Last week I had the opportunity to shoot with the Actus Mini View Camera for Fuji. Made by Dutch company Cambo Photo, the Actus Mini is a traditional view camera designed with a Fujifilm X mount.
Adapting traditional design with modern mirrorless camera technology, it turns your X Series camera into a full fledged view camera and allows for greatly expanded creativity when composing your subject matter.
Calibrated to fit any of the X Series bodies, (there’s also a model for the GFX), the Actus Mini features a series of knobs that control tilt, shift, swing and focus.
This give you a wide array of options for setting your focus points, creating variable width, (and even angled slices) of sharp focus within your scene, and also correcting for parallax error when angling the camera up or down.
This kind of setup is ideal for landscape photography and architecture, but due to it’s relatively small size, it could easily lend itself well to a variety of styles and subjects.
I had a great time with the Actus Mini and found it to pair extremely well with my X-T2. I’ll be doing a full review of the Cambo Actus Mini for Fuji soon, but for now, enjoy the short preview video I made below. This will give you an idea of what the camera is all about.
Up until a few years ago, DSLRs ruled the camera world. If you wanted the best performance and image quality you bought a DSLR. Plain and simple. That’s just the way it was, and in the minds of many people, that’s still the prevailing mindset.
However, mirrorless cameras have now evolved to the point where many of them can now compete with DSLRs in just about every way. In fact, the latest generation of mirrorless cameras from companies like Fujifilm, Olympus and Sony offer an extremely high level of performance and value when compared to similar class DSLRs.
As someone who has fully transitioned from DSLRs to mirrorless cameras in the past few years, I can attest to this increase in performance and usability, even for shooting challenging or tricky subject matter. In addition, mirrorless cameras have allowed me to explore photography in creative ways that were not previously possible with my DSLRs.
Mirrorless camera technology actually offers some huge advantages over DLSRs and these benefits can make a huge difference in your photography. They can allow you to do things you can’t do with a DSLR.
Although there are many differences between the two types of camera, in my mind, there are the 3 most important advantages that mirroless camas offer over DSLRs. Keep in mind, these are just the three big ones. There are many more.
1. Smaller, Lighter and More Compact
This is the big one, and it’s the primary reason that many photographers have decided to dump their DSLRs and switch to mirrorless.
The DSLR pentaprism and mirror assembly was a fantastic invention, but for as cool as this design is, all that extra glass adds significant size, weight and cost to the camera. Without these two elements, mirrorless cameras are smaller, lighter and easier to carry that DSLRs, and for many shooters, that can be a huge advantage.
For this reason, any APS-C sensor mirrorless will be smaller and lighter than any crop sensor DSLR. Even a full frame mirrorless like the Sony A7 will be quite a bit smaller than any full frame DSLR. However, keep in mind that with a full frame mirrorless, your lenses don’t get any smaller.
Going light and fast means you can cover more ground, it means you don’t get as tired so easily. It means your back doesn’t hurt, and it means you can sling your camera around your shoulder by the strap and carry it like that for longer periods of time. I like to joke that my new favorite camera bag is the strap.
It means that your camera is often more easily accessible, and if there’s one thing that will help you shoot photos, it’s having your camera more accessible.
2. Full-Time Live View LCD Screen
Although the size and weight thing is the most obvious difference, this is by far the most important advantage that mirrorless cameras have over DSLRs.
Why? Because with a mirrorless camera, what you see is what you get.
Having a full time Live View LCD screen and/or electronic viewfinder gives you the HUGE benefit of being able to shoot with a WISYWIG approach.
In other words, what you see on the screen is EXACTLY what your image will look like.
How many times have you shot photo with a DLSR, only to be surprised by a botched exposure or a different level of contrast or color cast that you were expecting?
When you shoot with a mirrorless cameras, there is no surprise. Your picture will look just like what it looked like on the screen right before you pressed the shutter. This is a tremendous benefit when shooting in tricky light or if you’re trying a technique or creative approach and you’re not sure if it will work or how you should implement it to best capture your subject matter.
This benefit is enhanced even more if you have a tilting LCD screen, because it allows you to use the screen like a “waist level finder” or shoot at angles that would normally be difficult to see with a traditional viewfinder, like over your head and around corners.
And with many cameras, you can even overlay a histogram and display your camera settings on the screen for even more precision.
Yes, it’s true that just about every DSLRs today also have Live View Mode, but… (and this is a big but), there’s a very important difference while I’ll explain next…
3. Hybrid Autofocus Systems
Basically, with mirrorless cameras you get full-time, full-power, fast autofocus whether you’re using the LCD or if you’re looking though the viewfinder. This isn’t the case with DSLRs.
Before I elaborate on why this is, I need to explain how autofocus systems work. There are two different types of autofocus systems that modern cameras use.
Phase Detection relies on a secondary mirror and a fixed autofocus module in the bottom of the camera. This type of system splits the light into two separate images, then compares the pair and adjust accordingly into make them identical.
The benefit of Phase Detect Autofocus is that it’s fast, and usually very accurate. If the image isn’t quite in focus, the AF module quickly tells the lens which way the lens needs to go.
The downside to Phase Detect AF, is that it needs a lot of light. You’ve probably noticed that DSLR autofocus tends to slow down and “hunt” more in lower light.
Also, Phase Detect AF sensors only work with a high degree of accuracy when they’re placed in or near the center of the frame. (You’ve probably noticed that DLSR AF sensors are always set in an array near the middle of the viewfinder.) This creates problems if you’re trying to focus on subjects that are placed near the edges.
Contrast Detection autofocus measures contrast on the sensor itself, much like when you’re manually focusing on a ground-glass screen on an old SLR or view camera.
Contrast Detect systems are extremely accurate and they work better in lower light situations. However, they’re not always very fast, and since they don’t measure distance like Phase Detect AF do, they’re not very smart.
In other words, if the image isn’t in focus, the system doesn’t know which way to go. That’s why you get the “hunting” effect before focus is established. This makes it extremely difficult to track moving subjects with Contrast Detect autofocus. However, it does allow you to achieve precise focus on subjects anywhere inside the frame, even at the edges and corners.
You’ve probably noticed that when you switch to Live View on a DSLR, your autofocus suddenly gets really slow and sluggish. That’s because DSLRs switch to Contrast Detect autofocus when they’re operating in Live View mode.
Here’s why this matters
Mirrorless cameras use what’s called a Hybrid Autofocus System, which uses a combination of fast Phase Detect pixels and accurate Contrast Detect pixels placed right on the sensor.
Even though the PD pixels are placed near the center of the frame, they work in conjunction with the CD pixels to give you a comprehensive and powerful AF system that’s controlled by increasingly faster processors and better software algorithms.
This gives you the best of both worlds. You get the speed and tracking capabilities of Phase Detect, and the accuracy and focusing flexibility of Contrast Detect, even if you’re using the LCD screen. Again, DSLRs will ONLY use Contrast Detect AF when they’re in Live View.
Back in #2, I told you how much of a benefit it is to have a full time, Live View LCD screen. When you add in the autofocus component, you suddenly add an even bigger advantage.
Shot using the LCD screen.I shot this photo using the LCD screen while riding a bike. I never would have been able to focus and capture this scene if I was trying to look through a viewfinder or use Live View on a DLSR.When I shoot aerials in quickly changing light, I rely on the real-time LCD screen feature of my Fujifilm mirrorless cameras.
Although I loved using SLR and DLSR cameras for many years, I have found a renewed sense of liberation, creativity and inspiration since switching to mirrorless. I hear this exact same testament echoed by many other photographers. In fact, I don’t know anyone who has regretted making this jump or who wishes they still shot with DSLRs.
With all of the technology benefits and reduced size/weight they offer, I would strongly encourage anyone who’s in the market for a new camera to consider going mirrorless. It’s the way of the future and as the technology keeps progressing, it’s the DLSRs that will soon find themselves outgunned. In fact, many consumer level DSLRs are already falling behind when it comes to usability, features and performance of today’s mirrorless cameras.
One last thing: If you’re thinking about moving towards the Fujifilm X Series cameras, you should download my free Fuijfilm Tips and Tricks Guide. It details a host of other features that will help you understand what they do and how to get the most out of the system.
Macphun just released a powerful upgrade to Luminar today. Version “Nepune” adds a host of new features and significant performance enhancements designed to offer additional creative control and streamline your workflow even more. (The update is free to existing Luminar users.)
I’ve been using Luminar extensively for the past seven months and I absolutely love the program. It has an extremely intuitive interface that makes the whole editing process easy, and yes, fun.
With a comprehensive set of over 300 tools and palettes, full RAW support, even for the Fujifilm X Series cameras, plus layers, masking, blend modes, brushes, non-destructive editing, customizable workspaces, object removal and more, Luminar offers a full service, professional quality editing solution for any type of photography. (Right now, Luminar is Mac only, but there will be a Windows version coming later this year.)
The best thing about the program is that you can use it however works best for your workflow, style and mood. It runs standalone or as a Lightroom plugin.
If you prefer to edit quickly, say bump up the colors, remove some dust or crop, then you probably don’t need to wade through a multitude of sliders. You can set it up with a workspace that includes only the tools you want, add tools as you need them, or you can make use of the many included presets.
On the other hand, if you want to dive in and perform some serious editing tasks, which might involve things like highlight control, structure, exposure/contrast, layers, texture overlays, or split toning, etc…, you can pull up up any of the almost 40 tool palettes and go to town.
If you’re strictly a RAW shooter and just need an affordable, yet full featured program to make critical adjustments and do your conversions for export to JPEG or TIFF, Luminar is definitely a viable solution.
Useful Tools and Presets
I’ve never been a preset guy, but I love the Luminar presets. They look great, and they’re all unique enough to make it very easy to find one that works. In addition, you can dial them up down from 0-100 percent, which gives a wide range of possible results. (I find that for most of the presets, I like the 20-30% range.)
They’ve got some great tool palettes and filters in there as well. In addition to the essentials, like exposure and tone controls, HSL, dehaze, adjustable gradient, there are a number of creative tools as well, like golden hour, grain, polarizing filter, soft focus, top & bottom lighting and soft glow.
I don’t want processing tasks to be an endless time suck. I want to get in there, make my edits and come out with a great looking image in a reasonable amount of time. In the past few months, I’ve had great success with Luminar, using it to process RAW files and the occasional Fuji JPEGs that needs a slight tweak in order to bring it to its full potential.
I’ve even had fun exploring the wide array of creative filters and presets, which help me take my images in new directions I might not have thought of, like this photo below.
The new Accent – AI Filter uses special algorithms drawn from multiple filters and combines them into a single, ultra-poweful slider that gives stunning results with a single move.
The beauty of Luminar is that you can dial in gorgeous images and make vital tweaks to your shots with minimal effort and fiddling. This new feature distills it down to sheer simplicity.
Often times, your images need just a few similar adjustments to make them pop. The Accent – AI Filter does a great job identifying what’s needed to bring out the important aspects of the shot.
I’ll admit, I was a little bit skeptical, but once I tried it out on a few images, it was apparent the Accent slider indeed works like a charm.
As you can see in the two photos below it seems to bump up the vibrancy and clarity just enough to give you great results without going overboard, even when you dial it all the way up to around 60%.
With some images, it will even do selective exposure and contrast adjustments, as well. Overall, the Accent filter is very useful tool that will dramatically speed up your workflow.
Quick and Awesome Workspace
If you like the quick and dirty approach, but want a little more control, you can use the new aptly named Quick and Awesome Workspace. Workspaces are one of the most usable workflow features in Luminar.
If you’ve got a set of adjustment tools or filters you tend to use on a regular basis, you can save them as a Workspace for quick recall. Luminar comes with a standard set of Workspaces, including Landscape, People, Street and BW, and the new Quick and Awesome Workspace in the Neptune update gives you four sliders: Accent AI, Saturation, Vibrancy and Clarity.
So, as I said, if you like the Accent slider, but you want more detailed control over the colors, contrast and edge sharpness, this is a very easy way to fine tune your images for maximum impact.
Plug-in Integration with Other Macphun Apps
If you also own Aurora HDR or one of Macphun’s other Creative Kit apps, you can now run them as a plug-in right inside Luminar. Previously, you had to do your adjustments separately in each program. This all-in-one approach makes sense, and it will certainly allow for a vastly more streamlined workflow if you own any of the other apps.
Custom Cropping
Luminar’s Crop tool now allows the option for custom crop ratios. In addition to all the standard sizes, the menu now lets you enter whatever dimensions or aspect ratio you want for your image.
Vignette Filter Enhancements
The Neptune update adds a number of new options to the Vignette tool, including new styles, a “Place Center” mode and both Pre- and Post- Crop modes
Memory Management and Performance
This was a big one. Luminar Neptune adds significant performance when editing large files or when you’ve got 5 or more images open at the same time. (Good, because that’s totally me!) You’ll also see faster in-app animations, transitions and other stuff that make for a more pleasing user experience. It’s the little things, right?
Save $10 On Luminar
If you haven’t tried Luminar, I recommend taking a look. Macphun has won multiple awards for their apps, and they did a great job with Luminar. It’s a great processor that keeps getting better, it will do anything you need it to do, and it’s very affordable. Download the free fully functional demo and see what you think.
Right now Luminar has a bundle deal that includes free eBooks by Ian Plant and Andrew Gibson, 2 Preset Packs, over 500 overlays and a photography training video. That’s a total value of $309, but you can get it all for only $69.
So, the previous Luminar update was Pluto, this one is Neptune. What happens when they get to Mercury and run out of planets? Will they start going with moons? Luminar IO. Galaxies? Luminar Andromeda. Constellations? Luminar Orion.
What about Pulsars? Look for Luminar version PSR B1937+21, coming in 2020 to a computer near you!
We had an amazing sunrise on the last morning. Leaving the hotel at 3:45AM, we drove to Steptoe Butte and waited for the light, while bundling up in layers to ward off the chilly wind. When the sunlight finally hit all those distant hills, it did not disappoint.
This area is tailor made for using long lenses. Although we often think of wide angle lenses as being the most suitable for shooting landscapes, telephoto lenses give you strong compression effects, and this works great when shooting across wide expanses of similar terrain such as this.
Zooming in way in lets you create tight images that focus on strong, dynamic elements of light, shadow, pattern and repetition. They also create interesting interplay between colors.
As you can see in the photo above, the fields aren’t quite fully green yet, but the compression effects across the horizontal areas along the ridges and the tops of the hills accentuates the green. This saturates those colors even more and helps create an even stronger contrast between the greens and the browns.
My camera gear choice for this scene was my X-T2 and the Fujifilm XF100-400 f/4.5-5.6 OIS WR lens. The 100-400 is an incredibly sharp long telephoto that lets you zoom very far in and isolate distant subject matter, and it has incredible image stabilization.
I started with a tripod here, but since the morning light was coming up so quickly, and since there was just so much amazing subject matter to shoot, I soon took if off and shot handheld. Combined with the high resolution of the X-T2’s 24MP X-Trans sensor, the 100-400 always gives me impressively sharp photos, even when handheld at surprisingly low shutter speeds.
I’ll confidently hand-hold it down to 1/60 second, even at 400mm, and with no wind and an extra steady hand, I can even go town to 1/30 and below with sharp results.
I encourage you to try shooting landscapes with long lenses, and if you’re a Fuji shooter, definitely check out the XF100-400 lens. Fujifilm has a rebate on this lens right now; if you buy the 100-400, you can get either the 1.4X or 2X Teleconverter for free. That’s an instant $450 savings.
I’m in The Palouse this week, helping out… crashing one of the Fuji X workshops led by Jack Graham and Bill Fortney. If you’re unfamiliar with The Palouse (don’t feel bad, I’d never heard of this region until recently), it’s a large agricultural area in eastern Washington mostly comprised of canola, wheat and legume farms.
It’s probably one of the most recognizable areas on the entire planet, because that’s where the iconic Windows desktop picture was shot.
Filled with gentle rolling fields of brilliant green that stretch for endless miles, as well as a multitude of red barns, old GMC trucks and other vintage things covered with peeling paint and rust, this area is a photographer’s paradise.
From grand, vast scenics shot across miles of open land to close up details, The Palouse has enough subject matter to keep you busy for days, weeks, years.
Since I came all the way down to speak at Glazers Photofest this weekend, I figured I’d extend my trip and join Jack and Bill at the workshop. Both fellow X-Photographers, I taught with Jack and Bill at the recent Fujifim X-Photographers Summit in The Great Smoky Mountains, and I’ll be teaching with them as well for the September Fujifilm Summit, which will take place in Oregon.
It’s always a blast to see those guys, and it’s been fun to meet some other photographers and see a few old friends as well. I always enjoy sharing my knowledge about photography and helping people get the most from their cameras.
I hope to see some of you this weekend, if you come to the Glazers event, be sure and say hi! I’m giving my talks both days, and when I’m not speaking, I’ll be hanging out at the Fujifilm booth.
One of the most popular tripods around these days is the MeFoto Road Trip. In fact, I’ve seen more of these than anything else during my workshops and photo tours during the past couple of years.
It’s no surprise. The parent company Benro created a real winner with their compact, affordable, great looking MeFoto line that all have fold-back leg design and sexy anodized aluminum trim. Other companies have surely taken notice, including Manfrotto, who just released their own Road Trip style tripod called the Element.
The new Manfrotto Element is an awesome tripod and I’m glad to see them hit the market with an affordable, classic design such as this. I got to check it out in person over the weekend and I have to say, I’m pretty impressed. Nice job, Manfrotto! Sure, it’s an obvious copy of the Road Trip, but hey, it’s a great design, so there.
I’ve long been a fan of the Manfrotto line; I think they make great tripods that have usable features and excellent value. However, not everyone loves the “Flip Lock” leg design, which are found on their 190 series and the BeFree models. The Element uses the “Twist Lock” leg design, which gives the whole tripod a much cleaner look and and slimmer profile. (Most high end tripods brands like Gitzo use Twist Lock legs.)
Much like the MeForo Road Trip, (and the Gitzo Travlers), the 5 leg sections on the Manfrotto Element fold back on themselves over the head. This allows the tripod to collapse down to only 16.5″ when closed, which makes it small enough to fit in a suitcase or backpack.
With the legs and center column extended, the Element has a max height of 64.6″. With the legs folded out, it has a minimum height of only 16.1″ for low angle shooting. It’s rated to support 17.6 lbs.
Weight with the included ball head is only 3.5 lbs. That’s pretty darn light. In fact, it’s really no heavier than a carbon fiber Gitzo that costs over four times as much. That’s the best part about the Manfrotto Element, it only costs $149, which is $25 less than the Road Trip.
That’s pretty impressive, given that the Element is so close in design to the Road Trip. Like the MeFoto, it has detachable leg which allows you to turn the tripod into a monopod, it has an Arca-type quick release ball head and 3 independent leg angles for shooting low to the ground or on uneven terrain.
And like the MeFotos, the Element comes in different colors- all black, or black with gray or red anodized trim, and it comes with a nylon carrying case. If you’ve ever seen a MeFoto Road trip, you’d probably chuckle at Manfrotto’s obvious intention to capitalize on the extreme popularity of the Road Trip based on how similar they are.
I’ve owned a handful of Manfrotto tripods over the years and as I said above, I think they make great tripods for the money. They’re a very reputable company. So is Benro; I’ve also handled enough MeFoto’s recently to know that they’re good too.
Honestly, there’s not much difference between these two models, but given the fact that the Manfrotto Element costs a little bit less, why wouldn’t you go with that one?
If you’re looking for a decent lightweight tripod for use with a relatively lightweight DSLR or mirrorless camera, that packs small enough for travel and doesn’t cost very much, you really can’t go wrong with the new Manfrotto Element.
I can’t fault them for pretty much copying the winning formula of the Road Trip. Manfrotto certainly has a long history of innovation, so in my mind, they’ve earned the right to do something like this, at least for now. Bottom line, it’s a decent tripod for a great price. What’s not to love?
Support this site. If you’re in the market for new gear, consider purchasing through these links. It doesn’t cost you anything extra, and it’s an easy way for you to show your support for the time I take writing these articles and reviews. Thanks ! 🙂 -Dan
One of the most essential and useful “non-camera gear” related items in my outdoor photography kit it is my Goal Zero Venture 30 recharger.
If I’m going into the wilderness for any length of time, even for an overnight, or if I’m traveling, I always take it with me. In the past two years, my Venture 30 has accompanied me on all my hiking, camping and bikepacking trips, including Nome, Romania and most recently, Scotland.
The Venture 30 is rugged, waterproof 30W 7,800mAh battery pack with two high speed USB ports that’s designed to keep your small devices running in the outdoors- phones, tablets, GoPro cameras, GPS, and any compact camera that can charge from its USB port.
It can even charge two devices as the same time, providing you have enough juice.
I use it to charge my iPhone (a fully charged Venture 30 will provide 2-3 phone charges) and occasionally my iPad, but I also use it to charge my camera batteries in the field using my tiny little OAproda NP-126 USB Rapid Charger that works with the Fuji NP-126 batteries.
With the Venture 30, I can get at least a couple of full charges for my Fuji batteries. This can really help if you’re away from home, out in the wild or between hotels while traveling and you have no electrical outlets in sight. Knowing that you have this option can provide you with mental insurance and piece of mind when you see that battery indicator start falling towers the red.
Also, even if you’re not using your phone very much, a chilly night can suck most of the battery power and leave it dead or nearly dead in the morning. A quick plug into the Venture 30 will bring it back to life.
When I’m on the road and away from outlets, as soon as a camera battery goes down, I hook it up and start charging it as soon as possible. Empty batteries are worthless, so I like to start one charging as soon as it dies. Better to have them all at the ready, right?
In order to get the juice in, the Venture 30 works as a standalone USB charger and it will charge up in only 4 hours from from a computer or from any USB wall charger.
It’s also designed to work with the Goal Zero Nomad Solar Panels, like the Nomad 7, which will power it up from empty to full in about 9 hours in full sun. (Goal Zero also sells the Venture 30 and the Nomad 7 as a kit.) Daisy chain a couple of Nomad 7 panels, or use the much more capable three panel Nomad 20, and you cut that time considerably.
Designed for adventure, the Venture 30 is definitely rugged. It has tough rubberized edges and it’s totally weatherproof. It works fine in harsh environments, it will withstand being dropped or kicked, even on rocks, and it’s totally waterproof. Whether you splash it or drop it in a creek, the Venture 30 will still work.
Another nice feature is the “Smart Charging” brain. Since different device manufacturers all use slimly different charging profiles, the Venture 30 was designed to learn and remember the optimum profile for any device you plug in to give you the fastest possible charging time.
Also, the five LED lights on the front can also be used as a light source. It ends up being a super bright light that will last a VERY long time.
I cannot recommend the Venture 30 highly enough. I would label it as an essential item for any adventure and travel photographer, or any outdoor shooter who spends numerous nights outside and needs to keep stuff charged. How are you going to run Photographer’s Ephemeris if your phone is dead?
It’s an awesome little gadget, and when think about all the gear I own, my Venture 30 has been one of my most used devices during the past couple years. Since buying it, the Venture 30 has gone with me on every trip I’ve taken, and even when I’m home, it gets used quite often to charge the phone and iPod.
If 7,800mAh isn’t quite enough for you, Goal Zero just came out with their new Venture 70, which offers whopping 17,700mAh of charging muscle. That will do 5-6 phones, 2 full tablets and numerous camera batteries. It’s certainly bigger and twice the weight (16 oz vs. 8.8 oz), but if you need the extra juice at basecamp or if you’re out for a longer period of time, the Venture 70 might be a good option.
On Sunday, May 21, at the tail end of my recent Scotland trip, I led a photo hike in Edinburgh with my friend Lauren MacNeish.
A travel and landscape photographer from the area, Lauren helped organize and promote the event, and she was kind enough to share her photos from our afternoon hike up Arthur’s Seat, a local 822-foot tall hill situated right in the city center.
With numerous trails and a fun summit, Arthur’s Seat provides excellent views of Edinburgh and the surrounding areas. It was the perfect location for a group of photographers to get outside, take in the fresh Scottish air and enjoy some camera camaraderie. A true international gathering, we had a few local shooters, two other Americans two people from India and a couple from Bulgaria.
The was my first international photo walk and we had a lot of fun talking about photography, sharing travel stories and getting to know each other. In addition, I got to meet two more of my regular readers in person. One was a local Edinburgh photographer and the other was from Southern California who happened to be there at the beginning of his own Highlands walking adventure.
They both subscribe to my newsletter and had heard about the photo hike directly from me. The other people had signed up through the Eventbrite listing that Lauren had created to promote the hike.
I always enjoy meeting other photographers out in the world, especially people who are familiar with my work, who read my blog or follow me on social media. To me this is the best part about social media, and during my Scotland trip, I actually met a handful of other friends and followers during my trip.
Lauren also works in the marketing department at SmugMug UK, and since I’m a longtime SmugMug user for my print store, we loosely billed it as a SmugMug event.
I’ve always liked the features the SmugMug offers for creating customizable galleries that allow for great presentation, as well as professional services, like private galleries, right-click protection and a fully hosted shopping cart for selling prints, cards and other photo gifts.
Attention Fujifilm users, John Beardsworth has released his brand new Lightroom X-LR plugin, and it’s exactly what we’ve been waiting for.
One of the huge limitations of Lightroom for X Series users is that once you upload your images to the Library, Adobe trashes your selected film simulation from the RAW file and applies the Default Adobe 2012 color profile.
Sure, you can always go back and re-apply the different Fuji film sims in the Camera Calibration Tab, but this is a pain, and you can only do it one image at a time. The other huge problem is that you might not even remember which film sim your originally used when you shot the photo.
Thankfully, John’s X-LR plugin has solved this problem. When you install the plugin in Lightroom, you can now select one or more photos and have it automatically re-apply your original film sim to the RAW file. John’s plugin looks at the metadata to see what the original sim was, which sounds simple enough, right?
It seems like Lightroom could easily do this as well, but for some reason, they don’t. All RAW files are switched back to the default Adobe color profile, which has a much flatter and considerably less dynamic look than what you get with the Fuji film sims.
The plugin has a few other options as well; it can apply star ratings if you’ve tagged them right in the camera during playback, and it can record your film simulation as a keyword. This makes it easier to find and sort all of your image by the film sim you’ve used, say if you want to show all of your Velvia or ACROS images, etc…
There’s even an Expert Mode which allows you to apply other presets, like your DR values or your Highlight and Shadow Tones, or even Face Detection info, but I haven’t played around with that yet. It’s a little more complicated than just checking boxes and hitting OK.
John’s X-LR plugin only costs a few bucks and it’s well worth the price! He does good work- I’m using the X-LR plugin now, and I’ve used his Open Directly Plugin for getting Fuji RAW files in and out of Iridient Developer and Capture One. By his own words, he’s gotten a whole lot better at coding since he wrote Open Directly.
If you shoot Fuji and use Lightroom, I’d highly recommend getting the X-LR plugin.
I just spent 3 weeks traveling around Scotland on my bike, and now that I’m back home sitting at my desk, I wish I were still over there, pedaling around The Highlands in the wind, listening to everyone’s accent and thinking about my next glass of whisky. Isn’t how it always goes when you return from a really cool trip?
Of course, with about three thousand new photos to edit, I’ll at least be busy looking at pictures of Scotland for quite awhile, so that will help keep the mood alive. The 6 small bottles of scotch that I brought home in my bike bags will help too.
Camping at the edge of the world.
I’m excited to share my images and stories from the trip with you, but it will take a wee bit of time to sift through my photos and write some articles. I plan to do a number of blog posts about different aspects of my adventure during the next few weeks, and I even have a really cool idea for a travel photography eBook as well.
I’ve been posting occasionally on Twitter and Instagram during the past few weeks, but I haven’t put anything up here on the blog since I left. If you’re a regular reader, hopefully that’s given you some time to catch up on all my recent articles. 🙂
I’ll just present a handful of photos right now, just to whet your appetite and get you psyched for what’s to come. Enjoy!
Also, FYI- I’ll be heading down to Austin and Seattle to give presentations in the next couple of weeks.
On Friday and Saturday, June 2-3, I’ll be speaking at the Precision Camera Photo and Video Expo in Austin and hanging out at the Fuji booth. Rumor has it that I’ll even have a GFX for people to check out.
On June 10-11, I’ll be speaking at Glazer’s Photofest in Seattle and hanging out with the Fuji reps at the booth. If you’ll be in either of those places, come by and say hi!
The town of Lerwick, Shetland Islands, Scotland.The Cairngorm Mountains of ScotlandBikepacking in the Scottish Highlands
One of the most essential and useful “non-camera gear” related items in my outdoor photography kit it is my 
The was my first international photo walk and we had a lot of fun talking about photography, sharing travel stories and getting to know each other. In addition, I got to meet two more of my regular readers in person. One was a local Edinburgh photographer and the other was from Southern California who happened to be there at the beginning of his own Highlands walking adventure.
