TTArtisan Firmware Update

Get yours here.

The Firmware Update: After encountering frequent failures of the focusing system with my X-Pro1 and X-E1, my two oldest X cameras, I started searching the web to see if other users were having the same problem. As it turns out, firmware updates were made available on May 17, 2023, just two years after the lens' introduction on March 11, 2021.

Costs: Some purchases would be involved. Both of these expenditures can be considered investments, since I'm sure they'll be used again. First, I spent $20.82 for a USB Type C cable. Next, there was a $20.30 purchase of WinRAR, a program that opens RAR compressed files. There was a free trial offer, but I opted to just buy the software license.

USB Port: Image Source: Click here.

For the record, I paid about $130.00 for this lens on February 7, 2025. This link quotes a price of $103.00, which includes some free goodies more useful than the ones I recieved with my earlier purchase. I almost want to buy a second one, just to cash in. Very suspicious, the price dropping at this moment in history.

Tutorials: If you visit the TTArtisan's website, you can see that several lenses have firmware updates available. You may also notice that they have created a tutorial on how to perform the updates. I wasn't too enthusiastic about the factory's efforts, but found this one on YouTube which I believe was better presented.* While the instructions were for a Nikon Z lens, just be sure that you download the Fuji X file update and proceed.

At the time of publication, I've installed the updated firmware, and immediately saw an increase in reliability. I won't say the TTArtisan lens is as reliable as the original Fuji, but I am feeling more confident that it will perform properly if it is ever called to duty as my emergency backup.

*I reviewed this video, and while I thought it was clear, infrequent computer users might have some difficulty understand some concepts like "drag and drop" and basic file/folder hierarchy. I suggest you watch the video several times to familiarize yourself with the process.

My Third Pancake

Photo Source: Click here.

I am a firm believer in having a complete backup system. Now wedding photography has become an incredibly high-stakes game, and in this litigious society, it is not unusual for photographers to be sued simply because the groom didn't look like Cary Grant, when in reality, he could pass for Ernest Borgnine in poor light. So posing and lighting aside, one better come ready with enough backup equipment to take the entire wedding should one's primary camera body go kaput. 

Photo Source: Click here.

I normally have two bodies with me, so that isn't where my angst resides. It's from the lenses. Normally I have two zoom lenses: a wide to normal and a normal to telephoto zoom. A compact compromise emergency lens could be Fuji's 27mm F 2.8 "pancake", which has a compromise focal length, and is extremely compact. I paid almost $450.00 for the lens, and it is my constant companion whenever I'm shooting assignments that warrant carrying the full two-body, two speedlight, two-lens kit. In a pinch, I can mount this pancake on either of my two bodies. For the record, my copy was the earlier version withuot an aperture ring, something that be added to the second, weather resistant version that was introduced in 2021.

Buy yours here.

Some time later, a manual-focus version was offered by Meike, which was a predictable purchase. I was in my cheap manual focus lens phase, and it gave me a lens with a compromise focal length at the price of dinner in a reasonably nice restaurant. It proved to be something of an inspiration, as the photos produced during its first day on the street were most satisfying. Nothing magic about the lens, mind you, but compact and  handy. It now lives permanently in my "mini" camera bag where all of my most compact lenses reside, neatly stacked to minimize bulk.

Photo Source: Click here.

Shopping For a New Purse: A while back I had the itch to create a compromise camera kit based on two Fuji X-Pro1 bodies and  two or three classic lenses. I stumbled upon a (now discontinued) Domke Director's Bag at a local camera store, and in spite of its high price, bought it without hesitation. I saw this as the perfect purse for those few times when I didn't want to be seen schlepping a mountain of equipment in an oversized camera bag. As of this writing I haven't filled the bag, but I can see there is ample space for everything I might need. With this much space, I can indulge my inner Fuji Fanboy self, stuffing in a Fuji X-500 flash and its accessory battery pack. I could probably stuff a Gary Fong Lightsphere while I'm at it. Ready to go with only one half the bulk. Need a group photo made? Hold my beer.

I decided that the 27mm lens would be just the lens to pack in this smaller bag. It small size would make it easy to store it mounted on a Fuji body, ready to grab and go. Sure, it's not as wide as I like, but it could also present an opportunity to produce more tightly cropped images without getting too close and personal. It might also be fun to live in a world where the backgrounds are not so cluttered by every distraction in the universe. 

 Get yours here.

I just so happened that I found this TTArtisan 27mm F 2.8 lens on eBay for about $30.00 less than its suggested selling price. Plus, it came with a no-name filter and a fabric carrying bag, so it represented real value. Cue the eye-roll.

The lens had one initial flaw: The autofocus can occasionally stop working. I've tried the lens on a variety of bodies, and it has failed occasionally on all of them*.

The TTArtisan lens comes with the unique lens hood that was first introduced by Fujifilm along with the current weather resistant (WR) version. I was fascinated by the hood, which resembled the eye of an African chameleon. Of course, I ordered two used hoods from KEH before I realized it came with its own hood, plus a unique lens cap that can fit either the lens bezel (39mm threads), or onto the hood itself. I never missed having a cap as the hood seemed more than adequate for keeping fingers from accidentally touching the front element.

I still have a  bit of fiddling to do before the Domke bag can have all the necessary kit stowed within its roomy pockets. I will also  need some properly sized dividers installed to keep my equipment neat and tidy. I'll bring everybody up to date when everything is in place. I guess we'll  all have to just wait and see.

*Addendum: February 13, 2025: I Googled the focusing problem and found that there was a firmware update that would improve focusing on the first generation Fuji X cameras. TTArtisans thoughtfully provide a USB port in the side of the lens cap (how clever!) to facilitate the file transfer. Since it's a backup for my most current bodies, the upgrade may not be needed. 

Lunar New Year 2025 Redeux

Saturday: There were two Lunar New Year celebrations. One was in Millbrae and the other was in downtown San Mateo. I opted to photograph in Millbrae because it was the bigger of the two. Five blocks had been blocked off, the vendors lined both sides of the streets. I managed to find a parking space on the street just outside the barricade, so I only had to cross the street to find myself in the middle of the celebration.

I appreciate that so many different cultures were represented through their cuisines. You could buy a whole grilled turkey leg, then walk a few feet and purchase dumplings, and if you looked hard enough, a good old fashion hamburger with a side of fries. Soft drinks, boba iced tea, so many things to try.  I could just see myself reaching for the Tums. Oh, to have the stomach of a 20-year old.

New Approach: I wasn't really happy with my choice of equipment when I was "lion hunting" in San Bruno a few days before. As I mentioned in my previous post, equipment choice would have an impact on my ability to get my shots. First, it was a night event, and the low light caused my wide angle lens to hunt for proper focus, a process that lengthened the time between shutter press and the actual exposure. Also, the flash I was using wasn't optimized for manual adjustment. Lastly, the adjustments on the radio controller I chose were difficult to read outdoors, and difficult to manipulate with fingers numbed by the cold.

The Camera: My lens choice was a Pergear 14mm F 2.8 lens. As a fully manual lens that is adjusted externally. Looking down on the lens, the distance scale, depth of field table, and the aperture setting are clearly visible from above. The Pergear has a Sony mount, so I used my full-framed Sony A7.

Flash: I'm used an early Flashpoint Zoom Li-on flash. The flash recycles quickly, has a zoom flash head, and most importantly, requires manual output adjustment, which is controlled with a rotating wheel, which can be adjusted with one hand.

Controller: In this case, I would use on older radio trigger. a long discontinued Calumet Wireless Trigger. It's a simple radio trigger that has a hot-shoe on top which allows me to trigger a full-powered softbox for a key light and having the option of mounting a conventional TTL speedlight for on-camera fill. 

So wouldn't you know it. Saturday was gifted with high intermittent clouds, which served both as a diffuser and a reflector. If you compare the asphalt on the street, you can see that both the highlight and shadow areas could be reasonably well exposed with an average exposure setting, meaning that I really didn't need to use flash if I watched my positioning. The shadows show that the sun was coming from behind my right shoulder. Simply put, there weren't enough shadows to require my flash. 

I concentrated on making a photo that would include the crowd, one prominent lion, and some audience interaction. Using the "Hail Mary" overhead position, I made this shot with a above the crown perspective, which eliminated the background sky and gave me plenty of room for the lion and his fans. Even though this shot was made early the day, I followed the lions down the street, trying to "one up" this early shot.

Another Perspective: Nick Rose, another Journal photographer, was sent to cover the San Mateo event. I didn't attend because I knew I'd have many photo opportunities in Millbrae, due to the size of the celebration. It also started just as the San Bruno lions were getting up to speed, and there wasn't a way for me to get the San Mateo, find parking, and make a shot. His photo (right)  made Page 1 of the Monday edition, and I was stunned by the graphic simplicity of the image. The prominence of the two lions and the absence of any people gave the view the quintessence of "lionism". I really appreciated the simplicity of the image, and clearly a different approach to getting a telling photograph.

In the end, the Editor In Chief ran the Millbrae and the earlier San Bruno photograph on consecutive days. They appeared on page 2, a space normally reserved for photos from UPI or Reuters. The San Bruno photo, taken at night under somewhat challenging conditions, is shown below.

Between these three shots, I think the Lunar New Year was well covered.