Hi {name},

Welcome to Lenscraft in Focus for December 2022.

I don’t know what the weather is like where you live, but it’s the end of Autumn here and it’s been unusually warm. And whilst there’s been some nice colour in the trees, the season has been very long and dull. As I’m writing this, it’s the end of November and I can still see leaves on many of the trees. In fact, the weeping willow at the bottom of the garden has yet to drop any leaves.

The unusually mild conditions may also have something to do with it being extremely wet. In fact, it’s been so wet that I’ve only ventured out a few times with a camera. Two trips didn’t amount to much, but an outing to Blackpool made up for the others and is where I shot this.

This was shot using a Panasonic G9 and Leica 8-18 lens. It won’t be to everyone’s taste, but if you like the processing, you’ll learn how I did it later in this month’s newsletter.

I hope you this December’s newsletter.

Robin

New Lenscraft Content

Over the past month I’ve focused on publishing new tutorials and updating old ones. Here’s the list of what you can find on Lenscraft.

From Around the Internet

Some of the interesting photography material I’ve found on the internet this month.

Photography News 102

The 102’nd edition of Photography News is out now. You can read it online, for free using the link below

https://online.bright-publishing.com/view/327896754/

Fuji XT5 Announced

As mentioned in a previous newsletter, this is the announcement I’ve been waiting for. Fuji has released the X-T5, and I’m pleased to see it has a few features on my wish list:

1. Firstly, the sensor has been increased. It’s up from the 26Mpixels in my X-T3 to 40Mpixels which is ample for most situations.
2. Next is a larger battery which I’m hoping translates into more shots per charge. As my X-T3 batteries have aged, I’m finding they don’t hold enough charge for a day. I usually need several, even for short trips. Compare this with my Panasonic G9 where I can shoot all day on a single battery.
3. The X-T5 also has in body image stabilisation. This is important as I have a great collection of Fuji prime lenses which I don’t use often. They produce amazing quality but unlike my zoom lenses, aren’t stabilised. Having the stabilised body means that I’ll begin using them for my landscape photography.
4. The controls and layout haven’t changed much from the previous XT models. This is great as it reduces the learning curve and means that I’m not fumbling around, trying to work the camera.

Based on these features, I may soon be upgrading my X-T3.

If you want to read more about the X-T5, here are a few reviews and image samples that I’ve found useful:

https://www.cameralabs.com/fujifilm-xt5-review/

https://www.imaging-resource.com/news/2022/11/21/fujifilm-x-t5-first-shots

https://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk/reviews/compactsystemcameras/fujifilm-x-t5-review

https://www.photographyblog.com/articles/fujifilm_x_t5_vs_x_t4_head_to_head_comparison

Photographers You May Not Know – Sherwin Magsino

Sherwin Magsino is a self-taught photographer born in Manila. You can read his full biography on the About page of his website. The reason that I wanted to share his details is the range and quality of the work he’s published. He has a broad portfolio of images on his website, and yet they have the common thread of style connecting them. His site has a nice selection of images and is well worth browsing

https://sherwinmagsino.com/projects

Books & Course News

Latest book and course news.

Affinity 2 Book - Coming Soon

Last month I mentioned that I was working on something but couldn’t yet share the details.

Now that Affinity Photo 2 has been released, I can reveal that I was working on a new version of my Essential Affinity Photo book. Whilst it’s possible to use my original book to learn Affinity Photo 2, it doesn’t cover some of the recent improvements. I also noticed a few mistakes and typos have crept into the book over time. I think there were too many hands and eyes involved in the manuscript, so this is an ideal opportunity to clean up everything.

I can’t confirm the exact publishing date, but the eBook should be available within a few weeks. I’ll then be publishing a paper edition a few weeks after that. I’ll be emailing an announcement when it’s available.

Until next month, stay safe and enjoy your photography.

Robin Whalley

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