Fuji Change of Focus

Location
Central Florida
Name
Tim Williams
Thinking about going back to a one lens carry for a while. It would either be the 23 f2 or the 35 f2. The 23 is my pick at the moment. My photography has been all over the place and suffering, my mind is not in the game, as they say. I need to hit the reset button. When I know that's all I got then suddenly the choices become simple. This could just be a bump in the road or a total rebuild. But it has to start somewhere and over due.
 
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I agree with Bill. I've also done it. And went a long time with just a two lens wedding kit. Producing my best work that way.

Having been living with the f2 primes, I can confidently say that you really can't go wrong with either of the lenses you're looking at. And Fuji has a very successful line of cameras based around a 23mm f2 lens.

Best of luck with finding yourself in your shooting.
 
Tim,
As I've mention before, I have returned to the "roots" of my photographic efforts--beginning in the late '50s--and once again use one body and one lens (X-Pro 1 and 35/1.4). This has made me stop and think about more about my photography. Is the the prefect camera and lens combination? No, but it is working for me now and I am enjoying shooting again.

Best wises for the New Year.

Dean
 
Tim, I'm doing the same thing for the "Single in January" challenge over on sister site Serious Compacts. The only camera/lens I'm going to carry for a month is the X-T1 + 35mm f2. Participants post an image a day taken with the combination of their choice. Last year I participated with an X-E1 + Rokkor 24mm f2.8 combination. I've since sold that pair, but it is an interesting challenge, and can really stretch one's imagination. I'm going to focus my challenge on a daily photographic study of the Winter morphology of common American trees and shrubs.
 
A) a 16 + 35 combo is incredibly useful, and (in my opinion) a better setup than 16 + 23. Viv' la difference.

B) I got into all this more serious gear business in the modern era (high school in the 90s still meant having a dark room, thank god) with my wife getting me the original X100 when it came out. I was sweating it out with little compacts, wringing what I could out of them, often frustrated. I opened the box, and had zero idea what I was looking at. I remember asking aloud "how does the lens come off?" Google led to Serious Compacts, which led to the Fuji X forum in its nascent form. I began to understand what I had, and more to the point here, didn't have. The gigantic, branching old oak tree of potential decisions is trimmed back to a trunk and single branch, when the 23 f2 is glued onto the front of your camera. "Just shut up and go shoot what this camera is good at." And I did, and it was amazing. I think I learned a lot more, and a lot quicker, by not having a ton of choices. That camera is all I took to Macchu Pichu, and as I hiked alongside people lugging 5Ds with 70-210s on them, I felt like I was incredibly lucky.
 
I began photographing seriously in 1969. At the time, I had a Nikon F with two lenses and a Yashica TLR with, of course, one (taking) lens. I soon noticed that whenever I picked up the Nikon it had the wrong lens attached, but the Yashica always had the right lens!

Fast-forward 38 years and my out-the-door kit is an X-Pro 1 with the 27mm f2.8 lens more or less permanently attached.
 
I think when I get to that step for the 23, I will pick up one of the X100 series. It won't have to be the latest greatest. I think it would be immensely liberating to walk out the door with my entire kit in my pocket. #tiredofbackpacks
 
I'll be interested to see how this turns out Tim. I have a split personality. I must have something fairly wide, 24 - 35 range, and I must have a long lens, 135 - 200 range. For the last few years I carried two m4/3 bodies, one with the Pan/Leica 15 and the other with the Oly 75 which gave me a 35 and a 150 view. I haven't quite figured it out on my XPro 2 as of yet, still thinking it through. I think I need therapy.
 
Well since I'm home sick today, I have nothing better to do than contemplate the future of my kit. At the moment I feel I will keep my Fuji kit light as possible. I have the 16 and the 35 is on the way. Not sure of the next step. Do I go with the 50 or 56 or can I get away with the 90 for portraits. . As I don't shoot for money I just wing it and see how it turns out. As for my action kit I will stay with my Nikon D300 or D7200 and 80-200 2.8. I'm just so in tune with this combo I'm not going to change. Now I have just spoken about 6 different lens, two different combos, and I do know an XT2 in is the works. ( would be a X Pro2 but the eye hole is on the wrong side ), this is why taking a single small camera and lens with me is so tempting, and would eliminate the confused thought process in my head. But then I would probably get out on the street and ask myself, why the Hell didn't I bring the 35, or 50 or whatever. I have gone way past therapy my friend and just adopted the fact that I'm different lol. It helps me see the world in a more beautiful way. I am going to go with one lens for a month at least and see how I fare.
 
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To answer part of your internal debate, and help keep you on your two lens track. You can do very good portraits with the 35mm f2, even the 16mm. I have examples of both in their respective lens sample threads.
 
When I fell better I'm going to shoot some portraits with the 35. I may find this is all I need. The debate in my brain was the 50, 56, or 90. I would buy a X100 series camera right now if I had not sprung for the 35 ( although I would not jump over a 35 to get to the X100 series ). This is really something I want to do. I can't leave the house without a camera and that would make it easy. My 18-55 and 55-200 are up for sale so I think I have the path I want to take laid out. Still haven't made my mind up which lens I will use in Januray, 16 or 35.
 
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