Fujibashing

I’ve been following the Fujifilm X10 Orb issue for a while now, and what it’s really all about is becoming clearer by the moment.

Vello and the X10

The Vello 52mm snap-on petal lens hood is an excellent alternative that works perfectly on the Fujifilm X10.

Redscaling the X10

White balance works a little differently on the Fujifilm X10 than it does on the D90. Once you set it, you can push it further with the WB Shift.

If you set the D90 to 10,000K then start playing around with the WB Trim, it can drop down below 10,000K. On the X10, any adjustment you make seems to be in addition to the overall setting, which makes for some interesting possibilities. Like Redscaling simulation.

Set the Kelvin WB to 10,000K, then set the WB shift to +9 (red) and -9 (yellow). (the WB is still indicated as 10,000K) then, set the film simulation to Velvia, and bring the color saturation all the way up. You can also play around with sharpness and contrast.

In-Camera Redscale Effect with the Fujifilm X10

The results are some interesting redscale simulations, better than I can get with the D90 using an orange filter. Unlike using a filter alone, more color separation information is captured, making for a more faithful redscale effect. you get nice greens, and the reds pop from the oranges. The highlights turn to a bright greenish yellow just as with film.

The really cool thing is you can set this all up in one of the two custom presets, so you can switch over anytime. Minor post-processing gets you very close to the effect you get with film.

Just another cool thing about the X10.

Life with the Fujifilm X10

The more I use this camera, the more I learn about the amazing things it can do. None the least of which is fooling passers by into thinking it’s a Leica.

For a while, I thought bracketing may not be part of its feature set. But I found it, hidden in plain sight, under the drive button where it logically belongs. With this button, the top selection on the multi-selector/sub-command dial, you can choose from single or multiple frames (with frame rate selection), best shot selector, or AE, ISO, film simulation and dynamic range bracketing. Wow!

Each mode has its own settings. So if you want to shoot Aperture Priority at low ISO, and Shutter Priority at high ISO, and Program Mode with auto white balance, you can set them each up that way.

Then there’s the C1 and C2 custom user settings. Say that you want to set one up for infrared with a custom white balance. You can do that. Or the other one with a custom white balance for redscale. You can do that too, because each custom white balance you set up can be saved under a different mode, includind C1 and C2. And they’re right there on the mode dial, no menus to dig through.

They’re best used to choose from amongst the extensive RAW processing options. That’s right, I can use the camera itself to process its own RAW files adjusting their exposure, white balance, WB trim, film simulation, dynamic range, color saturation, hue, highlight contrast, shadow contrast, sharpening and noise reduction. It gives new meaning to shooting RAW, especially with the “RAW on Demand” button, which is sheer genius. Wish my Nikon D90 had that.

This camera has so much to offer, and it’s truly a pleasure to use. Even the leather case is easy to live with.

First Impressions: Fujifilm X10

The Fujifilm X10; The Digital Rangefinder has Arrived.

The packaging was not exactly the velour-lined variety you’d find in a Leica, but it was still definitely upscale (and environmentally friendly) nonetheless. The camera comes in a bag with a foil factory seal that cannot be removed and replaced without visible evidence. I bit utilitarian, but it was exciting to unpack nonetheless.

Introducing the Fujifilm X10

Fujifilm X10; For Rangefinder Lovers.

Well, this is not quite what I had in mind, but it’s a start. A wonderful start.