Category: Links

Craig Mod reviews the Leica Q

In 2010, Craig Mod wrote the GF1 field test — 16 Days in the Himalayas, a very compelling essay advocating Micro4/3 cameras, with the Panasonic GF1 and the 20mm f1.7. And what a gorgeous location. Later in November he wrote Seeing prime, an essay reviewing the Lumix 14mm f.2.5 and photography with a prime lens.

The in December 2013, not necessarily and change of heart but more like evidence of the shift of the whole industry Cameras, Goodbye where the iPhone quality reach the one of bigger cameras that don’t have the online features — something that the author found important. A testimonial about camera phones, with the iPhone spearheading, taking over the compact camera market.

Then come his essay The Leica Q where he took the Leica Q on a field test for six month:

I now understand the limitations of this photographic instrument, of which there are few. And I trust and enjoy it more than any other camera I’ve owned.

Yes, even more than my iPhone.

Read the whole essay — six month of use in the field is quite long enough to have a definitive opinion. It feels that Leica managed to make an attractive camera priced not too insanely above of the Sony RX1 (+ EVF to compare). This echoes quite well the early reviews back in June.

Digitizing negatives

David Lam show us his rig for digitizing negative using a digital camera (dead link) and explain the rational behind his choices.

Back in June, Petapixel had an article about DIY film scanning with LEGO and an iPhone, an interesting alternative approach.

At a time where film scanners are mostly things of the past – where the new models are a niche segment in which flatbed scanners reach the quality that the traditional film scanner used to have, where the old models are abandoned by their vendor whose software was so mediocre that it doesn’t run on modern PCs and where the high quality machines are so expensive, it feels like the best way is to actually use these digitizing devices called digital camera that are quite common. Everything is in the setup.

More Fuji X-Pro2….

The Verge shows us how Fujifilm makes the X-Pro2 and camera lenses in Japan:

I didn’t really know how they were put together. The answer, it turns out, is that they’re not assembled by robots, but by actual humans with a lot of work and care.

A fascinating photo essay.

ephotozine tells about the Fujifilm X-Pro 2 Design, Prototypes, and Manufacture, another view of the manufacturing and also the evolution of the physical design of the prototypes, showing different tests on the controls layout. They also follow up with their own Fujifilm X-Pro 2 First Impressions Review which is not very optimistic on the battery life.

Marius Masalar Fujifilm X-Pro2 review, based on a pre-production model with more close up picture of the body:

I’ve been waiting for the camera that takes everything I love about the X100T and expands the shooting envelope enough to make it viable for work as well as pleasure. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that it’s Fuji who ultimately delivered it in the form of the X-Pro 2.

After reading that, the X-Pro2 is even more tempting than before.

X-Ray and film

Stella loves film

Bokeh talks about the damage of X-Ray on film with a complete practical illustration: where, how many time, which film, and the actual images. Just an example of what can happen.

Just read.

Personally I just avoid as much as I can traveling with film.

Overexposing colour negative

Petapixel has Daniel Lachman tell us how much you can over expose colour negative film:

“What I took away from this is that film basically can’t be overexposed, it can just be too dense for the scanner to be able to shoot through the negative. But the information will always be there.”

My quick take is that you can shoot it at +2 and it will be more tolerant to under exposure error.

Fuji new “body cap” lens

(Petapixel) Fuji’s New XM-FL is an X-Mount Body Cap Lens with Built-In Photo Filters:

Fujifilm has announced a strange new lens over in Japan. It’s called the XM-FL, and it’s a 24mm f/8 body cap-style pancake lens that features built-in photo filters that can be accessed by turning a dial on the side.

Very light, totally “dumb” (ie no electronics), for ~$100, can make for interesting experiments on your Fuji X.

From Fujifilm Japan (in Japanese)

Similar in principle to the Olympus body cap lens in 2013.

Fuji X round up

Zack Arias take on the Fuji X-T1: Yep. It’s A Fuji (archived from the original).

Conclusion… I have zero regrets about selling all of my Canon gear and going Fuji. Zero regrets.

I have to admit, I’m not a pro like him, ie I don’t shoot for a living (also I’m less talented), but since I have my X-Pro1 I haven’t used the Canon much nor even lusted on any piece of gear for it.

Last week I have had my hands shortly on the X-T1 and the EVF is absolutely so much better than the X-Pro1. Non-withstanding the other advantages. If only I could try it longer.

Also don’t miss his Mystical Marrakech video (on YouTube) that he did for Fuji: