- Fujifilm X

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
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
In House Photographer
Myk Reyes
Production Manager
Jaspher Alfonso
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.
DL
Editor’s
choice
SOUTH EAST ASIA
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
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.
ISSUE 1
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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Gathot Subrato Indonesia
Gathot Subrato Indonesia
R
Jessica Chan Malaysia
FINE ARTS PHOTOGRAPHY
edescovering
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-
ISSUE 1
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
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.
P
assion
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.
ISSUE 1
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The XE-2 is remarkable in how unremarkable it is, really, and that’s how cameras
should be, in my book.
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.
The X-E2
Desert Challenge
By: Kenneth Wong
Can Fujifilm X-E2 deliver the quality
expected amidst the harsh desertscape?
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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.
15
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
Kenneth Wong Review
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-
ISSUE 1
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.
Kenneth Wong Review
Kenneth Wong Review
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.
About the Author
Remarkably unremarkable, or unremarkably remarkable – you’ll find out when
you get your hands on one.
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.
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.
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
Apparently, Fuji also offers a very nice
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Keith Low Singapore
Keith Low
X Pro 1 x100s
Singapore
X-E2 X-T1
CREATING HIS OWN
LEGACY
LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY
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
experience. His eagerness to develop
his skills each day was enough to fuel his
motivation to learn more.
ISSUE 1
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
During the age of 11, Keith’s uncle who was
a photographer back then bought him a
Seagull 120 TLR. His uncle was a very talented
press photographer in Singapore during the
1960’s and Keith had always looked up to
him as his role model. Probably his uncle
would also want someone to carry the
legacy after. From all the items a kid could
enjoy, he choosed to give a camera as a gift
instead. And though Kieth have 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. The
gift marks the birth of Keith’s passion for
photography and he never looked behind
again.
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
Keith Low Singapore
Lê Kim Hung Vietnam
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
ISSUE 1
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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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.
Lê 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.
Performance and Image quality
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
ISSUE 1
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Fujinon Lenses Review
Fujinon Lenses Review
Lito Sy Philippines
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
ISSUE 1
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
28
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
29
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.
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.
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Lito Sy Philippines
Lito Sy Philippines
ISSUE 1
Torwong Salwala Thailand
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
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.
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
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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.