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Everyday life is beautiful and worth documenting, embrace the chaos and mundane. This camera has had a huge impact on my everyday shooting. This is the review that tipped me over the edge. I pre-ordered one and tapped my fingers waiting a few weeks for it to ship.
A little over a year ago I was a Sony user. My Sony a77 was not mirrorless, but it did have a fixed mirror which meant an electronic viewfinder instead of an optical one. Both the LCD and viewfinder were WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) instantly showing you changes in exposure and WB as you shoot. That feature has been sorely missed since I became a Canon (now Nikon) DSLR user. The Fuji x100t brings back my love for the electronic viewfinder and Live View shooting.
While the x100t is not as pocketable as my phone and I wouldn’t dare sit down with it in my back pocket, it is immeasurably better image quality than my phone. It has a footprint barely bigger than my phone and my DSLR seems monstrous in comparison. It doesn’t take up much room in my bag and it is easy to shoot one-handed. I encourage all my workshop participants to take their “big girl” cameras out in public and shoot, regardless of who stares, but the Fuji x100t is pretty inconspicuous.
Can I tell the difference between an image taken on my d750 and x100t? I should really be able to say yes, right? Truth is in good light I am not sure I can after they are edited. Now maybe if I pixel peep 1:1, but really who views images that way? Now there are differences in the color and shadows in the RAW files, but in a processed file no discernible difference in quality for me. The images below were taken at ISO 1000 f/2.5 1/200. In processing I chose the camera standard profile for each and applied my basic preset. One was taken on a d750 and the other on the x100t. Even if you can tell the difference is the image quality significantly different?
What about in lower light, are there are differences? Yes and the Fuji has greater difficulty catching focus than either of my DSLRs do, particularly in heavy backlit situations. The Fuji handles lower light really well but for a more portrait image, with little to no environment, I would pick up my DSLR instead of the Fuji.
All three of the cameras I currently own (Nikon d750, Canon 6D, Fuji x100t) currently have in-camera wifi. They each have a corresponding mobile app which helps you control the camera from your phone, the Fuji app is the best by far. It allows me to get myself IN images and Chloe loves taking pictures with it as well.
Is it worth the high price tag? There are many cheaper alternatives, some are even from Fuji. Whether or not the x100t is the choice for you only you can decide. My recommendation to anyone that asks me if a price tag is worth it is to try it out for yourself. Buyer’s remorse is an awful feeling and it is simply too easy to rent photography equipment and have it delivered directly to your door.
Well for client work I just couldn’t rely on the Fuji 100%. It is a little slower to focus. Do I use it for client work? Yes. But only for a portion of a session and to get images if my other cameras are tied up with video or out of reach. I recently used it exclusively while shooting a family out at their favorite eating establishments.
Have you gone mirrorless? Tell me about it in the comments and tell me what you shoot with!
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