A Walk Around Lower Manhattan With My Fuji X-T3:
First thing’s first: Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there :). Since it is Mother’s Day, I’m going to post the review I was going to put up today on either Monday or Tuesday. I get the days mixed up a bit being home so much haha. Anyway, I went for a quick walk around Lower Manhattan today because I had to bring some essentials to a family member. Plus, I needed the fresh air and a bit of exercise. I went very early in the morning, and decided to take my Fuji X-T3 along with me.
Lower Manhattan was my main stomping ground during pre-pandemic times, and it was nice seeing it again. There were some people around but definitely not a whole lot as you can see in the photos below. Plus, for the most part, everyone followed social distance rules, etc. People were out just for a bit of exercise.
I took along with me the XF 18-55mm f2.8-4 R LM OIS lens because I wasn’t planning a long walk, so I wanted something to just get a few quick snaps here and there. I also took along one of my favorites, the XF 35mm f1.4 R lens just in case I ran into a few flower beds. Spring’s here now. The walk was mainly by the water with it ending at the Charging Bull.
I started my walk on the West Side of Manhattan, and followed the water down to the end of Battery Park City. It was quite a beautiful day with plenty of sunshine, and a nice breeze. It was a little cool, which is just the way that I like it.
So, who is excited for the Fuji X-T4? Who bought one already? When news was released about the X-T4, I thought I was going to buy it but I was still a bit hesitant. The X-T3 hasn’t even been out for two years yet, and while I think the new one is a great camera, I don’t know if there are enough changes for me to warrant purchasing one (by the way, I will be reviewing one, once social distance rules ease up a bit). The two big things for me are the battery and the image stabilization. I’ve complained about the battery life of my X-T3 several times, so I’m happy to see an improvement in this area. But for me, image stabilization isn’t so important that I wouldn’t buy a camera, if it didn’t have it. If it’s in a camera, great. If not, it doesn’t really change much for me. Plus, I don’t know how I feel about the new LCD display. What has really peaked my interest though is the new Fuji X100v :).
Anyway, getting back on topic, all these pictures were taken with the XF 18-55mm f2.8-4 R LM OIS lens with the exception of the flower photo, which was taken with the XF 35mm f1.4 R lens. This is actually the first time I’ve been to this part of Lower Manhattan since March, and I have to say, I haven’t seen it this quiet in my entire life (I’m a born, raised, and full fledge New Yorker too 🙂 ). What amazed me was the emptiness around the Charging Bull down in Battery Park City. There are alway a ton of people surrounding it. There were one or two photographers there photographing it but other than that, I didn’t see anyone around it, and I went there twice. I saw it when I drove down in the morning, and walked by it when I left.
For those who have followed my blog for a while, and know Kopi, I took her as well (golden retriever above). Anyway, I hope all of you have a great Mother’s Day. My next review is coming either tomorrow or Tuesday. Thanks for stopping by, and enjoy your Sunday.
Patrick,
Ditto to everything I had to say about the blog posting above this one about shooting the city with the Zeiss 12mm lens. These shots reveal even more of the changes that have taken place with the absence of the nearly constant humanity present in NYC. In the past I’ve spent a fair amount of time in the area of the city where the Charging Bull is located, & never have I ever seen it looking this quiet & serene.
Overall I also have to say that I prefer the images you took with the Zeiss lens to those with the Fuji zoom, even though the zoom was also one of my favorite lenses, so much so that I have owned two of them. Great addition of the beautiful Golden in front of the statue. And I will be interested in reading your assessment of the X-T4 when you have had a chance to use one. I got my X-T3 when it first came out & I personally would not upgrade; the only reason would be the stabilization feature but I now have enough of the newer 126S batteries that battery life isn’t an issue for me.
I also just got the new X100V & am totally amazed by it. I haven’t had this model since owning both the first X100 & then the X100S, & had completely forgotten how wonderful they are to use. Unfortunately I am now starting to realize that for me the optical viewfinder that I had on my X-Pro1 & 2 before I got the X-T3 is something I really enjoy using more than the EVF. So if I were to eliminate having the X-T3, it would be to get the X-Pro3. For me at least, Fuji is all about the X-Pro line they created, the only other rangefinder like camera besides Leica with an OVF, with the added benefit of AF. Stay safe & healthy,
Jed
Hi Jed,
Thanks for the kind words! Yes, I have never the area around the Charging Bull so quiet…ever. Downtown in general can get pretty quiet, which still takes some getting used to.
As for the X-T4, I did receive one recently to review, and have shot with it a few times already. It’s a pretty nice camera, and I do love the new battery. The size feels nicer to me as well. I’ll probably post my first impressions of it next week.
Good to hear you bought the new X100V. That’s another camera I plan on reviewing, and I may even buy. I am a big fan of the new one. It’s funny you mention an OVF because just recently, I went back to shooting some film (which I’m hoping to post this weekend or next week), and it took some getting used to to shoot with the OVF in my M6. I think at this point, I’m too used to an EVF haha. But the X-Pro3 is a nice camera, and there’s the added benefit of having both types of finders. I had a review sample that I finished up with right before the pandemic hit NYC; I should’ve posted the review earlier but I will do that probably next week as well. Take care of yourself, Jed, and stay well!
Best,
Patrick