The new family - day to day camera set up...

Hi, 

Thought id share a couple of notes regarding the new family / day to day camera set up. 

Like most in the new year i thought that it was time to clear out some of the old equipment no longer in use, and so i hit eBay with a ton of gear. 

One item was the fuji X-pro1. This was an item that did get a lot of use, but something with the files i just thought needed to be better. The fuji X-T1 has amazing write ups and at present is fuji's mirror-less flagship camera. This camera has been out for a little while now and so i thought was time to upgrade. I bought this little beauty off eBay and if you shop around and don't get carried away with the bidding there are some good deals to be had. 

Why the upgrade? I originally bought the X-pro1 to use as a day to day camera, as with now having a family its near on impossible to lug around a Nikon D800, couple of lenses, a nappy bag, buggies, a wriggling child and all the other child related paraphernalia. 

so it was time to go mirror-less. 

( I kept the Nikon for my professional work and times where I'm child free)

After being with the Fuji for around 12 months i do love the system, but was always dispointed with the files when in RAW conversion software. 

I know many will argue, and many have with me, 

but in my opinion the fuji files are

no comparison

to what the Nikon produces.

End of the day these are tools and are used for different purposes. 

The fuji system even though is primarily used to document my family growing, the end product files end up in different formats. Some end up on a different website (for family and close friends to view) The little ones iPad, i print albums and make prints to hang around the house, so quality is important to me. 

Last years albums were created by Loxley colour and wow! (blog post to follow on this) 

Some images in the album are from our iPhone 4's, the Nikon DSLR and the X-pro1. 

Could you tell the difference between them? Id recon that you would have a good stab at it. 

My Fuji X-T1 setup, 

iPhone 4s 1/40th f2.4

Now i am not going to pixel peep at 1000% or write up the facts and figures as there are a million websites out there about this camera, and with fuji's aggressive marketing campaigns and their many endorses you will find lots of websites of that nature. 

I thought id share my setup, I have serious GAS (gear acquisition syndrome) for the new fuji X100T, but i thought why do i want one so bad. Well not only do they look amazing, i liked the idea of not carrying anything apart from a camera in a case, with not lugging a bag around but the not being able to change the lens does bother me. 

So i thought that i would create the best of both worlds with my X-T1 setup. 

I bought an 

Upstrap

 camera strap, which is by far the best strap I've come across. 

I got the fuji half leather case, (case would be a term Id use lightly) but it does offer bit of protection and feels good to hold. 

That's simply it... 

With keeping the other lens I own in a pocket i have best of both worlds with a simple lightweight small set up with interchangeable lenses. 

I'm trying something new also, I shoot in RAW but add the mono chrome filter. 

I really want to be able to take better Black and White images and so thought if all I'm viewing is mono tone this may help me...   

You might not be aware but if you shoot in RAW and add a filter in camera, it's still the coloured RAW file that you end up with. What you view in the camera LCD screen is a colour converted JPG and not the RAW file. And so by me only viewing in B&W i can use the colour file if i chose too. 

I have not pushed this camera too much or been in testing conditions for comparisons with the Xpro1 as this is a new purchase but a couple of notes. 

I am loving the tilty screen. This I thought I would never use it as its a bit of a gimmick, but shooting low at the little ones level it's pretty awesome, and after the recent firmware up date it can shoot from 4000th to 32000th sec with some electronic shutter, so can use large apertures in bright light. 

I was using the 35mm Lens at f1.4 before in bright sunlight with out the need of ND filters which was cool. 

On the whole it looks amazing and I'm liking the improvements.

iPhone 4s 1/30th f2.4

Timelapse attempt.

Good morning, 

That was me up at 0430am to try my first sunrise timelapse. I am using the Kessler crane 3 foot cine slider and motion control unit. 

First impressions are very good. The slider is incredibly smooth and with the parallax system you can create some interesting movements. 

I aim (weather dependant) to be up each morning this week and will post a montage video of my results. 

Thanks 

Lee

Blackpool on a Shitty Afternoon.

Nikon D800 61sec F14 ISO 100

Hi all and Happy New year.

Apologise for the tittle to this post, but i am climbing the walls to do a shoot and so headed out this afternoon. Not much going on but thought that was kind cool.

Sorry I'm no good at making flamboyant arty titles up like most, there seems to be more thought gone into the title then the image in a lot of cases.

I aim to head up to the lakes at the end of the week if i have not returned to Scotland for my day job.

Hope you are well.

Lee

Metal Prints. Loxley Colour.

Hi all,

Hope that you are all set and ready for the festive period about to kick in.

If not...... good luck.

Just a quick one today, thought id Share an image of a print i have recently had made for me by the guys over at

Loxley Colour. 

I decided on ordering a metal print, to really make this print shine. I am truly speechless, the quality is fantastic. The turn around from order to your front door is also really impressive.

I was never a fan of the metal prints, but maybe it is just i have never seen the right image displayed. A landscape or a high saturated image really shines and looks impressive, a blurred HDR picture from your iPhone of your dog or selective colour will not benefit being printed on metal, never.....

This is Loxley's largest metal print size, 60x40 inch. I sent them an image with a size of 30x20 and they managed to double the size perfectly.

This is not a cheap print though, but i feel it is worth every penny. You certainly pay for quality.

This photo of me stood with it does it no justice what so ever...

Something you really have to see in person!

I had made some framed prints for clients and am very impressed.

We will certainly be sticking with Loxley Colour now for all our professional prints.

Have a great festive holiday and hope to see you in the new year.

Lee

Polarising Filter.

 Hi,

Today is just a quick post, but wanted to try and show the importance of using a circular polarising filter. Here you can see from a shot of London from the View at the Shard, i had to shoot through a window.

This image you can see the reflections in the glass from inside of the building. 

By using a polarising filter, it is not perfect, but seriously cuts out the reflections and so saves you much more time having to edit less.

Like always if you have any questions please feel free to post in the comments. 

Hope that you enjoy the rest of your Sunday... 

The above image would not have been able to been created so clean without a polarising filter. 

Please feel free to share this post on your social media, giving credit to the photographer Lee Ramsden www.leeramsden.com

Thanks

Lee Circular Glass Polariser 100x100

Lee Filters

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77mm HOYA PRO1 Digital Filter Circular Polarizer PL DMC Filter

Hoya

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Long exposure using Lee Filters.

With recently purchasing some

Lee filters

i wanted to get out and have a play.

My mate Phil and i, headed out to London, i wanted try a show movement of people, and rush hour in London is ideal as its full of hustle and bustle.

These images were shot at f16 with a 5 second shutter delay. Using ND filters they help you to achieve the long shutter speeds required for a shot like this. 

I used a .09 ND filter for these images but i do also own the Lee 10 stop Big stopper. Which is an amazing filter used to achieve really really slow shutter speeds.  

Many thanks

Lee

Lee Digital SLR Starter Kit

Lee Filters

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Lee Filters ND 0.9 FULL

Lee Filters

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Think Tank Retrospective 30.

I have recently purchased the ThinkTank Retrospective 30 shoulder camera bag and im very impressed.

So i thought that i would share my thoughts.

As any photographer will tell you once you have a camera bag the buying will never stop.

I have numerous bags now... obviously for different jobs and not for collectomaniac reasons 

With the recent purchase of a couple of larger zoom lenses, i was after a larger shoulder bag.

Im a BIG fan of Think Tank, their products are bomb proof and look great.

I am a big fan of bags that do not shout out, that this is a camera bag full of expensive kit, and so the subtle styling of the Retrospective range is right up my street. There isn't even a large Think Tank label.

This is a nice feature, The large opening flap is velcro fastened. There is an option to cover the velcro to silence you opening the bag. This will be great at weddings and other events where you are trying to remain inconspicuous. 

Large space, with moveable inserts allowing you to customise for your equipment. 

Stylish, inconspicuous design.

Large enough even for your 70-200mm lens, The Retrospective 30 can fit some telephoto zoom lenses attached to a DSLR, facing sideways in the bag..

The Retrospective series is comprised of four shoulder bags and two lens changer bags.  Created for the professional photographer that wants to blend in with the crowd and remain inconspicuous in any situation.  Our product designers have blended the look and feel of "old-school" camera bags and infused it with "new-school" features and technology for the digital imaging age.  

Top Features:

• Minimalist outer appearance conceals expensive photo equipment
• Carries a pro size DSLR with standard zoom lens attached
• Wider size to fit a 70-200 f2.8 attached to DSLR facing sideways
• Accommodates 2-4 lenses in main compartment with 2 DSLR bodies in front pockets
• Two front pockets to carry pro size DSLRs (bodies only)
• Organizer pocket built into main compartment for pens, note pad, batteries, etc.
• Choice of two different colors, black or pinestone, to suit the situation
• Hook and Loop “Sound Silencers” on the front flap eliminate noise while opening the bag
• Soft, adjustable shoulder strap with cushioned non-slip pad
• Clear business card holder under front flap
• Removable short carrying handle for convenience
• Seam-sealed rain cover included for protection against the elements

Gear Profile:

• 1 pro size DSLR with standard zoom lens attached and 1 - 3 additional lenses, including a 70-200 f2.8
• 2 pro size DSLRs (bodies only) in front pockets and 2 - 4 lenses in main compartment, including a 70-200 f2.8
• 1 pro size DSLR with 70-200 f2.8 attached, facing sideways and 1-2 additional lenses.

Photographer Profile:

• Photojournalists and travel photographers

Technical Specifications:

• ID:  15” W x  9.5” H x 6” D (38 x 24 x 15.2 cm)*
• *bag softness and flexibility allows expansion to carry a pro size DSLR with lens attached, facing down
• OD:  16” W x 10.5” H x 7” D (40.6 x 26.7 x 17.8 cm)
• Weight:  3.2 lbs (1.5 kg)
• Lifetime Warranty

Think Tank Retrospective 30 Pinestone Shoulder Bag

Think Tank

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Think Tank Retrospective 30 Black Shoulder Bag

Think Tank

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