In Paris With The X-Pro1 - by Andrew Hall
This time of year I make my annual pilgrimage Le Mans in France to photograph the Le Mans 24 hour sportscar race. I usually spend a few days in Paris on the way to Le Mans as a way of adjusting to the time zone and to take advantage of the photographic opportunities Paris provides.
For my motorsport photography my camera bag is crammed with Canon digital SLR bodies and lenses but I am a big fan of the X series range of FUJIFILM cameras. (Not just because I work for FUJIFILM!)
Last year I photographed Paris using the retro styled fixed lens FUJIFILM X100, this year I had the new X-Pro1 at my disposal with an 18mm, 35mm and 60mm lenses.
Without a doubt the FUJIFILM X-Pro1 is the most versatile camera I have ever used. I had used the camera for about 2 months prior to my trip and I was very excited by the high ISO capability of the camera and the sharpness of the Fujinon lenses.
The new sensor technology provided me with amazingly sharp images in all shooting conditions and I couldn’t wait to get to Paris as I had a few ideas for images that I thought would take advantage of the technological advances in the X-Pro1.
As a photographer, to be able to walk into any environment and have the confidence that the camera in your hand is capable of capturing a superb image regardless of the lighting conditions is very empowering. That’s the feeling you get from the X-Pro1.
Eiffel Tower from Arc de Triomphe ISO 3200 60mm F 2.4 @ 1/60sec
After just one day shooting in Paris the X-Pro1 exceeded all my expectations. The sharpness of the images and the flexibility provided to me by the high ISO capability meant that no image was out of reach.
Arc de Triomphe stairs - ISO 4000 18MM F 5.6 @ 0.5sec
I photographed from the Arc de Triomphe at night at ISO’s up to 3200 and inside La Madeleine and Notre Dame Cathedrals using 4000-6400 ISO. Every time I looked at the image on the back of the camera I shook my head in amazement of just how sharp the images were and there was very minimal noise at extreme ISO’s. I'VE been photographing for over 25 years including many years with film, to be able to use such high ISO’s is a testament to the advances in technology particularly with the X-Pro 1.
Candles at La Madeleine - ISO 3200 60mm F 2.4 @ 1/200sec
The X-Pro1 is so simple to use. The menus are easy to navigate and you have a range of film simulation and bracketing modes at your disposal. I used the manual exposure mode and shot RAW + Jpeg files. The Jpegs were shot using the one of the black and white simulation modes and I was then able to use the RAW file in colour if so desired.
La Madeleine - ISO 4000 18mm F 2.2 @ 1/60sec
The 3 lenses all got a workout! The 18mm (27mm equivalent) was the most useful inside some of the monuments and buildings but the 35mm (50mm equivalent) with its F1.4 maximum aperture was simply brilliant. The 60mm macro (90mm equivalent) proved useful for detail shots particularly on the doors of Notre Dame cathedral. The 60mm also proved spectacular as a medium telephoto lens. All the lenses were incredibly sharp across the F-stop range and had a lovely precise feel on the 1/3 stop aperture ring.
Macaroons at Laduree - ISO 320 18mm F 2.0 @ 1/100
My passion for photography is obvious and the X-Pro1 has enabled me to indulge that passion in ways I could have never done before and I’m excited about the photographic possibilities that await me with an X-Pro1 in my hand.
Louvre at dusk - ISO 500 18mm F 2.0 @ 1/6sec
Have you taken your FUJIFILM X-Pro1 somewhere special? We'd love to see some of your images...feel free to post a link in the comments below.
Thanks :)
Guest Post written by Andrew Hall Applications Training Manager at Fujifilm Australia
"The opinions, facts and claims reflected in this blog entry are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of FUJIFILM Australia."