D750 or Fuji XT1?
Weird decision right? I'm ready to move on from my D300 and I am quite torn between full frame Nikon (D750 is leading choice) or pulling a coup and completely changing my kit (Fuji XT1). While I've been reading many reviews and thoughts on both, I wanted to see if anyone here has any thoughts on going mirrorless. The merits of the more compact XT1 are high and the performance, IQ, and quality of available glass seems to be nearly on par vs sticking with Nikon. It would seem to be an excellent travel camera and I'm admittedly gaga for the aesthetics of the body.
I know this is opening Pandora's Box with asking about camera options, but wanted to see if anyone has any real world experience with either. I might rent the Fuji to see how I like it so that will certainly be a big help in making decisions. As far as performance, the D750 meets all of my near term criteria so that isn't an issue.
As far as my style of shooting, I'll continue to focus on travel & landscapes (where I want to move on the business end) with occasional need for action sports though I don't need the performance of a D4s. While I don't intend on printing ginormous prints, I do want the ability print big on occasion larger than 30x40" for instance without being too constrained by the image size. Going medium format is almost a certainty down the road as I get more serious with landscapes, but for now it isn't in the cards.
I'll be able to keep a few lenses if I stick with Nikon but would probably sell everything if I switched.
So what say you? Go 'big' with FF or go 'small' with mirrorless? :dunno
I know this is opening Pandora's Box with asking about camera options, but wanted to see if anyone has any real world experience with either. I might rent the Fuji to see how I like it so that will certainly be a big help in making decisions. As far as performance, the D750 meets all of my near term criteria so that isn't an issue.
As far as my style of shooting, I'll continue to focus on travel & landscapes (where I want to move on the business end) with occasional need for action sports though I don't need the performance of a D4s. While I don't intend on printing ginormous prints, I do want the ability print big on occasion larger than 30x40" for instance without being too constrained by the image size. Going medium format is almost a certainty down the road as I get more serious with landscapes, but for now it isn't in the cards.
I'll be able to keep a few lenses if I stick with Nikon but would probably sell everything if I switched.
So what say you? Go 'big' with FF or go 'small' with mirrorless? :dunno
0
Comments
An "accurate" reproduction of a scene and a good photograph are often two different things.
I'm facing a similar situation. I do portrait photography, so am hanging on to the two lenses I use for most portraits and selling my others. Also selling my 5D Mk II. Will pick up a 6D and XT-1. That will give me a chance to figure out whether the Fuji is feasible as a SLR replacement for my business. I love my X100S, and it takes great photos. If the XT-1 gives me the same quality with more flexibility, I might eventually go all Fuji. Time will tell, though.
redhawk
longshots.smugmug.com
Make me your SmugMug referrer!
Lights: AlienBees, Speedlites
Cameras: EOS Rebel XT & EOS 5D
Lenses: Tamron 28-300mm, Canon 70-200L,
Canon 24-105L
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
These cameras simply are designed to serve two very different purposes. One is practically a pocket camera, the other is a full-blown near-flagship camera with one of the best sensors digital photography has ever seen.
You could also consider getting the D750 and a Fuji X100s instead, I think that might be a great pair for travel and landscape photography.
The bottom line for me would be that as high-tech and lightweight as the Fuji XT1 is, I couldn't consider it to be an entirely acceptable replacement for the likes of a D750, not for serious landscape photography.
Then again, it also depends on what you do with your images. Is this travel photography simply a personal endeavor and hobby or side job, with the occasional large print? If so, then I bet the XT1 will do a fantastic job for you. I gotta admit, as much as I'm "addicted" to what the D750 has to offer, at least 75% of those things have to do with my full-time work as a photographer, and not my photographic hobbies. Personally, if I could, I'd dump everything for a Sony A6000 actually. Fantastic sensor, (it's like a miniature D750 sensor lol) and a decent lineup of lenses for travel / landscape photography. :-)
=Matt=
My SmugMug Portfolio • My Astro-Landscape Photo Blog • Dgrin Weddings Forum
I also have a complete FF system (Canon 1D's) and a complete MFT system (Oly EM1). The XT1 does not track, but if you keep the subject in the Focus Reticle, the camera will keep the subject in focus.
Shot with a XT1:
#1
#2
#3
#4
#5
#6
#7
#8
Nothing can beat an advanced dSLR for action/sports. But the new mirrorless cameras, with their lightning fast AF, can shoot sports, you will have to work harder for less keepers than an advance dSLR ... but mirrorless can shoot sports at a level which is acceptable for most hobbyists.
Unsharp at any Speed
Low Light Performance:
A.
FUJIFILM X-T1 w/ 55-200 @ 200mm, 1/250, f/9, ISO 3200
B.
FUJIFILM X-E2 w/ 32mm, 1/180, f/8, ISO 3200
C.
FUJIFILM X-Pro1 w/ 55-200 @ 172.4mm, 1/250, f/4.7, ISO 3200
D.
FUJIFILM X-Pro1 w/ 55-200 @ 200mm, 1/250, f/4.8, ISO 1600
Unsharp at any Speed
Good Luck and Good Shooting,
Gary
Unsharp at any Speed
Good to know about the IQ at 100%. I do like primes and have been shooting with them more & more, good point for sure thanks!
Let me know how you decide down the road, I wonder if Fuji will release a FF?
In a perfect world, yes
The travel photography is essentially a side job that I'd like to eventually translate into a decent second income via somewhat passive means (print sales) or actively shooting for various media outlets during my travels. So IQ out of the Fuji shouldn't really be a huge deal in that regard. My main concern is with landscapes and enough dynamic range and IQ for such endeavors. I think the Fuji has it, I know the D750 does (and then some).
Decisions, decisions.
Thanks Gary and nice shots with the XT1 you have there. Not sure if I will ever consider myself a 'pro' per se though I did successfully shoot weddings for a few years and have had success with some print sales as of late. Photography won't ever likely be my full time job but I do want to it be successful and hopefully create some decent income on the side if all goes well.
So that said, I'm a big believer in the right tool for the job and I don't want to have any regrets down the road with my camera choices and still wonder if the Fuji will do the job. So I'm going to rent it and see how it goes shortly.
Do you feel it has the performance & IQ for your needs?
An "accurate" reproduction of a scene and a good photograph are often two different things.
I have a K1000 as well. Love that thing! Gotta get the door fixed though.
In a word yes. But going Nikon is a safer course. We all see differently and we all shoot differently. I like what I'm getting out of the Fuji. I love the fuji IQ, lenses and I even like Fuji's corporate policies. Fuji seems to listen to the customer base and adjusts firmware and hardware accordingly. Fuji is upgrading, not just fixing bugs but actually upgrading the firmware, the firmware a few times a year. Among other improvements, the upgrades have significantly improved the AF of older models after purchase. In fact, Fuji upgraded the X100 after it was discontinued.
I'm a former news photog and I still shoot similar subjects as I did when I was working, (recording people doing what they do in uncontrolled environments and events). The Fuji's work well with what I shoot. in some situations, not as well as a 1D or D4 ... but, for my needs, the differences between my Fuji's and 1D's are not significant. I still have 1D's with a ton of L lenses ... but I prefer shooting with the Fuji's ... I shoot everything with the Fuji. The more I shoot Fuji the better I understand how Fuji operates and with this understanding my consistency and keeper rate goes up.
Gary
Fuji Fanboy
Unsharp at any Speed
Well, considering that Fuji pulled off 13 stops of DR back in the day when Canon was stuck at 11, and held that record by a huge margin for quite a few years, (S3-S5 DSLRS) ...I'd say the XT1 has a pretty good chance of performing decently. Unfortunately I haven't seen any tests lately so I'll let others speak to that...
All in all, I'd say go with the Fuji and save your $$$ for some good travel lenses and other stuff. You can always add the better camera later when your wild success $$$ comes in. (That's what I keep telling myself at least, about all the other camera systems I'd like to own in addition to my D750!)
=Matt=
My SmugMug Portfolio • My Astro-Landscape Photo Blog • Dgrin Weddings Forum
I have a D300, D700, and a D3s. The majority of my work is family beach vacations and destination beach weddings. My shooting style is wide angle on one camera and a telephoto on the other. After a summer where I was tired of carrying two DSLR's to the beach I wanted to have a great, small compact wide angle alternative and I bought a used x100s. I was surprised at how great the images were to my eye and how they held up to aggressive cropping. Client feedback on the images was good as well, both on the IQ and the novelty of seeing a retro style camera at work. The x100s as allowed me to shoot with strobes that a DSLR just cannot match but that is another topic.
So, I was at the point that I wanted to upgrade my cameras. I built my Nikon gear around photojournalism but that is no longer my focus. My choice was either a D750 or the fuji x-t1 as I was sold on the fuji x sensor and what I could do post processing with the raw files. I don't shoot perfect in camera exposure. I overexpose or underexpose depending on the scene. I did research on photographers who have started to shoot exclusively with the fuji x system for weddings and portraits. I disregarded the fanboy reviews, but most stated they love the small size for practical reasons of using the system all day is a relief for their backs. Another common comment was the IQ was not that much different than FF DSLR's. On the negative side there was comments that the AFS is not up there with FF but it wasn't an issue.
After my research I bought a x-t1 and the 56 1.2. I recently shot an engagement session and beach wedding with the x-t1 and x100s combo. The AFS wasn't up to a DSLR but I also didn't miss a shot. With the 56 1.2 I was able to get the smooth backgrounds and with the x100s I was able to get the up close personal shots as well as the nice environmental portraits. I do not feel like I have compromised on the IQ department.
Your needs are a bit different than mine but I also enjoy landscape photography for fun. Compared to my existing Nikon cameras I do not feel like I am losing any IQ points either. The x100s has become my favorite landscape camera.
The X100S is perfect for landscapes and environmental portraits, as well as very easy to take on hikes and outings. The 56mm works wonders with landscapes also, and the bokeh in portraits and flower photographs is wonderful since the lens is tack-sharp wide open.
Ubuntu Linux - LightZone - GIMP
Visit my gallery
Simply put, it's like the Nikon Df all over again, but worse. Form before function? Either way, I feel like Fuji (And Sony and Panasonic, FWIW) still have a few generations to go before they are as good as Nikon and Canon at creating an intuitive, highly / widely usable and customizable camera.
First off, it is taking forever to figure out how to operate and customize the camera. I know people usually say "RTFM", and I get that; maybe I'm just an old dog and this is too new of a trick. Honestly though, I'm actually pretty good at just grabbing a camera and figuring out how it works. I can do it with Nikon, Canon, Sony, Olympus, Pentax, and a few other cameras I've gotten my hands on. Of all the cameras I've reviewed over the years, the X100T is the most confusing / difficult to figure out.
The X100T's dials and buttons, the control layout / interface in general, is like I said, akin to the Df- it looks sexy, built solid but downright annoying in some of the more demanding conditions I find myself in. Fuji, if you're going to produce a mid-sized, beefy feeling camera that targets advanced hobbyists and pros looking for an "off the job" camera, you're going to need to offer more traditional controls.
I understand that the X-T1 is much more professionally oriented, and has front-and-rear command dials for example, but I'll have to wait till I get my hands on that camera later.
All in all though, considering how hefty and mid-sized these cameras are, I don't think I'll be "dumping" my DSLR system in favor of one of these any time soon. Bodies like the Nikon D5300 / D3300 are ultra-light and quite compact with a sensor that has incredible IQ, and then now we're seeing lenses like the Canon 24 EF-S STM pancake that really make it hard for me to prop up the argument about mirrorless being smaller and lighter across the board.
If anything, I'll wait another generation or two and then re-consider mirrorless.
BTW I'll probably be expanding on these thoughts in my official reviews of the X100T / X-T1 on SLR Lounge. :-)
=Matt=
My SmugMug Portfolio • My Astro-Landscape Photo Blog • Dgrin Weddings Forum
Like anything it comes down to personal preference. Once I have gotten used to the fuji system it has become easy to make changes on the fly so the controls are not an issue for me. I have my nitpicks for sure but it isn't a deal breaker.
In regards to size, well, after two paid gigs and a few just for fun projects my back and shoulders thank me for the smaller size over my d700/D3s gear. Cropped DSLR's maybe a bit better but I would rather have a x-t1 over a D5300.
I see a lot of people calling it "personal preference", which is sometimes the case, but other times there are simply nowhere near as many functions / customizabilities available, and "preference" in my humble opinion, does indeed give way to undeniable superiority / inferiority. Unless you actually prefer to forfeit significant amounts of control / customizability in favor of looks / style, that is. Then it would still be "preference". However I am of the mindset that it doesn't have to be mutually exclusive. I've used a handful of other mirrorless cameras that worked very well in my hand, and offered every customizability I wanted, yet still looked the part and didn't break the bank... (or my back)
This is regarding the X100T, not the X-T1, of course, and I know that the original camera being discussed what the X-T1. I'm just putting my initial feelings out there regarding the camera I've had a chance to use thus far.
Yes, I'd prefer an X-T1 for certain work where AF or weather sealing were important, however for many other types of work those things aren't important, and image quality / focal ranges are more important, which is where Sony's fantastic 24 MP sensor delivers the goods. (A similar 24 MP 1.5x sensor now resides in EVERY Nikon DX camera, from the D7100 to the D3300, as well as the Pentax K-3 and the Sony A6000. It's just an incredible sensor for those who need the dynamic range and resolution, but on a budget that can't afford them a D610 or D750, or even an A7...
Actually, 6/12 of the images in my 2015 photo calendar are made with a D5300, lol, even when I had a Df, D600, D800e, and D810 at my disposal over the past couple years.
All in all, like I said earlier, I'll give mirrorless another generation or two before I see serious reasons to switch...
=Matt=
My SmugMug Portfolio • My Astro-Landscape Photo Blog • Dgrin Weddings Forum
Unsharp at any Speed
It is based on personal preference. I use the x100s and haven't forfeited anything in regards to function and customization. To claim the fuji has to get better at controls and functions to attract pro shooters flies in the face of pros switching to the system. I get the part about having a camera feel good for an individual which is why I don't use Canon. I just don't like the layout, menus, or system. However, for me to say Canon has to improve their layout and function to attract working pros would be hollow.
I get what you're saying; indeed personal preference is the best deciding factor for many photographers. But on the other hand, you seem to be unwilling to concede that, for OTHER photographers, personal preference (aka familiarity) can be trumped by actual functionality that makes one system far more usable than another, plain and simple.
You could just call that another form of preference, to say that I "prefer" one camera because all the other cameras similar to it just don't offer the same amount of functionality.
Yes, claiming "superiority" flies in the face of many pros who have spent years earning a good living with a different system. But in my experience, plenty of these folks have simply never even tried another system for more than 10 minutes, which is barely enough time to get confused and annoyed by a strange new camera. So, much of the time, they just don't know what they're missing. That's not "preference", that's contentment.
=Matt=
My SmugMug Portfolio • My Astro-Landscape Photo Blog • Dgrin Weddings Forum
Not at all. What is not functional for you is functional for me. You get the system that works best for you. Every system can improve functionality. To say Fuji needs to improve functionality to attract pro users rings hollow since Fuji is getting pros to switch. The things you find shortcomings with others have praised. That's a preference thing.
I don't get your last tangent because that isn't even part of this discussion. I have tried 3 different systems in the past few years and the OP is asking about switching to another system. Unless I am misunderstanding you what does being content with a current system have anything to do with getting a new camera system in this case? Seems like those in this thread advising that it might be a good decision to go the x-t1 option are ones that haven't been content with traditional DSLR.
This is a joke right? Aperture ring on the lens (where it belongs), shutter speed dial and exposure compenstion dial on the top plate, it does not get more traditional than that. Configure the little Fn button on the top to directly access ISO and you've got it all. Only change I would make is to have the aperture ring do half or third stops. If you must adjust white balance, there is a button for that. I cannot imagine how anyone could say this camera does not have traditional controls. I don't think even a Leica M is more traditional.
An "accurate" reproduction of a scene and a good photograph are often two different things.
I don't come from the film days so I can't relate to how "traditional" is supposed to be, but I have really enjoyed having the mechanical knobs on the x100s and more specifically the x-t1. Shutterspeed, aperture, and ISO are a turn on a dial. The EVF with exposure preview gives me what the pic looks like before it is taken so changing that is just a matter of turning a knob.
I guess my shooting style is simple but I have been very pleased the function and form of the fuji. I do wish the AFE and AFL buttons were switched.
So I was willing to concede that for many photographers, camera choice is simple preference between two cameras that merely have their buttons in different places, ...but you're unwilling to concede that for at least some other photographers, actual superiority / inferiority can exist, (call it preference if you like?) because of customizations / functionality, or a lack thereof, or that it is possible for one single camera system / model to be truly superior for a certain type of photography.
My SmugMug Portfolio • My Astro-Landscape Photo Blog • Dgrin Weddings Forum
I haven't said otherwise. If you find Fuji inferior to your needs then don't use the camera. To make a general statement that fuji needs to do x to get pro photographers flies in the face of reality that pros are buying and using the fuji system. It doesn't work for you. If you think it's inferior then awesome for you and you will have a great counter blog to those pros that find the system works for them. Good luck with that.
Unsharp at any Speed