New B+W XS-PRO Clear Filter

B+W XS-PRO Clear filter
Photo info: SONY SLT-A77V, 35mm, f/2, 1/45 sec, ISO1250
B+W XS-PRO Clear filter

I replaced the Hoya UV filter I had on the X100T with a new B+W 49mm XS-Pro filter. The B+W seems to be a lot less reflective than the Hoya – at some angles, you can’t even tell there is a filter over the lens. It’s very nice!

My preferred way to carry the X100T around is to not use a lens cap. However, I am worried about scratches and having to wipe the lens element so I have a filter on it for protection. Plus I worry less about wiping or scratching the filter. The reason I had the Hoya UV on there was that it was a leftover filter from another lens that I had. But I really wanted to get the best filter possible (and I don’t care about UV). On my DSLR lenses, I preferred to use a lens cap, and no filter, but the X100T is different in that I carry it around with me almost all the time and don’t want the hassle of dealing with the lens cap if I want to take a quick snap. So I got the highest-rated protective filter as to reduce as much distortion/flare as possible. Plus, knowing I got the filter I really wanted, and did not compromise, gives me peace of mind and no regrets!

A rough week

This past week has been a bit tough. On Sunday Oct. 18 I hurt my back and and just now back to maybe 95%.

It happened at my kids’ Japanese school sports day. One of the events that takes place is a tug-o-war and after the kids compete, the parents have a go at it. Sometimes I join, and sometimes I pass. This time I joined in and had a lot of fun. I did not get injured! But… I my core muscles got a bit tired. After lunch, and before the events started again, I was throwing the baseball with Koa. During one of the tosses, I heard and felt something pop in the lower-right part of my back. I immediately knew something was wrong… then the blood started rushing from my head and I felt dizzy, so I sat down. I told Koa, “I’m done,” then walked slowly back to the our chairs.

The rest of the day I was sore and it hurt to bend but it wasn’t too bad. That night, however, my back got worse and I was pretty much bed-ridden. On top of this, I felt sick from possibly allergies, so I was hurting on multiple fronts. Getting in bed took me several minutes. I had to gingerly move inch by inch while enduring quite a bit of pain. This sucked on several levels, one of which was that while lying on my back, scooching along, my shirt was being pulled down in back and the collar was strangling my neck in front. It was awful. So the next time I got out of bed, I just ditched the shirt and went topless.

As mentioned earlier, I also was suffering from allergies, so I had a runny nose, felt feverish, and had a cough. Luckily when I coughed it did not involve the pulled muscle which seemed to be pretty specific.

I took a sick day on Monday and spent most of the time in bed resting my back. Monday happened to be my birthday so it was a really unfortunate way to spend it. And being my birthday, we had tickets to see The Martian that night. I did not know if I could make it! But by the evening I felt a little better and we went to the movie. The theater was the fancy type that serves dinner and drinks, and they also have these really great recliners, so I was able to lean back pain-free and enjoy the movie! It was awesome. After that, we had cake back at home. So it turned out to be a pretty good birthday after all!

The rest of the week my back (and allergies) kept improving and by Thursday I was able to drive. The weekend was filled with rain so a lot of activities got cancelled and I could give my back some more rest. It’s now a week after I hurt my back and I am almost all healed! But boy, I need to be a little more careful… and maybe no more tug-o-wars for me!

Deluxe Hot Dog

Deluxe Hot Dog
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2.8, 1/60 sec, ISO800
Deluxe Hot Dog

Went deluxe on today’s hot dogs. Hebrew Nationals, Jarlsberg cheese, onions, tomatoes, pickles, jalapeños, yellow mustard, and Sriracha. I usually don’t dress up my dogs like this, but we had leftover fixings from last night’s burgers. This was a really yummy hot dog!

My Fujifilm X100T Set-up

I’ve been enjoying my new camera for two-and-a-half months now and I finally settled into a good system… so I present my Fujifilm X100T set-up. (I don’t cover my software settings here, but will in the future)

When looking for a new camera, I wanted something fast and discreet. The X100T fit the bill and when I had to choose between the silver/black version or the all-black, it was easy. Of course both versions are beautiful but I was aiming to make mine ‘invisible’ and the all-black was closest. To make it even more nondescript I cut some gaffers tape to cover up all the white lettering on the top. I also covered the T mark on the front and the LED light on the back. Lastly, I took black paint pen to the white lettering on the lens filter and hood. As you can see, it’s quite stealthy! And also a bit shabby, which makes it unattractive to thieves. (In addition, I keep the camera in ‘silent mode’ which disables audio beeps, flash, and AF assist lamp)

Front of the X100T
Photo info: SONY SLT-A77V, 50mm, f/3.5, 1/90 sec, ISO1250
Front of the X100T

On the rear of the camera, I added a little frog sticker that I put on just about all of my personal electronics. It’s there to remind me that I should be having fun in whatever I do. You can also see a small question mark sticker. That is to remind myself to ask some simple photo-related questions before I take photos: “Is there a clear subject? Is there fore-, mid-, and background? High or low angle?”

Rear of the X100T
Photo info: SONY SLT-A77V, 50mm, f/3.5, 1/90 sec, ISO1250
Rear of the X100T

For my accessories, I have a convex soft-shutter release which screws into the shutter button. I added a little Loctite so that it doesn’t unscrew. I love this little accessory! It makes snapping photos a much more enjoyable experience, and also I believe it reduces camera shake. I highly recommend getting one!

I used to have a Thumbs Up Grip that attached to the hot-shoe and adds a nice stable place to rest your thumb. It made carrying and operating the camera with one hand much more secure. But I removed it because when I carry the camera across by body using the neck/shoulder strap (which is just about always), that thumbgrip just digs into my side. It’s just too annoying.

Speaking of the strap, I don’t use the one that came with the camera because it has a white logo on it (trying to be discreet, right?) and also because it is too uncomfortable. The edges are a bit sharp. So I am using a simple fake leather strap that came with a half-case I bought for my XF1. I am keeping my eye out for a cheap leather strap, but nothing perfect has come along yet. I adjusted the strap’s length so that it can be slung across my body.

Lastly, I put B+W 49mm XS-Pro Clear filter on the front of the lens for protection. When I am walking around with my camera, I don’t use a lens cap but simply keep the UV filter on there. It’s much faster that way. And for the record, I do have a lens shade/hood that came with the filter adapter, but I don’t use it. It’s too big. (I use a lens cap when I put the camera in a bag though)

So that’s it! My everyday set-up. The X100T is already a great platform for quick and discreet shooting but the customizations make it even better!