Archiver
Top Veteran
- Location
- Melbourne, Australia
This post is going in Open Gear Talk because it pertains to gear in general, not just the F30.
In 2006 I bought the Fuji F30, following a few others including the Canon S45, S70, and Casio Z750. For its time, the Fuji F30 was a revolutionary camera, capable of higher ISO shooting than anything else in such a small size. It became one of my everyday carry cameras and it accompanied me to work, out with friends, to the snow and to concerts.
F30 - Southbank by dusk comparison by Archiver, on Flickr
Then I bought a film camera, the Fuji Natura Black. And I was stunned. The look of film was so much more vivid, crisp and rich than anything I could wring out of my digital cameras. This began my odyssey into film and larger sensor cameras, including Canon DSLR's and the Sigma compact cameras.
Natura - Southbank By Dusk [explore #8, 2006 10 06] by Archiver, on Flickr
In the last few weeks, inspired by DPReview's Throwback Thursday articles, I've dusted off the Fuji F30 and taken it out for the first time in a few years. After shooting with it for a few days, I couldn't help but be oddly bugged by the output. Comparing it with more recent cameras, it is clear that the dynamic range is not very good, particularly in highlight rolloff. The F30 blows highlights faster than Monica Lewinsky blew Bill Clinton's cigar. And at ISO 400 and above, details begin to smear more and more.
F30 - Punch it UP by Archiver, on Flickr
And then it struck me why film was such a huge draw to me, coming from small sensor digital cameras of the early-mid 2000's: dynamic range and highlight rolloff. Sure, I'd read about it, but I didn't really understand it. Until then, I thought all-white skies and frosted highlights were normal. Having shot a fair bit of film, and a lot of large sensor cameras in the intervening years, I now see the small sensor output with much better understanding. Film was huge because of the wide dynamic range. Sigma/Foveon was even better because it gave a film-like richness in a compact digital body.
And now I'm bummed because one of my favourite cameras of yesterday just doesn't cut the mustard any more.
In 2006 I bought the Fuji F30, following a few others including the Canon S45, S70, and Casio Z750. For its time, the Fuji F30 was a revolutionary camera, capable of higher ISO shooting than anything else in such a small size. It became one of my everyday carry cameras and it accompanied me to work, out with friends, to the snow and to concerts.
Then I bought a film camera, the Fuji Natura Black. And I was stunned. The look of film was so much more vivid, crisp and rich than anything I could wring out of my digital cameras. This began my odyssey into film and larger sensor cameras, including Canon DSLR's and the Sigma compact cameras.
In the last few weeks, inspired by DPReview's Throwback Thursday articles, I've dusted off the Fuji F30 and taken it out for the first time in a few years. After shooting with it for a few days, I couldn't help but be oddly bugged by the output. Comparing it with more recent cameras, it is clear that the dynamic range is not very good, particularly in highlight rolloff. The F30 blows highlights faster than Monica Lewinsky blew Bill Clinton's cigar. And at ISO 400 and above, details begin to smear more and more.
And then it struck me why film was such a huge draw to me, coming from small sensor digital cameras of the early-mid 2000's: dynamic range and highlight rolloff. Sure, I'd read about it, but I didn't really understand it. Until then, I thought all-white skies and frosted highlights were normal. Having shot a fair bit of film, and a lot of large sensor cameras in the intervening years, I now see the small sensor output with much better understanding. Film was huge because of the wide dynamic range. Sigma/Foveon was even better because it gave a film-like richness in a compact digital body.
And now I'm bummed because one of my favourite cameras of yesterday just doesn't cut the mustard any more.