New Marina South in Singapore

Since the Marina Coastal Expressway was opened last year, there is a new photo opportunity near the mouth of the exit towards city direction. This place is walking distance from the Marina South Pier MRT station. I had a chance to shoot the area with Fuji XE2 and Zeiss 12mm.

The Classic One Hundred (X100)

I had a few months of encounter with the original X series of Fujifilm in 2011. I was then attracted by it's good looks which I described it as a modern camera dressed in a grandpa suit.  Most of the initial images were shared here http://www.pbase.com/jkhw73/x100. However after reviewing the images, I was very impressed by the output and low light performance in terms of high ISO.

It was and is still a niche camera. The 3rd generation X100T has many improvements but remains faithful to it's original roots- A fixed- lens with great manual direct controls, sharp and unique image output thru the fix lens 23mm . The fixed lens is a true asset built-in. As I already has a XE-2 with 3 lenses, I always wants either a 27mmf2.8 or a 23mmf1.4 to go as a "restricted" one lens one camera shoot to polish my vision and think before shoot style.

I sold it in early 2012 to get back to a interchangeable lens system. I went to the mirrorless m43 and then to the fullframe DSLR Nikon.  Until my DSLR was dead due to an accident in Gold coasthttp://orislight.blogspot.sg/2013/12/end-of-d600-of-fujifilm-xe-1.html

As the used price of the X100 went down  in SGP after people are busy upgrading to X100T and selling the X100s or X100, I decided to get back the X100. It is around the price of the 27mmf2.8 but with an body attached.:-)

The X100 images are special and it is really hard to put it in words:-)

First Sunrise shots of 2015

Its the start of the year and the weather is gloomy or rainy due to the monsoon season. However during the last Saturday morning, we were greeted by a good sunrise. All shot by Fuji Xe2 with Zeiss 12mm.
Happy New Year!

55-200mm XF Fuji going to the zoo

This lens is still one of my favorite lenses in the Fuji X system. It is light and sharp. The background separation is decent for a relatively cheap zoom. Mounted on the Fuji XE2, it is a light weight and portable setup.Here are some of the shots I took with the setup. Lighting was bad but the Fuji combo pull it off quite well.

Classic Chrome on Fuji XE2

With the latest firmware update from FujiFilm , my Fuji XE2 camera has some new features which are available on the latest fuji camera like the XT1 Chrome, X100T and X30.

Although the 3 main updates are great , I felt the most helpful is the new film simulation Classic Chrome. The wireless shooting capability from handphone and the time-lapsed capability are good to have but I will not be using much.

Here are some of the example of the Classic Chrome film. It has a less saturated colour and a cool tone effect.

Updated in Feb 2016- More examples for Classic Chrome from Fuji XA-2.
As of now, the old XE-2 has a latest firmware update from FujiFilm and the camera now is very close in term of performance with the newer XT10. Well done Fuji!

XA2

XA2

XA2

XA2

Changi Shoot with Fuji Xe2

It has been a while since I have use my Zeiss 12mm and XF-55-200mm. I went out for a spin and capture some of the below shots. All shots are set to Velvia Film simulation. 

Yesterday, FujiFilm announced that the XE-2 will have a firmware upgrade in 18th Dec 2014. I am happy and excited as the new firmware will allow my XE-2 to have the new film Classic Chrome. Others new features like the remote trigger by handphone and timelapse function are added too. It was featured in the latest X cameras like the XT-1 (silver) and X30. Fujifilm has once again show the world they are a company that take cares of the customers and allows the older cameras to have new feature. Well Done!

DIY (do-it-yourself) camera bag for mirrorless system

After the liberation from the weight and big size of DSLR systems, I am always on a look-out for suitable bags for my mini interchangeable camera systems. I have bought various Domke bags (f803, f6 anf F5b) and Lowepro (passport sling II). They are not cheap and at times I find they are too spacious for a mirrorless system especially if I am going for a single lens set up. No point having so many bags too.

My current and most expensive (but best of quality) is the Billingham Hadley Pro. No doubt , it is a great bag. But it is still too big for my system if I am not packing to my maximum. The Hadley Pro can hold Ipad or Imac, 2 mirrorless bodies and probably 3-5 mirroless lenses. If I am to pack for a serious photography trip, this will be the bag I will use.

However, for simple trip or outings, I need a smaller bag. I also do not want to spent much after getting the Billingham.

So I started a DIY bag. I went to the army market in Singapore's beach road to get a small recce sling bag that cost SGD$8. I search the web and found a $20 camera inner sleeve bag. With that I have a small camera bag that can protect my gear reasonably.

Cheap vs Billingham Pro

inner Camera sleeve bag bought from Qo10

Add caption