My Rangefinder Experience

Fuji X-Pro1, 35mm F 1.4 lens. 1/440 second exposure, F 5.6, ISO 400.

The Old Fashion Way: Ever since I added two Fuji X-Pro 1 camera bodies to my collection I wondered what it would be like to shoot an assignment carrying two bodies and two of the three lenses that accompanied the camera on its debut. I carried only two Fujinon lenses: the F 2.0 18mm and the 35mm F 1.4 prime lenses, and left the third lens, a Fujinon 56mm 1.2 lens at home. So equipped, I had essentially duplicated the standard photojournalist's kit consisting of two Leica M bodies. and a 35mm moderate wide angle and an 80mm moderate telephoto lens. In addition to the basics, I carried an X-E1 with my new 9mm F 2.8 Viltrox, just to get some additional time "behind the wheel" of this new lens. Since my visit to the Greek Festival wasn't a SMDJ sanctioned assignment, I wasn't under any pressure to produce a remarkable image, so I could use my time any way I wanted. 

The Zen Of The Viewfinder: When the X-Pro1 was introduced, its hybrid viewfinder promised a Leica-like shooting experience. For those unfamiliar with traditional rangefinder cameras, the camera is "aimed" by looking through a small optically-enhanced window located in the upper left hand corner of the camera body when it is pointed at the subject. This is an advantage for a right handed shooter with a right master eye. When the camera is brought up to the right eye, the camera sits to the side of the face, allowing the photographer to look directly at the subject with his/her left eye. If you're trying to establish rapport with your subject, this allows you to make a more personal connection.

Image Source: Click here.

Let's examine the optical viewfinder in action. For the X-Pro1 user, the viewfinder is basically a window aligned coaxially with the lens axis. The viewfinder also adds frame lines that match the field of view of the attached lens. In the case of the X-Pro, the correct frame lines are matched to the lens automatically when used with Fujinon lenses.In use it is easy to look beyond the edges of the frame lines when you're trying to anticipate activity beyond the edge of the frame.

While the system works best with prime prime (non -zoom) lenses. I did try my 10-24 zoom lens on my X-Pro in the optical viewfinder mode, and it did create frame lines for focal lengths as wide as18mm.

Since this was a "working assignment" without the pressure, I had lots of time to think about  the current innovations unavailable to the X-Pro1 when it was introduced. These aren't gripes, just observations made whenever I missed a current feature I have come to take for granted.

• Diopter (Eyepiece) Correction: One feature that was missing in the X-Pro1 was a diopter correction for the viewfinder. Depending on your age and your eyesight, this could potentially become a problem because your subject and the viewfinder information (exposure, aperture, ISO, etc.) are not projected onto the same image plane. I referenced a post from Dante Stella that offers a correction to the problem. I must add that diopter eyepiece correction was added to the X-Pro2, which solved those problems to some extent. Starting with the X-Pro 2, diopter correction became available.

• Image Preview: Since there is no diopter correction for the eyepiece, previewing an image through the viewfinder can be troublesome. For this reason, I've decided to include a Hoodman Hoodloupe in my dedicated X-Pro1 camera bag to shield the LCD from daylight glare when I chimp.

• Viewfinder Parallax (Corrected Autofocus Frame): Placing the optical viewfinder in the corner of the camera body is both a blessing and a curse. Its position allows the user to look through the camera with their right eye while providing the left eye an unobstructed of the surroundings (blessing). The down side of the location is the introduction of parallax, the discrepancy between what you see through the little window and what the film sees through the camera lens (curse). Depending on the shooting distance, the disparity can lead to imprecise framing of the image at the corners. The Fuji provides a menu option called Focus Check that, when turned on and when the camera is in the viewfinder mode, will display a small green frame to tell the shooter the TRUE position of the AF frame. It takes some practice to get used to it, but becomes a valuable tool when working at shorter subject to camera distances.

• Fixed LCD Panel: When the X-T series first came out, it had an LCD panel that could be tipped up for a low level perspective, or tipped down for an over the head "Hail Mary" shooting position. The X-Pro 1 has its LCD panel fixed to the back, so if I needed a high or low shooting position I was pretty much pointing the camera in the general direction of my subject unless I lay down on the ground or found something to stand on. A rotating LCD is a convenience I  never had with my DSLR cameras, although the Nikon 750 offered  one when the camera was used in the Live View mode.

• Dated Technology: I won't say that every item in my bag is cutting edge. I know for a fact that my 18mm Fuji lens was not considered a stellar performer when compared with the more modern (and expensive) iterations, and I did notice that the focusing speed was not as quick as I'm used to. But I was impressed with the optical performance of my 18mm and the 35mm lenses, considering their ages. 

Shooting with two rangefinder-like cameras with non-zoom lenses was an interesting experiment. For a few moments during the day, the ability to see beyond the edges of the frame gave me insights, in real time, to the movements of my subjects, and it gave me a feeling of clairvoyance as I watched the action unfold. And I won't feel a bit of guilt when I return to my less traditional, but faster responding, cameras and lenses. 

I believe the X-Pro series of camera was aimed at a niche market. Certainly a "truer" rangefinder experience might be had by using an Epson R-D1 (APS) or the Pixii Plus (APS) and Pixii Max (Full Frame), and of course the Leica Digital M series. (M8 APS format, M9 Full Frame), all of which had coupled rangefinders compatible with the Leica M mount and with price tags well above the cost of an X-Pro1 body. All the initial cameras were designed around the APS sensor, which meant that all of those older film rangefinder lenses now had an effective focal length of 1.5X the value stamped on the lens barrel. Those wishing to shoot with the same perspective of a classic 35mm lens were forced to look for a 23mm lens. Or buy the fixed lens X100 or one of its subsequent variants.  

For a complete  history of the Fuji digital cameras click here.

My Viltrox 9mm F 2.8 Lens

Buy yours here.

Lately, I've been thinking more carefully about my photographic purchases. After binge-buying Godox R1 compatible flashes and accessors, and after my binge buying of fisheye lenses, I've reached the point where I'll purchase something only if it can do something different, or make my workflow in the field more efficient. 

I have been interested in this Viltrox 9mm lens since I saw Christopher Frost's review of the lens. I was interested for some practical reasons.  The lens is more compact and lighter than my 10-24  Fujifilm Zoom which used to be my go to lens. However, at some point I grew tired of the "stretched face distortion" when my subject wandered too close the corners of the frame. As I used the lens less and less, I began to wonder if I should carry it at all. I reasoned that if I could find a compact  10mm prime lens I could reduce the weight of my field kit.  

This is a Viltrox "Air" lens, which simply put, means weight was a definite consideration in its construction. I might add that the lenses in the Air series do not have aperture rings (probably a major expense in manufacture) and no distance or depth of field markings on the barrel. But it will make a satisfactory backup lens, and much lighter in weight than my seldom used 10-24 F 4.0 Fujifilm zoom.

Morning Walk: I mounted the Viltrox on my S10 body and took the combination on two recent morning walks. I was surprised how wonderful it was to not have to worry about properly focusing a lens manually.

This photo surprised me. I'm standing at the edge of the sidewalk curb, and still managed to fit both the garage doors, and then some. There are no signs of pincushion or barrel distortion in this simple shot.

I made this shot inside a laundromat. My back isn't "to the wall", and the 9mm lens takes the whole scene in stride.

This shot combined a hand-held remote flash held just above the flower. The exposure was selected to give me a nice blue mooring sky, and the flash was used to highlight the flower. I could have mounted a second flash on a lightstand to accent the flower in the background. 

Naaaah.

This shot reminded me that lens flair is a constant villain, ready to steal contrast away from any poorly framed image. While the Viltrox's accommodation for this extreme lighting was less than exemplary, it was satisfactory. I was very pleased with its relatively closeup focusing distance. This little Buddha stands only ten inches tall.

On Assignment: I was on an assignment and decided I'd replace my Fuji T-2 with its 10-24 Fujifilm lens with a much lighter combination, the new 9mm lens mounted on my Fuji S-10 body. I can't say that I noticed the reduction in weight, but found that if I made my critical exposure adjustments in advance, switching out cameras wasn't as inconvenient as I feared.

Multiple flashes were used to light this photo. The ambient was dialed low enough to allow the speedlights to dictate which areas I wanted to include. I wanted to emphasize the contours of the lid, so I lit the wall behind it. And while it is a bit cluttered, I was happy that it is mostly white.

Performance: This cropped portion of the original photo shows that the lens is perfectly capable in the resolution department, and is more than adequate for the resolution demands of newsprint. However, when these images are viewed in the Journal's online paper, the full depth of the color is on display, and most of the subtle shifts in hue can be easily seen, and appreciated. 

For this (indoor) assignment, I went directly to my R1 controlled flashes, and used all four that I had on hand. I had to add a fifth flash, but all I had available were the newer R2 versions. Rather than piggy-back two controllers, I simply set it to S1 (optical trigger) mode and dialed the output manually. Why the indoor limitation? My most powerful portable produces a theoretical 200 watt-seconds of output, the equivalent of three standard speedlights. On this assignment a single speedlight fired through a shoot-through umbrella was adequate when an appropriate ISO value was selected. If I needed more power I could have clamped another speedlight to supplement the output of the single key speedlight, as I did here.

I am really pleased with the performance of this new lens, and was lucky enough to buy it before the price went up. Unfortunately, it became a gateway lens for the rest of the Viltrox Air lenses, so forgive me if I start shopping again.