I shot this photo the other night during one of my Sunset Photo Safari workshops with Alaska Photo Treks. We’d been searching for good light throughout the evening, and with predominately overcast skies, the majority of our time was spent shooting closeups and taking advantage of the soft light on subjects like flowers, and long exposure waterfalls.
However, as I keep learning over and over again, persistence pays off. Just as we were driving back along the Seward Highway at 10:00PM, we turned a corner and saw the sun peeking through a break in the clouds just above the horizon.
Without delay, we headed down to the beach and spent the rest of the evening photographing a brilliant display of sunset colors reflecting over the Cook Inlet landscape. The wild looking clouds were a bonus. I shot a couple of different compositions, and even though my long lens shots (below) have more color, I like this shot best. The framing feels more simple, I like the way the three distance elements play off of each other, and the smattering of color on the right edge is more than enough to give the shot warmth and interest.
This one was made with my Fuji X-T1 and XF 14mm f/2.8 wide angle lens, which gives a beautiful wide view with very little distortion, even at the edges. This is by far my favorite XF lens, and if I had to get rid of all of my Fuji lenses and only keep one, it would be the 14mm.
I processed the file in Capture One Pro 7, which does a much better job of rendering sharpness on the Fuji RAW files than Lightroom. I also just love the way that C1 looks; it uses a completely different processing algorithm than Adobe uses in their software. I wouldn’t way it’s a better RAW develop than Lightroom, it’s just different, and I’ve been pleased with the results that I’ve gotten during the past few weeks since I bought the program.
Note, I use a LR plugin called Open Directly to get my RAW files straight from LR to Capture One. This lets you bypass LR’s initial RAW conversion stage. If you just set up C1 as an external editor in LR, you won’t be able to take full advantage of C1’s own algorithms to process your RAW files, you’ll just be importing already processed TIFFS.
Phase One has just updated to Capture One Pro 8. Both the pro version and Capture One Express have lots of new features and an improved processing engine. Both programs have a full featured 60-day demo so you can try them out and see if they’ll work for you.
Here’s the original images straight out of Lightroom to show you that even with the best scenes, most files need a bit of retouching, whether you do that in LR or C1.
In just a few short years, Fujifilm has built an impressive camera system from the ground up. Starting with the introduction of the X100, which they launched in September 2010, they’ve since expanded their lineup to include a number of highly advanced interchangeable and fixed lens compact cameras that have completely stirred up the photography world.
Shooters of all styles and levels have fallen in love with their compact, classic body styling and with the remarkable image quality that these cameras produce. So much so that an increasing number of amateurs and pros alike have replaced their entire DSLR rigs with Fuji X camera systems and haven’t looked back. I’m one of those people.
Even straight JPEGS from these cameras look awesome, which has prompted many people to rethink their RAW-only shooting style. The images are incredibly sharp and combined with Fuji’s image processing technology, color reproduction is stunning. The built-in film simulations and different shooting modes offer wide creativity and the resolution of the APS-C X-Trans sensor which is found on most of the models is certainly good enough for any pro work.
Here’s a quick comparison between all of the current Fuji X cameras in the lineup to see which one is right for you. (Updated August 2018)
1. Fujifilm X-H1
The new Fujifilm X-H1 is the latest X Series camera. Featuring an even more rugged all-metal body and a brand new 5-axis, 5.5 stop stabilized sensor, this is the first model in the lineup to have In-Body Image Stabilization.
Built to be an all-professional camera in every way, the X-H1 has a larger pronounced grip, a 25% thicker chassis, and the same 24MP X-Trans sensor found in all the other X Series cameras.
In addition, the X-H1 has been designed as a high-end video camera. It offers DCI-4K shooting at 200 Mb/s, which is double the bit rat of the X-T2, and it shoots beautiful slow motion in Full HD at up to 120 fps. It also features F-log recording right to the SD card, separate camera settings for shooting stills and video, and it has the brand new cinematic ETERNA film simulation.
Using the same 325-piont AF system found on the X-T2, the X-H1 has upgraded AF algorithms, which allow for even better AF tracking when using AF-C mode. It also has the highest resolution electronic viewfinder of any X Series camera, with a full-time refresh rate of 100 fps.
The biggest design difference on the X-H1 is that instead of the EV +/- dial, the camera has a new top deck LCD. It’s very similar to the layout of the GFX. With a total of 13 Fn buttons/controls and the optical Vertical Power Booster Grip, the X-H1 is a true powerhouse, and with it’s familiar look and feel, it should appeal to DSLR users who have been X curious for awhile, but have been waiting to pull the trigger.
Earlier this summer, Fujifilm announced the X-T2. Featuring the new 24MP X-Trans III sensor and a much more powerful image processor, the X-T2 has been refined for maximum performance in every way, and it produces incredible high resolution imagery.
With a body design that’s almost identical to the X-T1, the “2” features a few tweaks, like dials that lock and unlock, and a new +/- EV control that lets you adjust by up to 5 stops. The camera also has the new AF joystick
Inside, the X-T2 has a brand new, vastly upgraded, 325-point AF system that will track moving subjects at up to 8 frames per second, and with the optional battery grip in “Boost” mode, the camera will shoot and track at 11 frames per second.
In addition, the X-T2’s new processor allows for improved color accuracy, considerably shorter blackout time, higher EVF refresh rate, and it allows the use of Fuji’s ACROS black and white film simulation. ACROS is built around a more complex grain structure and it produces image with deeper, finer tonal gradation.
With its performance enhancements, the new Fujifilm X-T2 is a stunning evolution of the X Series It’s a professional grade camera that will outperform just about any camera in its price range, and compete with many DSLRs that cost even more.
Who’s it for? The X-T2 is designed for photographers who want maximum performance in a lighter weight, smaller body. It will no doubt attract DSLR shooters who are tired of carrying heavy gear, but who have sat on the sidelines, waiting for a mirrorless camera that will give them the same quality and speed they’re used to. The X-T2 is likely going to be the camera that causes many photographers to finally switch from DSLR to mirrorless. Read my full review of the Fujifilm X-T2 here.
Your advice on lenses and on why you switched to the Fuji have helped make my decision to continue investing in the system. I do a lot of hiking, mountain biking and skiing, but at first was a little apprehensive on committing to the system. Your review of the X-T2 was very helpful.
Michael Lutfy
I have just bought an X-T2 so your articles on the Fuji X system have been very useful.
Your review of the Fujinon 18-135mm lens helped me decide to include it in the minimal, lightweight system I wanted to shoot with ( I decided to go with just that and the 10-24mm - so far, anyway!).
The Fuji X-Pro 2 is the co-flagship model of the X Series. It’s a professional grade interchangeable X camera that offers traditional styling, maximum quality imagery with the APS-C 24MP X-Trans III sensor, the new X Processor Pro engine and an innovative “Hybrid Multi Viewfinder.” Combining the best features between optical and electronic viewfinders, the X-Pro 2 lets you switch between OVF mode and EVF mode. Both modes contain a variety of shooting data and change magnification depending on your lens choice.
The X-Pro 2 features a similar set of features as the X-T2, including the focus lever joystick, Q-Menu, an upgraded autofocus system with 77 phase detect points, no apparent shutter lag, and all the gorgeous looking film simulations. It’s also weather sealed.
The X-Pro 2 does not have a built-in flash, but it’s compatible with any of the dedicated Fuji flashes, as well as other third party brand units.
The other big difference between is that while the X-T2 has an SLR inspired look and feel, the X-Pro 2 has a rangefinder design, which appeals to a great number of shooters. Where the X-T2 feels like an old trusty manual Nikon body, the X-Pro 2 feels like an old Leica or Contax.
Who’s it for? The X-Pro 2 is a favorite with commercial, wedding and portraits shooters, as well as street photographers. Basically anyone who loves the rangefinder look, who wants weather sealing, fast AF tracking and wants a high quality, beautifully styled camera for general shooting, travel, people or landscape photography. Check out the dedicated X-Pro 2 info site here.
The X-E3 is a sweet little camera! It’s marketed as the little brother/sister rangefinder model in the series, but it’s actually a very powerful model. It has the new AF joystick/selector that’s found on all the higher end models, and it also has a number of settings that are only found on the top-end X Series cameras.
In fact, there are at least a couple of settings that are only found on the X-T2 and X-E3. It’s a great performer, and it has such a svelte, sexy design. In order to make the camera even smaller, the X-E3 doesn’t have the standard “Thumb Pad/OK Button” array on the back.
Instead, it features a new, innovative touch screen that allows for “swipe gestures” up, down, left and right. These gestures operate as Function buttons, since the four D-Pad Fn buttons are gone.
The X-E3 also has the same 24MP X-Trans sensor, image processor and autofocus system as the X-T2 and X-Pro2, so it’s a very capable camera for shooting all kinds of subject matter. In addition, it shoots 4K video, it allows for continuous shooting of up to 14 frames per second, and has an extended ISO range of up to 51200.
The only thing the X-E3 is missing is a tilting LCD screen. Otherwise, it’s definitely one of the most powerful budget mirrorless camera on the market. Check out the X-E3 special site here.
The Fujifilm X-T20 is the little brother to the X-T2, and many of the features are the same as those found on the X-T2. It has the same APS-C 24MP X-Trans sensor, a tilting LCD scene and the same updated, high performance predictive autofocus system that will track moving subjects at up to 8 frames per second. (14 fps with the electronic shutter.) Essentially, you get the same image quality and most of the same performance as the X-T, but for $700 less.
It also has a very similar rugged SLR-style body design like the X-T1, but with a few slight design tweaks. The main thing is that it’s smaller and lighter, which makes the X-T10 an ideal travel and outdoor camera. It hardly weighs anything, and yet under the hood, it’s a real hot rod.
It has WiFi sharing, a built-in flash, all the same film simulations, including Classic Chrome, 8 programmable Fn buttons, and although it’s not weather sealed, the X-T10 is a tough little camera that would be great for just about any kind of use.
Who’s it for? The X-T20 is a very capable camera, and with an attractive price point of only $899, it’s an excellent introduction into the Fuji X camera lineup. With fully updated technology, it’s ideal for any kind of shooter, and since it’s very similar in design and operation, the X-T20 is an ideal backup or second camera for X-T2 users. You can also check out the dedicated X-T10 site here.
Note: The X-E2S is now available. Essentially, it’s the X-E2 with updated firmware that dramatically improves the camera’s autofocus system, and increases performance in a number of areas.
The Fuji X-E2S is very similar to the X-Pro 1, except that it does not have the Hybrid Viewfinder. It only has an electronic viewfinder, but the with the latest firmware update that Fuji put out, the X-E2 now has an even better EVF than it did before. It also has a built-in flash, as well as a hot shoe.
Featuring the same APS-C 16MP X-Trans sensor as the other models, a max shooting rate of 6 fps, and a greatly improved Hybrid AF system over the X-E1, the X-E2 now has the same AF speed as the X-T1. However, it does NOT have the same predictive focus tracking system, so it will not not be able to track moving subjects and freeze action over multiple frames like the X-T1.
Nonetheless, the X-E2 is an awesome rangefinder-style camera that has the same image quality as the other cameras in the line, the same film simulations, the same creative shooting modes, and the Wi-Fi button that allows you to transfer images from the camera to your smartphone or tablet. However, you cannot control the camera with your device like you can on the X-T1.
I shot with an X-E1 during a bike trip through the Alps last summer, and I found it to be an enjoyable camera to use. The X-E2 offers the same quality with an improved package.
Who’s it for? Since it uses the same lenses as the other X cameras, the X-E2 makes a great general camera for pros and amateurs alike. It works great for portraits, travel, landscapes and even commercial work, but keep in mind, it’s not weather sealed, so it may not be the best choice for heavy outdoor use. Still, it’s lightweight, compact, it packs a lot of features, and makes gorgeous looking images. Here’s the dedicated X-E2 info site.
Note, the X-E1 is still available, and it’s a really good price. The EVF and AF aren’t as good as they are on the X-E2, but image quality is the same. If you don’t need super fast AF, and if you do most of your composing with the LCD screen, then the X-E1 is an awesome camera of the money. It would be a good choice for beginning to intermediate photographers, or someone looking for a great travel camera that takes great photos.
When it was announced in 2010, the Fuji X100 took the world by storm. It offered uncompromising image quality in a gorgeous, all metal, rangefinder-style body. The latest version, which is the Fuji X100F, offers an even better 24MP X-Trans sensor, the new X-Processor Pro image processing chip, the new AF Joystick/Selector lever and an even better viewfinder and improved AF performance over the original version.
The X100 is really an amazing little camera. It’s got a fast fixed 23mm f/2 lens, (35mm view) a shooting rate of 6 fps, 10cm macro and it also features the same switchable Hybrid EVF/OVF Viewfinder that’s found on the X-Pro 1.
It also sports a built-in flash and features a leaf shutter that allows for ultra high speed flash sync. For this reason, the X100F is the camera of choice for heavy flash shooters like Strobist™ David Hobby. Another really nice feature is the built-in 3 f/stop ND filter, which allows you to shoot slower shutter speeds in brighter light.
People also love the X100 cameras because of it’s sheer simplicity. Small body, one view, on-board flash, and all the quality and creativity you’d ever need. Also, the 23mm is a great angle of view for many subjects. It’s not super wide,but it’s kind of a sweet-spot focal length for shooting just about everything from landscapes to travel, low light, city scenes and environmental portraits. There are also conversion lenses (35mm and 50mm) that make the X100 even more versatile.
Who’s it for? Anyone, really. It offers a perfect solution for going light, fast and simple with your photography, which is why it’s a favorite of many street photographers. It also makes an ideal companion/backup camera for your interchangeable system whether you shoot Fuji or not. Lots of Nikon and Canon shooters have these things too because they’re awesome. The Fuji X100 is truly a modern classic that will be remembered of a very long time in the history of photography gear. Check out the dedicated X100F info site here.
The X-T100 is the newest X Series camera from Fujifilm, but in my mind, it’s the camera they should have introduced a few years ago. It’s an entry-level model that’s designed around a classic, SLR-style body with a viewfinder. Think of this one as the little brother/sister to the X-T20.
With a 24MP CMOS sensor, three top-deck dials, a 3-way tilt LCD screen with touch capability, Bluetooth image transfer, and many of the same creative features you’ll find on all the higher end models, the X-T100 gets you into the Fuji system at a budget price.
Finally, Fujifilm has a true X Series camera that can compete on price with all those Nikon D3000 series cameras and Canon Rebels. However, unlike cheap DSLRs, the X-T100 gives you some significant benefits that DLSRs don’t have, and it has 11 Film Simulations that give you those awesome Fuji colors.
In addition, it offers 14-bit RAW shooting, 91-point Phase Detect Autofocus with updated AF algorithms, ISO that goes up to 12,800, 6 frames per second shooting in CH, touchscreen LCD, a larger buffer than the X-A5, and decent battery life.
Since it has the same mount as all the other models, you can use any Fuji lens on the X-T100, or third party lenses that use the Fuji F-Mount. And it comes in three colors.
Who’s it for? Simple. Anyone who wants an X Series camera at a budget price. At only $599 for the body, and $699 for a body/lens combo, the Fujifilm X-T100 is the ideal camera for beginning photographers, price conscious photographers who don’t need the higher end features of the more expensive models. In other words, if you don’t super fast autofocus, weather sealing or high end video features, the X-T100 could be an appealing choice for landscapes, travel, street shooting or general, fun photography. You can read more about the X-T100 here.
The brand new Fujifilm X-A5 is the budget-friendly consumer X Series camera. It’s less expensive, and while it has some stepped down features, it does not necessarily have stepped down quality. The X-A5 has a 24MP APS-C CMOS sensor. Combined with the updated image processing engine, the X-A3 delivers excellent quality images. (Note- The X-A5 uses a CMOS sensor instead of the X-Trans sensor.)
With the X-A5, you get the versatility of interchangeable lenses and DSLR image quality in a very small and compact package, but with the useful advantages that mirrorless camera offer. Fuji also introduced a line of smaller, less expensive lenses for this camera to make it even lighter and more affordable. It comes with the XC 15-45mm f/3.5-5.6 lens, but you can actually use any of the XF lenses on this body as well. This makes it even more versatile when you improve and want to step up your system.
The X-A5 features a a compact, lightweight, reto-style look that’s characteristic of the X Series, and it has a touch-screen tilting LCD panel. The screen actually flips all the way up into “selfie mode.” It has an ergonomic grip, and wi-fi connectivity that works with the Fujifilm Camera Remote app so you can download your photos right from the camera to your mobile device. And it comes in three colors- Black, brown and red.
With a built-in flash, 77-point AF system, including manual focus, most of the creative modes and film simulations found on the higher end models, video, a host of creative shooting and auto modes and EV+/- at your fingertips, the X-A3 offers a lot of options in a bargain package. And it’s tiny. Seriously. It’s even smaller than some fixed lens compact cameras, especially when you put on the XF 27mm pancake lens.
Who’s it for? The Fuji X-A5 is definitely designed with consumers in mind. It’s a great introduction into the Fuij X Camera system, and would make a great all around camera for any beginning to intermediate photographers. As with any of the X cameras, it’s a viable alternative to a DSLR because it still gives you impressive image quality and resolution, but in a much more compact package. It’s great for just about any kind of shooting. Read more about the X-A3 here.
Support this site: Please consider purchasing gear through these links. It’s a way that you can show your appreciation for the time and effort that it takes me to compile and write these reviews, and it won’t cost you anything extra. It’s like a virtual pat on the back. Thanks so much! Also, click here to see my 4 favorite lenses for the Fuji X cameras.
I’ve used the Fuji X-T1 almost exclusively for most of 2014, and during that time, I’ve been in love with how well it has performed in every shooting application that it’s been thrown into. The X-T1 tracks moving subjects with surprising accuracy and speed, at up to 8 fps, it has a number of great film simulations and features, and, of course, it’s a very lightweight camera, which allows me more flexibility and mobility as an outdoor photographer.
However, I’ve had trouble getting my processed images to look as good as I know they can be, especially with regards to sharpness. The X-Trans sensor has no optical low pass filter, which allows it to render subjects with incredible resolution, yet even with the latest versions of Lightroom and Photoshop, Adobe’s RAW processing engine and demosaicing algorithms still have trouble with the Fuji RAW files.
If you’re a Fuji X camera user, you’ve probably noticed this as well. Lightroom does fine with the straight in-camera JPEGS from the Fuij’s, but with RAW files, you get this slightly fuzzy, watercolor look, especially with textures like grass and foliage. Even with hard defined subjects, I just haven’t been satisfied with the soft look that I get from Lightroom.
I’d heard that Capture One Pro does a better job with Fuji RAW files than Lightroom. I wasn’t keen on complicating my life and adding yet another program to my workflow, but since they had a free 60 day trial version, I decided to give it a test drive.
4 days into my test drive, I threw down my credit card and bought the full version. Why? Because after processing just a handful of images, I was blown away by how much shaper the Fuji RAW files look when processed by Capture One. It’s like I have a brand new camera all over again. Rather, it’s like I suddenly have a souped up X-T1 that’s even better than it was before.
Capture One uses a completely different set of processing algorithms than Lightroom, and while I really like Lightroom’s versatility, I just can’t ignore a solution that gives me better results with my camera of choice. After all, the final image is what counts more than anything else.
So, long story short, I went ahead and complicated my life, all in the name of getting better looking photographs. I’m still getting used to the interface and experimenting with exactly how I’ll be implementing Capture One into my workflow. I’ll write more about that in a future post, but for how, here’s a simple comparison between Capture One vs. Lightroom to show you the difference.
I shot this photo with the Fujifilm X-T1 and XF 27mm pancake lens, then cropped to full size so that you can closely inspect how each program renders the blades of grass. You can click on each one to see the bigger version, but even with these smaller versions, you can already see the difference.
The first photo is Lightroom, the second is Capture One Pro. You be the judge.
Small portable hard drives are considered essential tools for any photographer today. Combined with the slim size and high storage capacity that the latest drives feature, they fill a number of important functions for shooters of all styles.
A small USB drive that fits inside your pocket or camera bag can house your entire image library. Paired with a laptop that’s running Lightroom, you have the freedom to take your entire business on the road. This means you can edit and process images anywhere, fulfill photo requests from clients, share any photo with anyone, anytime, send images for printing and update your catalog as you shoot new photos.
Portable drives can also be used to deliver images to clients and they make for perfect backup solutions when you’re on location. For many assignment photographers, it’s standard procedure to backup each day’s work to a pair of drives.
Finally, external drives offer a great solution for off-site backup. Having an extra drive allows you to keep an extra safe copy of your image archive, just in case there’s a fire, flood, tornado, hurricane or break-in at your home or studio. Think about it: a hundred dollar hard drive is pretty cheap insurance. The idea is that you keep an current backup at home and swap it out each week with the off-site drive.
With these examples, it’s easy to see why you should probably have at least a couple of external drives, if not more. Here are three of the most popular slim style USB drives on the market today, I’d recommend any one of these models. They all run on Macs and PCs and are Apple Time Machine compatible.
The #1 best selling slim external hard drive is the Western Digital My Passport Ultra. It’s is a rock solid storage unit that comes in three sizes (500GB, 1TB and 2TB) and four colors (black, blue, red and gray), which lets you differentiate your drives way better than labeling them with masking tape and a sharpie.
I’ve used multiple incarnations of this drive for years for and they’ve never let me down. It’s small, reliable and reasonably priced. I’ve got three of them sitting on my desk right now.
The Seagate Backup Plus Slim is another very reliable and versatile drive, and they’re the thinnest portable drives on the market for the size. I just used a pair of these on my last big assignment for master storage, backup and delivery of image to the client and I loved how small and sleek they were. The Backup Plus Slim come in four sizes (500GB, 1TB, 2TB and 4TB) and four colors, just like the WD Ultra.
The LaCie Rugged Mini Disk has become a very popular hard drive with outdoor photographers because it’s built with a shock absorbing rubberized housing that protects your data if you drop your hard drive or get it wet. It’s rated to withstand being driven over with a one ton car, and it offers reasonable weather resistance in the rain and snow.
Life was good in the summer of 1996. I had a pretty cush day job scanning photos at a Kodak PhotoCD lab, and I spent just about every afternoon and weekend rock climbing around Colorado and Wyoming. Still a few months away from being fired from my job… ahem, I mean turning pro, my photography passion was in full swing and I ran countless rolls of Fuji Velvia slide film through my Nikon N90 trying to build up my skills and my portfolio.
At the time I was pretty focused on rock climbing photography, and as luck would have it, I had a few built in models with my fellow dirtbag climbing buddies. One of these cats was my good friend and co-worker Curt Lyons, who sat across from me at the photo scanning station. (My other climbing co-worker was Juston Ledoux, seen bouldering in this photo.)
Tall and lanky, Curt was a southern California boy who had honed his skills at places like Joshua Tree, Tahquitz and Suicide Rocks before moving to Colorado. He was a solid climber and a lot of fun to hang out with. I learned a lot from him during those years we climbed together, and we still love to reminisce about those early days. One of my favorite memories of Curt was watching him make cowboy coffee during our trip to Devil’s Tower.
We had driven his little brown Toyota truck with the white topper up from Fort Collins the night before, and were camped in this open field within sight of the tower. The next morning, I crawled out of the back of the topper and saw Curt swinging the coffee pot around in a circle by the handle in a crazy windmill motion. He looked just like Pete Townshend.
His method was to boil a camp kettle full of water and loose coffee, then take it off the stove and use centrifugal force to make the grounds settle to the bottom of the pot. Brilliant. Pure genius, and wildly entertaining to boot.
Horn’s Mother
Anyway, during the summer of ’96, we climbed quite a bit at this funky place near Laramie called Vedauwoo. “Vee da voo,” as it’s pronounced, is like a mini Joshua Tree, full of rounded granite boulders, great crack climbing and relentless wind. The routes at Vedauwoo aren’t very long, but most of them are hard. Hard enough to make you cry. In addition to the sandbag factor of the routes themselves, the feldspar crystals that make up the surface of the rock at Vedauwoo make for great friction, but they tear your skin apart if you’re not careful. Most people tape their hands.
Of course, Curt, being a California purist, refused to ever tape up. He had good enough technique that he could get away with no tape. Me? No way. I always taped. I wasn’t nearly as confident in my skills. Plus, taping was part of the whole experience. A technique in itself. It was part of the uniform.
Sometimes during the week, Curt and I would even race up to Vedawoo to get a couple of routes in after work. Usually, we had a route in mind, and on a particular July day, we drove so that Curt could try a route called “Horn’s Mother.”
One of the classic hard routes at Vedawoo, Horn’s Mother is the highly visible 100′ overhanging, leaning, flaring fist and off width crack right on the front of the Coke Bottle formation. You can see it right from the parking lot. It’s rated at 5.11a, but that’s Vedawoo 5.11a, which means really freaking hard. I’ve led quite a few 5.11 routes in my time, but I was always way too intimidated to try Horn’s Mother.
The crux of the route is pulling through a short overhang pretty close to the start of the route. After that, you climb 25′ up to a pod, and then it’s just 50 or so feet of strenuous and sustained 5.10 hand and fists jamming up the left leaning crack. If you have small hands, it’s even harder.
Curt brought another friend to belay him so that I could shoot photos of him climbing the route. (I don’t even remember who that was, but I’m sure that Curt sill does.) We climbed an easier way up the formation so that I could fix a rappel line down the face and be right there next to him while he was on the route.
He sent the crux like is was no problem. If course, I was way above him coming down my line, so I didn’t actually see him on that part of the route. When I did meet up with Curt about halfway up the final crack, he was tired. Arms about to die tired, but he kept chugging up the crack with solid technique, a bit of brute force and the benefit of a long reach.
About two thirds of the way up, he was was getting really gassed and desperately needed a rest. Determined to do the entire route without falling or hanging on the rope, Curt knew that he had to take a break and shake his arms out, and as luck would have it, he found a way to get out of the crack and stand on these little granite pods that stuck out there on the face.
Throwing in a #4 Friend, he clipped the rope, stepped out of the crack and actually found a no-hands rest right there win the middle of one of the hardest routes that he’d ever climbed. This odd, precarious feat of balance allowed him to regain the strength necessary to power up the last section to the top.
Watching Curt climb Horn’s Mother up close was an awesome experience and I’ve always loved the photos I shot of him on the route. I’ll never forget that day and I’ll never forget the look of pain, suffering and thankful relief when he found that tiny rest spot that gave him brief reprieve from the unrelenting crack. I’ll never forget the close, intimate view that I had of him while he pushed his limits and onsighted the route on his very first try. During those brief minutes, and for the next few days, Curt was my hero.
I shot this photo on Fuji Velvia 50 slide film with my Nikon N90 and 24mm f/2.8D lens. I still have this lens, and in fact, it’s probably seen more use shooting rock climbing than any one of my other lenses.
Thanks for the memories Curt. I hope the route didn’t leave you with too many emotional scars.
My Early Years
This series called My Early Years, profiles some of my images and experiences as a budding young photographer back in the mid and late 90s. My goal to show you that photography is a progression and that we all have a long road of unique experiences that make up our photography life/career. And to tell some fun stories.
Most of the images in this series were shot on film and are thus derived from either Nikon Coolscan files or from early Kodak Photo CDs, which are still readable on Apple iPhoto.
I hope that you enjoy this look back at the much younger and much less experienced Dan Bailey. If you’d like to read more articles like this and be notified whenever I post similar features, please consider signing up for my newsletter, which also includes regular news, exclusive content, photography tips, industry isight and special deals.
Tomorrow evening, Wednesday July 16 at 7PM, I’ll be taking part in a presentation called The Art of Bikepacking. The event will be hosted at the Bicycle Shop on Dimond Blvd., here in Anchorage, Alaska, and it will feature a diverse range of stories, displays, and expertise on bike routes, how to plan and pack for a trip and of course, lots of adventure bike photography.
This is where I come in. I’ll be giving a short presentation during the event about my own history of bikepacking and cycle touring, specifically regarding the camera gear I currently use, how it’s evolved over the years and what I recommend to other bike touring photography enthusiasts.
In addition, Revelate Designs founder Eric Parsons will share his own stories and expertise about bike trips and about the bikepacking gear that he’s developed over the the years. (Longtime readers might remember that Eric and I did our first “real” bike tour in 2001 in Ladakh India.)
The event is being planned by Nicholas Carman, an accomplished cyclist and all around good guy, whose site Gypsy By Trade is a renowned resource for bike touring info. Nicholas is days away from heading over to explore new riding routes in the Carpathian Mountains and he’ll be giving a talk about bikepacking in Europe.
With summer in full swing here in Alaska, I’ve been shooting a wide variety of subject matter, including landscapes, outdoor adventure, aviation and even some wildlife. Here are a few of my recent favorite shots and notes on how I made them.
1. Last Light on Mountain Hemlocks Trees
While out on one of my Sunset Safari photo workshops, which I teach with Alaska Photo Treks, I managed to catch the very last rays of sunlight on this grove of mountain hemlock trees. This was a classic case where the camera sensor was able to pick up more of the brilliant pink sunset light than my eyes were. In dim conditions, your eyes are not as sensitive to color. You’ll see the color, but it won’t be as brilliant as what you see in your photograph. It’s a reminder to keep shooting, even as the light is fading.
Summer in Alaska means bush flying, gravel bar landings and lots of fun exploring in my little Cessna 120. I spend quite a bit of time flying over the Chugach Mountains and the Knik Glacier, which is only about 45 minutes by air from Merrill Field. It’s a great place to practice short field landings and see some amazing scenery.
On a recent afternoon trip to the Knik with my friend Chet, I managed to catch this photo of him flying over the toe of the glacier out of the open window of my on plane. It’s definitely one of my favorite air-to-air images that I’ve ever shot. I love the dynamic quality of the diagonal path that his plane and the glacier ice follows through the frame.
One afternoon last month, I flew out to the Cook Inlet mud flats near the mouth of the Little Susitna River. This area is a big habitat for coastal birds who migrate here in the summertime from all over the lower 48, and I went out there to test the tracking performance of my Fuji X-T1. (Here’s another test that show’s how well the X-T1 tracks moving subjects.)
Nothing seems to test a camera’s AF system like birds in flight. They’re hard to pick up, and even harder to track, since they move so quickly and often times, erratically. I was shooting gulls with my XF 55-200mm lens. Even though this isn’t a particularly fast lens, in combination with the X-T1’s predictive AF system, it was doing an amazing job with the birds.
I spent about 20 minutes photographing gulls in flight when I suddenly heard the unmistakable call of sandhill cranes. I turned around and, with the camera on Continuous High (8 fps), I was able grab a trio of these magnificent birds as they took off and flew out over the Susitna River. They were made in straight JPEG mode with the X-T1.
My lens was zoomed all the way out, and my exposure was ISO 800, 1/2900 sec. at f/4.8.
4. Late Night Mountain Biking, Kincaid Park
The best part about summer in Alaska, is of course the midnight sun. Back in mid May, I did an evening mountain bike ride with a friend out at Kincaid Park here in Anchorage. We didn’t start our ride until after 9:00PM, and an hour later, the light started getting really good.
Just before the sun dipped below the horizon at 10:14PM, I caught this photo of Nicholas riding through a section of trees out towards the Kincaid Bluff with my Fuji X-T1 with XF 14mm f/2.8 lens. Exposure info: ISO 1000, 1/210 sec (handheld) at f/4.5.
5. 747 Cargo Jet Just Before Touchdown
I shot this one last night out at Point Woronzoff in Anchorage. This is a popular area of the Coastal Trail that passes right under the final approach path that the jets take as they’re landing at Ted Stevens International Airport.
It’s pretty cool to watch any kind of plane come in for a landing this close, by far the coolest thing to see is the huge, heavily laden Boeing 747 cargo jets as they roar overhead in full landing configuration and drop right down onto the end of the runway. Although they’re going well over 100 mph on final approach, they don’t seen like they’re moving very fast.
With my X-T1 and XF 55-200mm lens, I caught this in straight Black and White JPEG mode by shooting a fast burst of continuous photos with focus tracking just as the plane passed overhead. Exposure info: ISO 200, 1/420 at f/5.
You can see a pattern here. All of these images were shot with the X-T1, which is proved to be an incredibly capable camera, not to mention, lightweight and lots of fun to use! You can read my full review of the Fuji X-T1 here.
I hope you’re getting out this summer, what kinds of subject are you photographing lately? Share links to your recent favorites in the comments section.
Last month, Fujifilm introduced the brand new Weather Sealed XF 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OIS WR lens. It’s the first of their lenses to feature weather resistant construction, which is designed to keep out rain, dust, and water splashes when you’re shooting out in the environment. In other words, the outdoors. You know, when it’s not sunny. We all know that’s when the best pictures often happen.
Designed as a companion lens for the weather sealed X-T1, it can be used on any interchangeable Fuji X camera body, like the X-Pro1, X-M1 and X-A1. (The 18-135 features 20 points of weather sealing on the lens barrel.)
Since Alaska is not known for it’s exceptionally clear weather, especially in the summertime, I was excited to have the chance to try out a prototype version of this lens. During the past few weeks, I’ve shot a variety of landscapes and adventure with it on my trusty X-T1, and even rain into some rain and wet conditions, even a brief summer snow storm in the mountains.
I’m not normally a zoom guy, except on the long end. When it comes to wide angle I love primes like the XF 14mm f/2.8, but when you’re shooting in wet weather, there’s a distinct advantage to shooting with a zoom lens like this when you’re dong outdoor and adventure photography. If it’s raining or snowing and you want to change lenses, you risk getting water on the sensor, or on the rear lens element, which is not something you want. Trust me. I did a recent backpacking trip where I had some images ruined by water droplets that I didn’t notice while I was shooting.
The Fuji XF 18-135mm lens offers a very usable zoom range, effectively it presents a 27-206mm view, so you’ve got relatively wide angle all the way through the normal range and out into decent telephoto territory. This means you’re covered you for everything from landscapes, to portraits, to adventure, sports and action, without the need to change lenses.
Image Quality
The model I tested was a prototype, so while the lens construction and design were likely final, Fuji may very well have been still tweaking hardware and firmware elements during that time. With this in mind, I can’t give a complete and exact review. However, I can give my analysis of how well the lens did during my own real world my tests. The production version of the XF 18-135mm lens may very well exceed what I found in terms of performance and quality.
In regards to quality, I was very impressed, especially in the shorter focal lengths. Although it’s not as wide as my much loved XF 14mm, I felt right at home when shooting in the close end. Sharpness and clarity were excellent and I’m extremely happy with the contrast and color of the photos I shot with this lens.
The XF 18-135 is built with 16 elements in 12 groups, and features 4 aspherical elements and 2 ED glass elements. When shooting directly towards the sun with backlit subjects, I saw no pronounced flare or loss in crispness in the photos.
In the image below, I’ve given you a cropped zoom version to show you just how much detail is preserved with the X-T1 and 18-135mm combination. Those little yellow flowers are exceptionally sharp! At the same time, out of focus details in the background look great. I think it does bokeh better than the 55-200mm.
Autofocus
Focus on the XF 18-135mm was fast, quiet and accurate, and it seemed extremely well paired with the X-T1 body. The lens uses an inner focusing mechanism, a lightweight motor, and on top of that, the barrel is pretty light. All of these elements work together to give it a very quick response. I’d say it’s faster than the XF 55-200mm lens, which I use quite a bit on my X-T1. (I keep using that lens as a comparison because I’ve got quite a bit of experience with it.)
In terms of focus tracking, it does a really good job. Again, when paired with my X-T1, it outperforms the 55-200mm, which is a pretty impressive lens with regards to autofocus speed. I’ll continue to do more tests with it on sports and action related subjects.
Image Stabilization
One of the things that impresses me most about the Fuji XF lenses is the OIS image stabilization. I’ve shot the 55-200mm handheld and zoomed all the way out down to around 1/25 sec and gotten sharp photos. Combined with how light the X camera system is, I’m able to drop my shutter speeds with confidence and still know that I’ll achieve the sharpness that makes for a usable image.
The XF 18-135 has 5 stops of image stabilization performance that’s achieved through the use of high precision gyros, quartz oscillators and algorithms that are programmed into chips that detect movement and blur. Pretty complex stuff. Not sure how it all works, but it does. This kind of performance allows you to shoot sharp photos without a tripod. I shot the photo below with the camera resting on my camera bag. Not exactly a rock-solid camera support.
Overall
As someone who’s used a number of the Fuji XF lenses, both primes and zooms, I’m very impressed with the new XF 18-135mm lens. Although it’s not terribly fast in terms of maximum aperture, its combination of size, OIS and zoom range make it extremely usable in terms of compositional flexibility in a wide variety of shooting situations. Plus, the Fuji X cameras do so well with higher ISO speeds, that I rarely even find the slightly slower aperture to be a problem with lenses like this.
Like almost all of the XF lenses, it has an aperture ring, it comes with a lens hood, and it appears to be made with fairly solid construction. It’s no Nikon 80-200 f/2.8, so you can’t hammer nails with it, but given the overall lightweight nature of the Fuji gear, that’s not a bad thing. To me, it has a very similar feel to the 18-55mm lens, which is exceptionally sharp and pretty solid in terms of feel for a “kit” lens.
The weather sealing is definitely a perk, because as I mentioned above, it’s really nice to be able to shift focal lengths when you’re shooting under a light rain shower, in a snowstorm or in a dusty environment without having to worry about changing lenses and quite possibly getting dirt or water inside your body. The Fuji X-Trans sensor makes beautiful looking photos and the last thing I need is a bunch of grit and moisture getting in the way of image quality.
I probably would have liked to see a slightly wider zoom. That said, knowing that many long range zooms suffer at one end or the other, perhaps Fuji has found a sweet spot that gives the best compromise in focal lengths and sharpness through the range.
There’s no doubt that zooms are convenient, especially for travel and shooting in the backcountry, and the new XF 18-135 f/3.5-5.6 lens could easily be your only lens for a variety of applications. It lets you go relatively light and still gives you a complete range of focal lengths that you’d commonly use in just about every type of shooting.
If you already have a Fuji X lens kit that you like, you may find that having a weather sealed zoom lens could be a valuable and specialized tool for those times when you know you’ll be facing the elements. Either way, it’s pretty impressive and I’m glad that I got a chance to test this one. It’s sized like a kit lens, but as with the other Fuji zooms, it’s no kit lens in terms of quality. It delivers great imagery that’s good enough for pro work.
According to Apple, the new app will include many of the advanced editing features found in Aperture and let you safely store all of your photos in iCloud. In addition, when Photos for OS X ships next year, Apple assured users that they will be able to migrate their existing Aperture libraries to the new app.
Of course, the big question is whether the new Photos app will be capable and powerful enough to fit the needs of professional photographers. A screenshot of the new app shows what appears to be a fairly capable editing panel on the right side of the screen. At this point, there’s no indication about what kinds of features will be offered in the Photos app. However, it’s also reported that iPhoto is being discontinued and rolled into Photos as well.
This clearly tells us that Photos for OS X will be the sole photo application offered by Apple, which means it will be targeted to everyone, consumers and pros alike. This is never a great thing. Perhaps it will contain professional functionality, but since it will be built to accommodate the common everyday user, it may not be software that a full time pro shooter would want to use in their business. I could be wrong.
If you’re a current Aperture user, it might be time to migrate to a new system. Adobe is no doubt happy with the news, and they say they’ll offer Aperture users an easy way to switch to Lightroom. Adobe recently made their Creative Cloud Photography program permanent at the $9.99/month price, but of course, not everyone is jumping for joy about the idea of paying Adobe ten bucks a month for the rest of their professional lives. Also, Lightroom doesn’t handle RAW files from the Fuji X cameras very well.
In a recent post, I listed 6 alternatives to the Adobe Creative Cloud Program. One of those choices is Capture One software by Phase one. Even though I’m a Lightroom user, I’ve been trying out Capture One Pro 7 during the past week and I’m finding that it excels in the image quality department and has full support for the Fuji X-Trans sensor.
Since both Capture One Pro and Express are on sale for half price right now ($149 and $49 respectively, through July 5) it might be worth trying the free demo of the software. Even a few days playing around with it may give you enough information to decide whether it’s worth buying at the discounted price.
Despite the constant improvements and updates to Photoshop CC and the fact that Adobe just made their $9.99/mo LR + PS Photography Program permanent, the whole Creative Cloud plan still leaves a bad tastes in some people’s mouths, including me. While I’m a longtime Adobe user, I’m not overly excited about their new business model. The software is good, but I think they should offer a few more pricing options, as not everyone has the same needs or budget.
The new plan looks like it’s here to stay, though. If you just can’t stomach yet another monthly fee in your life and aren’t gushing with excitement about Adobe Creative Cloud, rest assured; you do have a few options for your photo editing. Here are some viable alternatives to Photoshop and Lightroom.
1. Capture One Pro 7
Capture One Pro 7 by Phase One is a professional grade solution for all your photo editing and archiving needs. An alternative to Lightroom, and to some extent, Photoshop, Capture One is the choice of a large number of pro photographers around the world and it offers complete organizing/catalog features, exceptional image quality and RAW conversions, powerful adjustment tools and a full array of export and printing options.
Capture One Pro 7 lets you shoot tethered, it has a customizable interface and mobile solutions with its companion app Capture Pilot, which works with both iPhone and iPad. In addition to previewing and starring images, you can even control your camera wirelessly through your iPad.
I’ve been very tempted to try Capture One and I’ve heard nothing but great reviews from people who use it. Honestly, the only reason I don’t is that I’m afraid I’ll like it. I’m just not ready to leave Adobe yet, but if they start going a direction I don’t like, I’d jump ship and go the Capture One Pro route in a heartbeat.
Right now, until the end of June, Capture One Pro 7 is half price, only $149. They also have an Express version that does most things the pro version does, minus tethered capture, Focus Mask, Skin Tone Enhancer and a few other things. You can demo either version for 30 days.
2. Standalone Lightroom/Aperture
At this point, you can still buy Adobe Lightroom and Apple Aperture as standalone versions. For many people these programs offers everything you need in your photography workflow, all the way from import to export. I use Lightroom every single day, but I don’t use Photoshop every single day. For most things, LR does the job. So would Aperture.
If you go with he Lightroom/Aperture standalone route but need a little more power in your (occasional) photo editing outside of Lightroom, you could try using one of these options programs below. They’re not quite as powerful as Photoshop, but then again, most photographer’s don’t even scratch the surface when it comes to the depths of power that Adobe packs into the full version of Photoshop CC.
3. Pixelmator
Pixelmator is a beautifully designed full-feature image editing program for the Mac. It has a gorgeous, straightforward user interface, great performance, especially with the newer Macs, and has a full selection of editing options, including layers, blending modes, text tools, layer masks, cool vintage effects, repair, move/selection tools, 16-bit processing, clone stamp, red eye removal, and color adjustments that give you three levels of control.
Started by two brothers, Pixelmator won an Apple Design Award for it’s strikingly simple, yet powerful user experience and innovative features. If you’re a Mac person, you might really like working with this app. Best part, it’s only $29. You can also demo it for 30 days and see if you like it.
Note that Pixelmator has a few limitations that make it not quite ideal for all out professional use. For example, it only works in sRGB mode, so you can’t open or export images with AdobeRGB or CMYK profiles. However, for general photo editing on images that you’ll post to the web or print at home, Pixelmator is an affordable, simple solution that will get the job done in a fun way.
4. Gimp
Gimp (GNU Image Manipulation Program) is a powerful and free program that does a variety of photo retouching tasks. It works on Mac, Windows and Linux. I’ve never used Gimp, but from the documentation, it look pretty powerful, as it lets you work with curves, channels, layers, multiple undo/redo, text layers, transform and more. It’s also compatible with just about every single file format.
Gimp is not nearly as pretty and fun to use as Pixelmator, but my impression is that it’s more souped up under the hood with regards to the tasks that professionals need. In addition, Gimp has its own registry of downloadable plug-ins that increase its capabilities. If you’re more of a Linux and Windows user, or just aren’t into the whole Mac thing, you might find Gimp a little more appealing. Plus it’s free.
5. Iridient Developer
Iridient Developer is an RAW conversion program for Mac OS X written by a guy named Brian. That’s right. One guy. However, his program is very much worth looking at, especially if you use any of the Fuji X cameras like the X-T1 or X-E2. Whereas Lightroom does an amazing job with traditional Bayer-patter sensors, it still has slight trouble with the non-Bayer design of the Fuji X-Trans sensor.
Iridient Developer supports a wide variety of cameras and RAW file formats although it lacks the exciting user interface of LR and Pixlemator, it does have a full array of powerful tools, and it does a fantastic job converting and exporting RAW images.
I’ve tried the program out very briefly, and with my limited experience, ID does seem to produce slightly sharper conversions with my Fuji X-T1 RAW files. Keep in mind that both LR and ID have a number of sharpening options, and I haven’t spent too much time with ID, I can’t really offer an expert opinion on this matter. However, on first impressions, Fuji photos converted with ID definitely seem to hold more detail.
Try it out for yourself and see what you think. The demo version is fully functional, it just imparts a watermark on exported images. The full version is only $75 and from what I hear, Brian offers excellent customer support.
6. Photoshop Elements
Photoshop Elements 12 is the stripped down version of Photoshop CC that does most things that the average user needs with their photography software. It has three modes, depending on how fast you want to be or how comfortable you are with the adjustments: Quick, Guided and Expert.
Quick is single click mode with simple options that gives you immediate results. Guided mode walks you through the steps needed to make most major adjustments. Expert mode lets you take control and fine tune your adjustments if you know what you’re doing.
PS Elements also has file management and organizational tools that are very similar to the way iPhoto works. If you already use LR, you obviously don’t need this feature, you could just use Elements as a standalone editor. That said, it’s my guess that the processing tools in Lightroom are as powerful (if not more) as anything you’re going to find in Elements. Think of Elements not as a companion to LR, but as an alternative to LR for beginners who haven’t yet moved up to LR.
My advice, though, is that if you’re serious about photography and you’re thinking that Elements might be an option, you might as well get the standalone version of Lightroom. It’s more powerful, it costs the same as Elements and it will give you much better catalog and archive options for your image library.
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