Fujifilm has been doing great in recent years. The Japanese manufacturer’s cameras are selling like hot cakes, and the X100 series enjoys unflagging popularity. Looking for something small “everyday”, a few months ago I bought a Fuji XT30 in a set with my favorite focal length. In APS-C it was 23 mm, which is the equivalent of a full frame 35 mm. It was supposed to be cool, there were supposed to be filters, it was supposed to be cute. It was… interesting — but it’s not without reason that my kit has already found a new home, and after a few hours with the most hyped camera of recent months, the X100VI, I said to myself: no more Fuji.
Fujifilm: What I really liked about the system
Fuji is cheap. The XT30 wasn’t the newest camera in the manufacturer’s offer, but I wasn’t aiming for a flagship. I wanted to configure a compact set – and although the 28mm pancake lens looked promising, the 23mm f/2.0 was more “me”. But apart from that, the lens selection is impressive. And what’s important – compared to the full-frame competition, they are really affordable. And if not those from Fuji, there is also a whole set of offers from other manufacturers – often cheaper, and not necessarily worse.
Another aspect that I really appreciate Fuji for is the colors that the default JPGs have. In addition, there is also film simulation and user-created recipes – most often called simply filters. Nobody does it so well and effectively. It just works – it’s a lot of fun and I understand that for many people such JPGs straight from the camera are more than enough. Sam: I appreciate it, but while they were one of the driving forces behind trying my luck with Fuji cameras, it didn’t click. I simply didn’t use them because I preferred RAW.
Compact cameras that are simply beautiful – I won’t say no to Fuji. The company has one foot in the past – and this time I am writing about it in the most positive sense of the word. Their cameras are nicely styled, the number of knobs “just like in the old days” may also be an advantage for some. Plus, they’re small and look cool – just like the Nikon Zf.
Fujifilm: why did I sell my camera and don’t plan to return to Fuji?
The Fuji user community is growing every day – and, importantly, it is extremely vocal when it comes to praising the company’s equipment. I understand their voices perfectly – and I know that a lot depends on the style in which you use the camera. For me, however, the main reason why I didn’t really like Fuji was… autofocus.
I’ve had a lot of conversations about this with Fujifilm camera users – and it turns out that a lot depends on individual needs and habits. My main cameras are full-frame cameras from Sony. Sony is famous for having the best AF on the market – that’s why every time I moved from Sony (where I usually use lenses more expensive than the entire Fuji set mentioned above) I had the impression that Fuji couldn’t keep up. In slower conditions – everything was fine. But more often than not, I didn’t have that comfort and many potentially great photos ended up in the trash. To justify the XT30 and Fujinon 23mm set, I would like to add that when I used it exclusively for several days, our relationship was much better. We did quite well on sunny days, but… let’s face it. At f/8 even a blind person could do it. I would like to point out that although I have the most experience with the above-mentioned set, I also had similar impressions when using the X100 VI and XT5.
When I listed the strengths of the Fuji system above, I mentioned film simulation and prescriptions. These are really well made and I believe that no other manufacturer does it better. But although they were one of the main driving forces for purchasing the camera, it turned out that… I only used them a few times. Yes: they exist, they exist, they are great – but I still preferred to edit the photos in my own way, which is easier to do with raw RAW files. And even if I used ready-made JPGs, I couldn’t straighten something, correct the lens or crop it without Lightroom.
The third argument is that… for me – competition is simply better. And it fits my needs better. I mentioned the beautiful Nikon Zf above — but since I’m on the Sony system, I chose the Sony A7CII as my small camera. Of course, finding a small, solid and quite fast lens is not as easy with APS-C, but I managed to collect something. Thanks to this, I have a set that is slightly larger/heavier, but one that is much more comfortable to use. What’s most important for me: with much faster and more accurate AF.
Are Fuji cameras bad? Absolutely not, but they’re just not for me
One of the coolest things in the world of photography for me is constantly trying new things. I love juggling systems, trying out new focal lengths, new filters, new add-ons and having fun with it. Just like I love spending long hours in Lightroom, often editing one photo in a dozen or so ways to see how masking and playing with colors can completely change the atmosphere. Since my main cameras are more expensive and… simply better – models from Sony – Fuji has always been a bit behind. However, when it comes to AF, I will never forget the disappointment of my friend who switched from the Sony A6000 (i.e. the 2014 model) to the hottest camera of last year: Fuji X100 VI and… he couldn’t stop complaining about how bad it was. before he works in this respect. Ultimately, he said goodbye to the TikTok hit and bought a newer, full-frame model from Sony. Not so long ago I was also surprised to read about failure rate of their equipment.
On the other hand, every day I meet many photographers (both amateurs and professionals) who are extremely satisfied with Fuji products – and do not plan to change them. Besides, even my editorial colleague, Bartosz Gabiś, takes photos of the XT5 – and I asked him what it looks like from his point of view:
I went to Fuji when it was time to abandon the Canon mirrorless camera I was using for the first time. The prices of the new mount for Canon mirrorless cameras left no choice but to change the manufacturer. Fujifilm tempted with its quality of workmanship and retro style, and even TikTok did its job. I don’t regret my choice. The famous filters won my heart. However, I don’t use them for JPGs, but to support my vision of the atmosphere of the photo. The famous colors of films can be used when editing photos, which speeds up the workflow. The quality of the lenses is top-class and great applause is due for maintaining the same precision of the lenses, even in the cheaper variants.
Too bad my love has no meaning in the face of autofocus. This is an Achilles heel, which the company knows and closely monitors social media, issuing software updates regularly. However, they are still far from the three from their own country: Nikon, Canon and Sony – and that hurts. Fuji offers the most beautiful colors thanks to its unique X-Trans matrix, and the design itself makes you want to hold the cameras and use them, because it is simply pleasant when the analogue knob crunches under your fingers. Unfortunately, if my hobby goes beyond amateur photography, the road will lead to Sony.
And as you can see, many of our common observations overlap. Do I recommend Fuji cameras? NO. Do I advise against it? Neither. I understand where the users’ love comes from, but between us… there was simply no chemistry. It’s a pity, because it is a very aesthetic and extremely affordable system. Who knows, maybe one day – there’s been a lot going on there lately in terms of updates and AF accuracy. At the moment, however, neither as an addition, nor as a backup, nor – especially – as the main camera.
Source: antyweb.pl
