Wired: Fujifilm X-T5 Review

Wired reviews the Fujifilm X-T5

Wired magazine has posted a wonderfully thorough review of the Fujifilm X-T5, referring to it as “…the best camera the company has ever made.”

Nestled within this article, reviewer Scott Gilbertson reveals his preferred camera strap:

“I prefer minimal straps like the Simplr F1, but for something included with the camera, Fuji’s strap is actually quite nice.”

Read the complete review on Wired.

Flemming Bo Jensen: Live Music + Fujifilm X-T5

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In this official Fujifilm video, Flemming Bo Jensen, concert photographer extraordinaire, discusses how the X-T5 helps him capture the spirit and excitement of live music — while photographing Copenhagen-based singer/producer Saveus.

“A camera is a tool for me. It needs to function purely on muscle memory, and become invisible.”

Flemming is a long-time Simplr product abuser tester. His invisible strap of choice is our F1 (shown here in stealthy Wolf Gray Limited).

Bert Stephani: Fujifilm X-T5

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In this video, Bert Stephani discusses his love of portraiture, and shares his thoughts on the new Fujifilm X-T5.

Bert has numerous Simplr straps, but the one seen attached to his X-T5 is a castor gray F1.

*It’s worth noting that our recommendation for an X-T5 would generally be a lug mount F1 — but Bert is tall — like 6’7″. Bert likes the flat mount F1 because he’s able to lengthen it well beyond our published max of 56″ via its attachment hardware.

How do You Photograph the Gig of Your Dreams? with Flemming Bo Jensen

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If your specialty is concert photography — 2020 and ’21 have not been your best years ever — until now that is, for one such photographer.

Flemming Bo Jensen’s passion for music, and unmatched timing have made him on of the world’s finest live music photographers. When he was asked to photograph Danish band The Minds of 99 at Parken, Denmark’s national stadium, of course he jumped at the chance. It turned out to be the largest stadium concert in Europe since the onset of COVID, and the subject of this inspired short-film.

Flemming’s been part of the Simplr product testing team since the beginning — and most of his cameras are adorned with F1’s — his camera strap of choice for working fast, in the challenging world of concert photography, while leaving nothing to chance.

Lens Stories: Fujifilm XF33mmF1.4 R LM WR with Charlene Winfred

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There’s been a ton of excitement around the new Fujinon 33mm lens — and nobody’s better equipped to give impressions than Charlene Winfred — who’s spent years with the “original” Fujinon XF35mmF1.4 R practically glued to her camera.

Alongside the new and old lenses, are some appropriately-matched new and old Simplr straps (Charlene’s been testing our stuff since the prototyping stages) — and we’re just happy to be along for the ride.

Joe D’Agostino: How to Create the Epic Panning Shot

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Joe D’Agostino has a keen eye for color, a driving curiosity — and a real talent for shooting all manner of travel, documentary, street and event photography.

In this short video, he walks us through settings for capturing the ultimate panning shot. Curious? Have a look and give it a try.

Joe works with numerous camera and strap brands — but more than likely, you’ll find an F1 living on his Leica.

Fujinon XF35mmF1.4 R Product Video with Charlene Winfred

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If you were to ask us which photographer we most closely associate with Fuji’s magical XF35mmF1.4 R, it would be Charlene Winfred.

So it’s only fitting that Fujifilm themselves chose to feature her in their new promo video for this (not at all new) lens. In a world where newer is virtually always equated with better — it’s great to see talented photographers singing the praises of X-Series “O.G.” glass.

Charlene’s got a few Simplr straps, but this one happens to be an F1 (in stealthy castor gray).

 

Flemming Bo Jensen Reviews his Hard-Working F1’s

Flemming Bo Jensen reviews his Simplr F1 camera straps

Longtime Simplr user Flemming Bo Jensen posted a review of his F1’s, describing them as his “perfect camera strap.”

“…Simplr Straps answered our wishes by making the Simplr F1 strap! … I have been using the F1 models for more than a year now, for hundreds of concerts and festivals and I am never using any other strap – this is absolutely my perfect camera strap!”

Flemming is a working music photographer, subjecting all of his gear to brutal conditions. In fact, we asked Flemming to torture-test the F1’s long before they were released. Now, hundreds of concerts and more than a year later, his F1’s are still working like new!

Read the full review at FlemmingBoJensen.com.

 

Camera Punk: Creating the Fujifilm X-Pro3

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This epic production spans the 18-month period leading up to the release of the Fujifilm X-Pro3.

The film focuses not only on the ideation, design, and manufacturing process (with the actual designers, pretty cool huh?) — but also the veritable “family” of Fujifilm Ambassadors — with whom the development of this camera was shaped.

In addition to the familiar faces involved: Palle Schultz, Mindy Tan, Charlene Winfred, Kevin Mullins, Patrick La Roque … there are a couple of familiar Simplr faces, namely our F1 Sling-Style Camera Strap and M1a Mirrorless Camera Strap!

Fuji Girl Series: Mindy Tan, X-Pro3 & X-T3

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Mindy Tan is an exceptionally talented documentary and street photographer, and Fujifilm Ambassador. In the the Fuji Girl series, Mindy talks about gear, technique, and what she looks for in her subjects.

Unsurprisingly, the co-stars here are Fujifilm cameras, including X-T3 and gorgeous pre-release (as of filming) Fuji X-Pro3’s — and the co-co-star (does that make it a best supporting actor?) is an F1 Camera Strap in castor gray.

Charlene Winfred Meets the Titan: The Fujifilm X-Pro3

Fujifilm X-Photographer Charlene Winfred is currently working in Iraq, advancing Preemptive Love’s noble mission, to provide assistance to refugees and residents of war-torn countries. Although she deserves a medal, it would appear she’s settled for a coveted Fujifilm X-Pro3.

In this post, she shares her thoughts on the camera, as well as some truly breathtaking images. If you look closely (okay, maybe not that closely), you’ll see images of strap of choice for said camera, a Simplr F1.

 

Kevin Mullins Reviews the Fuji X-Pro3

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Kevin Mullins, wedding & street photographer par excellence, reveals his thoughts on the highly anticipated Fujifilm X-Pro3, with which he’s been spending some top-secret time. We’re just happy to be along for the ride (that’s a Simplr F1 attached to it). He’s got a video and a detailed post — so be sure to check out both.

Patrick La Roque’s GF50mmF3.5 R LM WR

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Patrick La Roque‘s ability to see the beautiful images living all around us is inspiring, to say the least.

Here, he attaches the new GF50mmF3.5 R LM WR to his GFX 50R. Attaching the GFX 50R to Patrick, is our F1 Sling-Style Camera Strap.

Maybe a little bit of his talent can be telegraphed to us, just by having our strap attached to his camera — then again, likely not.

Flemming Bo Jensen’s Rig Rundown on Shotkit.com

Flemming Bo Jensen Simplr Camera Straps

Flemming Bo Jensen’s ability to capture the excitement of live concerts is second-to-none. An official Red Bull and Fujifilm X-Photographer, his ability to get “the shot” boils down to experience, timing, skill, passion — and of course, his gear. Want to know what’s in Flemming’s bag? Shotkit just posted a rig rundown with all of the particulars, including his F1 Sling-Style Camera Straps Attached to dueling Fuji X-T’s.

Read the full article here.

A Visual Journey: 7 Years of the XF35mm f/1.4

Charlene Winfred's Famously Battered XF 35mmF/1.4

If you’re aware of Fuji’s team of professional X Photographers, you’re probably acquainted with Charlene Winfred. You might also be familiar with her famously battered Fujinon XF35mmF1.4. It’s been attached to every Fuji she’s ever owned. For as many times as she’s written about her gear and lenses, this will be the first time she’s discussed the lens with which she’s become synonymous.

Read about her journey with that lens on Fujilove.com, and if you’d like to know more about Charlene’s work, do that here.

Attached to her go-to rig is what we’d consider to be our go-to camera strap — our F1 Sling-Style Camera Strap. It’s nice when things just work.

 

Hugo Pinho on Minimalism & His Sole Camera for 2019

E-M5 Mk II + M.Zuiko 25mm f/1.2 Pro

Hugo Pinho is a talented documentary photographer with an extremely keen eye (check out his amazing images from Angola).

As a connoisseur of several camera brands, Hugo’s desire to make his life simpler by paring down his photography gear, was no easy task. In this article, he talks about his camera and lens decision — an Olympus E-M5 Mk II + M.Zuiko 25mm f/1.2 Pro) — which he chose over Fuji and Sony.

We’re flattered he’s chosen a Simplr F1, to live on that camera (pretty sure he gave that some thought as well).

Getting Close with the Fujifilm XF18mm f/2

Charlene Winfred is a talented photographer and capable wordsmith. If you know her work, you’ll know much of it relies on a famously battered Fujinon 35mm f/1.4. In this article at Fujilove.com, Charlene discusses her adjustment to a much wider perspective, namely the Fujinon 18mm f/2. Look closely at that fine looking X-T3 and you’ll see our telltale orange logo (it’s a castor gray Simplr F1).

Patrick La Roque (with a then prototype Simplr F1) at Photokina 2018

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The multi-talented Patrick La Roque appeared at Photokina 2018 in Cologne, Germany to discuss his unique approach to commercial photography. Accompanying Patrick was his up-until-then top-secret Fujifilm GFX 50R — adorned with a secret Simplr F1.

A huge “thank you” to Patrick, and the entire extended Simplr pro family, who volunteer to test our stuff — before it’s attached to your camera.

Fujixpassion.com Reviews the F1 Camera Strap

Simplr F1 on Hugo Pinho's Fuji X-Pro1

Here at Simplr HQ, we’re largely Fujifilm shooters — so it’s exciting to have one of our products reviewed over at fujixpassion.com.

Here’s a snippet of their F1 review:

“Everything in this strap is thought and designed for the user. It fulfills its function, it’s comfortable, robust and very durable. …It’s simple to use and with the adjustment tab you can quickly change the length to suit your needs, regardless of whether you wear it as a neck strap or sling-style.”

Read the full review at fujixpassion.com.

Charlene Winfred Reviews her F1 at FujiLove.com

Charlene Winfred reviews her Simplr F1 Camera Strap, shown here on the Graphite X-Pro2

Charlene Winfred is a nomad photographer, videographer, writer, Fujifilm X-series ambassador and half the production team of Roaming Frame.

As one of the first professional photographers who graciously volunteered to test our stuff, she’s been using Simplr straps out in the field for quite a while — so it’s not a huge surprise that she’s a fan of the F1 — because feedback from Charlene and other pros went into the design of the F1.

Here’s a little bit of what she had to say:

“There’s nothing about a Simplr strap that asks to be admired or fawned over, no flash or fanciness. I love plain, sleek things that are made well though, and this is exactly what I found attractive about it at the start. It’s all class…

…as far as I’m concerned, Simplr straps are how straps should be made. They’re light, easy to use, and comfortable, combining function beautifully with form. Black accents of extenders, keepers, buckles and stitching against the various strap colors gives those clean lines a subtle elegance.”

If you’re an inquisitive Fuji user, FujiLove.com will no doubt be familiar to you. If you’re unfamiliar, you really should check them out. It’s a great site, with an endless flow of quality editorials and reviews, from a collective of knowledgeable contributors.

Read the full review at FujiLove.com

 

Patrick La Roque + GFX 50R + Our F1 Camera Strap

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Fujifilm’s newly released GFX 50R video features Patrick La Roque’s lyrical words and imagery, and if you look closely, a lug mount Simplr F1 (in coyote brown).

It’s worth mentioning that, unlike the GFX 50S which uses the uncommon Hasselblad-style camera strap connectors, the rangefinder-style GFX 50R uses a standard lug mount!

Install a Lug Mount F1 Series Strap, or Split Rings

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*If you’re just installing Simplr Split Rings, not an F1 camera strap, you can skip straight to 1:07 in this video.

Mounting a camera strap with split rings is just like putting a key on a keychain — but instead of a key, it’s a camera.

  1. Situate your Lug Mount F1 or F1ultralight so the adjustment tab is in front of your body when the camera strap is fully-extended, and the camera is worn sling-style. Some people prefer to wear the camera on their left, others to their right. Do whatever feels most comfortable for you.
  2. Double-check the orientation of the strap to make sure you’re not installing it backwards or inside-out (the “S” logo goes on the inside).
  3. Pry a small gap in the split ring, just wide enough to feed the end of the wire through the lug on your camera. It’s unlikely you’ll need any tools for this; your thumbnail should suffice.
  4. Turn the split ring until the entire wire has passed through the lug and it springs back together (just like a keychain).

Install a Flat Mount F1

F1 Flat Mount Camera Strap on Fuji X-E4

The flat mount version of our F1 camera strap installs similarly to a “traditional” camera strap, with a significant difference — the sliplok and keeper are used only for installation, not to adjust the length of the camera strap.

Installing your flat mount Simplr F1 Sling-Style Camera Strap
  1. Situate your F1 so the adjustment tab is in front of your body when the camera strap is fully-extended, and the camera is worn sling-style.
  2. Pull the keeper about 2″ (5cm) away from the D-ring to “unlock” it. It’s held securely in place by friction — and needs a strong tug.
  3. You don’t need to remove the sliplok and keeper altogether, just feed the cut end of the webbing back through both.
  4. Insert the loose end through the lug, far enough so the webbing can double-back along itself (like when it came out of the package).
  5. Feed the webbing back through the sliplok, then the keeper, as shown (please note the orientation of the ridges in the sliplok).
  6. Pull the keeper back into “locked” position (next to the D-ring) with a strong tug. This will hold the end neatly in place (unlike most other straps)
  7. Repeat on the other side (the “S” logo goes on the inside).