Worrying Trends with Fuji's current direction, and time to bail. Locked

I waited patiently for time to develop and show Fuji's latest XF models and the direction that they would take, and unfortunately, I've found a few worrying trends. I'm shooting more and more paid events on weekends, and it is quite a competitive genre. In other words, you have to have the best gear suited to the job, in order to pull off the images. My X-T3 has been great over the years, and I have written many blogs and stories on here attesting to that.  However, I've found that my images really lacked in dynamic range at high ISO.  Anything over ISO 1000 or so (if the exposure wasn't perfect), and shadows had to be pulled up - the image would often turn to custard. Twelve months ago, I tried a FF system and shot it alongside my Fuji.  I got much better results, so I have ordered a second FF body and Z24mm 1.8 lens. I'm certainly not here to bag out Fuji, because I've shot exclusively with them for over 11 yrs, and have many gorgeous images on my website.  I'm actually quite sad that I have had to move away to a different camera manufacturer.

The several trends that worry me?  One - with each successive X generation sensor, something slightly changed in the image quality - they kind of lost that first magic 'secret sauce' look. I've kept my original X-100s (it's nearly 10 yrs old now), and the images from that are just gorgeous. Nothing that I can replicate on my X-T3, comes close. I feel stepping up to a new X-H2, will not improve this problem at all (if going by the last 4 generations of sensors).  Secondly - I see both of these variants ( the H and Hs) have large sensors - they have forgotten about the street/event/sport shooter who does not want their computer bogged down with huge files.

Twenty six megapixels is the 'Goldilocks' zone for me, but they have forgotten about us totally (I hear that the new X-T5 is also high MP).  Finally (and this was the clincher for me to bail out), that wretched selfie screen on both models. I have never ever turned video on for any of my cameras, so that screen is useless for the likes of me, who shoots 70% of my images from the hip. The new X-H2s body here in Australia is almost $4,000 - which is ridiculous for an APSC body. I just ordered a second Nikon mirrorless FF (Z6ii), and that is under 3K - a huge difference.  Also the files from the FF shot high ISO in low light are much better than Fuji's when shot at only ISO 1000.

I'm very sad that Fuji moved in the wrong direction for me - flip around screen, high price, X series sensors that lost their original bling, and still lacking in high ISO/dynamic range. I will still enjoy my 100s for family stuff and travelling light, but for all my paid work now, I've had to say goodbye to Fuji, and am selling off all my gear.

Sutto

philipsuttonphotography.com