-H1 was almost useless because of this and the constant write errors. My second X-H1 rarely has it (knock on wood). My X-Pro1 and 2s never had an issue like this, but when I borrowed an X-T4 for a trial run, it also showed these issues. That's one of the (multiple) reasons I didn't upgrade. When you use Fuji recommended cards, it also makes sense to use identical cards in both slots (I noticed you have 64 and 128Gb cards), to insert them gently and reformat in camera after securing the images. For the X-H1 Fuji launched a firmware update to solve this issue. Let's hope they do that for the X-T4 as well. Is your laptop by chance a macbook? Mine is and apparently they contribute to the issue. PS. I must say that the A7R4 nor the SL2 I'm currently using ever showed problems like these.
  14. Without knowing your type of photography, I would guess that the 18-135 will in practice replace your 16-50 (unless you need its compactness). The 55-200 is much more an extension of what you already have. Both are fine lenses, but designed for different purposes. The 18-135 is Fuji's version of a 'super zoom' lens: a lens with a zoom factor of at least 7x to 10x zoom. Usually these super zoom lenses suffer from a lot of compromises, but this is actually quite a good one with good 'sharpness' and contrast except perhaps for the far corners and edges. It's a true 'travel lens' that for many people is almost 'glued' to their camera. Together with the 10-24 you'd have a very universal combo. However, don't expect it to have 'exquisite bokeh' and shallow depth-of-field for portraits. Around 50mm the max. aperture is f5, so the DoF can't be really shallow. The OIS is very good so the smaller apertures can be compensated with longer shutter speeds without blurred images due to camera shake. The 55-200 is a true tele zoom lens. Not a lot of people need the longer focal lengths (beyond 200mm in full frame equivalent terms or 135mm in Fuji's APS-C format), but if you do -like for sports, wildlife or landscape details- it's a very good lens. In pure sharpness it even 'beats' Fuji's professional 40-150 tele zoom, but that one has a bit better contrast and a constant f2.8 aperture. I would not worry too much about the Weather Resistance (WR) thing. First, your camera isn't WR, so that is the limiting factor. Secondly, if you take a few precautions, also non-WR lenses can be used in a light drizzle or rain without you worrying about it. My guess is that you're not the photo reporter waiting in the downpour for that perfect shot in a football match. The OIS in the 55-200 however, is very useful when you start zooming in. At 200mm (300 in full-frame) it becomes hard to carefully focus and keep a steady shot.
  15. The OIS of the 16-80 lens is managed from the camera shooting menu setting according to the lens manual.
  16. In fact it does. Whether it is mechanically or electronically I can’t tell, but yeah the ‘pupil’ widens.
  17. All X-T4 cameras we buy in Europe are made in China. Fuji only delivers 'made in Japan' X-T4s to the USA to bypass the high trade tariffs imposed on Chinese products. In fact, I've been told (but I'm not certain about it) that these cameras are also mostly made in China, but then shipped to Japan for some final assembly and packaging. Just enough to qualify for the 'made in Japan' stamp. Today, only the X-Pro, X-H1 (until a few months ago) and the GFX are actually build in Japan. As for the SD card issues, that is a recurrent issue with Fuji cameras. The X-H1 had real issues (incl. lost images) and we've seen multiple reports of X-T2s, X-T3s and X-Pro3s having issues. Most of them are solved in firmware updates (the notorious 'various other bugs') but for the X-H1 I've experienced continuous problems up to date (albeit less than when the camera was first released). Best advise is to stick to the brand and type of SD cards that Fuji recommends and hope for firmware updates. In case the camera frequently freezes, I would always ask for a replacement.
  18. Aperture is the ratio between the focal length of the lens and the width of the iris (or aperture). So f2 at 18mm means an opening of 9mm. To reduce the size (and cost) of a lens, zoom lenses with longer focal lengths often have variable aperture. Your lens has a max opening of 6.4mm at 18mm (f2.8). To have the same aperture at 55mm the max. opening should be 19.6mm (55 / 2.8). That would result in a wider lens with larger glass elements and subsequently more costs and design issues. Hence the f4 at 55mm. It keeps the lens compact and cost efficient. The downside of variable aperture is that the exposure changes while zooming in or out, which will need to be compensated by adjusting shutter speed or ISO. Professionals usually don't like that: e.g. a sports photographer being confronted with a longer shutter speed just because of zooming in. Another downside is that depth of field changes when zooming in or out which can lead to subjects being out of focus. Your camera will 'fix' that obviously in AF mode, but for most professionals it may ruin the effect they were looking for. That's why constant aperture zoom lenses are often referred to as 'professional grade lenses' or the 'holy trinity of f2.8 zoom lenses'...
  19. The 50-140 is a very good lens, but with a few caveats. Dustin Abbott has a very good review on his site and on Youtube where he covers all there is to say about this lens. His findings concur with mine. It is a classic 70-200 f2.8 reporter lens, which means it is great for sports, portraits and general street shots (reportage). In poorer light (indoor sports) it still caters for short shutter speeds. The downside of this lens is that edge and corners have less contrast and sharpness. It renders a little soft. For its purpose that’s fine. The 55-200 is less expensive, smaller, lighter and has a slower variable aperture. I don’t own that lens, but I’ve used it and know people who have it. It is super sharp and contrasty right across the frame. In terms of IQ it’s actually better than the 50-140. In fact, the German Fototest.de tested both and gave the 50-140 lens 86.4 out of 100 points. The 55-200 scored 94 points. The difference was all IQ based. So, unless you need the fast aperture for sports or portraits/fashion, the 55-200 can actuallly be the better option. It sure is easier to carry along.
  20. Having been to Iceland a few times, I know that hiking with a lot of gear can be stressful. Also, with inclining weather conditions, the less you need to swap lenses the better. On top of that light conditions on Iceland in Sept aren't always optimal. Judging from what you already have, the 55-200 can be a great addition. Iceland has vast open landscapes and getting close isn't always easy or even possible. In that case your 16 and 35 together with a 55-200 can be a nice set that covers pretty much everything. An option is the 18-135 or the 16-80. Both are fine travel lenses with OIS and WR. It depends on how long a telephoto you want. Esp. since you have the wide end covered with your 16/f1.4. Nevertheless, I would always also bring the 16 for wide landscapes and low light situations. Both the 16-55 or 18-55 may add little to what you already have. Though the 10-24 and the 8-16 are great for landscapes, only adding one of these may leave you wanting a longer lens once in Iceland. And again, you already have the 16.
  21. Focal length equivalency depends on the size of the sensor. You've posted this message in the GFX-lenses section (which is for Fuji's medium format sensor cameras) but I guess you use an X-system camera from Fuji with the smaller APS-C sensor. Right between APS-C and medium format are the so-called Full Frame (FF) sensor cameras. This was in the days of film the most used size of film for amateur photographers. That is why focal lengths of lenses are often recalculated to the FF equivalency. From APS-C to FF the 'crop-factor' is 1.5x The 10-24 f4 Fuji lens therefore has a full frame equivalency of approx. 15-35mm meaning it gives you that same angle of view. It ranges from an super wide-angle to a standard wide-angle view. That makes it perfect for architecture, indoor architecture and landscape. The 10-24 has two main advantages for your intended use: first it doesn't have a lot of distortion in the super wide-angle mode, so you don't need software to correct the image all the time (keystone correction). Precondition is that you keep the camera and lens level at shooting (and not tilted backwards). Secondly, it has an optical image stabilizer. So, shooting indoor with longer shutter speeds isn't too much of a problem, since the lens corrects motion blur in some degree. That compensates for the fact it has not a really fast aperture (f4) so your low-light/indoor shutter speeds can be a bit longer (I would say up to 1/8s).
  22. Without knowing your shooting preferences and style it's a hard question to respond to. In case you look for something longer than the 23mm (35mm FF equiv.), the 35, 50 or 56 are all great lenses. Depends on how much longer you need. The 56 has by the way the same filter thread as the 23 which can be convenient. If you really need 'long' then the 55-200 or the 50-140 are good additions that won't make your 23 redundant. The 50-140 however is well-over $1000, but you can look at used ones. In case you want something wider, the 16 or even better the 14 or the 12mm Zeiss are great additions to your 23. Esp. the 14 pairs nicely since it has the same manual focus clutch as the 23 (in case you focus manually at all). The 16/f1.4 also has that, but might be too close in focal length to the 23. As for zoom lenses, I guess you bought the 23 for a reason. The issue with buying a standard zoom next to it (like the 16-55 or the 18-55) is that you probably leave that on and might not use the 23 that much anymore. That is a pity since in terms of IQ it is one of Fuji's best lenses. Adding the 10-24 (which is on sale) is perhaps a better alternative as the long end (24) of that lens isn't the best part of that lens, which keeps the 23 a good extension.
  23. Should the new hood still be too loose, there's one other DIY solution. The issue is that the clamp mechanism is not stiff enough. You can solve that by inserting a splinter of soft wood (like from a [safety] match) and insert it in the small notch underneath the clamp mechanism. Like in the attached image. That stiffens the clamp mechanism and provides a more snug fit.
  24. Since launching their x-system lenses, Fuji has had two main issues: the lens caps sucked and the lens hoods even more. The first issue they solved. The flat front lens caps are far better then the slightly dome-shaped ones. The lens hoods they solved for a few lenses by offering ridiculously expensive metal hoods. Unfortunately none of them fit the 16-80. However, Haoge offers a metal square lens hood for the 16-80 (Amazon). I don't know if it is really better, but usually the Haoge lens hoods have a more snug fit than the standard plastic ones from Fuji (I have one for the 14mm). How it is really done is showed by Sigma with their Art-series (esp. the newer DN-ones). Let's hope Fuji can copy that in the future...
  25. I've owned a whole range of Fujifilm camera's from the X-Pro1, via X-T1, T2 to H1 and X-Pro2. The X-T2 was in terms of build quality a big upgrade from the Pro1 and the T1. When I picked up the T3 I was really disappointed with the build quality. It felt like a step-down from the T2 despite that the EVF was nicer and the AF a lot faster and with less hunting. I returned the T3 when it showed 'card write' failures on perfectly good cards. I then switched to the H1 which in terms of build quality was a huge improvement (also over the T2).
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