And the Winner Is. . .

The Fuji X-system! Left to right, the X-T20 with the XC 16-50mm lens, the X-H1 with the XF 55-200mm lens, and the X-Pro 1 with the XF 27mm lens. Not in the picture are the XF 16-80 f4 and the XF 60mm f2.4 macro lens.

I’ve always preferred small and light cameras. I had a 13-year love affair with the Olympus OM film system that lasted until aging eyes necessitated a change to the Canon autofocus system. I stuck with Canon for 24 years, moving with them into the digital world in 2003 with larger cameras and heavier lenses. 

 

The tipping point for me came in 2010, when I hauled two Canon bodies and four lenses on a trip to Israel and Jordan. Sweating my load on the long walk into Petra, the ancient city carved into rock, I chanced to meet a man who was carrying only an Olympus E-P2 body with a tiny lens. I asked if I could hold his camera. What a revelation!

I had been reading about micro 4/3s, so when I got home, I ordered an Olympus E-PL1, then later, a pair of E-M5s and some lenses. I held onto my Canon kit for weddings, only upgrading the 5D to a 6D. Meanwhile, I read more and more about the Fuji X-series cameras.

In 2017 I made the break complete, selling my Canon and Olympus m4/3s equipment and buying Fuji X-system bodies and lenses. I was surprised to find that a Fuji X-T20 is actually a little smaller than an Oly E-M5 and did not handle as well for me. I had reached my small-size limit! However, a nifty little black leather half-case from Amazon made it handle just right. I'm happy with my choice, and the wedding photographer I worked with was happy with the files, which she (a Canon 5D4 shooter) described as "pretty."

 

I use the X-T20 most because it's small and light and easy to carry and handle, and the 16-50mm zoom is a good range for most of my photography. It's also very sharp. 

The Fuji X-H1 is larger and heavier, though not as heavy as my old Canons. I like it because it balances well with larger lenses, such as the 55-200, and with on-camera flash units. It also has a grip which can be attached that holds more batteries, which is handy for long-lasting events such as weddings. (Which unfortunately I don't do any more -- did my last one when I was 85.)

The X-Pro 1 is different in ways that I like. Bobby Tingle says "The X-Pro  is all about the shooting experience. It is not a tool meant to get out of the way of working. Instead, the X-Pro is meant to be part of the process of making the photograph. Taking more time and putting more thought into each push of the shutter button." 

 

I don't use the X-Pro as much as the others, but when I do, I enjoy it a lot. 

 

So these are my cameras. To some, I may seem to be under-equipped and my gear outmoded. But I have everything I need to do everything I want to do. Nothing new I could buy could improve on that, and I would rather spend my money on travel to new picture-making opportunities. 

 

(Photo: Fuji X-T1 (now sold), Fujicron 60mm f2.4 macro lens, Neewer studio flash.)

 

Signed copies of my book Backroads and Byways of Georgia are available. The price is $22.95 plus $3.95 shipping. My PayPal address is djphoto@vol.com (which is also my email). Or you can mail me a check to 8943 Wesley Place, Knoxville, TN 37922. Include your address and tell me how you would like your book inscribed.

Check out the pictures at my online gallery: https://davejenkins.pixels.com/  Looking is free, and you might find something you like.

Photography and text copyright 2023 David B.Jenkins.

I post Monday, Wednesday, and Friday unless life gets in the way.

Soli Gloria Deo -- For the glory of God alone.

Tags: photography     cameras    Fuji X-T20    Fuji X-H1     Fuji X-Pro 1   Fuji X-T1     Fujicron XC 16-50mm lens    Fujicron XF 55-200mm lens    Fujicron XF 27mm lens    Fujicron XF 60mm macro lens     Fujicron XF 16-80 f4 lens     Neewer flash    Olympus OM film system    Olympus E-M5   Olympus E-P2    Olympus E-PL1    Canon EOS 5D     Canon EOS 6D