By Scott Johnson
I first dabbled with Fujifilm WAY back in 2003 while working on a cruise ship. In an all-film world, we were the first team to go digital with the Fujifilm S2 Pro, and I was really impressed with the quality, so much so, that when I started shooting weddings, I brought an S3 and for the first few years, this was the main camera I used at all of my weddings, but then I went full-frame and moved over to Nikon, and stayed there until the spring of 2016, and the arrival of the X-Pro2.
I’d been lugging around my D4s’ and a handful of prime lenses at weddings for a few years, and it was doing my back no good at all, but it wasn’t until I booked a wedding in the United States that I looked at changing my equipment. “Why change your entire wedding set-up mid way through a season for just one wedding” I hear you shout. Well, the wedding was on top of a 5267ft mountain in the heart of Baxter State Park in Maine.
In fact, it’s the highest point in the entire state and voted by National Geographic as one of the world’s top ten summit hikes in 2015! There was no way I was lugging my old system, lenses plus clothes, sleeping equipment, food and water in a single pack… and the option of a Sherpa wasn’t available!
I needed lighter gear.
I hired an X-Pro2 with a XF56mm 1.2 lens (as I heard from various photographers this was the best combination) for three weddings, as my original plan was to just hire a camera out there, then once I was back, carry on using the Nikon, but what happened took be by total surprise. I shot the first wedding with the odd shot here and there with the X-Pro2, the second wedding I shot about half and half, and by the third, over 75% of the images I took were with the X-Pro-2 (I’d also hired a few other lenses by this point).
I was completely sold. So much so, that four months after buying two new D4s’, I sold them, along with my entire lens collection and brought two X-Pro2 bodies, and a range of prime lenses (XF16mmf/1.4 – XF23mmf/1.4 – XF35mmf/2 – XF56mmf/1.2 – XF90mmf/2) The reason I got the XF35mmf/2 over the f/1.4 was purely because it is weather tight, and I wasn’t sure what the conditions would be at the summit, so I knew with the XF16mmf/1.4 (also weather proof) I could run with two bodies without issue if it was wet.
What I was most impressed about was how clean the images were straight from camera – the colours and skin tones needed very little, if any work at all. Where my Nikon would struggle with purple and keeping warm skin colours, the Fujifilm just laps it up!
In fact, I now shoot JPEG using RAW files as back up in case I need to use the incredible dynamic range the X-Pro2 has to recover some highlights or shadows, but this is something I’ve hardly had to do at all.
Hiking the mountain was tough, but with the weight being next to nothing, I was able to bring my ENTIRE set-up to the top, rather than just one body and a single lens. When I first mentioned to other photographers that I was changing, their initial response was
“Your going from Full-Frame to a crop sensor?! Won’t there be a reduction in quality?” To which my reply was “a change in quality, not a reduction”.
In fact, the RAW files are bigger and hold WAY more information than any camera I’ve had in the past. The last time I remember files being this good off the back of the camera, was when I was using the S3.
In short, going back to using Fujifilm cameras after a ten-year hiatus has been the best move I have ever made for my business.
To see more of Scott’s work, visit:
You ‘rent’ an object (e.g., camera, lens, etc.) – you ‘hire’ a person, not a thing.
that’s bollocks and so rude, this guys just doing his best writing an interesting article. For a grammar lesson on rent v hire please check https://www.englishforums.com/English/HireOrRent/qggqm/post.htm (also may I respectfully suggest checking things out before posting in future.)
so many firms offering cars for hire – best you get e-mailing them they’re wrong!
Really? You have just put a lot of car hire companies out of work. Honestly, is that your only comment? – The subject is photographic equipment and this superb photography.
Thank you, Richard
If you look at the timings of the comments I did post a separate comment congratulating him on the lovely photo’s. The ‘hire’ or ‘rent’ comment I made separate as, like you, couldn’t believe such a trivial comment was made when it was all about photography,
Great artical, as for the grammar I’ve not got a scooby do what the difference is, like borrow and lend,, 21st century who gives a f**k lol. Love my Fuji cameras
Lovely photos and I enjoyed the article. Thanks for posting.
Thank you
Really interesting read, especially as I was Nikon for weddings and main reason for changing was weight, absolutely loving the results. Still not changed from Nikon in studio though as lots of movement shots and don’t find Fuji as good for this.
Hi Deb, it’s actually not that bad, once you get used to it, it’s as good as the Nikon, but then the fastest thing I shoot is a bride walking down the aisle!
I’m a Brit, we hire stuff so congatulations on your English (and a very good article!) 😎
Thank you, Roger
Loved your article. Can i ask what flash setup you are using? This is the only reason I haven’t sold my Nikon gear yet. I love my Fuji X-T2, but off camera flash is so much simpler with the Nikon. Pocket wizards won’t work on the Fuji.
I have a small EF-42 Fuji flash, but it only comes out every now and again. I have however had a play with the 500, and that is incredible. As you can see, a lot of my work uses available light, so I’ve not a real need for one.
I am reading this on my mobile so the small screen may be a reason. I am feeling like these images are more like landscapes where two people are photo bombers! I think a zoom lens could compress the scene or what ever. Actually, these images may be the best for that scene. Pls, Let me know the reason why you did not use a zoom or why zoom may not be the right thing.
Hey, thanks for the comment. I’m so used to primes, I found it hard going back to zoom lenses. The landscape was stunning, so wanted to show it off, and the couple wanted them same.
As the bride half of the couple in this photo shoot, I can vouch for that! The mountain we were married on is very tied to the story of how we met, and we spend a lot of time there during all seasons. It was very important to us that Mt. Katahdin was shown off in our wedding photos. Scott did a wonderful job, and we could not be happier with the images he captured!
Great article and photos! Thanks for sharing.
Thank you
Thank you for all of your kind comments. I’ve not had the grammar police arrive at my door yet, so it must be ok 😉
I have solely used primes for about three years, and I did try to go back to zoom lenses, but I’m so used to prime lenses, it was tough to revert back!
I agree, perhaps I could have compressed the scene more, but I wanted to show how vast the landscape was, so shot mostly on the 35/2
If anyone would like to know more, I’ll be happy to answer your questions.
Thanks for reading, Scott
As another Brit, I loved your work (and your spelling). Congratulations.
Thank you, Ian 🙂
Thanks, Ian
Great photo’s, great blog, well done…
Dear Scott, I love your photos with the exception ov 0113 which I think is way too distorted. Thank you for the post, since I am having weight issues every time myself. Good choice!