FX 60mm 2.4 Macro

[milandro]

Unless our friend Pez is severely optically challenged, which would be a problem being a photographer, I suppose he did notice that what he published was not at the best possible resolution but maybe and simply didn’t know how to make it look better or made a mistake that he would correct himself ?

 

After all he is watching the picture that he published, wouldn’t you think so?

 

 

 

Perhaps some directions on how to reduce the “ weight” of the image by resizing it while keeping it within the constrictions of the forum interface would be of more use to our friend Pez rather than simply pointing out the lack of resolution resulting in the image that he published by mistake or sheer lack of forum experience?

 

I am sure Maurice, that you will oblige and share your superior knowledge to the benefit and betterment of our friend Pez, who, I am sure, will be very much more grateful to you for THAT rather than for simply pointing out what he already could see himself.

 

Pez, thank you for sharing your picture!

[Maurice]

Which is why i asked. Step 1 is always noticing.

 

I suppose he did NOT notice, or he either would fix it before doing so, have noted the situation, or be asking about it.

 

Resolution or "weight"(?) are fine, as has been suggested through my superior knowledge something went wrong with the bit depth. The final image does not seem to be the error, probably because the forum simply converted it back to 'normal' for him, but of course the damage was already done. So there's nothing we can do here until he provides us with information on the situation.

[milandro]

either way your comment offered no positive suggestion whatsoever and I read it as a negative and sarcastic remark.

 

The Weight of a file is a synonym of its size.

[Maurice]

And calling him severely optically challenged is what, the pinnacle of positive suggestion ?

 

Sarcasm is used by everyone every day, it brings a little light humor to bringing somewhat bad news, and that .. is the opposite of negative. So i was direct about it, let's say to rip off the band-aid .. you like to do it slow, i do not. But taking offense or assuming one would is on you, not me, especially since this was not about you. The one creating a unnecessary negativity here now is you. Fact is that being made aware of an obvious problem like i said is simply step one, and it is as helpful with sarcasm as it is with a bow on it. I would have wanted to be made aware of it, and i would have joked about it afterwards. I was curious of how it could have happened, and i was willing to help fix it, but i'm doing this instead .. some help you've been.

[milandro]

 jocularity and well meant positive sarcasm are good things, but I didn’t see any in your comment

[Maurice]

And we are blessed with that informative opinion filling the page of this topic near top to bottom because i have the superiority complex ?

[milandro]

you do indeed

[Maurice]

Well thank you, takes one to know one, i'm sure Pez appreciates you setting that straight.

[milandro]

now can we move on?

[Maurice]

Hey, i didn't ask for this.

[milandro]

Con gratulations! You are my first entry on this forum’s ignore list. Please return the favor. May our paths never cross again. Farewell.

[pez]

Thank you milandro for the suportive comments.  I did write the picture is a low res version and as such lost a lot of post processing. I was surprized nobody commented on the light in the eyes, I left them there deliberatly.  My purpose was not to try and win a photo contest.  I did consider the norms of editing but decided NOT to follow them - my choice. I think so often we loose sight of the fact that photography is an art form - not that my cat is an eg of great art - just nice - I think.

 

The reference to Atari did amuse me and certainly gave the impression of an older contributer who can't or didn't wont to read or accept that some people wont to just make pictures.

 

However, the point of posting the picture was to show other uses  of the Macro lens other than the classic close-up pictures published - which are excelent. 

 

It is a shame that so often people make comments that conribute nothing to forums in general.

[milandro]

Cheers Pez,

 

you shed some light   on an aspect that we should have considered and that is that, for all we knew, you might have intentionally “ posterized” the pic.

 

Enough of that! 

 

Going back to your original comment, you say you use a ring-light on your 60mm? I suppose it is one of these LED affairs? I see some really cheap ones on line and in particular found the review of one which was $35 ( secondhand?)

 

@https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bj3e8qiIJso

 

I have a question on the 60mm use of something like that.

 

Could you share some more information of your experience with these ringlights? How does this work on the 60mm? Are you attaching it to the outside on on the filter mount? Could you share some more pics with the 60mm/ringlight ?

[Maurice]

 

 

Pez, FYI 1.200px × 1.393px is anything but low-res for a web image. Whatever happened to it has nothing to do with resolution. I don't know if maybe your monitor is set up in a weird way that you don't see it, but it is enormously distracting from 'the art'. Of course i agree that when you're just trying to show something it doesn't have to be a masterpiece, i wouldn't mention it if it was a snap with your smartphone (though even then it would not be normal), but for an image with the 60mm this was just too obvious of an issue to ignore. We are here to learn and progress are we not? I most definitely was not around when the Atari was, and like i said i was offering to help by mentioning it. What is a shame is that you seem to prefer to ignore the problem at this point. My original post was a contribution in progress but milandro intervened before it could be of any use to anyone, and now you apparently i am saddened to read have chosen to waste it entirely.

[pez]

The Ring Light is a Viltrox Macro Cool Light JY675 it was supplied from China for $45 new.  Cool Gadgets USA site or similar may well stock it.  It came with a number of filter thread ring adaptors but non fitted - no matter cos the largest ring slid smoothly over the focusing ring of the 60mm Macro lens.  Any tape or wedge would have done to fix the ring in place. The battery/control unit sits in the flash shoe.  It has a,b and a+b selection with a dimmer control.  Easy to use, thanks to digital camera flexibility exposure is easy if you don't have a nice Sekonic flash/light meter.  I quite like to use it indoor without any other light ie the cat, background is uniportant.  However, it works quite well outdoors as a fill in for portrate pics.

 

About other pics I will have a look, maybe I need to please Maurice - I havent noticed any pictures of his here - maybe some where else?

 

I have down loaded the V4.00 firmwear looking forward to giving it a try on Tuesday n.b. I used the Official Fujifilm website.

[milandro]

thanks, look forward to see the results of a ring light especially on close up portrait.

 

The performance of the 60mm is seriously improved by the new software, I find.

[Enzio]

...

 

Braundickkopf by Enzio Harpaintner, auf Flickr

[marcelo_valente]

thanks, look forward to see the results of a ring light especially on close up portrait.

 

The performance of the 60mm is seriously improved by the new software, I find.

can you elaborate on this? :-)

[marcelo_valente]

Couple more examples:

 

Having a snack by Marcelo Valente, on Flickr

 

The fly.  No edits, just a bit of a crop. by Marcelo Valente, on Flickr

[milandro]

can you elaborate on this? :-)

 

 

Well, I have fiddled around with my 60 mm these last couple of days and it appears to be quicker than it ever was with very little hunting compared to its performance prior to the new firmware.

 

There are some caveats though.

 

When dealing with rapid changes between infinity and short distances the limit is of course the speed of its motor and I am afraid that no amount of firmware could improve that!

 

What is improved is low light AF performance while the capability of dealing with low contrast subjects, especially when dealing with the “ white” color seems to be less than satisfactory.

[marcelo_valente]

Well, I have fiddled around with my 60 mm these last couple of days and it appears to be quicker than it ever was with very little hunting compared to its performance prior to the new firmware.

 

There are some caveats though.

 

When dealing with rapid changes between infinity and short distances the limit is of course the speed of its motor and I am afraid that no amount of firmware could improve that!

 

What is improved is low light AF performance while the capability of dealing with low contrast subjects, especially when dealing with the “ white” color seems to be less than satisfactory.

 

Thank you Milandro.

 

I love my 60mm, but it is slow.  Did you test the short distance to infinity with the macro option on or of?

 

Unfortunately I have the X-E2 and for now can only dream that they will rollout this update to the X-E2 as well.

[milandro]

the macro option no longer exists in the new firmware and the lens transitions from long to short distances range is continuous.

 

Fujifilm France has reassured that the X-E2 customers too would receive a certain unspecified amount of Kaizen for their cameras. Neither the type or amount of “ improvements” were specified nor was the waiting time.

 

In theory your camera might receive the same firmware but if there were the case there would be hardly any difference between the X-E2 and the X-T10. 

In my opinion, and I written this many times over here, this would make absolutely no marketing sense.

 

On the other hand one can hope that they Samurai spirit would not contain the shrewdness of the western marketing but I am afraid that kind of thinking is not logic but wishful.

[marcelo_valente]

the macro option no longer exists in the new firmware and the lens transitions from long to short distances range is continuous.

 

Fujifilm France has reassured that the X-E2 customers too would receive a certain unspecified amount of Kaizen for their cameras. Neither the type or amount of “ improvements” were specified nor was the waiting time.

 

In theory your camera might receive the same firmware but if there were the case there would be hardly any difference between the X-E2 and the X-T10. 

In my opinion, and I written this many times over here, this would make absolutely no marketing sense.

 

On the other hand one can hope that they Samurai spirit would not contain the shrewdness of the western marketing but I am afraid that kind of thinking is not logic but wishful.

 

I read about Fuji France's statement.  I just hope your theory is wrong and they release the same thing to the X-E2. 

 

I don't have much complains about my X-E2, but the firmware seems to have transformed the X-T1 into another beast.  Why not do that to the X-E2 also.

[milandro]

for the simple reason that if they were to do that the X-E2 and the X-10 would be almost identical! 

 

Surviving in this market means selling new cameras and although there is customer satisfaction to deal with, pleasing customers bringing they old camera to have the same performance of the newest model is all about losing sales of all those who would be tempting to upgrade the older model for the new one.

[marcelo_valente]

for the simple reason that if they were to do that the X-E2 and the X-10 would be almost identical! 

 

Surviving in this market means selling new cameras and although there is customer satisfaction to deal with, pleasing customers bringing they old camera to have the same performance of the newest model is all about losing sales of all those who would be tempting to upgrade the older model for the new one.

 

I do agree with you.  But...the X-E2 has a different format than the X-10.  I guess it might appeal to different customers and it could increase sales of the X-E2 also.  I don't know.  Not my expertise, but, I will not upgrade my camera at this point anyway.  So, firmware or no firmware..I'll keep my X-E2.  

 

I'm still buying the lenses I want, hehe.  Upgrading the camera will take a long while.  Maybe when the X-E4 comes out.