Eugene Atget was a famous street photographer in Paris who helped define street photography. At the time I think it was considered “Documentary Photography” – but his shop window photographs are simply amazing – and I remember (clearly) getting many of my street photography ideas from studying his photography back in the 80’s. They seemed so simple and complex at the same time. They were photo’s that really stuck in my mind – not because they were shocking – but because they were more like a slow quiet but intense song.

The best part of his photography is that yes – its documentary and street photography – but in many cases also surreal and he fit into the Surrealist movement wonderfully. In fact – Atget was a forerunner of Dada and Surrealism – where “Reality is Stranger than Fiction” . . . he did influence many Surrealists with his early pioneering work.

Its always interesting to see what a place you used to haunt looks like after 40 years. Its surreal, almost haunting!

This is not an apples to apples comparison, but its worth comparing these two cameras anyway.

Size

LX100ii wins easily

Weight

LX100ii wins easily

Pocketability

LX100ii wins hands down

Sensor 

XT-30ii wins easily

Autofocus

They are very good, but the XT-30ii is more advanced for sure - it wins

Advanced Technology

XT-30ii wins easily

Lens

They are about equal. Both sharp. XT-30ii built like a tank. LX100ii lighter and smaller but very sharp

Controls

Equal - they both have shutter speed and ev compensation, and neither has ISO. LX100ii crop switch on lens is awesome. XT-30ii manual switch on front is great.

XT-30ii with its film simulations is really special. This is the one most important differentiator.

JPEG + RAW

The XT-30ii lets you shoot JPEG + RAW simultaneously which is s huge benefit. It also has several features that support RAW exposure and "ETTR" - exposing to the right.  

Price

Not a good comparison. LX100ii is almost half the price of the XT-30ii. 

Overall

Depending on use case they are equal. They service different needs.

If I Had to Choose One

XT-30ii

San Francisco Old Town, 1987 or so

Dimitri’s was across from the original Trans America headquarters – an old building in the old part of San Francisco. Way back when, San Francisco was the Financial hub of the West Coast – which grew out of the Gold Rush.

I don’t exactly remember seeing the Playboy magazines in the lower part of this composition, but I must have – the way I framed it. That surely advertises that this is a manly man barber shop.

The 1970,’s station wagon, cop car, barber pole and open cash drawer add a lot and remind me that I was very much interested in Eugene Atget’s Parisian store front window photos.

Thinking more about my Fujifilm journey, I realize that at the current price gouging street price of an X100V, you could get so much more for your money.

Even more than the aesthetics or sensor or other technical specs, the controls are what matter to me the most – and by far

When I was doing my best life’s street photography work, I think the hippest think I did was carry my camera in a vintage WWII gas mask bag. Otherwise I wore shorts, a T shirt and looked like a skinny American College Student. I was no hipster and never fashion conscious. So why would I even bother to worry about what a camera looks like 40+ years later?

So, the XT-5 plus one pancake lens for street photography would cost about $2000 – which is about what the price gougers want for an X100V. The XT-5 is very much new and improved, and has all of the controls that are critical to me.

Aesthetically speaking, I could commemorate me being in my 20’s carrying that fantastic Pentax ME-Super back in the 80’s. I already have the Fuji 18 – 55mm lens so I’m great for portraits or anything that needs a slight zoom. The XT-30ii plus the lens I have are too heavy for street photography.

The silver lens would make me even hipper, I’d save money and get today’s equivalent in digital for what was film in 1989. The pancake lens would make the XT-5 much, much better than the X100V.

In fact, I could keep the zoom lens on the XT30ii and pancake on the XT-5, and be in super super great shape!

My new evil plan!

This is hands down the best digital camera book ever, and right now, today, I think Fujifilm makes the most important and interesting digital cameras on the market.

This book offers not just a masters course in how to use your X series camera, but also how to expose images in JPEG and RAW. It explains dynamic range, ISO and all of the other parameters you need to make great photographs.

The photo examples are adequate – not like Ansel Adams books that teach the Zone System – where he shows stellar images that are the technical side of making pictures – but Rico’s long chapter on ETTR (exposing to the right) is exactly the digital version of the zone system.

Much of the content is unique to Fujifilm. This book couldn’t be written about my Lumix cameras because their architecture doesn’t support the attention to traditional photography that Fujifilm pays to the art and craft – basing squarely on a film metaphor.

This book is still relevant, but will need a revision now that the XT-5 is out.

I enthusiastically give it 5 stars out of 5.

The most enjoyable, surreal and dare I say sensuous photographic experience is focusing on a ground glass. Hasselblad and Rolleiflex medium format cameras are awesome and in my mind were the most fun as far as film cameras go. My 35mm Pentax camera was my workhorse, but it was easy to take for granted. My 4×5 camera was interesting but way too much work – but its ground glass was super.

This Yashica A is my wifes old Rollei knock off, but its a nice copy just the same.

For todays song I started with a cool vocal part that is part of my Arturia V Collection 9 that I just upgraded to. I love my Arturia keyboard and vst sounds for Cubase. I added a nice lap steel part and it all went together very well. Its a simple song and I tried to make sure it evokes the feeling I wanted, and it does.

About the same time that I posted my “10 Reasons Why I Think Fuji is Going to Announce an X100VI” I started finding others who are also of that same mind.

When Amazon – who has been one of the shitty price gouging slobs out there – (as bad as Wal-Mart) starts dropping the inflated price – as they have recently – you know that that black market shyster shit is about to end.

In fact, we are so close to Fuji’s new announcement(s) that I fully expect that we will see an X100vi announcement in April but with a lag in when they will be available.

So many people will be dumping their X100v to buy the new model that all of a sudden X100v’s will sell for LESS than MSRP, and used models will sell for $500 -$700.

I would consider one at MSRP or less when this happens.

Its funny – my XT-30ii was a killer deal because the lens that came with it can be used on something like an XT-5 body – which is close in price to an X100v’s MSRP. This alone really underscores what a terrible deal an X100v is at inflated prices and how its actually not a good deal even at MSRP. Fuji lenses are so well built – I love mine. In fact, they actually remind me of Leica lenses – even more than the Chinese built Lumix Leica lenses! This is a huge surprise!

In fact, a smarter move for me would be to purchase a 28mm prime Fuji lens plus XT-5 and then buy a new body every 3 years. Investing in a couple Fuji lenses means they should always work. One telephoto and one fixed prime would be WAY better than any X100 series fixed lens camera. The Leica Q2 needs a serious big price drop – its going to take s big hit as soon as Fuji announces the X100VI.

The only reason for X100v or X100vi is styling or “bling”.

Anyway, its fun to keep an eye on this. Its been a while since I’ve been this excited about camera gear, and because I have great cameras and lenses to use now (and time is worth more than money these days) I can make photographs and wait and not fall for price gouging.

I sure hope people stay away from the price gougers – and Amazon is looking really bad for what they are doing in my book.

They leave unnoticed 
Quick and the dead
A parallel world
Where we both tread

They fly under radar
Out of our view
We think they are people
Like me and you

They know the truth
They know for real
The mystery of life
Is never unsealed

Todays song was written using the Recording King lap steel that has the Seymour Duncan Fat Cat pickup that I added. I think it definately sounds “hotter”than the Gretsch lap steel from the previous song.

I like both – they are like my two Godin guitars – one is brighter and cleaner and the second is grittier and fuller. I suppose thats the signature difference between P90 type pickups and humbuckers.

One thing that has made no sense whatsoever is that Fujifilm has not said anything about its insanely popular X100V – except “We have stopped taking orders”. The only reasonable explanation – they will announce something in April or May – and the logic goes like this:

1. They are starting to release 40 mp sensor cameras – super-ceding their 26.1 mp cameras. ALL of their cameras use that same platform – even my “lowly” XT30ii – which is the best bargain Fuji offer(ed)
3. The XT30ii is said to be discontinued. Of course – because they can’t support 26.1 and 40mp lines
3. They had hoped that the X100V would have sold out “normally” – but got caught by complete surprise
4. B&H had been saying on its web site that the X100V would be available by September this year – then they retracted that saying it would be available “soon”
5. The Covid related supply chain issues have been working themselves out
6. I see no way Fuji can manage and maintain a 26.1 and a 40mp sensor based product line simultaneously
7. Fuji is probably constantly badgered about (stupid) video features – so it makes everything even trickier
8. I have actually noticed price drops by the price gougers – like Amazon – that is very telling . . . and this will soon snowball – I am 100% sure of it
9. Fuji will no doubt jack up the price of the X100 line – I’d bet by $200 – based on the price gougers doing nefarious “black market marketing”
10. Its been 3 years that the X100V has been available – meaning its already considered “old” by digital camera standards

My final prediction is that VERY soon – X100V’s will sell much lower than they are right now – as soon as a successor is announced. I will wait until then – and snap up an X100V before they upgrade it to 40mp – with no doubt very stupid video features for “content creators”. Honestly – the ONLY reason I love Fujifilm cameras is that they are trying to be digital film cameras – and video to me is a total waste of resources. I would love it if they had a line with NO video. But the world doesn’t work that way for this OG Photographer – heh heh.