Warning: No great photos ahead. But I hope this will be useful to readers from a “here’s the mistakes I made, here’s what I have learned, what would you have done differently?” perspective.
The Stone Roses played Hong Kong tonight at the AsiaWorld Arena. This is the first concert I’ve been to since getting my Fuji X-Pro1. I asked my girlfriend to carry it in her handbag since I thought it would be too conspicuous if I carried a camera bag.
On entering the arena, they searched her bag and spotted the camera. They pointed to signs that said No DSLRs and No SLRs. I said, look how small the camera is, it’s not one of those, and they let us in with it.
Trying to shoot was a frustrating experience on many levels, not the least of which was that the security guards kept coming down any time they spotted anyone with a camera bigger than a mobile phone. This just makes zero sense to me.
Settings? I went with 1/125th of a second, because I thought that ought to be fast enough to capture most movement on stage. I went with ISO 6400 because I didn’t want to shoot wide open, hoping for at least some moderate depth of field. Aperture set to “A”.
For the metering, I chose spot focus, which was probably a mistake. I couldn’t hold the camera up to my eye for framing as I was worried about the security guards. Since I had an aisle seat, I put the camera on my leg, pointed it at the stage, LCD screen off and fingers covering the rear LED indicators. This meant that the “spot” was frequently not on the singer or the musicians but on the black backdrop and so on lots of shots the highlights are darned close to blown out.
Forget about focus. Jumping Jehosephat! The few times I could hold the viewfinder up to my eye, the Fuji 60mm F2.4 just hunted and hunted and when it stopped, more often than not it was making the wrong choice. You would think that contrast detection focus would work just fine when there’s a lead singer wearing a white shirt standing against a mostly black background. But noooooo. Neither S or C focus settings could bring me anything reasonable. So I had to go for manual focus. I did the best I could, trying to focus on Ian Brown when he was standing at the front and center part of the stage. But since I couldn’t hold the camera up to my eye, I couldn’t adjust focus as he moved around.
I don’t really have time to look at all my photos tonight. I’ve checked a few and if there’s a pro-quality shot there, it will be a miracle. Of the two dozen or so shots that I’ve looked at so far, here’s the one that’s the least bad:
Because I was doing spot metering and the camera was pointed at a black area, the shot ended up at F2.4. Focus is vaguely okay but the highlights were just about blown out and playing with the exposure, clarity, contrast, highlights and shadows sliders in Lightroom can’t bring back detail that’s not there in the first place.
Oh well. It was a good concert though. I never got to see the Stone Roses in their heyday so I’m glad I finally got to see them. Ian Brown still can’t sing on-key but John Squire was quite impressive live.
13 Comments
Wow, those are tough limitations with security. Im horribly tempted by the nokia 808 at the moment, just because of the camera and ive got an ipad for the big phone stuff. Might have got something half decent with it, if you could only use a phone.
> Dave the Vet
I too was tempted with the 808, but bought the RX100 instead. The 808 is great at bright light / full resolution, or low light and pixel binning, but not good in low light when zoomed.
The RX100 is more of an all-rounder, and feels like a camera. I’m astounded by how good it is. It certainly would have smoked the X-Pro 1 in this situation.
The slow autofocus on the X-Pro1 (and the fact that it’s incredibly inaccurate in low light settings) is getting more and more frustrating to me. I like the size of the RX100 but don’t like the controls. I’m either sticking with the Fuji or moving to the Olympus OM-D.
The controls on the RX100 are quite good. You can assign buttons and you have two dials. I’d prefer a 3rd shutter-finger dial, but it’s good as is. It just needs a little time to become second nature, as with any camera.
The X-Pro 1 is really like shooting a rangefinder…. slow and deliberate. The OM-D is like the Lotus Elise of DSLRs… quick and nimble. I know which I prefer! Add the hinged screen, in-body stabilisation, and weather-proofing, and it starts to become a no-brainer.
Panasonic shot themselves in the foot in the M4/3 alliance. By denying Oly their best sensors, Oly went to Sony. Result is the OM-D; the first M4/3 camera worth buying (apart from the GH2 + hack if you are a videographer).
The main problem with M4/3 is DOF. Fast glass for the system is expensive. The new, expensive, Panny 2.8 zoom (which is at least weather-sealed) gives the same DOF results as a cheap F4 zoom on APS-C, or a super-cheap F5.6 lens on FF. Not very exciting. To compensate, you start to look for F1 to F2 M4/3 glass, and you come to the realisation that it’s big and expensive.
If shallow DOF doesn’t matter to your photography, then the OM-D is a great camera.
I do like shallow DOF at times. I’m going to try and stick it out with Fuji, wait and see what changes their next rounds of firmware updates bring and also what the upcoming lenses are like. I know I completely do not like Nikon’s mirrorless system and I’m unimpressed by what I’ve seen from Canon so far. I’m not going to abandon the Fuji so quickly, though I did buy everything used and could probably get very close to what I paid for it if I sold it in the very near future. But that way lies madness ….
The Fuji is great. Enjoy it.
My only concern if I owned one would be Fuji announcing two new X-mount bodies at Photokina. A cheaper one (albeit with AF speed improvements) to get more people onto the mount, and an improved version of the current model. That would leave existing owners with a body that just tanked in value (unless they can improve it with a firmware update).
Do you think Fuji would announce an X-Pro2 that quickly? I don’t think we’d see one till 2013. It is a good question whether they would move to having multiple bodies for this mount at any one time.
Your guess is as good as mine, but I’d be surprised if they didn’t at least introduce a cheaper body. They need more volume on the mount.
http://www.fujirumors.com/surprise-at-photokina-low-and-high-end-x-model-coming/
The omd is very good, the 75 f1.8 is sensational,I don’t know if you’ve come across a Malaysian guy called Ming Thein, very good blog, worth reading. The guys a pro and uses and has good reviews for a d800, m9 and an omd.
8mm fisheye fyi
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/876963-REG/Samyang_sy28fe8mbk_fx_8mm_f_2_8_Fish_eye_Lens.html/NZ080412Samy8f28Fuji
> Dave the Vet:
http://www.eoshd.com/content/8674/nokia-pureview-808-review-and-vs-iphone-4s
I also read Ming Thein. Smart guy. It was this article that brought him to my attention:
http://blog.mingthein.com/2012/04/12/professional-photography-with-compact-cameras/
RX100 for concert photography:
http://www.stevehuffphoto.com/2012/08/08/the-sony-rx100-shoots-seal-in-concert-by-barry-burris/
HK street shots with the RX100:
http://www.stevehuffphoto.com/2012/07/26/daily-inspiration-336-by-jose-e-tan-street-with-the-rx100/