Loosing my Fuji-nity


The latest image I posted on social media was titled 'well hello gorgeous' yet the image didn't really do her justice because in reality its not just her looks. Oh, there's a lot more to her than meets the eye because she's every bit as gorgeous deep within. I know its only a camera, but ask yourself this. How often have you heard someone compliment a camera so well?

After deciding to ditch the DSLR and embrace mirrorless technology (read my last post to know what's really going on) I had some more thinking to do, in order to figure out who was deserving of the little stash of money I had saved up. Now those of you who know me know that I'am traditionally a Nikon photographer, so naturally I wanted to head in their direction. However if you've been spending a good portion of your day reading as much as I have over the last five months, you will know that Nikon and Canon have pretty much missed the bus on this one. It is sad, but it also a fact.

Now the prospect of using a camera minus the Nikon badge was entirely an unattractive one. I was convinced that this decision was going to end up biting me in the rear. But then again I've been fortunate enough to have a really good support system of photographers from whom I've learnt a thing or two, so I gradually built up a sense of confidence to go looking else where.

To put it in a nut shell I found two contenders in Fuji and Olympus, who couldn't be faulted much with what they offered. I had had a brief fling with one of them but the only reason it didn't last long was because I didn't put in the time necessary. Decisions, decisions.

Now the guys at Fuji have had quite the run at producing amazing mirrorless cameras, and one of the things I keep hearing with time is how well they listen to what their customers have to say. To me, that is a huge plus, and a sure step in their direction. However Olympus didn't make it any easier. They have a consistency that's as sure footed as Shaun White on a snowboard, which really is hard to ignore.
After much deliberation the choice was narrowed down to the Fuji XE-2 and the Olympus OMD-EM1. Both amazing cameras, but obviously as I'am yet to grow money on the trees in my backyard I could only have one. What I did next was to put all the months of research, insight and feedback to the test. I stepped out to go spend some quality time with both cameras, and finally determine the mirrorless camera with the best bang for buck and more importantly, the one which suited my needs.

Right off the bat I've got to say that there is something about using a Fuji that makes you fall in love with photography all over again. I've used the x100s and I felt exactly the same way about the XE-2. Absolute joy. I love the rangefinder look and the way all the controls are laid out. What caught me off guard was the electronic view finder. Big. Bright. Brilliant in every possible way. While I initially had to come to terms with the light weight of these cameras I found the XE-2 to be just right in my hand. The image quality is stellar, as is expected from their current range of sensors, the low light performance is fantastic and finally the Auto Focus is spot on. I'm glad Fuji has sorted this out as the XE-1 did have a few issues. To be honest I couldn't find much to fault with the XE-2. Actually wait, the camera strap. I will rant about that some other time.

The EM-1 in comparison offered something of a more familiar feel after migrating from a DSLR. It is slightly bigger with a better grip. It is also blessed with wonderful ergonomics and has a host of buttons that can be customized for different functions. The image quality is as great in comparison and the 5axis image stabilization is a welcome addition which helps produce some fantastic images. The added benefit is that it's weather proof, which is a huge selling point for Olympus. (Fuji has released the XT-1 as of 28th Jan which is also weather proof)
One thing that bothered me personally about the EM-1 was the size factor. It seems a tad big and 'tad big' was never a part of my decision to make the switch to mirrorless. I'm fully aware that it still is smaller than a standard DSLR but somehow this bothered me.

Time well spent I was still in awe over what both these cameras could produce given their size. Like I said earlier the Fuji XT-1 has already been released, yet like the EM-1 it is more DSLR oriented in terms of how it is built and that is something I'm shying away from. Don't get me wrong the EM-1 is one heck of a camera, just not for me.

The Fuji XE-2 suits me really well. I can't begin to explain how much I love everything about it. It looks gorgeous, weighs close to nothing and works flawlessly. Im a sucker for attention to detail and as always Fuji delivered. When I'm out there with a camera my primary focus is on creating the image and the XE-2 lets me do just that.

Since Fuji have now released the XT-1  I was anticipating the XE-2 to drop in price. A quick phone call to my local store confirmed my thoughts. They were offering a bundle package at a very attractive price. All things considered this was looking very good for me. It got a whole lot better towards the end of the conversation as the guy I was talking to happened to mention that they had recently received a new shipment of XE-2's, all in black. The silver one was not so easy on the eyes so I was delighted the black one had finally arrived. Prolonging this purchase any more would have been really daft, and that is precisely what I didn't do. I went and bought myself a Fuji XE-2


Happy days to come.





















10 comments:

  1. Great post, and thank you for not getting too tech related. Your work here is outstanding and Iam looking forward to reading more.It's good to see more people appreciating the work that Fujifilm has done. I've been using an XE-1 for a while now and this is tempting me to go buy an XE-2.

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    1. Thanks Jody! I always try and keep the tech related matter to a minimum. Yes I'm blown away by their methods. I've only used the XE-1 very briefly and it still is a great camera. Depends how much you really need the extra performance of the XE-2.

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  2. Heck of a post man. I love the honesty. Would love to shoot Fuji but I've been an Oly guy all along and I've got comfortable.

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    1. Thanks! Haha that's how I roll. To each his own and being comfortable is good!

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  3. You writing is surely being complimented by your images, and dare i say the reverse is also true. Either way it's good to see that you were appealing to a lot more than the usual photographer when you wrote this. I'm looking forward to seeing those Fuji images.

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    1. Cheers for the kind words Cris, and yes that is precisely what I was doing. There's a lot coming up so check back again some time, or better yet hit the subscribe button:)

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  4. I felt the same way when I handled the EM1. As much as I loved the camera I didn't want to buy into the dslr look again. My purchase decision is pending as I'm not sure if I should take the plunge with the XE2 or wait for the XPRO2.

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    1. Glad you share my thoughts Carlo. It all depends if you can justify the wait. I know I couldn't.hehe. On a serious note the XPRO2 might have a different sensor so you could be rewarded:)

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  5. A fine read and some great camera p*rn!! Looking forward to more fab images which us frequent readers have become quite accustomed to.

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