[Leica] IMG: Nola Wedding with a Leica & Fuji XT1

[zoeica at mac.com (chris williams)]

Ok so there are some Canon images in here as well :)

Apologies in advance for a sort of off topic post and also for using non 
full frame :)


Weapons of battle -

Fuji XT1 with battery grip
18-55/2.8 -4 OIS
56/1.2 APD version
50-140/2.8 OIS
Fuji flash with Cactus V triggers

Leica M9-P
21mm 2.8
Nikon flash with TTL cord

Most of these images are Fuji. The Leica on 82,83,85,87 and 90.

http://www.zoeicaimages.com/katieandgerry/


So the Fuji XT1 is not quite as fast with AF as Canon or Nikon with some 
lenses but what it lacks in speed it makes up for in less weight and a 
quieter if almost silent shutter sound. People will comment and say the 
camera didn't take the picture since they didn't hear it. Happened a few 
times. My body thanks me with more evenly weight distribution on my 
shoulders compared to my usual Leica on one side and heavy Nikon gear on the 
other. The Fuji 50-140/2.8 is the heaviest X lens but then again it's a fast 
telephoto zoom so I don't expect it to be super light. It's probably also 
Fuji's sharpest lens so far IMO. It's what made me get the XT1.

There are a few things to consider when taking the XT1 into "war" (thanks 
Tina and Ted) for an 8 hour wedding.

- The 56/1.2 sounds awesome for portraits but it is slow to auto focus so 
time has to be thought out for this. I'm assuming it's the freaking huge 
glass. I could switch to manual focus but who wants to MF a 85mm lens at a 
wedding? Yeah not me.
- Flash system. Fuji has been lacking in this though I'm sure something will 
come out later with more power or at least give me a synch socket on the 
flash! The current EF-42 is just not powerful enough for weddings. I can use 
Pocketwizards on it but when moving around I really need a flash on camera. 
I bought the Cactus V system to go along with Fuji's flash since my Nikon 
flashes have totally different contacts and will not work directly on a 
Fuji. It was fairly simple to use though it was not quite as reliable as my 
Pocketwizards and does make the XT1 a bit top heavy.
- Batteries. The XT1 is a battery vampire. I have 5 on me. I used 4 up in 8 
hours. My M9 probably uses 3 in that amount of time. But then my M9 does not 
have an EVF almost constantly on.
- The "kit" lens 18-55/2.8-4 is a pretty good lens. It's not the best around 
midzoom but at wide and 55 it's well worth getting this lens to have as a 
standard less. OIS is a plus in low light.
- The buttons are tiny. My big fingers sometimes get confused on the back of 
the camera and I have to get better at using the EVF to "control" the camera 
instead of hunting for buttons.
- Kind of what some do with the M9, underexposre at high ISO's seems to work 
better when processing images. The high is pretty good, but it won't do what 
a Nikon D4 will do.
- Make what settings work for you and save them in the camera. Easy to 
switch to another setting that way if needed. I learned this in Puert?o Rico 
while speeding by cyclists and trying to change menu options.


Guess that's it for now. Back to editing!



Chris Williams
www.zoeicaimages.net
504-231-6261