On my way to “The Cruise 2012” & Testing Fuji X-Pro 1 with 60 Hexanon 1.2!
Hello to all! I am currently on a flight from Phoenix to New York with my fiancee’ where I will meet up with Todd Hatakeyama and his wife for dinner before we board the Princess Cruise ship tomorrow for the 1st annual SteveHuffPhoto.com Photo cruise! I am excited to meet those who signed up and we should all have a great time. It’s all about relaxing, having a blast, taking photos, hanging out, meeting new friends and enjoying the scenery as we travel the entire East Coast and Canada on board a luxurious cruise ship. Tonight we will be at the Loft Hotel in Brooklyn and I can not wait to check in 🙂
We all board the ship tomorrow and I will try to meet up with everyone so we know who is who. Then we have an at Sea day Sunday and plan on making our 1st outing on Monday when we hit Halifax Nova Scotia. The photo opportunities should be a plenty!
So what did I bring along with me? Well, since Fuji is releasing the hot new X-Pro 1 firmware next week I rented an X-Pro 1, 35 1.4 and Leica adapter. I want to give the Fuji another shot because last week I met up with Ashwin Rao for dinner in Phoenix and when I shot with his X-pro 1 it seemed much quicker than when I had one for review due to the last firmware update Fuji put out. I also never did get to test the M adapter so I can now do this. Todd has some amazing Leica glass so maybe he can let me use a lens or two for review purposes..hint hint 🙂
Ashwin with his X-pro 1 decked out with leather case and strap 🙂
So with the new firmware 2.0 almost here and promises of huge AF speed increases I thought it would be fair to test the Fuji again since when I reviewed it I dubbed it the “X-Slow 1” due to the awfully painfully slow AF. With the 35 1.4 on it now I already am liking it much more and I have not even gotten 2.0 yet.
I also have with me (Thanks to Ashwin Rao and Ed Tan) a rare jewel in the exotic lens world..the 60 Hexanon 1.2 M mount lens. I will be shooting this on the Fuji to test out how it performs. This lens has gained legendary status by those who own it and it is indeed a rare find. I was surprised by how small it was when compared to a Noctilux. The shot below is one Ashwin took of me on his X-pro 1 whide open at 1.2 at night while we took a quick walk.
Yours truly shot with the 60 Hexanon 1.2 on the X-Pro 1 wide open – BOKEH BALLS!
I have only managed to shoot 3 shots with this combo so far, all three of then taken in the airport. BUT I already have fallen for this lens and the main reason why is because there is simply nothing like it. It’s much smaller and lighter than a Noctilux yet gives a similar rendering. It is built wonderfully well and jewel like and focuses smoothly and with a short throw. The size, build and optical quality is up there with the best but I look forward to shooting it on the X-Pro 1 and eventually a new Leica before I have to return it (or make an offer to buy) to its current owner.
The 60 Hex at 1.2 in the airport. I didn’t realize the restaurants now served dogs as well 🙂
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Hexanon at f/2 – Fuji X-Pro 1
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one with the Fuji 35 1.4
While in the ship I will try to update the site as often as I can. There will be slow internet so I will post what I can and when I can! My next full workshop will be an amazing team effort with Ashwin in the Palouse but not for a few months…will keep everyone posted on that one as it will be EPIC! Enjoy your weekend everyone!
Is your Leica days over? Or didn’t they invite you to the event Monday
As I stated and posted a few times here and on Facebook..I was invited with full hotel and air but my cruise workshop is all this week so I can not make Photokina when I have a workshop commitment on a ship all week for the next 7 days. My Leica days are not over unless they release an M10 for $9-10k..then I would refuse to buy one because it would be ridiculous. Leica has been losing steam due to pricing and mediocre releases. Hoping that they release something amazing this week.
Hey guys. Good luck. Also, just to let everyone know who is here in NYC for the cruise, if you need anything or accidently leave something behind, I live here and I can help. Don’t hesitate to ask. I will do my best to help my fellow Huffies.
Happy cruising guys…
wow.. wish I could get along 🙂
Enjoy the cruise guys….very jealous back here at home!
Ahhh… the “Steve Huff effect”… I was wondering why my review of the Hex 60/1.2 was suddenly getting a lot of hits today and now I know why ;).
Enjoy your cruise Steve and Ashwin… and Steve, knowing you, you’ll love the Hex 60, even though it has its warts…
Peter.
Ha, I’ve read your review of the Hex 60/1.2 and Yanick’s more times than I can remember, although not today!! 😉
Hopefully one day I’ll be among the lucky few that own one….
The 50mm Hexanon f1.2 is also a good lens ..but not “great” ..its out-of-focus highlights (‘bokeh’) are fussier and rather ‘sharp edged’ compared with the deliciously smooth Leica 50mm f1.4 (the current one). The Konica is big and heavy, and doesn’t focus as close as the Leica 50mm (only to 3 foot, 0.9 of a metre – just like the Zeiss 50mm f1.5) but it has a smooth, easy 90 degree “throw” from infinity to closest focus.
It’s great with a 62mm neutral density filter in bright light, for shallow d-o-f at midday.
That 50mm Hex (I haven’t used the 60mm) has a little more vignetting than Zeiss or Leica at wide open, but it’s a very handy lens, although scarce (only 2001 of them were made), but is much more pleasingly contrasty and sharp than the more frequently available – on eBay – old screw-thread Canon 50mm f1.2, which is rather ‘soft’ at f1.2.
Great photos, wish I was joining y’all on the photo cruise – the Eastern seaboard and Canada should offer some nice fall colors by now, look forward to seeing photos.
I have lusted after the X-Pro 1 since its release but held off because of the mediocre reviews and slow focus issues, but I am on standby with credit card in hand to hear what Fuji’s follow up will be at Photokina.
If it’s full frame, i’m in!
Full frame, yes please, then Fuji 18mm, 35mm & 60mm lens would make more sense and justify replacing my X100
Can the X mount lenses cover a full frame sensor? If not, then I highly doubt a full frame camera any time soon. That would mean an entirely new set of lenses.
Glad to see you are reconsidering the X-Pro 1… Konica made some incredible lenses back in the days, i use many of them with my X-Pro 1 except for the 60 1.2, an almost impossible to find piece of glass, not to mention the cost. If you want similar results and can find the 35mm F2 Konica Hexanon AR EE, get it… It’s a beast on the X-Pro 1 way much less expensive than the 60 1.2 with incredible results…
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ki0001/7986270187/in/photostream/lightbox/
Great article and nice to read you take a X-Pro1 with you.
I bought a FUJIFILM X-Pro1 + Fujinon XF 35mm F1.4 R yesterday so I’m following your experiences closely. I’m also looking forward to the new firmware. The fact that Fuji release such enhancements for current gear (I also have a Fuji FinePix X100 that has improved lots since I bought it.) and when I saw the list with the new changes I jumped the shark and bought it.
Have a blast on the cruise! My prediction is that you will be in lust again with the Fuji, at least until the M10 is released 🙂