Cameras – Shaun Madill Photography

Fujifilm GFX100RF, A Review

I am not a camera reviewer. I don’t know the science behind sensors or colour processing. I also don’t care about stuff like that. But, if you want a review from a normal person, please read on.

I have wanted a medium format camera for quite a while. I’ve also admired the wide images taken on an X-Pan. Both have been out of reach financially. Also, I’ve moved away from landscape photography over the last few years, and a big heavy medium format camera and lens wouldn’t really fit in with the type of images I capture these days. Then Fujifilm introduced the GFX100RF. A medium format, X100 styled, fixed lens (relatively) compact camera, and I started to think again.

The GFX100Rf without any accessories attached

When I first saw the GFX100RF my first thoughts were of it being an X100VI with a bigger sensor, and that even if it were within my reach I probably wouldn’t buy it. It doesn’t have IBIS. F4 as the minimum aperture, for almost £5k?

Then, I was given the chance to test one out for a couple of weeks. As luck would have it, it arrived just before we went away to Anglesey, and my opinion completely changed.

Let’s start with the looks, because it’s important. I firmly believe that if the user doesn’t like the look of a camera then they’re less inclined to use it. Similarly, if the camera isn’t fun to use – it’ll gather dust.

From the front, it looks like an X100 on steroids. But, there’s no optical viewfinder or flash, so it looks a bit odd. Obviously, concessions would have to be made to make a medium format camera this small so it’s understandable that they’re missing. What the GFX does have that the X100 doesn’t is a digital tele converter dial on the front. This allows you to crop in (at the loss of pixels) in camera. It also has a very different front command dial, which is a taller than usual option, and I struggled to get used to it for a few days. From the top, it’s identical to the X100. Shutter speed and ISO dial, and exposure comp dial. But, there’s also a glimpse of my favourite feature on this camera, the aspect ration dial (more on that later).

The back is a completely new lay out. The (very good) viewfinder. This is digital only, unlike the X100 optical and digital options. Add to that a great screen with the same articulation as the X series cameras. There’s a new style control stick. There’s a second command dial as usual. It’s a bit chunkier so it matches the rest of the camera. I’ve read comments from a lot of people about the new stick, and it’s not very popular. I don’t mind it. It does what it’s supposed to. The focus mode control has been placed on the back. Then there are the usual Fujifilm buttons, AEL, Menu/Ok, Display/Back, Play, Drive/Delete and a very small Quick Menu Button.

Lastly, there previously mentioned Aspect Ratio dial. When I read about this I thought it was a gimmick. Do we really need a dial to change aspect ratio in camera? Why not just do that in post? Then, when I started using it – I got it.

Using this dial changes the way to approach a subject. It allows you to compose in different ways. It gets you thinking. Yes, you can do all that in editing, but this lets you see it there and then. Having that ability will change the way you view an image. For me, it adds to the Fujifilm ethos of doing as much as possible in camera. Set your film sim, set your aspect ratio, job done. Having the dial where it is lets you flick through the options whilst looking through the viewfinder. I even got experimental in York and tried portrait 17:6. Not with any great success, but it was fun trying.

The camera also does as good as you’d expect in the more ‘normal’ aspect ratio too. And, I can’t say I missed IBIS. It didn’t occur to me that it wasn’t a feature.

As I said at the start, I’m not a tech head or pixel peeper. I don’t care about that stuff, and given my limited vision it wouldn’t make any difference if I did. I have happily made photographs in jpeg, straight out of camera with this camera and done only very minor editing when needed. So, do I like this camera. Yes, very much. It’s nice to use, a decent size (for medium format), not too heavy. It feels nice in the hand and wasn’t obtrusive when walking around. Anyone familiar with Fujifilm cameras would be able to pick this up and make photos with it.

Now to the obvious question – is it better than the X100VI?
This is undoubtedly the question most people have asked. And, it’s a reasonable thing to ask, especially given the price difference.

If money was no object I would struggle to choose. The GFX is technically superior in some ways, and I had a lot of fun using it. I absolutely love the quality of the images it produces. Medium format really does make a difference. But, I feel it may be wasted on me as I don’t print my work. I mostly publish my images online, so an X100Vi is still a bit of overkill.

The X100 can go anywhere. And, well just look at it – it’s beautiful.

I think the best way I can sum this up is this. If you already have an X100 then you’re not missing out on the GFX100Rf. If you don’t have either, and can spend the extra, then the GFX is a wonderful camera that will serve you well for a very long time.

Fujifilm X-Half, a half review for half a camera.

I can’t believe I haven’t written anything here since April. It’s been a roller coaster couple of months with the arrival of our new granddaughter, Nellie. A complicated delivery, and prolonged hospital stay for mum and daughter and time flew by.

So, to photography. Last week I picked up the new Fujifilm X-Half. After a few days here on Anglesey I’ve gathered some thoughts. I don’t have the technical knowledge to write reviews, so if you want a qualified review, head over to DP Review. This is just my experience as an amateur.

I should start this by saying I knew this wasn’t comparable to my X100 cameras, or my Ricoh GR3s’. I knew this would be more a of a family snaps style camera.

Why did I buy this camera? I like the idea of a film like work flow. The film mode should make it so you choose a film sim and set the number of exposures you want to take. Then the camera locks the user out of changing any settings other than aperture (the camera has aperture priority, or auto modes). Once you’ve taken the full roll of film, you ‘develop’ your exposures in the app.

So far, I’ve tried three times to use this experience, twice it’s failed and gone back into normal shooting mode. The one time it worked, I found the ‘developing’ process an unnecessary gimmick. It takes a while, and serves no purpose. If you could change the look of the final image during processing, then that would be fun. It would be educational tool on how film development works.

How does it work as a camera? It’s ok. But, just, ok. The most frustrating thing is the lag. There’s a seriously annoying lag from pressing the shutter to the ‘click’ of the image being captured. This needs addressing in an update. My wife took several photos and she couldn’t tell if the camera had worked.

The rear screen is very poor in any shade of daylight. You can’t see it at all. Which, isn’t an issue if you use the optical viewfinder to compose, but in film mode you can’t see how many exposures you have left, or if it has moved to the next frame (when it works).

The images aren’t great. I expected the same or slightly better quality than my iPhone 16. My expectations were too high. My iPhone is infinitely better. There’s no RAW, but I knew that before I bought it. Fuji’s jpegs are generally brilliant, so I didn’t mind. Maybe it’s the one inch sensor? Sony did a decent job on one inch sensors though.

A lot of this wouldn’t really be an issue IF this camera didn’t cost £699. If I’m honest, this acts and feels like a toy camera. It should be called ‘my First Fuji’.

If I was asked to name a price to buy this, I’d say £100 a most. Do I feel a bit ripped off? Absolutely.

Out of curiosity I looked at what I could have bought for £699.

– A Canon EOS RS100 with an 18-55mm, for only £529
– A Lumix TZ99 for £469
– A Sony ZV1A for £649

That’s just three of a much bigger selection. I had to stop looking because the more I looked, the more I felt like I’d wasted my money.

If you’re looking for a small, fun camera then look at a second hand Lumix GM1. You can get one with a decent lens for less than this.

Can the issues in the X-Half be fixed? Maybe an update can fix the lag and the film mode failures. Maybe it could improve the final images. The screen will always be rubbish.

I’m tempted to sell if before the world realises how bad this camera is. Fuji, I expected a lot more from you.

Update; I ended up selling this camera to MPB, at quite a hefty loss. Lesson learned? Probably not.

2nd Update. I changed my mind and kept it. Maybe I didn’t give it enough of a chance.

3rd Update, it’s gone. Hated it.

Home Town

April has been an absolute cracker of a month weather wise, and yesterday was no exception. With some free time on my hands I decided to take a bike ride and took along one of my Ricoh GRIII (the none X HDF version).

The GRIII twins. — Yes, I have two GRIIIs, what’s the problem?

I didn’t have a destination in mind, or any kind of photography goal. The only thing I wanted to do was have a steady bike ride, and if I saw something worth photographing at least I was prepared. 30 minutes after leaving the house I found myself in Doncaster City Centre (I’ll never get used to Doncaster being a City).

Doncaster has a bad reputation, and in some cases it’s warranted. It has the same issues a lot of town centres in the UK have since the internet killed shopping as a past time. But, there is a new Civic Centre, which is all new and shiny and worth a visit.

It doesn’t seem to fit the rest of Doncaster, and maybe that’s a good thing. The buildings are shiny and glossy and people seem to find it a nice place to sit and enjoy the sun.

As it was the middle of a very sunny day Decided to shoot with the B&W Negative +Red Filter from Ritchie’s Ricoh Recipes. You can find it here; https://ricohrecipes.com/the-bw-collection/
I love the almost negative look it gives, especially with the blue sky. It’s almost black. The sun creates a lovely contrast and it works really well in bright light. I left the HDF filter on to add a bit of glow.

This is my favourite image from the day. I love the tree. It looks like it’s reaching for the woman, and she adds a sense of scale.

Here’s the rest of the images from the day.

I was recently asked why most of my images were in black and white. I struggle to see details because of my sight loss, but I can see contrast. Black and white helps me see my subjects.

I enjoyed my trip into town. I’ve never thought of it as a photographic destination. Maybe I’ll go back and see what else it has to offer.

Overcoming Visually Impaired Challenges in Photography

My aim this year has been to take more photographs, and while I have actually done that I haven’t taken anything worth sharing. What I have found that is worth sharing is a Youtube video from Thomas Heaton.

I’m a big fan of Thomas and I’ve followed him for years. But, this is my favourite video of his to date. As someone that is visually impaired I have had my battles with sticking with photography, but a few years on I have found a way that works for me. Gary (the star of the video) has a similar method where he looks for contrast, which is what I also do. It’s why I’ve made the move to black and white, because I see the shapes and the contrast more than the colour and the details.

Gary’s work is amazing. A real inspiration.

Point and Shoot

I don’t hate the camera on my phone, but I am not a fan of using my phone as a camera. It’s big (bring back the iPhone Mini), and the controls are rubbish, and making manual adjustments takes too long. I wanted something to take on days out with friends (which usually involves drinking), or on a city break. Something that was small and easy to use.

The X100vi is still a fairly hefty camera, and definitely not pocket-able. So, I decided to dig out my point and shoot.

Ricoh GR3X Camera — My GriiiX Ubran Edition

This camera has been sat in my sock drawer for a good few years and hasn’t been used. It wasn’t cheap and I have thought about selling it a bunch of times. But, I’m glad I didn’t because I haven’t given it a fair chance.

This isn’t a review, there are a million already out there by much more qualified people.

I love the sound this camera makes when you turn it on. That’s a good reason to buy a camera right? It’s the little things.

I like to use this camera in aperture priority (AV) mode. It can be used fully manual, but with a camera this size I just want to worry about the aperture. As I’m using this as a point and shoot I don’t want to spend lots of time editing. So I generally just use the straight out of camera Jpegs.

I have three presets on the dial for different colour profiles, Kodak, Portra and Ilford Black and White. But, the built in colour modes are good too, and easy to access from the control dial.

There are lots of great recipes over at https://ricohrecipes.com, the same guys that run the brilliant https://fujixweekly.com.

In my last post I wrote that I wanted to take more photos this year, and photos of our life rather than just one I’d put in my ‘portfolio’. This camera will definitely help with that.

Steel City

I love Sheffield. I think it’s a bit of a forgotten city, even here in Yorkshire people think Leeds or York are where it’s at. But, Sheffield has such a lot going on and a nice friendly atmosphere. I was there the other day to meet some friends for lunch, so I decided to go a little early and capture a few images, and as is usual these days my Fuji X100VI went with me. I was short on time, and didn’t get to explore as much as I’d have liked, but it’s only down the road so I will make the time to take a trip there just for photography.

This was an instant click of the shutter button. As soon as I saw this scene. I loved the trolley being parked up while the bloke had his break.

I saw the girl in the coat a little too late, so she’s out of focus. Let’s pretend she’s moving really fast and it’s intentional.

I would have prefer just the Crepe stand, bt it was so busy. But, the point of street photography is to capture what’s going on.

I love older couples, I’m an old romantic. She was helping him get the lid on his coffee, after losing patience with him. It reminded me of my wife.

I need to go back and take this again. There’s better framing to be had.

What did I learn? Well, nobody cares if you’re taking photographs, so I don’t need to stress about street photography as much.

I need to change the focus modes on my camera. I’m still in landscape mindset, so autofocus isn’t set to ‘continuous’ and my focus is on fixed central point. Every day is a lesson.

That’s all 2024…

Time flies, doesn’t it? It feels like just yesterday we were celebrating Christmas, but here we are at the end of 2024.

I didn’t have any specific photography goals at the start of the year. I’m not really one for New Year’s resolutions. But life has taken some interesting turns.

I switched from using Lumix cameras to a Fuji cameras. That brought its own set of challenges. The most positive being that I don’t spend as much time editing as I used to. I’m a big fan of the film simulations, so I focus more on getting the shot right in the camera rather than in Lightroom.

I tried my hand at street photography for the first time. It was a bit nerve-wracking, but I had a blast. I love seeing other photographers’ street work, and I’ve been collecting books on the subject. Mr. Whisper’s work is really inspiring (more on him next week).

I discovered new local spots to photograph, which got me into clouds (especially in black and white). I hope to explore that more next year.

We also managed a few trips away.

So, while it wasn’t an incredible year overall, it wasn’t bad either. And most importantly, I still love photography.

Street Photography

If you’re a street photographer, then you have my absolute respect. It scares the shit out of me. I took my camera into Sheffield the other week with the intention of doing some candid street photography, and I was so nervous. I just don’t have the guts to point my camera at complete strangers and take a photo.

I found myself holding my camera at my side, pointing it in the general direction, pressing the shutter and hoping for the best…. That’s not good. It doesn’t allow for composition, adjusting the settings, making sure the focus is right. Ugh. Any half decent photo would be pure happy accident.

I don’t know why I was so nervous. There were plenty of other people with cameras taking photos and nobody was confronting them. I think this is the reason I tend to stick to landscape type photography, the trees won’t accuse me of invading their privacy (as far as I know).

Sheffield is full of great photography locations

So, do I just give up? I don’t think so. I really like street photography (other peoples). I like images with humanity doing human things. I just need to build up my confidence, and I have a plan.

I’ve signed up to do a street photography course with Fuji in London at the end of January. That in itself is a big deal for me as it means being around other people and being open about my visual impairment, but at least we’ll have common interests so we’ll have something to talk about. They provide all of the gear, but I’ll take my own as it’s set up how I like it. Hopefully, I’ll come away more confident and less worried about other people.

The Great British Seaside, and the Fuji X100vi

A Quick Note – I lost the original images featured in this post when I accidentally formatted the memory card, so I wasn’t going to write it. In the end I’ve gone ahead, but I’ve had to use the Instagram copies, which is why they don’t look great.

Over the last year or so I’ve moved away from landscape photography. It’s something I’m still really interested in, and still enjoy. But, the reality is I live somewhere that isn’t very landscape-y. So, I’m trying other things, one of them being street photography.

I have always been nervous about trying street photography. Mostly, I’ve been worried about someone being upset about me taking their photo, either intentionally or not. I don’t know why, I’ve had my photo snapped a fair amount when we’ve been in York and I’ve never been upset by it, but some people can be funny. But, an impromptu Wednesday night trip to Scarbrough a few weeks ago and a new camera were a good motivation to give it a go.

The first thing I learned – walking a dog whilst trying to take photos doesn’t work. Especially if you already have vision issues making getting around challenging. The second thing I learned, my wife would rather I didn’t take photos when she’s around.

A camera in one hand and a dog in the other makes for a slightly blurry image.

This was the first time I used my new camera. I didn’t realise I had the in built ND filter turned on, so that slowed the shutter speed down and related in blurry images. Thanks a lot eyes….

I decided to shoot solely in JPEG, after all one of the points of the new camera was less time messing around editing. I’m pleased to say, it worked for me. There was a bit of cropping here and there, but that’s it. I mostly used a ‘recipe’ (I hate that term in this context) from Fuji X Weekly, which is a great resource for finding film simulations that aren’t already built in to the camera. In this instance I mostly used Vibrant Arizona (inspired by the Wes Anderson film, Asteroid City), which is a look I’ve really like since I saw the film.

I wish I’d have straightened the telescope before I took this.

I was stressing about manually adding recipes to the X100, but it’s actually fairly easy. Once you’ve changed one the rest come fairly easy. That said, I do want to spend more time taking photos with the in build simulations, but Scarborough was made for this recipe.

By this point I’d figured out my camera settings were shit

It turns out people don’t care if you’re taking photos. I think they assume they’re not in the frame. It helps that this camera has a small profile and doesn’t have a massive lens sticking out of the front.

Speaking of the lens. The biggest worry I had about moving to this camera was a fixed focal length. In this instance, the 23mm (35mm full frame equivalent) was perfect, and the 40MP sensor allows for a lot of cropping if needed. It will be interesting to see how I feel about actual landscape photography with this focal length.

Instagram compression has killed this one….

The one thing I don’t like about this camera (and there is only one thing), the front dial is too close to the on off switch. I kept changing the shutter speed instead of turning the camera off, or vice versa.

What did I learn on this trip? Always take the right glasses. Always. Check your camera settings with the right glasses on, so you can actually see them. Don’t format the SD card until you have copied the images to the network drive. Dogs or wives and cameras don’t mix. Street photography isn’t scary.

On that last point, street photography isn’t scary. I did kind of enjoy it, but I don’t think it’s something I would set out specifically to go and do. I still think that what I enjoy capturing the most lies somewhere between landscape photography and documentary style photography. Something that shows the human relationship with the natural world rather than towns and cities. Maybe.

This was my first outing with the Fuji X100vi, and yes, I still love it. I’ve spent the weeks since this going over the camera and learning where everything is. I’ve changed the function buttons around 87 times, and think I’m finally settled on them.

I think I’m at the point now where I feel confident enough to go out and really enjoy using it.

Negatives, and Positives. Using Film.

Back in March I had another go at fixing my 1970s’ OM10. The winding mechanism wasn’t moving properly, but I got it going and popped in a roll of Ilford film I had knocking around the house.

I didn’t invest a lot of time in taking photos with it as I wasn’t 100% sure I’d got it working. So, it’s mostly snaps of the dogs – they’re such good models!

Thankfully, it’s working and this time I got some actual images back. There were some valuable lessons in there. Firstly, the film ISO is important. I didn’t think about that and just assumed something at 400 ISO would suit most situations, but this particular film seemed more suited for darker lighting conditions. There’s a lot of grain where the images are bright. Next, (and this should have been obvious), no RAW for editing means that you really have to get a lot right in camera.

The biggest lesson – film photography is expensive. A 36 exposure film is around £10, developing is anywhere between £15 and £20. That’s up to £35 for a roll of film. Another reason you can’t afford to go wrong.

We’re so lucky to live in a time where digital photography exists. We can afford to mess up, and the only thing we will waste is our time. I have a new appreciation for RAW and being able to come home and change things in Lightroom. Even as someone that isn’t a fan of spending forever editing, it’s nice to be able to.

That said, I like the results. I generally don’t shoot black and white, but I think I’m going to go out a few times and just shoot in black and white. I really, really love this 50mm lens. I’m looking for an Olympus to L Mount adaptor so I can use it on my S9 when it arrives.

So, it’s nice to know the camera works, and I will use it. But, given the cost I can;t see me shooting more than one film a year.