Thursday, December 20, 2018

Medium Format Battle: Fujifilm GFX 50S vs 50R

Yes it's time to rumble!! The new GFX 50R versus the bigger, chunkier but more modular GFX 50S. The new 50R has Bluetooth and a sexy, clean, rangefinder style profile, but the 50S is a beast! In this video I go through all the differences between these two great cameras, but which is my choice? I tell you in the video, but only at the end. Have fun watching!



Thursday, December 6, 2018

Vintage Camera Shopping in Hong Kong: Champagne Court 2017

This walking tour of the famous vintage camera shopping mall Champagne Court was shot during the filming of my documentary Film is Still Alive with Ryan Savella from Arcade Original. I have lots of bonus material and outtakes from this project, much of it waiting to be processed and edited. I'm just starting to plow through all this content. There's at least 12 more videos I can produce from this trip, and another 12 from my last trip to Hong Kong in the spring of 2018. Thanks for your patience as I roll these older videos out.

BHT

Monday, December 3, 2018

Review: Fujifilm XF 8-16mm F/2.8 R LM WR

This is my latest review of Fujifilm's new red label ultra-wide zoom lens the XF 8-16mm f/2.8 R LM WR. Will it replace my beloved XF 10-24mm f/4 R OIS? Probably not, but this new ultra-wide is pretty amazing. Check out my written review of this lens over at FujiLove Magazine as well:
https://fujilove.com/how-wide-is-too-wide-the-new-xf8-16mmf2-8-r-lm-wr/


Sunday, December 2, 2018

Yet Another Unboxing: Fujifilm GFX 50R

Warning: It's yet another unboxing video. Lately I've been getting a lot of hate for my unboxing videos, but I don't understand why. If you follow my YouTube channel and you don't like unboxing videos, just skip it. I'm sure there's some of you who don't shoot film cameras, so you skip my film camera review videos. The point of the unboxing is to show someone who wants to buy the camera what they get in the box, and also a bit of talking about what my thoughts are as a camera reviewer. I don't unbox random products that I know nothing about. I eventually review the camera, take pictures with it and create content. This is just stage one of my review process. So if you like unboxing videos, please enjoy. If you don't like unboxing videos, then please just skip. Wait for my upcoming review of the camera itself in a few weeks. Thanks for your support and happy shooting :-)

Thursday, November 29, 2018

Interview with John Lehmann: Hong Kong 2017

Remember my project The Analogue Photography Series: Film Is Still Alive that I shot with Ryan Savella from Arcade Original for Telus StoryHive? Well I shot a lot of other videos during that time that I never produced... so I decided to start. Here is my interview with photographer John Lehmann from November 2017 in Hong Kong at Annie Barton Studios. Thanks for watching and thanks for your patience.

BHT


Tuesday, November 27, 2018

Tuesday Tips: Print Your Photographs!


My Two Minute Tuesday series is now renamed Tuesday Tips. On this episode I talk about printing your work. What's the value of printing our work when we live in a virtual world? I talk about 3 main reasons why we would want to print our work and not let it just live on the internet.

BHT


Unboxing: Leica D-Lux 7

The new Leica D-Lux 7. The previous version isn't the D-Lux 6, which would be too logical, but the Tip 109. I took the Type 109 with me to Hong Kong a few years ago and had a great time. How do I like the new version? It's not a huge difference (same lens, same body) but it's still a capable camera. Watch me unbox and talk about the significance of the premium point and shoot market. Is this segment of camera still important to you?

Saturday, November 24, 2018

Vintage Unboxing: Leica M5 50th Jahre/Anniversary Edition

This is my latest video unboxing of a 43 year old camera, the 50th Anniversary Edition Leica M5. Actually, I have two of them. The most interesting thing about this unboxing isn't the camera itself, since we've all seen the M5 either in person or in pictures. No, the interesting thing is to see what you actually got with a brand new Leica back in 1975. Most used Leicas don't come with all the paperwork, including the warranty card (remember those?). Thanks for watching and happy shooting!

BHT

Saturday, November 10, 2018

Fujifilm GFX 50R 1st Impressions


While Fujifilm Canada's Billy Luong and X-Photographer Patrick LaRoque were in Vancouver to showcase the new GFX 50R, I had a chance to borrow it for a week and test it out. This is my first impressions video. Image quality is the exact same as the GFX 50S, so really the testing is more about how the ergonomics work with my shooting style. Check out the video review and look for upcoming reviews once I get a copy of the production model. Thanks for visiting and happy shooting!

BHT


Monday, November 5, 2018

Unboxing: Fujifilm XF 8-16mm F/2.8 R LM WR

Hello my friends, it's time again for another unboxing video. I have a love-hate relationship with these types of videos. They are necessary but also not necessary. So if you hate unboxings, you can skip this one and wait for either my written review (most likely on FujiLove Magazine's website) or look for posts on my Instagram account. Although this is an unboxing, I do make sure I talk about my thoughts during the video, so it won't be a complete waste of your time if you did watch this. Also, it's the first unboxing video where you don't have to look at my face, so maybe this is a good thing for you.

As always, thanks for your support and wait for my videos. I have at least 30 videos still waiting to be produced. I'm really, really behind.

BHT

Friday, November 2, 2018

Canon EOS R Unboxing Collaboration with London Drugs

What does a drugstore have to do with cameras? If you're not living in Western Canada, you've probably never heard of London Drugs. They've been around since the 1950s and they've had a camera department almost from the start. They have a full service photo department in almost every one of their locations (60 stores and counting), which includes cameras, accessories, photo-finishing, drones, etc. Some locations still have a fully operational 1 hour lab and E6 service. They approached me and were interested in doing a collaboration and I said yes of course. If you watch the video on my channel I sort of explain why. I have fond memories of buying my first point and shoot and my first SLR from London Drugs over 25 years ago. Good times. So thanks for watching and thanks for supporting me. This is a big step for my YouTube channel and for my brand.

BHT


Thursday, October 18, 2018

Annex Photo: Concept by Fujifilm

When I was in Toronto for the launch of the brand new Fujifilm X-T3, I decided to make a video featuring a unique concept store. Fujifilm collaborated with a local photoshop called The Annex and decided to make it a retail showcase for Instax and print products. The concept was based on Fujifilm's global Wonder Photo Shop, but the Canadian concept is considered a hybrid since Fujifilm collaborated with an existing business. If you love analogue photography, if you want to print your images, even if it comes from your smartphone, this is a fun place to hang out. I noticed a lot of the customers didn't just come in and pick up their photos and then leave. They spent time looking at their images, ordering more or different prints, or transforming their existing images into photo books or other physical print products. Hopefully Fujifilm will expand this concept to Vancouver, and perhaps other global cities.


Tuesday, October 16, 2018

Huge Unboxing: Fujifilm XF200mm F/2 R LM OIS WR

What on earth am I doing with such a huge lens? Well, Fujifilm asked me if I wanted one new-in-box (they know I love opening boxes), and I said yes. Please enjoy the video and let me know what you think I should do with it, now that I have it unboxed. In the past I use to own the Minolta 300mm f/2.8, and I only used it for shooting sports. I currently don't shoot sports, so what else is there to do with a monster lens like this? Please help me....


Sunday, September 9, 2018

Fujifilm X-T3: First Impressions Video

Hello my fellow photographers and videographers. Long time no post. I've been busy on various projects, but I'm never too busy to review the latest and greatest from Fujifilm. I was invited to a media event in Toronto, and I flew out to test and play with the new Fujifilm X-T3. Is it a worthy update to the much loved X-T2? Can it compete with the X-H1 for video sans IBIS? Please watch my latest first impressions video. Thanks for watching guys and happy shooting!

BHT

Wednesday, May 23, 2018

Fujifilm X-T100: First Look


Fujifilm has finally made a camera that I've been asking for all along (well almost), an ILC camera with a front facing articulating screen. No I don't care about taking selfies or group shots, I care about shooting video. Not only can I vlog with ease (the tally light on the X-H1 is nice but the camera is a brick), but I can shoot my YouTube videos with ease. Here's what Fujifilm says about the new camera:


Retro styled, portable in size and built around a powerful 24-megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor, the FUJIFILM X-T100 mirrorless digital camera is the ideal companion for creative everyday photography. Packed full of high spec features such as an advanced hybrid autofocus system that’s able to keep pace with even the most active subjects, a speedy 6fps continuous- shooting mode, high-resolution electronic viewfinder and intuitive swivelling touchscreen, it brings professional image making into everyone’s grasp. Boasting an ‘always on’ Bluetooth connection, 
the X-T100 connects seamlessly with your smart devices via an built-in Wi-Fi connection to instantly transfer your images . Also featuring 4K recording and the option to capture footage in HD at 100fps for super- slow-motion movies. 

Monday, February 5, 2018

The Analogue Photography Series: Film is Still Alive


I was on my flight to Osaka when I got the email from Telus StoryHive. I was approved for funding to film episode 1 of my documentary series on analogue photography! I quickly forwarded the email to my collaborator Ryan from Arcade Original, and then I went dark for 12 hours (no wifi on my economy ticket). Once I got to Osaka, I had to wait 3 long weeks before I could head back to Vancouver and start shooting with Ryan, although I had lots of time for pre-production. My goal was to feature Vancouver photographers, but also make a connection to my next favourite city for photography, Hong Kong. It's been 3 months since we began filming, and now the documentary is up on Telus StoryHive's YouTube channel. Please visit their website to view and vote for our project. You can vote once a day for the next 5 days. If we get enough votes, we are approved to finish our series with two more episodes. I have much more to share with you about this project, but please enjoy the documentary for now. Thanks for all your support:

https://www.storyhive.com/project/show/id/3006

Tuesday, January 23, 2018

Street Photography in Hong Kong: Analogue Edition

Minolta 9xi with 35mm f/1.4. Film Ferrania Alpha P30
On my latest trip to Hong Kong I decided to shoot film... lots of it. The motivation? Because of my Analogue Photography Series documentary for StoryHive. Since my project was all about film photography, I knew I had to live and breath the film culture, and it's not hard to do so in a city like Hong Kong. Although film prices are similar here as it is in the rest of the world (although there's no sales tax), the availability of used film cameras rivals Tokyo, and accessibility/pricing of photo labs seems more like 1998 and not 2018. $6 USD to develop and scan a roll of 135-36 film is not difficult to find here. Same day black and white develop and scan? No problem. Moreover, if you love to shoot film, Hong Kong should be your next analogue photography destination, hands down.