Marc Horner

What you’ve all been waiting for – X-T1 firmware version 4.00 is now available!

A selection of working professional photographers that have used Firmware V4 in their own shooting environments and have shared their respective findings.

X-T1 Part IV – Rise of the tracking autofocus

Well it finally arrived. The firmware update we’ve all been looking forward to for the Fujifilm X-T1 digital camera.

So what does it actually change?

Glad you asked! Here’s a video by Billy from The Fuji Guys where he demonstrates all of the new improvements found in the update.

The new Firmware Update features an advanced autofocus system for incredible performance when shooting moving subjects and exciting action scenes. Users will also experience improved auto focus accuracy for still images and video, Eye Detection, enhanced shutter speed dial operation (1/3 stop increments!), Exposure Compensation control in Manual mode (using Auto-ISO), and finer framing grid lines for enhanced visibility and image composition.

But what does this mean in REAL terms?

Another great question. Thanks for keeping up. Well I’ve been using it myself for a while and really like it. I could chew your ear off about what I think about it but I’m not an actual working professional photographer, so I’m not going to see it in the same way as you might. Coupled with the fact that I work for Fujifilm, you’d expect me to simply tell you that it’s great.

So instead, here’s a selection of working professional photographers that have tried the Firmware in their own shooting environments and posted their respective findings.

Damien Lovegrove

Damien is a professional portrait photographer from the UK. He left his role as a cameraman and lighting director at the BBC back in 1998 after 14 successful years to create the renowned Lovegrove Weddings partnership with his wife Julie. Together they shot over 400 top weddings for discerning clients worldwide. In 2008 Damien turned his hand to shooting beauty and portraiture and has since amassed a dedicated following for his distinctive art. Damien now divides his time between teaching the next generation of photographers and photographing personal projects.

After a day shooting with with one X-T1 running 3.11, and one running 4.00, here are his findings and an extensive review of the new X-T1 firmware V4 including tips on some real gems of features that have not made the headlines.

When I was asked for my opinions on version 4 of the X-T1 firmware I was a little scared and excited in equal measure. Excited because the opportunity to shoot in a more dynamic style is quite appealing. Scary because relearning shooting procedures is never easy. I’ve never been one to shy away from innovation and I’m certainly not a luddite when it comes to tech so I jumped at the chance. Here are my findings.

Click here to read Damien’s review

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Jeff Carter

British motorsport photographer Jeff Carter has been using Fujifilm cameras for his work for over 20 years, going right back to the wonderfully lightweight and versatile GA645 medium format film cameras, but it was the X100 that he bought in 2012 that changed the way he worked. Here was a small, discreet camera that allowed him to take the images he needed for his work in and around the paddock.

He took an X-T1 with FW4 to the recent Le Mans 24 Hours event and here is his account.

2.Pic2_20150610LeMansFP_XT1F-1682 — © Jeff Carter

Firmware 4.0 has transformed the X-T1. I recently tested the new autofocus at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the world’s greatest endurance race and the biggest challenge for man and machine. This proved to be the perfect test ground for the X-T1’s new AF system and it wasn’t found wanting.

Click here to read Jeff’s review

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Eivind Røhne

Eivind is a professional photographer from Norway. He’s been a commercial and editorial photographer since the mid ninetees. He loves people so mostly shoots fashion, lifestyle, commercial and editorial portraits, people at work etc. and he also love lines, shapes and man-made structures, so he likes to shoot industrial subjects, architecture and interiors for commercial and editorial use.

This time around the Fujifilm firmware buzz really hit the roof, with claims of an all new autofocus system that would practically give existing X-T1 owners a brand new camera. Bold claims indeed. Claims not only made by those saying they had gotten hold of rogue and secret beta versions of the firmware, but also claims made by Fujifilm themselves in their marketing teasers.

Click here to read Eivind’s review

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If you already own an X-T1, I’m sure by the time you get to this point your camera will already have version 4 installed and ready to go. Hopefully you will find it as good as these guys did.

If you don’t already own an X-T1, hopefully these photographer’s reviews will be that final push to persuade you to take the plunge and try it for yourself. Hoping to welcome you to the Fuji family soon!

Tutorial: Understanding Depth of Field

What is “Depth of field”?

Simply put, Depth of Field refers to the area in front of your camera that is in focus.

If your camera is set to focus one metre from the lens, Depth of Field refers to the area in front of, and behind one metre from the camera where subjects are still sharp enough to be considered in focus.

Along with Exposure and Composition, Depth of Field is one of the most important aspects of photography.

How do you control it?

Less is more

The main way to affect the Depth of Field is by adjusting the value of the Aperture

The bigger you set the aperture size (smaller number), the smaller your depth of field will be. The smaller you set the aperture size (bigger number), the bigger the depth of field will be. I know that sounds confusing but hopefully this diagram will help to explain it.

The yellow area shows the area in front of and behind the focal plane (the point when the camera is focused) that is in focus. It’s just a guide with no actual scale.

The Depth of Field is actually also affected by the focal length of the lens, and also the distance of the subject from the camera (which is why there is more in-focus area behind the subject than in front of it), however for the benefit of just getting you started, in this post I’ll only talk about the aperture value.

Aperture Priority mode

The best way to get started with adjusting the Aperture value is to set your camera to Aperture Priority mode. In this mode, you can control the Aperture value and the camera will still adjust the shutter speed and ISO value in order to correctly expose the image.

If you have a camera with a “M / A / S / P” dial on the top, switch it to “A” (for Aperture). If your camera doesn’t have this dial, just change the value on the Aperture ring to anything other than “A” (which in this case stands for Automatic) and set your shutter dial to “A” (Automatic). Your camera is now in Aperture Priority.

How does it affect my images?

Less is more

Using the largest aperture possible (smallest number) allows you to isolate your subject within a shallow depth of field and effectively make the foreground and background far less prominent. These example pictures were shot at f/1.4 using an X-T1 with XF35mm lens. They show foreground and background areas out of focus, allowing you, the viewer, to focus on the subjects.

Shallow Depth of Field Example 1

Shallow Depth of Field Example 2

Shallow Depth of Field 3

More is more

Using a smaller aperture (larger number) increases the depth of field and allows you to include more, or all of your image, clear and in focus.

In this image, I wanted to get the tree in the foreground in focus, but still include the background as a prominent part of my image. Using a very wide lens with the Aperture set to f/8.0 allowed me to take this.

Taken on X-Pro1 with XF10-24mm lens. f/8.0 aperture

Aperture Priority at a glance

1. Activate Aperture-Priority
2. Generally shoot “wide open” – the lowest value Aperture your lens can shoot at. This means that your images will all draw the viewer into the part that you want them to look at – the part in focus.
3. “Stop down” your aperture (increase the value number) to get more of the shot in focus – great for group shots or landscapes / cityscapes

Conclusion

The amount of light captured in a shot is governed by three aspects – Shutter Speed, ISO value and Aperture value. You generally want as fast a shutter speed as possible (unless you are trying to capture motion within your image). You always want the ISO to be as low as possible to maximise the image quality and reduce noise.

However, there is no “you always” rule for Aperture as it is the one thing that affects your final image more than the others. Your decision to include all, or just a certain part of the image within the in-focus area is where you add your own creative touch to your image and direct the viewer’s eyes to the part of the image you want them to look at.

Tutorial: Using Film Simulation modes

Fujifilm knows film. The clue is in the name. And they’ve spent a lot of time and effort bringing classic film traits to life in the current range of digital cameras.
Each Film Simulation mode* has unique properties to help you express your creativity without the need for time-consuming post-production. Varying degrees of Saturation and Tonality are composed with just the right balance to bring each Film Simulation mode to life.

The camera’s Electronic Viewfinder can show the effects of the selected Film Simulation mode before the shot is taken, and if you shoot RAW, the in-camera RAW processing function allows any of the Film Simulations to be applied post-capture, broadening your shooting options.

Which Film Simulation mode is best for your shot?

I cannot tell you this, but I can recommend certain Film Simulation types that lend themselves to particular photography subjects. However, just treat this like an initial guide and explore for yourself to find your own style.

Portraits

I would recommend Astia or Pro Neg. Std. Astia’s soft tones are perfect for capturing beautiful skin tones. Pro Neg Std. takes the look slightly further by also lowering the colour saturation.

Click on any of the images for a larger view.

The most natural setting, ideal for a wide range of subjects

Provia / Standard

Soft colour and contrast for a more subdued look

Astia

Pro Neg Std

Street photography

I recommend Classic Chrome or Monochrome. Photography is often called the “Art of omission”. Classic Chrome and Monochrome settings omit the element of colour in order emphasise the story you want to tell.

Provia / Standard

Soft colour and enhanced shadow contrast for a calm look

Classic Chrome

Enhances contrast and darkens skies considerably

Monochrome +R Filter

Landscapes / Seascapes / Cityscapes

I recommend Velvia. At the opposite end of the scale from Classic Chrome, Velvia uses colour as the main element. It adds more depth and the colours become more vibrant. There are certain emotions that only image colour can deliver and this is where Velvia comes in.

PROVIA Standard

Vibrant reproduction ideal for landscape and nature

Velvia / Vivid

Image comparison

The images below were all created using the X-T1’s in-built RAW file converter and are all JPGs straight out of the camera.

Colour

PROVIA Standard

Velvia / Vivid

ASTIA / Soft

Classic Chrome

Ideal for portrait with slightly enhanced contrast

Pro Neg. Hi

Pro Neg. Std

Mono

Monochrome

Slightly enhances contrast and darken skies

Monochrome +Ye

Monochrome +R

Produces pleasing skin tones in portrait

Monochrome +G

Sepia

Conclusion

All of the Film Simulation profiles have been developed (pun intended) by people with years of experience working with film to allow you to really alter the feel of the image without the need for lots of time-consuming post processing. Try it yourself and let us know how you get on in the comments below.

Bonus Tip!

If you’ve got a big enough memory card, set your camera to save “RAW+JPG” and then use the in-camera RAW File Converter to convert the same image into different Film Simulation modes after the shot has been taken.

* The number of Film Simulation modes available on your camera will vary.

The Photography Show 2015

What an exciting week that was. We were at The Photography Show 2015 at the NEC from Saturday 21st to Tuesday 24th and it was a ROARING success. This is my first opportunity to sit down and write up a review of the show from our perspective. I hope it helps you get a feel for the show if you didn’t attend yourself, or brings back warm memories if you did.

The Fujifilm stand

…or “booth” if you’re from that side of the Atlantic. We had a big stand this year – about twice the size as last year – and even still we found it packed to the rafters most of the time.

Touch and Try

Everyone wants to get their hands on the latest cameras and lenses and the Touch and Try camera bar allowed people to do just that. Our staff worked extremely hard to answers all the questions thrown at them from the show visitors.

Visitors getting their hands on Fujifilm cameras

Something to point your camera at... — Something to point your camera at…

Camera loans

We know that there’s nothing quite like using a camera to get a real feel for it so we wanted to offer people the chance to test-drive Fujifilm X-T1 cameras plus various lenses for the whole day. Our free loan service allowed people to do just that and went down a storm.

Quick Maintenance Service

And it’s not only the new customers we were helping out. We were also running a free Quick Maintenance Service which allowed people to drop off their Fujifilm cameras and lenses for a sensor clean, quick MOT and to also have the latest firmware installed.

X-Photographer Gallery

All around our stand we were showing some amazing images taken by professional photographers that use Fujifilm equipment. Take a look at the gallery below:

Fujifilm Photowalk

On Saturday evening we took to the streets of Birmingham for a Street Photowalk with Matt Hart leading the way. We met up in Victoria Square and Matt shared a few of the tips he mentioned in his talk earlier that day before setting off to try to put some of the techniques into action. It was a great experience and was fantastic to meet so many people to talk to along the way.

You can see some other blog posts about the event here:

Matt Hart’s #FujiTPSWalk blog
Mirrorlessons #FujiTPSWalk blog
Dave Young’s blog

Talks

To me, the talks are one of the parts of the show that really make it a great place for visitors. Lots of different photographers from lots of different backgrounds, all under one roof and sharing their own experiences, tips, hints and advice about the widest variety of photographic subjects. We were able to invite a few of our ambassadors to come to the show and pass on their thoughts to visitors.

Here is a bit about each of the Fujifilm X-Photographers. We also recorded the talks and will publish them soon.

Matt Hart – Street Photography

Matt was on the Streetscape stage on Saturday and Sunday. He has been a professional photographer for many years and still likes to shoot film. He runs workshops and hosts talks and training to help people become better reportage-street photographers. In his presentation, Matt gave lots of helpful advice and techniques for shooting street photography. He talked about the distinction between “Street photography” and “Street portraiture” and believes that true street photography involves images captured without the subject being aware.

Matt’s talk can be found here.

Matt describing the gear he uses for his street photography

Lots of people turned up to listen to Matt's talk — Lots of people turned up to listen to Matt’s talk

Visit Matt Hart’s website here

Bert Stephani – commercial portrait photography

Bert is a commercial portrait photographer from Belgium. He believes that photographers need to limit the barrier between them and their subjects and part of doing this is to have smaller gear. Bert gave a brief talk about his own style of photography, what he used to be like and what he tries to be like now, before then doing a live portrait shoot on stage. On Monday he was shooting the lovely Hannah from Fuji and on Tuesday the equally lovely Jeannie (also from Fuji).

Bert Stephani talking on The Live Stage to a huge audience

Bert Stephani live demo shooting the lovely Hannah from Fujifilm UK

Hannah from Fujifilm UK, shot by Bert live on stage

Bert likes to use whatever (and whoever) he can to block out disturbing coloured lights.
From left to right, Kevin Mullins, Hannah from Fuji and me

Visit Bert Stephani’s website here

Kevin Mullins – reportage wedding photography

Kevin is a professional wedding photography from Wiltshere. His style is very much reportage. He wants to provide his clients a “guest’s eye view” of their happy day capturing images that shows the real human events that take place at every wedding. In Kevin’s talk he focused on the importance of identifying potential moments and ensuring he can be in the right place to capture them without disturbing them.

Packed house. Lots of people wanted to hear what Kevin had to say

Visit Kevin Mullin’s website here

Paul Sanders – landscape photography

Paul Sanders is a professional landscape photographer from Kent. His talk is about the way he used landscape photography as a form of therapy to help deal with his own personal emotional issues. It was very deep, personal and inspirational and it’s hard for me to give it any justice here in form of a brief text description. Check back for the video which we will upload soon.

As my camera was being used to shoot the video footage, here ars some lovely images by Anthony Upton who was also at the talk.

Visit Paul Sanders’ website here

Don’t forget to follow this blog as we’ll use it to let you know when the videos of all of the talks will be online.

Until next year?

It really was a great few days and the best part is always getting the opportunity to meet so many photographers from keen enthusiasts right through to full-time working professionals. The Photography Show organisers have confirmed next year’s dates already – 19th-22nd March 2016. We hope to see you there!

Story behind the photo – The drizzle in Sevenoaks

I’ve worked with professional landscape photographer Paul Sanders on various projects and he knows about my recent falling in love with landscape photography. I saw this image by him on his Facebook wall and had to learn more about it because I was completely blown away by it.

One quick email later and Paul told me everything I needed to know:

Photography for me is emotional, it is a reflection of my state of mind and the reaction I have to a certain place at a certain time.

These trees sit in a boating lake near my home in Kent, it’s a place that is surrounded by the M25, A25 a bustling village and noisy schools. However when I go there I hear none of the bustle of the world.

I had this image in my mind last year, so it has been a long time coming to fruition. I rarely plan my shoots but having revisited this location a number of times I knew exactly what I wanted and the conditions that would make it work.

The weather was drizzle, mist and gloomy. Strangely it largely reflected my state of mind! On the off chance that the mist and drizzle would continue I headed down to the boating lake and stood listening to the birds.

The drizzle intensified and the mist thickened a little over the lake, perfect for me, ideal for my island of trees.

To get the image I had in my head I used the Fuji X-T1 and XF50-140 lens, shooting upright which I’m starting to do more of, but I still find challenging.

I wanted the trees to be virtual silhouettes against the mist, sort of isolated but stark.

For this shot I exposed for the darkest part of the island, this intentionally overexposed the back ground exaggerating the misty feeling, shooting at F9 on telephoto also helps by utilising the shallower depth of field the 50-140 has over a wide angle lens.

Of course the joy of using the X-T1 is that the EVF means I can pretty much see the exact image I have in my head at the time of shooting, making the whole process more about the final image than the camera and the technical aspects of photography.

I didn’t want hard reflections on the water and the choppy conditions combined with the an exposure of 2 minutes rendered them as I hoped. There was very little in the sky so I added a .75 soft grad to hold the tone. I used a Lee Big Stopper increase the exposure to two minutes from 1/8th of a second.

The first shot I took was the one that nailed it for me, I did a second one but forget to release the remote until about 5 minutes later I was so lost in watching the mist moved over the lake! I often get lost in the moment and totally forget why I am there.

Once I got home, I loaded the image into Lightroom, converted it to monochrome in through Silver Efex, selecting to develop it with an blue filter to increase the tone in the trees in the foreground, increased the contrast marginally added a platinum tone from the finishing menu and saved it – five minutes of post processing!

With every picture I create it’s all about pre-visualisation and connecting my emotions with the landscape and feeling the photograph.

Long exposure of Chipstead, Sevenoaks, Kent — Image © Paul Sanders. X-T1 with XF50-140mm. 120 sec, F9, ISO200

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About Paul Sanders

Paul will be speaking at The Photography Show on Monday 23rd March at 17:00 in the “Behind the lens” theatre.

You can see more of Paul’s amazing work on his website, or following him on social media.
Paul Sanders’ Official website
@wiggys on Twitter
@wiggys on Instagram
Paul Sanders Photography Ltd on Facebook

Interview with Mr Soga – the man responsible for the XF lens roadmap

The best thing about the CP+ show last month was getting access to people I wouldn’t normally have access to. One individual I was particularly excited about meeting and interviewing was Mr Soga – the man behind arguably the best part of the Fujifilm X system – the lenses.

We spoke about the new XF16-55mmF2.8 lens, as well as the roadmap update that was announced on the 10th February 2015. Here’s how the interview went:

Could you tell us what your job covers generally?

I am in charge of the lens product brand.

Ok, so are you responsible for the lens roadmap in general and final signoff to which lenses are added?

Yes, I am.

Starting with the newest lens to hit the streets, what was the overall goal when creating the XF16-55mm lens?

Our goal was simply to achieve the best image quality possible.

And what sort of photographer would you see using this lens?

The main images we expect to see shot with this lens are landscapes, portraits and fashion images.

Is there a specific reason why the lens does not have optical image stabilisation (OIS)?

Yes, there is a trade off relationship between OIS and image quality.

Lens shift caused by OIS can sometimes be seen in this focal length, 24mm-84mm (35mm equiv.). Since we aimed to develop our best flapship zoom, we have prioritised image quality and decided not to employ OIS for this lens.

Edit: added more information

OIS needs to move the lens inside to compensate for camera shake and as a result can cause loss of resolution in the edges of the image.

In long zoom lens such as the XF50-140mmF2.8, the angle of view is narrow enough to not show this negative effect of OIS in the edges.

However, the angle of view of the XF16-55mm, when set to the widest setting, is large enough for OIS to affect resolution at the edge of the image.

Considering this trade-off, because we wanted this zoom lens to start wide at 16mm and F2.8, and we wanted to best edge-to-edge quality throughout the entire zoom range, we decided to not employ OIS.

A question I’ve been asked a lot: was there a reason for the focal length overlap between the XF16-55mm and the XF50-140mm lenses?

We planned this product to be very useful lens for both landscape shooting and portrait shooting. 24mm (35mm equiv.) is good for landscape shooting. 84mm (35mm equiv.) is good for portrait shooting. We consider to include both focal length when developed.

Moving on to the products in the recent roadmap update, this new XF35mm F2 is a very interesting product. Is it aimed as a step up lens for an XC zoom user or would this be for the high-end Street & Reportage photographers?

This lens is aimed towards the professional or serious amateur photographer that wants to increase the mobility and speed of their photography. With the original XF35mm f1.4 lens, its speed was not as efficient due to its many lens elements moving together.

So this new lens would have increased focusing speed?

Yes that’s correct. We wanted to make a lens that could be the next step for a photographer who already knows and loves the quality of the XF lenses. We think of this lens as a mobility lens due to its clever design.

X1000024 — The new XF35mmF2 will be smaller and lighter than the XF35mmF1.4. It will also have faster auto focus due to there being fewer moving lens elements inside

I understand that the newly announced XF1.4x tele-converter is not compatible with all of the existing lenses. Is there a reason for this?

Due the ergonomics of the converter, it physically will not allow other lenses to attach.

The design of the XF1.4 X TC means that it will only fit on lenses that have enough space between the camera and the rear elements — The design of the XF1.4 X TC means that it will only fit on lenses that have enough space between the converter and the rear lens elements

Are there plans to create other sizes? For example a 1.6x or 2x?

This is very much a possibility, we may create a 2x converter in the future although this has not been confirmed.

Do you know what the aperture options are for the XF100-400mm?

This is still under consideration.

X-T1 Part IV – Rise of the tracking autofocus

So what does it actually change?

But what does this mean in REAL terms?

Damien Lovegrove

Jeff Carter

Eivind Røhne

How do you control it?

Less is more

Aperture Priority mode

How does it affect my images?

Less is more

More is more

Aperture Priority at a glance

Conclusion

Which Film Simulation mode is best for your shot?

Portraits

Street photography

Landscapes / Seascapes / Cityscapes

Image comparison

Conclusion

Bonus Tip!

The Fujifilm stand

Touch and Try

Camera loans

Quick Maintenance Service

X-Photographer Gallery

Fujifilm Photowalk

Talks

Matt Hart – Street Photography

Bert Stephani – commercial portrait photography

Kevin Mullins – reportage wedding photography

Paul Sanders – landscape photography

Until next year?

About Paul Sanders

Related links