Street Shooting with the Fujifilm XPro-1

May 05, 2013

I was fortunate enough to spend a week in the Bahamas mid-April and took my Fuji XPro-1 and my full compliment of lenses, 18mm, 35mm and 60mm. The weather was beautiful, warm and sunny with blue skies and I found downtown Nassau to be a great spot to practice some street shooting. The tourists are preoccupied shopping, the locals are generally undistracted by someone with a camera and it is a opportunity rich environment.

The XPro-1 camera with either the 18mm or 35mm lens is small enough that I can easily actuate the shutter release button while maintaining either a vertical or horizontal singlehanded grip. I shot using the OVF with the camera at eye-level only a few times. I found that I could move easily through the crowds in Nassau and got my best images while shooting with the camera held about chin level and zone focused. There is an extremely helpful XPro-1 zone focusing 'how-to' here. If you're planning on shooting on the street and aren't sure how to zone focus, I highly recommend you read this article.

Spring Linen CurtainsFuji X-Pro 1 with 50mm 1.4 lens, ISO 200. — *Spring Linen Curtains*
Fuji X-Pro 1 with 50mm 1.4 lens, ISO 200.

Fuji X-Pro 1 Springtime Shooting

March 10, 2013

Slowly over time, I am beginning to find my shooting rhythm with the Fuji X-Pro 1. The Pro-1 is a series of camera and photographic contradictions that require me to re-think my relationship with this little rangefinder camera every time I use it. Size-wise it looks every bit the point-and-shoot. But Fuji's attention to detail, the precision and quality of the camera body and lenses give it away as capable of much, much more.

This is a camera that cannot be rushed, it's fussy controls, require close attention to operational details in order to make excellent pictures. In that regard, it is the anthesis of the point-and-shoot paradigm; rather, this is a little 'a' "art-camera," by which I am constantly surprised when it turns out big 'A' genuinely impressive Art-camera images.

The Pro-1 works best when I see quickly and work slowly; taking quick sketch photos that thanks to the Fuji raw files can turn into serious images when introduced to Photoshop. Any camera that makes me think this much about creativity, art and craft has already rewarded me.

Jeff Jackson

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Jun 24, 2013, 2:35 PM
Jeff Jackson

My pre-Bahamas breakfast. Fried oysters and a clover brewed cup of coffee!
Apr 6, 2013, 10:09 AM
Jeff Jackson

Great news, that I hope continues! Obama declares 5 new national monuments http://t.co/lXE9hXnEEx
Mar 28, 2013, 10:23 AM

My 2006 Honda Aero Shadow 750. No better way to get around town on a beautiful, early winter day.

Last Ride of the Season

November 12, 2012

It's almost Thanksgiving in the mid-Atlantic and today I donned a light wool t-shirt and my windbreaker and spent three hours cruising around northern Virginia on my motorcycle. This will probably be my last ride of the season, as I've made arrangements to store the Aero indoors beginning the first of December.

My motorcycling season began in early April this spring with a introductory class at NVCC. After my group passed the class, the instructors gave us two pieces of very good advice: first, buy a bike soon, you now have basic skills, if you don't use them, they'll deteriorate. Second, don't buy your dream bike first; buy something that's like your dream bike only older and cheaper.

South of San Francisco, along the Pacific Coast Highway

On the way home

October 29, 2012

Just one of many classic California Pacific Coast Highway photographs I took during my seven days between San Francisco and Big Sur.

The Fuji X-Pro 1 was a constant companion and except on one or two occasions, performed very well. My overall satisfaction with the camera is high. As many have said, it's not for everyone. I think it's a bit more 'fiddley' than it needs to be and the need for, as well as the placement of, some functional controls should be rethought.

Coming at the camera as one well schooled in analog and digital SLRs and with some experience with film rangefinder's, I think the camera tries to do to much. My main gripe are the controls; everywhere you put your fingers, there's a control you (mostly) need to avoid. I have smallish hands; I can only imagine what using this camera would be like for a ham-fisted sort.

There is no doubt that this is a fine, if idosyncratic camera. I used it to shoot landscapes and macrophotography primarily - tasks that the camera is not ideally suited for - and it preformed admirably. I'll continue to learn this camera - and make no mistake, there is a learning curve - and I'll continue to test it. My primary purpose in acquiring the X-Pro was as an environmental portrait camera and I think that it's rather small size and un-intimidating presence can fulfill that promise.

One of many, beautiful views from 17 Mile Road

On the Road to Big Sur

October 22, 2012

Highway One is spectacular. The road from Asilomar to Big Sur is 26 miles of stunning coast line and to-die-for real estate. I decided that if I won $40 million in the lottery tomorrow, the first thing I would do is shop ocean front for property between Carmel and Big Sur.

Seeing how I've never played the lottery, the odds of me winning seem pretty slim. That said, the ride today was beautiful enough to motivate me to play.