On the fourth day of this trip, which was the third full day in Charleston, we spent the entire afternoon and evening at Magnolia Plantation and Gardens. This spot was picked by my wife, Amanda, and I really didn’t know what to expect. Learning my lesson from the prior day, I brought along my Fujifilm X-E4 with the 27mm pancake lens attached, as well as my Fujifilm X-T4 ES infrared camera with the 35mm f/2 lens. The X-T4 ES is currently my favorite model, but it does require the right subjects and light to really do well. Although spring was just beginning to appear, there were still a lot of dormant trees, and a lot of them looked like winter or even late-fall, so I wasn’t sure how well the infrared camera would do.
I was blown away by the beauty of this location—it’s a nature and wildlife photographer’s playground! It seemed like a place you can return to over and over again, and not exhaust the picture opportunities. I can also understand why it is one of the top choices in the area for weddings. From a photographer’s point-of-view, this is a must-see location in Charleston.
The Fujifilm X-E4 with the 27mm pancake lens was perfect. It never got in the way—I kept it in my sweater pocket—and it delivered excellent results. This camera-lens combination is not talked about enough, perhaps because both items have been difficult to find. In my opinion, Fujifilm should prioritize a successor to the discontinued camera, and consider producing another pancake lens or two to go with it. The X-T4 ES was hit-or-miss. I think if we had been there a few weeks later, it would have done better; however, I still got some good photos.
Magnolia Plantation and Gardens is pretty much all we did on this day, but it was definitely a highlight of the trip. If you ever visit Charleston, make sure that this place is on your agenda. This spot alone made the trip from Arizona worthwhile, and I hope to return someday.
Train, Truck & Cart – North Charleston, SC – Fujifilm X-T4 ES – Aerochrome v2
Birds on the Lake – Tempe, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4 & Fujinon 90mm
This last Sunday evening I attended a photowalk in Tempe, Arizona, hosted by Skylum Luminar and sponsored by Fujifilm. I thought it might be an opportunity to chat with some other Fujifilm photographers, and an excuse to photograph at Tempe Town Lake, the location of the photowalk. I had hopes that a Fujifilm representative would be in attendance, but, alas, nobody from Fujifilm was there. It was more of a Luminar photowalk than Fujifilm, which I suspected would be the case, but I attended anyway. Any excuse to get out with your camera and photograph is a good one.
I arrived about ten minutes late, and noticed a large group of photographers circled together, so that’s where I walked. Just before I got there, I saw a puddle of water (it had just recently rained), which had a cool reflection of a building and bridge. I snapped a picture (Gen Reflection, below), then joined the group. I showed the picture on the camera to a couple of photographers who were nearby, pointing to them where I captured the image, but they didn’t appear especially interested. Altogether, I estimate that there were between 35 and 40 people in attendance.
Gen Reflection – Tempe, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4 & Fujinon 27mm
One thing that surprised me was just how many non-Fujifilm photographers there were. I saw a lot of Nikon and Canon cameras, plus a few Sonys. Perhaps only half (or maybe even less than half) of those attending had a Fujifilm model; the X-T0 series was, by far, the most represented. It seemed that most people had a tripod. I even saw several people with two tripods, although I never noticed anyone using two at once. I brought with me a Fujifilm X-E4, and two Fujinon lenses: 27mm f/2.8 and 90mm f/2. No tripod, no problem; even without IBIS.
I’m sure that almost no one who was in attendance uses Film Simulation Recipes. After all, this was hosted by a photo-editing software company, which is probably off the radar of many SOOC photographers. I did talk with one person, Anna, who had a Fujifilm X100V, and was shooting with my Kodak Portra 400 v2 Recipe. It was super nice to meet her and talk Fujifilm, and it made the experience much more enjoyable. I struck up conversations with several other people, but, for the most part, they didn’t seem much interested in talking.
Nikon – Tempe, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4 & Fujinon 90mm
At sunset, while capturing an image of a pedestrian bridge that crosses the lake, I noticed a couple on bicycles that seemed to be having a moment. While they are small in the frame, they play an important role in the composition, and elevate the picture significantly. Right after I made the exposure (Pedestrian Bridge, towards the bottom of this article), they got on their bikes and pedaled down the path towards me, so I ran up to meet them. I showed them the picture and asked if they wanted a copy, which they did, so I quickly uploaded it from my camera to my iPhone, then airdropped it to them right then and there. It only took a moment, and they seemed thrilled to have it. They were surprised that it was even possible to get a picture that looked “so nice” right off the camera that quickly. The advantage of using Recipes couldn’t have been more clear to me at that very moment.
I don’t know very much about Luminar software. I’m sure it’s excellent at whatever unique things that it does. The folks who hosted the event were quite nice, and I appreciated the opportunity to photograph with them at Tempe Town Lake. I used three different Film Simulation Recipes, all of which are yet-to-be-published that are coming soon. Check back in the coming weeks, because it won’t be long before they’re ready for you to try. In the meantime, I hope that you enjoy these pictures from the photowalk!
Photo by Tim Duncan — Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 27mm f/2.8
Are you somewhat new to photography? Not really sure what you’re doing with your camera? Are you intimidated by social media, especially short form video like TikTok and Reels? Do you like cars? Fast cars? Do you appreciate conversations with interesting people? If the answer is yes to any of those questions, this interview is for you, and you’re going to want to keep reading!
Those who refurbish rusty Toyota Corollas into fast racing cars likely have heard of Tim Duncan and know of his garage, Second Stage. Perhaps you’ve seen him on TikTok or Instagram, where some of his videos have been watched by millions. Otherwise, let me introduce you: Tim Duncan is an up-and-coming photographer from Adelaide, South Australia. He has a thirst for learning, and isn’t afraid to try (and fail, and try again). He also has a passion for teaching. Oh, and he’s creative. All of it comes together in this article, where Tim and I discuss all sorts of things, including Fujifilm cameras and Film Simulation Recipes.
Photo by Tim Duncan — Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 27mm f/2.8
FXW: How did you get started turning rusty Corollas into track cars? Where did your passion for cars, mechanics, and racing come from?
Tim Duncan: The very beginning would have been my cousin taking me to drag racing when I was 14, then I watched the movie Gone in 60 Seconds at the cinema—after that I was pretty much hooked on all things cars.
The passion comes from what cars can teach. Everyday I am looking for ways to learn something new, and with cars it really is never-ending.
When I was younger I was obsessed with all things muscle car. My first project car was a Chrysler Valiant Charger with a 265 CI straight six engine—I bought that when I was 17 and spent years trying to fix it up. During this time I learned that I actually really enjoy driving cars on tight twisty roads. Where I live in South Australia we actually have some amazing driving roads right near the city in the Adelaide Hills. So I wanted a new project car that was great around a corner, but I was still so attached to muscle cars. Then I discovered that Toyota made a factory engine that came with a supercharger: the 4AGZE! A friend was selling a shell of an AE86 and all it needed was a supercharged 1.6L engine, so I bought that and never looked back. The rusty Corollas are really the end point of what I enjoy about cars
The Panel Van — Photo by Tim Duncan — Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 27mm f/2.8
FWX: Tell me about your Corolla panel van project. How did you get started with that, what’s your current progress, and what’s the goal?
Tim Duncan: It’s actually a silly story where the idea came from. My friends all had drift cars and they were trying to encourage me to build one, too. My good mate, Ash, did this terrible “Photoshop” picture of me sideways in a Corolla panel van. Life happened and I never built any drift car, but for some reason that stupid silly photo always stuck with me. Then years later a shell popped up for sale for $150 and it was just a perfect time for me to start a big project, to build the drift car that never happened. Never underestimate the power of a meme! The end goal is to have a reliable easy-to-maintain-and-run drift car for having fun with my family and friends.
Current progress: I have mounted a 3800cc GM v6 from a Holden Commodore, then a stronger diff from a R31 skyline. Full custom suspension for extra lock in the front and 4 link equal length rear. A complete weld-in roll cage and mounted fixed back seats for safety. The next step is to get the exhaust finished—I got a little carried away trying to make a 6-1 exhaust that collects behind the motor.
Photo by Tim Duncan — Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 27mm f/2.8
FXW: Tell me about your passion for teaching—where did that begin? What is your teaching outlet?
Tim Duncan: It’s just something that has always come very natural to me, but only recently I have realized it’s a core value of mine. I was saying before I love to learn, and the old saying is you don’t truly understand something until you can explain it clearly to someone else. So I guess my love for learning works together with the love of teaching others.
I basically have two outlets: I like to make short form videos for TikTok and Instagram and now YouTube Shorts, and a lot of my content is teaching trade skills and basics about cars; my other outlet, which is really important to me, is my nephews coming to my workshop to help build the drift van. We try to do a session once a week where they come to the workshop—if I can teach them some basic skills and work ethics for when they head out into the real world, that would make me very happy.
Photo by Tim Duncan — Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 27mm f/2.8
FXW: You’ve had some success with short form video. What advice would you give to someone interested in making short form videos but are not really sure where to start or are maybe too insecure to try?
Tim Duncan: You have to make videos about something you are passionate about, and you need to be yourself. What makes it work is being authentic. If you are trying to follow trends or just make videos purely to get views, there is no way you can sustain that. I can already hear the response, “Thanks for the super vague cliché answer, Tim—this does not help me!” (ha ha). So here’s some practical advice: the most important thing is to focus on your hook at the start of a video—you literally have 0.5 to maybe 1.5 seconds to grab someone’s attention, and if you can’t do that they’re going to keep scrolling. It’s very hard to hold someone’s attention. I started out forcing myself to only make 15 seconds videos—think back to Vine where you only had seven seconds to get across a point. Short form video is definitely hot right now, but don’t get fooled into thinking that this is easy.
Painting by Tim’s Grandfather, Thomas Allen Duncan
FXW: Your grandfather was an accomplished painter. Tell me about him. What impact did he have on your life?
Tim Duncan: He had such a huge impact on my life! I have fond memories of him trying to teach me how to draw and paint, how to play chess. When I was 12 he handed me a welder and taught me how to do my first welds. He always talked so passionately about being a tradesmen—he made being a boilermaker sound so exciting and interesting, that’s all I wanted to be when I grew up. I ended up being a maintenance fitter instead, but I have always loved fabricating with metal as much as I can. He loved my Nanny so much and wanted nothing more than to provide and give her the best life possible—I believe he did that. On top of all of this he was always painting. My whole life I had his paintings hanging up around my house. He tried his best to get me started, but it just never clicked—yet I feel the concepts he was trying to teach me has certainly shaped how I see the world. He showed me how an artist sees the world, that an old building or a tree or a small boat on a shore can be beautiful. Painting is definitely not my thing; taking photos is my artistic outlet, and I owe most of that to my Grandad.
Photo by Tim Duncan — Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 27mm f/2.8
FXW: How did you get started in photography? What was your first camera? Why Fujifilm?
Tim Duncan: I would definitely call myself an amateur/hobbyist, but I would say I am only just now getting started. Growing up I had a few point and shoots, and I would borrow my Dad’s Canon DSLR, but my first real camera is the one I’m using now: a Fujifilm X-T30 with a 27mm f/2.8 lens. I was wanting to get a “real” camera for a little while and was looking at a few options. To be honest I was searching for a better way to record audio for YouTube videos and wanted a mirrorless camera that I could plug a mic into. For some reason I was always attracted to the Fuji cameras—for me, they’re like Nintendo. While you have Playstation and Xbox trying to be the biggest, best, and fastest with spec sheets (just look how powerful we are!), Nintendo is making console and game experiences that are fun and with way more character—that’s my Fuji camera. I get loads of comments asking, “Is that an old film camera?” It has dials that I love adjusting, it’s nice to look at, and I just really love using it.
When I got the X-T30, I decided to start taking a few photos with it to get the hang of the camera, then I’d start filming with it. But I just found myself really enjoying taking photos, and I fell in love with photography!
Photo by Tim Duncan — Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 27mm f/2.8
FXW: Do you use Film Simulation Recipes? If so, which ones do you use?
Tim Duncan: The film simulations were a huge selling point when looking for a camera. I first used one I found on YouTube called Muted, and I also tried his B&W settings—for the life of me I can’t remember the channel. Those were the two main ones that I had been using, but recently I tried the Nostalgic Print recipe (modified for the X-T30) from the Fuji X Weekly App and instantly loved it, and I can see this becoming a regular. I also had a crack with the Kodak Vision3 250D recipe and can see why it’s a favorite! After watching the film The Batman, I attempted to make my own recipe, but I’m not sure I really know what I’m doing (ha ha), so I definitely appreciate the Fujifilm camera community making recipes available. I’m very grateful for everyone who posts up their recipes on YouTube and explain how to set the camera up—it’s extremely helpful, especially for someone just starting out.
Photo by Tim Duncan — Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 27mm f/2.8
FXW: What are your photographic interests? Describe your method for learning photography.
Tim Duncan: I feel like I’m only just really getting started, so up until now I have been sticking with the basics, focusing mainly on my compositions—placing interesting things in the right spots. I also set my camera to B&W for a good few months to learn about lighting and to understand contrast better. So I’m just trying lots of different things, and making many mistakes, to see what I like—for instance, I discovered that I’m not really interested in landscapes, but I love street photography.
I also have zero interest in sitting down and editing photos. Everything I shared today is straight from my camera—I like the challenge of trying to get it right when I take the photo. I love that, on the Fuji, I can see exactly what I’m taking because the screen and viewfinder match the film simulation settings. I do my best to get the framing correct, exposure, etc., and take the photo. That’s it! That’s the photo, and if it’s good, it’s good; if it’s bad, it’s bad. I’d really like to encourage everyone to get out there and make as many mistakes as possible, and don’t be afraid to learn from them.
Photo by Tim Duncan — Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 27mm f/2.8
Thank you, Tim, for your willingness and openness to do this interview, and for all of your time!
Back in May, while on a lengthy roadtrip, I stopped in Santa Rosa, New Mexico, for the night. A small town along historic Route 66, Santa Rosa pretty much exists to provide food, fuel, and beds for travelers passing east-and-west through The Land of Enchantment. Like a lot of old Route 66 towns, Santa Rosa has seen better days—there are many abandoned buildings along the highway, and some others that appear to not be far from their inevitable fate of abandonment.
Santa Rosa might be best known for a scene in The Grapes of Wrath, where Tom Joad watches a freight train cross a bridge over the Pecos River. Scars from The Great Depression are still visible if you look hard enough. The biggest tourist attraction is the Blue Hole, a natural swimming pond fed by a vast underground water system. While visiting Santa Rosa, I was asked by locals a couple of times, “Are you here for the Blue Hole?” I guess it’s a big deal, but I didn’t make time to see it.
I did make time to photograph a few of the abandoned buildings. One was an old Exxon gas station. This particular service station offered two grades of gas, two stalls for vehicle maintenance, and two restrooms. You could buy maps or a soda from a vending machine. Inside was an old Dairy Queen sign that I do not believe originated from this particular gas station, but probably another building elsewhere in town, perhaps owned by the same person.
In an empty grass-filled lot next to the gas station I found some old playground equipment. There may have been a campground or RV park there at one time, but the playground is the only thing left. I suppose on hot summer nights, the ghosts who still use the teeter-totter can get a coke from the abandoned Exxon next door.
Exploring and photographing places like this is both fascinating and frightening. It’s like a large time capsule that broke open years before being discovered, now filled with retro nostalgia and haunting decay. You don’t know what you’ll find—what’s hiding behind a corner—and even if there isn’t any danger, it’s still not safe. Going into abandoned buildings is never safe. I do believe that it’s important to photograph these places for several reasons: they’re always changing (due to nature and vandals) and will eventually be completely gone, they offer a glimpse into a previous time that’s long gone and fading from our memories, and to document the way societies deals with unwanted junk from broken lives and broken dreams. As Troy Paiva put it, these places are “steeped in Wabi-Sabi feelings of accepting loss and finding beauty and nobility in decay.”
The sun was low while I was there, preparing to set behind the western horizon—I had about 30 minutes of wonderful “golden hour” light to work with. I used my Fujifilm X-E4 with a Fujinon 27mm f/2.8 lens attached to it to capture these images. The Film Simulation Recipe that I used for these photographs was Kodak Portra 400 v2, which is one of my favorites—the Kodak-like colors and tones are just so lovely—an excellent option for this particular scene and light.
Ring – Santa Rosa, NM – Fujifilm X-E4 – “Kodak Portra 400 v2”
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As I was getting ready to write this article, I was looking around my gear cabinet for this lens and I couldn’t locate it. When I did find it, the lens was attached to my wife’s X-T4! It turns out that the Fujinon XF 27mm f/2.8 R WR is her favorite lens. It seems that whenever I want to use it, the lens is attached to her camera. This is the only lens that we fight over.
That first paragraph could be the entirety of this article. It says everything that you need to know (although my full review of the 27mm f/2.8 lens can be read here). If there could only be one lens in our household, it would be this one! But why? What makes this lens special?
The technical specs for this lens don’t stand out. A maximum aperture of f/2.8 isn’t eye-popping. The stats seem kind of ho-hum—in fact, that is why I hesitated to buy this lens in the first place. But stats don’t tell the whole story. What’s most important are the pictures, and the Fujinon XF 27mm f/2.8 R WR captures wonderful photographs!
Why does this lens capture such good images? It’s the sharpness, the micro-contrast, and the bokeh, which are all excellent. Perhaps, above all that, it’s the very useful focal-length, as 27mm is full-frame-equivalent to 40.5mm, which is pretty close to “normal” and very similar to what the eyes see. You can use this focal-length for most genres of photography. Useful and excellent—that’s the best summery of why I (we, actually) love this lens so much.
This is speaking nothing of the compact-size and lightweightness (I don’t think that’s a word) of this pancake lens, which makes it a joy to carry. Your gear is better when it doesn’t get in the way of itself, and this one—the smallest lens in the Fujinon lineup—certainly stays out of the way.
Ask anyone who owns this lens (or even the original 27mm f/2.8, which is optically identical), and they’ll tell you that it’s one of their favorites. On paper it shouldn’t be, but it is, because “on paper” is much different than real world use. The Fujinon XF 27mm f/2.8 R WR is an easy lens to recommend to anyone. However, if there’s one issue, it’s that this lens is really difficult to find right now, so if you are shopping for it, I wish you the best of luck.
This post contains affiliate links, and if you make a purchase using my links I’ll be compensated a small amount for it.
Bundled with my Fujifilm X-E4 was the brand-new Fujinon XF 27mm f/2.8 R WR lens. It’s sometimes referred to as the “Mark II” version, although that’s just a nickname and not an official title. It replaces the aging XF 27mm f/2.8 (note that the old model doesn’t have an R and WR in the name), which was released in 2013. This refresh improves the original model’s shortcomings while not messing with what made it great.
The Fujinon XF 27mm f/2.8 R WR, which retails for $399, is a pancake lens, which means that it’s small and flat. In fact, it’s Fujifilm’s most compact lens. The X-E4 when paired with this lens is similar in size to the X100V with its built-in lens. The 27mm f/2.8 is less than an inch long and weighs only three ounces, making it a perfect option for travel.
Fujifilm gave this new model two significant improvements over the old version. The most noticeable is the addition of an aperture ring (this is what the R in the name means). Fujifilm’s charm and ideology is retro-styling, and the traditional aperture ring is a big part of that, so it was a shame that the old model didn’t have one, but great that the new one does. Another improvement is weather sealing (hence, WR in the name), although this only matters if the camera is weather sealed, too. Also, the new model is capable of manual-focus-override while in autofocus, which I don’t believe the old version could do, so this is a bonus improvement.
The focus motor inside the new 27mm lens is the same as the old version. It’s plenty quick enough, but it is a little on the loud side. It would have been nice if Fujifilm had engineered a quieter motor for this update. There are noisier lenses in the Fujinon lineup, so it’s not a big deal (I suppose) that Fujifilm left the motor alone. Still, this would have been a nice touch.
Fujifilm kept the glass inside the new lens the same as the old one. There are seven elements in five groups with seven rounded blades. The minimum focus distance is a little more than 13 inches, which is decent enough but not great. The 27mm focal-length is 40.5mm full-frame equivalent, which is barely wide-angle, and is very close to “normal” on Fujifilm X cameras. The maximum aperture is f/2.8, which isn’t particularly fast, and the minimum aperture is f/16. The lens accepts 39mm threaded filters.
The 27mm f/2.8 lens is pretty darn sharp. I don’t think it’s quite as sharp as the 35mm f/2, but very close. There’s a little corner softness when wide open. Peak sharpness seems to be around f/5.6-f/8, but it’s good throughout the full aperture range. I didn’t notice any vignetting or chromatic aberrations. I did see a very minor amount of barrel distortion, which only really matters when shooting brick walls; it’s very subtle so no big deal. Bokeh looks nice. Sunstars are decent yet soft. Flare is well-controlled.
There’s a special quality about the pictures captured with the 27mm f/2.8 lens. I’m not exactly sure what it is—the “it factor” maybe?—it’s really difficult to describe, but what I can tell you is that I like this little lens more than I thought I was going to. Maybe it’s the small size? I think more than anything the pictures that it produces attracts me to it. I absolutely love the new Fujinon XF 27mm f/2.8 R WR lens, and it’s a great bargain when bundled with the Fujifilm X-E4.
This post contains affiliate links, and if you make a purchase using my links I’ll be compensated a small amount for it.
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