Considering a change as a hobbyist after some self analysis

[Rmwk]

Hi everyone,

I’ve been reflecting on my photography over the past 6 years, and I’d appreciate some input and advice

Photography is a hobby for me—something I enjoy sharing with close friends and family (I like to print my work, though I’m running out of wall space). I’m not aiming to go pro nor do I honestly consider myself honestly good; it’s just something I do for fun.

I have been using a Fuji X-T4 for the last 4 years which has been a fantastic camera for me. But after some thinking and self analysis about “What I thought I would be interested in” vs “What I actually do”, and some frictions in my setup, I’m starting to wonder if switching systems (maybe to full-frame) might be the right next step.

I’d love some advice on options, as this is not honestly a G.A.S scenario, just the thoughts of a 40-something guy considering alternatives after some self-reflection.

Expectations VS actual use:

When I started to be more thoughtful about photography I expected to do a lot of landscape and nature , which are the types I tend to appreciate more. But as it turns out, 70-80% of my photography really falls under "travel", which (at least in my case) means a mix of landscape, architecture, wildlife, and portrait, but with one main difference: spontaneity. I take photos “while” I’m traveling, which means the flow of the travel tends to take priority, and there’s only so much I can stall myself (an others) to take a picture. It doesn’t mean I don’t go out of my way to take them or plan trips specifically for that since some of my friends also love photography, It is rather how many trips or times are specifically planning to take pictures vs. how many pictures I take while I am traveling.

All in all, while I do still enjoy that "slow and methodical" feel, the reality is that unless is a landscape trip, I often shoot in aperture priority with some exposure compensation—pretty straightforward, with more focus on being in the moment and capturing the moment. The kind of spontaneity than doesn’t make use of the stronger points of the fuji, with the autofocus shenanigans (specially at wildlife or in low light scenarios) sometimes fighting against you (although is not something precisely critical)

Let me share a couple of photos just for the sake of it

Those may not be great, but I like them, and enjoyed quite a lot taking them. Apologies for the lack of portraits but I’m not fond of sharing close one’s face’s though.

I also thought I would be way more interested in video, but after all this time, the reality is that … not really. I do find myself way more interested in wildlife than I expected though, which was a surprise.

What I expected to value more… but not really:

• OOC JPGs: I thought Fuji’s out-of-camera JPGs and film simulations would be awesome. And to be fair, they absolutely are, but after some review, almost all photos go through C1 (quick edits, mind you). I do use the film simulations as base (Provia, Velvia, Pro Neg. Std as base most of the time) with other very small adjustments, but RAW at the end of the day. This was quite the surprise for me as I don’t enjoy a complicated process that much, although it is probably because I can fix some of my own limitations in post though. (Side comment: I should really learn way more about post processing)
• Video: When I got the X-T4 I had the idea of getting a camera that was capable of image & video, to learn a bit more about it. Reality is, the interest in video didn’t really appear, and I find myself bothered by a flippy screen way more than I expected, to the point of probably not taking some photos I liked because “bah, I need to deal with it”.
• Old school dials: I really expected to use them way more than I do, and to a point, I appreciate a lot the tactile feel of having all available. But most often than not, as I said, the dials I really care about are the aperture ring and the exposure compensation, or replace aperture with shutter speed if required. ISO is pretty much always either autoISO(custom defined) or minimum. At the end of the day I use it as if was a PASM most of the time. You can’t beat the gorgeous look of the camera though.

What I actually value in retrospect:

• Depth of Field and Dynamic Range: From the bunch of lens I have, in my bag there’s always there, my 18-55 (hard to beat that convenience) and my 33mm 1.4f which I absolutely adore, and in fact the usual situation is “18-55 by default but change to the 33mm the moment I see a really good one”. The bokeh and sharpness of that less is absolutely fantastic. Again that doesn’t quite match my initial expectation of “all I need is sharpness and f8”. All I’ll say about DR is that I’m low light way more than initially expected.
• Autofocus Confidence: I’d love a more reliable AF system to capture spontaneous moments, whether people or wildlife. Is not that I can’t make it work or is a huge pain point, but sometimes it feels like swimming against the current. This isn’t essential for me as a hobbyist (is not like I’m getting paid for this), but having the confidence to get those “in-the-moment” shots would be a very nice plus. I think I’ve held back from shooting certain moments because of this.
• Compactness and Weight: The X-T4 is near the upper limit of what I want to carry around all day, especially for travel. If I do switch systems, being able to keep things somewhat compact and lightweight would be. Not sure about the compactness of FF lenses, but seems there are more options that I initially expected. There’s wiggle room of course, but is something I want to keep in mind.
• IBIS: Not relying on a tripod is something I’ve come to really appreciate, and IBIS has been a huge help. I’d hate to lose that if I switched systems.
  Viewfinder Use: I use the viewfinder 80-90% of the time, it is plainly personal preference as I just enjoy the feel way more than the screen, so I’m not sure if a camera without a good one would be a good fit unless it really checks a lot of boxes. This might be a personal quirk, but it adds a lot to my enjoyment.

So, what should I consider?

I honestly would love some suggestions here. This is a Fuji forum so there is bias to be expected, but I also guess this is a familiar situation for other people with this system.

Should I go full frame, and if so, which cameras/systems would suit me best? Would upgrading to the xt5 be the best balance? Should I do nothing as I’m in a better good sweet spot than I feel?

The only options I’m not really considering is M43 after trying it a bit (friend lent me his Olympus) the size and weight are fantastic, but I’m not really convinced by the sensor size and image feel from it.

I intent to rent and test out some alternatives if you have some. My budget is not really set in stone, but probably spending more than 2500€ in a body+lens is not the wisest financial choice for just a hobby (although I could be persuaded if worth it enough)

Thank you all for your time and thoughts

 

[Battery_Kinzie]

Interesting OP and thread. I would say I'm similar to you in terms of use cases for a camera, but from looking at your photos, you are much better than me!

Anyway, I flirted with the idea of going FF for a while, but decided against it due to size and cost. In the end I got a Fuji X-S20, and I'm happy with it. It seems like because it has good video capabilities, people perhaps write it off as not for photographers, but I don't see that as being the case. I pretty much only take photos, and it is perfect for that - compact enough, enough dials to be able to work effectively, but still PASM (which I am more used to).

Having said that, if you have a proper itch for trying FF (or something different in general) that you can't just 'think' away, then I would rent a system for a weekend and see how you get on. I did similar when I was wondering if I wanted an X100V - I rented it for the weekend, kinda presuming it would scratch the itch and I could move on, but in the end I really enjoyed it, saw that it would have its uses for me, and bought myself one.

 

[steve1300]

Hi
I’ve been chopping and changing gear recently thinking I will find a better/smaller/ better focusing camera than my XT-5 but as yet haven’t found one.

Recently I bought a Sony RX1R full frame as a small everyday carry, found the image quality is great, the size is great but is it any better than my XT-5…..no and I’ve now got a new found respect and admiration for my Fuji, it really is a great all round camera, I’ve never had a problem with the focusing (no fast moving objects), weight is comfortable and with a 27mm pancake or 35mm on is really not a big camera.

So for me the XT-5 is a great all rounder and won’t be going anywhere soon. I wish you luck with your search.

 

[jhorse]

XT-5….. weight is comfortable and with a 27mm pancake or 35mm on is really not a big camera.

Yup, I took my XT5 with the 27MkII (plus a 16/f2.8) to Vienna last December for the Christmas lights and festivities and that combo was just the job. Fitted into a small, non-photo, discreet canvas bag.

So for me the XT-5 is a great all rounder and won’t be going anywhere soon. I wish you luck with your search.

Agreed.

 

[Rmwk]

Battery_kinzie:

Interesting OP and thread. I would say I'm similar to you in terms of use cases for a camera, but from looking at your photos, you are much better than me!

Having said that, if you have a proper itch for trying FF (or something different in general) that you can't just 'think' away, then I would rent a system for a weekend and see how you get on. I did similar when I was wondering if I wanted an X100V - I rented it for the weekend, kinda presuming it would scratch the itch and I could move on, but in the end I really enjoyed it, saw that it would have its uses for me, and bought myself one.

That was very kind from you!

Renting an alternative system is probably a good idea. Is not really about a FF itch though, but how good of a fit fuji may be for me right now.

Sunk cost fallacy is something I keep in mind a lot, and while I have no pressure to optimize anything (my job doesn't depend on this), the reason to use fuji over other system should not be "I already have glass, so I may as well".

steve1300:

Hi
I’ve been chopping and changing gear recently thinking I will find a better/smaller/ better focusing camera than my XT-5 but as yet haven’t found one.

Recently I bought a Sony RX1R full frame as a small everyday carry, found the image quality is great, the size is great but is it any better than my XT-5…..no and I’ve now got a new found respect and admiration for my Fuji, it really is a great all round camera, I’ve never had a problem with the focusing (no fast moving objects), weight is comfortable and with a 27mm pancake or 35mm on is really not a big camera.

So for me the XT-5 is a great all rounder and won’t be going anywhere soon. I wish you luck with your search.

X-T5 upgrade seems to be the wisest idea (after lens), it seems as you said a great all rounder. Jack of all trades (and master of none), as they say.

From the fuji line what I'm wondering is if the X-H2s isn't a better fit though, but then you have the issue of weight and size.

jhorse:

Yup, I took my XT5 with the 27MkII (plus a 16/f2.8) to Vienna last December for the Christmas lights and festivities and that combo was just the job. Fitted into a small, non-photo, discreet canvas bag.

So for me the XT-5 is a great all rounder and won’t be going anywhere soon. I wish you luck with your search.

Agreed.

I've been keeping an eye out for the 27MkII for a while now but I had no luck as of yet :/

 

[Rakosky]

• KariP wrote:

Hi everyone,

I’ve been reflecting on my photography over the past 6 years, and I’d appreciate some input and advice

Photography is a hobby for me—something I enjoy sharing with close friends and family (I like to print my work, though I’m running out of wall space). I’m not aiming to go pro nor do I honestly consider myself honestly good; it’s just something I do for fun.

I have been using a Fuji X-T4 for the last 4 years which has been a fantastic camera for me. But after some thinking and self analysis about “What I thought I would be interested in” vs “What I actually do”, and some frictions in my setup, I’m starting to wonder if switching systems (maybe to full-frame) might be the right next step.

I’d love some advice on options, as this is not honestly a G.A.S scenario, just the thoughts of a 40-something guy considering alternatives after some self-reflection.

Expectations VS actual use:

When I started to be more thoughtful about photography I expected to do a lot of landscape and nature , which are the types I tend to appreciate more. But as it turns out, 70-80% of my photography really falls under "travel", which (at least in my case) means a mix of landscape, architecture, wildlife, and portrait, but with one main difference: spontaneity. I take photos “while” I’m traveling, which means the flow of the travel tends to take priority, and there’s only so much I can stall myself (an others) to take a picture. It doesn’t mean I don’t go out of my way to take them or plan trips specifically for that since some of my friends also love photography, It is rather how many trips or times are specifically planning to take pictures vs. how many pictures I take while I am traveling.

All in all, while I do still enjoy that "slow and methodical" feel, the reality is that unless is a landscape trip, I often shoot in aperture priority with some exposure compensation—pretty straightforward, with more focus on being in the moment and capturing the moment. The kind of spontaneity than doesn’t make use of the stronger points of the fuji, with the autofocus shenanigans (specially at wildlife or in low light scenarios) sometimes fighting against you (although is not something precisely critical)

Let me share a couple of photos just for the sake of it

Those may not be great, but I like them, and enjoyed quite a lot taking them. Apologies for the lack of portraits but I’m not fond of sharing close one’s face’s though.

I also thought I would be way more interested in video, but after all this time, the reality is that … not really. I do find myself way more interested in wildlife than I expected though, which was a surprise.

What I expected to value more… but not really:

• OOC JPGs: I thought Fuji’s out-of-camera JPGs and film simulations would be awesome. And to be fair, they absolutely are, but after some review, almost all photos go through C1 (quick edits, mind you). I do use the film simulations as base (Provia, Velvia, Pro Neg. Std as base most of the time) with other very small adjustments, but RAW at the end of the day. This was quite the surprise for me as I don’t enjoy a complicated process that much, although it is probably because I can fix some of my own limitations in post though. (Side comment: I should really learn way more about post processing)
• Video: When I got the X-T4 I had the idea of getting a camera that was capable of image & video, to learn a bit more about it. Reality is, the interest in video didn’t really appear, and I find myself bothered by a flippy screen way more than I expected, to the point of probably not taking some photos I liked because “bah, I need to deal with it”.
• Old school dials: I really expected to use them way more than I do, and to a point, I appreciate a lot the tactile feel of having all available. But most often than not, as I said, the dials I really care about are the aperture ring and the exposure compensation, or replace aperture with shutter speed if required. ISO is pretty much always either autoISO(custom defined) or minimum. At the end of the day I use it as if was a PASM most of the time. You can’t beat the gorgeous look of the camera though.

What I actually value in retrospect:

• Depth of Field and Dynamic Range: From the bunch of lens I have, in my bag there’s always there, my 18-55 (hard to beat that convenience) and my 33mm 1.4f which I absolutely adore, and in fact the usual situation is “18-55 by default but change to the 33mm the moment I see a really good one”. The bokeh and sharpness of that less is absolutely fantastic. Again that doesn’t quite match my initial expectation of “all I need is sharpness and f8”. All I’ll say about DR is that I’m low light way more than initially expected.
• Autofocus Confidence: I’d love a more reliable AF system to capture spontaneous moments, whether people or wildlife. Is not that I can’t make it work or is a huge pain point, but sometimes it feels like swimming against the current. This isn’t essential for me as a hobbyist (is not like I’m getting paid for this), but having the confidence to get those “in-the-moment” shots would be a very nice plus. I think I’ve held back from shooting certain moments because of this.
• Compactness and Weight: The X-T4 is near the upper limit of what I want to carry around all day, especially for travel. If I do switch systems, being able to keep things somewhat compact and lightweight would be. Not sure about the compactness of FF lenses, but seems there are more options that I initially expected. There’s wiggle room of course, but is something I want to keep in mind.
• IBIS: Not relying on a tripod is something I’ve come to really appreciate, and IBIS has been a huge help. I’d hate to lose that if I switched systems.
  Viewfinder Use: I use the viewfinder 80-90% of the time, it is plainly personal preference as I just enjoy the feel way more than the screen, so I’m not sure if a camera without a good one would be a good fit unless it really checks a lot of boxes. This might be a personal quirk, but it adds a lot to my enjoyment.

So, what should I consider?

I honestly would love some suggestions here. This is a Fuji forum so there is bias to be expected, but I also guess this is a familiar situation for other people with this system.

Should I go full frame, and if so, which cameras/systems would suit me best? Would upgrading to the xt5 be the best balance? Should I do nothing as I’m in a better good sweet spot than I feel?

The only options I’m not really considering is M43 after trying it a bit (friend lent me his Olympus) the size and weight are fantastic, but I’m not really convinced by the sensor size and image feel from it.

I intent to rent and test out some alternatives if you have some. My budget is not really set in stone, but probably spending more than 2500€ in a body+lens is not the wisest financial choice for just a hobby (although I could be persuaded if worth it enough)

Thank you all for your time and thoughts

Buying a new FF camera does not make wonders happen...

It can just be a time for a new attitude ;-) Perhaps it is not just the gear, but the thing 12cm behind the viewfinder . That is usually the problem. I recommend reading some book by Guy Tal - for example " Be extraordinary" . After that you can meditate the gear dilemma.

Cameras are different and camera brands have their own philosophy of the logic of the user interface. This is just my brains, but ... Canon cameras have a better menu system and a well planned user interface with suitable amount of buttons and dials. Fuji has an own style, but lately I have found out that I use Canon cameras in a really different way. More natural to me. Fujifilm looks like more traditional with controls that are more like from a traditional mechanical camera - but Fujifilm cameras ( I have X-E3 and X-H1) are great cameras in many ways , but not so fast tools.

A FF camera vs APS C is a useless dilemma. Do you print big ? or do you show your images in some net site? Big sensor has not so much meaning if you do not print big images.

I personally use Canon FF gear and I have some lenses ( Canon lenses are better)

At the moment the size of XH1 irritates me - weight and size are in the same class with R-5 !

E3. does not have IBIS , but it is almost pocketable and with 18-55 OIS it works in rather low light. It was a great traveling companion ... Perhaps a E5 with IBIS and a better LCD is published some day. I bought my first Fuji ILC because it was small ...

I have once tried a Sony camera, but the menu-system and user interface are IMO rather incomprehensible ( my brains...)

Anyway ! perhaps you should rent a Canon R6 with a 24-105 and spend some time with it.

The big difference between aps-c and ff is the DR. If you make post production Fuji becomes kinda pointless because what you can do with FF you’ll never do with an aps-c. I have both and although you could see no difference with raw files, in pp is another story.

 

[MarcosV]

Thanks for putting together such a thoughtful self-analysis/reflection. Love the way you laid out your thoughts. I will earmark your post as reference for times when i want to do the same.

I also love the shots you shared.

If the X-T4 and something like the kit lens is the upper limit on what you want to carry, I definitely can see why you want to consider M43. My problem with M43 is the perceived lack of technical advancement. I still don't have confidence newer sensor tech will come out and then be made available across the lower models.

If I was a videographer, I can definitely see going M43.

So I would definitely rent M43. Personally i would go with the flagship OM or Panasonic models and put a good f/2.8 standard zoom and one or two fast primes and take them on a two week vacation and see what you think. If you get any issues with noise, a little bit of work in C1 will take care of it.

Going 35mm "full frame" definitely does open up possibilities for better performing AF and lens selection. But, you get the familiar story: Sony makes light weight camera bodies; but, then you got issues finding small/lightweight fast lens. Especially if you want telephoto.

When I find myself strongly considering going back to FF and leave Fujifilm behind, I think about how heavy my camera body will get. So if I did make the jump, I'll still be looking at a small/light travel setup to complement it. I would also think about the expense of getting the lens i would want to enjoy using with the FF setup and that price tag will get high enough that I would start to wonder if I am better off keeping my Fuji-X stuff and getting Fujifilm MF gear instead...

Anyway we aren't getting any younger. If you can truly handle the size/weight of FF gear again, better enjoy using such gear now before you get too old and are forced to get really light.

 

[Boris_The_Spider]

What I expected to value more… but not really:

• OOC JPGs: I thought Fuji’s out-of-camera JPGs and film simulations would be awesome. And to be fair, they absolutely are, but after some review, almost all photos go through C1 (quick edits, mind you). I do use the film simulations as base (Provia, Velvia, Pro Neg. Std as base most of the time) with other very small adjustments, but RAW at the end of the day. This was quite the surprise for me as I don’t enjoy a complicated process that much, although it is probably because I can fix some of my own limitations in post though. (Side comment: I should really learn way more about post processing)
• Video: When I got the X-T4 I had the idea of getting a camera that was capable of image & video, to learn a bit more about it. Reality is, the interest in video didn’t really appear, and I find myself bothered by a flippy screen way more than I expected, to the point of probably not taking some photos I liked because “bah, I need to deal with it”.
• Old school dials: I really expected to use them way more than I do, and to a point, I appreciate a lot the tactile feel of having all available. But most often than not, as I said, the dials I really care about are the aperture ring and the exposure compensation, or replace aperture with shutter speed if required. ISO is pretty much always either autoISO(custom defined) or minimum. At the end of the day I use it as if was a PASM most of the time. You can’t beat the gorgeous look of the camera though.

What I actually value in retrospect:

• Depth of Field and Dynamic Range: From the bunch of lens I have, in my bag there’s always there, my 18-55 (hard to beat that convenience) and my 33mm 1.4f which I absolutely adore, and in fact the usual situation is “18-55 by default but change to the 33mm the moment I see a really good one”. The bokeh and sharpness of that less is absolutely fantastic. Again that doesn’t quite match my initial expectation of “all I need is sharpness and f8”. All I’ll say about DR is that I’m low light way more than initially expected.
• Autofocus Confidence: I’d love a more reliable AF system to capture spontaneous moments, whether people or wildlife. Is not that I can’t make it work or is a huge pain point, but sometimes it feels like swimming against the current. This isn’t essential for me as a hobbyist (is not like I’m getting paid for this), but having the confidence to get those “in-the-moment” shots would be a very nice plus. I think I’ve held back from shooting certain moments because of this.
• Compactness and Weight: The X-T4 is near the upper limit of what I want to carry around all day, especially for travel. If I do switch systems, being able to keep things somewhat compact and lightweight would be. Not sure about the compactness of FF lenses, but seems there are more options that I initially expected. There’s wiggle room of course, but is something I want to keep in mind.
• IBIS: Not relying on a tripod is something I’ve come to really appreciate, and IBIS has been a huge help. I’d hate to lose that if I switched systems.
  Viewfinder Use: I use the viewfinder 80-90% of the time, it is plainly personal preference as I just enjoy the feel way more than the screen, so I’m not sure if a camera without a good one would be a good fit unless it really checks a lot of boxes. This might be a personal quirk, but it adds a lot to my enjoyment.

So, what should I consider?

I honestly would love some suggestions here. This is a Fuji forum so there is bias to be expected, but I also guess this is a familiar situation for other people with this system.

Should I go full frame, and if so, which cameras/systems would suit me best? Would upgrading to the xt5 be the best balance? Should I do nothing as I’m in a better good sweet spot than I feel?

The only options I’m not really considering is M43 after trying it a bit (friend lent me his Olympus) the size and weight are fantastic, but I’m not really convinced by the sensor size and image feel from it.

I intent to rent and test out some alternatives if you have some. My budget is not really set in stone, but probably spending more than 2500€ in a body+lens is not the wisest financial choice for just a hobby (although I could be persuaded if worth it enough)

Thank you all for your time and thoughts

Just a quick note from me. I use both a Canon R5 and L glass as well as an X-T5 with the 16-80 and the 27mm pancake.

Full frame will be bigger in general. I'm not sure of the other brands but the R5 is considerably larger than the X-T5 and the Canon fast glass is massive. It's also vastly more expensive. If I'm photographing with a purpose i.e. on my own, lots of time, specific intention then I reach for the Canon. If I'm going out just to shoot and have fun then I take the Fuji.

I think if I were in your position I would hang tight for a little while and enjoy the gear you have and then re-evaluate when the next series is released. Both the X-T5 and X-H2 are around two years old now and are likely in the running for a refresh in the next year or so.

Good luck with your decision

 

[Heinz]

Hi,

Best advice is to try it, really. Rent or buy a used ff that you can sell again with no loss. The truth is you can go fullframe nowadays with no additional costs if you buy used or use third party lenses. I had fullframe and IQ is a tad better, but more than good enough with aps imo. Yes (shallow) DOF is "better", but if you're after that you have to use the expensive and heavy 1.4 primes on ff, because with the the cheaper 1.8 primes you're not much ahead from APS and 1.4 primes. Since there are many affordable 1.4 or even 1.2 primes now for aps this isn't so much a problem anymore imo. Of course one can argue the other way round on ff i can achieve the same with a cheapo 1.8 prime as with an expensive 1.2 on aps

But yes, AF IS an issue with Fuji. I really wonder why people still deny it, its user error blah blah. There are regulary long threads about AF problems here. I use Fuji since 10 years now and honestly i I've been annoyed by the AF for 10 years. I have to check EVERY shot for focus. I just don't trust the af. If there is one reason to switch, for me it would be the AF. But otherwise Fuji ia great. You say you edit the files anyway. I do both i use ooc and i edit. Even if you edit, with the film sims you have a great starting point which helps to get the desired look much faster.

--
Heinz
http://flickr.com/photos/55025133@N02
http://500px.com/hejakma

 

[Rmwk]

MarcosV:

Thanks for putting together such a thoughtful self-analysis/reflection. Love the way you laid out your thoughts. I will earmark your post as reference for times when i want to do the same.

I also love the shots you shared.

If the X-T4 and something like the kit lens is the upper limit on what you want to carry, I definitely can see why you want to consider M43. My problem with M43 is the perceived lack of technical advancement. I still don't have confidence newer sensor tech will come out and then be made available across the lower models.

[...]

When I find myself strongly considering going back to FF and leave Fujifilm behind, I think about how heavy my camera body will get. So if I did make the jump, I'll still be looking at a small/light travel setup to complement it. I would also think about the expense of getting the lens i would want to enjoy using with the FF setup and that price tag will get high enough that I would start to wonder if I am better off keeping my Fuji-X stuff and getting Fujifilm MF gear instead...

Anyway we aren't getting any younger. If you can truly handle the size/weight of FF gear again, better enjoy using such gear now before you get too old and are forced to get really light.

Thanks a lot for your comment.

I have tried an olympus a friend lent me for a while. The size and weight of the system is pretty fantastic, but I admit it didn't click with me, and the images (compared with my fuji) felt a bit of a downgrade. Seems M43 (at least right now) is not for me.

The point about the system becoming too heavy is indeed something I do keep in mind, as APSC seem a good sweet spot as a lot of other commenters have pointed out. I could carry a FF system no problem, but when I say that the XT4 is close to the upper limit I'm thinking about myself evaluating if "should I bring the camera or...nah". I know myself, thus, I debate between the gains vs cost for me.

Boris_the_spider:

Just a quick note from me. I use both a Canon R5 and L glass as well as an X-T5 with the 16-80 and the 27mm pancake.

Full frame will be bigger in general. I'm not sure of the other brands but the R5 is considerably larger than the X-T5 and the Canon fast glass is massive. It's also vastly more expensive. If I'm photographing with a purpose i.e. on my own, lots of time, specific intention then I reach for the Canon. If I'm going out just to shoot and have fun then I take the Fuji.

I think if I were in your position I would hang tight for a little while and enjoy the gear you have and then re-evaluate when the next series is released. Both the X-T5 and X-H2 are around two years old now and are likely in the running for a refresh in the next year or so.

Good luck with your decision

A friend is a canon man and has a pretty complete collection of canon glass (RF and EF with adapters). It really seems a tad big, not nikon levels of big, but big. Given the lens I have been checking out, the only FF alternative I could realistically consider is Sony.

I'm not sure a XT refresh will happen that soon. I'll probably test the XT5 to see if the improvements match what I seem to miss (at least, a bit) and if that's enought, that would be it. The XH2s would be the next steps, and if that doesn't click... well, I'll rent some FF gear.

Thanks a lot Boris

Heinz:

Hi,

Best advice is to try it, really. Rent or buy a used ff that you can sell again with no loss. The truth is you can go fullframe nowadays with no additional costs if you buy used or use third party lenses. I had fullframe and IQ is a tad better, but more than good enough with aps imo. Yes (shallow) DOF is "better", but if you're after that you have to use the expensive and heavy 1.4 primes on ff, because with the the cheaper 1.8 primes you're not much ahead from APS and 1.4 primes. Since there are many affordable 1.4 or even 1.2 primes now for aps this isn't so much a problem anymore imo. Of course one can argue the other way round on ff i can achieve the same with a cheapo 1.8 prime as with an expensive 1.2 on aps

But yes, AF IS an issue with Fuji. I really wonder why people still deny it, its user error blah blah. There are regulary long threads about AF problems here. I use Fuji since 10 years now and honestly i I've been annoyed by the AF for 10 years. I have to check EVERY shot for focus. I just don't trust the af. If there is one reason to switch, for me it would be the AF. But otherwise Fuji ia great. You say you edit the files anyway. I do both i use ooc and i edit. Even if you edit, with the film sims you have a great starting point which helps to get the desired look much faster.

You make some important points there with the size of the "good" lenses (and above all , cost). Fuji lenses are not exactly cheap though.

The AF-S from Fuji seems quite alright, but the AF-C, in my experience, is what is an issue. Camera reports focus in the correct place, but the image doesn't show that. I really would appreciate more realiability on that front, because any fast moving target (or not so fast...) feels like a dice roll more often than not. Is not like that's the only photos I take, but that specific scenario bothers me a bit. Nothing critical, nothing you can't adapt to most of the time, but still, not exactly one of fuji's strengths apparently.

Thanks for your comment Heinz

 

[xtm]

There's nothing to change. Your photos look awesome as-is. I would use the money for plane tickets instead.

 

[MJ_Photo38]

Hi, I understand this is an old thread, but I apparently missed a few beats in this forum, so I missed it initially.

I have gone through a similar process in the last year and a half : my travel setup was a Fujifilm X-T2 + a couple of prime lenses (35mm f/2 and 25mm f/1.8), sometimes carrying around a 58mm manual focus lens.

I love the X-T2, but it's not always the most practical camera for travel. My "main" camera was an X-H1 which was the camera I used for events, sports, etc, the X-T2 being a great backup camera for it.

Those cameras were great, but I felt like I was missing a few things, so as I had a lot of Nikon DSLR lenses on the shelf, I sold the X-H1 and got myself a Nikon Z6.

The jump in performance was pretty huge, both from an autofocus / user interface point of view, and also when it comes to image quality. The higher dynamic range, much lower noise and overall higher flexibility really made the difference in my photography. I used it for travel photography as well, but I quickly felt limited by the size of the kit I had to carry around, even when I was only using small Z lenses like the 28mm f/2.8 or 40mm f/2.

So, last summer, I got an Olympus E-M5 mark II as my first micro four thirds camera, to use almost exclusively for travel photography. The sensor is more than good enough in my eyes (YMMV), and it really opened my eyes about camera footprint, and expecially the lenses you paid with it. I use almost exclusively small pancake lenses, and if the lenses are not "pancake", they're not bigger than a Fujicron lens (like the Oly 45mm f/1.8). This allowed me to considerably reduce the footprint, but also improve my versatility on the field.

few things that I've gathered from this :

- sensor performance was not that important for me, as most of the issues related to smaller sensors, I can deal with them in post. Again, this is down to personal preference.

- some features like flip out screens are extremely underrated for travel : when I used my X-T2 or Z6 for travel (which have tilt screens) I was always worried that I would damage my camera and scratch the screen, so I always took extra care of it, wasting time, money and precious bag space in camera cubes, camera slings etc to protect the camera. With my Oly E-M5ii, I just have to close the screen and I can throw it in my backpack without a second thought.

- in the same vein, weather sealing is important. Not only against rain and moist, but also against dust, especially if like me you throw your camera at the bottom of a bag.

- size and convinience will always be more important than camera performance. I'd rather have a $500 camera that I know I can abuse a little and allows me to take the shot, rather than a $3000 body that I will baby and will never whip out because it's too big, or too expensive to get out of the bag in a given setting (something that happened quite often with my Nikon).

- the selfie screen is not only practical to close it off and protect the screen, but it's also extremely handy for travel photos of the people you travel with, if you want to also be in the picture, or want to set up a group photo. It's simply more practical, and after years of travel albums where I'm the one holding the camera and therefore not appearing on the photos themselves... I end up with albums full of the people I've travelled with, but only a couple of images where I'm actually in them. And If the point is to document our life and keep memories, I think that including ourselves in those memories is important.

Other things I would have said, you already mentionned in your post (like the importancs of a good IBIS system to allow you to get rid of a tripod).

It seems you are intrested in smaller setups, with still a good performance, and this would point towards an A7C camera (either A7C or A7CII, A7CR is very expensive in my opinion). It has a fully articulating screen, and I don't know how much of a deal breaker this is for you.

I would love to see the A7RV's screen design on a compact body like the A7C series, but alas that doesn't exist yet.

You mentionned the X-T5, and this is indeed a great camera, however I have never used an X-Trans V cameras, and have no idea how better the autofocus is compared to your current X-T4. Just be aware that if you wanted better low light performance, the X-T5 will not provide that as it's relatively the same thing as the X-T4 in that regard.

Hope you'll find the right camera system for you !