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30 year Nikon user - ready to leave - can X100t do the trick? Can is pull it's weight?

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Abouna

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OK, so I'm gearing up to sell my beloved D700 and lenses. The camera has and is fantastic, but I'mm using it less and less. I don't do as much commercial work as I did and I'm tired of the size and weight. I am shooting my excellent Ricoh GR IV most the time (which i will keep).

I tried the Fuji in a store a about 6 months ago and was immediately impressed. Not only did it have the haptics and ergonomics I like but it had a real viewfinder, which is a must for me.

That said, can I assume it will be usable for light commercial work? I will use it 80% of the time for personal, family, candid photography. The I MUST also be able to do studio photography with lights. My current set-up for product photography involves umbrellas and several SB600 strobes fired with an SU800 controller.

Can I reasonably expect a lighting solution that will do light commercial work without breaking the bank?

Is the X100t a suitable work camera?
 
The X100t will fire your strobes with a proper radio controller just like any camera will, and it can sync up to 1/1000 shutter speed.

The real issue - are you happy with a 35mm focal length lens for all of your work?

Its not what I would choose for studio work.
 
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Abouna said:
OK, so I'm gearing up to sell my beloved D700 and lenses. The camera has and is fantastic, but I'mm using it less and less. I don't do as much commercial work as I did and I'm tired of the size and weight. I am shooting my excellent Ricoh GR IV most the time (which i will keep).

I tried the Fuji in a store a about 6 months ago and was immediately impressed. Not only did it have the haptics and ergonomics I like but it had a real viewfinder, which is a must for me.

That said, can I assume it will be usable for light commercial work? I will use it 80% of the time for personal, family, candid photography. The I MUST also be able to do studio photography with lights. My current set-up for product photography involves umbrellas and several SB600 strobes fired with an SU800 controller.

Can I reasonably expect a lighting solution that will do light commercial work without breaking the bank?

Is the X100t a suitable work camera?
Click to expand...
 
David Hobby (aka, strobist) considers the X100 (or X100S or T at this point, I'm sure) sufficient for the bulk of his professional work. It's a very capable camera. And do keep in mind it has 2 focal length adapters available to provide 18mm f/2 and 35mm f/2.8 effective focal lengths (before crop factor considered) if you need that bit of expansion.

It isn't enough for me, personally, because I'm drawn to telephoto lenses, and in the 35mm format I really prefer an f/2 equivalent or brighter. I'll be looking forward to shooting my new X-Pro2 with the 23mm f/1.4, though. That should prove enjoyable.
 
I moved from a Nikon D700 and have not used it since I bought Fuji, but I bought an X-T1 and several lenses. I can't imagine giving it up for a fixed focal length. I'd need to keep both, or get an X-T1 or X-Pro2
 
As others have pointed out focal length might be a concern. The X100T optics have a reputation for not being sharp up close when wide open. So if "product" means smaller items where you want to play with shallow DoF it's not your lens. It's not exactly a good portrait focal length either...

******************************
 
Thanks everyone. You've given me a few things to think about.

Focal length: actually at roughly a 50mm equivalent, I think it will be fine. I rarely take my 50 off my D700. I've always shot that length (sometimes wider) and I've purposely made that limitation on myself. I enjoy not switching lenses and the creativity it can enjoin. Still it is a good thing to consider.

Product photos: my work is never smaller than a shoe box, consisting entirely of woodworking tools.

My biggest concern is lighting, though inn truth I may go to LED lighting. Other than the heat and the bulk, I really liked using hot lights more than strobes. But if I do stay with strobes, what's the best route?
 
Maybe I'm old fashioned but I'd set the internal X100 flash to lowest power, manual, and use optical slaves.

To get 50mm equivalent you'll need the Tele Converter.

******************************
 
It's a 23mm lens which equates to 35mm full frame - as others said you'd need to add the teleconverter for 50mm and whilst good optically, this arrangement probably isn't quite up there with the better lenses available at this focal length on other cameras.

If I were you I'd be looking at the X-Pro2, which gives you the same hybrid viewfinder and a choice of excellent lenses, plus the latest and greatest Fuji sensor and performance.

A much cheaper option is the just-discontinued X-Pro1 which also gives you the above, with similar/identical IQ to the X100T - but you do have to put up with significantly slower and more basic contrast-detect AF, and slower performance overall. Many have used it successfully in the studio though.
 
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Aha! OK, stupid me. I neglected to cath the focal length. For some reason I thought it was 35. That's OK, I can live with it as is I think.

The X-Pro2 does look about right though. I avoided the first version for lack of a better viewfinder and some of it;s other short comings.
 
Abouna said:
OK, so I'm gearing up to sell my beloved D700 and lenses. The camera has and is fantastic, but I'mm using it less and less. I don't do as much commercial work as I did and I'm tired of the size and weight. I am shooting my excellent Ricoh GR IV most the time (which i will keep).

I tried the Fuji in a store a about 6 months ago and was immediately impressed. Not only did it have the haptics and ergonomics I like but it had a real viewfinder, which is a must for me.

That said, can I assume it will be usable for light commercial work? I will use it 80% of the time for personal, family, candid photography. The I MUST also be able to do studio photography with lights. My current set-up for product photography involves umbrellas and several SB600 strobes fired with an SU800 controller.

Can I reasonably expect a lighting solution that will do light commercial work without breaking the bank?

Is the X100t a suitable work camera?
Click to expand...
 
Abouna said:
Aha! OK, stupid me. I neglected to cath the focal length. For some reason I thought it was 35. That's OK, I can live with it as is I think.

The X-Pro2 does look about right though. I avoided the first version for lack of a better viewfinder and some of it;s other short comings.
Click to expand...
Fuji has a nice teleconverter which makes it 50mm equivalent, but that makes it bigger.
 
The only thing that I still miss from my D600 is the ability to use back button continuous focusing in manual AF mode with the AF-L button. Otherwise, I recommend the X-T1 with 35mm f1.8 or f2.
 
I bought an X100s to complement my Canon FF kit.

Whilst I liked the format of the camera and the quality of the output, I found the fixed 23mm lens too wide for my liking and having just one focal length too restrictive. I then bought an XT1 with the kit lens and have since added a few more lenses to the system.

For travel and out an about, the Fuji fits the bill perfectly but I would not give up my Canon kit for anything more serious.

One thing I really enjoyed on the X100s which I miss on the XT1 was the optical viewfinder. I therefore have a XPro2 on order which will mostly be paired with the excellent 35mm f2 Fuji lens.

For your purpose, I reckon either an XT1 or a XPro2 would serve you better than the X100t. Pair either with the 35mm f2 or the older and slower 35mm f1.4 and you will match the quality of your Nikon D700.
 
Abouna said:
...

I tried the Fuji in a store a about 6 months ago and was immediately impressed. Not only did it have the haptics and ergonomics I like but it had a real viewfinder, which is a must for me.
Click to expand...
I love my X100T, and rarely use the DSLR lately, but to be sure, the optical viewfinder on the X100T is nothing like the viewfinder on a real DSLR where it is big and bright and you are actually looking through the lens. The DSLR OVF makes me feel connected to my subject. I see what the lens sees, and I love it. The X100T OVF is more of a gimmick to me, a "fun" thing. Nice to have sometimes. I still like it, but I realize it has its limitations.

One day EVFs will get to the point of looking as good as the LCD on the back of the camera (which is outstanding on the X100T btw) and OVFs will no longer be as important.
 
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Abouna said:
Thanks everyone. You've given me a few things to think about.

Focal length: actually at roughly a 50mm equivalent, I think it will be fine.
Click to expand...
But it isn't. It's a 35mm FF equivalent.

Edit: Sorry, I've noticed a few others have already set you right.
Abouna said:
I rarely take my 50 off my D700. I've always shot that length (sometimes wider)
Click to expand...
In that case you would need the tele adapter on your X100T

http://www.fujifilm.com/products/di...versionlens/x100teleconversionlens/index.html

For paying work of the sort you describe I'd happily use my Fuji X-T1 with the 35mm f:2, plus the option of the 27mm pancake (40mm FF equiv) as a really light compact walk-around.

http://camerasize.com/compact/#520.498,566,520.388,ha,t

--
Albert
(The one in France)
Every photograph is an abstraction from reality.
 
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Abouna said:
The I MUST also be able to do studio photography with lights. My current set-up for product photography involves umbrellas and several SB600 strobes fired with an SU800 controller.
Click to expand...
I love my X100 to bits, but for commercial studio work, I think one of the interchangeable lens models paired with the 60mm f2.4 Macro would be a great choice. It's a flippin' amazing lens - mostly overlooked because it's just about the slowest AF lens in the world, but in a studio that's irrelevant.

That said, Full Frame (or larger) will always be a better choice for studio work. There are many good reasons why people still use medium & large format for studio work, and resolution is not the most important.

 
Having just recently looked and handled the X-PRO2, I would think that it would be a better route for you rather than the X100t, especially coming off the D700.

X-PRO2 has much better ergonomics and grip, viewfinder that is an improvement over the X100t, pc cord connector for external studio strobe, and, on the first try, better handling. So much so that it made me think that thumb grip and/or extension grip may not be needed unless handling the heaviest of lenses like 100-400 or 50-140.

It is also much quieter than X-PRO1, but not as quiet as X100. Other improvements include weather sealing, which when combined with the wonderful 35mm WR F2 gives a very robust combination, likely much more so than the X100t.

Drawbacks are that the above combo is heavier than the X100, and, although quiet, not as quiet as X100t. Although small, it would also be not as inconspicuous as the 100.

After handling the 2, I am planning to sell my 100 in favor of it.
 
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I'm not a professional photographer but I like to read about those who are, the gear they use and why.

This guy http://www.markkitaoka.com/ has used X100S for commercial work (not exclusively) and used the resulting images to print big http://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/52837127 (18ft by 80ft big).

On the other hand, I personally spoke to a studio photog that tried one of the x100 line (don't remember which one) for studio work and said he didn't like it but prefered it for his personal stuff.

So it seems the question is not weather the x100t can be used but can you make it work for you. There's no right or wrong answer on that one.

PS someone designed a unit to use strobes wirelessly and with TTL for the fuji system. This includes fuji native strobes and many nikon strobes (see compatibility chart).

http://www.sereneautomation.com/#xl_xr_page_index.html
 
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