FIRST:  Fujifilm has relased the new X-H1. I don’t have one on order, not sure if I will later, either.  I want to share some thoughts, and I will not be doing a review since I’ve only held one for a few hours, and then had to return it. There are a ton of video reviews on Youtube and lots of very useful information in them.  Instead I would like to answer, as best I can, the questions I asked myself and I bet many of you have asked yourselves as well;  “Do I need to buy this camera body?  Does it replace my X-T1 or 2 or X PRO 2???”

 

Let’s start by thanking Fujifilm for continuing to grow the X Sereis line and bringing us ever newer technology and products.  The recently released X-E3 seems to be loved by those that have bought it, it’s nice and compact and fully capable of making the same great images we have been making with the X-T2 and PRO 2.  Great to have choices!

 

Why the X-H1?  Several reasons.  Fujifilm has been criticized for not adding IBIS to any of their bodies, and their competitors are all jumping on that bandwagon, and beating their drums loudly!  To stay competitive Fujifilm had to follow suit, and they have!  The 5 Axis IBIS in the X-H1 works incrediby well, and if you shoot available light with any of the Fujifilm lenses that do not already have Optical Image Stabilization, then this will certianly make those lenses better for shooting in low light or with slower shutter speeds!  Next Fujifilm was still a little behind the ball on video.  If you’re a video producer, you now have a Fujifilm camera capable of shooting with any of the competition, it is a terriffic video capable camera!

 

Fujifilm wants to play in the sports and photojournalism arenas and this camera is rugged enough and has all the right features to play in that field.  It’s quieter than almost anyone’s camera and the shutter release reaches a new standard of softness and precision, all good things!

 

So to answer the original question; if you need these features or want these features, I would add it to my stable of camera bodies, if you don’t then I think you could live without it!  For now I can live without it.  Anyway Jack is getting one and I can figure out how much I do or don’t want one by watching him use his!

 

 

I juat got back this past weekend from one of the very best conferences out there, the Southwestern Photojournalism Conference.  It’s a gathering of fellow photographers from many fields but all closely tied to photojournalism who all believe that photography is a calling and we can spread God’s love through our profession!  You won’t meet a nicer group of people, and the men and women who run it are great freinds who I have known for many years, it will be back in Nashville next year and I hope you will consider coming!  I will alert you to the dates here!

 

 

I just took my drone flying to the next level!!!  I picked up DJI’s Googles for flying the drone as if you were actually “in the” drone.  It is just like going back to my ultralight flying days except I’m not risking my life!!!!  it is a great way to get the sensation of flying while sitting in a camp chair, safelty on the ground!!!!!

 

 

Please let me encourage you to pray for our country and our leaders, we are at an all time high of animus and bitterness in Washington, and it’s we the people that suffer when our leaders are more intersted in gaining power than serving the American people, please pray for revival among our leaders!  Only God can heal our land!

 

In a text today from Ricky Skaggs, he said it best, on the loss of Billy Graham;

“He’s not dead, his address just changed!”

 

Blessings,

 

the pilgrim

 

 

 

I just returned from the Southwestern Photojournalism Conference in Nashville, and it sure was a great event. This event started well over two decades ago and is a gathering of photojournalists with an emphasis on the faith component of working in that field.  Over many years I made wonderful friends, brothers and sisters at this conference so after a five year absence it was great to return and be with them!  We had some marvelous fellowship and connected with a lot of fear freinds.  The students were great and we tried to help them in any way we could.

 

I spoke Saturday afternoon and as always I prayed the Holy Spirit would take over and apparently He did, we all were moved by what was shared under His insipration, all the glory goes to God!  It relieves all stress when you don’t need to take any credit!!!

 

I got home around 8:00 pm last evening to be greeted with a tv news report about multiple examples of how society is attacking Christians.  While I was not surprised, we are in a spiritual war after all, I must admit I went to church this morning agitated about the examples shared in this news report!  God has a way of getting us back on track!  While I was grasping at straws to find the right response to my anger over the criticism from the world, our guest speaker at church offered a more modern, cut to the chase, definition of Grace and Mercy.

 

Here goes;    Grace is when we get what we don’t deserve, Mercy is when we don’t get what we do deserve!

 

I went to the alter to pray for a freind and while kneeling and praying for him God opened my eyes to the solution to my dilemma.  In spite of suggestions that Jesus doesn’t talk to us, He certainly did to me this morning (and has for years!)  While I was stewing about the mistreatment of fellow Christians, Jesus reminded me that even though He was God’s Son, and part of the Holy Trinity, men beat Him, spat on Him, mocked Him, threw dice  gambling for his cloths and nailed Him to the cross to die an excruciatingly painful death, yet, He looked down at these people and said,  “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

 

Case closed.

 

Blessings,

 

the pilgrim

 

50 degrees vs 82 degrees, I sure miss Aruba!!!!  But, it’s great to be home, and I can’t wait to see all my brothers and sisters at Southwestern Photojournalism Conference in Nashville late this week!

 

Got out yesterday to try the DJI gogles and man is that a trip, it puts you in the drone, just like when I flew the ultra light except, your  not risking your life!  I found a nice local road with bare trees to try to craft a composition!

 

Joy Behart on the View, (not sure if I spelled her name right and frankly could care less), said of VP Mike Pence, “that it’s one thing to talk to Jesus, but to say He talks to you!!!!????  Well sister, He does talk to us, wish for your sake, you knew that for yourself……

 

Blessings,

 

the pilgrim

 

The last morning in paradise!  It’s been a great and more importantly a restful week!  Sherelene and I will head to the airport around 12:30 to return the rental car, slog through both Aruba’s and US  Customs and then board the plane around 4:00 for the return flight to Atlanta, and then on to Knoxville, arriving at 10:00 pm this evening.  It’s been a great week and a great celebration of our anniversary which is actually Valentine’s Day, my birthday and a continued celebration of Wes’s recovery from lymphoma.  After the timultuos year 2017 was, it is great to start 2018 like this!  Once again, we are so thankful for all of your prayers for Wes and our family and for God’s amazing response to those prayers!!!!!

 

The folks at the resort have been great, the Aruban people are really nice.  Weather has been almost perfect and Sherelene is good an tan and well rested, and I got a few more shots than I usually do on Caribbean trips!  I learned a lot about the drone and it was a great place to work on my flying skills in high winds!  Best of all, I got my required and desired number of naps!!!

 

Thanks for coming along with us, we’ll be home soon!

 

Blessings,

 

the pilgrim