Visiting Mystic Seaport Museum with the Fujifilm X-T3:
My apologies everyone for not posting new content in a very long time. I don’t plan on making a lack of new posts a habit; in fact, I’ve actually been reviewing a lot of stuff, and I’ll be posting them up very soon. I’ve also been doing a lot of portrait and boudoir work lately, and I’ve been swamped with edits that I had to finish. I will post some of that work as well, and include them in my reviews. Anyway, I did go to Mystic Seaport Museum for a couple of days last month, and I thought I’d start out posting some stuff from my trip.
For those who don’t know, the Mystic Seaport Museum is located in Connecticut. It’s not too far from NYC, and I needed a little break, so I decided to take a short trip up there. It’s was founded in 1929, and it’s a maritime museum that includes a recreated New England coastal village, a working shipyard, exhibit halls, and artifact storage facilities. I also should mentioned (and I don’t get paid by them or anything) that the people working there were not only extremely nice but they really knew their stuff. One person was talking to me about maritime travel in the old days for over 45 minutes! That’s some real passion.
↑ This was taken with the Zeiss Touit 12mm at f8.
↑ This was taken with the XF 18-55mm at f8.
↑ This was taken with the Samyang 85mm f1.4. I’ve been using this lens a lot for portraits, and it’s been great, especially for the price. It’s under $280 but currently has an additional $50 off at B&H Photo.
↑ Here’s another shot taken with the Zeiss Touit 12mm f2.8. This was taken at f8. To this day, this is still one of my favorite lenses for the Fuji X Series system.
As for the gear I took, I had with me the Fuji X-T3, the XF 56mm f1.2 APD, the XF 35mm f1.4, the XF 18-55mm, the Zeiss Touit 12mm f2.8, the Samyang 10mm f2.8, and Samyang 85mm f1.4 Aspherical. I know, that’s a lot of gear, and more than I needed but I am still posting my X-T3 review and I’m writing reviews for the two Samyang lenses. So, I needed content. The two lenses I used most were the Zeiss and the XF 18-55mm. The photos were processed from RAW files in Capture One. I did simple and clean edits.
↑ The Mystic Seaport Museum had recreated shops like this old school pharmacy. This was taken with the XF 18-55mm at f5.6 using 1600 ISO.
↑ This was taken at f8 using the XF 35mm f1.4 at 3200 ISO.
↑ Here’s another with the same lens and settings as above.
↑ Here’s one taken with the XF 35mm at f1.4.
Overall, I had an absolutely great time at the Mystic Seaport Museum. As you can see in the pics, it wasn’t that busy but it is the off season right now. In the summers, there are a ton of people. I never had a particular interest in maritime history but I have to say, I had so much fun that I ended up spending the whole day there. Plus, the fried belly clams were pretty good ;).
↑ Here’s another taken with the XF 18-55mm at f8.
↑ Here’s another with the same settings and lens as above.
↑ Here’s one more with the same settings and lens as above.
↑ It was absolutely beautiful out the day I went to the Mystic Seaport Museum. The next day was full of rain lol. This was taken with the same lens and settings as above.
Stay tuned for my upcoming Samyang reviews along with my Fuji X-T3 review. Also, I’m hoping to get the new Leica D-Lux 7 in to test and I still plan on writing up a bunch of SL reviews. The SL reviews will be particularly big because I’ve collected tons of photos with the SL over the past few months. Thanks for stopping by!
Thanks for sharing. Really beautiful weather you had that day. I remember visiting in May 2016. It was cold rainy and still a really great place to get a sense of that time so different to ours. Maybe the rain even added to the experience as it makes you more uncomfortable like those times most likely were.
Hi Sebastian,
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts! Yes, I was really lucky I had amazing weather that day because the next day, it was raining like crazy! Like you, I really enjoyed Mystic Seaport because it did give me a sense of how it was back in those days. It’s kind of incredible how people in those days sailed or even built those ships, if you think about it. I had a better time than I thought I would, and I would highly recommend anyone to go visit. Again, thanks for stopping by!
Best,
Patrick
Hey Patrick… Glad to see a new article. I’ve been wondering if you were ok, even checked Instagram a few days ago and was relieved to see a photo you recently posted. I’ve just bought a 35/1.4 yesterday (I know, I’m catching up with the X system) after trading in my 27mm that I had for 2-3 years. Fuji has definitely done something magical with xt3, I never liked any other cameras before other than x100. Looks like I’m going to be with Fuji for a bit. It is nice to have a good looking camera after being with Sony, though I love their technology a lot…i think I’ll go full frame again when Leica do an evf M. look forward to reading more reviews. 🙂
Hi Mahesh!
Thank you for your concern! I’ve just been so busy lately! I’ve had tons of files to edit from different shoots. For the last three months, I’ve been shooting with a new person once or twice a week. Everything kind of piled up on me, and caught me by surprise lol.
The X-T3 is really nice; I haven’t posted my review yet unfortunately but I’ve been shooting with it a lot, and I think the colors coming out of the sensor are better. It feels like its been tweaked a bit. Btw, the XF 35mm f1.4 is one of my favorite lenses :). I bought it when it was first released, and for some reason, I ended up trading it in for something else. I regretted it so much that I bought another one later on :).
An M with an EVF…hmmm…sounds like the SL to me lol :). The SL actually shoots better than any M I’ve ever used, and I’m talking about it now with just M lenses. Plus, the body itself isn’t really that much heavier, so it is actually pretty nice with M lenses :). Anyway, I’m back, so I’ll be posting more stuff. Again, appreciate your concern, and I hope you’re doing well! It’s great to hear the X-T3 is working out for you!
Best,
Patrick
Hi Patrick,
Very punchy colors! The last time I visited Mystic Seaport was 15 years ago! I was still living in NYC & had my lovely dog back then, time flies! Even though I am not into sailing, I always have a special feeling toward the ocean. I started following your site about a year ago but haven’t made any comment until now. By the way, thanks for the nice review on the Leica CL; your review helps me pull the trigger on the CL. The CL allows me to take serious photos again after both my Nikon Df & Leica D-Lux 109 were stolen last year. I will eventually get another full-frame camera again, waiting to see all the offerings next year. I do come back to NYC every year to see my family, maybe we can arrange a photo meet next time! If you wonder, I have been living on Guam since 2007. Take care for now & keep shooting!
Yours Truly,
Patrick
Hi Patrick!
Just like you, I don’t sail but I’ve always felt a special connection to the ocean as well. That’s why I’ve always had to live near water :). I also wanted to say that I really appreciate you following my site, and it’s great to hear from you! If you ever have any questions or you just want to talk cameras/photography, feel free to comment or send me a message any time.
I’m also very sorry to hear about your cameras but I’m glad to hear that the CL has been working out for you. It’s still one of my favorites. As for a full frame camera, it’s a good idea to wait till next year. It looks like there are some pretty cool ones coming out soon :). And yes, whenever you plan on coming back to NYC, send me a message, and we can arrange to shoot! It’ll be fun! Keep in touch!
Best,
Patrick