Image by Math, Unsplash
When considering a camera system for your photography, several factors come into play, the camera, the lenses, the aesthetics, the practicality, user interface, size, weight, etc. In my photography, I have tried several camera systems, from M4/3 to full frame, and I finally landed on the one which is, for me at least, the perfect compromise between size and quality. I am talking about no other than Fujifilm, the king of colour.
Fujifilm cameras are beautiful and turn heads, they are compact and light, they are practical and have a great image quality, whether you want to do Landscape, street, sports photography or just chase the kids around!
The system I am about to describe will set you back about £2600. It may seem a lot, but I am talking about 2 cameras and 8 lenses, 8 amazing lenses that will blow your mind! I will give tips to where to buy these and how much to spend, bear in mind, I am setting the budget of £1000 for 2 cameras and £1600 for 8 lenses. Impossible? I think not, as in my cupboard I have this same gear, having spent no more than this amount! They may not be the latest and greatest, but if versatility is what you want with the best image quality and budget friendly, this is your ultimate guide.
I will start with my 2 cameras. which has covered me a wide range of different scenarios. I will be dedicating a blog post to every element of this kit, giving my insights on its pros and cons, as well as its price and where to get it.
1-My perfect photography setup on a budget - Fujifilm X-T4
The Fujifilm X-T4 is my camera of choice for all my photography if my intention is to get the best quality. Since the announcement of the X-T5, the price on this camera has come down significantly, making it one of my perfect photography setup on a budget gear. At the moment you can get a used deal with warranty for about £800 from stores like MPB or WEX. If you're feeling a bit more adventurous, you can push this price down to £700 by looking in Ebay, however, warranty on cameras is something I consider a must! Considering what is packed in this camera, the deal is absolutely crazy! Since ever, I watch YouTubers advertising the "Best cameras under" whatever the price is! I often ask myself what the recommendation would be if used gear with warranty was included. Truth is, you don't need the newest and greatest, maybe used market is where you should start looking! There is used gear being sold by reputable sellers that absolutely deserve a second thought. My Fujifilm X-T4 was bought for £800 and I was shocked that the body had absolutely no marks and better yet, the shutter had only 1000 actuations. This is the power of good value second hand gear! You can use the remaining money for good glass or accessories. With our main camera sorted, we now have £1800 for the rest of the kit.
Image by Andrew Seaman, Unsplash
Lets discuss the camera! This camera was until the release of the Fujifilm X-T5, the best crop sensor out in the market. The X-T5 might have taken its spot, but is the best camera 2 years ago not good anymore today? Absolutely not! In fact it has the same great quality that was always associated with it, minus the high price and the need for large storage for the huge 40mp files that the X-T5 spits out. The screen is a point of debate and disagreement and I can see advantages and disadvantages to both. Truth is, if you want to tilt on the X-T4, you can, although the angle is weird, but if you don't want to rotate the screen, then leave it closed. The one thing nobody seems to mention is how useful it is to have the screen rotate to a protective state when closed, giving the ability to keep the sensitive screen facing in and protected from knocks and damage. This is highly underrated! The camera's weather sealing is great, and the ergonomics are good! Are they as good and the X-H2? Probably not, but the weight and size is better so after a long day shooting Street photography, your hands and arms won't be willing to quit their day job! And also, you get around more discreetly with a sexy body like the X-T4, specially if candid street photography is what you aim for.
I find the Fujifilm X-T4 to be a great Landscape photography camera with good dynamic range and good features! Is it the best dynamic range? No! But if you want more, bracket! Its what the best photographers do, even with the best dynamic range cameras, because even the best cameras will be lacking at some point! If I had to ask for something more, it would be the X-T5s ability to pixel shift, combined with the Panasonic S5 ability to combine them in camera, to create a 104mp image! This would be awesome!
Image by Claudio Schwartz, Unsplash
For nightime photography, the Fujifilm X-T4 is better than you think, and besides its mostly about the speed of the lens you use anyway, but more on lenses in a different post!
The noise created is not intrusive, but a fine grain that mimics film photography, being aesthetically pleasing and sometimes even desired to bring character to the image. On the topic of Character, something has to be said for the film simulations, for me a massive differential from other camera brands. The style you can get is great and the possibilities are endless with the option to copy some great fuji recipes from Fuji.x.weekly website or even make your own! Fujifilm gives shooting Jpeg experience a whole new meaning and fun! Clearly Jared Polin from Froknowsphoto.com never shot with a Fujifilm camera! He would start using "I shoot Fuji Jpeg" shirt for sure! It is, hands down, the best system for film simulations and colours there is, by miles!
Fujifilm is know as the Poor man's Leica. This is well true for lines such as X-T, X-E, X-pro, and in the Best way possible. This reputation has increased Fujifilm's popularity, as well as price in some cases. The X-100V is a great example of a camera that went up in value since launch. Fujifilm has an amazing quality for a fraction of the price of a Leica, whose shooting experience and image quality cannot be denied, but whose possession has become associated with "status" rather than "photography love", and in my opinion, its overrated!
So, overall, I love the fuji X-T4, I love Fujifilm. It has helped me grow and learn, it's a camera that I happily use on any occasion with great results, and therefore my top pick for a dream setup! Is it perfect? Hell no, but no camera is, and if perfection is what you want, you will be bored very quickly! May your images reflect your style, your personality and vision, not the camera specs!
The second post will be about the second camera body! Happy Shooting!