Las Vegas. Nikon D700 & Nikon 24-120 VR

Fuji X-Pro 1, 35mm f5.6

Ricoh GXR A12 M module & Leica 35mm ASPH

Fuji X-Pro 1. Processed in ToyCamera Analogue

The X-Pro 1 autofocus is surprisingly good at locking onto moving targets – humans, bicycles and cars can all be caught with relative ease. First, set the X-Pro on AF-S (NOT AF-C) and select any autofocus point in the OFV or EVF.

The trick is to depress the shutter in one go – the camera may take 1/4 of a second to sort out the focus, but there seems to be an algorithm that compensates for the movement of the subject + the 1/4 second delay and puts the plane of focus back into the right position.

If you’ve been brought up on DSLRs the overwhelming urge is to half press the shutter to get focus – do this on the X-Pro 1 and the autofocus will fail on fast moving objects. Mash the shutter (gently) in one go and it works really well, even at f.1.4 with taxis.

This technique works an amazingly high % of the time. I was testing this in the rain on cyclists with the 35mm wide open at 1.4.
10 out of 10 were sharp.

Got bored and went home.

Although I don’t have the X100 several people have reported that this technique works with that camera as well.

A grab shot with the Nikon D700 and 35mm 1.4G. Processed in ToyCamera analogue.

I love the energy and the rain in this city. D700 and 35mm 1.4G

D700, 28-300 VR. When using the Nikon D700 of the street I find I keep coming back to this lens again and again. Simply put, if you see something happening, you can photograph it. Picture quality is more than adequate and the focus is as swift. It may not be as surgically sharp as the nano coated lenses or have their microcontrast, but really – who needs that with street pictures ?

A searing social satire. Nikon D700 24mm 1.4

It’s all too easy to fall into the trap of shooting subjects flat or side on which produces lots of horizontal and vertical lines. Adding diagonals into a pictures adds buckets of energy to the shot.

Nikon D700 with 24-120, processed in Silver Efex Pro 2