Well, recently I’ve been writing about camera update considerations and to be fair, it hasn’t necessarily been about GAS (gear acquisition syndrome), it’s been a constant review of my camera/s setup to determine what I believe could ultimately be the most practical options for both performance and experience.
Recently both my Fujifilm X-H2 and X100F have been sold, and during that sales period I purchased a new Fujifilm X-T5.
The X-T5 is incredible, of course it is.
40 megapixel sensor, IBIS, 4K video (actually performs above that, but who needs it), articulating screen, D-Pad, orgasmic shutter action, the list goes on!
When I purchased the X-T5 I added both the Fujinon 23mm f2 and 16-55 f2.8 lenses which made it a powerhouse setup, but somehow something was still missing.
What was I missing out on?
Well, I had decided that the X-H2 did not give me the experience that I was craving in the street, despite being such a magnificent camera, and whilst the X100F did give me the experience, I decided that I needed my second body to be weather sealed and to have 4K video capability.
In the end departing with the X-H2 did not leave me feeling emotional, however the sale of the X100F did, for sure!
I still have the Fujifilm X100Vi on pre-order, and the latest arrival update is mid to late August (it is now July 12).
So, you’re this far into the blog, you’ve seen the blog title and you’re thinking, tell me about the X-Pro3!
The difficulty in waiting so long for the X100Vi is that I’ve had way too much time to consider if I’m doing the right thing, and that inexcusable reason has led me to many videos and articles about the famous Fujifilm X-Pro line of cameras.
What immediately fascinated me about this line of cameras was the true rangefinder appearance. Many people refer to the X100 line as being rangefinder, but the X-Pro’s are true rangefinders.
No brand names on the front of the body, no large housing, beautiful ergonomics and just a beautiful and unassuming camera body in my opinion.
Obviously I now have a 26 megapixel and 40 megapixel camera, but come on, you don’t need me to tell you that 40 megapixels is way too many for street stuff.
Before you comment about the X-Pro3’s renowned screen ribbon issue, I hear ‘ya, I know all about it. To be honest I believe that most, if not all users who have experienced the issue have pushed the ribbon way beyond its means, and by that I mean that they’ve likely folded it up and down well beyond ninety degrees and often, causing unnecessary stress on the ribbon, causing it to fail.
Yeah, I know, it shouldn’t be a problem in the first place, we shouldn’t have to worry about that, yet here we are.
So why did I proceed with an X-Pro3 purchase? Why not the very well regarded X-Pro2?
Well, the X-Pro3 has the fold down LCD screen, and whilst it is hidden from normal viewing, it is there for whenever I choose to shoot from the hip.
The X-Pro2 has a screen in full view and not hidden, yet is fixed.
One of the other reasons for purchasing the X-Pro3 is that I have been very reliably informed that the X-Pro4 release has been delayed until approximately 2026, so I decided to go with the current model now and I’m pretty sure that I’ll jump on the 4 when it is released.
I have only been out once with the X-Pro3 thus far, however immediately I feel as one with this camera.
It sits in my hand much better than an X100 and has an amazingly authentic shutter sound. Add to that the combination of getting to know a new (to me) camera, including shooting without chimping to avoid folding down the screen, and arriving home with no idea how any of the images turned out, and arguably you have the most thrilling photographic street experience that has not incorporated film.
Almost forgot to add, I recently purchased a new Fujilfilm 18mm F2 lens to add to the stable.
I’ve heard all the garbage about the poor performance and noisy sound of that lens, and mostly from street photographers.
Tell me the last time that you worried about the sound of your lens on the street - do you somehow believe that people can hear your lens over people talking and traffic?
Auto focus, well yeah I don’t rate the auto focus, but zone focusing fixes that issue right way!
The 18mm f2 weighs nothing, is very small and provides me with a wider perspective, and that’s a great reason for me to experiment with it alongside my 23mm f2 to cover my wide street requirements.
The 18mm f2 isn’t weather sealed, but if I’m shooting with it and the rain comes, I’ll swap it for the 23 which is weather resistant, done!
Don’t tell anyone, I haven’t cancelled the X100Vi pre-order yet!
I have added just a select few images from what was ultimately a very short photo walk with the Fujifilm X-Pro3. I look forward to sharing my thoughts and images as I continue to work with this magnificent camera.
Thanks for reading the blog, I really appreciate it.
