Sonnar-C

A quick update on using 3rd party M-mount lenses with X-E1. The adapter arrived, and against my previous thoughts, I ordered the "dumb" Kipon adapter instead of the more expensive Fujifilm one. The latter allows for some in-camera settings and corrections for 3rd party lenses, but from what I've read, you can pretty much do it all on post-processing if needed. And "dumb" adapters have a little more room for lenses with longer focusing helicoid. Plus it's one third of the price..

I first tried using my 50mm Summicron Dual Range with the adapter, but found out that despite the pleasing low contrast look, edge sharpness was visibly inferior to what I had expected. I then attached my other M-mount lens, Carl Zeiss Sonnar-C 50mm f/1.5, and wow... I really like the tactile feel of this lens, and it looks like it was designed for X-E1. Quality-wise it's certainly sharp enough for me edge to edge, and works fine even without focus peaking by using zoom mode with X-E1 thumb roll. Bokeh is pleasing, and gives a slightly creamy feel to images taken wide open.

It takes some practice to focus manually without any assisting features (please Fuji, give us a new firmware with focus peaking), but I managed to take some action shots by relying on zone-focusing and experiences gained from rangefinder world. Here are some examples. I'll be using this lens for some time, as I had to send my XF 35mm for a warranty service. Front element was a bit off from the centre line of the objective body, and while it had no negative effect on image quality, the lens hood was misaligned when attached, and the markings on the lens were also off in front of the lens. Fujifilm Nordic promised to deal with this on warranty, so I thought I'd get it done before I really need the lens.

X-E1 and Sonnar-C

Perfect portrait lens?

Practicing zone focus

X-E1

..or as Ken Rockwell put it some time ago, the Sexy One.

I finally got the camera and lens last week, and despite the continuing lack of time, wanted to share some experiences. The package consists of a brand new black X-E1 body and a used XF 35mm f/1.4 lens in mint condition. The price total for all this was around 1000 euros, which was nice considering the setbacks with my previous purchases.

And boy, it feels good. The minute I took the camera in my hands, I knew this was the call I was supposed to make last Autumn. Sigma DP2M is an exceptional tool for certain work, but it's not what I want as my only camera. This Fuji feels relatively small, nimble, robust and well thought out, a bit like my late X100, but everything felt better. The lens feels a tad large considering the size of the body, but I guess it's understandable with that 1.4 aperture. And the looks.. Modern touches to a classic rangefinder style body. It's not as attracting as Leica M, but feels just as functional and well designed.

The image quality surpasses that of my old X100. Of course the detail isn't similar to what I got with the little Sigma, but I always liked the IQ and the appearance of the images taken with X100. 16 megapixels seems like a nice compromise nowadays. Tolerable file sizes, enough pixels for whatever purpose I can think of, and room for cropping if the situation demands it. And high ISO performance is something worth mentioning. With Sigma I couldn't use anything past ISO400 until the noise became apparent. I've taken some ISO6400 shots with Fuji, and they seem fine by my standards. There's noise, but it has a pleasant feel to it. Nothing like the color artifacts in Foveon files. X-E1 feels like a thing of the future after using Sigma for some months.

The raw support for X-trans sensor has always been a problem, and was the main reason why I didn't get the X-pro1 last year. Now we have support in every major software, and some have made crucial upgrades to their implementations during the last few months.  I won't debate here on what is the best raw converter, but I've been using Aperture since 2010, and was in the belief that in order to use Fuji cameras I'd need to start learning Lightroom again (I actually used 1.0 beta years ago). Luckily Apple came up with X-trans support some weeks ago, so I thought I'd make a comparison between the two.

I took 10 random shots, and ran the raw files through both Aperture and Lightroom. I liked the Aperture end result more with every single sample, so it seems that I don't have to change my familiar workflow in order to get results. Aperture puts out those Fuji colors I've mentioned before, and the pixel level quality seemed to be better also on those Aperture conversions. I can't say the Adobe files were bad, but the colors seemed a bit washed out, and out of balance somehow. I tried doing conversions without any settings applied, and after that made some fine tuning to the images. The results stayed similar between different software, so it's Aperture hands down for me. It lacks some of the nice features in Lightroom 5 beta (spot healing, decent camera/lens profiles to name a few), but the colors alone are reason enough for me to continue using Aperture. Hopefully Apple steps up, and releases that long-awaited 4.0 upgrade with similar features soon.

Another fact about those raw files. They seem to respond really well to post-processing with different filters. I never got those Foveon X3F-files looking just the way I wanted even after extensive post-processing. If you like Foveon look and Sigma colors, then it shouldn't be a problem, but for me they always felt a little awkward. With Fuji files I'm right at home, and despite different sensor color filter array (X-trans in X-E1 vs. Bayer in X100), the presets made for X100 work perfectly fine with X-E1 files. Another bonus for me personally.

I wish I had more time to make a more detailed "review" here and now, but it'll have to wait until June. The Leica M adapter should arrive tomorrow, and I can't wait to try the Sonnar-C 50/1.5 on this body. I was a bit afraid of losing OVF functionality present in X-pro1, but EVF in X-E1 feels really nice and responsive, and actually with X100 I ended up using EVF 95% of the time. It might be the future thing as electronic implementations soon surpass optical finders in resolution and light sensitivity. I'd like to have both, but to be honest, I find the EVF in X-E1 comfortable enough for now. With film Leica I have one of the best optical finders in history, so I'm pretty much covered when I feel the urge to escape electronics.

I might feel overly positive with the camera right now, but it's because I felt right at home with it. Going back to what I enjoy in photography, and getting the results I want with minimal effort. Can't complain!

Minimal post-processing here

Setbacks and lack of time

I thought I would write something despite my constant lack of time. I'm currently finishing my studies in University of Lapland, and this includes writing my master's thesis from ground up in two months. Lots of work, but I should be finished with my studies by the end of May. Hopefully!

I made the order on X-pro1 in early March from a Finnish internet dealer. The delivery date was postponed once which I found normal, but something started to seem wrong after the company website was down for a week or so in mid-March. After getting no response to my queries about the exact delivery date during several weeks of waiting, I finally got them to reply after threatening them with police actions. At this point I had been discussing about my situation several times with a public consumer advisor. Promises were made by the company and again broken, like before.

It seems that the company owners were in the middle of quitting business, and were collecting money from customers without any intention to deliver the products. I've been in contact with the police, and as the owners are Finnish citizens, there's some hope of turning this into a criminal fraud case. I've given up hope of getting the camera delivered, and they don't seem to be interested in returning the money either. This has been the first time of my internet shopping "career" something like this has happened, and I can tell you it isn't that fun to deal with. I'm doing everything in my power to get these f*ckers responsible for the actions, but as a hint: deal with respectable (big and long-term) companies only and pay with a credit card to avoid problems.

I've since ordered an X-E1 + 35mm Fujinon kit, on which I got a good deal from a more respectable seller. The difference in price to a similar X-pro1 kit was quite large, and considering the situation with my last purchase, I'm not that keen to invest extra money on camera stuff right now. Sure X-E1 has no hybrid finder, but it has a better resolution EVF (should be nicer for MF lenses) and an integrated flash. And it's a tad smaller, which is nice, because I will carry it around a lot.

My photographic efforts have been lacking lately, and now you know why. I'll get back to you as soon as I get some gear and find some spare time.

Tiredness is present

The order with X-pro1 seems to have gone bad again. There was a problem with the first store I ordered it from (with delivery time), and the second alternative seems to have gone bad also. I'm currently in the process of getting my money refunded. I could order the package from Verkkokauppa, which seems to have stuff available at the moment, but the whole process along with pressure on my thesis work and Easter holidays out of town has caused in a total lack of inspiration on photography. So I'm waiting for the refund, and will push the button again then.

I have taken some shots with iPhone, and I shot some film in Levi and nearby fells during the last two weeks. Using my Leica is such a joy, and I wish I had a possibility for smoother processing of the film. In US there seems to be nice alternatives for developing AND scanning your film in decent quality, and I reckon a solution like this would make my life a bit easier. I enjoy the feel of the gear, and the quality and individual look you get with film, but I'm too busy and lazy to do it all myself. Ken Rockwell has outsourced his scanning, and to be honest, the whole postprocessing as a thought is currently limiting my efforts with film photography. I shot a roll of Velvia 50, but my Plustek 7600i really seems to struggle every time with the density of this slide film. I can't get the scanned image to look the same as the film shown on a light table. I've tried calibrating my scanner, and used both Vuescan and SilverFast, but it still isn't what it's supposed to be.

I have my old Canon 8800F at work with film holders, and when I get the next batch developed, I'll try scanning my slide films with that. In the mean time, I think I'm pretty stuck up with my thesis for the whole of April. I'll get back on photography when I'll find some spare time.

Film flicks and anticipation for new gear

Sorry for the delay. I finally managed to scan all of my pending negatives. I'm in the middle of processing them, but I thought I'd share some of the images now. At this point I always remember why film isn't a viable solution for me as my only media. It takes too much time, and I mean lots of time, to get the results out of those negatives, and I'm not even developing myself. I simply don't have enough time, and if I want to continue photography and try to develop my skills, I need to take more photographs. I'll keep my M3 for times when I deliberately want to slow down, but I'm a digital man despite feeling some discomfort with digital gear from time to time. Having said that, I prefer the film look. It's a shame I can't get a living out of doing film photography..

The anticipation for X-pro1 is growing, and I have been promised a delivery date for this week. We'll see if that really happens. My fellow blogger Jonne also decided to go for a Fuji system for the second time after trying out a full-frame Nikon, Olympus m4/3 system and a Sigma Merrill compact after selling his X-pro1. We have a similar system incoming (X-pro1 + 35/1.4 Fujinon), so perhaps we can soon compare our experiences in Flickr :)

Scent

Too tired to play

Mechanics

Wires

Sunshine & shade, film version (I actually prefer this one over digital)

Travelling with iPhone

I haven't got my new Fuji yet, as the store I ordered it from has low stock and are waiting for their distributor to deliver more units. I've managed to live without that dedicated digital camera, and it hasn't been half as bad as I thought it would be. I've done some film and used my iPhone, and both have taken me by surprise by delivering very nice results on situations I haven't trusted them before.

I had two rolls developed last week, and I've scanned about half of those flicks now. Some really nice photos, which I'll share with you later. The Sonnar-C results are really pleasing, although the DR Summicron seems and feels like a perfect match for that classic M3 body. It's a lot heavier than the Zeiss alternative, and feels like a solid metal perfection with perfect feel matching the body. I haven't quite decided which will stay on front of my Leica in the future.. We'll see how my feelings develop, and I still have that another roll waiting for scanning back home. Very different lenses in terms of feel and results despite the same focal length.

I visited Tampere this week with my spouse using only iPhone 4 for photography. Being lazy, I took around 10 shots during the entire trip, and deleted only two of those, which was purely because I had better samples of the same situation. The phone is 2 and a half years old, with scratches on lens and pretty beaten up externally, but it CAN deliver results that I find more than adequate.

I also visited Rajala retail shop while spending time in Tampere. I had the chance to compare X-pro1 body and Leica M-E with Voigtländer 35/1.4 Classic lens attached. Sigh.. The Fuji feels cheap and flimsy in comparison, but I'm standing behind my decision based on rationality. Maybe I shouldn't have tried them side-by-side..

 I've been too careful and demanding on using mobile phone camera lately, but I really should use it more. Here are some examples, I'll get back on the film stuff during this weekend.

Kehräsaari

Reflections

Reflections part 2

Sunset in Tampere

Time for a decision

I've finally decided. And ordered some gear too actually. All in all this took a while, but I'm not regretting it, because I think I can stand behind this decision. For a while at least...

My two options were to get a used M8/M8.2 or a new X-pro1. I went with the latter. Why?

1. M8/M8.2 is a 7-year-old design. In digital age that's a lifetime. Not necessarily a bad thing, but..
2. High ISO performance (above ISO640) is not good in M8. This limits what I do, for example indoors with my dogs, and I hated the same limitation with Sigma. Fuji on the other hand has great ISO performance up to ISO6400.
3. M8 can't be repaired if the LCD display fails. And since it's a fault that occurs on many of these cameras (the coffee stain effect), I would be making a risk investment.
4. There have been quite a lot of sensor problems with Leicas. Despite the unique rendition of the Kodak CCD sensor inside, it's prone to failure, and basically all of the used cameras are out of warranty already.
5. Lens coding and UV/IR-filters are needed for even native lenses to perform correctly on M8, at least with color work. Not a big deal, but annoying.
6. I can use my favorite M-mount lenses with Fuji. There are several 3rd party adapters along with the original Fuji accessory. The performance is not as good as on a native M body, but I get live view and better performance on low light. Despite not having the focus peaking feature, the X-pro1 does quite ok with 10x zoom, and the EVF seems to be brighter than the actual scene on low light situations.
7. I enjoyed using the X100 despite some little quirks. The X-pro1 has the new Q-menu, interchangeable lenses (I prefer a longer focal length) and seems to be even sturdier by design. And of course there are the manual controls and the sublime look, as in all X-series cameras. Me likes.
8. Money. I can get a new X-pro1 with 35/1.4 Fujinon a few hundred euros cheaper than an M8. I'd be inclined to buy a 35mm lens with M8 to get that focal length I like so much (it has a crop factor of 1.3x). With Fuji I have the autofocusing 35/1.4, which gives me around the same effect, and in addition I have my 50mm M-mount lenses for portraits and more artistic stuff.
9. I got sick and tired of watching eBay over a nice M8/M8.2. Majority of them are too expensive, or with a questionable history. Sometimes even both.

So. There it is. I'm waiting the delivery with calm anticipation. It's a bit like coming home, because I used the X100 for almost two years. Maybe I should have done this move last autumn, but hell, I took some nice pictures with Sigma during my ownership. And the price of X-pro1 has come down during the last months, so I really didn't even lose any money!

Don't get me wrong. I haven't lost my preference for emotion and passion in photographic decision making. I'm simply balancing my emotional side with some rationality here. M240 and Monochrom are still something I'm dreaming of, and I would have made a steep compromise with M8. I'm currently finishing my master's thesis in social sciences (business management as my major), and working only a few hours a week. Six thousand euros is something I'm not ready to invest in a hobby right now, and one needs to have some dreams, right? I have the classic M3 with 0.91x finder, which is pretty much the peak of development in rangefinders for using 50mm focal length alone. Now I can use two bodies with my M-lenses, and enjoy both AF/EVF and rangefinder experience. And I got my looooong pondering concluded. YAY!

An outdoor portrait of my girlfriend from last winter. M3 with 50mm Summicron, Velvia 50. Great spring-time film!