Author: Alik Griffin

Japan Landscape Shooting – Rokinon 12mm f2

For years, the Samyang 12mm f2 has been the go-to lens for APS-C shooters looking for a great ultra-wide prime lens. For a while, it was the only viable option really and probably still is the best bang for the buck in terms of what you get and the pro-level image quality it outputs.
Pergear 12mm f2 Review | Better Than Expected

I was expecting the Pergear 12mm f2 to have a lot more of the imperfections and sort of wild characteristics of their other lenses. But it doesn’t. It’s actually way tamer, with very nice contrast and pretty good sharpness across the frame. I’m actually impressed. I was not expecting this lens to be actually viable…
Pergear 35mm f1.2 Review | Best One So Far

The Pergear 35mm f1.2 is a compact APS-C lens designed with a bright aperture for a very shallow depth of field and low light shooting. When looking at character and performance, this lens is packed with beautiful imperfections, as well as the regular kind. With the limitations in mind, it can produce some nice results…
Secret Gem – Kipon Iberit 75mm f2.4

The Kipon IBERIT 75mm f2.4 is a relatively unknown third-party lens, but is a true gem and a street machine! I’ve written about this lens a few times but it’s sort of fallen out of the general discussion of special secret sauce lenses, so here I share some experiences and photos taken recently with it…
Fujifilm 90mm f2 | Streets In The Snow

It’s been snowing like crazy the last few days here in southern Japan which is rather rare. It’s also been a while since I’ve shot in the snow, so the other night I grabbed my X-T3 and 90mm and took this opportunity and go out in the usual fashion as a creepy foreigner to wanders…
How To Create A Better Film Grain In Lightroom

This is a quick little tutorial on how you can improve your grain in Lightroom. There are limited grain controls in Lightroom, but if you use them correctly you can do some pretty cool things and create some very film-like grain.
Mochitsuki Mochi With The Fujifilm X-T3

It’s the end of the year and it’s time to smash mochi rice into little rice cakes. In Japan, it’s called Mochitsuki, or Mochitsuki festival. Friends, family, or neighborhoods get together, bring mochi rice and everyone works together to smash the rice into a mochi paste after steaming it.
The Secret To A Better Film Look

In this tutorial, we go over how to use the Lightroom calibration tool to help achieve a better film look.
Must-Have Accessories Fujifilm X-S10

In this guide, we will go over some of the best and most essential accessories for the Fujifilm X-S10.
Best Memory Cards Fujifilm X-S10

The ultimate guide for sd memory cards for the Fujifilm X-S10. Benchmarks + some great recommendations for different shooting styles.