example of a picture NOT TAKEN with my Nikon D700 (Fuji X T1)
I've been meaning to write on this topic for a long time. I'm not the leading authority on all things photography (yet), but this is something that has been eating at me for awhile. I've been a little schizo when it comes to my camera gear.
I started back in the days of film with a Minolta Maxxum 7 SLR, which moved me to buying a Konica-Minolta Maxxum 7D for my first DSLR. They sold off their tech to Sony, which is where I said goodbye. (BTW, my 7D stopped working when I arrived at an out of state wedding...that's not stressful) I wasn't sure Sony would hold true to professionals, and they had a messed up hot-shoe arrangement that they inherited from Minolta. So I started new with Nikon.
Nikon and Canon are a lot like Ford and Chevy, but no one could tell me which one went with Chevy and which went with Ford, so I just chose the Nikon D300 due to its price and specs compared to Canon's...uh, 10D? 20D? I dunno, but I didn't go Canon. Time goes on and you get gear, and more gear and once you've spent enough of your spouse's money, you justify it and "go pro". You love what you have and wouldn't change for the world. Right? Nikon D300, D700 and then D3.
It remains a mystery but I somehow ended up chasing a used Fujifilm X Pro 1, and finally made the purchase. I loved it, and hated it all at the same time. I'm sure any other Fuji X users will claim the same about that particular body. It was different. Rangefinder styling and user friendly dials and the ever elusive aperture ring was once again where it belonged. Awesome. I've had a ton old school film cameras and this felt right to get back to that analog feel. The draw back is that I couldn't get it to focus. Trying to take pictures of my own kids drove me nuts. Kids don't wait around for you to take their picture! So I moved on. Kept one lens but bought a different Fuji, the X-100s. Loved it. Great images with a fixed lens on that model. Picked up an X-T1 (not a rangefinder) when it came out and started buying lenses. The problems of autofocus were gone. The EVF (Electronic View Finder) was bright, beautiful and so fast you forgot it wasn't analog viewing. I now have two of the X-T1 camera bodies and upgraded my X100s to the X100t. Fuji makes all I could need for lenses, except maybe a Fuji X brand fish-eye would be nice. Probably just around the corner.
So what's the deal? Nikon or Fuji? The big difference is price and weight. Not so noticeable is image quality. My Fuji X cameras come out to play way more often than my Nikon clunkers. Fuji shoots faster (okay, not faster than the D3) and it's easy to justify taking on outings. My wife would cringe if I used my DSLR during events that were quiet. Loud. CLICK CLICK CLICK! Fuji has an electronic shutter option, making a quiet camera silent. On Paying jobs I'll take the Fuji, and no one will comment. They don't say things like, "oh, that's not a DSLR! I want a refund!" If you're new to all this, the Fuji X series is mirrorless. The big mirror and pentaprism is gone. It still has a shutter, but the size is reduced. So it isn't a DSLR at all.
EVF-isn't this the future? The draw back of technology moving forward is that the first time it hits the marketplace it might not be as appealing as our time-tested analog-thru the lens, where you can see what you're about to shoot. I'm gonna catch some flack about this, but I say the EVF is better. It's not perfect by any means. Think about this though, you can see the expected exposure, before you take the picture. With a film camera you learned to watch exposure via the light meter and adjust for certain situations. The lab did the rest and made your prints what you wanted them to be even if you didn't nail the exposure. With Digital you take a shot, press play and view the image, adjust and then repeat. I would miss candid shots because of checking exposure and focus. This will all go away as auto focus gets better and better...and because there is almost no down time in using the EVF. You can see the exposure without checking the back of the camera after your shot forever and ever amen! This changes the game.
I've heard photographers say that you should forget light meters and histograms and just check the screen on the back of the camera in regards to exposure (their college professors and other photo pharisees will hate them for saying this). I don't have to check the back anymore. I can see the exposure before I take the shot. Adjust before I take the picture, not after. A film photographer's motto, "f8 and be there..." meaning put the camera on f8 and get the timing right. Now you can nail the exposure and get the timing right. Ever have a subject say, "I think I blinked"? I can view the picture in the viewfinder for half a second after I take the shot and confidently reply with, "No you didn't." Are you a beginner who has problems learning exposure? It's because aperture and shutter speed on a DSLR don't mean ANYTHING until you've already taken the first shot! You can't see it. The meter can be wrong! They've gotten better, but are still fooled by many situations.
So long mirror. I don't miss it. Ever try to carry a flagship camera with a big lens and top it off with a flash? Yes, your arms will get stronger, but your back will continue to hurt. I'm selling my jumbo sized gear. Flagship Nikon D5, or Canon 1D X Mark blah blah blah (never understood Canon I guess) can be bought for $6,500 and $6,000 respectively. Fuji's most expensive X body just launched for $1,600. The image quality is comparable. My wallet and my back are already thanking me.
Oh, and if you are wondering how the EVF will hold up during a zombie-apocalypse, just remember that you'll be wishing you kept that Polaroid and a stash of film because none of our digital stuff will be working, whether it has a mirror or not. There's much more to be said about this topic, so comments are welcome.
TW
PS-contact me if I didn't change your mind about your Nikon, you can buy my old gear