Hi All,
I've been looking for a possible replacement camera for my ageing Canon 5D iii. I mostly photograph people and events such as charity cycle rides, runs walks The 5D3 is obviously no sports camera, but it does the job well enough for these kinds of activities. I tend to use the 70-200mm lens and 24-70mm
So these combinations are obviously really heavy and I've been looking for either a second camera or possible longer term replacement of the Canon.
I read great things about the Fuji and the autofocus and tracking and I'm wondering if it's on par with the Canon?
I love the idea of a smaller lighter camera for all day use, but I'm nervous about investing in another camera system without getting some views from people who actually own and use the camera?
I moved from 5DIII + 7DII combo to a single X-T2 body. I was very nervous as having built up to FF, I felt I was trading away capability. I'm very happy with the switch overall. IQ was my biggest fear, and I've been extremely content in this regard - there are plenty of landscape speakers at my Photographic Society who've made the switch are are equally happy. The dynamic range, and ability to pull stuff from the shadows are a step up from the Canon. The Fuji lenses and the lack of anti alias filter, mean images are more satisfyingly sharp and detailed from the start. That's not to say the Fuji is ultimately sharper, but I'd say it's pretty much a wash. Noise on the Fuji is very very well controlled and not at all obnoxious.
Handling: Lots rave about the Fuji with it's manual controls. I don't mind manual controls, but I'm not convinced it's progress either. The 5DIII (and 7DII) are excellent handling cameras. The Fuji feels a little unfinished/unrefined/unintuitive sometimes. I knew the Canon inside out and muscle memory did the rest. I've had the Fuji for 6 months now, and I'm still getting used to it, still occasionally cursing design decisions etc. That's not to say it's bad, it isn't. It's just the Canon's are undoubtedly better handling cameras in my view. The control dial on the Canon and the logic behind how buttons worked and the speed with which you can navigate the interface were unsurpassed. The Fuji is getting better with each firmware iteration.
Crop Sensor. I suppose I was concerned about the deeper DOF resulting from an APS-C sensor. However, I've now swung the other way. The money I saved from the sale of my Canon gear, I put into quality Fuji lenses. I have 1.2 and 1.4 lenses and Fuji's 2.8 Zooms now, whereas on the Canon I had 2.8 zooms/lens and the 85 1.2. If I need narrow DOF, I have better capability than I did with the Canon even with the crop factor. So I've more than overcome that disadvantage. If it's even a disadvantage. The Canon 85 1.2 was difficult to use wide open because of the very narrow DOF - so you'd need to stop down a bit. With the Fuji 56 1.2 it acts more like an 85 1.8, but with the light gathering advantages of being 1.2. Thus you don't need to stop it down to get manageable DOF. Swings and roundabouts.
I don't shoot sport - so I haven't used C mode that much, but I didn't on the Canon either.
More than anything, the Fuji and it's more compact lenses, mean I have the flexibility to travel really light, or with the same bag brimming, I can have more capability. As a consequence I've used it far more than I was using the Canon gear, because it's a joy to use, rather than a chore to use. I think they've hit the sweet spot between system size, IQ and chosen compromises well. The only think I really wish is that it had a control dial like the Canon on the rear, and a 3.2" LCD (and that they refined the firmware a bit more - which they will).
