Fuji XT-2 users - what is your second (small) camera?

The Fuji X-T2 is my second camera. My main camera has held that position through a Canon 5D mkII, Fuji X-E2 and now Fuji X-T2. My main camera is a Samsung EX2 and that's because wherever I go it goes.

For a while I'd been wishing that I'd waited for the XE3 (and that might still be the right move) as a second/backup camera or indeed has kept my XT1 for its comfortable size. However, I rashly purchased a bargain XT20 and for a while regretted it because of its small size. I bought a cheap hand grip which only made matters worse but now I have the Fuji handgrip I am pleased with my purchase. It has similar controls and menu operation and AF so that makes swapping from XT2 easier. https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/59995827

I would now advise buying the XT20 or waiting for the XE3 which is slightly wider (1cm). Either would be particularly good with primes and make for compact, lightweight alternatives to my XT2 + 16-55 f2.8 but they do need a Fuji handgrip (IMO).

Vic

I don't have an X-Tx camera, but I have both an X-T10 and a medium sized DSLR so I think I understand your situation. I have three small Fujis: an X100T, an X-M1, and a comparatively ancient X-10 point and shoot that still turns out a good jpeg if you take its small sensor into account. It's excellent in good light and is a fun and surprisingly useful travel camera. Pretty, too.

The X100 series and the X-M1 are both "real Fujis". There's lots written about the various X100 cameras and the differences between them-- you could certainly get one within your budget.

But don't ignore the X-M1, especially combined with the 27mm f/2.8 prime-- this camera and lens are a great combination and when put together they make a truly excellent large sensor "fixed" prime compact in a very useful general purpose focal length. Uses the standard Fuji W126 battery too.

The 27mm, which I find problematic on my X-T10 because of its lack of an aperture ring, really shines on the little X-M1 with its minimal controls. The package is small enough to fit into a large shirt pocket, and can easily be tucked into a corner of any bag. The cost, with both pieces secondhand, can be under $500 US.

The major drawback is the lack of a viewfinder, but I find I don't miss it much, especially with the X-M1's tilty screen. It's a funky little bargain camera that plays by its own rules while giving you the output you expect from a 16mp Fuji.

So the cameras that you use as a second camera next to the Fuji XT-2 are:

• Fuji X100T
• Fuji XM-1 + XF27mm
• Fuji XT20 + __
• Fuji XE3 (waiting for it)

And thanks for sharing all your thoughts on them, too!

Anybody else who uses a Fuji XT-2 and a second camera, I'd be happy to know which camera do you use and what is your experience.

I'm not a fan of changing lenses so...

Body 1: XT2 + Grip + 50-140

Body 2: XT2 + Grip + 16-55

Body 3: XP2 + Metal Grip + 23F2

Leica Q : Is my most used camera (85% of the time) and goes every where with me. Small but not small......

Fuji XT2 + 100-400mm + Zeiss 50mm Macro + 27mm - Is used 10% of the time. 100-400mm used 90% of the time on the XT2.

Olympus TG4 : Used 5% of the time. My throw round camera when the going gets rough. My "small" camera.

Currently on a 12 month driving round Australia holiday and this is my kit.

Love them all.

--
Trevor Kloeden
http://trevorkloeden.wordpress.com
http://trevor.kloeden.com/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/26503291@N03/sets/

olee22 said:

What do you use as a second camera for the Fuji XT-2?

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READ TO THE END

Olympus OMD EM-10 + 14-42IIR kit-lens + 9-18mm UWA


Travel kit - Oly EM10, 14-42IIR lens, 9-18mm UWA lens, spare battery, pocket tripod - all in a tiny bag

• What was your reasoning to choose it?

I wanted a really small, take-with-me-everywhere-every-time camera when size/weight might be an issue.

• Any learning from your experience using the two cameras in parallel?

The EM10 is superb for a take-with-me-everywhere-every-time camera. The lenses are really tiny, and the camera is a real joy to use.

The Fuji beats it in low light, but on the other hand the excellent IBIS in the EM10 means that I can get away with smaller and slower lenses.

I mainly pick my X-T2 (X-T1 prior to it) when IQ is more important than convenience.

I don't think I'll ever part with this Oly kit, I love it to bits!

Follow these links for some examples of using both systems while traveling:

Traveling with Fuji and Olympus - Athens

Traveling with Fuji and Olympus - Santorini

And finally, this is what the EM10 can do at night:

EM10 at night

--
Jacques
apple-and-eve.com

olee22 said:

1. Choose a Fuji camera that is small, and uses the same battery.

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Remember that most of the size comes from the lenses in your setup. Another body is maybe 1cm smaller or a few grams lighter, but that will not make any significant difference with the 16mm and 56mm lenses.

So with this in mind, an X-T10/20, X-E1/2/3 etc would be a waste of money for your purpose.

A carry anytime would be a compact.

(I dont have the X-T2, but the X-T1 which is of similar size; my compact choice is currently my LX7)

What do you use as a second camera for the Fuji XT-2?

Well, I have two "second" cameras. One is a Sony RX1r II and the other is a Sony RX100V.

What camera do you use next to the Fuji XT-2?

With respect I don't see how this question is different than the first one. Maybe I am missing something?

What was your reasoning to choose it?

I use both as sort of special purpose adjuncts to the XT-2 system, which is my primary camera. If you want to see the sort of subjects I photograph, click on my Flickr site below - my needs are probably not typical.

The RX1r II is a very compact full frame 42MP camera with one of the sharpest lenses in all of cameradom (it that a word?). The IQ of this camera is nothing less than astounding; and its huge files are really great for post-processing. It's small enough to fit into a big jacket pocket or the like. The primary downside is the fixed 35mm focal length, which limits versatility. I wanted a very portable camera capable of world-class IQ. This camera fills that need perfectly.

The RX100V is a tiny, shirt pocket-sized camera with a very useful zoom range for what I do (24-70mm equivalent), has very quick focus and a very fast (24 fps) burst rate - both of which also very useful for what I do with it. With a 1" 24MP sensor, IQ is surprisingly good for such a tiny sensor. It has quite a large suite of capabilities (but they can be hard to access - see below). I wanted a tiny, light camera with decent IQ and plenty of capabilities. This camera mostly fills that need.

FWIW I would buy both cameras again.

Any learning from your experience using the two cameras in parallel?

I had a bunch of DSLR's over the years, but the whole concept of a big flapping mechanical mirror on a digital camera never made the slightest sense to me. Sadly, the early mirrorless cameras definitely had their limitations. My first Fuji, an XP-1, was the first really usable mirrorless camera I've owned; and, more importantly, it made photography fun for me again, primarily due to its wonderful analog controls, that were very intuitive for me after 40+ years of using film SLR's. It was however, a very quirky camera and focus was painfully slow.

Moving through the Fuji line over time from the XP-1, to the XT-1 and now the XT-2 has done nothing to diminish this enjoyment - the XT-2 is by far the best of the lot - pretty much ideal for much of what I do. Given the great Fuji glass, I could live with it as my only camera, but fortunately I don't have to do that.

The XT-2 does not, however, have a full frame 42MP sensor; nor can you carry it around in a shirt pocket - thus the two Sonys.

I learned from using the dense, counter-intuitive, difficult to access, menu-driven Sony controls just how enjoyable the Fuji really is to use. Over time, I climbed the steep Sony learning curve and have become reasonably competent with the Sony controls, but that's doesn't mean I like them.

Greg

--
Check out my photos at: https://www.flickr.com/gp/137747053@N07/4M38jj

I have that same general desire and have almost pulled the trigger on the latest X100 about a dozen times. But instead, I just throw my XT-2 around my neck with the 23 F2 when I would otherwise use a pocket camera.

But I am always thinking about doing it. But I love my XT-2 and stable of lenses, so I put it off.....

I use the X-T2 paired with the 50-140 or 100-400 lens almost elusively for shooting sports (high school baseball and football), wildlife photography and some video. The X-T20 paired with the 18-55 lens is my primary video rig, I also shoot most of my landscapes with the X-T20/18-55. The X100F is my carry-everywhere camera.

Greg7579 said:

I have that same general desire and have almost pulled the trigger on the latest X100 about a dozen times. But instead, I just throw my XT-2 around my neck with the 23 F2 when I would otherwise use a pocket camera.

But I am always thinking about doing it. But I love my XT-2 and stable of lenses, so I put it off.....

--
Greg Johnson, San Antonio, Texas
https://www.flickr.com/photos/139148982@N02/albums

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No doubt the XT-2 and Fuji glass makes for a very useful system - capable of just about anything EXCEPT stuffing into a shirt pocket. There are times when the choice is to carry a tiny camera or none at all. I opted for the RX100V. It isn't perfect, especially the controls, but for its size it is very good.

These are all shots from that little gem - none of which would have been gotten with the XT-2 because I couldn't carry a big camera on those days. IQ isn't as good as the XT-2 or the RX1r II, but it's a whole lot better than nothing:















--
Check out my photos at: https://www.flickr.com/gp/137747053@N07/4M38jj

Still on an X-T1 as my "larger" camera but love my X-E1 with a 27 mm pancake lens. So much I sold my X-100. I have now bought an X-T20 thinking it will replace the X-E1. We shall see.

Other than that I use my iPhone 7, soon to be iPhone 8.

My XT20 is my XT2 i.e., main camera

My 2nd camera is the X100F

I thought I could live with the XP2 for its OVF but I couldn't so bought the X100F instead

I'm not disappointed

It 's now going with me everywhere, especially for street coverage

I wish the LCD is flippy and WR but alas I guess one cannot have one's cake and eat it too?

Thanks for all the replies, I also checked out the photo galleries. It's really interesting to read your experience, and your reasoning. I find it very helpful!

If anybody else wants to share what camera do you use in parallel to the Fuji X-T2, please write a comment.

The updated list of second cameras being used next to the Fuji X-T2:

1. Fuji X100T
2. Fuji X100F
3. Fuji X100F + Fuji X-T20/18-55
4. Fuji X-M1+XF27mm
5. Fuji X-E1+XF27mm
6. Fuji X-E3 (waiting for it)
7. Fuji XT2+Grip+50-140 + Fuji-XT2+Grip+16-55 + Fuji XPro2+Metal Grip+XF23
8. Fuji X-100T, Fuji X-M1, Fuji X-10
9. Panasonic LX7
10. Samsung EX2 (main camera)
11. Leica Q (main camera) + Fuji XT2 used only 10% of the time + Olympus TG4 (5% of time)
12. Sony RX1r II + Sony RX100V
13. Olympus OMD EM-10 + 14-42IIR kit-lens + 9-18mm UWA (main camera)

What seems to emerge is that many of you:

1. chose a Fuji camera to be the second camera,
2. has actually not two, but three, four cameras in use in parallel
3. image quality was important for the second camera
4. some second cameras are similar size, just different purpose
5. for some people the XT2 is actually the less used "second" camera

iPhone SE - used with a running belt - perfect for when even a compact camera is too heavy and cumbersome

olee22 said:

I've been using the Fuji XT-2 for more than a year now, and I had the Fuji XT-1 for a year before. I have three prime lenses (as in my signature), plus the KIT zoom (which I never use). In practice, in the end I only use the XF 56/1.2 and the XF 16mm/1,4 primes, and I almost never use the XF18-55 and the XF23/2.

What I found that often I don't bring the camera with my, because it's still too big, only something smaller would travel with me. Sometimes I take it with me with the zoom, or with the 23/2, but then it's not small enough to fit into my mesenger bag or jack pocket, so then I already take the bigger primes with me. So, I figured, I would need an "all the time with me camera" for my messenger bag, or when I go for a casual cycling trip, or I just go to fetch the groceries. I decided that cost can be anything up to 1000 EUR/USD, of course the lower the cost the better, but if that's the only reason then actually wait a bit and rather save up over time.

I had the following thoughts:

1. Choose a Fuji camera that is small, and uses the same battery.

2. Anything small that delivers super picture quality (either compact, zoom, or fixed lens).

I have read tons of tests of enthusiast compacts , the camera buying guides on The Wirecutter, but apparently I have the "Paradox of choice" sickness - too many options.

So, I thought to help myself and make the list shorter, I would only consider cameras that actual Fuji XT-2 users have ax a second camera, and pick one from that list.

What do you use as a second camera for the Fuji XT-2?

I would be happy for some real world advice, from people who have the Fuji XT-2, and have a second camera, and how they like it or not.

• What camera do you use next to the Fuji XT-2?
• What was your reasoning to choose it?
• Any learning from your experience using the two cameras in parallel?

If you don't have a Fuji XT-2, or if you don't have a second camera, I'm less interested in your advice, because I would just end up again in the paradox of choice. I just want some real world examples from people who have this experience.

Thanks a lot!

Oliver

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Ricoh GR I chose it because it is tough pocketable and has an APSC sensor and a great prime lens I had it before my Fuji XT1 but I will never part with it.

I tend to think of my XPro2 when fitted with my 23/2 as a second camera to my X-T2.

Although a fine camera in its own right, capable of sharing all lenses and batteries (and therefore able to step in to full backup role), it's that compact and weatherproof combo with the small 23/2 that goes into my rain-jacket pocket when I'm not sure that I'll need a camera.

I've occasionally thought of adding an X100T or F to the line up, but there doesn't seem any point with such a killing spec in the XPro2 (and I do really value the weatherproof aspect living right on the coast and often catching dramatic weather that pops up from nowhere!).

Other than that, I value the dual lens camera on my iPhone 7 Plus. It's always with me, is capable of producing fine-enough quality for web and small prints, has excellent video and has a range of powerful editing apps. Seeing magazine covers and even whole articles in Nat Geo being taken entirely on iPhones rather proves the point. (I'm sure there are other phones just as capable; I only know the Apple ones!)

RX100IV which I had before I bought the XT2 (as a replacement for the a6300). Is unused most of the time, for snaps I tend to use my iphone 6s more and more, considering to sell it.