Improved Fuji X-Pro 1

I was out for a photo walk yesterday afternoon in the midtown NYC area. I needed to give the most recent firmware update for the XP1 a real-time street test. I've liked using this camera since the first day I've had it, and until now have learned to live with its few quirks. The most recent update has completely solved all but one of them. My greatest concern was with focusing. Now the autofocus speed is snappy and the manual focus is much more responsive. Accuracy is a non-issue. The camera is a joy to use.

My one remaining beef with Fuji is with the auto ISO function. The X-100 allows for setting the minimum shutter speed when in auto ISO. How or why the manufacturer missed including that functionality with the XP1 is a mystery. For now, if I want to use the auto ISO feature - and it's a function that is invaluable for street shooting - I have to set the camera in manual mode (for aperture and shutter speed) and check often that the settings are working well in the ever changing light and shadows on the street.

Both of these shots were taken on Fifth Avenue with the Fuji 18mm lens (28mm equiv.). I'm really looking forward to receiving the 14mm lens when it's finally released, hopefully in a few weeks.

Nik Software/Fuji X-Pro1

I've been waiting for the announcements and pronouncements from the Photokina show in Europe. One in particular to which I've been looking forward is the firmware update for the Fuji X-Pro1 camera and lenses. That came through today. After the update I put the camera through its paces and I am pleased to be able to report that, albeit on a very limited basis, the update fixed quite a few problems - the one remaining issue is to make the auto ISO feature full functioning by allowing for the setting of a minimum shutter speed. The focus speed is greatly improved, and auto ISO 6400 has been added.

On a more discouraging note, Google announced that it was purchasing Nik Software. I dearly hope that Google uses some intelligence in allowing Nik free reign to continue its path of innovative development for photography software. The motive for Google's acquisition is rather transparent. They're after the Nik Snapseed product to compete with Facebook's integration with Instagram. That in itself is fine, to my mind Snapseed is lightyears ahead of Instagram. But does this mean the demise of the other Nik products upon which so many of us photographers depend? Only time will tell. There are other photography plugins marketed by On One software and Topaz. But they don't hold a candle to the brilliance of the Nik functionality, without which I wouldn't be able to produce images like this:

No pictures!

Fuji X-Pro1 Extraordinary Tonal Range

The Fuji X-Pro1's revolutionary sensor design has created some baffling problems for the tech wizards at Adobe - they can't seem to get a handle on how to interpret the RAW data from the sensor site configuration so that the pixel peepers are happy campers. I, however, not being one of them (pixel peeper, that is) have been quite satisfied, especially because most of my work gets converted to b/w.

I am usually quite happy with how the tonal range captured by the XP1 fits neatly into my processing workflow. I liked this shot very much but had not much expectation that the deep shadows on the girl's face would have enough detail because of the brightness of the scene and the direct blast of sunlight falling on her hair and shoulders. As I started to adjust the local contrast on her 'shady' side, I saw that the camera had captured all the details and they just popped into place.

Texting on West Broadway

Caught In The Act

The weather was beautiful in New York this weekend. Most of the tourists gone, leaving the streets to the denizens. SoHo was jumping with women hoping to be noticed in their fall fashions and itching to shop at the trendy clothing stores. Washington Square was buzzing with people who came out to recognize and commemorate the one year anniversary of the Occupy Wall Street Movement. New York was a paradise for streettogs (such as moi).

As sneaky as I try to be, sometimes I am caught in the act!

Melting Pot

Having the Fuji -Pro1 in hand (instead of the howitzer Nikon D700) has made shooting street so much  easier. Most of the time, when I'm on the move, I have the 18mm lens on the camera, but when I find an ideal spot to plop my tired old butt I can take a little time to swap out lenses. The Fuji 35mm lens has proven to be ideal for street portraits. In all the time I've had the M-mount adapter for my Leica lenses I've used it twice - the first day I was out on the street, just to try it out, and maybe one other time. I'm really looking forward to getting my hands on the new 14mm lens.

Tourist season in New York is almost over. It's been a big one, and most New Yorkers will breathe a sigh of relief as it passes. But for a streettog, having so many people from various cultures roaming the streets has been a cornucopia of opportunities.  I was sitting in my favorite (secret) spot yesterday and caught this young couple enjoying the sites.

Guess!

A beautiful day in the city .... temperature around 80ᴼF, light breeze, no humidity. It's fashion week in the city and there were model shoots going on all around Fifth Avenue. Lots of beautiful women trying out their new duds, but a few still celebrating summer.

Guess? Ummmmm .... REAL!   

Photography for the masses

In a recent article from the New York Times, James Estrin makes a point that with the advent of cellphone cameras and instagram, millions of very ordinary and common images have flooded the internet through Flickr, Facebook and other social media/photo sharing websites. And that many would-be photographers are crying 'What to do .... what to do?' fearing that their work will get buried in the mire of mediocrity (sometimes I just can't resist a little word fun). But he also makes the point that the coming of writing pads and pencils/pens to most of humanity did not result in a flood of Shakespeares or Miltons.

Actually, availability of the tools of creativity, no matter what the medium, has generally had the same effect on most people. When, having access pen and paper, musical instrument, high or low tech photography gear, etc., people try their hand at a craft, they can realize a much clearer understanding of how much effort is involved in manifesting artistic inspiration, and so doing can develop a much greater appreciation for those who have made the pursuit of their vision into a lifetime quest.

In other words, it can't hurt.

As I walked through Chinatown, Little Italy, SoHo, and the West Village today (it was a beautiful day for un flaneur) I saw all kinds of cameras hanging on necks and shoulders. Digital photography has made the medium wonderfully accessible to everyone - no bother developing film or printing in a darkroom - just click and play (on the computer). And I noticed quite a few streettogs lurking in dark shadows, waiting for the 'decisive moment'. Street photography is flourishing in New York City, which is probably one of the two or three greatest cities in the world in which to practice it.

I got lucky with this shot. But to get lucky as often as I do requires that I have my camera with me and ready to shoot all the time, that I have dedicated chunks of my time to do nothing but get out and shoot, and that I study my craft by poring over the works of the masters every chance I get.

'Whew, something smells fishy!'