showcase postcard2013-1

Cabaret

I have been using these three items for the past 3 months or so and have had a lot of enquiries as to which is best. The short answer is none of them, they all have their pluses and minuses depending on what you need.

COST

The Hyperdeck wins hands down, approx £300, $350, an extra £75, $100 for a mounting plate. 

The Ninja is £800, $1000, the Samurai £1000, $1200. None of these prices convert properly, the prices are simply higher in Britain.

BUILD

They are equally well built, the Hyperdeck could be used as a weapon, especially with the mounting plate.  The Ninja and Samurai both come with a fitted, very well made Pelican style case. As a package the Ninja edges ahead.

FLEXIBILITY

Until a few weeks ago the Ninja/Samurai scored heavily by having Apple ProRes as a codec, whilst the compressed option from the Hyperdeck was limited to Avid DNxHD. Now they compete on level ground and as a ProRes user the Hyperdeck became instantly more useful.

The Ninja/Samurai have external Batteries which can be hot swapped, this is much more flexible than the Hyperdeck with its inbuilt battery. Longer shoots need access to mains power or some form of external battery backup.

Where the Blackmagic unit scores is its option of HDMI or SDI. The reason that Atmos offer two options is that the Ninja has HDMI and the Samurai SDI. I often do 2 or 3 camera shoots so having 3 units is no disadvantage. Atmos do offer add on converters HDMI to SDI and vice versa, but at a couple of hundred £ or $ extra soon adds to the cost.

The Ninja/Samurai on their side score by having a touch screen, which controls all functions including formatting of media and doubles as a Monitor, albeit not Hi Res. I find the Samurai Monitor particularly handy with my Canon XL H1 which has had its useful life extended by tacking on a Samurai. I was using the Focus Unit specially built for the XL H1, but unfortunately a change in Quicktime which is not supported by the new owners of Focus have made the unit all but redundant. 

The XL H1 is a terrific Camera (although bulky) and it is nice to get an extended life from an old faithful. It also has the advantage of automatic Backup i.e. Tape.

The Hyperdeck has mainly been used with a Sony EX1, quality great, hassly trying to fit the Camera to the Hyperdeck. The mounting plate is not much good unless it is being used to attach the Hyperdeck to some form of external rig, so I have ended up stringing it to an external Manfrotto Arm when the camera is tripod mounted. In fairness the Sony is not ergonomically good when handheld so I do treat it as a Tripod Mount Camera.

Another area where the Ninja scores is it can use SSD's or Mechanical Hard Drives, so whilst SSD's are too expensive to use for an Archive (unless you are the BBC) it is possible to buy small Mechanical Drives for little more than Tape used to cost. Having said that the reliability of SSD's is greater and I have hardly used anything else. The SSD's can be formatted in the Ninja or Samurai unit, the formatting and indeed choice of Codec for the Blackmagic unit needs to made using a utility Desktop or Laptop programme. This might be inconvenient to anyone who wants to switch Codecs during a shoot, although I can't think why they would.

QUALITY

For me I can see no difference between the Atmos and Blackmagic units in ProRes which is what I use. The Blackmagic unit can also record 10bit Uncompressed so for anyone who needs the ultimate in quality the choice is made. Having made that point I am unlikely to ever use uncompressed because of the massive overhead both in space and processing power required. As mentioned the Blackmagic unit records to ProRes and Avid as does the Samurai, at present the Ninja 2 is ProRes only.

CONCLUSION

Either option is excellent and both options represent superb value, so far they have all been reliable in field conditions and the only complaint about the Hyperdeck is mountability and battery options. The Atmos units have performed flawlessly and incidentally use Sony Batteries which can be bought for a few pounds from Amazon. If Blackmagic address the "where to put it" (no rude remarks please) issue and some sort of external power (apart from a very long cable) and keep close to the current price they will be on a par with Atmos, meantime the Ninja and particularly the Samurai with its slightly larger screen just take the trophy.

My initial review of the Fuji X Pro 1 compared it favourably with the Leica M9 but did mention that the frustration and where the Leica is vastly superior is in manual focussing.

Since then the Fuji has had a couple of updates, the most recent to Version 2 Firmware being a substantial improvement on the previous set up.

Essentially Fuji have introduced two elements which have improved the camera immeasurably, and these are first of all a much faster focussing time, especially in poor light where the camera is set to auto focussing, and the second of benefit to anyone wishing to fit Leica, Nikon or Canon lenses is an improvement in the zoom option available for manual focussing.

To explain what this is, it was something which was not immediately apparent on picking up the Fuji and that is when the camera is set to manual focussing it is possibly by pushing in the scroll wheel on the back of the camera to digitally zoom in on the centre part of the frame to allow accurate manual focussing.

The problem originally was that sometimes the area which the camera zoomed in on was too tight for accurate focussing.  The only option previously was a 10x magnification function, whereas now it’s possible to focus with a 3x magnification function.

In addition, when using the electronic view finder live view shows the minimum depth of field and therefore makes sharp focussing much easier.

Neither of these options are of course as good as Leica’s Range Finder, but it’s a massive improvement on where the camera was previously as far as manual focussing is concerned, and of course for the ubiquitous street photographer who doesn’t focus the camera anyway but rather uses depth of field, the new options add substantially to the camera’s flexibility.

Of enormous benefit however, is the massive improvement in low light focussing both in terms of speed and accuracy.

I used the X Pro 1 a couple of weeks ago to take some photographs at a party in relatively low light, and have to say that I was generally disappointed in the results simply because the speed of focussing coupled with the relative lack of sensitivity in low light meant that the failure rate was quite high and certainly far, far higher than it would have been had I been using an SLR.

Clearly the lesson is mine that I should have taken the SLR in the first place, but I was looking to see just how far I could extend the X Pro 1’s capabilities.  I am looking forward to trying the camera again in similar circumstances and see how in a real world situation these further improvements have developed the camera.

The other big improvement to the Fuji is the introduction of their own M Mount Adaptor.

When I bought the camera initially I immediately purchased a Kiron Adaptor both for Leica and Nikon lenses.

Neither adaptor had any linkage at all to either the camera or lens, and therefore it’s necessary to remember to set the Fuji to manual when utilising non-Fuji lenses.

The Fuji adaptor does it all for you automatically, setting the camera to manual and therefore also making the focus magnification facility immediately available to hand.

I have to say that the quality of the Fuji sensor is absolutely excellent.  The random nature of the pixels on the sensor certainly seems to almost entirely eliminate moiré, and certainly as I have mentioned in my original review of the camera the results, albeit with an APS-C Sensor, match those of the Leica.

On that subject Leica have just announced the Leica M10, albeit they are calling it the Leica M now, and it is interesting to see that at long last they have considered some of the features which frankly seem obvious given the trend towards digital cameras doing a lot more.  They have introduced video for the first time to the M range, and have also upped the sensor substantially with a 24MP sensor and a faster processor.

There is also for the first time an electronic view finder option, and it will be interesting to see how this interfaces with the range finder.

Naturally the Leica purists are already complaining and I read a post on a Leica forum recently saying that even the Leica Monochrome was a breach of Leica tradition and ought not to have had a rear view finder, whilst there are many who enjoy the simplicity of the Leica, paying over £5,000 for a camera which lacks what are now basic facilities on other digital cameras seems somewhat extravagant.

It will be particularly interesting to see what the video capabilities are like on the new Leica.  There is a massive move towards using DSLRs in a video context, but the idea of using high quality Leica lenses, which are already manual of course, in a video scenario sounds very appealing indeed and I suspect may create a completely new market for the M series cameras.

Going back to the Fuji, in common with most cameras it is not perfect.  It is largely a lower cost alternative to the Leica M, but I really don’t think Leica are going to be too worried and suspect that the new M series, particularly with its substantially enhanced facilities, will prove to be very popular indeed.

On one final point I do appreciate, before somebody else points it out, that going from 18 million pixels to 24 million pixels is not, on the face of it, that big an improvement in resolution, technically to double resolution you need to go from 12 million pixels to 48 million pixels, or in the case of the Leica from 18 to 72 million Pixels. In practice the jump in the case of the Nikon D700 to D800 to only 36 million pixels has been massive. I suspect that the new Leica sensor even with only 24 million pixels will be a significant step up on the previous version.

When the Nikon D4 was first announced the specification did not, on initial inspection, look to be significantly better than that of its immediate predecessor, the Nikon D3S.

The D3S at the time looked pretty much the pinnacle of digital SLR technology as far as speed of operation is concerned, as well as its amazing ability in low light photography.

With a usable ISO speed of 6,400 and with a bit of processing 12,800 I felt initially that it was unlikely there would be any great benefit in spending the additional money required to buy the D4.

However, once the camera became available it was apparent that here was a significant step up not only with a slightly larger pixel count going up to 16MP from 12MP, but with a faster burst speed of 10 to 11 frames per second, slightly up on the nine frames per second of the D3S.

The killer feature however, is 1080p video at different frame rates 24, 25 or 30 at a quality which is outstanding. I recently used the D4 for some cutaway shots at a Wedding I was videoing and was delighted with the results which cut into other HD Video seamlessly.

Apart from the fact it is possible to use auto focus whilst filming with the D4, the ease with which the D4 can be used to film is night and day compared to the D3S where frankly video always looked like a bit of an after-thought.

Clearly Nikon have looked at the current video market leader Canon with their 5D and 7D, and have made sure that all the features of these two cameras are included in the D4 with some extras such as sound monitoring.

There is now a dedicated Video record button and switching to live view is facilitated by a lever below the viewfinder. For serious Filmmaking a rig of some sort and one of the many accessory viewfinders would be needed because focusing is difficult even on the 3.2 inch screen 

In theory the sensitivity of the camera is as high as 204,800 ISO but in the same way that the previous top sensitivity of the D3S of 102,400 was only usable in exceptional circumstances, the same applies to the higher sensitivity of the D4.

In practice I might go as high as 25,600 at a pinch, but files would need heavy processing in noise reduction software and the grainy effect which these settings give is not especially attractive.

In practice, for the type of photography I undertake, which does involve a great deal of low and mixed lighting in theatres, 6,400 or 12,800 is usually adequate.

Apart from the new video capabilities, one of the major improvements, once you get used to it, is the ability to change focus modes from the viewfinder menu, ie by pressing a button and turning the control wheels at the front and back of the camera.  This also allows for control of exposure points, making the use of the camera in fast moving situations even more functional than the D3S.

The biggest problem with the D3S was that working in low light sometimes it could be difficult to change settings because whilst it was obvious where all the buttons were, it wasn’t necessary quite so obvious which direction they had to move in.

None of these problems prevail with the D4 where, for example, to change focus points the button which previously was a switch on the D3S to the bottom right hand side of the camera (viewed from the front) has now taken over the function of allowing single or continuous focus .

The camera however is not without its faults.  Some of them were outwith the control of Nikon, including the need to have a slightly smaller battery than the D3S because of new Japanese regulations concerning battery capacity.  In addition, Nikon have also decided to abandon dual compact flash slots in favour of one compact flash slot and one XQD slot which is essentially a new form of SD card which, surprise surprise, is considerably more expensive than SD but promises much higher shooting speeds.

The frustration with these cards at the launch of the camera is that not only are they horrendously expensive, but they are also extremely difficult to track down.

To date it has been an inconvenience to have only two of these cards to hand, and I have had additional cards on order for three months.

There is no doubt that once the format develops it will probably, eventually, take over from compact flash for high end applications but in the mean time there is the inconvenience of having to carry multiple format cards. It might have made more sense to incorporate Dual XQD slots and have ensured that the cards were available at launch at a non-exorbitant cost, some hope.

At the present moment I have in my camera bag SD cards, compact flash cards and XQD cards to cover the needs of my D4, my D800 and my Fuji XP1.

It is unfair to criticise Nikon for trying to progress, but at the same time there could have perhaps been a more elegant solution to introducing this new style of memory.  The camera feels slightly lighter than the D3S but just as well made.  The new WT5 wireless transmitter is superb in that it connects directly to the camera with no cabling, unlike the WT4 which can be a bit of a pest.  The only observation about the WT5 is it does seem slightly fragile attached to the side of the camera and sticking out like a giant blackhead.

It is difficult to see where camera manufacturers need to go in order to continue selling high end cameras, because certainly for the time being the D4 has set a standard where the quality available is quite stunning.

Elsewhere on this website are literally hundreds of photographs which have been taken in the past few months using the D4 and the quality, many of them taken in extremely difficult lighting circumstances, speaks for itself. 

I would imagine that all the major companies are constantly working on new sensor technology and I have no doubt that in the same way that the D800 has been launched in a version with the anti alias filter removed we will at some point see a version of the D4 similar to the D3X with extra pixels designed for the portrait and studio photographer.

The D800 is an excellent camera, but I suspect there would be sufficient demand for the same sort of innards in a D4 style body.

Canon have produced a 4K version of their new camera aimed at Video and Filmmakers’, I imagine that now Nikon are (presumably with reluctance) in the Filmmaking hardware business we can expect them to follow suit.

Perhaps we will also see the introduction of a specific Film Camera style camera body similar to Canon’s Cinema EOS line.

In the meantime we have the new pinnacle of DSLR technology represented by Nikon with the D4 and Canon with their EOS1-Dx.

The show is high camp, the tale of two ageing Night Club owners on the French Riviera who thanks to a one night stand, by Georges, with a showgirl 24 years before have a son. When he decides to get married and introduce his future parents-in-law to his "parent's" farce ensues.

The show was extremely well directed by Walter Paul and choreography working with a young cast of Cagelles was well staged by Preston Clare, whilst it is always difficult to ensure perfection in the execution of an Amateur Show's choreography, with the constraint of restricted rehearsal time, performances were never less than enthusiastic.

Jim McPhee as Albin and Michael McHugh as Georges were superb. Like Morcambe and Wise each is as important as the other and although the part of Georges can be overshadowed by the "noisier" Albin, this was certainly not the case here. Michael has the benefit of having played the part on a number of occasions and having always played it well benefited this time round by being the perfect age. There is no doubt that Jim and Michael would do themselves total justice if performing on a professional stage.

With a fine supporting cast the show used the original Broadway costumes resulting in some visually excellent set pieces.The end of Act 1 as Albin exited the stage into the backstage area was a superbly staged alternative to the more usual exit through the audience.

In Glasgow something of a cult has grown up around this show because of previous highly successful productions, this one can be added to that list as one of the best.La Cage Show-5853

At the end of this month the club is performing La Cage Aux Folles, a show which has something of a cult following. In these straitened times selling tickets even for a popular show is tough, if therefore you are free between the 20th and 23rd of June please come along to the Kings Theatre in GLASGOW and enjoy a great show.

Fuji X-Pro 1

When I bought a Fuji X100 a year ago I realised that within a few months I was using it far more often than my Leica M9. Probably not surprising because my first Leica since an old M4 was, frankly, a disappointment. The Leica’s white balance and metering for such an expensive camera is poor and whilst the ultimate quality at low ISO settings is excellent its low light performance is mediocre.

Leica handling has always been straightforward and that has been the biggest success of the M9 but aspects such as the removable bottom plate to change battery or memory card are a nuisance. (The option on the Fuji is not much better)

Latterly the disaster with the loss of Data on memory cards left me regretting one of my most expensive ever camera purchases having lost some important shots because of the problem. The first time since I began using Digital Cameras 13 years ago this has ever happened to me. It does defy belief that Leica

a)    Had the problem in the first place

b)   Seemed to look on the problem as a minor mishap

Not only did the Fuji X100 look good but the results even with a smaller sensor were almost on a par with the Leica its only real failing being the fixed focal length and dodgy autofocus (although this did improve with software and firmware updates)

In fairness the Fuji’s biggest failing, its poor autofocus is the area where the Leica scores, not autofocus, of course, but the ability to achieve spot on focus with the best rangefinder system I have ever used.

When the X-Pro1 was announced with the promise of an improved sensor and interchangeable lenses, I ordered one immediately, reckoning that I could use my Leica lenses with an adaptor and still have the option of Autofocus.

Two months on the question is, do I regret selling my Leica buying the Fuji and pocketing a couple of thousand pounds?

The Camera

Build quality

Fuji (as with the X100) has gone for quality presentation, boxes etc. are not quite at Leica quality but it is clear that they have had a close look at the competition. Out of the box the Camera seems very lightweight compared to the Leica, but on close inspection is well built and the weight is probably a reflection of the lightweight (but strong) Magnesium alloy used in its build.

The camera sits well in the hand and all in all feels like a quality piece of kit, it is slightly less retro in appearance than the X100 which is a plus and a minus depending on where you are shooting.

Leica 10

Fuji      9

Battery Life

One of the negative aspects of the Leica was battery life; I ended up with 4 batteries, a reflection of running out of power on more than one occasion. The X100 was excellent I would guess on initial use that the X-Pro1 will end up close. Given the fairly frequent use of the EVF on the X-Pro1 this is a good result. So far I haven’t run out of power on a full days shoot with 2 batteries.

Leica  6

Fuji     8

Handling

The Fuji is a far more complex Camera than the Leica and therefore there is more to learn. Without the manual it is nevertheless intuitive and works well with everything set to Auto.

Once you do get into the menus the options are profuse, ranging from choosing your favourite film (as long as it’s Fuji) to whether you shoot in HDR (max 3 exposures in intervals from 1/3 to 1 stop). Once the system becomes familiar changing settings is very easy using the option button on the rear of the camera in conjunction with a scroll wheel, located just under the shutter speed dial. There are also multiple Custom settings which can be saved with favourite set ups.

One of the most useful features is the EVF (Electronic View Finder) which can be easily switched between normal (optical viewfinder mode) and EVF.

The EVF is far more important with this camera than the X100 which had a fixed Focal length lens. The option of different focal lengths plus the ability to use a whole range of non-Fuji lenses opens up numerous possibilities, which are not served by an optical viewfinder. Again an edge on the Leica viewfinder which whilst hi tech in 1960 is old hat today.

Incidentally I did buy a Nikon adaptor (also Kipon) but haven’t actually tried it so can’t report on its performance.

There is also a View Mode, which allows switching using Eye Sensor technology where as you lift your eye to the viewfinder the rear screen switches off. The Leica of course has no live view.

On the left side of the rear are a Drive, AE and AF button which allow quick selection of drive modes, Still, Continuous, AE Bracket, ISO Bracket, Film Simulation Bracket, Dynamic Range Bracket, Panorama and Movie. The bracket modes add considerably to save times but are a good way of getting to know how the various options work.

The drive mode which I use most often (apart from single shot) is the ISO Bracketing mode which saves 3 files at different exposures, avoiding the usual problem of HDR which is ghosting caused by 3 or more individual exposures shot in succession. When shooting HDR on my Nikon’s I would normally opt for 5 exposures but the lack of ghosting is compensation for the 3 shot limit.

AE allows selection of Multi, Spot and Average metering modes and AF allows selection of Autofocus area.

There is a Macro select function and a combined Display, Back button which depending on the mode allows selection of the display mode or acts as a back button for the Menu selector.

Rear buttons are finished off with a combined AE, AF lock button.

On the top plate we have the on/off switch, the Shutter Speed dial the Function Control and + or – 2 stop exposure control.

On the front is the Focus Mode switch and the switch for selecting the EVF or Optical Finder. Also in evidence is the focus confirmation light.

A big improvement on the X100 is the addition of the shutter speed lock although the same benefit could have been included in the design of the Exposure control dial that is easily moved, not a problem if using the rear screen or EVF for viewing, but can be if shooting and not reviewing using the Optical Viewfinder.

Please see my comments on the Lenses for the biggest annoyance of this camera.

I’ve broken handling into two parts, simplicity and flexibility.

Simplicity

Leica   8

Fuji      9

Flexibility

Leica   6

Fuji      9

Lenses

When I sold my M9 I didn’t sell my Leica lenses because one of the attractions of the Fuji is the ability to use my (small) collection of Leica glass. The question is would I need to?

When I ordered the Fuji I also ordered the 60mm Macro so initially I was intending to use the Leica lenses with a Kipon Adapter $79 from EBay.

Fuji are promising their own adaptor later in the year, the only reason for buying it over the Kipon would be if it gives any extra functionality for example recognising chipped Leica lenses.

If I say that I now own the other 2 Fuji lenses (the 18mm and 35mm) it suggests two things, manual focus on the Fuji is not brilliant, and the Fuji Lenses are superb.

The process of focusing is a bit tedious and involves pressing the thumbwheel below the shutter speed dial and focusing on the centre of the screen.

In fairness the 90mm Leica is slightly easier to focus than the Wider angle Leica lenses.

When the Leica lens on the Fuji body is in focus it has to be said the results are excellent, as to whether they are better than Fuji’s own lenses is debateable. Bear in mind this is being written by someone who actually uses these cameras for photographs not Lens Charts, I have no doubt that someone much better qualified will prove that the Leica lenses are better, but in real life use you would be hard pressed.

Having purchased all three lenses the reality is that now I have a reasonably comprehensive kit and the good news is the Fuji lenses are cracking. All are decently fast and in a sense there is no reason to be surprised bearing in mind that some of the best Movie and Video lenses are made by Fuji.

There is of course an element of the Emperor’s New Clothes about Leica, how dare any upstart suggest that anyone can make lenses as well as Leica, but the bottom line is, far more Pros in the past 40 years have made their living from non-Leica glass.

On the negative side, how in their trials could Fuji not realise that their lenses require an Auto lock. Even the act of removing or inserting a lens in my camera bag resulted in on numerous occasions knocking the setting off Auto, but even when using in Manual Mode the Aperture Ring is far too sloppy. For me that element knocks quite a few points of the score. Also there must be Technology, which could create a real or electronic Rangefinder, which would immediately propel this camera into a different league.

The lenses themselves seem well made although again surprisingly light but do have a very ridged focusing ring, which catches all the detritus of usage very easily. The grip because of this is great but at the end of the day since manual focusing is naff why bother? The rubber or plastic lens caps pop off too easily, I would certainly suggest some sort of lens cap retention system or leave the lens cap off, you will lose them.

Build

Leica   10

Fuji      8

Quality

Leica   9

Fuji      9

Ergonomics

Leica   9

Fuji      7

Value for money

Leica   8

Fuji      8

Visual Quality

The Leica, as mentioned produced good results at low ISO’s and decent Daylight conditions, otherwise it was iffy. The reason I immediately took to the X100 was the excellent White balance, Auto and Manual, and its low light performance. In addition the general handling was at least as good as the Leica and the X-Pro1 develops on that concept.

The concept of leaving off the Moiré Filter and introducing a random RGB Pattern sensor is interesting and as far as I can see works. The bare bones files from the Fuji certainly bear out the concept as being valid. Although I have not carried out a genuine side by side comparison with the Leica I can see nothing that suggests that one is better than the other, quite a testament to a camera which ultimately has a significantly smaller sensor. I can guarantee that if you compare APS film with 35mm on a like by like basis there is absolutely no way that the APS film would begin to bear comparison. The fact that files from the Fuji are on a par with the Leica is testimony to the progress which has been made in Sensor design in the past two years.

The level of flexibility offered by the Fuji in terms of image presentation i.e. the amount of tweaking means that almost any shooting style is catered for. I always shoot raw files as an ultimate backup, but if I can get away with a good JPEG then I will. The quality of JPEG if you decide in advance on your parameters is stunning.

Leica   8

Fuji      9

Conclusions

There is no doubt that Leica has a cachet, which with the current turnaround in Leica fortunes is unbeatable. For the wealthy photographer justifying the cost of an M9 is easy, for the serious photographer less so given the weaknesses in the current offering. I do look forward to seeing what the M10 has to offer given the flaws in the M9, but don’t hold out an awful lot of hope with the introduction of a Black and White Leica, are there really folk daft enough to buy into this? Emperors New Clothes again?

It is difficult to understand why Leica refuse to incorporate extra options, which will probably cost peanuts in development costs. The purists will of course complain, but then there are folk from the Flat Earth Society who would like a Leica with no LCD Screen and this is enough to trigger a serious discussion on the merits of such an option on the Leica Forum? Leica almost went bust once before by failing to acknowledge progress (the R series) hopefully they won’t make the same mistake twice.

The Fuji on the other hand is a second step towards what could become a superb system. I have no worries about specification or the quality of lenses but they do need to do something about manual focus. The Leica’s biggest strength is the Fuji’s biggest weakness. Fuji also need to pay attention to the silly omission’s, why would they include a Shutter Speed lock on the Camera and no Lock on the Lenses? I am sure they could also speed up the operation of the Autofocus, it is much better than the X100 but why should Autofocus on a non-DSLR be slower than its DSLR equivalent, it is difficult to understand why a technically simpler camera costing as much as a medium/high end DSLR should have a significantly inferior AF System.

When I bought my first Nikon D1 I would probably have ranked it 10 out of 10, today it might reach 4 when considering my ranking please bear the effect of time on any rating.

Overall

Fuji      8

Leica   7

Do I regret selling my Leica, without reservation, no? The Leica has many merits but it is not worth almost £5000, I achieve day-to-day results from my Nikons (old and new) which are superior. This comparison is not with a Nikon, it is with a Camera which I would take for a Weekend trip to New York, Rome or Berlin, to capture the essence of the trip. In the main this can be achieved without an SLR (or DSLR) and the Fuji in my view fits the bill better than the Leica. I like HDR Photography and the Fuji executes the HDR process extremely well. I am not a fan of using non video cameras for video but using the new Nikon D800 is converting me, the Fuji does this well the lenses are sharp and the tweaky options are extensive.

You will appreciate I am not a purist, I am however old enough to have done all the things that if digital photography had been invented first we would never have done, darkroom processing, putting bits of gelatin in cameras, guessing at the outcome, keeping our fingers crossed, waving bits of stick (dodging) under enlargers to do in hours what a decent computer can do in seconds. I am 61 years of age and love the digital era, I probably have less time left for my photography than many who might read this blog, don’t waste your time, take pictures make sure that your computer and printer(s) are as fast as they can be. Note to anyone thinking of buying the B&W Leica, try Silver FX and a Canon Pro1 for Black and White, cracking combination, even works with an IPhone and gives you anything you can think of in film simulation.

In conclusion Fuji have included most of the currently available technology, the choice to use it or not is yours, personally I have enjoyed trying out techniques which add to my enjoyment of Photography, Fuji are to be commended for making real progress from the X100 (which remains a cracking option especially at its new price of £700 or thereabouts.)

I look forward to a decently ranged zoom.

David Mills

PS I gave away my LP’s as well