Digital split screen, my favorite way to focus short and medium tele lenses, works great in portrait mode and with low contrast subjects and lighting, shot with the X-E2 and the Nikkor 50mm 1.4 wide open
It only took a few days for the Fuji X-E2 to become my favorite ml camera. Hey, some couples get married the day they meet, it happens! Small refinements and little improvements that don’t necessarily look spectacular on paper but do translate into a noticeably better shooting experience in the field. The X-E2 matured into a serious photographic tool. Fuji’s XF lenses are fantastic but like many who are considering a ml system I have a few third party lenses I would like to use. Manual focus can be a real pain and slow things down considerably. Check out the video for a quick summary of improvements I consider reason enough to upgrade and split focus in action with the Nikkor 50mm 1.4
after the break.
below, one more of Helen, shot wide open with the Nikkor 50mm 1.4
You can order the X-E2 here at BH or here at Adorama.
Update: The X-E1 still is a great camera and if you want to save a bundle, check out the
deal at bh!
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thank you, Doug! Unfortunately this one is only available here on ebay, the seller is in the us, buy in now price, I have ordered all my adapters from him and didn’t encounter any problems.
Great work all around, sir! Above, you mentioned that you use a generic adapter for the XE-2 and your Nikon lenses. I’m wondering which one, and if it’s available without having to go to eBay? Not a fan of eBay at all. I’ve got a lot of MF Nikkor lenses and the Rokinon 85 1.4 that I’d like to take on an up and coming trip in June.
Thanks for any help.
Doug
only BBD, RX, SCS. that’s it!
Did you have to customize any of your’s in the menu? IE DC, CSC, or PIC. I abbreviated!
Thanks!!
Thank you, Ben! I am really liking the Fuji lenses, they are fantastic! I always shoot raw, nothing I wouldn’t do in the darkroom, just much easier in LR
you could get exactly the same result with the X-E1, I do like the split focus screen though. I am using a generic converter, the best one I found for Nikon lenses,
even G lenses you can control the aperture, here is the link
Hello Mike
Fantastic B&W portrait ! Congratulation !
A lot of post-prod to obtain this result ? I guess you shoot in raw.
Why are you using Nikon lens while Fuji ones are so good ?
I am a happy X-E1 user. Shoud you have got the same result with the X-E1 or is X-E2 sharper ?
Could you give more details about the adapter you are using ?
Many thanks for this article and your website. Very interesting !
Hi Mike, thank you:)! The camera is better than expected! It’s always in my pocket when I leave home;). Enjoy and happy shooting yourself with the E-X2!
Hi Jeroen! Thank you! I am glad to hear you like it, isn’t it a great little camera? Enjoy and happy shooting!
Hi Mike, amazing images of a beautiful lady:)!! You know how to handle your new toy. And the Nikkor is also awesome:)! Great post, thans for sharing.
Btw, I picked up the X100s and it’s excellent choice;)
Hi Bogarte! I hear you, of course it would be much better if we could move the split area to the point of interest, for now this is as good as it gets. The reason I prefer it over focus peaking is accuracy, I am sure your findings playing around with the X100s will confirm that focus peaking lacks accuracy and it is quite difficult to focus on flat subjects with no lines for the “peak” to take. Same applies to the X-E2, I can’t tell a difference between the two. Of course everything snaps into focus much better as soon as you use a high speed medium tele lens wide open, focus peaking might be enough for that but then again, you might be able to focus just as well without peaking.
Hey Mike,
I’m a manual focus guy (with X100S, and even with canon ef & eos bodies).
What I don’t like in digital split screen is the fact you have to focus in the right middle of the screen, then frame.
Manual focus should logically be done AFTER (or in the same time) you have framed your image.
That’s the reason why I prefer highlight peaking without zooming.
Can you tell more about highlight peaking improvement with the Xe2? Is it the same than X100s ?
Thanks
BOGARTE
Thanks for the info. I forgot ebay…
thanks Antonio. Way too expensive, I am using a generic one, works very well and allows aperture control on G lenses.
Mike, nice photos and good post.
I am interesting in use all my nikon lenses in my “future” X-E2. Which adapter did you use ?
I have only found metabones speed booster, but IMHO it’s a little expensive…
Regards!