On the Fuji X-T2, you can cycle through four display modes with the button on the right side of the hump: Eye sensor, which turns the EVF on and the LCD off when looking through the EVF; alternatively, viewing the LCD turns the EVF off; EVF only, which turns off the LCD; LCD only, which... Continue Reading →
Lumix G85: Contrast vs. Curves
I find the images coming straight out of the camera a touch too contrasty to my liking, so I've been trying to determine which is better for pulling a little more detail out of the blacks: reducing contrast, or lifting shadows. These were shot outdoors just prior to and after a rainstorm and the lighting... Continue Reading →
Lumix G85: Contrast Test
I've been reviewing the best settings to use with the Panasonic Lumix G85. Firstly, after double-checking my low light test the other day, I realized that my focus was off, so what appeared at first to be serious smearing of detail at higher ISO settings turned out to be 'operator error'. At this point, I'd... Continue Reading →
In Anticipation of Panasonic’s Announcement of the GH5
I'm no Panasonic hater, and I don't mean to piss on your parade, but - anyone who thinks the GH5 is going to somehow render the Fuji obsolete is just fooling themselves. Not a few reviewers, comparing the G85 to the X-T2, ended up choosing the Lumix, not because of Panasonic's stupendous color science, brilliant low light sensitivity or... Continue Reading →
Lumix G85: Best Settings, Graded with Kodak 2393 LUT
Since doing a low light test, I also recommended dialing noise reduction down to -5. https://youtu.be/1l7BWYSFOX0
Field Test: Panasonic Lumix G85
I was pleasantly surprised at both the handling and the image quality of the G85. It is probably currently the best value in a 4K mirrorless camera. The G85 has less noise than the GH4, the images are cleaner. Skin tones, while still unmistakably Panasonic, are improved over the aging GH4. I struggled for years to get... Continue Reading →
Fast Fuji Primes: Worth the Cost?
Don't get me wrong - I love Fuji lenses, and I can well understand why so many reviewers own or would like to own at least half of the 23 or so lenses in Fuji's catalogue. Their build quality is on par with or even better than Zeiss. They are all metal and glass, and... Continue Reading →
It’s Common Knowledge: Sigma Lenses Are Total Crap
I wrote in an earlier post how camera reviewers are often blamed for inaccuracies or omissions in their coverage, whereas it is often readers who value features and specs over image quality, reliability and usability who are to blame. For example, video-oriented cameras with exceptional IQ but lacking IBIS are categorically dismissed as absolute failures by... Continue Reading →
Seeing Is Not Believing
I guess seeing is not believing... I just finished watching a comparison between the Lumix GX85 and the Sony a6300, concerning rolling shutter, high ISO performance, dynamic range, 1080p, and continuous autofocus - and I thought the a6300 just killed it in practically every category, leaving the Panasonic in the dust in all but IBIS (the a6300 didn't have... Continue Reading →
Fuji X-T2 Low Light Test: ISO 6400
Here's a smattering of clips shot in the late afternoon in the lobby of my hotel in Penang. At ISO 6400, the Fuji holds up quite well, and I probably wouldn't bother de-noising the footage even if it were going to end up being used in a project. I exposed for the shadows, and there... Continue Reading →
Field Test: Fuji XF 50-140mm f/2.8
As usual, all shots were taken around Book Street in District 1, Saigon. The build quality of this monster is on par with Zeiss. The focus, zoom and aperture rings are dampened to high hell, which I happen to love. Autofocus is fast and completely, utterly silent. The 16-55mm f/2.8 amazed me, the 35mm f/2 astounded... Continue Reading →
Field Test: Fujifilm XF 35mm f/2 WR
I'll make this one brief. The Fuji 35mm f/2 is a must-have lens. It is compact, beautifully designed, and the optics are superb for such a small instrument. https://youtu.be/NkFAsUnvz2Y Free background music from JewelBeat.com
Field Test: Fujinon XF 16-55mm F2.8 R LM WR
https://youtu.be/S0_ODY-GRFo The Fuji 16-35mm f/2.8 is a monstrous lens: it's got 17 elements and weighs 655 grams. One thing it is not is a lens you'd want to take with you on vacation. It's not the perfect all-rounder you want to keep on your camera either, like Panasonic's 12-35mm f/2.8. It's too unwieldy to carry... Continue Reading →
Benro S8 Fluid Head
I'd already ordered a Manfrotto 504 HD fluid head from B&H, but while it was trapped in Vietnam customs hell, I decided to go ahead and purchase the Benro S8 with a 75mm flat base from a dealer here in Saigon for just $181.00. My minimum requirements were a head with a counterbalance that could... Continue Reading →
Review: Fuji X-T2
After my rant last night about the lack of meaningful exposure aids on the Fuji X-T2, I've settled down a little, and had my first opportunity to actually go out and grab a few clips with it, along with the Fujinon 16-55mm f/2.8 lens. It's been drizzling all day, so I couldn't do much shooting.... Continue Reading →
One Picture is Worth a Thousand Words
Thanks to Nesster at Flickr. Creative Commons. My very first camera was actually a Konica Auto S2 rangefinder.
Fuji X-T2: Creative Perfection?
I just picked up the Fuji X-T2 and a 16-55mm f/2.8 lens yesterday afternoon and, while setting up the camera, I happened to notice that in movie mode, there are virtually no exposure aids: no histogram, no waveform monitor, no zebras, just an impossibly tiny EV meter. I thought I must be mistaken, since I'd... Continue Reading →
More Tests On The Way
Following up on my field tests of the Leica Nocticron and Sigma 30mm f/1.4 DC DN, I'm currently in the process of shooting with the Nokton 17.5mm f/0.95. Even at a distance of a few feet, shooting at f/2-f/2.8, the depth of field is razor thin, so, of the lenses I own, it's going to... Continue Reading →
Zhiyun Crane Jitter Problem Addressed
In previous posts, I wrote that my gimbal was experiencing serious shake, even after the stabilizer had been properly balanced and calibrated. This effectively meant that I was without a camera for the whole of my two-week trip to George Town and Langkawi, Malaysia. Every single clip was ruined with jitter issues, which I posted... Continue Reading →
The Daejeon Chronicles 