Which X Body?

Which Fuji camera would be best for me? I need a small camera, but one that's made good, has controls and a fast lens (f2.8 or faster). The XE-3 and XE-4 with the 28mm f2.8 pancake seem to be options. The X100T and V seem like good options, too.

But what I'm really getting at is the age old adage that the best camera is the one you have with you. These days, that's usually my phone. But the problem is always the same. The camera that's small enough that it's always in my pocket never seems to be the camera I really want when it comes time to shoot. Not enough physical controls, slow lens, bad viewfinder, slow AF... Meanwhile the DSLR that does everything I want it to do and need it to do stays home in the kit bag.

The Ricoh GR cameras probably fit my needs closely. But they don't have ovf's or evf's. Just a screen. The newest one has lost it's flash and has poor battery life.

I want a  viewfinder I cant look through. I also would like a built in flash (although that's less important).

I like a center viewfinder and a few more controls, at the cost of some size, so I have an X-T10.  It's waiting for the new 27mm Mk2 pancake lens to become my new "second smallest Fuji".  If the combination works as well as I suspect it will, I may eventually upgrade to the X-T20.

My smallest Fuji will remain the X-M1 with the Mk1 pancake.  I have had the Little Monster for years, and can't imagine giving it up.  It fails on a lot of your criteria-- no EVF, minimal controls-- but it is, for some odd reason, an absolute pleasure to shoot, and of course it gives you those beautiful early generation Fuji jpegs.  And it is absolutely tiny.

The controls it does have (tilt screen, single control wheel, exposure compensation dial) are perfectly suited to street/walkaround/contemplative shooting in aperture priority, which is its purpose in my life.  It has a job and it does it  well.

Sounds like you want an X100V, great image quality, great build quality, it has a flash which can sync at high shutter speeds due to the leaf shutter, and it’s compact, but still great to shoot with. I find its fixed lens to be about as versatile as possible with a single focal length (35mm equiv.), but there are screw on wide and tele adapters (28 and 50mm equiv.) if you need a bit more range. The wide adapter is excellent and doesn’t noticeably degrade IQ. I have lots of Fuji gear, but the X100V is getting the most use these days, by far.

Mystique, easily.  Not sure about the cameras.

You still have an x-m1 today? Wonderfull.

I bought it secondhand long after it was discontinued.  One of the best purchases I ever made.

I've pre-ordered a X-E4 with 27mm F2.8 Mark II lens and a Fuji thumb rest.  I also ordered the EF-X8 flash, a tiny, battery-free hotshoe-mount flash because the X-E4 does not have a built-in flash.

Nothing you might buy will be entirely suitable.  There is always going to be one thing or another, or many things, that do not measure up to your needs.

I'm planning to work around the issues to satisfy myself with this camera.

I also have a X-T3: too big, too many knobs and buttons for me.  Takes good pictures though.

mmditter wrote:

Which Fuji camera would be best for me? I need a small camera, but one that's made good, has controls and a fast lens (f2.8 or faster). The XE-3 and XE-4 with the 28mm f2.8 pancake seem to be options. The X100T and V seem like good options, too.

But what I'm really getting at is the age old adage that the best camera is the one you have with you. These days, that's usually my phone. But the problem is always the same. The camera that's small enough that it's always in my pocket never seems to be the camera I really want when it comes time to shoot. Not enough physical controls, slow lens, bad viewfinder, slow AF... Meanwhile the DSLR that does everything I want it to do and need it to do stays home in the kit bag.

The Ricoh GR cameras probably fit my needs closely. But they don't have ovf's or evf's. Just a screen. The newest one has lost it's flash and has poor battery life.

I want a viewfinder I cant look through. I also would like a built in flash (although that's less important).

Best choice in your situation: X100V will fit your need if you have a bigger pocket.

Otherwise  XE3 plus the pancake also makes sense.

XE4 is nice ( its the most pocketable one)  but keep in mind that  it doesn't have built-in flash which is one of the features on your want list. It also has a little less customizable physical dial/ buttons and the arguably worst ergonomic comparing to X100V and XE3. But it should have the  fastest AF and the most film simulations.

X-E3 is a great choice with the 27mm f/2.8 . Just pieced this kit together for my 2nd E-3 body. This lens will stay fixed to it. Smoking little kit for sure.

mmditter wrote:

Which Fuji camera would be best for me? I need a small camera, but one that's made good, has controls and a fast lens (f2.8 or faster). The XE-3 and XE-4 with the 28mm f2.8 pancake seem to be options. The X100T and V seem like good options, too.

But what I'm really getting at is the age old adage that the best camera is the one you have with you. These days, that's usually my phone. But the problem is always the same. The camera that's small enough that it's always in my pocket never seems to be the camera I really want when it comes time to shoot. Not enough physical controls, slow lens, bad viewfinder, slow AF... Meanwhile the DSLR that does everything I want it to do and need it to do stays home in the kit bag.

The Ricoh GR cameras probably fit my needs closely. But they don't have ovf's or evf's. Just a screen. The newest one has lost it's flash and has poor battery life.

I want a viewfinder I cant look through. I also would like a built in flash (although that's less important).

To my knowledge the XE3/XE4 with 27mm and x100f/v are the smallest aps-c kits you can carry yet still have a built in EVF. Then the XT30. Canon had the M5 for awhile but think they killed off that line.

I think you're on the right track, any of these are pocketable in shorts or jackets, not jeans though...need to go ricoh or maybe xf10 for that.

Fuji X-S10 is the best bang for buck camera at $999,it does most things very well.

Thats with a lens on,ofcourse.

And how do you feel it compared with x-e1 or x-t10? Also thinking about it, could get it for about $200 in 16-50 kit.

mmditter wrote:

uniball wrote:

X100V and see how long your dslr lasts.

Hmmm... are you suggesting I might like an X100V a lot?

Well I like mine a lot...if it's in your budget then definitely give it a go...otherwise the xe3 with the 27mm f2.8 would be a much cheaper option.

jjz2 wrote:

mmditter wrote:

Which Fuji camera would be best for me? I need a small camera, but one that's made good, has controls and a fast lens (f2.8 or faster). The XE-3 and XE-4 with the 28mm f2.8 pancake seem to be options. The X100T and V seem like good options, too.

But what I'm really getting at is the age old adage that the best camera is the one you have with you. These days, that's usually my phone. But the problem is always the same. The camera that's small enough that it's always in my pocket never seems to be the camera I really want when it comes time to shoot. Not enough physical controls, slow lens, bad viewfinder, slow AF... Meanwhile the DSLR that does everything I want it to do and need it to do stays home in the kit bag.

The Ricoh GR cameras probably fit my needs closely. But they don't have ovf's or evf's. Just a screen. The newest one has lost it's flash and has poor battery life.

I want a viewfinder I cant look through. I also would like a built in flash (although that's less important).

To my knowledge the XE3/XE4 with 27mm and x100f/v are the smallest aps-c kits you can carry yet still have a built in EVF. Then the XT30. Canon had the M5 for awhile but think they killed off that line.

I think you're on the right track, any of these are pocketable in shorts or jackets, not jeans though...need to go ricoh or maybe xf10 for that.

My carry around everywhere all the time is the XF10. Used to be X70. WIsh Fuji would upgrade these. All Fujis have poor batteries but I always carry an extra one or two. For my interchangeable lens carry all, I refound my XA1 in a closet, which I got instead of the similar XM1 and really enjoying it again, as my XT10 bit the dust.

I don't think I would have an X-M1 at all if I wasn't going to use it with the 27mm mk1*.  It's the combination of camera and lens that makes the magic for me, not the camera by itself.   A larger lens would ruin the "how do you get excellent crop sensor jpegs out of such a tiny camera?" factor that is so much of the fun of the thing.

I have used it with my 35mm f/1.4 and gotten very good images out of it, but the ergonomics and shooting experience were definitely lacking and the images were no better than I get with the same lens on my X-T10.   That camera, with its viewfinder and more complete controls is a much better all around perfomer and an excellent match for any of the smaller "real" Fuji lenses with aperture rings,  My X-T10 was my Fuji main camera for several years before I got my X-T2 last summer.  I use it with the 35mm f/1.4 and the 60mm.

*I  also enjoy using the X-M1 with toy lenses.  I have the Fuji XM-FL body cap lens now, making the famous Fujimatic snapshot camera, and am thinking about adding both a pinhole lens and a Lensbaby Trio to my collection.