Canon G7 missing some screws

Picked up an older Canon G7 with some scuffs and missing a couple of screws for under a hundred bucks a while back. On the outside it doesn't look like much but inside it works just fine. The who-ha about the G7 was it didn't have a flip out screen or save in RAW format any more. The Canon G series had both in it's prior history. But the G7 started a run of semi-pro point and shoots that were legendary. The 9, 10, 11, 12 and now the 15. I've had most of those at one time or another (all gone by now) but I still have the 7, which lacks saleable cred. The University of Arkansas in Fayetteville is my city, so to speak. It's a place I occupy and document what I see. Some call it voyerism others call it street shooting. There is a history of such shots documenting the photographer's environment. Eudora Welty in 1930s New York comes to mind. She was an artist and I am a hack. So here are some pumped up hack shots I took one dreary winter's day with a Canon G7 missing a couple of screws.

from the David Bailin exhibit

from the David Bailin exhibit

Sony A850 Sunset shots

Fujifilm X100

Soon Fuji will introduce the X100s. It'll have an upgraded sensor, similar to the X Pro-1 and XE-1. It'll be faster, farther, better, etc. etc. The X100 is being sold used for around 700 and will likely go down. If you want a good camera and can deal with having used, get one. Great sensor, great high iso performance, 35mm f2 excellent lens with creamy bokeh, rangefinder form factor and hybrid optical/electronic finder. Some of these are out of camera jpegs, others hdr processed, etc. The images are easy to work with. This is a legendary camera at really decent prices. If you can find one you can afford, I think you'll love it.

 

Canon EOS M demonstration jpegs

Nice day. Took the quite small EOS M out with me to visit campus today. I worked there prior to retirement and go back now and again. Took quite a few shots. These are a few that show dynamic range, flare (cheap filter, what can I say), color and low light capability. A couple of these shots I've done with other cameras and I was impressed with the EOS M's ability to handle a variety of situations with the 22mm f2 pancake lens. It's a great, small, walk around combo. The screen is hard to see in bright sunlight but I expected that to be the case. I do like the touch screen and did use it to focus here and there. The camera is not lightening quick to focus but for rangefinder type situations where you aren't tracking a sporting event it works. I wouldn't want to be tracking a sporting event with it, however but that's not what it's designed to do. I tried to shoot wide open all the time. It's just my philosophy that if you have a fast lens, crank it open and shoot it that way. The first shot is blurred (wide open inside with a 1/30 - 1/60 shutter speed) for that reason. Que sera.

This is a really good representation of the scene captured by the EOS.

This is always a challenging shot in the darkened auditorium. I think the EOS did well here.

The cheap UV filter used to protect the lens and obviate the need for the cap adds to the flare.

 I do turn the color up just a touch in my user defined 1 color scheme so the jpegs are reflective of my own personal color taste, which is a tad more saturated than plain vanilla. The next to last shot is two side by sides merged in PS. It is reflective of the room which had it's curtains drawn on one side to block the outside light and had the wall lit. The dark side had a video presentation, which you can see on the screen on the left. The final shot credits the current UARK fine arts presentation.

These were all directly out of the camera with no post processing save the one merged shot. I do think shooting raw and processing a bit would produce better photos for printing, etc. but the Canon engine is quite good enough for these sample shots.

Fuji f1.4 35mm XF lens

The f1.4 35mm Fuji XF lens on either the X Pro-1 or the XE-1 is a brilliant lens. The following few shots were taken with it. I like mounting M lenses on the Fuji X cameras and that's what I've been doing for a few weeks while I waited to obtain an XF lens. Because the lens is matched to the sensor so well and well because the lens is a terrific lens, it provides amazing output. Over the next few days and weeks I will be using the lens on both cameras to see just how well in does in various situations. And compared to the Leica Summicron, CV 40 Nokton, etc., I like the native lens the best, which is to be expected.

 

Fuji XE-1 w/ XF35mm f1.4

Just got the smaller Fuji XE-1. On the rangefinder forums most people (and Sean Reid) like the X Pro-1 the best. Better build quality. Optical viewfinder choice. I haven't had either very long but I must say I prefer the smaller camera at first blush. It fits my hand nicely, is a bit smaller and lighter and the newer firmware that improved the focus of the XP1 makes the XE1 seem quite quick.

I also haven't had a true Fuji XF lens until now. I've been using an adapter and M mount lenses. They work fine and the output is good but of course it's all manual by increasing the size of the image and focusing by sight. Pressing the camera's horizontal selection dial will automatically bring up the magnified viewing image to use to focus by sight. No focus peaking provided (electronic highlighting of the in focus area), you just watch and best guess at true in focus area you want.

Early reviews said the XP1 was slow to focus. After the XE1 and firmware updates, the camera is much better and I think quite fast enough for what it is.

The 35mm f1.4 was recommended to me (virtually) by many users of the XP1. I don't have any other lenses to compare but I really like the 53mm crop factor lens and in fact the XE1 w/ the XF lens is a sweet combo.

Here's a couple of shots I put together to simulate using a Leica M from 1953. The in focus areas are too sharp to be film but the OOF rings fairly true.

 So where's the out of camera? The 2nd shot I framed in my mind as almost a medium format shot. I went vertical and shot three side by side and pasted them together.

 The 53mm effective range lens isn't real good for landscapes but I'm showing this to point out you can put together a few shots to give yourself more coverage. I did try to back up and re-frame it but further away didn't give me the shot I wanted even though it would take in more real estate. The above shot is (3) jpegs out of camera blended together by Photoshop.

I also wanted to shoot wide open in normal daylight to see if 1/4000 is quick enough and pretty much, it is. The X100 only shot up to 1/1000 (leaf shutter) and had a built in ND filter. The XP1 and XE1 both has focal plane shutters which go up to 1/4000. Pretty smooth. A real ND filter would give you more choices, of course but the camera is fast enough to use a fast lens without one, most of the time.

RIP Leica X1

Hated to see it go. Needed the cash to continue to look at the Fuji X Pro 1 and the EX-1 system. For a brief time I'll have both Fuji cameras (now that the X1 is sold and shipped). One of them will then have to go but for now the X1 was sacrificed to make financial room for the newer, more versatile camera(s). I think I liked the pictures the X1 took over the X100 Fuji, when I was comparing the two last year but I liked the photographic experience of the X100 more. They were close in any case. The proof is in who stays and who goes and for now the X1 is gone. Here she was the day before I shipped it off:

The lens attachment allowed for the mounting of a filter and removed the necessity of playing (losing?) with a lens cap. The finder is an Olympus which was a fraction of the price of the Leica and did the same thing. The Luigi case came with the camera when I bought it used and was a pleasure to use. Made holding the camera a much better experience.

 And when not in use, it protected the screen. I also had a glass screen protector over it. Here are some shots from the camera. They were jpegs that I post processed a bit. OOC shots are quite good but can be adjusted to suit. The camera's lens is razor sharp. The sensor is rumored to be the same as in the Nikon D300. Supposedly Nikon buys their sensors from Sony. In any case the lens/sensor combination with the great manual Leica controls make for a very pleasant shooting experience.

In the final analysis, I went with the Fuji X Pro / XE's more adaptable lens mounting system and faster lenses. The first lens I'm trying is the 35mm f1.4. Smells like Summilux at a fraction of the cost. I can also mount M mount lenses on it with the M mount adapter. The fact is the used XP1 I have only has the M mount adapter, for now. Until this week, when I sold the X1, I didn't have the funds to try out the Fuji XF lens with the camera. so the X1 was sacrificed. Soon I'll have the 35mm to try.

Wouldn't surprise me if one day I didn't get another used X1. It is a pretty amazing camera.