Fuji X-Pro3 and My Fuji Gear

Biro

Hall of Famer
Location
Jersey Shore
Name
Steve
Well, I surprised myself this week. I pulled the trigger on a barely used X-Pro3. It's due to arrive this weekend and I am looking forward to working with the camera - and comparing it to my X-Pro2.

But my almost-impulse decision to jump on the deal (the price was just too good) has kicked the other half of my brain into gear. I'm now thinking about all of the camera gear I have. It's way too much by any rational assessment. I am running Sony FE, Fujifilm APS-C and micro four-thirds kits -- and all are pretty well equipped.

Of course, this did not happen overnight. I have been building my collection since about 2008. And, as anyone who has been around this hobby for long knows, up until about 2015 it was fairly easy to pick up camera bodies and even lenses at great prices -- either on sale, refurbished, lightly used or when the next version of a body came out. Things have only gotten unrelentingly expensive in the last five years or so (unless you were running Leica or medium format).

I have pared back my kits a bit in the past - usually by adopting a policy of two-cameras or lenses must be sold off before one of either can come in. This approach actually works -- at least for me. But I am now running up on the close of the acquisition phase of my life and perhaps I need to rationalize my gear more aggressively.

I'm still musing and thinking aloud about this. But it occurs to me that full-frame and micro four-thirds complement each other very nicely - particularly when micro four-thirds is used for things like shooting nature with a long zoom or street shooting with a small, pocketable body and a pancake prime.

That kind of leaves APS-C out in the cold. Not that the format has no worth. But if one also owns both full frame and micro four-thirds, it kind of gets lost in the sauce (more on this on a moment). But I really like my Fuji gear -- particularly the lenses. I currently have an X-H1, an X-T3, and X-Pro2 and an X-E3.

But it seems to me that I can differentiate my APS-C gear by staying with two cameras that offer a unique shooting experience -- the X-Pro3 and X-Pro2. Since I arguably can use my Sony A7III for almost anything I would use the X-H1 and X-T3 for... I'm thinking about selling them off along with my biggest and heaviest Fuji lenses. I would keep my line of "Fujicron" f/2.0 WR primes... and maybe even the 23mm and 35mm f/1.4 primes. I might even keep my 18-55mm f/2.8-4.0 and 55-200mm f/3.5-4.8 zooms.

Again, I am still thinking aloud. None of this has to happen overnight. The fate of micro four thirds seems to be up in the air right now as well and this could change everything. But I welcome any thoughts and/or observations from my friends and colleagues here.
 
I think the direction you're taking is sound. If you're not a working pro, there's nothing to defend anyway - it's your choie, and it's an interesting and promising one.

I personally ended up liking the X-E3 so much I recently expanded my Fujifilm kit, whereas the system that's on its way out is Sony E/FE, and maybe the Panasonic GX9 will follow, though I doubt that I'll let go of the latter - it's a fine camera, and I like nimble shooters (the X-E3 fits that bill, too - though it's not entirely equal to the GX9). The Sony bodies are actually quite good cameras (I own the A7 II and A6000), especially for the price - that's why I bought them in the first place: cheapest FF and APS-C mirrorless including an EVF. But the truth is: I get images from the X-E3 that equal or in many cases surpass what comes from the Sony bodies. If only I wasn't so attached to my to E mount Sigma primes, the 45mm f/2.8 C and 30mm f/1.4 C ...

So, in my view, if the Sony A7 III can cover for the use cases you own the X-H1 and X-T3 for, your proposition is a solid way to go, even if it's pretty much the opposite path that I am taking myself - but I own the A7 II, not the III, and my favourite FF mirrorless, apart from the Leicas, is very clearly the Nikon Z6: I'm frankly all in on the Z system; and for all older stuff (screwdriver lenses ...), I'll keep the D750. The two Nikons can do the heavy lifting as well as fill the Sony's boots (besides, I don't adapt lenses nearly as often as I thought I would ...). I can relate to wanting to shoot rangefinder-style - I'm a rangefinder nerd and have gone all the way in that respect already ...

The decisive point for me: If you're not a working pro, it's completely up to you what to do with your gear and money; you don't have to defend any decision you yourself are comfortable with. Culling the herd in a meaningful (for you!) way is a very satisfying thing to do (I have another big lens purge coming up).

I'd say: Go ahead, it's not as if you're doing something criminally stupid - daring perhaps ... Anhow, I've never used the X-H1, X-T3 and A7 III next to each other, but I know the latter is a powerhouse, so it all sounds feasible.

M.

P.S. I concur with Bobby - the Fujifilm 35mm f/1.4 is an enormously enjoyable lens; it's the first lens that may completely lure me away from the Sigma 30mm f/1.4 ... even though that one may be optically superior. But the images from the 35mm f/1.4 have an intangible quality that even a lens I like as much as the Sigma can't quite achieve ...
 
I guess my view is upside down from yours, Steve. My main system is going to be the new-ish G95 and PL 12-60, and my X-E2 will be the camera I grab when I want a much smaller footprint. I also liked my Pen-F and X30, but I feel pretty strongly that my own personal limit on gear should be two cameras.

As for m4/3, I've been reading a lot of comments where the usual crowd have been banging the drums about the format's imminent demise. Even if that happens, I'm guessing there will be plenty of gear out there for a long time to come for anyone who still wants to use the format.
 
I think it depends what you prefer to shoot and which results are your preferred.

FF and m43 do in fact make an excellent pairing, which as you say, leaves the APS-C kit out in the cold.

Or, you could drop both bookends and run a dedicated Fuji APS-C system - X-Pro with the Fujicrons and XH1/XT3 with your faster, heavier glass. That would simplify things tremendously with one lens mount, and you’d probably pocket a lot of cash to invest elsewhere (cameras or something different).

Again, it depends on your needs and wants. The good thing is you have all systems at your disposal already, so comparisons are at your fingertips.
 
I get this. I have two Sonys, two Fujis, and an expanding chorus of Pens. The latter is a collection of little cameras that fit in the pocket when needed. I’m pretty happy with Sony and Fuji as my main bodies.

I’m similar, but with Nikons for my FF gear. The Fuji and m43 are the fun to shoot stuff.

All capable stuff, just go with what fits your needs and what makes you happy.
 
As a former owner of an XPro-2, and a current owner of the XPro-3 I think the XPro-3 is different enough that you will enjoy both of them. I also own a. XH-1 that some are ready to push into the dustbin of history ;). But I think the XH-1 is unique enough that I’ll not be getting rid of that one anytime soon. For me I rend to keep the cameras and lenses that inspire me to shoot. I am often pleasantly surprised at the results that I obtain with my favorite/current lenses and camera bodies. I suspect OP that you are too:drinks:
 
As a former owner of an XPro-2, and a current owner of the XPro-3 I think the XPro-3 is different enough that you will enjoy both of them. I also own a. XH-1 that some are ready to push into the dustbin of history ;). But I think the XH-1 is unique enough that I’ll not be getting rid of that one anytime soon. For me I rend to keep the cameras and lenses that inspire me to shoot. I am often pleasantly surprised at the results that I obtain with my favorite/current lenses and camera bodies. I suspect OP that you are too:drinks:

This decision doesn't have to be made right away. And I will admit that the X-H1 works particularly well with my larger, heavier lenses - such as the 10-24mm f/4, 16-55mm f/2.8 and 90mm f/2.0.

On the other hand, I could sell the X-T3, X-H1 and X-Pro2... and buy an X-T4 to pair with the X-Pro3. Again - no rush to a decision us needed.
 
I have to admit that the XPro-3 and XT-4 combo is tempting. I guess it would be hard to justify keeping the XH-1 and owning an XT-4. I’d love to handle the XT-4, perhaps with a grip of some kind just to see if it felt as comfortable in the hand as my XH-1 with either the J.B. Camera Design wood grip, or the Fujifilm battery grip. Maybe the XT-4 is comfortable enough without any grip??? I hate to say it but hand comfort to me is almost as important as tech. specifications. I’m sure I’m a bit odd for that.
 
I have to admit that the XPro-3 and XT-4 combo is tempting. I guess it would be hard to justify keeping the XH-1 and owning an XT-4. I’d love to handle the XT-4, perhaps with a grip of some kind just to see if it felt as comfortable in the hand as my XH-1 with either the J.B. Camera Design wood grip, or the Fujifilm battery grip. Maybe the XT-4 is comfortable enough without any grip??? I hate to say it but hand comfort to me is almost as important as tech. specifications. I’m sure I’m a bit odd for that.

I hear you. I like the X-H1 grip and top LCD. The X-T4's grip is larger than the one on the X-T3, so it's probably an improvement.
 
I have to admit that the XPro-3 and XT-4 combo is tempting. I guess it would be hard to justify keeping the XH-1 and owning an XT-4. I’d love to handle the XT-4, perhaps with a grip of some kind just to see if it felt as comfortable in the hand as my XH-1 with either the J.B. Camera Design wood grip, or the Fujifilm battery grip. Maybe the XT-4 is comfortable enough without any grip??? I hate to say it but hand comfort to me is almost as important as tech. specifications. I’m sure I’m a bit odd for that.

Nope, not odd at all. As a matter of fact, while a lot of photographers clamour for smaller gear, I talk about a point of diminishing returns that the cameras get too small and fiddly they are worthless to me because I can't get to the controls properly.

Especially for extended shooting sessions - having that comfortable feel in hand is super important.
 
I'm a bit late coming into this discussion - apologies. My only contribution is that we should be cautious about applying logic to these decisions. Often with the best rationale we can think of, we wind up being disappointed at the end of the day. I'd suggest to sell off that which you really don't use. But any piece of kit which you enjoy using, be it FF, APSC or 4/3's rather keep it and enjoy it. I have a Fuji 50-200 lens which I've only used once in about 5 years, but I know that there'll be a time when I'll use it. Just yesterday I took out my Fuji 60mm macro (which also seldom sees use) on the XE3 and went walkabout - loved using it! Good luck with your decision!
 
Big bright EVFs. I'm always tempted to buy the better model if the EVF is better. It's not a problem if I can't afford it, but if it slips into my range the EVF can be the deciding factor. The A7Siii is just not the right camera for me and it's really expensive, but I would love to see that 9.44m-dot. 0.9 mag EVF.
 
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