Dreams of a Leica!

I am sure that there are very few Street Photographers in the world who would not want to be shooting with a Leica! In the world of photography and especially Street Photography, Leica is a brand of camera that very high on most people's lists of dream cameras. As a collector of vintage cameras I would love to add a vintage Leica film camera to my collection.

If you know your cameras, then you will always recognise a Leica when you see it. Pretty much every Leica camera share a similar look. Rounded edges, all metal construction, similar dials and controls are all Leica "trademarks". The reviewers who have used various Leica's say you can look at a photo and always tell that it was taken on a Leica, they just have a look to their images, their colours, the amount of "noise" to their images also add to the "Leica look".

As great and iconic as Leica cameras are their is one major downside to their cameras that keeps them out of the hands of the average photographers.....they are greatly over priced. Even the most basic camera is around two thousand dollars. The most expensive of their cameras can run you close to ten thousand dollars. These price tags put the best of the Leica brands out of the reach of most photographers. Even the older, used film cameras sell for thousands of dollars.

So I will probably never own a Leica, however there are two Leica cameras that I wish other companies would take inspiration from. They are the Leica M Monochrom (type 246) and the Leica M-D (type 262).

The Leica M Monochrom is a very interesting and appealing camera, especially for those who like black and white photography....why? Because the camera's sensor only processes pictures in monochrome (B&W). As a Street Photographer who shoots mostly in black and white this is very appealing. The pictures even show up on the live view screen in black and white. Only thing that thing I don't like about the camera is the optical viewfinder. I would much rather it had an electronic viewfinder that shows the scene only in black and white. I think the optical viewfinder which shows the scene in color would take away from the appeal of shooting only in black and white. This camera, like all Leica is very over priced at almost eight thousand dollars (U.S. price).

The other Leica that really catches my interest is th the Leica M-D (type 262). The reason this camera is intriguing is that there is no back screen to set the camera settings. There are dials for Aperture and Shutter control and a dial on the back of the camera to set ISO and a wheel for exposure compensation and that is it. There is no buttons for white balance, focal points, no flash (but there is a hotshoe). It has a rangefinder style optical viewfinder. It appears to be the camera that is the closest there is in a digital camera to shooting film. There is no way to check you images until you upload them onto your computer. The camera doesn't even have wifi so you can't upload them onto your phone. The camera also only shoots in RAW format, making you edit them into JPEG format before you can upload your pictures. It is a very intriguing camera indeed. However, again like all top Leica's it is way over priced at six thousand (U.S. price).



I would live to see another manufacturer, like Fujifilm or Sony, take inspiration from these two cameras and make their own versions, at a much cheaper price. I especially would like another company to make a B&W only camera that the average person could afford. I would like to see a B&W version of the X100T or X30 from Fujifilm or a version of the Sony A6300. Now all of these already shoot B&W but I would like to see what they can do with a sensor dedicated to monochrome only.

So until either someone gets inspired by Leica and makes something similar to the Leica M Monochrom or the Leica M-D....or I win a lottery....my Leica Dreams are just that, dreams.

A Street is a Street!

Some people feel or believe that you have to be a big city like New York or London if you love Street/Urban photography. Now while places like New York are certainly the mecca for Street photography, they are not the only places where you can make great pictures. I have shot Street/Urban photography in small towns, in small cities and in biggger cities. And some of my favourite shots have been taken in small towns and cities. While smaller communities may not have the diversity that big cities have, but they do have their charms. A lot smaller communities have unique "downtown" areas that while have a slower pace still have a lot of life to them. You may find things in these places that you won't find in other places.

This picture for example was taken in a small town north of Toronto called Alliston. It has a small main downtown area that mainly consists of a main street that stretches about five blocks and a a few side streets. This old advertising sign hangs on one of the side streets. I don't even think the building still holds a bar, but Schlitz beer signs still hangs proudly.

This next shot was taken very early one morning downtown Barrie. Barrie is a small city about an hour or so north of Toronto. It is a widely spread out city but it does have a great downtown core with a great main street and some great alleys. I just wish the rest of the city had kept the same charm that the downtown has, even though it has it's share of problems.

Another favourite place to do street photography is Saint John, New Brunswick. It is Canada's oldest city. It has such history and an amazing core of streets, shops and landmarks. While not as big as places like Toronto, it ranks 78 on the list of Canada's biggest municipalities based on population.(Barrie ranks 34th). What Saint John might lack in size it more than makes up for it in history. It is definately one of my favourite places to shoot. It has a very laid back feel to it. This shot was taken this past summer

So while places like New York, London and even Toronto will be the mecca's for Street/Urban photography, you can get great shots no matter where you live or are visiting. All you need is a good eye and an open mind. 

Fujifilm X30 vs Canon T5

I have had my Fujifilm X30 for about nine months now, and I have had my Canon T5 for a couple months. Which do I prefer? My answer might suprise you.

Both cameras are great cameras. Both take great photos. However if I was to name a favourite camera between the two I would have to say I prefer the X30. Why?

The number one reason is the viewfinder. I would rather have the electronic viewfinder of the X30 over the optical viewfinder of the Canon. I find the focal points on the Canon T5 had to see, especially in low light or against a dark background. Where as the focal points are much easier to see on the Fuji. And the Fuji has more focal points and more options as where the camera will focus. Also you can increase/decrease the size of the focal area with the X30. Another bonus is the overlay options that the Fuji offers, such as the "Rule of Thirds" overlay which is only available on the live view screen on the back of the Canon and not on the viewfinder.

Another thing that I prefer on the X30 is the menu systems on the camera. I find the menu's on the X30 easier to understand and navigate. The Canon is a little more confusing and seems to more limited. The "Quick" menu on the X30 makes it so much easier to make adjustments. And the customization on the X30's buttons is a lot better than with the Canon.

I also prefer the dials on the X30 over the Canon. I like to be able to make adjustments to exposure on the X30 quickly with the compensation dial over trying to find it in the menus on the Canon. This is something that would make the Canon T5 much more comfortable to use and shoot with. The other dials and controls on the X30 makes it a much easier and enjoyable camera to use. The Fuji also offers more customization of the function buttons as well.

Other things I prefer on the X30 include the tilt screen, film emulations and in camera special effects and filters. They are much more advanced and easier to access on the X30.

The Canon T5 has its advantages as well, including price, availability of accessories, better low light performance, bigger sensor/more megapixels. It is a better camera for portraits and landscapes.

For the majority of the types of shooting that I do I would rather use the FujiFilm X30 over the Canon T5. All this considered I do plan on upgrading to a better Canon DSLR over a FujiFilm mirrorless system. This is mostly based on price of the camera and availability and price of the lens and accessories. Canon cameras are more compatible with "third party" accessories than the Fuji cameras are. If I could afford to buy a more advanced Fuji mirrorless system such as the XPro2, I would. But I can get two good Canon's for the price of one good Fuji camera. I am not talking about "Pro" grade DSLR's but rather the Hobbyist or Enthusiast grade of cameras such as the T6I/S or the 70D (or 60D or 80D).

MORE ON THE X30...AN AMAZING TRAVEL AND STREET PHOTOGRAPHY CAMERA!

I got to use the Fujifilm X30 extensively on our recent trip to Saint John, New Brunswick. Saint John is Canada's oldest city. I used the X30 for everything from Street Photography, to Macro Photography and just basic photography. I was impressed with the camera before our trip, I came back in love with the little camera.

When I was shopping for a small I wanted a camera that was compact that I could take every and any where. I have been a Fuji fan for years and wanted to stick with their cameras. I had looked at the X100T, which is by all accounts a fantastic camera, but the price tag was too much. I "settled" for the X30, with it's smaller sensor.

However after using it for the last few months I can definately say I didn't "settle" for anything. The X30 might have a smaller sensor but it is still a great and versatile compact camera. I enjoy having the freedom that the manual zoom lens offers. I am not sure if I could have gotten some of the shots that I got with the X100T's fixed 35mm equivalent lens (on a full frame 35mm camera). The 28-112mm equivalent lens on the X30 offeres a little freedom when it came to setting up my shots. I could go very wide at the 28mm end or get a little closer at the 112mm end.

For Street Photography the compact camera is great. It might not be as compact as the X110T, but it is still small enough to be discrete and not draw attention as you try and get candid shots, such as this picture I took of an angry looking woman standing infront of the Fireman Museum on Canada Day. She must have assumed that I was taking a picture of the museum, which is exactlty what I wanted her to think. 

I also used the X30 around our campsite. The compactness of the camera made it perfect for basic photography, such as this photo of a cute little visitor we had at our site.

I doubt I would have gotten this shot with a bigger camera, it was close enough that I probably could have reached out and petted it. I think a bigger camera (DSLR) might have scared it away. The small X30 was perfect for this shot. 

I also tried the X30 for some "macro" photography and it worked perfectly in that task as well. The shorter lens and smaller body allowed me to get super close with out interferring with insects and such. 

I even managed to use it for some wildlife photography, such as this photo of this cormorant sunning itself on a rock in the middle of lake. I would have preferred to had a longer zoom, but by using the 2X digital assist with the zoom I still managed to get what I feel is "useable" shot. 

I really enjoy using the X30! I remember watching an episode of "All About the Gear" on This Week in Photography's YouTube page where they were reviewing the X30 and one of the reviewers kept referring to camera as a "Fun" camera to use. It very much a fun camera to use, but it is much more than that. It is a very versatile camera and what it lacks in sensor size it makes up for with it's ease of use and all the features the camera has. There so many extra settings that the camera has that I haven't tried to use yet, primarily shoot in aperature priority, but I will eventually try them all. 

I have only shot in JPEG so far, I haven't used Raw before. But the quality of the JPEG's are amazing. All the photos included in this post are unedited (with the exception of adding my watermark on them) and as they came out of the camera. The colors in my opinion are amazing.

If anyone asked me about what "advanced" compact camera they should buy, I would of course tell them it is personal preferrance, but I would recommend that they try out the Fujifilm X30. It is my mind a great little but advanced camera. It easy enough to use but at the same time offers a lot of special features and modes. The picture quality is amazing, especially the JPEG's and I am sure anyone would be more than happy with the quality they get from the X30. 

DOORS OF SAINT JOHN, NB

I gave myself a photo project while vacationing in Saint John, New Brunswick. I was inspired by a photographer/artist who was selling prints of the colorful doors in the city. Saint John is a typical Maritime city with many colorful buildings, but especially with its doors. Saint John is Canada's oldest city and has some fantastic older architecture. Some buildings are over two hundred years old. So I spent a lot time wondering the streets in the older area of the city looking for interesting doors and buildings. Some buildings have faired better than others, typical for any old city I guess.

 

This was a great little project, it gave me another reason to explore the city and experience it's charms. I had a lot of people stop and ask me what I was doing, and some were very helpful, directing me to certain streets and buildings.

Saint John is a beautiful city and I highly recommend it for anyone interested in Street, Travel, and Architectural Photography! You wouldn't be dissappointed, but be prepared for some foggy/rainy days. If you do go, do yourself a favor and explore some of the older streets away from the usual tourism areas, you will not regret it.

All pictures taken with Fujifilm's X30 and are property of Richard Belfry Photography.

A QUICK UPDATE ON OUR VACATION AND THE FUJIFILM X30!!!

Just a quick update, we just returned from over a week plus vacation in New Brunswick, Canada. We were based in Saint John but we also did a lot of travelling within the province. The weather was typical Maritime weather, some sunny days but also a lot of overcast/rainy days. While on this trip I really put the Fujifilm X30 through it's paces (as well as using my Fujifilm HS25EXR). I committed myself to a photo project while there (inspired by a local photographer selling some prints in the amazing City Market(more on that later) in Saint John) of shooting the colorful doors that are famous in the city. I will be posting more blogs about Saint John and New Brunswick with pictures once I get the shots edited.

But all in all the X30 behaved beyond my expectations. For Street Photography it is an amazing camera. It is small and compact, easy to carry and easy to conceal (in those "sketchy" neighbourhoods that all cities have). The pictures I got with the camera were amazing!

I used the camera not only for Street Photography but also for general travel photography and was never let down. I will be posting follow up blog entries on our trip and the different type of photos I took with both the X30 and HS25EXR. It was a great trip!

We lost a legend!

The photography world, and especially the Fashion and Street Photography fields lost an icon yesterday. We lost Bill Cunningham do to complications from a stroke. He was 87 years old. For those who know who Bill Cunningham is, he was a mainstay in the New York photography world. He worked for the New York Times for decades as a photographer, mostly covering the fashion scene. He was also famous for riding and walking the streets of "Midtown" Manhattan looking and photographing any individuals who had a personal fashion style that he found interesting. It became an honour to photographed by him, and even more if he published those pictures in his Times column.

Mr Cunningham was the subject of a 2010 documentary called Bill Cunningham New York. This was how I discovered him, through that documentary. He quickly became a favourite photographer of mine. He will be missed by fans worldwide!

Dream locations!

As a Street Photographer there are certain places in the world that I would love to visit for the sole purpose of photography. These are famous locations as far as Street Photography goes.

A) New York City, USA!

This is probably every Street Photographers dream location to shoot in. I long wanted to go there, for more reasons than just photography. It has held my interest ever since I was kid watching shows like Hill Street Blues and other shows shot there. It is the "home" of so many of the great Street shooters for a reason. It is full of so many iconic buildings, bridges, the subways and of the diverse people that live there means that one could never get bored. If there is one place in the world that I could live in strictly from a photography angle it would be New York City!

B) London, England!

I would love to shoot in London strictly for the history that surrounds the city. London is an iconic place and would be another dream location to spend time as a Street Photographer. With the palaces, churches, the iconic streets and the "Underground", London would have a lot to offer.

C) San Francisco, USA!

San Francisco has so many locations that I would love to shoot. The iconic hills, the Golden Gate Bridge and of course Alcatraz Prison. I would love to visit there.

D) Rome, Italy!

Like London, Rome is so full of history that I would never get bored as a photographer. Some of the places that would be high on the list would be the Coliseum, the Vatican, the ancient streets, it seems like an amazing place.

E) Tokyo, Japan!

TheTokyo that I have seen in pictures is a mix of time periods. The city seems to be a mix of ancient and the new. With its modern tourism areas and the old temples and buildings it would be an interesting place to shoot.


I will probably never get to any of these places, but as a Street Photographer I can dream!

Photo Shoot Location Hunts!

One of the things I alway look for when I am out on my Street Photography walks, besides great subjects for Street Photos is possible locations for future model shoots. These could be just about anywhere, in an alley, a store, near a lake or pond, on an abandoned rail line or in an abandoned house/barn. Over the years I have found a few great locations and come up with some great ideas for future shoots. All I need now is a model to work with that will be a sort of "Muse" for my ideas. I do have the beginnings of studio which is portable, but location shoots are my main interest. I am intrigued by the idea of facing the challenges that location shoots offer, such as lighting etc. The pictures included are some examples of different locations that I have found that I think would make good locations for model shoots.

Alleys can make great locations for model shoots, if you can deal with the lighting challenges.

This is a local parking garage, I found the lighting here to be pretty unique. Unfortuantely I didn't have a model with me when I found this location.

A bridge on an abandoned rail line. I have actually used this bridge for an engagement shoot, the couple were the ones who first took to this location. It has a lot of potential but both the model and crew would have be very careful not to fall or get hurt. It is a long way down and there is a river below.

Locations like this stone wall offer a lot of different options for photos. I found this in a local park. You could have the model sit or kneel in front of it and use it as a backdrop, or you could have the model lean on it or sitting on top of it.


So next time you are out for a walk, with or without your camera, keep an eye out for locations that may lend themselves to future model shoots. You will be surprised just how many you will find.

Cellphone cameras and Instagram....Saviours or Destroyers of Photography?

There have been a lot of professional photographers out there that have stated that Instagram and cellphone cameras are the destroyer of traditional photography! I on the other hand think that in a lot of ways Instagram and cell phones have rekindled interest in photography in the general masses, to a level not seen since the Polaroid days. 

Back in the 70's I think photography had hit an all time interest level high, mostly because of the popularity of the Polaroid cameras. I can remember that everyone had one, and I can remember being at family parties and there being a few Polaroid's snapping away. My family still has photo albums full of fading Polaroids. 

Jump to now to modern times and cell phones and Instagram, we have a simular interest in general photography. In my opinion, the addition of cameras to todays cell phones and the ability to post pictures to sites such as Facebook and Instagram as soon as you take them has re-stirred an interest in general eveyday photography. 

Now in my opinion it has created upsides and some downsides to the fields of photography. On the upside end of things, one of the most interesting is an interest in "still life" photography. This is evident by how many "food pix" you see on Instagram. If some of these people would put that interest in using real cameras we could have new generation of product and still life photographers. The cellphone cameras have also led to an increase of interest in the field of street/urban photography. Almost eveyone has a camera with them now when thy see something interesting while walking down the street. A positive side benefit is that few people are intimidated by someone taking a picture with a cell phone allowing you to get the shots you would have a hard time getting on the streets with a DSLR. 

In my mind one thing that can be considered both a positive and a negative is the rise of the "selfies". As annoying as it can be, it can also lead to an increase interest in modelling and portrait photography. 

So in my opinion there are both positive and negative aspects to the rise of cell cameras and sites like Instagram. It will take time to see what this will all mean for the art of photography. 

PHOTOGRAPHY RESOURCES AND LEARNING MATERIAL

As I got more and more involved with photography I had to look for ways to learn the keys of being a good photographer. There are a few main methods I used to learn from. The main types can be broken down into two categories, physical and online.

The physical tools I use can be broken down into two types, books and magazines. I am huge fan of reading. There are some really good magazines out there that deal with photography. Some are dedicated to landscape and wildlife photography, some are aimed at portraits and still others focus on conceptual/ artistic photography. And still more don't limit themselves and cover a wide variety of styles. I don't really want to endorse any particular magazine, most are really good learning materials, it just depends on your interest and focus as a photographer. The one area of photography that I find lacks coverage, at least in magazines that are found in stores, is Street Photography. I wish there was a widely available magazine that covered Street/Urban photography, if there is I have not found it.

Another great physical learning aid that I have learned a lot from is of course books. There are some really great photographers out that who put out some great books. Unlike magazines I will endorse one author who I have enjoyed and learned alot from, and only because his books cover a wide variety of photography styles. That author is Tom Ang. I have at least four of his books and I have learned a lot from them. I recommend his books to anyone interested in photography.

Now on to Online learning aids and this list could get way too long and could be it's own blog entry at a latter date. There are so many ways to learn online. You can do online training courses, you use photo sharing sites to get constructive (and hopefully not "bitchy") feedback on your shots. You can join photography groups on "Social Media" sites. There are blogs (like this one) that cover a lot of different genres. There are many other ways to learn online. However there is one online option that I recommend to any and all photographers to take advantage of, and it's free to use, and that is YouTube.

I have learned so much from YouTube videos, and not just dealing with Photography. I have a long list of photography "channels" that I subscribe too. Some are Street based photography, some "focus" on portraits, others are gear review based and some cover just about everything. In my opinion there is no better resource to learn from than YouTube.

There are other ways you can learn about photography, you can join clubs, attend photowalks and learn from other members. You can attend college/university courses, attend workshops and seminars and many others ways to learn your craft. I haven't done any of these, partly because of geography, and partly because of money. I hope to do some these in the future though.

Fujifilm X30 Review Continues!

A quick update on the Fujifilm X30 compact camera.......

I have to say that the X30 has exceeded my expectations so far. I am loving this awesome little camera!

I haven't had much opportunity to get out do any more Street Photography with it, which was the intended reason why I bought it. I have however been able to use it to photograph my Step-Son's "Competitive Dodgeball Team" (yes there is such a thing as competitive dodgeball) with the camera. I have to say that using the camera, and cheating a little by using the sports scene mode, I didn't have any problem focusing or catching the action with only a little motion blur.

The lens is extremely sharp and clear. The manual zoom, while less than I am used to from the HS25EXR, is very smooth. The EVF (Electronic View Finder) is very nice and easy to read. The camera so far handles very nice and I will be hopefully putting it through its paces very soon. I will be posting more indepth reviews of the different functions as I discover and "play" with the camera.

Fujifilm HS25 EXR....more than a "Bridge Camera"!

I have mentioned in other posts that my main camera for the last few years has been the Fujifilm HS25EXR "Bridge" or "Superzoom" camera. When I first bought this camera I was looking for something with a longer zoom range for landscapes and such. I couldn't really afford to get into a DSLR at the time, especially with the price of the lenses.

At the time I was using a Fujifilm Finepix S2950 camera which had an impressive 18 times zoom, but I wanted more. I really like the Fuji camera so I decided to look at the newer Fuji cameras that had longer zooms. I settled on the HS25EXR, which has a zoom range of 24-720mm. 

I bought this camera just in time for our trip to Canada's east coast, and it was amazing camera for that trip. I managed to get some great photos, from street to landscape to wildlife photos. I was pleasently surpized by it's performance on that trip.

By watching YouTube videos (my main learning tool) I discovered a lot of things that the videos were describing for DSLR's I was able use and do with this camera. I have done portraits, weddings, engagements shoots, and other such shoots with this camera. It may have a smaller sensor than a DSLR, may not have as good low light performance and other such things. To me though it has been a great and versitle camera. 

I recently got the FujiFilm X30 camera, mostly for Street Photography, and now that I am getting really serious about portraits and other such shoots I will be looking to upgrade my camera. I will be looking at upgradeing to a FujiFilm X series mirrorless system camera, such as the XT1 or even a bit cheaper XT10. It will depend on how much I am able to spend.

 With the experience I have had with the S2950, the HS25EXR and now the X30 I have to say that I love Fuji cameras!. 

SETTING UP MY HOME STUDIO!

Even though my main interest in photography is in the genre of Street/Urban/Photojournalism, I still enjoy doing portraits. I have been working on setting up a small studio space. I have had a couple of backdrop rolls (one black and one blue) for a while now. I also have some makeshift and some pro lighting options.

Well this week I found someone that was selling a backdrop frame for $50.00. When I saw her add in a FaceBook buy/sell group I jumped on it and she was able to hold on to it for me till payday.

Then yesterday I was looking around Kijiji for backdrops and other stuff, I didn't find any backdrops but I did find someone selling a Master/Slave flash lighting kit for $80. I jumped on that one as well. It came with two flash heads, two stands and three photography umbrellas (two transluscent and one reflective).

So my little photography studio is starting to really take shape. As the weather gets warmer I will be spending time cleaning up my shed which is a nice size for a studio.

And the advantage to my gear, is that it is all pretty much portable and I can take just about anywhere to to do a shoot. Such as when my wife and I do our annual "Santa Claus" photos each year at the store she works at. Every year we have to try and "Magyver" an area for the shoot. This year with the backdrop frame and hopefully a Holiday backdrop by then our pictures will be even better.

So once I get things set up I will be available for shoots!

Being A Left Eyed Shooter

                  Me having to use my left eye to compose a shot with  my FujiFilm HS 25 EXR camera


Pretty much every camera that has a viewfinder, whether it is an optical or an electronic viewfinder (EVF) almost everyone of the them are designed for those people who can aim the camera with their Right Eye. They are designed that way so the shooter can still see the surroundings with their Left Eye and see if anything  or anyone is about to come into their shot. And because like your hands, the majority of people are Right Eyed dominate (according to Wikipedia 2/3 of the people are right eye dominate).

But there are some of us like myself who are Left Eye dominate. And this makes shooting with the viewfinder awkward. I was born slightly crossed eyed or lazy eyed, not sure which because there are no baby pictures of me to show it. Between my Mom not wanting any shots taken till they got my eyes straighten out (which was done by exercising my eyes to get them to straighten out, this was the 1960's before modern techniques were developed) and the because I spent the first year or so of my life in and out of hospital for other medical reasons. Anyway because of that I have become Left Eye dominate. Even when I used to hunt (I come from a family of hunters, but I quickly discovered that I would rather hunt with a camera than a gun) I had to aim with my Left Eye which was awkward since most guns, like cameras, are designed for Right Eyed shooters. I have a hard time even aiming or using a viewfinder if I have my Right Eye open. I can't even close my Left Eye and keep the Right one open, that is how Left Eye dominate I am!

So most cameras are designed that have viewfinders are meant to used with Right Eye. For example my FujiFilm X30 has its viewfinder over towards the left of the camera. This design when using the right eye would allow the shooter to still see out their Left Eye. Unfortunately for myself, I can't use my Right Eye to compose with any viewfinder so when I put the camera to my left eye, my Right Eye is completely covered. This really is unfortunate because it limits me when it comes to things like Street Photography because I can't continue to see the scene when I have the camera to my Left Eye. And I don't like using the screen to compose my shots, I tend to be too shakey to shoot that way.

I have tried to use my Right Eye on the viewfinder, but I have a hard time even finding the viewfinder with my Right Eye and when I do I have a really hard time trying to even see anything let alone focusing through the viewfinder.

Being a Left Eye dominate shooter in the photography world can be difficult and can take time to adjust too. I can kinda understand now how hard it must be for those people who are Left Handed in a world where almost everything is designed to used with the Right hand.

Sample pictures from the X30

Here are some of the first shots with the Fujifilm X30. I went out last Saturday morning, before sunrise, to Barrie to do some street shooting. I got into town in time for the "Blue Hour" (that hour before the sun has risen over the horizon but is still getting light out). I got a couple of great shots. I was shooting in Aperture mode with ISO set at 800.

I also wanted to test out the new Fujifilm film Simulation "Classic Chrome". Fuji has long been known for it's film simulations. Even my HS 25EXR which is about 4 years old has great simulations. Well now Fuji has created this "Classic Chrome" which is supposed to give the pictures a look and feel similar to the old "Kodachrome" film that was popular in the last century. Here are some example shots using this simulation.

All and all I am very impressed by this camera. It has a great size and weight to it that is perfect for Street/Urban Photography. It takes great pictures, even though it is only a 2/3 sensor and only 12 MP. But that 2/3 sensor is FujiFilm's amazing X TransTM CMOS II sensor, which takes amazing JPEG's that require little or no post processing. I am going to have a lot of fun with this little but awesome compact camera!!!!

New Camera.....Fujifilm X30!

I have been looking for a new camera, something that was better suited for Street Photography. I wanted a smaller camera, something that would be easier to carry all day long on the street. I wanted something that would still be recognized as a camera (something that a camera on a phone doesn't) but they wouldn't immediately identify as a "pro" camera. I was looking for something that people would see and know I am carrying a camera but one that wouldn't make people feel uncomfortable about it. I wanted a smaller camera, but not one that was so small that people would think I am trying to be all "sneaky" about taking their pictures.

I have been using the FujiFilm HS25EXR "Bridge/SuperZoom" camera for the last few years, it an amazing camera with a great manual zoom lens. I have gotten some really amazing landscape and wildlife shots with this camera. However I find it combersome and heavy when I am doing Street Photography. As an example, a year or so ago we were down in Toronto's Kensington Market neighbourhood, my wife had never been and her Son loves it down there. He loves some of the shops and stores, especially the vintage clothing stores. Well I had my HS25 and I felt it was too big going in and out of the shops. That is when I started researching cameras.

I have done a lot of research, both "print" reviews and video blogs on YouTube. I have been a FujiFilm guy for years, but I also researched cameras by other company's such as Sony, Canon, Leica and others. However I found myself drawn to two particular cameras......both by Fujifilm. I was drawn to the X30 and the X100T cameras. I really liked the X100T, with it's single focal length lens, it's "Hybrid Viewfinder" and other advanced features. However I didn't like the near $1400 price tag on the X100T. Based on the reviews I also was interested in the X30. I liked the manual zoom, the class leading EVF(for the size and price range), and the advanced film simulations and the new WiFi features. I eventually decided on the X30, which at the time of my purchase was on sale for $200 off.

So far I am liking the X30, I haven't done much shooting with it yet, but so far I am happy with the camera. I will post some shots in the near future once I get the chance to really get out and put the camera through it's paces.

Vintage Cameras-a hobby and a collection!

I love vintage cameras. I have a nice little collection of cameras. Some are SLR's, some are Polaroids, and some are Range Finders and some are older. They range from the 1910's up to the 80's and 90's. Some have great stories, some come from family, some from strangers. Here are some of my faves.

This is a Kodak Vest Pocket camera. This camera was very popular with soldiers in WW1 because of it's small size, especially when it is folded closed. I got this from a woman who answered a post I put out in a group on Facebook looking for vintage cameras. She said she had a bunch of cameras that used to belong to her Grandfather and Father. She said that her Grandfather was in fact in WW1, but she didn't know if he had this during the war. I like to this it was. The camera is in great shape, the hinges and bellows are in amazing shape for it's age.

This is an Kodak Six 20 Brownie Junior that was a Christmas present from my son Justin. It is an extra special camera to me because it was made in Canada in 1932 (as you can see from the inside label which in amazing shape). It has been along time since anything like this has been made in Canada.

My first "Range Finder" camera. It needs a little cleaning and needs new seals inside. I hope to get it fixed so I can try it and see what kind of pictures I can get with it.

This is a Falcon Miniature camera. I got this from a woman at work, it was part of a collection she gave me that belonged to her husband's brother. It is made of "Bakelite" and was made in 1939 by the Utility Manufacturing Company. I love how small it is, the medicine bottle was used in this photo to give scale for the size of the camera.


These are just a few of my favourite cameas in my collection. I may post more in another post in the future.