On the surface, it would seem that a Through The Lens or TTL viewing would always be considered the first choice for the photographer. In that sense, an EVF and using a DSLR’s viewfinder (which is, after all, an optical system – it uses a mirror and prism to project the TTL view to the photographer’s eye) are much closer to each other than a separate optical viewfinder, which does NOT view the image through the lens. The fundamental difference between the OVF and the EVF is really about whether the photographer is looking through the lens (TTL) to compose and frame, or not. When (and when Not) to use the Optical Viewfinder Even today though, it’s a remarkable feature, never matched by Leica on its M series, despite the fact they’ve been around with their rangefinder system for decades. So perhaps we take the hybrid finder with its dual magnification settings in OVF, for granted. The X-Pro1 is, by digital camera standards, an “old” model, and has been around for over three years. While in OVF, if you hold the lever for a few seconds towards the camera grip, it will switch the Optical Viewfinder’s magnification setting. It allows the photographer to see the composition better.Ī quick pull and release of the viewfinder lever switches between the OVF and EVF. For 35mm up to the moderate telephoto’s (like the 56mm/85mm-e, or 60mm/93mm-e), this is a much better setting than the wide 0.37x magnification. A 35mm (or 50mm-e) pretty much fills the view. The stronger magnification is 0.60x life size. Yes, this setting will also show frame lines for longer focal lengths, but there is a better option. An excellent setting for moderate wides, such as the 18mm and 23mm (35mm-e). This can show frame lines up to 18mm (around a 28mm-e). By holding the camera’s viewfinder switch to the right for a few seconds, the OVF will switch between the two magnifications. The OVF on the X-Pro1 has the further option of two magnification settings. I’ll try and answer those questions in this post.īefore discussing usage in-depth, there’s one more feature to emphasize. The images featured here were taken on a rainy photowalk, but if you’re interested in using this simulation in broad daylight, you may want to bump down the Color setting by one notch to prevent every color from becoming over-saturated.While I discussed the ideal situations of when to use the OVF versus the EVF in my article on using the X-Pro1 for street photography, I’ve received a few questions for further details. One thing to be aware of when using this recipe is that it’s a very different beast in high-contrast settings like a high-noon sun than it is on an overcast day. The Ektachrome simulation is ideal for rich, warm landscapes, 90’s-throwback portraiture, or any time you want to breathe life back into super-flat lighting.
This medium-contrast, ultra-saturated simulation plays gorgeously with warmer tones, and it’s a great way to gloss your images with a 70’s-feeling fuzz without sacrificing immediate visual impact by washing out the black tones. For me, the X100F is my walk-around camera, and being able to fire off a quick shot with the film simulations displaying in my live view – and then baked into my JPG – has made things far more fun. Lastly – and this was a hard pill for me to swallow, but I’m grateful I did – the time saved by having usable files the second after taking the shot can’t be understated. In the same way shooting analog with a roll of Porta, isn’t limiting or cheap, Fuji film simulations offer you stunning colors and tones without the sometimes-arduous process of editing – and there’s absolutely nothing stopping you from pushing the jpgs (or the RAWs) even further in Lightroom afterwards. They’re unique to the Fuji ecosystem, endlessly customizable, and react in wildly different ways to different colors, light, tones and textures, and occasionally faithfully emulate classic film stocks.
Plus – the idea of a generic, one-size-fits-all camera ‘filter’ didn’t appeal to me one bit as someone who valued my own creative vision.īut Fuji’s film simulations aren’t just a filter you slap on. I even pre-visualized my photos with whatever colors I would eventually pull or push out. As a “serious photographer”, I took the post-process of editing as a given.
But First: Why Bother with Fuji Film Simulations?