Zack Arias reposed an old video of his about the Instax SP-2 and Instax SP-3 which is still relevant today. Instax printers are very useful and convenient to have with you and Zack believes the ability to hand out prints will open a lot of doors for you and maybe get you a few free beers at the bar. Below is a summary of the above video.
Instax makes people happy
There are 3 ways to print to these printers
Fujifilm camera to Instax
iOS/Android device
Transfer from your non-Fujifilm camera to your phone to Instax
Printing from the app has more options
SP-2 is a smaller wide-format
SP-3 prints square prints that are rectangular
Don’t open your printer once the film cover is ejected
Never had any issues with Instax film being X-rayed
The bottom of the printer has an id that you type into your Instax app and the default pin which is typically 1111, but check your manual
The pin can be changed
Syncing your Instax printer with your camera also uses the ID on the bottom with the password 1111
You can only connect one printer at a time to your camera
When printing to the SP-2 Zack prefers the typical vertical arrangement with the large white border on the bottom
If you print sideways on the SP-2 then the large white border ends up on the side and isn’t as pleasing
When you print to the SP-3 from your camera there is a box that you can move back and forth to deice how to crop your image, but not many cropping options
If you want your border on the bottom you should shoot with the camera in landscape orientation for SP-3 and portrait orientation for SP-2
Also if you’re printing from your camera the printer require a JPEG so shoot RAW+JPEG or make JPEG files with the in-camera RAW editor
Protip you can use your empty packs of film for framing or storing your prints
The Instax SP-2/SP-3 are the most important photographic accessory you will ever own
Name another photographic accessory that will get you free drinks/food/introductions to people
Instax printers have kept Zack from making it to his hotel room at 4am in the morning because they opened doors
The number one thing people do when you hand them an Instax print is shaking it even though it doesn’t help
From thereafter people walk around showing others the picture you just handed them and then everyone else wants a photo and they generally buy you food and beer to thank you
Instax printers are a magic box
Zack Arias has even handed out prints on set to various people working there and they were all very happy to get the little behind the scenes photos
When you hand someone an Instax print they will remember you
Zack Arias knows a photographer that hands out Instax prints with his contact info stuck to them
Everyone will keep a print of themselves
This video was not a sponsored video just how he feels about the product
Fujifilm filed a patent that shows the GFX100 sub monitor top screen with a spirit level feature. This could be added via a firmware update to the GFX100 in addition to the current INFO display, dial display, and histogram features. We could also see this top screen feature on future cameras like the Fujifilm X-H2 since the X-H1 has a top screen. I think a feature like this could be very useful for most photographers.
[Description of article to the design]
This article is a digital camera which has a spirit level function which detects inclination of a camera. The image denoted by the display part of each figure is the spirit level display for checking inclination of a camera. [Description of the design]
The portion denoted by the solid line is the part for which the design registration is requested as a Partial design. The portion denoted by the solid line is the display part by which the image was denoted.
It looks like many are happy the improvements that Firmware 1.02 have brought to the Fujifilm X-T4’s IBIS system. IBIS chug and wobble at the edges has improved substantially and should not be an issue any longer. There is also a good comparison of the G9 and X-T4 with firmware 1.02 below if you’re interested in how they compare. It looks like Fujifilm has once again addressed users’ concerns quickly and efficiently.
Dan Watson released his X-T4 review and he seems to really love it and has to go out of his way to criticize the X-T4. I’m curious if the recent firmware update have addressed critics’ concerns related to video AF because the X-T4 just got a lot better. Below is a summary of the above video.
This is a professional camera officially
Was able to shoot with it for hours for a full day of wedding shooting
Doesn’t like the ergonomics
Typically like bigger bodies
X-T4 isn’t big enough even though it is bigger than the Sony a7
Love the dials
If you are a film shooter you would love this camera
It’s a beautiful camera
Built like a tank
Fully metal build with rubberized grip elsewhere
Aperture on the lens or back wheel
Joystick on the back is a little small
Buttons are hard to find and small to press
The flip screen is great for self-shooting and protesting the screen
While shooting on the beach it was very bright but the screen was still great
The bigger battery is helping a lot
Cheap move leaving the battery charger out of the box
APS-C vs Full Frame is where this camera is priced at
The images coming out of this camera are amazing
Highlight fall off is insane with this camera and I have never shot with a better camera for this
There is no disparity between light and dark
This camera won’t crush your blacks if you push the RAW
The simulation modes are very useful and look very good
The simulation profiles are great for someone that isn’t obsessed with editing
Full frame is still the winner at low light, but for everything else, X-T4 holds it’s own
New shutter is truly professional and it will last for 300,000
Quietest shutter they ever used almost as quite as other cameras operating electronically
Very fast shutter at 15fps mechanical, 20fps eshutter, 30fps crop eshutter
Could use a deeper buffer for high-speed shooting
The buffer does clear very quickly though so even when full in 2 seconds you can shoot quickly again
Autofocus is amazing, but Sony is still ahead
Fujifilm is only second to Sony for AF speed
Canon, Sony, Nikon can’t compete with the X-T4 for Video
4k 60p, 10-bit log, DCI, etc, etc, etc… just about every video feature you could want… even 108o 240p
IBIS built-in and incredible
IBIS provides gimbal-like stabilization
X-T4 still chews through batteries for video, but the new battery is way better than before
Image quality is incredible with great highlight roll-off for video
Can shoot redundantly for video
The headphone jack is removed, but you can use a USB-C adapter or on the grip
4k60p plays black very well than 4k30p from Sony because the higher bit rates make it easier for your computer to decode
Video AF is jumpy and not smooth like Canon or Sony
Hopefully, Fujifilm can fix Video AF with firmware updates
30-minute recording limit for video is a bummer
Nothing better in the APS-C world than the X-T4, but the price is getting close to Full Frame
The only reason someone wouldn’t switch entirely to the X-T4 is if they want a bigger sensor
Nothing else comes close to Fujifilm X-T4 for video
Philip Bloom always has an interesting take on cameras for video and here he is curious if the Fujifilm X-T4 has great video AF that can be trusted? Below is a summary of his findings. Also, this was performed before FW 1.02.
The Fujifilm X-T4 is an amazing camera that is beautiful in video and stills
It has fantastic recording options in frame rates and codecs
Good IBIS
Flip out screen
Such a terrific all arounder
Just looking at Video AF in the above
Philip Bloom has started to embrace video AF starting with the Canon 1DX Mark II for interviews
The Fujifilm isn’t as good as Canon/Sony, but it is getting very good
The X-T4 has the best video AF of any one of their cameras
You can only record the menus in HD with an ATMOS by passing it clean
If the background is bright you can have issues with CDAF
The first lens demoed Viltrox 23mm f/1.4 Tracking Sensitivity 0 AF Speed -5
Very easy to lose the eye sometimes with side on lighting
Here glasses confused it and lost the eye
Settings are super important for all these cameras when it comes to good tracking video AF
Actually not bad going between a cat and Philip Bloom
Next he uses the Fujinon 35mm f/2 WR Sensitivity +2 Speed 0
Pulses and is uncertain with the 35mm f/2
Now Fujinon 35mm f/2 WR Sensitivity +2 Speed -3 not great
Fujinon 35mm f/2 WR Sensitivity +2 Speed -3 with face tracking off not much better
Fujinon 35mm f/2 WR Sensitivity +2 Speed -4 not what he expected
Phillip did 4hrs of testing
Some lenses did better than others, but the most frustrating thing was that sometimes a lens would perform well and then poorly with the same settings
One of the better primes was the Fujinon Lens XF16mm f/1.4 R WR
Now Fujinon 16mm f/1.4 Sensitivity 0 Speed -5 With Face/Eye Tracking On Seems to behave if you keep the speed down in the lower half
Fujinon 16mm f/1.4 Sensitivity 0 Speed -3 With Face/Eye Tracking a bit slow, but it is natural-looking
Fujinon 16mm f/1.4 Sensitivity +2 Speed 0 With Face/Eye Tracking
Sensitivity seems to need to be high for pretty much all the lenses or the camera catches up and jumps
Fujinon 16mm f/1.4 Sensitivity +1 Speed 0 With Face/Eye Tracking
Results are very inconsistent throughout which is what drove Philip nuts
The Fujinon XF16-55mm f/2.8 R LM WR, was the lense that impressed Philip the most because when he wanted it to be fast it was fast and when he wanted to to be slow it was slow
Fujinon XF16-55mm f/2.8 R LM WR Sensitivity 0 Speed -5 With Face/Eye Tracking smooth and solid
The XF16-55mm behaved the most
Fujinon XF16-55mm f/2.8 R LM WR Sensitivity 0 Speed -2 With Face/Eye Tracking is good
Now Fujinon XF90mm f/2 R LM WR Sensitivity 0 Speed 0 With Face/Eye Tracking did pretty well
The other expensive primes like the 56mm f/1.2 were awful and the 35mm f/1.4 wasn’t great either
Now Fujinon XF18-55mm f/2.8-4 R LM OIS Sensitivity – Speed -2 With Face/Eye Tracking did pretty well in certain situations
Now Fujifilm XF56mm F1.2 R Sensitivity 0 Speed -1 With Face/Eye Tracking is awful
Best tip keep your sensitivity on the high side and speed isn’t too fast
Fujifilm XF56mm F1.2 R Sensitivity +2 Speed +2 With Face/Eye Tracking terrible
Video AF is an uphill struggle for some of the older lenses because they were designed to just snap on fast for a single shot
Back to Fujinon XF90mm f/2 R LM WR Sensitivity 0 Speed 0 With Face/Eye Tracking and is doing ok
Being further away helps with a lot of these lenses
Philip Bloom got fed up thanks to the inconsistent performance
Back to Viltrox 23mm f/1.4 Tracking Sensitivity 0 AF Speed -5
He didn’t include the Viltrox lenses in the AF testing because they came after the test he did
The Viltrox lenses do work better for AF in some things and not others
Pretty good at tracking his fact, but not good at subtle movements
Now Fujinon 23mm f/2 WR Sensitivity 0 Speed -5 much smoother for subtle movements but very slow at -5
The Viltrox has to be slowed more than the Fujinon
Settings settings settings it’s all about settings
Back to Viltrox 35mm f/1.4 Tracking Sensitivity 0 AF Speed -5 doing a difficult shot very lovely smooth microfocus changed
When the Viltrox lenses work well they work very well which is why he will keep them because they have a ton of potential and they are very cheap
If you’re doing an interview you will want the sensitivity high unless things are crossing the screen
We want it to be sensitive, but we want to motor to be slow, but the catch up makes things look ugly
Viltrox 35mm f/1.4 Tracking Sensitivity 0 AF Speed -3 you judge
You should make notes for each of your lenses and how they perform best because you don’t want to be guessing at the best settings for the subject
You need to record internally to get the best Video AF
Back to Fujinon 16mm f/1.4 Sensitivity 0 Speed -5 and once again very lovely and smooth with great transitions
Fujinon 16mm f/1.4 Sensitivity +2 Speed 0 it is playing catch up
The Sensitivity and Speed settings don’t make a lot of sense either because the lower your sensitivity the faster and the higher the speed the faster they should be consistent
Back to Viltrox 35mm f/1.4 Tracking Sensitivity 0 AF Speed -5
The Fujinon XF16-55mm f/2.8 R LM WR is great
Back to Fujifilm XF56mm F1.2 R Sensitivity 0 Speed 0 and it’s one of his favorite lenses, but the AF is lacking
Fujifilm XF56mm F1.2 R Sensitivity 0 Speed -2 and it really shows off how slow the motor is
Viltrox 35mm f/1.4 Tracking Sensitivity 0 AF Speed -5 for the last bit of the video
For strait talking heads with even lighting, the X-T4 can do well and Phillip Bloom would use it with some of the lenses, but not others
Phillip Bloom thinks the tech in the camera is good, but the lenses need to catch up and this might be mechanical
Loves the X-T4 and it is close to the best camera they ever made, which to him is the GFX100
I want to give my take on the video here for those that do not take the time to watch the whole thing. I think Phillip Bloom would have released a longer video if the results were more useful, but since performance is inconsistent he condensed a lot of his testing to keep the video time short.
I hope he repeats this test with the newest firmware or in a few months if we see more lens firmware updates. I have seen some shockingly good AF performance out of my X-T4 post firmware update and GFX100 also. Fujifilm seems to be catching up to Sony and Canon quickly now.
