Paul Crespel

GAME OVER! Game Over by Paul Crespel, on Flickr

His back legs Extra Legs by Paul Crespel, on Flickr

A window on the Market - Milan - Via Cordusio - Sunday collectors' market Watching The Market by Paul Crespel, on Flickr

Milan - Book Sellers Milan Book Sellers 1 by Paul Crespel, on Flickr

I am curious why people are posting just photos here. In the context of this thread, photos would be ok in support of text, but on their own I don't see them as valid input on a discussion thread. The OP asked for thoughts on the 18mm lens, but it seems the thread is deteriorating into a gallery for people to simply show off their images. There are many other threads where you can show off your photos, but it would be nice not to have to wade through meaningless images to find the real discussion in what are obviously discussion threads

Many photos by Cartier-Bresson, Doisneau, Erwitt and others, whose abilities are beyond question, are blurred, grainy and slightly out of focus, but they are world-class photographs. Many of mine are the same, but it didn't stop over one million people visiting my Milan exhibition in 2014 and 2015, and strangely enough, the imperfect photos were some of the most-loved by the visitors. Perfection is a myth - it's boring.... and while most photographers are still messing around trying to get 100% perfection, the real photographers have already grabbed the most poignant moment and syndicated it worldwide. Sometimes you can be lucky and get near perfection in the second it takes to grab a stunning photograph (posed or contrived photos are never stunning), but perfection is simply not important compared to capturing the decisive moment. The 18mm lens has caught me some amazing photographs that have never been refused by any publication. Post 16 of this thread is one such example. The expressions of all the people looking at the old man far outweigh any softness that a pixel peeper might find in the corners.

Verona - lone wolf at drinking fountain Verona Wolf by Paul Crespel, on Flickr

Verona - close up of a well-known and much-loved lady Verona Victorious by Paul Crespel, on Flickr

Verona, Italy - "All I Need" All I Need by Paul Crespel, on Flickr

Hi John, The XT1 doesn't have the benefit of an optical viewfinder. I tried it, but the experience was unpleasant for me, I felt totally detatched from the subject, like seeing the subject on TV instead of in front of you, and in very bright or very low light, the electronic viewfinder of the XT1 can do really weird things as it settles down and adjusts to sudden light changes, and in the seconds it takes to do that, I found I was missing shots. There's nothing to beat an optical viewfinder, and the only real offerings from Fuji right now with OVF are the X-Pro1 and the X100 series. I know that I cannot get the photos I do with an electronic viewfinder. I tried.... You're going to be ok, just don't worry about what you may have missed, just enjoy what you have. You got a great deal! If I remember rightly, the X-Pro1 cost around £1600 when it first came out, and that was just the body

Hi John, You have made a choice, a decision. What is the point of worrying about what advantages other choices that you could have made might have? The X-Pro1 is still a super camera, and is capable of super photographs. The camera will be limited only by your capabilities, not by what advantages other models may offer. Enjoy your X-Pro1. I recommend the Fuji 27mm pancake lens, or the Fuji 35mm lens. With either of those two lenses, if you don't get great shots, then it's down to you, not the camera Have a look at the photos on my Facebook or Flickr pages. Many of them were taken with the X-Pro1. Flickr will even tell you which camera was used for each photo. Asking what differences other cameras have after you have ordered the camera will only confuse you, and will be counterproductive to your creativity, because instead of making do with the choice you made, you'll always be thinking "what if?" Go take some wonderful photos with your camera, when it arrives, and don't worry about other cameras for now.... the best camera in the world is the one you have in your hands when you need it

My facebook page covers street photography almost exclusively in Italy, with photographs and articles, if anybody is thinking of going to Italy. There are even articles and discussion about the Law, and where and how you can take photographs. There is a lot of information, both in English and in Italian: https://www.facebook.com/GotchaStreetPhotography/

deva, I know, I was a news photographer for over 20 years. Here's an article I wrote a few years ago that discusses changes in photography over the last 20 years: It's definitely not for the squeamish - it's not intended to insult, it's based on hard experience, and it is intended to provoke thought and discussion. http://streetphotography.international/page13/index.html