wookiee

I think that's enough for me to go for the f2 version! Even with my 56f1.2 I try not to go below F2 which it shoots fantastic at. The price of the 23F2 being a lot cheaper than the F1.4 version allows me enough wiggle room to get a second body (XT-20). Cheers for responses. Shane

Hello All I have been saving up for the Fuji 23 f1.4 prime for a while now. The main purpose of this lens is to accompany my 56 f1.2 & 35 f2 shooting small live music venues that usually have minimal lighting. Now logic says get the f1.4 version but then the f2 version appears at 60% of the price. Would you go for superior focusing (that's what the reviews say) over an extra stop of light? Both are important but no use having f1.4 available if I might miss the shot because the lens cannot attain focus in low light conditions. I did read the f2 version is soft at f2? I don't care if the edges are soft as long as the center is sharp. Note that I have not shot with either lens before. . Comments appreciated Thanks Shane

<p>The AF is pretty good considering the bad lighting. I'm hoping to buy Fuji's flagship model the X-T2 within the next year. From all I've read the focusing on this camera is really top notch. My next purchase will be there 56f1.2 prime. Perfect for low light.</p>

<p>Hi Aaron<br> Since writing this post have sold off all my DSLR gear and moved totally to Fuji. Like you I'm shooting all the small shows supporting local bands in generally poorly lit venues. I love it though. Presently I"m shooting with Fuji's mid range priced camera the XE2 and inexpensive 27mm pancake lens. Its doing the job just fine for me. I actually find the EVF such a huge help in these situations. Thanks for sharing your flickr. </p> <p>If you see mine all concert pics in this album are from the fuji.<br> https://flic.kr/s/aHsk8PMExc</p> <p>Cheers<br> Shane </p>

<p>Thought some of you might find this interesting. Check out the photographer in the bottom right using what looks like an old rolex. He has promised me a look at the images when there back from processing in a week! :)<br>

<p>I'm quite a fan of the 27mm lens. Although I'd prefer the 23mm focal length the 27mm was on sale for $250AUD compared to around $1000 for the 23 so it was a no brainer. It focuses fast and I have been using it to shoot low light gigs recently with a fair amount of success.</p> <p><a title="Mr White" href=" data-flickr-embed="true"><img src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/712/20423056470_cb55a8c3b0_n.jpg" alt="Mr White" width="320" height="213" /></a></p>

<p>When I upgraded from my Canon 40D to the Canon 5DmkII the difference in ISO performance was huge. I had lusted after a full frame camera for some years for this reason. At the time of purchase the retail price of the 5DmkII was 1500 GBP (I was living in Britain at the time) and the soon to be released 5DmkIII was 3000 GBP. It was a no brainer to get the mkII. I'm currently seeing 2nd hand 5DmkIII's on ebay for $1200-1500 AUD (now live in Australia). Unfortunately the 5DmkII is only fetching $500-600. So for around $1000 out of pocket I could migrate to the mkIII as an option. </p> <p>Jeff are you using the mkIII? and did you have a mkII previously. I know the AF is much better on the mkIII but is there much in it when it comes to ISO performance at 3200 and above?</p> <p>Eric it will be interesting to see how Fuji firmware update 4 (XT-1) performs with all the new AF features? I don't expect it to out perform the Canon 5DmkIII or Nikon equivalent but how close or not will it be I wonder?</p>

<p>Thankyou for comments.</p> <p>The last show I shot Napalm Death had terrible lighting. Dim, and often all blue or red which is why I went the B&W conversion.<br> https://flic.kr/s/aHskanRcrA</p> <p>On initial import to Lightroom the cull rate due to out of focus shots was 40% for Fuji and about 25% for the Canon/Sigma combo. Maybe this isn't a good comparison as different focal lengths were used? As I said in my initial post the Fuji's ISO performance is a fair bit better than the Canon 5DmkII. But I'm comparing 2013 tech with 2009. (I don't like to go over 3200 with the 5D) Wonder if the 5D mkIII is much better? I'm not willing to change systems now I'm very happy with Fuji and Canon.</p> <p>The rebel in me doesn't want to use what everyone else is using and the banker says Fuji.</p> <p>Sounds like I need to rent some different combo's and try for myself.<br> Cheers<br> Shane</p>

<p>Hi Jeff<br> First up I you gave me some great tips when I was first starting out a few years ago regarding using flash back when I had a 40D and 17-55 f2.8 lens. Thanks for that.</p> <p>I find with the small venues my current combo of a 41mm FF equiv and 85mm does the job. But as you say zooms at bigger shows with better lighting are a better option. I think I should have asked in this post how does the Fuji 16-55mm f2.8 compare to say the Canon 24-70 or Nikon equivalent. Not long after posting this I came across this article which I found interesting. I think I'll be saving for this lens. <br /><br> <br> http://fujilove.com/is-fuji-any-good-for-festival-and-concert-photography/<br> <br> Cheers<br> Shane</p>

<p>Hi All<br> I'd like to get opinions from those of you shooting any type of live shows. I mostly shoot metal/punk bands in smallish clubs and the lighting is mostly always crap to really bad!</p> <p>Currently I'm halfway between 2 systems. I'm using a Fuji X-E2 with 27/f2.8 and a Canon 5DmkII with Sigma 85/f1.4 for these shows. I bought into Fuji as I wanted a take with me everywhere camera and for documenting my 2 small children. The Fuji has excelled for this purpose.</p> <p>I'm at cross road right now. I'm starting to get invited to bigger shows where all other photographers are using Canon/Nikon with 24-70 and 70-200 f2.8's. To be realistic its not affordable for me to purchase another full frame body and lens. But kinda affordable to buy another mirrorless (ie Fuji XT-1) and lens. Even the new Fuji 16-55f2.8 ($1400 AUD vs Canon 24-70 $2200 AUD) is an $800 savings.</p> <p>Some observations so far: I find the EVF a big advantage over my 5D in low light situations. The ISO performs better on the Fuji. The Canon locks focus better than Fuji but not dramatically so. (the focus comparison probably isn't fair as the focal lengths are different.)</p> <p>So I'm wondering do any of the pro's shooting big shows with nice lighting shoot mirrorless?<br> Thoughts?<br> Cheers<br> Shane</p>

<p>Thanks for the info folks...<br> Just wondering in order what makes the most difference to Lightroom speed? <br> Processor<br> RAM<br> Drive speed<br> My current 2008 MacbookPro is has 2.5Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo with 4GB 667Mhz DDR2 SDRAM. Surely even the low specced mac mini would be a lot better than this?</p>

<p>The price of the 13 inch MBP with the same guts as the mini would be $2,379 AUD compared to the mini $1489. I would look at the iMac if I had that amount of money to throw at it. At least these are the prices in the Australian Mac Store.</p>

<p>Just wondering has anyone purchased the latest iteration of Apples Mac mini to run Adobe Lightroom on.<br> Like most other people I was disappointed that the quad-core processor is gone as I was holding out buying the previous version in anticipation for this update. Regardless my budget does not allow for a decent iMac at this time. My 2008 MacbookPro is on its last legs so really I just need something to see me over 2-3 years until such a time I can afford a higher end iMac. <br> Note I already own a 20" cinema display so no real need for another monitor. And I will be using an external thunderbolt 2 drive for storing all my images.<br> I have spec'd the following:</p> <ul id="specs-list" > <li>2.8GHz Dual-Core Intel Core i5 (Turbo Boost up to 3.3GHz)</li> <li >16GB 1600MHz LPDDR3 SDRAM</li> <li >256GB PCIe-based Flash Storage</li> <li>Intel Iris Graphics</li> </ul> <p>Surely setup will make a huge difference compared to my current geriatric laptop. Also does Lightroom make use of all cores? I'm not bothered if it takes a while to import or export images I just want editing tasks to be more responsive than they are currently.<br> Thanks for any comments!<br> Shane</p>

<p>Well I did purchase the Fuji X-E2 with 18-55 lens and the 27mm f2.8 pancake lens. Its a pleasure to carry around especially with the pancake lens on. I don't see the X-E2 as a replacement to my canon gear but a companion. This set up is perfect for general use and street photography. My next issue will be what to buy when I want something on the wider end. The fuji 14mm f2.8 looks very nice and shares the same filter size as the 18-55 zoom.<br> I'll be heading to London later in the year and plan to only take the fuji.</p>

<p>So in the end I used a collegues newish laptop's SD slot to write the file. All worked well and now my camera has firware v3 on. happy days</p>