My 2022 toy budget is in. How should I spend it?

John Gellings wrote:

nonicks wrote:

I have just learned my toy budget for the fist half of 2022. I can spend up to 3500 on photography gear (or any other toys). If you were me, What will you buy?

I currently use two X-pro3 Dura Black bodies, XF 14/2.8, 18/2, 23/1.4, 35 1.4 and Viltrox 56/1.4

Ok, well you are all set here... so;

I figured a few options I am entertainng:

1. Sell the 18/2. 23/1.4 and 35/1.4 and Upgrade to the newer, better, bigger f/1.4 trio + get a X100V for everyday carry

Nope

2. Get a full Frame camera and a lens ( Sony A7IV and 35G). I may need to add a little money for this option.

Could be, but will you use it instead of the best camera ever made i.e. the X-Pro3? Been there and done that and keep going back to the X-Pro.

3. Get a used Leica M240 and a nice voigtlander 35mm M mount lens such as 35/1.7 Ultron or the Voigtlander AOP 35mm

Yes, this is a cool option...

4. Buy a summicron 35mm and add a little money to get the X-M adaptor

Nope... not as fun as a real RF.

5. Add some money myself and buy used summicron 35 and 50 ( used market price is about 4700 for the two lenses. ) + an X-M adaptor

No

6. Add some money and get a Leica Q

Could be...but is 28mm your favorite focal length?

I am open to ideas, feel free to make any suggestion... and have fun spending my budget here.

Used Fujifilm GFX-50R with a 50mm 3.5

Thanks for the comments! Yeah, the first option may sound less attractive on its face value as all the Fuji XF lenses I have are just so perfectly matching and working with the Xpro3 and its sensor.

However that option will max the image quality of what fuji can offer and it will prepare myself for future body upgrades assuming all newer bodies in the futures will have new sensors with high MP.

That is why it is my first choice. But of course, If I don't upgrade, it really don't matter.

The second option ( Sony) is because I always want to experience how good the SONY technology is. Their SOOC color vastly improved in the latest models. And the 35GM is a beautiful glass TBH. And I found SONY latest FF bodies are pretty compact and light and the ergonomic is somewhat better than most Fuji's DSLR style bodies such as XT3, XT4 and XT2. But you asked the right question. How much I would use it? I dont know at this point. But it seems a good compromise between weight, AF, technology, speed, IQ, sensor size and cost.

The third option is for soothing my Leica Itch. LOL It is a cool option. I know But I won't have enough budget to get a summicron 35mm which I alway want to have on a Leica RF. Voigtlander ultron is a good lens but it is not summicron..

Yeah, you are right, the fly by wire MF on Fuji is not the best MF experience. It might be a waste of the lenses too as those lenses are optimized for Leica bodies.

The last option was actually Leica Q2. I like 28mm as I bring 18mm+ XPro3 with me almost equally often as the 23mm + xpro3. I am totally okay to live with 28mm. And the Leica Q2 can crop to 35mm. But this option requires the highest additional fund.

Thanks for suggesting the 50R. I thought about that too but I am not sure why but I am not a fan of fuji's 50R or MF in general. Just not clicking with it. The shooting experience is not what I would find very inspiring ( I believe) or I am not sure if it has any big difference comparing to shooting with Xpro3 using EVF. The heavy chunky RF style body of the 50R really turned me off I guess.