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Thursday, 24 October 2024

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Even in Fuji land, things never seem to slow down. Since the X-T50, we now have the diminutive X-M5 with no viewfinder but sporting the 40 Mpixel sensor from the bigger siblings. Looks like a fine place to put a film-simulation dial.

$23k for the Leica and another $23k for a years worth of slide film and processing. See, the camera isn’t that expensive after all!

Maybe that dial would help me because I do forget about film simulations, or at least that I can change them easily. There seems to be a limit to how many picture variables I can consistently keep in mind on the fly. Add ISO to the classic pre-digital controls and that's pretty much it. Especially processing variables like NR, DR, filters, etc. tend to get set for the session and forgotten (as if I'm using film, now that I think of it).

On-camera flash is a godsend for people shots on sunny days, especially when the sun is high and harsh.

I've probably used Fujifilm digital cameras as much as any other, but I've never owned one--they were all rented or on loan. Might be a good time to change that as there seems to be a rich used inventory. I'm sure it'll only take me a year and a half dozen or so rentals to choose one.

[

Made me laugh! --Mike]

Don't care much about the new Fuji, seems like its aimed at video shooters and bloggers, plus no eye level finder, so it a non-starter. Fuji has however got my attention by updating their flagship normal zoom, the 16-55mm f/2.8. The first edition won praise for its optical output, but its size and weight was way too much for an APS-C format. DP Review has a very nice sample gallery from the new lens and with the smaller, lighter package and supposedly better performance, I might have to buy one.

[

The X-T50 certainly does have an eye-level finder. You're probably thinking of the also-new X-M5. And thanks for your thoughts on the new kit zoom. Just being better than the old one means it's probably very good. --Mike]

Amaz.. is not an authorized Leica dealer, but B&H is. That said, I have no information on this.

171? For goodness sake unsubscribe to all (or at least 95%) of them right now!

That iphone story reminded me of another, about the crash in the high end art market.

https://news.artnet.com/market/art-market-reset-riding-the-waves-of-change-2533656

Fascinating article. Many factors cited, including sanctions on Russian oligarchs. But these quotes from an "art addict" jumped out at me: “The world is so precarious right now that one wants to focus on what’s really important. To accumulate art for the sake of accumulating art is just so five years ago.” and “We are being much more selective,” Lari said. “It’s less about the buying and more about the experience. We don’t want to be hoarders anymore.”

I don't know whether to laugh or cry.

Youtube economics escape me.

9.2 million views / 1000 x $0.02 ~ $0.12 = between $184 ~ $1104.

I don't get how that recoups the cost of the purchase or the drop in value from the great un-boxing?

Clearly I am missing something or have an error in my maths.

[More likely an error in MY maths. I actually don't know how much YouTube videos make. I deleted that bit from the post. --Mike]

That YouTuber is a smart fella. Great reviews of tech and cars. Even his stunt with the iPhone was fun to watch. Check out his other videos. Marques Brownlee.

Personal safety when using your Leica in public?

Aren't you making yourself a significant target for theft and/or a beating, if you wear a Rolex (or nicer watch) and display a Leica?

I'm assuming something so easily sold 2nd hand for so much money must be like honey to a criminally minded bear.

[I always found that people tended to ignore Leicas, although it's been a while since I've owned one. On the other hand, it tended to make me nervous to be carrying that much money around on a strap. Only because I'm not the most careful person in the world, and I've lost just enough cameras over the years that I have not infrequent anxiety dreams about it.... --Mike]

Fujifilm would like everyone to use their proper name. This is because hundreds of companies use Fuji in their name.

Fujifilm. OK?

I never paid much attention to how much money "youtube influencers" can make, and am still a bit astonished that they do at all. But if you need over 9 million views to make $1104, it's not exactly easy money. They must have to spit out several videos per week, every week.

I wonder how many failed influencers there are out there, you know, people with only 1 or maybe 3 million views. They probably have to get second jobs to make ends meet.

business savvy is what I called it. Recently, in my country, somebody bought a popular old 2 stroke bike (production started in 1985), non registered, still spanking new for $140,000. Pretty much everybody is howling what a dumbass to buy something costing probably 5% of that value.

Well, she (the buyer) held a lucky draw for that bike for anybody who buys her packaged coffee and made reportedly a million dollars from that. Dumbass indeed.

Now I wonder what a Mac Cube, complete with the big cinema display monitor, all still functional, is worth.

You-tubers. Sheesh. This is apparently a new way to make a living that I don't care to know about. I'm also irked that people call themselves "creatives." We'll be the judge of that, thank you.

I hear that Leica is having big discounts for the 70th anniversary.
Sorry for this sad joke.
I held an m-leica only once. it was a film m6 I think.
It was very uncomfortable to hold. Very heavy and slippery. I was quite scared of what would happen if it falls on my foot.
Ahh, I guess i’m just jealous that I will never have one.

Handy film simulation guide for the Fujifilm X-T50:

Starting with the "V" and going counter-clockwise (aka "anti-clockwise") on the dial (as seen here: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1827214-REG/fujifilm_16828686_x_t50_mirrorless_camera_with.html )

Vista Plus, Superia, Cibachrome, Royal Gold, Negrachrome, Neopan, Agfacolor

(I tried to get as many obsolete names as I could, with some (lots) of help from wikipedia.)

Note: Only works with the charcoal gray. :>)

A whole dial for film presets? I just do this in Lightroom (if I'm feeling inclined). Won't work if you are shooting jpegs of course. I'd rather stick with the ISO dial

[Probably aimed at people who don't use Lightroom and might not delve too deeply into the menus. Nothing wrong with that necessarily; it's a decision. But I'd rather have the ISO dial too. Still looks like a neat little camera, with high horsepower where it counts, in the pixel count, IBIS, and the processor. --Mike]

Fear of losing cameras? That’s what insurance is for. I wouldn’t be without it , considering Leica gear, etc. In the US, options are greater than elsewhere, and relatively inexpensive. Mine covers replacement value under virtually all circumstances, including my own stupidity.

"Clearly, though, I should have stopped writing blog posts and started making YouTube videos when everyone else did."

I don't know if you are being sarcastic, but I think this is true. You may have made enough money 12 years ago (at photography's height) not to have to worry about money ever again, and it would have been easier to transition a bit to keep up with the times. You would have been great. But I kind of like the way you did it. I am a reader more than a watcher.

[I'm afraid I'm like the silent movie star with the high, squeaky voice who couldn't make the transition to the talkies. I'm just not a talker/presenter/personality. I'm a writer. To quote my favorite sailor-man from when I was four, I yam what I yam and that's all what I yam. Hyuck-yuck-yuck-yuck-yuck. --Mike]

One way to get the Leica M book for free...

https://site.picter.com/70-years-of-leica-m

Unboxing videos is the tame end of internet videos. I first heard about it from the youngsters at work. Then it was mukbang.

I looked at a couple, and at that point, I gave up. I’m still with you in terms of “to each, their own”, so long as it is consensual and not harming others against their will. I won’t ridicule or demean others for something I don’t understand. But if it’s anything like that, I just don’t want to know what else is out there - ignorance is bliss.

[Mukbang to me is some sort of mysterious psychological illness, like hoarding, alien hand syndrome, or Capgras syndrome. I don't pretend to understand it, but IMO it's on that level of weird. Seems likely there will be a psychiatric diagnosis for it sooner rather than later. --Mike]

I have a X-T5 and a X-T30 II. When I heard rumors about the X-T50, I was ready to get it to replace the X-T30 but I changed my mind when I saw the specs and the price. It's $500 more than X-T30 and only $300 less than X-T5, which makes it seem more like a new tier model rather than an update of the X-T30. Its only significant improvements over the X-T30 are subject recognition AF, IBIS, 40mp sensor (which might not be considered an improvement for some), and a more powerful processor. I don't think those are worth the $500 price difference.

It still has the small, low-resolution EVF from the X-T30, battery, and single card slot. And the film simulation dial was an odd choice. It seems like something that belongs on a much more entry-level or niche model. Even then it seems like waste of space where an ISO dial could've been because it's not programmable. Even if you like film simulations and like the idea of having a dedicated dial for it, there's a good chance that the simulations you like/want are not on that dial.

If this were priced about $250 higher than the X-T30 or had more specs similar to the X-T5 (such as the higher-res EVF, larger-capacity battery, ISO dial, etc. but no weather sealing, slower continuous shooting, one card slot), it would've been worth consideration. At its current price, I don't know if it'd appeal to anyone who's thinking of replacing or adding to their current Fuji gear or is considering buying a Fuji camera for the first time.

If the new "Leica M" book celebrates 70 years of M photography, that must mean that I've had my "50 Years of Leica M" book for 20 years. Goodness me - where did they go?

Re my comment about applying the film simulation presets in Lghtroom - I meant the Fuji simulation presets which are avaiable in Lightroom as a one-click option if your are using Fuji RAW files (or DNG). Not fiddling around with your own adjustments

Agreed, Edward Taylor, I find videos on equipment boring because it takes them 5 minutes to explain things that a written review you could learn in a few seconds. Written reviews seem more considered too, more information, less "look at me" fluff!

Depending on the flash, the Fuji X100VI can synchronize up to 1/4000 despite the documentation saying 1/2000.
The Vivitar 285 for example works well.
Some other flashes no more than 1/1000.
It turns out that my radio triggers are too slow for the higher speeds which is a disappointment.
Anyway, it’s pretty wonderful.

Regarding Old computing devices aren't generally collectible,..., you are sure missing out on a whole different rabbit hole at YouTube. There are a lot of people making a living on buying, showing, building, repairing and playing around with old computers and software. From old 'minicomputers' the size of refrigerators to Commodore 64's and Apple II's and up to 486's and even early Pentiums.

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