I am strictly an amateur hobbyist, and got myself a Fuji X-T1 last month. My path was a bit different from most of the people on this forum: I have never used a DSLR. My first camera as a teenager was a little 110 film camera -- anyone remember those? For a little while I used an old Russian 35mm SLR which had absolutely no automatic functions at all. Then for about 25 years, from 1980 on, I used a Nikon FE 35mm film SLR; it would even select the shutter speed automatically, which I thought was pretty fancy. But unlike the fixed focus, fixed aperture 35mm instant film cameras which many people used, you did have to set aperture, shutter speed and focus.
About ten years ago I finally switched to a digital camera. Since my old camera bag with the Nikon FE, flash, and two extra lenses was a bit heavy and bulky, I found I wasn't taking my camera along much when I went anywhere. Since I wanted something smaller and lighter with a digital, I didn't go the big, expensive DSLR route. I ended up with a Canon G6, the largest compact which would fit in a belt pouch, but still had a decent zoom lens, fully articulated LCD, a good grip, and reasonably sophisticated features and controls for its time. Basically a high end compact point and shoot. It still takes fine pictures.
Since it is a bit of a pain with the G6 to use things like manual focus, aperture and shutter priority, I tended to use it mostly in its "P" mode. Recently I became interested in experimenting again with the more manual aspects of photography. My intention at first was to pick up an inexpensive used DSLR and lens, and use it strictly to experiment with, not as a replacement for the G6. However, after seeing favourable comments online about the X-T1 and its picture quality, light and compact size, and usability, I ended up with a very gently used X-T1 at a nice discount, and a new 18-55 lens. I've been learning how to use it, taking a refresher digital photography course with the local camera club, and experimenting a bit with it. It is a bit heavier and larger than the G6, and I'm afraid it really doesn't fit in a belt pouch.
The salesman who sold me the X-T1 suggested that if I gave it a chance, I might find the X-T1 replacing the old G6, even though that wasn't my original intention. The first evening, just as a lark, I tried taking a picture half an hour after sunset. Handheld (with OIS), 6400 ISO, manual focus through a window, auto exposure, about 1/2 second in aperture priority. The photo was reasonably sharp, and I could see things that I couldn't even see with the naked eye. I was seriously impressed: neither my G6 nor the old Nikon film camera could ever have done anything like that.
WayneC got a reaction from Sharana in Introduce Yourself