pagespicsStreet Photography #6 Try Using a Fixed Lens
Spoiler – bit of a rant here….
Just about managing to get a pagespics tip out before the weekend. There were a couple of choices I was playing with today. The first was ‘Don’t buy a Fujifilm X100f, all the reviews say they are great, so there must be something wrong with it’. The second was ‘Don’t read DP Review and PetaPixel – they say the same thing’.
I am going to talk about the X100f though. The camera sounds fantastic; there are so many reviews reporting how wonderful a tool it is. This makes me a little suspicious, particularly when many of the articles are written by Fujifilm Ambassadors. Most reviews wax lyrically about the film simulation mode. Here is the rub – if you want to use film, use film! There are some great SLR’s out there for less than $100; admittedly there is the cost of purchasing and developing stock, but a 35mm film camera is $900 cheaper than the X100f, and that buys a lot of film.
Shot using Kodak Portra 400 with a 50mm prime.
Here is the second rub – most articles appear to be reviewing the camera based on its black and white capabilities. I’m 95% over B+W, the world is a colourful and beautiful place. Here is the 3rd rub, many reviews talk about the B+W Acros film simulation. What is Acros? I don’t know, but every other street photography shot is now an Acros simulation. Beware, a crap photo is still a crap photo, irrespective of the film simulation mode. There are however 4 reasons why I didn’t write an article about why not to purchase a X100F…
Reading articles about a camera written by someone who does not own that camera is annoying.
The title of the article would be too long for an effective article header.
I will probably purchase a Fujifilm X100F in the end – they look awesome.
It has a FIXED lens – which I like. (I got there in the end!).
So, what is a fixed lens? It is a lens with no zoom. If you want to get closer, you have to get closer using your feet and not your lens.
Why use a fixed lens? Enough reasons to use bullet points…
1. They are small and light.
2. They are (generally) cheap.
3. They have a wide aperture, this allows more light in, which makes the lens excellent when the light is dying, or just coming up. It also means I can use lower ISO’s.
4. They have a wide aperture (again)– perfect for a nice blurry background when taking portraits.
5. They force you to be creative.
Using a fixed lens meant I could shoot in this rather dark room, just off the street, without using a flash.
If you have a DX crop camera, then I would recommend a 35mm lens, or a 50mm if you want something that will get you a little closer. If you have a full frame camera, you probably know all this anyway….
If you want a camera with a fixed lens, then I would strongly recommend the Ricoh Grii (or GR if you want to save money and don’t need wifi – which is crap on the ii anyway). It has a beautiful 28mm fixed lens, which I love.
The Ricoh Gr is great for more than just Street Photography as seen with this cityscape.
Ricoh Gr, small enough for your pocket, it’s there when you spot an interesting composition.
Then there is the, er, Fujifilm X100f. It looks awesome. I want one. If I ever start using Acros film simulation, please shoot me…
Have fun and keep clicking,
Chris
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