Fuji Musings on gear

tonyturley

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Location
Scott Depot, WV, USA
Name
Tony
Off and on, I've pondered the idea of having a one-lens kit. Granted, I have more than one camera, but my primary camera is the X-T1, for which I currently have the 23mm WR and 50-230. There are times the images I get from the 23mm are brilliant, and other times I feel like they're no better than what I get from my Canon S95 P&S. I'm sure that's due, at least in part, to my (lack of) skill as a photographer. I just seem to be inconsistent, despite years of practice and study, and it bugs me. What has kept me from buying any other lens is a) expense, and b) would a different lens really yield better results? I rented a 10-24 for a week, and was disappointed in the images I got. Both the 16mm/1.4 and the 16-55 have gotten rave reviews on this site, and the images you folks have posted are excellent, but both are quite expensive, and the 16-55 is massive. With retirement looming in the next couple of years, I want any purchase I make to be spot on. Another factor is the pending release of the Canon G1X Mk III. I'm keeping a close eye out for reviews; a couple of early hands-on previews have been favorable, and I'm going to rent one as soon as they are available. I have considered the idea of letting go of all of my Fuji gear to fund the G1X if it turns out to have great IQ. A small, APS-C weather sealed camera with a fixed lens for biking and hiking has been on my wish list for a long time. Here's the Canon next to the X-T1 + 23mm WR for reference:

Compact Camera Meter

I don't see Fuji ever coming out with a similar camera. I have a lot to think about over the next couple of months.
 
Tom,

I posted this comment before, but here it is again. About three years ago I wanted to quit lugging around a lot of gear and decided to go with the XP-1 body and the 35/1.4. I did add the 18/2, but seldom use it. Using one camera and one lens has made photography fun again. Using one lens is very much like the photography I did in the late '50s and early '60s. Do I miss some shots because I don't have a different lens, of course. Does it bother me, no. I'm enjoying photography again.

I hope you find that the "perfect" solution for your quest.
 
Ah, "Last Camera Syndrome." :) I didn't come up with the term, I heard it from Thom Hogan.

Don't be too quick to let go of anything. My mentor who recently retired (between him and I we've owned almost all the brands of SLR, compact and even some 6x6 - film and digital cameras) - now splits his time between an XT-2, a handful of lenses including the 35/1.4 and the 90/2, and a Sony RX100 III. With his change in lifestyle, he's pretty committed to those platforms.

I personally don't think there is one camera that does it all. Cameras are like everything else - they are 80/20 solutions. The key is to be satisfied with the 80 part, and if you can afford it - find something that closes the 20 gap without breaking the bank.
 
Tom,

I posted this comment before, but here it is again. About three years ago I wanted to quit lugging around a lot of gear and decided to go with the XP-1 body and the 35/1.4. I did add the 18/2, but seldom use it. Using one camera and one lens has made photography fun again. Using one lens is very much like the photography I did in the late '50s and early '60s. Do I miss some shots because I don't have a different lens, of course. Does it bother me, no. I'm enjoying photography again.

I hope you find that the "perfect" solution for your quest.
Thanks for your comments, Dean. I was surprised to find the G1X MIII is already available for rental, so one will be on its way to me today, and I'll have it Monday. It may not be the camera for me, but I intend to test it extensively in an attempt to answer that question.
 
Ah, "Last Camera Syndrome." :) I didn't come up with the term, I heard it from Thom Hogan.

Don't be too quick to let go of anything. My mentor who recently retired (between him and I we've owned almost all the brands of SLR, compact and even some 6x6 - film and digital cameras) - now splits his time between an XT-2, a handful of lenses including the 35/1.4 and the 90/2, and a Sony RX100 III. With his change in lifestyle, he's pretty committed to those platforms.

I personally don't think there is one camera that does it all. Cameras are like everything else - they are 80/20 solutions. The key is to be satisfied with the 80 part, and if you can afford it - find something that closes the 20 gap without breaking the bank.
Thanks for the insight, Armando. My collection hasn't been so vast, but I've bought and sold a lot of cameras and lenses over the past 10 years . . . . too many, really. It has been a constant teeter-totter with me to try to figure out whether I want telephoto ability, close-up, wide angle. I bought the XC 50-230, which is a brilliant lens . . . and have missed so many great opportunities with it that I don't remember them all. Basically, if it's not moving or moving slowly, I can get it. BIF - forget it. I have gotten a few nice aircraft images, but at this point, I'm thinking family photos, landscapes, and foliage are what I'm going to pursue.
 
Wise comments so far that I endorse. I can’t add anything to the technical. However, I did want to add that I’ve enjoyed your images I’ve seen.
 
Some great advice had already been given. My addition would be to keep what you have and work on the art and craft of photography. You've already alluded to the differences in your photos being more you than the gear. You already have a very capable, lightweight kit.
 
Wise comments so far that I endorse. I can’t add anything to the technical. However, I did want to add that I’ve enjoyed your images I’ve seen.

Some great advice had already been given. My addition would be to keep what you have and work on the art and craft of photography. You've already alluded to the differences in your photos being more you than the gear. You already have a very capable, lightweight kit.
Thanks for the thoughts and comments, guys. Something to think about.
 
It helps to dig into WHY you like the images other people make with your gear (speaking for myself, anyway). One of the things I eventually figured out was that a lot of the images I liked by others weren't exposed "normally." Once I started shooting fully manually, with the EVF giving me exposure preview, I started making shots that looked less "normal" I guess, less like all the other shots I'd taken. If it's bokeh, or compression, then yeah lenses will help. If it's composition, that's non-gear related, mostly. So if you haven't, maybe start making a folder of images others have made with your gear, that you wish you could make, and then hunker down and pick apart what it is about those shots that grabs at you.
 
Thanks for the input, Kyle. I do shoot full manual 99% of the time. I'm still trying to figure out why I go "meh" when I look at many of my images.

I don't know if this will help, but I realize that a lifetime in the news media has actually inhibited my creative side. Since the 1970's, it's all been about presenting things the way they actually are, rather than interpreting them as I might see them creatively. I can easily shoot very good images. But I often find myself more impressed with what others shoot. Or perhaps I'm just my own worst critic. Perhaps we all are. :2thumbs:
 
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FYI, I did rent the G1X Mk III for a week. While it has decent IQ, I think the X-T1 + 23mm WR is better, and I much prefer the X-T1 haptics. I have been thinking of the possibility of getting a portrait lens for the X-T1, but the 56 is out of my range for now. Still mulling over possibilities.
 
FYI, I did rent the G1X Mk III for a week. While it has decent IQ, I think the X-T1 + 23mm WR is better, and I much prefer the X-T1 haptics. I have been thinking of the possibility of getting a portrait lens for the X-T1, but the 56 is out of my range for now. Still mulling over possibilities.

I have found the 35mm f2 and 50mm f2 to both be incredible portrait lenses. While I've only had the 50mm a couple of weeks, it has quickly proven itself to be quite capable and versatile. I have had the chance to do lit portraits on a backdrop, as well as several candids in available light. This is my second time owning a 35mm f2, it is an incredible performer. I have shot weddings, portraits, candids, and events with it. Also, either or both will pair up nicely with your 23mm.
 
The shots and reviews I've seen of the 50 f2 make me think it's more than good enough for portraits, sometimes even better. I'd recommend it without hesitation.
 
I'm considering it. Portraits are not my strength, but with an increasing desire to do family pics, I find that neither of my current lenses are really suitable for portraits. I had an 18-55 once, but its strength certainly wasn't indoor people pics, especially in my clumsy hands.
 
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