Fujifilm Doesn’t Matter
Recently I have noticed a trend in the comments of my videos, emails and Instagram DMs. This trend revolves around me using a specific camera and if I don’t use the same camera in the next video or I share a photo of my other camera, the comments come flooding in asking what happened, did I sell it, did I change my mind and so on.
I must admit that initially I was puzzled because all my current gear is listed on my website and besides, just because I’m using one camera today and a different camera tomorrow, it doesn’t mean that I switched. However after reaching out to many of you and giving it some thought, I now have more empathy for these questions because I understand some of the motives behind them.
In this blog I will go through the most common motives and share my thoughts on advice. My goal here is to try and answer your question from each specific viewpoint. Also towards the end of the blog I will go over my cameras and their use case one more time.
General interest from a new viewer
The first and most common reason is genuine interest from new viewers as they might have not seen previous videos or read blogs about my gear choices. If that’s you, then stick till the end where I will cover my current cameras and their purpose. Also please visit my gear page on my website where I list everything I currently own. I always keep it updated so you can trust everything is correct.
Gear is the only objective thing in a subjective art form
Photography is a subjective craft. Genres, subjects, techniques, settings, editing and opinions on good vs bad. Everything is so subjective so when you’re a beginner it might seem very confusing at best. However gear is the only objective therefore many cling onto that as a baseline. We’ve all thought that when we have X camera we have a solid baseline from which to work from. Also because gear is objective, it’s easier to discuss, compare and debate. Certainly easier compared to light or composition. Gear is a safe black and white heaven in a world of grey subjectivity. This I can totally emphasise with and although I don’t have a magic bullet solution for you, I can say from experience that photography does become more objective and less confusing with time and experience.
Instant gratification
This might rub some people up the wrong way but you can’t avoid the fact that we live in a world of instant gratification. We want immediate results and we want them fast. We live in a time where if we want to solve an issue, we throw money at it and hope it goes away. Unfortunately learning a skill doesn’t fit into this new way of life. Getting good at anything takes a lot of time and effort however people still want a shortcut and gear provides the best possible answer. We assume if we drop 5k on a camera, it will make our photos better. That couldn’t be further from the truth. If you honestly think that switching to a camera that I use will improve your photography fast, you’re gonna be disappointed. Photography is a marathon and not a sprint. Focus on consistency and small steps.
Buyers remorse
We’ve all experienced buyers remorse. This is where we’ve purchased something and immediately regretted it. Why do we get buyers remorse? Usually it’s because deep down we know purchasing that item doesn’t align with our values. It could also be because the item was completely out of our budget and deep down we know we can’t afford it. It could also be because we’re not sure in our decision and when we see someone else doing something different, we second guess ourselves. This is all common and happens to everyone. My only suggestion is once you made a decision, stick to it. You never know why someone else does something else. If you always second guess yourself based on other peoples choices, you will forever be going round in circles. If you can’t afford something, be honest with yourself and don’t feel ashamed about it. My rule of thumb is unless I can pay for it 3 times over, I can’t afford it.
Confirmation bias
Another common trait is us wanting to confirm our decision based on the decision of others. So if I buy an XT5 and I see a photographer I look up to shooting on an XT5, I will feel like I made the right decision. However as soon as they switch to a different model, I’m now wondering why and whether I should too. If I’m totally honest, there isn’t much I can say other than confirmation bias along with buyers remorse will go away over time as you become more confident in your photography. Out of my circle of photography friends, no one cares what the other person is using and no one cares if another person has switched. This is all down to being confident in our craft and process. You will get there too.
Assuming gear will get results or fix problems
All of us have aspects of our photography we don’t like or wish could be better. However when we’re just starting out, we can attribute that to not having the same gear as what the pros use. Gear can only fix objective issues. For example if you need 30 fps to shoot F1 cars, then getting a camera that has that specific feature will fix your problem. However gear can’t fix bad lighting or poor composition. Having a better camera won’t result in you seeing more photo opportunities. Sure there are small differences like Fuji colours or the sharpness of a Leica lens however these are small things that don’t matter much when you zoom out.
Attributing a change in aesthetic to a change in gear
Another reason people question gear is when a photographer they follow has a different aesthetic. However I can tell you with 100% confidence gear has little to no influence on aesthetic. Light, composition and editing do 99% of the heavy lifting there. Of course I am not denying that colours out of a Fuji or a Leica might appear nicer out of the box compared to other brands, however they won’t have as much of an impact to the final product as you think. My photos have a different aesthetic based on where I am and what I’m shooting. An iPhone photo and an XT5 photo shot in the same place at the same time using the same focal length can look almost identical under the right conditions.
People look up to me and follow my choices
Finally there are many people who look up to me and my choices. They assume if I’m using a specific camera then it must be the right decision. However keep in mind that I’m no different to you. Everything I talked about so far, I suffer from too. I also second guess whether I should bring the XT5 or the XH2 to a specific trip. I also pack my bag ready to leave, then re-pack it 20 times because I’ve changed my mind on what lenses to bring. Although I really do appreciate that some of you might look up to me, keep in mind that I’m also going through the same shit and chances are on my next trip I might use a different setup.
XT5 vs XH2 vs XH2s
To finish this blog let me briefly cover my three cameras, why I use them and why I would select one over the other for a given scenario. First thing I want to clarify is that all of them are insanely capable and are more than what most people would ever need. The image you will get out of these will be identical regardless of which model you go for.
The XT5 is my go to casual photography camera. This is what I bring with me when I am just going for a chilled walk or travelling with family. This is not the camera I use for my ‘work’ because it’s not as efficient of a hybrid camera. Also given the small body and grip, it’s not comfortable with bigger lenses.
The XH2s is my go to video camera. This is what I use if I want a big focus on video. It has a faster readout, more video specific features and better autofocus. For photography I use this when I want better autofocus and low light performance. Finally given the flip out screen, this is what I use for filming my YouTube videos. I use this camera most of the time when travelling.
The XH2 is my backup camera. It comes with me on big trips just incase something happens with the XH2s. The XT5 was my backup camera for a while however I found that if I want to work efficiently between photo and video, the XH2 and 2s are way more efficient.
To summarise, the XT5 is my fun photography camera while the XH2 and XH2s are my workhorse tools. The end result however is the same, it’s just the ergonomics, video features and speed that’s different. For trips where there’s a lower focus on creating photos and videos, the XT5 will be my camera of choice.
