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notreallymedia · 7 years

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How to choose a camera if you're an amateur filmmaker

Let's say, you're an amateur filmmaker. You watched a couple of good video tutorials on youtube or even participated in some short-term filmmaking courses. You want to start to shoot your movies, but there is one problem: you have no camera! Well, that sucks. Of course, you can use your smartphone or even old point-and-shoot camera (and actually they both can produce a decent image), but it wouldn't be that fancy and cinematic, right? So, it's time to get something new and shiny.

When you're new to the filmmaking industry, avoid cinema cameras

Even if you have an unlimited budget, please, don't buy expensive cinema camera first. Even cheap Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera won't be a good choice. It would be really hard to shoot, edit and color grade, especially when you have almost no experience. And you can't use them as a photo camera, in case you decide to give up on filmmaking or just want to take some shots of sunset at the sea. Also, I hope there is no need to tell you to not buy old film cameras, for obvious reasons.

So, it's time to state some limits and prerequisites. It should be a DSLR or Mirrorless system camera, with an ability to shoot video (preferably 4k) and decent stills. It wouldn't make a big difference, but it would be better to have both microphone input and headphones output. You'll need it to record some backup sound if for some reason main audio recorder failed to do its job. Few extra points for adjustable live-view screen. Everything else shouldn't bother beginner filmmaker, at least for quite some time.

I haven't used all these cameras, but tried a lot of them, and read/watch a huge amount of articles and video reviews with samples. All the Amazon links below are affiliated, so whenever you buy something using them, Amazon will pay a small fee to me. It costs nothing for you, but I hope I can pay bills for this website hosting out of the fees.

Cameras

Canon 200D

Entry level work horse from Canon. Pretty good choice if you don't have any experience with DSLRs. Of course, it doesn't have all the shiny new features, but enough for starter.

NameCanon 200D Microphone in+ Headphones out- Display articulation Full Lens MountCanon EF Crop Factor1.6 4k Support- Price< 600 Linkhttp://amzn.to/2F02wQd

Canon 80D

Decent camera, with crop sensor, but close to pro-level. As a modern and more expensive Canon model, it have really good autofocus. Most filmmakers doesn't use it yet, but I think they'll start do it soon, at least on commercial/music video shoots (like, everything that is not a feature film). At least Canon introduced this Dual AF technology to their new professional cinema cameras (e.g. C200). So it definitely worth to have it. Other cool feature is weather sealing, so you'll have one less thing to worry on a set.

NameCanon 80D Microphone in+ Headphones out+ Display articulation Full Lens MountCanon EF Crop Factor1.6 4k Support- Price< 1000€ Linkhttp://amzn.to/2EYCmxd

Canon 6D MkII

Most affordable full-frame from Canon. Actually, it seems like this is only one big difference from 80D. 6D MkII doesn't have 4k, doesn't have dual cards slot, and doesn't even include a magician, that will make all your videos perfect instantly. So yeah, only full-frame sensor as a benefit.

NameCanon 6D MkII Microphone in+ Headphones out+ Display articulation Full Lens MountCanon EF Crop Factor1 4k Support- Price Linkhttp://amzn.to/2F7liIv

Interlude

So, moving from Canon DSLRs to a mirrorless world. So without getting into technical details, mirrorless cameras don't have a mirror inside (what a surprise!). As a consequence, they a lighter, thinner, and don't have any optical viewfinder. That's all you need to know for a moment.

Panasonic G80

Nice and relatively cheap way to get 4K camera. It also comes with In Body Image Stabilisation (IBIS) technology. Which means that your footage will be less shaky. And if you also have lens with stabilisation, you won't need a steadycam or a gimbal (well, if it's not super high-paced action, you know, but usual tracking handheld shots will look smooth). But this camera have one big problem: it's not that good in low-light situations. You can't really use it beyond 800-1600 ISO. So take it into consideration. Also autofocus is shit.

NamePanasonic G80 Microphone in+ Headphones out- Display articulation Full Lens MountMicro 4/3 Crop Factor2 4k Support+ Price< 1000 Linkhttp://amzn.to/2F6OKhT

Panasonic GH5

The best 4k camera from under 2000 euros range. All the features of G80 (and also the same problems with low light and autofocus), plus ability to shoot in 10bit mode, log-gamma, 4:2:2 subsampling and all other magic words. If you don't know what they mean, it's okay, just know that this camera have way more features than you'll need (at least for the first year). I personally use this camera, and I love it. (Also this camera have weather-sealing, dual card slot and other stuff, that all professional cameras have)

NamePanasonic GH5 Microphone in+ Headphones out+ Display articulation Full Lens MountMicro 4/3 Crop Factor2 4k Support+ Price< 2000 Linkhttp://amzn.to/2EXOxu0

Sony A6300

Cheapest Sony mirrorless camera for filmmaker. It has basic 4K support, good autofocus and works decently in low-light situations. However, it has a problem with overheating in video mode (particularly in 4K). Also, it's quite small, and grip is not good.

NameSony a6300 Microphone in+ Headphones out- Display articulation Tilt Lens MountSony E Crop Factor1.6 4k Support+ Price< 1000 Linkhttp://amzn.to/2EXZrjv

Sony A6500

Better version of A6300. Sony added IBIS to this camera, and also tried to fix a lot of issues like overheating and grip. It wasn't fully fixed, but it's better now.

NameSony a6500 Microphone in+ Headphones out- Display articulation Tilt Lens MountSony E Crop Factor1.6 4k Support+ Price Linkhttp://amzn.to/2GLMaLq

Lenses

Now you've seen a lot of cameras and maybe even picked one to buy. Well, it's time to reconsider your choice. Cameras don't live in a vacuum, they need lenses to actually collect and focus the light on the sensor. Actually, it's better to invest in lenses, as they can serve you for quite a long time when cameras tend to get old quite fast.

So, what do you need to know about lenses? Well, I hope you know something, as I don't want to go deep into explanations. But let's take a moment and talk about features that filmmaker needs to think about while buying a lens, beside max aperture value and focal distance:

Prime or zoom. Primes are sharp, cheap (as individual lenses), and usually, have wider aperture. Zooms are more convenient, in terms of both usage and storage.

Autofocus or manual. Not everyone needs autofocus feature, and I haven't seen cheap cine lens with autofocus at all.

Photo or cine. For an amateur filmmaker the biggest difference between this two types of lenses will be the fact that cine lenses have way more precise manual focus and also an ability to change an aperture without clicks. Very neat features.

Also, the last but not least. If you really want to dive into cinema world, but don't initially buy Canon camera, it's still better to buy Canon EF lenses. Let me explain why. Good lenses cost a lot. Good full-frame lenses cost even more. Good full-frame cine lenses can be more expensive than a kidney. So it's good to use them for a long period of time. And if you buy lenses with Canon EF mount you can use them on Panasonic or Sony mirrorless cameras with adapter (like this or this). If you move to real cinema cameras, you can still use these lenses, because Canon EF mount is widespread on all levels of the cinematic world. But if you're on a budget, don't be shy and use native Panasonic/Sony lenses. They will be lighter, in almost all cases cheaper, and you can always sell them anyway.

Cheap photo autofocus primes

Canon

Wide: Canon EF 20mm f/2.8 ~500 Euro

Standard: Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 ~120 Euro

Tele: Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 ~400 Euro

Panasonic

Wide: Sigma 16mm f/1.4 ~450 Euro

Standard: Panasonic 25mm f/1.7 ~170 Euro

Tele: Panasonic 42.5 f/1.7 ~340 Euro

Sony

Wide: Sigma 16mm f/1.4 ~500 Euro

Standard: Sony FE 50mm f/1.8 ~230 Euro

Tele: Sony FE 85mm f/1.8 ~630 Euro

If you want to go really cheap, you can just take standard lens. Next option will be standard + wide. And the last one is all three.

Little bit more expensive autofocus photo zooms

Canon

Canon EF 24-70mm f/4L IS ~790 Euro

Panasonic

Panasonic 12-35mm f/2.8 ~910 Euro

Olympus 12-40 f/2.8 ~850 Euro

Sony

Sony 18-105mm f/4 ~530 Euro

Only one lens and all the basics are covered. But pay attention to aperture values.

Adapted old lenses

You can use old primes and zooms from film era to use with mirrorless (Panasonic and Sony) cameras. It would be really cheap, but will require search at Ebay and some amount of luck. Checkout "Vintage lenses for video" for further information.

(Almost) true cinema lenses from Samyang

Okay, let's look at actual cinema lenses. Actually, they are rehoused from manual photo lenses, but it doesn't matter for newbie. These Samyang (also known as Rokinon and Bower) lenses exist for every modern mount, so you can just choose 1-2-3-4 lenses with desired focal distance and you're good to go:

Samyang 16mm T2.2

Samyang 24mm T1.5

Samyang 35mm T1.5

Samyang 50mm T1.5

Samyang 85mm T1.5 (cheapest of them all)

Combine

The easiest way would be getting camera with kit lens. After a month or two of pain (as it will something like 18-55mm f/3.8-56 with plastic instead of glass) you'll know what exactly do you need. Usually, first choice after kit is standard lens (like canon 50mm f/1.8). Then something wide, then something tele. But it really depends on your needs, budget and amount of time you want to spend with camera.

Conclusion

In this article, I've tried to cover only camera side of filmmaking. Of course, if you're an indy filmmaker you'll also need to buy sound and light equipment on your own, but that's another big story, that I can cover later. Tell me in the comments section, have you found this article helpful, and do you want to see any more posts on this matter. Good luck and have fun on your filmmaker's path.

#filmmaking #advice #review

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lorrainecparker · 7 years

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Canon EOS M50: finally, 4K for the masses

With 4K, 120fps HD, a better Dual Pixel AF, DIGIC 8, a new CR3 14-bit RAW file format, touchscreen and EVF in a body showing its DSLR heritage, the EOS M50 looks like Canon’s “test bed” of the 4K market.

Long before the official announcement, the specifications – most of them – were already known, discussed, and the subject of a thousand interpretations. There seems to be a common note, though: the M50, although positioned below the M5 on the family line, appears to be a camera where Canon – finally – invested to create a serious 4K video machine. It may not be for the professionals – for whom Canon has other models and lines they will continue to protect – but as a vlogging machine, it is, no doubt, an interesting option, even more so at the price announced: $779.

Before we move into the specifications of the camera, it’s important to note that Canon has said, for a long time, that the company would only introduce a 4K camera for the general public when they felt the time was right. In fact, despite the introduction of the XC10 in 2015 and the XC15 in 2016, which, anyway, were not for everybody, 4K has been absent from Canon’s plans, except for some high-end EOS DSLRs… and their Cinema EOS models.

While almost every other company has introduced 4K in models from compacts to mirrorless, Canon seemed to be ignorant of the trend. The EOS M50 suggests, many seem to agree now, they were not, they simply took time to design a camera that, although it looks like a model to test the market, points to a market Canon has been courting for quite some time: vloggers. In fact, the M50 has the features – together with a Vari-angle LCD – to attract vloggers and anyone who wants a Canon 4K video camera to take everywhere. That might be the public for this model, if we consider Canon loves to design cameras for specific targets.

Together with the EOS M50 Canon introduces two new DSLR cameras, EOS 2000D and EOS 4000D that confirm the company continues to follow the same path: there is nothing new about those models, they just keep the entry-level segment of the market rolling. And while some new DSLRs are expected, like a new 7D and a 90D, there is no indication, yet, that they will offer 4K video. Although they might…

The EOS M50 now announced means a good start for Canon in terms of mirrorless cameras offering 4K, but the model is more than that. It is, in fact, a “test-bed” for some new features that, no doubt, will make it to more Canon cameras in the future. It is common practice for the company to first test some technologies in a model before moving them across the different lines. One example is the Dual Pixel CMOS AF, introduced with the EOS 70D DSLRs, first received as “nothing special” and now present in almost all new cameras, from the top of the line Cinema EOS models to DSLRs and other cameras within the Canon family.

New Dual Pixel CMOS AF, new RAW

Dual Pixel CMOS AF has been evolving for some time now, and the EOS M50 is the first sign of the most recent development. This version offers complete vertical coverage (100%) and 88% on the wide side, in live view – with some lenses -, a gain of some 38% in terms of AF coverage, something that will be most welcome and make the system even more flexible to work with. Since DPAF introduction in the EOS 70D, Canon has developed the system further, and this may be the sign of things to come for future cameras, from the Cinema EOS models to DSLRs, mirrorless or compacts. For many users, and that includes professional cinematographers, it represents a key feature in terms of AF.

If you add to Dual Pixel CMOS AF the fact that you control everything from the Vari-Angle touchscreen, including, for the M50, the Touch and Drag AF function, allowing for instinctive and seamless autofocus point adjustment without taking your eye away from the viewfinder, the first 4K mirrorless from Canon starts to make some sense. The large centrally mounted electronic viewfinder – DSLR-style – allows those used to a traditional shooting experience to control things the way they prefer, while the large 7.5 cm Vari-Angle allows users to explore a variety of shooting angles, take selfies and easily record vlogs, a segment of the market this camera seems adequate for.

Canon is also introducing CR3, its new 14-bit RAW file format, confirming the M50 placement as a test camera for new things. No one knows exactly, yet, why the change in name, but this is nothing new. Canon’s initial RAW was named CRW, and was used until 2004, when new cameras started using the CR2, apparently because it was better. It may well be the case here. The new format, in fact, also comes with another surprise, a new C-RAW option that creates full resolution RAW files whilst saving approximately 30 to 40% on the file size of standard RAW files. Besides whatever gains in quality CR3 may bring, the C-RAW option also means that the number of images that can be stored inside a memory will increase, all this while still retaining the flexibility of RAW images.

4K and the power of the new DIGIC 8

Being the stage where a lot of new technologies, more evolutionary than revolutionary, one could say, are introduced, the Canon EOS M50 is announced as the “perfect choice” for smartphone and compact camera photographers aspiring to explore new frontiers, with a camera that gives them more creative freedom associated with a new 24.1 Megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor that seems to be directly related to the introduction of 4K. It’s an interesting proposition, especially when Canon has, time after time, negated that 4K was needed, and never used it in the enthusiast and advanced DSLR models, like the EOS 80D, where it was expected. Since 2015, in fact, that the market has been waiting for Canon to follow the same path as other companies. Why now, and with a camera that is not even the top of its family?

The answer may be in Canon’s tendency to first try new tech in entry or middle-level models. There is also another probable reason: the time it took to develop the DIGIC 8 image processor, which makes its debut with the EOS M50. The new processor is said to have a power similar to the DIGIC6+ used on the EOS 5D Mark IV, which was needed to make it possible to shoot video with that camera. The EOS 5D Mark IV can record 4K 25p/30p as well as recording in the high frame rate of HD 100p/119.9fps. Numbers very similar to the EOS M 50, which offers 4K at 24p/25p and up to 120 frames per second HD movie capture. The new processor is also responsible for the 4K time-lapse and 4K frame grabs from 4K movies. It is not hard to imagine that Canon has a DIGIC8+ image processor to use on future professional cameras…

A camera for the social media crowd

The actual DIGIC 8 does more things, though: it also allows for a fast continuous shooting speed and a standard maximum ISO of 25,600. The image processor also supports a wide range of improvements in autofocus, Auto Lighting Optimiser, Digital Lens Optimiser and Highlight Tone Priority, for superb high-quality images ready to share straight from the camera, something that seems to be essential for a new generation of users, who always want to send their most recent images to social networks.

Aware of the needs of this new generation, Canon designed the EOS M50 so it integrates effortlessly with smart devices, using the free Canon Camera Connect app for iOS and Android. A constant low energy Bluetooth connection allows a smart device to ‘wake up’ the camera, perform remote triggering, and facilitates a simple switch to Wi-Fi for remote Live View shooting and transferring images.

According to Canon, “photos and videos can be transferred from the camera to smart devices automatically for easy sharing on social media sites, making the step from capturing to sharing with the world seamless. In addition, content can be cloud stored to Canon Irista or synced automatically and wirelessly to PCs and Macs with Canon’s Image Transfer Utility 2 installed.”

A whole family of lenses

In terms of lenses, the EOS M50 uses the EF-M family of lenses, which now has a total of seven lenses, covering everything from 11mm to 200mm (or 17.6 to 320mm, if you consider the 1.6x crop and the relation to 35mm), through five-zooms and two prime lenses. But if you don’t mind using the Mount Adapter EF-EOS M, the choice of lens is substantially larger, as the EOS M50 is compatible with over 80 EF and EF-S interchangeable lenses.

The camera will be available, body only, for the suggested price of $779, or with the kit lens EF-M 15-45mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM (24-72mm equivalent focal length) for $899. There is also reference to a zoom lens kit for $1249, which will include the EF-M 55–200 mm f/4.5–6.3 IS STM (88-320mm equivalent focal length).

The wide choice of lenses means that, independently of your interests, you are served. And if you already own Canon gear, then the adapter is all you need to fully explore the new camera. For photographers, the EOS M50 also offers a hot shoe that allows simple connection of Canon’s Speedlite flashes. Those interested in video will appreciate the presence of a 3.5mm mic input for connecting a dedicated microphone such as Canon’s Directional Stereo Microphone DM-E1. There is no connection for headphones, but that’s probably something that the crowd Canon seems to aim the camera to – vloggers – will not miss.

Repeating the EOS 300D story

The ability to capture action with a fast 10fps continuous shooting, the first time this has been achieved in a Canon mirrorless camera (the M5 stops at 9fps…) with 7.1 fps with continuous AF, integrate the list of specifications for the EOS M50. 5 Axis Electronic Image Stabilizer is present, for video, along with Dual Sensing IS, a technology introduced with the Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark II in February 2016. The system takes into account the data on the amount of camera shake obtained from the image data collected by the CMOS sensor and works to counteract not only camera shake but also the slow but significant shaking from body movement for easy handheld shooting in lowlight.

With the much requested 4K (with a 1.6x crop, meaning you use the central area of the sensor), an improved Dual Pixel CMOS AF (albeit not working in 4K… for that you will have to wait for the M5 MK II or maybe the EOS 90D), Vari-Angle LCD, EVF and Canon colour, besides some other features, like a “silent mode” for photography, and HDMI HDR output compatibility, the Canon EOS M50 may be the first real step from the company to conquer a slice of the mirrorless 4K market. It may not be the camera for everybody, but it seems to represent a starting point from where Canon can implement the new technologies, now only in new mirrorless models – probably an M5 MK II? – but to other future cameras. Price wise it seems to want to repeat the same story we saw with the EOS 300D. Not bad for a “first step” in 4K, but as said earlier, this is not a camera for everyone. And the lack of Dual Pixel CMOS AF at 4K, where you are back to contrast AF, together with the 4K crop, makes it less appealing to a lot of people.

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thephoblographer · 7 years

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The Fujifilm X-E3 will have what most photographers need in a rangefinder style camera body.

When the Fujifilm X-E3 was announced, I was both hopeful and optimistic. You see, I wasn’t a big fan of the previous iteration: the Fujifilm X-E2s. It was more or less just a Fujifilm X Pro 1 without the OVF option. But with the Fujifilm X-E3 you get a lot of what the Fujifilm X Pro 2 offers without the weather sealing and the OVF. But the cameras share the same 24MP APS-C X Trans sensor, autofocus system (for the most part) 4K video (with firmware updates) and functionality. The biggest differences though come with the ergonomics and how those translate into ease of use. The Fujifilm X-E3 is the first ILC camera in Fujifilm’s lineup to really use the touchscreen. I did a video about this feature a while back and even now I find it fairly difficult to use. It isn’t the most responsive and it’s the absolute best and fastest way to access some settings quickly. For example, the Fujifilm X-E3 doesn’t have the X Pro 2’s dual ISO and shutter speed dial, and instead you need to assign it to a function button or use the screen.

While the Fujifilm X-E3 is a solid performer all around though, photographers who prefer the feel and operation of the Fujifilm X Pro 2 will probably not be happy here.

Pros and Cons

Pros

Great battery life

Wifi

Very fast autofocus

Touchscreen

Simple interface, perhaps too simple

Feels nice in the hands

Same great image quality as the other cameras

Cons

Touchscreen can be a pain to use

Ports for video shooting are or more less useless. For anyone that says that that doesn’t matter, you should know that there’s a strong case for Fujifilm to do this if they’re making cinema lenses. A headphone jack and a standard microphone jack will go a long way with Fujifilm’s film simulations.

It’s about time that Fujifilm implements an image stabilized sensor

Face and eye detection tends to suffer a bit in low lighting

Gear Used

We tested the Fujifilm X-E3 with the Fujifilm 23mm f1.4 X lens.

Specs taken from our press release coverage

24.3MP APS-C X-Trans CMOS III sensor

X-Processor Pro

Start-up time of 0.4sec

Ultra-fast AF speed of 0.06sec

Offers 5.0fps live-view shooting

Shutter time lag of 0.050sec

Shooting interval of 0.25sec

3.0 inch 1.04M-dot static TFT color LCD touchscreen monitor

Upgraded AF tracking performance

Newly developed image recognition algorithm to track moving subjects up to half the size, or moving twice as fast as previous models.

4K video can be recorded at [3840 x 2160] 29.97p, 25p, 24p, 23.98P, 100Mbps

Continuous recording: up to approximately 10min

Full HD video can be recorded at 59.94 fps, 50 fps, 29.97 fps, 25 fps, 24 fps and 23.98 fps, and with Film Simulation effects

Video can be outputted to external monitor via the HDMI port and input audio from an external microphone

Easily connect to external HDMI monitor and turn on HDMI Rec Control to automatically enable a clean HDMI output when the camera’s shutter release button is pressed

Touch AF to change the focus area and refocusing according to subject movement functions in video recording

25 high-performance FUJINON X Mount lenses for ultimate versatility

Bluetooth® low energy wireless communication to pair the camera with a smartphone or tablet device for easy transfer of pictures

Free FUJIFILM Camera Remote app for Remote Control function

Ergonomics

Taken from our first impressions blog post

If you’re using the Fujifilm XE3 then one of the first things you’ll notice about it is its ode to classic rangefinders in regards to the design. It’s very simple on the front with the camera incorporating a setting dial and a focus selection switch. Otherwise, it’s pretty minimal. The Fujifilm X-E3 uses an APS-C sensor.

Turn to the top of the Fujifilm X-E3 and you’ll spot more dials. There is an exposure compensation dial, a function button which you may assign to ISO control, a shutter speed dial, on/off switch, shutter release, auto or not switch, and the hot shoe. One of the things I really need to get used to is the auto or not switch. I understand why Fujifilm would want it there, but I personally scoff at it.

On the back of the Fujifilm X-E3 you’ll spot an extreme lack of buttons. There are indeed some controls and buttons, but most of the back of the Fujifilm X-E3 is dominated by the touchscreen LCD. Then there’s the viewfinder for the camera.

Build Quality

When you hold the Fujifilm X-E3 you hold a camera that doesn’t feel as retro as many of Fujifilm’s other cameras. Instead, it feels a whole lot more modern. This is due to the way that the touchscreen is designed and how the overall camera feels in the hand. Of course, the dials are still there, but the overall ergonomics aren’t. For example, there isn’t really a nice place to put your thumb unlike the other cameras. While there is a bit of a grip for your thumb, it isn’t as pronounced as the other cameras. It also isn’t weather sealed. However, if you don’t care about any of those, then the Fujifilm X-E3 will be just fine for you. It’s lightweight, but doesn’t feel cheaply built. Instead, it feels like a nice, non professional camera.

Ease of Use

I’m purposely sharing this video because I still feel strongly about the issue of the touchscreen. Even after I learned that you need to quickly swipe your finger across the screen to get to specific settings, I still found it faulty. For example, if the camera is being held by both hands, it’s difficult to swipe your thumb across and still maintain a good hold on the camera. Of course, you can always just hold it and swipe. But if your eye is to the viewfinder and you try to swipe the screen, you won’t get a great experience and more often than not you probably won’t be able to do it quickly and ergonomically enough with your thumb. While I completely praise Fujifilm for implementing this really fantastic feature, it needs work.

Hopefully Fujifilm will fix this with firmware updates. For example, it would be very nice to contain the swiping to only a part of the screen. Then again, I also just really miss the tactile controls instead.

Metering

The Fujifilm X-E3 more or less follows the laws of Sunny 16. In my tests though, I found that the Fujifilm X-E3 wants you to underexpose your images by just a bit. This is standard for most digital cameras.

Autofocus

Now here is perhaps the Fujifilm X-E3’s best feature: its autofocus. This is, by a hair, some of the fastest and best autofocus that I’ve seen from Fujifilm’s cameras. It’s accurate most of the time as long as your subject isn’t moving. If your subject moves, then you’re pretty out of luck when it comes to tracking. Fujifilm’s XT2 and X Pro 2 are a bit better at this though. With that said, I’d probably use the autofocus for street photography, but I’d be much better off using the lens with zone focusing.

Where the Fujifilm X-E3 also suffers I feel is in low lighting. The camera has the ability to focus on both faces and get eye detection. But in every situation that I shot in, the eye detection didn’t really work in low lighting. That’s unfortunate too.

Image Quality

Before I go into the image quality, I want to share an unedited video sample from the Fujifilm X-E3. It can output really nice video, but there are issues with rolling shutter, onboard audio, ports, and for some odd reason Fujifilm hasn’t implemented an image stabilized sensor yet. You see, of any APS-C or Four Thirds camera out there, I genuinely feel like the video offered from the Fujifilm X-E3 is the most beautiful. In fact, I’d easily use it over any Sony full frame camera because it’s easier to get a subject in focus. Plus Fujifilm’s lenses are fantastic. But that look isn’t enough despite how gorgeous cinematic Astia and Acros are.

In order for Fujifilm to create a true workhorse camera (and the X Pro 2 and XT2 come close) they’ll need to fix these issues. Again, lots of photographers may just buy this for the stills feature, but if you’re a working photographer then you obviously care at least a bit about video.

As for the stills though, there’s really nothing to whine about with the Fujifilm X-E3. The versatility is fantastic, the colors are wonderful, and the high ISO output is also very good as long as you give the exposure a bit more light than you normally would. In this way, I really want to liken it to shooting film.

JPEG Output

I found the JPEG output of the Fujifilm X-E3 to be incredibly nice as always. Fujifilm has always had this nailed down. But personally for me, it comes down to the lenses. I feel like you’ll get the most film-like images using Fujifilm’s F1.4 lenses vs their f2 weather sealed primes. And as it is, this sensor still isn’t as film-like as the 16MP sensor was. If you’re shooting a photo and throwing it up on Instagram though, know that your JPEGs will be more than sufficient.

RAW File Versatility

Here’s an image shot at 3200K tungsten. Below is an image shot at 5600K daylight.

As you can see the sensor is highly capable of getting both good colors and in retaining a lot of details. Fujifilm’s X Trans sensors have always been better than Sony’s at that.

High ISO Output

The Fujifilm X-E3 has fantastic renderings at ISO 6400. But I’d probably only print the images at up to 1600 and not go any higher. Even then, I’d need to ensure that the camera is overexposed. If you’re a film shooter, then you should use the Fujifilm X-E3 at higher ISOs in the same way that you would shoot with negative film. For example, Fujifilm Superia 1600 should be really rated at ISO 800 and developed at 1600. It will give the sensor more light. With that said, the faster lenses are much better for use with the Fujifilm X-E3.

Extra Image Samples

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Conclusions

Likes

Image quality

This shows a much different side of Fujifilm that I’m really happy with. They’re continuing to innovate

Dislikes

These innovations still need work

As a stills camera, the Fujifilm X-E3 is really great. There’s absolutely nothing to complain about. But instead the complains come to some of the new features. There needs to be improvement with the touchscreen and there also needs to be improvement with the video features. Fujifilm’s autofocus is also really good in most lighting situations, but here it isn’t that easy. You can instead manually move the AF point, but in really candid and quick situations you’ll find that the focusing may slow you down instead when it comes to low lighting. In the majority of shooting situations though, the Fujifilm X-E3 will be a great camera. But I’m of the belief that you should really just go for the higher end models if you really want to take your photography seriously. If you’re just a pure hobbyist though, then the Fujifilm X-E3 will suit your needs just fine.

The Fujifilm X-E3 receives four out of five stars. Want one? Check out Amazon for the latest prices.

If you just want a stills camera, then the Fujifilm X-E3 is fantastic. If you want more, wait for the firmware updates. The Fujifilm X-E3 will have what most photographers need in a rangefinder style camera body. When the Fujifilm X-E3 was announced, I was both hopeful and optimistic.

#autofocus #build quality #colors #fujifilm #Fujifilm X-E3 #high iso #image quality #lenses #raw files #touchscreen

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studiobcamerarentals · 8 years

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Top Ten Most Rented Items of 2016

We’re as happy as everyone else that 2016 is finally over, but we’re also excited to look back and take stock of what was yet another successful year in rentals. We ran the numbers and pulled our top ten most rented items of the year, judging by quantity of rentals in the context of respective equipment categories.

One note: we left out grip equipment here, because c-stands, sandbags, stingers and the like never go out of style, (and would dominate the list). So besides that, and in no particular order, here are the top ten most rented items of 2016:

Sony a7Sii

No surprise that Sony’s new mirrorless camera made the list after they took the amazing low-light performance of original a7S and added internal 4k recording.

Lectrosonics Wireless Lavalier Kit

A must-have for any audio recording with on-screen talent. No wires to deal with, no interference or drop-outs, and top-quality audio with Sanken lavalier mics.

DJI Ronin

Gimbal stabilization continues to be one of the easiest ways to get beautiful camera movement, and the Ronin can hold any camera from a DSLR up to a Red Weapon.

Sennheiser 416

Our most popular shotgun mic rental—you can’t go wrong with the industry standard since the 70’s.

V-Mount Batteries

We send out Blueshape V-Mounts with many of our digital cinema cameras and LED panels, but they’re also a popular rental on their own to power any personal gear.

Zeiss ZE Cine Mod Lenses

Fast, sharp, and custom cine-modded to perform like more expensive cinema primes, these lenses are great rentals individually or as a full set of six.

Kino Flo Diva

Compact but powerful and versatile, it’s no surprise the Divas made the list as our most rented lighting option.

Canon 24-70mm

The L-series 24-70mm was an easy bet to be our most popular lens rental. It’s just so versatile and you can’t beat the f/2.8 aperture at that zoom range.

Cartoni Focus 100 Tripod

While all of our tripod options are popular rentals, the Cartoni Focus 100 go out the most due to their combination of a smooth 100mm ball head with lightweight but sturdy legs.

Canon C300mkii

Last but not least, 2016’s most popular cinema camera rental. The C300mkII beat out the FS7, perhaps due to easier menus and buttons, Canon’s beautiful color science, autofocus options, and the hefty retail price tag that makes it a great rental.

The post Top Ten Most Rented Items of 2016 appeared first on Studio B Camera Rentals.

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karingottschalk · 4 years

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Philip Bloom: Can you TRUST the FUJI X-T4 video AUTOFOCUS? – Commentary

Philip Bloom:

This isn’t a review of the excellent Fujifilm X-T4 but a detailed look at whether the improved autofocus abilities over the X-T3 get close to the superb AF of the Sony and Canon mirrorless cameras.

Fujifilm X-T4 with Fujifilm VG-XT4 Vertical Battery grip and Fujinon XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4.0 R LM OIS kit zoom lens. The battery grip is…

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#autofocus #ciné lenses #ciné prime lenses #ciné zoom lenses #cinema lenses #cinema prime lenses #cinema zoom lenses #Fujifilm X-T4 #manual focusing #Philip Bloom #Super 35 #Super 35/APS-C

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karingottschalk · 4 years

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youtube

“Is the Fujifilm X-T4 the king of APS-C cameras? We have the answer!…”

Fujifilm X-T4 with Fujinon XF 16-55mm f/2.8 R LM WR zoom lens.

Commentary

One design inspiration for Fujifilm’s X-T4? Leica Leicaflex SL with Summicron-R 50mm f/2.0, made in 1968. The SL2 is considered one of the best analog-era 35mm SLRs.

I missed out to seeing a pre-production Fujifilm X-4 at Fujifilm Australia’s event at Ted’s World of Imaging earlier this year when COVID-19 struck home and I could not attend due to highly susceptible family members.

Such touch-and-try preview events can be useful but production versions are the real deal when it comes to assessing potential new hardware purchases.

DPReview is in prime position for obtaining early production releases and recently published its two-hander video review of the Fujifilm X-T4 alongside an in-depth text review plus image gallery.

A cursory skim through confirms my initial assessment of the desirability of the X-T4 for documentary stills photography and video production as an independent self-funded practitioner without the means to acquire every bit of hardware that comes down the turnpike, so I will be forgoing an X-T4 unless circumstances change.

Should some of us wait for the X-H2? Fujifilm X-H1 with VPB-XH1 battery grip and Fujinon XF 16-55mm f/2.8 R LM WR professional zoom lens.

Or we just might win the lottery. Ha!

COVID-19 and its worldwide economic havoc and consequent uncertainty for independent creatives means more belt-tightening and skipping over new models while trying to get the best out of past purchases.

There is plenty to like about the X-T4 for stills and video, especially video, and it is clearly one of the current best options for available light documentary work in either.

It is excellent to see that Fujifilm has now entered the small camera IBIS era (in-body image stabilization) and is reportedly approaching the IBIS in Panasonic’s Lumix DC-GH5, DC-G9 and S-Series 35mm cameras such as the Lumix DC-S1H, DC-S1 and DC-S1R.

Cinematographer, director, producer, writer Emily Skye of She Wolf Films production company with Panasonic Lumix DC-GH5 camera.

Some reviewers are speculating that Fujifilm may issue firmware updates to improve the X-T4’s IBIS, and that will be quite an achievement if they do so.

I have the most experience with the GH5’s stabilization in combination with non-stabilized autofocus lenses like those in Olympus’ M.Zuiko Pro range as well as manual-focus vintage lenses of East German design and German or Japanese manufacture, and can testify to the camera’s excellent IBIS for stills and video.

My baptism into the joys of IBIS occurred with my still-beloved Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX8 during a vacation away from Fujifilm cameras when the company had yet to get its head round video.

Australian photojournalist Daniel Berehulak using Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX8’s fully articulated LCD monitor. Now we have full articulation in the X-T4!

The GX8 has an earlier, stills-only version of IBIS than the GH5, but I soon discovered how useful, essential even, stabilization is for available darkness documentary work and I cannot imagine ever going back to non-stabilized cameras or at least non-stabilized lenses on such cameras.

Subsequently I picked up a copy of the legendary though often overlooked Panasonic Lumix G Vario 12-32mm f/3.5-5.6 Aspheric Mega OIS stabilized zoom lens and would have added the equally impressive Panasonic Lumix G Vario 35-100mm f/4-5.6 Aspheric Mega OIS zoom, had I found a secondhand copy at a good price at the time.

Panasonic DMW-XLR1 Microphone Adapter for Panasonic Lumix G and S-Series cameras. Fujifilm needs to make one of these for its more video-oriented cameras.

Without the pleasure of access to a production version of the Fujifilm X-T4, I am reluctant to express any opinions about it here so have added links to articles by well-qualified reviewers in the list of links below.

Fujifilm X-T4

Fujifilm X-T4 with Fujifilm VG-XT4 Vertical Battery grip and Fujinon XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4.0 R LM OIS kit zoom lens.

Fujifilm X-T4 with Fujifilm VG-XT4 Vertical Battery grip containing Fujifilm’s new larger NP-W235 Lithium-Ion batteries.

Fujifilm X-T4 with Fujifilm VG-XT4 Vertical Battery grip and Fujinon XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4.0 R LM OIS kit zoom lens, in portrait or vertical orientation.

Fujifilm X-T4 with vari-angle LCD monitor swung out.

Fujifilm X-T4 with Vario-angle LCD monitor in closed position, excellent for protecting the monitor when not needed.

Fujifilm X-T4 with Fujinon XF 16-80mm f/4.0 R OIS WR zoom lens.

Fujifilm NP-W235 Lithium-Ion Battery, rated at 7.2V, 2200mAh, much improved over the smaller batteries for the X-T3, X-Pro3 and other, older models.

Fujifilm BC-W235 Dual Battery Charger enables charging two NP-W235 batteries at the same time.

The Fujifilm X-T4 for moviemaking

Fujifilm X-T4 rigged for video production. Image courtesy of Fujifilm-X.com.

Links

Camera Labs – Fujifilm XT4 review

DPReview – DPReview TV: Fujifilm X-T4 review

DPReview – Fujifilm interview: ‘We will get through this crisis together’

DPReview – Fujifilm X-T4 full-production sample gallery

DPReview – Fujifilm X-T4 review

DPReview – Fujifilm X-T4 Review: Hands-on with Fujifilm’s newest flagship camera – video

DPReview – Fujifilm X-T4 vs X-H1: should you upgrade or hunt for a bargain?

DPReview – Fujifilm X-T4 vs X-T3: Which should I buy – and is it worth upgrading?

EOSHD.com – Canon 1D X Mark III Review // Filmmaking, video and cinema camera. Get the Fuji X-T4 instead?

Fuji Rumors – DPRTV Fujifilm X-T4 Review: “One of the Best Hybrid Cameras, But if You are a Video Shooter, Maybe Wait for Fujifilm X-H2” – excellent summary of major posts in the video.

Fujifilm-X – X-T4

jonasrask|photography – Fujifilm X-T4 first look preview – Closer to technical bliss.

News Shooter – Fujifilm X-T4 improves on an already solid camera

She Wolf Films – cinematographer, director, producer, writer Emily Skye’s production company.

Thomas Fitzgerald Photography – Thoughts on the Fuji X-T4

DPReview: Fujifilm X-T4 Review: Hands-on with Fujifilm’s newest flagship camera – Commentary "Is the Fujifilm X-T4 the king of APS-C cameras? We have the answer!..." Commentary I missed out to seeing a pre-production…

#dpreview.com #Fujifilm X-T4

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karingottschalk · 6 years

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https://www.imaging-resource.com/news/2018/05/11/olympus-17mm-f-1.2-pro-lens-review-best-wide-angle-for-micro-four-thirds

“Having earned the top spot as our Best Wide Angle Prime of 2017 in our annual Lens of the Year awards, we’ve now finalized our lab testing of the Olympus 17mm f/1.2 Pro lens. This 35mm-eq. wide-angle prime lens is undoubtedly a professional-level optic that offers excellent performance. Image quality is spectacular, even at f/1.2, with very low distortion and low chromatic aberration….”

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 17mm f/1.2 Pro professional-quality Micro Four Thirds prime lens with manual clutch focus rings drawn back for accurate, repeatable manual focussing at a quarter turn to go from infinity to closest focusing distance, excellent for stills photography and video production on hybrid cameras and cinema cameras.

The Olympus M.Zuiko Pro lens line-up as of late October 2017.

Commentary

With the coming release of Blackmagic Design’s Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K aka BMPCC 4K aka P4K later this year, along with the already-released Panasonic Lumix DC-GH5 IBIS hybrid 4K stills/video camera and the Panasonic Lumix DC-GH5S high-end compact 4K video camera, attention is on affordable yet high-end professional-quality lenses capable of delivering excellent results whether manually-focussed or used with those cameras’ autofocus functionality if they have it.

After trying out prime and zoom optics from several ranges of Micro Four Thirds lenses, I have chosen to invest in Olympus’ M.Zuiko Pro range and will be adding more as availability and finances permit.

My documentary photography and moviemaking work demands gear that can withstand years of use and potentially challenging environments without succumbing, and the weather resistance, durability, quality and relative low weight and size put the M.Zuiko Pro lens range in the frame.

It is hardly surprising that the folks at Imaging Resource awarded their Best Wide Angle Prime of 2017 plaudit to the Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 17mm f/1.2 Pro lens.

I have yet to have the pleasure of trying one out due to apparent local supply problems, but the Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 17mm f/1.2 Pro is at the top of my lens wish list along with its 45mm and 25mm stablemates as well as the 5-stop image-stablized Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-100mm f/4 IS Pro zoom lens followed by the Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 7-14mm f/2.8 Pro wideangle zoom.

I will be adding Xume fast-on, fast-off filter holders, Breakthrough Photography brass knurled step-up rings and UV protection filters, and a full set of top-quality variable and fixed ND filters to my kit in the 82mm and 105mm sizes soon.

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 17mm f/1.2 Pro

Screenshot from the Olympus 2018 financial report.

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 17mm f/1.2 Pro, Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 25mm f/1.2 Pro and Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 45mm f/1.2 Pro professional prime lenses.

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 17mm f/1.2 Pro lens. Not shown in this photograph: retracting the focus ring activates the lens’ manual cutch focus mechanism, allowing for fast, accurate, repeatable focussing and focus pulling.

The M.Zuiko Pro 17mm f/1.2 on an Olympus Pen-F, probably not much larger or heavier than, say, the popular 12-40mm f/2.8 zoom lens.

Links

4/3 Rumors – Olympus financial report discloses Olympus will keep focusing on high end mirrorless

Blackmagic Design – Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K

Imaging Resource – Olympus 17mm f/1.2 Pro Lens Review: The best wide-angle prime for Micro Four Thirds

Olympus Global – M.Zuiko Pro

STC Optical & Chemical – Screw-in Lens Adapter For Olympus 7-14mm F2.8

Help support ‘Untitled’

Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K (BMPCC 4K) with Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-40mm f/2.8 Pro zoom lens with manual clutch focus, great for manual focussing. I like the longer image-stabilized Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-100mm f/4.0 IS Pro zoom for available light daily walkabout needs for video and stills.

Clicking on these affiliate links and purchasing through them helps us continue our work for ‘Untitled: Stories of Creativity, Innovation, Success’.

Blackmagic Design Pocket Cinema Camera 4K – B&H

Breakthrough Photography X4 UV and ND filters – B&H

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 7-14mm f/2.8 PRO Lens – B&H

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 8mm f/1.8 Fisheye PRO Lens – B&H

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-40mm f/2.8 PRO Lens – B&H

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-100mm f/4 IS PRO Lens – B&H

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 17mm f/1.2 PRO Lens – B&H

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 25mm f/1.2 PRO Lens – B&H

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 40-150mm f/2.8 PRO Lens – B&H

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 45mm f/1.2 PRO Lens – B&H

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 300mm f/4 IS PRO Lens – B&H

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital MC-14 1.4x Teleconverter – B&H

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH4 Mirrorless Micro Four Thirds Digital Camera – B&H

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX8 Mirrorless Micro Four Thirds Digital Camera – B&H

Panasonic Lumix DC-G9 Mirrorless Micro Four Thirds Digital Camera (Body Only) – B&H

Panasonic Lumix DC-GH5 Mirrorless Micro Four Thirds Digital Camera – B&H

Panasonic Lumix DC-GH5S Mirrorless Micro Four Thirds Digital Camera – B&H

Xume – B&H

Imaging Resource: Olympus 17mm f/1.2 Pro Lens Review: The best wide-angle prime for Micro Four Thirds "Having earned the top spot as our Best Wide Angle Prime of 2017 in our annual Lens of the Year awards, we've now finalized our lab testing of the…

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karingottschalk · 4 years

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https://www.fujirumors.com/vote-now-the-sigma-lens-you-want-for-fujifilm-x/

In a recent interview, Top Fujifilm manager Toshihisa Iida said that Fujifilm is opening X mount to third parties, and that Tokina will be the first company to offer autofocus lenses for the Fujifilm X system….

Fujifilm X-T4 with Fujifilm VG-XT4 Vertical Battery grip and Fujinon XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4.0 R LM OIS kit zoom lens.

Fujifilm X-Pro 3 with MHG-XPRO3 grip and Fujinon XF 35mm f/2.0 R WR prime lens.

Fujifilm X-H1 with VPB-XH1 battery grip and Fujinon XF 16-55mm f/2.8 R LM WR professional zoom lens.

I have placed my vote for the two current Sigma APS-C lenses most want the company to redesign and make for Fujifilm X-Mount cameras, and if more than two votes were permitted by Patrick DiVino’s survey then I would vote for several more.

The two Sigma APS-C zoom lenses I most want to see redesigned for Fujifilm X-Series cameras

Sigma 18-35mm F1.8 DC HSM | A APS-C zoom lens.

Sigma 50-100mm F1.8 DC HSM | A APS-C zoom lens.

There is little doubt that these two APS-C/Super 35 zoom lenses have proven popular amongst users of a range of camera systems and sensor formats for stills photography and video, whether adapted or in native mount versions.

Australian cinematographer/director Paul Leeming with his Blackmagic Design Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K, 8Sinn cage and Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 Art zoom lens attached with Metabones Speed Booster EF-to-MFT adapter.

The Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM Art zoom is the most popular of the two and is often seen in use in its Canon EF-mount version attached to cameras made by Blackmagic Design, Panasonic and Fujifilm via adapter or natively.

The lens is designed for APS-C/Super 35 sensor-equipped cameras, and is currently available in Canon EF, Nikon F, Pentax K, Sigma SA and Sony A mount.

Both Art lenses are also made in three-gear cinematography versions in Arri PL, Canon EF and Sony E mounts, available for purchase at B&H separately or as a pair with customised hard case.

Both lenses are also available at B&H as a kit for Sony E-mount cameras with Sigma MC-11 Mount Convertor /Lens Adapter to convert Canon EF to Sony E.

If a similar kit were already available with Sigma convertor/adapter for Fujifilm X-mount cameras, one might be sorely tempted.

But it is not, and there are good arguments for both lenses being redesigned and made native with typical X-mount features such as aperture rings but that can be used clicked with 1/3-stop detents or completely clickless, your choice set with the flick of a switch.

Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM Art Lens

Equivalent in 35mm sensor camera terms from 27mm through to 52.5mm, this lens includes some of my most-used stills and video documentary focal lengths such as 28mm, 35mm, 40mm and 50mm.

With a maximum aperture of f/1.8, it is well-suited to the indoors available darkness in which I often find myself.

It would become my most-used lens for documentary work, to be supplemented with Fujifilm’s Fujinon XF 14mm f/2.8 R for scene-setting shots, or, if talking Sigma APS-C lenses then the Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5 EX DC HSM may be suitable provided a Fujifilm X-mount version is made.

In 35mm sensor terms, the Fujinon is equivalent to 21mm and the Sigma zoom is equivalent to a range of 15mm through to 30mm.

Sigma 50-100mm f/1.8 DC HSM Art Lens

I have long been hoping Fujifilm would release one of my favourite portrait focal lengths, 70mm, as a fast prime lens with closeup capability, but my hopes continue to be dashed each time the company updates its lens roadmap.

In 35mm sensor terms, this lens is 105mm and is the focal length with which I became a portrait photographer.

Sigma’s 50-100mm f/1.8 zoom is equivalent in 35mm terms to 75mm through to 150mm, thus including another popular portrait focal length, 90mm, which is equivalent to 137mm.

Fujifilm’s Fujinon XF 90mm f/2.0 R LM WR prime receives high praise as does the Fujinon XF 80mm f/2.8 R LM OIS WR prime lens, but the Sigma 50-100mm f/1.8 zoom would take the place of three useful portrait and documentary focal lengths at a fraction of the cost of three Fujifilm-made lenses.

The ongoing lack of a professional-quality Fujifilm 18mm prime lens

Fujinon XF 18mm f/2.0 R prime lens.

Fujifilm Australia staff members often confirm that the lens customers want to see radically updated is the Fujinon XF 18mm f/2.0 R, a lens I love and hate, with the emphasis on the latter.

Love is too strong a word for this 28mm-equivalent prime lens, so let’s use “like” instead.

I know some photographers adore it for its many old-fashioned optical and mechanical quirks but for me it is an irritating disappointment.

I have often asked Fujifilm to replace it with a compact Fujicron-style lens for documentary photography or a manual clutch focus Fujilux-style f/1.4 lens for available darkness work and especially for video.

Leica Elmarit-M 28mm f/2.8 Aspheric prime lens for Leica M-System cameras, for me the archetypal discrete 28mm documentary and photojournalism lens.

Leica Summilux-M 35mm f/1.4 Aspheric prime, the lens I would choose if I could only have just one for available darkness and available light documentary photography.

In my Leica M-Series rangefinder days I relied on a Leica Elmarit-M 28mm f/2.8 Aspheric lens mounted on my prime camera with a Leica Summilux-M 35mm f/1.4 Aspheric lens in reserve for available darkness documentary photography.

Incidentally, if I could only have two prime lenses for video work, then I would choose a 28mm equivalent and a 40mm equivalent, or in APS-C terms, 18mm and 27mm.

Fujifilm makes neither focal length as manual clutch focussing primes, much to my ongoing moviemaking disappointment, but I often carry the compact Fujinon XF 27mm f/2.8 and F 18mm f/2.0 R on a pair of Fujifilm rangefinder cameras when needing to be discrete and in the street or places where I don’t want to be noticed, but I would not use either prime lens for video.

Fujifilm makes three excellent primes equally suitable for video and stills photography, the manual clutch focussing Fujinon XF 14mm f/2.8 R, XF 16mm f/1.4 R WR and XF 23mm f/1.4 R but there are no signs the company is serious about extending its manual clutch focus lens range any time soon, whether with primes or zooms.

Shame, given Fujifilm’s recent emphasis on great quality Super 35 video with the Fujifilm X-T4 and the coming Fujifilm X-H2.

If Sigma can be persuaded to make an aperture ring-equipped 18-35mm f/1.8 X-mount zoom then that can help with available light or darkness video work, leaving Fujifilm to finally pull its collective fingers out with a Fujicron-style XF 18mm lens that does need to be faster than f/2.8.

Given the success of the Fujinon XF 16mm f/2.8 R WR, despite its maximum aperture being darker than the f/2.0 of its Fujinon XF 23mm f/2.0 R WR, Fujinon XF 35mm f/2 R WR and Fujinon XF 50mm f/2.0 R WR Fujicron-style siblings, a Fujinon XF 18mm f/2.8 R WR should do just fine for documentary stills, leaving the serious 18mm available darkness video work to Sigma.

Fuji Rumors: VOTE NOW the SIGMA Lens You Want for Fujifilm X In a recent interview, Top Fujifilm manager Toshihisa Iida said that Fujifilm is opening X mount to third parties…

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slrlounge1 · 5 years

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Sigma 40mm 1.4 Art | Hands-on Review

For the past couple of weeks, I’ve had the opportunity to test the Sigma 40mm 1.4 Art lens. After capturing a full wedding and thousands of shots, I have some thoughts on this unique—albeit strange—lens. It’s a sharp lens that produces interesting, beautiful images, but it’s also very large and extremely heavy for a prime lens, and the autofocus is not entirely dependable.

Specs

Aperture: f/1.4-f/16

Design: 16 Elements in 12 Groups

Diaphragm Blades: 9 rounded

Filter size: 82mm

Dimensions: 3.46 x 5.16″

Weight: 2.6 lb

Price: $1,399

[Check Current Prices Here: B&H | Amazon | ADORAMA]

Design

The Sigma 40mm 1.4 Art looks and feels like every other lens in the Art line. It is a beautiful jet black with a cold metallic feel. The design is minimalistic and elegant. The focus ring is large and smooth and the barrell sports only one switch, the AF/MF toggle. My only complaint about the design is the size. It’s larger than any other prime lens I’ve ever used. It feels more like a small 70-200 than a prime lens. Additionally, it was so heavy that, despite wanting to use it during the dancing at the wedding reception I shot, I had to take it off. My back and wrist just couldn’t take the weight anymore. I’m used to heavy lenses, but this one became unusable after a while and that is disappointing, because I loved the images it was producing.

Image Quality

The lens takes excellent photos that are sharp, beautiful, and interesting. At f/1.4 the lens is tack sharp. There’s a cinematic quality to the photos it produces that’s hard to describe with words. Simply stated, they have dimension and character. Color fringing and chromatic aberration were very minimal, even at f/1.4. Also, because this is a 40mm lens, it has very little distortion. The 40mm is a very unique focal length that produces a look that will leave viewers both bewildered and intrigued.

Bokeh

Is there an f/1.4 lens these days that doesn’t produce gorgeous bokeh? I don’t know for sure, but the 40mm 1.4 Art doesn’t disappoint. It produces images with creamy out of focus elements and round bokeh balls. What more could a person want?

Focusing

The focusing on the Sigma 40 1.4 Art is where I had some concerns. When using the 40mm Art during a wedding ceremony, there were moments where it would hunt for focus for far too long. This happened quite a few times until eventually I kept experiencing moments where it wouldn’t even hunt for focus. It just wouldn’t focus at all. I decided I needed to take the lens off my camera and opted for a different lens to cover the rest of the ceremony, lest I miss an important moment. This is not an experience I’ve ever had with a lens before, much less a Sigma lens. Since the wedding, I’ve continued to experience somewhat slow focusing and just plain sticking a few times. I’m not sure if there is something wrong with the copy I’m testing, but it was certainly an issue that would prevent me from using it during a high-pressure moment again.

Who is this lens for?

The Sigma 40mm Art lens, I am told by the folks at Sigma, was designed with cinematographers in mind. Since I know less about cinema than I do about quantum physics, I’ll take their word for it. For photographers, this lens is a unique focal length. It’s not quite wide enough for most landscape or street photographers, and it’s not quite close enough for portraits. I think this is a good lens for wedding photographers or anyone looking for a unique focal length, great sharpness, and beautiful bokeh. But due to its slow and perhaps glitchy auto-focus, I wouldn’t recommend it for sports photographers, or anyone taking must-capture photos.

Conclusion

The Sigma 1.4 Art lens is a bit of an anomaly. It’s a lens that I really enjoyed for its optics, but in terms of focus speed and reliability, it didn’t measure up. It’s also a focal length that I found myself wondering if I needed. With a 24, a 35, and a 50mm in my bag, I just couldn’t figure out what I’d do with a 40mm that is also very big and heavy. In the end, it’s a unique lens that is optically excellent and it deserves a try if you’re looking for something different.

Sample Images

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#IFTTT #SLR Lounge

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karingottschalk · 6 years

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I have been waiting for someone to announce a complete set of affordable, matched cinema prime lenses for Fujifilm X-Mount Super 35/APS-C hybrid mirrorless cameras for a long time, at least since Fujifilm announced its then coming affordable MK-series of matched parfocal cinema zoom lenses, and finally, here they are, an initial set of six X-mount cinema prime lenses by Hong Kong-based optics specialists SLR Magic ranging from 12mm through to 75mm with a (hopefully) possible 15mm also coming.

SLR Magic MicroPrime Cinema 12mm T2.8 Fujifilm X-Mount.

SLR Magic MicroPrime Cinema 18mm T2.8 Fujifilm X-Mount.

SLR Magic MicroPrime Cinema 25mm T1.5 Fujifilm X-Mount.

SLR Magic MicroPrime Cinema 35mm T1.3 Fujifilm X-Mount.

SLR Magic MicroPrime Cinema 50mm T1.2 Fujifilm X-Mount.

SLR Magic MicroPrime Cinema 75mm T1.5 Fujifilm X-Mount.

Duclos Lenses came up with a Fujifilm X-Mount option for Veydra’s Mini Primes that can cover the Super 35/APS-C format.

I had thought that US company Veydra might be the first one to achieve this breakthrough but when they dropped plans for a very necessary wide-angle lens to complete its offerings, the writing was on the wall.

Now Veydra has been dropped altogether from B&H Photo Video, and the Veydra website appears to be semi-functional at best so it looks like the feisty little US west coast newcomer may be no more.

Before its apparent demise, Veydra had only released, from memory, five focal lengths suitable for adapting to Fujifilm’s APS-C/Super 35 X-mount cameras and that was courtesy of an optional X-Mount Kit for self-installation by purchasers.

The Veydras’ other built-in limitation was their Mini Primes’ adherence to a common 77mm filter diameter on all lenses rather than 82mm, the latter all the better to avoid vignetting in wider focal lengths.

Luckily the new SLR Magic MicroPrimes come with no such limitation, all coming with 82mm filter diameters suitable for use with the company’s own SLR Magic 82mm Self-Locking Variable Neutral Density 0.4 to 1.8 Filter (1.3 to 6 Stops) or other 82mm diameter variable NDs like those made by Aurora-Aperture, Simmod Lens and a host of other filter manufacturers, as well as fixed value neutral density filters by SLR Magic and a great many others.

Not just for video production?

Fujinon XF 18mm f/2.0 R prime lens, regrettably much too slow to focus manually or via autofocus and its aperture ring too flakey and quirky for fast-paced professional work in stills and video, though some folks seem to like it for the quirkiness that made it frustrating for me.

There is no reason why cinema lenses cannot do sterling service for stills photography so long as their gearing does not get in the way.

Several of the SLR Magic Cinema MicroPrimes may well do a great job filling the gaps in Fujifilm’s current Fujinon XF prime lens offerings, and the 18mm MicroPrime may provide a great pro-quality alternative to the quirky Fujinon XF 18mm f/2.0 R lens so long as you use it with an electronic viewfinder given the former’s 82mm filter diameter which would intrude too much into the X-Pro2’s Advanced Multi Viewfinder.

12mm in APS-C = 18mm in 35mm sensor format

18mm in APS-C = 27mm in 35mm sensor format

25mm in APS-C = 37.5mm in 35mm sensor format

35mm in APS-C = 52.5mm in 35mm sensor format

50mm in APS-C = 75mm in 35mm sensor format

75mm in APS-C = 112.5mm in 35mm sensor format

Nikon Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8 manual focus, manual exposure macro lens.

Fujifilm does not currently offer a 12mm nor a 75mm prime lens, and I badly feel the lack of a professional quality 18mm when shooting immersive documentary photographs in crowds where there is simply no room to step backwards with less wide lenses.

The SLR Magic 12mm may be suitable for architectural and scenic photography, provided its optical qualities test well, and the 75mm is close to my preferred full-face frontal focal length of 105mm in the 35mm sensor format.

It is currently unclear as to whether SLR Magic intends to release a 15mm X-mount MicroPrime, but that focal length would also have its uses for video and stills photography.

15mm in APS-C = 22.5mm in 35mm sensor format

Fujinon XF 14mm f/2.8 R prime lens with manual clutch focus.

One of my favourite focal lengths for truly immersive, highly emotive documentary photography is 21mm in the 35mm sensor format, and the 15mm MicroPrime comes close.

SLR Magic makes fixed and variable NDs as well as IR-cutting enhancer filters

SLR Magic self-locking 82mm Variable Neutral Density VND Filter.

SLR Magic 86mm Solid Neutral Density 1.2 Enhancer Filter, 4-stop, to go with SLR Magic 82mm Variable Neutral Density Filter. The VND gives you 1.3 to 6 stops of density and adding the Enhancer to the front of it adds an extra 4 stops of density, totalling 10 stops. The Enhancer also adds extra ultraviolet and infra-red filtration.

SLR Magic 82mm Fixed Neutral Density Filter, 0.3, 1-stop.

Fujifilm’s X-mount MKX 18-55mm and 50-135mm T2.9 cinema zoom lenses

Fujifilm Fujinon MKX 18-55mm T2.9 cinema zoom lens.

Fujifilm Fujinon MKX 50-135mm T2.9 cinema zoom lens.

Links

B&H Explora – Choose from Even More SLR Magic MicroPrime CINE Lenses

Duclos Lenses – Veydra Lenses, Inventory Status Update

Duclos Lenses – Veydra Primes

Filmaker.cn – SLR Magic发布富士X卡口MicroPrime系列镜头

News Shooter – SLR Magic announces MicroPrime in X-Mount

Simmod Lens

Veydra

Help support ‘Untitled’

Clicking on the links below and purchasing through them or our affiliate accounts at B&H Photo Video, SmallRig or Think Tank Photo helps us continue our work for ‘Untitled’.

Digital Cinema Lenses, Fujifilm X-Mount – B&H

Aurora-Aperture 82mm Power XND Mark II Variable ND 0.3 to 2.1 Filter (1 to 7-Stop) – B&H

Aurora-Aperture 82mm Power XND Mark II Variable ND 1.5 to 3.3 Filter (5 to 11-Stop) – B&H

SLR Magic 82mm Image Enhancer Pro Filter – B&H

SLR Magic 82mm Self-Locking Variable Neutral Density 0.4 to 1.8 Filter (1.3 to 6 Stops) – B&H

SLR Magic 86mm Solid Neutral Density 1.2 Image Enhancer Filter (4-Stop) – B&H

SLR Magic MicroPrime Cine 12mm T2.8 Lens (Fuji X Mount) – B&H

SLR Magic MicroPrime Cine 18mm T2.8 Lens (Fuji X Mount) – B&H

SLR Magic MicroPrime Cine 25mm T1.5 Lens (Fuji X Mount) – B&H

SLR Magic MicroPrime Cine 35mm T1.3 Lens (Fuji X Mount) – B&H

SLR Magic MicroPrime Cine 50mm T1.2 Lens (Fuji X Mount) – B&H

SLR Magic MicroPrime Cine 75mm T1.5 Lens (Fuji X Mount) – B&H

At Last! SLR Magic Releases Full Set of Affordable Cinema MicroPrimes for Fujifilm X-Mount Super 35/APS-C Cameras I have been waiting for someone to announce a complete set of affordable, matched cinema prime lenses for Fujifilm X-Mount Super 35/APS-C hybrid mirrorless cameras for a long time, at least since Fujifilm announced its then coming affordable MK-series of matched parfocal cinema zoom lenses, and finally, here they are, an initial set of six X-mount cinema prime lenses by Hong Kong-based optics specialists SLR Magic ranging from 12mm through to 75mm with a (hopefully) possible 15mm also coming. 948 more words

#APS-C #APS-C/Super 35 #ciné lenses #cinema lenses #Fujifilm #geared lenses #prime lenses #SLR Magic #Super 35 #Super 35/APS-C #zoom lenses

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karingottschalk · 6 years

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Moments after I unpacked the X-T3 it became clear that Fujifilm had created something very special with this, the latest in its APS-C sized line of DSLR-style hybrid stills and video cameras. I placed it in my shoulder bag and dashed off to the venue down the road where a 100 years commemorative event was being readied for the following day, and my first few minutes documenting the action with the X-T3 proved my initial impressions were absolutely spot on.

With the X-T3, Fujifilm has hit the mark and is now realizing the promise of affordable, high-quality hybrid stills photography and video production that other makers’ cameras had dangled back way in 2008 with the 35mm and APS-C DSLRs of the day.

I’ll go even further. With the X-T3, Fujifilm has delivered on the promise of a camera now almost completely forgotten about, a revolutionary camera which vanished almost almost as rapidly as it had first appeared, the Samsung NX1. The Fujifilm X-T3 not only picks up where the NX1 took us back in 2014 but signals the future of other top-end Fujifilm APS-C/Super 35 cameras, specifically the X-Pro3 and the X-H2.

Fujifilm X-T3 with Fujinon XF 18-55mm f2.8-4.0 R LM OIS kit zoom lens, the combination I have been trying out for this article.

The X-T3 picks us up where the Samsung NX1 dropped us off

Until Fujifilm released the X-T3, Samsung’s NX1 was the undisputed innovation leader in APS-C hybrid cameras capable of professional-quality 4K video as well as excellent stills. Now the X-T3 is the one to aim for and to beat.

The Samsung NX1 took everyone by surprise with a slew of features nobody could have foreseen, such as its 28.9 megapixel backside illuminate sensor (BSI), autofocus phase detection points covering almost all the sensor’s frame, subject tracking that was incredibly effective for its day, great 4K video, 8-bit 4:2:2 4K video out, a dynamic range and low light capability that was outstanding, high-speed burst stills, touch screen, fast and intuitive menu system, built-in Wi-Fi, an almost lag-free OLED viewfinder and, looking to the future, its H.265 video codec.

DPReview’s Pros and Cons lists for the camera included the same item, the NX1’s H.265 video codec, the Pro due to the small size of H.265 HEVC video files and the Con because many computers of the day were too underpowered to handle it well.

The relatively underpowered computers of the day back then are no longer much of a concern now, something I proved by putting the X-T3’s H.265 video files to the test in an Apple Store on a range of current computers from an entry-level 13-inch MacBook Pro through an entry-level 27-inch iMac up to an iMac Pro maxed out with RAM.

The two entry-level machines were low in RAM for their CPU but they had enough video RAM and graphics processing power to easily handle my H.265 files whether in playback or editing in Final Cut Pro X.

Internal and external graphics processing units like the Blackmagic eGPU are the key to the big video files that cinema-quality cameras like the X-T3 and NX1 produce, especially when maxing out on resolution, bitrate, compression and aspect ratio.

I carried the Fujifilm X-T3 in this Think Tank Photo MindShift Gear Exposure 15 adventure shoulder camera bag throughout heavy downpours and the occasional sunnier days. Until this bag with its innovative gel shoulder strap, I was unable to carry larger shoulder bags due to longtime spinal injuries but now I can carry two cameras and several lenses as well as a host of other items large and small with impunity.

Although I well-tested the X-T3’s ability to shoot video with settings I would apply to making records of family and friends, choosing from Fujifilm’s legendary film simulations for instant television playback via HDMI, I shot most of my test video with the cinematic combination of F-log, the lovely 17:9 aspect ratio of DCI 4K, shot at 24p and 400Mbps, H.265 (HEVC) for 10-bit 4:2:0 on the SD card which would have been 10-bit 4:2:2 if I’d had an Atomos Ninja V monitor/recorder handy, and ALL-I movie compression instead of Long GOP.

Fair warning: if you choose to shoot whole projects at those settings, make sure you have plenty of internal hard drive space and plenty more fast external hard drives to store on and edit from.

I was pushing it on my ageing 27-inch iMac Retina 5K, with video playback stuttering whichever software I used, including the ever-reliable Kyno media management application.

For older machines like mine, be prepared to transcode your H.265 footage to ProRes using your choice of Kyno, EditReady, Compressor or any other capable transcoding software so your computer playback goes smoothly and your editing goes even smoother.

And be prepared to investigate how to use external GPUs on likewise ageing computers, and to invest in a workable solution.

Alternatively, choose H.264, Long GOP compression and 1080p if you don’t need to future-proof your footage as 4K.

“Simples!”

The Fujifilm X-T3

Fujifilm X-T3 with Fujinon XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4.0 R LM OIS kit zoom lens: a larger grip means less need for the optional metal hand grip, a wider and heftier body almost the same size as the X-Pro2 making for a good pairing between the two.

Fujifilm X-T3 with Fujinon XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4.0 R LM OIS kit zoom lens.: bigger and easier-to-grip dials meaning far less diving into the multi-level menu system.

Fujifilm X-T3 with Fujinon XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4.0 R LM OIS kit zoom lens: 3-way tilting LCD monitor. I would have loved it to be fully-articulated for plenty more viewing angle options.

Fujifilm X-T3 with Fujinon XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4.0 R LM OIS kit zoom lens: never having used this lens before, and being a little sceptical of kit zooms based on disappointment with my Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0 L IS USM, I was pleasantly surprised by the optical quality and effective optical image stabilization of this lens.

Fujifilm X-T3 with Fujinon XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4.0 R LM OIS kit zoom lens: I found it effective for stills photography and video under available light, available darkness and the available gloom of a typically rain-drenched Sydney October.

Fujifilm X-T3: microphone port, head[hone port, USB-C port for charging, powering and data transfer, and micro-HDMI port for external monitor/recorder or for connecting to a display or television set. Best of all the door is removable for better access!

Fujifilm X-T3: two SD card slots and remote port for remote release cables, no longer requiring doubling up on remote and microphone into the same port with the need to switch via the menu.

Fujifilm X-T3 with Fujifilm VG-XT3 Vertical Battery Grip and Fujinon XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4.0 R LM OIS kit zoom lens: although the much-improved NPW-126S lithium battery delivers more stills shots than its predecessor, video drains the battery faster so I recommend the vertical battery grip for its two extra batteries.

Fujifilm X-T3 with VG-XT3 Vertical Battery Grip and Fujifilm XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4 R LM OIS zoom lens.

Fujifilm X-T3 with VG-XT3 Vertical Battery Grip.

The Fujifilm X-T 3 for stills photography

Amazing feature film-quality video is anything but the whole story for the X-T3 – it is also an amazing stills photography camera.

The Fujifilm X-T3 for documentary photography and photojournalism

Fujifilm X-Pro 2 and Fujifilm X-T3: a perfect two-camera two-lens documentary photography and photojournalism combination?

I come from a newspaper and documentary photography background, having worked for newspapers, magazines and corporate clients from a ridiculously early age.

I did that work with a range of camera types and sizes, ranging from a Pentax Spotmatic SLR through Nikon SLRs, to sheet film view cameras handheld and on tripods, to Leica’s M-System masterpiece rangefinder cameras and then to a number of medium format roll film cameras in twin-lens reflex, single-lens reflex and rangefinder configurations.

I most found myself at home with rangefinder cameras, small, medium and large, the reason why I was so besotted with the Fujifilm X100 when it was launched in 2010.

As a result I immediately bought an X-Pro2 when it appeared and have loved it ever since.

There is more to documentary photography than the 18mm to 56mm focal length lenses that the X-Pro2’s unique Advanced Hybrid Multi Viewfinder can handle, though, and I have been hoping for an improved X-Pro3 or some other suitable companion camera that makes the most of lenses longer and wider than 56mm and 18mm.

I certainly hope that the X-Pro3 is on its way, but those other focal lengths continue to beckon and now, having tried the X-T1 and X-T2 and having appreciated them without loving them, I know that the X-T3 is a whole other thing altogether.

The X-T3 by itself or side-by-side with the X-Pro2

I loved the X-Pro2 as soon as I picked it up not only for its rangefinder-style optical viewfinder but also for its looks and its feel in the hand, in fact that way it leaps into my hands every time I get it out of my camera bag.

The day of the X-T3’s arrival I placed it in the bag alongside my X-Pro2, carrying three lenses that day, the Fujinon XF 18-55mmm f/2.8-4.0 R LM OIS kit zoom, my Fujinon XF 23mm f/1.4 R and my Fujinon XF 56mm f/1.2 R prime lenses.

I had chosen those two fast primes after reading wedding documentary photographer Kevin Mullins’ blog at F16.click and seeing there results he was getting in the usual appallingly-lit churches and wedding venues.

I had worked as a wedding photographer to supplement my income as a kid, relying on flash units and medium format roll film cameras, so appreciated the speed and ease with which Mr Mullins creates his images.

I covered the 100 years commemoration event with the X-T3 and X-Pro2 draped around my neck with Peak Design SlideLite camera straps, relying more on the X-Pro2 at the start then quickly switching to the X-T3 after discovering how well it handled the venue’s available light, or more accurately its available darkness.

I rely on the Auto ISO feature, aperture priority auto exposure, reasonably high ISOs and shooting with fairly wide open apertures in those circumstances and found I was getting better results from the X-T3.

It proved easier and faster to use, faster to autofocus, produced less noisey images, and most surprisingly of all, felt just as good in the hand as the X-Pro2, with the result that I have been relying solely on the X-T3 in recent days, and have been loving it.

The Fujifilm X-T3 for colour photography

Fujifilm cameras are rightly celebrated for their colour science and the richness and veracity of their film simulations for JPEGs and video footage, but I tend to rely on raw files that I process in a number of different applications and plug-ins depending on whether I am after realism or pictorialism, or whether I wish to emulate analog films or go entirely digital in my effects via high dynamic range imaging by merging 5 or 7 exposure brackets in Skylum Aurora HDR 2019.

Since buying my X-Pro2 I have tried out a number of custom picture styles for JPEGs by following the recipes shared by photographers like Kevin Mullins, Thomas Fitzgerald and others.

They have proven to be great reminders of how I visualized the final rendering of my raw files but rarely if ever have I used my JPEGs for final reproduction.

If I were working for a fast-moving client with tight deadlines that deny me time enough in the digital darkroom then I would take my JPEGs more seriously, but those days are long over for me.

And then Fujifilm put Colour Chrome Effect in the X-T3 and what a difference it makes!

Colour Chrome Effect was the crucial step needed to persuade me to finally take JPEGs seriously.

For me, shooting JPEGs for reproduction is akin to shooting colour transparency film while shooting raw is not unlike shooting colour negative film then fussing and mussing it in the colour laboratory.

With an X-T3, my JPEGs to raw files keeper percentages would be more even than they are now when I often chuck out my JPEGs or use them as a quick reference and reminder and not as final art.

Single-shot image made on Fujifilm X-T3 with Fujinon XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4.0 LM OIS kit zoom lens, raw file processed in Iridient Transformer then Adobe Camera Raw using Modern 01 profile. This is the closest thing to shooting colour negative film available today.

Fujifilm X-T3 JPEG straight out of camera aka SOOC using Vivid/Velvia film simulation with Colour Chrome at maximum. This is the closest thing to shooting colour transparency film available today.

HDR image made with 5 brackets on Fujifilm X-T3 and Fujinon XF 56mm f/1.2 R in available darkness then processed in Skylum Aurora HDR 2019 and Skylum Luminar 2018 using film simulation LUT. The camera’s eye-tracking continuous autofocus was impressive.

HDR image made with 5 brackets on Fujifilm X-T3 and Fujinon XF 56mm f/1.2 R in available darkness then processed in Skylum Aurora HDR 2019 and DxO FilmPack using the Kodak Elite Chrome 200 film simulation. The camera’s eye-tracking continuous autofocus failed to sharply focus on the eyes here as in all the shots of men wearing spectacles.

HDR image made on Fujifilm X-T3 with Fujinon XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4.0 LM OIS kit zoom with 7 brackets there processed in Skylum Aurora HDR 2019, DxO FilmPack and Skylum Luminar 2018. Occasionally, I do landscape and cityscape photographs and for me the aim is to convey the look and feeling of being there are that specific time and place while revealing as much tone and colour information as possible. I lived nearby here for many years and have fond memories of the area despite it being rather despoiled now.

Fujifilm X-T3 with Fujinon XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4.0 R LM OIS kit zoom lens. Fujifilm’s legendary colour science handles every situation with ease, no matter whether shot in available light or available darkness. Processed in Capture One Pro with Kodak Ektar 100 film simulation.

Fujifilm X-T3 photograph processed with Iridient X-Transformer then Adobe Camera Raw.

Photograph made with Fujifilm X-T3 with Fujinon XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4.0 R LM OIS kit zoom lens at 18mm then processed in Iridient X-Transformer and Alien Skin exposure X4 using Fujifilm Provia 100F film simulation.

Photograph made with Fujifilm X-T3 with Fujinon XF 56mm f/1.2 R lens then processed in Capture One Pro using a film simulation style from the 1Styles.pro styles and presets collections made for Capture One.

Fujifilm X-T3 photograph processed with Iridient X-Transformer then Adobe Camera Raw.

The Fujifilm X-T3 for monochrome documentary photography

Most of my photography in monochrome, or black-and-white as its more commonly known, is reserved for documentary photography in poor lighting or when the colours of my subjects and their environments carry little to no meaning.

These event photographs are typical in that the lighting in parts of the venue was low, of mixed sources with some continuous and others prone to flickering, where colour played little to no part in conveying information about the event and its participants, and where I was prepared to shoot in at high ISOs with resulting grain-like digital noise.

The X-T3, frankly, amazed me with its low noise at high ISO to the point where I could easily have shot at ISOs greater than 3200 which I usually set as my upper limit only to be used in emergencies.

I usually rely on my Fujifilm X-Pro 2 rangefinder camera when covering these sorts of events especially when they are in poorly-lit venues, using either the Fujinon XF 23mm f/1.4 R or Fujinon XF 56mm f/1.2 R, but have long been pining for a Fujifilm to release a professional-quality 18mm prime lens for shots like this one. This was made on my X-Pro2 and the loaner Fujinon XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4.0 R LM OIS kit zoom lens. Although I prefer fast prime lenses for documentary work, this zoom lens acquitted itself well and gave me this image as a benchmark for what I was trying to achieve that day with the X-T3 and X-pro in tandem, using my two prime lenses and the zoom lens too.

Made with Fujifilm X-T3 and Fujinon XF prime or zoom lens.

The Fujifilm X-T3 for video

Fujifilm Fujinon XF 16-80mm f/4.0 R OIS WR zoom lens, scheduled for release sometime in 2019, and equivalent to 24-120mm in the 35mm sensor format. This may prove to be a great alternative to Fujifilm’s current kit zoom lens, the Fujinon XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4.0 R LM OIS though you may wish to supplement both with one or more wide aperture prime lenses. Photograph courtesy of Photography Blog.

The X-T3 is remarkable enough for stills photography but it is even more amazing for video.

It allows you to take the low road, the high road or something in between.

The low road? Auto everything, H.264, Long GOP, 1080p, one of Fujifilm’s justly celebrated simulations of its own analog film stocks, 8-bit 4:2:0 and a lower bitrate, good enough for recording personal videos to view and share about.

The high road? Manual focus and exposure, H.265, All-Intra, DCI 4k, 10-bit 4:2:2, F-Log and 400 Mbps, more than good enough for television broadcast or digital cinema projection.

The in-between? Fujifilm’s beautiful Eterna movie film stock simulation and your preferred combination of all the rest of the above.

Coming from a mixed editorial photography and film cinematography background, I lean towards the high road but dipped my toes into the low and the in-between for purposes of comparison.

Fujfilm X-T3 lightly rigged for video

It is still early days for camera cages and accessories makers coming up with designs for the X-T3 and I do not currently have access to gimbals and other stabilization devices so used it handheld.

Equipped with an optically stabilized zoom lens, however, the Fujifilm X-T3 makes for a very good run-and-gun video camera and its great balance and weight easily accommodates popular video mics from makers like Australia’s very own Røde Microphones as well as headphones or earphones for a little more on-location discretion.

The X-T3 benefits from larger, faster SDXC memory cards especially when shooting video for the high road, and I have some suggestions in the list at the borrow of this page.

You will also need neutral density filters especially when shooting in available light outdoors as the X-T3 has a base ISO of 640 in F-Log and 160 in Rec. 709.

Documentary cinematographers often rely on variable neutral density filters aka VNDs while feature filmmakers choose sets of fixed value ND filters in circular screw-on frames, or square or rectangular filters for sliding into matte boxes or filter holders.

I use both, depending on the project and its circumstances, and there are some recommendations in the list at the bottom of the page.

I also recommend rigging your handheld X-T3 up with ample camera strapping for safety and better grip, and I equip every camera I use with Peak Design’s Clutch, Cuff and SlideLite.

Generic aluminium 58-77mm step-up ring and Genustech 77mm Eclipse ND Fader variable neutral density filter, formerly the most recommended VND available. More recently developed VNDs by Aurora-Aperture and SLR Magic now seem to be some of the most popular amongst independent documentary moviemakers.

The Røde VideoMicro compact on-camera microphone with cardioid polar pattern is affordable, small and effective for when built-in mics are not enough but when you want to travel fast and light.

The Røde VideoMicro’s furry windshield is a must-have for even slightly windy conditions outdoors.

The Røde Stereo VideoMic X aka SVMX is the company’s top-end on-camera stereo microphone and delivers superb quality in a surprisingly compact package.

The Røde SVMX comes with a pop shield and furry windshield to handle all sorts of outdoor conditions or can be used entirely naked indoors.

The Røde VideoMic Pro+ on-camera shotgun microphone is the company’s latest top-end on-board directional mic and comes with rechargeable removable lithium battery and integrated Rycote shock mount.

Still frames from DCI 4K video shot in F-Log then minimally graded with Fujifilm’s free LUTs

The video still frames below were shot at DCI 4K then downsized to 1080p to keep file sizes down but they give a good idea of the video image quality delivered by the X-T3 at high road video and in-between settings.

The X-T3’s Super 35 4K footage is eminently gradable, looks beautiful whether shot with F-Log or Fujifilm’s Eterna Rec. 709 film simulation, and I am looking forward to seeing what it does with Fujifilm’s Hybrid-Log-Gamma aka HLG profile when it is released via a firmware update sometime later this year.

With the arrival of HLG on Panasonic’s Micro Four Thirds cameras the Lumix DC-GH5 and DC-GH5S last year and this, many documentary and feature moviemakers have adopted it as their go-to profile and the same may happen with X-T3 users.

I have shot all but one of these in F-Log with the exception of one as Eterna, and have graded the F-Log footage with Fujifilm’s recently updated set of three LUTs for F-Log along with some creative looks LUTs from LookLabs’ SpeedLooks and DFS aka Digital Film Stocks collections.

The X-T3’s Eterna footage looks like it is more than usable ungraded and can take a modicum of grading as well.

Establishing a colour grading benchmark by shooting in Fujifilm’s excellent Eterna analog film simulation profile. This is a quick and dirty test in less than amazing gloomy light on a typically rainy Sydney October spring day, but it appears that shooting Eterna delivers a slightly shorter dynamic range than shooting F-Log followed by applying Fujifilm’s F-Log to Eterna LUT.

Fujifilm X-T3 footage shot in F-Log then ‘FLog_FGamut_to_ETERNA_BT.709_33grid_V.1.00.cube’ applied.

Fujifilm X-T3 F-Log footage with Fujifilm’s free ‘FLog_FGamut_to_ETERNA_BT.709_33grid_V.1.00.cube” LUT applied.

Fujifilm X-T3 footage shot in F-Log then ‘FLog_FGamut_to_WDR_BT.709_33grid_V.1.00.cube’ applied followed by LookLabs’ DFS Linear Kodak 5231 film simulation LUT.

Fujifilm X-T3 footage shot in F-Log then ‘FLog_FGamut_to_FLog_BT.709_33grid_V.1.00.cube’ applied followed by LookLabs’ SpeedLooks Matrix Blue creative looks LUT.

Fujifilm X-T3 footage shot in F-Log then LookLabs’ DFS V-Log cameras profile LUT applied followed by DFS Log Fuji F125 film simulation LUT.

Fujifilm X-T3 F-Log footage with Fujifilm’s free ‘FLog_FGamut_to_FLog_BT.709_33grid_V.1.00.cube” LUT applied followed by curve.

The X-T3 takes video autofocus seriously and now so do I

For years there has been no end of to and fro online about whether serious moviemakers use autofocus or not, with the implication that real professionals only focus manually.

My motto is ‘never take anything for granted’ so I put the X-T3’s video and eye detection autofocus to the test in some rather trying conditions and found they certainly work well enough for use when shooting run-and-gun style video and during fast-and-loose handheld camera movements.

The Fujifilm X-T3’s autofocus, and autoexposure capabilities for that matter, are well worth putting to the test under a range of conditions.

From the evidence of the still-frame below and others I would me more than happy to rely on the X-T3’s autofocusing in a pinch, especially for use in documentary projects.

A great opportunity to try out the Fujifilm X-T3’s video autofocus and tracking capabilities while panning on fast-moving subjects in dull light during a typical gloomy Sydney October day. Looks good enough for me. Lens used was the Fujinon XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4.0 R LM OIS kit zoom minus ND filter, at about 18mm and with aperture fairly wide open.

My Fujifilm X-T3 Pros and Cons

Pros:

Slightly larger body, dials and buttons – better grip, more stability in the hand, easier to locate without looking, easier to click or turn.

Slightly larger built-in grip – though I would still add the metal hand grip or vertical battery grip for larger lenses and portrait photography.

Size, shape and silver colour – aids in being ignored when shooting side-by-side with Canon and Nikon DSLR users as I look like an amateur playing with a toy or an old analog era camera.

Linear or non-linear focussing with focus-by-wire lenses.

Faster and surer face/eye focus detection – in available light, available darkness and with the face turned sideways, defeated only by subjects wearing glasses.

Faster and more accurate autofocus – in stills and especially video.

Flicker reduction using mechanical shutter.

Locking diopter adjustment!!!

More megapixels at 26.1 MP – leading to much less noise when shooting in available darkness at high ISOs.

Size, shape and silver colour – aids in being ignored when shooting side-by-side with Canon and Nikon DSLR users as I look like an amateur playing with a toy or an old analog era camera.

Minimal blackout of the electronic viewfinder.

Better video dynamic range than other APS-C and M43 cameras.

Beautiful stills and videos.

Wide range of film simulation picture styles – augmented by Colour Chrome Effect, Eterna and F-Log.

Good low noise results at high ISOs.

Built-in microphone and headphone ports – on-camera instead of only on battery grip.

Zebras – for accurate video exposure, with ability to set percentage.

Cons:

No in-body image stabilization – wait for the X-H2?

Three-way tilting LCD monitor instead of fully articulated LCD monitor – limits the operator’s range of positions relative to the camera, especially in tight spaces, and eliminates the possibility of mounting detachable hoods and loupes.

Small battery – while the NP-W126S delivers more sustained power than the NP-W126, shooting throughout the day requires carrying several of them and so I recommend the Vertical Battery Grip VG-XT3.

Blinkies only – for accurate stills exposure and not zebras and percentage settings as with video.

Links

This is an exhaustive list of hardware and software products that may be of interest to those using the Fujifilm X-T3 for stills photography or video production. I use or have at least tried out most of these products and can recommend them.

Many of them are available for purchase via my B&H Photo Video affiliate link account if you wish to help support may work in producing articles like this one, or you may wish to do so via the shorter list at the base of this page.

1Styles.pro – maker of film simulations styles and presets for Capture One.

8Sinn – maker of popular camera body-hugging camera cages and accessories, currently designing cages for the Fujifilm X-T3.

Alien Skin – maker of Exposure X4 raw photo editor and organizer.

Aurora-Aperture – excellent quality UV, neutral density and variable neutral density filters for photography and cinematography, including the PowerXND-II VND series featuring a range of 1 to 11 stops of light reduction.

Apple – Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) to Thunderbolt 2 Adapter – … “a bidirectional adapter, it can also connect new Thunderbolt 3 devices to a Mac with a Thunderbolt or Thunderbolt 2 port and macOS Sierra.”

Blackmagic Design – Blackmagic eGPU – external high performance graphics accelerator for photograph and video editing and grading, currently sold exclusively through Apple stores.

Blackmagic Design – Blackmagic Raw – “the world’s fastest RAW format with better quality and better features!” – imagine if this raw codec was implemented in all cameras, especially the X-T3!

Blackmagic Design – DaVinci Resolve – “DaVinci Resolve 15 is the world’s first solution that combines professional offline and online editing, color correction, audio post production and now visual effects all in one software tool!” – available in excellent free version as well as paid-for Studio version.

Breakthrough Photography – makers of some of the finest brass traction-framed and non-framed UV and fixed ND filters as well as the best brass traction-framed step-up rings though the company does not make every single size that may be needed. If the size you need is not available, consider the brass step-up rings made by Heliopan and Sensei, UV filters made by Chiaro and ND filters made by Formatt-Hitech and SLR Magic.

Chiaro – excellent high transmission UV protection filters in brass frames.

CoreMelt – Australian maker of plug-ins for Final Cut Pro X that are considered must-haves for all video editors, with its Chromatic plug-in especially essential for quality colour grading within FCPX.

divergent media – EditReady 2 – affordable macOS-only application for transcoding video files.

DxO – maker of DxO PhotoLab, DxO FilmPack and DxO ViewPoint as well as the new owner of the Nik Collection Plug-ins. Sadly, DxO does not support Fujifilm X-Trans raw files in its applications but they can be applied as plug-ins.

eGPU.io – macOS user community website dedicated to external graphics processing unit solutions for current and older Mac computers including those that predate Thunderbolt 3.

F16.click – Fujifilm X-Photographer Kevin Mullins’ blog, where he shares his excellent SOOC JPEG custom settings amongst other things. Like me he is a rangefinder camera-using documentary photographer and I recommend his articles on the X-T3 from that point of view.

Formatt Hitech – makes Firecrest Ultra ND and Firecrest ND fixed value neutral density filters in framed and unframed versions, the “world’s first hyper-neutral ND”.

Fujifilm Global – Application Software – free software including Fujifilm X Raw Studio, Fujifilm X Acquire and Tethered Shooting Software HS-V5.

Fujifilm Global – Digital Camera Firmware : Interchangeable Camera Body / Lens – check that you have the latest camera and lens firmware here.

Fujifilm Global – Fujifilm launches new mirrorless digital camera “FUJIFILM X-T3” – press release.

Fujifilm Global – Fujifilm X-T3 – product pages.

Fujifilm Global – LUT for F-Log (Look Up Table) – set of three free LUTs for X-T3 video, an excellent starting point when grading F-Log and other video from the X-T3. I particularly like the F-Log to Eterna LUT.

Fujifilm Global – RAW FILE CONVERTER EX 3.0 powered by SILKYPIX – free raw file convertor.

Fujifilm X/GFX USA

Fujifilm X Series Official Site

Image Alchemist – maker of presets for Capture One.

iridient digital – maker of Iridient X-Transformer and transformer software for other cameras’ raw files as well as Iridient Developer for processing raw files; helping get the very best out of Fujifilm X-Trans raw files.

Leeming LUT Pro – Australian director/cinematographer Paul Leeming makes “the world’s first unified, corrective Look Up Table ( LUT ) system for supported cameras, designed to maximise dynamic range, fix skin tones, remove unwanted colour casts and provide an accurate Rec. 709 starting point for further creative colour grading.” and is working on a LUT for the Fujifilm X-T3.

Lesspain Software – Kyno – unique application for macOS and Windows that is effectively a Swiss Army Knife media management toolset for moviemakers, that works in close conjunction with Final Cut Pro X and Premiere Pro.

LockCircle – run by Italian-Australian director/cinematographer Dante Cecchin, this Italian company makes some of the best camera cages and accessories for digital moviemaking.

LookLabs – makers of SpeedLooks and Digital Film Stocks aka DFS looks LUTs based on scans of film stocks and popular feature film grading looks.

On1, Inc. – maker of On1 Photo Raw 2018, soon to be upgraded to On1 Photo Raw 2019, raw image editor and organizer.

Phase One – Capture One Express Fujifilm, Capture One Pro Fujifilm, and Capture One Pro for all cameras – Express version is free, other two must be purchased, both offer tethered shooting on top-tier Fujifilm cameras, and all versions provide top-quality raw image processing of Fujifilm raw files with integrated Fujifilm film simulations coming soon.

Silkypix – maker of Silkypix Developer Studio Pro 9, Silkypix Developer Studio 8 and free raw developer software for Fujfilm cameras.

Skylum – maker of Aurora HDR 2019 and Luminar 2018 image editing and organizing software.

SLR Magic – makers of neutral density and related filters popular with professional documentary moviemakers, includingSLR Magic 82mm Self-Locking Variable Neutral Density 0.4 to 1.8 Filter (1.3 to 6 Stops) and SLR Magic 86mm Solid Neutral Density 1.2 Image Enhancer Filter (4-Stop) as well as a range of fixed neutral density filters.

SmallRig – maker of cages and accessories for cameras including the X-T3, with two cages in Pre-Order at time of writing, SmallRig Cage for Fujifilm X-T3 Camera with Battery Grip 2229 and SmallRig Cage for Fujifilm X-T3 Camera 2228.

Thomas Fitzgerald Photography – blog by JPEG and raw file processing expert whose ‘Fuji Jpegs: Shooting and Processing Guide’ eBook contains some excellent advice and recipes for getting the best out of SOOC JPEG custom settings.

Image Credits

Header image by Jonas Rask on commission from Fujifilm.

Press image product shots courtesy of Fujifilm.

Photograph of Fujifilm X-T3 and Samsung NX1 made on location at a local event as a 5-bracket HDR image with Fujifilm X-Pro2 and Fujinon XF 23mm f/1.4 R lens then processed in Aurora HDR 2019 and DxO Nik Collection plug-ins.

My own product shots made as 5-bracket HDR images with Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH4 with Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-40mm f/2.8 Pro zoom lens then processed in Skylum Aurora HDR 2019, Alien Skin Exposure X4 and DxO Nik Sharpener Pro as plug-ins.

Help support ‘Untitled’

Fujifilm Wide Eyecup EC-XH W, especially recommended for shooting video and to block out sunlight.

Clicking on these affiliate links and purchasing through them helps us continue our work for ‘Untitled’.

8Sinn camera cages – B&H

Angelbird 256GBGB Match Pack (2 x 128GB) – B&H

Angelbird AtomX SSDmini (1TB) – B&H

Atomos Ninja V 5″ 4K HDMI Recording Monitor – B&H

Atomos Handle Adapter for AtomX SSDmini (5-Pack) – B&H

Aurora-Aperture variable ND filters – B&H

Bluestar Eye Cushions – B&H

Breakthrough Photography CPL, UV and ND filters – B&H

Chiaro UV Filters – B&H

Formatt-Hitech Firecrest fixed value ND filters – B&H

Fujifilm CVR-XT3 Cover Kit – B&H

Fujifilm EC-GFX Round Eyecup – B&H

Fujifilm EC-XH Wide Eyecup – B&H

Fujifilm EC-XT L Long Eye Cup – B&H

Fujifilm EC-XT M Medium Eyecup – B&H

Fujifilm EC-XT S Small Eyecup – B&H

Fujifilm MHG-XT3 Metal Hand Grip – B&H

Fujifilm NP-W126S Li-Ion Battery Pack – B&H

Fujifilm VG-XT3 Vertical Battery Grip – B&H

Fujifilm Fujinon XF Lenses – B&H

Fujifilm X-T3 Mirrorless Digital Camera – B&H

LockCircle camera cages – B&H

MindShift Grea and Think Tank Photo camera bags and accessories – B&H

Peak Design camera straps – B&H

Phase One Capture One Pro – B&H

Røde video microphones – B&H

SLR Magic variable ND Filters – B&H – SLR Magic was reputed to be working on a collection of fixed value ND filters though they do not seem to have appeared at B&H yet.

SmallRig camera cages – B&H

Sony 128GB M Series UHS-II SDXC Memory Card Kit (2-Pack) – B&H

The X-T3 is Fujifilm’s Finest Camera for APS-C Photography and Super 35 Video Right Now Moments after I unpacked the X-T3 it became clear that Fujifilm had created something very special with this, the latest in its APS-C sized line of DSLR-style hybrid stills and video cameras.

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