Getting to know my new xe2s

mporter012 · Jan 14, 2018

Just picked a new Fuji Xe2s and getting used to it. I decided to give Fuji a try because Nikon just doesn't have what I want in a DX lens lineup. All I wanted was the good old 28/50/85 primes, or a variation on that theme, and Nikon refused to comply!

So I'm going to try the Fuji with the 23 f/2 and see what happens.

My thoughts so far:
1) EVF isn't great. If you take a Nikon FE and put a 50mm prime on it, it's such a beautiful experience looking through a lens and focusing on something and it just snaps into focus. So you can't really manually focus outdoors that easily, because it's almost impossible to really see properly through the EVF. So it's all AF.

2) Blown highlights. The Dynamic Range doesn't seem to be great. I'm having lots of blown highlights, which is very odd to me, because I don't think I've had blown highlights on photos really ever.

I need to keep digging deeper into the settings and get things straightened out, but can some make some suggestions or speak to the issue of blown highlights? Should I be using Average AE or Spot? Jpeg or RAW? Been using RAW and Multi AE, and editing in lightroom, but maybe I'm missing something?

Thanks folks!

locutus · Jan 14, 2018

I dont have a X system Fuji, but do have a X100...so my comments might not transfer completely.

If you are having issues with blown highlights, are you using RAW or camera JPG's engine?

If you are shooting JPG's (which can be quite nice as the 'film simulation' modes Fuji supplies are nice) play with the contrast settings, the defaults are intended to be quite contrasty and E6 like.

Chan Tran · Jan 14, 2018

I bought the Nikon Df and use the same 28/50/85 lenses I used on the F3. Nikon doesn't want to make lenses for the DX format.

mporter012 · Jan 14, 2018

Chan Tran said:
I bought the Nikon Df and use the same 28/50/85 lenses I used on the F3. Nikon doesn't want to make lenses for the DX format.

Well they are losing customers.

mporter012 · Jan 14, 2018

locutus said:
I dont have a X system Fuji, but do have a X100...so my comments might not transfer completely.

If you are having issues with blown highlights, are you using RAW or camera JPG's engine?

If you are shooting JPG's (which can be quite nice as the 'film simulation' modes Fuji supplies are nice) play with the contrast settings, the defaults are intended to be quite contrasty and E6 like.

I've been shooting RAW.

faberryman · Jan 14, 2018

mporter012 said:
Been using RAW and Multi AE, and editing in lightroom, but maybe I'm missing something?

Enable the histogram and be sensitive to the types of shots where you are getting blown highlight (lots of sky, for example). You will probably need to use the exposure compensation dial in such situations.

mporter012 · Jan 14, 2018

faberryman said:
Enable the histogram and be sensitive to the types of shots where you are getting blown highlight (lots of sky, for example). You will probably need to use the exposure compensation dial in such situations.

Ok. Is this something unique to the fuji system? I mean I'm taking photos of my niece on a party sunny day, with front light, and it's blowing out the highlights on her hair. Seems like some setting must be messed up.

locutus · Jan 14, 2018

Actually, you can setup the camera to show you the histogram inside of the viewfinder. Its a bit over the top to use fulltime but it might be worthwhile to enable it to get a feel of 'how the camera exposes'.

Oh and sorry, i read over the last section of your first post, stupid suggestion followed

Cholentpot · Jan 14, 2018

mporter012 said:
Just picked a new Fuji Xe2s and getting used to it. I decided to give Fuji a try because Nikon just doesn't have what I want in a DX lens lineup. All I wanted was the good old 28/50/85 primes, or a variation on that theme, and Nikon refused to comply!

So I'm going to try the Fuji with the 23 f/2 and see what happens.

My thoughts so far:
1) EVF isn't great. If you take a Nikon FE and put a 50mm prime on it, it's such a beautiful experience looking through a lens and focusing on something and it just snaps into focus. So you can't really manually focus outdoors that easily, because it's almost impossible to really see properly through the EVF. So it's all AF.

2) Blown highlights. The Dynamic Range doesn't seem to be great. I'm having lots of blown highlights, which is very odd to me, because I don't think I've had blown highlights on photos really ever.

I need to keep digging deeper into the settings and get things straightened out, but can some make some suggestions or speak to the issue of blown highlights? Should I be using Average AE or Spot? Jpeg or RAW? Been using RAW and Multi AE, and editing in lightroom, but maybe I'm missing something?

Thanks folks!

Gotta treat digital like slide film, I always aim for under exposure and bring it back up in post.

mporter012 · Jan 14, 2018

Cholentpot said:
Gotta treat digital like slide film, I always aim for under exposure and bring it back up in post.

Interesting. Yea, I'm pretty much new to digital, but I would say that the D7100 I had with the 35 Af-D was pretty amazing right out of the box. I just put it on manual or Aperture Priority and never had any issues with blown highlights and it was VERY sharp

Cholentpot · Jan 14, 2018

mporter012 said:
Interesting. Yea, I'm pretty much new to digital, but I would say that the D7100 I had with the 35 Af-D was pretty amazing right out of the box. I just put it on manual or Aperture Priority and never had any issues with blown highlights and it was VERY sharp

I learned film and digital side by side.

It takes a few dozen shots for me to get back into digital each time. With film I always aim to over expose, with digital I aim to under expose, sometimes by a stop or so. The highlights go much too quick.

Just so happens I'm on the market for an upgrade to my digital body. I'm torn between going all out and getting a Sony A7 or stick with what I know and go 6D or 5DMKII.

mporter012 · Jan 16, 2018

I.[/QUOTE]
About 98% of the photos I've taken in my life have been on Tri-x. As a rule, I typically shot Tri-x at 200 (expose to the right). So with digital, would you suggest then that I expose to the left by 1 stop?

Craig75 · Jan 16, 2018

I had the original xe1 and whatever version of lightroom was most recent then but lightroom was an awful converter for fuji xtrans. Whether lightroom has improved with xtrans i dont know but it might be worth a google to see what processing software is most popular amongst xtrans users today

Splurfy · Jan 16, 2018

With respect, you really need to plow through the Fuji model-specific boards and blogs to get down with the expansive customization that's available for your camera. Google "Fuji X-E2s settings."

The latest f2 "Fujicron" lenses are wonderful. Have the 35/2 and and 50/2. Love 'em. If you don't find the X-E2 form factor to your liking, the superb X-T1 body is on sale almost everywhere.

mporter012 · Jan 21, 2018

Splurfy said:
With respect, you really need to plow through the Fuji model-specific boards and blogs to get down with the expansive customization that's available for your camera. Google "Fuji X-E2s settings."

The latest f2 "Fujicron" lenses are wonderful. Have the 35/2 and and 50/2. Love 'em. If you don't find the X-E2 form factor to your liking, the superb X-T1 body is on sale almost everywhere.

Yea, I certainly do. I did a lot of shooting over the weekend in the Ozarks, and was exposing for the highlights, and that certainly solves the issue of blown highlights. Just speaking technically though, when you're exposing for the highlights, the shadows are so blacked out in the viewfinder, that it's difficult to actually compose the image properly! Thus far, I'm missing my SLR's. We shall keep trying this thing out though!

faberryman · Jan 21, 2018

Expose for the highlights; shadows are easily recoverable in LR.

Splurfy · Jan 21, 2018

There are just so many stops the X-Trans sensor, like any other, can capture. Just watch your contrast range and enable the view finder histogram for some guidance on what the sensor "sees." Agree that shooting RAW does offer some hope but that won't always save your a$$ if there's just too much contrast.

mporter012 · Jan 21, 2018

faberryman said:
Expose for the highlights; shadows are easily recoverable in LR.

When you point the camera at the sky to expose for the highlights and you then bring the camera down to compose, it's hard to see the shadow detail in the EVF and pretty tough on live view, as well. Is there a way around this? Another way to put it: when you point at the highlights, you have to focus on the sky, and then if you let go of the shutter release, the camera then takes a different reading, so how do you expose for the highlights, and still compose without blacking out the screen? Does that make sense?

Paul Howell · Jan 22, 2018

Don't know about Fuji, but all my DSLRS, Sigma, Sony, Konica Minolta, and Pentax have exposure lock, once you determine which part of the scene you have selected for the exposure lock it in and then compose, or set the camera to manual exposure mode, determine your setting then compose and set the shutter speed and F stop combo you had determined earlier. Would be surprised if your XC2 lacks a exposure lock.

mporter012 · Jan 23, 2018

mporter012 said:
When you point the camera at the sky to expose for the highlights and you then bring the camera down to compose, it's hard to see the shadow detail in the EVF and pretty tough on live view, as well. Is there a way around this? Another way to put it: when you point at the highlights, you have to focus on the sky, and then if you let go of the shutter release, the camera then takes a different reading, so how do you expose for the highlights, and still compose without blacking out the screen? Does that make sense?

This is probably possible, I just need to figure out how to do that.

TheRook · Jan 24, 2018

mporter012 said:
When you point the camera at the sky to expose for the highlights and you then bring the camera down to compose, it's hard to see the shadow detail in the EVF and pretty tough on live view, as well. Is there a way around this? Another way to put it: when you point at the highlights, you have to focus on the sky, and then if you let go of the shutter release, the camera then takes a different reading, so how do you expose for the highlights, and still compose without blacking out the screen? Does that make sense?

The traditional approach is to simply keep as much sky out of the frame as possible. (Get closer to the subject, avoid wide angle lenses, etc.) For most scenes and subject matter, sky is really not important - the less of it, the better.

Getting to know my new xe2s

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