Ritchie Roesch

Weekly Photo Project, Week 19

Posted on December 9, 2018 by Ritchie Roesch

I don’t feel as though this week was particularly photographically productive, but I did manage to capture at least one photograph every day. I also managed to create a few pictures that are decent. The end of this week marks 133 straight days with at least one image captured, which is a pretty darn good accomplishment. Hopefully I can keep this going through the winter, which I anticipate being the most difficult season for this project. Even if each photograph isn’t amazing and only one each week is good, that still means I have 52 good pictures over the course of a year. I still have a long ways to go, and it’s best not to count chickens before they hatch, so I better keep moving forward one day at a time.

Monday, November 26, 2018

Cow Field – SLC, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Tuesday, November 27, 2018

Amanda & I at the Great Salt Lake – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X100F

Wednesday, November 28, 2018

The Last Two Leaves – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Thursday, November 29, 2018

Light Beyond The Wet Window – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Friday, November 30, 2018

Boots – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Saturday, December 1, 2018

Light Dust of Snow – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Sunday, December 2, 2018

Frosty Fall – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Week 18 Week 20

How To Add “Light Leaks” To Your Photos Using Page Markers

Posted on December 9, 2018 by Ritchie Roesch

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I much prefer to create a look in-camera than to use software to achieve it. I’m a big fan of avoiding post-processing whenever I can because I don’t like sitting in front of a computer anymore than I absolutely have to. Sometimes it’s not possible to achieve my photographic vision without editing, but most of the time with a little care I can get the exact look I want straight out of the camera. Whenever I find a trick that might help me get in-camera the results I want, I’m willing to give it a try.

Recently I came across an article where photographer Maciej Pietuszynski used colorful sticky page markers, also sometimes called popup index tabs, to create light leak effects without software. Stick the colorful page markers in front of the lens and watch the magic happen! It works quite well and is surprisingly convincing.

In the film days, light leaks would happen when a camera became worn or damaged. When the seal that keeps the inside of the camera completely pitch black is compromised, unwanted light enters and exposes the film. If film isn’t handled correctly during development, it’s also possible to get light leaks that way. The two pictures below are examples of light leaks that I have experienced.

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Light leaks come in all sorts of colors and shapes. They’re not typically uniform. Some people love them and some people hate them. There are some photographers who actually seek out cameras that leak light, and even a few who will purposefully damage a camera in order to create light leaks. There was even a 35mm film that was produced that had light leaks already on it, so that you could get the effect with a camera that wasn’t damaged.

In the digital world, you can mimic the light leak effect using software, which is something that I occasionally did using Alien Skin Exposure (I haven’t done this in several years). Using a faux light leak is fun every once in awhile, and it works well for certain images, but it can seem kind of gimmicky if you apply it too often. Below are two pictures of mine that include fake light leaks using software.

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Using page markers is a good technique to achieve a light leak effect without using software. I played around with it on my Fujifilm XF10 over the last two days, and I was able to get some interesting results that did in fact resemble light leaks. In my opinion, it made the images look a little more analog. In the pictures where the effect is really subtle, it gives the images a slight atmospheric feel that is still intriguing. I don’t think this something I’d want to do all of the time, but in the right situations it can be effective. At the very least it’s a fun technique to experiment with. It’s very lomography in spirit.

If you find yourself bored on a Saturday morning or you just want to try a new technique to produce a more analog-like result, I invite you to give the page marker light leak trick a try. It’s something that you could file away for use at some later time when you have a certain look in mind, or maybe you’ll find it to be useful in your regular workflow. Below are photographs that I have captured using this technique.

When Film Photography Is On The Table – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Norfolk Southern Caboose – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Caboose Interior – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Creepy Brakeman – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Light & Mural – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Window Vase – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Fake Flower In The Window – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Dry Lavender Dish – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Christmas Camera – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Yosemite Ornament – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Merry And Bright – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Dead End Sign – Sunset, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Icy Leaf & Grass – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Holding On Despite The Challenges – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Snow On A Tree Trunk – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Boy, Sledding – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Joy In The December Yard – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Winter Fun – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Not Much of a Rose – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Late Autumn Leaves – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm XF10

My Fujifilm Camera Recommendations

Posted on December 7, 2018 by Ritchie Roesch

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I’ve been asked several times lately which Fujifilm camera one should buy. People are looking for camera recommendations, and they’re interested in my advice. Since it’s December and Christmas is right around the corner this is something that’s on many people’s minds. I don’t necessarily like giving my opinion on this because everyone’s wants and needs are different, so what would be great for one person might not be for another, but I will do my best since it is a topic of interest for some of you out there.

Fujifilm makes many different cameras with many different features because the wants, needs and budgets of photographers can vary greatly. There is, however, one camera that’s easy to recommend, and that’s the Fujifilm X-T20. This is a great all-around middle-road offering that’s rich on features, not too expensive and a great choice no matter your skill or budget. The X-T20 is a camera that’s easy to suggest to anyone.

Stark Salt – Wendover, UT

If you’re thinking that the X-T20 is not high-end enough for you, there are four great alternatives: the X-T2, the X-Pro2, the X-H1 and the X-T3. The X-T2 is the best bargain of the four, the X-Pro2 is my personal favorite of the four, the X-H1 is the only one with in-body-image-stabilization, and the X-T3 is the latest and greatest. If video capabilities are important, the X-H1 and the X-T3 are your best bets. If you want the very best, that’s probably the X-T3, although I’d argue that any of the four could be “best” for different reasons.

If you’re thinking that the X-T20 is too expensive, you have three good options: the X-T100, the X-A5 and the X-A3. These three cameras have a traditional Bayer sensor instead of an X-Trans sensor and have a more basic processor, but they are still good cameras that are capable of excellent image quality. The X-T100 is the best of the bunch, but even the X-A3, which is a couple of years old now, is a great low-budget option and perhaps the best choice for someone’s very first interchangeable-lens camera.

Snake River Fog – Grand Teton NP, WY

There are a few alternatives to the X-T20 that I haven’t mentioned yet. The first is the X-E3, which is very similar to the X-T20 but with a different design and slightly different features. The X-E3 would be my second-place recommendation and is definitely worth taking a look at. Next is the X100F, which is a fixed-lens camera that is quite excellent and easy to love, but it might not be for everyone. Perhaps it is a good gift option for the photographer who has everything. Finally, there is the XF10, which is also a fixed-lens camera but is on the bargain end of things. It’s the smallest camera mentioned in this article (and one of the cheapest, too), yet it is capable of capturing beautiful pictures.

There, you have it! If you are camera shopping, look first at the X-T20, then decide from there if you need to move up to the more expensive models, move down to the cheaper models, or look at one of the other alternatives. You really can’t go wrong with any of the cameras, because they could all serve a purpose no matter who you are, but I think the middle is a good place to begin a search.

Keyhole Monochrome – Salt Lake City, UT

Alternatively, buying an older model second-hand isn’t a bad idea at all. My first Fujifilm camera was a used X-E1, which I captured many great pictures with. It’s very much a capable camera today. There are a lot of great Fujifilm models that are a little older, but are still good quality cameras, such as the X-T1, X-T10, X-E2 (with or without the “s”), X-Pro1, X70, X100T, etc. You can get a used model that’s not quite as good as what’s brand new but not all that far from it either, for significantly less money.

You might be wondering about the photographs above. I purposefully didn’t label what camera they were captured with because I wanted it to be a surprise at the end. The picture Stark Salt towards the top was shot with a Fujifilm X-A3, which is an incredibly cheap camera right now because it’s not the latest model. The next image, Snake River Fog, which is one of my all-time favorites that I have hung on my wall at home, was captured using a Fujifilm X-E1. The last picture, Keyhole Monochrome, was shot using a Fujifilm XF10. These three cameras can be found for $500 or less, which demonstrates that even the cheapest options are still good options. It’s never about how expensive your camera is, it’s always about how you use what you have.

Downtown Salt Lake City With A Fujifilm XF10

Posted on December 3, 2018 by Ritchie Roesch

Downtown Keyhole – SLC, UT – Fujifilm XF10

A couple of weeks ago I found myself in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah. I had my Fujifilm XF10 with me and hoped to do a little street photography. It was a cold Sunday morning, and downtown was basically a ghost town. I barely saw anybody! Undeterred, I proceeded to walk around and capture some photographs.

Did I mention that it was cold? The sun was just beginning to rise and it hadn’t warmed up at all yet. I wasn’t really dressed for the temperature, which was in the upper 20’s Fahrenheit. I kept moving, though, and survived a trip around the block. It reminded me of some photography advice, I believe from Richard Steinheimer, that I heard many years ago: for great photographs you often have to be at places others don’t want to be and at times when others don’t want to be there. After getting back to the car I was more than happy to jump in and warm up!

The XF10 did a great job of capturing pictures. It’s small, lightweight and inconspicuous. It can be easily shoved into a pocket, which I did many times on that morning while trying to keep my fingers from freezing. I didn’t stay long. All things considered I’m pretty happy with the pictures that I came away with, even if I didn’t capture exactly what I was hoping for.

Parking – SLC, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Waiting Alone For The Train – SLC, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Blue Line – SLC, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Downtown Buildings – SLC, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Lights & Reflections – SLC, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Ever Reaching – SLC, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Diamond In The Sky – SLC, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Morning Reflections – SLC, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Keyhole Monochrome – SLC, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Abstract Reflection – SLC, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Falcon Bird Watch – SLC, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Jungle Gym – SLC, UT – Fujifilm XF10

My Fujifilm X-T20 Kodak Ektachrome 100SW Film Simulation Recipe

Posted on December 2, 2018 by Ritchie Roesch

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Ektachrome was a line of color transparency (slide) films made by Kodak that used the E-6 development process. Some people preferred it to Kodachrome because of the faster ISO (100 vs 64 or 25), more saturated colors and easier development (although Kodachrome had finer grain, a larger dynamic range and didn’t fade as easily). A lot of National Geographic photographs were shot on Ektachrome back in the day.

There were a number of varieties of Ektachrome produced over the years, and I’ve used five of them myself. My favorite was Ektachrome 100VS (VS = “very saturated”), which was Kodak’s attempt at Fujifilm Velvia. Occasionally I used Ektachrome 100SW (SW = “saturated warm”), which was introduced in 1996 and produced vivid photographs with a warm color balance. Kodak stopped production of Ektachrome 100SW in 2002 and all Ektachrome film in 2012. Just a few months ago a brand new Kodak Ektachrome film was released, although I have not tried it yet.

A Fuji X Weekly reader, Ilya Struzhkov, took my Kodachrome II recipe and made a simple modification: he used Velvia instead of Classic Chrome. He shared the results on Instagram and I immediately felt like the images had a Kodak Ektachrome 100SW aesthetic. I had to try it out myself! Sure enough, the results looked a lot like the film: saturated colors (not as much as Velvia but more than most films), a warm color balance, and shadows that easily turned black. It’s amazing that this one change to the recipe could transform it from 1970’s Kodachrome to 1990’s Ektachrome.

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The title of this film simulation recipe says “Fujifilm X-T20” but it can be used on any X-Trans III or IV camera. In fact, at the bottom of this article you’ll find some Fujifilm X100F examples. The only other change I made (besides Velvia instead of Classic Chrome) is that I set sharpening to 0 instead of +1 on the X-T20, but it’s set to +1 on the X100F. That’s just how I set up the cameras, and there really isn’t much of a differences between 0 and +1 sharpening, so either one is fine. Because the settings are essentially the same as my Kodachrome II recipe, it’s super easy to toggle between the two when out shooting. Really, it’s just brilliant!

Velvia
Dynamic Range: DR200
Highlight: +1
Shadow: +2
Color: -1
Noise Reduction: -3
Sharpening: 0
Grain Effect: Weak
White Balance: Auto, +3 Red & -4 Blue
ISO: Auto up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: +1/3 to +2/3 (typically)

Example photos, all camera-made JPEGs using my Fujifilm X-T20 Kodak Ektachrome 100SW Film Simulation recipe:

Light Dust of Snow – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20 “Ektachrome 100SW”

Frozen Fall – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20 “Ektachrome 100SW”

Frosty Leaf & Grass – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20 “Ektachrome 100SW”

Sandstone Peaks – Snow Canyon SP, UT – Fujifilm X-T20 “Ektachrome 100SW”

Evening Moonrise – Snow Canyon SP, UT – Fujifilm X-T20 “Ektachrome 100SW”

Zion Sun – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm X-T20 “Ektachrome 100SW”

Evening On The Cliffs – Snow Canyon SP, UT – Fujifilm X-T20 “Ektachrome 100SW”

Amanda & Ritchie – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X-T20 “Ektachrome 100SW”

Still Water & Rocky Shore – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X-T20 “Ektachrome 100SW”

Old Dry Lavender – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20 “Ektachrome 100SW”

Boots – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20 “Ektachrome 100SW”

Fujifilm X100F:

Autumn Tree Below Bridge Mountain – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm X100F “Ektachrome 100SW”

View From Mount Carmel Tunnel – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm X100F “Ektachrome 100SW”

Juniper – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm X100F “Ektachrome 100SW”

Sandstone Trees – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm X100F “Ektachrome 100SW”

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Weekly Photo Project, Week 18

Posted on December 2, 2018 by Ritchie Roesch

During this week I used my wife’s Fujifilm X-T20 quite a bit. I promised her that I wouldn’t take it over, but I’ve enjoyed using it so much that I kind of did take it over. Well, I asked nicely if I could use it each time, and I’ve also shared my cameras with her (or, at least made the offer to). I think when the X-T30 comes out, which might be sometime next year, it will be very tempting to pick one up.

Monday, November 19, 2018

Crevasse Tree – Snow Canyon SP, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Tuesday, November 20, 2018

A Pine Among The Rocks – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Wednesday, November 21, 2018

Past & Future, or Fad? – Nephi, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Thursday, November 22, 2018

Where Fall & Winter Meet – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Friday, November 23, 2018

The Little Engineer – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Saturday, November 24, 2018

Cold & Chancy Commute – Layton, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Sunday, November 25, 2018

Mountain Snow Cloud – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Week 17 Week 19

Fujifilm X Deals

Posted on December 1, 2018 by Ritchie Roesch

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It’s December 1, and if you haven’t already started shopping for Christmas you will likely start very soon. I wanted to pass along some discounts on Fujifilm cameras that are currently being offered at Amazon. If you use the links below to purchase something, I will get a small amount from Amazon for referring you to them. This money will be used to improve the Fuji X Weekly experience. I know that some of you have already done so, and I want to say thank you! Expect some positive changes to come soon!

Current discounts being offered on Fujifilm X cameras: the Fujifilm X100F is $100 off and is now available in brown (yea!), the X-T100 is $100 off, the X-A5 with a 15-45mm lens is $100 off, the X-E3 is $100 off and there is a bundle option with the 18-55mm f/2.8-4 lens plus extras for $1,150, the X-T20 is $200 off and there is a bundle option with the 18-55mm f/2.8-4 lens plus extras for $1,000, the X-Pro2 is $200 off, the X-H1 is $250 off, and the X-T2 is $500 off, which is an incredible deal!

Current discounts being offered on Fujinon X lenses: the Fujinon XF 14mm f/2.8 is $150 off, the XF 16mm f/1.4 is $150 off, the XF 80mm f/2.8 is $150 off, the XF 10-24mm f/4 is $150 off, the XF 16-55mm f/2.8 is $200 off, the XF 50-140mm f/2.8 is $200 off, and the XF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 is $200 off.

Current discounts being offered on Fujifilm Instax: the Instax Mini 90 Neo Classic Instant Film Camera is $60 off, the Instax Mini 9 Instant Film Camera bundle is $57 off, the Instax Mini 70 Instant Film Camera is $40 off, the Instax Wide 300 Instant Film Camera is $38 off, and the Instax Mini Film 3-Pack is $22 off. My 11-year-old daughter loves her Instax camera.

Also, if you are looking for t-shirts, coffee mugs, iPhone cases and other items with Fujifilm and photography related designs, check out the Fuji X Weekly store! You’ll find several great gift ideas for photographers. I have ordered some of the items for myself, and they’ve all been good quality. I’m quite happy with how they turned out.

My Fujifilm X100F Ilford HP5 Plus Film Simulation Recipe

Posted on December 1, 2018 by Ritchie Roesch

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Back when I shot lots of film, my favorite black-and-white options were Ilford Delta 100, and Ilford Delta 400 when “high ISO” was necessary, as back then I considered ISO 400 to be high ISO. I didn’t use Ilford HP5 Plus very often, but I have used it on several occasions. I still have a few rolls of the film lying around, which I should go out and use just for the fun of it. The differences between Delta 400 and HP5 Plus aren’t huge. Delta 400 uses tabular-grain, which is supposed to be a finer grain that produces sharper images, but I think in real-world use it’s not really noticeable. Delta 400 has a hair more contrast than HP5 Plus and in my opinion is a bit better for push-processing, but HP5 Plus seems to have more exposure latitude, making it more forgiving if you didn’t get the exposure quite right. Overall the two films produce very similar results.

I’ve been asked a number of times to make an Ilford HP5 Plus film simulation recipe for Fujifilm X-Trans III cameras. The title of this article says “Fujifilm X100F” but these settings can be used on any X-Trans III or IV camera. In fact, you’ll find a few Fujifilm X-T20 examples at the bottom. I already have a number of different black-and-white film simulation recipes that I like, so I didn’t really need to make a new one, but I enjoyed doing this and I’m pleased with how it turned out.

A few days ago I was asked if my Agfa Scala recipe is a close match to HP5 Plus, and as I thought about it I realized that it’s not all that far off, and only some small changes would be necessary to get it right. Of course, any time that you attempt to mimic a certain film the problem is that the film can vary in look. How was it shot? Developed? Printed? Scanned? There isn’t necessarily one aesthetic that’s right because there are so many variables. Still, I feel like this is recipe is in fact pretty close to Ilford HP5 Plus film.

I captured the photograph below, Airport Lobby, using a Canon AE-1 about 20 years ago using Ilford Delta 100 film. I printed it on Agfa Classic paper using a split-filter technique and toned it with sepia (just barely). This is a (rather poor) scan of the print. I included it in this article for the heck of it, as it doesn’t really have much to do with this film simulation recipe. My experience with Ilford films goes back pretty far, and perhaps that’s the point of including the picture with this article.

Airport Lobby – McKinney, TX – Ilford Delta 100 printed on Agfa Classic paper.

You could modify this recipe to shadows +3 if you need more contrast or shadows +1 if you needed less, or highlights to +3 if you need to prevent clipped highlights. If you feel as though the recipe needs some changes to best capture an image, don’t be afraid to make those adjustments. I don’t always stick rigidly to my recipes, and I’m not afraid to adjust them when needed. The example photographs in this article are all the exact recipe, but with some other pictures (that I didn’t include) I made some modifications to the settings because the scene required it. A few of the pictures here might have been better off with a modification to the shadow or highlight, but I wanted to demonstrate the aesthetic of this recipe as is.

Acros (Acros+Y, Acros+R, Acros+G)
Dynamic Range: DR200
Highlight: +4
Shadow: +2
Noise Reduction: -3
Sharpening: 0
Grain Effect: Strong
ISO: Auto up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: 0 (typically)

Example photos, all camera-made JPEGs captured using my Fujifilm X100F Ilford HP5 Plus Film Simulation recipe:

Grey Salt Lake – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X100F “Ilford HP5 Plus”

Kids On The Salt Lake Shore – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X100F “Ilford HP5 Plus”

Hurry Up & Wait – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X100F “Ilford HP5 Plus”

Downtown Workday – SLC, UT – Fujifilm X100F “Ilford HP5 Plus”

Monochrome Caution – SLC, UT – Fujifilm X100F “Ilford HP5 Plus”

Window Pentax – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X100F “Ilford HP5 Plus”

Tunnel Chevy – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm X100F “Ilford HP5 Plus”

Virgin River From Canyon Jct Bridge – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm X100F “Ilford HP5 Plus”

Monochrome Vista In Zion – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm X100F “Ilford HP5 Plus”

Zion Juniper – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm X100F “Ilford HP5 Plus”

Rock & Trees – Zion NP, UT – Fuji X100F “Ilford HP5 Plus”

Fujifilm X-T20:

Frozen Leaf & Grass – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20 “Ilford HP5 Plus”

The Last Leaf – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20 “Ilford HP5 Plus”

Morning Clouds Around The Mountain – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20 “Ilford HP5 Plus”

Grey Sky Over Antelope Island – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X-T20 “Ilford HP5 Plus”

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Weekly Photo Project, Week 17

Posted on November 26, 2018 by Ritchie Roesch

I’m continuing last week’s theme of alternating between color and black-and-white. Monday and Saturday were the only two days that I didn’t capture a whole lot, and the pickings were slim. Otherwise I had at least a handful of photographs to choose from for each day. Amazingly enough, I’m about 1/3 of the way through this 52 week project, which is hard to believe because it seems like I just started. I’m anticipating that winter will be the most difficult season, but I’m staying hopeful that I can complete it without missing a single day.

Monday, November 12, 2018

Every Rose Has Its Thorns – Layton, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Tuesday, November 13, 2018

Lights & Shadows – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Wednesday, November 14, 2018

Steve – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Thursday, November 15, 2018

A Paleontologist Happily Working – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Friday, November 16, 2018

Little White Pumpkin On The Mantel – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Saturday, November 17, 2018

Classic Russian Camera – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Sunday, November 18, 2018

Waiting Alone For The Train – SLC, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Week 16 Week 18

Travel: Zion National Park in Autumn

Posted on November 26, 2018 by Ritchie Roesch

Virgin River From Canyon Junction Bridge – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm X100F

Zion National Park was the third most visited National Park in America in 2017, right behind the Grand Canyon. Utah has five National Parks–only Alaska and California have more–and of the five Zion is by far the most popular, with Arches National Park a distant second. It’s no surprise that Zion is usually quite crowded. I was surprised at just how packed it was when I visited in the middle of the week in the middle of November. Isn’t this supposed to be the off-season when fewer people are there?

I arrived with my family in the morning about an hour after sunrise. We waited in a somewhat short line to get into Zion. Once inside we found the parking lot at the visitor’s center to be completely full, with a number of cars circling hoping that somebody would leave. We decided that we’d explore what we could of the park by automobile and hope that the parking situation would be better a little later.

This was our first time to Zion National Park and we really didn’t know what to expect. We didn’t anticipate the gobs of people and we didn’t expect that there’s not much one can see of the park from the car. There is the Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel, which is over one mile long, and a few pullouts along the road that were packed full of cars (I illegally parked to get the photo at the top of this article). There are some things that can be seen and experienced from behind the wheel, but most of the park is accessible only by the park’s bus system or by foot. Once we figured this out we put a more serious effort into finding a place inside Zion to park the car. Unfortunately, parking was still scarce and we were lucky to find a spot in an overflow lot that required a small hike to the nearest bus stop; however, we soon discovered that we left the kid’s sweaters at the hotel and it hadn’t warmed up enough yet to be out without them.

Vista From Mount Carmel Tunnel – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm X100F

We left the park feeling a bit defeated and disappointed. We found a combination coffee shop and gift shop in Springdale, which is the small town right outside of the park entrance, and purchased some warmer clothes for the kids and the wife and I sipped on some coffee. We decided to park in town and take the free shuttle to the park. This turned out to be a much better way to get into Zion. The bus dropped us off right outside the park, and a quick walk across a short bridge brought us to Zion’s shuttle stop. Unfortunately, the line for Zion’s shuttle was about 400 people deep, but thankfully there were a lot of buses running and the line moved surprisingly quick.

The bus was completely packed. We rode it to the end, which is where the Riverside Walk trail is located. This trail is about two miles round trip and very easy, even for the kids. It’s also extraordinarily scenic! The draw to this place is quite apparent. It’s a landscape photographer’s playground. It was also packed with people and at times felt like we were strolling through New York City and not a canyon in southern Utah. Even so, we had a good time enjoying the amazing natural sights around us.

After our hike we got back on the bus, which we had to wait in a line for and was again filled to the brim. We had intended to stay in the park longer, but we dared not get off the bus at a different stop because we might not find seats on another bus. So our stay in Zion was short. There is no doubt that this park is one of the most beautiful, but it’s too crowded. Next time I will have to ensure that it’s a less busy time of the year for a visit. I hear the park is beautiful dusted with snow.

For these pictures I used a Fujifilm X100F, a Fujifilm XF10 and a Fujifilm X-T20 with an Asahi Auto-Takumar 55mm f/2.2 lens attached using an M42 adapter. The Asahi lens is fantastic, with just a little corner softness that improves as you stop down, and I paid only $30 for it (and it came with a camera). Despite the crowds, Zion is incredibly beautiful with photographic opportunities literally everywhere. I spent a partial day there and came away with these pictures. I felt like I left many great photographs behind. Zion National Park is a magical place for photography, but it’s not a very good place to find solitude, at least not when I was there.

B&W

Virgin River Through Zion Canyon – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Rocky River – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Sun High Over The Canyon – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Zion Canyon Sun – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Sun Over Bridge Mountain – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm X100F

Amanda & Johanna Asleep – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Rock Wall – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Trunks & Leaves – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Monochrome Vista From Mount Carmel Tunnel – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm X100F

Color

The Family, Zion Bridge In Autumn – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm XF10

A Pine Among The Rocks – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Mount Carmel Tunnel & Chevy – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm X100F

Autumn River – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Virgin River In November – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Strolling Through Zion Canyon – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Rock Ledges – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Yellow Tree Against Red Rock – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Yellow Trees Below Bridge Mountain – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm X100F

Rocks of Zion – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Desert Juniper – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm X100F

Virgin River Through Zion – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Yellow Tree, Zion Canyon – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Canyon Tree in Fall – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Yellow Leaves in Zion – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Autumn Tree & Rock – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Sunlight Through The Trees – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

The Yellow of Autumn – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Autumn Along The Virgin River – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm XF10

River Along The Autumn Path – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Flowing Through Zion Canyon – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm XF10

River In The Canyon – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

River & Canyon – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Rushing Virgin River – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Vibrant Autumn Forest – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Travel: Snow Canyon State Park – St. George, Utah

Posted on November 24, 2018 by Ritchie Roesch

Crevasse Tree – Snow Canyon SP, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Earlier this week my family and I traveled to southern Utah. One place that we visited was Snow Canyon State Park, which sits just outside of St. George. This place was new to us. I saw it on a map and thought it might be interesting, so we went. I knew nothing about Snow Canyon State Park other than how to get there. I didn’t have any expectations, but if I did they would have been blown away. This is a really neat state park!

Despite the name, Snow Canyon doesn’t receive much snow. It was named after the Snow family, who were early settlers to the area. The park features beautiful red sandstone, petrified sand dunes, a couple of small arches and different lava formations. It’s a place that begs to be explored. It’s a great location for hiking, camping and rock climbing–oh, and definitely photography!

We arrived about 30 minutes before sunset and stayed for about 15 minutes after. We didn’t have a long visit, which is a shame because it seems like an awesome park! In the short time that we were there we had a lot of fun. The kids ran around and explored as much as they could. From what I can tell the park has a lot to offer, including some large lava tubes that would have been fun to find. I didn’t know about the lava tubes until after we left, so we’ll have to find them the next time that we visit.

There are most certainly some great photographic opportunities in Snow Canyon. The place has something worthy of your camera’s attention at every turn! The quintessential red rocks of the region and the unusual land formations create the potential for great images. I was there for less than an hour and created the pictures in this article, which were captured using a Fujifilm X-T20. Zion National Park, which isn’t far away, get’s a lot of attention, but Snow Canyon State Park shouldn’t be overlooked! It is definitely worth your time to see.

Color

Last Light On The Cliffs – Snow Canyon SP, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Cliff Hanger – Snow Canyon SP, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Petrified Sand Dune – Snow Canyon, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Overcoming Adversity – Snow Canyon SP, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Crevasse Tree in Color – Snow Canyon SP, UT – Fuji X-T20

Autumn Tree – Snow Canyon SP, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Autumn Tree In Snow Canyon – Snow Canyon SP, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Exploring Kids – Snow Canyon SP, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Moon Over The Rocky Ridge – Snow Canyon SP, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

B&W:

Rock Hills – Snow Canyon SP, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Monochrome Moon, Snow Canyon – Snow Canyon, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Using A Phone Because I Had Her Camera – Snow Canyon SP, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Small Arch In Monochrome – Snow Canyon SP, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Wood In The Sand – Snow Canyon SP, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Window Rock Joy – Snow Canyon SP, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Alone At The Top – Snow Canyon SP, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Monochrome Moonrise – Snow Canyon SP, UT – Fuji X-T20

Fujifilm X Deals

Posted on November 18, 2018 by Ritchie Roesch

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With the Christmas holiday just around the corner, I know that some of you are already thinking about gift-giving and holiday shopping. I wanted to give you a quick heads-up on several great discounts currently being offered on Fujifilm X items at Amazon. If you use the links below to purchase something, I get a small amount back, which will be used to improve the Fuji X Weekly experience. I want to give a big “thank you” to everyone who has done so already, and hopefully by the beginning of the new year you’ll be able to see some positive changes to this blog as a result of using the links I provide. I appreciate it so much!

Current discounts being offered on Fujifilm X cameras: the Fujifilm X100F is $100 off, the X-T100 is $100 off, the X-E3 is $100 off, the X-T20 is $200 off, the X-Pro2 is $250 off, the X-H1 is $250 off, and the X-T2 is $500 off, which is an incredible deal!

As a reminder, I have Fujifilm and photography inspired merchandise, such as t-shirts, coffee mugs, iPhone cases, tote bags, etc., available for purchase in the Fuji X Weekly store!

Also, be sure to follow me on Instagram using @fujixweekly. If you have captured an image using one of my film simulation recipes, I invite you to use the hashtag #fujixweekly on Instagram so that I’m sure to see it. I would love to see what you guys are capturing with these settings. Thanks!

Weekly Photo Project, Week 16

Posted on November 18, 2018 by Ritchie Roesch

You might notice that I alternated color and black-and-white photographs this week, which I did just for fun. Every day except for Monday I had both color and monochrome images to choose from, so it was easy. Alternatively, I could have made this an all-color week. If a theme presents itself I might try to do that on some weeks just to spice up this series a little.

You might notice that five of the seven pictures were captured at my house. It’s nice when you can travel someplace to do photography, but sometimes that’s just not practical. If you have a camera and a creative mind, it’s possible to create interesting images right where you’re at, wherever that is. It might seem like you’re in a boring location without photographic potential, but try hard enough and you’ll soon spot things worthy of pointing your camera lens towards.

Monday, November 5, 2018

Porch Light – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Tuesday, November 6, 2018

Sitting Room – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X100F

Wednesday, November 7, 2018

Union Station Waiting Room – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Thursday, November 8, 2018

Peculiar Water – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Friday, November 9, 2018

Time to Dust Off My Film Photography – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Saturday, November 10, 2018

Jonathan’s Smile – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Sunday, November 11, 2018

Wasatch November – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Week 15 Week 17

My Fujifilm X-T20 Aged Color Film Simulation Recipe

Posted on November 17, 2018 by Ritchie Roesch

White Duck – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T20 “Aged Color”

During World War II there was a shortage of rubber, and an effort was put forth to create synthetic rubber. There were many ideas and experiments to create rubber in the lab, most of which failed. One of those failures was a silicone-based elastic substance that could bounce, float in water, and lift print off of newspaper. This substance was created by mistake while trying to invent something else. It was a twist of fate. It was a happy accident. It was Silly Putty.

Recently I was experimenting with the JPEG settings on a Fujifilm X-T20, trying to replicate the look of some different films. I’ve been working on four different film simulation settings for several months, only hitting dead ends. I haven’t been able to achieve the desired results, but I did stumble across an interesting look. Like the discovery of Silly Putty, I made a happy accident! Even though I used an X-T20 for this recipe, you could apply these settings to any X-Trans III camera and get the same exact results.

This look doesn’t quite resemble any specific film that I’m aware of. I think it produces an analog film aesthetic, even though I couldn’t tell you which one. There are a couple of films that I can see maybe some resemblance, but overall it’s not an exact match. Actually, what it reminded me of is a group of four Alien Skin Exposure presets under the “Color Films – Aged” tab called Color Photo. These presets are similar to each other but each one has a slightly varied look. My new film simulation, which I’ve named Aged Color, produces a look that resembles those Exposure presets, although I will admit that it’s more of general aesthetic than a carbon copy. It’s just what I think it most closely resembles, by coincidence.

Below are three pictures of mine that were edited with those Alien Skin Exposure Color Photo presets:

Hidden Waterfall – Lava Hot Springs, ID

South Pasadena – Pasadena, CA

Three Kids In The Water – Carlsbad, CA

While Alien Skin Exposure gives you four preset options for this look, and each of those can be heavily customized, I only have one Aged Color recipe, but you are more than welcome to tweak it to your liking. I find that it produces muted yet lovely colors and slightly faded shadows. If the scene doesn’t have a lot of contrast the images can come out a little flat. The skin tones in the pictures below show a lot of red, but some of that can be attributed to cold temperatures, and I think that under normal conditions skin will look a little more natural. This film simulation recipe is an interesting option to achieve a look that is perhaps unexpected from a digital camera and looks a bit more film-like. I doubt that it’s everyone’s cup of tea, but I think some of you will really appreciate it.

PRO Neg. Std
Dynamic Range: DR400
Highlight: +2
Shadow: +3
Color: +4
Noise Reduction: -3
Sharpening: 0
Grain Effect: Strong
White Balance: Auto, +5 Red & -3 Blue
ISO: Auto up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: +1/3 (typically)

Example photos, all straight-out-of-camera JPEGs captured on a Fujifilm X-T20 using my Aged Color Film Simulation recipe:

Brother & Sister Fun – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Playground Play – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Joshua Throwing Leaves – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Evening Leaves – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Swingset Post – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Oak Tree Autumn Sun – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Last Leaves – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Sunlight Through The Branches – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Ducks Swimming In A Pond – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Late Blooms – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Dry & Yellow – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Old Town Clock – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Little White Pumpkin On The Mantel – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Lego Food Stand Creation – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Boy Reading – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Hot Coffee Brew – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Potted Succulent – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Asahi Pentax SLR – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

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Fujifilm X-Trans III Sharpening & Noise Reduction

Posted on November 15, 2018 by Ritchie Roesch

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About 11 months ago I published an article entitled Fujifilm X100F Noise Reduction & Sharpening, which detailed my opinions on these two features. I felt like this topic needed a quick refresher, but I didn’t want to rehash what I’ve already said. I think I came up with a good way to approach this topic while not repeating myself.

All Fujifilm files, whether RAW or JPEG, have some level of sharpening and noise reduction applied to them. The options found in the camera for sharpening and noise reduction are specifically for in-camera JPEGs. If you shoot RAW you apply whatever sharpening and noise reduction you’d like with the software of your choice in post-production. If you shoot JPEG you decide this using the options that Fujifilm provides inside their cameras. You cannot turn these off, and the lowest setting, -4, still applies some sharpening or noise reduction, even if a tiny amount.

I don’t think Fujifilm named the setting levels very well. It should be +1 through +9. Naming it -4 through +4 just causes confusion. Instead of thinking of 0 as zero, think of it as the middle option. 0 is really 5 on a scale of one through nine.

Sharpening and noise reduction are great because they make your photographs crisper and cleaner. They help give your images a polished look. However, too much of a good thing is not good at all. Apply too much of either and weird things start happening to your pictures. It’s a balancing act, and it’s easy to go too far.

How far is too far on Fujifilm X-Trans III cameras? That’s up to you to determine. I will give you my opinion, and you can take that for what it’s worth. I will say that for internet use or prints no larger than 8″ x 12″ it really doesn’t matter what settings you choose because it’s difficult to notice the difference between -4 and +4 when viewed that small. If you don’t pixel-peep or print large, using the default settings of 0 are a perfectly fine approach. If you do pixel-peep or print larger than 8″ x 12″ you may want to more carefully consider your choices.

Sharpening:

Sharpening -4

Sharpening 0

Sharpening +4

What can be determined from the three crops above? Not much, because to notice anything you have to look much closer. If you do take the time to study them you can spot the differences. The change from -4 to +4 isn’t especially obvious, so, as you can imagine, a plus or minus of one is very difficult to perceive. My opinion is that anything from -2 to +2 sharpening is where the best results are found, and I stay in the -1 to +1 range for my own photography, which I believe is the sweet spot. I used to use +2 all of the time but I haven’t used that high of a sharpening setting in probably a year.

Noise Reduction:

Noise Reduction -4

Noise Reduction 0

Noise Reduction +4

By looking at the three crops above it might seem as though there’s not much of a difference between -4 and +4 noise reduction, and you are correct, but it’s actually a bigger difference than you might initially think. In my opinion, the noise reduction setting is a little more critical than the sharpening setting as Fujifilm applies it a little heavy-handed on X-Trans III cameras. I think the best results are found between -4 and -2. In my opinion -2 can be marginal sometimes so I typically use -4 or -3.

If you aren’t pixel-peeping, and you are just sharing to Instagram or Facebook, none of this matters. Worry about sharpening and noise reduction if you like to zoom way in on your pictures or if you like to print them large. I personally worry about it, but I take great care with all of the settings so that I get exactly the results that I want. Just because I worry about something or like things a particular way doesn’t mean that you should, too. Find what works best for you, even if it’s unconventional or goes against popular opinion.

Using White Balance Shift For Black & White

Posted on November 12, 2018 by Ritchie Roesch

Dramatic Sky Over The Wasatch Front – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Just a couple of weeks ago I posted an article about using white balance shift to achieve different looks in color photographs. What you may not be aware of is that white balance shift can be used to adjust the look of black-and-white images, and it can sometimes be surprisingly dramatic how much it changes things. White balance shift is an unexpected tool that allows you to better achieve desired results in monochrome.

When you shift the white balance it changes how different colors are rendered, so it only makes sense that the grey interpretation of those colors would also be different. Some colors might appear as darker shades of grey and some as lighter. The tones shift, creating a slightly different rendering of the scene. It could be very subtle or it could be quite apparent, but indeed the monochrome interpretation has been altered.

Let’s take a look at the photo below. I reprocessed the same exposure using the RAW developer built into the Fujifilm X-T20, with each version having identical settings except for the white balance shift. I used the Acros+R Film Simulation for this image. As you can see, each adjustment changes the look of the image. For instance, the sky has some areas of bright white in the top version, which is the overall brightest picture, but not the bottom version, which is overall the darkest picture. The highlights on the mountain are handled a little differently in the top and bottom versions. The two middle versions fall in-between, and are only very subtly different from each other.

White balance shift: +9 Red & 0 Blue

White balance shift: 0 Red & -9 Blue

White balance shift: 0 Red & +9 Blue

White balance shift: -9 Red & 0 Blue

If I were to use Acros+G, the white balance shift would manipulate the image differently than what you see above. It still changes things, but not in the same way. That goes for Acros and Acros+Y, as well. It makes sense when you consider that Acros+Y, Acros+R, and Acros+G settings are designed to simulate the look of using colored filters on real black-and-white film. One must consider the color cast that is being applied to an image, and how the different Acros options will render that.

I’m still figuring out how to use this knowledge in actual real life situations. It’s one thing to apply it when redeveloping a RAW file, and another thing to use it in the field, applying it before the exposure. The latter option is where I’d like to be, but it will take a lot more practice. It’s certainly fun to play with! White balance shift is an interesting option for getting the grey tones more precisely where you want them to be in black and white photographs.

Fujifilm X100F in Brown Now Available

Posted on November 11, 2018 by Ritchie Roesch

Fujifilm ended production of the black and silver-and-black versions of the X100F earlier this year, although there appears to be plenty of stock available. A couple of months ago in some parts of the world Fujifilm made a limited-run brown X100F, which apparently sold like hotcakes. They had previously said that the brown X100F would not be made available in North America, but, because sales have been so good, Fujifilm had a change of heart and beginning today they have made the brown X100F available in the USA and Canada. Yea!

I really want one! I have a silver-and-black X100F that I love, but the brown one looks particularly beautiful. I think it looks better than the brown X-E3, for whatever reason. It’s very tempting, but I don’t have gobs of cash to spend on cameras, and especially not right before Christmas, so if I do end up someday with a brown X100F it will be sometime down the road, perhaps in 2019 if things go well.

As a side note while I’m talking about the X100F, I do believe, although I have absolutely no inside information, that Fujifilm is working on the next X100 camera, perhaps called X100V or X200 or something along those lines. I think it will be announced within the next six months and will include an X-Trans IV sensor. I want to make it clear that I don’t have any proof of this, that I’m 100% speculating. It’s just a guess. If you’ve been waiting for the next model, I don’t believe you’ll be waiting all that much longer for some news.

Weekly Photo Project, Week 15

Posted on November 11, 2018 by Ritchie Roesch

Wow! It’s hard to believe that I’m already 15 weeks into this photo-a-day project. Daylight Savings ended and the clocks were set back one hour, and it almost derailed this series. Thankfully I had a camera with me and I was able to snap an image out the car window while driving down the highway just before the last light of day disappeared.

Monday, October 29, 2018

Window Pentax – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X100F

Tuesday, October 30, 2018

Empty Church Seats – Layton, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Wednesday, October 31, 2018

Stretching Scrub – Kaysville, UT – Fujifilm X100F

Thursday, November 1, 2018

Fog On The Ridge – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Friday, November 2, 2018

Clouds Over The Great Salt Lake – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X100F

Saturday, November 3, 2018

Autumn Morning Sunlight – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Sunday, November 4, 2018

Sunset From Legacy Parkway – Centerville, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Week 14 Week 16

Fujifilm X-T20 Impressions

Posted on November 11, 2018 by Ritchie Roesch

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Back in June I bought my wife, Amanda, a Fujifilm X-T20 for her birthday. She’s a little more into video than stills, and her interest in photography has been fairly recent. This is her first interchangeable-lens camera. I promised that I would not take over her X-T20, which I’ve stayed true to, but I have used it on several occasions, and I have formed a few opinions based on those experiences.

This is not a review of the Fujifilm X-T20, but more of a discussion of who this camera is for. I will share my impressions and talk about the things that I believe others might want to know. What differentiates this article from a review is that this won’t be nearly as in-depth, as I won’t talk about many of the technical aspects of the camera, but I will offer several opinions. This will be a fairly short article. I hope that it will be helpful to those who are trying to decide if they should buy this camera or not.

The Fujifilm X-T20 is an X-Trans III camera, which means it has a 24-megapixel APS-C sensor. It has the same sensor and processor as the X-T2, X-Pro2 and X-E3 and is capable of the exact same image quality, which is nothing short of excellent. What differentiates the different camera models are the features that are and are not included. There’s also the X-T100, which is the closest camera in design to the X-T20, but it has a different sensor and processor, which means that it differs a little in image quality.

I’m actually quite impressed with the X-T20. It has a lot of great features! There are a few things that are missing, such as weather sealing, the focus joystick and a dedicated ISO dial on the body. The first one may or may not be a deal breaker, depending on the conditions you plan to use the camera in. The later two can be worked around fairly easily, and, while they’re nice to have, I doubt anyone would dislike this camera because they’re missing.

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What is included on this camera is a tilting touch screen. It’s not quite as adjustable and has more limited touch options than the one found on the X-T100, but it is definitely a nice addition. It makes the camera easier to use in certain situations. There’s a knob on top of the camera that allows quick access to some of the functions that you might not often use but would otherwise have to dig through menus to find. I don’t find it particularly handy for myself, but if you do panorama pictures or video or use the advanced filters this makes it a tad quicker to access.

If you are familiar with Fujifilm X-Trans III cameras, you will feel right at home using the X-T20. It’s a solid choice for a second camera body to backup an X-T2 or X-Pro2. The learning curve will be extraordinarily small and the images will look just like what your other camera produces. If I was in the market for a second camera body to go along with another Fujifilm camera, this is one I would look very closely at. Between the X-T20 and X-E3, you have two really great options that won’t break the bank.

The X-T20 is a great camera for the hobbyist photographer, or someone who thinks that they might become a hobbyist photographer. There are plenty of tools to help you improve your photography yet some great auto-features that will allow you to capture nice pictures even when you don’t really know what you’re doing. It’s a good camera to learn on. If I was looking for my first interchangeable-lens camera, I think this is an excellent choice but I would also take a look at the X-T100, which might be a slightly better option because it is more designed for beginners. If this wasn’t my first interchangeable-lens camera, but I was upgrading from an older camera, I would definitely recommend it. The X-T20 is a great value as it really does delivers a lot for the price!

If you are looking for a camera that is great for both still photography and video, the X-T20 is an excellent option because it’s good at both, which is the reason I chose it for my wife. It creates beautiful exposures, and the different film simulations are great for those who prefer JPEG over RAW. The 4K video quality is quite good, and all of the different film simulations can be applied to video. If you are primarily a videographer you might want to consider the X-H1 or X-T3 instead, which are Fujifilm’s two best cameras for video, but if you are interested in a budget-friendly camera that is capable of high-quality video recording, the X-T20 is a fine choice.

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The Fujifilm X-T20 seems like an all-around good camera for everyday use. It’s small and lightweight enough to carry around all day without feeling cumbersome. It’s quick. It functions very well. It captures very nice still photographs and video. It does everything well! It’s the jack-of-all-trades camera. It’s a camera that you could recommend to anyone and feel good about it. It’s simple enough for inexperienced photographers and advanced enough for professional use. I think anyone could buy this camera and be happy with it.

The X-T20 does have some minor shortcomings, and that’s why it has an MSRP of only $900 for the body. It can be found for less on sale ($700 at Amazon as of this writing), which is a heck-of-a-deal for what you get! It doesn’t feel like it’s a camera that should be at that price point when you are using it. It’s a quality camera that is versatile yet affordable. There are better cameras, such as the X-T2, X-T3, X-H1 and X-Pro2, but they also cost more, and they’re not significantly better, just slightly better in a couple of ways.

My wife loves her X-T20! She uses it for still photography and video. She’s still learning (aren’t we all?), but I can see that her photography has improved quite noticeably in the five months that she has had the camera. It turned out to be a great decision to buy this particular camera for her. I think that she will use her X-T20 for several years to come.

Below you’ll find 10 photographs captured by my wife, Amanda, and I using her Fujifilm X-T20. I think that her four pictures included here are quite nice!

Counters – McKinney, TX – Fujifilm X-T20 – by Amanda

Lone Hiker – Great Sand Dunes NP, CO – Fujifilm X-T20 – by Amanda

Iced Iced Coffee – Waco, TX – Fujifilm X-T20 – by Amanda

Jonathan’s Smile – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20 – by Ritchie

Fog On The Ridge – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20 – by Ritchie

November Rain – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20 – by Ritchie

Mueller Hike – Bountiful, UT – Fujifilm X-T20 – by Amanda

Last Leaves – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20 – by Ritchie

Autumn Morning Sunlight – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20 – by Ritchie

Fallen – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20 – by Ritchie

RAW Doesn’t Make You Better

Posted on November 10, 2018 by Ritchie Roesch

Canyon Pinion – Canyonlands NP, UT – Fujifilm X100F

I read something yesterday that bothered me. A really talented photographer, who has a blog that I like to read sometimes, posted an article stating that the number one thing you can do to improve your landscape photography is to shoot RAW. His argument was, essentially, that post-processing is a necessary aspect of photography, so you might as well fully embrace it and start with a RAW file. I get that if you plan to significantly manipulate your photographs you should probably use RAW because a JPEG is limited in how far you can take it before it begins to degrade. I disagree that post-processing is always or even usually needed, and I don’t think anyone should feel like they must fully embrace it. Edit if you want, or save yourself a bunch of time and strive to get the look that you are after using the options found in your camera. Most of the time it’s possible to get the look that you want straight out of camera, no editing necessary.

Fujifilm cameras are especially great at JPEG processing. Using the different film simulations, which can be significantly customized, and the dynamic range options, it’s possible to get polished images straight out of camera that resemble edited RAW photographs. In fact, while I do some light post-processing occasionally, most of the time I do not edit my photographs whatsoever. I don’t need to! Fujifilm cameras save me so much time because they can produce really nice pictures that don’t require editing, such as the two in this article.

In the early days of digital photography, cameras had a narrow dynamic range, were not particularly good at anything above base ISO, were spotty at white balance, and weren’t programmed to make JPEGs any better than mediocre (at best), so RAW was indeed necessary. Even just 10 years ago camera-made JPEGs weren’t especially great, although on most camera brands they had improved significantly. There was a time when the “you must shoot RAW” argument was valid. It’s not 1998 or 2008 anymore, and almost all cameras are capable of making nice JPEGs. Some cameras are better than others, and that’s why I shoot Fujifilm, but almost any camera make and model manufactured over the last five or so years can make a good JPEG if you take the time to program it to your liking.

Storm Over San Luis Valley – Alamosa, CO – Fujifilm X-Pro2

I’d much rather spend an extra moment setting the camera to what I want before capturing the image than sitting at a computer later fiddling with a RAW file. I’d rather let the camera do the work for me in the field so that I don’t have to at home. My photography doesn’t suffer for it. You wouldn’t know that my photographs are camera-made JPEGs if I didn’t tell you. I don’t know about you, but I already spend too much time sitting at a computer, so the more I can reduce that the better off I am.

Shooting RAW doesn’t make anyone a better photographer. Use RAW if you want, but it’s just a tool to achieve the results that you’re after, just as the JPEG processor in your camera is a tool to achieve desired results. Use the tool that works best for you. Don’t think that you must shoot RAW because someone doesn’t understand how to get good results without it. If the person who wrote the article took the time to set up their camera in the field, I’m sure that they could create the images they want without the need for Lightroom or Photoshop. It’s fine that the person didn’t, but I think it’s unfair to suggest that RAW is necessary for “better” photography. It’s untrue that you must embrace post-processing to create great photographs, because which format you choose has no bearing on your talent.

FUJI X WEEKLY

Author: Ritchie Roesch

Weekly Photo Project, Week 19

How To Add “Light Leaks” To Your Photos Using Page Markers

My Fujifilm Camera Recommendations

Downtown Salt Lake City With A Fujifilm XF10

My Fujifilm X-T20 Kodak Ektachrome 100SW Film Simulation Recipe

Weekly Photo Project, Week 18

Fujifilm X Deals

My Fujifilm X100F Ilford HP5 Plus Film Simulation Recipe

Weekly Photo Project, Week 17

Travel: Zion National Park in Autumn

Travel: Snow Canyon State Park – St. George, Utah

Fujifilm X Deals

Weekly Photo Project, Week 16

My Fujifilm X-T20 Aged Color Film Simulation Recipe

Fujifilm X-Trans III Sharpening & Noise Reduction

Using White Balance Shift For Black & White

Fujifilm X100F in Brown Now Available

Weekly Photo Project, Week 15

Fujifilm X-T20 Impressions

RAW Doesn’t Make You Better