I bought a Fujifilm camera so that I could attend a Jack Graham and Bill Fortney Fuji X Workshop with Mary for Fujifilm camera owners in Mount Rainier National Park last year. I have had my Fujifilm X-T1 now for well over a year and my X-T2 for almost a year. Here are my thoughts and a short review:
I have shot a Cannon 5D Mark II and Mark III for over six years and love the cameras. We have L series lenses in both fixed focal lengths and zooms. The cameras have full size sensors and plenty of megapixels. All good. I am also used to shooting only in manual mode and use mostly manual focus for landscapes.
So why change? Influencers. Mary started using a Fuji X-E2 about 2 years ago and an X-T1 for well over a year. She loves the size, weight, and image quality. The lenses are sharp. Jack and Bill converted from Nikon to Fuji for a reason.
The huge difference is the mirror-less build makes the Fuji cameras smaller and lighter, even with an electronic view finder. All of the Fuji gear is light and about 50% of the cost of comparable Canon gear.
The sensors are APS-C with 16 megapixels on the T1 and 24 megapixels on the T2, so sensors are smaller and have comparable megapixels to my Canons. However, the images are sharper and there is significantly less noise at higher ISO’s.
It took me a while to figure out how to use the menus and features. However, I now have my own system to shoot manually using the auto-exposure lock and then using the exposure compensation dial. It’s easy to do with the buttons and dials, even in the dark. I have found the auto-focus easy to use and accurate, so I use it most of the time.
There are multiple shooting modes including a low and high continuous frames, a fun camera mode, and a panoramic mode. The T2 added a card slot so I can shoot raw and JPEG and write to two different cards which I love to do on the road so that I can post lower resolution photos to social media on my iPAD and process the RAWs when I get home. Finally, I also love the multiple processing mode where you make one photo and the camera will processes it into three images based on your choice – I like a standard look, Velvia, and monochrome with a red filter.
Focusing points and speed have improved on the T2 and are now comparable with Canon and Nikon as well as continuous fames per second speed.
It is hard to complain about anything on this camera.
This does not seem like a good camera for beginners because not much is automated, but it is an outstanding camera for shooters and people that know how and why to make camera adjustments in the field.
So maybe a Canon Rebel is still the best beginners’ DSLR, but I would argue that this camera is your second camera and maybe, last one you will need. I converted my T1 to infrared, so I am now only shooting Fujifilm.
Anyone want my Canon gear? It’s for sale.
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I bought the X-T20 in Feb. when it was released, the X-T2’s little sister. It’s my first ILC since my old film SLR bought in 1980. For those on a tighter budget it’s a good compromise since it has the same sensor and AF as the X-T2, just missing some of the extras like 2 card slots and weather resistence. It’s smaller too, for those looking for a lighter, more compact hiking or travel camera.
I really love the Fuji emphasis on physical controls. It’s easier to make adjustments and think things through when you’re not fighting menus. I’ve been happy as a pig in mud with my new toy. I’ll also add that the 55-200 zoom lens is amazingly sharp for a zoom.
Thanks for the add. Good to know on the other cameras.
Excellent photography!
Thank you. Cheers.