Having a good time with the Fuji X100s

What a great few weeks it has been! Since I received the Fuji X100s I have been shooting with it almost exclusively. From my first morning coffee to my bedtime tea, the camera has been my constant companion and witness to my daily routine. This in itself is a privilege I have given no other camera I have ever owned (except the X100).

I subscribe to the notion that you never know what you may stumble upon when wandering around with a camera in your hand. Moments and moods, so elusive, all wait to be seized. But this endeavour is only possible if a camera is always by your side – not necessarily with a clear purpose – but always close by if needed. It must become an extension of your visual and emotional senses because what sets in motion an image-making process usually arrives uninvited.  

The best example of this visualization effort, unexpected and unplanned, is the first B&W image. Last week when leaving an underground parking lot, a magical ray of light coming from the entrance caught my attention. I parked the car, grabbed the camera and started going through my usual visualization effort. I knew something was missing. I passed the camera to Kasia and walked toward the entrance. As I stood there, Kasia, with her usual finesse and simplicity, captured the image below.

The next image revealed itself equally unexpectedly as I walked into a familiar room and the morning light painted a nearly illusory atmosphere.

 

The next four images were taken during our recent road trip as we were passing by a small community called Bridesville, a tiny place with a special atmosphere – an unsettling stillness mixed with the anticipation of something that’s going to happen.

On our way back, while visiting one of the Okanagan wineries.

     

 

I know that the majority of you work in colour so here you are.

 Velvia – straight from the camera 

Some of you enjoyed “miniature” samples presented in my “There’s a better way” review. While I usually prefer more traditional photographs, some of you may like to entertain your senses with in-camera creations.

 

Dynamic tone filter – straight from the camera

 

There is plenty of discussion on the Internet about the quality of X-Trans sensor RAW files. There’s no question that some RAW processing programs do better than others and sometimes the files require a little different treatment than usual but in general the quality is superb (more about this in the next posts). We made a few 20 x 30 prints from the Fuji X-Pro1 (the same X-Trans sensor as X100s) and they look simply stunning.

Finally, I would like to thank you all for your feedback and kind words following my review of the Fuji X100s. I was surprised how many people could relate to the story because they had had a similar experience.

We appreciate everyone who took time to comment and/or leave your feedback. In our next blog entry, Kasia and I are going to share more images and thoughts about the Fuji X100s. We also have great imagery taken with the Fuji X-Pro1 and XF 14mm F2.8 lens. Stay tuned and focused.

 

© Olaf & Kasia Sztaba. All rights reserved.