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Red Rock Canyon and the Fujinon XF 23mm
Having read so many positive reviews about the Fujinon XF 23mm, I decided to rent it for a quick weekend trip to Las Vegas. Since we only planned to be there for 24 hours, I knew my opportunities to shoot with the XF 23mm would be limited. Nevertheless, I thought spending a couple days with this highly regarded lens would give me an idea of how using it would compare to shooting with my X100S.
Well, after spending the weekend with the XF 23mm, I must say that everything I've read about it is true. Optically, it really is a great lens. From my completely unscientific testing, sharpness, resolution, etc all appear to be excellent. On my X-Pro1, I found the focusing to be a tad slower than the XF 35mm, but not enough to make a difference for the subjects I normally photograph. The one issue I did have with the XF 23mm was that I found myself missing focus quite a bit when shooting at f/1.4. Much more so than with the XF 35mm. Since I didn't have an X-E2 to try this lens with, it's hard to know if the X-Pro1 was the problem. Regardless, I was thoroughly impressed with the lens and the images it produced.
As much as I liked the XF 23mm however, I just can't justify purchasing one right now. For my style of photography, my X100S works just as well and allows me to have a second body just in case my X-Pro1 acts up. With that, I'll leave you with a few images from our early Sunday morning drive through the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area.
Seattle, Long Exposures, and the X100S
Our trip to Seattle gave me an opportunity to really put the Fujifilm X100S through its paces, especially for long exposure photography. What I realized during our 5-day trip was that the X100S is not only my preferred travel camera, but also the ideal camera for my long exposure work. The built-in ND filter lets me extend my exposures without stacking another filter on top of my 10 stop ND. And its size and weight let me use smaller tripods which are more compact and easier to carry. In combination with its new X-Trans sensor, these small but important features have made the X100S the camera I reach for whether I want to take a quick snapshot or set up for a 2 minute exposure.
View from West Seattle - 160 seconds at f/11
Seattle Waterfront - 30 seconds at f/16
Seattle Skyline - 58 seconds at f/16
Simplicity and the X100S
One of my favorite things about shooting with the X100, and now the X100S, is the simplicity that these cameras bring. By embracing the constraints that come with using a single focal length, I can focus completely on subject and composition. This is exactly what I needed this morning when I headed down to Corona del Mar with the X100S and a 10 stop ND filter. Here are three images from today's exercise in simplicity.
A New 14mm and the Griffith Observatory
I sent my damaged XF 14mm into the Fuji repair center in New Jersey just over three weeks ago. Last week, I received what appears to be a brand new replacement lens. Since the damage was my own fault, I wasn't expecting to get much of a break from Fuji. So you can imagine my surprise when I was offered a 30% discount off a replacement lens. Since I was never in this position with my Canon gear, I can't make any comments on their replacement policy. But this small gesture from Fuji will definitely make me a loyal Fuji user for a long time to come.
Here are a few night time long exposure images shot with my replacement XF 14mm at the Griffith Observatory last weekend.
