July | 2018 | FUJI X WEEKLY

Mountain Hike – Maples Trail – Wasatch-Cache National Forest – Snowbasin

Posted on July 31, 2018 by Ritchie Roesch

Forest Trail Uncertain – Wasatch-Cache NF, UT – Fujifilm X100F

I recently took my kids on a mountain hike. One great thing about where I live is easy access to the mountains. We can see them prominently from our backyard, and it only takes a half-an-hour drive to be up in them. While my kids were eating breakfast I asked them what they wanted to do. One answered, “Go on a hike,” while another said, “Climb a mountain.” So, as soon as breakfast was over, we did.

We drove up to the Snowbasin Resort, a popular place to ski in the winter, and found the Maples Trail, which begins off a parking lot at Snowbasin. This is located in the Wasatch-Cache National Forest on the other side of the ridge from Ogden, Utah. The trail more-or-less follows Chicken Spring Creek and later Wheeler Creek. It’s a fairly wide path along much of it, and our three-wheeled stroller had no issues. We went only 30 minutes down and 30 minutes back, which was a good length considering it was a hot day and the four-year-old can only handle so much.

I used a Fujifilm X-Pro2 with a Fujinon 60mm macro lens and a Fujifilm X100F to capture the sights along the trail. Even though it is deep into summer, up on the mountain it seems more like late-spring, and there are lots of flowers in bloom. There were also lots of butterflies. A few of these pictures are straight-out-of-camera JPEGs, but most of them saw some post-production using the RNI Films app on my phone to give them more of an analog-film look.

Forest Service Trail – Wasatch-Cache NF, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & 60mm

Logs In A Pond – Wasatch-Cache NF, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & 60mm

Dead Trees In The Water – Wasatch-Cache NF, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & 60mm

Dead Trees In A Pond – Wasatch-Cache NF, UT – Fujifilm X100F

Meadow Beyond The Trees – Wasatch-Cache NF, UT – Fujifilm X100F

Sunlight Through The Canopy – Wasatch-Cache NF, UT – Fujifilm X100F

Fallen On The Forest Floor – Wasatch-Cache NF, UT – Fujifilm X100F

Chicken Spring Creek – Wasatch-Cache NF, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & 60mm

Mountain Creek – Wasatch-Cache NF, UT – X-Pro2 & 60mm

Creek Grass – Wasatch-Cache NF, UT – Fuji X-Pro2 & 60mm

Still Springtime In The Mountains – Wasatch-Cache NF, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & 60mm

Butterfly Nectar – Wasatch-Cache NF, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & 60mm

Butterfly On Thistle Blossom – Wasatch-Cache NF, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & 60mm

Dandelion Macro – Wasatch-Cache NF, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & 60mm

Spider Web Leaves – Wasatch-Cache NF, UT – Fujifilm X100F

White Tree Trunk – Wasatch-Cache NF, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & 60mm

Trees In The Wasatch – Wasatch-Cache NF, UT – Fujifilm X100F

Summer Lemonade Stand

Posted on July 28, 2018 by Ritchie Roesch

Fire & Ice Cold Lemonade – Kaysville, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & 60mm

My kids have been begging to have a lemonade stand for awhile. The problem is, where I live doesn’t have much traffic, so they wouldn’t sell much of anything. Finally my wife and I caved in, but decided to have them set it up at a city park rather than at our home. That turned out to be a smart plan because they had a lot more customers than they would have otherwise.

This was a good experience for them. There were lessons in business, money, customer service and the value of hard (-ish) work. Yes, the lessons were small, but they’re also young kids. They had a lot of fun, and that’s important, too.

I brought along my Fujifilm X-Pro2 and Fujinon 60mm macro lens to capture their first business venture. This was a good combo to capture the action, from portraits to the smaller details. This should serve as a memory aid for them and us for many years to come. These photographs are all straight-out-of-camera JPEGs using the PRO Neg. Hi film simulation.

Happy To Serve Lemonade – Kaysville, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & 60mm

Jon, Lemonade Salesman – Kaysville, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & 60mm

Lemonade Joy – Kaysville, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & 60mm

Lemonade Girl – Kaysville, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & 60mm

Lemonade Service – Kaysville, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & 60mm

Lemonade For The Summer – Kaysville, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & 60mm

Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy – Kaysville, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & 60mm

Glass Lemonade Jar – Kaysville, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & 60mm

Tablecloth – Kaysville, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & 60mm

Ice – Kaysville, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & 60mm

Frozen Color – Kaysville, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & 60mm

Dispensing Ice Cubes – Kaysville, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & 60mm

Dispensing Lemonade – Kaysville, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & 60mm

Lemonade Cup Served – Kaysville, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & 60mm

One Dollar – Kaysville, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & 60mm

Fujifilm Releases Firmware 2.11 For X100F

Posted on July 24, 2018 by Ritchie Roesch

Fujifilm released a new firmware for the X100F today. Nothing exciting, but it’s still a good idea to keep everything up-to-date. Click here to download.

Fuji X Weekly Blog Update

Posted on July 24, 2018 by Ritchie Roesch

Fuji X Weekly hit two important milestones today.

First, this morning, three people began following this blog, which put it over the 100 mark. Yes, more than 100 people follow Fuji X Weekly! That’s a tiny number compared to the big websites, but that is an unbelievable number to me, as I never imagined that this blog would be that well received. I appreciate everyone who follows Fuji X Weekly, as well as those who read this blog but don’t subscribe. If you don’t already follow Fuji X Weekly I invite you to do so, just so you don’t miss anything.

Second, this afternoon, the blog topped 15,000 page views for the third consecutive month. That is nothing short of amazing to me, and there is still enough days left in the month that 20,000 views are a real possibility. Wow! Thank you to everyone who came, and also to everyone who shared an article on social media or their website or wherever it is that you posted a link back to this place.

A final note is that I will be out on an epic adventure over the next couple of weeks. I pre-wrote several articles that will publish automatically over that time, just so there is some new content on here for you. Nothing particularly great, and I apologize in advance for that, but I felt that something was better than nothing. I will have some better articles to write upon returning.

Thank you, again, to everyone for coming to Fuji X Weekly and reading the articles, commenting, liking posts and sharing. I really appreciate you!

Multiple Exposure Monday, Part 2: The Treachery of Images

Posted on July 23, 2018 by Ritchie Roesch

Pas Une Abeille – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & 60mm – double exposure

In the late 1920’s, Belgian painter Rene Magritte shocked the art world by painting a realistic pipe for smoking, printing underneath it, “Ceci n’est pas une pipe,” which is French for, “This is not a pipe.” You look at it and ask, “If it’s not a pipe, what the heck is it? It sure looks like a pipe to me!”

Factually, his painting, entitled The Treachery of Images, is not a pipe, it’s a painting of a pipe. A picture is never the object that is represented on it, but a facsimile of that object. Rene said of his painting, “The famous pipe. How people reproached me for it! And yet, could you stuff my pipe? No, it’s just a representation, is it not? So if I had written on my picture, ‘This is a pipe,’ I would have been lying!”

This is an important point for photographers. No matter how real an image may look, the fact is that it is a photograph and not the actual scene. It’s a likeness, and a heavily biased one at that. The photographer makes all sorts of decisions before and after opening the shutter that effect the outcome. Whatever it is that you are photographing, you could print underneath it This is not a [insert name of scene being photographed] and you’d be absolutely right. As a photographer, you are making a one-sided representation of a scene. It’s not possible for the viewers of your image to step into the scene and touch things or move stuff around. It’s a picture, and that’s all.

Not A Light – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & 60mm – double exposure

This revelation is liberating! Because it’s not possible for you to photographically make whatever the scene is, only a biased portrayal of it, you can make it look however you wish. You are the artist and you get to decide everything. You are not merely capturing, you are interpreting. You are creating something unique. You are communicating through the picture your thoughts and emotions about the scene in front of the lens. There is no need to be accurate, unless that’s what you, the artist, wants. More important than accuracy is having something interesting or important to nonverbally speak to the viewer.

I copied Rene Magritte’s idea, and made double-exposure photographs that say, in French, “Not a [name of object in the picture],” to remind myself and others of his imperative point. This was a very simple in-camera combination. The first exposure was of black paper with white writing and the second exposure was of the object itself. I did give the photographs some post-processing because, straight-out-of-camera, they’re a little flat.

This was an interesting project that I did over the course of a couple of days. What I appreciate about it is the message. The pictures are nothing more than representatives of the objects, so how I compose, what my settings are, and how I edit are my prerogative, and if you don’t like it that’s fine. I’m the artist, not you. I’m simply communicating through my pictures what I think or how I feel about the object in the picture. Those are my thoughts and my feelings, and I’m allowed to have them. I’m free to create pictures that express myself through them, things that I might have a tough time communicating with actual words.

Besides, this was a fun project and I find photography in general to be fun. If it’s not enjoyable, then why do it? I get a lot of satisfaction from creating images. I hope that others like them, as well, but it’s alright if they don’t, because that’s not why I created the pictures. I hope that my intended message is meaningful to you. I hope that you appreciate these photographs as much as I do. It’s alright if you don’t because it’s not a pipe and you are entitled to your opinions. Sometimes there aren’t any right or wrong answers, and sometimes what seems untrue is actually true and vice versa. Simply put, create what you want to create how you want to create it, and don’t worry what others will think or say about it.

Not A Camera – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & 60mm – double exposure

Pas Une Fleur – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & 60mm – double exposure

Pas Une Feuille – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & 60mm – double exposure

Not A Bird – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & 60mm – double exposure

Pas Une Montagne – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & 60mm – double exposure

Recent Suburban Photographs

Posted on July 21, 2018 by Ritchie Roesch

Home Flag – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & 60mm

I mentioned in yesterday’s urban photography post that I love photographing in downtown environments. However, where I live and where I experience day-to-day life is in the suburbs, which is a place where a lot of people live and experience life. There’s a pretty good chance that you live in the suburbs, too.

William Eggleston is perhaps the best known suburban photographer. He captured the mundane life found in the bedroom neighborhoods of Memphis, and, while not originally well-received, his work is now highly celebrated. There is beauty in the ordinary if you look for it, and he certainly found it.

It’s difficult to get excited about photographing the suburbs. It seems so boring. It seems so humdrum. But there are plenty of interesting things all around if you take a moment to look for them. If you live in the suburbs, it’s an easy subject to photograph because you are already there, no travel required. Just take a walk around your neighborhood with your camera in hand.

The photographs in this article, most of which are straight-out-of-camera JPEGs, were captured recently using a Fujifilm X100F, X-Pro2 and X-E1. Like the previous post, none of these pictures were previously shared on this blog. As I was grouping images together, I noticed that these fit nicely with each other, so I made an article out of them. Enjoy!

Color:

Red Roof – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & 60mm

JO IN A lEAGUE – Bountiful, UT – Fujifilm X-E1 & Meike 35mm

Waiting Blues – Riverdale, UT – Fujifilm X100F

Cloud Decor – Riverdale, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & 60mm

Ikea Carts – Draper, UT – Fujifilm X100F

Outdoor Patio Lights – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X100F

Car Under The Street Lamp – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & 7artisans 25mm

B&W:

Rooster On The Roof – Herriman, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & 60mm

Thin Clouds Over Roof – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-E1 & Meike 35mm

Get One Back – Draper, UT – Fujifilm X100F

OK Hardware Clerk – Riverdale, UT – Fujifilm X100F

Awesome Fan – Riverdale, UT – Fujifilm X100F

Recent Salt Lake City Urban Photographs

Posted on July 20, 2018 by Ritchie Roesch

Urban Crescent – SLC, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & 16mm

I was going over the photographs that I’ve captured lately but haven’t shared yet on Fuji X Weekly, trying to group them into categories, and I realized that I have a number of urban photographs captured in Salt Lake City, Utah. I live about 30 minutes outside of Salt Lake City in one of the suburbs, and occasionally find myself venturing into the urban landscape.

These photographs were captured using an X-Pro2, X100F and X-E1. I’ve previously shared some other photographs from these outings in different articles, but the specific images seen here have never before been included in any article on this blog. They are straight-out-of-camera JPEGs, with the exception of one which received some minor cropping.

I enjoy photographing the urban environment because there is so much diversity. There are a lot of different things that you could focus on all around you, including architecture, street, colors, abstract, etc. Ten photographers could walk along the same road downtown and come away with vastly different images.

The first time that I attempted urban photography was in downtown Dallas, Texas, back when I was in college two decades ago. It was for a project in Photography 102, and I just loved it. If I could (and maybe I can) I would spend a lot more time capturing the urban environment. It is a heavily saturated genre, though, so capturing it in a unique or meaningful way is difficult. But, perhaps, the reward is found in the challenge.

Color:

No Overnight – SLC, UT – Fujifilm X-E1 & Meike 35mm

Time To Come Home – SLC, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & 16mm

West – SLC, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & 16mm

US Alone – SLC, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & 16mm

Fountain of Youth – SLC, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & 16mm

B&W:

Walker Center At Night – SLC, UT – Fujifilm X100F

KeyBank – SLC, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & 16mm

City Sun Monochrome – SLC, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & 16mm

Afternoon Coffee Walk – SLC, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & 16mm

Lines In Monochrome – SLC, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & 16mm

Fujifilm Announces XF10

Posted on July 19, 2018 by Ritchie Roesch

The upcoming Fujifilm XF10 was just announced today, and a Fuji X Weekly reader asked if I would share my opinion about it. I have never used the camera or seen it in person, so I don’t know how valuable my thoughts might be, but since I was asked I will share them with you.

To understand the XF10 you have to go back a couple of years to when the X70 was released, which was basically a smaller, lighter, more wide angle, and cheaper X100T. It was a very popular camera, especially for street photography and travel landscapes. The X70 was also the very last X-Trans II camera, and right after its release Sony announced it was discontinuing production of the 16-megapixel APS-C sensor, so its availability was limited.

A lot of people figured that Fujifilm would release a successor to the X70, perhaps called X80, with the new 24-megapixel X-Trans III sensor, but that didn’t happen. Fujifilm came out and said that the new sensor required too much computing power and generated too much heat to simply fit into an X70 body. It was either going to run very slow or they were going to have to make a bigger, heavier, more expensive body to house it in, which would defeat the purpose of the camera in the first place.

There are a lot of similarities between the X70 and the XF10. There are some differences, as well, but the two cameras are more alike than not. The XF10 lacks a flip screen and has a PASM dial instead of a shutter speed dial. The XF10 is 4K capable (sort of). The XF10 has a snap-focus option. Oh, and the sensors are different.

The X70 sports a 16-megapixel X-Trans sensor while the XF10 has a 24-megapixel Bayer sensor. What this means for practical purposes is you will get similar image quality from both cameras. For example, the X-A3 camera I used to have also had a 24-megapixel Bayer sensor, and the images that it produced were very close to what X-Trans II produced.

I believe, based more on a gut feeling than anything else, that Fujifilm is still working on a true follow-up to the X70, but they haven’t got it all figured out yet. It might take the upcoming X-Trans IV sensor and improved processor to make it possible. There are plenty of issues that have to be worked through, and I’m sure some compromises will be required.

The XF10 seems like a cheaper, more entry-level version of the X70 than anything else. If Fujifilm is still hoping to release an X80 in the coming year or two, it would make sense to have a stop-gap option in the meantime. They want to capitalize on sales in this niche market, but they don’t want to do so at the expense of the future model.

If you’ve been waiting for an X80, then the XF10 is not the camera that you are looking for. If you’ve been considering a used X70, you will have to decide if the XF10 is a good alternative for you or not, and, for the $500 MSRP, it might be. If you have been considering a Ricoh GR II, then you might also take a look at the XF10.

I imagine that sales for the XF10 will be pretty hot for awhile after it is released, but only because there aren’t many cameras to compete with it. It’s lightweight, small, pocket-sized and cheap, yet capable of fantastic image quality. It would be a good option for street or travel photography. If you have some cash lying around it might be worth having. Otherwise, it’s not a camera to get all that excited over. If you were hoping for an X80, you’ll have to wait awhile longer.

One Year Later: Fujifilm X100F

Posted on July 19, 2018 by Ritchie Roesch

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I have made the same amount of pictures in the last 12 months as the previous five years combined. I realized this when I discovered that half of the photographs that I’ve uploaded to Flickr (which is where I backup my images) are from the last 365 days. I’ve been capturing images at a pace well beyond that of any point in the two decades that I’ve been carrying around a camera.

That statistic surprised me, because it’s not as if I wasn’t capturing a bunch of pictures before. In fact, not very long ago, I was spending too much time on photography, and it was beginning to interfere with family life. I made a change. I’m now significantly more photographically productive and I’ve improved my home life simultaneously. How did I do this?

My Fujifilm X100F arrived in the mail on July 19, 2017. Yes, I’ve had this great fixed-focal-length, fixed-lens camera for one year, starting today. Time has flown by! Since I purchased this camera I have relied on camera-made JPEGs, and I no longer fiddle with RAW files on a computer.

It used to be that I would need roughly two hours to post-process one hour of photography. Obviously sometimes it would be much quicker and sometimes I’d spend an hour on just one image, but the two-for-one estimate proved to be generally accurate over the course of years. I spent twice as much time editing as I did capturing.

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Things changed when I got my X100F. The straight-out-of-camera JPEGs resembled post-processed RAW files. They looked like they would if I had edited them, and nothing like typical camera-made JPEGs from other cameras that I have owned. This meant post-production time dropped dramatically. Now I estimate 15 minutes of post-production (typically just reviewing and transferring, and occasionally cropping and minor manipulations) for every hour of picture-taking. It’s all thanks to Fujifilm’s excellent film simulation options.

The time I save by using the X100F (and also the X-Pro2, as of a few months ago) is substantial. It has allowed me to create photographs at breakneck speed while also spending more time with my wife and kids. This camera has been amazing, and I cannot thank Fujifilm enough for making it. It may sound like hyperbole, but it’s true, the X100F has changed my life for the better.

Ansel Adams said, “Twelve significant photographs in any one year is a good crop.” I don’t anticipate ever creating an image as significant as any that Adams did, but I took that quote and ran with it for this article, showcasing my favorite picture captured with the X100F in each month that I’ve owned it. Some months were easy because I knew exactly which photograph to choose. Other months were difficult, either because I had three-to-five great options and I debated extensively over which one to showcase, or because I had three-to-five mediocre options and I was trying to pick the least worst.

It can be difficult for a photographer to know which are his or her best pictures. Photographers are often biased based on the circumstances surrounding the exposure. Typically others are the ones who decide which images are the greatest. For example, Steve McCurry’s well-know Afghan Girl photograph, which was on the cover of the June issue of National Geographic, was not his favorite of the photo shoot. Steve actually preferred a different slide, but the publisher liked the one that would later make the cover, so he chose it instead, and now it’ renown. The image that Steve thought was the best has pretty much been forgotten. If you were to pick the pictures for this article, perhaps you would have selected an entire different set. Still, I hope that you appreciate these images that I hand-picked to demonstrate how I have used my X100F over a year’s time.

July 2017

KeyBank Building – SLC, UT – Fujifilm X100F

August 2017

Ilford Harman Technology – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X100F

September 2017

Walking Man – SLC, UT – Fujifilm X100F

October 2017

Fortuity – SLC, UT – Fujifilm X100F

November 2017

Pure Fish – Seattle, WA – Fujifilm X100F

December 2017

Curtain Abstract – Mesquite, NV – Fujifilm X100F

January 2018

Caramel Macchiato – Sandy, UT – Fujifilm X100F

February 2018

Canyon Pinion – Canyonlands NP, UT – Fujifilm X100F

March 2018

Watchtower Sky – Grand Canyon NP, AZ – Fujifilm X100F

April 2018

Sunset Rock – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X100F

May 2018

Jump – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X100F

June 2018

Peach City Drive-In – Brigham City, UT – Fujifilm X100F

July 2018

Ethos – Riverdale, UT – X100F – double exposure

Multiple Exposure Monday, Part 1

Posted on July 16, 2018 by Ritchie Roesch

My Mourning Essentials – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X100F – double exposure

I’ve been doing multiple exposure photography off and on for a long time. It seems as though every year or two I get a short-lived urge to be creative in that way. I’ll make a number of multiple exposure photographs over the course of a few weeks, then I’ll stop until that urge returns in another year or so.

This type of photography can be done in-camera on film, in the darkroom on paper, in-camera digitally, or with Photoshop or some other similar software. At one time or another I’ve done it each way. I think in-camera on film has the best potential for great results, but it can be very tricky, requiring great skill and great luck. Getting good results in Photoshop can be tricky because, most often, it’s easy to spot when one has done that technique. I find that in-camera digitally is a good method, not quite having the potential that film provides but not producing obviously fake results like what one often sees when done with software.

Here are some examples of multiple exposure photographs that I’ve done in the past:

Ghost Garage – Redlands, CA – Pentax K-30 – double exposure

Photography Is A Drug – Stallion Springs, CA – Sigma DP2 Merrill – triple exposure

I Am Nature – Ogden Canyon, UT – Fujifilm X-E1 – double exposure

Preserved Steam Wheel – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-E1 – double exposure

Preserving The Library Stairs – SLC, UT – Fujifilm X-E1 – double exposure

The bug to create multiple exposure pictures bit me again recently. Last week I used my X100F and X-Pro2 to capture several double exposures. I looked around for interesting opportunities to combine scenes. One difficult aspect of multiple exposure photography is combining two exposures in a way that brings new meaning, that changes what both scenes are about. It’s definitely abstract in nature, but there has to be a point to it other than just abstract, or else why do it?

Fujifilm makes it pretty easy to do this type of photography in-camera because you capture the first image, then it superimposes that onto the second as you are capturing it. You can see exactly what the results are going to be. Typically, even with highlight and shadow set to +4, the straight-out-of-camera picture looks flat, so some post-processing is required, although I try to keep it to a minimum.

Hopefully I will have some more opportunities to create even more double-exposure pictures coming up in the next few days. I have a number of ideas floating around inside my head. I hope you enjoy the ones that I captured below.

Yearning – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro2 – double exposure

Not An Entrance – Riverdale, UT – Fujifilm X100F – double exposure

Blue Diamond – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X100F – double exposure

Abstract Rectangles – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X100F – double exposure

Trade Tools – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X100F – double exposure

Two Tone Carts – Riverdale, UT – Fujifilm X100F – double exposure

Lens Target – Riverdale, UT – Fujifilm X100F – double exposure

Double Shot – Riverdale, UT – Fujifilm X100F – double exposure

Lens Review: 7artisans 25mm F/1.8 for Fujifilm

Posted on July 15, 2018 by Ritchie Roesch

Fujifilm X-Pro2 with 7Artisans 25mm f/1.8 lens

There are a number of inexpensive prime lenses coming out of China. After purchasing the Meike 35mm f/1.7 and, for the most part, really liking it, I thought I’d try the even cheaper 7artisans 25mm f/1.8 for my Fujifilm X-Pro2. Can a low-end lens be any good?

7artisans was founded by seven photographers who wanted to make lenses, so they did. They have several different offerings, all of which are very inexpensive yet intriguing. The 25mm lens for Fujifilm has an equivalent focal length of 37.5mm, which is slightly less wide-angle than the X100F, but a similar focal-length.

Despite the fact that they are two different companies, there are a lot of similarities between the Meike and 7artisans lenses that I own. They both have solid build quality, they are both manual-focus only, they both have click-less apertures, they both are super sharp in the middle, they both are super soft in the corners wide-open, they both have significant vignetting wide-open, they both have noticeable pincushion distortion, they both produce nice bokeh, and they both are at peak performance between f/2.8 and f/8. It’s almost as if the same people designed both lenses, although, supposedly, that’s not the case.

7artisans 25mm f/1.8

One difference that I found is Meike controls lens flare better, which is not necessarily saying much. If you like flare, both of these lenses are for you. The 7artisans lens produces lots of flare whenever there is a bright light source nearby. It’s almost a bit over-the-top, and if you don’t like lens flare, be sure to buy a hood for this lens (something that I did after a couple weeks of use). I like lens flare sometimes, but it was much too much with this 7artisans lens.

What you get with the 7artisans 25mm f/1.8 is a new lens that looks and feels vintage (maybe early-1980’s-ish), and produces results that have a vintage quality. It’s not precision engineered like most modern glass, so it has flaws, and those flaws give your photographs character, something that’s missing from most modern lenses. Whether or not that character is something you want for your photographs is for you to decide. I personally appreciate it. I also appreciate manual-focus, and those not used to it might not care for it.

I like the Meike 35mm f/1.7 slightly more than the 7artisans 25mm f/1.8, but it also costs a little more, too. At just $70, the 7artisans offering is $20 cheaper, and for that price, it’s pretty darn fantastic. It’s possibly the least expensive lens option for your Fujifilm X camera, as I don’t know of any that are cheaper; however, this is a lens that you could capture some great pictures with because it has very sharp glass. It does have some faults and quirks, but, considering how little it goes for, it’s easy to overlook those issues, and perhaps even embrace them. If you have a limited budget but would like to add some quality glass to your collection, the 7artisans 25mm f/1.8 is a good option that you should consider.

Succulent Abstract – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & 7artisans 25mm

Succulent Monochrome – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & 7artisans 25mm

Vase On A Dark Table – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & 7artisans 25mm

Window Reflection Sunset – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & 7artisans 25mm

Red Shed & Lens Flare – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & 7artisans 25mm

Evening In The Urban Garden – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & 7artisans 25mm

Rainbow Over The Green Mountain – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & 7artisans 25mm

Drops of Water Lily – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & 7artisans 25mm

Yellow Tipped Peddle Bloom – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & 7artisans 25mm

Picked Flowers In The Window – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & 7artisans 25mm

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Neighborhood Fireworks

Posted on July 15, 2018 by Ritchie Roesch

Over The Rooftops – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & 7Artisans 25mm

My previous experience with Fourth of July fireworks is going to an organized show, typically at a local park and sponsored by the city. You bring folding chairs or a blanket, maybe have some lemonade or watermelon, and watch the show from beginning to the grand finale with a crowd of people. Then fight the traffic going home. That’s been the routine as far back as I can remember.

My family and I moved from California to Utah two years ago. This year’s Independence Day celebration was actually our third since relocating to this state. Fireworks in Utah are different than other places I’ve lived. For starters, you can buy fireworks and set them off yourselves at your house. And everyone, it seems, does that. Yes, there are organized fireworks displays just like everywhere else, but each neighborhood is like its own fireworks show. There are restrictions on what fireworks you can buy and use and where you can do it, but overall it’s pretty open.

The front yard or back yard, it doesn’t really matter, any spot outdoors is good to catch the neighborhood show. There are fireworks all around, to your left and right, in front and behind, right over your head and maybe near your feet. Even though it is completely unorganized, it’s as exiting as any organized fireworks display that I’ve ever been to. It’s really an amazing experience, and it happens for several days. July 4th is obviously the big night, but the couple days before and even the day after can be a good show.

This year I used my Fujifilm X-Pro2 camera with a Fujinon 60mm f/2.4 Macro lens and 7Artisans 25mm f/1.8 lens to capture the action. Relying on high-ISO, these photographs are all handheld, no tripod used or needed. I’ve always used a tripod to capture fireworks, and it was nice not lugging one around (especially since I was trying to keep tabs on four kids). Granted, if I had used a tripod I could have produced cleaner images, but these came out decent enough. It’s amazing how well digital cameras can “see in the dark” and how good crazy high ISOs can look right out of camera nowadays. Pictures like these handheld would have been impossible not all that long ago.

War Time – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & 60mm

Go Beyond – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & 60mm

Big Small Explosions – S. Weber, UT – Fuji X-Pro2 & 60mm

Smoke & Firecrackers – S. Weber, UT – Fuji X-Pro2 & 60mm

Street Sparks – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & 60mm

Box of Sparks – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & 60mm

Firecracker Box – S. Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & 60mm

Smoke & Flame – S. Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & 60mm

Old Sparky – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & 60mm

Watching The Firecrackers – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & 60mm

Dancing In The Sidewalk Light – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & 60mm

Smokey Sidewalk – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & 60mm

Neighborhood Fireworks – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & 60mm

Firework Over The Roof – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & 7Artisans 25mm

Fireworks In The Twilight Sky – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & 7Artisans 25mm

Smoke & Illumination – S. Weber, UT – FujiX-Pro2 & 60mm

Jon Holding A Sparkler – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & 7Artisans 25mm

Watching The Sparkler Burn – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & 60mm

Jon Unsure of Sparkler – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & 60mm

Sparkler Joy – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & 60mm

Girl With A Sparkler – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & 7Artisans 25mm

Fujifilm X100F Aperture Series: f/5.6

Posted on July 14, 2018 by Ritchie Roesch

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f/2 f/2.8 f/4

If aperture f/4 is the sweet spot, then f/5.6 is a close second on the Fujifilm X100F. It’s small enough to achieve a large depth-of-field and it’s large enough to achieve a small depth-of-field when focused close to the end of the lens. It’s very sharp. It’s got nice bokeh when you have a blurry background. It’s versatile, and I use it frequently.

Aperture f/5.6 is good for landscapes. It’s good for street. It’s good for still-life. It’s good for family snapshots. I use it anytime that I need more depth-of-field than f/4, or when there’s not enough light for f/8, or anytime that I need a good all-around aperture. Below are some example photographs of f/5.6 on the X100F.

Black Conduit – SLC, UT – Fujifilm X100F @ f/5.6

Where The Fern Grows – Bonney Lake, WA – Fujifilm X100F @ f/5.6

Sky Above The Canyon Below – Grand Canyon NP, AZ – Fujifilm X100F @ f/5.6

Watchtower Sky – Grand Canyon NP, AZ – Fuji X100F @ f/5.6

Three Old Dock Posts – Edmonds, WA – Fujifilm X100F @ f/5.6

Barnacle Heart – Edmonds, WA – Fujifilm X100F @ f/5.6

Mount Rainier Behind The Pines – Bonney Lake, WA – Fujifilm X100F @ f/5.6

Trees, Rocks & Cliffs – Grand Canyon NP, AZ – X100F @ f/5.6

Green Tree – Canyonlands NP, UT – Fujifilm X100F @ f/5.6

Mesa Arch – Canyonlands NP, UT – Fujifilm X100F @ f/5.6

Line Workers – Moab, UT – Fujifilm X100F @ f/5.6

Carrot Farmer – Syracuse, UT – Fujifilm X100F @ f/5.6

Jonathan Throwing A Water Balloon – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X100F @ f/5.6

Umbrella Overpass – Edmonds, WA – Fujifilm X100F @ f/5.6

Road Trip: Black Hills, South Dakota – Days 5 & 6

Posted on July 8, 2018 by Ritchie Roesch

East North East – Lusk, WY – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & Meike 35mm

Days 1 & 2 Day 3 – Part 1 Day 3 – Part 2 Day 4 – Part 1 Day 4 – Part 2

The final two days of the road trip to South Dakota involved packing up the trailer and driving home. It was stormy and at times the wind was blowing hard, which meant a lot of white knuckles as I tried to stay on the road. Needles to say, I didn’t capture a whole lot of photographs! I did manage to get a little photography in here and there, which are the pictures you see here.

The Black Hills turned out to be more beautiful and interesting than I had imagined. I felt like I could have stayed several days longer to really experience the place. While Mount Rushmore was a slight let-down, the rest exceeded all expectations. If you’ve never been you’ll have to be sure to someday go.

You might have noticed that I didn’t capture a single photograph using my Fujifilm X100F. All of the photographs in this series were captured using my X-Pro2 (unedited camera-made JPEGs, by the way). The reason for this is that my wife was using the X100F on this trip. Now she has her own camera, an X-T20, so I have my X100F back.

You may have also noticed that I used the Meike 35mm f/1.7 lens a lot on this trip. I learned photography with a nifty-fifty, and for a long time that’s all I had. So having a 50mm (equivalent) focal length lens was a nice change of pace, and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. The Meike lens, while far from perfect, is well worth the small price it goes for.

I hope that you’ve enjoyed this series. I know that viewing other people’s photographs of someplace is never the same as going yourself and creating your own images. But I hope that this inspires you to get out on your own road trip, camera in hand, to see the wonderful world that’s around you.

Wyoming Thunderstorm – Orin, WY – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & Meike 35mm

On Track To Rain – Orin, WY – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & Meike 35mm

Storm Over Orin – Orin, WY – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & Meike 35mm

Unleaded Sky – Orin, WY – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & Meike 35mm

Fingernail Moon – Alcova, WY – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & Meike 35mm

Always Moving Ahead – Rawlins, WY – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & Meike 35mm

Trucks, Stopped – Rawlins, WY – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & Meike 35mm

Less Angry & More Caring

Posted on July 8, 2018 by Ritchie Roesch

Ain’t No Love On The Streets – SLC, UT – Fujifilm X-E1

I’m going to get on my soapbox for a minute, I hope that you don’t mind. There’s something that’s been bothered me for the last few days and I feel the need to say something about it.

Last week I published an article about distressing a Fujifilm X-E1 to make it look old and worn. I knew that there would be strong mixed reactions to it. I was actually surprised that, of all the comments and emails I received, about 60% were positive and 40% were negative. I thought the reaction would be more negative than positive, but it turned out to be the other way around. More people seem to like it than not.

What bothers me, though, is that every single negative reaction that I received, either as a comment or email, had a personal insult attached to it. Each and every time, the person who had something negative to say also said something mean, intentionally being hurtful. In one case, the person was clearly bigoted, and their words were laced with intolerance.

I was expecting negative words. I don’t have a problem receiving constructive criticism. In fact, in photography, constructive criticism is essential for improvement. I learned this decades ago in Photography 101, when we would have “peer review” in class. I’m very open to criticism, as long as the person means well and has the experience to back up what he or she is saying.

Broken Souls – Newberry Springs, CA – Sigma DP2 Merrill

What I received was not constructive criticism, but destructive criticism. The words written to me were deliberately intended to tear me down. These people didn’t like what I did, so they decided to verbally destroy me. It wasn’t enough to simply say, “I don’t like it.” Or, “It’s ugly.” Or, “I find it to be dishonest.” No, what was said was more akin to, “I don’t like it, and you’re a pathetic excuse for a cotton headed ninny muggins and your breath stinks.” Or something along those lines, but with stronger words.

It seems like more and more that it’s not enough to simply disagree with someone. If you don’t like or understand what someone did or said, the first response seems to be to discredit the person by verbally thrashing them. It seems that, instead of trying to see things from that person’s perspective to understand it, what happens instead is people tend to become abusive with their words. It’s like they cannot handle an opinion or thought or action that is different than their own.

If you gave 10 photographers the same subject to capture, they’d each come up with a different picture. Each one has different ideas and experiences that effect the outcome of the image. Each person is unique, so their process is going to be unique. Their perspective on the subject is going to be different. Each person sees the world through their own lens.

Can you imagine if each person verbally assaulted the others for having a perspective that’s different? Can you imagine if they were calling each other nasty names for not capturing the image in the same way? It’s absurd, but that’s essentially what’s going on. Everyone has a different perspective on things based on their own experiences. It would be better, instead of shutting down someone for having a different perspective, to attempt to see things through the other person’s lens, to try to understand that person’s opinion, thought or action. Walk a mile in their shoes first before coming down all judgmental-like.

Because Everyone Is Unique – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-E1

I’m having a difficult time understanding why someone’s first reaction to something that they don’t like or understand would be anger and wrath. This isn’t anything new, though. When I had my old photography blog, I wrote a camera review and someone didn’t like what I said, and they wrote, “If I see you on the street I’ll punch you in the face!” Now I don’t think the person was entirely serious, but what would make someone have that kind of reaction to something that, in the big scheme of things, doesn’t matter whatsoever? Why so quick to anger?

What I do with my camera is my prerogative, just as what you do with yours is your prerogative. And what I do with Fuji X Weekly is my prerogative, because it’s my blog. That’s why you don’t see those negative, hurtful comments. I deleted them, because I can. Don’t like it? Go make your own blog, and handle those kind of things in the manner that you wish. If you have some constructive criticism, by all means offer it. If you have destructive criticism, you are wasting your time, because I will not put up with it. Take your anger and mean spirit elsewhere.

We should all be more kind to each other. We are all humans. Nobody is perfect. We’re all broken and awkward in some way. We’re all on this road of life together. Let’s be kind. Let’s be helpful. Let’s build each other up instead of tearing down. There’s no need to be mean. There’s no need to be bigoted. Nobody is better than the next guy. Everybody makes mistakes. Everyone has their own reasons for things. This world needs more love and less hate. More understanding and less prejudice. More civility and less rudeness. More forgiveness and less resentment. More helping hands and fewer middle fingers. We can accomplish this together, if each one does his or her part.

Okay, I’m off the soapbox. Now back to your regularly scheduled program….

My Wife Is Now Shooting Fujifilm X

Posted on July 2, 2018 by Ritchie Roesch

Double Selfie – SLC, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & Fujinon 16mm

My wife, Amanda, had a birthday last month. When I asked her what she wanted for her birthday, she said, “A camera!” I was a little surprised because for most of our marriage (soon to be 17 years) she has not had much of an interest in photography, but also I wasn’t all that surprised because she has taken an interest in it beginning this year. In fact, I’ve been teaching her photography here and there on the Fujifilm X100F.

Last year for Amanda’s birthday I got her a GoPro because she was making home movies using her iPhone. She’s had a lot of fun over the last 12 months making some pretty epic home videos of our vacations with the GoPro. The kids love them! I think that they’re awesome. This might be where her recent interest in photography stems from, as video and still pictures are in the same general ballpark.

She had told me that, if I did buy her a camera for her birthday, she didn’t want it to be Fujifilm because she was concerned that I would be buying it for myself more than for her. She thought that I might try to take it over. That’s a valid concern because I do love Fujifilm cameras. I suggested that, if I did buy her a Fujifilm camera, we could share lenses. That idea didn’t seem to impress her much.

I ended up buying Amanda an Olympus OM-D camera. It arrived in the mail before her birthday and I set it up the day before so that it would be ready to go. Except that it didn’t work. It was broken! Brand-new, right out of the box, and it was a bust. Talk about a let down! This was supposed to be a big surprise for her.

The next day, on her birthday, I explained what had happened and showed her the non-functioning camera. She was excited that I bought her a camera but disappointed with the camera that was sitting in front of her. I felt bad about it, so later that day I took her to Best Buy, which is right down the street, and told her to pick out a camera.

My Wife, The Photographer – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-E1 & Meike 35mm

Amanda tried the different models that they had on display and picked out a Sony A6300. The clerk informed us that they were out of stock but could have one delivered to our house in a couple of days. My wife was okay with that, so we made the purchase and left.

A couple of days later the package arrived from Best Buy. There was a note inside informing us that they were out of brand-new A6300 cameras, that it was an open-box model they had sent us–if we liked it we could keep it and they’d give us $100 off, and if we didn’t like it simply return it to the store. It wasn’t “open-box” so much as it was non-existent-box, with important pieces missing and scratches all over. Obviously we returned it to the store, and the customer service person apologized extensively, shaking his head and saying, “I can’t believe they sent you this piece of junk!”

My wife was ready to give up at this point, but I was not. I told her not to worry, that I’d take care of it. This time I did what I should have done in the first place and purchased her a Fujifilm X-T20. This camera is basic enough for her to feel comfortable using yet advanced enough that she can grow into it. There’s a lot of carryover between the controls of the X100F that she has used several times, so she was able to start shooting pretty quickly. And it has 4K video, something that was important to her.

She seems to be very happy with the X-T20. She’s carrying it around and using it frequently. She’s told me several times that she really likes this model. We’ve even had a few photo walks together, her with the X-T20 and me with the X-Pro2, X100F or X-E1. And I haven’t taken over her camera. I’ve only handled it a few times to show her how to do something when she’s had a question. The X-T20 is Amanda’s camera, while I have my own Fuji X cameras.

I’m very excited that we can share the photography experience together. I’m glad that she wanted a camera and that I purchased her one. It was a frustrating experience at first, but once I purchased the X-T20 all has been well. I look forward to seeing the photographs that she will capture and the adventures we’ll have in the coming months and years.

Road Trip: Black Hills, South Dakota – Day 4, Part 2

Posted on July 1, 2018 by Ritchie Roesch

Paddling Sylvan Lake – Custer SP, SD – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & 16mm

Days 1 & 2 Day 3 – Part 1 Day 3 – Part 2 Day 4 – Part 1

After my adventurous morning in Custer State Park, I returned back to the campsite as everyone else was waking up. Once breakfast was finished we drove a short distance to Hill City to visit the small railroad museum and watch the steam train arrive (which we almost missed because we were in the museum). Afterwards we had lunch and then returned to camp.

The afternoon was kept low-key. In the early evening we returned to Sylvan Lake to catch some fish. My eight-year-old son, Jonathan, was eager to attempt fishing in South Dakota. Unfortunately, the kids didn’t catch anything, although we could see the fish jumping all over the place. Still, we had a great time and Sylvan Lake is incredibly beautiful.

That night, after everyone was asleep, my wife and I did some astrophotography (my mother-in-law and sister-in-law were camping with us and stayed behind with the kids). We drove up the Needles Highway to Needles Eye, set the camera up on a tripod, and did some long exposures. It was extremely dark and a little creepy, as we heard plenty of noises around us–that area is full of wildlife. The night sky was full of stars and simply breathtaking. Unfortunately, the cloud-like Milky Way wasn’t visible, and I knew it wasn’t going to be because I had done some research before the trip, but I still wanted to get some nighttime photography in.

I used a Fujifilm X-Pro2 for these photographs, which are all camera-made JPEGs using the different film simulations. I attached a Meike 35mm f/1.7 lens and a Fujinon 16mm f/1.4 lens to the camera. Enjoy!