Not too long ago, I made a decision that I have not regretted. It was a difficult one to make and one that wouldn’t be easy to reverse.
I sold almost every piece of Canon equipment that I own.
Now, I’m not getting out of photography. And no, I’m not desperate for cash. I’ve decided to change directions.
It seems that in today’s industry, you either have the latest and greatest Canon 1D_ or the newest Nikon D_. If you don’t, then you’re trying to find a way to get one. It’s a never ending cycle and the prices just seem to be going higher and higher with each new generation.
True, the features keep getting better and better. But, when will it end? When you’re out of money and bankrupt?
Besides, I’ve gotten to the point where I want a camera that’s smaller and doesn’t attract attention like a 70-200 on a Canon 1D body. I want a Leica but can’t afford own a Leica without selling some organs on ebay. Plus, people are becoming more and more suspicious of photographers and I want to become the fly on the wall. Or at least, the tourist with his happy snap.
And I think I’m getting close.
Probably against my better judgement, I bought into a first generation camera before it was released.
From the moment I first saw the Fuji X-Pro1, I was in love. Small, sleek and discreet. Just what I wanted. There’s also the fast prime lenses which to me was a major factor. Most compact systems I’d seen had some relatively nice glass but the speed of lenses were disappointing.
Of course, everybody and their kid brother wanted the X-Pro1. Which meant I had to go to Canada to get mine. Not physically, but I did order my kit from Henry’s in Toronto. At the time, they were the only camera store I could find in North America that had them in stock.
To say I was ecstatic when the box finally arrived is an understatement.
I've been able to shoot with the camera under a variety of conditions and have been very impressed with the results. Being able to simulate films like Velvia, ASTIA and PROVIA, along with its low light capabilities, has been well worth the price of admission.
But, the X-Pro1 hasn’t been without its problems. Probably the worst was the slow autofocus, which was almost impossible in low light situations. Also, Adobe didn’t support the camera’s raw files at its release. And when they finally did, it only came with Photoshop CS6 and Lightroom 4. Which created its own set of problems. But, I’ve stuck with it and I’m glad I did.
Fuji has done a great job in releasing firmware updates that have improved the camera’s performance. The autofocus speed has got to be most noticeable one. The difference is night and day, meaning you can now comfortably use the autofocus at night.
They’re definitely a company that is listening to its customers and not waiting to make the changes in the next generation camera. Something I hope they continue to do in the future.
And looking at what Fuji has coming down the road with their lenses and the new X-E1 body, I can’t wait.
But for now, I’ll just have to play the happy, but patient, tourist.
2 comments:
Hi Todd, very interesting that you unloaded your Canon gear and went with the Fuji. I was having a similar dilema recently. I too, wanted to go with very small, unobtrusive cameras with primes.
For a while I tried shooting with a Leica M3 and 50mm Summicron. But it was a hassle getting quality film development at a price that was reasonable. Perhaps I should have just stuck with B&W film and developed at home.
I ended up breaking down and buying a 5DM2 and a 50mm f/1.2 ... neither of which are small or unobtrusive, hehe.
The Fuji looks like a great rig. Which lenses did you get?
Hey Andrew, I've got the 18mm, 35mm and the 60mm. Also preordered the two new lenses coming out.
Since they don't have too many lenses out yet, I just bought a Kipon Canon to Fuji adapter with a built in aperture ring. Literally just came today and works great so far.
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