Me and my buddy Jim review beer once a month.

The idea behind Grand Gaff was to provide a property listing website where landlords and sellers could use their mobile phones to make video walkthroughs of their properties. The project is still in development.

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The first thing you notice about the X-100 when you open the box is its slick appearance. It looks like a vintage film camera, and the people I have shown it too, or even photographed, have commented on its looks and wondered was it actually a film camera. Fujifilms new addition to their camera family is a beautifully made and aesthetically pleasing piece of machinery. The second thing you notice is how light the camera actually is. I’m not so sure if this is a good or a bad thing as I personally like a bit of weight behind the cameras I use, especially a film camera, which this is trying to emulate. Having said that, you get over that fact pretty quickly once you start using it.

The X-100 is a mirrorless camera, which basically means that, unlike your traditional film and digital SLR’s, there is no mirror housed inside the body. This allows the X-100 to be extremely silent and one of the most stealthy cameras I have used to date. It does have one drawback though, your viewfinder is either the glass window on the left of the body, or a digital representation in the same window, of what you see through the lens. The viewfinder also has a histogram and ‘rule of thirds’ style overlay, which you will find very useful for exposure and composition. Also contained in the overlay are the usual shutter, aperture and ISO speed indicators. I have to say though, when you use the LCD viewfinder option I found the display to be quite jerky and slow to respond or find focus. The overall set-up of the camera is very intuitive, with the shutter and aperture dials perfectly placed for ease of use, the shutter speed is just beside your right thumb, and the aperture is controlled via the lens which is a joy to use. The menu system is vast and includes a nice collection of presets that emulate some of Fujifilms most popular 35mm film, Velvia and Portra to mention a few. The focusing system used is a little slow and in the few days I had to experiment, I found it a bit of a nuisance, resulting in some missed shots. The manual focus is a no go too, as there is no indication as to how far away your subject is, and when used with the normal viewfinder you have no idea what you are focusing on.

The lens used is a 23mm fixed lens, that records the equivalent of roughly 35mm because of the cropped sensor used. Unfortunately the lens is fixed and you have no option to change lenses in the future. I didn’t mind this too much though, as I would usually use a 35mm lens for most of my film street photography. Having said that, its always nice to have the option. Not sure if Fujifilm missed the boat there, as there are rumors that another major electronics company are developing a mirrorless vintage-look camera with interchangeable lenses. In my opinion whoever brings that to market first will reap the rewards and become market leader in the new generation of digital cameras.

My overall opinion of the X-100 is that it is a beautifully made, well thought out camera that is ideal for consumers who are looking to get away from the usual point and shoot cameras, and wish to learn more about the recording of images through traditional camera methods. It is not as intimidating, or as costly, as many of the high-end dSLR’s out there at the moment. There are a few drawbacks with the camera, but none which put me off the fact I want to have one in my collection.

Shooting from the hip allows a photographer to capture an image, often at close range, without alerting the subject that they’re being photographed. The best street photography is all about getting candid shots of everyday life, so a technique that catches people unawares is perfect. It’s easier than it sounds, it’s fun, and the photos you’ll capture should be more honest representations of your subject than if you alerted them to the presence of a camera by raising it to your eye to compose your shot.

You’re choice of camera isn’t hugely important, but your choice of lens is. A wide lens – somewhere between 24mm and 50mm (35mm equivalent) – will help to minimise motion blur, widen your depth of field, and let you get close enough to be able to properly visualise what your camera is seeing. While your choice of camera isn’t hugely important, if you like film cameras, the older Twin Lens Reflex cameras such as a Rolleiflex or Lomo Lubitel lets you see what you’re shooting through a viewfinder on the top of the camera. To passers by, it will not be apparent that you’re taking a photo. Modern dSLRs with flip out screen offer a similar advantage. Some would argue however, if you can see what you’re shooting, you’re not shooting from the hip.

Technique

The technique described here is a personal favourite of mine, and should work well for anyone, but experiment with your own techniques and find one that works for you, your camera, and your environment.
Set Exposure

Manual exposure is recommende. You’ll likely be moving towards your subject, and you subject might also be moving, so a fast shutter speed (1/200th of a second of faster) will prevent unwanted motion blur. Focusing on the move, and without looking through the viewfinder is tricky but using a narrow aperture will give you a wider depth of field, which means that your focusing doesn’t need to a accurate to get a sharp image. Unfortunately, a fast shutter speed and a narrow aperture will make your image darker, so a higher ISO might be needed to compensate. Of course, higher ISO’s introduce noise/grain into your image, so you need to find a balance between motion blur, soft focus, and noise/grain. With practice, making this tradeoff will become second nature to you as you gain a better understanding of your camera’s capabilities.

Set Focus/Autofocus

Autofocus can be a helpful aid, but it can take to long to focus when shooting from the hip. If you are using it, see if your camera has an AF lock feature. AF lock allows your camera to autofocus once, and then lock in the focal distance. Even as your camera moves, the focal distance won’t change. When approaching your subject, decide early on how far away you want to be when you take your shot. Then, if you’re using manual focus, set your chosen distance on the focus ring on your lens. If you’re using autofocus, aim your camera at a spot on the ground that’s the right distance away, focus on it, and lock in that focal distance.

Compose

Composing your shot is the most difficult part of shooting from the hip. Without being able to look through the viewfinder, you’re probably not going to be able to get the exact composition you want straight off the camera. Try to frame your shot slightly wide, so that it can be cropped to your desired composition later.

Shoot

You’re approaching your subject with your camera set up for the correct exposure, and with a certain distance dialed in. Your camera should now be hanging over your shoulder, around your neck, or in your hand by your side. When you approach your chosen shooting distance, try your best to visualise where the camera is pointing. Aim it at your subject, and take your shot.

Crop

Since you composed your shot slightly wider than needed, you’ll need to use photoshop, photo editing software of your choice, or an equivalent darkroom technique to crop your image. If you’re using a computer, keep in mind that when you crop, you reduce the resolution of your image, so try to use the composition that will require the least amount of cropping. Using a modern dSLR, you should be able to crop considerably, and still end up with an image of usable resolution.

It takes practice to be able to visualise what your camera is seeing, so don’t give up it your first few images turn out badly. Practice by taking photos of objects on the street. Bins, lamp-posts, and parked cars make good test subjects.

Being able to shoot without looking through the viewfinder is a handy skill to have, and is a lot of fun, so get shooting, and be sure to submit your best images to Viewfinder Magazine at viewfindermag.com