06 Aug Finally Got My Hands On A Fuji X-Pro 1

We had the biennial Chambers family reunion a couple weekends ago in Seattle.  I knew I wouldn’t have much time for picture taking so I didn’t want to lug around all my gear but I also didn’t want to just use my iPhone, again.  So I figured this would be a good time for me to rent the Fuji X-Pro 1.  I am in LOVE with that camera.  Along with the body, I rented the 18mm lens, which is equivalent to about 27mm.  There are a ton of reviews out there on the Fuji X-Pro 1, so I’m not going to go there except to say that the only issue I have with the camera is the shutter lag.  But, even with that issue, I would absolutely recommend this camera.  If you’re looking for a review, check out this one, by Preston Utely.  Great review and beautiful photos.  I love his work.

Most of the shots I took were of my family but here are a few from the weekend that are more in the travel arena.

Oh, one other thing.. the detail this camera and lens capture is pretty fantastic.  It’s hard to see it with these smaller images, so I’ve linked the pics to slightly larger versions to give you a better view.  Also, for those of you who may want to know, all of these were shot at ISO 400.

This first one is part of my never ending effort to produce the next “most expensive photo in the world.”  I don’t know what my obsession is with empty spaces.  If anyone out there has any ideas, please share.  This was shot at the airport while waiting for the van to the hotel.

Seattle is one of my favorite cities and I’ve mentioned on my blog before that I absolutely love the Olympic Sculpture Park.  I could sit in that park all day and be perfectly content.  As you can see, the weather during this trip was a little overcast..but after spending some seriously hot days in Colorado, the cool temps and cloudy skies where great.  Anyway, one of the things I love about this place is that it was a barren industrial zone remade into a beautiful waterfront park.  I also like that the park still has a bit of the industrial feel to it with the concrete hardscapes and the train running through part of the park.

This next shot is a good example of the shutter lag issue.  Compositionally, I like this photo for a couple reasons.  But the one thing I don’t like is the bike tire intersecting with the sign…which was due to shutter lag.  Can I do some photoshop magic, yes…but I prefer to do my very best to capture everything in camera.

These last couple shots were taken during our drive into Lake Union.  Yes, I wrote “drive.”  If you’ve ever taken a Duck Boat Tour you know what I mean.  It’s a land and water tour in an old WWII amphibious landing vehicle.  We toured the city streets and then drove right into Lake Union to see a few sites on the water.  If you ever plan on doing a duck tour, I highly recommend doing it with a group of people who aren’t afraid to be a little crazy.  Most of the boat captains dress up and their schtick is to act a little bit goofy, crackin’ jokes, jammin to music..so if you’re with a group of people who like to get their crazy on every once in a while, chances are you’ll have a real fun time.