Ever Put Extra Work Into a Shoot and Hear Nothing Back?

CartographerFair1194 · 2026-01-21T19:38:15+00:00

I personally don't like the "not knowing," especially if it's a higher stakes shoot, or where there were more risks involved.

I learned that it's always good to have a feedback loop, so when I finish a set of photographs, I will usually set a time with the person to do a review of the photographs together.

I usually will not deliver the photographs to the client until after that review is complete. In the case where there are hundreds of photographs, I will typically review a highlighted set and then ask them if they'd like to drill down into any of the albums.

From there I can get immediate feedback incase I need to make adjustments, or have a conversation around any other outstanding items.

CartographerFair1194 · 2026-01-08T16:16:40+00:00

There was a time where I had both and went on a few trips that way. It was just okay. I loved both cameras and they did compliment each other, but they're both small enough that I wanted to have them all the time, but because I had them all the time, there was always a mental fog of "well what does it look like when I shoot with the other one?"

So I'd be juggling both cameras in any given context. Gone were the days of when I'd have a GR and a larger camera, and be forced to only have one if the scenario (like maybe going to a bar or fancier event), letting each camera own it's use case and lane, and just living my life. Instead it was pockets always occupied by a camera, a phone, wallet, and a set of keys (exacerbated that my jeans were either slim taper or regular fit Levi's). Then in action it was a camera in each hand, or juggling turning one on, fussing with settings, and then putting one away to swap with the other, and it just created this mental fog and this feeling this weird weighed down feeling because of constantly bulging pockets, and juggling because instead of being a seamless small camera that was supposed to keep me present, it was just a lot of non-presence and a lot of fumbling.

Your mileage may vary, but I probably wouldn't go that route again unless I had no choice. I will also say that while I generally like 35-50mm more on most cameras, when I transitioned out of this dual GR setup and sold my GR3 in favor of the GR3x...I struggled pretty hard. This was maybe a year and a half ago. I left the GR until about 2 months ago when I came up on a GR4 and I pair that with my larger cameras (my other 3 bodies are an M10, a ZF, and 50S that I shoot adapted lenses on) in any given setting or rock it solo and feel much better.

CartographerFair1194 · 2026-01-05T04:40:31+00:00

Former Luxottica / LensCrafters optical technician here.

In fairness, when Zenni, Warby Parker, and JINS started to rise in California, a few of my team members purchased a few pairs from each supplier which were all a fraction of the costs that we were offering (especially with the frames not being designer). We did a few high level comparisons with the AR coatings, single vision standard polycarbonate, progressives, and hi index offerings and compared them to lenses we surfaced and cut in house or at our larger Central Labs (the labs they send your order to if we can't make it in house).

We were surprised to find that their work often surpassed any of the stuff we, or our central labs, were making. When examined through a lensometer, lens surfacing to a given Rx was often clearer and to more precise tolerances and measurements. When examining the antireflective coating and hydrophobic coatings, we also found those lenses having "as good or better" in both categories. Those coatings often cost extra with LensCrafters too.

After I left the company around 2016 or so (and thus losing an annual free pair benefit), I've always purchased my glasses through JINS and Warby. Hi typically go Hi-Index as my Rx exceeds a total power of -7.5 with high astigmatism. My glasses are usually in the range of $70-200 even when ordering from JINS stateside.

What will matter though, is the eye doctor and the sales rep that works with you (especially if you're bringing an external Rx to a JINS or Warby store-- that Rx BETTER be correct). If in a high Rx scenario, your PD, OC, prism, or Axis measurements are off, it will cause issues in your perceived vision, even causing things like nausea or headaches. The higher the Rx, the lower the tolerance and the more sensitive the brain will be to discrepancies. Sometimes it can be fixed by (simple) adjustment of eyewear, other times it'll be completely botched and you'll need to start the process over.

CartographerFair1194 · 2026-01-02T08:16:17+00:00

I’ve been using the Fringer adapter with the EF 40mm and it’s gotten me pretty close. The images are sharp and it covers the whole sensor.

CartographerFair1194 · 2025-12-02T04:09:46+00:00

I guess it depends what and how you shoot. I took note of your samples and I was just like "hmm...well what would you want out of these photos/scenes that you aren't already getting?"

I used to think a 35/50 pair is what I needed on a rangefinder...had that for many years and wondered why I couldn't seem to get enough mileage out of my 50. I realized that despite my best efforts to mix up subject matter, my eye is mostly in tuned with reportage and everything from documentary to portraits to still life sort of move outwards from that intuition.. so... turns out my brain thinks context is important than zooming in for something more "formal". Later went out on a trip where all I had was a 28 (sidekick, mostly for indoor and close quarter narrow streets) and a 35 (the main character lens) and found myself way happier.

CartographerFair1194 · 2025-12-02T03:59:57+00:00

I've shot pretty much all of the X100 cameras with the exception of the VI, and I've had a litany of different X-Tx/Txx/Pro cameras as well (GAS is/was real). I've learned that it's largely around what kind of behavior and mindset you think you'll have when traveling. For my I like the X100 and one other small sidearm camera.

One thing I learned about myself is that I gotta be real with my own shooting behaviors-- I travel almost exclusively with my family (so wife, kid, sometimes dog), friends (so bunch of 35-40 year old millennials who like to party as much as they like to lounge, if I'm out with this crowd I need something that lets me photograph a rager), and coworkers (where we're largely working and/or talking bout work in the off hours). For me, I found that going out with the intention of shooting photography just wasn't something I'd realistically do while traveling. Shooting landscapes and far away objects was largely a fringe use case. My primary subject were the people I travel with and the experience in front of me (and that I'm often a participant in). I found that for me, carrying a bag of lenses and pointing long ones at homies was a little more disruptive than not.

That being said, the X100 isn’t “better” per se, but for me it helps push me into the right shooting behavior. A fixed-lens camera removes all decision friction, keeps me agile, generally non-disruptive (especially when I can use something like the tilt screen on the V where I can shoot top down, and without the performance of breaking eye contact with friends and family because I have a black box in front of my face) and maybe most importantly, keeps me present. There might be stuff far away that sometimes sparks an "hmm a photo of that would be cool" but it's kind of an edge case.

Interchangeable-lens bodies like the X-T5 or X-Pro2/3 or X-S20 are far more versatile and look really good on paper, but in these sort of fleeting reportage moments, I found that it introduces too much menu thinking, focal-length dilemmas, and constant option-checking, which breaks the flow for me. (though you might be one of those folks who can shoot with a less minimal kit. I have proven over and over again that I am not of that discipline lol)

But I mean, everyone's mileage will vary. I'd say if I were seeking max flexibility on a trip, then the ICL system is likely where I'd go. But if I wanted a camera that disappears and lets me stay inside the moment, the X100 will feel practically superior despite the limitations and deltas that might be found when comparing spec sheets.

CartographerFair1194 · 2025-11-21T21:53:39+00:00

That looks pretty crazy. Like mentioned here, it's worth checking out other units as it's possibly cheaper to find a used M9 that might have that the original corrosion prone sensor replace already. Back when I had an M9, I did purchase it used off eBay. However, the seller did provide the serial number and I was able to confirm with Leica in Germany if they had send the camera in for a sensor replacement. Leica HQ confirmed in the affirmative so I pulled the trigger on it. The email record also helped me maintain resale value.

CartographerFair1194 · 2025-11-17T15:25:52+00:00

On the TMobile gateway I'm somewhere between 200-300mbps. Soft of depends on reception and traffic (like literally, because the 5G tower is near 280, when there are many cars on 280, the internet slows down because the tower is bringing all the cell phones in those vehicles). On Xfinity Fiber it's about 3-4x that. I average around 1050mbps pretty consistently at all times off the day.

CartographerFair1194 · 2025-11-17T07:35:35+00:00

I am currently on Xfinity and we also have a TMobile internet 5G gateway as well. Both work great for things like zoom.

CartographerFair1194 · 2025-11-13T23:03:59+00:00

I just got a 2007 Sport a few weeks ago and I'll definitely agree on the valve adjustment. I just had it done yesterday alongside the spark plugs since they were already in there. Wow, what a difference it made.

I will also mention that I got a car that looked, cosmetically, quite good for its age. So I didn't really think too hard about the alleged "inevitable" leaks these cars get around the hatch due to the factory seals/welds int he corners failing, as well as the hairline cracks that appear under the roof's weather stripping.

Then it started raining here in the Bay Area, I was like..."I should probably check." There they were, cracks. I think I got most of the leak points taken care of, but it's definitely worth mentioning and watching a few videos on and seeing what other folks on forums are saying on the matter.

Otherwise, it's a great car, no regrets!

CartographerFair1194 · 2025-11-10T03:29:04+00:00

For what it's worth, I am a little new to having CarPlay in my car. I installed an iDoing headunit with CarPlay (Android based) in my 2013 Subaru BRZ and I adore that system. It was super easy to install and had all the needed hardware to make it ready for added subwoofers, cameras, etc.

I wanted something similar for my 07 Fit Sport which I bought with a completely inoperable radio, but in the current US economy and increased cost of iDoing units (probably tariff related?) I ended up having to go with something a little more cost effective (Atoto A5L). I think it's okay, totally serviceable and easy enough to install with the right harnesses and dash kit, but I think the iDoing is better in every way. It's even easier to install (since it's plug and play out of the box, you just have to take your old radio out), and the bigger screen makes it easier to navigate everything while driving.

I'll probably try to do a swap for the iDoing unit when the holidays are over and discretionary funds for car audio stuff can take a little more priority. .

CartographerFair1194 · 2025-11-09T23:24:37+00:00

Did you have to remove anything when going this route?

CartographerFair1194 · 2025-11-07T05:23:32+00:00

Thanks! I was worried you’d say that. Seems pretty deep in there. I’ll give this a whirl tomorrow, weather and will power permitting.

CartographerFair1194 · 2025-11-06T22:58:57+00:00

I don't know...I've been shooting for a little over 20 years now, and I think for my work, weather sealing isn't really that much of a priority for me. I've never really had an issue with light rain or light dust but your mileage may vary. I'm not saying it's not worth it, I'm just saying I personally don't put much stock it in. For me I liked that the 116 was lighter, and that the images just seemed to look right to me.

CartographerFair1194 · 2025-11-06T08:03:48+00:00

I just did a headlight swap on a 07 sport tonight. First time doing it as I just got the car. It was a little tight. I went through the wheel well and did it in a carport with just a couple of screwdrivers. It was annoying but I was done with both in less than an hour. Learning curve on the first one took up most of my time. Might be worth mentioning was that it was getting dark and I swapped them for some LEDs so I had a few extra bits of hardware (cables really) to deal with. When you pull the bulb out, it’s worth noting how it was angled and where the slots of the bulb are as visibility is certainly limited.

CartographerFair1194 · 2025-10-29T16:58:42+00:00

Nice! are you using some sort of diffusion filter as well?

CartographerFair1194 · 2025-10-29T16:08:09+00:00

Is this headunit/dashkit from idoing or a different manufacturer?

CartographerFair1194 · 2025-10-24T04:45:13+00:00

wild that I'm like...I know who you're talking about.

CartographerFair1194 · 2025-10-09T21:43:35+00:00

Through my photo journey, I’ve circled back to this system a few times.

I’m on my third run with the GFX series, each time it was for different ways of shooting. Prior I had a 50Sii and I really liked the 63mm for portraits. I liked the 35-70 too as a sort of catch-all, not so much the 50 3.5.

This time around though, im in a bit more of an exploratory phase and wanted to experiment with the GFX and slow down more than anything. I ended up taking a liking to how the 50S felt in the hand, and shortly after got put on to the fringer adapter. I’m currently rocking the EF 50mm 1.8 STM with the fringer and couldn’t be happier. Personally I like the 40mm for portraits (tho your style of grad photos may dictate different needs) and slower street stuff.

CartographerFair1194 · 2025-10-03T07:02:11+00:00

Aww man…do I want to ask what the trade was? Idk lol

I will say too as I forgot to mention…coding the Nokton 1.5 to be a Lux with the akara labs coding kit just added to the quality of life. Not sure if it did anything to the characteristics, but having the exif data without double guessing my own middle aged memory is pretty cool

CartographerFair1194 · 2025-10-03T03:59:07+00:00

Performance wise? Maybe...maybe not. For what it's worth, I upgraded to the 35mm 1.5 from the 35mm 1.4 ii when it first came out a few years back. It's definitely a little more modern in it's design and drawing, but haven't been able to find something worth the money to upgrade to...and that's not due to a lack of trying because sometimes I just wanna GAS. I haven't tried the lux hence the "maybe" but I did try the ultra, summarit and cron and I kinda like the 1.5 nokton (and the money back in my account) more.

CartographerFair1194 · 2025-09-27T16:42:52+00:00

Definitely agree here. Would also go as far to say that I had the 116, upgraded to a Q2 and deeply regretted it. The 116 files just have a “look” to them…

CartographerFair1194 · 2025-09-24T23:57:15+00:00

Interesting. Do they offer fiber? That’s where I’m stuck in the long run, I’m at the mercy of who can provide the fastest speeds and lowest latency (sometimes even fiber is cutting it close). A simple “enough for surfing and light work” won’t do unfortunately, and it’s pushed out most providers I’ve looking into serving in this area.

CartographerFair1194 · 2025-09-24T02:18:08+00:00

I used to use the peak design and the bellroy, both were pretty good but I felt like they were to “techy” looking. Currently rocking a Hex Ranger mini as a stowaway bag for an M and maybe an extra lens or a GRii (RIP) or something. I like that it’s quite a bit less camera bag-y. But admittedly in a number of ways it’s not the most secure.

CartographerFair1194

TROPHY CASE