RSX STUDIOS is Rudy Ximenez Photography: March 2014

It has been a while since I last posted. Business has picked up quite a bit. I had been using the Fujifilm XM-1 mirrorless camera quite a bit for my editorial work with the local magazine, Georgetown View. The more I used it, the better I understood how the jpeg files behave when it comes to editing. I also have the Nikon D800, and editing is a little bit different for achieving the looks I like. In the meantime, the lenses for the X-series camera have slowly filled the camera bag. I had been anticipating the release of the new XT-1 since the rumors hit the Internet. I had put a deposit after it was officially announced and it arrived a couple of weeks earlier than predicted. Oh JOY!

I was not crazy about electronic viewfinders, but, the XT-1 was supposed to set the benchmark. It is impressive. I really liked the flip screen of the XM-1, a feature carried over to the XT-1. In addition the the XT-1 has all the features of the new XE-2. (I also own the Fujifilm X20 and it is delightful to use).

So the features are all there, and the control knobs are all there, just the right size, it melts in my hand, and the D800 pretty much sits on the the shelf. Until I shot a wedding. So the XM-1, backup camera turned into the main camera during the wedding. I deduced that I was ready for prime-time for wedding shoots with the X-series. The next wedding proved to be a challenge for the XT-1 as well as any other X-series camera in terms of focusing-tracking as moving target moves towards or away from the camera. Fashion runway shows are particularly challenging in this regard. So that being said, the SLR will need to be the backup for these types of scenes.

I have 6 lenses now, 12mm Carl Zeiss, XF23mm, XF35, XF60, XF18-55, XF55-200. The optics are excellent in my observation. Some of them focus very slow in AF mode, especially low light. Here's were Focus Peaking in Manual Mode comes in really handy. Lately, I have found myself using Focus-Peaking even in bright sunlight scenes, I like it that much. I feel like I am dialing in the shot to create an amazing image. And that's what this XT-1 does well, create amazing images. Yes, JPEG, even with the XM-1 and X20, and D800, JPeg, but, jpeg FINE. The Dynamic Range is something to behold during editing. Pushing and Pulling go much further than I ever expected. Bravo Fujifilm !