It’s been a long time coming, but I finally did it, I bought a new digital camera.
This is the Fujifilm X-Pro 2. I’ve actually gone and bought a camera older than my previous one, the Canon 5DMiv.
The X-Pro 2 was first released in March 2016 which makes it just over 5 years old.
It might seem unusual for me to buy a second-hand camera at this age to replace my newer 5D but I thought long and hard about this decision.
I hope by sharing this video it may help some of you who are thinking about buying a new camera sometime soon.
Just for some clarity, I bought the X-Pro and also the Fujinon 23mm f2 lens.
This would effectively make the focal length 35mm due to the crop factor of the APS-C sensor. This is the classic street photography set up and is why I bought this lens first.
I am looking to get some longer focal lengths in future, but that's further down the line.
I'll probably stick with prime lenses for the fuji, because um, the prime lenses, they just seem absolutely awesome.
So, here’s some of the reasons why I bought the X-Pro 2:
If you’ve been following the channel you’ll know that I started experimenting with film and that process has opened my mind to many unexplored photographic avenues.
It is the process itself that has seduced me though, slowing me down and allowing me more time to think about each image I make.
I think Fujifilm know this and design their cameras with it in mind.
The small size and light weight coupled with these gorgeous analogue style dials and timeless design gives me a feeling very similar to 35mm film cameras.
Fujifilm certainly know how to make you feel good while making a photograph.
I’ll start by saying the 5D is a great, great camera and I will no doubt still use it for various projects, but street photography is where my passion lies and the 5D just doesn’t cut it for street.
It is the largest and heaviest camera I have owned. You cannot blend in easily with this contraption, it makes people feel uncomfortable, it makes people think you’re a journalist,
it arouses suspicion to security guards, it makes people question you, not to mention the size and weight is extremely limiting.
The X-Pro 2 changes all this.
Another feature I should mention while we're on th.. [forgot about glasses]
Another feature I should mention is the electronic shutter in this thing, it’s damn near silent and it's a game changer for me.
I absolutely love it.
Yes, I know. How could I make a video about a Fujifilm camera without mentioning their wonderful film simulations.
This is something I was really excited about, I’ve never had a camera make such beautiful jpgs before.
I have also just discovered the fujixweekly website where it’s founder Ritchie Roesch
I think that's how to pronounce his name, sorry if I butchered that mate!
where he blogs everything and anything fuji.
Richie also posts fuji x ‘recipes’ which are customisations of film simulations,
made to look like real film stocks.
I’ve now got my camera set up with some of my favourite film stock simulations
and my absolute favourite at the moment is the Fuji Pro400H film simulation.
I'll also give the Kodachrome one at honourable mention, they're both phenomenal.
It’s one of those features that you don’t know you need until you do.
This could change the game for me personally as I suffer with poor eyesight with two eyes open, let alone squinting through one.
Focus peaking allows one to instantly see what’s in focus
which should be a big benefit for me. It’s not really a big deal for the awesome fujinon 23mm lens, as this lens has lightning fast autofocus.
Where this feature really shines is when using older or vintage manual lenses where autofocus is not possible, or possibly video as well.
There are many other features I could mention, and I love all the customisation options that this camera gives you
If you'd like to see a fully detailed video about my set post a comment below, and I'll make that video for you.
I’m not made of money, nor do I have a lot of it, so getting the budget right for this purchase was really important for me this time.
I'llhold my hands up and say I probably made a mistake when buying my 5Div a couple, well 4 or 5 years ago
BUT, it was overkill for what I needed but I don't regret it.
The main thing is that I learnt my lesson and this time round I knew exactly what features I needed and wanted.
The X-Pro 2 seemed like the perfect choice and I managed to pick this one up for only about £450.
It’s a little scruffy but it’s only cosmetic, the camera is in perfect working order.
I did some investigation and this camera had a shutter count of about 2800 when I bought it, which I think is great for the price.
I believe I’ve bought a camera that will give me good long-term value, but it remains to be seen how much of a bargain this thing really is,
I think it depends on what I achieve with it, and y'know, just how much I use it and for what work.
Well, thats because of 3 reasons mainly.
The first being I use it for video, it's actually recording me right now.
It's actually a fantastic video camera, so I'll be holding onto it for that reason.
Secondly, I want to hold onto a full frame sensor. It’s not a huge deal for me,
but some future work or commission may be better suited on a full frame sensor,
so holding onto the Canon gives me flexibility on this front.
Finally, it’s possible that the Mark IV could be the last in the 5D line,
making it a really special model and potentially, a future classic.
In my opinion, I think Canon should make the 5D5, I mean it just sounds awesome and would be a natural end point for the model,
but due to improving technology in mirrorless systems, the DSLR market is shrinking, so this remains to be seen.
This is a camera I can take with me everywhere, throw over my shoulder or pop in a bag and not have arms like lead at the end of the day.
This also means that I can make more videos for you beautiful people!
To be honest its been a little tough making YouTube videos just on film photography. It gets pretty expensive!
So now I’m happy to be able to bring you more content, in the shape of Fuji and Film videos.
I think it’s going to be a nice mix.
Anyway, this is a good place to end the video. I hope you enjoyed it, understood my reasoning for buying a 5 year old camera and maybe found something useful to think about as well.
So thank you very much for watching, I'll see you in the next one NEXT WEEK, and, all the best.
Oh and don't forget to subscribe if you're not already!