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Why I switched to Fuji

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Bill Thornhill said:
I've been shooting with the Fuji X-series for a year now so I thought I'd share my reasons why.

Switching from Nikon to Fuji

Did anyone else have similar reasons for using Fuji?
Click to expand...
Pretty much.

The Nikon FF cameras are very capable, but not great street cameras. Since that's what I mostly do, the D800 was relegated to occasional landscape and studio use, but I compared prints at my usual max size (a2) and could not see any real difference.

I have to say, I never really had fun using the Nikons. They were like power tools. Designed to do a job and take punishment.
 
I was also a Nikon D700 shooter. It was a superb camera and I felt my output did take a step up after I bought it, but maybe just because I was gaining more experience.

It's a beast, especially with some fast lenses, so I bought an Olympus OMD as a travel camera. That was a good choice as it is nice quality and I could fit 5 lenses and 2 bodies in a fairly small bag (my Nikon D700 with 17~35mm f2.8 pretty much filled the same bag on it's own!!).

I still own both but now also own a Fuji X-t1. I use the Fuji 99% of the time. I couldn't be bothered with the Nikon any more but I couldn't take the Olympus seriously as a full time replacement. The Fuji seems to have made them both redundant!
 
I have an X100T and a D7000. They're well suited to their own particular uses. The X100T goes with me in the bag every day, the D7000 is for when I plan to shoot something. Works out well. I don't see one as a replacement for the other at all.

The third camera in my arsenal is my iPhone. I've gotten some excellent pictures with it.
 
I would not say I have switched. I still have my Nikon D800 and some lenses and take it out when I don't have to fly or hike somewhere and I really want that medium format look. My X-T1 is for everything else and that tends to be more often than not.

I do have to say though that when I bought the Fuji I was bowled over by its simplicity of use. However with all the firmware update lots of little gotchas and confusions have appeared making it much less straightforward. While I appreciate what Fuji has done to update things, especially the focusing, it has given me new appreciation for an older experienced design team like Nikon's to produce a finished state of the art camera in the first place.
 
Yesterday I tested out the X-T10 and was impressed.

Impressed by how compact, lightweight and snappy it was (also got a 7D).

My X100 is my go to camera, great for street but not as versatile when able to change lenses.

Getting a bit into concert photography my 7D is on the edge of what it can do, so wondered to either get another lens or maybe go for a different system.

Fuji is slowly becoming a very good system and alternative for dslr in many cases.

This week I will have a go with the Sony A7, FF for me is not the be all and end all and if the kitlens dissapoints I may even ditch the whole idea going Sony.

With a two or three lens set up imo got my photogrpahic needs covered.

--
Cheers Mike
Check
 
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well I am very seriously thinking about making the jump to Fuji X systems...well to be honest the only think holding me back is the $$ I just got my nikon lens collection system 95% where i want it. so its a big set for me as I really dont make must money in the 1st place.

but do hope to some day do photography professional.
 
Welcome to Fuji. As a former Nikon 'spray and pray' shooter Fuji cameras are a fantastic tool set. It's true that they slowed me down and made me think about what I was shooting, but with the excellent results I'm currently at about 50k shots with my x-pro, x100, x100s & X-T1. The only thing that tempts me now is the Leica Q and possible the new system coming out, but I will never part with my Fuji cameras.
 
57even said:
Bill Thornhill said:
I've been shooting with the Fuji X-series for a year now so I thought I'd share my reasons why.

Switching from Nikon to Fuji

Did anyone else have similar reasons for using Fuji?
Click to expand...
Pretty much.

The Nikon FF cameras are very capable, but not great street cameras. Since that's what I mostly do, the D800 was relegated to occasional landscape and studio use, but I compared prints at my usual max size (a2) and could not see any real difference.

I have to say, I never really had fun using the Nikons. They were like power tools. Designed to do a job and take punishment.
Click to expand...
I switched too, to Fuji (I like Fuji mirrorless cameras overall, X-trans sensor and HQ Fujinon lenses)

But to be fair,also Nikon has small DSLR cameras (APS-C) with great IQ and also nice apsc Nikkor lenses exist.
Member said:
--
"Don’t put your trust in revolutions. They always come around again. That's why they’re called revolutions" T. Pratchett, OBE, RIP.
Click to expand...
--
- Ari Aikomus -
'Why should I feel lonely ? is not our planet in the Milky way?'
 
Last edited:
Ari Aikomus said:
57even said:
Bill Thornhill said:
I've been shooting with the Fuji X-series for a year now so I thought I'd share my reasons why.

Switching from Nikon to Fuji

Did anyone else have similar reasons for using Fuji?
Click to expand...
Pretty much.

The Nikon FF cameras are very capable, but not great street cameras. Since that's what I mostly do, the D800 was relegated to occasional landscape and studio use, but I compared prints at my usual max size (a2) and could not see any real difference.

I have to say, I never really had fun using the Nikons. They were like power tools. Designed to do a job and take punishment.
Click to expand...
I switched too, to Fuji (I like Fuji mirrorless cameras overall, X-trans sensor and HQ Fujinon lenses)

But to be fair,also Nikon has small DSLR cameras (APS-C) with great IQ and also nice apsc Nikkor lenses exist.
Click to expand...
The IQ is fine, but I bought a D7000 to replace my D90 and was very disappointed by poor AF consistency and the average QC on Nikon's DX lenses, particularly the zooms. The Xpro1, slow and cumbersome as it was initially, had much more accurate AF and better lenses.
 
I had two D700s for work and consider them to be one of Nikon's classics.

But being so big and heavy I never took one out for pleasure - ever. Last year, a significant birthday and the fact that Fuji were practically giving away X Pro 1 kits I treated myself. My love for photography was rekindled!

I loved the X Pro 1 so much I decided to take a big gamble and bought a pair of XT1's for work. Whilst there are certain sacrifices, I would never go back to the big, noisy and intrusive big Nikons, wonderful as they are.

In fact I'm just processing a wedding right now where I had an assistant using D700s. The XT1 files are noticeably nicer all round (at least up to 1600 ISO). I feel that my decision has been further vindicated.

Lightweight, quiet, unobtrusive, beautiful prime lenses, intuitive to use - I'm a happy camper right now!
 
Same for me. I also have a D700 beast, particularly when fitted with the Sigma 100-300F4 and x1.4 tele-extender, so at 89, I much prefer to use a FujiX-E2 or Samsung EX2f. Too bad it doesn't have 20MP.
 
You do realise that Jason Lanier is a fully paid up Sony shill right? Their are so many youtubers being sponsored these days, you have to have the nose to weed them out & call BS.
 
DJF77 said:
You do realise that Jason Lanier is a fully paid up Sony shill right? Their are so many youtubers being sponsored these days, you have to have the nose to weed them out & call BS.
Click to expand...
Yes I am aware of it, but if you watch the video this was made well before he got involved with Sony. He got his deal because he'd been a cheerleader for them for so long. I don't see any issue.
 
I thoroughly enjoyed my 35 years with Nikon. But once I retired and started traveling a lot, the weight and size quickly became a hassle. So I bought an X100 as a whim and after 3 weeks of shooting pretty much only the X100 I sold my D800 + 24-70 while traveling in Europe. Once I got home I pre-ordere an XE1 and sold off pretty much all my Nikon gear other than a couple of my favorite old manuals.

I'm very pleased with Fuji. However, I suspect if Nikon ever introduced a reasonable sized mirrorless camera I'd be right back into their fold. Control sets. Fuji's had enough time to figure out how to make a decent control set and standardize across models. My wife and I now have 3 Fuji bodies: On/Off switches move in opposite directions, functions buttons vary in position and number, some lenses have aperture rings, some don't, some lenses have AF/MF, some you pull the ring, some you move the AF switch. Too much chaos for me. Lord knows what they will serve up next.
 
57even said:
Bill Thornhill said:
I've been shooting with the Fuji X-series for a year now so I thought I'd share my reasons why.

Switching from Nikon to Fuji

Did anyone else have similar reasons for using Fuji?
Click to expand...
Pretty much.

The Nikon FF cameras are very capable, but not great street cameras. Since that's what I mostly do, the D800 was relegated to occasional landscape and studio use, but I compared prints at my usual max size (a2) and could not see any real difference.

I have to say, I never really had fun using the Nikons. They were like power tools. Designed to do a job and take punishment.
Click to expand...
 
John Motts said:
I had two D700s for work and consider them to be one of Nikon's classics.

But being so big and heavy I never took one out for pleasure - ever. Last year, a significant birthday and the fact that Fuji were practically giving away X Pro 1 kits I treated myself. My love for photography was rekindled!

I loved the X Pro 1 so much I decided to take a big gamble and bought a pair of XT1's for work. Whilst there are certain sacrifices, I would never go back to the big, noisy and intrusive big Nikons, wonderful as they are.

In fact I'm just processing a wedding right now where I had an assistant using D700s. The XT1 files are noticeably nicer all round (at least up to 1600 ISO). I feel that my decision has been further vindicated.

Lightweight, quiet, unobtrusive, beautiful prime lenses, intuitive to use - I'm a happy camper right now!
Click to expand...
That has been my experience as well John. I used to use the D700 and D2X alongside an F5 for weddings. What comes out of my X-PRo1 is much nicer for color and tonality...with far less post processing. In fact, I use the jpgs about 75% of the time.
 
57even said:
Ari Aikomus said:
57even said:
Bill Thornhill said:
I've been shooting with the Fuji X-series for a year now so I thought I'd share my reasons why.

Switching from Nikon to Fuji

Did anyone else have similar reasons for using Fuji?
Click to expand...
Pretty much.

The Nikon FF cameras are very capable, but not great street cameras. Since that's what I mostly do, the D800 was relegated to occasional landscape and studio use, but I compared prints at my usual max size (a2) and could not see any real difference.

I have to say, I never really had fun using the Nikons. They were like power tools. Designed to do a job and take punishment.
Click to expand...
I switched too, to Fuji (I like Fuji mirrorless cameras overall, X-trans sensor and HQ Fujinon lenses)

But to be fair,also Nikon has small DSLR cameras (APS-C) with great IQ and also nice apsc Nikkor lenses exist.
Click to expand...
The IQ is fine, but I bought a D7000 to replace my D90 and was very disappointed by poor AF consistency and the average QC on Nikon's DX lenses, particularly the zooms. The Xpro1, slow and cumbersome as it was initially, had much more accurate AF and better lenses.
Click to expand...
That's true. I am very satisfied to AF accuracy with Fuji (X-T10), not so with my DSLR cameras (Nikon, Pentax), thought my Sony A65 SLT camera has pretty accurate AF.

 
The learning curve on how to use AF effectively was very high on my Nikon D7000. I'm still not totally comfortable with it, but I know it works, because I've been in some situations I doubted it could keep up, but it did.
 
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