Fuji EF-X20, not a review...

Just recently received my new Fuji "GAS" flash, the EF X-20, i bought used on Ebay, haven't really put it to use, just some light testing, just to test if its working properly. As you can see above it works marvellously, and wirelessly.... It's not really wireless, but it is not wired, its in slave mode, as long it detects a flash, it will fire simultaneously. really nice for off camera strobing, too bad this wont work on the X-pro1 as the pro didnt have a built in flash to fire the flash, this works great on x100s but i haven't really test it to its full potential. Of course my Yongnuos are better. Sorry for the heavy crop on the picture above, my desk is really messy and to i need to crop some 'unwanted classified for my eyes only' 'stuffs' on the desk. LOL.

All in all for being smaller in size, i think its a good travelling flash and pair it with the x100s, should be nice to have off camera flash to play with. But in theory in broad daylight it might be having difficulties to detect the master flash from the x100s, i haven't try it, i'll make an update on another post when i have the time to test it.

While the x100s built-in flash is nice but if you want more power, this is a great combo.

And i love the direct hard flash ala Terry Richardson outcome!

Fuji X100S with Yongnuo YN560III + RF603CII

Fun.
Flash were never been affordable back in the days.
A Canon speedlites can cost you for about USD$500. Two flash and prepare a whopping 1G, one grand.
Poor wallet!
But now with cheap flash on the rise from the east, playing with flashes can now become affordable.
Strobing aka Strobist they say.
Yes these flashes are made in China, but these flashes are powerful.
I'm talking about Yongnuo's flashes.
Mine i just got my Yongnuo YN560III. This flash has built in wireless trigger which will work amazingly with their own trigger Yongnuo RF603CII.
I dont need to attach a trigger on the flash shoe. thats the cool feature. It wont add height to your flash.
They are so cheap you can get 3 Yongnuos for 1 Canon EX speedlite. i may be exaggerating but it is that cheap.
Cheap doesnt mean it sucks. Maybe for purist but for me, it works wonderfully.
It did give me a scare when i thought my flashes were DOA(dead on arrival) but you actually have to press the power button for about 3 seconds to switch it on. sheesh...
I also bought their own wireless trigger, as mentioned RF603CII, if you wondering, this trigger works with my Fuji X100S and Olympus OMD EM10.
On ebay, it still is confusing when they say Canon version, Nikon version but i bought the RF603Cii, supposedly for Canon but it works on Fuji and Olympus. I think Yongnuo updated this for the mirrorless cameras but i still dont get it when they sell it for Canon and Nikon version but whatever.. just get the RF603CII and it should work. You know how this chineses Ebay sellers copy and pasted each others ad... its so funny.

2 Yongnuo YN560III, Camera left and right (with umbrella)
Black cloth.
Ikea laundry basket, Fyllen.
Fuji X100S set to external flash mode ON. (Its not in the menu, its at the flash settings button)
Triggered by Yongnuo RF603CII.

Note: I'm not paid by Yongnuo but their stuffs are awesome!

Comparing ISO noise between Fuji X100S and Olympus OMD EM10

Okay,
First off, this is gonna be an apple and oranges comparison.
Some will say these are 2 different cameras but they both take pictures.
Coming from a straight Jpg shooter only, no RAW involve.
I just want to compare how Fuji and Olympus tackle ISO noise.
This is not even a high ISO test.
I always had in mind that Fuji is better than Olympus.
First sign showed me, Yes, its true Fuji is better.
But i always read online that some claimed Olympus is on par with Fuji.
Or at least, its negligible.
That i find it hard to swallow.
Is my OMD settings wrong? someone please shed a light...please.
The noise on my OMD pictures are too obvious to ignore, at least compared to a Fuji.
You see, i owned the Fujis first and then OMD second, so my view is coming from a Fuji ISO perspective. My eyes probably got used to Fuji's quality.
But everywhere i read on the internet claims OMD is on par with Fuji... did i say that already?
You see my disbelief?
It could be the complicated menu of the OMD or wrong settings or thats normal OMD ISO...
Maybe i need to shoot RAW but then i just want to shoot JPGs.
Fuji JPGs is awesome.
Based on my ISO findings of these two camera, it only matter if you print large.
Do you ever print your photos?
Well i do though mainly just normal 3Rs, 4Rs.
It didnt matter. The OMD will do just fine.
But there's always a corner in my mind that knowing the noise on the OMD makes me frustrated.
i just cant brush it off.
Knowing its there, it just unease you.
Its like having a dead pixel on your camera. You cant see it. But you know its there. And over time you'd know the location of the dead pixel everytime you look at your pictures.
I cant keep sliding the luminance noise slider all the time...everytime i import new OMD pictures.
And if you slides too much, you lose details and the skin tones will get smooth and painting like effect.
Some claim Fuji has noise reduction in camera which you cant turn off but hey, the picture is still awesome.
Enough me whining let show you photos already.
Exposure is different but i just wanna show you ISOs

The first photo is from OMD. OOC. Large SuperFine.

OMD EM10

Noise reduction AUTO

Noise Filter LOW

ISO400 

Can you see how grainy the skin tones? 

Its not the grain that really bothers me, its that over sharpen kinda effect noise that really really bothers me.

This is Fuji X100S. OOC

ISO500

There maybe noise reduction in camera here but at ISO500, this is just clean.

Excuse the exposure settings. These are OOC. i could brighten the OMD pic but lets just leave it like that.

So let me ask you Olympus OMD users.... is this noise normal? or i had my settings wrong?

Is there any way to improve my OMD Jpg settings?

I did read Olympus OMD sharpening could exaggerate the noise. i haven't fool around with that kind of settings yet. Mostly default except for the noise settings above.

Note: i also like the fact that i can easily get the look that i wanted with manually setting exposure quickly on my Fuji.(if you get what i meant. i dont know how to explain it). i dont have to adjust the flash brightness. Just play around with the shutter speed and ISO. There! Or maybe i already know my Fuji well. i'm already one with my Fuji, He's the one. Blue pill or Red pill. Down the rabbit hole. Oh sorry my mind wanders to the Matrix.

Yongnuo RF603CII Wireless Trigger on Olympus OMD EM10... OMG it works!!

I've been reading that Olympus OMD EM5 only works with Yongnuo RF602 but not 603 although there is a hack to it but i wont go into that. i dont want to hack my stuffs. i want to buy it and pray that it works. pay and pray. thats how i roll. thats just the way it is. i dont want to open up my trigger and solder this solder that. no. just too much hassle.

EM10 being almost similar to EM5, i worry the same issue with RF603 would resurface. I just purchased a set of RF603 before i bought the OMD although the ones i bought are the latest from Yongnuo, the RF603CII, i guess its a version 2 or Mark 2 they say. Anyway, its still model 603 but good news it works!! so if you want a cheap wireless triggers for your OMD, get the new RF603CII.

Some test shots below...

shot with OMD EM10 with RF603CII to trigger the flash. Flash is Yongnuo 560III

i just bought a pair of Yongnuo's flashes, the YN560III, as it has a built in wireless so you dont need to buy a receiver for it. Just get the RF603CII and set it to the same channel and viola, you got some strobing/strobist project to do!! This flash is cheap too.. i got it for USD$136 for 2 flash.

i set both flash to the same channel and triggered wirelessly by OMD EM10 using the new RF603CII

All i can say is its...

AWESOME!

Shopping Spree!!

Been on a shopping spree on fleabay, man, look how my credit spikes....

i've been eyeing all these lighting stuffs from yongnuos, and to make things more expensive is that i need at least 2 of each..

so i bought myself

:- a wireless trigger , Yongnuo's latest RF603 II,
:- a LED lighting from Yongnuo too! the YN160S
:- a wireless flash YN560 III

and then some stuffs like an umbrella tripod holder and a lens cap for my Olympus OM10.

Lets see how i like my stuffs later... or cry later...