Hyperfocus

[@repHAWAIIxJPN]

6:52 Hell yah Good Smile Company and Racing Miku !

[@EYExplore]

I would never drive such a car, but I love that they exist. It's one of those Tokyo things. :)

[@CheapCharlieChronicles]

Love street photography with exotic lenses, cool!

[@EYExplore]

Glad you enjoyed this one! :)

[@PaulCrousePhoto]

Great video as always, Lukasz. I think you should ALWAYS chimp. One of the great things about digital cameras is that you can check to see if you got shot while you're standing there. Who knows if you'll ever be in the same place again. Back in film days, I would have killed to be able to do that. Keep up the good work!

[@EYExplore]

Totally agree!! It gets stigmatized too much! :)

[@BertrandVanderBerg]

Instead of using the zoom button to focus manually at wider open apertures it is faster to use focus peaking. Just setup a fn button to switch it on and off.

[@EYExplore]

Yeah, I know about focus peaking, but I just don't like it. I never fully trust it because it shows focus all over the place and I'm very specific about the one thing I must have in focus. I use it for video of course, but for photos I prefer the zoom button method. I do agree that it's slower though! :)

[@willstith1]

Wow 21mm is so wide! Very cool video I remember seeing the Tuna auction at Tsukiji back in the day and then having the best sushi I've ever had. Good memories.

[@EYExplore]

Thank you! Yeah, you can still see the auction but it's in a different place now. :)

[@rimshots_PL]

Hi Lukasz! Aside of the photography side, obviously, I very much appreciate audio quality in your videos. There's a lot of ambient yet your voice is dominant and balance between both seems perfect, for my ears at least, giving that lively street vibe and impression of participating in the walk. Could you reveal your setup? Is it just a lav mic or do you mix signals from lav and shotgun for example creating this balance in post? Best wishes!

[@lebimas]

I would like to second this. Whatever the audio setup is, it’s great.

[@EYExplore]

Glad you like it! It's a very simple set up: I have a lav mic on me, which can be seen clipped to my jacket or bag strap. And then we record its audio on a Zoom H1 which is in my pocket. We record in 24-bit WAV an d keep the gain to around 50, so the clip ends up a bit quiet (avoiding clipping). Then I process it in Adobe Audition. Actually, Axel's been wanting to get us a second mic, an omni-directional one, to better capture the ambient sound in a separate channel for later mixing. But right now it's all just the one lav mic. :)

[@rimshots_PL]

​@@EYExplore Many thanks for that! This does a really great job and sound is really immersive (especially the "tastes" like e.g. at 8:36 when a guy slides the gate down, quite far away, + your reaction, or girl laughing and some talks at 14:43). Could you also share the make and model of the lav mic itself please?:)

[@EYExplore]

@@rimshots_PL We bought the Comica BoomX-D2 wireless lav mic kit. But we stopped using the wireless transmitters because they would often cut out in crowded places in the city (I guess too much interference from wifi and cell phones). So, we just use the lavs that came with this set. I think a lot of the ambience comes from how I process in Audition. I specifically never use any noise reduction, whatsoever, which I think a lot of other people do. Other than that, it's a few passes of normalize to -.1dB, hard limit to -4dB, then single band compressor, normalize again, hard limit again, and normalize one more time. More or less. This brings out my voice and reduces extremely loud noise but preserves the ambient sounds as well.

[@rimshots_PL]

@@EYExplore Thanks a lot for sharing also the process, really helpful!

[@StewartChambers]

love the mix of both photographic content and also insights in to life and culture in Japan (the car at 06:30 is a great example). thoroughly enjoy relaxing with your vlogs Lukasz and Axel.

[@EYExplore]

Thank you so much!!! :)

[@rpigeon8]

Nice video as usuall! Using a wide angle lens gives a different point of view for street photography. For me, not that natural, but trying is learning :) Happy New Year!

[@EYExplore]

Thank you!! Happy new year! :)

[@diegomayafotografia8856]

Very enjoyable video, as always.

[@EYExplore]

Thank you!! :)

[@GrainyWorld]

Hell Yeah! New Episode!

[@EYExplore]

Thanks for watching! :)

[@bradl2636]

Memories. I must dig up my images from the inner market before they stopped letting gaijin walk through there unescorted. Was about 17 years ago. Great little restaurants still there though I think.

[@EYExplore]

I really regret taking it for granted and not going there more often when I first got to Japan...

[@outtathyme5679]

Street photography heaven. Hope to make it there someday

[@EYExplore]

I hope sooner than later! :)

[@RobinNoah]

I hope you get the new Z9 in your hands somehow and we can watch comparison videos with your D4 or Z6. Would be fkn awesome. In my mind the Z9 must be the dream camera for you. But wait…maybe to much Megapixel and the lack of mech. shutter could be a problem.

[@EYExplore]

I already ordered it, haha. But I think it might take while. The shortage is real. The lack of mechanical shutter should be fine due to the hyperfast readout. I played with it in Nikon's show room and took photos while swinging the camera around and saw no rolling shutter effects or any weird flicker/color effects with fluorescent lighting, but we'll see how that goes in practice. As for the resolution, yeah it's overkill for me, but I'll accept it. I'm just gonna have to fork out some schmeckles for storage. :)

[@TheHawaiianc]

Hey Lukas love the video question are you going to Tokyo auto salon? Reason just want see how you take pics of cars with all chaos in the car show..

[@EYExplore]

Thanks! You know, I haven't thought of that. I've lived in Tokyo for nearly 15 years and have never been to its famous car show. I might do it! :)

[@erickpeguero4897]

Great video! Thank you 🙏🏼

[@EYExplore]

Thanks for watching! :)

[@marclabro]

nice tuto and pictures. you are sharp up to infinity but you didn't mention where hyperfocal with max sharpness is. any idea with a z6ii and that lens ? already tried the FN button displaying depth of field ?

[@EYExplore]

I didn't because I didn't test it. It's why sometimes I was a bit beyond infinity. For example, if I was on f/11 I put the focus ring on the f/8 mark. That way I have some margin for error.

[@patio87]

My fuji zone focusing lens is my voightlander 25mm f/4 M mount lens, I use it for nighttime zone focus with flash. I've really been wanting the voightlander 21mm to replace it but I might sell my 25mm and buy this instead and save a bunch of money. How it performs wide open is completely irrelevant to me since doing zone focus I'm stopped way down any way.

[@EYExplore]

I love my Voigt as well. I actually got pretty decent and nailing the zone even at f/2 at night, so I'd say give it a shot! :)

[@stp182314343]

Lukaz have you made experience with the wide Voigtländer lenses? 21mm f4 or f1.8 Leica mount

[@EYExplore]

No I have not. To be really honest, I'm not such fanatic of trying different lenses. The only reason I tried this one is because they sent it to me for free. I like simplicity. The fewer lenses I own, the better. :)

[@paulm8157]

Good post to start 2022. Credible review of lens and good human interest fish market images. (We can only imagine the smells😁.) Markets always hot spots for street photography. Re focus, is cam focus peaking not an option with this lens? Host wears red jacket and red shoes - nice. At about 20 min into vid, at shrine, noticed what looked like Star of David at apex of triangle roof shrine object; was it?

[@EYExplore]

Haha, thank you for liking my fashion! You know, I didn't try focus peaking, but I see no reason why it wouldn't work. I just never use it in general (except for video) so it didn't occur to me. Regarding the Star of David, I would be surprised if it was related to Judaism but don't know what it actually means.

[@joeltunnah]

I wonder how this lens compares to the old Nikkor 20mm f/2.8 AI-S? I’m debating getting that one before it goes out of production. I liked your photos Lucasz!

[@EYExplore]

That's a good question! I've never shot with that one. I did once have a Series E 28mm f/2.8 AIS. But the Series E lenses were kind of the 'cheap' versions. It's optical quality was not great, but not terrible either. :)

[@AgentBatman1]

@EYExplore when you use such lenses do you keep the camera on Aperture priority or on auto mode?

[@EYExplore]

I keep the camera is aperture priority (or manual) 100% of the time on any lens. I never let the camera control the aperture.

[@AgentBatman1]

@@EYExplore Thanks, will give this a go.

[@allen.9]

awesome video

[@EYExplore]

Thank you!! :)

[@biscuitsspam]

i use an old dslr from 2005 (just got it as my first camera from a family member) and the af is broken but the lens only has a distance gauge that marks focal lengths(zoom lens) and no aperture notes so i still dont really know how to zone focus or stuff like that

[@EYExplore]

Yeah, many AF lenses lack all of the necessary markings, unfortunately. You can try to kinda reverse engineer them with some experimentation thought, but it would be quite tedious.

[@angelevarcurioso8523]

I'm currently using Xperia 1 II to learn photography and I'm always on manual mode but I saw some professional photographers using program and shutter priority mode. Would you mind discussing it? Thank you very much ❤️.

[@EYExplore]

You can use whichever mode is comfortable. The mode has no impact on the final image and on how you frame the image. It's just matter of getting the settings you want. I use Aperture priority + Auto ISO most of the time. I talk about these things in this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aGGrpYZ6jtiZjtE

[@ondrat9790]

Nice video! I really want a 21mm for my Leica M system... one question... why do you have that ISO so high?

[@EYExplore]

Thanks! I set the ISO to auto with a max of 6400. I'm okay with whatever ISO is necessary to get the other settings as needed. I typically use 1/250 shutter speed as minimum and then set whatever aperture I see fit. In this case I was using small apertures to maximize DOF. I actually am not sure what you mean by 'high' though haha. Because, that's kind of relative. I would say anything below 2000 is not 'high'. :)

[@ondrat9790]

@@EYExplore I understand! thank you for the answer! for me high ISO is already above 640 :D one more question about this lens.. do you think it is optically good? I have a dilemma which 21mm lens to choose.

[@EYExplore]

@@ondrat9790 No worries! It's okay optically, but for the price I would say it's a great deal. You'll have to spend a few hundred bucks more for a better lens.

[@gainde1137]

Could you once do a video using a smartphone camera? There are great advantages regarding visibility/attention and ease of use.

[@EYExplore]

I dunno, maybe. I have a Pixel and the camera is pretty crap so I prefer not to use it. I don't really have any draw to smart phones for photography so I don't see why I would demonstrate if it's not something I regularly do. I'm not the guy for the job. :)

[@rtpwyk]

Would you say that knife shop looked very sharp?

[@EYExplore]

I would say so! :)

[@grgygantz6760]

At the Fish shrine. What about photographing all those lanterns to your left at night

[@EYExplore]

Well, it didn't occur to me because of all of the scaffolding and the 'commercial' signage/banners. It just looked messy.

[@alhOOO2O]

2:03 did you say here everything is in focus from infinity down to 11 metres? Did you mean to say 1m (at f11)?

[@EYExplore]

Yeah you are right. In fact, at 1:43 I explain it correctly and then I repeat myself and misspeak. >_

[@ardas77]

very cool subject!

[@EYExplore]

Thanks! :)

[@sumangwaarf8784]

Im a portrait photographer,but i don't know why,IM so crazy in street photography now📸😍🔥😎👍😁

[@EYExplore]

Because it's fun!! :)

[@SatanSupimpa]

I've been shooting street/urban with a 50mm on an aps-c body since I started photography, and I just got a 30mm. I've been trying to use my phone to get more used to wide angle compositions, but still quite hard to wrap my head around it. Great video, as always.

[@EYExplore]

Wide-angle focal lengths can be challenging because they get so much in it's hard to keep track of everything. Keep at it! :)

[@TheChosenOne_]

I think its just a matter of getting used to it. I was very lost and annoyed with my GR III for a couple of weeks but after some sessions I got the hang of it. Now everything longer than 28mm is just weird to me

[@joeltunnah]

30mm on aps-c isn’t wide. It’s like a 45mm normal.

[@SatanSupimpa]

@@joeltunnah Quite wider than the 75mm equivalent I am used to.

[@davidwoods80]

I know that in decades past, Japanese were so interested in photography and carrying their cameras everywhere that it almost became a cliche. Are Japanese still fascinated with photography in the iPhone era? While I realise this is a 'sponsored' video, you you see any superiority to modern manual lenses like this, as opposed to, say, adapting vintage Nikon or other glass to work on a mirrorless?

[@snoogly]

To hijack your question, I’d say possible perceived advantages might be the warranty period of a new lens, and the more likely hood of a lens profile existing for software post processing. Possible cheapness too, as in the case of Nikon the very wide angle vintage Nikon lenses tend to be quite expensive, and suffering with mold and/or balsam separation.

[@EYExplore]

Phones definitely have killed the compact camera. But many people still carry larger cameras like Fujis and even Nikon Z and Sony a series cameras. People still love photography and gadgets here! Regarding lenses, I love vintage glass as well. So, if you can get one of those, go for it! I didn't mention it in the video, but the 21mm I reviewed has that vintage feel. It's kind of janky to use, as I explained, due to the backwards rotating focus rings, lack of electronics, and solid but soft optics (when wide open). So, it was very much like using a vintage lens! On a side note, I use to have this really cool lens, a Vivitar 28mm f/1.9. It has such a unique character. But unfortunately it broke and I gave it to someone who might be able to fix it. I kinda regret that though because it would make an awesome topic for a youtube video! :)

[@davidwoods80]

@@EYExplore Thanks for your reply! I'm using a variety of old, old Nikon glass on my full-frame Lumix S1 with good results, though nothing as wide as that 21mm. The Lumix doesn't auto focus with it's own lens all that consistently, so I might as well adapt manual lenses and deal with the resulting positive and negatives of the experience. Cheers from Ireland!

[@EYExplore]

@@davidwoods80 Give it a shot! Manual lenses are a ton of fun. I started out with tons of old manual lenses and I can credit them with a lot of lessons learned! :)