I’ve unintentionally got a new camera which is Fuji Film X-E1. Why did I say ‘unintentionally’? Because I actually wanted to buy X100s when I walked into a Camera shop. However, I was brought around by a staff who tried to sell this X-E1. Honestly, I knew that he tried to clear up the stock of X-E1 model since the newer model of this product line has just been launched which is X-E2.
Anyway, I decided to buy the X-E1 instead of X100s, and I’m still kind of regret that I didn’t buy the x100s. Nevertheless, I find that X-E1 is a very good mirrorless camera and I’ve started to feel fun adapting myself to its function even though its kit lens is a bit intimidated because of the size. I’m surprised that the user interface of Fuji Film camera is quite easy to understand. Before this one, I’ve used Olympus E-P1 for 3-4 years but I still can’t comprehend how could I use its features. Right now, I’m on the learning curve for my new camera.
Speak of photography, Bokeh is one of photo effects that I really want to be able to produce it. I’ve read about how to create bokeh, and I kind of know that the aperture should be larger (means small number). The ideal aperture should be f/2.8, 1.8 and 1.4 (Source). So I wasn’t sure that I could capture the Bokeh effect as my camera’s lens kit has its aperture range from 2.8 to 4. However, I accidentally found photos in Flickr Pool which the photographer has the same camera model as me, and some of his photos displayed Bokeh by using the lens kit. I noticed that he manually adjusted shutter speed to work with smaller aperture than f/2.8 so I wanted to try the same technique as his. Unfortunately, I can’t remember his name so I can’t find his gallery on Flickr anymore.
Today I tested some combination of aperture, shutter speed, ISO, and focal length for the Bokeh result. I think that the outputs were quite acceptable. I chose this photo for a respond to the challenge co-hosted by weliveinaflat and firebonnet.
Fuji Film X-E1 + Lens18-55 mm | ISO 250 | Focal Length 42.5 | F/4 | S1/500 | EV -1
I think their challenge is flexible which leads to our own creativity to produce responses as we desire. Hope to see some of you joining their challenge too.
Completely Disappear 
A lovely photo. Something for me to think about. :D
Funny, you mentioned this cos I was just checking out mirrorless cameras yesterday. Only a friend was considering Olympus or Panasonic, Fujifilm wasn’t on the radar for her. Thank you for sharing the process, we always get better from the experimentation :) Thank you for joining the challenge this year as well too! :)
I never thought of Fujifilm as well, and I actually kind of retreated myself from carrying a real camera while travelling because of the weight. However, I was thinking to find a light weight camera after coming back from Japan last year because I was a bit disappointed with some photos that they should have been better captured by using a real camera for more detail instead of a mobile phone. That’s why I started looking for a camera that is good for travel and I found many articles raving about Fujifilm X100S. However, it is quite expensive as we thought of it at the compact camera level which it is positioned itself as a premium compact camera.
Anyway, I’ve got another model instead as I mentioned on my post which its lens is far from an ideal tool for light traveller. I’m not talking about its weight but considering its size. Still, its kit lens is very good after trying a number of shots. It handles low light situation quite well and it also provides sharp photo files. I started to enjoy using it and I’m thinking to take it with me for my next trip. I think Fujifilm’s user interface is easy to use too and the way they separate a control of shutter speed, aperture, ev compensation from digital menu is quite easier to adjust them manually.
Speaking of a fun coincidence, I just talked about Bokeh with my colleague and asked her advice before seeing your challenge. So it was easy dicision for me to take part in the challenge as I’ve already interested in it.
Thanks for an interesting challenge :)
Thank you for the explanation. It helps alot! :) I;m also looking at Sony… so many choices! Haha!
Btw, I’ve just created a board for this challenge on Pinterest – http://www.pinterest.com/weliveinaflat/photo-challenge-with-apps/
For challengers whose blogs enable pinterest sharing, I assume that I will be able to add your photos to the board, with your permission. If you would not like your photos shared on Pinterest, please do reply to this comment and let me know ;)
If you are active on Pinterest and would like to contribute to the board, let me know your Pinterest email and I will add you. Thanks!!
I don’t mind sharing the images on Pinterest if my blog has the pinterest function which I don’t think I have it. Or it might be hidden somewhere. Anyway, I don’t mind.
Cool, thanks! :)
Thanks for sharing. I’m thinking of getting a compact camera (it’s much lighter than a DSLR) so your article was very helpful. Thought I must say these kinds of cameras don’t come cheap, but I think it will be worth it in the end for great photos :)
Yep, you’re right. Speaking of compact camera, it comes in a high price if we want a good one. But when we turn to mirror less cameras, we might think of new lens to acquire what we want from photography. Right now, I’m a bit not sure about what I want from taking photos. I surely want to get good quality and meaningful ones but I’m not certain that how far I will go for the sake of excellent images. For me, I think nothing is more important than the fun of taking photos. We should enjoy ourself capturing the memorable moments by our camera.
Hopefully, you will get a compatible camera for your own lifestyle.
Thanks, Cotton. This is very helpful. Like you, I don’t know what I want from photography. Never really got into it until I realised that I wanted to put images with my blog posts and saw nice blog photos like yours :)
Price will definitely be a big issue for me when it comes to getting a compact. I will probably go for a compact that is easy to use and takes great wide angle shots. Totally agree with you that the most important thing is to have fun taking photos and enjoy capturing what we see. If we do, I think this positive energy will translate into our images :)
I’m really impressed with your natural bokeh effect, especially taken with a new camera. It looks like you are going to have much fun experimenting with your camera and the lens kits! I can’t wait to see more. :)
I made the same decision as you, but several years ago when I purchased a mirror less Sony Nex C-3 camera. No regrets there. I love it! Takes far better photos than my iPhone 4s, sharper and better photos in low light, yet still lightweight and easy to travel with. Can even remove the lens and carry the camera in one pocket and the lens in another if I want. It just takes better pictures all the way around. And I use photography to help sell my pet products, and animals (especially cats) are not very good at sitting still, so a camera that can take at least 6-7 frames a second is an absolute necessity. Enjoy your new camera and lens; your bokeh effects are very nice!