September 1, 2019

The Upgrade: Fujifilm X-T30

Disclaimer: All thoughts here are my own; this is not an endorsement of any products, brands, or media channels. A little bit over two years ago, I got back into photography with my purchase of the Fujifilm X100T. (You can see many of my exploits with it over in my photo gallery; most of the older photos were taken with it.) What I loved about that camera – and still enjoy about it, really – is how “connected” I feel to photography using it. It has no extraneous bells or whistles, and puts the photographer in charge of the photographic trinity (aperture, shutter speed, ISO). It feels like an extension of the photographer. ...

August 25, 2018

Learning Speedlights with Nikon SB-900

A few days ago I wrote about my experience shooting with the Nikon D700. At the time, I mentioned that I had borrowed the Nikon SB-900 speedlight (now discontinued) with which to learn the beginnings of flash photography; not wanting to go on a complete tangent about my learnings about flash photography, I didn’t dwell on it then. Today, though, I’d like to share some of my earliest learnings using the SB-900. I used the book “ Understanding Flash Photography ” by Bryan Peterson as a learning reference. (I don’t think it’s necessarily the best book for this purpose, but it served well enough as a learning reference. If I was looking to get into professional portraiture or event photography, I’d no doubt get a book on that specifically.) ...

August 21, 2018

The Switch – Nikon D700

At the beginning of July, I commemorated one year with the Fujifilm X100T. Although it is more targeted and limited than an interchangeable-lens (ILC) camera. I really believe this limitation is a huge boon for learning. The rangefinder-styled camera, with a fast fixed-perspective lens, moves without my conscious intervention to capture a fleeting vision, the same way that a spoonful of soup just rises from my bowl and up to my mouth without really registering in my mind. When I think back to my high school photography, tinkering with my father’s DSLR, that whole affair seems rather crude by comparison. “A more elegant weapon, for a more civilized age,” is an apt comparison between the nimble, even diminutive rangefinder over the overwrought, glass-clad hand-cannon we call the SLR. Only once I freed myself of the concerns of lenses and zooms, and sat down to learn exposure in earnest , could I come back to face the terrible SLR. So when my father offered to lend me his main SLR gear bag for a few weeks, I accepted with trepidation, and lent him my X100 in turn. ...

July 4, 2018

One year with Fujifilm X100T

One year ago today, I resumed my long-adjourned photography hobby, with the Fujifilm X100T. There’s two thoughts I’d like to share today. You can see some of my photos at my photo gallery. Fujifilm X100T – a retrospective I still think that the Fuji X100T was one of the best possible cameras I could have picked up at the time. Its great manual controls and compact size made it a great camera for learning and taking everywhere. Its classic styling and compact size makes it a secret weapon in the hands of someone moderately experienced, as it can go toe-to-toe with a crop-sized DSLR in its areas of strength, all while not intimidating to friends and family. And its integration with the Instax SP2 smartphone printer are great, both for starting conversations, and for handing out keepsakes. ...

May 22, 2018

Fuji LH X100 lens hood

In the continuation of my slow but inexorable backslide into the Fuji camera gear universe, I recently picked up a secondhand lens hood for my X100T. Although it was a bit on the expensive side, I figured the construction would be of higher quality and more natural looking (in keeping with the traditional charm of the camera itself). Construction and fit The lens hood system comprises two pieces, and adapter which threads onto the front of the base lens; and the hood itself, which cleverly twists and locks onto flanges on the edge of the adapter. ...

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