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 p.1 #1 · XE1 - Lessons Learned | |
Today I had to shoot a military retirement, so I took along my XE1, 35/1.4 and my 5D3 with 40/2.8 as a second camera. I wasn't sure how well the Fuji would hold up to focusing in an unknown location (never visited before), and this was my first event shooting with the XE1.
1) Camera focused fine This was a relief to me. Granted, the place ended up not really being a cave, but it was dark enough that it had me worried. Granted, this was a retirement and involved no processions, etc, but I rarely had a misfocus. I *did* cheat a little by enlarging the AF box by one step. Focus for the most part was enjoyable.
2) That wee little flash is pretty nice for fill. I was a bit bummed that it only goes to -2/3 EV, but that seemed to be just enough for what I needed, maybe a smidgen too much but oh well. Granted, I would have preferred bounced fill, but not the weight and bulk involved with one.
3) So *that's* why Fuji hoods are tapered...no flash shadows at longer distances! (hey, I was wondering!)
4) I need to stop being afraid of higher ISOs - For the most part of the shooting, I was in manual ISO 800, f/1.4, 1/125s shutter. I really should have stopped down to maybe f/2 and kept the ISO 800 1/125s. Shadow raising (which I didn't need, see next point) is ridiculously easy. ISO 1600 looks great. Now I know.
5) The Fuji doesn't fear highlights...at all. You know how some cameras are psychotically afraid of clipping highlights? (hello there, Sony A850). Not this sucker -- At my above settings, I was actually slightly OVER exposing, even though the camera meter was trying to tell me I was at -2EV. I could have gone slower and been fine.
6) Get the freakin' white balance correct because the JPEGs are very usable -- I mean, I knew I liked Fuji's jpegs anyway, but in this particular instance, I really wished I would have tried to match up WB better.
Granted, I was in a very difficult lighting scenario. Front of stage, incandescent cans. Rest of room, brighter fluorescent. Pop-up flash added to the mix. It was rough.
The actual "look" of the JPEGs, though, was great, nice toning (using STD and Shadows -1, NR -1), great contrast curve...I would have been perfectly happy to use the JPEGs SOOC had I gotten the WB correct.
Anyway, here are a few samples. I took plenty with the 5D3, and I did tend to love the extra "ooph" the FF brought to the table (last photo is 5D3), but the Fuji was certainly up to this task.
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