Once again I find myself apologising for my lack of content and absence.

Things have been hectic and exciting and photographic life tends to carry me along like an endless wave.

 

Much time has been spent teaching (designing and writing a new university taught course) both Fashion Photography (to an International class of students) and an advanced class.

 

I have also been immersed in some long running projects, but more on that later.

 

As my previous post shows, I welcomed the Fuji X100s into the arsenal awhile back. Still going strong and still a constant companion.

It has created rather a stir however, for now it has a stable mate of an X-Pro 1 with flurry of lenses.

 

I adore the files from the Fuji X cameras but wanted more flexibility with focal range, welcome the X-Pro ! And what a camera it is!!!

 

This is not going to be a review per se, the net is littered with such writings, but more a why for me.

 

Both the X100s and X-Pro 1 are small cameras with amazing sensors (superb high iso) and very user friendly manual controls. Of course their form factor harkens back to days of old (a good thing in my book as I remember those days fondly) and their size/weight makes them effortless to carry for extended periods.

 

My Nikon D800 spends most of it’s time hibernating now and I look upon it as a “specialist” camera.

My X-Pro 1 has become my true workhorse!

 

Curiously, as I have no issues with the X100s, I found I was not in love with the X-Pro 1 without it’s (optional) grip. I have large hands with long fingers and the grip makes it much more of a pleasant and ergonomic experience (I do not use a “thumbs up”) as I use the camera with my Elinchrom lights also.

 

So, what makes these Fuji camera’s so special to ME?

Ergonomically I enjoy using them (something oft overlooked yet vital when working a lot).

The files they produce are nothing short of spectacular!

Their file sizes are just right (not the massive files of the D800).

They are small and discrete and people notice me less (if at all) and when do they are not worried as the body covers very little of my face and is thus not as intimidating.

They weigh little and I can carry them all day with no fatigue at all.

And, most importantly to me, their size, weight and functionality means I carry them everywhere! This makes photography a joy and also means I can take images I would have missed. Walking around with a dSLR is too much like work, it’s big and heavy and puts you into a mindset of work. This is not always a bad thing but who wants to “work” every single day? The Fuji’s don’t have this feel, they accompany me like a well trained terrier, ready to pounce at any moment but well heeled and unobtrusive the rest of the time.

Simply put, they are an absolute joy which has brought the fun factor back to photography for me, which is HUGE!

 

 

Below are a few images (I would NOT have taken where it not for the Fuji’s being with me).

The ocean ones were in fact very quick captures (could’nt help myself) whilst I was teaching an all day Fashion Editorial class on location this weekend.

 

The B&W is of my long suffering buddy Murphy and was taken with a Minolta Rokkor lens attached to the X-Pro1 (another wonderful possibility, using old glass on the camera, which now has amazing manual focus attributes).

 

And lastly a couple of images from a new project I have been working on (finishing soon) and will be revealed in coming weeks. This project would have been sooooo much harder without the Fuji’s. Their size, quality and iso capabilities made walking the streets for hours at unsociable times of the night an effortless task indeed.

 

So has Fuji taken over my photographic life? I think it’s well on it’s way to be honest :-)