reviews

Fujifilm X100T Review and Sample Images / November 4, 2015 by Benjamin Traves

Fujifilm X100T

The Fujifilm X100T (aka "Fuji" X100T) is the culmination of three generations of improvements to the same essential camera concept. It is what I would call a "companion camera" as it has a certain sentimental pull combined with relatively light weight and ease of use. The APS-C sensor (same size as found in most DSLRs) is a bonus, as the real joy of this camera is the extremely well-designed control layout and incredibly useful (and I might add, revolutionary) viewfinder.

Buy this camera for the viewfinder. Not the sensor, it's great but not rare. The optical / electronic viewfinder is what makes the Fuji X100T different. It's easy to go a bit crazy reading specifications online for all the different cameras you may be considering as a future purchase. Don't do that with this camera, it won't really give you a proper idea of why it is so good.

The image quality has not changed since the last version, the X100S (or so I've gathered, although I did not own that camera). So don't worry about image quality, it's great. Image quality doesn't mean anything at all if you miss the capture of the image due to fumbling with controls on your camera. That won't happen with this Fuji.

The controls on the Fuji X100T are intuitive and tactile. The dials are especially nice. Autofocus is good. Image playback doesn't lag (at least not with the fast SD card I was using). Image quality is not the standout feature of this camera, in my opinion, because there are many APS-C sensor options out there and most are fairly good. The ability to use both optical and electronic viewfinders (both with information overlays which can be customized) is a very, VERY cool feature. Other than the Leica M, which has the option to add an EVF on the hot shoe in addition to the built-in optical rangefinder, I don't know of many cameras that could be said to have both an optical and an electronic viewfinder option.

Speaking of the Leica M, what has always intrigued me about the Fuji is that everyone likes to compare it to Leica cameras. I work with both Leica rangefinders and compacts on a regular basis at Leica Store Miami (they do not endorse/sponsor my posts here, this is a personal blog). The Fuji and the Leica are very different animals. I will explain.

1. The Leica M series are MANUAL FOCUS. You ought to see the look of surprise some customers give me when I explain this.

2. The Leica M series are optical rangefinder cameras, though they now have Live View and the option to add an EVF on top (Leica M and M-P)

3. The Leica M and a 35mm f/2 Summicron lens will cost you over $10,000 (plus tax) and the new Fuji X100T (with a lens) is $1,299

4. The Leica M is compatible with the full range of M lenses. The Fuji X100T does not have interchangeable lenses (not that the lens it comes with is bad, it's actually great, but you can't change it later on and that's an important consideration).

5. Lots of other reasons. Doesn't mean either camera is good or bad, but they are definitely different. Although I won't deny seeing a certain resemblance, don't forget the M cameras have been around for 60 years and the look of the camera has remained true to its origins ever since.

Fuji X100T perched on top of a Leica M (typ 240) with 35mm f/2 Summicron lens

Fuji versus Leica...

Sample images... more coming soon!

Sony A7R II Review and Sample Images / August 5, 2015 by Benjamin Traves

My review of the Sony A7R II is here! (Well, a rolling review which I will be constantly updating)

So, the elephant in the room, which every review will address: It has a 42 megapixel sensor. Yes, that is a ton of pixels. Last month I tested out Phase One's newest beast (the IQ3 digital back with the new XF camera body) which has 80 megapixels. And of course Canon now has over 50 megapixels with the 5Ds/R so it's really not that crazy for Sony to go with 42 for their flagship shooter.

I am curious to see how this new A7R II compares with the Sony A7 II and Sony RX1 as well as my Canon 5D Mk III. A friend of mine has a ton of Sony gear so I should be able to test it with a wide variety of lenses to really see which ones are best for it. Honestly, there isn't much similar to this camera in terms of a fair comparison because it's just so unusual. No mirror, full frame, interchangeable lenses (and adapters for almost any other brand of lens you might want to put on it), plus it's weather sealed so you can go outside and play. Oh, and by the way, it shoots 4K video and can record it internally, unlike the A7S.

The 42 megapixel sensor is certainly interesting, though really not a huge difference in terms of image size from the previous generation of 36 megapixel sensors. I think the real key difference will be in dynamic range and low-light performance. That, and the ability to crop with an APS-C factor, which still leaves you with a very usable 18 megapixels.

** OK, so probably the most interesting thing about the new Sony A7R II that I've noticed so far is that, unlike with most other cameras, this one seems to have files that look much better on the computer than they did on the camera LCD screen. Usually, when you go out and take some pictures, you look at them on the camera and they seem great, then maybe just ok once you put them on the computer. Not so with this new Sony. It reminds me of the medium format Hasselblad and Phase One cameras I've used in the past, because on those the picture is barely even worth looking at on the rear LCD (which is why most pros shoot tethered to a laptop when using medium format digital backs like those) but once you see them on the computer the images are mind-blowing and incredibly detailed with outstanding colors and quality.

I will be working on this review and posting more text soon, but in the mean time you can check out some quick sample images below:

Pretty impressed with the little Sony/Zeiss 55mm f/1.8 and I'm looking forward to testing the new Zeiss Batis lenses soon. I'm a long-time Canon L user and the bokeh from the 50mm f/1.2 L glass is a bit smoother, although this Sony/Zeiss lens is far sharper wide open.

The colors from this sensor are phenomenal, with no adjustments needed.

I also tested the APS-C crop mode, which gives you the look of a longer lens (although it is not the same optically). Still, if you are using a fixed focal length and you don't have anything else with you (like me when I happened to see this peacock wandering around) it's nice to make the 55mm into an effective 82.5mm lens with the APS-C mode (multiply your focal length by 1.5x to figure out the conversion, i.e. a 35mm lens becomes a 52.5mm and so on).

Crop of the photo above this one. This was a "Normal" quality JPEG (I didn't remember to switch to RAW+JPEG until right after this, sadly)

And another quick crop test, this one was taken by my friend with his Sony 70-200mm f/4 (through a window, from his apartment on the 15th floor) while we were testing out the gear:

See the rectangle? That's approximately a 100% crop...

And here's the cropped image. I did not make an effort to recover the highlights. The boat is only over exposed due to the darkness of the water around it, which is most of the original image. Anyway, if this is your boat, be sure to say hi in the c… — And here's the cropped image. I did not make an effort to recover the highlights. The boat is only over exposed due to the darkness of the water around it, which is most of the original image. Anyway, if this is your boat, be sure to say hi in the comments :)

Now, for a high-ISO test... this next one is ISO 4000 at f/4.5 and 1/250th

Another shot at ISO 4000 (and keep in mind I set Noise Reduction to Low in camera and also sharpened this to +50 in Lightroom) — Another shot at ISO 4000 (and keep in mind I set Noise Reduction to Low in camera and also sharpened this to *+50* in Lightroom)

This one was shot with the relatively new Sony/Zeiss 35mm f/1.4 mounted on the Sony A7R II

The capabilities of this camera are truly astounding. I'm looking forward to doing much more shooting in the next few days, and of course I will be posting more images as well as my thoughts and impressions of this beast.

More images coming soon!

Also testing out the 4K video...

Apple Watch Review and Photos / April 25, 2015 by Benjamin Traves

The Apple Watches have arrived. Full review coming soon, but for now enjoy the first photos I took. This is the 38mm Sport version of the Apple Watch. Be sure to check back soon for more!

* Thank you Leica Store Miami for the cameras I used to take all of these photos and video clips.

This is a rolling review, meaning I will be adding my thoughts and updating all the time. I've had my watch for about a week now and what I find most interesting is that it feels like I've always had it, meaning it is so intuitive and seamlessly blends with my daily life that it doesn't feel at all out of place. I know it's new, but it's also very familiar and I really feel like I've worn it for years. I'll go into the technical details later, but for now I think my first impressions are more useful to anyone considering the Apple Watch.

More words soon, but for now, enjoy the photos!

Here's a slideshow with some of my first images of the brand new Apple Watch Sport:

Below is a 4K video clip which I shot on the Leica D-LUX (typ 109) - I will have a more complete video review in Ultra High Definition (4K) coming very soon, so be sure to follow my YouTube channel (or Vimeo) and stay in the loop!

Be sure to set the resolution to the highest possible before watching the video:

Leica M Monochrom with flash / April 12, 2015 by Benjamin Traves

Behind the scenes at a fashion show - Leica M Monochrom and flash

I wanted to test out the Monochrom with flash so I rigged up a sync cable to the Leica SF-58 along with a bracket I already owned from a previous camera system. Worked quite well although I was in fully manual mode, no TTL due to the sync cord being from a different manufacturer. Skin tones take on a silver look, similar to the old days of black and white film. I really enjoyed using this combo.

Look at the hands of all the models. They are just about to go out on the runway so they are at their most nervous.

Jawbone UP 24 Fitness Tracker - Review / March 29, 2015 by Benjamin Traves

The Jawbone UP24 is an interesting fitness tracker which lacks many typical features of wearables, such as a screen or display of any kind, yet somehow remains extremely useful and functional even without such features.

Instead of relying on a screen, notifications are delivered to the user via vibration. This is a concept similar to that of a cellular phone set to "vibrate" instead of ring. The vibrations can mean several different things depending on the programming you choose, but these alerts can initially be a strange sensation for the wearer.

The two best features of this fitness band, at least in my opinion, are the sleep tracking and the food logging. I plan to buy an Apple Watch when it comes out (along with a few million other people) and that will have various fitness tracking capabilities which will undoubtedly integrate seamlessly with my iPhone 6 Plus. So, why did I buy the Jawbone UP24? Because I think it offers a feature set which will not be made redundant the upcoming Apple Watch, perhaps most important of these being sleep tracking, which the watch may not do since it must be recharged nightly (assuming you wore it all day). Battery life is one area where the UP24 excels. It is not an exaggeration in my recent use of the UP24 to say that the battery lasts over a week, easily, and at one point the app indicated approximately 10 days of battery life were expected. Update: Just recharged it again, and it estimated 14 days remaining. I would still say 10 at the very least, based on my experience over the course of more than a month (wearing it all day and at night, seven days a week).

The Jawbone app is essential to the function of the UP24, especially since there is no screen on the device. That being said, I'd much rather look at a huge, nice iPhone display than an 8-bit readout that looks like it's from a vintage digital watch. The main screen you will see (left) indicates your sleep (purple) and steps (orange) by percentage of your "daily goal" and also a total count. Below those two indicators, you will see tips on how to improve your lifestyle / health and eating habits. Most of them are actually quite useful and interesting. Behind the main screen is the one seen here on the right, which indicates the various custom settings and parameters you choose for the fitness band to alert or remind you of various things. Alarms, inactivity warning or "Idle Alert," even reminders to eat can be set here. Overall a fairly useful pair of screens to control the Jawbone UP24.

Almost everything was good about my experience with this fitness tracker. What bothers me about it? Annoying alarm functions: If I am asleep, why does it wake me up and then tell me to go to sleep? Not really in the category of "cons," it's really more of just a "quirk" or minor complaint. But a couple of times, when I went to bed earlier than the preset time I selected in the app, the UP24 would vibrate (when I was already asleep, and had put it in sleep mode) to remind me that it was "time for bed." Thanks wristband, but I already told you I was going to sleep by pressing the button for sleep mode.

Overall, this is a great fitness tracker and I will keep it even with the Apple Watch coming out soon. I really like the corresponding app for the Jawbone UP24 and I think it makes a more complete package that way, even without a display on the actual band.

Thanks for reading this review, and I hope it helped you decide one way or the other regarding the Jawbone UP24 fitness band. If you have questions, feel free to leave a comment in the section below. I will have more reviews coming soon, so feel free to subscribe via email on the right side of this page (I will not email more than once every two weeks with updates) and be sure to check back soon for more!

Below is a link to the one I bought on Amazon, and I do get a very small percentage if you buy your UP24 or anything else on Amazon via this link (which I greatly appreciate, and all the money will go toward Amazon credit to buy more equipment for review in the future)

The links are for the Medium size, in red (which I have) and black or "Onyx" as they call it. If you have a relatively small or large wrist size, I would suggest searching for the other options, but measure your wrist and check each product description just to be sure of a good fit.

UP 24 by Jawbone - Bluetooth Enabled - Medium - Retail Packaging - Red

UP 24 by Jawbone - Bluetooth Enabled - Medium - Bulk Packaging - Onyx