I’ve kept my camera in “stealth” mode, with black gaffers tape covering the white logos and the soft-shutter release was a plain black version. But I took the tape off and am enjoying having the cool logo exposed. The blue soft-shutter release button looks pretty sharp, against the black body. It’s a millimeter smaller in diameter than the black button and sits a little higher as well. I would prefer if it was lower, but I like the smaller size.
I think the soft-shutter release button makes the camera better. For me, it helps reduce camera shake when I press it as compared to the regular button. Definitely a must-have for me!
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/6.4, 1/9 sec, ISO640 “Fujifilm X-T10” Cedar Park, 2018
こんばんは。How’s it going?
My wife bought a new camera, an Olympus E-PL9, to replace her Fujifilm X-T10. Her first ILC (Interchangeable Lens Camera) was an Olympus E-PL1 so this is a bit of a homecoming for her.
She liked the Fujifilm X-T10, but it was a little too big (even though it’s tiny compared to a DSLR), and perhaps a little too complicated. The E-PL9 is smaller, and the excellent 14-42 EZ kit lens is small enough to be considered by some to be a pancake lens. I think for her style of shooting, the Olympus will be a better camera.
But now we have an extra Fujifilm X-T10, with the excellent 35mm f/2 lens. I really like the camera, so I’ll be using it as my backup, or the camera I use when I need to use a focal length other than the 23mm that my beloved Fujifilm X100T provides. Besides the 35mm (52mm equiv.), we also have the wonderful 18-55mm (27-82mm equiv.) which is probably the lens I’d use most on the X-T10.
While the Fujifilm X-T10 is a great camera and reminds me of my Minolta X-700 both in size and looks, the advantages of the X100T still apply when comparing the two. I prefer the rangefinder-style body, single focal length, the non-detachable lens for zero decision-making, silent leaf-shutter, optical viewfinder, and discreet color/size. If I were to ever replace my X100T, it would be with another X100-series camera.
So, does the X-T10 really fit in with my camera collection? I think it does. But it only makes sense if I use it to replace my DSLR set-up. I guess I’ll put my Sony a77 and lenses on the market and try to get some money. 😄
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2.8, 1/125 sec, ISO1250 “Ticket Stub” Cedar Park, 2018
こんばんは。How’s it going?
This morning I was planning on seeing the 8:50 am showing of Paddington 2, but I woke up at 8:30 and had to rush rush rush! Luckily the theater is only 10 minutes away, so after brushing my teeth, throwing on some clothes, and tidying up a bit, it was off to the movies! And when I arrived, I noticed that the movie time had changed to 9 am. Whew!
The movie itself was fantastic. I heard it was good, but I wasn’t expecting to be so impressed. The entire cast is wonderful, but Hugh Grant really stole the show. So funny, especially the dog food commercial. And I loved the scene where the Browns were talking about how actors were despicable and that they lie for a living. It was a meta moment seeing actors talking about actors!
The special effects were amazing as well, with the pop-up book montage being truly breathtaking. On the other hand, the animation of Paddington himself was completely seamless and looked very natural. I never once had a “That looks so fake!” moment.
Lastly, the jokes were clever and refreshing and didn’t resort to cheap bathroom humor. The trailers before the movie, on the other hand, had a total of 3 fart jokes. I mean, come on!
I’d have to say that Paddington 2 is the best movie that I have seen this year (so far). I’m not surprised that it has a “100% Fresh” rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
******************
In other news, I fired up the grill this evening and made burgers for the family. What made these special was that we also had bacon, avocado, and egg! Actually, Mariko and Bay had egg burgers, which made for a messy affair. But it did look damned tasty. Anyways, all the burgers were yummy, although I overcooked the patties just a bit.
“Koa’s Burger” Cedar Park, 2018
“Bay’s Burger” Cedar Park, 2018
“Big Buns” Cedar Park, 2018
“Burger with Egg” Cedar Park, 2018
******************
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2.8, 1/125 sec, ISO4000 “Shattered” Cedar Park, 2018
Lastly, Mariko couldn’t get the lens cap off of one of her lenses and asked if I could do it, but when I looked at it, the cap was stuck on as if someone super-glued it. And I could hear a strange sound coming from it… It turns out that Mariko had dropped her bag (which had her camera in it) and it must have impacted the edge of the lens. I had to use pliers to remove the cap, which revealed a shattered filter. Using the pliers again, I was able to unscrew the filter, then used a soft paintbrush to clear out all of the shattered glass. Thankfully the lens is undamaged, but we’ll have to get another filter. I guess that’s one example of when using a protective filter showed its worth.
I watched a great video by Kevin Mullins in which he talks about simplifying the photographic process. I agree with a lot of what he says and his idea of letting the camera do most of the work, and you just concentrate on seeing the scene. He also talks about simplifying your gear and amount of kit you carry. I think once you stop thinking about gear, the photographic process gets simpler and purer, and also more enjoyable.
It’s kind of where I am at (and have been for a while) with my photography hobby. I’ve gone through the evolution of buying lots of gear and maximizing specs, lusting after the latest and greatest cameras and lenses, and collecting many different camera formats (and spending a fair bit of money). Then I started gravitating to smaller cameras, ditching gear, and eventually landed with my X100T, which doesn’t even have interchangeable lenses. And I love it! It’s been my go-to camera for the past few years. I don’t need anything more than this. When I travel, I take this one camera, a couple batteries, and I am all set. It makes traveling much more enjoyable!
“Trusty” Cedar Park, 2017
I am on a journey to simplify my life, and simplifying my main hobby of photography is a great step in the right direction.
Today’s photo is of the sky as a cold front arrived in Texas. The temperature will drop about 40 degrees in just 12 hours! Brrrr….
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/3.2, 1/125 sec, ISO2000 “Car Camera” Cedar Park, 2017
こんばんは。Howzit?
Ever since I bought my new car, I’ve missed some nice cloud/sunset shots because the bag in which I I keep my camera is often on the back seat. The Odyssey had a center tray which was great for keeping my bag on top of, and so my X100T was always close at hand. But not so with the Crosstrek. In order to rectify this unacceptable situation, I now keep a different camera in the glove box so I can take those quick shots.
In today’s photo, you can see that camera sitting in the cup holder. It’s my wife’s old Sony NEX-6 camera, which she hasn’t used it since she bought her Fujifilm X-T10 last year, and has been sitting on the shelf collecting dust. It was easy to sell the NEX-6 lenses on Craigslist, but the camera body and kit lens had some wear and tear, so I never tried to sell it. It operates perfectly, though, and for one-handed operation, I think it’s even better than the X100T.
Besides being easy to use, the camera’s kit lens defaults to its widest angle when you power on the camera, so the need for precise framing is lessened. It’s just a quick flick of the switch, half-press autofocus, and fire. All in a couple seconds.
In other super-important photo news, I haven’t been posting to Instagram as much, but that is going to change! I’m going to try to be less particular (and more spontaneous) about the photos I post, and just have more fun. At least I think it will be more fun. I’m guessing I will lose some followers, but who cares?
