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

[Montie]

BW looks great.  Last point well taken, set it up for anticipated conditions,
then, just go shoot.

Montie
 
From: chris williams <zoeica at mac.com> [Add to Address Book] 
To: Leica Users Group <lug at leica-users.org> 
Subject: [Leica] IMG: Nola Wedding with a Leica & Fuji XT1
Date: Feb 3, 2015 4:17 PM
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 Puerto 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