Category Archives: News

Winter 2020 Newsletter

01.20.20

The Winter 2020 issue of the Michael Clark Photography Newsletter is now available for download. If you’d like to sign up for the Newsletter just drop me an email and I’ll add you to the mailing list. This issue includes an editorial entitled Time Off, a full review of the brand new FUJIFILM X-Pro 3, an article...

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Equipment Review: The Fujifilm X-Pro 3

01.06.20

Disclaimer: I have a working relationship with Fujifilm, and as many of my readers already know I shot some of the marketing materials with their flagship GFX 100 camera last year. I originally tried out the X-Pro 2 in May 2018 while speaking at the launch for the GFX 100 in Japan. While working with...

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2019: Year in Review

12.27.19

2019 has been a phenomenal year. I have had some very successful assignments and photo shoots as well as several career highlights this year, like my assignment to launch the highly regarded FUJIFILM GFX 100, working on the Red Bull Supermoon project with the Red Bull Air Force and getting an assignment to document the Red...

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New Workshop: Reach New Heights with the GFX 100

08.21.19

Workshop Locations:New York City, New York – Foto Care – October 3-5, 2019 Salt Lake City, Utah – Pictureline – October 31 – November 1, 2019 Instructors: Michael Clark and Justin Stailey Register for the FUJIFILM GFX 100 Workshop With the launch of the FUJIFILM GFX 100 there is certainly an uptick in interest about medium...

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Summer 2019 Newsletter

08.15.19

The Summer 2019 issue of the Michael Clark Photography Newsletter is now available for download. If you’d like to sign up for the Newsletter just drop me an email and I’ll add you to the mailing list. This issue includes an editorial entitled On the Run, a full review of the ground breaking FUJIFILM GFX 100, an...

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Fujikina 2019

07.05.19

I am still on the planet. It might seem like I have fallen off the face of the Earth these past few months with no posts here on the blog and no Spring Newsletter. But, I am plugging away. The last five months or so, since early February have been the busiest time of my...

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FUJIFILM GFX 100 Preview

06.03.19

Disclaimer: While I am not one of Fujifilm’s X-Photographers, I was paid to work with this camera on a recent assignment as part of the launch of the FUJIFILM GFX 100. I want my readers to be aware of this upfront. With that in mind, also know that this system is going to be my...

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WouterJune 4, 2019 - 6:06 am
incredible images! I’d love to get the Fuji one day when my budget allows it.
AlbertoJune 4, 2019 - 10:20 pm
THank you for your review, TheRe’s No one out there that describes the technology the way you do. Thank you. Question…The h6d-100c has a larger sensor what’s your guess as to difference in quality? Also, in previous blogs you were sold on Nikon mirrorless, what features are missing on the gfx100?
PascalJune 5, 2019 - 12:21 am
Great Review!
Michael ClarkJune 5, 2019 - 6:16 am
Alberto – Hard to say what the differences are in image quality. It will be close between the Hasselblad H6D 100c and the GFX 100. I am betting the H6D might have a smidge more dynamic range but only by a hair if it does. The GFX 100 is so much easier to use and so much more versatile that it doesn’t matter to me. Also, the Fujifilm GF lenses are sharper than the Hasselblad H series lenses. In terms of what features the GFX 100 is missing there are not many–if any at all. It has pretty much everything the Nikon mirrorless cameras have and a better EVF and better autofocus.
Glenn MartinJune 6, 2019 - 5:09 pm
HI MICHEAL. HAVE YOU TRIED USING ANY OF YOUR NIKON LENSES with an adapter on this body yet? I am curious how well this would work. Obviously, native is the way to go, but when you already have investment in one set of glass, then got to make that work for a while.
Michael ClarkJune 6, 2019 - 5:18 pm
Glenn – I have not tried any 3rd party lenses as of yet. I have a whole set of the Fujifilm GF lenses so I haven’t needed to but at some point that might happen.
keithJune 7, 2019 - 6:35 pm
Have you been able to work around 125 sync speed?
Michael ClarkJune 7, 2019 - 8:37 pm
I haven’t used that 1/125th shutter speed – I used Hi-Sync and HSS, which allows me to work at any shutter speed up to 1/4000th of a second. HS (with the Elinchrom ELB 1200 strobes) is way more powerful than HSS so that is my main option for the sports images. For portraits the HSS option (with the Elinchrom ELB 500 TTL) is super easy to work with.
Douglas I LevyJune 9, 2019 - 1:49 pm
I’m sure this is a great camera…but – I think there are some things here that maybe need more context. I own a H5X and have shot it on a Credo 40/60 and recently iq3 100. I’ve always been able to handhold images down to around 1/125 and get 50-75% in focus (and any issues are AF related, not vibration), i don’t think you’re giving yourself enough credit – a photographer as talented as you surely has a higher in focus rate than 5%.

Also – (and I know you know this), HSS isn’t the same as true leaf shutter 1/800 sync. You’re giving up a LOT of power (or DOF, or distance you can throw the light) to use hss, plus you need the right flashes and triggers. (which is also true with leaf shutters, you need a short enough flash duration and fast enough trigger to get them to work).
This is probably the camera I’d buy if I didn’t have a MF setup, but the lack of leaf lenses would give me serious pause – but that depends on how you work. The price and speed are phenomenal.
Michael ClarkJune 9, 2019 - 2:51 pm
Douglas – For me it wasn’t AF issues with the Hasselblad it was camera shake issues. I drink way too much caffeine and for critical tack sharp images I would be hard pressed to get many images tack sharp (or as sharp as I would like) at 1/125th second with my H5D 50c. Even at 1/500th second it was 50/50 if it would be tack, tack sharp on the Hasselblad handheld. The AF was slow on that camera but very accurate. Yesterday, I was testing out the GFX 100 with the 100-200 mm lens and at 1/40th second to 1/80th second handheld we got repeatedly crazy-sharp images on the GFX 100. That is pretty impressive.

I am definitely aware of the limitations of HSS and it is not nearly as powerful as leaf shutters. No question there. I am holding onto a few of my Hasselblad lenses and can use their leaf shutters with an adapter on the GFX 100. But, HS (Hi-Sync), which is different than HSS and leaf shutter techniques, is way more powerful for what I do than either leaf shutters or HSS and because the GFX 100 has higher shutter speeds (one stop more than the H6D at least) it is definitely pretty versatile with HS flash techniques.

None of this is to say that the Hasselblad or Phase offerings are not great cameras as well. They are beautiful cameras with incredible image quality. They are just more limited as to what they do for a wide variety of photography genres and that is where the GFX 100 really shines — along with image quality.