New Year - Time to shed the pounds

It's that time of year again - everyone is making resolutions for 2013, and looking to improve their lives for the next 12 months.

Time to shed the pounds perhaps?

Weight (and size) was a huge part of my decision to move away from DSLR to mirror-less, and I've spent decades carrying around a heavy Billingham bag full of lenses to get to this point.

So what exactly is the weight & size difference when moving to the X-Pro1 from my existing 5DII?

To illustrate, here's my standard L lens prime set-up, the 5DII with the 24mm f/1.4L, 50mm f/1.2L, and 85mm f1.2L.

When this camera was released, this prime set-up provided some of the highest IQ available in a compact format. Industry leading camera sensor and world-class glass.

Fast forward a few years, and we now have a different option to consider - The Fuji X-Pro1 with the 18mm f/2, 35mm f/1.4, and 60mm f/2.4.

I'm covering the same range with the primes, and IQ from both the camera and lenses is on par with the 5DII.

In fact, at higher ISOs the Fuji has a clear advantage over the Canon, by some margin.

So how much do I save by going mirror less?

Well, when I look at the size of the kit - I'm moving from a Billingham 550 to a 335 bag - quite a saving in size, weight, and price. ($220 saved on Amazon)

The weight of the 5DII kit in the Billingham is 14.4 lbs - without additional filters, flash, cables etc etc.

The weight of the X-Pro1 kit in it's Billingham is 9 lbs - and that's with my filters, memory cars etc, still in the bag.

So I'm saving 5.4 lbs straight away - that's a huge deal when it's on your shoulder all day long.

So before I've even factored in price, the X-Pro1 kit is looking very attractive - it's going be be a lot more portable, and will most likely get taken out more, and hence get more photos. (This has proven to be the case)

So let's look at price:

At current prices on Amazon - I'm going to pay $6,600 for the Canon and $3,300 for the Fuji kit.

That's a huge price differential to consider when making a purchasing decision - significant enough at the time to stop me buying the 5DIII, and leading me to buy a complete X-Pro1 kit instead.

It's been 9 months now, and I've picked up my 5DII twice, both times when I've needed to shoot fast action with long (300 f/2.8 & 600 f/4) lenses.

Other than that, the Fuji has provided full service for over 12,000 frames - and the IQ has blown clients away. No one has asked me to go back to the 5DII, and the X-Pro1 has paid for itself many times over.

Looks like my resolution for 2013 will be to continue to keep the weight off - Canon need to get with the program if they want my business back. Right now they look like they're the biggest looser...

--
http://www.dodkin.com
Chris@1D-Images.com
Mac Pro/MacBook Pro/iPods/iPhones/iPad

You could save weight by using slower lenses on the Canon system.  Obviously you don't need f/1.2 if you're now happy with f/2.4 on a smaller format sensor.  Same with the grip.

Sure - but then I'd be giving up IQ on the cheaper Canon lenses vs Fuji

Grip is not optional - I use the grips on Canon and Fuji religiously

--
http://www.dodkin.com
Chris@1D-Images.com
Mac Pro/MacBook Pro/iPods/iPhones/iPad

Very true.  It's pointless to carry around a Canon 85L if one does not use the massive f/1.2 aperture.  The weigh of the f/1.8 version is far, far lower than the big f/1.2 beast.

The 85L has enormous capabilities, but only if you use it!

--
DISCLAIMER: The text written herein is meant to provide the opinions and/or suggestions of the author. No statement herein is meant to be considered law of the land, representative of any party or group, and or a quote from any party or group. Neither is any statement in the contained text meant to be taken as scripture, doctrine, or all encompassing of an entire populous or any groups or individuals therein.

Vs Fuji? I don't think so.  In many cases you'd still retain more DoF control as well.

Anyway, it's not a like for like comparison.  Yes, mirrorless systems are smaller, but your Canon setup is hardly even close to optimized for size or weight.

I made this transition a long time ago from the following equipment:

2x D3S

1x 70-200mm f/2.8 VR2

1x 17-35mm f/2.8

1x SB900

All of that squeezed into a Lowepro Classified 250AW bag. It was tight with memory, batteries, and filters.

I actually still use the same bag because it is not that heavy itself, but it is much lighter with the new setup:

2x X Pro 1

1x Voigtlander 12mm f/5.6 w/ Fuji M Mount Adapter

1x Fuji 18-55mm

1x Fuji EF-42 Flash

Although this setup is challenging in that it does not address all my lens needs, it keeps me busy until the lenses I do want are available. All of which are on the roadmap.

The nice thing is that if I need to take a few more flashes and some pocket wizards with me, there is easily room in my bag now and I don't need to take another.

--
A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on. - Sir Winston Churchill

By the way, my Fuji setup won't do a lot of what my Nikon setup would do, and it isn't as easy to get it done either in that it is not second nature. There are definitely sacrifices made moving to this system. The hope is that those sacrifices become fewer and fewer as new technology develops.

--
A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on. - Sir Winston Churchill

is to shed my own pounds with lighter Fuji package, hope "zooming with feet" help. But I also intend to keep Canon 5DII and L lenses in my basement gym for weight lifting workouts.

--
http://vkphotoblog.blogspot.ca/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/vk-photo/

It will be years and years before Fujifilm will be able to produce a system that can replicate what you can do with the 70-200mm f/2.8 VR2 lens from Nikon.  I guess that was one of your lesser used lenses.

--
DISCLAIMER: The text written herein is meant to provide the opinions and/or suggestions of the author. No statement herein is meant to be considered law of the land, representative of any party or group, and or a quote from any party or group. Neither is any statement in the contained text meant to be taken as scripture, doctrine, or all encompassing of an entire populous or any groups or individuals therein.

In use, shooting at f/1.2 on a FF camera is mostly an exercise in futility - it's something that you only get to truly experience when you own the lens, rather than just reading about it online.

Movement of subject, camera, or just tolerances in AF performance, make using the razor thin DOF of f/1.2 something for fixed studio work only - or for situations where subject to photographer distance is quite large (and hence DOF more reasonable)

You can of course use f/1.2 in the field - but you're going to have to shoot multiple frames to try and get one with the target exactly in focus.

That's just the physics of it. Shooting at 3ft, your DOF is just 0.15 in either side of the target.

The more precise AF of the 60mm portrait lens on the Fuji, coupled with the more useable DOF makes for a very satisfying image and very good hit rate.

At 3 ft and f/2.4 my DOF is more than doubled - 0.4 in either side of target - this provides ample BOKEH for portraits etc.

--
http://www.dodkin.com
Chris@1D-Images.com
Mac Pro/MacBook Pro/iPods/iPhones/iPad

I can believe that.  Pros that I have seen shooting that lens fire off shots in rapid fire, allowing for greater chance to hit the sweet spot.

You should do well selling that lens.  I'm going to unload mine when I get back to the US later this year.  I paid $1450 for my 85L II when it first came out and I know I can get more for that today.

--
DISCLAIMER: The text written herein is meant to provide the opinions and/or suggestions of the author. No statement herein is meant to be considered law of the land, representative of any party or group, and or a quote from any party or group. Neither is any statement in the contained text meant to be taken as scripture, doctrine, or all encompassing of an entire populous or any groups or individuals therein.

Chris,

One parameter I wish you'd mentioned is fun to weight and/or fun to cost ratio.

My X-pro1 with the 35mm and 18 mm lenses is the most fun I've had with photography since moving to digital.  I'm selling off my Canon gear. This may not be the case for others but is certainly is for me

I agree with those who mention the greater flexibility that your Canon kit might provide, but so what. If the tools one chooses work to create the images one wants then all the debate/s are moot.

-Framus

Those DoF numbers are way off. 85/1.2 at 3 feet gives a DoF of 0.02 feet. 60/2.4 at 3 feet gives a DoF of 0.07 feet. So you're using over triple the DoF on the Fuji... quite a different look, and certainly much easier to attain critical focus with.

Anyway, that further confirms that you're carrying needless weight with the 85/1.2, making the comparison a bit silly.  You'd be much better off with the 85/1.8.  I think this is true for a large number of photographers... there is a strong obsession with fast glass, but given the difficulty of using it, the very limited legitimate artistic use for such shallow DoF, the expense/size/weight of the gear, and the compromises in IQ required for such large apertures, most people would be far better off with slower variants.

The DOF numbers are spot on - you just can't convert feet to inches or something!

60mm wide open on the X-Pro1 at 3 ft gives a DOF of 0.07ft total or 0.03ft either side of target, which is 0.4 inches either side of target.

85mm on the 5DII wide open gives a DOF of  0.02 ft, which is 0.01 ft either side of target, or 0.15 inches.

We're measuring target to OOF, which is half the DOF - it's an easy mistake to make to just take the DOF - easily done...

--
http://www.dodkin.com
Chris@1D-Images.com
Mac Pro/MacBook Pro/iPods/iPhones/iPad

I totally agree. I was comparing my Fuji X-E1 to a Hasselblad 500 and the Fuji is so much better. It is much lighter. The Fuji AF is much better; in fact the Hasselblad doesn't even have AF. The coolest thing is that I don't have to wait for the film to be processed and scanned. I am so glad I switched. Fuji is awesome! Maybe Hasselblad is a bigger "looser" than Canon.

Difficult to put into hard numbers, but I agree with you 100%

--
http://www.dodkin.com
Chris@1D-Images.com
Mac Pro/MacBook Pro/iPods/iPhones/iPad

Why would I want to sell the lens?

L lenses are a lifetime investment - I just need to wait for Canon to get themselves ahead of the game again

I have plenty of time to wait.

--
http://www.dodkin.com
Chris@1D-Images.com
Mac Pro/MacBook Pro/iPods/iPhones/iPad

Well, it was definitely used a lot less than my 17-35mm, which is an outright awesome lens as well. I agree that it will be a very long time indeed if I am actually doing a side by side comparison. The theme is sacrifice. You trade this off to get that. There is no equivalence yet between DSLR and Mirrorless systems.

--
A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on. - Sir Winston Churchill

I think the L lenses are a great long term investment

It's just right now Canon are way behind the curve - but maybe they'll catch up and get ahead again eventually

Either way - worth hanging on to those workout weights

--
http://www.dodkin.com
Chris@1D-Images.com
Mac Pro/MacBook Pro/iPods/iPhones/iPad

If Fuji were to scale up X-Trans to MF, then Blad would be in real trouble

But I doubt there's enough market to make the investment worth while

Then again - you never know...

--
http://www.dodkin.com
Chris@1D-Images.com
Mac Pro/MacBook Pro/iPods/iPhones/iPad