PHOTOGRAPHY MAGAZINE
SOUTH EAST ASIA
VOLUME 1 - ISSUE 1
Defining Culture Gathot Subrato
Redescovering Passion
Jessica Chan
Creating His Own Legacy Keith Low
Finding Your Image Le Kim Hung
Timeless Photographs Lito Sy
A Picture’s Value Torwong Salwala
Meet Asia’s finest photographers and know how satisfied they are with Fujifilm X Series Cameras
DL
Editor’s
choice
Editor-in-Chief Keitaro So Media Consultant Geric Cosuco Deo Macaraig Art Director Roderick Venzon Lay Out Artist Arman Bioc Writer/Researcher Hafsha Masorong Kenneth Wong Mohammad Abdul Tariq Adora Lyn Bernas Michael Cruz Gyn Mendoza In House Photographer Myk Reyes Production Manager Jaspher Alfonso
SOUTH EAST ASIA
EDITOR’S LETTER
First and foremost, we would like to welcome you all to the very first issue of FUJIFILM X Magazine South East Asia. It is an interesting and joyful journey for me and my team and there is no better way to celebrate our happiness but to give back to our avid patrons and colleagues. During these past few months of my stay here in South East Asia, I humble myself for having the privilege to see how wonderful this part of the world is. I have met a lot of great people and slowly understood the socities that is encompassing this region. There are a lot of great things to do here in South East Asia, and I feel excited for our photographers as they are blessed with abundant resources to shoot. For this issue of FUJIFILM X Magazine South East Asia, we are honored to be given time by few of our greatest photographers in this era. We start off by having a way to Indonesia and learning their culture with Mr. Gathot Subrato. We had a quick stop then to Malaysia as Ms. Jessica Chan presented to us textures and colors in her Fine Arts Photography. Next is Mr. Keith Low of Singapore and his Landscape Photographs of places he had visit. We are lucky enough to meet a cinematographer, Mr. Le Kim Hung in Vietnam and he shared with us some pictures depicting life. Philippines has been housing few noted photographers and we are fortunate to come across with one of the best Wedding Photographers in Asia, Mr. Lito Sy. Last but not the least is Mr. Torwong Salwala as he tour us in Thailand with his photographs. Truly, Asia has a lot of great photographers to offer. Again, on behalf of Fujifilm let me extend my deepest gratitude to all of you for the undying support and patronage to our brand. You are the reason why we keep on pushing ourselves to bring better products and why we go beyond our limit. We hope to continue our good rapport with you all and pledge to do our best to assist you in your photographic journey. Keitaro So Regional Marketing Manager Electronic Imaging Division FUJIFILM Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd.
FUJIFILM X Magazine is an editorial that aims to showcase the magnificent works of Fujifilm X - Photographers all over the world. This is the way of Fujifilm to give tribute to them, not only for the support that they have given Fujifilm, but mostly for their excellent job of being an agent of change through their craft. FUJIFILM X Magazine intends to educate our readers with the importance of photography in shaping our society and hopes to be an instrument that can influence people. We hope that FUJIFILM X Magazine could inspire photographers to better polish themselves in their craft and hope to fuel their passion for photography.
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CULTURAL PHOTOGRAPHY
Defining Culture
Gathot Subrato Indonesia
10 Redescovering Passion FINE ARTS PHOTOGRAPHY
Jessica Chan Malaysia
14 The X-E2 Desert Challenge REVIEW
Kenneth Wong
18 Creating His Own Legacy
LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY
Keith Low Singapore
22 Finding Your Image SOCIAL DOCUMENTARY PHOTOGRAPHY
Le Kim Hung Vietnam
26 Fujifilm XF 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR REVIEW
Lens Review Michael Cruz Philippines
28 Timeless Photographs WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY
Lito Sy Philippines
32 A Picture’s Value STREET PHOTOGRAPHY
Torwong Salwala Thailand
ISSUE 1
Gathot Subrato Indonesia
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Gathot Subrato Indonesia
Gathot Subrato
Indonesia x100 XQ1 X-A1 X-E2 X-T1
CULTURAL PHOTOGRAPHY
Defining Culture Preserving culture is not an easy task. With the way the world is forwarding and developing in every aspects, tracing back our roots would be very hard to do. The way we act, the way we dress, the way we live our lives - it is far beyond grasp of our yesterday. Defining our culture may yet be impossible but not too late. For Gathot Subrato, a photographer in culturaly rich country Indonesia, we as artists - no, we as the people of today - has a moral obligation of at least preserving of what is left in the trace of our culture. Gathot is one of those rare artists who uses his art for a moral cause. He had been actively practicing photography as a mere hobby and oftenly, he takes subjects with great contribution to the society. Normally, he takes images of the daily lives in the street. Whatever caught his attention, he tries to freeze them in frame. But beyond these, his lenses has been capturing something bigger. Tribes and cultures of what is left in his homeland is what fascinated him the most. And every snap of his finger, he is preserving the heritage of his country. Gathot Subrano has been taking pictures since his 6th grade using a Fujica M1 analog camera. He was active in Academic
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Publishing as an illustrator and an avid photographer eversince. Until today, photography is his greatest hobby and though he works as lecturer in Training and Education Center of Ministry of Finance in Jakarta, with specialization in Accounting and Taxation, he hopes to give more time to his craft. Aside from his cause, Gathot has achieved a lot of success in photography already. He had won 2nd prize in photography contest is in 1994 for the National Flora and Fauna competition, won Best in Landscape in Salonfoto Indonesia in 2008, Best in Architecture in Salonfoto Indonesia in 2009, and Best in People Shoot in Gambara Nias Bangkit Photo Competition in 2011. He has an eye for what is outstanding and sees the world as pure as it could be. Gathot is more than just a photographer, but more of an eye opener of what the world has to offer. He travels a lot during his spare times. He made many trips in Indonesia and met hundreds of tribal people. He dreams of knowing more by completing all the Archipelago and hopes to encourage other photographers to be an instrument in giving attention to our culture.
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Gathot Subrato Indonesia
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Gathot Subrato Indonesia
The first reason I love Fujifilm is its AUTO WB. The color reproduction of Fujifilm is the best. I can get the natural skin tones and natural colors only with this camera. Second is the Fujifilm Simulation that reminds me of the Fujichrome Provia, Velvia and Astia. Its so amazing that the new cameras brought back its strong feature and now can be done in digital. The third feature is the flexibility to arrange the picture’s contrast. I can tune the shadow and highlight partly. These I found only with Fujifilm and no other cameras else.
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FINE ARTS PHOTOGRAPHY
edescovering
Love is sweeter the second time around. This is what most people say and this may came true to Ms. Jessica Chan as well. She fell in love with photography at early age, lost her way to it through time, but rekindled the romance soon after. Photography finds its way back to her life and this time she is taking it with her where ever she goes. Jessica started dabbling in photography back in her teens. She first played with a borrowed camera from her brother and took a lot of images with it. She found happiness in every snap of her finger and each time her brother would come home from his school bringing home the developed films she took, Jessica’s passion just grows deeper and deeper. Photography became a huge part of her early life, and though she lost time to the craft after she went to study in her unversity, she had always kept a space in her heart for taking photographs. Time pass by, Jessica became an engineer specializing in failure analysis in the semiconductor industry. She had a job in a multinational company that gave her a quite a rewarding career. She was in a position that most people would love to have for themselves. Her job gave her financial stability and security. Yet, for her something more is missing. She knows for herself that she wants to do more than to be confined in a closed door. Who would have thought that her job would lead her back to her old passion. One of her project required her to perform taking pic-
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P
assion
tures for sample of their analysis. She delved in photography through the scanning electron microscope and in the midst of analysis, she saw the artistic side in the images of the defects. The old flames ignited. Photography has been calling to her once again and this time she wouldn’t let go. In 2001 - 2002, she took up a course in basic photography at a training center established by a renowned professional photographer, Kim Teoh. She rediscovered her interest in experimenting with the little box and had been more motivated in brushing up her skills. She took inspiration from a lot of people. She remembers of what Steve McCurry had once said; “Somebody who wants to be a photographer needs to actually look at photographs and learn from those photographs”. Jessica took those words into her heart and spend time to observe the photographs taken by others. She learned through interactions with other photographers and browsing of magazines and she was exposed to more aspects of photography. She also began to explore the world to know more about photography. In 2008 she went to China and took a journey of her lifetime. She spent 75 days travelling, took more than 20,000 kilometres, chugging 200 hours on the train, traversing 12 provinces and municipalities and capturing 8,000 images. It was an amazing experience for her and made her realized more that this is what she wants to do - to travel and take pictures.
Jessica Chan
Malaysia X Pro 1
Until now, she takes a lot of trips to visit various places and countries and continue on developing her skills. Photography had helped her to appreciate her surroundings. She found observing the world through the small peep hole of a camera can make you more focus on details of what is in front of you. Taking images introduced her back to world, and photography once again is what she lives for. Now, Jessica is working in a field where she makes use of her photographic skills. Her teacher at PCP Art, Kim Teoh offered her a role in two of his magazines. Her passion became her career and she never looked back. It could easily be said that Jessica had established herself in the chosen field. She became the Editor-in-chief for Advanced Images and Fotografika photography magazines and the Editor-in-chief for Travelution travel magazines. She became a bonified instructor for Fujifilm Youth Photography Workshops & Camp and Instructor for Galeri Petronas Photography Courses. She had been given the priviledge as well to be speaker at Kuala Lumpur Photography Festival. Even though, she is well occuppied in her commitments, Jessica still takes time off to shoot. For her, the craft has taken the stressed out of her and hopes with a camera, she would set foot on every continent and explore to her heart’s content.
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Jessica Chan Malaysia
Jessica Chan Malaysia
Jessica Chan Malaysia
One unique feature worth mentioning is the RAW CONVERSION. There are many options in the RAW CONVERSION feature like push/pull processing apart from the usual enhancement and even the option of converting the Film Simulation. In case when I’m working on RAW but need to send a jpg quickly, I don’t have to get back to the desktop to convert a RAW file, I can just do it on the camera itself.
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Jessica Chan Malaysia
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Kenneth Wong Review
The X-E2 Desert Challenge By: Kenneth Wong
Can Fujifilm X-E2 deliver the quality expected amidst the harsh desertscape? 14
Let me explain. Back when I purchased my first ‘serious’ camera in late 2010, the choices were pretty clear-cut to an absolute newbie - you either had a DSLR, or you had a point-and-shoot. Mirrorless systems were, at least in Singapore, relatively new, and largely unproven. And Fuji wasn’t even yet on the roadmap. Through the years with a number of cameras along the way, I experimented with numerous forms of photography, including shooting concerts and motorsports, through to portraitures, but chose to step away from the field of commercial photography and focus instead on a personal body of work, one that had fascinated me since I arrived in the UAE - desertscapes. So when Fujifilm Middle East approached me several months back to put the XE-2 through my process, I initially hesitated. Desertscapes have been nothing but stressful on my gear because it is a harsh place to work in - tripods and ball heads get jammed, sand inevitably gets into the sensor, viewfinders, and lenses. It is, without a doubt, a most inhospitable place for delicate camera equipment. And so after a bit of a disclaimer to the Fujifilm Middle East team, I added the XE-2 to my outdoor kit alongside my Hasselblad H4D system, which incidentally is also produced by Fuji.
age, and leave the tools to do their job. And ironically, despite my innate need for control, I’ve learned to trust this little guy to get the job done, in P mode. And Auto-ISO. And you know what? It’s refreshing. Refreshing to be able to just focus on the moment, on composition, on finding the perspective I want. And when the wind whips up the sand around you in the heat of summer, I’ve learned to be really grateful for how well this camera does the job.
Having shot with the Fuji X100 for some time, the XE-2 felt like an old friend in my hands. The familiar menu system made it easy to set up, so that I could get out and start shooting. Unlike many DSLRs out there today which almost require a PhD to configure, the XE-2 just gets the basics out of the way. The camera should, after all, be no more than a tool, and not a hindrance, to creating great images.
The 256-point evaluative/matrix metering mode is spot-on 90% of the time, save for heavily backlit situations, which is easily corrected by a conveniently located exposure compensation dial. AF is quick and accurate, even with the kit lens, and details in the shadows and highlights are well-retained by the X-Trans sensor. Unlike some of its competitors out there, the XE-2’s LCD display easily overcomes the bright desert sun, and the flexibility of using the EVF remains a useful alternative.
While many photographers eschew automation in favour of being ‘in full control’, and choose to shoot fully in manual or at least in aperture-priority, I’m biased towards Ansel Adam’s approach – capture as much data as possible in the medium, and work with that in developing and printing. Focus on getting the im-
While many ‘experienced’ photographers cringe at the idea of using a kit lens, favoring instead fast primes and fast zooms, the nature of my subject doesn’t always require fast lenses as I shoot at f8-f11. The on-board optical image stabilization does a fine job when I need to shoot at 1/15s as the sun rises or sets.
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Given the environments I shoot in, primes aren’t the best tools for the job – switching lenses introduces the risk of sand getting into the sensor bay, and unlike dust, sand brings the risk of scratching the sensor and is less easily removed with a blower. Unless I shoot nightscapes, I rarely need the speed offered by the excellent Fuji primes, which makes up for the XE-2’s lack of super long exposure (The X100 was capable of 60 minute exposures), and kept well under control by the very clean files at ISO800. On the whole, Fuji lenses appear underrated
Kenneth Wong Review
The XE-2 is remarkable in how unremarkable it is, really, and that’s how cameras should be, in my book.
compared to Canon’s signature ‘white lenses’ and Nikon’s pro lenses with the ‘N’ (nano) designation and gold ring up front. Very few people realize how brilliant Fuji lenses are – superb enough that Hasselblad’s H-system lenses are produced exclusively by Fuji, along with the Hasselblad Xpan system, a panoramic 35mm system whose compact lens designs rivaled the best medium format lenses. In the world of 4x5 large format photography, Fujinon lenses have, for decades, rivaled lenses produced by European heavyweights that cost far more, delivering pleasing, warm renderings that suit my style a lot better. For years, street photographers have debated for years over the ‘better’ focal length – 35mm vs 50mm – for their work. And luckily for Fuji X-series photographers, the 23mm f1.4 and 35mm f1.4 lenses are brilliant with-
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Kenneth Wong Review
out a doubt, and so small and light that you can carry an extra lens or two without feeling the weight or bulk. Ergonomically, they are a joy to use, with a mechanical aperture ring that selects in ⅓ stop increments, and fit so well in hand. Images are crisply rendered without being clinical, colors are warm, true and vibrant, and the autofocus is precise and silent. Little known fact: Both of these lenses feature extra-low dispersion (ED) aspherical lens elements which minimize distortion, chromatic aberration and coma, and allow for a smaller, more compact lens design since less glass is required. The EBC coating, also found on Hasselblad’s H-system lenses, reduce ghosting and flare, making for clean, rich images.
X-to-M mount adapter, so users can attach M-mount lenses from Leica and Voigtlanders, and with a simple LTM adapter, users can increase their choices even further with vintage LTM lenses. Personally, despite owning a number of Leica lenses, I’ve never felt the need to do shoot a Leica lens on the XE-2, seeing that the 23mm and 35mm lenses render so beautifully, with silky smooth bokeh, thanks to the almost circular aperture design (which I’ve only come across on the older Jupiter-3 50mm f1.5 lens - which also works on the XE-2 via the adapter).
In retrospect, the XE-2 is a perfect system for almost any photographer. I have yet to use a Fuji lens that I’ve been unhappy with, and while I had some early reservations about the longevity of the aluminum body and lenses, they have survived a full season of desertscapes with not so much as a scrape, despite being unceremoniously tossed around between the car seats and floor. Remarkably unremarkable, or unremarkably remarkable – you’ll find out when you get your hands on one.
To accommodate the chromatic aberration and coma commonly associated in wide angle lenses, Fuji has overcompensated by design in their 14mm f2.8 wide angle lens (basically a 21mm equivalent on a full frame 35mm format) but doubling the number of aspherical lens elements. The result? A beautifully compact, competent, and surprisingly affordable wide angle lens that’s perfect for those among you with X-system cameras who are looking to shoot nightscapes and galaxies, and confined indoor spaces. The mechanical MF/AF selector on the lens is another reason to love the 14mm lens - no fiddling with menus to override AF when I’m in the middle of a pitch black desert at night. Apparently, Fuji also offers a very nice
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Kenneth Wong Review About the Author
Kenneth Wong is a Customer Experience Director for du, a Dubaibased telcom company. Originally from Singapore, Kenneth has been in the Middle East for past eight years and spends his time travelling the world and taking photographs. To say he loves photography and camera gear is an understatement - he has shot with everything from the Nikon D3100 to the D700 and D3s, to a Fuji X100, a modified Samsung NX100 converted for IR photography, an Olympus OM-D E-M5, to the Leica M9P, M, and Monochrom, and Hasselblad’s digital medium format H4D-40. And that’s just the digital side. In parallel, he also ventured into the world of negative, slide and instant film, shooting 35mm with a Leica M2 and a Zeiss Ikon, to 35mm panoramic with the Hasselblad Xpan, to Hasselblad’s 500-series 6x6 medium format, Mamiya’s RB and RZ 6x7 systems, to 4x5 field and view cameras from Linhof and Sinar, and a famed “Burnett” Graflex Speed Graphic with a very vintage Kodak Aero Ektar 178mm f2.5 lens. Keep updated as he will host his first exclusive Photo Exhibition in UAE soon. Profile picture credit to Mr. Gerald Donovan
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Keith Low X Pro 1 x100s
Singapore X-E2 X-T1
CREATING HIS OWN
LEGACY LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY
Keith came from a family of artists. His uncle, Low Tian Fong was a very talented press photographer in Singapore during the 1960’s and Keith had always looked up to him as his role model. And though he had not met his uncle personally and only knew him from the stories of his family, he had always feels strongly connected to his uncle for his passion and love for photography. Keith at early age showed immense interest with the craft and on his 11th birthday, he never asked for anything else but a camera. His other uncle, Low Siew Meng, handeed Keith his first ever camera a Seagull 120 TLR. The gift marks the birth of Keith’s undying passion for photography and he never looked behind again. . Probably this is what he really meant to be, the family needs someone to carry the legacy all after. His interest to photography led him to learn the craft properly. He had always love technology, and photography became a natural path which he had chosen for himself. He was intrigue by how the camera works so later on at the age of 14, he bought a 2MP digital camera for himself. Though he did not had a formal studies in the craft, the world is more than enough for him to become his teacher. Keith learned from continues
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experience. His eagerness to develop his skills each day was enough to fuel his motivation to learn more. Sooner than later, Keith found himself working full time as a regional product trainer and a product manager for a camera makers. His passion grows deeper as he was able to meet up and engage with top working photographers who are the best in their field. It spurred more of his interest in photography and made him contemplated to leave his job and start living his dreams. He became, just what he wanted a photographer like his uncle. It was a dream came true for him as he gets the best of both worlds. Now Keith is living his life to the fullest. His passion became his work. He never regretted his decision and continued to polish his skills. Keith finds satisfaction in photography like he never had felt before. When he shoots and all the elements falls right in to place it feels like the greatest ecstacy for him. Photography led him as well to know more people and to know more about life. One of the many people photography introduced to him was his Mentor Mr. Aundry Gan, who is the top sports photographer in
Singapore. Aundry sculpted him to the way he is today. He is Kieth’s Mentor, Friend, A brother and now his working partner in photography as well. Until now, Keith takes inspiration from his uncle. He believes that by taking pictures of the world, he gets to continue his Uncle’s legacy. For him, like his uncle, a photographer is someone who thinks, imagine and anticipates moments. This is what he does. Through photography, he wants scribe the moments in time and share his thoughts, his imagination to the world. Keith can be seen taking pictures all over the places. He is an instructor in photography, and has already trained more than 8,000 participants from all walks of life. Keith had managed to turn some of them in to working photographers and like his uncle and Aundry, he hopes that he became an eye opener for them as well. Keith had also conducted camera trainings to most of the dealers in Singapore and actively invited to be the guest speaker for product launches and photography seminars. Keith hopes that when his photographic journey ends, he had cemented his legacy and new buds will continue it for him.
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Keith Low Singapore
Keith Low Singapore
Keith Low Singapore
Totally my heart has been won by Fujifilm X Series Cameras. The richness of colors and black and white, the intuitive controls thought for the photographers and the never ending improvement brought to by every Single X mount camera of FUJIFILM is amazing. Image comes better from the X-Tran Sensor by Fujifilm and the depth in my picture brought fore by the exquisite lenses of FUJIFILM is magnificent.
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Keith Low Singapore
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Lê Kim Hung Vietnam
SOCIAL DOCUMENTARY PHOTOGRAPHY
Finding Your
Image
For Lê Kim Hung, photography came in his most unexpected time.
Lê Kim Hung Vietnam x100 x100s
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In 2009, he filed for unemployment to take a break away from his corporate life and during those needed vacation, Kim finds himself free and having enough time to spare. Kim made used of this time searching for his calling. He took time to know himself better. Kim tapped into his inner passion and wandered how he can express his creativity. Finally, he found his answer through his younger sister as she handed him his
first camera. At that moment, Kim understood what he needs to do and what he needs to become... He needs to narrate stories in life through his images. Kim’s first shot was taken in his hometown village in Saigon, Vietnam. He found taking pictures interesting and appreciated the beauty of these images as it materialized on paper. Photography did not just allowed him to know more about himself but opened his eyes as well to witness the myriad surround-
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Lê Kim Hung Vietnam ing the world. Photography became an essential part of Kim. It gave him way to discharge emotions. He find exteme satisfaction when he shoots, especially those he took with his family and friends. In 2011, Kim landed a job as the photo editor and photojournalist for Đất Việt newspaper. Though having the job means going back to the typical corporate world for him, atleast this time, he is getting paid to do what he loves most. His job with the newspaper opened a lot of
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opportunity for him as well and allowed him to start his own private projects. Kim later on extended his interest in film and became a cinematographer in his region. His experience in cameras and lenses made the transition for him easier and now considered by the many as one of the uprising talents in the country. Kim doesn’t see himself different much from the other photographers. There are so many different styles applicable for photography and like anybody else, he
usually find the most suitable style based on any given circumstance. He knows that there are a lot of photographers who takes good photos, but those who are hard headed and rarely feels satisfied in the pursuit of finding “their” image is what he admired the most.
LĂŞ Kim Hung Vietnam
I had my first Fujifilm camera in 2011. It was an x100 and it sparked my interest with the brand. Now I have an x100s also and admired the pocket size of these cameras. The output color of the cameras are minimalistic and sincere compare to other brands which I feel a little bit exaggerated and unrealistic. For me, those are the biggest assets of Fujifilm cameras; they gave you the real color of life.
Fujinon Lenses Review
Fujifilm XF 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR
Lens Review By Michael Cruz
This is Fuji’s first weather sealed lens. It is not the fast lens by any means, widest at f 3.5 up to f 5.6; but the focal length makes it a great travel lens. This 7.5x super-zoom lens is equivalent to 27-206mm on a full-frame camera (35mm) it also comes with Optical Image Stabilization. Build Quality
If you are familiar with the 18-55mm lens or any Fujinon XF lenses you will have the same feel right at home with the XF 18-135mm. The build quality of the lens is top notch and with a reasonable price tag it is a very attractive lens.The mount like with any Fujinon XF lenses is metal and looks like it will last for a long time. The Zoom ring has enough torque and smoothness combination to it. I have no issues going back and forth for a different zoom range. There’s also a knob to turn the OIS (Optical Image Stabilizer) on or off and a button for manual or Automatic Aperture control. It also comes with a lens hood and a soft cloth pouch. Zooming is not internal so the length of the lens changes as you change focal lengths, the longer the focal length the longer it goes. I didn’t observe any zoom creep issue. Overall the build quality is excellent and it feels great in the hands, it is a combination of metal and high quality plastics. It feels very solid and at 490 grams, it is a lot lighter than any 7.5x DSLR super zoom I have tried. The weight is very well balanced for a bigger camera like the X-T1 and X-Pro1. Regarding the weather-sealed capability; I have conducted a test with X-T1 and this lens and pour a bottle of water, here’s the video :http://bit.ly/18_135
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The lens has an internal focusing (IF) system and it is very quiet compared to Fujinon 35mm f1.4 for example. I have a canon system and the focusing is as quiet and as smooth as the L lenses. The front of the lens is also fixed and doesn’t rotate on focus which is good for those who are planning to use filters. In actual use, the focusing is fast and accurate in any focal length or any lighting conditions. Chromatic aberration is very well controlled, in fact I didn’t find any fringes on all the images I took with the 18-135mm, which is a very good indication about the quality of the glass used in this lens. The out of focus bits or bokeh is very smooth as well. This is really a well put together lens. When it comes to image sharpness, it doesn’t fall short, it is sharp not only on all focal lengths but even when aperture is set wide open. Especially at 18mm up to 100mm. At 135mm, the center sharpness is still superb but the edges are on the soft side at f5.6; I don’t find that as a problem since it gives better subject isolation. However, if you want it sharp from edge to edge, stopping down to f8.0 is where the sharpness is at its best. Personally, I didn’t have any problem shooting wide open on this lens; the images are sharp and with good contrast and details.
Final Thoughts
The Fujifilm XF 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR is a superb telephoto lens. I don’t see any major flaws for this lens. Of course it could be faster or it can have a fixed aperture of f2.8, but this is not the purpose of this lens. This is an all-around purpose lens, which is perfect for travelling or photo walks in which you don’t want to change lenses or simply because you want to travel light. For that purpose, this is a superb lens. This is not a surprise since all Fujinon lenses to date are all wonderful lens and with excellent build quality with a very reasonable price tag. For those who are waiting for a fast telephoto that lens in Fujifilm lens roadmap; so that should be coming in the future. But for those who wants to enjoy the benefits of a 7.5x super zoom, I don’t think you will regret getting this lens. Pair it with a Fuji X-T1 and you have a weather-sealed kit that you can take pretty much anywhere without having to worry about water or dust ruining the your gear. It is a perfect adventure and travel companion.
About the Author Michael R. Cruz is a photographer based in Dubai, UAE. He is a tech geek and an artist - and digital photography became a fusion of both of his interests. He is originally from Manila Philippines and most of his works are focused on commercial, landscape and architecture photography. He enjoys creating visually stimulating digital composites and fine art imagery. His love for photography has evolved over the years. He believes that in photogrphy, you should include a part of yourself in your images; like how you feel when creating a certain image. That makes your images unique and most importantly it makes them your own. His works has been featured in photogrphy magazines, travel magazines and architectural books.
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Fujinon Lenses Review
Performance and Image quality
Lito Sy Philippines
ed
WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY
TIMELESS
PHOTOGRAPHS His style of photography is something that people will be looking at for the longest time and yet still appreciate it even after decades pass by. He brings drama, emotions, romance in all of his shots and he tells stories glamorously and yet seems so natural. The way he paints the light in a canvass is extraordinary and the way he take images is TIMELESS.
Lito Sy
Philippines X Pro 1 X-E2 X-T1 The first and only Master Photographer of the prestigious organization Weddings & Portrait Photographers of the Philippines since 2010. 4 time WPPP wedding photographer of the year and 3 time winner of WPPP photo of the year. One of the 30 Master Photographers of WPPI (Wedding and Portrait Photographers International) Master Photographer of WPPM (Wedding and Portrait Photographers
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of Malaysia, Master Photographer of WPPAsia. One of the top 30 wedding photographers of Asia, and chosen by Grand Master Jerry Ghionis as one of the best 20 wedding photographers in the world for his PICPOCKETS Apps (free on IOS and Android devices). Ambassador for Fujifilm, Phottix, Epson, Lexar, Think Tank, Wacom, Spider Holster and Vanguard... What more can I say.
This is Lito Sy in his finest photography. Who would have thought, this lad hailing from the Davao City, Philippines, would be one of the best photographers in this era. He started out as a videographer 25 years ago and assistant for other photographers during their shoots back then. For him, photography is not a luxury he chosed but a choice he had to make to earn a living. Lito was an Electrical
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Lito Sy Philippines
Engineering student and to support his studies, he had to take a job to cover his expenses. Destiny had brought him to the photography world, and destiny it is that had brought Lito Sy to our lives. Lito did not had any formal schooling in photography. All he had was photography books and several trainings and workshops he attended to. He just kept
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on practicing his skills and learning from experience. Passion is what drives him to excelled. For Lito, probably the best thing that photography brought to his life is gaining a lot of friends. He loves making people happy on their most memorable moments of their lives and being a part of those special days is something he would cherish forever.
If the day comes that Lito will not be into photography anymore, he wished to do some teaching and sharing of his knowledge and talent to all the new generations who will continue his legacy. Perhaps one day, people will remember him as an artists who made timeless photographs and the person who shared his passion to everyone.
Lito Sy Philippines
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Lito Sy Philippines
What I like the most in my Fujifilm cameras is the size, the color, the sharpness, the retro feel, the focusing speed and the controls are very easy to find and use. The Panoramic shots of my X -T1 is uncomparable. The capturing device that when you zoom in the images even at 500%, it is still fine and specially the skin tone for my portraits. I just love the Film simulation effects.
ISSUE 1
Torwong Salwala Thailand X Pro 1 X-E2 X-T1
STREET PHOTOGRAPHY
Torwong Salwala Thailand
A Picture’s Value
Torwong started in photography early. He was just a kid when he had his first camera and his father was his biggest influence in his craft. He still remembers his old guy taking a lot of photos and compilingthemintoalbumsthatfilledtheir home. His childhood was built basically around the art of photography.
After the event, Torwong couldn’t be more satisfied in his decision. He jumped to a career that he feels he would be more productive. He didn’t failed to what he has decided upon and now he is one of the best photographers in the country and had gained a legion of clientelle.
Torwong’s first chance to take pictures was during their relatives’ wedding day and it was his father who handed him a compact camera to shoot in the ceremony. After seeing his works, his dad took some of his pictures and added it to his compilation and shared with his relatives the other. It was Torwong’s crowning glory, and a day to remember where he saw how proud his father with his works.
His style always show sophisticated atmosphere and warm tone which seems to come out of my feeling at that moment. He uses only basic photography, techniques such as Lighting, Tone, Composition, Depth of field during his shoots and just try to find the best way to blend all of them into his pictures. He thinks of what his clients would like and approach the shoot on how he perceived they would like them. He believes by being yourself and having strong passion to create your own style could make one a better photographer.
Years have passed and Torwong was living his corporate life and pretty much satisfied with it. He couldn’t ask for more on what he had, but still, photography seems lingers and something he would like to do as well. In 2004, he had his deepest contemplation on his career. At that time he wanted to change his job field and thought that he could be a photographer. He did not faltered and move into a career that will make him happy. He decided to start taking photography more seriously.
For Torwong, the best thing about photography is that it helps him record many precious moments around him and share them to the world. Pictures remind us of their value and he thinks photography is like a long journey, you don’t have to be hurry. Walk slowly, look around then think how to tell story through photography and make it interesting.
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ISSUE 1
Torwong Salwala Thailand
Torwong Salwala Thailand
My first Fujifilm camera that I bought is Fujifilm X100. I love its overall image. I think that it looks good, simple and friendly. Most important is the file quality it produce. It is very impressive. I’m very satisfiedusing Fujifilm. I’m very serious in files quality and I like the file character of Fujifilm. I don’t have to be worry about files quality which can be processed easily and very flexible.
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The little details that make a big difference.
Stylish and compact, yet possessing the power to capture every scene with unprecedented image quality and richness of color reproduction. It’s everything you wished for in one camera, and more. X-M1. A small camera with the big impact.
Featuring sensor architecture that eliminates the need for an X-Trans CMOS Sensor can reproduce scenes with resolution and clarity rivaling a larger sensor. APS-C Image Sensor 23.6 x 15.6mm
On-The-Go Wireless Image Transfer
Express A New Point Of View Freely
Sharing on the go is made easy with the effortless wireless transfer of photos to smartphone, tablet and PC. No ID, password or other settings is required. In no time, high-quality photos are ready for sharing. The built-in Wi-Fi can also save photos on PC.
Simple “One Handed” Operation Tilting Screen. Change the LCD angle and your perspective.
EXPAND YOUR BOUNDARIES AND BROADEN YOUR HORIZONS
DL
Editor’s
choice
0.77x*, allowing it to work at optimum levels. Its tough performance will enhance your photographic opportunities even in the harshest conditions. Stretching your imagination, the X-T1 captures perfect images each time you shoot.
X-Trans CMOS II For Unmatched Color Reproduction
World’s Highest
By maximizing the power of APS-C-sized X-Trans CMOS II sensor, the result is image quality that rivals full-frame sensor.
A high-resolution 2.36 million-dot organic OLED display is what make the X-T1 so clear and inspiring to use.
Ratio Of 0.77X*
X-T1 EVF
Tough Performance Weather sealing protects the precision components inside and rugged design allows operation in temperatures as low as -10ºC.