What a fun surprise to watch the latest Pal2Tech YouTube video! For those that don’t know, Pal2Tech is one of the top Fujifilm-centric YouTubers, and for a very good reason: he’s awesome at explaining complex things in an easy-to-understand way (and often in an entertaining way). His library of videos is a treasure trove of information. I always recommend his channel to those new to Fujifilm. Even if you are seasoned in the X-series system, there’s a lot that you can learn. And beyond that, some of his “other” content is really cool, like the OJ Simpson video. If you’ve never watched his stuff, be sure to visit his channel today.
In his most recent upload, Pal2Tech discusses Film Simulations and Recipes. I’m not going to spoil it, you’ll just have to watch the video, which I’ve included below. For those looking for the Film Simulation Recipe specifically mentioned in the video, click here. Dish yourself a bowl of vanilla ice cream, grab a spoon, and enjoy the video.
A couple days ago pal2tech posted a YouTube video explaining the Film Dial on the Fujifilm X-T50 (which, apparently, will also be found on the upcoming X-M5). To my surprise, Chris gave a very kind shoutout to Fuji X Weekly, and he even included a link to one of my YouTube videos in the description of his video. I’m really honored to be mentioned by Chris; I’m a big fan of pal2tech—it’s one of my favorite YouTube channels, and one that every Fujifilm photographer should subscribe to, in my humble opinion. If you haven’t seen his video, go ahead and give it watch.
The Film Dial is one of the most controversial design decisions Fujifilm has implemented, right up there with the X-Pro3’s backwards LCD screen. I actually really like the dial, personally. It’s a lot of fun to use, and adds versatility for the SOOC photographer. But not every camera is for everyone, and not every camera feature is for everyone, so it is understandable when some don’t like it; however, I think a lot of the negativity surrounding the Film Dial is simply a misunderstanding of how useful it can be.
NAB Photowalk Group 3 – New York City, NY – Fujifilm X100VI – Nostalgic Americana
I was just at the NAB Show in New York City, because Fujifilm brought me out to lead three photowalks around Manhattan. Fujifilm loaned cameras to those on the photowalks, and some folks were handed a Fujifilm X-T50. Before beginning, I took a few moments to help set up these loaner cameras, and for those with the X-T50, I programmed my universal Film Dial Recipe, and explained how to use it.
As the photowalks were wrapping up, I asked those with an X-T50 what they thought of the Film Dial. One person answered that it was a lot of fun. Another said that they really liked it. Another showed me some images they captured with Eterna, a film simulation they had never tried before but now love. Only one person gave negative feedback, and their complaint is completely understandable.
Could the Film Dial have been implemented better? Absolutely! An easy way for Fujifilm to improve it would be to allow each film simulation to be customized into a Recipe. In other words, make it possible to custom set Highlight, Shadow, Color, White Balance, etc., etc., with each slot on the Film Dial. When the Film Dial is set to C, that’s when the C1-C7 presets would work. This could be done with a Firmware update someday in the future. Even though it’s not perfect, that doesn’t mean the Film Dial isn’t a fun and useful feature, because in its present state it very much is.
I’m looking forward to the Film Dial being included on more models. I think putting a much-loved feature of the camera front-and-center on the top plate is a smart move by Fujifilm. I’m also looking forward to seeing how it might evolve in the future, and possibly become even better.
NY Photographer in IR – New York City, NY – Fujifilm X-T4 ES – Aerochrome v2
In other news, while at the NAB Show, I spoke with someone at B&H, and they told me that the Fujifilm X-T4 ES (“Extended Spectrum”) infrared camera is available from them right now. It’s not something that can be purchased online, so you either need to call them or drop by in-person to buy it. So if you want to try my Aerochrome v2 Recipe—which I love so much, personally—you may want to contact B&H and inquire about the Fujifilm X-T4 ES. For those who wanted to get one, it’s not too late.
There’s one last thing I want to mention. I was walking around Central Park recording some content to help promote the new Evergreen + Fuji X Weekly Protective Case for Fujifilm X100-series cameras. I had my case, and Alex from Evergreen also had one with him. While meandering, we ran across someone with a Fujifilm X100VI, so we said hi to him and had a short conversation. He told us that he had ordered the camera when it was first announced, but his copy had just arrived, and this was one of his first opportunities to use it. We were very happy to gift him one of the two cases to go along with his new camera. The protective case is a great way to keep your X100VI, X100V, X100F, etc., safe while traveling or out on an adventure.
New Fujifilm X100VI & New Case – New York City, NY – Fujifilm X100VI – PRO Negative 160C
I’m still traveling, but as soon as I’m back home I have a lot more to share with you, so stay tuned!
Someone attempted to scam me. Maybe they attempted to scam you, too.
It all started after I commented on pal2tech‘s video about Fujifilm’s firmware updates. I received what initially appeared to be a reply from Chris (the guy behind pal2tech) that I had won something. While I was excited for a moment, red flags and warning alarms quickly filled my brain.
The reply wasn’t from pal2tech, but from a channel called “Text me on Telegram →@Pal2tech” that had Chris’ picture on it. I quickly spotted several red flags. First, pal2tech did not mention any sort of giveaway in his videos. I searched for it and couldn’t find any. Nobody’s going to spontaneously give something away without previously announcing some sort of giveaway. Second, even if there was a giveaway, it’s highly unlikely that this is the method that anyone reputable would use to notify you. Chris wouldn’t create a new YouTube channel to inform you to text him on Telegram. The writing—the way it’s worded and the emojis—don’t sound very pal2tech-like to me. Third, the Telegram account is called “Pal2tech” but his channel is called “pal2tech” (the “p” isn’t capitalized… a small detail, but notable). All of these things pointed to a scammer who was pretending to be Chris in order to prey on his audience.
I emailed Chris and reached out to him on Instagram to inform him of this scammer, in case he wasn’t aware. I then did the unthinkable and engaged the scammer on Telegram.
On the fake Pal2tech Telegram account, I said, “Hi! I received a message that I might have won a prize.” Within a minute I received a reply, “Congratulations you were randomly selected as a winner” (no punctuation, which was another red flag).
“What did I win?” I asked.
“You won a Sony A7 IV a hoddie and two custom stickers” was the response. The red flags were a misspelled word, more lack of punctuation, and the fact that Chris would most likely give away Fujifilm gear and not Sony gear.
“Awesome!” I replied. “I hate to be cynical, but I need to verify that this is actually pal2tech.”
“Sure,” the scammer said, “I understand not everyone on the internet is honest but this is real and you can trust me”
So I asked a question that Chris would easily know. “What was Tip 10 for preventing burnout?” This question came from his 10 Tips to Prevent Burnout video. I figured the scammer could find the answer, but not quickly, and this would keep him busy for awhile. I had a second question in mind once this one was answered.
About five minutes passed before I got this message: “please give me your name and address”
I replied, “Not until you answer my question so that I can know you are actually pal2tech.”
“look,” the scammer said, obviously getting impatient with me, “if you want the prize i will send it right away and if not i will find someone else stop wasting my time”
This is when I told the scammer that I knew he wasn’t pal2tech, that he should be ashamed of his actions, and he should stop trying to steal people’s money.
I never got a reply. Instead the conversation was deleted. I was going to screenshot it, but it was completely gone. I suppose this is why they use Telegram: they can delete the evidence. The only thing left was this:
Originally, where it says “PO” in the circle at the top, was Chris’ photo, but after calling him out, the photo was removed.
I did get a response from Chris. He also posted a video about this scammer, which you can find below.
Unfortunately, people got scammed. Apparently the scammer asks for shipping-and-handling fees, and nothing (obviously) is ever shipped. It’s frustrating for those (like pal2tech) whose channel is bombarded by this spam—Chris told me that about 400 people have received a comment from the scammer similar to the one that I got. I don’t know how many went to Telegram and contacted the scammers, and how many were scammed, but apparently enough that it continues to happen. Chris posted a video back in January warning his viewers of this scam. I feel bad for those who got scammed, but they had to ignore many warnings that should have made them pause and reconsider.
You can prevent yourself from being scammed. If something seems too good to be true, it probably is. Look for red flags, because you’ll certainly find several if it isn’t legit. Don’t be afraid to triple verify that something is true—even if it seems on the up-and-up, it’s better to be 100% sure before giving away any of your personal information and especially your money.
I hope that I was able to occupy the attention of the scammer long enough to maybe prevent someone else from being scammed. Probably not. I hope that calling him out would make him stop picking on pal2tech’s audience. Probably not. At the very least I hope this article will bring some awareness to the scam so that maybe you won’t be caught in this trap. Knowing is half the battle (as G.I. Joe used to say), so now you know. Please let others know, too, so they won’t be scammed, either.
